ARAAT4: Origins

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A Rose And A Thorn 4: Origins

Co-written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: To my readers, all your questions will be answered, all your doubts will be allayed, and you’ll go “WTF!!!!” at least twice before the end of this fanfic. This chapter is probably not one of those times. But hey, you get a few interesting details on Mirage and Midnight.

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Chapter Four: Memories That Don’t Belong

The midnight blue echidna sat alone at a table in a canteen on the ARK, eating his meal of primarily Mexican food. For a floating hunk of steel above the Earth, the ARK had a great variety of edibles for its inhabitants to consume. But then, everything about the ARK was remarkable; it was basically a small city above the blue planet. During the course of his one year life, Midnight had acquired a taste for spicy food. Privately, he wondered if it had anything to do with his echidna heritage. Pondering that, he continued his meal, waiting for Mirage to join him. He didn't order anything for her; he wasn't sure what the feline would have wanted.

He looked around at the rest of the canteen. It was pretty early for supper time but there were a few scientists and experiments in already. He could see that young hedgehog sitting and talking avidly with some of the kids on board the ARK - whole families lived on it. The boy seemed to get on well with most people. He was eating something that looked like a hot dog in a roll.

About ten minutes later, the canteen double doors opened, and Mirage walked in, wearing a clean vest. She snatched up a tray and a plate, and walked along the self-service bar twice. The first time she was just looking; the second time she had loaded her plate with fish, white meat, red meat, and a glass of milk. She turned back, and her eyes scanned the dining area. When she saw Midnight, her face almost lit up, and she made a beeline for him, sitting at the table across from him.

He stopped eating for a moment to look up at her, looking over her now dry body and the plate she had gotten. A carnivore, no doubt about it, "Welcome back,” he told her with a slight smile.

Mirage started to eat, spearing large chunks of food with a fork and eating quickly, "So, you like hot stuff, huh?" she asked, nodding at his plate.

"Very much,” was his response, gesturing towards the plate, "Want to try it?" Considering her far shorter life, he doubted that she had gotten a chance to try many new things, particularly with all those scientists breathing down her neck.

"... Okay," Mirage said, "I suppose you already know what fish and chicken taste like, so there is not much point offering it to you, is there?"

“No,” Looking down at the plate, he picked out the item with the most meat, a burrito stuffed with spicy beef, and handed it to her, "Here, I bet you'll like this."

Mirage accepted the burrito, and took a large bite. Several seconds passed, in which her normally tan cheeks turned pink and her eyes watered slightly. Eventually, she swallowed, "..." she said, and then wheezed, "Fu'geez... you... can actually eat something that spicy?" She drank her entire glass of milk to cool her mouth down.

"Yep,” he said with an amused smirk, "Although, it’s an acquired taste. Not for everyone." He slid his glass of orange juice over to the hedgecat in case she needed it.

Mirage coughed a little and drank the juice too, "Why did not you say that before?" she asked, sounding a little more like her normal self. She continued to eat her meal, slightly more slowly now, "So... I heard from my scientists..." she picked at the food absently, "That some clones can remember their old life, or important parts of it... and you said you have got a perfect memory... do you remember anything?"

Midnight blinked in surprise, taken back by that question. It was an absurd notion. A clone may have the same DNA as the original, but that doesn't make them the same person. The blue echidna never had told the scientists about such a thing, and yet... A waiter walked by and refilled his glass with water. His grey eyes watched as the water swirled and bubbled, and he reached over to dip two fingers in it. Taking his fingers out, he saw drops fall away from his fingers back into the glass, "Water,” he said quietly, "I remember water. Being surrounded by it, beaten by it, filled with it. It’s more of a feeling than a memory, and I shouldn't have that memory... but I do."

Mirage nodded, "I remember things I should not too," she said calmly. She tilted her head, "There is the past, and there is the future, and everything in-between is called 'life'."

"Yeah," He curled the damp fingers into a tight fist and pulled it away, "But if you don't understand your past, it can make your future much closer than you want it to be."

Mirage placed her hand on top of his fist gently, "I am sorry," she said quietly, "I... I should not have brought it up. It is none of my business."

At her touch, his hand relaxed and uncurled, "It’s alright,” he said, "I've never told anyone that I remember that. I guess I figured they would think I'm crazy." He looked the hedgecat in the eye and smirked.

Mirage covered her face with her other hand and giggled. She looked up again, and suddenly found she had nothing to say. She blushed, and turned away slightly.

Midnight turned his hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, giving it a squeeze.

Mirage squeezed his hand back absently, careful not to use her claws, "It can be complicated," she said finally, "Having memories that do not belong to you. And... well, if you remember anything, there is always a chance you will end up remembering more."

"Yes,” he nodded, "Sometimes, I wonder if I really want to remember more or not."

"Sometimes you do not have a choice," Mirage answered. She released his hand, and went back to eating her dinner.

He nodded and did the same, eating in silence. It felt odd confessing to her about the memory, but it did sort of make them even. It was a show of trust.

Mirage wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pushed her plate away, "Well," she looked up at the canteen clock, "It is late..." she scratched the back of her head awkwardly, "So... um... I will see you tomorrow?"

The echidna slowly nodded his head, his eyes fixed on hers, "I look forward to it."

Mirage admonished herself mentally. She was here to stop Espio from dying, not flirt with male experiments! "I... yes, me too," she said quietly, avoiding his eyes. She hurried to the door, not looking back, but as Midnight watched her, Ashura stood up from one of the other tables and gripped her wrist very tightly. Midnight couldn't see what the green hedgehog was saying, but he could see that he was pulling the feline along behind him.

Frowning, Midnight got to his feet and moved towards them both, staying as quiet and hidden as he could. When he wanted to, he could be extremely stealthy.

Ashura pulled Mirage down the corridors, until they reached her cell, "Now you listen to me, girl-" he snarled as Midnight watched from the doorway, listening intently.

"I am not a girl, I am nearly 18 years old biologically," Mirage interrupted him.

"And less than a fortnight, mentally," Ashura told her, "Now I know you're looking at that echidna scum-"

"He is not scum, and I am not looking!" Mirage shouted.

"Shut up, girl," Ashura hissed, "You would not even have been created if it weren’t for me, and you will do as I tell you!"

In the other room, Midnight's eyes narrowed, and he had to keep a growl from escaping his throat.

"I do not have to do anythi-" Mirage gasped in pain as Ashura's grip on her wrist tightened to one of politely agonising proportions.

"You are a biological weapon, and you were made to fight," Ashura told her, "You were made to FIGHT, not feel! What do you feel now?" he asked her.

"Pain..." Mirage whispered.

"Really? Do describe it," Ashura snarled.

"My hand feels both hot and cold..." Mirage whimpered.

Midnight's hands clinched into fists, and he decided that if this kept up, he was going to have some strong words with the green hedgehog...

“How interesting,” Ashura looked her over. He was impressed that she wasn't screaming, but that didn't make him loosen his grip, "You will not associate with that echidna for any reason other than training purposes, do you understand me?"

"He is just my friend," Mirage insisted, "Although I cannot expect you to understand the concept."

Ashura looked, if possible, even more angry, "You can stay away from him of your own free will, or I can see to it that you stay away from him of your own free will. Are you going to be a good little freak and do as you're told?" he asked, his sky-blue eyes flaring slightly.

Midnight doubted that the scientists would want one of their experiments slain, but he also knew he could cause plenty of pain without death. Cracking his knuckles, he slowly made his way towards the door and snuck towards her door while Ashura’s attention was focused on her...

Mirage could no longer actually feel her hand, "He is my friend," she repeated, "And you can stuff your fighting bullshit up your fat, green ass, I will learn to fight MY way, not yours!"

"So be it," Ashura snapped at her. His eyes glowed for several seconds, and all the colour drained from her face, an expression of pure fear replacing her defiance. He released her wrist, and she dropped to the floor, gasping, "Sweet dreams, Project: Mirage," he told her with a sneer, then walked away down the corridor.

Suddenly, a hand clamped around the green hedgehog's throat, and Midnight's voice whispered into his ear, "If you ever touch her again... I'll toss you out the nearest airlock. Do we have an understanding?"

"Hello, Project: Midnight," Ashura's lips curved into a cruel smirk, "I'll thank you to stay away from that creature. After all she's just been through, the last thing she needs is virile young men lusting over her."

Midnight's grip on his throat tightened, and he quietly growled, "I'll do whatever I want whenever I want. Putting you through rapid decompression would be nice. Don't make me get nasty."

"You can't kill me," Ashura replied, not disturbed in the least by the hand around his throat, "Nor can you hurt me without proof of provocation. Dangerous experiments are put back into stasis. Look at her," Midnight looked over his shoulder at Mirage, who had curled up into an impossibly small ball of black and red fur, and was shivering violently, "I haven't laid a finger on her and she's already suffering mental turmoil. Do you want to suffer the same?"

What was he implying? That he could mess with people's minds? "You'd be surprised how strong my mind is," He released the hedgehog and shoved him away, "Fine. I can't hurt you. But if you touch her again, I'll go straight to Professor Gerald and tell him what you are doing to his experiments."

"Pfft. You think that old man will do anything?" Ashura sneered, "He's far too busy with Project Shadow to bother with the rest of us. After all, he is the only one who can save his grand-daughter's life." With a sadistic chuckle, Ashura strode away again.

Midnight glared at him as he left. Once he was gone, the echidna stepped to the doorway of Mirage's room and kneeled down, looking at the shaking ball of fur, "Mirage?" he whispered.

Mirage gave a choking cry, and pulled away from him, "Please... please stop..." she whispered hoarsely.

"What did he do to you?" he asked, staying right where he was, "Are you hurt?"

"D-did not... do anything..." Mirage mumbled as images flitted across her mind. She cried out suddenly, and kicked out at thin air, "I did not do ANYTHING!" she cried out louder.

"Mirage, look at me,” Midnight commanded her quietly.

Mirage curled up even tighter, "Please do not..." she managed to choke out. A feeling of dirtiness swept over her body, "It is... all my... fault..." she gasped.

"Mirage!" he said louder, "It’s not your fault; it’s his. I need you to snap out of it. Talk to me."

Mirage managed to look up at Midnight, but she couldn't meet his gaze for more than a few seconds, before her eyes dropped, "I... I did not mean... for it... to happen... I did not like it... I swear..." she mumbled.

Sighing, Midnight slumped to the ground and sat against the wall. She was delirious, and he obviously wasn't going to get much out of her. So he waited.

Mirage stood up even as he sat down, "I have to... I have to..." she stopped, then began pacing, "I have to... I have to..." Stuck in a rut, she stopped her pacing and clutched at her head, sinking to her knees, "I... cannot..."

"Yes you can,” he whispered, "You're stronger than you believe yourself to be."

Hole it all up inside, hide it, keep it secret, whispered Mirage's voice in her head imploringly, Nobody needs to know... how dirty... you are... hide it, hide it away forever... "Help... me..." she gasped.

Slowly, Midnight scooted closer to the hedgecat and hesitantly placed one hand on her shoulder, "What do you want me to do?"

"...Feel sick," Mirage announced, and turned away from Midnight just long enough to throw up. He didn't do anything, it wasn't his fault, "Do not want to be scared... not of you..." she managed, "That is what he wants..." Then she turned away, and was sick again.

Midnight patted her on the back, waiting for her to finish, "Hey, it’s me, Midnight,” he told her, "You know me."

There were a few horrible noises as Mirage choked up the last of her meal, "It is you, it is you..." she closed her eyes, feeling herself relax again, "Just you, just you..." She was clearly confused and scared, and he couldn't just leave her sitting next to a puddle of her own vomit until the cleaners came.

Frowning, Midnight stayed there next to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. He didn't know what Ashura did to her, but whatever it was, it was bad, “It’s just me,” he said gently.

More of the frighteningly vague memories flitted across Mirage's mind and she almost pulled away from Midnight, "Just you," she managed, "It is you, it is you..." For now, this seemed to be her most comforting thought. She leant back against Midnight a little.

Midnight pulled the hedgecat closer to him, "I won't let him hurt you again,” he promised her. Slowly, the echidna got to his feet and scooped her up into his arms, "You need some rest,” he told her. He doubted, however, that she really wanted to sleep in a room that smelled like vomit. So, he carried her out of the room and walked down the hallway towards his own room.

Occasionally, Mirage gave a twitch, either trying to pull away from him, or trying to get closer. When they reached his door and he set her down, she froze up almost completely, "What are you going to do..." she managed, and the look of fear on her face was evident - he didn't even need to feel her claws digging into his arm to realise how scared she was right now.

Wincing in pain, he opened the door to his cell, "I'm letting you sleep in my room until yours gets cleaned," he said Looking at her frightened expression again, he softly added, "I'm not going to hurt you, but if you want me to sleep somewhere else, I'll understand."

"Do not want... to be alone," Mirage answered, and her grip on his arm loosened somewhat.

Nodding, Midnight carried her into the room, and laid her down on the floor gently, wishing he had something softer to lay her on. He removed her shoes, as well as his own, and lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist comfortingly.

The feline froze up once again, this time for almost a minute. But then she rolled onto her side, facing away from him, and loosened up a little.

It hurt Midnight to hear it, to see her in such pain. All of his training, his hours of practice and learning, and he had no idea how to protect her, possibly the only person he really cared about in his life, from whatever happened. He softly nuzzled her cheek and whispered, "Don't hold it in. Let it out. It'll just poison you if you hold it in..."

Several more seconds passed, and then Mirage choked out the words, "You will think I am crazy..."

"After accepting that you've seen the future?" he replied, "I doubt it. You can trust me."

"It did not happen..." Mirage choked on an absence of tears, "I know it did not happen... it could not have happened... but I feel like it happened..."

"What was it? What didn't happen?"

Mirage's voice fell to the barest of whispers, so that Midnight could only hear by straining his ears, "Somebody... s-somebody... raped... me..."

The hand that was not stroking Mirage gently clinched into a fist tightly. Midnight’s expression hardened, "I'll kill him,” he said quietly, but harshly, "I'll kill him..."

"He will make it worse..." Mirage whimpered, "He will give you false memories too... just let it go... please..."

Midnight shook with anger, but managed to force it down, nuzzling her again and saying, "Alright. I will." He was lying. He would never let it go. He would be patient, he would be smart. And eventually, he would make Ashura pay.

Mirage nodded, and curled up, shaking slightly, "...Hurts..." she said softly, "Hurts real bad... even for a lie..."

"It'll pass in time,” he whispered, holding her close, "Pain always does." He held her as she trembled, held her until she stopped shaking and finally fell asleep. He gently caressed her cheeks and ran his fingers through her fur as she finally found a measure of peace through dreamless sleep. After a while, he joined her.

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Harley: You know the drill! Read and review!

Froggy: And if you don’t like it and decide to rate low, at least have the common courtesy to say why.