Eclipse padded through the forest, the light dappling on her fur. She munched on some raspberries as she walked. She enjoyed the slight breeze. It made her feel energized, and ready for what was coming.

     Then her ears pricked at a rustle and a little giggle from her right. She peered through the trees, and saw a young, pretty white-and-orange rogue she-Drolgon bouncing along at a lanky gray-black rogue he-Drolgon's side. The she-Drolgon was laughing at his jokes, and gazing at him affectionately. The he-Drolgon seemed interested in her, too.

     That's what Reed and I could've had... Eclipse thought longingly. Then she shook her head, disgusted with herself. He ruined the future we could've had together! And I killed him, for the spirits' sake!

     Eclipse began to think, her tail flicking. Who did she want to spend her future with that wasn't dead? She knew she didn't want to spend the rest of her life without a mate. But who would her mate be?

     She dismissed the thought. That was in the future, and she was willing to wait and see.

     She caught a salmon from the river that wound through the forest, and brought the prey back to her cave, where her new friends were waiting. She dropped her catch on the pile with everyone else's.

     "Nice catch!" Hailee mewed, licking her lips, and sniffing at the fish.

     "You can have it," Eclipse offered. She wanted to eat some apples and bananas gathered by Rowan, anyway.

     "Aw, thanks!" Hailee took the fish from the pile, and settled down on the cool rock floor of the cave with it.

     Eclipse stifled a laugh as she noticed that it was a little more than half the size of the small cat. It was very large for a salmon.

     Brooke sat next to Hailee, and Hailee sliced the fish in half with her claw. Brooke nodded in thanks to her, and took the other half, skinning it, and cooking it on her fire. Eclipse sat next to Rodin and Starspeaker, eating three apples and two bananas.

    After everyone had finished, they settled down for the night in their nests. Eclipse tossed and turned, but she couldn't sleep. She gave up, and went for a walk in the forest. She felt calmed by the chirping crickets and the dancing fireflies.

She breathed in the cool night air, the slight breeze ruffling through her fur. She spread her wings, and the wind lifted her upwards. Soon she was soaring through the clouds, the moons lighting her way. Exhilarated, she did a little flip in the air.

     She gave a little howl, and dove toward the ground. She landed on a little hill, and realized that she was near the Pacree Sky border.

     She sighed, memories of Drolgonet-hood flooding back. She padded up to the border, and stood staring into the trees on the other side. She knew it had only been three days since she'd left Pacree Sky, but she missed her family and friends intensely.

     Eclipse sat down, the moons shining down on her pelt and turning it silver, and tucked her wings close to her. A song that she'd been taught when she was a Drolgonet popped into her head. She grinned sadly, tears welling up, as she remembered her mother's warm smile and beautiful voice on that warm summer evening when she sang the song for her three Drolgonets.

     Without consciously deciding to do it, Eclipse began humming the song.

     Caught up in her song, Eclipse hadn't noticed the arrival of another Drolgon. She opened her eyes, and found Sapphire staring at her from the edge of a little pond on the Pacree Sky side of the border.

     They just sat there staring at each other for a while, neither of them knowing what to say.

     Eclipse noticed that Sapphire had something around her neck. She looked closer, and saw that it was a beautiful necklace made of a skinny black ribbon. Attached to it was a dazzlingly gorgeous gold key that was encrusted with tiny colourful gems. There were also small gems decorating the ribbon.

     "Whoa..." Eclipse breathed. "That's so beautiful..."

     Sapphire lifted it over her head, and held it in her paw.

     "Thanks..." she mumbled. "I-it's actually... kinda... for you..."

     Eclipse was shocked. Didn't everyone in Pacree Sky hate her? Why was Sapphire still being nice to her?

     "O-oh!" Eclipse stuttered. "Thank you so much..."

     Sapphire nodded, not meeting Eclipse's eyes, and she tossed the necklace in the air toward Eclipse. Eclipse caught it, and examined it in wonder. Where had Sapphire found such an amazing necklace? Eclipse put it on. The gold key was cold and smooth against her chest.

    For some reason it felt perfect, resting in Eclipse's fur. It felt like something that she'd lost had finally been found. Although she didn't know why; she'd never seen this necklace before in her life.

     "I... found it near the old dragon city ruins. It was hidden behind one of the fallen bricks," Sapphire explained, looking Eclipse in the eyes for the first time that night.

     "How are my sisters doing?" Eclipse asked, her tail flicking in worry for her littermates.

     "They're fine," Sapphire answered. "Solar and SkyChaser are sleeping in the same den now."

     "I knew they'd be mates!" Eclipse giggled, even though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "And how about FeatherCloud? I know she took it pretty hard when... you know... everything was revealed..."

     Sapphire shook her head. "She's going through some stuff. She walks gloomily around camp, and if a Drolgon ticks her off she'll get snappy."

     "That doesn't sound like her at all!" Eclipse exclaimed. She was shocked that her sister would act like that. She was always the sweet, gentle, and quiet one.

     "A few Drolgons thought FeatherCloud and DarkFlight were going to be mates, but it turns out they're just really good friends and DarkFlight likes he-Drolgons," Sapphire added.

     "What about you?" Eclipse asked, wagging her tail a little. "Do you have a mate yet?"

     Sapphire suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and she shook her head.

     Eclipse tilted her head. Why hadn't Sapphire found a mate yet? She was so funny, and beautiful, and kind, and sensitive, and charming, and gentle, and wonderful... Eclipse tried to think of who Sapphire would be good mates with, but it was hard to think of anyone. It was weird, because she'd heard at least a few Drolgons talking about who Sapphire would be cute with. But every time she thought of Sapphire with Wind, DarkFlight, Maple, CedarShade, Pearl, QuietFlower, or FeatherCloud, a weird feeling washed over her. She felt like she wanted to separate them. She didn't know why she was feeling that. She should be happy for her friend if she found a mate, and yet she was stiff with anger at the thought of it.

     Am I really so selfish as to want my best friend to be lonely forever? Eclipse asked herself. I- I don't want to be...

Itching to get her mind off her weird thoughts, she decided to ask Sapphire the question that had been nagging at her for a while.

     "Saph..." Eclipse began slowly, scuffing the ground beneath her with her paw. "Back when I was exiled, I noticed that you weren't that scared or nervous- you- you looked almost... calm-ish. Or something. Is that true? And... why? Did you, like, somehow already know or something?"

     "Oh, yeah," Sapphire said nonchalantly, waving her paw around in a circle. "I knew you'd killed him from the moment I saw his dead body. I knew because of your scars and the fact that you were acting super suspicious. Did you really think I wouldn't find out? Clipsy, I'm your best friend!" She laughed. "And I wasn't scared because- well- I kind-of maybe almost was about to ki-" she cut herself off. "Um, never mind. When I get exiled, I'll tell you. Promise. Alright?"

     "When you get exiled?!" Eclipse exclaimed. "You'd never get exiled! There's nothing they can exile you for!"

     Sapphire looked Eclipse in the eyes, seemingly waiting until Eclipse figured out why the Pacree would exile Sapphire.      When Eclipse didn't figure it out, Sapphire sighed. "Meeting with you against the rules, dummy!"

     Eclipse fell silent, staring at her paws. She really didn't want Sapphire to be exiled. And she really didn't want to be the reason Sapphire was exiled.

     Then, wanting to change the subject with a different question of hers, she asked; "were you jealous of me and Reed- when- uh- before I... killed him? Just wondering, it... it seemed like you were..."

     She saw Sapphire stiffen, and tuck her tail close to her. She stared at the ground fiercely, clearly trying not to meet Eclipse's gaze.

     Eclipse tipped her head, and padded over to Sapphire, crossing the border without realizing it. She sat beside the she-Drolgon, and she drew her tail over Sapphire's back. She rested her wing over Sapphire, who was trembling slightly. She was stiff as a tree, barely breathing.

     Then her breathing got more ragged and heavy, and she quivered harder. She clenched her teeth, and tore herself away from Eclipse. Sapphire stood hunched over, her tail flicking from side to side in anger, and her ears flattened. She said something that Eclipse couldn't catch, and dug her claws into the soft grass.

     "What's wrong?" Eclipse asked, worried for the she-Drolgon. "What did I do?"

     A low and threatening growl came from Sapphire's throat, and she whirled around. "You're so dense, Eclipse! You can't see what's right in front of you, no matter how many times I've tried to show you. I guess it's time to tell you, 'cause you can't seem to find out on your own. Eclipse, I... I..." tears sprang to her eyes, and her voice caught in her throat. Then she sighed. "I have to go..."

     "Wait!" Eclipse called after her.

     Sapphire padded back toward Pacree Sky's camp. Then she looked over her shoulder.

     "Get off Pacree Sky territory," she growled.

     Then she hurried into her side of the the forest, and soon she was gone. Eclipse padded to her own side of the border, and stood there, staring after Sapphire. What had she been trying to say? Why had she left so soon? It felt like just minutes that they'd been talking. Why had she acted so strangely when Eclipse had asked her if she'd been jealous?

Eclipse felt the key with her paw, running her pads over the smooth, cold surface, with the little opals and other gems here and there. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Then she padded, head, wings, and tail down, back to her cave-den.

     Once she was back in her nest, she curled up. She saw Rodin sleeping in his and Hailee's nest, and Hailee was curled up beside him with her head on his shoulders. She was snoring softly.

     Brooke was Stretched out on her back, in cat form. As Eclipse watched, she saw Brooke change into dog form in her sleep, and then into softpaw form.

     Ruby was sleeping soundly in a nest near the cave ceiling, on a ledge like Eclipse's.

     Starspeaker and Bee were in nests in a corner, side by side.

     Eclipse could hear the rustling of leaves outside the cave as Rowan turned in her leaf-hammock.

     The loud pounding of the waterfall slowly made Eclipse get drowsier. At last, she fell asleep, thinking about Sapphire's pretty face.