The forest of Ninjago had been recently illuminated with the newborn light of Day. With Dawn ending weeks before, it finally allowed the Sun to peek over the horizon, so that the next fifteen years of Day could begin again.
Beneath the trees of the Ninjago forest, the leaves shook by the speed of the small female Turan sprinting by.
The creature was no older than a young girl, with humanlike brown hair blowing past her as she dashed along the ground, her teeth clamped over the body of a dead bird and its babies. Surely this would be enough to feed a family within her tribe.
Perhaps this time her father will appreciate her efforts instead of tossing her aside, like he normally does. Perhaps this time, he'll have a speck of pride for his daughter.
It was wishful thinking, but it was the only wish the Turan had, and she'd hang onto it for as long as possible.
Increasing her speed, she approached her tribe and her camp, and sped through the entrance. She ignored the stares of the other kids and adults, and immediately went up to the ruler of the tribe.
The ruler sat in his throne, as usual, and looked down at his daughter with scorn.
Also, as per usual.
"Father," the little Turan said, standing to her feet.
"Daughter." said the tall, male Turan in front of the girl. "Where were you?"
His voice was curt, and stern, as if it was spectacularly hard for him to keep his long talons from scratching his daughter's face.
"I was...out hunting."
At that, the girl spit out the dead mother bird into the dirt, it's blood soaking it's feathers from the bite marks she had left.
Her father stared at the unmoving creature, saying nothing. It was as if the entire tribe had held their breath, waiting for what he had to say.
"...hunting?" he finally uttered. "You mean, what I told you exactly not to do until you were allowed to?
"Father, I was careful. Really. And I did everything right. I didn't hurt myself. I did what I was taught when I knocked the nest out of the tree. I didn't climb, so I was in no danger of falling. I didn't use my nails, so they couldn't have fallen off or scraped myself. I did what I was told."
Her father said nothing in response.
A fire rose up in the young girl at the lack of words, and she felt herself become angry.
"Now," the girl said, breaking the silence. "Can you calm down, and quit being no fun? Why can't you just be proud that I got some food for you? Huh? Or is it that since you're the leader, you're better than anyone here?"
A small intake of breath was drawn in, the tribe gasping all at once.
Nobody, especially not his daughter, talked to the Overlord in such a challenging tone.
The Overlord stared at his daughter, furious. "Misako, daughter, if you raise your voice at me again-"
"Then what, Father?" young Misako said. "You're gonna send me to my room?"
Misako didn't know what exactly she was doing, and knew for a fact that her father could do much more than punish her. The Overlord could take a knife and slit the throat of any normal Turan standing, and watching, right now. It wouldn't be a problem at all.
Not for the ruler of the entire tribe.
But miraculously, the Overlord did nothing. He merely stalked away, but not before giving his daughter a cold stare with his deep, dark purple eyes.
"You shouldn't have done that."
"What? He deserved it!"
Misako yelped as the small 'brush' caught another tangle in her hair. "Mother, can you please be more gentle?"
Misako's mother, Serena, laughed. "I'm trying already, Misako."
"Well don't try at my head so hard. You're gonna yank out all my hair, and that's my favorite feature."
"I know, Mimi." Serena replied, using the nickname only the most special people in her life used. Her father didn't even know of the nickname, much less bothered to think of one for his daughter.
"As I was saying," Serena continued. "You shouldn't have stood up to your father like that. Nor yelled at him. You're very lucky- we all are- that he didn't do anything about it."
"I know," Misako said, silently agreeing. "I just...it's like he's actually incapable of being proud of me. Loving something other than himself. And don't take this the wrong way, Mother, but he only married you because he was forced to. He doesn't love us."
Serena sighed. "I'm sorry, baby." she murmured. "I wish things were different, too."
After going through the last tangle in her daughter's hair, Serena turned Misako around to face her. Misako could see the joyful glint in her eye before Serena even said anything.
"I want to show you something," was all her mother said, before taking her young daughter's hand and leading her to the other room.
Inside was Serena's bedroom, a mat of straw and mud with a big clump of grass as a pillow fashioned into a bed.
At the end of the room was a big wooden wardrobe, which, according to Serena, had been crafted many Nights ago and handed down for generations. Misako had never seen the inside of it, or it's contents.
Her heart leaped when the doors finally flew open, revealing to her at long last what it held.
Vials of blue, purple, green, and other colors of liquid sat on the wardrobe's shelves, bubbling and popping. Smoke had risen out of some, while others lay completely still.
"What is this?" Misako asked, absolutely amazed.
"There's a legend, Misako, a very old one, that long ago, one day was only twenty-four hours. Do you know what they say changed that?"
"What?"
"...magic."
"You mean that's..."
"Yes. Magic spells. Magic potions. Magic itself." Serena said, speaking in a soft and wondrous tone. "And I know how to use it."
"What do you use it for?"
"Well," Serena said. "There's what's called a Tracking Spell, when you can just pour some of this..." Serena gestures to the labeled green vial. "On anything related to the person you're trying to find."
Misako's mother points to a labeled blue vial. "This can change the light of the sky from dark to light, or light to dark. Very, very powerful. Your skin or any part of your body can never make contact with this liquid. For this vial, you have to take a thick stick and dip it in. Wave it, and the sky will darken or lighten, depending on the color it already is. It's called 'Light and Dark Magic'."
Misako points to the others. "What about them?"
"Those are ingredients to make other potions and spells." Serena answered. "I haven't found them yet. But I will. And when I do, it's going to be very, very useful."
Serena leans in, and whispers in her daughter's ear, "My mother, your grandmother, told me that it's possible to even make a potion that brings a being to life."
"What?" Misako asked, astonished. "But...that's not possible!"
"We don't know that yet."
"So does that mean that if I find it, I can bring you back to life when you die?" Misako asked, excited.
But Serena's face falls at her daughter's words. "Misako, it's extremely important not to let magic take over your life and solve all your problems. There's a reason why no one knows I have this. I trust you, Misako, to use this wisely after I'm gone. Don't let it be a reliance. It'll come with a price. I guarantee you."
Misako nods slowly. "Okay." she responds. "I will, Mother."
Serena smiles and hugs her daughter tightly.
"I love you, so much, Misako. And I will do everything to protect and love you. I promise."
"I love you, too, Mother." Misako replies, tears threatening to fall. "And I know you love me too."
I'M BAAA-AACK!
SORRY FOR BEING A COUPLE DAYS LATE, HOPE I DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!
SO THIS IS A LOOK-IN ON MISAKO'S LIFE AS A YOUNG GIRL, AND HER RELATIONSHIPS...HOPE IT'S SUITABLE!
THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING: Loki God of Evil; Kairocksrainbow FOR REVIEWING ON MY LAST CHAPTER, AND TO Anonymous7! REALLY THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS ENJOY MY STORY...STAY TUNED!
PLEASE REVIEW!
-KTH1