The next day...
"Focus your mind and concentrate on balancing on the wood pole." Liu Kang instructed Salarnia as she tried to balance on the pole on one foot. Sadly she was having some problems with that. Mileena was training Amor and Jade with Ruby. Mother and I were sitting watching as one time after another Salarnia fell off the pole and into the water. When she fell, She got out and looked even more depressed about the fact that she couldn't do it than the last time. Yet Salarnia wasn't a quiter so she forced herself up onto the pole again despite being tired or winded. In a way she was overwroking herself which was not a good idea to do. When she got back onto the pole again her balance was completely off and she automatically fell back into the water. Liu Kang shook his head and helped her out of the water. Dripping wet, she sat on the side of the fountain. Liu sat beside her and tried to talk to her but she stood aburptly and walked away despite leaving a trail of dripping water puddles.
I walked over to Liu Kang and touched his arm stopping him from going after her. In a way I was better at talking to her than he was. Sure he was her father but when talking to a young teenager like Salarnia he was still a bit lacking on. He looked down at me and nodded. I had to simply follow her trail of water to find her by the one fountain mother would bring her to have a little picnic and watching the clouds. she was staring up at the clouds, her wet hair fanned out over the grass. She seemed lost in thought when I walked up and hid half behind the nearby tree. She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest with a sad expression on her face. Then she sat in the lotus fashion as her fingers grazed the brand on her chest by her collarbone. Her finger traced the symbol then fell into her lap.
"I know you're there, mom, so you can come out now." She said not even looking over at me. I walked out and sat beside her on the grass.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied trying not to look at me. I put my arm around her despite her being wet and dripping.
"It isn't nice to lie to your mother, Salarnia." She looked up and me and frowned. She looked back down at her feet as her hand absently lifted to brush the brand on her chest with her fingertips. "What's wrong?" She shook her head and stood.
"I don't wanna talk about it," she tried to walk away as I grabbed her wrist stopping her from escaping. She sighed and sat back down.
"No one can help you if you don't talk about what is bothering you so much." I said pulling her into my arms. She was still damp from falling in the water but that wasn't as important as getting her to open up and just tell me what was wrong. She felt tense and in a way she seemed to want nothing more than to resist my touch but within a few seconds she relaxed and leaned against me in search of a mother's comfort. Her head was under my chin and her left ear against my chest over the collarbone. Holding her like this reminded me of how when she was younger and when she came home upset I'd just hold her like this and she'd relax and tell me what was wrong. I guess even at eighteen years old when your mother used to do something to calm you down it just kinda sticks and becomes an old habit or feeling. "Salarnia, I'm right here for you as well as grandma and your father. You have family to talk to; there is no need to bottle anything."
I felt a tear drop glide off her cheek and onto my chest running down my clevage. I looked down at her face and saw she was crying softly trying to silence her sobs by keeping her mouth closed but her body was shivering with the sobs instead. I kissed her brow trying to relax her as she slipped one arm around my back and locked her fingers together hugging me back. I kept my lips to her brow, another thing I did when she was younger when she was in my arms like this.
"I don't want this," she sobbed.
"Want what?" she pulled back and looked down at her chest. I knew what she meant; the brand of the Elder God's Beast. In a way I felt bad for her. Aside from the fact that before she was branded she was already held to a high standard but now aside from being the future Queen of Edenia she was a realm protector meaning she had no choice but to fight in Mortal Kombat.
"Why did they have to brand me?"
"They chose you,"
"I don't care! I didn't want to be some Beast thing!" She went to pull away fully but I locked my arms around her keeping her from running again. She sighed and sat still. "Mom, why me?"
"They saw something about you; I'm not sure what it is but they branded you because of it." I lifted her chin making her look me in the eyes. "Salarnia, there is a lot that no one is truly perpared for. You might not have been prepared for this but it's your burden to bare now but you don't have to do it alone. You have me and the rest of your family." Salarnia finally gave me a weak smile but at least it was a smile. She snuggled back into my arms and fell silent.
"Mom,"
"Hm?"
"Can I just sit here in your arms for a while?" I smiled and kissed her head.
"Of course you can," I replied...
Jade's P.O.V~
I was nearby watching Salarnia and Kitana while braiding Ruby's long hair. In one way I think I was a bit jealous of Kitana being the father of her child was with her. Ruby always asked me but I never told her or I changed the subject. How could I tell her about her father and even he had no idea about her? I hated to keep the fact that the father of Ruby was Jax Briggs. By now he could be married and have other children. Also if I told him now after 17 years, he'd never forgive me for keeping the truth of his child from him. I felt horrible doing this but it started with a blind fear or rejection. I kept it from him because of a dream.
The dream was that I was sitting in his living room ringing out my hands in a nervous attempt to calm myself down. He was sitting before me with an expressionless face. He didn't speak; the silence was killing me as I waited for his reply.
"Well?" I asked.
"Get rid of it," With those words my heart sank and I felt the world shatter around me.
"Wh-why?" I sobbed.
"Get. Rid. Of. It." he stood and walked out. The world around me melted away and I was left alone in ths darkness of uncertainty.
"Mom," I shook myself mentally and looked down at Ruby. She was staring up at me with a concern look looming over her face. "Are you okay?" I opened and closed my mouth like some fish out of water then scrunched my mouth to the right side. Ruby turned to me fully and frowned. "Mom, what's buggin' you?"
"Nothing,"
"Mom," She said with a slight hint of irritation echoing in her voice. "You were thinking about how you never told me about my father?" My eyes widened at her statement. Sometimes I could swear she knew me better than I knew her. "Who is he?"
"Ruby-."
"Mom, please I just wanna know." she begged. Why was I doing this to her? I was making her suffer by not telling her who her father was. I felt so vile for hurting her like this for so long. I took a deep breath and sighed.
"Ruby, your father is... his name is...Jax Briggs. He's a Special Forces Major in Earthrealm." I said feeling my heartbeat burning blood into my ears. Ruby stood and stared down at me with a face that was hard to read. I couldn't tell whether she was upset with me or if she hated my guts now. "Ruby, I'm sorry I-."
"You kept it from me..." Her words came out cold and lifeless. Those words felt like they brushed my skin leaving ice trails in their wake. I wanted to just punch myself in the stomach or hide under a rock for doing this to her. Now her expression was hard and cold as if her heart was purely made of ice. "You lied to me for years...How could you...?" I was about to speak when she turned and stormed away from me. Salarnia watched her go by as both her mother and her peeked back at me. I felt my heart sink to my feet as sad tears streamed down my tanned cheeks. I felt horrible; lifeless and cold hearted. I kept the fact of her father from her for years. I deserved this; I hurt her. I was her mother and I hurt her dearly. What kind of mother was I...?
Ruby's P.O.V~
I walked into my room and locked the door then looked over at my mirror lined with photos of me and mother. I walked over and started ripping them down one by one. How could she do this to me? She kept me in the dark about my own father! I threw the photos in the trash and sat hard on my bed. Star, my cat walked up slowly and bumped my arm with her head. I looked down at her as tears st4reamed down my face. Star climbed up with her front paws and touched my face in her way to wipe away the tear drop. I picked her up and laid back on the bed with her on my stomach.
"Star, mom lied to me. She never told me about my father for years."
"Go to Earthrealm and see him." I loved that I had an affinity to speak with animals. I could easily talk to Star and the other animals.
"But what if he doesn't believe me?"
"DNA test maybe?"
"Okay, you have a point," I sighed. "Okay I'll go see him in Earthrealm." I sat up and slid my suitcase from under the bed...
Location: Earthrealm
I walked down the street looking for the Special Forces Office. I got the address from a local woman written on a napkin. She was even nice enough to pay for my cup of Iced Tea. I stood before the Special Forces Office and took a deep breath. My dad could be in there and he might not believe me when I tell him who I am and why I was there but he had a right to know...right? I walked in and up to the front desk where a woman was searching in the stack of folders for something. Her hair was drawn back in a ponytail and it was a nice shade of blond. She looked up and smiled.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked.
"Is Jax Briggs in?" I aasked nervously. She stood up right and I was able to read her Dog tags. They read: SONYA BLADE and that she was a Lieutenant.
"He's in the back, Why do you need to talk with him?"
"Y-yeah," Sonya scrunched her mouth forward and nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Ruby," She waited silently.
"No last name?"
"I'm Edenian, most of us don't go by a last name."
"Edenian? Like Sindel and Kitana?" My eyes widened.
"You know them?"
"Yeah, in fact you look like one Edenian I know named Jade." I smiled.
"She's my mother," Sonya laughed. "But I'm here to tell Jax something important."
"Tell me what?" I turned to see a big muscular black man with robotic arms walk out and hand Sonya a blue folder. "Who the kid?"
"Jade's daughter," She said. "She came here from Edenia to see you for something; well to tell you something important." I felt my heart quicken as he smiled at me. This guy was my father? Wow, mom had good taste in men if she chose a big buff guy like this one.
"So what did you wanna tell me?"
"I rather tell you somewhere more private." He looked up at Sonya and then back to me. He motioned for me to follow. I walked toward him and the door he was going through when Sonya touched my shoulder.
"You can leave your bag with me; I'll watch it until you're done." She smiled softly. I gave her a smile back and then followed Jax; my father into a room.
"Don't worry; those are sound proof glass. No one can hear us." I heard him say as I touched the glass of the room. I felt weird by being here in the same room with the very man who was my father. The one man mother lied to me about for years. I was worried he won't believe me as he shut the blinds on the windows and sat down at the table. I took a deep breath and sat down getting ready to tell him about how mom kept the fact of who my father was and how she kept me from him for so long...
Sonya's P.O.V~
I secretly clicked the button to listen into the conversation. I was curious about what she had to tell him. Sure it was wrong, but curiousty killed the cat. I waited silently and listened with excitement to hear what was so improtant that she had to tell him.
"Jax, seventeen years ago, my mother had a relationship with you,"
"She did,"
"What she never told you was...she got pregnant...with me."
"Kid, do you know what you're saying?"
"I'm your daughter. Mom kept it from you and never told me about you until today. I wanted you to know this." Oh my goodness! Jax got Jade pregnant seventeen years ago? Ruby was his child? I clicked the button off and walked to my desk with such haste I swear I left fire trails behind me...
Ruby's P.O.V~
"You aren't mad are you?" I asked as Jax rubbed his face and then temples. I felt as if I should start running but when I stood up, Jax held up his hand. I stopped and waited as he stood and sighed. "Should I leave?"
"No," He grinded his bottom lip with his teeth. "Jade kept my daughter from me? Wait you never told me your name."
"Ruby," I said as he walked around the desk. He stood before me and put his hands on his hips. He inhaled and exhaled loudly then without warning he embraced me in a tight hug but not too tight. I guess he was afraid to snap me in half with those robotic arms. When he let go of me I saw his face was happy and excited.
"Looks like I got a lot of birthdays to make up for!"
"So you're not mad at her?"
"Who Jade? I'm upset about her keeping my kid from me but I know you now right?" He walked to the door and standing there was mother with a grim look on her face. Sonya was standing behind her shrugging innocently as Mother pushed pass dad and pulled me back.
"I had not told you to come here and tell him."
"He need to know,"
"Jade," Mom turned to him and frowned.
"Jax, I'm-."
"You kept her from me. I'm upset at you but...I still love you." Mom's tense shoulders slumped down with his words. "In fact I wanna catch up with you." Mom's face was reddening which was usually hard to see on her tanned face. Dad put his hands on her shoulders (well robotic hands). "Would you like to?"
"I-I-I...Sure, I guess." mom said. I shrugged and laughed.
"I'm going home to Edenia." I said and left...
Jade's P.O.V~
Ruby went back to Edenia while I stayed in Earthrealm with Jax. Sitting in his home, I felt regret for not telling him sooner about Ruby. I was so deep in thought though that I hadn't noticed Jax was handing me a glass of red wine. I looked up and saw it in his hand. Taking it from him, I remembered that night we made love and when I later found out I was pregnant. Even with robotic arms and his massive intimidating frame he was so gentle with me in bed. I took a sip of the wine and set it on the coffee table on one of his coasters. He sat down beside me and leaned back thinking.
"Jax, I should have told you sooner about-." He held up his hand physically stopping my words. I sighed and turned to fully. He looked over at me and chewed his cheek.
"I never stopped loving you, y'know."
"Really?" I was surprised. Most men who find out a woman kept their child from them for so long would be pissed and may not even love that woman anymore but Jax still cared about me. "I thought you'd be upset and never want to see me again." Jax leaned over to me.
"How can I hate the only woman that makes me feel alive?" He pulled me closer and kissed my cheek. His hand held me close as his kisses trailed down from my cheek to my lips, jawline, neck and then to my chest between my breasts. I felt a surge of passion overwhelm me as me hands explored his torso, running my fingers over his abs and chest. Sitting in his embrace as he started kissing and sucking on my neck made me feel safe and loved. Feeling his lips caressing my skin made my thighs tingle with desire as my hands glided down to his belt. It felt like the night when we first had sex; the first time we made love. Nothing else mattered to me right now; I just wanted his hands and lips all over me. His hand slid up my leg and curved around my back falling on my ass. My arms came to rest on his shoulders as our lips met in a fury of delight and passion. I parted my lips allowing his tongue to battle with mine. Our tongues danced in a fiery motion of want; of need. I hadn't even noticed he carried me into his bedroom until he threw me back on to his bed. "I'll just show you how much I love you."
He took off his Dog Tags and then started pulling off his belt as I watched in delightful excitement. He whipped his belt off with a loud snap then he threw it aside. I crawled off the bed and stood before him undoing his pants. He was undressing me the whole time I teasingly acted like I was taking off his pants for him. After a few minutes of teasing and undressing, we were both naked kissing and caressing one another. My hands were lightly rubbing his aroused manhood making him moan against my lips. He held my hips as he walked forward pushing and leading me back onto the bed. He was over top of me with my legs opened wide under him exposing my womanhood for penetration completely. He kissed my neck again probably leaving a damn hickey. He pushed his hips down prodding my entrance. Only the tip pushed through but just the feeling of Jax getting ready to push into me made my spine shiver and my nipples erected faster than the goosebumps on my arms.
He pushed down again, sinking more of the head into my womanhood. The chills were dancing more and more up and down my spine as he kissed me trying to distract me from his dick pushing even further into me. It had been years since I felt this; the feeling of a man entering me. The walls of my cervix might have even closed up a bit from years of a sex-free motherhood. With him getting ready to re-pop my cherry, I felt my cervix tight around him as he sank further still. My nails sunk in to the skin of his back as he gave one final hard push into me. I couldn't help but shriek in pain as the wall gave way to him. He pushed fully into me to the point where his front was pinned against me. Jax kissed me again before he dared to move his dick in fear of hurting me. When he broke the kiss and stared down at me, I smiled and nodded giving him permission to make love to me.
He pulled out enough to where only the head was still inside before plunging back deep to hit my core. Soon his slow motions became fast rythmic thrusts as he held my hips pulling me into each thrust so his manhood could sick deeper with each hit. I felt my body heat rising to a point where I swear you could fry an egg on my stomach. My breasts were bouncing up and down so fast they practically felt like they could go flying off soon. He was moaning loudly as we were both getting close to our climaxes. He pulled out of me and rubbed his manhood until he climaxed but of course it was on me; my stomach to be more specific...
"That felt great," I said walking out of the bathroom wiping off his seed from my stomach. Jax was laying in bed, still naked but the covers concealing his pride. I looked up at the clock and sighed. I needed to get back. "Jax, I have to go. I gotta get back to Edenia."
"Okay, but I wanna see Ruby around the holidays whether Edenian or Erathrealm Holidays, okay?"
"Of course," He leaned down and kissed him. After getting dressed I kissed him once more and left to get back to Edenia...
Kitana's P.O.V~
Jade came back looking like she was just dancing on cloud 9. She didn't even stop to say hello to mother and I but she stopped in her daughter's room alright. I do admit that when Ruby came home she seemed happy too. But I wasn't about to be nosey or anything. It was up to them if they wanted to tell me or anyone in general. I shrugged and looked back at mother and Salarnia. Salarnia was slung out behind mother arms up and she was asleep. One thing Salarnia failed to notice is that her most ticklish spot was now in clear view for attack; her stomach. Mother gave me her mischevious little smile and turned. Once her fingers connected to Salarnia's stomach, Salarnia flipped up and over, nearly taking mother's head off as she fell off the bed.
"Grandma!" She groaned getting up. Her hair was in her face now blocking her eyes. She stood and fixed her hair. "That was so not cool!" She crawled back on the bed and laid on her stomach trying to be sure mother souldn't do that again. "Can we get a trampoline?" she asked.
"Trampoline? Why?" mother asked. Salarnia rolled over and yawned.
"To jump on what else? They're fun!" She sat up and scooted over to mother resting her head on her shoulder. If it was one thing I noticed it was the great relationship between mother and Salarnia. I mean when Salarnia was younger she'd enjoy just laying on the grass outside with mother watching the clouds or when Salarnia was six she loved sitting with mother and listening to stories or just fall asleep in the safe comfort of her arms. I was glad they were close because of the one time when she was eleven and her father took me out for three days to relax in Earthrealm. Salarnia had no problem being watched by grandma but when I got back I got the hug of a lifetime. "Can we please?" Her words brought me out of my mind ramble.
"I'll think about it," mother said. She put her arm around Salarnia and kissed her head. "You're coming with me tomorrow to Earthrealm. I need to speak with Queen Sheeva of the Shokans."
"What's a Shokan?"
"A four armed speices that includes them being tall and strong. Part dragon; part human."
"Cool," She smiled. "Why do you need to talk with their queen?"
"To maintain a well balanced relationship between them and us. Besides they invited me to be there."
"Why aren't you going mom?" I shrugged.
"I've got a appointment at the Spa tomorrow so I can't go."
"Getting your nails done again?" I nodded. "Mom, you're insane." She laughed...
anyone have a request on a character to be added in to the story? as long as they can somehow fit my plans I'll try to do it!