-Author's Note: Well, I've noticed that when I've posted this chapter, I have received a total of 0 reviews. Personally, I don't care. I really don't. I'm just having fun posting this for all to see.
-I've actually had some fun writing this, because it gave me so much freedom in the writing area! …Okay, more or less. I do have some limits on the plot… -' Anyway, thanks for reading this far!

-Character Notes: Oh yes, unless I failed to point this out before, Tiben's name is pronounced 'Tee-ben.' Not 'Ty-ben' or something like that. Ech. Sounds kinda strange, personally. Also, unless you couldn't tell, I found myself basing Jakken's personality after Alphonse Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. Don't know how that came to be. O.o'' Anyway.

-Disclaimer: This one owns no aspects of the series of Wolf's Rain. None at all.

-Hope ya enjoy Chapter Two!

-...-

It had been awhile since Tiben and Jakken had ever thought of searching for something else. Something else other than the source of the scent of the flower petal they currently held lovingly in their possession.

They had never really thought about what they were searching for, and why, but it didn't matter. Their father and mother had diligently searched, and failed. But that didn't matter too much to them either. They just wanted to find it, for Mom and Dad.

And they would. Someday.

-...-

Wolf's Rain :00: An Other Story
Chapter #Two: Without Saying Goodbye to Yesterday
Current Ages (Wolf):
Tiben: Four
Jakken: Four

"Brother, I don't know what we're still doing here. There is nothing here that has any relation to the petal, and Jagara's… people," Jakken paused here, and spat the word 'people' out, referring to the merciless soldiers that were mindless puppets under Jagara's control, "are closing in. This city was already a junk-heap to begin with." He scratched his white-blond hair with a questionable look on his face.

Tiben grinned in return, his own ebony hair wavering slightly in the breeze that had kicked up.

"I told you, there's something else here that interests me… But I don't know what yet," Tiben turned one of his chocolate-brown eyes to glance at his younger brother, "Don't tell me you don't feel it."

"Well…" Jakken blinked, then turned his gaze onto the shambled city of Treols, (A/N: Making the names up as I go… -'Pronounced: 'Tree-ohls,') and sniffed the air cautiously a couple times.

"Yes. I do. But we really aren't making any effort to find them, now are we Tiben?" Jakken raised an eyebrow at his lounging brother.

The wind whipped harder around them, causing Jakken to then shudder and curl his rather tattered cape around him tighter. "Don't you think that the weather is getting a little cold? Can we please move somewhere lower, where the wind DOESN'T tear us apart!"

The two wolven brothers were sitting on top of one of the tallest buildings in Treols. Not that this building was all that tall. The city of Treols was, at best, in good condition compared to the other cities the two had been visiting over the past two/three years. They had lost count, really. There wasn't much point in keeping count of the botchery of towns and cities on their journey.

Incidentally, they had come across some places dozens of times, either because of their liking of the specific location, or the fact that they had lost their way on the wide, barren, and hostile wasteland that stretched between all areas.

Treols was kept in better 'posture' - one might say – than the rest, but that was only because it was the major supplier of clean, pure water. That water came from a – rare indeed – mountain, close to the town's outskirts. There were no walls surrounding this town, unlike the city of Belfiar, but there really wasn't any point in that action.

Only because there was the wasteland of pre-destined death awaiting on the barren tundra of the world if the people of the mountain-city tried to escape.

Jagara's troops swarmed the town, making sure that the people were going on with their lives like normal people and getting their job done. Or else. That 'or else' was pretty much an empty threat; from what Tiben and Jakken could tell. The soldiers acted like they owned the town, which they pretty much did. Taxes were higher, and it looked like everyday one person or another was dragged off to prisons or even interrogating centers if they suspected a revolt.

Jagara. The cause of all the evil that had plagued the world since the Noble Darcia had disappeared. So Jagara had risen up, Lord Oakam scuttling away in fear. No one had heard from him since an attack on his flying ship had been executed. All had labeled him a coward. Jagara ruled the land like a queen, and most treated her like that or faced death. The number of soldiers under her control seemed to be growing by the second.

Most people tried to escape to rural towns in small places that no one had ever heard of, their own small Paradise to escape to. Other places had never even heard of Jagara or her reign of terror, too lost in their own worlds and private areas of peace.

Those who tried to escape were punished severely.

That's why Tiben and Jakken had been hiding in one of Treols' higher buildings, a sort of abandoned packing unit on the outskirts of the city. It was a smart idea; too, for there were rumors going among the towns-people that Jagara had been seeking wolves.

Thus the hiding of the two wolves.

Tiben shivered, blinking out of his stupor of thought.

"What were you saying Jakken?" He asked absently.

Jakken pursed his lips, getting up and dusting the dirt that had gathered on his jeans and cape while sitting. He walked over to his brother, still gazing absently over the rooftops of the bustling town, going about their normal afternoon life.

"OUCH!" Tiben immediately rubbed the sore spot on his head where Jakken had hit him reproachfully.

"What was that for!" Tiben growled, pouncing on his brother.

The silver wolf laying on his belly underneath the weight of the larger being on top of his grinned the rueful wolf-grin, "You were being a butt."

Tiben snorted, and cuffed his brother smartly across his head with one of his large paws before stalking off and sitting not far off.

"Equal payback then." The brown-eyed wolf sniffed disdainfully as the other wolf whined weakly and lay on his belly, putting two paws over his head in mock pain.

"True. But you didn't have to hit me so hard. That hurt. YOU were the one phasing out on me in the first place. I was simply bringing you back to reality. One must not get too caught up in the layers of one's inner perception of this. You were day-dreaming again." The piercing gaze of ice-blue eyes concluded Jakken's statement, sitting up in a sort of thoughtful pose for a wolf; his front paws crossed over one another, his long legs against his body. His tail swished once to confirm his suspicions.

"Yes… Thanks Jakken." The silverish wolf sighed and tilted his head towards the sky, so that he could see the large, almost sagacious-looking sun – which resulted in him blinking furiously to dance away the black dots that exploded in front of his eyes when he stared too long at the sun. He put a paw over his eyes and then shook his head, clearing the dots that were blurring his vision.

The blue-eyed wolf started laughing, rolling on his back in a carefree sort of way, cackling in an almost hyena-like way. Not that either had ever heard of such a canine.

The ears of Tiben went back, snarling angrily at his brother, "Shut up. What're you laughing about!"

"Y-…Y-You! You look ridiculous!" Jakken responded, his human mouth agape with laughter pouring out of it. He was still on his back, his feet in the air with his arms crossed over is ribcage, shaking with laughter.

"I'll show YOU ridiculous!" Tiben launched at his brother, showing him that just being family really meant nothing when he was angry.

"I was just kid—OUCH! That hur-ow! I'm pretty surethat human arms aren't meant to be bent that way—OOOOOOOOOW!" Jakken whacked his free left arm on the floor of the cement roof, eyes tearing up.

"In pain!" He whined a small voice, "I call the Uncle! UNCLE!"

Tiben laughed and let go of his brother's arm, standing up and looking over the town again. Jakken rubbed his arm socket sorely, shooting his brother a deadly glare while making sure his arm still bent in the right direction.

A loud, piercing scream broke the air, causing the actions of both brothers to stop, and stare at each other, their human ears almost quivering from the noise.

"Let's go." Jakken nodded in agreement with his brother, "Someone is in trouble; and a girl no less! We have to help her!" He brought a hand in front of his face and clenched it in a fist.

Tiben rolled his eyes and jumped off the roof, with his brother following closely behind.

-...-

"Scumbags! Leave me alone!"

"C'mon little girl, we just want to watch out for you. Come with us, and we'll watch you carefully." A nasty cackle followed this statement, as the laughter of other men joined in.

"Perverts…" Muttered the slightly ruffled voice of the girl.

Tiben and Jakken were able to catch these garbled bits of conversation, as they landed beside the corner of an alley, their current position on the same side that hid them from view from the people inside the small alley.

"What're we waiting for brother! We have to help her – " Jakken was cut off by a hand from his brother, which was shot out to block his way into the alley.

"Shhh."

Jakken shot his brother a strange and befuddled look.

"I said stay away!" It could only be assumed that the men had come closer.

"Relax honey. We just want to have some fun." Came the same sleazy voice of what could be labeled as the leader.

"I don't play like that." A pair of discolored eyes glimmered with glee.

"What the – AHHHH!" A man flew back from inside the alley into the wall in front of Jakken and Tiben, one of which promptly jumped into the other's arms. I assume that you can guess which was which.

Tiben gave his brother an irritated look and simply dropped his brother on the ground without a word as another word was sent sprawling into the dirt getting his posh neon green shirt dirty.

Jakken and Tiben both raised an eyebrow at this strange sight, as the man got to his feet trembling, and screamed, running away from the sight. A couple more men were sent from the alleyway onto their butts, both of which followed suit as their other buddy.

One man simply ran out from his own accord, trembling and shaking all other. On his way out, he ran into Tiben, who gave him a dirty look when the greased-haired man grabbed desperately onto the collar of his tattered cape, shaking like crazy and saying, "She's… she's crazy! She sent Jamison into the… wall! And Tresek and Kesert with… with… I don't know! And… oh gawd… She's crazy! She's an… an… animal! Some sort of BEAST!" The man screamed again when a loud snarl rose up in the alley. He released Tiben's collar and ran off, Tiben looking extremely ticked off.

"That's it! You're some sort of freak! I'm going to get rid of you, little girl!" The sound of a pistol being cocked clicked before another growl and snarl grumbled and the sound of a body being dragged across the ground accompanied it.

Suddenly, a man with a large beast on top of him slid into the area in front of Jakken and Tiben. The sleazy-looking man had the pearly-white jaws of an unknown creature imbedded in his left arm, which had been thrown up in front of his face to vainly protect him from the attack.

Blood poured from between the teeth, and the man writhed and twitched vainly in agony.

"Oh Gawd! Oh gawd I'm gonna die! Oh my…" He rambled on and on, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

The beast on top of him said nothing but released its hold on his arm, only after throwing him limply a couple of yards.

The man scrambled to his feet, his right hand clutching where blood had started to run down, in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

"I… oh… I'm going take care of you, you wench!" The man yelled, before turning around and running away, stumbling quite often from pain and fear.

Jakken and Tiben exchanged looks before looking at the 'beast' that had attacked him.

A wolf. A wolf stood tall and proud, watching the man run away, still as a stock. A tail twisted amiably behind its proud figure. The fur of this creature held a creamy texture to it, a brown so light it was almost white, giving it a nearly white look - however a faded and off-white. Its ears were cocked upward, and in interest.

You'd think this animal was a dog, and for a good reason. There was a black leather collar around its neck – a blank silver nametag absent of any engravement.

There was something else too, something rather unexpected, as pointed out by Jakken. "You're a girl!"

The wolf snorted, and in its place stood a young girl, with white hair that hung around her shoulders, straight and stiff. She stood with her hand on her hips, staring disdainfully at the two brothers before her.

She was dressed rather strangely; a rough white cotton afghan thrown over her torso, which covered her down to her waist. Her eyes were a piercing silver colour, slightly strange for a wolf. Bell-bottomed blue jeans went down to her feet, which were covered by black boots, scuffed from years of use. And of course her collar, which hung around her small human neck, its blank tag gleaming in the sun.

"Well, yeah! Who did ya think I was! Sheesh! Wolves these… days…" She stopped in mid-sentence.

"Wolves…" She whispered, and slowly padded up to the twin silver wolves that shivered slightly from delight before her, rubbing her neck against each of them, in sheer bliss of finding another like her.

-A Couple Minutes Later-

"So… who are you?" Jakken asked the small girl curiously, from the small trio's perch on top a low, squat building.

"Well… I don't know," The girl paused, then seeing the confused looks on the brothers' faces, quickly added, "That is, I don't have a clue as to what my real name is." She grinned apologetically.

"Then… what do you call yourself? I notice there's a collar around your neck." Tiben grumbled, the only one not necessarily happy about the reunion. He stood apart from the younger wolves; his arms crossed across his chest in somewhat scorn.

"Well…" The small girl paused, rubbing her fingers against the polished, flat surface of the blank silver rectangle, thinking for a moment.

"Promise you won't laugh but… I just call myself Blanke." (A/N: Pronounced like 'blank.')

Jakken cocked his head, "But what about that collar?"

"I don't know. Everywhere I go – I mean, in this city, I've tried to get it off, but I can't manage it. It's stuck around my neck…" Blanke sighed, and looked into the sky, falling onto her back.

"So you're not a tamed dog," Tiben growled, "Owned by the humans, then?"

Blanke shook her head.

"Do you want us to try and take it off for you? I'm sure that my brother and I could get it off!" Jakken said, his voice rising with excitement.

Again, Blanke shook her head, propping herself up with her elbows and staring at Jakken with sad eyes, "No thanks. This thing is the only clue to my memory…"

"Your memory?" Murmured Tiben, blinking suddenly.

"Yes. I can't remember where my pack is, or why they all left me. I've been all alone all my life… I found myself waking up somewhere, with no memory of what had happened before. I knew how old I was,but I didn't know how. I didn't know who my mother, or father were. All I can remember about my pup-hood is a cry. Just a cry…" Blanke pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, closing her eyes at the memory, "It was a sad cry. Very… I don't know. It just gives me the creeps." She shuddered.

" 'Your pup-hood?' " Tiben laughed, "From the looks of it your still in your pup-hood. What're you, two?"

"I'm THREE for your information Mister… Mister… Erm, what was your name again?" Blanke stood up in indignation, then stopped, realizing she had no idea who her fellow canines were.

"Jakken." He murmured, jerking a thumb towards himself.

"Tiben." Said the taller of the two wolves.

"We're brothers." Both said the last in unison.

"Couldn't tell." Blanke grinned wryly, chuckling. Both Tiben and Jakken started to smile as well.

All their merriment was cut short as the rapid pinging of bullets reigned the wall just below where they stood and/or sat.

"What the – " Tiben began, then cut off by Blanke.

" – Oh crap. That guy… oh manohmanohman…" Blanke nervously ran a small hand through her hair, then fumbling with her collar again.

" 'That guy' what? That man that you bit earlier?" Tiben asked, running up to her and placing two hands on her shoulders, gripping her tightly.

She nodded weakly.

"Well what about him, Blanke!"

"He… he… he got Jagara's troops!" Blanke broke free of Tiben's grip and pounced a small distance away, to be away from the hailstorm of bullets.

"He must have reported something to the soldiers… OH MAN! I am SUCH an IDIOT!" Blanke rammed her head against a nearby slab of concrete, "There are troops… soldiers of Jagara's that are…"

"They're what!" Both brothers ran to the small girl, Jakken pulling her away from the concrete, so she couldn't hurt herself any more.

"They're… collecting wolves." She whispered, as Jakken's eyes grew wide and a storm of bullets sounded from the rooftop next to the three wolves, throwing themselves into the body of Tiben.

Time stood still.

Jakken watched with too-slow eyes, too-weak reflexes, as the body of his older brother, his only brother, flew into the air, a weak whimper escaping his wolf throat before he landed limply on the ground, blood pouring from the ragged holes the bullets had left.

Sooner than seemed possible, he was sprawled in a pool of his own blood, Jakken darting forward from the slab of concrete that he and Blanke were using for cover to grab his brother's body.

Without a word, a silver wolf with sad blue eyes had propped the bloody body of his brother over his back, indicating with his head to Blanke to follow. They leapt to another rooftop, faster than normal, bullets biting their heels.

By the time the specially armored troops used to exterminate wolves had arrived, they found themselves on an empty rooftop, a pool of wolf's blood the only evidence of other life.

-...-

'Please brother, I can't let you die.' The same thought raced through the smaller silver wolf as he and his partner raced to find a safe haven before it was too late.