Sorry, I took a little while longer than what I had expected in getting this chapter up. I still had a few rough spots in the story that I wanted to smooth out and polish. By the way, this story is non yaoi, plain and simple. Well, this is my first attempt at fluff, so please be kind. Honestly, it is nothing more than friendship in this chapter so don't read too far into it. I'd like to take a moment to thank those of you who reviewed my last chapter. First off, I want to thank my long time reviewers. The two who have been with me since the beginning.
Awrawrawrawrawrawra: Thank you so much. You're review made me feel so special. I really enjoyed reading your review. I'm particularly glad that you liked the hint of a relationship between Jagara and Darcia. I had wondered if anyone would notice. By the way, did I really make a your/you're mistake? Oww, I could kick myself for that. I also noticed the discrepancy you pointed out. Don't worry it is sort of a delayed explanation. Darcia doesn't have a military in this story either, but it will make sense in the next chapter. It is a surpirse. Hee hee hee. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing.
Mai Hayami (Formerly Mai Minase): Thank you for reviewing and sticking with me all this time. And as always, thanks for keeping a eye out for any errors that I might have missed.
I also want to thank two new reviewers Nikki and Water Knight Umi. Thanks for reviewing and I hope to hear more from you in the future.
All reviews are most gratefully appreciated. So please drop one off before leaving and thank you so much. Now on to the chapter.
Episode 06: Bonds
Far away from any humans and their cities, the wolves found time to enjoy a brief respite. The pack had finally come upon a forest after leaving the frigid wasteland and traveling through mostly barren mountains.
Kiba, despite the grumblings of a certain gray wolf, made sure the pack kept their speed to a slow gait. Hige, Tsume, and Toboe could have easily handled a much faster pace, but the white wolf didn't think it wise to push the pack's youngest member. None of the wolves were really certain as to how much Aibo could handle before his body reached its limits and gave out. Besides this, Kiba knew that if the boy passed out someone would have to carry him. For the time being, though, Aibo seemed to be doing fine and occasionally insisted that he could go faster.
At present, the pack was resting in the shade beneath a cluster of trees. Using their human forms had not been necessary in the wilderness, so for the past two days the wolves remained as such, in their natural forms. Tsume had sprawled out on some moss at the base of a large pine tree. Toboe wandered from plant to plant taking in all the new smells of the forest and Hige lazily stretched out his legs while basking in a patch of sunlight leaking through the overhead canopy of leaves. Kiba had withdrawn away from the group a small distance to clear his head and simply unwind. The refreshing smell of a crisp breeze gently caressed his noise as he listened to the peaceful silence of the woods.
"Um, hey Kiba," Aibo perked up, sitting in the soft grass not to far from their leader.
"What?" he replied in his usual calm manner while resting on his haunches.
"Well, I was wondering . . . Uh, do you remember when you said you would teach me how to hunt?" the boy gave Kiba an irresistibly cute look with pleading eyes.
"Why do you wear your hair like that? It makes you look weird," Kiba wanted to change the subject by calling attention to the way Aibo covered the upper right side of his face with his long bangs. It almost seemed like he was trying to hide his appearance.
Kiba had not really agreed to anything, but the boy would be disappointed if they did not go through with the hunting lesson. Kiba was also reluctant to call attention to the fact that Aibo wouldn't be able to hunt like a wolf. Aibo's body was like that of a human's, and even though he might be able to borrow the abilities of a wolf, it still did not change the fact that the child had the limitations of a human.
"What does that have to do with anything? Besides, it's not like I can cut it whenever I want," came Aibo's response, seemingly a little too well rehearsed. Kiba finally gave into himself because it looked like Aibo wasn't going to give up that easily. The wolf fell back on the one piece of reasoning he had tried to stay away from using.
"You do know that you're not built for hunting, right?"
"But . . . you said you would," Aibo pouted, his voice shaking. His eyes started to water while his hair parted letting Kiba look into both blue spheres at once. A feeling of pain lurched at Kiba in his gut. Why did the prospect of letting Aibo down bother Kiba so much? It just didn't make sense to the white wolf.
Why do I even care? Kiba though to himself feeling rather perplexed. But as he continued to look at Aibo, now on the verge of tears, something in Kiba's heart felt for the child. It was like some kind of new instinct that was totally foreign to anything the wolf had felt before. Kiba's gaze softened. "All right", he sighed, "if it means that much to you I suppose . . ." Kiba was cut off by Aibo's tight embrace. The child had thrown his arms around the white wolf's neck.
"Oh, thank you!" Aibo squealed as he nuzzled into the fur on Kiba's neck. The pair noticed a hearty chuckle coming from one of their pack mates.
"Maybe I should take the runt and find something to eat. Otherwise, we'll starve if we gotta rely on what you two bring back." Hige's sense of humor was just a wry as ever. However, it was a practical notion that saved Kiba the trouble of persuading someone to do the hunting. Kiba was a proficient hunter in his own right, and Hige knew first hand how capable the white wolf was. Yet, now that Kiba had to bring along a total novice, there wasn't much chance he would have a kill to bring back.
"Hey, Tsume! Why don't come along, too?" Toboe asked cheerfully as he bounded over to the gray wolf. Tsume gave a curt reply emphasizing the last three words.
"I'm not moving from this spot!" His eyes remained closed while he rested his head on his paws. Toboe gave a small pout, yet declined from pursuing the issue further. There was nothing the russet wolf could do about his friend's stubborn streak . . . for right now anyway. Toboe would get even later if he felt like it.
"I guess we'll see you guys later. Let's meet back here," Hige waved to the others as he and Toboe left. The two wolves soon disappeared among the growth of the forest. Kiba took Aibo with him and soon they were out of sight leaving the gray wolf all by himself.
Finally, didn't think I'd ever get some time to myself. Tsume let out a sleepy yawn. He tried napping for a while, but sleep evaded him. The gray wolf couldn't quite put his finger--well paw--on what was bothering him, but there was a tight feeling in his upper chest that, at first, he took for apprehension. No that's not it, he decided after mulling over the sensation for some time. What Tsume was feeling was somewhat different from being apprehensive. The emotion wasn't fear. Instead, it was more like an emptiness . . . a longing. Tsume snapped upright from shock at that realization. What the hell?! This is stupid. But the feeling still wouldn't leave him. Damn, maybe I'll just check on how they're doing. Tsume finally lumbered to his paws and set off to find his pack mates. Of course, he wasn't going to let any of them know he went looking for them. The gray wolf planned to stay hidden the whole time.
Meanwhile, Kiba crept through the forest silently along a carpet of grass, leaves, and twigs all the while in search of prey. The pads on his paws absorbed the weight of his strides allowing him to move with ghostly stealth. His hunting companion, however, was nowhere near as quiet as the wolf. Kiba was also much faster than Aibo, and a considerable distance had grown between them. Kiba glanced back at the boy who was stumbling along clumsily, making a racket with every step he took, crunching the leaves and twigs. With all that noise, any animal Kiba hoped to stalk would hear them coming from yards away. This wasn't working he decided. Kiba trotted back to Aibo causing the child to come to a sudden dead halt.
"First lesson, you have to be quiet!" Kiba almost barked.
"I"m sorry," Aibo apologized dropping his gaze to the ground.
"All right look, you can't make so much noise when you walk. Feel the ground beneath your feet," Kiba gave a small demonstration and took a few silent steps to illustrate what he meant. The white wolf moved slowly to show Aibo how he could adjust his foot to the contours of the ground. Aibo tilted his head to the side in confusion for a moment. Then a look of realization dawned on him.
"How's this?" He promptly kicked off both of his shoes and stripped off his socks stuffing them inside the shoes. Aibo tied the shoes' laces together and hung them around his neck on the inside of his jacket. He didn't want to lose his only pair of shoes, after all.
Aibo practiced walking the way Kiba showed him. The child's steps were not nearly as noisy as before, yet still, in comparison they were nowhere near a silent as the white wolf's experienced strides. However, encouraged by the boy's willingness to learn, Kiba decided to offer a few more pointers.
"Don't put your full weight into each step. Tread lightly by dispersing you weight to both your feet. Wait until your foot is at least touching the ground before leaning on it. And watch where you are going. You won't have to worry so much about the weight you put on each foot if you can avoid stepping on things that make noise," Kiba snapped a small branch by stepping on it with a forepaw to make sure Aibo clearly understood.
Others in this scenario might have seen Kiba's pointers as criticism, but Aibo was just happy to be able to spend time with the white wolf. And the child was especially grateful for the fact that Kiba had willing chosen to spend this time with him. Kiba resumed his trot through the woods after motioning for Aibo to follow.
"I want you to keep up with me," he ordered. Aibo wasn't going to object to the wolf's command, and so he ran, fast as he could, along side the wolf.
Kiba gradually resumed his earlier pace, running at full out top speed. He failed to notice how hard Aibo struggled to keep up, and gradually the child started to fall behind. Aibo would be damned, though, before he'd ask Kiba to slow down.
It was the smell of blood that finally made Kiba noticed the labored breathing coming from behind him. The sound was rather faint, and Kiba found out why. Aibo had fallen farther behind than before. The wolf would have run back to the child, but he saw something that made him decide to wait for Aibo to catch up. Kiba noticed the determination burning in the boy's eyes. It was a feeling the wolf, himself, was all too familiar with. When Aibo, at last, reached Kiba he fell to his hands and knees panting.
"Are you all right?" the wolf asked. Kiba was a bit concerned that the child might pass out.
"I'm . . . fine," Aibo managed to choke out the words between desperate gasps for air. He might be able to run faster than a human from being around wolves, but there was no way Aibo could match the speed of a grown wolf.
"You're lying," Kiba countered.
"No, I'm not!" Aibo insisted. He had finally managed to slow his breathing, but still felt sharp pangs throughout his body.
"I can smell your blood. That scent's hard to miss, you know." The white wolf shifted to his human form at this. "Let me check you over." Kiba lifted Aibo from the boy's underarms and set the child down in a sitting position. Aibo would have protested, however, he was far too weak to put up any resistance. His little stunt had taken it's toll on his body, and now he was paying the price.
It didn't take long for Kiba to find the source of the blood scent. Aibo's feet were stained red and Kiba noticed red foot prints on the ground leading to their spot. "You should have said something if you were having trouble. What were you thinking?" Kiba scolded the child.
"I'm sorry . . ." Aibo's voice trailed off. He looked away trying to hide the look of utter defeat on his face.
Aibo fought back his emotions hard, but still thought he was about to cry when something startled him. A warm, wet, and very pleasant sensation eased the pain in his right foot. He looked back to see Kiba, in wolf form, tenderly attending to the cuts in his foot. The wolf's tongue softly caressed the child's foot from bottom to top again and again until the wounds stopped bleeding. After a few moments, Kiba moved to the left foot cleaning it with the same gentle attention as he had given to the other.
"How does it feel now?" Kiba asked while returning to his human form after he had finished cleaning the boy's feet.
"It still stings a little, but it feels a lot better," Aibo replied gratefully also feeling a bit shy. Kiba knelt down in front of Aibo with his back to the boy scooping his hands under the child's knees.
"Grab on," the wolf instructed. Aibo placed his arms around Kiba's neck and held on to the wolf's chest and shoulders, all the while being careful not to choke the wolf. In one graceful fluid motion, Kiba hefted the child up carrying the boy piggyback style. "Let's find a stream to wash your feet in. I think I smell water this way," Kiba explained as he started off in the direction where his nose guided him.
Their walk to find water was a peaceful and pleasant one. Aibo wasn't too heavy for Kiba to carry easily, and the child kept up an endless barrage of questions for Kiba to answer. Mainly, they were just about little things the two saw like what kind of bird or plant was this or that. Aibo even got a few first time experience stories out of the white wolf and one such story, Kiba's first hunt, quickly became the child's favorite which he was going to want to hear over and over.
Shortly thereafter, the two found a stream, and Kiba set Aibo on the bank allowing the child to submerge both feet into the cool clear flowing water. The chill of the stream's waters numbed away the last stinging traces of pain from the child's feet. Though, as Aibo thought it over, he much rather preferred the warm comforting feeling of Kiba's tongue.
"Hey can I, uh . . . show you something?" Aibo asked as he sat by the water.
"What?" Kiba replied tilting his head to the side while kneeling, on one knee, beside the child.
"I can't explain it very well. So, is it okay if I show you?"
"Why are you asking if it's okay? Just do it," Kiba was a bit confused.
"Because it would be stealing if I didn't ask first." Kiba raised a suspicious eyebrow at this. "Can I see you hand for a minute?" Aibo held out his hand, palm upwards. Kiba placed his hand on top of Aibo's, and the boy grasped the wolf's hand firmly. Next, Aibo closed his eyes like he was trying to concentrate on something. It was then that, a wave of fatigue washed over Kiba's body. The wolf wasn't feeling sleepy. The sensation was closer to being winded after physical exertion, however, the feeling was only minute at best. Kiba's breathing had quickened a little by the time Aibo released his hand.
"What did you do?" Aibo pulled his feet out of the water to answer Kiba's question. The wolf looked over at them discovering that their wounds were nowhere to be found.
"The best I know how to put it is that I can borrow your strength for different things."
"Like what?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to know, and I'd like to know a bit about you." Aibo couldn't help but smile at these words, and the fact that the wolf had decided to show an interest in him. It made Aibo feel like he was worth the time to Kiba.
"Really! Well, all right. Do you remember how I told you that Companions can assume the physical form of a wolf? There are two ways to do this. The first comes by living in a pack their entire lifetime, but even then it's not a sure thing. The other way is to use the ability I just used on you. A Companion may borrow from a wolf in order to transform. The first time is always the most difficult, and they have to borrow the most. However during repeat attempts, they can borrow less and less until they become able to transform on their own."
"Hmm, so are all Companions able to use their abilities at your age?" Aibo tensed up at this. Kiba had meant it to be a harmless enough question, but apparently he had struck a nerve. The child was reluctant to answer.
"Uh, I am um different . . ." Aibo was having a hard time piecing together an answer. The pair were suddenly startled from their time together by the sound of pounding hooves. Then they noticed the distressed voice of their friend, Hige.
"TOBOE! Put a move on it runt or it'll get away!" the tan wolf, sounding very annoyed, shouted in a huff as he pursued his prey. Finally, the animal the two wolves were chasing came into view for the pair by the stream. It was a large buck with huge antlers. Immediately following the buck, Hige and Toboe exploded from the tree line. There was a large gash in one of the buck's back legs that slowed it down considerably.
"Hey Kiba! We found dinner!" Toboe shouted giddy with excitement from the chase.
Kiba positioned himself right in front of the charging animal, poised to strike. The buck lowered its antlers making the situation far more dangerous. If the white wolf wasn't careful he could find himself impaled on those ivory white spikes. The buck drew closer gaining speed. The situation wasn't looking good for Kiba. Then a loud snarl caught everyone's attention as a large blur of gray collided with the buck's neck. The animal collapsed on its side from the force of the impact.
There was Tsume with a death grip on the animal's neck. His fangs sunk deep into the buck's flesh clamping its windpipe shut. Soon the prey stopped struggling and lay motionless on the ground. Tsume released his grip, pulling his blood soaked fangs out of the carcass. Everyone just stared. They weren't sure if what they were seeing was real.
"What?" the gray wolf snapped at the rest of the group. He paced off to the stream to wash out his bloody muzzle.
"Well what I'd tell ya. The runt and I did find something to eat!" Hige took a moment to boast over their successful hunt. "Of course if it hadn't been for me injuring it, the runt would have let it get away," Hige chuckled. Toboe, who looked really upset, opened him mouth about to say something, but was cut off by Tsume's voice.
"You liar," Tsume sneered over shoulder still facing the river. "Toboe wounded it, you didn't. I saw the whole thing, you know." The gray wolf, finished with the stream, rejoined the group.
"Hey, lighten up. I was just kidding. Sheesh, you don't have bite my head off!" Hige defended. Then something clicked inside the tan wolf's head. "What were you doing watching us anyway? I thought you weren't gonna move."
"Hmph," Tsume grunted looking away uncomfortably. Hige had him, and they both knew it. Hige smirked and gave an evil chuckle.
"What's the matter? Did Tsume get scared and lonely all by himself?" the tan wolf teased, knowing full well that he had just crossed the line. However, Hige didn't care at this point. He knew Tsume was backed into a corner and wanted to give the gray wolf's nerves a good grinding. Tsume's response was typical and immediate.
"What did you just say?" he growled bearing his fangs.
"You heard me." Tsume was surprised by Hige's gual, at first. Usually, the tan wolf would have backed down by now. It didn't matter much to Tsume, at the moment. He really wanted to tear into Hige. Tsume was ready to lung at Hige's throat, but his attention was unexpectedly diverted.
"Tsume, stop please! That's enough," Toboe pleaded with his idol, jumping between the other two wolves.
"Get out of my way!" Tsume's growl intensified.
It was unfair for the pup to be forced into making this kind of decision. Would he fight or help Tsume? True, Hige was mean to Toboe once in a while, but the tan wolf never did anything harsh or cruel. The russet wolf didn't want to see either of his friends hurt. Toboe cringed back lowering his ears, closing his eyes, and letting out a low whine. His loyalties being torn was just too much for him to process.
"Hige. Tsume. Calm down, now," Kiba ordered in his usual soft spoken manner.
"Yeah, whatever," Hige stormed off forgetting about the food. Tsume's growl fell to a low rumble in his chest. Tsume finally gave up his posturing and began ferociously digging into the forgotten carcass.
"Thanks Kiba," Toboe sighed. Then he whispered, "At least Tsume's taking out his frustration on that, instead of Hige." Kiba, opting not to reply, merely joined Tsume in feeding on the carcass. Toboe didn't wait too much longer before deciding get his share, as well. The buck they had brought down was more than large enough for everyone to get their fill. However, Hige waited for Tsume to leave before eating. Toboe finished eating quickly after Tsume had left and then went to follow him.
Now that things had finally settled down, Aibo crept beside the two remaining wolves. He was hungry, but also a little squeamish at the sight of the animal's remains. The child sat there for a few moments pondering what to do.
"Here," Kiba said, unexpectedly dropping a piece of meat in front of Aibo. The white wolf had been halfway amused when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Aibo's confusion.
"Thanks," Aibo replied timidly, scarfing down the hunk of raw meat. He hadn't been sure how to tear off the meat and didn't think anyone was going to help him.
"You sure baby him a lot." Hige was starting to recover his spunky attitude. Kiba didn't bother justifying Hige's tease with an answer. "Sorry, hey come on," Hige chuckled, "look I get it, okay. He's just a little kid. Geeze, even I know that." When Kiba still didn't respond, Hige started to sulk, "Man, how come none of you guys can lighten up?"
"Aibo's just not suited for this, it's nothing more than that," Kiba's reply was a little cold. However, it was Aibo, not Hige, that found those words to have an icy touch. Aibo closed his eyes and let out a large sigh. "What?" The child opened his eyes again and answered the wolf's inquiry, trying to hide the crestfallen look on his face.
"Nothing . . . not that you care," Aibo muttered the last four words under his breath, "I'm going to go find Tsume and Toboe." Aibo stood up and walked away with his head hung low.
"Damn, talk about insensitive." Hige sounded upset. Kiba finally gave Hige a response by looking over at the tan wolf. "I mean you, Kiba. That was harsh, even for you." The white wolf remained expressionless. "First, you act nice to him, and then you go and say something like that?" Hige wasn't going to waste anymore time explaining the situation to Kiba. The tan wolf sprinted off after Aibo determined to cheer up the kid. Kiba sank deep into thought after he had been left all alone.
What the hell just happened? Maybe . . . I was too cold. Ugh, I don't know. It's not like Aibo is important to me . . . Kiba twitched at that last thought. He didn't like the way it sounded. This strange impulse really confused him. Why would he hate that idea so much and on an instinctive level? This -- like so many other feelings that child brought up in the white wolf's head -- just didn't make sense.
Kiba thought long and hard--How, exactly, did he feel about Aibo? After no success, the white wolf decided to change perspectives--How did Aibo feel about him? The conclusion Kiba came to startled him. He thought back over everything that everyone had been through to this point. Kiba realized that no matter what the situation the child was never far from his side. It was an odd realization, but Kiba understood that he couldn't treat that child with the same indifference he applied to the rest of the pack.
"Aibo needs me," Kiba repeated, aloud, the conclusion that had startled him. "I better go find him," he decided. The wolf raised his nose to the air while his swift feet followed the child's flowery, wolfish, and human scent.
Meanwhile, Toboe had been following Tsume in an awkward silence; both walking in their human forms. He remained a few respectful steps behind the gray wolf. In all honesty though, Toboe wanted to be right along side Tsume, as an equal -- a friend. The pup just couldn't see why his elder saw him as inferior. Why was he not worth the time of day to Tsume? It really hurt Toboe. All he wanted was to be Tsume's friend. The russet wolf didn't expect anything in return, but so far the only notions Toboe received were that what he had to give was not worthy of the gray wolf. Sure, Tsume made a display compassion and affection on a few instances, but still he always kept Toboe at an arm's length. This wasn't enough for Toboe, though. He didn't want Tsume's pity. Being coddled when something was wrong and then pushed away once everything was 'fine', it really pissed Toboe off. The pup was determined to break through that damnable shell Tsume created around himself.
Toboe was correct in a few of his assumption, but he did not have all the facts straight. Tsume wanted a relationship with the pup, but there was a feeling of dread in the back of his mind. He had always known that if Toboe stayed around it would only put the pup in danger. Tsume's fears had been confirmed that day Aibo showed them memories of their past lifetime. Tsume wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Toboe was ever hurt or killed. The possibility that Toboe had suffered and died in their last lifetime because of him, killed Tsume on the inside.
"You were pretty good on that hunt," Tsume suddenly broke the air of silence.
"You . . . really think so?" Toboe sounded hopeful. Could he have been wrong about Tsume's feelings? It was still a little too early to tell the russet wolf decided.
"Yeah, you still need some work, but who knows? It might not be too much longer before you can think about keeping up with me." There it was again, that macho arrogance. Toboe stopped walking. He wasn't going to let it slide unnoticed this time.
"You don't have to humor me. I know you think I'm inferior, that I'm not worthy of being around you or the others. You think I'm just a nuisance, don't you?" Toboe glumly stated.
"What the hell brought this on?" Tsume asked somewhat in shock as he stopped dead in his tracks. This was a real character change from Toboe's typical --and typically annoying-- bright and happy mood.
"Just admit it already. You don't even like me, and you think that everyone would just be better off without me." Toboe could never get Tsume to admit to liking him, so the pup wanted to see if Tsume would admit to hating him. At least it would be progress no matter what answer Tsume gave. However, Toboe prayed that Tsume would deny this just the same as any other attempt at probing his feelings. At least then, Toboe would have a range in which to guess where Tsume's opinion of him lay.
"Yeah, you're probably right." So far, this wasn't working out as the pup had hoped. "The others might be better off without you," Tsume let his words hang in the air for a moment. "But you wouldn't be any better off. And then again, the others might not be any better off if you weren't there."
"But what about you? You still think that you would be better off without me," Toboe's voice was laced with resentment. An uncomfortably long moment of silence passed between the two wolves before Tsume hesitantly answered.
"Actually . . . it's the other way around." Tsume decided it was time to stop running from the issue. The gray wolf took a seat on the grass.
"Tsume?" Toboe asked concerned sitting next to the gray wolf.
"You would be better off without me," Tsume put it bluntly. He breathed a long sigh and stared up into the sky. "You remember those memories Aibo showed us?" Tsume paused, hesitant to continue. He swallowed hard, "How did you die, Toboe?"
Toboe gasped at Tsume's question. This was certainly unexpected. Why would Tsume bring something like that up, and why now of all times? What did it really matter, anyway? They were both alive and together right here, right now.
"Why? I mean, what does it really matter? We're alive right now, aren't we?" the pup was trying to get at what Tsume was feeling.
"It's just something I need to know," Tsume explained as he lowered his gaze to the ground. Toboe saw how serious Tsume's face was and decided to answer the question without any further delay.
"I didn't get to see everything about it. I kind of think Aibo had something to do with that, but I do remember . . . terrible pain. I think . . . I think I was shot. I don't know by who though. I was . . . protecting someone, a human," Toboe stopped, looking at Tsume's unchanged expression before continuing. "It didn't hurt for very long, Tsume," he tried to cheer up the gray wolf.
"Were any of the others--no, was I there?" With those words, Toboe understood now. Tsume was cold . . . because he cared. Toboe realized Tsume felt guilty about not saving him.
"I don't remember, but it doesn't matter. I know what I was thinking then. I had wondered if what I was doing was worth it. Then I remembered that it was what you would have done. That made it all worth it." Toboe felt two strong arms embrace him. He leaned back as Tsume hugged him.
Together they both sat on the ground, Tsume's arms wrapped around Toboe, and Toboe leaning back into Tsume's chest. This is what the pup and the gray wolf had wanted. A friend that they could feel comfortable with. Someone that would see them as they were on the inside and not reject or hurt them. Toboe was too young to even know about some of the more carnal things others in his position would have thought about, and Tsume didn't want to bring that kind of stuff into their relationship. If Tsume wanted a lover, he could find one easy enough. But his friendship with Toboe was something pure and innocent, and he wanted to protect it--to keep it that way.
In this moment they both could feel an almost surreal connection to their past lifetime. It was the bond they shared then and now that allowed this connection. They felt as though they had known each other for the longest of times and had been through a lot together. It was like they were picking up their relationship from the last lifetime right where they had left off. They could feel their past experience flooding back to them. Yet at the same time those memories and experience were still vague, intangible. It was more like the pair could sense that they were there, but could not pin them down with words or even remember them clearly. But still Tsume and Toboe knew they were there.
"Toboe, I'm so sorry . . . I wasn't there to save you. I . . . really did want to take you to paradise," Tsume solemnly apologized, pulling Toboe in closer as though he were afraid the pup might slip away from existence forever. Toboe reached up his braceleted arm and held Tsume's wrist reassuringly.
"Tsume, it's all right. We're here now, together. And we have another chance. Let's find paradise and not blow it this time!" Toboe laughed. With those words both knew that all was forgiven. The weight that had been sitting inside Tsume was finally lifted at this resolution to their past life.
"Oh yeah?" Tsume smirked. In the next instant he had Toboe in a head lock. The pup squirmed and wiggled to get out in an ultimately futile effort.
"Ow, hey come on! Let go!" Toboe whined trying to force himself not to giggle. He could hear Tsume laugh, as well.
"Uh, are we interrupting?" came a cocky chortle. Hige, in his human form, and Aibo had found the two wolves roughhousing.
"Nah, just looks to me like the kind of quarrel you see between best friends or brothers," Aibo reflected. Tsume let go of the russet wolf and shot a combination scowl and growl at Hige. Toboe straightened out his hair.
"Hige are you, um, still mad about before?" Toboe asked concerned for his friendship with the tan wolf.
"You worry too much, runt. Of course, I'm not mad at you. Like I said before I was going to tell everyone what really happened, but a certain creep beat me to the punch." Hige shot a glare in Tsume's direction.
"Not a bad idea," Tsume mused, punching his fist into the open palm of his other hand.
"Come on guys. Don't start that again, please," Toboe pleaded tugging on Tsume's arm.
"Ahhh," Hige sighed, "the runt's right. We can fight later. C'mon lets go find our obsessive-compulsive leader."
"Obsessive-compulsive, huh?" Kiba's voice caught everyone off guard. Hige whirled around to face the brown haired blue eyed boy standing there with a raised eyebrow.
"K-K-K-Kiba!" Hige stuttered. Then he put on a huge grin to hide his obvious fright.
"Let's go. I can smell the scent of lunar flowers coming from that way." Kiba pointed in the desired direction. The other three wolves started off in the direction Kiba pointed to, but Hige stopped and turned around when he noticed Kiba wasn't following. The tan wolf saw Kiba kneeling in front of Aibo. Hige smiled to himself and then continued onward.
"What are you doing?" Aibo asked confused as he found himself lifted onto Kiba's back again like before during their hunting lesson.
"Your feet are still sore, aren't they?" Kiba replied as he carried Aibo piggyback.
"I thought you didn't care."
"I don't know. What I'm feeling . . . it's all new to me," Kiba explained. "I've never taken care of someone before. I've always been on my own. It was just easier that way. But . . . I just don't know." Kiba sighed after this. It was the best he could muster in the way of an apology. Aibo rested his head on the back of Kiba's neck and sighed contentedly before nodding off into sleep. It was the child's way of letting Kiba know his apology was accepted. The pack pressed on for the rest of the day while Kiba carried Aibo so they could move faster.
When night fell, the pack stopped for a peaceful slumber under the open starlight sky. Aibo had already fallen asleep by the time they decided to stop. Kiba had to practically pry Aibo off his back. Kiba laid the small boy on the ground and decided to once again allow the child to sleep next to him. Kiba lowered himself to the ground, and while settling next to Aibo, almost like a reflex, the child's arms wrapped around the white wolf's neck. Sometime later during the night Kiba heard Aibo talking in his sleep.
"Kiba, promise that you'll never leave me alone," was the sleeping child's request.
"All right," Kiba promised. Aibo's arms hugged tighter around Kiba's neck. Perhaps, in his dreams, the child had heard Kiba's promise.
In the morning they continued onward, refreshed, eventually reaching a city where dozens of train tracks converged. The scent of lunar flowers called to the wolves from this place beckoning them to search within its confines.
I'd like to congratulate all of you who have read this story up until this point. You have just read over one hundred pages! Give yourselves a pat on the back. In case anyone is wondering, I haven't forgotten about Darcia, Cher, and Cheza. They are going resurface in the next chapter. As for Hubb and Quent, I honestly put those two on that train so I could forget about them for a while. They will probably show up as well, but not for long. I'll just have to see where I go with the next chapter. I have also been looking foward to writing the next chapter. I promise it is going to be a long one.
Once again, reviews are my lifeline. I need feedback from those of you reading this. It helps me with my writing and encourages me to keep going. And a big thank you again to everyone who has reviewed this story so far.
Awrawrawrawrawrawra: Thank you so much. You're review made me feel so special. I really enjoyed reading your review. I'm particularly glad that you liked the hint of a relationship between Jagara and Darcia. I had wondered if anyone would notice. By the way, did I really make a your/you're mistake? Oww, I could kick myself for that. I also noticed the discrepancy you pointed out. Don't worry it is sort of a delayed explanation. Darcia doesn't have a military in this story either, but it will make sense in the next chapter. It is a surpirse. Hee hee hee. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing.
Mai Hayami (Formerly Mai Minase): Thank you for reviewing and sticking with me all this time. And as always, thanks for keeping a eye out for any errors that I might have missed.
I also want to thank two new reviewers Nikki and Water Knight Umi. Thanks for reviewing and I hope to hear more from you in the future.
All reviews are most gratefully appreciated. So please drop one off before leaving and thank you so much. Now on to the chapter.
Episode 06: Bonds
Far away from any humans and their cities, the wolves found time to enjoy a brief respite. The pack had finally come upon a forest after leaving the frigid wasteland and traveling through mostly barren mountains.
Kiba, despite the grumblings of a certain gray wolf, made sure the pack kept their speed to a slow gait. Hige, Tsume, and Toboe could have easily handled a much faster pace, but the white wolf didn't think it wise to push the pack's youngest member. None of the wolves were really certain as to how much Aibo could handle before his body reached its limits and gave out. Besides this, Kiba knew that if the boy passed out someone would have to carry him. For the time being, though, Aibo seemed to be doing fine and occasionally insisted that he could go faster.
At present, the pack was resting in the shade beneath a cluster of trees. Using their human forms had not been necessary in the wilderness, so for the past two days the wolves remained as such, in their natural forms. Tsume had sprawled out on some moss at the base of a large pine tree. Toboe wandered from plant to plant taking in all the new smells of the forest and Hige lazily stretched out his legs while basking in a patch of sunlight leaking through the overhead canopy of leaves. Kiba had withdrawn away from the group a small distance to clear his head and simply unwind. The refreshing smell of a crisp breeze gently caressed his noise as he listened to the peaceful silence of the woods.
"Um, hey Kiba," Aibo perked up, sitting in the soft grass not to far from their leader.
"What?" he replied in his usual calm manner while resting on his haunches.
"Well, I was wondering . . . Uh, do you remember when you said you would teach me how to hunt?" the boy gave Kiba an irresistibly cute look with pleading eyes.
"Why do you wear your hair like that? It makes you look weird," Kiba wanted to change the subject by calling attention to the way Aibo covered the upper right side of his face with his long bangs. It almost seemed like he was trying to hide his appearance.
Kiba had not really agreed to anything, but the boy would be disappointed if they did not go through with the hunting lesson. Kiba was also reluctant to call attention to the fact that Aibo wouldn't be able to hunt like a wolf. Aibo's body was like that of a human's, and even though he might be able to borrow the abilities of a wolf, it still did not change the fact that the child had the limitations of a human.
"What does that have to do with anything? Besides, it's not like I can cut it whenever I want," came Aibo's response, seemingly a little too well rehearsed. Kiba finally gave into himself because it looked like Aibo wasn't going to give up that easily. The wolf fell back on the one piece of reasoning he had tried to stay away from using.
"You do know that you're not built for hunting, right?"
"But . . . you said you would," Aibo pouted, his voice shaking. His eyes started to water while his hair parted letting Kiba look into both blue spheres at once. A feeling of pain lurched at Kiba in his gut. Why did the prospect of letting Aibo down bother Kiba so much? It just didn't make sense to the white wolf.
Why do I even care? Kiba though to himself feeling rather perplexed. But as he continued to look at Aibo, now on the verge of tears, something in Kiba's heart felt for the child. It was like some kind of new instinct that was totally foreign to anything the wolf had felt before. Kiba's gaze softened. "All right", he sighed, "if it means that much to you I suppose . . ." Kiba was cut off by Aibo's tight embrace. The child had thrown his arms around the white wolf's neck.
"Oh, thank you!" Aibo squealed as he nuzzled into the fur on Kiba's neck. The pair noticed a hearty chuckle coming from one of their pack mates.
"Maybe I should take the runt and find something to eat. Otherwise, we'll starve if we gotta rely on what you two bring back." Hige's sense of humor was just a wry as ever. However, it was a practical notion that saved Kiba the trouble of persuading someone to do the hunting. Kiba was a proficient hunter in his own right, and Hige knew first hand how capable the white wolf was. Yet, now that Kiba had to bring along a total novice, there wasn't much chance he would have a kill to bring back.
"Hey, Tsume! Why don't come along, too?" Toboe asked cheerfully as he bounded over to the gray wolf. Tsume gave a curt reply emphasizing the last three words.
"I'm not moving from this spot!" His eyes remained closed while he rested his head on his paws. Toboe gave a small pout, yet declined from pursuing the issue further. There was nothing the russet wolf could do about his friend's stubborn streak . . . for right now anyway. Toboe would get even later if he felt like it.
"I guess we'll see you guys later. Let's meet back here," Hige waved to the others as he and Toboe left. The two wolves soon disappeared among the growth of the forest. Kiba took Aibo with him and soon they were out of sight leaving the gray wolf all by himself.
Finally, didn't think I'd ever get some time to myself. Tsume let out a sleepy yawn. He tried napping for a while, but sleep evaded him. The gray wolf couldn't quite put his finger--well paw--on what was bothering him, but there was a tight feeling in his upper chest that, at first, he took for apprehension. No that's not it, he decided after mulling over the sensation for some time. What Tsume was feeling was somewhat different from being apprehensive. The emotion wasn't fear. Instead, it was more like an emptiness . . . a longing. Tsume snapped upright from shock at that realization. What the hell?! This is stupid. But the feeling still wouldn't leave him. Damn, maybe I'll just check on how they're doing. Tsume finally lumbered to his paws and set off to find his pack mates. Of course, he wasn't going to let any of them know he went looking for them. The gray wolf planned to stay hidden the whole time.
Meanwhile, Kiba crept through the forest silently along a carpet of grass, leaves, and twigs all the while in search of prey. The pads on his paws absorbed the weight of his strides allowing him to move with ghostly stealth. His hunting companion, however, was nowhere near as quiet as the wolf. Kiba was also much faster than Aibo, and a considerable distance had grown between them. Kiba glanced back at the boy who was stumbling along clumsily, making a racket with every step he took, crunching the leaves and twigs. With all that noise, any animal Kiba hoped to stalk would hear them coming from yards away. This wasn't working he decided. Kiba trotted back to Aibo causing the child to come to a sudden dead halt.
"First lesson, you have to be quiet!" Kiba almost barked.
"I"m sorry," Aibo apologized dropping his gaze to the ground.
"All right look, you can't make so much noise when you walk. Feel the ground beneath your feet," Kiba gave a small demonstration and took a few silent steps to illustrate what he meant. The white wolf moved slowly to show Aibo how he could adjust his foot to the contours of the ground. Aibo tilted his head to the side in confusion for a moment. Then a look of realization dawned on him.
"How's this?" He promptly kicked off both of his shoes and stripped off his socks stuffing them inside the shoes. Aibo tied the shoes' laces together and hung them around his neck on the inside of his jacket. He didn't want to lose his only pair of shoes, after all.
Aibo practiced walking the way Kiba showed him. The child's steps were not nearly as noisy as before, yet still, in comparison they were nowhere near a silent as the white wolf's experienced strides. However, encouraged by the boy's willingness to learn, Kiba decided to offer a few more pointers.
"Don't put your full weight into each step. Tread lightly by dispersing you weight to both your feet. Wait until your foot is at least touching the ground before leaning on it. And watch where you are going. You won't have to worry so much about the weight you put on each foot if you can avoid stepping on things that make noise," Kiba snapped a small branch by stepping on it with a forepaw to make sure Aibo clearly understood.
Others in this scenario might have seen Kiba's pointers as criticism, but Aibo was just happy to be able to spend time with the white wolf. And the child was especially grateful for the fact that Kiba had willing chosen to spend this time with him. Kiba resumed his trot through the woods after motioning for Aibo to follow.
"I want you to keep up with me," he ordered. Aibo wasn't going to object to the wolf's command, and so he ran, fast as he could, along side the wolf.
Kiba gradually resumed his earlier pace, running at full out top speed. He failed to notice how hard Aibo struggled to keep up, and gradually the child started to fall behind. Aibo would be damned, though, before he'd ask Kiba to slow down.
It was the smell of blood that finally made Kiba noticed the labored breathing coming from behind him. The sound was rather faint, and Kiba found out why. Aibo had fallen farther behind than before. The wolf would have run back to the child, but he saw something that made him decide to wait for Aibo to catch up. Kiba noticed the determination burning in the boy's eyes. It was a feeling the wolf, himself, was all too familiar with. When Aibo, at last, reached Kiba he fell to his hands and knees panting.
"Are you all right?" the wolf asked. Kiba was a bit concerned that the child might pass out.
"I'm . . . fine," Aibo managed to choke out the words between desperate gasps for air. He might be able to run faster than a human from being around wolves, but there was no way Aibo could match the speed of a grown wolf.
"You're lying," Kiba countered.
"No, I'm not!" Aibo insisted. He had finally managed to slow his breathing, but still felt sharp pangs throughout his body.
"I can smell your blood. That scent's hard to miss, you know." The white wolf shifted to his human form at this. "Let me check you over." Kiba lifted Aibo from the boy's underarms and set the child down in a sitting position. Aibo would have protested, however, he was far too weak to put up any resistance. His little stunt had taken it's toll on his body, and now he was paying the price.
It didn't take long for Kiba to find the source of the blood scent. Aibo's feet were stained red and Kiba noticed red foot prints on the ground leading to their spot. "You should have said something if you were having trouble. What were you thinking?" Kiba scolded the child.
"I'm sorry . . ." Aibo's voice trailed off. He looked away trying to hide the look of utter defeat on his face.
Aibo fought back his emotions hard, but still thought he was about to cry when something startled him. A warm, wet, and very pleasant sensation eased the pain in his right foot. He looked back to see Kiba, in wolf form, tenderly attending to the cuts in his foot. The wolf's tongue softly caressed the child's foot from bottom to top again and again until the wounds stopped bleeding. After a few moments, Kiba moved to the left foot cleaning it with the same gentle attention as he had given to the other.
"How does it feel now?" Kiba asked while returning to his human form after he had finished cleaning the boy's feet.
"It still stings a little, but it feels a lot better," Aibo replied gratefully also feeling a bit shy. Kiba knelt down in front of Aibo with his back to the boy scooping his hands under the child's knees.
"Grab on," the wolf instructed. Aibo placed his arms around Kiba's neck and held on to the wolf's chest and shoulders, all the while being careful not to choke the wolf. In one graceful fluid motion, Kiba hefted the child up carrying the boy piggyback style. "Let's find a stream to wash your feet in. I think I smell water this way," Kiba explained as he started off in the direction where his nose guided him.
Their walk to find water was a peaceful and pleasant one. Aibo wasn't too heavy for Kiba to carry easily, and the child kept up an endless barrage of questions for Kiba to answer. Mainly, they were just about little things the two saw like what kind of bird or plant was this or that. Aibo even got a few first time experience stories out of the white wolf and one such story, Kiba's first hunt, quickly became the child's favorite which he was going to want to hear over and over.
Shortly thereafter, the two found a stream, and Kiba set Aibo on the bank allowing the child to submerge both feet into the cool clear flowing water. The chill of the stream's waters numbed away the last stinging traces of pain from the child's feet. Though, as Aibo thought it over, he much rather preferred the warm comforting feeling of Kiba's tongue.
"Hey can I, uh . . . show you something?" Aibo asked as he sat by the water.
"What?" Kiba replied tilting his head to the side while kneeling, on one knee, beside the child.
"I can't explain it very well. So, is it okay if I show you?"
"Why are you asking if it's okay? Just do it," Kiba was a bit confused.
"Because it would be stealing if I didn't ask first." Kiba raised a suspicious eyebrow at this. "Can I see you hand for a minute?" Aibo held out his hand, palm upwards. Kiba placed his hand on top of Aibo's, and the boy grasped the wolf's hand firmly. Next, Aibo closed his eyes like he was trying to concentrate on something. It was then that, a wave of fatigue washed over Kiba's body. The wolf wasn't feeling sleepy. The sensation was closer to being winded after physical exertion, however, the feeling was only minute at best. Kiba's breathing had quickened a little by the time Aibo released his hand.
"What did you do?" Aibo pulled his feet out of the water to answer Kiba's question. The wolf looked over at them discovering that their wounds were nowhere to be found.
"The best I know how to put it is that I can borrow your strength for different things."
"Like what?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to know, and I'd like to know a bit about you." Aibo couldn't help but smile at these words, and the fact that the wolf had decided to show an interest in him. It made Aibo feel like he was worth the time to Kiba.
"Really! Well, all right. Do you remember how I told you that Companions can assume the physical form of a wolf? There are two ways to do this. The first comes by living in a pack their entire lifetime, but even then it's not a sure thing. The other way is to use the ability I just used on you. A Companion may borrow from a wolf in order to transform. The first time is always the most difficult, and they have to borrow the most. However during repeat attempts, they can borrow less and less until they become able to transform on their own."
"Hmm, so are all Companions able to use their abilities at your age?" Aibo tensed up at this. Kiba had meant it to be a harmless enough question, but apparently he had struck a nerve. The child was reluctant to answer.
"Uh, I am um different . . ." Aibo was having a hard time piecing together an answer. The pair were suddenly startled from their time together by the sound of pounding hooves. Then they noticed the distressed voice of their friend, Hige.
"TOBOE! Put a move on it runt or it'll get away!" the tan wolf, sounding very annoyed, shouted in a huff as he pursued his prey. Finally, the animal the two wolves were chasing came into view for the pair by the stream. It was a large buck with huge antlers. Immediately following the buck, Hige and Toboe exploded from the tree line. There was a large gash in one of the buck's back legs that slowed it down considerably.
"Hey Kiba! We found dinner!" Toboe shouted giddy with excitement from the chase.
Kiba positioned himself right in front of the charging animal, poised to strike. The buck lowered its antlers making the situation far more dangerous. If the white wolf wasn't careful he could find himself impaled on those ivory white spikes. The buck drew closer gaining speed. The situation wasn't looking good for Kiba. Then a loud snarl caught everyone's attention as a large blur of gray collided with the buck's neck. The animal collapsed on its side from the force of the impact.
There was Tsume with a death grip on the animal's neck. His fangs sunk deep into the buck's flesh clamping its windpipe shut. Soon the prey stopped struggling and lay motionless on the ground. Tsume released his grip, pulling his blood soaked fangs out of the carcass. Everyone just stared. They weren't sure if what they were seeing was real.
"What?" the gray wolf snapped at the rest of the group. He paced off to the stream to wash out his bloody muzzle.
"Well what I'd tell ya. The runt and I did find something to eat!" Hige took a moment to boast over their successful hunt. "Of course if it hadn't been for me injuring it, the runt would have let it get away," Hige chuckled. Toboe, who looked really upset, opened him mouth about to say something, but was cut off by Tsume's voice.
"You liar," Tsume sneered over shoulder still facing the river. "Toboe wounded it, you didn't. I saw the whole thing, you know." The gray wolf, finished with the stream, rejoined the group.
"Hey, lighten up. I was just kidding. Sheesh, you don't have bite my head off!" Hige defended. Then something clicked inside the tan wolf's head. "What were you doing watching us anyway? I thought you weren't gonna move."
"Hmph," Tsume grunted looking away uncomfortably. Hige had him, and they both knew it. Hige smirked and gave an evil chuckle.
"What's the matter? Did Tsume get scared and lonely all by himself?" the tan wolf teased, knowing full well that he had just crossed the line. However, Hige didn't care at this point. He knew Tsume was backed into a corner and wanted to give the gray wolf's nerves a good grinding. Tsume's response was typical and immediate.
"What did you just say?" he growled bearing his fangs.
"You heard me." Tsume was surprised by Hige's gual, at first. Usually, the tan wolf would have backed down by now. It didn't matter much to Tsume, at the moment. He really wanted to tear into Hige. Tsume was ready to lung at Hige's throat, but his attention was unexpectedly diverted.
"Tsume, stop please! That's enough," Toboe pleaded with his idol, jumping between the other two wolves.
"Get out of my way!" Tsume's growl intensified.
It was unfair for the pup to be forced into making this kind of decision. Would he fight or help Tsume? True, Hige was mean to Toboe once in a while, but the tan wolf never did anything harsh or cruel. The russet wolf didn't want to see either of his friends hurt. Toboe cringed back lowering his ears, closing his eyes, and letting out a low whine. His loyalties being torn was just too much for him to process.
"Hige. Tsume. Calm down, now," Kiba ordered in his usual soft spoken manner.
"Yeah, whatever," Hige stormed off forgetting about the food. Tsume's growl fell to a low rumble in his chest. Tsume finally gave up his posturing and began ferociously digging into the forgotten carcass.
"Thanks Kiba," Toboe sighed. Then he whispered, "At least Tsume's taking out his frustration on that, instead of Hige." Kiba, opting not to reply, merely joined Tsume in feeding on the carcass. Toboe didn't wait too much longer before deciding get his share, as well. The buck they had brought down was more than large enough for everyone to get their fill. However, Hige waited for Tsume to leave before eating. Toboe finished eating quickly after Tsume had left and then went to follow him.
Now that things had finally settled down, Aibo crept beside the two remaining wolves. He was hungry, but also a little squeamish at the sight of the animal's remains. The child sat there for a few moments pondering what to do.
"Here," Kiba said, unexpectedly dropping a piece of meat in front of Aibo. The white wolf had been halfway amused when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Aibo's confusion.
"Thanks," Aibo replied timidly, scarfing down the hunk of raw meat. He hadn't been sure how to tear off the meat and didn't think anyone was going to help him.
"You sure baby him a lot." Hige was starting to recover his spunky attitude. Kiba didn't bother justifying Hige's tease with an answer. "Sorry, hey come on," Hige chuckled, "look I get it, okay. He's just a little kid. Geeze, even I know that." When Kiba still didn't respond, Hige started to sulk, "Man, how come none of you guys can lighten up?"
"Aibo's just not suited for this, it's nothing more than that," Kiba's reply was a little cold. However, it was Aibo, not Hige, that found those words to have an icy touch. Aibo closed his eyes and let out a large sigh. "What?" The child opened his eyes again and answered the wolf's inquiry, trying to hide the crestfallen look on his face.
"Nothing . . . not that you care," Aibo muttered the last four words under his breath, "I'm going to go find Tsume and Toboe." Aibo stood up and walked away with his head hung low.
"Damn, talk about insensitive." Hige sounded upset. Kiba finally gave Hige a response by looking over at the tan wolf. "I mean you, Kiba. That was harsh, even for you." The white wolf remained expressionless. "First, you act nice to him, and then you go and say something like that?" Hige wasn't going to waste anymore time explaining the situation to Kiba. The tan wolf sprinted off after Aibo determined to cheer up the kid. Kiba sank deep into thought after he had been left all alone.
What the hell just happened? Maybe . . . I was too cold. Ugh, I don't know. It's not like Aibo is important to me . . . Kiba twitched at that last thought. He didn't like the way it sounded. This strange impulse really confused him. Why would he hate that idea so much and on an instinctive level? This -- like so many other feelings that child brought up in the white wolf's head -- just didn't make sense.
Kiba thought long and hard--How, exactly, did he feel about Aibo? After no success, the white wolf decided to change perspectives--How did Aibo feel about him? The conclusion Kiba came to startled him. He thought back over everything that everyone had been through to this point. Kiba realized that no matter what the situation the child was never far from his side. It was an odd realization, but Kiba understood that he couldn't treat that child with the same indifference he applied to the rest of the pack.
"Aibo needs me," Kiba repeated, aloud, the conclusion that had startled him. "I better go find him," he decided. The wolf raised his nose to the air while his swift feet followed the child's flowery, wolfish, and human scent.
Meanwhile, Toboe had been following Tsume in an awkward silence; both walking in their human forms. He remained a few respectful steps behind the gray wolf. In all honesty though, Toboe wanted to be right along side Tsume, as an equal -- a friend. The pup just couldn't see why his elder saw him as inferior. Why was he not worth the time of day to Tsume? It really hurt Toboe. All he wanted was to be Tsume's friend. The russet wolf didn't expect anything in return, but so far the only notions Toboe received were that what he had to give was not worthy of the gray wolf. Sure, Tsume made a display compassion and affection on a few instances, but still he always kept Toboe at an arm's length. This wasn't enough for Toboe, though. He didn't want Tsume's pity. Being coddled when something was wrong and then pushed away once everything was 'fine', it really pissed Toboe off. The pup was determined to break through that damnable shell Tsume created around himself.
Toboe was correct in a few of his assumption, but he did not have all the facts straight. Tsume wanted a relationship with the pup, but there was a feeling of dread in the back of his mind. He had always known that if Toboe stayed around it would only put the pup in danger. Tsume's fears had been confirmed that day Aibo showed them memories of their past lifetime. Tsume wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Toboe was ever hurt or killed. The possibility that Toboe had suffered and died in their last lifetime because of him, killed Tsume on the inside.
"You were pretty good on that hunt," Tsume suddenly broke the air of silence.
"You . . . really think so?" Toboe sounded hopeful. Could he have been wrong about Tsume's feelings? It was still a little too early to tell the russet wolf decided.
"Yeah, you still need some work, but who knows? It might not be too much longer before you can think about keeping up with me." There it was again, that macho arrogance. Toboe stopped walking. He wasn't going to let it slide unnoticed this time.
"You don't have to humor me. I know you think I'm inferior, that I'm not worthy of being around you or the others. You think I'm just a nuisance, don't you?" Toboe glumly stated.
"What the hell brought this on?" Tsume asked somewhat in shock as he stopped dead in his tracks. This was a real character change from Toboe's typical --and typically annoying-- bright and happy mood.
"Just admit it already. You don't even like me, and you think that everyone would just be better off without me." Toboe could never get Tsume to admit to liking him, so the pup wanted to see if Tsume would admit to hating him. At least it would be progress no matter what answer Tsume gave. However, Toboe prayed that Tsume would deny this just the same as any other attempt at probing his feelings. At least then, Toboe would have a range in which to guess where Tsume's opinion of him lay.
"Yeah, you're probably right." So far, this wasn't working out as the pup had hoped. "The others might be better off without you," Tsume let his words hang in the air for a moment. "But you wouldn't be any better off. And then again, the others might not be any better off if you weren't there."
"But what about you? You still think that you would be better off without me," Toboe's voice was laced with resentment. An uncomfortably long moment of silence passed between the two wolves before Tsume hesitantly answered.
"Actually . . . it's the other way around." Tsume decided it was time to stop running from the issue. The gray wolf took a seat on the grass.
"Tsume?" Toboe asked concerned sitting next to the gray wolf.
"You would be better off without me," Tsume put it bluntly. He breathed a long sigh and stared up into the sky. "You remember those memories Aibo showed us?" Tsume paused, hesitant to continue. He swallowed hard, "How did you die, Toboe?"
Toboe gasped at Tsume's question. This was certainly unexpected. Why would Tsume bring something like that up, and why now of all times? What did it really matter, anyway? They were both alive and together right here, right now.
"Why? I mean, what does it really matter? We're alive right now, aren't we?" the pup was trying to get at what Tsume was feeling.
"It's just something I need to know," Tsume explained as he lowered his gaze to the ground. Toboe saw how serious Tsume's face was and decided to answer the question without any further delay.
"I didn't get to see everything about it. I kind of think Aibo had something to do with that, but I do remember . . . terrible pain. I think . . . I think I was shot. I don't know by who though. I was . . . protecting someone, a human," Toboe stopped, looking at Tsume's unchanged expression before continuing. "It didn't hurt for very long, Tsume," he tried to cheer up the gray wolf.
"Were any of the others--no, was I there?" With those words, Toboe understood now. Tsume was cold . . . because he cared. Toboe realized Tsume felt guilty about not saving him.
"I don't remember, but it doesn't matter. I know what I was thinking then. I had wondered if what I was doing was worth it. Then I remembered that it was what you would have done. That made it all worth it." Toboe felt two strong arms embrace him. He leaned back as Tsume hugged him.
Together they both sat on the ground, Tsume's arms wrapped around Toboe, and Toboe leaning back into Tsume's chest. This is what the pup and the gray wolf had wanted. A friend that they could feel comfortable with. Someone that would see them as they were on the inside and not reject or hurt them. Toboe was too young to even know about some of the more carnal things others in his position would have thought about, and Tsume didn't want to bring that kind of stuff into their relationship. If Tsume wanted a lover, he could find one easy enough. But his friendship with Toboe was something pure and innocent, and he wanted to protect it--to keep it that way.
In this moment they both could feel an almost surreal connection to their past lifetime. It was the bond they shared then and now that allowed this connection. They felt as though they had known each other for the longest of times and had been through a lot together. It was like they were picking up their relationship from the last lifetime right where they had left off. They could feel their past experience flooding back to them. Yet at the same time those memories and experience were still vague, intangible. It was more like the pair could sense that they were there, but could not pin them down with words or even remember them clearly. But still Tsume and Toboe knew they were there.
"Toboe, I'm so sorry . . . I wasn't there to save you. I . . . really did want to take you to paradise," Tsume solemnly apologized, pulling Toboe in closer as though he were afraid the pup might slip away from existence forever. Toboe reached up his braceleted arm and held Tsume's wrist reassuringly.
"Tsume, it's all right. We're here now, together. And we have another chance. Let's find paradise and not blow it this time!" Toboe laughed. With those words both knew that all was forgiven. The weight that had been sitting inside Tsume was finally lifted at this resolution to their past life.
"Oh yeah?" Tsume smirked. In the next instant he had Toboe in a head lock. The pup squirmed and wiggled to get out in an ultimately futile effort.
"Ow, hey come on! Let go!" Toboe whined trying to force himself not to giggle. He could hear Tsume laugh, as well.
"Uh, are we interrupting?" came a cocky chortle. Hige, in his human form, and Aibo had found the two wolves roughhousing.
"Nah, just looks to me like the kind of quarrel you see between best friends or brothers," Aibo reflected. Tsume let go of the russet wolf and shot a combination scowl and growl at Hige. Toboe straightened out his hair.
"Hige are you, um, still mad about before?" Toboe asked concerned for his friendship with the tan wolf.
"You worry too much, runt. Of course, I'm not mad at you. Like I said before I was going to tell everyone what really happened, but a certain creep beat me to the punch." Hige shot a glare in Tsume's direction.
"Not a bad idea," Tsume mused, punching his fist into the open palm of his other hand.
"Come on guys. Don't start that again, please," Toboe pleaded tugging on Tsume's arm.
"Ahhh," Hige sighed, "the runt's right. We can fight later. C'mon lets go find our obsessive-compulsive leader."
"Obsessive-compulsive, huh?" Kiba's voice caught everyone off guard. Hige whirled around to face the brown haired blue eyed boy standing there with a raised eyebrow.
"K-K-K-Kiba!" Hige stuttered. Then he put on a huge grin to hide his obvious fright.
"Let's go. I can smell the scent of lunar flowers coming from that way." Kiba pointed in the desired direction. The other three wolves started off in the direction Kiba pointed to, but Hige stopped and turned around when he noticed Kiba wasn't following. The tan wolf saw Kiba kneeling in front of Aibo. Hige smiled to himself and then continued onward.
"What are you doing?" Aibo asked confused as he found himself lifted onto Kiba's back again like before during their hunting lesson.
"Your feet are still sore, aren't they?" Kiba replied as he carried Aibo piggyback.
"I thought you didn't care."
"I don't know. What I'm feeling . . . it's all new to me," Kiba explained. "I've never taken care of someone before. I've always been on my own. It was just easier that way. But . . . I just don't know." Kiba sighed after this. It was the best he could muster in the way of an apology. Aibo rested his head on the back of Kiba's neck and sighed contentedly before nodding off into sleep. It was the child's way of letting Kiba know his apology was accepted. The pack pressed on for the rest of the day while Kiba carried Aibo so they could move faster.
When night fell, the pack stopped for a peaceful slumber under the open starlight sky. Aibo had already fallen asleep by the time they decided to stop. Kiba had to practically pry Aibo off his back. Kiba laid the small boy on the ground and decided to once again allow the child to sleep next to him. Kiba lowered himself to the ground, and while settling next to Aibo, almost like a reflex, the child's arms wrapped around the white wolf's neck. Sometime later during the night Kiba heard Aibo talking in his sleep.
"Kiba, promise that you'll never leave me alone," was the sleeping child's request.
"All right," Kiba promised. Aibo's arms hugged tighter around Kiba's neck. Perhaps, in his dreams, the child had heard Kiba's promise.
In the morning they continued onward, refreshed, eventually reaching a city where dozens of train tracks converged. The scent of lunar flowers called to the wolves from this place beckoning them to search within its confines.
I'd like to congratulate all of you who have read this story up until this point. You have just read over one hundred pages! Give yourselves a pat on the back. In case anyone is wondering, I haven't forgotten about Darcia, Cher, and Cheza. They are going resurface in the next chapter. As for Hubb and Quent, I honestly put those two on that train so I could forget about them for a while. They will probably show up as well, but not for long. I'll just have to see where I go with the next chapter. I have also been looking foward to writing the next chapter. I promise it is going to be a long one.
Once again, reviews are my lifeline. I need feedback from those of you reading this. It helps me with my writing and encourages me to keep going. And a big thank you again to everyone who has reviewed this story so far.