Chaotic hedgehog: Smooth :P
Sonic: *makes a face*
THE ICE CREAM WILL HAPPEN :'D
*snickers* Yes, truth or dare.
The ship WILL be fine… eventually.
*backs away* Please don't kill me.
Chapter Seven
In all of my time of being friends with Shadow the Hedgehog, I had NEVER seen him like this.
I mean, he was Shadow the freaking hedgehog. The most bad-ass, no-nonsense, straight-faced guy I knew. If someone messed with him or anyone he cared about, that someone was going to wish that they had never been born. A good example would be, yet again, Scourge. Back in seventh grade, Scourge tried to get Amy to do… let's just say not appropriate things. Shadow found out when Amy showed up on his front porch crying her eyes out, and he went ballistic. The next thing we knew, Scourge came to school a few days later with two black eyes, shorter quills, and a broken arm.
Knowing this, and seeing Shadow as he was at that moment, confused me.
And then his words registered in my brain.
"Maria is… gone?" I whispered.
The room was silent. Kelly already had tears sliding down her face. Amy walked over to Shadow and buried her face in his chest. Everyone else was looking at each other- except Chaos. He was still looking at me with that same expression of shock and disappointment. I frowned at him, trying to read him. I didn't understand it.
Finally, Tails broke the silence. "What… happened?"
That seemed to snap Chaos out of it. He looked at my brother, and then at everyone else. "We came home from school and she was curled up on the couch. Said she was in great discomfort. It got so bad that we rushed her to the hospital… the doctors got her all hooked up to the IVs and everything…"
"Somehow the stuff they were giving her wasn't working… if anything it seemed to make it worse," Shadow said quietly.
"She… she passed out while one of the doctors was trying to change her IV… she never woke back up," Chaos finished as he clenched his fists.
He looked at me with watery eyes. "I turned my phone off while we were driving to the hospital. Shadow left his on the kitchen counter, so…"
"I understand…" I murmured.
More silence. The cheerful mood of the evening had been zapped, just like that. Chaos' eyes were back on me again, and I didn't get why. A frown crossed his lips as he looked at Sonic. Then he looked to me again.
"Care to explain what we walked in on?" he asked.
"Truth or dare," I muttered as I felt my face grow warm.
He gave me a single nod and eyed Sonic for a moment. The blue speedster was still kinda red in the face and was deliberately avoiding our gazes. Chaos smirked to himself before claiming a spot at the other end of the couch. Shadow was still standing in the doorway, his crimson eyes locked on me.
"Robyn, can I speak to you for a minute?" he asked.
My ears twitched. "Uh… sure."
I stood up and followed him out into the hallway. Once we were out of earshot, he turned to me. "Maria asked about you in her final moments…"
"… Oh. W-What did she say?" I asked.
The ebony hedgehog slid a finger under my chin and tilted it up slightly, forcing me to look him straight in the eye. "She said that you better make sure you see what is in front of you before someone tries to fill your head with meaningless feelings."
I blinked. "… What?"
"Chaos, being the oblivious one, completely missed it and thought she was just rambling. However, I know my sister. And I know what- or rather, who- she was talking about."
"Shadow, I'm gonna have to side with Chaos. I don't think she meant anything by it… it doesn't make any sense."
He sighed and patted my head. "Oblivious."
-XxXxX-
The funeral was held the day before Thanksgiving. Kinda sucky timing, but the hospital was anxious to have Maria's body out of there. It was a quiet affair- the gang was there, plus my sisters, Tikal, and Chaos's stepsister Nina. Her twin Nala didn't make an appearance, but that was to be expected. She didn't like anyone- not even her own family. I had met her a few times before and we hadn't gotten along at all, especially when she made fun of my brother. She reminded me too much of Fiona in that regard.
Nina came to greet me once the others had dispersed into their own conversations. "What's up, little bird?"
I laughed slightly. She had picked up on Shadow's nickname for me. "Not much, Nina, not much… you?"
"Not much either. I just finished up my finals and heard about Maria…" A pained expression crossed Nina's features. "I still can't believe it."
"Me neither." My eyes began to water, and not for the first time that day. "I'm sorry you had to come home to this."
"It's not your fault, Robyn. It was just Maria's time," the cat said.
"Still… I wish I could have done something," I murmured.
Nina smiled teasingly. "Robyn Prower, always trying to save the world."
"Hah. So… how's school going?"
"Eh. I've had an easy semester. You?"
"Me too, thank Chaos above."
She chuckled. "Word on the street is that you've finally got a boy toy."
"… The others told you about Sonic," I sighed.
"Yep! So, details. Now."
"There's nothing to tell, Nina. Sonic is a new friend and everyone is convinced that he likes me."
Nina grinned. "I met him earlier. Nice enough guy. I have to agree with the others, he likes you."
"Not you too!" I groaned.
"Come on, Robyn! The second I mentioned your name, his eyes lit up and his face turned pink. He started asking me questions about you- some stuff that only I would know," the cat said.
I felt my ears flatten. "Like what?"
"Well… mostly about you and Chaos. He was very curious about your relationship."
"Chaos is my best friend." My tone came out a bit more defensive than I wanted.
"No one would deny that," Nina said as she put her hands up in surrender. "But Sonic is nervous about asking you out because of Chaos."
I thought about Sally Acorn. "You think Chaos likes me too."
"No." Nina started to grin as she placed an arm around my shoulders. "I know my brother is head over heels in love with you. You may not see it, and knowing Chaos he doesn't realize it. However, I can assure you… if you go out with Sonic, my brother will come to his senses."
"Maybe," Shadow said as he appeared next to us.
Nina playfully swatted his head. "Don't be such a Debbie Downer."
I chuckled. "I'll leave you two to your sibling antics."
I gave them a wave and walked away. Mostly everyone was gathered near the big cherry blossom tree that we had buried Maria under. Chaos and Sonic were standing off to the side talking in hushed tones. I was going to leave them to their conversation (Nina's words were still ringing in my ears), but Chaos waved me over. "Robyn!"
"What's up?" I asked as I forced my feet to head in their direction.
"Did Zoey bring her drums?" he questioned.
I remembered that Zoey had insisted on packing her drums into the car that morning, and she wouldn't tell us why. And yes, my sister played drums. She was surprisingly good at it. "Yes…?"
Chaos beamed. "Good. All we need now is Shadow."
"Why? What are you plotting?" I wondered.
"You'll see," Sonic said with a grin.
The two of them walked over to my red-furred sister and Sonic tapped her on the shoulder. She nodded at both of them, waved to get Shadow's attention, and then the four of them walked over to Alustriel's car. I looked at everyone else, who all looked curious as to what was happening. Tails gave me a shrug as I came over to him. "Don't ask me."
"Wasn't going to," I said.
"What are they up to?" Silver asked.
"Don't know," I answered.
Nina smiled knowingly. We all looked at her, but she shook her head and pointed to them. Shadow was helping Zoey get her drums out of the car, his guitar case strapped to his back. Sonic also had a guitar case on his back, and Chaos was moving the drums to a spot nearby. Alustriel walked over to give him a hand as Shadow pulled the last piece out of the trunk. He closed the trunk and helped Zoey move it over to where Chaos was standing. Sonic unpacked his guitar and started tuning.
Once they were all set up, Chaos faced the rest of us. "I want to dedicate a song to Maria, probably the greatest sister I could have asked for… uh, no offense Nina. I still love you."
She laughed. "I understand."
"Anyway, Maria listened to this song on repeat the past couple of months. I caught Shadow learning to play it one time, and it gave me the idea to perform it at Maria's funeral. So I called up Sonic and Zoey and told them about it, and thank my namesake they agreed to do it." A smile curled Chaos's lips. "So to Maria Robotnik, the girl who put everyone else before herself. Kind, gentle, smart, and all-around amazing… I miss you, sis."
A couple of people were already crying by the end of his mini speech. I caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up. If Maria had heard this, she would've been crying too. Shadow cleared his throat and stepped up next to his brother. "Wherever you are, Maria, I hope you're enjoying yourself. No pain, no exhaustion, just the feeling of being free. We'll see you again someday."
Aww, Shadow… I grinned at him when he looked in my direction.
Zoey tossed a drumstick in the air, caught it, and smiled. "Ready, boys?"
"Absolutely. For Maria… this is 'Angels Fall', by Breaking Benjamin," Chaos said.
Sonic started the first note. His guitar was dark purple with white in the middle (don't judge me for my lack of description- I don't know all the parts of a guitar). Then Shadow joined in (his guitar was black and red. Fitting, right?), along with Zoey, and the three of them synched up perfectly. The rhythm and the echoing of the notes made me shiver. Finally, Chaos began to sing.
I tried to face the fight within
But it's over
I'm ready for the riot to begin and surrender
I walked the path, it led me to the end, remember
I'm caught beneath with nothing left to give, forever
Sonic and Shadow opened their mouths to join Chaos in the chorus.
(Chorus)
When angels fall with broken wings
I can't give up, I can't give in
When all is lost and daylight ends
I'll carry you and we will live forever, forever…
(end chorus)
Chaos walked over to Maria's headstone and placed his hand on it. He closed his eyes and kneeled down in front of it.
Grey skies will chase the light away, no longer
I fought the fight, now only dark remains… forever
Divided I will stand
And I will let this end!
He stood up straight and teleported back to the others. He stood next to Zoey and watched as she twirled her drumsticks between her fingers.
(repeat chorus)
Chaos walked back over to Sonic and Shadow as they slowed down on their strumming. They both nodded at him and joined him in the next verse of the song.
The sun begins to rise and wash away the sky
The turning of the tide, don't leave it all behind
And I will never say goodbye…
Both guitarists faded out at the "goodbye", leaving Zoey to play a mini solo and Chaos to start singing the chorus again.
When angels fall with broken wings
I can't give up, I can't give in…!
Sonic and Shadow both started back up right there.
When all is lost and daylight ends
I'll carry you and we will live forever, forever…
Forever, forever…!
Shadow played the last couple of notes and held it for a few seconds before letting it fade away. Silver started the applause, and everyone else followed. Sonic and Zoey were beaming, Chaos smiled faintly, and Shadow held his usual stoic expression.
I'm pretty sure that when I looked up, I saw the outline of Maria. She was smiling and had her hands clasped together. As the wind began to gently blow, she mouthed something to me before I blinked.
Then she was gone.
-XxXxX-
"Nina can you pass the turkey?" I asked.
"You mean the last piece? Here," Nina laughed.
"How is the turkey gone already? Usually we have leftovers for weeks," Chaos said.
Tails did a quick head count. "There are seven of us, and I'm pretty sure Robyn ate most of the turkey."
"… Right."
I nommed the last piece of turkey thoughtfully after giving my brother a Look. "… Is there any pie left?"
"Yes, there's a whole pie left. Alussie put it in the fridge," Zoey said.
My blue-furred sister appeared in the doorway at that moment with said pie. "You want a piece?"
"Yup."
"Seriously, Robyn. How are you still hungry, and how the heck do you manage to eat so much and remain so scrawny?" Chaos demanded.
"Scrawny? Really?" I rolled my eyes. "I don't know."
"Dad was the same way," Zoey said truthfully.
A brief pause came over the room. Alustriel placed the piece of pie on my plate and quickly left the room. Shadow looked up from his book and made eye contact with Nina. Tails looked at me and shrugged. "Zoey is right… remember when we took that family vacation to Emerald Coast one summer and we ate at that one fancy restaurant?"
"Chez Moraine? Yeah. Dad ordered the ginormous steak with a side salad, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn. He polished all of it off, as well as my filet mignon and brown rice," Zoey said with a faint smile.
"And then he ordered that chocolate cake for dessert," I remembered with a giggle.
"Now I'm hungry," Chaos mumbled.
Nina looked at her brother with an Are you serious? face. "We got through Thanksgiving dinner like two hours ago, and you gave Robyn a hard time about still being hungry."
"But she's still eating, and I'm not!" Chaos protested.
"Oi, leave me out of this!" I said through a mouthful of pie.
Alustriel came back into the room and held up my cell phone. "Sonic called. He's waiting to talk to you."
I stood up and took my phone. "Thanks Ace. Be right back, guys."
I walked into the kitchen and held my phone up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, Robyn… it's Sonic," the hedgehog said.
"Hi! What's up?"
"Not much, I just finished Thanksgiving dinner with my family. You?"
"Ah, we've done for a few hours. Now we're sitting in the living room with Chaos, Shadow, and Nina."
"... Oh. They're there?"
"Yeah. We typically combine the big holidays with them since our families are so small. Plus, y'know, we practically are family."
"O-Oh. Cool." Sonic sounded a little… relieved? "Anyway, I called because I wanted to ask you something."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"This may sound a little weird, but… um… would you mind meeting me at the mall tomorrow? I need help doing some Christmas shopping."
"You realize tomorrow is Black Friday, right? The mall is gonna be packed."
"I know… but please? I'll take you to lunch afterward, my treat."
I let out a little sigh and smiled. "All right. I'm in."
"You're awesome. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at nine."
"Don't wanna brave the 3am crowds?" I teased.
"Heeeeeeeeeeellllll no. I went with my sister one year and it was awful. I can tell you the story tomorrow," Sonic chuckled.
"Deal. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"See ya, Robyn."
I hung up and turned around to see Chaos walking in. He eyed me for a few seconds before refilling his glass with apple juice. "What did Faker want?"
I gave him a Look. "Really? It's bad enough that Shadow is calling him that, now you too?"
"Sorry. Kinda became a habit since Shadow says it every time he sees Sonic." Chaos took a sip of his juice. "Well?"
"Sonic asked me to meet him at the mall for some Black Friday shopping," I answered.
My red-quilled friend stopped mid-sip to stare at me. "And you said yes?"
"… Yeah…?"
"But… Robyn… don't you remember what tomorrow is? We always spend the night and then spend all of Black Friday making fun of people who go do their shopping, then we watch movies all afternoon and do nothing," Chaos said.
"Come on, Chaos. You're still spending the night tonight. Besides he said he would pick me up at nine tomorrow morning, so I imagine we'll only be a couple hours. Then I'll be back and we can continue the tradition," I explained.
Chaos pouted. "I don't like breaking the tradition, darn it."
I gave him a long Look. "It's only gonna be a few hours. I promise."
"… Fine. Text me when you're done, okay?" he asked.
I nodded eagerly. "I will. Now let's go beat Nina and Tails at Go Fish."
"You realize I'm gonna beat you too, right?"
"Pfft, yeah right!"
