Starscape

Chapter 5

The water from the lake splashed and lapped at Aaron's knees. He stood in the shallows and watched the clouds pass overhead with a gentle sigh. The sun blazed down on his bare chest and bandaged arms. He wore shorts and left his shirt and shoes on the shore about a quarter of a mile back. He ran his fingers through his hair and wiped sweat from his forehead. One more year until he becomes an adult. One more year means that a full decade had past since the colony ship was torn to pieces. It happened so long ago, but it was still fresh on his mind. After everything, he couldn't deny the intense love he felt for the planet and his alien companions. He crossed his arms and continued to stare out at the glistening water. A fish would break the surface every now and then.
"Aaron!" He jumped and turned to see Juno standing on the shore. She waved at him and he smiled and waved back. He made his way over to her carefully; making sure he didn't cut himself on the coral and rocks on the lake bottom. When he got closer he could see the smile plastered over Juno's features. She had grown with him as well. She had gotten bigger and he hair had grown out. She wore a blue scarf around her neck, one she rarely took off. Aaron had made it for her when he was was younger; a small gift for the winter time. Juno jumped at him and he caught her in his arms. He hugged her tightly and spun her around. She giggled and ruffled his hair.
"You big softy!" Aaron laughed and set his companion down. She punched his muscled stomach.
"What are you doing out here? Singing to the fish?" She gave him a playful smirk.
"No I'm not singing to anyone. I'm just enjoying this nice sunny day, thank you very much." His voice had deepened immensely over the years, and Juno was still trying to get used to it.
"It is a nice day huh?" Juno looked up at the rolling clouds and inhaled the cool lake air.
"Oh yeah." Aaron put his hands on his hips; taking in the view of the lake and landforms beyond. He walked towards his pile of clothes and his towel. He dried his legs off and threw on his shirt.  
"Come on Juno, let's head back and rest for a while." He lead her back towards the cave in the mountain side. The green grass was soft under his feet and the breeze was cool against his face. Juno followed close behind, her tail trailing through the grass. When they entered the cave they ate a light breakfast that consisted of berries, snapple pear scones, and Star Caribou sausage. While Juno ate, Aaron went out the escape pod that was stationed near the mouth of the cave. He punched in a code on a keypad and the back door opened and rested in the soft grass. He entered and blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the dim light. He felt the walls for a light switch and flipped it on when he found it. The inside was the same as it had been when he departed from the colony ship. He stepped over books and scrolls that littered the floor. I really need to clean this, he thought bitterly. He went towards the back of the ship where his second room was located. The door slid open for him and he gazed around at his stuff that was lying about everywhere. He lifted his eyebrows when he noticed the necklace he planned to give Juno on her hatching day. He noticed that it was sitting on the nightstand near the bed. He picked it up and moved it around in his bandaged hands. With the necklace in hand; he walked over to a high shelf and placed it there; for he didn't want Juno to find it. When he finished hiding the gift he made his way out of the ship. Aaron stepped out onto the grass and stretched. The sunlight hit his face; warming it from the cold air of the ship. Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Juno was running around frantically and was batting at her face with her arm wings. Aaron stared at her with a confused expression plastered over his face. What's gotten into her?, he thought as he made his way over to Stargon. As he got closer her realized that she held what appeared to be a honey comb. The honey and combs on Aurora were quite different, for instead of a gold color, the honey was a light sky blue. The bees were different as well, instead of yellow bodies, they were a mixture of green and blue. A huge flock of them followed Juno close behind, some got close enough to sting but Juno swatted them away. The whole while, she licked the honeycomb and ran at the same time. Aaron stared, dumbfounded. He debated whether or not he should try to help. He really wasn't in the mood for a bunch of bee stings.
"Juno! How did you get yourself into this?" He yelled out to her a few yards away. Juno turned her head and grinned, yelling back.
"There was a big nest of them up the slope, so I just had to get some! You know how much I love honey!!" She giggled and ran faster.
"I'll meet you back at the lake!" Aaron watched her form recede towards the lake shore. He sighed and decided to follow. When he caught up with her she had already splashed into the lake. The bees weren't able to follow so they returned to their nest on the mountain side. Juno floated on her back and ate the rest of her comb happily. Aaron walked out to her and stood waist high in the water.
"See? Noting to it." Juno grinned and looked up at him. Aaron shook his head, trying to hide a grin.
"It would've been funny if they had caught you. Imagine all the aloe and tree oil I would have to rub on you" Aaron sidestepped just as Juno attempted to splash him. He laughed and splashed her, dousing her fur completely. They splashed and played in the water for the majority of the day. They also fished and explored the depths of the lake. By the time they had finished their activities, the sun had dipped below the horizon. They sat on the lake shore near a patch of palm trees, looking out at the shimmering surface of the water. The great blue gas giant, Zeus, filled most of the sky, drenching the clouds in a blue light. Aaron and Juno looked to the sky with wonder, even though both of them had lived on Aurora most of their lives, they were still taken aback by the glorious sight. Aaron felt the soft white sand under his now bare hands. The crisscrossing burn scares covered both of his arms and shoulders, even reaching down to his waist on his left side. The burns had reached down deep into his skin, destroying his nerves. He could barely feel anything on his arms waist and hands. He wore bandages on his arms most of the time, keeping the scars concealed. Juno sat beside him, her tail making a fan shape in the sand as she moved it from side to side. Aaron looked over and realized she had been making a sand castle the whole time. He kicked out and toppled the structure with his foot, earning him cascade of punches.
"Ow ow ow! Stop Juno! I'm sorry!" He laughed and pushed her off. She crossed her arms with an angry pout. Aaron stood and dusted the sand off himself.
"We should probably head back to the cave." Juno nodded in agreement and stood herself. She shook her pelt free of sand and stretched.
"I'll get you back for knocking over my sand castle!" She shot him a fake glare. Aaron shrugged in response.
"We'll see you little booger." Laughter erupted from them as they walked back to the cave, punching each other all the while.