"Shadow?" I had just been debating wether or not to follow the deranged black fox when a familiar voice called out behind me. I turned around and saw Maria. She was wearing a dress like the one she wore when she died, only this one was pink. She walked up to me. "How did the tests go? Are you feeling alright?" She questioned. I huffed.
"Tests will be tests, and I've been through worse." I replied. Thankfully, she didn't comment on my reference to the past. She glanced down the hallway.
"Who was that you were talking to?" She wondered. I shrugged.
"Not sure. She said her name was Kyoki." I informed her. Maria pursed her lips.
"Is she alright? You didn't upset her, I hope." I sighed, to exhausted to care.
"I don't know. I just want to find my- someone then get some rest." I complained. I hadn't felt the weariness of a day of testing in a very long time, and I didn't miss it. Maria gave me a piteous smile and crouched down beside me.
"I'll help. Who are you looking for?" She asked, her eyes warm, her voice kind. I didn't want this to be fake...not with Maria alive again... I racked my memory for a way to ask about Crimson without drawing suspicion again.
"She was a prototype of Project Shadow, but she was activated after me." I said. Maria seemed to think about it for a second.
"Species?" She inquired.
"Cheshire." I replied a little too quickly. Maria nodded, then got to her feet.
"Come on, I think I might know where to find her." Then she ran off, me following close behind. I knew we were going the right way when I felt the slight influx in my Chaos Levels. I smirked and pulled ahead. Maria didn't seem to mind, and she let out a laugh when I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me. We rounded another corner and I skid to a halt. Standing outside a large metal door, the Crimson Cheshire was arguing with a G.U.N. soldier. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that her hood was up, the red cloth around her face, hiding her scar. That meant that my past wasn't a dream. Crimson froze, her eyes perked. She spun on her heel. I could see that she was about to call out, and shook my head slightly. She read my mind and understood. She narrowed her eyes slightly and shot a look at the soldier.
"Turns out I don't need your help after all." She snapped before setting off towards me at a brisk pace. She grabbed my hand, turning me around and walking quickly back down the hallway. Out of sight of the G.U.N. soldier, she threw her arms around me.
"I'm glad you're here." I whispered. She nodded, her face buried in my shoulder.
"It's our worst nightmares come back to life." When I didn't reply, her ear twitched. She pulled away, her dark eyes glinting in the artificial lighting of the ARK. She glanced at Maria then back at me. I could tell that she knew what I was thinking, and she didn't need to read my mind to know, either.
"Is this who you were looking for?" Maria asked. I nodded and Crimson turned to face her. She gave a small bow then stood up straight again, her tail flicking.
"I'm the Crimson Cheshire. It's...nice to meet you." She greeted. So I wasn't the only one having difficulties forgetting what happened to Maria, between the ARK and Virus' clone. Maria was about to say something Kyoki appeared out of nowhere, sprinting past us, her eyes alight with fear, screaming.
"LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE!" She cried as she ran past. Crimson and I exchanged a glance then sprung into action. I used Chaos Control to warp in front of the terrified fox, making her skid to a halt. Crimson dropped from the ceiling and landed on her, pinning her to the floor. Kyoki snapped and snarled, but she couldn't get Crimson off of her.
"Kyoki! Listen to me!" I shouted over her screams. The fox immediately silenced and glared at me. "Who's chasing you?" I asked gently. Her blue eyes turned white with terror and she howled in pain. She kicked out with her back legs and Crimson was sent flying. The cheshire flipped over and landed on her feet, ready to attack, but I held out a hand to stop her. Kyoki was curled into a little ball, trembling and whimpering. Her contorted position pulled up the back of her shirt slightly, and I could see the ends of eight long scars down her back. I reached out to touch the fox when G.U.N. soldiers ran down the hall and grabbed her. Without saying a word, they carried her off, screaming and howling. I was about to follow when Maria put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her, shocked that she wouldn't let me help, and saw how pale she had gotten.
"Shadow...I...I don't feel so well..." She passed out. Kyoki all but forgotten, I grabbed Maria and Crimson and began sprinting to the nearest infirmary.
YOU ARE READING
Her Darkest Shadow
Fanfiction"The world will betray you..." These words have haunted Shadow since before they were said... Ever since he was created, G.U.N. has been out to get him. The only thing keeping him from loosing it is Maria's dying wish... But that day, when Mephiles...
