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Phoenix

Chapter 5

"We have decided upon your punishment Miss Oroku." Kon declared. He and and his fellow tribunal warriors sat on their throne's.

"Punishment, what punishment?", Phoenix seethed. She had already been annoyed by the sudden summons from the younger immortals but this was too far. Karai stood silent beside her slightly shorter mother; stone faced in front of the beings about to pass judgement upon her.

Chikara sighed exasperatedly, "The punishment for aiding the new Shredder; and then donning its armor."

"Karai was only helping him because I asked it of her." Air around the woman grew hot with the flames of rage.

Stepping up to speak on her own behalf Karai informed the Tribunal and her mother." That's not true, I did what I did out of my own volition," turning to her mother she continued. "It may have began with you; but In the end I had my own agenda."

Again she addressed the council. " I have no regrets for what happened; but I will take your punishment whatever it will be." She fixed them a challenging glare despite her words.

Ignoring her disrespectful gaze Kon nodded ,"Very well, Oroku Karai, we the tribunal, for your past crimes charge you with being the new caretaker of this temple, you will maintain its upkeep and answer directly to us."

"How dare you, my daughter a servant, to you!" the wind whipped around the elder female and she began to burn with golden fire.

Biting her lip, Karai swallowed her pride and replied," I accept."

"Good you will begin your duties tomorrow, now if you'll please leave us we have more pressing matters to deal with."


"I can't believe you accepted such a lowly position from those idiots, those arrogant little children!" Phoenix harshly whispered to Karai in the small room they had been given in the vast temple. "Making you their servant; I won't stand for it! We can leave right now for the dream realm-"

"NO! I told you I would never go back there again." Karai hurriedly cut off her mother.

Phoenix huffed and gave her daughter a pointed look." You would rather be a slave at this temple than live in paradise."

"Paradise for you but a nightmare to me." Karai grumbled sitting across from her mother at the table on the floor drinking tea. Inhaling the soothing smell of jasmine she tried to push down her own feelings of humiliation. What would her father think of her; the daughter he'd raised to be a ninja of the foot; now reduced to an eternity of servitude.

"I'd rather live with the reality of being a servant than to live in a fantasy."

In the silent room they could hear the rustling of sheets in the next room followed by a tiny yawn that soon turned to a snooze.

"We should be more mindful or we'll wake the boy." Karai set down her cup.

"You haven't even spoken a word to him. By the time he wakes your gone and when he finally falls asleep you return." Phoenix admonished her.

"I've been training trying to get used to to living here at the temple."

"You should spend time with him."

"I don't like children."

"He's been asking about you, I've been taking him all over the temple, and each time he looks disappointed not to see you there."

Karai didn't say a word in fact she just stared into her cup of tea; meditating trying to tune out all of the stress of the day.

Sighing deeply the Phoenix spoke softer this time, "I know it's been a long week and it's been a hard adjustment but please try to spend time with him."

Without waiting for a response Phoenix vanished.

Karai breathed out an exasperated sigh and relaxed her shoulders. Turning her head she stared off to the direction that the boy slept; it's true she had been avoiding him ever since they arrived. It's not that she hated him she just honestly didn't know how to act around him. He was a clone of her father. We'll sort of.

A mix of Chr'ell and the original Oroku Saki; two different, yet in her eyes, the same men.

Not only was he they're clone; but they're child clone! She'd never been around kids and certainly never had any interest in having any of her own.

She was a warrior, a leader of the Foot, the Shredder at one point; being a mom just didn't make any sense. But it did to Phoenix, everything made sense to an immortal.
The old bird said that destiny had been at play the day they met. To be frank Karai thought it was just a coincidence. Destiny had nothing to do with what happened in that alley way. It was pure selfishness. Maybe a bit on both their parts.

Phoenix wanted a pawn, a feeble being she could use to get close to a ghost. And Karai's selfish wish was to live.

Whatever brought them together: destiny or selfishness, they were all the other had.

Except now they have the boy.

Hey sorry it's been taking so long I've had a long year.