Chapter 13: Choices

Here's the next one! I think I'm going to finish uploading all the chapters in this session so keep reading—the end is in sight!

Kiba glanced over his shoulder. He stood and looked in the direction the grunt had come from. "What?" he said.

The light inside the house framed Tsume's body against the darkness of the night as he causally leaned against the frame of the door. "We need to talk," Tsume answered, walking slowly toward Kiba, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked at the floor as he walked, then turned his gaze forward and stared Kiba straight in the eyes. "We really need to talk."

In the next two days, Yuri no longer remained in the bedroom, in seeming exile, as she had. She helped Granny with some of the lighter chores and interacted normally with everyone in the house—well, almost everyone.

Despite the fact that it had been three days since their quarrel, Kiba and Yuri remained on non-speaking terms. It wasn't that they were cross with each other, just that neither one knew how to approach the other—they didn't know how to apologize. In addition, Yuri had grown terribly nervous around Kiba since her "talk" with Blue—it was as if the knowledge that she did indeed command Kiba's affection only made her feel more unworthy of it.

Similarly, Blue's chat with Kiba had him in deep thought. His instincts on how to please a female were no longer viable, at least not with Yuri. So how would he go about it now? There was no doubt in his mind that he would have no one else, but the fact that she was human, not wolf, complicated matters for him greatly. "Damn humans and their sentimentality. What's the point of emotions, anyway?" he thought. Such comments on his behalf always made him think of the wonderful elated feeling he got when he was with Yuri, if even for a moment—oh yeah, that's what they're for. Indeed love, this human love he was now feeling, was the most beautiful thing on earth. Not even Cheza's song touched him as much as this.

Thus, with all the turmoil and confusion going on inside their heads, Yuri and Kiba found that it was quite unbearable for them to be in the same room with one another. When they bumped into each other, the encounter would usually proceed thusly: Yuri would gasp blush furiously, one hand coming up to clamp other her mouth; Kiba would start, blink, and meet Yuri's gasp with a low grunt and a mumbled, "Uh, sorry," or "Uh, hi."

While most in the household watched Kiba and Yuri's behavior with amusement and delight, there was one among them that didn't seem to be enjoying the matter very much at all.

Tsume.

Tsume's fears had already been confirmed—Kiba's behavior was greatly changed. No longer was Kiba the driven wolf he had been. Time was when he would leave every last one of them behind to follow Cheza and continue his search for paradise. Now it had been ages since Tsume had even heard Kiba mention Cheza or paradise. Tsume, however, was not as easily deterred as the others were and it was with this determination that Tsume finally cornered Kiba outside, sitting on the back porch.

Kiba peered at Tsume through narrow eyes. "About what?"

"I think you know, Kiba. It's been over a week, don't you think we should get going?" Tsume answered, keeping his eyes fixed on Kiba. Kiba looked away without answering.

Tsume let out a sigh and looked up at the night sky, taking the soft glow of the crescent moon, only partially visible through the veil of clouds that enshrouded it.

"Looks like rain," Kiba murmured.

"The full moon is a week from today," Tsume said, still looking at the sky, now examining the stars. "You know what that means."

Kiba leaned against the frame of the porch, his brow furrowed. He smiled faintly saying, "On the night of the full moon, the moon will turn-blood red and the Flower Maiden will lead the wolves to Paradise."

Tsume nodded and faced Kiba, his features set in a stern stare, a demanding glow emanating from his eyes. "What have you decided?"

Kiba looked at Tsume with surprise. "Decided? What're you talking about?" Kiba answered, looking stern as well.

"Paradise," Tsume responded simply.

Paradise. Kiba turned the word over in his head. To be honest, Paradise had not entered his thoughts in some time. Well, he had glanced upon it, but the thought of it did not seem to carry the same urgency it used to. He realized that they had been severely sidetracked sinceJagura kidnapped Cheza. He realized that it was about time they get back on track, but he didn't see what decision was involve there. It was expected that he would be telling them to start packing again any day now.

"No," Tsume said softly, "you're not thinking what I think you're thinking. You can't be. It's ridiculous."

"What?" Kiba said.

"You're not- you're not planning on asking Yuri to come with us, are you?"

This was exactly what Kiba had been planning on doing. It was obvious that she could not return to her home anymore, Jagura's men would find her and capture her again. And seeing as she had no family left, it was only obvious that her only alternative was to stay with the pack—to stay with him. Afterall, where else would she go? Who would take care of her then?

"What do you mean by that?" he answered.

"You can't be serious!"

"Why not?" Kiba said, his voice getting a little louder. "Is there something wrong with her coming along?"

"She's slowing us down, Kiba."

"Then we'll wait."

"Wait? I can't believe I'm hearing this!"

"What's so hard to believe? What do you have against Yuri anyway?"

"Me? I don't have anything against Yuri, what's bothering me is that you're the one who dragged us all out here in the first place, now you're abandoning us."

"Abandoning you? I'm not abandoning anyone, I'm just asking you to be a little patient."

"Oh don't give me that shit," Tsume spat, glaring at Kiba. "You know better than any of us that we don't have much time. That freak, Jagura, has Cheza and you know it. Why aren't you doing anything about it?"

"What do you want me to do? I don't know where she is, I did all I could to stop her. What do you want from me?" Kiba answered.

"Time was when you would have dove into a volcano to chase after Cheza; nothing could stop you from finding Paradise, you were driven. That's what I used to admire about, but now…where is your determination, huh? Where are your fucking convictions now?"

"I'm still the same guy," Kiba responded.

"No," Tsume growled, shaking his head. "No, Kiba, you're different, and the worst thing about it is that you deny it. Can't you see what she's done to you?"

"Yuri has not done anything to me!" Kiba yelled, turning on Tsume.

Tsume stepped back in surprise, caught by the passion of Kiba's retort, but he soon regained his composure. "Hasn't she?"

Kiba hesitated, looking thoughtful. He smiled inwardly. Of course she had changed him—she'd changed him for the better, without a doubt. Before he knew her, the only thing that kept him going was an obscure ideal—the image of Paradise forever in his mind's eye. He was driven—nothing could stop him—but still, his existence felt empty, like his search for Paradise was only a disguise, something to mask the ultimate reality that he was alone and would remain alone. But Yuri changed that. When he was with her, he felt no need to search for Paradise—he found it. He was content, he was happy—he felt loved for the first time in his life and Yuri gave him that. He loved her more than he could fathom, more than life itself. Yes, he had forgotten about Cheza and Paradise. All he needed was Yuri. Kiba sighed as these thoughts raced through his mind. He couldn't lie to Tsume, he would know. "I love her."

"She's human," Tsume responded.

"I don't give a shit."

"Don't kid yourself, Kiba; she can't take it. She won't survive long traveling with us and you know that."

Kiba scoffed, turning away. "Yes, damn it. I know, I know. But what am I supposed to—"

"You have to choose," Tsume said simply. Kiba turned toward him again and Tsume looked him in the eyes. "Whether or not you decide to continue, I'm not giving up. You got me caught up in this Paradise business; you gave me a sense of myself, a reason for my existence. I'd be really sorry if you weren't there to prove it all to me, to discredit my cynicism."

"Tsume, I—" Kiba began, but Tsume him off.

"We leave after tomorrow. You have until then to decide." With that, Tsume turned and went back inside, his hands stuffed in his pockets, leaving Kiba alone outside. Kiba sighed deeply and turned his face toward the sky, taking the cold night air into his lungs. He sniffed. "Yep," he thought.

"It smells like rain."

I'm updating this story instead of doing homework. Ooohhh, look at me! I'm a procrastinator! Ugh…homework….