Goodnight Moon and Goodnight You

His time was drawing closer, yet his heart would still beat for her. He'd been within the borders of Fiori for about a year now, always watching from afar. He'd come across her at the meetings, and always watched over her. He'd yet to approach her directly, fear always coursing through him that she might hate him for the past. He had tried so hard to find her, and when he did, he feared that she would think he never went to look for her. He couldn’t imagine what it was like for her then, to be the lost little girl for so long. Alone and afraid, unaware of the many dangers of the world. He had felt like a failed father, like he failed her and the others. But what could he do? He had searched for as long as he could. For almost five years he looked, but eventually time would not be kind. He had the chance to meet a woman during his search, and for some time he had given up wandering the lands to stay with her. But even then, he was always keeping an ear to the ground and eye to the sky for any word of his missing daughter. Through the grapevine, he heard that his wife had given up waiting on his return...and ended up starting another family with someone else of Valhalla. It was then he knew that he had failed them all. But he was not angry with Ashtoreth. He wouldn't have wanted for her to put her life on hold. After a while longer, he too had started another family with his beloved Rinoa. Three beautiful children a result of their devoted love. And then...when she died saving their son, Leon had lost himself in his grief. He had left that season, his children remaining in the pack and the place they called home.

And now, here he was. Blue eyes watching his little girl bounce through the dry autumn grasses. The same season in which the little girl before him was born. And while he knew she was not the little ball of fluff he remembered, she would always be his little girl regardless. He followed her, usually from a distance to make sure that she would be safe. And he was content to a certain degree, knowing that she was at least alive and well. He knew she had a child, one that she seemed to always avoid. It confused him, but he didn't know the story behind that either. As it was, he watched over them both. And would continue to do so until his last breath.

As they neared the top of the cliffs, the scents of flowers mingling with the dry grasses and the ocean gave him a sense of calm. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the rumbling of storm clouds. He watched her when she stopped among the flowers, her fur blowing gently with the warm breeze. The air was dry, yet somewhat...humid. The night sky an array of dark and light blues and indigos. He settled on his belly, hidden away from her. His senses focused on her, his beloved little girl.