A/N: We are half way through ACT I. I want to thank everyone who has been reading so far. I can't express my gratitude enough! It shows you're still interested in my silly little story after all these years. At the end of this week, I will be taking a week off from posting chapters to give everyone a break. In the meanwhile, we are ten followers away from surpassing the original Nintendo Version. If you haven't become a follower or liked the story yet, please consider doing so! It really helps me out! Thank you again!
Chapter 13: Unpleasant Reunions
After finishing off the remaining Heartless, the trio stopped to catch their breath. While Sora's body rested, his mind continued moving around a perpetual turntable, screeching with worry about Samus' well-being. Despite her aloof demeanor (and only knowing her for a short period of time), he knew she was a good person. She postponed her mission to help Yoshi, and was willing to show them through the planet. It didn't seem fair to leave her behind.
Yoshi wiped his forehead. "Man. Me must have burnt through whole breakfast by now."
"You're not wrong," Luigi said with a small chuckle. "Guess we're in for the long haul with these Heartless, huh?"
Sora didn't respond. He stared at the door Samus entered.
"What's wrong?" Luigi asked.
"It's Samus," Sora said. "Can't stop thinking about her. Think she'll be okay?"
"She seems so sure of herself," Luigi said. "I'm sure she can beat whatever monstrosity is behind that door."
Sora noticed a dark mist covering the door – the same one that blocked their path earlier.
"Whatever she's fighting, it's not alone," Sora said. "I think the Heartless are helping it out."
That's when a familiar, haunting image expanded in his mind's eyes – one that he was forced to carry around like deadweight for the rest of his life. It was the image of the man in Traverse Town losing his heart. That petrified slack-jawed expression had been sewed into his retinas. He couldn't even begin to comprehend the emotions that man felt while watching his heart get extracted from his chest.
No one deserved to suffer a similar fate. Sora didn't want to walk in and hear Samus take her last breath as a Heartless indulged on her strong beating heart. Regret had already crushed against his spine for failing to save Riku and Kairi. He wasn't going to let the weight grow stronger.
"You seem concerned," Luigi said.
"It's just, I have a bad feeling she'll need help," Sora said, gripping the hilt of the Keyblade. "I don't doubt her abilities. She's amazing. But she doesn't understand what the Heartless can do."
"To be fair," Luigi said in a 'matter of fact' tone, "our knowledge isn't much better."
Sora turned to face his friends; the volume of his voice spiked. "But at least we know what they can do to a person's heart! I can't stand here! It's not my style!"
Luigi was astonished by the resolve in Sora's eyes. Despite their relationship with Samus teetering on a tightrope of indifference, he was still willing to risk his life for her. Even after she refused to accept their help. Sora's uplifting words resonated with Yoshi, too.
"Me want to help also!" Yoshi said with an energetic jolt in his voice. "Samus saved Yoshi, so he wants to return the favor."
"I know we'd be meddling," Sora said, "but it's wrong not to do anything!"
Luigi hesitated for a moment. He was afraid of the dire consequences that would emerge from breaking the rules; but, sometimes, human nature overrode a desire to follow them. It was important to do what you felt was right. A written rule didn't have control over free will. He didn't want to feel the scars of regret if something did happen to Samus.
"Alright," Luigi said. "We'll go help her. But if she's got it under control, we'll give her some space."
Sora's shoulders felt lighter than a feather. He smiled. "Thanks!"
Armor capacity at ninety five percent.
Those words hissed into Samus' ears as she dodged an attack from a Heartless. They have joined the battle to overwhelm her, and it was working. She had faced many fierce opponents in her career. Most have collapsed from the pressure of her colossal, unyielding will. But for the first time in years, she found herself struggling to even put a dent in Kraid. No matter what she did, a Heartless stood in her path.
Samus's confidence started to sink beneath her feet, but she refused to let Kraid win. She was taught to never surrender – never give in to weakness. Samus' commanding officer's stern voice barked that adamantine mentality into her head.
Samus tried to go straight for Kraid's eyes, in hopes of blinding him, but a blue Heartless slashed across her arm, damaging the armor in the process. She could hear the armor shriek from the nails sliding through its surface. A red Heartless flew in, pressed its claw against her chest, and unleashed a fire attack that sent her crashing into the ground. Upon standing up, albeit with minor difficulty, she saw both the Heartless and Kraid staring down their victim.
She scanned her armor. Minor damages had been inflicted, but she was still okay; although at the rate she was going, who knows how long before the damage was critical.
Or lethal.
Samus stood her ground against the creatures. She was not done fighting. Before she could try again, the blue Heartless froze her legs. Kraid wiggled his claws in triumph; escape was futile, and he planned to make her defeat as satisfying as possible. He lifted his giant claw into the air, preparing to cut her in two. Samus struggled to break free, but her legs were trapped within the cold confinement of the ice.
Everything started to become dark. Her inner strength withered away into a forlorn flower, watching the last of its pedals fall to the ground. She had failed. The Space Pirates reign would soon eclipse the entire universe in endless sea of chaos. She let people's lives down, she let herself down, but there was someone else she let down, too. Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes as Kraid's claws grew closer.
"I'm sorry little one," she murmured.
A sudden orange light brightened her vision, and she opened her eyes in surprise, witnessing a sphere of energy collided with Kraid's hand, making him roar in pain. Samus looked over her shoulder to see Sora was responsible for the blast. He lowered his Keyblade, and along with Luigi and Yoshi, the three rushed to her aid. Samus couldn't believe her eyes. Luigi used his fire magic to melt the ice imprisoning her feet.
"You okay?" Sora asked, looking over Samus to make sure she wasn't hurt.
"Y-You came to help me!" Samus said, still bewildered. "Why?"
Sora smiled. "Why not? Sometimes you don't need a reason."
"Look out!" Luigi said.
Kraid slammed his fist down, but everyone jumped back to avoid getting crushed.
"Whoa!" Yoshi said, gazing up at Kraid with a dropped jaw. "Yoshi didn't know he had an ugly cousin!"
"C'mon, Samus!" Sora said. "Let us help! This big guy can't stand up to all of us!"
Despite how distance she was towards them, despite how she refused their help, they were still willing to put their life on the line for her. She felt a river of emotions swim through her chest. It had been so long since she felt a strong sense of camaraderie. A feeling of elation pulsated through her veins. In the past, she believed that holding onto a friendship ended in a disaster. She had experienced far too much lost, and didn't want to relive the nightmares anymore.
Casting away everyone she cared for seemed to have been the answer. By being alone, she could become stronger; the constant concern for others would no longer restrain her from taking on the toughest enemies in the universe. But she was wrong. Being alone added an unnecessary void of sadness. Samus' thoughts were conflicting, but upon looking around at Sora's group, she was reminded again of her days at the academy – when being surrounded by people who cared for you were some of the best moments of her life.
Upon picking her resolve back up, she said, "Alright! Let's take him down!"
Sora was overjoyed to hear those words. While Luigi and Yoshi dealt with the Heartless, Sora and Samus ran right for Kraid. Unimpressed by Samus' new allies, Kraid roared in their faces, but their courage didn't waver; they had each other for support and encouragement.
Kraid pointed his nails at them and launched a giant black spike at them. Sora slashed it right in half.
"Now!" Sora shouted.
Samus leaped over him and fired a missile right into Kraid's face, blinding him for the moment. Sora jumped from platform to platform, and then swung the Keyblade right across the monster's chest. Kraid howled from the excruciating pain. The darkness trembled from the dominating light of the Keyblade. Sora landed on one of the spikes on Kraid's stomach, leaped off it, and landed on a platform.
Sora gasped upon seeing Kraid open his mouth wide, preparing to swallow him in one gulp.
"Sora, grab on!" Samus shouted, shooting her grappling beam at him.
Sora grasped the beam of light, and Samus pulled him away as Kraid devoured the floating platform, dissolving it into pieces of ruble that plummeted to the ground. Sora's stomach churned upon realizing how close he was to becoming a snack. After landing on another platform with Samus, he leaped onto the one adjacent to him, and stood ready for Kraid's next attack.
Kraid opened his mouth, launching rocks at them at an arched angle.
"The heck does he eat!?" Sora asked.
"You're asking me!?"
Sora swung his blade to destroy the rocks, while Samus fired small beans to do the same. With both distracted, this gave Kraid the chance to fire more spikes from his stomach. The first spike flew at Samus, who rolled left to dodge it. Sora brought the Keyblade straight down to cut the second set of spikes in half.
As the third set of spikes flew at them, Samus launched a light blue beam from her cannon. Upon hitting the spikes, it transformed into a sheet of ice, that somehow remained frozen in midair. Sure, why not? Let's have logic ascend further into the clouds of confusion, Sora thought. Samus instructed him to knock the ice back at Kraid, and Sora did so, which hit him straight in the eyes; excruciating tears poured out of his ducts from the pain.
Kraid was growing aggravated with them. How could people the size of insects (at least from his perspective) be gaining the advantage? His pride felt the third degree burns of the flames. With a furious roar, he punched the ceiling, causing rocks and debris to fall towards them. Sora and Samus maneuvered from platform to platform, avoiding the falling rocks.
One giant rock almost crushed Sora, but Samus launched a missile, decimating it into tiny pieces. Kraid slammed the palm of his hand down on Samus, but she leaped back onto another platform. Samus used her grapple beam to latch onto on Kraids' nails, and pulled herself onto his hand. She ran up his arm, making sure to not let her balance waver as Kraid shook his arm.
Samus leaped off the arm and delivered another charging shot straight to his face. Every part of his face was going numb from the constant assault. To make matters worse, he felt Sora slash right across his underbelly, further throwing him into a state of perpetual suffering.
But he refused to fall. Both Sora and Samus knew one strong, focused attack would finish him for good. After the two discussed their plan (while dodging more spiky projectiles), they leaped onto the highest platform. Sora pressed his Keyblade against her arm cannon, and they were soon enveloped in a golden pouch of light. Samus could feel Sora's energy traveling through her arm cannon, making it tremble from their combined power.
Kraid could feel the sweltering heat breath over his face. He had to stop them from launching that attack. His efforts were in vain, as Luigi and Yoshi arrived to help, having dealt with the Heartless. Luigi shot his fire magic, while Yoshi tossed eggs, to keep him distracted. Any second Samus thought her arm cannon was going to explode from the overflow of light surging through it. She knew it was time to end Kraid's reign for good.
"Get down!" she shouted to Luigi and Yoshi.
The two leaped onto their stomachs and braced themselves. A huge wave of light burst through her cannon, which consumed Kraid's upper torso. He screamed from the unbearable pain brushing through him like a hurricane of swords. Once the attack ended, he stood there, trembling from the overwhelming agony surging through his body.
And then, he collapsed into the ground in exhaustion, sending out a thunderous shockwave as a result of the impact. Everyone assumed it was over, and made their way to the other side of the room. Upon landing near the elevator, they turned to see Kraid shrink in size, until he became no taller than Samus. Then, he withered way into dark ashes, leaving nothing behind but a trail of unpleasant memories that would eventually rot away into the unconscious mind.
The group stood in stunned silence for a moment, unable to express what they just witnessed.
"Me didn't know Samus has shrink ray in hand weapon," Yoshi said, relieving the uncomfortable silence of its duty.
"I don't," Samus said. "That was Kraid's original size." She paused to think of a logical explanation. "Somehow that dark energy he was imbued with increased his size."
Sora continued staring at the spot where Kraid drew his last breath.
"The Heartless must've had something to do with it," Sora said.
"Heartless?" Samus asked.
Sora felt the hairs on his neck stand for blurting that out, and noticed Luigi was preparing to open his mouth.
"She needs to know about the Heartless," Sora said in a hurry. "It isn't fair to keep their identity a secret."
Luigi shrugged. "Hey, it's your call. I'm done arguing. Just remember that you made this choice."
Ignoring Luigi's ominous warning, the floodgates inside Sora's throat burst open with a plethora of information about the Heartless. He was careful not to step on any information deemed too sensitive, such as where they came from, or why they were traveling together. Samus listened with intrigue. Her eyes were glued to every movement from Sora's mouth. Once the gates closed, Samus paused to let every detail sink into her head.
"Fascinating," Samus said. "I've encountered plenty of strange lifeforms in my days, but these Heartless are unlike anything I've heard of before."
Sora felt his stomach tighten in guilt. "Sorry we couldn't tell you sooner. It's a long, complicated story."
"Please," Luigi said with a weary tone in his voice. "I don't want to do another lecture on why two truths cannot coexist."
"No problem," Samus said. "I'm sure your reasons were sound. But I wanted to thank you for helping me with Kraid."
The room was filled with quiet surprise from the trio.
"R-Really?" Sora asked. "D-Did I hear that right?"
Samus chuckled. "C'mon, I'm not a stick in the mud all the time. Seeing you guys work together, risking your lives for each other – it reminded me of my youth. I was actually part of a team back in the day. But we had disagreements, and it even led to many people getting hurt. That's why I decided to become a bounty hunter – not only for the money, but because I could do things my own way."
"Whoa, a bounty hunter!?" Sora asked; his emotions continued climbing a ladder of surprise. "That's awesome! Must be why you're here. Going for the big money, huh?"
"Sort of. There's another reason, too. I'll explain more as we continue. You told me one of your secrets, so I might as well return the favor."
Luigi thought his ears were playing a trick on him. "Wait a minute! 'As WE continue?'"
"I've been alone for quite some time now," Samus said with a sincere look in her eyes. "Being around you guys has given me this feeling of nostalgia. It's…nice to be with other people. I suppose one mission wouldn't hurt. That is, if you don't mind?"
Everyone gave her a welcoming response with their smiles. Samus thought she should never be vulnerable – that it was a sign of weakness. But, right now, traveling with new companies made her feel stronger than ever. She didn't feel vulnerable; she felt happy, and wished to never lose that feeling again.
Sora grinned. "Like we'd say no! Right guys?"
Luigi and Yoshi nodded. With a newfound confidence hoisting her upright like a sail, Samus turned towards the elevator.
"Let's keep moving then!"
The gentle whirring of the elevator was like listening to a lullaby; it lulled everyone into a sense of security. Sora felt himself lean against the elevator, as if a calming string was tugging him towards it. Everyone needed a reprieve from the constant fighting. For a few moments, the mechanical whirring filled the space with its soothing monologue. The elevator was transparent, so they watched a blurred mesh of green vines speed by them.
As they ascended further, the vines were replaced by a silver sheet of metal. Samus' focused had shifted to her visor. Flashes of numbers and images danced in front of her eyes. Her suit had taken minor damage, but it was still functional. Resting deep within the confines of her suit was an emergency energy capsule; using it would restore the suit to its full capacity. But she saw no use for it now. Much like her determination, the suit refused to crumble before the unrelenting Space Pirates.
"So, who are you hunting, Samus?" Sora asked.
Samus paused for a moment before responding. Just saying the target's name made her throat swell in anger.
"Mother Brain," she said, with a hint of antipathy in her voice. "The leader of a notorious group of space pirates threatening to rule the universe."
She glanced back at the ascending wall as if trying to take her mind off Mother Brain. So many painful memories of that monster, she thought. All the destruction she had caused – all those lives snatched away from the jaws of her wrath. Samus felt a wildfire of depression every time she was forced to relive those memories. But she took a deep breath. Neither the time nor place, she thought.
"Whatever happened to good pirates that go around and steal booty?" Yoshi asked.
Luigi raised an eyebrow at the dinosaur. "Boy, someone has a vague definition in their head."
"Mother Brain," Sora said, pondering to himself. "Odd name. Is it a nickname of sorts? Like she's the 'mastermind' or something?"
"Good observation," Samus said. "Technically, yes. But she literally is a giant brain."
Sora's expression flattened into perplexation, as if it was rolled over by a steamroller.
"And I was just getting use to hanging around a talking dog and dinosaur."
An alarming thought occurred to Yoshi, and he whispered to Luigi, "You don't suppose Mother Brain holding Star Spirit captive."
"Maybe," Luigi whispered back, shrugging. "Remember what Twink told the princess – how Bowser wasn't alone when he captured the Star Spirits. I bet this Mother Brain was one of his accomplices."
The elevator's consistent momentum came to a slow end; they were reaching the designated floor. A puff of anxious smoke filled the room, suffocating the once peaceful atmosphere that graced the elevator. Everyone was prepared to face the Heartless again, and they knew it wasn't going to be any easier.
Ridley sat in baffled silence as he watched Kraid take his last breath. His plans were starting to deteriorate into a crumbled mess of broken dreams. The secret project wasn't finished yet; time was diminishing. He turned back to the security cameras, noticing Samus and her group exiting the elevator. His chest tightened. What was he going to do? His eye darted to every computer monitor for inspiration.
And then he saw inspiration stare him right in the face. His concerns withered away into the shadows of the room; a huge menacing grin appeared on his face.
"I think it's time for a family reunion," Ridley said.
He pressed a few buttons on the Keyboard, and an alarm sound echoed throughout the room. In big red letters, one of the computer monitors read the following:
WARNING: TANK OPENING
The hallways of Mother Brain's lair were huge; once again, metal surfaces and pipes have infested the planet's innards like a parasite. Everyone stayed alert as they walked through the halls. So far, the only sounds they heard was their footsteps reverberating throughout the vicinity.
Something didn't feel right, Sora thought. He felt an uncomfortable heat loom over his head. His shadow was consumed by an even larger one, taking on the form of a circle. He stopped dead in his tracks; the heat grew stronger, but Sora felt his entire body shiver in apprehension. Upon looking up, he saw the gaping maw of a jellyfish-like creature with huge teeth preparing to feast on him.
Sora rolled out of the way to avoid being devoured by the creature.
"Whoa!" he shouted.
Everyone else spun around upon hearing him.
Samus gasped. "A Metroid!?"
She felt her heart skip while staring at the familiar creature, and then it started pounding like a jackhammer. It couldn't be, she thought. She activated her scanner and checked the Metroid's vitals. After a quick analysis, Samus felt a pinch of relief sedate her nervous heart.
"No, it's not the baby," she said. She then shouted, "Sora! Don't let its jaws grab you! It'll feed on your life energy!"
Sora tried to escape, but the Metroid flipped sideways and flew at him, with its jaws wide open. He caught the creature's maw with his Keyblade, and felt himself pressed against a wall. Using every fiber in his being, he tried to push the creature away, but it refused to budge. Sora was forced to gaze into a pink spiraling vortex of teeth; its hot, putrid breath brushed across his face.
"Hang on!" Luigi said, as he and Yoshi hurried over to help.
"Wait!" Samus said.
Luigi and Yoshi attacked the Metroid's membrane together, but, like a trampoline, it bounced them straight back, knocking the two onto the ground. Samus started to run, but her scanner interrupted with an alarming beep noise. Two more Metroids appear from ceiling. Once again, she scanned them. Neither were the baby. But now was not the time to celebrate. These Metroids were hungry, and flesh was their favorite meal.
Sora managed to remove one hand and lunch a fire spell, knocking it away from him. But the Metroid merely shook the burning sensation off like it was nothing.
"Man!" Sora said in dismay. "How do we beat these things!?"
Samus pointed her arm cannon at the Metroid. "Leave that to me! Hey, Metroid! Take a chill!"
She unleashed an ice beam on the creature, freezing it in place. Another tried to grab her, but she morphed into a ball to avoid its fangs. After standing up, she froze the remaining two, and finished them off with missiles. Sora followed her example and cut the last Metroid in two, making it fall onto the ground; it shattered into pieces, unable to feast on an innocent soul again.
Sora leaned over to catch his breath. His emotions had run rampant from that frightful encounter. Everyone hurried over to see if he was okay. Samus looked him over; there were no signs of bite marks.
"I'm fine," Sora said. "That was a close call. Thanks."
"No problem," Samus said.
"So you said those 'things' are called Metroids," Luigi said. "What are they?"
"Life sucking creatures that used to roam the galaxy," Samus said. "Their membrane's incredibly strong. Practically invisible. Thankfully they are susceptible to ice."
"Good thing we have you here," Sora said. "Otherwise we'd have been made a filling meal."
"By the way," Luigi said, giving Samus a look, "'take a chill?'"
Samus chuckled. "That was my first attempt at comedy. Cut me a break."
"I think it was a good first attempt," Sora said with a grin.
Luigi snorted. "Of course you would think that."
"Let's keep moving," Samus said. "Keep your eyes peeled for anymore Metroids."
The group continued walking down the hallway. Samus was lost in contemplation; how were there more Metroids? Weren't they extinct? It was like staring at ghosts of the past; for a moment, they didn't seem real. But as she continued constructing theories, an obvious answer shined right on her like a spotlight.
"It looks like Mother Brain was successful in creating a new batch," Samus said. "This might be problematic, especially since we have to contend with those Heartless creatures as well."
"Might be problematic!?" Luigi asked. "That MIGHT be an understatement!"
"What do you mean by creating a new batch?" Sora asked. "Is she responsible for making those things originally?"
"No," Samus said. "Metroid's are nature's design. But their ability to absorb the life out of anyone put the universe at risk. I was tasked to exterminate all of them. And I mostly succeeded – until I came across a Metroid egg."
An excited smile appeared on Yoshi's face.
"Oh, my goodness!" Yoshi said. "Then baby pop out and think you its mommy!"
Samus glared at Yoshi in shock. "H-How'd you know I was going to say that!?"
A mantra of worried words flew by Luigi's head like a train, and they were: Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it.
"Because Luigi was first one Yoshi saw when he popped out of egg," Yoshi said; there was a sentimental gleam in his oval shaped eyes. "Me called him mama for weeks."
Luigi winced; how he hated being reminded of that story. It was an embarrassing few weeks that weighed on his feet, like walking through a river of slime. While he loved Yoshi like a child, Luigi felt insecure about carrying around that title. And the memories of ridicule started to return like a familiar, annoying house guest, as the group came to a halt, and Sora and Samus faced him. Sora smirked while Samus snickered through her helmet.
"Not a word out of you two!" Luigi said, raising his voice. "To this day I still haven't lived it down! Especially from my brother! Whenever someone address me, he'll say 'That's Mama Luigi to you.'"
"But Yoshi understands why Samus no harm baby," Yoshi said, returning to the subject.
Samus blushed. "I can assure you that my reason for sparing it wasn't out of affection. Metroids are unique specimens, and their life producing qualities could've benefited mankind. I delivered the baby to a research center where it would be examined, and its secrets would've been revealed. Then, awhile later, I received a distress call from the same facility…."
She started to recount the frightening chain of events that transpired upon her arrival.
I arrived at the laboratory. Equipment was shattered on the floor. The emergency power was on, emanating a dark blue glow throughout the room. As I investigated further, I encountered various bodies lying on the floor. They were (she remembered that Yoshi was young, so she had to fabricate the events. Still, the horrifying image of those lifeless body, covered from head to toe with claw marks, stung at her chest with remorse) injured, unmoving.
Space Pirates have invaded the facility. I knew it was them. They don't show mercy for the weak. Suffering gives them a euphoric sensation of satisfaction. But I was going to make them pay. They would feel the full weight of their sins crush them like a bug. I knew they were still in the facility. Call it an intuition. Maybe it's because I've fought them for years. Sometimes your mind must dip into the lake of the wicked in order to understand them.
Keeping my cannon close, I proceeded into the next room. That's when I saw him: Ridley, leader of the Space Pirates. He held a capsule containing the baby Metroid. His cold yellow eyes stared right into mine; his sharp teeth formed a vicious grin.
"Look who showed up too little, too late," Ridley said in a mocking tone. "For a respected bounty hunter, you aren't very punctual."
I've have fought him many times before. He is a shadow that continues to loom over my head; no matter where I run, he'll always be right behind me.
(In her mind, she could see Ridley in the rain, with a perpetual dark sky behind him. He grew taller and taller, taking on a more twisted appearances, with sharper fangs and claws. She heard a little girl whimpering; her body started to tremble in fear. Samus could feel her heart leap into her throat, desperately trying to escape. But she took a deep breath, remembering what she learned a long time ago: let the sadness and anger go. Let the sadness and anger go.)
"I thought I killed you," I said.
He laughed right in my face. That horrifying screeching noise; it made my stomach spin around like a violent tornado. I despised it.
"As long as you exist, I can never die," Ridley said. "It's my life's goal to make sure you suffer until your last dying breath."
"Unhand the baby, or else I'll show YOU when true suffering is!"
Ridley glanced at the baby with a perplexed expression, and then turned his attention back to me.
"You sure? Okay."
Time started to crawl like a wounded snail as I witnessed his ice-cold hands release the baby. I thought my heart stopped beating in that moment of surprised horror. But my body refused to remain stagnant, as I lunged straight for the capsule. Ridley grabbed it before the tips of my fingers could even touch the glass.
"That was a close one," Ridley said in mock relief. "We wouldn't want this poor little thing to shatter into pieces, now would we?"
A livid geyser burst from within my stomach. He delighted in watching me suffer. Our greatest enemies always know how to fiddle with our emotions; and his attempt was flawless. My composed demeanor was torn to ribbons by his sharp, smug smile. Without even thinking, I unleashed my Power Beam right at him, and he dodged it.
"We're a bit touchy today," he said, still flaunting that arrogant grin in my face. "May I dare say you have a soft spot for this creature? Sounds appropriate; whenever we meet, I always take away the things you care about."
"Shut up!" I shouted, my anger filling the empty room.
I fired another Power Beam, but he flew into the air, and vanished into the darkness overhead. Only the sounds of his grading laughter stayed behind, serving as a harsh reminder to my failures. But his was far from over. Ridley was going to pay for everything. Failure can be like falling off a mountain; some will drop straight to the ground and accept their fate. But not me:
I grab onto the ledge and pull myself up to the top in triumph.
Samus' story was met with an astonished silence from the others. Despite her best efforts to tone down the details (she had never told a story to children before), Yoshi trembled in fear, picturing the monstrous Ridley backing him into a corner; his sharp fangs closed in on the dinosaur's neck At first, she felt guilty, but then noticed Luigi had embraced Yoshi in fear, too. Perhaps trembling more so than Yoshi.
She didn't know whether that made her feel better or not.
Meanwhile, Sora was digesting this information with a gigantic spoon, and found it hard to swallow at moments. When he and his friends fantasied about by visiting other worlds, Sora never considered the dangers that were masked behind those candy-coated walls. It somewhat upset him. Sora hated to admit it, but Luigi was right in that he needed to accept his reality – no matter how hard he tried evading it.
Still, he wouldn't be discouraged. He was still visiting other worlds, just like they planned. Nothing can ever be exactly perfect, he thought. But, in the current moment, there was one thing he took away from Samus' dismal tale:
"Man, this Ridley guy takes the definition of monster to a new level," he said.
"One of the most feared space pirates in the universe," Samus said. "He is the brawn to Mother's brain. Using the baby, he must've created successful Metroid clones."
Luigi rubbed his forehead, feeling unnerved. "As if this mission couldn't get any worse. First the Heartless, now this?"
"C'mon, you knew this wasn't going to be easy since day one," Sora said. "All we can do is stick together. What other choice do we have?"
"Especially if Mother Brain has thing we lookin' for," Yoshi said in agreement.
Luigi waved his hand. "I know, I know. I just try not to think about it."
Samus checked her scanner again.
"Fortunately, we are getting close to Mother's location," Samus said. "If we pick up the pace, we should be there in no time."
And that would've happened – if the Heartless didn't just appear before their eyes.
Samus closed her eyes in annoyance. "Sometimes I think the universe just wants to spit in my face."
The room erupted into a disoriented mess of noise as the group fought the Heartless again. With Samus' help, the creatures of darkness found themselves on the defense. Samus fought against a Yellow and Blue flying Heartless.
She froze the Yellow one into a sheet of ice. Upon spinning around, she saw the Blue one swing right at her. She did a backflip over the frozen Yellow Heartless, avoiding the Blue one's claws in the process. After landing, she kicked the Yellow Heartless into the Blue one, knocking them away. A powerful pressure of warm air collided with her back, and she spun around to see a Red Heartless as the culprit.
Samus gritted her teeth in frustration. "Why make this harder on yourself?"
As the two engaged in battle, something else had appeared in the room. It could sense a strong lifeforce coming from Samus; every part of its body tingled in delight. It wanted to devour her, not sparing the smallest drop of energy. The entity hovered in the air, waiting for the right moment to strike. Excitement was the only thought on its mind.
She delivered an uppercut to the Heartless' chin, pointed her cannon at its face, and blasted it into the air with a charged shot. She grabbed the Heartless' leg with her grapple move, and slammed it straight into the ground; it screeched from the intense impact. Samus transformed into her ball form, rolled on top of the creature's chest, and release a small group of bombs on it. She leaped off just in time as the bombs exploded, obliterating the creature.
Samus stood back up and turned to face the others. Heartless left and right were falling like old feeble logs before their combined efforts. Samus was oblivious to the unknown entity lurking overheard, preparing to feast on its delectable target. It spun around, with ecstatic emotions ready to pop like a cork.
Yoshi felt an unfamiliar smell rush into his nose like a sudden combustion of roaring flames. Following the scent, his stomach dropped into a well of fear.
Descending right for Samus was a giant Metroid that made the ones they encountered early look like tennis balls.
"Samus, look out!" Yoshi shouted at the top of his lungs.
Before Samus could react, the Metroid latched onto her torso. Her vision was obstructed by a pink wall of flesh, pulsating violently in hunger. She contorted her body in hopes of breaking free, but the creature's grip was far too strong. It refused to let such a succulent meal escape. Samus felt her heart burst into manic beats of fear. The airways to her lungs shrunk in terror. No matter how much she squirmed, it refused to let go.
The Metroid sunk its teeth into her armor, and a red flash blinked across her visor, indicating the decrease in power. Once it ran dry, she would be finished. Again, she tried to loosen its grip. No avail. An alarm screamed into her ears, growing louder with each drop of energy absorbed. She couldn't even hear Sora's group come to her aid.
Indeed, the group was trying everything they could to break the stubborn Metroid's grip. Their attacks did nothing to penetrate its indestructible membrane. A creature analogous to the Metroid latched onto their stomachs, and it was known as panic.
After a quick brainstorm, Sora and Luigi decided to try and pry the Metroid's mouth open with their weapons. They stuck them into each side of the Metroid's mouth, and like a makeshift plier, tried pulling it open, hoping Samus could escape. Still, the creature refused to yield. Samus saw video noise flash across her visor. Her muscles became meek from the lack of energy.
SUIT CAPACITY AT THIRTY FIVE PERCENT
She could feel her life fading. Only her mind remained active; no matter what command it gave, her body refused to respond. She had become a prisoner of her own body. And soon, she would be free. But this isn't the feeling freedom should entail. Instead, her last moments were that of failure. She failed to save the universe from Mother Brain; she failed to save the baby; and she failed in getting to know her new friends.
Darkness started to coax her into an eternal sleep filled with nothing but despair.
Sora and Luigi regrouped. Time was running out. They noticed Samus' body limp like an old deteriorating doll. Their worry had spiked through the roof.
"We could try getting its attention," Sora said. "Let use our fire magic!"
The two combined their magic together, which hit its intended target. But as the flames cleared, the Metroid remained unscathed, choosing to ignore the two in favor of finishing what it started.
Sora swung his fist in anger. "Man!"
"Hey, use that new attack you learned early!" Luigi said.
Sora glanced over at the Metroid and examined the situation. A hesitant string tugged at his arm.
"I could," Sora said, "but what if it's too strong? She could get hurt."
Luigi tried riding his thoughts down multiple trails. Unfortunately, they all lead to a dead end.
"We don't have a choice," Luigi said with a look of defeat. "She won't last much longer."
The string continued restraining Sora. It wasn't fair! Why wasn't there another other option? Hurting someone should never be a choice in the matter. Sora started to feel a connection with Samus; the feeling was small, but it rested peacefully in his soul. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting a friend. It made him suffer just as bad, if not worse.
With a begrudging grunt, he pointed the Keyblade at the Metroid, and started charging the attack. Yoshi felt useless; it was like being stuck behind a glass wall, forced to watch your friends suffer. Nothing you did would make a difference. His fist tightened; he wanted to repay her for saving his life. Those feelings tried pulling him forward, but he was trapped in a hole of lackluster ideas.
Then, he found a treasure chest glistening with gold hidden within the hole. His eyes lit up in cautious optimism. He had only one chance to save Samus, and wasn't going to linger in using it. He ran past Sora and Luigi, stopping right in front of the Metroid.
"Yoshi!" Sora said, startled. "What are you doing? Get out of the way!"
"Stop!" Yoshi shouted to the Metroid. "Please! You no hurt your mama!"
Sora and Luigi stared at their friend with bewildered expressions.
"Baby?" Luigi asked. He gave the Metroid a double look. "THAT thing!? It can't be! It's too big! Besides, how could some life-sucking creature have any sort of memory?"
Yoshi turned to Luigi with a serious expression on his face. Luigi was speechless; he had seldom seen the dinosaur exhibit such a stone cold, sincere glare. Conviction poured out of his unblinking eyes like a mighty waterfall.
"It can't forget!" Yoshi said. "No one forget their fondest memories! And it memory of her probably only one it has!"
Sora, too, was stunned by how adamant Yoshi was in his belief. He wanted to speak in protest, but something about the dinosaur's resolute demeanor filled Sora with confidence – as if he knew Yoshi was right about the Metroid.
He had to have faith.
Yoshi turned back to the Metroid with a gentle smile. "I know you scared. You in a new world, and you'll go after anything that moves. But you don't have to be afraid. Your mama here. It really her. Try to remember. Think back to favorite memory – the one that makes you feel safe and warm. No space pirate can ever take that your first memory away. Inside, you'll see her."
The Metroid froze, as if absorbing every word implored by Yoshi. It heard a faint sound coming from within its body: Samus' enervated breathing. Through the weakened cracks of respiration, it recognized the pitch of the sound.
An image flashed before the Metroid; it was of an orange giant, standing tall and intimidating over the newborn creature. The giant started at it with her singular glowing green eye. But she didn't attack, and continued staring in fascination. The sounds of the giant's breath were soothing; each exhale felt like a gentle hand was stroking the Metroid's membrane. It entered a state of calm.
At least until it gazed around the wide-open vicinity. Everything was huge; the sharp rocks elicited a feeling of intimation. Even the giant paled in comparison to this world's overwhelming size.
But it could sense the giant wasn't afraid. So why should it be, too? It felt safe with the giant, and followed her throughout the world, never losing sight for even a moment. The Metroid couldn't understand the euphoric emotions coursing through its body; they appeared whenever it saw the giant. But it didn't matter. As long as the Metroid stayed with the giant, those feelings would stay nestled within its soul, in a peaceful sleep.
And, as those memories returned, so did those feelings. The Metroid responded with a tender little squeak, lowered Samus to the ground, and released her. Every tense nerve in Yoshi's body loosened in relief.
Sora and Luigi gaped from the incredible miracle staring them in the face. He actually did it, they thought. Luigi felt proud of Yoshi for showing signs of wisdom. Samus' mind rattled in confusion; was she still alive? Why did the Metroid let her go? She tried standing up, but her body refused to move. It was still a feeble wreck.
She heard a squeak overhead, and looked up to see the Metroid ascend towards the ceiling. The once vicious predator had turned into a soft piece of fluff, floating elegantly into the sky. Samus closed her eyes, relieved, and happy to be experiencing this moment. Not under the best circumstances, but she didn't care. It was worth being reunited with an old friend.
Another Heartless appeared behind an exhausted Samus, and flew right towards her. The Metroid squeaked in alarm. Before it could save her, Sora tackled the Heartless to the ground. With a powerful thrust of his Keyblade, he stabbed the creature in the chest. It uttered a painful screech before vanishing from sight. Sora stood up, having this strange feeling of being watched. He turned around to see the Metroid hovering in place.
Was it staring at him?
"It's okay," Sora said. "We're here to help her out."
The Metroid squeaked again; it ascended towards the ceiling, vanishing into the shadows. Was the Metroid grateful for him saving Samus? Nah, that's silly, he thought. Then again, he was pondering over the rationale of a flying jellyfish. Anything was possible at this point. Sora hurried over to Samus, who was being helped up by the others.
"You alright?" Sora asked.
Gaining strength back in her voice, she said, "Yeah."
"Should we take you back to the ship?" Luigi asked.
"Not necessary," Samus said. "I have an emergency energy capsule stored in my suit. Computer, activate capsule."
An emerald green glow brightened Samus' visor; her eyes had vanished into a fog of light. The group heard a mechanical whirring sound from within the suit, pumping energy throughout it like a vigorous bloodstream. Samus felt a surge of strength awaken her muscles like a powerful shout. She stood onto her feet, wobbling from the lingering feeling of dizziness. Sora helped her regain balance.
Despite everything that ensued, there was one question on her mind: "Where's the baby?
"Flew away," Yoshi said.
Samus felt the plier in her chest release its strong grip.
"That's good," she said. "As long as it's safe."
Sora grinned. "Seems like you do have feelings for it, after all."
"Well, maybe a little," Samus said with a chuckle. A spot of red had been dabbed onto her visor. "Was kinda cute as a baby."
"But it wasn't the size of a baby, that's for sure," Luigi said. "What kind of protein has it been eating? Cartons of ostrich eggs!?"
A theory sprung to Samus' mind; she almost hated to let it bounce through her throat like a sharp pebble. Just imagining Ridley inflict harm on the innocent creature made her insides crumple into a ball of disgust.
"The pirates must've performed experiments on it," Samus said with contempt, "leading to accelerated growth."
"That sounds horrible," Sora said, agreeing with her sentiments. "No wonder it didn't recognize you at first. It was probably suffering – needed something to eat to take its mind off the pain."
"Did you just compare me to comfort food?" Samus said, crossing her arms. Her tone was jovial.
Sora laughed. "I never said that! Don't take that the wrong way. I don't want to be your next bounty."
"Nah," Samus said. "You'd fetch a small price, anyway"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked.
Laughter erupted into the room; it was nice change of pace from the discomforting noise of exchanged blows.
When the laughter ceased, Sora said, "Either way, you both are free now. You never have to worry anymore."
He trapped Yoshi in a headlock and gave him a noogie (it was nice to be on the giving end for once, Sora thought). The dinosaur laughed in response.
"Thanks to this guy right here," Sora said.
"Aw, it was nothing," Yoshi said as he pulled away from Sora. "Me just had to think like a baby."
"But you are a baby," Luigi said, chuckling.
Yoshi darted his eyes at him. "Says who?"
"Says the laws of growing up," Sora said with a grin, "that's who."
Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw a bright light. He noticed Samus geting consumed by it; the entire room shined with life as the light became stronger. When it faded, everyone was surprised to see Samus had deactivated her armor. She was wearing a blue skintight jumpsuit. Wrapped around her thigh was a holster holding a gun. What triggered this sudden change? Why did she lower her defenses?
But then they noticed Samus' expression; she was staring at Yoshi with a heartfelt smile. She had come out of her shell in both senses of the word. Strong, positive emotions radiated from her smile. She walked over to Yoshi, and kneeled to his eye level.
"Yoshi?" she asked.
"Yes?" Yoshi asked, feeling a bit weary.
Samus hugged him with all her might, at first startling the dinosaur. But he then felt those positive emotions sink into his skin, and returned the hug. She hadn't experienced one in so long. Such an uplifting sensation. She squeezed every painful memory out like a tomato; it was replaced by a downpour of content. She never wanted to be miserable again.
"Thank you," she said.
"That's what friends do," Yoshi said.
The others felt the heat of Yoshi and Samus' embrace warm their spirits.
"Yes." Samus looked over her shoulder at the others, her eyes glistening in felicity. "And all of you are my friends."
The hallways still exhibited the same mechanical, foreboding design. But that didn't matter to the group. They were enclosed in a bubble of merriment, which was filled with casual conversations and laughter. Samus had never felt more fortunate to be in good company. For a while, it shifted her focus away from the burdens of reality.
Ahead of them was another door. Samus (who reactivated her armor) scanned it to see what lay beyond. She felt the bubble burst open; air had escaped, leaving an empty feeling inside of her. Her shoulders started to tense; Samus never thought she'd have another encounter with the enemy that awaited their arrival. But her confidence remained unyielding like a tall statue; she had defeated this enemy before, and was confident in repeating history again.
Something else was bothering her, though. She looked at Luigi; his eyes were stuck to the 3DS, and they were burning with excitement.
"Hey, the Star Spirit's behind this door!" Luigi said.
Samus didn't know what a 'Star Spirit' was, but it was immaterial. An impending reality had struck like lightning.
"Looks like our journey together is about to end," Samus said with a dejected tone in her voice.
Sora felt her shift in mood permeate throughout the room, and it made him sigh.
"Unfortunately," he said. "We have places to go – friends to find."
Samus turned to face the others. "Will I ever see you guys again? You made this mission an interesting experience for me."
"I don't know," Luigi said. "We have so many worlds to visit."
"Don't worry about it, Samus," Sora said; his face beamed up in confidence. "I promise we'll meet again."
Samus glared at him, incredulous. "How so? The universe is massive."
"I'll find a way," Sora said, not letting his outlook falter. "Yeah, okay. I sound like a complete lunatic saying that, but, for me, good-byes are never permanent. They shouldn't be. Especially among friends. I can't accept that. Besides, I feel like I've just started getting to know you. Like I said, I don't know how, but I'll find a way to see you again."
Samus stared into Sora's eyes. He wasn't saying those words just to reassure her; there was weight behind them. His eyes erupted into sincere fireworks that would never cease; not until they were reunited. Very few people have left a positive impact on Samus. One was the Chozo race, who wise and nurturing presence stayed dormant within in her spirit. While the other was her commanding officer; he taught her how to be strong in the face of danger.
And now, Sora reminded her about compassion, and how it helped people unearth the beatitude in one's life. She would never let those feelings turn into listless fragments again.
"I would like that very much," Samus said. "If I'm not busy on a mission, I'll look for you, too. Just to increase the odds. I guess that makes us both lunatics, huh?"
Sora rested both hands behind his head, smiling. "Being sane can get boring after a while."
He noticed Luigi start to open his mouth.
"I know what you're gonna say," Sora said. He imitated Luigi. "You were sane to begin with? Hur, hur."
"Hey, now Don't make assumptions," Luigi said, feigning innocence. "I was thinking it, not saying. That's completely different."
Sora rolled his eyes. "Oh, thanks. I feel so much better."
After having a good chuckle, the group proceeded towards the next room – onto the final battle. Regardless of what happened next, Samus would never forget the time she'd spent with her new friends.
If you wish to support my work, please visit my YouTube page: channel/UCTt8bVl63VokPqhTXg2xRKQ
Check me out on social media:
Twitter: kingdomkey23
Facebook: kingdomkey23
Instagram: kingdomkey23
Deviantart: kingdomkey23
Twitch: kingdomkey_23
Cover Artist's Twitter: jitart1