Disclaimer: Shotaro Ishinomori's, not mine.
As much as I loved dancing, it was never easy. I woke early up early and went to bed late. My muscles would ache after practicing the same moves over and over, and I spent so much time at the dance studio, my friends were beginning to ask if I'd moved in there. On more than one occasion, Jean-Paul had to reheat my dinner for me. Sometimes, it almost didn't seem worth it.
But all of that disappeared the second I performed for my audience stage. The long hours, the pain... it was all worth it once I got that pirouette just right. I think that might have been the reason I fell in love with the ballet so quickly and so deeply: your performance could be beautiful and graceful enough to live in the audience's minds forever, if you were willing to overcome the difficulty. And I was certainly no stranger to difficulty.
After my parents died, Jean-Paul and I took care of each other. It wasn't any easier than my ballet lessons. Money was scarce, so he began flying in that old plane my father was overly fond of. I was worried sick every time I saw him up in the sky, and he seemed to enjoy it way too much. However, people did pay to see him perform those reckless stunts of his, and we had enough money to live off of… but not by much.
In spite of it all, I was unbelievably happy. I had my brother, and I had my dancing. Everything else was superficial. And we both knew it would be worth it when I could finally become a professional ballerina. It was expensive, but my brother helped get me into a small but excellent dance academy. Soon, I was accepted to the Paris Ballet. Everything was going as we planned.
Plans don't always work.
I was kidnapped, turned into a weapon by monsters, and woke up in time that was unfamiliar to me. I could now see and hear things that no other person couldn't, and I didn't want to at all. It was only with the help of eight other people, whom I only knew by the numbers Black Ghost had given them, that I was able to escape.
At first, we were only together because we knew we'd be killed if we weren't. Everyday was a struggle, and in those rare moments of peace, all I could do was think about the life and the dreams I'd lost. But then… something changed. I'm not sure if it was Chang's cooking, or the way Joe would smile at me, or something else entirely, but I couldn't help but start thinking of these people as my family. And while I've always hated the idea of using my sidearm, I wouldn't hesitate drawing it if it meant I could keep them safe.
I haven't danced since I was a normal girl in Paris. I do miss it sometimes, but my priorities are different now. I would do anything if it meant I could be a prima ballerina one day. Now I'm willing to do anything to keep my new family safe.
Sometimes Jean-Paul would joke that I seemed to love dancing more than my family. I wish he was still here, so I could tell him it's the other way around.