Luna Roja
Book of the Moon
Toboe ran through the city, he came to a stop. Resting his hands on his knees he huffed and puffed trying to catch his breath.
"Hey? Hey! Doesn't that kid look sorta familiar?" A voice called. Toboe's ears tingled.
"!" Toboe looked up and smiled seeing a familiar youthful face. "H-Hige! Hey!" He called running over to Hige and the Raven haired man next to him "and Kiba too!" Toboe gasped.
"You're all back!" Toboe cheered. Hige caught Toboe in a head lock and ruffled his mahogany hair. "Hey squirt its good to see you!" Hige said overjoyed.
"Come on Hige stop!" Toboe called. Kiba chuckled softly.
Toboe managed to wriggle free. And looked up at Kiba "Have you guys seen Tsume? I need to tell him something important!" Toboe said.
Hige and Kiba glanced at each other. "Tsume ran off the other day" Kiba said. "Yeah he got all puffed up in a tizzy for no reason nearly bit kiba's head off and bolted." Hige said.
Toboe's smile deflated, "We're looking for him now so we can leave this horrible filthy city" Kiba said. Toboe clenched his hands. "We can't leave yet, Tsume's gotta do something first!" Toboe said " You guys keep looking for him. I've got to check on something!" He said running off.
Kiba and Hige glanced at each other in confusion.
----
----
It was now night fall and Roja roamed the night streets. She couldn't go home without Tsume she didn't want to.
She laughed at herself, she'd never noticed how dependent she had become towards him. Then again he is the first clear memory she has.
Roja laid a hand over her chest. "The wounds healed up but why does it still burn so much!" She thought.
Her thoughts were washed away as it started to pour rain, heavily. "Uhn! Again!" She cursed running to stand under a covered bus stop. Roja hugged herself and looked at the passing cars. The rain made her miss him more. Tsume had always been the one to judge the weather.
He had always just seemed in tuned with it.
Lowering her gaze Roja started to tear up as she sat on the bus stop. She quickly wiped her eyes. "No, Tsume taught you better" she muttered. Sniffling she stopped her tears, and ignoring the rain went back to her building.
As Roja entered her room dripping wet, she gasped and ran towards the brown mutt wagging his tail.
She dropped to her knees and hugged it around it's neck and shut her eyes tight. "Good boy!" She cheered in a cracked voice. She was more afraid to have been all alone through the night than she thought she was.
Roja fed herself and the mutt and curled up on the cot. Drifting to sleep as she played with his fur.
-----
-----
The following morning Roja awoke to find the mutt was gone again. It was odd but she was grateful in a way that it checked up on her so much.
Roja ate and quickly left to the usual spot. She had to stay on her toes.
On the way there her stomach ached. Roja rested a hand on it "damn...The meat must have spoiled, we need this next raid. We've got to gather nonperishables" she thought.
Stepping inside the railway station Roja was greeted with a scene of Maria a butch girl, Al the quiet one of the group were fending off Finn.
"Its not your say so! " Al yelled as Maria pushed Finn back.
Roja cleared her throat and all fell silent. She glared at Finn who glared right back fearlessly. Unnerved Roja turned to Maria and Al.
"Make ready the Dun buggies, we do this tomorrow, gather as any hands as you can. And rest up" Roja said before heading deeper into the station.
"They are waiting for us to do this, you'll kill us all" Nero said showing up behind Roja as she set up boxes and creates for the loot.
"We've no other choice" she said.
"That's not true, there is always a choice" Nero said. And when Roja turned around he was gone.
Roja sighed and closed her eyes.
----
----
"You came back" Kiba said calmly greeting Tsume who had returned to their den at the edge of the city.
"You say that like I had a choice" Tsume said bitterly. The two watched each other under the late afternoon sun. "I don't belong here, we don't belong anywhere" Tsume said lowly.
Yet at the same time, he couldn't shake the memory of those red eyes.
Looking into Kiba's eyes he new. That this was play out just as it had before. Tsume could try and fight the calling of paradise as long as he wanted. And he could stay here in the city, gang leading, hoping from one to the next again for as long as possible.
But the fact was, the world was slowly dying and paradise wasn't going to await anymore.
But thinking about these things, Tsume could picture in his mind clearer and clearer Roja's eyes.
"You're frowning" Kiba stated. Tsume made a bitter sound and sat on the ground closing his eyes. But he could feel Kiba's gaze.
"When do we leave?" Tsume asked hoping to fill the silence.
"Tomorrow night, the moon will be full...But" Kiba acknowledge Hige who returned. "We have to wait for Toboe" Kiba said.
Tsume opened his eyes "So the runts back too?" Tsume asked. "Yeah and he is looking for you, says there is something that you need to do" Hige said.
Tsume raised a brow "like I know what that is?" Tsume asked.
Hige laid down on the ground rolling onto his side lazily. Resting his head in his hand.
"Maybe it'll help to know he had the same sent on him as you did" Hige said. "Same sent?" Tsume asked.
"Yeah it was faint but...." Hige paused and looked up hesitantly "smelled kinda like that perfume stuff only not nearly as strong" Hige said.
"Perfume?" Kiba asked.
Hige nodded "flowers" he said softly.
----
----
That night Roja found herself unable to sleep, it wasn't just her mind reeling or her fear of being alone. Her stomach felt like needle cover rocks.
"Uhg, this feeling is awful, Tsume always had the eye for spoiled food too" she muttered.
Looking ahead of her, she spotted a strange man, a hooded cloaked figure. "Strange" she thought she'd never seen anyone dressed like that. It was a very luxurious looking cloak as well.
As she and the figure passed each other a strong but pleasantly sweet floral sent caught her nose. At the same time, Roja felt a small book being shoved into her hand.
For a moment time slowed down. Roja tried to see his face but, before her eyes could focus in the shadow covering his face. He was gone.
Finding herself alone, Roja look at the small old book in her hand. Raising it to her face she examined the fading gold letters on it that no longer make any words also it had a lock on it.
Roja looked around one more time before slipping away back to her building.
"There we go!" Roja sighed as she finally picked the lock. She sat on her cot and opened the book. On the first page was a title with no author.
"Book of the Moon" Roja whispered. The world seemed strangely quiet as she turned the page.
" From the Great Spirit...was born the Wolf" Roja squinted as the words inside were fading to "and Man became.... its messenger?" She questioned the words she read. She turned back to the title page and ran her fingers over it.
"Book of the Moon huh?"
"Hey? Hey! Doesn't that kid look sorta familiar?" A voice called. Toboe's ears tingled.
"!" Toboe looked up and smiled seeing a familiar youthful face. "H-Hige! Hey!" He called running over to Hige and the Raven haired man next to him "and Kiba too!" Toboe gasped.
"You're all back!" Toboe cheered. Hige caught Toboe in a head lock and ruffled his mahogany hair. "Hey squirt its good to see you!" Hige said overjoyed.
"Come on Hige stop!" Toboe called. Kiba chuckled softly.
Toboe managed to wriggle free. And looked up at Kiba "Have you guys seen Tsume? I need to tell him something important!" Toboe said.
Hige and Kiba glanced at each other. "Tsume ran off the other day" Kiba said. "Yeah he got all puffed up in a tizzy for no reason nearly bit kiba's head off and bolted." Hige said.
Toboe's smile deflated, "We're looking for him now so we can leave this horrible filthy city" Kiba said. Toboe clenched his hands. "We can't leave yet, Tsume's gotta do something first!" Toboe said " You guys keep looking for him. I've got to check on something!" He said running off.
Kiba and Hige glanced at each other in confusion.
----
----
It was now night fall and Roja roamed the night streets. She couldn't go home without Tsume she didn't want to.
She laughed at herself, she'd never noticed how dependent she had become towards him. Then again he is the first clear memory she has.
Roja laid a hand over her chest. "The wounds healed up but why does it still burn so much!" She thought.
Her thoughts were washed away as it started to pour rain, heavily. "Uhn! Again!" She cursed running to stand under a covered bus stop. Roja hugged herself and looked at the passing cars. The rain made her miss him more. Tsume had always been the one to judge the weather.
He had always just seemed in tuned with it.
Lowering her gaze Roja started to tear up as she sat on the bus stop. She quickly wiped her eyes. "No, Tsume taught you better" she muttered. Sniffling she stopped her tears, and ignoring the rain went back to her building.
As Roja entered her room dripping wet, she gasped and ran towards the brown mutt wagging his tail.
She dropped to her knees and hugged it around it's neck and shut her eyes tight. "Good boy!" She cheered in a cracked voice. She was more afraid to have been all alone through the night than she thought she was.
Roja fed herself and the mutt and curled up on the cot. Drifting to sleep as she played with his fur.
-----
-----
The following morning Roja awoke to find the mutt was gone again. It was odd but she was grateful in a way that it checked up on her so much.
Roja ate and quickly left to the usual spot. She had to stay on her toes.
On the way there her stomach ached. Roja rested a hand on it "damn...The meat must have spoiled, we need this next raid. We've got to gather nonperishables" she thought.
Stepping inside the railway station Roja was greeted with a scene of Maria a butch girl, Al the quiet one of the group were fending off Finn.
"Its not your say so! " Al yelled as Maria pushed Finn back.
Roja cleared her throat and all fell silent. She glared at Finn who glared right back fearlessly. Unnerved Roja turned to Maria and Al.
"Make ready the Dun buggies, we do this tomorrow, gather as any hands as you can. And rest up" Roja said before heading deeper into the station.
"They are waiting for us to do this, you'll kill us all" Nero said showing up behind Roja as she set up boxes and creates for the loot.
"We've no other choice" she said.
"That's not true, there is always a choice" Nero said. And when Roja turned around he was gone.
Roja sighed and closed her eyes.
----
----
"You came back" Kiba said calmly greeting Tsume who had returned to their den at the edge of the city.
"You say that like I had a choice" Tsume said bitterly. The two watched each other under the late afternoon sun. "I don't belong here, we don't belong anywhere" Tsume said lowly.
Yet at the same time, he couldn't shake the memory of those red eyes.
Looking into Kiba's eyes he new. That this was play out just as it had before. Tsume could try and fight the calling of paradise as long as he wanted. And he could stay here in the city, gang leading, hoping from one to the next again for as long as possible.
But the fact was, the world was slowly dying and paradise wasn't going to await anymore.
But thinking about these things, Tsume could picture in his mind clearer and clearer Roja's eyes.
"You're frowning" Kiba stated. Tsume made a bitter sound and sat on the ground closing his eyes. But he could feel Kiba's gaze.
"When do we leave?" Tsume asked hoping to fill the silence.
"Tomorrow night, the moon will be full...But" Kiba acknowledge Hige who returned. "We have to wait for Toboe" Kiba said.
Tsume opened his eyes "So the runts back too?" Tsume asked. "Yeah and he is looking for you, says there is something that you need to do" Hige said.
Tsume raised a brow "like I know what that is?" Tsume asked.
Hige laid down on the ground rolling onto his side lazily. Resting his head in his hand.
"Maybe it'll help to know he had the same sent on him as you did" Hige said. "Same sent?" Tsume asked.
"Yeah it was faint but...." Hige paused and looked up hesitantly "smelled kinda like that perfume stuff only not nearly as strong" Hige said.
"Perfume?" Kiba asked.
Hige nodded "flowers" he said softly.
----
----
That night Roja found herself unable to sleep, it wasn't just her mind reeling or her fear of being alone. Her stomach felt like needle cover rocks.
"Uhg, this feeling is awful, Tsume always had the eye for spoiled food too" she muttered.
Looking ahead of her, she spotted a strange man, a hooded cloaked figure. "Strange" she thought she'd never seen anyone dressed like that. It was a very luxurious looking cloak as well.
As she and the figure passed each other a strong but pleasantly sweet floral sent caught her nose. At the same time, Roja felt a small book being shoved into her hand.
For a moment time slowed down. Roja tried to see his face but, before her eyes could focus in the shadow covering his face. He was gone.
Finding herself alone, Roja look at the small old book in her hand. Raising it to her face she examined the fading gold letters on it that no longer make any words also it had a lock on it.
Roja looked around one more time before slipping away back to her building.
"There we go!" Roja sighed as she finally picked the lock. She sat on her cot and opened the book. On the first page was a title with no author.
"Book of the Moon" Roja whispered. The world seemed strangely quiet as she turned the page.
" From the Great Spirit...was born the Wolf" Roja squinted as the words inside were fading to "and Man became.... its messenger?" She questioned the words she read. She turned back to the title page and ran her fingers over it.
"Book of the Moon huh?"