Chapter 3: American Wolves Ain't Scrawny

It was morning of the next day as Sango had slept dreaming of her married life with Miroku, their passion, their familiar love, and all, only for a ghostly image of Michiru to be in every memory in the background. Downtrodden, betrayed, and hurt in every look. Even as Sango held her twin daughters in her arms as they emerged into the world for the first time, he was there behind everyone with a look of sorrow and betrayal plastered on his face.

It was this look that was the saddest, as the pain prompted Sango to bolt awake only to be greeted by Michiru's half-naked body still floating in that giant tube beside the couch. All those dreams just now. Dreams of happiness, care, and love…all that began because of a lie.

Sango loved her husband despite his betrayal. That would never change, they had spent too much time together for her to ever hate him, but still…the knowledge that she had been happy for nearly twenty years while Michiru had been in sorrow so much he had tried to escape life as he knew it to put his very brain into another's body and culture was...quite the cross of guilt to bear.

Maybe…I should accept if…Michiru asks for my hand as compensation… Sango thought to herself. I did betray him and left him in loneliness and pain…perhaps to make up for my sin I…owe him for-

"Hey Sango," Amy spoke from the side, "Glad to see you're awake. We were just about to turn the viewing machine back on."

"Hello Amy," Sango greeted, "Where are the others?"

"Getting takeout for breakfast," Amy said noting the confused look on Sango's face, "Takeout. It's restaurant food you pay for and take home from the restaurant."

"Oh," Sango spoke, "Can you turn on this device on your own, Amy?"

"I should think so!" Amy scoffed, "I did design it myself, after all!"

"Then let's see more," Sango said, "The sooner we know Arthur is near a…train station…the sooner we know that he'll get the message."

"And the sooner he gets the message, the sooner he'll wake up!" Inuyasha's arrogant voice spoke from the door to the lab, "Fushizenna is still about, and we need his power! No matter what it'll cost us!"

Yes. Sango thought to herself. No price is too high all things considered now.

"He's coming on," Amy spoke, "Let's all watch."

The four watched as Arthur burst from his cabin and headed back towards the area where all were struggling to warm up in this cold abandoned mountain camp. The snowstorm was still blowing relatively hard, but at least it was somewhat bright. Arthur walked through the thick snow hearing voices from the broken windows.

"He ain't been seen in days," The voice of Abigail Roberts said for all to here, "The weather ain't let up. He's strong and he's smart. He's strong at least..."

Kagome let out a slight giggle as she turned to her husband.

"Sounds like she's looking for you, Inuyasha," Kagome said.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Should I be jealous?" Kagome asked, "You are a half-demon and will probably live a lot longer than I will. There's even a chance you'll live to see 1899!"

"Hello Arthur," Abigail said.

"Abigail," Arthur answered.

"Arthur…how you doing?"

"Just fine, Abigail…and you?"

"I need you to…" Abigail began as Arthur let out a scoffing chuckle knowing what was on her mind, "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry to ask, but…"

"It's little John…" Arthur said, "He's got himself caught into a scrape again!"

"He ain't been seen in two days!"

"Your John'll be fine," Arthur said, "I mean, he may be dumb as rocks and as dull as rusted iron, but that ain't changin' because he got caught in some snowstorm!"

"Definitely sounds like you, Inuyasha!" Shippo spat, "Hey! If Arthur Morgan is Michiru's late ancestor, maybe this…John is one of Kagome and Inuyasha's late grandchildren!"

"At least go take a look," Hosea said turning to a man in a bowler had and a woven poncho, "Javier?"

"Yes?" Javier asked.

"Javier, will you ride out with Arthur to take a look for John?" Hosea asked, "You're the two best fit men we've got."

"Now?" Javier asked.

"She's…" Hosea said pointing to Abigail Roberts, "I mean, we're all, well, we're pretty worried about him."

"I know if the situation were reversed, he'd look for me," Javier nodded getting to his feet and handing Arthur a revolver as they turned to leave the cabin.

"Thank you," Abigail said as both Javier and Arthur set out, got on their horses, and headed out.

"This way," Javier said, "Last I know, John was headed up the river."

"For all we know," Arthur began, "He kept riding north and never looked back."

"He wouldn't leave," Javier protested, "Not like that."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time…" Arthur answered.

As everyone watched Arthur and Javier ride their horses up the dreaded mountain in pounding snow, they turned to Amy asking what that meant. Amy proceeded to explain that once, John Marston considered leaving the gang when he got married to Abigail Roberts and did leave for over a year when things got tough. Eventually though, loyalty and hard times reared their heads which brought them back to the Van Der Linde Gang.

"Wait," Inuyasha said, "Maybe this guy is our descendant after all, Kagome! Leaving the team when things get tough only to return later. That sounds awfully familiar too!"

"Inuyasha…!" Kagome growled, "…sit!"

"ARRGGHHH!" Inuyasha yelped falling face down to the hard floor.

Sango paid very little attention to this argument. She was fascinated by the scenery. She had seen mountains and snowstorms before, but nothing this high! She had seen world maps of Kagome and had been told about North America and that it was a big place in comparison to Japan, but she never imagined anything like this! Not only was the scenery big, but the people were also giants!

As Arthur and Javier passed a gorgeous icy waterfall, Javier pointed out something.

"Hey, I see some smoke," Javier said, "Come on, let's go take a look."

"Let's hope it ain't more of O'Driscoll's boys," Arthur nodded.

They rode to a small camp with a dying campfire as Javier got off to take a look.

"Well…it seems somebody left…" Javier said looking around, "…recently…and…that way."

Arthur turned to where Javier was pointing and nodded.

"Sure, well come on then," Arthur said.

"There are some tracks leading to the river," Javier said heading for the riverbed and pointing out a trail of tracks, "Let's cross. See they continue up that way."

"Do you think it's John?" Arthur asked.

"You tell me," Javier said, "These are horse tracks for sure, but they could be anyone. Let's just see where they lead."

"So…you were there, Javier," Arthur said, "What really happened on that boat?"

"We had the money, it seemed fine," Javier answered, "Then suddenly they were everywhere."

"Bounty hunters?"

"No, Pinkertons. It was crazy. Raining bullets," Javier hesitated, "Dutch…killed a girl in a…bad way. But it was a bad situation."

"That ain't like him though," Arthur frowned.

"Tracks continued along the cliff wall there," Javier pointed out at the trail they were following, "Anyway, Davey got shot. Mac and John…both shot too. Sean, we don't even know. I'm surprised we escaped at all. By the time you boys showed up from the other side of town, we were only just holding on."

Arthur sighed.

"Bad business alright…" He said as they continued to ride up the mountain following the tracks fighting against heavy winds and snow, "Damn snow's coming in hard again."

"We'll lose these tracks if we don't move fast," Javier said as the trail got thinner and thinner as the snow indeed made the trail seem to gradually disappear, "Watch yourself, it's not very wide here."

"All those mountains…" Shippo said in awe, "…it's all so beautiful. I can see why Michiru likes it."

"The horses are struggling," Arthur pointed out.

"Yeah, a lot of fresh snow here."

"I…I don't know about this, Javier. We-we can't follow nothing."

"Let's push on a little bit. Maybe we'll pick up the trail again."

The duo continued to ride until they caught sight of something half buried in the snow.

"Hey look," Javier said, "Over there, you see that?"

The two rode to the carcass of a dead horse as the crows trying to devour it flew away.

"John was riding that horse when we left Blackwater," Javier said.

"Oh….that's…" Arthur hesitated.

"Let's see if he can hear us," Javier said pointing his gun in the air and letting off a couple shots.

"HEY! HELP! HERE!" A faint voice called out over the heavy winds, getting the attention of both Javier and Arthur.

"Come on!" Javier said, "Up there!"

The two rode as the faint voice began trying to call to them.

"Hello?" It yelled out, "Over here!"

"It's coming from up ahead somewhere," Javier said, "I don't think we can go much further on the horses. We'll have to walk from here."

They both dismounted as Javier searched through his saddle.

"I'd grab that shotgun from your horse," Javier suggested, "Who knows what's up ahead."

Arthur turned to his own saddle and swapped his revolver for another pistol. A sawed-off shotgun. Once armed, they both started the climb down a very steep and very slippery slope on the mountainside. So steep, even Inuyasha paled at the thought of climbing something like that downhill on foot.

"It's slippery, be careful," Javier warned.

"You sure about this…?" Arthur shuddered.

"Over here!" The voice called out again, "Help!"

"It's coming from this way," Javier said.

"Okay…" Arthur said.

"Mierda, we're high up here…"

"You're telling me…"

"Help me!" The voice called out again.

"Careful, there's a drop here," Javier said carefully jumping down as all winced as Arthur followed and they went back down the trail having to duck for a moment.

"Watch your step, this is really slippery," Arthur said as they approached a very steep ledge with a climbable wall. Everyone seemed to pale and look seasick at the idea of having to scale and climb something so treacherous.

"Stay close to the wall," Javier said as he scaled the ledge and climbed on up with Arthur following behind.

"Hey! Over here!" The voice called out a little louder.

"That sounds closer now," Javier said, "Come on."

They duo leaped and climbed from ledge to ledge.

"We're coming, John!" Javier called out as they scaled a set of ledges.

"Damn, it's cold!" Arthur swore out.

"Can Michiru feel how cold it is?" Kagome asked.

"His brain can, but not his body," Amy explained, "The temperature of that liquid is ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit, but the wires in his brain let him know when he's in a hot or cold environment, so he feels, cold but he isn't cold."

The group watched as both Javier and Arthur stopped to catch their breath.

"How you doing?" Javier asked.

"I'm miserable…" Arthur grumbled, "Been a tough few days…"

"I know…" Javier nodded pulling out a bottle and taking a drink and then tossing it to Arthur, "Here, take a drink of this."

"Thanks," Arthur nodded uncorking it and taking a swig before tossing the bottle against the rocks.

"I'm not designed for this snow…" Javier shivered as Arthur drank, "Let's keep moving then, come on." They proceeded to walk, "John, can you hear me?"

"John!" Arthur called out.

"John, where are you?" Javier asked, "John?"

"Marston, you hear me?" Arthur shouted.

"I'm here!" The voice called back as they turned to their lefts, "Out on the ledge!"

They spotted something moving against a rock for dear life.

"That's John!" Javier said as they both rushed to him, "We're coming!"

"I'm down here!" John's voice called out, "Hey!"

"Alright!" Arthur grumbled as they neared another ledge, "Pipe down, Marston!"

"He's down here," Javier said looking down the ledge to reveal a weak looking man with gritted teeth, stubble, and his face oozing blood from some very harsh cuts in his face!

"Oh my…!" Kagome gasped, "How did…?"

"That's quite a scratch you got there…" Arthur said to who could only be John Marston.

"Never thought I'd say this, but…" John answered back, "…it's good to see you, Arthur Morgan."

Arthur jumped down to his friend to help him up.

"You don't look so good…" Arthur said.

"I don't feel too good neither…" John answered as Arthur picked John's body up onto his strong shoulders and handed him to Javier who pulled him up, "I'm freezing…"

"Don't die just yet, cowboy," Arthur said.

Suddenly, Sango let out a gasp at hearing this as all turned to her.

"What?" Kagome asked, "What is it, Sango?"

"Hmmm?" Sango asked noting all looking at her, "Oh…n-n-nothing…"

Javier took a quick look at John's face.

"Those look like claw marks," He observed, "Like coyotes or wolves."

"Wolves," John said, "I got attacked by them just now. I barely lost them."

"What?" Inuyasha spat, "Some tough guy he is! Now I KNOW he ain't MY late grandson! Imagine! Getting attacked and almost killed by some scrawny wolves!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded.

"Well, come on, compadre!" Javier said helping John back onto Arthur's shoulder as they walked along with John grunting in pain, "Well, we can't go back the way we came. Let's try this way."

They walked up the mountain slope to the very top.

"Ain't you a sorry sight?" Arthur jabbed at John.

"Can't…argue with you there…" John relented weakly.

"See?" Arthur said, "I told Dutch you weren't the right man for this."

"I'm sure you did…" John grumbled, "Argh!"

"You alright?" Javier asked.

"I think so…" John answered weakly.

"Come on," Javier said, "Hopefully, this will lead us out."

The trio walked along the snowbank of the mountain only to stop at the sight of something on a far ledge.

"You see that?" Javier asked as three large animals were seen with one looking to the sky and howling.

"Awww, shit…" Arthur said.

"Huh?" Inuyasha gasped, "What…what are those things?"

"Gray wolves," Amy answered.

"Wha-?!" Inuyasha said, "Those…those are wolves?! No way! I've seen wolves! They're little more than scrawny overgrown foxes!" He pointed at the screen, "Those things are huge!"

"You've only seen Japanese wolves, Inuyasha," Amy answered, "Those are North American northern gray wolves. They average about four to six and a half feet in length, can get over two feet tall, and can weigh up to 175 pounds."

"What…?" Inuyasha gasped, "I…I…I take back what I said earlier! I-I-I-I'm surprised John Marston survived an attack from those things! They're…they're monsters!"

"And they're eying Arthur, Javier, and John!" Kagome gasped, pointing as Arthur pulled out his shotgun and gave John back to Javier.

"I'll distract them while you get to the horses," Arthur said, "Go! I'll draw 'em off you!" Everyone watched in awe as Arthur ran towards the pack of wolves that were rushing from the cliff face to face with them. They surrounded him, ran up to and bit his arm as all screamed only for Arthur to calmly pull out his shotgun and shoot all three of them in the head as they fell dead.

"You got 'em all," Javier said, "Good work, Arthur," He started carrying John back down the cliff to the horses that had apparently found them, "Okay, let's get going. Before any more of these bastards show up."

They trudged through the thick snow towards their horses, placed John on the rear of Javier's horse, mounted, and began to ride back into camp.

"Come on then," Javier said, "Let's get back to the others."

They rode back down the mountain. The jostling of their horses doing nothing for poor John Marston's condition.

"I don't feel too good…" John groaned again.

"You'll be fine," Javier said, "It's just like a…a dog bite."

"Hey! I resent that!" Inuyasha huffed.

"I knew a feller," John groaned, "Got bit by a dog…died…an hour later."

"You ain't gonna die!" Javier said, "Not yet."

They rode and rode for a minute until they spotted more.

"Up there!" Javier called out, "More of 'em!"

Sure enough, more wolves began charging at them. Arthur did his best to shoot them on horseback with his shotgun.

"Get outta here!" John yelled out.

Arthur tried everything in his power to shoot, but had better luck just running over the wolves with his charging horse.

"Shit! There's more on the right!" Javier called out as three more wolves appeared to charge from the right. Arthur used his skills as only he could.

"Get the hell outta here!" John yelled as Arthur pointed and shot the last one in the hip as it fell.

"You see anymore, Arthur?" Javier asked.

"Don't think so…" Arthur said.

"Damn!" John swore.

"You still with us, Marston?" Arthur asked.

"Just about…" John grumbled.

"You're gonna be okay," Javier said, "We have some shelter now."

"Thanks for coming for me," John said.

"Of course," Javier said, "That bullet in Blackwater, and now this? You had a hell of a time."

"And Arthur always says I'm lucky…!"

They rode to the riverbank.

"We should ride in that water a bit, try to lose the scent," Javier pointed out, "Besides, we don't want to leave a trail back to camp."

"You know?" Arthur said, "We're gonna need to come up with a better story for that scar on your face, Marston."

"So…freezing, bleeding, starving, and damn near being eaten to death isn't good enough for these guys?" Kagome gasped, "The West was rougher than I thought."

"Let's push hard and get back," Arthur said as they rode with the cabins they had lodged in nearly in view.

"See those buildings up ahead, John?" Javier asked, "That's where we're camped. Nearly there." They rode to the small, abandoned town and entered the snowy streets calling out to all there, "Come on! Someone help John down off this horse!"

"Can we get some help here?!" Arthur called out riding a little further before getting off his horse, "Can we get some help?! We need some help here!"

"C'mon, help him down," Javier said to Arthur.

"You're alive!" Abigail's relieved voice yelled out as she rushed to John, "Oh, you're alive!"

"There you go…there you go…" Javier soothed helping John into two big men's arms, "Ay, careful idiotas! It's his leg!"

"Come on, let's get you warm," Abigail said as the men took John's weak carcass inside as she looked at Javier and Arthur, "Thank you. Thank you both!" Before turning to John and scolding, "This is a new low! Even by your standards!"

"Thank you, Arthur," Hosea said, "Thank you."

"You got any other…lost maidens need saving?" Arthur joked.

"Not today," Hosea said as Arthur turned to him.

"Have you and Dutch talked about how we're gonna get out of this?" Arthur asked.

"I was just discussing with Herr Strauss," Hosea said, "When the weather breaks, I suppose we'll have to keep heading east."

"East?!" Arthur asked incredulously, "Into all that…that civilization?!"

"I know..." Hosea said, "The west is where our problems are worse. Come on, Herr Strauss. Let us get warm."

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan," Strauss said as Arthur nodded the sun setting again as he returned to his cabin for the night.

"Awww!" Kagome groaned, "Is he going to bed again?"

"Wouldn't you?" Amy asked, "He's just rode through subzero temperatures, climbed a treacherous mountain, carried a grown man on his shoulders, and narrowly escaped a wolf attack whilst fighting altitude sickness and hunger."

Kagome opened her mouth at this for a moment but said nothing relenting the point.

"In any case, the others should be arriving with breakfast soon," Amy said, "I reckon he'll be awake when we finish eating. Time isn't the same in this dreamstate than it is in real life. Because Michiru's body is sleeping, Arthur's story is a bit faster."

"Did someone say breakfast?" Jessie Engles called out as they entered, "We got rice bowls for all."

"Thanks," Kagome nodded taking hers as they all started to eat. Sango, however, was a bit slow and started picking at it all.

"Sango?" Kagome asked, "What's wrong?"

"That statement Arthur made to John…" Sango answered, "…I heard it before. We all did."

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"Remember our first adventure with Michiru when we happened upon that cabin with that man who gave us that poisoned food?" Sango asked as everyone looked for a moment then gasped, "I remember what Michiru said to Miroku when he was taking care of him. He saw me celebrating mainly with Miroku, and yet…when Miroku looked like he was about to die, Michiru gave him water, mouth-to-mouth, and fed him herbal tea."

Holding the ladle of water from the well, Michiru held it to Kagome's lips and helped her drink the water she longed for down.

"It's not much, Kagome," Michiru said, "But it'll help keep your strength up until Inuyasha comes back."

"Thank you, Michiru…" Kagome groaned weakly.

"Now you, Sango," Michiru said holding the ladle to her as she drank it down before going to Shippo and feeding him, "Miroku? You need to- Miroku!"

Michiru then gasped at all the plates and cups of tea surrounding Miroku. He had drank the most out of any of them all, and such had more of the poison in him.

"Oh, you gluttonous fool!" Michiru groaned, "What'll I do? What'll I do? What'll I- Huh?"

He then spotted something just outside the window of the hut. He took a closer look and smiled.

"Yes! Of course! Cirsium thistle! And dandelions!" Michiru said, "That just might slow down the poison! It's a longshot, but it's all we got…" He knelt next to Miroku, "I just need a few minutes to brew some medicinal teas. I'll be right back. Don't die just yet, cowboy!"

"And it worked," Sango said, "It didn't cure the poison, but the bitter taste of the dandelion tea made him regurgitate enough of it to make him last a bit longer as the thistle tea made its way into his stomach and slowed the poison down." Sango held her head down in shame at this forgotten memory, "Michiru saved Miroku from death, and I…I really thought he would try to beat him to death?"

Everyone went silent at this, as Chris broke the silence.

"Come on, everyone," He said, "Look. Arthur's waking up and about to start the day. That's good. The sooner the day starts, the sooner the day he gets to a train station happens."

"Right," Kagome nodded, "Let's just watch the show and hope for the best."