Disclaimer: Don't own, will never own...

Author's Note: Wolves are pregnant, to my knowledge, for about eight weeks (the time Tsuki goes missing). I also dub this chapter "the chapter in which the OCs begin to get killed off". Oh boy.

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Chapter 12

Chikane paused in surprise as Himeko swept past her, not even bothering to look at her when their shoulders bumped; the dark-haired girl frowned, turning. "Himeko?"

The other girl froze before slowly looking at her, smiling weakly. "Yes?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I just need to go out real quick."

"Out where?"

"Just… out. You know."

It was both the truth and a lie, and Chikane picked up the subtle difference that gave it away; she frowned, stepping closer to Himeko. "Actually, I don't."

"It's nothing for you to worry about." Himeko tilted her head back to meet Chikane's eyes, though the smile never left her lips. "It's something I need to do. I've figured out a few things and just need some confirmation."

"… You need who to do what now?"

The complete and utter confusion in Chikane's voice shattered the seriousness of the situation, and Himeko couldn't help but laugh; the laughter faded quickly, though, as did her smile. "Chikane-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember what I said this morning? About my going to a place where you can't follow?"

"Yes." Her eyes narrowed slightly.

For a moment the golden-haired girl standing before her seemed to backtrack, as though she was thinking about whatever it was she was about to do and what possible consequences it might have in the future; then she stepped closer to Chikane, lifting a hand.

"Consider this the first step down that path."

And in one fluid movement, Himeko cupped the back of Chikane's neck and brought the dark-haired girl's lips down onto hers.

It was a kiss meant to be quick, meant to leave an impression and a mark on the soul of the person on the receiving end, and it would have done the job quite nicely if Chikane had left it at that and let Himeko break it when she did; but, being who she was, she couldn't just let it end there. Anger and confusion was still hot in her veins, and all she sought now were answers.

But when she cupped Himeko's cheek and pressed her lips against the other girl's again, it was unmistakably gentle.

The first kiss, despite its shortness (intended or not) had been almost pained, angry, meant to bruise and leave its mark in a way that could not be ignored. The second kiss, despite the emotions it had been born from, was gentle—Chikane's mouth coaxed more than demanded, and against her will Himeko found herself responding, timidly, but still responding.

This had been a mistake. A big, big mistake. She knew that now, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

The kiss broke—albeit reluctantly—because both girls desperately needed to breathe a moment. Closing her eyes even as the tears began to fall, Himeko nuzzled into the crook of Chikane's neck for a moment, taking comfort in the hunter's warmth.

Wolf hunter. A wolf hunter of Kannazuki Orihime's blood.

Oh, God. What a fool she was. Just like Tsuki.

"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, Chikane-chan."

With that, the light-haired girl tore out of the other's grasp and fled, running as fast as her legs could allow. Chikane stood frozen for a moment; her eyes widened, and she shot after the other girl. "Himeko! Himeko, wait!"

By the time she reached the door and stood outside, however, it was too late. Himeko was already gone.

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"I'm gonna go patrol real quick before we settle down for the night. You okay with that?"

Orihime glanced up, frowning a little as Sakura paused by the trees, waiting for her stepsister's words. "I don't know, Sakura-chan," she said at last. "We just came here, and we don't know the territory that well. I might not get to you quickly if something comes up."

Smirking, Sakura crossed the camp grounds in long strides and gently tapped Orihime's nose. "What? Worried your sister can't handle herself in the dark?"

Smiling tiredly, Orihime hooked one arm around Sakura's neck and pulled her in to a light embrace. "Just because you're the only sister I have."

"We're not even related by blood." Sakura returned the hug, regardless.

"When did that ever count?"

"Touché."

Despite everything, Orihime managed the laugh, weak and soft as it was; satisfied, Sakura pulled away, giving a strand of hair a gentle tug. "Come on, don't worry. I'll be fine. You never know." She closed one eye and smiled. "Maybe I'll find Blackie-chan and drag her back to you, right?"

"Maybe." Orihime smiled softly.

"Well then. I'll keep an eye out."

Giving one last nod, Sakura turned away, heading for the trees and one hand resting trustingly against the gun strapped to her hip. For a moment Orihime felt a flash of fear; it had been nearly twelve weeks since Tsuki's disappearance, and something inside her didn't sit right with letting Sakura go off on her own this one time.

"Sakura-chan, be careful," she called after the other woman. "I mean it."

Sakura chuckled in response, waving one hand carelessly over her shoulder to show she had heard Orihime's words. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she called back.

With that, she vanished into the trees.

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Instinct took place of logic; as soon as she was within the shadows of the trees, with the grass wet and cool beneath her feet, Himeko dropped her human skin and streaked toward the scent of the hunting party she'd detected just minutes earlier, her legs a blur and her eyes narrow. Muscles rippled beneath her fur as she easily tracked the hunting party, pushing her swirling emotions to the side; she'd deal with Chikane and the mess she'd left behind later. Right now, she had more important things to deal with.

As she drew closer and the scent became stronger Himeko slowed her frantic pace to a lope, announcing her presence with a howl so the leaders would know it was her and not a loner. She leaped easily over a small gathering of rocks and stumbled to a halt when she found herself touching noses with Kazuki. Nekoko stood a little ways behind him, with two other wolves. "Himeko?" His golden eyes widened in surprise, and Nekoko padded to his side. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I have some questions about my heritage." Himeko met Kazuki's gaze evenly, urged on by the gentle weight of the shell pendant resting against her chest. "Questions I think the Heads can answer."

The large male slowly lowered his ears. "You figured it out, then."

"More or less."

For a moment Kazuki didn't reply; he tilted his head slightly to the side, speaking softly into Nekoko's ear; the light brown she-wolf frowned and narrowed her eyes before nodding, flicking her other ear before looking at Himeko.

"Well, come on, then."

"Aren't… aren't you hunting?"

"Want to join us?" Kazuki's eyes gleamed. "Just for a moment. You look stressed."

It was the most wonderful thing Himeko had heard in quite awhile, and she easily fell into place with her pack mates to continue the hunt.

Kazuki was right, anyway. It would clear her head, if only for a moment.

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Rakuen lay on his stomach on a rock, his head resting on his paws and letting the sun soak into his fur as he dozed lightly, keeping his ears perked for any unusual sounds. The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky above in reds and oranges that melted in comparison to the large male's golden fur.

A soft laugh and a playful yelp from the den made him open one eye, his lips curving slightly. Two female voices drifted from the darkness within, one lightly scolding the other who defended her puppy-like actions by saying she was just playing with her son.

The scolding one was probably Hana, he mused, Kiba's mate. The one who was just playing with her son was most likely—

"She's a good mother."

The deep voice made Rakuen open his eyes and lift his head, looking up; his brother, Kiba, stood over him, a rabbit at his paws and his golden eyes unreadable. He glanced briefly at the den as the fading sunlight danced along his dark brown fur. "From what you'd told me, I was certain she'd abandon Haku after birth to Hana, but…"

The fur along Rakuen's shoulders bristled. "Just because she loves a human doesn't mean she'd leave her son behind."

"I just thought, you know, like mother like daughter—"

With a snarl Rakuen surged to his paws, and Kiba stumbled back hastily, slipping and nearly falling off the rock. "Any reason," he growled between clenched teeth, "why you're comparing Tsuki to someone who never even raised her?"

"Hey, come on, bro," Kiba whined pitifully, lowering his ears as he staggered to his paws. "I'm just saying, you know?"

"I know." Fury still coursing through his veins, Rakuen sat down with narrow eyes. "But that's no excuse."

Properly scolded, Kiba lowered his head to retrieve the rabbit before bounding into the den, not even capable of meeting his older brother's eyes. Still seething, Rakuen focused his gaze on the trees and tried to calm his breathing and relax his muscles. He blinked in surprise as a dark muzzle quietly brushed his shoulder. "Tsuki."

"You okay, big guy?" Her dark blue eyes were concerned as she gazed at her old friend.

"Could be better, I'll admit." He blew out a long breath. "Sorry you had to hear that."

"It doesn't bother me, you know." She licked his ear. "And Kiba doesn't know me as well as you do."

"Still."

Tsuki laughed softly, pulling away and standing; the pink shell pendant around her neck gleamed in the dying sunlight. "I need to go back in. Haku gets anxious if I'm gone for too long." She brushed her tail briefly against Rakuen's shoulder before vanishing into the den again. Rakuen watched her go before looking back to the landscape, his eyes softening slightly at the thought of Haku.

The pup's birth had been more out of necessity than love, but it did nothing to lessen the devotion and love Rakuen and Tsuki had for their son. Haku, Tsuki sometimes joked, was the best of both of them; possessing his mother's black fur and his father's golden eyes, he was a gentle, soft-spoken pup who wouldn't hurt a fly and who was constantly tripping over his paws, which promised to one day fit his large, muscular adult body.

Of course, when Tsuki said this, Rakuen knew for a fact that she was referring to how Haku had taken more after his father than his mother.

A muffled sound made him blink, and his ears swiveled forward. The sound came again, still muffled by the trees but at the same time—just a little clearer. He narrowed his eyes. Gunshots? He slowly stood.

"Rakuen." Tsuki was back at the entrance, Haku huddled between her paws, his eyes wide and uncertain.

"I'll be right back," the golden wolf said, looking at her briefly. "I just need to check this out real quick. Make sure it's not some hunter who's straying a little too close."

"Daddy's gonna make the bad guys go away?" Haku's eyes lit up.

"Yeah." Rakuen's eyes softened. "That's right, champ."

"Good luck, Daddy!"

Nodding briefly, looking at Tsuki one last time, Rakuen leaped down from the rock and raced for the trees.

His body was large but lean, and he moved quickly and silently as darkness began to fall and stars speckled the sky above. In only a matter of minutes he'd reached the area of the gunshots; not the clearing that Tsuki so often visited in memory of her human mother, but a smaller clearing with a small creek slashing through the silver night grass.

In the moonlight, cut jagged by the trees, he saw a human man standing in the grass, a gun in his hand. At his feet lay the huddled form of a young woman, the strap on her hip notably empty. Then her hair caught the silver light, gleamed as she shifted weakly and groaned.

Rakuen's heart dropped into his paws. He established the mental link without realizing it.

"SAKURA!"

Hearing his anguished howl, the man looked up. His blue hair gleamed black in the moonlight, and he bared his teeth in a cold grin as his golden eyes flashed.

Laughing softly, Tsume lowered his hand and let Sakura's gun fall from his fingers. It hit the grass with a dull, muffled thud.

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The hunt was less of a hunt and more of a patrol, when Himeko was brutally honest with herself; it didn't change the fact that after a few minutes of running with her pack mates and heading home with them, she felt almost like a wolf again.

The feeling lasted until they pushed through the bush; when Kazuki gently brushed her shoulder with his tail and she saw Nekoko's eyes, she knew it was time to remember her journey. Nodding quietly she slipped after the two Heads, keeping her head low and refusing to let her body relax again. As they entered the clearing where the other Heads were, she instinctively headed for the grass as Kazuki and Nekoko bounded into their places.

"Himeko." Tsubasa blinked. "This is a surprise."

The golden she-wolf bit back the sarcastic comment that flew into her throat and closed her eyes for a moment, hissing a breath out between clenched teeth. She forced her fur to lay flat. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up, glancing at each of the Heads; her eyes softened slightly when she saw Souma, but her resolve never wavered.

"How long have you known that Makoto and I are descendants of Tsuki?" She didn't even hesitate at the thought of adding her cousin's name. It was the truth; if she was related to Tsuki, then Makoto would be, too.

The silence was so deafening Himeko could have sworn it almost crushed her; Souma whipped his head around to stare at his fellow Heads, eyes wide, but the older wolves barely even flinched from Himeko's gaze. "So you figured it out," Tsubasa rumbled at last.

"Yes. How long have you known?" Her eyes were dark, like twin suns. "Somehow I have a hard time buying that 'we just found it' news you've been shoving down other wolves' throats."

Miyako brushed Tsubasa's shoulder with her nose. "We've known all along, Himeko." Her voice was soft. "We only just chose to reveal it because we feel it might play a role later on."

"Why?" She let the fury fill her voice. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What would you have gained from knowing?" Reiko's voice was firm, but just as soft as Miyako's. "Had all wolves known who you were you and Makoto would have been hounded from birth, expected to follow in Tsuki's paw prints. You never would have had a life of your own, or a way to live it. If it had been revealed long ago, you both would have been shaped by her life and not your own."

Himeko forced her fur to lay flat; some of the anger ran dry, but she had one last concern to voice before submitting to the Heads. She narrowed her eyes and sat up a little straighter. "Do you know Chikane Himemiya is of Kannazuki blood?" she asked softly.

"That we didn't know." She saw the surprise come into Tsubasa's good eye. "Chikane Himemiya is related to Orihime Kannazuki?"

"She's her niece."

In the silence that followed as the Heads processed this new bit of information, Himeko looked at her paws and closed her eyes, trying not to shake.

She didn't know much about the past—she certainly hadn't been there to see any of it happen. But somehow, she had the feeling that at some point Orihime and Tsuki had crossed paths, even if only temporarily.

And now, sixteen years later, their descendants were doing it again.

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"Do you know her?" Tsume chuckled, turning back briefly to nudge the still Sakura with his foot. "How nice. You're my sister's favorite, aren't you? Her 'gentle giant'?" His eyes gleamed coldly.

He was speaking out loud, not even bothering to create the mental link between them; Rakuen felt a snarl rising in his throat and bared his teeth. "Why did you do this?"

"Why? Don't you mean how?" He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Well, the how is easy… I just got her gun from her. Shot her in the struggle, though. Not my fault." He closed one eye, smirking. "Shot her a second time. 'Cause I felt like it."

"Bastard!"

Tsume turned his attention back to Sakura for a moment, studying her quietly. "She's the companion of that human woman my sister is so interested in, isn't she?" His eyes gleamed again as he looked up at Rakuen again. "I wonder what they'll both do when they find her. Perhaps I can kill three birds with one stone, eh?"

That did it; the thin rein of control Rakuen still had up to this point snapped, and with a snarl he surged forward. Tsume had expected it, had known, and for a moment all the golden wolf saw was a blur of movement as Tsume dove to the ground, grabbing the gun and whipping it around—

Pain exploded in his chest, and the large golden male stumbled to a dead halt, his eyes widening as his body began to shake. The pain faded slightly, burning almost, and slowly spread throughout his entire body. The world dimmed and spun before his eyes as his strength began to fade, and dimly he felt something warm and wet soaking into the fur of his chest.

Rakuen tumbled silently into the grass.

For a moment Tsume stared at the large golden mass of fur, holding the still smoking gun in his hand. "Oh, this is rich," he murmured, walking over and kneeling next to Rakuen's body. "A pack of wolves can't drag you down, but one shot sends you to the grass. How ironic." He bared his teeth in a cruel grin as Rakuen slowly opened his eyes, looking at him through cloudy golden orbs. "Still alive?" Tsume shifted, smirking. "Well, this might be a bit much, but better safe than sorry, right?"

With that, faster than Rakuen's eyes could comprehend, Tsume shifted from a blue-haired young man to a dark gray wolf; his jaws were a blur.

The sound of ripping flesh filled the air, and blood splattered the grass.

And as clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the light of the stars and the moon, it began to rain.

With another groan, Sakura slowly rolled over, focusing her fading vision on the large golden wolf that lay on his side before her, blood spilling from the bullet wound to his chest and gushing from his torn throat. And yet, he was still alive—just barely, though, by the glazed look in his golden eyes.

Then again, she wasn't one to talk; she felt her own blood, seeping through her clothes, and slowly closed her eyes. She probably didn't have much longer, either. A soft rustle of movement made her open her eyes again, and she blinked in shock as Rakuen groggily staggered to his paws, held up by only sheer willpower. "Hey," she rasped, ignoring how weak her voice sounded. "You shouldn't be…"

"Just… shut up…"

Rakuen weaved, staggered as more blood spilled; but he began to limp toward her, blood dripping to the grass with each step he took. The rain soaked into his fur, chilling him to the bone and already making him feel dead. He focused on Sakura and kept walking, despite the pain and the blood and the cold rain falling all around them.

"You're killing yourself faster, you know," Sakura muttered, coughing up a little blood; despite her near death state, her eyes were still sharp and alert.

"You… you wanna… die alone…?"

"… Good point…"

It took only a few minutes, but seemed to stretch out much longer; but finally Rakuen's strength failed him and he fell, his body coming to rest ultimately beside Sakura's, his head nestled on her arm. "I'm… I'm sorry…" His eyes began to dim, close. "Just… let me rest here… and get my strength back…"

"No… no problem, big guy." Sakura didn't bother fighting the tremor in her voice, the tears that began to well in her eyes. "You're a friend of Blackie-chan's, aren't you? Rest as long as you need."

"Th… thank you…"

With a soft sigh, Rakuen finally closed his eyes; his muscles went limp, his head suddenly seeming heavier against Sakura's arm.

With the rain falling around them, in the arms of a human, with blood soaking his fur, Rakuen's heart ceased to beat, and his breathing quieted into nothingness.

Chilled by the rain, seeking nothing but warmth and escape from the blood and death along around her, Sakura also closed her eyes and silently followed Rakuen, giving her life freely and without a fight.

The rain continued to fall.

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"Himeko."

Miyako's voice jerked Himeko out of her reverie, and the golden she-wolf looked up, blinking. The Heads were looking at her again, and she wrapped her tail around her paws, sitting up slightly. "Yes?" She forced her voice not to tremble.

"It seems interesting," Kazuki rumbled, glancing at Tsubasa. "Interesting that a wolf of Tsuki's blood would cross paths with a hunter of Orihime's blood. Tsubasa…"

"This changes nothing." The large white wolf waved his tail to silence his adopted brother. His single eye bore into Himeko. "Nothing at all. Do you understand, Himeko?"

"Yes, First Head."

Tsubasa studied her intently, but Himeko met his gaze evenly and never once looked away; after a few moments, he relaxed.

"It seems that your time as a human is reaching its end," the white wolf said at last. "Our fear is if you stay any longer, the risk of discovery runs higher. Have you seen any indications that they might threaten us?"

"No, First Head."

A quiet murmur rippled through the Heads; Tsubasa lifted his head at this, and he seemed to have come to a decision.

"Very well. In that case, there's no reason for you to remain human any longer."

"W-what?" Himeko's heart dropped into her paws.

"You can't leave at this moment; from what Nekoko and Kazuki told me, you might have left something of a mess behind, and humans would get suspicious if you just vanished into thin air." Tsubasa's voice was calm, and it was obvious he expected no argument. "But I refuse to risk your life any longer. Tomorrow, before the sun rises and the humans wake, you will return to us, Himeko. You will return home."

Himeko swallowed hard and nodded, looking at her paws and slowly lowering her ears. She couldn't say no. This was what she'd been working for all along. She'd known this would happen. She slowly closed her eyes.

"Yes, First Head."

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The rain pounded down on Tsuki without remorse as she stood silently among the trees, gazing at the clearing through dark, narrow eyes. Her heart ached and every muscle in her body screamed, but she didn't dare go out into the clearing; Orihime had stumbled upon the bodies with people from a nearby village, and a wolf would not be a welcome sight right now.

Her heart twisted at the sound of Orihime's sobs, audible over the falling rain; even in the darkness she could glimpse the still, blood soaked golden fur of Rakuen, and she felt her heart snap neatly in two.

She bared her teeth; a tremor rippled through her body, and for a moment she almost gave in to the urge to become human and run into the clearing, to weep over Rakuen the way Orihime wept over Sakura.

But she couldn't. Not now. Not when Tsume's scent was still fresh in the rain-soaked air.

She just needed to stop by the den one last time, she mused as raindrops dripped from her shell pendant. She had a gift to give to Haku before she left to track down her brother… probably never to return..

With a snarl she whirled around and sped away through the trees, a dark shadow with a broken heart and revenge on her mind.

Tonight, Tsume would die.

I promise you that, Rakuen…

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No one really liked Rakuen... right? (sweatdrops) Well, I liked him, actually, but then I created him so... (shot)

Next chapter: Himeko and Chikane have one last night together, and the conclusion to Tsuki and Orihime's story.

Read and review, please!