Start Date: June 9, 2023

Windwillow

From the Cradle: A Metroid Prequel

Ili Agar Nalima. Also known to the humans as SR388.

We'd once called it home. We'd once dwelt in its depths, in our hard fought homeland, whereupon we encountered evil incarnate. In our settlement of Mathura we sought to research the depths of our new world, only to come into contact with the sinister parasites that we dubbed "X." Consuming its victim and assimilating it into the hive mind, the X parasites had seized total control of Ili Agar Nalima's ecosystem and wrenched the lives of its populace into a slow, tortured oblivion. One day, all that there would be would be "X." To combat this menace we crafted what we deemed a vaccine, the ultimate warriors we dubbed "Metroids." Only too late did we discover that we'd developed a disease even more dangerous than the plague we'd sought to contain. Driven from our homes at the end of the Metroids' fangs, forced to seal away the world we had created, our very existence had come to naught. All that remained was to destroy Ili Agar Nalima entirely, ridding the galaxy of both the menace we'd made and the threat we'd created it to cleanse the planet of.

However, the leader of the Mawkin tribe took... extreme action to prevent this. One by one we Thoha fell to the blades of Raven Beak's men, leaving only myself as a sole survivor of my once noble tribe. I now realized that what I'd created to exorcise the world of evil would now be used to exact Raven Beak's evil ends. But what could I do? I am a scientist and not a warrior. So, shameful as it is, I find that I must bow my head to the one who slaughtered my people and pray for a miracle...

Chapter Three: Culmination

Scene One

The Thoha lay dead at Raven Beak's feet, save Quiet Robe. Quiet Robe, as he stared down at the charred corpses of his friends and colleagues, could only grit his beak tight so as to keep himself from screaming. Jade Crane, Bright Owl; both had been personally exterminated by Raven Beak himself. While he sat in mourning, one of the Mawkin brusquely grabbed him by the arm and lifted him to his feet.

"To Ili Tarin Nalima," said the Mawkin coldly.

He knew the name, of course. For the Mawkin, Ili Tarin Nalima was their home world, known to the Federation as ZDR. Most of it was colonized, though some areas were less civilized than others. But the planet proper was solely for Raven Beak's servants; he lived high above the ground in his own personal fortress, Itorash, to which Quiet Robe would be rudely escorted to once they'd arrived on the planet. Before that happened he was placed in a relatively comfortable room, where he was watched over by two armed Mawkin. Although he wasn't bound, it was clear to Quiet Robe that he wasn't free to leave. As he sat in solemn meditation, the door opened and he lifted his head to see Raven Beak approach.

"We'll arrive at Itorash in a few weeks..." said Raven Beak softly. He waved his guards away and, as they departed the room, snatched up a bottle of liquor and poured himself a glass. Although he politely offered a cup to Quiet Robe, he received only a stony silence and so laid the spirits down on the table and walked towards his captive. As he slid into a seat adjacent to Quiet Robe, Raven Beak silently took a sip of his drink.

"I'm assuming that you'll proceed with or without my cooperation," said Quiet Robe. Receiving stony silence, he sighed and folded his arms. "Let me say it anyway: weaponizing the Metroids is the kind of act that the gods would curse. You'll bring divine judgment down on you one day."

Raven Beak only smiled. "And if I become more powerful than the gods, can you honestly say that they could touch me?" he shrugged. While Quiet Robe stared at him with contempt, Raven Beak sighed and laid down his drink. He slung his arm over his seat and sneered at his captive, a sinister glare in his eye. "And, yes, I'm sure you'd deduced that I created the Metroids for my own ends. Taming the X just happened to be a convenient way to convince the Thoha to cooperate."

"You've gone mad," snapped Quiet Robe. "No matter what happens, someone will bring judgment down upon you one day. And it may be your own arrogance that destroys you either way. If the Metroids go out of control, what then? How do you intend to tame them?"

"I have all the time in the world once we reach my homeland..." smirked Raven Beak. "You Thoha can control the Metroids, so keeping you alive was the only option I had to make my dream a reality. One day, somehow, I will conquer them... and the galaxy will be mine."

"Fool. The lot of us failed to contain the Metroids. Slaughtering a hundred Thoha and leaving one is an awfully audacious way to go about your strategy. What if one of my brethren was more attuned to controlling the Metroids?" asked Quiet Robe.

"You were in charge of the program. You were privy to all the secrets, every step of the way. Leaving you alive is the only logical conclusion. Once you teach me how to control them, the Metroids will ensure my rule over the whole of the galaxy..." said Raven Beak proudly.

Quiet Robe shook his head, a smile on his beak. "You will never control them," he said plainly. "One of the primary directives I gave to the Metroids was hostility to all Mawkins. Just try and direct them and see how it feels to have the life sucked out of you."

Raven Beak angrily smashed his glass and took Quiet Robe by the throat, lifting him into the air and into the path of his arm cannon. "So, you want to die?" hissed Raven Beak. "Because it certainly seems like you're begging for me to kill you."

"You cannot kill me, not yet. Unless I cooperate, all the Metroids will bring you is death and a horrible end to your existence," said Quiet Robe plainly. As Raven Beak stewed, Quiet Robe etched a smile on his beak. "Your own plan, from the very beginning, is riddled with the same holes you burned in my brother's chest. If you agree to let me live, I will agree to assist you... but if you kill me now, your dream will die with me."

"Bastard. Don't think I'll let you live forever," snarled Raven Beak. Even so, he released his grip on Quiet Robe and allowed him to fall to his seat and clutch his throat in pain. "You'll live and live well until that day. But remember this: you belong to me now. My every wish will be your command. Ha... What kind of life is that? You might be better served by my exterminating you now... but it's too late. Once we reach Ili Tarin Nalima, we will begin the experiments. I will rule the galaxy. And that is one hundred percent fact."

Scene Two

Following the long journey to Ili Tarin Nalima, Quiet Robe was rather brusquely escorted to his new laboratory, which was complete with all the amenities he would need to survive. Once there, he was put to work immediately in designing new bio-weapons for Raven Beak's purposes. He conducted several experiments to create unique creatures, and also studied the Kraid that they'd retrieved from a distant planet. This one, rather than the Space Pirate commander, was more malice than master here, chained by the neck and left in the magma chambers for every new experiment that Raven Beak ordered. He was less than pleased with the arrangement, but could do nothing but stew and screech in his cage like the rabid beast that he truly was.

Several weeks after they'd arrived, Raven Beak had allowed him to rest in his own laboratory, unsupervised. This was a welcome change to being escorted everywhere and being all but shackled, so for once in a long time Quiet Robe was able to relax. He sat in his seat, surrounded by his instruments, and pondered the situation. He was now a full collaborator to Raven Beak's schemes. In exchange for life (such as it was) he was forced to prepare for his captor's ascension, and as he grieved Quiet Robe laid his hand to his chest in prayer.

Is it hopeless? Even with my aid, it's impossible for him to tame the Metroids. What will happen when we attempt to retrieve them? How many soldiers will it take to contain even one Metroid? The whole matter is utter madness. Perhaps he was right: what kind of life is this?

The shrill shriek of a Chozo split Quiet Robe's ears and nearly rent them asunder. Once he'd gathered himself he clicked open a channel to the main headquarters and was horrified to see the image of an X rip itself from the body of one of Raven Beak's troopers. As he watched the X thrust itself into the body of one soldier, who lashed out at another with its blade in a desperate attempt to fight back. One by one they began to fall to the X, were assimilated, and Quiet Robe's blood ran cold.

"All soldiers, evacuate!" ordered Raven Beak, who had already slipped behind a blast screen. Although some Mawkin managed to escape, the majority were turned and began to writhe in agony as their new masters overtook their bodies. Raven Beak left them to die, each in turn, shoving back any soldiers that stood in his way, and then slammed the door shut and sealed it. Once his breath had returned, he coldly fired his weapon and destroyed the locking mechanism before turning to leave.

Quiet Robe was forced to watch as the Mawkin were infected. In his grief he was finally forced to close the connection, and sank deep into his chair with his head in his hands. "The fool's brought judgment on his own people!" hissed Quiet Robe.

An audio connection opened suddenly, and Quiet Robe turned to take the call. "It's a lost cause... they're all lost," came Raven Beak's haggard voice. "Seal off the Elun sector entirely. And shut the oxygen supplies down as well. We have no way of knowing if that can stop the X from reanimating them... and even the slightest chance is a chance I'm willing to take."

"That is enough!" choked Quiet Robe, his fist tightening. "Do you even hear what you're saying?! Who do you think will do your work if the lot of your clansmen are dead?!"

"We have robot soldiers," said Raven Beak coldly. "They will suffice. Now, seal off the sector... and that is an order. Fail to comply and my next act will be to send you your own death. Seal it off and be done with them."

Scene Three

Despite his grief, Quiet Robe reluctantly sealed off the Elun sector entirely, oxygen and all. Although he didn't create a visual connection in his investigation, the sickly shrieks of undead Chozo forced him to shut off his search and retreat to his chamber to grieve. With almost all of the Mawkin infected, he was forced to engage their army of armed robot soldiers, who promptly reported to Raven Beak for inspection. With the infection contained, Raven Beak was ready to turn his attention to restarting his plan. He was unable, however, to contact his forces on Ili Agar Nalima, as they had been slaughtered by the Metroids already. Like a man possessed he continued to send out orders, but when a Galactic Federation automatic message popped up he'd nearly destroyed his own chamber out of sheer rage. One of the robot soldiers was an actual casualty.

SR388 is presently in quarantine. We've contacted bounty hunter Samus Aran to search and destroy the threat on SR388, and so order that no one approach the planet.

Raven Beak retreated into solitude after this, refusing to speak to anyone but the robot soldiers in charge of tending to his basic needs. This, for him, was unacceptable. For several months he tortured himself, wracked his brains, and when he opened up a connection to the Federation's news agency he learned of the destruction of the laboratory above Ili Agar Nalima, as well as the detonation of the planet itself, at the hands of Samus Aran.

Livid, another soldier was brutally destroyed in Raven Beak's rage. Further investigation, however, opened up a new possibility. To combat the X aboard the space station, Samus Aran had been infused with the DNA of the lone remaining Metroid, which allowed her to combat the X and complete her mission. This was the opening Raven Beak needed, but he needed a way to extract the Metroid DNA from Samus before he could do anything further. It took only a month of research to learn of a way to do so. Anonymously, he uploaded a video of one of the X still in quarantine in Elun to the Galactic Federation's news agency, knowing that it would evoke interest. When he learned of the E.M.M.I. being sent to investigate, he knew that he had his opening. Shortly after the E.M.M.I arrived, Raven Beak sent an order to Quiet Robe to meet him in one of the Central Units in the sector of Artaria.

When Quiet Robe arrived, he watched as Raven Beak critically damaged one of the E.M.M.I. using the Omega Cannon from the sector's Central Unit. As he stared at the charred remains of E.M.M.I. 01-P, Quiet Robe nearly fell to his knees in horror. He'd heard of the near-invincibility of the E.M.M.I., and the idea that Raven Beak could destroy one chilled him to the bone.

"Examine this specimen and find a way to gain control of the lot of them," ordered Raven Beak coldly. "I know that your mechanical hacking skills ought to be sufficient to bring the E.M.M.I. under my control."

"Why do you persist in this madness?!" snarled Quiet Robe. "You gave your own blood to the hatchling! Now, you would kill her and drain the very life from her empty shell for your own ends?! And why do you think extracting the Metroids' DNA will do for you?!" he exclaimed.

Raven Beak angrily lifted his arm cannon to Quiet Robe's face, an act that immediately silenced him. "You have the means to clone them, yes? Then do so!" he snarled. As Quiet Robe stared in horror, the sole surviving Mawkin angrily narrowed his weapon at his chest. "I gave her my blood, and I can take it back. I will not be denied. Not this time."

Scene Four

The events that followed were truly dreadful. Upon arrival on Ili Tarin Nalima, Raven Beak assaulted the hatchling Samus Aran and nearly killed her before she awakened her Metroid powers. Now satisfied he retreated, and ordered the E.M.M.I. to seek her out and extract the Metroid DNA from her body. What followed was both to his advantage and disadvantage. Samus Aran fought her way through the whole of the planet, steadily becoming stronger and stronger, and his true plan emerged: fool her and guide her to Itorash, where he would end the matter. When Quiet Robe turned on him and shut down the E.M.M.I., Raven Beak spitefully ordered his assassination, and released the locks on Elun to slow Samus down. One of the X he unleashed infected the body of Quiet Robe and used it to reactivate the E.M.M.I., furthering his plans, but by the time his deceit was revealed Samus had become powerful enough to fight him on relatively even ground. Their battle was long and brutal, but in the end Raven Beak triumphed and lifted her by the throat into the air.

"You honestly believed you could best me? Don't give yourself too much credit, girl..." he said coldly. "Not that it matters. I no longer need the E.M.M.I. to extract the DNA I seek. Do you want to know why? It is because I can now clone an army of the most powerful Metroid in existence... you," said Raven Beak triumphantly. "O foolish daughter of mine, close your eyes and rest. Leave the rest to me."

While she struggled futilely, Samus desperately reached out to grab Raven Beak with her left hand, but was unable to reach. Finally drained, she shut her eyes and her suit's systems began to slowly shut down. Now, it would only be a matter of cloning her and beginning his rule over the galaxy. Why? Because power is everything.

Samus let out a horrific shriek, the Metroid powers in her body seizing control over it, and she lashed out her mutated arm at Raven Beak. She shattered his helmet with a single strike, her fingers digging deep into the Mawkin's face as he began to be drained of all the energy in his body. As a side effect, while he struggled the very energies of his own fortress Itorash was drained as well, and thus the lot of them plummeted to the surface of Ili Tarin Nalima.

She was unrecognizable, now less human than Metroid, as she rose up from the debris in preparation to leave. To Samus' alarm she turned to find that Raven Beak had somehow survived, and readied her weapon to strike. It was when one of the remaining X infected him that he seized up and began to writhe in agony. His mighty body warped and twisted, grew to fantastic proportions and made a monster out of a monster of a man. As the possessed Chozo roared in fury, Samus merely lifted her weapon and aimed it at his open maw. With a single, mighty burst of energy Raven Beak was struck down and reduced to ashes, with his infected master soon joining him in oblivion. As the planet began to quake and roil, Samus charged valiantly through the caverns and catacombs of Ili Tarin Nalima, fought her way to her spacecraft, and was abruptly halted by her onboard computer, kept from draining the energy from her one way out of oblivion.

As she stared down at her powerful, lethal fingers Samus vaguely noted a presence behind her and turned to find an infected Quiet Robe behind her. Although she readied her weapon to strike, Quiet Robe's shell bowed its head to her in deference. The X's structure deconstructed itself and flew into Samus' body, containing the mighty Metroid powers that had threatened her own life. She wasted no time in engaging her gunship, and with seconds to spare she escaped the destruction of the planet. With a haggard breath, Samus choked back her terror and dropped back into her seat. Her entire being was shaken to its core, the thought that she'd nearly been used as a weapon having overwhelmed her. Once she'd gathered herself, Samus quietly reached out towards her control console and reluctantly clicked open a connection to ADAM.

"What was it all for...?" asked Samus breathlessly.

"Raven Beak sealed his own fate. Don't read any kind of logic into it."

"Did... he really never care for me? After he infused me with his own DNA when I was young and helpless?" Samus murmured. "He had to have had some compassion for me... so, why on earth did he do it?"

"Wishful thinking. He was a monster, plain and simple, and deserved what he got. Where to next, Lady?"

Author's Notes

And so ends another piece from an obscure, lonely author. When I conceived of this piece, I more or less had the end result in mind as well as much of the beginning, but over time I managed to flesh it out into what you've just read. It's every bit the BS overload from my other fics, which is to be expected with me... but I'm satisfied that I wrote a small little piece for something not created by Square-Enix. My experience outside of JRPGs is slim, so I doubt it'll happen often, if ever again.

I hope you guys got something out of From the Cradle. I'll be back soon with more work, and of course FFVII is still ongoing. Till then, cheers to you all!