Wu Chen steps out onto her stage. She patiently waits for the chirping in her audience to cease. When there is only silence and curious, tilted heads, she bows.
"My story?" she asks in her thick Tian accent. "I am honor."
The girl begins her dance.
"I am from Tian Xia, daughter of samurai, daughter of Priestess of Shizuru. But I am no interest in fight. I live by Xidao Gulf, are many pearl in water. I dive to find them, but no luck.
"I come out of water and hear songbird, climb tree to find where these little creature live, but cannot find nest.
"Father call me back, for I must train. He teach me, sneak alley to alley, and jump rooftop to rooftop, is good way to find thief he say.
"I say, hey. Father. What you talk about? Is no thief here.
"Of course not, Daughter, he tell me. Is only practice session, cannot find thief in middle of day with giggling girl following me everywhere.
"Is good luck then, I tell Father. I do not wish to find such dangerous person.
"Father ask me, what do I find when I am out looking for pearl and nest and thief.
"I tell him when I am out swimming and climbing and jumping, I find peace."
Wu Chen twirls about with one leg held high overhead. She deftly leaps, bounding off the other leg, hand over head over heels, she vaults...
"That night, Mother forbid me to worship Shizuru. Before I can protest, Father agree, say I am too pure to live to fight as my both parent live. Instead, I must go to shrine of Shelyn, Goddess of Purity, learn her way, dance at Crystalhue festival with hair streak in all color of rainbow!
"Is happy life!
"But winter of my eighteen year end, and luck change with season. On day that sakura fall from tree, loud crash from door, loud boot of many man come into home. Destroy home. Destroy peace. Leave Mother and Father on floor in pool of their own blood. I must not cry out, but cannot help, but many man too busy to hear cry from little girl. They have other samurai to get revenge on.
"I fall upon body of my Mother. She is still breathing, is dying, but I do not learn her magic. I cannot save Mother."
Wu Chen remains still. Silent.
"Her soul pass."
The girl's dance continues.
"I feel her soul pass through my hand. I touch dying Father, say Mother pass on to next life. And Father stop bleeding! Breathing become regular. He is only sleeping. By my hand, he live!"
Wu Chen's face mirrors her startled look from that fateful day, one year ago.
One of the birds in her audience, also started, flies from its front-and-center branch. The beats of its wings are soon muffled by the canopy of trees, and Wu Chen continues her dance in the forest clearing. She cartwheels, handsprings, flips, leaps, kicks and splits.
"Perhaps you all songbird are messenger of Eternal Maiden Shelyn. Perhaps you are only bird. What do I know of such thing?
"I tell you what I know. I am protector. Is not my place in this life to find peace and keep it all to myself. I will honor my goddess, my Mother, my Father, and fight so many other can have peace."
She bows to the birds.
"Xiè xiè for paying your attention. I must continue westward, on to my next performance."
