Rin sat in the living room as she happily coloured a new family portrait. She drew her dad standing in the middle, holding her hand and her mom's hand while her mother held a baby wrapped in pink. She giggled as she finished off the drawing with a giant red heart as the background. Angela sighed as she looked towards the living room entrance. Rin put down her crayon and rushed to her mother's side, overjoyed with her work she held her drawing above her head as she stepped in front of her.
"Mommy look! This is me, daddy, you and the baby! I want a little sister!" She shouted happily but Angela's mind was somewhere else. Rin brought the drawing down from above her head and pouted. "Mommy! Mommy! Your not looking!" She complained but Angela still didn't respond. Rin started to tear up. "Daddy said he loves you and now you don't need me!" She started to cry and it snapped Angela back to reality.
"Oh my goodness! My little angel, I'm so sorry mommy wasn't paying attention." She cooed as she reached out to pick up Rin. "I'm so sorry, let me see what you have done." Rin hugged her drawing and shook her head. "No! You can't see it now." She cried as she shook her head left the right.
"Please? I'm so sorry Rin, can you ever forgive me?" Angela said as she stroked Rin's head. "Hug and kiss! That's how we say our sorries!" She cried and Angela just giggled. "That's right! I'm so silly, how did I forget the rules! Muah, muah, muah! Three kisses for my big girl, and a bear hug. I love you more then the whole world!"
Rin started to sniff. Truthfully after she saw her mother's smile she had already forgiven her but rules were rules and she needed her hugs and kisses. She nodded her head and her mother gave her another big hug. "Good! Now can I see the picture?" Rin's face lit up as she peeled the drawing from her chest. "Yes! Look me, daddy, you and my baby sister!" Angela laughed as she carried Rin into the kitchen. "It's so beautiful we need to hang it on the fridge!"
Rin's eyes started to sparkle as she looked up at her mother. "Can I use the pretty star magnet?" She asked and Angela nodded her head. "Of course! It's a master piece for the ages!" Rin hopped down and handed the drawing to her mother as she grabbed the golden star magnet.
"Okay let me know where you think it looks best." Angela said as she placed the drawing on the fridge. "There! There! It's perfect!" Rin exclaimed as she bounced and clapped her hands. "Oh I think this is a perfect spot too!" Angela giggled but her smile vanished instantly as she stepped back.
"It's late... we should get ready for bed now." She said as she picked Rin up again. "No I want to wait for daddy! I want to say 'Good night daddy.' I haven't done it yet!" Rin fussed. Angela looked at the time and shook her head. "No, it's really late you should have been in bed hours ago... I'll tell you what, you and me can make daddy breakfast in bed. Then you can jump on him and wish him a good morning instead." Rin contemplated for a while then rubbed her eye. "Okay... 'yawn'... I'm so sleepy now." She said as she started to bob her head.
"That's my girl." Angela said and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, eye then cheek. She started to walk to Rin's bedroom and heard a weird noise on the roof. She froze then broke out into a cold sweat. "Rin, baby. I need you to try and wake up." Angela said nervously as Rin started to cuddle up against her. "Rin, code white."
Rin's eyes shot open, she clutched her mother's shirt and started to tremble. "No." She whispered. Angela pried her daughter off of her body and looked her in the eyes. They could hear more noise and footsteps. "Rin, code white." She said firmly.
Rin rushed with her mother to her closet, Angela opened the door and moved the toy chest out of the way. Rin waited until her mother opened a hidden door so small that only a child, or really tinny person could fit in.
Angela held her hand out and Rin placed her tiny hand in it. "I love you." Angela said and Rin kissed her mother's cheek before she stepped into the tunnel. "I love you too." Once she was inside Angela closed the door and place the toy chest over top of it.
Rin knew she had to start crawling down the tunnel but her body trembled with fear. She wanted to stay close to her mother, she swallowed back her saliva and strained her ears. She could hear people shouting. "Where is Rin!" A familiar voice shouted, her mind raced and she realized it was Harmon.
"With a friend... when Larkin didn't return at the appointed time I figured he failed or betrayed me." Angela said coolly.
"Stupid woman! Of course he would betray you! He is my husband now and I want my daughter!" A haughty voice said that sent chills down Rin's spine. "No." Angela said before she could hear some feet shuffling. "Did you think you could defeat us?" You have some nerve." Another voice said before her mother started screaming a blood curdling cry. "You will never have my child!" Her mother shouted.
"Search the house, this 'outsider' has no friends and if we can't find the girl then rip the child from her womb and we will see if it can survive." A calm, male voice said. Rin covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling, tears spill downwards. He mother gave her a some training and she always secretly watched her father. She had enough to go on to make it to each check point on her own. She summoned all her courage and with watery eyes started to crawl down the tunnel.
She wasn't sure if she imagined it or not but when she finally reached the exit she could have sworn that she heard her father's cry echoing behind her. She looked back and felt her heart break into a million pieces. "I'm sorry daddy." She whispered before she started running for her life.
By sunrise Rin had made it to her first destination. An old mine that her mother had taken her when they snuck out of the house using the tunnel. There they had been hiding a backpack for her and her mother for when they had to leave. Rin wiped away her tears as she walked into the mine. She placed her hand on the wall and slowly walked forward. First a right, then another entrance, switch hands then a left. Skip the next entrance but switch hands, take a right then you will find what your looking for.
Rin sighed a breath of relief when she found the first check point, a spring that illuminated in the dark. She ran up to a small rock formation that looked like a frog and found the backpacks still buried under some rocks. She pulled out her mother's bag and took out a flashlight, a blanket and dried meals.
She then grabbed her own bag and stuffed it to the brim. She sat down and pulled out a thermos of water and a package of powder. She mixed them together and quickly drank it. She looked at the bag and felt her eyes water again. She hugged her mother's backpack before she brought it back to its hiding place. She buried it again and looked at it for a while. She brought her hands together and said a small pray.
She wasn't stupid, she understood every word those people had said and what they were there to do. Her mother was gone now and she needed to get away. She grabbed her backpack and hauled it on. She had trained with her mother but she always had more energy when they would practice but this time she was on her own and her bag was slightly heavier.
She took a deep breath and jumped into the spring and started to swim downwards. She didn't know if it was her fear or determination that pushed her forward but she made it to the first air pocket with ease.
She took another deep breath and swam again. The second air pocket was a little further away and she never made it on her own. Her mother always had to pull her along when they made it halfway but this time was different. She pushed herself until her lungs started to burn with pain and when she made it her body rejoiced for the air.
The second air pocket was bigger and there was a rock there that she could sit on and rest. After a few moments had past, Rin grabbed her backpack and pulled out a tiny metal container before she jumped right back into the water.
They had never traveled the last part but she remembered what her mother told her. The container was magical. There was enough air in it for her to travel the last part, the currents were strong and it would take her to the last checkpoint.
She had to do her best to make sure the container stayed in between her lips and watch out for rocks. Rin could feel the air in the container and knew what she had to do. She buckled her backpack in and around her waist. She dived downwards until she made her way to the opening. She could feel a small tug and knew it was the current with no hesitation Rin swam into it.
It was harder then what she first thought, she had to clenched the container with her teeth as she tried her best to turn her body around so the backpack took the blows from the rocks. The air in the container ran out before she could see light and she swam as fast and as hard as she could before she drowned.
She gasped and coughed violently as she broke through the water's surface. She was completely drained but had to swim to shore. She went under a few times but always remember her mother's words from when they trained. "Be brave, be true, do more then what you think you can do."
When she made it to land, she clawed her way forward and brought her knees up. She pushed her body upwards as her face dripped with water. She looked up at the sky and the sun was shining brightly.
"Be brave, be true, do more then what you think you can do." She recited as she looked around, she was in the right direction. A giant lake with a forest on its left and a mossy hill on the right. She pushed herself forward and walked for what felt like hours. Always reciting her mother's words. "Be brave, be true, do more then what you think you can do."
Finally Rin's vision started to blur when she reached a small clearing with wildflowers that littered the ground. "Last checkpoint." She mumbled before she passed out. When Rin woke up the sun was starting to set. She sighed a breath of relief and unbuckled her backpack. She nervously looked around and rushed into a bush to relieve herself. After she stepped out she pulled out some wipes and cleaned her hands. Her stomach rumbled and she pulled out some dried meat.
Her mother may not have been a ninja but she was smart and talented with magic, not like mages or shaman. She was more of a practical magic user. She had enchanted the bag to stay dry even when wet and was able to produce things that her father never even heard of. As she ate she wondered if that was the reason people from the village stayed away from her. She was too much of a mystery, even for a ninja. Rin looked up and waited for the stars to appear. She carefully searched the night sky for a special constellation that her mother called 'the archer'.
She became delighted once she found the constellation and with her finger traced the arrow and found its point. She needed to follow that direction to find her mother's friend's village. There she could find refuge with her childhood friend Kuda. She happily packed her bag again and started walking. The journey was longer then she expected, Rin slept during the day in between the tree root's burrows, making sure to only travel by night.
By the 6th day Rin ran out of food and water, she couldn't risk sleeping, too afraid that she wouldn't wake up anymore. "Kuda! Kuda! Please if your out there, please help me! My mommy's name is Angela Rain and she... and she.... KUDA!!!!" She cried as she kept moving forward.
She spent half her day yelling and her voice was starting to get horse, already 18 hours since she last slept, 8 hours since she ate the last piece of dried meat and 4 hours since her last sip of water. "Kuda please! I don't know what to do anymore. My mommy always told me 'Be brave, be true, do more then what you think you can do' but I can't anymore... Kuda! Kuda! Please Kuda...." Before she became faint.
She could see her world slipping as she started to fall forward when suddenly someone caught her. "Say it again." A female voice said as she cradled Rin. "Say what your mommy told you." Rin batted her eyelashes as she tried to focus on the woman's face. "Be brave, be true, do more then what you think you can do." Was all she could say before everything blacked out.
When Rin opened her eyes she found herself looking up a wooden ceiling. "About time you woke up." A female voice said in a snarky tone. Rin tried to sit up but her whole body ached. "You've been asleep for a couple of days so moving is going to be difficult." She said as she approached Rin.
"Kuda?" Rin said weakly but was then silenced when the woman wrapped her hand around her throat. Pinning her against the bed. "Who sent you?!" She hissed as she applied a little bit of pressure. "My mommy!" She cried as she tried to pry the woman's hand off her neck. "Who is your mother?!"
Rin could feel that the woman's grip was getting tighter. "Angela Rain! Angela Rain is my mommy!" She gasped and started to claw at the woman's wrist and hand. "Don't lie to me! You look like the scum ninja that killed her family. She would never mingle with your kind." Rin's mind started to race as her vision blurred.
"I swear Angela is my mommy! She always, she always told me we have the same eyes!" Rin cried desperately. The woman instantly let go of Rin's throat and pulled the child into her embrace. "I know your eyes are the same!" She cried. Rin was confused and didn't know what to do. She wrapped her arms around the woman. "My mommy said Kuda was her best friend and if anything happened to her... To find Kuda."
The woman's body started to shake. "Did something happen to your mother?" She whispered as she sniffed away her tears. "To my whole family... Daddy, mommy and the baby." The woman couldn't hold back her tears as she hugged Rin tightly. "Oh G*d Angela... your gone..." Rin couldn't hold it in anymore and she cried along with the woman, who she later found out was indeed Kuda.
With puffy eyes they sat down to a meal. The woman was tall and slender. Her body was well toned but had a feminine feel to it. She wasn't curvaceous but neither was her mother. She had tanned skin, mint green eyes that slanted downwards, thin lips, a long, straight nose and her hair was a dark, wavy brown with light pink tips.
She stayed silent for a whole day giving Rin her space but after 24 hours she bombarded her with a hundred questions, it could have easily been more but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
To Kuda's displeasure the elders had called for a village meeting. They wanted to know about the 'outsider' that she had brought in. Rin trembled when she heard 'outsider' and wanted to run away. Kuda caught her within her embrace and rocked her back and forth. "The elders will not hurt you or treat you like your mother. They are more interested that a I brought a child into the village... Even if they try to hurt you, I will protect you with everything I have."
Rin clutched onto Kuda's garb, she wasn't too sure what was going to happen and if it was bad she had no idea where to go.