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Samus Aran had no idea how she got roped into this. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the promise of getting food, or maybe it was Snake's puppy dog eyes, or maybe it was even Lucario's stoic expression when he said she didn't have to go. Whatever the case Samus now sat a top of a log in front of a roaring fire in the middle of nowhere.
"What's wrong? You don't like your hot dog?" Samus glanced at Solid Snake who sat right next to her on a log. He had been trying to hit on her the whole night and even tried 'wooing' her with his knowledge of the wilderness.
"No. I'm just hot." Samus rubbed sweat off her forehead.
"Heh. That's a true statement." Snake commented with a sly grin. Samus glared at Snake and his Casanova ego. Did he really think that would work on her?
Sitting across the fire from Snake and Samus sat Lucario, the third member of their little trio. Unlike Snake, Samus found the company of the Aura Guardian actually enjoyable. He was calm, cool, and most importantly a quiet soul. Compared to Snake who - despite appearing like a cold silent soldier - was quite boisterous and enthusiastic in certain situations. Samus could tell from his energy that he was a man that loved life and all it had to offer in the simple pleasures. Such as roasting sausages over a camp fire.
Lucario held his own hot dog steadily over the flames He was making sure he didn't burn the hot dog but also wanted it to be just the right temperature. Sensing it was finally right Lucario then blew carefully before pulling it back from the fire and taking a careful bite.
“How is it?” Snake asked. He pulled out a flask from his shirt pocket for a drink that Samus eyed.
"Delicious. Samus, you should really eat your hot dog before it burns.Otherwise it'll get bad."
Samus blinked before looking over to her own hot dog on her stick. The meat was beginning to smoke causing the usually stoic bounty hunter to shriek. She pulled her hot dog out of the flames while quickly trying to blow out the tiny fire trying to overtake her meat. At the side lines Snake was chuckling while taking a bite of his own hot dog.
That hadnt gone unnoticed by Samus. The bounty hunters clear blue eyes glared at snake. Samus was furious! She normally never would bother with activities so primitive and would use simple technology to cook her food instead of real fire. But now that she had befriended an earthling like Snake and a wanderer Pokémon like Lucario Samus was dragged into these new life experiences.
Lucario could sense he frustration. Although he neednt to use the aura to see it plain as day from her features. He did however sense Snake’s smugness as he got closer to thee bounty hunter.
"What's wrong Samus? Don't like the wild?" Snake got close to Samus's side whispering in her ear. Samus blushed before stepping on Snake's boot with her foot causing him to yelp.
"Can it soldier. I'm in no mood for your flirting games. I came out here to... camp.”
Snake scooted back smiling on the outside while rubbng his foot. "Someone's touchy."
"Maybe if we just caught fish this wouldn't have happened." Lucario commented as he took another bite of his hotdog.
"What? That doesn't make sense. Fire is fire. If we caught fish it still would have burnt cause of Samus’ sucky camp skills.”
"Gee. Thanks Snake." Samus crossed her arms.
"Yes but if we just caught fish we would have maybe caused a different situation to occur instead of this one where Samus burnt a hotdog." Lucario objected while finishing his hotdog.
"Yeah but that would've been harder cause then I'd have to strip to my swimming trunks and jump into the river and grab fish while Samus just sits by."
Samus raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute, that's how you catch fish? I didn't think you were so primitive."
"Actually most people prefer to use fishing rods. But Snake and I just hop into a water and catch fish with our hands. Can't you do the same thing?" Lucario questioned Samus. She just held her mouth closed.
"Hey yeah, don't you have Chozo blood or something? You could catch fish no problem because youre a super person just like us!” Snake complimented.
The comment took Samus aback however. Just like us. She realized that up until that point no one had ever said that towards her before. There was no “us” that was like her. She wasn’t a bandana wearing soldier like Snake nor a powerful Pokemon like Lucario. But the three of them were unique beings, strong fighters, and resilient individuals. Samus shook her head.
"Well… I've never had to catch fish. I just bought some and used Cooker to hear it up."
Lucario and Snake watched Samus with her steady gazes. Samus wondered what the heck they were thinking and hoped it wasn't something stupid. Snake however crossed his arms.
"Strange. We can do that back home but I always had fun catching it with my bare hands. That or eating bad eggs made by the kid. Oh… damn…" Snake frowned a bit at the memory of sunny side ups.
"So are you saying I don't have fun Snake?" Samus questioned with her cool tone while Snake paused.
“Its rather a perception of you, Samus Aran.” Lucario spoke up. Samus raised a beow at the Pokemon.
"Most people at the mansion call you 'ice queen'. You have a cool calm personality and an expression like ice. Some find you to be cold but heroic and thats whats admirable. But you're rather... distant. I think they have a valid point." Lucario added in a while now roasting another hot dog.
Samus looked to the ground where her feet inside her casual boots began making circles in the dirt. “Its not like fun is required to do what I do. But maybe, Ive just never known what fun is. Never really had a moment for that before.”
Snake looked back at Samus as she grumbled. It seemed that the famed intergalactic bounty hunter just wasn't savvy for the outdoors as the famed Special Forces soldier or the Pokémon of the Aura were. But maybe that could change if she spent some more time hanging out with these two odd friends. That was the thought in her mind but her heart did not want to voice that out loud. How could she?
Lucario could read her aura like a book however.
"You know Samus, I can teach you a couple… survival techniques if you'd like. That way you wouldn't be so clueless about the wild." Snake chimed in. His chin in his hands in a pose supposed to make him seem handsome. Samus partially saw it but rolled her eyes.
"Survival? You're saying this to the woman that defeated space pirates, galactic alien criminals, and not to mention the Metroids?"
Snake laughed nervously as Samus then stared directly at him. Her blue eyes taking on the trademark ice queen look piereced through his being.
Lucario swallowed his second hotdog. "I think Snake means the basics of camping. Like catching fish, setting up a fire, and making smores."
"Some more of what?"
"S'mores." Lucario repeated.
"Some more of what?" Samus asked again.
“Some s'mores.”
“Some more of what?” Samus said frustrated now.
Solid Snake laughed loudly at the situation while Samus glared at him.
"What is it?!"
"You’re killing me Aran. Oh man,” Snake had to calm down from laughing which didnt help Samus ease up. “Lucario is talking about s'mores. You know, these."
Snake then pulled out a box containing graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars. Samus wondered what all of this was for while Snake tossed a marshmallow at Lucario who didnt fail fo catch it with ninja like reflexes (Samus had to admit to being a little impressed at that). He stuck it onto his cooking stick before holding it above the fire like he had done before.
"What you do is you hold the marshmallow over a hot fire. Like with the hot dogs you mhzf let it turn a nice dark color for it to be cooked just right." Lucario showed this as his white marshmallow was now a bit grey. He rotated it in order for the marshmallow fo really get roasted.
Samus felt her mouth begin to salivate a little. The marshmallow did look tasty and she wondered why shed never ever considered roasting the sugar puffs in her life.
"But you dont want to roast it too long or it might catch on fire. right, Samus?" Snake teased the blonde bounty hunter who blushed a little from mild embarassment.”
"G-got it.”
"Then you pull it out of the fire when it's ready and stick it to a cracker like this." Lucario demonstrated pulling his marshmallow out of the flame and blew on it to dispel the light fire it caugh. He then grabbed a graham cracker and placed the marshmallow atop of it.
"Next you get a piece of chocolate and put it on the mallow." Snake proceeded to do as he said with the chocolate piece taken and put on top of the marshmallow. Samus couldnt help but find this concoction a little more delicious looking now.
"And then, you finish it by putting another cracker on top of that." Lucario preformed so with his own followed by Snake. The two held up their finished products in front of Samus.
"And then you have s'mores!" Snake cheered.
“Or as some might say, mini diabeties sandwiches”. Lucario added.
Samus stared at the sugar-fied creation. She shrugged grabbing her own crackers and marshmallow. Then she held the marshmallow on the end of a stick holding it over the fire to warm up like shed seen the boys do. Snake and Lucario were watching her roast the marshmallow in anticipation.
"What is it?" Samus questioned while they both reaponded in unison:
"Don't let it catch fire this time!"
Samus rolled her eyes at that. She was so done with the two’s lack of confidence in her camping. The marshmallow didnt take long and was soon a nice brown color and right to be pulled from the fire. Samus then placed it on a cracker like instructed.
Lucario and Snake sighed in relief as Samus went to the next step then placing a piece of chocolate on and then finished placing another cracker on top. She then held it up for them to see.
"There. That's my s’more." Samus said mimicking a proud voice. Snake raised his hands out yelling WOO HOO while Lucario shook Samus's hand.
Samus couldnt help but feel a little bit proud
"Good job. Now you take a bite." Lucario said.
Samus eyed the sugary confection in her hand. It was small yet the deliciousness was evident from the ingridients. And the smell was captivating and triggered her senses. With a shrug Samus took a good bite and chewed the gooey crunchy confection.
It tasted very good as the marshmallow melted with the chocolate giving a new taste shed never experienced. The graham while sticking to her teeth also added uniqueness with the honey of the graham. Samus swallowed it whole before licking her lips of chocolate that melted.
"So… how was it?" Snake asked.
"It was… good actually." Samus said truthfully. “I’ve been all over the galaxy and back and had never eaten something so simple yet so delicious.”
“Really now? In all of space and in all of your travels a earth camp fire desert wins?” Lucario asked. Samus pondered as she stareed at the s’more. She them nodded.
“Yup. It felt so good to eat.”
"Alright. Looks like you've been initiated into the wild!" Snake declared letting out another WOO HOO.
"Feel proud Samus Aran. Not many have this honor." Lucario said somewhat jokingly.
"I'll remember that." The bounty hunter laughed genuinely for the first time that evening.
The three made more s’mores which delighted Samus. They continued eating them while Snake and Lucario brought up more camping tips all for Samus’ benefit. She listened in as they taught her all of the tricks they knew best. Though even at certain points Snake and Lucario did have comical arguments much to Samus's somewhat pleasure.
"Solid Snake I am telling you there is no such thing as a big foot.”
"That's a lie!" Snake pointed a finger outward. "There has been so many sightings all over North America! I've seen one too while dog sleding in Alaska!"
"Weren't you delirious after getting lost in and not to mention eating snow? I doubt your sighting is credible.” Lucario chuckled as Snake comically seethed.
"That's not the point! Besides how can a hundreds of years old Pokémon with freaky super powers not believe in big foot?"
"Because I'm actually here. Big foot isn't here."
Snake grabbed his hair. "Why you- what about the loch ness monster? What then?"
"Oh that could be true. You know Loch Ness is very unexplored and is very deep so there could be something lurking around." Lucario said as he sipped Snake’s flask.
"You don't make any sense! Wait...” snake then patted his pocket and gasped. “Give me back my brew bro!”
“Fine. Its not as good as coffee anyways.” Lucario tossed it. But snake was beaten to it by Samus. The bounty hunter winking at the soldier as she took a swig.
“Chozo reflexes come in handy sometimes.” She said before handing it back over. Snake frowned as he felt the contents of the flask empty. He grumbled while Samus and Lucario shared a laugh.
"All the same Snake, I think we should be more worried about bears rather than big foot. You know, actual North American giant mammals.”
"Why? Can't the three of us take on a bear?"
"Yes, but even an angry bear can kill you. Well probably you, Snake since I can easily out run one and Samus is stronger than an Olympic Gold Medalist."
“You would let me get eaten by a bear!?”
“As the saying goes. I dont have to be faster than a bear. Just faster than you.” Lucario smirked. Snake growled as he leaped over the fire to tackle Lucario. Only the Pokemon was indeed faster and leaped away causing the soldier to crash into a log.
Samus laughed at the antics all the while. Sitting back as Snake chased Lucario around the fire, Samus then noticed something changed. She was smiling. Genuinely smiling.
Something just felt right about this. Peace and friendship with Snake and Lucario wasn’t a bad thing at all nor was it something so unobtainable. Sitting together by a warm fire, Samus didn't know why she was so calm or so serene. But it just felt right.
“I want to go camping some more. With you both, my two friends.” Samus whispered to herself. She was quiet enough though that neither Lucario or Snake could hear. But that was fine with the bounty hunter for now.
"Hey what about a Yeti? You think he's not real too?”
"Snake, you’re more likely to see a flying lion than a Yeti.”