Star-Crossed Blades KFP

Bamboo Trees

Past

Sapphire fell toward the bamboo forest. She then jumped back up but her legs betrayed her.

A giant glow erupted from her body in the darkness and felt a piercing object sink into her a stomach. "Useless human. Should have gotten a more obedient lotus host." Sapphire growled with a gasp for air as the glow merged back into the crawling figure.

"Let go of me! Agh," Sapphire punched her leg through a stalk of bamboo.

"You fool. We are the same body. Shit" Sapphire let out a growl as she fell onto her knees.

"Get out of my head," Sapphire yelled with her hands around her head. Bright flashbacks of a red panda teaching her Kung fu.

'No. Teaching him Kung fu.' Sapphire thought with her breaths becoming erratic.

......

"Who are you!"she cried at the ceiling. Her eyes adjusted to a dimly lit room. Viper slithered to her side and hugged her.

She felt Sapphires rib cage slow. The pillows Viper had set up under Sapphire provided better airflow.

"Well, I'd tell you it's me Viper. And you'll probably say  'I wasn't talking about you' ." Viper softly said to Sapphire curled around her waist.

Sapphire sighed with relief. "You're right as always. But these dreams have become intense and sorry for my sudden mood swings. I don't mean to be rude." She smiled apologetically to her friend.

Viper released her grip. "We can talk about those dreams if you want or," she stopped mid-sentence seeing Sapphire flinch at the request.

"Not tonight. I'm still figuring out if I'm going crazy or not. Sorry for being cryptic. I'll tell you when I'm ready." Sapphire reaffirmed to Viper.

"It's alright. By the way you should be able to walk now. I checked," Viper informed her patient.

"Thank god. I mean thank Viper. I thought it'd be awhile before I could walk." Sapphire smiled
at Viper.

"Your welcome. But you should be more careful when running," Viper advised a nodding patient.

"Will do Vi. But can you stay a little longer. I just need someone next to me before falling asleep." Sapphire said not looking at Viper.

Viper opened her mouth to respond.

Sapphire then put her hands up. "Okay. That might've sounded childish and awkward. Forget I asked," she finished.

Viper wrapped her tail around Sapphire's hands. "I'll do it if it makes you feel safe."

Sapphire nodded and sank into her pillows followed by Viper holding Sapphire's left arm.

......

Viper slithered out of the room to meet a red eyed Tigress. She quietly slid the doors shut behind her and walked out the barracks with Tigress.

"Anything on her background or family." Tigress tiredly asked. Viper shook her head.

"No. Other than having intense nightmares and maybe memory loss when she hit her head. She won't say." 

Tigress and Viper walked outside the barracks entrance into the star lit sky.

"Intense dreams could be a sign. Viper this might be too much to ask. But keep her at the Jade Palace and report on any odd behavior or new info. Do whatever it takes," Tigress said as she took out a book with notes from her bag.

"Tigress. Not everything involves the Lotus. She could be a foreigner visiting with her family that ran into unneeded trouble." Viper said in frustration at her feline friend going through the pages of scrawled information.

Tigress paused and flattened her lips into a thin line. Her gaze lifts from her book towards Viper.

"Could be still leaves a possibility in the air. I refuse to let any slip through and that's why I need you to trust me, Viper. She believes you." Tigress said meeting Vipers hard stare.

Her tailed rattled. "You're asking me to spy and lie on an injured girl that has a 'possibility' of innocence. I hope you have hard evidence for this accusation, Tigress. And please get some rest." Viper quietly hissed the last part at the feline.

Tigress saw her friend retreat back into the building. She sighs with a sense of weight pressuring in her chest.

Her gaze catches the sight of Shifu's monument in front of her under the lanterns surrounding it. Her fist clenched with fiery anger.

"I won't stop until the possessor that killed you is dead to this world. I'll do anything to protect the world from their destruction."

Tigress thought with her paws lifting a gray journal with Shifu's name engraved on the side with a lotus symbol.

'Hopefully, Shifu learned a bit more on Lotus possessions and my plan will then work.'  She thought with her eyes flicking to a page where a ritual of blood circled a paw and lotus.