(Kiba, Hige, Darcia)

Kiba and Hige couldn't tear their eyes away from the ominous figure that stood above them with the flower maiden in his hands. From up there, he could see that they were indeed wolves. "Wolves." he spoke, getting the two wolves to gasp from shock.

This figure could see what they were despite them being in their human forms. "You have my gratitude, for it was you who awoke her." the figure spoke again to the wolves. "What? Who the hell are you?!" Kiba shouted, his voice echoing off of the empty walls.

"The flower maiden… is mine." the man says, not answering Kiba's question. Both wolves were stunned by this reveal. It was Cheza he was carrying.

"The maiden? Is that Cheza?" Hige asked in a whisper. The man then proceeded to take the girl by her neck and he lifted her up in an attempt to force her awake. A light as bright as the sun illuminated the ravine and on the wolves. It was accompanied by an unbearable whirring sound from a ship above them. The flower maiden then lets out this ear piercing, inhuman scream.

(Luna, Toboe, and Tsume)

The scream had made its way through the town, meaning all the wolves were hearing it. It woke up Luna, making her jump with a start. The sound was so unbearable to her ears that she started to scream, covering her ears as tightly as she could get them.

"AGH! MAKE IT STOP!" she screamed, closing her eyes tightly shut. Toboe was also screaming, covering his ears like Luna was. "Toboe, Luna be quiet! Shut up!" Tsume shouted, finding the sound unbearable to listen to. They didn't know what was making that disturbing yet saddening sound, but they didn't like it at all.

(Kiba, Hige)

The man was now holding the flower maiden back in his arms. He looked down at the wolves and said, "We'll meet in Paradise. If we meet again that is." Kiba sprints down the ravine in an attempt to catch the man.

However, the man had already vanished into thin air. The light had also gone out, getting Kiba to stop running. The silence pounded on the wolves ears with a tangible heaviness that was uncomfortable.

(Luna, Toboe, Tsume)

Luna and Toboe were both so concentrated on blocking out the ear-piercing sound that they failed to notice that it had stopped. Tsume went over to the two wolves and gently kicked them to get their attention. "Hey, hey! Would you two snap out of it?" Tsume said.

Luna looked around the room, still shaken up at what she had just heard. Toboe was also still shaken up and couldn't gather what made that sound. "What…? What the hell was that?" Luna questioned, "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah… I did. I even felt it. Did you feel it, Tsume? It was so sad..." Toboe replied, looking up at the grey wolf. Tsume didn't seem fazed by that sound, he only looked out of the window. "It was just a machine. Sounded like it was breaking down or something." Tsume replied.

Luna and Toboe looked up at the grey wolf for a moment. "Sure as hell didn't sound like a robot…" Luna quietly said, looking back down at her shaking hands. Luna didn't believe Tsume's theory; it was something else. It sounded human yet inhuman at the same time.

It bothered her a lot.

(Kiba, Hige)

After that encounter with that strange man, Kiba and Hige had taken shelter inside an old pipe so the humans wouldn't see them. Hige had a sensitive nose therefore, the scent didn't sit well with him. "Where the hell are we going? You could've found a better place that wouldn't hurt my delicate nose, y'know?" Hige complained, covering his nose with his elbow.

"I got a hunch there's food down here." Kiba said. "Really?" Hige asked, looking at the white wolf. "Just a hunch." Kiba replied, keeping his eyes ahead of him. The only thing that was edible in this sewer were the rats that inhabited it.

The two sit at the end of the sewer and eat some rats that they had caught. They sat across from one another and listened to the sound of the water that ran in between them. Kiba was lost in thought about that man who could see what they really were. He was baffled at how the man knew it.

"Looks like that guy took the only clue that we have. Not to mention, the scent of lunar flowers is gone too." Hige said, remembering the flower maiden. Kiba was looking off to the side and he said, "That man knows about Paradise; that's why he took her." Hige grumbled as he finished another rat.

"Well, I guess the least we can do is find another flower. She can't be the only one around here." Hige thought. The lunar flower scent that the five wolves have been attracted to had ceased to exist therefore there couldn't be another one in this city. "That man knew us. He saw what we were the minute he looked at us." Kiba huffed.

Hige leaned against the wall with a smile on his face. "Why don't we blow this town? We can find Luna and look for Paradise! Surely she should still be here." Hige suggested, enthused. "He'll meet us there. That's what that man said." Kiba said, not paying any mind to what Hige was saying.

"Look, he said a lot of nutzy stuff. If you think of going after him, then you're out of your mind. He's a noble if I've ever seen one." Hige commented with a sigh. Kiba looked at the dun mexican wolf with a raised eyebrow. Unlike Luna, he has never heard of the nobles up until now.

"A noble?" Kiba asked. "I keep forgetting you're new here. I'm telling you that those guys are nothing but bad news. And I, for one, and smart enough to stay away from them. Luna's new here also and I'm sure that she avoids the nobles too. Trust me, Kiba. Just let it go. Forget about them." Hige said, laying down with his back facing Kiba.

Kiba didn't know how to process all of this. Kiba had a suspicion that the girl that that man was holding was indeed the flower maiden. He was sure of it.

The way she screamed, he had felt it throughout his entire body. The only issue was, she was no longer in the city therefore, he would have to find her.

(Luna, Toboe, Tsume)

When morning arrived, the three wolves spent the morning eating some meat that was in a box that Tsume had brought them. As they were eating, Luna was thinking if she should stay in this city for longer than she needed to. She, along with Tsume and Toboe, could smell that the scent of the lunar flowers were so it was a debate.

"So… what are you going to do now, Tsume? Do you have anywhere you need to go?" Toboe asked, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. "Who knows?" Tsume replied, taking another bite of his chunk of meat. Tsume, much like Luna, didn't have anywhere that he needed to be.

"Luna, do you think we'll see Leara again?" Toboe asked the black she-wolf. Luna only sighed and looked down. "Most likely not, Toboe. She probably wouldn't want to see us after she saw what we really are. I knew that we shouldn't have befriended a human. They're all the same." Luna replied bluntly.

"Maybe she'll change her mind if we go visit her?" Toboe said optimistically. "After seeing you two, yeah that'll be the day." Tsume scoffed. "She was only surprised that's all." Toboe replied.

Luna only sighed in defeat. She saw how ignorant this pup was despite him living with a human his whole life.

"You can't be serious! She was totally pissing herself." Tsume chuckled, mocking the shocked reaction on Leara's face. "No she wasn't!" Toboe scolded, clenching his fists. "Psh, that girl was reeking in it." Tsume scoffed.

"Why do you gotta lie about everything? Luna and I weren't the only ones who heard that scream! You must've felt sad too. So stop lying and just be honest with yourself." Toboe said, looking up at the grey wolf.

Tsume did hear the inhuman scream like Luna and Toboe however, he didn't want to acknowledge it at all. "Fine, whatever. If you want to go, then go. It's not like I give a damn of what happens to either of you." Tsume spat. Luna looked at the grey wolf with a furrowed brow.

That confused her because if he didn't care at all, he would've left them there to get shot. "Why the hell did you save us then? You could've just left us in that alleyway and walked the other way. Besides we're not your friends or anything." Luna stated, obviously agitated at Tsume's "heroic" act.

"You're right. You two aren't my friends." Tsume replied, making that he is a lone wolf. Toboe's eyes narrowed at the grey wolf's words. "Yeah, I forgot that you are friends with humans. It's easier for you, isn't it? They'll never be as strong as you. They'll do whatever you tell them to!" Toboe says, looking away from Tsume.

"You don't know what you're talking about! Neither of you know what it takes to survive in this city! How dangerous it is! Nothing!" Tsume scowled, pissing off the black she-wolf. "Excuse me? You don't know me or what I've been through! I've fought and won countless fights before I came here! I've stayed in cities just like this. This is no different." Luna shouted, glaring at the grey wolf.

Luna hated that Tsume would make the assumption that Luna had been sheltered from the world. She saw that Tsume was the problem in this matter because he had been with humans, stealing anything that he could get his hands on. Tsume scowled hatefully at Luna's remark.

"Fine. Go on. I'd like to see how you two do on your own." Tsume scowled before throwing his piece of meat at the two wolves, "BEAT IT!" This made Toboe jump out of his skin while Luna remained unfazed.

Toboe and Luna walked to the door together. They stop at the door, Toboe looks back at the grey wolf. "Being alone doesn't bother you?" he asked him. Tsume glared at them for a moment before raising his hand up.

"Hey I'm sorry." Tsume started. Toboe turned to look at him a little. "I'm sorry that I got mixed up with a kid and dumb she-wolf like you two." Tsume said, perching on the window sill with his arms behind his head. Luna and Toboe scoffed, irritated at the grey wolf's arrogance. They both walked out of the room, wanting nothing more to do with him.

"I'm sick of friends. Who needs them?" Tsume said to himself.

(Cher, Hubb)

Cher, after having encountered that strange noble, had been taken to a hospital. Hubb had come in to visit her and tells her of what Quent said about those beasts turning into people right before his eyes. He asks her about the Book of the Moon, to which Cher has a flashback of that masked noble.

(Tsume)

He had left that hideout to wander the streets. Unfortunately, he is chased by the police. He soon finds out that his human gang had sold him out to them. After which he fights the police and flees, not turning back to them.

(Luna, Toboe, Hige, Kiba)

Luna and Toboe found themselves back in the same alleyway that they first met Leara at in their wolf forms. Luna wasn't feeling very hungry so she watched as Toboe started to eat what was left in the trash can. "Who the hell does he think he is? I'm fine on my own." Luna said, her wolf ears dropped a little. "Man, you aren't kidding. He's such a jerk." Toboe agreed, sounding irritated also.

Suddenly, the two wolves heard the sound of the manhole lid being moved, getting Toboe and Luna to look up. Luna stood up on her wolf paws and raised her notched wolf ears. Hige had poked his head out of the manhole.

"Uh oh. Must've taken a wrong turn." he said, looking to his right to see Luna and Toboe in their wolf forms. "Hige?" the black she-wolf says. Hige smiled at seeing Luna. "Hey, there you are! She's with another one of our own!" Hige exclaimed, noticing Toboe standing beside her.

"Move it, will you?" Kiba said, pushing Hige out of the manhole, "That's the last time I trust your nose." Kiba climbed out of the manhole with Hige. "Well, anyone's nose would go numb after a night in that stinkhole!" Hige replied.

Toboe couldn't look away from the other two wolves. He was a bit scared, his wolf eyes widening. "They're wolves too?" Toboe asked Luna. She kept looking at them, looking calm yet happy to see them. "Yeah. They are." Luna replied, confirming his suspicions.

Kiba stood up and stoically looked passed Luna and Toboe. Another set of footsteps were making their way down in that very alleyway. Luna turned to look behind her and her wolf ears dropped at seeing none other than Leara.

"Leara!" Toboe said, seeing the girl also. Leara had abruptly stopped in her tracks and started to shake in fear. She knows that they are wolves and was scared to death.

"Don't be scared. Luna and I won't do anything. We just… wanted to see you again. Well, more me than her. I'm sorry… about your bird." Toboe said, lowering his wolf head and ears in submission. Luna didn't say anything and only stared, knowing Leara was frightened.

"Daddy… Daddy, Daddy. DADDY!" she cried in sheer terror. Luna started to back up in her human form while Toboe stayed in his wolf form, his jaw dropped a little bit. "Come quick! It's the wolves! The wolves are here!" Leara shouted.

Her cry drew the attention of Quent, the wolf hunter. His bloodshot eyes widened as saucers at the very mention of wolves. From the same area, Leara's father had heard her cries and he bolted to his daughter's aid.

As the old man tried running, his dog, started to pull the leash she was on. "Blue!" the old man shouted, seeing her pull on the leash. She was wanting to go in the opposite direction. He had no choice but to let her go and she takes off running towards whatever it is that she's attracted to.

Kiba, Hige, Luna and Toboe ran into another alleyway to get away from the on-coming threat. Kiba and Hige had jumped into a pipe to get out of sight. Toboe and Luna however skidded to a stop when they sees that it's a dead end. "Daddy, over here!" Leara shouted.

Toboe turned his wolf head to look behind him and he closed his wolf eyes tightly. "What're we going to do?" Toboe said, looking up at Luna. Luna was visibly nervous because she saw that they were trapped.

"Just… remain calm." Luna replied, feeling her heart pound in her chest. As Leara runs around the corner, she sees the two wolves standing at the end of the alleyway in their human forms. Although, their human forms wouldn't work on Leara because of their accidental reveal to her.

Unlike Luna, Toboe looked at Leara with a concerned look on his face. "Why Leara? Why'd you scream?" Toboe asked. Leara immediately backed up and started shaking visibly.

"N-No! Stay away! There's- There's something wrong with you two? You're not normal! How can anyone ever trust you two?!" she said, her voice trembling. Toboe took a step closer to the frightened girl. "Leara, please. We only showed you so you could trust us." Toboe replied, holding out a hand towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" she exclaimed. Luna had let her anger bubble over and she took a step towards the girl. "Why?! Did you only find us to get us caught?!" she said, coming closer to her. "No!" Leara shouted, pushing them back as she fell to the ground.

Luna glared down at the girl with a look of distrust on her face. "Luna, kid, c'mon!" Hige called from the sewer. Luna doesn't hesitate to turn towards the sewer along with Toboe. The two join Hige and Kiba inside of the sewer just before Quent and Leara's father could see them.

"Where the hell have you been, Luna? Haven't seen you since yesterday." Hige asked, grinning at the black she-wolf. "I've been around here. Had to find a place that had decent food. Not to mention I had to find a place to sleep." Luna answered, running beside the dun mexican wolf.

"Really? Can't say I'm surprised that you know your way to avoid the humans." Kiba comments. "Yeah, I have my ways." Luna replied. The four of them ran deeper into the sewers.

(Tsume)

There were sirens all over town. They were most likely after Tsume after he got ratted out by that human gang he ran around with. He ran atop a catwalk to avoid the cops.

However, Blue had jumped up in front of him. She growled at him with her teeth bared. "You're pretty good." Tsume comments, looking behind him. There were cops starting to come in his direction, guns raised up. With gritted teeth, he tried making a run for it.

Blue jumped at him with her fangs out and latched onto his right forearm. Blood shot out out of the fresh wound. The two ended up falling off of the ledge and into a large pile of boxes, obliterating them.

Tsume had made a run for it in his wolf form as the police started to surround the area. They only saw Blue laying on the crushed boxes.

(Kiba, Hige, Luna, Toboe)

"I told you, I hate smelly places!" Hige complained, not happy to be back in the sewers.

They turn a corner and slow down to a walk. Toboe had slowed down to a stop and panted heavily.

"Hey, runt, what's eating you?" Hige asked, looking back at the red wolf. Toboe jumped up at what Hige said. "I'm not a runt! My name's Toboe." he says, taking offense to Hige's question. He catches up with the three older wolves.

"Oh, that's cool. I'm Hige and this here's Kiba." Hige says, introducing them, "I assume you and Luna have already met." Toboe looked at the black she-wolf, who was looking back at him for a moment.

"Yeah, we met after I left you guys." Luna said, looking back ahead of her. Luna still assumed that they were all going in the same direction. She still wasn't set on the whole journey to Paradise. The only reason for even going with Kiba and Hige in the first place is to get the hell out of this city.

"Where are you guys going?" Toboe asked. "Where the hell do you think? To the exit." Hige replied in a sarcastic tone. "We're going to Paradise." Kiba replied.

"Paradise…" the red wolf whispered as he stopped walking, "Hey, do you guys know Tsume?" Luna closed her eyes and sucked in a breath of irritation. She didn't want to hear more about him.

Kiba had stopped walking in his tracks, also not wanting to hear about him since their first encounter wasn't exactly pleasant. "Tsume? No, never heard of him. Why is he a friend of you and Luna's?" Hige asked, looking at the red wolf.

"He isn't our friend." Luna said bluntly. Kiba looked back at Toboe, his coat collar partly covering his face. "Is he the one with the scar on his chest?" he asked Toboe coldly.

Toboe immediately lit up and smiled, "Yeah, that's him, alright!" Luna stopped walking and turned to look at Toboe. "Toboe, why would you want him to go with us after the crappy way he's treated us?" Luna asked him, getting his face to drop.

Luna didn't want him to go personally because of the shitty way that he treated them. She could tell that he was just one character that didn't give a rats ass about anyone but himself. From where Toboe's concerned, she couldn't bring herself to be mean to the young red wolf.

"Well… he's one of us so he should come with us." Toboe said in a disappointed tone. Luna only sighed and turned her back towards Toboe. Then, the scent of fresh blood hit the wolves' noses.

Kiba knelt down and inspected it as the other three wolves walked by him. He could tell that it belonged to Tsume. Even though he didn't want to, he knew that Tsume needed to go with them. If they had crossed paths again, it would most likely result in another fight. "Shake a leg, runt and Luna." Hige said. "That's Toboe." Toboe corrected.

Kiba soon led them back outside and they followed the blood trail. It had led them towards a building where Tsume was hiding. He had decided to take refuge there.

The other four wolves made their way into the building; the scent of Tsume's blood was much stronger. They come across a single wooden door and Kiba gently opens it so they could go inside. Tsume automatically stood up and faced the door as the other four wolves walked inside.

"What a crap heap. Why'd you bring us here?" Hige asked, walking passed Kiba. "Tsume!" Toboe exclaimed, seeing the grey wolf. "Wait, is this him?" Hige asked, looking at the grey wolf with widened eyes.

All Luna did was stare at him coldly with her arms in her jacket pockets. Tsume wasn't at all thrilled at seeing them. "What the hell are you doing here?" Tsume scowled at them. He was subtly more surprised than angry.

Kiba kept a rather cool expression while looking at Tsume. "We could smell your blood from halfway across town." Kiba said civilly. "So what're you going to do? Are you going to nurse me back to health?" Tsume spat back.

"Psh, as if." Luna spat back, not wanting to look at him. "Luna, stop it." Toboe scolded, "Tsume… um… we're leaving the city. You should come with us." With a cynical groan, Tsume says, "And just where is this merry band of yours going?"

"To Paradise." Kiba replies. Tsume scoffed at the concept of Paradise much less hearing them go to that place. "You've got to be kidding me. You're going because you believe in that crap?" Tsume scoffed. "I don't know but… if we stay here, we'll have to spend the rest of our lives in hiding. We just can't survive with the humans anymore." Toboe points out.

They should know that living among humans for the rest of their lives is no way for a wolf to survive; especially in a world like this. The scent of the flowers was gone too so there was no reason for any of them to stay.

Luna kept her eyes to the ground, not saying anything. "Tell me. Why did you guys come here to start with? Was it because of the flower? Well it's gone now. There's no reason to stay anymore." Kiba says to the other four rogue wolves. The wolves gave the inkling that they all came here because of that flower's scent.

"I'm here because I belong here, not because of that." Tsume points out, looking out of the window. "I can tell; this whole city is just a waste." Kiba stated. Tsume glared at the white wolf and walked over to him.

"I still have a score to settle with you." Tsume says, getting at least a foot from Kiba. Luna had looked outside to see those police cars starting to drive up to the building they were in. "Guys, we don't have time for this!" Hige said, feeling his heart thump in his chest. He, too, was seeing the police cars pull up.

"The last time we met, you said that your pride wouldn't let you pass as a human. Well you look human now, where's your pride gone?" Tsume said, shooting daggers at Kiba.

"Nowhere. Nothing's changed." Kiba replied, still having said wolf pride. "Don't you have a clue what leaving this city will mean?" Tsume stated, "You're gonna die." The two wolves didn't look like they were going to fight.

"Maybe. Everyone's going to die. It's a natural part of life. But if life has no meaning then you're already dead." Kiba replied in a calm manner, showing that he wasn't going to fight the grey wolf.

Then, a bright light lit up the dark room. That was their cue to make a run for it. The five wolves sprint atop the same pipes that Tsume's ex-group ran on after doing a heist while the police were shooting at them.

Luna sprinted behind Hige while trying to avoid being shot. The bullets ricocheted off of the bending metal. It made the wolves' hearts hammer in their chests because they knew one false move and they'd be fatally shot.

A bullet nearly hit Toboe's ankle, making him slip from the pipe with a yell. He grabbed onto the railing to hold himself up. Tsume sees the red wolf hanging on for dear life like Gehl did.

He goes back and grabs Toboe by his shoulder with his wolf fangs and hoists him up. "Thank you." Toboe sighed, holding his shoulder. "C'mon, hurry up." Tsume urged. "Aren't you coming with us?" Toboe asked, looking at the grey wolf. Tsume closed his eyes for a minute and gave it some thought.

They began running again just as more bullets were fired at them. Toboe jumped to the pipe that Kiba, Hige, and Luna were on. Tsume had gone off in another direction, getting Toboe to cry out his name.

Kiba, Hige, Luna, and Toboe make it to the edge of the domed city. The weather hadn't changed since Luna had gotten there two days ago. The blizzard was making the falling snow blow every which way.

They jumped from the wall so that they were outside of the dome. Tsume, however, stood on the top of the wall, looking down at the other four wolves. They looked up at him.

"Tsume, what're you waiting for?! Jump!" Toboe called. Luna looked at the grey wolf with a cold look, just watching him. "Don't tell me you're scared." Luna asked him. Tsume looked down at the black she-wolf with a smirk. "Yeah, get real." he replied, jumping down to join the other four.

(Quent, Hubb)

They drove outside of the dome to catch up with the five kids that managed to evade police. In the snow weren't regular footsteps that a human would make, they were five sets of paw prints from wolves. Quent scowled at the paw prints with disgust.

"They disappeared right before your eyes." Quent says, "They disguised themselves as humans and got away. These are their tracks." Hubb scoffed at the idea of the tracks belonging to wolves. They couldn't have since as far as he knows, wolves were nothing more than a myth.

"Whatever. You think they could belong to a normal dog? They're not necessarily wolf tracks." Hubb replied, looking back at Quent. "You'll be chasing them too, soon enough. Once you get involved with those wolves, they become your destiny. I'll never give up until I've hunted down every last one of those wolves." Quent said, glaring ahead at the wolf tracks that led into the blizzard.

(Kiba, Hige, Tsume, Luna, Toboe)

Tsume had looked behind him to look at the domed city one last time. "Screw this. Paradise can kiss my ass. Looks like, I'm fed up with this stupid town." he thought as he turned back around.

The five wolves ran in their wolf forms through the snow as they left the city behind and started their precarious journey to the legendary Paradise. Even though Luna didn't want to go with a pack, she understood that she had been surviving on her own for too long. She also knew that having a pack is also much, much more safer and practical.