Lightblaze met Dewfrost's eyes with a bubbling of both nervousness and courage in his stomach. Two emotions that never ordinarily sat together now mixed, letting him keep eye contact but weakening his mew to one hesitant, worried, scared of rejection. "I...I love you, Dewfrost."

Something, some feeling ignited in Dewfrost's hazel eyes, and he felt a stab of worry, fear, that it was anger or offence. But instead, it was acceptance, trust, and even a bit of...dare he say it... love?

"Me too," she murmured. Then she barrelled into him, her black fur encasing his own in an embrace of love, of trust, and of fear of what they knew, what could be done to them because of it...

Fear suddenly shot through him, imagining Whisperstone driving a claw through Dewfrost's heart, but he banished it instantly. I'll protect her, he vowed.

Lightblaze buried his nose in her fur, inhaling the scent of pine and twining his tail with hers. He drew her close, and she purr. He felt the vibration through his bones, and felt a purr rising in his own chest in response.

He felt truly safe.

But then she twisted, ever so slightly, and he felt a tinge of worry. Perhaps she didn't feel the same? Was she just messing with him? Was this some kind of plot from Whisperstone, some trick to distract him or throw him off-guard by leaving his heart strewn upon the ground?

But instead, she simply laid her head against his and exhaled. He felt a sense of completeness, of purpose that filled the gap he'd been trying to fill by uncovering Whisperstone's plans.

The plans.

He pulled away slowly, reluctantly, and he felt Dewfrost stiffen slightly. "We have to stop him," he mewed.

She nodded. "We do. We can't let this happen, let two evil cats rule all of the territory!" Her mew rose a bit at the end of that statement, and Lightblaze couldn't have agreed more.

"You...you don't think I'm crazy, then?" Was she simply playing along, not wanting to hurt his feelings or hurt him? Did she not want to drive him truly mad by not believing about the one thing he knew for certain was true?

Dewfrost hesitated, and for a moment, he felt that she'd call him crazy too, and leave him alone once more. But instead, she nodded and sighed. "You're right."

"You'll...you'll back me up?" He felt a tremor of worry and doubt creep into his voice, and did his best to banish it. He couldn't though, his brain was too filled of cats mocking, sympathetic and in some cases, even scared of how "mad" he'd become...

She nodded empathetically. "In anything you do," she breathed, running her tail along his spine.

His confidence swelled tenfold at her words, at her faith in him. He would do this, he would defeat Whisperstone and complete his mission and reason he existed. He had to, he would be able to with Dewfrost at his side.

With her at his side, he could truly do anything.

written by ember