Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain or any of its characters.
Warning: shounen-ai.
Author's Note: The last chapter. There are footnotes for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this fic. Happy reading!
Na
Rakuen Where are You?
Chaputa-roku
The moon had shown brightly a pronounced full face against the speckled sky. The pale light flitted across the leaves of the higher branch every so often the wind would shift the trees and the light would fall upon the majestic figure of a wolf.
Two ghostly white figures led the group through the trees. To the left walked the strong bodied white wolf with yellow eyes, to his right stood his intended mate a young albino maiden, her pink hair shining in the moon light. It would seem that they were born for the moon herself.
A few paces behind the first couple walked the contrast to the moons white light. The ebony female was obviously pregnant her belly slightly rounded at the three week mark, her ice blue eyes shown with over whelming joy. Beside the female stood her earthy mate a chubby sandy-tan wolf his reddish eyes scanning the forest for any hidden dangers to his mate and pups. These two had surely been graced with the moons fortunes for about one and a fourth of her cycle; the onyx female would birth her pups.
Bring up the rear of the small pack, helping to shield the pregnant female from the sight of predators behind them, walked two males. The one to the left was the color of the clouds that could hide the moon's beauty. A color that showed the strength of the world the grey clouds that rained on the earth for flowers and other life to flourish. He was east and west, the wind and rain. And beside him stood the earth and fire, the color of the dusty earth and the red flame. They had within them the strength of the moon and were her servants. 1
All six were on a journey together, and yet separately from the others. Their journey began with the illustrious beauty that sat high in the heavens, a journey that also would end with her. Although they would never go to their kami, they hoped to end in her place, a world for ookami and hana no tsuki- Rakuen.
They had tried to reach this Rakuen no Ookami once before but their blood, and that of some special humans and of course the flower maiden stained the dying earth without ever reaching their goal. And for whatever reason they were brought to this thriving world with hana no tsuki across its fields.
This world was no Rakuen no Ookami, for there was still pain, suffering, and heartache. Here the humans still rule the lands encaging and killing that of the Tsuki no Kami loyal race, the wolves.
But if not for here, where was Rakuen? Was this particular pack even heading in the correct direction? Would the moon guide her children, to her place?
Tonight of the full moon, they would receive an answer. Perhaps not the Rakuen they all had envisioned, but a place that in this world that would bring them to a Rakuen, all the same. For one man's dump is another man's paradise. On the plains of the heart who is to say what is blissful or not.
Gold eyes peered at the young wolf to his right. Something seemed to be troubling Howling for the past fortnight, 2 and Tsume could not coax his charge to speak of this matter. Although the wolf could still keep pace even with a backpack full of rocks strapped to his back, and he was still a great asset to the hunt. But he was more with drawn, and seemed to be avoiding eye contact with the grey wolf.
"Toboe what is on your mind?" asked Claw slowing his footfalls a hair as to give them a bit more privacy.
Not to far away the sound of music and merriment filled the night air; the wolves were planning to go around the celebrating village. But now the young wolf concentrated on the noise instead of the increasing speed of his heart, and if he were in another form he would be blushing. A week ago he had what he needed to say- to ask- nearly configured in his own mind, and he had spent the last week trying to gain the courage or the words to say everything out loud to Tsume.
And here was said wolf asking him. With a deep breath Toboe spoke, "I have been thinking about the words you said that night we discovered Blue's pregnancy, about why you never wanted to rut with anyone. I was wondering how exactly you had decided that you did not want a female mate? And, what do you see as the differences between the genders?"
The far off music seemed to be getting closer or more accurately the wolves were walking closer to the village now. But either way the music filled the quiet woods and the pregnant pause before the stormy wolf spoke.
"All my life… lives I was alone. And then there were my gangs compiled of men and eventually a few women. I had never thought that I was attracted to either or why females never really 'called' to me when the season came around. It really wasn't until I saw Hige and Blue together that I realized that the thought of mating a female basically repulsed me. But besides that I don't know how it happened I think it was the way I was born. And don't even ask I would sooner die than rut with Chubby or that arrogant prick of a leader."
"And the differences in the genders?" asked the brown wolf. Dark clouds covered the pale light of the moon casting the forest floor and its traveler's completely in shadow.
Tsume nodded his head and thought a moment, "Remember when you said that females seem too soft and fragile and that you prefer a sense of stability from a future mate? To me that is true; males are firm and stable but can be soft and kind in their own way."
"Thought so," mumbled Toboe with a deep breath he spoke louder, "I believe that I am the same as you."
A fat water droplet splashed onto Howling's muzzle, pulling back surprised the wolf shook his head. There was a large crash of thunder the forest was illuminated for but a moment before the rain started to fall in fast heavy drops.
"We should stay here, the rain has already beaten down any scents, we won't be able to smell incoming danger," called a worried tan wolf.
Fang nodded his head, "Toboe come here, you have Cheza's rain jacket." The brown wolf nodded and left the grey wolf to bring the jacket to his alpha female.
Tsume raised his head a bit at the feeling of something brushing by the hair of his shoulder. He was about to brush it off as an insect, when he heard a dull thunk against the tree a few paces behind him. Turning to see what it was, Golden eyes widened at the sight of a tranquilizer dart stuck in the trunk of the tree.
"Tsume!" upon hearing Howling's scream the scarred wolf turned away from the tree to see a flash of brown leap in front of him.
"Toboe!" he rushed over to the fallen wolf a tranquilizer sticking out of his side, "why did you do that?"
"I didn't want you to get hurt," honey eyes glanced at his side and saw the dart, he laughed, "and all it was, was a tranquilizer."
Claw dragged the young wolf behind a fallen log, "change into a human; if they catch you asleep better to be a human, than a wolf. I'll carry you."
The brown head nodded changing his form once he had hands he gingerly pulled the dart out. The fall had really done a number on his side, which was bleeding from a long scrape. Rising on shaking limbs Toboe moved onto Tsume's wet back his arms locking tightly around the elder's neck. Cheza's pack lay forgotten on the ground.
The other members were behind other trees providing cover from the hunters. A pale form with an equally pale girl clinging to his back roared, "Run toward the music!"
With those words the faint music against the rain seemed to rise and drown out the falling water. The pale form shot off first, followed by a black form, a grey wolf with a reddish package on his back, and finally the tan form. Moving in sporadic patterns in the general direction of the music, the wolves cursed to here the sound of some machine starting behind them.
Soon light was discernable through the brush the voices of many swirled with the increasing music. Evan through the heavy rain the streets of the village were filled. The trees began to thin and then abruptly four wolves were skidding on wet cobblestone. The passed out figure of the bleeding boy rolled off of his mentor, catching the attention of a few of the villagers. The pink haired girl also fell in a not so graceful heap next to the white wolf.
Two 4-wheelers halted on the edge of the cobblestone and forest four hunters watched the wolves, the female and one of the blonde twins held tranquilizer guns at the ready.
"What are you doing aiming guns at my children?" screamed an irate blond woman running towards the group of wolves and men her purple jacket flowing behind her.
"Your children?" questioned the large dark haired man dismounting his 4-wheeler.
The woman ran to the red eyed girl that was struggling to sit up, "Cheza, are you all right?" looking around at the wolves that hadn't turned their heads from the guns and the prone figure of a brunette wolf, "Cheza what happened to Toboe?"
"This one saw Toboe get shot," replied the girl smiling at her once guardian.
"You shot my boy?" The blond screamed stomping up to the dark haired boss, "You better hope he is all right or I will personally kill you"!
"Now Cher, who are you killing?" asked a dirty blond haired, he spotted the unconscious brunette, "Kami-sama what happened to Toboe?"
Cher glanced back at the man, "Hubb, they shot him!"
Green eyes scanned the brown wolf, "It seems to only be a tranquilizer that Toboe was shot with, he will be fine in a few hours."
"We were after these wolves, it is not our fault that your children were in the forest with wolves," said one of the twins.
The other twin quickly added, "Aa, what kind of parents let their fourteen-year-olds in the forest with wolves?"
"Do you even know that she is dating a seventeen-year-old, and his boyfriend is sixteen?" asked the female hunter crossing her arms across her chest not caring about the gun in her hands.
Blue eyes met green, before looking around at the wolves; the protective stances that the cloud colored wolves took in front of the humanoid figures. Blue eyes turned back towards the hunters, "Cheza is thirteen."
"And isn't Tsume closer to twenty-four?" added in Hubb.
The female hunter growled, "I knew he was a fucking pedophile"!
The blond woman, who was once the keeper of the flower maiden, surged forwards once more, "Your laws can not touch us here! But I highly doubt even one of your own judges would condone shooting two children out walking their dogs, even if it was only tranquilizer darts. So I suggest you leave now!"
There was a fire burning in those blue eyes. The wet blond tendrils slipping in front of the eyes did not destroy the flare. The remaining armed hunter lowered his weapon and the group of four got back on their 4-wheelers and slowly reentered the woods, at their boss' nod.
In a matter of seconds, Fang and Claw were looking very much human and knelt by the youngest of the group. Hubb walked over to his wife putting an arm around her waist, "Come we can go to our home and dry off."
Picking up the hurt human looking teens, the alpha and beta began to follow their old human allies, the mates followed close behind. They moved through the crowds of people to a small house on the end of the row. Even in the rain the whole village humans and wolves danced under the clouded moon a tribute to their kami.
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Tsume shot bolt up right on the boulder that he was previously sleeping on. His grey head fell back as he groaned, he always hated having those dreams where he seemed disembodied watching himself and the pack in the memories of the past.
It had been three moon cycles since they had first come to this village in the forest. The village that worshipped the Tsuki no Kami, who held a festival every full moon, a village comprised of a harmony of wolves and humans.
Cher and Hubb had taken the group in and showed them the copy of, 'The Book of the Moon Volume two'. In the second volume it explained that the mixture of human, wolf, and flower maiden blood for a common goal of the moon created this new reality, or sent them to an alternate reality; the book was not clear on the matter. Although most people in this world did not know of the old dying world. And those who did know of before- came to this village.
The villagers had heard Toboe's howl when he had killed the bear, and new that eventually they would have new residences; so they began to build a small three-bedroom hut. Which upon arrival to the village Hige and Blue were moved into so their pups could be born in peace.
In fact their six pups were seven weeks old now. It would be the last full moon fest that Blue would have to miss. In a weeks time the midnight wolf and her six pups would be stepping foot outside their home for the first time since the pups were birthed. And three weeks after that mother and pups would experience their first full moon in the village, and making Quent a very proud grandfather. 3
The remaining four members of the pack stayed with the holders of both volumes of 'The Book of the Moon', until the villagers had helped to build a couple more houses. During their stay with the blonds Kiba and Cheza were delighted to hear that there was a slim chance- although a chance- that they could sire pups themselves.
The night their three-bedroom home was finished next to Hige and Blue they had supposedly mated. Although Cher explained that Cheza now as a human could not have children until she had started her menstrual cycle and for the girl's size and weight it could be a few years. 4 And even when that had started they would have to wait until Cheza was in the estrus 5 part of the cycle.
Needless to say both couples were very happy with their lives in the village. Thoughts of Rakuen were next to none now. Tsume couldn't help but be very unlike himself and let his mind linger on Rakuen. "Rakuen where are you?" whispered the grey wolf into the night, the music from the festival at his back as he looked across the small lake next to the village.
So preoccupied was the elder wolf that he did not hear the footfalls or notice the familiar scent until lithe warm arms wrapped around his neck from behind, "Rakuen is in your heart Tsume."
Changing into his 26-year-old human self he turned in the arms to look at the smiling almost sixteen-year-old figure of his mate. Honey-amber eyes smiled as the brown head nuzzled the neck of the elder wolf, "I know you are happy with me, and will love me for the rest of our lives, as will I. And I know that, you know that, we found Rakuen, our own personal Rakuen in our hearts."
The younger leaned forward to give the other a chaste kiss; gold eyes smiled, "You're right Toboe; I guess I can't deny that this is paradise."
Author's Note:
1 The Elements are Servants of the Moon: The moon controls the tides and the gravitational balance of the earth. If the moon were no longer there, there would be no water and the earths core would cease to move, bottom line there would be no life or earth.
2 Fortnight: is a term for two weeks
3Wolf Pregnancy: there is a gestation period (where the fetus is developed with in the womb) of 60 to 63 days and then they are born blind and deaf. They stay with their mother in the den for eight weeks. There are one to fourteen pups per litter.
4Menstrual Cycle: should only occur when a girls body is physically fit enough to carry a child which is when they reach the weight of over 45.5 kg or 100 lbs, if they never reach this weight than the cycle will start somewhere in their 16th year. (I know this from personal experience not to mentions my friend's mother is still only 43 kg (95 lbs).).
5Estrus: in the Anthropology world in the least it is the period of time where primates are 'in heat'. And humans (Homo sapien sapien) are in the order Primates.
Japanese
Rakuen no Ookami: Wolves' Paradise
Tsuki no Kami: Moon God (although the moon is female)
Aa: Yeah
All reviews are welcome.
Na