Sorry for the long wait. Been writings other things and school. Here's Toboe. The really, really long Toboe. My longest one yet. I don't know how it got so long.. Sheesh.

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I was a carefree pup. I'm still a pup. I'd rather roll in the grass of a field of flowers than carry the burden we all share. But I am a wolf. I remember the first other wolf I met. His name, was Tsume.

"Hey, you're Tsume right? This is a first for me. I've never met a wolf. I mean, other than myself."

He was rude. He didn't like other people. Even me. But I can understand it, even though it hurt me.

"You're another one. Just like me."

"Move it kid."

- -

"I heard rumors about you from the crows. They say you make friends with humans and run wild with them."

"You heard wrong. I don't have friends."

- -

"Just get lost will ya? I'm getting pissed off. And that only happens when I'm around idiots."

"But.. can't I come with you?"

"No. You can't."

And despite everything, he saved me and gave me food. And I remember we always argued about something or other. About everything. People.. Paradise.. Kiba.. I wonder if we had made it to Paradise, he might have been better and more open to us.

"Boy? No.. you're not a boy."

"Jump! Hurry up!"

"I was getting ready to!"

"Why do you have to lie about everything? Stop lying and just be honest with yourself!"

"Fine, whatever. If you wanna go then go. It's not like I care what happens to ya."

"So why did you save me then? If you really don't care then you should've just left me or pretended not to recognize me. I mean, I'm not your friend or anything."

"Your right. Your not my friend."

"Ya I forgot. Your only friends with humans. It's easy that way isn't it? They'll do whatever you tell them too."

"You don't know what your talking about! You have no idea what it takes to survive in this city! How dangerous it is! Nothing! Go on. Let's see how well you do on your own. Beat It!"

I remember a girl. She was cute. I wanted to hang out with her... she first saw me as a wolf. She thought I was a dog. She gave me sausages. lol.

"Here try some of these, they taste better. Come on, you can have 'em. You're hungry aren't ya?"

She was really nice.

"If you wander around here for too long, the dog catchers will get you for sure."

She really seemed to like me.

"You sure are warm, aren't ya boy."

But then...

"Leera! Here. It's your bird.... Leera..."

"He's dead. My bird's dead."

"But I.. I didn't mean to kill him I swear. I knew it was yours and I just wanted to... I didn't think it would die.."

All dreams must end, and that particular dream ended real quick. Tsume rescued me. I never did want to kill anything at all. I just wanted to live in peace with Granny forever.

"I never meant to kill anything. Granny she.. I was all alone to the entrance to the dome. And she was so nice to me. She said I was so little.. my eyes had barely opened. And we lived together ever since."

"You mean she kept you as a pet. That human tamed you. You were nothing more than an obedient dog."

"I wasn't! I.. I only.. I wanted to protect her, but she still.."

"She still threw you out."

"She still died. She died! I... I let her die."

I remember when I met Kiba and Hige too. I was mad at Tsume. I was mad at everyone. I was in the garbage, eating. Hige.... Hige came out of the sewer. His nose had pointed him in the wrong direction.

"Uh oh.. must've taken a wrong turn. Huh? Hey! It's one of our own!"

"Move it will ya? Last time I trust your nose."

"Well anyone's nose would go numb after a night in that stink hole!"

"You guys.. no way! You're..."

Hige liked to follow his nose. He's funny.

"I told you I hate smelly places!"

He was a real jerk when I met him. At first....

"Hey runt, what's eaten you?"

"I'm not a runt! My name's Toboe!"

"Well that's cool. Well I'm Hige and this here's Kiba."

"Shake a leg runt."

"That's Toboe!"

And when I asked where they were going..

"Where we headed anyway?"

"Where do you think? To the exit of course."

"The exit?"

"We're leaving town."

"You're leaving town? But where else are you gonna go?"

"To Paradise."

"Paradise.. Hey guys, do you know Tsume?"

"Tsume?"

"Nah, never heard of him."

"Is he the one with the scar on his chest?"

"Yeah! That's Tsume alright!"

"Okay, what about him?"

"He's one of us so I thought he might wanna come too."

"Well I don't know him. Where is he? Hiding out some place?"

"I don't know. We... got split up."

"Sorry pal. It's too late to go back for him now. So what? Is he.. like a friend of yours?"

"No, he's not! He isn't my friend.."

"So? Ditch him already."

Kiba found Tsume for me. He wasn't mean about it or anything. He just led us to Tsume, by the smell of his blood. Poor Tsume. He... always got hurt. And all those scars...

"I could smell the blood from your wound."

"What?"

"I smelled it here all the way from town."

"And you're gonna nurse me back to health? Well, I don't need your help!"

"Tsume.. Look I.. Uh.. We're leaving the city. I really think you should come with us."

"And just where is this merry band of yours going?"

"To Paradise"

"You're kidding me. You're going with them because you believe in that crap?"

"Well I don't know.. but.. If we stay here we'll have to spend the rest of our lives in hiding. Or worse. We just can't live with the humans anymore and survive."

He really did save me a lot. He was a friend to me, no matter what he said.

"Thank you."

"Go on. Hurry up!"

"You're really not coming with us?"

"What the hell are you stopping for?"

"Tsume!"

"This way!"

"Jump already!"

"I was getting ready to alright!?"

"Move it."

"Wha oooh!"

And Hige and me got hungry a lot. We were too used to good meals everyday. he he. We had already started to get along. Tsume was hungry and that made him more irritable. And Kiba.. Kiba was amazing. He's always amazing.

"Oh man... I sure am hungry."

"Ya.. you can say that again."

"How long has it been since we ate anything?"

"I don't know.. I guess it's been about three days or so.."

"We've gone that long without eating?"

"Yep. Not a bite."

"How much longer before we get any food?"

"I have no idea. Another three days I guess."

"Will you two quit your whining already? It's only been three stupid days."

"Ya but if we hadn't left the city we'd have something to eat right now."

"We can last a lot longer... if we bask in the moonlight. I traveled a full month.. when I did that."

"Did you say a month!?"

"It should stop snowing anytime now. Once it does and night draws closer the moon will be up."

And Tsume came up with the most horrible solution! I mean.. why couldn't we all eat him?

"Well.. if worse comes to worse we can always eat each other."

"Huh?" "Huh?"

"We can start with the runt since he's gotten so weak. And of course there's always little porky over there."

"Wait a second! How come Kiba's not on the menu?!"

"Because the guy's totally full of crap, that's why!"

Kiba never told us what paradise was like.. He was a mystery. But Hige had a wild imagination.

"So what's paradise really like?"

"It's an amazing place. The flowers are always in bloom and there's food everywhere. Oh and there's beautiful babes all over the place."

"Ya mean it!"

"Of course there are. heh heh heh. I hope so anyway."

"You don't know!"

I think I was too annoying. I followed Tsume everywhere. Sometimes I wish I didn't. But he was my friend, even if the feeling wasn't mutual. And I would not let him leave. I wanted us all to go to paradise! To be happy together, all of us.

"Hey! Wait for me Tsume! What are you so mad about huh? Come on.. come back and joins us okay?"

"Shut the hell up!"

"You know it's dangerous to move around alone!"

"Doesn't matter does it? We're always alone!"

"But wait I.."

"Stop bothering me! And don't follow me."

But it all got better. I got better. I'm glad I met Kiba and Hige and Blue AND Tsume. I might not have made it otherwise. I met so many people on our journey together. Mean people. Nice people. And Cheza. I'm glad I went on this journey. Everyone of us wolves deserves a chance to find paradise. I'm glad I could help, even if I didn't make it. I'm glad we were together as long as we were. And I'm glad... I'm glad for being the runt. Someone's gotta be the runt right? -smile-

I'm glad I met all my friends. The humans and the wolves. Every life is precious and I don't want to have to see anyone else get killed. I hope everyone will someday feel that way.

Who am I?... I'm the runt...

"I'm not a runt! My name's Toboe!"

"I'm Toboe. Thanks for the help back there."

"What's the name anyway?"

"Uh.. name? The name is Toboe!"

"Toboe? What a weird name."

"Ya think so? Ya, I guess it is."

I am Toboe.