Salarnia's P.O.V~
1 year later...
Katama really did tame the wildest of beasts. In her home was a few tigers and other big animals. She has been teaching me new spells I never knew existed and more powerful ritual. Over the last few months I was training until I dropped basically to learn what I needed to. I wanted to be home in less then five years so I needed to learn this as fast as I could. I was right now using my powers to morph into animals; another 'lucky' power to the Beast. I focused my eyes on the nearest tiger and made my magick flow through me to activate the transformation. I felt the popping of my bones and twitching of my muscles to create the bodily form of the animal. My skin quivered and gave me that creepy crawling feeling as it sprouted the fur colored exactly like the tiger. My face hurt as the bone structure cracked and shifted to make room for the larger canines and other teeth.
Soon enough I heard Katama clapping and looked over with new enhanced eye sight to see a smile on her face.
"Well done, you've mastered the transformation magicks. You see the Beasts power contains all the abilities of the pervious branded persons. The Gods have explained to me the many souls held in the Beast's essence and apparently their powers were locked within the branding."
"So one of them had morphing into animals?" I said morphing back to my humanoid form. I brushed off my shirt as she walked over. She cupped her hands behind her back and swept pass me almost like a beautiful ghost. Her long white dress followed behind her and with each step it seemed to lick her heels.
"Your magick contains spells with wind and fire, giving to you by your parents' DNA." she turned, her dress swirling around her legs like a fashion model from Earthrealm. "You told me at one time you thirsted for blood until you eliminated a vampire soul,"
"Yes,"
"Do you see what I mean, you craved the taste of blood until that soul was removed. I do know of over thirty other Beasts in all the realms' history." She waved her hand at the cage housing the tiger as it opened and out came the stripped beast. It didn't attack or seem aggressive as it walked over to Katama and sat by her side. "Now come here and sit before the tiger. Do not be afraid, he is the most tamest of tamed animals here." I walked over and sat before the tiger as it blinked it's huge golden eyes.
"What kind of tiger is this anyway?" It wasn't the typical orange and black with white tiger. No, it was more like a golden brown with slightly darker brown strips and a lot more white than normal.
"This is a Golden Tabby Tiger, a rare strand that was hunted highly in Earthrealm for their beautiful fur coat." I stared into it's eyes as it stared back blinking slowly. Then I felt something click in the back of my mind. I could hear something like distant thoughts.
Can you hear me human?
"Whoa!" I fell back and stared at the tiger as it lifted it's paw holding it at me. "I heard the tiger thinking!"
"Exactly, I knew one of those souls had to hold mind reading." she said holding out her hand. I took her hand and stood. "Do you still desire to learn?"
"Yes, I need to," I said with a smile. Katama smiled back and touched the tiger's large head. It stood and walked pass me back into the caging it lived in with two others. Katama held out her hand to me as I was about to stand.
"Now I'm not going to train you alone. I have a friend who could help with the focus training."
"I know how to focus, my dad taught me." I said as she walked toward the gates of her beautiful Villa. I turned to face her without walking toward her as she paused.
"He could only teach you want a normal human can do. He is a Shaolin, a fine warrior yes but human all the same. I speak not in ill manner of your father but that he cannot teach you to focus without thinking. He leans to meditation and focuses on Chi. Your Beast abilities allow you to focus on the feeling of Chi too but can you smell the essence of a person yet?" I slowly shook my head even if she wasn't looking over at me. Sometimes I could have sworn she had eyes in the back of her head. "As I thought. Come we must make haste to his home." She said continuing forward. I had to jog to keep up with her...
We came to a home not far from hers that was nice but not as fancy as hers was. It was made of white bricks and silvery white rocks with a dark wood door. She didn't walk through the gates, instead she simply stared at the door.
"Katama, I sensed you require my assistance with the young princess." my eyes darted to the right and found an old man walking with a cane while being hunched over. I noticed his eyes, they were white but not like grandma's eyes. He stared and saw nothing. They were foggy with a white film that made him blind. His long beard was at least the length from my elbow to my finger tips and was pure white like his big bushy brows. When he talked I realized he had maybe four teeth; one on top and three on the bottom. He had dark skin that looked more like a brown balloon had been stretched over skinny bones.
"Master Shinku, I was hoping you could - ."
"Teach her to focus her mind without sight, smell the essence of a person's Chi and learn perfect magickal balance. I am aware of that, child. You may leave, I know my tasks." He said walking over, his wooden cane clicking the stone ground as he did.
"Okay, I could probably beat you in no time,"
"Then put your words to action, princess. Actions speak louder than words." he said stopping feet from me. I shrugged and went to throw a punch when he suddenly went from old man to blazing young buck. He used the cane to slap away my hand and then spun using the cane again to swipe my feet out from under me. I sat up just in time to have the bottom point end of his cane poke my nose. "You see, I can sense your Chi without having my sight. When you focus you mind beyond what a mortal man can do, you begin to smell the essence of a person which in turn makes it easier to sense their true intentions."
"You can smell my Chi?"
"Aye, I can," He lowered his cane turning back to the old man. "I smelled the movement flow of the Chi energy you gave off before you made that move. I can also teach you how to hide your Chi from the enemy to ensure you have an advantage in Kombat."
"I see, forgive me for saying that before. I shouldn't have been so cocky and childish." I said getting to my feet. I felt Katama's hand touch my shoulder.
"Training with Master Shinku will be no easy task. He expects only the best from someone branded personally by the Gods themselves."
"I understand and I will train at my best until I break that barrier and become absolutely perfect." I turned to Master Shinku and bowed respectively. "I am ready to begin, Master."
"Close your eyes," I closed them then felt the stinging pain of his cane hit my head. "You see you are not focusing! Clear your mind and relax your body then focus on me with your eyes closed. Listen to the wind and breathe deeply." I did everything he said and heard something coming at me swiftly as I ducked down feeling the disturbance in the wind flow right over my head. "You see how it works? Princess sometimes your enemy will be a dirty fighter and try to stop you from seeing. Using the affinity for wind you already have since birth, you can focus and use wind beyond what even your mother could do."
"What can I learn with fire from my dad?" I asked him.
"You are born from the sky's breath and the dragon's flame. A dragon breathes fire, you can learn to be a fire breathing Beast because of your birth affinities. With the Beast within you, those powers are enhanced and maximized to a point where even a God could quiver to you, but you serve the Gods against the darkness of evil so they trust and depend on you to fight where they cannot." He turned his back to me. "Come princess, we have much to do." I followed him into his home ready to learn what I needed to from him. I had come so far and now it was time to continue my training with a man I knew could make me a dangerous weapon of the Gods. Bad Guys beware...
6 months later...
"Fire!" Master Shinku yelled as I took a deep breath. I shot a jet stream of fire shattering ceramic vases and glass that he had lined up on the far way over ten yards away from me. I was doing this all without looking and still I kept hitting them perfectly. "Stop!" I finally opened my eyes seeing the shattered remains of nine ceramic vases and six glasses.
"Master, I am curious, is not my training over with yet?" He knocked me on the head with his cane. "Ouch! What was that for?" I said rubbing the sore part and checking my hand for blood yet there was none.
"You didn't focus!"
"Try it again then," I challenge with a smirk. He swung again as I swiftly grabbed it from him and pointed it at his throat lifting his chin. "I was asking a question when you whacked me, I am focusing completely on you now. You smell of proud honor, why is that?"
"You have one last challenge then your training is done. Face me in Mortal Kombat. If you win you graduate if you lose you must remain and train longer." He said as I kindly handed him back his cane.
"If that is what you wish then I comply."
"Show me your moves!" He said becoming that blazing buck again.
"Know your place, old man!" I said, focusing only on him. I smelt on the wind, he hid away his Chi as I did making it harder for either one of us to gain an upper hand. He struck out first trying to hit me with his cane. I ducked flipping my legs up and grabbing the cane with my feet locked around it. With a quick spin I wrenched it from his hands and threw it away removing his weapon from his usage. Without warning he grabbed my feet and threw me aside into the stone of his fencing walls. I slid down and then shot to my feet as he used a round house kick that should've taken my head off but I moved, dodging the blow and sweeping his leg out from under him He fell back as I held a tense straight hand with claws extended to his throat. "Do you yield?"
"You underestimate an old man, princess." He vanished and appeared behind me shimmering in like a demon. I moved away and noticed a smell on the wind. Slight Chi was echoing not from him because it was not him but a shimmering clone like the last one. I face the Chi and shot a jet stream of fire knocking him from his perch in the tree. He landed on his feet and bowed his head. "You focused and you conquered, I commend you princess, you have bested my best ability, Shimmer Cloning."
"You are an excellent teacher, Master Shinku."
"I have a gift for you. Come I shall give it to you before you decide to depart back to Edenia." I followed him inside his home as he removed from the closet a set of armor with the Edenian sign on the back and over the left side of the breast plate. "From the Seido government to you. They have declared we are forever your allies. If you need us, call upon us and we shall aid."
"I thank you for everything, but back in Edenia my mother must be on the verge of a nervous breakdown if she has not done so already. My return will grant her renewed sanity she may need." I said taking the armor form his hands. "May Seido forever have our friendship," I stood and walked to his bathroom...
I walked out fixing the arm bracer donning small spikes. I looked up at Master Shinku and smiled. He bowed his head and ushered me to the door. It was time I left. I have already learned all I needed and was ready to go home. I walked to the street and held up my hands taking myself back to my home realm where my family was eagerly counting down the days until I returned. Sure I was gone for 18 months but even a day felt like forever. I wanted to see my dog and my family, mostly my mother and father. I was twenty-one now going on twenty-two meaning they missed a birthday, something they hated to do.
I found myself standing outside the palace. I smelt the flow of nine people moving around in the building. I smelt one was outside in the courtyard and it smelt sad, lonely and longing. I knew in my heart it was mom waiting for me to come home. I walked around until I came to the courtyard and sure enough there she was, her back to me and her head low as if she was silently sobbing to herself. I walked up until I was a foot behind her. "Mother," I finally said. She whirled around and stood, her eyes holding disbelief in their depths. "You seem shocked to see me home. What has happened during the time I was gone?"
"Not much, I was just sitting here thinking about you,"
"You scent holds the smell of longing and sadness that was until you turn to see me."
"I was praying you'd come home because, I missed you dearly." she said walking toward me and touching my face. "You seem wiser, older and stronger. Has the training made you this way?"
"In a way yes, but I'm still a kid at heart mom." I said smiling sweetly. "Where is everyone?"
"Inside maybe, Ruby and Amor would probably tackle you with joy. You were their 'leader' of the group." mom said smiling with such joy. I smiled back and leaned to the side and forward placing a kiss on her cheek. It felt good to be home and see the woman who gave birth to me, cared for me and missed me while I was in Seido training the Beast. "You father misses you too. Every night after you left he kept looking at your picture for an hour before going to bed. He said he couldn't sleep at night if he didn't see his baby girl whether in the flesh or picture."
"Kitana," I turned seeing dad walking out not looking up.
"Dad," he finally looked up and a smile stretched across his face so wide I thought he was about to literally smile ear to ear. "I'm finally home," he jogged over and hugged me tightly.
"What's going on out here?" Amor's voice spoke as dad moved aside revealing she was with Ruby. Ruby now twenty and Amor now nineteen we all really resembled our mothers. They shrieked and ran at me doing just as mom said. They tackled me out of excitement and joy.
"Ah, don't kill me will ya!" they sat back as I sat up. I couldn't help it as I lunged forward, not knocking them over but taking them in a hug.
"Salarnia?" I looked pass them and saw grandma walking out cupping a hand over her mouth. "Oh sweetheart, you're home!" She ran over and knelt down taking my face in her hands and smiling. "I'm not dreaming at least."
"No, I'm real unless your dreams are real or something." She laughed as she hugged me. One by one everyone came out and welcomed me home making the feeling of longing and distance between us close and vanish. I felt like I had never left. Edenia was my home and this was my family. I loved them and they loved me just as much. I was glad to be home to see them and be with them...
Sonya's P.O.V~
Anastasia was a fiery little baby with a temper to match. I think I created a clone of myself. She was standing by her father looking at her rattle like it was the first time she ever saw it. I wasn't expecting her to do anything but then suddenly I heard a smack and someone singing soprano. I looked up and saw Johnny on the floor as Anastasia ran over giggling.
"What did you just do to your father?" I asked her picking her up and sitting her on my lap. "Johnny are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" he replied in a high pitch squeaky voice. Great a ball buster like me and she was starting early. I wasn't one until I join the Force. She held her rattle at me. "I never knew rattles hurt so much!"
"Anastasia, that was not nice to do to your father." I lightly scolded. She lowered her head and rested against my chest. She always did that when she knew she did something bad. She'd try and act innocent or butter you up with a cuddly sorry. It almost reminded me of Thanksgiving. Her brother nicely kissed her cheek to show her he loved her and he hit him with a turkey leg she snagged from the platter. Of course, Jason fell right out of his seat when she did that. Yet now she hit her father where it hurts most. (Men cover those jewels, a new ball buster is in town!) She threw the rattle on the floor and stood on my lap so she came face to face with me. She was pretty big for a baby being only 2 years old. She smiled and put her tiny hands on my cheeks pushing them back to make me smile. Did I mention it was hard to stay mad at an adorable kid like her?
"I'm going to ice my pride if you need me!" Johnny said getting to his feet and walking painfully to the kitchen. Anastasia kept pushing my cheeks to get me to smile as I playfully blow on her palms making her giggling and withdraw her hand only to try again and have me blow on them again.
"Mom!" I looked over and saw Jason a little ruffled and mad. "Do you know where my action figure of Kernel Martin is?"
"Oh honey I think you left that in the car,"
"Can I go get it?"
"No I'll get it," I said standing and shifting Anastasia to my hip. I walked to the front door and took the car keys from the hook walking outside. I had Jason right behind me as I opened the door and opened the back door for him to get his toy. He found it and ran inside happily as I shut the door. I felt Anastasia rest her head on my shoulder putting the crown of her head against my neck. "What baby?"
"I sawee," She said she was sorry I guess for hitting her father as she did. In a way I felt bad for any of her future boyfriends who get too rough or piss her off. Oh boy, they'll learn not to mess with her again. I walked back inside and found Johnny in his favorite chair with a big bag of ice on his manhood. I couldn't help but laugh because it looked funny how he was sitting, head tilted back and a bag of ice to help cure the pain he was suffering since sadly a man's dick was so sensitive to touch or in this case, pain. "I sawee dada," She said as Johnny looked over at us.
"It's okay baby, you didn't know it was wrong." he said smiling. He looked at his watch.
"What are you waiting for?" I asked sitting down on the couch as Sheba leapt up gracefully stopping so she could lay down. Sheba curled her paws under her furry breasts and closed her eyes as her ears twitched around. I set Anastasia down beside me as she knelt down hugging Sheba. Sheba's eyes opened as she showed that house cat tolerance of affection. She turned her head and then closed her eyes again as Anastasia listened to the thumping of her feline heart.
"I'm waiting for the pain to go away. I'm timing it for what reason I have no idea." He replied. I silently laughed and shook my head reaching over and petting Sheba's head. Y'know someone said that her name seemed more for a dog but to me in all actuality I think it fit only calico cats and most female dogs. Either way I loved my cat and so did my kids. Johnny likes her but he admits he's more of a dog guy but he was willing to get me what I wanted over his own wants or needs. A good man for a husband right? He has the money, the big house, the flashy cars and a family. I think I really have tamed his wild beast. He was devoted to his kids. Sure he was still an actor but he tried not to make his career his main focus. He wanted to be the father figure our kids needed and the husband I wanted.
I stood and walked over sitting on the arm of his chair running my fingers through his hair. He looked up and smiled putting his arm around my waist. "Is the pain gone?"
"Yeah, completely."
"Then why do you still have the ice on your joystick?" he took it off and set it on the floor.
"What ice?" he joked pulling me to sit on his leg.
"Oh Santa I want a little pony for Christmas." I joked making fun of the fact that I as sitting on his leg like a little kid does with Santa Claus in the mall.
"Ho ho hold it, little blond girl. What do I get in exchange for that pony?"
"Later, bad boy." I said playfully slapping his chest. When I stood and turned putting my back at him I felt him reach over and pinch the cheek of my ass. I spun around and kissed him. "Stop, naughty boy. You'll get that later after the kids are asleep." I whispered.
"I look forward to it." he whispered back with a smile...
Li Mei's P.O.V~
It was 9 am in the morning and here I was feeding my son. Guess what, I had not one, or two by triplets. You should have seen Angel when I told him what the doctor told me. He fainted and woke saying 'triplets'. We have three of everything now. Angel got lucky though, we have two girls and a boy. Was it me or was having a boy less likely? I finished feeding my son and set him back in his crib turning on the little fish lullaby toy that put him to sleep all the time.
My children were named: my violet eyed baby girl was Lili and her sister was Angelica. Our son was named after Angel's father Kelvin. If you noticed Lili was named after me and Angelica was named after her father. Lli was my energetic bully who seemed to enjoy pulling her sister's hair. Angelica was the gentle one who loved to be around Bruno, I guess she was an animal lover. Kelvin was a rowdy little boy who liked to rough house.
"Li Mei," I turned around and saw Angel putting on his jacket. "Babe, the office called. I gotta go deal with this but the Nanny should be here soon to assist you." I walked over and kissed his cheek.
"Okay, honey. Be back as soon as you can. Oh and Bruno's food bag is running low."
"I'll pick him up some on the way home." He kissed me and turned petting Bruno's head then left. This was my life now. A triplet mama and a fiancee to the wealthiest man on this side of California. I didn't mind this though, I loved being a mom and I brought three children into the best financially stable family with loving parents and a protective family dog. Who knows what would wait me next in life...
Salarnia's P.O.V~
I was outside with my family having a picnic and playing games with Amor and Ruby, something I missed for almost 2 years. Dad was playing with us as well as mom but we were playing what we called 'Monkeys in the middle' instead of monkey in the middle. We were in the middle of the game when suddenly the cats decided to join in. Lulu was getting old and not as fast as she was. I got her when I was two and now I'm 21; she's 19 years old in human years but in dog years she was a stunning 133 years old! Little Lady kept trying to jump over mom to get the frisbee. She did at one point knocking the frisbee down and landing on mom's head.
I couldn't stop laughing when Little Lady landed on mom's head and then the kitty got bonged by the frisbee she knocked down. Mom took her off her head and set her on the ground.
"Okay, I'm hungry. I had all the falling kitties I need for one day," she said walking to the blanket. Mileena wasn't far away leaning against the tree sleeping as her daughter walked over and kicked her foot. Mileena sat up and yawned looking up at Amor with those Tarkatan eyes.
"Why?" she asked as Amor grabbed her hand pulling her to her feet then dragged her to the blanket. Everyone was joking and eating and just having a good time. I was telling them about my training and what else I learned in Seido. Mom seemed to be trying to tune out the conversation because it was a time of sadness and longing for her, something she didn't want to feel anymore. I reached over and touched her hand. She looked up and smiled weakly.
"Mom, I'm not leaving again. Please try to relax." she laughed.
"I'll try sweetheart." She said kissing my head. I knew how she felt, during those 18 months I felt an empty feeling in myself because I didn't have my family. I wanted to see they but I was too busy training to ensure Edenia and the other realms would be protected by the Elder Gods Guardian Beast. I leaned my head onto her shoulder and tried to make her feel happy. She was still dealing with the depression she had during my absence. Sure she was managing but it would take time before she was fully back to her true old self. I turned my head up and kissed her cheek whispering to her.
"No matter what, I'll always be your baby girl. I love you mom."
"I love you too, Salarnia." she replied resting her head on mine...
With her training done and she was home now. What new surprises will come up? R&R Please! Thanks!
