I wanted to write a fic that focused on Shadow and Maria, but that was such a common plot, it seemed. So, I twisted it up a little. This one really explores Shadow as the Ultimate Life Form and his whole past, I feel. It's gonna get kind of tragic and really...graphic, so this isn't for the faint of heart. I got the idea from a fanpic of Shadow in a pool of blood (Thank-Q Kaoru-chan) and a song by K's Choice called Only Dreaming (duh). Hope you enjoy it...Oh, and if you're a Shadow girlfriend wannabe—maybe you should turn around and read another fic right about now... This is supposed to be a real drama, tragedy sort of thing, so my goal is to get a couple of tears out there! Don't be afraid to tell me if I achieved it!
I don't own Shadow the Hedgehog or Maria Robotnik. They are under the sole ownership of SEGA and other related indicia. I own everyone else...It all begins with this...an author containing the ULTIMATE POWER...
ONLY DREAMING
1. Lost In Memory
He opened his eyes to greet the morning. This morning, they didn't ache from lack of sleep as they often did on nights up late with her. As always, he rolled over on his back, flexed his arms up in the air, drumming his fingers in mid-air. Then, he rolled over on to his right shoulder and reached out to lay his hand on her warm cheek. His heart then sank in realization. She was gone.
Shadow stared blankly at the pillow, frozen in what he suddenly remembered. He slowly recovered from the shock and blinked, lowering his gaze to where her face would have been each morning. He ran his ungloved hand over the fabric of it, savouring its softness at his fingertips and feeling his own pillow start to become damp. He blinked away the tears that fell from his crimson eyes.
After fully waking up and having his morning reflections, Shadow changed and left his room, sighing as he closed the door behind him silently. He didn't wish to wake the other inhabitant of the house.
"Um..."
Too late. They were awake already. He raised his head to look at them.
"Daddy...Are you okay?"
Shadow sighed again and closed his eyes, averting his gaze so she wouldn't see the emotion in his eyes. "Yes, thank you. Don't worry about me."
The small girl took a step forward, pining to see his face. "Are you sure? Please tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."
Shadow opened his eyes and locked eyes with her. He smiled, seeing her brought that to his face. He knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. And no, you can't help, but thank you for being so considerate."
The young girl's eyes began to glisten with tears of worry and sadness. "It's Mommy, isn't it?"
Damn. She got him. He swallowed hard and fought them back. He didn't want to say it, but her face just couldn't be ignored. He lowered his head and let the tears flow, taking his hand from her shoulders. "Yes. I'm sorry..."
He heard her start to sob as well, and felt her embrace him tightly. "Daddy...I miss her," she gasped.
He hugged her back, pressing her body to his. "I know. Me too. But there's...there's nothing we can do about it... The most we can do is...to be there for each other, okay?"
She gripped him tighter as her tears drenched his fur. He felt her nod, too choked up to speak. But she did manage, "I love you, Daddy. I...don't want to lose you, too..."
His tears were starting to dissipate now. "I love you too, Maria..."
Lots of crying...Little too much maybe. What a way to start your morning, eh? I hope to make chapters longer after this, but I just wanted to jumpstart the suspense of who "Mommy" is, what made her so special, and what exactly happened to her. As always, I value your input!