Legosi X Bill Non-Cannon Side Story

by AlexTalbain

Set in the same AU as my Two Sides of the Moon story, this is a what if side story that's just for both fun and practice for my writing and not meant to be taken seriously. I don't know how much of it I'll write, but we'll see how far I go.

6. Chapter 6

Side Story: Chapter 6: Betrayal

Legosi, Louis, and Bill arrived at the top floor after traversing several flights of stairs. As they were walking upward, Legosi kept noticing the glares he'd been getting from the large number of lions on each floor. Bill also noticed the group of lions, however he chose to ignore them since he was used to getting hostile looks.

After reaching the top, Louis pushed open two large double doors that were decorated with gold plates. Inside the room there was a large round table and a circle couch around it. Sitting on said couch were three more lions that were a bit more well-dressed than the ones the group had passed on their way up. The table was also covered with various meat dishes. This made the two younger carnivores extremely anxious. Especially Legosi who was visibly shaken, his tail tucked in between his legs.

"Are you two alright?" Louis asked, having a genuinely concerned look on his face.

"Oh yea, we're fine Louis. It's just that being surrounded by suits can be a little intimidating," Bill explained.

He looked at Legosi. "Especially when you're going around bare-chested."

Bill's comment made Legosi even more uneasy, causing his arms to cover his chest again on their own. He looked at Louis with pleading eyes while his face turned red from embarrassment.

Louis however, still refused to get the wolf a new shirt and instead just comforted the large canine. "Ibuki, everyone, these two are members of the club I told you all about," the red deer said in a calm voice. "Legosi, Bill, this is Ibuki."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the well-dressed lion said as he stood up from the table and adjusted his glasses, giving off an air of maturity. "Though I believe we may have met before."

"W-What do you mean?" Legosi asked, his face still red as he lowered his arms down.

"It's just that… you look familiar," Ibuki answered. He walked over to Legosi and brought a hand up to his chin as he got a closer look at the wolf's face.

He examined Legosi's features and as he did, the memory of where he'd seen the young canine came rushing back to him. "Now I remember," the adult lion said with a snap of his fingers. "We didn't actually meet, but I saw you running through the back alley in a panic. I even remember talking to that mongoose friend of yours."

"Wait… you mean Kai? You talked to Kai?" Legosi barked.

Ibuki took a step back and nodded. "I did, although I didn't get his name at the time. He was running through the market looking for you and ended up running into me. I remember the worried look on his face and that I told him I saw you running into the back alley."

The lion took off his glasses and started cleaning them with a cloth as he continued to speak. "I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting to see you again after that day. From what I saw, I believed that you had left the black market for good," Ibuki said in a calm yet surprised manner while he put his glasses back on, once again giving off that air sophistication.

Louis' eyes darted to Legosi, an extremely surprised and angry look covering his face. He wanted to say something, but was unable to because of the shock from what he had just heard.

"What the fuck did Ibuki just say? Has Legosi really been to the black market before, and with Kai as well? Was this… was this the secret that he refused to tell me that day in my office?"

Legosi looked down, his ears folding back and his tail drooping. "I see, I'm sorry if Kai and I caused you any trouble."

Ibuki put his hands up and let out a gentle laugh. "It's fine my boy, what happened was by no means anyone's fault. You were having a panic attack and your friend was concerned for your safety. Truth be told you're not the first carnivore to have one after coming to the market for the first time and you will most certainly not be the last."

Ibuki put a hand on Legosi's shoulder. "What's important is that you and your friend are safe and that's all that matters."

Legosi couldn't explain it, but the way this lion spoke to him made the large gray canine happy. It was very different from how he viewed Louis.

With his upperclassmen, Legosi always saw Louis as a goal to strive for. Someone who was very confident in themselves and was able to take control regardless of the situation. Louis always seemed like he had things figured out and he didn't let anyone look down on him or the club members and that always made the wolf want to do better. He was loved by the whole school and had a drive that Legosi never had. The wolf saw Louis as someone he could look up to and reflect on whenever he tried to improve himself, until recent events that is.

The way Ibuki spoke to Legosi however was nothing compared to how he interacted with Louis. Unlike with Louis, Legosi didn't feel intimidated when they locked eyes. Ibuki also had a much gentler feel and manner that came off as someone who would look after you. He had a genuine aura about him that made Legosi feel as if this lion truly understood the struggles he went through. Ibuki spoke with a sense of wisdom and care that was very different from Gohin, which only made Legosi happier.

It felt like how a caring father would comfort their child after a traumatic experience. For Legosi, who never knew his father, this was a new experience for him. One that gave him a very warm feeling in his heart, causing him to blush again, but this time for a much more joyous reason.

"Th-Thank you sir," Legosi said as his tail started wagging, his voice sounding almost childlike.

Louis looked at Bill who was also watching the scene unfold. Once he looked back at the red deer, Louis gave Bill a confused look as if asking him why Legosi was acting this way. Bill, having no ideas about it either, just shrugged his shoulders in response.

Ibuki walked over to Louis. "Louis, I understand you wanting to reconnect with your friends, but this is not a safe place for them. Even with all of us here, they're still at risk."

"Believe me I know," Louis responded. "In fact, the doorman attacked my shirtless friend here. Which in case you're wondering, he wasn't when we arrived."

"What!" Ibuki growled.

"Yep, and I even told him that he was with me," Louis said in a disgruntled tone.

He shook his head. "Anyway, he let me and Bill in without any problem, but had Legosi stay back."

"Why would he do that?" Ibuki asked as he brought a hand to his chin.

Legosi's tail and ears jumped. "Wait, you don't know?" he asked. "Because from what he said, it sounded like something that all of you believed in."

"What are you talking about?" another lion in the room asked, causing everyone to look at him. The lion cleared his throat. "Pardon me, my name is Dolph, I suppose you can consider me Ibuki's right hand around here." The lion shook his head. "Forgive my disbelief but I doubt that the guard outside would give you a hard time if Louis told him not too. Did you maybe say something to him that got under his skin?"

Legosi took a deep breath. "He uh… he said that there has been a long standing feud between canines and felines and that this was his chance to take down a wolf which everyone knows is a true representative canine."

"… That… has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Dolph answered. "I mean, you're a kid, even if he took you down, it wouldn't prove anything. Plus, that reason is incredibly petty."

Ibuki rolled his eyes. "While what my Dolph said is true, it is also true that there are a good number of animals in the black market who have that same mindset. You were all very lucky this time."

Louis shook his head. "Well either way we'll have to have a talk with him once he wakes up. In the meantime, we should make my old friends here feel welcome. Dolph, why don't you and I go get them something to eat."

He looked at Legosi from the corner of his eye. "The wolf could definitely use it."

Legosi looked to the side, causing Bill to throw an arm around him. "Ignore it bro, you know he didn't mean anything by it. Sure, after all this time the old rich boy still can't talk without being condescending, but that's just how he is. If anything it's good to see he's still like that after not seeing him for months."

Legosi nodded. "Yea, you're right."

The wolf then put his hands over his stomach. "Also Louis was right about what he said. I am starting to get hungry."

Bill laughed, "Guess you finally got over your shyness long enough to remember that you gotta eat."

The tiger let Legosi go and walked over to the couch and sat down. "Come on, no reason to keep standing with food coming our way," Bill said, inviting the wolf to sit next to him.

Legosi let out a small laugh and accepted the invitation. He sat down next to Bill while Ibuki sat down next to the third and last lion that was in the room with them.

"Yo Ibuki, mind if I tell them who I am now? I've only been sitting here forever now," the lion joked, his tongue hanging out of the side of his muzzle.

"Oh, of course you can," Ibuki said, having a tone that sounded like he was humoring the third lion.

"Hey, I'm Free! Glad to finally be able to get a word in," he said. "Don't let the suit fool you, I only wear it cause these guys would be all over my case if I didn't."

Bill laughed, "Yea… you ain't wrong there pal! Louis used to grind me for every little thing too."

"Actually I was talking about Ibuki and Dolph," Free said with a laugh.

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?!" the two felines said at the same time, laughing at their own joke.

"Hehe, looks like you made a new friend Bill," Legosi said with an awkward smile.

"Yea, I guess I did," Billed laughed.

Free wrapped his arm around Bill much like how the tiger would with others. "Got that right punk! It's about time I met someone I can talk to that didn't put me to sleep the second they opened their mouths," the lion said with a grin.

"Ha! Who are you callin a punk gramps?" Bill teased as he wrapped his arm around the lion. "I won't deny it, I'm not exactly a model student, but that doesn't mean I don't get things done."

"Gramps huh? Watch yourself cub, you still got a long way to go before you can call yourself a real trouble maker, like me!" Free said proudly.

Bill grinned. "Or really? Well, did you ever knock a few pegs off a spoiled rich boy by taking his part in the school play?"

"You call that trouble? HA! I once brought a paintball gun to school and shot every teacher I could with it," Free boasted.

"Oh yea, well I sent three ass holes to the hospital for pestering me," Bill claimed

"Five guys, and I broke their skulls!" Free said as he puffed out his chest.

"Not bad. You and I are definitely gonna get along," the tiger responded joyfully.

"You know it brat! Now give me some skin!" Free cheered.

The two fist bumped each other and started laughing at their exploits.

Legosi smiled, "Yep, those two are definitely cut from the same cloth."

The three carnivores continued talking for a little while longer until Louis and the other two lions came walking in with several plates full of food.

At first, Legosi and Bill were excited to finally get something in their stomachs. However, as soon as the smell of the food hit their noses their excitement turned to despair.

The smell… the scent… it could only be one thing…meat! The smell of freshly cooked meat penetrated the nostrils of the two young carnivores who could feel their hearts begin to race.

Bill, who could feel the saliva building up, looked over at Legosi and watched as all the color faded from his partner's face. The tiger wanted to say something, but as the smell got stronger, Bill found it more and more difficult to think clearly as he began to wrestle with his own urges.

Legosi meanwhile was struggling to collect himself as he started getting dizzy. The wolf had spent so much time training to resist the allure of meat that he believed he had moved past his innate desire for it. While it is true that Legosi would get urges from time to time while he worked for Gohin, he had always been able to keep them under control.

This time was different however. Instead of being raw, the meat was cooked and he had not built up the same resistances to its effects. To make matters worse, Legosi had developed a much stronger and more sensitive sense of smell due to Gohin's training, which was now starting to backfire on the large canine. He could smell every spice and every ingredient that was used, which only made the young wolf's desire to devour the meal much more powerful.

Louis, Ibuki, and Dolph placed the dishes on the table and put empty plates beside them so that everyone could grab what they wanted. They sat down next to their guests and the lions wasted no time in serving themselves. Louis meanwhile looked at his former schoolmates and decided to wait and see what they would choose.

"What's wrong, aren't you going to eat?" Louis asked. "You two looked like you were starving."

"Uhh… um…" was all Legosi could let out.

Seeing that Legosi was too petrified to even speak, Bill decided to talk despite also being in shock. "Uh… well Louis, we uh… we weren't expecting to be served meat is all."

Louis crossed his arms. "Yes well, I understand why you would be bothered with it after everything our school taught us, but I can assure you that this is very commonplace here."

Legosi shook his head in discomfort. He took a deep breath and spoke. "Louis… that isn't the point. This… this isn't right. After everything that's happened, it feels like a betrayal. I-I've spent my whole life pushing down my instincts and making sure I never fall to the temptation of meat that I… I just… I can't."

Louis let out a sigh. "Legosi… you're as transparent as ever. You didn't even need to say all that considering it's written all over your face. Still, I did believe serving them perfectly cooked meat would trigger something. Just about every carnivore I've served this to has compromised their morals at least once just so they could taste it."

The red deer thought about the other carnivores he did this for. "True there were a few of them who never wanted to touch this stuff again after taking a bite. But the point is that despite the small number of them who left after taking a bite rather than become permanent patrons of the black market, they did in fact turn away from what they thought was right. I must say, it's rather refreshing to see Legosi still being his usual self, obnoxious moral compass and all."

He looked at Bill who was starting to salivate as he stared at the food. "Even this moron ate an older animal's finger. Then again, he wasn't exactly known for his virtue. Makes me wonder why these two are even together, especially after all the times this stupid cat went out of his way to mess with Legosi for not acting like a real carnivore."

Louis took a deep breath. "Not that I was any better."

Free slapped Bill on the back. "Come on kid, I can tell you're just itching to take a bite! Go wild, there's plenty!" He turned to Legosi. "And you wolf, quit worrying about all that BS and eat."

Bill looked down at the food, his stomach beginning to growl. "I-It's not that simple. Something about this doesn't feel right."

Dolph took a bite of his meal, hoping to show the two young carnivores that everything was alright. He swallowed the food and spoke. "Look, you two are thinking about this way too much. There isn't anything weird here, it really is just food. Yes, it is meat and I know what the schools teach, but at the end of the day it's just food."

Legosi clenched his fists. "No, I'm sorry but I just can't. Not after coming this far, not after the promises I've made. This isn't just food, these were animals who either died or were killed and you're eating them like it's nothing. It isn't right!"

Dolph and Free were starting to get annoyed with Legosi. Seeing this, Ibuki spoke up. "Legosi, I understand your concerns, but you really have nothing to fear. We made sure to prepare these so that you wouldn't get addicted. With that in mind, I believe it would be alright to eat it just this once, especially with how famished you look."

The adult lion then pointed at Louis. "See, even your herbivore friend is fine with it."

Legosi and Bill looked at Louis and watched in shock as the red deer served himself from the different plates of meat. As Louis cut into the meat the two high school students could feel their hearts race.

Louis looked at them and made sure they could see as clearly as possible of him taking a bite. The red deer swallowed his food, put the utensils down, and gave his former classmates a look that expressed how easy it was. This caused Legosi to clench his teeth in disgust while Bill just stared at Louis as if he couldn't process what happened.

Legosi stood up. "What is wrong with you?"

Louis said nothing. Instead he smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if nothing was wrong.

Legosi began to growl as his tail started to frizzle. It was clear that the wolf was getting ready to strike the deer for what he did. Before anything could happen however, he saw a door that led out to the top of a hill. Completely disgusted with what he just witnessed, he left the group and went out for some air, slamming the door behind him.

"Geez, what's up with him?" Free asked sarcastically. "Dude looked like he was about to go berserk."

Bill looked down and let out a small laugh. "Heh, it wouldn't be the first time."

Ibuki looked at the young tiger. "I must say, you're certainly taking this well."

"No, I'm not," Bill answered. "Truth is I'm pissed off too. I guess that rumor is true, about how you can become so angry that you somehow become calm. I honestly don't think I've ever been this ready to break someone's bones."

Louis folded his hands and leaned into them. "Oh, I find that a bit strange considering you've eaten meat before."

"Yea, I have. I know I did and I know that even though it was just that one time, I can't take it back. But something about watching you eat that piece of meat really rubbed me the wrong way," Bill explained. "Guess now I know how Legosi felt that night. Which makes me wonder why he hasn't tried to kick my teeth in."

"Is it really that bad punk?" Free said jokingly.

"Yes actually. You see, me and my partner there came to the black market for a reason... After what just happened, well… let's just say I'm even more invested in what we're doing and even more determined to never eat meat again."

Louis sat up straight. "I just realized, I never did ask you about that. Why are you two here in the black market?"

Bill took a deep breath. "You of all animals should know Louis, considering all the effort you went through in order to make sure the school didn't fall apart."

The red deer grinned. "You're gonna have to be more specific my friend, keeping that hell hole afloat was basically my job."

Bill let out a gentle smile, despite his body clearly showing signs that he was on the verge of violence. "Tem Louis, we're here because of Tem."

Louis's eyes widened as the color drained from his face. The shock from Bill's answer almost made him jump from his chair.

"Who's Tem?" Ibuki asked.

"Tem was an alpaca, a fellow member of the drama club, and was a good friend of our canine companion," the tiger answered. "He was also the victim of a predation case a little over half a year ago."

All three lions looked at each other in disbelief, completely unsure what to make of this.

"To make matters worse, it happened right at school. When we found him, there was nothing left but his blood, some bones, and clumps of his wool. Everyone took it pretty hard, especially Els who had a thing for him," Bill explained, still keeping his calm demeanor. "So after hearing all this, you can understand why Legosi and I are really freaken pissed."

Ibuki leaned over to Louis. "Louis, why on earth didn't you tell us about this? It's no wonder why Legosi left the room," the lion whispered.

Louis covered his face with his hand and spoke. "Well sorry if I didn't want to bring up such a painful memory. Still, this happened months ago. I'm just as surprised as you are."

While they continued talking, Bill sat back and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and thought back to when he saw Legosi at the shrine the club made for Tem. He wondered what was going through the wolf's mind, both at the time and right now.

The tiger looked back at Louis and Ibuki and decided to speak up. "Hey guys!" Bill called out, trying to get their attention.

Once all eyes were on him, Bill adjusted himself and spoke. "You can probably guess, but the reason why we're here in the black market is because the two of us are going to figure out who's the bastard that killed Tem! We're gonna make sure that son of a bitch gets put behind bars for the rest of his life!"

Ibuki took a deep breath. "That's a little ambitious for two high school students. Shouldn't you call the police or talk to your school's staff?"

"Look gramps, the police and the school are just some of the reasons why we have to do this. The police only investigated for a week, then nothing. No culprit, no arrest, not even information about what happened."

"The school is no better. They didn't even try to figure out who did it, nor did they talk to any of us about it. They just swept it under the rug and expected all of us to go about our lives like nothing happened. We didn't even get counseling," Bill explained.

The three lions looked at Louis who let out a sigh before nodding in order to confirm the tiger's story.

Bill scratched his head. "It was actually Legosi's idea, believe it or not. He went to visit the shrine we made for Tem and basically went on a rant about how much he missed the alpaca and told him that he would see justice served."

Ibuki, understanding the situation, took off his glasses and spoke in a much more serious demeanor. "It seems the rumors were true. About how the city wants to keep these kinds of cases out of the public eye as much as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if the Beastar had a hand in it."

The lion looked out the door where Legosi was sitting and looking up at the sky. "Your friend has a good heart, but he has no idea what he might be getting into."

"That's just how he is," Louis said. "That moron does things without thinking about the consequences and stubbornly refuses to quit once his mind is made up."

"Much like a certain leader we used to have, right Louis?" Bill said jokingly.

Louis let out a sigh before smiling. "I suppose so."

He stood up from his chair and put a hand on Ibuki's shoulder. "I'm gonna go check on our other guest, you make sure stripes here is comfortable. I assume you know what to do?"

Ibuki nodded. "I do, though are you sure you still want to go through with this?"

Louis nodded. "Yes, and you already know why."

Ibuki looked to the side then nodded. Louis then left the four felines alone and went to see how his oldest friend was doing.

---

Legosi, who was still upset, looked up at the night sky. He couldn't see much because of the city lights, but what stars he could see helped relax his nerves. He was able to see a very bright moon and while it was only a half moon, it was bright enough to give him some peace of mind.

Just as the wolf was about to head back inside, Louis came out. Legosi, able to tell who it was by his scent, took a deep breath and continued facing forward.

Louis, who couldn't usually tell what was going through the wolf's mind, could see that he was still upset. The red deer looked to the side, took a deep breath, and started talking while Legosi looked back up as if he was trying to ignore his former friend.

"Legosi, you may not think so, but I get why you're upset. After all that time of me accusing you of being a depraved carnivore, I go and eat meat right in front of you. Believe me the hypocrisy isn't lost on me," the herbivore explained.

Legosi clenched his fists as he listened. He turned around and gave Louis the angriest look he could make. "Is that what you think this is about? You think I'm mad because you're being hypocritical?"

The wolf took a step forward and started closing in on the deer. "Y-You don't get at all do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Louis asked as he raised a brow.

"Louis, you just ate meat, after what happened to Tem! I thought you would've been better than that. When you took that bite, I didn't see Louis the red deer."

"For an instant, I saw the monster that killed and devoured our friend and didn't show the slightest hint of remorse!" Legosi explained as tears started to form.

"When I saw that, my blood went cold and I felt so much sadness and anger in those few seconds of you eating, chewing, and swallowing the meat."

"What made it worse was that you made sure I could see everything, as if to taunt me. Then, as those feelings grew, my blood started to boil and all I could think about was making you pay for what you did."

Legosi tried his best to keep it together, but it proved useless as the tears ran down his face. He could feel so much of the anger and hatred he held begin to surface as he drew closer to Louis, who put his guard up as if he was expecting to get attacked.

"Every single fiber of my being wanted to pin you down and start beating you mercilessly, asking you why him, why did you eat him, why did you have to take him away from us and spread so much suffering. How could any animal be so broken inside as to claim the life of one of the few animals that didn't look at carnivores like we were monsters."

Legosi started to growl as more tears fell down on either side of his face, his muzzle getting closer to Louis's.

"Do you get it now Louis?! This isn't about some stupid show of hypocrisy. This is about you being no better than the animal who killed our friend and thought nothing of it. I've always known that evil exists in this world, I'm not naive. I just wasn't expecting you to be a part of it."

Louis took a step back as a drop of sweat started to fall down the side of his face, his herbivore instincts yelling at him to run away. "L-Legosi, before I say my part, what do you believe evil is?"

Legosi looked down, he then grabbed Louis by his shoulders and looked him in the eyes, his becoming visibly red with anger.

"What is evil? Evil only cares about itself. Evil... is the mark of an animal who would bring suffering to another and dare not show remorse. It's when someone sees someone else in pain and enjoys what they see."

"When they delight in the misery they've spread, not thinking about what they've done or who they hurt. That is what evil is and that is something I will never forgive!"

Louis tried to get out of the wolf's grip, but it proved impossible. Just as he was about to try kicking Legosi, the large canine brought him into a tight hug.

Louis was now in an even tighter grip, only this time he could feel the tears falling off of Legosi's face and hear his heavy breathing. He also felt the wolf's claws on his back which made him concerned for his safety.

"It was the same with those dogs you know," Legosi cried out. "You remember, don't you, what happened with Jack and that gang I had to fight. I still remember everything that happened that night and how I almost lost my best friend."

Legosi began crying even more. "Why did it have to turn out this way? Why did Tem have to die, why did Jack have to get involved in that damn group, AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE EATING MEAT?!"

Louis pondered these questions and to his surprise, he never thought about any of them. Never once did he question why those things happened.

He also realized something else. This was now the third time Legosi has broken down and confessed about how he really felt. Looking back, Louis realized that Legosi has a lot more trust in him then either of them probably realized.

Louis thought about what his next move should be and what he should say. Just as he was about to answer the wolf, Legosi suddenly took a new course of action. He pressed his nose deep into the deer's neck and took a deep inhale.

This tickled Louis which made him want to get out even more. However, because Legosi trapped his arms when he hugged Louis, the herbivore could do nothing. Legosi sniffed Louis a few more times before he licked the deer's neck.

"HEY! What the hell are you doing you dumb dog!" Louis yelled.

"I'm just… I want to trust you Louis. I thought that if I licked you, it could help me do that," Legosi explained as his ears folded back.

"You are covered with the scent of meat, so I… I thought that maybe I could wipe away some of it and smell the real you. Oh, and please don't stop calling me that. I'm not a dog Louis, I'm a wolf!"

Louis's eyes widened. "Whoa, I think this is the first time he's ever asserted himself as a wolf to me. He really has come a long way."

Legosi moved his nose to the spot where he licked Louie. Before he could get another whiff however, Louis moved his head back and spoke.

"Legosi, you still haven't answered my question. Why are you sniffing me like this when not even five seconds ago, you were acting like you were about to attack me?"

Legosi turned his head to the side, still holding on to Louis as tight as he could.

"I... I was hoping that your scent would help me calm down. Canines connect scents to memories and I thought that maybe your scent would help remind me of how things used to be."

"Back when we were in the club together, just living our lives in school and not worrying about whether or not we will be alive the next day. I wanted a small piece of that familiarity, but because you smell like meat, it just reminds me of everything I've lost."

"I want to trust you, but I feel confused and frustrated. You have two scents and that makes it hard for me to know what to think. And the fact that I saw you eat meat right in front of me doesn't help at all. I just feel so lost and hurt right now."

The wolf took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Louis, but could you let me keep going? When I licked you, I managed to make your scent stronger than the smell of meat. So please, let me try again."

"Hmp, it's not like I could do anything to stop you," Louis scoffed, clearly showing that he couldn't move even if he wanted to.

Legosi let out a small smile and placed his nose back into position. He took a deep inhale and while he was able to get a much better whiff of Louis's scent, he could still smell the cooked meat from earlier. However, knowing his trick had helped somewhat, Legosi started licking Louis's neck once more.

Louis took a deep breath as he felt each lick. He started to blush as Legosi made his neck wet with saliva. He could feel the wolf's warm breath, which started to make him feel strange. With what little movement he had, he moved his hand upward and managed to touch Legosi's arm. He slowly moved his fingers through Legosi's soft fur as he felt how hard the wolf's muscles were.

It was at this point that Legosi stopped licking, giving the red deer a chance to gather himself. The break was short lived as Legosi sniffed Louis again. This time he was able to take in the young herbivore's scent, without it being tainted by the smell of meat.

Legosi held Louis even tighter as he brought his snout deeper into Louis' neck. He took a big inhale as he allowed the memories of the club to calm his nerves, tickling Louis in the process.

Louis tried his best to keep himself steady and in check, but because Legosi continued his actions the ticklish sensation became too much. Louis let out a laugh, one that felt big to the deer but went completely unnoticed by the large canine. He did however notice the buck kicking the ground and quickly came back to his senses.

He let go of Louis and took a step back. "Oh crap, I'm sorry Louis, I guess I got carried away."

Louis shook his head. "I-It's fine Legosi," he said in embarrassment. "I just wish you didn't slobber so much."

He took out a handkerchief and wiped his neck of the wolf's saliva. He then motioned for Legosi to give him some more space as he fixed himself up.

As Louis finished cleaning his neck, checking his suit, and recomposing himself, he looked at the embarrassed wolf and realized how good he looked in the light of the moon. He could see how much more muscular and healthier Legosi had gotten.

"I must say though, with nothing but your pants on you look like a wrestler," he teased.

Legosi let out a sigh. "Yea well, I still wish you would give me a shirt I could borrow."

Louis shook his head once more, as he walked past Legosi. "Don't worry, you won't be needing it."

Legosi turned to the red deer. "Why not?"

At that moment Louis made a strange gesture with his hand. Legosi raised a brow at this, but before he could ask anything he heard the sound of a gun cock behind him. He looked behind him as best he could without moving too much and from the corner of his eye he saw a lion's hand on his shoulder.

"I must say, you were certainly having a lot of fun with our boss, but now it's time we took charge of this situation," the lion said in a calm, yet aggressive tone.

Legosi recognized the voice and knew it was Dolph who was talking.

"W-What are you doing?" Legosi asked, a frightened tone could be heard in his voice.

"Get down on your knees," Dolph commanded.

Louis did just that and even put his hands behind his head just in case. "Why are you doing this?"

Legosi turned to face Louis. "Louis, what's going on?"

Louis smirked, he walked over to Legosi and bent down so they were at eye level. He then started petting the wolf's cheek. "Oh nothing, I just thought I would use this chance to teach my two underclassmen an important lesson."

Legosi's eyes widened. He tried to figure out what Louis meant by this, but before he could Bill was thrown down in front of him, knees on the floor and arms tied behind his back.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on here you jackass?!" the tiger growled as he looked up at Louis.

"We brought the brat boss, is there anything else you need?" another lion asked.

"Not at all Free, just keep them there," Louis answered.

Legosi tried to say something, but before he could Louis forced the wolf's gaze back to him, continuing the petting.

"Now that both of you are here, we can talk properly," the deer said in a tone that suggested he had complete control. "Legosi, I know you said evil exists in this world, yet you're still too naive to understand how the world itself works."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, you spoiled brat!" Bill roared.

Louis looked at Bill and slapped him, causing the tiger to fall down to the ground. "I was talking to Legosi, not you!"

"Bill!" Legosi barked. "Louis what the hell?"

"I must say Louis, your plan worked well enough," a third voice coming from behind Legosi said. "Still, this situation seems rather different than what you had in mind."

"It's fine Ibuki, while I would have liked to have done this without that little interaction, everything worked out in our favor," Louis explained.

Ibuki came closer to Legosi and pointed a gun at him from behind as well, causing the world to turn to him. "W-Why are you doing this? I thought… I thought we were becoming friends."

Louis had Free bring Bill back up to his knees and forced Legosi to look back at him. "We are friends, Legosi, but I'm still your upperclassman and as such it is my job to teach you the ways of the world," the deer explained as kept petting Legosi as if to tease him.

"Y-you tricked us?" Legosi asked with a heartbroken look on his face.

"Enough!" Bill growled. "You keep saying that you intend to teach us something, but you haven't said anything worth a damn!"

Louis looked at Bill, took a deep breath, then stood back and examined the two. "Isn't it obvious?" the red deer asked. "For all your good intentions, you two are too trusting. All it took for me to get you here and let your guards down was to talk to you like we were old friends and show you a bit of hospitality."

Louis shook his head. "I know you don't want to hear this, but everything they taught us at school was nothing but one big lie. Out here, in the real world, there is no such thing as coexistence. Herbivores show prejudice towards carnivores and carnivores indiscriminately eat their fill of herbivore meat right here on the black market. Even the police carnivores indulge themselves here," the red deer explained.

"But what about the 'Beastar'?!" Legosi shouted. "Isn't he supposed to be the bridge between all the animal species?"

"Yea! Just what the hell are you talking about rich boy?!" Bill growled. "You spent the entire time at school trying to become the next 'Beastar'! Now you're telling us that everything you did was for nothing?"

"Tch, that's exactly what I'm saying you idiot!" Louis growled. "Everything we worked towards, all the so called bonds we made, they were all a part of one giant lie."

"That's not true!" Legosi shouted, not even thinking about the guns pointed at him.

"Quiet wolf!" Dolph growled as he pressed his gun against the back of Legosi's head, reminding him of the situation. "You may not like it, but everything the boss is saying is true. It's true that we're close, but at the end of the day the relationship between us and the boss is solely for our mutual benefit and not for some stupid idea this damn society wants to drill into our heads."

"Even so if what you said is true and that your relationship is just something convenient, there's still a bond there," Legosi answered, "and the same goes for me and the others."

He turned to Bill, then back at Louis. "All the friends I've made, and the bonds we share… YOU CAN'T TELL ME NONE OF IT WAS REAL!"

Legosi started to growl, not even caring about the guns Dolph and Ibuki had on him. "Jack, Kibi, Kai, Collot, Dom, Miguno, Durham, Voss, even Bill, just like you guys, the connection we have isn't because society wants us to have it, we have it because it's what we wanted."

A determined look covered Legosi's face. "All the time we spent together, inside the club and out, being with my roommates and acting like goofballs. All those precious memories are proof that the bonds we create, whether they are with carnivores or herbivores are real!"

Everyone stared at the wolf. The words he said were so earnest that it seemed as though his very soul was set ablaze with overwhelming strength. Even Dolph, who was supposed to intimidate Legosi, found himself speechless.

Legosi took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe the idea of coexistence was a lie or at least started out as one, but the effort we put behind that idea is as real as real can be and that's what counts. You may not believe in what we've done with the club, but I do!"

Louis scoffed, "You can preach all you want, but I've already made my choice. I refuse to be a front for society's corruption anymore!"

The red deer took a step back and looked at both his former classmates. "You two should understand what I mean. After all, you know the truth about the current 'Beastar' right?"

Bill looked to the side, then back at Louis. "You mean how he's a strong herbivore who hates carnivores and that he kills any carnivore he gets to? Yea, we know all about that," Bill explained. "But that just means we should do whatever it takes to get a new and better 'Beastar' and as much as I hate to admit it, I really thought that person would be you."

Louis shook his head. "Well I guess you were wrong… we both were. I know where I stand, and it's here running the black market."

Bill and Legosi's eyes widened.

"W-What?" Legosi asked

"Y-YOU RUN THE BLACK MARKET?!" Bill yelled.

"I do," Louis said with a smile.

"How could you!" Legosi growled. "Why would you want this to go on?"

Louis said nothing. The young herbivore instead raised his hand to the others. "Get them out of my sight."

The three lions nodded and bent down to grab the two students. Just as they were reaching for them however, Legosi saw the opening he needed. He quickly jumped up and used the top of his head to smash into the bottom of Dolph's muzzle, causing the lion to fall back.

Free smiled in delight as he knew this was his chance to shoot someone. Bill however, had other plans. He kicked out his right foot, slamming it into Free's leg.

"ANSWER ME!" Legosi snarled as he landed and charged at Louis.

Ibuki however jumped in the way and caught the wolf in a grapple similar to the one he was in with Bill during the play. This was much different however, because despite his age, Ibuki was a lot stronger than Bill.

Legosi could tell that if the old him was in this situation he wouldn't have stood a chance. This made the wolf that much more grateful for Gohin's training and because of said training he knew exactly what to do.

He twisted both his arms and Ibuki's arms downward, forcing Ibuki to break his hold and giving Legosi his opportunity to strike. Using his greater speed, he quickly positioned himself for the attack. He then struck the lion with a double palm strike right to the solar plexus, sending the adult carnivore flying back.

While this was going on, Bill wrestled with Free to the ground. Both of them rolled back and forth trying to keep the other from getting away.

The tiger managed to get on top of Free and it was here where Bill remembered Legosi's move. He got a strong hold of Free's head and smashed the lion's muzzle with a head-butt. The tiger stood up, leaving Free unconscious and bleeding out of his nose.

The two turned to Louis, who was shocked at how good their fighting skills were. As they closed in on the deer however, they heard an alarm go off. They looked behind them and saw Dolph with his hand on a switch.

"The rest of the shinsengumi are coming," Louis boasted. "There's no way for you to escape."

"Yes there is," Legosi argued. The wolf grabbed Bill's arm and charged at Louis once more. "Out of the way!"

Louis's eyes widened and he jumped aside, avoiding the two young carnivores. He and the others then watched as Legosi jumped from the hillside and slid down to the streets below and out of sight.

"We're here!" another lion leading the rest outside shouted. "Where are the intruders?"

Louis said nothing. He instead waved his hand dismissively as he looked out at the city's skyline.

Down below Legosi ran as fast as he could out of the neighborhood, Bill running close behind.

"Damn, that was some good thinking Legosi!" Bill cheered. "Legosi?"

Bill ran a bit closer to the wolf and was shocked to see him in tears. He wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything that would help. He instead continued to follow Legosi into the night, out of the black market district and out of the city center.