"Are you listening (Y/n)" my older sister, Kaede, asked me with a knowing look on her face as she was trying to teach me how to dance for tonight's lessons. Dancing contrary to popular belief was actually trickier than fighting. "Now point twirl to the right and... see you've got it! you'll be dancing the night away in no time." She praised with a smile. "You're really good at this." I started watching Kaede's very gentle and elegant nature. She was way better at this than I was.

She was a very quiet person but that didn't mean she wasn't crazy like me. That ended up being the pattern with the royal family, all the children stayed out crazy and most of us stayed that way but learned to realize when the right and wrong times to be crazy were. Many have asked me if I wanted to be a boy Which I didn't. I wasn't rowdy because I wanted to be a boy. I liked being a girl and so did my sisters, we all acted like this except for Maybe one and that was my baby sister Kiri, so far she's shown no signs of this pattern.

Granted she was nine but so was her twin Ronin, and she was definitely coming into her crazy. "I just want to go outside." I said puffing up my cheeks in irritation as I continued to rush through the steps so I could get to sword practice. "Jin," Kaede asked. ""I think we should let (Y/n) go for the day. You remember what happened last time she rushed."

Everyone knew and adored Jin as he was a trusted family friend who grew up with my father.. And somehow despite my family shenanigans. Jin, surprisingly , stayed around even though I'm mildly convinced one of the only two reasons he's here is because he's the only one who could handle all ten of us, the other one being of course his lover Aroon, who was one of my mothers handmaids. And despite my rebellious nature he still believed that I was a good kid.

"Hm, alright. Finish on the last dance and then you can go (Y/n)." Jin said. "But you have to do it right so don't rush too much." Kaede's husband said, emerging from the doorway apologizing for interrupting. "Nonsense," Kaede laughed. "Come here, I haven't seen you all day." she gestured as he walked into Kaede's arms. She lovingly kissed him. Looking at Jin I pretended to puke dramatically in disgust.

"Your highness, I think your sisters would all agree that you can kiss your love elsewhere?" Jin sighed, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, you're making Jin feel lonely." I whined dramatically, making the couple laugh. "I am not lonely." Jin defended calmly . "Oh yeah." I rolled my eyes.''i forgot all about that beautiful handmaid you turn into a blubber fish around." i teese before running out the room

After my lesson, I didn't go to my sword lesson. Instead I went to go see my friends when suddenly I heard my mothers voice all out to me. "And where do you think you're going young lady?" I froze. "Outside... the palace. I want to go see my friends..." I say turning slowly to look my mother in the eye. She turned her head and thought about it. I closed my eyes hoping she would say I could go.

"You can see your friends tonight at the ball." she said, reaching her maroon feathered wing out to me, "ughh. I whine, dragging my body and grasping my mothers wing in my own. She turned around and ignored me when I smiled at her. The rest of that evening I spent getting ready for the ball, which was apparently a very big deal in the kingdom. Hairstylists and dressers took care of it all, making sure I looked absolutely perfect. They could never compare to my mother however. As she entered my room they all bowed to her in respect before exiting.

She came behind me and put her own finishing touches. Taking out one of her hair pins, she gently handed it to me. As I steered in confusion. "This will look so much better with your dress." she smiled as i stared at her in shock. "b-but". "Plus, it would be just just so adorable if we matched." Her hairpin was maroon and gold, like herself it was encrusted in flowers and jewels of all kinds that matched her burgundy and gold dress, the kingdom's color.

"But other i can't...'' I pleaded only for her to take the pin from my hand and arrange it in my hair. "No buts, i want you to have it." she whispered. "Now look at you... you look wonderful darling." She smiles as I gaze at my reflection in the vanity mirror. She was right, I did look beautiful.''Alright, dear let's go." getting up from the chair, I quickly envelop my mother in a warm embrace.

"Thank you mother." I thanked making my mother smile. "But of course little one..." she said, hugging me back before pulling apart again. "Now let us go before your father eats all the taro bao!" she giggles, making me gasp. "Not this time he won't!" I shout scrambling out of my mothers arms and down to the ball room, the sound of my mothers laughs trickling behind me.

***

There was a time, not very long ago, when we lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties. The year 1046. Music pours out, and sounds of gaiety as my mother and I sweep inside, dancing couples bowing as we pass. and my father king Jiro, was the king of Yawen. Elegant royalists, waltz in the main hall as an orchestra plays as I spot my father with my three youngest sisters, all looking beautiful in their outfits dancing and laughing together.

"Father!'' I shouted excitedly, tuning to the small group. "Sister!'' The three little girls shout running up and tackling me to the ground making us all laugh. "Now girls! Leave your sister alone!" my mother scolds shooing them off me making them giggle. "Ah! There's my second darling girl!" My father exclaimed, hauling me up and twirling me around. "Father!" We laugh gracefully and spiritedly.

A beautiful father daughter moment as all eyes adore us "Mother sent me to make Sure you don't eat all the taro bao!" I exclaimed as he kneeled before me with a smile. "Did she now?" He asked mischievously, looking at my mother in mock shock. "Well we'll have to see about that now won't we!" He exclaimed, rushing towards mother. "No no no! Jiro! You know I don't like when you-" she starts when she's suddenly engulfed in a tight embrace from behind.

"Ah ha! Now you are my prisoner!" He shouted, making me laugh even more. "Oh no! Whatever shall I do!" She then exclaimed dramatically. "I'll save you mother!" A sudden voice said from behind us. Sakda, my fifth older brother, appeared smirking. "Is that so! Then fight me if you dare!" my father shouts putting mother behind him, "save me my dear son!" She then pleads dramatically with a laugh.

Rushing my father Sakda and my fathers sharp feathers clash as they push against each other, "I see I have a worthy opponent!" father shouts with a chuckel making my brother smile. "As do i sir!" one replies when they suddenly become a blur of orange and white with slashes from their golden feathers as they are spared. When suddenly Sakda was knocked to the floor with my fathers feather at his neck as both were painted to the ground

"Do you yield?" my father asked, my brother bowed his head and replied, "yes i yield father..." he said disappointedly. My father relinquished his stance and reached a wing out to my brother who took it gratefully. "Very well my son. Remember there is no shame in yielding." he reassures with a pat on the back. "I see you've been training as well!" he chuckled hartally.

"Thank you father!" my brother smiled as my mother came up and hugged him, "thank you for trying my son, you did very well." she smiled fondly, placing a small kiss on his head. "Thank you mother." He smiles lightly as I sneak up behind him and jump on his back.

"Whoa! (N/n)! Where did you come from?" He asked in shock. "From the shadows!" I exclaimed, making him laugh. "Now that's enough, you too." A new voice said. The both of us turned to see my black and gold brother Raiden, Raiden despite being the youngest of my brothers was the most stoic of the five. He was quiet and usually spent his time reading books, but he meant well and was a very caring soul who cared about all of his siblings very much.

"Oh let them be Rai." My mother smiles, placing a wing on his shoulder. "Very well, mother." He replies with a smile. "Now come along! My beautiful wonderful family!." My father bellowed, gesturing for all of us to follow. That night we celebrated the three hundredth anniversary of our family's rule. "Oh Papa!" I laughed as he twirled me around.

Smiling, my mother watched as I danced with my father and as the rest of our siblings mingled with the guests. The lights come up at once letting me see the sweet melancholy smile on her face. "Go to her, we have something to give you!" My father smiled, pushing me to run to her as my father followed slowly behind me with a smile as I enveloped my mother in a hug. That night I begged them to tell me what was wrong but my mother simply looked at me with a sad smile and held me close.

"We're just not ready to let our little girl go..." she whispered before pulling out a box that had a very special gift made for me... "to make the separation easier for all of us." Father said, as my mother reached her wing into the box and pulled out a beautiful music box.

"For me? What is it?" I asked. " you'll see... Look." My father smiled, took out a key, a small silver flower on a neck chain that he gave to my mother. Giving my father a small nod in thanks she gently places it into the back of the music box, and carefully winds it. Suddenly I gasp at the sound of the familiar tune. "It plays our lullaby!" I exclaimed with a smile as I stared at them, in awe, making my mother laugh.

"You can play it at night before you go to sleep. And pretend that it's me singing. ♪ May your dreams take over, my love Listen close, my love of the west..." She starts as the sound of my fathers voice swiftly joins hers in the sweet melody as my father encourages me to join. "There's a light that still shines In the darkest days of our lives. ♪ " We all sing seldomly as my mother hands me the small silver key.

"Read what it says." My father tells me. Closing the music box I look at the pendant bearing the inscription "Together forever." Gasping with a smile at the inscription I looked up at them before realizing that the rest of my family was now around us. "We know that this whole situation about you leaving has been hard on you, but we just wanted you to know that we all love you no matter what and that we'll alway be your family, and that we'll be "together forever."" My father expressed cupping my cheek with his wing as the rest of my family smiled and nodded. Quickly in a swift motion I embrace my father and mother in a tight hug as the rest join in.

The rest of that night was filled with joy and laughter, we felt as if the night would never end but oh how wrong we were... with a loud bang gasping from the crowd filled the room then fell silent. The crowd parted in fear, a dark figure clouded in shadow parts the way. The clinking sound of jade and heavy footsteps are the only sounds that now fill the once joyous space.

The dark figure is Kai, the previous ruler of Yawen who was overthrown by my family, stalking through the crowd making people fall back in fear and shock, none thought he would come back. And little did we know that none of us would ever be together again. For a dark shadow had descended upon the house of the peacock family of the west.

Kai had reached my father, who alone stands firm before him. "How dare you return to the palace." My father demands trying to keep me and my family behind him as some sort of protection. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here in my house?" Kai's deep gravelly voice asked us. "Your house? Ha! You are a traitor to your people and your kingdom.

Get out!!" My father yelled, making me flinch back as I hugged my three little sisters close. "You think you can banish the Great Kai? By the unholy powers vested in me. I will banish you with a curse!" He shouted, making me and my family gasp in horror.

"...mark my words. You and your family will die within a fortnight. I will not rest until I see the END OF THE PEACOCK LINE FOREVER!...I can promise you that!" He yelled as he swung his two jade swords that are attached to long chains, sending a bolt of green lightning like energy through the room hitting the Chandelier which crashes to the floor making us scream as Han rushes forward to protect us. The lights went out and when the lights were restored, Kai was gone.

Consumed by his hatred for my father and my family, Kai turned the power of chi, turning something so pure and wonderful, into a dark power to destroy us. With a blast of green twelve jade figures stand in a battle stance awaiting orders. "Go fulfill your dark purpose, and seal the fate of the jiro and his family once and for all." He shouts making the figures shine and move with their new found order.

From that moment on, a spark of unhappiness in our country was fanned into a flame that would soon destroy our lives forever. The jade figures glowed as they came apaun the castle that night. The Minions attacked the chain holding the gate shut, breaking it, as they came into the palace.

That night I woke up to my mother and older sister waking me up in the middle of the night in a panic only telling me that we needed to leave right then and now as my family in our nightclothes, ran down a hallway. "Hurry children!" My father urged as we made it to the ballroom.

Clutching my music box close to my chest, we snuck through the ball room, a sudden distant scream of Pain and anguish filled my ears as my sister held me close, covering my ears at the sudden loss of life.

My three younger sisters cry in fear immediately being shushed by my brothers trying to keep them quiet. Holding back my tears we move along the dark room before the exit comes into view giving me a small sense of hope.

"Hurry go!" My father urges again as we rush from the palace walls into the front courtyard when there's a sudden crash that knocks us all to the floor, making me drop my music box, stopping in my tracks. My family quickly gets up and rushes down the courtyard path. "No! M-my music box!" I shout as my older sister tries to stop me from running back down the path to get it - but stops when she sees a dark figure behind us.

"(Y/n)! Come back, come back! (Y/n)!" grabbing the music box from off the floor I look up only to be met with the huge figure of Kai in front of me making me cower back in fear as I keep the box close to my chest. "Well well well... look what we have here." He sings when a single arrow is shot towards him, nearly missing. "Get away from her!" Feng shouts from behind us. "That was a warning!" Isamu shouted right after. "And you don't want to see us when we're angry!" Raiden, then exclaimed as Han drew back his bow.

"Oh you mean this little thing?" Kie asked, picking me up by the neck making me drop the music box again making all of them gasp. "Unhand my daughter!" Father shouts, making Kia squeeze me tighter. "No!" My mother shouts at the action making him stop. "You want her back? Then fight for her!" He exclaims as he summons his twelve jade warriors making me gasp in horror as they were outnumbered.

Immediately the battle commences into a colorful blurs of grunts and shouts as they fight, my three younger sisters trying their best to throw rocks at the warriors despite their fear as I struggled against Kai. "No! No! No! Run!" I yelled but my voice couldn't be heard over the sound of fighting.

"Would you stop struggling and shut up you little brat!" Kai shouted but I only struggled more until an ear piercing scream sounded, looking over the courtyard i saw my brother-in-law's lifeless body lying on the ground as Kaede wept over his body before a jade arrow shot her in the back killing her.

"No..." I breathed when more shouts of pain were heard. Everything happened so fast: Sakda had been stabbed through the chest, Isamu had been shot with an arrow, when suddenly another scream sounded. Feng was bleeding out, too weak to stand, then another scream. Raiden' throat had been slit, and another and another as I watched my family die right in front of me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Closing my eyes I couldn't watch any more as I pulled my head back and then put down on Kai's hand as hard as I could making him drop me as I made a run for it leaving my now broken music box behind.

"Please hurry! Hurry (y/n)! Run! Fight! Survive!" I heard my mother yell as I ran out of the courtyard before hearing my mothers high pitched scream. She was dead. "NO!" I heard my father scream, making my heart break even more. "You will never touch her you hear me! You will never touch my daughter-" I hear my father before he gasps In pain.

My father is gone now as well...

Holding back my cries of anguish I try and breath until Kai's voice rings out. "That little brat got away.... Find her! Now!" He orders his jade minions, making me freeze. I had to run. Rushing through the dark forest paths I tried to be as quick and as quiet as possible with my mothers last words being the only thing running through my mind. 'Run!, fight!, survive!' I remember my mothers painted words as I pushed myself to run faster.

With the palace in flames behind me, I ran through the frozen forest floor and across the ice. It was very cold and I was not dressed for it. Passing under a bridge. I suddenly trip over a frozen rock landing in the frozen river with a thud. Going my bearings I pant as my heart tries to catch up with my body. looking behind me I gasp as Kai leaps down in front of me from atop the bridge, landing hard on the ice, trying to scoot away from him.

Suddenly he grabs a hold of my ankle and won't let go. "Let me go! please!" I plead as tears run down my face as I claw as the ice below me. "You'll never escape me, child, NEVER!" He shouts trying to bring me closer. "Oh, let me go!" I screamed again.

"Kai!" A new voice suddenly shouted distracting him enough to wrench myself free, and see my new found saviors. A turtle and a red panda stand atop the bridge before Jumping down. The turtle nods to the red panda who quickly rushes over to me making me scoot back in fear. "No no no. It's ok you're safe now." He whispers making me stop. "My name is Shifu." He tells me.

"Ahhhhh Oogway my old friend, to what do I owe this honor?" Kai sneers, making me rush behind Shifu. "That would be master Oogway to you Kai." Oogway said coolly, his tone never wavering. "Oh yes! Because you're some great master now aren't you! I bet you believe that you're so much better than me now right?" Kai askes with rage. "Hmm... yes. Yes I do." Oogway then retorts, turning to me and Shifu and gives us a wink.

"Then why don't you-" "prove it?" Oogway finishes agitating Kai more. "I don't need to prove anything. You've already done all the work for me dear friend." Oogway states gesturing around them. "This was once a beautiful land until you came to power. You drained this land and this kingdom of its resources and didn't care for its people. Then you were removed and replaced for three hundred years while this land thrived under the leadership of the great peacock family of the west. And now you come back corrupted by pride and greed for something that was never yours and you massacre an entire family filled with innocent children to get your way. I say that's enough evidence as to why I'm better than you. Wouldn't you agree?" He asks with a smug look on his face.

Kai's eyes gloss over in pure hatred for the turtle in front of him, they lock eyes for a moment, his glowing, hypnotic eyes full of rage. Oogway breaks the gaze and runs toward Kai like a beam of light.

Kai's fingernails dig into the ice, as he just barely dodges oogway's attack. Shifu hugs me close, shielding me from the fight above as I begin to cry. "Come along now dear, you've done enough fighting for one day..." he whispers, picking me up and taking me back to the palace. Setting me down at the edge of the gate he places his paws on my shoulders. "I'm going to need you to stay here, I'm going to assess the situation so no moving from this spot.

Giving a sad nod I sit against the wall of the palace courtyard tucking my legs to my chest and burying my face in my legs. Flashes of the prior events flashed across my mind in an instant as my mind finally caught up with everything that had happened. My mother, my father, my siblings, my tutor, my friends.

All dead, there was nothing I could do about it. Imagines of their blank faces crossed my mind only making me sob harder when I remembered. "My music box!" I shouted before running into the courtyard and passed Shifu who was calling for me to go back. Running past all the body's i ran to the broken pieces of metal on the ground and started picking them up. As Shifu ran up behind me and tried to remove me from my spot.

"No no no! All I have left" I shouted, not budging from my spot. " What does that even mean? Come on now you shouldn't be here!" He pleaded but to no avail. Suddenly there was a burst of golden light. "He's done it." Shifu said, looking up fondly at the sky. Looking in confusion I quickly disregarded the sentence and began picking up all the pieces of the broken box. "My my my, what happened here?" Oogway askes sorrowfully looking around the courtyard of blood and jade.

"The battle field master, it looks as if they put up a good fight before well- '' Shifu gestured. "I understand Shifu. What do we have here?" Oogway asked, moving towards my small figure. "What is it you've got their young one?" He asked, "their broken pieces of something. She kept saying it's all she has left." Shifu explained making me hold the pieces closer to myself. "No need to worry, child, I simply want to help."

Looking into his kind eyes for any kind of deception I found none and hesitantly showed him the pieces of the music box. "Ahh I see, all she has left..." he smiled gently, tapping a piece of the box, and with a bright golden glow the box was suddenly restored back to its original form. Gasping in delight I threw myself onto the turtle who saved my life. "Now now little one, let us leave this place and all the bad that came with it...." He said picking me up. That night I left my kingdom the only heir to the throne of Yawen.