Diving Dance

Puffles, the Cyborg Companion, readies himself for a performance he has prepared for the villagers. A special dance, all his very own, to a song that inspires him.

Puffles stood before a full-length mirror and looked himself over. He felt a tinge of nervousness on the inside, but on the outside...he'd look as good as he could! After all, he had a show to put on - he had to look magnificent, or the audience would not be impressed by his dance.

Truth be told, the nearly eight foot tall Cyborg Companion generally didn't have any difficulty making impressions. His size alone could turn heads, but what really made him unique was the design of his body and the clothing he wore. Though his Master and the one who had invented him, Zero Darius Drawn, was a short furry nekojin, and though the rest of Zero's family was furry as well, Puffles was not.

The Cyborg companion's smooth, bare skin was a pleasant shade of sky blue, without a hint of furr in sight to hide it's luster. A lot of him seemed to be made up in blues beyond that - his hair was a darker shade than his skin. Long, thick, and spiky at the ends, it framed his head, shoulders, and ran clear down to his lower back. Zero had often described it as "Super Saiyan 3, in blue!"

It'd been a little while before Puffles had found out what a Super Saiyan was. He'd attempted to spray paint himself gold and plugged his tail into a wall socket to see if he could be like the characters on the show, but the result had been painful and managed to blow out every fuse in the house. Puffles came to the conclusion that the secret to Saiyajin power could not be found within a CVS pharmacy and a hardware store.

The eyes of the Cyborg were a royal blue shade. Large and expressive, they often gave off the appearance of curiosity and energy. When sunlight hit them just the right way, they could sparkle - Puffles found this to be one of his very favorite traits, especially with how he could impress Lady Khazetuha with it!

Puffles had a build that emphasized grace, agility, and mobility rather than brute strength or power. As such, his muscular definition was smooth and uniform throughout. He was curvy too, which gave him a distinctly feminine appearance. He had gentle hands with long, slender fingers ending in nails that were polished a shiny blue and kept long. His feet were humanoid, five toes each.

His choice of clothing was about as strange as he himself was - he wore a long robe, the ends of which trailed off the ground slightly. Colored dark green, it had sharp lines of white green running across it in triangular patterns. The robe was split in the front but normally kept tied by a teal colored cloth belt. Much like the rest of the Zero family, Puffles chose not to wear shoes.

Slowly, the Cyborg Companion rotated so that he could look at his backside, and the most prominent feature of his came into view. Sprouting through a hole in the robe from his back was his nine foot long Dragon's tail. Lined with dark, shining blue scales, it was thick and quite powerful. It might have looked out of place on Puffle's lithe frame, but his sheer assisted his stature to accompany it. Puffles tested the tail to ensure it was in full working order - first he slipped the small tip through the handle of a mug on a nearby table, curled, and lifted the cup. Easy! Next he curled it around the legs of the table itself and lifted. Effortlessly, the table was taken a few inches off the ground before being sat back down. Satisfied, Puffles nodded and curled the appendage around his waist. Looped over his form, it could not be seen beneath the robe.

"I am ready!" Puffles proclaimed in a strong, moderately-deep male voice, arms held in a winning pose. He blinked softly. "I AM ready!" He shook his body and huffed. "I -am- ready!" He nodded confirmly, but seemed to droop thereafter. "Am I ready...?"

At this very moment, his audience was awaiting him. Puffles had quite the show to perform - he was going to dance and sing. It was something he had practiced often, but rarely showed. Thusfar, Zero, Khazetuha, and Khazetemba had been the only ones ever to see it - the nekojins often stunned reactions gave Puffles the impression that his dance was good, but as the moment of showtime approached, the companion grew unsure of himself.

"What if they do not like it as Zero did?" He wondered with worry. "What if they think I'm boring? What if my dances are not good? What if I trip, or fall, or..." He hung his head. "What if I flood the house again?" Puffles sighed quietly.

One might have asked how a dance alone could flood the house, but Puffles' dances were just as unusual as he was. It was unlikely anyone in the community had seen them before. Actually, it was pretty much impossible - the house which the Zero family dwelled in was secluded, perched atop a grassy hillside overlooking colorful flower-dotted grasslands that ran in every direction. The nearest settlement was 30 or 40 miles away, yet Zero had established a positive commute with them as he often traveled to their marketplace to buy food and supplies, as well as worked with the zoning commission in regards to his underground laboratory.

At the very least, the dance wouldn't be near the house today. Quite a number of the community had been invited to come here and see Puffles dance. At this very moment, they were all likely to be waiting near a hilltop cove to the north of the house. That was where Puffles was going to dance, for it overlooked a lake and exactly what Puffles needed to pull this off.

Puffles sat his butt against the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest. A nervous and uncertain cyborg companion stared back at him from the mirror, emulated his movements. "Why are you worried?" He spoke to his mirror counterpart, "they will like your dance."  He blinked softly.

"But what if they do not...? What if they think my dance is silly?" He asked himself.

"So what if they do? You already know Zero likes your dance. Lord Khazetemba and Lady Khazetuha do too. Who do you want to impress but them?" Puffles closed his eyes slowly and nodded with a sigh.

"You are right, self. I should seek your council more often! You are intelligent! And blue! We'd have much to relate!" Puffles eyes opened and he grew excited, lost track of his focus.

"Indeed, self! We could have discussions and we could spend time together! Oh, think of all the games we could play! What games do you like to play?"

"Oh, all the same games you like to play, of course! The BFG 9000 is one of my favorites!"

One may have assumed that to be a simple reference to doom, but it was more than such, and just as strange as one could imagine. A tale for another time.

Puffles managed to lose himself in his decidedly one-sided conversation, and before he knew it Zero peeked into the room. The short, black furred nekojin with white-tipped ears, white curvy striped cheeks and blue eyes mewed softly to get the Companion's attention. Puffles broke away from his conversation with the mirror and looked towards his Master.

"Oh, Master Zero! Come in, come in! Have you met my friend, Puffles?" Puffles gestured at his reflection in the mirror. "He is most wonderful! I have learned that we share many of the same interests, and look! He is very blue! I am blue too, you know!"

Zero blinked and scratched the back of his head. "Right, uhhh...Puff? Stay out of the sugar. >_>;"

"I have only had a small amount of sugar today, Master Zero."

"Ahuh...and stop calling me Master. :| ANYWAYS! Are ya almost ready? It's 7:45, yaknnow."

Puffles's eyes became wide with fear and he suddenly leapt to his feet. He'd wasted an entire half hour talking to a mirror, and his show was very soon to start! He glanced at the back and front of his hands, patten down his robe, and checked his tail for blemishes. Everything seemed to be in smooth working order, as Zero looked on with a slightly confused expression.

"How do I look, Zero? I do not believe I combed my hair enough! Should I go comb it again? Would the audience mind waiting another hour?"

Zero quirked an eyebrow. "Puff, yer hair's fine....are you nervous?" He asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

Puffles sighed quietly and looked a bit downtrodden. "Yes...I am quite nervous. I have tried to convince myself it does not matter what they think of my dance but...I am afraid of them not liking it."

Zero rolled his eyes and stepped forward. At a height of 4'4, the nekojin was completely dwarfed my the skyscraper that Puffles was, but Zero had long come accustomed to this. It was he, after all, who had created Puffles.

"Puff, they're gonna love your dance. I don't even know why you're so scared! The stuff you can do? It's pretty amazin! Me 'n 'Tuha 'n 'Temba will be there ta cheer ya on!" Zero smiled brightly, as he hugged Puffles around the waist. Puffles curled his arms around the nekojin and pulled him up, way up, so that he was able to plant a kiss on his forehead, which made Zero blush and giggle.

"You are right, Zero...and even if they do not enjoy my dance, you will." Puffles smiled down at Zero, who grinned back up at him.

"Course! I love watchin you do cool crap! And they will too, I promise! Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a poodle in my eye!"

Puffles blinked with mild confusion as he peered closer, looking into Zero's eyes. "I see no Poodle, Mast---, my apologies, Zero."

Zero rolled his eyes. "It's an expression, Puff. You jam a poodle into my eye if they don't like your dance!"

Puffles eyes widened! "But Zero, I would never wish to put a poodle in your eye! I would never wish to harm a poodle!"

Zero sighed softly. "...never mind. Let's just get going, okay? You got a show to put on!"

Puffles nodded and lifted the Nekojin, wherein he was planted to sit upon the Cyborg's shoulders, feet dangling in front.

"I am still nervous, Zero." Said Puffles as he headed towards the door.

"Yeah, it happens. But dontchu worry, Puff! You're gonna be great!"

With a deep breath, Puffles grasped the handle, twisted it, and stepped outside. It would be a moderate walk up to the cove...and there, the show would begin.





The stage was set. The audience was primed and ready. Puffles stood by, far and out of the sight. For the moment, he was not ready to be seen. His visage hidden by a tree big enough to conceal him, he peeked out and swept his eyes cross the horizon.

It seemed a group of 40 or so people had come. Men, women, some children, they each sat upon varying types of lawn chairs. One family had a blanket, wherein they enjoyed the fixings and conversation of a picnic. They were all human - Nekojins such as Zero and the Khaze's came in short supply on Earth. Zero had lived here for so long and had helped the community out on enough occasions to where they accepted him as one of their own. The fact that the family lived so far removed from majority civilization kept their general existence a relative unknown and made life easier to live in peace.

Overhead, the sky was growing darker. Nightfall was soon to approach. A orange and red sunset decorated the horizon, the great ball of earth watching flame sat soon to disappear. And when it did, it would be showtime. It was Puffles' time to dance, once for an audience of few, now for one of many. Amongst the crowd he could easily spot the two beacons of pink - Khazetuha, a young woman Nekojin with bright pink furr, pink eyes, and emerald green hair that grew down to her ankles. She wore black pants and a leather jacket, zipped up. She was engaged in playful conversation with her twin brother, Khazetemba. He was pink like she was, but his eyes were blue and his hair was the shade of a red rose. Her hair was longer, but Khazetemba's was thicker.

Beyond the audience, across the grass and up an incline, rested a grassy ridge from which the earth would drop suddenly, a good 40 feet or so straight down into a massive lake below. The geography was such that you couldn't see the lake unless you sat along the ridge. Zero poked the tall cyborg in the head, and Puffles glanced up at his Master. He'd almost forgotten that he'd been carrying him upon his shoulders this whole time!

"It's almost time, Puff. Sun's about to go down. Music's primed, and the audience'll move into position in a few minutes." Zero said.

True to his Master's word, Puffles watched as Khazetuha and Khazetemba stood up and announced the show was soon to begin. The crowd was instructed to move their seats, and they all progressed towards the ridge, sitting where they could see out over the lake. Puffles looked between them, where a sort of plateau jutted out from the landscape. It was there he'd walk out to, as his performance began.

"Just be yourself, Puff," said Zero as he hopped off the Cyborg's shoulders and landed upon four feet on the ground. "You're gonna be great. You are great!" The nekojin turned to Puffles and gave him a final hug. "I'll be ready for my part, too. You can count on me!"

"Thank you, Zero. I will do my best." They both nodded at one another, before Zero scurried off to get the music ready. Puffles could see now that it would be played from a large stereo system placed way off to the right. Wires ran through it and behind, all connected to a small metal grey box, which acted both as the controller and a power source.

With a deep breath, Puffles stepped away from the tree and approached the crowds. As they saw him approaching, they immediately broke out into applause, for they knew that with his arrival the show would soon begin. The children seemed most enthusiastic of all - a young brown haired boy and his two sisters all leapt to their feet and jumped excitedly, while some other children blew whistles with their fingers and called out to Puffles with an excited wave. Puffles returned the gesture, smiling bright. He had been scared before, but seeing these bright, familiar faces brought some comfort to him. Children had always seemed to be fond of him, and he of them. They were the ones most capable of looking past his unusuality, and had quickly accepted him as both a friend and a caretaker when it was necessary.

The rest of the community hadn't taken long to warm up. They'd already been used to Zero and his shenanigans, so in the scheme of things...an eight foot tall blue dragon-tailed man wasn't that extreme.

Puffles stood and looked towards the plateau With a deep breath, he took a few more moments of silence, allowing the sun to disappear below the horizon and the moon to take center stage. The time was here. The moment was now. He'd been practicing for this occasion, so that he could show the people something that he hoped would be inspiring. With a nod towards Zero, the music began to play.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The gentle rapping of drums started the song. Flowing pieces of an organ ran closely and distant in a rapid succession, a high tempo-ed beat. The sound held some resemblance to musical water. A gentle female voice "Oooooo'ed" softly...I'd listened to this song many times before. Already, I could feel the inspiration of the music flowing through me. The song would proclaim of a great adventure, of taking that most important step, the one you could not take back. It was just as my life had been, since I was born. For everything around me was new, exciting...everything I did was an adventure in and of itself.

Zero had explained to me that the world would be like it was to an infant...thrilling, scary, vast, new, but that I'd be able to interpret it like an adult. I wanted to share this experience. I wanted to share what it felt like to see so many new and beautiful things. The only way I could do that was by showing these people something new and beautiful.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Puffles' body moved with the rhythm. His hips shook lightly, his shoulder swayed. His head bobbed, his eyes were closed. The audience too felt themselves joining with him, as they bobbed their heads and smiled, waiting with bated breath. Zero danced happily behind his stereo, a big stupid grin upon his face. Khazetuha and Khazetemba stood watching, both their arms crossed, smiling confidently.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I hoped and prayed they would feel what I felt. But for them to feel it, I had to feel it. And so, to me, the world around became quiet, and the song alone swam through my veins, ran with the blood in my body. It charged my heart and filled my lungs. A guitar strummed a melody, and alongside the musician, I began to sing just as he did.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Puffles looked towards the audience as he lifted an arm and slowly sweeped it across the crowd. He sang in tune with the song as it played.

"The long awaited rains have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground,"

He turned, drew his gaze across the ground and towards the lake.

"And carved their way to where the wild and rushing river can be found..."

He clenched his fingers into a fist.

"And like the rains, I have been carried here to where the river flows..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The beat of the music called forth the energy within me. Building, exciting...something big was coming. And with this feeling, I felt the water stir, and I saw it do such. My palm turned upwards, and I willed the water to flow. From a hibernation the glassy surface began to ripple, and then slowly it whirled...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The audience had been entirely focused upon Puffles until they noticed the surface of the lake moving. Whirlpools were created, and they saw that, guided by Puffles' hands, the lake came alive, as the water stirred. It was as if he painted upon a canvas of his own, for with each light stroke of the hand he created jettisons that shot out across the lake. But the real event had yet to begin. The water was being prepared...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"My heart is racing...", I sang. I approached the cliff.

"And my knees are weak as I walk to the edge..." I felt my knees trembling. My heart beat fast.

"I know there is no turning back, once my feet have left the ledge..." I gazed for a brief moment at the audience behind me. They caught my gaze...I saw some nod at me. It was time to go.

This was it. I looked to the water below me. 40 feet down. A long jump. The lake continued to act with my instructed. The water waited for me.

"And in the rush..." I looked towards the sky. My vision blurred. Was I crying?

"I hear a voice, it's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith..." I pushed off and jumped.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"SO HERE I GO!" Off, Puffles leaped from the ledge and dived in. The audience held it's breath. Zero crossed his fingers. Tuha and Temba clenched their paws into fists. Puffles hit the surface, a great splash around him as he disappeared beneath, gild beneath the water like a dolphin, turned up, and exploded back through.

High into the sky he flew, higher and higher. Much of the audience suddenly rose to their feet, eyes wide as he traveled impossibly high.  Water glistened in the starry night sky as moonlight illuminated the sprinkles like glass shards. The wetness around Puffles sparkled as he spun, sending flicks in every direction.  His hair flew wildly, framing his face in streaking blue as his robes twirled and flared out in the air around him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I was free! High into the air, I felt as if the whole world were below me. The possibilities for newness and discovery were endless. It felt as if I were in the air for a long time, I felt evening breeze pass across my wettened skin. I saw the people below as they watched me in awe....my body turned in the air, from an ascension...

...to a dive.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

<I'm diving in | I'm going deep>

The guitar played fast, each strum a powerful, energetic acoustic burst. All eyes were on Puffles as he sliced down through the air amongst a stream of starshards and pushed through the surface.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

<In over my head I want to be | Caught in the rush | Lost in the flow >

The coldness of the water surrounded me as I slammed through it, the world outside disappeared as I shot deep. Blue, sparkling in every direction. The rush of the water was the rush of emotion through my heart.

<In over my head I want to go!>

The audience awaited my return - I waited for the right moment.

<The river's deep | The river's wide | The river's water is alive!>

I held my hands out as I dived. Water began to converge into my palms. Though I was surrounded by it, this water would follow me to where I needed it to go.

<So sink or swim I'm diving in!>

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The blue figured glided out into the lake, and doubled back. His movements were effortless - he took to the water like a bird took to the air. In his path he left jetstreams that flowed outward and sent ripples in every direction.

Puffles backflipped and rolled, gliding along just beneath the surface. His head rose above the waters as he came back, body slowly coming with it. And soon it could be seen that beneath him a torrent of water shot upwards with enough force to support his body as it pushed him higher and higher. As he came back up over the cliff and faced the audience, he resumed singing once again along with the song.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I looked across the water. "There is a supernatural power, in this mighty river's flow..."

I swept my finger across the crowd, as if I were pointing to and addressing them at once. "It can bring the dead to life, and it can fill an empty soul..."

I pressed my hand against my chest and closed my eyes, as I stepped off the platform and back onto the ledge.  "And give a heart the only thing worth living and worth dying for..."

"But we will never know the awesome power of the grace of God..."

I looked up to the sky and opened my eyes. If He was there, I wondered if He watched this too. I wondered if He was proud of me.

"Until we let ourselves get swept away into this Holy flood..." My gaze turned towards Zero. He ran up towards me. The audience shifted their gaze to him. I smiled and held out my hand.

"So if you'll take my hand..." Zero's paw slid into my fingers. We held one another's hands. He took his place beside me, I glanced at the audience momentarily before I turned and looked back to the lake.

"Ready?" I whispered.

"Go for it." He responded with a smile. "I trust you."

I squeezed his paw tightly. "We'll close our eyes and count to three..." I closed my eyes.

"One..." Quietly.

"Two..." He whispered.

"Three."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The music flowed strong. Zero and Puffles braced themselves.

<And take the leap of faith...>

"COME ON LETS GO!" They cried in unison as they leaped proudly off the edge, spun through the air, rocketed downwards. The water kicked up with a mighty explosion as a tidal wave surged from beneath the shores and came up to catch them. It seemed the energy within the waters surged through the earth, and the audience came alive. They began to dance, they began to swing, they pumped their fists in tune with music.

<I'm diving in | I'm going deep |  In over my head I want to be!>

They broke off from the top of the tidal wave and soared through the night sky. Zero's eyes were closed tight as a grin was spread across his face, Puffles was smiling and bright, flying free.

<Caught in the rush | Lost in the flow! | In over my head I want to go!>

They descended only to be carried up once more by a surging wave, as if the water itself were reaching out to keep them aloft. They'd hit a wave, glide up it's curve, and go spiraling through the sky once more.

<The river's deep| The river's wide| The river's water is alive!>

Streaks of water like bulleting comet trails followed the pair as they splashed into and disappeared beneath the surface.

<So sink or swim I'm diving in!>

The audience all moved closest to the edge, their energy suppressed as they could no longer see the two. The music swept into an instrumental intermission.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I had swept Zero under me with an arm. Before we'd hit the surface, I'd quietly instructed him to take a breath. I could feel the subtle fear within the nekojin's body...but I would keep him safe. His body was held strongly against my own as we plunged deeper and deeper under the surface. This moment was a special one, just for him. My chin rested atop his head as we took lower and lower, until the surface ran beneath me.

I showed him beautiful things that normally layed too far beneath the surface to be spotted. Seaweed that had the unique property of glowing a shimmering green color, colorful fish which swam and darted about, a collection of shiny trinkets, gemstones, artifacts which had lined the lake floor. He looked upon it with widened eyes, blinking softly. A second arm came across his chest and I squeezed him tightly to me, nosed his ear. Somehow, I could feel him smiling...I could feel him warm inside...

I knew he needed to breathe soon. And I knew I had a dance to finish. With my best friend clutched tightly against my chest, I spun and doubled back, made a bee-line for the surface. Beside me, jet streams of water began to follow, with new instructions. I had gone far out enough to have plenty of room back to the surface, and as my speeding body skated across the water and sent splashes behind me, as Zero regained his breath, as we both looked at the audience which we were rapidly approaching, we smiled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The audience looked on in stunned silence. Even the Khaze twins joined them in fascination. Puffles was rushing towards the shore...and to both sides of him rose what could only be described as sea dragons. Proud, long, serpentine, they were born from the water around them.

<Oooooo ooooo oooo....> The singers sung gently...

<Oooooo ooooo oooo....> Puffles approached, faster and faster. The sea dragons rose up at his sides, and he rose with them...for he was riding a third dragon of watery origin, the biggest one...Zero looked down in awe as this representation of such a mighty creature rode beneath him.

<Oooooo ooooo ooooo....> The music swelled...

Everyone held their breath.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I hugged Zero tightly, whispered softly.

"I love you, Zero. Thank you for giving me life..."

The nekojin smirked softly. "I didn't do it alone. There were two sets of hands working on you. I just handled the technical parts."

With a short pause, he nudged his shoulder at me. "I love you too, Puff. Always will."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"COME ON LETS GO!"

Puffles broke past the ridge, curved up high into the sky. The dragons followed him, Zero was held close. The audience watched as the bodies of the sea serpents shot upwards, huge pillars of jettisoning water.

<I'm diving in! | I'm going deep! | In over my head I want to be! | Caught in the rush | Lost in the flow! | In over my head I want to go! | The river's deep | The river's wide! | The river's water is alive! | So sink or swim...>

It was the kids who set it off first. They suddenly leapt forward in tune with the song, and sung out with it. "I'm diving in!"

That was all that was needed. The entire crowd joined in, dancing once more as they sung with the song. Khazetuha and Khazetemba leaped upwards and threw their arms out triumphantly.

"I'M DIVING IN, I'M GOING DEEP! IN OVER MY HEAD I WANT TO BE! CAUGHT IN THE RUSH, LOST IN THE FLOW! IN OVER MY HEAD I WANT TO GO! THE RIVER'S DEEP, THE RIVER'S WIDE, THE RIVER'S WATER IS ALIVE!"

Khazetuha had leapt upon Khazetemba's shoulders and was shaking her fists at Puffles, a huge grin across her face. The audience sang, loud and proud, as the song ran it's ending.

"SO SINK OR SWIM I'M DIVING IN, SO SINK OR SWIM IM DIVING IN..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The wind whipped at our faces as the dragons of the water curled around me in a spiral, one going low while the other went high. Water washed over us and rained down upon the crowd below. I could hear them singing in unison now, I could see them dancing. The very same energy that rushed through me went through them.

"SO SINK OR SWIM, I'M DIVING IN!"

With the crescendo of the song, the Dragons rushed forward and exploded into the atmosphere, creating a twinkling twilight that beautified the night sky and created a starbursting tapestry of glittering colors and sound. The dragon which carried me doubled back and launched us towards the lake.

"Told ya you could do it, Puff. I told ya."

I smiled, and closed my eyes. We plunged back beneath the surface.

My tears were quietly washed away.

Author's Note

Feel free to comment! This piece was written on musical inspiration.