Midnight Meeting - (Mothwing x Leafpool)

The dew was freshly set on the grass, twinkling in the moonlight. Leafbare had just passed, and it made Mothwing excited to cross the river without her scent followed. There was a certain she-cat on the other side of the border that certainly liked to grab her attention. No matter how hard she tried to shake the feeling, her interest for the she-cat grew each halfmoon.

Mothwing never dreamt of Starclan, only that she saw Leafpool attempting to talk to her during her visits with their ancestors. She couldn't understand the brown tabby, but she could pick out the faintest of murmurs. Tonight was the night she was going to be able to talk to her!

She put her paw out of the medicine den, looking around camp to make sure that no cat would be awake to see her escape. The newest warrior, Lakeheart, was at the front of camp guarding the entrance. She knew that the warrior would be nodding off, as the first few times of guarding were extremely hard. Mothwing knew from personal experience that it was the hardest thing she did as a newly named cat.

When she arrived at the gate, she hid for a few heartbeats. She needed to make sure that she wouldn't be spotted by the unsuspecting warrior. Yet when she arrived at the entrance, Lakeheart had disappeared. Weird, but it makes my job of sneaking out that must easier. Mothwing thought, not thinking that it was out of the ordinary for a cat that made sure she followed the code to a T would dash out.

She slowly made her way from the camp to the trees surrounding the lake. She pushed onward quickly, knowing that a certain cat was just waiting for her arrival. Even from a distance, Mothwing could see the silhouette of Leafpool watching the ripples on the lake. The water was lapping at the edge, a few pawsteps away from the beautiful tabby. Mothwing was breathless watching her.

Leafpool turned her head towards Mothwing. Her eyes went from sadness into happiness within a few heartbeats. Her tail rose with her, shaking from pure excitement. They hadn't met in moons, and Mothwing couldn't remember why. Her memory was fuzzy as if she stuffed her head into her moss.

Mothpool didn't know when she started to run, but by Starclan's name she was glad she did. If she didn't, well Mothwing is sure Leafpool would've started before her. "Mothwing! I haven't seen you in moons!" She gasped, pouncing on top of Mothwing. Leafpool smothered her face in Mothwing's soft neck fur. "Where were you, Leafpool? I've come to our meeting spot, but you weren't ever here. It's like you've disappeared without a trace."

Leafpool looked like she was going to say something but she held her tongue. She moved away from Mothwing, suddenly a playful look in her eyes. "Come on, let's not worry about the past for the moment. Let's worry about now." Her tail moved against Mothwing's chin. The movement set a shiver down Mothwing's spine. Leafpool then pranced away from Mothwing's reach. "Catch me if you can, fluffyfur!" She teased, disappearing into the moonlight.

Mothwing felt herself up to the challenge, running after the she-cat. Leafpool wasn't a good hider, but she could evade Mothwing easily. Leafpool knew Mothwing too well for a simple little game like this. Leafpool jumped on a low tree branch, letting her tail droop off of it. "No fair! I don't know how to climb trees!" She panted, clearly not in shape from the moons of not being a warrior.

Leafpool snickered, her joy was emitting across the grass towards the lake. Mothwing felt herself receiving that joy from her, something that she hadn't felt in moons. She just couldn't place her paw on it. What had made her so sad before? It wasn't like Leafpool wasn't there to give her happiness if she needed it. They saw each other each quarter moon for their little meetings. It couldn't be she knew that this wouldn't last forever, right?

Something caught Mothwing's attention. She turned her head towards the water lapping at the edge of the sand. Slowly, the edge of the lake start to glow. "Leafpool, something is happening to the lake!" She called out to the she-cat. Mothwing started to pad towards the water. Then she saw something else in the water, two fishing encircling each other.

The glow slowly condensed to around them, making their scales turn bright beautiful colors. So many that Mothwing had never seen before, even with her mother, Sasha. "Woah... That's a sight that I never experienced before." A she-cat's whispery meow came from behind Mothwing. She quickly turned her head to face Leafpool. Her eyes were shining from the waters making Mothwing's heart flutter. The fish would never compare to the elegant she-cat.

The two fish swirled closer together in harmony. Not a single fin nor scale was any different in the other besides color. Their tails were near the other's mouth, seemingly chasing the other one like a fish-brained dog. Mothwing stared breathlessly at the sight, feeling a head rest of her shoulder. She turned for a second and saw Leafpool attempting to get closer. Mothwing snorted at her lousy attempts, pulling her over in a few seconds with her tail. She twirled her tail into Leafpool's, feeling her twitching sleek fur.

The she-cat sighed, nuzzling into Mothwing's neck fur. Mothwing placed her head on top of her's. A light purr that Mothwing had never done before came so easily to her. Then, she stopped to enjoy the new dawn slowly sweeping the lake.

Silence filled the air around them as the fish slowly drifted apart. One swam in one direction deeper into the water while the other stayed on the surface in the other direction. The glow flickered, then dimmed itself nothingness.

Many heartbeats passed between the two she-cats. Then, Leafpool spoke up with a dull hum in her voice, "You know this can't last forever, right?" Mothwing moved her head in such a way for her to look into Leafpool's eyes. "What can't last forever? You mean us?" She asked, her heart slowly breaking from what Leafpool suggested. The brown tabby nodded, slowly untangling herself from Mothwing.

"You don't believe in Starclan, so if one of us dies, we'll never see each other again. I don't want to leave you, Mothwing." Her meow was cracking with sadness. Mothwing's heart wasn't slowly breaking. It was shattering. "I don't want to leave you either Leafpool. I love you too much to do that." Mothwing whispered back to her, letting her forehead rest on Leafpool. The she-cat stopped trying to get away from her.

"Then can you do something for me?" Mothwing nodded, knowing that she would do anything for the she-cat. "Believe for me. It doesn't have to be much, only enough to get you into Starclan. I love you, Mothwing. Always remember that." Her meow was growing quieter, distant at that. Mothwing looked up to the she-cat and saw her form slowly fading away into stars. The land around her was slowly turning into stars with the now star-pelted she-cat. Everything was slowly turning dark for Mothwing, hazy at best. Then she opened her eyes.

Mothwing didn't opened her mouth, knowing if she did, she wouldn't be able to resist asking Willowshine if that's what she saw with Starclan. Never had she been able to talk with a Starclan cat, but she was glad it was Leafpool. Her heart was thumping with the dull ache of sadness, knowing this was her first time without her true midnight meeting with Leafpool.

She was always the background cat, unable to share with her ancestors. Yet, Leafpool was able to change it for her. In the following meetings, only darkness followed when she touched her nose with the water's edge. The she-cat knew, however, that her ancestors were truly with her. Stride by stride, and would welcome her into their hunting grounds if she only wished for it to happen. To be with Leafpool forever, to never leave her ever again.