Can Never Replace You

Kero Guardian: Argh! I'm losing my mind!!!

Chris: What's wrong with her?

Helen: I think she's getting a writer's block. (Sweat drop)

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Chapter 5: Of Heartaches and Headaches

He paced down the narrow hallway of the Chaotix house as his shoes tapped lightly on wood, and the weight screeched the floor each time he turned. He closed his eyes, and tilted his face towards the heavens, frustration burned in his eyes, partly shaded by the darkness of the unlit room. Nothing could be heard but the wisps of his slow breathing and the rain falling, hitting the cheap glass window, and a sound...stifled sobs of a broken angel, the voice singing in infinite sorrow, a voice he'd grown to know, one he hoped and prefer to hear laugh.

He was slipping across the small rooms he knew all his life, and yet now they all seemed so unfamiliar.

Espio opened the door silently, gaining the view of an even tinier room, which appeared so inexpensive it looked like it had been put in shambles from old age and earthquakes.

Maria was sitting near the window, her eyes blurred through tears, Rouge's words speaking over and over again. It was painful, hurt so strongly, but she continued to sing, trying to remember happier days when she used to sing Shadow to sleep.

Unknown to her, the chameleon ached as well, his thoughts wandered too. Hated to admit it, didn't want it. Espio fell, hand smacked against the wall beside him, interrupting the enchanting melody.

Maria stood up, and quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I..."

She was about to turn to face him, "No. Don't turn around, please?"

The girl frowned, knowing that something was bothering her new friend, "the weather's pretty bad, huh? I think Vector and Charmy are already asleep...is something keeping you up. I'm sorry if it was my singing."

"No, not at all. I just...think a lot, I guess."

She gave a casual nod, reassured.

Espio pushed himself away from the wooden structure and stared at her back, then drew in a breath, released it. "...Maria...this might sound like a funny question for me to ask, but..."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to know...how close were you to Shadow?"

Her body tilted a bit backwards and she hesitated. "That is a strange question..." She laughed nervously, shook her head and forced a false smile, 'silly me, what's wrong, Maria? Isn't he just--'

"He's a very close friend of mine."

But Espio had watched the way she reacted and he didn't need his sensing ability to tell she felt otherwise, but he coerced a simper, despite the actuality of her not even facing him. 'Rouge was right. You are a poor liar, Maria.'

"Urm...I think I'll go to sleep now." He proceeded to hit himself on the shoulder, because his voice came out more saddened than he'd hope. In fact he wanted everything to seem all right.

"Wait Espio!" Maria turned, and his eyes were caught up in hers, he felt paralyzed for a few moments. "What's wrong??"

Her inquiry broke him from his trance, and he circulated, racing out of the room faster than he'd hoped, crashing clumsily into a lamp merely three feet from the door. "Ow..."

His friends seemingly awake ran to greet him.

"Espio? What in the blazes?" Vector mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Charmy buzzed next to the shattered lamp, clicking his tongue with his teeth, "there goes another piece o' machine. Man, we're not rich, Espio."

"Are you all right?" The girl gave a concerned look.

The teen rubbed his head, shook it, and then sighed. "I'm fine..."

"The lamp sure ain't." The bee muttered bitterly, watching Vector leave to grab a broom and dustpan.

Espio took the tools willingly and started to sweep at the floor, face burning from humiliation. He looked at Maria on accident again and received a comforting smile, but he was so flustered and confused, that he jerked his head rudely away without him realizing his action.

"I'm sorry." Maria openly apologized, although she knew not what she'd done. And she was about to walk back to the room she came from, but she slipped on one of the broken pieces and tumbled backwards.

The threesome jumped, Vector and Charmy thrust themselves forward, but ran into one another, falling themselves. Espio's heart locked, and as he leapt to catch her, he felt himself choke.

The girl was light, but still larger than him, and as they crashed to the ground the chameleon hit his head not so gently on the ground. His world spun, his thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, and he didn't even notice Maria crying above him while his friends sat back up, accusing one another again.

"Ugh..." He mouthed.

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Shadow moved quickly through the light rain, a strange fog rising, somewhat blinded, he smacked into a door. The entrance to Eggman's never well-hidden base.

"...? Shadow?" The not so evil scientist arched an eyebrow. "Hi. What can I do for you?"

His hands flew to Eggman's collar, driving him backwards and into a wall.

Kero Guardian: Lots a walls...(rolls eyes.)

Sera shrieked beside them, her hands still on the controller of a Gamecube they'd been playing with. The dark hedgehog dismissed her presence entirely, his head hurt too much now, and he wanted to end it.

The oddly shaped man shielded his head when Shadow moved slowly away. "Sorry! Don't kill me!!!"

"Sigh. I already forgive you...for what happened with Metal Sonic......and...my memories." He winced on the last word, "I really didn't mean to act so rash...I've just got a terrible migraine..."

"Well, he's no doctor!" The spoiled girl pouted.

"I'm going to ignore you." Shadow sighed, helping Eggman back to his feet.

Sera simply stuck her tongue at him, "like you always do!" She was used to it and knew he was harmless.

"Doctor, do you know...urgh...of a girl named Maria Robotnik?"

There was a long pause, and the mechanic gave the hedgehog a sudden dismal glance then moved to his table and settled in a large chair. "Yes, but she..." his fingers brushed a picture frame before handing it to him.

'It's her...who's that old gentlemen next to her? And this picture seems so old.' Shadow looked fixedly at the discolored photo. "Yes?"

Eggman shut his eyes tightly, removing his glasses, continued, "she and my grandfather are gone."

The animal gasped, "But..."

Maria's cousin had not heard him, "I got the news from my mother when I was a little boy...Maria, my cousin was killed by GUN...no...murdered and my grandfather, someone I looked up to...Gerald Robotnik, executed."

He merely stared, words failed, "but..."

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'Stupid, idiot...she loves him, can't you see? Shadow...Maria cares for him so much that she was willing to leave the paradise only death can ensure. Argh, just to be with her!'

"I can't ruin it for her..." Espio sat up upon the couch, pulling the wet towel from his head and whispered to the empty room. "If I really cared about her then I need to help her find a way back to Shadow............Maria."

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Shadow gawked at the aged photograph, tapping it twice before looking back at Eggman, then dropped his head into his hands, hoping it would assuage. "I saw her Doctor...I really did."

The bald man stopped pacing around the room, (his jocose nature long gone), and studied the dark hedgehog for a few moments, waved his gloved hand for him to continue.

Sera blinked, absolutely confused of the scene before her, "Uh...I'll be on the first floor..."

The hedgehog raised his head again, the agony showing only slightly in his doleful eyes. He was strong, but the mechanic wondered how much longer his mind could hold and what was causing him such languish. "She resembled identically to what this picture shows, she even told me...urgh..."

A finger pressed against his temple, "That her name is Maria Robotnik and she's...she's..."

"Go on..."

"...waiting..." Shadow's last word never ended, he looked down at his gages, almost not believing what he had just said. "Like how I...I was always searching...searching for the truth."

There was disbelief in the hedgehog's voice, "What am I saying?!"

As Shadow murmured in a quixotic manner, hollering at himself over his quandary, Eggman suddenly hit his fists together, grinning. "Hey! I've got a great idea!! Let's go find that little girl and ask her!"

Red eyes stared hard and long.

"What? I mean, isn't that the best solution?"

"Doctor..."

The creature was willing to bet that this was one of the halcyon genius's droll jokes, but then again, Eggman could be as simple as Knuckles at times. "You're not joking, are you?"

His grin expanded, "Come on, Sera always wanted to meet my relatives." He rubbed under his mustached nose, "Sitting around won't do us any good, right?"

Shadow's pupils enlarged, then he threw up his hands and shook his still aching head. He wasn't even sure he was ready to meet Maria again, "Wait a minute! We don't even have the slightest idea where she is!!! And besides, it might take a long time, Doctor I don't want to trou-"

"No trouble at all, we're friends, yes?"

"...yes...?"

"And I owe you something for all the trouble I've caused! It's my purview!!! So let's go!!"

Before the animal could do anything, Eggman grabbed his arm and after some time, Shadow smiled, ignoring his complacency, so he could be happy with an old ally. "All right."

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Kero Guardian: Yes! I can finally move onto the next chapter, a new one!!!