Shule understood what Dusky was asking, and gave Southpaw a long look. This was one of those situations where being a hard ass wasn't about to help anything. She let out a tired sigh. "I'll do my best." She promised, giving him a slow nod. She couldn't promise to be perfect, but even she knew that some times required acting like family, and not a superior.

Dusky let out a breath, controlled and steady until the last beats where it wavered fast and landed hard, leaving him breathless. Not even oxygen wanted to follow him in the room he was entering. Entering he spotted his father first, settled down on the floor and next to him was Unseenlight's. The stillness felt like time was paused, like any moment the world would spin back to life and movement would start again. That's how death had always played out in his mind at least, time stopping, nothing else moving.

"Do you feel guilty?" Sean asked.

"I'm fine," Dusky said, like he had rehearsed that line for a different quote Sean was meant to say. Instead Sean's question only caught up in his mind after he answered, "Why would I feel guilt?" he asked, a feeling of dread plummeting in his chest. Was his mom trying to be kind, sparing him from sort of reality that Unseenlight's death was his fault? Was there something he could have done?"

"You shouldn't, at least I wouldn't think so, I was just curious. When my first mate died I never stopped feeling guilty," Sean said.

Dusky stayed where he was, never advancing to Unseenlight's side, this was meant to be his quiet moment with her. A private good-bye, Sean could set the herbs he wanted and leave, "Glowstar said you killed your first mate so that makes sense for you," He said, staring in another direction with more annoyance than fear of Sean's response.

"There was a lot of self hate I experienced for the wrong I could never undo upon the day I murdered her. But despite it all, in every year I live, I find myself believing that I'd rather live to regret the things I do than the things I never did. Now, I'm going to find out if you feel the same. I can bring Lights back to life, I have the lives to spare."

Dusky's gaze almost trembled as though physically repulsed by the notion that life could be breathed back into cold bodies, but at the last second his gaze dared to find Sean's. His fathers gaze was locked onto him with a look that seemed close to prehistoric, a look of danger emitted from the ex sentinel, one that had been lost to time as this feeling of destruction that came from him felt primal, yet strategized all at once. "Well great then just bring her back and we can be a family and-" He almost moved his paw up to his forehead as a flood of emotions surged into him, but Sean placed his paw over his before he could.

"I can bring Lights back because I'll give her a life in exchange for owning yours," Sean said, exotic green gaze, never blinking as he stared into Dusky's lost turquoise gaze, "I thought you'd look betrayed, but I suppose we both feel the same. You saw me as much as your father as much as I saw you as my son. But your mother loves you and she wants a perfect family. So all I want from you is to play the part as your mothers perfect son and soldier. And if you don't Lights might lose her life."

Dusky was silent for a moment before moving to Sean's side, "You didn't need to explain all that, you had me the moment you said you could bring Lights back. So just do it, I've acted all my life, I can play pretend perfect son in this family. It's not a tall order."

Sean extended a paw and Dusky locked his paw with Sean's, "Paw promise," They said in unison before Sean knelt down to Unseenlights level while Dusky looked on.

"See you soon," Dusky promised Lights, waiting for the color to rush back.

---

After a bit of time Sean exited the den first to greet Commander Shule, "Good news, I managed to resuscitate her, turns out she still had a bit of life in her," He reassured. Shule could guess that he gave her life, she didn't need to know the strings he attached to his kind offer.