Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Wolf's Rain or Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, and as you know Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is a multi-crossover of all of CLAMP's works, I do not own those either (but, oh how I wish I did!).
Author's Notes: This story was just a whim I thought up if Toboe had lived while the others had died, what would he do? And what if Darcia had not found Paradise like he thought and traveled to other Dimensions to find it. So, here you are, and I hope you review and let me know how it was. I hope you like it!
Tsubasa Chronicles: Howls of Time
Chapter Four: Taking something, but giving it back
Toboe smiled at his new clothes, he was wearing brown flared jeans that were slit open in the front up half way up his calves. Black cowboy boots, and an auburn long sleeve shirt, the sleeves where flared out and the shirt fell off his shoulders a little bit. The others had a change of clothes as well. Sorata walked over to them after leaving the house, not before kissing Arashi goodbye on the cheek.
"There now, with those clothes you won't stand out to much" he said as he looked at them with approval.
"We're going to get started now, if that's okay" said Syaoran.
For the day they would be looking for the feather, Arashi-san would be staying with Sakura to keep her safe.
Sorata then reached into his pocket and took out a frog shaped wallet before putting it in Syaoran's hand and told them it was lunch money.
"Hey, why does the kid get to carry all the money?" asked Kurogane.
"Maybe because he seems more trustworthy?" pondered Toboe, chuckling at Kurogane's irritated face. Fai and Mokona giggled with him.
It was not long before they took to the streets. But no matter where they went neither he nor Mokona could feel/smell the feather.
"So you felt the feather here yesterday and now…nothing?" asked Fai.
"Wonder what that means" said Toboe.
Syaoran looked a little put down that they could not find it but told Mokona that it was okay when the little guy seemed to be put down by this as well.
"Well, what do you think, Kuro-poo?" asked Fai.
"Don't call me tha-"the man stopped as he seemed to see notice something familiar before whispering a mumbled sentence and then dashed off.
"There he goes," mumbled Toboe as he watched the dark figure zoom off, "do you think he saw someone who looks like a person in his world?" he asked.
"Probably" said Fai with his usual smile.
They did not try to follow the man and just waited for him. It was not long before the man returned with a huge ass sword, and did not bother to tell them what happened or how he got it. With no leads, and the sun setting they returned to the apartment.
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Toboe sighed from all the stress that Sakura had caused them. She had woken up and left the house without Arashi even noticing. They had searched all day until, splitting up to find her. Toboe had the best luck and indeed found her with two Mohawk goons and followed in his wolf form. He was surprised and glad when Sakura allowed it and even pet him when he approached her before they did.
He was glad to see that the kid from earlier had seen them at a restaurant before running off, and he was glad that, hours later, he came running with the others. He was amazed when Sakura just flew off as if carried by the light of the moon before falling from the sky and Syaoran catching her, landing on her feet no problem.
Now they were home, and she was back into her coma state.
"So, then it is a Kudan" he said.
They all looked at him in realization.
"Yes…a kudan comes and goes; it is reasonable" said Fai.
"Then somewhere in this world a kudan is carrying the feather, all we have to do is find it" said Syoaran looking at the map that was laid out on the floor in the middle of them.
"But…I'm guessing everyone on this world has a Kudan. After all it is a being who is apart of that person, like their second skin" said Toboe as he thought about his wolf half.
"Correct, it won't be easy" said Sorata.
"But we have to try" said Syaoran.
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Toboe was searching by himself today. It felt odd walking around this place that did not hold the same hold of his world but if felt nice as well. There was no poverty, no children scrounging around for their next meal. And the air, Cheza would have love it. A place where the air was fresh and the sun shinned without care.
Walking around he took time to look at all of the shops and how people interacted, finding it different from how he was used to seeing it all. Gazing around as he sat by a fountain in what appeared to be town square he nearly died of shock when he saw a girl he thought he would not see ever in his life again.
"C'mon Grandma!" she called out as she ran out of a store with two bags of groceries in her arms, obviously struggling with it and trying to watch where she was going.
Toboe shook his head and looked at her again, not mistaking it for an illusion, it was really her.
"Leara, hold on dear, and watch where you are going."
Toboe chocked on his tears at the sound of that voice. Out of the store walked an old woman he knew to well. Tears ran down his face as he stared at her.
'Granny.'
He wanted to run to them, hug them and tell them how much he missed them, that he was sorry. But he had to remember that this Leara and Granny were not his. His Granny was dead, and Leara was now a woman, she would have long forgotten him by now. And this Leara and Granny were obviously related, and appeared to be the same as he remembered.
"Leara, slow down child!" called the old woman.
"It's fine Granny!"
Toboe smiled, nearly snorting when she tripped over her own two feet, dropping the two bags. Looking down, he watched a potato roll over to him, and wanted to start crying again but quickly wiped his cheeks of any evidence. Reaching down he picked it up. How nostalgic.
"I'm so sorry."
Looking up Toboe saw Leara standing in front of him smiling, the two bags, once again full of food, in her arms.
Smiling he handed the potato to her, "It's okay."
She thanked him as she took it and put it back, balancing the bags on her chest in one arm, into one of the bags.
"Well Leara, why don't you ask the fine man to help."
They both turned in surprise to see Granny standing behind the brown haired girl.
"But Granny!"
Granny grinned, "Would you mind helping my good for nothing Grand Daughter with the bags, I swear the girl had two left feet."
"Grandma!" cried an embarrassed Leara as she blushed, trying to hide behind the bags.
Toboe chuckled and stood before taking a bag, "Sure."
Toboe followed the two to their truck, finding that they lived out of the city, out in the countryside. As Leara drove he was content in just listening to them talk about what they would have fore dinner tonight and the chores. He offered to help which made Leara ecstatic as she began telling him they would split it up, him taking the hard labor ones since he was a guy.
The house was the same as he had remembered it, the house he spent his pup days in. Walking in he set the bags down and was immediately taken to do some yard work with the gardens and the farm.
"You act like you've been here before, Toboe" said Leara as she watched him work around the kitchen as he was helping make dinner.
Toboe smiled, "Yeah, I use to live in a home similar to this when I was younger."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, with my Granny."
"So we have something in common. My dad died in an accident so I've been living with Granny since then, how about you, are you living with her now?"
Toboe sighed, lowering his head, "uh…no, she passed away a while ago."
Leara looked shocked and uncertain how to respond, "I-I'm sorry."
Toboe shook his head, "No, don't be…it was an accident, but she was…smiling."
Leara gave a hesitant smile and was about to say something when they both heard a loud thump of something big falling to the floor. Leara turned to hall that led to the rooms.
"Granny?" she yelled out, frowning as she made for the hall, Toboe following her.
Getting no response they quickly walked down the hall. Leara stopped in front of her room and knocked, calling out to the old woman. There was no answer. She turned to Toboe who looked at her before she opened the door. Entering the room they were shocked to see her lying on the ground in front of a vanity.
"Granny!"
Leara ran to the old woman but Toboe stood there, shocked to find her not only unconscious on the floor, but at the sight of what was next to her. It was him in his wolf form. It was whimpering next to her.
"Its okay Toby, Granny's okay" said Leara as she tried to rouse the woman, but she appeared to be trying to console herself.
Snapping out of it Toboe walked over and knelt down.
"She's asleep, she has a really bad case of insomnia, and sometimes her body just shuts down by itself. Reason why I came to stay with her than my other relatives. There's no one to help her out around here,"
They moved the old woman to her bed and tucked her in. After making sure everything was okay they went downstairs, Leara asking for him to stay for dinner. As they ate Toboe thought back to the wolf still in Granny's room.
"Oh, that's Granny's Kudan, Toby. He was her only company before I came here. He makes for a really good friend and protector to have around" said Leara once he asked.
When they were done, they looked when they heard some shuffling to find Toby coming into the kitchen, followed by Granny.
"Oh, I missed Dinner, have I been sleeping this whole time."
"Yes Granny, we Made a plate for you. I'll just heat it up, okay?"
Leara picked up the plate sitting on the counter and put it in the microwave before serving it. She then told the old woman that she was driving Toboe back to the city. The sun was going down and he was sure the others were wondering where he was, since they said they would meet before sundown.
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"And where were you this whole time?" asked Fai as Toboe finally made it to the meeting spot.
"Oh, I-I was-" he trailed off.
"Find someone you knew?" asked the blonde.
Toboe nodded, "Sorry, I found no trace of the feather.
Syaoran sighed but grinned, "It's okay we did not have much luck either.
They then went back to Sorata and Arashi's
Ø Ø Ø
Leara was at school today, so she had asked Toboe to take care of Granny. She had said she was unsure but she felt she could trust him. He smiled at her words as he made lunch for Granny and him, Toby next to him, siting and starring up as he made sandwiches.
"You know, it's weird seeing you when you are technically me."
The wolf tilted his head.
Toboe smiled, "Too weird."
He returned to making lunch and when he was done he was about to call down Granny when Tobby suddenly stood and ran out of the kitchen, whimpering. Toboe's attetnion turned from the food in front of him when a sent cought his nose. Taking it in he gasped, eyes widening in shock. It was a scent he thought he would not be smelling so soon.
The Scent of death.
Dropping the knife that clatered to the floor he rushed out and noticed the wolf standing in front of the hall that led to Leara and Granny's rooms.
'Something's wrong!" barked Tobby fearfully
Tobe himself felt a whimper escape from his throat as that smell got stronger. Looking down the hall he tried to listen for Granny and heard her heartbeat and breathing, but they were slow. Walking down the hall he frowned and headed to her room, worry etching itself into his mind and heart as he got further to her room. Tobby ran past him to her room.
"Granny?" he called out as he knocked on her door.
The sounds of her heart and breathing were getting slower, Tobby's barks got more alert as he started scratching on the door. Toboe was scared as well and opened the door. To find the old woman lying in her bed.
"Granny?" he asked as he walked over to her and sat on the side of her bed. Reaching over he gently shook her to try to get her to wake up. Hoping to God that the smell of death was not coming form her. But the aroma of it was imprinted on every surface of the room.
"Granny, wake up. Granny?"
He was Frantic now and shook her some more, but there was no response. Tobby was crying now, pacing as he stared at his master.
"Granny, please wake up!" urged Toboe.
She was dying, she was going to leave him alone again! His panic went into overdrive as he tried to call out to her to wake up a few more times. They did not have a phone and the city was fifteen minutes away, there was no chance of calling someone or even getting help in time. And they were the only house for miles around.
"Granny, please wake up!" begged Toboe, crying now as he shook her, his body convulsing with unheard sobs.
He then felt a warm and comforting presence behind him and turned to find his Kudan, Cheza.
"Cheza, please, help her…please?"
Cheza looked at him before smiling. Raising her hands over the woman they began to glow, and what looked like golden dusts of pollen fell from her palms. Toboe watched as they washed over the elderly woman and sink into her skin, covering her in a golden encasement before it vanished, dispersing into glittering dust.
There was silence as they waited, Toboe praying for the woman to wake while Tobby had his head perched on the bed next to the woman's face. Minutes passed and Toboe began to give up when Granny suddenly moaned, her body shifting a bit.
Toboe cried out as she opened her eyes, giggling as Tobby attacked her face with wet kisses.
"Oh, my, what's this now? Toboe dear, what's wrong."
"Oh, nothing…Granny…nothing" said Toboe between his quiet sobs of joy.
Behind him Cheza grinned lovingly.
Ø Ø Ø
"Are you sure you're okay, Granny?"
"I'm fine dear, you worry too much."
"I am your Granddaughter, it's my job."
Toboe smiled as she watched the two. Once Leara had gotten the news that she nearly lost her grandmother she headed over as soon as she could and hugged the woman to death, crying on her shoulders and thanking Toboe from the bottom of her heart.
In a way, Toboe felt that this was a way to say that he was sorry to them both, those in his world at least.
When he got back to the apartment Fai was still awake, while the others had long gone to bed.
The man smiled at him once he stepped into the room, it was a knowing smile that had Toboe stop for a moment.
"I see a weight had been lifted off those tiny shoulders, hm?"
Toboe smiled, "Yeah, the guilt's gone."
As he had taken Granny life once, he had given it back this time. He had taken from Leara and gave to her the life of her Grandmother. It made him warm inside, and he knew that everything was okay.
I could not resist having Toboe meet them again. It was so cute, Please review and tell me what you think!
Sayonara!
