//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: The First Wave // Story: Adventures with Zetaloo // by Jewbacca //------------------------------// Chapter Two: The First Wave         A purple Earth-pony mare pointed her hoof at the picture of the infant Metroid on the blackboard, finally finishing with a simple, straightforward, “While there is a low chance you will meet one, besides Scootaloo’s pet, always be careful, Metroids are extremely hostile and will attack anything they think is food. Alright?”         “Yes, Miss Cheerilee.” the younger ponies in the classroom responded in unison.         Cheerilee smiled, “Good, now, tomorrow is our science test, will you promise to study?”         “Yes, Miss Cheerilee.”         Before she could finish, a bell mounted on the wall, the kids got up, several chatting with each other, before walking out the door. Scootaloo immediately turned to her right and walked around the school, surely enough, Zetaloo was lying in the shade in a fetal position, making a cute, gurgling noise as he breathed.         “C’mon, Zetaloo, wanna see if anyone wants to hang out?” the filly asked.         Three, blue eyes opened and faced towards their friend. “Mmmmmmmm...” the Zeta Metroid groaned.         Scootaloo walked over to him and began tugging on his arm. “Aw...come on, it’ll be fun!”         Zetaloo responded with a fully-awake series of roars, “GRAA! DRAAAA! SAAA!” What’s ‘fun’ about being screamed at by everybody?         Scootaloo was becoming increasingly frustrated, posing herself in a kicking position in front of the creature’s unguarded gut, she raised her hind legs, and bucked it. The Zeta coughed hoarsely as he felt the wind knocked out of him. He immediately rolled over, growling at her, his height creating an imposing shadow upon the pegasus.         She backed away, nervously saying, “I-I’m sorry, Zetaloo, I was just trying to wake you up...”         He looked in remorse as she began whimpering, tears rolling down her cheeks. He grunted in frustration before bowing his head down to her, she smiled and climbed up, eventually turning around and wrapping her legs around his stubby neck. “C’mon, let’s go around the town and see if anypony wants to hang out!” she exclaimed.         “Grrr...Raa...” Yeah...whatever... ---------         After walking for a good, long while, they finally reached a large building, seemingly built from a massive cloud. Scootaloo looked up at the massive cloud castle drifting above her, then screamed “RAINBOW!”         A few seconds later, a cyan shape popped over the edge of the structure. While it smiled at the orange filly, it laid a mysterious gaze on Zetaloo. Shortly afterwards, it hopped off, spiraling and doing flips downwards until landing in front of the two.         “Hey, Scoot’, what can I help ya’ with?” the larger pegasus asked with a kind smile.         “Well, Zetaloo and I are really bored, and we got nothing to do...” Scootaloo replied.         “Well, I s’pose you can hang out with me, that is, if you don’t destroy anything...”         The foal’s eyes went wide with shock, “You-...you know?”         “I went to Rarity’s house a couple of hours ago because she was about to have another breakdown because of it. Twilight went ahead and took the body to her house.”         “GRAA! SAAA! SKREAAA! DAAA! MAAA!” We do have an excellent sense of smell, however, so I suppose nobody is safe. Zetaloo intervened. The two pegasi turned their heads to the creature, looks of confusion pasted on their faces. He just shook their head and nodded them off.         The two began talking again, when Rainbow finally said, “Yeah, I suppose we can do something, but wha-”         A distant screech came in the distance. Zetaloo was shaking his head, the ponies became nervous. Then came an increasingly louder thumping, Scootaloo ran behind her role-model, shaking violently as it got louder. Finally, the distance was breached, and the three stared in horror as a gargantuan Omega Metroid began charging towards them.         Rainbow turned around and clutched onto her orange-and-purple friend before hopping in the air. The Zeta held his ground as the monster continued charging, at the last moment, he rolled out of the way.         The Omega stopped onto its side, digging its claws into the ground, once it stopped, it turned completely and came back towards Zetaloo. Scootaloo began flailing her legs violently, trying to get the cyan pegasus to let go.         “No! I’m not going to let this happen to him!” she shouted as the Metroid continued sprinting to its adversary. Zetaloo, once again, rolled out of the way. The larger creature reared up, screeching in raw fury, and revealing its abdomen.         The lesser Metroid planted his feet and prepared to spit a glob of corrosive enzymes when the Omega backed down, and lunged.         Not having enough time to react, Zetaloo was quickly swept up in his opponents jaws, roaring in agony as he felt the maw of the Omega Metroid pressing down on him.         “NO! ZETALOO!” the filly screamed as she watched her friend be brutally attacked.         “Scootaloo, there’s nothing that can be done about it, do you want to risk your own life?” the normally-cocky daredevil snapped. Scootaloo began crying, looking as the Omega thrashed its head to the left and right.         Zetaloo felt like he was about to be let go, when he finally felt his tough exoskeleton crack, and finally be pierced by the older, more powerful Metroid’s teeth. He looked around, his vision becoming blurred as death wrapped around him in its cold, sickly embrace, seeing his only friend one more time, before blacking out. ---------         The Zeta thought that he was no more, but, through the black haze, he heard voices.         “Hang on...hey...I got a pulse! I think he still may be alive!”         “I guess we should be lucky that the Omega left him alone, I heard that when Metroids turn on their colonies that whoever catches them cannibalizes them.”         “Yeah, but I guess we can say that that little girl may have some hope after all.”         Zetaloo’s eyes slowly opened, and he looked around himself, advanced computer screens and equines donning white uniforms surrounded him. He, struggling, looked to his right, a small, orange shape slumped in a small chair. He looked up, two ponies stood over him, silently, he growled, “M-...Mrrrr...Gaaaa...Mmmm?” W-...What’s going on?         One of the doctors looked down, astonished. “Oh! You’re awake! That’s good, we were surprised you didn’t make it, heh, who knew that Metroids were warmed blooded, let alone able to receive a blood transfusion from a pony’s donated blood?” they said in a high-pitch, feminine accent.         Zetaloo looked around himself, his entire midsection was covered in bandaging, his arms and legs were scarred, and the mattress under him was covered in ranging reds, blues, and greens. He noticed that the doctor’s had gone, and suddenly was ambushed as a teary-eyed Scootaloo jumped on him.         “Oh, thank Celestia you’re alive!” the foal cried as she held tightly onto the creature. One of the doctors pulled her off, saying, “Now, you can’t be so physical with him, he’s still in a lot of pain, so he can only be touched by expert hooves.”         “Oh, right...sorry...” the small pony sniffled.         He looked at the flightless pony, and grumbled, “Draa...Oooh...Meeh...Gaah...Graaa...Syaaa?” The Omega...where did it go?         Assuming that the creature was talking about the Omega Metroid, Scootaloo shrugged, and said, “I dunno’, I think it ran away after a while, I’m just glad you’re okay...”         The Metroid nodded in acknowledgement, then laid back down. He looked at his friend, then growled “Mraa....Draa...Graammaaa...Skreaaa....Daaa....Naaa...” Realize, though, Scootaloo, that the Omega and Gamma weren’t the only ones, just the beginning of the first wave, there is much more to come. A/N:         I know, I know, this is an incredibly short chapter, but I didn’t have much to work with, I’m gonna be doing some more research, and working a bit more to make them longer and better. I just wanted to bring up some level of sadness and suspense, and Zetaloo’s life will be more focused on, as well as the whole “Metroid-species-wanting-him-dead” thing. Even if it’s short, and probably not the most entertaining, I hope you all enjoy. Just please understand that, with the fact that I’m rewriting Ridley in Ponyville, and with my grades suffering, forcing me to pay more attention to that which then leaves me drained at the end of the day, I’m trying my best. Thank you for all the care and support that you guys give me.