269„Look out!" Shinji shouted when a barrage of arrow-shaped energy projectiles flew in their direction. The two Arwings and the Warp Star broke their formation and flew in three different directions to dodge the incoming attack.
There was no sound in space, but the twisted visage of the corrupted Marx almost made them hear his mad cackle. The three crafts flew wide arcs and started another attack on the Phazon creature.
"What's he doing now?" Rei wondered. She tried to focus her mental powers on the corrupt being. Over the past weeks, she had managed to improve her skills with the the psychic abilities that came with this body, but the thoughts of this creature were hard to grasp. They were a twisting, swirling vortex of chaos and it was difficult for her to grasp even a single coherent thought. Then, she gasped.
"Be careful!" she shouted into the communicator. "He's spawning additional backup!"
The two foxes and the Dream Lander watched with surprise how the mad being opened his mouth wider than it should be biologically possible… and a swarm of blue-glowing creatures came forth from his inside. None of them looked insane… some resembled jellyfish, weird space-bugs or even twisted caricatures of Pop Star inhabitants.
"I'm going in," Shinji said. "Keep the enemies while I try and find a weak spot on that thing."
"Roger that!" Fox nodded as he used a charged shot to destroy a small swarm of Phazon Scarfys. "Rei, you've got bogeys on your tail."
"No worries," the blue vixen said as she flew an elegant somersault and shot the monsters that attacked her from behind.
The foxes couldn't help but exchange a smirk… this was almost like the battles back in the Lylat System, where they fought side by side to protect it from hostile invaders.
But this time… they fought together with even more allies… to repel an even greater threat.
He saw a slightly bigger space creature flying at Rei, with flayling tentacles that shot bursts of Phazon at her craft. "Another one," he said as he took aim. "This one's mine…"
He was so focussed on the enemy that he didn't notice another group of monsters that approached him from behind, ready to attack. By the time he noticed, it was almost too late… but then the creatures were blasted to pieces by a volley of shots.
Fox looked out in surprise and saw three Wolfen flying into battle.
"What's the matter, Foxy?" came Lupe's cocky voice. "Need me to watch your back?"
"You guys didn't think we'd let you fight this fight alone, did you?" Pardus smirked.
Shinji smiled. "You guys… thanks."
"Don't get used to it," Gecko grumbled. "This is just a means to an end. If we don't save your asses, who else is gonna get us to Zoness?"
"We appreciate the help," Rei said. "But for now, let us focus on the fight."
From the Halberd's bridge, Asuka, Meta Knight and the two Ice Climbers watched the space battle with worry.
"Oh no, that looks bad," Popo whimpered. "Watch out, sis! There are bad guys coming your way."
"You worry too much," Nana said. "Hikari… I mean, Lupe has it under control. See? She's awesome in that scapeship of hers! Go big sis!"
Next to them, Asuka looked outside, much less enthusiastic. "I hate being useless…" she muttered. "Why can't I have a cool spaceship? Isn't there anything we can do to help them?"
"Certainly," Meta Knight nodded. "The Halberd is a battleship, equipped to take on a multitude of enemies." He turned to face his bridge crew. "Men, prepare the main cannon!"
"Yes, sir!" a small, skull-faced soldier saluted. He faced his console. "Charging up main cannon… charge process complete. Ready to fire, sir!"
"Aim for the middle of Marx's body," Meta Knight said. "Wait for the right opportunity… on my count… one… two…"
Marx chose that exact moment to fire a broad, glowing beam out of his mouth. Shinji managed to dodge the attack at the last second. The occupants of the Halberd bridge stumbled when the whole ship started shaking.
"Whaaaah, this is scary," Popo shouted.
"This isn't fun anymore," Nana agreed. "I wanna go home."
"Everyone, hold on to something!" Meta Knight shouted as he clung to the steering wheel. "Damage report!"
"A frontal hit!" a crewman reported. "The main cannon suffered critical damage. I think it can be repaired, but… not while we're in outer space."
Asuka took a deep breath. "That… that was insane!"
"Insane?" Meta Knight frowned underneath his mask. "Marx has always been a tad crazy… when the artificial star NOVA granted him the powers to take over Dream Land, his fragile mind became even more twisted. I can't even begin to fathom how much this Phazon corruption must have plunged him further into the depths of madness. However… this attack was used with the aim to use our most efficient weapon to help our allies in the fight. It makes me wonder… there must be a higher intelligence controlling his actions."
"So… does that mean we're helpless now?" Asuka asked.
"No, we still have a large number of smaller cannons. But they have limited range, so we won't be able to hit Marx from where we are. But at least we can assist the others in their battle against the enemy." He spoke into the microphone. "Attention all crew! Concentrate fire on the small enemy swarms! Keep them from attacking our ally ships."
"Damn!" Asuka cursed. She felt so helpless, standing in the middle of this motley crew of midget Dream Landers… and yet, they were able to contribute more to the battle than her. "There has got to be something I can do!"
Then her gaze wandered outside, to the giant meteor that was still moving through space, unhindered by the Halberd or the smaller fighters that were engaging Marx.
"The others are occupied… but if we don't stop this thing, it will crash into Zoness…" she murmured. She knew exactly what that would mean for the world and its inhabitants… the exact same plague Keel Lorenz had unleashed on so many other worlds.
"This is worse than what the Angels did," she muttered to herself. "I need to do something… I have to stop it! And I'm not helpless, I am the princess of Hyrule!"
Back when she was an Evangelion pilot, many had criticized her temper and pride. They said it could blind her in battle, and sometimes, that was true. But often enough, it also helped her gather enough will, determination and courage to accomplish the impossible!
And even though the most acclaimed trait of the female members of Hyrule's royal family was Wisdom, this was a time when something else was needed: The unbreakable will of a warrior! Link was not around? Well, Asuka would have to take matters into her own hands!
She closed her eyes and summoned up all the powers she could find inside of her, all the mystical strength that wa flowing through the veins of the royal family. She found wisdom and peace in it, but also determination, strength and courage. She allowed the magic to flow freely through her body, she felt herself become one with the magic.
Meta Knight and the Ice Climbers were startled when suddenly, Asuka's body started glowing in a bright light. She was lifted off the ground by an invisible power and floated in mid-air. She opened her eyes, eyes that were brighter than any of the stars they saw outside in space. With a flash of power, the Sheikah garments she was wearing seemed to explode outwards… and were replaced with a regal, flowing dress, befitting a princess, or queen… or even goddess!
Asuka stretched her arms out in the direction of the Leviathan and focussed her will on it. She increased the magical flow of power her body was radiating… and soon enough, a golden aura appeared around the enormous, phazon-filled rock.
"Wh-what's going on?" Popo asked. "What's happening to the flying rock?"
"It seems unlikely, child… but I believe she is trying to stop it," Meta-Knight said.
"The asteroid's velocity has decreased," a soldier shouted. "It's slowing down."
Asuka grimaced. "It's so big and fast… I can't stop it…"
"Keep trying, princess!" Meta Knight shouted, his warrior's heart filled with hope. "Even if you slow it down, you are buying us all the time we might need."
In the middle of the Leviathan, the two Samus Aran-lookalikes jumped to their feet when they felt the vibrations going through their vessel.
"What is this?" Dark Rei growled. „What are they doing to my wonderful weapon of destruction?"
The SA-X touched the walls of the chamber they were in and shuddered. It made a few inhuman, hissing noises and glared at its darker counterpart.
"I don't know, somehow they are impeding our course," Dark Rei grumbled. "But they can try as much as they want, it won't be enough… no force is strong enough to stop the Subspace Emissary!"
She cackled madly as she stepped next to one of the blue-shimmering walls with her palms. "Go faster, my Leviathan!" she shouted. "Let us cover another unsuspecting world with glorious, infective Phazon. Zoness' days are numbered."
On Zoness, both inhabitants and military personnel were in an uproar. The Leviathan was coming closer and closer, and even though it had yet to enter the planet's atmosphere, it's sheer size was clearly visible for everyone, not just on computer screens.
In the command center, the leading officers were debating what measures could be taken to avoid a catastrophe.
"A comet of this size will leave a crater the size of a continent!" Nell said. The human tactician was visibly shaken. "Not only will our main base be completely destroyed, it will be the deaths for millions of people."
"Okay, everyone, let's keep a cool head," Falco said. "There's got to be something we can do to take that thing out before it hits bottom. How about we fire a couple of missiles at it?"
"I'm afraid that won't do us any good," Beltino replied with a sigh. "No matter how many missiles we use, the resulting shards will still be big enough to cause a lot of destruction. And they would spread across a much larger impact area, too."
"There's absolutely nothing you can do…" Rhundas said with a grim voice. "I recognize that asteroid too well… it is a Leviathan, filled to the brim with deadly Phazon. It doesn't matter if you shoot it or not, the Phazon will still spread across the planet surface like a plague, corrupting any living thing it comes in contact with. Back on Norion, we only had one chance to take it out, and we barely managed to do it, thanks to the effort of a brave hero… and the only way it could have been done was using an orbital defense cannon. I seriously doubt our little base has one of those."
"Sadly, you are right," Beltino sighed. "The only one we ever had in our possession was located on Corneria."
"Dangit! I won't go down without a fight!" Falco shouted as he pounded the conference table.
"Calm down, Falco," Katt said. "You're right, we need to keep our cool…
"Yes," Slippy nodded. "You are our de facto leader… so what do you think is the best action we could take?"
"Evacuation…" Falco sighed. "It's the only option I see. We won't be able to save everyone in time… but at least a couple of ships should be able to leave before impact."
A cough caught everyone's attention. "If I may…" Dr. Andonuts spoke up. "I know I am just a refugee… and I am aware that not all of you might trust me fully yet, as I worked for Venom… but I think I have an option available that might save all of us."
"You have?" Nell asked with a voice full of hope. The other commanding officers also looked at the human scientist expectantly. By now, every idea to save the planet was better than the alternative.
"Indeed," Andonuts nodded. "As I told you, my escape from Venom wasn't really planned, and I didn't have the opportunity to take a lot of things with me. But there is one thing I made sure to take along when I left, something I was sure would be of great importance later on. And in this very moment, it is the best option we have to save Zoness."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Falco asked impatiently. "Show us!"
The doctor nodded and approached the table. He reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a small figurine… a trophy.
"I told you about the Assist Trophies," he said. "But this one is more than just a simple help in a battle. Unlike all the other victims caught by the Subspace Army, the beings you see here are more than just warriors, champions or heroes… they are gods."
Every pair of eyes in the room was aimed at the doctor, most of them full with disbelief. Rhundas snorted. "Really… gods? Is that the best you can come up with? And all this time, you made the impression that you actually knew what you're talking about…"
"If you are telling us we should pray for our safety, let me tell you that this is not the right time to be religious," Nell said with a reproachful voice.
"You misunderstand me, ma'am," Andonuts said. "These four beings are actual deities that hail from the conquered world of Termina. Well, maybe they are just demigods… but their powers are definitely far greater than any of us can imagine. I can't begin to understand what it must have costed the Subspace Troops to capture them like this. But during my time on Venom, I studied their history carefully. You could say they are the guardian spirits of Termina. They live in the South, North, West and East, and they only come together when the safety of their home world is in jeopardy. It is said that they can be summoned by an ancient melody that only the bravest of heroes can learn."
"I'm done," Rhundas said as he turned around to leave. "Call me when the fairy tale hour is over."
"I assure you that I am not making this up," Andonuts said very firmly. "And it most certainly is more than just a fairy tale. While I was working for the Subspace Army, I have seen and heard about things that made me question everything humankind sees as right and wrong. One thing is for certain: There are more things out there that each and everyone of us could hope to dream of."
Katt took a closer look at the trophy. "Even if what you are saying is true… these guys don't exactly look threatening. What do you think they can do against an approaching comet, let alone one that is stuffed to the brim with a poisonous, mutagenic and highly radioactive substance?"
"Believe me, my dear… right now, they are the only hope I see for this planet."
Falco tapped his index finger against the table thoughtfully as he kept his eyes on the little statue. Not a single word had come out of his beak ever since the scientist had finished his tale about the four guardian gods.
"Let's do it!" he then said.
"You've got to be kidding," Rhundas shouted.
"Falco… are you sure about this?" Katt asked.
Falco nodded. "It is the only option we have, save for an escape plan where we have to leave more than half of the population behind to die. And to be honest, I am not willing to take that sacrifice."
"So you're saying you believe this old man's fantasy tale?" Rhundas asked.
Falco looked at him. "You know my personal history, right? Then you must also know that I've been on my own for a while. I've been away from the Starfox Team for some time… but when I chose to come back to my team, guess what I found? My friend and team lader Fox, fighting off a resurrected Andross, reborn by the powers of the Krazoa… ancient, god-like beings from the planet Sauria. You might not be willing to believe in gods, Rhundas… but I know for a fact that there are creatures out there whose powers are so big that you could as well call them gods. And personally, I don't care if they are gods, powerful evolved creatures or mutated cockroached… if they are able to save this world, our base and billions of people, I will take that chance!"
He turned his head towards Andonuts. "Doctor… tell me what needs to be done, and I will make sure that whatever precautions must be made, will be made."
Dr. Andonuts nodded. "Very well… all we really need is this statue. For a better effect, I suggest we put it at the exact spot where the asteroid is going to impact Zoness."
"I'll have our scientists calculate it right away," Nell said as she hurried outside.
"And then what?" Slippy asked.
"We must play a song… called the 'Oath to Order'."
"Eh… what?" Slippy blinked in surprise. "A song? I'm afraid I don't know how to play any instrument at all…"
"Um… excuse me, but…" Amanda meekly spoke up from the back of the room. "I learned how to play the flute when I was a child."
"Amanda, you're amazing!" Slippy cheered as he hugged his girlfriend. "You never told me about that."
The frog girl blushed. "I… really never thought about telling you. Anyways… if I am to play this song, I need to know the melody. Do you have a music sheet?"
Andonuts shook his head. "I'm sorry… in all of the sources and scripts I read, I couldn't find any that told me how the song is actually played."
Rhundas groaned. "Then how exactly are you planning on going through with this ridiculous plan?" he grumbled.
"Simple: We ask someone who knows the tune." And the doctor pulled another trophy out of his coat, a statuette representing a small, imp-like figure with a straw hat, holding a flute.
Disgruntled, Wolfie threw herself on the small army bed that stood in the corner of the room. "Just great…" she grumbled. "We managed to escape certain doom, we weren't infected or killed, we weren't made into members of Pigma's family of happy-go-lucky cyborgs… and what happens once we get here? Lombardi's troops treat us like little kids and ground us in here. I've never been so bored in my life…"
"What are you so upset about?" Tori asked. "As for me, I am just glad we have a chance to take a breather. And I can't wait to go back home, to the academy, leave all this creepy space… alien… zombie stuff behind me." She scratched her tail in irritation. "Oh, and getting rid of these weasely parts would be nice, too."
"Speak for yourself," Kensuke said, leaning against a wall with a slight smirk. "I couldn't be happier to be back in scales… I'll never understand why you would want to trade a superior Lylatian body for that of a pale-faced monkey. But whatever rows your boat, I guess… ow!" He rubbed his arm, where the weasel-girl just hit him.
Tori glared at him. "That's for calling us pale-faced monkeys."
"Whatever…" Kensuke grumbled. "I'm with Wolf, though. This is getting boring… I say we use the next chance to get out of here, grab a ship at the spaceport…"
"And where do you want to go?" Wolfie asked. "In case you don't remember, the rest of the Lylat System is covered in yellow, floating goop. As much as I dislike it, staying with Lombardi and his men is pretty much the best chance we got. All I'm fed up with is that they treat us like children." She crossed her arms in a huff.
She then looked over to her raccoon friend. "Sasha? You all right over there? You've been staring out of that window for some time now…"
"Wow…" Sasha murmured. "Would you take a look, guys? There's something amazing going on out there."
The four Lylatian children huddled around the window and looked outside. And their little mouths hung open with awe.
"Out there, on that bridge… isn't that frog-face's little girlfriend? What's she doing there?" Kensuke muttered.
"Is that an imp standing next to her?" Sasha wondered. "He looks like something out of a fairy tale."
Wolfie blinked. "Are they… playing on flutes?"
