Metroid Equis
Chapter 4
Discovery
The Zero Suit-clad Huntress had been given the grand tour of her new base of operations, albeit with a few disruptions here and there but that didn't bother her too much… except when Rarity had attempted to take her measurements when they stopped temporarily at her boutique. Eventually, Samus had conceded although she felt very uncomfortable having her personal space invaded with measuring tape and hooves that were taking her, well, measurements; as well as asking her preferences in colors, special decorations, etc. if any. She survived, obviously, and now was finishing moving the last few things into the guest room in Twilight's library several hours later.
The bookworm had been rather generous in resizing the bed dimensions and it appeared to be a nice queen sized bed by human standards. Samus dropped a large bag of assorted things before taking a seat on the edge of the bed, giving the slightest hint of a smile at its softness and overall comfort. Satisfied, she stood up and equipped her Varia Suit for the moment. She then removed the helmet before unequipping the suit once more, leaving her with the physical helmet. She intended to do some reading and research on the scan data she collected before she slept that night, for it was imperative that she learn as much as she could about the planet and region as quickly as she could. For now though, it was barely getting into the early hours of the evening and it was necessary to unpack the few (by 'few,' she meant 'two') essentials she brought with her.
Might as well get it done now.
Samus set her helmet aside and set to work. She first pulled out a small, tablet looking device. Her own personal logbook/journal, having recorded her travels, encounters, thoughts, etc. since the completion of her first mission on Zebes. She intended to write in it later tonight and set it down by her helmet.
The next thing she slid out was a medium sized metal case with the Galactic Federation Marine Corps insignia on it. Upon opening it revealed a GF Assault Rifle; a portable automatic weapon that fired medium sized motes of directed hard-light not unlike her standard Power Beam. Samus had taken into account when she had been shot down over Zebes and was unable to equip her Power Suit due to a malfunction, leaving her with merely her emergency Paralyzer Pistol. She wasn't too keen on repeating that incident should she be forced to abandon and/or be stranded without her suit again. As such, she felt an upgrade from an emergency Paralyzer to an emergency rifle was in order. She made sure it was deactivated and its safety was engaged before setting it back in the case and slipping it under the bed.
Once that was taken care of, Samus spaced out momentarily before a knock at the bedroom door brought her out of her stupor.
"Samus?
"Yes, Twilight?" the blonde-haired hunter responded.
"May I come in?"
"Yep."
The lavender unicorn opened the door and casually trot to the bedside where Samus sat. The hunter noted that she was bearing a small package on her back.
"A couple things Samus: One, Spike is making dinner and we would like to know if you'd like something to eat?" Twilight asked. Samus could tell that she was still ever so slightly nervous around her, although she was trying to be a good host. In all honesty the fair-skinned huntress was somewhat astounded that Twilight still wasn't afraid in any sense.
Before Samus could answer her stomach piped up, letting out a low growl. She only pursed her lips and let out a somewhat deadpanned sigh and stare to go along with it. Twilight couldn't help but giggle a bit while Samus nodded.
"That doesn't sound too bad… thanks for offering."
"Mhmm! Also, secondly…" Twilight began, levitating the small wrapped package from her back and presenting it to Samus. The Hunter softly took it with her right hand.
"Rarity just dropped this off for you," Twilight finished. Samus looked at it with a brow raised in surprise.
"I literally just saw her three hours ago… and she's already made something for me?" she reinforced.
"She made the six of us Gala dresses in about five minutes whilst singing a song, so I'm not too surprised to be honest. She said it was only a small thing for now," Twilight responded. Samus pursed her lips again in thought before shrugging it off.
Sure.
Twilight nodded and smiled a bit. "I'll leave you alone for now. Food will be ready in twenty, so feel free to drop by whenever you wish," the unicorn informed as she trot out the door, closing it behind her. Once again, Samus was left to her own devices and her curiosity was focused on the white tissue-wrapped package that was sealed like an envelope with a blue diamond trinity sticker. Sliding her finger under the adhesive, the Hunter flipped up the top of the paper and slid out the folded garments. The one on top, after holding it at arm's length and letting the creases undo themselves, was a short sleeved, blue shirt that matched the color of her Zero Suit. In the upper right breast area, she noted her distinctive Runes symbol perfectly sewed into the fabric.
The next article of clothing was a simple black pants design. Samus also noted the Runes on the left side rear pocket. Her mouth was ever so slightly agape as she traced lines on both garments… they looked brilliant!
Wow… these look great!
Being completely honest with herself, she really wanted to try them on. However, her Zero Suit was in the way. Since she'd be joining for dinner relatively soon, she thought it best to have a shower in the bathroom connected to her room… a real shower.
Now that sounds pretty damn good right now…
With little effort, the battle hardened warrior stripped out of her Zero Suit, let her hair down, and made her way to the bathroom, finding the sink and shower/tub a tad bit smaller than she'd be used to due to her size. She wore her usual stoic expression, just staring at the smaller tiled and porcelain amenity.
I don't know what I was expecting.
She shrugged and decided to make do. She was going to take a nice, comfortable, and hot shower and that was final. She fiddled with the knobs until the temperature was perfect and she climbed in, having to hunch a bit in order to get her hair wet. Looking around, she found an assortment of shampoos, soaps, and other things to aid in the female pony cleaning process… whatever constituted to that. She quickly scanned some labels to ensure that nothing would destroy her hair, scalp, skin, or any combination of the three and set off to work.
Exactly seventeen minutes later, Samus reemerged clad in a towel (although small on her) with a fairly relaxed expression on her face… relatively speaking. She was definitely a bit more at ease. She made sure she was completely dry before dropping the towel and reaching for the new clothes… that was until she made an interesting observation:
Shit… there's no underwear.
It was more for the purposes of comfort and utility than it was for appearances. Samus's Zero Suit had supports and extra underlays in the necessary places which corresponded with certain parts of her anatomy, namely her breasts, crotch, and posterior. Samus decided against the clothes and reached for her Zero Suit again… until she spotted something else she didn't notice that was somewhat hanging out of the white package.
She picked up the questionable garment and examined it, finding what appeared to be a very basic blue bra. Upon a quick search, she found the accompanying blue panties, although the almost looked like very thin short-shorts rather than underwear. Either way, it fit the purpose beautifully and she couldn't really complain.
Rarity, you clever pony…
Within two minutes, she was fully dressed in her new clothes and she had to admit, they were extraordinarily comfortable. The sleeves and pant legs conformed to her figure almost perfectly, leaving little room for sagging of the fabric, yet they stretched and moved flawlessly with her body when she stretched and flexed in several places. Samus was pleased, and once again, she had the tiniest smidgeon of a grin on her face.
I can definitely get used to this.
Samus didn't have proper footwear but that didn't bother her since she had no plans on going out into town on a leisurely stroll. In the end barefoot was her only choice. She emerged from her room and joined Twilight and Spike as they were setting the table. Twilight looked up and smiled.
"Glad you could join us, Samus!" she exclaimed, sitting down. Spike was carrying what looked like a large bowl of fruit salad as well as what looked like a same-sized bowl of vegetable soup. Samus had to admit it looked pretty good, even though there was no meat.
"Diggin' the look! Oh, and help yourself!" Spike offered after setting the food on the table. Samus didn't need to be told twice as she helped herself to a generous serving of the fruit salad and nearly filled her bowl with the soup. With that, dinner began and light but pleasant conversation was had as they enjoyed… and Samus was particularly enjoying herself. She hadn't eaten freshly prepared real food in quite a while. Breaks between missions where she could visit Federation planets weren't as common as she'd like. On missions or in the field, her diet consisted of mainly MREs that had the essentials her body needed to soldier on. Nothing particularly satisfying considering the taste or enjoyment factor but she made do.
"Ahhh…" Samus commented as she dropped her rather small spoon in the bowl and pushing it away. "Now that was good. Thanks, you two," she finished. She never thought she'd be able to stuff herself with fruit and soup, but once again, her thoughts were proven wrong.
"No problem, Sammy," Spike replied back, to which Samus turned to him with a stoic face.
"Don't call me that."
"Okay."
"So, how was your first ummm… 'day' here?" Twilight asked somewhat awkwardly.
"It was interesting to say the least… and definitely a new experience. I have a couple days to just familiarize myself with everything before I go to work so, it's going alright, I suppose."
"That's good… but if I may ask a question…" Twilight began.
"You may."
"You've seen this type of thing before no doubt, with the meteor and what not, right?" Samus nodded. "What are your thoughts on our situation?" the lavender unicorn asked. Samus thought for a moment on how to answer that question.
"To be completely honest, you're lucky. As I said before, we caught this meteor impact almost immediately, so overall damage has been limited so far, last time I heard. However, make no mistake that your entire planet is in danger until we can locate and destroy the core… easier said than done. Many will die before this is all over," Samus spoke, calmly and collectedly. Twilight took her response in and simply nodded.
"Yeah, I know. But I also know we'll get through this! The girls and I have helped save Equestria on many occasions… but I'm not so sure how useful the Elements of Harmony will be against this… Phazon/core/threat thing."
"Elements of Harmony?" Samus asked, raising her brow.
"Oh, right… hehe let me fill you in a bit on the details of some recent history," Twilight offered, to which Samus turned her body to listen. Spike promptly excused himself.
Twilight proceeded to fill the Hunter in on information from Equestria's more recent history regarding Nightmare Moon and who she really was, Luna's redemption by forcing the Nightmare from her body via the Elements, the history with Discord and the incidents involving him, and finally the Changeling Invasion and the Crystal Empire incident. It was a lot to take in but Twilight was able to condense the material enough to where Samus could follow along, becoming less and less surprised at each turn of events. After all, this was some good information for the blonde-haired Hunter to know. And these powerful 'Elements of Harmony' could prove very useful in the end.
To help follow up on the subject, Twilight gave Samus a few books on Equestrian History and the Elements of Harmony (which, she remembered, were under 'E') so she could scan the information into her logbook. From there, the two retired to their respective rooms for the night, allowing Samus to read and log information at her own pace. Eventually, she removed her helmet and placed it on the nightstand next to her, ready to let the soft grasp of sleep take her from her first day on Equis.
…
"A-are you...Mr. Ridley? I-I'm Samus, th-three years old. You're not scary...I'm perfectly fine...E-even if you look different...W-we can still be friends...!"
In truth, Samus was scared… terrified even. But she attempted to apply the lesson given to her by Old Bird.
"Samus! NO!" Virginia exclaimed, taking the brunt of the blow that Ridley meant for Samus, slicing her own mother in half right before her very eyes.
Samus opened her eyes and inhaled a bit sharply as she woke with a start. She quickly regained control of her breathing and pursed her lips, sighing almost out of annoyance.
Damn dream.
She had a bit of sweat on her brow which she promptly wiped off. She had this dream before… countless times for that matter. Since she lived on Zebes with her Chozo caretakers, that particular nightmare haunted her to the point where now, she merely dealt with it rather than being terrified to sleep and relive the horrors.
However, she noted that the dream usually lasted a lot longer than that, which led her to believe that something disturbed her slumber. This was answered when her helmet, which was sitting on the nightstand next to the bed, lightly glowed on the visor, accompanied by a very familiar audio:
"Data Received."
It's too early for the Federation to have sent me orders… guess my ship picked something up.
Samus took a quick look outside. It was dark, save for the rather bright moon which was high in the sky. Her suspicions were confirmed when the clock in the room read half-passed midnight. She had fallen asleep a bit early due to the traveling, which made sense. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up and grabbing her helmet, placing it on her head and being greeted by the familiar notification. The helmet instinctively began to display information:
"Unusual energy fluctuations detected. Spikes are consistent with magical properties. Investigation suggested."
Energy spikes. That's original.
Samus pressed a command on the side of her helmet, confirming the notification and prompting more information. Her display switched to a map of her current location, the Golden Oaks Library, and subsequently changed scenery, zooming out of the Ponyville area. The map data then scrolled over to the Everfree before zooming in and ultimately stopping and blinking on a sector known as "Hall of the Patriarch." It was obviously unexplored in her map data and it was illuminated with a large question mark. From first glance on her map, it looked pretty massive.
Maybe it's time to go sightseeing.
In quick, fluid motions, Samus's normal clothes came off, her Zero Suit went on, and she took her helmet off before equipping her Varia Suit. When that was done, she slipped the helmet under her right arm; gently leaving her bedroom and exiting out of the front door of the library, careful not to wake either Twilight or Spike. Once she closed the front door, she slipped her helmet on and started strolling towards the edge of town.
Hey, guess I was going for a stroll…
Upon reaching the edge of town, there was a small hill that shadowed a tiny field which ultimately led to the Everfree. Samus stood on said hill and just admired the night sky while also staring out towards the forest itself, just spacing out a bit. At least, that's what she was doing until she sensed something land diagonally behind her.
"You sensed it too?" the Princess of the Night inquired, softly trotting to Samus's side.
"I didn't 'sense' it per say. Scans seem to indicate magical fluctuations somewhere in the Everfree. I'm sure magical anomalies are rather common here but this seemed odd enough for my systems to recommend an investigation," Samus spoke, not turning towards Luna.
"True, magical spikes are not uncommon, but what you stated was an 'anomaly.' By definition, that's a deviation from the common rule, so therefore, unusual, and consequently, my curiosity is piqued," Luna replied. Samus nodded in understanding before craning her head slightly towards Luna.
"If this is so interesting, why are you only here? Where's Celestia? I inferred from our meeting that you two were conjoined at the flank," Samus asked with a hint of sarcasm, although she was proud of her correct word usage. Luna giggled a bit.
"So it would seem, but not quite. I was only up because our meeting required the both of us due to importance. Celestia currently is asleep, and I reign during the night," Luna explained. Samus nodded slightly again.
Makes sense.
She then turned her attention back to the Lunar Alicorn.
"Any idea where it's coming from… or what?"
"Hard to tell. Chances are the magic emanates from one of the many temples and ruins that adorn areas of the Everfree. They all emit their own magical aura as many serve as the home for relics and the deceased of great magical power. Thus, tracking the source could prove difficult," Luna explained. "You said your scanners picked up this spike… did you receive any other information?" she asked.
"According to my maps and the system's sensors, the source is an area known as the Hall of the Patriarch," Samus replied. Luna visibly straightened up with wide eyes.
"Then I know where our destination lies," Luna said as she spread her wings and hunched her lower back down, looking at Samus expectantly.
"Ummm… Luna?"
"Flying will be much faster than walking, will it not? And if my assumptions are accurate, you are not capable of unaided flight. Therefore, climb on. And worry not, I'm much stronger than I look," Luna explained and beckoned. Samus had a disbelieving look on her face behind the visor. She, herself, was a rather larger woman by height and muscular physique standards, standing at a little over six feet and weighing a bit less than 200 pounds without her armor. Naturally her Varia Suit added a fair (generous use of the word) amount of extra weight to her.
Luna did have a point though: flying would be faster than walking. So, to remedy possible issues, Samus deactivated her Suit for the purpose of flight.
Fair enough.
Samus walked over and carefully slid onto Luna's back, gripping her neck in the appropriate place and securing her legs. When both parties were satisfied of the developments, Luna spoke out:
"Very well, let us be off. Do hold on!"
Luna spread her wings (Samus admired her wingspan for some odd reason) and lunged from her sitting position into the sky, letting her wings take her from there. Luna had little difficulty adjusting to the extra weight on her back and they flew with great speed over the forest. Samus had to admit that she'd never see herself riding a magical alicorn through the night… although her pride refused to let her admit that she was enjoying the experience.
After about ten minutes, Luna banked left and gently descended into the forest canopy. Samus was able to make out what looked like the tops of some structures under the massive trees and noted their position to where they eventually touched down. Samus promptly hopped off Luna's back and equipped her Varia Suit once more.
"Well… that was an interesting experience," Samus spoke up. Luna smirked a bit.
"So I've heard from others as well. Come, let us move," the Lunar Alicorn responded, leading the way and Samus falling into step. Normally, Samus would shun having company immediately, but since this was Luna's domain, she felt that she'd have little choice that Luna wanted to tag along. Samus worked alone, but having an ally that was more than capable of protecting themselves was not an issue. Soon enough, the two passed through the last set of trees before entering into a large clearing in the forest; giving way to a rather large looking, ancient temple.
Always the temples… always.
"Any idea what this place is?" Samus asked.
"This is Nightshade Temple, the shrine of King Lunarius: former ruler of our Moon and the Night, as well as Celestia's and my father."
"I see. Well, either way, let's take a look inside, shall we?" Samus asked rhetorically. Luna nodded and trot slightly ahead of Samus as they made their way to the large entrance of the temple. Upon entering, Luna lit her horn to provide directed light to help improve vision, more so for her rather than Samus, as the Hunter easily switched to her Thermal Visor. Samus kept her cannon at a semi-passive level, being ready for anything, even though she could sense that nothing was really stirring in the halls of the long abandoned shrine.
"It has been millennia since I have walked these halls…" Luna mentioned softly, taking in the sights of the busts, pillars, and obelisks that would randomly adorn the sides as she illuminated them. Many were the statues of what looked like Alicorn soldiers long passed; silently watching over the shrine of their deceased leader for all of eternity. Samus was likening everything to the structure of Chozo temples and ruins… to her, they weren't so different. However, something caught Samus's eyes:
"Looks like we've got some writing here…" she stated, touching the glyphs in the walls as she began scanning it. Luna walked over as well. Samus read the translation out loud:
"Recorded to Logbook."
[Pony Lore]
Translation: And so it is with great sorrow that we enshrine the creator of our moon within these walls. Yet even in death, he shall watch over our very beings with the just and iron hoof that he ruled unto us. Even when our race is no more, his blood and influence shall remain.
"So you can read old Equestrian with that helmet of yours? I am most impressed," Luna added with a smirk.
"I find that reading and logging Lore tends to help me later down the line. Speaking of which, there's another set of glyphs. Do you mind?" Samus asked rhetorically. Luna had no intention of denying her anyway, gesturing with her hoof towards the writing.
"Recorded to Logbook."
[Pony Lore]
Translation: Lunarius has become feeble and weak. His time with us in this realm dwindles, yet he is not afraid. He greets death like a friend of the Empire, and with reassurance from the Visitors he is ready to leave Equestria in the care of his own two blood offspring and pass on to the spirit realm forever more.
"In case you weren't able to infer, these writings go back in time… in a manner of speaking," Luna added.
"I was able to see that. However, I'm more curious about these… Visitors," Samus spoke, moving further down the hall and finding the next set of glyphs.
"I was too young to know at the time, even when Celestia and I took the throne. They had come long before we were around and father never spoke much of them. By the time we had enough sense to attempt to find them, they were gone… leaving only ruins and echoes behind," Luna replied. Samus raised a brow slightly.
Just like the…
She shook her head internally. It couldn't have been.
This one's gonna be a long read.
"Recorded to Logbook."
[Pony Lore]
Translation: Tall, powerful, warrior-like Visitors from beyond our sky have descended upon our land, offering peace and valuable information, requesting exploration and temporary residence. Our Great Leader sensed truth within their intentions and offered them asylum. In return, this race of beings more powerful than our own showed us great techniques in the magical arts, manipulating our very essence to serve our greater purpose, while instructing on building techniques for lasting structures to...
~break in writing~
…time had passed, and Lunarius inquired the great Visitors as to the future of Equestria. Their wise leader spoke of a Great Poison that would descend upon our land thousands of cycles in the future, snuffing out all life that dares attempt to hinder or stop it. Yet, they also spoke of a Great Warrior and Protector who would ultimately come to the future generation's aid and vanquish the Poison for eternity.
Samus slowly lowered her hand from the side of her Helmet, still staring at the writing on the wall. Luna herself had a look of great thinking on her face. She turned to the Hunter.
"Samus…"
"We need to get to the Hall of the Patriarch. How far are we?" Samus said, interrupting the Lunar Princess.
"Just down this way," Luna replied, leading the way. Samus followed and they soon ended up by a very large door that was sealed, but had no physical means of getting through. None of Samus's weaponry would be able to breach either, according to her scans.
"So, how do we get through?" Samus asked.
"It's a magical seal. Allow me," Luna replied as she charged her horn brighter and let an aura seep out, diffusing over the enormous stone door until it sunk in as if pulled by an unseen force. At that moment, Luna ceased her magic and there was a great rumbling echoing throughout the hall. The door slowly slid open, revealing an enormous hall, which Samus's map indicated was the correct place. The hall was apparently lit with torches, which appeared to be undying magic of some sort (Samus only inferred). In the center lay a sarcophagus of stone adorned with precious metals and gems. However, what really caught Samus's eye was the design on the wall behind it.
"They had said something about the Visitors adorning art within father's tomb. They said it would protect his body and spirit," Luna chimed in, walking to Samus's side to examine what she was seeing. Samus, on the other hand, was just staring at the artwork which consisted of a large, bipedal bird-like elder with his arms outstretched in perfect symmetry with the sarcophagus. On both sides of that were bird-like and Alicorn soldiers in mixed formation. That artwork… Samus felt as if she was back in the Ruins on Zebes.
"You know these Visitors… don't you, Samus?" Luna asked knowingly, connecting the dots. Samus nodded softly.
"The Chozo… they came to you…" Samus replied, although that was more of thinking out loud. The Hunter was processing this in her head. In the end, although rather different, the Ponies and Samus were more connected than she could have ever thought possible: The Chozo had assisted them in their development as a society for who knew how long. Luna was observing Samus as much as she could through her visor. She decided it was a good time to bring this up:
"I saw your dream." Samus turned slowly towards the Princess.
"You… what?" she asked in confirmation.
"As Princess of the Night I may enter the dreams of my subjects and those under my dominion, temporary or not. I had no intention of entering yours at first but your mind was under great stress." She turned towards the Chozo paintings. "I apologize for the great intrusion, but I have learned a great deal about you as a result. I am so sorry for your loss, and what you had to experience. I lost my mother at a very young age as well… although I suspect that is of little consolation."
Luna turned to face the Hunter who was just staring at her. Samus herself was a bit taken aback, not because Luna violated any odd sense of 'personal space,' but moreso that Samus was trained against psychological incursions, and the aid of Luna's magical skill completely nullified her mental defenses.
"However, with a bit of my magic and your Helmet picking up these fluctuations, your dream was able to come to an end before I was able to see more. I will not forget what I saw there, mind you. That image will haunt me for quite some time… as I am sure it continues to plague you. But my initial question that was to stem from this is: these Visitors… these Chozo… they were your guardians, were they not?" Luna asked. Samus turned away and back towards the artwork.
"Yes. They took care of me, infused me with their blood, and raised me to what I am today. They are… were my second family," Samus admitted plainly. She wasn't accustomed to talking about this with anyone. However, she never let the past bother her much anymore. Luna nodded.
There wasn't much else to say at this point and Luna knew that. Samus's attention was grabbed though when she found more glyphs under the Chozo Elder. What was different was that this writing was in fact, Chozo. Samus opened her scan visor and scanned:
You have come.
Samus blinked a couple of times and suddenly the Sarcophagus began to open behind them; the top of it slowly sliding downward. The Hunter and Princess turned around and eyed event a bit before glancing at each other and walking over. Luna had already inferred that whatever Samus had done just now was correlated to her and only her… even if it was opening the sarcophagus of her dead father.
Once the pair reached the now open sarcophagus there was a faint glowing inside. Soon, small motes of light from around the room began to condense into a glowing mass in front of them before lightly exploding outwards; leaving a spinning object that looked like an outstretched hand. Samus looked to Luna, who also looked on in awe, before the alicorn nodded and stepped backwards a bit, leaving Samus to do her thing. With that, Samus reached out and gently 'grabbed' the floating object, which promptly defragmented and diffused around Samus's left arm. The Hunter watched as her armor-clad arm glowed with great power as it absorbed into it before trailing down to her Grapple Beam. The appendage glowed bright teal several times before any remnant light exploded outwards, dissipating.
[Scanning…]
[Kinesis Beam Acquired!]
Pure, ancient magic has augmented your Grapple Beam. At the cost of energy units, the Grapple Beam may now be treated as a magical conduit, allowing you to manipulate matter much like a unicorn through its use.
"What happened?" Luna inquired, seeing that the process had finished.
"Well, apparently I can now use magic… in a sense," Samus replied, seeming a bit intrigued herself. Luna even expressed curiosity.
"Is that so? Well, test it out!" Luna added, curious to see what Samus's 'magic' would be like. The Hunter found a small stone on the ground about ten feet away from her and lifted her arm towards it. Remembering back from how she witnessed her Chozo caretakers use their powers, Samus concentrated on the stone and let her Grapple Beam fire up… soon she felt almost a mental tug from the object. The Beam appendage glowed in totality a light blue color much like any magical aura. Then the rock became adorned with a similar aura. With that, Samus moved her arm linearly and the stone moved accordingly. She was able to pick it up and move it before tossing it away. Although the power emanated from her Grapple Beam and ultimately her Suit's energy, the mental connection that it was somehow able to forge with her was a bit taxing, as it was her first time using it.
"Impressive, especially for a non-magic user. You'll need more practice though if you wish to make that effective," Luna said, complementing her ability to levitate a small stone, but observing that her form was faltering during the process... still even surprised that the human was able to acquire the ability of magic! Samus nodded.
Well, that was a really interesting experience.
"Wait… something's odd. My map and scans still show fluctuations of energy here," Samus remarked, checking her map data.
"I sense it too…" Luna began, flaring her horn to try and magically track it. "And it seems it's still coming from the sarcophagus… huh," she said as she walked to the edge of her father's final resting place. Samus looked on as Luna removed the shroud, revealing the skeletal remains of the Great Alicorn; in its bony hooves, another spherical object of pure energy and magic. Its aura was very strong, yet it was repelling Luna's magic as she attempted to go near it.
"This magic is not of Alicorn doing, and as such, it's repelling my own. It is your Chozo, who appeared to have left you another gift," Luna inferred. Samus took the hint and reached out, cupping the object and letting it consequently diffuse into her suit. It found her Arm Cannon and absorbed into it. Her cannon lit up brightly but then it died out suddenly. Samus and Luna glanced at each other with a confused expression (although the Hunter's couldn't be seen).
[Scanning…]
.
.
"Well?" Luna asked.
"My systems are still scanning…" Samus replied.
[Unknown Item Acquired]
Analysis inconclusive. Item not compatible with current suit.
Oh great. This again.
"Apparently whatever that was, was the source of the energy spikes here but it's incompatible with my suit right now," Samus informed Luna.
"Hmmm… Interesting. We will have to run some tests later then and see if we cannot unlock these abilities for you," Luna offered. The two then turned back towards the door in which they came, only to have it slowly close and seal itself.
"What? What is the meaning of this!?" Luna shouted out while lightly charging her horn. Samus raised her Arm Cannon and looked around the room for any sign of trouble, ready for combat.
Soon, however, the torches in the room dimmed to a very low level. The Chozo and Alicorn paintings on the wall began to glow a very odd white, static-like appearance. The odd pair noticed this and turned around, horn and cannon aimed at the wall in a semi-aggressive stance. The torches almost went out at this point, a bone-chilling hissing sound permeated through the hall, and the textures on the wall separated from the paintings, floating in the air as no form of matter before a physical form emerged; several forms of Chozo and Alicorn apparitions landing on the ground.
"Chozo Ghosts…" Samus thought out loud.
"Alicorn Spirits…" Luna spoke as well.
They glanced at each other and nodded; the Hunter aiming her cannon and the Lunar Princess charging her horn, aiming it at the aggressive entities.