Chapter 17: The True Story

Last time on Maria the Tenrec, Cream is attacked by three of the E-Series robots, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta, leading to Vanilla and Topaz run to run back to help her. While the battle is won, Vanilla, thanks to a sneak attack by Delta, is left injured. Meanwhile, Amy and Knuckles try to fight off the rebuilt Gamma, managing to defeat him thanks to their teamwork, freeing Rouge. But now, the story continues as Maria and Tails witness what they see as the death of Sonic…

Starring:

Maria the Tenrec - Heartbroken Soul

Miles "Tails" Prower - Genius Prodigy

Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik - Evil Genius

Dr. Gerald Robotnik - Post-Mortum Scientist

[Space Colony ARK - Observation Deck]

*Maria is found crying as she slowly falls to her knees, hand rubbing against the glass as she descends to the floor a sobbing mess of a tenrec. A few seconds ago, she saw Sonic, hopeful that everything would be okay. Hopeful that they would all just leave together. But that dream was dashed in a matter of seconds. Dr. Eggman, ever the cruel and sadistic man that he is, turns to Tails and points his gun at the fox.*

Eggman: "Now that Sonic is out of the way. Do yourself a favor and hand over the real Chaos Emerald, fox boy. And don't try to hide it either; I know you have it."

Tails: "I… I'm not afraid of you, Eggman! Sonic… He relied on me to help save the world. And I refuse to let him down…"

*Tails looks at the heartbroken Maria. This was for her sake too, so he had every intention of defeating Eggman. With clenched fists, Tails glared at Eggman and got ready for a fight.*

Eggman: "So you still choose to defy me? How foolish… Very well then! I shall put you to bed…for good!"

*Eggman armed his mech as he started firing at Tails, the fox starting to dash away from the blast, charging up a spin dash before slamming into the mech, knocking Eggman back a bit. Though Tails lacked the potency Sonic normally has for his spin dash and jumps, he was no slouch when it comes to fighting Eggman. Eggman growled before charging up his laser blast.*

Eggman: "All systems, full power!"

*Eggman fires off a sweeping laser in Tails' direction, the fox immediately jumping and flying over the laser before he lands in Eggman's cockpit, slamming a foot on Eggman's face.*

Tails: "Take that, Eggman!"

Eggman: "Grr… Lousy brat!"

*Eggman grabs Tails by one of his tails, tossing the fox to the nearest wall before having his mech jump back as he arms his missile launcher.*

Eggman: "How about this!?"

*Eggman smiles as he sends a barrage of missiles at Tails, but the fox immediately kicks off the wall to jump over the missiles before landing, glaring and baring his fangs at the mad doctor. But Eggman just adjusts his glasses, unimpressed.*

Eggman: "You know, I wonder how much you know about your friend there."

*Maria's ear twitched, knowing the doctor was referring to her.*

Tails: "What about her? Quit psyching me out!"

Eggman: "Oh I discovered quite a bit during my absence. Such as a few government secrets that G.U.N. has been keeping hush hush about. How this 'Maria Robotnik' was reprogrammed to destroy Mobians?"

Tails: "What?"

Eggman: "Her strange powers… Her Chaos Emerald-like energy… Yes, it makes sense… She's meant to be a bomb that was made to destroy furries like you and Sonic. Hehehe… According to G.U.N.'s own documentation. I guess there was a level of evil in our old man's heart."

*Maria's crying had ceased but her face started to twitch, like it was trying to find feeling again. Her voice spoke, sounding monotone at first.*

Maria: "Stop."

Eggman: "Hmm?"

Maria: "Don't you dare… Talk about my grandpa…"

*Maria's aura just erupted as she turned to Eggman, her rage overflowing and overwriting any common sense. Her usually calm blue eyes now had a menacing red to them as she roared out the next bit, the magnitude of her power pushing Tails out of the room while Eggman was just barely hanging on.*

Maria: "LIKE YOU KNOW HIM! You don't know my grandpa! You'll never know him! So shut your mouth! And GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

*Maria lunged at Eggman, the doctor firing a laser point blank at her, knocking her back. As she lands, she glares again at the despot, almost frightening him with how feral she seemed in comparison to the Final Egg or the Egg Carrier. It was like Eggman was looking at an entirely different entity. Maria dodged the next blast, jumping at the Egg Walker and digging her fingers - not claws - into the metal, tearing her gloves as the inside clawed into her skin. But she disregards the pain as she grabs just any piece she could and tore it out, breaking the mech as Eggman is flung out from the explosion. Giving Eggman no chance to recover, Maria lands a punch at Eggman's face. Tails could only watch in horror as the two got in the most ruthless brawl he's ever seen, but mostly fearful of Maria and what was happening to her. Maria is grabbed by the leg as Eggman tosses her to the ground, slamming her to the floor before pulling out his gun and firing it at her. Maria is struck on the shoulder but continues to disregard her pain as she lunges at Ivo, slamming his head at the wall. Eggman continues to fight back, slamming a punch on Maria, grabbing her by her shirt before slamming her down. He then grabbed her by the back of her head and slammed her head on the floor until blood was drawn, dripping on the floor. Maria, however, grabs Eggman's hand and yanks it to her mouth as she chomps on it with her teeth. Eggman screams out as she bites down harder.*

Tails: "Maria! Stop! Please!"

*Tails' calls fall on deaf ears as Maria is punched off Eggman's hand. Maria lets out a battle cry before landing a punch on Eggman's stomach so hard, the doctor is sent flying the observation deck's window from the force, causing him to fall out of the ARK.*

Eggman's Thoughts: "N-No! This cannot be! This can't happen…to me…!"

*Eggman desperately tries to find something to grab to pull himself back into the ARK or at least slow his forceful ejection, but he finds himself drifting further and further away from the space station. Before long, Mobius' gravity catches him and the last thing Tails or Maria see of Eggman is a man reentering the planet's atmosphere. However, the two were about to join him as the suction of the hole Maria made was pulling them both out. Tails held onto Maria, making sure not to let go as he pulls himself and her through the door and closes it. Once the danger had passed, he had to take a moment to catch his breath.*

Tails: "Whew… Talk about close calls… Maria? Are you…"

*Tails looks over, seeing a distressed Maria, hyperventilating over what she did.*

Maria: "I… I killed him… I k-killed…my own cousin… M-My own family… I-Ivo… I… I… S-Sonic… SONIIIIIIIC!"

*Maria just starts to undergo intense, Tails getting genuinely worried her heart might just pop from how much the girl was going through. He reacted quickly to try and comfort her, hugging her tightly in an attempt to calm her down. He then hears the sound of his communicator go off.*

Tails: "Tails here…"

Sonic: "Yo, Tails!"

Tails: "Sonic!"

*Maria lights up at the sound of Sonic's voice, for a moment, the girl feeling a sort of calm to her as she looks at the communicator.*

Sonic: "Sorry to worry you two. …Wh-What's wrong?"

Tails: "Sonic… I think…we should regroup… We have a lot to explain…"

*Tails turned to Maria, who was still shaking and still carried the look of shock, horror, and guilt. But there was at least a hint of relief.*

[Space Colony ARK - Docking Bay]

*Upon arrival, Amy, Rouge, and Knuckles found Vanilla in an injured state, Cream crying over her mother as she genuinely thought she was dead. Thankfully, the injury wasn't severe enough to be fatal and Amy was able to help patch the injured mother up with some medical supplies in the crates of the docking bay. Sonic then shows up, then Tails shortly after, supporting a mentally collapsed Maria.*

Amy: "M-Maria! Oh my gosh! What's happened to you!?"

Rouge: "Boy, that girl looks like she's seen Hell."

Tails: "It's a long story, but… Eggman's gone…"

Sonic: "Gone? What do you mean?"

*Sonic seemed very unconvinced, having known the doctor far longer than anyone else here, but as Tails explained what happened to Sonic, it all clicked. Sonic could only feel guilty over what happened; he only added so much emotional stress on an already emotionally distraught girl, resulting in her snapping the way she did. He approaches Maria, remaining silent. No remarks, no words… Just silence as he knelt in front of the girl. Maria only hugged Sonic, him letting her stay like this for however long she needed it.*

Sonic: "...I'm sorry, Maria… If I knew how serious things got, I would have raced my way to you as soon as I could… I don't say this often, but… I was too slow to help…"

Knuckles: "...Not to cut the embrace short, but… If what Tails said is true about you being ejected is true, then how'd you escape?"

Sonic: "Well…"

[Flashback - A Few Seconds Before Sonic's Pod Blew Up]

*Sonic was looking around, seeing only the fake Emerald he was ejected with. He remembered what that cloak figure did before. The Chaos Control. Sonic only had a few seconds to try and learn quick. He reached out for the Emerald and concentrated, soon warping just as the pod exploded, appearing on another part of the ARK, a bit singed but otherwise fine.*

[Space Colony ARK - Docking Bay]

Knuckles: "..."

Sonic: "Eh, you know me. I get out of sticky situations all the time."

*Knuckles just looked angry, but the two then heard the slight sound of a giggle. It was Maria, seeing Sonic's non-answer and Knuckles' reaction to it as funny. This seemed to brighten the mood a bit as Sonic smiles. There was a sense of peace again, but Sonic knew better.*

Sonic: "Okay, Eggman may be gone, but that cannon is still set to fire in a few minutes. Rouge, do you know a quick path to the control room?"

Rouge: "Of course, darling. If it's a guide you're asking for then I'll lend a hand."

Sonic: "Okay. Everyone who's not injured, get the wounded somewhere safe. Me and Rouge will disable the cannon."

Maria: "S-Sonic…"

*Maria stands up, rubbing her arm a bit.*

Maria: "I-If it's okay… I'd like to join you… I…"

*Sonic was about to protest, but then realized that she's just worried about his safety. With a sigh, he nods.*

Sonic: "Alright. Just be mindful that I'm not slowing down."

Maria: "I'm okay with that…"

Rouge: "Hmm… Are you sure, Sonic? The part of what Eggman said, according to Tails…"

Sonic: "Maria's our friend. If she was 'made' to destroy Mobians, she's long since defied that programming a long time ago. Rouge…"

Rouge: "Please understand my concerns, Sonic. But I'll back down for now…"

*Sonic picks Maria up, carrying her the usual style that she's used to by now. Sonic and Rouge then set off toward the control room, leaving Tails to lead the others to another safe space.*

Tails: "Hmm… Hey, Knuckles."

*Knuckles looks over to the fox boy, a bit confused by the calling.*

Tails: "You mind going with Sonic, just in case? I'm just…a bit worried."

Knuckles: "Heh. Alright. Maybe I can use the Master Emerald to shut down those Chaos Emeralds in case Sonic can't."

*Knuckles then runs off after Sonic, Tails looking on with a sigh.*

[Space Colony ARK - Path To The Control Room]

*As Sonic and Rouge race through the halls of the space station to the control room, Maria decides to bring up some conversation.*

Maria: "Sonic… I'm…not a burden, am I?"

Sonic: "Hm? Where's that coming from?"

Maria: "Well… You all seem to have such unique talents… You run fast, Knuckles can punch hard, Amy has her hammer, Tails is brilliantly smart… And Miss Rouge, Miss Vanilla, and Miss Topaz have their unique abilities and equipment… I…may have these strange Chaos powers, but… Being caught by Eggman made me realize just how useless I truly am… Not just recently, but… Back at the Mystic Ruins too…"

Sonic: "You're not useless, Maria."

*Maria looks up at Sonic, who gives a serious expression.*

Sonic: "I used to feel very similarly to you. Back when I first discovered my super speed, I had no idea how to utilize it. How best to use it. I could travel great distances in a short amount of time, but beyond that… What else was there? It was around that time that I met and fought Eggman for the first time…and found what I could use my power for - to help others. In a way, I owe Eggman for giving my speed purpose. To put it in a less drama queen way, you're never useless; you just need find a way to use your own power."

Maria: "...Can you…help me then…? After we head back, I mean…"

*Sonic gives Maria a smile and a wink.*

Sonic: "Sure. I'll give you whatever coaching you need, Maria."

*Maria blushes but then she pulls out her pinky finger. Sonic had to stop as he looked at it.*

Maria: "How about we make a promise then?"

*Sonic could only chuckle before wrapping his pinky around Maria's in a bond, smiling as he did.*

Sonic: "It's a promise then."

*Maria smiles, praying deep in her heart… That this promise comes to pass.*

[Space Colony ARK - Control Room]

*Sonic, Maria, and Rouge arrive at the control room, Sonic pulling out the fake Emerald in order to deactivate the cannon. He snaps it into place and… The cannon seems to shut down, much to Maria's relief and Rouge and Sonic's cheer.*

Sonic: "Alright! The Eclipse Cannon's turned off! Now we can-"

*As Sonic was about to leave with Maria and Rouge, a sudden roar from down below interrupts, shaking the room from the force of the roar. The girls look around with shock at the noise.*

Rouge: "What was that?"

Maria: "N-No… Project Shadow Beta!? He's still alive after all this time!?"

*The trio look down as Knuckles enters the scene, noticing them looking down.*

Knuckles: "Guys! What was that roar just now!?"

Sonic: "No idea, Knuckles… But I think we're about to find out."

*The sounds of stomping are heard, as if something was crawling up the shaft of the chamber below - the core of the cannon. A large form emerges from the darkness, scraping the side of the platform as it crawls on the walls. Red in color, a machine pumping energy into its body as it twists its head backwards to look down at its prey.*

Sonic: "Maria… If you know who this is, mind letting us know?"

Maria: "One of my grandfather's other attempts at finding a cure for me… The failed experiment, Project Shadow Beta… Biolizard."

*The Biolizard lets out a bellowing roar, causing the air around it to distort, at the mention of its name, announcing its arrival.*

To be continued in…

The Doomsday