Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters.
Author's Note: So I hope you guys don't hate how Cheza turned out. Oh and if it was up to me (which it is :giggles manically: ) I would have Toboe and Tsume seriously making you doubt if they were wolves and not rabbits. But I'm being nice to the homophobics out there and giving you a choice. Oh and I can make the relationship work for the reviewer who thought it wouldn't fit, I can do it. Sorry for the long wait on the update and there is implied sex in this chapter. It is still up in the air for Toboe and Tsume's relationship. Happy reading!
Na
Rakuen Where are You?
Chaputa-ni
Two wolves were curled around each other earthy sienna contrasting with the stormy grey; they seemed to make a crude yin and yang symbol; old(er) and brash, against young(er) and innocent. The late afternoon sun filtered in through the window bathing the two lupines.
Toboe lay there awake it was the day of the full moon somewhere on the other side of the world she must have been showing her glory for his blood buzzed with anticipation. His paws twitched and his body hummed. That's why they were still in bed it would be a hard day to say in check or human. Tsume's human pets were told that they were not allowed to bother Tsume at all that day way before Toboe's time in the group.
It had been a couple weeks since Toboe first rode Tsume's motorcycle and he was getting along with the group just fine. Like all the other slightly under-aged participants their jobs weren't nearly as hard and Tsume watched Toboe like a mother her pups of an Alpha it's mate, it was all the same possessiveness, although Toboe wasn't sure that their was love in Tsume and his relationship; either form of fore mentioned love.
The brown wolf curled closer to the big grey issuing a small whimper he wanted to run. The grey growled a second not too happy with the pup curled up to him like so, but he knew that if there was no contact in sleep the pup would have nightmare of their past lives? Or whatever it was. In all honesty he had the dreams too the death of that boy when he fell from the pipes, the gun shot that killed Toboe and other horrid onslaughts. A wolfish body pressed close halted those dreams that both wolves had been suffering for years, although Tsume would never admit it.
To try and forget that it was a full moon or that Tsume had said he knew the best place to go and would take him there. Toboe focused on his memories, he found it odd that he had a hard time remembering the names of some people like that girl that was really nice to him the one who he revealed himself to. What was her name? Le... La… well it was L something! And than the man with the book and his bitch who followed Cheza and helped Blue. It was strange how Cheza, Granny and Wolf names never left him, but the others did. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to remember that fading world with nobles that wished to be descendents of wolves. Which was the very thing that set them apart from humans; that they had evolved from apes and not wolves.
Toboe lifted his head to look at Tsume splashed of gold and fiery pink accented the gray of his fur far more than Toboe's own. Tsume stirred he would have to quickly sear a steak for Toboe he still couldn't stomach completely raw meat, but rather enjoyed it with a cold center which was a vast improvement.
As the older wolf prepared the meal for Toboe the young pup bounded about the apartment with reckless abandon tongue lulling and tail wagging. After a couple of hard to sustain human moments and a couple low sharp barks Toboe was ripping into his meal paws still twitching.
"Why aren't you eating Tsume?" asked Toboe.
Tsume growled, "I'm going to hunt a rabbit for dinner, but you couldn't stomach the raw meat at this second so you get steak." With that Toboe finished in silence.
Two men exited their apartment and made it to the stairs with a fast steps. They looked energetic and nervous, perhaps even buzzed from drugs or lack there of. They were suspicious. The young one bouncing around like he ate a bag of sugar, the elder's hand twitched often and there was even sweat on his brow as they not so calmly exited the building and slipped into the awaiting shadows, a couple dogs barked and the sound of frantic paws scrapping on tar faded into the distance.
The lustrous beauty of the mistress of the night the lady Luna crested over distant mountains when a slightly panting gray wolf skidded to a halt at the edge of a moonlit field, a delicious scent of sweet hana no tsuki reached the wolves as they gazed upon the field specked with thousand of iridescent moon blossoms.
Beyond the field was a vast forest and Toboe could tell it was brimming with life, beyond that was or at least looked like the mountain, and beyond that tsuki.
Toboe glanced over the field and noticed a larger clump of glowing white flowers? As he concentrated on the figure the wind seemed to whisper, "Kiba…" a sudden movement from the side caught the pup's attention a side bush rustled and an ebony figure bolted out ice blue eyes that were soft and loving trained ahead, "Blue…" Moments later a stockier tan wolf gave chase and one last time as the wind swirled around, "Hige…" fell from its lips.
"Hn, seems no matter what we catch up with these guys" said Tsume.
Watching the display of Hige tackling Blue to the ground Toboe answered, "Yeah."
"Go on," urged Tsume, Toboe gazed up at the gray confused, "Go play. Why don't you test your hunting skills and pounce Kiba?" A comical grin spread over Toboe's muzzle as he bound down the slight hill racing towards their old Alpha.
The pup's paws slowed as he crouched low to the ground somewhat hidden in the semi-long grasses. Scuttling slowly and as silently as he could a meter or so closer to his "prey" Toboe failed to notice an ear twitch, but he did see the extremely large breathe the white took and automatically froze after a moment he believed that Kiba's breath want back to normal although it was no longer as shallow but slightly deeper that of feign sleep. Just as the brown pounced the white rolled away missing the assault as he looked towards the grass munching pup. Yellow eyes laughed at Toboe's gold.
"What are you doing here alone Toboe?" asked Kiba.
Toboe sat on the ground with a huff, "I'm not that young I can go where I want!"
"Yes well you smell thickly of human so I knew you started your life like that once more, and you reek of Tsume so I know you've been with him how long I can't tell you're so clingy, perhaps two weeks with him. I know Tsume and he wouldn't leave an untrained wolf alone especially you," replied Kiba.
Toboe looked around frantically, where was Tsume? But than he remembered that his friend needed to hunt dinner and probably in the woods, "Tsume's hunting right now I believe. So if I don't smell like me how did you know?"
Kiba chuckled, "At first I was confused when I smelled human and Tsume, I though a human was here and Tsume was nearby. Than I realized that the human scent was rather old and Tsume's new but not new enough. You always have smelled like that, humans and Tsume it's in your skin the more time you spend with us the more your natural scent will spill out."
A strangled yelp sounded from over a small him Toboe turned toward the noise, "What was that?"
"Don't look over there pup, you don't need to see that," replied Kiba lying back down in the grass.
"I'm not a pup!" pouted Toboe.
Kiba laughed again, "Out of all of us you are the pup of the pack… well you might not be soon."
"I hope not," said Tsume as he came and sat by Toboe licking the last bit of blood from his muzzle, "whelps of porky would seriously give a migraine."
The three wolves talked all through tsuki's travel through the heavens, it wasn't until the early morning light that the stocky yet sated tan wolf and ebony female came to join them. Toboe first noticed the bloodied bite mark on Blue's neck he was about to ask her of it when he noticed the musky smell that was emitted from both the new comers, vaguely remembering school lesson (all of which applied to humans and not wolves), besides the things he learned from the streets the young wolf put it all together. They had sex.
"Nice to see everyone again," said Blue as she lay down a bit behind Toboe as if to protect the boy.
"Imagine we'd all meet in a hana no tsuki field," laughed Hige.
Everyone was silent for a moment when Toboe spoke up, "Kiba, why are we here?"
"What do you mean runt?" asked Hige.
Toboe growled a bit, "I mean we all died right? Are we in Rakuen or not?"
"No, no we aren't," replied a stoic white alpha.
"But Toboe has a point; this world isn't dying… yet. And I mean we can actually change into humans now! Where exactly are we?" added Tsume.
"Well there is perks to actually human form," said Hige with a laugh. Nudging Blue they both turned into human form, Hige slipped an arm around Blue and pulled her into his lap, before he dipped her slightly and began to kiss her. The two cloudy wolves brushed it off in the beginning, while Toboe turned away his face bright red. As the make out session went on the older wolves grew frustrated and Toboe seemed to get over his initial embarrassment for them.
It wasn't till Hige's free arm began to snake its way up Blue's shirt that Tsume growled, "O-ke- we get your point! Now stop Toboe doesn't need to see the (not so) finer points of mating, and I just don't want to!"
Hige let go of Blue gently as she slipped to the grass, Hige's cheeks became a bit rosy and his right hand rubbed the back of his head as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"So have we decided what happened?" asked Blue fiddling with some grass.
Kiba stood and faced the sunrise, the wind ideally played with his brown hair the pale pinks and yellows playing of his ivory skin and shirt. A few hana no tsuki danced and brushed his jeans. He was a shaded silhouette against the raising sun. The group stared at his back all seemingly composed to change into a humanoid form or stay in it. The picture was godly and when his voice broke the still it spoke wise riddles, "As winter melts into spring, one world bleeds into another, wolves become wolves, a flower becomes a field of flowers, and a maiden becomes a maiden. As the season's progress we learn new survival techniques to aid us in our plait, for where we truly belong we would not need human 'guises."
"So this field is Cheza?" asked Toboe after a pregnant silence.
Kiba turned and smiled slightly, "No I found her in a hospital, and I'll bring you guys to her." He turned slightly and began to walk towards the city. The remaining four followed.
Kiba navigated through the hospital with ease, one lady stopped the group she was dressed in pink scrubs, "Oh Kiba! I'm so glad you're here! Cheza can go home now; we were hoping you'd be by today. Just stop by at the nurse's desk before you leave." Kiba just nodded at the nurse and continued down the hall.
As they approached their destination the smell of hana no tsuki became stronger. Kiba didn't even think about it he just walked through a door and the rest followed.
The room was dimly lit and in the center of the white room. Sitting on the bed was a pale pink haired girl already dressed in her pale shorts jumper. Red eyes turned to the group as long legs stopped swinging, "Everyone! This one is glad to see all of you."
"Hi Cheza," seemed to drift across the group.
Blue turned to Kiba, "Kiba what happened why is she here?"
"Like always I follow the hana no tsuki and I followed them here to find Cheza asleep. After much arguing with the doctor I convinced them that we belong to the small village beyond the hana no tsuki field that live rather primitive, they do not have last names and don't have hospital or illegible government records. I was told that Cheza stumbled into a near by river and passed out, some kids saved her. The doctor said that she was dehydrated and starving. Once Cheza woke up she explained to me how she didn't know why the sun and water would no longer replenish her. When we came here Cheza lost her flower part and didn't know it and therefore never ate or drank like a human," answered Kiba.
"She smells and looks the same you sure?" huffed Tsume.
"Yeah," glumly replied Kiba, "I think before she was more flower than maiden and now it is the opposite."
So how did she survive thirteen years without food and water?" asked Hige.
Kiba looked at him briefly, "Cheza and I… well Cheza says she has only been in this world for a little over a month. I think all our memories of this world are fake and loosely based on how we lived before."
"How?" asked Toboe starring at Kiba with big confused puppy dog eyes.
Kiba just shook his head, "I'm not quite sure actually. I was thinking perhaps this is like that world I went to with that weird plant, but I do not know."
"So this one goes to Rakuen with you once more?" added Cheza after a pregnant pause. It really wasn't a question in the end but they all nodded just the same.
Author's Note: If you really have strong feelings about the whole Tsume and Toboe being lovers or friends I suggest you review and tell me because I have no qualms about having them get together the only reason I'm giving the reviewers a choice is 'cause I'm not quite sure if Shounen-ai will fit in the fic or not, yet if it's really wanted I can make it fit and visa-versa. All reviews are welcome. Next Chapter: The search for Rakuen begins
Na