The clacking of her cobalt shoes rushing down the metal hallway, the huffs of breath quickly cycling in and out of her frail lungs, the frightened beating of her panicked heart nearly numbing out the various other sounds she was making. She couldn't remember being this scared in all her life.
Pumping her arms as fast as her legs, sleeves awkwardly reeling up her arms, her hair trailing behind her worried face, each step slightly pushing those golden strands up and down. Her knees poking the white dress hanging like a flag as she pressed to keep her steps fast, but not uncontrollable. The last thing she wanted was to fall over and bust her face on the metal plating of the floor, but she wasn't really thinking about that. She only thought one thing.
She had to get away.
Her grandfather had instructed her, no, commanded her to get as far away from the ominous creatures as she could. As far away from the A.R.K. as she could. Now, Maria tried to get back in the room– she really did. But the Gizoid made sure that the door couldn't be opened from the outside. After gathering her frantic thoughts together, she realized how useless she would be in that situation.
What could she do? How could she help? Against that? Just looking at them made her barely able to breathe. She would only get in the way of the Gizoid, she would only be a hinderance... to everyone. So what could she do to help?
She could run.
She could go to Earth, make it to someone, anyone with an army or something, and they'll come and help the A.R.K. Help her grandfather. She was aware it wasn't the best plan in the galaxy, but she was too terrified to think up a better one.
Maria's body ghosted over a wall as a sharp turn came up, narrowly keeping herself from slamming into the steel. She was almost there, the escape pods were just a few more turns away. All she had to do was make it to the outer window of the A.R.K. and follow that curve to the escape pods.
Easy, she had done this multiple times with her Grandfather. To the point that she had timed out the trip to the escape pod room from this point. And it was about 2 minutes. Just 2 little minutes and she would be on her way to far, far away from the A.R.K. It didn't occur to her until she saw the door for the emergency escape pod room peering from the winding curve she traced herself on.
Maria was about to leave the A.R.K. Probably for good. She was going to visit a planet, experience real gravity and natural oxygen, the whole package. If she wasn't so scared that she was going to be attacked by a straggling black alien, she would have taken the moment to feel a little joyful.
But there was no room for that feeling. Not right now. Not while her grandfather's life and the entire A.R.K. staff's lives depended on her. Cobalt heels skidding clumsily to a stop, Maria's body nearly slammed against the metal door, as she jammed her fingers on the screen as hard and as fast as she possibly could to enter the magic words to get the callous slab of metal out of her way so she could get help.
Miraculously, the keypad obeyed her vigorous and frantic "typing" instead of breaking, allowing her access to the sanctuary with a fast woosh of the doors sliding up. The blonde girl ran to the control panel, began putting in the codes and coordinates necessary to free the compact glass ship from its station. Normally the NIDS that ravaged poor Maria's frail body would have these precious memorized passwords and numbers out of her reach. But with panicked focus, Maria was able to single out everything she needed to earn the right to escape this prison.
She hated to admit it, being the granddaughter of this giant colony's creator and all, but this ball of steel and wires was just... a cage to her. A cell, a giant lock on the window to the outside world. Maria had no memories of Earth, her home... her parents... this place had taken even those from her. And now this place was going to take her grandfather away from her.
"No" she thought adamantly to herself. "I won't let grandfather die... I won't let anyone die!" Maria lifted herself into the glass cylinder, making sure to double check that everything was ready to fly. Her face steeled, not at all letting on how scared she was inside. Because she didn't have time to be scared.
"Hang on, Grandfather! Everyone! I'm going to get help! Please survive until then!" she said to herself, slightly calming her nerves. Shaky fingers slowly reached for the launch button. This was it: Maria was about to leave her barely gilded cage. For good. Her fair skinned hands inched closer to the tantalizing button, the reason to why they shook unclear. Maybe it was the excitement of getting off the A.R.K. Maybe it was the very real fear that something was about to go wrong. Maybe it was something else entirely, all she knew right now was... she needed and wanted to press that button and leave this place.
And as her index finger lightly met the surface of the freedom button, she nearly smiled. A genuine, hopeful smile.
"MARIA! MARIA, ARE YOU STILL HERE?!" Gerald's panicked voice blasted through the speakers on the ceiling of the escape pod, jolting Maria into pulling her hand back from the launch button. She yelped in terror at the sudden noise, but after a few deep breaths, she regained her composure.
"MARIA?! CAN YOU HEAR ME, MY DEAR?!" Gerald called out, panic clear in his tone. Maria frantically looked for the button to push in the pod to respond. She didn't want him to get so worried, not when his own life was in danger. Thin, light fingers thankfully found the desired button and quickly pressed it.
"Grandfather, I'm here! I can hear you! Are you alright?!" Maria nearly sobbed out. In response, Gerald let out a sigh of relief so pleasant, it seemed the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Oh thank God! Thank God you're alright. Maria, I don't know what I would have done if you were gone" the senior spoke genuinely thankful. It was true, he had no idea what he would have done if she had been gone or hurt in any way.
"I'm fine, Grandfather! Really! What happened, are you alright? Did something worse happen?!" Maria couldn't help panicking, she was still so clueless about what was really going on.
"No honey. The worse is over. Everyone is alright, no one was killed by the... the black creatures... they're gone... We survived..." he sighed, more calm than he had been all day it seemed. Maria copied her grandfather's sigh of relief and slumped down the glass container she was still in, hitting the bottom of the pod with her bottom. Thank God grandfather was alright. Thank God everyone was spared. And thank God they would never have to see those monsters again.
After a moment of trying to wind down from the sheer terror that pushed Maria's body to its limits, her grandfather, in the middle of telling Maria almost all of what transpired when she left, mentioned something to the golden haired girl, "You can come back now, Maria. Everything is safe now"
Maria had quickly forgotten where she was. Okay, she knew she was still home, at the A.R.K. But she didn't know what room she was in. She kind of forgot for a moment. A fleeting moment. She realized what had happened; she lost her only chance to leave this place behind. And while she was hopelessly ecstatic and elated that her grandfather was unharmed, she didn't like the idea of her single chance to leave the A.R.K. slipping through her fingers. Right as her fingers were about to launch her into space. Away from the A.R.K.
She was about to climb out of her locked window of a life, breathe in the outdoors, experience dirt under her shoes, wind in her hair, clouds in a sky... but the window just slammed shut. Maybe even for good. And that hurt.
That... really hurt. A tangible pain rippled through Maria's skull. All of a sudden the fair skinned girl felt the effects of running for your life for a long period of time with her unique illness. She was aching all over, but especially her head. Things were getting a bit fuzzy too.
Grunting lightly, Maria pushed herself back up to her feet and reached out to the talking button. "Grandfather I... I... don't feel... right..." she spoke barely hiding her pain. Her knees were wobbling now, struggling to keep her upright.
"Maria? What's wrong?! Maria!?" she hardly made out on the other end of the communication. Maria suddenly found the room she was in tilting steadily to one side, in response she leaned in the opposite direction to keep from falling. The intensity of the pain pulsing through her increased instantly when she did.
"Grand... father... it... it... hurts..." she breathed heavily, her face scrunched in an uncomfortable grimace. She felt like there was a rock growing in the base of her brain, slowly but painfully pushing her brain to the outer edges of her skull. Her limbs felt weaker than wet paper, even though she tried to use the walls of the escape pod to sustain herself, her limbs just couldn't hold her weight.
"MARIA?! MARIAAAA! WHAT'S HAPPENING!? WHAT'S WRONG?! MARIAAA! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" Gerald's panic had returned tenfold, evident by his screaming. But even the panicked screams of her grandfather were deafened by the sudden ringing in her ears. The piercing, painful tone made the rock growing in her brain shake and rumble, elevating her pain to new, undesired heights. The sickly girl tried to speak to her grandfather again, but she could only groan out in pain.
As quickly as this all started, Maria lost her legs and her balance, sliding to the floor of the glass case she put herself in. Questions of what was happening to her surfaced only for a moment before everything faded from her mind. Her vision, her voice, her thoughts... within moments... everything went black...
Gerald's feet hit the metal floors rapidly as he ran to save Maria. She had suddenly stopped talking after telling him she was in pain and Gerald was freaking out. He was sure his blood pressure had risen to historical heights. What was happening to her now? Why was something always happening to her?! What did she ever do to deserve any of this?!
As Gerald slammed into the curve of the outer window, he realized what the cause of his granddaughter's sudden distress was. NIDS. It was her incurable disease acting up. Great, just perfect. What a perfect time for it to throw a tantrum. It hadn't caused much of a fuss for the past year or two, so he supposed it was due for a routine fit.
But this wasn't making him feel any better. Ever since he found a way to sustain her 4 years ago, she had a couple of episodes here and there, but it was nothing the A.R.K. doctors and nurses couldn't handle. A couple of days in the infirmary and she was good as new. But there was never a moment that Gerald thought it would stay that easy forever. Nothing they went through... was ever that easy...
A couple halting steps, a swift code input, and the woosh of an opening door, and Gerald was looking down at Maria, trapped in the escape pod. Quicker than he should have been able to, he got to the control panel and pulled a lever to open the glass door of the escape pod. The elderly man slid on the floor to Maria, who was now lying before him... still as a statue...
"Maria?! Maria, can you hear me?!" he called out to her, noticeably more quiet than he was over the speakers. Trembling, wrinkled hands searched for a pulse on her wrists and throat, hoping to find a sign of life. Small rhythmic thumps under her skin were his answer. He dared not sigh in relief just yet though. Gerald still had to get her up and to the medical bay and he had to do it quick. Much to his surprise, the door opened behind him, revealing the medical researchers and nurses entering the room.
"She's unresponsive, her breathing is shallow, and I think she might be sweating all the moisture in her body out! When's the exact time she took her medicine last?!" he asked in a hurry. The medical staff that wasn't carrying Maria out of the room and checking on her other vitals as they left the room, were silent. Their faces laced with shame.
"Well?! When did you give her the medicine today?!" he asked, louder and angrier than before. The doctors looked at the nurses and the nurses looked among themselves, nervously trying to find words. One of the nurses finally spoke up.
"She took her morning doses... and that's all..." Gerald's eyes widened in shock. His jaw clenched down tight as the temperature of his body rose.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S ALL?! SHE'S SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE MEDICINE 4 TIMES A DAY!" he shouted at them. They all recoiled in fear.
"SHE ONLY TOOK HER MORNING DOSAGE, SO SHE HASN'T HAD MEDICINE IN 8 HOURS?! WHAT WERE YOU DOING ALL THAT TIME!?" he screamed, holding up one of the doctors by their collar.
"We- we- we didn't find her in her room-"
"SO YOU JUST SAID, 'FORGET IT, SHE'LL BE ALRIGHT! IT'S NOT LIKE SHE HAS A TERMINAL DISEASE OR ANYTHING'!? YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS, SHE COULD DIE WITHOUT THIS MEDICINE! YOU'VE BEEN HER DOCTORS FOR 4 YEARS NOW, AREN'T YOU COMPETENT ENOUGH TO REALIZE JUST HOW CLOSE TO DEATH SHE IS?!" shouted Gerald as he threw the doctor to the ground and pushed a few nurses out of his way. They all trailed behind him as he followed the medical staff carrying Maria down the hall.
"P- P- Professor- we are so- sorry"
"We looked for her- we did- but we couldn't find her-"
"She- she- snuck out- and actively hid from us-" They all made excuses and begged for forgiveness. But Gerald wasn't hearing any of it.
"And you didn't ATTEMPT to tell me that my sick granddaughter was roaming around the A.R.K. unsupervised?! You didn't call, you didn't make an announcement, NOTHING! YOU JUST LET HER LEAVE HER MEDICINE BEHIND!"
"... We- we- we didn't- didn't think-"
"NO! YOU DIDN'T THINK! I SHOULD HAVE LET THOSE MONSTERS KILL YOU FOR PUTTING HER LIFE IN DANGER LIKE THIS!" Gerald spat out bitterly. How dare they allow this to happen to Maria. How dare they! They were going to pay for this, Gerald made a promise to himself. They were going to pay.
"P- P- Professor-"
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" he commanded violently, causing the other medical staffers to hurriedly scatter away from him. Gerald silently fumed on their way back to the medical bay, the entire time he never took his eyes off of Maria. She laid unconscious for the remainder of the trip, even when they finally got to the medical bay and the rest of the doctors and nurses poked and prodded her with needles and all other medical utensils, she remained motionless.
Maria was unconscious in the hospital bed for days and Gerald stayed with her for nearly every minute of those days. Just waiting for her to open her eyes, to speak his name, something. And unfortunately, for several of those days she was paralyzed in that bed. Gerald had to hold meetings in the Infirmary, even having equipment brought to him from the labs so he could continue working. His researchers and assistants had to run between the Infirmary and the Project Shadow Laboratories dozens of times a day to keep him posted on production.
But finally, Maria woke up from her comatose state, relieving Gerald and by extension, the entire A.R.K. Gerald hugged her as soon as she sat up, the medical staff and the scientist left them to have their moment alone.
"Oh thank God you're alright... I was so worried Maria..." he told her, happily embracing her to his chest.
"... I'm sorry I worried you..." she apologized solemnly. Gerald released her from his hold and looked her in her crystal blue eyes seriously. He knew after talking with security that Maria indeed snuck away from the medical staff and wandered around the A.R.K. without her medicine. He knew she had purposefully not taken her medication but he didn't know why. What was she thinking, she had never done anything so risky before, why did she start now?
"Maria... do you know why you're here?" he asked. Maria placed her hand on her cheek as she searched her mind for an answer. The NIDS had a way of making it hard for her to hold onto memories, so he wasn't sure if she remembered what happened on that fateful day. If he was going to scold her about her errors in judgement, she had to remember the errors first.
"Mmmmmm... I remember... The monsters!" Maria suddenly shouted. She scrambled to get out of the bed and immediately regretted it, the pain shooting through her limbs made her slump back into Gerald's arms. The old man quickly held onto her as gently as possible and spoke calming phrases to settle her down.
"They're gone, they're gone, there's no more monsters. I got rid of them, they're not going to hurt you. They've been gone for days" Maria stopped panicking and looked up at Gerald, a question written on her face.
"You've been unconscious for 3 days, Maria" Gerald sighed sadly. He rubbed the side of his head, clearly exhausted. Maria just stared into space at the news, her grandfather leaning back in his chair as she continued to piece together the rest of the events of that day. Flashes of her going through multiple rooms in the A.R.K., riding on the lift, getting in the escape pod, and... fade to black.
The two sat in uncomfortable silence, not really knowing how to continue the strained conversation that was inevitable to start with the next words that came from either of their mouths. The professor didn't really know how to handle this situation. It was unique, quite frankly, Maria never acted out. She never "disobeyed" instruction, she never "got in trouble", she never "engaged in mischief". Maria was the best kid in the world, she was kind and sweet, polite and respectable. But this... what she did was so... unlike her. And like it or not, Gerald needed to talk some sense into her.
"Well, here goes nothing..." Gerald reluctantly thought to himself. He leaned his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together in front of his face. After a beat, he looked up at Maria, his angel, and proceeded to scold her.
"... What were you thinking Maria?" the question shook Maria's heart. It sounded like her grandfather... was disappointed in her. He had never... been disappointed in her before... Wide blue eyes averted their nervous gaze to a chair across the room, away from Gerald's inquiring face.
"Maria... why did you avoid the nurses and doctors? Why- why didn't you take your medicine?" he questioned again, noticing the way his fair skinned granddaughter tensed her face slightly at the words. She tentatively peeked at him, before quickly averting her attention back to the unappealing chair across from her. She couldn't fathom how to deal with this, it was uncharted territory for them.
Gerald looked at her, trying to understand why she wouldn't just answer him. Did she think he LIKED talking like this to her? Did she think he WANTED to have this conversation? Gerald didn't like this anymore than her, but he knew it needed to happen. She almost died... they needed to address the events that led to that.
In a tone that surprised himself, Gerald spoke sternly, "Young lady, look at me when I'm talking to you..."
Maria's eyes widened at his slightly harsh tone and slowly turned to look at him, her expression pained and shameful. It broke his heart to see her like this. God, this was hard; he just wanted to drop the whole thing and hold her in his arms. But this had to be done. She had to learn that what she did was not smart.
"... Maria... talk to me... Just tell me why you ran off..." he said, tone more gentle than before. Maria couldn't keep her composure anymore. Fat, wet tears dropped down her face as she sniffled pitifully. She didn't want to tell him how she was feeling, she didn't want to say something to hurt him. But he was demanding the truth... and she couldn't lie to him. So Maria opened her mouth and explained herself.
"Grandfather... I'm so tired of being sick..."
Gerald's heart stopped for a moment. He unconsciously sat up a little, his brow furrowing in sadness, behind his glasses tears were welling up. Oh no...
"I'm sorry... I know you're doing everything you can... I know that all of this is for me... but I don't like this place..." Maria sobbed out, wiping her face with her arms as she spoke. Her sniffles got louder and she began shaking just a bit from all the emotion. Gerald tried his best to steel himself from crying right along with her and to his surprise it was working. It sounded like she had a lot to get off of her chest and more than anything, he wanted to be the one she could tell all her problems to.
"I feel like... Like a prisoner... I can't do anything... There's no kids here to be friends with... I'm constantly taking medicine and injections... I just... I hate it here!" she choked out before her sobbing grew to bawling. Gerald bit his lower lip and gripped his hands together tightly, hoping the pressure would keep him from cracking from the pressure. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, not having his heart break into a million pieces right then and there. She wailed and sniffed through tears that wet the blanket over her legs.
"I'm so sorry, Grandfather! I shouldn't feel this way! I sound so ungrateful! But I'm not, I'm so grateful that you've done all of this for me! But I... I want to go to the planet... I want to live a real life! I... I... I just..." she couldn't string words together anymore, her sadness engulfing her tiny body as she buried her face in her hands.
And that was when Gerald lost his inner battle of control and wrapped his arms around his little girl. He didn't care that he was crying like a baby now too, he just needed to hold her. He just wanted to make her feel better, he just wanted her tears to stop. She was breaking and he had to put her back together. And that's why she ran off. He wasn't there for her anymore, she needed attention and he wasn't giving it to her! Of all the stupid mistakes he's made, making Maria feel like this... it was the worst thing he'd ever done.
Maria clung to Gerald's lab coat and slightly pulled and pushed the fabric between sobs. For a long while all they did was cry in each others arms, just needing to release the built up tension and emotion that they didn't even realize was bubbling over until now. Their cries echoed through the Infirmary for close to 20 minutes, but it felt like days to them. When Maria had died down her loud bawling to low whines and hiccups, Gerald lifted himself a little from her, not leaving her grasp, but allowing space for them to finish talking.
"I'm sorry... I'm so- so- sorry..." she whimpered out defeated. Gerald hushed her gently and wiped her cheeks with his wrinkled thumbs.
"It's okay sweetie... I'm not mad... I just... wanted to know why..." he whispered warmly. He cupped his hand around her soft, rosy cheek and she leaned her head into the comforting touch. Maria's eyes closed as she continued to speak.
"... That's not the only reason... I didn't take the medicine..." she sighed quietly. Gerald waited for her to continue, his hand lightly caressing her now dried cheek. The girl gathered her strength to finish. She had never told anyone this and the last person she thought she would tell was her grandfather. But she knew now... that he needed to know the whole truth about what she's been feeling. No matter how difficult it would be to explain.
"Grandfather... I hate myself..."
The silence that followed carried the weight of the entire A.R.K. with it. Gerald stopped caressing her cheek. He pulled away even further to look at her more clearly, the shock apparent on his face. Maria let the silence hang in the air for a moment before she explained herself.
"I hate being like this... being sick... I'm such a bother to take care of... I hinder your work... I'm the reason everyone here is miserable and always working... I'm so sick and weak and... I can't go to the planet because of it... and that upsets me..." she spoke honestly and it truly scared Gerald at how clearly she was able to convey these feelings. His angel had been through a lot, most definitely, but... he never thought of her taking the blame for everything that happened to her.
"Why can't I act... like a normal girl..? Why do I need to be watched and waited on hand and foot..? When am I going to be able to... stand on my own and not have everyone worried to death about me..? When am I going to be well enough to go down there and see the world?" Maria questioned, looking down at her hands resting in her lap. She didn't like talking about this. Talking about herself. It made her feel like she was pretentious and self obsessed. But her grandfather wanted her to talk, so she talked.
"I thought... I thought if I could prove that I can do things without the medicine... that I could survive a day without being watched over... maybe everyone could stop worrying... you could stop stressing over me... I know you're still looking for a cure, and I believe you'll find one... but if I wasn't so sick... maybe you wouldn't have to be so focused on me and you could focus on yourself more..." Maria glanced up at Gerald, his hands now covering his mouth in horror of her words.
"I just... I hate that I'm... so weak... I feel... useless and frail... it makes me... so mad at myself, I can't think straight..." she lowered her head back down to look at her hands, then gripped them together. Maria's expression was no longer that of complete sadness, what was on her face now was a distant, bitter stare. An expression that didn't belong on a child's face, let alone Gerald's beloved granddaughter.
Once again, silence had filled the space between them, mainly because Gerald was frozen in place. Her words petrified him, shook him to his core. How on Earth did Maria think this way about herself? How?! It was impossible! She was Maria, for crying out loud! She was an angel, a miracle, a wonderful and incredible girl! She was the personification of good! She was everything right with the universe, she made horrible days fantastic with nothing but her smile! She was his angel! How could she think so low of herself when she had done so much for him?
Gerald couldn't allow this. He physically couldn't allow this to continue. He was going to set her straight right here, right now. Determined hands returned to the golden haired girl's dejected face, as Gerald closed the space between them, tears falling slowly from his eyes.
"Maria, look at me baby..." he said gently, trying not to get choked up. The somber Maria obeyed and slowly lifted her gaze to Gerald's face. They looked each other in the eye as he continued.
"There is NOTHING to hate about you... You are the bravest, most selfless, most thoughtful and kindest person that I have ever known... You are perfection, do you hear me? Don't you EVER get the idea that you're weak or useless" Gerald's voice cracked multiple times, but conviction spewed from his lips, convincing Maria, just slightly to ease her self loathing thoughts.
"It wouldn't matter if you were the healthiest kid in the universe, I worry about you because I love you. Worrying about someone isn't wrong. You worry about me, right?" Gerald asked, knowing Maria's response. Maria nodded her head gingerly in his grasp.
"Okay, and you don't feel bad for worrying about me, do you?" he asked again, Maria shook her head gingerly in his grasp.
"Alright then, the same goes for me worrying about you. I'm sorry I make you feel like a prisoner here, that was never my intention. I'm just worried about you and I'm always going to worry about you, no matter what. Because that's what you do when you love someone, understand?" he spoke softly, needing her to know how much he loved her.
"..." she couldn't speak, her mouth was failing her at the moment. But the tears welling up in her eyes told the old man that he was striking a cord. His hands shifted to her shoulders and his warmth entered into her, soothing her colder skin. Gerald lowered his forehead to kiss hers, keeping the eye contact they had established.
"... I promise, I WILL cure you, Maria... every moment spent on this space colony is to fulfill that promise... I just need you to be a little more patient... You aren't a burden, you are my life's work. You are the single most important person in my life and don't you ever forget it, sweetie" he commanded her with all the love in his heart. Maria, finally letting her expression change, smiled at him gratefully. She gently moved her head from his to grab his torso again, in a soft hug. Gerald rested his cheek on the top of her golden locks as he returned the hug in a firm grip.
"... I love you, Grandfather" Maria breathed into the crook of his neck, happy tears staining his lab coat collar. He rubbed soothing circles on her upper back, before responding in earnest.
"I love you too Maria..." They held each other in comfortable silence for the first time since the uncomfortable conversation started. The two just stayed in their bubble of love, both of them needing it after such a wild turn of events. The Black Arms, Black Doom nearly destroying the Gizoid, Maria's coma; they needed a moment just to count their blessings.
"I know you're going to cure me... I've never stopped believing in you..." Maria said, breaking the silence. She didn't want Gerald to think she didn't believe in him. Even though she suffered with the illness everyday and it seemed like Gerald was working on other things, she knew her grandfather was doing everything he could to save her. She always knew. And she was always thankful for that.
"That's right, angel... If it's the last thing I do... I'm gonna fix you..." Gerald said more to himself than to Maria. He had been through so much, SO MUCH, all in the efforts to save Maria. And he was so close, he could practically taste it. He was almost where he needed to be to cure Maria of her NIDS. All he had to do was use the DNA from Black Doom with the research he'd already done.
Which reminded him, he would have to tell Maria about the deal he made with Black Doom so she wouldn't have a heart attack when the demon would ultimately return to the A.R.K. He had no idea when he would be returning, but he had to make sure he had something to show him so he wouldn't kill anyone. And of course, he had to be sure to think about everything other than the Eclipse Cannon when Black Doom arrives because the monster can read minds. And if he found out that Gerald was planning on making a weapon that could kill him and his entire race... that would not end well.
It was incredibly risky, making that deal. But Gerald had his mind made up before he left home. He was going to save Maria. No matter the danger, no matter how long it took, no matter how much resources he had to use.
No matter what he would have to do... he was going to save her...
Soooo, did everybody remember that Maria had a terminal disease? :D I'm so sorry if this depressed anyone... onlynotreally XDDDD
Yeah, this one was more of a reaction chapter to the crazy events of the past few parts. The characters need a moment to discuss some underlaying problems from the previous parts as well. Maria has been quietly suffering this whole time and harboring all of those negative emotions made her act out at the worst time possible. And when she gets herself so worked up without taking her meds, her illness knocks her out. Poor baby.
Gerald is the best grandpa in the world, by the way. I just wanted to make that clear. Basically, I wanted a moment for Maria to clear the air with him, make him understand that she is a good kid and a wonderful girl, but she's still dealing with the baggage that comes with being terminally ill and being cooped up on the A.R.K. isn't helping matters. And huggles are the cure for any sads. XDDD
I hope this wasn't too melodramatic for you guys, I really wasn't trying to force any drama to happen, just using underlying issues from previous chapters to surface and be dealt with. Maria was looking a little TOO perfect there, I had to give her a plausible flaw and errors in judgement to keep the Mary Sue police from knocking down my door. So hopefully, I didn't disrupt Maria's character too bad with this. ^^U
Because really, canon game Maria (and probably comics and cartoon adaption Maria too) is sort of... a very soft and not annoying at all... but slightly Mary Sue-ish. Think about it: does she display any errors in judgement, does she have any flaws or is she painted as this perfect being, does she inexplicably drive the narrative despite not having an active roll in the games, does she get romanticized by characters and fans alike?
If the answer to these questions are mostly yes, she's a Mary Sue-ish character. Now I love her– hence this entire fan fic centered around her– but when I see a Mary Sue in my story, I gotta do something to rectify that. I think I did okay with avoiding that, self loathing is a huge flaw, I have it, so I would know.
