A/N: Happy Holidays to everyone! I feel a bit guilty about writing this chapter right after my other update because my other fics need attention... But hey, who has to know? ;) AND THIS CHAPTER IS LONGER :D
And now... BIRTHDAYS! :D
iKid. But it is time for the rounds...
Thanks to Timber Wolf of Purity, Shades-Soul, and lady-KHL for reviewing, and a special thanks (what is this, the billionth time? XD) to dennalilly for the constructive critism!
:Chapter Nine:
"I had a dream... that we reached Paradise!" Toboe began excitedly. The wolves were resting in the snow before they took off again for hours of more running, though only Kiba knew why they were going in that particular direction. "Oh, it was so amazing! As far as the eye could see there were all these red flowers, and blue ones! Blooming everywhere! And you know what? They were all lunar flowers!"
"Have you ever even seen a lunar flower?" Hige asked, barely paying attention.
"Well... No, not really, but..."
Kiba smiled a bit at the pup as he looked on.
"Well Granny was there too! And she took care of us, and looked after us! And she made us all kinds of delicious food!"
"What are you talking about?" Hige asked.
"I guess he'll be happy being someone's pet even in Paradise." Tsume spat the word 'pet' out with disgust.
Amaya smirked. "Once a pet, always a pet, I guess."
"No, no! It... It wasn't like that!" Toboe denied, looking a bit startled by the accusations. "It was more like... A party! And we were all guests, and there was great food, and music too."
"Sounds like a city coffee shop to me," Hige said disinterestedly.
"...But... It's true, Hige! It was so amazing! It made me think that it was really Paradise! It's... It's... Hard to describe." Toboe sighed, almost in defeat.
"Well that's no surprise," Hige began, "With a brain like yours, what'd you expect?"
Amaya cracked up at Hige's comment, and Toboe looked indignant.
"Gimme a break! Even Kiba hasn't told me what Paradise is like, so how am I supposed to know? !" he turned to look at Kiba. "Well... What is it like? Or lunar flowers, what do they look like? What color are they, can you tell me that?"
No response.
. . .
Kiba stopped at the top of the hill, staring out into the distance. Amaya and Tsume quit with their glaring contest to look up as they reached the top of the hill and stood beside Kiba. Hige caught up, glancing behind him for a second to check on Toboe, who put on a sudden burst of speed and almost ended up running off the edge of the cliff.
"What is it?" the pup asked.
"It's the ocean, dumbass," Amaya said curtly.
They stood there for a second in silence, staring out at the ocean and a bridge that went on for miles, before Amaya leaped down off the cliff to the icy bridge below. The others followed suit.
That must be something, Hige thought, After all, who builds a bridge to nowhere?
. . .
They had been walking for what seemed like forever now. Kiba and Hige were walking side-by side, with Toboe at the front, eager to see any sign of the end. Tsume was walking on the median, and on the other side of the bridge was Amaya, who was keeping her distance from the others.
Hige noticed it first, but he assumed he was going crazy from lack of food, so he kept his head down against the wind and ignored it. When Kiba noticed, however...
"The scent is faint, but it's lunar flowers alright."
Toboe looked up excitedly. "It's Paradise, I know it! C'mon, we're almost there!" he called back behind him as he ran forward. Kiba followed, and then Hige. Tsume and Amaya exchanged a glance before they took off as well.
"I see something!" Toboe called out behind him.
Finally! Maybe there's food? Hige knew he shouldn't get his hopes up- It was only a smudge in the distance and a faint scent, but he couldn't stop the thoughts that were rushing into his head. Steak, ham, maybe chicken? Oh, some lamb might be nice...
In front of him, Kiba and Toboe stopped short, so he did the same. Behind him he heard the sound of Amaya and Tsume's footsteps in the snow come to a stop.
It was no Paradise. It wasn't even close. It was just... A run down human city. And the bridge ran straight to its heart.
Hige sighed. Some Paradise. ...But maybe they still have food? Can't live without food.
. . .
The five had continued on, though not with even half the enthusiasm. When they reached the outskirts of the city they abandoned the bridge. Hige jumped first, then Kiba.
"You smell lunar flowers, huh? 'Cause all I smell is some rancid oil..." Hige scrunched up his nose at the scent and moved out of the way so the others could come down without landing on him. Toboe slid on said oil when he landed, but Amaya and Tsume landed almost simultaneously, both walking off immediately, leaving the others no choice but to follow. Unknown to them, however, the two shared a glare for a few seconds before directing their gazes ahead of themselves.
"What a shitty city," Tsume stated, and Amaya clicked her tongue in agreement. The two exchanged another brief glare from the side.
Toboe didn't understand- the people were drawing their curtains, hiding in alleys. "Do you think... Maybe they're afraid of us?"
"Well, they're definitely not used to visitors, that's for sure."
"This is some Paradise..." Tsume growled softly. "What the Hell are we supposed to find here?"
Amaya stopped suddenly and turned on her heel. "Well, Kiba? You brought us here. What now?" Her voice was low and accusing, her face expectant and cocky.
Kiba held her emerald gaze for a few minutes before looking away. "Honestly, I don't know. But we won't find it here. We have to keep moving."
Hige moaned, and Amaya looked away, clicking her tongue. Tsume almost did the same, but stopped himself. What the Hell? He paused for a moment before putting his hands back into his pockets and walking on. The others occasionally stopped to look at something, but he and Amaya kept their eyes on the road ahead until they heard the sound of the others' footsteps cease and Toboe's gasp. Amaya cast a stray glance to her left and Tsume turned his head to see why they had stopped moving.
Sitting around a small fire was a group of wolves, most male, though there was one she-wolf, and Hige gasped when he saw her. "It's a woman..." And she's glaring at us... Though, really, they're all doing that, aren't they? ... Eheh.
A wolf with a scar across his cheek, likely the leader, stood and glared at them- Kiba in particular. In human form he wore a dull red and black striped leather jacket, and his greasy hair was long and pushed back away from his face. He was older, but not an elder. "Where you all from?"
"A city to the north," Kiba answered.
"Why are you here?" the leader growled.
"Just passing through," it was Tsume who answered this time.
"Really now," Amaya began, "Do you really expect us to do business here, much less make ourselves at home? This place is a dump."
The wolf was quiet for a moment, but it seemed he either brushed off the insult or didn't have enough pride in the city himself to defend it. "Well then, where are you going?"
"Where are we going?" Hige repeated. "Why does that matt-"
"To... To Paradise!" Toboe spoke up, looking determined, and the wolves burst out laughing. Except for the she-wolf.
I wonder... I bet she's not like these old mutts! I bet she'd like to come with us, I bet she would... Hige began making plans in his head about the she-wolf coming with them.
The other wolves except for Toboe stood in stony silence, but the pup was in mild shock. "Kiba... Why are they laughing?"
"Because they obviously don't know anything about Paradise." He spoke softly, but it carried to the other wolves, and the ceased in their laughter.
"We know all about Paradise," the leader growled.
"We know it doesn't exist!" One of the other wolves shouted out, and they began laughing again. When the laughter died down, the wolf continued. "That's right. It's just a legend."
"A... A legend?" Toboe looked horrified.
"What makes you say that?" Kiba asked coldly.
"Maybe... Because we've seen it. Been there."
Hige and Toboe gasped in unison, but the others looked on.
"Yup..." the wolf continued, "That place was no paradise. It was more like a hell."
"Well, that's no surprise." Tsume said, smirking. He glanced at Amaya. They both knew the wolf's words were bullshit, but they couldn't help it. Those wolves had never even gotten close to Paradise, no way. They both knew Paradise existed but... It felt better to deny it. Safer.
"You'll all see soon enough. You'll see that Paradise isn't worth looking for. Now why don't you all just get lost? You do have somewhere you belong, don't you?"
Tsume and Amaya had started walking before the older wolf had even finished speaking, hands in their pockets, and Hige followed a second or two after. Kiba, however, stayed put, glaring at the other wolves, and Toboe tugged on his jacket. "C'mon, Kiba... Let's go... I don't like this place, or these wolves."
Kiba allowed himself to be dragged off by Toboe, and Hige fell to the back of the pack, glancing back at the wolves. He caught the eye of the she-wolf, and she was no longer glaring, though her face was still stone cold. He smiled at her, but her expression didn't change, so he sighed and directed his attention ahead of him. The air is cold, the people are cold, the women are cold. And there's no food. This place sucks.
