Chaptire Twelve

Lali was running through the forest, her knees badly scraped and both hands gripping her head. She soon tripped over a stump and tumbled down a hill, stopping in front of a river. She was panting, trying to push herself up. She stopped, on all fours because her arms and legs suddenly froze. Tears fell from her eyes and she instinctively sat on her bottom, bringing her legs close to her chest and hid her face in her knees. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, only to welcome new tears.

            “What’s wrong with me?” Lali asked. “More importantly, what’s wrong with everyone?!”

Nothing’s wrong with your friends and family sweet heart…. Suro echoed in her head. You’re just too stubborn and believe in too much physics….

            “The law of physics is never wrong mother.” Lali said stubbornly.

She heard her mother laugh under her breath and reply Too stuck up as well….Lali you’re gonna have to start studying the art of magic if you want to live.

            “Magic doesn’t solve anything mom.” Lali said. Her mother sighed and said Wonder where you got your stubbornness….

With that, her mother’s voice disappeared from her mind. She came to the river, looking into her reflection. Even though she denied the fact that she didn’t believe in magic, she still wondered how she was able to control the water. She looked around, seeing if she was being watched. She lifted her arms, the water slowly responding to the movements of her hands. She moved her hands in her taijutsu movements. She began doing various styles, including midair attacks. She spun in the air, the water following. She put her hand out, the water shooting forward. She clenched her hand into a fist making the water droplets freeze and turn into small needles. The small needles mercilessly hit a nearby tree, the impact of all the little ones hitting it making it tumble over. Lali stopped where she was, breathing heavily, her arms swinging back to her side. She sat down, crossing her legs and breathing steadily. She closed her eyes and the world around her blackened.

I’m going to search my mind…..my mind of my mother…. Lali thought. If I truly am the daughter of Suro then there’s bound to be some type of explanation.  Lali opened her eyes, looking around. Her mind was filled with memories that had mostly Nicky, Kuro and Sam in every one of them. Her spiritual self roamed her mind, looking through the deepest and darkest parts of her memory. She soon came to a pair of golden gates, putting her palms along it. She pushed against the gates; they opened with a loud creak till she came to a room. As she went inside, she saw someone she didn’t expect.

            “Kuro?” Lali called, seeing Kuro sitting criss crossed on the floor. Kuro opened one eye and leaned back, his hands folding behind his head and his leg going over the other.

            “Glad you could join me.” Kuro said, patting a seat next to him. Lali walked over to him, sitting down on her knees. The gates closed and Kuro said “I’m guessing your wondering the terms for Bubbles’s sealing?”

Lali simply nodded her head, Kuro rising from his spot and stretching like a cat.

            “Well first of all…I need to come clean.” Kuro said skeptically.

            “Wait…you haven’t been truthful with me?” Lali asked. Kuro put his hand in front of her face to seize her from screaming at him replying “I did it for your safety.”

            “What are you hiding from me?” Lali asked sternly.

Kuro exhaled, rolling his eyes as he blew his long bangs from his eyes. He shook his head violently, Lali noticing cat ears appearing on top of his head. He stretched like a cat and a bushy yellow tail appeared from his tail bone, it wrapped around Lali before she could scoot away, out of shock. His eyes, already hypnotizing with their ocean blue color, became like a cats as well. Lali shivered when the fury tail wrapped around her arms, lying stiff when Kuro came close, till his lips were against her ear.

            “I’m an alien.” He whispered. Lali stopped shivering, soon pushing him away and said “There are no such things as aliens!”

            “How do you explain Bubbles then?” Kuro challenged making her stay silent.

            “Probably mutation.” Lali replied, hearing him suddenly chuckle under his breath.

            “Still thinking the laws of physics rules all, I think you just use that excuse to block out the realities of the universe.” Kuro replied, cleaning his ear with his pinky. “Aliens exist, different races of all kinds, well two races the others died out.”

            “From what?” Lali asked.

            “Other aliens who need more space, unlike Earth alien planets are always rapidly growing. So we always go to other planets to have war then use the old planet to expand our own.” Kuro replied. “Aliens truly are a cruel race.”

            “I’m guessing you’re here on Earth to take over?” Lali asked sarcastically.

            “Nope, my planets here to protect you.” Kuro said. “Also to keep your mother at bay, if she breaks out all hells gonna break lose.”

            “I know that.” Lali said. “Get out of my head; I need to find a few things.”

            “I’ll explain those for you; at the moment…wake up!” Kuro screamed shocking Lali causing her to open her eyes to find herself on her couch, in her house, with five pairs of eyes looking down at her. Lali felt her head as she forced herself up, Nicky the first to tackle her in a hug after punching her shoulder hard.

            “Ow, why?” Lali asked like the little sister she was.

            “For being stupid and wondering outside of our front yard without telling anyone.” Nicky replied. “Sam found you near the lake unconscious. We thought you were dead but Kuro somehow revived you with some telepathy thingy.”

            “Thanks for summing it up Nicky.” Kuro said and felt Lali’s head. “Your warm, what happened before you talked to me?”

            “I tried bending the water, with success and I talked with my mom.” Lali said immediately covering her mouth. Everyone stared down at her in horror as Lali tried forcing a smile on her face; she knew she was going to get punched. Kuro was the first to snap, he punched her over the head yelling “BAKA!”

            “What’s that even mean?!” Lali screamed back, rubbing the back of her head.

            “It means stupid, idiot, b**b and any other insults I could possibly think of!” Kuro said angrily. “Why would you talk to your mother about these things you twit?!”

            “Because she was the only one who actually made sense!” Lali said, receiving another punch in the head by Kuro again. Kuro released a frustrated sigh and said “You honestly think that woman is gonna help you?! Lali she took thousands of lives just to fill her stomach!”

            “She is my mom Kuro, of course I’m gonna turn to her when things get aggravatingly weirder for me!” Lali said, tears were falling from her eyes now. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes with her clenched fists and continued “You think I don’t know how dangerous this is? That I don’t know I could be putting my own soul in danger? Well OF COURSE I DO!”

Nicky wrapped her arm over her shoulders and pulled her close, Lali leaning her head on Nicky’s shoulder.

            “Lali, today’s been a long day for you.” Nicky said, hearing Lali hiccup. “Maybe you should go to bed.”

            “No!” Lali said sternly. “I want answers; I want the truth, right now!”

She shot a teary eyed glare towards Kuro who just exhaled, looking defeated. He sat on the end of the couch with her, his cat ears and tail appearing like they did during her meditation for answers.

            “Shocking right? Wait till ya see my sisters.” Kuro said and called over his shoulder. “KANA COME ON OUT!”

The same girl who had arrived to Lali’s rescue during Bubbles’s attack appeared from the kitchen, she had matching tail and ears but her appearance was slightly different from Kuro’s. She had short unruly yellow hair trapped under a yellow hat with long ears at the ends, while Kuro’s was spiky and stood out. She wore a heavy looking jacket and jeans while Kuro wasn’t afraid to show off his skinny yet muscular arms with a sleeveless baggy shirt with a bunched up turtle neck, wearing baggy jeans.

            “Lali, this is my sister Sun Kana.” Kuro said. “Kana, this is our cousin.”

            “C-c-cousin?!” Lali asked with disbelief.

            “Yup, we’re related Lali.” Kuro said, his sister Kana leaning on the doorway to the kitchen.

            “Bu-but how?” Lali asked.

            “Remember how Tsunami is your dad?” Nicky asked. “Look who’s his nephew and niece…”

Looking at the two in utter shock was all Lali could do. They looked nothing like him so it was hard to believe. Kuro then flexed his arm muscles, red markings appearing on his arm that glowed red. Lali recognized them as the symbols on Tsunami’s back.

            “Ever since his sin, a descendent has to carry out his markings.” Kuro said sadly. “That was me.”

            “After three generations though.” Kana finally said, catching everyone’s attention. “Kuro was sent here to make sure you don’t end up like your mother. He was also supposed to train you in water bending but he failed in that too.”

            “I was getting to that Kana.” Kuro said sending his sister a glare.

            “Failed?” Lali asked.

            “I was supposed to teach you water bending and magic at five years old.” Kuro said. “I failed in that.”

            “Because you didn’t teach me?” Lali said “That’s stupid!”

            “I know but it was to protect you from the dog that now lingers your house.” Kuro said bluntly. “By the way would you like to meet her?”

Lali began shaking but nodded her head. Kuro looked over at Kana, as if telling her something telepathically. Kana turned away and disappeared in the hallway. Kuro turned back to Lali, who was fidgeting in her seat now.

            “Don’t worry; you’ll get tons of more people to hate you in your life.” Kuro said a sideways smile on his face now. He said it like it was supposed to make her feel better. Lali grabbed the largest book closets to her and slammed the spine of the book on Kuro’s head, causing him to cringe to the floor, grab his throbbing head and roll along the floor. Lali just glared at him and replied “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Kana returned to the room, screaming at Bubbles. Bubbles sending out cruel insults to Kana that made her face heat up in rage. Kana then swung her fist at Bubbles but Bubbles simply ducked and caused Kana’s fist to collide with the wall, the punch so powerful that a crater formed around her clenched fist.

            “Filthy mutt.” Kana said through clenched teeth, ripping her fist out of the wall sending chunks of the wall with her. “You should be put on a leash, that way you’ll learn some respect for those higher to you.”

Bubbles simply turned to Kana and stuck her tongue out and pulling down on her eye lid. Kana picked up a lamp and threw it, the lamp colliding with Bubbles’s head and making her fall to the floor. Kuro just watched blankly while Lali watched in horror as Bubbles got up with blood flooding down her face. Despite her gash reopening, Bubbles glared at Kana the lights suddenly blinking, everything that was electronic roared to life as Bubbles got up. Kana glared right back, the room suddenly becoming unbearably hot all of a sudden. Kana’s fists began to glow red and Bubbles jabbed her fingers into a plug, the house blinking faster and all electronic devices roaring even louder. Lali covered her ears as the two collided. Kana’s fists were suddenly lit a flame and Bubbles’s having electricity surrounding her fists. The two collided, the house vibrating with their attacks. Lali jumped in her seat, Nicky shielding her from the force.

            Kuro had gotten up and was trying to break the fight, Kana’s fast legs hitting Bubble’s side and Bubbles’s long nails scratching at Kana’s cheek.

            “I. Said. QUIT IT!” Kuro screamed angrily, hitting the two girls in the necks, joints and tripping them by kicking their ankle. The two fell to the floor with a loud thud and laid their motionless.

            “You killed them?” Lali asked.

            “No you stupid human, he paralyzed us.” Bubbles said from the floor. “You should even know the pressure points idiot.”

Lali glared down at Bubbles who glared back, except hers was colder. Kuro kicked the two girls in the side and said “You guys are so stupid.” 

            “Not as stupid as the lazy a*s that’s called my brother.” Kana said angrily. Kuro glared down at his sister who smirked evilly up at him. Lali was wondering how she was going to deal with this.

            “I don’t want to own anyone…” Lali declared.

            “Well you don’t really have a choice.” Kuro said bluntly.

            “Of course she does, just take off the beads and you’re off the hook.” Bubbles bribed.

            “Don’t listen to the stupid mutt, do that and all of humanity dies!” Kana said.

            “I need…I-I need…” Lali said, clutching her throbbing head. “Chihiro, CHIHIRO!!”

Everyone looked at her with a questionable look. They heard something shuffle from outside. Jumping through the gaping hole in their wall; came a large white wolf, looking rather tired and bored. It trotted towards Lali, hoping on the couch and cuddling into Lali’s chest. Kana looked at the wolf in confusion but Bubbles gazed upon the beast like it was a god. She went to her knees and asked “Where’d you get this magnificent creature?”

Lali hugged the wolf around its large neck, burying her face in the thick snow white fur and replied “She found me.”

            “This is Chihiro, Lali’s best friend and security blanket.” Kuro explained.

            “Chihiro was a puppy when she found Lali; Lali had run off into the woods on Christmas Eve the day that grandma BB died. She would’ve frozen to death if Chihiro hadn’t found her.” Nicky said. “Plus, Sam likes Chihiro’s presence too.”  

Sam laid down on Chihiro’s large side and buried his face in the fur, Chihiro licking his forehead like a mother.

            “You have no idea what you hold in your lap!” Bubbles said.

            “Yeah, she’s a spirit.” Kana pointed out.

Lali scratched Chihiro under her large head; Chihiro lifting her head up so Lali could go down.

            “She’s really lazy though.” Kuro pointed out.  As Chihiro curled into Lali’s lap, Lali began to fade in and out of sleep. Kuro ruffled out her hair and said “But we should sleep, we move out tomorrow.”