A/N: Chapter 25 of Ginga Densetsu Alayus. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Ginga Densetsu Weed belongs to the rightful owner.
Special thanks to the reviewers as well as to the readers who Fav/Alert this story. I really appreciate it.
Chapter 25: Farewell
Weed's Army...
Before heading out to Hougen's home in the Southern Alps, Weed had to deal with the problem of the runts of his army, namely the pups.
"Weed, what do you plan to do?" Jerome asked as they watched the younger group play amongst themselves. There were also some by the water pool either watching the small fish or getting a quick drink.
"We've gathered a bunch of kids who aren't even a year old." GB added.
"I've decided to leave them here." Weed replied, turning to face them. "I'm not going to snatch their own futures away from them. I don't want to involve them without a reason.
"What? Why?!" The group of kids huddled in front of Kyoshiro in bewilderment and anger.
"No, Kyoshiro-san!" Teru jumped in front, challenging him. Out of everyone, he was considered the oldest namely because he was one of the first ones they picked up along their quest.
"Keep quiet." was the reply from their cranky baby-sitter, "I won't let you complain."
"But didn't you say that we'd all be together until we die?"
"I said no!" Kyoshiro snapped, causing Teru and everyone else to flinch under his mean stare, "It wouldn't be worth a thing, taking any of you along with us!"
"But, Kyoshiro-san...that's cruel!"
"Shut up! Be quiet and listen to what you're told!"
"No, I'm going!"
"Hey, Teru!"
"That idiot..." Rocket sighed as he and the others watched the bickering, "He shouldn't have said it in that way..." Branching off from the group Teru ran up to Weed immediately with Kyoshiro on his heels.
"Please, Leader! Please take us with you!"
"That's enough out of you!" Kyoshiro snapped as he held the pup down.
"Please, don't leave me here!" Teru pleaded, "Without fail, my death will be a heroic one!" Weed looked at him in shock, never had he heard such a thing from a young pup like Teru who was willing to die. Soon the rest of the runts joined in, pleading for Weed to take them. "We won't get in anyone's way! We'll be of use to you all and die useful deaths!"
"Thank you, everyone." Weed said after he got over his shock. "I will never forget your intentions. But don't misunderstand this. To die is not something remarkable. To live is much more remarkable than dying. Living is more difficult, it takes courage to do it. You guys are the ones that will succeed our dying wish. If by any chance, something were to happen to us...when that time comes, then it'd be your turn. Don't exterminate the strong justice that you all hold. After us, you guys will rise in replacement. Until we exterminate those scoundrels, I won't allow you all to die. Do you understand?"
"Yes Leader." The pups replied obediently.
"Weed, I'll be the one to take care of the pups." The village elder spoke as the group planned to depart.
"Thank you very much. Thank you for all of your help too, Tesshin-san." Weed said, "We'll be on our way."
"Wait a second..." Tesshin spoke, "are you planning on leaving me here too, Leader?"
"You just said Leader, didn't you?" GB asked, standing in shock. "Then...does that mean...?"
"That's right." Even the pups looked at him as he continued speaking, the other ninja dogs appeared right behind them with determined expressions, "You're just like the Leader when he was young. Not just how you look, but your feelings too. After watching you, I came to a realization. What your father was doing and who he was risking his own life for. It was for all of us, all of us dogs. There's only one answer...that justice will prevail. We're all the same. From now on, the Ninja Dogs-more than 20 of us, will team up with the Ohu army."
"There's over 100 of us now!" Kagetora smiled as everyone grinned in happiness.
"Thank you, Tesshin-san!" Weed bowed his head with respect.
"No need to thank me, Leader. Now, let's go!"
"Right!" Weed nodded his head, "Okay, since we know that my father is no longer a hostage in Hougen's control we'll go straight towards Futago Pass. There will be tough battles ahead but I'm sure we'll succeed."
"Don't forget the fact that there are others still within Ohu fighting for us." Kagetora said. "My dad should be there as well as Akame."
"Also Alayus is doing her job as well. She'll meet us there once she has finished her orders from the Leader." Jerome added.
"Mmhmm, that's right. We have a lot of friends that are depending on us. Okay everyone, let's go."
"Well then, I hope we meet again." John bowed his head to the elder as he turned to follow the Ohu army.
"Do come back to visit, John-san." The elder spoke as the pups around him yelled their goodbyes. "It'd be a honor if we could sit and talk one on one."
"Okay." The German Shepherd smirked as he raced away. "You can put it on my tab."
Meanwhile...
Hougen and Kamakiri, after combining their armies together arrived at Gajou in Futago pass. The weather was harsh with freezing snow and ice but Genba's army greeted them regardless. With numbers around 700 that puts the Ohu army at a disadvantage.
"Thanks for your efforts in meeting me!" Hougen laughed as he padded up, looking around with glee.
"Brother!" He turned to see Genba run up to greet him. "Brother! We've been waiting for you!"
"Yeah, you've done well Genba!" Hougen praised him.
"Brother, I bet you're tired. Go inside...it's filled with your favorite things."
"That's great. But, Genba..." Hougen's smirk mirrored that of his younger brother as he licked his chops, "You've got females for me, haven't you?"
"We're working on getting some here right now." Genba replied as he turned to lead his brother into his new home. "They should be here very shortly."
"Alright, alright!" Hougen laughed, walking behind Genba with a gleam in his eye.
"Don't multiply." Kamakiri muttered to himself as he proceeded to follow the Great Danes to get out of the cold.
Somewhere else...
This should be the right place...if I'm not mistaken. Alayus frowned as she looked around. After breaking off from Weed's group she made her way to where Gin asked her to go, to the territory where Moss lives. However she was a little off, appearing in Shikoku. Oh great, I ended up in a small town with humans. As she padded along, she kept seeing posters of a famous dog her mother once told her about. Sitting on her haunches she looked up to get a better look of the dark brown Tosa on the poster.
"There was a really famous dog your father had a chance to meet, a legendary fighting dog." Rue told her child during one of her many stories. His name was Benizakura and he was considered the strongest dog in the world. Unfortunately he drowned during a battle against a bear named Mosa. He was truly a heroic figure and to commemorate his life, our Leader set a little shrine for him in Ohu. Maybe I'll take you to see that shrine myself."
So this is what Benizakura looked like back when he was a fighter. Alayus stared wide-eye at the magnificent dog. Wished he was still alive, I'd love to have met him myself. Smiling she continued walking until she was at the other side of town. Continuing down the road she soon realized that she was lost...again. The town was behind her but she wondered into a forest with no way of escaping.
"Man! I wonder where I am now." She mumbled as she looked around, searching for a way forward.
"Halt." Looking up she came face to face with a dog with black and tan fur. He also had pointed ears and a curved tail. From his appearance he appeared to be a local. "State your purpose here."
"Uhhh...I'm just a traveling soldier. But can I ask for your direction? I'm lost." She sat down on her haunches and waited for him to come to her.
"Hougen scum! Prepare yourself!" Another voice spoke and a dog shot out from behind just as the first dog was about to move.
"Huh?!" Alayus looked up in surprise as teeth clamp themselves around her neck and she was pinned underneath the other female. "Wait! I'm telling the truth." She protested but that only got her attacker to bite harder.
"Really? Then prove it." The dog growled. "My nose tells me you aren't from around here but you do have a faint stench from the Southern Alps, Hougen's territory."
"Fool." Alayus snapped, "If a fight is what it takes to prove something, then..." Latching her own fangs onto the scruff of her opponent, she broke out of her bind and pinned the other dog down. "let me show you my strength." Letting go she created some distance between them and growled. The other dog got up and snarled back.
"Ryo, don't do this." The first dog spoke. "You're about to make a grave mistake."
"Don't be fooled Ryu." Ryo snapped angrily, her fur bristling. "You can't trust anybody so why not attack first and ask questions later. Hey you!" She said, getting Alayus' attention, "Quit wasting time and attack already!"
She's an impatient one...very well. "Metsu..." Running towards her opponent Alayus jumped high into the air, paws out-stretched, "Hen'i Battouga!" rotating her body at a fast pace, she started to create her star-like opening.
"W-what is that technique?!" The female dog stood there paralyzed as she watched the attack come close, blinking her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"Dodge it!" At the sound of her brother's voice she tried to escape but Alayus sucked her in, using her teeth to rip and tear at her opponent's flesh. Once she stopped rotating and landed on her feet, her opponent fell with blood trickling out all over her body.
"Ryo!" Ryu ran forward to check on the wounded dog.
"Huh?" She opened her eyes and looked at herself, "It doesn't hurt just stings a bit."
"Oh good. The wounds aren't deep. They're just light scratches." Ryu then looked at Alayus who was standing not far off. "You...held back didn't you."
"WHAT?!" The female snapped as she got up only for her brother to hold her back. "You didn't go all out, why?"
"I was trying to prove to you that I am not a follower of that snot-face bastard." Alayus spoke, laughing inwardly as she recalled her father calling the Great Dane as such. "And my battouga is not meant to be used as a tool to kill others, it's a family heritage and I won't defile it by taking lives."
"You...what's your name?" Ryo asked.
"My name is Alayus, daughter of Rue and John." Alayus bowed her head in greeting.
"J-John." Ryu was taken aback. "You mean the Leader's right hand man?"
"That would be my Dad." She grinned, "Now would you please tell me where I can meet Moss?"
"Moss? The leader of a pack of 35 dogs?" Ryu asked before scratching his head in thought. "He doesn't live too far away, just beyond those ridges." Turning around Alayus looked at the massive mountains that loomed over her.
"Thanks." with a wave of her tail, she took off and disappeared out of sight. Giving each other a look Ryu and Ryo quickly raced back home to where their other siblings Hanji and Heita lounged around in the sun. After a brief meeting the siblings immediately raced after the German Shepherd.
"Whew! I made it!" Alayus grunted as she looked at the mountain's base in front of her. "The town is so little behind me." She mused as she saw the tiny houses and other human things. Shaking her head, she turned around and proceeded forward along the mountain path.
"WAIT!" Alayus paused and looked behind her to see Ryu, Ryo and two others running up to her. "Wait! Take us with you!"
"Ehh?" The German Shepherd tilted her head, looking at them in confusion as they skidded to a stop before her. "But why?"
"We wish to be of use to you." Ryu said while the others nodded. "We could be your assistants."
"Look I appreciate your help but you don't have to follow me." Alayus said.
"Nonsense." Ryo snorted, "You might be able to make it on your own but the more the better right?" Looking at them, seeing the determination on their faces, Alayus knew she shouldn't argue and accept their help.
"Thank you but let me tell you something." The German Shepherd looked at them with a steel gaze, "This journey that I'm walking is a fine line, you are responsible for your own lives. I will not force you to do something you don't feel like doing and there will be casualties if you are not careful. I am willing to hold your lives in my paws but I also want to know if you are willing to commit and stick this road by my side. Are you sure about this choice you are about to make? This is your chance to back out if you choose to do so because I'm only going to warn you once."
"You don't need to lecture us, we've already held our own meeting. By consensus all of us are ready to follow your lead. We'd be honored to lay our lives down for you, Alayus-sama." Ryu said and the four of them bowed their heads.
"Please, we're friends now so there's no need for formalities." Alayus fretted, not knowing how to act since she has never had anyone refer to her as a leader. "Let's go then. We have some ways to go."
"Right!"