It was dark when the Hunter II returned to Parapa Palace. Stars in the sky were glittering brightly against the beautiful dark sapphire background, and the heat of the day turned to chittering cold at night. Link waited outside the ship for Max...

"Link! What happened? Where's Samus?"

"Ridley stuck something on her back, and then she just fell down... Like pressure points... but for metal... or something. Anyways, they're in the fed ship right now!" Link explained.

Max stared at him. "Why aren't you doing anything!"

"I was waiting for you to come back!" Link told him, and then drew a spiky blue and red sword.

Max knew exactly what sword it was. "Is that the Magic Sword?"

Link nodded and smiled. "I like this sword. When I stab things with it, lazors come out!" and he proceeded to hug his sword, until Max pointed to the ship. "Oh, right, that."

Max drew his Zapper and quietly entered the ship with Link right behind him. The first target they came across was a trooper pirate. Strong, but easily defeated. "These guys are a little stronger than the usual pirate," Link said. "Let me take him." Link thrust in the pirate's direction, and a sword shaped bolt of energy flew from his sword and impaled the pirate in the chest. The bolt exploded into sparks, and the pirate fell down, a hole in his chest. "Right. Well, that was easy..."

Max and Link walked into a room with two lesser pirates sitting down. When they saw the heroes, they quickly got up, but Max pulled his gun and fired. KABLASH! KABLASH! A bright flash from both the gun and the pirates, and the crustaceans' heads had been blasted to bloody chunks. "Not bad shooting!" said Link.

The two traveled up an elevator to the main bridge. Max hadn't even started thinking of the fact that he was working with one of his favorite videogame characters, he was just thinking of beating Ridley, and impressing everyone. And here it wasn't like Link cared much about his self-image, he saw something else in what he did... They all saw something else in their jobs... They did them for other people... Max liked this, and wanted to help others, but even still, he didn't feel what they felt, and it bothered him a little...

Suddenly, a bolt of plasma nicked Link's shoulder. "Damn! That's my sword arm, too!"

Max quickly shot a hole in the pirate, then looked at Link. "Can you still shoot beams?"

Link looked up. "Yeah, of course. It's a magic sword. But they might not come out as fast... or as strong..." Max started noticing a difference in real life and game physics...

Max then made a decision. "Link, go back and take care of Zelda."

Link shot up, a bit freaked out. "Huh? But you can't beat Ridley!"

Max smiled. "I don't have to. I just have to find Samus."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Oookay then..." and headed back towards the docking bay. Max ran to the end of the corridor, and opened the door at the end. There, on the floor, was Samus Aran.

"Samus! Are you okay? Hold still and I'll get that thing off your back..."

Samus shook her head. "Run. I can get it... I can..." no, she couldn't.

Max ripped it off and tossed it aside. "Come on, get up..."

Samus looked him in the face. "You fool... run!"

No sooner had she said this than Ridley had grabbed up Max and Samus, carrying them up out of the ship. While flying in place, he dangled them helplessly high over Parapa Desert. "Now, I don't know, Samus might survive this... but I said I was gonna kill you today, and for once I think I'm gonna keep my word!"

Samus noticed Max's arm was free (and he was equipped). She looked at him for a few moments, then up at Ridley. "Then what? I'm still not taking off this suit!"

Ridley looked her in the eyes. "Then I'll... I'll... I dunno... How exac... I mean..." Ridley wasn't sure how to get rid of Samus for good. Honest, if she wasn't gonna take that suit off, He'd have to fight her to the death. He's tried it before, and it never really worked out in his favor.

"Face it, Ridley," Samus told him. "Without Mother Brain, you're helpless."

Ridley hated hearing that name. "I don't need the interface. I didn't need it when I corrupted Tallon IV, or when I killed your mother..."

"Yeah... but you were young... stronger... now you're just an old dragon. But I'm still very nimble... ...and I can turn into a ball!" And then she did just that, slipping out of Ridley's grasp and dropping simply onto the sand below, with no harm taken.

"What the! Then what am I..." Ridley looked in his claw to find a bomb instead. The bomb went off, and Max fell out of Ridley's clutches. Ridley began chasing down after him, but suddenly, a whirling green energy saw cut his hand off, then turned into Samus, who grabbed Max in her arms and gently soared back down to Terra firma. On the way down, she plugged Ridley with a Super Missile, which sent him into the stratosphere.

"Alright, we smoked him!" Max cheered. If anyone could see Samus's face, they'd know she was smiling too.

"Yep, ya got him alright", Link said. "Looks like all that's left is his shadow!"

Max and Samus both looked at Link, then at their feet. Sure enough, a Ridley shaped shadow was growing around them. "Shit..." said Samus.

Ridley landed on top of Samus, holding her in his talons. "Now you've REALLY MADE ME MAD!" Ridley brought her to his face, and blasted her with fire. The suit glowed hot on the outside, before Ridley tossed her to the sand, frustrated. Then, he looked down and saw Max pointing his gun straight at him.

"What are you gonna do with that gun, kid?" Ridley asked.

Right on cue, Max pulled the trigger, saying nothing. A bright flash, and Ridley's chest exploded. Max had excellent timing.

"Noo! Master!", exclaimed an Elite Pirate upon finding Ridley's bleeding body in the sand. "Quickly, fools! He needs medical attention! Let's get out of here!"

Max started to give chase, but Samus put a hand on his shoulder. "That's good enough... let them go..."

"But Samus, what about all they did to..."

"They'll be back... They'll ALWAYS be back... but you did good enough, kid. You really did a good job today."

Max looked at her. "Are you smiling under there or what?"

Samus laughed, and unlocked some latches on helmet. "Here... maybe this'll help..."

Samus brought her hands to her helmet and slowly removed it... Max, Link, and just about everyone else was in for a big surprise.

"...Turtle!"