Love Child

fadingshadesofpurple

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for Bekka, everyone else is copyright Naughty Dog/SCEA.

Chapter 4. Onin

Onin's home, located in the bazaar, was not very easy to access, by foot or by vehicle. With the usual traffic both on the ground and in the sky, it was already noon by the time the two girls reached their destination: a dusty, dingy block surrounded by small, diseased shops. A rather large tent was pitched in the center of this block, adjacent to anything surrounding it. When Bekka stopped at its entrance, a brown canvas flap, Ashelin assumed that they had arrived at their destination, although she did wonder how she had never noticed this place before on her patrols. "Oh well," she murmured to herself. "Guess I don't know the city as well as I should..."

"She's in here," Bekka had the flap partially open, and she was gesturing for her friend to come inside. A warm eery glow of yellow and red, all only a preview of what would be found inside, caught Ashelin's eye, and mesmerized by it, she followed her friend into the tent of the mysterious Onin.

Inside, a plethora of wonders greeted her. Strange Precursor artifacts and relics hung from the cieling, bowls and various lurker carvings littered the floor, while spiders and other strange bugs crawled in and out of the tent flaps and the objects the tent housed. A mystical dust, blue in color, lured the two girls even further in, where, at the center of this unkempt home, Onin sat, spinning designs of blue and purple with her hands, as a large bird, who appeared to be napping, perched on her hat.

She stopped her spinning at the sound of the two girls approach, and made a gesture, her pure white eyes glistening, her wrinkled mouth forming a frown. The gesture woke the bird from its nap, and, glaring down at its master, it shook its wings and snapped. "What is it? Onin, you know I was catching some shut eye..."it said in a rather annoying tone.

Onin gestured in the direction of her visitors, and the bird stopped fluttering. "Oh," he said flatly. "I see. We have guests." Flapping his wings, it took flight and landed on the floor in front of the girls. "Onin's busy today. You'll have to come back some other time."

A fierce clap resounded from behind the bird, and blue dust flew everywhere, while the strange animal made a face akin to a kid who had just gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar. "I mean...Onin extends her welcome."

But Ashelin, already annoyed at the "show" before her, turned to go in disgust. "I've had enough of this. I'm out of here."

Bekka caught her arm. "Wait..."

The bird continued on with his speech. "I am the great Pecker, Onin's interpreter. What can we do for you today?" Pecker said, bringing the ends of his wings together in gesture of readiness.

"Well, my friend here, needs some of Onin's consultation, if you don't mind," Bekka said to the talking animal. "You should recognise her as the Baron's daughter..."

At this Pecker's eyes widened, and he flew back to Onin, who narrowed her eyes, as if she was studying the girls before her. "I'll leave you two alone," Bekka said, turning to go. She had already disappeared out the entrance of the tent, before Ashelin could stay anything to stop her.

"Sooo.." Pecker's annoying tone brought her back to the two seated before her. Onin was making a flurry of gestures with her hands, as blue dust flew everywhere. When she stopped, Pecker, as ordered, translated. "Onin says that the whereabouts of someone very important to you is weighing on your mind.."

"You got that right," Ashelin responded, as if the statement didn't even phase her at all, when in fact, she was, indeed, quite impressed. How had this woman known that?

"Onin says," Pecker continued. "That this special 'someone' is quite alright. He's suffered some minor wounds from a group of invading Metalheads, but other than that, he is alive and well."

"Will he be returning to the city anytime soon?" she asked, now very intrigued, and hoping to hear a good answer.

"Onin says that she is sorry, but it does not look like he will be. A snowstorm is brewing in the mountains, that will prevent him and anyone else from leaving where he is stationed."

Ashelin slumped her shoulders at this. "Just tell me, will he be alright?"

"He will be."

"Good."

"Now go on, get out. I need my rest-"

Another fierce clap of a gesture followed on Onin's part, followed by a flurry dust. "Wait, Onin says there is more," the bird said helplessly.

"What else is there?"

"She says that she senses something deep within you. A presence, a life force, something more precious than any tree or plant."

"I don't understand," Ashelin said, frowning, as she tried to discern Onin's fast flying symbols and gestures herself.

"Onin says the seed of life itself is being sown with you."

A strained silence, then Ashelin widened her eyes at this. "What?" she gasped. "You don't mean to say...?"

"Yes, you are with child."

"What!" she said again, more angrily this time. "That can't be. How the hell would you know that!"

"She is the great Onin. She can see far and wide into the future. And she can tell that this child will be no ordinary one. Born of two great parents, one of which is currently fighting monsters and snowstorms with no knowledge of this at all, it will likely have a destiny which could change the course of this city for years to come."

"I-I don't know what to say. I mean, I-I don't believe you!" She said this, even as the information Onin had revealed seemed to click with a part of herself, and she felt the words to be true without a doubt.

"Ask any doctor for a pregnancy test. It will come out positive, she assures you."

"I-" she choked back the sentence.

"Onin also says the baby will be a girl."

At this, Ashelin had to smile, but that smile was soon replaced with her usual stern frown. "Will see about this," she snapped. "I'll go to a doctor, and hopefully prove you wrong." With that she turned to go, forcing the tent's heavy flap out of her way with a slight growl, only to find Bekka, seated next to it. At the sight of her friend's emergence, however, Bekka stood at once. "Pregnant, aren't you?" she said with a smirk.

"That woman's nothing but a quack!"came the angry response.

"Oh, come now, Onin's usually right about everything."

Ashelin slumped her shoulders at this, then began to walk away. "Where are you going?" Bekka called after her.

"To see a doctor..."