Chapter 3
The sun shone brightly into cave stirring the Ultimate Lifeform from his slumber.
Wait...slumber?
Shadow snapped his eyes open and sprang straight up. When did he fall asleep? How long was he out? Maybe he was burning through too much Chaos Energy that the Emeralds intakes weren't able to keep up with his outputs. He could just hear Maria saying 'I told you so' in his mind.
But when he did a scan around the cave, there was not a Maria to be found.
Where was she? Is she okay? Did something happen and she was taken?
"Shadow!"
Like as if she knew that he was looking for her Maria ran into the cave with a brown paper back in tow panting. She looked at him terrified.
"We need to go."
-XXX-
It was in the early morning hours when Maria awoke to the sounds of soft snoring. She lifted her head off of her makeshift pillow she looked over at the comatose hybrid and smiled.
"Told you that you were tired," she whispered to herself. Wrapping the blanket around him Maria gave a look back to make sure he was still sound asleep before leaving the cave on her adventure to get food.
-XXX-
The bustle of the city seem to have quieted down for now as Maria made her was down towards the sandwich shop that she had grown to love over the days of being in Soleanna. Turning the corner off of a main street she could see her destination in site and picked up her pace. She reached for the door and opened it, the bell chiming to let the staff know that someone come in.
"Well hello there little miss," the elderly gentleman greeted, like he had done since Maria started coming here, "And how many sandwiches for you today?"
"If it's not too much trouble can I get nine this time?" Maria asked putting some money on the counter that covered it. She knew she didn't really need that many, but with travelling coming up she wanted to make sure. She gazed over at the small TV that was blabbering about the events of last night as the man put the sandwiches in a bag.
"They say the castle got broken into," the man said trying to my idle chitchat with her, "Only thing stolen was some kind of giant diamond. King says they're going to bring in that Guardian Units of Nations group or what have you to look into it. Hogwash if you tell me."
"Is that so?" Maria said to him. More better to get out now instead of later with GUN showing up. The man handed Maria a brown paper bag to her and she thanked him.
"You be careful out there little miss," he told Maria as she reached the door, "I don't need you or your little hedgehog friend to get into trouble."
Maria froze, her hand on the door. She turned her head over towards the man, who just smiled at him and wave his goodbye. She swallowed a lump of fear that built up in the back of her throat and left, walking much more quicker than she did coming into town. As soon as she hit the sand of the beach she broke out into a sprint.
-XXX-
"How the hell did he know who you were and knew you had someone with you?" Shadow asked. The two of them Chaos Controlled to the train yard and jumped on the first freight train that was moving. Who knew what direction it was going but they knew it was going out of Soleanna and that was good enough.
"I don't know," Maria admitted, "I don't think we went by the shop last night, so I don't understand how he knew."
They sighed heavily and collapsed on the floor of yet another boxcar, their heads touching, arms stretched out on either side of them like trying to make a snow angel without the lack of snow.
"I never want to ride another train in my life after this," Maria stated causing Shadow laugh to himself.
"OH! You're never gonna believe what I found, " She exclaimed excitedly as she sat up, pulling the backpack over and digging through it, pulling out a book. Shadow looked at it with curiosity. He opened it to reveal photos of old.
"A photo album," he said studying it. He went to the cover page, reading the name.
"Lilly-Ann made you a photo album?"
"Yeah! I think it was from my twelfth birthday. You know, like three days before the ARK went down?"
"That was the birthday I didn't attend wasn't it?"
"Yeah because you were such a threat to my life," Maria said mockingly.
They sat there and said nothing. Just flipping through the pages. From swimming lessons, study sessions, and violin recitals to cooking, and holiday and birthday parties. They were a time capsule of what their lives were like on the ARK. Simple. Pure.
"I like this one," Maria pointed out. The photo was of her and Shadow on beanbag chairs asleep with the starts of space from the viewing window behind them.
"I'm not fond of that one though," Shadow told her pointing out one. The photo was of Shadow in a hospital bed, tubes and wires connected everywhere. Maria asleep holding his hand, her head down on the bed made it a bit obscure but if you looked close you could see tears stains on her cheeks.
"That was when Grandpa overloaded you with Chaos Energy from the Drives. He almost killed you," Maria told Shadow, "I was so mad at him ."
They flipped through the album cover to cover, sharing memories years gone by.
"I can't wait for this whole thing to blow over so I can take you to meet Darcy."
"Who is this Darcy?" Shadow asked, his eye narrowed at the name.
"He's my best friend from school," Maria told him.
"He?"
"Yes he! I'm allowed to have friends that are boys Shadow!"
Shadow said nothing.
-XXX-
"Okay...This place make Soleanna look like walk in the park."
Where they ended up was not where they wanted to go. It may have night time when they got off the train, but Empire City was nothing but lively.
"We're only staying here until tomorrow and then we are out," Shadow told Maria, leading them down alley ways to keep out of sight of people.
"We're gonna get spotted for sure," Maria said in a state of panic.
"'Ey oh! Who are you lot?"
Maria dropped Shadow's hand and stopped dead her tracks. She turned herself just enough to see another girl in the alley way with them. She had to be about the same age as Maria, her clothes ripped in torn in all different directions and grungy. Her brown hair tied back, her face smeared with dirt.
"You that girl from the news ain't cha? she said with a slight excitement in her voice. Maria breath hitched as Shadow came over.
"Easy there hedgey boy, I ain't gonna hurt her, but I can offer you up a spot for sleep. You two look a little shook from the city lights," she laughed.
"...why do you want to help us?" Shadow asked aggressively .
"'Cause dude, we to protect our own! The girl laughed harder.
"You promise you won't sell us out?" Maria asked feeling Shadow elbowing her in the ribs.
"Course not! I'd be sell myself and my family out if I did that," she said with a smile and she stuck out her hand, "Name's Dana by the way."
"Maria," she said grabbing Dana's hand and shook it. She looked down at Shadow, who seemed to be fuming.
"Even if he's got a name, I'm still gonna call him hedgey boy," She turned to them are smiled, "Well come on you lot! I'll take to the Casa!"
"It's only for the night," Maria whispered to Shadow who was having none of it as they started their way to the shelter for the night.
-XXX-
AN: Bit shorter this time but am still happy writing it out!
Darko Out!~
