Whisper Caverns what is this downside that you speak of

Being caught in her embrace reminded him, faintly, of being huddled up against his mother's warm chest as a child. Just like his mother (at the time, anyway - he had no idea how big or small she was compared to him now), Nineva was larger, the comforting presence, a protective barrier between himself and the world. But being held like this, being pressed into her with his nose full of her fur, it didn't feel like the same kind of closeness between a mother and a child. It was different. Despite their size difference, despite her needing no guardian, he felt the urge to want to protect her, too. To keep her from harm, to see her always smiling, to ensure that she was never disappointed. It set his heart going all kinds of pleasant irregular rhythms, made his mind drift off to a version of reality where this could be... how they were.

They already kinda were like this, it hardly felt wrong or strange, but...

As ever when they were so close, he regretted speaking at all, because he saw the look in her eyes and then she was pulling away, the fire of adventure in her. Hiding his deep regret that she had moved away at all, he followed suit in rolling onto his front, hopping up and towards her, tail wagging in relaxed pleasure as she took him through the caverns where she had grown up. He couldn't help but imagine what she had looked like as a little grey puppy with two mismatched eyes, jumping through these dark tunnels, playing with her siblings, causing trouble for her parents. Warm inside and out, by the time they went home, his cheeks were tired from smiling.