I remember it as if it were yesterday.
The sound of metal to metal, the clash of swords and shields, and the painful cries of the ones I love and cherish. I was raised this way, born to be a fighter.
That day was the day I lost everything, my family, my home, my faith, and my dreams. That was the day I chose to walk away, away from the pain and the hurt, the betrayal and sacrifice. That was the day I said no to ruling over the state of New York, not as second or third in command, but as the main ruler of New York. I would not ever advise you to challenge its old leader. He would destroy you, as he destroyed his wife, my mother, his daughter, and son. He still rules on to this day, waiting for my return. But I shall never return.
Never…
Nobody ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and if they did, I probably wouldn't have said a lethal assassin. But you can't change who you are. And I wouldn't, because that day I left, was the best day of my life. I took something from my Father, something he so desperately needed and desired, his prize possession, his jewel of value and worth.
I took his life.
Now you see why I cannot go back, and why he is the old leader. But you do not see the reasoning behind all of this. Well I shall tell you.
It would be best if I start from the beginning…
"Father! It's absurd!" I stood before him, my battle attire on, my hand on the hilt of my weapon.
"It is what must be done, daughter." He said, his armored uniform dark and musky in the pale lighting of his chamber.
"They have done nothing wrong! Spare them of their lives!" I begged.
I received a hand across my face for my actions.
"I have raised you better then that! Have I not?" his voice thundered and echoed off the walls that surrounded us.
"You have, father." I nodded, bowing before him.
"Then be gone, leave me at once, but you must be present for the slaughter of your siblings and mother. Understood?" he commanded.
I looked down at my feet, the rub beneath my feet was disgusting, and every time I walked across it I couldn't help but get chills. How could anyone have a rug of human flesh?
"AM I UNDERSTOOD?" Father's voice boomed once more.
"Y-Yes sir." I nodded and hurried out of his chamber.
I wiped at my eyes, my palm to my cheek. I was use to his beatings, it was a daily thing. If he didn't get what he wanted, he would use violence and abuse as a punishment.
That's the rule of the domain.
Violence is the answer, always.
I hurried up to my mother's room, she was a beautiful woman. With long dark hair, in spiral curls that fell almost to the floor. Her flawless face was the ideal image I had always hoped to obtain. I never dreamed the day would come that I, her youngest daughter would have to watch her be slain before my own eyes. To be forced to watch her blood get spread all over the battle yard of our Fortress.
"My sweet, sweet Alexia… what makes you weep this way?" My mother said her voice smooth like velvet as he gently stroked my hair. I had my head in her lap, my arms draped around her stomach and I was on my knees.
"Father, he requests my presence in the battle yard later, to witness… I can't let him mother, I cannot let him." I wept into her torso, her hand ever so lightly running through my brunette curls.
"Dry your eyes, my daughter. Dry your eyes and be strong. You have my blood in you, yes?"
"Yes, mother," I picked my head up and wiped away my tears.
"You needn't worry about the lives that shall be lost, you should instead worry about your appearance during their execution." She said in a caring voice.
"But, mother, what good is appearance when it is your life I am witnessing be taken away by the one you love?"
My mother's response was simple, "I never loved your Father, only my children."
I looked at her, "But, why do you stay?"
"For you my dear, and your siblings."
"is there any way for you to leave now? To get far away and be safe?"
"There is not, and if there was, I would not leave. Do not feel pity for me, it is not my life that is in need of pity or sorrow. It is you I pity; it is you I wish the courage and strength upon."
"me?" I questioned.
"You are your father's child, raised and treated as much as an equeal as he could bestow upon you. He took advantage of your youth, training you in ways he could not train your brothers, making you stronger in ways your sisters refused. He took advantage of your innocence, and your humble mind. It is you, my beloved daughter, you I pity."
"Mother… you must live." I said.
"No, you must." She touched my cheek, "and you must live up to your name, you are good, not evil, you are the great and will always be. You are my hero, you stand up for us, and for that I am thankful to you my daughter." She smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek.
I brushed it away softly, "I love you, mama."
She held my palm to her cheek and nodded, "and I you, my princess."
With that I left her quarters, and headed to my room, I had to listen to her, I had to change. I looked through my wardrobe and found a white strapless dress, Victorian, and it looked beautiful. I took off my battle attire and slid on the dress, being only 17, I figured I could pull it off rather well. My mirror didn't do me justice. It was cracked and parts of it had shattered to the floor. I fixed my curls and pulled them back slightly. Clipping a few loose curls with a lily, the center was black. This was what was known as the black lily, or lily of death. I wore it to match the hem and waist line of the dress, and tie my look together. I wanted to be presentable.
I took a deep breath and applied a little make up, red lipstick, black eyeliner and a little dab of perfume. Father was going to regret this, I was goning to make sure of it.
But one thing that bothered me, was I never knew what she had meant by innocence. I thought it over and shrugged it off. There was no time to waist thinking of things of the past. Father always did his slaughtering at dusk, so the fire could burn the bodies at night, and the hounds could eat with out being disturbed by the dragons.
This was how it always was.
This was the life I hated, but what I was used to.
The battle yard was illuminated by fire torches that stood seven feet high, the flames added another three feet, making it a canopy of light over the blood stained rock graveyard. I looked across the stone paved valley; I saw streams of blood, fresh and dried. I looked away, horrified.
My father strode up, his metal suit of armor, glinting in the dim fire light, and the sun setting into the distance. I looked off to the horizon trying to distract myself.
"My daughter," my father called, holding his hand out to me.
I closed my eyes and took his hand, hanging my head low.
"Join me in this joyous moment, the moment we take away the youth of life from peasants, servants and family. Join me in the renovation of our kingdom."
"Father please, don't do this, you have slain enough," I pleaded.
"You are right, my daughter, I think it Is your turn." He nodded.
"No father, that isn't what I meant," I said in protest.
"Well, perhaps you will change your mind," he said as he motioned for the guards to bring out the victims.
They all lined up in a row, all facing us, some commoners, some servants, some were little kids, and some were my very own blood family, my mother, my sisters Becky, Gardenia, and Penelope and my brothers Kale, and Dexter.
I looked away from their pained faces; I couldn't bear to watch this mockery.
"Father!" I protested.
"SILENCE!" he turned and yelled at me.
I backed up a few steps, stumbling into a rock, my hand feeling the sticky liquid that coated it.
I gagged as a reflex and looked up at my father. He now possessed a large blade, known as a Katana, I myself, preferred Sais, they were much lighter, and easier to use.
I looked at my father and watched him approach the line up of people a few yards away.
"Does anyone challenge me?" he called to them, a few commoners shook from fear as my eldest brother, Dex, as we called him, stepped forward.
"my son? You dare think you are a match for me?" laughed my father.
"Yes, sir, I do."
"My boy, I have taught you everything you know, I know every move you make, before you make it. Think again. Is this the death you choose?"
"I do not choose death father, I choose life. It is you, stubborn willed, thick skulled and dumb hearted who has put death upon his own family. His own wife and children, but we see now who the favorite was. And always will be." He looked over at me, "daddy's little princess, isn't she? Just because your other daughter's wouldn't give you what you wanted? You always knew where to turn, your grandchild is your child, doesn't that sicken you father? It sickens me!"
With that Father's katana sliced off his head. Dex's body fell to the ground; his head flew a few hundred yards and landed in the dirt. Our mother let out a cry and fell to her knees sobbing. Becky looked at our father.
"What did we do to deserve this father? Please tell me, I can make it better!"
"Silence, slut, you have done nothing to deem yourself worthy of life in my palace. You have not a penny to your name." he said as a guard walked up to her, she screamed and pleaded as he reached for her neck, I looked away as the crack echoed off the rocks.
I felt the sting of the tears in my eyes as I looked back at my middle sister's fallen body.
Next Penelope stepped forward, "you have a daughter, a granddaughter," she said, "The one Dex speaks of, "And a grandson."
"THE grandson you speak of is a foul example of why you must be punished, shame is on your head, sleeping with your own brother? And producing offspring of a different generation? I thought I raised you better," Father hissed at his eldest daughter and an arrow went straight through her heart…
I gulped hard, there were only two siblings left, and mother. The commoners all looked scared… I couldn't stop this, I could only watch…
Down went Kale, and holding his hand, his lover, our sister, Gardenia. I softly bit my lip, our family was messed up, and this only proved it. My mother stood her ground, I couldn't let her die. Not like this.
"MY wife, MY wife," father said as he walked towards her, "do you dare challenge me?"
"I do- I do not." She said hanging her head slightly, but to where only I could see.
I looked at my father and then the blade he held to my mother's breast.
"I challenge you." I said.
Father looked at me, he was a good 50 yards away.
"Speak up, I cannot hear you." He called to me.
"I said, I CHALLENGE YOU, FATHER." I said furious with his actions.
He looked at me, dumbfounded.
"YOU? You challenge me? You are a fragile flower, my daughter, you cannot win."
I looked at him, "there is a lot you do not know about me father." I said as I pulled out a pair of Sais from straps I had on my thighs, concealed by my dress.
"Then it is a fight, a fight to the death." Father said as he charged me…
Metal clashed, sparks were made, blood was drawn and innocent people were hurt. I didn't mean for this to happen, it wasn't my will.
I backed up, trying to avoid the blade as it was jabbed towards me, I spun to the side, and slid to a split just in time to miss the back swing of my fathers second Katana. I rolled forward, and stood up fast, swipping and cutting his metal glove. It didn't do much.
"Hah, you can never win this battle daughter," he said as he stepped towards me.
I looked up at him, my hands sweating, but gripping the hilts of my weapons tightly. His face masked by a metal mask, his chest, iron plated. I stood up tall.
"This isn't fair." I said throwing my weapons down.
He noticed my change in attitude and removed his mask.
"What do you propose we do?" He asked.
"battle, with no weapons, and no armor." I said as I looked at him. He chuckled.
"Killing you, with my own hands, I would much rather please you with them, wouldn't you like that better?" he smirked.
"I am not playing games father, you have killed my family. I am now vowed to kill you."
"So be it." He sighed regrettably, as the guards removed his armor and left him in a royal robe and suit.
"Now, make your move." I said to him as I regained a fighting stance.
He charged me again, I jumped and landed behind him, I kicked him and he fell face first into a rock, leaving some of his own blood. When he stood up he had a large bloody streak down his forehead.
I looked him up and down, to see for any concealed weapons, he had only one, a dagger in his boot. And as he charged I noticed him reach for it. he went to throw it, but I was faster, the one I had concealed between my breasts was unconcealed and thrown with such force and speed it hit him in the chest and he froze instantly. His dagger was thrown, but it's trajectory was off. I walked up to him and watched him fall to his knees. I pulled out the blade, his mouth foamed with blood and saliva.
I grunted softly and stabbed him again, a little higher. Then again, a little lower, then again. Right through his heart, then hitting the button on the hilt and letting the blade grow. I heard him grunt and gasp for air, blood running down his jaw, then I thrusted the blade in all the way to the hilt and turned it almost all the way in a circle. I felt him become dead weight. I pushed im down and he fell backwards on to the sand and gravel.
I looked around to the guards. They all backed off.
"A-Ale-Alexia…" came a faint raspy voice, I whirled around to see my mother hunched over on her knees.
"Mother?" I cried then ran up to her, "mother, what is it? what's wrong?" I asked looking around her.
She picked her head up to reveal the dagger in her chest.
"OH! Mother!" I cried and touched her shoulder, "im sorry, I tried! I tried and I failed! I failed you mother!" I cried, taking her hand and kissing it.
"My d-daughter, y-you have not f-failed, you have a l-life to fu-fill." She said as she kissed my hand ever so lightly. She fell to the side, her lips parted.
"But mother, you can't," I said as I felt the tears stream down my face.
Her eyes gently blinked, "everything will get better now… I promise…"
She said those last words and like a bullet to my heart I raged up and went back to my fathers fallen body, I took his Katana and dragged it across his chest, making 3 distinct lines. Blood drizzled off of them… that was my mark.
3 lines, the mark of the Shredder.