Roxas panted lightly as he followed behind his litter mate, eyes hooded lightly as the sun shone down on them through the barren trees. Looking to the sky the blond wolf narrowed his eyes and wondered how all the trees could be dead during the middle of spring, it didn't make sense. Everything in their forest was teeming with life and here...nothing. He could only imagine it being the humans fault the forest was like this and it only made him resent them more. Bringing his gaze back down at the sound of rustling the young wolf gasped upon seeing his brother collapse in front of him.
"Sora!" The blue eyed wolf called as he rushed to his siblings side, eyes wide with worry. Upon reaching his side Roxas let out a breath of relief to see the other was still alive. Crouching down he gently nuzzled the brown wolf, not stopping until his eyes opened to gaze at him tiredly. "Sora, you need to get up," The injured wolf murmured softly as he tried to coax the other into rising. "I can't Roxas...I'm so tired," Sora replied giving his brother an exhausted look, not even bothering to move from where he fell. "I know you are Sor, but we need to find food," The younger of the two replied empathizing with him, but knowing they would need food if they were to survive to find their pack.
Sora shook his head lightly and whined when he was roughly prodded again and again. The blond furred wolf refused to stop until the other slowly rose to his paws. When his brother swayed on his feet Roxas quickly helped steady him. Once the blue eyed wolf found his balance Roxas nudged him into a painfully slow walk. Lack of food had taken it's toll on both wolves greatly. By now their fur was matted and hung off of their bony frames. Roxas was sure that if he hadn't gotten his brother to his feet that he would have never moved from that spot again and he wouldn't let that happen. Aerith's death was still fresh in his mind and he wasn't ready to lose another member of his family so soon.
They trudged on through the afternoon, stopping only to drink from a nearly dry stream, Roxas refusing to let his brother sit in fear that he wouldn't get back up. After that they resumed their trek, barely paying attention to their surroundings aside from any noise in the undergrowth. From their time in the forest they had noticed that there were no other large predators, which was understandable considering the prey shortage so they had long since stopped worrying about an attack. They barely even worried about humans as well. If they were having so many issues in this forest they were sure that the humans would fare worse.
It was as the sun was beginning to lower in the sky when Roxas noticed something. Squinting the blond furred wolf paused mid stride to stare into the distance, only looking for a moment before he let out a small gasp. Sora stopped beside him and gave his sibling a questioning look before turning his attention to the horizon as well. His blue eyes widened at what he saw and he felt hope stirring in his chest. It was only a break in the tree line, from which a stretch of grass could be seen, but it brought them the hope of escaping this never ending dead forest.
Feeling excitement bubble in his chest Roxas stumbled forward on three paws, his injured leg no longer able to support his weight, meager as it was. The young wolf barely registered his sibling following after him as his focus was solely on getting out of these trees. As they neared he started panting lightly in his elation to be free. He was so focused on his goal that the starving wolf didn't notice the nearby shadows moving until they stood in his path, blocking out the sight of grass beyond the tree line. Wide eyed at the sudden appearance of the shadows Roxas careened to a standstill, Sora crashing into him from behind at the abrupt stop.
"Well well, what do we have here?" One of the shadows said, amusement clear in his voice as he stepped forward. The young wolves cowered lightly when a tall male wolf sauntered into the light, his russet colored fur practically glowing crimson in the dying light of the sun. Not only his fur, but the wolf's green eyes gleamed as well as they took in the two mangy young wolves before him. "Looks like we've got ourselves a couple of lost pups," The second shadow spoke as he walked up to stand beside the other. He wasn't as tall as the red wolf, but his shimmering grey coat stood out just as much looking silver in the light. His eyes were just as mesmerizing too, a bright turquoise that he was sure put their own blue ones to shame.
"They would have to be to be wandering around in the Dead Forest," The red furred male replied turning his head to look at his companion, spikier fur than their own swaying lightly as he moved. "And they had to have been in there awhile, look at how skinny they are. It looks like they can barely stand," The silver furred one replied motioning to the two with his nose causing them to lower their ears to their heads. "That's true, so pups, how long were you two in there?" The green eyed male then asked as he moved to start circling the brothers curiously.
Roxas responded with a growl as they were circled, moving so that he was always facing the larger wolf. Though it was made much more difficult by his injured leg, something that the red wolf noted with a quick glance before he grinned and made a comment about Roxas being feisty. Sora on the other hand was a little more compliant than his younger brother despite keeping a wary eye on the other strange wolf. "About a month and a half," The blue eyed male murmured cautiously as the red male returned to his pack mate's side. "That's quite awhile to be on your own so young. Tell me, how did you two get lost?" The larger male asked tilting his head to the side curiously as he waited for a response.
The siblings glanced at each other wondering if they should tell these strangers of what had happened to their pack. Glancing back at the two watching them Roxas sighed lightly knowing they probably wouldn't leave until they got answers and who knew if they would get vicious or not. "We were separated when humans attacked us and a neighboring pack," The blond furred male reluctantly replied, noticing the mildly surprised looks the two donned at the news. The young wolf wasn't sure that was good or bad news. All he really hoped for was that they would get out of this safely.
"Two packs you said?" The smaller of the two replied like he wasn't quite sure he believed Roxas. "Yeah. Our pack and Seifer's...though Seifer's only has three members compared to our ten...well not ten anymore...," Sora replied before going silent as the memories of that horrible day returned. Roxas lowered his head as well as his brother proceeded to lean on him as they shared their pain. "Wow...I didn't think there were many areas for packs to even form anymore," The silver furred one replied with a light shake of his head. "Seriously with the shortage of females it's a miracle," The large male responded nodding his head in agreement. Roxas blinked when he heard about the apparent shortage of women. "What do you mean? We had four in ours and there is Fuu from Seifer's pack," Roxas replied not getting how there was a 'shortage'.
"That may be true for you, but here there's not many female wolves left and we're not sure why either," The russet colored wolf replied seriously. "And because of the lack of available women fights between dominant males are happening more and more, creating more casualties to add to what the humans do," The lithe male spoke up with a frown on his face. This news made both young wolves frown seeing as their pack would likely encounter these problems since they had been run out of their territory. "But enough about the lack luster lives of us city wolves, you two look like you'll croak standing up. Come with us," The larger of the two fussed lightly as he walked over to the pups to corral them away from the woods.
Roxas was immediately on edge as the other male got closer and limped his way between the two and his brother. This caused the one nearing them to give him an exasperated look. "How can we trust that you won't do anything?" The blond furred wolf growled out defensively, receiving a sigh and a shake of a head in return. "Look pup if we were going to do anything we wouldn't have stood here chatting about our bleak lives so just stop being stubborn and follow us," The green eyed male replied baring his fangs lightly to try and intimidate the others into obeying. "My name's not pup," Was the reply he received and it showed on his face that he couldn't believe he was dealing with this. A little farther back his companion let out a soft chuckle of amusement. The red wolf immediately turned his head to glare at his friend.
"Hey don't give me that look, you're the one who wanted to 'be alpha'," The turquoise eyed male responded with a roll of his eyes at needing an alpha between the two of them. "So you get to handle the scaredy pups," He added as he plopped himself down onto the ground as if to show his lack of involvement. This caused the larger male to huff in annoyance at the lack of assistance he was receiving. Though when the older male turned his attention on them the blond furred male jumped lightly in his spot at being suddenly addressed again. "Well then mister 'not pup' my name's Axel and my 'buddy' over there is Riku," The newly introduced Axel said adding emphasis on buddy which only made the silver wolf stick out his tongue.
Roxas stared between the two of them for a minute before he reluctantly introduced himself and his brother. "Great! Now that we're no longer strangers in this game called life why don't we head back to our den for some rest?" Axel suggested with a grin he assumed was meant to reassure them, but it look more crazy than anything. The younger wolf wanted to refuse on the simple grounds that he didn't want help from these two, but he also knew that as weak as they were right now they definitely needed the assistance. Riku, as odd as it may sound, seemed to notice exactly when he gave up in his head because the other wolf was already halfway there by the time he muttered alright. Rather than just lead the way the two wolves took it upon themselves to flank the pups and offer support as they walked away from the forest that had nearly killed them.
"So where exactly is this den of yours?" The blue eyed male asked as the four of them trudged along at the pace set by the two younger males. Which was really slow considering their physical state and Roxas's leg. From what he could see they were crossing the field of grass, which was smaller than it looked from inside the treeline, and heading towards a stream. On the other side of which was a spattering of more trees, grass, and hills before a city. "It's not in the city if that's what you're wondering," Axel replied glancing down at the smaller male before his eyes went forward again. "Our den is hidden in the hills across the stream," Riku then added in, pointing his nose in the direction that it was. "We'll have to be more careful once we're on the other side, some of the younger humans like to explore around here," Axel joined in once more seeming to like hearing his own voice.
Though it took until they reached the shore of the stream for Roxas to realize that they were going to having to swim to get across. He panicked lightly internally as his brother bent down to lap up some of the water. "It's cold," The young wolf commented in surprise as he raised his head. "Yeah the ice is melting from upstream so the water is really fresh right now," Riku responded giving the brunette a soft smile. "Doesn't that mean that the current is stronger?" Roxas asked worriedly as he looked from Riku to the fast flowing water. "Yeah, but don't worry Roxas, we'll be swimming right beside you," Axel replied playfully as he very gently hip-checked the other wolf. "We've never swam before though," The younger wolf murmured as his ears flattened against his skull. None of the bodies of water in their territory had been deep enough to have to swim through so they had never been taught.
"Like I said, don't worry. I don't even like swimming and I can do it," Axel rumbled reassuringly and flashing the pups a grin. "Yeah, but how many times did that take you? I'm pretty sure I recall Demyx complaining about you nearly drowning on him at least ten times," Riku commented, brow raising at his alpha's capability. Axel sputtered and the jab at the other wolf had Roxas chuckling softly, relaxing a little though he was still nervous. "Why don't we go two at a time, me and Sora first? So that Roxas can see how it's done?" Riku asked curiously as he looked between the three other wolves. Roxas whined unsure about the idea, but before he could voice his opinions his brother spoke up. "Sounds good to me, then Rox won't be as nervous," The bright eyed male said giving his litter mate a grin.
He still wanted to protest, but he found the words stuck in his throat as he watched Riku briefly explain what to do before the two of them slowly waded into the river. He watched with wide eyes as the current already started to push his brother around, immediately wanting to rush in to help him. "Calm down Sunshine, he's fine. See? Riku's there," Axel murmured into his ear reassuringly as they both watched Riku use his own body to keep Sora from being swept downstream. Roxas said nothing as he watched the two of them begin paddling once the water became too deep, holding his breath until his sibling was safely on the other side of the stream. Once he was the blond furred male visibly drooped in relief as on the other side Sora collapsed in exhaustion, Riku standing close by.
"You ready?" Axel asked after giving the younger male a moment to collect himself. Roxas glanced up at the taller male before giving a shallow nod. The older male grinned in reply before explaining the basics of swimming. Taking a deep breath the smaller male hobbled over to the edge of the stream wondering how he was going to be able to do this with only three usable legs. The red wolf was by his side the entire time, waiting for the other to be comfortable to start. Before he could convince himself otherwise the pup pushed himself forward into the water, sucking in a breath at how cold the water was. Receiving a light nudge from the larger male he forced himself to keep going, though he started to panic a little once his feet could no longer comfortably touch the ground.
It was hard using only three legs, his fourth twitching every now and then at the instinctual urge to use it, but the pain that shot up the limb had him keeping it pressed close to his body. Not even halfway across Roxas was panting heavily and he was so focused on reaching the other side that he failed to notice the small log flowing down the stream. Axel noticed too late and by the time he was reaching over to grab the pup's scruff the wood had already smacked into the other's side, sending him spinning around the older male. The blond furred wolf could hear the snap of Axel's teeth inches from his ear as the other attempted to grab him, but all he could focus on was keeping his head above water as he was swept downstream. Panicking the young wolf splashed loudly as he attempted to get to shore, his injured leg moving in his alarm and sending spikes of pain up his spine.
He was so focused on his fear that he didn't notice the added splashing to his own, only fixated on the shore ahead of him that was getting harder to see over the water. The blond male choked on water as his head finally sunk under the current only to be pulled up again by a strong grip on his scruff. Instinctively the small male stopped moving until he heard a muffled growl telling him to help. Whining softly the young wolf paddled as best as he could, more so when he noticed how close the shore was getting. Though once their feet hit solid ground the scrawny pup was unceremoniously dragged to shore before getting dropped on his ass. Roxas didn't care as he laid there exhausted and with his leg hurting more than it had in weeks. He blinked drowsily when he noticed not only Sora and Riku running down the side of the stream to him, but also Axel.
Eyes widening at the realization that it wasn't the red furred wolf that had saved him his head whipped around to see an unfamiliar sandy colored male shaking the water from his fur. He nearly scrambled away in fear at this appearance of a strange male, but his injured leg would have none of it, keeping him pinned to the spot in pain. Before he could say anything though the other three arrived, Sora lagging farther behind, but making it to his brother's side. "Thanks for the help Demyx, we owe you one," Axel spoke as he trotted over to the other male and giving him a light headbutt. "You owe me more times than you can count Axel," The ocean eyed male responded with a grin as he pushed his body back against the other male's head. "Using one of those debts why don't you tell me about the mystery pups here?" Demyx said turning his attention to the smaller males.
Roxas stared at the newcomer silently, taking in the fact that he wasn't a full blooded wolf like them. If anything one would probably confuse him for a dog had they not known what to look for. Sure he had the short fur and the slightly square face of a dog, but his ears and those eyes were definitely that of a wolf. After staring for a good bit the blond furred wolf came out of his thoughts in time to hear the tail end of Axel's explanation about who they were. However he was not expecting the look of sympathy the older male was giving them upon hearing about their troubles. The pup huffed and turned his head to the side, unused to being on the receiving end of such things. "Alright Dem your pity can be save for another time. I'd like to get these two back to the den before any potential trouble finds us.
The wolf-dog nodded and watched as Roxas was helped to his feet, noticing quickly the leg held far up off the ground. Looking between the two he could see that though both fatigued the blond was in worse shape. As they headed for the hills the sandy furred male joined Axel in keeping an eye on Roxas when he wasn't darting ahead to make sure there were no humans nearby. The walk to the cave seemed to take hours, the sun having set for a good amount of time by the time they made it. Unfortunately the ground was uneven and covered in rocks so it took Roxas a fair bit longer to reach the entrance than Sora. Once he did though he flopped onto the ground panting, thoroughly drained from the day's excitement. Hearing paw steps stop in front of him he opened his eyes to see Axel and Demyx standing over him.
"What do you want?" The smaller wolf grumbled out crankily. He had had a long day and all he wanted to do now was sleep and from the looks on their faces he wasn't going to get that anytime soon. "We need to know what exactly happened to your leg when the humans attacked," Axel responded looking down at the limb briefly before back at Roxas's face. "Just so we know how to help you feel better! Different remedies for breaks or cuts or whatever," Demyx quickly interjected when he noticed the blue eyed male getting ready to snap at his friend's bossy attitude. Roxas let out a soft snort before he turned his head to the side and said that he had been shot. "Did you get the bullet out?" Demyx asked gently, not wanting to upset the pup more than he already was. They got their answer when all he did was flatten his ears to his head.
"We're going to have to dig the bullet out you know," Axel said seriously, watching as the younger male grimaced. "Do you have to?" He asked looking back at them hopefully even though he knew the answer already. "Yes we do. If it's been in there as long as you've been lost we have to. Your wound could easily get infected if it isn't already. Sometimes the body adjusts and heals around the bullet, but with the way you've been carrying that leg I don't think it has and a bad infection could kill you," Demyx replied softly, not wanting to scare the pup, but wanting him to understand the seriousness of the situation. The blond wolf whined softly and squirmed a bit in his spot on the floor before he finally shakily nodded his head.
"Alright. Don't freak out but we're going to have to hold you down, okay? I don't fancy getting bit in a pain fueled frenzy," Axel said as his friend moved over the younger wolf. Roxas nodded as Demyx laid his weight down onto the smaller male, holding him in place as Axel positioned himself down by the bullet wound. Sora whined from his spot on the other side of the cave, wanting to go to his brother's side. Riku wouldn't let him though, not wanting to risk him trying to stop them once they got started. "Alright, I'm going to start now Roxas," The russet colored wolf called up to the pup, drawing a soft whine from the other.
Roxas closed his eyes as he could feel the other wolf's breath on his fur as the male sniffed out the injury. There were a couple of licks he assumed were meant to be calming, but they only served to make him more nervous. Before he could say anything though he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his leg as Axel set about removing the bullet. Though weak from malnutrition and exhaustion he put up quite the fight at the sudden pain, Demyx having a hard time just using him weight to hold the other down. The sandy furred wolf had to resort to using his teeth to keep the pup's head on the ground, forcing himself to ignore the pained cries coming from the other canine.
Sora wasn't faring much better on the other side of the cave. At his brother's first yelps of pain he had tried to run over to his aid automatically. Of course Riku pinned the smaller wolf down immediately, doing his best to calm the brown furred male down. It was hard, especially once Sora could see his litter mate's blood appearing on Axel's maw. The youth snarled and struggled to no avail, eventually settling beneath the stronger wolf and letting out heart wrenching whines at his brother's pain. The grey furred male tried to comfort the younger male as best as he could, lavishing the pup's face in licks. Luckily the ordeal didn't last for too much longer, Axel soon rising up with the bullet in his jaws. As he went to dispose of the projectile Riku rose off of the pup and watched as Demyx did the same.
As soon as he was free Sora darted over to his brother's side whimpering softly as he covered the other wolf's face in comforting licks just as he had done moments ago. Roxas on the other hand barely blinked as he was given attention, mind wrapped around the pain in his leg. That was the last that his mind could handle before it forcibly shut itself down to give the wolf time to rest. All Sora did was wrap himself as best as he could around his sibling and continue licking until he too succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep. The three adults watched the pups for a minute before they moved to the front of the cave to give the boys some peace as they talked. Only once the moon rose did they move back into the den to get some rest as well, sure that the younger males would sleep well into the day.
(Afterword: Omg I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, forgive meeeeeeeee. Honestly I had lost some interest in it (What with life and buttloads of drama throwing themselves at me), but two Cleon stories I started got me back in the kh mood and I looked up this story again and I missed it soooo much. I really hope this chapter makes up for how long it took to get it here though I know not too much really happened. I'll try to get better at this story writing stuff ^^' I'm also thinking about changing how I write this a little bit, something more like my ImaWaka fanfic. Let me know what you think)