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Drip

'I don't...I don't ever want to wake up.'

Drip

'I just want to become a shell, to curl up into a ball and get away from life. So I can never wake and never sleep.'

Drip

'...And what the heck is that sound? It's so...so...so irritating!'

Drip

'Shut. Up-'

"Legoshi!"

The gray wolf's eyes snapped open with a slight gasp, and he found himself staring at the shaggy-furred face of Collot, the sheepdog. Legoshi groaned and slowly pushed himself onto his elbows while Collot smirked and shook her head. "You can't just sleep the entire day away, you know? We've still got classes and such to deal with." She then reached out and grabbed his cheek. "Rise and shine, Mr. Scary Face."

Durham let out a chuckle as she emerged from the bathroom, clad in nothing but her bottoms, allowing the coyote's firm pair of perky C-Cups to be out in the open. "Well, well. If it isn't our favorite wolf boy. Looks to me you didn't study for that math test today either."

"No," Legoshi mumbled as Collot effortlessly dragged him out of bed, his head nestled between the sheepdog's larger E-Cups.

Durham shook her head and remarked, "Well, I know that feeling. And get his head out of your tits, Collot. He's not really into girls, after all. Otherwise, he'd be all over us if we allowed him." Voss and Miguno, already dressed and ready for the day, could only shake their heads at Durham's antics.

After Collot set the wolf on his feet - and sent a dangerous growl in Durham's direction - she said, "Hurry up and get changed, Legoshi. We'll see you at breakfast."

"Mmm," Legoshi hummed as he stared emotionlessly at his reflection in the mirror.

Meanwhile, Jack, the labrador, observed the wolf with a slight frown. She noticed his mood was a lot 'darker' than usual today. The tips of his ears were drooped slightly, and his eyes were half-lidded with more bags than usual underneath. The young woman frowned in worry. Something was going on with him, but she didn't know what. Jack worried for her friend, and she'd get to the bottom of this sooner or later.

**************

The previous night...

Theater Back Courtyard, Cherryton Academy

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

'This...this sound...is...is it mine? Or yours? You're both so soft and warm. And small. They move around alot, and their breath is making my arms wet. Under their clothes...what's under their soft fur and wool? S-stop! But I...I can't...I can't control myself! But...how satisfying would it feel?' Hands roamed the smaller bodies of the herbivores trapped within his grasp, one wrapped tightly to his body in each arm, tracing their arms, their exposed midriffs, and finally, their breasts. 'That...that's their breasts. They're so soft and just barely fit my palms...I wonder...Stop! No! I...I can't do that to them! My hands...why won't they stop?!'

'Because that's how it's supposed to be, young wolf.'

Legoshi snapped out of his mental trance and looked up, only to find that he was standing on his feet with no sign of the two herbivores. His eyes searched the eerie fog clouding his subconscious mind, and he stopped when he noticed the outline of a shadowy, distorted figure in the distance. It was faceless but had wide, emotionless eyes staring at Legoshi with uncomfortable intensity.

'You have struggled your entire life, Legoshi,' the ghostly voice taunted. 'And now, you're at your limit.' It then took a step toward Legoshi, approaching him slowly, with each footfall sounding like the whispers of the wind. Legoshi tried to back away but found himself rooted to the spot, helpless as the strange, shadow creature closed the distance between them. 'Stop! G-go away!'

But the creature kept coming, its footsteps echoing. 'You've suppressed your feelings ever since you were a little pup. Being the good little boy for mommy dearest.'

Legoshi clenched his fists and grit his teeth at the creature standing before him, a mere few meters away. 'Don't talk about her like that! Who the hell are you?'

'I? I am the embodiment of all of your instincts that you've bottled up for almost seventeen years, Legoshi. I am you, but better and stronger.' The creature stepped closer until its nose was almost touching Legoshi's. 'You've lived quietly in the darkness, Legoshi, unaware of the slumbering beast inside you.' The creature then morphed into an exact copy of the young wolf, but bulkier and much taller than he. 'Tell me, Legoshi, what do you feel right now? Sadness or frustration?' The creature then burst into a cloud of pitch-black smoke and engulfed Legoshi from head to toe. 'It's neither. You feel joy from the bottom of your heart.'

Legoshi grit his teeth as he felt the smoke pour into his lungs and fill every inch of his struggling body, forcing him to gradually lose control. 'Damnit! I...I can't...hold...on! Please! Leave me alone!' The wolf now found himself back in the real world, his arms still wrapped around the quivering forms of the two herbivores in his tight grasp. But the echoing voice of his instincts lingered still, spurring Legoshi to give in.

'Go on, Legoshi,' it goaded him. 'All it takes is one bite. Savor the flavor of these delicious females, inside and out. Just one bite, Legoshi.'

Legoshi shook his head, a growl rumbling in his chest as his grip on the herbivores tightened, claws digging into their arms and drawing blood. 'N-no! I...I'll...I'll eat you...' The wolf raised his head, mouth hanging open as saliva pooled onto the cobblestones below. 'I'll eat you!' He lost all reasoning as his instincts retook complete control, his eyes glowing a bright red as he leaned in for the kill, choosing the small rabbit in his right arm as his first victim.

But it all came crashing down when a frantic voice called out his name: "Legoshi!"

Legoshi snapped back to his senses, his eyes returning to normal, and looked back to see Zoe running - rather pitifully, one would say - toward him. "Please help me!"

While the wolf was distracted, the rabbit and the other unnamed herbivore took their chances and attempted to escape Legoshi's clutches. They succeeded, but not unscathed. Because of his claws digging into their arms, when the herbivores made a run for it, Legoshi scratched them, leaving four gashes that leaked crimson. The wolf could only watch them go, running away hand-in-hand and leaving a guilt-riddled Legoshi behind them. After the two herbivores disappeared into the foggy darkness, Legoshi turned to Zoe and rose to his feet, waiting for the panting goat to reach him. When he did, Zoe bent over with his hands on his knees and struggled to catch his breath.

"Zoe," Legoshi began, still coming down from his high. "What happened?"

The goat held up a hand, panting heavily and occasionally wheezing, before gasping out, "It's...hah...it's Louise! She...phew...she's hurt...need...help...now!"

Legoshi immediately sprinted for the theater, leaving a breathless goat in the dust. Once inside, Legoshi found a woeful sight that made his heart sink: Louise was on the ground, her right leg held out to the side with the ankle at an awkward angle while sitting on the left leg. The wolf was at her side instantly, but the antlered doe dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine, Legoshi," she said through a grimace. "It's only a little sore now."

Legoshi turned to Zoe, who had finally caught up, and asked him, "What happened?"

Zoe stammered for a bit but replied with, "It was dark. I was rehearsing my lines when I lost my footing and fell off the stage. Louise caught me, breaking my fall, but I think she might've broken-"

"I said I'm fine!" Louise snapped at the goat. "Like I said, it's only a little sore now." She looked up at Legoshi. "Pup, help me up, will you?"

Legoshi obliged, giving the doe his hand. She reached out and took it into her own, but as soon as the two made contact, Legoshi and Louise stopped and stared each other in the eyes. Dark gray met chocolate brown in an enrapturing but brief trance they found themselves in. But the moment soon came to pass when the doe shook her head and withdrew her hand from Legoshi's once she was on her feet. However, Louise put it on his shoulder and looked at him sternly.

"Did anything happen out there?"

Legoshi froze, his voice catching his throat. After a brief silence, he shook his head. "N-no. I thought something out there for a moment and went to investigate, but it was only a couple of bugs."

Louise sighed and shook her head, a small smile creasing her lips. "You and your bugs, Legoshi. No matter. That's otherwise good news to hear. Come, let us retire for the night. We have a big day tomorrow and no time to waste!"

**************

The residents of Room 701 left their dorm, with Legoshi lagging behind with his usual hunched-over self. The wolf was lost in his thoughts, recalling what had happened last night. It was terrifying as it was traumatic, and he hoped that whoever he'd hurt was alright. The wolf spared a glance at his right hand, the one that had drawn blood from the two herbivores he had within his grasp. He hated it; he hated everything that had happened, hated that he was the reason someone got hurt. It was everything Legoshi tried to avoid when he started suppressing his instincts at a young age. 'Hah, I hope they're alright. Whoever they are.'

Legoshi was so engrossed with his thoughts about last night that he didn't notice a particular Harlequin rabbit in his path, bumped into them, and knocked them to the ground. Luckily, despite his enormous size, the wolf had quick reflexes and saved the rabbit doe from landing flat on her back. Their eyes met, and Legoshi felt his heart skip a beat. The Harlequin rabbit in his arms was simply beautiful. Her fur was black and white, perfectly split down the middle. Her figure was also noteworthy, with a curvy waist - almost entirely encompassed by Legoshi's large hands - wide hips and a large pair of breasts that strained against her uniform top. Legoshi could make out the faint outline of her nipples, felt the defined muscle in her toned stomach and back, and had a decent overhead view of her cleavage. But her eyes? The doe's eyes were a striking light blue, capturing Legoshi's attention as they stared at each other silently.

"Uh," Legoshi said finally. "H-hi."

The rabbit blinked once before stuttering out a weak "H-hello."

Legoshi remembered his manners and set the doe back on her feet before giving her some space. "Er, uh, s-sorry about that. I...I really should watch where I'm going," the wolf said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But...it's kinda hard to do that if one's lost in thought, you know? Are y-you okay?"

The rabbit could only stare at him with her mouth slightly agape. It was unsettling to Legoshi, and he feared that he might've frightened the frozen girl with his mere presence. Thankfully, that turned out to not be the case; however, Legoshi got a deafening earful from the doe:

"No thanks to you, you big dumb wolf! You could've flattened me with your giant feet!"

Legoshi did a double take and looked down at his feet. "But...my feet aren't that big-"

"Don't cut me off when I'm still talking!" the doe snapped, startling Legoshi and snapping him to attention. "I'll have you know that I, Mizuchi, am a Harlequin rabbit, an endangered species. And one of the only two Harlequin rabbits at Cherryton." Legoshi held his tongue as he let the rabbit doe continue on her verbal tirade about how her boyfriend, another Harlequin rabbit, cheated on her with some other girl Mizuchi thought was nothing more than the school's whore. While Legoshi felt a pang of mild sympathy for this Mizuchi, he was starting to believe that she had a massive ego and did not deserve his pity. Or anyone else's, for that matter. But the wolf held his tongue while Mizuchi talked his head off about her personal problems. Until she decided to make him a part of them.

"Hey! You! Wolf boy! I'm talking to you!"

Legoshi shook his head and looked down at the fuming Harlequin rabbit glaring up at him. "Huh? O-oh! S-sorry. I was listening. I-I just-"

"Just what? Too 'lost in your thoughts' to care?" Mizuchi huffed and crossed her arms under her ample chest, pushing them up and causing some of her cleavage to spill out of her top. "Hmph! I don't even know why I thought a carnivore of all people would care about an herbivore like me."

"L-look, uh, Mizuchi right? Um, I'm not really one for conversation with girls, or herbivores for that matter." Legoshi rubbed the back of his neck and looked away shyly. "I'm kind of off-putting because I'm a wolf, and I don't really know how to talk to girls (especially when they're kinda cute and pretty)."

"You know I heard that last part, right?" Mizuchi accused with a slight smirk curling at her lips. Legoshi stiffened, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "So, you think I'm 'cute and pretty,' huh? Well, too bad for you. I'm only interested in having purebred offspring with another Harlequin rabbit, not some mangy mutt. No offense."

Legoshi unconsciously clenched his fists and ground his teeth together. This doe was really testing his patience. But he held himself together for the time being. He didn't want a repeat of last night, after all. Legoshi sighed and bowed his head, drawing out a long sigh as he attempted to calm his nerves. Once relaxed enough, the wolf put on a fake, warm smile and said, "None taken. That's actually a first for me."

Mizuchi was slightly taken aback by Legoshi's calm response. She half-expected the wolf to lash out at her, to bear his fangs and threaten to devour her. Instead, all the Harlequin rabbit got was a timid, submissive wolf who thought she was 'cute and pretty.' A part of her admonished the doe for even remotely getting flustered by the wolf's comment. But she quickly pushed that side away instead focused on...

'Hmm,' she thought to herself. 'I don't even know his name. He knows mine, so I suppose it's only-'

"Legoshi!"

Mizuchi and the wolf jumped simultaneously at the loud voice shouting at them. The doe turned and saw a group of female canines jogging towards them, with a golden Labrador retriever leading them. Mizuchi felt her knees weaken at the sight of the group of carnivores headed her way, but she found that she had nothing to fear as they weren't really focused on her.

"Legoshi," the retriever girl said, partly out of breath. "We were wondering where you went. You can't worry us like that, man." Then she noticed Mizuchi, her brown eyes brightening and tail wagging erratically. "Oh, hello! Sorry if we scared you. Our friend Legoshi here has a habit of disappearing sometimes." She giggled while Mizuchi could only stare at her in awe. "I'm Jack, by the way. That big oaf of a wolf behind you is our roommate, Legoshi."

"H-hey!" Legoshi said in an almost comically whining tone. But 'Jack' ignored her friend's complaint and introduced the other canine girls and one hyena behind her.

"This is Collot, Miguno, Durham, and Voss! We're known as the Canines of Room 701!" Despite Jack's enthusiasm for such a rather amusing name, the others were not fond of it, as evidenced by their groans and rolling of eyes. "Oh, come on, girls! It's not that bad!"

"That's not the problem, Jack," the coyote, Durham, said. "We never agreed to call ourselves that."

"Yeah," Collot piped in, crossing her arms over her massive chest. Mizuchi spared a glance at her own bust but quickly ended the comparison there since the sheepdog was twice her size in every aspect. "Don't get me wrong, Jack. We like you and all, but you need to tone back the enthusiasm a bit, okay?"

Jack sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, girls." Then she turned back to Mizuchi and asked, "So, what's got you so interested in our boy, Legoshi, here?"

The doe froze and struggled to form a sentence as she felt put in the spotlight. "Uh, well, I-"

Legoshi cut her off and said, "We were just talking, guys. Nothing too important, really. Go ahead; I'll catch up with y'all in a bit."

Jack looked at the wolf with a hint of suspicion in her light-brown eyes before giving a broad smile and saying, "Alright! If you say so! Don't keep us waiting for too long, Legoshi." With that, the canines turned back and headed for the cafeteria, leaving Legoshi and Mizuchi behind. The wolf sighed loudly, causing the doe to look up at him with her ears drooping down slightly.

"Sorry about that," he said, rubbing his neck. "Jack is...kinda too exciting for some people to talk with. The girls and I are the only ones who can handle her seemingly endless energy." He cracked a smile and chuckled lightheartedly. "Well, anyway, it was nice to meet you, Mizuchi. I hope you can figure out your problems. Kinda wish that there was something I could do to help." Legoshi walked past her, only for the doe to reach out and grab his tail with both hands. The wolf stiffened and looked over his shoulder at her in surprise.

"Wait, uh, Legoshi," she said with a wavering voice. "I, um, I'm sorry for earlier. It's not your fault. I honestly don't know how I missed such a tall wolf like you." She laughed nervously, eyes looking up at the wolf. "Although I wanna say that you have to make it up to me, I'm at fault as much as you are. So, I guess we'll call it even. Deal?"

Legoshi smiled, and Mizuchi swore she felt her legs grow weak at seeing how sweet and genuine it looked on the lupine's muzzle. "Deal. You're not so bad after all, Mizuchi. Maybe a little rough around the edges, but I'm sure one could be good friends with you once they see the real you. And, uh, can I have my tail back? We can call it 'even' after that."

Mizuchi released his tail, uttering a quick apology. After bidding farewell to the doe, Legoshi walked off to catch up with his friends. She watched him go, feeling a slight pang of...something deep within her chest. Legoshi was a very peculiar wolf compared to others, not that Mizuchi ever had the pleasure - or misfortune - of meeting them in the past. But for some reason, this particular one piqued her interest, and she was determined to learn more about him. With a new goal in mind, Mizuchi turned and stormed off to find her friends, her thoughts lingering on that tall, handsome, and awkward gray wolf.

**************

Cherryton Academy Cafeteria

'At this boarding school, rules state that all students are required to eat their meals inside the cafeteria. Naturally, eating meat of any kind, in or out of school, is considered a serious crime in society. In fact, most of the local public food shops won't even sell meat! That's why meals here at Cherryton and all over the city are carefully and specially crafted and balanced with nutrition for all animals to enjoy. For us carnivores, we usually have bread, milk, eggs, and/or a meat substitute composed of either beans, tofu, or soy. As for the herbivores, one would correctly assume that their meals consisted mostly of vegetables and fruit.'

Jack and the girls patiently waited for their male roommate to show up and join them for breakfast. Their encounter with the Harlequin rabbit, whom they'd know later as Mizuchi, was interesting. Why she conversed with their wolf boy was a mystery to the girls. But it didn't seem like anything was wrong. However, Jack could smell a slight scent of fear rising off the doe, which was completely understandable since she was surrounded by a bunch of carnivores. Hopefully, there was 'no harm, no foul.'

The retriever was jolted from her musings when Legoshi sat down beside her, his plate full of the carnivore's breakfast, as well as...

"Fruits and vegetables?" Durham voiced everyone's surprise. "Legoshi, are you okay? You're not going full vegan on us, are you? You know that us carnivores can barely take that stuff by itself, right?"

Legoshi only shrugged his shoulders in response as he stared at the food on his tray. "I'll be fine. It's not the first time I've done it, anyway."

Everyone except Jack gaped at the wolf in shock. "You mean," Jack began, swallowing back her disbelief. "You mean you've had herbivore food before?"

"Only some of it," Legoshi replied, reaching out for the half-pint carton of milk and opening it with ease. "I mainly eat the carnivore stuff they give us, but I like some variety. Besides," he paused as he took a sip from the carton, then set it on the table and continued. "I like my fair share of broccoli, strawberries, and blueberries."

The girls around him wore faces of shock and disgust. "'Broccoli?'" Collot echoed, a frown spread across her muzzle. "Who are you, and what have you done with our Legoshi?"

"I'll say," Jack said, taking a bite from her bean steak. "But I can't say anything else since this is how he's always been." Legoshi hummed in response, staring down at his tray of food. Then Miguno finally showed up, sitting down beside Legoshi.

"That was close," the spotted hyena said. "I almost stepped on one of those small girls. I swear, I've got to get some glasses or something. Speaking of which, hey, Legoshi." She turned to the wolf sitting silently to her right. "You did say I'd look good in glasses, right? Tell me more about that..."

The hyena girl's words faded away as Legoshi stared at his food, particularly the piece of bread, and ignored everything else on his plate. The small loaf sat there, taunting the wolf with its soft texture. 'I can't eat this...I just can't. I can...I can still feel the sensations from last night.' The wolf held up both of his hands, the tools that had caused so much hurt from the night before. 'I don't ever want to touch anything soft again.'

"You bastard! What's your fucking deal, huh?"

Legoshi and the girls' attention was suddenly drawn to the commotion caused by a fox and a painted wild dog. The latter was grabbing at the former's shirt and all up in his face as he growled at him. "You realize you've been stepping on my tail this entire time, right?"

"Oh please!" the fox scoffed, rolling his eyes. "One, I said I was sorry. Two, your tail isn't long enough for me to step on unless you sit on the floor!"

"You were laughing when you 'apologized!'" the painted dog countered, his muzzle wrinkled in a snarl. "Like it was some damn joke!"

The fox smirked and said, "Oh yeah? Look at those lines on your face. Where are they from? Too much stress?"

The painted dog roared and lunged at the fox, causing an outburst of terrified screams in the cafeteria. Legoshi and his roommates watched in horror as the dog latched his mouth around the fox's arm, growling with spittle flying from his open maw. The fox yelped and tried vainly to get his attacker off him. "You moron! You bit me! Do you realize what's going to happen now?"

As the cafeteria witnessed the violent scuffle between the two carnivores, they were unaware of a second threat looming.

Jack looked at her friend and reeled back when she saw him tensing his entire body. This wasn't the Legoshi she knew. Something was definitely wrong with him. Then, without warning, he stood up from the table and yelled.

"Enough!" His voice was loud and boisterous, the complete opposite of the calm, soft-spoken, and timid wolf that Jack grew up with. However, he seemed aware of his outburst and immediately reverted back to his quiet self, slapping a hand over his mouth and shrinking on himself.

"What the heck is going on with you, Legoshi?" Jack couldn't help but question the wolf. "Seriously. What happened yesterday?"

Before the wolf could reply, the fox untangled himself from the painted dog and stalked towards Legoshi. "Who are you yelling at, huh? You think you can take me on just because you're bigger?"

Legoshi raised his hands in surrender and quickly shook his head. "N-no way! You've got it all wrong!"

'And there he goes again,' Jack thought wistfully. 'Back to his old, quiet, timid self. Just...what's wrong with you, Legoshi?'

"Oh?" the fox said, raising an eyebrow at the wolf. "I've got it all wrong, huh? Well, why don't you give me your neck? Don't worry, I'll bite into it nice and gently."

Legoshi just stared at the fox; the expression on his face was one of terror and wanting to avoid conflict. Jack wanted to step in alongside Legoshi, and after doing a once-over of the other girls of 701, so did they. Collot, Durham, Voss, and Miguno gave Jack a quick nod, which she promptly returned. But before they could move, a soft, soothing, yet ambitious voice rang out from behind them. Everyone turned to see who interrupted the inevitable scuffle and was surprised to see Louise approaching the commotion site.

"Oh, please! Being a carnivore isn't exactly a cakewalk, now is it?" The antlered doe was an image of superior prowess, striking beauty, and overbearing arrogance. Her green blazer was neatly cleaned and pressed, her antlers shining in the natural lighting peeking through the cafeteria's ceiling, and her ample bosom lightly jostling within their cloth prison; Jack, and everyone else in the vicinity for that matter, took in the doe's exquisite appearance as she stopped and stood next to Legoshi, placing her hands behind her back. "They're not always lucky enough to have both personality and fighting strength."

The fox snorted and rolled his eyes, sneering at the doe. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Cherryton's star student." He huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "Shouldn't you be calling 'daddy' for more money to leech off of?"

The corner of Louise's mouth twitched slightly, but she remained calm as she ignored the fox's taunt and said, "Baring your fangs in public, especially in the view of herbivores, is considered bad manners." She tilted her head to the side and put a hand on her hip. "You would do well to learn proper etiquette regarding that, Ryo."

Ryo snorted again, took a couple steps toward Louise, and said, "You're one to talk, Miss Ritchie Rich. You're in a bit of a pickle yourself, what with you being expected to become Beastar and all. You have to work on getting popular if you want the title of the next Beastar. And I'm not talking about flashing your giant tits and calling it a day." Ryo's final remark drew several snickers from the students around them and irked Louise to the point she clenched her fists and teeth.

But again, she kept her anger in check and spoke relatively cooly compared to the sneering Ryo and the painted dog. "Have you ever considered the real reason why we need the Beastar in our world and society?" she said, her eyes half-lidded as she stared down Ryo. "Perhaps you should worry about yourself instead of me."

A chorus of cheers broke out, forcing Ryo and his acquaintance back down. But the former wasn't keen on letting Louise have the last word: "Impressive, Louise. You managed to spin everything around so that you'll come out on top!" He got up in the doe's face and snarled. "This isn't over yet,bitch." The painted dog grabbed Ryo's arm and pulled him back, urging him to "get going." Ryo allowed him to be pulled away from the doe, but not before adding, "And don't you forget it! One of these days, you'll get what's coming to you!"

Once Ryo and the painted dog were out of sight and mind and the crowd had quieted down, Louise addressed the cafeteria. "It's over now. Please, everyone, go back to enjoying your breakfast. If you haven't lost your appetite, that is. Carry on." Then she turned to Legoshi and flashed him a smirk. "As for last night, Legoshi, we can call it even."

The wolf seemed lost for a moment, his ears wiggling (rather cutely, Jack added) before he shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "O-oh! R-right. Uh, n-no need. T-thank you for doing that, Louise." He chuckled nervously. "If you hadn't shown up then-"

"You were desperately trying to find a way to lose that fight on purpose, weren't you?" Louise asked, drawing confused looks from the 701 girls behind Legoshi. As for the wolf, he stiffened and stared at Louise with wide eyes.

"Huh? N-no! I wasn't-"

The doe cut him off with a finger to his lips before removing it and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not exactly how long that will work out for you in the long run, Legoshi." She laughed and shook her head as she walked past Legoshi. "Honestly, you're more of a wolf than I thought." With that, she made her way to the exit.

Legoshi turned to watch her go, his eyes following her until she disappeared around a corner. His lips and shoulder tingled slightly from where she touched him, and the wolf wasn't sure how to feel about that. 'If...If Louise is the justice around here, what does that make me?'

**************

A full moon shined its eerie blue-white light down on the forest below, silently watching as two figures dodged and weaved through the trees. Behind them, several cloaked figures followed in pursuit, swords glinting in the bright moonlight. The first two, a deer and a zebra, were outpacing their pursuers, but it wouldn't last forever. The zebra, breathless and her legs aching from the nonstop running she had to undergo, turned to the one leading her by the hand and asked, "Adler! Why are they after us? After me?"

"You were supposed to be dead three days ago," Adler replied, her voice strong and bold. The 'Grim Reaper' stopped and turned around, flashing her sword and falling one of the pursuers. "Water, wind, fire; every dead soul in the universe is trying to kill you. That's what it means to defy your fate."

As she finished speaking, the other two 'spirits' caught up and struck a fighting stance. "But do not worry," Adler continued. "Leave this to me. I shall be the one to end your life. That's my duty. Until then, I won't let another soul touch you!"

"And scene!"

Louise blinked rapidly as the stage lights switched on and turned to the pelican approaching her. "Act One, Scene Five is good to go! Everyone take five!"

The doe frowned at him once he was on the stage and stood next to her, clutching a clipboard to his chest. "Why? We should-"

Sanu quickly cut her off with a whisper. "You've been moving really slow today, Louise. Is everything alright?"

Louise rolled her eyes, snagging a towel that Ellen was holding out to her. "I'm fine. You don't have to whisper either, Sanu." She paused and wiped her damp neck with the small hand towel before draping it across her shoulders. "All that matters is that the first-years see the performance. We need to appeal to them and show them that this club is crucial." She took several steps forward before stopping and bending over, groaning slightly as she placed her hands on her knees. "I can't be complaining about my body." Louise looked up at the trio standing before her, the ones portraying the 'spirits' in the play. "Right, guys?"

One of them, a black panther named Tao, could only nod in uncertain silence. "S-sure," she said.

Louise shook her head. "Give it your all, people. An herbivore is playing Adler." Her eyes sharpened at the trio as she continued. "You carnivores should use that as inspiration. So don't hold back! We'll portray that symbolism on stage."

Meanwhile, further up in the stands overlooking the stage, Legoshi could only look on in awe at the doe. He also couldn't help letting his eyes drift down her body, especially her shapely, round buttocks straining against the fabric of her pants as she bent over or the way her heavy chest hung down and was held back by the ill-fitting top. He swore if she moved the wrong way, they'd spill out into view for everyone to see.

Shaking his head and ignoring the growing tent in his pants, Legoshi looked further right and spotted Els, noticing a bandage on her right arm. His stomach twisted as the memories from last night popped up in his mind, guilt filling every inch of his body. 'So, you were one of them, weren't you?' Legoshi subconsciously let out a sad whine, his ears drooping. 'I'm so sorry, Els. I hurt you and broke the promise I made to Tem.' The wolf shook his head and continued for the door leading outside. 'Perhaps it's best I stay away from you for a while, lest I unintentionally hurt you again.'

Legoshi joined Fudge, Dom, Kibi, and Kai outside the theater as they worked on the costumes. The first three toiled away in silence, but Kai found every reason she could to complain about her new assignment and position in the Drama Club. The mongoose grits her teeth, huffing and snarling any chance she can get.

"I was supposed to have a part in the show, but now I'm stuck on sewing duty!" she said with a growl.

Dom, a large blue peafowl, chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, don't be like that, Kai. You're actually pretty good at that."

Kai looked up at the avian and frowned. "What's that supposed to mean, huh? Just because I'm a girl means I'm good at sewing, is that it?"

Legoshi stepped in, although he kept his eyes on his work as he did so. "That's not what he meant, Kai. Calm down."

The mongoose glared at the wolf. "Oh yeah? What about that outburst in the cafeteria during breakfast today, huh? And what were you doing with Louise yesterday, too?"

Legoshi paused and looked up at her, his eyes half-lidded and his voice still calm and soothing as he spoke. "I just don't like seeing other animals hurt each other like that. As for yesterday, Louise wanted to brief me on the play's changes, particularly the costumes."

"Yeah," Dom piped in again. "I was just saying I was having trouble with that shirt, Kai. I could never patch it up and get the new stitching to match up seamlessly with the old one. But you managed to do it without even thinking about it."

The mongoose calmed down after that, her gaze softening as she apologized. "Sorry about that. And you're right. My grandma taught me everything I knew before her sudden passing. I try to keep her memory alive through my work, though."

"Is...is this...it's Tem's...." Everyone turned to Legoshi, who was holding up a yellow-colored vest. An uneasy silence fell on the group as they stared at the costume that belonged to their late friend. Then Kibi spoke up.

"What should we do?" the anteater asked.

"It's a little freaky to keep it lying around here, don't you think?" Kai remarked.

"H-hey!" Fudge cut in.

'Tem was attacked and murdered by a carnivore,' Legoshi mused solemnly, ignoring the soft bickering from his clubmates. 'It was someone from this school. It's considered our world's greatest taboo.' He paused as everything around him faded to black before continuing. 'I guess that's why no one wants to discuss it. And I'm finally beginning to understand what she was saying. How the significance of Louise the deer playing the role of Adler. The one most in touch with this incident is probably her. I can't imagine the pressure she must be going through.'

**************

Louise grimaced as she slid down a support pillar onto the floor, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out and calling attention from everyone on stage. Her chocolate-brown eyes were fixed on her left foot, where sickly purple blotches surrounded her ankle. The doe mentally cursed her herbivore body for being so weak. The last time she felt so insignificant and unsure about herself was when....She quickly shook her head. 'Now's not the time to think about that or to show my weakness.' Louise scolded herself. 'We, I, have a job to do, a purpose to fulfill and show everyone, especially those damned carnivores, what I can do! That I'm more than just some weak, puny herbivore!'

"Alright, everyone!" Sanu's voice rang out from the stage, snapping Louise from her thoughts. "Let's take it from Act One, Scene Six! Lighting ready?"

"Check!"

Louise drowned out the rest of the checklist the club president was running through as she tenderly put her shoe back on and staggered to her feet. The doe then limped towards the stage, stopping short of the lights. She straightened her posture, took a deep breath, let it out, and continued onto the stage, holding her head high. "Alright, let's begin!"

**************

Legoshi sighed as he and Kibi made their way to the school rooftop. Dom requested that the wolf retrieve roses from the Gardening Club situated up there. He wanted them to decorate the auditorium for the final scene. Legoshi was hesitant at first but then agreed to go on one condition. As they climbed the stairs leading to the rooftop, drawing closer to the end of their journey, Legoshi couldn't shake the anxiety creeping within him. He'd already hurt Els because he lost control of himself; Rex-forbid that it happens again with the herbivores running the Gardening Club. Once the duo reached the door that led outside, Kibi, the anteater, looked up at Legoshi questioningly and asked, "Are you sure you need me with you? I'm sure you could've done it by yourself."

Legoshi sighed and stared at the metal door blankly. "A group of herbivores would be scared if a wolf, even if it was just one, showed up at their door asking for flowers."

Kibi shrugged indifferently. "If you say so, Legoshi. And speaking of flowers, they smell really fresh, don't ya think?"

The wolf sighed again, his mood still soured from the night before, when his nose picked up a familiar scent. He closed his eyes and breathed in, the fragrance of the flowers mixing with it. Then his heart started pounding in his ears as he realized what or who it belonged to. 'Oh no. It's...it's her. It's the other girl from that night!' Legoshi opened his eyes and could only watch helplessly as Kibi opened the door and guided him outside onto the rooftop.