This is takes place during "Scourge of The Seven Skies". Basically, this is when Zarya grows to respect Zorlon after learning they're not as different as she'd like to believe.
There also maybe a quote from the 2012 TMNT series toward the end, in which case I accept no credit for said quote.
At any rate, please enjoy!
"Way to give my Friends the royal treatment, Princess." Said Zarya as she stormed through the foyer of the stronghold.
"Way to throw a party on my balcony without telling me." Arkayna retorted, clearly annoyed at the rebellious teen.
"I'll bet if my friends were a bunch of tiara wearing, fake-o celebrities, you wouldn't have kicked 'em out."
"To be fair, there is a big difference between a celebrity and a pirate." Em said.
"Yeah, pirates steal stuff!" Piper pointed out, with a small hint of jealousy in her tone.
"Seriously? You're gonna hate on my old friends too?" Zarya couldn't believe that Piper of all people was against her on this.
"Look," Malveron started, hoping to reach some sort of compromise. "We don't want to tell you who you can or can't hang out with—"
"Good, because it's nobody's business! Ugh, I can't be around you guys right now."
Without a moment of hesitation, Zarya stormed out of the foyer and down the hall. Arkayna groaned in frustration. Clearly, she was not amused by this gesture, she could not believe what a child Zarya was acting like. Before the princess could say much else, she heard a deep, male voice coming from down the stairs.
"What in Gygax's name is going down here?" It was none other than Zorlon. Apparently, he had heard the girls bickering.
"Why not ask little miss trouble maker? I'm sure she can tell you." Arkayna said, sarcasm and frustration practically flooding her tone.
"Okay, translation?" Zorlon turned to Em when he asked.
"Well, here's the thing. Zarya invited sky pirates to party on the balcony."
"Sky Pirates?"
"Yeah." Piper said. "Apparently she was friends with them. Especially this one girl named Kitty who, by the way, is totally lame."
"Piper Willowbrook, are you jealous?" Em inquired.
"Jealous!? Who's jealous!? I'm not jealous! You're the one who's jealous!"
Piper was squinting her eyes by this point, as she stared a terrified Em in the face.
"Piper's not entirely wrong." Arkayna supported. "She and her crew were just shooting canon balls, breaking things, and playing loud music. Almost as if they owned the place. They're a total punks."
"Are they really?" Zorlon said as he stroked his beard. "Or are you merely labeling them as such because they happen to be sky pirates?"
Everyone looked surprised. Surely a man as disciplined and strict as Zorlon would not tolerate dirty pirates. So why did it seem like we was defending them?
"Zorlon come on, they're sky pirates." Arkayna started. "They're filthy.
"And Loud!" Piper added, shouting with her hands gestured to amplify her voice.
"And dreamy… uh, I mean rude." Em said. Apparently she developed a crush on Kitty's younger brother, Kasey.
"And stinky." Malveron finished, as he gestured his hands as if to drive noxious fumes from his nose.
"So are gwondarian warthogs." Zorlon replied with a small chuckle. "Yet even they're not all bad once you spend time with them." He then crossed his arms in disappointment. "Point of the matter is that you should never judge a book by its cover. Or, in this case, by its title. If you read the pages thoroughly, you find something important, something that your teammate discovered long ago."
Suddenly, the others felt a little bad. Arkayna still felt a bit annoyed, but she new where her solon was coming from. Perhaps she was being a little prejudiced.
"Now which way did Zarya storm off to?" As the others pointed to Zarya's direction, Zorlon was on his way to see if he can fix was maybe a broken spirit.
Zarya had been in the kitchen, sitting with the table with a cup of juice, with a scowl like no one had ever seen. She barely even took a sip, for all she could think about was everyone ganging up on her like they did. Her mood somewhat worsened upon hearing Zorlon whistling a small elven tune down the hallway. Oh great, as if I didn't have enough people on my case.
"Ah, evening Zarya." Zorlon said as he nonchalantly smiled. Zarya only responded with a frustrated grunt. Zorlon pretty much expected that, yet he still decided to play it cool. "A little moody I see. What's on your mind?"
"None of your business. In fact, it's nobody's business either. So leave me alone would ya? Go on, quit hovering over me."
"You got it, Kiddo. I'll just make some tea and be on my way." Zarya was somewhat shocked. She thought for sure her stick in the mud of a solon would rail on her, all things considered. So why did he not?
"Wait, that's it? You're not gonna get all in my face or anything?"
"I'm your solon Zarya, not your father. I can't make you talk about your emotions if you don't want to. However, if there is something on your mind, I'm just the guy to talk to."
Zarya did not know how to feel. No one had been this willing to listen since… her parents. Yet, stubborn as a mule, she tried to resist opening up.
"Well... Tough cuz… I don't want to talk about it." Zarya crossed her arms, trying to seem uninterested in sharing her feelings.
"Fine by me." With that, Zorlon started to pour a fresh brew of tea in a small cup. Zarya tried so hard to suppress her urge to talk. Then, the wise astromancer started walking off, causing Zarya's expression to intensify. Finally, she could not keep quiet anymore. It was time to let it out.
"You know, Arkayna can be such a jerk sometimes!" Zarya shouted, banging her hands on the table in the process. Zorlon could not help but smile. Reverse psychology, works every time.
"Really? What did you two bicker about this time." Zorlon then made his way to the other side of the table while the young street rat ranted.
"Oh this was more than just bickering. All I did was invite a few friends for a party on her balcony. And what does she do? She kicks them out! Just because they were sky pirates."
"Ah, sky pirates! So, the plot thickens." Zorlon said before he took a small sip of his tea.
"And if that wasn't enough, little teachers pet, Em comes in to back her up. And even Piper, PIPER of all people turns against me! What gives? I thought she was on my side!"
"I'll say, how unfair. After all, it's not like you would trade her for your pirates friends right?"
"Well... I mean..." Suddenly, the rebellious teen was at a loss for words. Truth be told, she had not really thought about that. Zorlon could see conflict in her eyes. Admittedly, he had never seen Zarya this unsure of herself. To help ease her mind, he decided a small ice breaker would suffice.
"From the sound of things, you were quite a sky pirate yourself. What was it like?"
"Oh man, it was so awesome! Back in the day, it was me, Kitty, her brother Kasey, and the good ol' Pink Skulls." As Zarya explains, a small flashback took place of her adventures as a sky pirate.
We traveled everywhere together. Hot, steamy jungles, deserted islands, dark caverns, you name it.
Everyday there was a new adventure. There was always this big thrill that came with it, I was always amped up.
My fave were always the treasure hunts. Not only did we score big when we did find treasure, but seeing all the wonders of the realm along the way. It's breathtaking.
The flashback came to a halt from there, only to reveal Zarya in a rather melancholy expression.
"Sooner or later I left the Pink Skulls to make a name for myself in the Undercity. I tried to do some good for people who are really struggling. But, sometimes I wonder if I really made the right choice in leaving my old pirate life." She then looks away in a deadpan fashion. "Not that you'd understand."
"Sure do." Zorlon said with a smile, sipping his tea still.
"You do?!" Zarya could not believe her ears, how could such a seemingly well brought up mage possibly relate?
"Of course. Believe it or not, I was a lot like you when I was a teen. I was wild, reckless, rebellious, yet also loyal and free. It was just me, and a ragtag group of other young mages. We battled the the most fearsome beasts, dueled the mightiest wizards…" Zorlon then rolled down his sleeve to reveal a long scar down his arm. "... survived the sharpest of blades."
"Whoa!" Zarya shouted in awe.
"You bet whoa. And we did it all as a team, as friends… as brothers in arms."
"Wow Zorlon that's so cool!" Zarya said with enthusiasm. She had no idea how cool her solon was up to this point. However, one question popped in her mind that started to bother her. "So… what happened to them?" It was almost as if Zarya was afraid to ask.
Zorlon then wore a rather serious expression. These were not exactly fond memories.
"One day there was a horrible storm." Then, Zorlon's own flashback reared its ugly head.
Being the ignorant teens we were, we thought we could brave through it. Very quickly, we regretted doing so, and our dinghy was consumed by the storm. Miraculously, I survived and woke up on a beach, but couldn't see my friends. After what seemed to be days of searching, I began to fear the worst.
Ten years passed and I took refuge in a nearby town. It was there I finally reunited with my brothers in arms. Words could not begin to express my joy upon seeing them, only to have my joy. However, that joy wouldn't last. They became warlocks for hire, placing horrible curses on people. Young and old, rich and poor, innocent and treacherous. It didn't matter as long as pay was good.
Naturally, I could not support them with their occupation. Seeing me as a liability, they framed me, and got away with murder.
The flashback ended from there, revealing Zorlon, still with his expression.
"With no support I no choice but to serve my time in prison, and it took me a long time to clear my name. Clearly, they were not the same friends I used to know. They changed."
Zarya began scratching her wrist. That was certainly a sad story, and she had a feeling there was meaning behind his telling of it.
"So, you're saying that Kitty and the others might've… changed." Zary could not help but cringe at that last sentence.
"Maybe… maybe not… point is, Zarya, that there may be a time where your loyalties will be tested. And if it ever does come down to it, where do your loyalties truly lie? With your old friends, whom you haven't seen in a while, or your new friends, whom you're still comi to know?"
Zarya began rubbing her head with uncertainty. She really hates choosing between friends and would prefer if she did not have to. Yet, what if she did?
"I don't know." Was all the poor orphan girl could say. "Who do you think I can trust?"
"I'm sorry that's a conclusion you must come to on your own. I do know this, however. Beware of believing something to be false, just because you might wish it to be so."
"Yo Z-Man, we've got a problem." Malveron said as he and the rest of the girls came in.
"Ah Malveron, perfect timing." Zorlon says as he holds his cup up as if proposing a toast, shortly before taking a sip. "What's the problem?"
"Trouble at the dock district. Sky pirates."
"Well," Said Arkayna, strutting in all high and mighty. "I guess the party moves on." Arkayna then turns the the others with a look of determination. "C'mon! It's magic hour girls!"
Zarya just groans with frustration. That princess really gets on my nerves! As she runs off with the others, Zorlon could not help but worry. He could not quite put his finger on it, but something felt off about this particular mission.
And that's a wrap for this one. As always, feel free to review and share your thoughts, hope you enjoyed.