Tsuki slipped in and out of consciousness as they traveled. She turned to the front seat and looked in on Cheza. The flower maiden was dying, as was the world. Her leg was no longer hurting, and most of the rest of her body was just numb. The last of the blankets was with Cheza, so instead Blue was curled up against her on one side and Hige on the other. They did their best to help her, but they all knew her time was running out.
Suddenly Pops began to thrash before them. Hige and Blue leapt forward and Tsuki tried to crawl out of their way. She watched as Cheza moved to help the man as well. Tsuki climbed out of the car to make room.
Why, why would she help a human that is going to die soon? Why is she killing herself for them? Tsuki watched as Cheza fell sideways and Blue caught her.
The group hunkered down to rest, talking about Pops and what he had done. "I think his hatred of wolves is the only thing that's kept him going up until now," Hige told them.
Tsuki stumbled away from the back of the car. He's like me, she thought. He's been blinded by the past.
Tsume placed on arm on her shoulder. "We're moving now."
"Alright," Tsuki walked slowly back to the car. Toboe was sitting inside, now. The man shut the doors and Tsuki leaned back against the side next to Hige. "Toboe, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced my anger on you. I was so blind by my hate of humans, I couldn't understand why you cared for them so. Please forgive me."
"Huh? Oh, I'm not mad," he smiled at her. He reached out and almost touched the man, until he saw Blue and pulled back.
"I was just checking on him. His body feels a lot warmer now," Toboe smiled. He reminisced about saving Pops in the mountains.
"Toboe, if anything ever happens to me, I want you to look after Pops, okay?"
"Don't say stuff like that! Nothings gonna happen to you. We're all gonna go to paradise together, you hear me!"
"I know, but still," Blue paused.
"You don't feel sick, do you?" Toboe leaned toward her.
"No, I just figured that if something did happen, out of everybody here, you would be the one I could leave him to."
"Well yeah, but, I mean of course I'd look out for him Blue."
"Good, I'm glad."
"Why are you saying this?"
"Toboe, thank you."
"What's wrong Blue? You're acting so weird," Toboe leaned back.
Tsuki looked away from them. The car shuddered to a halt. The back door opened and they climbed slowly out. Hubb took Pops, and Toboe grabbed the blankets. Blue walked beside Hige. Tsume reached out to help Tsuki.
"No, I'm fine. I've been sitting too long anyway." She started after Kiba and Cheza.
Tsume grabbed the rest of the blankets and brought up the rear with Toboe. No one spoke.
Night began to fall and they stopped. Tsuki slept in Tsume's lap with Toboe curled next to her. Hige sat near Blue and Pops. Kiba and Cheza kept to themselves. No one else could sleep, though, despite their efforts.
Tsume rose, waking Tsuki, when Pops woke. Toboe leaned over as Pops woke. When Pops learned that the wolves were there, he rose and pushed Blue away. He took off, not wanting to spend another moment around the wolves. Toboe tried to reason with him, but only made things worse. As the old man left them, Hubb went after him.
Tsuki watched Blue walk off on her own, and Toboe stare after the humans. Hige stood and went after Blue, mumbling about needing to think. Tsuki sniffed the air. There was something there, but she wasn't sure. "Hold on, I'll be right back," she waved off Tsume. Her leg was completely useless now, and she couldn't even place her weight on it. She knew that something inside her was hurt too, from the crash.
Nose to the air she kept walking. A red light flashed across the sky and hit the ground in the distance. A cloud of dust hit her and she fell to the ground, coughing. The dust filled her nose and she couldn't smell where she had come from anymore.
"Damn," she grimaced. "Tsume! Kiba! Toboe!" There was no response. The flash had been to her left, so that seemed like the direction to head in. A new smell came in the dust. "Oh no," she gasped. She rose, and stumbled forward. I have to hurry, I have to reach them in time. Tsuki could smell the dangerous human, and the old man, and Toboe. I have to help them.
A gunshot rang out as the wind fell silent. "Toboe!"
Toboe followed the old man, asking him to stop and go back. Pops refused to listen to him, though.
"I've always liked humans," Toboe cried. "Please, Pops!" Toboe wondered what he should do. Blue asked him to take care of Pops, but what could he do?
I figure appeared in the dust and the wind dropped. Toboe jumped forward between Pops and the danger. Snarling Toboe challenged Darcia to come closer. As Darcia pulled his gun Toboe leapt forward.
I have to protect Pops! I promised!
Toboe felt pain in his chest. He hit the ground. Pops was beside him then, reaching out to him.
I promised…
As Darcia fired again, he jumped up and bit down. Darcia's shot missed. Toboe was flung away. Darcia fired again, this time his mark aiming true. Toboe whimpered from where he lay, unable to move. He forced himself up, I have to protect Pops, I have to.
Hige found Blue on her own looking back the way they had come. He loved her so much, but after what he had done, he had no right to be happy. He had no idea what to say, though. She broke the silence first, asking him about what he was planning now. He started mumbling, looking for the right words, when she turned to him with a shout.
"How many times do I have to say it! And besides, I doubt I can get into paradise; after all I'm only part wolf. Paradise probably wouldn't take me."
Hige thought on his sins, and on Blue's words. Neither of them was perfect, neither of them deserved to get into paradise. Hige looked away from her and his face distorted in sorrow.
"If I can be with you when the world ends, it'll be enough for me!" Blue ran to him and embraced him.
Hige held her in his arms, grateful that she would stay beside him. That would be enough. Suddenly a light burst above them and hit the ground in the distance.
Soon after a gust hit them and dust swirled around them. They held each other until the wind died, but with it came the echoing of gun fire.
Tsume and Kiba watched as Toboe ran after the humans. Kiba knew that Tsume had felt Hige change. They both knew that Hige wasn't going to come back. Kiba hovered over Cheza protectively as she whispered to him. Kiba knew that something had to be done, but what? A gun shot echoed across the plain as the wind died. Together, they ran after Toboe and the humans.
They ran after Toboe's scent and Kiba noticed that Pops and Toboe's scent remained together, but Hubb's veered off. Soon they could see a lump before them.
"Toboe!" Tsume ran to Toboe, but it was too late.
Kiba watched Tsume visibly collapse, but he couldn't wait. "Take Cheza," Kiba stood and ran. He had to reach Hubb before Darcia. The wind enveloped him again, blurring the scents. He had to hurry, now.
Kiba saw figures ahead of him, one large and one small, both human. With a snarl he leapt forward at the larger of the two. He forced Darcia back, and demanded to know why Darcia was waiting to open paradise.
Darcia taunted Kiba and slipped into the wind, laughing.
Tsume sat with his back to Toboe and the human. He heard Hige and Blue arrive, and then as Hubb and Kiba returned. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Blue, Kiba, and Hubb went to the fallen wolf and human. Kiba lifted his head, howling. The rest of the wolves joined in, their call of mourning reaching out across the plain.
Tsuki heard their call and limped toward them. There was no sign of Darcia any longer. Soon she could see the group ahead of them. They were all silent when she reached them. She sat beside Toboe and stroked his head. "Oh, Toboe, why?" she whispered.
Behind her, she heard the others arguing over what would happen next. The earth began to crack around them, but she didn't move. Hubb walked toward Pops and grabbed the gun, telling them that he would take care of himself when the time came.
Tsume spoke then, "I'll catch up, I want to talk to the runt for a while."
"We understand," Kiba gathered Cheza and started walking. Hige and Blue followed with Hubb. Tsuki looked over at Tsume, but rose and followed the others. She knew that he would follow when he was ready. She knew that pain he felt, at losing a child. In front of her Hige and Kiba were talking. She heard their words, but didn't care what they said. She had to focus on moving, and was lucky Hubb was there. He supported her the best he could and kept urging her on.
The journey was hard as they climbed up and the air thinned. Hubb was tiring, leaving Tsuki to move on her own the best she could. Cheza encouraged them to keep moving. Soon they reached the Tree of All Seeds, and Cheza was able to connect with what remained of it.
Tsuki collapsed by a root and caught her breath. Cheza touched the tree above them, and the sky filled with lights. Suddenly the tree froze over and died. Hubb started muttering and pulled something out of his coat.
"You have the Book of the Moon, a human," Tsuki tried to rise. She had spent so long looking for it, and it had been with this human the entire time! Hubb and the others were focused on Hubb and were speaking among themselves. She listened as the danger was realized. If Darcia reached paradise first, everything would be lost.
Cheza pointed up toward a mountain, "There it is, the first mountain. That is the entrance to paradise."
They looked to where Cheza pointed and started moving. Tsuki was gasping by the time they reached the base of the cliff. She looked up and gathered herself. The others were able to quickly jump from rock to rock, but she and Hubb were struggling. Hige urged them on from above.
Suddenly the mountain shook. Tsuki dug her claws in tried not to slide. Hubb fell past her and tried to hang on to a ledge. "Hold on, Hubb, I'm coming!" Tsuki started to inch down to him.
Kiba also called down, getting ready to jump down to help him.
Hubb told them to stay back, and whispered that he wouldn't need the gun after all. He let go.
"No!" Tsuki watched as the human let go and fell. She looked away.
"Tsuki, there is a ledge here you can rest on, hurry up," Kiba called down to her.
Tsuki took a breath and started to climb again. As she reached the ledge, Kiba turned. A voice echoed over them, and Darcia appeared ahead of them, fully transformed into a wolf. Hige pulled Tsuki up and she huddled beside him with Cheza and Blue.
Blue stood in anger as Darcia spoke of ending the human race. Tsuki held Cheza and snarled at Darcia. Kiba ordered them to go on ahead and went after Darcia. Kiba was flung away and Darcia came after Cheza. Blue attacked first, but Darcia brushed her aside, then Hige.
Tsuki watched, helpless, as Darcia attacked Blue and Hige. Hige cried out in pain. Darcia tried to grab Cheza as Kiba ran to Hige, but Tsuki tightened her hold on the flower maiden. Darcia bit into her and jumped. She couldn't let Cheza go, if she did, then Darcia would take her.
Darcia landed near the top of the mountain and tossed them both. "You are impure, and cannot be allowed into paradise. You have allowed your heart to become weak towards humans. Leave the flower maiden and leave."
Tsuki stood between Darcia and Cheza, "I won't. I won't let you open paradise. You are just as impure as we are. The only one who can be allowed to open it is Kiba. My children are waiting, and I won't let you destroy paradise!" Tsuki lunged forward, fighting instinct taking over. Snarling, Tsuki barreled into Darcia and snapped at his face.
Darcia whipped around and grabbed her neck. He flung her to the side. "Paradise will be opened by Kiba, but it will be my paradise. I have come too far to allow anything else!" Darcia turned toward Cheza.
Tsuki leapt forward again and grabbed Darcia by his hind leg. Hige had bit Darcia here before, so crunching down to the bone was easy. Snarling Darcia grabbed her front leg and bit down. Her leg snapped under the pressure and she screamed. Darcia kicked her away and went after Cheza once more.
"No, I won't-"
Darcia swung his paw at her and slashed Tsuki across the face. He connected with her right eye and nose, ripping her eye apart and crushing her nose. Tsuki fell to the ground and lay there, pain overwhelming her senses. "No, please…"
Darcia grabbed Cheza and started walking up the mountain. At the top he flung her aside and looked down at Kiba. Kiba looked at Tsuki and snarled as Darcia spoke. Running forward he attacked Darcia and tried to injure the larger wolf. Tsuki struggled to rise as Darcia pinned Kiba. She forced her leg to work, but before she could move forward Tsume tackled Darcia.
Darcia taunted them further, but Tsume was not going to be deterred. Kiba ran after Cheza, leaving Tsume to give him time. Tsuki ran forward to aid Tsume as Darcia hit him against a rock. She snapped at his nose as her strength failed and gave Tsume a chance to take a chunk out of Darcia. Darcia grabbed Tsuki and threw her against a rock, ripping her ear to shreds. Tsume was tossed as well, and she tried to stumble to him.
Tsume was the one to come to Tsuki, though. He gathered her in his arms and held her. Kiba ran to them, but Tsume sent him after Cheza with a shout. Tsume watched Kiba leave, whispering, "Let's meet again, in paradise." Tsume looked down at the broken body of Tsuki and felt his own life blood pumping out of him. "It's time, Tsuki. It's time to go to our children."
"Tsume, I can't see you, where are you?" Tsuki's head struggled to rise.
"I'm here. I'm with you, now. I will never leave you again." Tsume stroked her head. He felt himself sway, and his vision went gray. Tsuki was shivering in his arms.
"It's cold, Tsume. I can't feel you."
"It's alright, just sleep, now. It's time to rest." Tsume felt her relax, and then go limp. Her breathing slowed. "Finally, we can rest." Tsume fell forward onto her, his own consciousness slipping. Together, their breathing slowed. With his last dreg of strength, he lifted his head and howled. Tsuki joined faintly, and as their howls died, they stopped breathing.
Kiba heard the dying howls and choked. Everyone was dead, now. What good was paradise, if he couldn't take them with him? He heard their voices, now. He heard them urging him on to stop Darcia.
They were with him. They were his strength, and his reason to keep fighting. He wouldn't let Darcia win. He had to save paradise.
Tsuki adjusted her hood. The rain was pouring down and she didn't feel much like taking another shower right now. The street light changed and she hurried across the intersection. A motorcyclist pulled up and she watched him. Too many cars nowadays would pull into the crosswalk. She hurried past him and jumped onto the far sidewalk. She passed by a young man in jeans and a black jacket who didn't seem to notice the rain. She had a moment of déjà vu, but didn't think anything of it. He was probably a student at a local high school or college.
She moved on, and realized with a start that the young man had been a wolf. And so had the motorcyclist. She scanned, but couldn't see either any longer. A howl echoed in her thoughts, and she felt like she had once howled with those wolves, but she had just moved here.
Shrugging, she blamed her creativity and idle thoughts. A voice echoed then, speaking a single word, "Paradise."