Wei Ying looked at the woman now passed out inside the clear bubble, her body still vibrating with the odd twitch.

"What's her name?"

"Jian Ci." Both Zhitiao and Yezi said together, holding hands.

They had caught up with this group, after watching the people they were fighting become trapped inside bubbles of their own, the remainder having personal issues with amphibians.

"Is she your leader?" Wei Ying asked, tapping his nose.

"Not any more." Zhitiao replied, vehemently. "Never again."

*********

Jian Ci had been involved in the thickest of the fighting, when she'd spotted the demon and the child. Putting aside her horror for a few seconds, because what was such a vile creature doing, out in the open, but the child...she recognised her.

That was her sister's child.

The traitor's child.

Who had to be destroyed.

She did not allow any more thoughts to come between her actions, propelling her sword at them both without mercy.

When the sword disintegrated, she remembered that happening before and realised that this was not the first time she had encountered the demon, either.

Very well, if he wanted a fight, he would get one.

She grabbed a dagger from her sleeve and marched forward, only to be enveloped by a clear bubble, one that would not break despite it looking so fragile. And then, even as she struggled, she discovered another terrible problem: oxygen was limited and running out fast.

The last thing she saw was a happily smiling girl, as her eyes closed.

Her thoughts wandered back, far into the past, to the beginning.

She remembered the signs. They came first, because she and her sisters had searched all over their mother, looking for the pod that would provide them with another sister, and yet there was nothing.

All the branches remained upright and steadily growing upwards, no bending to accommodate a new arrival.

And then...the blossoms.

White flowers adorned their mother, as if she was expressing elation and joy, and still no baby. The blossoms lasted for a long time, their sweet fragrance lifting the spirits of anyone who walked by, the soft petals caressing the faces of all who came to see the miracle. And it was a miracle because their mother had never given them flowers before.

Jian Ci was filled with expectant joy, a bubbling feeling of imminent happiness. The days were long and sunny, crops ready for harvest, and all their cultivation was going well.

All good signs.

And then they had the dream.

All of them, she and her sisters, had the same dream in a single night. Nobody talked about it, instead, the next morning, they were all there, by the sixth root, waiting for someone to take the first step.

She took control, as was in her nature. Folding back the soil that covered the roots and the ground, they all gasped at the sight of the pod, a different colour from those grown in the branches which were white and light green.

This pod was blue.

Jian Ci lifted it out carefully. She removed the seven petal layers to reveal the most beautiful baby she had ever seen.

"Zai Shu Xia." She whispered, smiling at the newborn.

The baby opened her big beautiful eyes, to show them crystal blue eyes, sparkling with joy.

"It is a good name, sister. For she is a child born under the tree."

Jian Ci had smiled at the baby and felt something stir deep inside her heart, but she ignored it and laughed at the answering gurgle from the infant.

They showered that baby with love and everything they had. Even when she grew up into a curious child, she was treated differently to everyone else, something that had begun to irritate Jian Ci.

But she buried those feelings, not wishing them to develop and cause an imbalance in her mind.

Yet, everything was different.

Training was different too. While everyone else cultivated and trained for hours, sweating away on drills and manoeuvres, running laps and maintaining physical fitness, Zai Shu Xia was allowed to do whatever she wanted.

She would disappear for hours, smelling of honeysuckle and forget-me-nots, and Jian Ci knew she had spent the afternoon lying in a field somewhere, definitely not training.

Her absences only worsened, even after Jian Ci had complained about her to the elders, where, can you believe it? They had sided with Zai Shu Xia, stating that there was plenty of time for her to catch up with everyone else. Later.

But later never came.

Jian Ci tried to think about something else, but everywhere she looked, there was that difference she was avoiding, as if the universe was bent on rubbing it in her face.

Everyone indulged in keeping that child happy, saving the sweetest fruits for her, making sure she was happy all the time.

And it was absolutely the final straw, when the elders refused to let her go out on missions.

The unfairness of it all ate away at her peace of mind, making her think bad thoughts. Her vision filled with a red haze every time she thought of the happy child, now a young woman, who seemed to be completely oblivious to how Jian Ci felt.

The strangest thing was, Zai Shu Xia loved everyone, all of her sisters, equally.

She would skip towards them individually, happily sharing an apple, or an anecdote of something funny or interesting that had happened to her, and Jian Ci would watch as her sisters lapped up her sweet talking as if it was natural and ordinary.

And each day, her bitterness grew towards her, until it festered into dislike.

The problem was, even if she wasn't around, her sisters couldn't stop talking about her, as if that wasn't bad enough.

So it had to stop.

When Jian Ci first tried to talk to her elders about the problems, she was dismissed. Her concerns were thrown out to the four winds, as if she didn't matter.

So she changed tactics and decided to plant doubts within her community of sisters.

She started slow at first, just a snide comment here and there. But progress was even slower, because her sisters loved Zai Shu Xia unconditionally.

But as Zai Shu Xia spent more and more time away from them, she saw her chance, and grasped it with both hands.

One fateful day, she followed her sister as she left their compound. Careful not to be seen, she hid behind a tree, wondering what Zai Shu Xia was going to do.

The field was empty, yet Zai Shu Xia stayed, waiting in the hot sun. She bent down and picked a few flowers, repeating the act a few times.

Suddenly, the wind blew fast but gently. A celestial being flew down to meet her.

It was a Dragon.

Jian Ci watched, her mouth open in shock and awe, as he drifted powerfully down, to wrap around her, his lithe blue body, ever so careful not to hurt her. She in turn placed a crown of daisies on top of his head, giggling at the sight and his serious acceptance of her gift, nuzzling into her neck even as she kissed his cheek.

Before her stunned eyes, the dragon transformed into a tall man, with black hair brushed back to reveal a handsome face. His strong brows covered eyes bluer than the summer sky.

He wrapped his now human arms around her and kissed Zai Shu Xia deeply.

Jian Ci fell over.

She stayed in the long grasses trying to come to terms with what she had just witnessed, hoping the slight noise had not given her away.

But even as she peeked at the now empty field, she realised one thing:

Her sister had a weakness.

And Jian Ci was in a prime position to exploit it.

She went back to the compound, full of determination, her mind repeating what she had seen over and over again.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time Zai Shu Xia was meeting that...that...thing.

And from the way both had kissed in greeting, a familiarity gained over time only.

When she reached home, she called a meeting. She told everyone everything she had seen.

They did not believe her.

She wasn't surprised, smiling maliciously when they suggested asking Zai Shu Xia herself. Jian Ci was in two minds; if Zai Shu Xia lied, and refused to acknowledge the truth, Jian Ci would be the one in trouble now, because everyone clearly favoured the blue-eyed wonder over her.

So she waited.

The moon had risen long ago, the stars mocking her with their brightness, when Zai Shu Xia returned.

She came forward, her step confident.

Not for long, Jian Ci thought, smiling with contempt.

The elders made their accusations.

Jian Ci waited, holding her breath.

"Yes. It's true." The words hung in the space between them, silent and foreboding.

"So what are you going to do?" They asked her, in all seriousness.

"I am going to marry him. He has already asked me, and I have accepted." She stood firm and strong.

"Do you think it's that easy to leave us?" Jian Ci asked, spitting venom.

"My being here, or anywhere else, doesn't affect any of you." She replied, unrepentantly.

"Oh, but it does. After all, aren't you the special one?" Jian Ci continued.

"Why? What are you going to do?" For the first time, doubt crept into her voice.