This is a short story based on the song When the Day Met the Night by Panic! At the Dicso. Everyone says the moon is more feminine, but I thought it would be better if the moon was the tom. I'm sorry if I've ruined the song.
Disclaimer: Warriors Belongs to Erin Hunter. The lyrics and plot of When the Day Met the Night belong to Panic! At the Disco.
It was the middle of greenleaf, the intense heat relinquishing only in the early evening. Rain had poured in during newleaf, which was aggravating to the warriors who had to hunt in such weather, but it meant that the streams were still flowing, and the plants were flourishing. That was good for Sunpool, who was collecting herbs by the side of a stream.
The sky was completely golden in the twilight, turning almost everything the same hue. Not that it could do much to Sunpool, whose pelt was already gold. Sunpool loved this time of day. She thought of it as the time when the day meets the night. The golden she-cat turned her head to Fourtrees, the humongous oaks where the clans met at the full moon.
I'd better get back, Sunpool told herself. That was before she saw the cat approaching.
Moonwind couldn't believe what was happening, what had happened in so short a time. His beloved sister and ex-apprentice, Mistpaw, had been killed. Why did she try to fight that fox? Moonwind wanted to shout to the sky. His sister, his first apprentice, his friend, killed. And now, Hazelstar thought him a traitor to his Clan, a traitor when all he did was gaze at the river, remembering what he had given up to join his new Clan, away from the memories. A traitor. Why, Starclan, why? Moonwind thought-screamed at his warrior ancestors.
Moonwind was padding towards Fourtrees, not even realizing it until something caught his attention. It was a cat, her pelt turned gold in the sunlight. Or maybe it was already gold. She seemed to notice him at the same time. Her eyes were like pools of clear water, as blue as a cloudless afternoon sky. They were full of kindness, no apprehension that usually occupied his new Clanmates' eyes, and no hate and fear like in the eyes of his old Clan. Moonwind felt he needed to talk to this cat. He felt like her eyes had just saved his life.
The silver-gray tom was coming toward her, a look of desperation on his face. Sunpool thought that the least she could do was talk to him. When he reached her, he mewed quietly, "Beautiful evening."
"Yes. I love it when everything's all golden like this. I think of this as When the Day Meets the Night." Sunpool replied. "You're Moonwind, aren't you?" After his slight nod, she continued, "I'm Sunpool."
"Aren't you a warrior? Why are you collecting borage?" Moonwind asked cautiously.
Sunpool looked down at the borage she was gathering. "I am a warrior. My sister is Brightblossom, the medicine cat. She asked me to collect extra borage in case Frostbird kits soon."
"I had a sister." Moonwind whispered, his voice filled with sorrow. "Before she…" He never finished his sentence, he just let it hang in the warm Greenleaf air.
The tom sighed. All the hurt in the world must have been contained in his amber eyes. "Can… can we talk for a while? I don't want to waste your time."
Sunpool knew she needed to return to the camp, to give Brightblossom the borage, but something kept her there, made her want to help the silver cat. "Sure, we can talk."
Epilogue:
The four small kits sat, their eyes wide, listening attentively to the two elders' tale. "They talked, and Moonwind was sure that Sunpool had saved his life. The two became mates, the closest of mates there ever was." Clawtail mewed, his voice cracked with age.
"Aww… That was so sweet, Dullfur!" Dapplekit squeaked.
"It is a good story," Dullfur agreed, "And certainly worth the rabbit the size of a badger!"
Patchkit, Littlekit and Rosekit looked down at their paws, as though trying to pretend they didn't share Dapplekit's feelings.
"Go back to the nursery, little ones. Your mothers will wonder where you've been!" Clawtail purred.
The kits scrambled across the sunny camp. Clawtail turned to Dullfur and mewed, using the she-cat's former name, "Your eyes really did save my life, Sunpool,"
The old dull-gold cat replied, "Moonwind, you gave me a life. When the moon found the sun, when the day met the night."
When
the moon fell in love with the sun
All was golden in the sky
All
was golden when the day met the night