Chapter 2 is up! I'm thinking of upping the rating on this... cause its kind of angst-y... I don't know... anyhow, this chapter was inspired by 'Your Guardian Angel' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You really have to know about Shadow's past to understand any of this, and I hope I'm getting it right myself. It's a little intense at the end.. not really but I thought I'd warn you. Hope you like it! Review pls ^_^
Warning, some more dream weirdness up ahead so buckle up!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog (or anything related to it)
BANG!
A single inch-long piece of lethal metal flew through the air, spinning like an expertly thrown football. The overhead lights shined upon the dull gray bullet as the sound wave behind it echoed and rolled around the room like thunder. It took its sweet time traveling towards its target, but, finally, the metal met its mark. Innocent blue satin was ripped and stained.
Time lingered on that single image for what only seemed to be a few seconds, then decided to rewind itself. The bullet suddenly reversed its course, looking as though it were pulled backward by a string. The torn fabric reconnected the delicate threads and sewed itself back together at the entry point. The ripple of sound that had been let off came back to its source, being sucked back into the muzzle of the hand pistol accompanied by the bullet.
"All right, Shadow, that will be all for today," a tall man said smiling down at his patient. "Thank you for your willingness."
Shadow grunted as he hopped off the white medical table and inclined his head towards the man. "You're welcome, Dr. Robotnik," he said. He then turned on his heel and walked toward the door without another word. He paused at the threshold, however, and glanced back at the man as the doctor spoke.
"I believe you will find her in the holo-room," Dr. Robotnik smiled knowingly.
Shadow simply nodded and continued on through the door without response.
Doctor Gerald Robotnik tweaked his long gray mustache and smirked lightly, but his grin soon fell and his shoulders sagged. His blue eyes were tired behind his ever-present shades and a soft mournfulness set into his posture. He sighed and stood there for a few more minutes, lost and alone in his thoughts and feelings.
Shadow took a steady stride down the long curving corridor, the continuous 'clopping' of his shoes on the metal floor following behind him. He nodding absently to the occasional white lab-coated passerby as they cheerily greeted him. To his right was a continuous window, curving along with the hall. Beyond the smooth glass was a vast black plain, ominous and magnificent in size. It was littered with glittering stardust and it wrapped like a blanket around the single massive orb suspended in space. The thing was like a shining marble, mottled with beautiful green and blue. Like a jewel that sat on black velvet.
Shadow glanced out the window as he walked like he always did and stared at the oasis-like planet. Though seeing it everyday made it a common sight, his curiosity was still stirred with it and his imagination took off. He would go there someday, and finally know what it was like to have the sun above his head. That planet was a promise, or the everlasting reminder of a promise he had once made. A promise he fully intended to make reality someday.
Shadow's thoughts came back to the present and he paused in the hallway, looking over to his left at a marked door. It was just like any of the many doors he had passed on his way, shining silver metal and plain. The single difference that set it apart was the small plaque hanging discreetly next to it that read in bold print, "HOLO-ROOM."
Shadow stepped up to the door he'd been looking for and allowed it time to slide open before entering.
The emerald green leaves of the thick oak tree rustled in the breeze and shined under the glowing sun - such a beautiful sun! The sky was a strong royal blue - so blue! - and the soft green grass created a blanket that stretched across the plain, decorated with pink, white, yellow and blue wildflowers. A flock of pure white doves dislodged from the tree branches and took flight into that gorgeous sky.
A young girl took in the sights with large oceanic eyes as she rested under the shade of the oak. Her golden hair flowed down at her shoulders, restrained only by a headband, and her smooth satin dress splayed out around her. She had her back against the trunk and sat in the grass, her hands daintily folded in her lap while her energetic eyes darted around and took in every sight that was to be seen. She smiled lightly and let out a contented sigh, allowing herself to lean back against the bark and close her eyes.
The faint clanging sound of metal on metal cut through the symphony of nature and awoke the young girl from her daze. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned to see metal-soled shoes wading through the grass towards her. She couldn't help but let a small melancholy sigh slip past her lips as the blue sky above her disappeared to reveal a high metal ceiling. The light from the 'sun' gave way to numerous overhead lighting fixtures.
She gazed about her and her eyes lingered a few seconds on a 'tree' that she could spot directly through a 'bird' as it preened its feathers. They were only tricks of light, mere illusions of solid objects. Now that their trick had been exposed, she could literally see through it all.
The heavy footfall had come to a halt next to her and now she turned her big blue eyes up into the face of the new comer.
"I can't wait to see it all for real, Shadow," the girl said wistfully as she turned back to face the fake scenery before them. Hidden speakers emitting the continuous loop of forced nature sounds filled the silence between them. She sighed again and leaned back against the thick support pole behind her, her back passing through the bark of the 'oak tree.'
Shadow glanced down at the small girl, frowning slightly at the despondent smile on her face. Even when she was sad, the girl kept on smiling. But... this type of smile bothered him. It wasn't the type he wanted to see coming from the usually optimistic young woman.
Shadow let out a breath and kneeled down on one knee to get to the girl's level. "You'll see it soon, Maria," he said and she turned to look at him. "We'll both see it soon." There was a pause as he let his words sink in. Then he took on a lofty expression and continued, "Then we'll finally see if Doctor Robotnik was right in telling us that that most of the people down there wear socks on their heads." He closed his eyes and shrugged, "After he needed you to correct him on the color of the sky, I'm just not sure about his memory anymore..." He was rewarded with soft chuckles and he opened one eye with a satisfied smirk.
The girl laughed at the memory of the Doctor scrambling for excuses to defend his claims. She had brought out one of the many books she owned on the earth's topography and atmosphere to confirm that the sky was indeed blue, contrary to his beliefs. She remembered him stuttering something like, 'Well those books of yours are much younger than I, and back in MY day...'
She shook her head, still shaking with mirth as she said, "And to think, he thought the sky was green. A bright green that blended in with the leaves of the trees." She chuckled again. "Poor Grandpa."
She smiled up at Shadow, eyes devoid of the gloom they held only moments before. Shadow smirked, one of his rare non-threatening smirks. This was the smile he loved so much.
"Ya know, Shadow..." Shadow looked back down at the girl as she spoke. "The people down there are really going to like you. You'd be able to protect them... and you're funny!" she said with childlike innocence. "...Both of us down there will be able to help allot of people. Grandpa may get allot of things wrong about the appearance of Earth, but I think he's right about the hurt that goes on down there. They need help," she looked up into his face with determination gleaming in her eyes, "They need our help, Shadow."
Shadow was no stranger to the girl's passions and should have been used to her rapid shift in attitudes by now. He could empathize with her goal of wanting to help the earth-goers on a certain level, but not with anything near the vigor that this little girl possessed. She never ceased to amaze him with the heart that she showed; here she was battling for her own life right now and all she could think of was how those other humans needed her help...
He gave a swift nod and his tone turned serious as he said, "You're right, Maria. They do need our help. They need someone like you down there, and I promise to be there with you every step of the way. And I'll... protect them."
The girl nodded eagerly and a joy filled grin lit up her face, having full confidence that the hedgehog would keep his promise. She took his offered hand and was hoisted her feet. Now standing a bit taller than the hedgehog, she looked down at her best friend and beamed, saying, "Good. Now let's go check up on Grandpa before he explodes something - again. Last one there's a rotten Twinkie!"
Shadow crossed his arms and looked at the ground deep in thought. "A rotten Twinkie, eh? Now there's an anomaly..." But the girl had already run out the door. He smirked, a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth, and started walking towards the exit, deliberately giving the girl a much needed head start.
His slowed, however, and in the solitary of the empty room, surrounded by holographic wildlife, his smirk fell into a very small, very sincere smile - one only Maria could provoke out of him. He would keep his promise. But not for the earth-dwellers' sakes; no, only for the girl he had committed the promise to would he dare risk his life to protect them. And he would protect her, too. He would protect the girl and her smile to the ends of the universe, even if it meant his own life. He promised.
And his smile grew just a little bit.
Gun shots rang out in the darkness.
Glass shattered.
The tranquil images that had been playing like a video were wiped away with thick blackness. Had they been memories? Or simply more illusions conjured up by this twisted world?
'Her name... Why can't I remember her name?'
It had been there, he had heard it. He had even seen himself say it, but now that the innocent play-by-play was gone the name seemed to have left his tongue as well.
In the swimming darkness another scene passed before his nonexistent eyes.
He saw a dark room, and a small figure that was falling to the ground. He stared at it and its decent was slowed tortuously. It was as the small body finally touched the ground that he realized what it was - it was the infamous little girl - the child from his dreams. Her hands were outstretched towards the ground to catch her fall, but they shattered literally like glass upon impact. The rest of her body followed and bits of blue and blond glass skidded across the smooth floor. The majority of her body laid broken in a crumbled heap in the center of the room and shuttered as the girl took in a shaky breath.
Shadow couldn't move, couldn't help her. He was unable to reach out to her, unable to do anything except watch. What happened? Was this real? Or was it just another -
"Shadow..."
His mind stalled like a deer caught in the headlights, and if he had a breath in this abyss it would have hitched. She was talking to him!
"Shadow...," came the quiet sweet voice again. The girl lifted her fragmented face towards him. "You... you forgot your promise, didn't you?"
He stared in with fixated awe, brain coming back as her words slowly registered. His eyes widened in realization.
'N-no, I - ,' he tried to say, but no sounds came.
The girl continued. "You... you forgot... to protect me..." a shining tear, glassy like a diamond slid gracefully down her cracked cheek. Something pierced Shadow's heart then, and pierced it deep. Words couldn't describe the feeling of utter failure and hopelessness that bubbled up inside him, and in that moment he relived one of his worst nightmares - he was forced to watch the life fade from those deep blue eyes.
The image faded and he was left alone in the dark. All around him were small windows to memories and visions, all floating aimlessly through space while their content played out and repeated over and over. Screams, casual conversations, gun shots, and even joy filled laughter rang out from the myriad of windows, but Shadow didn't hear any of them. He simply stood there. Only in the recesses of his own mind would he let himself divulge in this emotion as the last few seconds played in his mind repeatedly. The girl's words still rang in his ears.
'You couldn't protect her... she's gone.'
Another voice bit into his mind. "You couldn't protect even a small child. How could you possibly protect thousands of others like you promised? If you couldn't do what you were created for, than what are you?"
...what are you?
Author's Notes: This is not supposed to be romance in any way! We all know that Shadow and Maria are best friends.
Disclaimer: And I don't own Twinkies either xD I mean come on, Dr. Robotnik probably had Twinkies laying around the Ark. Those things keep forever! Good space food. Review!