Glyphic Canyon

The sun was setting... the mission was over...

Captain Coffee glared over the ramparts of his building, as he watched the denizens of his prison return. One by one, the seventy seven was rounded up, like sheep in a herd. Not one inmate was spared, not even the ones convicted of petty crimes. Then again, petty crimes does not get one into G.U.N.'s maximum prison.

So, rounded up they were. Coffee would have been pleased, had it been done with real man power. A group led by Maria... he didn't trust her. Weapons are not things to be trusted, but things to be used. He didn't care if it would take him hours or even days to round-up those inmates, hell, he would have gladly done it himself! As long as Maria wasn't the one who lead the reins...

Wait a second... where was she?

Brown eyes shooting forward, he searched valiantly for the blonde haired woman. But... there was nothing... she wasn't there... He pulled back awkwardly, as he tried to come to terms with the absence of Maria. Where did that weapon go?

He was joined by ember lit eyes. Turning around, he came face to face with the Special Agents. Just like last time, they were only visible by shimmering red eyes. Coffee pulled back. Why had they returned so suddenly.

"Glyphic Canyon..." the pair of eyes said to him.

"What does that have to do with anything? Where is Maria?"

"Glyphic Canyon..." the voice responded.

...

Under her legs the beast roared.

How long had it been? Two days? Three days tops? She couldn't remember. The visions, they kept plaguing her. Honestly, she regretted taking Ivo up on his offer, and listening to his words of not using the pills. That was stupid. The visions were now coming often, and at a more powerful frequency. How strong, one may ask... well...

"Just a little more, Maria..." his indifferent voice called.

"How long are you going to be there?" she smugly replied.

The black and red hedgehog gazed up, ruby eyes shining. He was fully mobile, despite the fact that he was see through. He appeared shortly after Maria's mission at Prison Island. During the night, he just popped up, asking for a glass of milk. Maria flipped out, and riddled her home full of bullets, much to Jeeves' horror. Regardless, the black and red hedgehog was now here to stay, like some kind of ghost. Some... kind of... ghost...

"So," he went on, rubbing his black nose, "how much longer do we have, Maria?"

"Can't you just go away!?" she barked, turning to the faded image.

"Fine... be that way..."

"Ugh, you're driving me insane!"

"Isn't that obvious by now? Ya'know, you're nothing like the Maria I knew..."

"I never met you!" she barked.

"If you're still holding on to that story, then you're hopeless..."

Slowly, the hedgehog apparition faded away, leaving Maria alone once again. Was he really there? Well, obviously he wasn't, she's just insane. But still... did he really exist? Had she ever met him before, and was there ever a thing known as Shadow? In all the years she worked at G.U.N. not once did she hear anything pertaining to a black and red hedgehog. Sure, she may have arrested some in her G.U.N. duties, but never did she deal with one labeled, 'The Ultimate Lifeform'. When she made it to Ivo, she would have to ask him some questions.

Finally, hours of moving along a desert road lead to this. Spread before her, a highway of ruins, sand, and tornadoes, was Glyphic Canyon. As tired and annoyed as Maria was, she was still awe inspired by the sight. Placing her hand over her eyes, she drowned out the sun and casted a shade over her gaze. With this, she could see the ruins in its entirety.

It spread on and on, the canyon did, and with tornadoes placed about, Maria knew she had her work cut out for her. Ivo could have been anywhere, and she honestly didn't feel like searching for him. Couple that with the visions she was currently having, and that ghostly hedgehog, she knew she was going to kill herself by the time this was over. But... the GUN JII-G still worked, so... she would be safe for now...

Oh wait, no it was running out of gas.

The legs of the mechanical beast came to a slow, begrudged stop, leaving Maria without a vehicle. Groaning out loud, she realized she had to continue this journey on foot. Fan-flipping-tastic! Getting off of the now dead vehicle, she started shuffling through her supplies. A bottle of water, a must, her trusty pistol, of course, her silver case of pills, ya'know just in case, and a high-powered rifle. Hey... she loved her cousin yes, but she didn't trust the fool!

"Ain't this some..." she grumbled, stepping off on the desert highway.

Eyes shooting red with power, the female agent took a running pose. With a quick countdown, she dashed off a blue blur no one could see.

As her feet rushed through the long, and aged architecture, Maria took the time out to analyze everything. If it weren't for the fact that a vision could hit her at any moment, she would take in this place with added beauty. Indeed, it was big, long, and great, but... it reminded her of the Ark...

NO! Not now!

Shaking her head, she locked her sights forward. The wind rushed through her hair, as she started down a long pathway. Sand rushing between her feet, she ran up the pathway, and came to an old building. Quickly she ran up to its door, but it wouldn't budge. A groan came to her lips, and she started to forcibly pry it open. A second later, it flew open, revealing to Maria its insides. There were statues everywhere, of weird monsters wielding swords. Maria would have flipped, but she was used to such weird things. Still, as she trudged past the statues, she felt as if they were... watching her... Regardless, she pushed on, ignoring the sharp gazes of the solid stones.

Exiting out the temples back-end, she was introduced to some pretty wicked architecturing. The old desert road stretched on endlessly, before spiraling around one another, and coming to a stop in a great shuttle loop. Maria was flabbergasted by the design. Who, in the right mind, made this? Ancient people are insane... And yet, for reasons she couldn't explain, she pushed on. Around the roads she went, a blue blur, before coming up to the shuttle loop. She understood physics, despite her disliking of it, and knew that as long as she kept running, she would come out on the other end safely. So, giving a scoff, she bursted forward at high speeds. Running up the large 'O' shaped road, she suddenly felt gravity drop. Her stomach churning, she felt the need to stop, but she pushed on anyway. Hey, she didn't want to fall and go 'SPLAT!' against the floor, that was the last thing to do on her list. After a second or two of running (which felt like hours to Maria), the blonde agent came out safely on the other end. In that instant, she stopped, and let out all of her stomach contents on the side of the road.

A minute of puking later, she returned to her running. Blue speed lines dashed left and right, as she traversed many of Glyphic Canyon's roads on foot. After a minute or two of this, she came to her first, major, obstacle. One of nature's most gruesome forces, the tornado. Hand in her hair, she scanned the violent beast. It swirled around and around, like the whirlpool in a bathtub. Shooting the sight a glare, she stepped forward. The road she had to travel along was on the other end, and she wasn't going to let some dusty tornado ruin her mission. But after this was all said and done, she was going to get take a nice long bath at home. She could already smell the musk of sweat resonating from her body.

With a footstep forward, she felt the tornado rumble. It acted as if it knew she were there, and was just waiting to meet her gaze. Once again, she stepped forward, and the tornado whipped around to her frame. Stopping, the agent returned to being stationary.

"Dammit," she murmured, "Get out of my way you stupid tornado!"

It must have understood her, as it whipped toward her position at high speeds. Instead of running off in fear, she crouched down and prepared for a leap. The very next moment, she leaped up and was swallowed whole by the speedy winds. It swirled her about over and over again, before tossing her in the air above the highways of Glyphic Canyon. She landed with a powerful slam against the ground on the other side, and dusted off any particles of dirt remaining on her clothing.

"Nice dancing with you..." she said to swirling wind demon behind her.

A moment later, she dashed off. Her blue lines dashing about with pure freedom. Still, her blue eyes searched valiantly for her cousin's base. Why here, now that she thought about it. Why, in God's name, did he decide to build a base in a canyon, filled with ancient ruins? Then again, why, in God's name, did he decide to do anything? Eggman was a crazy man indeed. Right now, the blonde agent was contemplating returning to G.U.N. and continue with being drugged. But she pushed on, for reasons she couldn't explain.

The sun eventually fell in the background, and was replaced with the cold air of night. The moon laid in a blanket made of darkness and stars, while a blistering cold air ruffled Maria's skin. With all of this beaming down upon her, the agent lost the will to continue. Falling back, she let out a groan, while an unhappy face came to her.

"This is pointless!" she yelled, "Dammit Ivo! Next time I see you, I'm going to kill you!"

Looking up, she marveled at the moon. So big, so beautiful. Oh, how she loved it. She laid her hands on her cheeks, and let out a breath of relief. What was that other rock, floating in her way? She saw it, moving near the moon, like a smaller, second moon. Yeah... Space Colony Ark. Time and time again she saw it, and not once had she ever stepped foot on it. Then again, that's what she was told... her visions... her... flashbacks, said differently.

Her blue eyes closed shut, and she groaned.

"Cold?" a familiar voice called.

She looked up. And her fist flew forward.

"Ack! Maria!" Ivo yelled out, her fist slamming against his nose.

"IVO!" she roared, fist tightening.

"Ugh! Why my nose, again!? It's always the nose!"

"Do you know how many hours I've wasted here!?" she remarked, "I've been looking for your base this entire evening!"

"Well, it's not such a great hidden base if it isn't, ya'know, hidden!"

"I'll kill you!"

"Just calm down Maria! Just calm down!"

Her hand fell on his collar, and she pulled him up.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you!"

"Ah-hah!" he said, lifting a folder, "Look what I got!"

She scanned the manila folder closely. Slowly, her eyes read the words 'Space Colony Ark'. She pulled back, and her grasp released itself. Growing apprehensive, she took the folder from his hand.

"In there," the mad doctor said, brushing his great mustache, "is everything you need to know about Ark, including the little tragedy that happened a mere twelve years ago."

Twelve... funny... Twelve years ago, she was twelve, and most of her visions have her age locked in at twelve. No... this couldn't be...

"And," he continued, "it goes on about a certain black and red hedgehog... his name was-"

"Shadow..." she interrupted.

"Well, more specifically, Project Shadow."

"Oh... those visions..."

"Hey, Maria," Ivo's voice became so comforting so suddenly, "let's get inside, its cold out here..."

She nodded, and her eyes floated near the entrance of a certain temple. Growing a grin, Ivo stepped off for the temple, with Maria following close behind. Strange, this place was.

His hand fell onto the great temples door, and with a simple pushed, it slid open. What was inside was far removed from the ruins she just traveled through. Sure, the great statues of weird demonic monsters remained, but they were joined by the cords and consoles of Ivo's twisted design. Machinery laid everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, all of it high-tech, all of it for evil. Not only that, but more robot's traveled around. These weren't as well designed as that 'Shadow Bot' or 'Motobug' Ivo was going on about, but they were still impressively designed, especially since it was made by one man. Ivo must have sensed his cousin's interest, as his insidious grin grew even greater.

"Impressed?" he asked, stroking his brilliant mustache.

"Well... sorta... you made all of this?"

"With nothing but a spark in my heart, and a wrench in my hand!" he laughed, "I call them Badniks!"

"Really? Badniks?" she murmured, reading the obvious pun.

"Yes, Badniks! It took me quite some time to come up with that name, Maria! Don't hate!"

"Ok, Ivo, ok, I understand..." she glared up at him, "Badniks..." she teased.

He shot her a glare.

"Just pipe down will you!"

She chuckled in her hand, but nodded regardless. It was so easy making Ivo angry.

"What I need to know though," she started, "is why you made a base in a place such as this!"

"Weeeeelll," he said, growing a grin, "between the safe compact nature of the canyon, the harsh desert air and sands, the crazy tornadoes spinning about, and how many temple ruins I can hide among, it just created the perfect hiding hole!" he turned around, "Also, there's a strange power source resonating from that green thing over there."

"Green thing?"

"Yeah, that!"

His gloved hand pointed out, and clear across the room, Maria saw a strange object. A spherical jewel, it laid on a pedestal. Though it was probably older than her by thousands of years, it still gave off this mysterious and glowing presence, as if it were alive. Dropping the folder in her hand, Maria got closer to this jewel. It was as if it were... calling out to her...

Touch me it seemingly screamed in her ears.

Everything ceased to matter to her at that moment. Her cousin Ivo, G.U.N., the drugs she had been taking, the mysterious flashbacks, all of it stopped mattering. Now, it was just her, and this jewel.

She touched it.

The temple shook.

All the Badniks in the area started running, while Eggman tried to pry his cousin away from the jewel. But she persisted. The green light of the jewel shined brighter and brighter, as if it were brought alive by her touch. She felt her blood scream, saying this is what it was meant to do.

She didn't know why.

She didn't know when.

But she fell out, and dipped into darkness.

When her eyes opened back up. She was no longer in her cousin's base. In fact... she was no longer on Earth.

She was younger, she figured, as she was wearing the blue blouse she had donned when she was young. Her long blonde hair slung over her shoulder, and she got to her feet slowly. Blue eyes gazing around, she came face to face with a mirror. She was twelve again.

Where was she? The floors were cold and metallic, green screens were everywhere showing maps of bases, and the entire area just felt extremely futuristic.

She was on the Ark.

"ATTENTION PLEASE! ATTENTION PLEASE!" a voice boomed over the ceiling speakers, "THE EXPERIMENTAL ARTIFICIAL CHAOS HAS ESCAPED! I REPEAT! THE EXPERIMENTAL ARTIFICIAL CHAOS HAS ESCAPED! ALL PERSONAL IS ADVISED TO FINE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY! G.U.N. SHALL HANDLE THIS!"

"Shadow!" Maria screamed.