This chapter was fun for me to write. The relationship between Samus and her Chozo parents is something that I think is very important. Hope you like it.
And a note. While reading my story on this site I noticed that some of the words are scrunched together. I may be a bad speller but that is not something I do. Something must happen when I download the text from my computer. Sorry.
Chapter 7: Choices
Samus the younger was back. The innocent face stared unblinking into the eyes of the Hunter, waiting patiently. A day of pondering had brought a night of recalling.
They were outside the Room of Council, with nothing but the stars to light the area around them. Samus the younger was dressed in strange flowing robes, ones Samus the older recognized as being made by the Chozo. The beautiful gown paled the simple body suit that the real Samus wore, and she felt a small prick of vain envy. Those clothes were once mine, they were made for me! Samus the younger smiled, oh no, she can hear my thoughts, again the junior smiled.
"So here we are, again." Samus stated.
"It would appear so Samus," replied junior casually.
"What do you want?" the senior questioned.
Samus the younger smiled a third time and said, "this time you make the decision. What do you want?" Samus was confused by this, what do I want? I don't know what I want-
"And that is your problem Samus," finished junior. "I know what you want or at least one of the many things you need to see."
"Who are you?' shouted Samus. She had instinctively raised her right arm so it was level with the other's head, but was dismayed when she saw only her arm and no arm cannon. "Why are you in my dreams? Leave me alone!"
"That's another problem of yours, always alone," sighed Samus the younger with a look of pity. Recollecting herself she then commanded, 'follow me."
The soft robe swished around her ankles and bare feet as she turned and walked into the darkness. Hurriedly Samus followed after her, surprised at the quick pace that had been set.
They were on the Bridge, a stone walkway that connected the Assembly Sites with the rest of the city. Reaching the end of the Bridge, Samus saw familiar sights, a certain home, a gnarled tree, and the Fountain. A great stone device, the Fountain was the marker of the middle of the Chozo city. Four pathways sprang from it, in the directions of a compass. It's waters were the only sound in the eerie silence.
Samus the younger came to the Fountain and stopped, waiting for her senior. When Samus arrived she pointed to the Western horizon.
"What do you see?" she asked.
Samus peered through the darkness and saw the silhouettes of mountains in the distance, the stars not shedding enough light to illuminate them. A wave of homesick feelings flooded her heart. The Qulox Mountain Range, a place she had known so long ago.
"Study them, remember them,' said her younger self, who then moved on, choosing the path headed North from the Fountain. They continued down the gently winding street, Samus curious of their destination. Then as if the world had come alive, things started to move.
It was like fast-forwarding a film, things sped up to a ridiculous speed and continued at that pace. The sun came up quickly, its great beams casting shadows on the Chozo immerging from their homes. Their day had begun, but twice as fast. They blurred as they walked by, conversations were high-pitched mummers, and all the while they took no notice of both Samus the older and younger.
The day had reached high-noon when Samus looked at herself and asked, "what's happening? Why are they moving so fast?'
"So many questions," said junior as the world went spinning by, "it's too bad that not everything has a simple answer." And with that she was gone.
Samus the younger turned and then became a blur, caught up into the chaos of this fast moving day. Samus the older ran after her up the hill they had just came down. She followed herself, weaving through the fast moving Chozo, wondering where this all would end.
It took all of her stamina to keep up with the younger Samus. Racing up hills, and nearing the Fountain she saw herself choose the Western path, and keep going with blistering speed. They were going down a steep hill and Samus had to check her pace to keep from falling, soon Samus the younger was lost from her view.
Samus was reeling when she reached the bottom of the hill, although it was more like a cliff. She had abandoned the chase, instead looking at the space before her.
It was a large flat space on the edge of the cliff, since this settlement was on a mountain. Huge trees loomed over the clearing, shading it from the afternoon sun, where there was a small shrine. Near the small shrine, facing west was an assembly of young Chozo students. Their teacher stood in front of them, giving directions. His speech was quick and undecipherable but Samus knew what he was saying. Responding to his command the students replied with a shout and then began their practice. Their movements were fluid and blurred from the speed that they were done at. The teacher stood still, when he did move it was a quick jerk, his mouth would open and a slew of words would be thrown out.
"Hey, Samus!" Samus yelled at her younger half, but junior stood silent, staring at the class from besides a tree. I know this day, this is the day I tell Kerune I am ready, Samus remembered.
Suddenly, as she thought this, everything slowed and fell back to a normal pace. The students were now visible, their graceful movements no longer blurred. The teacher spoke a command and Samus found she could understand it, her mind working off rust as she translated the Chozian words.
"Remember my young ones, my students, that the Ways of the Chozo are a balance of body and mind and spirit," the Elder said to the attentive class. "Do not think you can have one and live without the others, for this is impossible. This is why the world around you falls into darkness, this is what makes you Chozo." At the end he looked at Samus the younger, his eyes a depth of wisdom and experiences. Samus saw her younger self drop her gaze and knew what was going to happen next.
The teacher would command his students to get their training rods out and be ready to start the next exercise. He did. Her junior would sit down under the tree and put her head in her hands. She did. Next, her heart quickening at the realization, he would be walking down the hill to her. He was.
The Chozo walking down the hill was a Warrior by mere appearance, every muscle toned, his posture straight and tall. The eyes of Kerune the Warrior were strong but gentle, becoming even more so when he saw his daughter under that tree.
He continued walking, nodding to the teaching Elder. He went right past the real Samus, not even noticing her. It's just a dream, too bad it's just a dream, Samus told herself. She could feel herself torn between happiness at seeing him and dejected that he couldn't see her. She felt neglected and tragic, but delighted to see her father's face. She stood still, holding her breath as he walked by, feeling incomplete because she no longer had him or any of the Chozo she had loved.
Kerune walked silently up to Samus the younger and stopped behind her. I know you're there, thought Samus the older.
"I am ready father," she said without turning.
Kerune looked out past the class to the vast mountains beyond, "yes, I know you are, just as we knew this is the path you were to choose."
You took me to the Elders, to the Gardeners, to the Statue Makers, and to the Cooks . Chonena took me to the Musicians, to the Builders, and to the Astronomers. You both to me to each possible choice of life for a Chozo, but all the while you both knew I would become a Warrior.
"This is the life I choose, and I know I am made for it," she said as she rose and turned to Kerune. "I want to be like you."
At those words, the great eyes of Kerune looked on Samus the younger and were full of love and pride. Without another word they both left and went home.
"Wait!" cried Samus as she started after them. Her cry fell dead as everything stopped. Samus looked around, everything was frozen in time, not a single thing moving except her. There was no movement and no sound, only the beating of her own heart. Samus turned in a complete circle, making sure everything had stopped. She saw the students and teacher, all stuck in their positions. Some students had been performing a jumping attack, they were floating in the air, their faces full of concentration. Completing her spin Samus jumped away in surprise, Samus the younger had been standing behind her.
"What is going on now, wasn't speeding things up enough?" she asked.
Junior smiled one last time and said, "you miss them, all of them."
"Yes I do," replied Samus sadly.
"It's too bad you had to leave, and it's too bad that you have to leave again," Samus the younger said. She turned around and went back to the stationary Kerune, and once again everything changed. The world was moving so fast, faster then anything Samus had seen before. It was the end of class when a stream of Chozo literally flew past her. The sun dropped like a stone into the horizon as the moon shot out. Darkness fell and in a matter of seconds it was morning again.
'Stop!" Samus shouted. "This is my dream, stop!" she continued to scream as the world went raging by. Her anger mounting, she shouted to the sky and the clouds which dashed across it.
Samus awoke screaming, her bed torn apart. She immediately stopped her shouting and cursed herself, hoping no one had heard her. Sitting up in bed, the covers bunched around her, she looked at the clock to find it was 7:54 am. She sighed and peered out the window. It was much nicer then yesterday, the grays now blues, tans, and yellows. The weather calmed her, since today she was going into town. Samus got out of bed, and started to get ready for her next endeavor.