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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The Final Battle
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At last, the fateful day was to finally coming. After picking up a signal from the Hana-Nim, Riza and Ridley summoned Surlent, Scion and Dune to come to the sanctuary and get pre-pared for things to come. It was a couple days since Samus and her crew warned everyone about the Master Nothingness, before coming back to the Hana-Nim.
"Okay, here are the plans." Ridley announced to everyone near Riza's Sanctuary. "Riza, Professor Jilde and the others with the Jades have told me and Jilde that the sanctuary could become a space-ship, that could take us to the destination of choice; therefore, we decided to travel in here to reach the Master Nothingness." Out of the crowd on Hana-Nim crew members, Captain Zoltan stepped out of the crowd, ready to explain more things to the Jade warriors.
"We all know where this Nothingness resides!" Zoltan explained. "If you all follow us, we will show you where this vortex resides now." Jilde then started to raise his hand as he made it out of the sanctuary's entrance.
"Ahem, sir! I don't carry the Jade, I am just a mere researcher, that's all." Jilde shouted out. Captain Zoltan nodded his head and made a hand gesture to come here.
"Then, for your safety, you shall come with us. The Sanctuary itself is heading into a major danger zone." Zoltan told Jilde, as he approached the immense Hana-Nim mother ship. Before he entered, he waved good-bye to his daughter.
"Good luck Riza." Jilde said to Riza, getting ready to leave. "Be strong!"
"Thank you papa!" Riza replied, smiling and waving, going back to her sanctuary. The Jade warriors quickly made their way up into the chest area, where the controls were at, waiting for a signal by the Hana-Nim to get ready to follow them into space. Back at the Hana-Nim, Samus Aran and her comrades were working on some weapons that could help them defend themselves from this Master Nothingness.
"So, you guys have been working on some inventions all these hours?" Dr. Rebine asks, checking up on Samus, Gulim-Che, Xibalba and Azrael.
"Yes, we have." Samus replied, showing all the mechanics before shutting up the shells and lifting the tank up with her super strength she gained from the vaccine. "Since the vortex entity has became more powerful, we decided to create some special devices that could help us weaken the creature."
"It is called the 'Void Destroyer'. These babies could take care of any threatening black hole or entity bent on returning life to where it started." Azrael responded, getting all his things together. Dr. Lagua walked into the lab where Samus' party were working and was quite pleasantly surprised with the knowledge of the Space Hunters.
"Amazing creations you all have gotten planned up." Dr. Lagua said calmly. "However, only use them in a time of desperation. Okay?"
"Alright." As Samus' party were getting the five Void Destroyers into the space ships, the Hana-Nim intercom started to turn on.
"GET READY FOR TAKE OFF!" Captain Zoltan announced to the Space Hunters and the Flying Sanctuary. The Hana-Nim took a take off first, so they could lead the Jade Warriors to place of destination. Three days have past since everybody has set out into the deep voids of space, keeping an eye out for what danger could lurk.
"Do you sense anything coming our way Riza?" Surlent asked Riza, being deep in thought, playing as the radar for her beloved sanctuary.
"Ummmmmmm......I think I am hearing......some strange sounds........" Riza stuttered nervously. Then she rolled herself up into a ball, clutching her glowing Holy Jade on her forehead in terror. "What is the meaning of this?" Then suddenly, loud, eerie noises started to echo through both the flying sanctuary and the Hana-Nim, both getting ready for this unpleasant surprise that awaits them all. Ridley flew his way up to the head of the sanctuary, and turned on the view screen, to take a look at what was causing the sources of such hideous sounds.
"Guys......Ummmmm........THIS MASTER NOTHINGNESS, IT IS HERE, ALREADY!" Ridley cried out in shock. However, screaming and going hysterical would not solve anything, so Ridley started to telepathically communicate with the whole entire Hana-Nim mother ship.
"Everybody, this is me, Ridley, the Dragon Rudra. We have all found the Master Nothingness here and we are all going to land on the ruins of the moon fortress to battle this horrible being! Don't worry, me and my friends shall defeat the damned vortex, even if it costs our lives!"
"EGH! Are they insane?" Samus shrieked. "They are suppose to be amongst a race of deities. If they decide to sacrifice themselves like that, there will be no hope for their worlds!"
"Come on everyone, we have no time to lose now!" Xibalba cried out as he and others of Samus' crew have hopped into their battle cruisers and gotten ready to fight the vortex whenever necessary.
"CAPTAIN ZOLTAN, EVERYONE, THIS IS SAMUS ARAN! IN CASE THINGS GET WORSE HERE IN SPACE, WE WILL USE OUR 'VOID DESTROYERS' TO RELEASE THE NEGATIVE ENERGY OF THE MASTER NOTHINGNESS AND FILTER IT INTO ENERGY THAT COULD HELP. HOWEVER, FOR NOW, WE ARE HEADING INTO SPACE, OBSERVING THE VORTEX'S ACTIONS! OVER."
"Very well guys." Captain Zoltan replies to the Space hunters. "Please be careful.
---
On the Ruins of the moon, Surlent, Scion, Riza, Dune and Ridley teleported themselves out of the sanctuary and onto the surface they now call the battle field, all getting prepared for the battle of a lifetime. All of the warriors because their Rudra forms, since it was more powerful than their regular forms and watched the sky, getting ready to battle anytime the Master Nothingness comes.
"Look, something is forming right in front of us!" Surlent shouted, pointing out to the swirling marks in the middle of space. All of the sudden, two wicked eyes started to open up, revealing ethereal mist and a huge crystalline orb full of great powers beyond anyone's comprehension.
"Well, well, I have been waiting for you all to come." Master Nothingness cackled wickedly. "NOW! PREPARE FOR DOOMSDAY!!! KYA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Now, it was time for the great duel that will one day forever change the universe.
"We'll see about that!" Ridley snarled in anger as he focused himself of the entity. HE then curled himself into a ball, doing mid-air somersaults that shot out fire birds at the Master Nothingness' eyes. Scion leapt high into the air, absorbing his sword in the water/ice element, hacking away at the orb containing the vortex. Scion with all his strength jumped from one spot to another, hacking away at the mist.
"Ha, we are not as easy as we look!" Scion taunted as he was leaping around on the Master Nothingness. The being of the vortex gotten so frustrated with Scion, that it blew him away back to the Moon fortress ruins, the breath causing a dust storm.
However, the warriors refused to give up so easily. Dune started to transform into a gigantic, Naga-like creature, using windblasts of both the Yin and Yang elementals together. Riza battled the Master Nothingness' whirlwinds, and there, she transformed the feathers that fell from her wings/arms into laser projectiles, shooting at the center of the vortex and slimy fragments that flew out of it. Surlent also used his powerful abilities, powering up for his attacks. He perched onto his magical orb, and from the eye if Surlent's orb, comets and the fragments started to fly out and combat with the slime fragments and the harsh whirlwinds.
"Oh, is that so?" the Master Nothingness growled, coldly staring at the warriors whom fought as hard as they could. "TAKE THIS!!!" The twisted being started to shoot out some meteorite fragments out at everyone and everything, sending pieces of the ruins shattering and flying up from the waste. some struck the warriors, but like usual, they dodged the meteorite fragments as much as possible. However, everyone was to stick together and not separate. Dune in his Naga form, started to shoot out atomic rays at the entity, Ridley summoned an orb of darkness to blind the Master Nothingness, Riza shot out powerful Ball Lightning at the vortex being, Surlent created a force field that reflected the meteors off of himself and back to the being, while Scion used his best elemental sword techniques and would ravenously attack the Master Nothingness.
"BASTARDS! HOW DARE YOU!" Master Nothingness snarled in rage. The being suddenly started to glow radioactively, closing its eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?" Surlent cried out, shielding his eyes. Then, in a flash of a second, the Master Nothingness opens its eyes, summoning a great force to suck up the energy from the five warriors.
"See my great powers now?! HA HA HA HA HA!" cackled the Master Nothingness, dropping the warriors to their knees. They all reverted to their normal forms, since it takes some energy for their Rudra forms to live on.
"D.......DAMN YOU! WE WILL KILL YOU!!!" Ridley screeched in agony, waving his fists. Back at the Hana-Nim, Samus, Azrael, Xibalba and Gulim-Che took off from where the Hana-Nim stood, flying more into the Master Nothingness' terrain.
"Samus, Gulim-Che, Azrael, Xibalba!" Ion Kilmer cried out on the intercom. "Why the hell are you guys going out where the Master Nothingness is? It's dangerous!"
"Don't worry, I know how to fight these kind of beings." Samus Aran responded through the transmitter.
"We all know that Samus, but this entity, it is like no other being you guys have ever battled before." Kary cried out, feeling stunned.
"Please be careful." Dr. Lagua cautions the group. "If you can, try using you Void Destroyers!" As the space hunters made their way out of the ship, Samus and her comrades turned on the view screens to observe the five Jade Warriors.
"Oh lord, look at the warriors. They are in horrible condition!" Gulim-Che observes.
"Damn, that beam must have drained them of their energy." Xibalba replies, looking at his screen. Then he faced Samus on his view screen. "Hey Samus, when should we use the Void Destroyer?"
"Whenever the Master Nothingness uses that beam on the warriors again." Samus replies back, facing Xibalba on her view screen, looking quite stern. "For now, let's distract the being."
"Okay." Everyone gotten out their weapon supplies on their ships and started to use them against the Master Nothingness. The Master Nothingness took its eyes off of the Jade Warriors and faced Samus' party.
"More trying to fight me?" the Master Nothingness thought in anger, looking at the four space cruisers shooting away. "I will show them."
"Oh lord, LOOK!" Azrael shouted out, as he had all the view screens view the up-close of the Master Nothingness, glowing violently yet again. "We should get ready to use the Void Destroyers!" Everybody started to shoot out some vacuum hoses from their ships, getting ready to absorb the energy from the being.
"On the count of three, turn on the Void Destroyers to take its energy away!" Samus announced to her comrades, observing the Master Nothingness. "One...........! Two............! ............THREE!!!"
When the Master Nothingness opened up its eyes again, the space hunters started to inject the vacuums into the central orb of the vortex, taking the energy away from it.
"AAAAAACK! WHAT'S HAPPENING!" the Master Nothingness started to scream and howl out loud in pain and agony, feeling the energy pour from its misty body. The Jade Warriors started to rub their eyes, trying to clear their vision of what was now going on.
"What is happening to the Master Nothingness?" Dune asked, noticing the strange activities between the battle cruisers and the Master Nothingness.
"I think they are draining away some of the energy from the being, but why?" Riza replies, looking at the glowing beings battling each other. Samus' party started to feel great relief about the success of their weapons.
"YAYYYYYY! We are getting a truckload of energy from this monstrosity!" Azrael shouted in pure bliss though the intercom. As Samus' party started to plunge the vacuum hoses into the orb of the vortex, the Master Nothingness started to put up less of a struggle and started to turn a dim light gray. Finally, its eyes were shut tightly.
"Since we have a lot of energy in all five Void Destroyers, what shall we do with the energy now?" Gulim-Che asked on the intercom.
"FOLLOW ME!" Samus responded on the intercom, halting the three ships, so she could lead them to her destination. Samus Aran led Xibalba, Azrael and Gulim-Che over to the Moon Fortress' ruins, "Listen, there are some lives that need to be saved here. So let's use the energy to save these people."
"Even Ridley?" Gulim-Che asked warily, knowing all about the bitter feuding between Samus and Ridley.
"Yes, even Ridley!" Samus, Xibalba and Azrael replied in unison. Even though Samus and Ridley never really gotten along, he has became more of an importance to the galaxy now, ever since he has inherited the long lost Yin Jade. So the space hunters landed their battle cruisers and each pulled out their Void Destroyers machines as quickly as possible. All five were sent on reverse and Samus, Gulim-Che, Xibalba and Azrael attached inhalers on to the hoses, so the Jade Warriors could get some fresh energy to help them attack again.
"So far, so good." Samus Aran thought to herself in anticipation, as she and the comrades watched Surlent, Scion, Riza, Dune and Ridley recover before their eyes. They all started to regain more healthy colour in their flesh and started to inhale and exhale normally. As the warriors started to absorb the energy within their bodies, other thoughts crossed the minds of the Space Hunters.
"We have been through so much in our lives......" Gulim-Che sighed.
"I have a feeling this will be our final mission." Samus said somberly.
"I know we are looked upon as heroes, but universe without the higher beings would be emptiness." Azrael added, all the comrades bowing their heads.
"I think the ones with the Jade should continue on the legacy of defending the universe." Xibalba said quietly. As the Jade warriors were recovering more and more energy, the Master Nothingness' eyes started to open up.
"Samus, LOOK OUT!" Ion Kilmer shouted on the intercom.
"The Master Nothingness is regaining consciousness." Professor Jilde warned, but Samus and her party did not care, as long as Surlent, Scion, Riza, Dune and Ridley were healthy and ready to move on.
"I know, but what could we do?" Samus Aran replied in a weary sounding voice. As Samus' party started to head back to their ship, she noticed the Jade warriors totally recovered and in their Rudra forms, ready to fight on.
"Thank you very much." Surlent bowed as he handed Samus' party the void destroyers. "You want these back?"
"No sir, you may all keep them in case of another major emergency." Samus replied as she and the crew members took off in their ships and fought the Master Nothingness. "BE BRAVE EVERYBODY!"
Samus' party started to use as many weapons as possible against the Master Nothingness. However, even though it awakened, it was still enraged.
"THIS IS FOR DRAINING ME!!!" the Master Nothingness shouted as it started to attack the battle cruisers frantically. Both the vortex being and the Space Hunters fought with all their might.
But all of the sudden, Samus Aran, Gulim-Che, Xibalba and Azrael were all fresh out of their ammunition, leaving them to do one final thing.
"Now, we must take matters into our own hands." Samus and the crew whispered to themselves started to fly towards the core of the Master Nothingness. "We will all die for freedom and be re-born anew!"
With those last thoughts, Samus, Gulim-Che, Xibalba, and Azrael flew towards the cracked orb, crashing their ships into it, shattering some of the surface and releasing shards all over the place, as well as pieces of their battle cruisers.
"NOOOOOOO! SAMUS!!!" Ion Kilmer shouted in horror, seeing what these Space Hunters have done for the Jade warriors.
"Why now? Why did they have to go now?" Dr. Rebine sobbed loudly. Dr. Lagua held the woman, lending her a shoulder/wing to cry on.
"I know they were great people. They would have wanted it this way." Dr. Lagua responded softly. General Arvis flew up to the window, observing the mass destruction.
"All have been through so much over the years, this is how they would have wanted it." Arvis said somberly. "I am just glad to see the feuding between Samus and Ridley finally ended. Who would have known that one day, Ridley would have a change of heart and Samus, the one Ridley fought constantly, would help him that very day."
---
Meanwhile, on the moon's surface, a great surge of energy flowed through the veins of the Jade Warriors. The Master Nothingness enraged them so much, that they knew that they had to use the most powerful of techniques to destroy the thing.
"HA HA, YOU GUYS ARE NEXT TO DIE!" The Master Nothingness cackled loudly. Even though it lost a lot of power, the Master Nothingness wanted the battle to continue on, making everyone more frustrated than ever.
"NOT IF WE COULD HELP IT!!!" Surlent shouted at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, the Jade Warriors started to feel their bodies going through a great metamorphosis. Scion became a great Dragon King, with long serpentine body, scales like blades, five hundred legs and talons with sharp, hook-like claws and the fiery hair like swords on fire. Surlent felt himself becoming a golden Garuda bird, body shining in great radiance, and a shiny crystal within his chest. Riza became a Feng Huan (Phoenix Bird) whom brought great harm to her foes, but would also take the foes energy and heal her friends with it. Dune started to become the legendary Kirin, the creature whom punishes the wicked with its horns. Finally, Ridley became an even mightier dragon yet, with skin like shiny platinum armor, four tough wings of metal and the ability to cast out mighty plasma rays to instantly kill anyone unfortunate to cross his path. All the beings started to gang up on the master Nothingness, using their most fatal powers to eliminate the cruel being.
"NOOOOO.....!" The Master Nothingness wheezed out in agony. Scion, Surlent, Riza, Dune and Ridley, in their new forms, attacked the entity constantly, weakening it more and more. Scion fought tooth and nail, Surlent summoned out the Tori-Shi (Death Sending Bird) from the crystal within his chest, Riza started to use scorching heat to weaken the Master Nothingness, using its energy to heal her friends, Dune used beams of light and dark from his horns while Ridley breathed out the plasma rays onto the Master Nothingness, making it turn a bright crimson red with weakness.
"Wait, I have a plan!" Surlent exclaimed. "Let us combine all four of our elements together! Does that sound good enough?
"YEAH!" Everyone shouted in ambition. All the Jade Warriors combined their elemental attacks and physical attacks together, causing mass carnage for the Master Nothingness. It was like a great fireworks show in space.
Scion used his blade like body and flaming hair....
Surlent summoned the Tori-Shi, as well as Death Rains and poison winds....
Riza used "Holy Flare" against Master Nothingness and turned its energy into healing compounds for Riza and her friends.......
Dune used Yin and Yang elements simultaneously.......
.....And finally, Ridley used Plasma Rays, alongside his blade-like wings, to cut up the orb within the being. With those final attacks, the Master Nothingness started to disintegrate.
"This cannot be.........AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" the Master Nothingness screeched, finally turning to dust. The Jade Warriors became their normal selves and warped back to Riza's Sanctuary, getting ready to leave. As the sanctuary started to take off, a gigantic dust storm started to blow everything around like a hurricane in a populated city.
"CALLING RIZA'S SANCTUARY! THIS IS COMMANDER KARY OF THE HANA-NIM! THERE IS A NASTY DUST STORM COMING THIS WAY. DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER, THE STORM IS GETTING WORSE AND YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO YOUR PLANET ALONE!"
"Then what should we do then?" Ridley cried out in panic, dust blowing the flying sanctuary in different directions, sending things flying.
"Hold on, we shall help you all make it back safely." Kary responded, the HAna-Nim carefully approaching the sanctuary. As the warriors tried their best to grab onto something, so they could stay still, the immense mother-ship used some grappling tools to get a hold of the sanctuary, dragging it carefully to where the tools came from, holding on safely.
Everyone in the sanctuary closed their eyes, waiting for this catastrophe to end.
---
Back on Dai-Chi, the dust from outer space made the skies become discoloured, transforming the clear blue sky into a sun-bursting orange shade. Everyone there started to worry.
"What is going on!" the Villagers at the city of Babel cried out in panic, noticing the odd tints in the sky.
"Everyone, I think the Nothingness of Beyond has been defeated!" Garlyle cheered out. Everyone then started to feel relieved, looking up at the sky. Finally, everyone and everything on the whole planet witnessed Riza's Sanctuary and the Hana-Nim come from the sky.
"Saviors have done it! Nothingness is gone!" every creature on Dai-Chi cheered out, witnessing the sanctuary returning to where it once came from.
At last, a long journey is finally over.
---
Two years later.........
.......In the Aftermath........
...........Things seemed to be quite different from what the Jade warriors remember everything to be. Ridley decided to stay with Scion, Surlent, Riza and Dune, instead of joining the crew on the Hana-Nim. He felt like he belonged on Dai-Chi, since he inherited the "Yin Jade". Ridley, Scion, Surlent, Riza and Dune were quite relieved about Dai-Chi being saved and peace being brought into their world once again. They were now New Generation Rudras, fulfilling the deeds of the ancient god warriors of long ago.
However, the haunting last days for Samus Aran, Gulim-Che, Xibalba and Azrael have came back to their minds. One day, as the Neo-Rudras were strolling the valley near Riza's Sanctuary, they found trashed remains of the battle cruisers in the mountains, obviously belonging to the Space Hunters.
"I Just can't believe this." Ridley sighed in pity. "Even with all the powers she inherited from the vaccine to fight the viruses, Samus still decided to give up her life, so we may live on."
"I know what you mean Ridley." Surlent said calmly, bowing his head down in sadness. "It was quite an irony indeed."
"I was just thinking......." Riza said, observing the ruins. "If it was not for Samus, Gulim Che, Xibalba and Azrael giving up their lives to save us, we would have lost the chance to live a long life and everything would have to start all over again."
"I just hope the next life for them will be much better." Dune sighed. "The Space Hunters were born in battle and they died in battle." All the Neo-Rudras gathered around what they called "The Space Hunter Memorial site" and put down many offerings for the heroes in their afterlife and life of re-birth, amongst the belongings, were the Void Destroyers used to save their lives.
"This is for all of you!" Ridley said as he found some paper laggs (money currency of Rudra's world) and put them on all four space ships. "Come on, let us fulfill the destiny of the deceased!" Everyone started to feel a bit more confident about things, as they left the memorial grounds for Samus, Azrael, Xibalba and Gulim-Che, hoping that they could finally rest.
Back at his sanctuary near Vlad and Kyojin's Temple, Scion would keep training himself in being the toughest God Being ever to grace the galaxy. With how he was training, Scion would hardly get rusty and fall behind on what he all learned. Surlent started to create more powerful Jades for those whom are worthy of becoming a Rudra. Dune rejoined Kidd again and started to build great inventions, as well as a couple of beings called 'Iblis', the one that leads deceased souls safely to the Netherworld, and 'Mareyam', the being that predicts danger in their worlds, and destroys anything that threatens the five Neo-Rudras. Professor Jilde was returned to Dai-Chi by the Aeonese Hana-Nim crew, staying in the village of Kahn, helping Zekou and spreading the good words of his sacred daughter.
As for Riza and Ridley, well, Ridley decided to keep Riza company and would both help each other out whenever one or the other had some problems. The Rudra couple were completely devoted to each other, and would do whatever it took to make them and ones they loved happy.
Thus, it is time for the Neo-Rudras to relax and go on about their duties, until one day, when the galaxy will call out for them to help purify things. But in the meantime, everyone celebrated their time of peace and prosperity for as long as it could last.
~ The End ~