Lihua

Lihua's egg was the result of the purest forms of love between her parents, Aspen and his beloved. The two soul mates lived a happy life, now expecting the pitter patter of tiny footfalls to accompany them shortly. While she was still just an egg the happy couple ventured through a mystical portal in search of a secluded land to call home and start their little family. They found themselves in a tropical land with dense forests and beautiful songbirds all around. Everything seemed perfect so they began to settle....

Now days before the egg was to hatch, disaster struck. A storm raged, a storm that neither had witnessed before. The winds howled and the rain fell, without warning a tree tumbled, crushing the home they had build. The collapse of their home resulted in the Mother being trapped with mortal wounds. Miraculously the egg remained unscathed. As Aspen desperately tried to save his Love the floods rushed in, water raising dangerously high, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop the water with his magic there was far to much flowing in. His beloved looked at Aspen with the purest love one could express, she smiled and softly spoke "I love you Aspen, take care of our child" and before Aspen could respond she used the rest of her strength to perform an act of magic that was near impossible to perform alone. A portal opened just long enough to pull Aspen and the unhatched child through. And as loud as Aspen cried and as hard as he fought it was not enough, in the blink of an eye the portal deposited him and the egg just outside the city he and his love had first met.....

Days later the Egg cracked and a young Shiji emerged and was greeted by Aspen and the family of his beloved. They all looked in astonishment towards the newborn, she looked strikingly similar to her own mother. With tear glazed eyes Aspen held his daughter up in the air and gave her a name, Lihua, after her mother who had passed....

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A lifetime later, after living her first lifetime in the frozen northern lands, her anxiousness and excitment finally broke through her father's stubborn, overprotective heart. Her father realized that he couldn't keep her away from the adventure of life forever and how could he say no to those eyes that yearned to go and fly free. Lihua loved her father and had no ill to speak about him, save how he was occasionally overprotective. But now she had received his fatherly blessing and was anxious to explore and see the world.

With a pack and map in hand she ventured forth, seeking to learn and experience all that life had to offer throughout the lands. She never failed to write letters to her father to let him know what she was up to and the things she has learned. Throughout her adventures she had met many wonderful Shiji and even spent some time staying with her mothers family who happily shared stories and experiences from her mothers childhood and showed Lihua around the trails and the places she used to play as a child. As Lihua walked the same paths her mother once walked she felt as if her mother was walking with her. These experiences taught her just how important and special family was.

Now she looks towards the mysteries of the future with optimism and a smile, eager to see what laid in store for her adventurous heart....