Archive of Our Own ^beta

Soft strings of a guitar. Colourful lights. Blonde hair. Gentle smile. Warmth. Peace.

Alarms. Yellow sirens. Fear. Explosion. Pain. Loss. Grief.

Repeat.

The painful memory of the worst day of his life plays on a loop in Shadow's head as he hangs in stasis. His own mind becomes a personal torture device to taunt him of his helplessness on that dreadful day. He lost everything he had ever cared about: his home, his family, his best friend. He will never be able to get any of it back. The fear and pain consumes him daily as half a century quietly passes in the blink of an eye. 

Grief. Anger. Pain. Revenge. Redemption.

Shadow never thought that he would get the chance to live again. He was sure the blast from the Eclipse Cannon imploding would annihilate him from existence. Instead, he's hurled back to Earth, like some sort of retribution for helping to save the entire planet. He doesn't know why he was spared, but after collecting one of his lost inhibitor rings in the middle of nowhere, he comes to one conclusion: Maria. Her voice echoes in his mind as he stares at the sunset.

"Do you know why I named you 'Shadow'? Because without light, there's only darkness. But a shadow will show you where to find the light. I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light, with peace in your heart."

That was right. Maria was the one that named him Shadow. If not for revenge, or some aimless purpose, Shadow is going to live for Maria. He's going to live a life that she would have been proud of. Though the little blue planet is a painful reminder of what he had lost, it's also a beautiful place where he created a lot of wonderful memories with her.

"In time, I learned there was something even more powerful than pain: the love we felt for each other."

Shadow sighs as Sonic's words relay through his mind. He's an annoying little speed freak, but he has heart. A lot of it. And he was right. Hanging onto the love that Maria felt for him and vice versa was what helped Shadow free himself from the chokehold of despair. He feels freer, in a sense. The heartache still lingers in his body, but somehow, he feels lighter. Stronger. Fulfilled. Determined. He glances down at the inhibitor ring securely back on his wrist, then balls his hand into a fist. 

"This is for you, Maria. I promise to protect this planet, just like you would have wanted."

With new resolve in his heart, he takes the first step towards his new life.

---

After retrieving one of his lost inhibitor rings, he traverses new lands in search of the last one. He keeps himself hidden, speaks to no one, and moves mostly at night. He has half a mind to find Sonic as well, but thinks better of it. Though they worked together to save the planet, Shadow had hurt Tom pretty badly. He didn't even know if Tom was alive or not. He won't be able to face Sonic again after that. There were some things that just could not be forgiven. Since Shadow had not forgiven himself yet, he could not, and will not, ask him for help. Besides, it wouldn't work out anyhow. Sonic was annoying and reckless and had a big mouth. His whole presence was too much for Shadow to handle. Despite Sonic's merits, Shadow would never be able to live within twenty miles of him. Reaching out to him was not an option. After Shadow found his other inhibitor ring, he'd live on his own.

Unfortunately for him, fate deals him unruly cards.

After three weeks, Shadow finally locates his inhibitor ring. He didn't think it would have taken so long, since he's able to detect his chaos energy clearly. But when he thought he was on the right track, it was as if his chaos energy shifted, and his attention was pulled elsewhere. It would drag him away from the lead he had, and then he would come up empty in the end. It happened more than once, which infuriated him. At the time, he didn't understand why he felt his chaos energy in a new location, but then it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. He chalked it up to him being stressed and distracted and desperate to find his inhibitor ring. Running on pure adrenaline and hatred for three days took a lot out of his system, not to mention the stress that 50 years of stasis put on his body. When he finally had time to relax and take a breather, he assumed his senses were crossed and they tricked him into thinking his chaos energy was in more than one place.

It didn't matter once all was said and done, however. He has all of his inhibitor rings, and that was that.

Well, that's what he thought. 

Turns out, the last one was in a hole in the ground. And not just any hole: Sonic's old cave.

When Shadow clicks his ring back on his wrist, he takes in his surroundings. There's a lot of miscellaneous junk lying around and hanging up on the walls: street signs, basketball hoops, posters, shelving, a hammock, a rusty table, a skateboard, a pair of bongos, and a bunch of other human junk and trash that wasn't wanted anymore. He walks around and picks up a few items to inspect them. They're covered in layers of dust and dirt, clear signs they haven't been touched in months. Amongst all of it, as Shadow stands in the place where Sonic once lived, he feels homesick. It wasn't as if he particularly liked living in the lab, but rather he missed the people in it. Mainly Maria. His heart ached and ached and ached for her. Sonic told him to hold onto the love that he felt for Maria so it would help ease the pain. He didn't mention how hard it would be to do that. Heartache couldn't be fixed overnight, so Shadow needed to be patient. With time, he would learn to accept his pain and move past it.

Just as Shadow turns to leave, he pauses. How did his inhibitor ring end up here? It didn't just land in the cave on the ground: it was meticulously hung up on the wall, next to a drawing hidden by vines. That meant that Sonic must've found it, and kept it hidden in the cave to keep it safe. Which also meant that Sonic was close. Very close. Shadow panics on the inside. What would happen if he was found out? It was difficult to imagine that Sonic would be happy to see him. He couldn't come up with any reason why Sonic would even feel something akin to happiness at seeing him alive. Shadow wouldn't. Not after everything he had done. As he struggles to overcome his inner turmoil, he fails to notice the incredibly fast pitter patter of feet zooming just above him.

One moment, Shadow is alone and having an internal dilemma. In the next, an all too familiar voice rings through his ears.

"Ahh, hello cave. It's been—"

Sonic freezes when he realizes he isn't alone. He instantly brings up his fists and flashes his incredible power to the intruder. His eyes glow a brilliant blue, and he's about to strike when he realizes who has infiltrated his old humble abode.

"Shadow?" The lightning that envelopes Sonic's body quickly dissipates upon seeing his fallen friend. The intimidation tactic melts away as his face falls, and takes tentative steps towards him. "Is it... is it really you?" Shadow's look of surprise is replaced by a small frown. There's no need to pretend. With a heavy sigh, Shadow steps forward.

"Yes. I'm—"

The air is knocked out of Shadow as Sonic collides with him in a tight hug. Shadow grunts and tries to resist, but it's futile. Sonic is stronger than he looked. Shadow's arms are pinned to his sides as Sonic lets out a jovial laugh.

"You're alive!" he says. "I can't believe it! I thought you were a goner. I'm so happy you're alive!" 

Shadow goes rigid at Sonic's declaration. He was... happy that he was alive? But... why? What was there to be happy about? He thought—

"I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light, with peace in your heart."

Maria's words echo in Shadow's mind again. He understood what she meant on the surface. Did her statement also mean to accept others' happiness regarding himself? To look deep inside his soul and forgive himself for what he did? If Maria was standing in front of him again, what would she really say to him?

Shadow didn't need to think about it. He knew what she would say: that he had to move forward, and not do everything alone. It was tough to go through life without a support system, especially without her by his side. 

"Maria might be gone, but your love will always remain."

The love Shadow felt for Maria was infinite. The very person that reminded Shadow of that fact is right in front of him, and is elated that he's alive. Who was Shadow to spit in Sonic's face and tell him that he should think otherwise? Maria would've scolded Shadow for sure if she heard him speak ill of himself. Given Sonic's personality, Shadow was positive that he would react the same way.

Regardless, Shadow still has mixed feelings about himself. The longer Sonic hugs him, the more Shadow itches to get away from him. He yearns for a hug, but also doesn't deserve one. His ears twitch as his thoughts race a million miles a second, trying to come up with something to say. Luckily for him though, Sonic was a chatterbox, and could easily speak for the both of them.

"How did you do it?" Sonic asks as he pulls away. He keeps his hands on Shadow's shoulders, and wears the brightest smile as he drills him with curious questions. "Where were you? How did you end up here? Did you miss me? I can't blame you for that. I have a certain... je ne sais quoi that makes me irresistible to the general populace. Did you try to find me? Or was it just luck? Were you here the whole time and I just didn't notice? Oh, did—"

Sonic just keeps babbling and babbling. Shadow wonders how he can go on for so long talking about nothing and everything. It's a rare talent, one that Shadow wouldn't wish on anybody. If he can barely handle one minute of it, he wonders how Sonic's family could.

Remembering what Shadow did to Tom makes his heart skip a beat. It's at that moment that Shadow puts his hands on top of Sonic's and pushes him off.

"I tracked the chaos energy from my inhibitor ring," Shadow interrupts. Sonic effectively shuts up and stands at attention as Shadow speaks. "I found it here. That's all."

"Wow," Sonic breathes. "You were able to find it all the way out here? That's awesome! Leave it to you to do something so incredible. Whoa, I sounded like Tails there for a second, hahaha!" Shadow raises a brow at Sonic. His entire demeanour screams non-threatening. He's not angry or upset; he's just... hyper. Hyper and happy that Shadow is alive. They may share similar appearances, but Shadow is the complete opposite of his blue counterpart. Since his business is done, Shadow steps around Sonic to leave.

"Hey, where're you going?" Sonic asks.

"Nowhere," Shadow says.

"What do you mean, 'nowhere'?" Sonic echoes.

"I mean anywhere that's not here," Shadow clarifies.

"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" Sonic ponders.

Shadow goes silent. He doesn't need Sonic's pity. He can survive on his own. The last thing he needs is Sonic's pathetic doe-eyed stare.

"I can handle myself," Shadow sighs.

"I know you can," Sonic states. "But that doesn't mean you have to be on your own."

"Yes, it does," Shadow argues. "After everything I've done, I..." He balls his hands into fists and tenses his shoulders. The weight of his actions still feel insanely heavy on his back. Weeks had passed, but there was not one day where Shadow didn't stop blaming himself. He carries a heavy burden that he could not share with anyone else; nor did he want to share it. He would keep it with him, and only if and when he could forgive himself would he be free of it. 

"You already sacrificed yourself once by doing the right thing." Sonic's voice brings Shadow out of his spiral and back to reality. "You don't have to keep punishing yourself for being manipulated, Shadow. What you did before doesn't matter anymore. It's what you do from here on out that matters."

Damn it.

Another flashback of Maria saying something similar pops into Shadow's mind. It really is infuriating how Sonic is able to do that. But if he was being honest with himself, Sonic being similar to Maria is a blessing in disguise for Shadow. The question is, is he able to ignore the 99% of Sonic that's almost intolerable? It's a tough decision to make.

"Maria would've liked you."

Sonic was not expecting Shadow to admit such a thing. For once, he's speechless. Stunned into silence. Shook. Sonic takes it as a compliment; the highest kind of praise that Shadow could ever give to him. When his initial shock wears off, he melts into a mushy puddle, smiling softly.

"Yeah?" he says in a hopeful voice.

"Yes," Shadow affirms.

"Awww, you're making me blush," Sonic chuckles. "Well. Since I have been bestowed with such an honour, I think it's safe to assume that she would also think that you should take a hand when it's offered to you, no?" Shadow still hesitates, so Sonic does the work for him. He wraps his arm around Shadow's shoulder and begins tugging him along. "C'mon. I'll bring you home. Everyone will be excited to see you!"

Shadow stops in his tracks and shakes off Sonic's hand. Sonic looks at him quizzically, wondering what was on his mind.

"What's the matter?" he asks.

"No one will be excited to see me. Especially not after what I did to your family," Shadow says.

Sonic deflates a bit, but he puffs his chest out and puts his hands on his hips.

"Tom's fine!" Sonic tells him. "He's gotta wear a sling for a few more weeks, but he's gonna be okay! He's a lot tougher than he looks." That does little to comfort Shadow. He's glad that he didn't kill Tom, but hearing that he's okay doesn't lessen his guilt. Sonic sighs and puts his hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Look. If I'm being honest, I don't know how they're going to react to seeing you. Could go badly, but it could also turn out fine! He could forgive you."

"Would you?"

"I already have."

Shadow widens his eyes at Sonic's confession. Sonic shakes his head and scoffs.

"Listen. You were angry at me, I was angry at you. We fought, we made up, we helped save the world, I thought you died, I grieved, I forgave you, and now here we are. That's what friends do. Y'know, minus the dying part. But—oh, um. Sorry. Didn't mean for it to come out like that..." Sonic scratches his head and tries again. "Anyways. I already told you once, and I'll tell you again: you don't have to do this alone. I'll be there with you every step of the way." Shadow is still stuck on the part of them supposedly being "friends". When did that happen? Sonic has a strange way of thinking. If anything, Shadow considers Sonic an acquaintance at most. Since when did Sonic decide that he and Shadow are friends? 

"I'm not someone to be easily forgiven," Shadow finally says. Sonic groans so loud that it echoes around the cave.

"You're really stubborn, you know that?" Sonic says. "Forgiveness doesn't happen in a day, Shadow. I know that from firsthand experience. It takes a lot of work. And it all starts from the beginning: are you truly sorry about what you did?"

"I am."

"And you swear you'll never do it again?"

"Yes."

"Great! Then you already got the first step down. The next part is being trusted again. And you do that by proving yourself worthy of that trust. Uhh... What's that called again? Retent? Renentanance? Relentlessness?"

"Repentance?"

"Yeah, yeah! Repentance! Repent and be forgiven and all that stuff. In our house, you just say you're sorry and you promise you'll never do it again and do a power bump. Easy peasy. But you still have to work at it." Sonic pats Shadow's shoulder and then stands under the entrance of the cave. The moonlight shines down on him, and Shadow swears Sonic looks angelic. "C'mon. It won't be as bad as you think. There's no harm in trying when you've already made up your mind." Once again, Sonic holds out his hand for Shadow to take. Shadow flicks his eyes at Sonic's hand, and then to his face. It's devoid of lies. Sonic's eyes are genuine, and full of love; something that Shadow had missed for decades. 

Here we go.

Slowly, Shadow takes small steps forward until he stands side-by-side with Sonic. Sonic smiles at him, while Shadow returns it with an indescribable emotion.

"Try to keep up," Sonic says before he jumps up out of the cave and zooms towards the Wachowski family home. Shadow scoffs when Sonic echoes the same thing that Shadow said to him while they were battling the Eclipse Cannon's robots. In the blink of an eye, Shadow disappears from the cave and appears beside Sonic before he even has time to breathe.

Despite the circumstances, Shadow takes the situation as a challenge and races Sonic to the house. Though he needs Sonic's guidance to get there, he can beat him in a landslide. Sonic takes notice of the determined look on Shadow's face, and loudly agrees to Shadow's provocation. Shadow doesn't let Sonic's incessant babbling and self-confidence distract him; though that doesn't mean he takes his jabs lightly. Whenever Shadow retaliates, it makes Sonic laugh and go faster. Some healthy competition never hurt anybody!

In the end, Sonic beats Shadow by a millisecond. 

"Better luck next time, Hot Topic," Sonic grins.

"This isn't over," Shadow frowns.

"That's right," Sonic agrees. "It's just the beginning!"

As they calm down from their race, Sonic walks up the steps of the house while Shadow remains in the pathway. Sonic takes a breath before opening the door.

"Wait there for a minute," he calls over his shoulder. "I'll be right back." Then he slips inside and closes the door over, leaving it open a crack. From outside, Shadow hears excited yelling, hushed voices, and confused questions. He braces himself for the worst as Sonic's voice rings clear as he pulls the door open.

"So. Unlike the time when I dyed Ozzy's fur blue and it took a week for it all to come out, I need you guys to be totally cool about this."

When Sonic reveals Shadow being very much alive, the entire Wachowski family is stunned into silence. Shadow could barely look any of them in the eye, especially Tom. He's wearing a sling just like Sonic said. The reminder is painful for Shadow, but probably not as painful as it is for Tom. The shame Shadow feels in that moment is so immense, it was like he could feel actual weight on his shoulders. Despite that, Shadow knew he had to face his issues head-on. So he straightens his posture and tries to look as non-threatening as possible (though the deep frown on his face made it difficult to discern that he wasn't angry).

The first one to break the heavy silence is Knuckles.

"It's the more impressive hedgehog!" he exclaims.

"I can't believe he's alive," Tails adds. "I would've thought for sure that—"

"How is this possible?" Maddie wonders.

"Kind of hard to kill me when I'm made of the energy that destroyed the station," Shadow comments softly. "Plus, I'm kind of immortal so... sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, no, that's not what we're saying—" Tails begins.

"No one is disappointed here," Sonic cuts in. "For one, I'm very happy he's alive. So if we can all—"

"I'm sorry."

Everyone is stunned into silence again as Shadow expresses his apology. They remain quiet to let him continue.

"I was blinded by rage and revenge," Shadow goes on. "I thought I had no choice and no say in the matter. I was driven by my hatred for G.U.N. and what they did to Maria. I'm sorry for everything I did. Especially for hurting you, Tom." Shadow addresses Tom directly. "I didn't know at the time that it was you, but still. I put you and your family through a horrible situation, and I'm very sorry. I know the pain you all experienced, and I should have known better." Shadow's gaze lowers to the ground and he balls his hands into fists as he feels the shame and anger bubble up in his chest. There's a beat of silence before Shadow hears wood creaking and footsteps coming towards him. He doesn't look up until a hand is placed on his shoulder.

"You're not the first space hedgehog to give me a hard time," Tom says with a smile. "And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him: life is all about the choices you make. You made some bad ones, but you've also made some good ones. Like saving the planet instead of letting it explode. And you're also making a good choice right now. Making amends is never easy. But it's the first step in taking the right path. And if it's any consolation, Shadow, I forgive you. It might take some time to trust you completely, but I do forgive you."

"Thank you," Shadow says. "But you don't need to worry about trusting me again. I won't be staying."

"That's not what you said back at the cave!" Sonic calls from the door. 

"It is," Shadow says.

"Nooo it's not!" Sonic argues.

"Yes, it is," Shadow grits through his teeth. Sonic is at Shadow's side in a split second and points his finger in Shadow's face.

"You agreed to stay with us so you wouldn't be alone anymore, remember?" Sonic reminds him.

"I said no such thing," Shadow argues back. "I came here to apologize for what I did. And I have. Now there's no reason for me to—"

"If I may," Tom interjects, holding up his good hand. "I think it might be a good idea to stay the night." Sonic grins, happy that Tom is on his side. Shadow sighs quietly, but doesn't protest. "I don't know how you've been surviving up until now, but tonight, you need a roof over your head. I know you're strong, but you're still just a kid. Plus, we have a habit of taking in stray aliens that have lost their way." Tom looks behind him at his family and asks for their OK. "Is everyone cool with that?"

"Fine with me!" Tails says.

"Excellent," Knuckles says, pounding his fists together. "Me and the hedgehog have unfinished business."

"You already know I'm on board," Sonic says.

Maddie hesitates, which Tom doesn't blame her for. She's a tiny bit skeptical of Shadow's intentions. She's an absolute sucker for her three boys, but Shadow is different. He tried to destroy the world and nearly killed her husband. Though she believes his apology is genuine, she still has her guard up.

"Okay," Maddie sighs. "But there will be ground rules."

"You got it," Tom says. He turns back to Shadow. "Welcome to the Wachowski home, Shadow. Let's go inside."

---

A week passed, and Shadow was very slowly getting used to his new routine.

He was originally going to stay for one night and then be on his way, but the Wachowskis had other plans. Or rather, Sonic had other plans.

Somehow, someway, Sonic persuaded Shadow to stay another night. And then another. And then another. And then another, until the total number of days added up to seven. Shadow couldn't believe that Sonic convinced him to stay when all he wanted was the opposite. But maybe, deep down, Shadow wanted to stay. Perhaps after experiencing what it was like to be a part of a family again, Shadow didn't want to let it go. So the more that Sonic opened his mouth and fumbled his way through some lame excuse as to why Shadow needed to stay, Shadow relented each and every time without much fight.

Shadow followed the rules down to a tee, especially the ones that Maddie put in place. They weren't strict at all; just some general ground rules that basically all of the boys had to follow: no sneaking out at night, no destroying the house, no cataclysmic events, and an added rule for Shadow was no plotting to decimate the planet. Shadow had no intention of breaking the special rule for him. He learned his lesson, and vowed to protect the Earth. For Maria.

The only thing Shadow wished was that the house was a bit quieter.

At nearly all hours of the day, while Tom and Maddie were at work, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were rowdy. Well, Sonic was the rowdiest one while Tails talked to himself about his gadgets and Knuckles boasted about his warrior accomplishments. It was difficult for Shadow to have some quiet time to himself. Granted, Shadow didn't mind participating in whatever gimmicks they were up to, and he certainly didn't turn down a race against Sonic. 

Sonic discovered that Shadow was quite easy to provoke, especially when it came to who was faster. Or better. When Knuckles challenged Shadow to another fight, Shadow agreed, but went easier on him. The first time they fought in Tokyo, Shadow held himself back but still packed a punch. Shadow knew what he was capable of, but he didn't fight to kill. In the beginning, Shadow routinely fought G.U.N. soldiers to test his skills. Then, he fought to survive, but only maimed the brightly coloured trio and anyone else that got in his way. But now? He didn't fight for pleasure, but he would spar for the hell of it. Plus, training wasn't a bad idea, just in case. If he fought for real, in a life or death situation, he would kill without hesitation. As for Tails, he was the quietest of the three, though he had his moments where he talked non-stop about his inventions.

Sonic yapped about everything and anything, Knuckles yapped about being one million percent muscle, and Tails yapped about his successes and failures with his tech.

There was barely a minute where Shadow could hear himself think. Within a few days, he discovered that he could get away from all the noise, just not during the day.

At night, when everyone was asleep, Shadow teleported to the roof and stared at the stars. It was different looking at the sky alone. It was lonely without Maria; hell, it was even lonely without Sonic. From the lab, to the moon, to Green Hills: the view was different every time. Sitting on the roof every night became Shadow's favourite part of the entire day (no offense to the Wachowski family). Stargazing became important to him, since it reminded him of Maria. He liked to think that she became a star when she died. To him, Maria was the brightest, most precious person in the world to him. It just made sense that when she passed, she would become the thing that Shadow imagined her to be.

Eventually, Sonic figured out where Shadow went every night. Shadow passed on sleeping in the attic since it was too noisy for him (Knuckles snored and Sonic talked in his sleep), so he burrowed himself on the couch in the living room. Oddly enough, Ozzy slept on the floor beside Shadow. Even when Tom called for him to come upstairs for bedtime, Ozzy stayed put in his spot and never budged. Tom thought it was strange, but it also made sense. Ozzy was very welcoming of Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, so Shadow was no different. Perhaps Shadow became Ozzy's favourite, since Ozzy didn't have any desire to sleep next to the trio. Whatever the reason was, Shadow didn't mind.

It's the eighth night at bedtime, and Sonic is wide awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. He waits and waits until Knuckles and Tails are fast asleep before he quietly creeps out of the skylight and scours the roof for Shadow. When he sees Shadow on the far end gazing up at the sky, Sonic makes his presence known so he won't spook him.

"Whatcha doin' out here?" he asks.

Shadow doesn't answer right away. He sighs quietly to himself as he receives company he didn't ask for, but he isn't angry. If he was lucky, Sonic wouldn't talk at all and just sit in silence with him. His presence was welcome as long as he wasn't speaking a million miles a minute.

"Thinking," Shadow finally says as Sonic sits beside him.

"About what?" Sonic presses.

"Things," Shadow says with a small smirk.

"Message received," Sonic says, effectively backing off. Instead of picking Shadow's brain, Sonic sits back and looks up at the stars. Sonic appreciates the little things in life, like the taste of a freshly made chili dog, finding shapes in the clouds, and spending time with his family. He didn't exactly stop to smell the roses all the time, but he slows down enough to enjoy their fleeting fragrance as he passes by. Nevertheless, he doesn't remember the last time he went stargazing, besides the most recent time with Shadow on the moon. Perhaps it would be another little thing he could learn to appreciate.

"The stars sure are pretty," Sonic comments after a stretch of silence. It's an attempt to start a conversation, but seeing as how Shadow came to the roof specifically to be alone, Sonic pretends he's talking to himself. "I wonder which one my homeland is on. It's been so long, and I was young when I had to leave, but I still remember the bright blue waters and the loop-de-loops. Feeling the wind rush over my fur as I dashed around the island, jumping through the air, spin-dashing around on the beach... watching Longclaw trying to catch up to me." Sonic smiles sadly as he reminisces about his early childhood. There's never a day where he doesn't think about what he had lost; but he was incredibly lucky to have found a new family when he did. 

"The scoldings I used to get from her," Sonic continues, laughing as he recalls his memories. "I remember one time, I was standing on the highest point on the island, getting ready to jump down and do my first spin-dash. And I know what you're thinking: I was a dumb three-year-old. True, but I was a brave dumb three-year-old. Before I had the chance to show off, Longclaw grabbed me in her talons and gave me the scolding of a lifetime. She always told me to keep my powers hidden so no one would steal them from me. And of course since I was a kid, I didn't listen to her. I had no one to blame but myself back then when I was forced to come to Earth. But even though she was hard on me sometimes, I knew she loved me and just wanted what was best for me." Sonic eyes become glassy. "I miss her every day. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I wasn't such an idiot on that day. But I know that Longclaw wouldn't want me to dwell on my mistakes. I try to make her proud by doing my best every day."

Silence falls between them again. Sonic sniffs quietly as tears fall down his face, but he's smiling through it all. He yearns for Longclaw, but she's always with him in his heart.

"Maria would stick up for me when I was being treated poorly," Shadow says. Sonic turns his gaze from the sky to Shadow as he opens up about Maria. "She would intervene and take me away. She would do everything she could to make me feel safe and get me to smile. Then she would tell her grandfather to convince his staff to treat me better. It worked for a long time. But old habits die hard." 

"I'm sorry they did that to you," Sonic whispers. For the whole week that Shadow has been with them, he never opened up about his time at the lab. Sonic figured it was too painful to talk about, or maybe Shadow wanted to forget. Shadow glances at Sonic when he offers his sympathy, then looks back towards the sky.

"She was my rock, as they say," Shadow goes on. "If I saw her at least once a day, I would be okay. There would be times where I would have to go a few days without seeing her. Those were the hardest. The professor gave me updates on her about where she was and what she was doing, which I appreciated. But I missed her comfort. She was my home." Sonic wants to cry so badly for Shadow. He'll gladly shed the tears that Shadow can't bring himself to produce, but it would be cathartic for Shadow to do so himself. At least, that's what Sonic thinks.

Before Sonic can tell Shadow that it's okay to cry about his feelings, Shadow speaks up again.

"There was a time where she was really sick," he says, his voice growing quieter. "She had pneumonia. I didn't see her for a few days. It was almost unbearable. The professor kept telling me that she was okay. She was hydrated and alive, but she was very weak. The first time I was able to see her... she looked terrible. She was awfully pale and had dark circles under her eyes. Her voice was small, and she was tired all the time. And she had this awful cough that sounded like it was ripping a hole through her throat. When I saw her like that, for a split second, I had a doubt. I thought she was going to die." Shadow's ears droop as he hugs his knees the more he thinks about that time. He swallows thickly; the emotions from that time bubble up in his throat and threaten to spill over. "But she didn't. She got better. She got stronger and was able to eat and drink without being medicated. We were able to be together again. She was fine." A sob finally escapes him, and he buries his face in his arms as he clutches his legs. "But it didn't matter. She's gone now. And it's my fault she's gone. And she's—she's not—" The crushing reality of Maria's death hits Shadow like a truck, and he has a full breakdown. His anger consumed him so much that he never had any proper time to grieve. During the week he stayed with the Wachowskis, he didn't want to grieve either. The pain was too much and he didn't want to immerse himself in those feelings. But being accompanied by Sonic who's been through a similar situation... Shadow feels safe with him.

Sonic wraps his arm around Shadow's shoulder and holds him as he cries. It was different from comforting Tails or Knuckles. Tails was not shy in showing his tears or nuzzling into Sonic when he was upset. As for Knuckles, he trained when he was upset to rid his body of the pent up emotions. Sonic always kept an eye on him in case he went overboard, or if Knuckles wanted to talk about it instead, since he was a "punch first, ask questions later" kind of guy. As for himself, Sonic very much appreciated the love and support he would get from Tom and Maddie and Tails and Knuckles when he was upset. But for Shadow?

Shadow has had no one for a long time. And Sonic was going to change that.

"It's not your fault," Sonic says.

"Yes it is!" Shadow argues. "It was my chaos energy that killed her. They—they used it against us and I—"

"You're not the one who killed her, Shadow," Sonic says firmly. "Don't blame yourself for something you had no control over."

"But if it wasn't for me, she would've—"

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself. It won't help you."

"But I—"

"No, Shadow. Maria wouldn't want you to blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault. She loved you, right? Hold onto that. I told you before, didn't I? You need to remember how much she loved you, and how much you loved her. She's still with you, in here." Sonic taps Shadow's chest. Shadow bites down on his lip and scrunches his eyes closed as his emotions overwhelm him.

"I've got you, Shadow," Sonic whispers. "You're not alone anymore."

Sonic's words just make Shadow cry that much harder. Shadow might have lost Maria, and everything he had ever known, but it was going to be okay. He has a new support system that would be with him every step of the way. Shadow leans into Sonic as he continues to cry his heart out. As much as he hated crying because it took away so much of his energy, Shadow knew he needed this. Better now than later when he least expected it.

As the wave of emotions gradually fades away, Shadow's sobs become sniffles and eventually silence. Sonic never lets go of him. And when he looks down at Shadow, he sees just how tired he's become. Shadow's drooping eyes and jerks of his body is Sonic's cue to bring Shadow back inside and go to sleep. Sonic slowly rises to his feet and brings Shadow up with him.

"C'mon, Shadow. Let's go inside."

Without a word, Shadow follows Sonic and clings to him to keep himself upright. Before Sonic has the chance to jump down into the skylight, Shadow teleports them to the living room. Sonic yelps quietly in surprise, but quickly recovers with a small chuckle. Shadow lets go and climbs onto the couch while Sonic stands by just in case. Shadow rubs his face into a pillow and shuts his eyes, promptly falling asleep. Sonic shakes his head and takes it upon himself to tuck Shadow in.

"G'night, Shadow," he says as he puts a blanket on top of him. Once Shadow is settled in, Sonic turns around to go back to the attic. However, he stops, and looks at Shadow over his shoulder. He doesn't know how Shadow sleeps through the night, or if he gets any sleep at all. Most days he looks exhausted and doesn't talk much. Maybe it'd be a good idea for Sonic to stay with him, just for tonight...

On the opposite couch, Sonic gets comfy and burrows himself under some blankets and watches Shadow sleep for a while before he drifts away into his own dreams.

---

The next morning, Tom takes the boys out for a day trip. Shadow stays behind because he wasn't feeling up to it, and is left in Maddie's care. Sonic was worried about Shadow because of the night before, but he knew that he'd be well taken care of in Maddie's hands. Maddie has even grown fond of Shadow over the course of his stay, much to Sonic's relief. Little by little, Shadow proved himself to be responsible and did not show any signs of being hellbent on scorching the Earth. Plus, Maddie was not immune to Shadow's adorable grumpy face. He got along with the others well, but Maddie noticed that he didn't speak much unless he was spoken to first. Even though he was a raging chatterbox during the Robotniks' tirade, he was actually quite reserved and private. Despite first impressions, Maddie cared for him, and wanted to see him heal from his trauma, just like she did with Sonic.

The boys are gone by eight in the morning, and Shadow wakes up an hour later. It's the longest he's slept in a while. Usually he would be up at the same time as Tom and Maddie when they were getting ready for work. His exhaustion from last night took a physical toll on him, so he slept soundly through the night, and also through any noise that the others made as they were leaving. Shadow wakes up to peace and quiet with Ozzy lying on the floor next to him. Shadow's eyes burn as he blinks away the lingering exhaustion and yawns widely. He's well-rested, but his body still feels heavy. Regardless, he sits up and stretches his arms and legs, and pats Ozzy's head. As he slips off the couch with a blanket around his shoulders, he notices that the loveseat has been slept in. A pile of unkempt blankets are left behind, with no trace of whomever it was that slept there.

Shadow has an idea of who it was, though.

Instead of dwelling on the reasoning behind Sonic sleeping downstairs, Shadow shuffles into the kitchen to get something to eat. Luckily for him, Maddie was already on it.

"Good morning, Shadow," she greets with a smile. "I'm making some eggs and pancakes. Would you like any?" 

"Yes, please," he says quietly. He sits at the dining room table and securely pulls the blanket around himself. Soon enough, Maddie gives him his breakfast, along with a cup of coffee beans.

"Here you go, buddy."

"Thank you."

Shadow quietly eats at the table while Maddie sips her coffee in the kitchen. Both of them have grown used to the other's presence, but this was the first time that they're spending time alone. Maddie was past the uncomfortable, awkward phase, but she wasn't sure if Shadow had passed it as well. Granted, he was pretty quiet in the first place, but being left alone with her? Maddie didn't know what to expect.

"Did you sleep well last night?" she asks after a moment of silence.

"I don't know," Shadow answers. "I slept for a long time, but I still feel tired."

"Understandable," she nods. "Maybe some sunshine will help. Do you want to go for a walk today?" Shadow shrugs. "You just let me know, sweetie." Seeing Shadow sulk was both heartbreaking and sickeningly adorable at the same time. It was like Maddie was seeing a poor dog at the vet that was going to be put down because it was too sick. It's been just over a week, and Maddie isn't expecting Shadow to miraculously defeat his inner demons just because he found a new family. She wishes she knew how to help him more instead of giving him mindless distractions. But she's a brilliant woman, and she would think of something.

After breakfast, Shadow washes his own dishes and puts them away before waddling back to the living room to fold his blanket. Then he meekly approaches Maddie with his hands folded together.

"I'd like to go on a walk," he says. Maddie gives him a smile and nods.

"Okay, kiddo. Let me just get my jacket."

---

They returned an hour and a half later, and Shadow was in a better state of mind.

The fresh air, sunshine, and tranquility helped put his body and mind at ease. Taking time to appreciate the beauty of nature was also helpful in Shadow's recovery. It was something he always did with Maria, and almost everything he did reminded him of her. Everywhere he looked, he saw her face: in the flowers, in the stars, in the trees, hell, even in his coffee beans. Maria touched so many parts of his life, he wouldn't know who he'd be without her. The constant reminders of her life were a blessing, and Shadow was still in the process of holding onto the good things instead of dwelling on her absence. He had all the time in the world to practice, with the help of his new family.

"I'm going to make some lunch," Maddie says as she kicks off her shoes. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No, thank you," Shadow says. "I'm going to go read."

"Let me know if you need anything."

Shadow nods then goes upstairs to the sitting room to read in a quiet place. Maddie is not loud by any means, but Shadow likes having alone time. Or rather, he likes doing things that he likes on his own with no distractions. Reading has become a beloved pastime for Shadow, since he could immerse himself in a brand new world and temporarily forget about the crushing weight of reality. Once he's nuzzled in the giant, fuzzy bean bag chair, he opens his book and continues his adventure.

Downstairs, Maddie is preparing a pizza. Just like Sonic and his chili dogs, pizza seems to be Shadow's favourite food. Unlike Sonic however, Shadow doesn't need to eat one every single day to survive. In fact, Shadow has the smallest stomach of all the boys. He's always the first to finish his dinner, and never asks for seconds. On some days he doesn't even finish his food. It worried Maddie a bit, but she wasn't going to force him to eat more if he didn't want to. She supposed it was a symptom of his trauma and she did her best to be sympathetic about it... even if she did want him to eat more.

If she's being honest with herself, Maddie has forgiven Shadow. He was just a confused, mixed up kid that was driven by big emotions and a lot of grief. Rationality went out the window if it meant that he could give justice to the dear friend that he lost half a century ago. Understanding his situation didn't lessen the hurt she felt when Tom was injured, however. Even now, she would sometimes feel a pang in her chest when she looked at Shadow. But instead of engaging, she simply made an excuse and removed herself from the environment. Shadow has proven himself that he could be trusted since then, but Maddie still had moments of hesitation. 

"Okay, girl, get it together," she says to herself as she decorates the pizza with toppings. "You're allowed to be mad. No one said you weren't. Tom's okay, the boys are okay, I'm okay, Ozzy's okay. He's got a healthy support system now. It'll take a long, long time to heal, but he'll get there. You already know you like him just as much as the boys, so try not to treat him too differently. Just... breathe." Her meditation is interrupted by a knock at the front door. She abandons her pizza and opens the door, revealing a young woman in dirtied motorcycle gear and a banged-up face. 

"Can I help you?" Maddie greets the woman. After everything she's been through, Maddie is much more cautious when dealing with strangers. Young or old, she has to keep her guard up, lest she be tricked right under her nose. So even though this woman looks like she needs help, Maddie needs her to state her business.

"Um..." The woman struggles to find her words. Maddie notices she rubs her wrists and can't make eye contact. The behaviour puts Maddie off, but perhaps the woman is just anxious about the situation. "I'm sorry to bother you, but um... is there any chance that I could borrow some gas? My bike ran empty about a mile from here, and I walked until I came upon your house. I'm not from around here so I have no idea where I'm going." Maddie narrows her eyes at the woman's story, and the woman picks up on Maddie's uncomfortableness. "Or you can just point me in the right direction of the nearest gas station and I'll walk there. I understand that you might be hesitant and weirded out. I'd be too. I wouldn't—" The woman interrupts herself as she breaks out into a coughing fit. She braces herself on her knees, while Maddie hovers her hands over her in case she needs to help. "If not gas, c-could I have some water? Then I'll just start walking down th—" She begins coughing again, and Maddie makes the executive decision to bring her inside.

"Here, come with me." Maddie leads the woman inside by the small of her back and brings her into the kitchen. Maddie gives her a glass of water, and she drinks it like she hadn't had any in days. She huffs and puffs afterwards and wipes the back of her mouth.

"Thank you," she says. "I really, really needed that. Is it okay if I have some more?" Maddie refills her glass, and the woman drinks it heartily. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." She puts her glass down on the kitchen island and takes a deep breath. 

"What happened to you?" Maddie finds herself asking. Even though she's still being cautious, she's intrigued by the woman's situation. She looks no more than twenty, and is an overall mess. The red money-pieces in her blonde hair are unkempt and wild, and her red eyeliner is smudged and dirty, just like the rest of her face and body. She sports dry blood from cuts along her forehead and cheek, and her clothes are ripped and muddy like she crawled through barbed wire. Who was this girl?

"I had an accident," the woman explains. "I lost control while driving at night and took a tumble off the road. But I'm okay. Only a few scratches. Thanks for asking." Maddie's beginning to take pity on her, which is a bad habit. That's how she got three—now four—alien sons to look after. But she wouldn't trade them for anything. She supposes she can throw a bone to this young girl.

"When was the last time you had something to eat?" The question surprises the woman. Her raised brows are met with Maddie's expectant expression.

"This morning," she answers. Maddie doesn't buy it. She eggs the woman on to tell her the truth, and the woman sighs. "Two nights ago. I'm not... very good at being on my own."

"Why are you on your own?"

"Because—it's hard to explain. I'm just searching for something."

"And what's that?"

"Also another difficult thing to explain. Listen, I really do appreciate your concern. But it's not really something you can help me with. Thank you for the water, but I should probably get going."

"You're not going anywhere until you get some food into your system."

"That's really kind of you, but really. I don't want to—"

"Maddie, are there any avocados? I want to make—"

Maddie's conversation with the stranger is suddenly interrupted by Shadow's appearance. A heavy silence falls over the room as the repercussions begin to develop. Maddie's panicking a bit on the inside. She doesn't know if the woman knows about the existence of Shadow or the boys, let alone the existence of aliens in general. Shadow is gearing up for a possible fight; he clenches his fists and braces himself in a steady stance in case he needs to lunge at the new face. But the young woman? She's as flabberghasted as the next person who has never seen an alien hedgehog before. Her mouth gapes open in shock, and uneven croaks filter their way out. Her eyes are as big as saucers, and it seems like she's forgotten how to breathe. Swallowing her anxiety, Maddie takes charge of the situation and tries to explain herself.

"I know this looks strange, but everything is completely normal. Why don't we go outside so we can—"

A strangled noise escapes the woman's throat as she sinks down to her knees, surprising both Maddie and Shadow. Her breaths become quick and shallow, and hot tears well up in her eyes. Maddie thought that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown, so she goes to the woman's side to try and talk her through it. The woman gently rejects her advances, pushing Maddie's hands aside so she can focus on Shadow. She sniffles hard as the emotions that have been buried inside her for decades bubble up in her chest, threatening to burst. A hot sob escapes her as she finally finds the courage to speak, and utters a single word.

"Shadow?"

"Shadow?"

An unsteady tension that's so thick you can cut it with a knife hangs in the air as Shadow and Maddie struggle to understand why this woman knows Shadow's name. Nobody moves, all three of them paralyzed by confusion and paranoia. The woman is on her knees, so she doesn't appear threatening, but Maddie is not going to take any chances. The pizza cutter sits just a few inches away on the countertop, and she'll use it if she has to.

"Who are you?" Shadow asks hardly, his fists still raised. The woman can barely make a coherent sentence from the amount of shock she's in. Hot tears roll down her cheeks, her recognition of Shadow hitting her like a ton of bricks. How can he not know who she is? 

"I'm—" She swallows thickly and quickly wipes her face. "You don't remember me?" 

"Should I?" Shadow gives her a once-over. There's nothing familiar about her. 

"Even though it's been a few years, I thought you would have at least recognized my voice." She laughs without humor, but still tries to smile as she drops a bombshell on him. "It's me, Shadow. It's Maria."

The air becomes deathly still; a pin could drop and they wouldn't be able to hear it. Shadow's heart begins thumping loudly in his chest. This is a joke. It has got to be some sort of twisted, horrible, no-good joke. This woman is clearly demented, and thinks that pretending to be his dead best friend and sister is funny. But for what purpose? Just to get some sadistic satisfaction from seeing Shadow's face contort in pain? Where's the logic in that?

Maddie has only ever heard Maria's name mentioned when Shadow showed up on the first night. All she knows is that she was Shadow's friend back in the day, and that she died. Maddie doesn't know any details beyond that, and she doesn't need to. But now that this woman is claiming to be her, what's she to believe? If the woman really is Maria, she would have to be in her sixties. And she looks no older than twenty. Just what the hell is she playing at?

"Liar," Shadow finally says. For a split second, his face softens at the slight possibility that Maria is alive. But it can't be true. There's no way. He takes a step back to further the distance between them. The woman doesn't let up, however.

"I know it's hard to believe," she says. She gets choked up again and struggles to speak. "But it's true. It's me. I swear on my life."

"Maria is gone," Shadow snarls, not amused. Chaos energy flashes in his eyes as he gets more upset. Maddie wants this woman to leave, but she also doesn't want Shadow to hurt her. The longer that this charade goes on, the more unstable Shadow will become, which means the woman will be more at risk in facing Shadow's wrath. She has to diffuse the situation before it gets any worse.

"I think it'd be best if you leave," Maddie says, her voice steady. The woman completely ignores her and keeps her focus on Shadow.

"You need proof, right?" she says. "Proof that it's me. I can do that. I wouldn't ever lie to you, Shadow. Never." She reaches into her jacket pocket, which makes Shadow flinch, but all she pulls out is a polaroid. She tosses it at Shadow's feet for him to look at. With one fist still in the air, he bends down to pick up the photo. He glances down, and sees him and Maria together wearing funny sunglasses. "June 20, 1974. Do you remember that? That was the day of the solar eclipse. You were so confident that the sun wouldn't hurt your eyes if you looked at it without the special glasses. You managed to stare at it for one whole second before you cursed in pain and looked away. Then you grumbled when you put your glasses back on and sat with your arms crossed like the sun personally offended you. It was hilarious." Shadow's face falters again as he recalls that memory. How does she have so many details of that day? There must have been a record of it somewhere; documentation from a G.U.N. member or a former researcher recounting the day's events. She could have gotten that information from a lot of places. Shadow drops the polaroid on the floor and takes his stance again.

"Still don't believe me, huh?" Shadow gives her a cold glare. She isn't used to being on the receiving end of those. She knew beforehand that this wasn't going to be easy, but she had to keep trying. It hurts to see Shadow carelessly toss the photo on the floor, like it's some useless memory that no longer exists. So she decides to use a physical memory instead. She takes her jacket off, revealing her bruised, scraped, and dirty arms. She shuffles closer to Shadow across the floor, and stops when he flashes his chaos energy in his fists as a warning.

"Look here," she says, holding out her left arm. She points to a scar in the shape of a semi-circle that begins in the middle of her forearm and curves around to her wrist. Shadow hesitates at first, but he glances down out of curiosity. It's faint, but he can see the scar tissue protruding from her skin. The memory comes to him gradually the longer he stares at it. "I cut myself pretty badly in the kitchen on the mixer when I was trying to make a cake. The cut was so deep and blood was everywhere. I screamed so loud that you appeared out of nowhere. And instead of freaking out like I was, you took me to the medical bay to be treated. You never left my side for days after they stitched me up. And you even broke the mixer out of anger." She huffs a laugh and stares down at her arm. "I was really scared when it happened. But you kept me sane. I'm sure you were afraid, too. I could tell. It was in your eyes." She locks eyes with Shadow then. He's still frowning, but he's beginning to break down. His brows furrow in uncertainty; he's not sure what to believe: his mind, or his heart.

"Who... are you?" he asks again.

"You're a sunset, Shadow," she says, bypassing his question. The mention of a sunset makes him go rigid. "Brilliant, unique, and warm. Nothing can stop your light from shining through." Tears well up in Shadow's eyes. This can't be real... can it? She goes on, talking about private moments they had together, things only they would know: secrets they shared, pranks they pulled, music they danced to, paintings they made for each other. Then she ends it with the line that hit Shadow when he doubted his reason for existing. "You're my friend. And you can do or be anything you want. Not because of your powers. But because of who you are, in here." She points to his chest. By now, Shadow has let down all of his defences. There's just no way that anybody else, other than he or Maria, knows about the things she just told him. Unless G.U.N. spied on them 24/7, everything she said is undeniable proof that she is who she's claiming to be.

She is Maria.

But he needs one last solid piece of information to believe her wholeheartedly. His fists tremble as the last of his walls come crumbling down.

"Why is my name Shadow?" he asks. She grins knowingly. Of course she knows why his name is Shadow. She would never forget something as important as his name.

"Because without light, there's only darkness," she says. Her own words from all those years ago echo clearly in her mind. "But a shadow will show you where to find the light. I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light, with peace in your heart." Shadow's fists fall to his sides. There's no room for doubt in his mind and heart anymore. There's only one person in the world that knows the meaning behind his name, and that person is Maria. 

"Maria...?" Shadow loses his composure. The steely glare he had moments ago is instead replaced by intense relief, and overwhelming tears.

"It's me, Shadow," Maria says, her emotions finally taking over.

The two of them embrace each other and cry their hearts out. Fifty years worth of sadness, anger, grief, and happiness come rushing forth like a tsunami, catching them in the undertow. Maddie stands off to the side with her hand over her mouth. She can't believe what she's seeing and hearing. This woman is the same Maria that was friends with Shadow over fifty years ago? How is that even possible? Asking her questions will come later of course, but Maddie's just as shocked as the both of them.

Should I tell Tom? They'll be back tonight. Maybe I should wait a few hours so I don't risk them coming back and overwhelming the poor girl... I'll call him later. I'm still reeling from this so I'm going to need some time to adjust, too. Holy shit.

There's not much Maddie can do to offer any help, so instead of interrupting their reunion, Maddie prepares glasses of water. All of that crying will make them dehydrated, so it's the least she can do. As she's opening the fridge door, Maria begins wailing, which makes Maddie jump. Listening to Maria cry her soul out pulls at Maddie's heartstrings. And though he's trying to hide it, she can hear Shadow sobbing clear as day. The whole situation makes Maddie want to cry with them. It's an incredible reunion of course, but she can hear the ache and pain in their cries from being separated for so long; from not knowing the other was alive all this time. After she prepares the water, she stays in the kitchen to have a moment of her own, especially when Maria starts saying Shadow's name over and over and apologizes to him.

Maria begins hiccupping from being inconsolable. The sound of Shadow's voice only confirms the fact that he's alive and well. Her best friend, her big brother, was alive for all these years. She has a million questions for him, and she's sure that Shadow has a million questions for her as well. But the only thing she's capable of saying is his name. She cries so hard she keels over with Shadow still in her arms. Shadow doesn't let go of her, however. If anything, he grips her tighter. He fears that if he lets go, she won't be real.

Eventually, Maria cries herself into a deep sleep. She goes limp on the floor as the last of her sniffles die out. Shadow cradles her head in his lap and strokes her hair as she rests. When Maddie notices that the wailing has stopped and she herself has stopped crying, she quickly wipes her face and quietly approaches Shadow.

"It's really her then, huh?" she whispers. Shadow nods, never taking his eyes off of Maria. She's older of course, but not as old as she should be. Regardless, Shadow can see the resemblance to the Maria he knew fifty years ago. Her eyes are the same, and even though her frame is lighter, she still has the same round cheeks. 

"I'm going to put her on the couch so she's more comfortable, okay?" As much as Shadow wants to stay right where he is with Maria, Maddie's right. He doesn't want Maria waking up stiff and uncomfortable. He slowly stands up and allows Maddie to scoop Maria in her arms. She gently places her on the couch and removes her shoes before putting a blanket on top of her. "There. She'll be okay, Shadow. I assume you're going to stay with her?" He nods. "Okay. I'll be around. Just let me know when she wakes up." He nods again. She puts the glasses of water she prepared on the coffee table, then disappears back into the kitchen.

Shadow moves the ottoman beside the couch so he can watch over Maria comfortably. A few minutes later, Ozzy comes strutting in, and Shadow pets his head. Ozzy sniffs Maria, then turns away and settles himself in his bed across the room. Now that the situation is calmer, Shadow has time to figure out what he's going to say to her when she wakes up.

---

One hour passes. Then two. Then three.

Shadow becomes increasingly worried. Maria hasn't budged an inch since Maddie put her on the couch. The only indication that she's still alive is the steady rise and fall of her chest as she sleeps. It's a small comfort; Shadow doesn't know if she's suffered an internal injury of some sort, since she's dirty all over and has cuts and bruises everywhere. From what Maddie explained, Maria lost control of her motorcycle and skidded off the road. It seems plausible, but still. What if Maria was assaulted? What if she had a bigger injury that didn't present as one? Shadow can't rest easy until he knows that Maria is one hundred percent okay.

Meanwhile, Maddie is upstairs finding things to do to keep herself busy: laundry, billing for work, reading, anything. She somehow managed to finish baking the pizza she was in the middle of making after she put Maria on the couch. She left it for Shadow to eat, but he was too focused on Maria to satiate any hunger he had. So, Maddie left it in the microwave for later.

As she sits on her bed, she contemplates calling Tom. On one hand, she wants to tell him everything so he's not caught off-guard when he gets home. But on the other hand, she doesn't want to tell him too much, which might prompt him to come home sooner and overwhelm Maria when she wakes up. Either way, Tom needs to know something, so she decides to go down the middle.

Thankfully, Maria finally makes movement when the fourth hour rolls around. She yawns widely and stretches her limbs. Shadow comes out of his half-nap when he sees Maria moving in his peripherals. He clutches the arm of the couch in anticipation as she blinks away the sleep from her eyes. Maria slowly sits up and stretches her arms above her head as another yawn comes through. She takes in her surroundings, momentarily confused about where she is. Then, her gaze lands on Shadow. It takes a second for her to realize who she's looking at, but once she recognizes him, tears well up in her eyes and she brings him in for a hug.

"I knew I wasn't dreaming," she says, burying her face in his quills. Shadow holds on to her tightly, still reeling from the fact that Maria is alive. 

"I'm real," he says, sniffling hard. "I'm here."

"I missed you so damn much. There was never a day when I didn't think about you."

"Me either. You never left my mind. Not even for a second."

Maria pulls away and wipes her eyes. She huffs a laugh as she looks at Shadow. He looks the exact same, not a quill out of place. His beautiful crimson eyes are wet with tears, and his muzzle sports a trembling smile. She boops his nose with her finger, earning a small chuckle from him.

"We have a lot to catch up on," she says.

"And you have a lot of explaining to do," he counters. She laughs and nods.

"Yes. Yes, I do. So do you." She eyes the glasses of water on the table and eagerly reaches forward for one. She all but inhales the water and sits back against the couch with a big sigh. "I cannot tell you how exhausted I am." She puts the glass back down on the table with a wince. She slowly becomes aware of how sore and tired her body is. Shadow shuffles off of her lap as she cradles her face in her hands.

"Do you have a headache?" Shadow asks.

"Yeah," Maria nods.

"Let me go get you something," Shadow says, slipping off the couch. Maria's hands fall down her face to wrap around her stomach. She bends over and lets out a shaky breath, which gives Shadow pause. "Maria? Are you okay?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," she says, covering her mouth. In a flash, Shadow teleports to the kitchen, grabs a bucket from underneath the sink, then teleports back to Maria's side.

"Here," he says, placing the bucket between her legs. Maria grips the lip of the bucket and winces as her stomach churns. She feels the colour drain from her face as she dry heaves. She hasn't eaten in two days, so it's no surprise that her body is struggling to empty her barren stomach. Hot bile coats the back of her throat, but otherwise she retches horribly. Shadow can do nothing but stand by and watch helplessly.

Maria breathes heavily and spits into the bucket before she slowly sits up again and rests against the couch. She runs a hand through her greasy hair and scrunches her face in discomfort. 

"I guess drinking all that water on an empty stomach wasn't the best idea," she comments. She rubs her stomach as the nausea gradually subsides. Shadow gives her a worried look, his eyes shining with concern as he watches her grunt in pain.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asks. She sighs heavily. The pain and exhaustion that's lingering in her body is becoming annoying, but she can hold out for a little while longer.

"Food is probably what my body needs," she says. "Though I'm not sure I can handle a lot." In the blink of an eye, Shadow grabs the first thing he sees on the counter and brings it to her. He holds up a banana, which makes her smile. "Thanks, Shadow." She lazily begins peeling it, and takes small bites to allow her system to get used to food again. Shadow stands by, his hands clenched into fists as he stares at Maria. She catches his eye and laughs to herself. 

"What's so funny?" he asks innocently.

"You," she says, taking another bite. "Your mannerisms always made me laugh. And seeing you standing there with your fists clenched is just... funny. And nostalgic. You look like you're gearing up for a fight when nothing is happening. You're still the same Shadow from all those years ago."

"I can almost say the same for you," he says, unclenching his fists. "It's... different, seeing you like this."

"Yeah. It'll take some getting used to. I'm still trying to get used to it myself." She stretches her arm out and examines herself. It's only been a few weeks since she's been out in the world again, but it still feels strange to be in her own body. It's going to be incredibly difficult to explain herself to Shadow, but she knows he'll understand. The only parts he won't like are the not-so-nice things she's experienced over the years, but she'll keep the story rated PG when she gets to it so she doesn't upset him.

"How do you feel now?" Shadow asks when she finishes the banana.

"All right," Maria says with a shrug. "I'm hungrier now, but I know I can't rush it. Otherwise I'll just want to puke again." Her headache begins to pound against her skull painfully and she groans in discomfort. She leans forward and holds her head in her hands again. 

"I'll go get you something," Shadow says before she asks. He teleports to the kitchen again and stands on the counter as he rummages through the cupboards for some pain meds. "Hmmmm. Which ones did Maddie use?" As Shadow reads the labels on multiple bottles, his ear twitches when he hears a thud in the living room. "Maria?" He jumps down from the counter and peeks his head out and sees Maria lying on the floor, clutching her head. "Maria!" He rushes to her side and gently shakes her arm. "Maria? What's going on? Are you okay?" Maria only groans in response. "Maddie! I need help! Maddie!"

Maddie's rushed footsteps come barreling down the stairs and she's at Shadow's side in mere seconds after hearing the urgency in his voice. She gasps when she sees Maria on the floor and does a quick examination of her.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Maddie asks. "Where does it hurt?" Maria taps her head and Maddie nods. "Okay. Shadow, grab the bottle of Tylenol. It's a big red bottle in the cupboard to the left of the fridge on the middle shelf." Shadow follows Maddie's instructions and retrieves the bottle. Maddie helps Maria sit up—no matter how much Maria doesn't want to—and grabs the forgotten glass of water on the table. "Here you go, hon. This should help." Maria takes the glass of water, and both of them patiently wait for Shadow to take a pill out of the bottle. But he's struggling. He twists and twists and twists the cap, but it won't budge. Before he decides to just break the whole thing open, Maddie holds out her hand.

"Why don't you let me do that, Shadow?" she says. Shadow stops shaking the bottle and hands it over. It's a bit of a relief to know that the child-proof lid works on Shadow. Maddie grabs a pill and offers it to Maria. She takes it and sighs in defeat. She's so tired she doesn't know what to do with herself.

"How long before it kicks in?" Maria asks quietly.

"A couple minutes," Maddie says. "We'll wait and see if you'll need another one." Maria nods, then leans against Maddie. Maddie holds her up and rubs her arm in comfort, then looks to Shadow. "What happened?"

"She woke up feeling sick," Shadow explains. "She drank some water and had a banana, but she's got a headache now." His ears droop at the state of her, but then his eyes widen. "She's bleeding." 

"What?" Maddie looks down and sees that on top of her scrapes and bruises, Maria has a nosebleed now. "Get some tissues for me, Shadow." Maria coughs as she tastes blood in the back of her throat, and takes the tissues that Shadow offers her. Then she leans back against Maddie again and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"That's the cherry on top, isn't it?" she comments. She laughs bitterly and shakes her head in disbelief. "After all this time, now my body decides to break down. God, what a shitshow." Shadow blinks in surprise. He's never heard Maria swear before. It's almost jarring to hear foul language come out of her mouth. He understands of course, given the situation, but it's no less strange for him.

"What happened to you?"

Maria glances at Shadow and takes note of the confusion and worry on his face. It breaks her heart to see him like that. She reaches forward with her free hand and squeezes his hand.

"I promise I'll explain everything," she says. "I just need some more time to adjust. Once this nosebleed and headache goes away, I think I'll be okay to talk."

"Not to mention you need a shower," Maddie adds.

"Yeah, that too." Maria looks down at herself. Ripped clothes, dry blood, fresh blood on her shirt from her nose, and muddy all over. "I'm just a whole mess, aren't I?"

"I've seen worse," Maddie says. "But we'll get you cleaned up. You'll be good as new." When Maria's nosebleed finally subsides, Maddie helps her to her feet, then takes her upstairs to her bedroom for a shower. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I think I'll be fine," Maria says. She's weak in the knees and her back is killing her, but now she's itching to wash away the dirt and grime that's been plaguing her body for days. 

"You're doubly sure you'll be okay?" Maddie repeats.

"Yeah," Maria nods. "I'll yell if I need anything. Is that alright?"

"Of course," Maddie says. She gets Maria some towels and clean clothes, and hands them over to her. "I'll stick close by. You just take your time and be careful." Maria nods and disappears into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her. While Maria showers, Maddie busies herself by doing some more laundry.

Maria all but literally peels off her own clothes. They're extremely dry and damn near crunchy from being so stiff. The mud from her pants flakes off onto the floor which she makes a face at. She'll clean that up later. It takes her an embarrassing amount of time to undress, but she gives herself a break since she's aching all over and is in rough shape. As she looks at the shower, she's intimidated for a few seconds before she figures out how it all works. The appliances of the 21st century are certainly a step above from the millenium before, but not so dissimilar that it outsmarts her. Once she steps inside and the warm water hits her, it's like all of her troubles melt away.

Figuratively, of course. Her troubles are very real, and they're not going anywhere any time soon.

As she delicately rinses off the built up dirt and blood, she reflects on her journey from the beginning until now. How did she end up here? How did Shadow end up here? What kind of twisted, unruly fate did the universe throw at her? She was just a kid, living with her grandfather in a military base that was studying Shadow. She had fun, she learned new things, and life was good. So how in the everliving hell did her future turn out to be... this? She never asked for any of this, and neither did Shadow. So how, and why, did any of this happen? The less she thinks about herself, the more she thinks about Shadow and what his life has been like. How much has he endured over the years? Does he even age? Or was he put in stasis again? He looks the exact same as he did over fifty years ago. Is it just Shadow's nature? Back then, Maria never really asked questions about his biology since she was more interested in knowing him as a living being. Now, though? She's extremely curious. But probably not as much as Shadow is about her condition.

She thinks about how she's going to explain everything to him. The beginning is easy, but everything in-between is... difficult, to say the least. Where does she even start with that? It doesn't make sense to tell him every little detail; glazing over certain events, or not mentioning them at all is the way to go. She's sure he doesn't want to hear about the pain she went through. And she's not going to volunteer that information either. It wouldn't do either of them any good.

Half an hour later, Maria turns off the water and steps out of the shower. She wraps herself in a towel and stares at herself in the mirror. It's her, but also not. She recognizes herself, but also feels like she's not all there. It's still surreal to see her reflection. She's older, but her state of mind is mixed up. Everything is confusing and overwhelming and she doesn't know where to go from here. What happens after she explains herself to Shadow? Does she leave? Will she be allowed to stay? She doesn't have any money, she's in an unfamiliar area, and the only family she has left is living with a woman that she deems as his new family. How is she supposed to navigate this?

"Relax." She braces herself against the counter and takes deep breaths. "Relax. Breathe. There's no point in spiralling. He didn't replace you. You don't know what's happened to him. You don't know what's going on. He can explain himself, just like you can explain yourself. Take it easy. You know he still loves you. He made that very clear. He won't leave you. He won't leave you. Not that you have any claim over him but..." She groans at what she's saying. "Shadow doesn't belong to anyone. Not to G.U.N., not to grandfather, and certainly not to you. He's your family. Your best friend. Your big brother. He can do whatever he wants, just like you can. You have to calm the hell down. Everything will be fine once you talk to him. Just... stop." Before Maria can dig herself a deeper hole, there's a knock at the door.

"Maria?" Maddie calls. "How are you doing, sweetie? Do you need any help?"

"U-Uh, n-no," Maria stumbles. "I'm good, thank you. I'll be out in a minute." Instead of making Maddie worry longer than necessary, Maria quickly dries herself off and squeezes the water out of her hair before getting dressed. She doesn't realize how much she's been tolerating her dirty, sorry state for the past two days. Putting on a comfy pair of sweats and a T-shirt is a godsend compared to battered jeans and a heavy jacket. She also realizes how many cuts she has once all of the grime is washed away. Nevertheless, she looks a lot better, and feels better too. Besides the thunderstorm that's brewing in her mind, at least the top layer of her skin is free of anxiety.

Maria emerges from the bathroom, and is greeted by Maddie sitting on the edge of her bed. She stands up, and wears a soft smile as she approaches her slowly.

"Feeling better?" Maddie asks.

"Yeah, a little bit," Maria says. "I still feel... off, in a way. But I give myself a seven out of ten."

"That's good to hear," Maddie says. "You've got some colour back in your face, which is a good sign. I'm going to put dinner on in a few minutes. And I think it'd be a good idea to come downstairs instead of being by yourself. What do you say?" It's hard to say no when Maddie is being very loving and inviting. Plus, she's right. Being alone is not what Maria needs right now. Maybe having something to eat in a quiet, peaceful setting with Shadow right next to her is what her soul needs.

"Yeah," Maria nods. "That sounds nice."

"Great!" Maddie smiles. "I just need to grab something real quick. You go on ahead. Shadow's down there waiting for you."

"Okay."

As Maddie disappears into another room, Maria anxiously makes her way back down to the main floor. She's had a significant amount of time to figure out how to tell Shadow why she's alive, but she's afraid that as soon as she looks at his face, she won't be able to say anything. Or worse, she'll say too much at once and not make any sense. She won't know until she starts talking, though.

What did I just say? Calm. Down. It's just Shadow. He's not going to judge you or accuse you of anything. If he's the same as he was before, he's going to listen with an open mind. Get a hold of yourself. It's. Just. Shadow.

The small pep talk Maria gives herself is a small comfort. Her anxiety is through the roof and she has no idea why or where it came from. She thought it'd be easy to talk to Shadow; if she could do it then, she can do it now. But perhaps thinking he was dead all this time and then finding out he's alive has done some irreparable damage to her psyche. Whatever the reason, she hopes that as soon as she starts explaining herself, the anxiety will slowly melt away.

However, as she descends the stairs and walks into the kitchen expecting to see Shadow waiting for her, she's instead met with a colourful band of... animals? She screams in surprise upon seeing them, which makes the three newcomers scream in return. Shadow appears half a second later, standing in front of Maria in a protective manner as he mouths off to the trio.

"What did you do to her?" Shadow demands.

"We didn't do anything!" the blue one defends with his hands up.

"We just got back from the trip," the yellow one explains. "Who is—"

"She looks like you," the red one pipes up. The blue and yellow one turn to the red one with confused looks on their faces, wondering what the hell he's talking about.

"Knuckles, in what world does she look anything like Shadow?"

"Do you mean the red in her hair?"

"Yes, fox. It's quite apparent that she is of his lineage."

"But she's a human."

"Not to mention that's quite literally impossible."

"Anything is possible, Sonic."

"Tails, please make him stop."

"What do you want me to—"

"Enough!"

Shadow ends the pointless conversation by flashing his chaos energy angrily. Tails, Knuckles, and Sonic effectively shut up when they see Shadow is pissed off. Tom comes running in from the back door after hearing all of the commotion.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, what's going on?" Tom asks when he sees how tense the situation is. Maddie comes rushing downstairs too after hearing Maria yell. She's surprised and confused at seeing Tom and the boys.

"What are you guys doing home already?" she asks. "I thought you weren't going to be back for another two hours?"

"Sonic eavesdropped on our phone call," Tom explains with a sigh. "It was hard to stop him from coming home when he made it very clear that he could outrun me. So we packed up early."

"Ah, okay. Well. This isn't exactly how I wanted this to go," Maddie says. "No going back now, though."

"So, what is happening?" Tom asks, eyeing Maria curiously.

Being the peacekeeper that he is, Sonic tentatively steps forward to talk with Shadow.

"Shadow, we just got home," he explains. "We've barely been here a minute. We have no idea what's—" At that moment, Maria sinks down to her knees and covers her mouth. Shadow turns around, and his angry frown is quickly replaced with concern when he sees how shaky Maria has become.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly. Her eyes are locked on the colourful trio, shifting from one to the other. She's at a loss for words, and fresh tears well up in her eyes. That makes Shadow clench his jaw. Just what the hell did the three of them do to scare her so badly?! Swallowing thickly, Maria lowers her hand and puts it on his shoulder instead.

"Oh, Shadow," Maria begins, a smile forming on her lips, "you made friends!" 

Her statement makes everyone blink in surprise, especially Shadow. That was the last thing he was expecting her to say upon meeting the sons of the Wachowski family. If anything, he thought she would have questioned their existence instead of thinking of them as his friends. But given the fact that Shadow's also an extraterrestrial being, it isn't so far-fetched for Maria to think that. Nevertheless, he wonders what's going through her mind right now.

"I can't tell if I'm allowed to laugh or not," Sonic says, his mouth quirked up, ready to chuckle. Maria turns her attention to Sonic. He's positively adorable, and it's like she feels a strange wave of nostalgia.

"Is he your long lost brother?" she asks, turning towards Shadow. "He looks just like you."

"No," Shadow answers before Sonic can make a smart remark. "I still don't know what he is."

"Okay, ouch?" Sonic says in disbelief. "And haven't you been listening? I'm Green Hills' loveable space creature and one of the hedgehog heros that helped save the world! The Blue Blur!" His explanation makes Maria laugh. She can't believe it. There's other people that look like Shadow! And he's even friends with them! Kinda. Sorta. Maybe? If Shadow's been living with them for the past little while, then they must be friends, right?

Maria sniffles and wipes her eyes as her smile only gets bigger. "What are your names? What are you? How did you get here? How did you and Shadow meet?" She immediately bombards them with questions, which Sonic is all too happy to answer.

"I'm Sonic," he says, jabbing his thumb to his chest. "This lovable fox is Miles 'Tails' Prower, and that's Knuckles the Echidna. As for your other two questions, they're both a long story. But you got time, right?"

"Uhh, yeah," she nods. "I've got lots of time. Since I have some explaining to do myself."

"And what's your name?"

"My name's Maria. The same Maria from fifty years ago."

The trio's jaws drop in unison. There's no way that's possible. For one, she's too young, and secondly... it's just impossible! Sonic peeks at Shadow and sees the raw determination on his face. Looks like there's no changing his mind about this. As much as Sonic would like to believe that this woman is Maria, there's a nagging thought in the back of his mind that she's playing some sort of cruel joke on him. Tails is thinking the same thing, while Knuckles just believes the situation is suspicious regardless of the truth.

It's a lot to adjust to.

"I know what you must be thinking," Maria says to them. "Your faces say it all. But I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth."

"She is," Shadow adds. "I confirmed it already."

"Alright, alright," Sonic says. "It's just a very big shock to find out that your best friend is back from the dead."

"I can explain everything," Maria assures them. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to hear about all of you, if that's okay."

"Uhhh. Yeah, sure," Tom says. He glances at Maddie, who nods at him. "Let's all move into the living room." Everyone finds a seat and gets comfortable. Shadow sits with Maria on the loveseat and glares at the room, but he's not angry at all; he's just stressed about the situation.

"First of all, it's nice to meet you," Tom starts. "My name's Tom. You've already met my wife Maddie, and you've just met Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Maddie gave me the vague, short version of events. Welcome to the Wachowski family home, and uhh... we look forward to... learning... about you." He laughs in embarrassment, since that sounded weird. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Maria smiles. "I know it's strange. I'm sorry for barging into your home like this. But I didn't come here by accident."

"What do you mean?" Shadow asks curiously. Maria realizes her slip and shifts the focus back on the Wachowski family.

"How about you do the talking first?" she suggests. "Then I'll go. It'll be a lot to explain, but I'd rather you guys go first."

"Fine by me," Sonic pipes up. Maria smiles at him, then sits back and lets him take the lead.

Sonic takes control of the conversation from the very start. He talks as fast as he runs, but Maria's able to keep up without much trouble. He also starts from the very beginning as well: his arrival to Earth, his fight with Eggman, Tails' and Knuckles' arrival, the fight for the Master Emerald, and then the most recent event to date, the fight with Shadow and Gerald. Sonic spares no details, and everyone makes their anecdotes here and there when they're able to jump into the conversation. Shadow also takes over when the focus is on him. 

The entire time Shadow speaks, Maria's eyes are on him. She watches as his facial expressions change from anger to regret to shame. Maria has no outward reaction except for the occasional jaw drop and widening of her eyes. Otherwise, she keeps her questions to herself until the story is completely over.

After the climax, Sonic and Shadow take turns explaining what's happened over the past couple of weeks until Maria is caught up until this very moment. It's around ninety minutes of information to soak in, which would be okay if the information wasn't circled around cataclysmic events. 

Gerald was alive? And she had a cousin too? They tried to destroy the world? Or rather, Gerald tried to destroy the world? For her? If she's being honest with herself, Maria isn't surprised that Shadow went along with the plan, even if he knew he should've spoken up earlier about how wrong it was. Back in the day, Maria never would've wanted Shadow to avenge her by decimating the planet. Now, though? After everything she's been through, along with the psychological torture she's endured because of Shadow's and Gerald's supposed deaths? 

It's almost... kind of endearing.

Shadow was willing to burn the world for her, which is funny because now, she'd burn the world for him, too.

Silence falls over the room as Maria mulls over everything she was just told. She can chat with Sonic and the others about their own adventures later. Right now, she has to address the elephant in the room.

"This is... a lot," she starts. A nervous smile pulls at her lips as she looks at everyone. "Um. There's a lot going on in my mind right now, so it'll take a minute to filter through them."

"Take your time," Maddie says softly. Maria nods, then looks down at the floor, searching for the correct response to say. Where does she even start? Should she just say exactly what's on her mind, filter be damned? Or should she express her sympathy first? It's incredibly difficult to pick through hundreds of thoughts that all want to speak first. In the end, instead of asking a question, she makes a statement.

"I'm so goddamn happy that you're alive, Shadow," she starts, addressing him directly. "You have no idea how—well. I guess you're the only person that can understand exactly how relieved and grateful I am that you survived. I'm sure you feel the same way about me." He nods in agreement. "So, I can't speak on what twelve-year-old me would have thought about this, because I'm not that person anymore. Because now, with the way that I am..." She pauses, anxious about how this will sound. "...I'd gladly say I'd burn the world for you, too." She takes a quick glance around the room, and senses the mixed emotions. She keeps going before anyone can cut in. "I know how that sounds. But when you say it outloud, you never think it's going to happen. It's just a figure of speech, y'know? So to know that it was actually put into action I..." She trails off, unsure of what else to say. She has mixed feelings about it as well. Shadow has become as small as possible next to her, clutching his knees to his chest in shame. Maria smiles sadly. Upon seeing his guilty face, she knows what she needs to tell him.

"Is that what I would have wanted?" Shadow peeks up at her. "No, it's not. I wouldn't want you to do something extreme like destroying the world. Where would that leave you? Where would that leave them?" She gestures to the Wachowski family. "And where would that leave everyone else that had nothing to do with it?" Shadow looks down in shame. Maria puts her hand on his shoulder so he'll look at her again. "It wasn't entirely your fault, Shadow. I get it. Trust me, I do. The hurt and the pain and the guilt were too much, and you needed an outlet for it. And my grandfather used your feelings against you." Her lip quivers at the thought of Gerald doing such a thing. She can still barely believe it. "It wasn't right to use you like that and to manipulate you into fulfilling his own revenge-filled scheme. Your mind was blinded by all of the rage you held inside." She tears up again at imagining how much he went through in the past couple of weeks. No one should ever have to carry a burden like that.

No one. Including her.

"But I forgive you," she says, choking on a sob. She pushes a smile through and pulls him into a hug. "As difficult as it might be for other people to hear, I forgive you. I'm glad you're alive, and I'm glad that you didn't blow up the world, of course. I wouldn't be able to handle losing you a second time." She squeezes him tightly. "I know it's always been hard for you to talk about your feelings. This hasn't been easy for you. And I know you still have a lot of making up to do. But we're in this together, okay? I've got your back, as does your wonderful new family." 

Shadow hates being vulnerable in front of others. He was only ever like this with Maria back in the day. And the only other one who's seen him in such a state since then is Sonic on the rooftop. Even then it went against everything he built himself up to be. He's the Ultimate Lifeform. He doesn't cry, he doesn't panic, and he most certainly doesn't let his walls down in front of people he's only known for a little over a week. But with Maria? It's like he's been transported back in time. She's the walking embodiment of nostalgia, a reminder of how things used to be. Being with her again means that his brooding, tough guy persona is no more. But he's going to try to keep up that facade, no matter what any of the Wachowskis think.

Maria pulls away from him and wipes her face. He's not crying this time, but there's a tiny smile on his face, one only Maria can see. For some reason it makes Maria grin wider. 

Still a little emo as always.

Clearing her throat, Maria sits up straighter and continues to piece her thoughts together. "So. You were in stasis for fifty years. Then you escaped, met with my grandfather, launched the Eclipse Cannon, destroyed the Eclipse Cannon, saved the world, wandered about looking for your inhibitor rings, found them, and you've been staying here ever since. Is that it?" Shadow nods. "Basically." Maria hums in thought, and struggles to understand one piece of information. "What's this... super form that Sonic mentioned earlier? What does that mean?" Some unresolved tension fills the room, which makes Maria think that she stepped on some delicate toes. "What? What's wrong?"

"Aha. Welllll..." Sonic rubs the back of his head sheepishly and glances at Knuckles, who's regarding him with a very unimpressed look on his face. "That's, um. Hard to explain."

"It's actually very easy to explain," Tails counters with a raise of his brow. Since both Sonic and Knuckles are unwilling to talk about it, Tails decides to clear the air. "The Master Emerald is a gem made up of the seven chaos emeralds. Together, you can become the most powerful being in the galaxy. Sonic and Shadow shared the power of the Master Emerald in order to defeat Gerald Robotnik and destroy the Eclipse Cannon. They stopped the laser beam from annihilating the planet, then Shadow pushed the station away from Earth's atmosphere before it exploded. We all thought he died." 

"Oh. I see..." Maria furrows her brows. There's clearly something more going on. "Am I missing something else? You all look... nervous." Seeing as how both Sonic and Knuckles still can't talk about it, Tails takes the initiative again.

"It's a bit of a delicate subject for us," Tails sighs. "Since we thought Shadow was dead, we thought the chaos emeralds were lost with him. But when we found out he was alive, the question was in the back of all our minds. We didn't want to ask him about it after everything that had happened. He needed time to adjust. But now that it's out in the open..." All eyes go to Shadow, including Maria's. She's more confused than anything, but is curious to hear what he has to say. With a sigh, Shadow nods in understanding.

"Yes, I can still feel the power of the emeralds within me," he says. "I will give them back." He pats his chest, and concentrates on their energy. With delicacy, Shadow expels the emeralds from his body, and they fly around in a circle before gently settling themselves down on the coffee table. Maria stares in shock at the display, completely blown away by what he just did. Without missing a beat, Knuckles scoops them up for safekeeping, intending on restoring the Master Emerald later. Maria shakes her head in disbelief. "So much happened just now. I can't believe... wow. That was... wow."

"Pretty impressive, right?" Sonic says with a smirk, like he's the one who created the emeralds himself.

"More than impressive," Maria counters. "It's... beautiful. But also... familiar in a way. I can't describe it." 

"I believe they helped me find my lost inhibitor rings," Shadow says. "I think it enhanced the chaos energy within them to make it easier for me to pinpoint their locations." Shadow cocks his head to the side as he comes to a puzzling realization. He sizes Maria up and furrows his brows together. Something isn't right... 

"What is it?" Maria asks under his analyzing gaze.

"Even though it was easier to track the chaos energy, it wasn't without difficulty," he explains. "Whenever I had a lead, it was like it popped up again in a different location and distracted me. But then it would disappear, and reappear again in random places." Maria stared at him, and Shadow stared right back. The Wachowski family observed them with confusion, almost like they were missing something; like Maria and Shadow were sharing a mutual understanding but they were left out of the loop. Maria shifted awkwardly under Shadow's gaze, which made him narrow his eyes. "Maria?"

"I..." Swallowing thickly, Maria turns away from Shadow and fiddles with her hands. Sighing deeply, she knows the cat's out of the bag. Meeting the others' gaze, she holds her hand out and flexes her fingers. "That might have something to do with this." The same powerful chaos energy that resides within Shadow appears magnificently in the palm of Maria's hand. She hears the small gasps around the room, including Shadow's. Closing her hand into a fist, Maria holds it against her chest and shrugs. "I guess it was me you were tracking, Shadow."

"But... how?" Shadow asks incredulously. "How is this even possible?" Maria shakes her head, unable to give Shadow a concrete answer.

"I don't know," she says. "It's still a mystery to me. Even after Dr. Edmonds explained things to me, I still couldn't make sense of it."

"Dr. Edmonds?" Shadow echoes. "Wha...?" He remembers him very well. He wore huge circular glasses and was easily the second smartest man after Gerald. What was his connection to all of this?

"Guess it's time for me to explain myself, huh?" With a tired sigh, Maria faces the entire room and begins rubbing her wrist anxiously. She's feels like she's going to vomit, but she owes them all an explanation. Shadow most of all. Taking a deep breath, she lays out her life as she's lived it for the past fifty years.

"My story starts at the very beginning as well," she says. "The day of the explosion. The day I died."

June 27, 1974.

Maria played the guitar for Shadow in their fort. It was the same song she played for him a year ago, when all she had was an opening riff. Now, the song was complete, and Shadow never got tired of hearing it. He listened with a soft smile on his face, the colourful fairy lights shining brightly in Maria's eyes. Everything was peaceful at that moment, and nothing could ruin their evening.

"Kids, we have to go. Now!"

Maria ran. She was so afraid. What was happening? Alarms blared overhead, and yellow sirens coloured the walls as she ran with Gerald and Shadow to the entrance of the base. G.U.N. agents gave chase, following closely behind them. They were armed to hunt, armed to kill. What did they do? What changed? 

"They want to take Shadow away from us, Maria!"

Maria cast a worrying glance to Shadow behind her. Why? Why would they want to take Shadow away? He didn't do anything wrong. The entrance was up ahead. The door was open. They were almost there. Where would they go once they were outside? How would they outrun the military personnel? What was the plan?

A stray shot from one of the agents struck a canister containing Shadow's chaos energy. Time stood still as the crack in the glass spread, threatening to release the power it held within. Maria screamed as the canister exploded, and then everything went dark.

---

When Maria woke up, she was weak.

Her body felt paralyzed from the lack of strength. She could barely move her head without her neck creaking uncomfortably. As she opened her eyes, she was met with blinding blue lights. She squinted as her eyes struggled to adjust to her surroundings. The sound of steady beeping echoed throughout the room, and it smelled like disinfectant.

Am I in the medical bay?

When she successfully blinked away the tiredness in her eyes, the room came into focus. While it was definitely a medical facility, she didn't recognize anything right away. The room was smaller than the norm, even a little cramped. She laid on the only bed, and even though she was covered with a blanket, she was freezing. Besides one small bench that held multiple surgical tools and a few necessary machines that were beside her bed, the room was bare.

As the fog cleared from her mind, Maria slowly pushed herself up, her arms shaking. An uncomfortable feeling settled itself in her chest. An eerie silence hung in the air, and it was louder than the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She didn't like how heavy the atmosphere felt, despite knowing that she was in a safe place.

That's what she thought, at least.

She winced as she felt an itch on her arm. When she looked down, she saw a needle shoved into her elbow that was attached to an IV drip. It reminded her of the time she had pneumonia and had to be medicated to stay hydrated. How long had she been sleeping?

"Hello?" Silence. Nothing seemed right. The room looked fake, but the drugs were very real. She knew she was in the base, but it was unfamiliar to her. It was like experiencing a fake reality; one she had to escape.

She removed the pulse oximeter from her finger, then shoved the blanket away to drag her legs off the bed. Her entire body ached like she got slammed into a wall. The cold tile gave her goosebumps as she planted her feet on the floor. She clutched the IV spole to keep herself upright. Swallowing nervously, she took hesitant steps forward toward the door. It swung open with ease, and she poked her head out. The hallway was empty. It resembled the same hallways from the base, which was somewhat of a relief.

"Hello?" she called out again. More silence.

Where is everyone? What happened?

Staying close to the wall, Maria slowly walked down the deserted hall, clutching the IV pole, hoping that someone familiar would come out and find her. The farther she went, the more afraid she became. Her lip quivered the longer she remained alone.

"Grandfather?" she tried. No answer. "Shadow?" Tears welled up in her eyes. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. "Anybody?" Her voice echoed back at her. She was totally and completely alone.

She stopped walking. She glanced over her shoulder, then looked ahead again. The weight in her chest only got heavier. Someone had to be there. Someone took care of Maria and dressed her wounds and made sure she was hydrated. So where were they? Why would they leave her alone? And what the hell happened?!

As the situation dawned on her, she became overwhelmed. She began heaving as the air in her lungs constricted painfully. Her legs buckled again, and she slid down the wall to her knees. She clutched the front of her gown as the world became smaller and smaller. All she could hear was the loud thumping of her heart in her ears. She gripped her hair and pulled as she struggled to breathe. Her breaths were shaky and uneven and the cold tile of the floor was the only thing that grounded her in the moment. She closed her eyes as her spiral went deeper and deeper.

What happened? Where is everyone? Where's grandfather? And Shadow? They have to be here, right? There was... an explosion? We were running. And it all blew up. Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god. What if they didn't make it out? Were they left behind? Are they safe? I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate th—

"...ria?"

Where did they go? I wanna go home!

"Maria?"

Someone come help me! Please!!!

"Maria!"

Maria jolted when she felt someone's hand grasp her arm. At first she resisted, the touch unwelcome and frightening. She heard a voice calling her name, but she didn't recognize it right away. Their grip only got tighter, which made Maria panic even more. She thrashed against them and tried to pull herself away.

"Maria! Calm down! It's me! Open your eyes!" Despite her instincts, Maria pried her eyes open to see who grabbed hold of her. 

It was Dr. Edmonds. 

Upon realizing that she wasn't in danger, Maria stopped struggling and ceased her movements; though her heart was still beating a mile a minute and it was difficult to breathe. Dr. Edmonds' mouth was moving, but the white noise in Maria's ears overpowered his voice. He looked... angry? His brows were furrowed together and there were veins popping in his forehead. Not to mention his grip on Maria's wrist was almost unbearable.

"Y-you're h-hurting me," Maria stuttered. Dr. Edmonds didn't stop his rant, which prompted Maria to push through her panic attack and try harder. "Let go of me." Still nothing. With all the strength she could muster, Maria pulled her arm back and yelled at him. "Let go of me!" He cut himself off, taken aback by Maria's sudden moment of clarity. It was only when Maria gave him a steely glare that he let go of her. She rubbed her wrist tenderly and closed in on herself. Dr. Edmonds sat back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair.

"What are you doing out here, Maria?" he asked. He almost seemed annoyed instead of concerned. Maria shrunk even more under his gaze and looked away. 

"I woke up alone," she said, her voice small.

"I was getting you more medicine from one of the storage units," he sighed.

"How was I supposed to know that?!" she snapped. He actually rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I didn't know you were going to wake up," he explained. "It's been almost a week and—"

"A week?! What do you mean? What's going on? Where are we? Where is everyone? What happened to me? Why is—"

"Calm down, Maria. I'll explain everything. Let's just go back and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Maria narrowed her eyes, skeptical of his honesty. She didn't really like Dr. Edmonds in the first place because he didn't have any regard for other people's feelings. That much was clear when he spoke about Shadow's immortality and supposed poor memory and how he'll forget about Maria eventually. She still never forgave him for that. But he was the only person around that could provide any answers about what happened. So she had no choice but to trust him.

"Fine." She pushed herself up, rejecting Dr. Edmonds' hand. Gripping the IV pole once more, Maria walked back with him, keeping her distance. He walked briskly ahead of her, not bothering to look back. Once they were back inside the tiny medical room, Maria got back onto the bed and wrapped the blanket around her legs. He sat down on a rolling stool and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it." Maria braced herself as Dr. Edmonds sighed deeply before looking her in the eyes. "Gerald and Shadow are dead." 

"...what?"

"The explosion was catastrophic," he went on, not acknowledging her reaction. "The magnitude of it was incredible. A few casualties. Most of the main entrance was demolished, too. Surprisingly, the circuit breakers were unaffected which was good news. I already checked the remaining power lines and facilities and everything seems to be working well. As for the base as a whole—"

Maria tuned out his voice the longer he spoke. What did he mean that Gerald and Shadow were dead? They couldn't be. Gerald was too stubborn to die, and Shadow was immortal. Dr. Edmonds said that himself. So there was no way that either of them were dead. It was impossible. The white noise rang in Maria's ears again as her mind slowly began to dissociate.

Nothing was real. Her eyes drifted to the bedsheets but she couldn't register them. She didn't know what she was looking at. The soft blue blurred into white, which dissolved into nothing. The room became colder, and seemed to shrink around her. The information that Dr. Edmonds provided swirled around in Maria's head on a constant loop, like it was designed to torture her.

Grandfather and Shadow are dead. They're gone. You'll never see them again. They're not alive. They're not here. You'll never hear their voices again. Never see their smiles again. No more jokes, no more sleepovers, no more hugs. They're gone. Forever.

"What do you mean they're dead?"

Maria's question interrupted Dr. Edmonds' rambling, which irritated him. His eye twitched before he repeated himself.

"I mean exactly as I said. They were killed in the explosion."

"But... how? You said that Shadow would live long after we're gone."

"I did."

"So then why is he dead?!"

"Because even he had a weakness, Maria. It was his own chaos energy that was his downfall. There was no coming back from that. Didn't I tell you before that you needed to learn to let him go? It was for situations like this. Mind you, no one could have predicted that this would happen. But I digress. Shadow and Gerald are gone. You need to learn to let go of that grief and pain in order to move on, Maria."

The tightness she felt in her chest before came back with a vengeance. Dr. Edmonds' words were like a knife to her heart. So cold, harsh, and devoid of compassion. Maria had more sympathy in her pinky finger than he did in his entire body. He didn't know how to comfort someone to save his life. The more her new reality set in, the more upset she became. She didn't even hear herself scream as she hunched over and sobbed her heart out. 

Dr. Edmonds looked on with mild disinterest as Maria had a full breakdown. He leaned against a nearby counter and awkwardly waited until she calmed down to finish explaining what was going to happen thereon after. 

Unfortunately, he never got to finish his spiel as Maria cried herself to sleep. He clicked his tongue as he stood over her sleeping form. 

"This is going to be harder than I thought."

After glancing at his watch, Dr. Edmonds turned on his heel and left the room. He would come back when Maria had a chance to calm down and sort through her thoughts.

---

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months.

Maria's new normal was far from anything she could have imagined. Day in and day out was aggravatingly mundane. Gone were the days of chit chats with Gerald and silly adventures with Shadow. Instead, Maria's day consisted of breakfast, lunch, and dinner while she wandered the hallways of the base, reminiscing about what life was like before the explosion. 

According to Dr. Edmonds, Project Shadow was shut down after the accident. G.U.N. and the research team abandoned the base, intent on pretending none of it happened. With both the lead scientist and subject gone, there was no need to remain there. He recovered Maria after everyone else was busy scrambling to collect as much information and materials as possible. With Gerald being arrested and Shadow in stasis, the very least Dr. Edmonds could do was bury her. It came as quite a shock for him to see that she survived. But instead of telling anybody, especially Gerald, he kept her hidden. He explained to Maria that it'd be best if no one knew she was alive, otherwise she might be arrested herself for just knowing about the project in the first place. Maria believed him of course, since it made sense to her. In reality, Dr. Edmonds kept her for his own selfish reasons that he refrained from telling her.

He didn't realize how difficult it'd be to achieve his goal, however.

Every day Maria relived the bad memory that was Project Shadow. All the good times, and all the rough times she had with Shadow played on a constant loop in her mind. At times, she didn't know what to feel; she was so numb to her emotions that sometimes she felt nothing at all. Other times, reality would hit her so hard that she would cry in her bed for hours and refuse to come out. She barely ate, rarely slept, and it had been a long time since a genuine smile crossed her face. There was nothing to smile about in her life anymore. The happiness that made her whole was gone forever.  

It frustrated Dr. Edmonds to no end that Maria was uncooperative and unmotivated to do much of anything. While he understood that she was grieving, he thought that she would have gotten over it already. He vastly underestimated just how much Gerald and Shadow meant to her. Especially Shadow. Some days he would find her sitting in her room, flipping through a scrapbook she made of the memories she had with Shadow of the year she spent with him. She would go through the scrapbook for hours, rereading it over and over and over. It made Dr. Edmonds want to take the book away and hide it to make her focus. But he knew that that wouldn't go well. So, he let her keep all the mementos she made so she would at least stay calm.

Still. It didn't mean that he liked it.

Dr. Edmonds tolerated all of the outbursts, the silent treatment, and even the times where she didn't come out of her room for days. During those times, he was so irritated with her behaviour that he didn't even check in on her at all. Those days were the worst since she would hardly eat, even when he left food outside her door. He resisted the urge to kick her plate when he saw it remained untouched when he went to collect it. His patience wore thin, but every time he had the urge to unload on her, he reminded himself why he took her in the first place.

Fortunately for Maria, there were some days where she would have moments of clarity. She would shower, get dressed, eat, and even talk to Dr. Edmonds about mundane topics. Those days were probably the best for Maria, for lack of a better word. They were good for Dr. Edmonds as well, since he would use any given opportunity to chat her up and do his damndest to get through to her. It was still immensely difficult to try to relate to a child, let alone a girl. He was never a fan of children, but he had no choice but to get along with her as best he could. His temper would get in the way sometimes, though.

Even though Maria had some okay days, she was still in a deep depression. As much as she wanted to keep living a life that Shadow would have wanted her to, it was impossible without him there. She couldn't survive on her own, and had to rely on Dr. Edmonds for everything. She once told Shadow that she wanted to be a scientist like her grandfather. But she wasn't so sure anymore. With the amount of grief and anger that encompassed her body and mind, becoming a scientist seemed so far-fetched. She was lucky that she was surviving at all with the way that she carried on. Shadow would have scolded her and she knew it; he'd do his best to convince her to let go and move on, but in a healthy way that had no deadline. She also knew that he would try to comfort her in any way possible, even if he was clumsy at it. When Maria was having a rough day, sometimes Shadow sitting next to her was all she needed. That's what she missed the most: his presence. 

Compared to Shadow, Dr. Edmonds' presence was the complete opposite of comfort. On the rare occasion that Dr. Edmonds spoke to her, it was always short and clipped like she was an inconvenience to him. She never really knew what he did during the day, since she kept to herself and hardly ever bothered him. She assumed that he continued doing research on his own personal project that he never spoke about. He wasn't the warmest person in the world, nor the kindest, but he was all Maria had left. 

The hope that Dr. Edmonds had of Maria burying her grief dwindled with each passing day. It was impossible to predict what kind of mood Maria would be in. Granted, he always expected her to be depressed and quiet, but once in a blue moon Maria would actually open her mouth and speak. It was on those days that he had to be prepared so he could ask her questions about her health. Delicately. The few times that he had asked, he barely got anything out of her. He learned that his tone was important, as was how he asked questions. So it was in his best interest that both he and Maria were in decent moods for him to ask.

The fateful day came over a year after the accident.

Maria was in an okay mood as she joined Dr. Edmonds for lunch. She was still dressed in her pyjamas and clutched her teddy bear to her chest. She never let go of it, since its soft fur reminded her of Shadow. It was another object that Dr. Edmonds refrained from taking away from her. 

"Look who decided to come out of their cave," he said once Maria sat down at the table. She rolled her eyes and began eating her toast. She hated it when he said things like that. All it made her want to do is go right back to her room and not come out. "How're you feeling today?"

"Fine," she replied plainly. She could feel his gaze on her. He always had an intense look on his face whenever he asked about her well-being, so she purposefully didn't spare a glance his way to avoid his staring. 

"Just fine?" he said. Maria nodded, not sure what he wanted to hear. Her answer was no different than any other boring day where her emotions didn't consume her. So she didn't understand why he was so determined to get her to say something different.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she repeated. "New day, same crappy feelings." She took another bite of her toast and stared at her teddy bear on the table. She pretended that it was Shadow, and imagined him telling her what a good job she was doing.

Toast is better than nothing, Maria. That's a good step forward! Try having a full dinner tonight. I don't want you to go to bed with an empty stomach.

Thinking of Shadow's encouragement made her smile a little. Imagining his presence was a small comfort, and would help the tiniest bit on her worst days. It was nice at the time, but reality always came crashing down on her like a pile of bricks. Any trace of happiness she held would vanish within a second. 

"Oh? What was that smile for?" Dr. Edmonds asked.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"It's rare that you smile," he pressed. "C'mon. You can tell me."

"It's nothing," she repeated.

"You can talk to me, y'know. My door's always open."

Yeah, right.

Maria hummed to acknowledge his statement, but still didn't reveal why she smiled. It was damn near impossible to open up to him with anything. If she talked about Shadow, she noticed that he'd clench his jaw, like he was preventing himself from saying something he shouldn't. On more than one occasion he would lose his temper at the mere mention of Shadow's name. His reaction was more than enough evidence for Maria that Dr. Edmonds hated Shadow; or at the very least, didn't want to talk about him, which was a very bad combination since all Maria wanted to talk about was Shadow. So, to protect herself from Dr. Edmonds' temper, she limited speaking about Shadow altogether. 

Breakfast went on in silence. Once Maria finished her toast, she washed her plate and disappeared back to her room without sparing Dr. Edmonds another glance. She journaled about her feelings so she could get it out of her system. If she couldn't talk about them to Dr. Edmonds, then she would speak to herself.

By dinner time, Maria's mood had shifted for the worse. She had stomach cramps, she was extremely tired (more so than usual), and she was nauseated. It was a terrible concoction of symptoms that nearly knocked her off her feet. When she went to the bathroom, the pieces fell into place, and she groaned at the realization of what was happening. She got her period.

Under normal circumstances, she would have been prepared with lots of people to help her out. But since there was not a woman in sight, she had to deal with it on her own. She was lucky enough that she got her period in the bathroom and not overnight when she was asleep. Knowing Dr. Edmonds, he was definitely not going to be helpful at all. So Maria had no other option than to take care of herself. It seemed to be the only option as time went on. After she got herself cleaned up, she begrudgingly met with Dr. Edmonds for dinner. Surprisingly, the nausea was easy to deal with. It came in one big wave before it dissipated on its own. The biggest problem was the cramps. They were constant, sharp, and damn near debilitating. Her face was scrunched in pain by the time she made it to the dinner table. Dr. Edmonds took immediate notice of her discomfort.

"Something the matter?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"My stomach hurts," she replied with a wince.

"Stomachache?"

"No."

"Food poisoning?"

"No."

"If you know what's wrong Maria, tell me so I can help you."

"I just need some ibuprofen. Grandfather always took them when he had a headache."

"I'll give you some as soon as you tell me what's wrong."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that it could be nothing like a stomachache, or it could be something serious like appendicitis. So, help me understand what the issue is and I can offer some assistance."

"It's nothing like that."

"Okay, so what is it?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Maria. Tell me what it is right now."

"No."

"Maria! Tell me what the fuck is wrong or so help me—"

"They're cramps, okay?! I got my period tonight and these cramps are killing me! Now give me some damn pain medication before I lose my mind!"

She slammed her fist angrily on the table. It startled Dr. Edmonds, but not because of her outburst. When her hand made contact with the table, chaos energy shot out from her skin, firing off in different directions, scattering like lightning bolts. The world stood still as they both stared at the table with shock and awe. Maria was more confused and scared than anything, while Dr. Edmonds was ecstatic. An excited smile spread across his face as he laughed in disbelief. 

"I knew it," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I knew it! I knew it!" Maria paid no mind to Dr. Edmonds' elated state as she slowly pulled her arm back. Her hand was shaking as she turned it around to examine it, wondering why and how she was able to do that. That was definitely not a sign of puberty. What the hell was going on?

---

Dr. Edmonds focused all of his efforts on studying Maria's body structure once she showed signs of being able to manipulate chaos energy—the same chaos energy that Shadow used.

Maria was more or less thrilled about the revelation. On one hand, she had another memento of Shadow that didn't seem to be going away any time soon. On the other hand, it was another frightening attribute that she was afraid of. She didn't know how to control it, let alone know where it came from. Despite her trepidation, Dr. Edmonds was over the moon about the discovery.

Unbeknownst to Maria, Dr. Edmonds was waiting for this, ever since he found her still alive after everyone had abandoned her. Her pulse was very weak, but her body sparked with chaos energy that kept her alive. He waited and waited for it to manifest again, but no matter what he did or said to her, it remained dormant. It wasn't until Maria's outburst that the chaos energy within her made an appearance again. He wondered if it was because she was in a heightened emotional state. It was a theory that he had no problem testing.

Maria's new new norm was being prodded by Dr. Edmonds. He examined her blood, did an overview of her body systems, and regularly monitored Maria's emotional state. From preliminary testing, he found that she did not have the same levels of chaos energy that Shadow did for reasons he didn't understand as of yet. He also did not know how or why Maria gained the ability to use chaos energy in the first place. He had a few theories, but none of them seemed plausible: maybe the chaos energy from the explosion worked its way into Maria's bloodstream via laceration; perhaps prolonged exposure to Shadow made her body more compatible to house chaos energy; Shadow could have unconsciously used chaos energy to protect her from the blast and in turn transferred his energy into her. Whatever the reason, he couldn't come to a conclusion.

The possibility of it being dumb luck seemed like the most favourable explanation, but Dr. Edmonds refused to believe that Maria was just lucky. There hadto be a reason why she was granted such power. His scientific brain (and ego) wouldn't accept luck as the reason. 

The testing that he did on Maria was minimally invasive, but the mental toll it took on her was damn near devastating. She was constantly kept in her fight or flight mode, not knowing if Dr. Edmonds was going to jump out and scare her in hopes that her chaos energy would activate, or if he was just going to yell at her for no reason. It was exhausting to always be aware of her surroundings in the hopes that she wouldn't accidentally hurt herself or Dr. Edmonds.

Regardless of the things that he was doing to her, Maria didn't want to hurt him, even by accident. If he got injured because of her recklesses, what was she to do? She knew how to cook a few meals and take care of her hygiene, but outside of those basic needs, she was lost. So no matter how angry she got at Dr. Edmonds, she needed to keep her emotional state stable.

It wasn't without difficulty, however.

The more that Dr. Edmonds pushed Maria, the more her chaos energy appeared. He was correct in the fact that it manifested when Maria's psychological state was bursting at the seams. He cared not about the effect it had on her, but rather focused on the amount and strength of the chaos energy. He even managed to collect samples of it like they used to do with Shadow. The process was easy, given the fact that Maria was rendered immobile each time Dr. Edmonds gave her a new psychological wound. 

What's worse is that he never apologized to her. After each experiment, every test, Dr. Edmonds never once showed remorse for his actions, or even thanked her for giving him what he wanted. He always took and took and took, but never gave back to her. It was an endless cycle of pain and misery.

---

Maria sat on her bed and stared at the blank journal page in front of her. She tapped her pen on the page, stuck on how to begin her next entry. There were a lot of things she wanted to say, but her mind moved faster than her hand. Her thoughts were jumbled and out of order, but she had to get the words down regardless. It was her own journal that only she would understand, so without further stalling, she began writing as the thoughts came to her.