Finding The Keys

Chapter 22 (*)

*Maki*

I woke up with my red hair flopping messy around my face, I brush the hair out of my eyes, everyone was asleep scattered around the living room. The tree stood in the corner the lights still on from last night's party. It was December 25th, Christmas Day. I stood up and tip toed around my sleeping friends and into the kitchen. I start the coffee pot and find a tea bag for Oliver. I get myself a glass of milk and drink it looking outside on the freshly snow covered yard and the snow covered trees. There was a black blob colasped in the snow. I watch it carefully for a few seconds before realizing the snow around it was splattered with blood. I accidentally drop my glass down, instead of setting it down, and rushed outside, not noticing that the door slammed shut behind me, waking my friends inside.
I rush to the animals side, it's a black she-wolf. She's missing fur in patches and blood is oozing from cuts and scrapes along her skin. I place my hand to her neck feeling for a pulse in the creature infront of me. Her skin is cold but her hearts still beating. I close my eyes and carefully force some of my magic into her to help warm her.
The wolf opens her eyes, they are a beautiful orange, but she doesn't try to attack me.
'What's your name?'
I look around, looking for a human to respond to.
'I am down here...'
My eyes widen, "You can talk to me?"
'Yeah.... Can we go inside know it's really cold....'
I quickly try and scoop her up in my arms, but fall back into the snow, the wolf landing on my chest.
The wolf stuck her tounge out and licked my face.
'Your warm... nice human... You is nice human' then the wolf falls asleep on my chest. I smile and brush her behind her ears.
I hear the sound of snow breaking behind me and everyone is coming out to me. I put my finger to my lisps, letting them know that that the she-wolf on my chest was asleep.
"What happened to the poor thing?" Li asked, crouching down next to me.
"I don't know but she's hurt and I tried to carry her but I wasn't thinking and feel backwards, she's really cold and weak..."
Icicle spoke up next, "let's get the poor thing inside" she created an ice net with her magic and we carefully moved the wolf onto it, Icicle, Thomas, Guti, and Oliver took corners of the net and carried her inside. While Dem and Li stayed to help me back up onto my feet.
Aqua was waiting on the porch, his wheelchair not made for snow. He opens the door and the other take the wolf inside. Dem, Li, and I followed, the wolf was set down in the kitchen next to the vent which was blowing warm air. Aqua had slid out of his wheelchair and was sitting next to the wolf checking her injuries.
"I don't feel any broken bones besides one in her tail but that's easy to fit and heal." Aqua said carefully petting the she wolf's head.
I bend down next to the wolf, "She talked to me..." I say softly as I pet her back, "I don't know how but she said I was a nice human..."
The others smile, "you put some of your magic into her to start to warm her up right Maki?" Aqua says.
"How did you know I have magic" I respond with a surprised face.
"You all do, I can feel it, I kept it till myself untill I was ready to tell you myself. I go by Aqua because I am often confused with my mother... Aquarius, we have the same name. I can control water..."
"But how? The Zodiacs are..."
"I am a child a pure thought... That's why I can still swim without the use of my legs, I use my powers to keep myself from drowning, even though that's impossible" Aqua said laughing lighty.
"I think that's really cool!" I say smiling, "I am an Demigod and Fury, the only one in the world for all that we know"
Aqua smiled looking down at the wolf, the other just sat around us, watching the she-wolf sleep on the floor.
I place my hand by were the she-wolf heart would be and sundenly I see something, what I can only describes to be what happened to her.

*She-Wolf's memory*

I was running, they were behind me. The Alpha female right on my tail, biting at my legs and trying to trip me with her paws. Finally she finds her mark. I tumble into the snow, seconds later she's at my troat, her pack members biting at my legs and clawing at any skin or fur they can come in contact with. But as soon as it start it ends. There's a howl,the Alpha female and her pack members stop. There's a new wolf on the scene. The wolf scent showed power, the Alpha male, he was flanked by a slightly smaller male. His brother by the scent I could smell. Soon the females back of and dissapers along with the smaller male. The Alpha male waits until their gone poking my side with his mussle.
"Hey you okay?" He whispers cautiously, starting to gentaly lick my wounds.
I respond with a wince and a small growl as I try to stagger to my feet.
"Hey hey, calm down. You are hurt"
"Why should I calm down!" I snap in the Alphas face, bearly able to keep my weight up on my shaking legs, "Your alpha female just attacked me. Leave me alone." I turned, making sure to hit the male with my tail as I did so and limped off into the forest. The male didn't follow.

*Back to normal*

"She was in a fight with an alpha female and her pack mates. The alpha male broke up the fight." I say as I grab the first aid kit from the cabinet.
"How do you know that?" Icicle asks.
"I don't know. It's like she told me when I touched her, in that brief second I placed my hand over there heart," I say confused.
Aqua spoke up next, "How about Maki, we move her to your room and stay with her. She seems to trust you an awful lot."
Everyone agrees and soon I am sitting on the floor of my room, carefully bandaging up the wolf wounds.

An hour later the she-wolf wakes up again, she trys to stand but I carefully place my hand on her paw, causing her to look up at me.
'Good Human why do you have me in to your home?' the she-wolf says somehow to me.
"Because, me and my friends couldn't leave you out there to die. That's not who we are. What's your name anyways?"
'Raven, and who am I addressing?'
"My name's FlameBlossom, but please call me Maki" I say softly brushing my hand softly over her ears.
'Okay!' Raven's tail wags softly as she sets her head on my lap. 'Maki, you a good human! Thanks for not letting me die, I am not welcome else where so this is a great break from running and stealing food'
"You can live her if you like. I would love for you to stay here with me and the others" I say brushing her thick black fur with my hand.
'thank you Maki, are you sure your friends will not mind?'
"They won't mind," I say softly, "we are a big mix-matched family"
'okay...I am going to rest now, thank you...'
"You are welcome"

Raven drifted back off into sleep. I looked down and the sleeping she-wolf, I could tell we had a special connection.
What I didn't know is that she was going to become more than just a kanine companion to me.