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In the Shadows of Elysion

El3v3n

Before The Queen

All characters belong to their respective owners.

Having already chewed away most of her nails, Usagi gnawed anxiously at the last sliver at the edge of her thumb. She had contemplated the entire night and well into the morning on whether she should tell the others what had occurred during her watch. But as she covertly observed Makoto and Ami peacefully work on mending holes in worn clothing, she again wavered on her decision.

The truth of the matter was that the fretful rabbit was in way over her head. Even before the likes of this dark and menacing creature had pushed his way into her life, she had already been at her wits end on how to meet the demands of Endymion - the self-proclaimed King of the Forest. She needed help and in the most desperate kind of way. It was unfortunate then, that getting her dear friends involved would only put their lives in peril. Even with their collective strength and magical power, Usagi had witnessed how easily they had been incapacitated by the dragons, and by the way Rei had originally suggested they run away at their first opportunity, she knew in her heart that they wouldn't be able to take on Endymion's pack without casualties. As lowly as it seemed to keep this information from her friends, the only real solution to her predicament would have to be resolved on h er own and that was not going to be easy.
Whisking a scarf from her things, she caught Ami's curious eye as she reached for the twig thatched basket beyond her.

"Are you headed out, Usagi?" she asked.

"Uh-yes!" The blonde answered a little quickly, having been stunned from her thoughts. "I just thought I'd try and find a little food while the sun was out. Can't be too careful of our supplies…"

"Good luck with that, I didn't see too much left yesterday, but you have always been better at finding food." Makoto laughed softly, in reference to the petite girl's large appetite.

"Heh," Usagi returned a half-hearted laugh before bidding the two others farewell and stepping into the chilly afternoon. Oh, how she would have preferred to whimper about this situation while wrapped up in her burrow, but if the girls picked up on her pouting she would have to come up with some kind of explanation. Unsurprisingly, putting together clever lies was not one of the skittish rabbit's strong suits.

Not expecting to find much edible after the season's first frost, the hybrid's ears hung low as she headed east toward nowhere in particular. Comforted by the embrace of the forest's tall and thick evergreens, Usagi focused on the crunch of the frozen leaves beneath her boots. How long she trailed the lonesome thicket was lost to her, but the sight of dappled sunlight from above made her lift her eyes.

Her crystalline eyes became wide with wonder upon spying an orchard littered with bright red apples among the trees. It was rare to see fruit so late in the year, and so little of it touched by birds or other scavengers looking for a meal. Leaping forward in excitement, the girl's feet suddenly skidded to a stop. As beautiful as the small grove may have been, it was completely exposed to the eyes and ears of the world. Shrinking back, the girl pondered on her fear of leaving the hearth of the forest.

It was merely following instinct to not want to enter a clearing where she could be attacked so easily. Among the trees she could hide and even flee to the tree tops if she could not outrun or outsmart a predator. But it suddenly occurred to her how small this problem was compared to dealing with the threat of supposedly mythical dragons and a pack of voracious wolves. If she couldn't walk into the sun without fear, how was she to ever hope to survive in this forest? With a resolving breath, Usagi drew on her courage and exited the shadows and into the meadow.

Cautious at first, she hovered low near the tall brown grasses but upon catching the sweet smell of those crimson globes, the girl lost herself in the excitement of her find. Her fingertips burned from collecting the once frozen fruits, now covered in cold water upon melting in the sun, but she didn't mind. Gallivanting gleefully from branch to branch, her arm was heavy with her bounty when suddenly her ears perked upon the sound of laughter beyond her.

"Look what we have here," a feminine yet sinister voice broke into the air. Quick on her heels, the girl's curiosity won over the instinct to run and she balked upon the vision of two she-wolves stalking near.

"I told you this trap would work, my queen," spoke the second, and for the first time ever, Usagi beheld Endymion's infamous alpha. And from the looks of it she thought quite highly of that title, as she wore a black metal headdress symbolically draped across her forehead.

Pursing her lips, Usagi wasn't quite sure what to make of this situation. The alpha's sallow-red eyes burned into her, and no doubt reflected her hate for the magic wielding rabbit. The nerves firing from Usagi's toes to fingertips urged her to run away, but she rationalized that the woman was not to harm her if she and Endymion's agreement meant anything at all.

She hoped with all of her being that it did.

"No need for any traps," Usagi spoke up, trying her best not to stutter despite her nervousness, "if you wanted to meet with me, all you had to do was send a message." The way Beryl's face contorted to the comment spoke volumes of what her opinion of Usagi truly was. Perhaps Yami was right – the blonde really did have an abysmal sense of diplomacy.

"Hm," the she-wolf responded with a cruel smile dancing across her lips. "I have no intention of granting you anymore company than necessary with my mate. In fact, I'm skipping a day's rest to track you here, so perhaps you should just be grateful I found you worth meeting in person at all." She leaned forward, and Usagi responded with a wise step back as the wolf hybrid studied her with interest. The fair-haired woman winced a little, upon hearing the other take a deep inhale of her scent.

"Well, I have to admit," The red-haired alpha said with an indignant swipe of her tail, "you certainly are a pretty one, aren't you?"

Knowing the other woman's observation was hardly a compliment, Usagi stayed mum. These were dangerous grounds. If only she could just tell this woman that she had no interest in posing her any threat at all, especially as far as she was concerned about the affections of her mate. But none of the words seemed right as they rolled on her silent tongue. She didn't want to insult this woman. There was too much at stake - much more than her own life or personal wellbeing.

"Was there something wrong with the last delivery?" The rabbit asked, trying her best to sound positive and hopeful. "Unless I'm mistaken, we brought everything as agreed." To this Beryl rolled her eyes.

"You just think you're so important, don't you?" The wolf accused with venom and released a low snarl as she leaned imposingly forward. "Every time you come galloping in with your little human trinkets… I'll have you know that the better of us have no need for the savages' drink or weapons. A real wolf would rather kill with her claws and teeth!" A chill raced Usagi's spine when she caught the second wolf begin to move from the corner of her eye, slinking beyond the realm of her peripheral watch. That deafening urge – the one that screamed for flight pounded in her chest as her aggressors took their stance with snarls and hungry eyes.

Were they just trying to frighten her, or was this an act of war? These carnivorous beasts, with their cruel words and blood thirsty smiles shook the rabbit down to her core, but with a wolf now at her back her options for a quick escape were dwindling.

"If you didn't like the supplies we brought last," she spoke, inwardly cursing the involuntary tremble in her voice, "just tell me what you would prefer. We would be happy to-"

"No, girl," Beryl snarled, sending Usagi stepping backward as she loomed. "You don't understand. What I am saying is that other than Endymion's peculiar fascination with you…you are worthless."

The fair girl flinched as if the words stung. Usagi could care less about this woman, but hearing her speak reminded her of her weakness and how strange everyone found her to be and it hurt.

It always hurt.

"If you haven't learned it yet, perhaps you should," The she-alpha continued, vaingloriously flipping a lock of her copper hair. "Males, regardless of their species are little more than grown children. When they see something shiny and attractive – if they have the power to take it - they will." Her voice dropped dangerously as she caught the other's startled blues. "And to tell you the truth, I'm a little concerned. A little girl as weak as you are wouldn't stand up to Endymion's prowess even if he tried to be gentle."

Usagi felt as if she was going to be ill. The wicked wolf had stalked far too close and her ruddy irises glowed with mirth as if she could smell the rabbit's pulsating fear. She didn't want to be close with Endymion, in any capacity, and especially the one his mate was referring to.

"He thinks having you in our pack would strengthen it, but a weak girl like you? I'm not convinced." She laid a confident hand on her hip as she amusedly sized up the rabbit. "Perhaps I should just put you out of your misery."

Adrenaline coursed through her vasculature at the woman's stated ill intentions. Her grip tightened so hard on the basket's handle that it crackled, threatening to snap under the abuse.

"My queen," the other wolf's voice cut through the tension between them. "Forgive my interruption, but our alpha was clear on this. The rabbit is not to be harmed, under threat of severe punishment." Beryl whipped her furious attention onto the other.

"You presume to order me? How dare you!"

Usagi took several steps away from them, eyes affixed on Beryl as she rushed to confront the other wolf. An argument thick with growls and bared teeth erupted between them, and she was thankful for the chance. Briskly, she began to walk away, careful to keep her breathing in check lest she might alert the two predators to her departure.

"I don't recall giving you permission to leave!" At the sound of Beryl's indignation, Usagi slung the basket away and broke out into an all out run.

She didn't dare to look back, focusing on the sound and feel of her boots pounding into the Earth. What Usagi lacked in physical strength, she made up with in speed. A wolf might have more endurance, but in a contest of short bursts - the rabbit had never been beat by anyone. Fortunately for her, she only needed to make it to the forest. The moment the first evergreen was in sight, she leapt to the tallest branch she could, and kept on jumping until she was sailing through the tops of the trees. She didn't stop or slow down, even though the sound of angry howls in the distance was a relief.

"You can't run away forever, Usagi! I will find you again!" Beryl shrieked, but only an echo of her voice reached the girl's ears as she had already put a significant distance between them.

Even as cold as it was, she made her way back home among the branches until she was sure she was far enough to have avoided being tracked. This thicket in particular was one she frequented. It was difficult to find because of the dense trees that surrounded it, but once she did she had a cleared path back to the fortress.

A sigh parted her lips. In her frenzy to escape with her life she hadn't taken a moment to mourn the loss of her bounty, even though she now knew the apples had been guarded to be some sort of trap. Even worse, she had a feeling she had somehow made herself an even bigger target to the wolves, though the circumstances had been out of her control. The past few days had been absolutely dreadful, and just when she thought things couldn't possibly become any worse…

Set upon a twisted jumble of tree roots was a twig thatched basket filled to the brim with red apples.

Whirling around, Usagi attempted a hasty escape when she instead crashed into the tall and solid form of another. Wide-eyed and gaping, she stared into the same eyes that had haunted her dreams.

"We should really stop meeting like this."

It wasn't the first or second time she had been so closely acquainted with him, but it was the first she saw his face in the daylight. His crimson gaze glinted with the sight of her, reflecting the spackling of sunlight filtered through the turning leaves. In the cover of nightfall, his sharp and angular features had been threatening - now they were magnificent. He reminded her of the royal depictions she had seen in illustrations, aloof and refined. However, her whimsy was brief. Beautiful things could be dangerous, and Yami plainly embodied both.

"You don't have much of a sense of humor, do you?" His deep voice woke her from her musings, and her face grew hot when she realized he'd withdrawn his hands from her waist, where he'd stopped her from falling when she'd slammed into him.

"I thought you might appreciate that being returned to you," The dragon made gesture toward the basket, "though I can't say it's the only reason I came looking for you." He paused to take in their surroundings, before once again turning his eyes upon her. "You come here often. That's convenient. Perhaps this would be a preferred place to meet in the future?"

Meet? In the moment, she'd forgotten their arrangement, or rather, her agreeing to heed his demands. Her mouth had trembled open to reply, but not even a squeak dared to escape. His presence was suffocating. She could barely breathe, let alone speak. He somehow seemed taller. The parts of his body she dared to look at, leaner, heavier, and confident in their might. His entire appearance was unsettling, but it was his eyes that devastated her the most. They shone like beautiful garnets, but were also cold. Calculative. He studied her like he could see her insecurities, and realize her fears if only to wield them against her. There were many creatures Usagi had encountered that made her feel weak. Yami was one of them, but he also made her feel small.

After prolonged silence, she was again rattled from her thoughts by the rise of his brow, expectant that she greet him with something other than a deadpan stare. She swallowed thickly.

"H-how did you know...?" His lips slid into a smile, and she was overwhelmed with a feeling she couldn't name.

"Know what? That you frequent this place often? Or that the basket belongs to you?"

Usagi felt her pulse quicken at the latter question. Had he happened upon her confrontation with the wolves? Her thoughts rolled back to the night before, and how without knowing a thing about her troubles, he'd predicted all of it as if he plucked the thoughts from her mind. Not that it mattered if he knew Endymion was likely only entertaining her existence because he wanted to use her as some sort of broodmare. It wasn't like he cared about her. Perhaps she just didn't want to see that smug smile of his again upon her having to confirm he had been right all along.

"I happened upon both, interestingly enough," his voice interrupted her anxious thinking, "both, unmistakably, smelled like you. Your scent-" he paused, briefly looking away from her as if he were searching for the right word. A shiver raced her spine when she once again became the sole focus of his attention.

"-is quite remarkable. I'd know it anywhere."

Her recollection was fuzzy in the beginning, as first memories often were. She remembered being cold. Even after surviving over two hundred winters, she couldn't remember a time where she had been more frigid or alone. But, being hidden in the snow was safe. It was plentiful and white, just like the fur that covered her. She couldn't remember how long she waited there, freezing and hungry, but she hadn't been conscious when a human had scooped her up and brought her home.

Usagi...Usagi! The little girl she had been gifted to had called her with glee. It was with her Usagi had discovered her hybrid form, to the other's glee. She'd dress her up in her clothes, and urge her to hide when her parents would come around. Either the girl had always kept her secret, or her parents believed she was merely telling fanciful tales. After all, the kindred were mostly a secret to humans. Who would have believed that a pet rabbit could transform into a little girl with tall, fuzzy ears and a tail?

"One day, the girl and her parents were just gone." She recalled, after chewing a bite from the apple in her hand. The rabbit ate carefully and slowly, despite being incredibly hungry. She was weary of the man who leaned against a tree ahead of her, across where she was perched on a tangled thicket of branches. He'd given her space, and finally she had something she could be thankful for.

"I think something might have happened to them, but I was too young to really make sense of it." She dared to lift her eyes to look at him, and instantly regretted it. His stare had weight, and she was being crushed by it. His emotionless gaze was probing - picking her words apart and leaving no detail unnoticed. Usagi didn't think she was terribly interesting, and was fearful he had realized the same.

"If something had, it was hardly a great loss," he replied after listening in silence for so long. "There are millions of them, humans, I mean. And while their existence in this world is violent, it's thankfully short." Usagi's brows knit together in response to the callous comment.

"Why do you hate humans so much?" She asked, and flinched under the sudden heat of his gaze, displeased with the cross examination. "It's not that I don't know what they are," she continued to speak in an attempt to rescue the thought. "I know there are many who have done terrible things, it's just that…" she trailed, wringing her hands together. "No person is bound to destiny. We may not be able to control how we're born, but we do have a choice as to who we become."

The leaves rustled, and Usagi could only freeze upon his stealth approach. He moved with such casual grace, and she saw first hand how he had been able to advance on her twice now without her noticing. Even with his considerable wings folded over his shoulders, he was large, and imposing, and yet, he moved with an air that felt almost regal. Like he was a king, rather than an intimidating predator holding her captive.

She made every attempt to shrink inside of herself when he sat next to her, plucking one of the bright red apples from the basket. Her heart roared when she was once again the subject of his gaze, that flashed with something curious.

"It's fascinating, really. Has life really been so kind to you that you can be so idealist, and with such conviction?" He tilted his head thoughtfully, turning his attention to the apple in his palm.

"If it's true what you said - who have you chosen to be? I can't imagine being a slave to the whims of Endymion," he drawled over the name she had shared with him the night before, "and his pack is a fate you enjoy or would have chosen for yourself."

"I-it isn't-" she was quick to defend herself, but the effort died when he took a bite. Her chest clenched as he sank his teeth into the red fruit. Fangs that she knew were sharp, dangerous. She hadn't needed an anthology on mythical beasts to understand that this man was a perfect instrument of death. A sense of lethality clung to his entire being. She could see it in the way the muscles moved under his skin, and in the blazing intensity of his eyes. All of this she could see with ease. She feared it - feared him - but there was also something else she didn't quite understand.

When he was near her, her heart raced. The voice in her head told her she should be afraid, but this deadly creature with his silent strength and handsome face, created an unusual thrill. This felt different than the terror she felt in her encounter with the wolves. She didn't want to run, the rush was exciting, even as the warnings pelted her thoughts.

"Hmm," he mused, flashing his incredible eyes back to hers. "Not a favorite of mine, but I can't imagine why you would have left fruit as sweet as this behind so carelessly. Though I have an idea," a chill swept her spine as she watched his lips curl into a smile. "Yours wasn't the only scent I picked up on earlier." His smile only grew evermore victorious when she replied with a sigh and the fall of her ears.

"Not all of the wolves are that...fond of me." She admitted.

"Sounds troublesome. What do you intend to do about that?" His question caught her off guard, and she turned to fiddling with the apple core in her hands.

"It's just a big misunderstanding. I'm sure with time, once they get to know me better, that we'll be able to coexist." He earned her attention once again with a chuckle, her cheeks grew warm at the way his gaze simmered on her.

"That might work. You are quite charming."

"Uh...Oh." Her ears popped back up in surprise. She could feel that her face was definitely red now, but he had the decency not to draw attention to it if he noticed.

"You shouldn't let them torment you. You're powerful, you know." She blinked at his observation, tempted to deny it, but remembered that this wasn't a playful conversation with a friend.

"I'm not sure fighting them is in the best interests of anyone, but if I have to, I will." She responded, sounding surprisingly resolute. He appeared satisfied by that answer, even as her heart pounded upon the implication. She didn't know if she could hold her own against any one of the wolves, but she knew with certainty she couldn't weather a bout with Yami. She hoped he believed she was powerful. Maybe then he wouldn't test it.

You are quite charming. The memory of his smooth, baritone words played in her head, and she was blushing fiercely by the time he'd stood to take his leave.

"Let's meet here again tomorrow afternoon," he gestured to the area, clearly unconcerned on whether she had any other plans.

Having a hard time focusing on anything but the multitude of thoughts rolling around in her head, she could only agree and vow to figure out the details later. She had managed to survive so far in this mess, and hoped she would find better luck in the following days.

A.N: Back after YEARS of not updating anything! So, I chose this story first since I had this partially written from way back...however, I'm only going to update things I get 10+ reviews on per update from here on out! Just with the time constraints in life these days, I only want to write stuff that people are going to read ya know? Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed the sexual tension ;). I'm really picking on Usagi in this story but she has a lot of room to grow!

Thanks for reading, please leave me some feedback! Pretty please?

Love,

El3