Aerie

The Aerie is a room in the Sanctuary Fortress. It appears in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
==Description==
The Aerie is the highest room in the sector, and by extension Aether as a whole. It is essentially a huge elevator. It is unknown what the purpose of the room was originally, but it seems to be a chamber for containing the Echo Visor. O-Lir refers to the Aerie as a "place of honor"."The last of our champion's visors used sound to target the unseen. Recover it from its place of honor and use it wisely!"
==Role==
During Samus's exploration of the Fortress, she encounters and fights Dark Samus here, who she thought to be dead after their previous battle. Dark Samus has absorbed more Phazon since her defeat, increasing her own powers and giving her access to more Phazon variations of Samus' abilities, such as the Boost Ball.
Upon entering the lower section of this room, Samus finds Dark Samus absorbing Phazon from a wall of the substance. Dark Samus becomes aware of Samus' presence, and fires at her. Managing to evade her attacks, Samus finds cover behind one of the two beams that go through the elevator platform. Dark Samus hits an Interface Module, activating the elevator. The two battle until the elevator reaches the top, at which point Dark Samus starts using more of her abilities, such as becoming invisible to the Combat Visor. Over the course of the battle, some parts of the room may become destroyed during battle. Some destroyed pillars will spew digital energy that will greatly harm Samus should she touch near a leaking pillar.
Upon defeat, Dark Samus escapes by breaking through a window and falling out of it, granting Samus access to a Portal. Samus travels to the Dark version of the room, and uses a higher Portal to return. Samus then acquires the Echo Visor. By using it, Samus can unlock the sonic locks preventing her from leaving. The Dark Aether version of this room was the Hive Summit.
==Connecting rooms==
*Hive Summit (via Dark Portal/Light Portal)
*Aerie Access (via Elevator)
==Inhabitants==
===First visit===
;Dark Samus 2 (continuation of fight from Aerie Access)
:"Morphology: Dark SamusReborn, enhanced, and vengeful.Enhanced beam system and Boost attacks added to arsenal. Stealth field generator present in armor."
===Future visits===
;2 Dark Pirate Commandos
:"Morphology: Dark Pirate Commando
:Darkling-possessed elite Space Pirate.
:Increased combat ability due to symbiotic presence. Able to phase out of local timespace."
==Items==
;Echo Visor
:Go to the Portal to Hive Summit. Then take the other portal in the Summit to reach a platform right next to the visor.
==Scans==
;Dark Portal (inactive)
:"This rift portal is inactive.The portal field can be energized with dark energy. Walk into an energized portal to transport to Dark Aether."
;Dark Portal (active)
:"This portal is active.Walk into the portal to transport to Dark Aether. Extreme caution recommended once transit is complete."
;Elevator (locked)
:"Object scan complete.Elevator platform is using a sonic security system.Sonic detection gear needed to interface with this system. Elevator is receiving commands via sonic beam; the commands are keeping it locked in place. Destroying the sonic beam emitters may release the elevator."
;Echo Visor
:"Echo Visor"
==Trivia==
*When returning through the final portal the room will be filled with familiar blue particles, indicating that Dark Samus has begun to revive herself again.
*There is an invisible barrier preventing access to the Echo Visor during the Dark Samus 2 fight. It can only be lifted once Dark Samus is defeated.
**If the Echo Visor is acquired without entering the Portal, no cutscene will play out and the elevator puzzle will not appear. The elevator oddity can be remedied by entering the Portal.
*If Samus enters the Portal anytime during the Dark Samus battle, when Samus returns to this room, Darkness will start to play and the elevator oddly will vanish, leaving a large hole behind. The ground is still loaded however, allowing Samus to stand above the hole. The reason for this oddity could be due to the elevator being tied to Dark Samus's boss battle. Because Dark Samus is technically loaded (out of reach in another room), the Echo Visor puzzle will not be loaded, forcing Samus to be unable to escape to the rest of the Sanctuary Fortress.
*The Dark Pirate Commandos in this room leave rather quickly, appearing for less than a minute into battle.
*As mentioned above, the Aerie is the highest room in all of Aether, stretching above even the Main Energy Controller in the Great Temple. However, this does not apply to the Hive Summit on Dark Aether because the Sky Temple in that dimension floats even higher than the Ing Hive and Great Temple, making the Sanctum the highest room instead.
==Gallery==
Aerie SF-MP2.PNG|The Elevator rising.
Aerie Dark Samus 2 Defeated.png|Dark Samus defeated once more at the hands of Samus.
Dark Samus 2 Window Shatter.png|Dark Samus shatters a window.
Echoes (Gamecube) Dark Samus 2 Varia Suit.png|Dark Samus escapes Samus's presence.
Dark Samus 2 Fall.png|Dark Samus falling to her apparent doom, disintegrating out of sight.
Aerie Dark Commando Appear.png|A Dark Pirate Commando appears.
Aerie Missing Elevator Glitch.png|The elevator's odd disappearance via a Sequence Breaking glitch.
Aerie (full) PrimeWorld.png|The entire model of the room.
==References==
ru:Орлиное Гнездо
Category:Rooms
Category:Sanctuary Fortress
Category:Dark Portals
Category:Elevators
Category:Boss Rooms
Category:Dark Samus Rooms
Category:Rooms containing upgrades in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes