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Description
It felt weird to be back in town again. She fidgeted with the rings on her fingers as she roamed the familiar streets. She had to find them, she owed it to them. How long had she been gone? She didn't even know. The concept of time didn't exist while immersed in the shadows. She had spent about a month in the cabin, and now she was physically and mentally strong enough to come back, to provide any answers and closure.

She checked all of the usual places. He didn't seem to be around. For all she knew, he wasn't even here anymore, he could have moved on. The thought of it actually made her somewhat happy. She wanted him to be happy, after all. But part of her knew better. He wouldn't move on so easily.

She began to ask around, and sure enough, he had stayed in town. People pointed her in the right direction, and as night began to fall, and everyone scurried into their homes, she saw him.

He looked different than she remembered. More ragged, but stronger. He had built himself up quite a bit, but he dragged his feet in a way that he hadn't before. He didn't see her right away, not at first. And she wondered how she should approach him. She hadn't planned this far ahead.

It didn't matter. When he saw her, he stopped. And she watched his face as his world shattered.

"You-"

"Yeah."

He trembled, his feet rooted to the ground. She crossed the distance between them swiftly and hugged him from behind, feeling him sag against her. His fingers clutched her arm tightly.

"I never stopped-"

"I know. It's ok."

She held him, let him wrap his mind around it. She admitted, she had missed him, and some small part of her was happy that he hadn't given up on her, even now.

"Two years..."

She blinked. Had it really been two years? She figured it had been a while, but two years seemed so long.

"I'm back now."

"To stay?"

"...I'm not sure."

He pulled away from her. "What? You can't just show up from the dead after two years, and then just...leave!"

"It's not that. I just don't know if I -can- stay. Or if you'll want me to." She mumbled.

"Of course I want you to stay! What sort of question is that?" He ripped himself free from her embrace. "I spent two goddamn years searching for you, like hell I'm going to just let you walk away now."

She shrugged. What else could she do? There was no way to make him understand what had happened. Words weren't enough for something like this. "If I stay, things won't be like they were before. They'll be very different."

"I don't care! I just don't want you to leave again, can't you see that? You have no idea what these last few years without you have been like.." His voice cracked. Her heart tugged. "I fight the shadows every night, searching for a glimpse of you...or of the bear..." He raised his gaze from the ground. "You're back now. We can fight together, like we always did."

She was shaking her head. "I can't.."

"You won't"

"No, I can't. I can't see the shadows anymore."

Her words almost seemed to echo in the now cleared streets. Night was falling fast. She felt something stir in the dark. But nothing moved.

"What do you mean you can't see them anymore? Is that some sort of joke?"

"No. A lot happened. A lot changed. The bear...well, you saw it beat me."

"I tried to save you...you know that, right?" he pleaded.

She smiled. "I know. And that's ok. Turns out, I didn't need saving. It was a battle I needed to lose. Because now, I'm whole again. All that time...what was missing, was just my own darkness. And I see it now. I accept it. And I'm better for it."

He was looking at her like she was crazy. "So what...that's it? You come back, say you can't fight anymore, and now you're just going to leave?"

Her shoulders sagged. She hadn't expected him to understand. "It wouldn't be right for me to stay. But I will be around. I won't disappear again." She gathered herself as if to leave. "You know...you don't HAVE to fight." she whispered. "Sometimes the greatest victory is in surrender."

Description
It felt weird to be back in town again. She fidgeted with the rings on her fingers as she roamed the familiar streets. She had to find them, she owed it to them. How long had she been gone? She didn't even know. The concept of time didn't exist while immersed in the shadows. She had spent about a month in the cabin, and now she was physically and mentally strong enough to come back, to provide any answers and closure.

She checked all of the usual places. He didn't seem to be around. For all she knew, he wasn't even here anymore, he could have moved on. The thought of it actually made her somewhat happy. She wanted him to be happy, after all. But part of her knew better. He wouldn't move on so easily.

She began to ask around, and sure enough, he had stayed in town. People pointed her in the right direction, and as night began to fall, and everyone scurried into their homes, she saw him.

He looked different than she remembered. More ragged, but stronger. He had built himself up quite a bit, but he dragged his feet in a way that he hadn't before. He didn't see her right away, not at first. And she wondered how she should approach him. She hadn't planned this far ahead.

It didn't matter. When he saw her, he stopped. And she watched his face as his world shattered.

"You-"

"Yeah."

He trembled, his feet rooted to the ground. She crossed the distance between them swiftly and hugged him from behind, feeling him sag against her. His fingers clutched her arm tightly.

"I never stopped-"

"I know. It's ok."

She held him, let him wrap his mind around it. She admitted, she had missed him, and some small part of her was happy that he hadn't given up on her, even now.

"Two years..."

She blinked. Had it really been two years? She figured it had been a while, but two years seemed so long.

"I'm back now."

"To stay?"

"...I'm not sure."

He pulled away from her. "What? You can't just show up from the dead after two years, and then just...leave!"

"It's not that. I just don't know if I -can- stay. Or if you'll want me to." She mumbled.

"Of course I want you to stay! What sort of question is that?" He ripped himself free from her embrace. "I spent two goddamn years searching for you, like hell I'm going to just let you walk away now."

She shrugged. What else could she do? There was no way to make him understand what had happened. Words weren't enough for something like this. "If I stay, things won't be like they were before. They'll be very different."

"I don't care! I just don't want you to leave again, can't you see that? You have no idea what these last few years without you have been like.." His voice cracked. Her heart tugged. "I fight the shadows every night, searching for a glimpse of you...or of the bear..." He raised his gaze from the ground. "You're back now. We can fight together, like we always did."

She was shaking her head. "I can't.."

"You won't"

"No, I can't. I can't see the shadows anymore."

Her words almost seemed to echo in the now cleared streets. Night was falling fast. She felt something stir in the dark. But nothing moved.

"What do you mean you can't see them anymore? Is that some sort of joke?"

"No. A lot happened. A lot changed. The bear...well, you saw it beat me."

"I tried to save you...you know that, right?" he pleaded.

She smiled. "I know. And that's ok. Turns out, I didn't need saving. It was a battle I needed to lose. Because now, I'm whole again. All that time...what was missing, was just my own darkness. And I see it now. I accept it. And I'm better for it."

He was looking at her like she was crazy. "So what...that's it? You come back, say you can't fight anymore, and now you're just going to leave?"

Her shoulders sagged. She hadn't expected him to understand. "It wouldn't be right for me to stay. But I will be around. I won't disappear again." She gathered herself as if to leave. "You know...you don't HAVE to fight." she whispered. "Sometimes the greatest victory is in surrender."