A section of grass sat near an undisturbed lake. Sharp green blades swayed in their spots, each one bellowing freely without caressing its neighbor. Droplets of dew hopscotched between individual sections before falling into the grasps of cold soil. Clear beads would be absorbed into their new homes. They'd become one as water shifted to ice, both entities embracing with frost tinged arms.

The interface of a full moon shone brightly along the surface of the lake. Calm ripples distorted the reflection and made it seem as if the lunar visage was dancing. An army of stars pranced alongside their larger companion. Wisping clouds concealed sections of the sky, but it only added to the environment's natural beauty.

Blue eyes took in the sight while blinking slowly. Waterfalls of black hair dangled above a pair of slender shoulders and blew alongside a bright pink scarf. Pale facial features were tinged with red thanks to the steadily dropping temperature. A thin body was kept warm by a dark blue kimono with lighter geometrical shapes lining its arms. A golden sash held the garment together and danced in the wind as well.

Hanami placed a section of hair behind her ear to keep it from obstructing her view. After doing so, she braced her hand against the strap pulled across her torso. It was connected to a narrow carrying case that housed her most prized possession and dearest companion, Zu.

Zu was an old Chinese guzheng made of smooth wood and delicate pluckable strings. The instrument had been passed down through her family for generations, and it had received its strange name because of a habit of mispronouncing the actual word.

Zu was presented as a gift after the previous player passed away. Hanami-- now The Current Player and daughter to her predecessor-- took her time when it came to practicing with her instrument. She honed her skills in the craft of guzheng instrumentation with pride.

Through sadness, hardship, difficulty, and grief, Zu was there. Zu was always there. Its notes spoke a silent truth, and its songs were a promise of a lifelong friendship.

Its presence was even more comforting now that Hanami was completely alone. With her father having previously passed away, she was left to wander on her own. Sitting stationary at home felt like a waste of time, so she opted to travel with her companion in tow. Together they'd seen the changing of seasons; changing of territories; and changing of modern societies.

Musical tastes came and went as trends did the same. But Hanami still loved to play her guzheng. And when people heard her plucking away, they couldn't help but love it too.

Playing was just as natural as the view in front of her. She had the fleeting desire to pull out Zu to serenade herself, but the sound of approaching footsteps stopped her.

Blue eyes glanced in the opposing direction. They took in the sight of masked, sword wielding strangers. The group of six were dressed in all black. Wooden face coverings had red symbols painted on the forehead and cheeks. It depicted a crescent surrounded by four dots inside of a thin circle. A clan symbol.

It appeared that Hanami was being summoned.

"You there, woman!" One of the men called out. "You are to come with us immediately! The royals of the Takahashi clan have demanded your presence at the palace!"

"May I ask why?"

"For entertainment, miss." Another member chimed in. "The head family has been searching for some form of amusement. Their regular entertainer has fallen ill, so they've been calling upon any performers within the district. Unfortunately, you are not being given a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?"

"It's the law of the royals-- if they call upon you, you must go. If you don't, you will be hunted down and killed. If you go and fail to entertain them, you will be killed as well. But you at least have the option to fight for your life if you come with us now."

"And if I am able to gain their approval?"

"You will be rewarded. If they like you enough, you will even be given the title of Most Esteemed Performer in the Tani district."

Hanami hummed to herself. She gave one last glance to the nearby lake before turning around. She kept her attention on surrounding trees as the group made their way to the Takahashi estate.

*

Upon getting to their destination, the messengers and their lone entertainer walked beneath a towering gate commonly known as a torii. It had two cross beams and two standing ones. The entire structure was bright red with glowing lanterns hanging off of the sides. Symbols for peace and tranquility could be seen. The sight of them made Hanami's stomach twist.

A torii was supposed to be used for important shrines, or to signify that a specific place was sacred. It didn't seem like the Takahashis believed in such things since they wanted to kill those they deemed too boring. And flaunting around signs of peace only further insulted the people they were murdering.

If anything, it seemed that the Takahashis were using a torii to say that they themselves were sacred beings. That royal blood made them better than everyone else and put them on a higher pedestal both physically and spiritually.

Even though she was angered by such a thought, Hanami schooled her expression by keeping it neutral. She brought her hands together out of respect for the torii itself and offered a slight bow. A gust of wind ruffled her hair upon crossing through the gate.

A stone pathway was surrounded by small statues of animals. Rocks surrounded neglected flower beds. Large trees with winding branches sprouted near the entrance. A pair of fusuma sliding doors were attached to dark wooden walls. More lanterns hung from the arched rooftops.

Hanami walked inside with only her socks on, her shoes being left outside. Her grip on Zu's case handle remained lax. Her head was held high to show that she was unafraid. It didn't waver even after hearing the sound of screaming and crying.

Loud thuds came from a room down the hall. Light seeped out from beneath the doors leading to it. Shadows danced along the surface and showed someone getting grabbed by two other people. The former was dragged out by their arms. Screeches became more distant following the sound of a door slamming shut.

A knock came from the other side of the one before her. One of the messengers knocked back in response. After, the doors slid open. Hanami was ushered inside without a word.

She took in the sight of a trio of men. They were all in differing age groups, so it could be assumed that it was the previous ruler, the current one, and the future one. Long hair was pulled into low ponytails. Bodies of differing sizes were shielded by black and white jinbei and matching robes. Bottles of empty sake were lying on their sides by the two older men. The younger male was sitting attentively in his seat. He offered a kind nod to their guest.

It seemed the youngest was the most decent in terms of manners.

"Leave us!" The current ruler shouted. His request was fulfilled not even a second later. It left Hanami alone with the three Takahashis and a single guard standing watch by the door. "Woman, you have been summoned to play for myself, my father, and my son. If we deem you untalented, we will imprison you with the others and kill you for not being up to par!"

The son cleared his throat as a means of jumping in. "Forgive my father and grandfather for their rudeness, they've had quite a bit to drink."

"Hey!-"

"Anyway-- good evening. My name is Haru. I am to be crowned this upcoming spring."

"It is an honor to be in your presence, your highness." Hanami bowed in respect. "I believe you will make a commendable leader to the people in the Tani district."

"I appreciate that." He smiled softly. "I see that you have a guzheng with you. How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was a young girl."

"Well--" The grandfather shouted with a slurred voice. "--You better hope that you blow us away. Or else we'll chop your hands off and use your blood in our writing ink!"

Hanami didn't waver. Instead, she pulled the carrying case off. It was set onto the closest tatami mat beside her. A set of finger picks were slid on her upper digits. Zu was gently placed on the ground.

She sat down on her knees in front of the instrument. A moment was taken to properly tune it. The action itself was easy to do as it was second nature; even with loud belching and obnoxious yelling coming from the older Takahashis. Blue eyes stayed glued onto the guzheng when a demand was made for Hanami to start.

A short breath was taken. Zu was placed atop her lap. Three plucked strings was all it took for the room to become silent. All outside stimuli ceased. Aside from the guzheng, the only noise that could be heard was swaying tree branches.

Hanami's fingers danced across Zu's strings like clockwork. They sang a song of sorrow and hardship without words being spoken. Elongated notes were coupled with small head tilts and slight furrowing of the eyebrows. Plucking and sliding of the fingers remained slow since the tuned being played wasn't meant to be rushed.

Unfortunately, the older Takahashis didn't like it because disinterested grunts escaped them.

Hanami's fingers fluttered over a series of notes. She brought her attention over to the opened fusuma sliding doors on the other side of the room. The sound of surprised gasps rang out from multiple people as multiple cherry blossoms started blooming. The flowers-- which only awoke for a few weeks during the spring-- were coming out of their confines in the middle of winter. Not only that, but their petals glowed and sparkled. Biting wind didn't disturb the gorgeous plants even though it wasn't their normal habitat.

As soon as Hanami stopped playing, the cherry blossoms went back into hiding.

"That..." Haru stammered. "That was beautiful. Both the playing and the showmanship."

"It was sorcery!" The grandfather chided with the father agreeing. "She must be a monster-- humans don't make flowers bloom by playing musical instruments! We should kill her!"

"Or--" The father added. "--We could make her our entertainer and charge people to watch her. We could get a lot of money out of the townsfolk that way."

Hanami stood up with Zu braced against her shoulder. She plucked a single note, and the room went silent again. The older Takahashis tried to speak, but they were physically unable to. The guard on standby tried to intervene. Another plucked string, however, forced him into a state of half consciousness. He slumped against the wall with glazed over eyes.

"What's happening?" Haru asked. His tone was more intrigued than it was frightened. "Who are you?"

"My parents named me Hanami. But I am formally known as The Current Player."

The men's eyes widened. "You're-- You're the cherry blossom goddess. The spring deity."

"I am."

Haru bent over until his hands were placed against the floor. He bowed with his forehead braced atop the tatami mats. "Forgive me for my family's behavior, dear spirit. I hope we didn't offend you."

"You didn't. Your father and grandfather are a different story." Blue eyes glared daggers at the two men. "Do you know how offensive it is to hold a torii in front of your estate to someone like me? Not only are you degrading my presence, but you're degrading the meaning behind such a sacred gateway. Especially with your claims of false peace as you sit here killing your people in a drunken stupor. It's unacceptable."

Haru knew what that meant. He made no move to intervene.

It seemed he agreed that his relatives were in need of some form of punishment.

Hanami plucked Zu once more. This time, the older Takahashis erupted into glowing piles of cherry blossoms. Another pluck had their remains blowing away in the wind.