Found!

The beach was lovely. Really! It was a gorgeous sight, one that would never be forgotten. Galladria was so happy. The sounds, the scents, everything was so different and wonderful. But Ether couldn't fully enjoy it. There was nothing wrong with the beach or with his company. Galladria was a beautiful soul, one that Ether was sincerely glad to have met. And seeing her joy made Ether happy. But late at night, when everyone else was asleep, he was still alone. He'd been haunted by visions, imaginings of Astaris. Every night, he was visited by these and every night, his heart broke anew. He couldn't forget her, no matter how he tried. Part of him struggled to hold onto every memory of her but he knew that also would lead him to madness. He would love her until it destroyed him. He had to let go. Ether knew that but he was too conflicted to change.

He had hoped that by going to the ocean, the new scenery might distract him. He was with Galladria, living a new life. He'd been given a second chance clearly and he would take it. His life was with Galladria now. He had come to think of her as something of a soul mate. They were kindred souls, both lost until they'd found each other. She had saved him in so many ways. He was terribly fond of her. He could no longer imagine living without her. He couldn't imagine what his life might have been like if he'd never gone to the mountains.

But he never forgot those he left behind. Ether's heart still cried for his mother, brother, and his love. During the day, he was better. He could feel some small happiness. He could enjoy Galladria's company. She was an angel, kind and beauteous. She saved him from total despair.

But at night…he still wished for those he'd left behind. He believed it was his fate. He was destined to lament their losses. He would forever be conflicted, to feeling longing for them but to never return and to live his life with Galladria. It was one sunny that Ether had told Galladria something similar.

"We're together, Galladria. Forever. We'll always be together. You and me."
He hadn't meant the words in a romantic, binding way. He felt he'd been stating the obvious. He couldn't leave her as his future was with her. But he had no idea how she might have felt when she heard those words.

The time had worn on a bit, days passed. Still Ether couldn't commit his heart to one thing or another. After a particularly bad night, Ether hadn't been himself most of the day. He had agreed to an evening swim with Galladria when suddenly his demons returned.

"Ether!"

Ether cringed. No…Not so soon. Don't do this to me while Galladria can see, he silently prayed. The sound was more…realistic than it had ever been before and it brought so much pain to Ether. So real, that Ether had to look. He knew it was just another phantom but he couldn't resist. He turned to look…

A hallucination. It had to be. Ether glanced back to the ocean to see if Galladria had seen it too. But she was nowhere in sight. And suddenly, the hallucination was yelling again. And calling him an idiot. That was what made Ether a little suspicious. He turned once more and sure enough, the hallucination was closer now, still yelling. And it was so realistic. Ether could practically smell Astaris. In fact, wait, he really could smell her!

"Astaris?" he gasped. Before he knew what was happening, he was racing towards her. It was too real. Impossible to resist the siren pull of this dream. Galladria had disappeared from his mind. He didn't even notice the other phantoms behind Astaris. All he could see was her. The female he loved more than anyone. "Astaris!" And then he was there. He plowed right into her, knocking her to the ground. "Astaris, Astaris," he moaned as if he'd been wounded. He nuzzled her exuberantly, blind to the rest of the world.

It was all as he'd remembered. The smell of her, the feeling of her fur. Right down to the way he felt as though his heart would explode from the love he had for her. Her soft pelt brushed against him as he rubbed his muzzle into her. He was all but crying, repeating her name endlessly.

"I'm sorry, Astaris, I'm sorry. I missed you. I missed you so much I couldn't stand it. I love you, Astaris," he whispered into her, unaware of his surroundings.

But then, he was interrupted. A weight landed against him and he was thrown from her. He blinked a few times and there before him was Zephie.

"How could you, you idiot?!" Zephie yelled. "Do you know how much we worried? Don't you ever leave again!"

Ether's eyes widened in shock as he beheld his brother. "Zephie?" The sound came out as little more than a whisper. A figure seemed to appear behind Zephie. It approached Ether, tears streaming.

"Ether…My little boy…" Persephone whispered.

"Mother?" Ether was aghast. How was this all happening? Oh, who cared? He ran to her, breaking down and crying. He sat before her, his face buried in her pelt, sobbing. She cooed softly, nuzzling him, comforting him as only his mother could.

"Oh, my son, it's okay…" she whispered consolingly. Ether just sat and cried for several long moments. Persephone stayed still, still crying herself. She looked up and smiled at Zephie, knowing he wasn't truly angry at Ether. And sure enough, Zephie soon stepped up, resting against Ether's back. His family now surrounded him, filling him with warmth that Ether thought he'd never feel again.

After the majority of his tears had been shed, Ether raised his head once more, wanting to see Astaris. It was then that he saw everyone else. A female pup he didn't know, someone hidden in shadows, another adult with a disconcerting gaze, and another pale male that Ether didn't know. And then his eyes settled on someone who was not a stranger. Ether pulled himself away from Persephone and Zephie slowly and walked toward her.

"Lunabella…" he said with disbelief in his voice. The Nerox he most respected was here as well? What was all this? "What are you all doing here?" he asked, looking to everyone.

"We came to find you," Zephie answered in much kinder tones.

"We came to bring you home," Persephone clarified. "Ether, we want you to come back with us." Ether heard the pleading tone in her voice. He then recalled why he'd gone in the first place.

He looked back at Astaris, almost silently asking her opinion. "But…I cannot," he said sadly, despairing.

"Why? My son, we love you. Shouldn't you be with your family?" Persephone begged.

"Ether, don't make Mother cry again. She's wanted nothing but your return ever since you left. You tore us apart. Are you really going to do that to us again? You're going to make us suffer all over again? No. I refuse. You're coming home, even if I have to drag you the whole way," Zephie growled.

Ether, however, had not looked away from Astaris. He had to know how she felt. He knew he still had dark magic but somehow… Somehow he felt that if Astaris still wanted him, then he could return and all would be fine. He just wanted to be with her so badly. To see everyone around him again, all of those who'd cared about him, it was…illuminating.
These Nerox had come after him. Maybe they had their own reasons but they'd come nonetheless. He knew why Persephone and Zephie were there. Seeing them again had just shown Ether how much he'd been missing. He couldn't believe he'd gone without these friends and family for so long. His mother was so comforting, so nice, so loving. Zephie shared a bond with Ether that none could ever match. They were brothers and nothing would ever sever those ties. Lunabella was someone Ether had always trusted, right from the day he met her. He respected her, always believing her advice. She was a sort of guru and role model for Ether.

That brought him to Astaris. Lunabella's daughter, there was much they had in common. But there was so much more. Astaris was the most beautiful Nerox Ether had seen. Even at a young age, both still pups, Ether was smitten with her. They'd shared times together and Ether had developed feelings for her. Then they chose to grow up together. Ether soon found a name for those feelings he had. He had come to love her, deeply. A different kind of love. Not the same kind of "love" she felt for him. She loved him as a friend. As sad as it was, Ether couldn't help the way he felt. Just being around her felt right. He wanted to be with her forever.

And when he'd found he had dark magic, his world came crashing down. The first thought he'd had was of Astaris and how his magic would change things. He'd realized how dangerous it was. He wasn't willing to put Astaris in that danger. And so, it was for her sake that he'd left. Sadly, his family was just an afterthought. He thought of them after he'd said goodbye to Astaris. His heart broken, he'd wandered away and then thought of his mother and brother. Though he couldn't have imagined any more pain, the idea of leaving his family brought him to a whole new level of despair. His life had gone black, with no hope.

He'd found Galladria later when things seemed darkest. He'd never forgotten those he'd left behind but now his life was with Galladria. And yet, his mind was only on Astaris now. He'd seen her again, after so long. She was more beautiful than he'd remembered, just the perfect female. His love hadn't lessened at all during their time apart.

And so he approached Astaris, staring into her eyes. "I love you, Astaris. I love you in a different way than you love me. I love you like…like my mother loves my other mother. I love you as someone would love their mate, forever. It'll never end. I don't want to be apart from you. I want to be your mate." He glanced back to Persephone and Zephie who were watching the scene. Persephone had gasped at hearing his confession, her eyes tearing up. She was smiling proudly, and had looked to Lunabella. She'd given her a look that said she approved of Ether and Astaris together. She'd given them her blessing and was eager to find out if Lunabella would also give her permission. But Ether hadn't seen that. His attention now turned to his mother and brother, though, he smiled faintly. "Mother. Zephie. I love you both, but Astaris is the future I want. If she'll have me, I will return. If not… If she cannot accept me as her mate, then I have nothing to go back for. Do you understand?"

Zephie hung his head, clearly not thrilled with the situation. "I don't know those feelings but I guess I understand…" he allowed, looking away from his brother. But something was still bothering him. There was the scent of another in the air. Another female that Zephie hadn't seen yet. Ether said he loved Astaris. But if that was the case, who was this female Zephie could smell but could not see?

Persephone merely nodded. She understood. She knew how Ether felt. She wasn't happy but she could accept his decision.

Ether turned back to Astaris. "So? Will you be my mate? Please, only accept if you believe you can love me back, the same way I love you. If… If you think you can, then may I stay with you? Can I be yours?"

And then he waited for Astaris to answer…