Something was strange about today, and though Ara couldn't quite tell what it was, she felt slightly on edge the moment she woke up. She'd been roused suddenly from sleep, as though her body had jerked her away, though there seemed to be no real reason for it. It was early, perhaps too early to even be awake, and as she peeked outside of the den she and Novel shared, only the briefest glimmers of sunlight filtered across the horizon. It was nearing dawn, and strange shadows of the willows outside their den danced across the grass. After a long few minutes of waiting, Ara carefully pried herself away from Novel, taking extra measures to not wake her as she slunk out of the den and wove beneath the willow trees. It was hard to tell what kind of day it might be, but as she blinked sleep from her eyes and lifted her head skyward - taking in a long, slow breath into her lungs - she could tell moisture hung in the air. It was a weird change from the rather arid climate she'd gotten used to from living in the west for so long now, but she wouldn't complain about some rain to hopefully cool off the gradually warming lands. Currently, though, she was on a mission - the last few mornings had been particularly hard for Novel, and she wanted to wake her up with something nice. Seeing her smile through all the pain would be rewarding, especially if a dreary day was what lay ahead of them today. It didn't take long to find what she was looking for, and carefully she picked a few large orange-yellow marigolds and carried them back to their den. By the time she returned, a slow drizzle had started, steady and relentless as it beat against the ground - though she wouldn't call it a downpour by any means. Shaking water lightly from her face, she slowly moved to lay beside Novel, dropping the flowers at her forepaws. Instead of waking her up by speaking, she merely nuzzled her nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, now mingled with the smell of summer flowers.

Leaving the den was getting harder everyday, not only because of her worsening cough but because it simply hurt to move. Novel wouldn’t admit it to herself, but she was going downhill fast, and she doubted that she would be able to recover. It was no longer ‘if’ but ‘when,’ though it had been that way for longer than she’d admit. The old Destruction might have slept the rest of the day away, what with the light never really gaining full brightness.

She did wake to Ara’s touch however. The feeling of warmth at her touch seeped through her slumber. As she awoke the coughing started unfortunately. Novel couldn’t stop as she tried to enjoy the flowers that Ara brought for her, but as she turned her head away to hide any blood that might have appeared dread started to fill her. Blood filled her mouth, and she struggled to hide it as she turned back to Ara, not quite catching her breath.

They’re,” she coughed softly, gasping as she formed the words. ”Beautiful.” She tried to smile, though blood still stained her teeth and she hadn’t been able to completely finish coughing. Novel tried to snuggle closer to her mate, feeling a bit chill now that the rain had really set in. ”Thank you,” She wheezed into Ara’s fur as she tried to cling to her mate’s strength.

After her conversation with Novel regarding exactly what her own course of action would be if her mate passed before she did, Ara found herself fearing for the end much less than she'd anticipated. She'd never been raised with beliefs about the afterlife, and she'd never discussed such things with her mate, but she could only hope that the end would just be a new beginning - if there was anything afterwards she could count on the two of them finding them one another there. The thought was wistful at best, but weirdly comforting even spite of her deeply realistic mindset. Hearing that cough shaking her lungs was enough to unnerve her. Despite being outwardly calm, the sound and the scent of blood that followed made her heart begin to race in a way she couldn't ignore.  "Almost as beautiful as you," Ara replied, her voice soft, though still able to be heard above the rapidly increasing beat of the rain hammering down outside of their den. "Do you remember when I first told you I loved you?" They seemed to be living in the past so much these days, something she'd never really liked doing - but could you blame her now? The memories were soothing and kept her distracted from Novel's current state, at least momentarily.  "I was so scared, I thought I would be sick," she admitted with a soft laugh.  "I was helping you raise our sons, sleeping beside you every night. I spent every waking moment with you, and I was still afraid to tell you how I felt," Ara was rambling, her voice low still, though the sound that left her lips was as much a soft sob as it was a laugh. It seemed so silly now to be afraid of telling Novel anything, but she'd never known fear like that before until that day, and she wasn't sure the feeling was something that had been replicated since then.

Though she struggled to breathe with the cough entering its final stages Novel was oddly pain free. The ache in her joints was a dull memory as well as the pain in her back and toes. Even the cough had seemed to lose the majority of its bite. ”Almost as beautiful as you.” She couldn’t help but smile at Ara’s words as she buried her features into her mate’s coat. Her toes were icy now, though she felt a little flush with the summer heat. ”Do you remember when I first told you I loved you?"

Novel tried to chuckle softly, but it only set off her cough again before she was able to answer. ”I could never forget.” Though that time in her life had been difficult being with Ara made it much easier. She listened to her mate’s words, finding them a comfort as speaking grew more difficult. Novel sighed softly into Ara’s side, her lids growing heavy as she leaned into her dark pelt.

”I’m glad you did. I..” She coughed harder this time, feeling the effort weigh on her waning strength. ”Couldn’t have raised them alone.” Her chest heaved as she continued to struggle for breath. ”I love you, Ara.” She knew she didn’t say it often, but most of the time they didn’t have to. She just knew.

Ara realized her voice had been slightly shaky, and hoped Novel didn't notice. She returned the compliment, earning a faint smile amidst all the fear and sadness that threatened to bubble up from within. How was it that she could feel unnervingly at ease and so completely terrified all at once? It was a strange mixture of emotions, only exacerbated by the way Novel didn't seem capable of taking a full breath. Novel seem comforted by the memories, and truthfully so was she. They hadn't lived an easy life, but they'd certainly lived a beautiful one, and after all the years they'd spent apart their happiness had only continued - and Ara was truly grateful for that. She nodded to her mate's words, aware that talking was difficult for her, and not wanting to stress her. Their moments together were growing shorter and shorter, and Ara knew deep in her bones just how little time they had left. Her own breathing felt labored, perhaps more from grief than anything else, though she continued to smile for her. "I think you could have. You're stronger than you realize," Ara corrected her with a gentle, sad laugh, holding Novel just a bit tighter against her. She truly believed Novel could've flourished on her own, perhaps just with a bit more time... but she felt blessed for being able to stand beside her through so many of their trials. "I love you too. Until my last breath," though she knew her love would find a way of outliving them both, through their sons and their grandsons, and hopefully far beyond them.

Novel sighed heavily as she heard the smile in Ara’s voice and was held that much closer. The old Destruction opened her eyes again, and with more effort than it should have taken nuzzled Ara’s chin affectionately before giving her a shy kiss. "I think you could have. You're stronger than you realize," now that she was much older and could look back she couldn’t doubt Ara’s words. She had a lot of support back then, her family was large and all of them had their part in raising Hymn and Psalm. The boys had grown into young gentlemen and she had always been proud of them. "I love you too. Until my last breath,"

Her weakness was getting the better of her and Novel couldn’t help but to let her head rest against Ara’s neck once more. She hummed softly at the sentiment, and moved her lips to say the same. The words were stuck in her throat as her breathing became more labored. Novel’s vision grew blurry as she felt herself forced into a coughing fit as she tried to catch her breath. Her lungs strained with effort for a long time as the rain drummed on in the background.

For what would be the last time Novel was able to gain a breath, her blue eyes closed. ”I’ll love you forever. The words eventually fell from her lips, but she didn’t take another breath as her form slumped into Ara’s form. The woman’s heart fluttered for a moment before falling still. A faint smile lingered on Novel’s features, despite being so sick her happiness was still evident even in her last few moments. She lived a long fulfilling life, and being able to spend her last days with the one she loved the most erased any regrets she might have had.

-exit Novel via death-

With each moment that passed, Ara grew increasingly aware of Novel's rapidly deteriorating state. Her breathing was shallow and she couldn't seem to catch her breath, but she held her tightly against her chest, not wanting to Novel to doubt the depths of her love for her in this moment. Silence fell over them as the wheezing grew to coughing, though after her coughing fit she grew silent, slouching against her with one final statement. Ara knew precisely what was happening when she felt her mate growing limp in her embrace, and though part of her felt deeply at peace she couldn't help the tears that had begun to stream down her face. She'd been preparing for this moment for some time, so she already knew exactly what she'd do. Unwilling to move too far from Novel still, despite the fact that her breathing had stopped, but she shifted slightly to find the cluster of poppies she'd picked earlier in the week. There was a stillness in the air as she consumed them slowly, knowing exactly the kind of effect the large dose would have on her aging body. Her own breathing was labored, from the sudden rush of emotions, as she swallowed and returned to Novel's side - the exhaustion of losing her was enough to make sleep come easily, as she slipped close to her and held her close, breathing in her scent for one last time. Ara was comforted by her warmth as she slipped into a sleep she'd never wake from, for once her heart completely light and free from regret, unafraid of what awaited her on the other side. - exit Ara via death -