Metroid Fan
Chapter I: Invasion
"Emergency order! Exterminate all Metroid organisms on planet Zebes and defeat the mechanical life-form, Mother Brain.
Galaxy Federal Police M510"
When Bounty Hunter, Samus Aran heard those words from the radio transmission, it reminded her of her past on Zebes, the past that she had so long buried away - until now. Samus was sent on a mission to planet Zebes. That forsaken planet was the fortress of her enemies, the Space Pirates. It was an ideal location for them, for they possessed Urthic ore, a material that was used for subterranean construction. The Pirates were ruthless and amoral sentient beings. They couldn't care less for the cost of their ambition. Only results mattered to them. Their main focus was to become the dominant species in the Galaxy. However, Samus Aran made it her purpose to protect and bring order to the Galaxy.
The Hunter, as she was called, looked to her past, even before that in the time of the history of the cosmos. It was the year 2,000, according to the Cosmic Calendar, when various representatives from different planets allied to establish a governance known as the Galactic Federation. The Federation was set up to represent and protect the planets of the Galaxy. Thus came the Golden Age, as it were, an age of prosperity and peace. Numerous trading vessels traveled to and from many planets, mainly an important earth colony called K-2L. This planet was used in mining explosive crystals known as afloraltite. These crystals were used for fueling the Federation's Spaceship ignition module.
After several decades, this Golden Age ended in devastation, for an advanced civilization known as the Space Pirates discovered that these ships transported afloraltite. Because of this, the Pirates began to attack and raid many ships that held this energy source. One of the trade ships was occupied by a freighter pilot and his crew. The pilot's name was Hakro Zebeth. He was responsible for discovering what was later called planet "Zebes." Having drifted from the original trade route, he found himself and his crew, stranded nearby a large, red planet. Hoping to be found by a search team, he sent a distress signal. But this signal was of no avail as the Space Pirates received this transmission and attacked the ship, leaving the crew stranded in space while taking the space vessel. For this reason, the Pirates were called "the scourge of the Galaxy."
After a number of attacks, the Federation Bureau took immediate action and created the Galactic Federation Police to combat against the Pirate attacks. But the Pirates' assaults were powerful, and trying to capture them in the vastness of space was difficult. The Federation Bureau and the Federation Police then called together hunters, soldiers of valor and renown. They received great rewards for capturing Space Pirates, dead or alive, and made a living as bounty hunters. As time passed, the Space Pirates discovered where the source of afloraltite was most abundant. Rather than raiding the trade ships that carried afloraltite and other useful material, they turned their direction to the planetary colony K-2L. They waited upon their leader, Ridley, for orders to take possession of the valuable energy source, and it wasn't long until their leader had commanded them to steal, and murder anyone who opposed them.
Now, it was a late, pleasant morning, and a trading vessel known as the Beatrix III landed on K-2L. The ship's hatches opened, and the crew on board came out with metal crates. The pilot of the ship also came out to greet a man named Rod Aran, the boss of the afloraltite mining. He was in his early thirties and was about six feet tall. He had a square chin with light facial hair. In his left hand he held an electronic board to write down the amount of cargo that came in and who it was from. "Hey, boss Aran! Long time no see!" The boss took note of the crew that were coming down from the ship.
"Ah! It's been a long trip, I know, you gotta forgive me for that!" said Rod. He continued soberly, "Okay, squads six and seven, bring in the afloraltite, hurry it up!" As Rod was doing his work, his wife, Virginia Aran, came by to check up on him.
"Rod!" came a female voice. Rod turned his head toward Virginia's direction. She was carrying a container of food under her right arm.
Rod was a bit surprised to see his wife. "Oh, Viriginia...what's up? Not home today?"
"I brought you lunch!" said Virginia. She cared for her family, always looking out for them no matter what the cost. She was twenty-eight years old, and she had beautiful, blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.
"Wh-What? You came here for that...?" her husband inquired.
"Huh? You need to eat too, y'know," said Virginia with a bit of concern. "You've been so busy lately you haven't even been sleeping!!"
Rod chuckled. "Well...there's a pivotal assembly coming up, and they'll need this afloraltite. It's my part to make sure the Galaxy flourishes!" He looked down with a smirk on his face, "It's more or less impossible for me to quit now!!"
Virginia stood at her husband's side and looked at him. Their eyes made contact. "But don't you also owe it to your family? It's important you keep your promise to them too."
Rod was caught off guard. "You're right. My promise to love them. Virginia..."
One day, a toddler named Samus was just outside of an area filled with many trees. The place looked like a temperate hardwood forest. Surrounding it were mountains. Her parents, Rod and Virginia Aran permitted her to play where others could keep an eye out for her. As Samus was playing alone, a creature came by and took a little bag that she had. "Ahh, darn!" The creature, which took Samus' bag looked like a squirrel with rabbit ears. It quickly climbed up a nearby tree. "Give that back, it's mine!" cried Samus. Samus jumped up, trying to grab on to the branch that the creature was sitting on. But she was too small. "Leave it, come on!" Just then, Samus heard her name being called.
"Hey! Samus!" The toddler turned her head to the left and saw her two friends, one a chubby boy and the other a girl. "What are you doing? Big news!" the girl said excitedly.
The boy continued her sentence. "There's something going on to the South." Samus was curious.
The girl spoke again, "A new ship showed up!"
"They're arguin' about somethin'! With guys called 'Chozo'!"
"Eh? Wh-What...?" The Samus' face lit up. She quickly ran to the South to see what was going on. There was a crowd of afloraltite miners, and in the midst were two figures, one tall, the other, short. The short one had in his left hand a cane with an avian head on the top. The Chozo were wearing burgundy colored garbs with cowls covering their heads. Their garbs had wide, long sleeves, and only the figures' hands could be seen whenever they reached out. One of the miners was surprised.
"What the hell? You want our afloraltite?"
The tall Chozo spoke, "No, that's not really it. I just need to borrow some quickly! And...I think this is the only place I can get it."
Soon, Rod Aran came, getting through some of the miners. "Ah, sorry, what's up? What's going on?"
The same miner who confronted the Chozo noticed his boss' voice. He turned around. "Oh, boss Aran, they're..." The miner became silent to see what his boss would have to say.
Rod spoke to the tall figure. "How may I help you?"
The Chozo repeated himself, saying, "We need to borrow some afloraltite."
"Why do you need to use afloraltite?"
The Chozo was silent, but then uttered, "I cannot tell you why."
Rod thought to himself, speaking under his breath. "Now this is a problem... If an Observer from the Chairman of the Federation found out..." He had his right hand on his chin while he continued to reason with himself. "But the excavated goods are under my control for the Federation, so it should be okay... What do I do? What would be a sensible decision for these Chozo...?" While Rod continued to think this over briefly, there was laughter and and speech from children in the background.
"Wait up Samus!" The boy and girl were behind.
Samus replied with laughter, "No! I'm not gonna lose!!" As Samus was looking back to see how close her friends were, she bumped into the short Chozo. "Urg!" cried Samus. The toddler backed up a little as she noticed the Chozo taking off his cowl. He had a solemn look on his face. His eyes were faint, and his brows were feathered. He had a feathered beard, too. Samus was startled, and her eyes widened the moment she saw the old bird.
"C'mere Samus!" a stern voice came.
"Ah! Papa!"
"I told you to stay away from here!"
The old Chozo was concerned. He looked at Samus' father, and then at Samus. "Oh, oh, you okay little girl? Are you hurt?"
Samus hesitently replied, "Ah... No..."
"Is this the first time you've seen a Chozo," the bird inquired. Samus didn't say anything, for she was afraid. The old bird gave the child a warm smile, placed his four-fingered left hand on his chest and said, "Don't be afraid. My appearance my differ, but inside...peace dwells within both your heart and mine just the same." Those words gave Samus confidence. She smiled back. The Chozo continued, "You can call me 'Old Bird' ... Or 'Bird Grandpa' is fine too."
Samus giggled, and then said, "I'm Samus Aran, three years old."
"Do you want to be friends?"
The child nodded her head. "Yeah, okay!" Samus grabbed the old birds right hand. "Hey, hey, c'mere!"
"Hm?"
"Please...?"
"Ah, ah..." The tall Chozo and Samus' father were dumbfounded.
"Ah! Sa-Samus, wait!" said Rod.
The same was with the tall Chozo. "W-Wait, Old Bird...!?"
As the Chozo elder was being pulled, he said to his assistant, "Ah, ah, I'm sorry, Grey Voice. Please continue with the negotiation." Now, the assistant's name was Grey Voice, for he spoke wisely. In the Chozo culture, children were named what they would be destined to become. Names weren't simply empty titles, but an identity. Grey Voice was speechless.
Rod looked at Grey Voice, who had removed his cowl, and then turned his head back toward the direction Samus was heading. "That kid is trouble..."
Meanwhile, Samus brought Old Bird back to the green, grassy area filled with trees where she was before she met him. Her purpose was because Old Bird looked like a bird. She thought to herself, "Maybe Old Bird can help me get my little bag back." Then she said to Old Bird, pointing at his long sleeves, "Eh? You have wings! Can you fly!?"
The Chozo scratched his forehead with his left hand. "Ah, that's not it. We lost use of our wings a long time ago. Sorry to say."
Samus looked up at the tree where the creature was still sitting. "If you can't fly, neither can I... What do I do? How can I get that back...?"
The Chozo thought of an idea, but first, he wanted to calm Samus down and let her not give her hopes up. "Hm, if you let yourself get worked up, you'll never get it back. What if he wants to be friends, just like you and me, Samus?" The Chozo smiled at Samus and then said, "Why don't you start off by giving him a name?" In Chozo culture, giving a name to a person or creature meant that they had authority over the named person or creature.
"Eh? A name...?" the toddler asked. Then she closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Hmm... Ponchi!!" The old Chozo gave Samus a blank stare. Samus stared back, thinking that the name might have not been a good one. Then Old Bird began to laugh, and Samus laughed also. They were able to get the animal down. Samus got her bag and picked up the animal. It was already late in the afternoon, and the Old Bird decided to head back to his assistant. Samus came along. It seemed that the negotiation was finally coming to a close.
"We trust the Chozo," Rod said to Grey Voice. "...But that's another story. We just can't do it under these circumstances. Please understand."
The assistant Chozo replied, "No, no, we understand your position in entrusting that much from the Federation."
Old Bird stood by and listened. Then he spoke after all was said. "We didn't mean to cause any troubles for you. Forgive our rudeness."
"So you're going?" the toddler asked, holding Ponchi in her arms.
The old bird looked at the child. "Y-Yeah... But we have a job to do." He was a bit saddened for having to leave so soon. Samus was too.
"But we're friends..."
The Chozo elder gave Samus a hug. "As long as I have you in my heart, and you have me in yours, we'll always be friends." The two Chozo headed to their ship, started it up and flew away.
Samus watched as the ship departed into the heavens. "Bird Grandpa! Come back!" she cried.
The Chozo were at a distance from planet K-2L. There were many shining stars and a streak of cyan and sky blue in space, one color transitioning from another. It was peaceful, but not quiet. The ship's engine was humming, and the monitor and gadgets were making whirring sounds. Grey Voice was piloting the ship. He had much on his mind, as did Old Bird. The assistant was hesistent to say anything, but he finally gave in. "Failed, as we had expected... But we tried. Without the afloraltite we just don't have the sufficient energy."
"Hm. We don't have time. We have to change the plan. In any case, we must stop the Metroid cultivation. If we just sit idly by, it will multiply. If the Galactic Federation doesn't do something, they'll be paying for it before they know it!!"
The people of K-2L did not expect anymore visitations for the day. Little did they know that a dark and ominous force was coming their way. A great spaceship was not far off from the earth colony, and there were numerous warships surrounding it. They followed nearby. Ridley, the leader of the Pirates, looked outside the window and took notice of the Chozo vessel. He sat upon a high seat, his arms extended in front of him, and his wings closed. His tail was curled. The pterodactyl-like bioform had a long neck, and the back of his cranium protruded. Ridley's jaws were razor sharp, and his eyes glowed yellow. He was vigilant in keeping an eye out on the Chozo.
Ridley snarled, and he spoke to himself in his native tongue. "So, you're going to transfer it to some far-off star, eh, Old Bird?" Some of the Pirates heard Ridley. They were unsure on what he meant by that statement. Did he think that Old Bird was carrying a Metroid upon his vessel? The winged lizard was said to have originated from planet Zebes. He was the last of his kind. As Ridley kept silent to himself, thinking about what the Chozo were up to, his thought was interrupted.
"Lord Ridley!" came a raspy voice. "We've picked up a large surge of energy in the form of afloraltite. We think it's the Galactic Federation's Mining Corps."
The ancient dragon turned his head. "What!? What? Afloraltite?" He laughed sinisterly and then said, "Is that right? That stupid old man again... What does he think he can do? Pinpoint that energy source!"
Back on K-2L, the large spacecraft Beatrix III was upon the landing site, but the pilot was unable to start it up. It was the same trade ship that came in earlier that day. "Control, control, do you read!? This is Beatrix III, advise launch procedure, control. Control?" That moment, Rod Aran came on board.
"Hey, why aren't you taking off?" Rod Aran asked with a tone in his voice.
"Ah, boss! Atmospheric electromagnetic waves are toppling any ship that tries to leave!" said the freighter pilot.
"What?"
"Infrared rays are at abnormal level... Outside electron beam irradiation is affecting the maps..."
The boss was perspiring. "The maps? The one here is most affected... It's all coming from here..." The boss was pointing at the monitor. "Have they found the planet's energy source?" Then it came to Rod's mind. He knew who was coming. "Sound the alarm!! Send out an emergency signal! Alert the Federation troops for dispatch!" Rod began to exit Beatrix III.
"Wh-What is it?" asked the freighter pilot.
Rod stopped, turned his head and said to the pilot, "Use the terrain for shelter! It's basic tactics!!"
"Y-You mean..." came a worried voice.
Rod stood at the exit with his back turned. "Get the entire crew to take refuge!! Forget the load, abandon ship!! They're coming... Space Pirates."
Samus was playing in the forest with her new friend, Ponchi. "Ha ha, Ponchi, that tickles!" Soon, there was a great explosion shaped as a mushroom cloud. The toddler immediately picked up Ponchi and held him close. She saw the explosion, but didn't know what was going on. She was frightened. Soon, there was a great shadow passing by. Samus looked up and saw a ship. It looked like a large insect with a fiery tail. All of a sudden, the ship dropped a bomb nearby where Samus was, and it exploded. The child screamed in fear, holding Ponchi even closer. Outside of the forest, the large ship was coming, and many warships were flying. The roar of the engine sounded like thunder. Once the great ship landed, Ridley came out. The Pirates that were also in the ship waited for Ridley's command.
"Let's go!" hissed Ridley. "Suppress the energy, then take what you can!!"
"Yes, Lord Ridley!!"
"Just be careful with the afloraltite! If we hit the energy source with a beam, it'll explode." The Space Pirates were dispatched and began their assault on the people of K-2L. "This place is too quiet without us! Chop it to pieces!!" Ridley flew across the land to watch destruction happen. He laughed at the sight of chaos, taking pleasure in the deaths of many lives. "Too long since blood and meat! Kill as much you want! Have fun!! We can collect the spoils slowly later!!" The people of K-2L were in fear. They sought refuge, but none were safe. The Space Pirates were murdering people, using their chelae-like hands. The earth colony was taken over, and the emergency signal was in vain, for the Federation troops did not make it in time.
The leader of the Pirates just had landed. He took the time to watch the Pirates overcome the humans. But that was short-lived. "Papa, Mama, where... Where are you!?" Ridley heard a little girl's voice. He turned his head to the left to see who was coming, a shadow in the midst of the dust. Samus saw the great dragon. She didn't take anymore steps, but just stood there, afraid. "Help!" came a faint cry.
"Ugh! No!" said Ridley.
Just then, one of the Pirates came to Ridley. He noticed Samus, but thought nothing of her. "Lord Ridley, we've captured their bases. We're boarding the transport now."
"Good."
"Y-You're Ridley?" asked Samus. She caught his attention. She gulped, hoping that he wouldn't harm her. "I-I'm Samus... T-Three years old..." The toddler tried to keep her eyes from watering, but soon her eyes welled up. "Ridley, I'm not scared... It'll all be okay... Even though we look different... We're friends, right...?"
Ridley, though heartless, had an inkling of compassion. He appeared sad, but his words were contrary to his appearance. "Hm. Can't have a cute girl around... We just can't!!"
Samus tried to speak. Her lips were quivering. She finally managed to ask, "How come...?"
Ridley stood up, raised his arms up and opened his wings. "Time for you to disappear!!"
The little girl shrieked in terror. "Samus!?" The child knew whose voice that was.
"Ah, Mama..." Samus was about to run toward her mother. Thinking that Virginia was going to attack, Ridley turned his head, opened his mouth and shot a beam of fire. It made direct contact, killing Virginia. A quick sound of agony came, and then silence. "Mama!!" Samus began to cry, tears running down her cheeks.
"We will take that afloraltite reserve! Everything will burn!"
Fire and smoke was everywhere. The warships continued flying, bombing, destroying. Rod Aran had managed to take refuge in Ridley's ship. The Pirates had already taken afloraltite, and he thought if the Pirates wished to attack him, they would have to risk taking the chance of their own lives by hitting the metal crates containing afloraltite. "Damn...they've entered the freighter. What do I do?" Rod was panting, having run from some of the Pirates that were chasing him on foot. He knew that he had very little time hiding inside the freighter. "All they want is the afloraltite... But the Federation troops won't get here in time... What do I do?" Rod saw two shadows coming his way. Just as they were about to walk by, he called out to them. "Hey, bitches! Over here!" He had his laser rifle pointing at the Pirates.
One of the Pirates said to Rod in a coarse voice, "You don't belong here!" That was ironic, coming from a Pirate who didn't own the explosive crystals. Rod tried getting the laser rifle out of safe mode. The Pirates began to laugh at him. "Why even try fixing that busted laser? What do you plan on doing with that toy?" Rod switched it from safe mode. Now the rifle was ready.
"Stay back," yelled Rod.
"What? Ah! No, wait, you'll detonate the afloraltite!"
Rod chuckled. He had an idea of keeping the Pirates at bay. As long as he had his rifle pointed at the afloraltite, they wouldn't come near him. "I get it, b*****d. You're not too bright, are you?" Sweat was running down his face. He knew it was the end. Two against one. Rod knew that either way, he wouldn't make it out. He was ready to pull the trigger.
The Pirates shrieked. They were in great terror. "Idiot, what are you doing? You'll kill us all!"
"I'm sorry, Virginia... It's all I could do." Rod pulled the trigger. The laser beam struck the afloraltite. The temperature began to rise. "I love you!! Samus!!"
Ridley fired his blast from his mouth again, directing it toward Samus. But a loud bang echoed, causing Ridley to immediately turn where the explosion was coming from. His blast missed Samus. "What? Why's my ship burning!?" He left Samus and flew over to his ship. Nothing but fire and smoke and ruined metal and glass shards were left. Dismayed, Ridley couldn't believe what he saw. "Is this some kind of joke!?" Ridley immediately commanded all of the Pirates on foot to enter the warships that the other Pirates were using. He thought for sure that the Federation troopers had come to attack. "Let's get out of this dump!"
Several hours had passed since the attack. It was evening, and the sun was setting. Nothing but rubble and arid smoke was left. Lifeless bodies were lying everywhere. The two Chozo, Old Bird and Grey Voice had returned. They were horrified. Old Bird spoke angrily, "Look at what those evil creatures did. Now what?"
Grey Voice looked around. "Send a signal to Federation troops to come to K-2L. Though I doubt they'll believe it."
"Everything is gone."
"This is devastating. Perhaps it was the Pirates. Wiped out... Not a single soul left alive."
The moment Old Bird heard those words, he sat down on a rock. He was silent. Then he began to weep, for he thought of Samus. "How cruel are the Pirates, that they would even take the lives of children!" His assistant tried to comfort him.
"I'm sorry, Old Bird." Grey Voice helped Old Bird back up on his feet, and they began walking toward their ship.
"Mama... Papa." Samus thought that the two Chozo were her parents.
Immediately, Old Bird turned around, as did Grey Voice. "Oh, oh. It's... I can't believe it!"
"B-Bird Grandpa?"
"Samus!!" The Old Bird tried to head toward Samus as quickly as possible. The toddler was also heading toward Old Bird. They put their arms around each other, embracing each other and wept. Grey Voice stood at the distance. He couldn't help but have joy, yet at the same time, be deeply saddened. After all that the child had been through, having survived, it was a blessing.
"Emergency order! Exterminate all Metroid organisms on planet Zebes and defeat the mechanical life-form, Mother Brain.
Galaxy Federal Police M510"
When Bounty Hunter, Samus Aran heard those words from the radio transmission, it reminded her of her past on Zebes, the past that she had so long buried away - until now. Samus was sent on a mission to planet Zebes. That forsaken planet was the fortress of her enemies, the Space Pirates. It was an ideal location for them, for they possessed Urthic ore, a material that was used for subterranean construction. The Pirates were ruthless and amoral sentient beings. They couldn't care less for the cost of their ambition. Only results mattered to them. Their main focus was to become the dominant species in the Galaxy. However, Samus Aran made it her purpose to protect and bring order to the Galaxy.
The Hunter, as she was called, looked to her past, even before that in the time of the history of the cosmos. It was the year 2,000, according to the Cosmic Calendar, when various representatives from different planets allied to establish a governance known as the Galactic Federation. The Federation was set up to represent and protect the planets of the Galaxy. Thus came the Golden Age, as it were, an age of prosperity and peace. Numerous trading vessels traveled to and from many planets, mainly an important earth colony called K-2L. This planet was used in mining explosive crystals known as afloraltite. These crystals were used for fueling the Federation's Spaceship ignition module.
After several decades, this Golden Age ended in devastation, for an advanced civilization known as the Space Pirates discovered that these ships transported afloraltite. Because of this, the Pirates began to attack and raid many ships that held this energy source. One of the trade ships was occupied by a freighter pilot and his crew. The pilot's name was Hakro Zebeth. He was responsible for discovering what was later called planet "Zebes." Having drifted from the original trade route, he found himself and his crew, stranded nearby a large, red planet. Hoping to be found by a search team, he sent a distress signal. But this signal was of no avail as the Space Pirates received this transmission and attacked the ship, leaving the crew stranded in space while taking the space vessel. For this reason, the Pirates were called "the scourge of the Galaxy."
After a number of attacks, the Federation Bureau took immediate action and created the Galactic Federation Police to combat against the Pirate attacks. But the Pirates' assaults were powerful, and trying to capture them in the vastness of space was difficult. The Federation Bureau and the Federation Police then called together hunters, soldiers of valor and renown. They received great rewards for capturing Space Pirates, dead or alive, and made a living as bounty hunters. As time passed, the Space Pirates discovered where the source of afloraltite was most abundant. Rather than raiding the trade ships that carried afloraltite and other useful material, they turned their direction to the planetary colony K-2L. They waited upon their leader, Ridley, for orders to take possession of the valuable energy source, and it wasn't long until their leader had commanded them to steal, and murder anyone who opposed them.
Now, it was a late, pleasant morning, and a trading vessel known as the Beatrix III landed on K-2L. The ship's hatches opened, and the crew on board came out with metal crates. The pilot of the ship also came out to greet a man named Rod Aran, the boss of the afloraltite mining. He was in his early thirties and was about six feet tall. He had a square chin with light facial hair. In his left hand he held an electronic board to write down the amount of cargo that came in and who it was from. "Hey, boss Aran! Long time no see!" The boss took note of the crew that were coming down from the ship.
"Ah! It's been a long trip, I know, you gotta forgive me for that!" said Rod. He continued soberly, "Okay, squads six and seven, bring in the afloraltite, hurry it up!" As Rod was doing his work, his wife, Virginia Aran, came by to check up on him.
"Rod!" came a female voice. Rod turned his head toward Virginia's direction. She was carrying a container of food under her right arm.
Rod was a bit surprised to see his wife. "Oh, Viriginia...what's up? Not home today?"
"I brought you lunch!" said Virginia. She cared for her family, always looking out for them no matter what the cost. She was twenty-eight years old, and she had beautiful, blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.
"Wh-What? You came here for that...?" her husband inquired.
"Huh? You need to eat too, y'know," said Virginia with a bit of concern. "You've been so busy lately you haven't even been sleeping!!"
Rod chuckled. "Well...there's a pivotal assembly coming up, and they'll need this afloraltite. It's my part to make sure the Galaxy flourishes!" He looked down with a smirk on his face, "It's more or less impossible for me to quit now!!"
Virginia stood at her husband's side and looked at him. Their eyes made contact. "But don't you also owe it to your family? It's important you keep your promise to them too."
Rod was caught off guard. "You're right. My promise to love them. Virginia..."
One day, a toddler named Samus was just outside of an area filled with many trees. The place looked like a temperate hardwood forest. Surrounding it were mountains. Her parents, Rod and Virginia Aran permitted her to play where others could keep an eye out for her. As Samus was playing alone, a creature came by and took a little bag that she had. "Ahh, darn!" The creature, which took Samus' bag looked like a squirrel with rabbit ears. It quickly climbed up a nearby tree. "Give that back, it's mine!" cried Samus. Samus jumped up, trying to grab on to the branch that the creature was sitting on. But she was too small. "Leave it, come on!" Just then, Samus heard her name being called.
"Hey! Samus!" The toddler turned her head to the left and saw her two friends, one a chubby boy and the other a girl. "What are you doing? Big news!" the girl said excitedly.
The boy continued her sentence. "There's something going on to the South." Samus was curious.
The girl spoke again, "A new ship showed up!"
"They're arguin' about somethin'! With guys called 'Chozo'!"
"Eh? Wh-What...?" The Samus' face lit up. She quickly ran to the South to see what was going on. There was a crowd of afloraltite miners, and in the midst were two figures, one tall, the other, short. The short one had in his left hand a cane with an avian head on the top. The Chozo were wearing burgundy colored garbs with cowls covering their heads. Their garbs had wide, long sleeves, and only the figures' hands could be seen whenever they reached out. One of the miners was surprised.
"What the hell? You want our afloraltite?"
The tall Chozo spoke, "No, that's not really it. I just need to borrow some quickly! And...I think this is the only place I can get it."
Soon, Rod Aran came, getting through some of the miners. "Ah, sorry, what's up? What's going on?"
The same miner who confronted the Chozo noticed his boss' voice. He turned around. "Oh, boss Aran, they're..." The miner became silent to see what his boss would have to say.
Rod spoke to the tall figure. "How may I help you?"
The Chozo repeated himself, saying, "We need to borrow some afloraltite."
"Why do you need to use afloraltite?"
The Chozo was silent, but then uttered, "I cannot tell you why."
Rod thought to himself, speaking under his breath. "Now this is a problem... If an Observer from the Chairman of the Federation found out..." He had his right hand on his chin while he continued to reason with himself. "But the excavated goods are under my control for the Federation, so it should be okay... What do I do? What would be a sensible decision for these Chozo...?" While Rod continued to think this over briefly, there was laughter and and speech from children in the background.
"Wait up Samus!" The boy and girl were behind.
Samus replied with laughter, "No! I'm not gonna lose!!" As Samus was looking back to see how close her friends were, she bumped into the short Chozo. "Urg!" cried Samus. The toddler backed up a little as she noticed the Chozo taking off his cowl. He had a solemn look on his face. His eyes were faint, and his brows were feathered. He had a feathered beard, too. Samus was startled, and her eyes widened the moment she saw the old bird.
"C'mere Samus!" a stern voice came.
"Ah! Papa!"
"I told you to stay away from here!"
The old Chozo was concerned. He looked at Samus' father, and then at Samus. "Oh, oh, you okay little girl? Are you hurt?"
Samus hesitently replied, "Ah... No..."
"Is this the first time you've seen a Chozo," the bird inquired. Samus didn't say anything, for she was afraid. The old bird gave the child a warm smile, placed his four-fingered left hand on his chest and said, "Don't be afraid. My appearance my differ, but inside...peace dwells within both your heart and mine just the same." Those words gave Samus confidence. She smiled back. The Chozo continued, "You can call me 'Old Bird' ... Or 'Bird Grandpa' is fine too."
Samus giggled, and then said, "I'm Samus Aran, three years old."
"Do you want to be friends?"
The child nodded her head. "Yeah, okay!" Samus grabbed the old birds right hand. "Hey, hey, c'mere!"
"Hm?"
"Please...?"
"Ah, ah..." The tall Chozo and Samus' father were dumbfounded.
"Ah! Sa-Samus, wait!" said Rod.
The same was with the tall Chozo. "W-Wait, Old Bird...!?"
As the Chozo elder was being pulled, he said to his assistant, "Ah, ah, I'm sorry, Grey Voice. Please continue with the negotiation." Now, the assistant's name was Grey Voice, for he spoke wisely. In the Chozo culture, children were named what they would be destined to become. Names weren't simply empty titles, but an identity. Grey Voice was speechless.
Rod looked at Grey Voice, who had removed his cowl, and then turned his head back toward the direction Samus was heading. "That kid is trouble..."
Meanwhile, Samus brought Old Bird back to the green, grassy area filled with trees where she was before she met him. Her purpose was because Old Bird looked like a bird. She thought to herself, "Maybe Old Bird can help me get my little bag back." Then she said to Old Bird, pointing at his long sleeves, "Eh? You have wings! Can you fly!?"
The Chozo scratched his forehead with his left hand. "Ah, that's not it. We lost use of our wings a long time ago. Sorry to say."
Samus looked up at the tree where the creature was still sitting. "If you can't fly, neither can I... What do I do? How can I get that back...?"
The Chozo thought of an idea, but first, he wanted to calm Samus down and let her not give her hopes up. "Hm, if you let yourself get worked up, you'll never get it back. What if he wants to be friends, just like you and me, Samus?" The Chozo smiled at Samus and then said, "Why don't you start off by giving him a name?" In Chozo culture, giving a name to a person or creature meant that they had authority over the named person or creature.
"Eh? A name...?" the toddler asked. Then she closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Hmm... Ponchi!!" The old Chozo gave Samus a blank stare. Samus stared back, thinking that the name might have not been a good one. Then Old Bird began to laugh, and Samus laughed also. They were able to get the animal down. Samus got her bag and picked up the animal. It was already late in the afternoon, and the Old Bird decided to head back to his assistant. Samus came along. It seemed that the negotiation was finally coming to a close.
"We trust the Chozo," Rod said to Grey Voice. "...But that's another story. We just can't do it under these circumstances. Please understand."
The assistant Chozo replied, "No, no, we understand your position in entrusting that much from the Federation."
Old Bird stood by and listened. Then he spoke after all was said. "We didn't mean to cause any troubles for you. Forgive our rudeness."
"So you're going?" the toddler asked, holding Ponchi in her arms.
The old bird looked at the child. "Y-Yeah... But we have a job to do." He was a bit saddened for having to leave so soon. Samus was too.
"But we're friends..."
The Chozo elder gave Samus a hug. "As long as I have you in my heart, and you have me in yours, we'll always be friends." The two Chozo headed to their ship, started it up and flew away.
Samus watched as the ship departed into the heavens. "Bird Grandpa! Come back!" she cried.
The Chozo were at a distance from planet K-2L. There were many shining stars and a streak of cyan and sky blue in space, one color transitioning from another. It was peaceful, but not quiet. The ship's engine was humming, and the monitor and gadgets were making whirring sounds. Grey Voice was piloting the ship. He had much on his mind, as did Old Bird. The assistant was hesistent to say anything, but he finally gave in. "Failed, as we had expected... But we tried. Without the afloraltite we just don't have the sufficient energy."
"Hm. We don't have time. We have to change the plan. In any case, we must stop the Metroid cultivation. If we just sit idly by, it will multiply. If the Galactic Federation doesn't do something, they'll be paying for it before they know it!!"
The people of K-2L did not expect anymore visitations for the day. Little did they know that a dark and ominous force was coming their way. A great spaceship was not far off from the earth colony, and there were numerous warships surrounding it. They followed nearby. Ridley, the leader of the Pirates, looked outside the window and took notice of the Chozo vessel. He sat upon a high seat, his arms extended in front of him, and his wings closed. His tail was curled. The pterodactyl-like bioform had a long neck, and the back of his cranium protruded. Ridley's jaws were razor sharp, and his eyes glowed yellow. He was vigilant in keeping an eye out on the Chozo.
Ridley snarled, and he spoke to himself in his native tongue. "So, you're going to transfer it to some far-off star, eh, Old Bird?" Some of the Pirates heard Ridley. They were unsure on what he meant by that statement. Did he think that Old Bird was carrying a Metroid upon his vessel? The winged lizard was said to have originated from planet Zebes. He was the last of his kind. As Ridley kept silent to himself, thinking about what the Chozo were up to, his thought was interrupted.
"Lord Ridley!" came a raspy voice. "We've picked up a large surge of energy in the form of afloraltite. We think it's the Galactic Federation's Mining Corps."
The ancient dragon turned his head. "What!? What? Afloraltite?" He laughed sinisterly and then said, "Is that right? That stupid old man again... What does he think he can do? Pinpoint that energy source!"
Back on K-2L, the large spacecraft Beatrix III was upon the landing site, but the pilot was unable to start it up. It was the same trade ship that came in earlier that day. "Control, control, do you read!? This is Beatrix III, advise launch procedure, control. Control?" That moment, Rod Aran came on board.
"Hey, why aren't you taking off?" Rod Aran asked with a tone in his voice.
"Ah, boss! Atmospheric electromagnetic waves are toppling any ship that tries to leave!" said the freighter pilot.
"What?"
"Infrared rays are at abnormal level... Outside electron beam irradiation is affecting the maps..."
The boss was perspiring. "The maps? The one here is most affected... It's all coming from here..." The boss was pointing at the monitor. "Have they found the planet's energy source?" Then it came to Rod's mind. He knew who was coming. "Sound the alarm!! Send out an emergency signal! Alert the Federation troops for dispatch!" Rod began to exit Beatrix III.
"Wh-What is it?" asked the freighter pilot.
Rod stopped, turned his head and said to the pilot, "Use the terrain for shelter! It's basic tactics!!"
"Y-You mean..." came a worried voice.
Rod stood at the exit with his back turned. "Get the entire crew to take refuge!! Forget the load, abandon ship!! They're coming... Space Pirates."
Samus was playing in the forest with her new friend, Ponchi. "Ha ha, Ponchi, that tickles!" Soon, there was a great explosion shaped as a mushroom cloud. The toddler immediately picked up Ponchi and held him close. She saw the explosion, but didn't know what was going on. She was frightened. Soon, there was a great shadow passing by. Samus looked up and saw a ship. It looked like a large insect with a fiery tail. All of a sudden, the ship dropped a bomb nearby where Samus was, and it exploded. The child screamed in fear, holding Ponchi even closer. Outside of the forest, the large ship was coming, and many warships were flying. The roar of the engine sounded like thunder. Once the great ship landed, Ridley came out. The Pirates that were also in the ship waited for Ridley's command.
"Let's go!" hissed Ridley. "Suppress the energy, then take what you can!!"
"Yes, Lord Ridley!!"
"Just be careful with the afloraltite! If we hit the energy source with a beam, it'll explode." The Space Pirates were dispatched and began their assault on the people of K-2L. "This place is too quiet without us! Chop it to pieces!!" Ridley flew across the land to watch destruction happen. He laughed at the sight of chaos, taking pleasure in the deaths of many lives. "Too long since blood and meat! Kill as much you want! Have fun!! We can collect the spoils slowly later!!" The people of K-2L were in fear. They sought refuge, but none were safe. The Space Pirates were murdering people, using their chelae-like hands. The earth colony was taken over, and the emergency signal was in vain, for the Federation troops did not make it in time.
The leader of the Pirates just had landed. He took the time to watch the Pirates overcome the humans. But that was short-lived. "Papa, Mama, where... Where are you!?" Ridley heard a little girl's voice. He turned his head to the left to see who was coming, a shadow in the midst of the dust. Samus saw the great dragon. She didn't take anymore steps, but just stood there, afraid. "Help!" came a faint cry.
"Ugh! No!" said Ridley.
Just then, one of the Pirates came to Ridley. He noticed Samus, but thought nothing of her. "Lord Ridley, we've captured their bases. We're boarding the transport now."
"Good."
"Y-You're Ridley?" asked Samus. She caught his attention. She gulped, hoping that he wouldn't harm her. "I-I'm Samus... T-Three years old..." The toddler tried to keep her eyes from watering, but soon her eyes welled up. "Ridley, I'm not scared... It'll all be okay... Even though we look different... We're friends, right...?"
Ridley, though heartless, had an inkling of compassion. He appeared sad, but his words were contrary to his appearance. "Hm. Can't have a cute girl around... We just can't!!"
Samus tried to speak. Her lips were quivering. She finally managed to ask, "How come...?"
Ridley stood up, raised his arms up and opened his wings. "Time for you to disappear!!"
The little girl shrieked in terror. "Samus!?" The child knew whose voice that was.
"Ah, Mama..." Samus was about to run toward her mother. Thinking that Virginia was going to attack, Ridley turned his head, opened his mouth and shot a beam of fire. It made direct contact, killing Virginia. A quick sound of agony came, and then silence. "Mama!!" Samus began to cry, tears running down her cheeks.
"We will take that afloraltite reserve! Everything will burn!"
Fire and smoke was everywhere. The warships continued flying, bombing, destroying. Rod Aran had managed to take refuge in Ridley's ship. The Pirates had already taken afloraltite, and he thought if the Pirates wished to attack him, they would have to risk taking the chance of their own lives by hitting the metal crates containing afloraltite. "Damn...they've entered the freighter. What do I do?" Rod was panting, having run from some of the Pirates that were chasing him on foot. He knew that he had very little time hiding inside the freighter. "All they want is the afloraltite... But the Federation troops won't get here in time... What do I do?" Rod saw two shadows coming his way. Just as they were about to walk by, he called out to them. "Hey, bitches! Over here!" He had his laser rifle pointing at the Pirates.
One of the Pirates said to Rod in a coarse voice, "You don't belong here!" That was ironic, coming from a Pirate who didn't own the explosive crystals. Rod tried getting the laser rifle out of safe mode. The Pirates began to laugh at him. "Why even try fixing that busted laser? What do you plan on doing with that toy?" Rod switched it from safe mode. Now the rifle was ready.
"Stay back," yelled Rod.
"What? Ah! No, wait, you'll detonate the afloraltite!"
Rod chuckled. He had an idea of keeping the Pirates at bay. As long as he had his rifle pointed at the afloraltite, they wouldn't come near him. "I get it, b*****d. You're not too bright, are you?" Sweat was running down his face. He knew it was the end. Two against one. Rod knew that either way, he wouldn't make it out. He was ready to pull the trigger.
The Pirates shrieked. They were in great terror. "Idiot, what are you doing? You'll kill us all!"
"I'm sorry, Virginia... It's all I could do." Rod pulled the trigger. The laser beam struck the afloraltite. The temperature began to rise. "I love you!! Samus!!"
Ridley fired his blast from his mouth again, directing it toward Samus. But a loud bang echoed, causing Ridley to immediately turn where the explosion was coming from. His blast missed Samus. "What? Why's my ship burning!?" He left Samus and flew over to his ship. Nothing but fire and smoke and ruined metal and glass shards were left. Dismayed, Ridley couldn't believe what he saw. "Is this some kind of joke!?" Ridley immediately commanded all of the Pirates on foot to enter the warships that the other Pirates were using. He thought for sure that the Federation troopers had come to attack. "Let's get out of this dump!"
Several hours had passed since the attack. It was evening, and the sun was setting. Nothing but rubble and arid smoke was left. Lifeless bodies were lying everywhere. The two Chozo, Old Bird and Grey Voice had returned. They were horrified. Old Bird spoke angrily, "Look at what those evil creatures did. Now what?"
Grey Voice looked around. "Send a signal to Federation troops to come to K-2L. Though I doubt they'll believe it."
"Everything is gone."
"This is devastating. Perhaps it was the Pirates. Wiped out... Not a single soul left alive."
The moment Old Bird heard those words, he sat down on a rock. He was silent. Then he began to weep, for he thought of Samus. "How cruel are the Pirates, that they would even take the lives of children!" His assistant tried to comfort him.
"I'm sorry, Old Bird." Grey Voice helped Old Bird back up on his feet, and they began walking toward their ship.
"Mama... Papa." Samus thought that the two Chozo were her parents.
Immediately, Old Bird turned around, as did Grey Voice. "Oh, oh. It's... I can't believe it!"
"B-Bird Grandpa?"
"Samus!!" The Old Bird tried to head toward Samus as quickly as possible. The toddler was also heading toward Old Bird. They put their arms around each other, embracing each other and wept. Grey Voice stood at the distance. He couldn't help but have joy, yet at the same time, be deeply saddened. After all that the child had been through, having survived, it was a blessing.
