Author's Notes: A little fluffy fanfic about the aftermath of Lilac and Carol's relationships. That's pretty much all it is. Merry Pre-Christmas.

Edit: Should really rephrase that. 'Dramatic' fluffy fanfic. That is all.

"You think that just because I save the world, I'm neglecting you?" Lilac glared at the wildcat, her fists threatening to break out into spasms.

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!" Carol shouted. "Why are you so pre-occupied about being a hero, even when it's over!? All you do now is talk about saving people! I want to take a break, I'm not your sidekick, y'know!"

Milla flinched as she cowered in her corner, burying her head to block the argument that was taking place.

"Oh, so now saving the planet is getting in the way of friendship!" Lilac snarled. "How about you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, and stop being so selfish! If Brevon took the Kingdom Stone-"

"Take a look in the mirror? I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT TAKING A LOOK AT MY BEST FRIEND, WHO WAS BEING ELECTROCUTED IN FRONT OF MY EYES!" Carol growled, furious at her friend's stubbornness.

"That's all you do Carol! You complain about having to do something, and then whine whenever I'm not spending time with you!"

"You spent more time with Milla, someone you just met, then your own best friend! I had to talk to Torque most of the way. At least he was a better friend!"

"You know what Carol, what if I don't want to spend time with you all day every day, huh? Sometimes it's just annoying to be around you. Did you think about it that way?"

Carol stopped short, tearing up at her best friend's words. Was she really that bad? Just because she had an opinion?

"Fine. You want to spend more time with someone less annoying, you can have fun with Milla. I might as well re-join The Red Scarves. At least they'd care more." Carol stormed out of the treehouse, fed up with her friend's antics.

"FINE! I DON'T NEED YOU!" Lilac screamed after the fleeing wildcat. "YOU'RE A HORRIBLE FRIEND ANYWAY!"

She sighed, immediately regretting her words. No matter what, Carol would always be by her side. She didn't want to throw away that

She glanced at the corner briefly, an obviously terrified Milla peering up to see if the argument ad finished.

Lilac immediately ran over to hug the trembling hound, murmuring soft words in her ear until she had calmed down.

"It's okay Milla." The dragon girl ran a hand over her soft fur. "I'm gonna go after her, alright?"

"Just stay here."

"No!" Milla yelped. "Let me come with you! I don't want to stay here again!"

"But-"

Milla jumped up to her feet hurriedly. "No buts! I have to go with you, or else!"

Lilac looked at Milla's determined face. It was rare that the basset hound got like this, but she knew nothing would convince Milla to stay otherwise.

"Fine." Lilac hastily replied. "Hopefully we can convince Miss Wild to come back home..."

"Well, I might have an idea." Milla looked upwards. "Carol does occasionally do something that I've heard once in a while..."

"I might as well re-join The Red Scarves. At least they'd care more." Carol angrily stomped out, leaping out the door into a running bound.

"FINE, I DON'T NEED YOU!" A yell echoed out into the forest. "YOU'RE A HORRIBLE FRIEND ANYWAY!"

"BETTER THAN YOU, YOU SNOB!" Carol screamed back, tears streaming down her eyes in thin flows.

Time seemed to slow down as she sped away, trampling falling leaves and branches in her wake. She didn't care where she was going, just anywhere that would be far away from Lilac.

After a while, a cold sensation washed over her boots. She looked down to find herself in the shallow waves of a lake. Confusion temporarily plagued her mind until Carol noticed the towering green kingdom that was across the lake.

There was no doubt where she was. From the freshly seeded soil, to the green shrubs that littered the landscape, she had arrived at Shuigang. Her goal to run away was so prominent in her mind she had run across three kingdoms.

'Must've broken some kind of record.' Carol thought as she sat down. 'Maybe I can get my motorcycle and go t-

MY MOTORCYCLE!'

She smacked her palm straight into her forehead, annoyed at her temporary ignorance.

'Geez, you idiot! If you had brought it then maybe this wouldn't have been so bad-'

The full consequences of the run hit Carol, racking her body with gasps and wheezes. She collapsed, stitches striking her body in ridiculous sizes. She groaned loudly as she felt her insides burning up, sharp jabs of pain rolling into her ribs.

Despite her painful circumstances, she managed to crawl to the edge of the lake. She lapped up the water desperately, her thirst clouding any form of common sense as she drank the lake's contents wildly.

She fell back on the ground, her belly swollen with the water she had consumed. She coughed up the remains of the water she couldn't down, heaving until the nauseating feeling eased its way out of her body.

'Stupid Lilac.' An angry thought pervaded its way into Carol's mind, heating up her body. 'I was trying to be a friend, and she throws it back in my face! She thinks she's the queen of Avalice. Such a snob...'

She took off her boots and slipped her calves into the water, sighing in relief as the cool sensation sapped the heat out of her body.

The sun set below the horizon of the lake, the remaining light seeping through the bushes. The cold wind slowly made the wildcat shiver uncontrollably as she pulled her legs out of the slowly freezing water. She wrapped her arms around her legs, hoping that this would warm her up.

"Well..." Carol muttered. "If I have to go out like this, so be it-"

"CAROL!" A yell broke the silence of the night. "CAROL!"

Carol raised her head. Was that...?

A growl escaped Carol's throat. She was the last person Carol wanted to see.

Carol huddled herself into a ball, holding her breath as Lilac called her name continuously.

"I heard your growl, doofus." Lilac pushed through the bushes, carrying a mysterious object in tow.

"I don't want to talk to you right now." Carol scowled. "And how did you even follow me?"

"You kinda left a few paw prints in your 100 mile sprint." Lilac chuckled reluctantly, scratching the back of her head. "The Magister would be proud. Also, I brought your motorcycle-"

"What do you want, Lilac? You yell at me and then suddenly expect me to go 'Yeah, let's be friends!'" Carol waved her paws in the air. "He-LLO, I'm not stupid."

"Look, Carol, I just wanted to say I'm sorry al-"

"Alright? No it's not alright Lilac. Every time you try to be a hero, you distance yourself away from me. It takes everything in me to follow you in your adventures sometimes. Even after this whole 'Brevon' thing is over, you still want to be a legend! Take a break, 'Miss Hero Pants'!" Carol scorned, mockingly pronouncing Lilac's alias.

"You didn't have to follow me." Lilac retorted. "You could've stayed if you wanted-"

"Of course I had to follow you!" Carol leapt to her feet, pointing an accusing finger at Lilac. "You're my best friend, and I knew that if I didn't follow you you'd get yourself into trouble! Doesn't it matter to you that sometimes I might not have any other choice!?" Carol sniffled, her eyes slowly tearing up. "I don't have any one left! No parents, no one to take me in anymore! Even after we saved the world, what might change? More money? I don't want that! I only have you and Milla left! And even then you might go off on your own and leave me again! I don't want the Hero of Avalice, I want my best friend back!"

With her valiant speech, Carol sped off to the opposite corner of the lake, her final cry echoing in Lilac's ears.

The dragon girl could feel her cheeks heat up in guilt. She knew that she had been creating hero work for herself so that she could become what she had fantasized as a kid, what all kids usually wanted to be. A hero. But in doing so, she lost her best friend along the way.

'What matters more, 'Miss Heropants'? Your status or your best friend, someone who's been there for you no matter what danger she could've been in?' Her consciousness jeered at her. 'You call yourself a hero, and yet you can't save your own best friend?'

Lilac slowly sat on the edge of the bank, cupping her chin thoughtfully. Maybe it was best that she left Carol by herself for now. She did leave the motorcycle in the ditch...

'Listen to yourself! This is why Carol left you in the first place! You abandon your friend when she gets mad at you! She needs you, don't forget that...'

She looked down at her reflection, staring at a person who once promised a certain wildcat that she'd never leave her side, no matter what happens.

Tiny droplets moistened her cheeks as she kicked her reflection, frustrated at her ignorance.

"Ugh, why am I so stupid? Sometimes I wish-"

She stopped short as the ambience of the night disappeared in an instant.

A beautiful noise pierced the air, overcoming the hoot of owls or the chirping of crickets. All the critters of Mother Nature seemed to stop at this soft, sweet pitch that interrupted her thoughts.

'What is that?' Lilac stood up, quickly searching around for the emission of the sound. There's only me and-

'Oh my god.'

Lilac gaped as she saw Carol, softly singing to herself and any other critter who had the glorious opportunity with her angelic voice:

"Short steps, deep breath,

Everything is alright.

Chin up, I can't,

Step into the spotlight.

She said, "I'm sad,"

Somehow without any words.

I just stood there,

Searching for an answer."

She shuffled slowly, edging towards Carol's position. Lilac coughed lightly, preparing to sing the next verse:

"When this world is no more,

The moon is all we'll see.

I'll ask you to fly away with me...

Until the stars all fall down,

They empty from the sky...

But I don't mind,

If you're with me, then everything's alright."

Surprised by the other vocally adept voice, Carol looked to the side at Lilac's sudden appearance by her side. Her hand was clasped in Lilac's glove, softly stroking her fur. She stared at Lilac's moistening eyes and sad smile. Without saying anything, she knew what Lilac truly wanted to say.

'I'm so sorry, Carol.'

She pulled away harshly, her own eyes glistening with tears as she began to sang the next lines:

"Why do my words,

Always lose their meaning?

What I feel, what I say,

There's such a rift between us.

She said, "I can't

Really seem to read you."

I just stood there

Never know what I should do."

Carol's voice raised slightly by the end of her voice, a wavering vocal shudder noticeable in her last line. Lilac gazed at Carol, her face barely holding back tears. She softly seized Carol's paw in her hand once again. Holding her hand, she tilted her head to align with Carol's saddened brief glance.

The miffed wildcat's own eyes softened when she saw Lilac's eyes misting, no sign of the pride that was so visible during their argument. This was her best friend, no doubt.

She gave a small smile as both prepared to sing the last verse:

"When this world is no more,

The moon is all we'll see.

I'll ask you to fly away with me...

Until the stars all fall down,

They empty from the sky...

But I don't mind,

If you're with me, then everything's al-."

Carol's voice faded into the air, the implications of the song hitting her.

'I missed her. I could've lost her.'

She leaned her against Lilac's chest, her warmth providing everything she ever wanted. She didn't want to leave this spot.

Lilac petted her softly, her fingers running through Carol's thin green fur.

"Hey, you wanna finish the song with me?"

Carol looked up, a red flush crossing her cheeks as Lilac softly smiled at her. Just seeing that made her want to cry even more.

She gulped, clearing her throat as she tried to sing the last line:

"If you're with me, then everythi-."

The words stuck in her throat as she broke her stare at Lilac.

I'd have no-one...

"Carol?" Lilac quickly caught Carol as she began to faint in her arms. "Come on, it's alright. You can do it."

Carol swallowed hard, enveloping her arms around Lilac's back. She couldn't...

"Hey, when did you get so touchy?" Lilac gave a surprised chuckle.

Carol looked up, her vision distorted by her slowly forming tears...

Her pitch grew slightly higher as she attempted to sing the line once more:

"If you're wit-"

Tears ran down Carol's cheeks, quickly burying her face into Lilac to hide her sadness. "Lilac, I'm so sorry."

She broke down into hysterical sobbing, her apologies breaking down into indescribable gibberish.

Lilac embraced the wildcat once more, mumbling the same soothing tune into Carol's ear. She gently hold the broken girl in her arms, caressing her as she shuddered in her arms.

"It's okay Carol, It's okay." Lilac whispered, tearing up at the sight of Carol's emotional breakdown.

"Just don't go Lilac! Just don't go! I don't want you to leave me!" Carol cried into her arms, her feelings pouring out with every tear that fell down her face.

"I won't Carol, I won't leave you ever again. I'll be right here." Lilac squeezed her tight, despite the temperature dropping rapidly around them.

Nothing would make her let go of her dear Carol.

"Hey, hey!" An idea popped into her head. "When this over, I'll take you to that Motorbike Derby in Shan Mu! How does that sound, huh?" Lilac tried to sound cheerful for Carol's sake, despite the burning feeling in her heart. "Mayor Zao can pay for your ticket, and you can win it! What an honor, right?"

Carol sniffled, looking up temporarily. "That sounds great-" She gave a little smile, before breaking down into tears once more. Even just looking at Lilac could bring her down.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Carol, I'm so sorry. I know I'm a stupid Little Miss Hero-Pants who seems like she doesn't care. But I do. You're the world to me, and I don't want to lose you." She caressed her cheek, softly kissing her forehead. "I'll stay with you."

"Always."

Carol gripped her shirt tightly, pressing her head deep into her chest. A damp patch had formed at the front of Lilac's shirt from her tears. She desperately threw herself at Lilac, once again flinging herself into her neck.

Lilac gasped momentarily, the brief impact winding her. She lost her grip on her cuddle with the wildcat, eliciting fear in Carol's eyes.

"Carol, at least wait a se-"

"No! Lilac, I know you mean well, but I don't want to hear promises! I want you to do it! Just don't leave me, please!" Carol held back her tears long enough to continue talking. "Everyone that's ever taken care of me, from my family to Spade, they're all gone! And they all promised me the same thing! I don't just want to hear you say it! Please..."

Carol bawled as she collapsed on Lilac. "Don't leave me like the rest of them..."

Lilac held Carol in her arms, pressing her forward to a sitting position. She said nothing, stroking her soft fur and nuzzling her head against Carol's. She ran her hands against Carol's back, massaging her back as gently as she could.

Fatigue had struck Carol by the time she had stopped crying, her body becoming frozen against Lilac's. This warmth, this comfort, the muffled breath that would occasionally sift past her head. It felt just like when she was at home.

"Don't... go..." Carol uttered as she fell asleep against Lilac's shoulder.

Lilac smiled, continuously stroking her even when she had begun softly snoring.

"If you're with me, then everything's alright."

She whispered the remainder of the song in Carol's ear, kissing her cheek softly as Lilac set her head down on her lap.

"Goodnight Carol. Have a good sleep."

A rustle in the bushes caught Lilac's ears. The tension left her shoulders as she realized who it was. She gave a thumbs up at the hidden figure.

She received a thumb back in return, bringing a toothy grin from Lilac in return.

A quick rustle and a scamper of paws, and she was gone.

The gleaming beams of sunlight indicated the rising dawn, a new day. It slipped in Carol's eyelids as she fluttered her eyes open, curious to where she was.

'I don't remember the curtains being open. Did Lilac get up this early? And when did my pillow get so soft and warm?' Carol grinned as she snuggled into Lilac's lap, grateful for a comfortable lap-bed-

"Good morning, Carol." Lilac rubbed her thumb over Carol's cheek. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"WHA-?" Carol flopped out of her arms, shocked at her recent revelation. "What are you-? Why are you-?"

"You fell asleep in my arms, remember?" Lilac gestured to her stomach, her shirt stained with the dried remains of Carol's tears. "Although you left quite a mess."

"O-Oh. Did I cry?" Her confused expression brought a small smile on Lilac's lips.

"Yeah, but I did kind of hurt you. Sorry about that."

The memories of last night hit Carol at full force, butterflies forming in her stomach.

"Um, it's okay." Carol shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry about... that."

Lilac giggled. "It's okay. I don't mind holding you in my arms. You're cute like that. Between that and breaking your heart, I'd choose the first one."

A heavy blush flushed across Carol's cheeks, leaving her stuttering and flustered. "B-But, why did you make me sing? And don't say that! I'm not cute!"

"Heh, you sang on the bank. It was beautiful. Milla told me about it. When I was out shopping, apparently you sang the same song in the shower while Milla was listening. So I decided to wait until you started singing. Pretty big scenario that happened by chance, but worth it."

Carol looked away from Lilac's goofy grin. Did she really-?

'Well, I'm an idiot.' She mentally slapped herself. 'Although at least Lilac isn't mad at me anymore-'

"Also." She suddenly saddled up to Carol's side. "You are cute."

She grabbed Carol's paw, planting a kiss on Carol's cheek. "And that's why we're going to the Motorbike Derby!"

Carol could feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Lilac actually wanted to go somewhere with her?

"W-Wait!" She stopped Lilac in a hurry. "M-Maybe we don't have to go! After all, you might be busy and all and I don't want to disturb that-"

Lilac smirked at her. "Well, I did promise you a play-date. And I don't break promises. Besides, you're my best friend."

Carol sighed. No arguing against this date, no matter what she said. Lilac was just as stubborn as herself, and she knew that very well.

The two raced off, Carol's signature fanged smile returning to her face once again.

Today was gonna be a good day.

Author's End Notes: Hope you enjoyed this little fanfic. As always, reviews and constructed criticism are welcome.