Authors Note: Hello there Folks. We have reached the Finale of the standard story. The following two chapters will include the epilogue and then the Author's addendum. (The smut one-shot will be posted as a separate story once we wrap up here) To all people who have read and enjoyed the story so far, I want to give a huge thank you. Editor: SuperAverageFoxyboy Enjoy!
Chapter 20: The Pack and The Meteor
Legosi awoke to a white ceiling. He faintly remembered the morning, Gouhin escorting them to school. That probably meant he was in the nurse's ward now.
The sterile white ceiling was clue number one. The clean smell of washed sheets and medicine was clue number two.
Legosi shifted only to be met with a stinging pain in his arm. That lion biting into his arm was probably the worst injury he endured that evening. Shifting again, he noticed something he didn't feel before.
Legosi looked down to his right and saw another hand gently clasped within his own, both hanging off the bed. He followed the arm until he saw the owner of said arm.
Juno was still fast asleep as she continued to hold Legosi's hand. He gave her's a slight squeeze, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.
Yesterday still felt surreal. He couldn't really understand how they even made it out, the mysterious panda being a literal savior multiple times. And then there was Louis…
After everything that they went through last night, he felt deep in his heart that now they were officially a pack. Never before has he felt bonds with Louis, Bill, and even Juno, as strong as he did now.
Juno began to stir, opening her eyes. The first thing she did was make eye contact with Legosi. Their hearts swelled as they starred into each other's eyes.
Through her, he experienced so much, learning more about himself and his friends. He would be forever grateful to have met her. Because of her, he felt like he had matured. He felt like now, he had a purpose in life.
They both sat up, Legosi scanning the room. On the opposite side of the room was Louis. He sat off the side of his own bed with Haru in his lap. He had a bandage around his left eye, and his antlers were nothing but small stumps on his head. The two were happily talking, Louis being himself for once. His old facade had finally been cast aside, left to collect dust.
In the bed to Louis's left sat Bill, the tiger having a noticeable bandage under his shirt. He simply had his eyes closed with his head resting against the wall behind him.
Yesterday had left everyone injured in some way, Legosi himself having a bandage around his stomach and back as well as the stitches in his arm.
"Good morning," the deer greeted his friends, smiling happily. Truly a rare sight to see.
"Good morning… do you know what time it is?" Legosi asked.
"It's about 9:00 am. The nurse said once we're all awake, that she'll bring us some breakfast," Louis replied, turning his attention back to his girlfriend, petting her head. Haru herself was back in her school uniform, leaning into Louis.
"Are you ok, Haru?" Legosi looked at the hare sitting in Louis's lap.
"I'm alive… thanks to all of you." Her face was an expression of pure gratitude.
"What about the house mother? Aren't we in trouble for spending the night outside of Campus?" Bill inquired with concern.
Louis smiled, already being a step ahead.
"I've had a bit of a talk with her already. We've cut a deal somewhat… For keeping the shishigumi a secret, we don't have to fear any punishment," He explained. His happy attitude was almost unsettling.
"What!?… You were on board with that? I feel like the Shishigumi is the one thing we shouldn't be keeping a secret!" Legosi was stunned.
"The school board doesn't want to be involved in any way with anything black market-related. And I imagine the Shishigumi is rather unorganized right now, so I'm not too worried about them," Louis replied.
"And what makes you think that?" Bill asked.
"A decent number of them are dead… Gouhin had to kill quite a few of the guards in the garage." Louis's arms reached around Haru, pulling her closer. "And I'm pretty sure their boss is dead now. It was the least he deserved due to what he was going to do to Haru."
Legosi was still uncertain, not knowing how to process this situation. They had gone on a rescue mission for a herbivore student. And the school wanted to keep it a secret that a student was even kidnapped? Just to protect their precious image...
It was revolting how much everyone tried to uphold their image. The state of politics and life solely centered on how others viewed you. It was a Sisyphean task. You could never please everyone.
For most of his life, Legosi tried to please and never offend anyone. He struggled to accept what he was in the eyes of the others, even what he was in his own view.
He was a Canis Lupus, one of the strongest canine species. He was taller than the average size of his kind and had a lot more bite force too. His sense of smell bested most predators. He was nocturnal, seeing in pitch-black darkness that many others were blind in. But he also was a student named Legosi. He was a boyfriend of Juno. He was a treasured friend of Collot, Durham, Miguno, Voss, Jack, Kai, Kibi, Dom, Bill, Haru… and Louis. All of whom love and appreciate him dearly.
Many see him as intimidating, but really, he's friendly and kind. He was no monster, just because some idiot called him that. It wasn't his responsibility to make sure that he didn't offend anyone else because of his appearance. He was responsible for his behavior and who he chose to be.
Last night had made at least one thing crystal clear. That no matter what divides each and every species, carnivore and herbivore... the one thing that brings everyone together is the desire to protect those you love.
"So… are we just gonna hope that them lions won't try to get revenge?"
Louis smiled at the concerned nature of the wolf.
"I know you worry, and this is far from a normal situation… but as long as we stick together, we will make it. Plus, now we know we can take them." Their fearless captain emerged out of the truly happy dear. He was a natural leader.
"Well… I hope your right..." Legosi replied, the surreal situation still scaring him a bit.
Casual conversation had replaced the more serious one when Juno climbed into his bed. The male wolf laid on his back as his girlfriend laid down on top of him, her tail rhythmically wagging. Her smell eased his nerves as he looked at her lovingly.
"We are safe now," she spoke quietly, only him hearing her reassurance. His arms wrapped around her. He smiled, kissing her.
"Oi! You kids should NOT be out of your beds! Now eat your breakfast!"
After they ate their food, courtesy of one of their house mothers, the pack made their way to the drama club, all except for Haru, who left to check on her garden. The other Drama Club members welcomed them warmly. They were all worried about them, many bandages having appeared on most of them after they hadn't taken the train with the others yesterday evening.
"We-... uhhhhhhh… We…." Legosi stammered, not knowing what to say. They couldn't tell anyone, it was part of the deal that they had made with the house mother.
Louis stepped up. "We decided to take a little city trip against the advice of the school board. And well… we were unfortunately jumped." Louis, of course, didn't have any difficulty making up a story on the spot. He was the head of the Drama club, after all.
"Thankfully, Legosi, Bill, and Juno were there to protect me." He motioned towards the three carnivores in his pack. None of the people knew what happened yesterday, nor about Haru. Not even his 701 roommates.
"What happened to your eye and... your antlers..?" One of the actors motioned towards Louis's head, the deer beginning to feign shame and trauma when in truth, he was proud of how he had received it. It felt like a brand, a symbol of strength… one of belonging.
"...One of the attackers made it past these three, and well... you can see what became of that." Louis looked at his friends, a knowing look shared by them. "But once again, he was too taken care of by my friends." That last word truly stunned them. Louis was leaving his social image behind for them. He entered the club with broken antlers without care. It would seem that he too, had matured.
The last time he lost his antlers was the first time he met Haru. He had bribed her into helping hide him away so no one would see. His antlers were formally a large part of his ego and pride. But today, he didn't care in the slightest.
"Well, if you have any more questions, you can ask these three." He put Bill, Juno, and Legosi in the spotlight, having the smallest indication of a smirk on his face.
Legosi looked around, the curious eyes of all the club members now rested on them as Louis left the club to rejoin Haru.
"Uhhhh… what do you… want to know?"
After they had answered a flood of questions, the club had gone to the metro, traveling to the festival grounds. Thankfully, the school decided to give them a short break to properly recover.
The story traveling among the students at Cherryton was that they were cornered in an alley, and a group of lions had attacked them. Louis fought beside the carnivores, receiving the scratch to his eye and the broken antlers. The story sort of followed the actual events of the previous evening. Of course, leaving out the fact that Louis had shot and killed the Shishigumi boss, and that it was a rescue mission to save his girlfriend.
The Meteor Festival began shortly before nightfall. The actors and dancers were already preparing. Bill and Louis both decided to not go out on stage, their injuries being too severe for them to properly partake in the act.
Juno, on the other hand, was determined to keep going and ended up being put into a more active role. She now had to overshadow the fact that two of the main actors were no longer present. Legosi himself was excluded from working as a stagehand, his arm injury keeping him from assisting.
Louis and Haru had not left each other's side for the entire day as far as Legosi knew. Louis had spent the day helping her with her Gardening Club stand, and he openly treated her like his girlfriend, not caring if others saw him. It was endearing to watch, making Legosi's pack mentality very happy.
Bill, on the other hand, was actively enjoying the attention he received from an assemble of girls, bathing in the heroic picture that everyone had put him into. A small group of felines followed him whenever he left the Drama Club tent.
Legosi himself was enjoying the calm after the storm. The injuries he had received were still hurting, but he was still able to relax.
There was this pleasing feeling of ease. Like the world had already given them it's worst, and they had dealt with it the best way possible.
"Hey, Legosi!" Jack was walking up to the tent, Legosi standing outside, enjoying the fresh, cool air of the night.
"Hi, Jack," he greeted his friend, looking out to the other students working on their projects for the festival.
"I heard the worst, and you didn't show up at the dorm-" He now saw the bandages on the wolf's arm. "W-what happened?"
"Oh… this?" he held up his arm. "Me and my friends got jumped by some guys, and they did a small number on me," the wolf explained.
"Which friends?" The retriever asked, curious as to who he was out with. The wolf, in return, smiled as someone else joined their conversation.
"Hello there, Legosi… and you must be Jack," said Louis, extending his hand, Haru right by his side.
"H-Hello Louis!" Jack shook the deer's hand, startled at his sudden arrival. He also took brief notice of his missing antlers.
Haru smiled and shook his hand as well. "So your one of Legosi's friends. I'm Haru."
"You must be the friends that Legosi was with when you got jumped," noticed jack, the dog a bit nervous around the two new faces.
"Yes, we are. Legosi is one hell of a fighter. If you would excuse us, I believe the show is about to start," Louis informed the two. He walked past them towards the stage. An audience had already collected, including the group of felines that had been following Bill.
"Jack, was anyone else worried?" Legosi asked.
"The entirety of room 701, some of the members of the Drama Club have also asked about you, and well..." Jack chuckled in disbelief. "A few distraught female canines."
Legosi chuckled as well. "Too bad for them that I returned with my girlfriend."
"Hey Legosi, come on, the show's about to start." Bill was waving the wolf over, standing in the group of females he had acquired today.
"Alright, Bill… Thank you, Jack, we'll talk more later." With that, the wolf made his way over to the audience.
The lights outside of the dimmed, leaving the stage, brightly lit.
Legosi looked around, seeing his friends among the crowd. Louis and Haru were holding hands, watching the stage. Legosi's heart swelled… He had made the right choice yesterday.
Bill was surrounded by females, bathing in attention. He seemed to enjoy the situation just as much as Louis was.
The first group of dancers entered the stage, starting the performance. It was a slower and more rhythmic dance, the dancers following the choreography perfectly. They slowly moved to the sides, leaving an open space in the lineup. That's when the lovely smell of roses hit his nose, and the whole audience fell into their own kind of trance.
Juno emerged from the open space. Her dress was as red as roses, her makeup complimenting her features beautifully. His tail began to wag as he watched her dance, he caught himself drooling, and a rising stiffness in his nether regions. He stomped the ground, only half regaining control of his body.
Juno's nose twitched, a certain earthy smell gaining her attention.
She glanced through the audience, spotting her Legosi in the crowd relatively easy. She smiled, her own tail beginning to wag.
After the performance, the lights were brightened back to half power, giving the festival grounds a very calm atmosphere.
The meteor in the center was left completely dark, encouraging couples to illuminate it with their candles.
Haru and Louis stood before the hollow paper statue of love.
"I hope they are happy," said Haru, watching other couples dreamily walking into it, the meteor becoming brighter by the minute.
Louis crouched down, grabbing into his pocket, while Haru was turned away from him.
"Isn't it nice-" Haru had turned around, seeing the deer crouched to her level, holding out a candle and a matchbox in rabbit size.
"Want to join them?" The deer asked, the rabbit's heart melting at the sight in front of her. "No matter what he'll say… I will fight my father to my dying moment if it means that I can spend my days with you… You are the best thing that happened to me in a long, long time… I can't just let you go." A single tear was flowing down his face.
"You know, I would light the candle myself, but I believe my hands are too big," Louis said, observing the matchbox. As if brought the smaller version by accident.
She pulled him down and kissed him, his hand wandering behind her head as he melted into the kiss. They separated and looked at each other. She grabbed the matchbox, looking at him lovingly.
"Let's get ours inside before there isn't any more space." She smiled at him before they both walked into the meteor.
Legosi's head was veiled in the beautiful flowery scent. Juno stood in front of him, still wearing the red dress she wore on stage. Love swelled in his chest. He kissed her, remaining forehead to forehead after breaking the kiss.
"Everything's been going better since you came into my life..." Legosi whispered, hearing her heartbeat fasten. They held each other close, not wanting to separate.
"I never knew I could love anyone so much," She whispered back. The two locked eyes, their heartbeats synchronizing.
Legosi reached into his pocket, holding out their candle. She looked at him lovingly.
"Are you ready?" His voice was nothing but a soft breath, not even daring to end the statement. It was a question that didn't need to be answered.
He grabbed her hand, and they too entered the meteor.
The multitude of happy couples and lit candles inside of the meteor almost felt like a church. Each burning flame around them, a gospel to love.
They sat theirs down, once again kissing, surrounded by nothing but candlelight. It was like the first time they met, the soft light illuminating both while their hearts yearned for the presence of the other ever since first eye contact. Nothing but a full moon above, signaling the start of a new phase, a new beginning, a new them…
A few days later...
"Hey, Louis!" The wolf greeted his friend, the deer sitting down on the bench beside him.
"Hello Legosi, a delightful day isn't it?" The two sat outside on the school campus.
It was a hot sunny day, the two having luckily seated themselves at a bench in the shade.
"Yeah… How's Haru?" Legosi asked, wondering how his friend was doing.
"Still pretty shook about my father's reaction, but it was to be expected..." the deer sighed. "He isn't going to let me tarnish his image by being with a bunny… and a supposed slut at that."
The wolf looked off into nothingness, disappointed was to be expected. Oguma did not want his son to go into a relationship that would leave Louis without an heir, and not to hurt the precious image of the older buck.
"But giving up is an impossibility… not on Haru..." He spoke with determination, knowing that his perseverance was going to beat his father one day. "How's Juno?"
The wolf turned towards Louis, thinking about an answer. "Can't sleep properly without me anymore. Whenever there is a chance we can sleep in the same bed, she insists on it." Legosi thought about her calming heartbeat, her soft breathing. It automatically put him into a state of comfort and ease.
"Haru's not really different since the Shishigumi. We have slept up in the garden storage shack more than we have in our own dorms I think."
The two chuckled at the similarities of their girlfriends, Louis now being free of fear and disdain. Afterward, they grew silent, just taking the day in as it was. The soft breeze and sunshine had a tranquil effect.
"Are you hungry?" Legosi asked, looking at the deer.
"I guess I haven't had any watermelon since last summer." The deer remarked, noticing how he craved the sweet-tasting food.
"Well then, let's go get some." Legosi stood up, the deer followed suit. A month ago, he would never have thought that it was a possibility that a deer and a wolf could be friends, and yet, here they were.
Louis just walked on, not caring anymore. He was going to take life into his own hands from now on. With this wolf always by his side, no matter the weather. They had made the most unlikely pack… but now, for once in the entirety of his life… He belonged without anyone forcing him too. He had decided to himself that this wolf was a trusty companion after all…