Light gathered in the violet-haired child's palm. Then he turned his wrist. Thousands stars streaked across the still dim sky, roaring towards Shaka, still kneeling on the ground helplessly.

It would have ended thus, but a voice suddenly cried, "Wait!" Their hostess raced from the house, her braided hair and her skirt flying in the morning wind. "Wait!" Dazhu cried, "Please stop!"

Too late. The dazzling stars glided towards Shaka without halt. Dazhu raced forward, took Shaka in her arms and turned, protecting the boy with her own back. "Dazhu!" Mu exclaimed. The fire in his green eyes suddenly died. His hand reached out as if trying to grab something. A burst of wind, and then the starlight faded the moment before colliding with Dazhu's back.

After Dazhu finally calmed, she turned around and asked in a shaky voice, "Master Mu, but why? You…you wanted to hurt him! You were not like that before, Your Holiness."

Silence. Then: "He killed my father." Mu raised his voice and shouted, "He killed my father.

Dazhu's eyes widened. "Your…your father? You mean General Zhang? He… he is gone?"

"He is gone, never to return." Mu said in a low voice. He glanced at Shaka before saying with contempt, "His Holiness would say that it was well deserved, justice dealt by superior beings. The tyrant is gone and can never trouble your sacred land again. Isn't that what you all think?"

"No! No! Never!" Dazhu objected, sounding absolutely horrified at the idea Mu suggested, "How can you possibly say such a thing? We love General Zhang. If you don't believe me, ask anyone!. " He is such a good person, so kind, so compassionate, ready to help us before we even asked. Of course, the people after him were just as kind and helpful to us, so it almost seemed like he never left, but we still miss him!" His words rushed out in a torrent, slightly confused but never lacking in true passion. Tears were gathering in her eyes.

Mu turned his head to avoid her eyes. "Then why? Why this?" He asked bitterly. "Why ally yourself with the enemies of my father if you all love him such? Do you not know what they are here for? They want to chase out people like papa; they want Tibet all for themselves. If you truly loved papa, why this?"

For a long time Dazhu could not speak, only looked at the boy in front of her. Suddenly, Shaka's weak but clear voice broke the heavy silence. "Dazhu, put me down." He said.

He turned and faced west, quietly watching the grey clouds over the land west of Himalayas. Finally he said, "Dazhu, we are here because we thought that the people of Tibet wanted us here. We thought that people of Tibet want to hear the wisdom of the Buddha and His Holiness. Of course those in Dharamsala miss their native land. But if the people of Tibet are happy, if they are at peace and do not wish our intrusion, then we understand too. We will always do what the people want; that's a promise, Dazhu."

"Oh, Your Holiness! Please don't say it like this…" Dazhu buried her face in her hands, now crying openly, "Of course we want His Holiness Dalai Lama back. We prayed for his return ever since his departure. It has been so many years…"

The two children stood by her side, watching her silently. Finally Mu said with a long sigh, "What…what do people here want, Dazhu?"

"I…I don't know!" Dazhu shook her head. "Must we choose one? I… I want both of them here, General Zhang and His Holiness. How I miss them! Is it… is it really so impossible?

Silence fell once more. The sun had finally leapt into the sky, spilling watery gold across the empty highland. Faraway, there was faint singing of the shepherd.

"Who has seen, yoya,

The colours of Himalayan sky, yoya!"


A TRAILER for

TWENTIETH CENTURY LEGEND: COMPROMISE

(Silence. Black screen.)

(Then a sudden explosion, followed by a crescendo of running steps, cries, garbled words and screams.)

Chile, 1973, was nothing short of hell itself.

(Flashes of burning buildings, tanks rolling down the streets, prisoners surrounded by tall wire fences.)

He was a ray of impossible light in that dark place,

(Shot of Aiolia cutting a tow boat loose from its cargo. Without the burden, the tow boat sped away. People on the tow boat clapped and cheered.)

burning too bright, to swift.

(Close up of Aiolia face: he was wearing a peaceful smile.)

Aiolia: Goodbye, sister. Don't worry about me, I will watch you in heaven, just like brother Aioros.

Voice: Aiolia!

(Around him the air itself suddenly burst into flame.)

(Screen fades to black.)

Is all hope lost?

(still black screen; sound of heavy breathing is heard.)

Male voice: How long will that take?

Female voice: With the Demetrio family's wealth and influence, two days, three at most.

Male voice: You are asking me to let you two stay in this concentration camp for another three days? No, no!

Female voice (softly): Don't be upset, and don't worry. I will keep him and myself safe.

Male voice(fervently): No... wait for me; I will have you away from this hellhole by tomorrow's sunrise.

(Flash of a pair of blue eyes set inside a sorrowful face framed with flowing blue hair.)

To escape hell, one must first compromise with Satan.

(Shot of Aiolia balling up his fists, gritting his teeth, but staying very still.)

(Shot of Saga in full Chilean army uniform, wearing a lewd smirk, though his eyes were enraged.)

Though the end can never be guaranteed.

(Flash of Aiolia, half naked and drenched in blood.)

(Shot of Saga slowly falling to his knees.)

Aiolia: It hurts, sister, it hurts!

(Fade to black)

Compromise: A Twentieth Century Legend coming soon to