Chapter 10: ...Wisp?

DUSK

    The wolf general was pacing in a circular path, whipping herself with faults. "I let Wisp get away," she harshly growled. "He's gone, I saw him leave."

    "Hush, Wisp, can't be for long," Ironide assured.

    "Easy for you to say!" Dusk growled. "I was supposed to take care of him! As his guardian!"

    Ironide sniffed, "You're too protective, Dusk..." He shifted over and let his claws run through Dusk's soft grey fur, and smiled. "You don't have to be so scared. He has his mother's blessing, he has his sister's strength, and his father's ambitious side."

    "No, Iron, you don't get it!" Dusk cried, pushing Ironide's paw from her, so forcefully she let her claws leave a scratch on his paw. Ironide didn't seem to care as blood dripped. "I-I'm s-sorry!"

    "You didn't mean to, no harm done," whispered Ironide beside her ear.

    Dusk felt like blushing, only that if she haven't been on duty with Ironide too many times, she would have. She saw Nyxtryx and Rocky, she wanted to bee like them, her and her Iron.

    Ironide shifted in his spot and rolled away. "Dusk, I know, we have that silly tradition, I don't like it, we just lose... power..." he said.

    "Escarda told me that she doesn't really like the pack. She told me," said Dusk, "that she was told the chief caused unfortunate incidents in the pack... I wanted to ask her by whom, but she didn't reply, she looked happy to leave."

    Ironide nodded. "We can't just stand by the chief, keep guard, to see if it's true, that'd be wrong, true or not," he said.

    You said you'll be my guardian, you say you'll be my sister, but you don't guard my ambitions and dreams, at all! What guardian is that? Wisp's scream reeled in her head.

    "Sometime ago," Dusk shakily started, hoping to drown Wisp's voice, "the chief told me, he didn't even know why he sent she-wolves for a quest, no idea, not even knowing if he sent Midnight!"

    "I was told he has selective amnesia," said Dusk when Ironide opened his jaws to ask.

    "Oh," was the reply.

    Silence, and the pack were returning from their hunt, the evening sun starting to set. "Dusk" started Ironide, adding his voice into the chattering crowd.

    Dusk looked at Ironide, wondering. "I-if it's not personal..." he said, "that when you saw Wisp leaving, why didn't you stop him?"

    Dusk's mind ran with answers.

    I couldn't guard his ambitions.

    I can't be who he wants me to be.

    I can take care of Wisp anymore.

    I know he thinks I no longer cares for him.

    I know that he's angry with me.

    ...

    I know...

        he doesn't like me anymore...

    Dusk frowned. "I'm afraid it's just, well, I thought he's only leaving for a small stretch, it's a bit crowded here, y'know..."

    She hoped it sounded convincing enough.

    "Sis!" cried a voice.

    Dusk turned and there stood Mist. She tiptoed onto the tip of her paws and whispered to her sister's ear. "Sis, I'm not sure why... but Chief Darke called you."

    Dusk frowned once more. "Me?"

    Mist nodded.

    "Subject of the matter?"

    "He just told you to come..." said Mist. "As soon as possible."

    Dusk gulped. Whatever it was, it sounds serious.

    "Iron, I need to go-"

    Ironide cut through her sentence. "If you're going, I'm coming too..."

    "No..." said Dusk looking at her sister, giving a stiff, slight shake of her head. "I have a feeling it will be a personal issue."

Author's note: I'm not in the mood to write/type lately, and this chapter is short, partly pointless. Also, the title... no idea for it, so we have a random title.

Chapter 9: A Spy Within

MIDNIGHT

    Golden light touched Midnight's face as she yet passed another tree. Cullen was trying to hide his tail, which Midnight keep looking at as she told Cullen about the magical activities of the forest. Cullen actually listened, and soon, they were walking in silence.

    A flash of orange swished, Cullen's tail. "Oh fang, Cullen, your tail is so distracting!" Midnight finally said.

    "I don't see this wolf Beta talk about," said Cullen, ignoring Midnight.

    A rustle. "Shhh," warned Midnight.

    The two crouched towards a bush and Midnight peeked and gasped. There, a wolf with black fur sat on a clearing, red markings on the underside, a bird chirping and landed on the wolf's head. "Huh, seems like he's in a fantasy wonderland," scoffed Cullen. "I hope he's not going to be a cry-baby and an argument issue on who's prey he's going to be."

    "He's a wolf, Cullen, don't be a cannibal," chided Midnight.

    "Don't trust him to not be a wolf, I mean, look!" Cullen growled.

    A bunny made it's way towards the wolf and hugged him.

    "Uh," Midnight started. It was too odd to process.

    "Animals here can use magic, and you think this isn't a bunny in disguise?" asked Cullen. Midnight regretted telling Cullen, but before she could protest, Cullen leaped, underneath his shadow, the bird and bunny ran away, the wolf looked up.

    Too late. Cullen caught the wolf, pinned him down. "Get off me!" whimpered the wolf.

    "Y'are a bunny in disguise with magic!" Cullen growled.

    Oh fang, grumbled Midnight in her thoughts.

    "I'm a wolf, a real wolf!" the wolf complained, his brown eyes wide.

    "Shut it, you're not!" Cullen growled. "Why else would a bunny trust you?"

    "You mean Carl?" growled the wolf, shocking Midnight that he wasn't actually scared.

    "Yeah, your who-ever-that-is," snorted Cullen.

    "He's my friend. I saved him."

    "From being your prey," laughed Cullen.

    The wolf snapped, and Cullen's reflexes caused him to almost leave a scar of the wolf's jaw. "Hey, watch it!" the two wolves growled at the same time.

    "That's Blaze," said a voice.

    From the bushes behind, Theta appeared, smiling, her fur becoming mocha brown and gold underneath the sun, her green eyes sparkling.

    "You know him?" demanded Midnight.

    Theta nodded. "Sureeeeee, why not?" she asked, a few syllables were elongated.

    "Beta said she never saw him," scoffed Midnight.

    "S-sis!" cried Blaze, moving over to Theta.

    "Well, about that," stammered the guardian.

    Blaze spoke out loud and clear. "Theta found me by the northern border, and she decided to take care of me!"

    "Not cursed, eh," fumed Cullen.

    "Uh-huh-huh, not funny, Cullie," chided Theta. She stroked Blaze's neck. "I came here to tell you-"

    "Who's this Cullie you call for?" growled Cullen, interrupting Theta.

    Theta laughed shortly. "It's your nicky-name, Cullie Cullen."

    Cullen frowned as Theta continued addressing Blaze. "Blazie dear, it's not safe to be around the borders anymore. As much as you don't like my little dears, it's time for you to enter the magical realm of Silver Woods."

    Blaze paused. "I don't want to."

    "Why?" coaxed Theta.

    "I see... a traitor within, from intruders who once swoop in from above," Blaze moaned.

    "Wha-?" grumbled Theta.

    Blaze looked up. "A hawk."

    Midnight almost thought it was Hawk. A hawk for a wolf, she thought.

    Theta frowned. "We don't have hawks," grumbled Theta.

    "Unless they can shape-shift through magic," Midnight blurted.

    Theta thought for a moment before replying, "Pi."

Author's Note: Uhm, this chapter is quite confusing, I guess? Thanks for Blaze, arcticpenguinII!

Also, GreatShot, Cullen's dying real soon.

From now on, I'll post on Sundays...

Chapter 8: Traditions

DUSK

    Chief Darke stood forwards. "Despite our bad situation, we have come to the tradition of wolves. Today, we wish six wolves goodbye."

    Six wolves were aligned, standing, before Chief Darke. The chief walked slowly towards a grey wolf with silver-like markings. "Escarda," said the chief, placing his right paw on her chest. "You are a grown wolf, destined to start your own pack, but you do not have a place here, but as a leader elsewhere."

    Dusk didn't want to watch, but she was a wolf general. She struggled not to remember her own memories.

    Escarda nodded. "I understand," she said.

    The chief smiled weakly at her and moved to the next wolf. "Darren," he stared, but Darren's tears stopped him. The chief placed his paw on Darren's chest and smiled. "Good luck, best wishes."

    Darren nodded in return.

    Dusk looked away. "Psst, Nyx," she whispered. "I need to go for a while. I'll be back soon."

    Dusk didn't want to be part of the ceremony. "Who the heck wishes wolves goodbye, anyway?" she thought out loud. "That's dim."

    Despite that, it was part of their nature. It just felt... natural. She sighed. "What's wrong, Dusk?" asked a voice.

    Dusk looked up. It was Wisp. He was resting on a tree's twisted branch, looking lazy.

    "Wisp?" she muttered. "What are you doing here?"

    "I'm trying to find Midnyx," he sighed.

    Dusk became silent. "Oh, Wisp, I don't think she'll find us," she whispered.

    Wisp's ears twitched. "W-what?"

    "Wisp, I'm sorry, I wanted to believe, but... no..." Dusk muttered.

    "You said you'll be my guardian, you say you'll be my sister, but you don't guard my ambitions and dreams, at all!" Wisp cried. "What guardian is that?"

    "Wisp, I wanted to-"

    "You know what, there are wolves leaving and you're not there to attend the ceremony and give them your blessing?" Wisp snapped.

    "Falling stars," said Dusk, remembering. "I almost forgot."

    She ran off towards where the ceremony was, and she quickly took her place. Luckily, the Bless-Giving has just started. Ironide quickly spoke to Escarda, who moved towards Rocky. Dusk sighed when Escarda came to her. "Follow the stars," Dusk said, "don't let anyone interfere."

    Dusk saw Escarda's smiling face. "Aren't you sad to leave?" Dusk asked.

    As the she-wolf moved away, she said, "No, it's only fate, and I don't really like this place anyway," said Escarda. "I've been told that... the chief, he caused unfortunate incidents in the pack..."

    Dusk was surprised. "By who?" she asked, but Escarda already left.

    "Darren," said Dusk, sighing, "be a brave wolf, show the others your strong-self."

    Darren sniffed and nodded. "Don't be so sensitive, put a little armour," coaxed Dusk.

    Darren stood a little taller and left. Dusk was approached by a black wolf. "Neil," said Dusk, "be the leader, don't be the underling, but don't be arrogant."

    Neil's smile made Dusk uneasy.

    Soon, the ceremony of tradition ended, and Dusk noticed something else.

    Seven wolves left.

Author's Note: So I'm just explaining a bit on their customs, about wolves leaving... as it naturally happens. Dusk's side is still boring and all, since you haven't discover things about the things we did in Midnight's side. Also, the characters page has been heavily updated with all the things so far...

Also, check back a week later for the next chapter... as usual!

Chapter 7: Suspicions

MIDNIGHT

    I'm not a wolf either...

    Zeta's words rang in Midnight's ears.

    What could Zeta be? Midnight wondered. Pi, on the other hand, must be at her highest potential power, being a fox and not a wolf.

    Midnight remembered her previous conversation.

    "Why do they become wolves when weak?" Midnight asked. "What about a deer?"

    "It's the Rune Rules," replied Zeta. "If we have done something great in the past, good or evil, before we loose of powers, we will be turned into wolves. Loved and feared by many, and only by getting our ranks of high power, we can be as who we were. If we didn't accomplish anything, we'll be turned into minor animals. Prey. Squirrels, rabbits, they all count."

    "So if I prey on a creature, they might actually be a wolf?" Midnight gulped.

    "Not really," Zeta cheerfully say. "They're all probably here in the forest."

    Midnight rested below a tree, satisfied after preying a bunny outside the forest. A rustle of leaves, and out came Cullen, the maned wolf.

    "You seriously didn't eat anything from here, right?" Midnight asked.

    Cullen shrugged, swishing his odd tail. "I'm starting to be familiarised with this place," he said. "No, I didn't eat anything here."

    Midnight sighed in relief.

    "I ate over there," Cullen said, pointing to a huge tree.

    "Cullen!" Midnight cried. "For crying out loud! I told you it's cursed!"

    "They just want their prey as theirs," Cullen said in a mundane tone, as if nothing happened, probably because nothing did.

    "They don't eat, Cullen, can't you see?" Midnight cried.

    "Don't care."

    Midnight frowned. "Oh you jerk," she said, "maybe Zeta knows what curse you got."

    Cullen shrugged.

    The answer was obvious to Midnight. It wasn't a very bad curse, but Cullen's tail turned orange, with a purple tip.

    Cullen noticed Midnight staring at his tail, and gasped. "What? Is this a prank?" he growled.

    "I believe it is the curse," stated Midnight.

    "This is so embarrassing! It's orange and purple," he growled.

    Midnight shrugged but smiled.

    "You're pranking me! Look at that smile! Yeesh!" Cullen protested.

    "What? No!"

    "Cut it off, I tell you!" he growled.

    "No!"

    "Hee-hee," said a voice.

    The two stopped quarrelling and looked up. A beautiful white wolf with lashes was on a tree branch. "Who the fang are you?" cried Midnight.

    "Don't be alarmed, I'm Beta," she said.

    "R-Rune?" asked Midnight.

    "No, silly," she said. "I was recruited before Rune was defeated. Apparently, we have the same name."

    She laughed again.

    Beta's body was slender, and her fur was completely white, her eyes sparkling.

    "Shh," she said.

    "You were the one laughing a moment ago!" yelled Cullen.

    "You are the one with the hilarious tail," Beta responded.

    "What are you doing up there?" asked Midnight.

    "I'm watching the border," said the she-wolf.

    Cullen cocked his head. "What for?"

    "You see, Rune might attack any time soon, and Delta reported there were creatures unknown to us," she said.

    "Meanwhile, since you both aren't doing much of a thing," Beta said, "I've seen a wolf I've never seen by the north border. Do you two mind checking it out?"

    Before Midnight could even respond, Beta cried, "Fantastic! You better leave... now."

Author's Note: I forgot to post yesterday again, a little busy, stuff and all... Is this chapter too short?