You all know who's coming in this chapter! And I apologize deeply, but I really can't get Gandrayda's characteristics right!

Running outside, Dark Samus came into view. She was approaching the young girl who was backed against the wall in fear. "Samus, look!" Gandrayda pointed, although Samus was already looking. Dark Samus turned to face them. The girl used this time to run away through the door, hiding in horror. "You should follow her," Gandrayda advised. "We have to take on Dark Samus, first!" Samus replied. "I'll keep her distracted, you find that kid!" Gandrayda planned. "Dark Samus has more power than you think she has!" Samus responded. "Trust me, I'll manage!" Gandrayda assured. "You won't," Samus corrected. Dark Samus knew what they were talking about, and would have smirked if only she had a mouth. She jumped off the edge of the platform. Samus and Gandrayda looked over, and she was gone. "Something's up," they both said in unison.

"Alright, Sammy, you go after that kid while I keep watch. If anything dangerous comes I'll let you know, if it's no threat I'll handle it myself," Gandrayda explained. "Sounds like a plan," Samus agreed. "But when you say that you'll inform me straight away about the hostile attackers, you must inform me immediately – no trying to take it out on your own. Understand?" "I understand," Gandrayda finalized. "I'm not a little kid, you know, Sammy!" "Then behave like you're not one," Samus ordered, running through the door.

Samus looked around every section of every room for the girl. She eventually came into sight on her visor. The second she saw Samus she ran away. Samus ran after her. She then started walking to make herself look less threatening. She turned a corner, and saw the child hugging her knees with her back against the wall, looking at Samus fearfully. Samus walked closer to her, but the child only tightly shut her eyes and flinched. "Are you alright?" Samus asked. The girl looked at her. "…Y-Y-You're not like… her, are you?" she asked. "Who?" Samus questioned curiously. "That… thing…" the child replied. "The one that tried to attack me…" Samus knew who she was talking about. "No, I'm not like her," she answered. "Then why do you look like her?" the child asked, suspicious yet frightened. "It's complicated," Samus responded. "But my comrade and I are trying to stop her and her helper."

The girl nodded, understanding. However, she was still frightened of Samus. She looked very intimidating in that armour. The girl wasn't even sure that it was armour. "So, kid, where are your parents?" Samus asked. "…They're dead…" the girl answered sadly. "My home was attacked by these… creatures… and they were killed by them… Nobody survived – not even I did…" "If you didn't survive, then how are you here?" asked Samus. "I'm not sure…" the girl answered. "But I wish that I wasn't here…" "I understand you," Samus assured. "I, too, was the only one left from an attack by possibly the same race of creatures that attacked your home. I fell unconscious by my dead friend and woke up on another planet known as Zebes, but I just wished that I had died…" "Is that copy of you part of that race?" the girl asked. "No," Samus answered. "She's an incarnation of Metroid Prime… it's another complicated thing."

"Where was your home, um… metal lady?" the girl asked. "Aboard one of Earth's colonies," Samus answered. "Can you tell me what your name is before you ask me any more questions?" "Ropster," the girl answered.

It couldn't have been Ropster Sunderland, could it?

"…What's your last name?" Samus questioned. "Sunderland," Ropster answered. "Ropster Sunderland, born to Rufo and Ebony Sunderland on K-2L."

Samus thought that this must have been one of Dark Samus' dirty tricks. But Dark Samus couldn't have known about Ropster… could she?

"…Ropster?" Samus asked, remembering every battered body-part of her friend. Bruised and torn arms. Torn clothes. Bleeding legs. A huge flesh wound in the side of her head.

"Yes, my name is Ropster," Ropster answered. "Ropster, it's me; Samus," Samus answered. "Samus Aran," "Samus?" Ropster asked. "You survived the attack?" Samus removed her helmet and smiled at her. "Why is your hair long?" Ropster asked. "I decided it was more appropriate to have lengthened hair," Samus answered. She then knelt down to Ropster's level. "Ropster, I must ask you something," she then said seriously. "Have you seen Dark Prime?" "Who?" Ropster asked, raising her brow. Samus sighed. "She looks like Dark Samus but black with a red visor," she explained. Ropster thought hardly, then remembering. She stood up and said, "I have encountered her before with Dark Samus by her side."

"You have?" Samus asked, surprised. "What happened?" "I ran away," Ropster answered. "I was too afraid… But why does Dark Prime look like a kid?" "I don't know," Samus responded. "And why is she called 'Dark Prime'?" Ropster questioned. "Well… she's a prime who works with Dark Samus," Samus answered. "…So… shouldn't she be called Dark Samus Jr.?" Ropster asked. "Well, she also is a prime of Phazon," Samus continued. "…So… shouldn't she be called Phazon Prime?" Ropster questioned. Samus sighed. "It doesn't matter what she's called, all that matters is that she's highly dangerous and that you should avoid her at all costs."

…

Gandrayda sat down with her back against the cold wall, bored. "I hope that kid hasn't killed Sammy," she hoped, smiling immaturely to herself. "If she has, then that would be a sort of fail." She then heard Samus and Ropster coming back. Gandrayda morphed into the form of Ropster, laughing a little.

Samus and Ropster came through the door. Ropster looked at Gandrayda, confused. "Huh?" she asked. Gandrayda said it at the same time. Ropster raised her arm, as did her 'reflection'. She tilted her head to the side, as did Gandrayda. "Gandrayda, enough!" Samus snapped. Gandrayda laughed, morphing back to her normal form. "I see little miss runaway has been caught," she giggled. "Hey, I was frightened of you, okay?" Ropster excused. "It's not every day a 12 year-old girl encounters an alien," "Good point…" Gandrayda agreed. "Hey, Sammy, do I look scary to you?" Samus looked at her. "In some cases yes, Gandrayda," she answered. "Okay, now I'm just offended," Gandrayda grumbled, folding her arms. "That friendship lasted real long, you know, Sammy!" "Could you please just call me Samus?" Samus requested. "Why?" Gandrayda and Ropster asked at the same time. "Because it is irritating every time you say it," Samus answered. "And I have much more fire power than you."

The three began walking back to the Gunship. "So, kid, do you have a name?" Gandrayda asked. "Why, yes, my name is Ropster," Ropster answered. "Ropster Sunderland," "Cool. I'm Gandrayda, and that's Samus," Gandrayda replied. "I know," Ropster said. "Samus and I have been friends for years." Gandrayda then remembered that Samus once called her Ropster. "Oh, yeah, Samus has mentioned you before," she said. "Really?" Ropster asked. Gandrayda nodded. "She didn't actually want to speak about you, though…" she admitted. Ropster laughed a little. "She doesn't seem talkative right now," she assured. "She was never talkative, was she?" Gandrayda asked. "Well… not as much as me…" Ropster answered. "But right now she seems particularly silent – let alone depressed," "I can hear you back there," Samus said. Ropster and Gandrayda chuckled nervously.

Samus was the first to board the Gunship when they arrived. Ropster and Gandrayda had to sit at the back as Samus drove. Nobody spoke for a while, but Samus became suspicious. Ropster was alive again, which wasn't physically possible. And how did she manage to get from Bryyo to Norion? Something was up, and Samus had to find out what.