Mareoid Fusion

Chapter 3: Trinity

This story begins during the Neo-Ridley fight in Metroid Fusion. Metroid is owned by Nintendo and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro. Major thanks to Pissfer for amazing ideas, editing and awesome-ifying it. Music added for enjoyment/atmospheric effect.

“So we will split into three squads. Celestia will head Alpha squad. I will head Beta squad. Luna will head Gamma squad.” The sun goddess slowly rose to her full height in the bedroom within the ruined house. The limp bodies in the room had been viciously deformed and one was left half-eaten by the assailant. Nothing else should have been here to halt its feast. But halt it had.

“And if we encounter problems; Luna or I will send a flare of light into the sky. Orange for myself, blue for Luna. What will you do without magic?” The lunar goddess heard a faint cry. She stiffened and perked her ears up, enhancing her senses with magic to help her discern the faintest glimpse of life within the evacuated streets. She caught the sound again, locking it in her mind's grasp and called the guards to follow in the pursuit.

“Yes, I hardly think thee could possess something on that scale. And thine “A.I.” does not communicate to us as it does with thy vessel.” The armored bounty hunter scanned the environment for a second time. An empty warehouse, along an empty street, in an empty city. Her group had encountered nothing along the lines of life or clues since they had departed. She motioned for the captain to follow her out, and he did the same to his men.

“Easy. My weapons have long range capabilities, and my rockets have quite the flash and bang once detonated. I’ll Just tinker with my supply to come up with something along the lines of a flare.” Celestia called for her captain and ordered him to send for a recovery crew with twin stretchers. He punched his chestplate in understanding and relayed the information to the squad’s medical field agent. She looked back to the destroyed room and noticed an object half-hidden under the couple’s demolished bed. Her horn glowed a bright orange and commanded the construct out of its hiding spot. Once it was in front of her muzzle, Celestia slowly spun the object until it was oriented properly. What she saw made her cheeks dampen with tears and her eyes burn red in sadness, the still moment of a father and mother with their foal resonated in her mind’s eye as well as with her physical being. She let the picture drop.

"We’ll divide the city into three sections; I shall begin in the domestic district. Ponies are the most accustomed to the sight of me, as Luna has returned only as of recent and you are alien to everyone.” Luna galloped as fast as her divine legs could manage. She rounded shops and navigated alleys. The whole time, she reached out with her senses in order to discern the source of the pleading shriek. Her royal guard lagged slightly behind from her incredible pace, and the random twists and turns caused them to falter every other moment. She heard the voice pierce the silent night again, but this time the proximity had increased threefold.

"I will take the financial and business districts, they are small and can be grouped into one equal in size to that of thou. That leaves-.” Samus looked to Captain Goldenclad as she readied herself in front of the door. He gave her a nod after making last second check-ups on his men. The unicorns were poised and ready to use the experimental ice magic ushered into use by Samus, while the Pegasi were crouched with wings spread. The bounty hunter turned back to the door and threw her metallic foot into it. The portal exploded back as the kinetic energy surged through its hinges and body; blasting it away from the wall and into a pile of discarded newspapers.

“The industrial district. Albeit yours is a bit underdeveloped compared to humans due to you having magic, it says on the map that it is still full of warehouses and mills.” Celestia followed what she believed to be the trail left behind by the creature, “Ridley”. Samus had described his physique and nature, but also stated that a parasite known as “X” could have changed his thought process. A gouge in the street here, a depression in the wall there, literally following a tale of destruction through the walkways of Canterlot. Unicorns were to be near and vigilant at all times, the right shield at the right time could save somepony from becoming infected and, ultimately, killed.

“Now for the unicorns. As you have stated, the X parasite seems to have a difficult time going through inorganic physical objects.” Luna vaulted over an upturned kiosk and its upset merchandise before turning into a cluttered alley. She could not only hear the plea for help, but now she could sense the life force of the being. It was near, and it was dwindling. She surged forward with greater purpose at the thought of her little pony dying while she was so close to delivering salvation. The back alley of a shop held what she sought, and it was behind a great heap of stone mixed with crushed wood. Her eyes flared in rage as her gaze flickered over the inanimate wall and its defiance. She lowered a horn as the guard neared and let loose a fiery spell.

“Therefore; magical shields that are physically manifested should hold the key to halting such abominations. So unicorns shall be kept on guard to spring at a moment’s notice, and we should saturate the ponies armor with a resistant field. Except thou mentioned something about “absorption”?” Samus exited the warehouse with a disturbed frown set upon her face. Not a sign of life. No X parasite, no Ridley and no ponies who had missed the evacuation. The guard group slowly followed her out of the building when the lieutenant spoke up, “over there! A parasite!” Samus whipped her head in the direction his hoof pointed and sped off in a mad dash towards the yellow blob. The guard followed immediately behind her, the unicorns charging a snare spell in anticipation. Samus caught up to the X before they had finished preparing though, as it had noticed the human and thought she was prey to be possessed. As it entered her suit it had found itself immediately assimilated into her energy reserves; refueling Samus’ suit and giving her a boost from her lingering physical exhaustion. She stood up and experimentally flexed her limbs, the boost from the parasite giving her an artificially-extended epinephrine high. She turned to the ponies and smirked.

“After an X parasite attempted to possess me, it also managed to assimilate into my suit itself, attacking the organic connections between it and myself. I almost died from the event following in which doctors had to surgically remove the suit while I was unconscious but had no success saving me from the infection. Thankfully, the Galactic Federation developed a cure before I perished. This left me and my new “Fusion Suit” with the ability to absorb the X in order to alleviate physical exhaustion and refill energy reserves, on top of other things.” Celestia neared a house where the recent talon tracks seemed to end. The wall where the front door should have been was bashed open, leaving a hole the size of an oversized carriage. She slowly approached the entrance and glanced inside; destroyed furniture and torn up flooring welcoming her into the carnage. She empowered her senses and searched for life within the settlement but found her perception distorted as if something was keeping her from being able to see it. “This must be a trick from Ridley!” She looked back to her following guard and gave a nod for the all clear, but gestured towards the stairs with her hoof and pursed her lips in a shhhh motion. The captain behind her nodded and selected two different unicorns from the group and then motioned towards the left and right rooms near the stairs for investigation. Celestia had already begun the trek up the steps in a silent glide, assisted by her magic. She felt the pull of life grow stronger as she scaled the stairs and looked toward a lone door at the end of the short hallway.

“So close to death, and you were given a reward. Now, if any of us encounter Ridley, you encouraged the use of Ice magic. Why was this?” Luna’s senses cleared as she held her head within her hoof and the dust settled around her. The world seemed to gyrate uncontrollably while a ringing filled the air around her and began to crescendo. The white noise began to subside little by little as Luna regained her bearings, but the world refused to stop swirling. The princess could command celestial bodies larger than any country on the planet, but her own domain was defying her. As coherency increased she tried to piece together what had happened, her mind eventually settling upon the event leading to her stunned state. She found herself near the explosion that she had utilized to clear the disarray of debris. She had done this to-! Luna bolted to all fours and willed the world to be still under her might. Her limbs surprisingly obeying her commands under the force of her willpower, she set off to find the life source that had been trapped behind the rubble.

“From what I remember, thee had said that Ice was thine most effective weapon against such destructive foes. Was it solely for weakness, or dost thou believe there may be more to it?” Samus had questioned Loyal Spear on the parasite he had spotted first, “I saw it enter the street from behind the newspaper mill over there,” he gestured with his hoof towards an old and decrepit factory, “maybe there will be more of them if we check.” Samus nodded in reply, it only seemed logical that if they found one X that there would be more. She took off towards the newspaper mill with the group in tow. The unicorns prepared a charge within their horns; they did not want to suffer a fate of cold death after being taken over by a ravenous parasite. Once nearing the paper tomb, Samus activated her scanner in an attempt to find any other X parasite that might escape the naked eye. She reached a door along the side entrance of the building and motioned for her group to get into position. Each pony set to fill their respective spots and waited for the door to open before they were to rush in and eradicate all threats. Samus kept her scanner active as she slowly eased the door open, revealing the cavernous space inside. Old machines could be seen rusting over and decaying after years of inactivity. Spare newspapers cluttered the floor and random litter joined the fray. But Samus stood stock still when she realized what was at the edge of the room near the office entrance.

“From most all of my endeavours it has seemed that my Ice beam is the most lethal of all. Especially considering the X parasite will freeze when hit by an ice missile of mine. So, Ridley should retain his old weakness because of this. Remember that we are here to kill Ridley. He does not play games, he does not fight fair and he most certainly does not leave survivors. If you want to protect your subjects you will have to be ready.” Celestia eased her way through the entrance to the bedroom and swept over the area with her eyes. It was all still intact, it seemed that only the bottom floor had been affected by Ridley’s rampage. As she turned to leave, she heard a sound behind her and immediately enhanced her senses to detect the source. She had found what she was looking for; a lone soul, hiding behind her in fear and in the form of a unicorn pony. Celestia trotted towards its hiding spot within the closet and slowly pulled it open with her magic. Once the door slid open she saw the stallion cowering in the corner with sweat on his brow and a mask of pain on his face. Celestia walked towards him and attempted to ease his pain, “there there my little pony, do not be afraid, it’s just me.” The pony looked up for a moment into Celestia’s eyes before he turned his gaze back down towards his abdomen and grimaced in pain. “Celestia... princess. The parasite we were warned about... one found me.”

“Of course, I am ready to protect my little ponies at all costs. Whatever the sacrifice; I will make it.” Luna stepped forth and found what she had been seeking; an overturned dumpster that had been covered in debris from the building. Although, Ridley was nowhere to be seen, they set forth on freeing the pony. Once they had cleared all the litter and destruction, Luna gently used her telekinesis to remove the dumpster and set it aside. A young colt was weeping in the fetal position underneath, his body trembling with each great heave of breath and his eyes bloodshot from the running tears. He had a white coat with brown discolorations on his flank and left eye at immediate glance. He also had a dark brown mane with a light brown stripe in the middle.

“I too vow to do what is necessary to destroy this vile fiend. He shall no longer be allowed free reign upon our subjects.” Samus signalled for the guards to stop as she deactivated her glaring red scanner. There, about 40 feet in front of Samus, was the crouched figure of Ridley. And he was feasting on a white bone.

“No, no! Please don’t hurt her!” The light grey pegasus struggled against the space pirate who was holding his wife in a death grasp. Ridley’s hand slowly clenched, crushing the earth pony mare inside. His claws dug into her skin and released torrents of blood. He held the stallion in his spiked tail as to not interrupt his kill. The mare screamed in agony as her bones snapped under the extreme pressure. The stallion screamed with her in rage and anguish at seeing his loved one perish in such pain. Tears splattered over the mare’s cheeks, her eyes shut tightly as she waited for the inevitable; which Ridley brought on swiftly. He closed his hand, a sickening crunch filled the room and he tossed aside the ragdoll body for later before bringing the stallion in front of him.

“NO! Why, Celestia!? You killed her! Curse you to Tartarus you monster!” A figure approached from the hallway behind Ridley, but he didn’t hear it over the pegasus’ screams. He lifted his tail towards the ceiling before bringing it down like a hammer a moment later. The floorboards smashed as the pony took the brunt of the blow, blood spattered across the wood as the stallion was almost knocked unconscious. Ridley brought his tail up a second time but instead used it to whip the stallion at the wall opposite from them. The pegasus tumbled through the air at breakneck speed for about half a second before striking the wall and hitting the floor with a limp thud. Ridley crawled towards the body and tore into the flesh. As he ate, his ears perked to the sound of a floorboard creaking behind him. He glanced towards the sound and noticed a much smaller pony frozen in absolute fright. They stared at each other for a moment before the little equine screamed and bolted out of the room.

Ridley screeched and flung the half-devoured body into the corner where the mare had landed before bursting through the already destroyed doorway and following the young pony’s screams on the first floor.

Pipsqueak stared at the hole torn through the front wall of his house. He had never seen something destroyed like this before; the hole itself towered above him and was wide enough for him to take in the entire front room. But when he heard a scream he stopped all wonderment. He recognized the voice as his mother’s and immediately galloped towards the ascending staircase. The woodwork was severely damaged, some sections even looked burnt, but what scared him most was the breach in his parent’s bedroom wall. He slowly trotted forward before hearing another scream and a loud crunch. He stopped for a moment before hearing something thump against the wall inside the room. He swallowed hard and decided to continue the trek forward.

As he entered the room he noticed a large, black winged creature holding his dad in what looked like its tail. In the corner he could see the battered form of his mother, but she was completely still. His mind began to set into shock, he couldn’t even fathom the situation his parents were in. But he was wrenched out of his stupor when his father screamed, “NO! Why, Celestia!? You killed her! Curse you to Tartarus you monster!” Pipsqueak felt his eyes water as a torrent of emotions seized him. “Mummy?” But he wasn’t allowed time to grieve over her death, as his father was thrust into the air and then brought sailing back down into the floor with another crunch of wood and bone.

The creature lifted his father towards the ceiling and whipped him at the far wall. Pipsqueak’s eyes followed his dad as the pegasus crashed into the wall with a snap and fell limp to the floor. His body heaved when he witnessed his father perish in front of him while his eyes threatened to drown in an onslaught of tears. But he knew he had to leave before he met the same fate. As the creature crawled towards his father’s body, he slowly brought a hoof up in an attempt to get out of the death zone. But when he set it back down, the floor gave way to a wooden creak. The creature stopped in its feasting and looked towards him.

He was forced to return the monster’s silent expression with his look of horror; causing his skin to pale under his mottled fur. Its eyes were devoid of compassion and were only representative of demons. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe. The only sound was the slow and rhythmic patter of blood falling from the mouth of the dragon-beast. But adrenaline finally kicked in and he screamed in fear. Turning around, he galloped out of the impromptu tomb and dashed with reckless abandon down the stairs; towards the outside. He heard the creature screech behind him and give chase.

He didn’t think, he only acted on instinct. Every muscle in his body trembled in exhaustion and overexertion as he rounded corners and galloped through the cold streets. But no matter how far he got, the creature was always just a few steps behind, screaming in its pleasure of the hunt. Pip saw an open door and dove inside, galloping past furnishings and springing out the back entrance before taking off towards the business district. He didn’t know that’s where he was headed, he only knew that he needed to gallop and never stop. When he chanced a look behind himself, he saw the creature had been slowed. But he whipped his head back forward when he saw an orange blob break itself off from its skin and start floating through the air.

Everything was white flashes of painful memories after that. He remembered galloping behind his once favorite store and scampering into the half-filled dumpster. He had braved the smell, cowering under the closed lid while trying to listen for any sign of his pursuer through the open one. He also remembered hearing the screech of the creature following him as it made it’s way past the shop and towards his location. He remembered feeling the dumpster getting overturned, trapping him inside the upside-down bin. The destruction didn’t stop there, as the rage filled being also tore apart the store above him and caused a mountain of debris to cover his hiding spot, burying him in a tomb of trash, metal and stone.

Ridley screamed in rage at having lost the little pony snack. It had led him away from the two bodies he had planned to consume, and even outran him through the streets. He focused his anger at the nearest object, tossing aside a lone dumpster like it was a child’s toy. He then raked his claws and tail across the building nearest to him, sending piles of stone raining down upon the overturned container. He ran out of the alley and set off towards a set of warehouses he had recently spotted.

Celestia shook her head sadly as the company of guards trotted out of the house with the infected pony in tow. He was covered in a magical shield by one of the unicorn guards. He was obviously depressed and felt no hope for living, but Celestia urged him to come meet Samus in case she could help him. But that sliver of hope was but a small glint of light within what seemed a well of doubt. Samus had explicitly warned them of the parasite, and how it meant certain death to those it infects without the cure. But she had promised to protect her little ponies, she had promised to do all she could.

She was dragged out of her swirling mind when the captain of her group yelled, “there it is! The distress signal! Celestia, look!” She craned her head towards the sky and saw it; a lone metal construct propelling itself through the empty night. After a short time the missile stopped its ascent and exploded in the sky. There was a brilliant flash of bright light accompanied by a firework sized bang and a shower of ice. Celestia looked over her subjects and raised her voice above the murmurs, “Samus requires our help!”

The princess of night cradled the weeping colt in a veil of violet magic. The rest of the group nodded in understanding at his predicament and kindly left Luna and him alone. She brought him close and spoke in a hushed and reassuring voice, “hush now little one. I am here, and thou art safe. The monster is gone.” His weeping did not falter, but he managed to open his eyes long enough to catch a glimpse of the pony that was comforting him. Though his crying did stop when he recognized the alicorn before him as one of the regal sisters.

He was about to speak when his vision was filled with a flash of light and his ears resounded with a terrible impact of sound. He shielded his head with his hooves and yelled in fear, hoping the princess would protect him against the attacker. But when nothing more happened he looked to her and saw that she was gazing at the sky. He followed her gaze and saw a shower of crystallized ice float from the empty night air. The group returned in response to the sign and she gave them a nod before turning back to the colt and talking once more, “I am sorry my dear little colt, but thee will need to go to a safe place. I will have a guard escort thee to the castle.” With that, she motioned towards a guard near the front of the pack to step forward before placing Pipsqueak upon his back. “See that he makes it to the castle safely, and then return to the origin of the signal.” The pegasus beat his chest plate in confirmation then began his rush towards the castle with a few flaps of his wings.

Luna looked back over the falling shards of ice and thought of what she was about to encounter. She thought of the horrors the poor colt must have faced, and the darkness that must live inside that monsters soul. “Subjects, follow me, for Samus requires assistance.”