REWRITE Chapter 3: Never Forgive, Never Forget, a wolf's rain fanfic

:squeals in delight: My favorite character is introduced.

Higure and Ariake, originally, were what I called the two wolves at the end of the second manga. (The ones Blue saved when they were pups)...I changed their character a lot.

This story works in with BOTH the anime and the manga. Somehow. I made it so you could find a way to work it into both.

Anyhow. Shiva's outfit is hard to describe. I'll put a link to my drawings next chapter.

Anyone who knows anything about Hindu/Buddhism mythology will spot a lot of references to the actual god 'Shiva' IN the character 'Shiva'. You might have noticed already but this chapter takes the cake for every reference I can think of making. :laughs:

REWRITE

San---Never Forgive, Never forget

"Shiva! Kalmia!" Hamona called out, leading a tan-furred wolf to the twin girls.

"Lunar Flower Maidens normally get along famously with wolves. They're supposed to. But some react differently than others." Jagura explained.

Kalmia seemed pleased with the whole idea; smoothing out her petticoat to better adjust to sitting down.

Shiva was terrified.

The girl scrambled away from the curious wolf, who was sniffing her and licking her affectionately. Shiva screamed, her blue and black eyes widening in horror as she kicked it and began to run.

Kalmia watched a moment in concern as the wolf began to chase after Shiva, thinking the girl was playing with it.

"Shiva, calm down! He just wants to play!" Hamona said, nervousness creeping into her tone. Jagura blinked in confusion as Shiva huddled in a ball as the animal licked her.

"Get away! Go! Don't come near me!" she screamed, totally and utterly terrified. The wolf just lowered it's body, tail tucked between it's legs, and tried to lick her face.

Hamona screamed as Shiva's fingers extended into sharp spikes and killed the wolf.

After the wolf fell, Shiva curled up in a ball and sobbed.

"Shiva! What the HELL is wrong with you!" Jagura screamed at the hanabito, furious.

The dark hanabito only sobbed, shaking and pulling her knees tightly to her chest.

Hamona's eyes were wide in shock. "She's afraid of wolves."

Asagoi thought a moment before replying. "You were afraid of wolves? But Hi--"

Shiva glared at the doctor. "I know what Higure is. All of them...They are different."

"They were wolves...yet they weren't."

Shiva's eyes widened. "What do you mean...were?"

"You see..."

Shiva was over the table with a gun to Asagoi's head faster than humanly possible, her finger already pressing down on the trigger.

"Tell me where he is, what you've done to him or your fucking brain will be splattered all over this room." The hanabito snarled into Asagoi's ear.

The chair the doctor sat in toppled over backwards and Shiva pressed her boot hard into Asagoi's chest. The handgun clicked.

Asagoi Bara grinned. "So...That's what this is really about."

Shiva replied with a guttural growl. "Tell me where he is."

The hanabito dug the heel of her boot into Asagoi's chest, making the woman choke in pain.

"In exchange for telling you where he is...Tell me how you met him."

Shiva glared at her a moment, as if deciding whether or not Asagoi was lying to her. She sighed with irritation and kept the gun to Asagoi's head.

"I'd have to tell you first how I became a noble. In exchange for the whole story, I'm going to want something in return."

Asagoi swallowed hard. "I'll not only tell you where he is, but I'll give you the resources to get him out."

Shiva's black lips widened into a grin. "Not bad, not bad. By the way, your husband is tied up in a truck heading south tomorrow morning. And your kids, too."

Asagoi's eyes went wide. "You..."

"You lead me the wrong way and they'll die. South of here..."

"Are the mine fields." Asagoi finished, her voice shaking.

"As soon as Higure is standing by my side, we can go get them out." Shiva said quietly, and the doctor nodded.

"So tell me." Asagoi said, reaching for her notebook.

"Pull anything funny and...click." Shiva said, wiggling the gun a bit.

The doctor nodded.

"Alright then. How I rose to power..." Shiva mumbled fondly, a smile crossing her face as she remembered.

Shiva lifted the knocker and pressed the button. A male servant stepped out from a hidden doorway.

"Jagura-sama has been waiting for you. Since her father's death, she has been trying to bring another female noble to power. She says you are a fine candidate."

Shiva smiled. "Ah. Of course."

The servant stepped aside and let Shiva step in.

He lead her up staircases twisting within the walls of the keep, ways to wander in without being noticed. They came to four wooden doors, and the second to the right door slid open when the servant clapped his hands.

The room was a library, and Shiva stepped in through a moving bookcase.

"Shiva-chan!" Jagura said, her arms parted in a welcoming gesture. "I'm so glad you came!"

Shiva gave a brief and fake smile, and sat down where Jagura gestured her to.

The servant disappeared, and Jagura glanced from side to side.

"Do you hear anything, Shiva?"

The hanabito shook her head. "Gone. The closest living creature is far out of hearing range."

Jagura sighed and slumped back into a chair. "Thank god. They've been pestering me all day. Now let's get down to business. I know you want to get out at Darcia for all of those...past reasons. He doesn't know you're alive. But he knows a new noble is going to rise to power. I want it to be you."

Shiva raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

The woman grinned, folding her arms. "If you obtain the ruling seat over the eastern lands, I'll help you take over Darcia's lands. Okham is a weak-minded man. He's starting to age rather rapidly. But us...you, Darcia, and I...We'll last forever. You, probably the longest out of all of us. How many years has it been? And you haven't changed a bit. I think your hair has grown. That is all."

Shiva nodded. "You want to bring down Darcia because he loves Hamona and not you."

Jagura didn't reply.

Shiva fell back in her chair with a grin. "I'm in."

A grin came to Jagura's face. "Good. Your story is...You're the long lost ruler of the eastern lands, great-granddaughter of Shinde Hitori. Raised outside of my territories in the forbidden lands, and just now you rose to power with the help of your people and Jagura-sama. You'll re-establish your capital at Nakunaru and get in a feud with Darcia."

Shiva nodded. "One issue."

Jagura's eyebrows raised.

"This." Shiva said, motioning to herself. "I'm not human."

Jagura laughed. "Oh, no problem. Just a little makeup and clever outfits will fix that. Nakunarins have been known to have pointy ears, anyways. Some sort of random defect."

Shiva nodded. "My name?"

"Make one up. Nobody thinks Hitori's kids ever survived. So no one would know the difference except Hitori's grandchildren...if, they are in fact alive."

"Nataraja-sama." Shiva offered.

"I like it."

Shiva smiled.

The next morning, Shiva underwent a transformation.

Her hair was cut and colored; her hair style went from being long, black and flowing to a single long 'tail' in back, bound in red leather, and the rest of her hair cut so that it appeared to be shoulder length and thin (Shiva's hair was unusually thick; in fact, while Jagura's hairstylist tried to comb it out she broke several wooden and dozens of plastic combs until a servant acquired a metal one). It was dyed a flat black color.

All of her scars were covered, and her skin was dyed. It still was a strange shade, it appeared a glittery, dark cream color.

Her eyebrows were plucked, as was her hairline. Her original hairline was jagged and uneven, and it was plucked and waxed in a normal shape.

She put on black PVC-like pants, a black collared jacket with a button at the top, black tank top underneath, and platform boots to change her height.

Jagura handed her a pair of sunglasses. "For now. Any other time you can wear a headpiece or mask."

Shiva reached in a pocket (with a squeak) and pulled out a pair of goggles with green lenses. "I'm all set, for now."

A servant held up a mirror and she surveyed herself. "Not bad, not bad. But...my hair looks horrible."

She looked around for a string and tied it up. with another glance in the mirror, she nodded. "Alright."

Jagura grinned. "I knew we could do it...Nakunaru is already set. If we leave now, you will be there by sunset."

Shiva raised a thin eyebrow. "You knew I would do it?"

"Of course. It means the downfall of the Darcias. If you didn't agree to the idea, I'd ask 'where is Shiva and what have you done to her?'."

"I suppose."

"So it was true? You were bent on destroying Darcia?" Asagoi asked, blinking in confusion.

Shiva growled. "Shut up!"

"AHH!"

Throughout the following week, Shiva learned as much as she could about the place she was now living in and the surrounding area.

That Friday night, she would encounter Darcia. She planned to amaze him.

Jagura was the first to arrive. She grinned at Shiva from underneath her helm. "Nataraja-sama...you look wonderful."

Shiva grinned, walking down the marble stairs.

The building had been done in marble and stone, and as of now, everything was draped in white and gold linens that starkly contrasted with Shiva herself.

Shiva wore her hair up (as she had since her hair was cut), and a silver and gold circlet that clipped from her hair draped over the bridge of her nose on her masquerade mask. The mask was black, leather, and covered only near her eyes. The sides were tooled leather, with vines etched in.

She had a leather bodysuit on, with a collar that tied in back of the neck and the legs were cut off at the knee. High-heeled white boots came mid-shin, and a gold chain with bells was around the ankle of one; making her jingle with every step. A few servants brought in the rest of her ensemble.

It was gold, and in two sections (though it appeared to be several intricate pieces). Shiva raised her arms and the servants snapped it on. There was what appeared to be a section of armor, that encased her back and torso. It only came up a little over her breasts, leaving a bit of cleavage. All that was seen was the collar that tied behind her neck, although now, it appeared to be a part of the golden armor; as if it were holding it up.

Shiva then tugged at where the golden piece ended, around her waist, at either side. Some sort of ribbon, around 5 inches thick and 5 feet long, was tied in like streamers. Then she pulled on a red skirt, that touched the floor and when she spinned it moved with her. She laced it through her armored piece so it appeared to be a part of it.

"Impressive." Jagura said, surprised. all she had worn was a full-body suit, cloak, and helmet.

"I designed it myself. I am glad you like it." Shiva said, smiling at her creation. "The only thing I didn't make myself was the armor piece. But I still designed it and put it together once it was finished. I rather like it."

Shiva looked around. "My gloves?"

A servant handed her grey gloves; they went up to her shoulder, laced up, and looped around her thumb.

"Thank you."

Jagura looked disgruntled. "Don't thank them! They get PAID to do this!"

Shiva shrugged. "So?"

"They're...they're..."

"Humans, yeah. But they haven't done anything to piss me off. Besides, if they ever did, I'd just kill them. No use fucking around with treating them bad."

All of the servants in the room and Jagura were startled.

One of the guests walked in. "Wow. All hail Queen Nataraja." he said, blinking. "I like your ideas."
Jagura rolled her eyes. "Jereme...Fuck you."

Jereme pulled off his mask. "Jagura, as much shit as I've done to put up with you, you still insist on treating me badly." He made a strange expression, rolling his eyes and sticking his tongue out at the same time. "Just kill me then. I kind of like this Lady Nataraja's ideas."

"You came here early to ass-kiss. Go home, Jereme." Jagura mumbled, annoyed.

"Who is this?" Shiva asked, amused. I might just let him stay to piss Jagura off, she thought with a smile.

"Ohkam's illegitimate son that was dumped at his doorstep a few years back. His mother used to a be prostitute." Jagura said this with great amusement. "His name is Jereme."

"I don't like you speaking of my mother that way." Jereme mumbled in protest.

"Your mom."

Jereme walked away, mumbling. Jagura offered a high-pitched cackle.

Several people suddenly walked in at once, and Shiva greeted them all. The men stared at her in wonder, and women usually dragged the men away by the ear and apologized for them. Jagura grinned at Shiva from across the room, and Shiva raised her middle finger in response.

Darcia walked in.

All were quiet a moment, staring at him as he looked around.

Then, Hamona walked in behind him and the chatter continued.

"Lord Darcia." Shiva said, gritting her teeth as he smiled at her.

"Good evening, Lady Nataraja." he said, smiling, and he gently grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Surely, fate is taunting me. "Nice to meet you, Lord Darcia."

His smile grew wider. His (eye) looked at her with a certain softness. "How do you know my name?"

Um, um, um..."Jagura told me."

Hamona was soon bounding up to her with a wide and happy smile. "Nataraja-sama! Thank you for inviting us! Nakunaru is such a lovely place! Such a shame it was hidden for so long."

Shiva returned the smile. "I know. My homeland was lost for so long. It is nice to meet you, Hamona."

Hamona offered a short bow and was soon gone and talking to Jagura.

I owe that woman so much, Shiva thought to herself. She did everything for Kalmia.

People came in waves, Shiva wondered how many people Jagura invited for her. Or how many decided to come on their own.

Every person was the same. They either tried to suck up to her or intimidate her.

She stood by the entrance. The entire place they were all in was actually mostly outdoors. Only the many pillars and linens made it appear as if they were indoors. As the sun set, Shiva sighed.

It looked very nice. But it seemed a bit much. Jagura, I'm going to kick your ass.

Off in the distance, the entrance to the city's center, she saw more people in masquerade costumes.

Holy shit.

"Jagura." Shiva whispered harshly, stumbling over (attempting to be unnoticed) to Jagura.

"Yes?"

"How many people did you invite?"

"Anyone in the noble or political families over 18. I actually know every single one of these people."

Shiva's eyes went wide behind her mask. "Holy shit. this isn't counting all those man-whores you know."

Jagura laughed. "Nope. It isn't."

Some of the arriving guests walked in. "Actually..." Jagura said, motioning over to two boys. "Those two following behind that woman? I know her, but I do not know them."

"Well...who is she? Maybe we can figure out from there."

Jagura looked uncomfortable. "Hohenheim. That guy who created...you and Kalmia. That's his wife."

Shiva stared at the woman. "What?"

"He's dead. But she isn't."

Before Jagura could say anything else, Shiva marched straight over.

"Nataraja!" Jagura shouted over the crowd. "Don't blow it."

Shiva glared at her, then continued ahead. "Lady Hohenheim! it's good to see you."

The old woman looked startled. "Oh my! I'm sorry! I didn't see you coming."

"I'm sorry. I am just exited to meet you."

She smiled. "Really? I'm quite interested in meeting you, too." The woman's smile soon faded.

"Yes?"

"My husband was the last surviving realtive of Shinde Hitori, young lady. We never had any children."

Shiva choked. "What a coincidence. Lady Hohenheim, since you have exposed me, I have something to tell you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Shiva nodded and motioned for her to come closer. "In a way, I could be considered your husband's child."

The woman looked at her questionably.

"You cannot tell anyone."

The woman nodded, and Shiva lifted up her mask and looked straight at the woman.

Her eyes widened and she choked a bit. "I see."

Shiva nodded solemnly and put it back down.

"Your sister? Is she alive? Where is she?"

Shiva shook her head. "I'm sorry. No, she is not alive anymore."
The old woman smiled, her eyes wet. "You can pose as my child any day of the week, Shiva."

Shiva returned the smile and let the woman embrace her.

Jagura walked over. "Nataraja-sama! what is going on?"

Shiva shook her head. "No worries. I...didn't recognize this woman as soon as I should have."

With a questionable look, Jagura shrugged and walked away.

"Shiva-chan, I hope you don't mind I brought the 'kids'...Hohenheim and I took them in when their parents died."

"I don't mind at all." Shiva looked to the two boys.

They appeared to be around 20-24 years old, twins. One had dark hair and blue eyes and the other had light brown-red hair and green eyes. The green-eyed young man looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a cocky demeanor and the other smiled shyly.

"Hello. I do not know your names."

"Ariake." The green-eyed one said, staring at her.

The other smiled, and with a nod said "My name is Higure."

"The dawn and the dusk. Beautiful names." Shiva said with a grin, bowing slightly.

"Boys, this is Nataraja-sama. I'm sorry you haven't met her before. She knew my husband." the old woman said, waving her hand around in the air as she spoke.

Higure smiled at her and Ariake continued staring at her with a raised brow.

"Um...Ariake-san, do you have a problem?" Shiva mumbled, and Ariake's eyes narrowed.

"I know I've seen you somewhere before."

"Really?"

Lady Hohenheim mumbled something under her breath and walked away. Higure followed, and Ariake stared at Shiva as he walked away and bumped into his brother.

His eyes lingered on her black wrist cuffs. She refused to take them off...and he had recognized them.

"Fuck."

Jagura's voice came from behind her. "Fuck what?"

Shiva jumped. "Nothing. Just fuck."

"...What happened over here?"

"Nothing, really. I just told her I really admired her husband's work."

"Aha. good cover. He did a lot of things, so it would have seemed perfectly normal."

Jagura left as Shiva started nodding her head, annoyed.

After drinks were served, several people playing various instruments set up.

"Everyone!" Jagura called, from the top of the stairs. All chatter quieted and everyone directed their focus to Jagura.

"The last surviving child of the Shinde line has returned, bringing the torn apart Eastern lands together. Her power has come to full affect here, in Nakunaru, uniting the war-torn and long forgotten lands.

"She has hosted this masquerade to bring together all of the nobles and political parties to bring a fresh new start to this country. Here she is, opening the dancing tonight, Nataraja-sama."

The performers who previously set up began playing as Shiva gracefully stepped down the stairs.

All watched curiously at her outfit, fluttering behind her as she began turning.

The dance she began performing was short, but incredibly fast and delicate. It ended soon, with her standing in an odd pose on one foot, her head tilted and her hands still in place near her wrists.

All clapped as Shiva walked away from the bottom of the stairs, and Jagura approached her.

"Very nice. It seemed...strangely violent, though. I don't really get it."

Shiva raised an eyebrow and walked away.

Several people approached her to introduce themselves; she only smiled and nodded politely (though she was getting quite annoyed).

After they had finally wandered away, she stood boredly for a long while; watching everyone dance, before spotting the twin called 'Higure' being surrounded by many squealing, giggling young women.

Inwardly, Shiva frowned. She had to admit, this man was quite attractive. Though normally she thought humans all looked the same, she now realized why humans had differentiating words like 'beautiful'. She had found her definition of the word for humans.

Soon she found herself walking over to him, the women gathering around him soon leaving with disgruntled looks on their faces; mumbling complaints as they left.

She approached him with a smile. "Hey."

Between walking from one end of the room to another, she somehow had acquired a glass of some sort of drink and handed it to him.

"Thank you." He said, looking at the drink a moment. "Both for the drink and for saving me."

A grin crossed her face. "That one with the feathers, I saw her hand reaching for your ass."

He laughed and took a sip of the drink. His face immediately changed expression and his face turned green.

"Is it bad?"

He nodded and pulled his sleeve to his mouth. His eyes widened and he started running in the direction of the bathroom.

She ran after him, finding him bending over a toilet, heaving the contents of his stomach out. She pulled off his cloak and started laughing.

"I'm sorry! I didn't try it, so I didn't know..."

He shook his head and reached for a towel. "No. It's okay."

"I shouldn't have given it to you without trying it myself first..."

"No...It's okay..." he sat down, and stared at the offending drink with contempt.

Shiva looked him over, now that he wasn't wrapped in a cloak. She found herself grinning.

He was thin, but had muscle. She became really fond of the tight leather pants he wore, realizing that she understood why that particular girl was reaching behind him.

"You okay, Higure-san?" she asked, pulling his green cloak closer (only so she could sniff it. She was rather fond of the scent he wore.) He nodded, and she handed him a few breath mints she had in her pocket (Jagura had gotten her addicted to cinnamon flavors), which he took gratefully.

"I'm sorry...It really was that bad..."

Shiva laughed. "Jagura-sama made it."

The expression on his face was indescribable.

"Ah...Nataraja-sama. Is it too late to ask you to dance?" He asked, standing and holding out his hand.

"As long as we leave the bathroom first. I've been waiting for someone to ask all night!"

He smiled knowingly. "The locals trying to shove their nose up your ass?"

"Precisely! They think I'm such a nice person, but actually, I wish to lock them in a closet just so I don't have to hear them ramble on about everything I've done and what they want to do."

"It is a big thing...I'm sure you already know that, though." He said with a grin. As they stepped out into the main floor, she nodded in agreement.

"I suppose it is."

"So, would you like to dance?"

"I promise not to step on your feet. If I do, you get to make me drink this." Shiva said, sniffing the drink and making a face and setting it down.

"Not pleasant."

"Not at all." she said, laughing.

"I don't think I could let you drink that. I'd feel bad."

She smiled. "Oh, I'd let you stop me."

They began dancing, but it was in fact Higure who was stepping on feet.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry..." He started to walk away, and Shiva seized his hand.

"No. I'll lead."

It was quite impressive that she did; Higure was at least a head taller than her.

And Higure accidentally backed into Darcia and Jagura dancing.

"I'm so sorry!" Higure said, bowing his head. Before Shiva could say anything, Darcia had left Jagura as his dance partner and headed for Shiva.

"Mind if we switch?" he called to Higure, as he began dancing with Shiva (who was not at all pleased).

Higure made a face as Jagura glared at Darcia and wrapped her arm around Higure's shoulders. "Why not..."

"Ah! Nataraja-sama..." Darcia said, a sickly-sweet smile on his face. "What a pleasure to meet you."

"Right back at you." Shiva mumbled. She purposely stepped forward and jammed her heel into Darcia's toe. He was unphazed.

Shiva attempted to lead Darcia as far away from the majority of people as she could, but he would only tug her to the center.

"Excuse me, Darcia-sama. I have to leave now." she mumbled, walking away.

Darcia followed right after her.

"I said I have to leave!" she snapped, and Darcia blinked.

"I'm sorry. I'm just captivated by you...I am almost sure I know you." He said, a strange expression on his face.

"I'm sure you do." Shiva replied menacingly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure she means she has met you before, Darcia." Lady Hohenheim stepped in beside Shiva. "This young woman must have business to attend to. I suggest you leave her alone now."

"I'm sorry, Meiru-san." Darcia stated dryly, and he walked away.

Shiva nearly collapsed. "Thank you."

Hohenheim Meiru smiled. "No worries, deary. I think Higure is outside smoking a cigarette."

Shiva nodded and headed the direction Meiru gestured.

When she got there, she found Higure in a bench by a man-made pond; smoking a cigarette, as the old woman had mentioned.

"Yo." she said, sitting beside him. He looked over and smiled.

"You managed to get away from Darcia? He gives me...a very dark feeling."

"He scares the living fuck out of me." Shiva mumbled, resting her chin in her hands.

Higure grinned. "As he does to most people."

"I can see why."

Shiva yawned and looked at the last bit of light grazing the horizon. "I'm beginning to think this will be a long night. How much do you want to bet most of these people will want to stay? Or at least within the city?"

"A lot."

"And what about you and your brother? And Meiru-san?"

"I don't think we will, actually. Mom will want to leave early, because she becomes tired easily."

Shiva nodded, and Higure took one last puff of his cigarette before putting it out.

"I don't think your brother likes me." Shiva said randomly, thinking of when meeting him previously.

"I think he does. You confuse him, though. He told me...the bracelets you wear. They look like something Dad made a long time ago." Higure looked at her strangely.

"Yeah..."

"What do you know about them? Where you got them? And why did mom know you?"

She looked forlornly at the ground. "I've had them since before I can remember."

Higure's eyes widened a bit. "What else?"

A faint smile crossed her lips. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

"That's not funny."

"I recognized them too."

Shiva and Higure turned around to see Hamona standing behind them, her arms crossed.

"I know who you are and Darcia is starting to wonder, too." tears formed in the woman's eyes. "Where have you been?"

Shiva patted Hamona's back as the woman cried into her shoulder. "Hamona. It's been a while, huh?"

Higure's eyes were beyond wide now as he saw Hamona. "What is going on?"

Shiva shook her head. "I already said...if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Higure stared and lit another cigarette.

"You were right, this will be a long night..."

Shiva and Kalmia's creator's last name, Hohenheim, is a tribute to who inspired my idea for his character...Ed and Al Elric's father from Full Metal Alchemist. I think 'Alchemy' and think FMA, even though it IS mentioned a lot on Wolf's Rain. And I couldn't think of anything.

His first name is Shoba, and I may or may not have Shiva talk about him.