Echo painted halfheartedly for a while. her mind was absolutely whirling. winter? snow? was that really it or was that just a sign of their imminant death? she could think of one option... but no, she didn't even need to ask. secret would hate it. normally painting helped her think, but this really wasn't helping with anything. she soon sighed and gave up, sitting in her blankets and thinking. if only the wolves and lions could sit down like civilized humans and talk things out. wait, what? that's what she would say when galaxy and frost were fighting over something stupid. again. of course they weren't human but that was beside the point. in fact, neither group was civilized or human. but still. did she want a chance to speak with galaxy? absolutely. was that her only motive? she wouldn't admit it to any other people, but yes. 

She heard the pack growling, and secret shouted something. what? echo got up and checked the cave. the lions were there! china, symphony, that black lioness, acacia, and some other aggressive lions. no galaxy...

"What are you doing?" chinas powerful voice boomed out, directed at secret, who growled back. 

"I don't know what you mean, and i don't care. but something i do care about is that you decided to just take a patrol of your lions into the heart of my territory with no perrimison! you are heavily outnumbered. if you want to survive i suggest you turn around now and go back to the savannah. or, my pack can find out what lion tastes like." secret snarled, snapping at him. this would escalate quickly... and with her heightened vision(she had noticed her human vision improved after changing, to maybe a quarter that of an owls) she spotted faint, near indistinguishable rustling in the bushes. she looked closer, and didn't recall a tiny red flower there. she glanced around. yes, there were lions in the bushes. they were hiding well, but only galaxy maybe knew she could see better. the wolves had a larger pack, but the lions were more powerful. and galaxy and the shell of frost were there. if they fought both would die. in fact, the majority of both groups would die, and echo would still be trapped. she could probably live off the magic until it died off. she needed to intervene and resolve this peacefully... and she did have diplomatic experience... on the small scale. if she did end up making things worse it would be bad. she ran over to secret.

"You can change the weather, what are you doing with it?!" secret was about to respond when echo got there.

she whispered "i think this is my job!" and crossed her fingers it would be enough. secrets eyes flashed, but she backed away, haunches still raised, still growling. echo sighed internally and took secrets place. china eyed her.

"So, you, a prisoner sentenced to die, are speaking on behalf of the wolves?" she forced herself not to glare. calm voice, be gracious, the world literally depends on this. wait, that's right! the sun and moon and all forces of nature were literally depending on her not screwing up and causing magic world war 3. how did she get here?! calm voice, calm voice.

"Yes. i am no prisoner, i am the Moon Host, Luna Echo. I suspect you are referring to the white stuff falling from the sky?" wait, how did the wolves not smell the other lions? well, the majority wouldn't mention it, but secret would have known. and yet she was so confidant... even though echo knew that secret was aware of a delicate balance between the two sides. unless she hadn't sensed them? but then what did that mean? wait, why was that relevant when the world was literally at a crossroads and turning toward destruction? 

Chinas eyebrows raised, which looked funny on a lion, and snarled softly. "Yes. wolves control the weather. what is going on?"

"we arent certain. our theory is that it is something called snow, from the winter. we belive that my changing set about the restoration of balance and thus the 4th season returned. you should stock up on prey, according to some stories, animals grow scare in the winter. if you store it in the snowflakes it shouldn't go bad." she felt secrets eyes on her back. more silent speak. 

not only did you give them an explanation and basically shout that we're submissive to them from the rooftops, you gave them advice?!

China eyed her warily. "are you certain?"

"yes, sir." she felt secrets resentment grow tenfold at her respectfulness. she continued anyway. "it was meant to rain today. i belive the cold from winter froze the rain and turned it into winter. you should also consider your decision. a massacre between wolves and lions would litrlly destroy the world. and it seems illogical to hide your lions in the bushes when you never intended to be peaceful in the first place. but if you fought um, us, then two equally matched super forces would end up destroying everything." hmm kinda like the cold war. wait, how was that relevant? because... Kennady inched his tanks back an inch(BAM! history lesson out of nowhere! sneak attack)? no that didn't help. especially in this case, unless the wolves just moved they weren't going anywhere. she felt secret as if electrically snap up, and she realized the threat and understood why echo was being diplomatic and polite. china, on the other hand, was not pleased to be called out, or called evenly matched. he nodded and the lions came out to join him.

"you got your answer. please take your army home now." he cocked his head. she could read him. he knew they didn't want a fight, and so he could use that to get what he wanted. 

"very well. i will be back." she had to play dumb.

"why?"

"to collect my payment, of course."

"for what?!" 

"not destroying you. i will be back at sunset."

"are you kidding? you maybe be more powerful but you're outnumbered, and the wolves are growing."

"do you want an apocalypse?" a lion perked up, presumably named apocoylpse. why would anyone name someone that?!

"do you?" she would have to fulfill his demands if he pressed, but secret might not."

"you do not know our full power."

"and you dont know ours. give up."

"so, what do you think the world will look like without the moon, acaicia?" china very pointedly directed the question at his lion equivalent of frost.

she rolled her eyes visibly. "no need for drama. tell us your terms, and if its reasonable, we will accept." he smiled. opps, she just said he won.

"the plate, apple seeds from you magic orchard, land, and you." 

"what?"

"those are my terms."

"what do you mean you want me?"

"i mean, i know what happens if you die. we have spies in the right places. i will come at sundown, and you will be ready to go with the requested items." spies... galaxy had betrayed her. she didn't snap in shock. she was to tired of everything to. she was hardly even surprised. she hadn't expected it, but she just didn't have the capacity to be shocked by another thing. he was asking for her life. she wasn't interested in fighting it. what were her choices? if she refused, he would destroy the world. if she accepted, he would destroy half of it. she glanced at secret for direction, then frost, and both shook their heads.

"I'm sorry but that isn't possible. if you decide to attack us, you will die. so will we. so will the world. everyone losses. except, with no sun or moon, the world gets plunged into eternal darkness. so ultimately, the night sorta gets the last laugh." she hadhim there, but he couldn't back down. he was at a position where he had to come away with something the other lions saw as worthwhile. he had made a bad bluff.

"fine. what about secret and a strip of land leading to the bonfyre, which will also be ours."

"unacceptable. you cannot take lives on a whim." he challenged her with his eyes.

"final offer. any wolves, of your choosing, in a quantity to bring balance in numbers. they can be young nuisinaces and elders sapping reasorces if you like." 

"I'm sorry, but that's simply impossible. i can arrange to get you each type of apple to grow at your disgrecion, or branches to graft. that's as far as i can go I'm afraid." depending on the value of the orchardthe the lions, he might accept. but he would have to also demand something else, even something relatively worthless, because he had to set the terms.

"i will accept, if-" yes! she had correctly estimated him!) "you will give us the next litter of pups you have."

"what? what do you even want that? we are not giving you babys to murder. namly because its stupid, and also, they're defenseless innocaent and adorable!" pops, to much emotion. it could collect sympathy from the lions however.

"not to kill, to save."

"no. whatever your twisted for of saving them is we refuse." she heard Aesthete, who would have a litter within weeks, sigh in relief. "something else." she suspected whatever i was would involve lives, in fact, she heard him almost claim a stake in her life or death.

"we want the bonfire then. the entire thing. you need to move it." 

"I'm sorry we cant. we can get you torches from it."

"torches burn out."

"I'm sorry, but it is physically impossible."

"fine. this is the last chance. a cup from the healing fountain pool."

"absolutely. do you have a cup in mind?"

"no. are you incapable of getting one yourself?"

"alright. we will meet you at the border at sunset." she felt his distaste. he wanted to barge right into the heart of secrets territory, but she had set terms, and besides secret would hate it.

he left, and she felt relived she just saved the world. wait, SHE JUST SAVED THE HECKING WORLD!!! WHAT????? she needed a moment... nevermind it didn't help. SHE SAVED THEFREAKING PLANET! HOW IN THE SUN?! er, moon. but strangely, her thoughts returned to secret not smelling them she turned.

"secret, how did you miss the hiding lions?"

secret pulled herself further up and looked more dominate and impressive than normal. "are you challenging me?"

"what? no I'm- opps. is that a weird wolf thing? i just thought maybe you were-" secret cut her off with a glare. wolvs started murmuring.

"Promise. go buy a cup. make it as small as is reasonable. eden, go collect apples. one of every type. zephyr, truth, area, hedge, petal, soar, and equinox. patrol the border." she named off a bunch of others to search and make sure no lions remained. "Echo. do a quick fly over and scan for any lions." since when was she brainwashed? secret wasn't her boss.

she resentfully took flight, quickly scanning the ground. no lions. this was stupid. she returned and halted in the doorway, already large eyes massive. secret and frost circled each other, hackles up. were they fighting for dominance?

"Secret, your to old to be alpha anymore. you couldn't even smell the hiding lions." oh dang, this was her fault. although at the moment she was viewing frost in a positive light. frost didn't take advantage of her and sell her out to china.she couldn't even trust galaxy... but that was off topic. frost stood taller and made direct eye contact with secret. everyone waited. one would break eye contact.

"stand down, frost."

"its time that you retire. you arent what you used to be." 

"is this really nessacary? why is everything about dominance?" echo felt all eyes turn to her.

"ummmmmmmm"

"well, if you're so smart echo, then how should this play out in your perfect human society that somehow translates TO A PACK OF WOLVES." frost challenged.

"well i have to live with you. and you're to you, secret is to old. why not just have- nevermind..." whoever she suggested would be majorly in trouble. echo sighed and threw u her hands, leaving for her room. not before fros got in a word though.

"we have to live with you to." echo shrugged. she got back to painting for a couple hours, until around sundown. she left and saw secret looking unsure of herself, and frost looking dominant. what? that would be awkward. 

"Yes, i will bind tonight, first lets get this thing over with." echo stared at her. well then... she followed as they headed to the border with the 'payment'. the lions accepted it. china noted with a gleam in his eye frosts position. she was young, so she was weak. it was probably echos job to suggest frot do something to show china she was powerful. if the world depended on it, sure. would frost accept her advice though? hopefully. she would be unwise to change to drastically from secret at her age, it would be a bad look for sure.