So much for two weeks, huh? Well, to be honest, I completely forgot about this fanfic. I feel so stupid. Sorry guys, I really am!

Fan Boy 101: Sorry to make you wait...hope you like it, though. I myself didn't really like the last chapter.

DarkWolf24: Thanks! Yeah, about the updating-soon thing. Sorry 'bout that!

"With just a look
They shook
And heavens bowed before him
Simply a look
Can break
Your heart"

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"Shit, Shae. We didn't know that…"

"Shit yeah! I didn't either, dumbass!" Shaera shouted at Hige.

"Cool it, Shae," Kai said nervously. "He didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah…" Shaera sat down. She hadn't even realized she'd been standing up until Kai's voice broke her assault on Hige.

"I know he didn't. I just…needed to vent a little bit. Sorry Hige, I didn't realize…"

"Yeah, it's okay," Hige laughed. "To be honest, it really isn't that new to me. But usually it's Tsume that does it."

"Stuff it, porky."

"See what I mean?"

Kai and Shaera slunk away from the argument, Kai to talk to Cheza and Shaera to stand next to Kiba, who was looking up at the sun as if to challenge it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," he said quietly, "the way it's always there? How it's always looking out for everything in the world?"

The sun reflected like fire in his eyes when he looked back at her, waiting for her answer.

"It is. Koura used to say…" she paused unexpectedly and swallowed hard. "He used to say that the sun would always protect us." She stopped again and smiled bitterly. "We haven't been seeing it much lately though, have we?"

"Koura was Kai's brother?" Kiba asked gently.

"Yeah," Shaera whispered. She couldn't keep her eyes from watering and tilted her head so that her hair shadowed her face.

Kiba's eyes softened. He put his hand on Shaera's shoulder and she looked up, surprised.

Kiba blinked. Before now, he would have never believed that Shaera, of anyone in the pack, would be standing in front of him crying, even if she'd tried her best not to.

She couldn't imagine why she was crying now. She'd never cried before, not since she thought she'd lost Rath…not in front of anyone. She hated herself for it.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't need to say anything else. Shaera blinked and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but none of the others seemed to have noticed that she was crying.

She smiled. "I must look terrible…" Her smile just got wider until she was laughing, if only a little bit.

Kiba couldn't help but notice, even after she'd been crying, how beautiful she still looked...but he didn't know what to say.

Shaera turned and walked over to where Hige and Tsume were still arguing and pushed Hige playfully on the ground. She became a wolf, turned to Tsume, bowed and wagged her tail.

-C'mon Tsume, you're not that old yet, are you?- She took off around a rock and jumped on top of it.

He grinned. -Get real.-

Blue and Toboe joined in soon enough, a mass of wriggling furry bodies, and playfulness got the better of him too. Soon they were all jumping on each other and growling like pups.

-When's the last time you had this much fun, Tsume?- Hige laughed. -You were probably a year old, maybe?-

-Please,- Tsume growled and dove at him.

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"…Are you sure this is…"

"Yes, Doctor. This was one of the books we found in Dante's possession," said the soldier obediently. "It's a book on their…ah…"

"The wolves' religion," Cher said breathlessly. "It's incredible…"

She turned the page and read carefully, continuing to translate the script of the nobles.

…And the White Flower will be the beacon that guides us to Paradise…And Paradise will not open without the Gates, alike as one but each inscribed with its own pattern…The Gates will take shape as two of us, but as bold and white as the Flower herself…

Cher paused despite herself. She reread the passage, but shook her head as if to clear it and continued reading.

…The Gatekeeper will watch over them as her own children, and they will be as untouchable once united, as together they are whole…For without the Gates the End will come for us as well as for humans…

She looked up at the soldier, who raised an inquiring eyebrow.

She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it and turned the page.

…And the Sight will come to one, who will lose its own in exchange for such a gift from the Great Spirit…The Great Spirit will instruct the Gatekeeper to aid the Gates, as is her duty…And the Second Gate will be equal in all ways to the First Gate, though directly of the First Wolf it may be…The First Gate will find that in itself it is as much as the Second…

So the Gates were supposed to be like leaders for the others, because without them Paradise wouldn't open…?

…And though the road will seem never-ending, it will end in Paradise…

Suddenly Cher blinked, looked at the soldier (who was starting to look annoyed), and flipped back to another page.

…The Gates will take the shape as two of us, but as bold and white as the Flower herself…

And she remembered.

"One of the wolves with Cheza is white," she told the soldier.

As if he knew what that meant. The radio at his waist beeped loudly.

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-Kiba, come on,- Shaera said urgently. -You're really supposed to see this.-

He sighed. -I didn't say I wouldn't.- He was finding it hard to say no to her. -I'll come with you.-

So they went.

Only when he started to wonder where in the hell they were going did she stop. Suddenly too, not with any warning. Then again, she usually didn't.

Shaera sprang at him. They snapped at each other and after she backed off a little, he was fuming.

-What the hell was that for?- he almost snarled.

Her brilliant eyes were desperate, almost panicked when she jumped again.

Adrenaline was pumping through his body and he had to fight himself not to hurt her. He was furious with himself when he realized that was what he wanted.

Shaera backed away when she noticed the fire erupt behind Kiba's eyes.

It took him a long moment to recognized that what her eyes held was fear, and was suddenly afraid of what he'd done to make her look at him like that.

Shaera was breathing heavily. She'd gotten him to do it—his teeth and claws were now silver like hers—but his eyes…that wasn't supposed to happen. She thought for a moment that he was actually going to hurt her…

And then Varah appeared out of nowhere. Shaera nearly fell over herself in her surprise.

It hit her abruptly that his teeth and claws shouldn't have turned silver…

"Varah?" she asked slowly.

"Yes?"

"Why did his turn silver? He's not a…I mean, he's not…" she stammered.

"No, of course he's not."

Kiba stood still, confusion muddling his thoughts.

"But why—?"

Varah laughed. "It's because he's a Gate, Shaera."

"I thought…you told me…"

"I lied."

And then they were all laughing.

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I hope that one was alright, considering how long it's been since I updated...it was pretty fun to write, though. Maybe the next one will come more quickly. I've learned not to make promises. Haha! You know what I'll ask...review please! Thanks guys. Lyrics from "Miss Murder" by AFI.