Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain. –whimpers-

Before the Red Moon

Toboe awoke to find his cheek pressed to a cold floor, his head throbbing badly. His shirt was cold and sticky where Maron had stabbed him, and the pain was no less—it was as if his shoulder was on fire. Blood oozed sluggishly from it.

He opened his eyes slowly, to discover he was on the floor of a dark room, dimly lit by some hellish red light. He also heard horrifically familiar voices.

"He's coming to…"

A loud thump followed, as if something had been hit in the head.

"Shut up, Kem, Lady Sheshkemana's coming. We're guards today, remember? So, just zip it until she asks you to talk.

Toboe used his uninjured arm to support himself as he slowly got up, feeling lightheaded with pain and gradual awareness. He collapsed on the floor again when the room started to spin.

A stifled guffaw followed, and then a snarl from Tsume—

"I thought he told you to shut up." His voice would have been weak with pain, but he was strong enough to hide it. Toboe's vision was clearing, so he could see Tsume's bloodied face, but the initial green fire in his eyes remained ever present.

"Are you all right, Toboe?" he rasped. Toboe nodded and held his shoulder, glad that some of the pain was fading away. "Yeah…I'm—"

His words were brought to a screeching halt as the huge double doors slammed open with a mighty creaking and awesome clangs. A red light appeared off to the side where the wolves were, and a barbaric throne was perched there.

But the woman walking through the doors was one hell of a lot scarier. Toboe gasped as she strode through, as confident as a lion with a long sword sheathed at her side. She wore a strange tiara with long spikes jutting out of it, as was the same on her belt. She had heavy black gloves and shoes, her skirt had cuts in it almost all the way up to her waist—the black flowing material almost like water. Her midnight dark hair streamed out like a river and her eyes were hidden by a jet eyepiece set over them, but a malicious green glow seemed to come from its depths.

"Dammit…" Toboe heard Tsume curse as he staggered to his feet. Neither of the wolves was chained, and Tsume was just about to take advantage of it when Lady Sheshkemana raised her hand in a powerful motion and an intricate red ring of light surrounded both wolves.

Toboe felt as if all his strength was being sucked out of him by force, as if some relentless vampire had clamped onto him and wouldn't let go. With a small grunt, he sank to his knees, feeling like his legs had millstones tied to them.

Tsume fought it better, but it wasn't much longer until he dropped down too. He was fighting to stay up. "What…do you want? Let us out of here!" he growled.

Toboe heard something that sent spasms of fear straight to his very bones and around his heart, sinking into all the cracks of his emotional defenses—a high pitched, cold, airless cackle. And by the way her shoulders were shaking, it was Sheshkemana.

"Tell me, wolf." She said in a voice that was drastically different from her laugh as she made her way to her throne and sat down. She scrutinized them with her creepy, glowing eyes and said in a repugnant voice, like wine sliding over smooth marble, "Where are your friends hiding? And…" she seemed to take into consideration her next question, but to Toboe it was like she had rehearsed everything she said, "…have your found Paradise?"

They were the questions that Toboe had half-expected anyway…but they couldn't tell her? They knew neither answer for either question. He was about to stammer something when Tsume shouted, "We're not going to tell you anything, you evil witch!"

Toboe found comfort in Tsume's bravery, and it took almost everything he had to gasp out, "Not one word…!"

Sheshkemana seemed unruffled. She turned her gaze slowly onto Toboe, who flinched and widened his eyes in fear. She smiled a smile even more frightening than her laugh.

"The sight of your blood dripping brings me great pleasure, pup…" she said. "And I would love to spend the time breaking you, gray wolf, but I'm in a bit of a hurry," she directed this at Tsume and then turned back to a terrified Toboe.

"And I believe he'll crack more easily."

"This stupid place is worse than a maze!" Hige complained as the three wolves sprinted through the labyrinth of passages in the prisoner's wing.

"I know where we're going—I have to find Marel first!" Getsuei snapped, turning another corner, the red light giving them a demonic appearance.

Hige was about to say something else when the cream and gray wolf slid to a halt in front of a dark cell. And old blind she wolf was in there, and her blind eyes were fixed on the wall.

"Is this her?" Kiba demanded, glancing towards the end of the passage. "We don't have time!"

Getsuei slammed his fist down on the electronic lock and said, "Marel, come on! It's me, Getsuei!"

Marel shuffled out of the cage as fast as she could and said, "I know, Getsuei, but there isn't time for this! The little brown wolf—he's going to die!"

A/N: -dances around like a maniac- Heeheehee! I am a genius—no, just kidding, I'm hyper. I had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast today…8D…but I have a cold or something…-sniff- cough Thanks for the reviews, people! And yay, Kristen, thought you'd fallen into a hole. -hugs- Great to see ya back. Lonegreywolf, thankies for your chapterly review and Saberwolf. –glomps you all- 0 HOLY GOD IN HEAVEN! Did you say twenty one, Lonegreywolf? –dies- I'm THIRTEEN for cripes sake…Thanks again everyone for the encouraging comments and reviews. Say, does anyone know where the HLL I can find Wolf's Rain transcripts? For a…future project. –grins evilly-