Crowfeather sat silently, misery clouded his vision; he knew now that the curse would never be broken, not when the only cat he's ever loved was gone...

He sighed, the sob in his voice ringing throughout the room, echoing as Ravenpaw walked in.

"I'll admit I had my doubts but everything is moving like clockwork!" He meowed cheerfully, hoping that soon he would be reunited with his mate Barely, and his daughter, Flower. "True love really does win the day!!"

Crow glanced at the bell jar, and the rose that had lost two more petals now, and the last remaining ones sagged, and one of them eventually gave up and dropped to the floor.

And the castle shook.

"I let her go..." He then said to the others, and they all gasped, looking at one another in fear.

"You WHAT?!" Raven's eyes clouded with tears, all his rare positivity from before gone. "Crowfeather! How could you do that?!"

Silverstream dropped from the air as she curled into a ball, sobbing into her feathers, Greystripe hurried to her side, his heart ached as he tried to soothe his grieving mate.

Ravenpaw turned, storming away as an overwhelming feeling of utter betrayal clouded his senses.

Crowfeather looked down at his paws, tears running down his cheeks, he hadn't cried in years. The last time he had was when his father had started abusing him.

"I had to." He said, but they could barely understand him due to the uncontrollable sob that filled his voice.

"But why?!" Ravenpaw hissed, tears flooding his face.

"Because he loves her." Sandstorm said sadly, jumping down and doing her best to comfort the little clock.

"Then why hasn't the curse broken?" Greystripe whispered.

"Don't you get it?!" Ravenpaw shrieked. "She doesn't love him back! And now we'll be trapped like this forever! You two won't ever see your kits again, and I won't ever see Barely or Flower again!" With that, the little clock stormed out, leaving the others heartbroken as reality sank in. Even Greystripe couldn't think of anything to cheer his friends up.

"She might still come back though..." Silverstream whispered, trying to cling to a faint hope that was dying in her heart.

"No..." Crowfeather sighed, turning around once more to see Leafpool tacking up Phillipe outside, a cloak covering her bare shoulders. "I set her free, I'm sorry I couldn't do the same for all of you."

Silverstream sobbed, covering her head with her wings. Greystripe sank to the ground, covering his face as he sobbed into his candles for paws.

Crowfeather padded out of the room, walking out to the balcony as he watched his one, and only, true love mount her horse and begin the ride back to the village.

"🎶 I was the one who had it all... 🎶" Crowfeather began, "🎶 I was the master of my fate, I never needed anybody in my life, I learned the truth, too late. 🎶"

"🎶 I'll never shake away the pain 🎶"

"🎶 I can close my eyes, but she's still there 🎶"

"🎶 I let her steal to my melancholy heart, it's more than I can bare 🎶"

"🎶 Now I know she'll never leave me~ even as she runs away! 🎶"

"🎶 She will still torment me, calm me, hurt me, move me, come what may! 🎶"

"🎶 Waisting in my lonely tower, waiting by an open door! I'll fool myself, she'll walk right in; and be with me, for evermore 🎶"

"🎶 I rage against the trials of love! 🎶"

"🎶 I curse the fading of the light! 🎶"

"🎶 Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach 🎶"

"🎶 She's never out of sight! 🎶"

"🎶 Now I know; she'll never leave me, even as she fades from view! 🎶"

"🎶 She will still inspire me, be apart, of everything I do! 🎶"

"🎶 Waisting in my lonely tower! Waiting by an open door, I'll fool myself she'll walk right in. 🎶"

"🎶 And as the long, long nights begin. 🎶"

"🎶 I'll think of all that might have been 🎶"

"🎶 Waiting here, for ever-more~! 🎶"