Chapter 6: The new terror
"My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are." –Newt (Aliens)
The trio, along with Sidon, head to Zora's Domain to investigate the identity of the creatures that attacked the Zora's (Purah and Symin had stayed behind in their lab to try and reestablish connections with the other towers). Soon enough, they reach the Lanayru region.
"Alright, so which way should I take you?" Samus asks.
"Hmm, the domain is east of here. If you fly that way, we should reach it soon- WHOA!" Link is interrupted by a red stream of energy that nearly hits the ship.
"What was that?!" Zelda shouts as several more streams fly towards the ship.
"Someone, or something, is firing at us! I can't advance any further; I'm bringing the ship down!" Samus exclaims as they land at the Lanayru wetlands. The group then exits the ship.
"I guess we're walking towards the domain." Samus comments.
"But, what was shooting at us?" Zelda questions.
"I don't know, but whatever it was definitely doesn't want us getting near the domain." Link answers. "There's probably something there that needs to be defended."
"Well, there's no point in guessing; let's move on." Samus says. Before they get any farther, the hatch from the ship opens up and Sidon jumps out, covered in bandages.
"Hold on! I'm coming with you." Sidon declares. "You'll need my help to reach Zora's Domain."
"Prince Sidon, shouldn't you be resting?" Zelda asks with concern.
"I appreciate your concern, but I cannot; not while my home is in danger. Besides, there is a pack of Lynels that have claimed territory here. If we do manage to run into them, you will need all the help you can get."
"Let him come along; he helped me out with the divine beast, so this shouldn't be much different." Link says. "He'll need a weapon though. Ahh, I've got it; hold on a minute." Link runs back to the ship to retrieve something. At that moment, something begins to move through the ground before erupting from it; revealed to be a trio of corrupted lizalfos, each one hold a forked lizal spear and growling at the trio.
"Sidon, your highness, get behind me!" Samus orders as she aims at the attacking lizalfos.
"Sidon!" Link shouts to Sidon as he throws him a spear, which he catches. Not giving thought as to what it is, Sidon jumps in and engages the lizalfos, Link joins him and Samus stays back to guard Zelda. Link goes for his sword, but one of the lizalfos extends its tongue at Link and uses it to propel itself and then ram him. Sidon goes to try and help Link, but is stopped by the other two lizalfos. Thankfully, Link gets back up quickly and, with the augmented strength that the suit provides him, elbows the lizalfos into the other pair. Sidon rapidly stabs one of the lizalfos before skewering it and then tossing its carcass aside. Link dodges the attack of the second lizalfos before swiftly getting behind it and slashing downward, ending the fight. The last one tries to blind side Link, but he moves out of the way, leaving it open to a slash from Sidon, sending it falling on the ground. Link jumps over and finishes it off with a downward thrust as the lizalfos makes its dying croaks.
"I think that was all for now." Link removes the master sword, the blade shining as it's pointed upward.
"I detect no other creatures in the vicinity." Virginia (from inside Samus's suit) confirms.
"Then, we shouldn't waste any more time. Let's move before any more of those beasts appear." Zelda declares as the group starts to move forward. Sidon, on the other hand, stops to observe the 'spear' that was handed to him by Link and realizes that is not a spear at all; it is the lightscale trident, the cherished weapon belonging to Mipha, the previous Zora champion and Sidon's sister.
"Link, this is…" Sidon comments in bewilderment.
"Yes, I think it's time that I return it to its rightful owner; that would be you." Link declares.
"But, this belonged to my sister. Therefore, it is rightfully yours. She would want it that way, because she lov-"
"I know. I'm well aware of it." Link calmly interrupts. "But, I don't need it to remember her. Seeing her spirit at peace after freeing Vah Ruta is more than enough to keep her in my memory."
Sidon looks intently at the trident before finally speaking up. "...I understand Link, bear in mind though, that if you want this back, you need only ask."
Link nods in response and the group makes their way through the wetlands. On another note, Samus realizes what was inside the large bag that Link had placed inside the ship; it held the champions weapons all along, so Samus concluded that Link wants to return them as a way of remembering their beloved champions of each respective race.
The Inogo Bridge
"Hey Sidon, this is where we first met." Link says with a nostalgic tone.
"Yes, I first met you here when I needed help to appease Vah Ruta. Two months ago still feels like yesterday." Sidon responds. "Who would have thought that we'd be in another situation again?"
"Well, it's not like Link to abandon a friend in need." Zelda cuts in.
"Hold on a minute, don't you guys hear anything?" Samus speaks up and the group nods dismissively. "That's right; I don't hear anything at all. Not a single beast is around here, I thought there would be packs roaming the area."
"Something's not right." Link cautiously comments. "I think we should keep moving."
"Wait, look there." Zelda points at a footprint on the mud after they pass the bridge. "That's a Lynel, isn't it?"
"Yes, we must be close to them." Sidon answers as he wields the trident. "Stay sharp, they could show up at any moment."
The group divides into two pairs (Link and Sidon/Samus and Zelda) and quietly walk up the hills. Sidon points out that he can see the back of a Lynels head, so Link pulls out his ancient bow and prepares to fire an arrow. Sidon gives the go ahead as he jumps up with the trident pointed downward. Link shoots the arrow at the back of the Lynels head, but is shocked that the Lynel disintegrated completely. Sidon lands on the ground it was on, taken by surprise that the Lynel turned to dust. After a few seconds, he points out that the other five Lynels have been "petrified", each in a different stance.
"What did this?" Link says with deep concern.
"It must have been the creatures. Look, they were firing at all sides." Sidon points to the shock arrows lodged on the ground, trees and rocks.
"By the looks of it, there were no more than eight of them. How'd they miss every single one of them?"
"They were probably the smaller ones; those tend to fly around alot."
Just then, some unseen creature flies overhead, earning alarm from the two.
On another area, Samus is left stunned at the sight of a moblin hunched over and completely dried out. She scans the body and confirms the cause of death: metroid predation.
"No...Link! Sidon! Where are you?!" Samus shouts in panic. "Regroup right away!"
Alerted by Samus, the duo runs over to where she is. "What's the matter? You sound like you've seen a ghost." Link comments.
"Sidon, those 'flying jellyfish', did they look like this?" Samus projects a metroid hologram from her helmet.
"Yes, exactly that! Do you know what they are?" Sidon responds.
"Yes, they are metroids; energy parasites that feed on an organisms life force, leaving only a brittle husk." Samus confirms as she readies her ice beam. "Link, do you have any ice arrows?"
"Plenty of them. Why?" Link answers.
"You'll need them on the way to the domain, come on." Before they move, Link notices that Zelda isn't present. The three then begin calling out to her, with quickly growing concern.
"Hmm, the subject appears to have been turned into a dry shell of what it used to be." Zelda writes down in her journal, which she decided to bring along, about the bokoblin corpse she stumbled across. She reaches out to touch it, only for it to crumble into dust. "And has lost all semblance of structural integrity, *cough*." Zelda gets up, pats herself of any dust, and prepares to take photos of the other corpses. After taking one, a small metroid floats in front of her viewfinder, all the while chirping.
"What is this? A new species?" Zelda lowers her slate to inspect the metroid. "This must be the creature that Sidon was talking about. But, it looks harmless- ahh!" The metroid dive bombs Zelda with its fangs opened wide, which she manages to dodge. The metroid starts circling Zelda, confusing her, then ramming on her back and knocking her down. It then tries to latch on to her, only for Zelda to grab it as it furiously tries to sink its fangs on her head.
"Help! Somebody!" Zelda desperately shouts as her arms start to give way, causing her to question why such a small creature would be so strong. As its fangs are mere inches away, Link appears and kicks the metroid into a bush. He then kneels down to see if she's injured while Sidon stands watch.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so." Zelda replies, the fear present in her voice.
"Princess, how could you wander off like that? This place is no longer safe for us. No offense, Sidon."
"None taken." Sidon replies before holding his trident forward. "Here it comes!"
The metroid flies towards the trio, but is instantaneously frozen and then crushed by Samus.
"Now you see why should have ice arrows ready? They can't take the cold." Samus comments while helping Zelda to get back on her feet.
"What was that thing" Zelda questions.
"A metroid, like the ones I told you about. The very same from SR388."
"But, you said that you destroyed them all." Link retorts.
"I know, which is why this is odd. First the elite pirate and now a metroid. This is all connected somehow."
Suddenly, slow clapping is heard and Silas steps out from behind a tree.
"Very good, I hoped you were more brains than brawn and you did not disappoint." Silas mockingly applauds the group.
"Silas, so you are still alive." Link comments while moving Zelda behind him, before looking at Silas phazon powered right arm. "I see you grew your arm back."
"Yes, I've thought about that moment since that night in the rain." Silas brings up his arm before smiling maliciously. "But, life goes on. I now have a new calling."
"Enough of this, what do you want?" Sidon demands as he points his trident at Silas.
"The subjugation of the world, that's all."
"You know that you will not have your way; we will stop you." Samus sternly retorts.
"This won't end well for you, remove this barrier and surrender." Zelda demands.
"Heheh, you think I set up this barrier? That was the work of our new god. She spreads this purity to right our wrongs."
"New god? What are you talking about?" Link questions.
"You'll see; everyone will. For now, have fun with her creations. I'm sure you'll find that their appetite is plentiful to say the least. Enjoy your little expedition…while you can." Silas then disappears in a flash of red light.
"So, Silas isn't the one behind this. He's just an underling." Zelda concludes.
"That means we've got a new challenger in the kingdom." Sidon comments.
"Regardless, we're going to stop this perpetrator and their machinations." Link declares while sheathing the master sword. "We should get moving."
"Agreed, but remember; if what Silas says is true, then there are several more metroids in the region. So everybody; don't stray." Samus says to the group before they walk off.
After 13 uneventful minutes, the group hears a woman screaming and rushes to her location. They arrive and witness a small group of Zora's being attacked by several metroids. The guards try to fight them off, but all except two of the five are leeched of their energy by the metroids, after which two of the metroids fall to the ground. The rest of the metroids lunge at the survivors, but Link shoots ice arrows at them and they fall to the ground, giving Sidon the opportunity to shatter them.
"My prince!" One of the surviving guards speaks up. "Praise Hylia that you're safe. But what are you doing here?"
"I've brought help; Link has once again come to our aid." Sidon declares as Link lowers his bow.
"I've brought some friends of my own." Link gestures to both Zelda and Samus, causing the Zora's to bow at Zelda's presence. Before they can question them, Sidon confirms that Samus is an ally. The guards explain to Sidon that they've been scouting the area to search for any stragglers that got left behind, running into several metroids and keeping them at bay (relatively). But, they were attacked front and back before the group reached them.
"Goodness, you've been through quite the ordeal." Zelda comments. "Have you run into any other beasts apart from them?"
"No, your highness. Just these 'metroids' and-"
"THAT!" One of the Zora children shouts as the two metroids that fell to the ground rise up and begin to crack. In a matter of seconds, a creature with two red compound eyes, three large fangs surrounding a leech-like mouth outlined with smaller teeth, four budding limbs, a plated exoskeleton growing along the dorsal region and a transparent membrane with a nucleus on its underbelly emerge from the two metroids.
"There! Those are the insects I told you about!" Sidon shouts.
"Category one: Alpha Metroids." Virginia confirms after scanning them.
"Everybody, stand back!" Link shouts while aiming at the alpha metroids. Link fires an ice arrow at one of them, but the arrow only manages to scratch its carapace. Enraged, the alpha metroid screeches as it lunges forward, radiating energy all over its body. Link dodges this and the metroid hits the rocks behind him, crushing them.
Link, you need to hit their nucleus!" Samus shouts as she fights the other alpha metroid, earning a 'what?!' from Link. "Damn it...the underbelly! Shoot its underbelly!"
"Got it!" The alpha metroid lunges at Link again, but he slides under it and lands an ice arrow at its nucleus, causing it to screech in pain and inhibiting its energy charging abilities. The alpha metroid recomposes itself and sinks its fangs on Links arm but thanks to the added strength of the suit, he pries the metroid from his arm and then runs the master sword down its mouth. The remaining metroid circles Samus, but then makes a beeline for the surviving group, ignoring the terrified Zora's altogether and rushing, surprisingly, for Zelda.
"Your highness, get out of the way!" Samus shouts as she tries to fire at the metroid to grab its attention. Zelda responds by ducking down, the metroid just barely missing her. It tries to double back to grab her, but Sidon swats it away with his trident.
"Why is it after her?" Samus questions while running towards Zelda. Link uses Revali's Gale to launch himself into the air and, using his finely tuned reflexes offered by his suit, shoots an ice arrow into the alpha metroids mouth, freezing it instantly and allowing Samus to shatter it with a missile.
"I think that's all of them, for now." Sidon comments.
"Is everyone okay?" Link asks to the survivors and they all confirm him.
"Listen, I know that you three need to get to the domain, but I ask you to help my people get to the safe zone where my father and the rest of us are hiding. We may not make it there without you." Sidon pleads with the trio. After a few seconds of pondering, Zelda speaks up.
"We can't abandon them; I say we should deviate from the task for now and escort these people to safety." Zelda says as both Link and Samus agree. Sidon thanks them and they make their way to the safe zone; with Link and Sidon at the head of the group, Zelda in the center with the others and Samus covering the rear. Unbeknownst to them, a creature with three eyes on both sides of its head watches them walk away.
The entrance to the safe zone
"Alright you three, the safe zone is through this water tunnel." Sidon explains. "Do you have some way of making it without difficulty?"
Link activates his helmet, which allows him to extract oxygen from the water. Zelda activates a helmet reminiscent of Samus's own, with a blue visor instead of green, offered by her for these sorts of situations. Finally, Samus activates her gravity suit, a purple variant with blue designs of her varia suit.
"Ready." The three speak in unison.
"Oh...Very well then. Alright everyone, we're moving in the same way we escorted the survivors. The tunnel is 30 meters long; we will not stop moving until we reach the other side. Now, Link and your highness, you move behind me, the survivors will follow behind you and Samus will cover them." Sidon explains before gracefully diving into the tunnel.
"Stay close to me, alright?" Link says as he grabs Zelda's hand.
"Y-yes." Zelda confirms as she blushes. The two then dive in together, followed by the survivors and Samus. They steadily swim through the tunnel, which is lit thanks to luminous ore deposits that line the walls, all the while Samus and the guards cautiously watch the front and back of the group. Roughly 18 meters in, one of the guards shouts in panic as he points to several metroids and alpha metroids following behind them.
"Sidon, they followed us!" Samus alerts everyone while firing missiles at the incoming metroids. Sidon orders everyone to swim faster as Link doubles back to offer assistance, only for Samus to hold her hand up. "Link, take the princess and go ahead!"
"We can't leave you behind! Let us help you!" Zelda shouts in worry.
"Just go, I'll be fine! Get these people to safety!" Samus orders as she's surrounded by the metroids. "GO!"
Link hesitates briefly before swimming towards the survivors and coercing them to keep swimming, all the while telling Sidon to grab Zelda and to get her to the other side.
"Prince Sidon, let me go! She needs our help!" Zelda protests as Sidon takes her to the other side of the tunnel.
"I can't do that, your highness; I need to get you and my people to safety." Sidon denies her request.
"And what about her?! Is she not a priority?!"
"Princess, if we stay here, those beasts will kill us all. She's giving us the time we need to escape, we have to take it!"
"But…" Just then, Link swims up to them.
"Your highness, I want to help as well, but we need to get these people to safety. She says that she can do it, so just trust her." Link explains in a comforting tone, which Zelda responds with an insecure nod. The trio manages to get the survivors to the other end of the tunnel, which Samus notices.
"They made it to the other side, Samus." Virginia confirms.
"Good, that means I can use this." Samus ducks down as the metroids overwhelm her. From beneath them, a bright light emanates.
After getting the survivors to safety, Link runs back to the tunnel.
"Everyone stay here, I'm going back down to help her."
"Please hurry, Link. There are a lot of them." Zelda comments as she removes her helmet. Just as Link prepares to dive, an explosion rocks the area and water from the tunnel blasts Link away from it. Link gets back up and, with a sense of dread, he runs towards the tunnel.
"Samus!"
"Where are you?!" Zelda joins to shout for Samus to answer
"Samus, answer us!" Link shouts in despair.
No response. Link finally falls to his knees and lowers his head.
"Samus…" Zelda covers her face and silently cries. From behind Sidon lowers his head in remorse while the confused crowd looks on. Just then, a purple ball erupts from the tunnel and lands behind the pair, much to their surprise. The ball then unfurls and Samus emerges from it, who falls on her back and then deactivates the suit.
"Ugh, remind me to never do that again." Samus wearily comments, to which Virginia replies that she'll do it anyway.
"Samus!" Zelda runs over and joyfully hugs her, causing Samus to exclaim in slight discomfort from her bruises. "You scared us!"
"I just needed you out of the tunnel, so that I could detonate a power bomb. It destroyed them all."
"That was one hell of an explosion. You shook the cave." Link comments as he places a hand on Samus's shoulder. "But I'm glad you're ok." Samus smiles at Link words, and then places her hand over his.
"Ha-ha! I just knew you couldn't fall that easily, I believe in you!" Sidon gives a sharp toothed grin and flexes his right arm. The trio also smile and laugh, grateful that they made it.
After recovering enough, the survivors walk further inside the cave and locate the rest of the Zora's hiding place. The survivors joyfully reunite with their families and Sidon runs over to his father, King Dorephan (a large blue and white Zora with a red sash across his chest and shoulders, with a star shaped emblem in the center of it and connected by three gold chains under his right arm. Along with several intricate silver apparel on his wrists, chest and head, as well as a noticeable scar on his forehead.)
"Sidon, praise Hylia that you are safe!"
"Father, I'm glad to see you are all well! I've brought more help." Sidon points to Link and Zelda, who approach them.
"Link! Good to see you again and unharmed." Dorephan smiles before noticing Zelda. "Princess, what an honor to have you here! But, why are you here at this time? Our domain is no longer safe."
"It is a pleasure to see you again, King Dorephan. But we are here to stop this blight over the land. We know what it is. Samus, please come over here and explain what is going on." Zelda gestures to Samus to come closer. She then explains what the phazon is and where it is coming from.
"So this 'phazon' is not from this world after all?" Muzu, the advisor of the Zora royal family, speaks up. "And what about these creatures that infest our home?"
"We believe that they're coming from the phazon, we just don't know how." Link offers an explanation.
"We just need to know where the barrier originated from, then we can figure out a way to disable it." Zelda comments.
"I think I know where it came from; those creatures came from behind Zora's Domain and the barrier followed them, covering the sky in blue." King Dorephan explains.
"Father, you can't mean-" Sidon comments before being cut off by the king.
"Yes, my son; I believe the barrier came from the same place as Divine Beast Vah Ruta."
Link and Zelda stare wide eyed at this possible revelation. Sidon, however, reacts angrily.
"Wretched creatures! Will my sister never be allowed to rest in peace?!"
"Calm down Sidon, we now have a place where we can start from; we need to head towards Vah Ruta. If it started there, Samus can purge the phazon from it." Link explains.
"Yes, our destination should be this 'Vah Ruta' and see what the damage is in its area." Samus adds.
"If you plan on going there, to Vah Ruta, I implore you to be careful; those monsters might be the most concentrated there, don't let your guard down." King Dorephan warns the group.
"We will your majesty. I've dealt with them before; these two will be safe under my watch" Samus declares. Just then Virginia alerts them.
"Samus, a metroid is approaching our location, and it is a category two." Virginia states.
"Link, there's a metroid on its way here. Stay put, I'll handle it."
"No, you stay here; I'll face it." Link declares while brandishing his sword and shield. "Just keep the others safe."
"Link, be careful. This creature is stronger than the others, I can feel it." Zelda warns about the incoming metroid.
"It's a category two; a Gamma Metroid." Samus adds. "Remember what I told you about the alphas; just take note that these are much bigger and stronger than them."
"I'll handle it." Link raises his sword skyward and makes a declaration. "I am Link, champion of Hyrule and loyal protector of Princess Zelda. We will not falter in the shadow of this new threat; we will rise again and wipe out this plague, just as we did for the Calamity. We will prevail!"
The Zora's begin cheering as Link faces the tunnel and awaits the metroid. Sure enough, a large alpha metroid-like (double its size) creature emerges, with a pair of three red eyes, fully formed insect like legs and three enlarged fangs surrounding its leech like mouth. The gamma metroid stares at Link and then screeches at him. Just then, it stares at the Zora's (who in its vision appear as surrounded by white auras) and then stares at Zelda (who appears as surrounded by a gold aura). The metroid appears to drool and flies towards Zelda, knocking the others away. Link manages to grab it by its small tail and throws it back to the entrance. Enraged, the gamma metroid decides to face Link, hissing its anger at him. The Zoras start hollering and pumping their arms in the air, cheering for Link to be victorious (Zelda looks on in worry and Samus never taking her eyes off the metroid). The metroid charges at Link, who jumps out of the way and slashes at its carapace. It turns around and fires a brief stream of energy which Link blocks. It then flies towards him in an attempt to bite down on Link, who slides under it and jabs an ice arrow in its nucleus, causing it to fall to the ground. Further enraged, the metroid forces Link to the ground and once again tries to bite him. Link holds the master sword horizontally to keep it from biting him and manages to kick it off. The master sword still in its mouth, the metroid throws it aside and charges at Link, the ice removed from its nucleus, who bashes it across the head with his shield. While it is disoriented, Link runs for the master sword and retrieves it. Just as he turns around, the metroid tackles him into the water tunnel. The Zora's stare in complete silence, waiting for one to emerge from the tunnel (Zelda in particular anxious for Link to emerge). The Zora's begin panicking as the gamma metroids carapace emerges from the tunnel, only for it to fall limp on the ground with the sword protruding from its nucleus and Link climbing up from the tunnel to the cheers from the Zora's and Zelda running to embrace him, all the while smiling, and Samus walks up to pat him on the shoulder.
"You were right about him, my prince; he's our best hope to survive this." Muzu confirms with a smile.
"Yes, I expected no less from the man my sister declared her love for." Sidon comments. "Now, it's up to him and his new ally to purge this infestation and restore all of Hyrule to its glory."
"My son, they will need you as well. Do not forget that you are just as important to Link and the princess." King Dorephan states. "Make your sister proud."
Sidon smiles at his fathers words as the Zora's applaud and chant Links name. He then looks at the lightscale trident and grips it tightly, finally accepting his sisters legacy and resolving to protect his kingdom.
To be continued
Authors note: Yeesh, this took me quite a while to get up off the ground, but I did it, Hahah. In case the metroid fans were wondering, yes; the alpha and gamma metroids described in the chapter were the same designs from Metroid: Samus Returns. Those metroids were actually much more intimidating than the ones from the original Gameboy version and I just had to include them here. Stay tuned for the next chapter and once again, rate and review please! :)
