Light and Sight

A short story by Lucy.
----
"Hey there!" The voice rang like a bell, tinkled through the windless air. It cut so easily through the typical chatters of the village, clear despite the mumblings of hidden frogs muffling quieter rustles with their croaks. It sounded... excited today, as if prepared for an adventure.
Ambrosia turned their head towards the sound, a smile already peeking onto their face. A few moments later, a couple of thuds informed them that Nectar had landed. "Hello." They said, then coughed. Even after the past months of stumbled words, everything still came out rough, like their sentences had been grinded unevenly with sandpaper.
Nectar didn't seem to notice, her voice prancing around like a bird in flight, sweeping around in melodramatic thrills. "Hey so! I wanted to show you something - well uh. You know, like the time you touched a spiderweb. Well it's a bit different but. Hard to explain? I'm sorry you know its --"
Ambrosia reached out, their claws pausing before they managed to find Nectar's shoulder. The SilkWing twitched impatiently, before calming, her voice growing softer. "I'm sorry. I get excited a lot and I know it's overwhelming for you."
Ambrosia lifted their head towards her voice, hoping their blank eyes made some sort of contact with Nectar's. "It's alright." They picked at their words, discarding several sentences. "If you don't know how to explain it, then just show me." They paused, trying once more to find the right words. "I'd love to know what you've found."
Nectar didn't respond at first, then her voice rushed in again, "Yes! Of course. It's kind of far away - you know the way to the Mud Kingdom, right? Or to the edge of the rainforest, at least?" She shifted again, thrumming rhythmically against the wooden floor of the treehouse. The SilkWing was clearly excited. They considered that with amusement. She was always excited. It just felt more... intense, today.
Ambrosia nodded, "Of course." They said, and smiled. "Let's go?" Enthusiasm was a bit difficult for them, but they could practically feel Nectar's joy. The SilkWing pulled Ambrosia towards the entrance, with a gentleness that only barely masked the buzz of excitement that seemed to surround her.
Soon, the two were in flight.
Flight… once again they had forgotten how beautiful it felt, to feel nothing. Nothing at all, in the air that folded obediently under their wings, the murmurs of the village far below. And the sunlight! The warmth that seemed to permeate the air, warmth that sank in and embraced them in its feathery grasp.
Then there was Nectar, the gentle brush of her wings as she directed them, a guiding presence carefully leading them where they needed to go. 
The sun waned. They could feel it, as the air chilled around them. Ambrosia paused midway though the flight, gliding in circles as they felt the air. Steady wingbeats hovered next to them, Nectar's unspoken question clear in her stillness.
"It's… sunset." Ambrosia said, then hesitated in the ensuing silence. "You... don't usually plan to come out this late."
Nectar cut in almost immediately, but her voice wasn't angry, or annoyed. It was… happy, her enthusiasm once again barely reined in. Just like when she barged into Ambrosia's treehouse. "I know! Come on, they should be coming out now."
Ambrosia hovered a moment longer, confusion likely written across their face. Before they could respond, Nectar's wingbeats were already fading. The RainWing let out a breath, then closed their unseeing eyes and followed the sound. Nectar wanted them to enjoy this, that much was clear.
They should embrace the surprise.
By the time Ambrosia landed on meadow grass, the air was cold, like raindrops on their scales. The blades of grass were still soft, and they could almost feel the warmth slipping further and further away. 
Nectar had landed next to them, stiller than she ever had been before. Ambrosia started to speak, but Nectar let out a quiet "Shh…"
They complied.
The SilkWing stood still a while longer, and Ambrosia followed suit. The air smelled sweet, tinged with various scents they couldn't quite name. All mixed together by a soft breeze just picking up.
Nectar took a few steps forward, startling Ambrosia. She stopped, then started again, her steps fading. Then silence, silence as Ambrosia took a tentative step after her. And suddenly Nectar was back by their side, reaching out for Ambrosia's talon.
Ambrosia lifted their talon, as Nectar pushed her own awkwardly against their claws. "Hold on…" She was muttering. "Come on… just… no not there!" A few moments later, a tickling sensation touched Ambrosia's scales. Nectar griped their claws tighter, not letting them flinch away.
"That's a firefly." She said simply.
The RainWing nodded, pulling their talon closer to themself as they felt the wandering steps of the insect over their scales. "Fireflies…" they tried to remember what Nectar had told them. "They're the insects we have in our lanterns. Right?"
"Yep!" Nectar said. "And well, I wanted you to feel them. I don't think they're very special for a bug when you uh. Well, I wanted to try explaining what they do! I've been thinking a lot and I." A pause. "I think it's really unfair that you're missing out on so much. So I… want to explain it."
Ambrosia felt the firefly pause on their talons, and then it was gone. They reached out for Nectar. "You know you can't change this." They said softly. "It's alright."
"No!" Nectar practically yelled. Then she stopped, pulling Ambrosia close. "I just want to try, okay?" Her voice was suddenly more subdued.
Ambrosia paused, unsure of what to say. "Yes." They said finally. "That's… that's alright."
The emptiness that followed that stumbling statement scared them, Nectar's scales barely moving. Then she shifted, looking away. "Okay. So… I think it's best to compare light to warmth. Because well. You know how it's warm in the day and cold at night, and that's because of the sun."
"Yes…" Ambrosia said. Simple enough.
"But, maybe I've told you this too, but the sun also glows. It's like… well if it's really cold, you feel kinda numb. Like when I showed you snow. And then you can't really feel anything at all." Ambrosia would have confirmed, but Nectar's voice was stumbling now, racing like a fast paced river. "Well it's like that with seeing. Without light, you can't see, just like without warmth you can't really feel at all."
She wrapped a wing around Ambrosia. "They sort of go together a lot. Like with fire - remember that? - that was really hot, and it also glows. But sometimes they don't, and that's a bit confusing. Like the moon - it's pretty much the sun but for nighttime. It also has light, but you don't feel as warm with it. And well." She paused. "Your scales are very well, but you don't really glow. And the firefly - it didn't feel warm at all, did it? But it can glow, it's why we use them in our lanterns."
Ambrosia nodded, as Nectar's words slowed down. "So light for you… is like warmth for me?"
Nectar practically seemed to vibrate. "Yeah! I know it's a lot and I can get off track a lot. But I just… I want you to sort of know! And it's kind of hard I guess. Since I need to keep on figuring out different ways to explain things. But I - I would explain everything to you, if I could."
The silence after her words stretched on, until Ambrosia leaned quietly against her. There was a quiet buzzing next to their ear, and they lifted their talon, catching the firefly. They weren't quite sure what to say, but they found Nectar's talons, and pressed theirs against hers, feeling the insect slowly make its way over. Nectar cupped it in her palms, her wings hugging Ambrosia tighter.
"I…" Nectar fell silent again, gently embracing Ambrosia. "And." She said, her voice suddenly more awkward. "I well… there's a really easy way to explain how I feel but it's just… it's hard to say..." Her grasp tightened, the words tumbling out. "I love you - really, a lot. You just..."
Ambrosia leaned their head against her shoulder, placing a comforting talon over Nectar's. The words they never seemed able to grasp were there. So simple and easy and perfect, just waiting to be said. 
"I love you too."
----
Art by SharpThrust!!
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Genre (Romance)
Category:Genre (Short Story)
Category:Content (Mezepheles)