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"The Unending Journey of the Heart"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 6: One Final Ray of Hope

   The next morning, the Brokenstar Twins took off for the next town, only half a day’s walk to the edge of the barren desert plains.  The speed Hidama was moving, however, was enough to cross it within a few short hours, but still, the twins were sure they would meet him in the town, having lunch maybe, then they could apologize and make up after their fight.  Then they could have Akrenar prepared and be on their way once again.

   By lunch time, the twins made it to the next town, and saw a crowd gathering in the center of town.  The so-called town’s square was easily reached by following the main street of the city, and as Aranelion and Elianaron walked in this direction, they were in shock of what they saw.

   There were deep holes in the street and sidewalk, almost as if a massive giant had walked down the street, with only his footprints to mark his passing.  Of course, this was not the only damage suffered; two fire-hydrants were knocked clean off their foundations, the street and sidewalk around them drenched in several inches of water, though now the valves were shut off, stopping the flow.  This street was lined with stores, and every canopy that had shaded the street was now completely wiped out, parts of them completely obliterated.

   Before the twins could reach the square, two lampposts crossed their path.  They didn’t just fall over; they had been snapped in half, lying on top of each other in a pile, with the lower half of the post still anchored to the ground. Shattered glass was lying everywhere and electrical wires were now exposed, though the power to them was already shut down, but not before some of the water from the hydrants fell on them and started a terrible fire on both street corners.  The buildings on the corner had been completely incinerated.

   There was obvious panic and confusion felt in all the citizens of the town.  What was even more baffling, is only the main street, which led straight through town from west to east, the direction the twins came from, had suffered damage from this, “monster” and now everyone was dead set as to find who destroyed their streets, side walks, and businesses.

   Elianaron ran up to the group, but Aranelion hung back, investigating the damage left in the wake of this disastrous ruin.  The people in this town knew of the twins, who had helped them in the past, and so Elianaron’s appearance provided them considerable comfort.

   “Excuse me, but what happened here?  What’s wrong?” Elianaron asked.

   Everyone turned to look, and when they saw the hybrid twin some relief came to their eyes.  One man with long black hair and a mustache stepped out from the crowd and said, “My goodness, thank heavens you and your brother are here Brokenstar Twin.  As you can see, sheer terror and chaos has come to our town, and we have no idea what caused this destruction.  We are at our wit’s end…for we fear this may happen again and want to punish the criminal responsible.”

   Elianaron was itching for this kind of trouble to pursue, but was dismayed at the destruction around him.  Looking for his brother, he said, “Don’t worry about it Antonio, we’ll find this chucklehead and make him pay for what he did…although…I wonder why he just tore up Main Street?  I mean, gee whiz…not like I’m saying he should have done more, but still…”

   He paused, for he caught Aranelion’s eyes looking at him.  Aranelion was knelt over near the sidewalk, next to a ruined fire-hydrant and where one of the massive holes in the ground was made.  Once he got Elianaron’s attention, he waved at him, motioning him to come over to him.

   Seeing this, Elianaron nodded, then turned to Antonio and said, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna figure out not only what caused this, but make sure it never happens again.”

   Antonio nodded, pulling his hair back with a rubber band; “Thank you Elianaron, be sure to thank your brother as well.  We’ll be sure to make it worth your while,” he said.

   Elianaron smiled and said, “Aww, it’s okay, don’t give it a second thought; you are wonderful town of wonderful people, and we love to help people out if they’re in need.  Heck, we’ll even help out with the repair efforts!”

   The whole crowd came alive with murmurs, whispering amongst each other about the endearing kindness of the Brokenstar Twins, which always went unasked for, and, up until now, was only rewarded with a few warm meals, provisions for a two-week’s journey, and a few kind words.  They always offered more to the twins, but they were always told such payment wasn’t necessary.  The Brokenstar Twins had come to be admired throughout the entire city, loved by all, their contributions amongst the community unrivalled by anybody in recent memory.

   Antonio nodded, extending his hand to Elianaron and saying, “You have my undying gratitude, as well as the praise of everyone in this town.  We’ll organize a clean up crew and get to work after lunch.”

   An elderly woman wearing a chef’s dress and pink apron walked up to Elianaron and said, “How about you two sweethearts come to my restaurant for lunch?  I’ll whip you up anything on the menu, on the house!”

   Elianaron grinned, for he loved Mrs. Caranelli’s culinary delights, especially her spaghetti; the sauce was to die for, and the chocolate cream pie for dessert was the heaven after the death.  Both twins loved her cooking, and this was gonna be a special treat after weeks of living off bread, crackers, and other non-perishables for every meal.

   He was awoken from his thoughts by a whistle; he looked to see his brother glaring at him impatiently while he waited for him to come over and speak with him.  Elianaron grinned sheepishly, then turned to Mrs. Caranelli and replied, “That sounds lovely Mrs. Caranelli, thank you much.  I’ll go see what Aranelion wants, and then we’ll be right over!”

   Mrs. Caranelli smiled sweetly then nodded and said, “Okay then hun, I’ll whip up your favorite; spaghetti with my special sauce, garlic bread, and chocolate cream pie for desert.  See you then sweetie.”

   After this, Mrs. Caranelli got on a seated scooter, and made her way down the street, turning at the next corner to her restaurant to prepare their meals.  Elianaron nodded at Antonio and said, “I better go see what Aranelion wants.  We’ll meet here after lunch for clean up alright?”

   Antonio nodded and said, “You got it Brokenstar Twin; we’ll have everything ready.  Catch ya after lunch!”

   Elianaron nodded, and the crowd began to disperse in different directions, some heading home, or to a café for lunch.  Elianaron was greeted with so many smiles; indeed, the citizens of this town, called Sandysun City, loved the Brokenstar Twins dearly, perhaps showing them the most care, love, acceptance and thanks than anyone else the twins knew.  They always loved to come here, for they were their happiest when they were in the city, where nobody gave them a cold glare, or did whatever it took to avoid them as they walked along.

   When he got to Aranelion, he found his brother still on bended knee, examining one of the massive holes in the ground very closely.  Kneeling down next to his brother, he said, “Hey, we’re set for lunch at Mrs. Caranelli’s…then everyone’s gonna begin the clean up…”  He paused, and not getting a reaction from Aranelion, he changed the subject, asking, “What is it Air?  You’re on to something aren’t you?”

   Aranelion exhaled deeply, shaking his head and saying, “These aren’t footprints Ell; they aren’t spaced properly and are too shallow for a creature of that kind of size, whose weight would make them much deeper.  These holes…are not unlike a hole that would be left after somebody about our size was blasted into the ground.”

   The twins’ eyes met, remembering the story Shadow told them about the battle he had with Zelias, particularly when he mentioned his magic plowing Zelias into the ground, making a shallow, circular hole, about the same size as the ones in the street.  Yet, they couldn’t be the result of a battle…any witnesses could only say it was like a flash of light blasting down the street…it only lasted for a few brief moments, leaving all this damage in its wake, and, it happened only a short time after Hidama left them the night before, long enough for him to make it to Sandysun City at his top speed.

   Elianaron’s eyes widened; “Air…is it…possible that…Hidama did this?  I just, can’t believe he was that upset with us.  Do you think he’s alright?”

   It was silent for a little while, the twins staring at the path of destruction with disbelief, as they could now envision Hidama, wielding his special powers, driven by rage, fed by the depression and misery in his heart, creating all this damage as he blew through Sandysun City.  By now, Hidama could be several miles away, and it would take the twins a considerable amount of time to catch up with him, and they still had to help the citizens of Sandysun City clean up this mess.

   Finally, Aranelion sighed deeply, shattering the silence, and said, “Yes…Ell, I do…so much infact, because what else could have caused this?  I think Hidama is in trouble…I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that.  Let’s just hope he’ll calm down and wait for us to catch up to him.  Hmm…I’d say he’s in Starshine Town by now…after a run like this he’s bound to have needed to stop by the time he got there…so let’s go have lunch, then help everyone clean this mess up.  Then…we’ll go look for Hidama and apologize for upsetting him.  He should be okay until then.”

   With a sad smile on Elianaron’s face, he nodded, standing up and sighing heavily.  He replied, “Yeah…I hope you’re right.”  He rubbed the back of his head and continued, “Come on, Mrs. Caranelli’s making lunch for us…we better go on over.”  Elianaron walked on ahead slowly, rubbing his bandaged upper arm as he walked, his eyes following his footsteps.

   Aranelion felt terrible; the night before, Elianaron didn’t even say anything to Hidama.  It was he that had done all the yelling in defense of his brother, without even allowing Hidama to try and explain himself.  He knew his friend was going through a hard time; what the problem was, was now not even Aranelion could estimate how much trouble Hidama was in.  Running after Elianaron, he refrained from worrying about Hidama as not to worry his brother, but it was clear, for both of them, that they now feared for their friend, as they knew he was in a very unstable mindset.  Unfortunately they underestimated how much time they had to avert disaster for him.

   The Brokenstar Twins, after eating the delicious meal Mrs. Caranelli cooked up for them, joined the efforts of the entire town to clean up the ruins of Main Street, and afterwards help out in the repair efforts.  The twins figured this would take them no longer than two days, and hoped that Hidama would be alright until then.

   Of course, this was only a false hope, one they used to allay their fears.  In truth, Hidama was far from okay, as he was becoming more and more unstable, being pushed closer and closer to the brink of despair.  It was indeed Hidama who tore through Sandysun City that night, and by now, he was almost to the next city, Starshine Town.

   He had come to rest by a stream that ran through a thick forest.  All out of energy, he lay on his front, gasping for precious air, and water to quench his thirst.  There was no good way to describe the intense amount of pain Hidama was in.  Tears fell from his eyes; panting, and gasping for breath, he was close to choking on his tears.  He was suffering so much anxiety, depression, and misery, that he didn’t know what he was going to do.  He had no escape from this pain, and the wandering thoughts of his mind’s eye, these special powers, brought him endless suffering.  He didn’t know what he was going to do.

   After crying for the longest time, he thought he was going to throw-up, and was still desperate for a drink.  He crawled over to the stream, drinking what little water he could by lapping it up like a cat.  He soon got too tired to manage this, and fainted, collapsing by the stream, the locks of his hair floating in the current, with his nose only inches above the water so he could breathe.

   As he dreamed, or what he thought was his dreams, he could never recall being in such great pain, even under the hands of Feldmort the Cruel.  No; now, he felt pain unlike he ever had before.  He could find no reason to fight for his life at all; this pain he was feeling, was agonizing on all levels and stretches of the imagination and psyche.  So desperate was he to find an escape from this pain, he was willing to go by any means to do this.

   He was awoken by a loud crash of thunder above him.  He shook his head fast, rising quickly, becoming dizzy as a result.  His cape tripped him up as he stumbled aimlessly, his head aching, causing him to fall hard into a tree.  He let out a small scream as he scratched his left arm on the bark.  Slowly, he sat down, hugging his knees, and crying, as a storm now approached, lightning streaking wildly in the sky, and a torrent of rain threatening to fall.

   Time was falling short for Hidama; without Aranelion and Elianaron, he had nothing to keep his spirits up, nothing to pull him back from this misery that was slowly consuming him.  He no longer thought of his dear brother and nephew, which had also provided him with the little comfort he could maintain in those past few weeks.  With nothing to pull him out of his depression, out of this cloud of misery and anguish that enveloped his heart and poisoned his spirit, his mind’s eye was able to guide him to the only possible solution he had left…and that was, to go the way of the other echidnas, as he should have so long ago.

   He slowly stood up, the rain beginning to pour.  He wrapped his cape around him, hung his head, and continued to cry softly, unable to find any reason to live, or anything to dissuade him from these dark and horrible thoughts.  He walked slowly through the forest, so engulfed by sadness all he could concentrate on was crying, his heart aching, and his stomach churning.

   Now thoughts of death consumed him; it was only right, he reasoned with himself, considering it was him after all, that was responsible for the decimation of the echidna clan.  If it weren’t for him, all the echidnas would be alive today, and the world would be a better place because of it.  Some guardian he was; he was responsible for the near death of his brother…Hidama, he was convinced, was nothing but a danger to himself and the rest of the free world.

   As he was drenched with rain water, he continued to cry.  “So…so much good you are, Hinsei Hidama…,” he started.  He sniffed heavily, and continued, “If it weren’t for you, the echidnas would be alive and well…this is all your fault.  You’re the reason Knuckles suffered so much…what good are you to anyone?  You’re just a danger…Feldmort almost got complete control of the Master Emerald…thanks to you.  Knuckles is a much better guardian…you’re…you’re nothing but a waste of…oohh…”

   Hidama felt faint again, and fell to his knees, hanging his head and crying softly.  He was so far gone, he was beyond help or dissuasion, and now, saw his death, not only as his only escape from the pain that now consumed him, but as doing a justice for everyone that he had hurt.  Although he was in no way responsible for the death of his clan, or voluntarily causing anyone pain, the fact that he was named the “doomed guardian” at his birth, was enough to convince him this was a title that meant he was the doom of the echidnas, instead of what it really was, a title that meant a great doom would be suffered when he was the guardian.

   Thunder crashed above him once again, awakening him from his despair, his soulful tears stopping short for the moment as he lifted up his head.  He saw something ahead of him in the distance; it was a city, much larger than Sandysun City, around the same size as Radical City or Metropolis City.  It was called Starshine Town, and while the lights of the city did little to cheer him up, it was enough to cause him to rise to his feet.  He noticed how many skyscrapers stood glistening in the distance, stretching so high they were like a gateway to the stars, a gateway to the afterlife…

   The last few tears to fall from Hidama’s eyes dripped slowly off the tip of his nose, before falling to his feet.  He was in so much pain, physical, mental, and emotional anguish, he was willing to do anything to escape it…and those glittering skyscrapers in the distanced offered a way that he could do this…devoid of any hope or will to survive, he now only had one, desperate way to escape the pain.

   “Mother…Father…I anticipate I shall be coming to you very soon…finally, this terrible, sickening pain and despair will be gone, for I shall go to the one place it can never follow and continue to plague me…through my death alone will it depart…I…I give up.  I have been defeated…and now…I’ll rid my self of this pain forever.  No one will care…no one will miss me…I shouldn’t have survived this long anyway,” Hidama whispered.

   Poor Hidama…he was in so much pain, he had become blinded to reality.  The pain in his heart was doing all the talking, the horrendous visions of his mind’s eye doing all the thinking for him.  Had Aranelion and Elianaron been there, or even Shadow, anyone could have kept him from spiraling this far out of control, this close to his doom…but, now that he was alone, with no sources of comfort or light, he had to think of his own way to find relief…and in these depressing, agonizing moments, death seemed so welcome, a way he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

   He stood erect, and began a slow walk towards Starshine Town, where, after so much suffering, Hidama would finally be free of this pain, allowing his battered, beaten, and broken soul to be free at last.  He began to pray as he walked, his prayers being directed solely to his parents, pleading for forgiveness for all the terrible things he had done and all the suffering he had caused.  While this was only what his depressed, sick heart made him believe, it was something he took to heart; in his mind, he wasn’t even worth anyone’s concern anymore, nor did he deserve to live.

   The rain continued to fall; it grew dark, as the sun began to set behind the thunderstorm clouds, and lightning provided the only light outside of the city.  Starshine Town, despite its name, was a big, bustling city, home to fashion and glamour, movies, music and fame.  It was also a party town where all the “beautiful people,” rich, famous, and talented, congregated and took up abode.

   One of these citizens was Camillia the Cat.  She was a popular fashion model, and was very wealthy as a result.  She was twenty-years old, and when she wasn’t modeling the latest fashions for a magazine or major fashion show event, she was a shop-a-holic, and a girl who loved to party.  On this stormy night, she was at one of these parties, an exclusive one, where only the famous and wealthy came to party down.

   It had gotten late, and Camillia, surrounded by many male suitors, as she loved to flirt with guys, decided she was ready to go home.  She swallowed the last of her punch, and said, “Well boys, I think now’s the time I should be heading home.  I do have a photo shoot to rest up for after all.”

   Disappointed groans came from the six party-goers that were upset to see her go.  One of them, a red hedgehog, walked up to her, helping her put her jacket on.  He was grinning at her, and asked, “Gee Camillia, it’s a shame you have to run off so soon…since it’s raining, why don’t I give you a ride home?”

   Camillia, after fixing her pink hair and zipping up her jacket, turned to look at him, her pink, white-tipped tail stroking his right leg as she looked at him.  A look of intense attraction came into his eyes as he looked at her, for she certainly was good looking, tall, thin, and pretty, but while Camillia was a flirt, she wasn't stupid.  She still placed value on true love, and couldn’t stand it when guys came on to her like this.

   She gazed at him, giving him a false idea of returned affection.  She crossed her arms and said, “Humph, the cold rain is more welcoming than you are Daniel, you louse.”  Turning away and walking towards the door, she continued, “I’d much rather get a ride home with an escaped convict.”

   Anybody within earshot began to laugh intensely, as yet another guy got shot down by Camillia.  Daniel scowled and turned red slightly in embarrassment.  Camillia turned back to the group of party goers, smiling seductively, winking once as she said, “Farewell all, and do, boys…,” she started.  Turning towards the door in the fashion show manner, she put her rose-tinted glasses on, and waved goodbye, continuing, “Take care in this horrid rain…I’ll be seeing ya next time honeys.”

   All the guys began to whistle and clap as she left.  Walking outside, Camillia sighed, fixing her long, magenta gloves, covered in black feathery wisps at the top, matching her socks, before she started walking along towards her apartment building.  “I love those boys…but with so many of them, it’s hard to get serious with any of them…and poor Daniel was the closest I had come in awhile,” she said.  Sighing again, she smiled and said, “Oh well, I’m sure Mr. Right will come along soon.  Meanwhile, I want to get home, out of this nasty rain, and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and my favorite soap opera.”  She sighed happily, looking forward to this, and quickened her pace down the street, even as the thunder crashed louder and the lightning flashed brighter above her.

   As she approached her apartment building, she decided to look up at the lightning as it streaked across the sky.  It was beautiful, and she admired the beauty and power of the lightning; by chance, her gaze was directed towards the apartment suite she shared with a friend…out of the corner of her eye, she saw something strange on the top of the building.  She froze, stopping her walk and gazing at the skyline as the storm approached from beyond it.

   She blinked twice, for she could have sworn she saw a figure standing dangerously on the edge of the building's roof.  As it thundered, followed by a bright flash of lightning, the dark silhouette was illuminated, and she saw a red creature with white banded dreadlocks and a black cape looking to the ground below.  She only saw his face for a moment, but could see tears rolling down his face, and a heavy set dismal look about him. She knew now why he was up there: He was going to commit suicide.

   Camillia tried to call out to him, but as the rain began to pour in buckets and the thunder crash ever louder, she couldn't be heard.  Horrified, she ran inside her apartment building and raced up the stairs frantically to her apartment suite; the longer she took, the more likely it would be that he would jump before she could save him. She flung the door to her apartment open and cried, “Delilah! Help! Someone's about to jump off our apartment building!”

   Camillia ran to the den at the back of their apartment; outside of the sliding glass door was a balcony overlooking the same street she was on only moments before.  As Delilah, a light blue hedgehog, ran out of her bedroom, she asked, “What's wrong Camillia? Who's about to jump!?”

   The cat struggled with the lock on the sliding glass door, and frantically cried, “I don't know who it is, but he's about to jump off the building! We've got to—!” Before she could finish, Hidama, who was indeed the figure she saw, decided that now was the time to end it all.  And so he said one final prayer, and jumped into the stormy night sky.  It would have been over for him, if not for a canopy pole that stretched out over the balcony of Delilah and Camillia's apartment. While the canopy itself was rolled up, the pole snagged Hidama's cape, flinging him into the glass door outside of where the girls stood, before his cape ripped and he fell on a patio chair, banging his head hard and going out cold.

   The girls let out a scream, fearing the worst.  They clung to each other, eyes shut tightly, until Delilah got up the courage to look at the scene.  A small streak of blood and rain water remained on the glass where Hidama had hit it, but she could see the echidna lying motionless on the patio chair, his cape torn and ripped, and blood trickling from a gash on his head.  She pulled away from Camillia slowly and walked up to the door, pressing her face against the glass, staring at Hidama, looking for any sign of life.

   Camillia finally joined Delilah and said, “Is he…dead? Why isn't he moving? I'm scared Delilah…”

   Delilah was shaking, and after taking a deep breath, she said, “No…I see him breathing…he's just unconscious.” She paused, and said, “Look, we've got to bring him inside.  He's bound to have somebody who's looking for him, so let's look after him until he can tell us who he is.”

   The two girls opened the glass door, and struggled a bit to pick him up, but managed to carry him inside and stretch him out on a bed in their guestroom. They were bewildered as to who he was, and what he was for that matter, as the two were barely old enough to remember echidnas ever even existed.  Later, as Camillia got ready for bed, she said, “He's a peculiar guy isn't he?  Hee hee, I think he's cute whoever he is…or whatever he is for that matter…don't you think so Delilah?”

   The hedgehog only nodded, staring at his face, plagued with misery even as he slept, as she gently dabbed his head wound with a wet rag.  She was intrigued by Hidama, and already she knew that he was someone very special, and certainly didn't deserve to be so miserable that he was driven to end his life.  A smile spread across her face, and she whispered to him, “I'm going to look after you…then you can tell me who and what you are…and perhaps we can make the pain in your heart go away.  Something tells me someone out there needs you…I just know it.”

   Delilah was Camillia’s roommate, and also her best friend.  Camillia made it possible for Delilah to pursue her dream, which was to become a famous artist.  She was in the middle of a painting when Camillia ran in, screaming about Hidama’s near death.  The fact that Hidama chose their building to jump from saved his life, and offered him, what was perhaps, the final ray of hope he had for redemption.  The kindness and concern of both Delilah and Camillia would save his life, and, maybe provide the escape he needed from the misery that consumed his soul.

   She gently caressed his brow once more, before bandaging up his head so his wound could heal.  As he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, she almost shed a tear.  She was unsure of what stung at her emotions so about him, but as she tucked the covers in around him, she realized she just couldn't leave his bedside, at least until he awoke.

   Delilah left the room for a moment, going to her bedroom to get her sketching pad and some pencils.  She sat down in a plush armchair at his bedside, and began to sketch the echidna’s face.  She smiled and said, “You must be a rare species…for I’ve never seen anyone like you before…I better take this chance while I have it.  Hee hee, you are awfully handsome, it’d be a shame for such a cute face to be lost forever.”  She paused, falling silent at her words, realizing what she said almost happened to him, and her heart sank again.  She wondered what on earth could have upset him to the point where death was his only way of escape.

   “You…you simply can’t be the last of your kind.  You have to have family…and friends somewhere who need you.  I just hope Camillia and I can do whatever we can to make things right for you,” she said.  Finishing the rough sketch of his face, she looked it over, smiling weakly, and sighed.  She placed the drawing on the low table beside her and yawned deeply.  She had grown tired, but still didn’t want to leave Hidama alone.

   She turned on the television in the room, keeping the volume low, and curled up on a futon with a warm blanket, staring, not at the television, but at the echidna, who already, she had grown such deep concern for.  She glanced once more at his torn cape, deciding the next day she would sew it up for him.  Before she turned off the light, she took off her black cap, and placed it on the table beside her sketch pad.  Snuggling into her blanket, she whispered, “Who are you?  There…has to be someone who needs you…and…a reason why you are here.  I’ll do whatever I can to help you…something tells me you’ve gone through a lot of pain…you never deserved it I’m sure…”

   She yawned heavily again, and slowly fell asleep, as the thunder rumbled softer and the lightning reduced to a faint flash.  Hidama was granted one last chance for happiness, one last chance to escape this pain, one final ray of hope…to save his life.

Description
"The Unending Journey of the Heart"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 6: One Final Ray of Hope

   The next morning, the Brokenstar Twins took off for the next town, only half a day’s walk to the edge of the barren desert plains.  The speed Hidama was moving, however, was enough to cross it within a few short hours, but still, the twins were sure they would meet him in the town, having lunch maybe, then they could apologize and make up after their fight.  Then they could have Akrenar prepared and be on their way once again.

   By lunch time, the twins made it to the next town, and saw a crowd gathering in the center of town.  The so-called town’s square was easily reached by following the main street of the city, and as Aranelion and Elianaron walked in this direction, they were in shock of what they saw.

   There were deep holes in the street and sidewalk, almost as if a massive giant had walked down the street, with only his footprints to mark his passing.  Of course, this was not the only damage suffered; two fire-hydrants were knocked clean off their foundations, the street and sidewalk around them drenched in several inches of water, though now the valves were shut off, stopping the flow.  This street was lined with stores, and every canopy that had shaded the street was now completely wiped out, parts of them completely obliterated.

   Before the twins could reach the square, two lampposts crossed their path.  They didn’t just fall over; they had been snapped in half, lying on top of each other in a pile, with the lower half of the post still anchored to the ground. Shattered glass was lying everywhere and electrical wires were now exposed, though the power to them was already shut down, but not before some of the water from the hydrants fell on them and started a terrible fire on both street corners.  The buildings on the corner had been completely incinerated.

   There was obvious panic and confusion felt in all the citizens of the town.  What was even more baffling, is only the main street, which led straight through town from west to east, the direction the twins came from, had suffered damage from this, “monster” and now everyone was dead set as to find who destroyed their streets, side walks, and businesses.

   Elianaron ran up to the group, but Aranelion hung back, investigating the damage left in the wake of this disastrous ruin.  The people in this town knew of the twins, who had helped them in the past, and so Elianaron’s appearance provided them considerable comfort.

   “Excuse me, but what happened here?  What’s wrong?” Elianaron asked.

   Everyone turned to look, and when they saw the hybrid twin some relief came to their eyes.  One man with long black hair and a mustache stepped out from the crowd and said, “My goodness, thank heavens you and your brother are here Brokenstar Twin.  As you can see, sheer terror and chaos has come to our town, and we have no idea what caused this destruction.  We are at our wit’s end…for we fear this may happen again and want to punish the criminal responsible.”

   Elianaron was itching for this kind of trouble to pursue, but was dismayed at the destruction around him.  Looking for his brother, he said, “Don’t worry about it Antonio, we’ll find this chucklehead and make him pay for what he did…although…I wonder why he just tore up Main Street?  I mean, gee whiz…not like I’m saying he should have done more, but still…”

   He paused, for he caught Aranelion’s eyes looking at him.  Aranelion was knelt over near the sidewalk, next to a ruined fire-hydrant and where one of the massive holes in the ground was made.  Once he got Elianaron’s attention, he waved at him, motioning him to come over to him.

   Seeing this, Elianaron nodded, then turned to Antonio and said, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna figure out not only what caused this, but make sure it never happens again.”

   Antonio nodded, pulling his hair back with a rubber band; “Thank you Elianaron, be sure to thank your brother as well.  We’ll be sure to make it worth your while,” he said.

   Elianaron smiled and said, “Aww, it’s okay, don’t give it a second thought; you are wonderful town of wonderful people, and we love to help people out if they’re in need.  Heck, we’ll even help out with the repair efforts!”

   The whole crowd came alive with murmurs, whispering amongst each other about the endearing kindness of the Brokenstar Twins, which always went unasked for, and, up until now, was only rewarded with a few warm meals, provisions for a two-week’s journey, and a few kind words.  They always offered more to the twins, but they were always told such payment wasn’t necessary.  The Brokenstar Twins had come to be admired throughout the entire city, loved by all, their contributions amongst the community unrivalled by anybody in recent memory.

   Antonio nodded, extending his hand to Elianaron and saying, “You have my undying gratitude, as well as the praise of everyone in this town.  We’ll organize a clean up crew and get to work after lunch.”

   An elderly woman wearing a chef’s dress and pink apron walked up to Elianaron and said, “How about you two sweethearts come to my restaurant for lunch?  I’ll whip you up anything on the menu, on the house!”

   Elianaron grinned, for he loved Mrs. Caranelli’s culinary delights, especially her spaghetti; the sauce was to die for, and the chocolate cream pie for dessert was the heaven after the death.  Both twins loved her cooking, and this was gonna be a special treat after weeks of living off bread, crackers, and other non-perishables for every meal.

   He was awoken from his thoughts by a whistle; he looked to see his brother glaring at him impatiently while he waited for him to come over and speak with him.  Elianaron grinned sheepishly, then turned to Mrs. Caranelli and replied, “That sounds lovely Mrs. Caranelli, thank you much.  I’ll go see what Aranelion wants, and then we’ll be right over!”

   Mrs. Caranelli smiled sweetly then nodded and said, “Okay then hun, I’ll whip up your favorite; spaghetti with my special sauce, garlic bread, and chocolate cream pie for desert.  See you then sweetie.”

   After this, Mrs. Caranelli got on a seated scooter, and made her way down the street, turning at the next corner to her restaurant to prepare their meals.  Elianaron nodded at Antonio and said, “I better go see what Aranelion wants.  We’ll meet here after lunch for clean up alright?”

   Antonio nodded and said, “You got it Brokenstar Twin; we’ll have everything ready.  Catch ya after lunch!”

   Elianaron nodded, and the crowd began to disperse in different directions, some heading home, or to a café for lunch.  Elianaron was greeted with so many smiles; indeed, the citizens of this town, called Sandysun City, loved the Brokenstar Twins dearly, perhaps showing them the most care, love, acceptance and thanks than anyone else the twins knew.  They always loved to come here, for they were their happiest when they were in the city, where nobody gave them a cold glare, or did whatever it took to avoid them as they walked along.

   When he got to Aranelion, he found his brother still on bended knee, examining one of the massive holes in the ground very closely.  Kneeling down next to his brother, he said, “Hey, we’re set for lunch at Mrs. Caranelli’s…then everyone’s gonna begin the clean up…”  He paused, and not getting a reaction from Aranelion, he changed the subject, asking, “What is it Air?  You’re on to something aren’t you?”

   Aranelion exhaled deeply, shaking his head and saying, “These aren’t footprints Ell; they aren’t spaced properly and are too shallow for a creature of that kind of size, whose weight would make them much deeper.  These holes…are not unlike a hole that would be left after somebody about our size was blasted into the ground.”

   The twins’ eyes met, remembering the story Shadow told them about the battle he had with Zelias, particularly when he mentioned his magic plowing Zelias into the ground, making a shallow, circular hole, about the same size as the ones in the street.  Yet, they couldn’t be the result of a battle…any witnesses could only say it was like a flash of light blasting down the street…it only lasted for a few brief moments, leaving all this damage in its wake, and, it happened only a short time after Hidama left them the night before, long enough for him to make it to Sandysun City at his top speed.

   Elianaron’s eyes widened; “Air…is it…possible that…Hidama did this?  I just, can’t believe he was that upset with us.  Do you think he’s alright?”

   It was silent for a little while, the twins staring at the path of destruction with disbelief, as they could now envision Hidama, wielding his special powers, driven by rage, fed by the depression and misery in his heart, creating all this damage as he blew through Sandysun City.  By now, Hidama could be several miles away, and it would take the twins a considerable amount of time to catch up with him, and they still had to help the citizens of Sandysun City clean up this mess.

   Finally, Aranelion sighed deeply, shattering the silence, and said, “Yes…Ell, I do…so much infact, because what else could have caused this?  I think Hidama is in trouble…I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that.  Let’s just hope he’ll calm down and wait for us to catch up to him.  Hmm…I’d say he’s in Starshine Town by now…after a run like this he’s bound to have needed to stop by the time he got there…so let’s go have lunch, then help everyone clean this mess up.  Then…we’ll go look for Hidama and apologize for upsetting him.  He should be okay until then.”

   With a sad smile on Elianaron’s face, he nodded, standing up and sighing heavily.  He replied, “Yeah…I hope you’re right.”  He rubbed the back of his head and continued, “Come on, Mrs. Caranelli’s making lunch for us…we better go on over.”  Elianaron walked on ahead slowly, rubbing his bandaged upper arm as he walked, his eyes following his footsteps.

   Aranelion felt terrible; the night before, Elianaron didn’t even say anything to Hidama.  It was he that had done all the yelling in defense of his brother, without even allowing Hidama to try and explain himself.  He knew his friend was going through a hard time; what the problem was, was now not even Aranelion could estimate how much trouble Hidama was in.  Running after Elianaron, he refrained from worrying about Hidama as not to worry his brother, but it was clear, for both of them, that they now feared for their friend, as they knew he was in a very unstable mindset.  Unfortunately they underestimated how much time they had to avert disaster for him.

   The Brokenstar Twins, after eating the delicious meal Mrs. Caranelli cooked up for them, joined the efforts of the entire town to clean up the ruins of Main Street, and afterwards help out in the repair efforts.  The twins figured this would take them no longer than two days, and hoped that Hidama would be alright until then.

   Of course, this was only a false hope, one they used to allay their fears.  In truth, Hidama was far from okay, as he was becoming more and more unstable, being pushed closer and closer to the brink of despair.  It was indeed Hidama who tore through Sandysun City that night, and by now, he was almost to the next city, Starshine Town.

   He had come to rest by a stream that ran through a thick forest.  All out of energy, he lay on his front, gasping for precious air, and water to quench his thirst.  There was no good way to describe the intense amount of pain Hidama was in.  Tears fell from his eyes; panting, and gasping for breath, he was close to choking on his tears.  He was suffering so much anxiety, depression, and misery, that he didn’t know what he was going to do.  He had no escape from this pain, and the wandering thoughts of his mind’s eye, these special powers, brought him endless suffering.  He didn’t know what he was going to do.

   After crying for the longest time, he thought he was going to throw-up, and was still desperate for a drink.  He crawled over to the stream, drinking what little water he could by lapping it up like a cat.  He soon got too tired to manage this, and fainted, collapsing by the stream, the locks of his hair floating in the current, with his nose only inches above the water so he could breathe.

   As he dreamed, or what he thought was his dreams, he could never recall being in such great pain, even under the hands of Feldmort the Cruel.  No; now, he felt pain unlike he ever had before.  He could find no reason to fight for his life at all; this pain he was feeling, was agonizing on all levels and stretches of the imagination and psyche.  So desperate was he to find an escape from this pain, he was willing to go by any means to do this.

   He was awoken by a loud crash of thunder above him.  He shook his head fast, rising quickly, becoming dizzy as a result.  His cape tripped him up as he stumbled aimlessly, his head aching, causing him to fall hard into a tree.  He let out a small scream as he scratched his left arm on the bark.  Slowly, he sat down, hugging his knees, and crying, as a storm now approached, lightning streaking wildly in the sky, and a torrent of rain threatening to fall.

   Time was falling short for Hidama; without Aranelion and Elianaron, he had nothing to keep his spirits up, nothing to pull him back from this misery that was slowly consuming him.  He no longer thought of his dear brother and nephew, which had also provided him with the little comfort he could maintain in those past few weeks.  With nothing to pull him out of his depression, out of this cloud of misery and anguish that enveloped his heart and poisoned his spirit, his mind’s eye was able to guide him to the only possible solution he had left…and that was, to go the way of the other echidnas, as he should have so long ago.

   He slowly stood up, the rain beginning to pour.  He wrapped his cape around him, hung his head, and continued to cry softly, unable to find any reason to live, or anything to dissuade him from these dark and horrible thoughts.  He walked slowly through the forest, so engulfed by sadness all he could concentrate on was crying, his heart aching, and his stomach churning.

   Now thoughts of death consumed him; it was only right, he reasoned with himself, considering it was him after all, that was responsible for the decimation of the echidna clan.  If it weren’t for him, all the echidnas would be alive today, and the world would be a better place because of it.  Some guardian he was; he was responsible for the near death of his brother…Hidama, he was convinced, was nothing but a danger to himself and the rest of the free world.

   As he was drenched with rain water, he continued to cry.  “So…so much good you are, Hinsei Hidama…,” he started.  He sniffed heavily, and continued, “If it weren’t for you, the echidnas would be alive and well…this is all your fault.  You’re the reason Knuckles suffered so much…what good are you to anyone?  You’re just a danger…Feldmort almost got complete control of the Master Emerald…thanks to you.  Knuckles is a much better guardian…you’re…you’re nothing but a waste of…oohh…”

   Hidama felt faint again, and fell to his knees, hanging his head and crying softly.  He was so far gone, he was beyond help or dissuasion, and now, saw his death, not only as his only escape from the pain that now consumed him, but as doing a justice for everyone that he had hurt.  Although he was in no way responsible for the death of his clan, or voluntarily causing anyone pain, the fact that he was named the “doomed guardian” at his birth, was enough to convince him this was a title that meant he was the doom of the echidnas, instead of what it really was, a title that meant a great doom would be suffered when he was the guardian.

   Thunder crashed above him once again, awakening him from his despair, his soulful tears stopping short for the moment as he lifted up his head.  He saw something ahead of him in the distance; it was a city, much larger than Sandysun City, around the same size as Radical City or Metropolis City.  It was called Starshine Town, and while the lights of the city did little to cheer him up, it was enough to cause him to rise to his feet.  He noticed how many skyscrapers stood glistening in the distance, stretching so high they were like a gateway to the stars, a gateway to the afterlife…

   The last few tears to fall from Hidama’s eyes dripped slowly off the tip of his nose, before falling to his feet.  He was in so much pain, physical, mental, and emotional anguish, he was willing to do anything to escape it…and those glittering skyscrapers in the distanced offered a way that he could do this…devoid of any hope or will to survive, he now only had one, desperate way to escape the pain.

   “Mother…Father…I anticipate I shall be coming to you very soon…finally, this terrible, sickening pain and despair will be gone, for I shall go to the one place it can never follow and continue to plague me…through my death alone will it depart…I…I give up.  I have been defeated…and now…I’ll rid my self of this pain forever.  No one will care…no one will miss me…I shouldn’t have survived this long anyway,” Hidama whispered.

   Poor Hidama…he was in so much pain, he had become blinded to reality.  The pain in his heart was doing all the talking, the horrendous visions of his mind’s eye doing all the thinking for him.  Had Aranelion and Elianaron been there, or even Shadow, anyone could have kept him from spiraling this far out of control, this close to his doom…but, now that he was alone, with no sources of comfort or light, he had to think of his own way to find relief…and in these depressing, agonizing moments, death seemed so welcome, a way he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

   He stood erect, and began a slow walk towards Starshine Town, where, after so much suffering, Hidama would finally be free of this pain, allowing his battered, beaten, and broken soul to be free at last.  He began to pray as he walked, his prayers being directed solely to his parents, pleading for forgiveness for all the terrible things he had done and all the suffering he had caused.  While this was only what his depressed, sick heart made him believe, it was something he took to heart; in his mind, he wasn’t even worth anyone’s concern anymore, nor did he deserve to live.

   The rain continued to fall; it grew dark, as the sun began to set behind the thunderstorm clouds, and lightning provided the only light outside of the city.  Starshine Town, despite its name, was a big, bustling city, home to fashion and glamour, movies, music and fame.  It was also a party town where all the “beautiful people,” rich, famous, and talented, congregated and took up abode.

   One of these citizens was Camillia the Cat.  She was a popular fashion model, and was very wealthy as a result.  She was twenty-years old, and when she wasn’t modeling the latest fashions for a magazine or major fashion show event, she was a shop-a-holic, and a girl who loved to party.  On this stormy night, she was at one of these parties, an exclusive one, where only the famous and wealthy came to party down.

   It had gotten late, and Camillia, surrounded by many male suitors, as she loved to flirt with guys, decided she was ready to go home.  She swallowed the last of her punch, and said, “Well boys, I think now’s the time I should be heading home.  I do have a photo shoot to rest up for after all.”

   Disappointed groans came from the six party-goers that were upset to see her go.  One of them, a red hedgehog, walked up to her, helping her put her jacket on.  He was grinning at her, and asked, “Gee Camillia, it’s a shame you have to run off so soon…since it’s raining, why don’t I give you a ride home?”

   Camillia, after fixing her pink hair and zipping up her jacket, turned to look at him, her pink, white-tipped tail stroking his right leg as she looked at him.  A look of intense attraction came into his eyes as he looked at her, for she certainly was good looking, tall, thin, and pretty, but while Camillia was a flirt, she wasn't stupid.  She still placed value on true love, and couldn’t stand it when guys came on to her like this.

   She gazed at him, giving him a false idea of returned affection.  She crossed her arms and said, “Humph, the cold rain is more welcoming than you are Daniel, you louse.”  Turning away and walking towards the door, she continued, “I’d much rather get a ride home with an escaped convict.”

   Anybody within earshot began to laugh intensely, as yet another guy got shot down by Camillia.  Daniel scowled and turned red slightly in embarrassment.  Camillia turned back to the group of party goers, smiling seductively, winking once as she said, “Farewell all, and do, boys…,” she started.  Turning towards the door in the fashion show manner, she put her rose-tinted glasses on, and waved goodbye, continuing, “Take care in this horrid rain…I’ll be seeing ya next time honeys.”

   All the guys began to whistle and clap as she left.  Walking outside, Camillia sighed, fixing her long, magenta gloves, covered in black feathery wisps at the top, matching her socks, before she started walking along towards her apartment building.  “I love those boys…but with so many of them, it’s hard to get serious with any of them…and poor Daniel was the closest I had come in awhile,” she said.  Sighing again, she smiled and said, “Oh well, I’m sure Mr. Right will come along soon.  Meanwhile, I want to get home, out of this nasty rain, and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and my favorite soap opera.”  She sighed happily, looking forward to this, and quickened her pace down the street, even as the thunder crashed louder and the lightning flashed brighter above her.

   As she approached her apartment building, she decided to look up at the lightning as it streaked across the sky.  It was beautiful, and she admired the beauty and power of the lightning; by chance, her gaze was directed towards the apartment suite she shared with a friend…out of the corner of her eye, she saw something strange on the top of the building.  She froze, stopping her walk and gazing at the skyline as the storm approached from beyond it.

   She blinked twice, for she could have sworn she saw a figure standing dangerously on the edge of the building's roof.  As it thundered, followed by a bright flash of lightning, the dark silhouette was illuminated, and she saw a red creature with white banded dreadlocks and a black cape looking to the ground below.  She only saw his face for a moment, but could see tears rolling down his face, and a heavy set dismal look about him. She knew now why he was up there: He was going to commit suicide.

   Camillia tried to call out to him, but as the rain began to pour in buckets and the thunder crash ever louder, she couldn't be heard.  Horrified, she ran inside her apartment building and raced up the stairs frantically to her apartment suite; the longer she took, the more likely it would be that he would jump before she could save him. She flung the door to her apartment open and cried, “Delilah! Help! Someone's about to jump off our apartment building!”

   Camillia ran to the den at the back of their apartment; outside of the sliding glass door was a balcony overlooking the same street she was on only moments before.  As Delilah, a light blue hedgehog, ran out of her bedroom, she asked, “What's wrong Camillia? Who's about to jump!?”

   The cat struggled with the lock on the sliding glass door, and frantically cried, “I don't know who it is, but he's about to jump off the building! We've got to—!” Before she could finish, Hidama, who was indeed the figure she saw, decided that now was the time to end it all.  And so he said one final prayer, and jumped into the stormy night sky.  It would have been over for him, if not for a canopy pole that stretched out over the balcony of Delilah and Camillia's apartment. While the canopy itself was rolled up, the pole snagged Hidama's cape, flinging him into the glass door outside of where the girls stood, before his cape ripped and he fell on a patio chair, banging his head hard and going out cold.

   The girls let out a scream, fearing the worst.  They clung to each other, eyes shut tightly, until Delilah got up the courage to look at the scene.  A small streak of blood and rain water remained on the glass where Hidama had hit it, but she could see the echidna lying motionless on the patio chair, his cape torn and ripped, and blood trickling from a gash on his head.  She pulled away from Camillia slowly and walked up to the door, pressing her face against the glass, staring at Hidama, looking for any sign of life.

   Camillia finally joined Delilah and said, “Is he…dead? Why isn't he moving? I'm scared Delilah…”

   Delilah was shaking, and after taking a deep breath, she said, “No…I see him breathing…he's just unconscious.” She paused, and said, “Look, we've got to bring him inside.  He's bound to have somebody who's looking for him, so let's look after him until he can tell us who he is.”

   The two girls opened the glass door, and struggled a bit to pick him up, but managed to carry him inside and stretch him out on a bed in their guestroom. They were bewildered as to who he was, and what he was for that matter, as the two were barely old enough to remember echidnas ever even existed.  Later, as Camillia got ready for bed, she said, “He's a peculiar guy isn't he?  Hee hee, I think he's cute whoever he is…or whatever he is for that matter…don't you think so Delilah?”

   The hedgehog only nodded, staring at his face, plagued with misery even as he slept, as she gently dabbed his head wound with a wet rag.  She was intrigued by Hidama, and already she knew that he was someone very special, and certainly didn't deserve to be so miserable that he was driven to end his life.  A smile spread across her face, and she whispered to him, “I'm going to look after you…then you can tell me who and what you are…and perhaps we can make the pain in your heart go away.  Something tells me someone out there needs you…I just know it.”

   Delilah was Camillia’s roommate, and also her best friend.  Camillia made it possible for Delilah to pursue her dream, which was to become a famous artist.  She was in the middle of a painting when Camillia ran in, screaming about Hidama’s near death.  The fact that Hidama chose their building to jump from saved his life, and offered him, what was perhaps, the final ray of hope he had for redemption.  The kindness and concern of both Delilah and Camillia would save his life, and, maybe provide the escape he needed from the misery that consumed his soul.

   She gently caressed his brow once more, before bandaging up his head so his wound could heal.  As he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, she almost shed a tear.  She was unsure of what stung at her emotions so about him, but as she tucked the covers in around him, she realized she just couldn't leave his bedside, at least until he awoke.

   Delilah left the room for a moment, going to her bedroom to get her sketching pad and some pencils.  She sat down in a plush armchair at his bedside, and began to sketch the echidna’s face.  She smiled and said, “You must be a rare species…for I’ve never seen anyone like you before…I better take this chance while I have it.  Hee hee, you are awfully handsome, it’d be a shame for such a cute face to be lost forever.”  She paused, falling silent at her words, realizing what she said almost happened to him, and her heart sank again.  She wondered what on earth could have upset him to the point where death was his only way of escape.

   “You…you simply can’t be the last of your kind.  You have to have family…and friends somewhere who need you.  I just hope Camillia and I can do whatever we can to make things right for you,” she said.  Finishing the rough sketch of his face, she looked it over, smiling weakly, and sighed.  She placed the drawing on the low table beside her and yawned deeply.  She had grown tired, but still didn’t want to leave Hidama alone.

   She turned on the television in the room, keeping the volume low, and curled up on a futon with a warm blanket, staring, not at the television, but at the echidna, who already, she had grown such deep concern for.  She glanced once more at his torn cape, deciding the next day she would sew it up for him.  Before she turned off the light, she took off her black cap, and placed it on the table beside her sketch pad.  Snuggling into her blanket, she whispered, “Who are you?  There…has to be someone who needs you…and…a reason why you are here.  I’ll do whatever I can to help you…something tells me you’ve gone through a lot of pain…you never deserved it I’m sure…”

   She yawned heavily again, and slowly fell asleep, as the thunder rumbled softer and the lightning reduced to a faint flash.  Hidama was granted one last chance for happiness, one last chance to escape this pain, one final ray of hope…to save his life.