Two Worlds: a epic of Shadow and Rouge

Chapter 9

Umbra and Rubis were sitting on benches, facing Rouge, who was still on the sofa. The trio remained quiet. The hedgehog looked uncomfortable. He remained looking at the floor and doing nervous tics with the fingers of his hand. He seemed reluctant to tell the story he had promised to tell. Rubis took his hand. Umbra stopped. He then looked at Rubis' eyes and they both smiled. The hedgehog now seemed calmer. He then turned to Rouge. He sighed.

"Well ... my story actually starts 50 years ago. And not. I am not a vampire. You will understand soon."

"I don't know the conditions of my birth. But I remember being stuck, most of the beginning of my life, in a dark room. I had a tag attached to that ear of mine, with a number 9 written on it." The hedgehog put his hand on his pierced ear. "The only thing that was in that room was just a mirror. Sometimes the lights in the room would turn on, the whole room would turn white. Then there was a voice, giving me instructions. He called me number 9. He said he wanted to test my body's physical ability."

"There were days when the room was filled with water. In others, it was too hot or too cold. Decrease oxygen. Increase the pressure. Radiation. He tested everything on me. There were days when I couldn't stand it and passed out. When I woke up later, I was intubated, immersed in a green liquid, or tied to a table, with things being injected into my body. Sometimes my hair turned purple and I passed out afterwards."

"At those times, when I was out of the room, I could see the voice owner's face. He was a human... a tall man. With a big mustache. After the first time I saw him, whenever I slept, I had nightmares about him."

"One day, he said that he wanted to test my speed, that I had to try to deflect it. Then a gun appeared in the room. She started shooting projectiles at me. The first few times, I hurt myself a lot. But after more of these tests, I got faster. Until they couldn't hit me anymore."

"But then one day ... someone worse appeared." Umbra was quiet. The hedgehog was shaking. Rubis held his hand more firmly, to remind him that she was still there with him. The hedgehog composed himself.

"It was a child. A girl. But she didn't even look like a living being. The first time I saw her, it disturbed me. She was always in a wheelchair. He wore a type of mask, which only covered his nose and mouth, which made his breathing sound scary."

* The girl had a pulse oximeter on her right index finger. With her other hand, she controlled the chair, pressing a series of buttons, which were positioned next to her left hand. There was a screen attached to the machine that showed the girl's vital signs. In his vein, he always had a new needle, attached to an IV bag, which was hanging from a rod attached to the wheelchair. The mask had an air vent in front of it and a tube, which was connected to a machine, attached to the back of the wheelchair *

"He always showed up after the day's tests were over. She came into the room when I was tired. And sometimes, when I still had energy left, it would activate something in the room, to exhaust me."

"She then said horrible things to me, about how I was a failure, a worthless person, who was being a disappointment to her grandfather. That he would discard me and make another one. She pricked me, burned me, with objects she brought. He cut off my ear." The hedgehog put his hand over half of the ear he still had. "Just because I thought it was fun. His laugh was scary. And those soulless eyes. Her name was Airam, I know why I heard her grandfather shouting her name."

"At that time, I didn't know what it was like to really live. I didn't even know what death was, but I wanted it. I just wish I wasn't in that place anymore. But then one day, I heard a loud noise and the door to the room opened. I started to hear sounds that I had never heard before. I had no idea what was going on. I decided to be quiet, curl up in the corner and wait for all the noise to end. It took, but the noise ended. The door was still open, but I didn't have the courage to approach."

"Then I heard someone came through the door. He saw me and was startled. He called others who were there with him. They talked to each other, then one of them came to me, knelt down and said that I was safe now and that everything would be fine. He held out his hand to me and I took it."

"When we finally left that place, it was about to dawn, for the first time in my life, I saw grass, trees, earth, stones. I heard the sound of birds and the wind. I smelled so many smells. I was scared, so the sunlight illuminated everything. I didn't understand that. It was as if the world was changing in front of me. But feeling the warmth of the sunlight and watching it rise, calmed me down. And everything around me suddenly seemed so beautiful."

"They brought me to this village. At the time there were fewer people and huts. They all lived off the harvest from their small farms. Everyone welcomed me. They removed the tag I had on my other ear. I was told that the human who kept me locked up was a mad scientist, who wanted to end all mobians. Then they broke into his home and arrested him."

"They taught me everything. Reading, writing, cooking, planting, even eating. I had never eaten anything in my life. I didn't know that people were hungry."

"They gave me the name I have." A tear streamed from Umbra's eyes, but he was smiling. "You saw the old couple when you arrived, right?"

"Yes. What about them?"

"They were just kids when I arrived. And today they are the only ones left. Everyone is gone. " The hedgehog had a melancholy voice. "People around me, changed, got older. And I dont. I also realized that I never got sick in my life. I would never die. I was distressed, I started to avoid getting too close to people ... Then Rubis appeared." The hedgehog looked at his companion while smiling.

Rubies also smiled. "Well ... I never enjoyed life in the big city, I always dreamed of moving to a peaceful place. So while looking for places to live, I found this village. Everyone was so hospitable to me when I arrived. Umbra offered his house for me to live in. He was always kind to me, but at the same time, he was very closed. But over time, I managed to make it open up more."

Rouge noticed that they both blushed.

"With that, we get to Mr. Scourge. He appeared a few weeks ago, saying he was looking for a black hedgehog. He said he was forming a team, the Freedom Fighters. And who discovered information about an old project, by a mad scientist, already deceased, that could be the salvation of Moebius, against the Suppression Squad. The ultimate life form. That's what he said."

"I was shocked to discover that that human was the one who raised me. He was my father."

"I was more shocked to find out that he was related to Dr. Ovi Kintobor. How can such a monster be from the same family as that good man."

Rouge deduces that the doctor they were talking about was the counterpart of the Eggman in this world.

"I only heard stories about him, when I was still living in the city. Neither of us has ever seen him."

Rouge sighed. "Now I understand everything ... Sorry for making you bring up those memories."
"No need to apologize."

"You are hungry?" Rubis asked. "He hasn't eaten anything since he arrived."

"A little."

Umbra stood up, excited. "You will love my food." The hedgehog soon returned to the kitchen.
Rouge lowered his ears and looked at the floor. She thought of Shadow. If only, he had known better, more helpful people, like Rubies. He could be happier, like Umbra. She also thought, like G.U.N. took away so many years in the hedgehog's life. She then noticed that Rubis was looking at her. "Please go ahead. There is one last thing I need to do first. I just need a mirror."

"It's all right. There's one in the bathroom. Come with me."

After Rubis left Rouge in the bathroom she headed for the kitchen, where she and Umbra started their lunch. Shortly after, Rouge arrived in the kitchen. They were both surprised at how different she looked, especially Umbra. She had pink lipstick on her lips, pink eyeshadow above her eyes and a smile on her face.