Heart of a Dragon
By Karasuhato, the "Raven Dove"
(karasuhato@ecmail.i-p.com)
and
Ultima Mayu
(mayu_roxx@hotmail.com)
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The "Metroid" series is copyright of Nintendo co. ltd.
"Rudra no Hihou" (Rudra's Secret Treasure) is copyright of Squaresoft and Graphical Corporations CROWD inc.
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Karasuhato's Key/Legend to story elementals:
= A character's thoughts
italics=character's point of view
CAPITAL LETTERS= character talking loudly
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Under Pressure
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Azrael and his assistant, Xibalba (Zei-bal-bah), heard Samus' alarm clock go off, but Samus did not awaken. The virus could have seriously infected her, so both of the Aeonese crew members decided to check up on the ill bounty hunter.
"Samus......." Azrael whispered, feeling great concern for the mighty space hunter. "Samus.......are you okay there?" As Xibalba turned Samus' alarm clock, Azrael decided to peel the moist covers off of Samus' pale face and lifted her head from the semi-dry puddle of vomit.
"Ugh! Oh dear....." sighed Azrael in disgust as he lifted Samus out of bed. Xibalba put his hand up to Samus' forehead, trying to avoid the vomit.
"Damn, she's burning!" Xibalba sighed. "DOCTOR REBINE! PLEASE COME, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!!"
As Xibalba shouted out as loud as he could, Doctor Laya Rebine came running into the room, having a semi-worried look on her face. She was from planet Tyr and was humanoid, but much more taller and had more muscle than Earth humans, making her a doctor to definitely rely on for strength and thinking.
"What happened?" asked Dr Rebine. Xibalba pointed out Samus lying unconscious and filthy in Azrael's arms.
"Samus apparently caught a nasty virus." Azrael responded, feeling nervous. "I hope you can PLEASE help." Dr. Rebine walked up to Azrael and observed Samus even closer.
"Oh dear, here, let me take care of this!" Dr. Rebine said as she took Samus from Azrael's arms and lifted Samus over her shoulder, and went to the bathroom near Samus' bed to give her a nice, warm bath and to check up on her. This started to make the three Galactic Federation members quite concerned.
"I hope Samus will feel better......" Azrael sighed telepathically to Xibalba.
"Me too! Samus, please make it through this pain. PLEASE!"
---
On the savage planet of Ashura, the Hana-Nim landed in a spot far from the Galactic Federation. Inside this mother ship, Surlent was looking out the windows, taking notes on this odd planet.
"The planet looks quite young yet!" Surlent said in observation, taking notes. Surlent also pulled out his outdoors thermometer from his sack of belongings, observing the temperature. "WHOA! It is 88.6 degrees Fahrenheit outside."
"Indeed." replied Dr. Lagua, observing Surlent's outdoor thermometer. Both Lagua and Surlent started to rub the moist fog off the windows, getting a clearer observation of the planet's environment. Birds flew around chirping, animals scurried around making noise and colourful bugs surrounded the ship. "Most of the planet is moist, tropical weather and plant life. How amazing."
Riza was finally waking up from her sleep. She felt a little better than before, however, she still could not figure out the thing that made her snap into an hysterical fit that one day. After drawing her data in her journal, Riza put on her metallic kimono and head out of the room where she was staying at, getting ready for a new day to greet her.
"Riza-Chan!" Ridley called out. Riza turned around and smiled, waving back at him.
"Hey Ridley!" Riza said softly, hugging the fiery Aeonese dragon. "I'm glad to see that you are okay. I'm sorry for that one ruckus I caused on this ship a few days ago."
"Heh! That's long over with. Besides, the Galactic Federation won't bother us here on this planet. We are faw away from them now!"
"Ha ha, good!" Riza laughed. As Riza got ready to join her friends at breakfast, all feasting on some Adobo buns (Filipino styled braised pork in buns), Dr. Lagua started to approach Riza and her friends.
"Hey humanoid girl and friends." Dr. Lagua laughed. No one has ever seen the Aeonese doctor in such a hyper mood. Usually, he was quite calm and tranquil, hard to pull away from research. "Looks like you and your friends with the Jade don't need to wear your armor outside. The environment and weather is quite too nice for it!"
"Thank you for the reminder." Riza responded, finishing up her Adobo bun.
"Will we still need to bring our weapons and items outside, just in case we are exploring?" Scion asked the doctor.
"Sure, why not." Dr. Lagua responded. "It is a good idea, since we don't know what lurks in this immense jungle!" Dune also started to raise his hand high up in the air.
"Or do we need to use Mantra as well?"
"Yes. Anything to protect yourselves from danger is mandatory." Dr Lagua said calmly. Everyone got done with breakfast and got dressed, and also started to organized their inventory as well. Scion got dressed in only his jean cut offs, his wrist and ankle guards and put his patch over his eye socket where the Life Jade resides. Surlent wrapped a sarong-like garment around his body, making sure it would cover up his Jade as well, put some sandals on and grabbed out a flail-like spear that Surlent calls "The Swallow", because of it's speed on hitting monsters. Riza slipped out of her kimono and put on a two piece tube top and knee length tropical skirt, both pieces being an aqua blue-green colour and embodied with tropical flowers. She also grabbed out her yang elemental saber and put on some gloves from her clean and shiny armor, slipped on a pair of durable sandals and started to braid her long hair up, so she could keep it out of her face. Dune put on a pair of trousers, brought his gun and gun case with and gotten ready to head out with the others.
Luckily for Ridley though, he did not need weapons or armor, since he had quite strong reptilian hide and fire power to protect himself with. All five members headed out of the Hana-Nim, getting ready to explore some unknown territory.
"Remember everybody, be careful!" shouted Arvis as everyone started to leave, wishing them luck.
"And if anything is planning to be violent and hostile, fight it back!" Kary commanded. Everyone waved goodbye as they left for the jungle.
---
Samus Aran opened her eyes, seeing the blurry surroundings around her. Her eyes started to dilate, and then they stood still.
"Oh, ohhhh, what happened?" Samus got up, put on her robes and started to stagger her way out of her room. Before she knew it, Samus' eyesight became normal, if albeit perfect. Samus went into the dark bathroom to get something and saw everything there was. It was like she had an ability to see in the dark. The image of seeing in the dark started to flash on and off, but it was still enough for the bounty hunter to see.
"Amazing." Samus thought to herself. "I could not see images in the dark before...." Samus continued to climb around her bathroom and make her way out of the bathroom and into her own room. As she got ready to lay down, she noticed something quite particular about this whole situation.
"Ack! What am I doing on the ceiling?" As Samus tried to get herself down, Gulim-Che, Xibalba, Azrael and Laya Rebine come into her room, looking quite astounded at what they saw.
"Samus? WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE CEILING?" cried out Gulim-Che, looking pre-paired to faint. Samus started to blush a bright hot red pepper colour.
"Eh? Uhhhh....well, I did not mean to get up here! I found myself staring in the dark and then, I found myself up here? What's going on?"
As Gulim-Che and Dr. Laya Rebine helped Samus on getting down from the ceiling, they noticed something odd that happened to her body.
"Your hands........AND feet!!!" the doctor gasped as she observed Samus' hands and feet, being much smaller than her own. "Why, they seem to be rather clammy and sticky. How odd."
"WHA.....?" Samus shrieked, feeling quite dumbfounded. "I never realized that. I just blacked out and found myself running around in the dark and on walls and ceilings." Gulim-Che just stood, nodding his bird-like head in observation.
"That is the reason why you were climbing those walls and ceilings, and seeing in the dark as well." Gulim-Che observed. "The virus gave you those abilities."
Suddenly, the intercom turned on and so did the emergency sirens.
"THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!" Everyone on the ship started to look alarmed.
"AN UNKNOWN FORCE IS ATTACKING OUR GALACTIC FEDERATION COLONY! EVERY SOLDIER, PRE-PAIR FOR BATTLE!!!"
"Come on Samus, we have no time to lose!" cried out Azreal and Xibalba in panic, as the two Aeonese dragons of the federation started to make way into their battle ships. Samus headed to her closet, got on her armor with no problems, and headed to her battle ship, flying into space, pre-pairing to fight for her life and lives on the others on the GF Colonial ship. As Samus saw what she was getting ready to fight, she became completely petrified with utter terror. More terror than the Mother Brain or Queen Metroid put together. It looked like foggy, ethereal mist, except, that there were two, evil eyes staring from the mist, as well as an orb that violently glowed. It was now known that Samus' nightmare has came true........
..........THE NOTHINGNESS FROM BEYOND HAS FINALLY CAME!
"D....damn. It is like my worst thoughts are finally coming true..." Samus thought to herself. Samus and the other soldiers of the Galactic Federation started to attack this strange and horrible entity. This seemed to be the first time ever that Samus was not on a one-woman mission. With help, the entity may go away.
However, this task was easier said than done. The Nothingness from Beyond was a lot more powerful than the soldiers thought. As they attacked, it countered attacked with burning light, meteor and comet fragments, spewing strange, slimy life forms onto ships and to top this all off, it used a vacuum effect to even suck some battle ships into it's vortex, never to be seen again. But Samus was not one to give in so easily. The battle hardened warrior knew better than to give in to such a force.
Just as they thought they were safe, the Chairman, Gulim Che and other officials and civilians noticed something odd coming into their ships. From the twisted vortex, came mutations that crept from battle ships and made their was into the GF colony armada. No matter how hard some people fought, the mutations engulfed then in a few gulps and were being ripped from limb to limb. Now it was time to take some serious action.
"Gulim Che, Dr. Rebine, slip into your uniforms and get out the poisonous "Bio-Gas", while I make an announcement for evacuation!"
"Yes sir." Chairman Kilmer's two assistants said as they got into their suits and gathered up the Bio-Gas. Kilmer grabbed the intercom microphone to give an announcement.
"EVERYONE, THIS IS CHAIRMAN ION KILMER! EVERYONE EVACUATE TO THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE GALACTIC FEDERATION COLONY ARMADA! WE ARE GOING TO GAS THE UPPER LEVELS TO GET RID OF THESE STRANGE MONSTROSITIES!"
With that emergency announcement, the civilians donned fire-proof uniforms, helmets and gas mask, with a well oxygen supply along the side, and all evacuated to the lower levels of the great ship. With everyone finally gone, Kilmer, Gulim-Che, Rebine and other officials were well equipped and ready to gas these strange mutated beasts.
"This better damn well work." Chairman Kilmer thought to himself as he and the others released the Bio Gas, hitting every mutated being. "I could only hope......"
---
Back on Planet Ashura, Surlent, Scion, Riza, Dune and Ridley have found a good place to camp out at. Somewhere that is not too damp, nor too dry, just right for storing things at. Near their yurt shelter (yurt is a huge tent that wanderers and nomads use), they had a good food supply by their side. Fruits and Vegetables in cooler containers and meat from hunted animals in salt skins to keep them preserved. There was also spare clothing for the humanoids, as well as a tarp to put over the yurt in case of rainy days and Radio contact supplies to help the travelers keep in touch with the Hana-Nim. At night, Dune and Scion had problems trying to sleep, they simply were not tired. So the two men headed out of the yurt for a bit and do some star gazing.
"Ah yeah, this is such a nice, calm night." Dune sighed in relief, staring into the pristine, star covered sky.
"You are telling me." Scion responded. "Heh, heh, and no damn street lights to interfere with it all." But right as the two men were observing closer at things in the sky, a humongous mass of red light started to spread out, covering the stars and making strange whistling noises.
"What the hell? WHAT IS THAT?" Dune screeched, jumping from his spot. Ridley, Surlent and Riza got abruptly awakened by the eerie whistling noises, feeling quite irritable, as well as annoyed by the noises and glowing.
"UGH! Can't you see we are......" The trio's dialogue was totally cut off by the strange noise that got louder and glowing that became more brilliant that before. Ridley all of the sudden started to feel quite queasy inside.
"Aaaa....AAAAAAH! It hurts, IT HURTS." Ridley wailed. All of the sudden, there was a loud thump that was heard from a good distance. Ridley started to feel even more stranger than ever. His eyes really widened up, his mind blanking out, and also, to top it off, received strange signals. He felt his mind drift away slowly.
"They want me. They want me back." Ridley said blankly, as he started to wander from everyone as if he were sleep walking. Riza and Surlent approached Ridley, trying to cut off the signal.
"Ridley, no, don't listen to those strange signals!" cried Riza, as she shook the great space dragon.
"It is all a trap." Surlent gasped. "They are using you Ridley!" Ridley then started to storm away from them in rage.
"NO!" Ridley screamed in anger. "I MUST COME FOR THEM! I MUST!!!"
"Ridley, please, no!" Riza cried out, but Ridley stormed out of the scene, trying to fly as fast as possible. As Ridley started to fly away, Dune, with all of his speed, eventually caught up to Ridley.
"Ridley, listen." Dune shouted at the max of his breath. "STOP THIS AT ONCE! THEY ARE USING YOU. YOU HAVE LOST ALL OF YOUR SENSES! FIGHT THAT EVIL URGE." Ridley then, grabbed the treasure hunter and with all of his might, flung him into some tree branches.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO! SHUT UP." Ridley growled. "Don't worry everybody, I'm coming." As Dune slowly made his way down the trees, Ridley kept flying faster, catching up to where the strange signal was coming from, deep in the jungle. To Ridley's surprise, it was some of the Zebesians raiders that Ridley thought have died on Zebes, just before the Nothingness of Beyond ate the planet up.
"Come closer....." the lead Zebesian said calmly.
"Uh, uh huh. I shall." Ridley stuttered blankly. "You guys survived Zebes?" As Ridley finished talking, the creatures started to strike out at him in violent anger. "Hey....! What was that for?"
"WHY DID YOU BETRAY US, YOU SON OF A BITCH?" the lead Zebesian shouted as tendrils came from it's pincer and wrapped around Ridley's neck.
"You left us, just so we could be devoured by the powerful vortex called 'the Nothingness of Beyond'. Now, we are horribly mutated and miserable, ALL THANKS TO YOU RIDLEY." another Zebesian replied.
"I did not mean to doom you all to die." Ridley cried out in pain, while two out of six of the mutated Zebesians started to pummel him up. "I thought Samus killed you all after the fall of Mother Brain and the Nothingness. Honestly, I did not know at all."
"Uh huh, sure....That is what ALL traitors say! HA HA HA HAH HA HAH!!!" the third Zebesian cackled as it spat venomous saliva in Ridley's dragonian face. Luckily thought, Ridley knew when to shut his eyes.
"You betray us? Then, YOU DIE!!! KYO HO HO HO HO HO!!!" another Zebesian laughed bitterly as it and a couple other Zebesians lifted Ridley with all of their might and threw him up against a huge, gnarled tree.
"No, no, NO! You guys betrayed me, you are the ones that need to die." Ridley snarled as he started to breathe out a big fire bouquet to scorch all six of the mutated Zebesians. Then, he struck the twisted beings, breaking off some of the exoskeletons of the beings. However, as Ridley struck out and scorched some of the Zebesians, the leader had an idea of it's own.
"Bastard. You'll pay!" the lead Zebesian sneered as he grabbed Ridley by the neck. "I'll rip your head off."
"GRAAAAAH! NO YOU WON'T! YOU WILL DIE!!!" Ridley screeched. "YOU WILL DIE, YOU WILL DIE, YOU WILL DIE!" Ridley's angry voice was so loud, that every bird from every tree and bush started to fly away in great fear. The yelling was so loud, it even woke up all the Jade warriors back at the camp site.
"Oh dear." Riza sighed nervously.
"What is wrong Riza?" Surlent asked calmly. Everyone in the yurt looked at Riza, feeling worried.
"I can sense it. Ridley is in great danger. He has been tricked and is being hurt!" With the words that came from the frightened young woman, Surlent, Scion and Dune started to get all their stuff together.
"Well, then, COME ON EVERYONE! WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE!" Scion commanded as everyone came well equipped and followed the trail of the distressed Aeonese space dragon. Everyone brandished their weapons, showing that they were not a force to be messed with. The jade warriors stormed through the jungle as fast as a Cyclone. Finally, the warriors found a group of strange, twisted mutations and an injured Ridley moaning in pain and agony.
"Ridley, are you okay?" Riza asked, kneeling down to the dragon. "Here, let me help you." As Riza set a hand on Ridley's wounded spots, she clensed the wounds and closed them back up, stopping the bleeding and infections from reaching his body.
"Oh, thank you Riza." Ridley moaned. "I'm sorry I did not listen to you before. I feel so bad. I just can't believe it, my former Zebesian crew turning against me. I think this Nothingness of Beyond is warping everything it swallows. Please destroy the traitors."
"Very well." Riza smiled and winked, pulling out her crystalline saber.
It was now four against six. Even though the Zebesian Mutants were slightly mangled, they still did not give up and would even fight to the finish. Scion turned into his massive, beast-like warrior god form and started to hack up two of the Zebesians into gory little pieces. Dune became his deity form as well and became so speedy, that he could confuse all of the mutated beasts and wear them out by making them pursue him. As the beings became confused and light headed, Surlent sucked out some of their energy and absorbed it into his own body. Riza, being the kindly and sacrificing soul that she was, not only attacked the Zebesians, she served herself as a flesh and blood shield for Ridley. She had enough of the mutations hurting ones that did not deserve it. Suddenly, Dune, while trying to shoot down the lead Zebesian, got stuck in the claw/tendrils of the twisted being.
"Wa-Ka-Pou!" Dune shouted. From his gun, there were fiery magma bullets that shot out at the leader and all six of the other Zebesian mutants, burning through their shells. All six of the creatures were destroyed, only leaving the doom leader to beg on it's knees.
"How dare you do this to us!" The leader sobbed. "Why didn't the nothingness eat you instead of us?" Scion walked up to the leader, towering over him, and staring down at the pitiful being, pointing his mighty "Apocalypse Sword" at him.
"Because, we are the ones destined to fight this Nothingness." Scion laughed. "Now, DIE!" Scion's fast blade flew down on the leader, chopping it's head off.
"Come on now, we need to all go back to our shelter." Surlent commanded everyone as he and the other Jade Warriors helped Ridley back to the shelter. Surlent, the leader of the Jade warriors, had to think of more plans of what to do on the planet. Ridley was wounded and somebody had to watch over him. ""Okay everybody, before we head back to the Hana-Nim, somebody has to stay with Ridley and help him."
"I'll do that." Riza responded softly as she wrapped her arms around Ridley's chest.
"Thank you Riza." Ridley sighed.
"Okay Riza. I could tell you two have taken quite a liking to each other. Hee hee hee." Surlent chuckled. "Well, me, Scion and Dune have to go back to the Hana-Nim. I got Dune communicating with the General of the Hana-Nim right now to let him and his crew know."
"Okay." Riza said, getting up and patting Surlent on the back. "Good luck."
"Hope things turn out." Ridley softly replied.
"Take care guys." Surlent and the guys said before leaving. Hours later, as Riza was observing the spots where Ridley's wounds used to be, a bright lavender glow emitted from his chest.
"AAAAAAAACK! What's going on here?" Ridley shrieked in total bemusement. Then, Riza's Holy Jade started to glow as well. "I think....there is a connection here. What is it?"
As Riza looked closer at Ridley's chest, she found quite an amazing and unusual surprise to await both of them.
"Ridley." Riza gasped. "You have...........THE YIN JADE!!!"
"What? I have a jade within me? Just like you guys?" Ridley asked.
"Yes. Indeed. You are chosen to help save life in the galaxy."
"Really?" Ridley thought. "Why me though? The higher beings are aware that I did some naughty things in the past, and now they want me to....help?"
"Yes." Riza replied. "All is forgiven. Now, we must go to bed, I'm tired."
"Me too Riza, me too." Ridley responded as Riza slipped under the sleeping bags with the Aeonese Dragon, cuddling with him and comforting him from anything that could go wrong.
As Riza and Ridley drifted off to sleep, Riza started to hear the voice of Meifa.
"Riza, Riza......"
"Uh, yes?" Riza asked groggily.
"This is Meifa. So Ridley has the Yin Jade, which is also known as the Dark Jade, right?"
"Yes, that is right." Riza said calmly to the former holy savior.
"Since you have the Yang Jade, which is also known as the Holy Jade, it was said a long time ago in an ancient Danan legend that one day, when darkness and holiness and when yin and yang re-unite together, unity will approach, and all shall be in balance and harmony. No evil force could withstand the power of the combined elements of Dark, Light, Birth, Life, Death and Re-birth."
"Really? Then, how did Ridley get the jade Meifa?"
"You gave it to him Riza."
"ME?" gasped Riza. "How did I do that?"
"It was your caring for the being and the thoughts of ones you have cared about that gave him the Jade. When the Zebesian mutants turned against him, when Mother Brain was destroyed and when Ridley had no where to go, he sees you as his savior. Now, with the two thoughts meet, you blessed him with the Jade, so the former Space Pirate could now do heroic deeds, and help the ones chosen by the Jade to save every thing in the galaxy from being manipulated or being toyed with."
"Thank you Meifa." Riza said.
"Take care Riza. Please, make us, the ancient god warriors, proud."