Blurb and stuff
Sep. 17th, 2009 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladybug_archiveI'm going to try to catch up on everyone's stuff tonight and tomorrow (very busy week!), and meanwhile here's a short blurb that I worked on off and on over the last couple of days. The end of episode 25. Yeah, yeah, I know. Darn thing wouldn't leave me alone.
He had fallen like this before.
All of his memories had been restored to him now. He remembered clearly what had happened at Space Colony ARK, how he and Sonic had fought to save the world, and how he had tumbled through space, exhausted and drained from using his full power to stop the ARK's collision with Earth. His thoughts then had been weary and satisfied; he had fulfilled Maria's wish and nothing else was as important.
It was strange, that this time his thoughts were filled with sorrow. He had stopped the Black Arms and Devil Doom, for which he held no regrets. He would do it all again, if it came to that. But he had realized something that he had not understood before---he was loved and cared about now, in this time period. And he cared about the people who had longed for him to live---Chris and Helen first and foremost. Was he letting them down? No . . . they would understand. They knew he had to do what he had done.
He would not survive the impact; somehow he knew that. He stared into the sky as he descended further. How soon would the ground meet him? It had already been an eternity that he had been falling. Strange for an ageless creature to say.
Ageless, but not immortal.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I tried. . . ."
The pain slammed into his body in the next moment. Everything went dark, for the last time.
****
He had felt this fear before.
When Shadow had fallen from the ARK, Chris had not expected it. He had believed that Shadow, as the Ultimate Lifeform, would survive. When the door had opened after the battle, he had fully expected both hedgehogs to come in. He had wanted to talk to Shadow again, even to invite him to come back with them and live at his house. He had wanted so badly for Shadow to have a new start and to be able to live and be happy . . . but it had not been able to be.
When Shadow had stopped time around the planet eggs' power, Chris had known the likely outcome. He had been afraid that Shadow had made his last move, as Eggman had speculated, and that no one had been able to save him that time. And it had stabbed him again, just as it had done on the ARK.
When he had seen in the dark sky that Devil Doom had been destroyed at last, he had also seen a limp body being thrust away from the force of the explosion. And he had known, not only that it was Shadow, but that his friend had made the move Chris had prayed to never see him make again.
He had removed his inhibitor rings in order to finish off Devil Doom.
"Shadow!"
Chris's voice choked from his throat as if it was parched and dry. And even though he was now both physically and mentally eighteen, he felt like a lost boy as he all but flew over the devastation in search of a red-and-black hedgehog. The remnants of the Black Arms' war on Station Square were all too obvious here; buildings and homes alike were decimated. Other objects, from uprooted trees to street signs and lamp posts, as well as cars, had been scattered all in directions---as if it had been as easy as a child throwing unwanted toys over the living room floor.
But there was no sign of Shadow.
Chris's wild run was abruptly halted as something suddenly got in the way of his foot. He gasped, flinging his arms out to steady himself and keep from falling into the debris. The light of the moon caught the offending object's identity all too clearly.
"The Purple Emerald," he whispered in realization.
Bending down, he scooped the jewel into his hands. It lay there, shimmering and unconcerned of what its presence meant. But tears were filling in Chris's eyes.
Shadow had lost the Chaos Emeralds when he had fallen.
Chris shoved the gem into his pocket as he ran forward again, now screaming for Shadow with added panic and fear. Shadow was . . . he had to be . . . but he couldn't be!
"Shadow!" Chris's voice echoed plaintively over the debris. "Shadow, where are you?!"
But that was when the light of the moon captured something he had not wanted to see---a lifeless body laying atop the remains of a collapsed building. From this distance, it was impossible to tell whose body it was---but Chris just knew. He tore ahead and to the mound, ignoring the cuts and scrapes his hands received as he climbed and stumbled.
"Shadow," he choked out, falling to his knees next to the form. The hedgehog's closed eyes and expressionless visage were silent and eerie in a way that would continue to haunt Chris forever after this. The truth was obvious, but he refused to believe it. Shadow had been alive in the past, even when it had seemed impossible; he could not be dead now!
"Wake up!" he cried, leaning forward as he pounded on Shadow's chest. "Shadow, please . . ."
There was no response to the attempt at resuscitation. Shuddering, Chris gathered Shadow's motionless body into his arms. He would take Shadow home and have his grandfather look at him. If he could still be saved, Chuck Thorndyke would know what to do.
Standing on wobbling legs, Chris turned and fled for home, hugging the still form close to him.
****
Throughout his life, there had been many things Chuck Thorndyke had not wanted to do. There had been telephone calls he had not wanted to make, people he had not wanted to see, and decisions he had not wanted to seal. There had been so many times years ago when he had needed to forbade Nelson from doing some childish thing or another, and even when he knew it was for the best good of his son, he had hated to see the crushed look in the boy's eyes. And six years ago, when he had been forced to let Chris know that Sonic and the others would have to return to their world or time would stop, he had been pierced by what he had seen in Chris's eyes.
He would see a far more stabbing and horrible look in his grandson's eyes tonight. Of all things he had ever hated to do or say, there was nothing he dreaded more than telling Chris that his friend was dead.
And that was exactly what he would have to do.
He leaned back, sickened as he stared into the silent and still face of Shadow the Hedgehog. Chris had brought him here in desperation, hoping that his grandfather could do something to save the one who had protected the world from destruction. But Chuck Thorndyke could not do a thing. He had tried everything he knew, drawing on his knowledge of science, and it had all failed him in the end. If there was a way to revive a deceased lifeform that had been supposed to possess eternal life, he did not know what it could be.
He took a deep breath, looking to his heartbroken grandson. Chris was an adult now, but that did not stop Chuck from wanting to comfort him as he had tried to do when Chris had been a boy. And the look in his eyes was openly displaying his fear. He knew what was coming, even though a part of him had clung to the last threads of hope.
Chuck laid a hand on his shoulder. "Chris, I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice low. "He's gone."
The last embers of hope in Chris's eyes fizzled to ash. He fell into his grandfather's arms, his shoulders quaking as he openly cried.
I had a very, *very* weird and disturbing dream in which I was RPing Espio's death and the aftermath with someone and then this person took it upon themselves to decide that we would do a "Search for Spock" revival of Espio; i.e., he would start out as a baby and grow up again. Which I immediately protested (rightfully so, especially since I was Espio....). **headdesk.** I didn't like it for Spock and I didn't like it for Sailor Saturn (even though I think it was done better with her), and I sure as freakin' heck don't like it for Espio! Anyway ... that means I'll probably have to write a blurb of Espio's resurrection to get that crap out of my head. Of course, I've been wanting to write that blurb anyway. XD; But right now I was trying to start the multi-chapter fic that will contain most of my season 4. (Minus the already-posted episode 1/prologue.)
And does anyone know if any good fics exist about the friendship between the Chaotix members? Preferably game/Sonic X verses, but I'd take Archie or Fleetway too, if the story was good.
He had fallen like this before.
All of his memories had been restored to him now. He remembered clearly what had happened at Space Colony ARK, how he and Sonic had fought to save the world, and how he had tumbled through space, exhausted and drained from using his full power to stop the ARK's collision with Earth. His thoughts then had been weary and satisfied; he had fulfilled Maria's wish and nothing else was as important.
It was strange, that this time his thoughts were filled with sorrow. He had stopped the Black Arms and Devil Doom, for which he held no regrets. He would do it all again, if it came to that. But he had realized something that he had not understood before---he was loved and cared about now, in this time period. And he cared about the people who had longed for him to live---Chris and Helen first and foremost. Was he letting them down? No . . . they would understand. They knew he had to do what he had done.
He would not survive the impact; somehow he knew that. He stared into the sky as he descended further. How soon would the ground meet him? It had already been an eternity that he had been falling. Strange for an ageless creature to say.
Ageless, but not immortal.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I tried. . . ."
The pain slammed into his body in the next moment. Everything went dark, for the last time.
****
He had felt this fear before.
When Shadow had fallen from the ARK, Chris had not expected it. He had believed that Shadow, as the Ultimate Lifeform, would survive. When the door had opened after the battle, he had fully expected both hedgehogs to come in. He had wanted to talk to Shadow again, even to invite him to come back with them and live at his house. He had wanted so badly for Shadow to have a new start and to be able to live and be happy . . . but it had not been able to be.
When Shadow had stopped time around the planet eggs' power, Chris had known the likely outcome. He had been afraid that Shadow had made his last move, as Eggman had speculated, and that no one had been able to save him that time. And it had stabbed him again, just as it had done on the ARK.
When he had seen in the dark sky that Devil Doom had been destroyed at last, he had also seen a limp body being thrust away from the force of the explosion. And he had known, not only that it was Shadow, but that his friend had made the move Chris had prayed to never see him make again.
He had removed his inhibitor rings in order to finish off Devil Doom.
"Shadow!"
Chris's voice choked from his throat as if it was parched and dry. And even though he was now both physically and mentally eighteen, he felt like a lost boy as he all but flew over the devastation in search of a red-and-black hedgehog. The remnants of the Black Arms' war on Station Square were all too obvious here; buildings and homes alike were decimated. Other objects, from uprooted trees to street signs and lamp posts, as well as cars, had been scattered all in directions---as if it had been as easy as a child throwing unwanted toys over the living room floor.
But there was no sign of Shadow.
Chris's wild run was abruptly halted as something suddenly got in the way of his foot. He gasped, flinging his arms out to steady himself and keep from falling into the debris. The light of the moon caught the offending object's identity all too clearly.
"The Purple Emerald," he whispered in realization.
Bending down, he scooped the jewel into his hands. It lay there, shimmering and unconcerned of what its presence meant. But tears were filling in Chris's eyes.
Shadow had lost the Chaos Emeralds when he had fallen.
Chris shoved the gem into his pocket as he ran forward again, now screaming for Shadow with added panic and fear. Shadow was . . . he had to be . . . but he couldn't be!
"Shadow!" Chris's voice echoed plaintively over the debris. "Shadow, where are you?!"
But that was when the light of the moon captured something he had not wanted to see---a lifeless body laying atop the remains of a collapsed building. From this distance, it was impossible to tell whose body it was---but Chris just knew. He tore ahead and to the mound, ignoring the cuts and scrapes his hands received as he climbed and stumbled.
"Shadow," he choked out, falling to his knees next to the form. The hedgehog's closed eyes and expressionless visage were silent and eerie in a way that would continue to haunt Chris forever after this. The truth was obvious, but he refused to believe it. Shadow had been alive in the past, even when it had seemed impossible; he could not be dead now!
"Wake up!" he cried, leaning forward as he pounded on Shadow's chest. "Shadow, please . . ."
There was no response to the attempt at resuscitation. Shuddering, Chris gathered Shadow's motionless body into his arms. He would take Shadow home and have his grandfather look at him. If he could still be saved, Chuck Thorndyke would know what to do.
Standing on wobbling legs, Chris turned and fled for home, hugging the still form close to him.
****
Throughout his life, there had been many things Chuck Thorndyke had not wanted to do. There had been telephone calls he had not wanted to make, people he had not wanted to see, and decisions he had not wanted to seal. There had been so many times years ago when he had needed to forbade Nelson from doing some childish thing or another, and even when he knew it was for the best good of his son, he had hated to see the crushed look in the boy's eyes. And six years ago, when he had been forced to let Chris know that Sonic and the others would have to return to their world or time would stop, he had been pierced by what he had seen in Chris's eyes.
He would see a far more stabbing and horrible look in his grandson's eyes tonight. Of all things he had ever hated to do or say, there was nothing he dreaded more than telling Chris that his friend was dead.
And that was exactly what he would have to do.
He leaned back, sickened as he stared into the silent and still face of Shadow the Hedgehog. Chris had brought him here in desperation, hoping that his grandfather could do something to save the one who had protected the world from destruction. But Chuck Thorndyke could not do a thing. He had tried everything he knew, drawing on his knowledge of science, and it had all failed him in the end. If there was a way to revive a deceased lifeform that had been supposed to possess eternal life, he did not know what it could be.
He took a deep breath, looking to his heartbroken grandson. Chris was an adult now, but that did not stop Chuck from wanting to comfort him as he had tried to do when Chris had been a boy. And the look in his eyes was openly displaying his fear. He knew what was coming, even though a part of him had clung to the last threads of hope.
Chuck laid a hand on his shoulder. "Chris, I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice low. "He's gone."
The last embers of hope in Chris's eyes fizzled to ash. He fell into his grandfather's arms, his shoulders quaking as he openly cried.
I had a very, *very* weird and disturbing dream in which I was RPing Espio's death and the aftermath with someone and then this person took it upon themselves to decide that we would do a "Search for Spock" revival of Espio; i.e., he would start out as a baby and grow up again. Which I immediately protested (rightfully so, especially since I was Espio....). **headdesk.** I didn't like it for Spock and I didn't like it for Sailor Saturn (even though I think it was done better with her), and I sure as freakin' heck don't like it for Espio! Anyway ... that means I'll probably have to write a blurb of Espio's resurrection to get that crap out of my head. Of course, I've been wanting to write that blurb anyway. XD; But right now I was trying to start the multi-chapter fic that will contain most of my season 4. (Minus the already-posted episode 1/prologue.)
And does anyone know if any good fics exist about the friendship between the Chaotix members? Preferably game/Sonic X verses, but I'd take Archie or Fleetway too, if the story was good.
