Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own KnM. Damn it all.
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Chapter 13
"I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming
You'll be with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing
If I don't see you anymore."
-Nickelback
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After visiting the den one final time and leaving her gift with Haku, Tsuki knew she should have immediately pursued Tsume's trail. She knew where he'd be, and the sooner she met him and fought him the sooner everything ended—the pain, the sorrow, the anger.
But instead of heading for the clearing, the black half wolf's paws ultimately carried her back to Rakuen.
For the time being the rain had ceased, though the dark clouds overhead threatened to start the downpour all over again. At some point Orihime and people from the village must have taken Sakura's body to be buried; there was no way, however, of ignoring the large puddle of blood that showed where she'd lain in her last moments. Tsuki sat quietly, wrapping her tail around her legs, and after a moment gave in to temptation and lowered her head, burying her muzzle into Rakuen's neck like she'd so often done in the past.
The warmth she'd known so well for so long had long since faded from his body; Rakuen's fur felt cold and wet, and nothing at all like him. Tsuki closed her eyes, but she didn't pull away. "Why'd you take me in, huh?" she whispered shakily. "If you'd just let me die, this wouldn't have happened."
No reply; not that she'd expected one. A cold wind blew through the clearing, stirring the grass and Tsuki's fur.
"Guess your heart was just too big to turn away from a bleeding wolf, wasn't it? You always were too kind… sometimes I think you had such a big body just to house that heart of yours." Her voice cracked, wavered. "Of course, I never really thought a heart as big as yours would ever stop beating."
If she'd hoped, somewhere deep inside, that her words would stir Rakuen, she was disappointed. She slowly inhaled his scent one last time, letting it swim in her head and ignoring the foul stench of blood that now stained it. Finally, she exhaled heavily and pulled back, slowly standing and glancing up at the cloudy night sky.
"Mom… take care of the gentle giant for me 'til I get up there." She looked back at Rakuen once more, lowering her head and giving his ear one last lick, feeling her heart crumble into a thousand pieces. "Don't worry too much about me, okay big guy? We won't be separated for long."
He was dead; Rakuen was dead, the blood drying on his fur, his heart still and his breathing no more. But for an instant, as the wind picked up again, Tsuki thought she heard his voice carried along with it, whispering into her ear.
"I'm so tired, Tsuki…"
With a low, sobbing whine that was almost akin to a human sob, Tsuki lowered her head and once more nuzzled into Rakuen's neck, her body shaking with silent, tearless sobs as grief poured through her anew; she squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her ears, feeling the rain beginning to fall again.
"I know, my gentle giant," she whispered. "I know."
Tearing herself away, Tsuki streaked across the grass as the rain fell with renewed vigor, not even needing scent to guide her; she knew where Tsume would be. Not for the first time, she felt the lack of weight against her chest with a sharp pang, reminding her of Haku and what she'd left him.
In the darkness of trees, Orihime watched Tsuki vanish, on the path of her brother; after a long moment, she followed the black half wolf, ignoring the rain and the thunder that rumbled overhead.
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It began to rain.
Scowling a little, Chikane tugged on the reins and pulled her horse to a stop, glaring up at the now dark, cloudy sky as drops fell all around her. "Well, that really lightens my mood," she muttered, pushing a wet strand of dark blue hair out of her eyes. "Thanks a lot, I needed this."
The rain just kept falling.
Muttering under her breath, Chikane turned her horse and dug her heels into its sides, urging the dark animal on; rain or no rain, she wasn't done riding yet. She hadn't even found Himeko yet, and she couldn't just leave the golden-haired girl stranded in the trees while it was dark and raining.
Not to mention…
No longer bothered by the rain falling around her, though her clothes were completely soaked and now clung to her like a second skin, the dark-haired young girl lifted one hand and touched it lightly to her lips, fighting the urge to smile even as confusion stirred.
... What path is Himeko following, and how the hell is kissing me the first step? Unless…
Her lips slowly curved down as the thought formed; she let her hand fall away.
Unless… it's her way… of telling me she's leaving soon.
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Himeko left the pack home in a kind of daze; she'd snuck out a back trail so Jin or Makoto wouldn't see her and try to talk to her, and somewhere along the endless path she walked through the rain and the trees and the shadows she assumed her human form, though she could not consciously recall summoning it.
The rain was cold and pricked her skin like small icy arrows, but she didn't mind it; she was used to harsh weather from her life as a wolf prior to this, and though her human skin lacked fur to keep warm she'd become a master at blocking out physical discomfort of any kind.
Besides that, the emotional turmoil kind of made up for it.
Briefly she realized she hadn't called Miyako on her suspicious past as a human and a wolf hunter; but now that she thought about it, it was really none of her business. Miyako had been who she'd been back then, and while Himeko hadn't known her as a human, the Second Head she'd grown up with had always been kind to her, especially after the golden wolf had become old enough to start watching over Jin.
Plus, she kind of figured that if she did anything to even upset Miyako a little bit, Tsubasa would jump her then and there. The large white wolf was fiercely protective of his mate and son.
Himeko didn't know exactly when she stopped walking, or when her body went numb and she felt completely unaware of the rain falling around her or the wind and the chill that was beginning to pick up; at some point she huddled beneath a tree, probably with the subconscious intent of escaping the downpour, and pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and closing her eyes.
She slowly opened her eyes again.
Maybe I shouldn't go back. She watched the rain fall quietly. Maybe I should've just stayed with the pack and played with Jin or something. It's probably better if I don't return to Chikane-chan. I just…
She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as they burned, not sure if it was from the rain, the welling of tears, or possibly both.
I… I don't know… how to say goodbye.
Himeko instinctively felt the beginning of the shift from day to night, but the rain continued to fall and she made no move to rise. Maybe, if she just stayed here, she could quietly freeze until it felt safe enough to move again. It was a tempting thought, and for a moment she considered it.
"Himeko."
She didn't even jolt at the soft sound of Chikane's voice, probably because she'd known all along that sooner or later the dark-haired girl would find her; she blinked and looked up. The young heir of Himemiya stood before her, looking just as soaked as she was, holding the reins of a large dark gray horse in one hand as she gazed at Himeko with blue eyes that were both uncertain and relieved.
They both heard the unspoken "I found you", hanging between them though neither dared to say it, as though acknowledging it would be like admitting that Himeko was, in fact, leaving soon and Chikane had purposely gone out to find her and bring her back. After a moment of silence, Chikane sighed and smiled softly, holding out her free hand.
"Come on, then," she murmured, and her eyes gleamed briefly in the falling rain. "At this rate we'll both end up getting sick or something."
It would have been safer, Himeko knew, to stand on her own; to ignore Chikane's hand, and everything it offered. It didn't matter what tonight would bring; tomorrow she would be a wolf, and Chikane would be a wolf hunter.
But tomorrow wasn't here yet.
Smiling back, Himeko rested her hand in Chikane's.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
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"TSUME!"
The dark gray wolf lifted his head from his paws, licking his lips as his golden eyes gleamed eerily in the silvery rain that fell to the grass; he stood, stretching. "Ah, sister," he rumbled. "You move fast. I only killed that golden softie of yours a little while ago."
"Don't bring Rakuen into this, you bastard!"
"Oh, ouch. Sore subject?" Tsume slowly stood, flicking his ear as Tsuki bristled. "But then, why wouldn't it be? He died because of you, you know…"
That did it; with a snarl Tsuki surged forward, muscles rippling beneath her fur as she streaked through the grass and crashed headlong into Tsume. They tumbled into the grass, a tangled blur of dark gray and black as rain pounded around them.
Tsume was the larger of the two, but Tsuki was small and urged on by grief; the large dark gray male had also not brought any other wolves with him, probably figuring he wouldn't need the help to take down the black half wolf that was currently struggling violently beneath his paws. Baring his teeth he crushed one paw against her shoulder, lowering his head so he was speaking directly into her ear.
"What did that giant see in you, anyway?" he breathed, his breath hot and smelling of blood. "Too kind for his own good, don't you think? Freakin' weakling. He should've killed you when he had the chance. At least it would have made him like bloodshed... Maybe he would have been more of a challenge to kill."
"Rakuen was TEN TIMES the wolf you could EVER hope to be!!!" Fury surging through her blood, Tsuki struggled fiercely beneath Tsume's paws, realizing the situation she was in. Her fierce struggles nearly dislodged Tsume, but the male was larger and held her down by sheer weight and strength.
Lowering his head, beginning to pant from the effort of keeping Tsuki pinned, Tsume brushed his muzzle tauntingly along her exposed throat, gently nipping at her exposed flesh and making her flinch. "What do you think, huh?" he whispered. "Would you like me to kill you in the same place I killed your pitiful human mother? Would you like to die here, knowing she died here as well, with your name on her lips?"
"I… fucking… hate… you…"
"Believe me… I hate you, too."
The rain had soaked into Tsuki's fur and continued to do so now, chilling her to the bone; perhaps that was why she felt so numb as Tsume pulled away, parting his jaws, maybe that was why she felt nothing as his teeth began to sink into her neck, with the intent of ripping her throat the way he had Rakuen, maybe that was why…
A high-pitched whistling sound slashed through the pounding of the rain; Tsume jerked suddenly and stumbled back with a howl, releasing Tsuki and staggering as blood gushed from his shoulder. Lurching to her paws, Tsuki saw the blade of a silver dagger buried deeply into Tsume's shoulder; her eyes widened, and she whipped her head around. "Orihime," she rasped, establishing the mental link without a second thought.
The light-haired wolf hunter smiled briefly, lowering the hand she'd used to throw her knife; even in the darkness of the falling rain, Tsuki could see Sakura's gun strapped to Orihime's hip.
"Long time no see, Tsuki-chan."
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"I have a bad feeling about this."
Reiko's soft confession made Corona lift her head from her paws, looking at her mate. The rust-colored she-wolf sat at the mouth of the den the two currently rested in, gazing at the rain, her tail wrapped tightly around her paws. Yawning, Corona slowly stood, stretching leisurely and causing her bracelets to clink. "About what?"
"This. Himeko. The Himemiya girl. Miyako."
"Miyako?" Corona's ears swiveled forward at the mention of her longtime friend.
"Corona." Reiko glanced at her mate over her shoulder. "You honestly believe Himeko hasn't figured it out yet? By now she probably knows that Miyako was a wolf hunter."
"That's true… I know that, I'm not stupid." Corona flicked her ear, walking to sit beside Reiko. "But why are you worried? Miyako already said she'd deal with whatever Himeko finds."
"That's it… that's not what I'm worried about."
Growling a little in frustration, Corona grabbed Reiko's ear gently between her teeth and gave a light tug, making the other female wince a little. "Stop talking in riddles, you know I hate it when you do that," she grumbled, releasing Reiko's ear and nuzzling her muzzle into her neck. "Just come out and tell me what's worrying you."
For a moment Reiko looked back out at the rain, torn as she felt Corona's warmth merging with her own; Miyako was just as much her friend as she was Corona's, heck, if it weren't for Miyako the two would have never even met, but she didn't want to worry her mate if what she was thinking of never came to pass. Discreetly she shifted her head to glimpse the chocolate brown female in question, perhaps in the hope that seeing Miyako would confirm her choice.
The chocolate brown she-wolf was asleep, dozing lightly with her head on her paws and her ears lowered in relaxation; Tsubasa lay on her other side, out of Reiko's line of sight, his large head resting on her neck. Jin was curled against her belly, nuzzling as close to his mother as possible.
She made up her mind.
"I worried about you plenty," Reiko admitted, turning her head to lick Corona's ear, "but I know that it was useless because Miyako never revealed to anyone that you were the person housing wolves she couldn't kill until she could relocate them… so you're safe."
"Plus, I have you to protect me." Corona's eyes gleamed.
"Damn straight." Reiko lowered her head a moment to brush her muzzle along Corona's. "But… the same can't be said for Miyako. So I guess I'm just worried… because…"
"Because…?"
"Because when—if—all hell breaks loose, Miyako will be caught in the middle of it." Reiko closed her eyes. "And I just can't get the image of Tsubasa at her throat out of my head."
Dead silence from Corona; when Reiko opened her eyes, she saw the shock, horror, and ultimately the fear that flashed through her mate's golden eyes at the realization of the situation the Second Head was in, whether she realized it or not.
"But… Tsubasa wouldn't do that, right?" Corona's voice was just above a whisper, nearly drowned out by the rain falling outside. "I mean… he loves Miyako, so he would never… right?"
"I… I don't know, Corona. I just… don't know."
Ultimately, it would come down to which was stronger within the white wolf; his love for his mate, or his hatred for humans.
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Himeko watched the rain fall outside and contemplated whether or not she'd survive a jump from the window of her room to the wet grass outside. It was a tempting thought… yes, very tempting.
Somewhere in the house the clock chimed softly, and Himeko tilted her head back slightly to listen; it was getting late, she knew that much. She was almost grateful that Chikane was giving her space—almost.
Isamu and Kazumi had been gone by the time the two girls had gotten home; all Otoha had known was that they were at another meeting. Something stirred uncomfortably in Himeko's stomach, and she closed her eyes. She knew for a fact that wolf hunters held meetings, and they'd had a lot of them recently. Perhaps she'd been wrong; maybe her pack was threatened, after all. She'd have to talk to the Heads about it when she got home.
The gentle pounding of the rain against the roof had long ago established a gentle melody in Himeko's head, and shaking her head the light-haired girl wandered back to her bed, sitting down, only to get back up again. The disguised wolf felt hopelessly restless, and deep down she knew exactly why. The reason was just down the hall, in her own room. Himeko ran her hand through her hair and quietly contemplated her options.
Hell, tonight was her last night. She had nothing to lose and nothing to gain.
With that thought in mind, Himeko rose and walked to her door, gripping the handle firmly in case she wavered. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open.
Only to gaze into the clear blue eyes of one Himemiya Chikane.
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A bullet shot through the rain, missing its mark by mere inches as Tsume scrambled backward; grass and dirt sprayed into the dark wet air where the dark gray wolf had been standing only moments before. He snarled and bared his teeth, charging for Orihime; only to be cut off by Tsuki. Her shoulder grazed his teeth, and taking the opportunity he grabbed on, sinking in deeply until he tasted her blood and grazed bone.
A startled, high pitched shrieking yelp of pain escaped Tsuki's lips; narrowing his eyes, Tsume roughly dragged the black half wolf down, hearing the crack of bone, before lifting her clean off her paws and flinging her back behind him like a sack of potatoes. She tumbled across the ground and came to a stop on her side, breathing raggedly.
From the shoulder down, her left leg throbbed and she couldn't make it move; she lurched to her paws once, staggered, and fell back down again with a soft whine. Her injured leg trembled, blood slowly seeping into her fur and dripping into the grass, washed away by the pounding rain.
"Tsuki-chan!"
Another bullet hit the ground, nicking Tsume's injured shoulder in the process; the dark gray wolf swung away from his sister with a snarl, golden eyes narrow and burning. Orihime's bloodied knife lay a little ways back behind her; in a fit of rage Tsume had assumed his human form and hurled the silver dagger back, but the rain had blinded him and made him miss his target. He stepped forward, toward the light-haired wolf hunter.
"DON'T YOU DARE!!!"
Tsuki's mental howl of rage was powerful enough to make Tsume stagger as pain exploded in his head and made his vision spin and dim; the brief show of weakness was enough for the black half wolf to shove her own discomfort to the side and spring. Her teeth dug into the back of his neck; she buried her claws into his shoulders, clinging to his back.
That did it; with a snarl of rage Tsume whirled, racing along the clearing like a mad wolf, slamming his body into trees and whatever he could think of; Tsuki felt and heard the crush of bone but held on stubbornly, knowing that if she didn't he would go for Orihime again. Her grip loosened slightly; she began to slip.
With another snarl Tsume lunged forward, tucking his head between his legs and rolling; a sharp, sickening crack split the air as Tsuki's spine was crushed between the weight of her brother and the unforgiving ground. A very human scream of pain tore through Orihime's head, making her jerk up. "Tsuki-chan!" she cried, and to her horror, when Tsume stumbled to his paws, his sides heaving and his eyes burning, Tsuki did not rise.
Her spine, Orihime realized weakly. She'd heard the crack, over the din of rain and even from this distance; something had happened to Tsuki's spine. The black half wolf couldn't rise. In fact, if her spine had been injured, death would quickly follow…
"Orihime! Orihime, look out!"
Tsuki's voice was weak, but frantic enough to catch Orihime's attention; she saw Tsume coming at her, a dark gray ball of fur and rage and muscle. With a gasp she stumbled back, falling; she whirled around quickly, her fingers flailing through the wet grass, cold and wet from the rain, before closing on the hilt of her dagger; she pulled it close, wrapping both hands around it.
Tsume sprang. She heard rather than saw him leap, and made her decision.
"ORIHIME!!!"
Moving quickly, she twirled her dagger around, closed her eyes, and drove the silver blade through her heart. She felt Tsume slam into her body, into the dagger that had driven through her back. She felt him stiffen, heard his choked gasp of surprise. Blood dripped from the wound to cover her hands and she began to tremble, but she gasped raggedly and held the knife in place.
"Ori… Orihime…" Tsuki's voice was ragged, broken. The black half wolf twitched feebly, but only caused more of her own blood to spill and couldn't rise. "Oh, God, no. Orihime."
Ignoring the black female's plea, Orihime waited until she felt Tsume sag against her, felt his body go limp; slowly, he slid to the grass. Only then did she dare pull her knife out, gasping in pain and doubling over as blood spilled fresh. Panting, feeling the burn in her chest, she slowly glanced behind her, blood dripping from her mouth.
Tsume lay on the grass; his muscles were still tense, even in death, his golden eyes wide and filled with shock, forever frozen in disbelief. Orihime let out a soft sob. He was dead.
Slowly, her eyes shifted to where Tsuki lay; the rain fell down harshly on the black female, her dark blue eyes already glassy and beginning to glaze as death crept toward her, quietly pulling her down. Wincing, ignoring the blood, Orihime staggered to her feet and slowly walked to where she lay.
Briefly, she noted Tsuki was no longer wearing her shell pendant.
Her strength gave, and she fell; she rolled carefully onto her side, gently draping an arm along Tsuki's neck and pulling the black half wolf closer. "Hey," she whispered. "How you feeling?"
"Like my spine's been broken in half." Tsuki fought to ignore the searing pain, focusing on Orihime. "You?"
"Can't say the same… but I'm hurting."
"Neither of us… will be in… pain… for much longer…" Tsuki's voice was weakening.
"True…"
They lay quietly for a moment, letting the rain chill them, letting their blood mingle together; finally, with a sigh, despite the pain it caused, Tsuki shifted closer, so her muzzle was nuzzled into the crook of Orihime's neck. She closed her eyes. "Hey, Orihime," she whispered.
"Yes, Tsuki-chan?"
"I'll… I'll be waiting for you… so don't… take long… okay?"
Tears welled in Orihime's eyes. "Okay."
"Promise…?"
"Promise."
With a soft sigh, Tsuki's body went limp; Orihime felt the exact moment the life drained out of her body, and slowly closed her eyes, choking back a soft sob. The pain in her chest increased sharply, and she shuddered as her vision began to dim. Despite her fading strength, she ran her fingers gently through Tsuki's rain-soaked fur, though she knew the black half wolf could no longer feel her touch.
"Don't worry, Tsuki-chan," she whispered before her vision dimmed and her eyes closed one last time, never to open again. "I'll be right there beside you when you open you wake up."
And as her voice faded away into silence, the storm finally broke, and the moon shone silver in the night sky.
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"Chikane-chan." Himeko blinked and fought back the surprise—and the joy. "What are you doing here?" she asked, and immediately felt like slapping herself. Chikane smiled briefly, looking down at the floor. "I was just wondering if you would mind letting me stay the night," the dark-haired young woman murmured. "I couldn't sleep… I just wanted to see you, I guess."
Well. Himeko blew out a breath as heat rushed into her face. At least she's honest.
By the moon, Chikane was even blushing. Himeko couldn't resist even if she tried. She smiled and stepped back, giving the other girl room to walk in. "Funny," she commented as she closed the door behind her, "but I was just on my way to see you."
"Really?" Chikane sat on the bed, raising a brow in surprise.
"Really. Couldn't sleep either. Wanted to see you too."
Suddenly feeling nervous and not knowing why, Himeko crossed the room in quick strides, looking back out the window again and laughing. "It stopped raining," she observed, glancing quickly over her shoulder at Chikane. "But I don't think the storm's broken yet."
"How can you tell?" Chikane rose, coming to stand just behind her, following her eyes; a tingle shot down Himeko's spine at the feeling of the other girl's warm breath just against her neck, reminding her painfully of how close they were. She fought to ignore it.
"The clouds are still up there, see? If the storm was breaking, the moon would be starting to show. Looks like we'll have more rain."
"Interesting…"
Himeko didn't like the tone of Chikane's voice; it sounded quietly curious in that way it always was, but there was something else, an undertone of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. How close she was standing didn't help at all; it was driving the disguised wolf crazy, knowing all she'd have to do was lean back to be in the young hunter's arms. She blew out a long breath and closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the glass. "Chikane-chan."
"Yes, Himeko?"
"If there's something you want to ask me, just ask it now." Her voice was soft. "I won't be here tomorrow, so this is your last chance to get anything off your mind."
"… You're leaving?"
The complete and utter shock in Chikane's voice nearly made Himeko turn around, but she didn't dare; she gritted her teeth and forced herself to not even look at the other girl's reflection to see the look on her face. "I was going to leave eventually," she muttered. "I can't stay here forever." Even if… I wanted to… "I'm… I'm different from you, Chikane-chan. If I stay any longer… it'll just hurt us both."
"And what exactly does that mean?"
"I can't tell you." Himeko felt the sting of tears, felt her body begin to shake. "I wish I could, Chikane-chan, I really do. But I can't."
"You can't?" Chikane rested a hand on the light-haired girl's shoulder, turning her around. "Himeko, why—"
She froze at the tears that streaked Himeko's face and dripped from her chin to the ground below; in a single movement she had the other girl in her arms, holding her close and whispering soothingly into her ear, shattered in a way she had never been before. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you cry. I shouldn't have said that." She closed her eyes. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It's not your fault."
Himeko didn't reply, just nuzzled into the other girl's embrace and let her tears fall, hating herself for needing Chikane, for wanting her like this. It was wrong, it was the same path Tsuki had walked, and she knew for a fact now that it had ended badly for her ancestor. It could only end badly for her, if she didn't pull away now and establish some distance before leaving.
But she couldn't.
At some point Chikane shifted, gently pulling Himeko away, but only to brush her tears away with her thumb, her eyes gentle; she hesitated a moment before letting her hand rise, cupping her cheek the way she had that morning. Himeko saw the subtle shift in her eyes, knew what was to come, and didn't even try to prevent it. She just closed her eyes and waited.
The kiss was chaste, almost timid; a light, gentle brushing of lips that could have easily been dreamed or imagined by both of them. There was a beat of silence, then Chikane murmured, "You can push me away at any moment, you know."
Himeko slowly opened her eyes, feeling her lips twitch. "What makes you think I'd want to do that?"
"Just giving you the option."
"Chikane-chan…"
The exasperation in Himeko's voice made the dark-haired girl chuckle, before she leaned in again and initiated a second kiss. It was a bit bolder than the last one, a bit more forward; and yet it never lost that gentle coaxing touch, that timid uncertainty and joy of what was beginning to bloom.
It lasted an eternity and ended in a second; when they broke apart Himeko nuzzled into the crook of Chikane's neck, closing her eyes as the other girl's arms came around her, tight and warm.
"Can I stay here tonight?" Chikane's voice was just above a whisper. "I don't want anything… I just want to be with you."
"Yes." Himeko breathed in Chikane's scent, letting it swirl around her. It was a scent she knew she'd never forget, even when morning came and she returned to the wolves. "Yes."
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Somewhere in the house, the hand of the clock struck twelve midnight; a chime sounded.
Within her room, Himeko stirred groggily, blinking and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, her gaze immediately found Chikane's sleeping face.
The dark-haired girl was holding her close, one arm along her waist and her face nestled into her neck; feeling her heart rate increased slightly, Himeko carefully shifted and rolled away from the other girl's embrace, missing her warmth almost immediately.
But she had to do this. She was already in over head.
Slowly she stood, brushing loose strands of golden hair out of her eyes; for a moment she gazed at Chikane. Biting her lip, she gave in; leaning down, she closed her eyes and gently brushed her lips against the sleeping girl's, light and quick. As she pulled back she hesitated before leaning in, whispering softly into Chikane's ear, though she knew the girl was still asleep and probably wouldn't hear her.
"I'm sorry, Chikane-chan." Tears welled again, but she fought them back. "I love you."
She pulled away quickly, walking swiftly to the window; she flipped the lock easily, sliding outside and pulling it shut before a cold breeze could blow through and wake Chikane. She shivered; it was raining again, she noted, and had already soaked her to the bone.
Closing her eyes, Himeko let her human form drop for the last time; as rain pounded down and soaked into her fur, she sprang down into the grass below, staggering only a bit when she landed. Shaking her head, she looked back up at the window for a moment; closing her now golden eyes, she turned away and ran across the lawn, vanishing quickly into the shadows of the trees.
The shell pendant around her neck was still warm, despite the rain.
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For a long moment Chikane just lay there, keeping up the pretense of sleep even though she knew Himeko was long gone (though why the girl had decided to use the window was beyond her). After a moment she slowly sat up, pushing dark strands of hair out of her eyes. In one fluid motion she rose, walking to the window. She lifted one hand, pressing it briefly against the glass.
The pain hit her, hard and fast and without remorse; she gritted her teeth, resting her forehead against the glass as her fingers curled into a fist and her tears began to fall.
"I love you."
"Himeko…"
I love you, too.
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Tsuki and Orihime's story is done, but things are far from over for Himeko and Chikane. And oh dear, looks like Miyako's caught somewhere in there too...
Read and review, please!