The Other Side

     “Zulyin?” She managed to squeak out.

     “Yes, dear sister, it is I. A better, stronger, more important version of the one you knew. I am here in search of domination. I am here in search of truth. I am here in search of justice. I, and my army, cannot be defeated.”

     Zalyin couldn’t bring herself to speak. She peered behind Zulyin and indeed saw a large army behind her in the other dimension she had run into a year ago. Zalyin had no one backing her up.

     “All of Neopia will soon be under our control. We seek control for a better purpose. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you would be wise to join us. You will not persevere if you decide to cross us.”

     Zalyin looked around. She realised that Zulyin was right. There was no one standing with her or behind her. Even the critters of the forest had fled in fear. This didn’t feel right to her.

     “I don’t know. I should ask Mom.”

     “Oh PLEASE. You’re such a child. Running to mommy. Grow up. Fight me if you don’t want to join me. But you know you won’t. Own what you are and always will be: a coward.”

     Zalyin furrowed her brows and stood tall. “That is not true. I am brave. I am strong. I am important. But I am also kind, loving, and forgiving. I forgive you for where you’ve been and what you are doing. But do not do this. This isn’t you.”

     Zulyin laughed. “You’re pathetic.”

     With that the portal closed again taking Zulyin and everyone behind her with it.

     The sky cleared back up, the wind died down; everything was normal again.

     Zalyin didn’t like that.

     She ran back home. “Mom! Dad! Zulyin came back but she left again. I think she’s planning something… bad.”

     “That’s nice, dear.”

     “Have fun.”

     They did not even listen to what she said. It was devastating. They had spent the last year so caught up in their own grief that they never listened. And now, when it was the most important time to listen, they still wouldn’t.

     Zalyin felt hopeless. She did not have an army behind her and their sibling bond seemed broken. She did not feel prepared for tomorrow.

     She messaged Cap’n asking if anyone was available to help.

     “Sorry lass, but I am not sure we are strong enough here. Nor do I want to face what malevolence it sounds like your sister has caught. Best of luck.”

     Even though she read this in his accent, she had a hard time smiling. All was lost.

     Meanwhile Zulyin was angry. She didn’t know why. Why would she let an insignificant brat get to her like that? They may be sisters, but they are not and have never been anything alike.

     She couldn’t keep thinking about her. There was little time to waste. She had to be prepared for battle in the morning. Her and her whole army. Soon Neopia would be under her rule. It was her destiny, after all. She felt that long before she knew it.

     She was prepared and no one else was. It would be so easy.

     Neither sister slept well that night. Zalyin was nervous. Zulyin was excited. The rest of Neopia was oblivious.

     Unfortunately for Zulyin there was only the one portal to the main world, so she couldn’t surprise anyone. She had to start where her whiny sister would be, assuming she had the courage to show up or the courage to tell others to come fight.

     “The time has come!” Zulyin shouted to her army.

     They stood at attention, their weapons at the ready.

     “Get in formation.”

     Zalyin and her army headed towards the portal’s opening.

     Meanwhile Zalyin was not sure if she should face the music and be there. Maybe she could get through to Zulyin.

     Just before she was about to head out she received a message.

     “Hold tight. We are coming.”

     She did not recognize the sender. It wasn’t Cap’n, who is the only one she told about Zulyin’s plans.

     Maybe he decided to help out after all.

     A second message came through.

     “We are close. Just stall.”

     With a deep breath Zalyin replied “okay” to the message and went out the door. She was afraid but she couldn’t show it. She had to stall for whoever this was and she had to make sure her sister knew she loved her. Maybe together this mystery individual and Zalyin would save Neopia. She hoped so, anyway.

     She went deeper into the woods to where the portal would be and waited.

     She didn’t have to wait long.

     With a burst of light and a howling wind, the portal opened back up and Zulyin and her army were once again in Neopia.

     “CHAR—” Zulyin was interrupted.

     “Wait, please, sister. Hear me out.”

     “Why?!” Zulyin spat. You want to talk about your feelings again? Grow up. Get out of my way or I will make you.”

     “You know this isn’t you. But I’m not afraid. I will fight you.”

     Zulyin laughed. “YOU? And what army?”

     Suddenly, back in the distance, Zalyin saw what army.

     A large group of many different types of Neopets were descending upon her quiet little village. They looked battle ready. Much tougher than anyone she had met at Cap’n’s training school.

     She smiled at Zulyin.

     “That one!”

     Zulyin turned around.

     “You sneak. That’s it. Game over. CHARGE!!!!!!!”

     With that, Zulyin’s army rushed out of the portal and into Neopia. Some rushed towards the village and some rushed towards the army. It was loud fighting chaos as an all out war broke out.

     Zalyin unholstered her weapon, ready to fight alongside these brave Neopians.

     She went to turn to run back to protect her village. She saw it being destroyed, a wave of individuals pouring out amongst the sea of battles. She was worried about her family, her friends, all she held dear.

     “Oh, no you don’t.”

     Zulyin grabbed Zalyin by the leg and pulled her towards her.

     “You are all mine, dear dear sister. You want to be tough? Fine. Let’s rumble.”

     Zalyin heard yelling; some in anguish, some as fierce battle cries. She ripped herself out of Zulyin’s grasp.

     “Look around! Does this look like a world who wants you to rule over them? A world that respects you?”

     “Respect? Zalyin, what do YOU know about respect? No one respects you. You don’t even respect yourself.”

     “I know true leaders do not rule by force.” Zalyin pulled out her main weapon, prepared her backup weapons, and grabbed her shield. “True leaders rule by example. By empathy. By kindness.”

     Zalyin did her best not to look around. She kept her focus on Zulyin. She didn’t want to know what carnage was unfolding. She hoped the good guys prevailed. She hoped Zulyin would fold. She hoped she was intimidating.

     A loud chattering of many voices began to fill the space behind Zulyin. Zalyin couldn’t make it out but she saw Zulyin’s smile grow into something terrifying.

     “We are only just getting started,” Zulyin said. The voices grew louder. The sky grew darker. The air got thicker. Zulyin looked stronger.

     An unknown voice appeared in Zalyin’s head. “You trained yourself for this. You know why. Cap’n knows you needed my help and my stronger students’ help. But you are ready. You are tough.”

     Was that… the techo master? Projecting into her head?

     “Yes.”

     “I guess he can read my thoughts,” Zalyin thought to herself.

     “Go.”

     Zalyin stood there, watching Zulyin’s transformation and maniacal laughter.

     “GO!”

     Zalyin rushed towards her sister. She was prepared.

     Until she wasn’t.

     With one simple flick of her arm, Zulyin shoved Zalyin flying across the forest.

     Zalyin stood up and shook her head. It hurt, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.

     She charged back towards Zulyin, dodging others fights of their own.

     Zulyin knocked her away again.

     “Is that all you got? Please.”

     Zalyin got up again, pulled out her lens flare and bomb, and stood tall.

     “No. It isn’t.”

     Her lens flare was effective, as was her bomb. Zulyin was knocked back.

     “You impress me,” Zulyin said while dusting herself off.

     “You’ve trained as well. That must be how you got this army of yours. Maybe you are like me after all. It’s not too late to join me. Together, we can rule.”

     Without saying anything, Zalyin readied her sword and shield. She charged towards Zulyin once more, only this time she was not knocked down. It was Zulyin that was knocked down.

     Zulyin got up wheezing. “Is that all you got?” She taunted. She was starting to feel weak. She wasn’t prepared to lose, and lose so quickly. She looked around at her army and saw their success. She was supposed to be the leader. It felt wrong.

     She slapped a bandage on and readied her own sword.

     “Alright. Let’s go.”

      Zalyin and Zulyin charged towards each other. They became one pair of many fighting for what they believed was right.

     The fight in that village carried on for what seemed like days, but when all was said and done it was just a few minutes.

     “Enough!” Zalyin cried.

     “I do not want any more suffering. I do not want any more pain. Zulyin. Please. I beg you. Come home, or leave and never return. You can have everything you want in your new life back there. But Neopia needs to be back at peace. Look at this. Look what you’ve done to your home.”

     Zulyin stood up. She looked around. Her family home was gone. Her beautiful woods were destroyed.

     She didn’t want to admit defeat but it felt harder to ignore. It felt harder to quiet the part of her that missed this place. She knew this dark side called to her, but that doesn’t mean she should have given in to it. She didn’t stop to consider anyone else. She just wanted that powerful feeling she first felt a year ago when the portal first called to her.

     But she didn’t feel powerful.

     She felt weak.

     Cruel.

     Malevolence was no longer fun.

     “Army. Retreat.” Zulyin hung her head in shame.

     She didn’t want to admit defeat or admit she was wrong. She retreated back into the portal with the army without even looking at Zalyin.

     Zalyin spent the next year rebuilding her home and her village. Volunteers from all over Neopia came to help when they heard how an army of training school students and a small Plushie Poogle saved them.

     While she appreciated the outpouring of support and overwhelming goodness in others, she couldn’t help but wish Zulyin was by her side the whole time.

     On the one year anniversary of the battle, a wind blew through the forest as Zalyin was planting some flowers.

     It was a familiar wind.

     Just as suddenly as it came through it had stopped.

     “Zalyin?” A quiet voice squeaked.

     She turned around.

     “Zulyin?”

     “Yes. It is me. But really me this time. I’m sorry. I had time to reflect and work on myself. You were right. You’re always right. I was out of control. I saw something exciting and a place to gain purpose and control in my life and that wasn’t the best way of doing it. Your purpose and control is what is good. It is what healed our home over this last year.”

     The two sisters looked at each other.

     “Do you forgive me?”

     Without saying a word, Zalyin ran over to her sister and gave her the biggest hug she could.

     A Weewoo fluttered down and landed on a tree branch and chirped.

     The field was growing again.

     All would be well.

     The End.