21The voice of someone rings out in the darkness. Granny. She's always loved telling stories to the children at the orphanage. She hasn't told this story yet because, before, it hadn't happened. She finds that this one is her favorite. It wasn't always a happy story. In some ways, it never was. Or even a story that everyone had heard before. Whether or not it was a story that anyone wanted to hear, didn't matter. Everyone involved in the tales' lives changed forever.
There used to be many wolves. Some of them were killed. Some of them went into hiding. There was horror and bloodshed. War and poverty. Those things did not simply disappear. The struggle of humans and nature brought many things with it. And while these horrors persisted, so did everyone fighting them.
Just as hatred and all the terrible things that came along with it existed, so did their counterparts. Happiness, friendship, joy, and love.
Perhaps, after everything that the heroes of this tale had been through, it was time for them to find their own happiness. To find Paradise.
Some argued whether or not the place even existed. Many never found out the answer for themselves. Who was really there to say or judge? In the end, the heroes in this tale had to find it for themselves. After countless lives and dreams, you may ask yourself if it was worth it.
These were the questions that people killed for. Countless lives snuffed out for selfish reasons. Some with reasons that were pure in their intentions. Trying to do good in the world at the unfortunate detriment of others. Out of desperation to save the ones they loved. Some that were twisted by others. Others that started with their black hearts and cruel intentions. For the simple reason of being able to use their power in the most destructive way possible. Spurred on by powerful forces that they were never able to put words to.
It's easy to label those different from us as monsters. It's easier to fight and kill that way. Possibly, to lose yourself in the bloodshed. To not look back after all you've done. Even forget what it was you were fighting for in the first place.
Some were lost in the battle. A struggle that perhaps, went on for centuries. Over and over in an unbreakable chain.
There were wolves, humans, a Maiden created from Flowers, and in limbo with this world. A prophecy that no one around could truly understand. Maybe it wasn't meant to be comprehended. Or maybe those involved were too wrapped up in their own thoughts to realize the truth. A tragedy created by something that could not be reversed. A truth that might be lies to someone else.
Darcia and his family, cursed for things that he himself had no control over. His wife that he desperately tried to save. Through bloody and violent means that caused sorrow for others. His sister in law, that lost herself to the madness for a time.
In that madness, she tore apart the lives of many. Performed cruel dark magic that was responsible for the deaths of wolves and humans alike. She may hope to atone for her sins. Wish that her sister and Darcia can live in peace in any afterlife if there is one.
There was a woman, a scientist, who became so obsessed with this prophecy that she lost someone important to her. He'd never given up hope for her. Even in times when it would have been easy to.
There were other people. Many of them died for reasons they never came to understand.
A truth that was hard for a man to understand. Whose family had been killed. He sought revenge. The only other being in his life still around sought it as well. They killed wolves for reasons that were not the truth. Yet they did what they thought was right. When she turned out to be one of the things that he thought he hated most, he made a choice as difficult as the one he'd made before.
Some of them were killed by wolves. Wolves that came like a tempest, blowing past everything that they could in the name of their Flower Maiden
The wolves that hid. Ran and fought alone in the darkness. They came out of hiding, one by one. They found each other. Strangers at first. Then they felt less alone and happy because of it.
A white wolf with sharp yellow eyes. Indifferent to most things at first. All on his own. Carving a bloody path through the snow, over and over again. Powerful determination had always driven him. It still does. Now other things do as well. A wolf who was caught in a prophecy he hadn't understood. Chasing after someone who changed his life. Not even knowing what or who she was, just the desire to see her again. Finding that there was more to his life than the prophecy that he held close to his heart. While it was important, the things that he learned on his journey. He learned that it was ok not to be alone. Even though for a while that was all he knew. And while he can sometimes see the bloody past that he still isn't sure if it's true or not, he's happy to live in the present. With the others that he calls his pack.
A gray wolf whose old pack didn't heed his words. That had pushed him away. The past that haunted him. Their murders. The betrayals. A scar on his chest that hurt from the outside in. Even though it wasn't his fault. He still thought about them sometimes. And about the human pack that he'd used and abandoned as well. He fought and he kept fighting, figuring he'd die like that one day. Who would care either way? Despite that, the bitterness in his heart and the drive to push everyone away, they'd broken through anyway. The nightmares didn't come as frequently now. When they did, he knew that it was all that they were. Nightmares. He had a pack now. Even though he sometimes acted like he didn't care if they were near him or not, he was grateful.
There was a large brown wolf who was treated like a tool. Who was forced to kill his own kind for a plan driven by madness. Over and over again. Until he was forced to forget. Perhaps, if he had known the whole time, it would have broken him. He sought refuge in a town where fated events later transpired. Surrounded by humans but not out of place. And the last time that the plan was set in motion, it was unsuccessful. The wolves that he traveled with cared about him, he cared about them in turn. Though they were small in number, they were not to be underestimated. They overcame great odds together and he was grateful that they did. Even still, he thought that they must hate him for what he had done. It was very in line for his friends to defy expectations and push past assumptions.
There was a small brown wolf who wanted to make a change in the world. Even though he was a wolf, he loved humans. At least the ones who didn't hurt him. He saw beauty and peace in the world. Heard stories about heroes and legends that he wanted to be a part of if he could. While he wasn't very self-assured and he wasn't the strongest, he wanted to do something. The journey that he set out on turned into something more. Determined to help everyone that he could. Inadvertently bringing the wolves and people in his life together. Though they faced struggles and hardships and his ideals and will were often tested. He and the other wolves persevered through it all.
There was a blackish blue wolf who didn't know what she was at first. Who sought to kill any wolf she crossed and didn't particularly shy away from killing humans if she had to. But she wasn't without conscience or compassion for those who deserved it. It was after she left the person that she loved, who was also set on revenge. She wanted the best for him and she thought that meant her leaving him. On her journey alone, she learned things about herself. Met others different and similar to her. Learned what she needed to do in order to find a sense of peace in her heart.
You'll still hear whispers about these wolves and their Flower Maiden. Some are bad and some are good, in turn.
The wolves stuck together through everything. Trying to help the world repair itself became somewhat of a good vacation for them. They could finally live in peace. Happy to have each other.
Hige ate constantly. Mostly because he could do so not having to worry about anyone trying to hurt him or his loved ones. He was happy when the humans around him started a farm. Animals came back to the world slowly. He hunted more. His typical relaxed mood seemed tested a bit when he and his mate Blue finally had kids.
He wanted to be one of those cool parents that didn't worry about anything. Every stupid thing that his pups did made him question if he could put them in a soft padded room where they couldn't get hurt forever. He didn't forgive Jagurara. No one expected him too of course. He was glad that she had started to make strides in repairing her city and the ones around them. Which didn't undo anything that she'd done to anyone, but it was something.
Blue became Quent's partner again. Even after what transpired between the two of them, they fell back into step with each other. Fighting easily at each other's sides. This time, not ignoring the problems with the people around them in favor of vengeance. Police sheriff deputy Blue had a strange ring to it. As did being Hige's lover. Yet, she enjoyed both those things. Hige stayed home with the kids more than she did. She went out and, knowing that he loved her so made stopping crimes that much easier. Which was good because a lot of her job entailed stopping stupid drunk people who thought they were stronger than her. They weren't. Blue found that she was happy with who she had become. Something that in the past, she couldn't always claim to feel.
Tsume and Toboe wondered about what they wanted to do with their lives. They weren't sure what they wanted. They did find that they wanted to do things together more than anything else. Toboe made medicines sometimes and Tsume fought. The world around them wasn't perfect. Even years later, the human gang of Freeze City was scared of Tsume, which he liked. Toboe sometimes went to visit Granny. Traveling became the duo's main hobbies. Though they missed their pack everytime they left. It was nice to find the beauty in nature and other things. Sometimes there would be a following behind them. Humans or animals asking to study and train with them. Wanting to learn how to make medicine or to hear his stories. Tsume reportedly puts up with these people, mostly for Toboe's sake. Even though he rarely admitted it to anyone, aside from Toboe, he definitely had a soft spot for the smaller brown wolf. Toboe was more open and vocal about his feelings. Much to Tsume's embarrassment at times but he was happy about it despite it all.
Hubb continued to protect the town of Freeze City. Cher continued her research. To some people, it seemed as if things had gone back to how they were before. Cher still cared deeply for Cheza. However, The journey had changed both of them. She recognized that the wolves also cared about her and would keep her safe from anything. She also recognized that it was possible to love more than one person. Especially when the other person that she loved was so patient and understanding. Hubb supported her research and she supported his sense of justice. While she didn't have the patience or optimism that he had, she was always happy when he came back home. She hoped to one day perfect an allergy medication for his canine allergy that acted up way more than it had in past years.
There were legends of a white wolf who would run through the snow. Who, despite having a bone-chilling howl, sounded almost happy at times. Kiba could actually enjoy the cold and snow that he ran past without bothering to glance at. Sometimes you could hear a woman's voice singing and it almost looked like flowers bloomed from the sky. This seemed like a dream. Especially in comparison to the maiden who had tasked herself with healing the world. An intense-looking man stood at her side. She was soft-spoken, so was he, usually. Both of them could raise their voices for things when they really mattered. Usually in defense of their ideals or each others. Their dedication and love for each other was clear in even the smallest of actions. He helped her not to second guess herself and fight for what she believed in. She helped him to relax. The Flower Maiden's songs and ideals were known far and wide. You could apparently sometimes hear the wolf humming them with a look of love in his eyes.
There was more to the legend, more that hadn't been told. The wolf pack was beyond all of that. Because above all else, they were happy with each other. They lived their lives. Some times were better than others.
Some say that the little cottage that the wolves and their Flower Maiden lived in was filled with laughter whenever they got together. That despite everything, the harsh snow had made way for the soft flowers of spring.
Hello and thank you for reading my Wolf's Rain fanfiction! (: This is the last chapter. 0: Please support the original author's of the anime and manga and all of that! Wolf's Rain is a fantastic story and I love writing about it. Looking back on it, I first started writing this after I rewatched Wolf's Rain and found the original ending way to sad. My perspective of the story changed a lot and I understand the bittersweetnesss and the characters better. Still, I wanted to write an ending where (mostly) everyone got to be happy. It turned out kind of sappy but I'm glad I kept writing it. Though I might write more at some point…
Stay safe and have a nice night! (:
