Chapter 14: Countdown to Destruction

Sora felt like he was going to fall on his back from looking up at the giant dome-shaped room they've entered; it was about the size of a football stadium. In the center was a circular shaped platform. The room was dimly lit, making it hard to gander at what lay beyond the dominating shadows. But Samus knew better; their enemy was playing a game. She enjoyed watching them squirm in apprehension.

"I know you're here, Mother!" Samus said. "Show yourself!"

Their eyes were blinded by the sudden flash of light extinguishing the darkness. With the room bright, they could see Mother Brain in every gruesome detail, resting in a tube, on an elevated platform. True to Samus' words, she was a giant brain. Her red lobes pulsated in joy at the sight of Samus; she couldn't wait to make her become fragments of the planet. To hear her tormented screams.

Silver spikes protruded from the cerebellum, and her underside was attached to wild mass of wires and cables. But the most disturbing detail that made Sora's stomach churn was the single, unblinking eye located below the cerebral hemisphere. Cracks of veins surrounded the sclera. Even the brains I've dissected in science class were more appealing, Sora thought. That cold, lifeless eye stared right at them, preying on their souls.

"Welcome home, Samus," Mother Brain said. How she was able to talk remained a mystery. Her voice hissed with morbid pleasure. "Hope you don't mind. My crew and I decided to renovate. The wires running through this planet gives it a contemporary look, don't you think?"

Samus usual calm demeanor had been inhaled by a black hole of rage. She leaped onto the circular platform and charged her laser.

"You're going to regret robbing the life from this world!" Samus said "As well as the lives of the scientists from the Research Center! I'm ending this nightmare for good!"

She prepared to launch her attack, but was swooped into the menacing claws of Ridley. He slammed the bounty hunter straight into the wall, and started sliding her across it. A loud screeching noise screamed in her ears; sparks flew out from the collision of metal. Her suit was starting to tear apart. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't break his grip. Ridley's desire for revenge was stronger than anything else. He would never let go.

"Leave her alone!" Sora shouted.

He and the others leaped onto the platform. While Ridley enjoyed watching his mortal enemy suffer, he overlooked an important detail: his altitude, which was close to the platform. Sora summoned his Keyblade, lined up the attack, and threw it straight into Ridley's head; he shrieked from the pain, and felt himself falling through the space between the wall and the platform.

Despite feeling disoriented, a part of his mind remained unaffected, and it was the overwhelming aspiration to kill Samus. His grip around her didn't break, and the two fell into the darkness. The trio ran over to the edge, leaned over, and called out Samus' name.

Only the abyss responded in silence.

"Young ones!" a female voice said.

Everyone followed the voice to see Mamar; she was strapped to a metal table. Wires were connected to the clamps on her limbs. Although restrained, her voice echoed throughout the room with ease, free to make a difference in this grave predicament.

"You must stop her before she absorbs enough of my energy!"

Sora hesitated for a moment, staring down the bottomless pit again. Troubling thoughts floundered through his mind about Samus' fate. He wanted to help her, but knew that ignoring Mother Brain would be a fatal mistake; how could the group help Samus if they were crushed beneath her unfathomable power? I'll make this quick, Sora proclaimed.

Sora unleashed his energy attack, which collided with Mother Brain's tube, causing a massive explosion. Glass shattered amid the explosion. Everyone shielded their eyes from the incoming debris.

"Nice one, Sora!" Yoshi said, jubilant.

When the commotion ceased, a thick cloud of smoke remained where Mother Brain's tube once stood. The group's remained still, hopeful that the attack was enough to destroy her for good. Everything was quiet. Not a noise was uttered. Then, the smoke coughed up pink sparks, which crackled throughout the room. The trio felt an apprehensive breeze brush across their skin.

"I'm afraid 'nice' won't get you anywhere," Mother Brain said, hissing from within smoke. "I am unstoppable."

A loud thud shook the room. And then another one. Those sounds belonged to enraged footsteps. A monstrous figure emerged from the smoke, towering over the trio. Sora felt himself shrink from her size. He noticed Luigi and Yoshi cowering behind him, terrified. Standing before them was Mother Brain, in her new grotesque form.

She had gained a humanoid body, attached to two metal legs. Her body was skeletal; every bone could be seen against her skin. Spikes pointed out from her back. She gained a jaw underneath her single eye; the teeth were sharp, deadly, and ready to penetrate skin.

And her first target was Sora and his friends.

"The entire universe will tremble before me," she said. Somehow, she was using telepathy to speak, as her mouth remained still. "And because of your meddling, you'll be the first to suffer."

Sora noticed Luigi glowering at him.

"Can you belittle me for this later!?" Sora asked, annoyed. "We need to take her down and rescue Samus!"

"Take HER down!?" Luigi asked in shock. "Good one! I'd rather be falling down the pit right about now!"

Sora turned to face Mother Brain. Despite how intimidating she looked, he wasn't going to let fear squander his intent to save Samus.

"Guys, let's do it for Samus," Sora said with a determined expression on his face. "We put our faith in her. Now it's our turn to do the same. She wouldn't want us to back down!"

Luigi and Yoshi, as frightened as they were, agreed with him. They couldn't turn their backs on her. First, they needed to dispose of Mother Brain. Mustering up the courage, the group prepared to fight.

"Pathetic," Mother Brain said. "You'll risk your life for that insignificant child? She is nothing but trite – a reject never meant to survive in the universe. And now you will join her as forgotten relics of my new world!"

She unleashed a powerful roar that echoed throughout the room, which was drilled into the group's ear drums. But their spirits remained unyielding, standing at a greater height than even Mother Brain's own size.

For the first time in years, Planet Zebes' insides trembled from a fierce battle.

Samus refused to die. She wouldn't allow it. So many people were counting her. If Samus was forced to let it cradle her into an eternal sleep, she wouldn't let it happen until the mission was complete. Her new friends were in danger; they couldn't comprehend Mother Brain's full potential. Tragedy had followed Samus her entire life, always chipping away a piece of her soul like marble. She couldn't forgive herself is something happened to them.

Despite painful protests from her muscles, she struggled to her feet. The perfect emerald colored glass of her visor had been cracked; but her will remained intact. Nothing would damage it. The room was dimly lit; if not for the bright light above, it would've been pitch black. She had to ascend in hopes of rejoining the fight.

But her one-track, impatient thoughts were interrupted by a pair of yellow orbs from the shadows. She sighed in irritation.

Ridley.

With awkward movements, he rose to his feet, his eyes fixated on her. His harsh breathing echoed throughout the room.

"I forget how resilient you are for a human," Ridley said. "But underneath that armor, you're still a frightened little child. I'll make sure that my visage is the last thing burned into your retinas as I silence your life."

Samus stood resolute. "You think I'm still afraid of you? You're nothing but a joke. A bottom feeder whose only job is to please his master and take orders. And you're supposed to be the leader of the space pirates? What kind of leader would grovel before an oversized organ?"

Ridley felt a huge chunk of his pride get bitten by Samus' savage tongue. The little girl was no longer afraid of the monster hiding in the closet of shadows. Instead, she had become the exterminator of nightmares; no matter how hard he fought, she would force him back through the door, to sulk in despondence. He snarled back in defense. Her expression remained unchanged like a bright, vibrant painting.

"And he lets words get to him," Samus said with a mocking tone in her voice, kicking his pride while it lay timidly on the ground. "Who's the real child here?"

"I've had enough of you!" Ridley shouted. "You have foiled my plans for the last time!"

An unexpected chill managed to seep through Samus' armor, and crawl into her skin. Her confidence had been dampened by this unnatural feeling. Ridley started trembling. Every rational thought was asphyxiated by unrestrained anger. Nothing else mattered anymore: not Mother Brain's plans to conquer the galaxy, or his desire to take the seat as her loyal servant, reaping the benefits.

All that mattered was watching Samus scream for mercy.

"I've come close to death so many times because of you." He clutched his chest, feeling darkness flow through it. "The pain I feel…it never goes away. It hurts…all over. And you…are the cause of it all."

His entire body was consumed by a wave of darkness. Samus watched in horror as the darkness merged with his purple skin. Only his yellow eyes remained unchanged from the drastic transformation. He had become something else – something far more sinister. A creature that knew nothing but misery, and planned to let its feelings known.

Samus had never felt so cold. Even the lonely void of space felt like a hot spring in comparison. She activated her scanner to analyze Ridley's new transformation.

DATA UNKNOWN

You've got to be kidding me, Samus thought. Before she could strategies, Ridley vanished in front of her, and reappeared with his claws wrapped around her body. He slammed her straight into the wall. His claws started digging into her suit, eager to find that sweet, vulnerable spot. Ridley's new power was unfathomable. No amount of struggling could release her grip. The alarm went off in her helmet again. Power was draining fast.

Unfortunately, she was all alone with him again. Just like she was many years ago. But this time, she wouldn't be afraid. The image of her new friends prevented her from being sealed in a shed of fear. She wouldn't give up on them. Her energy was draining fast. Pieces of her armor flew out and into the darkness. Time was running out. There was only one change. She rerouted her remaining energy into the arm cannon.

One pull of the trigger. This was it, she thought. The room lit up as she unleashed one final blast into Ridley's chest, sending him flying across the room. Samus collapsed to the ground. Her entire body felt numb. Again, she refused to submit. After taking some deep breaths, she rose to her feet. While Samus wouldn't quit, her armor did, and vanished from sight.

But she remained undeterred. Those images of her friends remained vivid. She had to hurry. Or, she would've, if a familiar growling sound didn't leap out from the darkness. She gritted her teeth in aggravation; why does this shadow of my life refuse to vanish? Ridley stood to his feet, claws wriggling with desires to shred through her skin.

Samus' armor might be gone, but her courage stayed behind, refusing to rest until this nightmare was silenced. She drew her gun, flipped the grip straight back, and it appeared akin to the hilt of a sword. A golden whip emerged from the tip; she swung it around and stood ready to face Ridley.

Hopefully for the last time.

"Hate to disappoint you," Samus said, "but I'm not even close to giving up!"

Ridley flew straight for Samus, but she smacked the whip on his nose, paralyzing him in the process. He screeched from the pain. Samus delivered a fierce kick to the chest, knocking him into the wall. Samus swung her whip from over the shoulder and brought it straight down. Ridly leaned right to dodge, and smacked her aside with his claws.

Ridley leaped into the air and prepared to crush her. She kicked her feet back to avoid getting squeezed by his sharp toenails. Samus countered with a kick, which disheveled him, giving her the time to leap onto her feet.

She wrapped the whip around his neck and pulled him into her fist. To her dismay, the attack barely left an impact. In fact, it felt like her fist collided with a brick wall. She rotated her wrist, lessening the pain. Ridley countered with a slash across her arm; she hissed from the sharp pain, and watched as pieces of her suit flew off, landing gently on the ground.

Ridley tried another strike, but she did a backflip to avoid a repeated performance. Samus transformed her weapon back into a gun, and fired a small laser that stunned Ridley for a moment. Taking the advantage, she transformed her gun back into a whip, and swung it across his chest multiple times

The strikes seemed to have a slight effect, but her advantageous moment ceased, as Ridley shook the paralyzed feeling off, grabbed Samus with both claws, and rammed his head into hers. The world around her blurred from the incredible jolt, and she crashed onto the floor. Despite the devastating blow, she refused to let her consciousness slip into a pothole of darkness.

The room started spinning as she rose to her feet. She shook the feeling away, and kept her focus on those yellow malicious eyes. Ridley soft, pleasurable growls hissed in her ears. She felt her body tremble from the pain. Ignore it. Focus. She wasn't going to let him cheat death again; he didn't deserve it. So many people she loved were gone forever because of him, and yet, he kept evading karma's clutches. Today she would end his streak.

Unfortunately, he shrugged off every attack. She needed something stronger. Luckily, she came prepared. Samus held her whip up like a sword, and a giant blade of yellow energy emerged, illuminating the room. Ridley found himself shielding his eyes from its resolute glow.

"Guess what?" She smirked. "Got this baby upgraded! Wanna be my test subject?"

Samus twirled her blade around, forcing Ridley to step backwards. She tried to thrust, but he blocked it with his claws. Then, he tried thrusting his tail into her chest; she brought her blade up to block. Ridley tried biting at her face, but she flipped over him, and struck his back, making him howl from burning pain.

Upon landing, she tried to strike, but Ridley blocked with his claws. He tried striking back, but Samus repelled it with her blade. Samus was swept off her feet by his tail, and she hit the ground. He shot scorching fireballs out of his mouth; Samus rolled away to avoid them. Transforming her sword back into a whip, she wrapped it around his leg and tripped him.

Samus hurried over and prepared to bring her blade straight down into his chest; but Ridley spat more fireballs out, forcing her to deflect them with her blade. This distraction gave Ridley the chance to sit up and ram his head into her chest. She stumbled back from the freight train of weight, and then received a slash across the stomach.

An outcry of pain shouted for her to stop fighting. Their protests even took the form of agonizing tears in her eyes. Still, her stubborn mentality channeled out every plea. Focus on his eyes; focus on them until they disappear for good.

Once again taking the form of a whip, Samus wrapped her weapon around his neck. She ran over and kicked his face into the wall, momentarily dazing him from the rough impact. Samus slashed right across his elbow; Ridley's ear shattering roar of anguish shook the room. Samus brought the blade down, but Ridley caught her wrist. The two remained in this position, struggling to overpower the other. Their strength had diminished, but their will refused to wither.

Finally, Ridley pushed Samus away, and slashed her across the chest with his tail. It seemed that Samus' body couldn't take anymore torture, as she leaned over, reeling in pain. Her breathing was harsh. Sweat poured down onto the floor. This was the image Ridley had waited years to witness – not since watching her cry as a child had he felt such elation.

"Like I said," Ridley said, hissing in delight. "Nothing but a defenseless child."

He rushed into finish her. And time stopped as he felt an intense burning sensation break through his chest. Looking down, he saw Samus had stabbed him with his blade. Despite how weak she was, a smirk managed to form on her lips.

"And you'll always be brainless beast!"

Samus, using every ounce of strength, cut through Ridley's chest. He roared in absolute pain as his lifeforce sunk into a quicksand of death. Samus watched as he collapsed onto the floor. Dark tentacles emerged from the ground, and wrapped themselves around his body. He gazed up at the bright sky, reflecting on his biggest mistake: sparing that pathetic child's life. The depressing thought latched onto him as the felt the cold embrace of the tentacles. Soon, he vanished from her sight.

Samus collapsed onto her knees. Her muscles trembled with fatigue. She had finally silenced the ghost of her past. An image of smiling faces appeared in Samus' mind, as if reassuring her that they've been avenged, and it was okay to snuggle into the arms of serenity. A single tear streamed down he face – not of agony, but of relief. A feeling she hadn't experienced in years.

But this moment was soon interrupted. A hooded figure appeared in her line of sight.

And then, darkness.

Fighting Mother Brain was like trying to break a mountain with your bare hands. No matter how much toil you went through, it wouldn't budge. None of the group's attacks so much as made her flinch. But Sora was convinced that he'd uncover an exploitable weakness. Nobody was perfect, he thought. Why should Mother Brain be any different?

Luigi leaped at her face, hammer held high, and tried to strike. She blocked with her metal hand, and knocked him back towards the ground. Mother Brain unleashed an energy beam to hit Luigi while he regained his balance. Sora swooped in and used his Fire spell to counter, causing a miniature explosion upon impact with the beam.

Yoshi was next to try, as he turned into an egg, and rolled around Mother Brain's legs in attempt to make her fall in the confusion. But she stayed focused on the spinning target, and found an opening, kicking him away with her metallic foot. Yoshi crashed straight into Luigi.

Sora clenched his fist in frustration; he didn't want to linger. His concerns for Samus' well-being continued to spin around on a perpetual, fast moving Ferris wheel. He wanted to help her. Or at the very least, know she was okay.

Warm drool dripped from Mother Brain's jaws; she enjoyed watching her new toys struggle. Sora ran straight for her. She unleashed circular blue energy waves. He slid onto his back to avoid them, and launched another Fire spell at her. Once again, Mother Brain used her metallic claws to knock it side.

Sora leaped into the air and fired his spiral attack, hitting Mother Brain square in the face. An explosion erupted, and her upper body was obstructed by a cloud of smoke. Sora landed, catching his breath. The giant Heartless he fought on his island was like a minor inconvenience compared to Mother Brain. But he hoped he dealt damage – any at all.

He held his breath as Mother Brain remained lethargic. His rapid heartbeat filled the silent room. He noticed a tiny pink twinkle from within the smoke, and it grew into at a rapid rate. Sora braced himself as a wave of pink energy punched through the gentle smoke, and engulfed him into the unrelenting light. Luigi and Yoshi watched in horror as their friend took the full force of the attack.

Although he emerged moments later, Sora's body was enervated. His muscles struggled just to keep him standing. Like a building, he was about to collapse from the weak foundation holding him together. He felt numb from the unbearable pain. But, just like Samus, he refused to quit. He tried taking a step forward, but found himself stumbling onto the floor. However, a new foundation picked him back up in the form of his friends.

"Easy!" Luigi said. "That attack did a number on you!"

"We…can't…give up," Sora said, struggling through the exhaustion. "Samus….she needs help…"

"Stop worrying about others for one second!" Luigi shouted in anger. "You need to worry about yourself first! There's no way you can keep fighting!"

The ground shook from Mother Brain's giant steps, and she approached the trio with a triumphant growl in her voice.

"You don't need to be concerned about anyone," Mother Brain said. "Not when I plan to put you out of your misery. Then all of that burden will be gone."

"We need to think of something!" Yoshi said in a panic.

"By all means," Mother Brain said. "That way I'll enjoy seeing it fail."

While Sora's body was drenched in numbing agony, his stomach tensed from her condescending words. It was bad enough to feel incapacitated; now he had to deal with her constant derides about it. Luigi formulated a plan, released his grip from Sora, and walked over to the giant with a nonchalant disposition. Sora and Yoshi watched with confused but hopeful expressions.

Luigi pointed at her. "Hello beautiful!"

Sora and Mother Brain blink at him in bewilderment, while Yoshi looked around the room, genuinely wondering who Luigi was referring to as "beautiful."

"You're a good-looking lady, do you know that?" He walked closer to her. "People laugh at you. People hate you. But why do they hate you? It's because they're JEALOUS!"

Mother Brain leaned down to Luigi's eye level, stared at him for a moment, and then roared in his face; her powerful voice knocked him into the others. After they sat up, Sora and Yoshi turned to Luigi, as if expecting an explanation for his absurd plan.

Luigi just shrugged. "Well, I tried."

Sora and Yoshi rolled their eyes in response. Mother Brain's footsteps shook the ground, only becoming worse as she approached the trio. Her mind flashed with a buffet of different ideas to annihilate them; each one more delicious than the next.

"Enough of your stalling," she said. "Feel the full extent of my power!"

The end was inevitable. All their hopes and desires were about to vanish along with their physical forms. They braced themselves as Mother Brain opened her mouth; pink energy formed from within her maw. Sora wish he could see his friends one last time – to tell them how they mean to him. No matter how many worlds separated them, their bond would remain indestructible forever.

Their vision started to become obstructed by the bright pink, signifying their last moments to live.

But it never happened.

A courageous squeak boomed out from the commotion. Everyone looked up in surprise; it was the Baby Metroid. Before Mother Brain could react, she felt its sharp teeth sink into her lobes with the wrath of a thousand razors. She screamed from the massive pain, and tried her hardest to shake the creature off her head.

"Let go of me you wretched beast!" Mother Brain hollered.

But the creature would not budge; at least until it was satiated with her precious life energy. The trio gaped in amazement as they witnessed the struggle. Mother Brain stumbled backwards, still trying in vain to loosen the Metroid's grip. Nothing would make it flinch. Soon, Mother Brain felt light-headed; the world around her grew as black as night. She thought her soul was being sucked through an icy cold metal tube.

Her complexion faded into a dark gray, and with one final gasp of air, she collapsed onto the ground. The Metroid remove its jaw from her, rushed over to Sora, and latched onto his torso. Sora was face to face with a plethora of teeth, with their target set on his skin. He felt himself start to hyperventilate from the hot, restricted space, and the thoughts of him ending up as Mother Brain.

Luigi and Yoshi hurried to help, but the baby flew into the sky. Sora heard the creature' innards pulsate in his ears; he had never been so frightened in his life. But then a gentle squeak drowned out the unsettling noise. Sora felt a downpour of energy rush through his veins. Movement returned to his body. The warm feeling was comforting, like a massage; he felt himself relax, basking in the rejuvenating warmth.

Outside, Luigi and Yoshi were startled to see the Keyblade flash with the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

"Hey, what's happening in there!?" Luigi asked. "Are you okay?!"

Sora replied with a thumbs up. The two sighed in relief. They were glad the baby was on their side. A gentle breeze of peace flowed throughout the room.

"Watch out!" Mamar shouted, silencing the breeze. "She's still alive!"

Luigi and Yoshi almost thought they misheard her sentence because of the commotion. They refused to believe their ears; but the eyes never speak with a deceptive tongue. Upon turning around, they witnessed color refilling the listless gray cup that was Mother Brain's body. She opened her bloodshot eye, freezing their peaceful demeanors in an iceberg of terror.

Through her awkward movements, she started rising to her feet.

"What the what the what!?" Yoshi asked, flabbergasted.

Luigi gripped his hammer. "If I were to guess, her life force can't be drained completely because of the Star Spirit's unlimited power!"

"Me hope baby wants seconds!"

Mother Brain stood up, and stared right at the baby. Anger rumbled through her brain like a massive earthquake. She was the greatest mastermind in the universe, having orchestrated hostile takeovers of planets. And now some mindless creature had sucked her dry like a carton. It was humiliating; she would not let this animal leave with the satisfaction.

She charged a laser from her eye, firing straight into the Metroid's membrane. Sora felt himself being thrown around from the powerful strike. What was happening out there? A part of him argued it was Mother Brain, but the other side refused to listen.

Luigi and Yoshi tried to stop her, but she launched a bomb at them; they leaped back just as it exploded. Mother Brain resumed her assault, unleashing furious beams of energy at the Metroid. Every strike hurt, and yet, it refused to fall. Mother Brain's ego started throwing a tantrum over this resilient creature. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Mother Brain's eye glowed a bright yellow; she charged up the attack to its peak. A harsh, hot wind brushed over the group's faces. They knew an attack of this magnitude could leave a hole in the planet. The Metroid could sense it, and made a realization while clutching onto Sora:

Neither of them would survive this attack.

Sora felt the baby's grip loosen, and he fell right out of its mouth. Time curled into a lethargic ball as he watched Mother Brain's attack pierce through the baby's membrane. Its shrieks of pain were the only sound that rattled in Sora's ears. He tried reaching up to touch the baby, but knew it was fruitless. Gravity refused to alter its course.

He landed on the ground, and along with the others, they glanced back up at the baby. A huge hole had left a mark on the once adamantine membrane. Electric discharged throughout its body. The Metroid let out a soft squeak of pain, and exploded into particles, which rained over Sora with tears of despair. And he felt every woeful drop tap his skin.

Yoshi whimpered in sadness. "Bye-bye, baby."

Sora looked back at the spot occupied by the baby. He wanted to mourn, but knew there was still some unfinished business. Deep down he knew the baby's sacrifice would mean nothing as long as Mother Brain drew breath. He noticed his Keyblade glowing; the baby must've granted him a new power. He would use it to honor the its sacrifice, and to make Mother Brain pay for destroying an innocent life.

Mother Brain roared at the group. She was exasperated by their persistence. It was time for them to meet a similar fate, she declared. Sora got into his battle position, holding the Keyblade and the baby's spirits within him. The group felt Sora's renewed confidence; they joined his side.

"C'mon, guys!" Sora said. "Let's do this for Samus and the baby!"

Mother Brain slammed her first down, but Sora leaped backwards. He then slashed the metallic arm straight off her limbs. Puzzled, and frightened, Mother Brain shot another bomb. This time, Luigi knocked it back into her face; she was stunned from the explosion. Sora swung straight at her chest, leaving a giant scar in its wake. She roared from the pain. Sora leaped back a great distance, pointed his Keyblade at her, and charged his attack.

She tried to stop him, but was distracted by Luigi and Yoshi. The dinosaur smacked her with an egg, and Luigi used his fire uppercut to knock her head backwards. Sora felt the energy compress into the Keyblade. It was time. He alerted his friends, and the two leaped out of the way, landing on their stomachs. As Mother Brain looked back at Sora, she was met with a blinding flash of colors. This was the last image she would ever see.

"Time to go, Mother Brain!" Sora shouted

Mother Brian never had a chance to scream; a huge light consumed her entire being. Her monstrous visage would no longer bring people to their knees.

After the commotion died, Sora found himself sigh in relief. He missed hearing the natural sound of breathing. The power he gained from the baby had vanished. But it was worth the single use – to silence the greatest master mind in the universe. However, it came at a cost. Sora glanced at the Keyblade, dejected. The others hurried over to check on him.

"You did it!" Luigi said. "Good job!"

"Yeah," Sora said with a half-hearted smile, "but I couldn't have done it without…"

He glanced back at the spot where the baby vanished. This was really the its victory. Sora's strength wasn't his own. He wished to thank the baby, but knew that would never happen. His voice could never penetrate the unbreakable mirror of the deceased.

"Listen, I know your upset, but…this isn't over yet," Luigi said. "You two go check on Samus. I'll help the Star Spirit."

Sora almost forgot about Samus while wandering the insipid halls of grief. He looked towards Yoshi; the dinosaur's gaze remained upon the spot where the baby once resided. His heart was meandering in the same depressed hallways, too. Sora got his attention, and the two hurried over to the cliff.

The same empty void greeted them as they gazed into it. Sora hoped to see any form of movement break through the dark sheets. Nothing. Sora's heart started rising through his throat like an elevator, moving faster with each passing second. He and Yoshi called her name several times, and their echoes replied with unsatisfactory answers. Sora wasn't sure what to do next. Climbing down seemed like their only option. But they didn't know what types of dangerous surprises slept at the bottom.

Something flashed in their eyes, and they looked up to see a small circle of light in the wall. It soon faded, leaving behind something that surprised them; a keyhole. Its black innards glistened with specs of light.

"What that?" Yoshi asked.

Sora noticed the Keyblade appear in his hand. Like a dog on a leash, it pulled him forward, as if by its own will. A beam of light emerged from the tip and entered the keyhole, causing it to vanish from sight, which was followed by a loud 'locking' sound. More questions interrupted Sora's thoughts as a small red block flew out of the wall, landing right beside them.

"Um, what just happened?" Sora asked, confused.

"Yoshi could've sworn his ears heard a locking noise."

"But you don't have ears."

Yoshi looked surprised by Sora's statement. "Me have so many questions, but am too frightened to ask."

"What are you two doing?" Luigi asked.

The two turned to see Luigi walking over to them with Mamar, who, while a little ruffled, was unharmed.

Sora held up the strange block. "Long story. But we found this."

He handed the block to Luigi. After glancing it over, he rubbed his moustache, inquisitive.

"This is a Labo piece," Luigi said. "Never seen one like this before. I'll hang onto it."

Luigi pocketed the item. Sora was about to explain its origins when an earthquake ensued. For a moment, Sora felt dismay squeeze his chest. Mother Brain couldn't have survived that attack! He refused to even let the thought slip through a door of consideration.

"Now what!?" Luigi asked, growing distressed.

Mamar remembered something. "I believe I overheard those pirates mentioning some sort of self-destruct mechanism for the planet!"

"Of course!" Luigi said, enraged. "Because villains ALWAYS have to be sore losers!"

Yoshi hopped up and down in a panic. "We gotta get out here!"

Pieces of the room rained down from ceiling. The group shielded their heads. They could hear Mother Brain having the last laugh. Even in death did she refuse to let them grasp victory through their fingers.

"Don't panic, young ones," Mamar said. "The pirates have an emergency elevator."

Luigi glared at her in surprise. "That's extremely convenient." He paused, realizing how pointless his comment sounded. "But hey, I ain't arguing! Partire!"

"Wait!" Sora looked back towards the cliff. "What about…?"

Luigi sighed; regret squeezed his shoulder to the point of pain.

"We don't know long we've got before this place goes kaboom," Luigi said. Sora lowered his head in sadness. "Hey, Samus can handle herself, in case you've forgotten. Knowing her she's probably clobbered that dragon-thing and escaped!"

Sora forced the concern back down his throat. He needed to keep that optimistic gates open; although a cautious wind started closing them. Still, Samus had fought through the Heartless with ease. Even he was still struggling against them. And he had the Keyblade! Right now, he needed to focus on not being blown to pieces.

Sora nodded. "Okay!"

Isabelle's paws gripped the Wii Stream so hard; she thought it would snap in half. All she could do was watch as the group traversed corridors, computer rooms, and other natural environments until Mamar led them to an elevator. Moments later, she saw them emerge from a rock with a secret door. But she kept her relief on a shelf; they weren't safe yet.

Everyone hurried to the ship, trying to keep their balance as the rumbling grew more intense. The planet's insides were coming apart from the unstoppable shaking. Any second it would burst from the intense pressure. The group boarded the ship, climbed into the cockpit, and took their seats. Luigi scrambled for the controls, hit a few switches, and grabbed the wheel.

Outside, the ground below them started to split. If they waited another minute, the ship would fall into the planet's stomach, consumed by the forthcoming explosion.

"Hang on!" Luigi shouted.

He engaged the thrusters, and they flew into the air. Just in time, as the planet exploded. But a trail of fire chased after the ship, and started enclosing it its fiery jaws. The group teetered back in forth in their seats from the speed. Luigi glanced to his left, noticing the heat closing in on them. The baby gave them a second chance; he wasn't going to squander it.

He pushed the ship to maximum power, and flew away from the explosion; it vanished into the darkness of space. When they were at a safe distance, Luigi decreased the speed, and the ship drifted slowly by the stars. Everyone turned back to see where the planet once stood – it was now a ruined mess of debris and rock. The once prosperous world, which became dilapidated with time, had been put out of its misery.

But they were safe. Mother Brain might be gone, but the Heartless would never disappear as long as darkness continued lingering in every heart. The cockpit was silent. Only the beeping sounds from the control panel chimed in every few seconds.

Mamar sighed. "We made it out in one piece. Thank you for…"

She noticed the group sitting in wistful silence. There was no cause to celebrate; no reason to smile. Today they made a new friend, and were stuck with the realization that she may be gone. Mamar could sense their grief congest the bright cockpit. She decided to let them mourn in peace.

Sora pressed his head against the window, staring at the planet's final resting place. He may never get a chance to keep his promise to Samus, and knowing this made his heart sob with each beat.

The stars watched with unblinking eyes, sharing their condolences for the fallen.

In another area of space, a familiar, lone orange spaceship lingered alone in the vast darkness. Somehow, it managed to escape the explosion's flaming esophagus within the last few moments. On board were familiar monkey-like creatures; they were exploring the cockpit with wide-eyed fascination.

Although Samus' home world had vanished, a piece of it remained afloat with in the endless sea of space.

A/N: Just to remind everyone - no new chapters will be posted this coming week. We will resume on the 26th with the start of the first visit to Pokémon Coliseum. Thanks again!

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