In a small chamber of metal and plaster, I sat on a bed, wearing clothes made by hands unused to crafting garments of human proportions. The color was a pure eggshell white, yet it never got dirty. The fabric was soft and, as I could feel, waterproof. My old clothes were gone, perhaps too shredded and bloodsoaked to be of any use anymore. I stared at the wall, thinking thoughts that would not banish themselves from my memory, no matter how much I willed them to stop.
I didn't want to think anymore. I didn't want to feel. I didn't want to remember my father, as he was killed in front of my eyes, or my mother, her dying screams echoing forever in my ears, dying, dying, while only I survived. Why me? I didn't want to remember the biosac I was thrust into, in which I stayed for three endless days. They told me afterwards that they needed to put me in there, to heal me. And they were forced to use their own blood as a transfusion because they had no human blood to use. I could feel the changes it did to my body, such subtle changes that I could not even put them to words. But should I have been healed and saved? Out of all the brave people who died on K2-L, what made me so special that I deserved to live?
It's a terrible thing to live when everyone else had died. How can I live with the memory? I cried whenever I remembered, liquid pearls rolling off my cheek as if my grief could be drained out in the form of tears. I wiped them away stubbornly. Tears were useless. I had to stop thinking if I was to get on with my life.
Not that my life was worth living. What future could I possibly have living among these alien Chozo. Everything in my past was gone, torn away by the claws of those Space Pirate creatures. Space Pirates... My fingers dug into the bed. When I thought of them, all my sadness quickly disappeared, replaced by something fiercer, something that burned as viciously as the flames which consumed my former home. I could forget about my parents, my past. But I will never forget the Space Pirates.
Finally my tears stopped flowing. The door to my room irised open, and the Chozo Old Bird came in with another, taller Chozo. Both were dressed in black robes stained with the same carmine dust, as if they had been walking on a dry, red planet. I glanced at them from my seat on the bed, no longer fearful, but not yet trusting of these bird people. I would like to trust them. They have been so kind to me. There was nothing else left in this universe for me to trust.
"See how strong she is." Old Bird commented quietly to his younger associate. "As steadfast as a statue, despite her inner turmoil." The elder walked towards me with slow steps betraying his age and kneeled down so he was at my level. He used a knuckle to gently raise my chin, avoiding the use of his talons ever since I recoiled from their fierce appearance, when we first met, about two weeks ago. Only two weeks? It seemed like an eternity. Another lifetime. Perhaps it was.
To me, he said, "How do you feel today, Samus-san?"
"Good." Was my quiet answer, the same I had given him every day. I lowered my eyes, hiding from the Chozo's searching gaze.
"Then would you like to accompany me outside?" He suggested. "Staying onboard the ship for so long can not by good for your health."
I shook my head no. I felt his keen disappointment and quickly changed my answer to a nod, yes. I was indebted to him; it was only right that I should do as he says. Old Bird then smiled, an expression described more in the slight squinting of his eyes than in the movement of his mostly inflexible mouth.
"Hatchling, have you met my acolyte?" Old Bird asked, introducing the other Chozo. "I would like you to meet Grey Voice."
"Grey Voice?" I looked up at the younger Chozo. He was taller than my current comprehension; I could only see the bottom of his beak if I looked straight up at him. Most of the time I stood staring at the lower hem of his robe. He had a classic Chozo profile, with a thick mane of feathers upon his head and a downpointed beak. I frowned. "Grey Voice is a funny name."
Old Bird laughed, a hooting, owl-like sound. "His real name is Crowlus, but we call him Grey Voice. Old Bird is not my real name either. Gul'Gen is my name of orgin."
"'Gul'Gen'," I repeated, the words catching in my throat. 'Old Bird' was definitely easier to pronounce. "If everyone else has another name, then do I have one?"
"Your name has always been Samus Aran." Old Bird said. "But you have a new name now. I give to you the name of Hatchling, a name for a child of my own blood." He leaned forward and touched my face tenderly with his beak. The tears nearly started again; his gesture reminded me so much of how mommy used to kiss me every night before bed...
Old Bird offered me his claw, onto which I placed my own smaller, softer hand. "There are many things which I wish to show you on this planet, Hatchling." The elder said as he led me through the Chozo ship's corridors. "This planet... is one on which the Chozo have built a great civilization. But we do not live here anymore. I am hoping you will learn something of our history before... before we have to leave." Old Bird's voice was somewhat strained, but I didn't notice as I put a hand over my eyes, blinking in the sudden natural sunlight.
The sight that appeared before me was not the docking bay of K2-L, the only docking bay I had ever known. The floor was of fitted stone, not concrete or metal. This was a Chozo-made bay, surrounded by their crumbling statues and dilapidated buildings. Red mountains in the distance thrust upwards like jagged teeth towards a wounded sky. The sun was immense, and so crimson that it almost stained the green clouds black. The land was barren, desert-like, but I could see skeletons of past plantlife dotting the landscape. Perhaps paradise once thrived here, as had the Chozo and their civilization. Both were gone now, with only their ruins providing any indication of a past richer than this.
I would later learn that this was the planet Zebes, which used to be the Chozo's home before it was claimed and decimated by the Space Pirates. I could see the Chozo sentries as they sat crouched, poised like totems atop statues of their own likeness, waiting in dread for an attack which they knew there would be no defense against. Even now the insectoid Pirates overran the underground tunnels, gutting them of millennias worth of history for the sake of constructing their own base. But despite the risk, the Chozo still returned, because of me. In order to save my life, they had to use a biosac to stabalize the newly introduced blood in my system. They didn't have such an elaborate facility on their hastily prepared refugee ship, but there were a few that were still salvageable from their ruins. And what beautiful ruins, although they had not been ruins for long. The Chozo probably remembered a time when they played, worked, and lived among what was once statues, buildings, and mosaics, now just ruins. They were willing to endure the anguished memories of their very recent past. All for my sake.
I couldn't understand why they would do this for a little orphan girl of another species. I didn't feel important or worthy of the sacrifices the Chozo put themselves through. I felt like a burden to the bird-people; surely they didn't deserve someone like me. It wasn't until later that I would learn of the hopes they had for my future.
But in the meantime, I learned how to be happy again. I was a young creature, capable of forgetting and capable of being distracted, if only for a little while. When the memories began to fade, it didn't take much more than some good food, a new toy, or a word of praise to make me smile. The Chozo said my smile was like the quick ripening of the Temra summer sun. It faded just as fast. My laughter was even rarer, but to smile was something, wasn't it?
Old Bird was my constant mentor and companion. He helped satisfy my curiosity for everything foreign and interesting I came across. He would teach me the history of the Chozo, their language, way of life, and philosophy. Grey Voice took me under his wing when Old Bird's obligations as an elder called him away. He was a much quieter Chozo compared to Old Bird. I realized that his nickname referred to infrequent use of speech. He was responsible for my education in astronomy, Universal, and survival training. It was this training which I remembered best.
I especially recalled one particular moment. Grey Voice and I had ventured out of the ring of sentries, he unarmed, I holding a low-intensity laser. My weapon was strong enough to kill small creatures, but more advanced lifeforms, such as the Space Pirates, would hardly be affected by the blast. We even came across a few Pirate tracks in the increasingly barren wilderness. But the tracks were old, several cycles at least, and we were far from the Pirates' center of activity. There were enough cliffs and canyons to hide behind if we did happen to meet any of those insectoids.
Crowlus stopped suddenly and pointed to a shape in the distance. It was a spiny, commonly aggressive animal about half my size, known as a hoakut. It didn't see us, but instead focused all its attention on the dead tree it was chewing on. This hoakut was starving; the plants it used to eat were slowly decaying from the acid rains caused by Pirate activity.
I stared at the hoakut, then back at Crowlus. "You want me to shoot it?" I whispered incredulously.
He nodded without looking at me. I swallowed and gripped the gun tightly in my small fist. This would be my first time shooting a live target. Crowlus sensed my hesitation and focused his orange-orb eyes on mine.
"Why?" I asked.
Grey Voice blinked, a bird-like gesture with his lower eyelids closing more than his upper. "It is a dangerous animal." Was his simple answer.
"It's not hurting us." I argued. "Just because it's able to hurt us, doesn't mean it will."
Crowlus didn't move, seeming to consider. "Then you will shoot it for food." He replied. Indeed hoakuts could be eaten, but these days there were less and less of them.
I shook my head. "It's too skinny. I bet there's not enough juice in it for a single meal."
The Chozo didn't take his eyes off me, and I could feel his scrutinizing gaze like a deadly beam. Was this a test? I was tempted to just give in to his command. If I disobeyed him, he will surely tell Old Bird. But I just didn't feel right about killing an innocent creature. And I certainly wasn't raised to be complacent; I was born to be stubborn. I stared back, defiant.
"It is starving." Crowlus agreed stiffly. "Dying. You should end its misery now."
"But all things die." I answered, the words coming forth without my conduction. "That's no reason to kill it. While something is alive, shouldn't it live its life the best it can?" My gaze locked with his pupilless orbs of eyes. "I am... if, if someone is miserable, then should they just... die?"
The Chozo's head jerked back with those words. The hoakut saw us and ran off, disappearing behind a dune.
Crowlus's eyes became slitted and glazed with some emotion I could not yet interpret. His shoulders and neck drooped as if they had lost their energy, as if their strings had been cut. He wouldn't look at me anymore.
"Crowlus." I said. I yanked on his robe, trying to get him to notice me.
For a long moment, he wouldn't respond. Then he put a hand lightly on my head, gently stroking my hair. His eyes were still half-closed. We stood like this for a while, as the wind whistled and traced our feet with crimson sand. Finally, he spoke, so softly that I could hardly hear. "Sometimes yes. Sometimes no." He said as if talking to himself. It took me a moment to realize that his words were in answer to my question.
Grey Voice's feathers suddenly stood on end. I spun around, laser ready, and saw what the Chozo had seen in the distance. Two biped creatures lumbered along the horizon, their figures made hazy by the heat. I recognized them instantly.
Space Pirates.
SPACE PIRATES!
I couldn't think. I screamed, all of my collective fears and anguish expressed in that one sound. And then something snapped within me. I started running. No, I didn't run away. I ran towards the Pirates, brandishing my pathetic little laser. I knew it was stupid, but nothing other than hatred drove me on now. It was stronger than my fear, stronger than any logic, any pain. Everything else was pushed out of my mind to make room for this overwhelming hatred, this insatiable desire for revenge.
I didn't get farther than two steps before I crashed into Crowlus, who had jumped over me, blocking my path. Faster than I could react, he bundled me up in his robes, clamping down my arms and mouth with his hands. I couldn't see, I could barely breathe, and the Chozo's first few desperate leaps knocked out any breath I had left in me. I could feel him run and jump, abruptly changing direction, his talons madly clawing at the desert floor. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, with me still underneath.
My whole world froze. Oh my God! Was Crowlus dead? No, no, I could still feel his rapid breathing and his heartbeat drumming in his ribcage. Relief flooded my system, draining all the emotion out of me, including hatred. I became sure that Crowlus was alive when he tightened his arms around me, ensuring that I wouldn't do anything reckless. I wouldn't dare, not any more. The passion my mad rush was over and it left me deathly afraid. What have I done? I strained to hear what was happening outside, but the wind masked any clues I might have gained.
After an immeasurable amount of time, when he finally felt it was safe to come out of hiding, Crowlus got up and helped untangle me from his robe. I saw that he was mostly unscathed; at least no smoking holes riddled his body. He shook out his feathers, unleashing a cloud of red dust, and put on his clothes, slowly and methodically. He looked at me. Tears stained my eyes and my hands were shaking, although I still gripped the laser as if my life depended on it. I tried to stand and found my legs unsteady. Crowlus picked me up, gently this time, and carried me all the way back to the Chozo refugee station.
As big as it was, the refugee ship could not be seen from a distance, thanks to a form of Chozo cloaking technology, something which I would use on my own ships in the future. The ship seemed to shimmer into existence as we neared. The Chozo on guard probably noticed us, but did not stare. They would wonder why Grey Voice was carrying me. Crowlus went to my room, deposited me on the bed, and quietly departed.
I stayed where he left me for a long time as my mind churned itself into a jam. Crowlus would go to Old Bird to report today's occurences. I could already imagine the elder's normally kind face twisted into an expression of disapproval. My foster father often showered me with generous praises, but that made his reprimands all the more painful. In spite of myself, I wanted to hear them before they were directed at me. I finally got up.
I snuck out of my room and made my way to the control chamber. There was a small alcove there that I could squeeze into and listen unseen. Old Bird and Crowlus were in there, as well as three other important elders. I felt relieved at first, thinking that a gathering of so many important Chozo couldn't possibly be about me. But I heard my name spoken by someone, in a low, murmuring voice. I listened. Most of their talk was in the Chozo tongue, but back then, I could still understand most of it.
"...you say she is impetuous, Grey Voice?" Old Bird said.
"From the way you describe her, it seems as if she harbors too much hate." Another Chozo spoke up. "But she is not illogical. Her reluctance to shoot the hoakut is proof of that. To hesitate to kill is a virtue."
"If she is to be the Defender, then hesitation may result in her death."
"As will impetuousness."
"Then we shall teach her when to hesitate and when to kill."
"But what right do we have teaching a young human girl these sort of skills? We strip her of her innocence. To force her to kill against her will is to strip her of compassion."
"The difference between a monster and a savior is compassion, but her compassion right now is fickle and questionable."
"If she is to rage unthinkingly at inopportune times, then we have done more harm than good to the universe."
"She acted so rashly when faced with one of those invaders. There are scars in her mind which still exist unhealed. Do not tell me that she has none."
"We are not experts on humans, so these scars you speak of might only be growing worse here. At least she is healed of her physical wounds. We should give her to a human colony and leave her to be cared for by those of her kind."
Old Bird rolled back his shoulders, making his lovely wings sparkle in the stark lighting. He actually appeared to be angry. "We have talked about this before." He said, standing as tall and straight as possible. The other four Chozo still loomed over him. "She is our Newborn and she will become the Defender. She must be taught our ways. We can not give her away."
"Gul'Gen, we do not mean to denounce your prophesy," One Chozo said with a slight bow. "But there is no proof that she will become the Defender. You know that a hundred variables distort every premonition."
"She lacks the Chozo quality of discipline. Without this, no one, with or without premonition, can argue that she is the Defender."
"Of course she is not Chozo." Old Bird replied. "No Chozo can be the Defender, not with our pacifist nature."
"If she is not the Defender, then we can not keep her here." Previously silent, this time it was Grey Voice who spoke. Although not an elder himself, the other Chozo grew respectfully silent at his words.
"We torture ourselves for Hatchling's sake." He began gravely in his rasping voice. "Here on Zebes, the whispers of the recently dead are too much temptation for the living. Every day our population shrinks as more of us reject our physical bodies in order to join our deceased friends and family and ancestors. You have all seen this. How many of our brothers and sisters have already succumbed to this despair? How many of you can honestly say that you do not long to leave this dimension as well? I feel the temptation. I feel it each day as it plagues my every waking moment." Crowlus breathed with his beak open, as if the speech had exhausted him. I wondered if it was painful for him to speak. "Misery..." His voice was barely a breath. "It is an agony to remain alive when everyone else is dead."
All the Chozo were silent, their eyes lowered. All were thinking of those who had been lost, those who they might rejoin if they only released the bonds anchoring them to the world. Perhaps those ghosts were whispering to them right now. One of the elders gave an anguished cry and buried his head in his hands.
Of course it's an agony to live when everyone else is dead. I would know. I would know better than any of the Chozo would know.
The others gathered around the despairing Chozo, rubbing their beaks against his in reassurance, lending him the remnants of their own shattered strength. Eventually he stopped shaking and his breathing evened out. He kneeled before Old Bird, who touched the Chozo's forehead with his beak and murmured a spell. Then elder helped him back onto his feet and turned to the others. "We shall be leaving Zebes soon. There may be less ghosts to tempt us when we are away from the planet." Old Bird closed his eyes and opened them slowly. "But I implore all of you to stay strong. For, even if she is not the Defender, Samus is my child, my Hatchling. I will not leave this world until I see her fly on her own."
I've heard enough. I didn't understand most of what they were saying, but I knew when I wasn't wanted. I retreated from the control room and returned to my own chamber. I had few belongings, but I still had the laser, and I managed to take some food plus a small light orb. The Zebesian night was cool, with the clouds hiding the stars and moons. The darkness made it easier for me to move unseen, but clouds also meant the possibility of acid rain. I tightened a little shawl around my neck. I kept an eye on the Chozo sentries, but they were looking for incoming forces, not outgoing people like me. I easily escaped their detection.
Once out of immediate sight, I started running. I ran until the magic of the cloaking technology erased the ship that had been my home for over a year, and I still ran. I pushed the metabolism of my mixed blood, running for miles without stopping or even looking back. Running kept my thoughts at bay. Only when I tripped over a rock was I forced to halt. My face was wet, not with tears, but with perspiration. I knew nothing except the need to get away as far as I could.
My panting breath formed vapors in the air. An icy breeze licked my neck and I realized how cold and tired I was. Where was I, anyways? Where could I go? I had not thought this through very well.
Listlessly, I forced myself up and continued onwards. Anywhere was better than here. This time I walked, for what seemed like a long time, staring at my plodding feet and the endless groundscape cycling beneath me. And then, the scenery suddenly became vertical. I looked up and found myself at the foot of what seemed like an enormous mountain or cliff, but too smooth to be either. I craned my head as far back as it would go and I still couldn't see the top.
This could only be the edge of Chozodia, the cavernous capital of Zebes. It was an ancient ruin even by Chozo standards. Old Bird had shown it to me once, but from a distance. It had me awestruck from the moment I first set eyes upon it. I could feel its power even at a distance; I could feel it almost calling out to me. I had longed to see the contents of the abandoned city for myself.
The mountain of rock which was Chozodia was only a shade deeper than the inky black sky. I ran my hands along the surface of the city, walking around its perimeter until I felt something oddly smooth. That would be the entrance hatch, which I opened with my laser. The inside of the ruins were revealed to me. Somehow it was even darker than the night sky and the black mountain. But I went inside, finding my way by touch.
I could lose myself in Chozodia, or hide. I thought if I hid in the maze- like corridors of the mountain long enough, then the Chozo would eventually give up on finding me and leave, that is, if they bothered to look for me at all. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, but my resolve was decided and that gave me strength. It was better to die here, peacefully, surrounded by Chozo ghosts and magics, than to be torn apart by Pirate claws. And even that was better than being a burden to the living Chozo. If I really caused them so much pain, then they would be better off without me.
I stumbled along in the dark, following the walls, not really caring where they led. I didn't know how long I wandered. Time meant nothing when the darkness was this complete, shrouding my very senses and sucking at my memory.
But finally, I became hungry and exhausted. I took out the light orb and rubbed my hands over it a few times, resulting in a dim glow which illuminated a few feet radius around me. I wolfed down most of the food I brought, thinking nothing of the future. Who knows what might happen later?
It was probably late night by now. I curled up against a wall, waiting for the light orb to extinguish itself and for sleep to claim me. Neither came as quickly as I wanted them to. Restlessly, I turned to the wall and put my hand against it. Yes, even the stone here had power, much like the stones used to make Chozo statues.
I found it strange how this wall was not covered with reliefs and hieroglyphs, as most other Chozo ruins were. The white limestone was soft, soft enough for me to make marks with my fingernails. I remembered some of the ruins Old Bird showed me, depicting the history and legends, beliefs and visions, the dreams of a thousand generations of Chozo carved on the walls. The more elaborate images portrayed the Chozo with an air of power and mystery. But that's not what they're really like. They were kind and compassionate, but nothing on the walls reflected that. With a finger and untrained hand, I drew into the limestone as I had seen some Chozo do. They were much better at it than I was, since I had neither their synthetic paints nor their pointed talons to draw with. I drew a picture of Old Bird holding my hand, and of Crowlus, speaking as if he enjoyed it. And I drew the sun I had known all my life from my earthbound position on K2-L, a sun which meant clear skies and carefree days which I would never experience again in my life. The drawing finished, I sat back to admire my handiwork.
And finally I cried. The tears flowed freely as if there would be no end, the sobs shaking my fragile little body. I cried for my own failure in serving the Chozo, for all the pain my parents and adoptive parents have gone through, and I cried for my own short, sad, miserable life. No one cared about me. Half the Chozo wanted to get rid of me, and the other half was dying because of me. I did not deserve their care. They need not suffer for my sake anymore; I will do all the suffering for them. The light of the orb disappeared, leaving me lost in the darkness. I fell asleep, alone with nothing but the sound of my own pitiful sobbing.
The next thing I knew, a brilliant light shone into my face, visible even behind closed eyelids. Groaning, I put a hand over my eyes and struggled awake. How long had I slept? Was it morning? Why was there light in this underground chamber?
It turned out that the room was not as deep into the mountain as I had thought; holes high along the walls and ceiling allowed sunlight to shine into the chamber. All the light converged at the center of the main wall, where a convex mirror reflected it like a spotlight directly onto me. I let my eyes adjust to the brightness and stared at my reflection. I walked the length of the room, never gazing away from the mirror. It was designed so that my image was never distorted and I could see the reflection no matter where I went in the chamber.
I slowly became aware of some of the designs on the wall. Appearing to hold the mirror was a huge frontal portrait of a Chozo elder; I could tell his rank by the wings he wore. The rest of his costume was foreign to me, but it consisted of a helmet, breastplate with armored sleeves, and large shoulderguards. It turned out I had graffitied on the bottom of his white robe, thinking that it was nothing but blank stone. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the magnificent image; something about that armor made a sense of longing, and of destiny, rise in my heart. I came up close so the Chozo towered over me and placed a hand on the image.
I heard a sound like the rustling of cloth. I whirled around, and saw Old Bird emerge from the shadows. Our eyes locked for a moment, then he turned his gaze to the immense suited Chozo on the wall. I didn't move. I waited for him to reprimand me or to force me back to the ship, but he only stood there. An expression of such melancholy awe that I had never seen, and would never see again, crossed his face. But he seemed to have forgotten I was there.
"Old Bird?" I said carefully. He gaze settled on me, looking me over as if for the first time. His complexion was of solemn joy. I became frightened. "Old Bird?"
"Samus-san." My father, mentor, friend, spoke with gentleness. He held out his hand. "Come to me." I was compelled to obey.
I took his outstretched hand. He held mine reassuringly, then kneeled down and pulled me close. I grabbed his robe and buried my face against the feathers of his cheek. The feathers were few and grey, but they were still soft. They smelled of the red dust of Zebes and of seed oil and feathers. "Hatchling, my Hatchling," The Chozo elder whispered over and over again as he stroked my hair.
"Old Bird?"
"Yes, Samus-san?"
I swallowed. "I'm sorry I ran away. But I heard you and Crowlus and the other elders..." He didn't let me finish. He gripped my shoulders tightly.
"Hatchling." He said sternly. "Each of us have our own beliefs about what would be best for you and for the Chozo. I suppose you heard that much. But despite all the pragmatic notions we have about how to deal with our situation, there is the fact that we all love you." He saw the doubt in my eyes. His complexion softened. "You question whether or not I speak the truth. Let us return, then. Give the Chozo a chance to prove this to you."
"It's already been proven." I said.
Old Bird looked so happy with those words. Finally, he released me and stood up. He turned slowly to face the wall of reliefs. I followed his gaze. "Tell me what you see." He said.
We stood in silence, hand in hand, staring at the ancient wall paintings. Standing this far back, I could see other, smaller pictures carved around the large Chozo statue which I hadn't noticed before. I described them out loud. "Along the sides of the wall, I see types of Chozo that I've never seen before. They have differently shaped beaks which are sharper and smaller and more curved. They have different patterns and colors of feathers and different shapes of eyes. Maybe they're a different subspecies or from a different planet or maybe this is what Chozo looked like a long time ago." I stole a brief glance at Old Bird to see if this was the answer he wanted to hear. He didn't react so I continued. "I think the ones who are kneeling and in robes are priests. They hold some sort of circle thing. I can't tell if it's an orb, an egg, or the balance of existence. The others... I can't tell what they are. They wear some sort of short robe and shoulderguards. But what are they holding? They're not elders, so it can't be staffs, and they're not old enough for canes..."
"Those are spears." Old Bird said. "Weapons."
My voice grew quiet. "Weapons?"
"Yes," Said my father. "We were once a warrior's culture. But that was a long time ago." He paused. "Tell me what is at the center of the wall."
"The center. There is a very big Chozo with green feathers. He is wearing orange... armor? If there are weapons there should be armor. He wears the wings of elders and a crown-like helmet, and he has a white, um, robe." I faltered, hoping Old Bird wouldn't notice my little drawing at the hem of the robe. He didn't, so I focused on the last feature of the relief. "The elder is holding a mirror. It reflects all the light in the room so that it focuses on one spot in the room. It makes my eyes hurt looking at it directly."
"But what do you see in the mirror?" Old Bird pressed.
"I see me." I said simply. "No matter where I am in the room, the mirror always shows me."
"I see you there as well, Defender."
Old Bird and I turned to leave, the two of us still holding hands. I turned for one last, parting glance at the magnificent Chozo elder, and then all the blood drained out of my face. Somehow I missed this before. Because in the mirror, the image was of me, and my hand was holding onto thin air. Nothing of Old Bird, or even of the ground on which I stood, appeared in the reflection. How was this possible? What kind of mirror would be designed to reflect only... me...?
The next day, the Chozo refugee ship lifted off, never to return to Zebes.