A Horrifying, Yet Miraculous, Absolution
Ch. 10
[×]
"All of you ungrateful humans will feel my loss and despair!"
A gunshot.
No.
Her chest still hurts.
No, no; no!
Doused in fire.
Who was this broken man before her!?
Lifeblood scattered like broken carnations.
This person that cursed the very lives of all!?
The world turned cold and sharp.
This monster that tore Shadow apart!?
The only color was red.
This evil being that wanted to kill everything!?
A stain on the floor that grew.
AND WHY DID IT LOOK LIKE GRANDPA!?
Promise her, Shadow...
[x]
There was nothing but grey.
Maria floated in the endless abyss. Any movement she even attempted to accomplish left her with no energy to continue on. Even if she had applied pure willpower, the only thing that repeated were that monster's final words. She wondered if she had gone insane – her thoughts were ragging in on themselves-
She was dead, right?
Had reached the end?
And no one was here.
She was…
Alone.
The girl had already burned through all she could handle today. It wounded her: the scene of her dearest, most precious things becoming destroyed.
Grandpa no longer existed.
And Shadow…
Oh, Shadow.
She saw what that monster did.
That thing had changed his heart.
How could anyone call that 'PURE!?'
In what way was 'PURITY' destruction!?
The end of everything!?
Her precious Grandpa – where was he? Where had he gone? Why had he not attacked the monster to defend Shadow? – wasn't here to offer any advice about how to leave this place. If she was… dead – as she knew she was – was this 'purgatory?' Because it wasn't what the books said of Heaven, and there wasn't rolling fields of fire and brimstone and death and obliteration that the thing wanted upon the precious people of Earth-
No. This was a land where the words 'despair' and 'loss' rained from the sky.
[x]
It was probably going to be fruitless.
But she was going to try to leave this place.
And then search.
Search and search.
For Shadow to kill the monster.
What else was she to do?
[x]
She missed her Grandpa.
She wanted a hug.
Who was the thing that claimed his face?
Stole his voice?
[x]
She tried to keep mainly to the positive memories, in a desperate attempt to stay sane, but her enemy's last words kept endlessly repeating. There was nowhere to run except for her own mind – and it was getting corrupted in monochrome and cadmium.
If she hugged Grandpa, he vanished.
If she hugged Shadow, he wilted.
If she hugged herself, her heart exploded.
[x]
It was like that for what felt eons. Her. The monster. Reminiscences of the only one alive of her family left to cry for the dead-
They aimed and fired in a line.
The thing's body ricocheted with each accurate shot.
Left and right as red ribbons unwound.
Macabre.
[x]
She wanted to believe in Heaven. That she had been a good girl and would sprout wings to fly far, far away. That her Grandpa had already reached there because he was her guiding light.
But not Shadow.
Her precious brother – her best friend. He was an ageless immortal, right? Not just 'ageless' alone. Ageless things were in ancient mythology: humans that grew mentally older and older until their bodies were incapable of movement by sheer and utter psychological collapse. Regret was the theme of such tales; that and anguish. The stories usually ended the same – they would find someone else to kill them. In mercy. The morale of the tale was that agelessness was nothing to strive for. It was a crime. A sin.
Immortality was different. They could beg for release, but it would never come.
Shadow was both.
It was worse.
Shadow couldn't wake up from his eternal slumber that he was casted into. He had been 'purified' under the monster to only live to carry out the inferno of rage. That wasn't who he was. That wasn't who he was supposed to be. If those red eyes ever opened, the last person she knew would be forever changed in her mind – and that would have been the last straw. She doubted she could have remained 'there.' And what about her brother? If the girl couldn't handle it, there might have been no way for him, too.
Instead, she hoped he stayed asleep forever.
But if there was someone-
Something-
-out there…!
To save him.
PLEASE DO!
[x]
As time passed, she wondered if Heaven was also a lie.
[x]
The hour – day – second – week – moment that she realized whom the monster really was basically destroyed what rational was left.
[x]
And then…
Something happened.
[x]
The words sounded like they came from her brother.
But filled with sadness.
Loss.
Despair.
… And hope.
She didn't know what the phrase was, other than it was screamed at the top of the lungs; heard his very soul get ripped out during the process; felt the great gray expanse shatter like porcelain; was pierced by a green light that suddenly swallowed her and tore her into infinite pieces in a new, all-encompassing verdant void-!
The last thought was of sweet relief.
[x]
Blue eyes ripped open. Her breath struggled to come out as her own fingernails tore into cornflower and white embroidered bedsheets. Sweat covered her entire body, making her clammy human form cold in the temperature-controlled room. Her ears could pick up the sound of her own heartbeat-
Her…
Heartbeat!?
Limbs flew as a female blonde girl fell from an elevated bed, right onto something that was warm and inviting and calming – something she didn't recognize or didn't see in her panic. Whatever damage her fall had done was ignored – her own fingers reached all over herself as she could no longer see grey; no longer felt that painful reminder where it had been for the longest time. Instead, the stars of space – her observation room – was washed in the soft lilacs of 'night time,' the weak greens of lighting meant for midnight snacks, and the pale yellows of the life support system's status panels.
She stared right back down at her own hands. They were shaking and had tufts of golden hair within their clenched grasp. Yet, they weren't filled with her own blood. There was no gaping hole from the front towards the back.
"-ria-"
She checked around again. This wasn't the backup escape pod room. There was no console that was the last thing she willingly touched. There was no Shad-
AUGH! A sharp pain that creased against her head; pressure that shoved any thought against a wall-
She did not know how long she laid there upon the warmth. There was only one thing she cared about in that moment – the fact that she was alive-!
"Maria! You're alright – will be alright!"
She grasped onto that name – it was hers. Her existence away from the grey…! Spoken out from her and Grandpa's salvation…!
[x]
There was a thermometer in her mouth, an ice bag slammed against her head, and a blanket wrapped around her in so many layers she had an inkling it would have been revenge if not for her brother's panicked mania. It was nigh time to make a joke and ease his worries, but the cutest hedgehog in the entire Universe did not give her voice any opportunity to. Temperature taking measurements were not primitive aboard the ARK, but the ones Shadow had snuck away were large enough to work on a horse-
Cyan eyes blinked again. Oh. These were the ones that were meant for the Biolizard during its first growth spurt, weren't they? Her brother had vanished into Grandpa's lab and took the first thing he could find – typical. The glass was large and cold against her lips. She crossed her eyes in an attempt to read the numbers, which were fortunately in big, red font.
"Nunntee-aight punt seix, Shayldough."
Red eyes flickered towards her grumpy, pouting face. "You were thinking about the future-past again."
The thermometer refused to be moved away. Maria had to settle for a heave of her shoulders in defeat. Darn super emotionally aware younger brothers. Long gone were the days she could easily brush the suspicion away – arguing with Shadow about how she felt was like arguing against Dr. Eruba. Or Grandpa, except Grandpa was willing to let her hide things for the sake of her growing up… "Jasht a bahd dreem. Eigt diddna mean 'nhythang."
"Your heart rate skyrocketed."
"Wahz noothhinge."
"You didn't know I was holding you at first."
"Ai kuldn't cee fure ah bit."
"You had uneven breathing cycles."
"Eigt's kauze urgh cootie pahtootee earghs argh sen-see-tiv."
"You keep saying that."
"Kauze eigt's trwue."
Gold Inhibitor Rings reflected the ceiling lights as Shadow relented and pulled away the glass from her mouth; verified the 98.6° that blazed to all. He wiped the medical equipment carefully and placed it into a plastic bag labeled 'to decon.' Maria could only see his back after that: the tail 'feathers' always caught her eye, even back in that white region that felt years ago. So bright, so bold; so… "Pretty."
Shadow moved his face to watch hers; didn't flinch but did pull off a deep sigh. "Maria, you bring them up enough. They're not-"
Blonde hair flew as she shook her head. She'll keep repeating what he needs to hear until he took it to heart. "Oh, Shadow. They are. It's like looking at a chandelier! Or a painting! O! Did you see mine I made for Grandpa, after all?"
Disbelief flashed on his face as her brother turned to inspect her once again. There was another new medical thingy in his hands – she would have known the proper name for it if not for him hiding it so well – as the black hedgehog closed the distance. "You know what they mean better than Professor does."
The cold temp of the stethoscope touched her chest over the thin garment. One of the ends was tapped right into her brother's small ear – the other side couldn't be stretched without breaking the metal. He was hearing more than just her heart: it was her very mitochondria, lungs, and cardiovascular system. Each beat of the blood around her four chambers kept him in stillness. "Does your 'Shadow Powers' make my organs talk to you?"
He scrunched his face. "Is that what you're labeling it?"
"It's… better than 'Doom.'"
The stethoscope returned back home as a new item was pulled out. It seemed her brother had raided more than just Grandpa's lab, but also her room… "Well, that is accurate. About the name," he ended with clarification.
She moved a finger to flick one of Shadow's quills. The red tip vibrated for a few seconds. "Do you still hear them?"
Her response was a tongue depressor right in the mouth. You learned new ways to distract, Shadow! But it's never going to work on your big sis. "Thwat's ah yesh."
"I am not going to discuss that to you. Now, say, 'ahhh.'"
"Aaaaaaaaahhh."
Those gemstone eyes roamed in inspection. "Good. You didn't bite the inside of your mouth this time." The brown popsicle stick looking item left its short-lived prison, except this one went into the trash in an effortless movement. That was just how Shadow was: anything and everything that dealt with physical application made him seem…
Cute.
Perfect, too, she guessed.
It was his heart that was damaged, repaired, and then damaged again. Her brother had claimed his soul back, but it was obvious there was a lot of work needed. He was from farther in the future than SHE was, and he had kept a super tight lip about the details in general. The girl was smart enough to understand that whatever it was was something truly horrific – something that made Shadow cracked. As such, she, Maria Robotnik of the Space Colony ARK, was to ensure that the Ultimate Lifeform wasn't going to stay broken under her watch! He saved her, she'll save him – that was just how life now went. "So, what's next on our agenda?"
This was a topic he was more willing to partake in. "The Biolizard held in the deepest, most isolated area of the ARK."
An internal alarm screamed. Maria grabbed her brother's hand at that and squeezed. "No! Not that. You can't go near it! Grandpa mentioned that it was super dangerous! The second you attack it, it will awaken and turn against you!"
He was avoiding her gaze. This was bad. Meant Shadow was determined. "Maria, it's not as dangerous as other things on this station." She hated how she didn't know if he meant G.U.N. or… himself. "If left alone, the Prototype can merge itself with the body of the ARK – specifically, the Eclipse Cannon's nose – in an attempt to move the mass of the entire station onto Earth and-"
It was the horrified gasp from her lips that stopped the description from turning graphic.
"… Anyhow, it's important that a potential method of world-ending power is removed before it can be utilized." Shadow shook his head at that, still not allowing red to meet blue. He was hiding something! "The military will take the Biolizard's death as something positive and will note internally that the 'threat of the ARK' had transformed into something less harrowing. Assuming, of course, that I can pull it off while making it look like it passed on due to a failure in the life support system."
The girl bit her lips in thought, rolling her tongue along her right cheek. What her brother was saying had logical steps – and a voice that hinted at 'experience.' That, by the way, was another dreaded thought: how could have Shadow even had knowledge about the Biolizard being able to-?
Oh.
… Right.
The future.
"You… killed it before, didn't you?"
Each point of those quills bounced in acknowledgement. "Yes."
Hearing the almost apathetic tone from Shadow was a little strange. "To think it managed to escape and you defeated it to save the world…"
(Why did he have a brief face of supreme guilt?)
The female continued as she shoved that intrusive thought aside. It was silly. Shadow had fought against 'purity' and won – he wouldn't be here before her if he hadn't. "Still, I don't want you to get hurt…"
There was a strange noise from her brother. A snort? A sharp, melancholy laugh? Something else entirely? "Maria, I defeated it two times before."
The 'huh?' left her lips faster than she could hold it back.
The voice tone must have been something funny, because it was that simple gesture that allowed Shadow to turn back around and face her in the dim light. "The White Space – where the temporal anomaly you experienced – had a stronger base version of it. That was number two."
She walked up to Shadow and begun to pinch his upper arm. "Wow. My little brother is super strong." It didn't make her worry about him any less, but she supposed his utter confidence was going to be what she needed. Besides, if Shadow thought he could pull it off, she was going to be right there to support him.
Well, ok. Not physically right there, but. You know.
In spirit.
"And after the Biolizard…? Then what?"
Shadow froze. His expressive features scowled at that, as if he was experiencing regret and extreme distaste. "G.U.N. has a Chaos Emerald in their possession. I aim to fix that."
She blinked. "A Chaos Emerald? As in: the kind of mythical item that will synchronize with you because of whom you are, biologically speaking? The kind of gemstone that is filled with Chaos Energy?" Her finger aimed right at the Inhibitors with no room for doubt. "The kind of energy that those are already at the brink of self-destruction, which keep you safe and sane and happy-?!"
There was the sound of concealed aggression. "Maria. It's not that I am unaware of the potential danger. I have zero interest in dallying with it – or using it. I just can't leave the Emerald with them, and asking Professor to take it will just make G.U.N. even more suspicious as to why he needs it again." He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "It will be a simple extraction. I have ways to move about without requiring hallways or service paths."
She twisted in place. "You know I had to drag you back home using the ventilation shafts the last time you used your powers. Under normal circumstances, that would have been the scariest night of my life. You were so gone, so cold; so… empty," the young girl sorrowfully whispered. "Please, Shadow. Don't do it."
"What's to say it won't set off the Artificial Chaos?" he countered softly, referencing the second disaster that happened after the robot's activation in her future-past. Black ears bent sideways after the statement, having heard her gasp of painful remembrance. "We have to claim it from them, and then, you and Professor will hide it away from me. I… can't even say with 100% certainty that I won't suddenly try to salt the Earth with the carcasses of G.U.N. if I… were to receive it in an uncontrolled manner or state." It was a moment of weakness – the admission that underneath the surface, he was aware he could do a lot of bad. Yet, he spoke. Talked. Discussed. To her – to calm himself down from something he knew she would find disappointing.
"Shadow…," the girl interjected. Whenever he thought himself as a monster, it hurt her.
He wasn't.
She had seen one before.
Not Shadow. Not him.
His emotions… those feelings – they came from loss and a desperate need to protect his family. They came from the fact his mind had been pulled apart at the very seams and had been taped together haphazardly. The very fact that he didn't want to rush down and destroy the planet this very second was-
Maria shook her head.
He continued in sentiment she couldn't place – the few moments she understood what it meant for her brother to be from another place; another time. "This isn't something you wanted to hear from me, is it?"
The female baulked at that. "N-Nonsense, Shadow! This a good thing to converse about, just like my own bad dreams. Thinking about doing wicked ideas on rare occasions doesn't mean you will actually enact on them."
Red eyes shifted away from her caring gaze.
(There was more of that guilt.)
She let him have his space. What he needed was more positive encouragement that he wasn't alone anymore, not ungrounded nerves from a silly girl. "I… have an idea on how to get the Emerald without you actively touching it, you know," Maria offered, watching tentatively on how her brother was going to react. Female hands shook hard to establish her spoken truth. "It's something only the Ultimate Lifeform and Sis can do. It'll take some time for me to hash out the details… but you're going to really hate the plan. Really, really; REALLY despise it."
[x]
Shadow could be… loud, even if it was only one word.
[x]
He didn't talk to her the rest of the day. The Air Shoes made soft swishing noises as the hedgehog had skated away into an isolated and dark wing to brood at! How rude! Her brother had to have known her idea was the better of the two – his was crafted from haste and self-sacrifice and she wasn't going to have those two mixes together within him. While being in a rush was understandable due to her circumstances, that didn't make his other trait desirable to keep! She really had to snip it in the bud…
Shadow's bad mood was so obvious that even Grandpa understood when he returned from his recent work day – a work that he hadn't written in his journal, so Maria had no inkling of what he was up to.
Still, late that night, her brother eventually meandered by their shared camping spot in the observation tower and settled in besides her. Mindful that Grandpa was watching, he limited the words of his response.
"I… will give your idea a chance."
A pause.
"… I am sorry I yelled at you."
She nuzzled close to his warmth. "I forgive you 'cause I love you, Shadow."
Eventually, he'll be able to say it back instead of it being locked in his throat. She could see that blame and refusal to see it again all over his face. He probably won't be capable until she was… safe, to his point of view. Ergo, it was required she told him as often as possible. He was Shadow Robotnik the Ultimate Lifeform or Hedgehog or Whatever Else He Wanted To Be, and her brother needed constant reminders that he deserved affection.
Repairing cracks didn't happen overnight!
There was that dull glow from his eyes as Shadow went under the covers with her; hand that held onto hers relaxing. Maria watched her brother's silent vigil – all awake and alert, but in a state pretty close to relaxation. He was to keep a diligent watch until she rose again in the coming morning.
I love you, Maria.
She'll live to hear it from his mouth. One day.