Mirrored Reflection
Author's notes: The name 'Commander Graves' was pinched from the lovely Taranea from her amazing fic 'Life Could Have Been So Different'. Go read it if you haven't.
Light reflected dully from the smooth metal plates of the corridor as Professor Gerald Robotnik hurried down the twisting passages of the Space Station Ark towards his destination – the central communications room. He had a data solid gripped firmly in one hand, a peculiar expression of triumph mixed with wild hope written across his aged features.
It was late according to the somewhat arbitrary time zone the station ascribed to. The Professor either didn't notice or didn't care that most of the rest of the stations inhabitants had long since sought their beds. He was wide awake – with very good reason.
With a hand that was trembling ever so slightly, he reached up to quickly key in the code sequence to enter the communications room. Moving quickly to the large main console, he tapped in a long, complicated code into the keyboard. The console screen lit up, displaying the name of the person he was attempting to call in large amber letters. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and compose himself, stroking his long moustache into some semblance of order and quickly straightening his lab coat to make himself appear marginally more presentable.
A soft beep informed him that the call had gone through, and the image of a large man with iron grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard of the same colour materialised on the screen. He was dressed in a clean grey uniform, though the dark circles under his pale blue eyes were testament to his well-concealed weariness.
"Professor Robotnik?" The figure on the screen asked in some surprise, "This is a little unexpected."
"General Moore," Professor Robotnik greeted him, inclining his head politely, "I apologise if I've disturbed you."
The general leaned back slightly, "Not at all, Professor. My job often means very long hours at the office. What can I do for you?"
Gerald took a deep breath, "I believe you have been keeping up to date with Commander Graves' reports, and some of the… concerned voices that have been raised in the scientific and civilian communities."
General Moore nodded, a troubled look in his eyes as well, "About Project Shadow? Yes, yes I have. I've been under considerable pressure to terminate the project – especially since there doesn't seem to have been much progress with the primary objective of the project so far."
Gerald just about managed to suppress a shudder at the cold, clinical term 'terminate', but ploughed on, "Yes, General, that is why I wished to contact you. I've already sent you the considerable amount of data we've gathered so far on the secondary aims of the project, but that aside, I believe that today we have finally made a breakthrough with its primary purpose." Despite his best efforts, it all came out in a slightly breathless rush.
General Moore's eyes came alight with interest, "You've succeeded in synthesising a cure for NIDS?"
Again, Gerald forced himself to take a deep, calming breath before he answered, trying to keep his rational, scientific calm, "It's too early to tell if it's a full cure, but the initial trials have been very positive, and there have been a bare minimum of side effects. If all goes well, we'll be ready to implement a full treatment program next week."
'Please, let it go well,' The Professor found himself praying to any deity that might be listening, 'Please – I want Maria to be able to see the sky, walk on the earth, swim in the sea without it being in danger of killing her.'
General Moore sat back in amazement, a stunned look in his eyes. Gerald remembered with a guilty surge that Moore had long ago lost a brother to the scourge of NIDS – which was the major reason he had been the loudest voice championing the project's cause.
The General took a deep breath, "If your data is accurate, Professor, then this is spectacular news. When will you be ready to send us the results?"
"In two days, if all goes well. Though I can send some preliminary data to you immediately, if you wish."
Moore nodded seriously, "Yes, please. I'll have my staff scientists analyse it right away."
Gerald nodded and slipped the data solid he had been clutching into the slot and watched as the transfer bar filled up the screen.
"Transfer complete, General," Gerald said.
General Moore smiled, "Data received. I'll look this over right away." He directed a small wink at the camera, "And don't worry, I'll keep the esteemed Commander Graves off your back. Moore out."
"Thank you." Gerald Robotnik said to the screen as the image winked out. He closed his eyes and crushed back the tears of relief under his eyelids. He spoke to the empty room again;
"Oh god, thank you."
Two pairs of feet slammed down against the metal plates of the corridor as two people - a human girl and a Mobian hedgehog - pelted down the corridor as fast as the girl's slender legs could propel her.
"Hurry, Maria!" Shadow cried, his firm grip on her wrist not slackening at all as he pulled her along.
"Slow down, Shadow!" She called, panting desperately for breath.
"We can't!" Shadow called back, "We have to get there now!"
"Shadow!" Maria cried, trying to laugh and gasp for breath at the same time, "The shuttle will wait for us, you know!"
Shadow glanced back and looked slightly abashed; slowing down enough that Maria could keep up and take a few deep breaths.
It only took a few more seconds until they arrived at the door they were aiming for - the entrance to the shuttle bay. Shadow skidded to a stop, Maria almost falling over him as she also stumbled to a halt. She leaned over, hands braced on her knees as she
panted in exhaustion.
Shadow stared at her, a mildly ashamed look on his face. The Professor had admonished him many times to treat Maria carefully, because despite her NIDS being gone, now, she was still fairly fragile and needed time to build up the strength and energy most children her age would have.
"Sorry, Maria," he apologised sincerely, "I just…"
She gave him a slightly wan smile, "It's ok, Shadow," she said between deep breaths, "I know you're excited. So am I."
Shadow smiled back, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. They were finally going down to Mobius! They would have a house and a garden and the sunshine and rain and… and Maria would be there, able to enjoy it all with him. The thought of it was almost enough to make his heart burst with joy.
Maria chuckled, "Relax, Shadow. The shuttle will wait for us."
He shifted restlessly, "I know, but…"
She straightened up and ruffled his chest-fur playfully, "All right, Mr. Impatient. Let's go."
The huge metal door slid slowly open, allowing them to step through into the vast expanse of the shuttle bay. A large shuttle sat in one of the docking cradles, its boxy form held in place by a complex series of clamps and magnets. The bay was a hive of activity, service personnel hurrying to load the shuttle with luggage and equipment before its scheduled departure time.
The passengers stood corralled into one area of the bay, neatly lined up next to the bright yellow light panels set in the floor. Gerald spotted the two and waved them over,
"Ah, there you both are." Gerald smiled benevolently, "I wondered where you had gotten off to."
"Maria had to say goodbye to everyone on the station," Shadow replied dryly. "Apparently in the end this also included the feral lab rats, the service robots and a couple of her coat hangers." Maria smacked him lightly on the arm.
"The people on this station have been good to me, I wanted to say goodbye and thank them. It's only polite."
"Now then, you two," Gerald chided them, "No arguing – not on such a momentous day."
The light panel next to their feet changed from yellow to green.
"Ah," Gerald smiled, picking up his briefcase, "Time for us to board."
Shadow and Maria looked at each other, a grin lighting both their faces. They linked hands, squeezing each other's fingers in excitement as they shuffled forward onto the compact space inside the shuttle.
All things considered, it didn't take long to board. The three of them ensconced themselves in the surprisingly comfortable seats, looking around with great interest. Gerald had done this particular trip many times, so he was ignoring their surroundings, and the safety briefing that was currently playing on the little vid-screens that popped out of the ceiling and was diligently typing something on his small laptop computer. Shadow looked around, noting the mix of civilian scientists and off-duty GUN personnel, the former looking considerably more agitated than the seemingly bored soldiers.
A strong vibration buzzed through the shuttle's hull accompanied by a shrill whining sound as the engines fired up. Maria's fingers gripped the armrests of her chair. Shadow smiled up at her and gently patted her arm.
The seatbelt light went on and the voice of the captain came over the speakers, advising them to prepare for take off.
Incredible pressure pushed them all strongly back into their seats as the shuttle rushed forward, sailing out of the shuttle bay and away from the space station, falling in a graceful arc towards the blue-green jewel of the planet below.
Shadow and Maria stared out of the windows in awe. Though they had seen the view of Mobius from above many times from their favourite spot inside the observation rooms, this seemed somehow different. Soon, the planet below them would be their home.
The journey was due to take several hours, so eventually even the magnificent view from the windows grew boring. Maria occupied herself by listening to some music on her headphones, her head bobbing slightly with the beat while Shadow read idly through a book. It was a very good one, its prelude detailing the events of a certain ancient tale about a couple about to be thrown out of paradise…
The black hedgehog was only in the second chapter when he was torn from the adventures of Crowley and Aziraphale by a sudden lurch of the shuttle to the side.
"What was that?" Maria asked, her eyes wide with concern, the cheerful music of her headphones no longer heard as they were now gripped in her hand.
"Turbulence?" A woman behind them asked nervously.
"There is no turbulence in space," Gerald said, his moustache bristling with the indignity of any physicist ever complaining about the zap! Peong! Whoosh! –laser sounds scientifically inaccurate movie producers for some reason insisted on putting into sci-fi space ship battles, even though there was no air to hear them in, dammit!
Unaware of Gerald's slight preoccupied state of mind at the moment, something outside caught Shadow's eye instead and he turned to look, "Professor," he said tightly, "there are other ships out there."
"What?" Gerald demanded, looking for himself. His eyes widened, "Those are GUN assault ships!" he gasped, all nonsense thoughts of earlier forgotten, "What does-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the ship lurched again, more violently this time, sending Shadow's book flying out of his hand to land on the floor, the open page narrating the story of the Apocalypse now.
"Everyone, buckle up, now!" Gerald shouted with enough authority in his voice that everyone rushed to comply. A shrill beeping sounded, coming from Gerald's briefcase. Muttering to himself, he dug out a small communicator and flipped it open.
"Professor Robotnik, are you there?" General Moore's urgent voice came crackling out of the speaker.
"Yes," Gerald replied, trying to keep calm, "General, what's going on?"
"Commander Graves has snapped. He's sent two assault ships after you, with orders to capture or terminate Project Shadow."
Maria and Shadow both gasped as Gerald quickly recovered his composure, "He can't do that!" Gerald cried, "There are civilians on this shuttle! What on Earth is he thinking of?"
"Surely they won't attack…" Maria breathed, wringing her hands, sending a sting into Gerald's heart as he realized once again how innocent his little girl still was, not knowing or believing what madness could drive a man to give orders to kill.
"Professor," the General went on, "He's told his men that Shadow is a danger to Planetary Security, my reports even suggest that Graves has told his people that Shadow is a subversive influence. I think he's going to try and write you all off as casualties of war – 'innocent victims unfortunately caught up in the necessary suppression of the threat'."
"No…" Maria gasped, her eyes tearing up as the horrible truth sunk in, the motor of the ship in its flight howling in the background, "He can't…"
Shadow gripped her hand gently, "I am not about to let that happen," he declared, breathing deeply while his small but sharp teeth were bared, "I'll turn myself over to him, if that's what it takes."
Maria's hand seized his in a rare grip of iron as she turned tear-filled eyes on Shadow, "No, oh no, Shadow. Don't…"
"Not an option, Shadow," the General said grimly, cutting their debate short. "I'm not about to let you step into the lion's mouth just because one of my people has lost his mind. I've given orders to the pilot of your shuttle, he's going to alter course and fly you on the more direct route down to our base at Ironopolis instead of the civilian shuttle port at Westopolis. We can send out some escorts from there to get you in safely. The pilot's a good man."
"What do we need to do?" Gerald asked tightly.
"Nothing," the General replied, "Just sit tight and hold on. We're GUN soldiers; it's our job to face dangerous situations in the protection of others, so that's exactly what we're doing." He sighed, "So all that's left to say is good luck. If all goes well, I'll see you on the ground."
"Thank you, General," Gerald said quietly.
"Welcome. Moore out."
The passengers on the shuttle all stared at each other, wide-eyed with fear. The shuttle lurched once again, and a bright flash of energy zipped past the windows on the right hand side. There was another flash and the shuttle suddenly spun crazily, the shining image of the planet whirling.
The intercom crackled to life, "HELP…!" there was a scream in the white noise that almost immediately turned into a violent cough, "…-age…hit..." the pilot gasped again, but his voice had become much fainter, and then there was only silence, shocked and sudden and final.
One of the off-duty GUN soldiers leapt to his feet in an instant and ran over to the heavy bulkhead door that stood between the passenger compartment and the cockpit. He took hold of the handle and tugged, but it refused to budge.
"Ngghh! I can't move it, it's stuck!" the soldier called, putting all his weight behind it to no avail.
Shadow untangled himself from his seatbelt and went over to join the soldier, "Let me try," he said quietly, taking hold of the handle and pulling, placing all of his considerable strength behind it, genetically engineered muscles straining with effort.
The handle slowly moved and there was a faint hiss of air as the seal parted, allowing them into the cockpit. They found a limp body; the pilot was still strapped to his chair, his hands still loosely gripping the controls, but his eyes were unfocussed and there was blood dripping slowly down his face from a wound on his forehead, the stinging smell of blood and burnt metal in the air. One of the consoles was smoking slightly, causing the GUN soldier to frown in concern, "Looks like this console blew and nailed him with some shrapnel," he said as Shadow quickly unstrapped the pilot, showing an instinct to help that would probably have surprised the GUN Commander trying to kill them at the moment. They had entered descent now and the shuttle was rocking under their feet, the atmosphere blazing away at their hull as if it was trying to repel these invaders.
"Can you fly this thing?" the black hedgehog asked urgently, tearing his gaze away from the inferno long enough to look up at the tall, dark-haired soldier.
"Sure," the human replied, but the tenseness never left his voice for a second. "But that's not the problem. Look here." He tapped the barely-functioning display of the damaged console. A wire-frame construct of the shuttle was currently shown; the front section was flashing a dangerous amber colour with the words 'Forward Heat Shields 20%', "The heat shields are busted. Anyone in here during re-entry is gonna fry." The soldier swallowed. "Nobody can take that kind of heat and live to talk about it."
Shadow's hands clenched into fists, "I can," he said.
The soldier stared at him incredulously, "Are you kidding me?"
Shadow shook his head. "No. I can survive the heat from re-entry." He wasn't actually certain of that, but at this stage he had very little to lose, "I can pilot the shuttle - if you can talk me through it."
"Are you sure about that?" A note of concern that Shadow was not used to hearing from anyone save for the Professor and Maria entered the soldier's voice, "I mean I heard stories about you on the station, but…"
"It's the only chance we have," Shadow said, settling himself into the pilot's seat and trying to get comfortable in the too-large chair, the planet below them now taking up nearly all of their view and coming closer, "Take the pilot into the passenger section and see if you can get him some medical attention," he said, hoping that if he only sounded like he knew he what he was doing, the rest would magically follow.
"Right," the soldier said, picking up the pilot and glancing back at Shadow with uncertainty and a tiny bit of hope in his eyes, "Good luck."
"Thank you," Shadow said, looking over the complex array of controls in front of him and the vast image of planet now completely Mobius filling the screen before him, looming large, and blue, and utterly terrifying at their incredible velocity. "God knows I'll need it," the hedgehog muttered under his breath, glad that nobody could see all of his tiny neck quills standing on end.
"Hey! I could use some help here!" The soldier had re-entered the passenger compartment, dragging the inert body of the unconscious pilot, the door slamming firmly shut behind him with a click that even in the din of pre-atmosphere re-entry that now had the ship in its grasp sounded utterly final.
Maria unbuckled her seatbelt and ran to go help, grabbing a first-aid kit from one of the storage lockers. Honestly, where were those Insta-Heal capsules of her Grandfather's when you needed them? Kneeling down next to the injured pilot, she looked at the GUN Soldier, "Where's Shadow?" she asked with a brief, worried glance at the sealed door.
The soldier gently laid the pilot down in Shadow's empty seat, "He's gonna fly us in," he said, trying to sound as confident as the hedgehog, but with marginally less success, apparently.
"WHAT?!" Gerald and Maria screamed in unison.
The soldier sighed, "The heat shields were hit. We're going in for re-entry soon – if it were a normal human or Sapient in there, they'd be chargrilled," he said, only realizing after that this probably hadn't been the most nerve-calming choice of words as the girl's eyes doubled their size.
"But, Shadow-!" Maria began to object.
"Shadow can probably survive that kind of heat," Gerald spoke up.
"Probably!?" Maria shrieked in terror.
"He was created to withstand it, Maria," Gerald said firmly, before looking around, "What's your name, sir?" the scientist asked of the tall soldier.
"Bennett," the soldier replied laconically, not flinching even as another attack blazed past their windows and illuminated the cabin sharply.
Gerald nodded, "Well, Mr Bennett, it seems that we will need to talk Shadow through a re-entry and maybe even a forced landing while being fired upon. Do you think you're up to the challenge?"
"Yes, sir." Bennett smiled slightly, "It's our only chance, after all. I hope your boy is up for it."
Gerald turned away for a moment, his eyes clouding at Bennett's words, "My boy…" he whispered.
The intercom came to life, then, "Professor?" Shadow's voice came uncertainly over the line, "I could use some help, here…" he said, the tone perfectly conveying the concern of someone sitting in a space shuttle cockpit for the first time and realizing not any of the buttons remotely looked like an Playstation controller. Another shudder of the ship almost sending them grabbing for support underlined the situation nicely.
Gerald straightened, wiping the traces of guilt and grief from his expression as he took hold of the intercom transmitter, "Yes, Shadow, we're here. Mr. Bennett is going to talk you through what to do, so listen to him carefully, all right?"
"All right, Professor," the hedgehog's voice crackled through, the worry not entirely gone but now joined by an even greater amount of determination to bring them all back safely.
Bennett took the intercom transmitter from Gerald and began to speak into it, "Ok, first, you need to check our speed and course. There should be an indicator on your right, just above the engine status display…"
Maria bent industriously over the injured pilot, carefully removing the tiny slivers of metal from the cut in his head and applying antiseptic and a bandage. All through, she kept listening to the conversation over the intercom. All around her were the worried murmurs of the other passengers, but she ignored them, focussing on her task and on the beacon of Shadow's voice.
The cabin was beginning to warm up considerably, now. The heat was stifling, even though she could hear the air coolers cycling at maximum. She looked up and saw her grandfather mop his aged, sweating face with his handkerchief.
"You're doing wonderfully, Shadow," Gerald reassured him, "Just…keep it up. Everything will be…fine."
The engines were thrumming, sending their vibrations through the deck beneath their feet, getting stronger and more violent as the ground got closer and closer. Unwanted images of movies Shadow had once wanted to watch shot though Maria's head and the blonde girl swore if the black hedgehog suggested anything with the title 'Final Destination', 'Fearless' or 'Cast Away' ever again, she'd put him back in the tank Gerald had created him in.
The heat was unbearable, now. It was all she could do not to pass out. She saw her Grandfather was slumped in his chair, his eyes barely open, the old man's shirt soaked with sweat and his breathing raspy and laboured. But she could still hear Bennett's voice slowly talking Shadow through the procedure for a forced landing, the hedgehog's replies ever more short of breath.
Gerald reached into his pocket, every movement seeming to take all his strength as he flipped open his hand-held communicator, "General Moore," he wheezed into the microphone.
"Professor Robotnik? What's your status?" Moore's voice came sharply out of the speaker.
"We're having… to make… a forced landing," Gerald gasped out, rubbing his soaking face with one hand and trembling fingers, "Estimate landing site at… five miles north-west outside Ironopolis. Request… recovery team on landing."
"Acknowledged, Professor. I'll send some people out there to pick you up. Is everyone all right?"
"Pilot... unconscious. No other injuries so far," Gerald mumbled, hoping it would stay that way. The two assault ships had given up pursuit as they entered the atmosphere but they were all still far from safe.
"The pilot's unconscious? Then who's flying that thing? Professor?"
The communicator fell from Gerald's slack grip as he passed out.
"Grandfather…" Maria cried softly. She tried to reach out for him, but the heat was too much. She felt the sensation of being violently shaken before she, too, succumbed to blackness, dark and hot and smothering everything she was.
It didn't feel like much later when Maria awoke. The air had cooled considerably, and daylight was streaming in through the windows of the resting shuttle.
"We made it…" she whispered, hardly daring to believe it, at first, "Grandfather!" She cried, shaking Gerald awake, "We made it!"
The passengers were all slowly starting to stir, the air filling with the low sounds of conversation as she unbuckled herself and walked over to the intercom transmitter, ignoring her pounding headache. Smiling, she took hold of it and pressed the button, "You did it, Shadow!" she said cheerfully into the device, "Everyone made it. You were amazing!" she congratulated her friend, her joy about soon being able to walk on their new planet to call home ringing in her words like a bell.
There was no answer.
Maria frowned and pressed down on the button more firmly, "Shadow, can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Shadow?" She said with growing alarm. She quickly checked the intercom. All the lights were on, and it seemed to be working fine. "Answer me!"
Silence.
"No…"
The sky was a deep, bright blue and the sun was shining through the wispy film of clouds, but there was an icy wind that swept across the tarmac, straight through any clothing to cut right down to the bone.
Maria drew her jacket closer to her body, looking up at her Grandfather as they walked slowly across the windswept Airfield. He was dressed in a sober grey suit and his thinning hair had been carefully combed. It looked odd to see him so formal and it looked especially strange to see him without his trademark white lab coat.
Her own dress had been specially bought for the occasion. It was a deep, deep blue – so dark as to be almost black, with subtle silver embroidery on it. It was a beautiful dress, undoubtedly.
GUN Soldiers dressed in their dress uniforms littered the airfield. Several of them escorted her and her Grandfather as they approached the dais that had been erected in the centre of the field. Their faces were grim and expressionless and she couldn't help but shy away from the guns they carried.
Quietly, they took their places on the front row of the block of folding chairs that had been placed in front of the dais. GUN personnel and quite a few of the passengers from that ill-fated shuttle trip were sat amongst the crowd.
General Moore, also dressed in his dress uniform that was decorated with so many medals and awards that it looked like a cluster of stars were pinned to his chest. He mounted the stairs onto the dais and took his place behind the podium. He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all gathered here to celebrate an act of unmitigated bravery. An act of depthless compassion towards one's fellow beings. An act designed to save lives even as the risk of one's own.
"It is a proud tradition among the Guardian Units of Nations to award such courage. Whether that person is one of our own or not, such strength of character cannot be ignored. So, therefore I call forward Shadow the Hedgehog!"
There was a smattering of polite applause as Shadow mounted the stairs. He looked deeply uncomfortable in front of the crowd, and slightly lost and odd-looking against the backdrop of deep blue skies, squinting in the bright sunlight, his red stripes almost iridescent in the midday sun.
"Shadow the Hedgehog, in recognition of your unhesitating courage and swift action in order to save lives, we of the Guardian Units of Nations hereby award you with the highest award for bravery in the service of others, the Iron Star of Valor."
Since Shadow didn't really wear much clothing apart from gloves and shoes, the medal had been mounted on a chain that the General carefully placed around Shadow's neck, managing to avoid the razor-sharp spines more by sheer luck than by skill. Of all Mobian races to chose from, it would figure that Robotnik had to go and look for the most ceremonially inconvenient. The General was just grateful that hedgehogs getting awarded medals for heroic deeds most certainly weren't a very regular occurrence…
Shadow nodded his acknowledgement and voiced a quiet, "Thank you."
There was more enthusiastic applause, with several of the shuttle passengers standing up to offer the Ultimate Life Form a standing ovation. Shadow stood there looking awkward and uncertain in the face of such unrestrained praise and only resisted the temptation to scuff his toes against the floor with difficulty. The paint on his shoes was brand new and Maria would kill him if he let it start to flake off like he had the last time…
The ceremony didn't last much longer, a fact for which Shadow was profoundly grateful. The crowd gradually broke up, and finally Shadow was allowed to descend the stairs to rejoin Maria and the Professor. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard General Moore's voice from behind him.
"Shadow, might I have a word?"
Shadow turned to regard the human General, "Of course," he replied politely.
Moore smiled, "I thought you might want to know that I've pulled a few strings for you."
"Oh?" Shadow asked cautiously.
"I've managed to get you a full citizenship and legal identity." Moore replied.
Shadow almost did a double take, his eyes widening. "What? Are… are you serious?"
Moore nodded, "Of course I am. It's the least we can do. You might also be interested to learn that Commander Graves has been arrested and is currently awaiting a Court Martial."
"Oh." Shadow considered this, "Good," he said finally.
Moore's carefully smile expanded into a grin, "I know that you'll need time to settle in, but later on, if you need a job you will always have a place here at GUN."
Shadow frowned, not sure exactly what he thought about that.
Moore continued, "I understand Captain Bennett is interested in taking you under his wing, as it were. He seems fairly impressed by you. He has a son about your age."
Shadow raised an eye ridge, "Eighteen Months?" Shadow asked dryly.
Moore laughed wryly, "My apologies, I keep forgetting about that since you seem so mature. His son is about nineteen and already in the Academy, I believe."
Shadow nodded thoughtfully, "I'll… consider it. Thank you, General Moore."
Moore stretched out his hand for a warm handshake, "You're welcome, Shadow. And good luck."
And with that, Shadow turned and joined Maria and Gerald standing in the brilliant sunshine so they could head finally head home.
The house on the outskirts of Station Square was probably the most beautiful place Shadow had ever seen.
To be fair, it wasn't all that big, just a small three-bedroom house with a slightly wild and untamed garden at the back and a tiny patch of lawn at the front. A large red-painted door stood silently beckoning for them to enter.
"Oh, Shadow, isn't it beautiful?" Maria gushed as she saw it, her arms wrapped around herself in delight.
"Yes," Shadow agreed quietly. He had never had a proper home before, his own space just a laboratory where anyone could walk in and stare at him. It was that, more than any citizenship papers which made him feel like a real person.
Gerald chuckled, "Why don't you head on in and pick a room, Maria?" he suggested, handing her the keys. With a squeal of delight, his granddaughter rushed right in.
Shadow turned to help Gerald pick up the rest of their luggage. As he did so, he felt Gerald's warm hand squeeze his shoulder gently. The black hedgehog looked up and saw Gerald's eyes, filled with pride and warmth smiling down at him, the old man's face suddenly looking ten years younger.
"I'm very, very proud of you, Shadow," he said quietly.
Shadow smiled, a rare, warm, genuine and unashamed smile, "Thank you, Professor," he said, his heart feeling like it was glowing at the praise, his insides curiously even warmer than they had been during re-entry. He turned to enter the house – his new home - carrying the luggage and his new life.
"Oh, and Shadow?"
"Yes, Professor?"
"Call me Grandfather."
The End