Chapter nine: Final Showdown
Samus tore through Yaza Plains on Kathy's fastest Karayan horse, dressed in his true Karayan clothing. Samus felt extremely guilty for taking Kathy's horse without telling her, but he wanted to beat the rescue party to Mt. Hei-To and finally destroy Solon Jhee.
Taking a detour from Yaza Plains, Samus' horse arrived at the foot of the small mountain, if it could even be called that. Samus brought the horse to a stop and quickly jumped off. He got on one knee and started smelling the ground. He knew that Ace was part of the rescue team, and Samus was smelling for the distinct scent of leather or alcohol. He smelled the scent of leather, but that must have been Lilly or Reed from earlier. Satisfied that he had made it to his destination before the rescue team, Samus stood up and walked over to the horse.
Samus leaned close to the horse's ear and started talking in a strange language that Karayan horses understood. Only by doing this earlier did Samus get the horse to cooperate in the first place. After finishing his talk, Samus climbed back on the horse and took off into the forests.
Filled with the determination to finally avenge his parents, Samus tore through the forest as fast as he could make his horse go. He was going to make Solon Jhee pay dearly for the amount of pain he put him through as a boy, and the mere thought of how he would feel once he defeated the evil man gave Samus an even bigger adrenaline rush.
Eventually, Samus was close enough to see something in the distance. He slowed his horse down and directed it into the thick wall of forest to keep himself from being noticed. Samus made the horse quietly trot towards the group of figures in the distance without being seen or heard.
When he got within several yards of the forest edge, Samus quietly got off the horse and silently told it to stay where it was. Turning from the horse, Samus slowly approached the forest edge, hid behind a tree and looked beyond the trees. Samus' eyes widened at the scene that lay before him.
Standing several yards away, alive and well, was Solon Jhee. Even after more than a decade, he still looked exactly the same. He was circling the group of Hugo, Lucia, Beecham Lilly and Reed, all of which were standing back to back in a circle. Each had their hands bound behind his or her back. Samus listened as Solon Jhee spoke.
"That girl was lucky that she escaped." Solon said. "Not a lot of people escape my wrath."
"But she's gone straight to the castle!" Hugo snapped. "By now, there should be a rescue team being sent to save us!"
Solon chuckled. "No matter. By the time they arrive. All five of you will be dead."
Lucia growled. "How can you still be alive, Jhee?!" She demanded. "You were killed by Luca Blight years ago!"
Solon walked over to the Karayan chief and smirked. "Luckily, I knew a fellow that was good in magic and he gave me brought me back." He said.
Samus narrowed his eyes. He knew why Solon was still alive, but that wasn't his main priority.
Solon continued walking around the group, holding his sword like he was getting ready to strike. He smirked evilly. "Who should I kill first?" He asked aloud. "The chief of Karaya...Her son...The daughter of the Tinto mayor...The man that caused me so much trouble when I had my men kill Kelsey's husband...Or one of the best soldiers in Tinto..."
Solon slowly walked around the group of captives, trying to decide on which one to kill. In the forest, sweat was dripping down Samus' face. He was going to jump out and face Solon. He was just waiting for the good moment. Suddenly, Solon stopped, pointing his sword at the neck of the person he chose.
Lucia.
Samus' eyes sprang open, then narrowed. There was NO WAY he was going to let the chief of Karaya, a woman he knew for years, get killed by the man he despised the most. Samus jumped from his hiding place, knowing what he had to do.
Samus charged into the open, ripping his father's sword from the holster on his back. Samus quickly did the one thing that would take Solon's attention away from Lucia.
"JHEE!!!"
Hearing his name being called, Solon slowly turned his head from Lucia. Standing several feet away from him was a young man dressed in orange and black Karayan leather, with black Karayan pants. His hair was short, whitish hair that was slightly spiked in several places. He held a long, sharp Karayan sword in his hand, and was pointing it at Solon. His face was twisted in anger and hate.
Seeing the young man, Solon raised an eyebrow. "Have we met?" he asked.
Samus seethed. "You don't know me, but BOY do I know you!" Samus said. "Twelve years ago, you killed my mother while I remain in hiding! Seven years before that, you had your men kill my father!" He said
Solon walked away from his captives and towards Samus. "I'm sorry, but I'm still not sure as to who you are." He said.
Samus gave his answer coldly. "I'm the son of the Harmonian named Kelsey!" He said.
Solon's eyes widened. "Kelsey had a son?!" He asked. He suddenly muttered something under his breath. "I should've searched the hut after I killed her."
"Leave them alone!" Samus demanded. He could've sworn he saw Lucia give a very rare smile of happiness, yet was also mixed with a look of disbelief. Samus continued. "Fight me, Jhee!" he said. "I'll defeat you and avenge my parents!"
Solon smirked evilly as he drew his sword. "Very well. I could use a good fight." He said in amusement. "At least tell me your name first."
Samus nodded. "I am Cyra of Karaya, son of Tyron and Kelsey, and your worst nightmare!"
Solon chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Samus and Solon advanced on each other and clashed swords. Solon quickly pulled away and attempted a horizontal strike at Samus legs. Samus saw this coming and leapt over the blade of steel. Samus continued with a downward slash, but Solon stepped aside, leaving Samus open for attack. Solon thrust his foot into Samus' side, sending him flying back several feet before landing roughly on the ground.
Lying on the ground, Samus clutched his side, where Solon had kicked him. He couldn't believe that a simple kick would hurt as much as it did or was even strong enough to send him flying that far. Still, Samus wasn't one to give up, so he leapt to his feet despite the pain in his side and charged at Solon again.
The two enemies clashed swords again. They continued clashing swords several times before breaking away from each other. Samus quickly ran at Solon and leapt into the air. Solon raised his sword to strike Samus in midair, but Samus luckily saw this. Lashing out his own sword, Samus managed to take Solon's sword away from his head, just in time for Samus to land a hard kick to the evil man's face.
Solon staggered back, rubbing his jaw. He chuckled lightly. "Impressive. I should've seen that one coming."
Solon continued by charging at Samus, his cape flowing with every step. He raised his sword in an attempt at a diagonal slash. Samus quickly dodged the attack and lashed out his foot, knocking Solon off his feet. Samus attempted to finish the fight there by pulling his sword up to bring it down on Solon. His opponent saw this and quickly brought his own sword up to block the attack. Solon thrust his foot up, nailing Samus in the stomach, making him stagger back long enough for Solon to stand up. The two quickly clashed swords again several times.
The fight continued for a good several minutes, and Samus was starting to feel a little weaker. Solon was starting to win the fight. After several struggles, Samus and Solon had locked swords again. Sweat dripped down Samus' face as he struggled to keep his sword in his hands.
Solon grinned as he saw his opponent weakening, and Samus knew that he wouldn't be able to continue going on like this. He sighed inwardly and was just about ready to drop his stance and let Solon kill him.
However, something inside Samus was urging him to continue trying. Samus was wondering what it was, but suddenly realized something. He knew what Solon was going to do to the others before Samus showed up, and he suddenly realized that he was going to kill them after killing him.
Suddenly, Samus was filled with regained anger and energy. He wasn't going to let everyone down. Not at a time like this. Feeling ore strength than ever before, Samus pushed on his sword with all his might, pushing Solon back. After regaining his balance, Solon's eyes widened when he saw the power Samus had just used.
Samus charged at his enemy, swinging his sword wildly. Solon managed to block every attack, but only barely. Samus again locked swords, this time purposefully. This time, it was Solon that was trying to keep his grip on his sword's handle. Samus started spinning his sword around, spinning Solon's at the same time. Samus quickly prevailed and managed to make Solon lose grip on the handle of his sword, sending it flying several feet away, clearly out of his reach.
Samus breathed in and out, pointing his sword at Solon's chest. His eyes were narrowed with anger. "Give up?" Samus asked.
Although hesitant, Solon nodded. "I must admit, you are an incredibly skilled warrior, my friend." He said. He paused for a few seconds. "Very well. I will let the others live this time." He backed away from Samus and picked up his sword. "I shall remember you, Cyra of Karaya. We SHALL meet again." With a wave of his hand, Solon vanished into thin air.
Samus continued his breathing for a few seconds. He actually did it. He defeated Solon Jhee, the man responsible for the death of both his parents. He still felt upset that he didn't avenge them, but that would be for another time.
Samus was about to turn around to help the others when he heard several other voices coming from behind.
"Hey! What happened here?" Ace's voice asked.
"Who's that Karayan guy?" Leo's voice continued.
Samus' eyes widened. He was afraid that someone could recognize him as Samus and give away his identity. Deciding to leave Lucia and the others to the rescue party, Samus took off into the forest, where his horse was waiting. Ignoring the calls from several members of the rescue party, Samus got onto the horse and took off.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Samus sat at the desk in his room, in deep thought. He had spent a good amount of time trying to rinse out the hair gel he used to make his hair look spiked. He was tempted to go straight to Anne and confess that he was Cyra, but held himself back. If Solon Jhee found out what Samus held dear, namely Anne, he'd probably use her in some evil way to get to him. That was certainly something Samus didn't want.
Samus was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He turned to the wooden door to his room. "Come in." He said.
The door opened and a tall figure walked into the room. A figure Samus knew all too well: Lucia. She was smirking at him, as if she knew something. Samus' eyes widened slightly, but not enough for Lucia to notice. The Karayan chief walked over to him and stood beside him. She was about to say something when Samus suddenly shushed her.
Samus quickly stood up and silently walked over to the closed door. Opening the door quickly, he saw Kidd and Arthur standing there, ears pressed against nothing but air now that the door was gone. Both boys looked up, saw Samus staring at them and took off. Samus closed the door and walked back into the room.
Still smirking, Lucia walked over to him. "How long has it been, Cyra?" She asked.
Samus looked down at the ground. She knew. "Twelve years, Chief Lucia." He replied.
"Is that where you've been all this time, hiding behind a new identity in Tinto?" She asked.
Samus looked at Lucia. "How'd you know it was me?" He asked.
Lucia snickered. "Reed's missing some of his hair gel." She replied.
Samus looked at the sink in his room. Indeed, the bottle of hair gel he took from Reed's room was still there. Samus sighed. "Yes. It was the last wish of my mother. She wanted me to change my identity so Solon Jhee wouldn't know I was her son."
Lucia nodded. "I understand that, Samus." She said. "But there's one thing that you seemed to forget."
Samus raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" He asked.
"Anne." Lucia replied. "Throughout all twelve of those years you've been gone, she's been missing you desperately."
Samus sighed. "I know, chief Lucia. I met her at the Great Hollow." He said.
"Then why didn't you say who you were?"
"Solon Jhee is still alive." Samus replied. "If he finds out that I care for her, he'll use her to get to me. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Lucia was silent, as if realizing what Samus was saying was right. "So you have no plans on telling her?" She asked.
This time is was Samus' turn to be silent. He hadn't really thought of that. What if he never could defeat Solon Jhee. What if he was killed, making Anne live the rest of her life not knowing the truth. No. Samus wouldn't be able to live with that. "I'll tell her when the time is right, chief Lucia. But I swear I WILL tell her."
Lucia sighed. "Very well. I trust you, Samus." She started walking towards the door, but Samus stopped her. She looked at him. "Yes? What is it, Samus?" She asked.
"Please don't tell anyone, chief Lucia. If Arthur found out, no one would hear the end of it, and Solon Jhee would find my location." He said.
Lucia nodded. "Okay. I understand that you don't want to put anyone in danger and I respect that." He said.
After saying her goodbye, Lucia left Samus' room, leaving Samus once again alone.
Samus sighed as he sat back down at his desk. He promised himself that he'd tell Anne who he really was.
But half the problem was trying to figure out how.
END
Author's notes: Well, that's another fic finished! Now that I'm done this, I can start my one-shot Samus/Anne fic. Please read and review!
Samus tore through Yaza Plains on Kathy's fastest Karayan horse, dressed in his true Karayan clothing. Samus felt extremely guilty for taking Kathy's horse without telling her, but he wanted to beat the rescue party to Mt. Hei-To and finally destroy Solon Jhee.
Taking a detour from Yaza Plains, Samus' horse arrived at the foot of the small mountain, if it could even be called that. Samus brought the horse to a stop and quickly jumped off. He got on one knee and started smelling the ground. He knew that Ace was part of the rescue team, and Samus was smelling for the distinct scent of leather or alcohol. He smelled the scent of leather, but that must have been Lilly or Reed from earlier. Satisfied that he had made it to his destination before the rescue team, Samus stood up and walked over to the horse.
Samus leaned close to the horse's ear and started talking in a strange language that Karayan horses understood. Only by doing this earlier did Samus get the horse to cooperate in the first place. After finishing his talk, Samus climbed back on the horse and took off into the forests.
Filled with the determination to finally avenge his parents, Samus tore through the forest as fast as he could make his horse go. He was going to make Solon Jhee pay dearly for the amount of pain he put him through as a boy, and the mere thought of how he would feel once he defeated the evil man gave Samus an even bigger adrenaline rush.
Eventually, Samus was close enough to see something in the distance. He slowed his horse down and directed it into the thick wall of forest to keep himself from being noticed. Samus made the horse quietly trot towards the group of figures in the distance without being seen or heard.
When he got within several yards of the forest edge, Samus quietly got off the horse and silently told it to stay where it was. Turning from the horse, Samus slowly approached the forest edge, hid behind a tree and looked beyond the trees. Samus' eyes widened at the scene that lay before him.
Standing several yards away, alive and well, was Solon Jhee. Even after more than a decade, he still looked exactly the same. He was circling the group of Hugo, Lucia, Beecham Lilly and Reed, all of which were standing back to back in a circle. Each had their hands bound behind his or her back. Samus listened as Solon Jhee spoke.
"That girl was lucky that she escaped." Solon said. "Not a lot of people escape my wrath."
"But she's gone straight to the castle!" Hugo snapped. "By now, there should be a rescue team being sent to save us!"
Solon chuckled. "No matter. By the time they arrive. All five of you will be dead."
Lucia growled. "How can you still be alive, Jhee?!" She demanded. "You were killed by Luca Blight years ago!"
Solon walked over to the Karayan chief and smirked. "Luckily, I knew a fellow that was good in magic and he gave me brought me back." He said.
Samus narrowed his eyes. He knew why Solon was still alive, but that wasn't his main priority.
Solon continued walking around the group, holding his sword like he was getting ready to strike. He smirked evilly. "Who should I kill first?" He asked aloud. "The chief of Karaya...Her son...The daughter of the Tinto mayor...The man that caused me so much trouble when I had my men kill Kelsey's husband...Or one of the best soldiers in Tinto..."
Solon slowly walked around the group of captives, trying to decide on which one to kill. In the forest, sweat was dripping down Samus' face. He was going to jump out and face Solon. He was just waiting for the good moment. Suddenly, Solon stopped, pointing his sword at the neck of the person he chose.
Lucia.
Samus' eyes sprang open, then narrowed. There was NO WAY he was going to let the chief of Karaya, a woman he knew for years, get killed by the man he despised the most. Samus jumped from his hiding place, knowing what he had to do.
Samus charged into the open, ripping his father's sword from the holster on his back. Samus quickly did the one thing that would take Solon's attention away from Lucia.
"JHEE!!!"
Hearing his name being called, Solon slowly turned his head from Lucia. Standing several feet away from him was a young man dressed in orange and black Karayan leather, with black Karayan pants. His hair was short, whitish hair that was slightly spiked in several places. He held a long, sharp Karayan sword in his hand, and was pointing it at Solon. His face was twisted in anger and hate.
Seeing the young man, Solon raised an eyebrow. "Have we met?" he asked.
Samus seethed. "You don't know me, but BOY do I know you!" Samus said. "Twelve years ago, you killed my mother while I remain in hiding! Seven years before that, you had your men kill my father!" He said
Solon walked away from his captives and towards Samus. "I'm sorry, but I'm still not sure as to who you are." He said.
Samus gave his answer coldly. "I'm the son of the Harmonian named Kelsey!" He said.
Solon's eyes widened. "Kelsey had a son?!" He asked. He suddenly muttered something under his breath. "I should've searched the hut after I killed her."
"Leave them alone!" Samus demanded. He could've sworn he saw Lucia give a very rare smile of happiness, yet was also mixed with a look of disbelief. Samus continued. "Fight me, Jhee!" he said. "I'll defeat you and avenge my parents!"
Solon smirked evilly as he drew his sword. "Very well. I could use a good fight." He said in amusement. "At least tell me your name first."
Samus nodded. "I am Cyra of Karaya, son of Tyron and Kelsey, and your worst nightmare!"
Solon chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Samus and Solon advanced on each other and clashed swords. Solon quickly pulled away and attempted a horizontal strike at Samus legs. Samus saw this coming and leapt over the blade of steel. Samus continued with a downward slash, but Solon stepped aside, leaving Samus open for attack. Solon thrust his foot into Samus' side, sending him flying back several feet before landing roughly on the ground.
Lying on the ground, Samus clutched his side, where Solon had kicked him. He couldn't believe that a simple kick would hurt as much as it did or was even strong enough to send him flying that far. Still, Samus wasn't one to give up, so he leapt to his feet despite the pain in his side and charged at Solon again.
The two enemies clashed swords again. They continued clashing swords several times before breaking away from each other. Samus quickly ran at Solon and leapt into the air. Solon raised his sword to strike Samus in midair, but Samus luckily saw this. Lashing out his own sword, Samus managed to take Solon's sword away from his head, just in time for Samus to land a hard kick to the evil man's face.
Solon staggered back, rubbing his jaw. He chuckled lightly. "Impressive. I should've seen that one coming."
Solon continued by charging at Samus, his cape flowing with every step. He raised his sword in an attempt at a diagonal slash. Samus quickly dodged the attack and lashed out his foot, knocking Solon off his feet. Samus attempted to finish the fight there by pulling his sword up to bring it down on Solon. His opponent saw this and quickly brought his own sword up to block the attack. Solon thrust his foot up, nailing Samus in the stomach, making him stagger back long enough for Solon to stand up. The two quickly clashed swords again several times.
The fight continued for a good several minutes, and Samus was starting to feel a little weaker. Solon was starting to win the fight. After several struggles, Samus and Solon had locked swords again. Sweat dripped down Samus' face as he struggled to keep his sword in his hands.
Solon grinned as he saw his opponent weakening, and Samus knew that he wouldn't be able to continue going on like this. He sighed inwardly and was just about ready to drop his stance and let Solon kill him.
However, something inside Samus was urging him to continue trying. Samus was wondering what it was, but suddenly realized something. He knew what Solon was going to do to the others before Samus showed up, and he suddenly realized that he was going to kill them after killing him.
Suddenly, Samus was filled with regained anger and energy. He wasn't going to let everyone down. Not at a time like this. Feeling ore strength than ever before, Samus pushed on his sword with all his might, pushing Solon back. After regaining his balance, Solon's eyes widened when he saw the power Samus had just used.
Samus charged at his enemy, swinging his sword wildly. Solon managed to block every attack, but only barely. Samus again locked swords, this time purposefully. This time, it was Solon that was trying to keep his grip on his sword's handle. Samus started spinning his sword around, spinning Solon's at the same time. Samus quickly prevailed and managed to make Solon lose grip on the handle of his sword, sending it flying several feet away, clearly out of his reach.
Samus breathed in and out, pointing his sword at Solon's chest. His eyes were narrowed with anger. "Give up?" Samus asked.
Although hesitant, Solon nodded. "I must admit, you are an incredibly skilled warrior, my friend." He said. He paused for a few seconds. "Very well. I will let the others live this time." He backed away from Samus and picked up his sword. "I shall remember you, Cyra of Karaya. We SHALL meet again." With a wave of his hand, Solon vanished into thin air.
Samus continued his breathing for a few seconds. He actually did it. He defeated Solon Jhee, the man responsible for the death of both his parents. He still felt upset that he didn't avenge them, but that would be for another time.
Samus was about to turn around to help the others when he heard several other voices coming from behind.
"Hey! What happened here?" Ace's voice asked.
"Who's that Karayan guy?" Leo's voice continued.
Samus' eyes widened. He was afraid that someone could recognize him as Samus and give away his identity. Deciding to leave Lucia and the others to the rescue party, Samus took off into the forest, where his horse was waiting. Ignoring the calls from several members of the rescue party, Samus got onto the horse and took off.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Samus sat at the desk in his room, in deep thought. He had spent a good amount of time trying to rinse out the hair gel he used to make his hair look spiked. He was tempted to go straight to Anne and confess that he was Cyra, but held himself back. If Solon Jhee found out what Samus held dear, namely Anne, he'd probably use her in some evil way to get to him. That was certainly something Samus didn't want.
Samus was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He turned to the wooden door to his room. "Come in." He said.
The door opened and a tall figure walked into the room. A figure Samus knew all too well: Lucia. She was smirking at him, as if she knew something. Samus' eyes widened slightly, but not enough for Lucia to notice. The Karayan chief walked over to him and stood beside him. She was about to say something when Samus suddenly shushed her.
Samus quickly stood up and silently walked over to the closed door. Opening the door quickly, he saw Kidd and Arthur standing there, ears pressed against nothing but air now that the door was gone. Both boys looked up, saw Samus staring at them and took off. Samus closed the door and walked back into the room.
Still smirking, Lucia walked over to him. "How long has it been, Cyra?" She asked.
Samus looked down at the ground. She knew. "Twelve years, Chief Lucia." He replied.
"Is that where you've been all this time, hiding behind a new identity in Tinto?" She asked.
Samus looked at Lucia. "How'd you know it was me?" He asked.
Lucia snickered. "Reed's missing some of his hair gel." She replied.
Samus looked at the sink in his room. Indeed, the bottle of hair gel he took from Reed's room was still there. Samus sighed. "Yes. It was the last wish of my mother. She wanted me to change my identity so Solon Jhee wouldn't know I was her son."
Lucia nodded. "I understand that, Samus." She said. "But there's one thing that you seemed to forget."
Samus raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" He asked.
"Anne." Lucia replied. "Throughout all twelve of those years you've been gone, she's been missing you desperately."
Samus sighed. "I know, chief Lucia. I met her at the Great Hollow." He said.
"Then why didn't you say who you were?"
"Solon Jhee is still alive." Samus replied. "If he finds out that I care for her, he'll use her to get to me. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Lucia was silent, as if realizing what Samus was saying was right. "So you have no plans on telling her?" She asked.
This time is was Samus' turn to be silent. He hadn't really thought of that. What if he never could defeat Solon Jhee. What if he was killed, making Anne live the rest of her life not knowing the truth. No. Samus wouldn't be able to live with that. "I'll tell her when the time is right, chief Lucia. But I swear I WILL tell her."
Lucia sighed. "Very well. I trust you, Samus." She started walking towards the door, but Samus stopped her. She looked at him. "Yes? What is it, Samus?" She asked.
"Please don't tell anyone, chief Lucia. If Arthur found out, no one would hear the end of it, and Solon Jhee would find my location." He said.
Lucia nodded. "Okay. I understand that you don't want to put anyone in danger and I respect that." He said.
After saying her goodbye, Lucia left Samus' room, leaving Samus once again alone.
Samus sighed as he sat back down at his desk. He promised himself that he'd tell Anne who he really was.
But half the problem was trying to figure out how.
END
Author's notes: Well, that's another fic finished! Now that I'm done this, I can start my one-shot Samus/Anne fic. Please read and review!