The cold hum of the Great Fox filled the air, a robotic backdrop to the heartache that weighed heavily in the room. Fox McCloud led the small group—Princess Peach, Zelda, and a few trusted Toad guards—into a darkened chamber. A large screen dominated one of the walls, flickering slightly, and the only other sound was the quiet clink of Fox's boots against the metal floor.
Princess Peach was pale, still in shock from the news of Samus's apparent demise. Zelda remained by her side, her hand gently resting on Peach's arm, providing what little comfort she could. Her usual naïve demeanor was replaced by a somber seriousness, knowing how much this moment weighed on her friend. Donkey Kong had stayed behind, unsure of how to deal with something so personal, but his forces were still patrolling outside, keeping watch.
Fox stopped in front of the screen, his hand hovering over the controls. His usually brash, confident expression was subdued, and there was a deep sadness in his eyes. He turned to the group, his voice low.
"We found this in the remains of Samus's ship. It's a recording—her suit logs. It's... rough, but you need to see it."
Peach remained still, her face a mixture of sorrow and disbelief, her eyes hollow. Inside, her thoughts swirled like the debris in Samus's wrecked ship. Samus, gone... how could this happen? A part of her still clung to hope, but the weight of despair crushed her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Zelda squeezed her hand gently, offering silent support. "We're with you, Peach. Whatever it is... we'll face it together."
Peach nodded weakly but said nothing. Fox sighed and pressed a few buttons on the console. The screen crackled to life, showing a shaky, grainy recording—Samus's point of view. The camera bobbed slightly with her steps, and her familiar calm voice filled the room, narrating her thoughts as she moved through a dimly lit metallic hallway.
"Suit systems online. Still no signs of life on this ship. Scans indicate low power levels and abandoned control panels. Something's wrong here—feels like a trap."
The camera showed Samus's visor flicking between different visual modes, scanning her surroundings as she wandered through the deserted ship. The walls were covered in scorch marks, and debris cluttered the floor.
"Looks like there was a fight here. But… no bodies. Where did everyone go?"
She continued deeper into the ship, the silence almost oppressive. Her HUD flickered, picking up a faint beacon in the distance.
"Locate the source of the signal. Activate tracking."
The camera lurched as she moved quickly through the ship, turning corners and entering larger chambers. The ship was massive, a maze of hallways and rooms, but still utterly devoid of life. The recording trembled slightly, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the emptiness.
Suddenly, she stopped in front of a console. The beacon was close. Samus reached out her armored hand, tapping at the controls. The beacon's signal grew stronger, and after a few seconds of tapping, it powered down with a soft hum.
A message appeared on the screen, glowing eerily in the darkness: "I will help Peach." Samus's breathing hitched slightly.
"Help Peach? What is this… an ally? Or a trap?"
The screen changed, displaying a map. It marked the location of Bowser and Mario's forces, hidden deep within a volcanic fortress. The screen shifted again, showing data communication between Andross, the Space Pirates, and Bowser. Maps of Hyrule, Sarasaland, the Kong Kingdom, and the Mushroom Kingdom flashed on screen, all detailing where attacks would occur. Samus cursed under her breath.
"Andross is part of this. This is bad. I need to get this information to Peach."
The ship suddenly shuddered, lights flickering as alarms blared to life. Red warnings flashed across the screen.
"Damn it... Self-destruct sequence. Gotta move."
Samus bolted through the corridors, her boots slamming against the metal floors. Hallways blurred past her as debris tumbled from the ceiling. She rounded the last corner, leaped into her ship, and fired up the engines. Just as the hangar doors opened, a blinding explosion rocked the vessel behind her.
"Samus to Great Fox, do you copy? I've got intel. We need to—"
Her voice cut off, and static filled the room for a moment.
"Communications are jammed. Something's blocking me…"
Suddenly, the recording picked up movement outside her ship. Dark shadows darted through the blackness of space. The unmistakable figures of Space Pirate ships appeared on the screen, surrounding her. The camera shook violently as Samus maneuvered, trying to outfly them, her breathing ragged.
Then, from the corner of the screen, four ships entered the frame—sleek, angular, predatory. It was the Star Wolf team, their ships unmistakable.
"Star Wolf... what are they doing here?"
Her ship shook violently again as lasers raked across its hull. The camera flickered as damage reports filled the HUD.
"Peach… I'm sorry…"
The recording ended abruptly, the screen going dark. Silence filled the room, thick and heavy, as if the weight of the galaxy had pressed down on them.
Peach sat completely still, her face pale as tears welled in her eyes. Samus… no… She couldn't speak, couldn't process what she had just seen. Zelda, her own eyes glistening with tears, leaned closer, pulling Peach into a tight embrace.
"It'll be okay, Peach. We'll figure this out."
Peach shook her head, silent sobs racking her body as she gripped Zelda's arm, her heart breaking.
Fox cleared his throat awkwardly, stepping back from the group, his voice low and respectful. This was never supposed to happen, he thought, the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders. Samus had always been a step ahead—unstoppable. And yet…
"I'm… sorry. I didn't want to bring you this, but I thought you should know. There's something else."
Peach, her voice barely a whisper, managed to choke out a response. "What else… could there be?"
Fox looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and dread.
"When we got there, we scanned the area. We found wreckage, parts of her ship… but no signs of her suit, no body."
The possibility that Samus survived was inconceivable, too much to process. No one could have survived. This was a personal attack against Peach. Against Samus. This was a message from Mario.
The room remained silent, as if time itself had frozen, waiting for someone to break the unbearable weight of sorrow. But amid the grief, a spark of resolve flickered in Peach's heart. This was not the end. She would find out what happened to Samus, no matter the cost.