C1 I love to look at the Stars

"There once was a time when the first and the second kingdom were unified as one. Everyone was at peace with their loved ones and families." a voice said

"Then what happened?" a light voice asked out of all the children sitting at the court eager to listen to the story.

"They separated." the woman said, "oh no! Then what happened?." Another voice belonging to a boy asked.

"They lived separate lives from one another and weren't friends." the woman said.

"Will this story have dragons?." A young boy curiously piped up. The other children joined him in asking about a dragon in the story as well.

"No dragons Feng Tang!." The woman cautioned knowing fully well his imaginative little Tang was.

"But our main character in this story loved to look at the stars and think they were tiny dragons watching us." the woman said.

"She used to sit in this very court and look up at the sky and admire the stars...."

*First Country*

"Mei Xing! Where has this child run off to now?!." head mother Mei Li Na bemoaned whilst she paced around trying to locate the young miss.

"Why do you look distressed?." A young miss asked, her yellow Hanfu complimenting her enchanting smile.

"Second Young miss, Mei Xing has fled once again. Help me gather the maids to find her word gets to the Emperor that the beloved jade is gone." head mother Li Na cautioned.

Mei Li and left to find someone to help her locate the little princess who loved to play hide and seek. The only problem was that Mei Xing was very skilled in the game and very tiny. Sometimes finding her would take half of a whole day!.

Mei Li searched the premises thoroughly till the sound of giggles caught her off guard. They were coming from behind some bushes, Mei Li motioned some maids to encircle the bush of flowers. At her command, the maids parted the bushes but instead of a sweet child sniffing flowers a small white tiger leaped out.

The maids scattered their loose sleeves running with the wind. ' This was not in the job description.'a a maid thought while running inside the huge temple for safety.

"Why are all of you running away? He just wants to make a new friend." Mei Xing sheepishly said emerging out of the bushes.

Mei Li stood unscathed by the white tiger who circled Mei Xing. "Come here!." Mei Li said harshly, Mei Xing took some steps towards her elder sister afraid.

"If you pull such pranks again I will never be your elder sister again. You will never play with me ever, and I'll tell Emperor daddy about you and your naughtiness." Mei Li said.

"Is my punishment that harsh elder sister Li? I would never go too far. Not even outside the gate, am afraid." Mei Xing said and hugged Mei Li's legs.

This melted her resolve but she knew the young miss would pull off an emotional counterattack to try to win against her.

"Why? Aren't you the daughter of the late warrior princess and the proud strong Emperor of the first country?." Mei Li asked teasing the little young miss.

"I am a proud and strong warrior princess. But the stories are scary elder sister Mei Li." Mei xing said, her pet tiger coming closer to cuddle her.

"What stories?." Mei Li asked getting on her knees to get a full view of her little half-sister.

"They have razor-sharp teeth and big bulging eyes. They have long and sharp claws, sharper than my new friend here." Mei Xing squeaked, her eyes breeding fear.

"And that is why we have the walls to keep us in and safe at all times." head mother Mei Li Na said from behind them.

"They are monsters and witches in the valley, they are called sea witches and water serpents. Each night they come out to steal little naughty girls and steal their faces." Head mother Mei Li Na said.

"They can't get to us, because we stay inside the temple close to our people on these high mountains that keep us safe." Mei Li said with a bright smile.

Mei Xing looked above her to drink in the beautiful fluffy clouds as they floated by and the bright atmosphere.

"Can I reach the stars one day, ?." Mei Xing asked looking above, her pet tiger nestled beside her, looking above as well at the bright blue sky above their heads.

"Yes little Mei Xing, go inside and bathe that pet of yours, it would make the Emperor proud if you minded to the gift he gave you." Head mother Mei Li Na tenderly said with warmth in her eyes towards the little thing.

Mei Xing scurried inside, her new pet running along with her to scare and terrorize all the helpless and defenseless maids.

"She gets wilder and wilder by the day mother, it doesn't suit a girl from our empire." Mei Li said.

"The little thing has lost her mother she is bound to behave in such a manner. But as time goes on, she will have to adapt and learn our family's values." Head mother Li Na said.

"And what makes you so certain mother?." Mei Li asked while they strolled into the temple to light candles.

"I know she will adapt because the most important thing to Mei Xinh is her family and that is already the first principle of this dynasty." Head mother said ending the discussion on her end.

*At Night*

"Shh." Mei Xing said to the growling tiger she was yet to name. She led him out of her chambers stealthily, being cautious not to make a noise.

She took off her golden slippers and hid them in her dress, her tiger complied, not making a sound.

After taking a sweep around, she snuck away onto the balcony at the west wing where no one would visit at that time of the night. Except her.

Her pet helped to boost her up, allowing her to sit on the handrails, she lost her balance and almost fell from such a great height, but her pet was swift enough to pull her back by her loose purple robe.

"Thank you." Mei Xing said and scratched behind its ears making the huge cat purr.

"So pretty." Mei Xing said admiring their constellations, "grandmother said that the stars up there are our lost loved ones who are watching us from above. She said that my mother is up there watching me now." Mei Xing said.

"But that's silly to me. Think of it, those can't be people, I think they are great dragons who watch us for fun and entertainment. And I'll be the first to touch the stars and become a dragon too." Mei Xing cheerfully said. The tiger gaped at her, tilting its head in perplexion.

"Dragons or people, one thing will stay the same, the fact that I love to look at the stars." Mei Xing said and fixed her gaze on the twinkling stars up in the sky.

*********

*Somewhere in the second country*

"Thank you, uncle, come back next time." a young boy of about seven said, holding the coins he had just acquired from a man who purchased something from him.

The young boy was a sword dealer, he had just sold a katana blade to the uncle, his young face contorted into a cheeky smile.

The uncle walked a bit admiring the case of his new sword, smiling at how he struck a good bargain with the street boy.

He drew it out to swing it a few times but was shell shocked to discover he was conned. The young boy had replaced the metal blade with a bamboo sword.

"Hey! Stop there! Cheat!." The uncle yelled at the top of his lungs swiftly turning to lay his vision on Hiro running away chortling loudly as he outran the aged uncle.

'This old uncle is catching up to me, I have to disappear."Hiro thought, he traded the fake sword at a desolate place far from the prying eyes of his village. He climbed a broken window propelling himself up to the rooftop of a house, running from rooftop to rooftop.

"Come back with my money!." The uncle yelled, his fist up in midair aggressively at the young con artist.

Hiro ran farther and farther, he looked back to see the aged uncle on the floor panting for breath. He ran a bit farther then stopped on a rooftop close to the bright marketplace. The sound of people bargaining was what Hiro needed to fall asleep.

As people bargained and duped one another, Hiro was up on a rooftop reclining against the roof his hands behind his head his body facing forward.

"Stars, what a waste of time, if I were given the chance then I'd go up there and steal all of you from the sky and sell you off. Then I would be happy, very happy." Hiro said voicing out his thoughts.