Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid.
Authors Note: I promised I would have the chapter before I went out of town and here it is.
"Rista Nev-"
"Don't say it mom, I know," Rista said meekly. "I am sorry for going through your make up, again, and I am ever so sorry for knocking over the perfume bottle and breaking it. But hey look at the bright side, at least your bathroom smells nice." Rista's trademark mischievious grin stretched on her face.
"Sorry Rista but you are not going to learn unless I discipline you," Her mother scolded. "You're not going to Freda's sleep over party tonight."
"But Mom-"
"No buts. Seeing as you were sneaking out the lipstick for her party, I think it is an appropriate punishment," Her mother placed her hands on her hips. "She is a bad influence on you. She made you do this before remember. Tonight, you are going to visit Mrs. Garcia with me."
"That old hag? Mom, her house smells like cat pee," Rista groaned."Well, you'll just have to get used to it," Miranna said. Rista stomped her foot in frustration.
"When Krissy threw the rocks at Ms. Crow's house, she didn't have to visit Mrs. Garcia," Rista argued. A cry of protest came from a nearby bedroom. From the open doorway, her little sister yelled,
"Don't call me that."
"Why not? Krissy the sissy, Krissy the sissy," She taunted over and over again.
"Mom, make her stop," She said.
"Krissy the sissy, Kris-"
"Stop that right this instant, Rista," Her mother said sharply. "She was punished, though not in the same way. You're the older one; you should know better." Rista stuck her tongue out at her sister as her mother led her away to call Freda and tell her the bad news. The bedroom door slammed behind her.
Rista blinked her eyes open. She was not used to the hard cot in Samus' ship. She yawned as she sat up, one handing covering her mouth while the other blindly searched for the room's light switch. She squinted her eyes when it turned on as they made their slow transition from complete darkness to total illumination.
The only "guest room" was more like a closet, and according to Samus, it was only used in the rare cases that she saved a hostage or her bounty was required to return alive. Rista reflected back on her dreams as she stumbled to the small bathroom.
She was so stupid when she was ten. Fighting with her sister when there was so little time left. That night, everything changed. It was that night when Rista knew something was going to happen to her family in the near future. It had all happened when her mother dragged to see smelly Mrs. Garcia.
It was also after that night when she heard her parents talking about sending her sister and her away. Rista knew why, though her sibling was less aware of the situation. So young, only eight. Rista wished she could have saved her, but she knew that it would have been impossible without sacrificing her own life.
Krissy, how she hated to be called that. A distant yet familiar scream rung in a far corner of Rista's mind. That scream haunted her every day, yet it also gave her strength. That was why she was fighting Bill, to avenge her mother, father and little sister.
She changed into her white outfit. With a sigh, Rista opened the pocket and slid the piece of paper out. She gazed upon it lovingly for a moment before putting it back in it's place.
Xxxx
Colleen Eurynache lived on Earth. Most Federation workers resided on planets much closer to the intergalatic activity. Earth was so far away from all over intelligent planets. She was in some city in some part of some country that Samus did not really care about. She never learned about the geography there; so, all names were just simply names to her. She put the ship on auto pilot and let it guide itself.
"We are all descendants from Earth," Samus' father explained to her. "I don't know about your mother, but we Arans would hail from an Scandinavian country."
"Scanda what?" Samus asked.
"Your grandmother's family would, actually," He said, ignoring her question. "Aran was originally a Irish first name. My mother's, your grandmother, maiden name was Bernardson, meaning son of Bernard."
"What's Irish?" Samus asked. "I-I'm confused."
"Ah, you're still too young to know the joys of geneology. Remind me to tell you again when you're older." Samus nodded while wondering what in the world Scanda Natives were.
"How long is it going to take again?" Rista asked, coming into the control room behind Samus. Samus turned to face her.
"At least another day," She informed her. "My ship might be fast, but we're on the wrong side of the galaxy to exactly make day trips to Earth."
"Got any coffee?" Rista asked hopefully.
"Yeah," Samus said. "It's in one of the cabinets some where in the kitchenette." Rista left to go find it.Samus heard some scruffling around, and a few seconds later, Rista called,
"I can't find it!" Samus rolled her eyes, but she left to help Rista. She reached into the way back on the cabinet and pulled out an unopened bag. She motioned to an insta-coffee maker in another corner.
"This stuff looks old. Are you sure it's ok to drink?" Rista looked as if she was a little child who was complaining over eating vegetables.
"I don't know, maybe you can test it out for me and see," Samus said cooly. Rista put some in the insta-coffee, and a minute later, she removed a cup of steaming brown liquid. She took a sip, and her face scrunched up.
"Ick, this stuff tastes horrible," She said, but nevertheless, she kept on drinking it for the caffine.
"Rista, do you mind if I ask who your parents were?" Samus inquired. Rista tensed up, her mug standing still half-way to her lips.
"What?"
"I want to know the identities of your family," Samus explained. "I…need to know some things. Some involving yourself and others, Colleen Eurynache."
"What are they?" Rista prodded. "If I tell you my parentage, what good will that do you?"
"I have some suspicions," Samus said. "It's no big deal. From what I have heard from you, you certainly remember them"
"Your trust issues would prevent you from telling me the same!" Rista snapped, her voice becoming shrill and sharp.
"No, I don't remember my parents," Samus said.
"How old were you during the raids?"
"Um, why?" Now Samus was relucant to answer. Rista crossed her arms and glared at her.
"We're partners, right? I'll tell you plenty about myself, anything you want to know, but you have to tell me, in return, things about yourself. I can't have this one-sided thing going on between us. You cooperate or you deal with my silence. Agreed?"
"The thing is, I was wounded and lost all my memory. Amnesia," Samus said, coming up with a quick lie. Never would she tell Rista about the Chozo. This sounded much more likely. "They think I was about six or seven maybe." Rista stood there in silence for a moment, and she decided that it was likely.
"How were you wounded?" She demanded. With a sigh, Samus rolled up the right sleeve of her long-sleeved blue shirt. A dark red scar was showed brightly against her pale skin.
"Blast wound, lost a lot of blood," Samus told her. She could have told Rista some other story, but for once, she was not going to lie. "Almost died. Woke up with no idea where I was or what happened to me."
"How come I've never seen it before? Just the other day, you were wearing a tank."
"I cover it up with make-up. Some actually believe I've never been injured once on a mission or any time before that, and I rather not dispel the rumors. Brings too much attention as well, unwanted attention. People see it and they'll think I'm something like yourself."
"A criminal, you mean?" Samus nodded. Rista unfolded her arms.
"My father was Ream Nevaria, my mother, Teresa Williams Nevaria, and my little sister named…" Rista hesitated for a moment before quickly saying. "Constance. Yes, her name was Constance." She bit her lip nervously. Something did not ring true about it to Samus.
Ream Nevaria, that name did sound right to Samus and so achingly familiar. Constance Nevaria did as well, even Teresa Nevaria. In the mix, though, Rista Nevaria sounded foreign and alien. Why Samus would think this way was still a mystery to herself; so, she let it pass…for the time being. She nodded.
"Alright then." Samus left the kitchenette with Rista watching her go. There was something about Samus that she could place her finger on. Well, she would just have to let it go for now. They were all just concidences.
Xxxx
Colleen was faced with a terrible task. She would have to confront Samus and tell her the truth. The truth about her father and herself. But the other thing…no she would let Samus discover that on her own. It was better that way. She would accept with better grace than if Colleen told her.
Colleen promised her father that she would take care of Samus, but now Bill and Rista were thrown into the mix. It was going to be difficult. If it meant that Bill would put a price on her head and the heads of her family, then so be it. The Eurynaches could survive, and Colleen was sure that Samus would agree to protect them once she told her the secret.
Rista. Colleen had long ago decided that the girl was a lost cause. One day though, she would have to talk to her as well. The girls were now working together, according to Bill. If Samus found out, it would not be long before Rista heard about it too.
Colleen closed her eyes. She thought of the last time she saw…the last time she saw Eric Aran.
Sixteen year old Colleen waited by the hangar on K2L. Blasted place. She spent her whole life on the colony, and now, she was finally going to be free. She waited in an alleyway behind a few trash cans waiting for the people who agreed to take her out, dirt cheap, no questions asked. But then again, they would not care much about escorting a runaway out as long as they got their money.
In her mostly-black garb and sullen ways, Colleen was an outcast. K2L was a realtively young colony, where nothing ever changed. She was different, therefore, she was a loner, a disgrace to her family. Her family was the most respected in the colony; she was just a mistake, an error that could not have been prevented or fixed.
"Colleen," A voice called out at the voice of the alley. "There you are." Colleen looked up to see Eric. She scowled at him.
"Hello Mama's boy," She greeted bitterly.
"It's nice to see you too," He said, approaching her slowly.
"So, how'd you find me?"
"I have my ways," He crossed his arms. "You're running off again, aren't you. I think this time you're actually going to make it."
"Unless you squeal on me," Colleen pointed out, trying to see past Eric to find her ride.
"I'm not going to," Eric stated. "I'm going to let you go. You've always said it was your life, and you should be the one to decide what to do with it. I'm going to let you do just that, but when you realize just what mistake you have made by running away, remember it was your fault."
"I don't need your coddling." Colleen tried to slink away, but Eric did not let her.
"I just came to say good bye," Eric said. "Remember Colleen, we might have had our differences, but I still love you. If you ever need help, contact me. I promise I won't tell anyone where you are, but I'll be there for you through thick and thin."
"Thanks Eric," Colleen mumbled in barely a whisper. "Love ya too." She suddenly hugged him, something she had not done since she was a child. "But I doubt I'll need it."
"Just in case," He slipped some money out out of his pocket and handed it to her. "This is all I have. Be careful."
"Thanks," She stored it in her pocket.
"Where are you going?" He asked before he left.
"Tiris."
"That's a non-human inhabited plan," Eric said incredulously. Colleen shrugged.
"I don't like humans very much," She said. "They're intelligent and I've heard they like misfits like myself. I'll be fine."
"I guess this is goodbye," He said and before another word could be spoken he ran off, making Colleen wonder if this was really a good idea after all.
Authors Note: The last part must have provoked some theories with you guys. Really, I want to know what you think is going on. Review!
