Note: Chonena is Ch-O-n-E-na

Chapter 2: Nightmares

The Hunter had been in the recharge chamber exactly 38 hours, 17 minutes, and 47 seconds. Her condition had stabilized and her body was being rehydrated. Creto had been monitoring its mistress after reading about half of the files downloaded form the bio-suit. Creto was pleased to see to see the good progress.

In the cockpit a hologram formed on top of the control panel. The hologram was of a Sheegoth, roughly twp feet tall. Ah, so that's how they move, thought the internal computer. Creto was a computer yes, but it had developed a very curious personality. It was using another one of the huntership's abilities to further study this "interesting" specimen.

If Creto had been a human it would have smiled. It would have laughed as it recalled the time it had tried to study another "interesting" creature. The metroid had been shot dead-on by a plasma beam, burning up half the control panel. Creto had been thoroughly yelled at for that.

Creto disengaged the hologram and turned its focus back to Samus. She was suspended in the light blue liquid, floating harmlessly. The Chozo suit glowed dimly in the chamber. Samus's face could be seen, and it was expressionless. Her blonde hair was ponytailed and swayed along with her body.

Looking again at the stats, Creto noticed an increase in brain waves. The type indicated that Samus was dreaming. I wonder what it's like to dream…thought the computer.

It was raining on the Tallon Overworld. Samus was nearing into the Artifact Site. Walking down the slanted entrance, she entered the circular site. Peering upwards, she saw the numerous Chozo statues. They towered over her and were pulsing a bluish green. Awe rose in her as she stared at the marvelous structure, rain falling on her visor and blurring her vision. Lowering her head, she turned and made her way to the center. She noticed that the artifact totems were still standing, no strange light leading into the Impact Crater. That's not right, what's going on.

Switching to her Scan Visor Samus quickly scanned the area, nothing. Combat Visor back on, she crouched down low and was still, listening…

She rolled just as the blast hit where she had been. Twisting, running, and shooting at the same time, she saw her enemy. Meta Ridley's armor was lit up by her Power Beam blasts. He roared and took flight, circling out of sight. What's going on? I already killed that thing! Why am I here? thought Samus. There was thunder in the distance as Ridley dived onto the site, flattening all of the totems. Some of the crushed pieces bounced off of Samus's suit. She stood, defiant as Ridley roared at her. The eyes fixing in on her, Samus switched to the Plamsa Beam, charging the beam she ran towards the dragon. Dodging his claws Samus let loose the beam. It struck Ridley's chest and bounced harmlessly off. He laughed at her efforts.

Samus jumped out of the way of the gaping jaws and landed on the outskirts of the site. Swinging around to face her, Ridley once again roared, this time shooting out flames. They weren't long enough to reach Samus, who shoot a round of missiles into the flame. They scored on Ridley's head, and he cried in pain. Good, die! Die and then I'll finish off the rest of the pirates. Then the advantage she held switched.

Samus saw the claw rise and saw it approach. She jumped out of reach, or so she thought. Her suit didn't move, even after she voiced verbal commands. The talon struck her hard in the torso. She was flung over the edge and into the void as her jets refused to respond. Her mind screaming, Samus tried her grapple beam. It fell short, and she continued to fall…

As she fell, the world around her changed. It was black; it was burning. Samus hit the ground, and her body sprawled over the debris. Quickly standing up, the bounty hunter took in her surroundings. She was on K-2L.

There was a scream in the distance, the sound of beam weapons being fired, and Samus started running. She was outside in the wreckage of the research buildings. She ran faster, aided by her suit, when she heard another scream. Rounding a corner, she saw a Space Pirate standing over a young child. The pirate was just about to kill the young one when a Charged Plasma beam hit him. The pirate was incinerated, the ash falling on the child.

Samus walked over and stood over the child. Looking down was the cold stare of a blank visor. The child shrank back, even more frightened. Samus was unsure of what to do. She had never encountered this before. Still uneasy, Samus knelt by the child and wrapped her arms protectively around her. There was more screams in the distance, more beams shots.

Looking at her, Samus figured the girl was just five or so years old. She had proud facial features, and straight blonde hair… Jeeze, I'm holding myself, Samus realized.The younger Samus wrapped her arms around the older and clung to her, her tears falling on the shiny suit. Then, everything disappeared, except Samus and her younger self. They were in the dark, the Chozo suit illuminating the area enough for them to see one another.

Samus the younger stood and looked at Samus the older. She had stopped crying, and the ash had been cleaned off her face.

"Samus, why did you save me?" the child asked innocently. The visor stared blankly at her, hiding the emotion behind it.

"Samus, speak to me," ordered the child.

Samus stood and removed her helmet. Then she looked at the girl and said, "you were going to be killed by that Space Pirate. That's why I saved you."

"Why do you hide Samus?" questioned the girl.

"Hide? What do you mean?"

"You hide your emotions behind a visor. Why are you afraid?" the child replied. Samus realized that this child was more then just her younger self, there was no point in lying.

"I..." Samus struggled for words, "I guess I don't really know. It's just a habit."

"How could such a rude habit form in you Samus?" asked the child, in a prying matter.

"Maybe because no one cares how I feel. I'm a bounty hunter. I kill for money. Why would anyone care how I feel?"countered Samus.

"People may not care Samus, but that doesn't mean you should forget how to laugh or love. There is more to the life we gave you then killing," said the child. But the child was no longer a child, it was now a Chozo Elder. The Elder towered over Samus, looking down at her with its stern face.

"Chonena?" asked a hopeful Samus. "Is that you?" she said as she stepped forward.

Samus reached for the Chozo in front of her, but just as it had appeared, it disappeared. This time it transformed into a metroid. The parasite floated around her, emitting small squeaks. Samus adopted a defensive stance as the metroid split in two. It was a Fission Metroid. I hate these things! I wish they would all just die!

As she watched it split, Samus felt her body surge with grief and anger. Her Chozo mother was gone, again. Turning on the metroids, all this burst to the surface as Samus destroyed with an unstoppable rage.

The numbers displaying Samus's adrenaline percentage shot sky high. Creto used its sensors to look at Samus in the chamber. The Hunter flailed wildly. Shots fired from her arm cannon hit the chamber wall, threatening to break it. Creto quietly administered a tranquilizer into Samus's body. She stopped, again floating harmlessly, the numbers falling back to normal.

Creto was shaken at the sudden rage in its lady. What could move her to attack in her sleep? Surely she has had bad dreams before. She has never acted this way before, not when she sleeps in the ship, pondered Creto. I must monitor her more closely.

For the next 32 hours, 13 minutes, and 54 seconds Creto was as observant as any computer could be.

Note: If you have played Metroid Prime you know how annoying Fission Metroids are, I really do hate them.