"Okay, let's try this..." Ritsuko said as she gave the Space Pirates' mainframe a few inputs. "Where did you say did you come from again?"
"Um... Nerima, Tokyo!" Konatsu shyly spoke up.
"Tokyo... isn't that the name of a big city on Earth, back in the 21st century?"
"Don't ask me," Rei shrugged. "The only thing I ever learned were military tactics and battle skills to hunt down the... the hunter."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Konatsu asked in confusion. "This is the 21st century... is it not?"
"I'm afraid not..." Ritsuko sighed. "We have 2113 now, dear... Let's see... Aha, I knew it! Here, look! The Space Pirates have a detailed history database about the Galactic Federation, along with all of its planets, Earth included!"
Konatsu's head was spinning. 2113? Galactic Federation?
"Let's see... Ah yes, Tokyo is what the city of Japan Island is now called."
"Japan Island?" Konatsu wondered.
"Yes, a huge island at the eastern coast of Asia, which is covered with one single, massive town... Japan Island has the most advanced technology on Earth... although there are quite a few Alien species which are far superior to our scientific progress..."
"I don't understand," Konatsu murmured. "Does that mean I'm in... in the future?"
"Seems like it! While I have never heard of such a spiritual entity like the one that inhabited your body before, your description of Nerima fits one part of ancient Tokyo very well."
"But how... how am I supposed to go back?" Konatsu asked.
"I don't know if we can help you with that, dear, even if we somehow manage to get off this planet and return back to civilization..."
"I don't believe this..." Konatsu groaned and slumped down on the ground. "All of this started only because Ukyo-sama and Ranma have vanished... all I wanted to do is to see her again."
He closed his eyes. "If I only hadn't listened to that creepy voice..."
"Voice?" Ritsuko and Rei looked at each other in confusion. "What voice?"
Konatsu was going to reply, when suddenly, the door opened and Misato and Kaji entered, followed by PenPen.
"Hey you guys!" Misato greeted them. "We have good news!"
"Good news?" Rei asked sceptically. "Is that even possible?"
"You bet!" Kaji grinned. "We found all of the artifacts, Ridley won't bother anyone again, and Samus and Shinji have just entered the impact crater of the meteor."
"Ridley... is dead?" Rei asked. She sighed. "That would be too good to be true..."
"He's toast, girl!" Misato cheered. "And that means the Space Pirates won't ever bother us again!"
"I wish it would be that easy..." Ritsuko said. "But the Space Pirates are a much bigger race than you could imagine... and Ridley is only one of their leaders."
"What?" Misato wondered. "Dang, that means there are still some out there?"
"I'm afraid so," the scientist shrugged. "The Federation doesn't even know the Space Pirates' homeworld yet. But at least Ridley is dead... and that means they have one formidable commander less among their ranks. And their plan to misuse the Phazon is foiled as well."
"You're right," Misato nodded at her friend's words. "Well, let's just hope Shinji and Samus also can do something about that great... THING down there, and stop the infestation."
"You let them fight the beast alone?" Rei asked.
"Hey, they wanted it this way," Kaji explained. "Besides, the Phazon down there is deadly... I doubt we would have lasted a few minutes without protective suits."
"Ah... okay, you're right... sorry!" Rei said. "Still, I wonder what kind of creature that is..."
IT awoke from a deep slumber. For a long time, IT had waited here, in the bowels of the Earth, feeding upon the meteor's Phazon, and recreating it with ITs own body. Down here, IT was gathering strength, so IT could one day break free, to the surface. And once this planet was completely infested, IT would move on to the next planet.
But now... IT could feel something. Was it... Yes, the energy barrier surrounding the crater was gone. Was now the time to strike?
But wait... IT could feel the presence of two beings that were descending into the core of the meteor... where IT was resting.
Was one of them the hatchling those pathetic Chozo had talked about before they imprisoned IT with their cursed temple and its force field? How IT loathed those delusional fools with their talk about harmony and nature... At least IT wouldn't have to see their faces again, as ITs Phazon plague has wiped out every single member of their race that had been living on the surface of this planet.
But if this creature that was now approaching IT was indeed the Chozo's Chosen One, it must be a formidable warrior. Very well... it might be time for IT to rise from ITs slumber...
After all those years of resting and waiting, an insatiable urge to kill has built up within ITs body... and now that this 'Hatchling' had arrived, IT wanted to taste its blood!
"Th-that is the thing we have been looking for?" Shinji gasped as they stood in front of the giant, black carapace that surrounded the monster.
"It seems like it," Samus frowned. "I have never seen anything like it before... but it clearly is the source of the Phazon. And at the same time, it consumes it in big amounts. My Power Suit scanner gave it the name METROID PRIME... although this certainly is no Metroid, it is... something else..."
IT stared at the two intruders from the depths of its shell. How dare those vertebrates intruding in ITS lair? How dare they aim their weapons at IT? IT was a creature as old as time itself, and IT would prove it by annihilating these beings, breaking free from its prison and transforming every single bit of this world into the ideal state of being...
IT broke free from ITS cocoon, fell down to the cavern's ground and raised its enormous claws, just two of ITS ways to cause harm and pain... The vertebrates would regret ever having put their feet in here...
"Watch out!" Shinji shouted. "Here it comes!"
"It's charging!" Samus yelled. "Use the Morph Ball!"
Shinji winced. He didn't like the cramped contraption, but he knew he had to listen to Samus' words of advice if he wanted to live...
Rolled up in two spheres of metal, Shinji and Samus rolled out of the creatures' way as it charged them...
Why were those creatures resisting? They should know that IT was the only powerful being in existence. Resistance was futile, so why did they even put up a fight?
After IT was finished with them, maybe IT should show them the power ITS substance could give to them... but then again, they didn't deserve such a gift...
"Samus, it changed colors!"
"I'm on it," Samus said, scanning the Metroid Prime. "Its weakness has changed. Switch to Wave Beam, Shinji..."
"Look out, it's firing..."
Both of them used their Space Jump Boots to jump over the sparkling beam of electricity...
Shinji grimaced. "That was too close..."
IT could feel how the attacks of the two bipeds was weakening ITS armor. Could they really be this powerful? No, it was just the armors they were wearing. Whoever could have created such magnificent pieces of weaponry? Was it their own race or someone else?
IT decided to use those weapon systems for ITS own purpose after those accursed bipeds were defeated.
But to do that, it had to destroy them first. IT realized that within minutes, ITS outer shell would be destroyed. Well, if the body wasn't strong enough to handle things... maybe the mind was!
"What's happening to it?" Shinji asked.
"I'm not too sure..." Samus said. "But it looks as if its armor is breaking apart..."
A loud growl came out of the carapace, and then something resembling a giant, spectral brain of pulsating matter with a face that vaguely resembled that of a human floated out of it. Tendrils and tentacles of phazon were wriggling through the air.
"That must be its core!" Samus grimaced. "That is one of the most disgusting things I've seen in my life, and I know what Mother Brain looks like."
"It's... it's using the absorbed phazon to... create Metroids!" Shinji gasped. "How is that possible?"
"No time to study that creature, Shinji, we have a battle to win!"
Now those foolish creatures had no chance of winning! ITS core was mainly composed of the very substance IT was steadily absorbing and giving off... they couldn't harm IT in any way! The only thing that could affect ITS central being was the very substance IT was giving off... and no living being could touch such a concentrated amount of it without succumbing to its deadly effects...
Shiji started to panic. "Samus, my weapon systems aren't working! No beams, no missiles, nothing! How are we supposed to beat that thing?"
"The only way to harm it would be a concentrated stream of phazon, right into its middle," Samus said after her completed analysis. "But... I don't really see how we are supposed to achieve that. We are protected by our suits, but we can't possibly scoop it up with our hands and throw it at the Metroid Prime, can we?" She tried sounding sarcastic, but failed miserably.
Shinji panted heavily. "Samus, I don't think I can hold on much longer... I... I think I'm gonna..." And then he stumbled and fell down into one of the pools of concentrated phazon which the creature had given off in big amounts during the battle.
And surprisingly, it had an incredibly soothing effect.
Samus gaped as she looked at Shinji. All parts of his dark Phazon Suit were gleaming with blue energy, and he stood up with no effort.
"This is amazing..." Shinji whispered and flexed his hands. "I feel... rejuvenated! It's as if all of my wounds have healed! And the Phazon, it's... it's not harming me, Samus, but the suit itself is ABSORBING it! Do you see that!"
The Metroid Prime let out a loud roar as it flung its tentacles towards Shinji, creating an enormous shockwave.
Shinji space jumped over the attack, landed back in the pool of liquid phazon and fired his beam. "Eat THIS, you creep!"
And he could feel how his suit was steadily absorbing the phazon that was surrounding him, guiding it through his weapon systems and firing it at the Metroid Prime in a bright, gleaming blue beam.
And its effects on the creature were disastrous. Its tentacles were twitching around madly while it tried to free itself from the Phazon Beam's grip.
"Oh no, you don't!" Samus said grimly and jumped into another pool of phazon. Right away, her suit started gleaming the same way as Shinji's was doing. And then she fire the very same beam at the monster... the Phazon Beam!
Even the Metroid Prime could not endure the double pressure of both beams at the same time, its face wavered and flickered, it let out a shrill scream and then...
All of its phazon concentrated and formed one single, formless blob of protoplasm.
Shinji and Samus ceased firing. They had no other choice, the phazon surrounding their suits was used up. Both of them stared at the hovering blob in fascination.
"What... happened to it?" Shinji murmured.
"I... I can't say for sure," Samus grumbled. "But I have the feeling that this is the purest form our little friend can take..."
"How can we harm it? It's not giving phazon off anymore!"
It had never thought it possible... but those two bipeds did it! They had not only destroyed ITS carapace, but also dissolved the molecular structure which kept ITS core intact.
IT knew IT only had minutes left, so IT had to hurry.
How did those creatures do it? They used ITS very own substance against IT!
IT then felt something. Would IT have a human face, IT would have frowned. Ah, so ITS very own substance had merged with the extraordinary battle suits of the two vertebrates. This was intriguing indeed... But maybe... IT could use this technology to assure ITS own survival...
And without any further doubts, IT extended ITS own tendrils and reached for the two creatures!
Shinji gasped as the Metroid Prime's core suddenly came to life, snatching his arms with its tendrils and pulling him towards its center. He could see that the same happened to Samus.
"Samus!" he shouted.
"Don't give up, Shinji!" Samus grimaced. "Fight it... you have to..."
And with the last ounce of their strength, they pulled back against the powerful pull of the phazon core... and fell back on their behind when suddenly, all of the phazon that had corrupted their suits was yanked out of them.
Shinji and Samus stared at each other, once again dressed in the Gravity Suit variation, while both of her Dark Suit components were vanishing in the middle of the Metroid Prime's core.
And then the core started to light up, expand and to give off blue clouds and tendrils of energy that came snaking their way.
"RUN!" Samus shouted and pulled her student to his feet. "It's going to explode!"
Together, they quickly ran through the caves, back to the teleporter the Chozo Spirits had activated, and teleported back to the Chozo Temple.
Back on the surface, they realized that the Metroid Prime's destruction had not only affected the caverns in the middle of the Impact Crater, but the temple as well. While the crater's walls were corroding, the temple which was built on its edges, was slowly crumbling apart.
"We have to get out of here!" Shinji yelled and ran for the exit, but Samus held him back.
"It's too late, Shinji, we'll never reach the exit in time."
"But... but how are we gonna escape? We'll die if we stay here!"
Samus grimly looked down at the ground. "That's true..." She always knew she had to die some day, and she was very certain that it would be during one of her adventures.
But... she had never intended to drag a young boy like Shinji into this...
The loud roar of a space engine pulled them both out of their thoughts and made them look up at the sky in surprise.
They still didn't move while the orange spacecraft was approaching the temple and turned around so it could come as close to the collapsing temple as possible.
And then the hatch on top of Samus' gunship opened and Misato's face looked at them. She waved. "Come on in, or do you want to be buried down there for all eternity?"
And just minutes later, the gunship was flying away from the crater, while the temple was slowly breaking apart and falling down into the depths...
Unbeknown to either Samus or Shinji, deep within the depths of the crater, a new entity was born... or rather, two new entities...
Buried under tons of rubble, the pulsating blob that was Metroid Prime's core was still lying, slowly disintegrating. It didn't really explode, it just wanted to take the two humans along with it...
And then... two black hands suddenly came bursting out of the pulsating mass of phazon.
"We... will meet again..."
"We... need power! More power!"
"We are... FREE!"
Author's Note:
The story will continue… in Chapter 3 of 'Ranma's interdimensional team of heroes'.