Chapter 36: Zaryna's Family Issues

Gothos Tower, base of operations for the evil forces of the former UnderWorld leader Chaor. Here, Sidney and Nika were on a scan quest. They were looking for Zaryna. After what Owis and Lyssta told them, they were curious to find out why Zaryna would want to betray her own parents and side with Chaor. "Come on, Nika." Sidney said as she and Nika snuck around the corridors of Gothos Tower. "Do you really expect Zaryna to tell us what's going on with her and Lyssta?" "Duh." Nika said. "Of course, she won't. All we have to do is scan Zaryna. Then, we port back to Chaotic, you tap into her memories and then we'll have all the answers we need."

Soon, the girls found the main corridor where they heard Zaryna was supposed to hang out in. "Are you sure this is where Zaryna is supposed to be?" Sidney asked. "I'm sure of it." Nika said. "I've been all over this tower hundreds of times and I know for sure that Zaryna hangs around in this very corridor." Sidney looked around the corridor. "Well, if Zaryna does hang around here, then where is she?" She asked. "Right here." A voice said, scaring the girls. They turned to see Zaryna emerging from the shadows, her hand lit with fire. "I hear you're looking for me. Big mistake. Really big mistake." Zaryna said.


(Intro)


Zaryna had Sidney and Nika backed up against the corridor walls. "Lord Chaor's gonna want a public execution for you and your friend, young Majors." Zaryna said. "Zaryna, you don't want to do this." Sidney said. "Oh, I think I do. By doing this, I will further prove my loyalties to Lord Chaor." Zaryna said. "Your mother would never have wanted you to do things like this." Sidney said, stepping forth a few steps while slowly taking out her scanner. "Do not mention my mother to me! She means nothing to me! It's because of her that I am what I was supposed to be!" Zaryna snapped. "What did Lyssta do to make you join Chaor?" Sidney asked. "That's none of your concern!" Zaryna shouted. "Scan her now, while she's thinking of her mother!" Nika ordered as Sidney immediately fiddled with her scanner and scanned Zaryna in about 3 seconds flat. "Why you little!" Zaryna shouted, preparing to fire. But Sidney and Nika ported away before they could get hit.

Zaryna panted heavily after letting out all that anger. "They've escaped, my lord. I've failed." She said to someone in the shadows. "No. You just underestimated them. Humans are much more clever than you realized." A voice said. "They are just weak humans. They can't be clever." Zaryna said. "Oh, but they are. I have seen it. Many times." Chaor said, revealing himself from the shadows. Zaryna just brushed it off. "Your anger has focused your thoughts on your mother. And that is a good thing." Chaor said. "Does that mean-?" Zaryna started to ask. "Yes. It is time for you to annihilate…her." Chaor said. Zaryna nodded.

In the Beta Drome, Sidney and Nika stood at their pedestals with their Creatures selected. Sidney had Zaryna and Nika had Lyssta for obvious reasons. "Okay, Sid. Just pick a Location that might help Zaryna think of what Chaor told her." Nika said. Sidney scrolled through her Locations and chose Pouril Forest. "Okay. Zaryna attacks Lyssta!" Sidney tapped her new scan and transformed into the UnderWorld warrior. "Man, I hope this works." She said with hope. Nika smiled as she tapped her Lyssta and transformed into Zaryna's mother. "Hey, have I ever let you down?" She asked. "Yes." Sidney said. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Nika said. "Let's get Chaotic!"

In Pouril Forest, Zaryna sat down and started concentrating as Lyssta smirked mischievously to herself as she chuckled to herself. "Maybe this will help." She said as she slammed her foot down to Zaryna's shock as she watched Owis' wife scowl to her with a disapproving stare. "How dare you attack your own mother, Zaryna! You can tell me anything, honey. Whatever did I do to make you hate me so much and betray the Tribal Alliance?" "I know you're just trying to help me, Nika. But you're just weirding me out with this mother-daughter talk." Zaryna said. "Whatever you say…sweetheart." Lyssta teased. Zaryna shook her head, closed her eyes and went back to concentrating. "The memory's so close. I can feel it."

Meanwhile, in the Port Court, a crowd gathered, wondering and complaining why Zaryna and Lyssta weren't battling. Minnie, Robbie and Gisele were also there. "You guys think Sid can find the memory of why Zaryna betrayed her parents?" Gisele asked. "Let's hope so. Because if she can't, Zaryna's gonna be a lost cause to her parents." Minnie said.

After another minute, Zaryna felt the memory. 'I found it! Now let's see what you're feeling, Zaryna.' Sidney thought.

[Zaryna's Memory]

Lyssta and a younger Zaryna sat down on a log outside their village. Lyssta told her daughter the story of her old life as a warrior for Chaor. "So, did you really win every colosseum fight against all of the UnderWorlders, Mommy?" Zaryna asked. "Well, everyone except one. Chaor." Lyssta corrected. "Why'd you stop?" Zaryna asked. "Chaor was just too strong for me. Too strong for any UnderWorlder actually." Lyssta said. Zaryna put this to thought. "But it's okay, my darling. I'm actually enjoying my new life now. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met your father and had you." Lyssta said. Zaryna laughed as she hugged her mother.

The memory then switched to Owis and Lyssta attacking the grounds of Gothos Tower, coming face-to-face with Zaryna. "Zaryna, why would you do this?" Lyssta asked. "How dare you ask why, mother!" Zaryna snapped. "I believed in everything, all those stories you told me as a child! You were like a hero to me! But then I thought about why you decided to stop after you couldn't beat Chaor. You caved because you were too weak! You could've earned a spot at Chaor's side! You could've even ruled the UnderWorld yourself! But you threw all that away! You threw everything away!" "Zaryna, you don't understand." Lyssta started to say. "Oh no. I understand perfectly. And I'm going to do what you never could. Once the time is right, the UnderWorld will be mine!" Zaryna shouted, tossing a fire attack at her mother.

[Memory End]

Zaryna gasped, snapping back into reality. She panted heavily from what she saw. "Are you okay? What did you see?" Lyssta asked, helping her friend/daughter up. "It- It was far worse than we first thought." Zaryna said. "Zaryna is confused. She believes Lyssta threw away her chance to take Chaor's place after losing to him in the Colosseum. And now she's gonna do what Lyssta never could so she can take the UnderWorld for herself one day. And I think I know where she's gonna start. Destroying her own mother." "Then we gotta stop her." Lyssta said. Zaryna nodded.

Meanwhile, in Perim, Owis was chopping some vegetables outside. Then Lyssta came out with a bucket for the vegetables. "This batch is ready to go, honey." Owis said. As she put the bucket down, Lyssta had a sad look on her face. Owis noticed this, knowing what his wife was thinking about. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" He asked. "Yes. I want our daughter back, Owis. I want her in our arms." Lyssta said. Owis stood up and took his beloved wife in his arms. "I know you were as distraught as I was the day she betrayed us. But if Sidney and her friends can help us, we will get our daughter back." He assured. Lyssta smiled at her husband. They gave each other a small kiss and rested their foreheads against each other.

"Well then, consider your wish granted." A voice said from the forest. Broken from their moment, Owis and Lyssta turned to the forest, seeing a familiar face. "Miss me, Mom?" Zaryna asked, hands ready with fire attacks.

After ending their Beta Match in a forfeit, Sidney and Nika met back up with Minnie, Robbie and Gisele and explained to them what Sidney saw in Zaryna's memory. "And Zaryna wants to finish what her mother started." Sidney said. "And Zaryna knows that Lyssta is the only part of her childhood that could prevent her from achieving her goal." Gisele said. "How are we gonna stop Zaryna when she's all confused like this?" Robbie asked. "Maybe if we get her to see herself for what she's become, she'll probably see the truth of her actions. Works in the movies." Sidney said. "It's probably worth a shot. Especially with Perim at stake." Minnie said. "Then we better head for Pouril Forest. I have a feeling Zaryna's about to get her wish." Nika said. "Right. Let's go!" Sidney said as she and her friends ran for the Transport Center.

Meanwhile, Zaryna was almost burning the entire village to a crisp. Owis did his best to use his water attacks to put out the fires. Lyssta was knocked back by Zaryna due to refusing to fight her own daughter. "Look at you, the mighty Lyssta. Once a feared UnderWorld warrior, now grown soft by an alliance and motherhood." Zaryna said as she loomed over her mother. "I will never fight you, my daughter." Lyssta said. "That's a shame. I do love it when they never fight back." Zaryna said, preparing to finish her mother off. Owis gasped. Lyssta closed her eyes, preparing to accept her fate.

"STOP!" A voice cried. Owis, Lyssta and Zaryna looked to see Sidney and her friends. "Kids!" Lyssta cried. "What are you doing here?!" Zaryna asked in anger. "Stopping you from throwing your life away, Zaryna!" Minnie said. "Impossible! I have no life! And I never will so long as she's still alive!" Zaryna exclaimed, gesturing to Lyssta. "You're wrong! Your mother is your life, Zaryna." Sidney said. "Don't you see? You're confused. You believe that your mother's stories had led her to giving up everything. But you're wrong. Lyssta didn't give up everything. She's still a valued warrior to the Tribal Alliance." "LIAR! My mother was a valuable warrior back when Chaor was in charge! But she gave up everything for the Tribal Alliance!" Zaryna shouted. "No. She joined the Tribal Alliance because she wanted a normal life with Owis." Sidney said. "And because she didn't want you to become like she used to be. What you are now. A monster."

Zaryna, now fueling with rage, shouted and charged towards Sidney. "SID!" Minnie cried. "LOOK OUT!" Owis shouted. But Sidney stood her ground. Just as Zaryna was about to throw a fiery punch, Sidney pulled out a mirror and showed Zaryna her own reflection. "Look! Look at yourself, Zaryna! See what your confusion has made you into?!" Sidney asked. Zaryna looked at herself through the mirror. "No! This-! I can't-!" She tried to say, not finding the words. "This was the path your mother wanted to protect you from, Zaryna." Sidney said. Zaryna dropped to her knees, seeing what joining Chaor has wrought her. "I- I- I never wanted to be this." She said, starting to cry. Owis and Lyssta walked over to their daughter and Lyssta put her hand on her shoulder. Zaryna looked up at her mother. "Mommy! Daddy! Forgive me!" She sobbed, hugging her parents. "We already did, sweetheart. We already did." Lyssta said as she and Owis hugged their daughter back as they began to cry too. Sidney looked on with a smile as her friends joined her. "You did a great thing, Sid." Gisele said. "Despite that you once again did it foolishly." Robbie said. "Gee, thanks, Rob." Sidney said, elbowing Robbie in the stomach and making the other girls laugh.

Afterwards, Owis' family and Sidney's group prepared to say their goodbyes. "Thank you for all your help, Sidney. If it wasn't for you and your friends, we would never have our daughter back." Lyssta said, hugging Sidney. "Glad I could help, Lyssta. Anything to help my friends in the Alliance." Sidney said. Zaryna then walked up to Sidney. "Sorry it took so long to come up. Just wanted to give your friends a chance to scan me." She said, gesturing to her friends looking over their new scans of her. "Yeah. That's life for a Chaotic player for you." Sidney said. "And I wanted to say thanks for helping bring me back. I thought I would've been trapped by my own confusion forever." Zaryna said. "Well, truth be told, you helped me help you with your memories." Sidney said. "Yeah, I guess so." Zaryna chuckled. "But you're welcome, Zaryna. There's nothing more important to any Creature than family." Sidney said. "That's for sure." Zaryna said. "Now if you'll excuse me…" She walked over to Owis and he handed her Sylia, her little sister. "…me and little Sylia here need to get reacquainted after all this time. Don't we, little Sylia?" Little Sylia giggled as Zaryna played with her on their way back to the village. "Well guys, let's head back." Sidney said.

At Gothos Tower, Chaor was furious when he heard that Zaryna had betrayed him. "Next time, our plans will succeed! And that little Majors girl will not be around to stop me!" He roared. Lord Van Bloot watched him from behind a column. "Let's hope so. If not, there's nothing will stop me from ruling the UnderWorld." He whispered.