Phoenix Maplewood akele hum, akele tum

he smiled as she admitted her fears, turning his head slightly to press his muzzle against her cheek. "everyone fails. everyone tastes defeat," he murmured, lips close to her ear. "what matters is moving on from it. don't be scared of failure, mera pyaar. it's how you pick yourself up, after you fall."

aditya pulled away and did a semi-circle, halting to stand in front of her, so he could directly look her in the eye. "and if you find you can't pick yourself up, then i will be there to do it for you," he said, the smile still lingering on his muzzle but faded into something more somber, more serious. "i promise you that."

the two were blanketed in the depths of the woods, the forest teeming with new life all around them. just as the trees would start fresh, so would they. if the end of winter had sowed the seeds of doubt, then spring would bring with it trust, and hope, and love. warmth. peace. the chasm had been bridged, and the anger he'd felt in his bones for nearly a moon was finally gone.

"and i'll always be honest with you, dawn," aditya continued, the smile growing into something more happy once more. "anything you ask of me, i will give it." he gave her a friendly nudge with his head against the shoulder samaantine hadn't torn open. "thanks for coming back to me."