Crossing over to the Moon side the second time wasn't nearly as bad as the first time was. The more she pondered about her choice, the more Sablerose found herself realizing stepping over the forbidden border felt more relief than fear. Just like before, cats had barely paid attention to her and carried on their day. Word of Finchnose's awakening had spread like wildfire and the pretty brown she-cat was the only thing on anycat's mind.

She did her best to keep her jealousy under control; after all, Finchnose was loyal to her and they both loved one another. There was no need for her to worry about her beautiful mate.

Her confidence dwindled the moment she poked her head into the Moon Priest's den. Shadowdusk was sitting in the middle of his nest, his inky, slender tail curled around his paws as if he had been expecting her arrival. Sharp, jet-blue eyes pierced her like thorns, stopping her in her tracks. Quickly, Sablerose shoved the pricks away and stepped into the darkened den before anycat could spot her.

The Moon Priest brought up a single paw and began to clean himself as if she wasn't in his presence. Sablerose bit her tongue to stay silent; the black tom's arrogant and selfish attitude starting to dig under her claws too much. Nevertheless, she marched up to him, causing him to send an bemused look in her direction.

"Can I help you?" he asked innocently, testing her temper. Shadowdusk was taking this meeting like a casual report concerning borders or hunting where Sablerose was here to demand him another wish. The black tom brushed her problems aside like they were nothing more than pesky fleas.

"Yes," she snapped, keeping her voice as calm as possible. "I want to ask you something else."

"Another request?" Shadowdusk sneered, and she felt his cold grin trace a paw up her spine. She shivered, forcing her fur to lie flat. "If Lightdawn teaches you how to be greedy, then I'm glad I'm not sticking my nose into your side of camp."

"No, he doesn't pay attention to me," she reported. "I came here on my own because I want you to remove this curse."

"Removing the curse?" Shadowdusk blinked, shaking his head in disappointment. "Each cat is the same, Moon or Sun side of this tribe. We all want something so badly we'd do anything for, and the moment we get what we want, we move onto the next greedy thought that comes to our head. Nobody here is special, we're all on the same ground whether you like it or not."

"I didn't come here for the lecture, I'm not a kit anymore," she snapped. "I know I'm being greedy, but if you remove this curse, I promise never to step onto your side ever again."

"And why should I?" Shadowdusk challenged, standing up and began to walk around her slowly, keeping his body low to the ground. "How bad is your love for this she-cat? How much are you willing to do just for her sake? We'll all die one day, you can't prevent that, and I can't bring back the dead."

"And why do you want to know about my love for her?" She snapped back, curling her tail around her paws tightly as the small tom paced around her. "My relation with Finchnose is none of your busi---"

"It does when you come to me to fix all your problems," he cut her off sharply, flicking his tail.

"I'm not as naïve as you think I am," Sablerose snarled. "I know that you won't fix it even if I tell you."

"You can't judge a cat you barely know."

She let out a low growl and forced her tongue to pour out all her feelings to the Moon Priest. It disgusted her that she had to confess her love to a cat she hardly knew, the sickening feeling in her stomach doubled. Images of Finchnose flashed in her mind, giving her some confidence to her, but she could also see how cleary her mate's face would twist in horror when she learned she was doing this. Hiding secrets from the little she-cat gave her the most sickening feeling of dread in her stomach, and it would take moons for her to finally breathe again.

But I have to - no, I need to save you, Finchnose.

"It's like I'm living in a black and white world, everything's the same thing over and over. It's still, quiet, and has nothing that sparkles or glimmers in the bright sun. The bright rays of the sun are like cold rain pounding on my back, dragging me further into the ground. I knew that the world was like this, but I thought the world I saw was the same world other cats saw. I believed in this until I met Finchnose. The moment I let my eyes fall on her tiny frame, her brown pelt shining in the sun, her eyes sparkling with joy when she saw me in a field of purple violets, was when my fate was changing."

"Each step she would take, the world began to light up in color. The trees became brighter, the sun's rays started to get warmer, the bird's songs filling the air grew louder, the white clouds dotting the blue sky became clearer; it was something I never knew could happen. Finchnose was the key to her world, one where everything was bright and clear. It was peaceful, it was out in the sun. Just being in the camp came as her, my heart flutters and my feet feel light. I know I have nothing to fear when I'm with her, I'd rather be out in a raging storm with her than safe and warm inside camp without her. She came into my life shining brighter than the sun, her warm smile filling me with feelings I can't put into words."

"Everyday, I wake up and breathe in her scent and it reminds me of us running in the tall grass of the meadow, laughing away all our fears. When she wakes up and still has sleep clinging to her, we would whisper and talk about our dreams, no matter how bizarre they might be. When we're both awake and ready to go, we explore camp like when we first stepped out of the nursery, wondering at the beauty in this broken tribe. Out on patrols, I wish time would stop there so I could be with her, running through tall grass that leaves fuzzy seeds on our pelts, climbing rocks to reach the sky so we can see the world together, hunting creatures and encouraging each other when we fail to catch something."

"This proves I am greedy, one taste in Finchnose's world made me want it more than ever. She's my entire world now, she showed a world full of color and stuff I never knew. Her sweet voice gets me in a trance that I enjoy, I could go days and nights listening to her voice and never get tired of it. The day she entered my life I can see perfectly, it's something I treasure the most. Anytime I can have with her is valued because she's become a part of me I can't and refuse to let go. I love her it pained me so much when she fell ill, I lost all my energy and strength to do anything because I didn't know if she'd wake up. I never want to feel like that ever again, and if I lose Finchnose, then I fall back into that silent world where everything seems... empty."

Shadowdusk was silent the entire time, waiting for her to finish up her speech. With each heartfelt word coming out of her mouth, the more the Moon Priest seemed to grow. Like a tree, he absorbed her words like a tree to rain water, and used that to grow stronger - which would only make her attempts seem futile. By the time she was done, she could see he was clearly impressed, but the gleam in his eyes told her that he wasn't going to take back the curse. She pushed harder, but she was out of words for him. If he could somehow connect their feelings together, then maybe there was a chance he'd remove the curse.

But that'd cost another deal, and she had nothing to offer.

"I can remove the curse," he finally said, making her heart race. For a fleeting moment, Sablerose forgot to breathe.

"Really?!" she gasped, leaping on her feet. "What is it?!"

"I'll take back this curse, but Finchnose will fall ill once again."

There was absolutely no way she could agree to something as obscured and heartbreaking as that. She'd rather die if that meant Finchnose could stand again. After the celebration from the cats at her sudden recovery, they'd be devastated if the pretty she-cat fell back into the endless sickness once again.

"Your face tells me no," Shadowdusk noted the obvious. "That's my only deal. Are you going to take it?"

Over my dead body.

"No," she growled through clenched teeth. "Is there anything else? Can you—"

"And then you'd come to me, begging me to take away that curse," he snarled, baring his teeth at her. "No matter what you do, my decision remains set in stone. You either trust that she can heal on her own or you accept your fate to a single moon with her awake."

Sablerose went silent, the darkness in the den seeming to triple and get a little colder.

"Alright," she growled, remembering Finchnose's bright smile.

Through the tears pricking her eyes, she said, "You win."

*          *          *

"Let's go hunting," Sablerose suggested to Finchnose, after fighting with the hoard of cats surrounding her like a fresh piece of prey. It annoyed her that cats wouldn't part ways when she came close, despite the fact they knew about their relationship. The slight anger and grudge she built up disappeared in a matter of seconds with one look at her beautiful mate and the viridescent eyes.

Could she get more beautiful?

Yes.

"I'd love to! Though, I might not be very good after being in a coma," Finchnose trailed off, fidgeting with her paws. "You don't mind, right?"

"Of course not!" Sablerose purred, licking her forehead affectionally. "Anytime with you is worth it," she secretly whispered into her ear, making Finchnose giggle. Her heart warmed up when her mate pushed herself to her feet, shaking out her fur.

"It's nice to get up and stand after sitting around for the entire day," she said with a smile, a friendly aura emitting from her tiny body. Sablerose closed her eyes and nodded in agreement, a grin splitting her face. Finchnose stretched and then, to her surprise, leapt into the air and landed on the ground with a crash, her legs wobbling. Her heart lurched, and she quickly padded over, nudging her back up.

"What's that for? Don't get yourself thrown into danger and end up breaking your leg. I don't want to see your skills go to waste, being a Magi isn't for you," Sablerose joked, nudging her. Finchnose wrinkled her nose.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I won't have my life forced out of my paws, I won't destroy my leg or legs and have to become a Magi." She gave her a reassuring nudge, a soft purr rumbling in her throat as loud as thunder. Sablerose did her best to keep her heart from popping out of her chest with Finchnose this close.

"Besides," she added, pointing her tail toward the Magis. "I don't I can learn how to heal everyone."

"You'd get it in no time," Sablerose encouraged, bumping her shoulder.

"If It were my new life, I guess I would try to help them! After all, they helped me and I got better, and I had you with me!" Finchnose chirped happily, facing the bright sun, the smile on her face as wide as the moon. Sablerose stared at her longingly, a crippling sensation starting to bubble up in her stomach, knowing her limited time.

"And you'll be there," she added, eyes flashing. "I know that you'll be with me the entire time, always by my side."

This is why I love you, she thought, padding after Finchnose as she bounced off like an excited kit.

"Sablerose," Finchnose said, catching her offguard. "I know the chances are low since I seem to have made a full recovery, but if I fall into another coma—"

"I refuse to let something like that take over you," Sablerose butted in. "You don't deserve to be in camp in a nest. You've got to shine."

"Heh, thanks," she replied. "Like I said, the chances are low, but I want to spend as much time with you as I can."

Finchnose...

The she-cat titled her head, giving her another familiar yet new smile that lit up the world in color.

"Let's go, the prey isn't going to last forever, even though I value the time we have together. That conversation we just had, it was the second one since I woke up." Finchnose pointed her head toward the exit of the mountain. "Maybe if we're lucky, we can gaze at the stars above our heads."

"Finchnose," she managed out. The she-cat blinked, eyes bright and full of energy. Sablerose padded forward and touched noses, breathing in her warm scent. "I'm glad you woke up."

She pulled away and grinned. "Me too, Sablerose."

"I... I love you."

Finchnose stopped, and she could see the waves of excitement and happiness flutter around in her body like butterflies. She was fumbling with words, unable to say her feelings as she tripped over them. Sablerose let out a laugh, causing her to laugh as well with her. Curling their tails together, they headed outside.

"I love you too, Sablerose."