//------------------------------//
// BSL: In the Dark 
// Story: Another Hatchling 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Seeing how distressed Spike was, Twilight decided it was up to her to change the subject and drag him out of his sorrowful reverie.  "So, what was the alert from your ship?" she asked Samus, hoping that would be enough to shift the focus back.

"Actually, it was just a message to let us know that the Etecoons and Dachoras had boarded," Samus replied, chuckling.  "So we didn't really have to go all the way back there.  Still, with the power down throughout the entire station, the ship was the only place we could open communications with Adam and the others."

"With the station down, we weren't even able to access the maps to locate the Auxiliary Power Station," Adam added.  "We'd have been sunk...if not..."  He glanced away.

"What?" Rainbow asked eagerly.  "How'd you save the day?"

"We didn't," Ghor offered, hanging his head.  "One of the Etecoons had apparently entertained himself by hacking around the station's networks.  He already had the exact path from Samus' ship to the Auxiliary Power Station memorized, and typed it in for us over the communicator."

As several of those listening laughed, one of the Etecoons lifted both hands over his head and pumped them up and down, chittering excitedly, before turning and spanking his rear at Adam...only for one of the others to smack him upside the head to make him stop.

"Any unexpected obstacles along the path?" Ember asked eagerly.

Spike grinned, apparently past his funk now.  "Just one big one, really.  While all the cocoons from Sector One had hatched and more dragonfly-like creatures identical to what we'd encountered on the Bottleship, but they were just as vulnerable to fire as before.  The Central Reactor Core itself was completely overgrown with vines, which we made a note of."

"The only other X form we came across were Space Pirates," Samus added.  "Probably made from genetic material recovered along with Ridley from the wreckage of Zebes..."

"The real obstacle, though," Spike continued, grinning from ear to ear, "wasn't until just before we reached the Auxiliary Power Station..."





After destroying the Eye Door, Samus and Spike both knew they were in for another intense fight.  Passing through, they found themselves dropping down into a deep, circular chamber.  Once at the bottom, Spike spread his wings, seeing if there was enough room for him to fly up carrying Samus.  Unfortunately, it was just barely too small for that.

As the pair were trying to find a way out, the entire chamber shook.  A roof panel far above shattered and flames rained down towards them.  Samus evaded the flames while Spike shrugged them off, as they weren't hot enough to even bother him, let alone drain his energy.  His eyes were locked on the massive, six-legged spider that was slowly crawling down the wall towards them.

Samus immediately started trying to get a scan to locate a vulnerable point where she could hit it with a Super Missile or charged beam attack.  Spike, however, lunged upward, grappling with the spider-like creature with claws and jaws.

The creature screeched in rage and pain as it struggled in his grasp, biting and clawing back at him, only for its claws to be diverted by his energy shields and armor.  The teeth were another story, but Spike's neck was too flexible for it to get more than one or two glancing bites in.  Meanwhile, Spike started tearing its legs off one by one, swallowing them as he did so.

Eventually, the creature was able to wriggle free after losing all of its limbs.  It opened its mouth in a wide scream, only to swallow a Super Missile and blast backward.

Spike moved quickly, grabbing hold of the spider with all four claws, pulling its mouth open to let Samus bombard it with Super Missiles until it dissolved, revealing an X Core with the thinner, less spiky membrane.  Spike continued to hold it tight as Samus continued to unleash Super Missile after Super Missile until the membrane broke, letting Samus absorb the X Core within.



Space Jump Ability recovered.



"About damn time," Samus grumbled under her breath, somersaulting upward into the opened path, Spike following behind her.





As several ponies gave Spike amused looks - save Twilight Velvet and Night Light, who looked a little stunned - Ember chuckled.  "And here I thought you'd have had plenty to eat there, since the X hosts would charge you."

"X hosts are tasty depending on the creature," Spike offered, "but not very filling.  They have very little in the way of nutritional substance."

"Thankfully, the Auxiliary Power Station was right through the passage the spider opened when it broke through," Samus explained.  "And once it was on, we went into the next room, which just happened to be a Navigation Room, so we could communicate with Adam and the others..."





Once communications were active, Adam nodded firmly, hiding his relief.  "Good work, you two," he complimented.  "With Auxiliary Power restored, Recharge Stations, Safe Rooms, and Navigation Rooms are online.  Unfortunately, hatches and elevators are still offline."

"By my calculations," Ghor added, "Auxiliary Power will last at most two hours.  If you don't manage to reactivate the main silo in that time, it will become impossible."

"We saw some vines choking the Main Silo," Samus noted.  "They seem to be growing everywhere."

"That's probably the cause," Melissa noted.  "Do you have any ideas where they might be coming from?"

"Those cocoons we've seen broken open are from Sector 2," Spike noted.  "The vines are probably sourced from there, too."

"Find the source, Samus, Spike," Adam ordered.  "Kill the vines, and the Silo should activate automatically once they're dead as long as Auxiliary Power is active."

"So we need to get to Sector 2 without the use of elevators or hatches," Samus murmured softly.  "Fun times..."