If I owned any of Tamora Pierce's books I'd be Tamora Pierce. If I were Tamora Pierce, I wouldn't write crappy fanfics about my books. Therefore, I don't own any of the characters or settings, no matter how much I wish I did.
Ninver was a city full of interesting places, as far as cities go. There were many secret nooks and crannies that people could hide in, like the place that Darra and Valden Chandler were in now. As far as they knew, they were the only people to know about it, but obviously, somebody else had found it.
Four teens were sprawled on the grass- three females and one male. Darra was disgusted to see that one of the females was a trader.
Their secret hiding place found, the Chandlers turned to leave, but then the teens' conversation reached their ears.
"Tris, quit it!" one of the girls exclaimed. "Just because you can play with lightning doesn't mean you have to." Tris, Darra thought, shuddering. Play with lightening! Could it… no, it can't be.
"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that I can't," one of the girls retorted. She had red hair that was put up into a multitude of braids, and her back was to them, hiding her face. Darra and Valden watched as though they were glued to the spot. That voice sounded familiar. But it can't!
"Anyways," the trader girl spoke. "Let's go. Niko'll be waiting for us."
The teens' stood, and the red haired girl turned, one hand going to a braid by her face. It looked as though she were holding something, but Darra was too busy staring at the girl's face to notice what was in it. It was Tris. The daughter that she had disowned so very long ago. There was no mistaking it, the stubborn face, copper coloured hair and stormy gray eyes were enough evidence. Darra screamed, and stumbled backwards into Valden, who caught her, a stunned look on his face.
"Y-you!" she stuttered. Those intense gray eyes focused on Darra's face, and widened a fraction. Then, the girl recovered, and she smirked.
"Why hello Darra, Valden," Tris spat out their names as though they tasted bad. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Tris," the non-Trader girl said, looking quizzically at her friend, "do you know these people?"
"I should," Tris replied, hate clear on her face. "They're my parents, after all." Lightning sparked over her fingers, and she stroked it gently. The wind in the clearing had picked up, causing Darra's dress to whip around her legs.
"What?" the three other teens asked, surprised, but Tris ignored them.
"What are you doing here?" Darra yelled at her daughter, ignoring everybody else around her. "I told you that I never wanted to see you again!"
"Then go away," Tris suggested firmly. "It's not as though I sought you out." She lifted the lightening covered hand to one of the braids, one that was partially undone. To Darra's amazement, the lightening absorbed into the braid. Tris redid it, and began to walk away. "Besides," she added as she passed her mother. "I don't want to see you ever again either." She stopped and turned so that Darra was forced to look into her eyes. "You make me sick." She informed her. "Even your very presence makes my skin crawl. Listening to your voice makes my ears ache. Looking at you makes my eyes burn. You are disgusting, and you are no longer my mother. I've got a new family now. And they're a better family than you'll ever be." With those last, hateful words, Tris walked away. Her friends followed her, but the girl who wasn't a Trader paused by Darra.
"She used to cry," she told her quietly. "She cried herself to sleep every night. She didn't think that we knew, but we did, how couldn't we? And then, slowly, she stopped crying, and all that was left was hurt. Why did you leave her? Why wasn't she good enough? All that she wanted was to be accepted, but even her own parents couldn't do that for her. Now she's got people who accept her, but not enough people. Everybody who doesn't know her is frightened of her, because of what she can do. And every time that somebody backs away from her, or winces when she speaks to them, or avoids her, she breaks a little bit more. And every time that somebody hurts her, the first people that she thinks of are you two. Her parents. The only people in the world obligated to show her a little acceptance. And all that you did was throw her out. You didn't even try to understand her, or at the very least, show her a little kindness. You beat her when something happened that wasn't her fault. You passed her from family member to family member, because you couldn't bear the thought of somebody being different. And then, when nobody would take her anymore, you disowned her, and told her that you never wanted to see her again. You said that she was a monster, or possessed. But that's not true. The only monsters in the Chandler family are you two. You are disgusting."
The girl glared at them, before, with a toss of her head, she followed her friends.
That night was the longest in Darra's whole life. Tris' words, and the words of her friend rang in her ears.
You make me sick.
I've got a new family now. And they're a better family than you'll ever be.
She cried herself to sleep every night.
All that she wanted was to be accepted, but even her own parents couldn't do that for her.
Her parents. The only people in the world obligated to show her a little acceptance. And all that you did was throw her out. You didn't even try to understand her, or at the very least, show her a little kindness. You beat her when something happened that wasn't her fault. You passed her from family member to family member, because you couldn't bear the thought of somebody being different. And then, when nobody would take her anymore, you disowned her, and told her that you never wanted to see her again. You said that she was a monster, or possessed.
The only monsters in the Chandler family are you two.
You are disgusting.
You make me sick.
She cried herself to sleep every night.
All that she wanted was to be accepted.
All that you did was throw her out.
You are disgusting.
You are disgusting.
"I am disgusting," Darra whispered into the dark, waves of guilt washing through her. Her only answer was Valden's soft snores, and the condemning silence. "They were right. I am disgusting." But she couldn't do anything now, except live for the rest of her life with the guilt of having disowned her only daughter. And that was better than she deserved.
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