The Final Mission Chapter 1

The final mission: Chapter 1, “Old wounds”
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In the kitchen onboard the ark 1952...

“Shadow! Come in here for a second please!”
I was walking past the door on my way back from the lab and didn’t notice her causing me to get a slight shock from her voice. I quickly recovered from the shock and replied with no delay.
“Yes Maria?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen.
“Can you please help me bake a cake for grandfathers birthday? I could really use the help”
“Sure, But your doing the baking if you want it to be edible!”
“Okay! Hey shadow can you please get the flour?”
As I reached for the flour I looked around the ARK’s kitchen. ‘Wow… I never really looked at THIS room, the counter sparkles with Maria’s reflection… and the sliver colour lights up her hair… pretty…’ I realised I was holding the flour and staring at her so I quickly handed her the flour.
“Here you go!”
“Thank you Shadow! Ok that’s everything now to put it in the oven…”

--------------Mobius 2010----------------------

Bright light was hitting my eyes and I awoke. ‘Damn not again…’ I Pitched the glass of water on my bedside table at the door ‘every night is the same more and more memories, always thinking, no BELIVING it is real.’ A few minutes later I heard a knock, without waiting for the usual answer to be polite, the person who knocked opened the door.

Rouge cautiously entered ‘She most likely knows that I had busted another glass.’ I pondered.
“Aren’t you the one who told me knocking is polite, but you have to wait for an answer?” I asked the Bat humanoid who had just entered my room. She had pearl-white fur covering most body with a black bathrobe on, and smelled of chlorine. ‘She must’ve been in the pool when I broke the glass.’ I thought while I waited for her response.
“If what I thought had happened, had happened  you wouldn’t be able to answer!”
“What did you think happened?” I retorted sharply, instantly wishing I hadn’t.
“ I thought you pulled a Tails Moron! What did you think I meant!”
She started crying and sat down.
“Oh god I am so sorry! I was still upset from the realisation tha- Oh god Rouge I forgo- Just please stop crying!” I asked panicky.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around her I what I hoped was a comforting hug. I had completely forgotten what Tails did just a week ago ‘ There’s  a self slap if there ever was! Tails…… how could I forget?!?’. Tails had woken up from a dream of Cosmo and broke a picture frame which he then used to slice his wrists. Luckily Sonic being the friend that he is had gone to Tails’ house to wake him up and arrived mere seconds later. Seeing the fox on the floor he quickly rushed Tails to the hospital where the doctors said he’ll make a full recovery.

“You should be sorry! What else could I think!?!” Rouge screamed while crying.
“Shh, shh. It is ok now. I am not hurt in any physical form. I am sorry please forgive me… Rouge?”
She tried to calm down but found it hard to. A few minutes later when she was still sniffling but no longer crying she asked him what happened.

“I woke up from a memory… one that actually happened today</b>… 58 years ago. It is the… pr-professor’s b-birthday tomorrow…” She widened her eyes in amazement and understanding, while at the same time her eyes said I could stop. I couldn’t, I had to let it out… my mind craved for another to know.
“Maria c-called me into the kitchen a-and asked m-me to help her bake a cake for h-him…” As I told Rouge this I was fighting back tears, I knew</b> I should stop for my mental safety but I couldn’t</b>.
“I s-said sure, e-even though w-we both k-knew I c-couldn’t cook worth a-a damn.” I hit a pillow, I knew if I got any further I’d let it slip that I felt strongly about her. Knowing Rouge, I knew that for a jewel… hell even for a date with Knuckles she’d  give that information to Sonic, that damn I am a hero</b> faker! However as much as I tried… I still couldn’t stop ‘I can’t stop! But there might still be a way!’.
“I l-looked around the r-room… she w-wa-” I broke off as my tears started to flow down my face. I stood up- no one could see me cry- and started to leave.

“Shadow… Shadow where are you going!” She started out calm but when she saw me leaving she got frantic. I didn’t even turn around when I replied.
“Out. No snooping around my room while I’m gone. And don’t worry… as good of a solution to these memories as suicide is… I won’t. She wouldn’t like it.” I forced my voice to be indifferent, ice-like, even though tears were rolling down my cheeks. I walked out of our house at a brisk walk- by the time I got to the end of the street I was running as fast as I could towards my favourite thinking spot. I heard her call my name but it wasn’t  Rouge’s voice. It was a quiet and pure voice, someone else’s voice… a voice from the past… ‘Maria.’.