The Unburdening of Secrets.
Usagi couldn't stop the flow of words. Her relief and joy at finding her long-lost friend were a river that had finally broken through a dam. "You have grown so tall and muscular," she said with a teasing laugh, taking in his imposing but graceful frame. "But you're handsome too!"
Sterling's smile was warm, a genuine, unguarded expression she hadn't seen on him before. "And you, Bunny, have become a fine and fierce woman." He let her talk, listening intently as she recounted years of her life in a rambling, joyful stream of consciousness. After she had finally exhausted her questions about him, her smile faded into a look of genuine hurt and confusion.
"But why did you disappear back then?" she asked, her voice softening with the weight of old pain. "I was really worried and confused. I thought something terrible had happened to you."
A flicker of sorrow crossed Sterling's face. He sighed, the sound carrying the burden of a long-held secret. "I'm so sorry, Usagi," he began, his voice calm but filled with regret. "I didn't disappear because I wanted to. I had to."
He paused for a moment, looking down the long hallway, a memory playing in his eyes. "Rumors had started running wild. Word had gotten out that a young wolf pup from a noble family was spending all his time with a cottontail shifter. In my society, that's not just strange; it's seen as a weakness. A betrayal of our primal nature. The other pups started to mock me, and worse, they started to whisper about you—about what kind of sorcery you might be using on me."
"My family, to protect my reputation and to ensure my future, ordered me to sever all contact with you. They sent me away, to another pack to be trained under their strict discipline. I was too young to fight them. I tried to find a way to let you know, but they made sure I couldn't. I didn't want to bother you with my troubles. I thought it would be better for both of us if I simply… vanished."
Usagi stopped walking. The hallway, with its portraits of stern-faced ancestors, seemed to close in around them. She looked at Sterling's calm expression, now understanding the depth of his sacrifice. He hadn't abandoned her; he had protected her, even at the cost of his own happiness. A wave of empathy washed over her.
She reached out and placed her hand on his arm, a simple, comforting gesture. "You weren't a bother," she whispered. "You were my friend."
He looked down at her, a silent thank you in his eyes, and gently placed his other hand over hers. They continued their slow walk, the conversation now filled with a new kind of quiet understanding. They didn't need to ask frantic questions anymore. They had found each other, and in that reunion, a new path was being forged, a path that led them out of the dim hallway and into the bright, open sunlight of the royal gardens.