Shadow's Child
Written by C. Gast
Ixis Naugus (c) Sega and
DIC
Estri Echidna and Wildfyre
created by C. Gast
"Well, well what have we here? What an interesting woman...."
Two amber eyes slowly opened, the pupils narrowing into slits as they adjusted
to the light, then blinking, widened in surprize. Out of the black abyss
after all this time?
Ixis Naugus slowly levitated the woman to the crystal ground beneath them.
Her long tresses, black as a raven's wing, swirled slightly as a breeze
danced past. She stood shakily, her legs adjusting to the feel of gravity,
artificial as it may be in the Crystal Isle. Her body was sheathed in a
suit that looked to be made of overlapping, uneven metal scales, some long
enough to make rings around her. The suit was mostly a deep burgundy, with
a crimson and magenta sheen. The scales began to change color from her
knees and elbows, turning black like the socks of a fox. A patch of black
ran from her neck down between her breast in the same manner. Silver gauntlets
decorated her forearms and shins; they looked like bands of silver criss-crossed
around her limbs, then around her hands and feet, each with an amber stone
set on the tops of her feet and the backs of her hands. A necklace in the
same style was draped around a graceful neck, and a belt around her beautifully
curved hips.
"Am I still in the Void?" she said softly, rubbing her temples with an
oncoming headache.
"Yes. You are still in the void, my Dear," Ixis said with a cautious yet
dominant smile. "Tell me, dark woman, how you ended up in this place? I
did not send you here..."
The black-furred woman shook out her long locks and positioned herself
in an assertive posture that accentuated her statuesque beauty. "My name
is Estri. How I came here is a rather long tale. But since we are both
trapped in this chaos, I'm sure you have the time to hear it when I decide
to tell you."
"What species are you?" Naugus interrupted. "It's a bit of a mystery. You
seem like an echidna--but not completely."
"How observant you are. I was wondering the same about you--you seem to
be a cacaphoney of assorted parts," Estri mused, a lovely yet wry smile
spreading across her snow-white muzzle. "I am half echidna. The other half
is rather...dark in nature. That is why the other echidnas feared me--enough
to shove me into an accidental tear in the fabric of the universe. That
is how I ended up here."
"Interesting. Perhaps you will prove useful to me someday."
With a click of his clawed left hand, Ixis called up on his power to turn
things into crystal. Tongues of lavender electricity lept from the wizard
out at Estri--and popped ineffectively around her.
Naugus stood stunned. It didn't work!!
"Perhaps you didn't hear me right, troll," Estri said icily, her eyes narrowed.
"I am not fully echidna. I am half Shadow. And as such, the Void finds
my life essence rather...unpalatable."
The wheels in Naugus' head began to turn. If there was but some way to
harness this creature's ability for his own uses...
"I am however, just as trapped. It does me little good," Estri sighed resignedly.
"My own power is useless here."
"And what would that be?" Ixis said, now putting on a friendly visage.
Now was the time to draw her into service.
"I can control any plants I am around. From the heat of the scorch plant,
to the deadly nectar of the nocturne flower, to the carnivorous might of
the tangle tree. But here, where there is no sun, no water--no soil--there
are no plants," Estri explained.
"A good point," Ixis smiled. He had power over her here--he had many allies,
all impressed into his service. She is but one lone echidna...
"I suppose I owe you something for pulling me out of the abyss,"
Estri stated, her features softening. "What will it be? My powers here
are null, it can't be that. Perhaps labor as a servant, or--" her posture
shifted flawlessly into a sedcutive one. "--perhaps you will take payment
in the pleasures of the flesh?"
Ixis saw through her front. They were nearly on equal footing here, and
it had become a game of move/countermove. She had played her card of womanly
wiles, and while she was certainly tempting, there was no doubt some way
she'd see to his end in a tryst. He admired her wits and will to survive
already.
"Nay. I have no need of that, and I have servants already. I am in need
of your services outside of the Void," Ixis smiled, dangling the
bait in front of her face.
"Outside? But that would mean you could--"
"Yes. I am the lord of this realm," Ixis beamed, showing off his sharp
teeth. "I can exit the Void, but unlike you, my life force is connected
to it--and I would turn to crystal in a matter of days."
Estri considered the unsaid proposition. She hated to be a servant to anyone,
but in this case, she could make an exception. In time, she might even
be able to bend the wizard to her own purposes. She'd waited over a thousand
years in the abyss...and that had given her the patience of time itself.
"I will agree to be your servant, wizard. I give you my oath of loyalty,
and will act as your agent in the outer world. I fear it's a deal to sweet
for me to turn down," Estri smiled, walking over to shake his good hand,
her body moving in a sensual, feline manner.
"Agreed then," Ixis smiled back, putting up a good poker face to cover
his inward cackling. He completed a series of hand gestures, and a ripple
in the fabric of the air in front of them changed into a swirling vortex.
"Go then, and establish contact with my other servant, Snively, in Robtropolis.
He will help you get aquainted with the outer world once more."
****
A tell-tale ripple in the fabric of the air announced to Snively that someone
was coming out of the Void. He stood ready, not sure if it was friend or
foe. A black-furred echidna-like woman stepped out of the portal. She was
a good head taller than him, but then, so were most everyone else. He called
a few SWATbots to his side and asked cautiously, "Who are you, and why
are you here?"
The woman shifted her weight onto her right leg and stated emotionlessly,
"I am Estri, loyal to the Wizard Naugus. He sent me here to become reaquainted
with the world beyond the Void, as I have been in it many years."
Snively visibly relaxed--but not completely. "Welcome then to Robotropolis,
Estri."
"I wish only to access your database and begin educating myself," Estri
said matter-of-factly. Snively nodded and lead Estri to a large viewscreen
attached to a mainframe. He attempted to show her how to use the computer,
thinking her unfamiliar with technology, but she merely ignored him, and
with amazing skill, began accessing files. He then stood back and watched
her read through history and technical files with a speed that rivaled
robotic processes. He immediately knew there was something unusual about
Estri--and not just her color.
"How can you possibly learn anything if you go through the files so fast?"
Snively querried, folding his arms.
"I have an idyctic memory, small human," Estri replied, not taking her
eyes off the screen. Snively would have to be satified with that. "My my,
I hadn't realized I'de been away so long," Estri mused as she finished
her reading. She brushed a few unruly hairs out of her face and looked
at Snively. "It seems I'm on the right side."
Snively allowed his lips to spread into a dark smile. "You're definitely
on the winning one."
Estri laughed, a dark thrilling sound. Snively watched her intently, his
smile twisting into a lustful sneer. He'd love to see her on her knees,
begging him to--
"What are you staring at, Snively? Am I that fascinating?" Estri purred,
snapping him out of his sick daydream.
"I..I was just trying to think of where to set up your quarters," Snively
remarked.
"One request--do you have any potting soil?" Estri asked.
Snively raised an eyebrow.
****
A week had passed, and Snively hadn't seen much of Estri. She refused to
come out of her quarters for anything other than meals in the oficer's
mess hall. He decided to pay her a visit--after all he couldn't be sure
that she wasn't planning to terminate him, even though he had Naugus' assurance
that she was on their side. Trust was one thing that did not come easily
in his line of work.
Snively hailed Estri from outside her quarters, and stood waiting.
"Come on in, I'm almost finished in here," her voice returned over the
speaker. A gust of hot humid air whooshed out of the door as it opened.
Snively found it rather unpleasant, being used to the filtered, almost
stale air inside the command center. He did a doubletake as he stepped
inside: the large open room had been converted into a jungle-like ecosystem.
The floor had been altered in places to serve as giant pots, from which
trees, vines, bushes and various other plant-life grew. In the center of
the room was a pool, in the center of that, Estri. She was wearing naught
but her gauntlets, her long black hair serving as a robe.
"It's been ages since I've enjoyed a good swim," Estri commented, as she
moved though the water to the edge of the pool, grabbing a towel, and wrapping
it around herself as she climbed out.
Snively merely stared. She was even more spectacular now, her fur and hair
taking on an indigo sheen from the water. Now another aspect of her became
visible--a strange white marking just under her neck, across her collar
bones. It resembled a downward pointing triangle, with a U attached to
its top.
Estri noticed his gaze. "I got that mark from my father. It's his symbol."
Snively was curious. "And who was your father?"
Estri smiled darkly. "A shadow."
Snively smirked. "And I suppose your mother was the tooth fairy."
"Oh ye of little faith," Estri chuckled. She moved into a shadowed section
of the room, between two trees, dropping her towel and stepping into the
dark. Her fur seemed to change, refracting all light, until nothing but
her eyes and her white muzzle was visible. "Now do you see?" she beamed.
"Impossible! Shadows are creatures of mythology! They don't exist!" Snively
sputtered.
"My mother set out to find out whether or not that was true many years
ago. She was an archaeologist, studying the beliefs of our primitive ancestors,"
Estri explained, her slitted amber eyes glowing slightly, swirling with
darker colors underneath their surfaces. "Elenna (that was her name) stumbled
onto an old temple, hidden in a cave. There, in the center, was a statue
of my father. Or so she thought. Unknowingly, she released him from his
prison by lighting a black candle in front of him. She was hoping to gain
some light, enough to take pictures of the temple; instead, she released
his life essence as the candle burned down. The statue began to crumble,
and he broke free."
Estri's face took on a strange, unsettling smile. "He decided to show his....
'gratitude' to her, and once he had finished, he vanished into the shadows
of the cavern, and never returned. From that unholy union I was conceived,"
the dark echidna stated as she emerged from the shadows, now suited in
her scale armor.
"An interesting tale," a synthesized voice said from near the doorway.
The slight whine of jets followed soon after.
"I came to report that we have a subject due for robotization," Mecha Sonic
stated.
Snively's visage widened into a smile. Like his uncle, this was something
he enjoyed. "Ah, good! Estri, would you like to join us?"
"I would be delighted," the dark echidna replied. "I have never witnessed
the process before. It should prove interesting."
****
SWATbots brought in the prisoner. She stood stoicly, showing not a trace
of fear, or even dismay at her situtation. Snively frowned at this, he
got his jollies from watching them squirm and beg. Estri, however, was
admiring her courage.
## Subject is prepared for robotization, ## one of the SWATs spouted mechanically.
## Subject has been unusually cooperative. ##
Snively sneered. "Any last words?"
The prisoner, a silvery, tiger-striped hedgehog, refused to dignify Snively
with an answer, and did not even turn her amber eyes in his direction.
"Put her in!" Snively growled. Mecha Sonic smirked, finding Snively's excess
of emotions annoying.
"Snively, did you notice that part of her is metallic?" Estri asked, looking
at the shimmering nature of the skin on her forehead, neck and limbs. "It
looks like Robotnik's handiwork."
"Yes, he had recruited her at one time.... She refused to join him, so
he sent her to me to be...dealt with," Snively replied.
The hedgehog walked willingly up to the platform and stood with arms folded
as the glass tube slid down over her. Her expression remained unchanged.
Snively powered up the roboticizer, and prepared to push the button....
"But won't the metal interfere with the robotization process?" Estri asked,
concern growing. But it was too late, Snively had started the machine...
A beam of blueish light fell down around the silver hedgehog, giving her
semi-translucent moon-colored spines an eerie halo. Parts of her began
to turn metal, then her flesh began to glow--
The roboticizer blew fuses, sparking and smoking, and shattered glass flew
across the room. Estri had the good sense to duck, but Snively wasn't fast
enough, and some of the flying debri struck him, making a few small lacerations.
A few alarms went off and air control systems started sucking out smoke.
Estri looked up, to see what hand fate had dealt the brave female hedgehog.
"incredible!" she whispered. The silver hedgehog still stood, seemingly
unaffected by it all in every way. Estri checked the final readouts before
the machine blew. The robotization had completely failed.
Snively filled the air with vile curses as he pulled a piece of glass out
of his arm. He looked at the silver hegehog and let out a cry of rage.
"SWATbots! Open fire on her! I WANT HER DESTROYED!"
"NO!" Estri snapped.
Snively spun around and looked hard at the echidna. She stood her ground,
and gave him an icy look in return.
"Why should I spare her? She won't roboticize!" Snively snarled.
"That's just it!" Estri retorted, frustrated at Snively's lack of scientific
curiousity. "Don't you even see the potential she has? She might be able
to help us!"
Snively inwardly grimmaced, thinking it over, and remembering the reports
he'd received from Crocbot about her kind. He relented. "Alright then.
But she's YOUR responsibility. One slip up and I'll hold you responsible!"
Estri merely tossed Snively a derisive glare, then quickly turned and made
her way through the wreckage to the silver hedgehog. The hedgehog watched
Estri approach, but gave no clue as to what she might do.
"Will you come with me?" Estri asked. The female hedgehog nodded and stepped
off the platform, taking Estri's proffered hand.
"I want you to keep an eye on them," Snively whispered to Mecha Sonic.
"I do not trust Estri's motives!"
Mecha gave a quick nod of acknowledgement and took Snively to the medical
facilities.
****
"My name is Wildfyre," the silver hedgehog replied. "I came from Downunda,
where I lived with my tribe. We were not well liked by those who lived
near us, because we are a matriarchal soceity. It angered the males of
the other settlements when their women looked to us and asked their men
why they did not have the same rights."
Estri smirked. She understood Wildfyre's plight. She'd shared it.
"And because of this they sold you out to Robotnik?"
Wildfyre nodded. "They themselves could not defeat us. Our fighting skills
were too much for them. So they made a deal with Robotnik to have us captured.
He came in and took us--but he took them as well. It is right in my eyes."
Estri laughed wryly as they continued to walk together down the corridor.
"I agree. And you are the only one left now that Robotnik is gone?"
Wildfyre nodded once more. "I fell into a ripple in the air during the
seige on my tribe. A twisted little man came to me a few days after I entered
the land of Chaos, and told me that I must serve him. I could not. I took
the oath of the Obsidian Order, which states that we must never allow outselves
to come under the subjugation of any man. He became angry with me and gave
me to the small human with the large nose."
Estri thought on this as they came to her quarters. "You can stay in my
quarters, if you don't mind the decor."
She smiled as the door opened and she saw Wildfyre's grey-blue eyes light
up.
"It is like home!" Wildfyre gasped softly.
"I take it then that you'll stay?" Estri said, folding her arms behind
her back.
Wildfyre nodded, then continued: "It is not against my oath to serve another
woman. I owe you my freedom. Will you accept my life pledge?" Estri smiled
and nodded, understanding that a refusal of such was a great dishonor to
many primitive cultures. And she would rather have one woman she could
trust at her side than a hundred Snivelys under her thumb. With that, they
stepped inside and prepared for an evening meal.
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