Persphyni: I am Determined

55

"It was the pit wasn't it." I whispered, nervous for the answer.

"He took four pills for us. It was for her. She was sick. And.. and then he was taken." Lyla choked out. "He won. Your training saved him and he won." I lifted my head up to look at the young adult in curiosity.

"But Blodreina wasn't happy. She had purposely matched him up with harder opponents. When Gideon won, he had challenged her authority. He brought you up. In front of the entire crowd, he was brave enough to stand and tell them that this was wrong. That you would have stopped it. That you would have done differently. He was twenty one. She dropped down and-" Molly swallows the lump in her throat but she couldn't say anymore.

"Blodreina dropped down and made a lesson out of him. She made him fight her. Solo-gonplei. He almost won. He would have." I looked up to see Indra standing beside Molly. A comforting hand on the older woman's shoulders. "But just before he could deal the final blow, she used his child against him. The child was only five months old at the time." Indra informed as the two women couldn't form words at the memory.

I slowly rose, my fists clenched as I felt a roar of anger bubbling in my throat. I set a hand on Indra's shoulder and thanked her for finishing the story.

"I shouldn't have left." I growled as anger rushed up and crashed. Over and over. The sea inside bubbling from the storm. "If I hadn't left he wouldn't have died. This is my fault." My knees bent as I dropped back down. My head on Molly's knee. "I'm sorry. You lost your only son and you lost your child's father. Because I left. Please forgive me." My voice had dropped back to an agitated whisper. It's my fault. I left and Octavia had to deal with this alone. My past inspired the pit. And when I left, I couldn't protect anyone.

"Persphyni. Oh sweet, Persphyni." Molly put a hand under my chin to lift it up. "The only one to blame is Blodreina. And while I'll never be able to fill that hole, I have something I never though I'd have." Molly smiled at the young girl next to her. "I have a beautiful daughter and granddaughter whom I love and will protect with my life."

My eyes flicked back to the bundle that had gone quiet in Lyla's arm.

"My husband did not die for nothing. His beautiful baby girl has grown to be one and healthier than ever. And now, we are all back on the surface. So we can live the life he wanted for us." I smiled at Lyla's bravery. I shed a tear for Gideon's sacrifice.

"Yes. And you will." I stood from the rocks and looked at the two year old in Lyla's grasp. "May I ask her name?" Lyla smiled as she looked at her baby.

"Her name is Spring. Named after the speciality of the Greek goddess who had saved her parents from a fire twice." I looked at the face of the beautiful child. She really did look like the two of them. Gideon's facial structure and nose. Lyla's brown hair and large eyes.

"I'm honored." Lyla smiled up at me.

"You'll be even more surprised to find that we wanted you to be the godmother." My eyes brows nearly popped off my face.

"You want me? I-uh." I malfunctioned as Molly and Lyla laughed at me.

"Gideon and I both agreed, that if one day we find you again, than fate had guided us back to you. And that you were our guardian angel and we wanted our daughter to be under that umbrella of protection as well." I wiped the tear that fell from my eye as I nodded.

"You suck. I hate emotions. Yes. Yes, I'll be Spring's godmother. Of course I will." I wrapped Lyla in a gentle hug then pulled Molly into one as well. "I promise I'll protect her with my life." I whispered to them both. And when I looked into their eyes, I saw the hope burning deep within them.

"Wanlida, I need your assistance." Indra called over from the hole where people were still being brought up.

"Yes. I'll be there." I smiled one last time at the two. "You both should head down. We brought some provisions I had stored up from Eden." They nodded and began to head down the rubble as I turned back to face Indra.

"What is the problem?" I asked in English, my eye drifting over the invaders. "Are they being weird?" I asked her in Trig as I approached the hole.

Indra shook her head.

"No. I thought you may want to see him." I rose an eyebrow and looked at the hole when a pair of large hands cuffed around the rope were brought into the sun.

My eyes took in everything as he continued to rise up. His eyes shutting viciously at the brightness of the sun.

"And here I was thinking I was the trouble maker." I voiced as I reached out to grab onto the rope of his harness. His eyes opened at my voice. Blinking in disbelief as I brought him to flat ground.

"Are you real?" He placed his cuffed hand on my cheek as I leaned into his palm, taking the harness off of him. His greying beard and hair catching my attention.

"As real as those grey hairs." As soon as the rope was off, he pulled his cuffed hands over my head and hugged me like his life depended on it. He squeezed tight as I wrapped my arms around his weak form. I could feel his bones and the lack of meat on them as I held him close.

"I never thought I would see you again." He whispered as we stood there. Not moving while everyone continued on in the background.

"I'm here, dad. I'm here. I'm not leaving again." I comforted him as we stood in silence.

He was okay.

"Wait for night. If you get caught, I won't be able to help you." Indra spoke as the whirling of the rope began again as another person was brought up.

I let go of my dad as she passed him keys to his cuffs.

"Thank you." I whispered as Indra walked away. Her head nodding as she left.

"How many more people are down there that are trying to come up?"

"Not many, why?" I turned my eyes towards the new comers who had followed up behind Abby.

"Because those assholes didn't heed my warning." McCreary poked his head up first and I saw red.

"What warning? Persphyni?" He gently placed a hand on my shoulder. His eyes getting into my line of sight.

"I told them if anyone was still down in that bunker before they came up, I'd kill them."

I saw the sadness lining his eyes at my words.

"I'm proud that six years didn't change you. But is violence really the only way you can deal with conflict?"

I felt the invisible punch that came with those words. I knew that there could be other ways to deal with conflict. And I have been the peace maker before. But these people were different. Peace would be impossible. Because no matter what, a compromise with these people would be too difficult. One side would always be losing for the other to gain.

"With different fights and different enemies. Maybe if things were different, I would be able to have a civilized conversation with these people. But I've already hit too deep." I looked to where McCreary and Diyoza stood staring at the ruined city below. "There's no other way for me now."

There never truly was. At some point or another, violence would always come knocking back at my door.