Temple of Shira

The combination of both, The Mazoi and Kwazulu sentries backed the young goddess into a corner. The Mazoi maintained Ziccarra discipline; utilizing a vicious offensive strategy to force Cat on the defensive, all the while the Kwazulu used tactics to shatter that defense. Deciphering the Mazoi tactics became manageable over time, they were tactics she'd seen her mother use time and time again, but the Kwazulu? they were bred from an entirely different art. Their presence in this fight exploited Cat's novice ability to fight hand to hand. The ebony advisor could see the frustration mounting on Cat's face.

"No fair..." Cat gasp trying to catch her breath. Her might shield glowing from a barrage of mystical energies pelting against the hull. "You know I can't use my powers in Goddess Form"

"Pwincess, you a' consid'ably stwonga' in yoa' God fo'm. You mozt leawn ow to awness the powa's of the Gods, That is, If you want to be a complete wawwio'"

The African born vixen replied with her assault spear pointed in Cat's face.

"Can...we take 10? I mean, come on guys its taco night. If I arrive late Tassi and Maya will eat all the hard shells."

The African Born sage chuckled to herself quietly before nodding in agreement. Blowing out a sigh of relief, Cat momentarily dropped into a squat above her downed weapons. "My mother made this look easy" The training was starting to get to her. Cat was always a fighter, but not in the traditional sense. She never mastered any linear form of combat; she typically favored the controlled chaos approach...this was different--and exhausting.

"Well if it helps, Mom had years of combat training. You're justing starting" Maya said entering the temple with Star in tow. Since the passing of their mother, Maya once again took up guardianship over Tassi; at least while Cat was off the island.

"Always the optimist" Cat spat rising to her feet. "What's up?"

"Nothing, it's just...." Maya started but then paused. Her eyes rolled to the left side of their individual sockets suggesting she didn't know how to exactly put her thoughts into words.

"Spit it out stupid"

"Ugh! there's someone here to see you. She says she's your daughter?" Maya finally revealed which drew a curious brow from Catalina.

"I mean it's obviously a scam, even someone as slutty as you couldn't have a daughter that's nearly my age" Maya continued. "But what's killing me is how she even found us in the first place."

There was a stiff silence that parted the two sisters, but the look on Cat's face told it all. "Cat...who is this girl..." Maya asked moving closer to her oldest sibling.

"She. She is your niece..." Cat finally broke, her face turning pale with shock.

"How she's like 16, you're only 27. Maya immediately pointed out. How, how angered Cat the most. Especially with how their lives had turned out in the last couple of years.

"Maya, I am literally the spitting image of our mother. Tassi can understand the damn dog. You are technically only 6 years old in the body of a 19-year-old...nothing in this family ever makes sense." She spat, her face turning plum in agitation.

"B-Back when I was living in Belize, I had a child. I had to be no older than 11 or 12, but I did have one. I gave her up for adoption. I couldn't stand to look at a child, I had with some random man in a whorehouse. Never did I believe I would run into her today"

Her brief backstory provided Maya with a small increment of what life was like back then, but Catalina didn't seem to be too bothered with it.

All of Ziccarra's children had messed up upbringings, but Cat's was probably the worse. She experienced more in just 12 years than most people did in a lifetime--it seemed now that her past was beginning to catch up with her.

Maya leaned back on an arching wall trying to get a feel for what Cat was going through. She couldn't. But who could? The only other person she knew who understood Cat right now was their mother; who ironically found out Cat was her daughter the same way.

"You have to go see her," Maya advised it became clear that her advice was not wanted by the scowl that Cat shot.

"Think about everything she's going through. Think about how you felt when you first met mom"

"Yeah, I hated her" Cat replied finally rising to a vertical base.

"You may look like mom, but you aren't. Don't make the same mistakes 27-year-old Ziccarra would've made." Maya advised again before disappearing through the massive doors.

Liafador Palace

Mari sat uncomfortably across from Maya preying that someone would break the awkward silence between them.

"So...you're a model?" Maya could tell through Mari's pitch that she didn't actually care, rather would prefer to say something than suffer in silence.

"I used to be." The Crimson Cardinal replied, noticing the subtle traces of Catalina in her niece. Before either of them could say anything else, Catalina's advisor announced her entrance.

"Princess Catalina." Maya rose more out of formality than anything else.

Cat strut into the room an immediately made eye contact with Maricela. As the mother and daughter sized each other up, Maya not so subtly removed herself from the room.

"So...you're my mother?" Mari asked crossing her arms over her breast.

"I gave birth to you, yes, but I'm not your mother. Whoever adopted you are your parents. You shouldn't be here." The Liafador Princess replied pouring a small glass of bourbon, a small shot of tequila and what could be considered a beer.

Mari's eyes wince almost as if she'd been insulted, maintaining her composure, her eyes traced Catalina as she savagely downed all of her drinks. This woman, she might've looked like Ziccarra Liafador, but she was far from it.

"I-I know, I had to meet you. I want to know about my past." Mari said again, this time taking a seat.

"What's your name?"

"Maricela"

"Maricela, your past is not here. When I gave you away, I made a promise not to impede the life you have. I intend to keep it." Cat slowly turned as if she were going to depart, but Mari jumped between her and the doorway.

"You can't just dismiss me! I'm not one of your servants that you can just shoo away. I wanna know my place in this family!" She screamed, which actually made Cat flinch.

"Maricela, I had you when I was 12 years old. You were the only one out of three that I allowed to live. I wasn't parenting material then, and I'm not now. This is not the family you want, trust me. A quick google will show you that."

"Oh I know, I have googled you. Very first video as a matter of fact" The child replied sarcastically.

"Look, I never said I wanted to be apart of this family. But if I'm going to live my life. I need to know where I come from. So I don't forking sprout wings on my prom night"

"Alright, sit the fork down." Cat understood when she was a child no one told her that she'd magically transform into her mother--Hell she didn't find out she was a replica until she was already in her teenage years.

"Before you start, are you saying...fork?" Maricela asked a bit confused.

"Yes, Maya is a Witch, or Sorceress or pixie; y'know I really don't know what the fork she is but, she placed a spell on the Palace so no one can curse. Tassi, my little sister has a cursing problem. But what are your questions?"

"You said, I'm only one of three that you allowed to live. Are you saying you aborted my siblings?"

Maricela's first question was a hard one, but Cat dug in. She wanted to show this girl that giving her away was a blessing in disguise.

"Kinda, I guess I made it seem as if I had a choice. I don't know what happened to your siblings. Every time I got pregnant, I was drugged and then magically woke up with scars. So, the last time. I got smart. I stopped broadcasting my pregnancy. My friend Cherish took my shifts until I was able to give birth and give you up."

Cat used the silence of shock to pour herself another glass bourbon. She could see Maricela's mind working, trying to process a plethora of emotions--emotions she still had yet to process.

"Why'd you save me?"

"It wasn't personal, I did it more out of rebellion. I hated being told to do with my body so I made sure you lived. End of story" Cat hissed, taking her drink to the head again.

"You know, I knew who you were. I knew about your history. I know you used to run a cartel in Southern America. I know you tried to destroy New York City, I know you did destroy Malaga. I know that person wasn't you. The person sitting here trying to act like she doesn't care, that's you. Because you're just like me, not supposed to exist. But you seem to be perfectly content throwing obstacles in my way, I don't know why that man showed me this place. I Forking tried"

With that, Maricela stormed down the hall towards the door. Cat's hand immediately went to her forehead. Was she right? Of course, she was. Wafting her hands across the ambient space, Catalina disappeared in a portal of darkness only to reappear behind Maricela. Too late the young teen's body ignite in a flamboyant pink aura before streaking across the Liafador sky.

"Good. Job. If this was a Star Wars movie she'd been on her way to the Empire right now." Maya jest tearing a portal in the fabric of reality to anatagonize her oldest sister.

"Go fork yourself."