Mothers and Daughters

Most living beings were born, Kitana knew this. Throughout all of the realms, its many races and species, most people were born of a woman… a mother. And the daughters born of them went on to become mothers themselves. It had been so since the very beginning of time. All Edenian women were said to descend from the goddess Ammatulia: Legend foretold she had born a daughter to wed each of the ten men created by ten of her fellow gods, and their children became the founders of Edenia's creeds. What sort of mother had Ammatulia been like? Had all the daughters she had born been like? And their daughters?

And Kitana wondered how she herself would wind into this unending, universal tapestry of maternity now that she had her own daughter?

It seemed that the eight month period after discovering the news of her pregnancy passed with the batting of an eyelash now; contrary to how eternal it had felt just days ago. Initially Kitana felt quite weary, coping as best she could with uncharacteristic sickness and fatigue, and rather spectacular and unpredictable mood-swings that her poor husband was often on the receiving end of. Then in the second trimester she felt much better, energetic, entranced by the transformation of her body; the growth of her belly and those first little kicks. It was all so new and yet so strangely natural, and even a bit arousing. She recalled how her and Liu's lovemaking became even more impassioned during those middle months. And then came the end, were she began to feel ungainly and uncomfortable: She wound up being a week overdue.

But then came the long awaited moment. The pains were quick and sporadic at first, barely there at all. But as the hours passed they grew rhythmic and more intense. Kitana's labor was long, as her midwife and other women had warned her it would be, since this was her first child. The ordeal took an entire evening and night; fourteen excruciating hours…

But then her sweet little girl was finally born the next morning, dawning with the sun. She announced her presence with a piercing cry, her tiny limbs flailing, skin flushed pink and face scrunched. In the eyes of her parents, she was beautiful: Even still covered in the remnants of birth, she was absolutely beautiful. Kitana had forgotten the pain and seemingly endless discomfort within moments of holding her baby in her arms for the first time, her heart instantly filling with a blissful combination of love, protectiveness, and the fiercest devotion. Her child, minutes old, was already the most precious thing within her life.

Precious… the Old Edenian word for it was Myt'ahl…

Mytaliah… she would call her Mytaliah.

Barely a week had now passed since Kitana gave birth. She felt utterly exhausted, as did her husband; beckoned every hour or so by Mytaliah's wails to be fed, changed, or simply held. Even so, she'd never been so joyful, so peaceful.

It was somewhat early, dawn having broken a bit over an hour ago. Liu had been summoned away in spite of being on paternal leave, having to tend something or another that the advisers claimed needed urgent attention. He grudgingly left his wife and daughter in still in semi-slumber, kissing both before he left. It was only moments later when Mytaliah needed to be nursed, after which Kitana bathed, dressed, and opened the curtains to the balcony to light up the large chamber.

Like she had found herself doing seemingly every few moments, she gazed down at the infant slumbering passively, if only temporarily, in her bassinet. The frilly white and gold thing sat at the Princess' side of the massive bed, near the balcony, and the tiny newborn within was bathed in the dappled morning light. Kitana smiled at that cherubic little face; pale gold in complexion, head of thick, slick midnight hair that she inherited from her father, already long lashes that touched down to her rosy, round cheeks. Her little eyelids flinched every so often, her tiny fists opening and shutting and shifting, and tiny lips moving as if she was dreaming of nursing. Ever so tentatively, Kitana reached down and ran the back of one feather-light finger over her daughter's skin, complete awe and utter fear swimming in the pit of her stomach.

'What if I fail you?' she thought woefully. 'What if I'm a terrible mother and I damage you?'

It was a rampant fear that had plagued her since before she had ever conceived. It was the fear that made her wary of motherhood; that fear that her own lack of maternal affection in her youth, combined with being surrounded by sociopaths and lunatics, and her own steep descent into darkness, would mar her ability to properly raise a child of her own. Liu assured her time and again that she would be a wonderful mother, that he would be right there to guide her and even be guided by her, to share in the learning and the worries and the triumph. She pulled strength from his optimism, his nearness, but the fear of failing as a mother still persisted. The mere thought of it alone was enough to have tears stinging in her eyes.

Blinking them back, the Edenian beauty tucked her lengthy brown curls behind her ears and leaned down to brush a kiss over Mytaliah's forehead. The baby inhaled sharply through her nose, sensing her mother's touch, but did not awaken from her slumber. Hearing a gentle knock upon the door of the chamber, Kitana straightened up and went to answer it, finding Sindel waiting on the other side. The Queen offered her daughter a knowingly sympathetic smile.

"Sleep well?" she teasingly asked. Kitana gave a scoffing laugh.

"Sleep? What is that?" she replied wryly, stepping aside to let Sindel enter.

"Well, judging from all this quiet, the baby is at least." she said.

"Not for much longer, I suspect." Kitana stated warningly. "It's been a while since she's been fed and changed. Won't be long before it's time again."

"Ah indeed. I remember those days quite clearly." Sindel said wistfully, and Kitana could see the faraway look even in those ivory eyes. The Princess regarded her mother silently.

There was always the slightest twinge of remorse in Sindel's voice when she reflected upon the past, particularly when it came to her. Kitana never failed to notice it. Their time together before the Queen's pain overwhelmed her was brief, only ten short years. For so long, Kitana resented her mother, nearly hated her, for leaving her alone and isolated. But soon her own life and its many dark influences made her resentment fade, until eventually it was all just a hollow void. Kitana accepted her mother was gone. Dead. It had been reduced to a simple fact in her mind, just something that simply was and not much else. But then she learned the truth of her 'father's' lies, how Sindel had been a pawn cruelly twisted and terribly tortured in his machinations. She grew to understand her mother's choice, as well as feel a deep remorse of her own for being so oblivious. The scars ran deep, and even now, they were both still heavily affected.

'She may feel like she has failed, especially given all that happened to me,' Kitana realized with new meaning. 'But now she stands with me. She's never left me since… and I can't bear the thought of having her gone from me now. I've long since forgiven her… just as I would hope Mytaliah would forgive me.'

Smiling, Kitana glided to Sindel and gently took her by the hand.

"It's all so scary." the Princess quietly confessed. "There's this tiny little person that depends entirely upon me now, that will always look to me for guidance and love and comfort… and I'm not sure I can properly give it."

"Everyone feels that way initially." Sindel placated, leading Kitana by their laced hands over to the still-sleeping baby. They both smiled at the sight of her. "You'll make mistakes, but you will learn from them. Time will pass along, Mytaliah will grow, and you'll have to face all new challenges… but I have faith you will do well. And you have Liu at your side."

"Yes." Kitana agreed, her voice oozing affection. "Liu's amazing with Mytaliah. Whenever I see him with her, the way his face lights up… I just…" She paused, tightening her grip on Sindel's hand, eyes still fixed upon her daughter. Her chest suddenly constricted with some heavy emotion she couldn't quite identify, something fearful, vulnerable… but loving. Swallowing the lump that swelled in her throat, Kitana thickly murmured, "… But I have you too Mother. I… I have you."

Sindel sensed her fragility, and her eyes welled up. She squeezed Kitana's hand back.

"Yes, you do have me, my Darling. And nothing will take me away… not this time." she stated with quiet vehemence.

Little Mytaliah's lids suddenly parted ever so slightly, revealing deep sapphire irises exactly like Kitana's… like Jerrod's. Her mother expected them to scrunch shut and a demanding wail to burst forth immediately. But instead the newborn gazed blearily at the two women towering above her, almost as though observing them, sizing them up. Kitana's head tilted to the side in slight amusement.

"Well, look who's awake…" she said, her voice unthinkingly changing into that gentle, motherly tone. Mytaliah gurgled quietly, moving her arms and legs. Somewhat reluctantly releasing her hold of Sindel's hand, Kitana reached into the basinet and lifted her tiny girl into her arms. Already, nothing felt more right in the world than the weight of her solid, round little body in her hold. The infant continued to gaze at her mother quietly, their eyes locking together in that silent, heavy way they often did. Sindel smiled upon the two of them. After a moment, Kitana turned to her.

"Here. Hold her for a bit." she quietly suggested. Without preamble, Sindel outstretched her arms, and Mytaliah was transferred to her grandmother with no fuss. She smiled as the child nuzzled into the warmth of her body, continuing to gaze at her as well as her infantile eyes could.

"Hello there my sweet." Sindel crooned lovingly. "I am glad to see you're already so comfortable with me."

Her first grandchild, the first child of her only child; Sindel never thought she would get to experience this moment, for more reasons than she ever cared to think about. And as Kitana watched the two of them, a pensive but tender smile upon her face, she had been thinking the exact same thing.

Whatever damage that lost time, outside influences and old resentment had done to her relationship with Sindel had evaporated completely in that moment. Now, as Kitana was embarking on her own journey through this timeless, universal, life-altering thing called motherhood, she realized in that moment just how much she needed her own mother more than ever. And that their new common bond as mothers would unite them in a deeper, even more unbreakable way than before.

Sorry again for my absence folks, but my focus has shifted from written fanfics at the moment. I'm trying to focus more on my original stuff, trying to focus on my visual AND story-telling crafts, and that annoying little thing called LIFE.

Anywhooo, I actually wrote this a while back, and since that special day when you celebrate that woman who went through hell to give us life is coming up, I though, 'Meh, why not?' Plus too, I've learned that I'm expecting... a NEPHEW! (Yeah, no babies for me.) But regardless, I'm hyped!

Well anyway, I've still got Dawning in the back of my mind. Hopefully I can bring some of that out soon. I'm not really sure about Unwanted Company anytime soon though, so sorry for those who liked that one. Until next time!