Cheza

She could barely breathe. Anxiety, fear, happiness? She wasn't sure but she couldn't very well stop after saying what she said.

She told herself she couldn't stop or look back because she was afraid that if she did, she'd stop for good.

With the wolves behind her though, there wasn't much of anything she couldn't do.

They all made their way through the city. The pale sun shining down and a road that hopefully won't be filled with any sort of bloodshed by the end of the day.

They were a big group. Wolves that appeared to be human and humans that tried to look intimidating as possible as they walked through the city streets. Humans cowered in their doorways and on the streets. Just like Freeze City Cheza had first encountered when her journey to the wolves had just started. Really started.

She'd spent her life before learning traditions and noble customs. Nothing had ever been more grave than Darcia grabbing her off the street. When she'd first really sensed wolves. Felt their pain and sorrow. Before she'd only read about it in books. Their happiness, sadness, and fear.

Everything became different. The same could be said for humans. Both the one's proximity in Cheza's life and the ones around her. When she smiled at the humans on the streets, they stared at her in shook.

When she spoke to the humans that had been part of Tsume's gang, listening to their questions and asking her own in turn.

When Hige goes to sneak off, probably to see what happened to Blue, their voices are not gentle.

" Where is he going?" " the leader of the human gang asks.

" It's none of your business where he's going," Tsume growls.

Cheza knows he has to be harsh. That he doesn't want them to attack any of them.

Sometimes, in the world, they live in, their is harshness. Cheza finds that she doesn't like that. She doesn't want anyone to live in fear or pain anymore.

One of the thugs came running towards them, fear showing plainly on his face.

" She's coming," he tries to say as quietly as possible.

" Jaguara?" Cheza asks. Even though she already knows the answer.

" This one will go by herself," Cheza yells as she starts to run. Snow falls on her face.

Quent-

"Why is this happening," Quent thinks. Or maybe he says, he isn't sure.

Blue sits on top of him, knife held to his neck. When he squints he sees a blueish wolf on top of him, its fangs bared.

He wants to die. He wants to kill the wolf on top of him. The wolf that insists that it's Blue.

They're caravaning off the edge of the building. It's not a drop he'd survive if they were to fall, most likely. Even a broken leg would be terrible. He couldn't afford the injury. Not that he wouldn't stop even if he couldn't walk. Even if he had to crawl. Weakness could be fatal.

Doubts that clouded his mind, more so than any alcohol. Surely he couldn't be that drunk. He gripped his shotgun tightly in his left hand, his right still dug around the snow and crumbling brick of the roof.

Blue still sat on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He wanted to kill it. He wanted this to end. Even though he knew it never would. Even though whatever soft stupid part of him thought it could be her and couldn't hurt her.

Her tears fall on his face. Blood from her cut cheek stained his coat. Her face was to close, her breath too hot. Her cries and voice too real.

" Pops… please listen to me," she pleaded. He didn't want to hear this. He wouldn't listen.

" I'm so sorry that it's like this."

If he listened to her anymore then he wouldn't be able to do it. If he listened to it. To the lies, it told her.

" I know we said we'd do anything we could to stop the wolves. To kill them. But… if this is how it is now… Then I can't die. I have something to live for besides death and carnage."

Quent's head hurt worse than any of the times he'd been hungover. He had to put a stop to this.

" I'm not one to break promises, Pops. Especially ones I made to you… To everyone who died in our village."

" How dare you talk about that," Quent growls.

" I promised I'd kill all the wolves, didn't I? Didn't we both? But I won't die here Pops. So you'll have to kill me."

" You aren't her," Quent said. He took his shotgun. It connected with the side of the wolf's face. It rolled onto the side, leaving a trail of blood and making a ghastly noise.

The wolf that looked like Blue stood. Wearing her determined expression. Shaking. Letting out a desperate voice.

" Pops, please."

Quent stood quickly, aimed his shotgun at the wolves' face. Never has it been so hard to shoot a wolf before.

Cher had told him everything she knew. That Blue was somehow a wolf. That all wolves could take the appearance of humans. How it was all in the Book of the Moon. Flowers becoming humans. Wolves running out of fear for humanity. Havens for wolves and the creation of havens for men. Paradise. The wolves should be afraid. Quent was going to kill them all.

" It has to be a trick," Quent had told Cher. Just as he was saying to this wolf now. He must have really lost his mind.

" She was a human… She talked about you sometimes. How much she loved you, Quent. I couldn't tell her how this happened to her. Much as I'd like it to not be the case, there are things in the Book of the Moon that doesn't make sense."

Cher had smiled, bitterly. " It's those mysteries, those things that make me want to keep going."

It was exactly the opposite thing that kept Quent going. He had to kill the wolves. Even this one standing before him.

" It's not a trick, Pops. I can promise you that. "

This wolf who spoke with her voice. Torturing him worse than any knife wound.

" Shut up," he yelled. Resisted the urge to grab his head. It hadn't even touched him and he felt his head splitting apart. " Don't talk "

The wolf shook its head. " I won't kill you. I… I can't do it. I will run and… if you chase me… If you try to hurt my friends then I… I will have to stop you. They aren't all bad."

It's breathing hard. It's hard to ignore the pain it must be in. Just like he was.

No, he wouldn't think about it like that. He clutched onto the hilt of his gun.

The wolf didn't move. Quent stepped forward. He didn't want it too. He tried to push the thought out of his mind.

" Because I didn't scrap around, trying to survive all these years just to die here. I… We could have just died in the fire. Never bothered trying. If all we ever do with our lives is focus on revenge. And to focus our revenge on those who don't know anything about it… It's not right."

The wolf sighs. It's insane. Then again so is Quent for continuing to stand there.

" What in our lives has ever been right? This is just another horrible thing that's happened that I have to overcome."

Even if I am a wolf now… I've never done anything to hurt you Pops. Hating wolves for the sake of it all… I can't do it anymore "

It takes a sharp breath.

" I didn't think we'd meet again. Especially like this. I'm not happy things are like this. I am glad I got to see you again."

" Why?"

It takes a step backward. He takes a step forward.

" That's all I had to say… I suppose. It isn't much of an explanation. It's all I have though. Just like how you… and revenge was all I had before."

Why did he have to listen? Why can't Quent stop himself from moving forward? He's going to get mauled to death. As stupid as he's being right now, he deserves it.

He touches the top of her head. Tentatively. Waiting for his fingers to be bitten off.

" It can't be… you can't. "

" It is," it says calmly. " I don't know how ...or why… but it is."

He doesn't want to believe it. It's horrible if it's true. Isn't everything already bad enough?

" I'm so sorry," she whispers. He thinks she's about to bite him. That he's about to die. That it's only fitting that it would come to this. He grips his shotgun, ready to fire, even though his arm won't move.

The wolf presses itself against him in the form of a hug. Quent doesn't stop it. Even though he knows how ridiculous it all is. He could have killed it and then tracked down it's "friends" by now. Met back up with Hubb and Cher. Gone hunting down more wolves.

Instead, he stands there, not moving. Listening to the voice of the one he loves more so than anything.

" None of this… is much of an explanation… I'm sorry for that too. I… I can at least tell you what happened after we separated."

He hadn't ever wanted to leave her. He shouldn't have. He thought it was for the best. But whatever happened to make her this way happened while he was gone. Guilt mixed in with anger and disgust. The happiness he felt for seeing her again.

" I don't have a lot of time l though," she said.

When the voice in his head asked if it was really her, maddeningly, he didn't object.

How many wolves had he killed in his time? Yet now, he couldn't bring himself too. Quent wasn't one for tears, for any huge display of any emotion. He choked back tears.

" Make it quick then," he grumbled.

He listened as she told him everything that happened after he left her. Thankfully for his legs, they sat down. He kept his grip on his shotgun for all the good it did.

" It was for your own good, Blue," he thought. Still not able to speak. Maybe the cold, snow and absurd truth had sobered him up. Blue had needed a parent. One better than he was. She was so good with a blade and quick on her feet that it never occurred to him just how much he'd put her through. She'd kept going anyway. They both had. Whatever she was now, human or as much as he hated to admit it, wolf; she was strong.

She spoke of how she met Cher. Quent hoped it was some elaborate joke. Neither of them were the humorous type.

How she met Cheza. The girl from Cher's stories. Quietly, not quite looking him in the eye, how she met the wolves that she traveled with now. They'd saved her and she'd saved them. She said that she'd come to like them. That he would too if he took the time.

Quent didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe any of it, but here they were.

Jaguara was alive. She was coming back. Cheza seemed to want to stop her.

Quent resisted the urge to rub his eyes. The nobles really couldn't leave them alone.

" We were being hunted too?"

Blue moves her head to the side. " We?"

" Cher and her…" he didn't know exactly what the two of them were. Never bothered to ask. Didn't care. " Partner."

Blue seemed happy about that. Would she have made normal friends and lived a happy life if he would have left her in another town years ago? Or would she have become a wolf anyway and been hunted down by someone like him? Quent didn't know and the pain in his head made him want to drink. Thinking about the past would just drive him mad. Not that he wasn't there already.

" I'm glad… she seemed reckless enough to get herself killed all alone."

" So do you." He thinks of Blue. When her first found her and made her a part of his family. As hard as he tries, he can't be cold to her. He can't kill her.

" So do you," Blue retorted. " But we're both too stubborn to die."

Quent nods; allows himself a deep mournful sigh. " Yes, Blue. I suppose you're right."

Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! Please support the original author's! Originally, when I planned the whole Blue and Quent saga out this chapter was completely different. It was really sad and I want them to be happy ( for now at lesst)

See you guys next time (: