I do not own Wolf's Rain. Neither does this little dog sitting next to me.

This is my first fan fic so please, no flames but I would love to know what you people think! I have done my best to keep all characters in character, though I can guarantee some OOCness eventually. This will turn into an Inuyasha/Wolf's Rain crossover eventually with some romance; we just have to get there first, promise. Also, I apologize now for my spelling and grammar. I am doing my best. Now, enough with the formalities, on to the fun!

Ghosts of Paradise

Chapter One: The Capture

Six figures pounded down a back alley, desperate to escape. The youngest struggled to keep up with the rest, ignoring the blood running down his leg.

"I will not whine, I will not whine..." he mumbled under his breath.

"Come on runt!" Hige yelled from somewhere up ahead.

"I (huh) am!" Toboe yelled. Suddenly, it seemed as though he had too many feet to keep track of as he fell flat on the ground. The young pup tried to haul himself up, but to no avail, his strength had given out entirely. The edges of his vision turned cloudy and eventually black. He could feel the blood rushing to his head and his heart pound in his chest. His breath became shallower as his hearing became muffled, as though coming to him from a great distance.

Toboe could feel the Earth quake with the steady approach of two sets of feet, one to end his life and one to spare it. He had to get up. That much was not an option. He had to get up and continue this journey through the darkness, through hell, to...to what?

To a place no one could tell him existed? To a place only wolves could find? What about the humans? Did they have their own guiding light, their own Cheza, to lead them to paradise? Or was this it? Was this all the humans had coming to them?

Toboe was brought crashing back down to reality by a strong and callused hand grabbing him by the nape of the neck and the groan of leather.

'Tsume...'

"Come on, let's get movin' kid," Tsume growled.

"I...(wheeze)...was...just(wheeze)...getting..."

"Yeah, yeah, come on," Tsume barked. Tsume would never admit to anyone, especially himself, just how relieved he was to hear the old standby coming from this whimpering pup.

'I lost one kid on my watch,' Tsume thought, 'I'll be damned if I'll lose two.' Tsume hauled Toboe to his feet, only for Toboe to slump back down. "Damn," Tsume murmured. He then picked Toboe up, threw him over his shoulder and took off down the wet pavement.

A great crash of thunder shook the Earth and lightning split the sky just moments before the sky opened up and poured. Kiba glanced back over his shoulder to see Cheza struggling to keep her feet beneath her a s he dragged her along. Behind Cheza, Kiba could see Hige and Blue panting alongside one another, one occasionally hauling the other up as they stumbled to their knees. Behind them, Kiba saw Tsume running for all he was worth with Toboe thrown across his shoulders. He could smell Toboe's blood and the reek of fear emitting from all of his companions. Behind Tsume and Toboe, just within sight, were the Noble's forces, advancing with just one goal: kill.

The wolves were drenched and exhausted when respite appeared around a corner. There was a gap in a wall just large enough for them to fit through and well hidden. Everyone rushed in and pressed their backs firmly against the walls. Tsume kept his arm pressed firmly against Toboe's chest in an effort to keep him up against the wall. After the guards had stormed past, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and slumped onto the ground. Blue crawled over to Toboe and found the gash in his upper thigh and took care of it the best she could.

Kiba and Tsume got up and snuck over to the opening and looked out. They saw no signs of danger, but the threat hung heavy in the air.

"We're going to have to move, now," Tsume snapped.

"Do we hafta?" Hige moaned.

"Yes!" barked Tsume.

"What about Toboe? He can't walk on this leg, much less run!" Blue protested.

"Yeah, and I'm tired," Toboe whined, almost against his will. Almost.

"This one does not wish to continue either," Cheza whispered, gently placing a hand on Kiba's arm. Kiba looked at her with an unreadable expression as he covered her small hand with his own.

"It's not safe to stay here. We must keep moving," Kiba said. Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the patter of rain outside.

"How long do we have until they start backtracking and find us?" Hige asked.

"Not long," Blue sighed. Everyone but Toboe stood up, realizing they had to get away from the area. All eyes were directed at Toboe and the bloodstain that was slowly growing on his pant leg despite Blue's care.

'He's goin' to bleed to death' Tsume thought as he watched the pale face turn into a grimace as Toboe attempted standing. He knew he did not have the strength, but did not want to be thought weak or left behind either. What little strength Toboe had in his good leg gave out almost immediately and he hit the ground, new pain shooting through his body.

Tsume could not watch the war between will and body anymore and he picked Toboe up again.

"Get out of here and split up, we'll meet at the door leading out of the city," Kiba ordered. He grabbed Cheza's hand and took off out the opening. Blue and Hige stumbled out together, heading off in the opposite direction. Finally, Tsume ran out with Toboe slung over his shoulder again. The six ran for all they were worth, all trying to find alternate routs to the door.

Tsume took off down an alleyway, occasionally yelling at the people standing around the barrels asking for directions. As he rounded a corner he was met by six Noble guards. Easy pickings, if he did not have Toboe. The guards advanced on the pair of wolves with guns ready. Tsume crouched down and growled, taking on as best a fighting stance as he could.

"Hey kid, are you all right? This could get violent. Kid? Toboe?!" Tsume chanced a glance at Toboe, only to discover he was unconscious.

Tsume grumbled some choice words and prepared for the attack. The guards opened fire and started shooting at Tsume and Toboe. Tsume dodged most of the blows but took on to the shoulder holding Toboe. Toboe was knocked to the ground and a well aimed shot forced Tsume to dodge in the opposite direction. Two guards ran towards Toboe with the obvious intention of either killing him or just taking him. Tsume lunged, taking hold of one of their necks and biting down until he could hear the satisfying crunch of crushed bones and arteries and feel hot blood coat his mouth. Tsume realized this was a very Kiba-like move, but necessary to save the runt. By this time the other guard had Toboe in his arms and was now staring at a very angry wolf. Tsume ran forward to attack, ready to kill again. The guard held his gun aimed a little above Tsume's chest and waited for the attack. Tsume leapt up to grab the man's throat only to find himself blown backwards by the impact from the gun. Tsume hit a wall and fell to the wet ground unconscious and badly injured. The guards left him for dead or dying and took Toboe with them into the heart of the storm.

Well, I hope you liked it! I won't know though unless you review! I would like to get 5 reviews for this first one, but if I get just one asking me to continue I will. I am also working on a Rurouni Kenshin story, but I will wait to see how this story is received before I post that. Thank you for reading, now please, REVIEW!!!!