Ginga Densetsu Dakota

Chapter 3- Many Welcomes

A few more days had passed. The weather was great. Sunny, no clouds, and not burning hot. Rale kept up the usual training, as ordered by Scar, to get the pups legs strengthened up. Here and there they would run the hills and other things. Wrestling with each other and practice fighting was one of them.

"Agh!" Soruji grunted as Tamiko tackled her to the ground. The pups were already getting stronger, and Rale was becoming very impressed with their turnouts.

"Tamiko, get off!" Soruji yapped. But Tamiko sat there, pinning down her sister, smiling at her.

"But it's fun to watch you squirm..." She said, almost starting to daze off into Soruji's eyes.

Suddenly, Tamiko was thrown off of Soruji by a powerful force. Rolling a few, she laid there, looking up to see Dakota standing over Soruji in a defensive stance.

"...Wow.. Dang Dakota, no need to go so hard!" Tamiko quickly get's up, facing her sister and running towards her. Dakota baits her, waiting for her to get close. When she does, Dakota hops to the side, quickly grabbing Tamiko's scruff, and uses her own force to throw her again.

"Ugh! Grr.. Dakota, stop it!" Tamiko rolls again a few more feet after the toss, then digging her small claws into the soft earth, ready to launch herself at Dakota when she noticed her picking Soruji from the ground, and tossing her as well. Tamiko looked on in astonishment. How could her sister be so powerful? It didn't make sense.

Near-by, Loki sat watching his sisters battle. He was jealous of their power. The way they could throw each other around, and move as fast as they could. Especially Dakota. There she was, throwing Tamiko around like large rat, and same for Soruji. And here he was, sitting, watching everything happen, pretending like he didn't even exist.

It was then that Loki got startled by Rale, who came and sat down beside him.

"What are you doing young one? Sitting here and not out there, practicing combat?" Rale looked on at the pups wrestling with each other.

"My name's Loki... And I don't know... I just don't feel like I belong. And I'm jealous of my sister's power, and the way they can just... I don't know! I'm just jealous!" Loki slumped himself down, covering his face.

Rale snickered. "Feel like you don't belong? What's that mean? Not everyone belongs in the same place. And especially not this world. You have to make yourself belong... Loki. And why are you jealous? They've obviously been putting in a little more effort in this than you have. Why don't you go out there, and try? You won't, make it far in life if you don't take risks and try." 

Loki knew the old man was right. Slowly, and sighing, he looked up at him, and got up.

"Fine... But just watch... They'll tackle me down and throw me back out here." He said, trailing off.

Dakota spotted Loki walking over, finally deciding to join in. She thought for a moment, seeing as Soruji and Tamiko were running for her. Quickly, she acted.

Dakota made a sharp turn, running for Loki and skidding to a stop beside him. He perked his ears, seeing as Dakota ran over, but jumped slightly, thinking he was going to toss him like an oversized rat, too. He Coward for a moment, but then realized that his sister had moved in front of him, to guard him, of the sort.

As the two sisters got closer to Dakota, Tamiko lept into the air, Soruji still running straight ahead. Their plan to catch her off guard and over power her. But Dakota had another plan.

As Tamiko lunged at her sister through the air, Dakota managed to swerve under her sister, and latch onto her throat from underneath, she threw her to the ground, jumping out of the way just as Soruji got to her, stumbling over Tamiko and face planting the ground. Loki just barely able to jump out of the way.

Panting, Dakota laid down, knowing that Rale would end the round.

Loki then padded over to his sister, confused mixed with some other emotion he couldn't quite pick out.

"Th-thanks... I, I uh..." He trailed off.

"It's okay lil' bro. I got your back." Dakota said grinning, making herself seem 'oh so powerful'.

"Uh.. Actually I'm older.." He said quietly.

"Yeah well... Start acting like it then." Dakota said, standing and trotting off to Rale, who sat waiting for them. Soruji and Tamiko mad at their sister, scooting away from her. Loki stopped, unmoved, staring at the ground. Dakota was right. He did need to start acting older. He was instead acting like the younger brother, and Dakota the older sister, when it was really the complete opposite. He sighed, soon making his way over to the others.

"Alright pups, we are going to start something new today. I think you all have had enough practice in endurance, stamina and strength with the battles and log jump. So today, we are hitting the water." Rale said, turning to look at the small pond a good distance away, slightly covered by some bushes. The pups all jumped in barked in joy, excited to learn how to swim.

"Alright! Time to hit the water! I'll be known as... Aqua dog!" Soruji exclaimed.

Tamiko joined in, Dakota simply rolled her eyes, and Loki pretended to be excited.

"Well, alright everyone lets head over to-" Rale was suddenly cut off by a dog running up to them, shouting news.

"Sahara! Sahara has given birth to her new pups! The pups currently in training are then ordered to go see her now." The dog then turned, and trotted off.

All the pups turned from Rale, quickly running off and into the stone fore tress.

Once inside, Sahara was seen laying with her new pups, nuzzling and cleaning them as they slept. Scar sitting just a few feet away, keeping his eye on one pup in particular.

"Welcome my children... Come see your new siblings..." Sahara said slightly trailing off, giving Scar a fake smile.

The pups all gathered around, amazed at how small they were. Staring in awe.

Nestled in the fur of their warm mother, suckling, were three pups. Two males, one female. Sahara then positioned herself to show the new pups off.

The first born was a large male. Black and tan, but mostly black. It covered his entire face, the tan more visible only on his chest, stomach, the inner sides of his legs, and slightly under his tail. They named him Aries.

The next pup born was a female. This is the one Scar had his eye on. She too was also born rather large, but still small when put next to the boys. She too was also born black and tan, except more tan on her. Her muzzle was shaped by the dark marking, small stripe like points which came out by her nose, unlike the usual round, and had no dark marks over her eyes. She also had four black paws, like her father, and the fury mark on her back that he bares as well. Two stripes, one smaller then the other on both her shoulder and rump leading across her back. Scar had something in mind for her. He also demanded power to name her, in doing so, he chose the  name Taylor.

The last pup born was another male. He was slightly different looking than the others, since he showed much more tan than he did black. A thin black muzzle, no dark spots over his eyes, and only a saddle back of black, and a bit down his tail. Sahara named him Kato.

The pups were all excited to see them, and get to know them. But since they were not nearly old enough, Scar sent the pups away and back to training.

Sahara looked down at her pups once more, sending a prayer over them, hoping, pleading that they will not fall under any nasty plan that Scar may have. As he left the chamber, Sahara began to sob. But only a single tear. She promised to be stronger...

Soon.