Tori sat on her surfboard, her legs dangling over the side into the cool
calm waters. Her eyes began to swell with tears. Carefully she lifted the
white lei of orchids off her neck and placed it gently on the surface.
"For you mum," she cried softly. As she watched the flowers slowly drift into the deep abyss. Her mind wandered back to the night nearly 10 years ago.
They were running- running away from him. The rain poured down in sheets as their car veered off the road, smashing into a tree. Tori felt her body hit the ground, knocking her out.
Moments later she awoke to see her mother lying on her side among the mangled metal and fire of the crash.
"Mum!" she cried crawling to the car. "Mum- please be okay- mum?"
"Tori-" she whispered as her hand grabbed something around her neck. "Tori- take this," she said handing her a small blue pendent on a silver chain. "Promise me you'll never let this fall into the wrong hands."
"Mum? What? I don't underst-"
"Promise me," she begged.
"I promise," she replied tearfully.
Her mother gently placed a hand on her cheek- "I love you, my little one."
"I love you too mum," Tori said softly coming back to reality. She blew a kiss into the sky and rode back in to shore. She was grabbing her bag when her morpher went off.
"Go for Tori."
"Tori I need to see you at Ops as soon as possible."
"I'll be right there sensei," she said.
Tori entered Ops to find Sensei alone sitting on the table. She pulled up a sky blue pillow and sat down.
"Yes Sensei?" she asked.
"I was just wondering how you were doing today. I know this time of year is very hard for you-" he continued to speak but her mind drifted elsewhere. Back to the days following the accident.
They had been running from him, and now she had to return. His name was Charlie, her stepfather. Shortly after her mother married him, Charlie began to beat her mother and her. After the accident, he acted all concerned and distraught when the officer told him that his wife had been killed and his daughter lived. After all the commotion surrounding her mother's death went down, Charlie came after Tori.
He burst into her bedroom. "Where is it?" he demanded.
"Where's what?" she asked as his hand slapped her face.
"Don't play stupid with me you little bitch! I know she gave it to you! Now give it to me!" he cried as he pounced on her, grabbing at her neck. Her eyes shot down to where his hands were- they were trying to get the blue charm that she wore around her neck.
"Stop it Charlie!" she cried in vain. His fists came at her, punching her face and body. "Fine! You want to play the hard way?" he screamed as he kicked her in the chest before jumping on her again. The tears blinded her eyes. She had to get away. With her last ounce of strength she raised her knee and connected with his groin. He rolled over onto his side, and she ran with all she had out the door into the woods. After running for what seemed like hours she collapsed in a heap and everything went black.
She awoke to find herself in a warm bed staring up into a kind face- a face she had grown to love as a father over the years- the face that was now trapped inside the body of the small guinea pig talking to her.
"Tori? Tori?" Sensei broke her train of thought.
"Huh? Sorry Sensei- I guess I drifted off."
"May I enquire as to why my words sent you off into a dream?" he asked.
"No Sensei- it's not like that!" She said trying to smile. "I was thinking back to the day when you found me."
"I remember it well. The day I took you in as my own. The day I found the great power you possessed."
Tori shivered at the mention of those words- the power.
"About that-" she began. "I don't think I can handle it. I don't know why it was even given to me in the first place-" she trailed off as more tears began to fill her vision.
"Tori, it is alright to be upset over the loss of your mother, but you should also be grateful for the gift that she bestowed on you. I knew the moment I saw that amulet around your neck, that you were destined for great things. The power was meant for you, and only you- on that is pure of heart- can harness it. I believe that when the time comes, you will know hat to do with the gift you were given."
The tears flowed freely now as she stood up. "Thank you Sensei," she said as she wiped the tear from her eye. "You always did know the right thing to say when I was upset."
He nodded as she bowed. "I'll see you later." She said as she turned and left Ninja Ops with a new feeling of pride.
'I promise mum, I'll protect this gift you have given me,' she thought as she climbed into her van and headed off.
"For you mum," she cried softly. As she watched the flowers slowly drift into the deep abyss. Her mind wandered back to the night nearly 10 years ago.
They were running- running away from him. The rain poured down in sheets as their car veered off the road, smashing into a tree. Tori felt her body hit the ground, knocking her out.
Moments later she awoke to see her mother lying on her side among the mangled metal and fire of the crash.
"Mum!" she cried crawling to the car. "Mum- please be okay- mum?"
"Tori-" she whispered as her hand grabbed something around her neck. "Tori- take this," she said handing her a small blue pendent on a silver chain. "Promise me you'll never let this fall into the wrong hands."
"Mum? What? I don't underst-"
"Promise me," she begged.
"I promise," she replied tearfully.
Her mother gently placed a hand on her cheek- "I love you, my little one."
"I love you too mum," Tori said softly coming back to reality. She blew a kiss into the sky and rode back in to shore. She was grabbing her bag when her morpher went off.
"Go for Tori."
"Tori I need to see you at Ops as soon as possible."
"I'll be right there sensei," she said.
Tori entered Ops to find Sensei alone sitting on the table. She pulled up a sky blue pillow and sat down.
"Yes Sensei?" she asked.
"I was just wondering how you were doing today. I know this time of year is very hard for you-" he continued to speak but her mind drifted elsewhere. Back to the days following the accident.
They had been running from him, and now she had to return. His name was Charlie, her stepfather. Shortly after her mother married him, Charlie began to beat her mother and her. After the accident, he acted all concerned and distraught when the officer told him that his wife had been killed and his daughter lived. After all the commotion surrounding her mother's death went down, Charlie came after Tori.
He burst into her bedroom. "Where is it?" he demanded.
"Where's what?" she asked as his hand slapped her face.
"Don't play stupid with me you little bitch! I know she gave it to you! Now give it to me!" he cried as he pounced on her, grabbing at her neck. Her eyes shot down to where his hands were- they were trying to get the blue charm that she wore around her neck.
"Stop it Charlie!" she cried in vain. His fists came at her, punching her face and body. "Fine! You want to play the hard way?" he screamed as he kicked her in the chest before jumping on her again. The tears blinded her eyes. She had to get away. With her last ounce of strength she raised her knee and connected with his groin. He rolled over onto his side, and she ran with all she had out the door into the woods. After running for what seemed like hours she collapsed in a heap and everything went black.
She awoke to find herself in a warm bed staring up into a kind face- a face she had grown to love as a father over the years- the face that was now trapped inside the body of the small guinea pig talking to her.
"Tori? Tori?" Sensei broke her train of thought.
"Huh? Sorry Sensei- I guess I drifted off."
"May I enquire as to why my words sent you off into a dream?" he asked.
"No Sensei- it's not like that!" She said trying to smile. "I was thinking back to the day when you found me."
"I remember it well. The day I took you in as my own. The day I found the great power you possessed."
Tori shivered at the mention of those words- the power.
"About that-" she began. "I don't think I can handle it. I don't know why it was even given to me in the first place-" she trailed off as more tears began to fill her vision.
"Tori, it is alright to be upset over the loss of your mother, but you should also be grateful for the gift that she bestowed on you. I knew the moment I saw that amulet around your neck, that you were destined for great things. The power was meant for you, and only you- on that is pure of heart- can harness it. I believe that when the time comes, you will know hat to do with the gift you were given."
The tears flowed freely now as she stood up. "Thank you Sensei," she said as she wiped the tear from her eye. "You always did know the right thing to say when I was upset."
He nodded as she bowed. "I'll see you later." She said as she turned and left Ninja Ops with a new feeling of pride.
'I promise mum, I'll protect this gift you have given me,' she thought as she climbed into her van and headed off.