EPILOGUE
Samus Aran had been telling her story, and finally finished up. "That's all of it." She said. She put down what was left of her drink, the old Zebes bartender sighed.
"That kid saved your life, Samus. I can understand how you feel."
Samus just looked down at the drink in front of her, barely blinking. There was really only two people in there and she was so occupied with her own thoughts and the slow descent of the remaining alchoholic droplets slid down that she didn't pay them any attention.
"Samus…you trusted him, and he ended up coming through for you. For you AND Ridley. I know you feel he betrayed your trust by dying, but I think that deep down you know that there wasn't any other way it would go down. If he hadn't pushed you two in, you would have died while still trying to figure out how to get all of you to fit inside that capsule."
"…"
"Didn't you say to me once that that guy…Malkovich? Didn't he die trying to help you too? He died saving you, I heard."
"…"
"It's not wrong to trust people, Samus."
"Even if they break my heart?"
"It's better than feeling nothing at all." The bartender said, nodding. "Far better. Take it from me. It really is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all."
Samus blew a lock of hair aside with a single breath. "PHOO. You know…I wish I could believe that. I wish I could believe a lot of things. But maybe I shouldn't trust. I mean, I'm a bounty hunter when you get right down to it…trust is so fickle in this business."
The bartender sighed. "Honestly, Sammy."
Suddenly the karaoke machine began playing a new song. It was also an Earth song, by a British band. She'd heard this song…at least part of it, before. Really only in a scene in that movie, what was it? Titan A.E, right.
BGM: Cosmic Castaway, by Electrasy
Lose my head to the chemical freeway, Comin' up on overload!In a mystic new dimension, Purify and sanctify me!
"Anyhow…" The bartender sighed and put down another drink. "Here. Your favorite beer."
"I don't want a beer, okay?" She said. "Not in the mood."
What, so I'm in no endgame! Move my piece right off the board! Losing sure is easy, so I am no more!
"Come on. I even put a little lemon in it."
But I'm not broken…in my dream I win! Out there I'm nothing…a Cosmic Castawaaaaay!
"…fine. But I'm not paying for it." Samus sipped the beer. It felt good going down her throat. It was familiar.
In my head I'm a chemical dreamer, Speed up to burnout mode! Comin' up in the 5th dimension, Beautify don't crucify me, yeah!
She wondered though…why had he been so happy, so sure of himself? Nobody survived a black hole usually…
So I need no mind game poisoning my lonely soul, Losing sure is easy so I am no more!
"Oh, you don't gotta pay for it. That kid singing did." The bartender said, smiling lightly.
But I'm not broken, in my dream I win, And I take over, coz I'm no loser!
Samus blinked.
And I'm in and you're not…
Suddenly she heard it…a line directed at HER…
Bad dreams don't stop!
She turned her head slowly…
But I'm all screwed up, a Cosmic Castaway, eee-yeah!
Her eyes widened…
A Cosmic Castaway, eee-yeah! A Cosmic Castawaaaay!
There, sitting at a table was a familiar draconian face. And on the stage…
And I want but have…not…Bad dreams…lust thoughts… In…here with no pain, you hurt…me…a…gain…
Samus found herself getting up off the seat, walking towards the stage.
And I want…but have none… I should…beat the aaaaalien…
She was now passing the space dragon, who smiled at her as she got on top of the stage with the singer…
But here I'm…no…one…a Cosmic Castaway, eee-yeah!A Cosmic Castaway, eee-yeah! A Cosmic Castaway, eee-yeah!
The kid, mood necklace and all, held out his hand towards her, eyes inviting her as he sang out the final line to the song.
A Cosmic Castawaaaaaaaay!
And suddenly she felt it, the beautiful sense of something far greater than herself flowing through her, the rhythm of life itself, and her heart was clearly beating to it. She found herself dancing, arms above her head, nodding slightly, eyes closed as she moved her feet to the beat of the music, moving rhythmically in an almost tribal fashion to match the boy who danced along with her on the stage, matching her in her passion as she felt her heart connect to all things in that one moment.
The stars above the bar twinkled slowly. The music died away. And as Samus sat down at the table where that darn space dragon was, she turned to the boy who sat between the two and opened her mouth to speak.
The bartender smiled as he saw Ridley order a round of drinks for them. A moment like this was worth being investigated for being seen around a space pirate. Easiest 100 bucks he'd ever earned.
Once the threesome had acquired their drinks, the kid raised his own glass. "To our rivals." The kid said as he raised an old Earth drink called a Shirley Temple above the table. "May they continue to force us to improve ourselves."
They clinked their glasses. Samus raised HER glass. "To one in a million chances." She said.
They clinked their glasses. Now Ridley hesitated, then raised his glass. He would have to leave in a few minutes, he had to return to Space Pirate HQ. But before he did that, he had a toast to make.
"To trust." He decided. "Yeah…" He mused out loud. "To trust."
They clinked their glasses.
Soon, the kid had to say goodbye. He was going to drop Ridley off at Space Pirate HQ, before returning to his trip. Samus was sorry to see him go, but knew deep down that what he'd given her, and Ridley too…
That wouldn't go away. Ever.
And the starts gently twinkled in the night sky above the bar.
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…
…"and that was how it happened."
"Wow…what a fantastical and wondrous story! tell another story!"
"With the greatest pleasure! You see, it all began…"
Author's note:
Thank you to all who read this story, enjoy it and comment on it. Stuff like that makes MY day. (Smiles.) Now for a few things you might be wondering about...
For those of you who are good Metroid fans, you probably already know where I got the origin story for Samus from, and how she first met Ridley. For those who don't know the whole story, don't worry, it's easy to find with Google/Wikipedia if you know where to look. Secondly, "why group Samus and Ridley together like this?" Simple...it forces them to work together in an unusual situation and allows them to develop a little, don'tcha think? They may be enemies and rivals but that doesn't mean they have to be ALWAYS on! Thirdly, "what does the future hold for those two feuding space fighters", you may ask. Well THAT...is a story for another time. And they won't be the only ones in said story.
To reiterate what I said before...thank you everyone. Mahalo plenty! Take care...and...dare I say it? Of course I dare!
See you next mission! (Salutes with pointer and middle finger then walks off and vanishes into sunset)