Metroid Blue
Episode 6: Tifael
"You…" There she was, a mere Arume teenager, seeing Samus's face for the first time. Normally, this would be no problem, but alas there was that small glaring issue of her attack on Wario earlier and being both a caped superhero and a wanted criminal at the same time. "You're from the restaurant earlier, aren't you?"
And now some girl just caught her with the mask off.
There was a moment of shocked silence as Samus wondered what to do. Unfortunately for her, Tifael's face paled as if she were blushing. She slowly picked up Kirby before suddenly bolting back down the stairs.
"What... oh shi—!" It took a second before Samus realized the dire implications of Tifael running away. "Pikachu!" She quickly fixed on her helmet as she sped down the stairs, with the electric rat in hot pursuit. She sailed down another flight of stairs before spotting Tifael flee into an apartment. Steeling herself, Samus sprinted towards the apartment and barged right in.
Strangely enough, it was Pikachu who spoke first upon intruding in the apartment. Boldly pointing a tiny finger at Tifael, the creature shouted, "Pika pi, pika PIKA!"
But instead of any sort of shock from the random invasion, Kirby merely scratched his head in confusion.
Tifael, on the other hand, was faster on the uptake. "...you're that electric creature who's a criminal too! Oh dear, Tifael never expected this! She's seen too much! Tifael is going to be kidnapped and kept quiet until they're done with their nefarious deeds!" Except maybe not, since she seemed more embarrassed than worried about her current situation, and was even slightly sashaying in delight.
Samus sighed in frustration. "Sounds more like a fantasy than reality." To which Pikachu added a "Pika!" in agreement. "But in any case, I can't rest easy until I know your intentions."
"Eh? Is that so?" Tifael looked somewhat surprised. "T-t-Tifael hasn't prepared at all! Tifael doesn't have any of the pills or anything we could play with! And Kirby can't watch this either!"
This was completely lost on Samus. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Tifael blinked. "You mean you aren't here to take Tifael's virginity?"
"What?!" Samus's mental train crashed into a wall!
"Pika?!" Pikachu's mental train... fell off a cliff!
Kirby's mental train... appeared to still be chugging along in confusion.
"What kind of ridiculous goddamn idea is that?!" Samus demanded.
"Pika." Pikachu hopped off of Samus and waved off the entire thing, as if admitting defeat.
Unfortunately Tifael did not take that well. Her eyes welled up in tears, though she tried her hardest to control it, and sniffled. "Ti... Tifael should've known you didn't swing that way!" She cried. She crumpled down to the ground for added effect.
It had little effect on the frustrated Samus, but that was until the bounty hunter noticed the determined and vengeful glint of the pink puffball. Only seconds before it was too late, Samus swung her gun arm to block the swing of a random star-print hammer. "Tch!" Samus hissed as she had to struggle to keep Kirby from walloping her. It appeared that even if Kirby knew nothing of perversion, he surely knew sadness. Let there be mercy for anyone who makes anyone Kirby cares about sad.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu literally leapt to Samus's rescue; it sailed into the air and smashed Kirby into a wall with its tail. The electric rat landed, snarling and ready for battle.
"Pikachu... hold on," Samus chose this time to take the obligatory scan of her opponent(s), tapping her visor to activate the process.
'Subject identified as Kirby. Creature's unstable DNA allows it to imitate the powers or technology of many things it swallows. This versatile creature is normally calm and lazy, but when provoked or given good cause it is a rather cunning and extremely vengeful warrior. Once again it is advised that you do not underestimate its small size and helpless looks.'
And hey look, it's doing it now! Samus observed Kirby suck in Pikachu and immediately assimilate its powers into its own moves. While she was tempted to launch several missiles in Kirby's general direction, she felt that it would be much better to simply let Pikachu fight it out. She stuck to watching the fight intently.
After stumbling out of some unknown orifice, Pikachu shook himself to recover from the shock and shot a blast of electricity at Kirby. The pink creature decided two could play that game and shot some back, and the attacks were negated. "Pika?!" Pikachu stepped back in shock from fighting his own attack.
"He can imitate your moves! Try something different!" Samus commanded the rat.
Pikachu nodded, then focused his electricity again. Kirby lunged for him, but Pikachu jumped back. The electric rat twisted his body before spinning in what looked like an electric breakdance, smashing Kirby away. The poor thing crashed and bounced up, but quickly recovered. Kirby once again lunged, but this time it landed on its head and spun its feet around, clipping Pikachu's torso and knocking it back slightly. It followed up with a nasty lunge kick that Pikachu evaded at the last second.
"Pika!" Pikachu leapt into the air, his cheeks shining with electricity before he slammed into the ground, narrowly missing Kirby. Of course, the pink puffball answered that with a mighty swing of his hammer, smacking Pikachu away.
The rat slid uncomfortably across the floor, only flipping back on his feet when it neared a wall. Kirby reappeared in front of him and tried to smash its foot in Pikachu's face. However, the electric mouse twirled its body in an evasive maneuver before lashing its tail out, hitting Kirby away.
Still snarling, Pikachu stood on all fours.
Kirby too, stood up for another attack.
All that ended when a now steely Tifael slammed a hammer of her own between the two, even startling Samus into aiming her gun at the Arume. "That's enough." Tifael said sternly.
"..." Samus straightened herself. "Now I really have to ask... who are you?"
All eyes turned to the Arume, who stood far more boldly now than she had all night. "My name is and will always be Tifael. That's no lie." Kirby trotted back towards Tifael as the girl continued to speak. "Tifael wishes to protect this young one," she picked up Kirby again. "...and that is why Tifael is here now."
"Are you sure he needs protection?" Samus raised an eyebrow under her helmet. "He fought Pikachu toe-to-toe. This looks more like an excuse to keep him because he's cute."
"Tifael makes no pretenses of that!" Tifael shot back hotly, her cheeks flushed with a ghost-like embarrassment. "Tifael is very aware Kirby is cute!" She sagged down, however. "Tifael knows you don't trust me, or anyone on this colony. Perhaps now Tifael should tell you a story."
It was something sudden for this shy, strange girl to suddenly be so serious. Samus was so intrigued by this offer, she removed her helmet. "Really? Will it be the story of why Tifael always talks in the third person?"
"Tifael is serious!" The girl countered, her voice strong but still holding that shy childishness she had earlier.
Samus Aran could only hold back a smirk. Deciding that the threat was over, she shed her suit in a bright flash of light. The lady then sat down, eyes intent on Tifael—for all of five seconds. Those daunting blue eyes STILL got to her, it seemed. Pikachu, on the other hand, didn't care. It scampered into Samus's lap and stared at Kirby. Kirby innocently returned said stare with a wide-eyed look, no longer considering Pikachu an enemy.
"Tifael still thinks you look beautiful..." The Arume said, barely above a whisper. However, upon seeing Samus's face contort and ready a reply, she changed course. "...but enough about that. You want to know why we're here, among other things."
Samus nodded in agreement, and even Pikachu was listening intently.
"It all began many years ago. We, the Arume, had actually been monitoring Earth for some time before we launched our attack. You see, we had been seeking an answer to a problem that had been plaguing us for sometime—the extinction of the Arume male, and the erosion of our environment. Our technology is the sole reason we're still around, and with long lifespans to boot.
"Tifael was part of the military too. Tifael believed back then we would take what we need and get out. But we had been purely women for so long, few of us really desired to reintroduce males back into our race, and ironically, Tifael is no exception. Also our old world was dying, so ruling this new world without bloodshed seemed like a shiny deal. "
"So that's why you like me," Samus said with slight uncertainty. She also had to wonder how Tifael could have ever had military discipline considering her personality, but then she thought back to Lirael, and figured quite a few Arume had personalities that betrayed their strength. Maybe this was universal balance talking... "You Arume felt pretty satisfied with world conquest, so why did you build this colony? And why are there males on it, if you disliked them so much?"
"Tifael is getting to that!" The girl held up a finger, as to remind Samus about patience. Samus almost grit her teeth at the display but decided to let it slide. "It was ten years ago that a strange, metallic comet shot by that planet. Tifael had quit the military then, and wished to settle down, if only for a while. The military saw fit to remodel that comet into this very colony we stand on, and by invitation, Tifael was called to this place by her military friends. This place is run by the military, but much to Tifael's horror they've been using the power on this colony to spread to other worlds and kidnap peoples from those worlds. Tifael could not let this nightmare stand, but alas, Tifael is not strong enough to oppose this group on her own."
Samus's face grew serious. "You mean to tell me your military's been all over the galaxy right under Galactic Federation noses?! Shit," Samus sank. "All along Adam's been telling me I can't just pick a fight because of some political tension..."
"Whoever told you that is entirely correct. Because of the lack of evidence any intergalactic party can't touch the Arume without being made the aggressor." Tifael plainly stated.
"Pika." The electric mouse said his equivalent of the word damn.
"Took the word right out of my mouth," Samus added, absentmindedly rubbing Pikachu's head. She stole a glance at the pink puffball, who's face had slightly gone back to that determined look right before it attacked her. "Is Kirby one of the kidnapped ones as well?"
"There are some who came to this colony on their own. Kirby is one such brave soul. The little guy came looking for friends of his," Tifael looked down at the cute thing in her lap. "Tifael couldn't let him fall into military clutches, so Tifael has kept him here at night while she's at work and helps him look by day."
"That so," Samus said. Each and every lead led her closer to understanding what was going on. She stood, with Pikachu scampering to her shoulder as she did so. "I wish it were easy to say that your military's going down, but I still don't understand a few things, and as I am now, I lack the firepower to knock them down a few pegs."
"Tifael believes you can become stronger," the Arume suddenly stood tall, causing Kirby to tumble out and crash into the floor. "Both inside and outside that suit."
Samus paused. This was the first time in a very long time a civilian (even if said civilian WAS ex-military) had remarked that she had potential. Much less the fact that she's getting this comment from an Arume. Maybe not all of them were bad news... "...Thanks," Samus said. With that she walked for the door and opened it, stepping outside. "I guess I'll come back and visit. You helped me get on the right track, at least."
There was that blush again. "T-Tifael is honored!"
Kirby came out and peeked from beside the girl. "Bye bye!" It cheerfully waved.
"Please come back! Tifael promises to be ready to lose her virginity!"
Samus almost crashed, but recovered just in time as she went back upstairs. "Don't try your luck!" She shouted as she sprinted out of earshot.
"Having more off-road adventures again, Lady?" Adam's voice rang as she and Pikachu entered their apartment once more.
"Ensuring my secret stays just that is tougher than I thought," Samus answered, plumping down in her seat.
"I should probably remind you that light rise for the colony occurs in two hours." Adam stated.
"Two hours?!" Samus bolted up again. "It's hardly been two thirds of the regular night cycle!"
"Piiii," Pikachu was already waving it off and going to dreamland. Apparently electric rats did not give a damn about other people's sleeping schedules.
"It's occurring earlier today, reports say the Agriculture Sector needs a bit of strength."
"Dammit, I'm getting no good sleep tonight," Samus muttered. "I think I'll need to get my hands on some heavy grade coffee."
"That may not be necessary, Samus," Adam chimed in. "Your upgrade dock also functions as instant restoration," As if on cue, the station installed in her home glowed, as if beckoning her to step in it once more. "You can get a full night's rest in just an hour."
"...sounds good," Samus answered.
"...but you'll still be hungry."
Samus smacked her palm in her face. "This is relevant why?"
"No reason at all, Lady."
Samus stepped inside the machine, standing tall and letting the machine's waves relax her body. "Rest well, Samus," she heard Adam. "The mission will no longer be easy from here on out."
"Already knew that, but thanks anyway," Samus answered while she was still coherent. Indeed, Adam's words were true—this is where the real fight would begin.
(As promised, the very last chapter you'll see before March 9th. Hang tight guys, it's only 23 days at the time I'm writing this! Bonus note: there IS a reason Tifael has her third person speaking hijinks--that will be answered in a later chapter. I should also note Tifael is an original creation of mine, even if the Arume are not.)
