By the next nightfall, Tsuki had finally reached Jagura's keep. Luckily the snow had kept from falling until she reached the dome, allowing the tracks and scents from the others to stay clear. Her focus was touchy at best, and pain from moving her leg kept distracting her. She slipped into the dome the same way the others had, and warmth washed over her. Pausing, she leaned against a wall. She didn't have enough strength to put up her façade yet, so for now she would have to wait.

Looking around, she realized that the opening that the others had come in was the same that she had escaped through. It was the wolf entrance. The only ones who knew of this entrance were Jagura's wolves. Hige! He had led them right in, and if he was still working for her…Tsume! And Toboe! They would be killed!

And Kiba!

Above her in the city center airships were coming and going. Nobles from all over were gathering here tonight, which meant that security was going to be tight. Grimacing, Tsuki pushed away form the wall and stumbled forward. The soldiers would be able to see her right away, so no point in even trying to sneak in. If she was captured, she would get a free ride.

She climbed out of the slum and walked up to the check point. It wasn't long before she was spotted by a group of soldiers.

"Hey you! Stop!" Four soldiers in soft armor approached her with guns raised. Behind her she sensed another. Turning she saw an armored soldier with a staff briefly before being knocked out.

Hige didn't know what has happening. Everything here was so familiar, and a voice in his head was telling him instructions. Following them led him deeper and deeper into the city.

"Hige?" Toboe jogged to keep up with the wolf.

"And just up ahead there's a small elevator, and past that…" Hige muttered to himself.

Toboe sighed with worry. What was wrong with Hige?

They found the elevator and burst out well within the keep. Toboe looked around worriedly. How did Hige know all this? And where were they going? Hige led them down a long road, smirking and looking around. Toboe wanted to head back to the others now, but Hige just kept going.

"Hey, how come there isn't any scent in this place?" Toboe looked around again.

Hige remarked sarcastically. He stopped and held his head suddenly. Toboe tried to talk to Hige, but the wolf took off running. Suddenly he cried out in pain and ran, leaving Toboe behind.

"Hige!" Toboe looked frantically for the other, but Hige was gone.

Tsume and Kiba followed the cords to the center of the city and into the keep. There was an ominous feel to the place, as if something oppressive was just waiting to collapse down upon them. He wanted to get Kiba to Cheza, get Cheza out, and get lost. He should have left Kiba a long time ago.

He should never have thought he could belong. He had no right to belong. And once again, he had left Tsuki behind. He hated himself.

"We've been to all kinds of places before but," Tsume looked around the tall ceilings.

"But what?"

"I've never felt such a sense of danger as I do here. Every hair on my body is on end. This place is freaking me out, and I don't like it."

"Well there's something new."

"How's that?"

"I never expected to hear you whine so much."

"It's a normal reaction under the circumstances."

"Well why don't you just go back, then." Kiba knew that Tsume was angry and frustrated, but this was ridiculous. He didn't have time to babysit the wolf. The further they went in, the worse the tension got. Kiba could almost hear Tsume's teeth grinding.

Suddenly Tsume stopped, sniffing the air. When Kiba turned to see what was wrong, a door slammed between them. Tsume growled angrily, but cut his losses and followed his nose. He could smell flowers.

Running down the hall, he passed by statues and an occasional door. The smell didn't come from them, though. Tsume reached a door and sniffed down the hallway. The scent was coming from this room.

Tsume opened the door and stopped in horror. There were tanks lining the walls, and in them were wolves, all with collars. Like Hige. There were plaques, numbering them. He stopped before one tank. Inside was a large gray wolf, with a collar marked with S. The plaque read: Gaia, Age 4, Northern Pack, Unsuccessful

Gaia had been travelling with Tsuki when he left to fight. Gaia had been protecting her and the pups. The next tank over held another of his pack. Tsume snarled angrily. Who would dare do this to them, to his family! At the end of the hallway there were five last tanks, four filled and one empty. He read the plaques with growing rage.

Mika, Age 2, Northern Pack, Unsuccessful

Raidon, Age 2, Northern Pack, Unsuccessful

Kane, Age 2, Northern Pack, Unsuccessful

Kohana, Age 2, Northern Pack, Unsuccessful

Snarling Tsume slammed his fist into the last tank.

Tsuki, Age 10, Northern Pack, Location Unknown

He would kill her. He would kill Jagura for this. Suddenly a cage dropped down on him and soldiers entered the room. They blasted him with sonic waves and he slipped into unconsciousness.

When he woke he was in a cell. There was an old wolf across from him, her face tired and eyes on the ground. Snarling, Tsume threw himself against the bars angrily. The wolf spoke, about the one who had betrayed her pack. The one wearing the collar.

Like Hige.

She said that there had been a wolf with a collar who had joined them, and then had led them here. He had betrayed them, and had been working for Jagura the entire time.

She spoke of how the soldiers kept finding them, and kept driving them. She spoke of how they had taken him in, cared for him, made him a part of their pack. And then he had led them to their slaughter.

"There was one, who tried to warn us. She came to us not long before the collared one. She had pups with her, and was looking for shelter. When he came, she tried to convince us to get rid of him. We thought she was being foolish, and asked her to leave instead. We didn't need any trouble makers. We should have listened to her."

"Tsuki, was her name Tsuki? From the northern regions?"

The old woman lifted her head, surprise on her face, "It was. She spoke little about her past, but she carried with her the scent of pine trees and snow. Her little ones were so strong, the way they stayed with her."

"Was she alright, was she injured?"

"She was no more hurt than any other stray. Her scars were terrible, though. She never spoke about them, though. I don't think she wanted to remember."

Suddenly Toboe's angry protests echoed down the hall, and Tsume tried to look out at the pup.

Toboe opened his eyes slowly. The last thing he remembered was finding the elevator, than being attacked by a bunch of soldiers. He looked around, panic rising as he realized he was locked in a cage of some kind. It was moving from side to side, and then soldiers were there dragging him out. He heard Tsume call out to him and tried to get to him.

The old wolf across the walkway looked up at the soldiers as Toboe was thrown into a cell. The soldiers knocked her out and dragged her away. Toboe felt his blood run cold and shivered. He couldn't help it, and started to panic.

"What do ya thinks gonna happen to us? If we don't do something, we'll all get split up. And we won't be able to save Cheza. What are we gonna do? What'll we do?"

"I don't know. None of that's gonna matter if we don't get out of here."

"But how, Tsume? They're gonna come back and kill us just like that old lady." Toboe dropped his head and fought back tears. "We'll never see the others again."

"You're starting to whine, runt."

"We won't get to paradise, either."

"We are going to paradise, do you hear me! I'll be damned if I let it end like this!" Tsume snarled at the ground.

Across from them a human called out. He had been with Cheza, and spoke of the book of the moon.

Toboe looked over at Tsume, adrenaline rising, "We gotta get outta here, now!"

Together they began to ram the cage doors, growling with frustration. Tsume's rage was fueled further by remembering that Jagura was the one who killed his pups, and tried to kill Tsuki. He couldn't let that go unanswered. And he couldn't let her destroy paradise. He couldn't let Kiba down. There was too much he had to do, too much was riding on them.

Tsume paused, panting. A howl of pain echoed softly into the dungeon, followed by a voice. Was that, Cheza? Yes, it was Cheza. She was singing, but her song was filled with tears. He couldn't bear hearing her cry, and Toboe beside him as whimpering. With a snarl Tsume began ramming the bars again, harder and harder. The power locking the cages was becoming unstable, and soon enough Tsume was able to get his door open. Suddenly a familiar smell reached him, and he stopped.

Toboe ran to Hige, glad he was okay, but Tsume began arguing with him. Toboe tried to stop them, and was terrified when Hige asked Tsume to kill him. Toboe didn't want them to be separated any longed, and chased after Hige as he left.

Tsume snarled as Hige left, muttering about business to attend to. He wasn't about to forget his vow, either. He was going to find Jagura, and make her pay. On a last thought, he freed the human, too.

Tsuki groaned and opened her eyes.

"Well well, look who has returned. The world has not been kind to you, wolf." A woman's voice mused.

Tsuki struggled to sit up, but realized she was strapped down. Snarling she turned her head toward the speaker, "Jagura, you haven't changed, you still make me disgusted."

"Oh, don't be that way, Tsuki. After all I did for you," Jagura sipped from her wine glass.

"Forgive me for not being grateful. Killing someone's children tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth."

"You should have obeyed me, wolf. If you had stayed here, you could have had anything you wanted."

"And you should have never blackened your heart, or you could have had everything. Last time I checked, Darcia refused you, right? And then you killed your sister to get back at him. You seem so happy now," Tsuki smirked as Jagura's hand shook and wine slopped out of the glass.

"Silence!" Jagura pressed down on the panel beside her. Electric shocks lanced through Tsuki.

Snarling and snapping she barked angrily. The shocks stopped as suddenly as they had started.

"Why did you return? What reason do you have for coming back here? Is it to kill me? Or are you hunting for the flower maiden like that foolish white wolf?"

Tsuki growled at Jagura, hackles raised.

"No matter, you will be dead soon enough. I have a party to attend to, if you will excuse me. Goodbye, Tsuki, and good riddance to all you wolves." Jagura took one last sip of her wine and placed the glass down on the panel.

Shocks lanced through Tsuki once more. Her growls and barks turned into howls as the charge increased incrementally.

No, I can't lose to her, I can't die. They are waiting for us. I won't die! Tsuki thrashed against her bonds, all pain numbed from her mind. Suddenly she could hear singing. It was the flower maiden, but she was crying. Why was she crying? Screaming, Tsuki jerked hard one last time and felt the first strap give way, than another and another. Soon she was off the table and panting on the ground.

The entire building shook, knocking her to the ground. Jagura's paradise had failed, and now the entire keep was collapsing. She had to hurry. She had to find them.

Kiba, Cheza, everyone, hold on, Tsuki grated her teeth. Forcing her body to move she stood and limped out of the room. Servants were running back in forth and an alarm was sounding behind her. She half-limped half-jogged down the hallway. She could smell Jagura ahead of her, and that was all she could focus on right now. Bursting through the doors Tsuki fell to her knees gasping.

Before her was a brutal scene. Cheza lay in the arms of some woman, both crying. Darcia was collapsed on the floor across from her. Jagura and Kiba were fighting, and Hige was bleeding from a bad shoulder wound. Toboe and Tsume were trying to hold Hige down before he got himself killed, but it was no good. Hige jumped at Jagura one last time, a fury within him Tsuki had never seen before. Kiba gave her one last blow, and Darcia finished her off.

Stumbling into the room, Tsuki stood over Jagura as she gasped for breath. "I didn't come here to kill you, or to get Cheza. I came to watch your empire fall. I win." Jagura choked on her blood and lay still.

"Tsu-Tsuki you're alive," Tsume whispered behind Tsuki. "How, you were, we couldn't, I-"

"Shh, it's alright. I was ready to go, but someone, or someones, weren't. They are waiting for us in paradise, Tsume. I won't go without you. I promised." Tsuki wavered and would have fallen if Tsume hadn't caught her.

Leaning forward he hesitated, unsure of himself. Tsuki smiled and finished the motion, lips meeting his gently.

"Tsume, Tsuki we have to go," Kiba called over as the building began to shake.

Tsuki leaned heavily against Tsume and limped forward. The woman holding Cheza gently handed her to Kiba and stood. Backing away she wiped her eyes and was joined by a man. They picked up Darcia's fallen coat and walked out the direction Darcia had gone. Toboe was helping Hige stand. Kiba nodded and walked out of the room.

The city beyond the palace was crumbling and filled with the sounds of chaos. People were running and killing each other. Cold was seeping in from holes in the dome. Hige led the way to a small ledge, collapsing at the edge. There was the smell of another there, a female half-breed. Tsuki looked up at Tsume.

"Blue, Hige's love. I guess she took off too." Tsume looked down at her. "You're hurt," he reached out.

"What? Yes, I am, why are you surprised?" Tsuki was confused.

"No, there are burns, here," he touched her face gently, "and here." His hand rested on her arm.

Tsuki looked back at Hige.

"That was you, howling." Kiba turned to the couple, gesturing for Tsume to take Cheza. "It was Jagura, wasn't it?"

"She always did like her toys. I felt sorry for her, at the end. If you had met her before, you would have too."

"She tried to kill you, and you pity her?" Tsume was growling now.

Tsuki placed a hand on his arm, "She did many evil things, and I can never forgive her, but she was blinded by vengeance and pain. She was looking for the same thing we are. Paradise."

Cheza leaned forward and reached out to Hige, healing him. He pushed her away, his pain lying somewhere she could not reach. She looked at Tsuki, but the she wolf shook her head. "Save your strength, flower maiden. I will be fine."

Kiba reached out and helped Hige to his feet, nodding. The motley group slowly stumbled out of the city and onto the plain, their noses and instinct their only guide. Toboe took his place supporting Tsuki as they walked onward.

They reached a road and Hige stumbled forward. "That's Blue's scent, I'd know it anywhere," he fell forward onto his knees.

Toboe left Tsuki and ran beside him. The two sniffed at a blood pool. "This is blood from that old man," Toboe looked up at Hige.

Tsume stepped forward, taunting Hige about Blue running back to the human. Tsuki remained where she was, sniffing the air further down the road. Kiba, Tsume, and Hige began arguing amongst each other. Tsuki knew that Tsume was hiding his fear of what happened next, but this anger of his was something new. There was so much that had changed about him, and so much that was the same. Stumbling, Tsuki followed her mate as he walked down the road with Cheza. Toboe remained with Hige and Kiba in the back.