((Just an idea I wanted to share with a one-shot. I actually started writing a story with a friend of mine based on this crossover. But I wanted to introduce it first before presenting the full story. So here's a sort of Prologue one-shot to the story before presenting the rest.))((So, Book of Life crossover with Sonic the Hedgehog in what happened to Maria Robotnik after her death.))
Marigolds
Two pairs of eyes resembling the coloring of molten, glowing suns, stared into the hallways of the Ark. The owner of these eyes stood outside the realm where mortal gazes cannot peer through and watched the terrible tragedy within the Ark play out. A pang of sorrow came as the immortal witnessed the execution of innocence, soldiers marching into the cold but lively space research station and mercilessly pointed their guns at the defenseless inhabitants and pulled the trigger. Alarms blazed above, drowning out the yelling and screaming that is lost to the eerie silence of space.
Solemnly stepping into the station when the massacre was all over, the red immortal proceeded to wander. Unseen by the mortals gathering the dead and the few prisoners kept alive to do whatever it is they planned to do. The red being did not care. The dead were in her realm now, though for however short a stay it will be for a few of them, they were welcomed all the same.
Passing by a distraught soldier, one of the few she saw to openly regret their actions, the being entered a closed off dark room. The cold steel and shadows clung to every corner, with only the computers and buttons on the counsels providing illumination within the area. Stepping further in, adding onto the illumination with the generous amount of candles on her gigantic hat and dress, she stopped when noticing something blue lying on the floor in a pool of red. The figure took in ragged, shallow breaths and let out a lonely whimper. The burning eyes widened in surprise before quickly moving over to the prone form that revealed to be a dying young girl. A blossoming red appeared on her chest where bullets ripped through the fragile flesh, most likely hitting lungs and other inner organs that caused fatal damage.
A pained look came across the girl's face as it became harder and harder to breathe. Everything was so dark, and lonely, the girl wished she at least had someone to keep her company before Death claimed her finally. At least it would feel better know she is not alone in the end.
During this line of thought, something colorful and bright caught her attention. A yellow glow grew closer and closer until revealing a tall woman in red kneeling over her and two pairs of suns greeted her spotted vision. The woman appeared odd and very out of place to the cold metal and steel room of the space station. For one, she wore a gigantic hat with candles at the rims and skulls hanging at the edges. There were marigolds decorating her person with two pairs on either side of her face. The woman's face in particular was impossibly white with makeup of flowery skeletal patterns with golden markings extending further down her neck. Dark hair was tied back into a low ponytail where it spilled in down the woman's back in a cascade of curled locks. Such an odd appearance for someone to have in the space station, it looked so out of place and yet, it looked so right on the woman. She was beautiful.
"Aye, que asco. You poor thing…" a soft, accented voice spoke to the dying girl as gentle hands reached out and brushed her yellow hair back. Uttering soothing sounds and hums while waiting for the inevitable to happen. The girl was dying and there was nothing the being could do about it. "Tell me my dear, what is your name?" the being asked, hoping to distract the obviously scared girl who struggled to keep her eyes open.
Who honestly wouldn't be scared when waiting at Death's doorstep?
"Ma…reee…a…" the girl whispered, mind shutting down and numbness crawling over the cooling body. Fear coursed through her mind, wondering what will happen when she finally closed her eyes. The girl thought she had already accepted that she would die soon. She thought that she would be ready when the darkness finally claimed her, content with the knowledge that her friend was safe. She never thought that it would be so scary facing the unknown and know nothing more.
"Maria…" the woman's voice spoke kindly, petting her head before reaching down to wipe away the tears falling from the dying girl's eyes. The girl blearily gazed up at the woman and felt grateful that she was here. She wasn't going to die alone. Someone was going to stay with her until the end. A humming came, sweet and gentle, and the melody slowly lulled the girl to a blank state. The fear ebbed away and slowly disappeared along with the rest of everything. The woman watched as the dying girl took her last breaths. Leaning over, the woman placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and whispered to Maria as she close her eyes.
"I will be seeing you again real soon Maria…" the woman gave a reassuring smile as she watched the last life drain out of the girl and left an empty husk on the floor.
The woman stood up from the ground and in a flash of light and golden petals, she was gone.
Everything was dark at first.
No sight, no sound, not even a sense of smell or touch.
It was empty.
Then, a distant glow greeted her vision as the rest of her sense returned. The glow spread and grew larger and larger until it surrounded her. The brightness blinding her for a moment until she blinked, her vision clearing and was met with a colorful, wonderful sight that would've taken her breath away-if she had any.
Gigantic, tall building of various shapes covered the land in a wide range of colors bursting from their very walls. Skull like and patterns of an ancient civilization were everywhere as light streamed in from an unknown source. There wasn't any visible sun to alight the world here, in fact, there wasn't even a sky above or a visible ground below. There was just the city lighting up everything around it, floating in the middle with disjointed streets and walkways that connected the beautiful land filled with life. Air balloons with skull faces and flowery designs floated up.
It was hard to tell how long she stood there, staring in awe at the land before her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. The feeling she felt looking at this place, the wonderful feeling she never thought she'd be able to feel again, was good and fantastic.
"I see you are enjoying the view here." An accented voice spoke behind her, making the girl whirl around to face the woman in red she met previously. A smile tugging on the painted face as a golden pair of smoldering eyes warmly and kindly looked at her.
"Who…who are you?" the girl asked, not bothered by the other's presence. There was something kind about this woman that made the girl trust her instantly.
"I am La Muerte." The woman introduced herself simply, the smile never leaving her face. "And you are Maria Robotnik."
Maria blinked, taken back by the woman knowing her name.
"Do not be afraid. You have nothing to fear here." La Muerte said gently, gliding up to the young girl's side.
"I'm not…" Maria replied, staring up at her. Then, she realized something that had escaped her notice when first gaining consciousness here. Before she could voice it out to the woman though, La Muerte shushed Maria and calmly took her bony hand into her own.
"You are dead, yes." La Muerte paused, giving the blonde time to properly digest this information then continuing. "However, death is not the end for you. You are here now in my realm, where all those who have passed on and are remembered by the living come here to have fun and reunite with loved ones."
Maria stared, looking down at the hand being held by the woman and was quietly astonished to find it was made of bone. No skin, no tissue, but pure white bone with golden swirl like markings painted on it. Bringing both her hands up to her level, the blonde saw that they were indeed nothing but bones.
She was really dead.
Lifting her gaze up, Maria found that she did not feel shocked or afraid at the woman's words or the revelation that she was in fact truly dead.
If anything, Maria felt free.
Life had restricted her. Her illness had made it so that she was surviving more than living and was unable to do the thing she wanted to do. Her own body too weak, her health too fragile, and though she appreciated the efforts of everyone to be careful around her, Maria hated it. Hated the entrapment and inability to go out and take a breath of air or be out an open field and feel the sunlight. The devastation her body will go in a slow, painful manner as her illness worsened as time passed on. She was stuck in a bubble up in space for the safety of her own health; trapped in her very own body.
Now, in death, she found it to be a liberating experience.
There was no looming shadow of her illness hanging over her or the suffocating sense of being trapped in the very body she was born in.
There was only a sense of peace and absolute freedom.
She was free.
A grin had spread across her face unknowingly and La Muerte, seeing this, beamed. With a gentle but firm tug, La Muerte brought Maria to the edge of the small grassy hill they were on and gestured to the land below. Music and laughter echoing from the distance as the ruler of the realm addressed the recently deceased girl warmly.
Maria would forever remember the excitement and laughter bubbling from her own mouth at the next words she heard.
"Welcome Maria…to the Land of the Remembered!"
Bien Venidos, Maria Robotnik.