" I didn't...I'm so sorry," The wolf blankly looked at him, those golden eyes once filled with a fire of anger and depression. Frozen in that fear, tears rolled down his cheeks and gunfire echoed in his mind, he had to be strong. Toboe shook uncontrollably, they were all going to end here...no, it can't end. It won't.
'Toboe, do you want to end up like 'him'? Now come on!' Nodding he lifted the body in his arms, the weight and pain surged through his tensing arms. He couldn't do this, Toboe had but no choice to leave him behind, but his scent, that scent...of life.
..
"Please forgive me... Tsume," Slowly did he lay his body on the cold ground, a crack pierced at his ears. Stumbling back a bullet seemed to be a black blur, the feeling of it gouge in his flesh, tearing through his skin....
"I won't die.... not like this," He snarled whipping his head in the direction of a man before him, pearl white fangs shown past his lips, in a moment the man was on the ground...motionless. The taste of blood from that man on his tongue, it disgusted him.... cries of the word 'wolf' were screamed.
'Hige, where are you?' The echoing of firing wouldn't end, not the slightest movement or breath caught his senses. Blinded and deaf in this rubble did he wait.... Toboe waited for it all to end.
A scream seemed to rise in his chest, never would Toboe fail until he was safe, that his friends were. Lifting on his feet his head high he ran on his paws that slipped on gunpowder and blood, the scent of a wolf held to him.
..
"Don't touch me, or ever," Tsume spat with a look of disgust and shock in his eyes, just to help the pain in his leg was all that Toboe could give. Shunned he could see a softened look quickly vanish in a stern look....
He saved me.... Turning, not one man dared to risk their end to a wolf, having those claws and teeth take them to the ground... to the end... He did that for me... I must repay him. Glancing one last time at the light for freedom of this city did he turn, making his way back to that dark, dank room.
As he edged near the gray wolf moved, his eyes opened, blinking in the light piercing at his eyes a low growl elapsed from those black lips. Toboe edged back, stumbling on his knees, as a human his legs shook, emotions took over of fear.
..
I'm not going to die in this dump of a city... screw Paradise, I won't die. Tsume rose to his feet, a scent caught his nostrils, lurching at the blur only after he sunk his teeth in the human did his vision clear. Slowly, a boy was on the ground holding to his side, crimson spilled on the ground.
That boy, the red liquid dripped from his lips, staining his sharp pointed fangs, 'T-Toboe!' Those amber eyes opened to look in his, fear struck his eyes and a whimper came from his lips.
'Toboe, I....' A blur of white bit at his leg, he snapped seeing Kiba with those golden eyes looking hard inside him. Tsume growled as the wolf backed from his body, ' I come to this? What are you, you yourself don't hold the real pride of a wolf!'
The truth finally hit him, this whole time people had worked under his command, feared by his strength and ability. In retreat two humans had died, no... a human kid, a 'kid'...then Toboe, who he had attacked then.
..
Toboe felt the pain pulsate through his body, images seeped in his mind, of a beautiful light, flower's... oh the scent... it had happiness rise in his heart. This was Paradise, but, he was....dying. Tsume, Hige, Kiba, they would make it... not him. He was the end, the one who fell first, being drove to a place, that existed in his mind...
" Tsume!" That name broke through, he heard him....why didn't he come? Tears welled in his eyes, never had he cried but then, when he killed the likeness of another creature.... " I know you can hear me," A scarred figure stood over him, his body tattered and bleeding.
..
" Don't die on me, alright?" Tsume bit his lip, that human in his eyes, dying before his eyes, after trying to make him live. Kneeling he slipped his hands beneath his body, a cry came from him, a wound on his chest revealed of a bullet wound.
The smell of blood he hated, at this time it was the scent of death, the limp body barely moving in his hold. Those eyes fluttering, looking up at him with greatness, happiness, " Don't close your eyes on me,"
His voice shook, for the first time did he feel tears fall from his face, Kiba stood beside him. He didn't care to have them fall, it meant so much, Toboe.... was he that pain he felt that fell from his eyes?
"We haven't much time," Kiba spoke softly, running past the entrance of the room he stood there. Smoke and ash lifted from outside, past the windowless building. The air he breathed, coal black, choked his lungs, tore at him without end.
Running down those stairs the entry way seemed to slowly close, the light seemed to flicker and fade as the sounds of men trying to close them in, their grunts and cries. To be locked in here was the end, the light was gone....darkness took them in.
" NO!" Tsume yelled throwing his body against the stone, only the window was his last choice to escape. That was his only chance, their path to live from this.
..
The window seemed closer, Tsume firmly placed a hand at the ridge, Toboe held tight to him, his arms wrapped about his neck. Only the empty streets lay below, the danger came from the sky, with no waste he leaped, pressing his hand forward.
For that moment he felt the wind roaring in his ears, howling as a wolf, the cement ground edged nearer, a crack broke out in the silence as they collided to the floor. Tsume's right leg broke their fall, the bone was nearly shattered as he couldn't feel but pain surging inside.
" Toboe... get out of here... I know you can find Kiba...to Paradise," Even if he tried to run as a wolf, the pain would only increase, holding to him as death. For this time he understood, if there was truly a place unlike these towns... run down and filled with horrible humans, would they find peace. Paradise.
..
" Tsume..." Rolling to his side he felt the cold cement touch his cheek, opening his eyes did he notice they were on ground. Silence all around them, they were finally free, Tsume... turning he saw him with half open eyes.
They seemed to smile, a grin came from the corner of his lip, this was the end..... the end of the road.. from the snow and pain, it ended. "No, Tsume...don't...don't die," A firm hold of a hand grasped his arm, shocked he saw those golden eyes look him in the eye.
" Toboe.... I... I'm sorry," Toboe gasped feeling so weak, a wind rustled his clothing and hair, his eyes still and unwavering on Tsume. " I... I... have always seen you...as who I wanted to be," The wolf shook his head with a light laugh, " To be like me kid... no... you wouldn't want.. my life,"
...
" Tsume!" His hand released from that tight grip and his hand fell beside him, his eyes slowly closed. He screamed, touching his face he shook him light, "Wake up..." Toboe whispered, but that face wouldn't smile, smirk, grin, or ever open his eyes again.
..
A howl sent Hige's hairs on his back rise, Kiba turned stepping toward the sound, " We must go back Toboe is there! He's alive Kiba," His blue eyes glanced back at the city, already it seemed so far... a pain ripped at him. Turning he moved away from the town, sorrow revealed on his emotionless face from this time.
" Kiba.... we can't leave them there to die!" Hige heard the howl falter, then rise with a tinge of hope for a reply. They couldn't go back, if they did, by then... both would be dead. ' Tsume, Toboe... I can't let this be your end, but, there is no other way.'
His tuft of light brown hair was blown back from his face, those rose colored eyes taking a last glimpse of the city. His back soon was what had turned from them, regret came throughout his body... he left them... to die..
..
The howl seemed to echo against the stone walls, the auburn wolf stood their on his feet, seeing if a reply would call back. Not one howl but his own replied, his head hung low, his black nose touched the grounds.
He would be alone, the gray wolf beside him unresponsive had not made a movement, but he waited.... for time seemed to drift past him.... After two moons he left, returning to the chill of the snow he ran from that city... from the pain.... from Tsume.
..
Hushed silence was between them, looking at the full moon Hige was away from Kiba, they hadn't spoke a word for two whole days. It seemed worthless to keep this quiet, but to obey him just to be alone with less hope was what they least wished.
" They will return to us, there are many of us who have perished in the will...to Paradise," Kiba's voice seemed to be cold, 'Paradise' had he hated that word as Tsume had. Paradise was with ones he lost, to be left once more with a white wolf, speaking nothing but silly riddles.
" Paradise, there is no purpose of it if you are alone," Hige rested his head on his knees, the winds blew harsher, if he was with the others, he would have left him there. Never had hatred swelled inside as it had now.
" I will stay here until Toboe comes, I know he is alive," He whispered letting a finger glide on the white icy snow, leaving a unclean line, a sound made his head lift from his knees, blinking in the white specks of frost.
" Do you hear it?" Kiba spoke, hunched over they came down the white hill, rocks clean and rigged without a speck of white on them. The sound was clearer, they stumbled over the rocks, their claws scraped on the boulders, reaching to the end a ocean, frozen and clear, for leagues lay before them....
'The ocean...' Hige wondered if the ice was thick enough to carry on from, the sound of gushing water was beside him, a gouge in the ice had water pouring from the cracked mouth. Lapping the cold in his mouth he stepped slowly on the sheet of ice.
Silent and unheard they ran leaving scratches as a unclear trail, for any human to pass not much would be seen the next sunrise. Though as they went farther, had the floor beneath them seemed so weak...
Retreating from scampering they rested on the cold ice, Hige felt sleep slowly overcome him, seeing the white wolf watch him close his eyes to rest.
..
Panting from the lack of breath Toboe collapsed on the snow, his fur coveted in white, the chill of the snow was as blades piercing his chest. If only they were there, or even Tsume... he wondered what had come of him. He was gone.... but could he really believe those words in his mind.
Sleep overcame him, the dream seeped in his mind as water from a crack of ice...
The night was silent.... Hige in sleep awoke to a sound, a cracking so close... it was beneath him! Lifting did the sound turn louder, Kiba lifted with a start, the ground fell beneath him... ice water gushed down hsi throat, his lungs...gave out in the end...
Waking with a start he whined, these dreams.... he was dying... in the ocean... a sound of water caught his ears. It seemed he couldn't trust what he saw, or even heard, nothing seemed real...
As he edged near past the boulders his pants were ripped and torn, the night was still here, he could save him in time...
..
The water surrounded him, the ice blocks smashed against his body as he sunk deeper in the black darkness of the ocean, ice seemed to form at his eyes, his body was thrashed in the currents keeping him from fighting back.
The surface seemed so far, weakened he found himself in his human form, his hands before his eyes they reached out. A light shimmered wavering on the glass liquid before his eyes, it seemed so close, but seemed fainter..
..
"Kiba!" Toboe cried, slipping on the surface he slid before him, looking to see him motionless, those golden eyes with fear and worry. That fire inside his body, with a leap the water hit him, the glint of gold caught his eye.
His collar was what he saw, flashes of brown before his very eyes, swimming deeper did he feel the pressure cave in on him. Reaching a hand out did another thrash out to him. Hige... grasping hold to him his legs kicked up suddenly forcing to reach the top. To breath again.... time seemed short.
Feeling blindly with frosted eyes his hand lifted above the water grasping hold to another, being pulled his bones and body were brittle from the chill. They fell wearily away from the gaping mouth of the ocean, gasping for breath he could only think of the pain. After all this...if he saved Hige... why hadn't he done the same for Tsume?
"Thanks.... Toboe," Hige coughed out, water flying from his mouth, with a nod he lay without a single movement. Not a breath came from him, or even blinking from the light of the sun rising beyond the sea.
" Do you think he found Paradise.....?" Toboe whispered, Kiba turned looking at him with those blue eyes in shock. Unwavering from him, " I mean... I saw flowers, and the most beautiful place... as I was dying."
Hige caught to what he spoke of, was Paradise really Heaven, was that what they searched for all this time? He was shocked seeing Toboe grin with watery eyes, "Because if he is...then... he will be happy after all."
Had he known something was there out in the howling winds... in the snow... coming for him....
-End of chapter two, thanks for the reviews and support! I have practically had the add more names then 'he', 'him' so I did more to help, for the sake of Tsume fans he might or might not return. For I will let you find out on your own in the next chapter edging to see if he is coming. And another piece of info this is an alternate ending story then the show. Thanks, I'll hear from you later! Bye!-
-Sorry for the delay to let everyone know, I had been busy this week and hadn't the time to write!-