Daughter of the Tribunal Chapter 2
"Persephone," called Mother, "Persephone, where are you?"
"I'm over here, Momma," I said, waving my hand signaling her.
My mother was standing outside of our little house in the neighborhood. She had been frantically looking for me until she had heard my voice coming to her from across the street.
Spotting me, Mother called "Persephone, come back inside."
"But Momma," I whined, "I want to play some more. Besides our house is right there."
"You know I don't like you out here by yourself, Persephone," reminded Mother.
"Please, Momma," I begged, pouting.
Seeing the look on my face I could see that my mother was giving in even before she spoke. She sighed "All right, but only for a few more minutes."
Grinning, I said "Thank you, Momma!" I then went back to my swinging as my mother closed the door to the house.
We lived in a small neighborhood inside of a small town outside the city of Miami Florida. Our house was a small one story, but had a loft close to the roof where I slept in. inside of this neighborhood was little park with a playground inside which is where I was now while playing on the swings. At least this was our home for the time being. You see as far as I could remember my mother and I were always on the move from one place to the next. I was only a baby when I was in San Diego with Mother, but I didn't remember out time there in the slightest at all. We moved to about six other places after that which were New Orleans, Virginia, New York City, North Dakota, and New Jersey with Miami Florida being the last most recent of them.
When I was old enough to take understanding fully what was going on around me I was told by Mother not to get close to anyone every time we relocated to a new start and city. She gave off the impression that she didn't wish to make any friends as young as I was and neither did she. Whenever she worked she wouldn't allow herself to get close to anyone she met at all. If anyone attempted to get near friendly with her she would ultimately turn them down. After that only a few people would keep trying to do so.
I may have been only seven years old, but it seemed to me like Mother was always running away from something. She hardly ever allowed herself to let her guard down. It was always strange that out of nowhere we would suddenly move without any kind of real explanation from her. Whenever I would ask she would say she'd gotten a new better job somewhere else so we'd be required to leave immediately in order for her to keep it. It was strange, but as it was I was only seven so I couldn't really pick anything besides the obvious up from her.
I couldn't read minds, but I had a little feeling it has something to do with my father. She'd never mention him, but with each time I did her eyes would harden turning cold. Obviously something occurred in the past to make her not desire to speak about him.
Mother did admit to me once I took after my father much when it came to my looks. Mother had blonde hair while mine was a dark sapphire. My skin was as pale as the snow and my eyes were a beautiful blue of the ocean matching my hair completely. Mother had light skin, but not nearly as close as my own and her eyes were a dark shade of brown with freckles underneath them and surrounding some of her nose. She told me that was the only thing from my father she was grateful I had. Mother was a gorgeous woman, but she said I surpassed her in beauty even at the age I was at. Anyone we'd met over the years had commented saying I was an uncommonly beautiful little child and would be even lovelier as I became fully grown.
Each time we moved to a different place there were things I wished to do which Mother kept telling me not to. For instance to hardly ever leave her side not wandering off on my own like I was doing now. She barely ever let this be. When other parents brought their kids to daycare or kindergarten I was taken to neither. She'd always take me to work with her no matter what kind of job she was doing at the time. This was only possible after she'd completely assure her present boss I wasn't going to be any kind of troubled hindrance and I never was to any of them.
The day was cold, but with the spring solstice approaching closer with each passing day it was getting steadily warmer. Besides myself a lot of people were taking their kids leaving the playground. It may have been getting warmer, but the weather was still quite freezing to the touch. I didn't mind the cold I wanted to spend as much as my free time as I could right now on the swings.
I was so focused on going as high as I could that I didn't know a man ha silently approached me until he was right there speaking to me.
"Looks to me like you're trying to swing over the pole," spoke an amused voice.
With my feet touching the ground by my toes I brought my swinging to a stop. Looking to see who it was I didn't recognize the man. What I found was one of the strangest men I'd ever seen in my few years. He was very short only around my size or just a touch taller than I was. He was quite fat, but there was still a good amount of muscle on him. I couldn't see how since it didn't really look like he exercised too much by the glance of his weight. The color of his hair was completely gray so he definitely had to be quite old. His hair was long in the back, but it was kept together with two ties situated on the top and bottom. On his face was a long mustache hanging a bit off the side of his chin. His beard as even longer reaching his chest separated into two parts with other ties.
He was wearing a red vest revealing his chest and stomach while his shoulders along with his arms were left bare. He was wearing wooden sandals with a little of a heel added to the center of the bottom adding to his height. He was wearing on the top of his head a traditional Japanese straw hat like ones worn in ancient times and by farmers. He was wearing a loincloth with some olive colored cloth wrapped around the top of it. Initially my absolute first instinct would be run to Mother, but there was something peculiar about this man just keeping me there. His eyes seemed light and kind not looking like he was there to cause any harm even though I'd never encountered him before.
Head cocked, curious, I asked "Who are you?"
"Oh," said the stranger, "just a wandering old man going from place to place."
"Oh," I said, remaining intrigued, "my Mother and I travel a lot too."
"Really," drawled the stranger, "why is that?"
"She says it's because she keeps getting all of these different jobs so we have to keep moving."
"Must be hard for one so young to always be constantly moving," commented the stranger.
"I guess so," I answered. "I don't really get to stay long enough to make friends Mother doesn't neither." There was sadness in my words. Not liking it I quickly smiled changing the subject. "Do you want to play with me?"
The stranger chuckled "Of course, little one." He then moved around behind me starting to push me on the swing.
Giggling I kept kicking my legs up with each shove trying to make myself rise even higher. "Higher," I squealed, delighted. "Higher!"
"Patience is a virtue, little one," admonished the stranger.
"What does that mean," I asked.
The stranger said "It means if you are patient good things will come." With that he gave a slightly stronger push which made the swing rise a bit higher. It made me squeal even louder.
"Can you tell me who you are, Mister," I asked.
"I already told you who I am, little one," said the stranger.
"You did," I said, "but not your name."
"Do you really wish to know," questioned the stranger.
I nodded vigorously in response quite eager for an answer.
"Very well," said the stranger, "I'm called the Ancient One."
It took a moment for the name of the man to sink in with me. I burst out into laughter finding the name to be quite ludicrous hilarious since the old man did look to be so very old. Giggling, I said "That's a funny name."
"To little ones like you it certainly would be," stated the Ancient One, eyes stern and yet amused. "Now that you know my name what is yours?"
Still giggling, I said "My name is Persephone."
"Persephone is a lovely name," said the Ancient One, thoughtful. "Is there a reason this is so?"
"Uh," I said, thinking, "Mamma told me it's because I was born on something called the spring equinox when a Goddess known as Persephone comes out from somewhere called the underworld."
"That is exactly right." Said the Ancient One, nodding, "you're quite the intelligent little girl."
I glowed at the praise while happily kicking my feet high in the air.
"The spring equinox," mused Ancient One, "that must mean your birthday is in a few days."
"Yup I'll be seven years old," I said, proud, holding my head up high.
"You Mother must be very proud to have such a big girl," said the Ancient One.
"I guess she is," I said, shrugging.
"What makes you so hesitant, little one," questioned the Ancient One, feigning interest. I wasn't able to notice it.
"Well…," I said, "each time I have a birthday Mamma seems happy for me I can tell she gets sad about something. Now for this birthday she's gotten even more nervous than she's ever been."
"Do you know why," inquired Ancient One. He knew very well why my Mother was so nervous although he wasn't about to just give away that piece of information to me.
Shaking my head, solemn, I said "No, but I do think it's because she wants me to stay little and not get any bigger."
Ancient One said "That could be it, but all mothers have their reasons for what they do even though others are unable to fully understand."
"I don't know," I admitted, sadly. I quickly brought the smile back to my face and immediately tried to kick myself over higher than I was previously going in order to get rid of those unhappy feelings.
Spotting this the Ancient One received an idea. The Ancient One had a pretty good hint of who he was talking to and that he found the right child. Unfortunately, for the Ancient One, he still needed to be completely sure I was the right one. He didn't prefer the idea he had in mind, but knew it had to be done. As soon as the back of the swing touched his palms he gave a great big mighty shove. Added with the force of my kicks it was a lot of power. It was unexpected making me unprepared for it. I slipped from the swing at the highest point leaving me unable to grab onto anything to stop it. I released a tiny scream not figuring what to do. The Ancient One stood there observing me as if expecting to see something similar of the like happen.
Remaining in the air something seemed to come over me. Before I was even close to touching the ground something from within took on a life of its own. Faster than I could realize I forced my body straight as a stick so the side was facing the ground. By the time I was down there I landed on both feet in a knelt position balancing with one foot and knee carefully positioned back bent forward head bowed. A moment later I'd snapped my head up bearing a shocked gaze as I stared at myself attempting to process what I'd just done.
The Ancient One didn't look startled in the slightest on the contrary he was very pleased. In fact he'd just seen what he hoped to expect all along. "Very well done, little one," congratulated Ancient Once, pleased, "very well done indeed."
Suddenly the front door to our little house opened with Mother shooting out of it. Apparently she'd seen me flying from the swing through one of the front windows.
"Persephone," shouted Mother, running over and checking me, "honey are you all right? I saw you fall." She looked to make sure I didn't have any type of injury on me. She was so occupied with me she didn't yet notice the Ancient One standing in front of us.
"I'm all right, Momma," I said, excited, "I didn't get hurt at all."
"But how," questioned Mother, astonished disbelief showing, "you fell from so high."
"I don't know, Momma," I said. "You should've seen me I flipped through the air all on my own landing like a cat."
"That's nice, Persephone," said Mother, fixing my clothes, "but I still can't believe you-." Suddenly she froze in the middle of speaking a horrified expression forming on her face. She heard what I said, but her mind wouldn't process it. "What did you just say?"
But I wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying. Instead I was eagerly pointing to the Ancient One. I said "Momma, Momma look at my new friend."
It was then that Mother finally took noticed who at the moment was in our company. Who Mamma saw just made her even more terrified than she already was.
Spotting the Ancient One, horrified, Mamma whispered "You."
Nodding to her, somber, Ancient Once said "Long time no see, Melinda."
"You know, Mamma," I asked, curious.
Smiling, Ancient One said "We've met before in the past a few times although this is the first time we've seen each other for a while now."
Mother narrowed her eyes at the hidden meaning the Ancient One was hiding behind his words. She aimed a warning at him with her eyes one the Ancient One, but seemed all too pleased to ignore.
He added "I, also, know your father."
Mamma's eyes flashed in fright practically popping out of her head at these words while mine lit up. "You know my father," I said, unable to hide my eager curiosity.
Noticing this, Ancient One said "Of course I have for many a year now. In fact I was a student of his for quite some time."
Excited, I asked "Ca you tell me-."
"Persephone go inside the house," said Mamma, sharply, cutting me off.
"But Mamma I want to know about-," I whined, complaining.
"Now Persephone," said Mamma, nearly shouting.
Frightened by her tone of voice I went running over into the house going straight to one of the front windows to watch what was happening outside.
As soon as she saw that I was confined inside the little house Mother turned aiming her furious eyes straight at the Ancient One. Teeth gritted, she demanded "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Melinda," greeted Ancient One, arms crossed, sarcastically amused.
"Don't you give me that," she scowled, "Why have you come?"
Ancient One, sighed "Melinda, you know very well the reason why I've come. The time is drawing near. Only a few more days remain until the spring equinox is upon us. Persephone will reach her seventh year. You must prepare."
"I will not." Stated Mother, "she is my child."
"But not yours alone," reminded Ancient One, sharply, "and by the spring equinox it will be time for her father to take over."
"Don't you think I know that," snapped Melinda, sorrowful. Her anger was beginning to turn into sadness. "I've been trying desperately to prevent it for the last seven years."
"And with each move the Ninja Tribunal has been able to easily track you from one new place to the next without any problems," said Ancient One. "You've attempted to hide without any ounce of it being successful."
Melinda groaned a little bringing a hand to her face, saying "I can't believe this is happening. I was so hoping this would never even come."
Ancient One left her alone for a few seconds before he spoke again. He said "It would be best if I take her the day after her birthday."
She stared at the Ancient One in shock. She caught the hidden message spoken behind those words. She knew he was allowing her to spend the last birthday she might ever be able to share with her little one. While she was grateful for this small gift she still wouldn't allow her only daughter to be taken from her so easily.
"I thank you for your considered generosity," said Mother, firm, "but I won't allow this. Persephone is my child, mine, and she will be staying with me." She met his gaze with a piercing one of her own. "Return to them tell the Tribunal this message. Do not come back here again." She knew she couldn't prevent him if he did, but felt she needed to say so anyway.
Shaking his head, Ancient One sighed "I will tell them so, but they will not be pleased. Especially one in particular who has been waiting patiently for this moment the last seven years." This final part he had quite a meaningful look flash through his eyes.
As she recognized this my mother sucked in a large breath and despite herself her heart fluttered at the mention of the person meant. "Leave now," she said, calm.
Aiming one last glance at Melinda the Ancient One turned beginning to walk away. As he did so he looked toward the house to find me staring curiously through one of the windows. At the wink he sent at me I ducked down from the window hiding my face. Seeing this Ancient One chuckled continuing on his way.
Feeling very distressed Mother came marching straight back over to the house. When she got inside she slammed the door closed so hard the wall seemed to shake behind it. Letting out a shaky breath of air she leaned back against the door. Slowly she slid down against the wood until she was sitting down on her butt. From where I was behind the couch I could tell she was quite upset, but by what I didn't know. Slipping quietly from my hiding place I carefully approached her. Mother didn't see me coming until I was right there.
Tapping her shoulder, I said "Mamma, are you crying?"
Taking her hands from her face, smiling, Mother said "I'm fine, Persephone."
Unconvinced, I asked "Mamma, does that man really know my papa?"
Reluctantly, Mother said "Yes, my dear, he does. The words he spoke of him were true."
As she said this confusion hit my mind. "Mamma," I questioned, "if that man said he is a student of papa's wouldn't they both have to be really, really, really old?"
Mother chuckled "Yes they both are."
Tilting my head to the side, I asked "Mamma, why…"
"Persephone," sighed Mother, tiredly cutting me off sharply, please no more questions."
"Mamma," I said, quietly and very confused.
"Go to your room and play, little one," said Mother, getting up and waved me way as she moved for the kitchen. It was getting late and she need to get started on dinner.
"Can't I help you with dinner," I asked."
"No," snapped Mother, irritated, "now go to your room!"
Flinching at Mother's tone of voice I obeyed running to my room. Mother was getting food out of the cupboard for dinner and as soon as she heard the door to my bedroom close she began to break down. Mother dropped the food onto the counter placing her head in her hands while attempting hard to keep herself from sobbing. She ultimately refused to give into grief even further than she already was.
"What am I going to do," she whispered. An answer didn't come to her.
The next few days were rough for my mother in particular. She kept constantly looking over her shoulder keeping me as close to her as she
"No," said Mother, irritated, "now go to your room!"
Flinching at Mother's tone of voice I obeyed running to my room. Mother was getting food out of the refrigerator for dinner and the moment she heard the door to the bedroom close she began to break down. Mother dropped the food onto the counter burying her head in her hands while attempting to prevent herself from crying. She ultimately refused to surrender to grief further than she already was.
"What am I going to do," she whispered. An answer refused to come to her.
The next few days were a rough hell for Mother in particular. She kept constantly looking over her shoulder keeping me as close to her as she possibly cold even closer than she ever did before. It didn't make any sense to me at all nor did her flinching at nearly every small sound that was made. As the days passed and the spring equinox was ever closer things just kept on getting worst. No matter how hard I couldn't decipher why. Mother didn't know what to do. She was trying to take stricter precautions. On the second to last ay before my birthday she knew without a single doubt she was being watched. She didn't know who or what it was, but she had a strong feeling on who it might be. When the night before my birthday came we didn't even once leave the house. Not even to go out onto the playground even though it was directly in front of our house. By the end of the day I was pretty upset by it. When Mother tucked me into bed I absolutely refused to talk to her.
"I know you're upset with me, Honey," said Mother, "but everything I do is for you."
In response I simply rolled over away from her pulling the sheets over my head. At that point I was too angry to talk to her. Mother sighed sad over my lack of response, but conceded in leaving me alone. She left the door open a little along with hers as well so she could hear every single noise originating from my bedroom. She had a very strong sense something would happen this night so she did this to be on high guard. The late hours would prove her instincts correct.
Midnight was exactly when the stalker Mother had felt decided to enter or home. The Skull Demon was no longer alive so this time the Foot Mystics sent someone else for the job..a shadow demon. Since he traveled by shadows he cold move around undetected which is why Mother could feel him observing us, but not actually seeing him. Before the shadow demon entered my room he looked inside of my mothers. The shadow demon smirked when eh found her to be sound asleep in bed. He then slithered off further down the hall to my room. Unfortunately, for the shadow demon, didn't know Mother was only pretending to be asleep as he looked in. As soon as the shadow demon was gone from Mother's bedroom door her eyes snapped right open. The shadow demon slipped into my room moving to stand right next to my bed. Still sound asleep my body turned so my sleeping face was aimed at him.
Shadow Demon sneered "The Masters will be pleased. This was far easier than exected." He began reaching forward to pick me up.
"I wouldn't count on that," said Mother, shoving open the door stepping inside.
The shaow demon froze in his movements turned on his heels to face Mother. She was holding a long firm metal bat in both of her hands as a weapon. She'd bought it a while back knowing she'd need one.
"You're supposed to be asleep," hissed Shaow Demon.
"Next time you invade someone's home you should really check if they're actually asleep," advised Mother, slowly moving closer.
At that moment Mother swung the bat straight at the demons head. The shadow demon dodged by ducking appearing at another spot in the room behind Mother. Immediately she made another attempt at him. This time it was a direct hit, but it didn't end as she'd intended. Instead of hitting him like she wanted the bat just went right through him as if he wasn't physically there.
Shocked, Mother said "How did...?"
Grinning, Shadow Demon said "Surprised?"
Quicker than Moher could track Shadow Demon kocked the bat from her hads sending it flying across the room. She attempted to retrieve it, but the shadow demon intercepted her course stopping her before she could do so. Using his speed and agility the shadow demon reached out with his arm grabbing her by the throat. With her choking in his grasp he trapped her against the wall. Doing this the shadow demon rose her up bringing her feet fromthe floor making it an even bigger challenge for her to breathe successfully. The shadow demon merely laughed entertained by her distress as she tried to desperately unlock hsi hand with her own from her neck.
"Now you die," growled Shadow Demon, squeezing.
What neither of the two had noticed was the sound of the bat cashing against the wall had woken me up. I was still quite exhausted, but when I saw what was going on in front of my eyes they just became huge with enormous fright. I didn't understand what was going on all i could see was this big monster made of shadows attacking Mother with her trying to defend herself and it was scaring me. Then when the monster said he was going to kil Mother hurting her even more I just lost it.
"No," I shrieked, drawing the attention of the shadow demon and Mother, "leave Momma alone!" Then just like what occured in the playground a few days before something strange seemed to come over me.
Without realizing it, but the shadow demon and Mother could clearly see it, strange symbols appeared all over my body taking on a glow of light blue like my eyes. Seeing this the shadow demon dropped Mother from his hand. Mother gasped repeatedly attempting to quickly fill her lungs. Shaow Demon faced me going to attack. As he went to envelope me in shadow i pointed my palms drectly at him with some kind of light shooting out of them hitting him.
Whatever was it that came out seemed to cause Shadow Demon extreme pain for he shrieked using his arms to try shielding his eyes. Shadow Demon shrieked, "What is this magic?!"
As Shadow Demon attempted to fight back with power of his own to deflect what was radiating out of me. In response to this just more spiritual energy, I would learn this is what the substance was, it kept on pouring out of my palms right at him. This time the shadow demon wasn't able to repel any of it.
Shadow Demon shrieked "Masters, help me! I can't-!" With a loud final shriek the shadow demon faded away from the total force of all the spiritual energy being aimed at him. In a matter of moments he was erased from existence completely.
Mother lowered her arms from the guarded position she had them shielding her head in a protective manner slowly standing back up while looking around the room in amazement. At the same time double checking the monster was truly gone from our home. The symbols that formed completely disappeared from my body along with the flow that came from them both over my skin and eyes. My arms fell back returning to my sides. My eyes changed back to their regular color coming out of the trance it had put itself in.
Shaking myself out looking around trying to remember what occurred, but part of it refused to come.
Hearing my voice seemed to draw her attention. "Persephone," she said, rushing over lifting me, "honey are you all right? Are you hurt?"
"No, Mamma," I said, confused, shaking my head, "what happened?"
Gently moving the hair away from my face Mother stared a bit confused herself mostly from my own words. "What an you remember, Persephone," she asked.
I said "All I remember is waking up and seeing a monster hurting you, Mamma. Then I told it to go away an d then nothing else. Where has the monster gone? Is it still here?"
Shaking her head, Mother said "The monster is gone he won't be coming back to hurt us."
"But how," I asked. Then it came to me as I looked with hesitance at Mother's face. "Mamma, it was me wasn't it?"
Reluctantly, Mother nodded, saying "Yes, Persephone, it was."
Bottom lip trembling, I demanded "But how? I don't remember doing anything."
"Ty to,," encouraged Mother, knowing she was going to highly regret it later on.
I obeyed doing as Mother said trying to think very hard through my head. Deep into my mind I found it and once I ultimately realized what happened I looked like I was about to cry. I'd no clear idea where that power came from nor how I was able to se it like I did on the monster. Mother could very well see how upset I was getting over this and did her best to try and calm me down. She sat down on the bed holding me tightly in her arms. As I began to cry she rocked me back an forth comforting like she used to do while I was baby humming a gently lullaby until I fell back to sleep.
As I was drifting back off. Mother said "Don't be afraid."
When I awoke again I found I was alone in my bed with Mother gone.
Mother was in the kitchen currently eating a small breakfast while at the same time trying to think of a suitable solution. All that happened during the night wasn't a good sign.
Placing her head in her hands, Mother groaned "What am I going to do now?" She heard soft footsteps coming from behind her to find me standing there. She gestured for me to come forward and I did. She sat me n her lap holding me tight in her arms as she did last night. Everything's going to be all right. Nothing is going to harm you."
I didn't know what Mother meant b that, but little did I know I was abut to find out. Getting a lot of much wanted and needed answers for myself not known before to me.
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