It has almost been a decade but I was able to retain all the memories of my past. Many years have passed since the incident which took Maria away from me; I thought I lost her forever. With the help of my companions, I finally found all the Chaos Emeralds in order to bring her back. Silver once told me that a miracle can be granted after you find all seven. With the assistance of Sonic and Silver, I was able to go into Super Transformation to form a very powerful Chaos Control which allows me to have the power to manipulate time and space.
I went back in time to save Maria Robotnik.
-Many years ago on Space Colony Ark-
My eyes began to flutter open. I realized I was alone.
"Where am I? Where are Sonic, Silver, and the others?" I sat up and placed a hand on my throbbing head, dazed. I had a sudden rush as my senses were coming back to me. I was gaining back stability and then I blinked; I was on Space Colony Ark.
"It worked!" I gasped. I looked around at the familiar surroundings and recognized it instantly; it was the room that Maria and I shared. I happened to be on our bed when I awoke.
'Everyone... thank you.' I lowered my head down in recollection of my friends, a smile forming on my face.
"Oh no! Maria!" I was suddenly shaken back into reality. I jumped off the bed and ran into the dark corridors. I used the jets on my shoes to accelerate; every second was crucial.
"I don't know how far back in time Chaos Control sent me" I said under my breath, frustrated. I tried to remember all the places where Maria might have been, then it clicked.
"Of course!" I exclaimed and made my way to the location, 'our' spot on the Ark. I hovered at high speeds through the lightly dimmed corridors as everything passed by in a blur.
"Come on… Come on… I hope I'm not too late." Suddenly light began to appear, a soft glow flowing into my eyes. I decelerated and started to run instead for I began to see a figure sitting on the floor from a distance.
'Could that be…?' I ran hard with false hope weighing me down. I came to an abrupt stop as if my body was forced into a stun.
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up" said Maria, smiling. She was so beautiful. The soft light that came from the window illuminated her perfectly. My heart was pounding so fast as if it was going to leap out of my chest. My eyes began to water at the thought that this might have just been an illusion, a dream. I ran to her, erasing the gap between us; it felt like an eternity.
"Maria!" I cried out and embraced her. My tears started to overflow and run down my cheeks as her warmth filled me with so much emotion, it was overwhelming. She was real and she was with me.
"Shadow, what's wrong?" she asked, frightened by my sudden actions. "Are you hurt?" I looked up to her and glanced into her glistening, sky blue eyes that were filled with worry. I calmed myself until I was able to find my voice again.
"No… It's just that… I'm really happy to be with you." Her worried expression faded away into the look that always made my heart flutter. She wiped away my tears with soft, gentle fingers.
"You're always with me" she said with a smile as her finger lightly tapped the tip of my nose. "And you always will be. Let's watch Earth together." I smiled back and sat beside her. She placed her hand in mine and I held on, never wanting to let go.
I knew she would have been here. We came here every day to look upon Earth and to discuss about going there together. We made a promise to explore it and to experience the life that Maria deserved. She was held on the Ark ever since she was diagnosed with a sickness known as Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Earth might have harmed her if she had stayed there and it had no cure at that time. Maria once told me that I was created to give everyone a chance to be happy so I made it my ambition to find a cure for her.
"I really missed this. I feel as though we haven't done this for a very long time..." I said, breaking the tranquility around us.
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked, surprised and bewildered. "We do this every day. Are you sure you're okay? You did sleep for a long time. Maybe you had a bad dream."
"I guess I did have a bad dream. I'm just glad I'm finally awake... and to be here with you."
"Silly Shadow" she said with a giggle, ending in a bubbly laugh. It was wonderful to hear the melody in her soft laughter. It was like a song I wanted to set on repeat just so I can hear it over and over again. We continued to watch Earth peacefully.
Then it began…
The alarms were suddenly initiated, startling both Maria and I for a moment. My memories began to find their way back to me as I stayed focused; this was it.
"What's happening?" Maria asked frantically. I stood up, trying to remember how to retrace the steps as she tightly grasped my hand with both of hers. I saw the same fear and panic in her eyes just like on that day, the day this event first occurred years ago.
"Don't worry" I began, hoping to calm her. Courage replaced her fear and her expression seemed to say 'everything's going to be alright'. I pulled her towards the direction I knew was the safest, the path that lead to the escape pods. "Let's go this way."
I realized what I was getting us into. I knew the room where the escape pods were held was the room in which Maria's life was taken. However, I remembered enough to reverse the effects from that time; we were going to make it together.
We kept running and running. We began to hear loud voices and heavy footsteps trailing behind us. There seemed to be dozens of them and I knew we had to get further ahead. I looked back at Maria who was following close behind me, our hands forming a chain that could not be broken.
"Trust me, Maria" I said, my tone serious.
She nodded quickly, "I always do."
I swept Maria off her feet, catching her slightly by surprise. "Hold on tight." I used the jets on my shoes to propel forward, trying to distance the commotion behind us. This way we had a better chance of handling the situation in time.
I hovered as fast as my legs could take us and our pursuers could no longer be heard. Maria buried her face into the side of mine and I felt her grip tighten around me; I knew she was scared. I nuzzled her softly and her grasp loosened, making me feel a bit at ease.
"We're almost there" I huffed as both Maria and I looked straight ahead. A room began to appear, a glow beaming out of it as we entered.
I placed Maria onto her feet. "We seemed to have out run them for now, but we must hurry." This time I had a chance to examine the room and I scanned it quickly. There were many escape pods; each side by side forming a half circle altogether. Maria and I quickly ran to one and I pushed a button, opening it.
"Maria, you have to stay in here." I tried to lead her in but she refused.
"No!" she yelled and shook her head. "I won't unless you do as well. We have to leave together. We promised!"
"I have to stop them or they'll try to follow us. Stay in here at least to be safe. Now, go in quickly!"
"I won't!" She fought back my words with determination. "If you're in here with me, at least I know we'll be safe together. I don't want you to be left behind if we had no other choice." Then it hit me; the image that has been burned into my memory for years. Maria tricked and pushed me into an escape pod, encasing me within it. She knew I wouldn't have cooperated; I wouldn't have left without her. She stood her ground against the guards for they were after me. She thought of how to save me without even thinking about protecting herself. In the end, she risked her life for mine... and now I was doing the same.
"Maria… please…" My voice was caught in my throat as I fought back the painful thought of loosing her again. I grasped roughly onto both her arms and forced her to be serious with me. Looking deep into her eyes, I was able to see the same hurt and shock that I had experienced. She didn't want to loose me either.
"I… I…" By trying to force the words out, brought hot tears to my burning eyes. "I CAN'T LOOSE YOU AGAIN!"
Before either of us could say anymore, the enemy had made their way to us, armed and ready to attack. I faced them and was on guard, with Maria behind me. I prepared myself for any out cost; I had to protect Maria with my life.
"Stay where you are!" one of them shouted out commandingly. "We are soldiers of the G.U.N. You are here by ordered to come with us: Project Shadow. You are interrogated as a threat to mankind. If you refuse, we have permission to open fire. However, if you decide to fight back, we will terminate you. Now, come quietly!"
I snarled, showing my fangs. "Maria, get into the escape pod now. This is going to get dangerous."
She fell to her knees and hugged me from behind. My eyes widened as I glanced back at her. She had the saddest expression I have ever witnessed and it crushed my heart completely.
"Shadow… please don't leave me alone… I need you by my side… If that can't be… then I will never leave yours" she stammered through tears, pushing herself further into my fur. Her words struck me as if I had been pierced with an arrow. There was nothing more I could do to convince her.
"Maria… keep a good distance behind me." She slowly released her grasp around me. I wiped away her tears before she stood back up.
"Okay, I'll do my best" she said boldly with a nod. I went back into position, preparing myself. I must protect her under any circumstances.
"Well? Will you surrender or not?" asked one of the soldiers, impatiently. "Dr. Gerald Robotnik and his subordinates have already been arrested. We ask of his grand-daughter to come along as well."
"Don't you dare lay a finger on Maria! Your opponent is me!" I shouted and charged forward, surprising them all. I gave it everything I had.
"Chaos Spears!" I released yellow beams of energy from my hands and shot them forward; causing them to drop their every weapon while a second shot destroyed it. I dodged their attacks effortlessly while keeping a close eye on Maria, making sure none of them made their way to her. Finally, I was able to overpower the soldiers and they fell unconsciously onto the floor after I struck them.
When everything was finally calm, Maria ran towards me. "Shadow!" she rejoiced, jumping into my arms. We were consumed in our moment until a scuffle was heard. A weakened soldier was able to reach for a pistol close by that I had forgotten to destroy; a shot was fired at me.
"NO!" Maria shouted and shoved us both to the side. My head hit the floor hard and I was knocked out temporarily. A few moments later, I regained consciousness and I realized Maria was lying on top of me protectively...
"I'm glad… you're okay Shadow" she said quietly. Then she winced in pain.
"Maria!" I lifted myself into a sitting position and placed Maria gently on her side, between my legs. I examined her and gasped in horror; she had been shot in the leg. She was already loosing an enormous amount of blood as it flowed on and on, forming a crimson red puddle around her injury. She was turning pale and her breathing had shortened into huffs. Her body was slowly turning cold as sweat formed on her forehead from an effort to hold on to life.
"Maria… no… you're hurt… I failed… to protect you…" I stammered. Tears came to my eyes instantly and trickled onto her face. "Maria…"
"Don't cry Shadow… It hurts the most to see you sad" she said in a weak tone. She slowly raised her hand to my face. It started to slip away but I grabbed it quickly and held it close to my cheek. It was so cold yet smooth like ice.
"I'll be okay" she said wearily, revealing her beautiful smile. "I have to be with you." Her body started to go limp but I shook it awake.
"No… hold on Maria. Yes, you will be okay. I'll make sure of that." I had to suppress the bleeding. I tore off a long piece of cloth from Maria's blue jacket and wrapped it around her leg. I picked her up slowly and gently placed her into an escape pod. After I closed it, I placed my hand against the glass and stared at her; she was slowly leaving me. She smiled at me one more time before closing her eyes.
"You… bastards…" I felt fury awakening in my body, my blood beginning to boil. I made my way back to the group of emotionless soldiers. The one that had shot Maria stood out of the pack and I noticed he was slowly breathing. My fur began to stand as I clenched my fists and bared my fangs, growling. I felt an enormous energy forming inside and around me as a red aura began to surround my entire body. This was the last shot I needed to take to send them all away, never to return.
"Chaos… BLAST!" I roared, enraged. I released a powerful shock wave that shoots out at a 360 degree angle, making it almost impossible to dodge. It went throughout the entire Ark at an incredible speed, diminishing every life form in its path. However, I made sure Maria was unharmed.
In order to release Chaos Blast, I needed to use a large amount of energy and focus hard on my emotions. Otherwise, it could get out of control, making me unbelievable lethal. My mind started to go blank as I felt very light-headed and weak. I stumbled to my knees and breathed heavily. I glanced back to the group of soldiers; they had all vanished. "Good ridden" I said angrily, my tone low.
I slowly made my way towards her. I still felt like my energy had been drained but I had to see her. I finally reached her and leaned onto the glass, peering inside; she seemed to be asleep. The cloth around her leg was soaked with so much blood that it began to drip onto the floor.
"Maria…!" I opened the escape pod and fell onto my knees beside her. I brushed away the silky, golden-yellow strands of hair that were covering her angelic face. "Maria, they're gone. They will never harm us again" I said happily. There was no response... not even a gesture.
"Maria?" I whispered, my mouth going dry. There was still no sign. "No…" I carefully took her out of the capsule and placed her onto the floor. I leaned her head against my shoulder and cradled her in my arms. I shook her gently. "Maria…? I'm here… Come on… Maria…!" I took her hand and brought it up to my face, placing it against my lips; it was so cold. I looked at her closely and noticed her skin was now a pale bluish-purple. There was no longer a hint of her lively, soft peach hue...
I slowly placed her hand against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. I looked down at her again; she was so innocent and beautiful. "Even after all this time, I was finally able to see you. I was granted with a wish to save your life… a second chance for us to go to Earth together …but I failed… again… Maria… I…" I couldn't continue on. All that was left was sorrow as it flowed through my eyes and into my tears. I pulled Maria close, bringing my head to hers as my tears damped her face. "Maria…"
"Shadow, don't cry. It's going to be alright." It was Maria's voice. My head shot back and I peered at her once more.
"Maria?" I shook her gently but there was no sign of life. "Maria…!"
"Shadow, don't cry. It's going to be alright" Maria repeated but she didn't speak. I could hear her voice deep down in my subconscious; she was still alive in my memory.
"Maria…" At that moment, something fell from behind me and slid to my side. It had a brilliant, emerald green shine and caused me to glance at it, mesmerized.
"What's this?" I questioned. I picked it up hesitantly. I stared at it more as it captivated me. "This is so familiar…" I said, ending with a gasp.
-Flashback-
"Hey Shadow!" Knuckles called to me. "Before you go, I want you to have this." He placed a small, emerald green gem in my palm. "It's a piece of the Master Emerald. If anything uncertain were to happen, you could use this to correct it. However, you only get one chance so use it wisely. The Master Emerald holds the most power of all so even this small piece should do wonders. Be careful though."
I glanced at the gem before enclosing it within my hand. "I will. Thank you."
"The Master Emerald…" I whispered. I brought it over to Maria, placing it on her heart. "I wish to save this girl for she is more precious than my own life. I wish to see her by my side always. I wish… to bring her back to me… Chaos Control." The mysterious powers of the emerald flowed through my body, engulfing me in a sea of light. It warmed my soul as I prayed. "Maria…"
I slowly opened my eyes and saw Maria lying in front of me. "Did it work? Where did it go?" I scanned around me quickly but the piece of the Master Emerald was no longer in sight. "Maria!" I noticed that her injured leg was healed and hope overwhelmed me. I knelt beside her and brought her hand to my cheek. The warmth from her hand started to slowly travel through me, but there was still no hint of life. "Maria…" A tear welled up in my eye and fell onto her face.
"Shadow…don't cry…" she whispered. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her glistening, sky blue eyes.
"Everything's alright" she said, smiling her beautiful smile.
THE END