A simple check of the time from when she began her descent, to where she found herself now would reveal the obvious truth: the trek down the massive, ‘welcoming’ stairs into this Chozo city that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, did not take longer than a couple minutes at most.
But to Samus, every step that she took seemed to slow down time as her view of Viridia cleared up.
Imposing, for sure. Majestic, even. This was the largest, single settlements she had stumbled upon since Tallon IV. More than that, it even rivaled Chozodia back on Zebes. Perhaps her mind was attempting to take in more than she was seeing… to archive these sights and preserve them in any effort to keep the memory of her caretakers alive.
On a deeper level, it meant so much more to her.
Despite the distance that she closed, and no matter how quickly her Suit’s environmental controllers worked to clear up the water splatter on her visor, her curiosity couldn’t be sated from a safe distance. Anything she tried to get a proper look at seemed just out of focus for her eyes, even with the aid of some optical zoom, courtesy of her Visor.
Any clarity that could otherwise prove vital to hers—and Twilight’s—survival was just beyond grasp. Any potential answers to the questions burning inside her head were merely echoes of intelligible whispers.
As it always tended to be, for Samus.
Twilight suddenly broke the silence with her reverence:
“This is insane…”
Samus was more than inclined to agree in equal temper:
“Right? After all this time they still manage to surprise me.”
“Wait, what? You said you lived amongst these Chozo…”
“Not these specific Chozo that once resided here, obviously, but yes. And?” Samus inquired further.
“Oh for… duh! But I’m asking how any of this surprises you, like… at all. You lived amongst them, so shouldn’t their mannerisms and general antics be kinda, you know, familiar?”
Samus actually had to chuckle at that, and she delivered an answer with a sarcastic response that wasn’t so much pointed at Twilight, but was more a mild venting of frustrations.
“Oh ho ho, you’d think that, wouldn’t you? One might think that after living with them for the greater part of my life that I’d know everything about the Chozo and how they operate!
“God, I wish that were me,” she said. “In all seriousness, no. There were a few things I didn’t even know about my immediate caretakers—my second parents. And I have a feeling that, like you, I’m gonna have more than a few questions of my own. Probably more than’ll be answered, if I go off my experiences. That doesn’t even account for tribal differences.”
Silence returned as Samus cleared a few more steps, and then Twilight spoke up with a bit more knowing, if tentative, tone:
“…That was was probably the most emotion I’ve ever seen—and felt—you respond with. Did I touch a bit of a nerve? I’m sorry…”
The Hunter was quick to dismiss that.
“Nah, you’re good,” said Samus. “When you get cast off as a young teen to ‘do your duty,’ it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you’ll have many lingering, unanswered questions and ‘issues’ with those who sent you on your merry way…
“Especially when they do their damndest to stay hidden nowadays.”
“Why hide…?”
“There’s many reasons. Some I know… some I don’t. Sure they all factor, somehow. Something I intend to find out, eventually.”
“You think we’ll find out here?”
“I doubt it. The Chozo are notoriously secretive about things like this. I mean… we might, but I wouldn’t count on it,” said Samus.
By the time she finished her sentence, Samus had lay her first step onto the main ‘street’ of Viridia, one that gave her a straight line of sight down to the hulking Temple at the other end… now much more visible through the shroud of rain. Though there was much to explore on this side of this small city… or really, the whole city to explore and sift through, Samus knew that her goal lay within the confines of this—according to her map—Grand Temple.
Her top priority lay directly ahead. It was rare in her career that any of her objectives were this linear. The temptation to explore a literal Chozo colony, though, was immense. She knew the mission at hand…
…but that didn’t mean she couldn’t meander down this street, and take in the sights and scour for information on the way down.
Twilight spoke up again:
“Well… either way, now that we’re right here, doesn’t look like anyone’s been here super recently.”
Samus was keen to agree. A closer look at the first structures flanking the road showed much more dilapidation than could be seen from their previously higher vantage point. Cracks that were previously unseen through the shroud of rain were much more in her face, spiderwebbing up from the foundation and marring the once pristine surfaces.
Entire chunks of stone and alloy material had been born to the earth by gravity, leaving gaping holes in the edifices. The ethereal fingers of the Everfree also did well to reclaim its territory… grasping at the structures with its vines and moss.
And as she took her first steps forward, Samus quickly learned that this wasn’t just isolated to the first sets of structures. They were nowhere near the state of utter collapse that the ruins of Tallon IV were in…
…but in no way brand new, either. That was for sure.
Indeed, as she marched forward at an easy pace, none of the buildings seemed to be in any state of habitability.
Nevertheless, she went onward…cautiously. Only the constant falling rain and her easy breathing kept her audible company. The wet haze and the endless sea of drops striking the stone road and surrounding lushness beckoned her like an aircraft down a runway of ‘peaceful dereliction.’
As she flicked her eyes back and forth, she noted how it all looked so familiar.
The construction, beyond the similarities to those found on Tallon IV, was just personally familiar to her—nigh identical to some of the very same buildings that she had spent some of her formative years in, back on Zebes. She knew for a fact that she just passed an abandoned laboratory. She made a mental note and a mark on her map to check it out on the way back, as she might find something interesting. Perhaps some Chozo tech she could use.
But, Fluttershy first.
Samus continued her meander down the main street, and her view of the Grand Temple cleared up more and more. As well, her journey was in no way ‘alone’ in the traditional sense: statues of Chozo warriors—all standing at attention on either side of her, and gazing and aiming their spears towards the temple—flanked her path forward.
One hell of a direction marker, if she ever saw one.
And as she approached the first statue—easily over twenty feet tall—she found a simple inscription that she could read as ‘Warrior’s Path.’ However, there lay some scripture just underneath, much like an information plaque, that would’ve taken her much longer to decipher on her own rather than just employ her Scan Visor.
No matter how familiar the inflecting, triangular writing was. Formal jargon always tripped her up.
[Scanning…]
[Scan Complete…]
[Chozo Lore Translated]
[If the natural universe in balance is the beating heart of our Empire, this defense colony is the iron bone and muscle of our unity that shields it, therein. Only the finest and mightiest warriors and the purest scholars of our grand society shall be forged in the flames in Viridia. In a galaxy of darkness, may the beacons of the incorruptible light the way.]
Twilight cut in as Samus dismissed her scan visor:
“Poetic.”
“It’s a habit of theirs,” Samus added, moving on and continuing right down the middle of the street. The Chozo Temple was slowly but surely getting closer.
“That text also said that they were an empire? How can they claim such a mantle, and yet remain so hidden… so… secretive?”
“They were,” the Hunter answered. “The Chozo Empire doesn’t exist anymore. It fractured into a few prominent tribes… and probably some lesser known ones. That was before the real decline happened.”
“What happened to them?”
“To my knowledge, almost all the Chozo as a race are extinct now for… various reasons, many that I don’t even know.”
Twilight quickly put two-and-two together.
“So… that means that Viridia’s been here for a while. A long time… And from the rest of those words, I’m guessing this colony exported soldiers and intellectuals to the Empire.”
“Yeah. Definitely seems that way. All these Chozo Warrior statues make a lot more sense with that frame.”
But as Samus continued onward past the third row of Chozo statues flanking her path forward, a familiar, dread-filled tingle shot up her spine… One that was gone the moment she felt it.
She stopped in her tracks.
If there was any room between her skin and her suit, all the hairs on her body would be standing straight.
A familiar claustrophobia overcame her, and Samus spared a cursory glance around her when her motion tracker held no answers. Nevertheless, she began a deeper scan with her eyes, occasionally flipping visors at anything that looked like it didn’t even remotely belong. The business end of her arm cannon led her gaze.
The sudden change elicited a fair response from Twilight:
“You’re a lot tenser, suddenly. You good, Samus?” she asked.
“We’re being watched.”
“Huh? How do you know? Nothing’s on the motion tracker. And reaching out through magic, I… don’t sense anything in the area…?”
“You don’t survive in my line of work as long as I have without your own sixth sense like this. We’re being tracked. I don’t know by whom, and I have nothing to prove it… but I know we are.”
“…okay. I believe you. But we’re still gonna have to keep moving forward.”
“Oh I know. That hasn’t changed… but the whole context of this has changed. We’re not alone.”
“Right. I’ll keep monitoring our surroundings with magic.”
Moving on, there was no more scripture to be found that further expanded on that first plaque. While it certainly answered what this place was, as expected, there was nothing really telling her what actually happened to Viridia, nor any dates to ascertain how long it had actually been since its decline.
What Samus did find instead on her left was a familiar, open-ceilinged, sloped structure that seemed to span an entire couple blocks. Even more iconic and telltale was the fact that some of the standing pillars leading up to an observation post were still somewhat intact. At first glance to anyone in the know, it would look exactly like a community obstacle course.
A wave of familiarity overtook her, and Samus was compelled to gently stop.
She didn’t mention anything to Twilight, who remained blissfully silent. Nevertheless, after a quick, cursory glance over her shoulder, and then another casual look about her surroundings with her cannon, she moved back towards the center of the street so she could take in the full sight.
She knew whatever was out there—just past the periphery of her vision and senses—was still watching her. Her instincts, along with her systems, told her well that whatever, or whoever it was was intending to keep its distance.
Regardless, she lowered her cannon and allowed herself to reminisce for a few moments.
She vividly saw her younger self: At ten years old, she was onto the next step of her training. She remembered Gray Voice and Old Bird watching her intently as she was putting her athletic and acrobatic skills to the test. The exhilaration she felt… the lightness in her core and the face-spanning, open-mouthed smile she had as she squealed with excitement upon ‘taking to the skies.’ With nothing but a rope to swing from, it was all that stood between hopping successfully from pillar to pillar, and a potentially mortal plunge to the ground below.
It was supposed to be an examination of her general fitness and alacrity. It was supposed to be serious business. It was dangerous. It would be telling of her abilities to come.
She had the absolute time of her life.
And right next to this facility appeared to be a fitness clinic… or rather, Samus assumed that was the case, since it looked exactly as it did back on Zebes, in Chozodia. She also remembered the excitement and pride she felt after her physical that day, the doctors proclaiming her ready to take on the aforementioned next step in her training.
Samus remembered how Gray Voice looked on—pleasantly annoyed—while she bounced around… all before she vaulted over Old Bird’s head to sprint towards the training facility.
Samus sighed almost dreamily, and let her stance sink a little bit as a fond smile formed on her face.
I could’ve used a year or two more…
Her daydreaming was suddenly interrupted by Twilight:
“Hey… you okay?”
The Hunter didn’t respond immediately, letting herself relish a little bit more in the silence and warmth of her reverie.
“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine,” she said. “Sorry. Just… got lost in thought.”
She continued her path forward, and willed herself into a light jog to make up for time during her minute-long reminiscing session. While she got some nostalgia-fueled morale boost that she didn’t know she needed, it also put a dampener on the other side of her mood… reminding her of some rather profound, personal questions she had for her caretakers that she never got an answer for.
Thankfully, Twilight again cut in before her good mood could spiral downward:
“So, I’ve been kinda feeling out deeper into the world with magic as we get closer to the Temple…” she began.
Samus could hear the excitement building in her voice.
“And?”
“There’s a familiarity in the magical current surrounding this side of the temple. It’s the traces of an aura I haven’t felt in a long time. Looks like the map is accurate: Fluttershy’s here. I can sense her, myself. We’re on the right track.”
With confirmation from both her own map, the Map back at the Castle, and Twilight’s own magical senses, Samus was more than ready to get this over with.
“Awesome. Let’s double-time it, then.”
And once the last word left her mouth, Samus broke into a proper sprint. The Chozo statues that lined the street began passing her by faster and faster… as her own Suit carried her faster and faster in kind.
Significantly faster than she could sprint on her own. The almost robotic-sounding whirring as the joints of her Suit kept up with her pace almost drowned out the entire ambient rain and her heavier breathing…
…but this wasn’t enough.
Samus wanted to go even faster. Accepting the fact that whatever was stalking and keeping tabs on her was keeping its distance still—and that it knew she was already here, by extension—she decided to take her speed to the next level.
Samus kicked her Speed Booster engine into gear, and after a couple seconds of her systems calibrating her sprinting speed, she felt the telltale lurch. Suddenly, her surroundings appeared as if they were partially obscured through an energy sheen, and Samus’ legs carried her seemingly orders of magnitude faster. She could barely keep track of the Chozo statues as they—and the rest of the small city—now passed by in a blur.
The Hunter had been starting to somewhat live for the reactions of her Suit’s guest.
“WHOA! Okay then!” she exclaimed the moment the boost activated. “You can become a ball, and you can run at super speed. Got it… are you an actual super hero?”
Samus didn’t answer that, but did manage a small smirk under her visor.
A trek that would’ve taken at least half an hour of just meandering flew by in a matter of a couple minutes, when the Temple took up her entire visor. Once some stairs came into view that looked like an easy front entrance, Samus cut her Speed Booster off. Inertia was easily overcome by pivoting on her heels and skidding to a halt just before the first step upward.
She wouldn't admit it, but she almost lost her footing and fell flat on her front with the river of rainwater underneath her boots.
“Alright… that takes care of that,” said Samus, stretching her legs a bit.
Twilight seemed inclined to agree.
“I’ll say! Heh, that’s one way of making better timing! Surprised you didn’t use that sooner!”
“Conditions need to be right for it, I’ll leave it at that for now.”
“Fair enough!”
From there, after another quick check to her sensors—and that sense that she was still being tracked—Samus brought her heel atop the first step up and into the Temple. From there, she opted to get a good look at the ‘object of her affections’ for the last half an hour or so. It’s sloped, trapezoidal exterior remained its greatest prominence, along with two more hulking Chozo Warrior statues with their spears crossed over the entrance in a pseudo arch.
Even through the rain, Samus could see that the Temple seemed in much better shape than the rest of Viridia.
In drawing her gaze over either side of the entrance, she could see that the rain matted two massive flags against the exterior. She took particular interest in these, and Twilight seemed to notice as well:
“What do you see?”
“The flags. They’re imperial flags.”
“…okay?”
Samus explained:
“Like I said earlier, the Chozo Empire hasn’t existed for quite some time. The fact that there’re still imperial flags here, along with the earlier text, means that you were correct: this colony is quite a bit older than others. It’s been here for some time.”
“That mean anything special for us?”
“Nothing really in particular. Just interesting to note… other than the implied history this place would have relative to the planet at large,” Samus noted as she further began her ascent towards the massive double-doors under the sloped overhang…
…an overhang which, when following it with one’s eyes, continued on towards the clouds above, which ended in another, imposing Chozo Warrior’s head.
“Yeah, true… when we find Celestia and Luna… if we do, I know I’m gonna have so many questions for them. This is unprecedented,” Twilight added.
Samus reached the halfway point of the stairs upward, and this section tapered off into a flatter section before continuing onward.
“It’d be interesting to get their take, that’s for—”
Samus cut her thoughts immediately as a sudden, singular, unknown blip on her motion tracker popped up.
At that exact same time, she noticed movement directly above her, right where the roof above the entrance met the sloped side of the Temple. Through the rain shroud, Samus could clearly make out a shadowy, hulking, bipedal figure hunkering down low.
She could see two shining, golden eyes through the veil.
Twilight even seemed to notice the newcomer right when she did, as the alicorn dropped a ping-marker right on their new target the moment Samus noticed it.
Samus thrust her cannon forward, arm atop it for stabilization, and kept her systems locked on the new entity. She slowed and controlled her breathing, choosing to wait and see if they revealed themselves or did anything untoward before she started shooting.
Twilight whispered:
“Who is that?!”
Samus shot a hushed answer back, hunkering down into a more nimble shooting stance:
“How the hell should I know?!”
As if reading both of their minds, the mysterious figure launched itself from its high perch, somersaulted in the air once, and dropped meteorically to the flat, level stair floor just in front of Samus. The profound, earth-shattering impact scattered rubble and water outward around the figure’s two, four-taloned feet, and forced Samus to take a couple steps back to shield herself.
Nevertheless, she kept her cannon jutted forward as she finally got a good look at the newcomer.
The golden forward-facing eyes were what drew her attention first, but as the figure unfurled itself fully and righted its posture to half again her height, Samus’ scanning gaze was drawn to much more interesting features.
And much more familiar ones.
Samus immediately took note of the the not-too-short, but somewhat wide and sharp beak. Small tufts of feathers seemed to worm their way out of the tight, full-body armor-suit that they wore… A suit that had abdominal, chest, and shoulder pauldrons that bore more than a striking resemblance to Samus’ own Varia Suit. All save for a bluish-green accent instead of bright red and yellow like her own. They held a gargantuan, ornate, double-ended spear in their right, four-fingered hand.
Thin forelimbs gave way to larger quadriceps and biceps… which fed into their massive, armored chest along with its helmet-less head… replaced instead by an ornate, arrow-like crown.
While Samus kept her cannon aimed straight at the newcomer’s chest, her combat stance belied her absolutely floored state of mind.
You can’t be serious…
Much more urgent words came from Twilight through hushed, seemingly gritted teeth.
“Uhhh… Samus? Who is this?! Is this a…?”
Samus spoke aloud to no one in particular, seemingly to convince herself more so than to answer Twilight’s question.
“Chozo…”
“…What?”
The imposing Chozo did not level its own spear at her, despite Samus aiming her weapon directly at their chest. From just their body stature, she could tell that they were male. Though, the lack of overt hostility from the newcomer encouraged Samus to lower her cannon somewhat… slowly.
Then a bit more…
…until it finally rested at her side, and the two engaged in a rather placid staring contest.
While Samus regarded the living, breathing Chozo in front of her with a processing, stunned silence, Samus could feel his eyes scanning over her with an infuriatingly, if understandably suspicious look as the rainwater flowed over and dripped down his beak.
Judging her. Evaluating her.
To convince herself during the pregnant pause that she wasn’t hallucinating despite Twilight seeing exactly what she was looking at, she consulted her Scan Visor quickly.
[Scanning…]
[Scan Complete.]
[Entity Identification: Chozo Warrior]
She could hear Twilight continually pestering her with questions that she hadn’t the slightest what she was asking. To her, there was something suddenly much more important to focus on.
Dismissing her Visor, Samus allowed herself to relax just a bit more in her posture, even if she had to admit to herself the lack of any idea what was about to happen. Though she was feeling no direct, threatening aura from the Chozo, the tenseness of the situation was massively overbearing… especially in her wondering if she should be the one to speak first, or break the silence in some other, unconventional manner.
‘Social awkwardness’ was starting to become a hitherto unprepared-for commonality.
At last, the Chozo Warrior suddenly spoke in a deep, raspy, but much more formal dialect than she had ever been used to:
“So you have finally come. Or you are a brilliant mimic. Or perhaps I am already going mad.”
The Chozo language that graced Samus’ ears… one that she hadn’t heard in so long, was a nostalgia trip on its own. In a move she should’ve expected from Twilight, she could see a sudden translation program being layered onto her HUD, likely for the alicorn’s own purposes to keep abreast of what was happening.
Nevertheless, she never forgot her second native language.
“I’m… not sure what you mean by that?” she replied.
Apparently responding in Chozo was one major ‘check’ of sorts, as the warrior relaxed his posture a bit in kind, and in a brave move, racked his spear on his back. He began enunciating and emphasizing his next words with his hands.
And there was definitely an edge of sarcasm to some of his words.
“The Prophecy, of course. ‘The One who would vanquish evil and the Great Poison… and bring peace and light to the Galaxy, saving it from the veil of darkness,’” he answered.
And then promptly followed up with:
“Or so the Elders had told me.”
Samus huffed, and delivered a rather sardonic retort:
“Yeah… I’ve apparently been doing that for a while. Don’t really know what I’m doing a lot of the time though?”
She relaxed her stance a little further, resting her hips to one side.
The Chozo seemed to smirk at her remark. A closer look at just the color saturation of his feathers told Samus that this warrior wasn’t young per se, but he certainly wasn’t ‘old.’
He placed his hands together in front of his abdominal plating and began to pace in a circle around Samus. She carefully followed him with her peripheral gaze when she could.
“Well, you certainly wear the armor of our people. No doubt a great help in accomplishing the goals set out for you,” he noted, nodding, and then caveated:
“An older model, for certain… but still very capable. And a ‘Legendary’ frame, nonetheless.”
Samus nodded.
“It was a gift from my caretakers on Zebes. And the ‘Legendary,’ fully-powered aspects were gifted as a result of the Ruins Test in Chozodia. I’ve attempted to modernize it over the years,” she elaborated.
He completed his circle around her and nodded once in understanding.
And in a move that made Samus lose any and all tenseness, he placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head, tilting the arrow-like, golden headpiece towards her slightly.
“I am Viridian Shield. Warrior-Overseer of what remains of our Chozo Empire’s colony on this planet. Namely, of this city: Viridia.”
Samus cocked her head and put forth one bit of correction:
“Chozo Empire? The Empire hasn’t existed for some time…”
Viridian rolled his eyes.
“Indeed. Perhaps I just long for our society’s golden age. Then perhaps it’s more appropriate to say… I’m Viridian Shield, Tribe Viridus, Warrior-Overseer of what remains of our capital on this planet.”
He then hung on his words, and added something most pertinent:
“…and now I also defend what was asked of me once, long ago. Namely, an ‘Element of Harmony’ in my care. Perhaps you’re aware of such things?”
Samus smirked as she could hear Twilight squeeing happily. Clearly, Fluttershy was here, safe and sound.
She then mirrored the same gesture. Hand over heart, she introduced herself, if a little awkwardly:
“Samus Aran, Tribe Thoha, and uh… Bounty Hunter and semi-Chozo Warrior, I guess? Though, from what you said, it appears our Elders’ continued penchant for foresight has preceded me.
“And yes. In fact, I hold the Element of Magic within me currently. I hope you don’t mind that she listens and walks with us?”
He smirked again, nodded, and then turned on his heels while adding tersely:
“Come, Samus. There’s much to talk about.”
And he started up the stairs.
Samus glanced towards the translation layer that Twilight had placed on the corner of her HUD, and as if the two were sharing a ‘look’ with one another, Samus then followed Viridian on his heels.
Twilight tried her luck again with a tentative, prodding whisper:
“Am… I allowed to talk again?”
“Yeah, sorry about that. This is… a lot for me.”
“No worries! Let’s see what he says when we get inside.”
A quick journey up the remaining stairs, along with Viridian disabling an energy lock on the front entrance, and Samus found shelter from the rain for the first time on her adventure today. She watched as the Chozo Warrior sealed the door once more, and reclaimed the lead in front of her. It was an easy start down the foyer and into the first hall, which held a few doors on either side within its pristine stone construction… along with many more statues of Warriors and Scholars in different poses.
To Samus, it was almost like walking through some of the ritualistic temples on Zebes… maybe a little too much so. The nostalgia was overwhelming almost to the point of disorientation.
Viridian led on at an easy pace, and allowed Samus to close ranks next to him as he folded his hands together.
He then said something Samus nor Twilight expected to hear:
“You said you carry the Element of Magic with you. Twilight Sparkle, is it?” he asked.
“Yes…” Samus answered. “H-How did you know her name?”
The Chozo spoke as if the answer was simply obvious:
“Well… The Element of Kindness whom I’ve had the privilege of looking after, Fluttershy, told me much of her, naturally. And her friends.”
To Samus, that made perfect sense… but then her brain kicked in fully as they walked. That implied Viridian was able to talk to her, which then held a whole host of implications.
Implications that Twilight had picked up on, much like Samus already did:
“Wait… if he talked to her, then that means she’s able to freely walk around in physical form! So it has to be safe here from Tempest and the Storm Beasts, right?”
Samus broke from the conversation with Viridian to address Twilight’s question:
“Wait… does that restriction apply to the other Elements, too? Last time we talked about this, you couldn’t venture out without… consequences.”
“I think it does…” Twilight answered, the grand assumption front and center. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t apply to them. Though everypony else but Rarity can’t use magic, magic still flows through them in a distinctive manner. That’s what an aura is. It makes sense.”
Samus took particular issue with that last sentence of hers.
“You know good and well what ‘makes sense’ rarely happens in situations like this, Twilight.”
Viridian Shield suddenly entered the—from an outsider’s perspective—one-sided conversation, seemingly knowing an answer to an implicit question that hadn’t been asked yet:
“We’ve gone through great lengths over time to ensure that his site, and Viridia at large, are protected from… undue interference and intervention from those outside our realm. Twilight Sparkle may walk freely here.”
Twilight apparently didn’t need any further input from Samus, as the moment Viridian finished his last sentence, the alicorn ‘slithered’ her way out of Samus’ suit and materialized right next to her.
“YES!!” she exclaimed, happily bouncing on her hooves and doing a quick circle walk in place, all while fluffing her wings a bit. “Soooo good to finally get out like this!”
She was clearly in a good mood, and in her own opinion, Samus felt that Twilight had the right idea about some stuff… so with that, she flipped that mental switch and unequipped her Varia Suit. She stretched herself out, and was more than thankful to feel the cool air running through the temple on her face.
She then watched as Viridian chuckled, and knelt down onto one knee so he could be at closer eye-level with Twilight… who looked upon him with a hybrid sense of awe and non-understanding.
The Chozo also seemed to have more surprises for everyone in the form of much more mutually understandable words… all laced with that same, deep, distinctive rasp:
“Un-armoring oneself has no equal in feeling, that I agree. And perhaps I should switch to a more common language? It’s rude to talk when those around us cannot understand.”
He then extended his right hand forward to her.
“I am Viridian Shield.”
Twilight, after some hesitation, placed her hoof in his hand.
“Twilight Sparkle… heh… Princess of Friendship and uhh… Element of Harmony,” she introduced in kind.
Viridian smiled warmly, and Samus could discern how the ambient lighting, along with some crystal lighting, bounced off his subtly blue-ish feathers and skin.
“An honor to finally meet you. Fluttershy has told me much of you.”
Twilight giggled.
“I’m so happy to hear that she’s safe with you. And all good things, I hope?”
“All good things,” he replied. “I mean that quite literally. We’ve learned much from each other in the many years we’ve spent here.”
Viridian then stood straight up once more, and beckoned both to follow him forward.
“Samus… why have you come? Beyond the obvious… I sense a greater purpose beyond the vanquishing of the Phazon, or pure nostalgia and happenstance.”
Samus was all too happy to explain.
“My original mission on behalf of the Federation was to just scope out the Space Pirate enclave here, and their Phazon operations. Fortune wasn’t exactly on my side and my ship got damaged in a battle with those Phazon-corrupted Storm Beasts, along with making sure the Pirates don’t know I’m here,” she began.
Twilight decided to politely add to that:
“And fortune was on our side when Samus sought refuge in our castle. We took her in and exchanged information. In the end, we came to an agreement: She’d help me reunite the Elements of Harmony to accomplish our goals, which in turn would help her repair her ship and do her assigned job.”
Viridian nodded, and seemed to deliberate on this as the easy walk forward continued.
“I see,” he said. “I’ve heard so much about these Elements of Harmony. Not just from Fluttershy herself. But through legend and text from those who came before me.”
Samus asked the implicit question that Twilight was debating on how to ask:
“Did you know the Ponies? Or interact with them at all?”
“Not me, personally,” he answered. “When the Chozo Empire first came to the planet well over a millennia ago, one we thought was uninhabited, we were surprised to discover a fledgling society of equines.”
Samus glanced over to Twilight, whose full attention was on the Chozo Warrior with wide, rapt attention.
He continued:
“Normally we would have moved on… but the ambient energy here. The magic was much too strong to ignore. It would have been a boon for progress. We made contact and asked for permission to establish a few colony cities deep in this forest called Everfree. Well out of the way of their realm, as we had no need to interfere. In return, we would share knowledge and some technology: building and structural methods, farming techniques, crafting expertise… et cetera.”
Samus saw Twilight avert her gaze momentarily, processing everything he just explained. Samus could practically feel the questions and implications swelling the alicorn’s head.
The Hunter asked a question:
“What was this colony, Viridia, supposed to be?”
“A capital for a newly established tribe: Viridus. While the Chozo Tribes were unified in an Empire and federated accordingly, each tribe still had unique specializations and autonomy that was valuable to the whole.
“Every other tribe: Thoha… Qolga… Ovindus… Mawkin… Parnulom… all had at least one planet to call home. This would be ours, though with a much more unique living situation with the Equines.”
Samus followed up with the next logical question in her mind:
“What happened, then? Seems like Viridia is all that’s left.”
“Indeed,” he lamented. “Viridia is all that remains of one of the Chozo Empire’s oldest colonies. Where once we had many, thriving cities and were in occasional contact with the ponies… when the Empire fractured and much of our race decided to retreat into the relative isolation of scientific progress, we scaled back our settlements. They’re still out there, but they stand abandoned.
“This happened quicker when specialists, warriors, scientists, scholars… even the common citizen were needed elsewhere but Viridia. Many called to action for special projects of the highest importance.”
Now that interested Samus.
“Where’d they go?” she asked.
“Many decades ago, a planet had been discovered,” he began. “But not just any ordinary planet, but one teeming with both life and a… special energy, similar to the ‘magic’ of this planet. The potential for scientific and scholarly progress was limitless, and the Thoha tribe put out a call to all other tribes, asking for scientists, warriors, scholars, engineers… this was supposed to be one of the most important colonization efforts in our society’s history.”
Twilight looked like her head was about to explode, but the massive smile she sported as she kept her attention squarely on Viridian was just too adorable for Samus.
Almost.
Samus got the chance to follow up when Viridian stopped their trek and decided to draw his gaze over a sitting Chozo statue. His features fell into lamenting and reflection.
“As the years passed, a grave threat was discovered on this planet. A threat that had galaxy-ending implications to it, given enough time. All of Viridia’s best warriors, scholars, and scientists were called away immediately. Even survivors of Tallon IV, many who had sought refuge here and had forsaken higher technology, came out of retirement to leave for this world, to aid in neutralizing this threat.”
Samus rested her chin in the crook of her fingers, and stroked her jaw in thought. Knowing that there were healthy survivors of the scourge on Tallon IV was certainly a comforting thought. But the idea that a massive amount of what remained of the Chozo before she was born had coalesced on one particular planet was… concerning.
She brought the conversation back full circle, while subtly trying to press for more details for her own curiosity:
“So that explains the state of everything… but why didn’t you go? Why remain here after all this time? Seems awfully convenient that you’re just here to receive Fluttershy when things went to hell for the Ponies,” she thought aloud.
Viridian spared a glance down at her and imparted a knowing look… one that silently told her that he expected her to ask these questions.
He continued leading deeper into the Temple as he answered:
“Well, the survivors of Tallon IV were the ones that imparted all their knowledge and foresight. Especially the Elders, who were rather adept at the practice. It’s how I came to know of you, Samus,” he explained.
“Oh?”
“Indeed,” he said. “They proclaimed your presence… your future in cleansing Tallon IV and restoring it to its former glory. They claimed that, like Tallon IV, this planet would suffer under the Great Poison. But like then, you would come and cleanse it once again. To aid in this prophecy, the Elders ordered me to remain here, for my own higher purpose.”
“To help me?” Samus asked.
Viridian gestured appropriately with his hands.
“Ostensibly, yes. As I’m sure you know, foresight from our Elders is not always… specific.”
Samus felt that. Extremely. She exhaled as every memory of Old Bird and the Zebes council’s teachings, speculations, and predictions flooded her head. They were laughably unhelpful at times.
“Yeahhh… boy do I know that too well. Was this ‘threat’ dealt with?” she asked.
“Yes,” he answered simply. “However… problems arose once a solution was… engineered.”
Samus cocked an eyebrow with a humorous smirk.
“Weren’t we literally just talking about vague foresight?”
Viridian chuckled.
“This is true. But unfortunately, there are some things I’m not at liberty to speak of right now. I will say that in some ways, based on what I can sense of you through your travels, the answer to such a question was right in front of you… as it were,” he said.
Then waved his hand dismissively.
“I’ll leave the actual, mystical digging and foresight to those who are more attuned than I am. I apologize, Samus, but I’m not at liberty to speak of it beyond that.” he added.
That was probably the best answer Samus could’ve gotten, all things considered.
“Okay… then if this so-called galactic threat had been taken care of. Where is everyone? Why haven’t the Chozo come back?” she asked the golden question.
Viridian exhaled as he clearly pondered an appropriate answer for this.
“Much of the greater Chozo population’s hubris and arrogance in ‘continuing their work’ was to be our downfall. Our brightest minds, our mightiest warriors… and most others sought to extend their lifespan beyond what was natural. In a rare lack of foresight, a majority of our denizens could no longer reproduce. And technology could no longer provide the answer. Among other things.
“All I can say is that, in the end, more than a select few of us still remain. Alive and well, and we intend to reveal ourselves… in time,” he smirked.
And then his features downturned briefly as he added a rather telling bit:
“Though I admit, I would rather some Chozo… remain hidden and isolated away from galactic society. For our own sake.”
As they were talking, Samus noticed that the trio were coming up on a massive set of doors. Her map wasn’t revealing much, other than documenting where she had been, so she figured Viridian was leading them directly to Fluttershy. And on that vein of thought, Twilight decided to jump back into the conversation…
…if a little forward yet sheepish:
“The history of all this is certainly fascinating… and I really would like to know more… but how does this all tie back to Fluttershy? I mean no disrespect to you, Viridian, but I would really, really like to see my best friend again…” she voiced.
Samus couldn’t exactly blame her for those words, and in fact, she regarded her with a rather impressed look. She’d probably react the same way if she wanted to see someone who was essentially family… and the others in the party were babbling away at something possibly only tangentially related to the important stuff at hand.
Viridian nodded with a warm smile, however.
“Of course! Which is exactly where we’re headed right now, actually! But to answer your first question… it all had to do with the ‘higher purpose’ bestowed upon me. I had also assumed that it was to guide Samus here on her journey… and as the Great Poison fell to the planet and spread, the pieces of my own mission began to fall into place as I patiently waited here. Alone.
“Namely, by a miracle of magic and mysticism, I came into possession of one of these so-called Elements of Harmony—the Element of Kindness, as you’re aware,” he confirmed.
The trio arrived at the massive, shielded door into what Samus expected to be a ritual room, or a Hall of Elders as was most common in the middle of any Chozo Temple that she had the privilege of entering. Viridian then reached to his back and armed his spear, charging the blade with energy before pressing it agains the shielded door. Said blue shield promptly dimmed before the door irised outward and open.
“To defend the lovely equine creature that came with the Element was a means to an end to aid Samus. And with everything I’ve heard from you both, I believe I can now, finally, complete my task. Only then, will I be allowed to join my brothers and sisters once more,” he finished.
And with that, he beckoned everyone forward, and into what was indeed a Hall of Elders… one that Samus immediately remarked looked suspiciously circular in nature as opposed to squared off. Nevertheless, as she strode in behind Viridian, she took note of the hulking, sitting Chozo statues of Viridus Overseers and Elders of long past.
With Samus and Twilight able to fan out on either side of Viridian, that’s when Twilight immediately caught something at the end of the hall, and pointed straight towards it.
“Her Element!”
Samus nodded as she spied the pink butterfly gem at the very end, with the ambient light glinting off of it confirming its presence. Viridian then stepped forward while calling out:
“Fluttershy? We have… guests… I suppose is the right word! And I think you’ll be happy to see at least one of them!”
Samus watched Twilight perk up immediately, and hold her breath with massive apprehension on her face… made worse by the fact that there was no immediate answer. Twilight looked like she was about to start searching herself, when one of the energy doors towards the center of the Hall’s perimeter suddenly opened up.
The softest, smoothest, most timidly sweet voice that Samus had ever heard preceded the pink mane, teal-blue eyed, cream-colored pony that trotted in.
“What was that, Viry? It sounded like you said we had gue—”
Several dozen feet away, she stopped dead when her eyes fell on Twilight. The tense, claustrophobic atmosphere returned… and Samus felt like she could hear everyone breathing with how silent it seemingly became.
Twilight, shakily, stepped forward and raised a tentative hoof, and spoke softly:
“F-Fluttershy?”
Samus was more than content to stand back with Viridian and just observe what was about to happen. She watched as Fluttershy still seemed absolutely stunned in place, her gaze completely frozen in time… though she could see—clear as day—the wealth of emotion welling up in those wide eyes of hers.
Twilight tried again, with a much more pleading tone:
“Fluttershy… it’s me!” she said, and then added with playful sarcasm after taking a couple extra steps forward: “You couldn’t’ve possibly forg—”
She didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence as Fluttershy—in a blur—seemed to soar immediately over to Twilight and slammed herself right into the poor mare’s chest. Samus recoiled, stunned, that such an unassuming little mare could perform such a feat of pure speed, but that shock was quickly converted into amusement, and then warmth as Fluttershy’s hooves were securely wrapped around Twilight’s neck.
“TWILIGHT!” she cried, sniffled, and let her tears flow freely. “It’s r-really you…!”
The alicorn was not shy with her own emotions, and her own tears spilled over.
“Yes! It’s me, I’m here… Fluttershy I’ve missed you so much…” was all she could manage before the two of them embraced each other nice and tightly.
“I… I don’t know what happened!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “We were in Canterlot and then…” she sniffled, shuddering. “Then…”
“Shhh… it’s okay. We’ll deal with that later. All that matters is that you’re safe,” Twilight replied.
“W-Where’s the rest of the girls…?”
Samus sighed out, smiling softly as she watched the heartwarming scene in front of her. It had been a good while since her chest felt that light, and that ‘feel-good’ feeling diffused through her core. She knew it wasn’t all that much compared to some of her more grueling travels through the galaxy… but helping Twilight reunite with one of her best friends like this… and seeing clearly how much it meant to the both of them?
Worth every little bit of effort so far.
Samus glanced over at Viridian, who had crossed his arms, and too, sported a smirk. The two of them could talk business while the mares started the process of making up for lost time.
“She has been waiting for… some time,” he noted.
“They both have. They all have,” said Samus, nodding as well.
She then turned to look up at him fully.
“Thanks for keeping her safe, though. We’ve got a solid plan to reunite the Elements, so I can take her off your hands now.”
Viridian nodded once, and replied with more than a little forlornness in his voice:
“Of course. She has been most pleasant company these last fifteen years… that I’ll admit. But I knew this day would come eventually.”
He gestured over to the Element itself, encased in a protective glass, still glimmering in the ambient light of the Hall.
“The Element is yours. I’ll relinquish it—and by extension, her—to you, Samus. But…”
Samus cocked an eyebrow at that last word, and Viridian took that as his cue to continue.
“If I may, I would like to ask one favor of you…?”
“Yeah, anything…” Samus offered.
He sported a much more determined smile.
“Could I trouble you for a fight?”
Samus immediately wondered if she heard him correctly.
“I’m… sorry?”
Viridian hammered home the point by suddenly launching himself into the air as high and far as his powerful legs would take him, and then landing squarely on the other side of the arena-like Hall. In one fluid motion, he unhinged the massive, staff-like spear off his back and twirled it twice in his hold.
“I’m the Warrior-Overseer of Viridia… with me being alone for so long, I haven’t had the chance to keep my skills as sharp as I’d’ve liked to, against a worthy opponent. The Elders saw something in you… and the Thoha Council on Zebes trained you to the best of their ability. Will you show me?” he asked.
And then produced another spear. To apparently drive home the friendliness of the offer, Samus watched as he removed the sharp blade portions of the spears, turning the two weapons into blunt staffs. Once done, he hurled one towards her, and by pure reflex, Samus caught the coruscating weapon right in the center with her hand outstretched.
Twilight… had some concerns.
“Uhhh Samus…?” she began to ask.
But the Hunter needed zero convincing from Viridian. In fact, she was beaming. She didn’t think she had smiled this widely in years.
“Terms?”