"Dako, where are you?" Syndra shouted angrily. Her daughter always make she mad because of the childish pranks.
"Dako?" She shouted once more. "If you don't show up right now then you will get it. I'm pretty sure about that!"
A sudden footstep ran behind Syndra and she turned around to find out who was that. She saw a platinum colored head of hair ran across line of trees.
"Dako!" Syndra screamed. "Come here right now!" She raised her right hand straightened forward and pull the air to her own position. Suddenly, her daughter was lifted airborne and floated to where Syndra was.
"Ouch, ouch! Mom, let my ear go! It's hurt!" Dako screamed in pain, while still being controlled by her mother's magic.
"Is it? You have already know that it hurts a lot but you still tried to run away! This time you will be properly punished, I promise that!" Syndra sounded like she was going to burst like her dark spheres. "I don't know how many times have I told you, that you are not allowed to play football with those naughty boys and you disobeyed! You have became much like how your father was!"
Dako grinned. "Well, I am like my dad, so you should proud of me, shouldn't you? And I'm proud of my dad, too."
"You... arghhhh, who have taught you that way of response, huh?" Syndra growled through her teeth.
"Come on, mom, it's you and daddy who taught me those things, I swear... Ahh ow, don't twist my ear! You cheated, you use magic while I don't."
"It's not important, the thing is that you did the thing that I didn't allow you to, and I swear, your butts will turn red after I punish you!" Syndra shouted again.
Her daughter jeered at her and said. "It will only happen when I don't use my magic, dear mom." Then she slapped Syndra's hand, which was holding her, caused Syndra to shout "Ouch!" and let Dako go. Dako ran away and laughed derisively. She said. "See you later, mom!"
Syndra looked her daughter running to the wood, and for a moment later, she laid on her knees, looked to the sky. "God, what have I done wrong, why did you give me this little devil?!" She shouted desperately and burst into tears. "How much more will I have to suffer, answer me?" Syndra sobbed. She didn't know that her daughter was contemplating her behind the trees and was hearing those things. Dako looked down to the grass under her feet. She sighed and gone behind the wood.
That evening...
Knock knock knock.
"Who's there?" Syndra asked the one who was standing outside.
"Me, Ahri. I'm here to return your daughter to you." Oh, so that was Ahri.
Syndra sighed heavily. "Uh huh, you wanna return that little devil to me? I though she's gone forever and no longer need me."
"May I enter?" Asked Ahri. "I want to explain something."
"Okay, but it may not change anything much."
The Nine-tailed Fox opened the door and walked inside with a "little devil" behind her. She sat on a stool by the table side, looked at Syndra face-to-face. Syndra was going to say something but it seemed that Ahri knew what was she going to say. Ahri started. "Well, you don't need to get any tea, I'm not really into that drink."
"Err, so, here's the thing." She said. "Syndra, your daughter know she was wrong and want to say sorry, you should forgive her."
"Is that all?" Syndra asked.
"Syndra, listen to me, Dako may have done many things wrong to you and your neighbor, even guilty things (Like spirit something away?). But.." Ahri accented. "She's only eight, and also your child. She is really naughty, I admit, however, that is how Zed's daughter should be. She will understand everything when she grow up."
Syndra sighed. "Have you ever had a child before, do you know that feeling when he or she have been eight years old and still haven't done anything that have a good impact." She shook her head. "It's very difficult to be a good mother, you know?"
Ahri snorted hastily. "I think you forgot it, that I am the one who taught you how to charm a man, even when you don't have the charming bloodline like me. I'm also taught you how to raise and teach your child. No, it's not because you or Zed taught Dako to become a bad child. Being naughty is her instinct, and it will change in someway if you are patient enough."
"Huh, it's even harder to change if that's her instinct." Syndra said.
"Well, what she want is freedom. It's no bad for a girl to play with boys. Do you remember, your magic used to be considered as forbidden technique by the Ionia Council and at the end they had to recognize your talent." Ahri gently grinned. "Even Irelia had to change her thought about you and Zed, and now you and him have became a part of the righteous Ionian."
The living room fell into a deep silence, maybe a few seconds, maybe a few minutes, but then it ends quickly. Ahri continued. "Dako is not only a naughty devil, but also a child who possesses many good things inside her soul." She nodded. "She and her friend, Kazemi, went to the wood to play with me so I would not feel lonely anymore, and I helped them to do many things, such as teach them to enjoy masterpieces like poems, to make some food on their own." Ahri paused for a bit, then went on. "I am grateful for their help; but for them, I wouldn't have known the purpose of my life."
Syndra looked down and once more, she sighed. "I see. However, she will still has to keep on her study. I'm worried about her because the highest grade she ever got is a B, I don't know what to do."
Ahri nodded with a grin. "Well, grading system doesn't say anything much, but you are right, Dako has to keep on studying, otherwise, she'll fall behind." And she turned to Dako, who was standing behind her. "Dako, you have to promise one thing, for me and your parents." She accented. "You and Kazemi won't have to visit me again, until the summer vacation. Keep on studying, stop wandering around, that is how you say thanks to your parents, who had to suffer a lot for you to be like today."
Dako rounded her eyes, asked nervously. "But then, who will play with you, who will break your sadness and loneliness everyday?"
"Ha ha, you don't have to do so." Ahri laughed tenderly. "You know, being a forester doesn't mean I can't get on well with the community. Actually I watched the school pupils from far away, that's explained how I have known so much about your school life, right?" She caressed Dako's platinum coloured hair. "Being able to watch you and your friends everyday, seeing your childlike pranks, hearing how you guys talk,... Well, it's a big happiness to me. And I am even happier to see that you, a child who I taught many things to, keep up with your classmates in studying." Ahri took a slight breath.
She continued saying, this time to Syndra. "Do you agree with that?" To make sure, she said in addition. "Do you agree to give her a chance to prove herself, just like how you prove yourself to the High Council, it shouldn't be hard."
Syndra looked up, to Ahri face, then to Dako, she said thoughtfully. "Hmm, ok, then. She just need to don't get any bad marks on her final exams, then she can do anything she want, but in summer holiday only."
Ahri said to Dako. "Little girl, your mother agreed to forgive you, do you agree with what she said?" And Dako nodded before letting Ahri went on with words. "Great, go to her, to the one who brought you to your life, and talk to each other."
Dako walked by her mother's side, looked at her, said quietly. "I'm sorry, mom. I'll not do anything that make you sad anymore." And whispered to herself. "Until summer holiday."
Syndra narrowed her eyes. "I could hear that, you little devil!" She whispered through her teeth. Her daughter looked at her awkwardly, but Syndra gave her a smile. "It's fine, my daughter." Then she pulled Dako, hugged her passionately. Dako let Syndra do that, to feel love from her mother.
That moment lasted for a few minutes and it might have lasted forever if Ahri didn't bring the mother and the daughter back to reality. "Err, did you forget someone?" And they startled, looked awkwardly at the Nine-tailed Fox.
"Oops, we are so sorry to make you wait." Syndra grinned, her face got a little bit red. "So, can you stay here and have dinner with our family? I'll be grateful if you do."
Ahri sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have many other things to deal with. It's a pity."
"Er, so..."
"Yeah, I'm going back to the wood right now." Ahri said
The Dark Lady (I don't use "Sovereign" here because this happened in modern world) nodded reluctantly. She said. "So, goodbye then."
Ahri nodded, like how Syndra did. "Goodbye." And said to Dako with a sad voice. "Goodbye, Shadow Child, come to visit me as soon as the School Closing ceremony ends, which will happen in three months later. Oh remember to bring Lil' Hurricane with you too."
"Goodbye, Miss Ahri, I'm looking forward to see you soon." Dako snorted deeply.
Ahri winked and pointed her index finger at Dako. "Me, too."
She walked to the opened door and went out side before Spirit Rushing into darkness. Syndra went to close the door and muttered. "Argh, this fox, never close a door for once."
Dako contemplated her mother. Syndra looked at her for a while and growled. "Go upstairs and do your homework right now."
"Oh, alright, mom." Dako faded out.
The next day's afternoon...
The school alarm rang and the students were like exploded in noise. Finally, they have been free from the last minute of a school day. Teacher Karma, who were teaching Dako's class, told the pupils. "Boys and girls, I'm returning your test to you." Then she gave a sheaf of paper to the class monitor, Kazemi. Kazemi took the sheaf from Karma's hand and started to walk around the class to give each paper sheet a their owner. "Miyo, you got a C again, seriously? Oh, hey Aramasu-san, an A, well-done. And me, still A+, no surprise. Dako-chan,..." Kazemi stopped right next to Dako, read her paper sheet again and again. Then she gave it to Dako and said. "You should see it yourself, I can't express it in words." Kazemi continued walking around the class, appeasing pupils who got bad marks, as well as encouraging the one got good marks.
Dako looked at her sheet of paper and startled, she couldn't believe her eyes.
An A+. Yeah.
She rubbed her eyes to make sure that they didn't deceive her. When Kazemi, get back to her seat, next to Dako, she asked excitedly. "So, how do you think?"
"Great." Dako gave a short, emotionless answer. The pupils then rushed to the class door to go out, some said "Goodbye teacher!" and received a small smile from Karma. Kazemi and Dako walking side by side, with school bags on their backs. Kazemi said. "Dako-chan, I know that you totally did it yourself, the best marks you ever got. Your mom and dad will be proud of you a lot."
"I got an A+ myself, yeah, they'll be happy, but about being proud of me," Dako, grinned, "not guaranteed."
Kazemi thought for a while, then she said eagerly. "Hey, Mother's Day is coming soon. Have you planned to gift your mom anything?"
"I don't know what presents would go well with her."
"Ermm, a rose, can be?" She guessed.
Dako smiled with a little sense of humor. "My mom don't like rose, she said that they are very arrogant."
"I know what to give to your mother!" A high voice asked behind the two girls. They turned their head around. Teacher Irelia was walking toward them.
Dako asked. "What is it, Ms Irelia?"
On Mother's Day...
"Mommy!" Dako shouted in front of her mother's bedroom, with her palms closed to each other. Syndra opened the door fast and asked panicky. "What? What's the matter?"
Dako smiled. "Today is Mother's Day, I have a present for you!"
Syndra smiled, too. But then she twisted Dako's ear. "DO YOU KNOW I'M SCARED TO DEATH YOU LITTLE DEVIL?!"
"Ouch, please, mom, I didn't mean to scare you!"
Syndra leave her hand off her daughter's ear, took a deep breath and said. "So, what's the present?"
Dako opened her palms, and a big, pink flower with a yellow pistil bloomed from them.
"Southern Ionian lotus?" Syndra was completely surprised.
Her daughter gave her a smile and nodded. "Lotus, a flower which grown up on mud, is not stained. A very famous symbol of Ionian women, including you."
Syndra couldn't answer for minutes, but then she snorted deeply and said. "Well, I don't know what to say." She picked Dako up and embraced her, closed her eyes. "This is just... meaningful to me." She picked Dako up and embraced her, closed her eyes. Syndra continued emotionally. "Thank you, this is,.. kind of my best favourite flower. How did you find it?"
Dako said slowly. "Ms Irelia, she told me about that, then she helped me to find one."
The Dark Lady placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "My daughter, I'm so grateful to you... and tell Irelia that I'm very grateful to her, too."
Dako started her dramatic accent. "Mission will be completed properly." Her and Syndra laughed happily together.
Sometimes, life is so serenely.
