The fifth time he is alone with Pericles, he's sitting on the beach, waiting for the sun to come up.

Grit stings at the corners of his eyes, from the long night and the sand and from the cold, heavy failure weighing like wet cement in his chest. He picks absently at the wood of the ancient picnic table, blunt claws slowly scratching away the B in 'J + B forever.'

He doesn't hear the footsteps before he feels someone take a seat next to him. He doesn't turn to look. Instead, he stares out over the horizon, where pink is only just starting to spread into the heavy gray-blue light.

"I take it the search was not successful," murmurs Pericles, closer than he'd thought.

He would be so, so angry, if he wasn't so, so tired and defeated. He simply nods, instead.

"Hm."

There is silence for a while after that. The sky lightens.

And then, "I must ask that you do not go looking again."

It takes a moment to register what he's saying. Scooby turns to look at him, blinking in bleary-eyed confusion. "What?"

Pericles is looking him intensely in the eyes, and he is very, very close. Scooby notices that the pupil of his good eye is slitted, catlike. "If this happens again, stay away. By the time anyone realizes they are missing, it will be too late, and there is no reason to risk yourself."

Scooby can only stare. "What?" he asks, again, anger and dread warring for control in his exhausted brain. "What makes you think this will happen again?"

"It will," is his reply, deadly serious. "Trust me."

Pericles leans in, one hand reaching up to touch its claws to Scooby's cheek. "Promise."

He is so tired, so tired, and Pericles is so close, and so warm in the predawn chill, and his voice is soft and deep and velvet-night-black and Scooby wants to rest in it, just wants to rest—

"Scoob!" calls Shaggy, voice carrying over the rocks that still hide him from view. "Come on, we're going home!"

Pericles is gone in an instant, in a flurry of wings. He flees with the dawn, leaving only confusion and lingering warmth behind him.

Scooby stands, head spinning, and heads back to the parking lot.

Behind him, the sun rises.