Star-Crossed Blades KFP

New Horizons

Sapphire walked on a grassy path after showering in the outhouse. Crickets chirped with fireflies illuminating a dark sea of clouds. She gazed in awe at the beauty of the moonlit valley. But sudden movement above a hill caught her attention. She stealthy makes her way up to see the glowing orb that surrounded a peach tree.

Viper glowed in blue hues with her ribbon dancing in the clouds. Her body moved like a feather piercing the air in graceful arcs. Sapphire wanted to get closer behind a giant boulder. But her foot stepped on a tree branch.

The tree snake stopped her dancing and quickly shot out into the darkness. Sapphire was pulled to the ground by an invisible tug.

"I was just watching I swear! And I was going back to the barracks before curfew." She told Viper that was holding her on the ground. The tree snake shook her head at the girl.

"You could have said you were there. I don't want to accidentally hurt you," she said assisting Sapphire up with her tail. The girl rubbed the back of her head.

"No worries. It's just that you're dancing was amazing." She complimented Viper.

"I usually dance inside my studio. But it got recently destroyed in a village. So I use this spot from time to time when the moonlight is especially bright." Viper showed her ribbons sparkling in different hues of the sky.

"Can I try? That's if you're okay with letting me use a different ribbon. I don't want to ruin this one." Sapphire asked Viper. The tree snake nodded in response. She brought out a red ribbon from her basket next to the peach tree and a lantern. Viper ignited the small candle that cast the duo's shadow against the pink petals on the floor.

"I can give you this one. It's one I use to practice a long time ago as a beginner. It doesn't quite have the luminance and strength of melody as mine.  Give it a small twirl and please stay over here" Viper said cautioning the girl over to her right side of the lantern. Sapphire smiled with glee as she twirled the red ribbon. Pink and red hues swirled into the peach tree allowing for a small gust of wind to spill more petals.

Sapphire then begun to hear a harmonious melody. A song that was familiar to her and for a split second she felt a warm hug enveloping her. Arms that circled her and rocked her to sleep at night.

"Starlight as bright as the eye can see. Where you go I'll be. No matter how far apart." The song began like an old friend greeting her again. But as soon as the song started it disappeared and the choir of crickets chirped in it's place. The golden glow from the ribbon slipped into darkness. Rain trickled down her eyes with her hand letting the ribbons fall to the floor.

Viper saw the sudden drop in red within the ribbons. She noticed wet streaks cascade down Sapphire's face. She quickly grabbed the girls hand in her tail. Sapphire was jolted from her trance.

"I. I'm sorry for the hold-up. The ribbon is amazing by the way and really intense." Sapphire began with a smile wiping her eyes. "I don't know why my eyes are watering,"she laughed at her state. Viper's grip on the girls hands only made her transtioning to holding the girl in a hug.

"I'm sorry if it made you experience anything you didn't want to see" Viper whispered to the girl. Sapphire wilted into the snake's semi-hug. "That's the thing. I can't remember what I saw," the girl's voice wavered. "But I feel like I should have," she ended. Viper took Sapphire to the barracks and apologized once again.

................................

Even though, Sapphire felt like the ribbon revealed a part of her that she herself did not recognize. She kept coming back to get closer to that same rhythm. "So how far is the new choreography going, Master Viper," Sapphire asked with interest to the tree snake. Viper smiled and greeted her newfound audience.

"I'm adding the last arc to the battle scene." The tree snake showed a new orange ribbon. Sapphire sat down from a short distance in front of the boulder. Viper posed before an audience. But before she could begin.

"I want to add something else to the scene. But it's going to involve you listening to the melody I'm dancing to in this movement. It's to add another level of the experience." She began to explain the situation to Sapphire to warn the girl if she became uncomfortable.

Sapphire's eyes sparked with energy. "Yes. Bring on the music!," the girl smiled and waited for Viper to perform. The snake sighed in relief and began to position herself. She then swooped into an arc with electricity surfacing through the air. Time stopped with pink petals floating slowly to the ground.

Viper danced through the winds. A melody like a kalimba played in succession and pink raindrops fell with each elegant wave. Sapphire then began to see the sunset blend into the red ribbon. The world changed and she saw a golden dragon that Viper fought alongside to defeat a villain in dark shadows. And with one strike of Vipers tail, the beast fell. The snake then descended into a slow still and with her eyes glowing blue. Sapphire felt the pink petals fall rapidly to the ground and felt Vipers breathing through the waning movement.

"So how was it?"Viper asked in deep breaths. The audience was motionless until Sapphire began to clap with gusto. "Amazing performance! Bravo Master Viper!" the girl cheered with enthusiasm. Viper bowed in response.

"But now it's my turn to show off what you taught me from those lessons," Sapphire said jumping to her feet. Viper slithered to where the girl previously sat.

"You don't have to show me if you're not ready to experience," Viper asked with concern to her friend. Sapphire put up her hands to stop Viper from cautioning her.

"I'm good. You told me I should focus on a particular emotion before performing and after many practices. I have one consistent melody. Let me thank you through the power of this ribbon, Vi" her friend insisted. Sapphire began to twirl her blue ribbon in a circle and arched them into bigger waves. Viper began to hear the clashes of water and saw them bleed into an ocean showcasing a sunset. The sky turned purple-hued and the melody strung through the waters that phased into each other. Sapphire then reeled the ribbon back to its original position before the image went crashing down.

"Well, I at least got through the intro, Vi" Sapphire said to Viper with a smile. The tree snake laughed gently alongside her friend.

...........................................

"Seriously though you're going to blow away everyone with your dances." Sapphire complimented Viper as they left the peach tree.

"And thanks for hanging out with me. The guys are alright. But I don't connect as well with them, yet." Sapphire thanked the tree snake.

"You're welcome. But if you ever need to talk. You have me here." Viper said to her friend.

"Thanks, Vi," Sapphire said with a smile.