Samus Aran clanked down the small passageway. The Genomes had led her to an opening in the earth which led to this passageway. It would be here that she faced her first test: the test of courage. She could see why this was a test of courage: every step she took was into an infinite blackness. She was walking on a surface she could not see. Suddenly, she fell. She found herself in a well-lit room. She was standing on a large rock platform in the center of a lake of…Phazon. The area in front of her had smaller rock platforms that were set apart so that you had to jump to reach them, or find yourself facing certain death.
"What…what is this?" Samus questioned aloud to herself. At the end of the room was a large rock platform and a door. A boy about twelve years old, stood on the platform. He had jet-black hair, and piercing blue eyes. His clothes were dark blue. He turned to glare at her. "This is a Phazon mine, Samus. The planet is full of them. Follow me, and begin your first test." He instructed. Samus leaped across the first two platforms. Suddenly, two metal snakes rose up out of the Phazon. They were guarding the next platform at the sides, but didn't attack. "Jump, Samus. You must have courage in the face of danger. These beasts will not attack you, unless you attack in fear." The boy at the other end said. Samus took a deep breath, and leapt to the next platform. The snakes didn't move. Samus leapt to the next one. The snakes didn't move. She leapt across the rest without any trouble whatsoever.
By the time she had made it to the other end of the chamber, the boy had passed through the door. She walked through the door as well too find herself in a large box-like chamber made of hard rock, filled with petrified plants, and animals. The boy stood, ready to fight her. His hands were glowing a strange crimson, and his eyes had no mercy. "I am your first test, Samus. I am, Lord Psyche, and I shall test your courage." The boy growled, and suddenly, his body began to change shape. Samus readied her arm-cannon in suspense, wondering what horrible form the boy could take. She was filled with hate the moment she saw what Pscyhe had become: Ridley.
Samus charged at Ridley, rapidly firing her cannon. Ridley dodged the shots, letting out a screech, and then diving for her, attempting to pick her up in his large talons. She dodged this, and continued to open fire. After a few more shots, Ridley finally let out a screech, and turned back to Psyche. Psyche's limp, dead body fell to the ground with a thud, and, shattered like glass. In the place of his body, was a glowing sphere of energy. Samus touched it, and her powersuit instantly absorbed it.
Morph ball, acquired. A female voice from the helmet said. Samus looked around the room. There was no way out. Suddenly, she noticed a small alcove, just big enough for her to fit through in morph-ball form. She rolled into a ball, and easily rolled through the alcove, and back out of the cave.