#like others are panicking over the wound and teru be like

[icyevergreen5]

[alvacchi]

Phantom Thief Hanako-kun AU Story: When They Truly Met

(Image from AidaIro!)

This is my concept story based off of the AU! Enjoy!

---

-The story started off when Yashiro asked Tsuchigomori why he retired from the police force and opened up his own private detective agency

-That didn't mean the private detectives and police force wouldn't work together from time to time but still

-Tsuchigomori replied that he didn't approve of Teru's violent methods towards criminals no matter the offense. Teru was one of the top promising policemen in the force.

Tsuchigomori had his personal reasons supposedly.

-Tsuchigomori told her to go join the police force then but Yashiro refused

-Yashiro, on the other hand, had a crush on Teru. She thought he's only trying to protect people. He was popular in the police force and she considered him a senpai.

-Yashiro is Tsuchigomori's apprentice and she wanted to learn from him as he's more experienced

-She believed it was better if she impressed Teru with her detective skills once she mastered them

-Yashiro asked about the latest heist note from the phantom thief Hanako

-Both of them were doing their jobs of helping to catch the thief. It had been their mission lately.

-Tsuchigomori forbade her to go this time though

-Yashiro asked why

-Tsuchigomori: "Minamoto Teru is going tonight."

-Yashiro gasped since Teru doesn't often come. He's mostly busy with other cases that were more urgent

-But was it really just Teru?

-Tsuchigomori went over Yashiro's problems during their previous heist searches for Hanako

-Like getting lost

-He also told her Kou and Mitsuba were not going either because it's going to get dangerous

-Yashiro questioned this because heists never brought any harm but entertainment for Hanako fans

-Tsuchigomori shooed her off though, saying she's got a lot to learn

-During the night. It was a full red moon

-The heist was happening and Yashiro was missing out.

-Yashiro was out of her apartment at the time, grabbing groceries for her and her little hamster Black Canyon

-She also bought new kitchen appliances since her old ones were getting worn out

-When she came to her door, she heard a noise inside

-Panicking, she prepared some self defense with a frying pan and kitchen armor and blindly charged in to hit the intruder

-When she opened her eyes, she found a bleeding Hanako on the floor

-'Oh no! I murdered him!' She immediately thought.

-But then after calming down a bit, she realized the bleeding wasn't from her frying pan but the chest area

-It looked like a bullet wound

-A bullet? Was there gun violence?! But who used a gun?

-She attempted to call 119

-Hanako grabbed her arm to stop her from calling the hospital, panting heavily

-A doorbell rang and pounding door knocks were heard

-Yashiro hid Hanako in a blanket without thinking

-She answered the door to find Teru

-Teru asked her if she's seen any suspicious activity like a certain phantom thief

-He was hunting Hanako down

-That's when it clicked to Yashiro that she's hiding the thief since the shock blinded her from thinking of his identity

-Recalling the bullet wound, for a second she doubted Teru but she fought that doubt. Surely not Teru, right? He had a whip and a sword but a gun?

-Her morals clashed and an internal conflict started

-Wasn't it too cruel to hand Hanako over at his most vulnerable moment?

-It was so unusual to see him in such a state, since he seemed to be having the time of his life at the heists

-Was this what Detective Tsuchigomori meant by dangerous?

-But Hanako hadn't technically hurt anyone from any of his heists

-She didn't even know his motive behind his stealing

-So she lied

-She said she hadn't seen anyone

-Teru took her word for it and went to search around her apartment building

-Yashiro let go a breath she didn't realize she was holding

-Then, she started agonizing on the fact that she lied to her crush

-She slapped her cheeks as she realized Hanako was still bleeding to death

-She went over to check with him and threw the covers off

-Hanako was unconscious now and Yashiro quickly checked his pulse

-It was faint but there

-He's still alive thank goodness

-She realized the wound seemed to be slightly bigger for some reason and his hand was tightly clutching onto something

-It's the bullet

-He took out the bullet with the new knife that was laying nearby

-She must have dropped her bags in pure panic

-Okay, this guy was crazy

-Did he want to die faster or something

-He must have fainted in the middle of applying aid to himself

-How did he not scream in the process

-Recalling that Hanako didn't want to go to the hospital, Yashiro assumed that it was because he's a wanted criminal

-She thought he was lucky that she learned first aid from Tsuchigomori as part of her detective work

-Also that she was living alone in her apartment

-So, she patched him up real good and left him to sleep somewhere

-During the patch up, she tried to feel for any gem he could be hiding

-But there were none on him

-Strange since he came back from a heist

-Did he fail to steal because of Teru? That'd be a first.

-Finally when her attention was off him, she realized she would have to clean the bloody mess

-And her window was broken

-The most likely case being Hanako crashed in through there

-Staring at Hanako asleep, she noticed a black cat mask on the side of him.

-Black cats were told to bring bad luck to those around them.

But that can't be right. That's just a superstition.

-Did Teru believe in it?

-Nonetheless, she had to pay for that window damage. Or make an unconscious thief do so when he wakes up

-By the time she woke up the next day though, Hanako was already gone with a note on the side that he would come by later tonight

-If Yashiro wasn't mad last night, she was pissed now

-Aren't phantom thieves supposed to be gentlemen?! He gave her nothing but trouble!

-She was really going to let him have it when he comes

-The time came and Yashiro found Hanako right at her window

-It's not even the first floor. Of course he had to make a grand entrance

-Yashiro grabbed him and pulled him into her room with anger

-She yelled at him for leaving suddenly even with a note

-Hanako: "Ow is this how you deal with your patient? I'm sad and hurt."

-Hanako told her that he had to go pick up the jewels he left

-Oh. So he was hiding them somewhere else

-Yashiro: "I'll have you know I'm a detective! I could arrest you right here! Right now!"

-Hanako: "Correction. You're a detective's apprentice. You wouldn't have the authority to arrest me."

-Yashiro's eyes widened.

-Hanako: "Hehe surprised? Your window happened to be conveniently close enough to land."

Yashiro: "How do you know who I am?"

Hanako: "I have my sources. How did you think I was able to have a successful heist every time?"

-Hanako walked closer to Yashiro and Yashiro stepped back until she was up against the wall.

-He was really close and dominating over her, quite teasingly

-If Yashiro had a wild imagination, it was like a kabedon with both hands.

-Hanako: "Besides, even with authority, did you really think you could arrest me?"

-Yashiro flustered and quickly pushed him off, though careful not to touch his wound.

-Yashiro: 'Don't fall for it, Yashiro Nene! He's not even your type!'

-Yashiro: "Why do you steal?"

-Hanako only smiled at her.

-Hanako: "That's for you to find out, my dear detective."

-Yashiro pouted at the comeback.

-Hanako: "Let's make a deal."

-Yashiro: "What?"

-Hanako: "I'm indebted to you so why don't I come over at night once in a while? We could get to know each other."

-Yashiro: "Are you kidding? That's breaking my moral code! You know I can't do that!"

-Hanako: "You're curious though, right?"

-At that moment, Yashiro couldn't deny it. She indeed was. She couldn't shake off the incident from last night. Maybe Hanako had a reason for being a phantom thief. And maybe there was more to him than meets the eye.

-Yashiro: ".......Fine. We have a deal. But don't expect me to go easy on you during the heists!"

-Hanako: "Wouldn't have it any other way~"

-Hanako closed in again to kneel down and place a kiss on her hand. He looked up and grinned at her.

-Not so soon, Yashiro just kicks him out of her apartment, already a blushing mess.

-And so their relationship began.

[inu-jiru]

Tomoe, The Eastern Tigress - Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen - Killer Fang

Thunder and Lector stood side by side, staring down their three opponents. John, Kagetora, Jerome, Hiro, and Teru remained on the sidelines, spectating with bated breath. With a confident lick of his chops, Thunder spoke first. “That little brat’s pissed me off,” he said. “I’ll take him out. Can you handle those two, brother?” “It’ll be a minor challenge,” replied Lector with a smirk. Their arrogance...it set a fire to Tomoe’s soul. “Well then...let’s do this.” Thunder’s eyes suddenly widened with insane bloodlust. “Killer Fang!” Weed’s eyes widened as the floppy-eared Doberman soared towards him. Quickly, he rolled to the side, feeling the rush of air as Thunder cashed into the ground. Recovering quickly, Thunder lunged for the Akita mix, biting rapidly at his face and head. Thanks to his smaller body, Weed was able to dodge almost every attack. Weed backed off, feeling a sharp pain in the side of his face. Thunder’s fangs left a long cut on his cheek. Lector, meanwhile, advanced on Tomoe. A bitch like her was all talk, he assumed. She’d go down in seconds. Kyoushiro, however, quickly stepped in front of her, baring his fangs. “A girl shouldn’t waste her energy on a scumbag like this,” Kyoushiro said coyly. “I’ll handle this bastard.” “Tch,” scoffed Tomoe. “Thanks, but…” Tomoe launched herself into the air with a kick of her powerful legs. Kyoushiro stared up after her with wide eyes. Even Lector had to stop. “Fight WITH me, not for me.” Tomoe landed behind Lector, forcing him to turn around. With a fierce growl, the Doberman began to chase her. Kyoushiro followed close behind, running his tongue along his fangs. Fight with her, eh? That gave the Kishu an idea. Like Tomoe, he shot into the air, but he wasn’t aiming to land in front of Lector. No, he was unleashing his ultimate attack: Death From Above. It was the same attack he’d used to slice off the ear of Teru’s father. Moving targets were never guaranteed to be kills, but any damage was good enough. SLICE! “Gyah!” Lector yowled, feeling Kyoushiro’s claws slashing his side. The force of the attack knocked him off his paws. “Eh?” Thunder glanced over at the other battle, hearing his brother’s cry. Weed perked; this was his chance! He darted forward, cutting into Thunder’s shoulder with his fangs. “Gah! You brat!” Weed’s heart raced and his pupils dilated. That attack just now...it filled him with a new sensation. The bearhound blood of Gin, Riki, and his great-grandfather, Shiro, was stirring. The battle could be won. He just had to keep going. Jerome watched, nodding in approval. This was the power he’d been waiting to see. He hoped the others could see it, too. Lector was struggling to his paws, grunting from his wound. Fortunately, it wasn’t anything fatal, but it hurt a lot. Tomoe and Kyoushiro stood a short distance away, watching his movements in preparation. With a furious growl, Lector decided to try his chances with Kyoushiro. He lunged for the Kishu. His fangs clanked metallically as he narrowly missed Kyoushiro’s flesh. The male was dodging him, moving with great speed. “Stop resisting,” Lector barked. “You’re only delaying the inevitable. I’ll kill you both sooner or later.” “You won’t do shit,” Tomoe challenged. She chased after Lector, biting down on his hind leg. Lector stumbled and fell with a grunt. Seeing this, Kyoushiro smirked and slowed to a stop. He began digging in the snow, looking back at Lector with a cheeky grin. “Oi, Tomoe,” he began. “How big should I make this? How wide?” “Eh?” asked Tomoe through a mouthful of leg. “What is that?” “I’m making the bastard a grave, hehe.” “Dream on!” Lector sneered. He twisted himself around and lashed out with his other hind paw. He caught Tomoe in the throat. A sharp, choking pain forced the bitch to let go, staggering back on her hind legs until she fell onto her back. Standing, Lector was prepared to turn and finish Tomoe off, that was, until he felt a large rock smack into the back of his head. “What!?” Kyoushiro was executing another one of his attacks. He’d dig until he found the rocks buried beneath the snow. He’d then use these as projectiles, shooting them at his enemies using his strong forelegs. Lector fell onto his haunches, raising a paw against the onslaught of rocks. His head and chest were assaulted with blows. Lector was beginning to grow faint. Shit… The panicking Doberman thought. Hougen said this would be easy…! “Brat!” Thunder had yelled at Weed in the meantime. He was far too interested in tearing Gin’s son limb from limb to notice that his brother was quickly losing. “Don’t think you won because of a fluke! I’m not dead yet!” Weed braced himself, waiting for Thunder to come closer. When the time was right, the Akita mix jumped at him. His fangs raked across Thunder’s nose, tearing it up. “Gnah…!” The doberman shook his head. Droplets of his blood sprinkled onto the snow. “His training’s paid off,” Jerome commented. Everyone else had to agree. As young as he was, Weed was handling himself quite well. The puppy landed in the snow, dipping his head downward. A furious Thunder advanced on him again, only to suddenly get knocked in the mouth with a large branch Weed had pulled from beneath the white blanket. Thunder groaned in agony; his teeth felt loose. The branch snapped, and the Doberman whined as his canines were ripped from his mouth. Lector, meanwhile, had had enough of the rocky assault. He dove, rolling out of the way and got to his paws, blood seeping from gashes made by the sharper stones. He looked towards Thunder, seeing him lying on the ground and dazed. Enraged by his brother’s injuries, Lector decided to attack Weed instead. One brat was much easier than two. Even if his brother had been caught off-guard, he wouldn’t make the same foolish mistake. “He’s--ack--getting away!” Tomoe coughed, still recovering a bit from her blow to the neck. She’d remained down on the ground in order to avoid the rocks, but now that Lector wasn’t getting hurt, Kyoushiro was just wasting his energy. “Kyoushiro! Stop!” “Eh?” The Shirogane attack slowed to a stop. Looking around, he could see Lector advancing on the Akita mix. Weed turned, prepared to face the new attacker. Kyoushiro snarled. “Bastard! You’re our opponent!” Both he and Tomoe began to pursue the Doberman, Tomoe catching up sooner than her male companion. Lector had reached Weed, his maw opening to deliver a bite, when Tomoe reached over, catching his neck in her jaws. “Not so fast, bastard!” she growled. She tossed him away. Lector’s panicked yelp was cut off as he slammed, roughly, into the ground. Kyoushiro turned sharply; he’d be the one to finish the assassin. Lector’s attempt hadn’t been a complete failure, though. Thunder sat up, his face dripping blood as he watched the action. He eyed Weed, who now had his back to him. He smirked. Jerome’s eyes widened. “Weed!” the Shepherd shouted. “Watch out!” “You’re mine!” Thunder howled as he darted towards Weed. Despite Jerome’s warning, Weed had noticed too late. He didn’t have time to gasp before Thunder chomped down on his neck. Without his canines, the attack wasn’t at all fatal, but the remainder of his teeth were strong enough to hold the puppy in place. Tomoe stiffened. The Doberman held onto Weed, glaring up at Tomoe. “Tell Kyoushiro to back off my brother. Now.” “Shit…!” Tomoe cursed. Quickly, she called back to the Shirogane, who’d just reached Lector’s body and was holding his neck beneath his paws. “Kyoushiro! Wait!” “Eh!?” Kyoushiro froze, looking back towards Tomoe. “Tomoe? What’s—?” “Ha!” Lector suddenly barked, lashing out with a forepaw. It caught Kyoushiro square in the jaw, sending him flying. Without hesitation, Lector leapt at the downed Kishu, biting down on his neck. Tomoe’s blood ran cold. She hadn’t meant for this to happen…! What was she going to do!? “Damn!” cried Kagetora. “Those rotten bastards!” “Kyoushiro!” Teru wailed in fright. “Shit…” John’s body shook in anger. His poor daughter...now caught between two hostages. He wanted to rush out and kill the two assassins, but he knew that interfering would spell the deaths of Kyoushiro and Weed. “Grrr! Tomoe! Don’t give up! You can still win this!” Can I…? Tomoe thought bitterly. She looked between Thunder and Lector, both of them watching her with amusement. They relished in her uncertainty. “So, Tomoe,” Thunder began. “It looks like there’s nothing you can do. The second you move, both your friends are dead. You might as well give up.” “Don’t do it!” Kyoushiro choked. “Don’t surrender to these guys, Tomoe! I don’t give a damn what this asshole does to me. I’m not gonna die so easily!” “Shut up!” Lector ordered, sinking his canines deeper, not enough to penetrate the flesh, but enough to cut off airflow. Kyoushiro struggled defiantly, even if it did nothing to shake Lector off him. Weed also struggled, cringing at the feeling of Lector’s blood trickling down on him. “You don’t have to die though, Tomoe,” continued Thunder. “Hougen has a liking for bitches. You might not be a Japanese breed like he prefers, but having John’s daughter as his mate would make him—” “I’ll break that fucker’s giraffe neck in seven places before letting him touch my daughter!” John cut in sharply. He stepped out into the clearing, flashing his fangs threateningly. Thunder responded by picking Weed up and slamming him into the ground. The puppy grunted in pain. “Don’t!” Jerome warned. “Motherfuck!” John spat violently. Tomoe stood in the middle of the chaos, the wheels in her head turning. What could she do? What could she do!? Finally, Tomoe bowed her head. “Goddamnit,” she muttered. “Fine. I surrender…” “Tomoe…!” cried Kagetora in disbelief. “On ONE condition,” Tomoe added quickly. Thunder cocked a brow, but remained silent. Tomoe proceeded. “I’ll come with you to Hougen, but ONLY if you spare Weed and Kyoushiro.” “And why would we do that?” asked Thunder. “Because I know Hougen loves having prisoners. He’s already lost my father and John. You really think he’ll pass up having Gin’s son and the dog who’s defied him all this time? Think about it.” Tomoe… Hiro thought. What are you planning, kiddo…? wondered John. “Kill them, and I won’t go with you,” said Tomoe firmly. “Kill them, and nothing’ll stop be from turning you both into crowfood.” There was silence. Two Doberman brothers shared a glance, considering Tomoe’s words. Tomoe kept a stern, neutral expression, regardless of her racing heart. After what felt like an eternity, Thunder and Lector both nodded and picked up their captives. Weed and Kyoushiro dangled by their necks, their hind legs kicking and clawing, to no avail. “Deal.” Thunder nodded Lector over. The two stood side by side, a bit of space between them. “You’ll walk between us, bitch. We’ll be keeping an eye on you.” “Mmm…” murmured Tomoe with a slow nod. “Don’t…!” John pleaded. His tone was mixed between an angry growl, and a pleading whine. It hurt Tomoe’s heart to hear, but she ignored it, padding in between the Dobermans. “Let’s go,” ordered Lector. Together, the three dogs began padding towards the woods. Tomoe’s friends and family could only watch, hating themselves for being unable to help. As Tomoe was led into the undergrowth, her eyes wandered, examining the area around her. The forest was densely populated with trees; often, either Thunder or Lector would push into her in order to avoid walking into one. She could use that. Gazing ahead, she could see a tree that was in Lector’s path. She waited patiently, feeling as Lector began pressing into her. She suddenly rammed her shoulder into him, slamming him into the tree. “Ack!” he yelped. Kyoushiro fell from his open maw. The Kishu didn’t waste a second backing out of the way. “What--?” Thunder began, looking at Tomoe. The bitch turned her head and bit onto the male’s neck. She threw him roughly against the same tree, forcing the wind out of him. Like Kyoushiro, Weed was released as soon as the assassin’s maw was open. Both he and Tomoe rushed to Kyoushiro’s side. “Aha!” laughed Kyoushiro, a wide grin on his face. “Nice one, Tomoe!” “Thanks…” Weed murmured awkwardly. “As if I’d really give up to a pair of bastards,” Tomoe scoffed. The Doberman brothers slowly got up, glaring daggers at the crafty bitch. “You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your life,” Lector seethed. Tomoe smirked. “Funny,” she began. “I was about to say the same thing.” “There’s no way you can take us both--” “Harah!” Tomoe roared, not giving the assassin time to finish speaking. Her body began rotating in preparation of the Retsu Genmu-Battōga. The cyclone of fangs approached the unsuspecting killers with rapid speed. They stared, eyes widening in shock. “What the hell…!?” Thunder exclaimed. It was the last thing he ever said. Both dogs were swallowed up by the cyclone, their bodies carved into that singular, spiral-shaped cut. They both wailed in agony as their blood spilled and spattered about, covering the snow, the tree, and Tomoe herself. Kyoushiro stared on, his maw open in astonishment. “That…” The Kishu was so stunned that he could barely speak. “That was...wow…” Weed, however, had looked away the second Tomoe had began her attack. Whatever gratitude he had before was gone now. Even with all Thunder and Lector had done, he refused to believe that they deserved that. If he were still the leader… “Fuck!” John was screaming in rage. He lashed and kicked at the snow, trying to vent however he could. “Those goddamned bastards!” “Kyoushiro…” Teru whispered, shivering against Hiro’s foreleg. Hiro gently lifted the leg, pulling the puppy closer to him in a sort of hug. The Pyrenees wanted to rant and rave as much as John was doing, but he resisted. Teru needed someone right now, now that Kyoushiro was gone. “There’s still time,” Kagetora paced frantically. “Maybe I can kill one of those fuckers with my Battouga and--” “And the other will kill his hostage,” said Jerome bluntly. Kagetora gritted his teeth, defeated. “We have to trust in Weed. He’ll find a way. I know he will.” “Just shut up about Weed for five fucking seconds!” John roared. His eyes had gone red from fury. “Tomoe…! My Tomoe’s sacrificed herself to save them, and all you care about is that little shit!” Jerome didn’t respond, instead, just staring silently at John. There was suddenly a thundering of paws. John was too busy fuming to notice, but Hiro, Jerome and Kagetora turned to see the rest of the Ohu Army accompanied by Kyoushiro’s packmates. Even Reika and the injured males were there, lagging behind a bit, but otherwise fine. “Everyone!” Ken called. “We’re here! What’s happened?” “Hiro!” Reika barked, making her way to the front of the group. She joined the male, pressing her coat against his in greeting. “Thank goodness you’re safe. Ah…? Is that Teru?” “Yeah,” replied Hiro softly. The puppy looked up at Reika, his face wet with tears. “It’s a long story, but...Kyoushiro’s gone. Tomoe and Weed, too.” “Oh my God…” Reika shuttered. Kagetora, his head bowed in defeat, turned to Ken, prepared to relay the events of Tomoe’s battle. Before he could utter a word, however, Jerome perked, his ears swiveling towards the woods. “Ah!” he began. “It’s…!” The bushes of the undergrowth shook as someone moved within them. Noticing this, everyone began to run over and investigate. Even John managed to calm down enough so that he could follow behind. Emerging from the bushes were Tomoe, Kyoushiro and Weed, the first two holding up their heads with pride and accomplishment. Weed, meanwhile, hung in the back, unsatisfied. “Boss!” Kyoushiro’s packmates yipped in excitement. Teru gasped, grinning widely and wagging his tail. Hiro let the puppy go, and he rushed between the legs of the bigger dogs, making a beeline for the white male. As soon as he reached Kyoushiro, he pounced, wrapping his forelegs around the Kishu as best he could. “Kyoushiro!” Teru sobbed happily. “You’re okay!” “Tomoe!” barked the Ohu soldiers. “Weed!” “Tomoe!” John howled. He pushed past his allies, not stopping until he could throw himself onto his daughter, pulling her tightly against his chest. “Gyah!” Tomoe yelped in surprise. “Dad! Dad, I can’t breathe!” “You’re never leaving my sight again!” the General declared. “You hear me!? Never again!” “Weed!” Jerome was the first to approach the brindle. “Are you alright?” “...Fine,” Weed grunted. Jerome’s eyes darkened. “She killed them, didn’t she…?” asked the Shepherd quietly. “She didn’t even give them a chance to surrender. How the hell can everyone support her? She’s so heartless.” “...Those two were dangerous assassins, Weed,” Jerome found himself saying. “I hate to say it, but...maybe it was for the best.” “No!” Weed glared up at Jerome, his intense stare forcing the normally unshakeable male to flinch. “Don’t you say that, Jerome. Kindness can work. The others won’t understand; I need you to be able to.” “...I understand, Weed,” murmured Jerome obediently. “I’m sorry.” “I’ll tell my father about all this when we get to Shiga,” Weed continued. He paused, giving Tomoe a cold stare. “He’ll side with me. I know he will.” As much as Jerome wanted to agree, for some reason he just couldn’t. Not this time. As things began settling down and the story of Tomoe, Kyoushiro and Weed’s battle was told, everyone stood together, looking to their chosen leaders. The Shirogane looked at Tomoe, his gaze noticeably soft and fond. Jirō leaned over towards one of his packmates. “I’ve never seen him look at someone like that before,” he murmured. “You think that Kyoushiro…?” “Maybe, heh,” the other dog replied with a smirk. “That Tomoe sounds like a real badass. Not to mention, she’s kinda pretty…” “Well, Kyoushiro?” Tomoe said, turning to the white male. “Did all this convince you that you could trust me?” “You could say that,” responded Kyoushiro, grinning. “Tomoe, I might not trust adults just yet, but if Ohu’s filled with dogs like you, then maybe it’s a pack worth joining.” “Uh!?” exclaimed GB excitedly. “Does that mean…?” “Yeah,” said Kyoushiro, nodding. Turning to his pack, he lifted his head and shouted firmly. “Starting tonight, this pack fights for Ohu! We’ll take down Hougen and anyone else who wants to make this world an evil place! Any objections?” “No, sir!” Kyoushiro’s packmates cried together, rallied by the Kishu’s words. Tomoe’s smile widened as she gazed at the male. “Thanks, Kyoushiro,” she said. “You won’t regret this. I promise.” “Alright!” Ken cheered. “General John, should we get going?” “Heh, why not?” replied John, licking his chops. “We’re all up; might as well get a head start. What do you say to that, Tomoe?” “Sounds good to me.” Tomoe’s tail wagged; things were starting to come around and she couldn’t be happier. Looking around at her allies, old and new, Tomoe raised her muzzle and issued her order: “Everyone! To Kouga!” “AYE!” Whoosh! A dark blur dashed across the trees, high above the heads of Gin and Julius. They’d been traveling nonstop since leaving the stream, and though it took hours, they’d reached the land of Kouga rather quickly. Sticking to the shadows and forests, they were to avoid whatever loyalists of Hougen were living in the Shiga Prefecture. Gin’s ear flicked at the noise. Julius, however, had a more animated reaction. “What the!?” the young Shepherd yelped, looking around quickly. He couldn’t see anything, but as his ears swiveled, he could hear more sounds of movement. “What the hell’s up there? Monkeys?” “Haha…” Gin chuckled softly. The youngster had never been to this area; it only made sense that he was confused. “Don’t be afraid. Those are the Kouga dogs. They’re ninjas, remember? Like Akame.” “Oh…” Julius settled down slightly, though his eyes still remained on the leaves and branches overhead. “What are they doing up this late? Even ninja dogs have to sleep, right?” “There’s always at least one dog patrolling the territory,” the Akita explained. “They have to make sure no one comes across their base, the Kouga Village. They should recognize me as an ally. They might be on their way to alert Tesshin as we speak.” The forest cleared away slightly as the pair continued forward. A large wall of stone separated the lower section of the forest from the land above. Gin stopped in front of it, looking up expectantly. Julius waited behind him. “Little brother,” Gin barked. “Are you up there?” There was a pause. A dog slowly began to appear at the top of the wall, looking down at Gin with an affectionate gaze. His spotted coat and pale mohawk made him instantly recognizable. This was Tesshin, leader of the Kouga. “Gin,” the male began kindly. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” “I’ll say,” Gin chuckled. He turned to his young friend. “This is Julius. You might remember him from your visits, the little scamp that wouldn’t stop following after John.” “Er, yo,” Julius greeted awkwardly. This was his first real meeting with the Kouga, and it was obvious he wasn’t quite sure how to talk to him just yet. “How’s it goin’?” “Ah, I remember you.” Tesshin smiled. “Nice to meet you, Julius. You both look like you could use a long rest. What happened?” “It’s a long story…” Gin lowered his head a bit. “Just know that there’s a big situation, one that’ll affect all of Japan unless we do something about it. John and some others should be here soon enough. We can discuss it all then.” “Very well. Gin, Julius, please.” The Kouga suddenly leapt down the hill, landing gracefully in front of the two travelers. “Follow me. I’ll take you both to the healing spring.” Gin let out a slow, relieved sigh as he followed Tesshin’s lead. Though he didn’t show it on his face, his body ached with each step he took. There was nothing he wanted to do more than finally heal his wounds and return to his former glory. Morning arrived at the recovering Paradise. Mel was off on his own, dashing along a snowy path after a pheasant. The puppy had gone on solo hunts a few times before, despite the offerings of other dogs to accompany him. Mel wanted to be a capable male; hunting on his own helped him to strengthen his body and sharpen his mind. Besides, the other dogs could focus on looking out for enemies. The pheasant, tired from flying, began fluttering down towards the ground. Excitedly, Mel sped up. The bird noticed him, and prepared to take off, when the Golden Retriever puppy pounced. Mel slid down a snowy slope, tumbling with the bird as he struggled to get its neck in his jaws. The pheasant screeched in fear, before letting out a sharp shriek. Mel landed on his paws at the bottom of the slope, clutching his prize in exhaustion. He’d done it! “I really did it!” Mel exclaimed. “Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to show everybody! My first kill!” “Oi.” Mel jumped, turning around quickly. A group of dogs, around seven in total, were standing at the top of the slope, looking down at the puppy with dark expressions on their faces. Mel began to shiver. He didn’t recognize them as Ohu males or dogs from Mutsu. Something wasn’t right. Mel began backing away and suddenly took off. “Oi, brat!” one of them shouted. They began chasing after the pup. “Stop running!” Mel refused. These dogs...they had to be enemies of some sort. The puppy felt fangs scrape against his leg. With a yelp, Mel tripped, crashing into the snow. His kill fell from his maw; one of the older males grabbed it, smirking. “Why’d you run?” one of the males, their leader, Mel presumed, demanded. “We just wanted to ask for directions.” “D-Directions?” said Mel fearfully. “Yeah,” the leading male barked. “Where’s Futago Pass? We heard Ohu needs males, so we came from Tochigi to join.” The explanation failed to allay Mel’s suspicions. Still, running was no longer an option. The seven males were now surrounding him, all flashing him fake, toothy grins that made sure to show each and every one of their fangs. Mel swallowed, before pointing with his muzzle in the direction he’d been running in. “Keep going that way…” he began slowly. “If you go straight, pass the highway, you’ll reach Futago Pass.” “See?” the leader chuckled. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” He turned, flicking his tail in the puppy’s face. “Let’s go!” Mel watched quietly as the group began heading in the direction he’d pointed out. It was then he’d noticed one of them carrying his pheasant. He gasped. “Hey…!” he cried. “That’s mine!” “Is it?” the male asked, turning to Mel and giving him a glare that practically screamed malicious intent. Mel didn’t say anymore, choosing to stare at his paws. The sound of paws faded away; only then did Mel look back up. The group was gone. Mel’s brow furrowed slightly. He needed to report this to Ben. Mel got up and began padding in the real direction of the Pass, towards Gajou. When he was far enough away, however, the group of dogs appeared at the stop of the slope, looking down after the puppy. The leader sneered. “After him.”

[graciouslypure]

I was texting my girlfriend on breast pumps, when a sudden surge of emotions swept me.

It was past 3am when my baby was placed beside my bed. The ambience in the ward was serene, I was still numb due to anaesthetics, too exhausted of the 12 hours drama of bringing a little khalifah into the world. Both of us slept through Subuh.

After few hours of sleep, I could finally feel my body. I got up slowly, reached for my precious baby, and he started crying. Miraculously, Allah granted me strength to attend to him for the first time. He cried so loud that the nurse came and assisted me. "Susukan dia, puan."

That's when it all started.

I did not know how to properly cuddle him, awkwardly lifted him and placed him to my chest. He couldnt latch, and after few attempts, not even a drop of milk came out. I started panicking. All nurses that came near my bed that morning helped me to breastfeed and alas, when my nipple cracked blood, my baby had a taste of colustrum. The pain was so intense, but the pain of hearing and watching my baby in hunger was much much much more.

So the nurses just assisted the baby to latch and let him there for a while. Then he was quiet. I didnt know if he got any milk or not, but he seems comfy. Then, his first poo. It was the hardest thing. The nurse came again to guide me. It was so new to me. Having taken care of four siblings when I was little, it didnt occur to me this would be so awkward and daunting. "Puan pegang betul-betul anak puan." Maybe stressed seeing me handling my baby, she changed the diaper and swaddle him. Yes. I didnt even know how to do that.

At this point, I started feeling stressed out. I called my husband but to no avail. Ibu called informing my husband just woke up after reaching home at 4am after the procedure. "Tapi dia kata nak datang pagi..." Ibu comforted me, "Sekejap, dia penat sangat tu dah macam zombi, ibu bagi makan sekejap lepas tu terus pergi hospital." When he came, I cried and cried and cried and scolded him for coming late.

I was like a child, asking the teacher on how to draw a ball. I kept asking all the nurses who came on the techniques of breastfeeding, even my mom and aunties had to teach me. Its normal not to have a flow of milk at first, but my baby, is one hungry baby. Maybe because of the stress, I couldnt produce well. His cries didnt help either. So that evening I asked my sister to bring formula milk. And of course it was against the hospital rule. With a syringe, I fed my baby. Relieved I was.

On the next nurse round, "mulut baby macam dapat susu dari syringe je ni," aku senyap. Dalam hati, "ye, saya beri susu formula," That night, condition worsens. No milk, I had to beg the nurse to feed him. So for two midnights, my baby was fed. Other than that, zero. Nada.

I was at the hospital for five days for them to monitor me after the operation. One night, the baby just could not stop crying. The other mothers in the ward were with their babies sleeping peacefully, so they were outraged by the screams and continuous cries from mine. That was my limit. I almost went cuckoo. I begged and begged the nurses to take my baby. The nurse for that round pitied me, took the baby from me and there I was: my peaceful 30 minutes. On third night, I was exhausted. Really really tired. I even asked: " boleh tak lari dari hospital?" "Puan masuk ada prosedur, keluar pon ada prosedur." I cant take it anymore. When the specialist told me my wound was healing well, I was over the moon. Means I could go home. Unfortunately, due to no breast milk, my baby was down with jaundice. That spared us another two long nights at the ward. It was horrible!

I had many supportive visitors, but all they saw were haggard new mother and chapped lips baby out of thirst and hunger. I was embarassed. I was mad at my self, for not being able to function, mad at the baby, for crying non stop, mad at the rules for not allowing formulae milk in the ward, my heart was filled with anger and madness instead of gratitude and thankfulness. It was disastrous.

Finally when I got home, I suffered mild postnatal depression but from the support from family and friends, I survived. My milk slowly came after massage, the conducive homey environment and ibu's confinement foods helped stress to fade, baby's jaundice went off. Slowly joy started creeping in, all the madness went away and I am one grateful mama.

Alhamdulillah.

Note: Still traumatized by the experience, I took extra effort this time round to be more prepared. Looking back, I would still cry on this particular experience. Allah please.help.me.