'TIL I DIE BY YOUR SIDE (SHINE)

[Who am I? (It's totally Kayla)]

Aru,

“Please... meet me at the gem cave during the next half moon. If... if you wanna see me again, that is.”

“I really do love you, Moonshadow. Let’s meet again soon, yeah?”

The night of the half moon came far quicker than he could have anticipated. Aru had spent the seemingly short days leading up to this moment cleaning his home and the surrounding territory, having not realized just how messy things had gotten since his mother’s death. Storm debris, prey bones, only-stars-knew-what... Cloud, ever patient and kind, had always tidied up after him and his friends regardless of his claims of being able to manage it himself. That had proven to be completely false though, especially when it had gotten so bad that he had to bribe—in terms of a freshly caught meal—his cousin Snow Rose to come help him out. Then again, it was partially her fault to begin with... “Damn lazy freeloader...” But despite his grumbling Aru didn’t actually mind when she came to visit. Her company was nice, even more so after Cloud had passed away and Luna went back to ThunderClan, but tonight he had gently requested that she get lost for awhile. This was supposed to be something for just Moonshadow and himself, after all, and nothing would kill the mood faster than his friend awkwardly hanging around.

Planning a romantic evening wasn’t something the light brown tabby had much experience in though. Most of his previous “dates” had been on-the-spot affairs and there really wasn't anyone he could ask for advice from. Snow Rose had never done anything remotely romantic in her life and it wasn’t like he was drowning in friends here. There was still Marcus, his grandfather, who might have had a thing or two to say on the matter but they weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment. Ever since the scar-covered tom recruited Snow Rose into his secretive, dangerous nonsense Aru refused to acknowledge him, going as far as to refuse access to Cloud’s grave after she had died. It was a petty act—possibly even cruel—but endangering his family was not something Aru was willing to forgive. Snow Rose had been through more than enough without Marcus making things any worse but the idea of pushing his grandfather away, who had been trying so hard to make things right lately, also hurt.

Even so he had to put those thoughts aside for now. The half moon was shining brightly overhead, the lack of dense trees in his little patch of land allowing for a perfect view of the night sky. There was a good reason he had chosen this particular evening for the setting, though perhaps it would only be clear to him. Over the long, painful, lonely moons where he had tried to forget about the ThunderClan molly he instead found even more reasons to remember her. Moonshadow: part light, part shadow—just like a half moon. It had quickly become his favorite of the cycle, nights worth spending alone in the gem cave. And ah, yes, the gem cave. There was a certain irony in finding out the name of the beautiful stones that lined those walls. Moonstones, they were supposedly called. Aru would never forget the way his heart yearned for her the moment he found out. And now, with leaf-fall well on its way, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for another feature of his territory.

Scattered throughout the area surrounding the cave tunnel were white flowers that only bloomed when the sun was gone, their ivory petals unfurling to reveal an almost moon-shaped blossom. Aru found himself stopping to smell them as he paced in front of the entrance to the cave tunnel, anxious energy finding ways to grip his nerves no matter how hard he fought to stay calm. What if Moonshadow didn’t show up? What if she did show up but realized it was a mistake? They weren’t the same cats from their youth anymore. Aru cringed at the memory of all his cheesy lines, at his cocky, faux charming attitude that was a desperate facade to cover his insecurities and need for affection. Even if Moonshadow hadn’t seen past all that she had gotten a part of him that no one else ever had—or ever would. She was it, forever and always, so to think about losing her again now...

Stop panicking, dammit!

The demand, so firm in his head, stilled his feet as well. Taking in a deep breath the tabby tom directed his gaze towards the sky again but something else grabbed his attention first. Above the entrance of the cave was a giant sycamore tree, it’s gnarled roots framing the opening, and resting along the bark were... “Luna moths. Of course there are luna moths,” he laughed softly, tension visibly lessening throughout his slender form. The scene was so lovely, so breathtaking, but would it be enough to guarantee a successful night? Was it a promise for the future, a sign of the stars aligning in his favor? There was no way of knowing for sure, a fact that was as terrifying as it was comforting. All he could do now was wait and hope for the best, to be his best, and give Moonshadow a wonderful evening. Maybe, if his old luck could hold true just one more time, everything else would simply fall into place.

OOC: I am so sorry, this scene is such a mess. Basically Aru is standing in front of the gem cave entrance and looking up at a huge tree directly above it. The tunnel is dug into the mountain where the tree took root. It's a little different from our old scene but I wanted to make it more detailed somehow.

ShinoDino first of her name!

[ShinoDino first of her name!]

Infra-Red
I know that you're burning up for me
Fire in your bloodstream
Moving through you at light-speed
I see you, I see you

The half-moon gazed down upon the trees, seeking its next spotlight. But the cream-furred femme was not fooled. She stuck to the darkest shadows, the thickest undergrowth. She’d snuck out of the camp through the dirtplace tunnel and doubled back twice to be sure her scent would not be traced. 

The moon desperately sought her eyes, and they glittered blue - the amber flashes sparkling like glowing embers - for mere heartbeats before disappearing into shadow again. Owlflight had showed no signs of attending the medicine cat meeting that night, but she would take no chances of running into any of the other medicine cats as they traveled to the Moonpool, despite ThunderClan territory’s close proximity to the loner lands. 

As she neared the border, the memories crept in - as they always did. 

. 

. 

. 

"Hey there beautiful, what's going on?" 

"Who are you, rogue? You are trespassing." 

"Rogue is such a harsh word. 

I'd be a little bit nicer there if I were you sweetheart. 

After all, I helped save that beautiful face of yours. 

Do you have a name, or should I just call you perfect?" 

"You are on my territory, and I ask the questions: Who are you, then? And I am Moonshadow. Call me perfect, and I'll show you how perfectly I can disembowel you, capeesh?" 

. 

. 

. 

She chuckled softly to herself as she descended the slope on quick, nimble paws that left no sound to echo on the wind. Her first meeting with Aru could not have gone more differently from how that same night had gone. 

She’d been so scared and bristly, still traumatized over StoneClan. He’d been so . . . smooth. Confident. Sturdy. 

Unlike a lot of her life. 

She reached the bottom of the slope and paused. Behind her, as far in the opposite direction as she was now, lay the RiverClan territory. The territory where she’d grown up, raised by a RiverClan queen until StoneClan attacked. She’d been nine, nearly ten, moons old when she finally set paw on ThunderClan soil. And she’d been a scant 15 moons old when she bumped into the alluring tabby tom on the border. 

Not nearly enough time for her to gain any understanding of herself, of her world, or of her loyalties. The steadiest things in her world lay sleeping in the warrior’s den right now, sleeping soundly to prepare for the rescue mission coming so very soon. She’d obliterated any chance she had at a relationship with them, but they were as loyal as she could hope - though not without their own difficulties in that area. 

Grayheart had seemingly stopped seeing Greenpaw, but he had visited her enough to let Moonshadow know that their meetings were far more than a casual friendship. And Lunamoth . . . well, she’d scared Moonshadow to death, plunging her into grief for moons before unceremoniously reappearing, bubbling with stories of the tom Moonshadow had tried so desperately to forget. 

How different her kits - their kits - might have turned out if things had gone differently. 

. 

. 

. 

"He-Hello Aru." 

"Is everything okay?" 

"Aru . . . I'm pregnant. And you're the only tom who could be the father." 

"P-pregnant?" 

"You don't have to do anything. I can handle it. You don't have to see them or anything. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know."

. 

. 

. 

Right there. She’d messed up right then. If she’d insisted on . . . something . . . maybe things would have turned out differently. Better. 

Moonshadow never even paused at the border. She pushed through the thickest undergrowth to avoid being seen, but her pawsteps never slowed. She’d hesitated the first time she’d crossed this border for Aru. She’d been nervous the second time she’d gone to him, already weighed down with their then-unborn kits. 

Now she felt only excitement. The time from their last meeting until this night had passed with snail-like progress. She’d tried to fill her days with patrols, hunting, camp repairs, and the like, but nothing took the light tabby brute off of her mind. Grayheart’s scorching gaze had only fueled her stubborn desire to see Aru again. 

What right did her kit have to criticize her life choices anyway? 

He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Aru. And Grayheart’s little RiverClan girlfriend made little better of a mate choice than a loner. 

Long legs helping her cover distance easily, Moonshadow traveled into the loner lands, nose to the ground to pick up that scent that haunted her. She remembered the way to the gem cave like she knew her own territory, but she wanted to find him. And after ThunderClan’s recent rogue troubles, she couldn’t be too careful. 

Her paws stopped dead. Dawnstripe was gone, and Flamestone had confided to her that her sweet older sister had given made an incredible sacrifice for love and for ThunderClan. Even now, ThunderClan prepared to rescue Dawnstripe and defend the Clan. 

And here she was, wandering the loner lands alone, looking for a rogue. 

A rogue that she loved more than anything in the world. 

Shaking her pelt, she blinked her blue-amber eyes and continued to the gem cave. Her heart thundered the closer she got to it. She’d been so scared to go inside the first time. The dark cavern had yawned like an enemy’s open maw, ready to devour her whole. 

Instead, her very soul had been devoured, torn apart, and forever changed. It had split into pieces. Two of those pieces now slept soundly in the ThunderClan warrior’s den. 

Flamestone had told her once that having kits was like watching one’s heart walk around independent of the body. She’d laughed him off. 

But the moment she’d laid eyes on Lunamoth, tiny, wet, and squeaking, she’d understood. 

Aru had missed all of that. He had missed the chance to be by her side when their kits entered the world that crisp newleaf dawn. He had missed them opening their eyes, taking their first wobbling steps, trying their first bite of fresh-kill. 

And she had missed him every moment. The dark nights as she lay awake in the nursery, staring at the moonlight that seeped through the nursery ceiling, wondering how she would go on. The day that Lunamoth had disappeared, she’d gone into the forest and cried out for him to be at her side. When she’d followed her gut (and Grayheart) to the RiverClan border, the first cat she’d wanted to talk to had been Aru. She wanted to see him always. 

And she would see him so achingly soon. Her legs shook with exertion and excitement as she rushed through the loner lands as fast as she could, trying to keep an ear and eye out for less friendly rogues. 

When his scent hit her nose she nearly cried with joy. Some part of her, some insecure part, had believed she’d never scent him again. Speeding up, she slithered silently through the undergrowth as only a ThunderClanner could. 

She popped up through the bushes like a mole and rushed the last fox-lengths. Her breath caught in her throat. He really stood there. Waiting. For her. 

Slamming on the brakes so she wouldn’t tumble right into him (though the thought wasn’t unappealing), Moonshadow stopped dead a tail-length from Aru, nerves and excitement and love and anticipation roaring through her. 

“Hi.” 

Her nerves hit and a heat filled her cheeks. To distract herself, she gazed up at the giant sycamore above - and let out a silvery giggle of surprise and joy. The moths. Oh those wonderful moths. 

“I named her for them, you know. Lunamoth. Because of the moths.” 

The stuttered syllables tripped over her tongue as they rushed from her maw. Behind them lay the countless other things she wanted to tell him. She swallowed them down (for now) and took in the area around her for the first time. 

She’d never been more aware of another cat more in her life though. Ordinarily, she’d gush over the flowers, the beautiful clearing, everything. But none of it held a whisker’s value when compared to him. 

“You . . . you really waited for me.” 

Not a question. She could not question that now. But still a reality so absolutely incredible. 

Like him. 

StarClan, if I’m dreaming, leave me be. I’ve never been happier in my life than right now. And if you disapprove . . . let it be known that Aru is worth every ounce of your wrath upon me. And then some.

In Infra-Red 

The heat and the light 

And the way you move 

Like nobody else is in the room 

I see you, I see you 

[Who am I? (It's totally Kayla)]

Aru,

Aru wasn’t usually one to be nervous. He’d built his entire personality around a cockiness that was strong enough to combat his father’s malignance, a sort of security blanket that got him through even the worst of Brokensoul’s abuse. It was how he survived then and how he lived now so why did his heart feel like it was about to beat out of his chest? Whatever confidence he had radiated in his youth felt hundreds of moons away as he waited for Moonshadow to arrive, his eyes trained on the lazy fluttering of the luna moths to keep him grounded. But then he heard a soft voice, one so lovely and painfully familiar that it caused his heart to twist into a knot. “Hi.” When Aru turned to face her he couldn’t hold onto his breath, staggering slightly as if all the air in his lungs was knocked away with one look.

“I named her for them, you know. Lunamoth. Because of the moths.”

For a moment all he could do was stare dumbly at the visage of beauty before him. The light of the half moon framed her slender figure in a way that was nearly spellbinding and the surrounding white flowers—now in full bloom—complimented her pale cream pelt better than he could have ever imagined. Not that he could ever forget what she looked like though. Aru had memorized every detail of the molly during their brief time together. He could recall her scent so vividly it often haunted him, could imagine her laughter so clearly it was like she was always smiling in his mind. Every brush of smooth fur, every gentle curve, even the angle of her eyes when she rolled them was etched into his memory forever. And yet she could still take his breath away, still leave him speechless with hardly a single glance.

“You... you really waited for me.”

There was a small lurch in his gut that reminded him that any doubt Moonshadow might have, conscious or not, would be completely justified. He had run away before, after all, and despite their heartfelt reunion and promises less than a moon ago he still had a long way to go to prove he had really changed. Aru knew better than most that pretty words meant nothing without the right actions to back them up. And then, in a moment of clarity as his body finally caught up with his brain, an old greeting—and a familiar flirty smirk—made an appearance for the first time in many moons.

“Do you have a name or should I just call you perfect?”

He held his grin just long enough to make an impression before he couldn’t hold back any longer. Aru pulled the molly into his chest and held her close, wrapping his paws around her in a gentle but firm embrace. “I’ve missed you so much, Moonshadow,” he whispered, wishing they could stay that way forever. But this was a date, a proper date, and he wanted to do things right. So, although it was almost painful, the slender tabby released his hold and stepped back, his sauve smirk now replaced by something much softer. “Shall we?” He gestured towards the cave entrance with a tilt of his head, the opening dark and unnerving to those who did not know what to expect. Moonshadow knew though, and she was the only one who ever would.

[ShinoDino first of her name!]

Don't stress, don't stress
No one knows what goes on in our heads
We are invisible to the rest
They don't know nothing 'bout what we have

The way he looked at her . . . all thoughts, all apprehension, all twinges of guilt, evaporated. The green eyes sparkling before her were at last not a mirage. No, these were real. Fully and truly and gloriously real.
The moonlight slanted over them, turning her own pelt nearly white and bleaching Aru’s tabby fur to the shimmering waves of the river after a heavy rain. She watched the fur on his strong shoulders ripple and roll hypnotically.

She could see the differences too. His shoulders were stronger, more sloped. Weighed down. The softer fur around his face had disappeared with the seasons. Doubtless she had changed as well. Four full seasons and a litter of kits later, the Moonshadow she’d been when they’d met felt like a stranger.

But all of this . . . this felt like home.

“Do you have a name or should I just call you perfect?”

Her skin flushed pleasantly with the memory. He remembered too, then. They remembered one another.

“You can call me yours. That’s what you can call me,”

Moonshadow whispered as finally, finally, they embraced.

“I’ve missed you so much, Moonshadow,”

“I missed you too. Every day.”

And not just every day since their last meeting, but she’d missed him every day since their first night together. That night that changed everything forever.
That sly grin. Those saucy eyes. She could get lost in them.

“Shall we?”

He wasn’t the only one that could bring up their first conversation tonight.

“I guess one little trip into a very dark, scary hole won't be a problem, especially if you're there to protect me."

Her lips twitched in the infancy of giggles she managed to keep down. Not that she would ever call their kits a problem, but that one trip into the cave had definitely shifted their lives significantly!
She leaned forward as if to touch her nose to his, but pulled away the last second and began padding toward the mine, switching her tail across his nose as she did so. Just as she had then.

This time, though struck totally blind in the crushing darkness, she moved forward confidently. She remembered every pawstep as well as she knew her own territory. Perhaps better even, for ThunderClan territory had never mapped itself out in her dreams.

“Last time we had to get there before sunset. What does it look like now?”

she wondered aloud, as much to herself as to Aru.

Heart thundering, she got her answer.

Instead of glowing like the brightest star, the cave glittered in a war of the dark and light. But her eyes sought one place upon the wall. The place, the image that had flown into her mind at the sight of her son.

“Yes . . .”

Moonshadow breathed. Sending the fallen gems akimbo as she trotted over to the wall, she stared, mesmerized, at two moonstones lodged in the slate wall. Even in the dim light, their glorious blue flash, like the edges of lightning as it arced across the sky, matched exactly. The eyes of their son.

“I named Lunamoth for the moths . . . I couldn’t very well name a kit after the mine itself . . . but StarClan sent me a son with eyes just like that. I didn’t need to name him after the mine to remember us, to remember you, every time I look at him.”

Blinking back tears, she added in a whisper,

“Gray like these walls. But also like my loyalties had suddenly become. Like everything in my life without you.”

She turned back to Aru, her gaze beseeching him.

“I never meant to give them the idea that they were less than because of you. I’ve always believed that they are more because of you. I just didn’t . . . I didn’t want them to feel as empty as I have every day.”

Every day of her life, in fact. Except for that night, the split moment she’d believed Aru would follow her to ThunderClan and they could raise their kits together, and that fateful day on the border.
And right now.
Right now, Moonshadow knew what it meant to feel complete.

It's okay, okay
They won't understand us anyway, no
You and I are on a different wave
So, doesn't even matter what they say

[ShinoDino first of her name!]

KEEP though we may fast-forward a few things.