2

Clouded Memories

The room was small, and the lighting hazy. The single bulb which lit the room hummed dully. The only other noise at the moment was the squeaking of the detective's shoes as he paced.

"Are you sure it was him?" the man asked, planting his hands on the table as he turned back to the two seated across from him.

"There aren't many men around with scars like that," Hige answered, leaning back in his seat.

The detective inhaled, frowning.

"You know of him?" Blue inquired.

"His name is Tsume. We've had dealings with him," was the reply.

"I'm not surprised," Hige commented. "That guy can fight."

The detective nodded, studying the recently bandaged wounds on the younger man's chest, "His behavior was unusual. You said he led you to gang territory, then came back to help you?"

"Yes," Blue replied. "It was clearly a trap, and yet, that does nothing to explain his actions."

"Any of them," the detective mused grimly. "He has given us information from time to time, though his actions are always capricious. We have kept a weather eye on him, but this is quite unexpected."

Hige and Blue said nothing.

The detective started to pace again, "As is your involvement in this issue. I am curious as to who hired you."

"We work for Quent Yaiden," Blue said firmly.

"Mr. Yaiden, is it?" the detective commented. "He does not take trifling jobs."

"And neither do we," Hige remarked.

"If I might inquire, why was Mr. Yaiden hired to track this man?" the detective asked.

"If you want to know, ask him," Hige replied tersely. "He has a deal with the department about such matters."

The detective exhaled, "I will be calling on him then. You can inform him of that."

"Gladly," Hige stood.

"You really ought to get those looked at," the detective remarked, eyeing his wounds.

"I'll be fine," Hige smirked as Blue stood as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Lebowski," she said. "Your information about this Tsume will be most helpful."

Hubb Lebowski frowned, "I wish I could say the same. It's not every day one man takes down so many-"

"He had help!" Hige protested indignantly.

"Yes, from me," Blue corrected.

"So? That's still help," Hige crossed his arms.

"Even so," Hubb continued, almost to himself. "It does not fit with what we know of the man. I cannot say I am unhappy the gangs have lost a few men, but still, this worries me."

Hige shrugged, "Are we finished?"

Hubb waved them away with a sigh, "Yes. We are."

The light outside was brighter, but it was still raining. Hige lifted his nose to the air, inhaling deeply as he stretched his arms.

"Ahhh, it's a good day," he remarked.

"Good?" Blue inquired with a faint smile. "You usually don't call a day where you end up wounded 'good'."

"Still, there's something different about this day," Hige winked at her. "Nothing can ruin this so easily."

Blue just smiled as they joined the crowds of umbrella toting people walking down the sidewalk. They were silent for a long moment, then Hige suddenly remarked,

"Hey, did that Tsume feel familiar to you at all?"

Blue glanced at him, "Familiar? How so?"

"I don't know, like I've seen him somewhere before," Hige frowned. "No, it's different than that. Like I know him or something."

Blue considered him thoughtfully, "Strange . . . . But-" she faded off, staring off toward the sky and the moon, lost in her memory for a moment. "Maybe there was something about him that felt . . . familiar, as you put it."

Hige nodded.

"What should we do?" Blue inquired.

Hige looked over at her, then shrugged, "Oh, I was thinking about getting some food. The fridge is empty."

Blue laughed, "It's always empty when you're around, Hige."

He grinned, "No sense in letting good food go to waste, Blue."


The rain was a steady drizzle. Though the chill it brought threatened to soak through his clothing, the auburn haired youth found it almost soothing as he walked along, watching the puddles splash beneath his shoes.

It sure has been raining a lot lately, he thought, glancing up at the clouds.

"Mew!"

Toboe blinked, then he glanced toward the alley he stood beside. In a cardboard box filled with old clothes, there huddled a small white kitten.

"Hey there," he squatted beside the box.

"Mew!" the cat said again.

Toboe reached down, picking up the small ball of fluff and holding it close to his jacket. A car passed behind him, splashing muddy water. Startled, he glanced behind him as the vehicle passed. He was about to continue on his way, when something in the alley across the street caught his eye. Toboe stood carefully, his eyes narrowed as he stared across the wet road toward the dim side street.

"You see anything?" he asked the kitten.

"Mew!" it replied. No.

Toboe sniffed the air, a strange wind pricking against his skin, "Something . . . . feels familiar, koneko."

As he stood there, staring into the empty space, he suddenly caught the gleam of gold eyes. Toboe inhaled, and he clearly felt the surprise of the gold-eyed man. A jumble of images flitted through his mind, too convoluted for him to understand, then the eyes disappeared.

"Hey!" Toboe called out. "Wait!"

"Hold on, koneko," he whispered to the white kitten, then charged across the wet street, splashing through puddles of rainwater. "Hey! Wait!"

There was a sudden screech of tires, followed by honking. Toboe gasped, whirling around as a large truck bore down on him. The kitten mewed loudly, then there a blur of black slammed into Toboe.

He crashed to the sidewalk with a yelp as the truck skidded, honking again before it continued it on its way.

"Don't be a fool, chibi!" the one who had tackled him, a leather-clad man with a star-shaped scar on his chest, snapped. "You'll get yourself killed."

The man stood abruptly, his gold eyes blazing.

"I-I," Toboe stood unevenly. "Who are you? Have we met before?"

"Never," the man replied tightly.

Toboe blinked, staring back into the stranger's eyes. Somewhere in the depths of his mind he could hear a wolf howling, and another series of random images flitted past his eyes, too fast for him to follow.

"Are you sure?" he breathed.

"Positive," Tsume growled. "I don't associate with chibis."

Toboe frowned, "I'm not a runt."

Tsume glanced over at him, his gaze narrowed, "Oh? You look like one to me."

"Well," Toboe retorted, his arms crossed as he hugged the white kitten, "if you don't associate with 'runts', then why'd you save me?"

Tsume clicked his tongue against his teeth, "Bad instinct. Forget about it. I'll just shove you into the next car that passes and right everything."

"You wouldn't!" Toboe pouted angrily.

"Mew!" the kitten cried out. "Wolf!"

Surprise glanced across Tsume's face, and he stared down at the creature in Toboe's arms, "What did that thing just say?"

Toboe stared up at him, "The kitten? 'Mew'."

"That's not what I heard," Tsume replied firmly, his eyes on the kitten. "What did you say?!"

The kitten mewed again, shrinking away from the scarred man.

"Stop it! You're scaring him," Toboe protested.

Tsume's hands clenched into fists, "Tell me, neko, now."

It mewed softly, "Don't . . . hurt me, wolf."

Wolf? Tsume felt his breath coming hard. Wolf?

The hairs on his neck raised, and he glanced up, only to see the moon again. It seemed larger, brighter than it had before. He took a step back, panting as the rain pounded against his face.

"Sir?" Toboe breathed.

Tsume's brow creased in a knot, then he suddenly cried out in pain, falling to his knees.

"Sir!" Toboe grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Stop it!" Tsume jerked away from him. He collapsed again, catching himself with his hand as he gasped for breath, "Stop . . . it!"

Toboe just stared at him in dismay. The kitten mewed softly. A strange wind seemed to blow through the street, bearing with it a faint, yet incredible scent. Toboe inhaled in awe, then he finally noticed the bloody wound on the man's arm. The memory slammed through his mind with the terrible sound of a machine gun's rapid fire.

Toboe whirled around in surprise, as Tsume leaped from the abandoned building, knocking him aside, only to take a shot in the leg as they fell. It was cold, and the smell of death permeated the abandoned military facility.

As fast as it had come, the memory was gone, and Toboe was standing on the rain-soaked sidewalk, staring at the injured man who crouched, panting in front of him.

"Tsume!" Toboe grabbed him by the arm, hoisting him up.

The scarred man stared at him, his gold eyes blank from pain and surprise.

"My grandma has a medicine shop in town," Toboe continued. "She can help you!"

"I . . . don't . . . need . . . your help," Tsume growled. "How . . . did you know . . . ."

"I- I remembered," Toboe replied tightly. "You were shot in the leg, by a war machine. You had saved me . . . again."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tsume replied, jerking his arm free. He staggered a few steps, then slumped against the side of a building, panting.

"What's wrong with you?" Toboe inquired, coming up beside him.

Tsume turned a glare onto him, "Nothing, chibi."

"My name's Toboe," the auburn-haired youth retorted. "You look sick."

"I'm fine," Tsume started to snap, when a cough tore itself from his throat. He managed to choke back the next one, though he was leaning harder against the brick wall.

"Please come with me?" Toboe asked. "I don't want you to die . . . ."

"You're overreacting, chibi," Tsume exclaimed. "I'm not going to die!"

Toboe frowned, "How do you know? If you keep jumping in front of cars to save runts when you're in this shape, its bound to happen."

A growl rumbled in Tsume's throat, "Look, Toboe, or whatever you called yourself, you're starting to get on my nerves. So why don't you just scram?"

Toboe grit his teeth, but he backed up a step, "This isn't what I remember!"

"Good," Tsume exhaled. "Because I don't remember you at all."

"That can't be true!" Toboe exclaimed. "I- I- it's all so clear! It has to be true!"

"It's not, chibi," Tsume replied wearily. "You're just dreaming."

"You . . . won't even at least let my grandma look at you?" Toboe whispered.

"Didn't I already-" Tsume began, then he halted suddenly, his eyes widening.

Toboe stared at him for a moment before following his gaze.

Across the street, in front of pet store where two koi swam lazily in a window tank, stood a young, brown-haired man in a blue jacket, munching lazily on a hotdog, a paper sack of groceries held in his arm. Faint recognition flickered in the back of Toboe's mind.

"Do you know him?" he asked Tsume.

"I . . . . more than I'd like to," Tsume said hastily. "Where's this grandma of yours live?"

Toboe burst into a grin, "You're going to come?!"

"No," Tsume snapped. "I just need to get away from here."

Toboe blinked, glancing back at the brown-haired stranger, then he started walking, "Follow me, Tsume!"

Tsume grunted, shoving himself away from the wall, then he staggered after the youth, a low growl in his throat.


Hige took another bite, savoring the simple, yet delicious taste of the hot dog. An instant later, a familiar scent reached his nose. Intrigued, he glanced across the street, but there was nothing there save a rain-soaked alley.

"Hmm," Hige commented. "Strange."

"What?" Blue inquired, stepping up beside him.

"I thought I smelled that Tsume," Hige replied, finishing his hot dog.

Blue glanced toward the opposite side of the street, "Really?"

Hige shrugged, "It was probably nothing. Let's go back to Yaiden's. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Hige."

"I know," he grinned.


After they walked down several streets, Tsume stopped, resting his hand against the nearby tree as he panted for breath.

"Are you okay?" Toboe asked, turning back to him.

Tsume grit his teeth, straightening, "I'm fine." He glanced up into the rain, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the roof tops.

"Why did you stop then?"

Tsume turned toward the youth, "Why do you keep following me?"

"I . . . we were going to my grandma's-"

"And why do you want to help me?" Tsume continued sharply. "It'll do you no good."

"But- I . . . . My grandma can give you something for the pain," Toboe replied finally. "Why wouldn't you want help? You're sick, aren't you?"

Tsume stifled a cough, "I don't need your help."

"She has some very good medicines," Toboe started walking again, "and knows a great deal about ailments."

Tsume watched the youth for a minute, then trailed along behind him, his hands buried in his pockets.

I'm only going so the chibi will shut up. he thought. That's all.

"She'll even have dinner on," Toboe was saying. "You'll stay and eat, right?"

Tsume growled to himself, but he said nothing, merely following the overactive youth through the drizzling rain. Every so often, he coughed, but he managed to stifle most of them, and Toboe did not notice. Once or twice Tsume considered ducking into a side alley, but every time he started to fall behind, Toboe would run back to ask him if he was okay and tell him that they were almost there. By the second time, Tsume gave up, and a minute later, Toboe stopped in front of an old store front. The windows were dark, but inside, Tsume could see shelves full of odd shaped bottles.

What am I doing here? he asked himself.

"We're here!" Toboe jogged up to the door, pulling it open.

It jangled slightly, and he juggled with his umbrella as he attempted to hold it open. With a sigh, Tsume passed through into the dry interior of the room beyond. Toboe shut the door behind them, dropping his umbrella, then he crouched, letting the white kitten climb out of his arms. It scampered a few feet, then turned back to them, mewing. Tsume regarded it with distaste, but he did not say anything, his eyes scanning over the various objects and bottles on the shelves. The room was filled with strange scents, many of them unappealing.

"Grandma!" Toboe called out, heading into the next room. "I'm home. I brought a friend with me. His name's Tsume!"

I'm not your friend, Tsume growled in his mind, but he said nothing aloud.

He heard uneven footsteps, then Toboe reappeared, followed by an older woman in a long brown skirt.

"Oh, my," she remarked. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine," Tsume replied tersely.

"You're bleeding," she adjusted her glasses and stepped over to inspect Tsume's arm.

"It's just a graze," he insisted, pulling away slightly.

Her old fingers were surprisingly strong, and she kept a hold of his arm, "This looks like a gun shot wound. You haven't been getting into trouble now, have you, young man?"

"What's it to you?" Tsume retorted.

She shook her head sadly, "So many headstrong young people run off into trouble because they see no purpose to their lives. Some end up injured, or dead, others simply with wasted lives. It's a shame."

Tsume snorted, "I don't need a lecture, old lady."

Calmly, the old lady met his eyes. For a moment, she held them. Tsume stared back at her with a twinge of shock at the intensity of her gaze, then she spoke quietly.

"There is a sense around you, young man, like one born under the eyes of the wolf. You should not abuse their gift so lightly."

Tsume blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Wolf!" the kitten mewed, hopping up onto a small table beside him. It look at him with a piercing blue gaze, then began to lick its paw.

"The wolves were born to protect us humans," the old lady continued. "Those born under their eyes are . . . special. But you throw that away."

"It's my life!" Tsume jerked his arm from her grip, backing up a step. "I'll do with it as I please."

She shook her head, "Well, young Tsume, at least let me bandage your arm, and I'll see if I can't find something for your cough."

Tsume started to protest, when he suddenly realized that he had not been coughing since he entered the building. He stared at her, baffled. The kitten mewed softly, drawing his gaze back to it. Tsume held its eyes for a long moment, then he spoke.

"What do you know, neko?"

"Mew!" it replied, washing itself attentively again. The creature was young, and had been abandoned by the owners of its mother with the rest of its litter. As a runt, it had been left until last, until Toboe had picked it up.

"I didn't ask for your life history, neko," Tsume said grumpily, sinking into the brown leather chair beside the table. "What do you know about me?"

The kitten stood, rubbing against the lamp set on the table as it mewed at him. "Your smell . . . . is that of a wolf."

Tsume frowned darkly, "You heard what the old lady said, right? It's probably because of that."

The kitten only looked at him.

"Why are you talking to Ke?" Toboe inquired curiously, walking over to stand beside them.

Tsume turned a narrowed gaze toward the youth, then he grunted, "Like you'd understand."

"Maybe I would?" Toboe suggested. "Why don't you try me, Tsume? I'm not just a little kid anymore."

Tsume's eyes clouded, and he felt the tightness in his lungs beginning to return. He coughed. Toboe looked worried, but he did not say anything, and a moment later, the old lady appeared again, a roll of bandaging and several odd, dark colored medicine bottles in her arms. These she set down on the table beside the kitten, Ke. She picked up one of the bottles, dripping some of the liquid onto a cloth then she turned to Tsume.

"What is that?" he asked.

"It will keep the wound from infecting," she replied.

"I really don't need that," Tsume objected.

The old lady merely took his arm, cleaning the wound. He grit his teeth against the sting of the medicine, glaring first at her then and Toboe, who watched silently, his expression worried.

"My wounds heal just fine, old lady," Tsume commented as she started to bind it.

"Of course," she agreed politely. "This will merely speed the process. I believe you'll find it beneficial later."

"My bike is laying on a street somewhere," Tsume continued darkly. "I need to find it."

"This won't take but a moment," she replied.

Tsume clicked his tongue against his teeth, "This is unnecessary."

He started to stand, but her old fingers dug into his arm. It was the pain that brought him down with a gasp.

"What was that for, old lady?!" he demanded.

"You'll make it worse if you keep moving," she chided. "Now let me get you something for that cough."

"It's not going to help," Tsume retorted.

She just shook her head, moving to the shelves full of old bottles. Tsume stood, but he merely crossed his arms, watching her through narrowed eyes. After a moment, she grabbed a small vial of an organic looking greenish yellow liquid, turning back to him. Tsume eyed her, his gaze hardened.

"This is a very rare medicine," she told him, turning the vial around in her hand. "You can't find it much anymore, and more and more people are starting to have adverse reactions to it. I believe it might help you however. It is made from the nectar of a Lunar Flower."

"A . . . . Lunar Flower?" Tsume repeated, the back of his neck prickling at the word.

As the old lady unstopped the vial, he caught the scent of the medicine, the same scent he had been smelling all day, exotic and wonderful. A sudden burst of random scenes flashed through his mind almost painfully, and he began to cough, the images in his mind overcome by a creeping, cold darkness that sounded like maniacal laughter.

What . . . What is this?

Dimly through the haze, he heard a wolf howling, and the jumbled images cleared for a moment. There before him, on the snow strewn crest of a mountain stood a white wolf. As it finished howling, it turned, looking straight at him.

"I'm going to find paradise, Tsume," he heard the wolf's voice in his mind, clearer than he had ever heard anything else.