Sapphire buried her face in Eclipse's shoulder, opened her wings, and spun around, squealing all the while.

     "I love you, I love you, I love you!" She squeaked, looking up at Eclipse again.

     Eclipse smiled, and brought Sapphire up into the big oak they used to sit in together. Then she told her all about what had happened from when she died, up until when she woke up.

     "When I woke up I wouldn't have been happier to see any other face," she finished, wrapping her wings around Sapphire.

     "Thank you for trying to come back to me all that time," Sapphire replied. "I wish I could've helped you."

     "Me too," Eclipse whispered, touching her nose to Sapphire's. Then after a moment of silence, she said "I'm going to be going tomorrow. I want to form a sort of group with Ruby, Rowan, Hailee, Rodin, Bee, Starspeaker, and Brooke. We're going to live outside of the territories, if they agree to coming with me. I would love for you to come, too, but it's up to you."

     Sapphire stared up at the stars, which were growing more and more visible. Then at last she swished her tail to and fro, and said "of course I'll come. I'd go anywhere with you. But it'll be hard to leave my brother, and my mum..."

     "I know," Eclipse reassured her, stroking her back with her wing. "I have to leave my sisters, and I probably won't be there to see my potential nieces and nephews born. Well- actually, they'll be our nieces or nephews."

     Sapphire smiled. Solar and SkyChaser were sure to have Drolgonets soon, and since SkyChaser was Sapphire's brother and Solar was Eclipse's sister, the Drolgonets would be both of their nieces or nephews.

     They swept back down to the ground, all the while having intertwined tails.

     They ate some more that night, chatted with the Pacree, and danced a little bit more. The air got a little chilly, which reminded Eclipse that it was almost autumn.

     At one point, Rowan came over to them.

     "You know, Eclipse, I get angry and irrational easily as well. I fear that one day I might just snap and kill someone like you did," she said.

     Eclipse nodded. "I understand. But I don't think you'd actually do that. You're a nice dragon underneath, I just know it. You give yourself less credit than you deserve."

     Rowan gave a small smile.

     Then the rest of Eclipse's friends came over, sitting down next to Eclipse, Rowan, and Sapphire.

     "So, we've thought over the news..." Ruby began.

     "And we decided that someone who doesn't think that killing is wrong and doesn't regret what they did wouldn't be that cute with someone else!" Bee finished, flinging her arms around Eclipse and Sapphire.

     "Well, I guess that and the fact that you seem to be genuinely haunted by what you did," Brooke said.

     "Thank you, guys," Eclipse said, her eyes threatening to leak. They really were true friends, if they'd forgive something like this.

     "Aw, yer heart's too big fer ya to be a bad Drolgon," Hailee mewed.

     Eventually night fell, and everyone was tired.      Eclipse laid in her old den; it still smelled a little like her. She curled up gratefully in her nest, but she couldn't sleep. Somehow, Sapphire seemed to know this, and she came into the den as well.

     "I'm not going to leave you alone for a second," Sapphire murmured sleepily. "I'm not going to lose you ever again, if I can help it."

     Eclipse wrapped her tail around Sapphire's chest, and laid her chin on Sapphire's hip. Sapphire had her paws tucked under her chest, and she wrapped her tail around Eclipse as well. Then, warm and comfortable at last, Eclipse fell asleep next to her love at last.