The Zarah Incident

Outerverse's Note: Seeing as though CapCom sent me the docs for Zarah, I decided to add them in to the new MIFF site for posterity's sake.  Just remember, this story snippet was originally part of The Silence but was removed for being too Off Topic.  Therefore, by MIFF standards NONE OF THIS EVER HAPPENED during The Silence and will most likely remain as junk works.

One more thing: In my opinion, I agree with nameless...The Zarah Incident was flat out horrible.

Chapter 036
Dead Re-awakens by SLAM

The Master stands by as he watches the Silence send the Scout into the temple after Samus and Houston. He wishes he could help by warning them. But his death has put him an alternate reality...The Dimension of the Dead.

Beside him, a small portal opens up. Out from the portal walks a tall gold armored woman with blue hair. She walks to the Master and introduces herself.

"I am Zarah, a wanderer from the 3 cities of Heaven. I have come to inform you that you must go before the Judge, the Master of All" Zarah says as she points to the portal that resembles a tear in space.

"I can not go now. I must stay and watch over the chosen one and Houston. I must stay and watch to make sure they succeed," the Master says as he walks toward the temple.

Zarah grabs him. "You must go before the Judge. I can stay here and watch them for you. I know of all the prophecies and legends in the entire universe. I will watch and guide them. It is very important that you go before the Judge. He will decide on how much training of the Heavenly Arts you need."

The Master looks at her and then back at the temple. He then shakes his head and walks toward the portal. "I wish you luck," the Master says as he steps through the portal. When he is completely through, the portal zips it's self up like a zipper.

Zarah looked toward the temple. In her mind, she pictured the room where Samus and Houston were in. She then closed her eyes and started to fade away.

· · ·

Zarah reappeared behind Samus and Houston as they tried to pull the giant staff out of the statue's hands. Zarah turned her head and saw the Silence's Scout quickly approach with metallic wings out stretched ready to kill. She had to make them realize they were about to be attacked. She focused her thoughts and sight on Samus and Houston.

After a few seconds, they both turned their heads and saw the Scout come straight for them....

Chapter 037
Dead Re-awakens (part 2) by FireNexus

"Noooooooooo!!" the Silence thought as it watched the occurrences.

Zarah was the most powerful of the technomages-mages, and by far the most annoying. After it had defeated the rest of them and killed them, Zarah managed to exile him with the SuperNexus. That dreaded weapon, At least it had been separated and scattered. But Zarah was a problem. She was nearly as powerful as it in her new state. He would dispose of her though, in time.

Chapter 038
Zarah by chump

The two power-suited warriors had little time to react to the incoming Scout. The female, much faster with her reflexes than the other, quickly raised, unlocked the safety, and powered up her blaster in one swift motion. Two balls of energy lurched from the gunbarrel and outward towards the black menace, now just a ripple in the murky air of the chamber.

One shot arced off the side of the thing, impacting on the ceiling of the room, showering them with bits of dirt and rock. The other glanced off the Scout's wing, sending it off at an odd vector.

By now, the other warrior had raised his weapon and fired at the careening demon. The plasma ball hit, phasing around the thing, bright yellow on dark black. There was a shriek-like sound, one that still chilled Zarah even today, and the Scout was gone.

"What was that thing?" the slower one asked.

"I don't know...do you think we killed it? I don't see any sign of it...."

"Samus, I'm glad you noticed it, whatever it was. From what the minions did, I'd sure hate to see what that thing could do."

"Houston, I don't know what that was, but it had the same style as a Minion...almost. Wait...I didn't tell you to turn..."

The Samus quickly pivoted to give her a good view of what was behind her. A tall, golden armored female stood, blue hair hanging stark against the darkness of the temple. She spoke in a voice that was somehow neither feminine nor male. "I am Zarah. We have much to discuss."

Chapter 039
Zarah (part 2) by SLAM

Before she could speak again, her heavenly power wore off. Her golden image in the Dimension of the Living. She now stood unseen to the two warriors.

"Damn, I didn't get a chance to tell them the location of the SuperNexus. I will have to tell them through telepathy," Zarah said as she focused her thoughts. She focused on the catacombs of the temple. She focused on the chest locked behind the two giant skulls. That was the location of the first piece of the SuperNexus.

After she sent her thoughts to the warriors, she thought of her past. She thought back of her first life living as a Princess on Old Earth in the middle ages. When she died, she didn't wait long to become a wanderer. She was chosen to be reincarnated as a technomage in her second life. After her death, she remembered her deep studies in the Heavenly Arts. She became one of the greatest Angel of Justice. Now, she didn't really care to go back again, mortality can only go so far. It is good to be immortal.

· · ·

"Wait, don't go!" Yelled Samus as the golden armored Zarah faded away.

"Who was that mid-evil knight looking girl?" Houston asked very confused.

"She said her name was Zarah," Samus said very interested in what Zarah could have told them.

Just then, images came into their head. Images of the catacomb, a chest and two giant skulls.

"I don't know why, but I just got these weird images in my head," Houston first stated.

"Do these images involve the catacomb, a chest and two skulls?" Samus asked in a tired tone.

Houston looked back at her and gave her an odd look. "That's exactly right."

Samus then looked back and got locked in his stare. "Why don't we go check out the catacomb?"

· · ·

The Silence looked confused. He just had Zarah the technomage-mage, in his radar. And then all mysteriously, she disappeared. This had the Silence baffled. He thought that he could be dealing with a ghost. It quickly crossed that idea out. If it were a ghost, then it would be one of the Silence's ghosts.

The Silence stopped wasting time and had to decide on a new plan of action. Those warriors took out his minions, his Mother Brain manifestation and his Scout. He needed to summon his most powerful creature. No, he had to take action by making a body for it's self. It was a hard choice. He had to give it a lot of thought.

After some thought, The Silence decided to send the deadly Pyres, a giant dragon that could easily eat Samus and Houston for breakfast. If Pyres started to lose in battle, The Silence would take full control by entering Pyres' body.

Deep within a volcano on the far side of the planet, the great dragon wakens...

Chapter 040
The Water Nexus’ Origins by FireNexus

Samus and Houston reached the catacomb of the Temple. When they looked at the power meters, temporal distortion was off the scale.

"Houston, it looks like we entered a kind of save node," said Samus "if we are destroyed here, our bodies will be recreated on the outside. It's these distortions that are causing it."

Well let's not test that theory," Houston remarked "death isn't on my list of things to do right now."

As they entered the catacomb, large geysers were spraying highly acidic compounds. Anything that dare let itself near them was vaporized in seconds.

"This is not good." thought Samus, "not good at all."

How were they supposed to get passed the acids? Readings showed that energy loss would be considerable, and who knows what lay on the other side.

Houston and Samus scanned the area and found a large energy well behind a wall. Stepping into it, they dematerialized for a few seconds, being still in control as if nothing had changed. Using this, they might be able to pass the geysers unharmed.

Houston went first, and successfully got through without harm. He was even recharged. When Samus went, there were complications. She had a vision.

In it, was a young man holding a small blue crystal. Suddenly large rivers appeared on either side of him. He suddenly glowed along with the crystal. As he glowed, he became older. Like he was dipping his youth into the crystal his body withered and died. A man and woman came to him, weeping, angry and passionate. As they cried, the man put the crystal in a small satchel. Obviously intent on using it's power, this man's youth.

All the while seeing this, Samus felt the young was willing to do what he had done. Then she realized what the blue crystal was. It was the WaterNexus.

Then she realized why these crystals were so powerful. Good men gave their lives so they could be that powerful. So that they were capable of defeating the Silence. She knew that she must honor their wishes. As she appeared on the other side of the geyser, she knew that she was gonna get down to business.

Chapter 041
Journey in the Dark by SLAM

Zarah guided them the best she could through the dark twisted catacomb. As she guided them, she gave both Samus and Houston visions. She gave Samus a major vision about the WaterNexus.

Houston had multiple short visions about the 12 psychics that were capable of becoming great wizards. He had visions on their quest to the center of the Universe to find Absolute Harmony. Houston has only had 11 visions about 5 seconds long.

Zarah guided them to the large cell door with a giant knight beside it. Inside was the giant skulls that were guarding the chest. They proceeded toward the door. But stopped when they felt the ground shake like an earthquake.....

· · ·

Pyres slowly rises from the Volcano. The giant looked nearly unstoppable. Grabbing onto some rock he pulls himself out of the volcano with an earthquaking shake....

· · ·

Something small and powerful falls from the heavens towards the ground. It looks like a meteor to the naked eye, but was something else. It flies by Pyres' head and lands with an earthquaking shake....

· · ·

The Silence turns from the temple as the earthquaking shake strikes. The Silence silently mutters "Oh, NO!"

Chapter 042
Impact by chump

As the dust settled around the impact site, a black cloaked figure emerged. It lifted its head, arms crossed, and motioned with its hands. Twin beams of energy shot out from its finger tips and arced up into the sky. Storm clouds suddenly appeared, eclipsing the setting sun, and an echelon of ball lightning streamed down from the heavens, swirling around the figure in its own private little tempest, its cloak fluttering in the wind. Suddenly, the figure's hands shot out and the ground around the Silence was charred black as the lightning dissipated.

Lifting it's cloak cover, the face of a male technomage was suddenly illuminated in a lightning blast, its most distinguishing feature being a long, vertical scar running down his eye.

"Why did you summon Pyres?" the technomage spoke slowly and deeply. A thunderclap sounded, rumbling down the canyons and into the temple.

They offworlders are after the water crystal. Zarah is with them.

Behind the Silence, Pyres unfurled its mighty wings, smoke furling out around the great dragon's head as it glared down at the human.

"Ahh...I always wondered what happened to that fool. Too bad she's an immortal. Oh, and your 'creations' were not powerful enough to take care of them?"

The Samus has powerful weapon-

"I don't care if they've got an entire WAR CLAN DOWN THERE!" Pockets of sulfur opened up around the Silence, releasing a miasmal throng of fire and smoke. The technomage still spoke in a low tone, yet his anger was very visible. "You do NOT use my dragon. Or have you gotten weak and lazy over the centuries and forgotten how to make your own?"

No...

Three large metallic-looking drakes emerged in a swirl of black stars, dagger-like wings glinting in the lightning.

"Ahh...I see that you are still using the old tricks. I assume they were easily defeated by the offworlders. Tsk tsk, you should really try something new for a change."

The three drakes fizzled into wave patterns and charged towards the technomage at near supersonic speeds, then re-materialized when they were four feet away from him. Or at least tried to. As they tried to re-form, the waves dispersed as the technomage erected an invisible barrier around himself. The dark beams turned at a ninety degree angle and sunk into the earth.

"Really. You've got a lot to learn."

That's what you think...

· · ·

Deep inside the catacomb, Zarah threw her hands to her temples and screamed.

Chapter 043
Roll of Thunder, Hear the Silence by SLAM

The mighty technomage-mage and the Silence battled it out. Each used their power to overthrow the other.

Out of the corner of it's eyes, the Silence sensed something buried slightly under the sand where the the technomage-mage landed. Without hesitation, the Silence rushed towards it, manifesting a pair of arms from the bone up, skin, muscle, and tendon forming into a recognizable shape, and grabbed it. The Silence then stared at it and above it and yelled out in success....I HAVE THE FIRENEXUS!

The technomage-mage looked up in amazement, gasped in shock, then looked down to his side and noticed that the FireNexus' containment box was opened when he crashed down. "NO! I can't believe this. You don't deserve the power of the FireNexus!"

The Silence then replies, Jonnas, you would be one to complain. I can't believe you gave up your immortality to come complain about Pyres. When you died, it was up for grabs. And I grabbed him.

"I won't let you take my two best possessions." Jonnas yelled out as he prepared to attack. He held his hand diagonally up and then yelled, "I SUMMON THE ULTIMATE FIRE MAGIC, LUMINARY!” With that stated, a great beam of light shined from the heavens and touched his fist. Then a might fireball erupted from his fist toward the Silence.

The Silence stopped the fireball by activating the power of the FireNexus. A giant flaming bubble shield surrounded the Silence and absorbed the fireball from the almighty God. The shield then swelled up and then spit the fireball back to Jonnas only bigger with a fierce flaming wave trailing behind. The suped up blast hit the armorless Jonnas and sent him flying toward the temple.

Pyres then bowed down to the Silence. That's right. Bow before your all powerful leader. I am now invincible! Time for the beginning of the End!

· · ·

Zarah, now realizing the level of difficulty, thought this would be practically impossible for the 2 warriors. She had to make them realize their destiny now. She then sent them each two visions.

Samus' vision showed her completing the SuperNexus and becoming the Ultimate Defender of Justice. She would then do battle with the Silence in the Center of the Universe.

Houston's vision showed him arriving in the Center of the Universe and finding Absolute Harmony. He would then learn how to control Absolute Harmony and control the fighting ground for Samus and the Silence.

After both of their visions, Zarah mentally guided them to the chest inside the cell. She then let them unlock it on their own. Samus looked around the chest and couldn't find anything. Houston checked the Skull to the left of the chest.

After searching it, he finds a key. He then tells Samus to check the right giant skull. She then found another key.

They both used the two keys to open the chest.

Inside the chest was the great WaterNexus. It rose up above them and sparkled like a blue ocean, like from Old Earth. Both Samus and Houston reached out and touched it. Even through their power suits, they could feel the immense power of the WaterNexus.

Zarah then smiled with hope. She could tell that even though things looked bad, everything would turn out fine. She then concentrated on the Sacred Dimension, another parallel dimension used only as worship to the almighty God. In a flash of light, Zarah, Samus and Houston vanished into the darkness for a very important meeting....

Chapter 044
Dual Harmony by CapCom (aka Chump)

Charred and blackened, Jonnas lay slumped over a pile of rubble outside of the temple ruins, thinking of nothing but pain. He gave a ragged cough, exhaling a thin cloud of smoke, and twisted on his side. Immediately, he regretted it, and gave a faint wheeze as excruciating pain radiated from his right arm, benumbing that of his lesser burns. Rolling his head to look, he saw that the arm was charred, nearly to the bone, by the fireball.

He needed to fix that, and soon.

Looking at the rest of his body for a piece of his cloak he could use as a tourniquet, he saw only small tatters of fabric trailing thin wisps of smoke which quickly dissipated in the thin air.

Summoning his inner strength, he manifested a new cloak. Using the remnants of the older one, he manifested those clean and wrapped them around his shattered right arm with his mind.

As the pain in his arm began to evaporate, the dull, throbbing burns of the rest of his broken body took hold of him.

Collapsing on the remnants of a nearby pillar, he tried to recollect what had happened.

He had come down to face the Silence and keep it from stealing his dragon PYRES! (just wanted to make sure I got it right this time). Somehow, he had lost his crystal but used his most powerful fireball spell, which was rebounded back at him. The dragon hadn't even laid a claw to stop it...

Pyres.

HIS creation.

A deeper pain, more greater than what he was already experiencing, settled into his stomach. Pyres had betrayed him! And now, the Silence had control of one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. He was lucky he had escaped with his life.

Turning around at a sudden presence, he quickly realized that not only two could play at that game, but that he was soon to be wrong about a lot of things.

· · ·

Deep inside the planet, the three drakes re-materialized around the water nexus' chest. With the barrier around the ruins broken, they could easily come in and take what they needed before the offworlders got there.

Unfortunately though, when they got there, the nexus was nowhere to be seen, an empty chest in its place. Emitting a high-pitched, unearthly scream, the three drakes rose in unison towards the surface.

· · ·

The scout watched from its wave-pattern state as the battered human repaired itself. It would watch the Jonnas...for awhile. Then, when it was certain he was preoccupied, the scout would close in and make sure the technomage was dead.

As it hovered in a dark corner of the ruins, it considered what it would tell the Silence. Though it had failed in its attempt to kill the offworlders early on, the scout had been successful at tracking them deep inside the planet. Unable to do much with Zarah around, it had waited for the right moment to strike.

It had also witnessed Zarah's megrim...and knew where she had gone to with the offworlders.

They had been wrong to think that a part of the Silence could be killed so easily. Granted, the hyper beams were powerful, but beam weapons will do nothing against a being that can morph into energy. Had it been one of the Silence's lesser creations, the scout would have been incinerated by the Houston's weapon.

The Jonnas stirred. It was time for the scout to make its move. Hunching on its nonexistant limbs, it quickly morphed into existence, glinting in the last rays of the sun. The scout flung itself down towards the unsuspecting technomage and, poised to strike, the mage....disappeared.

Perhaps there were other things on this world that were hard to kill.

· · ·

Experimental Ending
by nameless

From nameless: Well, as you all know, the story has taken a dramatic turn (I think for the worst) since I have been gone. But here is how I would have ended it. Keep in mind that this ending occurs AFTER the final battle with the Silence and disregards Chapters 36-44. Here is what I would have written:

Samus lifted herself from the ground. She looked around. The ground was speckled with rubble and large shards of stone, ruins or an already ruined temple. The servos in her right leg had been severely damaged, and she limped clumsily to the cliffs edge. The plaque that was once suspended above the temple door lay on the ground shattered, the great prophecies lost forever. She scanned the horizon and wondered how any more life could have been drained from that already desolate landscape. The Silence had finally been driven from the land, and with it left all remnants of fertility. The cool wind sprayed her feet with even colder sand. She looked down at a ledge below and spotted motion, a figure, it was Houston! She quickly descended to the ledge, awkwardly dragging her suit's disabled leg behind her.

"Houston!" she cried, "Houston, you're alive!!!" The burnt naked figure rose it's blackened face and looked at her with eyes that had already witnessed miracles. "Samus, is that you," his weak crackling voice made distant by the whipping wind. "I thought you were dead... the suit..." Samus said, tearful with relief. "I ejected before the silence absorbed it. I almost lost it, Samus, I almost wend back with the Suit." And so it was that Houston had ridden the suit in it's infinite cycle, and escaped it before completing it's journey throughout time and space. And he would ride it many times again as it travels forever through infinity.

The Silence had been driven from the universe, and several days later after the auto repairs were complete, Samus and Houston were able to leave that damnable dead planet. As the ship ascended above the outer atmosphere of Tabnazsh, Samus looked down at the surface. A sadness fell over her as she witnessed the effects of evil on a once great civilization. She hoped that somehow, through her inconsequential human efforts, she was able to assuage the souls of the Watchers in the name of all that is good in the universe. "Let's get the hell outta here," she said to Houston. The hyper drive kicked in and with a brilliant flash of light to contrast the dark profile of the planet below, they were gone.