April
16, 2004
“Guys, I’m back!” I
called into the house looking around, “where is everyone!!” I called out again.
“Children? Ulisa?” I knew that she was watching them, I headed through the
halls but still seen nothing.
“Where are you?”
ulisa called down, "Up here
what are you doing up there?
come on up...you'll see
I headed up the stairs and looked around
what’s all this a,... Jewels?" I
said with my mouth opened "that cub looks like my sister"
Ulisa handed a necklace over as well as the
note, "I thought so
I swallowed hard staring at both, and that one
he looks like my father
I think they're your niece and nephew, Selena
they are My sister and I made a promise right
before we were to be separated and killed that if either one managed to make
it, that the other would take their cub, and looks like out of all 30 of us
cubs she's the only one, of them that made it,....." I stopped and walked
over and picked the little girl up and gently sat her on my lap looking at her.
Jewels was only 6 the last time I seen her
Ulisa blinked, "30? You had 29
siblings?"
yes I had 29 siblings
Ulisa merely nodded, "I thought they were
related. I can’t ell you for certain but Grubbi could probably run a tees
the,.... I stopped and looked around, the room
and said I'll explain the rest when the others aren't around so I don't scare
them
no they're related to me I know it better than
anyone, the boy is identical to my father
ulisa nodded, "I figured..
I headed out to the scrapbook and said see
opening the book and pointing to the picture of my father then said now look at
the cub, he was jet black with tan hair, and green eyes, "That one looks
the same doesn't he Ulisa?
Ulisa nodded
His name's going to be Jaysa
Jaysa Ryan to be exact
for memorial?
I nodded, after my father
and the girl?
Jewels Colbi
after my sister
Ulisa gave a second nod but said nothing
Ulisa I have to see if there is anything left
of my sister, come with me
ulisa gave a nod, again silent
The children should be fine the new ones are
sleeping, and the others are able to watch them.
what’s wrong Ulisa? I asked noticing her
silence
nothing..." she smiled, faintly,
"But I do ask that you let me get one person to come with us
who?
My own sister...hearing this talk...I guess I
just wanna make sure she's okay, even though I know she is
I nodded
Ulisa vanished into the time portal and
reemerged, a Gummi of nearly identical looks, save her hair was longer and her
patch was on the opposite eye
I smiled and greeted her
"So this is the Selena my twin sister
talks about all the time. My name is Tobi."
blushing I nodded saying i hope its all good
stuff
Tobi grinned, "if it isn't, I never pay
attention anyway:-)
I smiled, before I leave would yu like to meet
some of hte gang here?
Sure...the three ring circus?" she smiled
gently
I nodded although it seems like 12 on some
days
Tobi merely laughed, "Oh, trsut me, in my
time my mother and father have given me and Ulisa at least 20 more siblings
I laughed as I took her into the rooms saving
Chace for last, saying this one is the one that loves your father to death I'm
sure you heard of
Tobi cocked a brow, "he was around when
my sister and I were growing up
well in this time he's only about 1 and its
right after the burning of his legs
Tobi nodded, "Daddy told us about
that...he still has the scars
yep thats him, he looked right at her and held
his arms out, but i toldh im that we had to go for a little bit, but we would
be back shortly
tobi grinned. "Both Ulisa and I are told
we look like our Daddy."
they're right you know
both barbics answered, "we know."
laughing a bit I adked if they were ready
both gummies nodded, as one and said, in
unison, "let's go
I nodded and started walking a path that i had
walked only once other and knew it by heart still
Ulisa and Tobi followed, staying close. Anyone
could tell they were twins, simply by the way they walked together, the way
they moved in unison, even when each had gone off to live their own lives
my heart raced as I walked around with more
caution then what Ulisa had only seen with my cubs
I took note of all that though
I stopped for a moment, and looked around if I
had been a cat, the hair would have stood on end
Ulisa stayed close, a hand on her sword
I leaned down into a strange posistion, as i
glared into the paths, thats when i seen it, something laying in the brush,
standing I ran to it, and looked down stunned at the sight, my hand flew to my
mouth. as the tears wanted to start
there she was my sister, still beatened to
death, I looked all over her, my hands touching her I then thought to get in
her pocket, "Its still here! After all these years." I told them not
looking at them
Ulisa dn tobi said nothing, jsut waited
this old gem was the only thing that my
parents were able to give her. they found it in a mindshaft not to far from the
camp we were at. I held it up for them to see before laying my head on my
sister. "They made it to me Jewels, their safe. I'm sorry I wasn't there
to see welcome them into the world and i;m sorry that you'll never meet your
nieces and nephews." I said to the still and cold body
ulisa gently put her hands on Selena's
shoulders
ulisa promise me if your watching my cubs and
you see that they come in this direction from the house that you take your
double blade to them right away please
Ulisa nodded, "all right
I have a feeling that the slave camps no
longer there, but I still don't want them near this area.
Ulisa nodded and just held her
those twins are the last of my bloodline
ulisa couldnt give a reply to that, merely
held her tight
the last of my father, my several siblings,
and who i am, my sister wasn't only that, she was everything to me
ulisa said softly, "let it out
I leaned against my sister even more,
"you know how often she took her ration of food and gave it to me, and not
had anything for herself? Or how many beatings she took in my sted?
saying it was her fault when it was mine
Ulisa merely ubbed her hair and tobi knelt and
hugged her back
once than once I heard her scream in agony as
she got burned for the misbehaviors that I had done,
or was hit in the head or had lost a chunck of
skin
ulsia merely rubbed her hair
Ulisa did you notice she's only got one
breast? They must have cut it off, they did that at times for disobediance, so
that it was harder to nurse your children
ulisa held her closer, just cradled her a bit
I looked at her stunned,
ulisa merely rubbed her hair and rubbed her
shoulder
she's gone, now. at least her babies are safe
now. I told them looking into their eyes still trying to fight the pain
"and that will be your tirbute to her and
her gift to you
I nodded yes and said that i was almost ready
to go back, and repeated the request that the cubs never come out this
direction
Ulisa nodded again and just cradled her again
Turning I burried my head into her shoulder
and started weaping as if I was one of my smallest cubs
ulisa merely held her and let her cry as tobi
rubbed her babck
I can't believe it, my sister had to go down
this way
they still got her
but they didn't get her children
no and they won't I'll see to it with my life
ulisa nodded and merely said softly, "do
you want to bury your sister?"
no she haded to be anywhere dark, I'm not
going to do that to her now, she like to be among the flowers I would raither
let her be as she like it
Ulisa nodded, "All right, just cry as
much as you need to
whiping my face I stood and said I couldn't
anymore, I need to get back to my children
Ulisa nodded, "all right...lean on me if
you need to
I nodded and started to walk back, but decided
to check one more thing, and turned around and started walking down an old path
Ulisa nd tobi followed
there stood an freshley abandoned camp that
still had all the buildings up, Selena stood there for a moment holding her
breath, anger and hate showing for the first time in her eyes
uliosa told her sfotly, "let it out
I walked up and slammed my fist through the
glass of one window, then started to head to the next
ulisa follwoed and simply handed selena her
sword, should she want it
selena shook her head and started with the
next ones then taking other things and started throwing bricks, rocks at one
point even took a large and rather thick stick and started using it like a bat.
before looking for a couple materails and started to catch the thing on fire. with
her little contraption
saying something in a laguage that Ulisa had
never heard before
Ulisa binked but didn't ask, just followed
Stopping at one building I walked in, even
though the stench was beyond reasonings, walked over to a bed and pulled something
out from underneath, asking Ulisa to hold onto the box for me I walked out with
her following, and setting htat one two on fire before turning and leaving
heading back to my sister I took the box back and laid it with her. "these
were all her special treasures, only few had ever seen them she needs to have
these with her." I told them starting to head back to hte house
ulisa noddded and followed, as tobi approached
and wrapped Selena's bleeding hands.I swallowed and winced as I took the
bandages off a second and pulled a peice of glass out of my hands then let her
rewrap them
tobi wiped her hands with some herb juice and
then rewrapped them
that stings you know I said a little too
sharply
tobi nodded, "it means it's working
I nodded saying that I didn't need that stuff,
i would ahve been fine
tobi just gives selena a look she gives her
own children
whats that for? I would have neeb fine
no...last thing you need is infected hands.
they wouldn't get infected i'd be fine i tell
you
selena, i have had more children than even
you, and i've a 3 time grandmother already. don't you go telling me how to
treat injuires, young bearess
Still I would have been fine i told her as we
sat there
no, you wouldn't...trust me
I've had worse without them being treated
but now that they can be treated, they will be
sighging i stayed quit and didn't say anything
about the sore spot that I had gotten went i had gotten hit with the metal part
of a door and had cut chest, the sweater
i had on covered it, I decided when we got back tothe house to keep it on
ulisa grabbed hold of selena's arm and pulled
her into the kitchen
what do you want
Ulisa i've got children that need me
Yer hurt, on your chest...I can tell
i'm fine, its just a scratch
no, it's not. now sit down
Ulisa it's fine, I'm telling you it's just a
tiny scratch and will heal probably by night fall it will be gone
Ulisa gives selena a glare she usually
reserves for the cubs
I'm telling you your making a big deal out of
nothing
i'm not...I was raised in a warrior clan..I
know wounds when I see them
I'm telling you theres nothing there, a small
piece of metal hit me thats all it'll go away by tonight, it don't need looked
after
ulisa merely ripps her sweater off, revelaing
a pretty deep gash
blushing I told her that it was nothing to
worry about
ulisa merely rolled her eyes, dug the metal
out, cleaned and patched the wound" "Nothing my foot
this thing's fine Ulisa, no need to fuss over
it. O
I'e got Cubs to take care of
I said getting up
ulisa pulled her down again, finished dressing
the wound and said, "now you can go, you stubborn thing
oh I didn't need to get all this fuss over a
small scratch
yer kids definteltey take after you
whats that mean?
and I am fine, you know as long as i'm not
dead I'm fine
ulisa just rolled her eyes
yer head could be
handing on by a flap of skin and you'd say you were fine
as long as I was breathing I would
ulisa just rolls her eyes again, "i rest
my case
I've always just let the injuries go before,
and I've been fine, even if it is a little sore at the moment
well, you cna help your cubs better if you're
not in pain...besides do you think they WANT to see you in pain?
No but I never let them see me in pain do I
look like I hurt?
yes
I sighed anyways it just a little pain
Ulisa merely rolled her eyes but asked,
"are you gonna be all right? truly?"
Yes I'll be fine
all right...you know where to reach me if you
need me
Aunt Ulisa did you know that last summer that
Mamma broke her foot and didn't tell anyone?" Darcy asked
"she kept walking on it the whole time,
just in case your wondering why she walks so funny." I shot my daughter a
look and she took off like a shot
Ulisa raised a brow at Selena
what?"
she shook her head, "you defintely have
some barbic in you
it was nothing a little break nothing that can
home me back
hold me back
ulisa rolled her eyes, as she headed off,
"that's what nana said when she snapped her ankle, when grubbi finally
looked at it, she'd snapped it clear in half