(AN): I just realized that I hadn't been doing disclaimers. No I don't own wolf's rain. Only this story and oc's that appear.

You may notice some characters are ooc. I blame the rebirth and new experiences in life. Please let me know if you like it. Tsume especially will be ooc. Just wanted to change it up a bit.

Please review.

Cold. Blinding, blistering, fridged cold. That was all he knew. His eyes had just barely opened and all he saw around him was the white expanse of a snowy wasteland. He was being carried by the scruff of his neck. Whoever was caring him was staggering more so than walking. He could smell the strong iron coppery smell of blood in the air. He looked down from where he was being carried and could see drops of red hitting the snow. The one carrying him stumbled and he went sailing through the air. He hit the snow with a yelp and shook his head to get the snow off. He hadn't even started walking yet but knew the one who he was with was hurt. He could sense it from them even if he didn't understand such things yet. He tried to stand and just fell over again. He whimpered in frustration and tried again and again he fell over. This went on for a while. Finally with one last frustrated whimper, he put his legs under him and shakily found his way to his feet. He stood there, amazed at his feat, and put a little paw out in front of him. He put another paw out and fell on his face. He stood up again and put a paw out again. He tried a hind leg this time. Then a front paw, then a hind paw. Before he knew it, he was walking. He yipped and made his way over to the other wolf who was laying in the snow, panting erratically. The snow around the brown and white form was stained red. He whimpered again and slowly wobbled his way over on shaky legs. When he finally got to the wolf, he started liking it's muzzle. The wolf's eyes shot open, sky blue eyes turning to him.

Toboe's eyes shot open with a start. His head involuntarily shot up as he came out of his strange dream. He let out a whimper of pain as he disturbed the wound on his chest. He looked around, hoping he didn't disturbed anyone. He then noticed Leara curled up into a ball, asleep on the floor beside him.

'What's going on here. Last I remember, I had passed out in an alley.'

He looked over at leara again and remembered what happened. The fight with those creeps in the alley. Him getting injured. Leara getting scared of him and running. Running after her and losing consciousness. He didn't understand where he was. He started getting light headed and his vision was swimming to the point that he thought he was going to be sick so he laid his head back down and closed his eyes until the feeling passed. once he was out of throwing up danger, he opened his eyes again and stared at Leara, wondering if it was her home he was in. None of it made any sense. Why would she be sleeping near him if she was terrified of him? He turned his thoughts away from that puzzle to concentrate on another one. That strange dream. Who was the blue eyed wolf in his dream? Was that puppy him when he was younger? None of it made any sense. He found a sense of familiarity with that brown and white wolf in his dream but he couldn't remember who it was. He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of nausea came over him and his head was throbbing fiercely.

'Wonder if I got a concussion from that hard knock to the head?'

He closed his eyes again and tried to get some rest. Wherever he was, he was in good hands if Leara was here and was comfortable enough to sleep. He just wish he knew what was going on.

Tsume opened his eyes and then immediately shut them, cursing. His head was throbbing from last night's indulgence and the sun shining right into his eyes wasn't helping nothing. "That's the last time I drink lite beer." He got up, walked into the kitchen, and started brewing some coffee. He hated the stuff but it helped get over a hang over. When the coffee was done brewing he poured him a cup and started sipping it, making a face as the hot bitter liquid scalded his tongue. He finally finished it several minutes later and, putting the dish in the sink, stripped off his clothes to take a shower. When he was done bathing, he stood in front of the mirror, fingering the scar on his chest. He closed his eyes as memories of that day came back to haunt him once again.

After several minutes he said, "screw this," and went to get dressed. He put on a gray tank top, black denim pants, and biker boots. He topped it off with black leather fingerless riding gloves, Black riding shades, and a black leather jacket with a gray wolf on the back howling at the moon. It had the words "Lone WolF" above the picture and "RiderZ" below the picture. The name Claw was emblazoned on the left chest part of the jacket. He left his apartment, went to his custom Harley chopper, and straddled it. He started it, kicked up the kick stand, and took off smoking the back tire.

Tsume was driving like a mad man, weaving in and out of traffic and finally got on the free way where traffic opened up. He took full advantage of the break in traffic and opened it up full throttle, popping and riding a wheelie as he did. In no time flat, he was up to 130 miles per hour and speed was still climbing. He whooped in excitement, silver ponytail whipping behind him. This was when he truly felt alive, as if he could outrun all the pain and memories. Life or death didn't matter, only living for the moment, and that's what Tsume did best.

"Why are we even trying to find this wolf anyway? The smell of blood isn't as strong as it was and I can't smell any death in the air. That tells me it's going to be fine." Hige was looking around at the sights as he said this, taking in different parts of the city.

"Do you still have it's trail?" Kiba looked over at his companion with a bland look, then turned his attention back to where they were going. Kiba was starting to get irritated at Hige's pessimistic attitude although he was one to never let his emotions show.

Hige made a face as he answered. "I still somewhat have his scent but it's hard keeping track of it with all the disgusting smells in this city. "This is too hard on my delicate nose you know. Just because I have a very sensitive sniffer doesn't mean that it can handle all the nasty smells around here, what with all the oil and sewage. Ugh, that's the worst part." Hige stopped suddenly, sniffing at the air, eyes half closed in concentration.

"What is it Hige?" Kiba looked at Hige again when he received no answer. Hige was concentrating on the scent to the exclusion of all else. Kiba looked over at Cheza, still amazed that the Flower Maiden had chozen him. She felt his eyes on her and turned her sightless eyes back to him and gave him a loving smile. She clutched onto his arm as they walked. Kiba suddenly remembered something and, turning to her said, "Cheza, when we first met yesterday, what did you mean when you said you failed me? And who else were you talking about? You said all of us. What did you mean by that Cheza?

Cheza's smile slowly disappeared off her face, replaced immediately by one of sadness. She looked away and a single tear rolled down her porcelain cheek. Kiba immediately felt bad for causing her sadness and taking away her smile. He didn't know why such an innocent question had made her so sad.

"Cheza, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Cheza looked back at Kiba and gave him a sad smile. "It is okay. This one was only remembering very sad memories. This one will answer your question once we have found the others. You all should hear it at the same time. Fang and Whiskers are found. Now We just have to find Claw, and one who is not yet whole. We are already on our way to Howling. Things are going along very well indeed."

Kiba stared at her in confusion. "Fang...Howling. Whiskers? Cheza, what are you talking about.

"This one will tell you soon enough."

Hige suddenly stopped, nose in the air again. "The scent is getting stronger now. I swear, it's going up this road." Hige stopped and sniffed again. "Yep, definitely coming from this direction. So what do ya say we go and introduce ourselves?" Hige looked at Cheza and Kiba with a little grin on his face and his hands laced behind his head. Kiba looked away and in the direction of the road. He looked back at Hige and gave a nod. "Alright, let's go."

Leara came through the door of her home with several bags of groceries in her arms. She sighed as she set the heavy bags on the kitchen table. She shut the door and then went to the closet to hang up her coat, scarf, and hat. She was heading back to the kitchen to put the groceries away when she heard the sound of whimpering. She went to the living room and found Toboe there, unconceience and shivering uncontrollably. He was thrashing around and having a seizure.

"Oh no, Toboe." Leara ran over to him and tried to hold him down. He was shaking and thrashing so violently, she was afraid he was going to hurt himself or her. She just held on to him as tight as she could and hoped that it would soon be over. "Daddy, I need some help in here!"

"Leara!" Her dad came rushing through the door.

"Daddy, help me. He's going to hurt himself." Her father grabbed Toboe and tried to hold him as well.

"Toboe, if you can hear me, We're here for you so you can just calm down."

They held the little wolf for another few minutes. Leara began to hum a sweet song that her mother used to sing when she was very young to get here to go to sleep. Gradually, he stopped shaking. His breathing, which was eratic, was slowing down to it's normal speed. When he was finally calm and still, they let him go with a look of relief.

Leara's father looked at her with a questioning glance. "What...in the Hell...was that?"

Leara said, " I don't know. When I came in, he was shaking and thrashing violently.

"This is worse than I thought. He might have internal injuries. I'm going to check his wounds." And with that, he started gently unwrapping Toboe's wounds. The bullet graze on his shoulder was healing nicely. There was still some swelling on his head around the gash, but it had gone down significantly. The wound on his chest now, was another story. The area around the wound was an angry red due to inflammation and there was a greenish, yellow puss trickling out of the wound itself. "I was afraid of this. We didn't get to him in time. The wound got infected. Go get the antiseptic and clean gauze from the medicine cabinet. GO!"

Leara ran off to get the required items. While she was gone, there was a knock at the door. Leara's dad ignored the insistant knocking, instead, concentrating on trying to clean the chest wound on Toboe. Leara got back with the medical supplies just as a more persistant knock came at the door.

"Leara, take over here so I can see who's at the door."

"Okay Daddy."

Leara's dad walked to the door. He opened it, seeing three teenagers standing on his porch, two males and one female. One had long brown hair with intense blue eyes. The other had dirty blond hair and gold/brown eyes. The female had purple/silver hair and red eyes.

The boy with the brown hair spoke up. "You have an injuried wolf here. Please take us to him. We may be able to help him."

"The hell I'm letting strangers into my home. Why don't you kids beat it!"

"Hey!", Hige said. " What's your deal man? We just want to help that wolf you have in here."

Cheza, who had been looking at the ground this whole time, suddenly raised her head, turning sightless eyes to Leara's father. "Please mister, This one just wants to help him. This one can feel his pain and confusion. He is dying. This one already feels his heart beat gradually slowing down. He will not last another night if you don't let this one help him." As she said this, tears started sliding down her face due to the pain she was feeling from the little wolf.

Leara's dad relaxed some at hearing her and seeing her tears. He was starting to feel ashamed of the fuss they were making. But he still couldn't put his finger on how they knew the wolf was there. He was expecting the police or even Nobles to show up at his door any minute.

'How do I know you're not lying to me. For all I know, you might turn me in to the police for harboring a wolf."

"If we may step inside sir," Kiba said, "We will show you the proof that that is not the case. We just don't want other people to see it.'

The man nodded his head once and, opening the door wider, he admitted them into his home. Closing the door behind them, he turned to the group and said, "Okay, We're in the clear. Now, what is this proof that you boys want to show me and what is your names.?"
"I'm Hige and the quiet, serious one over here is Kiba, and that's Cheza, and I don't even know if we should be telling you this or not because you might just freak out," Hige said.

"Look son, I just found out that my daughter's best friend is a wolf. Nothing much can faze me at this point."

"So," Kiba asked. "What happened?"

Leara began retelling her story to the two. "And then I ran. I was so terrified and confused. I heard him calling my name and I even heard the pain in his voice but I didn't stop. Suddenly, I couldn't hear him anymore. I stopped and leaned against a building just crying and not knowing what to do. I was having a mental battle with myself. I finally decided that friendship trumps confusion and terror and started trying to find him. My dad showed up and I told him what happened and then convinced him to help me find Toboe. When we found him, he was unconscience.

"I'm sorry" Kiba said.

"Kiba." Hige said seriously. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Kiba gave him a questioning look. "Uh,...Yeah, Okay."

The two walk into the hallway of the house away from the other two and Hige turns to Kiba. "Are you really sure you want to do this Kiba? I mean, He might turn us over to the nobles if he finds out."

"I think it will be alright, Hige." Kiba was trying to reassure his companion. "He appearantely already knew about Toboe changing forms. And yet, He was helping him. He doesn't seem like a bad sort. I think it will be alright."

"If you say so. I still don't like it though. "

They returned to the living room area. The man looked at them suspiciously. "What was that all about?"

"Just trying to decide whether or not to trust you. This is something we don't take lightly." Kiba looked at Hige. "Hige, do it." And with that, they shifted into their true forms.

A startled gasp came from Leara and her father. Where a brown headed boy and a sandy haired boy once stood, now there was two wolves in place of them. Leara just kept staring. She couldn't help it. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth between Hige's husky brown form to the beautiful snow white pelt of Kiba.

"Oh, they're so beautiful!" She slowly approached them. "H-Hige, is that you?"

"You betcha," came Hige's unmistakable jovial voice.

She turned to the white wolf. "Kiba?"

Kiba took a couple steps forward and nuzzled his nose into her hand. She knelt to the floor and started softly rubbing kiba's head and scratching behind his ears. Kiba almost curled his lips back and was close to letting loose a growl when he realized that they were trying to gain these people's trust. As soon as the ear scratching started though, Kiba completely relaxed. 'Strange how good that feels. Where the hell has my pride gone?'

"Well Leara,'" her father spoke up. "I think he likes you."

"Yeah, I guess so." She stopped scratching as she looked at her father. Kiba's eyes snapped open and he nuzzled her hand again. Leara laughed and started scratching under his chin. His eyes drooped closed in contentment again.

While this was going on, Hige was slowly making his way over to Leara. He nudged her unoccopied hand. She looked over at him. "You want petted too Hige?"

Hige whined and nuzzled her hand. She started petting him too and in no time flat, he was rolled over on his back and getting his belly rubbed. Before he knew it, his leg was kicking back and forth uncontrollably. Suddenly, laughter was heard behind them. Leara jumped which made her stop scratching. Cheza waas laughing at the antics of Hige and couldn't stop. Suddenly, Leara's father joined in and leara as well, all laughing uncontrollably. Kiba looked at Hige, who was still laying on his back on the floor and Hige looked back at him as if to say-"what?"

Suddenly, a whimper was heard from behind them, snapping them back to reality. Cheza immediately stopped laughing and made her way over to Toboe, Leara and her father right behind her. Kiba followed. When Hige went running after them, his paws couldn't get any traction on the slick floor. He went sliding into the wall and a picture fell on his head. His head went through the picture and the frame hung around him like a collar.

Everyone looked back at him. A whine excaped his mouth and he looked down in shame. "I'm so sorry. The floor was a little slick and I sorta slipped." They just stared blankly at him for a minute and then everyone busted out laughing again. Hige glared at them. "Not funny." Leara, still giggling, came over to Hige and took the frame from around his neck. Hige got up, shook himself, and then made his way over to the others.

Cheza composed herself and started looking at Toboe's wounds. His breathing was very shallow. She began to rub her hands in his soft pelt. Her hand hovered over the gash on his head. A soft light was emitted from her hand, a lunar glow shined over the wound. In seconds, the wound was closed up.

"Wow," Leara's father exclaimed. "How did she do that? That was amazing."

Kiba glanced over at him and then looked back at Cheza. "It's kinda hard to explain."

Cheza, by now was finished tending to the wound on his shoulder. When she got to the wound on his chest however, she started quietly sobbing. Kiba nuzzled her with his muzzle. "Cheza, what's the matter?"

Cheza looked over at Kiba. "This one has the power to heal wounds on wolves. Flesh will mend together once more as if nothing had happened. This one can do the same to the wound on his chest also."

"I don't get it Cheza. If you can help him, then why are you so sad?'

"Because Kiba, there is nothing this one can do about the infection that is slowly killing him."

Kiba looked distraughtly at Leara and her father. "Is there nothing that can be done? He's not gonna make it much longer."

"The only thing that will help him now is antibiotics. Unfortunatally, You can't get those without a prescription.

Cheza's sobs continued. Kiba felt the wave of emotions rolling off Cheza and bowling him over like an avalanche. Kiba looked from Cheza to the wolf pup on the floor who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, just enjoying the company of this human girl. He didn't deserve any of this. Kiba didn't understand why he felt this way. He had seen wolves die before, but never had he felt the sense of loss or sadness as he was feeling now. He felt like he was losing a family member or even a brother. Grief was clenching his heart like a vise. Toboe hadn't even matured yet. He was going to miss out on a lot of what life has to offer. He studied the wolf's face, so full of sweet innocence. Kiba's heart was suddenly struggling to beat, his chest all knotted up. A fierce pain that wouldn't go away. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair that this pup had to die. This young pup didn't deserve this. Suddenly, his vision got blurry. He squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment. When he opened them again, He was standing in a vast forest covered in snow. Mist was swirling around. He could tell it was bitterly cold but for some reason, he didn't feel it at all. He looked around, trying to get his bearings as well as a clue as to where he was. As he peered through the snow and darkness, he noticed a shape of a figure on the horizon. He squinted his eyes, trying to make the shape out. The wind changed direction and he smelled the scent of lunar flowers as well as the scent of something more familiar, a scent that was a lot like his own and yet, somehow different. He could see no distinguishing features other than that of the shape of a wolf He saw two points of light where the eyes should have been. The light was the same color as the light of the moon. As a desperate plea, running only on instinct alone, Kiba tilted his head back, and let loose a hauntingly powerful howl to the heavens above, singing his anguish for the wolf pup and the flower maiden who had to bear all of his pain. And then, surprisingly, the wolf answered back with a howl of it's own. Kiba blinked his eyes again and he was back in Leara's house. Hige was busy waving a hand in front of his face. Kiba jerked back. "What?

"Just making sure you were still with us. Man, you kinda hazed out there for a minute. And the strangest thing happened. When you kinda left earth for a moment, the glow Cheza's hand was giving off got brighter and stronger. Next thing we know, the wound was closed and the infection was practically gone. The pup's gonna be okay."

"Good," Kiba stated.

Kiba turned towards where the wolf pup was laying and, sure enough, His breathing had settled down and was normal. The smell of death was no longer in the air. And even though he still slept, It was a normal, restful sleep and not the sleep of the dead or dying. Kiba was gratified that the wolf pup was going to make it but was left to wander how it happened. He kept playing that vision over and over in his mind. Who was that strange wolf. Was it really a vision or was he just losing his mind?

Suddenly, on a whim, he turned to Hige and, speaking low enough so that only he could hear, asked, "Hige, did I say or do anything when I hazed out?"

Hige turned to Kiba and said, "Nope, just stared at the wall for what seemed like an hour, that's all. Why do ya ask?"

..."No reason."

The She-wolf's eyes shot open. She raised her head up from her paws and looked all around her, heart beating furiously, chest tightning with anxiety and sorrow like she never felt before. She realized that she somehow wound up outside of the cave she was using for shelter. 'That was different,' she thought. The dream couldn't have been no more random. She was in a house with a husky brown wolf, a beautiful white wolf and two humans. There was also a very unique girl in there who seemed to be sobbing. She looked down and saw a cinnamon and brown colored wolf laying on the floor, wounded and near death. She could feel the emotional pain radiating off of all of them The white wolf suddenly looked up, almost as if staring into her eyes, and let loose the most anguished howl she had ever heard. She couldn't help it. She pointed her muzzle to the sky and cut loose with her own howl. It was like beautiful music as the two wolves howled their pain to the moon above. Although she didn't realize it, the markings on her body had started to glow as well as her eyes. As she howled, she felt a strange power emanating from her. It was the most earie feeling. And that white wolf. He was the same one from her dreams. So was this another dream? She shook her head, trying to clear it from the confusing thoughts. She got up, unable to sleep now with the confusion in her mind, and trotted over to the nearby stream. She sat outside underneith the moon, letting the rays shine down on her, clensing her soul. 'Who is this wolf? And why do I feel so connected to him? I feel like I should know him but I don't. I keep dreaming about him. And this last one was really freaky.' So jumbled was her thoughts that she didn't notice the anxiety was gone, replaced with an inner peace that seemed to defy all logic. It was almost like she accomplished something very important and couldn't help but smile. "Huh, must be getting all adle brained or something. Ah well, I won't be able to figure it out tonight." She gave a mighty yawn, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she did so. finally relaxed somewhat, she slunk back to the cave. She curled up and went back to a dreamless sleep.