[rl]
Maria and Knuckles had parted ways quite some time ago. He was rude and impatient, though she felt she couldn't fault him for that. He had no obligation to help nor one to put up with her questions, and they clearly had different agendas.
It hadn't taken her long after that, however, for the severity of the situation to fully sink in. She was on Earth. She had been unceremoniously teleported from her place on the ARK to Earth. There was no way she could think of for that to happen, except for Chaos Control, which it clearly was not a case of. Only Shadow could do that, and he had been curled up in her bed. Though Knuckles had said that Shadow had been around for a while. She wasn't sure quite how long ago that had been.
Maybe that meant he had come looking for her but had gone back in time? Maybe Chaos Control wasn't entirely accurate? Maybe she had been sent in time somewhere herself...?
Oh, thinking on it was hurting her head.
But Earth. She had always wanted to see it first hand, had always wanted to walk the streets like she was doing now, but she wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be back home, on the ARK, with her grandfather and his experiments and with Shadow. Not here with all of the diseases and gravity and being completely lost.
Everything was simply heavier. Everything had a new scent and a new feel and a new, overwhelming encounter. She sat wearily on a bench, tired out. It was Station Square, that much she had learned, and she knew the name, a bustling, growing city as far as she knew. She closed her eyes and tried to take things one at a time.
It smelled...so many things she couldn't place. Exhaust from cars. Burgers from a nearby restaurant. Flowers and grass. Faintly, the metal of the bench. Someone passed by who was wearing fruity perfume.
She heard all of the footsteps and the vehicles accelerating and decelerating. Chatter, conversations, loud and soft, all garbled or nonsense except for various words now and then, or if they passed by close enough. Birds. She heard birds twittering above her head. The wind allowed things to rustle, from plants to plastic bags. The siren of a police car far off.
All felt brand new. The leaves and branches that had so cushioned her fall. The breeze. Natural sunlight, filtered through layers and layers of atmosphere. Even the bench she sat on. Textures and sensations that should have been familiar but were not.
And what she saw when her eyes opened once more. What she saw was more amazing than any of it. Buildings that towered high above her head, giving her a sick feeling if she bent her head up enough to see the tops. Green plants, asphalt, concrete, cars, people she didn't know. Echidnas, apparently. Shops and litter and lampposts and a horizon. White clouds above her head. Blue sky.
Blue sky. She had seen it in pictures--everything else, in fact, she had seen (mostly). She had been taught about Earth, after all. But seeing still life photos--staged and informative--was nothing compared to seeing everything up close and personal, full of diverse life. It was like a dream, except...
"Shadow..."
Everything seemed so perfect. Confusing, concerning, but also in its own strange way, perfect. Except Shadow wasn't around. She still needed to find him. Maybe he could tell her what was going on. Maybe he could take them back or find a way to deal with everything.
It just seemed too much at once. Unprepared, not ready. Willing, more than willing, but something had happened that wasn't supposed to. What would she do if she couldn't get help? What would she do if she couldn't get food, even? People had to pay to get items and services, didn't they? And certainly she didn't have any money on her.
...Those burgers did smell really good, too...
She gathered her book back in her arms that she had set aside and stood from the bench, feeling more determined. She would simply have to do things herself until she found Shadow, or Shadow found her. It couldn't be that hard, right? And she had her handy-dandy ever-trusty book with her to help guide her along. And certainly she could meet and make friends with so many more people. Surely more would be just as willing to help her as Knuckles (initially) was. With renewed vigor, she set off again.
It hadn't taken her long after that, however, for the severity of the situation to fully sink in. She was on Earth. She had been unceremoniously teleported from her place on the ARK to Earth. There was no way she could think of for that to happen, except for Chaos Control, which it clearly was not a case of. Only Shadow could do that, and he had been curled up in her bed. Though Knuckles had said that Shadow had been around for a while. She wasn't sure quite how long ago that had been.
Maybe that meant he had come looking for her but had gone back in time? Maybe Chaos Control wasn't entirely accurate? Maybe she had been sent in time somewhere herself...?
Oh, thinking on it was hurting her head.
But Earth. She had always wanted to see it first hand, had always wanted to walk the streets like she was doing now, but she wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be back home, on the ARK, with her grandfather and his experiments and with Shadow. Not here with all of the diseases and gravity and being completely lost.
Everything was simply heavier. Everything had a new scent and a new feel and a new, overwhelming encounter. She sat wearily on a bench, tired out. It was Station Square, that much she had learned, and she knew the name, a bustling, growing city as far as she knew. She closed her eyes and tried to take things one at a time.
It smelled...so many things she couldn't place. Exhaust from cars. Burgers from a nearby restaurant. Flowers and grass. Faintly, the metal of the bench. Someone passed by who was wearing fruity perfume.
She heard all of the footsteps and the vehicles accelerating and decelerating. Chatter, conversations, loud and soft, all garbled or nonsense except for various words now and then, or if they passed by close enough. Birds. She heard birds twittering above her head. The wind allowed things to rustle, from plants to plastic bags. The siren of a police car far off.
All felt brand new. The leaves and branches that had so cushioned her fall. The breeze. Natural sunlight, filtered through layers and layers of atmosphere. Even the bench she sat on. Textures and sensations that should have been familiar but were not.
And what she saw when her eyes opened once more. What she saw was more amazing than any of it. Buildings that towered high above her head, giving her a sick feeling if she bent her head up enough to see the tops. Green plants, asphalt, concrete, cars, people she didn't know. Echidnas, apparently. Shops and litter and lampposts and a horizon. White clouds above her head. Blue sky.
Blue sky. She had seen it in pictures--everything else, in fact, she had seen (mostly). She had been taught about Earth, after all. But seeing still life photos--staged and informative--was nothing compared to seeing everything up close and personal, full of diverse life. It was like a dream, except...
"Shadow..."
Everything seemed so perfect. Confusing, concerning, but also in its own strange way, perfect. Except Shadow wasn't around. She still needed to find him. Maybe he could tell her what was going on. Maybe he could take them back or find a way to deal with everything.
It just seemed too much at once. Unprepared, not ready. Willing, more than willing, but something had happened that wasn't supposed to. What would she do if she couldn't get help? What would she do if she couldn't get food, even? People had to pay to get items and services, didn't they? And certainly she didn't have any money on her.
...Those burgers did smell really good, too...
She gathered her book back in her arms that she had set aside and stood from the bench, feeling more determined. She would simply have to do things herself until she found Shadow, or Shadow found her. It couldn't be that hard, right? And she had her handy-dandy ever-trusty book with her to help guide her along. And certainly she could meet and make friends with so many more people. Surely more would be just as willing to help her as Knuckles (initially) was. With renewed vigor, she set off again.