At the edge of the Mokomo Dukedom, the night breeze stirred gently, and starlight spilled over Zunesha's enormous body, bathing the land in a silvery glow.
Gern stood at the cliff's edge, feeling the sea breeze against him. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he suddenly spoke.
"Well now, where's my partner in justice?" There was a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Didn't think you'd spot me." Lipo skipped out of the shadows, whistling as she pretended nothing was amiss.
She wore a dress and carried a little backpack patterned with carrots. Her floppy ears swayed gently with her steps.
Gern stood at the cliff's edge, moonlight falling over his sharply defined profile.
Then he lowered his head to look at Lipo, his mouth twitching slightly. Folding his arms, he gave her a deliberately stern look. "You..."
"I don't care!" Lipo suddenly shouted, her voice ringing especially clearly in the quiet night.
She was terrified that Gern would turn her down just as he had Pedro.
So she suddenly jumped up and grabbed Gern, her pink eyes wide, as though she feared he might vanish the very next second.
"You said you came looking for me in the first place! And we high-fived!" She spoke in a rush, her floppy ears twitching with excitement.
"I'm already a partner in justice! And I'm really easy to feed!
"All I need is carrots and carrot juice, and when it's time to sleep, I can just squeeze in beside you!"
The more Lipo spoke, the more frantic she became. By the end, she was practically stamping her feet as she shouted, "Anyway, you can't get rid of me! Hmph!"
Gern froze.
The night breeze swept past, stirring their clothes.
Lipo stared fiercely at him, her chest rising and falling with