Hello again! Welcome to Chapter 2 of 'The Honour Code'! I hope you all liked the first chapter!
Someone else enters the story in this chapter. If you know me well enough, then you already know who it is.
Anyway, I won't give anything away. I'll let you read it and find out for yourselves. I hope you have all had a good week. Mine hasn't been all that exciting so I won't go into it.
Without anything else to say, I'll leave you to it.
Have a good weekend and I'll see you all next Saturday!
Arby xx
The vast openness of the plains passed under his feet. Espio had been running like this for hours without stopping. The city was but a memory now just like the forest that surrounded it. There was no destination planned, at least not yet. It was almost as if he was trying to escape, not just from the Chaotix but from his mind as well. Curious, golden orbs soon landed upon the spectacular sunset that was just beginning to disappear over the horizon. The view was hypnotic with a variety of colours ranging from red to orange to yellow. Above this explosion of beauty, were shades of blue and purple which seemed to be the aftermath of such a sight. For the moment, the wandering ninja forgot about the world around him which was a rare luxury. Normally, he would be far more aware of his surroundings than anyone else seemed to notice. This time was different however, as the reptile was so focused on this natural phenomenon, he had no idea that someone else was moving alongside him at a pace that matched his own.
The mammal that had suddenly accompanied him from nowhere was one that also enjoyed being alone. He, possibly out of everyone, was the most likely to be understanding of Espio's situation; he just didn't know it yet. The other male was none other than the Ultimate Lifeform himself, Shadow the Hedgehog.
He had his own reasons for being out here but this was a unique opportunity. The ninja had not noticed him and he used the element of surprise to his own advantage. Shadow moved closer to him and whispered one word.
"Boo." As expected, the chameleon was startled and attacked on instinct. Shadow was more than prepared for his reaction and simply moved to the side, allowing the ninja to land on the cracked surface in a state of shock and confusion. The chameleon took a double take, not believing that it was really him at first.
"Sh-Shadow?" The amused hedgehog nodded back at him, letting him know that this was not a hallucination. "What are you doing out here?" Shadow took a long breath, in and then out, before he answered.
"Don't be so quick to question, chameleon; although I could ask you the same, along with how you acquired those wounds." He said referring to his scratches. It then dawned on Espio that he had just tried to attack this guy, yet he seemed unphased.
"My apologies, Shadow. My mind was elsewhere." He said with some embarrassment. Shadow just huffed, not bothered either way. Espio got up and dusted himself off. The hedgehog seemed to observe him as he got to his feet, but he wasn't going to question it.
"It is fine." He said simply before walking in the direction that Espio was originally heading in. The chameleon followed alongside.
"Where are we?" He asked now that he had taken in the emptiness of where he was. The last thing he remembered was entering the forest. When did he get here?
"Again, no need to question. Just take it in and calm yourself. You are obviously troubled." Espio's mouth opened slightly. Was it that obvious? Regardless, he obeyed the hedgehog and took several breaths whilst looking around. The plains they walked upon were heavily cracked from the summer sun and there weren't any signs of civilisation anywhere; yet it somehow seemed familiar. Had he been here before? Deep down, he knew where he was but at the same time, he didn't. The feeling was unnerving.
"I was running and I fell into stinging nettles." Espio said out of nowhere.
"Hm?" Shadow had his crimson eyes upon the chameleon as they walked. He could see that he was tense.
"You asked why I was out here and how I 'acquired these wounds' as you put it." The ninja reminded him.
"Yes, but you do not have to tell me anything." The dark hedgehog's words eased him. Despite the pair being somewhat unfamiliar with each other, he related to him the most. Their personalities were similar; they both were disconnected from modern society; they both enjoyed being alone and they were both generally serious when it came to life's many situations. With these things in common, Espio wanted to trust him, not allowing his rough past to affect his opinion.
"I've… simply not been right lately; as vague as that is. I keep thinking back to the Shinobi and I grow more concerned by the day. I, for some reason, thought Vector would understand. Needless to say it didn't end well and I… ran." Espio felt ashamed. He wasn't the type of person to run from his problems and Shadow knew this. "I also fell into the nettles when I was practising my ninja techniques, but enough of that." The chameleon explained quickly before moving on. "Since I told you, why don't you tell me? What brings you to this wasteland?" The chameleon asked hoping to shift the attention off of himself and onto Shadow.
"I wanted to be by myself for a while. I often come out here because I know no one else will. It seems you have proven me wrong." He said with a chuckle. Shadow's voice was clearly relaxed. Espio could only guess that he was comfortable out here.
"My apolo-"
"Why are you apologising?" Shadow cut him off. Espio's eyes snapped onto the hedgehog, who was still looking at him. They stared awkwardly at each other for the briefest of moments but to the duo, it was as if an eternity just flashed between them. "I never said running into you was a bad thing." The chameleon was left without words. Shadow wasn't usually the comforting type. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he had never seen him comfort anyone in his life. The small grin on the black hedgehog's face was enough proof that he meant what he said. Espio smiled the first fully genuine smile in a long time.
"Thank you, Shadow."
"For what?" The content mammal questioned. The ninja thought about his answer carefully.
"For being here." He replied, his voice being just as relaxed. Shadow smirked before looking away from him.
"I never knew my presence could ease someone so much. You are welcome nonetheless." Espio also looked away and kept his gaze forward. A silence lasted but it didn't feel at all awkward as they both had assumed. After several moments, Shadow continued to ask Espio about his problems. "This 'Shinobi' you mentioned, what is it?" The reptile chuckled but did not hesitate in informing him.
"The Shinobi are my clan. It is with that clan that I grew up and learned everything I know today. My Master allowed me to leave them with orders that I could act as I see fit. Only recently has this absence bothered me." Espio explained. "I left them years ago."
"So, you wish to go back there?" Shadow asked. Espio nodded with a saddened expression upon his face. "Where are they located?" Shadow questioned further.
"In the Dragon Kingdom." An uneasy expression made itself known upon the hedgehog. Espio was quick to notice. "What is it?"
"You obviously do not know of the events that occurred."
"What are you talking about?" Espio demanded. The subject wasn't one the ninja took lightly and if Shadow knew something, then he was not leaving until he had shared his information.
"You remember the Dragon Kingdom as a place of beauty; filled with forests, mountains and endless rivers. Am I correct?" Espio nodded but didn't say a word. "Eggman has since been there. Since it has a considerable lack of technology, those that were there could not inform anyone of his doings; because of this…" Shadow trailed off, knowing what he was about to say would hurt the anxious chameleon.
"What? Shadow, tell me." His voice was stern but the Ultimate Lifeform could easily detect his concern.
"The place where we stand is the Dragon Kingdom." The hedgehog was forced to look away from Espio's utterly distraught face. His amber eyes were wide and his mouth hung. Words had long since abandoned him whilst Shadow's echoed in his head. "I am sorry." The mammal finished.
"No…" Espio whispered, refusing to believe the brutal truth that had been staring at him in the face. "What of the clans? Did they survive?" He asked desperately.
"No one has any idea. There have been no signs of any life since." Shadow told him.
"How long ago was this?"
"Not as long as most may assume. An environmental change like this would normally take years but thanks to Eggman's machinery, it took less than a month." The ninja's jaw dropped.
"How did no one know about this?!" Anger now flooded his voice but Shadow knew it wasn't directly aimed at him. He was distressed and for a good reason.
"Very few dare to enter the Dragon Kingdom. There were many stories and legends told about the clans that lived here, which scared most, even those with the means to defend themselves. On top of that, the absence of long-distance communication here stopped any chance of them calling for help." The scenario was like a living nightmare for the reptile but there was no chance he was running this time.
"I have to return to Shinobi. I have to know if they are alive." Espio stated without a hint of hesitation. Shadow nodded in understanding before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
"Good luck, Espio." His eyes were fixated on the hedgehog as if the very thought of him leaving was wrong.
"Shadow." He called, prompting the mammal in question to turn and look at him. "Come with me. You've been kind enough to help me so far. If Eggman is still here, then I'm going to need help plus…" He stopped and blushed slightly as if his next words were some kind of weakness. "… I need you with me." Shadow's reaction was similar except he was bold enough to not turn away. Instead, he simply nodded and returned to Espio's side as they both ventured deeper into the devastated Dragon Kingdom.
Despite the areas of lush vegetation being now non-existent, no technology of one man could move mountains, which Espio remembered clearly being where the entrance to the Shinobi caves was located. Somewhere near the border if he wasn't mistaken.
They were a labyrinth. Shadow was already lost within the first ten minutes of being underground. It amazed him how Espio knew his way around perfectly, even in darkness that matched his fur. They stayed close, ensuring that they wouldn't get separated with Shadow using his Chaos Emerald to provide some form of light. It seemed like forever that they had been down here, mindlessly wandering through caves and avoiding the odd endless abyss. When Shadow's patience had finally grown thin, he noticed a faint flicker in the distance.
"Over there." He said and pointed in the direction of the light.
"We made it." Espio stated before running to the source. The hedgehog was quick to follow but stopped when he came to a huge gap in the rock. It was far too wide for them to jump across but on the other side, was the entrance to the Shinobi.
"How, may I ask, do we cross this?" Shadow asked with clear irritation to his words.
"This is the 'Way of the Blind'. Under normal circumstances, I would go invisible and leave you to figure out how to cross this by yourself but since these aren't normal circumstances, stay close and follow my lead." The chameleon explained before suddenly walking across thin air. Shadow was absolutely baffled. There was no technology, no machines… nothing. How did they achieve this? How was this possible? "Shadow?" He snapped from the many questions in his mind and caught up to Espio who had waited for him before moving further. He couldn't lie; walking above certain death on an invisible path was beyond nerve-wracking. One wrong step and that's it. It bothered him so much that it distracted him from his current task. He thought that Espio was still walking forwards when he had actually turned left. The hedgehog continued staring down until he felt his heart stop when his foot slid off the edge of the invisible walkway. Shadow tried to recover but it was already too late as he began to fall into the unknown below.
"Chaos!" He shouted on instinct but stopped when he felt his body halt. One piercing, red eye opened to see that he was still in thin air. Shadow quickly looked up to see that Espio was hanging on with one hand whilst holding on to Shadow with the other. "…Control?" He finished in disbelief.
"Are you alright?" The ninja asked.
"How is he so calm?!" Shadow thought before finally gathering the necessary words to answer. "Pull me up, and then ask me that again." Espio did as instructed and, with some effort, pulled himself up along with the hanging hedgehog shortly after.
"Are you alright?" He repeated just as Shadow had asked him to.
"I'm alive." It took several deep breaths before Shadow continued. "Thanks Espio. That may have been the end of me."
"You're the Ultimate Lifeform, I highly doubt it." Espio reassured much to Shadow's surprise but he wouldn't relax until he was on solid ground.
"Can we just get off of this thing?" The ninja nodded but this time he kept a hold of his hand and led him across. The still-shaken hedgehog wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation. He thought that the act of holding hands was purely something that couples did judging on what he had seen in the past. Regardless, he knew the chameleon was looking out for him, or so he hoped, and didn't question it. Espio let go once they had made it to the other side with Shadow giving a noticeable exhale of relief now that his life was safer than before.
They entered into the many tunnels of the Shinobi only to find that it was eerily empty. Many flickering torches upon the walls added to the atmosphere that so far, neither of them enjoyed. The pair both had the same feeling of uneasiness but Espio was the one to voice it.
"Where is everyone? There should have been guards." Shadow simply shrugged despite being stood behind him. Standing in the entrance way wouldn't provide them with answers so they made their way around. Not a single chameleon was here. Instead, various ninja weaponry were dug into the rocky walls, as if deliberately being thrown into them with some force. Espio studied them closely and felt his stomach sink. "This isn't good. I fear they may have been attacked."
"I can't say I'm surprised. If the doctor is around, then he probably attacked any and all that lived here."
"We have to look for them. We can search the tunnels faster if we split up." Espio suggested.
"You seem to forget that I have never been here before. Not only do I have no clue where I'm going, but if either of us were to get into trouble, we cannot communicate and I cannot Chaos Control." The hedgehog had made a good point. He could see that the chameleon was trying to think of something but nothing came to mind. With a roll of the eyes, Shadow gave in, deciding that he could handle himself if something was to happen and he knew Espio could as well.
In no time at all, they both headed in opposite directions to cover as much of the cave system as they could. Espio moved towards the Bride's Chamber while Shadow went wherever his instincts took him. Unlike his chameleon companion, Shadow took his time when looking around and was sure to study the many signs which told him that life had been here previously.
"There are no bodies, not even blood yet there was obviously some kind of struggle here." He stopped and placed a hand on his chin as he thought about the situation further. "They were taken, that much I know. But to where?" His crimson eyes scanned the wall but stopped the moment they noticed something odd about it. There were dark spots, a lot of them, dotted around. Once he had seen a few, Shadow began to notice the others. They were everywhere. His expression grew to one of anger when he realised that they were burns from laser fire. There was only one person he knew that used laser weaponry at all. With clenched fists and gritted teeth, Shadow instantly growled the word "Eggman".