Chapter One: Starting Out
Starting Out
“Come on, Zetaloo, you have to get up!”
“Grrrr....Maaaa...” What does she want now?
“Come on! Get up!”
Zetaloo’s eyes shot open as he got a pillow to the side of the head. He stared at Scootaloo and growled.
“Sorry...but it’s time you have something to eat.”
The Zeta acknowledged, spending a year in Ponyville, he had eventually learned to understand some phrases ponies spoke to him, some being “AAAAGH! RUN AWAY!”, or “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!”
The Metroid sighed, then followed the orange pegasus, she eventually reached the Everfree Forest, where a lone rabbit hopped into view. Zetaloo’s leech-like mouth started drooling as his mouth watered, he sprung into his pouncing position, awaiting the rabbit’s next move.
Scootaloo closed her eyes and turned her head as her pet pounced, a loud squeal, followed by several grotesque squishing noises, then absolute silence. Scootaloo opened her eyes, and saw the Zeta’s saliva washing away the blood on his teeth.
They stopped as they heard hoofsteps and a familiar voice in the distance.
“Hey Scoot’! Are you coming over to my house like we planned?”
Scootaloo shouted back in response, “Sure! Hang on one sec’, Sweetie Belle!”
She looked at Zetaloo again, and asked “Wanna go to Rarity’s boutique?” He didn’t understand what she said, but, on instinct, followed her.
They reached the Carousel Boutique, where a rather energetic unicorn was waiting in front. “Oh...you brought Zetaloo...I’m not sure if Rarity’s really gonna want that.” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“Oh...it should be fine, what’s the worst he could do?” Scootaloo returned with a shrug.
“Well...alright then...” Sweetie sighed, she opened the door, and walked in, the pegasus and Metroid following.
“AAAAGH!” the scream echoed through the building, standing in front of the three was a much larger white unicorn. However, still smaller than the Zeta Metroid standing before her.
“Sweetie Belle...what did I tell you about letting animals in the boutique?” the pony asked, still shaking in fear. Another common phrase Zetaloo understood, the creature sighed, and hung his head down.
“Oh...I don’t mean it like that, Darling, it’s just...” the pony was silenced with a roar that scared her beyond anything.
“GRAAA! MAAA! SHAAA!” I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS! Zetaloo screamed. The three ponies screamed as the Metroid arched his back, and moved into an attack position.
“No...please Darling, I’m sorry, just...d-don’t hurt me!” the pony screamed, hooves over her head. “No! Zetaloo! Stop it! Don’t hurt Rarity, she didn’t do anything!” Scootaloo shouted, trying to break the Metroid’s trance.
He eventually stopped, he stood back up, and looked at the ponies with a sullen gaze. Zetaloo whimpered again, but stopped, and looked at Rarity hopelessly.
“I...apologize for insulting you...please...take this.” the fashionista murmured as she handed him a small gem.
“Gra, Dra, Vaa, Sna?” What am I supposed to do with this? the Zeta mumbled to himself. He stared at it for a few more seconds, then threw it on the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Rarity, angered, asked Scootaloo “Is it...well...natural for an adult Metroid to have the same maturity level as Diamond Tiara?”
Scootaloo shrugged, “Metroids take food as a gift, usually a special kind of food.”
“Hmph...maybe he just needs a touch of class.” Rarity said in a snooty tone.
“Also, I was thinking, maybe, since it doesn’t seem so bad that he’s a meat-eating monster. That perhaps there are jobs he can do?” Scootaloo suggested.
“Why ask me?”
“You’re the only adult right now.”
“Well...I suppose he could get a job as a load-carrier at the Ponyville Wholesale Shipping Company. Then I suppos-”
Rarity was cut off as several screams rang through her ears. She went to the window, the three others following, and saw a sight that made all four of them, especially Zetaloo, scared as scared can be.
A Gamma Metroid, floating about and patrolling the streets.
“Oh...my Celestia...” Rarity mumbled. “W-what is that?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously.
“It’s a Gamma Metroid, I think it’s after...” Rarity stopped as she looked at Zetaloo. The Zeta Metroid looked back, and nodded.
He immediately stepped out of the building, and out towards the massive creature flying around.
“NO! ZETALOO! DON’T DO IT!” Scootaloo screamed, but it came to no avail.
They ducked under the window as they heard the two Metroids fighting. The ponies shouted as the section of the wall next to them was blown in, Zetaloo following and landing inside the house.
Another scream emerged as the gargantuan Gamma Metroid landed on it. The Zeta shifted his head to the right as the creature attempted to pierce him with its tusks. Zetaloo quickly rolled out of the way as the Gamma attempted another jab. He jumped to his feet, and pulled his head back, seconds later, a red blob sprayed from his mouth, and made its target: The Gamma’s abdomen.
The Metroid screamed in pain as the corrosive liquid burned through the weak covering on its stomach. It started screaming even more, and the ponies watched in horror as the mixed reds, blues, and greens of the Gamma’s body fluids poured out of its body. It started running around, crashing into some of Rarity’s mannequins and knocking them down. The Gamma Metroid’s red eyes soon turned to a dull black, and it collapsed.
Rarity looked around at the damage of her boutique, a good sized hole was in the wall, the fluids of the Gamma were spilt all over the place, several mannequins knocked down and broken, and, finally, Zetaloo stood there, panting heavily.
“I-...I think it’s all over...” the fashionista wheezed. She gave the area another look, and shouted in disgust, “Ugh! This is going to cost thousands of bits I don’t have, how am I supposed to work when the bottom floor of my house is ransacked like this?!”
“Well...I-...Uh...” Scootaloo tried saying before Rarity pointed a hoof to the hole in the wall, “Out...Now!”
Scootaloo and Zetaloo were shoved out of the boutique, and they looked in dismay. “Well...there goes that playdate with Sweetie Belle.” the orange pegasus grumbled, brushing the dust out of her short, purple mane.
“Ya know...she should’ve given you some credit...I mean, you saved her life.”
The Zeta didn’t pay attention, it was still thinking over the events that had just occurred. It then looked at his friend, and asked “SCOO! TAAA! LOOO!”
Scootaloo was impressed, even though it was a roar that paused on each syllable, it was still the first word in Equestrian that had left the creature.
“Yeah?”
“DRAAA! MAAA! AKAAA! SKRREEAAA!” I fear that that Gamma Metroid wasn’t the only one.
Still can’t say any other word... Scootaloo thought.
Zetaloo shook his head, then looked at Scootaloo again, she couldn’t really tell, but she thought that she saw some worry in those six, blue eyes of his. “Do you think that...there’s more than one of those...looking for you?” she asked.
The creature nodded slowly, Scootaloo looked down, then back up at the him. “Do you think we should hide.”
Zetaloo shook his head once more, then continued along the path.
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“SKRAAA! MAAAA! DRAAA?!” WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE “HASN’T RETURNED?!”
“MA VAA! GRAA! MAAA!” He hasn’t, Your Greatness, we’re not sure where he’s gone to.
The enraged Queen Metroid looked at the miniscule Zeta standing in front of her, then stamped her front foot down, creating a slight tremor. “GRAAA! SAAAA! SKRAA!” GET ANOTHER ONE TO FIND HIM, THEN!
The Zeta responded with a straightforward “GRA! MA VAA!” Yes, Your Greatness. and left the chamber. The Queen let out a long, low growl. “WRAA! MAA! GAA!” We will find you, and we will kill you...
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“Aw....cheer up, Zetaloo! Maybe Applebloom can play, in a not so...dangerous place...” Scootaloo chirped, but the Metroid just grunted and continued walking. “Aw, c’mon! I’ll take ya there!” the orange pegasus exclaimed. She tugged at Zetaloo’s foot to steer him in the opposite direction, with an annoyed growl, he obeyed.
They continued walking for a good mile before reaching Sweet Apple Acres, they walked through the gateway and to the red barn in the distance. A small, yellow earth pony appeared nearby and walked up to them. “Well...Howdy there, Scoot’...and ya brought....Zetaloo...” the filly said in her iconic southern dialect. “Hey there, Applebloom, we’re just wondering if you can play.”
“Well...shucks...Ah can play for a lil’ bit, but then Applejack needs mah help with the trees soon, but, yeah, I can hang out for a lil’ while!” Applebloom replied with a grin.
Zetaloo grunted again, and followed her into the barn. It was probably the most stressful thirty minutes for the Metroid, being ridden on by the yellow pony, and displaying his high jumping ability. The pony’s energetic attitude was also something he resented. After a while, an orange earth pony walked in, and spoke to her sister. “C’mon, Applebloom, time to help with th’ trees.”
“Aw...now?” Applebloom exasperated. Applejack shook her head and sighed, then said “Yes...now...ya’ll know what happens when ya’ don’t work...”
“Ah know...alright...” Applebloom whimpered. After the filly left, the two left and headed back onto the main road.
“Well...school starts in a bit...so I guess afterwards we can see if anypony else wants to hang out...sounds good? Zetaloo?” Scootaloo suggested again.
Zetaloo wanted to reject, but he didn’t want to upset her, he just nodded his head, and continued following the filly down the street.
A/N:
You’re probably having one of those “What the buck did I just read?” moments, and that’s fine.
If you have read RiP (Ridley in Ponyville), then you are aware that Zetaloo is a Zeta Metroid that Scootaloo befriended quite some time ago. I decided that I might as well create my own side project. And, well, get an idea, play some Metroid Metal, and you got yourself a good way to write a story XD.
Anyways, I understand this is quite short, and I apologize for that, but, it’s an introduction chapter, so-to-speak. So the others will be quite longer, hope you all enjoy!