adventure. Here ya go! Happy trails."

Kiba sat down.

"If you don’t come with, I’m not going."

Tsume narrowed his eyes.

"You’re bluffing!"

Kiba laid down, crossed his paws, and turned his head away stubbornly. Hige finally showed up.

"What’d I miss?"

Tsume answered, his voice angry and low.

"Kiba refuses to go look for his wife unless we go with him."

"WHAT? Kiba! You’re not serious, are you?" Hige asked frantically.

Kiba didn’t say a word. He merely looked at Cheza. Tsume and Hige looked at her too. She was crying. If Paradise died, so would the wolves and so would she. They could see her already starting to wither. The two reluctant wolves looked at each other. They shuddered when they heard their mates’ growls behind them. They glanced at the source of the threatening snarls. Shiloh and Blue stood above the boys, teeth barred, tails stiff and straight, and eyes shimmering menacingly.

"What the hell are you waiting for, an invitation?" Shiloh snarled.

"Get out there and help Kiba, NOW!" Blue added viciously.

Immediately, the boy’s tails’ slid between their legs.

"Yes ma’am!" Hige said, scampering over to Kiba.

"Sorry for the delay!" Tsume added, slinking behind the Hige.

Kiba opened one eye and wagged his tail.

Thanks, girls. He thought to himself.

Kiba got up.

"You two girls stay here with Cheza. Toboe, you stay here, too."

"What? Stay here? No! I wanna go, too!" Toboe objected.

"Just stay here, runt. It might be dangerous." Hige warned.

Toboe stomped his paw into the ground.

"That’s not fair! Kiba, please let me go with! I won’t whine, I promise! I can keep up! Besides, what’s the worse that can happen? We’re in Paradise. Please, Kiba!"

Kiba sighed.

"Fine. But you’d better keep up."

Toboe wagged his tail. Kiba turned to Cheza and ran to her. He put his head on her shoulder as she stroked his ears.

"I’ll be back Cheza, I promise. I’m not gonna let my stupidity ruin Paradise. I’ll save it. Just for you, I’ll save it."

Cheza hugged Kiba tight, saying farewell yet again to her Kiba.

"This One will be fine. This One will save some of the dying flowers. We will save Paradise…together."

Kiba reluctantly pried himself away, and went back to the others.

Shiloh and Blue were busy bidding farewell to their beaus.

"We’re so proud of you boys for volunteering to go help Kiba!" The girls cheered.

Hige and Tsume laughed uneasily.

Kiba trotted past them.

"Time to go."

The girls sat down and watched the 4 wolves take their leave.

"Be careful, Toboe!" Shiloh called.

"I will!" Toboe called back.

---------------------------------------------------------

A few miles away, Kiba slowed the group to a stop. He looked around, then turned to his companions.

"How do you find a female wolf?"

Tsume and Hige looked at each other. They shook their heads at the pathetic question.

"You don’t know how to find a female?" Hige asked.

Tsume sighed.

"Man, you do need a girl!"

"We might as well lead the way." Hige sighed.

He and Tsume trotted ahead. Kiba lingered behind for a moment with Toboe.

"It’s okay Kiba." Toboe said. "I don’t get it either."

Kiba rolled his eyes and ran to catch up with the others.

------------------------------------------------------------

Ch. 4 "Something Kiba This Way Comes"

She lay down by the babbling brook, gazing at herself in the water. She was beautiful. Her fur was such a light shade of lilac it was almost white. Her eyes were a lime green. Her tail appeared to be too big for her thin body. Her legs were long and slim. At first glance, she looked emaciated. But when she fluffed up the ruffle of fur around her neck, she was a spectacular example of a she-wolf. She got up, stretched, then began to shake, trying to ruffle up her fur. She wanted to look her best for him, after all. She knew Kiba was coming. Since the dawn of time, they’d been promised to one another, whether he liked it or not.

She made it to Paradise by the time Kiba and the gang were ruthlessly slaughtered by Darcia. She’d been waiting all this time for Kiba to arrive. She arrived to Paradise on time. She waited in the closed gates for him. Twice, he failed. He would’ve failed the third time if it weren’t for Tsume.

Tsume, she thought, what’s he like? And Hige, and Toboe? What about Kiba? I know all of them, yet they know nothing of me. Stupid males.

She hopped over the brook and walked through her meadow. Flowers grew out of every step she took. Tulips sprouted from the ground as she trotted from one flowerless spot to another. She wished she could have done this the first time Kiba didn’t make it. She had to watch from the window to Paradise as Darcia’s eye tainted the new earth. That place wasn’t Paradise. That’s just how earth always looked before man had to ruin it. This time, there were no humans. Paradise was inhabited only by the wolves, the flowers and the creatures that fed the wolves.

She ran in and out of meadows, sprouting flowers and ferns where areas were bare. She came upon a big, bare rock.

"Well, that’s an eye sore." She said to herself.

She turned and put her tail on it. She wagged the oversized appendage, hitting the rock three times. Within moments, the hideous lump was covered in soft moss. She rubbed her face on it. Baby’s breath (a type of tiny white flower) sprouted from the moss. Satisfied, she bounded off again, leaving her trail of tulips behind.

It wasn’t easy being the Mother of Paradise. She worked hard all day, bringing life into dull areas, bringing life into the dead areas and keeping everything balanced. When a caribou was killed, it needed to be replaced. When a flower started to wither, it needed to be lifted to the sun until the petals grew fleshy and reached for the sky.

It was especially tough without Kiba. When she brought the life back into things, it only lasted a short while, and left her tired. She was desperate for Kiba’s purity to keep the things alive and thriving.

She came across a dying lunar flower. She touched it with her nose. Her lilac face started changing. Her muzzle turned white. A white petal shape grew between her eyes. Another 2 white petal shapes grew under each eye. A final white petal shaped marking grew under her neck. It looked like someone painted a lunar flower on her face. The flower lifted its petals towards the sun. It was safe for another day. But bringing the lunar flower back left the she-wolf weak. She looked up at the sky, her flower marking faded and her energy drained.

Where are you, Kiba? I need you, now.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Cheza, Blue and Shiloh rested near a tree, all tired from trying to save the flowers. With three girls together and no guys around, gossip was inevitable.

"So, Cheza, what do you know about Kiba’s mate?" Blue asked.

"This One knows as much as you do, only what Atali said. All This One knows is her name."

"Really? What is it?" Shiloh asked excitedly.

Cheza looked down at the grass, then out on the horizon.

"Her name…is Sheba."

---------------------------------------------------------

Ch.5

"Now You See Me, Now You Don’t"

Tsume and Hige walked ahead, mumbling, whispering and giggling. Kiba rolled his eyes. He knew what they were talking about. He knew they were making fun of him, mocking him. The scent of an unfamiliar wolf filled his nostrils. It had to be her. It was time to break up the idiot gallery. It was time that he lead them.

"Hey, guys. I have an idea." Kiba said calmly.

The two wolves stopped and turned their attention to Kiba.

"Okay, you listening?" Kiba asked.

"Yes." They both answered.

Kiba walked in front.

"I get to lead now."

Hige and Tsume looked at each other.

"That doesn’t sound like much of a plan." Tsume mumbled.

"Yeah," Hige answered. "What do we get to do?"

"You guys have the most important job of all."

"Really? And what would that be?" Tsume asked.

"You guys get to shut-up and follow me."

With that, Kiba loped off in the direction of the scent. Tsume and Hige stood there.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." Hige complained before taking off after Kiba.

Tsume lagged behind, looking for Toboe. Ever since they left, Toboe wandered in and out of the group. No one knew where the pup was going, but they didn’t pay attention. Tsume tossed back his head and howled.

-------------------------------------------------

Toboe lay quietly in the canyon nearby. He’d been coming here often. There was a creek that ran through it. Flowers bloomed on either side. But, Toboe didn’t come there for the creek or the flowers. A herd of horses called this canyon their home. That’s why Toboe went there. He loved to watch the horses dance. The lead stallion was especially beautiful. He tossed his mighty head, arched his thick neck, and pranced around the mares, showing off his moves and his long flowing mane. He was jet black, but whenever moonlight hit him, he was a glowing purple. Toboe envied the stallion. He wished he could be that strong or that beautiful. He also wished he had someone to watch the horses with.

"When I get a mate, she’ll watch the horses with me." He said aloud. "And we’ll howl together at the stars, and play in the fields."

Tsume’s howl brought the pup back to reality. Sadly, Toboe got up and trotted away, leaving the magnificent stallion to dance without an audience.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheba had been following the boys ever since they entered her territory.

"The scent is so close." Kiba complained. "Yet, there’s nothing here."

Kiba was standing by a patch of grass. He sniffed the grass.

"I know she’s close. This grass reeks of her!"

Kiba dashed away in another direction, Hige loping slowly behind.

"Hey, wait up, Kiba!" He panted.

When the boys were gone, the patch of grass moved. It got up. It was the shape of a wolf. Sheba’s green fur sparkled and turned back to its regular lilac color.

"Did he just say I reek?" She mumbled to herself as she took off, following them.

A

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