Metroid: Mission Alpha
Episode 46: Samus's Secret
Last time, Samus took Alpha back to HQ, but it was discovered that the Snacanid was suffering from a loss of mental energy! With his death being certain if left untreated, thing looked bleak for Alpha…but then, Samus had an idea and set off for Planet Zebes. What exactly does she have in mind?
Samus landed her Gunship on Planet Zebes, in an area covered in rubble. As she stepped out onto the area, she looked sadly at the miles of debris, laid out as far as the eye could see. This place was once a Chozo city, she thought, It was alive with inhabitants, and one of them was me. But then disaster struck.
Samus remembered how, shortly after she had left Zebes to become a bounty hunter, a Space Pirate invasion had turned the Chozo civilization into ruins; not one survivor remained. A while later, when Samus completed her last mission on Zebes, a massive explosion had heavily damaged the planet. The forests and natural areas had since begun to recover, but the Chozo ruins were left in rubble.
"What I seek must be buried somewhere…" Samus said to herself. Then her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of one building that was miraculously still standing. It was the Chozo Temple, and while it did show some cracks and damage from all that had happened, it was indeed still standing.
Samus ran inside the temple, which amazingly had no wear on the inside. By each corner there was a tall, elegantly designed pillar, and opposite from the entrance sat a small altar. Rows of seating lined the floor, and images of Chozo were depicted on the side walls. Everything was crafted in pure white and almost appeared to glow.
Samus gazed in awe at the beauty of the temple. It was the same reaction she'd had the many times she visited there as a youth. Now it had been so long, yet the beauty had remained unchanged. The lone visitor walked over to the altar, closed her eyes, and thought of what she was seeking. Where could it be? she thought. Immediately, a vision came to her mind of one spot where the debris was covered with small rocks. Opening her eyes, she took another look at the altar before leaving the temple.
Samus looked about carefully for small rocks like the ones she had seen in her vision. Other than her movements and the gentle breeze that blew, the area was entirely still and silent. There was nothing around but the lonely remnants of a once-glorious past. The traveler then found what she was looking for: a group of small rocks in one spot. This must be it, the remains of the house where she had lived with her adoptive Chozo parents growing up.
Kneeling down by the spot, Samus removed the rocks from the pile and dug through the rubble. And then she saw it. Among the debris lay a round light blue stone with pale blue and white in its center; it was attached to a golden chain that gleamed when it became exposed to the sunlight. There it is, after all this time…the Chozo necklace! Samus thought as she picked up the necklace. As soon as she touched it, a soft blue glow emanated from the stone, as if it recognized its owner. Seeing and holding this necklace again brought a flashback to her mind:
Samus was a young girl, drawing a picture of herself with her Chozo friends in her adoptive parents' house, when the Chozo elder and several Chozo elite approached her. "Hello, Samus. We have something for you today," the elder said.
Samus jumped to her feet. "What is it?"
"Come to the temple and we will show you."
The elder and elite led Samus and her adoptive parents to the temple, where the Chozo necklace lay on top of the altar. "What a pretty necklace!" Samus's eyes sparkled.
The Chozo elder took the necklace and showed it to Samus. It began to glow when he held it. "It's for you, Samus," he said.
"For me?" Samus asked in astonishment.
The elder nodded. "Yes…but it's more than just a pretty necklace. This is the Chozo necklace. It was crafted by the Chozo elite from a rare stone found only on Zebes. It contains great and mysterious Chozo power; it is activated by Chozo DNA. Since you have Chozo blood, it will give you new power when you wear it. We are giving it to you because you are proving to be such a good warrior-in-training."
"Wow! So I can become stronger with this necklace?" Samus asked.
The elder smiled. "That's right. Your purpose and fighting spirit determine its power. But remember, its great power can only be used in extreme situations for good and against evil. When you have become a true warrior, it will work for you." Then he slipped the necklace over the girl's head and around her neck, where it continued to glow. "Keep the power of the Chozo near your heart, Samus, and there is no doubt in my mind that you will succeed."
Samus looked down at the necklace and then skipped away, smiling. "Thanks, guys! Now I'll be a cool Chozo warrior someday! I'm going to add the necklace to my picture!"
Her thoughts returning to the present, Samus kept her eyes on the familiar necklace. As I grew older and stronger, my fascination with the Chozo necklace faded, Samus remembered, I was so eager to begin my bounty hunting job that when I left Zebes, I forgot about the necklace and left it behind. Countless adventures kept me occupied after that, and the ruin of the Chozo civilization buried the necklace.
Samus sighed as her thoughts continued. The Chozo race…without them I wouldn't even be alive today. They did so much for me, even raising me like one of their own and turning me into a true warrior. And yet…their legacy has been nearly destroyed. With the sad fate of the Chozo in her mind, a single tear dropped onto the shining necklace.
That little girl and warrior-in-training was also gone, but in her place was a grown woman and a true warrior. She had defeated the villains who eradicated the Chozo, putting Zebes at peace; and now she had another job to do. But their legacy isn't over yet. I am the last living member of the Chozo civilization, and it is my duty to carry on their story. Now I have reunited with the necklace containing their power, and my job is to use it to save Alpha.
Remembering the reason she had come to search for the Chozo necklace in the first place, Samus's determination was restored. She slipped the Chozo necklace over her head for the first time in years. The gold chain fit around her neck and the beautiful stone rested against her chest, where it glowed even more brightly than before. With new power its wearer left the spot for her ship.
Samus looked back at the place that had been her former home before boarding the Gunship. Then she lifted off with her current mission back on her mind. Now that I have what I was looking for, I can try to save Alpha. This necklace is his only hope, she thought. Finally, the power of the Chozo necklace had returned to Samus. But would its power be enough to save Alpha's life?
(Original story from July 2018)
The idea for this story actually came to me from a dream I had. I was going to have Samus search for something she needed to help Alpha, but I wasn't sure what it would be. Then I had a dream about Samus holding the Chozo necklace, thinking about the fate of the Chozo and a single tear dropping onto the necklace, just like in one paragraph here!