Sorry for the cliffie. I think this is the last chapter. Maybe there will be an epilogue. Not sure. I have another little problem in mind but....you guys probably don't want anymore of this story than what has been done. So, without any further ado, another chapter.
IIIII (Toboe POV)
If I did this it would upset Kuro. But I have to avenge his death. Holding the dagger up, I look down at Fujii who is completely and utterly at my mercy, he has no more strength anymore to even grab my ankle. It would be cruel to hurt him now. Good. He was cruel to Kuro and I and even Tanis. And this Everen person, it was all a chain of events that had to be stopped before anyone else is going to get killed, all of this seemed never ending; maybe I could break the cycle.
Then Kuro's face ran through my head once again. As he cried and called me an angel. I guess that when your dying to see strange things. Granny hadn't seen anything strange, I don't think. It hurt just to think about Kuro, my heart ached to have him back here, he had been so kind to me. And he really had his heart set out on getting out of here. Most of his life was spent in this worthless exuse of a shelter. He worked his butt off just to be mercilessly beaten, abused, but he said to me that it was all worth it because he was being fed. With a place to sleep. I think that I would rather be in a sewer than this dump.
My veins boil in anger. All I have to do is bring down this dagger into his head and he'll die. Though, it won't bring Kuro back. So what good will it do? What will this accomplish? My anger is still as strong as ever but it's not blinding my common sense. I won't become a murderer. I know in my heart that Kuro would have done the same. Though, the dagger is still clutched in my hand, Fujii looks up at me, crying his eyes out. It really is stupid. Not that I didn't know before that he's stupid because he really is. Oh sure! Now he's asking for forgiveness. Like he didn't mean to do those things! He knew darn well what he was doing! All of this of being a big baby was only making me even more angry. He begged for me to spare him. To be kind.
"P-Please! I didn't mean it!" he begged with me. "I won't hurt anymore of them! I'll give you whatever you want! Spare me! Everything that I did was wrong! Don't you know what compassion is?!"
My hair covers my eyes full of tears. They aren't tears of sadness, their one of anger. I wipe them away and look at him with a full on death glare, for if only looks could kill, Fujii would have been dead right now.
"Where was the compassion when you slaughtered my friend?! He didn't deserve to die! He was only twelve years old! Did you hear me?! Twelve years old!" I surprised myself actually. I didn't know I could really yell out of anger. But, anyone pushed to the brink I have would have snapped.
He shivered on the floor, saying "I'm sorry. I know that-"
"Shutup! I want you to feel what Kuro-kun felt while he was dying! Cold hearted thing you!" I continued my verbal assault. He just kept shaking on the ground.
Fujii whispered out "Don't kill me. Please."
"You freak of nature! How can you even call yourself a human being! You aren't of this world!" I shouted angrily, kicking him in his hurt shoulder. He screamed out in pain. "I want you to feel what all of these poor wolves have been feeling while you beat them or whipped them! How does it feel to be hurt?!"
"Stop! I beg of you!" he sobbed out.
"Would you have done it for Kuro-kun if he asked for you to stop? Would you have just dug the dagger in deeper?"
The man refused to answer.
"You should answer me! I want an answer!"
"I don't have an answer. Just that I would have."
"Liar!!" I was furious, the dagger in my hand was getting this close from being raised and slammed into his skull. "You're pathetic. A loser. Your scum. You aren't even worth talking to so why the heck am I? Though, I know that it won't bring Kuro-kun back, why should I let you live? How do I know that you won't go and do the same thing all over again?"
"I wo-"
I broke him off, saying "And you word means nothing to me. It's the only solution so no more wolves have to suffer. If I have too then let it be."
The dagger rose and he just covered his head. Then, I heard something outside.
IIIII (Kiba POV)
Oh my God. That's all I could think of as we entered the warehouse. All the pups, the wolves, had been killed by wrist cutting. My fists tightened. Even if this was a sad site to behold, the only good thing was, I didn't see Toboe anywhere around here. He had to be in the cabin right ahead. Before anyone of us could run Tanis was having a break down.
"Nooooo!" Tanis screamed, looking at all of her lifeless friends. All of them killed. It had to have been so hard on her to take in all of this at once since she had been with them all for so long; she had said that she swore to protect them all with her life. Now they were all dead. "This isn't happening! This is all just all a really bad dream! They can't be dead! All of them are really okay. They just have to be."
Tears ran down her face as she shook her head. Sympathizing with her I walked over and hugged her. Tanis cried on my shoulder heavily of the loss of her friends.
"T-They're all gone! I have no one anymore!" Tanis cried on me. "I want them to come back! Make them come back!"
"I'm sorry, I could I would do that," I said, rubbing her back.
It really saddened my heart. Really, if I could bring them all back I would. All of them looked so young. So many dead wolves. It brought back my memories of childhood of which standing where my dead pack lies. None of them survived. Those were memories that I sometimes wish that I could forget but I wouldn't let them hold me back.
"Where's Toboe?!" Tsume ordered to know from Tanis, but she couldn't answer. Her sobs were caught in her throat and she began to hiccup from all of her hyperventilating. "Tell me where he is now! We don't know if he's dying now or not!"
"Calm down," I said while giving him a cold glare. Giving her over to Hige so she could cry on him I pointed to the cabin in the middle. "I want you to go get him. It'll be better if he just see's you rather than us. The first thing you say to him is that your sorry. You are sorry, right?"
"Of course," he snapped back.
"Tsume, I want to tell you one thing before you do."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"If Toboe happens to be dead I want you to start howling. Then we all will start to howl. For him. One last time, just to honor his short life."
"What give you the idea he's dead?! He's alive, dammit! He has to be!" He shouted back at me.
Looking at Tanis, I replied "That's exactly what she thought. Tanis never thought that all of her friends would be killed but it did happen. Although, that was unexpected. This is a fifty/fifty chance, Tsume. I don't want to think about it either, I love him dearly. In fact, as much as you do, but there's no way to be sure of if he's alive or if he is dead."
"Toboe's alive?" Hige questioned.
Both I and Tsume looked at him. What was he talking about?
"Toboe!" he said, pointing at the cabin. He was standing there, a bloody dagger in his hand. It was so slick with blood that he could hardly hold it anymore. Hige ran at the pup, in joy, while Tanis just stood there dazed.
IIIII (Narrator POV)
The brown haired pup looked around, his friends...all of them were killed. He looked down at his bloodied dagger. His hands were full of Fujii's dry blood now. He couldn't get the stench out, even when he had rubbed it on the sheets of the bed, it wouldn't come out. It bugged the heck out of him. Toboe didn't even care that they were here. All that was in his mind right now was everything that had happened in the last two days. Roi. Fujii. Pain. Hurt. Mental anguish. The merciless beatings. More mental anguish. Tanis. Kuro. The talking. The threats. Thinking that no one was coming for him. Then Fujii killing Kuro. It ran through his mind over and over again.
As Hige hugged him, Toboe just stood there, also dazed. He didn't even know that Hige was hugging him. The memories haunted his every thought. There was no way to get them out. All that stayed was the bloodshed and the hurt. Mentally, he was worn out. All of his posotive thoughts that may have been there before were thrown out of the window. It was hard to think good now. So much had happened, both physically and mentally, that there was no way Toboe could recover just by the showing up of his friends.
"Toboe! Toboe! I thought you were dead meat, runt!" Hige said with a smile. He noticed that Toboe wouldn't look up, that's when he shook his small friend. "Toboe? Toboe? Are you in there? Hige to Toboe, come in little buddy."
Tsume ran over and immediately noticed that something was wrong. He bent down to Toboe's height and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't think that anything like this would happen. But, I'll make up for it, I promise that I will. And a wolf like me always keeps his word."
"Like that means anything," Hige whispered out.
"Shutup you chubby little girl-loving puppy," the elder wolf hissed back.
The child stayed quiet, just strange empty into Tsume's eyes.
"Say something!" Tsume ordered. He got angry and put a hand on Toboe's shoulder which caused him to jump. "It's okay now. I promise that no one will hurt you anymore. Don't be afraid. You remember us? Right? Toboe? It's us, Tsume, Kiba, Tanis, and Hige. Your...friends."
When he still wouldn't say anything Kiba came over with Tanis holding his hand, she wouldn't let go of him. "You don't think that they..." Kiba's voice trailed off but Tsume and the others knew what he was getting at.
"They better have not," Tsume growled. He looked at Toboe and asked "Toboe? Did they do anything besides beat you? You know, like force themselves upon you?"
"Oh, Tsume," Toboe finally broke down. Tears filled his eyes and he hugged his idol. "It was so scary! I tried so hard to be brave just like you would have been but I couldn't help anyone! Now they're all dead and Kuro's dead and I killed him! I really killed him! I killed someone, Tsume! I did it! Fujii's dead now! I knew that he would have made just another warehouse like this if he happened to live so I just stabbed him in the back of the neck. Please...don't hate me! I saw no other way! And it hurt so much! They were so mean, Tsume, I can't take it! Please take me away from here!"
Holding him tight to him, Tsume's eyes softened considerably. The poor kid had gone through so much and it was obvious that he was traumatized. And....Tsume couldn't believe that this was the same kid that three days ago been so cheerful. Usually, he would have been jumping for joy. Now he was scared to even let anyone hold him. What exactly did they do to him!? Tsume's opinion of Toboe would never change. There was that cheerful kid in there somewhere and he wanted to bring it out once again because that was the real Toboe. Not this crying little boy. And the fact that he got through all of this without killing himself was a true sign of bravery. No child should have to go through this anyway.
"T-Toby-chan?" asked Tanis, nervously. "Kuro-chan's dead?"
Toboe nodded, still shaking. "I'm sorry. I tried to protect him the best that I could but it wasn't enough. Don't hate me."
Tanis wiped away her tears. She patted Toboe's head, making him flinch, but she replied "I wouldn't hate you for what Fujii has done. I know that Kuro-kun is going to a better place now. You don't have to worry about it."
"B-But..."
"No but's," She said.
"I killed...." he sobbed out.
"It's in a wolf's nature to kill. It's the first time but it probably won't be the last," Kiba entered. Toboe nodded, for it was true. "I'm sorry to say to you but that's just what wolves do. Besides, this Fujii, just think of him as something that you kill for food, like a bird. You don't feel bad when you kill a bird for eating do you?"
He shook his head. "Noo..."
"Then think of it like that. I know you were raised differently than us, raised part of your life by a kind human, but this is a hard lesson to learn that the world isn't that perfect," Kiba sighed out. As much as he hated to admit it, that was the truth. The world is going downhill and very fast. "But, I guess, us older wolves are supposed to protect you from it. And I'm sorry. We really aren't doing our jobs. So I apologize for that."
"I tried to stay brave...but..." Toboe's mind raced back to all that had been done to him. He was going to continue when he noticed that Tsume was looking at his hurt hand. When he touched the sore he shrieked "Don't touch it!"
"Is this your only wound?" The concerned wolf asked.
Toboe replied in return by taking off his shirt as Tanis went into the cabin, he figured to say her late good-bye's to Kuro. All three of the wolves looked at his back at the lashes which would most definitely scar. A remembrance of everything that has happen and same went for his hand. The scars were decently taken care of but they needed to be cleaned out. Obviously for a couple more weeks. Toboe gasped in pain as Tsume started rubbing some cold cream on him. He jumped forward and turned around.
Angrily, he saw Tsume with that cream bottle that Kuro had used the first time. Toboe's frowned deepened at the thought of Kuro.
"I got in the cabin and got that. You need to get that treated again," Tanis ordered, crossing her arms. He just whimpered. "Toboe..." she hissed.
A couple minutes later, Hige was distracting Toboe easily about talking about what had happened after he had left. Tsume and Tanis were applying the cream while Kiba just sat at the sidelines. The leader was glad that his group was good again.
"You guys really did that?" asked Toboe with a chuckle, forgetting the pain in his back. Well, sort of.
"Yep. You should have seen us tormenting poor Tsume well he was taking a leek in the bushes. He was behind the tree and I kept on trying to talk to him. He yelled at me to leave him the hell alone but it was to funny to pass up so I just tried to make small talk with him," Hige chuckled at the thought. "It was funny when he came out, after he had done his business of course, and was blushing. I've never seen Tsume blush."
"Hige...." growled Tsume angrily. "I told you never to mention that! It was embarrassing! Don't you know what privacy is?!"
"Riiiggghhhhttt..." Hige replied with a smirk. "It took you rather long to do that though. You want me to tell him what your reasoning of that was?"
"Hentai! Toby-chan! Cover your ears!" said Tanis, knowing where this was leading.
Toboe blushed a bit. "That's okay. I don't think I want to know."
"He said-" Hige was beginning to say but Tsume reached over with his leg and kicked the younger pup in the leg. "Ouch! What was that for, Tsume?!"
"You tell and you die," he said.
"Whatever."
IIIII (A tiny bit later....like, a half hour, Narrator POV)
A proper burial for their young friend Kuro was right in place. They carefully dug up a hole big enough for him, placed him inside and then buried him. Saying a few prayers Tanis began to start crying silent tears, Toboe couldn't blame her, she had been so close to him. Kiba started rubbing her back. Hige stuck a cardboard headstone in the ground, right in front of Kuro, that had his name written on it. Saying he was twelve years of age and that we would never forget him. To let his soul rest in peace, to help his after life be a pleasant one, and to possibly find paradise.
Toboe looked up at the blue sky. It was so nice to be outside finally, even if there were dead people all around, it was nice to be out once again in the fresh air. Not stuck in that stupid cabin. The wind blew in his hair that felt so nice. A smile appeared on his face of which assured the worried older wolves that he was slowly coming back to his normal self. Toboe only wished that Kuro, one last time, would have been able to come out and feel the breeze. One more time. Without it being for work or trying to escape. Then, that smile that had so quickly came to his innocent face, quickly disappeared. Just the thought of Kuro made him want to hit something. Out of sadness, of course.
Seeing that he was shaking, Tsume quickly grabbed his hand and acted like nothing was happening. Toboe tightened his grip on Tsume's hand while laying his head on his arm. It was a nice feeling to have people that cared about you as much at these four do. Toboe always thought of the four like this: Kiba was like the father of the group, always there, but not the warm fuzzy kind. Hige: The annoying older brother who is obsessed with girls. But, if it came down to it, he would help you. Tsume: The other older brother whom is tough but is like chocolate, hard on the outside but mushy on the inside. He tries to like he doesn't care about his friends but he'd help them if they needed him. (A/N: Me and my friend Kate Kate No Neesama use that a lot) Then, even though he had known her for two days, Tanis had to be the caring but wacky older sister (even if she was only two months older than him) Always trying to make other people happy.
Then...Kuro would have been the quiet younger brother. Toboe wished that he would have been able to meet Kiba, Tsume, or even Hige because they would have gotten along really good. Kuro would have fit right in with this group. But Toboe knew that was not at all possible. He was gone. He had to face the facts that Kuro would never come back. Now he was in the ground. That was making it loud and clear that this was going to be the final goodbye. So he figured that he should have something that will atleast stay there for a couple days until a storm or a strong wind came by. With that, Toboe picked up at stick. Everyone watched as he carved, into the soft soil that covered Kuro, five words:
You were a great friend.
Then he put a small smiley face after that. Dropping the stick, he grabbed Tsume's hand once again, then set his head on his arm.
Staring at it, Tsume commented "I'm sure that he was."
"He really was," replied Tanis, drying her tears. She perked up and said with a smile "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'll let you guys be on your way. Besides, I have to look for my imouto-kun."
As she walked away, Kiba asked "Where do you think your going?"
"Huh?" She asked, turning around.
Hige looked at Kiba curiously. "You mean you want her to come with us? Are you insane? She's so hyper you'll be driven crazy! We all will be."
"Really? You want me to come with you guys?!" Tanis asked excitedly.
"Where would you go? You don't have anyone out there I don't suppose," Kiba commented. She shook her head with a smile. "You do?"
"Yep. My imouto-kun. She's out there somewhere and I'm going to find her!" Tanis said proudly. "She should be eleven years old by now. Her name is Kyashi and I lost her five years ago so I have to find her. I know that she's alive. My instinct is telling me that she's out there, somewhere."
"You can find her, with us, in Paradise," he answered.
She looked at all of them. The three older wolves seemed to be honest, while Toboe still stared blankly at nothing. Tanis figured that it couldn't hurt to join them. All it could possibly do was help. And that myth about Paradise could be true; Kiba wouldn't lie to her. She would find Kyashi with them.
"Okay," Tanis said. Maybe they could be her family...for a while.
IIIII
Hey, this isn't the end! The is one or two more chapters coming. Trying to get Toboe back to his original mental state. To get him back to his original loving state. V.V Poor Toboe, how I simply torment him so. Well, thank you all so far! Plz review.
IIIII (Toboe POV)
If I did this it would upset Kuro. But I have to avenge his death. Holding the dagger up, I look down at Fujii who is completely and utterly at my mercy, he has no more strength anymore to even grab my ankle. It would be cruel to hurt him now. Good. He was cruel to Kuro and I and even Tanis. And this Everen person, it was all a chain of events that had to be stopped before anyone else is going to get killed, all of this seemed never ending; maybe I could break the cycle.
Then Kuro's face ran through my head once again. As he cried and called me an angel. I guess that when your dying to see strange things. Granny hadn't seen anything strange, I don't think. It hurt just to think about Kuro, my heart ached to have him back here, he had been so kind to me. And he really had his heart set out on getting out of here. Most of his life was spent in this worthless exuse of a shelter. He worked his butt off just to be mercilessly beaten, abused, but he said to me that it was all worth it because he was being fed. With a place to sleep. I think that I would rather be in a sewer than this dump.
My veins boil in anger. All I have to do is bring down this dagger into his head and he'll die. Though, it won't bring Kuro back. So what good will it do? What will this accomplish? My anger is still as strong as ever but it's not blinding my common sense. I won't become a murderer. I know in my heart that Kuro would have done the same. Though, the dagger is still clutched in my hand, Fujii looks up at me, crying his eyes out. It really is stupid. Not that I didn't know before that he's stupid because he really is. Oh sure! Now he's asking for forgiveness. Like he didn't mean to do those things! He knew darn well what he was doing! All of this of being a big baby was only making me even more angry. He begged for me to spare him. To be kind.
"P-Please! I didn't mean it!" he begged with me. "I won't hurt anymore of them! I'll give you whatever you want! Spare me! Everything that I did was wrong! Don't you know what compassion is?!"
My hair covers my eyes full of tears. They aren't tears of sadness, their one of anger. I wipe them away and look at him with a full on death glare, for if only looks could kill, Fujii would have been dead right now.
"Where was the compassion when you slaughtered my friend?! He didn't deserve to die! He was only twelve years old! Did you hear me?! Twelve years old!" I surprised myself actually. I didn't know I could really yell out of anger. But, anyone pushed to the brink I have would have snapped.
He shivered on the floor, saying "I'm sorry. I know that-"
"Shutup! I want you to feel what Kuro-kun felt while he was dying! Cold hearted thing you!" I continued my verbal assault. He just kept shaking on the ground.
Fujii whispered out "Don't kill me. Please."
"You freak of nature! How can you even call yourself a human being! You aren't of this world!" I shouted angrily, kicking him in his hurt shoulder. He screamed out in pain. "I want you to feel what all of these poor wolves have been feeling while you beat them or whipped them! How does it feel to be hurt?!"
"Stop! I beg of you!" he sobbed out.
"Would you have done it for Kuro-kun if he asked for you to stop? Would you have just dug the dagger in deeper?"
The man refused to answer.
"You should answer me! I want an answer!"
"I don't have an answer. Just that I would have."
"Liar!!" I was furious, the dagger in my hand was getting this close from being raised and slammed into his skull. "You're pathetic. A loser. Your scum. You aren't even worth talking to so why the heck am I? Though, I know that it won't bring Kuro-kun back, why should I let you live? How do I know that you won't go and do the same thing all over again?"
"I wo-"
I broke him off, saying "And you word means nothing to me. It's the only solution so no more wolves have to suffer. If I have too then let it be."
The dagger rose and he just covered his head. Then, I heard something outside.
IIIII (Kiba POV)
Oh my God. That's all I could think of as we entered the warehouse. All the pups, the wolves, had been killed by wrist cutting. My fists tightened. Even if this was a sad site to behold, the only good thing was, I didn't see Toboe anywhere around here. He had to be in the cabin right ahead. Before anyone of us could run Tanis was having a break down.
"Nooooo!" Tanis screamed, looking at all of her lifeless friends. All of them killed. It had to have been so hard on her to take in all of this at once since she had been with them all for so long; she had said that she swore to protect them all with her life. Now they were all dead. "This isn't happening! This is all just all a really bad dream! They can't be dead! All of them are really okay. They just have to be."
Tears ran down her face as she shook her head. Sympathizing with her I walked over and hugged her. Tanis cried on my shoulder heavily of the loss of her friends.
"T-They're all gone! I have no one anymore!" Tanis cried on me. "I want them to come back! Make them come back!"
"I'm sorry, I could I would do that," I said, rubbing her back.
It really saddened my heart. Really, if I could bring them all back I would. All of them looked so young. So many dead wolves. It brought back my memories of childhood of which standing where my dead pack lies. None of them survived. Those were memories that I sometimes wish that I could forget but I wouldn't let them hold me back.
"Where's Toboe?!" Tsume ordered to know from Tanis, but she couldn't answer. Her sobs were caught in her throat and she began to hiccup from all of her hyperventilating. "Tell me where he is now! We don't know if he's dying now or not!"
"Calm down," I said while giving him a cold glare. Giving her over to Hige so she could cry on him I pointed to the cabin in the middle. "I want you to go get him. It'll be better if he just see's you rather than us. The first thing you say to him is that your sorry. You are sorry, right?"
"Of course," he snapped back.
"Tsume, I want to tell you one thing before you do."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"If Toboe happens to be dead I want you to start howling. Then we all will start to howl. For him. One last time, just to honor his short life."
"What give you the idea he's dead?! He's alive, dammit! He has to be!" He shouted back at me.
Looking at Tanis, I replied "That's exactly what she thought. Tanis never thought that all of her friends would be killed but it did happen. Although, that was unexpected. This is a fifty/fifty chance, Tsume. I don't want to think about it either, I love him dearly. In fact, as much as you do, but there's no way to be sure of if he's alive or if he is dead."
"Toboe's alive?" Hige questioned.
Both I and Tsume looked at him. What was he talking about?
"Toboe!" he said, pointing at the cabin. He was standing there, a bloody dagger in his hand. It was so slick with blood that he could hardly hold it anymore. Hige ran at the pup, in joy, while Tanis just stood there dazed.
IIIII (Narrator POV)
The brown haired pup looked around, his friends...all of them were killed. He looked down at his bloodied dagger. His hands were full of Fujii's dry blood now. He couldn't get the stench out, even when he had rubbed it on the sheets of the bed, it wouldn't come out. It bugged the heck out of him. Toboe didn't even care that they were here. All that was in his mind right now was everything that had happened in the last two days. Roi. Fujii. Pain. Hurt. Mental anguish. The merciless beatings. More mental anguish. Tanis. Kuro. The talking. The threats. Thinking that no one was coming for him. Then Fujii killing Kuro. It ran through his mind over and over again.
As Hige hugged him, Toboe just stood there, also dazed. He didn't even know that Hige was hugging him. The memories haunted his every thought. There was no way to get them out. All that stayed was the bloodshed and the hurt. Mentally, he was worn out. All of his posotive thoughts that may have been there before were thrown out of the window. It was hard to think good now. So much had happened, both physically and mentally, that there was no way Toboe could recover just by the showing up of his friends.
"Toboe! Toboe! I thought you were dead meat, runt!" Hige said with a smile. He noticed that Toboe wouldn't look up, that's when he shook his small friend. "Toboe? Toboe? Are you in there? Hige to Toboe, come in little buddy."
Tsume ran over and immediately noticed that something was wrong. He bent down to Toboe's height and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't think that anything like this would happen. But, I'll make up for it, I promise that I will. And a wolf like me always keeps his word."
"Like that means anything," Hige whispered out.
"Shutup you chubby little girl-loving puppy," the elder wolf hissed back.
The child stayed quiet, just strange empty into Tsume's eyes.
"Say something!" Tsume ordered. He got angry and put a hand on Toboe's shoulder which caused him to jump. "It's okay now. I promise that no one will hurt you anymore. Don't be afraid. You remember us? Right? Toboe? It's us, Tsume, Kiba, Tanis, and Hige. Your...friends."
When he still wouldn't say anything Kiba came over with Tanis holding his hand, she wouldn't let go of him. "You don't think that they..." Kiba's voice trailed off but Tsume and the others knew what he was getting at.
"They better have not," Tsume growled. He looked at Toboe and asked "Toboe? Did they do anything besides beat you? You know, like force themselves upon you?"
"Oh, Tsume," Toboe finally broke down. Tears filled his eyes and he hugged his idol. "It was so scary! I tried so hard to be brave just like you would have been but I couldn't help anyone! Now they're all dead and Kuro's dead and I killed him! I really killed him! I killed someone, Tsume! I did it! Fujii's dead now! I knew that he would have made just another warehouse like this if he happened to live so I just stabbed him in the back of the neck. Please...don't hate me! I saw no other way! And it hurt so much! They were so mean, Tsume, I can't take it! Please take me away from here!"
Holding him tight to him, Tsume's eyes softened considerably. The poor kid had gone through so much and it was obvious that he was traumatized. And....Tsume couldn't believe that this was the same kid that three days ago been so cheerful. Usually, he would have been jumping for joy. Now he was scared to even let anyone hold him. What exactly did they do to him!? Tsume's opinion of Toboe would never change. There was that cheerful kid in there somewhere and he wanted to bring it out once again because that was the real Toboe. Not this crying little boy. And the fact that he got through all of this without killing himself was a true sign of bravery. No child should have to go through this anyway.
"T-Toby-chan?" asked Tanis, nervously. "Kuro-chan's dead?"
Toboe nodded, still shaking. "I'm sorry. I tried to protect him the best that I could but it wasn't enough. Don't hate me."
Tanis wiped away her tears. She patted Toboe's head, making him flinch, but she replied "I wouldn't hate you for what Fujii has done. I know that Kuro-kun is going to a better place now. You don't have to worry about it."
"B-But..."
"No but's," She said.
"I killed...." he sobbed out.
"It's in a wolf's nature to kill. It's the first time but it probably won't be the last," Kiba entered. Toboe nodded, for it was true. "I'm sorry to say to you but that's just what wolves do. Besides, this Fujii, just think of him as something that you kill for food, like a bird. You don't feel bad when you kill a bird for eating do you?"
He shook his head. "Noo..."
"Then think of it like that. I know you were raised differently than us, raised part of your life by a kind human, but this is a hard lesson to learn that the world isn't that perfect," Kiba sighed out. As much as he hated to admit it, that was the truth. The world is going downhill and very fast. "But, I guess, us older wolves are supposed to protect you from it. And I'm sorry. We really aren't doing our jobs. So I apologize for that."
"I tried to stay brave...but..." Toboe's mind raced back to all that had been done to him. He was going to continue when he noticed that Tsume was looking at his hurt hand. When he touched the sore he shrieked "Don't touch it!"
"Is this your only wound?" The concerned wolf asked.
Toboe replied in return by taking off his shirt as Tanis went into the cabin, he figured to say her late good-bye's to Kuro. All three of the wolves looked at his back at the lashes which would most definitely scar. A remembrance of everything that has happen and same went for his hand. The scars were decently taken care of but they needed to be cleaned out. Obviously for a couple more weeks. Toboe gasped in pain as Tsume started rubbing some cold cream on him. He jumped forward and turned around.
Angrily, he saw Tsume with that cream bottle that Kuro had used the first time. Toboe's frowned deepened at the thought of Kuro.
"I got in the cabin and got that. You need to get that treated again," Tanis ordered, crossing her arms. He just whimpered. "Toboe..." she hissed.
A couple minutes later, Hige was distracting Toboe easily about talking about what had happened after he had left. Tsume and Tanis were applying the cream while Kiba just sat at the sidelines. The leader was glad that his group was good again.
"You guys really did that?" asked Toboe with a chuckle, forgetting the pain in his back. Well, sort of.
"Yep. You should have seen us tormenting poor Tsume well he was taking a leek in the bushes. He was behind the tree and I kept on trying to talk to him. He yelled at me to leave him the hell alone but it was to funny to pass up so I just tried to make small talk with him," Hige chuckled at the thought. "It was funny when he came out, after he had done his business of course, and was blushing. I've never seen Tsume blush."
"Hige...." growled Tsume angrily. "I told you never to mention that! It was embarrassing! Don't you know what privacy is?!"
"Riiiggghhhhttt..." Hige replied with a smirk. "It took you rather long to do that though. You want me to tell him what your reasoning of that was?"
"Hentai! Toby-chan! Cover your ears!" said Tanis, knowing where this was leading.
Toboe blushed a bit. "That's okay. I don't think I want to know."
"He said-" Hige was beginning to say but Tsume reached over with his leg and kicked the younger pup in the leg. "Ouch! What was that for, Tsume?!"
"You tell and you die," he said.
"Whatever."
IIIII (A tiny bit later....like, a half hour, Narrator POV)
A proper burial for their young friend Kuro was right in place. They carefully dug up a hole big enough for him, placed him inside and then buried him. Saying a few prayers Tanis began to start crying silent tears, Toboe couldn't blame her, she had been so close to him. Kiba started rubbing her back. Hige stuck a cardboard headstone in the ground, right in front of Kuro, that had his name written on it. Saying he was twelve years of age and that we would never forget him. To let his soul rest in peace, to help his after life be a pleasant one, and to possibly find paradise.
Toboe looked up at the blue sky. It was so nice to be outside finally, even if there were dead people all around, it was nice to be out once again in the fresh air. Not stuck in that stupid cabin. The wind blew in his hair that felt so nice. A smile appeared on his face of which assured the worried older wolves that he was slowly coming back to his normal self. Toboe only wished that Kuro, one last time, would have been able to come out and feel the breeze. One more time. Without it being for work or trying to escape. Then, that smile that had so quickly came to his innocent face, quickly disappeared. Just the thought of Kuro made him want to hit something. Out of sadness, of course.
Seeing that he was shaking, Tsume quickly grabbed his hand and acted like nothing was happening. Toboe tightened his grip on Tsume's hand while laying his head on his arm. It was a nice feeling to have people that cared about you as much at these four do. Toboe always thought of the four like this: Kiba was like the father of the group, always there, but not the warm fuzzy kind. Hige: The annoying older brother who is obsessed with girls. But, if it came down to it, he would help you. Tsume: The other older brother whom is tough but is like chocolate, hard on the outside but mushy on the inside. He tries to like he doesn't care about his friends but he'd help them if they needed him. (A/N: Me and my friend Kate Kate No Neesama use that a lot) Then, even though he had known her for two days, Tanis had to be the caring but wacky older sister (even if she was only two months older than him) Always trying to make other people happy.
Then...Kuro would have been the quiet younger brother. Toboe wished that he would have been able to meet Kiba, Tsume, or even Hige because they would have gotten along really good. Kuro would have fit right in with this group. But Toboe knew that was not at all possible. He was gone. He had to face the facts that Kuro would never come back. Now he was in the ground. That was making it loud and clear that this was going to be the final goodbye. So he figured that he should have something that will atleast stay there for a couple days until a storm or a strong wind came by. With that, Toboe picked up at stick. Everyone watched as he carved, into the soft soil that covered Kuro, five words:
You were a great friend.
Then he put a small smiley face after that. Dropping the stick, he grabbed Tsume's hand once again, then set his head on his arm.
Staring at it, Tsume commented "I'm sure that he was."
"He really was," replied Tanis, drying her tears. She perked up and said with a smile "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'll let you guys be on your way. Besides, I have to look for my imouto-kun."
As she walked away, Kiba asked "Where do you think your going?"
"Huh?" She asked, turning around.
Hige looked at Kiba curiously. "You mean you want her to come with us? Are you insane? She's so hyper you'll be driven crazy! We all will be."
"Really? You want me to come with you guys?!" Tanis asked excitedly.
"Where would you go? You don't have anyone out there I don't suppose," Kiba commented. She shook her head with a smile. "You do?"
"Yep. My imouto-kun. She's out there somewhere and I'm going to find her!" Tanis said proudly. "She should be eleven years old by now. Her name is Kyashi and I lost her five years ago so I have to find her. I know that she's alive. My instinct is telling me that she's out there, somewhere."
"You can find her, with us, in Paradise," he answered.
She looked at all of them. The three older wolves seemed to be honest, while Toboe still stared blankly at nothing. Tanis figured that it couldn't hurt to join them. All it could possibly do was help. And that myth about Paradise could be true; Kiba wouldn't lie to her. She would find Kyashi with them.
"Okay," Tanis said. Maybe they could be her family...for a while.
IIIII
Hey, this isn't the end! The is one or two more chapters coming. Trying to get Toboe back to his original mental state. To get him back to his original loving state. V.V Poor Toboe, how I simply torment him so. Well, thank you all so far! Plz review.