A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter.

Crane stepped outside and yawned. It was dawn. He'd been up all night, watching the moon. It was getting dimmer too, but why? He looked at the sun creeping over the horizon. It was coming up at the right time, but it was much darker then it should be if the sun was where it was.

Every day, the light was dimmer, less brilliant, every night the moon was less and less visible and the stars for once, shown brighter. They were trying everything they could to find the cause of this, but how could they really, when the sun was billions of miles away? And even if they could get to it, it was far too hot to get very closer to.

He yawned again and went to his room. He needed to sleep. He could go for two days, maybe three without sleep but if didn't sleep today he'd probably just collapse over a telescope. Just as he was putting his hand on the doorknob he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Crane turned around. Rosethorn was standing there, looking wide awake and refreshed. How could she be like that? He knew for a fact she was working as hard as he, yet she managed to sneak in sleep, but how?

"I've been recording the amount of light coming from the sun each day. Every day the sun is less light to a certain degree. Today it's twice as dim as it should be," she said to him.

Crane looked at the sun, now dark enough to look at without seriously injuring the eyes, "Really? That's odd. Do you suppose that it will begin to get dimmer faster as time goes on?"

"Perhaps," Rosethorn answered, looking at the sun as well in confusion.

Crane turned his eyes from the sun and let them land on Rosethorn. She looked so pretty, with the dim light shining on her hair, her brows furrowed in thought. Rosethorn felt his stare and turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his squarely, although she was a good many inches shorter then he. Crane searched her eyes for something, anything, that might show she could have feel- Stop it Crane!! Look away; did it ever occur to you that she might see your feelings in your eyes?? Crane looked back at the sun, leaving Rosethorn slightly puzzled at what had gone on just then and leaving Crane desperately wondering what Rosethorn thought of him, as just a friend, or maybe more… Crane shook his head. Nonsense. They had been rivals, and somewhat friends, for as long as they had known each other. Why would Rosethorn start liking him more now? Then again, why would he?

Crane sighed, but not so loudly that Rosethorn noticed, and said, "I'm going to take a nap, I need some sleep."

Rosethorn looked at him. Yes, it was very obvious he needed some sleep, and more then a nap. Why didn't he just admit it and sleep all day? It wasn't like they were any closer to find the answer. Rosethorn smiled to herself, she knew the answer to her own question. Because he was proud, and way to arrogant.

"Crane. I wouldn't mind if you slept all day," Rosethorn told him.

Crane, instead of saying something back, only nodded and stepped into his room, moments after he realized he should have said, "I can't afford to sleep that long, besides, I don't need that much." But it was to late now; Crane thought as he shut the door, getting one last glimpse of Rosethorn watching him with, Crane paused, could it be, worry? The door shut before Crane could double check, and so he determined that what he saw as worry was simply a trick of the light and his mind.

***

A letter had come from the city. They wanted someone to come from Winding Circle to help out there with the Sun Problem, as people were now calling it. And who was sent? Of course, the main character! Crane! He had some fun in the city, explained what was going on and what they were doing to try and figure out what was going on. Then, after a week or two, he finally started on his way back to Winding Circle…

Crane sat on a bay gelding, who was plodding along so slowly he could have screamed, but of course, he didn't. With a final kick in the horse's ribs Crane gave in for a long and boring ride home. This horse evidently didn't have any nerves in his sides.

"You'd think you would want to get home sooner too, you know, warm stable and fresh hay…" Crane muttered to the horse, knowing it wouldn't make a difference. And it didn't.

So instead Crane stared up at the sky. A few, or rather, a lot, of clouds drifted above, leaving just enough blue sky for the day not to be called completely cloudy. More like partly cloudy. And it was so dark it seemed to be near night. It was midday.

Suddenly Crane came to a crossroads. He pulled back on the gelding's reins. That road hadn't been there when he was riding in, or had it? Crane thought back to his ride in. What had he been doing? He had been… Crane stiffened, daydreaming. The whole ride had been sort of like a dream, he remembered a warm sunny day, and the horse seemed to know the way to and from, Crane glanced down at the horse he was sitting on, it was the same one that had carried him in. What was its name? Crane thought hard then it floated up to him Tiger lily.

"Tiger," Crane whispered and the horse pricked his ears back at him.

Tiger Lily, wasn't that a flower? Crane's thoughts left the road in front of him and turned to flowers, which inevitably, led to Rosethorn. Crane started and stared at the road again, blushing although no one could see him. Now he remembered what, or rather, whom, he had been thinking about the ride in, and why he hadn't seen the side road.

Crane cursed under his breath. This was getting worse. He couldn't even think without Rosethorn invading his mind! What was he going to do, or say to Rosethorn?

Crane stared at the road and tried to drive Rosethorn from his thoughts. As he looked and idea came to his mind. Did he really want to go back to Winding Circle?

One part of his mind said, Yes!! You're dedicated there! (Lets call this on the AngelCrane.) Another said, No!! Work is too hard!! It would be soo nice to get away! (Lets call this one DevilCrane.)

AngelCrane: Shut up! You belong at Winding Circle! Your green house, the plants… and you're a Dedicate there, can't forget!

DevilCrane: Hah! Dedicated! It's a free world! Go, Crane, go down the other road, and escape from all your troubles! The world is ending soon anyway, why not die happy?

AngelCrane: But even if you did leave, you wouldn't be truly happy…

That struck home. Crane looked down the road towards Winding Circle, a strange aching in his heart. How he wanted to be with Rosethorn, yet he knew she only thought as them as friends. But he wanted more then friendship. Without a doubt he tapped Tiger and steered him towards Winding Circle, feeling much happier, except for one thing tugging away at his heart.

He should tell her. He really should tell her, but what if, what if she… rejected… him? No, he couldn't tell her. And that, was that.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up, I lost my disk. Well, actually I knew where it was I was just to lazy to go and get it whenever I felt like typing and remembered. So there you have it. Please review! I love reviews! Thanks to Sarajii, Zurizip, AerinBrown, and Antonia for reviewing the first chapter!