"Finally, I have managed to transform this spirit from the planet Mobius into it's bodily equivalent," Professor Gerald Robotnik cackled to himself.
Robotnik picked up the little black and red hedgehog and placed in the enclosure with the other one: she was still asleep.
"Shadow!" Robotnik called; the other hedgehog looked up at him "this is Signo I want you to look after her like you were her brother."
Shadow nodded and went over to the little ball of black and red fur with a little of her crumpled red skirt sticking out and her red headband half falling out. Shadow picked her up and put her onto a pile of leaves he had made from himself earlier, took off her headband and placed it next to her. Then he started work on another pile for himself, when he had finished he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Signo awoke the next morning with a jump. She looked around not knowing where on earth she was. She saw her trainers and her headband next to her. She sat up on the pile of leaves and screamed. Shadow came running in and put his arms around the little hedgehog to comfort her. Signo somehow felt more safe and secure with Shadow holding her in his arms.
"Hey, calm down, it's ok little Signo," holding her close like a loving father would. Signo, who was only a small child then, snuggled her head into Shadow's chest. Shadow sat her back down, went out and came with some buttered toast and a drink of water.
"I'm going to look after you now Signo, I won't let anything happen to you, ok?" Shadow said softly.
Signo looked up at him with a warm look in her eyes, then she jumped up and hugged him (like in 5 year old would)
Shadow squeezed her tightly.
"Thank you Shadow," Signo said in a tiny but grateful little voice.
"You're very welcome, I'll look after you no matter what!" Shadow said as he put Signo down and ate some toast himself.
Shadow sat up as straight as a plank. He had been dreaming again. He sat up and looked around, just as he knew Signo had done all those 52 years ago. After 2 years of knowing her, caring for her and teaching her. He lost her.
"I promised to look after her no matter what and I broke my promise," Shadow thought. He sighed and stood up. "Why do I keep dreaming about Signo? Is she alive? Is she here? Will I ever see her again? Is she ok?" he said to himself. There was a knock at his door. He went to open it and found Sonic the hedgehog stood infront of him. Shadow stared at him with an evil glare.
"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come to…" Sonic started.
"No," Shadow said coldly. This was no change for Shadow, as since the accident in which Maria had been killed and Signo missing, he had become a cold and bitter person.
"Help us fight Eggman," Sonic finished.
"No."
"Hey, what's up with you, you normally give me long sarcastic mean answers; but today it's just one word," Sonic asked.
"Nothing."
"Really?" Sonic said sarcastically and then invited himself in. "So Shadow, are you gonna tell me what's up or what?"
"No."
"So there is something up!"
Shadow did not give an answer to this question. He just shut the door and went into his bedroom. He opened one of his drawers and withdrew an old picture that was slightly charred round the edges. It was a picture of him and a little hedgehog that was black with red trainers, headband, top and skirt. The very tips of her quills were red too and they were all up in a high ponytail; but she had a very strange tail. It was a little cheetah's tail. She was Signo.
Shadow was too busy looking at the picture to notice that Sonic had followed him.
"Well," Sonic said, "What's going on Shadow?" he scanned the picture then looked at Shadow.
