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Chapter Text

———————————————————————

Name: Chihiro Fujisaki
Gender: Female
Height: 4’11
Eye color: amber
Hair color: short, feathery, dirty blond
Last seen: Hopes Peak High School
*if found, please contact 1556-462-11037

———————————————————————

Mondo Oowada sighed as he put up the last poster.

Their best friend had been missing for 3 days. In reality, 3 days wasn’t that long of a time. But, when you‘re a teenager who has a missing best friend, time is much more significant.

Mondo looked at Kiyotaka Ishimaru, his other best friend.

“Hey, Taka? Ya think Chihiro’ll show up soon?”

Kiyotaka looked at him. “O-of course she will. She’s bound to come back sometime.”

Mondo nodded, not seeming much more convinced. “It’s just that...Chihiro isn’t that...ya know, strong. I’m worried that if something happens she’ll...” he trailed off.

Kiyotaka agreed silently. He looked up to the moon with a sigh. Maybe Chihiro was seeing the same moon. If he had been kidnapped, then Taka hoped he’d at least have a window. He knew Chihiro liked the moon. He had told him about it before. Once, Chihiro had shown him a picture he took with Mahiru Koizumi, a student from class 77-B. It showed Chihiro sitting, facing away from the camera. He had a cat sitting next to him, and he had told Taka and Mondo it was a stray. The photo had been taken at a sleepover he had been invited to by Junko.

They had found the cat outside, and after Sakura convinced Aoi that the cat would not like donuts, and that donuts were probably not healthy for cats anyways, they had fed it some chicken. Sonia FaceTimed Gundham, who said that the cat was in appropriate condition. After finding out the cat was clearly pregnant, they set it loose. Chihiro felt bad for letting it go, and sat with it and told it about the moon. Mahiru went outside and snapped a picture. She gave the photo to Chihiro with a smile and a pat on the head.

Eventually Mahiru left. The cat stayed for a while longer before trotting along on fluffy paws.

Chihiro was left alone, the moon leaving shadows over his frame.

Chihiro currently looked at the same moon, with his vision blurry with pain and blood loss.

He fought to stay conscious, but eventually his eyes fell closed.

He dreamt of blood, friends, full moon and stray cats that night.

Chapter Text

Chihiro is a strange girl.

At least, that’s what Chihiros friends would say.

Actually, Chihiro is a strange guy.

Believe it or not, Chihiro is a boy. He’s also one of the only ones that know of his true gender. He considered himself a weak, pathetic, scared little boy, who was currently cornered into the back of the school wall by three people. They went to a school he used to go to.

He had left because of them. They had been so cruel. Every single day.

“Why would you look at that. I didn’t think we’d ever have to see you again.” One of them said harshly.

“Oh, he gotta skirt on.” A shorter one taunted. “Do all ya friends think ya a girl? No, he probably ain’t even got no friends to begin with.” He said, laughing.

Chihiro blinked away tears. “N-no! That’s wrong! I-...I have friends!”

The third one spoke for a first time. “Oh? Who are they?”
His voice was elegant, there was a hypnotizing smoothness to the way he spoke.

“Mondo Oowada a-and Kiyotaka Ishimaru.”

He needed them right now. Chihiro knew he wouldn’t be able to fight three people on his own. He couldn’t call Taka and Mondo because he had left his phone with Mondo.

“You’re only with them for validation. You just want to feel stronger than you actually are.”

Chihiro wasn’t listening. He was too busy planning an escape.

If he ran around them fast enough, he could cut through and get into that forest. Alright then, on the count of 3...

3...

2...

1!

“Hey! What’s he doin’?”

Chihiro skidded around them, his small dress shoes hit the pavement unevenly as he ran into the forest. He knew they weren’t following him, but he still wanted to distance himself as much as he could. Pavement became lush grass, and now he had to leap over branches and stones. He wasn’t thinking about where he was going, he just wanted to get away.

If he recalled correctly, going through this forest would lead him to the outside of a nearby grocery store.

Sadly, he recalled incorrectly. This forest went nowhere. It would just lead poor Chihiro to more forest.

|-*~+~*-|

Chihiro was lost. He had kept walking and walking for hours, now desperate to escape this forest.

It was night, and the moon shone bright and full in the sky above.

Chihiro decided to sit down and admire the moon for a while. Maybe it would calm him down.

Thinking about it now, Chihiro should of just ran the other way from the bullies.

But he was panicked at that time. Panic tends to make him think irrationally.

Something rustled behind him.

This immediately got Chihiro on his feet. He looked for the source of the noise, and saw amber eyes staring back at him.

Wolf eyes.

“W-what the-“

Those were the last words Chihiro said before the wolf lunged.

Chapter Text

Five days.

It had been five days since Chihiro went missing.

To say Kiyotaka and Mondo were scared would be an understatement.

They were downright terrified.

Even though it was unlikely, there was always that small possibility that something terrible had happened to Chihiro.

Kiyotaka currently sat alone in the cafeteria at his usual seat at his usual table.

Mondo had been asked by the language teacher to be seen after he finished his lunch. After lots of persuasion from Kiyotaka, Mondo hurried up and finished his food before leaving.

A flash of purple hair snapped him out of his trance. The hair belonged to Kyoko Kirigiri, who Kiyotaka recognized as the principals daughter. She was also in the same class as him, but she tended to stay in the back of the room, rarely speaking unless asked a question.

“Hey,” She greeted. “May I sit here?”

“Sure, did you need something?” Kiyotaka inquired.

“Yes, I did actually. I heard about that kid that went missing. Fujisaki, isn’t it?”

Kiyotaka nodded.

“Aren’t you, Fujisaki, and Oowada really close?”

Kiyotaka nodded. (again)

Kirigiri continued. “I’m sorry to hear that. Can you tell me some more about hi-her?”

Another nod. He didn’t know her reasons for asking, but many people were now on the lookout after seeing the posters. Maybe Kirigiri was looking for her as well.

“She’s...short, shoulder length brownish hair, big amber eyes. She usually wears a green shirt with a brown skirt and little white shoes. Oh, she was also last seen behind the school.” He had no clue what Kirigiri needed this information for, but he went with it-

Wait a minute...

“You’re the Ultimate Detective, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes. I probably should of said that sooner. Anyway, I plan to help you find Chihiro. I have another friend who can also help. Shuichi Saihara is a detective as well.”

The man in question, Saihara, came from behind Kirigiri.

“Hi. I’m Shuichi Saihara, but I think you already know my name and talent. I’m also the Ultimate Detective.” He extended his hand for Kiyotaka to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Taka smiled. “I’m Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass. Nice to meet you too.” Having not one, but two detectives would surely help them out a lot.

Saihara took his hand back. Kirigiri then spoke again. “We can start looking where she was last seen.”

“Alrighty! I’ll tell Mondo! Do you two want to meet us there after school?”

Kirigiri had a small smile. “Sure. Here’s my number.” Kirigiri handed him a piece of paper containing her name and phone number.

“Well, we’ll see you soon!” Saihara said before walking away, Kirigiri following next to him.

When they were out of earshot, Kirigiri whispered to Saihara.

“Do Ishimaru and Oowada not know Chihiro is a crossdressing boy?”

Saihara shrugged. “I guess not.”

Chapter Text

Chihiro awoke and immediately wished he could go back to sleep. One question rang in his ears: What happened?

Think back...

It all hit him at once.

MoonlighteyeswolflungePAINPAINBLOODHOWLGROWLSCREAMS

Chihiro remembered. He remembered the wolf, the eyes, and most importantly the blood. All over his small body was blood. He finally decided to open his eyes.

Now the hard part: getting up.

It took a while, but eventually Chihiro was in a position where he could see all his injuries. There were small cuts and bruises just about everywhere, but one stood out.

The bite on his shoulder. The wolf had took quite a big chunk out of him.

A wolf. It was a normal wolf.

At least, that’s what he kept trying to tell himself.

Normal wolves didn’t specifically target people. And didn’t wolves live in packs? He didn’t remember much, but he knew there was only one wolf. He would probably be dead if there was more than one.

More importantly, he had to get home. He would die here if he didn’t get home soon.

And how would he explain this to his friends?

What else could hurt him like this?

Thorns...?

Thorns? Yea! That’ll work!

He would tell them that he tripped and fell on some thorns, and the reason he couldn’t escape is because the thorns were really big.

Not the best excuse, (probably the worst excuse in the history of excuses) but it would have to do.

However, he had no clue how to get home.

He could barely crawl, walking was out of the question.

And yet, he attempted to crawl away and get to shelter.

Who knows what else could be out here?

Curling up in a small, abandoned rock den, one a large animal formerly inhabited, he fell asleep.

It was extremely uncomfortable, and he kept waking up in random intervals, but it would do until someone found him or he found the strength to walk.

He stared at the shadows the moon made in his den and wished Taka and Mondo could see them too.

Chapter Text

Taka was getting tired of this. He hated it. It was exhausting.

He was doing everything he could. That should be comforting, but it only made it worse for Taka.

This was all he could do. It made him feel powerless.

Every day was the same.

Wake up. Shower. Get ready. Go to school. Math. History. Language Arts. Break. Science. Art. Take the bus home. Do homework. Study. Lay in bed and stare at the wall all night.

Wash.

Rinse.

Repeat.

Sometimes, though, he would call Chihiro. He never expected an answer. And yet, he waited.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

“Hey there! You’ve reached Chihiro Fujisaki! I can’t answer at the moment, but I’ll call you back soon. Thank you!”

Hearing Chihiro’s voice was a feeble sense of comfort. If he tried hard enough, he could convince himself the voice was real.

Laying down, he looked out of his window and stared at the full moon with a small smile.

Chapter Text

Chihiro’s eyes snapped open.

He didn’t feel right. Something was definitely wrong with him. His skin was prickling uncomfortably and he could hear his heartbeat in his head.

Chihiro crawled out and looked at the moon.

It was full. He had been out here for a month.

The prickling became more severe. His heartbeat got louder.

He fell to his knees, uncomfortably landing on a stick as he did so.

Chihiro held his shaking hands in front of him.

This had to be a dream-a hallucination-

His hands were changing. They morphed into a different shape.

Paws, Chihiro had paws now. He went to touch his face to make sure this wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.

And yet, he felt fur brush against his face. He felt the smooth feeling of paw pads that hadn’t been callused yet. He felt his small claws gently scratch him.

This was most definitely real.

Chihiro was turning into an animal.

He then blacked out.

|-*~+~*-|

The wolf woke up to his face directly in the grass. He didn’t have any clue how he got there. Well, no use in just laying here. Chihiro- well, not actually Chihiro. A better description would be “wolf Chihiro”- got up, stretched, sneezed a few times-

And stopped.

He smelt other animals, other wolves.

His ears perked up. They were conversing among themselves. If he listened very closely, he could make out words.

“-ouldn’t of turned him! He’s weak! He doesn’t even want to join our pack!” This voice was male. It was strong, powerful, clearly the alpha of the two.

“Exactly. That’s what I thought. If you want kill to him, this is the easiest way. He’s
weak, even as a human. He probably won’t be able to survive as a wolf.” A smooth voice, this one female.

“I don’t want to kill him! That the point! I was just angry! He didn’t even do anything wrong, he’s just weak!” The alpha was clearly angry.

“You said you despise weak people.”

“Yea, but I don’t want them dea- hold on.”

“What is it?”

“Someone else is here. Another wolf.”

Just then, Chihiro revealed himself.

He looked at them and they looked back.

One had grey fur and red eyes. She was significantly larger than her counterpart. He had goldish green eyes and dirty blond fur.

The wolf with grey fur spoke. “Hello there.” She said, dipping her head to display she was no threat. Chihiro wagged his tail, a subtle message. He wasn’t a threat either.

The other one, however, growled lowly.

“Come with us. We need to take you back. People are getting restless looking for you. It’s becoming annoying.”

Chihiro didn’t really understand, but trotted along anyway.

Chapter Text

Three sets of paws smacking the ground in synchronized motions.

Little pants and ragged breaths of exhaustion. Hisses of “come on, the suns about to rise” and “keep going, we’re almost there” that we’re probably meant to reassure the speaker more than the other two wolves.

Those were the only things that could be heard in the silent night. Even with them, it was still very quiet.

However, hall monitors have very good hearing.

|-*~+~*-|

Kiyotaka just wanted to take a walk. That was the plan. Just get up from his bed and move his feet in alternating patterns until he got tired. Not that hard.

He then saw three distinct shapes running through the forest behind his house. One stopped. It stared at him. All he could see was a silhouette, but he could still recognize the sense of familiarity that seemed to radiate off it.

Kiyotaka knew he should go. Feeling connected to wild animals was definitely not normal.

The animal had fell behind. The other two were further than it.

It started coming closer.

Taka just watched, not knowing whether to run or stay. It could attack him, but if he ran it probably would chase.

As it got closer, it’s features got clearer.

A canine, clearly, but the eyes as well. They were definitely very familiar. Amber. It walked with a certain timidness in its small paws. It reminded Taka of Chihiro. Even in the way it raised one paw, like how Chihiro clasped his arms against his chest.

He barely blinked before the animal was in his arms. It wagged its tail with impressive speed, whining in what could only be happiness, little yips of pure joy as it licked his neck.

That was when Taka realized he was holding a wolf.

Instead of the natural instinct to panic, Taka continued to hold the wolf.

Maybe...Chihiro was dead, and the universe was sending this Chihiro-like wolf to comfort Taka.

Pushing down the logical thoughts that popped up in his mind, Kiyotaka took the wolf in his house.

Clearly, all the logic that had ever inhabited Taka was gone now.

He was fine with that

Chapter Text

Chihiro awoke at the foot of a bed, curled up in an uncomfortable way. Quite a strange way to wake up. A strange way that got even stranger when he learned this wasn’t his room. Or bed.

If he had been kidnapped, he probably wouldn’t be surprised at this point. Wait, no. That was Kiyotaka Ishimaru asleep.

Sleeping in someone else’s bed was a terrible position to be in for Chihiro. Especially since the person in question thought Chihiro was a girl.

So naturally, Chihiro left. He got up, very quietly, and climbed out of a window. He didn’t want to risk opening the door in case it was loud, and the window was open just a crack.

Immediately he begun to run away from the house. He didn’t even question the fact that he had blacked out in a forest and woke up in his hometown. He needed to get home, to tell his friends that he was okay.

Had Taka told them already? He needed to know.

Cars soon began to drive by and Chihiro had to hide in the shadows. It was when he was concealing himself in an alleyway that he saw it. A poster.

———————————————————————
Name: Chihiro Fujisaki
Gender: Female
Height: 4’11
Eye color: amber
Hair color: short, feathery, dirty blond
Last seen: Hopes Peak High School
*if found, please contact 1556-462-11037
———————————————————————

People were...looking for him. They cared enough to notice. He was loved by multiple people. Not just his father and cousin, people that were obligated to love him, but also by people that chose to. They chose to care, and could stop at any moment they desired.

He took down the poster and pocketed it, continuing his journey home.

|-*~+~*-|

Here he was. Home. His fathers’ car was in the driveway, so he was home as well.

He would see his father for the first time in a month.

Slowly, he climbed the steps onto the porch. There was a spare key hidden in a plant in case of emergencies. Chihiro dug through the dirt until he found it.

As he held it, he was shaking. Whether it was from fear or anticipation, he couldn’t tell.

He brought the key to the door.

It unlocked with a click.

Immediately he saw him. His father was in the kitchen, cooking. He could smell eggs, very vividly, and it made him remember how hungry he was.

“Dad.”

Taichi looked in his direction. His father was met with the familiar messy hair any amber eyes that belonged to his son.

He dropped the eggs and ran over.

Chihiro felt himself become surrounded by warmth. He was in his fathers arms. Taichi was crying, holding his child for the first time in a month.

Chihiro sobbed as well, short pained gasps that sounded as if they were being forced out of his throat.

“Shh. It’s okay Chihiro. It’s okay. You’re home now.”

He was safe. For the first time in four weeks, he was safe.

Chapter Text

Taka wasn’t usually the type to pass notes in class. He considered it disrespectful, and people usually weren’t punished because they weren’t caught. A crime with no penalties.

This did not apply when Taka had something to say. Something that couldn’t wait.

He pulled out a piece of paper from his notebook and scribbled out a message. He could save his neater writing for detention slips.

Mondo, I need to tell you about something.

Vague, yes, but it’ll do. When the teacher went to write something on the board, Taka quickly handed it over.

Him, Mondo, and Chihiro were best friends and, of course, sat next to each other in every class they shared. Two of the three seats were filled today.

Mondo stared at the note for a minute or two before writing out a reply of his own. He passed it to Taka. He unfolded the note, and it took him a while to figure out what the words said. Mondo’s handwriting...wasn’t the best.

Finally, he figured it out.

What is it? Mr. Kuma will kill us if he sees us passing notes. Probably literally, I wouldn’t test it.

The sound of lead scratching against paper, followed by a light crunching sound as it was passed.

I saw a wolf the other day. It was by my house with two other ones. It saw me and came running. It jumped in my arms and I took it in my house. I wasn’t thinking clearly now that I reflect, it slept with me but when I woke up the window was open and the wolf was gone. It reminded me of Chihiro, the eyes looked a lot like hers. I know I shouldn’t of done it.

Mondo stared at the paper, his eyes darting back and forth as he read. He wrote a few times, before flipping his pencil and erasing. Then trying again. It was the note-passing version of not knowing what to say.

Mondo passed the note. It was simple, seemingly too simple for something that has taken that long.

The note was something he knew already. Mondo clearly just wanted to say something so it wouldn’t seem like he was ignoring Taka.

You shouldn’t of done that.

Kiyotaka’s response was quick.

I know.

The conversation was clearly over.

Mr. Kuma then came over, with his usual overdramatic flair, and grabbed the note.

“A lot of things in life are more important than math, but note passing is not one of them. Puhuhu!” His hair, (which could not be natural, judging by the way it was literally split in half via white and black ) bounced when he spoke. Even though his hair was over his eyes, the red one was still visible. It seemed to blaze through whatever it saw.

And before Taka could ponder Mr. Kuma’s red eye any longer, the note was being read aloud in front of the class.

|-*~+~*-|

“I can’t believe Ishimaru let a wolf in his house! I thought he was a good kid!”

“Cut him some slack. It reminded him of his and Oowada’s friend. She’s...probably dead. No ones heard from her.”

Whispers followed Taka around. Most of them discussed how Chihiro was probably dead, and he had false hope that she wasn’t. Then some white haired boy had came running around a corner after hearing the word “hope,” bouncing up and down like a child that had been gifted a puppy. He then went on a rant about how false hope is still hope, and how Ishimaru had experienced the deep despair so he could experience hope again.

This school definitely had the most interesting selection of people Taka had seen in a while.

Chapter Text

The next few days carried a strange sensation with them.

It was if Chihiro was there, while also being somewhere else entirely. Part of him here, part of him there. He remembered things as they happened, but after it was over everything blurred together.

He was aware of every color, every shape, every scent, sound, taste and feeling. He could even describe it as being hyperaware. Every noise shocked him, some noises he didn’t even recognize. Small noises, ones that he could barely hear, grabbed his attention. New scents came with him, circling around him with their enhancing colors. They mingled in the air, and when Chihiro tried to reach out they danced away.

Dreams were a mix of sound and color. When he tried to reach out, there was no hand in front of him. Nothing but varying hues and noises.

The colors and sounds would change depending on how the day was. Good days...couldn’t necessarily be described as “good.” They weren’t good, nothing good happened, but they weren’t bad either. His injuries didn’t bother him on those days. His shock, which had lasted little over a month, had finally wore off. Good days had slightly darkened colors. Dark green, blue, and yellow were the most common amidst the mess that was his dreams. The colors would smudge together, almost blending into one, but then they would run away, as if they feared colliding. The sounds could be described as a light noise. It was encouraging, peaceful, and happy. It gave Chihiro a sense of hope.

Dreams on his bad days were another story. Their colors were vibrant. Chihiro didn’t have anything to shield himself. He didn’t have a body here. Nothing to protect him from the vibrant colors as they swirled around rapidly, then chopping themselves into lines, sorting themselves by hue, all at once. Chihiro knew they were moving, even if they were going too fast to be seen. The noise sounded like static. Very loud static, that made the colors tremble. This led Chihiro to conclude that if he had a body it would be vibrating with the volume the static held.

He didn’t tell his father about the dreams. Not because he wouldn’t understand, but because it was impossible to explain. He didn’t tell him about the wolf either. His father asked, three times, before he decided Chihiro didn’t want to talk speak about it yet.

His father would get his answer when he felt the prickly feeling again.

|-*~+~*-|

1:36.

One thirty six. Post Meridiem.

Thirteen hours, thirty six minutes, and forty two seconds into the day.

That was when it happened. When Chihiro finally decided to talk to Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Oowada. For the first time in over a month. He didn’t know where the idea came from, and it probably wasn’t a good one.

Yet here he was, phone in hand, opening his texting app and scrolling to the group chat. It had him, Mondo, and Taka.

homies

October 19, 11:24 PM

no running in the halls: Goodnight everyone! Get lots of sleep so we can be productive tomorrow!! :D

69 gallons of hairspray: goodnight everyone

short: goodnight! <33

November 25, 1:36 PM

short: Hey. It’s Chihiro.

Almost immediately, his phone vibrated intensely.

69 gallons of hairspray: Chihiro are you ok wgere are hou what halpened??

no running in the halls: Chihiro?? What happened? Where have you been?

short: I’m at my house. Meet me at Hopes Peak, 4 PM tomorrow. I’ll explain then.

It was nothing like how Chihiro usually spoke. But it was final, they would be meeting tomorrow.

Chihiro turned off his notifications and went to sleep, colors and sounds surrounding him.

Chapter Text

The only sound is a clock ticking.

The constant tick-tock doesn’t interrupt Chihiro’s thought process. The white noise is a part of him now.

Chihiro knows he should get up. He knows, after looking at the clock, that it is 3:00, and that they were meeting at 4:00.

Finally he got up. His joints popped. Slowly, slowly, as if he was sneaking, he threw some clothes on. Brushed his teeth. Threw on some shoes.

He tried not to look in the mirror. Tried, tried, tried not to look at his teeth. They were a lot sharper now. Hopefully not noticeably so.

Getting ready had took 5 minutes. That left a lot of time.

His laptop sat, closed on his desk. Almost tauntingly.

He walked over, turning it on and opening his program called Alter Ego. Chihiro had started making Alter Ego in primary school. The program was originally there for emotional support, the only friend Chihiro had at the time. Soon, it was an award winning source of information.

“M-Master! You came back!” The program exclaimed in excitement.

“I need your help with something.” Chihiro almost whispered. He absentmindedly noted that he had became much colder after coming home.

“Hm? What is it?” Alter Ego cocked his head.

“Is there any side effects to getting bit by a wolf? A normal one, that is. It wasn’t rabid or anything.”

Alter Ego looked surprised. “A...wolf bit you while you were away?” Chihiro only nodded.

The program then gave a few links to various websites.

Unfortunately, they all pointed to the same thing.

No matter how it was stated, it was all the same.

Lycanthropy. Werewolf bitings. Werewolf accusations that led to executions.

That...couldn’t be right.

“Are there any other results?”

“No,” Alter Ego muttered. “They all point to the same thing: werewolves.”

Chihiro bit the inside of his cheek. “I have to go see Mondo and Taka now. We planned to meet.,”

Alter Ego nodded and shut down.

|-*~+~*-|

Chihiro sighed. 3:45 and still nothing. He curled up behind the school, hugging his legs.

“Chihiro!”

His head snapped up.

Mondo. Kiyotaka followed behind.

Chihiro got up, even though his feet were uneven and he stumbled slightly.

That didn’t stop him from running. He ran until he smacked into Mondo, who gently lowered them to the ground. Taka lowered too.

After a few minutes of silence that was only interrupted by hitched breaths and small sniffles from each of them, the silence was broken.

“Chihiro,” Taka muttered. “Chihiro, where were you?”

“That’s not important right now, bro.” He felt Mondo’s weight shift slightly. “She’s back. It doesn’t matter where she’s been. She’s back and that’s all that matters. We can sort out everything else later.”

Mondo moved some more, as if he was looking Taka in the eyes. “Nothing but this matters right now. For now, it can be okay. We don’t have to think about anything else but this. It can be like this for a little while.”

It could, but Chihiro didn’t know if it would.

It made him wonder, was it really all okay?

Chapter Text

Mondo turned out to be wrong. It was definitely not okay.

Kiyotaka currently sat in front of a computer, trying desperately to find out what was wrong with his friend.

He had been fine, for a while, acting happy to be home, but soon it had all crumbled.

Now, he was a mess. Currently, He laid in bed with a cold washcloth on his head. Mondo and Kiyotaka were visiting. Taichi had allowed it, coming in every so often to check on the trio, but ultimately understood that Chihiro needed his space.

No one could identify what Chihiro had. They had tried to get Chihiro to go to a doctor, but he definitely did not want to.

He had been sick for three days. He was clearly in pain.

Taka and Mondo were allowed to sleep over tonight. Chihiro was worse than he had been. Way worse. His eyes had a permanent glossiness to them and he overall seemed out of it.

Taka had played it off as delirium but...

It seemed like more.

Taichi was at the store right now, looking for fever medication after they had concluded this was no cold.

This was serious, and Chihiro should be at a doctor.

“Hey Chi,” Mondo’s voice cut through the silence of labored breathing. “How’re you holding up?”

A low, animalistic whine. To Taka, that noise sounded familiar... He couldn’t place it.

“Not good, eh? Figured. Hopefully your dad is back with that medicine soon. It’s about to get dark.”

Taka continued to type away, looking at articles about delirium and its symptoms.

Chihiro ended up falling into a restless sleep. Mondo stared at his homework, his pencil now resting on Chihiro’s desk, while Taka tried to read. He ended up reading the same lines multiple times, not processing anything.

They were both scared for Chihiro’s safety.

The moon was about to rise, Mondo had taken to staring at the horizon as the sun sank lower and lower. Eventually, it left a moon to take its place, its full light dancing in a circle on the back wall.

Chihiro whined, low and drawn out.

Taka was hit with that familiarity again.

What could that possibly be?

That wasn’t the main point right now. That was to help Chihiro through...whatever it was this time.

Mondo ran a hand through Chihiro’s hair. This kind of platonic gesture was no stranger for the trio.

It was when Chihiro started to thrash when they realized something was wrong.

“I-I think she’s having a nightmare or something.” Taka muttered, before gently approaching Chihiro.

“Hey, Chihiro.” He said with an unfamiliar gentleness. “Wake up please.”

Chihiro opened his eyes blearily. He then immediately jumped up, startling both Taka and Mondo.

He seemed to be talking to himself, staring at his hands and muttering things that didn’t make sense

“I-I can’t do this. Not in front of- please not tonight.”

Things that didn’t make sense to Taka and Mondo, anyway.

And here, my dear friends, is when everything starts to go wrong. Mark this place, remember these words, because when they look back, this is the place where our precious trio will remember everything crashing around them.

Chapter Text

The first thing that changes, and the first thing that always will, is his hands.

They change and morph, turning into something they shouldn’t be. It’s a shape not fit for his body. A small crevice of his mind rejoices in his flesh matching what he is, deep in his soul.

But, he is also panicking. He is turning into a wolf, while his two best friends watch in horror.

“Chihiro! What- just what is this!” Mondo yells out, struggling with his words.

Taka is watching in a mute horror.

Three minutes.

Three minutes of agonizing transformation until he’s fully in wolf form.

The wolf sniffs around cautiously. It sees Taka and Mondo, who are still terrified, assuming them just to be bystanders. It then begins its attempts to get out of Chihiro’s room.

The wolf bangs on the door, slamming into it with its shoulder.

Bang! Bang!

“Do we...” Mondo whispered, “Let it out?”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“I guess so.” Kiyotaka said quietly.

Mondo cautiously approached the wolf.

“Hey buddy.” Mondo muttered. “Wanna go outside? It’s probably better out there.”

The wolf happily yipped, jumping up and wagging its tail.

Why did he recognize that yip so well?

Why was Mondo not confused? How was he so calm?

“Are you not concerned that Chihiro just turned into a wolf?” Taka barked. It sounded quite harsh, but concern was hidden deep within.

“I’ve been in a similar situa-“ He cut himself off. “Listen, now’s not the time to talk about it. We need to get her outside, they don’t like being caged.”

What was he talking about? Did he happen to know someone else that turns into a wolf?

The door clicked open and the wolf ran out.

Chapter Text

There was a small forest out by Chihiro’s yard, and it was practically begging to be explored.

Currently, Chihiro was circling around Taka.

It was quite strange, seeing your friend as a wolf.

Seeing your friend...

As a...

The wolf Taka saw at his house. The one he had took inside. The one followed by two other wolves.

They were the same. The wolf was Chihiro and Chihiro was the wolf.

The wolf and Chihiro were two sides of the same coin.

The wolf Taka saw, and this wolf...

Were the same.

This was his second time seeing his friend as a wolf.

Not many ever saw their friends as anything but human.

Was this considered lucky?

Chapter Text

The wolf was making it clear that it wanted to go in the forest. Taka was staring at it, still coming to his realization.

He looked up and stared at the moon.

“Mondo,” he said. “We should let the wolf run with us. I know this is surprising, but we should at least let it run free for a while.”

“I agree. I wish Daiya could of been here tonight. I think Chihiro and him would like to play during the full moons, if that’s Chihiro’s issue.”

Taka assumed he was joking. He laughed. “You make it sound like your brother’s a werewolf.”

Mondo sent him a look. “Chihiro clearly is. Would it surprise you that much for Daiya to be one too?”

Taka was confused now. He wasn’t joking? “So he is? How many werewolves do you know?”

Mondo sent a lopsided grin to the full moon that casted shadows over the trio.

“Now I know two werewolves.”

Chapter Text

The wolf feels wind rush past him, blowing into his fur, making the strands spin around. If ran with such beauty, such grace, that it transfixed anyone that saw it. The only time he would slow down was when he would elegantly leap over sticks that got in the way of his sprint.

Following behind, were the wolf’s “pack mates.” Kiyotaka and Mondo. They couldn’t run like the wolf did, and every time they stopped to take breaks the wolf would yip profusely. They had to keep going, this was too fun to stop.

The wolf loved every minute of it. Chasing away squirrels, jumping over rivers, this was paradise.

After about an hour of pure running, Mondo and Taka had to stop.

“Chi...Chihiro,” Mondo wheezed out. “Let’s take a break, okay?”

Chihiro whined, his tail stopped its furious wagging and now laid low, swooping back and fourth as he approached his pack.

Chihiro then decided to lay directly on top of Kiyotaka, the wolf’s head on his lap.

Taka was shocked at first, almost scooting back before he remembered that this was his best friend. Which... didn’t make this any less strange.

Still, it’d have to do.

“Mondo, where’s the best place to scratch a werewolf?” Kiyotaka asked with a grin.

Mondo scooted closer. “Riiight about... Here!” He said, scratching behind the wolf’s ears.

Chihiro’s content whimpers were all that was heard in the almost-silent night.

Eventually, Chihiro shook himself off and sat between the two.

They all stared at the moon together. Chihiro sucked in a breath, and...

Howled.

It was a beautiful sound, wild and primal. Like the wolf himself.

Kiyotaka’s breath hitched at the sound. “That was- That’s...beautiful.”

Mondo took a few deep breaths as well, his chest rising and falling, before he joined Chihiro with his howling. His wasn’t as primal as Chihiro’s, wasn’t as beautiful and wild, but Chihiro felt content with his pack.

Chihiro looked at Taka expectantly. Mondo looked too.

“Well, come on Taka. Howl. The pack’s waiting.” He grinned that, dang lopsided smile that drove everyone insane.

Taka did. He cupped his hands around his mouth and howled.

Mondo joined, followed by Chihiro, and the pack was left, singing their moonlight melody.