Ark 21 Episode 20: Reflections & Retribution

Participates

 * Tomoko Tetsu


 * Sian Tetsu

A Grandmother's Reflections
Tomoko stood vigilantly in the mist of the courtyard dressed in a priestess’ robe something she thought that was far too holy for her taste to begin with her bare feet against the wore stones that made up the walk ways between here and the main temple, where her friend and mentor Jun Li resided her icy lilac eyes peering out in a distance at the form of her 18 year old daughter Sian, who stood amongst the other children laughing and running, yes running around like a goof chasing ball as they kicked it back and forth between one another. As Sian stops for a moment to catch her breath her amber colored eyes gazing up slowly catching a glimpse of her mother watching her run around when she wasn’t supposed to be, before giving her a waving of her right hand letting her know that she fine before taking off again shouting something to one of the kids in fluent Chinese. A sight that the mother of two happily took pleasure in seeing once again as it had been a grueling past 8 months of seeing doctors, specialist, and yes even some help from Jun herself in teaching Sian how to use infuse her chi properly into her legs in order for her to be able to bounce back from not being walk at all to what she was doing now, that itself was miracle to say the least as Moko thanked the gods continuously day in and day out for their blessing upon her youngest child.

Never in her life did she think she would have prayed so much to any God as she had done here on the island of the Seven Souls. That within itself was another miracle in the eyes of the Miko who often joked with her ruthlessly during the late night hours they spent with one another in the temple talking. But despite the healing of the physical scars from upon her daughter’s frame, Moko could tell that those of the heart still remained and was drawing Sian towards a darkness in which most of their kind didn’t even return from yet in her refusal to shed a tear in the lost of her first love and the father of the child, which they all knew to be a boy that she was now 8 months in with Tomoko was beginning to wonder if indeed her daughter was indeed having second thoughts about having the baby at all or secretly planning to give the child up for adoption once they’d returned home. As she’d asked her to procure certain papers for her via the internet regarding it and custody documents she’d even attempted to locate several others on Daisuke’s side of the family in regards to the matter but with no such luck. The aunt and uncle that he’d spoke to Sian about were no where to be found…either that or they didn’t wish to be found any how which suited Tomoko just find cause she wouldn’t have not one day of it as none of their asses had been there any how through most of the pregnancy, their family had been so what right did they have to actually seeing the child now with only 8 more weeks left and counted till Sian was supposed to give birth. And in truth the thought of anyone having him outside of them (the Tetsus) broke the Grandmother to be’s heart as she was attached to him greatly even through all of Sian’s mood swings, late night cravings, and yes even disputes of what name he should have the end having left Kasaihana and all for Qin to be with her daughter for the duration of the pregnancy, Moko considered baby Daken as already an active member of their family that she cared for deeply despite what kind of coward his father was in the first place (Moko’s opinion) for not being honest with her daughter and even worst Sian for not stopping the shit in its tracks when she saw it coming too as she began to hear the phone on hip begin to ring before finally slipping a hand into her pocket, flipping it open, placing it at her ear in order to say, “Tetsu here…”

Sian stopped once again in mid-giggle picking up the ball that lay at her feet with both hands before tossing it back into the mist of the children then taking her leave of the game at least for a moment in order to catch her breath. In truth it had been a hard several months for the expecting mother, some being better than others as the pain stakes of being pregnant had really taken its toll on her along with all the doctors visits and such in order to regain the usage of her legs that were damaged by the accident the night she’d learned and confessed to Daisuke of their infidelities towards one another. A matter that she’d spent months after it happened learning to forgive herself for as she did it and regretted it desperately. So much that she’d cut off all ties she had to Connor as penitence despite having exchanged contact info and all upon leaving Africa, as proof that she would never betray her love’s heart again but of course by then it was too late. The damage was done, Dai was gone lost in the wreckage of an exploding plane that was bound towards Greenland and quite possibly swept away by the ocean current and she was left all alone to raise their child by herself.

This was enough to make anyone around her cry out in despair or even grief but not Sian…she hadn’t shed a single tear in his death. All she had for him was contempt, bitterness, and anger towards the man who’d once said he loved her yet had not the courage to tell her that he wanted more from her or that he really in truth wanted another woman altogether and not her at all. Feelings that not only were causing her to change but causing her exemplify behaviors of indifference towards others even the baby at times and to down right unsympathetic to those around her much like her Shizumi-obasan was towards everyone who wasn’t like her, a Yuki-onna. That the latter notion terrified her more so than any causing the young 18 year old to cringe at the thought that she could ever be just that cold and cruel as the head of the Sonade Clan not sensing that Suijin herself had slipped out from her form in order to comfort her charge understanding better than most what these feelings that she was having were like but in truth she too knew that unless something was done soon Sian would succumb to the increasing current of power that was within her and awaken as a beast who delights only in the carnal torture of men. “Sian, don’t do this to yourself, please child let go and forgive him as only you his true soul mate can. You know that none of this emotional turmoil is good for the baby.” The Lady warns her mentally.

Unknown Retribution
“For…give…him….haha fat fuckin chance! There is no way in this life or next I will ever forgive that two timing son of bitch…So what if it isn’t Suijin it’s how I feel and for once I’m sick of hiding it, I want everyone to know the truth of how stupid I was for believing that I was even good enough for Daisuke Yun…” –Sian state switching her voice into aristocratical pitch (she went booshie for yall slow folks out there) when mentioning Dai’s name before going on to say.- “When in fact I was nothing more than a weak and pathetic charity case to him that need to be protected from his own psychotically mental half brother Damon so much that he had to go and fuck Kodi, someone who can defend herself against the ravenous hordes of Damon when I couldn’t even stand on my own two feet!” Sian raved back at the goddess the appearance of her angry mixed with frustrations being sent to an all time high as she tries desperately to understand why any of this even happened. “I mean if he wanted the damn bitch all he would have had to do was say so and I would have let him go, it would have hurt me like hell to do it but at least he wouldn’t have died with some dignity in my eyes and I could have killed this baby instead of giving it birth, and being reminded day in and day out what coward his father was!” Sian stopped her words on a dime not realizing that due to her erratical emotional levels via the pregnancy that her words and chi was also unstable, and reacting to them causing the air to becoming un-naturally cold to those who stood need her even causing her nails to grow outwards into their longer state from their bed’s while Moko continued to chat to whomever was on the phone from where she stood not taking much noticed of things until a blast of air suddenly hit her, chilling her to the bone which due to her own ability of cold immunity should have been virtually impossible for her to feel….unless….Tomoko quickly turns her head in the direction of where Sian stood allowing her own lilac hues to gaze upon the girl only to see, what Jun had once described to her about what she saw the night Moko had learned of Akuma’s “death” in regards her own change. “A mist black as night churning itself like a torrent on seas, enveloping the body of its owner as if it were some sort of rapid disease…” was all the 37 year old could hear ringing in her ears as she suddenly dropped the phone leaving it to fall to the ground and her husband to talk to him before taking off at full speeds in her daughter’s direction.

Suijin’s amber orbs widen hearing this knowing full well and better than any that this was more hurt than anger coming from the young mother to be’s mouth now as she wanted answers from someone who was no longer alive to give them to her and the Lady wagered that on the other side, that Daisuke too was doing the same thing to Garyx as well if not worst. Though she doubted the massive dragon would be less likely than she to not use his own temperament in order to silence the boy as well. Haha who was Suijin kidding it was probably a Daisuke BBQ by now in those labyrinth of caves. She chuckled to herself for a moment at the ideal before turning her attention back to Sian her own irritability and disgust at this display of dramatics showing itself, “Don’t you dare blame yourself for any those situations, even Daisuke himself was bested for the better half of those fights between him and Damon, AND most times that was EVEN with Garyx’s help.” She reminded Sian in a as a matter of fact manner. “Besides the point of you going to Africa was to proved that without a shadow of a doubt that you are twice, nay three times the fighter that Kodi is…not only to yourself but others as well too. That bitch as you so coined the phrase is nothing more than a wild animal that needs to be locked in cage and cast out into seas, And no you wouldn’t have, you stupid girl.”

“Oh what makes you so sure that I wouldn’t have, huh?” “In the past year alone that we have spent together I have come to know you better than you know yourself Sian, You wouldn’t have let Daisuke go to Kodi, you would’ve fought with all of your might to hold on to him the same as you are doing now even in his demise. The only reason such venom is spewing out from you now in regards to him and that baby you’re carrying is because you still love Daisuke with of your heart AND HIS CHILD despite the fact that he hurt you, and the only way you figure you can pay him back for his cheating is by taking the one joy he could have had in this life away from him when there’s absolutely no reason to do so because he’s what…DEAD.” Suijin reminding her charge of this fact once more in the hopes that she’d let go of her over baring anger and perhaps finally be able to mourn her lover’s lost the way a fiancée is supposed to with tears of sorrow and grief, stopping what already had become a dangerous situation from becoming even worst as her powers were unstable enough as is, with an awakening things would be catastrophic to say the very least. And the baby would die from the drastic temperature change in Sian’s body from being a constant 90.0 to subzero temperatures. Something that not even the goddess herself could protect the young boy from as she would loose all ability to since her and his mother were in fact on being now. Sian’s anger towards the words of the deity of whom she shared a body still ran hot in her veins as she sorely hated being told what she was going to do or would have done in particular situations and even more so when those around her spoke the truth in regards to how she behaved too, but she still couldn’t bring herself to let go of things as they were as she lowered her head into her bosom her chi starting to subside a bit upon Tomoko managing to get close enough to her without really getting hurt. Her mother taking note of her head being bowed into her chest like a small child who knew they’d done something wrong and was about scolded into tears when she hears Sian suddenly say, “I’m sorry, Beloved I can’t let go of what happen between us I just can’t and perhaps in their own way the gods are content to leave our chapter like it is…undone and unfinished while everyone else we know simply moves on with those that they are destined to be with but I still love you and its not fair…But what I don’t understand is why?.....Why out of all the lights that shone the brightest on Earth did they see fit to take yours from this place leaving me in dark?” before tilting her head back looking up at the afternoon sky, the sunlight reflecting the damp rivers that flowed heavily down her cheeks as the winter air moved around them both picking up currents of both raven and oceanic blue hair into its embrace while passionately dancing in the breeze before she lowered it allowing the heavy sobs that had been locked away in her throat to slowly come forth along with even more tears.

Tomoko listened to her daughter’s tender confession to the one she loved being kissed against the air and a plea for understanding in all of this immediately reaching her arms out for her child and embracing her as tightly as a mother could with her protruding belly and all once Sian began to cry her eyes out in manner that befitted a woman who had lost her lover. “Shhh it okay sweetheart…just let it all out.” She tells her letting out a complete sigh of relief realizing that another prayer she’d made months ago had finally been answered her hand reaching down towards her daughter’s left hand with her own as her fingers caressed the fire made engagement band that Sian wore before giving her hand a squeeze. “I know this journey has been hard for you and difficult too baby girl, but I want you to know that we, your family will be here for you through thick and thin even after we have moved on to the other side. And this child, your son, my grandson will always protected by us all through thick and thin.” Moko goes on to say in the hopes that her words would sway whatever plans Sian might be having in giving up the child to anyone as it was her greatest fear at the moment. “Tell me something that I don’t already know. Even Akira would have a fit if I did something crazy like give him up or abandon him.” Sian replies back trying to make light of the matter through her own tears of sadness as Suijin stood aloof of the pair listening Moko’s face suddenly appearing shocked as to hear that this wasn’t the case at all. “You mean you’re not giving the baby up?” “Nooo….hell no Mom, what ever make you even think…” Sian would pause remembering that she’d ask for her mother to pull up several documents for her in regards to the matter before starting to chuckle. “…Oh I see let me explain with everything that’s happened to us and by that I mean Akira and I being killed, Sector Olympus rising up to challenge everyone to their own version of the tournament, and Daisuke dying I’ve been thinking a lot about the future.” –she’d place her right hand on her belly rubbing it softly as her thoughts were with the unborn within her.- “Tomorrow isn’t promised to no man and there’s no real guarantee that any of us will even survive the games at all or an altercation with Zeus and his allies after the fact so I’ve decided to join the others and fight to get our city back and as a result of this choice in the event that I don’t come back, I’ve placed you and Dad as Daken’s legal guardians along with Balalaika, Chang, Shizuka, Ryan, Jun, and others to whom we have close ties to that can act as such in the event something happens to you both all written down and notarized by a judge back home in New York. Unfortunately, since Alfred legally declared Daisuke dead on paper (death certificate) already that damn robot has basically voided out all of his paternal rights to our son.” “Which means?” Sian would sigh reluctantly really being against it but thanks to several mishaps during the 21st century custody and single parent laws were complete bitches in the states unlike other parts of the world, “Even if there was a slim chance in hell that Dai survived that explosion and I died, he wouldn’t be able to take Daken away from you and Dad or anyone else on that list for that matter.” Now this surprised Tomoko to say the very least and she knew from her daughter’s reaction that this isn’t what she wanted not at all but alas the damage had done already from what she was hearing.

“Is that’s why you were looking for his Aunt and Uncle?” Tomoko asks looking into her daughters eyes. “Yes and no, they deserve to know that part of at least one part of their nephews still lives on but in matters of the custody all they could do is fight you and dad for it, to which they wouldn’t win because they aren’t directly related to Dai.” Sian explains remembering this discussion with the judge who signed the decree. “Only a wife could contest such a matter by proof of a DNA test, but you were made a widow before you even got a chance to become one.” “Hai…” was Sian’s only reply to this matter part of her truly hating this predicament and the other half wishing she could do something more to undo what had been done as Suijin added her own two cents comically smoking a cigarette, stating “Haha how do you like them apples Garyx” before noticing her charges own narrowing gaze at her before sighing again. “Well for what it’s worth I am relieved that you aren’t giving the baby up, as to the situation regarding the custody I’ll have Nia look into things up on the hill (Capital Hill) to see if we can’t get things loosened a bit here just in case a miracle happens, in the meanwhile lets head back to the temple I’m make you two you’re favorite for lunch and then we start working on our packing with Lala. After all we’ve only got two more weeks in Qin and its Kasaihana bound we go!” Tomoko cheers taking Sian by the head and leading the way down the path stopping once to pick up her phone and apologize to Akuma for running off like that while their daughter followed her wondering just what the hell lay in store for her next back in the "one horse town" that was the City of Kasaihana.