Lexylan Starport, Arganti
Samus' ship landed on the planet first, its struts bringing it to a gentle stop before she vaulted out and landed on her feet. She cracked her neck slightly in both directions, laying a hand on her hip while Arne, Spire, and Armaud followed shortly.
It was good to be back home on the familiar soil of Arganti to be sure, and she looked upon the peaceful vistas and the bustle of mechanoids going from one task to another with a smile. Crisis averted, everything back to normal, so it seemed.
Arne caught up to her with his typical brisk walk, getting a thumbs up from her as he approached.
"Man how did you get here first?" He asked with a smirk as he dismissed his helmet and lowered the phantom suit's hood. The hungry gleam in his eye for all knowledge relating to the mechanical was unmistakable, and she was only happy to indulge.
"Well, I've been playing around with the N-Space systems, trying to file down the dimensional transit time. If I could get here before your overengined fighter, I must have done it right flyboy." She said, tapping on her chin after willing away her helmet and then letting out a mock scoff.
"Hey, the Sleipnir fits the way I fly just fine. Especially with all the work I put into it. Its...just right engined!" He said in faux-protest as the two of them shared a laugh.
"Well, shame we didn't get a chance to bomb those two with them with the ships. I was really hoping for a chance to fly against a real enemy." Arne sighed wistfully.
"Well, I'm sure you'll get your chance! But come on, we did great there. Don't focus too much on the stuff we didn't get to do." She said, walking at an easy pace alongside him.
"Mmhm. Well, to celebrate I thought I'd show you this thing I saw on the ComNet." He said, holding his left hand behind his back while dismissing his arm cannon in a fade of blue light.
"Oh? Let me guess...something to do with your hands?" She said, tilting her head out of curiosity.
"Yep, it's called a high-five. Come on, up top!" He said, briefly wondering if that was how it was supposed to do before offering an open palmed hand gesture that Samus matched, the two smacking each other's hands hard enough to create a visible shockwave and thunderclap.
Spire approached the two from behind with surprising silence, though their sense-move had warned them he was coming; they also knew he meant no harm as he scooped the two up in his huge arms and planted them atop his shoulders, one each.
"Come on kids; you've earned yourselves a ride on the Boulder." Spire said, the two kids swinging their legs from atop his perch and holding onto the crystal spikes on his shoulder. From this vantage point, the world seemed so much smaller than it was at ground level, and childish glee made itself evident in their excited noises.
"Nobody calls you the Boulder." Armaud said teasingly as she calmly walked by Spire's side, each step of her mechanical legs clanking against the hangar floor.
"Well, I am now. So best learn to live with it Armaud." Spire said, a gentle snort like two rocks scraping against each other coming from him.
"Say, where is everyone?" Arne said, looking around and seeing nobody at the moment. It made him feel slightly at disease even though he sensed no incoming danger heading their way.
"I mean it might be a special day...it is..." She said before checking the suit chronometer and then gasping.
"Sacred ghosts it's our bir-" She said before Armaud opened the next door and the five were greeted with a rather large crowd of many species who had gathered here; Old Bird holding a cake in his outstretched hands with thirteen candles. Elmorni held one of her own, also with thirteen candles while everyone they knew and a few they didn't flanked the two.
"Happy Birthday and congratulations!" The group said in Unison with only a few exceptions. Even Hugin and Munin had joined in, while Pyonchi held up a tablet displaying as much; sitting atop August Wing's right shoulder.
"Ahhh! Thank you so much!" Samus said, excitedly clapping her hands before Ghor rested a hand on both of their shoulders once they slipped off of Spire, the slender cyborg detached from his Mech and having a far more kindly look to his optics, mandibles in the approximation of a smile.
"You know, I was originally coming for you kids' birthday parties. It was supposed just to be a fun way to kill a bit of time." He said before looking around while Samus and Arne gladly accepted the gift of cake.
"Well...thanks for coming all the same. We still had fun, right?" Arne said as he laid the ice cream cake on a table next to Samus' and waited for everyone to gather around.
"We're so proud of you for what you've done and the achievements you've made. To defeat two of the Old Foes at your age is a tremendous honour. Please, accept our praise." Old Bird said with a bow of reverence towards the two children.
"I mean, it's what we had to do. Couldn't just let them blow up the sector you know?" Arne said, blushing a bit as he scratched at the back of his neck.
"-Arne, my son; there's no need for you to be so modest. You and Samus have done something I couldn't have dreamed of doing at your age. You have done so much more than pass your trial of delving.-" Elmorni said, folding her hands in front of her slender tripedal waist and lowering her blue head slightly.
"Really? I mean, we went so far off the rails!" Samus chirped, bouncing a bit on her heels and then looking up at the Alimbic. "But we also did get the trial prize too, just in case." Samus said, producing a sphere of energy surrounded by rings covered in runes and tossing it towards Old Bird who caught it gratefully.
Eyeing it for a moment and then compressing it into a tiny point with a squeeze of his hands, Re-Sekh put the sphere away and looked down on his daughter.
"It was hardly necessary to take at this point, but I am pleased you accomplished the task anyway." He said with a proud, avuncular tone before running a hand through her hair and stroking it gently, making sure not to displace her hair from its current styling.
Arne shared a hug with Elmorni for a few moments until he broke away and had a look around the room his eyes briefly locking gazes with Zurvduat's cold stare before flicking away. He didn't get a good vibe from him, but he tried to push that thought out of his mind and just focus on what was in front of him. Maybe after some festivities, Zurvduat would calm down from whatever mood it was he was having.
Samus gave an ugly stare at Zurvduat and made a brief face at him that drew a scornful expression from the General. As far as she was concerned the fact that he seemed so offended by simply sticking her tongue out at him and making a weird face was good; he deserved worse.
Arne similarly pushed one of Mother Brain's oculi drones out of his face after craning his head back to get away from the staring drone. Feeling a bit of resistance from the drone, he just extended his arm a bit harder and frowned.
"Please get out of my face." He said before turning back and eyeing what was laid out all over the table. Sparkling drinks, snack food for every preferred taste sensation, condiments and dips, everything the two could ask for.
"Ah, Aira, Sarxyl; you have done well for yourself I se-." Somek-Ka said as he walked into the room before Samus interrupted him with a raised finger.
She was not going to have Grey Voice interrupt her moment with his usual stoic serious business attitude to just about everything.
"Shhh...cake is here, let me blow out the candles." She said, getting a nod from Arne.
"One...two...three!" Arne said before they exhaled sharply through pursed lips, snuffing out the meagre yellow flames and welcoming in the start of a new year of their lives. A cheer, excited and full of warmth and praise; rang out across the room, excited congratulations being passed to the two newly minted teenagers as they peeled back slightly.
After having been through so much already, the two felt so tremendously excited for what could come next that they were just about giggling with giddy excitement as Samus extended her arm blade to cut out her slice of cake.
The ice cream cake tasted sweet and was just the right degree of creamy and moist in her mouth, and after a long day away on her trial, it may as well have been divine ambrosia. She hummed in joy and closed her eyes to savour the flavours that met her tongue. Far more sensitive than most people's taste buds, she could detect subtleties in the flavour that most people couldn't even imagine existed. She picked up all the little chemical cues in the sugar, informing her of where and how it was made. She could tell the exact type of chocolate and the exact age of the batter that went into the cake.
And she didn't even need to open her eyes to know Arne was in the same sort of bliss if anything he was enjoying it even more. Far too used to eating bland nutrient supplements, Arne relished in the chances to spoil himself now and then. Not too much, as the explosion of flavour from overly rich food tended to overwhelm him, doing so on occasion would do him wonders. He let the sensation of the ice cream melting in his mouth linger for a moment more before taking another bite with a spoon.
"-Eat your fill child, soon it will be time for you to take the next step on your journey. So for now, enjoy life among us.-" Ygrak said in a matronly voice.
"Come on, there will be time for that later, for now, why don't we try and have some fun?" Spire said with a dismissive wave. It was partly for them, and partly for his desire to simply have a moment to relax after the day he just had.
"Agreed, I think I could do with a bit of a break from progenitor trials for a while. Let them have their moment for now. It's their day." Armaud said, folding her arms and regarding the cake that everyone was digging into somewhat longingly. Flesh that she no longer had slightly ached for sensations she no longer needed to have satiated.
"Certainly would be the better option. I could do with a party after sitting through Federation debriefing to get those troopers cleared. Almost as bad as trying to follow up any leads on who might have attacked Cylosis; shield screens and legal adhesive tying down every clue." Ghor said, shaking his head and clasping his cybernetic mandibles together.
"Well, I think you'll find out one day. Then we can get to work on getting justice, right?" Arne said, turning his attention over to Ghor who gave a small nod.
"Personally I'd prefer to wait until you're a bit older to be going after secretive armies. For now, I'd rather you and Samus be kids and worry more about how to make friends then shoot outs with conspiracies and space pirates." He said calmly.
"Which is why the next phase of your training will focus on socialisation rather than warfare. You've already proven yourselves masters of battle in any case." Old Bird said politely, stepping a bit closer to the conversation after having scarfed down a piece of the cake.
"Papa, we can talk about that later; cake now." Samus said, folding her arms and tapping her foot. She was ill inclined to waste a single moment of her birthday, and her furrowed brow made that clear.
"-Would anyone care for some games then? I think I've picked out a few that everyone can enjoy.-" Elmorni said with a gentle laugh.
Sixteen hours later
Arne and Samus had changed into more casual outfits. Arne was now wearing a pair of blue trousers, a darker blue hooded coat with grey highlights near the cuffs, a red shirt, and black sneakers. Samus wore a comfortable blue shirt beneath an orange windbreaker coat; yellow highlighted forest green pants and black coloured boots covering her lower body.
The two were busy with an energetic dance, twirling around one another and moving in tune to a song the both of them enjoyed; lively neo-swing music that gave them a bouncy beat to follow. While Zurvduat and Mother Brain and some of their cohort seemed unimpressed at best, plenty of other people seemed to be having fun just as they were.
However, unlike most dances, there was no clear leader; each of them seeking to take the lead over the other. Arne would pull her into a few twirls, Samus would dip him afterwards, leading to him retaliating by picking her up, from where she'd flip off him and pull him around.
They parted a bit, holding each other only by a single hand before rotating around and pulling into each other; grabbing each other's hands and pushing slightly to see who'd give way to dip. Samus bent slightly backwards, leading him back with her while the two shared a laugh. He was more assertive than usual.
"Confident, I like that." She said with a wide grin from ear to ear as the two were in the midst of a series of steps.
"We did just save a sector after all."
"True, I like seeing you this way. It's so much better than watching you doubt yourself all the time." She said, pulling in close enough that their foreheads touched each other while he brought an arm around her side and tugged her in close.
"Well, you've gotten pretty good at leading people yourself. Making people feel more comfortable...thinking on the fly and...I couldn't have done it without you is what I'm saying." He said back to her as she brushed a thumb against his cheek while they continued with their dance.
"Arne, you're going to make me blush at this rate!" She said, though it was a bit too late to prevent that particular eventuality.
"What if I like seeing that?" He whispered into her ears, cheeks hot with blood rushing into them.
"Well, you're very lucky then blueberry." She said with a sly grin as she glanced at his choice of colours.
He scrambled to think of a comeback. He couldn't let her get away with this victory in their games of riposte and teasing. But what could possibly hope to contend with the perfection that was "blueberry" as a teasing nickname? He thought of the usual colouration of her armour and then grabbed for it in his mind.
"Well um...so are you...golden girl." He said, stumbling slightly with his words as he realised he had a bit of the way to go with confidence.
That cheshire grin of hers creeped its way onto her face.
"Gotcha."
"Are you going to rib everyone like this when you leave home? Can't exactly tease everyone like your friends and family." He asked, quirking one of his platinum brows as the two pulled a bit to the side in their dance.
Samus briefly thought of what she was going to say back to him. Leave...home. Go out there by herself. She looked towards Old Bird, August Wings, War Hawk, and Grey Voice. She imagined them not being there, she looked to him and then imagined him being gone. Alone, with strangers. She froze for a second, feeling cold at the thought of it.
Being without family and friends.
She was so angry when he was screaming in pain and so adamant that Spire and Armaud were fine. Why? She was so overjoyed to see Ghor in particular and felt so much relief to see all her family again...
Alone.
She saw the dust and ash around her in her mind's eye. She felt the dying embers of an infernal heat that had swept around everywhere. She remembered calling until her voice went hoarse only for nobody to answer.
Aches returned, the dreadful silence came back. More than the rapid and vicious terror of the pirate assault, she feared the emptiness that came after. Surrounded by nothing but the dead, just her and Pyonchi to wander the wastelands, the sinister heat of dying flames making her feel so uncomfortably hot.
She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to call out for help only for nobody to answer. She didn't want the security of having people around her to trust being taken from her. She hated the idea; she dreaded the thought of returning to that awful empty isolation.
Arne called her, she barely responded. She was aware of every breath she took in the worst way, and she felt the urge to scream rising. Was she ready to go? Did she want to leave? To take that step out the door and spend so much time away from everyone she cared about?
Arne wasn't about to let her lose herself to her fears, any more than she did with him. He understood the fear of loneliness, and his time with her had given him similar aches. At first, there was precious little on Sentus Primaris he felt truly attached to; his pets, Elmorni, Ygrak, some of the other nicer Alimbics. Now there was something he'd long for when they had to part ways for some time.
But that didn't mean that there was no way they could make the best of the moment, particularly when she was in need and he was in a position to help.
He hugged her, and she remembered that she wasn't going to face this entirely alone, and the feeling of him around her pressed something into her chest. She snapped back to reality and hugged him back, laying her head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling back and fishing out Old Bird's Medallion once more. The lightning bolt-like symbol put her at ease, and she squeezed her hand around it.
"Are you nervous about going out?" Arne said as the two pulled away from the hustle and bustle of the party to a place more quiet and calm, somewhere they could speak without being observed too closely.
"Aren't you?" She asked, frowning a bit, not understanding why he wasn't having a similar dread of the thought of going on his own. Then she caught his gaze briefly turning to Zurvduat and then shying away from the General, flicking back towards her.
"I...I think getting a chance to go out would be good for me. I'm going to miss you a lot though." He said quietly, his expression softening into a forlorn gaze towards her, hand brushing against her hair.
"I'm going to miss you too...I'm just...hoping I can make new friends quickly. It's going to be hard to start from scratch with a bunch of strangers." She said with an exhale of anxiety.
"Yeah, I'm worried about that too. We did just beat the Sunstalker and Moonhunter though, right? Like you said, we can do anything." He said, trying to be a bit more cheery than his usual. He felt good.
His cheer was infectious, and she found herself smiling back at him in response.
"Yeah, you're right. It can't be that hard." She said, clearing her breath just a bit.
"We'll just have to give it our best shot. And make everyone proud." She said with a now more satisfied smile.
"Going to live out your dreams of seeing everything life has to offer?" He asked, resting his head back a bit.
"Obviously. But what about you? Still hoping to become clan champion?" She asked, humming in thought and tapping her fingers against her chin.
"Well yeah. But there's plenty to do after that. It would be nice to take the title my mom did, though." Arne said as he stretched himself out and leaned a bit more on her, she was soft and warm as always, and he liked the feeling of her hands threading through his platinum hair.
The mention of family brought something to mind regarding their plans for the future as she snuggled closer with him in the crevice they had snuck off to.
"I'm supposed to get supervised by a friend of my family they made when they were in the marines. Adam Malkovich, you ever hear of him?" She asked.
Arne's thought process worked quickly and it didn't take long for him to draw the cards he had in the proverbial deck.
"Federal Army General, close friends to a lot of important staff in a Federal Program, meant to help educate people with extranormal abilities or talents outside of their species' norm. He fought in the Horus Rebellion, I think? A lot of border skirmishes too." He said, rattling off what his mind brought to the fore.
"Right, Old Bird's gone and started a lot of the arrangements. I just need to show up, do a few tests and learn how things work. Should be easy right? I mean...he was close to my parents, so maybe he'll be like family, you know?" She said, talking a bit more quickly than normal. She was still antsy about the idea of leaving home.
"And have you been told who you'll be staying with?" She asked, resting her head atop his and gazing down into his eyes.
"Magna Alvissen. She was the person who taught most of fireteam raptor Noir how to fight; went from commando ops to freelancing to extranormal circumstances section before going into education. Started working more with kids than adults after Cylosis." He said, recalling everything he had been briefed about her in a hurry.
"She'll also help me get back in touch with clan Grendakal and fitting myself into the ODOCR's citizenry system."
But as he continued, he perked up a bit, feeling a bit brighter and more energetic than before and showing it with a small grin.
"I'm honestly kind of excited. Just getting a chance to see the society I read so much about and talk to people who influenced my parents."
Samus noted the way he kept on turning his attention back to Zurvduat as he spoke, never letting him leave his peripheral vision while he was still in the same room as he was. She noted herself the way he kept on talking to Mother Brain's Oculi about something she wasn't able to be privy to, but what struck her as the most needing of her attention is the way he went cold when the General briefly looked back at him.
She felt a squeeze around her hand and heard a sharp inhalation before August Wings clacked her beak at the General and made him redirect his attention elsewhere.
All at once, he started to relax and released his grip, lowering the arm he had brought up slightly; a cold and pointed exhalation curling out from his mouth as he hissed.
"You really don't like it at home, do you?" She asked.
"Elmorni is nice at least, most of the others. Not really. This was the first time half of them have ever had anything good to say about me. But Da-" He stopped and corrected himself, remembering the General's usual response to being given that appellation.
"Zurvduat hasn't said a word to me. He just keeps, staring at me every now and then and I'm not sure if I did something bad or not. None of the usual criticisms, no comments, just...staring."
He was right, he hadn't said a word to either him or her. That didn't fit with his usual habit of always having some put down up his sleeve to play, some way to make you feel bad no matter how much of a high of good feelings you were running off of at the moment.
"Not even after everything we've gone through?" She asked hesitantly, getting a shake of the head back from him.
"Why do you think he's talking to Mother Brain so much anyway?" He gave the thought of Zurvduat, and Mother Brain collaborating and shook his head in distaste.
"Something about how everyone else is stupid, it's what she always talks about." Samus said, making a face.
"Yeah, that sounds about right for her." Arne said, stretching until he found his hand touching a leg and turning his eyes upwards and almost stumbling onto Samus' lap when he realised whose legs they were.
Old Bird stood there, his hands stacked atop each other at the pommel of his cane and his old eyes staring down at them. His feathers ruffled a bit in the breeze of the room, and his humble robes swayed with his gentle movements as he offered a hand for Samus.
"Come on; there are more comfortable places to sit than the floor Samus." He said as Samus took his hand and stood up, giving a parsec-wide grin in response to seeing her father as she quickly gave him a hug and a happy cry of "Papa!". An embrace he was of course, swift to return.
Arne hadn't gotten up yet, unsure of whether the offer was one extended to him or if he should remain where he was. His face quivered a bit while he looked away until he found Old Bird's hand in his vision too, looking up towards him and seeing the gentle look in Old Bird's eye. He took the hand and pulled himself up, patting himself off and standing to Old Bird's other side, at least until Old Bird directed him to take Samus' hand instead.
"I am not your father, but you are her lover. Please come, we should discuss things now that there is a moment of lull in the festivities." He said, his paternal voice as warm as always as he began to walk them out of the room, the air following behind.
Everything seemed to be about normal, Old Bird not quite revealing what he was so keen on speaking to them about as they rounded the corner of a hallway. But Samus felt a presence rather close, familiar and unpleasant.
Another of Mother Brain's Oculi drones just about ambushed Samus by dropping from the ceiling, slipping in just for her sense-move to alert her of its presence and make her react on instinct. A yelp came out of her mouth, and she reflexively headbutted the Drone, a thundercrack from the motion of her head greatly exceeding the speed of sound audible across the room. Arne flinched, and Old Bird briefly stopped as the Oculi drone bounced off the wall from an impact harder than her missiles.
Without so much as a red impact welt on her forehead, Samus shook her head, narrowed her eyes, and growled directly at the Oculi Drone while it picked itself up off the ground.
"What do you want!? What is so important you had to drop in from nowhere?!" Samus shouted as she could feel the veins in her forehead, all bulging with irritation. Her skin wasn't red at first, but it was rapidly growing so with her angry flushing as she only stopped herself from clenching her fist when she remembered that she was holding the hands of other people.
"+Hmph, your temper remains the same as ever I see. I was hoping you had learned some control over it in your experience.+" She said, looking between the three and then zooming into Arne's face until he palmed its optic and shoved her out of the way.
"Don't get so close please, you are very much not high on my list of things I'd like to talk to right now." Arne said.
"+What have you uncovered regarding the Old Foe? Have you found the source of the breach? Why did you not think to place tracking systems on them?+" Mother Brain's questions came at them like a rotary weapon's volleys, and Samus had half a mind to punt the irritant directly out of her face at the first possible opportunity.
"Mother, that is quite enough out of you." Old Bird said with a harrumph, drawing a glare from the orb-like Drone almost immediately.
A stark coldness radiated from the Drone, its optics adjusting ever so slightly to make an acknowledgement of Re-Sekh's demands.
"+Debriefings should be more immediate when dealing with security issues as serious as this. It is highly irregular to wait until after a warrior has been deemed to have wasted sufficient ti-+" Mother Brain never got to finish the sentence before Old Bird raised a hand.
"I said enough, perhaps another day. But this day belongs to the children, not to you. I trust you will tell as much to Zurvduat?" He said sternly, getting a long, cold stare from the Drone in response.
"+I see that this matter is quite important to you. Very well, you will have your moment to speak to the children. We will have words later, you and I.+" She said with all the joy and enthusiasm of a child due to have their teeth pulled. Samus blew a raspberry at her in disrespect while Arne glared at her in a way that made it apparent he wanted her gone.
A moment of looking between the two was followed by Mother Brain's avatar slipping to the side and allowing them through as they passed behind a door into a garden room.
"Whoa...pretty." Arne said as he got a close look at the garden, gasping at the sight.
He saw flowers of countless species selected for their ability to coexist in harmony, chirping small animals, lazily hanging vines and leaves all warmly lit by the sunlight collected from outside and dispersed within. All built to surround a tree with low hanging branches; like an umbrella of leaves.
Elmorni was present as well, as were Spire, Armaud, and several representatives of other progenitor species. The glimmering white and spindly armoured frame of a Ylla that contained its energy form within like some manner of vaguely humanoid octopus turned to face them. The ethereal yet human-like features of a Faera whose green insectile wings fluttered behind them met their gaze as they looked down from their perch.
Arne could also see less familiar representatives such as a translucent white holographic projection of a humanoid moth-like figure, impossibly tall with gentle seeming features that offered a hand on chest bow to the two. A reptilian figure with a serpentine neck offered a closed handed bow and a flick of its tongue, the red-scaled beings tail flicking behind it idly. Arne would offer a wave as a tree-like being, tall and resplendent in earthy brown armour planted a long sword into the ground in acknowledgement of them.
Even those were only a few of the dozens of beings gathered to look upon them amid a circle. As they stepped into the centre of the formation, Old Bird let Samus go and stood at the opening in the pattern they had come through, floating upwards on a circular platform.
"What's all this?" Samus asked, her curiosity piqued by the presence of people she recognised as noteworthy from so many ancient and revered cultures. Old Bird, Elmorni, Spire, and Armaud of course; but also Vigo, Ystramir, I-Mon even if only in a digitised form, Uslaktir, and Drumnirik respectively; and so many others still. It made her feel small for a moment, but also very important. They wouldn't have gathered so many people of such stature if it weren't a particularly special occasion.
With a flicker, two more figures of each culture joined the gathered representatives. Grey Voice and August Wings for the Chozo, Deglos and Mortirk for the Alimbics and many more until the garden felt like a senatorial gathering hall. Only Spire remained alone, save for two robots he had constructed for his use that now flanked him on either side. Arne found the pointed absence of Zurvduat rather odd, but he had a hunch as to why they left him out of this gathering.
"Neophyte, Hatchling. You have done well for yourselves. Please, appear before us in your war skins." Old Bird started to the nodding agreement of the gathered delegates.
With a simple act of willpower, the zero suits and power armour of both teenagers manifested around them in golden and azure light, coalescing around their bodies save for their heads and providing the familiar sensation of impenetrably armoured safety within. Their senses adjusted for being encased in their armour, and the transition seemed to be so very seamless.
"You have achieved a height of warrior ability that shows you are ready to begin a new phase of training. One that we cannot provide for you here." Old Bird continued.
Samus beamed with pride at the compliments, her expression widening into an almost cocky grin as she basked in the warmth of her father's approval.
"-While you are already aware that we have selected associates of your birth families to guide you through the process of learning to socialise, we expect you not merely to get by with your studies but make friends. Make contacts, forge bonds of companionship to last your lifetime, and find your way in the cultures that birthed you.-" Elmorni said as Arne nodded with interest.
"-This will be a self-guided lesson. We cannot regulate how you learn to rejoin with your kind. But we will be keeping watch over you. And if you ever feel that you wish to return home for any period, know that you will be welcome with us.-" She said, creating a holographic image of the known universe coloured in with specks of territory representing the various countries.
"Know that there are also others, scattered across the universe we entrust like you: some older, many your age, some even younger. The time of our generation fades, but the universe yet needs guardians. Ones who can help push the paths of fate to better paths." Isa-Hesh said, the Chozoess trilling within her beak.
"But also know that we are proud of you, that we know that you will be able to accomplish your dreams of peace and betterment. You have done so much more than we could have imagined possible in this trial and I hope for nothing but the best from you." She said with pride, laying her hand on her chest and dipping her head down.
"We won't let you down, not ever mama." Samus said, thumping a hand against her chest plate and standing straighter proudly.
Samus wanted to show everyone that they were right to entrust her like this, that she and Arne could do everything they asked of them and then some. She saw herself turning the power granted to her to the cause of doing good, and her heart swelled. She would seek the injustices in the universe and undo them, she would lend her sword to those who had none, and everyone who called her name would know that everything would be okay.
Arne though had questions that he needed answers for, raising his hand to speak and being acknowledged by the whole of the council almost immediately. That gratified him immensely as unpleasant memories of Zurvduat and his clique pointedly ignoring him came to the forefront. He felt respected, which made him far less nervous about speaking up.
"What are going to be our rules of engagement? What can we do to help while still in training?" He said.
"-Of course, you are permitted to do what you feel is necessary so long as it does not contradict what your caretakers wish of you.-" Mortirk began, getting a frown out of Samus but a nod of understanding from Arne.
"But in extreme circumstances, you should feel at liberty to do what is right over what is legal. Law is a means to an end, if it ceases to serve justice, then it has no purpose." Vigo added.
"There will, of course, be those who will challenge this viewpoint. Those who see matters of legality as equivalent to morality. While you should understand them, you should not lose sight of your purpose." Ystramir said, raising a hand to get everyone's attention as they murmured among each other.
"Yeah, we're not looking to uphold the system or the way things are. We're here to make them better. And sometimes that means helping things change. It might even mean fighting people you thought you could trust." Spire said, his craggy voice solemn and low.
"So far nearly everything that you've met that can talk to you has wanted to help you in some way. However, some will try to take advantage of you on the outside. But, here's the important thing. While you shouldn't let people abuse you, I don't want you turning away people who need your help out of mistrust." Spire added, taking on a more avuncular tone towards the end of his statement.
Samus grinned at that, folding her arms and looking at them with an almost cocksure glance. Oh she liked the sound of this, the pulse of excitement racing within her as she considered the possibilities. She was sure that once she was actually at the ground level this would all be far more complicated than it seemed, but the thought of being entrusted with such responsibility made the burden of separation seem just that little bit lighter.
"Of course, this comes with more than a bit of responsibility. You'll need to make many difficult choices with answers we can't necessarily help you with." The N'Kren spoke up, Armaud's voice ringing loud and clear.
"You're going to need to learn to trust your own judgement while without getting arrogant. This is a harder lesson than you might think, believe me." Armaud cautioned, giving a gesture to urge them to steady themselves.
"I can handle it...I think...I...yes, I'll handle it." Arne said. Whereas Samus was eager to be in a position to decide these sorts of things on her own, the idea of independent decision making was still somewhat new to Arne. The firm hand of alimbic guidance had been drilled deep, and making these sorts of decisions himself would be much more challenging than what he was used to doing.
"You will have to learn to adjust to being away from the care of Progenitors. The society beyond is considerably more primitive than what you are accustomed to. But do not look down on them for it, they are young cultures who have much to learn, just like you. I expect you'll find many things in common." I-Mon's digitised form said, the data ghost pointing a finger between the pair.
"Of course, you will often find yourselves drawn to our work; scattered as it is through the stars. Take good care of it where you can. You are the shepherds of our legacy now, even being as young as you are." Uslaktir said.
"Most of the newer societies will seek to understand all they can of the artifice you have crafted. It will be up to you to decide how much of that knowledge they should be trusted with. Though I have already made my thoughts on that clear." Drumnirk grunted, adjusting the angle at which his blade bit into the ground.
"-They will ask of you many questions too, questions regarding every facet of y our life. Me? I recommend some distance. Don't let them get too deep into your personal lives unless you truly trust them.-" Deglos said.
Arne and Samus could at least, agree with them on that. Having everyone pry into how and why they were put on this course was not a pleasant prospect; especially when many people would never truly be able to understand something of that nature. And of course, who could forget those with much less than altruistic reasons to pry?
"You will also doubtlessly come into the crosshairs of those who left you orphans adrift in the stars." Grey Voice spoke up, commanding the attention of virtually the whole room. His almost regal voice demanding respect and attention.
First, he turned to Samus, he who had spent many years helping to learn the ways of war.
"Aira, you will need to be ready for battle with the Confederacy; Ridley's Inferno pack will not take the insult your family paid to them lightly. Weavel, in particular, remembers all too well the demotion he incurred for K-2L. Make ready to face him once more, Hatchling." He said sternly. Samus huffed a bit with annoyance.
"You don't need to tell me, Papa. If he wants to come at me, I'll give him what he's looking for." She said with a hint of irritation that made Grey Voice quirk a brow in response.
"And as for you, Sarxyl; those who struck at Cylosis will seek your silence. Those who play the game of cloak and dagger are loathe to find living witnesses. If you can, seek to reveal their identities to us neophyte; I would very much like to know why they wanted the Caesarian Lance so badly."
"I'll try to see what I can find. Maybe someone will be able to help once I'm there?" He offered before getting a gesture of approval in response from Grey Voice. He still found the usage of his Alimbic name unpleasant but bore with it for the time being.
"Now, I think that about wraps up everything we need to say. Is there anything any of you need to say before we do the ceremony? Just need to clear that out before we go ahead." Spire said.
In response to Spire's question, Elmorni and Old Bird raised one hand each. Of course they would have something to say.
"-Arne, Samus. The two of you are going through a phase of maturation. You aren't going to be children anymore. The things you feel will only grow stronger and more insistent, and you'll change in ways you might not expect. And I am so proud to watch the both of you mature.-" Elmorni said with a sweet voice as she lowered her hand and turned her nurturing gaze towards the two, her single red eye studying them as they shifted, her memory comparing them to how they were just a year ago.
"-Yet keep that in mind, you are still growing. You lack the weight of experience others will have. You are so very strong and brilliant, but you will need people you can trust to guide you on this journey. Never be afraid to ask for help just as you should never fear to offer it.-"
"-When you are among your own kind, remember that you will be seen as a child by most of them. They don't know you the way we do.-" Her head turned back towards her son in particular as he met her gaze and felt a bit of warmth.
"Won't that brigade spread word of what we did on Zoran though? That's sure to raise our profiles right?" He asked.
"Yeah, we saved the whole sector! People are probably already going to start talking about us. I'm just uh...not sure about all the attention, but I'll manage!" Samus said enthusiastically.
"-Yes, but they only know a legend. They don't know you as people. To most of the universe, we are but half-remembered stories. Never mistake fame for familiarity. You will inspire them, but you will need to do more than that to make friends.-" She said, nodding her head in response.
"-But I am sure you'll both be able to do it. You are both filled with such compassion, such drive and such tremendous potential. I have no doubt that your achievements on Zoran will just be the start of many more.-" She concluded warmly, bowing her head and allowing Old Bird to speak at last.
"Thank you mom, I won't let you down." Arne said, straightening himself with genuine pride now.
"Papa, are you going to say something?" Samus asked with a curious glint in her eyes.
"Thank you, Elmi. And of course Samus" He said.
"Ystramir is right. Many will see things differently from both of you. They will question your commitment to justice for all; they will insist that many evils are necessary or are simply the way things are and must be."
His words were eloquent but kindly as always. He did not raise his voice, he felt no need to shout or scream. He didn't even need to ask them to listen; such came naturally to both of them.
"It will be crucial for you to understand their viewpoints, but you shouldn't let them convince you that it is right to oppress and allow for suffering where none need exist." He said, turning towards Samus in particular but not letting Arne out of his sight either.
With Samus, he looked upon her with fatherly adoration. She now stood tall and braver than ever, even if her fire still needed to be tempered. She made him delighted to be able to call her his daughter and the small, loving smile she gave him made his heart feel so very warm.
"You will have to remember to look beyond the actions of individuals and to see the root cause of problems. If you simply cut the branches of malice, you will find it growing again and again. Only by looking at the whole can you find the roots you will need to pull."
He paused briefly to let them absorb the wisdom he had offered.
"You will often find yourself challenging powerful authorities with deep systemic power. You will butt heads with many who demand obedience without question. But if you follow the paths of justice you have been taught, you shan't go astray." He said, bowing before the two of them.
"And as such, it is my pleasure to grant to the two of you; the honour of being recognised as leaving childhood behind for the tumultuous years of youth."
All of the gathered ancients offered them various forms of bows and genuflections as the lights in the room began to dim, only for a series of runes to begin to glow above each of them. Samus and Arne found themselves turning around, oohing and aahing at the sight of the runes starting to circle around them.
Arne gulped and breathed steadily to calm his nerves, accepting that he was ready for this, while Samus had to hold herself still lest she try and leap into it headfirst to grab at the moment with both hands.
"For your achievements in both age and deed, we recognise you as youths of our commonwealth. For your heroism and gathered wisdom, we pronounce you to have left behind the days of childhood. We pronounce you free to wander with guidance, and ask of you to use this freedom to ensure that of others." Old Bird declared, raising his hands into the air as the runes closed towards them before surrounding them and flowing into them.
"You are hereby gifted with the mark of the Youth. Your armour and ships are henceforth forever freed from our control. We entrust you with the responsibility of the power at your disposal, and bid your good fortune on your journey to adulthood." He concluded as the two looked at their suits and then towards him, Samus giving a thumbs up while Arne pumped his fist experimentally and nodded.
"We're ready whenever you are." Samus said.
Two hours later
Samus and Arne had so far, had a blast after rejoining the festivities as things were winding down. Though one should probably steer clear of referring to the party in such terms given their difficulty with slang. After rejoining the party, they'd mingled with so many new faces. A handful of the other patrons were even close to their age. A refreshing change of pace from all the impossibly wisened elders that they had been mingling with so far.
Eighteen hours in and only a scant few hours remained in their full day as freshly minted teenagers. They had just about finished with a game of psiball with a quartet of Faeran youths, two Ylla, a Florathim of Druminirik's species and finally a somewhat crustacean-like techno-organic youngling of the Rillar species. Five vs five, with Samus and Arne on the same team as one of the Ylla, the Rillar, and a Green haired Faeran.
They had darted around each other, enhanced bodies and reflexes guiding the ten youths in their movements while Spire, Armaud, Elmorni, Old Bird, and a few other elders and some too young to play with them supervised. With the score almost tied up and the game about to end, it was all down to one last play.
Catching the ball tossed to him by his Ylla partner with a mentally guided motion, Arne backflipped out of the way of one of the winged Faera as they tried to tackle him. As much as he'd like to wrestle around with Ysarmoch some other time, he wasn't about to let the wiry frame of the pointed eared golden-haired boy get his hands on him just yet. However nice said hands looked. He was mindful of his fuzzy, soft-looking moth wings trying to box him in of course, and the Faeran's graceful limbs moved quite seamlessly in the sporty coverings he wore. But Arne had seen real battle and could manoeuvre with a bit less hesitancy, and he took full advantage of that.
"-Keep an eye on your flanks, Arne.-" Ygrak said, getting his attention to his left briefly as brown tendrils started to crowd towards his vision.
With a kickflip out of the way of the Florathims twisting branches, he feinted a pass to the Green haired Jusley right before he dodged the incoming Ylla's tentacles.
"Thanks mom!" He managed while he threaded the needle of tentacles headed his way. The two were a bit too slow, he mused slightly smugly as he brought his focus back down to earth emotionally and landed on a hand before righting himself with a cartwheel. He had to be sure not to lose himself to the fun he was having.
"-Don't hesitate to press your speed further. Yours are limbs of lightning and your movement is the wind itself. Don't let yourself be predictable.-" Ygrak added, getting a brief nod of acknowledgement from Arne.
It was all a friendly game, and he felt genuinely good about getting this opportunity to relax while still moving around. Even without either his armour or his zero suit, he was still moving faster than most bullets, a speeding blur. Movement at such speeds was a touch odd without his helmet due to outracing his own sound, but he found his way through the formation around him. Arne zig-zagged as he passed the sphere to Samus with an underhanded toss; satisfied even when he got tackled by the blue-haired Faera Eyri and hit the ground with a rather undignified "oof!"
"Hey!~" They said, their androgynous and ethereal appearance getting a flush out of him as they had him pinned for a moment. They gave a cheeky grin and tilted their head in a way that adjusted much of their shoulder-length hair to one side; runic face painting marks shifting with their expression.
"Hi." He said, slightly meekly. This position he found, was just a little bit compromising.
Samus, of course, had caught the orb, willing it towards her with her growing confidence with her psionic abilities. Seeing a formation forming to try and block her way, the golden-haired heir of the Chozo somersaulted straight overhead, leaping clean across a distance of more than a hundred meters without effort.
"Keep your comrades in sight Aira. This is a team sport. Don't jump ahead without support when you can rely on the strength of your comrades." Grey Voice said to her, briefly getting a nod of recognition from the hatchling.
"I know papa." She said as she relied on her sense-move to find the green Faeran zipping close by.
"Samus, I'm open!" They said, waving frantically towards her as she leapt over Ysarmoch and kicked off of his shoulders before grabbing the vines of the Florathim and swinging towards her companion.
The ball passed over to Samus' companion and Jusley looped over a flush of Ylla tendrils, Arne jumping in to feint a pass. Just long enough for Jusley to get the ball back to Samus as she backflipped out of Eyri's way.
"You are remembering the value of maintaining momentum, excellent work Aira." Grey Voice said. The very thought of getting that sort of praise from Somek making her just about beam with pride while she quickly appraised the opposition put around her. She was surrounded by too many to get through if they were the only ones focusing on her, but as her Ylla partner arrived, she had an idea and grinned.
"Sclax, bounce formation!" She said. Dribbling the purple sphere between herself and the Ylla, Samus dove beneath one of the red-haired Faera; a girl by the name of Thelchyr that Samus and Arne had both found beautiful. Thelchyr was smart as a whip though and yanked some loose objects nearby telekinetically to smack into the ball, catching it in hand while her crimson moth wings fluttered behind her. The seamless motion making her tonic flap a bit and giving Samus a nice view of her short-sleeve clad arms.
"Nice try Samus, but I'm just better at this game!" She said with a quirked brow and a spin of the ball. The taunt had its desired effect as Samus squinted her eyes and snorted. Oh is that how she wanted it?
A signal was given to Arne, prompting him to vault from behind Thelchyr to get in front of her. "Hey there, I thought I should put that claim to the test!" He said, calmly shooting his hand out to snatch the ball from her.
"Too slow groundpounder!" She said, flying up with the ball in hand, the Rillar team mate shifting its skin and outfit to become visible as their flea like legs carried them alarmingly close to Thelchyr, getting widened eyes of shock from her. She was just fast enough to dodge around, but Samus jumped up, grabbed at Thelchyr's leg, tugging her to the side for her free hand to call the ball towards her right before she used Thelchyr's leg to pole vault herself towards the objective.
"Maybe you should put more time into playing than bragging?" She said as she slam-dunked the ball with a thought and a swing of her arm and landed on her feet in a three touch pose. Game, set, match! The telepathic blare of the sirens announced her team's victory and she just about jumped up for joy.
"Yes! Come on, friends! Group hug!" She said, not even slightly regretting her words as her four teammates just about glomped her. Staying upright even with the tackle, she gave a hearty laugh and let them all share a squeeze.
Ysarmoch and his teammates approached the group as they broke from the hug. The two could feel no ill-will coming from them with the narrow loss, and all five of them seemed to be in good cheer. He offered a bow of appreciation, his shimmering blue eyes catching both Arne and Samus' attention in all the right ways.
"Good game, hope to play something like that with you all again soon! Maybe with full sized teams too." He said, chuckling a bit.
"I'd really like that! Thank you so much for offering!" She said, returning the bow.
"You guys were pretty good, almost had us beat there. Wow." Arne said, exhaling sharply while Thelchyr nodded in appreciation.
"-Well played Children, a flawless game.-" Elmorni said, warmly spreading her arms out to wrap them around many of the youngsters and holding them against her, Old Bird following suit.
"Care to join us Somek?" Old Bird asked with a slight laugh while the plates of the carapace covering Old Bird's neck flattened against his body. A lizard-like vertical eyelid blinked a few times, and the gangly, grey feathered elder shook his head.
"-I will also pass for now. But I appreciate the thought.-" Ygrak said.
"Come on, live a little." Spire laughed.
Armaud though, put words into practise and boosted several of the winning team onto her broad plated shoulders. "Come 'ere you little prototypes." She said, getting excited laughter out of them as they sat on her shoulders, Samus putting her head between her legs.
Arne though, felt a sudden chill. That sense of animal panic started to build in him as the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up like a geemer making a threat display. He began to breathe heavily, backing away from the hug and wiping at his briefly sweating brow.
The source of his fear made itself known as he turned his head to see the General starting to approach. The Alimbic commander shimmering into existence as he manifested himself in the room via teleportation systems with his hands behind his back, one of Mother Brain's oculi drones following him by his side.
He had a hard swallow and clutched at his chest while Samus felt her blood briefly boil. What was he doing here now of all times? She had about half a mind to bite his head off, or at least see how far she could pull it from his torso.
"Were you watching us?" Arne hesitated to ask as everyone turned to the General like he had dragged in a corpse and tossed it in their midst. Any levity had disappeared almost instantly, and Mother Brain's presence only compounded the sensation of ominous dread.
"-Primoris, come to me. We have things to discuss. Duties that you need to be reminded of before you leave my sight.-" He said in his usual bone-chilling psychic voice.
"-I have spoken at length to the General, reviewing your performances. Your lack of emotional distance has left you dangerously dependent. We will need to correct this before you leave our immediate care.-" Mother Brain announced as Elmorni just about snapped her head towards the pair with a sudden cold fury.
"-If you have not noticed, they saved the sector. We are looking for results, not the perfection of methodology.-" Elmorni said with a plainly indignant tone.
"-Inefficiently. The foe had been allowed to slip away and has disappeared to the winds. They also found evidence of treason in our midst, yet neither of you has been able to find conclusive evidence leading to their identity.-" Zurvduat's cold outrage was unpleasant as always, the tension in the room starting to dial itself up with every syllable he pronounced slowly.
"- Regardless of whatever your cowardly council has proclaimed; these two have not succeeded in their mission. I will not allow you to send them into the wild without correcting these weaknesses.-"
"-We will make only minor adjustments that should ensure that they remain on the correct path. There will be no repeats of these failings, and they will resolve the outstanding problems with due swiftness.-" Mother Brain added as Arne started to shy away from their gaze.
He was scared, not knowing what to do or how to respond. He felt miserable, doubt creeping into himself as that chill began to dull into a pervasive ache. Did he really accomplish something to be proud of?
Samus wanted to shout something at them, she felt the need to scream at them. Every beat of her heart was getting faster and pounding louder with sheer outrage. She wasn't going to let this continue, but what could she do? They wouldn't listen to her.
"Papa, help me." She said to Re-Sekh as his expression got very cold indeed.
"-See? Relying on others once again; we must work to foster further independence.-" Zurvduat mentally snarled.
"That will be enough Zurvduat." Re-Sekh said.
"You can't just keep on bullying us every time we don't do exactly what you want! What's your problem!?" Samus shouted, her choler at its apex as she started to get red with anger.
"-Did I ask you for your opinion, girl?-" Zurvduat scoffed.
"-General! What is the meaning of this sort of language towards Samus?!-" Elmorni hissed, no longer wishing to be silent.
"-He is correct in that Samus' remarks were not asked for.-" Mother Brain said flatly.
"And yet they are ultimately necessary given that you are asking for a radical departure in her and Sarxyl's training regimen. We have already come to an agreement and will not have you trampling it." Grey Voice said after an emphatic cough to get everyone's attentions.
"-I've had enough of this backtalk. Arne, you are coming with me.-" Zurvduat growled, approaching Arne rapidly and brushing aside Ysarmoch's team and staring down with hostile intent at Armaud.
Arne clutched more tightly onto Armaud's shoulder while Spire started to stomp towards the Commander, Mother Brain's Oculi fixating on Samus as more of her drones began to approach with haste.
"-Your departure will be delayed only slightly, but this procedure will be necessary.-" Mother Brain informed her flatly as Samus curled her hands into fists.
"I'm not going! You can't make me!" Samus snarled.
"-You are and I can.-" Mother Brain replied.
"No, I will not allow it." Old Bird tapped his cane against the floor and reared himself up higher, letting his hood fall away while his carapace crest stuck out in a threat display. Samus nodded, folding her arms and forming her armour suit around herself, punching her arm cannon into her gauntlet and making her visor flash with violent intent.
"I don't want to go..." Arne said softly, almost seeming to shake Zurvduat out of his focus and do a double take towards him.
"-Excuse me, boy? Are you attempting to reject my direct orders?-" Zurvduat's voice was starting to get more heated, an unpleasant vibration in his psychic tone that made Arne's stomach do twists. He refused to let go of Armaud, and soon Zurvduat reached towards him with an open hand that made Arne gasp, freezing as the General's plated, warm hand reached for his neck and pulled him off.
"-You will learn to break this habit of disobedience forthwith when I am through with you child. Do you think that just because you keep company with the Chozo and your unruly, ill tempered barbarian of a companion you are entitled to go against me so openly?-" He said as he put him down and loomed over Arne who shielded his head from Zurvduat as he raised a hand.
"-Then let them see the price of your defiance.-" Zurvduat laid a hand on Arne's chin and pushed his head until he was directly facing him. A hand of his being raised with its palmed opened and shocked horror reverberating across the room.
A swing was made, and Arne wailed as he tried to shield himself. He knew what was coming, he had felt this impact endless times, so often that he marked every day it never came. He prepared to shut down, to crawl into his shell and hide until it was over. It's what saved him so many other times.
But a second passed and he had felt nothing, opening his eyes and seeing Elmorni holding Zurvduat's wrist while Grey Voice had pushed his staff into his chest to move him back just as Samus had brandished her cannon at his face and Spire had moved in, ready to tackle him down at the first opportunity. Mother Brain had backed slightly from the situation, while Zurvduat's aligned Alimbics stood unpleasantly close to Elmorni, ready to move.
Quiet settled into the room as everyone waited for each other to make a move. The youngsters had backed away; frightened whispering began to permeate throughout the room, and the sense of imminent danger hung heavy in the Distant Sight like the sword of Damocles. But for Arne, there was also a feeling of relief even as he shook slightly at the tingling heat of Zurvduat's sheer anger. He wasn't going to be hurt, not today.
"Is this how you raise your child, General?" Old Bird's words were filled with so much scorn that Samus seemed almost shocked. A slow-boiling sensation of outrage flickered from him, seeking to escape through any means of venting.
Arne was still shaking, he felt so small, weak, and alone before the Alimbic he considered his chief father. Even when in a room with all these people who cared for him, he felt powerless. The gaze of Zurvduat into his own eyes still inspiring dread to the point that he could bring himself to meet it head-on. Pain, red and raw, echoed dully in his face and across his body, phantom memories of agonies inflicted over a lifetime.
Samus was seething; she had never been so angry in her life. The Phoenix inside of her's fires stoking into a brilliant inferno of rage. She was going to kill Zurvduat if she was given half the chance, and Zurvduat could feel it. She smirked at that briefly beneath her helmet. Good, let him feel her anger. He deserved to feel every iota of her fury.
"-How long have you been beating my son, Zurvduat?-" Elmorni asked with a cold menace. There would be no hiding answers from her now, not when he had acted so brazenly in front of her very eye.
"-Unhand me at once, subordinate.-" He said coldly. This defiance from Elmorni baffled him, what manner of mutinous ideas has Old Bird placed in her mind he wondered? But he failed to realise that this cold anger was all her own.
"-You are interfering in a process that does not concern you, Mystromagus. We have only the best intentions in mind for the Hatchling and the Neophyte.-" Mother Brain protested before Old Bird waved both of them off with a dismissive shake of his hand.
"No, neither of you will be going anywhere with either of them." Old Bird's tone made it clear he wasn't asking. He made his demand, and he fully expected them to listen.
"As a matter of fact, I do not want Arne in your care any further. I will be speaking to the peer council about this. Your days of terrorising this child have come to an end. Release him from your charge, now." Old Bird said harshly. He would not take anything less than absolute acquiescence on this issue.
Arne dared to hope for a moment, though doubt coloured it with uncertainty. Zurvduat was his father at the end of the day, even if he refused to accept the title. What would Arne do without him altogether? Without being able to make Zurvduat see things his way, to prove his worth and value to him?
Samus though, was basking in the vindication. She never liked Zurvduat, not from the second she laid eyes on him. Every move, every breath he took reeked of the arrogant bullying demeanour she despised. Long had she dreamed of punching him in his face, and the sensation of his surprise tinged outrage at this defiance gladdened her down to her soul.
"-You...you dare intervene in my affairs old man?! What could you possibly know about what I have had to do to keep this child in line? To keep him focused on his appointed task instead of constant whining!?-" Zurvduat snarled before Elmorni cut him off.
Elmorni was cold in her assessment of Zurvduat, the Mystromagus turning his wrist aside and floating slightly upwards, offering an arm to Arne who gladly clung to her in response. Thirteen years old he may be, but he still had an infantile desire for being embraced by her. She was warm, safe, comfortable, and he felt ever so slightly less afraid of Zurvduat in her embrace.
"-You have been doing this for years, haven't you? The sudden loss of milk teeth. The fear of seeing you raise your hand in his direction, the terror he has for you. Zurvduat, how could you do this to my son?-" She said with a scornful, accusatory note, petting Arne's hair gently and telepathically whispering soothing notes.
"-And you knew it was wrong, didn't you? You've been hiding your abuses from the distant sight so that I would never know. No wonder why so much of his time is shrouded in fog when I gaze upon it.-" She continued, the realisation making her go from frosty to arctic in tone.
Samus, of course, was far from cold in her anger. She had yet to temper it into some chill blade of winter, but the hot rage from her was more than enough to get Zurvduat to pause and genuinely consider her fury. Even Arne was taken aback from it, and Old Bird briefly gave her a look of concern.
"Leave now, before I get mad." Samus snarled at him as her power suit hummed with collected energy in her cannon. She was already charging a shot, and Zurvduat seemed to be at a loss for words with how brazen she was being. To make a move so bold as to threaten him directly was unprecedented, almost unexpected. But of course, she would do something so bold and brazen.
"I will do it, don't think I'm bluffing." She said, her face a feral snarl beneath her helmet and her blue eyes giving Zurvduat a stare so intense that it could just about cut through Cosmium. She had plenty of confidence built up from holding her own against the Sunstalker and Moonhunter, what could an old Alimbic General be before that?
"I told you to take care of the kid! What were you thinking!?" Spire said, throwing a hand forward and pointing accusatively at the General.
"Your methods of discipline are barbaric; I will not have it continue in my sight." Grey voice added, Zurvduat taking a moment to look at everyone staring back at him, accusing and disapproving eyes boring into him. Even Ysarmoch folded his arms and glared up at him while Arne felt safe enough to meet his adoptive father's gaze briefly.
Arne looked to be almost as surprised by all the positive attention and support he was getting. People cared for his safety, his happiness. He was loved and wanted, at least here. He didn't need to be so afraid of Zurvduat anymore. And why should he? He had managed to see off the Sunstalker and Moonhunter. By any reasonable definition, he had proven himself one thousand times over.
And with that new surge of spine, he hardened his expression. "I'm not going with you, General. I don't need you." He said, each syllable feeling almost like a drug, tantalising and addictive in the promises of independence they offered. That he could forge his own bonds and find his own community, and stand on his own without the menace of the General looming over him, he, of course, didn't want to push him out of his life entirely, but maybe now he would understand that he wasn't going to let himself get hit anymore. At least, not now when he felt safe in doing so.
With even Arne having the backbone to stand up to him, Zurvduat turned towards Mother Brain, asking her for guidance in this situation. Their plan had backfired terribly, though she yet retained her trust. But no answer was forthcoming, Mother Brain had overplayed her hand and would need to reconsolidate and restrategise. She would let him take the heat for now, but she offered him her assurance that their day would come sooner than later.
"-So be it then, I will concede on this issue for the time being given how strongly you feel about it.-" Mother brain said, bowing her Oculi Drone's head and starting to slink back.
Making the telepathic equivalent of a scowl, Zurvduat snatched his arm out of Elmorni's grip and began to pull back. "-This is not over, we will have words about this. I will have my eye on you all, count on it.-" The General said with a cold, harsh voice as he slinked away.
Samus felt triumphant; she had done two great things today and her confidence that she could be the hero everyone needed only grew. The boiling anger in Samus' chest banished itself, the evils being done to Arne would no longer occur, she was sure of it. She held her head up high, and let the brief satisfaction of a job well done fill her heart.
She dismissed her armour once more, slipping to the ground and offering a hand for Arne who nodded and released himself from Elmorni's embrace. "Are you okay?" She said as she opened her arms with the gift of a hug, seeing him make the telltale signs of shaking and shallow breaths. She knew that sort of traumatic pain all too well, and the thought that it could be caused by someone he trusted made her sick to the stomach.
Arne looked around and felt warm, understanding that he was safe here and that the chill of his terror was no longer the only sensation he need feel. He looked at the hug, and he formed his lips into a gentle smile as he took her into it as she had just some hours before when he noticed she was in pain.
The two's embrace was electric, an affirmation that they weren't alone in the cosmos. There was someone who understood, someone who would offer a shoulder to cry on and have each other's backs at any time. Someone whom they could bare their hearts towards without feeling as though they were putting themselves at risk.
It was a gentle moment, he cherished her support, and she adored his. In the year they'd known each other, they had come far indeed. And now they could trust each other enough to open themselves up, to let the empathic warmth and affection flow between them. The sensation melted into them like an electric blanket that seeped into their very bones and gave them a fluttering feeling in their core.
It was comforting, and for a time, both felt like this was a moment that could and should last for eternity.
But alas, there was too much to do, and the day was getting old. Their time together had to come to an end, and with great reluctance, they parted from one another and stared into the other's eyes.
"I'd like to visit whenever you're free, Samus?" Arne said, his mind turning to the inevitability of the two having to go their separate ways for the final stage of their education.
"I was going to ask you the same thing, Arne. But, I think I'd really, really like that." She said back as she stroked his hair and got a purr of affection in response from him.
"I'll have so many new friends to show you when we can see each other again. I just know it." Samus smiled at the thought of that, steeling herself with the hope that she'd fit in and be able to mingle with the general public.
"And well, I'm hoping I will too. Maybe we could have another party like this when our birthday comes up, right?" Arne endeavoured to hope, already trying to think of how the two could continue to enjoy their shared birthday like this.
"That sounds like fun! Don't keep me waiting for your plans, though. Or I'll think up my own." She said with a teasing bit of menace and a devilish Cheshire grin.
"Now you're going to make me want to see what that's like." He shared a giggle with her before they calmed down.
"We'll call each other too. Hoping we won't be too busy out there..." He said with a small laugh.
"We'll make time. I'm sure." She said, rolling her eyes shut.
There would always be time.