[PolarStarQuote]

With a Deep breath, Samus breathed out almost all her worries in one go, Feeling the little movement in her made her smile as the hand pressed on her own definitely helped her instate that All was Forgiven. With that done, Samus gave a bright smile upon feeling the gentle internal snuggles patting her belly happily before laying her free arm to the side...Only to see Peach grinning at Samus's affections to the little Arle, Even complimenting her for it! Samus's Cheeks turned a embarrassed red, Even more over the sight of Peach's heart-bubbles flying off freely. And-- Goodness, Even Little Arle was not helping Samus's flush.

"H-hey, Just cause i usually put up the Bounty Hunter Look, Doesn't mean im impervious to a bit of affection!" Samus would defend herself, Unable to stop her lips from turning up into a smile, as Peach freely took hold of Samus's Spare hand, as Samus nodded. "I think ill be alright, Now that i have you." Samus said, ready to continue onward into this cold crystal palace! Hopefully next time Samus wont shoot the person she's told to shoot.

"Erm...Im...Kinda sorry you had to see that though, Peach. Me breaking down like that, I mean. Its...Something i cant control, Im sure you understand." Samus would whisper a little  when she was close enough to Peach, Apologizing as she went onward with the other in hand.

[Mari]

Peach could not help but emit the tiniest little squeal of joy. Samus was making romantic one-liners at her! What more could she ask for, --other than the bab not getting eaten, but y'know. She was arguably safer in there anyway, so whatever. What she didn't expect, though, was for Samus to apologize. "--You're perfectly welcome, Sammy~!" Peach replied, correcting the other. "I am simply glad that I can be here to help you through these things." she went on to reassure the other, offering a bright smile. "--Yeah, me too~!" a muffled voice chimed in, earning the tiniest of giggles from an amused Peach.

--And then, a large cannonball sized blast of confetti and compressed air shot out and launched Peach across the room rather violently, just kinda missing Samus entirely. Everything happened quickly. Suddenly, Samus was surrounded by doppelgangers of her own! Only, they weren't paying attention to her. They were eyeing Peach! "Peach, looks like we've got a problem." one of them remarked. Unlike the Arle doppelgangers, they all looked mostly 'right', even down to looking a bit bloated. There were smaller details though, in their disposition, in their body language, that distanced them from Samus. One of them looked really confrational, whilst another looked awkwardly anxious--timid even. Another still managed to pull off a strikingly realistic look.

"--Huh?" Peach blurted out, only to catch sight of the Samus brigade. The princess just sort of picked herself up and began brushing herself off, sighing gently in exasperation. "Oh dear..." she quietly lamented. It was about what she expected from this place. Nearby, a girl with messy blonde hair and a black cat hat peaked out at the group rather curiously.

((Samus! Your challenge is to help Peach identify you as the real thing! ...Or you can just trust her and hope for the best.))

[PolarStarQuote]

Feeling a flush of strange warmth from her stomach, Samus would simply nod, petting her belly happily as she continued forward with this beautiful princess by her side...You know, Despite this being a mission, Samus felt quite...Happy, with all of this happening. The joy she felt was probably warm enough to melt the snow. She could really settle on having more fun times like this...Well, That was, until blasts of Confetti and air, gave forth the vague images of multiple samus's!

"Huh?? Peach, We have a Prob-- Hey!" She would say, Seeming to accidentally mimic the other Mimic, Looking about at these-- Oh jeez, Does her stomach really look like that??? Admittedly it wasnt the worst look, But-- Opinions for later. Samus was right now caught between multiple samus's, and she saw the idea here. She had to be more...Herself, than the other Herselves.

This place makes my brain hurt.

Regardless, Samus would need a decent way to convince Peach she was the real thing! "Peach...Think carefully about this." Samus would say. Samus wanted to make sure she didnt pressure Peach. She trusted her enough to make the right decision, as samus stood looking at her, Hoping that old love magic would pull through for her, Looking at the others in some slight disbelief.

[Mari]

Samus could feel some affectionate snuggling in response to her petting, only for a scene of trickery to steal the moment from her. Peach flashed her a knowing smile in response to her words. ...Knowing what, though? Nearby, one of the fakes noticed Samus checking them out and proceeded to lowkey model for her rather proudly--as if to spite that judging look. Go figure--it was the confrontational one. "Don't give me that look. I look great for a mom." she remarked in a condescendingly playful yet relaxed tone. "I would not disagree~!" Peach thoughtfully replied in amusement. Nearby, the timid Samus seemed to shiver at the idea. "I don't think I want to be a mom..." she complained rather anxiously. Everything about her tone and body language was just off. She looked so demure! Peach declined to comment on this. Judging by the thoughtful yet unreactive look on her face, she was lowkey not impressed with this particular Samus. As much as she wouldn't mind Samus acting vulnerable around her or being open with her feelings, this simply wasn't natural for the current situation. "Well someone better call me Mom! I'm not carrying anyone to term just to be disrespected with my name." the confrontational Samus went on to correct rather sassily. Peach was briefly stunned by the over-the-top assertiveness. "To term..?" the timid Samus asked in a start, becoming a bit flustered. "In fact, I'd like to set some ground rules. Anyone who stays for more than an hour is mine~ Anyone else better find their own way out. Their choice." the confrontational Samus firmly went on to state. "Oh my..!" Peach replied, covering her mouth for a brief moment to stifle a gasp. Well that wasn't entirely proper. What had Arle done to deserve aggression like that? "That doesn't sound like much of a choice..." the timid Samus lamented. Peach was inclined to agree, though she herself had forcefully 'adopted' someone before. ...But that was different! They'd been too mentally unsound to make the choice for themselves! They would have ruined their lives if she hadn't intervened! This was just unnecessary, if not admittedly a little cute--if not because of how silly and possessive it was.

And then, a third Samus finally spoke up. She'd been silent this entire time, coldly watching the scene without emotion visible on her face. Well, unless you counted the intensity of her gaze. "You know I'm the real thing. Let's drop these things and move on." she flatly remarked in a somewhat dismissive, demanding tone. She hadn't even acknowledged her stomach, or anyone else for that matter. This Samus, in particular, drew a curious reaction from Peach. First mild alarm crossed her face, and then her smile was stolen away. This Samus was decidedly her least favorite. She was almost robotic in demeanor, perfectly focused on the mission at hand without regard for anything that might be perceived as irrelevant to it. That couldn't be her Samus! She was too ... inhuman. What kind of real person could eat a dude and not even briefly acknowledge that it had happened? Even by her standards, that was nonsensical.

"Weeell... maybe. But I'd like to get a second opinion first. What do you think, Arle? Which Sammy is the real Sammy..?" Peach asked. Samus could tension rise as the room went abruptly silent. "Umm... This one!" a mildly confused Arle's muffled voice replied. Samus could just see the alarm on the fake Samus' faces at the reply as they realized they'd made a mistake. "Can you give a little kick for me so I know where you are~?" Peach sweetly asked, beaming ever so proudly. On cue, a weak little couple of kicks could be felt from within Samus' tummy, causing a little bump to appear each time. It didn't really hurt, mostly because of a lack of strength on Arle's part. At this, Peach shifted into a combative position and brandished Perry. "Thank you Arle~" Peach remarked. " . . . This isn't fair." one of the fakes awkwardly replied. They couldn't properly imitate the complex ... relationship between Arle and Samus right now. Peach had already had a good idea of which Samus was real, but now she knew for sure.

With a flowing swipe of Perry, she began smacking the fakes around. One by one their disguises fell apart in a puff of spoke, revealing the little ghosts that had been pretending to be them. Once again, she eagerly gobbled up one of the unfortunate pretenders. The confrontational one. ...Was that intended to be symbolic on her part, or was it just a coincidence? The faker would likely be spending much more than an hour with Peach. Once she was finished dispatching the dooplighosts with a flurry of swipes, the remaining ones quickly fled deeper into the palace.

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus would cross her arms, huffing quite embarrassed at just how much of a self-centered jerk her confrontational self was. Even when sammy was at her most bossy, She wasnt like this! The Timid version of herself was only slightly true when samus was thinking of...Never mind. Dont think about that. No one likes spontaneous PTSD. Samus could mostly agree with the third, The Quiet of her mimics, Whom only spoke up after a few moments of watching this strangeness occur. D-did Samus even want to know what the Assertive one meant by being 'Mine'??


However, By a bit of wonderful coincidence, Samus actually had a clear-cut piece of evidence on her-- Well...IN her, at least! With a sudden Kick, Samus smiled quite happily at the Bump on her round belly, Showing off the Arle trapped inside as Samus chuckled. "Right here Peach." She said, as she quite enjoyed the rest of the doubles claims to Unfairness, as Peach helped herself to swallowing up the Jerkish one, as Samus sighed. "Good job Arle~" Samus said, Praising her and patting her belly, quite pleased with the help she provided.


"And Good job to you as well Princess. Cant say there's anyone else i'd want here." Samus would say, Happily moving to Peach, And Mid-judging the distance enough to suddenly cause a unfortunate Belly Bump. Samus went red in the face, backing up. "S-sorry.." Samus said to the belly bump, before then leaning in and prodding Peach's stomach." And a side note to you, I appreciate replicating m confidence, But Putting me up as that much of a jerk, Its no wonder you were caught~ Anyways, Peach, Lets keep going!" Samus would suggest, Quickly moving forward, Now interested in heading deeper in after her own Dopples! My, these Puzzles were finished faster than someone could finish eating ghosts!

"Though, Im curious as to why these Dopple-gangers are held out here of all places. Id be glad to talk to them if they didnt introduce themselves as Fake versions of us..." Samus said, SA-X Memories definitely leading to a Shoot first mentality to these little weasels.

[Mari]

"Heehee, thank you Sammy~!" Little Arle's muffled voice replied. Samus would feel a hand press back against her own as she pet her stomach, a rather unusual sensation. It playfully chased her own hand from the inside, returning the belly pats in an affectionate manner--only to briefly get squished a bit between her and Peach. "That's quite alright." the princess sheepishly replied. Her prisoner wasn't in there to be comfortable, after all. Peach's corset did a good job of minimizing distension on her part, but none the less she wasn't used to her stomach getting this sot of attention. Her cheeks turned a bit red as Samus spoke to her belly, eliciting a muffled but indiscernible complaint in response. "...I do believe they will have plenty of time to reflect upon their performance. I will certainly be keeping them for more than an hour~" Peach remarked in a playfully innocent tone, seeming to deliberately turn the tables on the duplighost. "I am not calling you mom!" the duplighost retorted in protest, eliciting an amused giggle from the princess. "I will not force you, but the offer is very much open~! You will, however, be finding your own way to freedom. Let that be a lesson to you not to impersonate people's loved ones." Peach continued on to playfully remark before abruptly becoming a bit more indignant about what had happened, demonstrating a much less aggressive-- ...Had she just referred to Samus as a loved one? A groan came from her stomach--or was that a growl from her stomach itself?--but the princess ignored it in lieu of moving to keep up with Samus

"I wonder..." Peach thoughtfully replied, looking about for a moment. Most of the walls were covered in mirrors. At least their reflections weren't odd! "It does seem that this palace, while quite icy, is a rather strong fit for them. All these mirrors make it feel like a labyrinth, even if there's only one way forward." Peach went on to muse aloud, her delicately painted lips mouthing out the words 'lovely' as she walked.

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus was definitely unsure how to react to the feeling of Arle's moving about inside, following the movements of her hand around her distended belly. Almost all of her senses said this was weird and she should hate it, But, a warm heat in her chest told her this was a feeling she could definitely get used to. The feeling of protecting someone in a closer than close way was certainly enlightening for her. Perhaps it was that Mama Bird instinct pulling her in. Samus just smiled wider with each feeling of moving inside of her snug belly, Which snuggled a little tighter in reaction to Arles movements. Samus's belly wasn't used to someone moving inside after all!

Samus's enjoyment was stopped in a moment as Peach's comment about her loved ones made Samus's mouth turn into a happy smile, Nodding happily. "Mind if i borrow that Punishment for when i need to teach a criminal a lesson, Princess?" Samus joked, Seeming to take enjoyment as well in this mission, as she took in the apperance of the Mirror-covered palace.

"...Its Beautiful..." Samus said, Looking at the mirrors as peach mused. "...Not just saying that because its your reflection, Of course~" Samus offered a flirtatious quip, smirking and resting a hand on her belly just to keep Arle in mind. "Id love to see a place like this be cleaned from infection. It'd be a great spot to just relax on a hot day."

[Mari]

Arle stopped moving when her world tightened around her, pulling her more snugly against Samus. She timidly shifted, looking around for a brief moment before laying her head against Samus and timidly snuggling into the other, brushing her head affectionately against the hand that Peach had to admire how Samus handled it. Not everyone was entirely accepting of how open-minded she was toward the idea of eating her enemies, and even less her allies. It came from a lifetime living in a world where most of the people you knew were an anthropomorphic salad topping.

"You are most welcome to look after Perry any time you so wish. I am certain he would be glad to help you put any villains you come across in their place." Peach light-heartedly replied, placing her free hand on her hip and playfully bumping hips with Samus at the word 'place'. A playful wink accompanied the remark. "Yeah~! Any friend of Princess Peach's is a friend of mine." Perry enthusiastically added. "I have found that it is very effective at teaching all but the most stubborn foes a valuable lesson... in humility or otherwise~" Peach went on to thoughtfully remark, eliciting a little groan of distress from her mid-section. --Or was that just a growl from her belly? It was hard to tell, honestly.

At Samus' flirting, however, Peach lit right back up. She glew with an appreciation, not unaware of what was going on. She seemed to enjoy that sort of attention--at least from Samus anyway. Probably not from others. Especially kidnappers. "You are very kind, Sammy~ I do muse aloud, however, that I would not feel so beautiful if you were not here beside me~" Peach replied in a thoughtfully light-hearted tone, shifting her hands behind her and turning to offer Samus her biggest smile. "My heart is telling me that we look better as a couple~!" she ever so smoothly added in the same playful tone. Her words, however, almost seemed deliberate in their implication.

However, just a moment later a bunch of movement would likely catch Samus' eye. A bunch of adorable spectral girls were floating her way! They looked so real too, but real people didn't float around like ghosts. ...Right? "Peach~!" Amitwo blurted out rushing to the group and giggling. The group of Amitwos quickly joined in, only for most of them to stop and begin giving each other funny looks. "Oh--? Amitwo... There are so many of you." Peach thoughtfully replied, already aware of the crystal palace's schtick.

Amitwo 1: "I made some new friends~!"

Amitwo 2: "But I'm the real me."

Amitwo 3: "Hey that's not fair. I came first!"

Amitwo 2: "No you didn't!"

Amitwo 4: "These guys aren't good enough to be my fakes~"

Amitwo 3: "I'll make you eat those words!"

Amitwo 1: "...*Whiiiiine*... None of us are real..."

Amitwo 3 and 4 were now fighting amongst themselves rather innefectually while Amitwo 2 smiled invitingly at Samus and Amitwo 1 gazed into the abyss in despair.

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus chuckled quite happily, taking a note from Peach's book and twirling Perry about over her shoulder as she seemed to get more into the idea of using a Parasol. Though she wondered as to the details of how Peri's mouth lead to Samus's stomach...Alien Biology. Just trust Alien Biology. And the thought of making enemies suffer in that rather Embarrassing way would certainly put alot of Space Pirates into there place! 

...Though, Then the memory that Samus's enemies were usually 18x bigger than them. She struggled to imagine Perry getting its mouth around Kraid, Nor the idea that Samus's stomach trying to fit that much at once sounded excellent at well. M-maybe she should make sure her stomach had the same size as her eyes, But listen to common sense first and foremost.

Samus stopped,  however, The snow's cold seemingly bested as Peach's warm words melted samus's strong and sturdy facade with a bright blush on her face, Only able to laugh and stumble over herself. "H-haha, W-well, You know, Y-yeah, Its...Haha~" Samus couldn't really form a proper sentence at that. Critical damage dealt to Samus's heart! Samus moved close to Peach, Happily walking alongside her, Not seeing any reason to be any bit further away....


...And then, Amitwo's! In pairs of Four! ..Wait, Amitwo Times Four? Isnt that AmiEight? Samus watched the spectral girls, Tapping her chin as she mused on the few moments she had met this girl...Seems a process of emilition was in order, Patting Perry. "Lets see here..." Samus said, Leaning into Peach to whisper, pointing at amitwo 1.

"Im suspect on her...Amitwo wouldnt say she's not real, Right?" Samus offered a first suspect for removal, As they debated this strange situation. Best come together and form a proper strategy before you go gulping or Shooting them with Plasma! Samus only hoped Arle would be ok coming out to make room for a Prisoner or two! Amitwo that is!

[Mari]

Peach hesitated for a long moment at Samus' question. Well, actually... The princess leaned in to whisper to Samus in turn. Gosh, wasn't it nice being around other shockingly tall women? You could whisper into someone's ear instead of their elbows and you didn't have to bend over to return the favor. "Amitwo is a doppelganger of one of my daughters, Amitie. Her body is sort of like... a ghost's. She's very insecure about her identity." Peach quietly explained before turning to face the group of Doppelgangers pretending to be doppelgangers of Amitie. "As much as I would love to take every one of you home and baby you all, I cannot help but feel that only one of you is my Amitwo." Peach remarked, making the group nervous.

"Amitwo~! Would you be so kind as to whip something warm up for Sammy and I? But not too hot! We are currently seating guests~" Peach light-heartedly requested, earning a bewildered glance from most of the Amitwos.

Sure enough, Amitwo #1 was the one to flutter forward. Her hands reached out and her palms just kinda disintegrated, revealing that there was only a thin illusion of skin there. Underneath, a cloud of blue'ish white magic flowed underneath like stuffing in a toy, leaking out of her palms and warping about as she manipulated it into the shape of a mug. When she finished, the illusion of skin re-appeared over her palms and a cup of hot cocoa rested in her hands. She handed the mugs to Peach and Samus! Hold on could she just create food willy nilly!? Why wasn't she solving their famine problem?? Samus might notice that the drink was effectually made out of the same magic that made up Amitwo's body, perhaps hinting at the truth that she had a limited amount to go around. The drink itself though tasted wonderful, and had a minor energizing effect on the body. "Here you go~! ...S-Sorry for all the trouble. I didn't realize they wanted to be me..." Amitwo bashfully explaind, not entirely sure why anyone would want to be her.

After taking her mug and making sure Samus got hers, Peach winked at Samus.

"This is Amitwo." Peach explained. No faker could pull that off. She then reached out with her free arm to pull Amitwo into a hug. Amitwo's body did something bizarre. It deformed in Peach's gentle embrace, squishing as if it were a pillow, or as if she were some kind of teddy bear. There wasn't a bone in her body, and it showed. "And she is far too much of a sweet pea to be so hard on herself~ If you're not real, how can I do this~?" Peach softly gushed in lite baby talk at Amitwo, smothering the little doppelganger with tiny little smooches all over her forehead and cheeks when she could. Amitwo could not help but begin giggling in embarassment. "Wh-What..? H-Hey! Mooom, stop~!" Amitwo replied between giggles, becoming very flustered and lightly pushing at Peach in an effort to free herself. Peach's eyes glimmered with satisfaction. It was sometimes difficult to get Amitwo to call her Mom because of her insecurities, much as Peach tried to reassure her that she was happy to take care of both her and Amitie.

Nearby, the remaining doppelgangers began backing away slowly. It looked like they intended to make a run for it now that they realized the jig was up. Even nearer, Samus could feel that Little Arle had gotten ... comfy, somehow? It wasn't very intuitive, but she's gone still after snuggling up to the other and only very small movements from her could be felt now, almost as if she'd fallen asleep.

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus watched in temptive curiosity as Amitwo stepped forward, Her very body morphing and shifting to create two glasses of Warm Hot Chocolate for the two! Samus's own eyes seemed wide in surprise at this. "Her body is...Made of Magic?" Samus correctly assumed, taking the mug of cocoa. Hmm...Just right! Not too hot, but just warm enough to get over the chill of this icy cavern the two were in. Plus, i mean, C'mon. After years of the mushy Militaristic paste the Galactic Federation produced, Anything with an ounce of flavor was like gold!

Samus took a light sip for kindness, Just a little, enough that the resident of her belly wouldn't suddenly get a splash of chocolate atop her little head, Smiling happily to show her enjoyment. "Thank you so much, Amitwo. Its really good~" Samus gratefully said, Moving closer and patting Amitwo's hair gently, Giving it a little ruffle-- erm, as best she could with the magic, Making sure her body was still in tip top condition.

"Sooo, Now that we have our Amitwo picked out...The rest of you." Samus would say with a sudden, Traditional 'Angery Samus' Tone of voice, Turning to the other three. While she felt interested in showing them all the same bit of embarrassing defeat that Peach showed her enemies, With Arle already sharing space in her tummy, Now finding a perfect bit of comfy bliss inside, Samus didn't quite feel like Giving Arle a room mate to split with. "I want you three to Apologize, Now." Samus said, Providing a quick warning to them,

[Mari]

"Thanks! I put a little love in everything I make." Amitwo replied, flashing an okay sign at Samus accompanied with a wink. It was hard not to put love and care into your cooking when put your own life energy into it. "It is quite amazing, and a little bit worrying, how much of herself Amitwo literally puts into making others happy. She just gives and gives until she has nothing left to give. ...And yet, I do believe it makes her happy. So perhaps she is just our little giver." Peach thoughtfully explained. Amitwo giggled and snickered as Samus messed with her hair. Even her hat seemed delighted! ...Her hat just clearly closed its eyes in response to being touched, as if it were alive. Speaking of her hat, it seemed oddly attached to her head. There was no give in terms of movement, save for the cat-like ears which flopped around freely. It was perhaps easy to accidentally push Amitwo's head down, but she didn't seem to mind and weakly pushed back into Samus' hand with what tiny amount of strength she had. She then gently hugged Samus. Her hugs were delightfully gentle and sweet, like being cuddled by a breeze. There was no pressure or weight to them at all. Just the light brushing of skin on bodysuit contact. How sensual!

The duplighosts nervously eye the pair of tall, well-fed women standing before them. After a few moments, a small chorus of "Sorry..."s greeted the group as the duplighosts seemed to give up, returning to their normal forms. "We don't want to fight or anything. We'll go..." one of the duplighosts continued somewhat dejectedly. One stopped, waiting behind as the others left though. "The others are probably panicking. Nobody really wants to fight someone who's pregnant, y'know? It just feels wrong. Like you imagine someone hitting your own mom and then you just hate yourself for even considering doing it to someone else's. What are we, the starvia? We have to beat up girls just to keep them out?? That's dumb. I don't want to do this anymore." the chivalrous duplighost lamented in frustration. "The next door is booby trapped too. The mirrors in this place are all fake. It's just a couple of us pretending to be your reflection behind some glass. There's a trap door that can get you behind the fake mirrors." the duplighost went on to explain before moving past the group to leave the palace entirely. Was it just her, or did their reflections suddenly look nervous? Peach leaned in to whisper to Samus, snickering in amusement. "They thought we were expecting mothers~" Peach remarked. "Something tells me that one loved their mother a lot. If only everyone had mothers that good in their lives, the world would be a better place for everyone." Peach mused aloud in a longing tone.

Meanwhile, the trickle of hot cocoa onto Arle's head didn't seem to have disturbed her much. It was already quite wet and warm where she was situated, and so it mostly just tickled her very slightly as it rolled down her head. She affectionately brushed her cheek against Samus in response, cozily snuggled up to her abdomen. It seemed like she was really enjoying the warmth and protection after a treacherous journey across the frozen wastes. Kind of hazardous for someone with such short legs, right?

...And then something began to change at a rather inconvenient time. Namely, Arle's size. Samus' could feel her midsection ballooning outward a bit as Arle, completely at peace with the world, returned to her normal state. Samus could feel a fuller, more grown-up figure snuggled up against her now, albeit still a good 1.5 to 2 feet shorter than her of course. Her head could be felt more distinctly now, tucked just underneath Samus' bust. She still seemed to be resting comfortably--for about a few seconds, anyway. It was a little more cramped than it had just been moments ago, and the way her transformation forced her to curl up more tightly did cause Arle to stir. ...Y'know it was awfully warm in this bed. She guessed it was just the covers doing their job. . . . Y'know this bed was kinda wet too. Must be--Wait what?! Oh god no. Arle jolted awake in alarm at the thought of a wet bed, attempting to push herself upright only to awkwardly headbump Samus' in the boob instead, promptly falling back down. Waking up was a mixed bag. On one hand, she didn't need to worry about washing her bed sheets. On the other, she did need to worry about washing her clothes. Rather than a wet bed, she was in... a slimy stomach. Arle could feel her anxiety levels climb and she began to struggle a bit, though hse only succeeded in wiggling and wobbling. Weak little pushing and nudging sensations could be felt, wea enough that they really didn't hurt by any standard. She was scared, and yet... why did that heartbeat right above her feel so soothing..? It felt familiar somehow, and comforting. She could feel herself being held against a womanly figure. Her cheeks were a bright shade of red and her squirming lessened a bit.

"H-Help..??" Arle stammered out in confused fear. Peach sighed wistfully. "It seems that Miss Arle has grown up a bit..." Peach lamented, bending over a bit to speak directly to Samus' stomach. "...Hello Arle~ Please do be gentle with my Sammy~ She is here to take care of you! It is very, very cold out here, and you didn't dress for the weather at all!" Peach light-heartedly scolded. Arle softly whined in response. In reality, it wasn't that bad inside. Though now that Arle was soaked, she was much more vulnerable to the temperature than either of them. Standing back up, she addressed Samus with a smile and spoke softly, so that Arle would have a hard time making out what was being said. "...Do not be afraid to be assertive, Sammy. It is your body and anyone in it must follow your rules." Peach instructed rather matter-of-factly. These rowdy teens, thinking they could just kick and squirm to their heart's content. "Isn't that right, Mister Duplighost?" Peach asked. "...Yes, ma'm." a resigned, muffled voice replied from within Peach. Good behavior seemed like a good policy right now, lest things get worse for the duplighost. 

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus would let a little surprised "Oh!" Escape her lips as she felt Amitwo's light hugging cling around her. It was like nothing she ever felt before, Something so gentle like that, yet with such meaning behind it Samus would be unable to do anything except smile and pet Amitwo's head once again, Absolutely enamored with the little one's embrace. "Hehe...Well, You know how Karma is. Give alot, and get back alot." Samus would say, clearly referring to Amitwo. Seems Samus had something in mind for the dear magic construct clung to her...Well, with height differences, Amitwo was more or less pressing ever so lightly to Samus's far too literal Baby Bump. "Stay with us Amitwo, We'll keep you safe." She would say with a firm nod, Then returning to the matter at hands. Ghosts, and the punishing there in.



...Well, at least she would, but before she knew it, they began to apologize in a deep slump and quickly made way home. They didn't want to fight? Then why even start with this...Wait, Pregnant? It was surprising Samus never took a deeper look into the realization that, Well, yeah! For all extensive reasoning, she was! Samus would flush bright red, Pouting a little bit. Though, not for merely being called pregnant, but more for being looked down on because of it. She was preparing a Mom-lesson about how Girls, Even when carrying a child shouldn't be treated lightly! But, She would simply sigh, realizing they at least had the best intentions in mind. She instead relented, and her face turned to that of a sweet smile, Coming over and kneeling down to the Duplighost as not to cause Arle to flop about inside her tummy, riiight before he left.



"Well, if you dont want to do this anymore, the Life Sphere will be more than happy to have some caring individuals like you. Alot better than this frozen place, right?" Samus would suggest, Giving the Mom-Loving Duplighost a head pat "Think about it, Okay?" She would say, before standing up, to whisper with Peach instead. "W-well, i suppose i understand the reasoning...Not exactly looking like anything else here." Samus would blush as she took another very light sip of her Amitwo Cocoa, warming up her heart quite nicely. "...Yeah. The galaxy could use more people like him." Samus would say, following Peach's reasoning of motherhood quite nicely...



Was it her own mother's loving nature that gave Samus these occasional soft moments that broke up her life of hardship? It felt almost true to form...Even if Samus only knew her mother occasionally. Long nights at the Mine's of Earth Colony didn't do too well for spending time with her, But Samus could only recall pleasant dreams with her mother. Well, That was before they were all stripped from her, by...
No. Samus shook her head, Pushing back the memory her mind almost always lead back to when she tried to think about her family. Like a Sink, Almost all the pleasant waters always find there way down that deep drain, and its only by a thread Samus stopped before being sucked in again. Not now. Not while she's having this nice of a time.



"Hehe..." Samus would giggle a little, feeling just the littlest movements in her belly, courtesy of Arle, as she gave a gentle belly rub in reply, Returning the favor with a little rubbing motion right back to the baby resting in her warmth. "Gotta say Peach...She's really well behaved for her age. Most kids are usually pretty rascally, but, She's really ni--ICE!" Samus would eep, As suddenly she felt a sudden bit of pressure push her belly outward in a wide, swelling motion! Was this cause of the Cocoa?! Nope, Just the Baby's growing up. A bit more time and she'll be off for College Samus, Better cherish these little moments.



Samus would squeak as her belly went from a manageable tummy bulge, to a full on Belly bump, Making it look like Samus was dead set to pop at any moment, as her Zero Suit's Latex creaked a little to adjust for the sudden stretch. It was thankfully designed to accommodate for sudden growth, as strange as it seemed, But, Samus's body seemed not to share that ideology, as Arle was pushed up to the feeling of a soft something or other resting atop her head, Thankfully kept right where she was thanks to the tightness of a Bra wrapped around Samus's bust.



"H-help...??" Samus would ask of Peach...Huh, Like Daughter like Mother, it seemed! Thankfully, just on cue, Peach would come to settle down the both of them, With Samus sighing as her words seemed to settle her resident in her belly a little, She would nod. Assertive...Well, Assertive in Samus's definition was a Military Boot Camp Drill Sargent screaming about how dumb you looked with long hair. But, Samus would keep to her gentle nature she had been doing quite well with so far, as she huffed a bit to keep her now much heavier belly staying still.
"Sorry Arle, But its for the best. I dont mind you moving a little to find a comfy spot, But please dont Panic...I wouldn't hurt you, No matter what." Samus would say, Once again giving her belly that loving rub, circular motion to give Arle that much needed attention. "And once im back on the gunship, I'll let you out and give you something better to wear, Okay? For now, Just relax and hang tight." Samus would say, Smiling as it seemed she adjusted quite nicely to the Appropriately Aged Arle.



"Hehe...You know, im kinda jelous Peach. This kind of stuff comes so naturally to you, and i always have to think a few moments on it." Samus would admit, Watching as she teased the ghost in her belly, Before Samus came over and pressed her own tummy against Peach's-- Though more out of a side effect to Mis-Remembering distance. "Your so calm and kind...I have alot to learn from you." Samus would say, smiling, before looking around.



"Well, Im sure Arle wont want to be in here for longer than she has to. Lots of stuff to do for a girl her age, Wouldn't want to be tied down too long top her mom~ Wanna go find that trap door?" Samus would ask after giving arle a bit of a tease, Resting a tender hand on her belly and continuing to absentmindedly rub, Her insides closing in ever so slightly to massage against arle, Though incredibly wet and slimy, and tightness increasing, Her heartbeat picked up quite a bit, and her breathing was at a soothing pace.
..Did she even realize she just referred to herself as Arle's mom? Boy, this whole day was effecting Samus in odd ways.

[Mari]

Although Amitwo's head was squishy and soft, a far cry from the solid skulls most people had, she seemed to adore the affection. She playfully brushed up against Samus' head, giggling with delight. Although her body was quite obviously fragile, she seemed to like being handled. She curiously looked up at Samus, not quite getting her remark but understanding that she was being offered protection. "Okay~! Thanks Sammy~" Amitwo affectionately remarked. Daw. She was just full of love. Meanwhile, the duplighost decided to take Samus' advice and leave for the life sphere. He hadn't even known what the life sphere was! Apparently, the starvia had overlooked this seemingly already lifeless wasteland, perhaps mistaking it for a waste of its time. The duplighost thanked Samus, and wished her the best of luck raising her kids. All the while, Amitwo was idly perplexed by the little movements she was feeling from Samus' midsection. Mystified, even! And then, not long after the duplighost left, Samus' belly ballooned outward with a newly aged up Arle! Amitwo was pushed off of Samus with a rather goofy "Oof!", squirming in the air for a moment before fluttering back down to examine Samus' belly with an amused if not flustered smirk on her face, watching it shift and wobble with Arle's movements. 

Arle seemed to settle down after a few moments, ceasing her startled wriggling. She reasoned that ultimately she didn't want to hurt Samus, and so she had to yield to the power of her belly. Her dignity was not worth getting into a big fight over this that could only really be resolved if she put a lot more effort into tying to escape. She did softly pout as she realized her head had become an unwitting boob rest though. One word, in particular, caught her attention. "M-Mom??" Arle blurted out. Amitwo snickered at Arle's reaction. "Well yeah, it does kinda look like Sammy's your mom right now, Arle~" Amitwo remarked, unable to hide her amusement at the absurdity of the situation. "I-I thought I was in a stomach!" Arle blurted out, steadily growing more flustered at the idea being presented to her. Having woken up here with damaged memories, she wasn't actually 100% sure she wasn't somewhere else. "I believe the difference is mostly how you are treated during your stay, Arle~" Peach thoughtfully remarked, suggesting that the difference didn't really matter for their purposes.. "...And I do think Sammy has made her feelings quite clear." she added after a moment in a slightly playful tone. She knew what she was doing. By now, Arle was completely flustered to heck and shut down, becoming quiet and timid. She shivered at Samus' affectionate touch, and at the massaging walls around her. A strong shiver that could be felt from within. A hand would gently press outward after a few moments, timidly following Samus' hand around the outside of her tummy. A silent gesture of shy and perhaps reluctant acceptance and affection.

Meanwhile, the group navigates the trap door and emerge on the other side of their mirror. It seems their doppelgangers ran away, having overheard that they were coming. Navigating around the trap door though, they discover a group of people waiting behind the door for a chance to burst out and surprise them! They were all just kinda doing their own thing while they waited.

"Puyo puyooo~ Puyo Puyooo~ Puyo Puyooo~"	"What do you think, gentlemen? Should I go for it?"	*Incoherently Stuffy English Gentleman Noises*	"Welp. The booty's safe now. Nobody'll see through an act like this~"	"Hey guys, check this out. Bahaahaha!"

In this room, there was an opening in the middle where they could cross back over onto the other side of the mirror, allowing them to confront the would-be-ambushers

"...Puyo Puyooo~"	"...Hey honeys~! Where are you going in this freezing cold weather~? Wouldn't you rather sit down for a warm drink with me~?"	*Incoherently Stuffy English Gentleman Noises combined with meaningless hand gestures.*	"...Oh hey girls. You're both looking ...good!"	"...SCREEE--I'm Notridley."

"...What a strange puyo! Can I pop you~?" Amitwo asked rather disingenuously, inspecting the slime with amusement plastered over her face. "...Puyo puynooo." the slime replied rather flatly.

...A muffled groan came from Samus' stomach in response to Incubus' words. "Please shut him up..." Arle's muffled voice softly pleaded, barely audible.

Peach was trying not to stifle her chuckling at the toadsworth impression. She turned her head toward Notridley, hoping to distract herself. "...I do believe Iris would love to try and catch you, given the chance, Mr. Notridley." Peach remarked. 

[PolarStarQuote]

Samus could only smile softly, tenderly continuing to rub her expanded belly like one would pet a worried child's head to help remind Arle of just how safe she was. Being bundled up and warm in the tummy of one of the galaxy's strongest bounty hunters, after all, seemed like a fairly good place to be at the time, Despite the weight of Samus's chest putting some weight for a push down on Arle. Feeling Arle's own hand follow her's made Samus turn red in the cheeks, as she softly chuckled. The bond of Mother and Daughter. How could you resist feeling happy with that?

"There we go." Samus would simply say, smiling as she confirmed Arle's acceptance, as reluctant as it may be, as she would slowly let her hand off, Allowing Arle a little bit of time to find herself a comfy spot to relax with, as Samus looked to the Trap Door...And the group of weirdo's with them.

A Slime? Fairly pointless, though if Samus knew anything about Puyo's...That was not a Puyo. Puyo's dont have mouths, for one.

Then there was, some kind of gentleman in purple trying to...Flirt with them? Samus knew a flirt when she saw one, a few years working with only men will do that, as she simply crossed her arms around her chest to stop any would-be-peeks he'd be trying to get, despite her Arle-bump no doubt being the larger eye-catcher! "Hmm...You know, even if he isnt a duplicate, shooting him would still be a pretty good idea..." Samus softly admitted in reply to Arle's own discomfort.

And then, Toadsworth! Samus had occasionally met with Toadsworth in the life sphere, but she didn't quite recall him being unable to speak...Though it was hard to tell through the mustache at times. She would wait for Peach's opinion on him, as she had much more experience.

Then Ashe! Samus would smile gently at the compliment she gave, though the hesitation struck her as more than a little strange. Didnt seem very different from the normal Ashe, so hey, there was no reason to jump to conclusions juuust yet. But hey, the compliment was still nice! 

And lastly...No. Just...No.

Samus knew better than Ridley doing something as Asinine as that, Trying to play off a gag with a Moosetach of all things. Samus's expression would look suddenly far more grim, as she looked to Peach, before leaning close to whisper. "..I think we can safely rule the Slime and...'Notridley' as Duplicates." Samus would say to Peach. "...And i dont know about the purple haired guy, but i want to shoot him regardless." Samus would admit. Seems she had her suspects chosen, but Toadsworth and Ashe were the two getting away from her! Really, it seemed that for 2 out of 5 of this group, Duplicates or no it'd be a decent idea to knock them out, just for there offensive sake.