CHAPTER 11

MARIA

Shadow paced back and forth trying to figure out a way to escape. There's got to be someway out of here, he thought, I can't let Gerald do this. Maria would never forgive me.

He heard the door open.

Shadow looked up. Gerald stood in front of him. "What do you want?" the hedgehog growled.

"It's time," the scientist satd.

Shadow put on a rebelious look. He stood firmly in his spot. "No," he said defiantly, "I will not do this."

"You will so," Gerald argued.

"No, I won't. I-OW!" Shadow pulled back, feeling a burning sensation in his arm.

He looked up at Gerald who was holding something in his hand. "What's that?" the black hedgehog demanded.

"Something I'll use on you again if you don't get going," Gerald snapped. He gave Shadow a push toward the door. "Now get moving."

Shadow bolted but Gerald grabbed his arm. The black hedgehog turned on his creator. He grabbed the man's arm and bit it.

Gerald howled in pain and flung his arm around trying to make Shdow let go. Shadow only held on tighter.

The scientist grew angry and began to beat the hedgehog against the wall. Shadow's grip loosened and he fell to the floor.

Gerald grabbed him by the throat. "Fine if you won't go willingly I have no choice but to use force."

The scientist rested the thing against Shadow's neck and turned it on. Shadow let out a cry of pain then blacked out.

Gerald put the thing away and picked up the unconcious hedgehog. He carried him out of the room.

Sonic led the two to the research lab. He wasn't real sure if this was where Mystic would be, it was just a guess that proved right.

"There," he said pointing.

The two looked in the direction he was pointing. Their gaze fell on the purple and red hedgehog.

"That's the hedgehog I saw the other night," Suicide said, "she was the one looking for Shadow."

"Then she'll know where he is if she's working for Gerald," Maria said.

Sonic, after indicating that the two stay back, crept up on Mystic and grabbed her around the waist.

"Let me go!" she shouted struggling.

"Not until you tell me where Shadow is," Sonic hissed in her ear.

"Sonic?" Mystic said calming down, "How did you get out of there?"

"That's not important," he said, "what is important is you telling us where Shadow is."

"Us?" Mystic said turning around.

She saw the bat from the night before standing next to a blond girl by the door.

"Hey," she said recognizing the girl's face, "you look-"

Maria nodded. "Just Like Maria.Yes, I know," she said, "but I don't have time to explain. We have to find Shadow and stop Gerald before it's too late."

"Follow me," Mystic said.

Sonic gave her a suspicous look. "Why are you helping us all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I'll explain later," the purple hedgehog said, "right now the only important thing is stopping Gerald. Now come on."

They followed her down the hall.

When they got to the room they found the door standing wide open.

"Gerald must have gotten him already!" Mystic exclaimed, "We have to stop him! Hurry!"

They ran as fast as they could down the hall. They had to get to the Central Control Room and fast.

The thing threw him in the air. He fell ten feet backwards and landed hard on the ground.

Just as the thing was about to finish him off a bright light appeared cutting through the darkness.

Shadow looked up. In the light was a girl. A girl who looked like Maria.

"Shadow!" she shouted as she came forward.

Suddenly the thing struck her and the light vanished as the girl fell over.

"Maria!" he screamed rushing forward.

When he reached where she fell he knelt down and took her in his arms. "Maria..." he began.

The girl opened her eyes half-way. "Shadow...," she said weakly, "please... do it... for the sake... of the world..."

Her eyes closed and she was gone.

Shadow's eyes filled with tears. He'd lost Maria once again.

Shadow's anger was kindled and he turned on the thing. "ARRRGHHHHHHHHH!" he roared rushing at it.

He jumped in the air and as he landed a bright light split the darkness.

Someone shook the hedgehog and he awakened.

"Wake up now!" Gerald's voice ordered.

Shadow kept his eyes closed, pretending to still be unconcious. He felt something hard under his head and realized he was in the Central Control Room. How did I get here? he thought. Then he remembered that weird thing Gerald had been holding.

He must have used it to knock me out then brought me here! Shadow thought.

"Wake up," Gerald ordered again.

When Shadow didn't respond Gerald grabbed him by the arms and shook him. "Get up or I'll make you get up!" the scientist growled.

Shadow slowly opened his eyes. He didn't need anymore pain. He'd had enough.

"Good, you're finally awake," the man said in satisfaction. "Now can we get down to business?"

"What business?" Shadow asked even though he knew the answer.

"It's time to activate the Eclipse Cannon," Gerald answered.

"No!" the black hedgehog nearly screamed, "I will not help you get your revenge!"

Gerald stared at him in surprise. He'd never seen him act so upset.

Shadow was just about at the breaking point. He yelled and cried at the same time. "I won't destroy the world! I won't do it!"

"Shut up!" Gerald shouted slapping him.

Shadow fell over. Gerald began to hit him somemore.

"MARIA!" Shadow screamed.

Gerald grabbed the hedgehog off the floor and shook him harder. "Knock it off right now!" the man ordered.

Shadow went limp.

Gerald turned him toward the computer. "I've had enough of your attitude," the scientist said. He gave Shadow a push. "Now turn this on."

Shadow could no longer object. Crying, he numbly began to type in the password.

"Which way is the central Control Room?" Maria asked looking around.

"Just down this hallway," Mystic replied pointing.

Everyone began to walk down the hall.

Suddenly they all heard a loud 'GWA GWA' noise. They froze.

"What was that?" Suicide asked looking around.

The lights dimmed.

"There's no time to worry about that now," Mystic exclaimed, "we have to hurry! The cannon's being activated!"

Now everyone was running, with Mystic leading the way. I just hope we get there in time, she thought.

Shadow finished typing in the activation password. "It's ready," he said weakly.

"Good," the scientist said, "now I want you to fire it."

"Me?" the hedgehog asked in surprise and horror.

"Yes, you!" Gerald said, "Now do it!"

"I'm sorry Maria," the hedgehog said as tears began to stream down his face.

He rested his hand on the fire button.

"STOP!" a voice shouted.

Shadow and Gerald both looked in the direction that voice had come from. Shadow saw Mystic, Sonic, the bat he'd met the night before, and...

"MARIA!" he exclaimed running up to the girl.

The girl knelt down and Shadow flew into her arms sobbing. "I'm sorry," he cried, "I didn't mean it!"

"It's okay," the girl said soothingly, "everything will be okay."

The girl looked up at Gerald, "Grandfather."

Geralds face held a look of disbelieve. "What did you call me?" he asked surprised.

"Grandfather," Maria said again, "you're my great grandfather."

"How?"

"Maria was my aunt," the girl explained, "I need to ask you something. Why do you want to do this? Why?"

Gerald turned to the fire button. "Because they killed my granddaugher," he replied.

"That was over fifty years ago, Gerald," Maria said, "The people who did that are no longer alive. Not that I know of anyway. Why can't you forgive them?"

"I can't and I won't," Gerald said angrily, "they will pay for what they've done."

"No, doctor," Mystic suddenly spoke up, "Maria doesn't want that."

Everyone looked at her.

"How do you know?" Gerald demanded.

"I somehow remember what she made Shadow promise," the female hedgehog replied, "she said, 'Shadow I beg of you. Please do it for me. For a better future. For all those people who live on that planet. Give them a chance to be happy.' Gerald, Maria forgave them for what they did. Why can't you do the same?"

Gerald didn't move. It seemed like he was thinking things over.

"Please Gerald," Mystic pleaded., "give them a chance. Maria wouldn't want you to do this."

Gerald turned to the group. His face had softend a little. He rested his hand on the power button and turned it off.

Everyone sighed in relief.

The scientist stared to walk toward them. He opened his mouth but just as he started to speak that weird sound drowned him out. The place began to rumble.

"What is that?" Maria asked.

"I don't know," Gerald replied.

Suddenly the place began to shake. "Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed falling forward.

In doing so he knocked against Shadow causing the black hedgehog to lose his balance. He teetered then fell into the black abyss below the walkway.

"SHADOW!" he heard Maria and Mystic scream.

Shadow fell for what seemed like hours. Just when he began to panic his body hit something hard. Everything went black.

Mystic flew around trying to find Shadow. It was so dark she couldn't see anything. She called his name but received no reply. After a moment she gave up and returned to the others empty handed.

"Did you find him?" Maria asked.

The purple hedgehog shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, "It was too dark. I didn't find anything."

"Then what happened to him?" Suicide asked, "Where did he fall to? Did he fall out into space?"

Sonic had been deep in thought until then. He snapped his finger. "I know where he is," the blue hedgehog said.

"Where?" the others asked.

"He fell to the core."

Suddenly they heard it again.

"What is that?" Maria asked covering her ears with her hands.

That's when it hit him. "I know what that is too!" Sonic exclaimed.

"What?" everyone asked looking at him.

"We don't have time for that," Sonic said turning, "we'd better get to the core. HURRY!"

Shadow heard that loud noise again. It was close by. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Everything looked totally weird.

The black hedgehog sat up taking the view in better.

Where am I? he thought standing up, and why is the Master Emerald Shrine here? I thought it was on Angel Island...

Suddenly there was a rumble behind him. Shadow slowly turned around. When he saw what had caused the stir he gasped and backed up a step.

The thing was a huge creature, like a dinosaure. It was brown with big black eyes.

Shadow took another step back. "Who-what are you?" he asked.

The thing stared down at him with hatred in its eyes. Don't you remember me Shadow? it seemed to ask.

Shadow didn't remember. He didn't have the slightest clue who this was.

You fought me before, the words hung in Shadow's head as if they were spoken, You beat me then with a little help but this time you won't be so lucky!

"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked.

Maybe this will jar your memory! it said bringing its tail down.

Shadow was able to jump out of the way but the tail changed direction and came down again swatting the hedgehog backward.

Shadow flew backward and landed on his back. Just as he got back up he was struck again and again. The black hedgehog dodged the best he could but somehow the thing got him every time.

Finally Shadow gave up trying to dodge the flailing tail and just took it head long. This action caused him to fly halfway across the room and land in a heap on the ground.

As he lay there waiting to die flashes of his life passed before his eyes. Half he remembered but the other half he didn't.

Suddenly the answer to what the thing was came to him. The Biolizard! The creature he and Sonic had defeated. How is it still alive? he thought fighting the darkness trying to envelope his mind, I can't... I can't let it beat me! I just can't!

Through half closed eyes he saw the Biolizard towering over him. It seemed like it was waiting for him to die.

Shadow heard his own heart beating in his ears. The rhythm was faint but there. It was getting slower and slower. I'm dying! the black hedgehog thought in a panic, That thing's killing me and it isn't even moving!

Darker and darker. Slower and slower. His heart stopped and everything went into blackness.

Shadow felt himself slipping away into that darkness. The darkness he couldn't fight off.

Then suddenly there was a flash of light.

Shadow returned to his body and sat up gasping for air.

He stared up at the Biolizard wandering what had caused him to be revived. That's when he noticed the thing was staring at something to the left.

Shadow turned his head and saw Maria running toward him.

"Shadow!" she shouted, seemingly unaware of the giant brown monster.

"Maria, stay away!" the hedgehog shouted seeing the Biolizard was getting ready to attack.

The warning came too late.

The Biolizard opened its mouth and shot a Dark Sphere at the blond girl!

When it came in contact with her it enveloped her. The girl screamed as the thing began to electricute her.

"MARIA!" Shadow shrieked feeling the overpowering urge to help her.

Just as he got up the Sphere vanished the girl fell to the floor and didn't get back up.