Can Never Replace You
Disclaimer: Sonic characters do not belong to me and neither do the ones from Sonic X, but Florina does!
Kero Guardian: Arggh! School!! Been busy!! Frustrate, frustrate! Anyways, I really stink at writing battles, but now is Espio vs. Shadow!! Espio's all emotionally unbalanced and Shadow's disoriented!
Espio: Of course, I'll win.
Shadow: I'm the Ultimate Lifeform, you pathetic creature!
Both: Grrr!!!
Kero Guardian: Save it for the story!!!
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Chapter 8: Flooding Pain
BGM: Event – Shadow and Maria on Ark
'Ouch…?' Maria stirred from her short slumber, vision fogged. She winced as she stretched her neck, golden hair slipping from her face, allowing her eyes time to focus. The deep sapphire sky came first, then the soft light of dimmed stars. Her blue dress sullied from the mud and wet from the rain, a gasp fluttered from her lips, the sharp pain cut through her, like the bullet which pierced her long ago. 'This feeling…'
"Maria!!!" A shrill cry came from afar, followed closely by the loud humming of translucent wings and the thudding sounds of a larger being. Vector and Charmy raced their way down the wet path, with the younger one crying, "What's wrong!? Why're you on the ground?!?"
The child peered weakly at her newly made friends, worry written all over their faces. "Charmy…Vector……it's you."
The large reptile tried to ignore the dullness within her voice, "Uh, something's gone horribly wrong, it's Espio! We got ta call from yer cuz and he's all spluttering! Something about--"
"Shadow…something's happening to him…" Maria murmured, her hands struggling to press herself upward, her face now looked at the ground, hair drenched, hiding her cherubic face. "I've got…to stop them…something terrible is going to happen…" She slipped, arms falling into the mud again and the two quickly bounded to aid, but she refused the offering hands of the remaining Chaotix.
All they could do was watch, her rise and fall, until finally-Maria stood before them, eyes filled with a look of infinite sorrow, almost as if the years of pain before finally came piling back, but she didn't cry-instead a frail smile graced them. "Thank you…for everything." Merely a whisper, "but this is something I must take care of……I've been dependent for too long."
With that, she turned, stumbling, one arm over her stomach, her eyes resolutely staring into the path down the woods. With every step, she glanced, each broken branch-evident of Espio's presence before.
"Maria?!" Charmy tried to follow her, but the hard grip of the adult caught him first, and after seeing the shake of the head, he felt himself grow up, if not then at least a little, "Go for it!!!!"
From a smaller distance, two guardians, recovered slightly from their attack, stood together. The peach echidna placed the puzzle together long ago, whilst lying upon her recovery bed, and being observant as always, she solved the mystery. And her watery form was informed of the entire dilemma, of course.
"She's finally learning to be stronger…" Thin eyelashes slid halfway over turquoise pupils, as Tikal folded her hands and allowed Chaos to comfort her with his claw. "Yes Chaos. I know…I know."
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Shadow slipped quickly as a ninja star barely sliced into his ear. 'Shoot. Espio's slipped into the surroundings of this forest.' "Agh?!" Before he knew it he found his face in the mud, and a pain in the back of his head. 'Arg…wait a minute!'
Refocusing his eyes he spotted something unusual, 'Espio's shoes!' The mud had splashed and tainted the once invisible form, now he knew what to do.
The whistling of ninja stars again, a leap into the air, a gloved hand diving into mud and splattering, then connecting a punch. Espio flew into a tree, wiped above the brow. But his glare did not fade, now determined as ever.
"Don't flatter yourself, Shadow. I'm not finished here." A graceful back flip, the wind picked up around the darker being, leaves slicing at his body. "Now!" He dove into the center of the tornado and aimed to hit-
"Chaos Control!!!"
Shadow reappeared, on a tree, covering his bleeding arm, then wincing at the mud that he'd forgotten. 'What's happening? Have I not gained my full powers yet?' He span into a homing attack, but the chameleon already sensed it coming, and merely bounced off.
However, the Ultimate Life form wasn't the only one distracted, Espio slid back into stance, wiping the mud from his eyes. His rage was blocking the clear mind he'd always use to claim victory and the ragged breathing only slowed him down.
"You-?!" The hedgehog started, but the shriek of a certain female and the hollers of a former rival claimed his undivided attention.
"Kyaaahh!!!! Shadow! You've gotta get out of here!!!" The pink hedgehog exclaimed, her wrist being pulled along by Sonic.
A robotic arm stretched out to clamp itself around her leg, but her hero swiftly flung her aside to the ground, replacing her for himself. Annoyed the robot clenched Sonic's figure together allowing a howl to reach the skies. "Sonikku!!! Why you!!!" Her fingers snapped together and a hammer beckoned to her call, it managed to smash the wire away, but they couldn't pry the claw open. "Hold on! I'll get you out!!"
"Ames!!! Look out!!" The blue hedgehog's eyes glanced upward, then the firing of a machine gun filled his ears, as Tail's Tornado X landed with a heavy thud next to Amy. "Good job Tails!!"
"Do-itashimashite!" The fox opened the glass cover, as the bunny behind him waved worryingly. His smile vanished as soon as Amy leapt up and grabbed him by the chest fur. "A-amy-chan? N-nani??"
"How could you bring Cream here?! At a time like this??!!"
Cheese fluttered over to the enraged animal's side and batted cutely at her hands, "Please Miss Amy! It was my idea, I just couldn't sit around when my friends are in danger! Mr. Tails was just kind enough to bring me along!!" Cream twisted her ears uncomfortably, eyes scanning over to the still glaring chameleon and dark hedgehog. They noticed her gaze and quieted down a bit, but never took their eyes from one another.
"Sonic." Shadow began, "…What trouble did you get into this time?"
"No way!" The casual hedgehog grinned, waving a finger at his rival, despite the fact that he was still stuck in the grip of a robotic claw. "I'm not in trouble anymore, right?"
"Iie!!!" Tails cry pierced through everyone's ears.
"Tails, I didn't ask you-?!?" The robot shook a bit and gathered itself together again, "Aw man!!" Now the frustrated Sonic started kicking at the insides of the claw, as everyone else fled in different directions after being sure that the android wasn't after him. Tails positioned himself a distance away where he could get clear shots, Amy stood closest to Sonic, but at leaping range, and Espio crouched in the trees. The robot's target was Shadow the Hedgehog, and he remained right in front of it.
"Project Shadow, you are to come back with us, resistance is futile." It was a familiar voice to the experiment, but he couldn't remember. "If forced, then I will execute firearms upon anyone who stands in the way."
Shadow shook his head, then stepped unsteadily backwards, 'Why is this happening?' He looked to his newly made friends, but they just gave him confused facial expressions as well. 'Rouge where are you to explain this to me?' "Who are you?!"
Almost on cue, Rouge suddenly appeared, fly-kicking into the GUN android, as Knuckles pounded it to the ground. "Shadow, no questions now! I'll explain la-aaaggghhh!!!"
"You let go of her right now!!!!" The echidna roared, making a mad dash toward the machine. It opened its machine guns and fired rapidly at Knuckles, but he dug into the ground and burst out above it, punching it at the top. "Okay!" Came a shout out from Shadow and Espio who spin-dashed it into a tree.
"Resistance is futile, I repeat, resistance is futile. Enemies shall be terminated!!!" It reattached its arm and tossed Sonic to the other side of the woods, as the other arms yanked the thief and damsel up. Knuckles started another dash towards it, but stopped when the clamps tightened. "Come quietly or your accompanies will be crushed."
"Agggghhhh!!!!" The bat tossed her head back.
"Sonikku!!!" Amy screamed.
"Right here Ames." Appearing in less than a second, Sonic tossed a nervous look to the remaining allies. Shadow shone the chaos emerald behind his back, while motioning the chameleon with his other hand. Espio folded a ninja star behind his palm, and nodded to Tails, who turned a quick glance to Cream.
"Cheese go get him!!!" The furry youngling tossed her chao, finger aimed at the GUN android.
Cheese complying with his owner, flew around the mobile, frustrating the soldier, as he tried desperately to shoot the critter down. Espio found the chance, raising his weapons to his face, "Knuckles now!!" Knuckles dug into the dirt, it splattered over the window, disabling the soldier's visual ability, and then the reptile shot his stars at the clamps, freeing the two damsels. "Here I go!" Sonic caught Amy in a hurry as Shadow chaos controlled over to Rouge.
"Shadow…" The thief mumbled; face turning red, but expression quickly changed when he dropped her into nearby bushes. "Ow!!! You're always like this!!!"
The fox boy finished it off with the echidna, his Tornado X kicking at the same time Knuckles sliced down a tree, allowing the plant to crash down upon the machinery.
"All right!!!" Tails and Sonic high-five in victory, with Tails then blushing afterwards at Cream who cradled Cheese. Espio and Shadow gave a rough, "Hmph!" before going back to glaring at one another. Rouge traced a sly finger at the flushed echidna's chest, "Thanks." Amy gave a loud cry, running to her hero and throwing her arms around him, "oh Sonikku!!"
They nearly jumped out of their fur/quills when a bitter cough came to their ears. "D-don't think you've won yet…" It was the soldier, and in his hands laid a worn machine gun. Rouge now recognized him, 'It's that insane general who kidnapped the president and ordered an army against Sonic and Eggman!'
Kero Guardian: He's from Sonic X episode 50 the weird guy who always laid his foot on his table; he commanded GUN/the military to attack Eggman and then Sonic.
"Heh, heh. Won't hurt a human will you Sonic the Hedgehog?" His gun never leaving the Project he wanted back. "What're you freaks going to do now?"
"What?" Sonic smiled, "Why don't you look at the person when you're asking them a question?" He let out a small laugh, but his friends could tell it was nervous.
Strange things were running through Espio's mind at the moment. One was pity for Shadow, another was the fuming jealousy which wanted the general to shoot him already, then the sense of justice that was always there, but often pushed aside by his pride. 'Now what?' His eyes scanned steadily from the confused/agitated hedgehog to the ill-minded GUN leader.
"If I go, then will you let my friends go?" The general seemed startled to hear the Ultimate life form speak. His friends, however, threw him horrified glances.
"Uh…yeah, of course." He wiped a sweat from his brow, "I'll let them walk away in one piece." His grin turned to Rouge and Knuckles, remembering how they were the ones who put him in jail. "Hurry up and come with me!"
"Shadow!" Both treasure hunters exclaimed.
"Man, what are you doing!!??" The blue blur shrugged at him, "We can take him down…easily!!"
"Shadow please don't!" Cream and Amy gave him worried eyes.
"Shadow-sama…Do-ishite? Wakarimasen!!!" Tails shook his fists from the opening of his and Chuck's invention.
The hedgehog stepped forward, frowning, then added a quiet smile, "thank you everyone, but I think it's just better this way…I've caused so much trouble and-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry to break it up but we gotta go." The crude general sneered at the irate group, poking the dark creature with the point of his machine gun. 'Finally, Project Shadow captured and by me! I'll get my position again.'
'Maria…' Espio's eyes suddenly glazed over in memory of his promise to himself, and then narrowed in fury. "You're not bailing out on the duel, you coward!!!" He tossed another sharp spike at the machine gun as the general was daydreaming, causing him to clutch it's trigger in fear, the gun exploded into an uncontrollable fire, bullets flying in every direction. Sonic picked up the screaming Amy, as Tails tossed Cream back into the Tornado; Knuckles dug a hole like a trench and yanked Rouge along with him; Shadow away from the range of fire, took the opportunity to knock the lights out from the commander, but Espio didn't get away in time as the firearm turned in his direction.
"NOOO!!" A feminine cry was drowned out by the echoing of one gunshot.
Espio removed his arms, adjusting his ears to the sudden silence of forest and his comrades. His pupils leaked with anguish, and shock, as he let out a trembling voice, "M…Maria?"
The angel stared down at him; a weakening smile was the only remaining glow on her paling face, blood darkening her already dirty, blue gown. He gazed, petrified into her never-ending pool of blue, now sparkling from tears like when he first met her. "Espio…I-I'm sorry…" Was all she managed to whisper before collapsing upon his stiffened body.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!! MAARRIIIAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!"
At Espio's desperate scream, Shadow felt himself grow light-headed, but the pain slipped away, as memories flooded to the front of his brain after so long entrenched in the back.
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Vector/Charmy: Why weren't we in the fight?
Kero Guardian: Well, hopefully only one more chapter to go…I've got to think a bit before doing the ending. Phew!