Dance of Discord

Under branches of pink blossoms, a girl in white could be seen laying on the soft green grass comfortably near a small pond of lotuses. Her head was held up by her left arm as she stared blankly at the water. With her right hand, she gently dipped her fingertips into the water. A tiny ripple spread out from her fingertips and bounced off lotuses. She lightly dragged her fingers across the surface and watched as the entire surface started to dance in harmony.

Daiyu sighed as she drew her hand back out and tilted her fingers upward toward the sky. As she did so, the branches of blossoms seemed to sigh as it swayed with the departing breeze. A drop of water fell on her emotionless face, and a lone petal floated down towards her. Stretching out her fingers, Daiyu pushed herself higher with her left arm and reached for the falling petal.

With her fingers outstretched, the petal landed softly in her hand. The slight landing caused a small tickling sensation to spread from her palm, and Daiyu dropped the petal in surprise. The petal fell soundlessly into the water. However, the ripple it caused on the surface of the water seemed to call out Daiyu.

Frowning, she reached out to pick it back out only to change her mind at the last second. Her hand was frozen in place just an inch away from the petal.

Something in her seemed to change as she suddenly slammed down on the petal with the palm of her hand. The entire surface of the water erupted from the sudden pressure and splashed outwards. Daiyu countered just as quickly and got to her feet, just missing the water.

Her eyes drifted back to the petal, which was now sinking to the bottom of the pond, and she felt it was strangely regretful. However, it didn't last too long as she turned her head away, and she directed her eyes toward the rest of the blossoms on the branches before her.

Lashing out her arm, her white sleeve flew forward and blasted out a rush of air. The sudden flurry of air knocked the peaceful flowers and the soon her surrounding was quickly enveloped in pink. Daiyu stood numbly as she watched peacefully admiring the petals falling to her feet.

What was it?

She found them to be so irritating yet so beautiful.

Kicking off the ground, the girl launched herself into the air. Her white robes bloomed out from underneath her as her hair was spread out in silky threads. With a turn of her arms, she spun herself in the air. The momentum from her turn seemed to spread out around her as the petals that were on the ground were quickly kicked back up in the air.

Feeling her body being pulled back to the ground again, Daiyu let herself be drawn back to the earth. With a widespread of her sleeves, she forced out some of her inner strength into the atmosphere. As her power spread out at a great speed, the petals were driven back with a great force and were knocked into the ground, slicing the grass and lotus leaves in the water.

Daiyu continued her strange dance, which felt oddly peaceful yet held so much discord. It didn't seem like she held any concern for her actions. She soared across the pond, the tips of her foot gently prodding the surface of the water and lotus leaves.

How free.

How strange.

Reaching out her hands, she took hold of a branch in front of her and swung herself upwards. Settling on to the branch with her body, her hair fell and settled strand by strand on her body, covering her upper body. Reaching out her hand, she seized a growing pink blossom and plucked it off. Shifting it closer to her face, Daiyu took a light sniff.

How refreshing.

Swinging her legs off the branch, Daiyu hummed lightly as she held the flower in her hands. Plucking each of the petals off, she gently blew the petals off her fingers. The petals floated continuously upwards, carried by the breeze while the rest of the flower was crushed within Daiyu's fingers.

Her eyes were a dull brown as she stared motionlessly out to the air.

(Author's note: The pink blossoms have always been the flower of Daiyu and Guiren's untouchable love. Overall, this scene was like a metaphor for their relationship. The attraction, the beauty, and the destructive pain. Daiyu setting the petals free was like she was setting herself free. The flower itself was the chains that held her back. I wanted to put everything in an artful matter.)

******

Moving her way to her room, Daiyu was stopped by the scene of a thin boy outside of her residence. The child was the same one she had randomly pointed to be her junior brother. He wore tattered garments, and his eyes were lowered, facing the ground. His arms and hands were roughly cut up and dirty.

Daiyu frowned.

She has seen this before.

Just on a different face in a different life.

She stepped past the lone boy with silent eyes when she heard a faint whimper. Turning her head, she stared at his watering eyes and analyzed him indifferently.

A soft voice crept out of his mouth, carrying scattered words, "S-senior sister."

He gripped the edge of his clothes tightly, his eyes red while waiting for her reply. Daiyu frowned even more and turned away. Her light steps on the wooden board echoed lightly as the young boy felt his confidence shattered.