Dance of the Dark Flower
Hello everyone. This is my first time on FanFiction, but you can find other stories by me under the same name at FictionPress. This is my first Wolf's Rain story ever, so please no flaming of the story. No evil comments, no negative ideas. Positive suggestions are always welcomed. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain even though I seriously wished that I did. That would be so cool. Oh well, A girl can always dream.
Summary-The gang meets this she-wolf that knows the way to Paradise. On the way though, things go wrong. What if this she-wolf is an experiment on the loose? (Wolf's rain episode where Hige is in Jagra's Keep and they call him no. 23.) What if in stead of leading them to Paradise, she leads them right into a deadly trap
Scene 1: Darkness
Snow easily whipped around the five as they walked on into the frigid nothingness. They would not stop. They would strive on no matter what. They were on a mission. With the help of the Flower Maiden, they were going to find Paradise.
"Kiba!" shouted Hige. His dog collar flapped wildly around his neck. His orange jacket puffed out like a marshmallow and his jeans wrapped around his legs. "Kiba! We have to stop!"
"When will! In the next city!"
"And how soon will that be!" growled an extremely angry Tsume. He was clutching his arms around his chest as if he would pull them inside his body for protection.
"Soon!" 'Really soon I hope,' thought Kiba.
"Kiba?" A soft voice whispered into his ear. He turned to look at the Flower Maid, Cheza. "This one has faith in you. This one knows you will get us to a safe place."
"Cheza?" He stared at her with the softest of expressions on his face.
"Do you smell that?" Hige appeared from behind them with the ever so silent Toboe at his heels. "Kiba, do you smell that? It's food!" With the most energy Kiba had ever seen him have, Hige took off across the desolate land. Looking at one another, Tsume, Toboe, Cheza, and Kiba took off after him. As they approached the hill ahead, one of the largest cities they had ever seen in their lives sprang up from the horizon.
It took them twenty minutes to catch up to the ecstatic Hige. Unfortunately, with a long face and an expression of dread was the way they found him. Following his eye's path, they spotted the horrid site before them.
Laid out in the snow, blood soaking the whole coat of fur, was the body of a wolf.
"Is it alive?" asked Toboe, his voice shaky.
"I can't tell." Kiba knelt down in the snow and placed a hand to the wolf's neck. No sooner had it come to rest on the animal, did its eyes snap open and the wolf lurched up and back, snarling.
"It's a female." Tsume could hardly believe his eyes. Standing there in front of them in wolf form was an actual she-wolf. Her coat was a mangled looking white, drenched in blood. Startling red orbs looked out at them from behind half shut lids.
"Leave or be eaten!" The sweetest of voices came out as a growl from the wolf.
"We mean you no harm. We only want to help you." Kiba inched towards her with his arms wide in surrender. His actions received him a snap and a growl.
"Do you think I am stupid? I do not believe you! Why should I when you are just like all the others?"
"Others?" Toboe stared at her. "What others?"
Once again Kiba inched forward, once again receiving the same response.
"Kiba?" Cheza moved from behind him to stand before the wolf. "Do not be afraid. This one will not hurt you. This one believes that everyone should be treated the same whether wolf or human. You have nothing to hide. Show your human form."
As if her words had somehow had an immense effect on the she-wolf, she slowly dropped her guards and began to change into her human form.
Where there once stood a horrid looking she-wolf now stood an almost gorgeous female. Long, straight, raven black hair hung down her back and across one eye. From behind black lashes, silver eyes stared out into the world before and beyond. A black jean jacket hung unbuttoned to reveal a red tank top. Black jeans enveloped slender legs while, black, leather boots encased small feet. She would have looked more than almost beautiful if not for the large gashes running up and down and across her entire body.
"Know this Flower Maiden, just because I changed for you, does not mean that I will trust you." Her silver eyes held fury in them. Rage. Hate.
"Who are you?" asked Toboe. His innocent question received a look of suspicion from her.
"I should ask you five the same question. What exactly are you doing out here, and with the Flower Maiden none the less?"
"We're searching for Paradise." Kiba answered her.
"Paradise? All of you are a bunch of fools if you believe that Paradise is like legend says."
"Oh yeah? And how would you know," retorted Hige.
"I know...because I have been there! Paradise is nothing but a load of crap. Nothing peaceful lies in wait there. It is just a myth, so go home kiddies where you know things to be true." She shrugged past Kiba, only to be blocked by Tsume.
"You've actually been to Paradise?" The look in his eyes told them all that he doubted this girl.
"Yes."
"How do we know you're telling us the truth?"
"You do not." She started to walk on, but a sudden harmonized sound filled her ears. Turning, she faced the Flower Maiden with hatred upon her face. "No!" She yelled at Cheza. "I will not help you Flower Maiden. You know the way as do I. Even if you only find it through dreams, you know the way."
"This one only asks that you help Kiba and the others."
"No! I refuse to go back to that god forsaken place again."
"Then why not just show us the way until we reach the outskirts of it?" She whirled on Kiba then. Staring into those amethyst eyes, she felt something swirl around in side of her much like the wind around her.
"Very well. You will have your wish. I will show you to the gates of Paradise, but from there on you are on your own."
"Thank you!" Out of the blue, Toboe ran up and hugged her. No sooner had he wrapped his arms around her middle, did she fall into a dead faint.
Cheza sang her usual song as the others sat in the alley eating. The she-wolf lay at their side. The giant gashes on her body had been well dressed and where know healing rather fast.
An abrupt rambling of her body told them she had finally awaken.
"Where..."
"Eat this." The smell of food flooded her nostrils as the taste consumed her taste buds. She ate everything given to her and with a small burp, sighed.
"Thank you."
Kiba's voice filled her ears. "You're welcome."
"You are the white wolf I have heard tells about, are you not? All of you are the wolves that have been heard of, the ones fighting for righteousness?" She surveyed them all closely. "Yes, you are." A smile formed over her lips as she slowly and easily sat up.
"Tell me...what are your names?"
No one answered right away.
"My name is Toboe and I'm sorry if I hurt you when I hugged you." He looked sad.
"Hello Toboe. I am fine. You did not hurt what was already hurting." Her look of sincerity made his sadness instantly transform into happiness. "And now the rest of you?"
"Name's Hige. The scary looking guy with the white hair and the bad boy attitude is Tsume. I believe you already know the Flower Maiden, Cheza. The guy there that has kept a close observation on you is Kiba. This is his idea. We only want to see if it's true."
"Well...Hige, it is very true. There is a place called Paradise, but it is not like you think it is."
"Now then...she-wolf, you know our names, what is yours?" Tsume still looked unconvinced.
"How rude of me. My name is Mikayla. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." She bowed her head and black hair covered the silver eyes as they glistened dangerously in the fire light.
Created: Wednesday, September 01, 2004, 10:32:31 PM
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 08, 2004, 7:25 PM
Scene 2: Who and What?
They had set out on the road to Paradise again that morning before the sun rose. Mikayla had said that they would reach Paradise in exactly eight days if they continued at a steady pace without stopping very often. Quickly they left the snowy grounds only to find themselves once again in the desert.
"Are you sure that you know where we are going?" asked Hige for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
"Ask that question of me once more Hige and I will rip your throat out and eat it myself." Her snarled answer told him that she would probably do exactly as she said.
"He is only curious. He means no harm." Kiba intervened.
"Yes. I know this and I am truly sorry for the way I am acting, but something strange is going on inside of my head." Mikayla shook her head as if trying to clear whatever fogginess had invaded. Suddenly she stopped. "Flower Maiden? Do you feel that?"
"This one feels it. It is strong. To strong."
"What," growled Tsume. "What are you feeling?"
"Something with immense powers has been unleashed and is heading our way." Mikayla swayed as she walked onward without them, hand out in front of her. "Run. Run!" She spun around, sprinting back towards them in wolf form.
Still frozen to their spots, they watched in awe as the sands parted and out from beneath rose the ship of a noble, along with soldiers.
"We have the wolf in site captain. She seems to be attacking five human teenagers." One soldier, the leader no doubt, spoke into his head set.
"Shoot her at all cost. She cannot get away from us again," came the reply through his headset.
"Move out. Shoot her!" In an instance, all the living darkness in the world came to life. They ran towards her with guns blazing.
Kiba lurched forward to help, only to feel the hand of Tsume rest on his shoulder.
"Look." And he did. He watched as Mikayla jumped six of the soldiers and then using godlike speed, ran back through them, slashing all of them in the gut with her fangs. Gyrating, she faced the last of the soldiers. She was huffing hard, but her fangs were never unexposed.
"Experiment 75-8963, you are to cease all actions at once and return to base or be annihilated," said the soldiers' leader.
"I don't know who you think I am, but my name is Mikayla and I take orders from no one!" She charged at him, only to have to dodge a missile aimed at her. Looking up, they watched in horror as Mikayla was fired down upon. She dodged left, then right, and back left again. She would have made it out of there range fine if not for the hit she took in the leg.
No sooner had she gone down was she up again, being dragged away by Kiba in wolf form.
"We can't fight them. Come on!" He took off with her cradled against his chest. As they neared the spot they had recently been standing in, a beam came from the sky and sucked them up.
Mikayla opened her eyes to find herself in human form. She was laying on something soft and cuddly and to make things even stranger, somehow she was nude.
"Don't worry. None of the others saw you. I did that." A feminine voice came from somewhere in the room.
Automatically on alert, Mikayla shot ramrod straight in bed. Scanning the room, her eyes came to rest on a not beautiful, yet pretty, woman. She had blonde hair that was swept up into a ponytail with a tendril hanging down the side. Her blue eyes made Mikayla feel almost transparent.
"Who are you?" Mikayla stood, sheet wrapped around her body protectively.
"A friend of the wolves. My name's Cher. Who are you?"
"Mikayla. Tell me, Cher, if you really are a friend of the wolves, then where are they?" Her suspicious eyes flashed once from their natural silver to the deadly crimson and back.
"Look kid. Don't get any ideas in here. You're lucky to have had someone like Kiba and the others find you. They don't have time to waste on wolves not willing or are too bull headed to help. Got that? So you can either do one of two things here. You can believe me and meet us in five minutes in the control room, or you can disbelieve me and attack now only to be ripped to shreds later. Your choice." With those words and a cold look, Cher walked out the door.
Looking around the room, she spotted a set of folded clothing in a chair across the room. She headed for the bathroom without hesitation.
It was exactly five minutes later when Mikayla emerged in the control room. Where once her everyday clothes had been, were now replaced by things that looked to be far more expensive. Her jacket was genuine leather, as where the pants, while her tank was made of the softest cotton. Her black hair was pulled back from her face with a rubber band and secured in a bun in the back of her head.
No one was in the room when she arrived. That little aspect sent her into complete and total wolf mode.
The door to the room opened unexpectedly and without much thought, she pouched.
"Mikayla! No!" Those words were all she needed to hear to restrain herself enough not to rip out the throat of who ever she had pouched on. Taking human form, she faced Kiba, Tsume, Toboe, Hige, Cheza, the woman Cher, and two others.
"Forgive me. I overreacted again, apparently."
"No need." That voice. She knew that voice. Looking at the man she had pouched on, she was suddenly struck with sheer recognition.
"L-Lord Darcia?" Mikayla stumbled back. "It is not possible. You should...You are dead. I saw it with my own eyes. You, along with the Lady Inez were cursed to be the last of the Clan."
"Nice to know that you know me, yet I do not know so much about you. Tell me your name she-wolf." His deep purple hair hung lazily down his back and his robes swirled around him. He was the ultimate noble. He was the feared and greatly known lord, Lord Darcia.
"My name is Mikayla Ezra, Leader of the Kinaki Pack. I was the leader of one of your arms some five years ago." Mikayla bowed to him and with sparkling silver eyes, gave him a smirk. Their eyes challenged each other until one finally broke contact. Turing to the other female, obviously a wolf, that she didn't know, Mikayla's curiosity got the best of her.
"Who are you?"
"Blue."
"Blue? As in the color?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Seeing that something between the two definitely wasn't right, Toboe interrupted.
"Darcia? How did you know where to find us?"
"I've been tracking you."
"Since we left the castle right?"
"Exactly."
"Tell us then, what exactly have you found out about the way to Paradise." Tsume growled out his words more than spoke them.
"Cheza is the key...but she is not the only one. A chosen wolf is foretold in the story. The wolf chosen by the Flower Maiden is the one who will find Paradise."
"And who is this Chosen Wolf?"
"We don't know." Cher said.
They all looked down at the floor. All except Mikayla. Something was nagging at her brain. Something of great importance.
When it hit her, it felt like a ton of bricks crushing her chest. The adrenaline rush that struck with it, made her instantly take wolf form.
"Mikayla?" They all stepped away from her. She was on all fours, fangs bared, crimson eyes looking furious. An agonized howl escaped through her jaws.
"Who am I?"
"What are you talking about?" Hige huddled closer to Blue as if in protection.
"Out there. Those soldiers. You all heard what they said. They called me an experiment! What did they mean?" Her head was swaying from side to side as if she were trying to get rid of something.
"Mikayla Lupa!" Out of nowhere, a voice as soft as time itself exploded throughout the room for all to hear. "Mikayla Lupa. Do not fear. You knew this would happen. Deep down in your subconscious, you knew."
"Who are you?"
"Do not fear. I am your guardian. I am the one who has watched over you all this time. Listen carefully Lupa. You must not return to this place. It is not Paradise. Take them away from these lands and never return. Hurry! They seek you! You must leave!" The voice slowly, yet surely faded away while Mikayla once again took on her human form.
"What in the world was that?" breathed Tsume.
"The ancient one. Sister to this one," answered Cheza.
"Cheza, you know what that thing was." She nodded at Kiba. "What do you mean she was sister to you? How is that possible?"
"This one does not have all the answers to your questions Kiba. This one only knows what has been told. The appearance of the ancient one signifies that Paradise is very near."
"That is nice and skippy, Flower Maiden, but what does this sister of yours mean when she tells me not to be afraid? Huh? What does she-what do you know that you are not telling?" By this time, Mikayla was almost within two feet of Cheza when Kiba stepped before her. "Get out of the way."
"You will not harm Cheza."
"Cheza? I'm not worried about harming Cheza. I will harm you however if you do not move." A growl formed up from the depths of Kiba's throat as he instantly took to all fours.
"If you wish a test of strengths Mikayla, I advise you to be prepared. Once this is over, you will not be with us any longer. We will find Paradise on our own.
Scene 3-Dark Beginnings
They left Darcia's ship two mornings later in silence. No one had spoken to any one in the past forty-eight hours and to tell the truth, it was starting to work on the now frustrated Toboe's nerves.
"When will the two of you give this up?" He couldn't help himself as the words came out of his mouth like melting chocolate.
"I will stop when she stops. I am not the leader of this group, but I am a person. I've never turned down and a challenge and I don't plan on starting now." Kiba bit the words out through clenched teeth.
"I didn't challenge him," retorted Mikayla angrily.
"If the two of you can't get along on this trip, what makes you think we can, huh?" Hige had a point. With an alpha male and an alpha female neck and neck at each other, there could be no peace between the rest of the alpha males because they too feel what the other alpha male feels. It was a wolf thing.
"Fine! Kiba I apologize if I hurt your pride or gave you the wrong impressions. I never meant for any of this to..." She stopped in mid sentence as her silver eyes flashed and rolled back in her head. Her body fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"Mikayla!" They all ran to the downed she-wolf. Her pulse was out of control and her forms kept changing from human to wolf and back again.
"The dark one is coming. This one fears that Paradise may be in trouble." Cheza too fell to the ground.
"What's going on?" Toboe looked from one female to the other. Both seemed to be lost in the same trance-like state.
"Calm down Toboe!" Tsume ordered with authority in his voice. "Kiba?"
"I don't know. They have strong pulses, but they're none responsive."
"And they will remain that way unless you get them to my master."
Turning on alert, also angry they hadn't sensed him, the pack turned to face not a him, but a her. She smelled like an alpha male, but she was a female.
"Who are you," Hige snarled, on all fours, at the newcomer.
"Ooh! I'm so afraid. Relax wolf. I will not harm them. I have come to help."
"What makes you think we want your help?"
"Oh you do. Trust me, you do. You see, they are like that because of me. Now before you go berserk listen. You have entered a barrier field. When you passed through the barrier, a high pitched sound was emitted. Apparently it was too low for your keen ears. You all probably heard a slight ring right?" Look at her, they all nodded. "Yes well, those with keener ears than your own are the only ones likely to hear the sound. These two have those ears, which mean they are either the bots sent by Sonia or they are extremely gifted.
Now then, since you know what we are about. Follow me. Quickly!"
Obeying orders, Kiba lifted Cheza and Tsume lifted Mikayla, and they cautiously followed. They followed her through some freaky underground cave thing and into some underground military base of sorts.
"Where are we?"
"Do not ask questions. Just follow me quietly." They walked a little further until they came to what looked like the lab Cher once had. "Put them down over there." She pointed at three tables on the far side of the room. "My Lord Christien (Yes it is spelled right. It is pronounced the same only with Ian on the end), I bring you travelers in trouble. Apparently their females have keen enough ears, that they picked up on the ultrasonic transmissions. I ask that you help them my lord." She bowed at the waist.
"Your wish shall be granted Nicoli." A guy with long, white hair, little, sporty framed glasses covering small, baby blue eyes, wearing a long white, blue, and red cape appeared.
They guy, Lord Christien stepped towards the two tables where Cheza and Mikayla lay. Resting his hands upon each of their foreheads, he said a few words in some foreign language. They watched as a light blue ora seeped from his body into theirs. Almost as if on cue, the girls' eyes opened.
"What happened?" asked Mikayla as she stood and looked at the smiling people around her. Around her. No sooner had she stood that she fell into a heap on the floor.
Memories ran through her head like a slide show. Her and her best friend in Paradise as kids. Her and some guy poking her in the arm with a needle. A water filled tube. A blue light. Darkness.
The memories left her in a flood of emotions on the cold cement floor.
"Mikayla? Mikayla snap out of it!" A slap across the face brought her fully back to where she was. She found her cheek stinging and Tsume staring into her face.
"You...You slapped me!"
"I had to do something to bring you out of that stupid trance of yours."
"But slapping me! My God Tsume, could you not have thought of a less painful way?" She rubbed her red, pulsating cheek.
"Pardon me?" Lord Christien stepped up to her. "If it is of any help, I told him it would be the simplest way. Forgive me."
"Um...Who are you?"
"My name is Lord Christien of The Underground Station known as Mezra."
"Mezra? The Mezra? The underground station wanted by Sonia?"
"Yes. Tell me, how is it that you know of us and Sonia?" Christien had a skeptical eye on her.
"I...I have absolutely no idea." She looked a little confused as her brows furrowed. "That is strange."
"Your name's Mikayla, right?"
"Yeah."
"Do you mind lying back on the table for me Mikayla?"
"Depends on what I am laying back for."
"If it is okay with you and the rest of your pack," He looked to the others who shrugged, "I'd like to examine you. Telepathically." Mikayla looked form the faces of the others and then, shrugging, she lay back.
Lord Christien walked to her head and placed his hands on either side. He closed his eyes and went silent.
"Hige, what do you suppose this telepathy thing is doing to Mikayla?" asked Toboe inquisitively.
"No idea. If anything goes wrong, we'll be prepared." Hige rested a reassuring hand on Toboe's shoulder.
"I have finished." Lord Christien returned back to his regular state. Mikayla on the other hand, looked to be sleep.
"This one feels great pain from your spirit. Why?" Cheza addressed him.
"Your friend is not human."
"Neither are we."
"Yes, I know. You're wolves on a quest to find Paradise." Christien sighed. "She is neither human nor wolf nor anything else for that matter. She is a clone with a highly dense chip implanted inside of her."
"Could you explain it a little bit better?" Tsume sounded and looked annoyed by Christien's consistency to avoid the problem.
"She's a genetically engineered clone made by Sonia, Dark Empress. In her head, somewhere, there is a chip implanted. This chip is a tracing device as well as a command center. Apparently your friend's chip has somehow malfunctioned."
"You got of that from her brain telepathically?" Hige appeared rather nervous.
"Yes. You must not believe everything that she tells you. Once the chip has been reactivated, you won't know the difference. You must be on guard. I leave you know for she shall awaken soon. Tell her what I have told you. Goodbye and good luck wolves. You will need it." With those words, he vanished. The girl named Nicoli gestured for them to follow her.
When they reached the exit, Nicoli spoke.
"If you wish, you may always return. That is the word of Nicolisha Mezra." She bowed to them.
"Nicolisha? Who is Nicolisha?" Hige inquired.
"I am. Nicoli is a nickname, nothing more. Now then, farewell."
"Farewell." And once more they walked out into the never-ending desert with Mikayla resting soundlessly on Tsume's back.
Scene 4- Dark Emperess
It was long into the next night before Mikayla awoke. The smell of things not right was the force that pushed her subconscious aside and drove her from the vast state of dreamland to the living state of life. Looking from left to right, she realized that she was in a cave and that the warmth she had been feeling while in sleep was coming from the four wolves, and Cheza, huddling close to her. Something in side of her felt as though it would snap at any minute and a mirage of tears would overflood her.
Standing. she walked calmly and quietly to the mouth of the cave. The moon show with all its lustrous beauty, while the diamond shaped stars twinkled.
"What is happening to me?" She muttered the words so that only she could hear them. Or so she thought.
"You really have no idea do you?"
Mikayla whirled around to find herself face to face with Tsume, a look of compassion on his face.
"What are you talking about?"
"You really don't know?"
"Know what? What is it that you think I am suppose to know Tsume?" She was getting angrier by the minute.
"While we were back there at the Underground Station, that guy, Lord Christien, found something on you."
"What? What is it? What does he know? What did he find?"
"Whoa!" Tsume turned away from her. Then as if compelled to do so, he looked back at her. "You're not human."
"Well duh! Neither are you in case you forgot."
"No. You don't get it. Mikayla... you're neither human nor wolf. You're a...clone made by that Sonia lady."
Silence filled in the space between them before, unexpectedly, Mikayla burst into fits of laughter and shrieks.
"You are so crazy. For a second ther I thought you were going to tell me that I was some kind of witch or something. Tsume, you really do know how to cheer a person up. Thank you. Now I think I can go back to sleep." She patted him on the back smiling as she walked by.
"Oh man. Kiba's going to be pissed." With hunched shoulders, he wetn back into the cave with the others. Might as well wait till morning to sort this mess out.