In this chapter, I give names to the other two Seedrian girls Cosmo knew. The blonde, who had no name in the show, I've decided to name Nova. She's the one that asks Cosmo to say hello to her mother for her. This means that she is not Cosmo's sister, and, in fact, does not resemble her. But she was clearly part of the family. Instead of making her a cousin, I decided to make her husband, who dies in front of her in beast form, Cosmo's brother, since Lucas seems to really lose it when he finds out Landar is dead. The loss of his only son would have hit him hard, and might have been what finally pushed him over the edge. The big one I named Sunflower. So why Sunflower and Nova? Cosmo's name is based on Cosmos, meaning both the universe, and also two types of flowers. It also means bringing order out of chaos, which is exactly what Cosmo did. Galaxina is from galaxy and also a flower, galax orceolata. So it seemed a good idea to give the other two names that were both astronomical and botanical. Sunflower is obvious. Nova is from aster nova, another type of flower, and also asteroid and nova, two more astronomical terms.
AFTER THE METAREX: COSMO'S STORY
Chapter Four
"Tell Tails…I'm All Right"
Once Cosmo had made her decision to stay with her family, she was able to put the worries of the living world behind her. She convinced herself that Tails would be fine, that Cream and Amy would take care of him. That it was for the best. Cream was sweet and kind, and didn't lose her temper the way Cosmo sometimes would. No one would say that their love was strange or wrong.
Yes, it was best for everyone if Cosmo stayed where she was. Or so she kept telling herself.
Time passed. Cosmo's mother returned to tell them that Lucas had been sentenced to the sulfur mines for ten thousand years, at which point his file would be reopened. Cosmo wished she could feel sorry for him. But he had done so much to her, to all of them. All she wanted was to not think about him anymore.
"Will he suffer, Mother?" Galaxina asked.
"I'm afraid so," Hertia said. "Constantly. It's best not to think of it, girls."
Cosmo felt something. Pity? Did she pity the monster that had ruined then ended her life? Had taken her family from her? Forced her poor Tails to kill her, and perhaps, in a way, himself? How could she pity him?
Time continued to pass, if such exists where Cosmo was. She spent a lot of time with her mother. Her sisters. And with Landar, her only brother, who she had never known. He was serious, but not at all like Lucas had been.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through so much, baby sister," Landar said, ruffling her hair. "Perhaps if I hadn't rushed into battle that last time, if I hadn't been killed, I might have been able to talk Father out of what happened. I still can't believe he'd…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I know you hate him, but you didn't know Father. Not really. Just the thing he became."
"Maybe," Cosmo said, "but I'd rather not talk about him. I hope you understand."
"I'm sorry it still bothers you now," her brother said. "You know, Nova and I were talking about starting a family when I practically got my fool head blown off. Maybe we'd've had a little girl just like my baby sister."
"It would have been nice having cousins," Cosmo said. "Everyone was so much older than me. I never really fit in anywhere." She rubbed her cheek against his. "But I'm glad to finally get to know you, onisama."
"Please, Landar, or onichan will be fine," he insisted. "You shouldn't be that formal with your siblings. Galaxina says you still call her oneesama."
"What did you call her?" Cosmo asked, curious.
"Annoying," Landar said, grinning. "But she lost interest in following me around when Sunflower was born. Actually, I kind of missed the attention." Sunflower was their large, heavy-set sister.
This was the sort of thing her sisters never spoke about. They'd always avoided telling her too much about their brother, possibly because they didn't want to upset his widow, Nova.
Cosmo learned all about her family, all about the history of the Seedrians, from the very beginning. A countless number of them came to see her, to speak with her, the very last of their species. It was when she thought of that fact, that she was the very last, that the living world came back into her thoughts again. She could keep the Seedrian line going, although mixed with another species, so that the bloodline would grow thinner over time, but never totally die out. Could make her sisters aunts and her brother an uncle. Could make her mother a grandma. And, yes, make Dark Oak a grandpa. But this thought made her worry again. Would she have to watch any son of hers every minute, checking constantly for signs of growing madness? Did she have the right to subject a child to such a fate? To subject Tails to such a fate?
Now that she thought of him again, she realized she had to know if Tails was all right.
"Mother?" she said. "Would it be all right for me to see how Tails is doing?"
"If that is what you wish," Hertia said.
Cosmo had no idea how she was doing this, but she found herself looking down at Tails and Cream and Amy. They all seemed very happy. They were eating, and Tails was really stuffing himself.
"He's happy!" she said. "He doesn't need me anymore!" It hurt to think that he'd moved on, but that was what she wanted, wasn't it?
As she continued to watch, Amy left, and Cream helped Tails clean up. Yes, they made a very cute couple. So…so why did Cosmo feel unhappy watching them work together? Was it…jealousy? But that was something that only the living experienced.
She was about to stop watching, when Cream and Cheese left. Tails waved good-bye, then his face fell. He went in and started to cry. He wasn't over her! He was putting on a brave front for his friends, but he was still in pain.
"Oh no," Cosmo said. "Oh, please don't cry, Tails!"
"He can't hear you, Cosmo," her mother reminded her. "Do you wish for him to?"
"N-no, Mother," Cosmo said. She turned away. Tails was still suffering. Because of her.
"Perhaps…perhaps if I convince him I'm happy, he'll be able to move on," she thought. "Mother, is it possible for me to speak to someone else? Sonic maybe?"
"He has great untapped abilities, as you saw when he was energized by the chaos emeralds," her mother said. "He should be able to hear you."
So Cosmo concentrated. She could see Sonic now, sitting under a tree.
"Sonic…" she said.
"Huh?" Sonic said, looking around. "Who…?"
"It's me, Cosmo. Can you hear me?"
"Sure," Sonic said. "Cosmo, I--I'm really sorry about what happened. I…"
"It's all right," she assured him. "I don't blame you. Or Tails. I want you to tell all of my wonderful friends that…" She struggled to think of exactly what to say. "…I'm all right. I'm with my mother and my sisters and my brother and…and my entire family. We're all happy here, Sonic. We're at peace. There's no anger or hatred or violence here, and we are all one with nature. I want you to tell Tails to look to the sky and the trees, because that is where I'll be. Tell him I want him to smile again. To be happy. Because I'll be looking down on him, now and then, and I don't want to see him sad. Tell Amy and Cream and Cheese I miss my newest sisters. Yes, and tell Knuckles and Chris that I miss them too. Oh, and you, of course."
"Gee, thanks," Sonic said. "You know, I'm not one to get all mushy, Cosmo, but it was really great having you around!" He gave her a thumbs-up.
"Good-bye, Sonic, Good-bye!" Cosmo broke contact then, so it wouldn't be until much, much later that she would learn that Dark Oak had contacted him right after she had. If she had known then, everything might have turned out far differently.
Cosmo thanked her mother, then walked away. She needed to think. It was strange, speaking to the living, the way her mother had spoken to her when she had still been alive. She had never, so far as she knew, had that sort of power before. She had been certain that she heard her mother because of her mother's special abilities.
But her mother had told her that she had great untapped potential. That she could have helped her friends in battle, if she'd only known how. Not that Cosmo wanted to fight, she still hated violence. But how wonderful to not have to hide in a corner, or have Tails risk his own life to keep her safe!
She remembered the one time she'd experienced real power before the end. She had been holding a planet egg. Somehow, it had responded to her thought, wrapped the enemy in vines. But it had attacked herself and her friends as well. The chaos emeralds responded negatively to negative thoughts. Perhaps the planet egg had sensed her anger and hate. If she had time to experiment, could she learn to control such powers? Did she want that time? Did she want to go back? Back to her insecurities and anguish that she had failed to save anyone from the Metarex?
She spoke to her mother about this. "Your problem, my dear, is that you lack self-confidence," her mother said simply. "You second guess yourself all the time. You were graceful, yet, when you thought poorly of yourself, you'd suddenly become clumsy. You are intelligent, yet you told yourself you lacked the ability to understand your boy when he spoke technologically to you. It is your self doubt that has always betrayed you." She smiled sadly at her daughter. "Tell me, my darling, was it that you were afraid to fail, or was it that you were afraid to succeed?"
Cosmo had no answers. But she realized that she could not make a final decision on her fate until she could give her mother an answer. More importantly, until she could answer her own questions. They were many, and they were confusing, but was that, as well, the result of her self doubt?
"Excuse me," came a soft voice. Cosmo turned to see a beautiful blonde-haired human girl.
"Um…may I help you?" Cosmo asked, bowing.
The girl bowed back. "I am Maria Kintobor. Perhaps my dear Shadow has told you about me?"
"Yes, he has," Cosmo said. "You look well. He'd be very happy to know that."
"Do you hate him for what he's done?" Maria asked.
"You know?" Cosmo asked.
"Yes, I've heard," Maria said, nodding, "and I'm so sorry. But Shadow was good when I knew him. He's lost his way, and I'm afraid that my death caused that. But I'm certain that he can be good again, if he only tries." She sighed. "My cousin, Julian, as well. You knew him as Doctor Eggman. I assure you, he was a good man until one of his experiments went horribly wrong. Perhaps, perhaps one day, even he may find redemption. I will continue to pray for them both."
"You know what they've done?" Cosmo asked. "Yet you still care for them? How? How do you forgive someone that's hurt you until you had to scream in pain and anguish? How do you keep hatred out of your heart, Maria?"
"It's simple, really," Maria said, smiling. "You fill your heart so full of love that there's no room for hatred. But you already know that, don't you?"
"Please," Cosmo begged, "tell me more."
To be continued
Next time, see Amy's séance from Cosmo's point of view. Plus, Maria introduces Cosmo to Molly, and what they both have to say to her may turn out to be very important later on.
