Authoress' Note: People are really liking this story...it scares me. I thought it was crap. But anyways, this is what listening to DDR songs on an anime CD your friend gives you will do to you. (See below)

Reign of Stars/ Crimson Orbs

Kiba looked over at the alarm clock for the third time in two minutes. The red numbers blazed through the darkness of the room. 3:31 A.M! 3:31 A.M! 'Hige, where are you?' he thought. Kiba was sorry that he had fought Hige. The white wolf really did love him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him. But...he had attacked Cheza and they both knew she was the Key to Paradise. He hated Hige for attacking her. And that was the worst thing in the world; hating the person you love most. Kiba was torn between the Flower Maiden and the tan wolf. He didn't think he could choose one over the other.

The white wolf sat up, being careful not to disturb Cheza, who was deep asleep. He went to the window and opened it. An icy drizzle poured down from the black cloud-strewn sky. Glacial winds blew against his attractive features. Wherever Hige was, he would be cold. And alone. Kiba did the only thing he could do. He howled. It was a strong howl, laced with concern and passion, asking Hige to come back to him. He achieved a few that echoed into the dark and Kiba prayed that it would Hige's ears. He got back into bed, and he, too, fell into a troubled slumber.

"Dip shit."

Those were the first words Hige heard as he woke up. His body was afire with pain. Lances of pain pounded into his head. What had happened? Oh, yeah...Kiba. Tears pricked the sides of his eyes but he held them back and he looked to the person standing above him, who was coming into focus.

A young man, about the age of eighteen, loomed over him, smiling haughtily. He was, without a doubt the oddest human Hige had ever seen. The multi-colored hair that sat atop his head defied the laws of gravity and reached heavenwards. His light coffee-brown skin complimented his outrageous hair. The trenchcoat he wore was stark bright against the oncoming dawn. His eyes were the most intense of all his features; they were muted sea green. The tan wolf had never seen anything like them.

"Who are you calling dip shit, asshole?" Hige snarled, which wasn't very threatening because of his condition. It sounded like squeak from a mouse trying to act like a gangster.

The stranger put up his hands up defensively and kneeled beside him. "Whoa, cool your jets. It is kind of stupid of you to lay in an alley, with your back leaking like that, on a winter's night." The odd-looking gentleman reached into his many pockets (he had about fifty) and produced a multitude of gauze and bandages. "Let me help."Hige reluctantly removed his shirt and let this person dress his wounds.

"Thanks...um..." Hige started

"Phantasm. And you?"

Phantasm? That was a strange name. For a human, anyways. Wait...Hige squinted. No way! This was a wolf. Hige must have been so lightheaded from the loss of blood that he couldn't see through the illusion. The pack hadn't seen another wolf since those slave-wolves back at that stinking city. Phantasm was as unusual as his human deception. He was dark brown, but he had patches of dyed fur all over his body. And of course, those eyes. Those eyes were breathtaking.

"Hige." The tan wolf felt he could trust this wolf, unlike that traitor Kiba. Tears came up in his eyes again. Every time he thought of the white wolf, he started to cry. Probably because he would never forgive him for attacking Cheza. He would be lucky if Kiba even looked at him.

Phantasm helped Hige up, which was difficult with all the cringing Hige was doing and they walked down the street. "So, Hige, what happened? That wound is pretty deep. Did you piss off a female or something?" Phantasm grinned widely, showing off his impressive canines, even for a wolf.

Hige smiled. If it only were that simple... "...The love of my life turned on me because he wanted to be with someone else."

"Oh, so you swing that way, huh?" Phantasm emphasized the 'that' with a raise of his eyebrow. "You don't want a female, or anything." He grinned widely again. "You get hot at the possibility of some male sticking his..."

Phantasm's obscene thought was cut off as Hige shot him an irate frown. "It's not like that at all." He blushed at the thought of he and Kiba making love. "There's this Flower Maiden, the Key to Paradise, and Kiba, that's his name, is...in love with her."

"And you're jealous?" Phantasm led him into a sleazy looking bar and sat him down at a booth. The people within took no notice of the pair. They all were either drunk or collapsed on the dirty floor. Hige took one breath of the smoke-filled atmosphere and he coughed.

"Hell yeah, I'm jealous! I saw him first!"

Phantasm ordered for them both, from a waitress who looked at Hige in surprise at the words 'I saw him first' and she gave up all hope of getting in his pants now.

"Well...talk to him. Ask for forgiveness and ask him if he feels the same way about you." Phantasm sighed. "What have you got to lose?"

"Him."

Their drinks had arrived. They were strange looking things; electric blue liquid in a tall test tube like glass. "Don't say that. I'll tell you what, after we finish up here, we'll go see this Kiba and we'll settle this love triangle. Alright?" Phantasm's optimism did nothing to help Hige's mood, but he smiled anyway. And he proceeded to drown out his plights with alcohol.

"Where did the bastard go, Kiba?" Tsume growled loudly. Of course he was talking about Hige. The pack was ready to leave the town and Hige was nowhere in sight. They sat in the lobby; absentmindly eating the breakfast the hotel staff had laid out for them.

"I'm starting to worry." Toboe said downheartedly. He looked ghastly, after his night with Tsume in the "S&M Suite". And his walking was...impaired. (XD). Kiba smiled. Hige was right; Toboe had had one hell of a night. Kiba lost the smile as soon as it had appeared on his face. Hige...where are you?

"This one thinks that we should continue." Cheza was using of all of her will power not to show the satisfaction in her voice. "Hige will catch up later. He has the best nose of all of us."

Tsume readily agreed, as he hefted Toboe onto his shoulder, because it was obvious he would not be able to walk for a couple hours. "She's right. Porky will catch up with us. And those damn humans will have picked up our trail by now."

Kiba was never one to leave someone behind. Especially now, when it was Hige. But he could not deny that Tsume and Cheza were right. He couldn't sacrifice the welfare of the whole pack just because Hige didn't show up. He nodded curtly, feeling his voice would betray him. He prayed that Hige would catch up soon. There were so many things he wanted to say. As they walked out of the hotel lobby and towards the limits of the city, Cheza's eyes sparkled. Happily.

END/Crimson Orbs

Authoress' Note: I feel bad for Toboe...