literature

Darkest Night: Chapter 13

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A solitary man stood in the center of a featureless white room, garbed in a red jumpsuit and bearing a familiar orange handlebar mustache. Severely disoriented, his eyes darted rapidly around the room. How he had come to be here he did not know. All he knew was that within this place, he was utterly and totally alone...

"Hello?" Eggman called into the empty space, his only reply being his own voice resonating off of the blank walls, which gradually began to amplify until it filled all of his senses. "Stop--stop--STOP!!" He cried in agony, clutching at his ears. All at once, his voice ceased its torments, and everything became eerily silent. It was then that he felt the odd sensation of no longer being by himself...

"What's wrong, Julian?" Came an all too familiar voice, its sickly tones laced with malice, "Do you not like what I have created for you, here in this place?"

"YOU!" Eggman barked back, spinning in a circle to try and catch a glimpse of Xemus. In spite of this, he could not seem to find the dark entity, no matter where he looked. "Where are you, you spineless coward!? Why am I here? I demand you release me!"

"Such harsh words, Julian..." The shade's disembodied voice mocked, "and here I thought we were getting along famously."

"What is this?" Said Eggman through gritted teeth, "Where am I?"

"You know this place," the demon spoke, continuing to taunt and harass the scientist, "you've seen it--dreamt of it. You may have buried it deep within your subconscious, but I can see it..."

"What do you want, Xemus?" Demanded the scientist, "I order you to free me!"

"Don't presume to command me!" Xemus' serpent-like voice admonished, "I am not one of your droids to be commanded! As for what I want... I want you right here, just as you are now."

"This is outrageous! I--"

"How often do you think about it, Julian?" Interrupted the entity, "What is it like being trapped in a world so far from your own, with no other humans to associate with? No friends? Even your automatons, as much as you like to anthropomorphizes them, simply do not provide the company you so need..."

Eggman's defiance began to wane, crumbling against Xemus' verbal assault. Shaking, the scientist's voice grew soft. "L-look, if you let me go, I'll do whatever you want!" The scientist begged, "I could work for you! My mechanical genius would be at your disposal!"

"There are no bargains to be had here," replied Xemus, who's voice seemed to begin fading into the distance, "I'll leave you to ponder that for a while--a very long while..."

"No, wait! You can't do this to me!" Argued Eggman, "We had a deal! Xemus? XEMUS!?"

No answer came from the dark entity, nor any other sound, for that matter. Eggman was now utterly and totally alone. Determined to escape his fate, the scientist began frantically searching the room, running his hands along the perfectly smooth walls.

"No prison is inescapable!" He muttered to himself, "I'll find the weakness in this cell just like I did the Metarex cell--or my name isn't the Eggman!"

So he searched, going over the room once more and again. He searched for many hours. Hours quickly turned into days, and days became months, and months became--he knew not how long. Eventually, he stopped looking entirely, merely sitting in the center of the room, his only company being the sound of his own insane babbling.

"Got to get out..." Whimpered the old man, rocking himself back and forth in a fetal position, "He promised me--LIAR! He promised--help me defeat--I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG! Sonic, you wouldn't--KILL HIM! Sonic, don't leave me alone! Please--"

Jaran suddenly retracted his hand from the man's forehead, a cold sweat lacing his brow. Lowering his head into his hands he breathed heavily, his voice wavering as he whispered to the incapacitated man on the table before him.

"I'm sorry..." He gasped, a single tear trailing down his cheek, "I understand. I'm so sorry..."

Far too distraught to notice, Jaran remained unaware of footsteps approaching him from behind. "Any luck?" Spoke the familiar voice of an onyx hedgehog, causing the human to jump violently.

"Do you mind NOT doing that!?" The sage snarled, turning his head away from his friend.

"You seem to have no issue doing it yourself," retorted Shadow pointedly.

"GO FUCK YOURSELF!" The sentinel raised his voice suddenly, darting his head in the direction of the hedgehog, his eyes red and bloodshot, "STUPID HEDGEHOG!"

Shadow stared vacantly at Jaran, finding himself more confused by his behavior than offended. While he did not understand how linking minds with another person functioned, it was safe to assume that it may have been a contributing factor to the sage's overly-aggressive behavior. "At what point did I become a 'stupid hedgehog'?" Asked the Ultimate Life Form in a bemused manner.

Kai let out a moan, clutching his head as he slumped over in his chair, his voice dry and cracked as he spoke. "S-sorry..." He murmured, repeating himself again and again, "Sorry--I'm sorry... I-I'm sorry..."

"You don't seem like yourself," noted Shadow, approaching the sage curiously, "what's going on?"

"Connected to a broken mind for long--" he sputtered, seeming unable to form his words cohesively, "sometimes personalities bleed over. I'm... having trouble figuring out which are Eggman's thoughts--which are mine."

"You've worked nearly twelve hours with no break," the onyx hedgehog pointed out, "take a rest and grab some coffee."

"No," objected Kai, shaking his head feebly, "need to keep trying!"

"I wasn't asking," clarified the Ultimate Life Form, taking hold of the sentinel's arm and ripping him from his seat, dragging the disoriented man from the room.

Once free of the dank chamber, it took little time for the sage to recover. Sitting on the deck of the Egg Carrier, he quietly sipped a cup of coffee, which Shadow had been kind enough to provide. Next to him the negro hedgehog perched, as the two murmured to each other.

"You make a lousy cup of coffee," Jaran griped, his wit beginning to surface again, "it taste like piss-water."

"I'm sure you've drank a lot of that in your day," retorted Shadow, a light smirk crossing his face.

The two chuckled at their own odd sense of humor, staring off of the edge of the parked Egg Carrier into the Mystic Forest beyond. A silence fell between the two as they collected their thoughts, finally broken by Shadow.

"Did you find out anything?" He asked, getting to the point.

The sage nodded, tilting his head back and, in a single gulp, downed the remainder of his coffee, setting his mug down gently. "Eggman's mind is in pieces," he began, "so far I've become aware of two distinct halves. They simply don't want to cooperate when I try to join them together. Both are fighting for dominance..."

"It sounds like some sort of split personality," observed Shadow.

"Basically. That's what Xemus wants, though--to put you at war with yourself. It's one thing to die, but to have your whole belief system, all the things you know or think you know, pulled right out from under you like a rug--it can break a man. What's the point of living if everything you believed in is a lie?"

"It's disturbing how much thought you put into that," commented the hedgehog, "you pity him?"

"Absolutely," Jaran quickly answered, "I never thought that it would be this he feared most..."

"Which is?" Shadow inquired, tilting his head to the side, "Losing? Sonic? Not being able to make someone's life miserable?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head, "he's afraid of being alone."

"Laughable!" Snorted the Ultimate Life Form, "The Doctor isn't exactly the social type."

"I'm serious, Shadow!" The sage replied passionately, "Think about it, an elderly human male trapped in a reality completely separate from his own, with little to no hope of return, no other humans to associate with, and in the midst of animals who not only don't like him, but are afraid of him! He lashes out because it's the only way anyone will take notice!"

"Then why pick on a group of children?" The hedgehog asked, still doubtful, "Surely there are more developed people to harass?"

"Same reason you and I are here," answered Jaran, staring into open space, "the old prefer the company of the young."

Shadow was struck. As bizarre as he found the notion, he could not deny the sense behind it. Since he had presented himself, the people of Mobius had thought Eggman a tyrannical madman, antagonizing them at every opportunity. Perhaps there was more to it, though. Perhaps, at his core, he was more alike than anyone could have thought. Shadow couldn't help but wonder what Xemus hoped to accomplish by forcing this man's loneliness to the surface. What, if anything, did he stand to gain?

As if knowing the hedgehog's question before he spoke it, Jaran proceeded to answer. "I don't know..."

"Isn't he your opposite?" Inquired the hedgehog, turning to face the sentinel, "Don't you know what he's thinking?"

"Opposite?" The sage laughed aloud, shaking his head, "He's not my opposite. He may be a clone, but our lives, the circumstances of our existence have created two distinct individuals. He's no more a mirror to me than you are to Sonic. Even if somehow he had been brought up in the same place, with the same training and the same morals as me, he would still not be me."

"What makes you so certain?" Asked the Ultimate Life Form, crossing his arms.

"I have a desire to be better than what I am--to improve myself. Xemus does not. In that, we are different."

Silent sat the hedgehog, pondering on the words spoken by his friend. Being one of the few who could make sense of his long-winded, cryptic ramblings, Shadow took his statement to heart as he pondered the fate of Eggman and those around him. "So you don't have any idea what he has in mind then?" He repeated verbally.

"Not a clue," replied Jaran, shaking his head, "but I think that Eggman just might. While I was sifting through his thoughts, I detected an area of his mind that had been purposely walled off. I think when Xemus touched Eggman's mind, he may have transferred some of his own intentions in the process. Eggman knows better than any of us what he's planning, and I want what's in his head."

"I hope you're right…" Murmured the hedgehog, "You know who he's after. If you're wrong--"

"I'd like to assume I'm not," interjected Jaran.

"Naturally," Shadow agreed with a nod as the two sat, peering into the distance…



Meanwhile, a car ride away, the trio of Tails, Cosmo and Vanilla found themselves approaching the parking lot of what appeared to be a large wedding boutique. Cosmo found herself in awe as they drove past the store windows, gazing at the amazingly detailed decorum on display. While she normally avoided coveting material items, even she could not help but become excited at the potential wedding furnishings for use at her and Tails' special day. Pulling into a vacant space, Vanilla put her minivan in park, opening the door and stepping out. Tails and Cosmo quickly followed suit, bounding around the vehicle to Vanilla's side.

"This is way too much!" The fox yipped excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other, "You didn't have to do all of this, Miss Vanilla!"

"I can't believe--" sputtered the Seedrian maiden nervously, "You don't have to do this, Miss Vanilla! We can settle for less!"

"Nonsense!" Dismissed the rabbit as the three began walking toward the establishment, "I'm more than happy to do this. Besides, an old friend of mine is the general manager here. I called ahead and he seemed very eager to help!"

"Oh? W-well, thank you!" Cosmo replied graciously, a heated blush filling her pale cheeks, "We'll try not to go overboard…"

"It's not often that two of my children decide to get married, dear! In this case, I don't mind. Come along now! I gave him a specific time and I don't want to be rude!"

The two young ones nodded, trailing behind Vanilla as the three entered the store. Floral incense filled the air, tickling Tails' sensitive canine nose as he stifled a sneeze. Cosmo gazed about, viewing the various wares the shop had to offer, not knowing what half of them were for. That aside, the festive nature of the place gave off a sense of joy. Upon entering the two became aware of a tall, male, brown flop-eared rabbit cruising down the main isle in their direction, casting a wide smile in the direction of Vanilla as she grinned back.

"Robert!" She exclaimed as she met him, hugging him tightly as he too placed his arms around her.

"When I picked up the phone this morning, you were the LAST person I was expecting to hear from!" The well-dressed hare chortled, separating from the doe, "How long has it been, 'Nilla?"

"My goodness, I haven't been called that in ages," Vanilla chuckled, her cheeks flashing a noticeable shade of pink, "I'd say at least three years. How have you been, Rob?"

"Oh, fine, fine!" Replied the hare, now known as Robert, crossing his arms over his chest as he smiled pleasantly, "I took up running this place after I graduated college. I've enjoyed it thus far!"

"Well, you have an atypical taste, which lends itself well in this career," Vanilla complimented, "How about your children? How have they been?"

"Fair enough, I suppose…" Robert said shaking his head, "My son has been buckling down in school. He's really working hard. Wants to be a dentist! Daughter's the one I'm struggling the most with. After their mother left, she became involved in some radical feminist group. She thinks all men are evil, which naturally means I'm the worst one!"

"Well, teenaged girls can be… fickle," Vanilla spoke knowingly, "when you don't know where you're going in life, it's easy to become mixed up in the wrong crowd. She'll get over it."

"I know," the male hair said with an implicative grin, "and Cream? How's she doing?"

"She's doing well," Vanilla said with a smile, "I've been homeschooling her and she's very well behaved. Better than I was, certainly…"

"Well, you turned out alright," Rob said with a charming smile, "What about Russell? Are you still--"

"No," Vanilla quickly interjected, adopting an icy facial expression, "and I'd really rather not talk about him…"

"Right…" The male rabbit murmured, his eyes shifting slowly to the young couple beside Vanilla, who had been observing the exchange with intense curiosity, "and who do we have here?"

"Uh, hi!" Tails spoke up, smiling politely, "My name is--"

"Miles Prower!" Robert interrupted, kneeling down to shake the hand of the young fox, "Everybody knows the famous Tails the Fox! You've saved my shop here a number of times! I was standing right here when that Omega-bot rampaged up the main street! Saw the whole thing! I don't know who picked you to be looking out for us common-folk, but I'm certainly glad you do!"

"Heh, thanks," the fox replied, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

"And who's this pretty thing?" The brown hare asked, looking upon Cosmo with a smile, seeming unfazed by her obvious extra-terrestrial nature.

"I'm Cosmo…" She answered simply, looking up at the man, "You know Miss Vanilla?"

"Oh, 'Nilla and I go way, way back!" The hair elaborated, placing a hand around Vanilla's waist in a manner suggesting more than mere friendship, "We went to high school together! Had a bit of a thing for a while there--"

"Like he said, a long time ago!" Interrupted the doe sharply, silencing Rob, who's ears drooped in obvious disappointment.

"Well then, what brings you by?" He asked, recovering from the slight blow to his pride, "Planning on making a second attempt down the isle?"

"Me? No! No! Not again!" Vanilla said with an awkward chuckle, "I've been down that road once already, and it's not one I care to repeat."

"Then what's up? I get the feeling that this visit is more than just a social call."

"It's for them," Vanilla said gesturing toward Tails and Cosmo, who stood closely.

"Ah, I see!" Exclaimed the hair, who knelt to the level of the children once more, "So which of your friends is getting married, young'ens?"

"Ah, no, Rob…" Said Vanilla, her voice adopting a serious inflection, "They are getting married."

"Hah, obviously!" The male rabbit stood, facing Vanilla again, "Really, though, what do you need?"

"Rob, I'm serious. This is Tails and Cosmo. They're the ones getting married."

The group fell silent as the hare stared them down, his grin gradually fading into a concerned frown. His gaze shifted to Tails, then Cosmo, finally settling back on the female rabbit he once knew. Staring into her eyes, he noted her solid demeanor, realizing the seriousness of her claim.

"That's--" he hesitated, anxiety in his voice, "that's disgusting!"

"Rob!" Vanilla snapped harshly.

Those words cut the young couple deeply, hanging their heads in shame as the hare stared them down. Several moments of silence passed as Robert continued to stare in befuddlement, finally turning and addressing the mother doe once more. "I always knew you were a free spirit, Vanilla, but this--they can't be older than ten!" He said accusingly, "What are you trying to do here!?"

"Don't throw in that free spirit nonsense, Robert!" Shot back Vanilla sternly, "You know I'm well passed that! This isn't something I would typically condone! You should know I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have a good reason!"

"What reason could possibly be valid enough to allow two children to get married!?" The hair began to raise his voice, prompting several odd glances from the other customers present in the shop.

"Look at this girl, Robert!" Vanilla elevated her voice to match, "Look at her! Do you know who she is? There's no way you haven't heard of her! Remember the memorial held at Castle Acorn after Sonic's crew returned from space? Do you remember the names of those who died? THIS is Cosmo, Robert! The same Cosmo!"

Robert stood silent, scrutinizing the small alien before him, taking note of how closely she stood to the fox. While he had not personally attended the ceremony those months ago, it had been widely televised across all of Mobotropolis, being one of the most highlighted events of the year. The return of Team Sonic from the depths of space, victorious over the evil alien menace called the Metarex. While the majority of the festivities had been centered around their heroes' return, the names of the fallen were still fresh in his mind, listed by Sonic that day. One of them being an alien named Cosmo. The hare's eyes began to grow wide upon remembering this, disbelieving of the implications her presence meant.

"She--she died, Vanilla," the hair recounted, "I remember on the TV, Sonic said she died! Her and a Shadow fellow!"

"Chaos Emeralds," Vanilla said simply, cutting the hair off. To the Mobians, the powers of the mystical Chaos Emeralds was legendary, almost religious in their significance. Science could only guess how they functioned. One thing the hair knew for certain, if the Chaos Emeralds had been involved, then there was little point in questioning the circumstances. With a sigh of reluctance he shook his head, rubbing his temples sorely.

"Obviously there is a lot more going on here than I know about," he said, turning his gaze to the young couple, "if Vanilla says you two are getting married, then far be it from me to question personages such as yourself!"

The two smiled, Tails breathing a sigh of relief while Cosmo was on the verge of tears. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Cosmo exclaimed, "You have no idea--"

"But, I have two conditions…" The hair cut the Petali off. He then turned to face Vanilla, crossing his arms sternly, "If I agree to help you, you have to tell me everything, and spare no detail…"

"That's fair, I suppose," nodded Vanilla, "it is an odd set of circumstances. It's only right you know what you're getting into. What about your second condition?"

"You tell me… over dinner?" Said Robert with a sly grin.

"Robert!" Vanilla gasped, a heavy blush tinting her cheeks as she folded her arms, "I'm guessing there isn't any negotiating on that one?"

"Nope!" Said he shaking his head.

"Fine," she said hesitantly, smirking back at the persistent hare, "but understand, it's not a date…"

"Call it what you want! Dinner is dinner!" Laughed Robert before turning to the confused youngsters, "so, you two ready to get started?"

"YES!" The two exclaimed in unison, their eyes glistening with excitement.

"Then you picked the right place!" Said the male hare with a grin, standing and leading the troupe to the back of the store, "My store is, simply put, the best!"

"Oh, Rob…" Vanilla groaned, rolling her eyes with a smirk as the four passed into the back of the boutique…
© 2014 - 2024 DrFic-PsyD
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TheSpartanGamer901's avatar
I like how the idea of Taismo in this book can be connected to current events involved in today's world, kind of looking at it like different race marriage

There are those that look at it as a terrible thing and should be outlawed, just like same sex marriage. And then there are those, like myself and Team Sonic, that support it and think people should be allowed to date whoever they want
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