Childhood
She wasn't a bad child, no, that would be a lie. But she wasn't necessarily a good child either. The first daughter of an angel and the Ultimate Life form. She was bound to be a problem child. The Demon's Child, that's what they called her, those people, down there. And you know what? She loved that name, adored it even. It was a title she came to enjoy. They would chant her name in hatred, 'The Demon's Child', over and over again. And each time they uttered that statement, it brought a smile right to her face. She was a bit messed up, and she knew it. It was something that made her special.
Akna-Maria. The young girl, four right now, sat crouched on the edge of the desert sands. She hugged close her knees, as her blue eyes peered down to the burning fragments of dirt and grain. There was a small lizard that poked through the sands, its body a light brown to blend with the land. It moved this way, it moved that way, obviously in search for food. Her finger stretched forward, dragging alongside the body of the lizard. When she felt the spine of the reptile beneath her finger, she pressed down. The lizard's movements were locked down, unable to move thanks to her press. A smile stretched upon her face as her blue eyes reciprocated the view of the lizard struggling to escape. With a bit more added pressure, she could easily crush the being. She had the power to do so. The power…
"Akna!" her mother's voice called, "Akna-Maria! Where are you?"
Her blue eyes looked skyward as the call entered her ears. Finger lifting, she freed the lizard incidentally, allowing it to rush off into the desert before them. Realizing her victim had been freed, the child stood up tall with a disappointed look upon her face. Her vision looked up, now staring over the entirety of the desert. She wasn't allowed into this place alone, for obvious reason. It was much too harsh an area to traverse for her youthful body. If her mother or uncle or possibly even her father figured out where she had been, she would be punished surely. And as much of a problem child she was, she, like all children, detested the thought of punishment.
She turned around, facing the forest which perfectly opposed the extreme desert. Her hand dragged against her tribal dress, dusting off any form of sand that may or may not have lay upon it. Stepping through the overgrowth of the island, she pushed her way through the moist forest. She heard her mother's calls grow louder and louder, the deeper the child got into the forest. When the sunlight touched her again, she stood in the middle of a forest's clearing. The old decrepit structures of long since abandoned echidna structures stood around. Pillars, statues, buildings of all kinds, lay collapsed at her feet.
She enjoyed this area. Whenever she stood here, she felt one with her past, one with her people. She had such a magical and powerful ancestry. An island floating in the skies, a people who have been long since destroyed, an aquatic god that once attacked and brought the world to its knees. She had it all.
"Akna!?" her mother called, "Akna-Maria! Where are you?"
"Mom…" she answered, "Mom! I'm here!"
Her voice was so smile when in comparison to the massive forest around her. She placed her hand on a pillar beside her, her black fingers gazing through the bandages that covered her hand. Her mother's call had now ceased, stopping as soon as her daughter replied. Akna-Maria continued walking, stepping foot on stone panels that lay on the ground.
"Mom!" she called, "I'm here!"
She heard footsteps echo behind her, even though the forest grass was soft and wet. Turning around, the tribal hedgehog stared directly forward into the eyes of her mother. Twenty-two year old Tikal the echidna gave a smile that only a mother could muster. Her orange dreads had grown longer with age, she had also grown stronger too. Had it not been the noticeably pregnant belly she had, one may have easily forgotten the muscles she had on her arms. The same could be said for her legs, but the dress she wore covered her all the way to her feet.
But enough about that, she knelt down near her daughter while that smile continued to sit on her face. When Akna-Maria wilt back in a near embarrassed manner, Tikal stretched forth her hand and touched upon her daughter's face in a tender manner.
"What's wrong?" she questioned, "I only left you for a few moments…"
"I know," she murmured, "It's just that…"
She grew silent as her eyes floated over to her mother's belly. Upon noticing this, Tikal's smile grew greater, as she began to chuckle. With a wag of her finger, she signaled to her daughter to follow her, while she sat down on a fallen pillar.
"C'mon Akna…" she murmured, "Sit down near Mother…"
Slowly, her daughter obeyed her command, sitting down near Tikal's legs. Staring down, she gazed to her toes that poked through her white sandals. They were exactly like her mother's, though they were created by her mother so it would make sense. In all honesty though, the child really wanted shoes like her Uncle Knuckles.
"So, you're mad at mother for having another child, hm?" Tikal asked as she tightened the hold her gloves had on her hands.
"I thought I was good enough…" Akna replied with a pout, "Why did you and Daddy have to bring someone else here…?"
It was more selfishness than jealousy that Akna-Maria was disappointed, but it was a little of both. She had, after all, gotten used to being an only child. Bringing someone else in the mix just felt wrong to her. Crossing her arms, she tried to ignore it as best she could, but that was extremely hard when her mother began to laugh.
"You cross your arms just like your father…" Tikal giggled, making Akna blush in embarrassment. As her pout grew, and her vision shifted elsewhere, she felt the alluring air of her mother fall upon her. Turning around, she saw that Tikal still retained that smile of hers, though her hand was now moving forward. The single bang of black and red hair that covered Akna's left eye was effortlessly pushed away by Tikal, who then cupped her daughter's face.
"You look so beautiful, you know that. Right, Akna?"
"Uh-huh…" she answered meekly as her fingers began to twiddle with one another.
Her mother began to laugh, making Akna look up to her mother. Tikal's arm swiftly grabbed a hold of her daughter's shoulders, bringing her close in an embrace. Akna blushed from the close encounter, before dragging those blue orbs of her's down to her mother's belly. The tribal princess, err, queen, began to pat down her pregnant stomach, as her laughter died out.
"You'll love having a little sibling, Akna," she said with a loving smile as she faced her daughter, "You may think it's great being a single child right now, but once you have a little brother or sister... You'll never want to see them leave..."
Raising her finger, the young little hedgehog tapped the side of her own face. A second or two later, her mother stood from the pillar they sat on, her eyes glancing off into the ruins. Flicking her risk, the echidna mother sent a signal to her daughter, one Akna-Maria easily picked up on.
"Now where are we?" Tikal asked of her daughter, as Akna-Maria grabbed her hand.
"Uhh... Marble Garden Zone, right?" the young hedgehog asked.
"Correct," Tikal responded with a smile, "And what Zone lies near Marble Garden Zone?" her face quickly bent into displeasure, "The very same Zone your father, your uncle, and I, have constantly told you on many occasions not to go into? The very same Zone you were just in?"
"Uhh... You don't mean Sandoopolis Zone, do you?" Akna answered as she put on her best innocent look.
"I can see the sand on your dress, Maria..." Tikal stated with squinted eyes, "How many times have we told you about going there by yourself?"
"I was just... well..."
"Just... what...?" a low, yet powerful, voice echoed over.
His footsteps glided over the grass. They could hear each and everyone of his footsteps, as he trekked near them. His hand first laid upon one of the many ruined pillars, before this tall, black and red hedgehog appeared. Even though it had been four years since the birth of his daughter, he looked the exact same way. The only items that appeared to have aged on the hedgehog, were his shoes, which was now loosing its red paint, and the various medals on his black vest. They still shined yes, but they were a bit worn through the years.
When the echidna and her daughter noticed the man, their faces brightened up in unison. Though it was little Akna-Maria who spoke up first.
"Daddy!" she called, her face taking an unusually happy visage.
She quickly vanished in a black blur, only to reappear at the feet of her father. With the same emotionless visage, the tall hedgehog grabbed his daughter, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. As he pulled her up, he planted a kiss on the side of her muzzle, making the little girl giggle in his arms.
"Before I get into too good a mood," Shadow commented, as he pulled his daughter away, "What exactly was it my little Akna-Maria was doing," his eyes squinted, "Before I came around?"
She put on her best smile, as she spouted various 'ums' and 'uhs' from her lips. Shadow's face grew even harder, and more scolding, as the patience he had with his daughter was quickly growing thin. Before he could meet out any kind of punishment, his beloved touched lightly upon his arm.
"Oh put her down, Shadow..." Tikal stated, bringing Shadow's eyes over to her, "She's only going to keep coming up with ideas..."
Peering back to Akna-Maria, his hard face quickly soften.
"I guess you're right..." he answered, as a small smile crept to his lips, "I suppose I could always blame this on Sonic. You have been spending some time with him, as of late."
"Ill! Mister Sonic is an idiot!" Akna-Maria stated, "And he's always going on about... uh... Chilli dogs or something like that..."
The young hedgehog started making disgruntled faces, while her father chuckled lowly.
"Well, at least our daughter's head is on straight..."
He released one of his arms from her body soon after, opting out to hold her up with one hand instead. Lifting his free hand, he bit on the edge of his glove, to remove it. Glove in mouth, he stretched his now bare hand over to his beloved's stomach, pressing his hand lightly upon her growing belly.
"Shadow..." Tikal giggled as a blush grew.
"I'm just making sure..." he said through his glove, as his hand shone a yellow color, "You can never be too careful..."
His hand moved away a few seconds later, leaving the echidna without the warm touch of her lover. Sliding his glove back onto his hand, he stretched out his appendage to the echidna he had come to love. Even through the years of being together, the hedgehog still had a difficult time conveying emotions. So when Tikal saw him reach forward his hand to hold her's, she quickly latched on.
They were a comfortable little family. Shadow the hedgehog, the Ultimate Life form, Tikal the echidna, the Angelic Priestess, and Akna-Maria, their problem child.
…
Two years later...
The Chaos powers she had were a given. She was bound to have them, it was in her blood, her families blood. One is not born from the loins of two demi-gods, and does not have the powers they themselves own. Little Akna-Maria was no such singularity. She had the power to crush mountains, level oceans, destroy cities, all within her small, growing, body. Her parents knew it, their friends knew it, and worst of all, she knew it. The powers she owned manifested themselves at a very young age, though it was hard for even her to tell what year they first appeared. Three, perhaps, though at the time they were very underdeveloped, and as such, she couldn't call upon them with as much ease as she could now. But at her current age of six, she could do with her powers what some could never do in an entire lifetime.
"Akna..." Maira called, "Akna... stop... Daddy..."
She ignored her sister of course, instead focusing on the objects around. Within this calm forest plateau, the young hedgehog could only see the rocks she herself placed about. Behind her, stood her two year old little sister, the echidna known as Maira. The second child of Shadow and Tikal, she took more after their mother, as opposed to her sister. While Akna-Maria's dreads were curly, thanks to the hedgehog in her, Maira's dreads were straighter. Also, unlike her sister, Maira's dreads lacked the red streaks on each individual dread, save for one that hung close to her right eye.
But that was beside the point. Despite her young age, little Maira knew when her sister was up to no good, and the troubles that could arise from it if their parents found out. Her older sister cared not though. Akna-Maria remained in her crossed legs position, as her blue eyes closed tightly shut.
Even at the age of six, the young hedgehog knew the importance of keeping a clear mind. She forced out the calls of her little sister, instead focusing on the task at hand. Her hands slowly moved inwardly, balling up into fists. Finally Maira's pleas ceased, as she watched the dreads of her elder sister flow skyward. The hoodie jacket around Akna's shoulders started to flow skyward as well, as this golden aura began to line the edge of her body. Maira covered her mouth in awe and silent fear, as she watched her older sister begin to growl. And everything started floating. The rocks that Akna had spent the last hour moving into place was now floating skyward. As this happened, Akna began to growl even louder, as sweat began to drag down her face and muzzle. Akna stood from her sitting position as her hands stretched away from her body. The rocks moved even higher now, her growls increasing with the height they were currently out. But Akna had now pushed herself a bit too far. Her growls were gone, replaced now with heavy pants for breath. Despite this, she kept the great rocks up as high as she possibly could, working her body harder than she should have been. It was impressive, her abilities so far, but she had made one mistake.
"Akna!" Maira called, "Akna! AAAAAAHHHHH!"
The ebony hedgehog's eyes open up wide. Even though her sister was behind her, she already knew the problem she caused. Maira was floating up high as well, and Akna had no idea how to bring her down safely. That caused fear to creep into her mind, which broke the concentration she held. The rocks she held fell, and worst of, so did Maira.
But the two year old never touched down upon the ground. Akna hadn't turned around yet, but the wind started to pick up. Swallowing her spit, the hedgehog's fear grew in levels, but for a different reason. She knew the rushing wind could only signify two things, well, two people. And since one of them was, currently, on some other planet, the wind could only mean one thing.
Maira's cries echoed through the forest clearing, and through that clearing, she called out to the man who saved her.
"D-D-Daddy!"
Yeah, Akna-Maria had a good reason to be terrified. Slowly, and I mean slowly, the girl turned around. She wanted, with all the courage in her body, to run. Run where? She didn't know. Honestly, anywhere would be better than here. But she was here, and worst of, he was here.
"D...D...Dad...?" she questioned, as she looked up to her father.
It was those eyes. The bloody red, crimson orbs. She had seen them many times in her young life, he was her father after all. She had seen happiness, love, enjoyment, all conveyed through those orbs, because his face definitely wasn't going to do it. But right now, those eyes conveyed malice, anger, disappointment. And they were strong in those emotions. She had seen her father instill the most daunting of fear within people, with his eyes alone. And right now, the same was happening to her.
"Akna-Maria the hedgehog..." he answered.
In the universal language of parents, whenever a child's name was said in full, that mean something bad was happening, or about to happen. The same went for their family as well. The young hedgehog lock up at the sound of her full name, as she felt this warmth trickle down her nose. Dragging her gloved finger against her nostrils, she cleaned that warmth from her face. Upon pulling her hand back, she found her index finger was dabbed in a red substance.
Nose bleed. At the age of six, Akna-Maria saw blood for the first time. It made her eyes roll into the back of her skull, as her legs grew as week as jello. The last word she said before darkness took over, was "Dad?"
…
Two years later...
Inhibitor rings, yeah right. More like 'Bondage Rings'. She didn't know what 'Inhibitor' meant, but she knew she didn't like it. For the past two years she's been wearing these blasted things, ever since that moment in the forest. Wearing them felt so demoralizing. She felt weaker with them on, she felt worse. Her Chaos Powers were lowered to levels she couldn't possibly understand. But that wasn't to say she was weaker. No, no, in fact, quite the opposite. The two years she spent wearing the rings made her train even harder. In secrecy, of course. She may not have been as strong with the rings on as she was with them off, but that didn't make her any less a danger. She was, after all, a Problem Child.
Eight year old Akna-Maria stood within the depths of the forest right now, separated from everyone else. Boy did she love the deep loneliness only the greenery could give her. Getting to her toes, she pulled up her hand in a daunting manner. Slowly, her fingers took the position of a gun, with index pointed forward, and thumb pointing up. Raising her free hand, she moved the bang that covered her left eye, while at the same time closing her right eye. She focused her eyesight on a barren and weak tree before her, one that appeared to be on its last leg, err, roots. Breathing in and out, she started to focus on the energies living within her body. The very edge of her index finger started to glow, as a small yellow orb formed at the tip.
"Now..." she whispered to herself, whilst retaining full focus, "What does Daddy say when he's about to do that... thing..." when she remembered, a gleam of light surged through her eyes, "Oh yes! Chaos-!"
"Akna!" Maira's voice interrupted.
Before she could finish her command, Akna-Maria fired her blast. The yellow orb at the edge of her finger shot out, striking the tree that lay a good few yards away. When it touched the dying tree it exploded, sending wood and shrapnel in all directions. Had she kept full focus, maybe the explosion would have been subdued, but the interruption ruined her concentration.
"Errr! Maira!" Akna yelled as she turned around, "What! Are you doing!?"
Her four year old sister stared at her with those shining blue eyes of hers. Had it not been for their fur color, the two could easily be seen as complete strangers. Over the years, Maira had taken to her mother, and her clothing showed this. She wore what any echidna child would wear at her age. Akna was different though. The older hedgehog had taken a more modernized look. Gone was the tribal dress she had been accustomed too, now being replaced with these jeans and a shirt. The only clothing that remained of her tribal heritage, were the sandals that still so perfectly hugged her feet.
"This had better be good, Maira..." Akna scolded as she pulled up her jacket.
"It is Maria..." Maira answered, "It's... the bullies..."
"So?" the hedgehog answered as she checked the destruction she had just caused, "What about the bullies? You sort of forget, Maira, I tend to be a bull myself..."
"I know that, Maria but..." Maira grew a bit serious, "Akna... You're better than they are. I mean, you aren't... evil..."
"There's many who would disagree with that, Maira..." Akna answered as she picked up a piece of wood.
Despite her young age, she was still an intelligent girl. Yes, there were many who disliked the girl and her sister. Akna had come to terms with that at a very young age, but Maira was still ignorant of such thoughts. She would learn them come age though.
"Please Maria?" Maira pleaded, "Those bullies are mean..."
Akna turned around and faced her sister with a raised eyebrow.
"Maira they aren't messing with you are they?" she asked, "Those idiots are... well, idiots, but they know better than to mess with you," the hedgehog pointed at herself, "Because they know they'll have to mess with me."
Maira shook her head.
"No... they aren't messing with me..." she said with a bit of disappointment.
"Oh no..." Akna responded as she turned around, "Don't tell me..."
"It's Manik..." Maira answered, "Again..."
For the son of a hero, the blue hedgehog had some issues in his head. Akna found herself groaning in annoyance at the thought of the blue hedgehog. He was always picking fights with people much bigger than him, like he had something to prove. Then again, being the first born to the world's greatest hero, he did have some big shoes to fill. Or, he could just be an idiot, Akna loved to believe that idea.
"Fine then!" she said as she waved off her hand, "Maira! Go a tell them I'm coming, okay!"
Her sister didn't answer, though she did nod. The next second she was rushing out of the forest. Turning around, Akna stared toward the forest's edge as she tightened the fabric of her glove. Her blue eyes ran along the frame of the crumbling tree. It brought a smile to her face.
…
"You better let go! Before I hurt you!" the little blue hedgehog said as he pushed his way forward.
The heavy hand of the boy much older than him pushed down upon the blue hedgehog's head, ruining the turf of hair he had on top. That didn't cease the hedgehog's plight though, as he continued to push his way forward. He wasn't moving anywhere though, thanks to the strength of the person he was currently fighting. The burly and older crocodile continued to force his palm unto the four year old's head, gaining some sort of pleasure from it. The blue hedgehog, not understanding how useless his plight was, continued to push forward. Or maybe he did know, and he just wasn't giving up.
"When I get my hands on you," the blue hedgehog said as his feet twirled around in a circular fashion, "You're gonna wish I ain't hurt you so bad!"
"Oh really?" the crocodile questioned with a sinister grin, "And how's a little boy like you supposed to stop me!"
"Move your hand and I'll show ya!" he answered.
Instead, the crocodile pushed his hand down, making the little blue hedgehog groan in anger. The sound of it made the older reptile laugh even louder.
"Let Manik go, Billy..." an order from a female voice called.
The crocodile and hedgehog turned to the same side, seeing a young black and red echidna walk up. Seeing how quickly things had escalated, Maira skidded to a complete halt. She grew a bit flustered by the sight, but stepped forward nonetheless.
"You better let him go, Billy," Maira yelled, "Or else Akna's gonna get you!"
That statement only made the crocodile laugh louder, as he waved off the little girl's statement.
"Oh please!" he said, "What is little Miss Demon going to do to me!?"
Obviously, Billy was an idiot. Being a ten year old boy, he was the oldest child on the playground, and as such, he thought he was the strongest. The keyword being thought. It never occurred to the reptile why they called Akna-Maria Miss Demon, he just thought it was a cruel little joke. It was, instead, some kind of title for her.
"Last chance!" Maira yelled, "Before Akna comes here!"
Billy the crocodile merely forced his hand down harder upon Manik the hedgehog's head, making the young boy groan out even louder. Maira shook her head in defeat, while her feet started to take her back.
"I... I warned you..." she whispered as her face bent down to the grass, "You can't say I didn't..."
The wind started to pick up. Maira gazed skyward, as the grass around her bent with the rushing air. When it all grew silent, standing there, arms crossed, right behind Billy, was little Miss Demon herself.
"Let him go Billy..." Akna-Maria ordered, "Or else..."
Anyone who was anyone knew not to mess with Akna. It was pretty much an unspoken truth in the playground. But because of his older age, Billy probably thought he could best her. She was, after all, two years younger than he was. But everyone from their family would easily say that age is nothing but a number.
Billy turned around, his reptilian eyes falling upon Akna. She lacked any kind of nonsense on her face, being instead one hundred percent serious. The face she had would have easily sent anyone running for the hills, but that ten year old bravado Billy had kept him pinned to the earth.
"So what now, huh?" the crocodile boy said as his tongue slithered in and out, "Came to save your little friend?"
"Heck no," Akna said, and quite easily enough, "Manik's a twerp and his voice is annoying..."
"HEY!" the blue hedgehog yelled.
"What you did," Akna continued, "Was upset my sister..." she pointed at herself, "Only I can upset my sister! She's my sister!" her demeanor grew relaxed again, "So let Manik go... or else..."
Akna's eyes squinted, showing just how strong she was in her position. Billy's eyes glanced left and right, as they were quickly being surrounded by onlookers. Akna was completely undisturbed by this however, for her blue eyes were firmly placed upon the crocodile before her.
"Your move, Billy..." she whispered, slightly egging him off.
She knew exactly what she was doing. With all these kids around, there was no way Billy's pride would let him release Manik now. He was being stood up to by a girl! An eight year old girl no less! She was even of a lesser species! There was no way a hedgehog could hurt a crocodile, such as himself. Not without a lot of power, at least.
He matched the girl's strength by defying her. His hand increased the hold it had on little Manik's head, making the little hedgehog groan out even louder. Defiance, it was something Akna did not enjoy.
"I told you let go!" she said as she rose her hand, "Now you've made me mad!"
Her open palm closed into a tight fist. Billy cocked his head in confusion, while Maira gripped her sister's other arm. Akna's fist started to shake, as a powerful golden aura started to explode around it. That same aura slowly formed yellow rings of pure Chaos, as Akna opened her hands. Billy was terrified now, as he slowly started to realize just why they called her Miss Demon. The ebony and crimson hedgehog's open palm aimed directly toward Billy now, making the astral yellow rings around her hand form a tight little orb of power.
"Please stop!" Maira pleaded with her older sister.
She shouldn't have done that. Unknowingly, Maira broke the concentration her sister held. When Akna looked over to her younger sister, the power she was holding went off like a cannon.
The sound of the blast triggering sent shock waves through the air. A large yellow beam rocketed from Akna's palm, cutting straight through the wind. It flew skyward, thanks to Akna's angling, parting the clouds up above. Where ever the beam went after that was anyone's guess. When Akna looked down from the skies, she found her blue eyes meeting Billy's frame. He was trembling from head to toe.
"Okay fine!" he said, picking Manik up in his scaly arms, "Take him you witch! I'm outta here!"
A second later, he threw the little hedgehog at the girl before him. Akna's arms stretched out, right as Manik reached her. Boy was he heavier than he looked, his body almost pushed her's back. At least he was in her hands, while Billy was running off in fear. In fact, everyone who wasn't Akna-Maria, Maira, or Manik, was currently running in fear of the demon child. This just left them on the playground, all alone, in pure silence.
"Awesome..." Manik whispered.
…
Four years later...
"I hate wearing this." Akna murmured as she fiddled with her dress.
Dresses, skirts, blouses, oh how she detested these kinds of clothing. It was so far removed from the jeans and sneakers and t-shirts she had grown used to over the years. But it was a formal event, meaning she had to wear this clothing or else. Her shoes had been replaced with these black suede ones that strangled her toes. She wore a long black and white skirt that hung far to her ankles, along with this black and grey blouse. Boy did the clothing drive a spike down her back. She just didn't like how it looked on her. So girly, it looked better on her sister Maira than it did her.
"Stand up straight, Akna..." her mother whispered as she tapped her on the back.
"I know Mom..." the hedgehog answered as she straightened herself up.
"You know how important this day is for your father..." her mother went on, "So please try to be respectful..."
"I know Mom..." Akna answered.
"And don't forget to hold your sister's hand."
"I know M-" her eyes widened, "Wait. What!?"
She turned and faced her mother, seeing one of those stern looks gaze back down. How old was Tikal now? 30 yes, but her body did not look it. Her age was more comparable to that of a spry young twenty-one year old, at most. Truly, her class as the world's only living Chaos Emerald was working its mystical powers.
"Come on Akna," Tikal murmured, "Don't give me that... Just hold Maira's hand, okay..." her mother's face bent downward into displeasure, "You know how your sister can get when there are a lot of people around..."
Well, her mother had a point there. But that didn't mean young Akna-Maria had to like it. Turning around, she started walking along the pristine white floors in search for her sister. She passed many individuals, all either wearing a dress or suit, all being either human or mobian with the former being more common. All of them also wore a certain kind of badge on their chests. A G.U.N. Badge.
Today was a very important day for her family, but for her father primarily. After all the years and working, he was going to get the highest honor any agent could possibly get. G.U.N. Commander. It had been a long time coming.
Taking a stop, Akna found herself standing near a white table, with various foods and drinks sitting upon it. A few feet away on the other side of the table, was her younger sister.
"Maira!" Akna called, "What are you doing?"
Her sister looked up with those big blue eyes of hers.
"What do you think I'm doing?" she murmured as she ducked below the table, "I'm hiding..."
With a sigh of annoyance, Akna ducked down too, opening up the sheets that covered the table above. Crawling under the table in search for her sister, she found Maira to already be on the other end of the wooden surface.
"Maira!" Akna growled, "Stop being such a kid and act your age..."
"No!" Maira answered as she hugged close he knees, "I can't stand being out there... Everyone's a bit too... close..."
Well, Akna couldn't disagree with that. She too disliked it when people were too close to her. But today wasn't about her, or her sister, it was about their father.
"I know that, Maira," she murmured, "But you know how angry Mom will get if she finds you down here. And if that happens, not even Uncle Knuckles himself will be able to stop her..."
Maira's face began to rumble as she thought about the punishment that would befall her. So when her older sister's hand stretched forward to grab her's, she quickly latched on. Akna pulled Maira from beneath the table a second later, bringing them back into the light of the formal party. Eyes were on them, the eyes of people who were wondering why the two sisters were under the table in the first place. Akna brushed it off as nothing, as she merely smiled an acted smile, whilst tugging Maira off through the folds.
"Let's go and find Uncle Omega..." she murmured, "We can just sit around him all day..."
"Okay..." Maira answered.
They didn't get too far, before they ran into someone else. Before Akna could assess the situation, she was up in the arms of whoever it was holding them. Looking up, the ebony hedgehog first saw long brunette hair. Next, it was those greenest of green eyes.
"Well, well, well," the women holding them said enthusiastically, "If it isn't my little God-sisters!"
"Molly?" Akna-Maria answered in surprise.
The fifteen year old girl held up the two in her arms, raising them up to head level. A smile stretching from cheek to cheek lay on her face, as she constantly looked between the two of them. It had been a while since they saw each, a year or two in fact. But the loving feelings resonating from her was still strong.
"Molly what are you doing here?" Maira questioned, as she looked down, "And what's up with your clothing?"
Gazing down, one could easily see the brunette was not wearing clothing appropriate for the event. Instead, she wore this black vest that held over this body suit, a body suit that was armed to the teeth with various weapons and items. Maira was confused by this, but Akna was enthralled by it. Never before had she been so close to weapons. Sure, she had seen them before, on TV and such. And even though her Uncle Omega was a murderous machine, he kept his weapons well hidden within his body. Right now, as she sat in her God-sister's arm, she felt as if she could easily reach forward, and grab the pistol that sat holstered on her hip.
"Oh this?" Molly answered as she looked to Maira, "I just got back from a mission is all! I would have changed but I wouldn't have been able to get here in time."
Her eyes snapped back to Akna, right as the small hedgehog's hands neared her holster. The sight of it made Molly's eyes widen in fear. Pulling Akna back, he stopped her from touching the gun which laid attached at the hip. Realizing she was caught, the hedgehog tried to break free of her God-sister, but Molly was stronger than she appeared to be.
"Hey now!" the brunette yelled, "What are you trying to do?"
"I was just... well... you know..." Akna wilted a moment later, but upon staring up, she saw a smile on Molly's face.
"Oh, I see," her God-sister said as she placed her and her sister on the ground, "You were just a bit curious, huh?" she cocked her head, "Wanna know what it's like to work for G.U.N.?"
Oh yes. Akna-Maria had often wondered what it was like to work for G.U.N. She remembered watching her father leave, some times for days, going on missions all around the world. He was a soldier, an agent, and various other things, all of which were synonymous with the term 'hero'. But what was it that he did at G.U.N.? She knew it was important, the party being thrown in his honor was enough to tell her that. But what was it like?
"Here..." Molly said as she slowly removed her vest, "Call this a gift for right now, from God-sisters, hm?"
She held the vest above Akna's shoulders for a few seconds, before slowly descending it down upon her body. Sliding her arms through the sleeves, Akna felt so much power resonate from the vest. It had probably seen some things in its years of service.
"Hey!" Maira yelled, "What about me?"
Placing her hand on Maira's head, Molly ruffled the young girls dreads. She was about to say something, but the lights in the room dimmed out, bringing everyone's attention to the stage before them. Someone started saying something over the microphone, but Akna practically ignored it. Her attentions lied solely on the vest which she now wore. It took Maira's hand on her shoulder to bring her back to reality. It was time to return to their mother.
They quickly scurried through the many folds of G.U.N. Agents around, making their way toward their waiting mother.
"Now everyone! Put your hands together for your new G.U.N. Commander! Shadow the hedgehog!"
And the applause was glorious.
…
Four years later...
Akna-Maria's eyes pulled open a second later. There was so much pain roaring through her head right now, as she pulled herself up. Sixteen years now, that's how old she was. The curly dreads around her head hadn't changed much through the years, though the bang that slung over her left eye had grown a bit longer. She retained the vest her God-sister had given her all those years ago, only now she had grown into them quite well. And, it wasn't the exact same vest, she had given it a few changes over the years. The G.U.N. symbol lied on the front left chest pocket, while the symbol of the Black Arms was stretched deeply on the back. The shoes she wore were black, white, and red, much like her dear old father's, though they were not the same exact shoes. Around her waist, two bulky gloves were attached, gloves that all echidnas would wear.
Her hand latched onto the edge of the ground she currently existed under, and she pulled herself up. The sky was dark and red, and the air was so disgusting to taste. In the distance, she could see fire dancing upon rooftops and buildings. That sight was enough to return her rage, as she got to her feet.
"DOOOOOOOOOOM!" she roared at the top of her lungs as she balled her hands up into fists.
"I see..." an answer came, one that was low and malicious sounding, "I guess I underestimated you..."
She watched as this cloaked figure descended down upon her. Its face was so disgusting to look at, like it was flash molded over flesh. There were three eyes on this beings head and no visible mouth, though the creature had the ability to speak.
Black Doom, that was his name, and he had the audacity to call her, granddaughter.
"Tell me, Akna-Maria..." he murmured, "Why do you continue to fight?"
"You would like to know that... wouldn't you...?"
"Indeed..." Doom pressed, "The sins of the father shall be paid for by the son..." he stretched out his hand, "But in this case... I guess you'll suffice..."
The palm of his hand started to surge a burning red energy, causing Akna to return her own attack. Not allowing Doom the chance to charge, she caused her hand to explode in a golden aura while she shoved forth her palm.
"Take this!" she yelled, "CHAOS FLASHER!"
From her palm, a powerful golden-yellow beam was fired. It engulfed Doom and destroyed the land upon which they stood on. Akna smiled in victory, but as her beam died out, she saw the attack did little to nothing. Doom was still floating their before her in the same position, still charging up his attack. It caused her eyes to widen in fear and confusion.
"Such an amateurish attack..." Doom bemoaned, "Let me show you how its done..."
From his finger tips, a violet-red beam was fired, one that was to fast to dodge. Hitting Akna square in the chest, the beam pushed her yards through the air, only stopping when her body slammed against a fallen building structure. The first order of business Akna had when she was freed from Doom's attack, was catching her breath. When she stood up next, she found her foot coming beside the head of her little sister.
"Maira!" Akna called out as she fell down to her sister's side, "Maira! Maira! Get up!"
"She put up a reasonable fight..." Doom commented as he descended down upon them, "She fought me while you were, how you say, downunda..."
"You jerk!" she yelled, as she turned red, "How dare you hurt my little sister!"
She slammed down her foot as her entire body exploded in this burning red aura. Facing Doom, she thrust out both of her arms as her entire body turned red, save for her eyes.
"CHAOS BLAST!" she roared at the top of her lungs.
The aura exploded directly toward Doom, who was still unimpressed by what she was doing. The red aura rushed toward Doom at high speeds, but with a mere wave of his hand, he sent the blast flying off into the distance, much to Akna's surprise.
"Compared to your father," Doom commented, "That was like a butterfly..." his red eyes grew wide, "Unguard! Swift strike!"
He caused a purple twirling blade to descend down upon him, one that shined through the dark depressing night. The twirling blade flew down around Doom, spinning at high-speeds. With a mere gesture of his hand, he caused the blade to fly toward Akna. To his surprise, he watched as the teenage hedgehog created a barrier of Chaos Energy around her and her sister, protecting them from Doom's attack. The blade bounced off easily, instead flying far into the distance.
"I see..." the alien warlord whispered, "You don't go down as easily as I would have liked..." he shook his head, "No matter... I will end you all the same..."
He floated up high, raising his finger in a daunting manner. From the tip of his index, a great powerful sphere rose up high. It shined through the air, this flaming red sphere, and caused gravity to shift skyward toward the powerful orb.
"Oh crap..." Akna murmured to herself.
There was no way she'd be able to stop something like that, it was much too large and too powerful to handle. But she wasn't going to give up. Turning around, she saw Maira was stirring in her unconsciousness. Even though she wanted to run, she couldn't nor would she. Akna-Maria the hedgehog runs from no one. Not alien lords, not schoolyard bullies, not anyone.
"Fine then..." she said as she removed her Inhibitor rings from her wrists, "I'm going to end this the only way I know..."
Her hands started to shine a golden yellow color, as each Inhibitor ring fell to her feet. A powerful, explosive, golden aura detonated from her, causing the ground beneath her toes to shake violently. Focusing her energies as best she could, the adolescent hedgehog shoved skyward her double open palms.
"Alright you bastard!" she yelled, "DOUBLE CHAOS FLASHER!"
Doom gazed down, seeing a single golden flame against a field of rocks, dirt, and death. Chuckling to himself, he commended Akna for her foolish bravery. Too bad it would lead to her death, at least in his three eyes.
"WELCOME TO OBLIVION!" he roared as he threw down the expanding orb above him.
It slowly started to fall, but Akna would not allow it to have its way. From her body, the golden aura surrounding her started to dance. It grew greater and greater with each passing second, while Akna pinpointed her aim on the exact center of the falling attack.
"Okay you..." she grumbled, "Take... THIIIIIIIISSSS!"
The aura released a powerful beam, one that cut through the air like a butcher knife. Slamming into the body of Black Doom's attack, Akna's Double Chaos Flash caused the great blast to slow. Behind it all, Doom chuckled, finding the girl's plight to be useless.
"Keep fighting girl..." Doom ordered, "Let your blood flow!"
Using his telekinetic abilities, the alien warlord caused the orb to descend even faster than before. Akna buckled under the pressure of the blast, but she continued putting her energy to use.
"No!" she yelled, "No! Not me! Not now!"
"Maria...?" Maira's weak voice called from behind, "Maria..."
"Maira!" Akna yelled as she retained concentration on her attack, "Maira!? Are you okay?"
"My head hurts, Maria..." Maira answered, "And..." her eyes widened as she gazed up, "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?"
"Oh, ya'know," Akna answered sarcastically, "Trying to save the world here!"
"How did it get this bad!?" Maira inquired as she stood up to her sister's side.
"Just take off your Inhibitor rings, and help me over here!"
"Alright! Alright!"
Removing the bands around her wrist, Maira walked over to her sister. From her body, just like her sister's, a golden aura erupted. She placed her hands upon Akna's hands, being sure to point her palms directly toward their unified foe.
"Do you think we can do it?" Maira asked as she, started to groan.
"We'll see when its all over..." she looked to Maira with a slightly unsure face, "We'll see it in the future... okay?"
She was being strong for her sister. She had to be strong for her sister.
"Okay..." twelve year old Maira answered as she closed her eyes, "Ugh... JUDGEMENT BOLT!"
From her open palms, a lightning bolt was fired, one that mixed with her sister's golden beam. The added strength caused both of their auras to explode in a magnificent way. Black Doom's attack started to fly back, as the two heroines pushed back with their combined attack. The alien lord nodded at the sight, while the orb flew slowly forward.
"Foolish girl..." he commented as he slowly moved forward his open palm, "Always trying..." the palm started to charge up a most powerful energy, "Say goodbye..."
He fired.
…
"And that's how I saved the world..."
"We! Saved the world..."
Akna-Maria stared over to her sister, gazing into a mummified figure much like her own. The two were surrounded in pounds of coils after the battle they went through. The two shot glares of annoyances at each other, glares that only sisters could have for one another.
"That's nice dears..." Tikal murmured as she leaned on Akna's wheelchair, "You two used teamwork to save the world..." she turned around, "If only your father knew of such a thing..."
"I don't need help," Shadow answered as he walked up, "I would've killed Doom by myself... again..."
"But you didn't..." Tikal teased, "You're daughters did..."
Crossing his arms, the hedgehog squinted at his wife, finding her words to be of an annoyance.
"Don't give me that..." he said, as he waved his hand.
With a warm sigh, the hedgehog sat down on a chair, his ruby eyes staring out through the window in the room. A second later, Tikal neared him, laying her hand on the side of his chair. Being a family like this was pleasant, to say the least. Shadow couldn't remember the last time they were all like this. Even if they were in a hospital room as many people outside rebuilt after the attack, it all felt perfect to him.
"Well... whoever won..." Akna commented as she leaned back in her wheelchair, "At least its all over..." she sighed, "I never want to take off my Inhibitor rings again. I was so tired when everything went back to normal..."
"You make it seem as if you were the only one stricken with that Maria!" Maira scolded, "I was so tired I couldn't walk!"
"Making me carry you!" the older sibling roared.
Back and forth the two argued, actual causing Chaos Energy to fly off of their bodies. From behind though Shadow watched this, a small smile etching upon his face. When he noticed Tikal was looking at him, that smile vanished and he returned to his cold demeanor.
"You can't hide it from me, Shadow..." Tikal teased.
"I don't know what you are talking about..." he answered as he looked at them.
And so, the sun set on the family, the family of two demons and two angels. Theirs was truly an interesting case, but none more so than Akna-Maria. Only she could hold the title of both hero and demon, at the same time.
End
Maverick Talks!
Okay, so you read it? That's the ending. Honestly, this is the longest chapter now, being a lean and mean 8k+ words. And you read all of that, kudos to you! But enough about that, let me talk about this story before I lose my mind.
So, we go through the course of sixteen years within Akna-Maria's life. Starting with her at age four, and ending with her at age sixteen. As you can tell, she's had a very interesting life. She learned how to become a Chaos user at a very young age, continued to groom those powers as years went on, got a younger sister, became enamored by G.U.N., and even used those Chaos Powers of hers to defeat the rise of her grandfather. In a way. I bet you're wanting more explanation on things, primarily the whole Black Doom thing. Instead of writing a long story about Akna-Maria, I decided to keep it simple. Besides, this story is 8 thousand words long so... yeah... Sorry for the lack of sequential story telling with this one, I was just being snippet like. Draw your own conclusions on how Black Doom rose again, and how Akna-Maria had to battle him and quite possibly the rest of the Black Arms. I was going to use Dr. Robotnik for that battle, but I decided to use Doom because he's pretty much what Dr. Robotnik is to Sonic, to Shadow. I hope I explained that right.
Also, Akna-Maria's sister. You guys know I'm writig these stories for toomou, right? Well, when writing this, I decided to use her Shadikal fanchild, Maira. I didn't give her much character development though for two reasons. Reason number one, Maira is not my character. If she was, then she too would have gotten some character development. But she is toomou's character, so I feel its only right if she designs her character the way she sees fit. Secondly, this is Akna-Maria's story as the first child, thus being another reason why I didn't really talk that much about Maira. All that being said, I still did talk about her a enough, didn't I? Unlike Akna-Maria, who's a hedgehog, Maira is an echidna. Because of this, Maira connects with her mother, Tikal, more than she does her father. Her sister Akna-Maria on the other hand, connects with her father Shadow more. Also, one thing I didn't touch on in this story dealing with Maira, is her affiliation with her Chaos Powers. From what I understood from toomou, Maira tries to ignore the Chaos Powers she has because she tries to fit in. I delved into that a bit by making it a quasi-fear of hers. You see, after that moment with Akna-Maria where her older sister caused her to float with her Chaos Powers, it kind of terrified Maira for a good long while. She's accepted her powers in the future, but she still fears them, and for good reason. Other than that, Akna-Maria and her sister have a good sibling relationship. Maira only calls Akna-Maria by her second part, Maria, while Akna refrains from calling her sister a name, like twerp.
Also, I'm sorry I didn't really talk about the future more. I didn't answer questions like, is Rouge and Knuckles together, or Amy and Sonic for that matter, or is Eggman still being evil. Eggman is still being evil, I'll answer that easily, but everyone else is up to you. Go ahead, believe what you want, I'm not going to decided for you. We do know though, that Sonic has a child whose name is Manik. Anyone who reads the Sonic MxYL comics should know that Manik is Sonic's son with Sally. But, because I base most of my stories on the game's universe, its easy for me to say that Sally does not exist here. So who did he mate with? You decide!
Is there much else for me to talk about? I dunno, I'm feeling kind of lazy right now. I could easily tell you I was planning on giving Shadow and Tikal a son, one aptly named Jr. of course, but I didn't get around to doing in. My story is super duper huge, so I didn't want to bore you with the details.
So, I think that's enough for today. This is the last chapter for this four part story, and I'm kind of sad to see it go. I was really enjoying my does of drama, though this chapter really wasn't all that dramatic. In fact, the whole fight scene with Black Doom was put in so I could fill my normal violence quota. How's that?
In fact, I'm feeling uber lazy right now. How about this, you ask a question, I'll answer it. Yeah! Do you like that?
So, until next time, this is Maverick Kay Prime. Signing out!