They danced to the rhythm of their heartbeats, pounding in their chests and thrumming through their veins. Raya could have closed her eyes and still parried or blocked every strike from Namaari, they were that in tune to each other. Sparks flashed as their blades glanced off one another, the sound of steel ringing through the forest.

Raya was fast, Namaari was strong, and that made them almost even. In another life, they might have been complimentary to each other, one's strength making up for a weakness in the other. Back to back against any foe. But in this life, Namaari might actually be trying to kill her.

Unable to spare a thought for that, or simply unwilling to, Raya leaned backwards, Namaari's sword swiping through the air just above her nose. Then Namaari twisted her hand, flipping the blade over and bringing it down towards Raya's heart. More sparks and a clang as Raya guided it away from her chest with her father's sword then flipped to the side and rolled.

A simple flick of her wrist and the blade segmented into a whip. But Namaari caught it with her swords, holding it in place with enough strength that Raya couldn't simply snap the weapons out of her hand. She glared at Namaari, at the betrayer. All these years later and that wound still burned. Raya had opened herself up, had let herself trust and her reward had been to be kicked in the back and watch the world crumble into darkness.

As much as she blamed Namaari, though, she blamed herself more. For trusting like that, for letting herself be open.

Never again.

"That scroll belongs to Fang," Namaari hissed. The sparks from their weapons made her eyes flare and then she pulled, yanking Raya off of her feet and sending her flying towards her. Anticipating that move, Raya returned her sword to its normal shape, skidding along the ground and parrying a strike from the other princess just in time.

They danced again, swords connecting for fractions of a second, neither giving the other an edge. And then Raya's blade caught onto both of Namaari's and they locked, Namaari pushing her back, back and back until she was up against a tree with no obvious escape. Raya flashed a smile, "So you've got me, dep la. What are you gonna do about it?"

Namaari squinted at her, shoving her swords forward and making Raya slam into the tree again.

Tuk Tuk, where are you you little—

"Oof. I'm beginning to think you're serious about this whole stabbing me thing." That was it, just needed to distract her, make her angry, make her make a mistake.

"Raya, I am going to—"

It was a risk, putting her neck that close to Namaari's weapons, but Raya took it anyway, darting her head forward and kissing her deeply. Maybe a little too deeply but Raya couldn't afford to think that through, not now and not ever. But the kiss both shut Namaari up and distracted her from the oncoming ball of thunder and fluff. Tuk Tuk slammed into Namaari and sent her skidding along the ground and into another tree. Raya wasted no time in swinging up into the saddle, hazarding a quick look behind her as Tuk Tuk rolled them away.

Namaari sat up, looking as dazed as Raya felt. Raya turned back around, touching her lips with two fingers, less certain of a lot of things than she had been only a few moments ago. The pressure from Namaari's lips lingered, the way she'd kissed her back and the little sound that one of them had made deep in their throats.

It probably meant nothing. It had to mean nothing.

Namaari couldn't be trusted. But a part of Raya kind of wished she could.