The Pack
Disclaimer: The plot is mine… everything else… not so much.
Chapter 29
Zell's POV
I was so cold…
I had no idea where I was… everything was so dark and I couldn't hear anything. I whimpered and crawled further to the back of the cage I was in.
How could I have been so stupid? Sora was right about what he said… I shouldn't laugh about danger because I might get hurt in the process…
And look where I am now…
I just wanted to go back to the clearing and take a nap with my mom and dad… I wanted to smell the grass and the grit in my paws as I run… I wanted to be free.
What was going to happen to me?
I winced when the room was flooded with the light from an opened door, I immediately started to howl and whine… my howls becoming more desperate as the shadow of my capturer crept closer and closer.
SOMEONE HELP ME! I cried, hoping that someone could hear me.
"Shut up or I'll make you shut up!" The gruff man yelled and I immediately quieted.
"Smart one…" he mumbled before crouching down to me. I whimpered at the sight of his face. His eyes were completely empty and his sneer caused me to shiver in fear. The scar across his right eye seemed to flare an angry red.
"You see this?" He pointed to the scar and I flinched at his movement. "Your kind did this to me… but that has nothing on what you did to my brother. You vicious beasts tore his arm off!" He growled lowly.
Tore an arm off? My pack wouldn't do something like that! I growled at him as if to tell him:
YOU'RE LYING!
"Every single one of you are vile monsters… after my brother had his arm ripped from him, he couldn't cope with his deformity and committed suicide! I swore I would avenge him by exterminating every last one of you. I hate all of you… and yet my wife still found you fascinating and left me, taking my son with her! IT'S YOUR FAULT MY BORTHER DIED AND IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT MY FAMILY HAS FALLEN APART! I SWEAR YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" The man screamed and I didn't dare make a noise.
There was a pause and I watched the man take a deep breath. "You see that camera over there?" I looked over to where he was pointing before turning my gaze back to his malicious face. "You can save your self from all of the tortures if you change into a human in front of it… if you do that, I'll finally have the footage to prove that you exist and people can begin to pay me to hunt you all down… you can do this the easy way or the hard way… change now unscathed, or change eventually after hours of torture… it's your pick…"
I whimpered… I knew I couldn't change no matter what. My pack has been living in the clearing so peacefully and if I reveal our secret, we'll never have that peace again.
"Either way… you're going to die…" He added before laughing and moving over to a table at the side of the room. "So what's your choice? How about I count to ten and if you don't change… let the torture begin!" He grinned. "One… Two… Three…"
I immediately began to howl and whine and whimper loudly for someone to hear me. I needed help… I WANTED TO GET OUT OF HERE!
MOMMA! R-RIKU! DADDY! XIGBAR! Z-ZACK… I could feel my heart begin to fill with panic as I received no response and the man in the dark room continued to count.
"Eight… Nine… Ten…" The man clucked in disappointment. "That's too bad… I thought this might be easy… but then again… I think I'm going to like this!" the man cackled and I whimpered at the rod he held in his hand… there was lightning at the end of it.
As the man approached, I closed my eyes and thought about my mom and dad…
And resigned myself to my fate.
Squall's POV
It's been three days since Zell has been captured… the pack has been working itself sick searching for him. But there isn't a scent to follow.
And we're quickly running out of options.
I whimpered softly before grunting and shaking off my despair. I couldn't let this get to me… I had to keep a level head.
Cloud was… he wasn't okay. I could feel his heart wrench and his chest burn whenever he thought about Zell. It was driving him crazy.
Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying. He barely eats or drinks, he can't focus on anything except for finding Zell, but he's become so exhausted. I finally got him to go to sleep today.
The worst thing is… a few times a day…
MOMMY! DADDY! ANYBODY! P-PLEASE! IT HURTS!
I shivered at the agony in Zell's voice. I looked over to Cloud who began to whine and moan in his sleep.
Randomly throughout the day, we can hear our baby screaming for help… and it's tormenting all of us. Just when we think we can pinpoint where he is, the voice is shut out and we can't hear him anymore.
Squall? I turned my head to see Sora approaching with his head down. I nuzzled him gently with my nose.
Yes, Sora?
Sore fidgeted before bursting into whines and whimpers. I'm sorry! I-if I hadn't l-left Z-zell all alone, h-he never w-w-would have g-gotten captured! I'm s-so sorry! I w-want Zell back! I w-wanna take b-back w-what I d-did, what I-I said! I-I'll d-do anything to get him b-back! Sora wailed his ears flat on his head and tail between his legs.
I felt my gut clench at Sora's voice. He didn't deserve the guilt he was harboring. And when I looked at everyone in the clearing… Riku humming a song to keep Kairi calm… Hayner sitting next to his mother with a look of shame on his face… Xigbar sitting at the edge of the clearing ears erect waiting for a sound, any sound that could indicate Zell's whereabouts… Xemnas and Zack were sniffing about the forest for the hundredth time for a scent…
I grabbed Sora gently by the scruff of his neck and placed him by Cloud. I need you to watch Cloud for me. I said and Sora stopped his whimpers to look up at me.
Wh-where are you going? Sora asked when I gave the clearing another glance.
It made my blood boil, to see my pack in such a state.
I need you to keep him relaxed while I head out. I'll be back… I said before the rage inside me seeped to the surface and I let out a snarl.
Sora gave me a brave nod before I ran out of the clearing. I ran through the trees. It was very late at night and very few people, if any, were outside. I jumped over the park gates and began to sniff around for anything.
I ran down the streets, up the alleys, around the houses, over the fences… there wasn't anything I could follow…
I whimpered and walked back up the street… There had to be something the man left behind… there's no way his plan could be that flawless.
"Oh shit! Is that you Squall… or is there a real wolf in the middle of the street?" I lifted my head and exhaled when I saw Tidus standing in the street.
I walked up to him. It's me… Squall…
"WAH! You can talk to me!" He yelped quietly.
Only in this form can I speak to you this way… why are you out so late? I asked.
"I have late evening classes at the university… I usually stay in the library until it closes and then head home… but I think the person who should really ask that question is me… isn't it dangerous to be walking around like that." He gestured to my wolf form.
I looked Tidus in the eyes… I knew he wasn't a fan of Zell's… but I needed help… I was so desperate at this point. Help me… I whimpered before shaking my head to get a grip on myself.
"I d-don't understand?" Tidus asked seemingly very alarmed by my behavior.
Zell has been taken by someone… and I c-couldn't protect him… I have to get him back… I've already failed him once… I wont do it again! I snarled in anger at myself.
Tidus' eyes widened. "The kid's been taken? Why would someone want to take the little guy? It doesn't make sense…" he said with a frown.
It doesn't matter if it makes sense anymore… the fact of the matter is, he's been gone for three days now and Cloud can't handle it anymore… he's destroying himself with grief and exhaustion from searching! And to be honest… my pack is barely functional… and I-I'm breaking down… I don't know if you've ever felt as though there was so much weight on your shoulders that at any moment you could just collapse… but this… this is so much worse than that. I c-can't lose Zell…
"I'm going to keep a look out for any clues… I'm going to help you find him! I won't stand for this either! Zell's only a kid!" Tidus hissed and looked to me with determination and fire in his eyes.
I could feel it fill me with a sense of hope.
D-DAD…M-MAKE IT STOP… PLEASE…
My heart jumped at the voice sounding and my ears twitched as I turned and ran down the street again, Tidus trialing behind me.
"What's wrong?" Tidus asked.
I heard him again! I know he's this way… I don't know where, but he's this way! I said and rushed forward again.
ZELL! ZELL! I'M COMING, SON! OH G-GOD, JUST PLEASE BE SAFE! I whined when I realized the trail I was on had reached its end.
"Squall…" Tidus said softly.
Something is blocking our connection… I can never hear him long enough to feel where he is… and it's TORTURING me! I snarled for the third time that night.
"Maybe you should-"
I stopped listening to Tidus when I felt the most gut wrenching pain I had ever felt before in my heart. It was so cold it burned and I felt myself go lightheaded on the impact.
I have to go… please alert me if you find anything. I said and ran back towards the forest.
I knew this pain… it was Cloud's. Sometimes I'd feel the slightest hint of it when he woke from his nightmare or when he was feeling particularly weak. But for me to be hit by it so suddenly at full force… something must have been wrong.
I sprinted back into the clearing and all I heard was mayhem.
The kids were crying, even Hayner, and Riku was trying so hard to console them. Zack and Xigbar were lying down whimpering softly. Larxene was pacing in distress. Xemnas was sitting with a hard look on his face.
But Cloud was sitting in the middle of the clearing, screaming and crying and shedding in distress… but he was so tired that he couldn't move much… He was not doing well… and I think that was what was affecting the back so badly.
I ran over to him and held in my whimpers at his thinning fur and painful sounding wails. Another wave of that sickly pain hit me and I broke down. My whimpers and whines sounded through the clearing and I licked at Cloud's face.
I l-love you… and I-I'm here… s-s-so please stop! Please just stop crying! Cloud, please! I begged him. I couldn't take much more of this.
'He's suffering! He's in so much pain! OUR BABY IS DYING AND I CAN'T EVEN FIND ENOUGH STRENGTH TO STAND! I'M NO MOHTER! WHAT KIND OF MOTHER CAN'T PROTECT HER CHILDREN? OH MY BABY! MY Z-ZELL!' Cloud was screaming and sobbing.
I growled angrily and turned into my human form before grabbing Cloud's face. "STOP IT, CLOUD! THAT'S ENOUGH!" I screamed.
Cloud jumped and whimpered quietly but stopped screaming.
"Look around you, Cloud! Look at what your pain is doing to our pack… you can't do this anymore! We understand that we have to get Zell back! We understand that… that he c-could… die. But refusing to eat and letting nightmares haunt your sleep isn't going to help you gain the strength needed to get him back! SO STOP CRYING AND LET IT GO! ZELL WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T! HE NEEDS YOU!" I yelled at Cloud, tears streaming down my face as I did so. "You're so much stronger than this…" I added softly afterwards.
Cloud bit his lip and switched to human form before embracing me tightly. "We have to g-get him b-back Squall… h-he's out there all alone and he's so afraid… I just want him to be safe…" Cloud said shivering in anguish.
"I know… I know you do… but that won't happen if you don't pull yourself together…" Squall whispered.
Cloud nodded and whimpered a little before holding his agony back. "For our family… I need to be strong…" he said quietly to convince himself.
"Yes… Cloud that's it… I heard him when I was in the city… he's in the lower end… I don't know where, but at least we have something to go on." I said.
Cloud held me tighter and sniffed. "I love you…" he said softly.
"Go to sleep." I said and released a low grumble to soothe my mate. He quickly drifted off and I held him close and looked at rest of my pack around me.
Thank you… I didn't know how to keep order in that situation… I'm sorry I failed as your leader.
That's not true… Xemnas you are the only one who hasn't completely broken down since this kidnapping. Riku consoled and nuzzled his mate.
Riku is right, Xemnas. And we're going to need you to remain as our rock until this is over. I thought.
But what's our plan? Larxene asked.
Do you think Cloud's going to be okay? Zack asked.
He needs to rest… and eat a good meal tomorrow. But he should be better by tomorrow. I said and pulled Cloud closer to me.
I just want us all to be okay. Hayner said and Sora and Kairi nodded.
We will be, guys… Xigbar said and looked at me.
Yeah… we will be. I finished and looked towards the city.
Only time would tell.
A/N: Yes… I know, a depressing chapter… but the next chapter will be the CLIMAX of this lovely story so stay tuned! I started school again but if you guys review, I'll try to squeeze in time during the week to update sooner than next weekend. You know what to do! :D