(Sonic's POV)
"Oh, this is just terrible!" Amy cried in a pitch that almost cancelled out with the distant sirens stirring from below. "What are we going to do?! We only have but a few hours before Eggman murders that boy and sets off Doomsday!"
The X Tornado blasted through all the surrounding azure clouds, the glass of the windows chilling as we rose higher and higher until the city of Station Square was nothing but a maze of synthetic starlight beneath us. From our seats, Knuckles, Amy and I all moved our eyes into the direction of what we could only assume was Rachel Tower's home, caught up in the nest of concrete and pasty black rooves.
In the street stood a large, ugly, gray and red robot, with lights glittering at the ends of its limbs. It had one claw extended, and in its grasp, a writhing blob. We knew the shape was undoubtedly Travis Tower. My teeth scraped together angrily now that I was viewing it with my own eyes.
"This is a new low, even for Eggman. Threatening the lives of human kids? He must've gotten way desperate," I said with my nose slammed against the cold glass.
Knuckles had been peering from behind one of my shoulders, with Amy doing the same at the other. He moved away and packed his fists together.
"As much as I'd love to jump down and teach fatty some manners, I don't think we can make that call without risking the boy's life. We can't just go around smashing things all willy nilly like we usually do. Or at least I can't," he said. "One irrational move and that boy will get crushed without hesitation. Unless of course Eggman's just bluffing..."
"He isn't," Amy cut him off quickly, her voice oozing with disgust. "At this point, he'll kill just about anyone to prove that he has superior power, especially when it comes to demonstrating it to the people of Station Square. We all know he has a weird fixation with destroying this city and building his empire on its ashes. He wants all of us to fear him. He hasn't learned a thing from past mistakes."
My body went rigid as a vision of a post-apocalyptic Station Square transitioned through my head. It was a devilish bonfire. I shook it away at once, realizing it was no time to let horrible outcomes stain my natural optimism.
"We shouldn't be fooled. This is his old formula and just another day; we've beat him every time, and he's well aware of that. That's why he's trying to scare us, and that's why he's resorted to something this extreme. It's not going to work. It never does."
Tails dove the plane so that it was now carefully maneuvering between the buildings. We watched all the panic swirling below as the citizens fought to escape to beyond the city limits with everything they had, and some, with nothing at all. Many were sandwiched between cars and entryways, particularly those leading into the underground subways. It was utter chaos and almost painful to look at.
There were headlines bleeding across screens in the center of town, right above the frosted roads. In red letters, all caps, it said:
MANDATORY EVACUATION.
It was mundane and simple, but that somehow made it all the more unsettling. I turned and caught sight of a few screens that displayed footage captured from earlier during Eggman's attack, and watched in amazement.
Someone had managed to film Eggman scooping Travis Tower right out of his yard, just as many people painted in different colors and lighting began fleeing the scene like bees from a jar. It was largely formatted, replaying over and over, some pixels broken and left as malfunctioning squares.
Then the scene skipped, and another resumed in its place. This time it was of Rachel Tower, screaming at Eggman in silence, as the video had not captured audio, before being whisked away by none other than Shadow the Hedgehog.
I felt my eyes grappling themselves on the spot. I shouted, "Look!" before I had fully processed what I was witnessing. To see Shadow take off with the girl he'd kidnapped not too long agofelt so incredibly surreal, and yet familiar in more ways than one. He'd been caught on film capturing her the first time. And then there was that bit of deja vu. Maria drifted to mind.
The crew proceeded to crowd around me once more, and a few gasps were heard when they too saw the same thing I had.
The footage began to skip and several bars screened down the freezing images. They caught up and played in a broken jumble, showcasing the view of Shadow grabbing hold of Rachel's hand and pulling her off in an unknown direction.
Nothing played after that. There was no conclusion, and if the camera had followed them after they'd run off together, the film didn't show it. I felt my temper burn hot like acid.
The screen flickered and switched now to a helicopter surveillance view of Rachel's home. The coordinates seemed to be opposite from where we hovered, and I could confirm this when I saw a helicopter zoom by adjacent to us.
A single square with the word LIVE was displayed in the corner. As the camera panned, it revealed that the Tower family were currently standing on their lawn, while Eggman trudged back and forth in a repetitive pattern along the street, tauntingly swinging the metal arm that held Travis and brutally shoving back anyone who tried to cross him in a dumb act of bravery. Thankfully there were only a few of those sort of attempts.
Amy's hand flew over her mouth while she and Knuckles dispersed. They simultaneously ordered Tails to land near the house. I knew their concerns at that moment were the family, and how they were out in the open and susceptible to danger.
I was concerned as well, but something else had also sparked my interest.
I didn't tell them where I was going, nor did I bother to explain why, as it seemed obvious enough. The window was peeled open before anyone could voice protest and I tumbled out of it, leaving them behind with only one short order.
"See to it that everyone is safe."
Followed by,
"I'll catch up with you all later."
The wind then carried my voice away. I ricocheted myself off the diced metal and began dashing off blindly in search of Shadow and Rachel.
There was no way I was going to let him get away with this again. I'd stop him before he got far if it was the last thing I could do.
nobody's POV
Helicopters were blazing through Station Square like aimless darts without a bulls-eye. Though they didn't know where to go, or what action to take, their commitment to protecting the citizens was hard as steel. G.U.N. pilots were secure in their seats, headset wires tangled across their laps. Most of them were composed, while the newer batches of recently recruited members were afraid for both themselves and the outcome of the city, though none of them would ever admit it.
No one knew what to do. Not even the soldiers' faithful Commander knew what direction to send them in. Abraham Tower was dying, and now he was forced to set aside his worries and instead focus on how Station Square was just a few hours shy of being destroyed by the likes of an evil scientist.
It would all begin with the young Travis Tower's death. The man had suffered through an incredibly rough year, and this was no way for him to begin his next. First one grandchild, and now another, had been put in ultimate peril.
A young pilot tore his aircraft above the scene of the hysteria's core, where their insane, yet undeniably genius culprit was dancing about the street, shouting more threats that were indistinguishable from within his metal chamber, where machines and engines were churning like mad clockwork. He watched intently from behind the tinting of his helmet before combing his finger through a sea of green buttons, mashing one that would give him connections to Abraham Tower. The button burned yellow.
Commander Tower answered almost immediately after being paged. His voice faded in and out of the prickling white noise, gruff and alert.
"What is it, Heins?"
The pilot looked back through the window towards the Tower home. "We have his coordinates, sir. Requesting permission to engage the enemy."
Abraham Tower was quick to speak. "Permission denied."
Heins felt himself begin to sweat coldly. He wasn't too surprised by his response, but he'd still hoped that the Commander's stubbornness would've lifted even slightly, given the extent of the situation. "But sir! If we don't make a move soon, the enemy will-"
"He'll kill my grandson," he said, his tone hardening. "That's what he'll do, and I won't allow that to happen. Your urgency is understood but I'm afraid I won't allow any sort of interaction between us and Eggman until a better plan is advised. Before I release further details, you just see to it that no one else is hurt or captured by that robot. I'll be deploying some men to go down there and safely evacuate the rest of my family if at all possible. Do you copy?"
The pilot's gray eyes went vacant for a moment. He almost considered abandoning his boss's orders and doing what he believed was right for the people of the city, and possibly even the world. But, in his heart something told him that Tower had good intentions, and his intelligence and proper judgement outweighed his by thousands. He wanted to see to it that everyone made it out okay, where no sacrifices would have to be made. He may have been decaying, but his passion sure wasn't.
Little did he know that his granddaughter's ex-kidnapper had fled the scene with her in tow. Now that might have changed a thing or two.
Rachel's POV
My mind was barreling out of control with all the speeding colors and blurring audio. I snagged my arms around Shadow's neck and looked beyond his shoulder, flinching at every burst of noise that shook the Earth beneath our airborne feet. There were cars careening into one another, glass smashing, shrill cries drifting through the air like toxic butterflies, and even explosions could be heard whistling past areas too far away for either of us to see.
Explosions? Were they gunshots? But...who was firing? Neither of us knew.
I tried to focus on everything at once and ended up counterproductive by focusing on nothing. Before long the city became nothing more than black rectangles; our upright chandelier, except flickering with dying breaths and filled with distorted noises.
I had lost track of time. The dark sky did nothing to give us a sense of how late it had gotten, and I was too dizzy to distinguish minutes from hours. Clouds were rolling past the artificial moon. They played through a quickened illusion due to how fast we were moving.
Before long, we had covered a lengthy distance. The city was drifting out of focus, and dry brush was thickening in our path. Shadows darkened and stretched; a light fog began to stir.
And then we reached a mountain. High, burly, peppered with flecks of white and rotting green. Without missing a beat, Shadow effortlessly carried me to the summit before descending down the other side by carefully skidding through the rocky terrain. We were momentarily high enough for the pressure to crack my eardrums, before sliding down into oncoming patches of dead grass and dirt. A waterfall could be heard pouring gently nearby.
Shadow began to slow, and I suddenly felt his head bending upward against mine. I turned and looked out in the direction he was staring in, and my mouth fell open.
A train sat locked on a high track above us, with the starry sky landscaped behind it. The lights were made up of small white beads, and people of all ages and sizes could be seen shuffling by from inside the windows. Some were exiting, others entering. No one seemed to be in any sort of rush or panic. It's like they had no clue what was happening not too far away, or even beneath them. And they probably didn't. Today was just another day for them, here in the Mystic Ruins.
I wasn't sure why Shadow had stopped in this place to begin with. Maybe it was to catch his breath-
Though I seriously doubt that.
-but either way it didn't last very long. The hedgehog was soon moving again, and this time he was headed towards the track. I was immediately blinded by fear.
"You're not going to hurt them, are you?" I asked, vividly remembering how he'd actually shot someone the day he captured me. Even without the aid of bullets, Shadow was very powerful. But nonetheless, he cast me a sideways glance that suggested the very opposite of my accusations.
"We're taking that route to Westopolis. You're going to show me where to find the final Chaos Emerald," he said darkly.
At the sound of this, I immediately started fidgeting uncomfortably in his arms, to the point that he set me down angrily, allowing me to straighten upright.
"What's the problem now?!" he demanded once I'd gotten proper footing.
I felt my insides bubble nervously once I saw the fiery lagoons of his eyes burn with annoyance. My fingers laced together and I struggled to hold onto my voice before it went lingering off.
"Why are we running all the way there? Wouldn't using Chaos Control be faster?"
Shadow's brow furrowed. "How efficient can Chaos Control be without a Chaos Emerald? Besides, I don't know what effects Chaos Control will have on your mind or body, given the state you're in. That's not a chance I'm willing to take."
Bam, stab of guilt. Right in the gut. Every hindrance and precaution always seemed to come back to me. Though it was indeed him that put me in that situation with the brutal work of Chaos energy, I still couldn't shake the feeling. How I hated it.
"Anymore questions?" he asked, tightening his fists. And before I could stop myself, I nodded once and then buried my own grave with the following five words.
"Can I really trust you?"
Silent as a corpse. The air only rattled with the sounds of dead leaves sweeping past the icy ground and, again, water spewing into a nearly frozen pond.
It was a loaded question, and it dealt with a rather fickle topic. But we didn't have time to wallow in our own angsty tension and drama. Shadow wasn't having any of my shit tonight, and I knew that even before he had time to open his mouth. I interrupted his response with my own, to answer my own worries.
"I'm sorry, alright?
It didn't sound nearly as heartfelt as I'd wanted it to, but the message seemed to carry across well enough. Shadow could understand my skepticism to some degree, but he knew this wasn't the time to...well...waste time. His features softened and he stepped towards me again, hand outstretched.
"We need the Emerald so we can combine its power with the other six. It'll help us to overpower Eggman," he assured me. His voice was gentle in an almost foreign way. "...And to also save your city. Your world. Everything."
My wary glare finally dimmed and I dropped my defenses altogether. Shadow watched as I took a step forward and reached in his direction.
I was ready for him to take me, and for me to show him the way. That's what I had to do, right? He didn't know these lands as well as me, and I was also Abraham Tower's granddaughter. Even though the situation was dire, the hedgehog still seemed stunned by my sudden cooperation. It almost looked like he was fighting back the smallest of smirks.
But then, my fingertips found themselves scraping past a large blue quill. A blur of cerulean settled across the plain, sending out a ripple that expanded before us until fading into the frostbitten tropics.
Sonic was cutting off the path between me and Shadow. I jerked myself back and shouted his name in surprise.
"Sonic?!"
If he had heard me, he gave no indication. Before I, or the equally shocked Shadow could react accordingly, Sonic had pelted said Life Form in the stomach with a knotted fist. The blow sent him flying straight into the mountain.
A large boom quaked the Earth from Shadow's impact before he fell to the ground with a thud, groaning loudly in pain. A jagged cut had been imprinted in the rock behind him. He rose up, stumbling a bit, frail for just a moment. His eyes then slit upwards, locked on his attacker and blazing in fury.
I wasn't sure what possessed me to make the first step, but I noticed myself running past Sonic, the planet's legendary savior, and instead heading straight for Shadow.
Perhaps it was to make sure he wasn't too incredibly hurt. Perhaps it was to verbally calm him before he unleashed hellfire on Sonic the Hedgehog, as I knew his rage had the potential to bring down entire kingdoms. Perhaps it was both of these combined. I couldn't figure it out in the short amount of time.
However, in that moment, I realized how much I had changed.
My motivation, my conscience, my passion, my emotion, were all stirring in counter-clockwise pathways until they collided and locked themselves at awkward angles. Everything I remembered feeling in regards to Shadow was now flipped around, and it took up until now to make it apparent.
I didn't want him dead. I didn't hate him for his past.
I wanted to aid him, protect him, save him even, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why.
And neither could Sonic. He grabbed me before I made it far and pulled me back aggressively.
"No Rachel! Keep away from him!"
I spun around and looked Sonic hard in the face. Now I was really pissed off.
Why was he here? Why had he come looking for us? Wondering almost made me mad enough to strangle him myself.
"Why?!" I nearly shrieked. The question itself was ambiguous, but Sonic only processed it one way.
"Why? Because he's dangerous!" he answered. "You'll get yourself hurt!"
My eyebrows furrowed.
"Dangerous..." I hissed quietly, amazed at the irony in his statement. He'd been the one who had just broken a damn mountain, using Shadow as the wrecking ball.
But the Ultimate Life Form had an answer of his own. I turned my back on him for all of two seconds, and already he had jumped over me and landed on Sonic's now squirming body. His snarls came out beastly.
"You moron! You're not supposed to be here!" he shouted above Sonic's enraged cries. The two of them flopped across the grass, wrestling for both dominance and victory.
Sonic growled as he blocked Shadow's wrists before successfully clocking him in the jaw. "Like I was going to let you take off with her again! Didn't mean to spoil your plans!"
Onlookers had dispersed from the track and flocked at the woodwork surrounding the train. I turned and noticed the jutted fingers. A few of them even screamed.
When I turned again to see the two hedgehogs roll through Mystic Ruins like disgruntled brothers, my temper flared. I had watched something like this happen once before on the Egg Carrier, and coincidentally, in a cold climate. There was no need for an encore. The effects of the weather were setting in. The frustration was beginning to surface.
It didn't take much inner pep talk to help send myself spiraling into the tangled animals. I focused my strength on Sonic and used everything in me to knock him aside.
With enough struggle, he was pinned back, flailing but stationary.
(Shadow's POV):
I was seeing red again. The stinging in my head became worse, and I could swear for a moment my surroundings had doubled. The hedgehog and human nearby were accompanied by doppelgangers, before they morphed together and became single forms.
I was lying in the brush, shifting to a crouch and panting terribly. I could see my blue foe eyeing me again, and trying hard to claw his way to me.
But Rachel restrained him. She twisted his arm and then took hold of his shoulders, spinning him so that he could face her. She was out of breath.
"Stop it!" she screamed. "Stop it right now!"
Just then, I noticed the stream of people acting as an audience above us, splayed out amongst the metal and geometric shapes of wood. When I looked back at Sonic and Rachel, the hedgehog seemed to have calmed down when he read the desperation in my former hostage's eyes.
"But...Rachel...he-"
"I don't care! He's right! You're not supposed to be here!" she yelled again, jolting him once. "You should be in Station Square, trying to get my brother back! What were you thinking?!"
Her voice cracked. "He could die, Sonic! This here is not important! He's important! I depended on you to be there for him! For all of them! Even if it isn't fair, I'm begging you to do that!"
Sonic was in a state of confusion. He rolled his stare over in my direction again.
"But...where are you two going?"
"It doesn't matter! We'll explain later!"
He shook his head. "No, you don't understand. I can't just leave you here, Rachel."
He tried to wiggle out of her grasp. "Come back with me. Right now. I promise you it's a better idea."
At the sound of this, my aggression ingnited. A promise? Yeah, no way. I got up and trudged over to him.
"Sonic. She has a point. This has gone on far enough, and your priorities lye elsewhere. We can settle this another day."
He didn't budge, so I all but clenched my teeth, forcing away any and every emotion. "It's time for you to wake up. You don't need to be her hero now. Not tonight," I exclaimed. I looked at Rachel quickly and quieted just a tad. "Because for now, I'm here, and I'll do that for you."
The girl's eyes widened as if anxious by my claim. I nodded to seal my reassurance.
"I swear it. I'm here to make sure she's okay. I won't let her get hurt."
The look on both their faces were just about the same. They were both taken back and didn't know what to say or believe.
It took about five or ten seconds for Sonic to finally break the silence. He didn't look one hundred percent convinced, but a good ninety nine would have to suffice. He seemed to finally grasp the level of my protectiveness. He could believe based on the passion in my voice that I wasn't lying. I meant every word I said.
"...Fine. I'll let this slide by so long as you keep her safe. But if something happens, it's you I'm coming after," he said, bringing his hands up and prying Rachel's away carefully. "I guarantee you of that."
I only nodded. "Understood. I'll take full responsibility for what I will not physically allow to happen."
Sonic stared on, suddenly confused. I sighed and walked towards him, taking Rachel's wrist and pulling her away from him. For being someone known for speed, he was registering information at a snail's pace.
He seemed to snap out of his little daze once Rachel was by my side again. He didn't look comfortable at all, but we all knew he had to set those feelings aside for the literal sake of humanity.
"Fine. I'll be in Station Square. Meet me there before midnight and not a minute late," he said. "And she better be with you. Unscathed."
And then the Blue Blur departed...gone just as soon as he had come.
(Travis' POV):
My legs felt like they'd crack if I moved them an inch too far. I felt the pressure of the giant claw closing around me tightly, to the point that bruises were forming, and the only thing that could twist freely was everything from the stomach up. I took advantage of this and violently tugged back and forth, pushing with all my strength against the steel that bound me together. All that I succeeded with was making myself sick.
How did I get myself into this mess? I went from trying to be a hero and save my sister from being in harm's way again, only to get abducted by a madman in a giant robot. And now, from the sound of it, was my life or Station Square's. I was more calm about the situation than I wanted to be. Maybe it was the effects of some intense shock value, or maybe it was because I was amazed at how this all reminded me of some wild Saturday morning cartoon.
Even though I couldn't see past the links of metal and rusted screws, I had a terrible hunch that my sacrifice for Rachel was pointless. That weird hedgehog had probably nabbed her and run off when no one was looking. It didn't sit well with me at all, and I wanted to communicate this with someone badly.
My neck rolled back and I shot a glare at the evil scientist who sat lounging in his cockpit, twiddling at various controls. He didn't seem to notice me right away, and was instead speaking to a golden robot with his brow dipped downwards mischievously.
"Hey!"
He didn't respond, not even with a single glance. So I shouted louder.
"HEY! I want you to let me go!"
Bit of a stupid demand, I'll admit. This time, the Doctor's lenses slowly turned and focused on me. I could faintly see the reflection of lights cast in his spectacles. His animated grin stretched about a meter wide, sending shivers down my spine.
"Don't tire yourself out too much, kid. I would think panicking is a horrendous way to spend your final moments."
His knuckles then interlocked and cracked. "You're my ticket to dictatorship, so just sit back and hope no one cares enough about you to attempt a rescue. Hope that no one is stupid enough, rather."
His words stung me down to the very core. I fiddled more within my confines, chewing the skin under my lower lip. My face burned with exhaustion as I struggled helplessly until I fizzled out and went completely limp. A few beads of sweat slipped down my face.
I hung to the side quietly and listened to the outcries churning from all across the city. It felt like one big dream, to hear, and feel such a heavy atmosphere resonating from the usually carefree citizens of Station Square.
The voices that belonged to my parents were the only ones that were incredibly distinctive.
My mother was sobbing uncontrollably, begging Dr. Eggman to release me and take her instead. My father insisted the same, but with less tears and unintelligible babbling. Nothing was heard from Emma. I could only imagine how they looked right then...huddled together and wishing with everything they had that this night would somehow end without tragedy, despite how slim the chances seemed.
Nonetheless, I too hoped for the same.
(Sonic's POV):
Of course I was questioning the legitimacy of Shadow's intentions. Of course I felt like I had ultimately betrayed Rachel even when she outright instructed me to leave her be and go where I was most needed. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was being painfully tugged at from several different directions. I didn't have an answer to all my questions. All I could do was try my best and hope for even more, as the trees dispersed, and Station Square's buildings solidified into view.
Now I realized how much time I had wasted. It was ten thirty. The city seemed to have darkened significantly. I carried myself as quickly as I could through the various towers, sifting through roads and minding the few people still present, who were all panicking to the point of delirium.
I had to reach Travis before it was too late.
It seemed like it would be easy enough, but I had lingering doubt.
Not that I'd ever admit it out loud.
(Tails' POV):
"Get ready."
Eggman was still stalling while the X Tornado flew doughnuts overhead. I gripped the handles tightly and looked over my shoulder.
Knuckles had heard my instruction. He kicked the door open. A blast of wind filled the interior, and launched a squealing Amy back into her seat. Her hammer was tucked away beneath her arm.
The Guardian of the Master Emerald then leaped and descended downwards, just as Amy called after him to be careful.
He landed directly in front of Eggman's cockpit. I didn't see what happened next, because I quickly steered the plane out of view and prepared to come drilling back with my own weapons of choice.
(Travis' POV):
CLANK!
The sound was piercing. My head jolted and spun as far as it could go until the muscles in my neck had been strained painfully.
How incredibly unnerving it was to hear such a strange noise and not see what caused it. I automatically thought it meant that the mechanical claw was somehow detaching itself, ready to fall unto the unforgiving concrete with me trapped inside. I'd be turned to mush.
But through the corner of my eye, I found my answer, and boy was it ever a joyful contrast. It was none other than the famously powerful echidna with scarlet dreadlocks and spiked fists.
I gasped and began squirming in excitement. When I tried shouting the hero's name, it didn't come out. My vocal chords had shut down...for whatever reason. Possibly due to how tightly coiled I was.
So instead of interrupting him, I just listened on.
He was standing in front of Eggman, hands plastered against his hips, the two separated by the glass of the cockpit. Eggman presumably took hold of his microphone again, because he chirped out rather nervously, "Knuckles! H-How you doin', buddy?" and it echoed through his speakers for all to hear. Many heads were turned.
Then there was the sound of glass shattering.
Knuckles had destroyed the window with a single punch, sending the fibers raining and bouncing past the metal sheets along their descent. I watched the best I could as he grabbed the front of Eggman's jumpsuit and closed the distance between them. The color of their forms almost became one.
"No more of these games, Eggman!" Knuckles shouted, his voice managing to trail out the speakers as well being he was so close to the scientist's microphone. "Release the boy this instant, or else you'll be sorry!"
The robots beside Dr. Eggman started to scramble with panic and back away, leaving their Master at the echidna's mercy. Eggman chuckled, his anxiety levels clearly on the rise.
"Now now, there's no need to be rash. Hehehe...can't we compromise? For the sake of friendship?" he asked, in a disgustingly vile manner. "After all, all I was asking for in exchange for the human boy's life were the remaining Emeralds and of course permission to dominate the entire regio-AH! DON'T, PLEASE!"
Knuckles had his fist pulled back, ready to smash Eggman's face into fleshy bits of nothing.
He was trembling now, so hard that his form blurred at the edges. His face was pink with fear. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT I GET IT! YOU CAN HAVE THE BOY BACK!"
He then inched away from Knuckles ever so slightly, his hand moving towards a pad, and with one finger he clicked something. His grin returned in a flash.
"That is...if you can CATCH HIM!"
The last thing I remember seeing was Knuckles spinning around to face me, lavender eyes spread wide, wearing a bewildered expression. The metal pulled apart, and I was allowed to move again. But the swell of relief was short-lived. I was soon crashing towards the street at a height that lasted forever.
Screams erupted from all around me.
This was it. My death would be the beginning of Dr. Eggman's takeover. It would also begin the end of my existence.
"Travis!"
I shut my eyes and waited for it to be over, imagining my spirit fleeting up into the stars my sister had been unwillingly charting not too long ago. Suddenly a minute feeling of tranquility rid me of my fear.
But then I felt my body falling against something much softer than cement. I opened my eyes and found myself being cradled in the arms of Sonic the Hedgehog.
(Sonic's POV):
I didn't have any time to say even the shortest word to the frightened, disheveled child. I instead jumped away right as Eggman pounded his robot's iron fist into the road, right where I stood carrying him.
The X-Tornado zipped by in the background, and just in time too. Tails was closing in. He had his missile launchers out and ready. I was able to lock eyes with the pilot for all of two seconds, before nodding and shouting as loud as I could, so my demands could be heard even at such a distance in the navy, smog-filled sky.
"FIRE!"
And that was all it took for my orders to be realized. Pointed bullets began shooting out of the launchers. The plane nearly decapitated the robot when it came into close enough proximity, only to shower the mech with neon yellow bursts and explosions that, within seconds, set the entire contraption ablaze.
As Tails continued shooting, the robot began spinning madly as if trying to keep its balance. Knuckles had long since retreated, and Eggman was inside, fighting to hold himself steady.
Tails accidentally missed with one bullet, which instead stabbed through a nearby abandoned building and created a hole big enough to fly his aircraft through. He ignored the miss. He had no choice. We'd face the consequences for property damage later.
Sparks flew like glitter, dark smoke bled out in thick ribbons until the robot was nearly concealed. The X-Tornado pried itself out of the heavy clouds and hovered in circles, firing more ammunition at its target until it was up in tall, roaring flames. The fire swirled, melting a large radius of Station Square's ice. The impacts shook the ground as many passerby ran for cover.
All except for three of them.
Mr. and Mrs. Tower, along with their other child, were huddled closely together on their lawn while the ground trembled from the robot's fireworks. Travis must've noticed them as well, because he poked me and pointed in their direction, begging me to help them. I headed over to them immediately, setting the young boy down and making sure he could stand.
"Listen, you guys! We need to get you all out of here as soon as possible!"
They looked upwards, each of their faces contorted in shock. When they noticed Travis, a few grins and even tears were had. But they soon understood the gravity of my statement, climbed to their feet, and prepared to make a break for it.
The earth now shook even more violently than before. I turned and peered up at what was left of Eggman's mech. Full of sparking wires, broken chunks and shrapnel, it began to lose its balance and fall directly towards the Tower home.
I gasped and took hold of the children with each hand, running quicker than I could think.
"Move!"
The family sprinted away from the scene, just as the large hunk of steel collapsed onto their house, loudly cutting into it like a fresh cake. More fire stirred and multiple bricks and shingles disintegrated in the process. The structure bent towards the impact in chaotic distortion. Travis' mother stared back with a yelp, the girl started crying from beneath her wild curls, but they didn't stop running. None of them did.
Not until we were far out of sight, where soon, there were several vehicles full of G.U.N. soldiers pulling up beside us, and ordering us to get inside.
Abraham Tower being one amongst them.
(Rachel's POV):
And suddenly, Westopolis.
We were both standing now atop a lumpy black hill, looking over the town now blanketed in a dark, sultry scarlet. The urban environment was nothing more than grayscale cinder blocks, the windows and lights appearing like embedded fireflies. Phantom birds brushed through the buildings, and the two of us noticed that the city itself was alarmingly quiet except for the occasionally siren. Shadow was next to me panting lightly. He'd been pushed a little farther than the usual limits, having covered a large distance without stopping, and while carrying me no less. But we didn't have time to think about exhaustion. What we needed was the Chaos Emerald, and soon.
Shadow had briefly explained that this was where he'd been many months ago, when he heard me calling for help. The memories were choreographed in forbidden wisps, and sent chills down my spine. He'd been on this hill many times now, each occasion having provided him with some sort of excitement. Except, right now nothing was happening. No thrill was scripted to unfold. We were the ones who had to take initiative. We just didn't know where to begin.
My eyes vacantly drifted off into the direction of my grandfather's home, and at that second Shadow took my hand and began tugging me down the grassy slope, towards an opposite location.
"We need to find the G.U.N. base," Shadow prompted, "The Chaos Emerald is bound to be kept somewhere in there, locked up securely. I would expect no less."
But as soon as we started to slide down into the street, my heart lunged, a strange spark flitting somewhere within my chest. I halted immediately, gasping, looking back where my Grandfather's home was residing. It had taken hold of my attention like a yank to the hair. It was odd.
Shadow didn't seem interested in knowing why I was having cold feet again. He pulled harder with impatience. "Come on!" he growled.
I realized what I was doing, the delay I was causing, and tried to take another step to make things easier for both parties. However, the same thing happened again. I groaned out loud, this time grabbing his attention with full force. He didn't release me.
"You can't keep doing this, Rachel," he said furiously. "We're running out of time. We have to reach the base as soon as possible and you're making our mission that much harder to obtain! So talk to me. Tell me what's going on!"
I found myself shaking my head, like my brain suddenly had a mind of its own.
"No..." I stated simply. My words were beginning to drown.
Shadow cocked one of his brows. "No? What do you mean no?"
Instead of giving an answer right away like I should have, my head lolled back ever so slightly, and I tried my hardest to concentrate on the alien sensation budding from the cavity around my heart. It was like zippers of static were looping and twirling throughout every inch of me, throbbing, their grip loosening in a thread-like fashion. The slivers of mist overheard suddenly doubled, blurring like glitched poltergeists, and then swelled. My eyes were starting to burn.
Everything felt surreal. Audio became heavier, smells harsher, touches more severe. Shadow shoved me out of my trance and glared at me in a way painted dark with desperation. I knew what he was thinking. He was torn between giving my health full attention, and dragging me along before I could hinder him any longer. Just imagining that turmoil made me hate myself, so I forced out the only words I could find in my scrambled head.
"Follow me."
The next look of shock he gave me was priceless, but I ignored it. I shuffled my arm out from under his gloved fingers and instead took his wrist in mine, careful to mind the golden band. The energy lapped at my senses. Shadow and I locked eyes, and it was then mutually understood that neither of us had a genuine answer as to what was happening or why.
But, he went with it. I pulled him towards a home I so faintly remembered, that I had yet to visit since my return to the planet. We'd find it empty, but hopefully we'd find an answer bundled somewhere deep underneath all the nothing. I was holding onto that. I would have hated to be wrong. Instincts insisted I wasn't.
There was no point in arguing against it now, as in no time at all, we'd crossed stretches of the slick pavement and reached the townhouse with minutes to spare.
(Shadow's POV):
I don't know what had gotten into her, nor was I about to ask her myself.
She had led me straight to what I could only assume was a house she was well fond of given the hunger in her eyes. I put one and one together, and deduced it to be the Commander's. What other place would she know so well in a city that was not her own, and one near the G.U.N. headquarters? Certainly not an alleyway.
I noticed the absence of society, and how the decor had barely budged in terms of stale celebration regarding the holiday on this night. Not a single human was in sight. I wondered if they had left after receiving warning of an attack. It would only make sense, unless of course they were only hiding like exiled shadows. There was nothing particularly threatening about us, except that we were racing against the clock, and would take little to no nonsense.
We came to a stop outside a rather dark, portly little house. The curtains at every window were drawn shut, yet the lights on the porch were burning, albeit barely flickering. Rachel disbanded her hand with my arm and took off towards the entry. Her fist hammered against the door, and then tugged at the handle before waiting for a response. She spun around, visibly distressed, and scurried off to the side where a window was placed.
"Shadow, break this please!"
I didn't need to be told twice. I hurried up to the glass and, with a carefully executed punch, busted the window apart to allow us access. The curtain flew.
And then it hit me like a ferocious tidal wave. The Chaos Energy went madly bubbling through my veins, igniting in the span of a nano second. It took my breath away. Rachel stumbled as well and clutched the top front of her shirt with shaking fingers. A single gasp was heard. We glanced at each other, eyes slightly wide.
We were feeling the exact same thing.
A Chaos Emerald was present.
(Sonic's POV):
After having been crammed inside a big-wheeled military car, I was feeling more than just a little claustrophobic. Not Tails, Amy, nor Knuckles were present. I suppose they were left fending off the defenseless Eggman in another wild goose chase that I wasn't there to be apart of. Because I was stuck in this vehicle, and it was filled with nothing but a barrage of uniformed humans, most of which were gawking in my direction as I shuffled away as much as I could from the soldier next to me.
A few were seated opposite from me, tending to Travis. His family were also inside, yet in clothing not nearly as formal. The men asked the small boy if he was hurt, made sure his limbs weren't broken or sprained, and took note of the few bruises that had been afflicted. He seemed in well enough shape to explain what had happened prior to running into Eggman. We all listened intently as he explained what he saw.
"All I really remember..." the wide-eyed child spouted, trembling every now and then, "was after the power went out, I heard something break in Rachel's room. The window, I think it was. I went to her room to make sure she was okay."
A few of them nodded. It was reasonable to believe that any widespread panic or danger might have been directly associated with Rachel in some way. The kid was smart to have reacted.
"I saw the same black hedgehog that kidnapped her standing outside her closet."
Abraham Tower suddenly jumped forward. "Black hedgehog...do you mean Shadow?!"
Travis nodded sheepishly. "He had found her. She must've been hiding from him and he found her before she could get out. He was looking at her. I remember."
Abraham rubbed his chin with shaking hands, muttering a swear under the ghost of his breath. "What else happened? Do you know where your sister is now?"
"Well...after I saw him, I grabbed a chair from the desk and whacked him with it. He fell, I tried to hit him again, but Rachel stopped me and took me outside the house. Eggman came and nabbed me right then. I didn't see what happened. I can only guess that Rachel-"
"Went with Shadow," I finished for him.
Now every pair of eyes had shifted towards me. I didn't let the new wave of attention intimidate me, and instead shot them all a serious look.
"Yeah. Rachel is with Shadow right this very minute. I know that knowledge alone might make a few of you uneasy," I briefly glanced at the Commander, "But rest assured, she's going to be alright."
Dark colors were flying past the windows, and nothing but the sound of the engine could be heard. For everyone had fallen silent, but the intensity of their stares didn't falter in the slightest. Abraham Tower's mismatched eyes hardened in a way that seemed almost alien. It was unsettling, but understood. Before I could explain myself, he spoke, face reddening.
"How could you possibly know that, Sonic?! You know that Shadow took off with my granddaughter again and didn't try to stop him?!"
I shook my head. "No way! It's not like that at all. Of course I went to catch him! That's the first thing I did when I found out about it! I even located them in Mystic Ruins and nearly took her back by force but-"
"You found her! Was she alright? And by force?" he cut me off. "Why would you need to take her back by force?"
"She was just fighting me, sir. I tried to battle it out with Shadow so we could leave him immobile long enough to escape together and she stopped me then, too. She ordered me to return to Station Square, without her, assuring me that everything was fine. She wanted me to focus on saving Travis and protecting the city. She was willingly going with him. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish."
His teeth clenched and nearly broke against each other like brittle shards. "She said everything was fine and you believed her?!"
Now, I was starting to get nervous. If the Commander was against me, then everyone would follow in his example. The Tower family were already looking at me like I'd grown seven heads.
"Of course I did."
"WHY?!" he demanded.
"Because!" I yelled, "Your granddaughter wouldn't have lied to me, especially when it concerns Shadow. She would've begged for help if she really needed it. And I also believe Shadow genuinely cares about Rachel. In the time they've been together he's grown...fond of her I guess? Either way he wouldn't let anyone or anything harm her, and I bet that's why he took her away."
Bewilderment followed. Sheer, utter bewilderment. I was ready to bolt any second now and flee with my life before Commander Tower jumped forth and strangled me. He thought I was joking. He couldn't register a word I said.
"Are you insane?"
It was a female voice that had spoken to me this time. I turned and looked at Rachel's mother, who grasped onto her children with both arms, eyeing me from under a mass of blanketed curls.
"What if he had threatened her?" she said, teary eyes drooping, mouth quivering. "The hedgehog could've told her that if anyone came, to say everything was alright and to not save her. He might have gotten away with capturing her again...even when you were right there to get her...and you didn't even realize it..."
"That's exactly what happened," Commander Tower said, his jaws still gritted. "He tricked the world's most celebrated hero into believing his intentions were good. Damn that hedgehog. And damn you too, for falling for it."
I crossed my arms. "But Shadow wouldn't do that. Maybe his intentions are good. Him and Eggman haven't been seen together the entire night."
"Don't tell me anything, as if you know Shadow the Hedgehog better than I do," he spat viciously, the darkness washing over him in unbalanced contrasts.
Still, I didn't accept it. No matter how angry or confused they were at my decision, I thought back, and could never recall a time where Shadow told an outright lie to anyone. He may have been led astray a few times, manipulative, and forceful in order to get what he wanted. But he never was dishonest. If directly asked about his motivations, he would tell you, if he saw fit, or simply not say anything to avoid conflict...despite his lust for action.
Shadow had promised me, as well as himself, that nothing would become of this one human girl. He'd kept her alive all this time, and was willing to do everything in his power to keep it that way. Plus, being an Ultimate Life Form, his power was something not to be joked about. Dare I say, history was repeating itself, and he was seeing a part of Maria in her.
A lot of the dots were connecting and Tower was trying everything he could to scatter them all over again.
I could reason with him to some degree, but his inability to comprehend the idea of Shadow not being evil somewhat infuriated me. Of course I knew Shadow better than he did. Shadow wasn't good, but he wasn't a monster. Something along the way had been lost in translation.
I wished I could've explained this to him. But it was too late. It was clear my word meant nothing to any of them now.
He ordered his men to scan Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and even Westopolis for signs of the two runaways, via tanks, cars, and helicopters. Just when the dust had finally settled.
I hoped Shadow and Rachel would find what they were looking for before getting caught, and prove that I wasn't as crazy as I seemed.
(Shadow's POV):
Everything went still. All movement and life inhabiting the devolving world around us became cold rocks of nothing.
Several velvet pillows were strewn across the floor. Candles madly flickered from the table tops and counters, setting the orange walls on fire. There was Rachel standing in front of me, her chest rapidly heaving. She was breathing, but I heard only an empty room. It was all static.
Near her was a couch, with all the cushions having been tossed aside in a desperate rampage to burrow into their caverns and find the source of what it was that had been calling us. Now, in her hands, was a Chaos Emerald, sparkling a romantic jade color that matched the hue in her altered eye. Here we were still struggling to catch up with what was happening.
She seemed to be struggling to hold it, as if it were slippery ice. Or perhaps, painful to the same degree. She was fighting back an obvious grimace, and it became even more apparent when she sent me the coldest look I'd ever seen cross her features.
"So this means that all this time..." she said in an eerily calm voice. "...All this time...it's been beneath me. It was never far. It was always here, in my grandfather's living room, inside a sofa I'd slept on for nearly ten years."
It was confusing to say the least. Both of us had anticipated something that presented a larger challenge. However, we were in no shape to complain, as this had made things remarkably more easy. But she clearly wondered what Tower's thought process had been, as did I. Why had he kept the Emerald in such an easily accessible location? Why had he let someone like Rachel be exposed to it for so long? Was it part of some greater motif?
Though this did somewhat explain why she and I felt an electric current upon physical current. It was the energy carried on through her DNA. She had carried on the mutated gene from her grandfather, and the radiation from the Chaos Emerald had kept it pulsating throughout her life.
She walked towards me, still cupping the jewel in her pale hands. It sheathed her face in a soft glow. Her hair cloaked around it unevenly as she looked down, before peering up and nodding towards me.
"This is it. Take us back to Station Square, Shadow. It'll be faster than running."
I stiffened. "But...what about you?" I asked, watching her carefully. "We don't know what it might do to you."
"Enough," she insisted, breaking down a little. "Quit putting me at the center of everything. We need to go. I'll be fine."
I wasn't convinced in the slightest, but even with a false blessing, I found myself letting my guard down and losing hesitation. I raised my own palms and placed them on the two sides of the gem that were still exposed beyond the crooks of her skin, so that we were both holding it, leaned in close enough to feel the heat of our breath.
Tension cradled the atmosphere.
"Rachel...Just relax..." I said quietly, briefly remembering the spasms she had back on the Egg Carrier. "It'll be over soon."
I then said the command out loud. Chaos Control. The energy gave us our wings.
Whiteness settled over us like a sheet, so that nothing but the two of us and this Emerald existed. Darkness soon dissolved back into our surroundings. We had successfully returned to Station Square.
But not in the city. On a beach, with the moon shining overhead, and waves rolling past our ankles.
(Rachel's POV):
I lifted one foot out of the chilling sea with a small gasp. Overhead, the bright lights were dying to reveal a sky splashed in a spectrum of constellations. The ocean itself was made up of shining turquoise slivers that stretched on for miles. As if it was a galaxy of its own.
It was unusually silent. Given the date and time, it would've normally been packed by now. On New Years, people were usually bustling through the sand, laughing and raising sparklers as if they were flags of lightning, while fireworks streamed from above. I could see boats drifting along the dark horizon, though abandoned by any sign of life. Everyone was gone. It really was just me, Shadow, and this Chaos Emerald.
I could feel my temperature rising, my cheeks flushing as the energy spiked and left me in a temporary sweat. Shadow's crimson irises scanned me carefully.
"You must have manipulated Chaos Control again. This wasn't where I intended for us to end up."
I nodded, following it with a tired shrug. "At least it's in the same place. I was just...thinking about this place when you asked me to calm down. It came to mind. It was meant to ease me. I didn't realize it would...ugh...I'm...sorry."
His brow lifted. "I see. Well are you feeling alright?"
I nodded. "Better than ever."
I then looked off to the side. Somewhere beyond the wilted palm trees and otherwise extinct plant activity, was the heart of Station Square. Travis came to mind, and I began to sprint in the same direction.
Shadow stopped me.
"Wait."
I came to a halt and spun around. "What do you mean wait?! We're here aren't we? And we now have what we needed. We have to save my little brother!"
He only shook his head and held up an opposing hand as if to quiet me. "Listen carefully."
We both stopped moving, speaking, and just listened intently. Silence answered us.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.
My eyes narrowed. "Hear what?"
"Exactly." His hand dropped. "Rachel, it's already over."
At first, I was about to retort with another badly executed outburst. But then, I focused on the sound, or absence of rather, once more. And I realized, with serene confusion, that he was right. No one was shouting, no cars were blaring their horns, no sirens were wailing, and no feedback from Eggman's mechanical monstrosity could be detected. In contrast, no visible building was left in shambles. No sign of destruction was taking place. Eggman's takeover had failed.
The citizens had long disappeared, and I guess it was safe to assume that in the time we'd left, Sonic managed to save Travis on his own, or maybe with the help of his crew.
Station Square was officially devoid of all life. It was dead. But it was the most relieving death I'd ever experienced.
A small smile snaked its way across my mouth. I turned to face Shadow again. The Chaos Emerald was still embedded in my hands, twinkling, spreading a warmth through my veins. I was feeling relaxed, happy even. I wanted to share it with the rudely apathetic hedgehog for once. After all, wasn't this a good thing?
But he didn't share my contentment. In fact, he looked very, very tense.
My scrunched shoulders dropped limply in defeat. I realized I was out of words, and instead turned my attention back down to the glowing jewel.
"So...getting this Emerald...was pointless then? It was all for nothing?"
"No," he answered quickly. My face shot up.
"Oh?" I pondered, shuffling my fingers all over the Emerald. "Then what are we supposed to do with this?"
Silence followed. We just stared at each other, devoured by the somewhat pleasant atmosphere. This little oasis at the edge of our Hell.
Shadow didn't answer, and instead shifted his focus towards the sea. He seemed unsettled.
"I need to get you away from here. Immediately. But don't just go blindly running off. You to be somewhere where I know you'll be safe."
"Why?" I asked, taken aback. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes. The problem is that you need to be as far away from this place as possible."
I scoffed. "Okay, but why?" I repeated. "Don't tell me Eggman did something to the water and now it's full of evil."
He then whirled around and shot me a serious glare. "It's not what he did to it, it's what he put in it. And yes, it is in fact, very evil."
I took a step back nervously, quickly running my eyes through the scenery behind him. The waves were crashing softly.
"Shadow. You're scaring me."
"Good, then maybe you'll have enough sense to do as I say. I'm taking you away from here and that's all there is to it."
He then began advancing me, reaching for both me and the Chaos Emerald. I shielded it away from him, watching the glint in his eyes transition from protective to dangerous.
"If you take me away, where will you go afterwards?"
He didn't answer, grabbing for the Emerald again. I swatted him away.
"You're going to leave me somewhere then take off with this, aren't you?" I asked, insulted less by the idea of him taking the Chaos Emerald and more by the idea of him abandoning me without answers. Or maybe, abandoning me in general. An odd, probably unintelligent part of me decided it wasn't done being fascinated by him. Not yet.
He growled. "Yes, that's the plan."
Now we were weakly wrestling, but his strength was climbing the more we struggled with each other's arms.
"So that's it then. You won't come back to get me."
He frowned, teeth gritting. "No. I won't. Why would I?"
"Are you saying that this is it? We're never going to see each other again?"
"More than likely not."
"And you said you'll forget about me entirely?"
"Probably!"
The statement crashed into me like a train. I felt my eyes swell with furious tears.
"Then stop!"
With a quick, near inhuman reflex, I pressed his torso back with the bone of my knee, one arm thrust behind my back, safely guarding the Chaos Emerald, and the other having grabbed onto one of his quills. I pushed him towards me. He had a hold on one of my wrists, but he paused and instead studied me carefully. The electricity was ravaging us, and it even seemed to catch him by surprise. Long enough for him to pause so he could see in my expression how much I wanted closure, even if I couldn't have it.
"Shadow..." I spoke angrily, this time not intimidated by how close we were. "You're as much of a brat as me. You know that? And maybe we can't stand each other because we're more alike than we will ever accept. Maybe, I don't know anymore. I don't know anything, really. I'm just a stupid teenage girl, after all. Right?"
He didn't budge, and only listened. I was grateful.
"But if that's true, then I have a right to be selfish. I do know that I don't want it to end like this.
Where do we stand, huh? Where do you stand? Why would you want to block me out when you've thrown me head-first into every trouble we've had since the very beginning? And without hesitation?"
I finally released his quill and brought the same hand back towards my face, ready to catch any tears if they fell.
"I want you to tell me what's happening. I want you to tell me what you're thinking. I want to know as much as possible. Don't overshadow me."
Shadow was starting to regain his agitation. "What's it to you, anyway? Why are you making this so difficult? The only time you ever care is when it concerns you, and now it doesn't."
"I want to believe you really are capable of love, Shadow. I want everything to fall into place. I want to leave no loose ends after all has been said and done."
My words looked like they were hitting home, but he wasn't going to let it weaken him, or change his mind. That much was obvious. He yanked me by my arm.
"Clear your mind, Rachel. It's over." His frown slanted. "For your good, not my own."
My eyes began widening, and I shook my head frantically. "Shadow, wait-! Don't do this! I'm not ready!"
He tightened his grip. "Give me the Chaos Emerald, Rachel."
"Shadow, please!"
"FREEZE!"
The surprise took us by storm. But we did as instructed. We froze. Both Shadow and I both paused, our heads turning towards the sound of the call.
Near us, stood a G.U.N. soldier, wielding a machine gun. Several more men appeared behind him, their boots scraping the sand in haunting unison.
And then from even deeper into the brush, my grandfather emerged. Hands folded behind his back.
"You're surrounded, Shadow. Release my granddaughter right now," he said,
"Or I'll kill you right here. Right now."
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ha HA. You silly wenches. I ain't finished here yet!
What a way to end the year with another unforgiving cliffhanger! I also put this up a bit earlier than anticipated, just because I figured most people wouldn't be reading it the night of New Year's Eve. You might have plans, or wish to spend your time elsewhere. Hopefully there isn't some evil scientist ruining your day.
"But, author! You told us that this would be the last chapter!"
So I did, and so it was supposed to be. I made a quick draft of all the events that were meant to happen in the finale, and I'm about 75% done. But this chapter is already at 11,000 words. I figured it would get exhausting, and tried to trim the fat, but couldn't find enough that I wanted to delete. I'm sorry. I know I have been really bad about updating. Thing is, Depression and I have been making googly eyes at each other for a few months now. Self diagnosed, sure, but losing the desire to do anything except breathe, (and even then, it becomes debatable) is definitely a sign that I needed a break from everything. Writing became less of an enhancing activity and more of a chore.
This year has been incredibly rough. For me, a lot of milestones were reached, like graduating high school, entering college, becoming a legal adult, getting my first job, having my tonsils removed, dating someone I had immense feelings for, and being accepted as a voice actor in audition contests (even as a lead in one).
But for every achievement, was a falling action. My first graduation night was postponed due to rain, and the second night, soiled by family members. I did poorly my first college semester. As a new adult, I have more responsibilities than I'm ready to swallow. I'm a royal fuck-up when working, that's for sure. Tonsillectomy..ugh don't even get me STARTED on how horrible that was. The guy I loved ended up breaking it off with me for selfish reasons that I couldn't possibly prevent. All the projects I got accepted on for voice work ended up scrapped before production even began. Ech, the list goes on.
But...ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, I've auditioned for another project made by a more famous youtuber, and I'm still working to be an artist/writer. My playground is wide open, just as it is for anyone, and I was just seeing it through a very narrow tunnel.
Sappiness over. I'd appreciate any and all reviews! Even the ones telling me I smell bad! Tell me if this chapter's vocabulary was a bit heavy. It seemed that way to me. Also, next chapter will be the REAL last one. I promise, haha. No ifs, ands or buts this time. It will also be rated M. For language and violence. Not sexy time.
So happy 2014 everyone. Let's make this year a fucking party.