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Robotnik…Didn’t deserve to be an angel. He never did.
After he died from some sort of accident that he couldn’t properly remember, he ended up here. He guessed he was standing on clouds or some bullshit like that. The quiet sound of something like a choir singing and trumpets being played sounded close but distant. The golden, pearly gates stared back at him, the faceless whoever in front looked at him and wrote something down on the thick book in front of them before letting someone else usher him inside.
He looked down at himself. Fat and scarred. Torn clothes that used to cover his body were now new. He shot a skeptical gaze at himself.
They say Heaven was gorgeous, that every religion had their own version of paradise. From here, he saw all. But he could only name some.
Right now, it was Heaven from the Bible. Down below, he saw a field, with people tending to their crops and talking happily with their familiars. Another side showed a silver gate, behind were lush gardens, small gazebos with tea tables and small following rivers. Everyone there smiled, talked and laughed. Children ran around and picked at the flowers and admired the fishes in the water. Robotnik looked somewhere else, traveling deeper into this place that was God’s Heaven but also others. He found a pit that dropped down towards a dark, unalive place. Hades’ realm.
“I understand you’re doubting.” A bright light shone from above him.
Robotnik looked up towards the direction of the voice and found God. Not Jesus. God.
He was blinding.
“I shouldn’t be here.” Robotnik said firmly, his non-existence heart racing in his chest. He felt like he was missing something, but he first had to assert that he was not supposed to be in Heaven.
Although the light had no face, Robotnik swore God shook his head in the face of his naivety. He frowned at the light and turned away to walk back towards the gates. The people watched him, they barely see anyone who would want to leave Heaven before. The lower angels didn’t try to stop him; they knew that this happened once in a while and never result well if they do it themselves.
God picked Robotnik up by the back of his shirt like a kitten and placed him down, turning him to face the light again. Robotnik kept his frown.
“All sins will be forgiven in time.” God said, his voice small and soft. “You have redeemed yourself. Your partner suffers far greater consequences.”
He didn’t know who God was talking about. A partner? Lover or a friend? Did he hate that person or did he like them? Were they a man or a woman?
Robotnik raised a brow at God.
“Hell is but a place to teach those who had done wrong.” God explained. “Some may be redeemed. Some will not be.” He continued with a mournful tone. “There are some sins I cannot forgive.”
“I know.” It didn’t sound mocking. Robotnik didn’t want to mock God, not because he feared him, but because he was tired. His bones ached and his eyes burned.
God allowed Robotnik to leave through the gates to look down at Hell eventually. He took his time going to the gates. He felt naked in a way, like there was supposed to be someone beside him, but now there isn’t.
He could hear screaming of pain at the edge of Heaven. Cries for help, screams of agony, everyone down there was suffering. Robotnik looked down and stared for a moment. He tried searching for someone who he might recognize, but no one sparked any recognition in him.
It was concerning.
When he walked back towards Heaven, God was there to greet him. Robotnik didn’t like to look up towards other people because he liked to think himself as superior. Well, not here anymore. He can’t be rude to anyone anymore, he thinks.
“Have you found him?” God asked him.
So this partner of his is a man. Inevitable, he should’ve guessed it, really. He didn’t remember ever having any female partners in his life, so that person being a man only makes more sense. Robotnik looked back up at the blinding light and shook his head, keeping eye contact with whatever he was looking at. God hummed back in response and summoned an angel with a short, quiet chant. The angel that appeared beside him didn’t look human, but Robotnik would rather focus on other things.
A man then. How tall? How old? Lover or co-worker/assistant? Did he have a good relationship with that man? If he didn’t, why would he mourn the lack of his presence beside him?
“My servant will be here at night to guide you.” God said, pushing the angel forward gently. The angel nodded and smiled, though he wasn’t sure if the angel was actually smiling. But he felt warmth, like something soft, cozy and cute had accepted the affection he had been giving it for so long.
Night time fell and Robotnik watched the souls go. Clouds faded into a town, a city. There were roads, and there were cars and public transports available. He guessed some souls would still like to explore the nightlife like they used to on Earth. The Field of Reeds turned purple and then dark navy blue, the souls placed down their farming instrument and retreated back to their homes, lighting fires and sitting around each other. Again, they were just bonding and being there for each other. Hades’ realm seemed to quiet down as well, but Robotnik wasn’t sure what had changed. The lush gardens were now nearly deserted of people, with a few teenagers walking around looking at fireflies and a few men and women reading books with the help of a small lamp.
Everything looked peaceful here. There was none of that peace on Earth and he doubted there’ll ever be.
The angel was there at the in a more humanoid form. Their head was still as bright as ever, but they had a vague build, all in-between. But to Robotnik, they had a quite muscular built, with broad shoulders and they would’ve looked like a Greek statue but they had less define details. Robotnik approached and stopped just two feet away. The angel turned their head and nodded, leading him back towards the edge of Heaven.
“Why do you look like that?” He asked, crossing his arms and stopping when they do.
“Angels like me have no form.” They replied, though their voice sounded like a mix of every existing voice in the universe. All accent but none, both man and woman and yet sounding nothing like either. “I assume a form that you could recognize. That of your partner.”
Makes sense. Maybe that’s why Robotnik could tell that this was the angel he was supposed to follow.
Hell looked the same, regardless night or day. After all, it’s supposed to be a place of eternal punishment. Some hells punish forever, some just keep you there and let you carry out your own hell. Catholic Hell was more dull and upsetting than torturous, in Robotnik’s opinion. He looked back and forth, turned his head this and that way, but he couldn’t find where his partner was.
“Have you found him?” The angel asked, their arms behind their back and tilting their head.
Robotnik shook his head.
“Your partner isn’t dead yet.” The angel replied. “His Savior had thought you had been looking for someone else, but now I know.”
Robotnik stood up and looked down the flames beneath. Some flickered red, others blue. He knew Hades’ realm was cold and isolating, but a certain part of Catholic Hell also had that. He turned to the angel and stared at the blinding light that was their head. He didn’t want to ask by voice, he would just do it by eyes.
The angel stared back, and then nodded. A hand hovering over the small of his back, they led him to the other edge of Heave, the edge that overlooked Earth instead of Hell.
Part of the planet had been plunged into darkness as well to show that it was nighttime. With a simple move, the angel zoomed into a certain area, dragging and looking for Robotnik’s partner. He couldn’t help but think it was like Google Maps, zooming in to find your destination or to simply find a place.
Then, to Robotnik’s surprise, the angel tapped into an apartment and encouraged Robotnik to stand before it. Inside the apartment was a man with a similar built to the angel, although he looked like he either lost or gained some small amount of weight. He had on a purple button up and black pants, red socks and one glove on his left hand. His hair was messy, his eyes were red, his face was tear stricken. He was curled up on the couch, with a granny square patterned blanket clutched in his arms. On top of him was a black coat with red linings inside. Robotnik wondered how long he had been crying.
“That is your partner. His name is…Stone.” He didn’t understand why the angel hesitated, but he didn’t care.
The man – Stone – was still crying even though he looked on the verge of not being able to produce more tears. His sobs were so broken Robotnik would’ve thought he was whimpering from pain instead. His hands clutched at the blanket and then unclutched it, smooth his hand over the pattern and then cried again.
“I miss you, Doctor…” Stone mumbled, not being able to say the title out fully before completely breaking down once more. It looked like this happened more than once.
Robotnik’s soul ached. This was his partner, a man with what seemed like a good personality, competence and dedication. He had bene alive before and, although he knew himself to be incredibly bitter and harsh towards everyone, this man stayed. Stone stayed with him throughout his worst moments.
Before Robotnik could open his mouth to ask, a stream of tears flowed down his face and a bright flash of memories erupted in his mind. A latte with well-drawn art, a smile brighter than the sun itself, several words of affirmations and continuous streams of compliments. A gentle hand, a saddened face. An elegant but stiff body, a soul-shattering laughter. Then, a frown, a miserable expression, warnings and cries. Tears of the forgotten.
He…
He had a partner.
And that partner cared about him. He loved him.
“How long has it been?” Robotnik asked with a voice holding back screams of agony.
“A year.” The angel responded mournfully. “He hasn’t stopped and kept sending prayers to us.”
This was still Hell, no longer Heaven.
Heaven was supposed to be peaceful. It was supposed to be paradise.
It can’t be paradise without Stone.