Sonic Fan Book

Gods!AU Origins - The Children of Gaia - Part 2: Fleeing

"Run! They're gaining!" Sonic yelled, grabbing his siblings' wrists and pulling them along. He was the fastest of them all.

The god hunters chasing after them screamed in outrage. The blades in their hands were dangerous to them. Normal weapons could hurt the immortals, but those blades could kill them. It could take their essence, what the hunters were after.

These were hybrids that had become strangled by madness and envy. Though the gods were humble, the hunters craved their power. They wanted to take their spirits. That would kill them. So, the siblings were running to their mother's greatest temple, where She'd be able to help them. It had only been decades since they were created, and they seemed as if they were no older than twelve.

Shadow suddenly pulled away from his siblings. "Keep running!" He unsheathed his sword and turned to face the hunters. "I can hold them off!" He yelled to his siblings. Maria tried running to her brother, but Sonic held a tight grip. "You can't!" She pleaded, tears burning in her eyes. Sonic held back a sob in his throat as he continued running. Shadow held his sword tighter as he stared down the hunters.

The Hedgehog fought like mad. He slashed and stabbed and cut at the hunters. And they fought back. His was under-experienced and out-numbered. As he tried dodging, the hunter's blades cut his face. Blood ran across his face as the weapons' magic ate away at his essence. At his very being. His body became tingly and his limbs grew weak. One hunter kicked him in the stomach, making the Hedgehog fall back.

Laying on the grass, he almost felt calm. The clouds in the misty blue sky almost looked like his mother's face. "I'm sorry..." He whispered, his grip on his sword loosened. He watched as the hunters stood above him, one raising the sword to strike him.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

Maria had no weapon.

She didn't know how to fight.

But, being the goddess of protection, that was what she would do.

She grabbed at the hunters - who were all easily twice her height - and tried pulling them away from Shadow. She stood in front of her brother, attempting to shield him. Maria glared at the hunters, as if daring them to move.

"Shadow, get up." She said, her voice shaking just slightly. "Please."

Shadow dug his hands into the grass, trying to push himself off the ground. He could hear footsteps beating on the ground. Sonic was running toward them. "Shadow, please. Get. Up." Maria pleaded, watching as the hunters lost their slight fear.

Several things happened at once.

A hunter launched at Maria.
Sonic grabbed Shadow and pulled him up.
The world shook with pain.
A scream was cut short.

Blood splattered on the ground, the red soaking into the flowers around them. The blonde goddess staggered slightly, her body filling with a burning sensation. The blade in her stomach caused waves of unbearable pain. She looked at her brothers for a moment, her figure fading as her magic was leeched away. She opened her mouth so say something, but no sound came to her throat.

Then, she was gone.

For a second, nothing happened.

Suddenly, Sonic's throat made a sound. A loud, strangled noise of pure agony and horror. The sound continued for a second, quieter at first. Then, the noise turned into a scream of grief. The cry could've been heard around the world, and that couldn't even describe how bone-rattling it was. His throat was practically torn as he wailed out in pain. His hands let go of his frozen brother's arms as he fell to the ground. He held himself up with just his palms, tears streaming down his face. Hiccuping, croaking, sobbing, all mixed in with the pained howl.

The earth split under the hunters, swallowing them up. The grass grew and wrapped around the fallen blades and Sonic. The Hedgehog bawled as the guttural noise dwindled.

When the world went silent once more, everything felt unbalanced.

Shadow felt tears mixing with the blood streaming down his face. He stared at the spot Maria had just been standing. He waited, shock shattering through his body. If he waited there for just a bit longer, maybe she'd reappear.

And someone did appear.

He recognized Her, with Her dark skin. Her curly light green hair, with braids mixed in it. Her beaded, gold headdress. Her dark teal dress that flowed with the grass. She was turned away from them, but the god of grief could feel a pained heaviness in Her heart.

"Mother..." He whispered, his voice raspy.

Gaia cleared Her throat, choking down Her unsounded cry. "The temple should have been closer. I-I should've..." She clenched Her fists as the skies churned. "I'm sorry... I couldn't have been here." The power She sacrificed to make Her children had caused Her to be unable to constantly be in the mortal's realm.

"The temple shall no longer be of access to the mortals. It shall stay between the realms. It will be your safe haven." She looked to Her children, storms swirling in Her eyes. Shadow grabbed at the dark red flowers around him. Sonic seemed to hardly notice anything around him, but he nodded, as if he understood.

And so, Gaia took Her temple and brought in between Her realm and the realm of the mortals. It would be unreachable to the hybrids. It would be a place for the gods to hide away.

And even as more gods were created, the children of Gaia still felt the emptiness where Maria had been.