"I can't." The words were out of my mouth before I had even thought them, but I knew they were true and right. I hugged Reisen a little tighter and then clarified what I meant, "I can't go into a village of Lunarians and promise my behavior. I am a wolf first and foremost, even before I am a lonely soul. Please understand that," the last sentence I whispered into Reisen's hair. I nodded my head in acknowledgment of what Eirin said, but simply couldn't summon the energy to reply. I didn't want to let go and part of me was snarling at him for even thinking about it. That part of me howled and raged, "Grab the Bunnie and go! He is ours! Take him and go now!" That voice was strong, for it was my instincts, but another part of me, a part I wasn't yet used to, gave me the strength to help Reisen stand up and I followed him to my feet. Hugging Reisen from behind, I said to Eirin, "I will be back tomorrow night and every night after to curb my loneliness, unless anyone wants me to stop coming." *I rested my face in Reisen's hair and said, "All it takes is a word."

I couldn't be certain that my companion would get what I meant, since I barely realized that that was what I was implying, but I knew at once it was true. If he asked me to stay and told me not to hurt anyone, he could parade me around as his new pet, a wolf on a leash. A shudder passed through me as I realized how fast he had gained power over me.

The woman maintained her smile. "Yes, actually. My name is Eirin Yagokoro." she stated, bowing to the wolf. "Don't worry, I'm also a Lunarian, I've just outgrown my own ears..." she admitted, opening her left hand as a bow and arrow materialized for her to take. Stretching her neck, she nocked the arrow, pulled back on the string, and fired - straight up in the air, as the arrow exploded at the peak of its ascent. It was Eirin's sign of communication; she had found him. "You know... if you're so alone, why don't you come to our village? Just as long as you don't attack anybody, my political power within the group will be sufficient to ensure you are not hurt." she promised, causing the bow to disappear as she stuck out both hands for the two boys to take.

"You know, Migel, there's no reason to be ashamed of your feelings..." she replied teasingly. "The same goes for you, Reisen." At this, she opened her blue eyes and stared into Migel's eyes. I would hate to have to defend my people from you if you went on a rampage. Besides, how would dear Reisen here feel about having brought a danger into the village? she communicated to him through a slight mental link. She couldn't read his thoughts or anything like that, just project her own thoughts to him.

I felt my companion blush a split second before the reason for him to do so appeared. A woman and clearly one he knew, stepped into the clearing. Her tone was odd as she spoke, like she wasn't sure how to react. I knew I didn't know how to react either, so I did what any wise wolf would do: I grinned and said in a pleasant voice, that would make anyone trust me, even little red, "Hello ma'am. Are you also a friend of Reisen's?"

For no apparent reason, I suddenly found myself blushing. It was like talking to her made me realize that the bunny was in my lap and we probably looked to be doing more than just hugging. The tips of my ears seemed to burn the hottest and I wanted to hide my face from them. A wolf blushing in front of bunnies!? Bunnies as in the pure and innocent creatures that hopped in little clover fields and always look soft and fluffy and wolves, lewd, shrewd and more fun and sexy. My mind halted, going from overdrive to reverse as I repeated what I said. Geez, I was waaaaay too stereotypical.

"You're... welcome." was my reply. Strange, isn't it, especially since my kind didn't exactly know his kind to be the most polite of beings, unless one was speaking to a superior. But even so, it was nice to be able to do things like this for others, to be able to trust your own predator with your heart like I just did. Eirin was right. It wasn't right to let past strife interfere with one's feelings on an individual basis.

"Reisen! Reisen!" a voice called out. Female from the sound. Instantly the boy's ears perked up. Miss Yagokoro, of all people, to catch the two of them like this! Realizing what he had just done, a deep blush came to his face as he lay in Migel's lap. "Ah, there you are..." she stated, before noticing the wolf that was accompanying him. "And you've found yourself a new friend in the wilderness, too." she stated, smiling.

If his ability to hear my whispers was any indication of the power of his ears, then I knew he couldn't miss the stuttering of my heart as his arms wrapped around me. Sucking in a quick, startled breath, I focused on that to calm my heart; it was no longer pray scent in my mind, but...I wasn't certain. I felt possessive and the need to protect and keep him away from everything else. Unbeknown to me, my instincts for mating had kicked in and I had found, in some sense of the word, my soul mate.

I wrapped my arms around him and gently drew him into my lap so that we were both more comfortable. Nestling my face against his neck, I replied softly, "Warmer than anything I've ever known before. Thank you."

The tall ears on my head caught everything he said, before he reared his head and gave a sorrowful howl. A haunting, unforgettable melody it was, though only I could find myself relating to his troubles. "It really is, Migel-san. It really is..." I reply, a tear coming out of my left eye. Suddenly Eirin's random comments all made sense, as if she had been trying to tell me things from the start. My ears catch him moving toward me, but I pay no mind. I'm certain now that he is no threat to me.

Then I do something that I find to be kind of stupid, now that I think back on it. I turn to him, then - without thinking things through, I wrap my arms around him. "Am I any warmer?" I ask, my ears lowered.

My ears twitched at Reisen's whispered comment and I had to nod sadly, as I admitted to myself that he was right. Uncertain of how good his hear was, I trusted the wind and him with a secrete of the wolves, "Aye, a wolf will seek a mate where he can when the loneliness is bad enough, but until any other creature, even after the loneliness is gone, he remains faithful and after his mate is no longer there, he remains faithful."

I looked up at the moon, where my companion's gaze was at and a howl bubbled forth from me; it was the song of trial and though none in the area would know the words, it would haunt them all for many nights, some times bring peace and other times nightmares. The song spoke of the first wolf to walk upon the world and how he had fallen in love with none other than the moon herself and in time, she returned his love, after hearing his voice, night after night, and hearing the waxing, not waning, emotions there. His love was pure and soon hers was true too, but they couldn't be together, so the moon, whom had always been in her full glory, all month long, traded her power. Every month she waned until she couldn't see her love the wolf and he couldn't see her either and then she regrew. The moon did not know why she did so until it had happened many times and then she borne his children, creating all the different colors and kinds of wolves.

Abruptly my voice died in my throat and I drew my knees up to my chest with a muffled whimper. 'So lonely and cold,' I thought as I looked around me. Using my feet, I pulled myself a little closer to the bunny boy, all thoughts of eating him gone. I hoped he didn't notice, but I really just wanted to be near something living. In a nonchalant voice, I said, "The moon is beautiful tonight."

At this, Reisen took a step back. There was no way for Migel to have guessed, but he had struck a nerve of mine with that "tired of being lonely" bit. Of course I was lonely to, but this just didn't seem right. I couldn't entertain myself with the possibility of the two of us becoming friends, not when it defied the laws of nature. But then again, my even being on earth was a violation of nature, so maybe if...

Giving a light smile despite the danger I know I am in, I sit down across from him on my knees, about five meters away. I closed my eyes - my ears would be enough to keep track of his position - and began taking deep breaths, as if to try and convince myself to calm down. Even if he really wasn't seeking a fight or a meal, I would have to get away from him somehow; after all, Eirin might understand enough to accept him, but none of the other bunnies had her - alright, it was kind of horrible - common sense.

Suddenly, everything seems a whole lot brighter, so I look up to see the full moon staring back at me. Beautiful silver colored, much like mine and Miss Yagokoro's hair. Now... now I felt much more at peace, my mind was cleared, and my heart rate started to slow, though it was still much faster than a human's. My crimson eyes turn back to him. For once, I felt as if I could understand some of the things Miss Yagokoro said to me over the course of my life. "A lone wolf desires a mate. Wolves are sociable creatures. If a wolf cannot find a mate of its race, the wolf will look to other races..." he whispered, reciting Eirin's words.

After all, how could he know that they would apply to him?

"I only came here looking for company. I'm tired of being lonely, Reisen," I said honestly as I looked at him. My ears went forward to listen to his pulse a steady 'thud, thud, thud,' in time with noting around me. It wasn't fast and erratic, as it would be if he felt frightened, though it was a little faster than it had been before he noticed me, which told me he was scared. I wiggled my nose to clear it of the forest scent so I could taste his better, but I didn't reach up to rub my nose like I normally would, since I didn't want to startle him. With my mind's eye, I pictured my face and the friendly, flamboyant smile in place there, but in the back of my mind, I was busy flipping through my internal cook books for different recipes to use bunny in. Soup really seemed like the bes-no! I was not going to let myself entertain thoughts like that...at least not when it was about present company.

Despite my ealier attempts at being predictable and not startling him, I cross one leg behind the other and swiftly let myself fall onto the ground without a sound. My chin came up from instinct, but the usual dominance issues weren't as bad since it was a prey-er-I mean another creature beside a wolf, the reaction wasn't as bad. I grinned up at Reisen and said, as I patted the grass, "It makes a nice seat and it's better than standing, Reisen."

My eyes widened as the boy came out of hiding, so I could clearly see what he was. A wolf being; one of the natural predators of our races! Well, kind of. Because our bodies were weapons in and of themselves, our kind were relatively safe from anything that came from earth. My hand remained extended, ready to shoot if he sprung at me. That's right, I said shoot; it was one of the defense mechanisms I just mentioned our kind having. Though, it was really just a first resort; it messed with the victim's mind a bit but didn't actually do any sort of damage. No, our real strength for actually beating up predators came from the most obvious of places. Our fists, our legs, our heads if we got close enough. Even though some of us were capable of using the humans' weaponry, we basically kept to hand-to-hand combat.

But there was always going to be something about wolves - maybe it was the natural relation between our races - that caused me to be wary in the presence of even a domestic puppy. "...Reisen..." I state slowly, lowering my arms but keeping the gesture held. He didn't seem like a threat, no, more like he didn't seem to want to be a threat. In any case, he certainly wasn't looking for a fight. "...And what brings you to this area of Eientei...?" I ask him.

It was summer, my least favorite season, due to the heat and the loneliness. None of the other wolves wanted to stick around, since hunting was better and we didn't need each other for warmth at night. Well, I guess I could understand that, but sometimes I really wished that things were different. Ever since I was 10 I had always been alone in summer and that had been a full five summers, a year if you added all the months and a lonesome wolf always did count months and minutes. Many of the others were with their mates or siblings, but I had neither and I was alone. It saddened me greatly to be without company.

Suddenly a delightful scent caught my nose and I began to follow it. It was a rabbit...but not quite. When I spotted the boy, I knew that it was a Lunarian Bunny. Unable to stop myself, I crept forward, a predator on the prowl, but my decent side, the side that believed in going shopping at the nearest convince store, was better than hunting, deliberately stepped on a twig. At least that's what I was claiming. I would never admit that I had been careless.

Holding my hands up in front of me in a none threatening gesture, I walked out and said to the bunny, "Hey, no worries. I won't hurt ya. I'm Migel. Who are you?"

It was a mild summer in the bamboo thickets of Eientei, and a certain adventurous young bunny child was searching about the area. He knew that he had to get back to the village, and quickly, otherwise Yagokoro-sama would get mad, but something seemed to possess him to stay within the wild thicket. Maybe it was because of the minor fact that no matter what he tried to say and do to be accepted, only Miss Yagokoro accepted him. Well, whatever the reason, right now Reisen was looking to be alone. He was searching for some sort of sign of light in this thicket, as it was the full moon, and Reisen preferred to be alone when he gazed upon his home world. It wasn't just him, either. All the members of the village were from the moon, known to the humans as Lunarians, and all of them had rabbit ears save for one, the elder and healer, Eirin Yagokoro.

Suddenly there was a snap, and Reisen wheeled around on one heel, spinning so fast that he almost disoriented himself. "Who's there?" he cried out, backing away slowly. His right hand clenched into a fist, then his index finger stuck out while his thumb stuck out, so it looked like he was making a gun with his right hand. Much like a normal handgun, he cradled his right hand with his left. "Come out now, and I won't hurt you!" he offered, though he wondered if he could hurt his stalker if it came to it.