First off, thanks to -Ancient Dragon writer- for the idea for this chapter. I probably would have never gotten even this much out without your help.
Samus glanced at her suit's motion sensor yet again as something - a Splinter drone or a Kralee - set it off for the twentieth time. The planet's 'daylight' had faded entirely, the Lightskimmer's on-standby engines giving off a dim orange glow around the skiff with a constant faint hum, and the others had long since fallen asleep. She shifted slightly where she was laying on the craft, looking at Ridley curled up a few feet away from it. With no conflict to focus on, her thoughts began to wander.
'Things are changing... the Federation against me, the Pirates turning on Ridley... and I'm fighting a real losing battle for the first time in my life.' She sighed, getting to her feet and hopping down from the skiff. 'And Ridley... what could've caused him to falter like that?'
She walked over to where Ridley was sleeping, kneeling down to get a closer look at his injured wing. "… what could've thrown you off...?" she wondered quietly aloud, shaking her head. After a few seconds, she got back up and moved over to a flat rock nearby and sat down, looking up at the starry sky.
It was several minutes before the silence was broken. "What do you want?" Ridley asked with an acid tone, not bothering to look at her.
Samus turned her gaze towards him again, shrugging slightly. "Nothing, really. Although, since you asked... I was wondering what could have made you just fall out of the sky." She hesitated a second before adding, "I guess I'm worried, considering the screech you made."
Ridley shifted to look at her, suspicious. "You... worried about me? Is that some kind of sick joke?" He gave a scornful laugh, shaking his head. "Right. Well, if it'll set your 'worries' aside, I'm just fine." Despite his words, Ridley's tone suggested otherwise.
Samus waited for a few moments before asking, "You want to talk about it?"
"I said I'm FINE." Ridley snapped, glaring at her. "Not like you actually give a damn." he added under his breath.
She shook her head in disagreement. "We are working together this time - so yes, I actually do care. And you are not fine, I can tell that much."
The dragon continued to glare at her silently in response.
After a few seconds, she let out an exasperated sigh. "You really are something. Even now, you're too stubborn for your own good."
For just a moment, Ridley's glare vanished, replaced with surprise... and something else. But it was only a moment. "What exactly is that supposed to mean, Aran?" he growled, his yellow eyes narrowed.
The huntress simply shrugged - she was oddly relaxed, considering the circumstances. "Something's eating you. It's really not hard to see - you don't hide it well. Trust me, you can't let it just sit there."
Ridley started to form a retort, but he hesitated. Instead, he mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that?" she asked, leaning forward slightly out of interest. "If you're going to talk, Ridley, speak up."
"… remembered something." he said quietly, his voice a sharp contrast to his normal grating, irritated growl. His expression was a strange one, for the dragon - his eyes half closed, giving him a sort of contemplative look.
Samus didn't say anything, only nodding once and motioning for him to explain.
For a few seconds, Ridley was silent, watching the shadows cast by the skiff's engine glow. "I don't know exactly what it was..." He shook his head, trying to remember it clearly. "A test... before I could learn to breathe flames. I think... I failed? I was flying... and all I can remember is fire scorching me." He shifted his wings automatically, wincing as his injured wing protested.
Samus waited for a few moments, in case he was going to continue. "… was there anything else?" She was genuinely interested, in spite of herself, with what the 'cold-blooded dragon' was beginning to remember.
He hesitated for a moment, not responding. '… what am I doing? This is Samus Aran, the hunter who has killed me more times than I can remember... and I'm having a conversation with her about some stupid memory...' His claws started to dig into the ground, carving deep furrows in the dirt. 'You idiot... this is only temporary. When all of this is over, she's going to be holding that cannon to your throat, just like always.' He was startled out of his thoughts by a metal-clad hand against his forearm.
"Ridley, get some sleep." Samus was kneeling next to him, her expression hidden behind that blue-green visor. "You need it - it will help you get your thoughts together." She sounded sincere - but maybe that was lack of sleep messing with his mind. When he nodded silently, the huntress seemed satisfied and stood up, making her way back over to the skiff.
Ridley sighed, inwardly surprised at how open he had been - and how eager Aran was to listen, as little as he may have said. 'What is wrong with me...' He curled up again, settling in for whatever meager amount of sleep he can get. Hissing quietly when he shifted his wing again, he didn't notice the faint blue tint in the torn membrane.
A/N - I want to apologize for this chapter being so short - especially considering how long it's been since the last one. I would have made it longer, but I simply couldn't come up with a decent way to continue it. I'll be honest, I've sort of had a major drop in inspiration for this story - believe me, I want to keep writing, but the story just isn't coming to me like it used to. If any of you have any ideas, no matter how out-there, please send them my way. See you all next chapter.