[Deleted]

Sunstride
The Brightest Flame
What if all you understand
Could fit into the center of our hand?
Then you found it wasn't you
Who held the sum of everything you knew

---

The sky was still dark outside, though it started to pale against the inky darkness as dawn was approaching. Silverpelt and the mass of stars had already disappeared from the sky, leaving the moon to start it's slow descend and allow the sun to make it's way up to start a new day. Despite it still being pre-dawn, birds had started to sing in their nests and a light breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves as it went and scattering the scent of flowers.

Wet paws squished against the ground as the handsome white and golden warrior made his way back from Treeclan's territory and through Starclan's Claw's forest towards the clearing where the clans would all come during the gatherings every full moon. Emerald orbs brightened as they caught sight of the sleeping she-cat that rested comfortably in the make-shift nest near the rocks where the leaders stood.

A squirrel hung limply from the dripping tom's jaws, it's bushy tail brushing against his forelegs as he walked. Making his way to the beautiful white and silver Rainclanner, the drenched tom set the prey down and gently ran his tongue over her cheek, breathing in her scent as he did so. The two from seperate clans had spent the night here under Silverpelt, sharing a nest.

It had made his heart soar that he was able to breath her scent as he slept and felt the softness of her fur brush against his. They had to be off to their own clans again today, and it tore him apart to leave her. He wished that she could join him in Treeclan, but he couldn't possibly leave her clan, her home that she loved so much.

Brushing his tail against her flank, to wake her from her rest, Sunstride's green eyes lightened when he met the beautiful, blue orbs of Rippletail. He gave a soft purr, "Time to wake up." He nosed the squirrel towards her, flicking a drip of water from his ear as he glanced at his drenched pelt. "I tried to get you a fish..." He glanced down at his paw.

"But I sorta fell in the stream..."

---

Like the sun we will live to rise
Like the sun we will live and die and then ignite again
Like the sun we will live to rise again

@lacihparg

[Deleted]

but all the farts that separate
disappear now when i'm dreaming of your face

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The cool night was made warmer by the tom who shared her nest. While she couldn't hear the gentle burble of the river in her subconscious, the even breathing of Sunstride replaced the simple melody that lured her into sleep each night. A soft lick and a few drops of water brought her back from her dreams, and Rippletail opened one eye.

A bright red body and dripping wet Sunstride greeted her.

"I tried to get you a fish... But I sorta fell in the stream..."

She mrrowled in laughter, a purr filling the air while she sat up and stretched. It seemed almost a song to her, one that shared how she felt about the tom. The emotions associated with him... Well, she couldn't put those into words. Not yet, at least. He had taken her by surprise, certainly, and as always, she waited and thought before finally deciding exactly what she felt like. That was just the way Rippletail did things. 

"You still brought me breakfast," she mewed quietly. Her tail beckoned him closer so they could share a meal before they had to leave each other. Rippletail ate a small portion of the squirrel, still not quite used to the taste (but also not too hungry after the previous evening). She turned to Sunstride and groomed him gently, her rasping tongue fluffing his fur and drying it out over time.

The Claws around her seemed to form a safe haven, as if nothing could reach them. It was just Sunstride and Rippletail, in the presence of their ancestors, and all seemed well.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

rippletail;; warrior ;; rainclan

ghost: sunstride ;; tag
271 ;; wordcount
mushy gushy rippletail <3 ;; notes
3 Doors Down - Here Without You [edited] ;; lyrics

[Deleted]

Sunstride
The Brightest Flame
What if all you understand
Could fit into the center of our hand?
Then you found it wasn't you
Who held the sum of everything you knew

---

Her purr that rumbled in her chest, made his grow even louder as he realized how happy this beautiful she-cat in front of him was when they were together. The Treeclanner could probably scare off all the prey in the forest on accident, look like a fool, and leave them prey-less, and she would still find a way to brighten up the gloom just because they were spending time with each other.

The golden and white tomcat had planned to show Rippletail how to hunt squirrel and mice, should she be interested, and of course he would love to teach her something that made him different from her. Now that he thought on it, he should probably ask for her to teach him how to fish, so that he wouldn't fall in again. He didn't like being wet, but he knew that she would jump into the water at a drop of a leaf.

She was his fish. His beautiful gray and white fish with beautiful blue eyes that reminded him of water, ironically enough. What he wouldn't give just to stare into her liquid orbs forever, getting lost in their depth and falling even more deeper in love with her. Everything about her was perfect, and it tore into his soul that they were from two completely separate clans.

As she beckoned him to come eat with her, Sunstride sat next to the she-cat that held his heart in her claws and bent his neck to rip away warm flesh from the squirrel. He made sure that his own short, white fur was brushing against her longer, slicker fur as they fed.

When her rough tongue started to pass over his fur, his tail flickered to curl around hers before licking his muzzle and turning to run his own tongue along her long fur. The taste of water and fish lingered as he groomed Rippletail. His heart soared in his chest as he purred, enjoying as they spent the last of their moments together, their night fresh in his mind.

With a cute, mischievous glint in his gentle, green orbs, Sunstride leaned forwards and let his tongue brush against his cheek before purring loudly. Playful as he was, it was also a very affectionate gesture as he let his liquid emerald orbs stared into those wide, water blue orbs of Rippletail's.

"I don't want to leave you..." He said after a moment, reaching forwards to let his check rest against hers, breathing in her scent with a heavy breathe.

---

Like the sun we will live to rise
Like the sun we will live and die and then ignite again
Like the sun we will live to rise again

@lacihparg

[Deleted]

but all the stars that separate
disappear now when i'm dreaming of your face

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

She nuzzled into him, finding comfort in the warmth of his fur and the draw of his voice.

"I know, Sunstride..." she trailed off. "I don't want to leave you either." Rippletail turned away for a moment to regain composure. Why couldn't I have found a tom in my Clan? she asked herself silently. It was a question that plagued her; something that had haunted her past. Leafstripe hadn't shared the name of her father, and even now, twenty-five moons later, Rippletail didn't know who helped bring her into this world. Part of her wondered if she was a half-Clanner; if her mother had done the same thing she was doing now. Part of her didn't want to know.

But she loved Sunstride with all her heart; found solace in his eyes and laughter in the little things he did. He tried to catch a fish for her -- there were cats in RainClan who wouldn't even look in her direction. He introduced her to a new type of prey, exotic, almost, and yet those at home let her catch her fish and keep to herself. Sunstride loved her back, and this love drew her in and led her to do things like this, things like making a nest at the base of StarClan's Claws and hiding her relationship from her Clanmates.

It pained her, but it overjoyed her. Rippletail turned blue eyes to the tom at her side. "Do you know when I will see you again?"

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

rippletail;; warrior ;; rainclan

ghostie: sunstride ;; tag
252 ;; wordcount
ending the thread soon? or no? ;; notes
3 Doors Down - Here Without You [edited] ;; lyrics

[Deleted]

Sunstride
The Brightest Flame
What if all you understand
Could fit into the center of our hand?
Then you found it wasn't you
Who held the sum of everything you knew

---

With her response, the gentle souled tom felt his heart fly a little higher in his chest and purr run a little deeper in his throat. He loved to be with this pretty, sleek she-cat that had stolen his heart. Though he would have wished her to be of Treeclan, it was at this point that he realized her clan of birth didn't matter to him, no more than it would have to his sister.

Gentlebreeze didn't see clan boundaries, like Medicine Cat's didn't. And though white perma-queen of Treeclan was currently out of action due to the slow spiral of depression, the golden and white tom knew that his older sister would be thrilled at the fact that he had found some-cat to love and some-cat to say held his heart in her paws.

Moving forwards to let his nose touch her cheek, Sunstride sat pressed against his beloved mate to breathe in her scent as if it was the last thing he was every going to do. He wanted to keep it, remember it, something that would remain with him when she wasn't by his side. Something that would comfort him when he wished to look into those beautiful blue orbs of hers.

Letting out a sigh, Sunstride pulled away from Rippletail to gaze at her once more, letting the image of her burn into his mind, should he not see her again soon. An ear flick was the only sign that he was pondering on when he should meet her again at Starclan's Claws, in secret under their clan's noses.

After a moment, the handsome tom let his maw drop to speak in his deep and gentle voice. "Two days after the Medicine Cat Meeting." He said. That would be enough time to not seem suspicious and enough time so that they weren't dying to see each other again. That was a good amount of days in-between visits.

Looking up at the sky as it began to lighten, Sunstride knew that he needed to be making his way back into the forests of Treeclan. He still had to hunt a good amount of prey so it seemed like he had gotten up early to provide for the clan, which in a way he was doing. He sort of wished most of Treeclan held the save views as Gentlebreeze, that love was love no matter where you can from.

It would make things so much easier. But then, sometimes easier wasn't as much fun.

"I'll see you again, my beautiful fish..." He purred, reaching forwards to touch his nose to hers and land a soft lick to her cheek before turning and heading up the slope of Starclan's Claws and towards his home of Treeclan. With one more look over his broad shoulder, Sunstride let his handsome green orbs stare into Rippletai's blue ones before he let the bushes swallow him up.

---

Like the sun we will live to rise
Like the sun we will live and die and then ignite again
Like the sun we will live to rise again

@lacihparg