Scene 6 - Night of tears

It was night time, and couldn't sleep with Ren's snoring rattling the windows. Wide awake, he had the urge to take his pillow and shut his dear elder up once and for all. But it was merely a fleeting thought he pushed aside as he rolled out of bed and walked towards the balcony for some fresh air.

Opening the door, he found Xue hugging a bottle of wine while looking at the stars; her yellow hair dancing rhythmically in the moonlight. Saren wondered why his big sister was standing out on the balcony. Getting a closer look Saren noticed the distant gaze in her eyes, a huge contrast from her usual cheery demeanor.

He closed the door and walked to her side, “Hey big sis, you couldn’t sleep too?”

Xue moved the bottle to her supple lips and took a large mouthful of wine, chugging it down like water and causing some of the scarlet red wine to drip down her neck. Saren tilted his head, having never seen Xue act this way.

Putting the now mostly empty bottle down, Xue took in a breath of fresh air before turning to Saren, “Little brother… Do you think beauty is a curse? I envy you, little brother. You have an average face that no one would pick out from a crowd… I hate to be made a prize of men, just because of how I look and not for how I am inside.

Mother thought the same way and maimed her features by working in the fields. I once tried to follow her example by carving up my face up with a knife when I started to work at the jade palace where I become a sun goddess in the eyes of greedy men, only for mother to stop me.

Even with our poor status, Mother didn't hesitate to buy expensive ink to hide me away. She made me promise that I would never think of harming myself in such a way again; she didn’t want me to turn into her. Now she’s gone, she never had a man court her, she never fell in love. The only thing she left in this world is us. And it scares-”

With tears in his eyes, Saren hugged Xue. He never knew his sister felt this way; it made him feel like a failure as a younger brother to not notice the pain his sister was going through.

He whispered into her ear, warming his sister’s chaotic heart, “Don’t worry sis… You have us, and we are not going anywhere anytime soon. Relax; I’ll stay with you for as long as you need me to be here.”

They stayed in each other’s embrace for a long time...

Scene 7 - Memories

Finally, on the last day of mourning, the nine siblings entered the room where lay their late mother. They each moved forward, one by one, and placed a flower on top of the sheet covering their dear mother.

They each said something meaningful their mother had given them.

For Xue it was Love.

For Sol, it was a Home.

For Nena, it was a Family.

For Vince it was Peace.

For Rune it was Trust.

For Saren it was Self.

For Ren it was Honesty.

For Luna it was Happiness.

For Len it was Understanding.

On that day not a tear was shed by any of the nine. Only a faint smile spread across their faces as they thought about everything their mother had given them.

They sang a song mother had taught them, “The Storm of Lilies” and finally, they bowed and bid their farewells.

Only then did the three days of mourning end.

On the fourth day they weren’t dressed in rags or white robes; instead, they wore blue robes with patterns of white dragons coiling around the robe. They sat in the lotus position, awaiting their Master's teachings.

Master Mo sat in front of all of them, “Do you all know how to read?”

Sol proudly responded, “Mother and Big brother Vince taught us how to read!”

Master Mo nodded in response, “Good, that saves time. Now! Each one of you will step forward one by one and I shall test your aptitude!”