Aunt Maria was a storm. The last mission had been a disaster. Sure, the objective had been met, and everyone was alive, but that didn't mean it had been close to becoming something worse. Angie and Zephyr had come out with the least amount of damage. Maybe some guilt, self-blame and concern over their teammates, but it wasn't something that would affect them for long
Mari and Sparky were a different matter.
The elder hedgehog's thoughts turned to her nephew. Sparky was a mess when the children returned. The young fox was shaking, eyes dim, and looked like he was about to be sick. He wouldn't let go of Angie. Apparently, he had to cut the generator down, leaving him to fall down into the bowels of the volcano. Aunt Maria was well aware of the child's fear of heights, a number of occasions she had to calm down Sparky from nightmares about falling. No wonder he had been shaken so badly, and it was no question that this mission would stick with the fox for years to come.
And Mari.
Oh, Aunt Maria nearly had a heart attack when she saw her eldest niece. The young cross-breed had fought through her wounds and instinct, throughout the whole return trip. Hideous burns marked her upper body; shoulders, face, head, and her entire left arm. The elder hedgehog could feel the unstable sparks of chaos that clung to what was left of her niece's fur. The incredible strength Mari showed by even standing up, gave out the moment the cross-breed entered her room. Aunt Maria barely had enough time to catch her niece before Mari fell to the floor, finally giving in and slipping into unconsciousness.
The next few hours were agonizing. Mari began quilling, losing all the damaged fur and quills at what would be an alarming rate if she were a normal hedgehog. Thus, revealing the damaged skin underneath. Aunt Maria spent over an hour cleaning and wrapping the burns. It was painful to look at, and odd seeing her niece's bare skin. Most would expect just pale, maybe reddish skin, but Mari's was different. It was inked with black. At least most of her body was. If her dark fur wasn't covering her, then her true blood showed. Black Doom may have been long dead, but his blood still managed to leave a mark on his granddaughter. Mari's skin was alien; covered in strips, swirls and markings of midnight. Much like the mindless soldiers of the Black Arm armies that she shared blood with.
Aunt Maria liked to believe her grandfather had been a kind loving man. Not the kind to make a deal with a devil. Once her brother told her of some of the more...questionable...choices he made while working on PROJECT SHADOW, that perfect picture of a kind man gained a crack in its frame. Still, those decisions gave her Shadow and Eclipse, her little brothers, and eventually her niece and nephew, so she didn't hate him. However, those decisions still happened, and they showed through Mari's skin. Even if with in a matter of hours the markings were covered by a sea of silky dark fur once more, hiding them like they were never there.
The golden hedgehog sighed, hearing another whimper coming from the now half mummified, child on the bed next to her. She quickly resoaked the cloth that was on Mari's head. Aunt Maria wasn't even surprised that a migraine followed her niece's collapse. Anything from heavy stress to wounds could trigger them these days. Which did little to curb her worry for the child. Mari's father had migraines leading up to his death, but back then they, she and the others, didn't know their true meaning. She ran a hand over Mari's head, feeling fresh healthy quills already growing back. At least thanks to that monster's blood, her niece would bounce back within a day. That was, if this migraine was a short one.
The room's entry door opened with a squeaked. Aunt Maria looked over the railing of Mari's loft, finding that Angie had walked in. The red child, now looking much more alive, having taken a shower and eaten a meal, lightly shut the door. Black wings almost soundlessly lifting the half-breed up to the loft.
"How is she?" Angie whispered.
"Resting," Aunt Maria said.
Angie looked to her friend. The plum purple eyes shining with concern, "You wanted to speak with me?"
"Yes," Aunt Maria said, "I just need to know what happened."
"Bottom Feeders," Angie said looking towards the ground, "They got both me and Mari. Zephyr tried to get to the target, but...missed."
"Forcing Sparky into the firefight."
Angie nodded, and silence fell over them for a moment, before speaking up again, her words more for herself then for anyone else, "She did it again. She got hurt. She got hurt, while trying to protect us."
Aunt Maria sighed, looking towards her eldest niece. Mari had taken after her father. That much had been clear since she was a young child. Not only did she look the most like him, but they had the same spirit. Despite what many had heard of her late brother's reputation, he was not a killer blind by his pain and rage. He merely was wounded young, quiet and wasn't one for public events, but he did care deeply for those close to him. Mari was the same.
"I know, but we can't stop her," The elder hedgehog said.
"Can we really not do anything?" Angie nearly begged, "She's getting worse."
"Even if there was, I don't think she'd let us."
Zephyr woke up screaming.
His blue quills, frizzing and spiking out like that of a startled kitten. Gasp came in quick breaths, as his ears twitched. Had that been real?
The door to his room opened and Aunt Maria rushed in, "Zephyr are you alright?"
The young speedster just nodded, numbly. His breath still panicked. A soft smile from his aunt did little to calm him. She sat next to him on the bed, and pulled him into an embrace. Zephyr hugged back, not really caring about acting tough right now. If it wasn't for the lack of the smell of cooking spices, Zephyr might have believed he was in his ma's arms.
"Bad dream?" Aunt Maria said.
Zephyr nodded.
"It must've been a bad one. You don't usually wake up screaming from nightmares."
"It was. It felt real. Like I was there."
Aunt Maria pulled away slightly, her hands still on his shoulders, as her pale blue eyes stared at him, "What did you see Zephyr?" her voice chillingly serious.
"It wasn't much," Zephyr started while breathing heavily: "Just the camp where we took out the silo. There was this raccoon who...He wasn't supposed to be there...he snuck in. There was this underground tunnel. I don't know what they were making but they were building something down there. Something big. They...they found him...captured him...I woke up before anything else."
Aunt Maria's eyes had widened slowly, as Zephyr explained.
The expression of shock, made Zephyr's stomach churn, "Aunt Maria?"
"I think it's time to talk about your mother's powers."
"Amy's was not known for her clairvoyance, but on a number of occasions her dreams or even sudden visions, warned us of upcoming struggles. I believe this situation is the same."
Zephyr hugged his knees, as he curled up in a chair that sat at the assembly hall's table. His thoughts raging faster than he could run, as Aunt Maria's words continued to roll around in his head. Had he truly inherited the power of witnessing the future from his mother? Had he been clairvoyant this whole time?
The young hedgehog had had dreams like this before. He'd wake up screaming, even if it hadn't been a fearful dream. It was the realistic aspect of them that shattered sleep for the speedster. Like once he had dreamt of a pot of noodles falling to the floor, and he woke up screaming, but it happened the next day. Or the nightmare about the flood that happened a few years ago. He hadn't thought about them much at the time. Kitchen accidents happen in a restaurant, and the weather had looked stormy the morning of the flood.
His Ma and Pa didn't make a connection either. They were more concerned with some kind of underlying sleep issue. His ma even took him to the village healer about it, but this was beyond his medicinal knowledge and going to another doctor was out of the question. Redwell was a poor town, self-sustaining, but still poor. You could walk from one side to the other in less than 20 minutes (well 20 seconds for him). There wasn't any sort of cars or vehicles, other than a single wagon the farmers shared. Sometime travelers would stay for a night or two at the local inn, and they'd give you a ride, but it usually came with a fee and no return trip. Meaning traveling to city to another doctor would be practically impossible (at least without his powers).
"So, you're saying that because Zephyr received a vision that means there's someone kidnapped and held hostage on the silo grounds?" Sparky said, drawing Zephyr back into the present.
After he had woken up, Aunt Maria called for a meeting. Waking everyone, except for Damian (because he was five and wasn't supposed to be involved in world saving stuff yet) and Mari (as she was still recovering). Now he Angie and Sparky were all gathered around the same table their parents once sat at.
"Yes Sparky," Aunt Maria said.
"Did you know that you could?" Angie asked, turning to the blue hedgehog.
"Nope," Zephyr said shaking his head.
"Did you see what they were building?" Sparky said.
"No, not really," Zephyr said, "All I know is that it was big. And...the rabbit with Chaos powers...she was there."
"The one that attacked you and Sparky three weeks ago?" Angie said.
Zephyr nodded, "She seemed to be looking over anything, like she was controlling things."
Aunt Maria hummed, "If she was leading the project it stands to reason that she's building it for you."
"For me?" Zephyr raised a confused, and concerned brow, "No offence to her, but my birthday isn't until January."
"I don't think it's a present Zephyr," Angie said, "A least not a nice one."
"Actually, this makes sense," Sparky muttered.
Zephyr looked to the fox, "What do you mean?"
"What does Scrouge want Zephyr?" Sparky said.
"Sparky!" Aunt Maria said.
"I know, I know, Aunt Maria. I'm sorry but I need to be blunt," Sparky said.
"He's right," Angie said, "Scourge wants us. He wants all super powered mobians, or anyone associated with them gone. So, he'll be in control."
"It's only logical that his subordinates do the same," Sparky said, "The attack wasn't random..."
"It was a test. To see how strong, you were..." Spoke someone who hadn't been in the room.
Zephyr's ears went up as he turned towards the entry way of the assemble hall. Eyes going wide, as he saw Mari standing there. Still in her PJs and quills down. Fur coat and quills seemingly fresh and shiny, despite the slight pain and exhaustion in her eyes. She leaned against the door way, crossing her arms (one of which was bandaged) in order to make it look like it was a choice rather than out of need.
"Mari! You should still be in bed!" Angie nearly shouted.
"I'm fine," Mari stated firmly.
"No, you're not!" Angie stood up, "How did you know we were even here?"
"You know that you can't hide anything from me Angie, not inside the mansion's walls," Mari said.
"Enough," Aunt Maria said.
"Aunt Maria, Mari should..." Angie tried to say.
"I know Angie, but if Mari feels up to it, she's welcomed to join us," Aunt Maria said.
Angie sat back down, but she did so reluctantly. Her plum purple eyes seeming to gleam with both concern and irritation.
"So, Mari I had a dream and..." Zephyr tried to explain.
"You don't need to explain, I heard everything," Mari said taking a seat.
"Okay," Zephyr said, rolling his eyes at the rude clarification.
Sparky cleared his throat, "So what are we going to do?"
"Well, we're obviously going in and rescuing whoever's eyes I was seeing through," Zephyr said.
"No," Mari said firmly.
"What?!" Zephyr said.
"We don't have solid information. No lay out of the facility. We don't even know if this is real," Mari said, "Going in is a major risk."
"What would make you agree to action?" Aunt Maria said.
"Information from more reliable sources confirming our suspicions," Mari stated.
"I saw the events myself!" Zephyr said, "What more reliable source do you need?"
"You saw it in a dream."
"It was vision!"
"Maybe it was, but it's not impossible for a clairvoyant to be tricked into seeing something that someone else wants them to see. Especially if the said clairvoyant is young and inexperienced. This could be nothing but way to lure us into a trap," Mari said.
"So, you'd rather us do nothing and leave someone to die?" Zephyr said.
"If we do this the risk of one of us not making it out is considerably raised. The best outcome here is us walking out with someone missing a limb," Mari said.
"You don't know that," Zephyr said.
"Aunt Maria? Your imput?" Angie interjected, clearly hoping to ease the tension in the room.
"I agree with Marisol," Aunt Maria said quietly.
"What?!" Zephyr said.
"Zephyr, Marisol is correct. We just don't have enough information. I'm not sending anyone in yet. Not until I get inside information," She looked at the ground and clacked her cane against it, "You all are dismissed. It's late back to bed all of you."
Aunt Maria left the room. Leaving Zephyr in a state of disbelief. They had just sentenced someone to death. Not directly, but by doing nothing they were just as responsible for whatever fate they would suffer. Rage began to churn in Zephyr's stomach and his blood boiled throughout his body. He clenched his fist. Only one image came into his mind. Mari. The young hedgehog was done with her indifference to everything. Her lack of care. The way she approached everything with a blank stare, or annoyed glance. He was done.
Mari had vanished in a flash of blue light once Aunt Maria had called the meeting off. Zephyr first tried her room, but she wasn't there. Not even on the 8th floor in general. This started off a furious blot around the mansion; bursting through the halls, and slamming open doors. The young hedgehog didn't care about accidentally waking the others up. However, Zephyr didn't find Mari in the mansion, he found her outside.
The crossbreed was on the training field. Her seemingly fresh quills undone, though she had changed into her usually clothing. Her dark fur blended her frame with the shadows of the night. If it hadn't been for her odd glowing body marks, Zephyr would've never known she was there. His ear twitched once when the sound of blows to a sparing dummy reached him. A scowl twisted his facial features. How could she behave like everything was normal?!
"Zephyr?" A sudden but familiar voice spoke from behind.
The young hedgehog turned around finding, Angie and Sparky running up to him. Confusion on their faces.
"What's going on?" Sparky said.
"Why were you blasting through the house like a crazed animal?" Angie said her plum eyes appearing exhausted, confused, concern and almost irritated with the situation.
"I've had it with Mari," Zephyr all but growled.
"Zephyr," Angie said her voice becoming serious, causing Sparky to take a step back, "What are you going to do?"
"Give her a piece of my mind."
"Zephyr, stop and take a breath, before you do something you're going to regret."
"Regret Angie? If I don't do anything someone is going to die! I'm going to regret not doing something! Someone is in danger and needs my help, our help, and I'm not going to let Mari stop us!"
"What? How is Mari stopping us?"
"It's obvious that Aunt Maria favors her out of all of us. Mari can tell her anything and Aunt Maria will take her side!"
"Mari has the most battle experience out of the four of us, Aunt Maria values her opinion because she can be trusted to look out for us."
Zephyr growled and shook his head, "No. Angie! I know you like her, and consider Mari a friend, but she needs to be knocked down a few pegs!"
The speedster took off towards the dark girl. Leaving in his wake a swirl of soil and gusts of whipping wind. He didn't even hear Angie calling after him.
"Mari!" Zephyr shouted.
The black crossbreed calmly turned to face him. She raised a flat brow, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"What is your problem!?" Zephyr shouted as he came closer.
"My problem? What are you talking about?"
"You know what I mean! Someone is in danger and we're just going to leave them to die?"
"This again?" Mari sighed, "Zipper, go back to bed. This has already been discussed and a decision was made. It's over. You don't need to worry about it anymore."
"It's over? You just sentenced someone to death! You're acting like it's nothing!"
"It is nothing. One life for the sake of everything. Have you never heard of the needs of the many out way the needs of the few?"
"How does that apply to this situation! Somebody is in danger! Somebody who probably has someone out there who cares about them! You're choosing to let a family grieve!"
"Zipper, if we go on this mission and not all of us come out. It could mean the loss of many more lives than just this one person. We are the last chance we have at ending this war. We cannot take unnecessary risks. We need to focus on the big picture, not the details."
"And what picture is that exactly?"
"A world free of Scourge's control. The others safe!"
"They are safe, they can handle themselves!"
"A madman is hunting them, hedgehog! No one is safe."
"You don't know that!"
"Don't I? Who has been here since birth? Who has seen everything that this manic has done? You have no idea what we're up against."
"I don't?! Seriously?! I've seen what his forces can do!"
"But you haven't seen what he can do," Mari's voice was calm, so chillingly calm, but in his rage Zaphyre didn't notice.
"Zephyr! Mari!" Angie said, finally making her way over, with Sparky not too far behind.
But Zephyr and Mari paid them no mind.
"Scourge murdered my mother and father in cold blood. Two of the most powerful mobians in history. Mobians had survived wars and genocide," Mari growled, "Their deaths, all of their deaths, are because of him. They were heroes, great heroes. All of them were," She took a breath, "He killed them all. He wants to kill us, no matter who we are. I won't let him get away with it."
Zephyr paused, taking a breath, before saying, "You don't care, do you? You just want revenge. We don't matter to you. Me, Sparky, Aunt Maria, Angie, heck maybe even Damian! We're all just pawns in your plan to kill this guy! And you'll kill anyone who gets in your way! You're no better than him!"
"Zephyr!" Angie shouted.
Mari's eye fixed into a glare, "Don't you dare compare me to that monster!"
"Why not! You don't care! You just want revenge!"
"I am nothing like him!"
"Yes, you are! You're a killer and a bully! You've been trying to get rid of me since I got here! Do I really threaten you that much?!
"Zephyr..." Angie tried to cut in.
"Are you so vain that you need to send someone to die to make you feel better about yourself!?"
"Zephyr..."
"You know it's a good thing your dad is dead! Because if he were still here, he'd hate who you are!"
Angie gave a quiet gasp, and the world suddenly went quiet. For a moment the glare on Mari's face vanished. His words had cut deeply. She pulled her vest's hood over her head and turned to leave, trying to hide. However, Zephyr didn't see any of this. Anger blinded him, he only saw her turn her back on him and walk away. Dismissing him once more.
"Hey!" Zephyr ran up to her, his hand grabbing her arm, "I'm not done with you, yet!"
"Let go," Mari said, her voice quiet and quivering.
"No!"
"Enough Zipper," Mari said, her breathing growing heavy.
"I don't think so! Why are you like this! Do you really think...!"
"I said enough!" Mari shouted, wrenching her arm away.
Zephyr barely had time to register the green aura surround Mari's body, before the unstable chaos energy reached a breaking point. The power exploded out from the crossbreed, in a raging wild wave of chaos magic. It threw Zephyr back, sending the young speedster sprawled into a dirt trench his body had carved as it flailed.
There was a pounding in his head, and the taste of copper in his mouth, as Zephyr pulled himself up from the ground. His eyes blearily opened, finding Mari now on her knees inside of a fresh shallow crater. She looked up, eyes filled with horror. Tear pinpricking their edges, as she shook her head. Breaths becoming gasps, as she stumbled to her feet. Never had Zephyr seen her appear so young. The strong cold killer was gone, and what replaced was a young child. Her brown eyes, no longer fierce, but terrified. Mari only remained for a second more, before vanishing in a flash of blue light. Only then was Zephyr able to get back to his own feet.
"Hey wait!" he called out.
"Stop!" A strong hand gripped his shoulder, and pulled him back to the ground.
Zephyr groaned in pain and looked up, finding Angie standing over him, "Angie, why did you...?"
"Oh, Shut up! Haven't you done enough!" The red girl screeched.
"Hopefully," Zephyr said getting back up.
Angie hissed, "Don't you dare make jokes about this Zephyr the Hedgehog! You have crossed a line tonight!"
"And what line would that be?!"
"Are you serious?! You practically just attacked Mari!"
"She used her powers first!"
"It not the powers I'm talking about. How could you even say those things to her?!"
"All I said was the truth! She doesn't care Angie! All she wants is Revenge!"
"Mari is not as vengeful as you're making her out to be, and even if she is, I can't blame her for it! That monster took away her parents!"
"That's no excuse! He killed all of our parents! We're all in the same boat!"
"You didn't watch yours die, Zephyr!"
Zephyr paused, anger withering away to confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"Mari was there, Zephyr. She was on the same battlefield with her parents, when her father was killed. She saw everything. She watched him take his last breath! For chaos's sake!"
"Why was she...?"
"Because they were desperate! By this point half of the league was already dead or missing! Mari volunteered, because she knew that without her, they weren't going to come back home!" Angie shook her head, "She was never the same after that day."
Zephyr tried to say something, but Angie cut him off.
"And don't you pretend that you know what that's like. You may have lost them Zephyr, but you were a baby. You didn't have any bond to be ripped away from you, or any moments to remember and grieve over."
"Angie..."
"'and she doesn't care!'? Are you kidding me!? Mari cares! She cares so deeply that she works herself to the bone in training so that she can protect us! She will harm herself if it means saving one of us! She blew up her own face last mission for me! You think the Bottom Feeder caused her burns?! They can't use chaos attacks. Mari did that to herself to save me!"
"If she cares then why did she try to scare me away! Huh?"
"Because she saw how happy, how pure, and how unscarred you were. She saw you as someone who would die out here, so she tried to get you to go back home. She didn't want to see you be broken by war like all of us have been. She was trying to protect you, by shoving you away! I know it follows no logic and is needlessly complicated, but that's just how her brain works sometimes."
Zephyr was silent. Angie just sighed, still glaring at him, before turning around and walked away.
"Where are you going?" Zephyr said.
"To find Mari, before she does something stupid," Angie said, before taking off. Her bat side showing as she vanished into the shadows of the night.
Zephyr just stood there for was second unsure what to feel. Shock, confusion, maybe guilt, but he ignored that one at the moment. A whimper came from behind, and Zephyr turned around. Sparky stood behind him. The little fox was curled up in his tails, eyes filled with tears but far too scared to start sobbing. He clearly hadn't taken the fighting well.
"What is going on out here?!" Aunt Maria called as she came outside.
This, wasn't going to end well.
Her breath felt hot in her throat. All she could taste was blood and dryness, as she choked back sobs. The dark forest around her did little to bring comfort. Most of leaves had died due to the coming winter, dawning their colorful funeral wear; many having already fallen to the ground. So, all that surrounded her was cracked mural of bare branches. The wind had come to comfort her, like it had always done, but she had shaken its loving hold away.
She didn't want to be touched. She shouldn't be touched. Not now. Not when it wasn't safe. Not when she wasn't safe.
Mari choaked and fell to her knees. Breath came in short bursts. Heart pounded too hard to ignore. Eyes burning as they threatened to tear once more. A dizziness swirled inside her head, and nausea churned her gut. Everything in her mind came flying at her. Each thought and emotion, slapping her in the face as they rushed by, too fast to even see. There was no rescue coming as she was drowning in this raging ocean.
She was losing control. She lost control. She slipped up. Lost her grip. She didn't kill him, but it had been close. Too close. Mari couldn't lose control. She wouldn't allow it. There was too much art risk to lose control. Mari once had heard her aunt say she and her father were like diamonds. Strong, hard, and bright, but when they shattered. It was nearly impossible for them to put themselves back together. And now she was shattering. She couldn't shatter! Not right now! Not when everyone needed her...
Shattered. Snapped. Broken.
No. No. That wasn't happening. That could happen once everyone was safe. She wouldn't let herself break. It wasn't an option.
Take control. Take control. Take control. This was her mind, her body, and her conscious. It was hers to control.
So, why did it seem like it was attacking her?
Mari screamed.
She had done everything right. Hadn't she? She protected them. She kept everyone shielded from the horrors of war. Right? She volunteered for every mission that Aunt Maria had, so she could either protect them on it, or so that they didn't need to go. Every firefight, every supply trip, every venture beyond the cliff wall; she made sure they were safe.
Her family.
It was the first lesson she was ever taught. Those close to you are the ones that you protect and treasure above everything else. Those who love you. There was no greater gift than love, so you protected it, and Mari took that to heart. Or at least she thought she did.
A clawed hand slowly crept up to grip the gold ring pendant that bound around her neck. She had promised her father. Promised him, that she would protect the others. She was the eldest of the children. It was her duty. If she was the last one standing, she would do everything in her power to protect them. Even the odd blue newcomer. She had tried to stop him from getting involved, before it was too late. He was young, reckless, but knew how to weaponize words. Even now his final line, shook her to her core.
"'You know it's a good thing your dad is dead! Because if he were still here, he'd hate who you are!'"
It wasn't true. Was it? Mari swallowed the bile that had creeped up her throat. She had tried so hard. So hard to make her father proud. Mari had loved him dearly, that even after death she still felt the desire to please him. It was the best feeling in the world as a young child, to do something anything, and watch the spark of pride appear in his red eyes. He had loved her. He had loved her more than anyone ever would've. Even after Damian was born.
Oh, Damian. Her brother had been both blessed and cursed in her eyes. When that tiny babe had opened his eyes for the first time, and looked at her with mix-matched eyes, Mari fell in love. The boy had been born with an eye of his father's and the other of their loving mother. Thanks to him she would never forget what her parents loving gaze looked like, but sometimes she wondered if they could see her through Dami's eyes.
What would they think of her now?
"Mari?"
She jumped, something to be embarrassed about later, but through shaky breaths she turned around. Find Angie approaching slowly.
"Mari?" Angie called out again.
"Don't come any closer!" Mari choaked, "I don't know if I'm safe for you yet."
"You won't hurt me Mari," Angie said.
"You don't..."
Angie rushed forward, wrapping Mari in her arms. Her grip strong but gentle, "No you won't."
Sobs finally made their escape from her throat, ripping their way out. Salty tears flowed over her eyes.
Mari broke.
"What were you thinking?" Aunt Maria said, her voice tired.
Zephyr just flicked his ear, looking at the ground. He didn't know what to feel. He didn't know what he already felt. Was it anger? Sorrow? Maybe guilt? Whatever it was, it wasn't a good feeling.
"I don't know," Zephyr said.
"You must have some reason, no action happens without one," Aunt Maria said, "We're you angry?"
"I think I was frustrated."
"Why were you frustrated?"
"Mari...she just..."
"Is she really the reason your mad?"
"I don't...There's just something...I don't know..."
"I know she hasn't been the kindest person to you since you've been here," Aunt Maria sighed, "That might be partially our fault."
"What do you mean?"
"People are shaped by their experiences Zephyr. We as the adults didn't protect her as much as we should've. We broke too many promises, and left her on her own too young. She doesn't trust easily, because she knows that to find someone who's worthy of it, is a rarity these days. She grew up too fast. She doesn't hate you Zephyr, she's just a scared little girl who is controlled by her trauma. Now that's no excuse for her actions tonight."
"It wasn't her fault," Zephyr said quickly, guilt beginning to seep into his features. Everything about the fight was coming back to him, now he could see the events clearly. What was said. What had happened. And Mari's mask cracking. "I provoked her. I didn't think she would lose control like that."
"You had no reason too. Mari's powers are on the more unstable side, but she works hard keeping them contained. Of course, everyone has slip ups. It just takes a lot to push her over the edge," Aunt Maria sighed.
"Are you still mad?"
"Not at you. Though I will be working with you on controlling your impulses," She clicked her tongue, "Do you think you've learned something?"
"Maybe don't jump the gun. Not without the whole story at least," Zephyr paused, "I didn't know that she had watched her dad die."
"Mari doesn't talk about it for obvious reasons," Aunt Maria sighed. "That was honestly, the biggest mistake that the league ever made. Letting a child onto a bloody battlefield. None of us wanted it, but at the end of the day we had no choice. This regret, my brother took to his grave. We all will. We were foolish, and Mari paid for our mistake."
Well, that didn't make the young hedgehog feel any better. Angie's words made more sense now that his head was clear. Their meaning ringing through his head like cracked church bells, "What do I do?"
Aunt Maria needed no clarification on what Zephyr meant, "First you should apologize. Then, as scary as it sounds, maybe talk with her. Explain yourself, and allow her to do the same."
It was nearly morning, but the sun still hadn't risen when Zephyr found Mari.
She was still in her everyday clothes, but her vest was now unzipped, her ring charm necklace clutched in her fist. Black quills, shiny and fresh, hung loosely as they twirled around her head and brushed the tops of her shoulders, but they weren't the same. They appeared disheveled, like they hadn't been brushed for hot minute. She was leaning on the porch railing, facing the open sea. Her body slumped over her elbows, rather than the strong yet flexible stand she usually held herself up with. Her face was blank, but not the untouchable blank of a stoic warrior. This was an exhausted blank. Brown eyes empty, tired and pained, like she hadn't slept for years.
Zephyr froze where he stood. The young speedster didn't know where to start. This was not the Mari, he knew. Not that he knew her very well in the first place. However, she wasn't like this. The Mari he knew was dangerous, collected, and unmoving pillar of power. She blew up her own face and still got up the next morning like nothing happened. Not this. She wasn't this.
But that had been a mask, hadn't it? That hadn't really been Mari. This was the real Mari. Broken, bleeding, and tired. Far too tired for any goodnight sleep to fix. His throat closed and chest tightened, while nausea turned his stomach. Oh, what had he done?
"Hedgehog," Mari suddenly said.
Zephyr snapped out of his thoughts, as he watched her straighten herself. Maybe trying to preserve what little dignity she had left or shoo away embarrassment.
"If you are here to accuse me of falsehoods again? Don't. I'm not in the mood," she said tiredly.
"I'm not here to do that," Zephyr said quietly, coming out of his hiding place behind a nearby corner.
"Then this visit's purpose?" She still didn't look at him.
"I'm sorry," Zephyr said after a moment.
Her ear flicked towards him, slowly followed by a quiet and surprised, "What?"
"I'm sorry," Zephyr repeated, looking at the ground, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. Even if you were the reason, I was so frustrated, I still shouldn't have taken it out on you. I should've found another way."
Mari snorted, "Did Aunt Maria send you to do this?"
"She suggested it, but I came by my own choice."
Mari nodded for him to come closer. Zephyr slowly and hesitantly he came to join her on the porch railing. She looked even worse now that he was closer.
"I'm calm now. I won't blast you," Mari said, "I apologize for that. You weren't hurt, were you?"
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine. I think it freaked you out more than me."
"You lucky then. An uncontrolled chaos blast can be fatal."
Zephyr gulped, "Really?"
"Why do we think we shout out the name in warning before we use it? And it technically was what killed your father."
Zephyr swallowed back a comment on that last sentence. It didn't sound like an insult, but it certainly didn't need to be said out loud.
"Like I said," Zephyr huffed somewhat forcefully, "I'm fine. Besides I kind of provoked you."
"It doesn't matter. A slip up for me can mean life or death. I can't just tolerate them."
"Still, I should be apologizing. That comment about your dad...it was out of line. I didn't know about...what happened."
The grip on her pendant grew tighter, "You didn't know."
"I still shouldn't have said it."
"You're right about that."
"Yeah, and I shouldn't have said any of the other things. I just...it doesn't sit right with me...just leaving him there."
"Can I be honest with you?"
Zephyr nodded.
"I don't like it either, but you can't save everyone. I learned that a long time ago."
"When you lost your dad?"
"No, it was just after his funeral."
"Mind if I ask what happened?"
"I tried to kill myself."
Thunder wailed, and lighting split the sky in half.
There was nowhere Mari could escape to. Even the weather reflected her endless pain. The sea and forest mourned the death of mother's mate. Her father. He was dead.
He was dead.
Her father was dead.
This didn't seem real. Like a bad dream, that she couldn't wake up from. She couldn't wake up. She couldn't wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!
She had run away after they lit his pillar. It had been too much to see that ghost standing on top of that carved stone. It felt final. It made it real. She didn't want it to be real. She wanted to wake up. A rock and glowing ghost won't replace her father. It won't be the only way she would see his face.
Thunder crashed overhead but it was so quiet. In her mind it was so quiet. It just kept telling her he was gone. The quiet loving buzz in the back of her head, that let her know he was there, was gone. Leaving in its place haunting empty silence.
Empty. Quiet. Gone. Alone.
Sobs escaped her without warning. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
The wound on her back burned with every rain drop, once her black dress was soaked through. The bandages her mother had lovingly wrapped around her body, didn't feel like something protecting her wounds anymore. It felt like they were either suffocating her, stealing her very breath, or like they were the only thing that was holding her together.
It hurt. It hurt. It hurt!
But it wasn't her back or wounds that hurt. Sure, they burned and ached, but it wasn't half of the agony she felt.
It hurt. It hurt. It hurt!
She was nearing the sea cliffs now. The ones with the fruit tree that her father had proposed to her mother all those years ago. She just wants it to stop. She just needs it to stop.
She doesn't remember jumping or slipping, but she's suddenly falling. The angry sea below rushing up to meet her. She wasn't scared. This was it. It wouldn't hurt anymore.
The wind lifted her up. The gust wrapping its wispy claws around her body, and pulling her up and tossing her back onto the clifftop. The 7-year-old fell to the ground gasping, and a new set of claws pull her into a scaly embrace.
Mari pulls away, sobbing, "Why?! Why did you stop me!?"
She stared into the panicked tear-stained face of her uncle, "What were you thinking! You would've died!"
"I wouldn't have minded!" She screamed.
"What...?"
"It hurts and I want it to stop!"
The child broke down sobbing, falling back into the alien's embrace.
"What hurts, hatchling? I can't help if you don't help me," Eclipse said, his own distorted voice breaking.
"I can't hear him. It hurts! Everyone is saying he's gone! I don't want him to be gone! It hurts!"
Eclipse hugged her closer, "I know. I know," he choaked out, "I can't hear him either. It's hurting me too."
"I want it to stop!"
"I know. I know. I know it hurts, and I know it feels like it's not going to get better. But death isn't the answer. Believe me. I tried. I was young and thought I lost everything. I tried but your father stopped me. Mari this isn't the answer."
"What is?! It hurts! I want it to stop! Make it stop! Please!"
"I would if I could, hatchling. But I can't, only you can do that. You need to find your way to make it stop, but death isn't you answer."
Mari sobbed.
"Would your dad want you to die?"
Mari shook her head.
"No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't."
"It hurts."
"I know. I know. But you're going to be okay. It'll be alright. One day it will be okay."
Zephyr stared in shock. He didn't know what to think. What had he just heard? It felt like he shouldn't have heard. It felt like he had just been told a secret he wasn't worthy of hearing. A secret that only those close to her should know. Someone truly close to her. And he wasn't that.
Mari breathed deeply through her nose, "That's why I protect them. So, I never, so that no one, will ever grieve them before their time."
"The reason you pushed me away...?"
"Was so you wouldn't die, and leave someone behind to hurt," Mari sighed, "This is war, Zipper. People die and no one comes back. You come out here and you're going to get hurt, in more ways than you can imagine. I didn't want what I felt when dad died, for anyone else to feel. I know that's impossible, but I try. I know that if you die out here, someone will miss you.
"You're different from the rest of us Hedgehog. You have a chance to walk away. To have a normal life. Rather then having your soul sold into war from birth. I don't think your mom saved you just for you to come running back to die."
"They'll have to catch me first," Zephyr said determined.
"That's easier for them to do then you think."
"Maybe, but I'm going to give them the chase of their lives before I let them."
Mari huffed, "I'm going to miss this spark you have in you, when it gets snuffed out."
"Yeah, that's not morbid at all," Zephyr whispered.
Mari huffed, "You were also right. I am vengeful. I would be lying if I said my happiest dreams weren't of a silver dagger stained with the blood of his heart resting in my palm."
"He killed your father, you're probably justified."
"And he captured your mom."
"He did, but I didn't watch it happen. Angie was right we both lost something but it's not the same. We both have grief, but I don't have your trauma."
"I'm glad that you're starting to open your eyes," She took a deep breath, "So what are we going to do?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, if you're going to lead us on a suicide mission, you'd better have a good plan."
"I thought you didn't agree we should go?"
"I'm willing to change my judgement," She turned to him, smirking, the sun rising behind her, "That is if you have a plan."
Zephyr smirked back.
A/N:
This is a mess. I tried. I'm exhausted. Life happened. I had a few breakdowns. I'm sorry.