A Mother's Last Wish

**A Mother's Last Wish** is the forty sixth (and a half) episode of *Another Bad Side Quest*. In a moment of time being slowed to near imperceptible speed, Yashani meets a nearly forgotten face from her past and receives parting wisdoms.

Just a reminder to the cast members - DON'T METAGAME!

## A Mother's Last Wish

### The Conversation

After touching the casket Yashani saw the marble horses of the casket start to crack and wain before it shattered in on itself and crumble. Yashani felt that feeling she had always felt of her curse flared, not in rage, but in something new, just as things started to slow around her almost coming to a stop. As she felt the sensation grow further, to the point of close to consuming her, she saw, swirls of dust, smoke and ethereal power rose from the casket and created the form of a human woman, with deep dark brown hair and other features similar to Yashani that she might have been looking into a mirror, with the exception of her eyes. Yashani also saw that she was shorter than she expected, but was also dressed in long deep crimson robes, mantled to a black dress, with a white mask hanging off the side of her belt. The figure addressed Yashani by name and Yashani, in her heart aware of who this was, addressed her as mother, Ovarandi Umbranax. Ovarandi told Yashani she was in a terrible place, but was glad that she made it there and Yashani in turn asked why she was there. Ovarandi told her there was a lot she didn't understand because they had to leave her at the monastery, wishing that what happened wouldn't have happened and that they wanted to hide her.

Ovarandi enquired about her awareness of the feeling inside her, noting she and Ovarandi's father also did, before telling her it wasn't what she thought it was, that it wasn't a rage, but a twisting. Ovarandi explained her father, Thaddeus Sonny's, was a researcher and archaeologist who took on a work with a man and others to search the *Chasm of Spire* in the desert to figure out what happened to it. Ovarandi added that they found it was something destroyed, but the residual run off caused a change in him, in her and in Yashani. Yashani questioned if it meant there was no monster and Ovarandi told her she met the monster, both of them, who caused it. Yashani asked who it was and Ovarandi said her father took on the job for Ob, or his other name Velix Rex Ignis, of the desert and the monster that caused Yashani to be a monster was known as Lunala. Yashani acknowledged then that she was a monster and Ovarandi told her she was no monster unless she chose to be one. She explained that the effect didn't define them and Yashani, dismayed in her knowledge, asked why she worked so hard all her life to hide it. Ovarandi said it would have made her a target and when Yashani asked if that was why Robert said she was important said it was the reasoning. Yashani confusedly said she still didn't know what it meant and Ovarandi explained with the change from the power of the chasm, which they would call arcane run off from ruin and destruction, made it a part of Ob and Lunala, like another set of parents. Yashani asked if the same could be said of her and Ovarandi said yes.

Yashani asked if the Order of Ruin trapped her there and Ovarandi said later in time they did, a couple years after they had hidden her. Yashani asked if she intended to come back for her and Ovarandi said she always wanted to, but noted Lunala was willing to play the long because she could. Yashani enquired about her father and Ovarandi revealed he died to protect her. Yashani asked if he was also where they were and Ovarandi said he wasn't.

Yashani asked if she knew what she was likely to face there or what would break her and Ovarandi said it would what her father, Yashani's grandfather, became. Ovarandi noted that the room they were in was a graveyard, that the next was the *Cavern of Ice*, after that would be the *Desert*, which was her grandfather was, but not what he was, that he was now more twisted then ever, a monstrosity that plagued that room and that they broke him. Yashani asked how many members of the family had been trapped there and Ovarandi said just her and her father far as she knew as they were the ones directly connected. Yashani asked if there was nothing that could be done to help her and Ovarandi said she already said her prayers, spent her time with Scura and Scoro and left the form she saw in front of her in case she ever came.

Ovarandi asked how Valeu did in raising her and Yashani said he didn't raise her as opposed to mentoring her, instructing her and kept her on the right path. Ovarandi commented that her brother was always more technical and when Yashani questioned the word brother revealed Valeu was her brother and Yashani's uncle. Yashani apologized for not saying goodbye, admitting she didn't know she would be leaving when she left, at least for as long as she left and Ovarandi asked if she just chose to go. Yashani said not consciously, that she chose to help people, that after that she hardly remembered, that she met a sea elf trying to go to a forest alone, that many things happened since then like meeting other people and losing some of them. Yashani noted if she was asking if she chose to not go back she didn't remember making it, yet her feet continued to carry her far. Ovarandi commented that she made friends along the way and Yashani looked down to Quincy's hand holding hers, the others in the room and noticed the slowed rate of everything in the room other then her, before nothing they had been through so much together. Ovarandi commented that at least she had them and Yashani admitted they never thought of her as a monster. Ovarandi made it clear she was not a monster, never have been and never would be, unless she chose to be. Yashani said she had made the choice to not be one her entire life, that she didn't realize that was all it took and Ovarandi told her she wished it could have been easier in the long run. Yashani pointed out it could have been much harder if she was alone and Ovarandi countered would have been much harder if they came after her while Yashani was still with her, that she didn't know what she would have done if they had gotten a hold of her as a child, which was why they had to put her away as a child. Yashani acknowledged that she understood her reasoning.

Yashani asked if she didn't know she didn't remember her voice and Ovarandi said it was ok and that she was so young that she didn't expect her to remember everything. Yashani confessed she was happy she got to hear it again and Ovarandi likewise was happy to see her again. Yashani, referring to the now broken coffin slowly falling in on itself, asked her what was inside it and Ovarandi said it was a mother's last attempt to help her daughter. Yashani commented that it wasn't her final resting place and when Ovarandi said it wasn't, that she didn't know what they did with her when she died and her current presence was all she could do while she was there assured that it was much more then she expected. Ovarandi confessed that she tried her very hardest not to believe that Yashani wouldn't wind up where they were, but couldn't lie to herself about the raw ambition the group had and lengths they would go to get what they wanted and had to do so herself, even she never ended up there, just on the chance she did. Yashani noted the order claimed them whether leaving or staying neither really mattered as they would get what they wanted either way and Ovarandi said they likely would. Yashani asked what would happen then and Ovarandi said there would be another ruining and destruction just like history. She added that in this broken world, cracked and floating in the astral sea, they were stuck in a horrible loop, that nobody had come to help them, that everybody just goes on and didn't understand. Yashani gave her belief this was something they could stop otherwise it would mean the people she lost were gone for nothing and Ovarandi commented they all felt like they died for nothing. Yashani expressed hope when she died she wouldn't feel that way and Ovarandi told her that she believed in her and that she was her daughter.

Yashani asked what would happen when she leaves this room and when Ovarandi reminded her this was her last wish and attempt to make something right, that she was just an echo Yashani noted that meant she would be gone. Ovarandi replied she would always be there and was why she left "this" behind and as the rocks slowly rumbled and shifted a pure black, ebony staff rose from the casket and floated between the both of them. Ovarandi said leaving her to his brother she knew who she would be, that she made the staff for her and put a portion of herself into it so she would never be gone. Yashani commented it was beautiful and Ovarandi added it was beautiful like Yashani, Yashani asked what her mask had on it and Ovarandi slowly pulled the mask off the side, revealed the moth on it, said that her brother was the butterfly while she was the moth. Ovarandi then placed her mask on top of Yashani's mask causing it to carve the moth shape on to her own before saying it was the last that she could do. Yashani asked how much time was left and when Ovarandi said they still had enough Yashani noticed things around her seemed to be slowly picking up and likely left her 10 - 15 minutes before her mother's echo would fade.

Yashani commented there were so many things she could ask before asking what her and her father were like and Ovarandi admitted they had their issues as they were both stubborn, her father more then her, but also admitted his patience was greater then her's. She added that her father was one of the most brilliant people she ever met, intelligent, but cared, never once ever wanting Yashani to have a bad day and if something was happening would do anything in his power to stop it. Yashani said she wished she could have met him or have any memory of him, but this was better then what she had before and Ovarandi replied she was happy to hear that.

Yashani closed her eyes a second before asking if this was the room where she died, that broke her, even if it wasn't her resting place and Ovarandi said it was. Ovarandi added that she wasn't as strong as she wanted to be and when Yashani pointed out neither was Robert added none of them there. Yashani noted she did have her friends and looked at those who were with them before stating she wanted to protect them and thought she could and Ovarandi said she believed she could to. Yashani reached her hand around the staff and saw thin red lines swirled around the staff, making intricate patterns up and around it, and felt a small portion of her own ki pulled from her palm to the staff as she connected with it, sending a shock through her entire body. Yashani asked what it was and Ovarandi said it was the best she could do. Yashani noted she didn't know what that meant, but it felt powerful and Ovarandi said she put a littler of herself into it. Yashani noted she had said that before, that she definitely felt powerful and that she felt her the moment she stepped through the door and Ovarandi said she would always be with her from this moment on. Yashani said that was a comfort she never thought she would get and Ovarandi replied she was glad to hear her say that. Yashani suggested she didn't need to say goodbye to her then, but Ovarandi told her to please do so as she never got to before. Yashani told her

*"Goodbye"*

and Ovarandi in turn told her

*"Goodbye daughter".*

A*s* Yashani noticed the sand, dust and stones slowly sped up around her Ovarandi told her she would always be there when she needed her. Yashani in turn held on the the staff tightly as tears started to well in her eyes knowing she was about to go. Ovarandi asked her to do what was right, to beat this and Yashani told her she would. Ovarandi said she loved her and Yashani in turn told her she loved her too before Ovarandi slowly began to turn with the sand and dust as everything sped up and shifted into the new positions they were in. As the the dust and rock settled causing a collected gasp from the group the tears in Yashani's eyes started to spill down her face.