Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain sadly

Chapter XI

"You will be our sacrifice...scarred wolf...and we will be the one's to enter paradise..."

Jagara held Soui's chin in her hand a while more, the two of them having a fierce stare down until finally she released her chin. "You best not struggle, it will be over later in the evening," Jagara turned and wandered off, and Soui listened to the sound of her clicking boots.

"Damn it!" She hissed shaking her head. She rested her head in her chest and shivered as tears formed in her eyes. "Damn it...this isn't supposed to happen...you two weren't supposed to be harmed."

"Soui..." Kiba called to her gently. She lifted her head back up, and he was just smiling. "Don't worry, the other's will be here soon enough."

"Yes. This one believes in them." Cheza added from her spot smiling.

"You don't understand," Soui cried hopelessly. "My only mission in this lifetime is to protect you. Even if at one point I hated you, hated you for taking my husband away, I was still supposed to protect you brother."

"Soui?" Kiba looked at her with his piercing eyes.

"All the stories about you brother, how you and Cheza are to guide the wolves to paradise. Our packs whole purpose in life was to make sure you did it; to make sure the wolves made it to their rightful paradise. Here you are, tied to these walls, just waiting to be forced so man can enter our domain. I'm wounded, I can't even run on all fours, two of my legs are screwed, and as a human, god I have one leg. I wish...Darcia were here..."

"Darcia?" Kiba screamed at her "Are you absolutely mad?"

"No...he wanted only me..." Soui told him gently

"What?" Kiba was confused again

"He only wanted me! When I look into someone's mind, I can see their pain, feel their pain, and your pain lessens. I doubt you've thought or felt the hurt of that memory in a long time? Aren't I right?" Soui looked at him. Kiba turned his head away from her. She was right, he actually felt more relieved, like some burden had been lifted from him. "Darcia only wanted the same thing, so he could remember the good things about Homina, and not the painful ones," Soui sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"This one...this one understands..." Cheza answered lightly "This one, this one wants to help. How can this one help?" Cheza asked quietly

"Don't show them the path. Don't let Kiba see the pathway to paradise, not this moon. Do everything in your power, please," Soui begged quietly.

"This one will try..." Cheza whispered as Soui slowly closed her eyes.

"In the book of the moon, one wolf will find the flower, and together make it to paradise," Soui sighed still "I want that story to become true. "

"I know Soui...I know..." Kiba looked up at the ceiling as well and let out a lone howl, calling to his pack to save them.

The Pack

Tsume at the front of the pack came to an abrupt stop, Toboe almost tripping over him. Everyone stared at the sky, listening to the sound of Kiba's howl, "We're close..." He growled between his gritted teeth.

Together the pack of four tore through the forests until they finally came to the city where Jagara's Keep was. It was easy to get in, jumping over the high gates. Tsume led them to a tall building, from the top of it they could see the whole city, "I don't see anything that looks like a keep."

"It's because it's hidden," Hige explained, "I don't know how, or why I know, but I just have this gut feeling about it," Hige pointed at some abandoned buildings in the distance, "She's over there. I can feel her and Kiba, and Cheza's scent's weak but coming from that direction."

"Let's go then," Tsume answered and he jumped down from the building. As they landed on the streets he looked around, it reminded him of his plunders, strategic thievery with his old humans, "Let's split up. Runt, you come with me. Hige and Blue you guys go off together, call if you need us right?"

"You got it man!" Hige grinned with a thumbs up.

The groups departed down separate roads, heading for the distant buildings Hige had pointed out.

"Tsume?"

"Yeah Runt?" Tsume looked down beside him as the two continued their running.

"Is she going to die?" Toboe asked quivering, "Is that her destiny?"

"We can all change our destinies, you're the one who told me that. You're not doubting your own preaching are you? Whatever happens, we know she has a strong connection with those two, her brother, and the flower maiden. They all tie together. But we'll bring her back," Tsume added forcefully as they leapt over a few street cans.

"But what if we lose her?" Toboe asked nervously as he tried to keep up with Tsume.

"Then we'll see her again in paradise. But I don't want you thinking that way so cut the crap about losing her," He scowled.

"I just don't want to loose her, that's all," Toboe mumbled quietly.

Blue and Hige ran side by side quietly, Blue quick and nimble and Hige by her side "So Blue, what do you think is going to happen to Soui?"

"I don't know Hige, but I'd rather not lose my best friend. It's hard living with all guys."

"Hey now, not all of us are that bad!" Hige pouted.

Blue laughed, "Yeah I know, one of them would give me the moon if he could."

Soui

Soui struggled with her restraints growling with rage, she could feel the metal bindings being stretched, weakening ever so slowly as time dragged on.

"Soui, save your energy, that is a waste of time," Kiba told her gently.

"We have to get out of here," She hissed thrusting herself forward, "I have to get the two of you out of here," She tugged again and the metal moaned, "The moon's almost at its place."

"Soui must hurry, this one can hear the lady approaching!" Cheza warned as her lavender eyes grew with trepidation.

Soui pulled again, strands of her blond hair falling onto her face.

"Well, I'd say you have about...oh a hour don't you agree wolves?" Jagara laughed lightly. Her boots clicked against the floor as she strolled up to Soui taking her chin again, "Such a shame. If I thought you were a mere human I'd say you were rather lovely," Soui stared at her, "Except for those piercing eyes. You look at me with such hatred, can you not blame me for what I do? Do we not wish for the same thing and journey to obtain that same thing?"

"We aren't the same," Soui spat as she shook her head free, "You want your paradise for distasteful reasons. I want them the people I love can be happy, and so all the wolves can go to paradise. You want nothing but to leave the dying world you intoxicated just to poison another."

Jagara frowned both beneath and beyond the mask, "Retched wolf. Was it not the wolves we humans evolved from? Is it not you who we should blame?"

"Humans might have ancestral traces to wolves, but we did not tell you to pollute this earth. We did not ask for this harm. Wolves live in families and work in packs, we did not make money, nor make war. We understood the differences every creature and spirit had, it was humans, who turned away and decided not to listen," Soui growled baring her teeth.

"Retched she-wolf," Jagara spat turning away, "I will enjoy watching you gasp for your last breath as you begin breathing for us."

"You will do nothing of the sort Jagara," a voice beckoned from the shadows.

"Who?" Jagara turned her head towards the window, where a dark cloaked figure stood. "Do you see this stained glass window behind me, it shows the story behind the wolves of paradise. One day, the white wolf will be born, and go searching for the lunar flower. By fate the two will be brought together, and a scarred wolf's blood will be sacrificed to open the gates of heaven. Do you see anywhere in any of the books and myths of humans?"

"Lord Darica..." Jagara gasped taking a step closer to him, "Have you finally come to me my love?"

Darcia took a few steps forward, his hand working its way under his cape.

"My love...Darcia..."

"I have not returned for you, you will never be my love," from Darcia's cloak came flying at Soui a dagger, the blade smashing into the already weakened chain on her left arm. Setting one arm free she easily freed herself.

Jagara at the same time looked at Darcia and gasped, "Why do you do this? Do you not want paradise where Homina is waiting?"

"No," Darcia answered quietly throwing a knife at Kiba, "Homina is not waiting for me in paradise. Our paradise is born corrupt and tainted with the hatred of our people. Homina is pure, she will never be there. I only desire one thing," He turned slowly, "And that is the scarred wolf."

Soui landed on the floor and turned hearing him point and ask for her, "Me?" Soui was confused.

Kiba jumped to the floor as well but sprung back into the air as he began on Cheza's bindings, "Soui GO! Run now!" Kiba yelled down to her as he pulled on Cheza's chains.

"I won't let any of you leave," Jagara screamed as she pulled out her sword running towards Soui.

Soui turned to look straight at Jagara, eyes widening at the speed a human could charge at. She prepared herself for the impact, but instead Darcia shielded her with his arm. The sound of his flesh being pierced made Jagara gasp, and Darica winced as he pulled the blade from his forearm.

"Darcia..." Soui grabbed his shoulder as he buckled forward.

"SOUI!" Cheza screamed, pointing to the foot soldiers pouring into the room from two secret entrances. Kiba freed Cheza and carried her bridal style.

Soui pulled away from Darica as Kiba made a run for a door. The soldiers blocked their way and he skidded to a stop. He stopped just in time to see a her golden streak of a body spring from above him and grab a soldier by the jugular. Run! Soui growled as she latched onto another. Kiba did as he was told and ran out the doors running through the castle halls. He had no idea where the exit was, but it was better than that room.

Soui smashed into another soldier in time to have another grab her by the scruff of her neck. She was thrown across the floor and yelped in pain when she landed on her weak leg. She struggled to stand, and looked up to see a blade to her nose belonging to Jagara.

"Foolish wolf, did you really think you could escape?"

Soui panted, blood spilling from her jaw "As long as you are without them, then paradise is safe"

Jagara smirked, "They'll return for you, its not in a wolf's blood to abandon his kin."

"Kiba isn't like the rest of the wolves. He's different." She growled.

Suddenly, an explosion and smoke filled the room catching both Jagara and Soui off guard. Soui coughed on the smog, blood splattering across the marble floor. Someone's arms wrapped around her waist and she pulled off her feet. When her eyes could adjust she saw the huge stain glass window in front of them, his hands covering her eyes as they jumped through landing on a ship that had been parked below it. He opened the hatch and slipped inside with Soui just as the building exploded a second time. He laid her down on a blanket on the floor and he sat down in the control seat.

"Why are you helping me?" Sheasked panting out more blood.

"I still need you for something," He replied in a stolid voice as the ship took off.

"Are we going back to your keep?" She asked weakly trying to stand up.

"Not the one you know of," He replied blandly, "You should not be walking, you're not in a stable condition."

"I've been through worse"

Kiba and the Pack

Kiba was running with Cheza, and stopped as a gust of wind over him rendered him to stop. He watched a ship shoot by towards the horizon. "Soui..."

"KIBA! KIBA!" Toboe called from the distance on the horizon. Tsume was at his side and for once Kiba smiled. They approached and Toboe panted "Where's Soui?"

"With Darcia," Kiba replied in his usual emotionless-tone.

"What? And you just let that creep take her?" Tsume growled.

"Darcia saved Soui. He saved her from Jagara."

"What?" Tsume growled again, enraged.

"Jagara believes to open the doors of paradise for the humans it involves sacrifice. According to the book of the moon as she believes, it must belong to the scarred but pure wolf. That is Soui. It requires Cheza and me to lead the way, but blood to open the doors at the beginning. Darcia took her from Jagara's keep," Kiba explained as he put Cheza down.

"But...but what does Darcia want with Soui?" Toboe asked worriedly.

"Soui can tap into the minds of others, taking away the pain of a bad memory. Darcia only wants her to take his pain away, so he can die easy," Kiba answered again.

"This is bullshit. Lets go get Porky and Blue and find her!"

The other's nodded "Right!"

Darcia

Soui struggled with her balance, but managed to wander over to Darcia. They were simply cruising the sky now at a gentle pace. Jagara would have to deal with the explosion before she could even begin to follow. His eyes were locked on the horizon ahead of them and Soui watched him, "Why are you staring at me wolf?"

"You wish me to relieve your memories, you could easily have done that when I was in Jagara's grasp, you could woo her into anything you desire, yet you saved me. I still do not fathom why"

"Wolf, for a long time I have been seeking to lose the horrible memories. I loved Homina with all my heart, but I want to only remember her smiles, instead of her painful death."

"Still, I understand the reason behind it all, but not the way you went about acquiring me"

"Let's just say, you've changed me."

Soui sighed and found herself very weak, without realizing it, she rested her muzzle against Darcia's leg as he continued driving the ship. He didn't seem to mind that his black pant leg was slowly absorbing the blood that still dripped from her jaw. She closed her eyes and wondered if she was dreaming when she felt his hand stroke the top of her head.

"Do you know why I gave you that scar?"

"So you could find me again later on?"

"That was not my original intention. I did not know of your powers when I first met you. I instead wanted someone to suffer like I had. I knew you were kin to the white wolf, and I detested him for being able to find paradise when no one else could."

"I see..."

"But when finding two pages of the book stuck together, when they were properly pulled apart I found your page, and your purpose. That's when I knew I needed to find you again," he explained blandly.

"Then why did you insist on having your men try and shoot me?"

"I had to play the role. That was the only way Jagara would tell me her plan. Rest wolf, you've lost a lot of blood."

Soui closed her eyes again, and couldn't help but feel comforted by the continuous stroking Darcia gave her atop her head.

The Pack

Kiba and Tsume took the front of their group of four, looking around desperately for Hige and Blue. They returned to Jagara's keep to find them wandering about trying to sniff out Soui.

"Blue! Hige!" Kiba called to them. They lifted their noses from the ground and looked at them with their tails high.

Why isn't Soui here? I can't find her scent

Yeah, we missed the party Hige added with a whimper.

Darcia took her away in a jet craft a little while ago Kiba explained. The ship headed that way He turned his head towards the south.

Stop wasting time, tell them the story along the way Tsume growled

Right. Let's go Kiba resumed his spot at the front of the pack and together they all took off into the forest.

Soui...you better be okay...

Darcia

Soui fell in and out of dreams as she rested against Darica, sometimes recalling memories and sometimes just dreaming about Tsume. His hand never left the top of her head, stroking her like a master would his companion. She didn't have a reason to justify his actions, and it was as if Darcia could sense that.

"I'm not sure why I am affectionate with you scarred one. Maybe it is because we're both scarred, I carry the eye of a wolf and you carry the mark of a human. Neither of us fit into the basic genres given for us. Somehow, I am at ease with you near by," He answered, running his hand past her ears, "You're not a mere dog, but still..."

It's cause I can take the pain away, and slowly I am, minute by minute She whimpered quietly as her head slipped from his knees to the floor, and like that she was unconscious.

Darcia looked down at her in panic. If she died, his memories could never be taken away from him and he'd forever be burdened. He checked her pulse and found it very faint. He pushed down on the accelerator and took off towards his keep.

No more than a quarter of an hour was wasted until Darcia reached his private keep. He picked up the limp creature and kicked open the door, no one to greet him in this abandoned mansion. He ran down the halls until he found his bedroom, kicking open that door too, finally depositing her onto the bed. The silk sheets slowly seeped to a deeper ruby.

He threw open a cabinet and found some strange liquids in contorted bottles. He pulled down a bottle with a purple hue elixir. He scampered over to Soui and tipped up her human head, "Soui, Soui wolf, drink this!"

Soui's mouth opened without her conscious knowing and the elixir slipped down her throat. She coughed and gagged on it, but Darcia forced her to swallow. Her wounds closed over, but she still remained in a dormant like state.

"If you don't wake, who will lighten the burden?" He mumbled painfully as he watched her.

The Pack

Do you smell her Kiba? Tsume asked as he sniffed the wind.

Just faintly, I smell her blood He answered trotting.

Her blood? Toboe whimpered

Don't worry kid, she's going to be fine Hige reassured him.

The pack had been running for at least an hour now, and it seemed like they were just running in circles. Why would a keep be in the center of a forest this dense? No matter, Darcia never made sense to begin with. Mixed blood...relieve the memories...

"What the hell does all it mean?" Tsume growled

"I have a strange feeling, that she isn't completely wolf," Kiba growled softly

"Well, I'm not either. Why is that so bad?" Blue asked.

"No, Its not that she's half wolf half dog, there's just...something else," Kiba thought aloud.

"God I can't take this, we have to find her!" Tsume growled shaking his head.

"We know you want to find her, we all do," Toboe whimpered nuzzling his semi-father.

Cheza stopped walking and looked up at the moon, "Soui will be fine. This one knows we are close."

Soui

Soui tossed and turned on the bed that Darcia had left her on. Her teeth bared, sinking into her lips and they began to bruise. She started to scream in her sleep, gripping onto the sheets as she withered about. She abruptly sat up in bed, wide awake, panting as she held herself, "What...happened..."

She craned her head and looked around the room she was in. The room was dim with little light, but she found herself on a velvet canopy bed. There was a large mirror and desk on the right and lights that draped from the ceiling. It didn't take her long to realize she was in Homina's or a maid's room. Soui looked down at herself and realized her wounds had been healed mysteriously. She pat herself over to double check and when she looked up she found a dress at the end of the bed. Soui smiled, knowing that her clothes were drenched and crusted with blood. She stripped her clothes, and in her wolf form she licked away the blood on her then finally slipped on the dress.The dress was a strange change from her usual red shirt and cargo pants.

She walked down the long corridors until she came out into a large open room. It was sort of like a ballroom Soui figured as she wandered out into the center of it. On the floor was a large mural, one of Kiba and Cheza, their faces weren't distinct but anyone knew by legend who they were. Kiba stood center on the top of a mountain ledge with Cheza by his side, below them danced the other wolves of the pack. It made her smile and she slumped to the floor running her hand over Tsume, "Oh Tsume. I'm so sorry to be worrying you."

"So the scarred wolf has finally awoken?" Darcia called to her walking across the room.

"Yes, I see you've healed me, strangely I am in your debt," She replied.

Darcia bent down beside her and looked at the wolves, "Pathetic humans, to forgot what we used to be."

"Maybe they were meant to forget," She answered him quietly still running her hand over Tsume, "Maybe all the humans are meant to forget and my job is to aid in that. Humans aren't meant to be in paradise, if they cannot remember their origin maybe then they will not want to search for Paradise."

"Indeed. But if we all humans completely forget, do you not think they will search? Search for paradise, not just for its Utopia fundamentals, but for the past they are missing?"

"I'm not sure what the fate of mankind is, nor do I want to know," She sighed lightly as she rested her hand on Kiba's head, "They are only so few who will ever really know the humans' fate. Will they succeed, or will they all truly die as this world is?"

Darcia rested his hand atop hers, "The fate of the humans, rests in each individuals' hands. They can control their destiny, whether they are to be cursed or to be king. It is the will to survive above all," Soui didn't say anything, she stared at the mural, her eyes shimmering in the moonlight as Darcia enclosed her hand in his and squeezed her hand with a gentle touch.

"The will to survive can be driven by foolishness. What does one have to live for when the earth itself has already died? The earth lost its will, are we not fools for living off hope that does not quench our thirst for answers?"

"We have a mission, all wolves do. Even if they cannot themselves touch the soil of paradise, they can help the destined ones get there. That will ultimately lead to a better afterlife for us all."

Soui closed her eyes, "They will make it to paradise, it's written in the stars, no one can stop them."

Darcia's right hand crept up to her face and caressed her cheek, "What is troubling you?"

Soui let a sigh escape her lips, "I am worried for them. Even if we escaped Jagara's grasp for right now she will return for them. I am still Jagara's concern, I am their offering but I am also separated from my pack. I need to figure out my purpose, there must be more to me than my blood. It doesn't add up right in my mind. Darcia, how long must I stay here?"

"You cannot remove my memories until you are healed and at your prime, that will not be until the next moon."

"The next moon?" She opened her eyes and stared, "Surely you realize Jagara will attack before then!"

Darcia let a grin pass his lips as he ran his hand through her blond hair, which was much longer now than the last time they had met. "Soui wolf, they cannot find us here. The wolves are following a weak scent, and look," He pointed to the window that now had rain dripping down it, "Your scent is gone. Nor can Jagara find us with her home destroyed, she will need to recuperate. I have my defenses and many look alike to throw them off as back up."

Soui thought of the pups growing inside of her, maybe this one cycle of the moon would give her pups time to mature. She wanted to have her family with Tsume. We have a mission, all wolves do. "Wait then, Darica, have you been a wolf all this time?"

"I remembered what had been forgotten," He lifted up the flap that shielded his wolf's eye, "I don't know what you could call me, I am both human and wolf all in one."

"Is this what you wish to forget?" She asked him gently.

Darcia shook his head no and rested his head against her, "I don't want to remember this lifetime, this lifetime of loss and pain."

Soui found herself whispering in his ear, almost afraid that she'd break a man who wore a mask, "We'd all want to forget, me more than anyone."