Shadow the Hedgehog:

Compilation

Hey you guys, It's me Selrahc! If you've seen my avatar, then you probably know who it is: Shadow the Hedgehog from the Sonic games. Well, when I was 13, I became a fan due to his dark mood, ambiguous goals, and the fact that he's misunderstood at times (in other words, it fit my profile at the time). Well, despite that some of it has subsided in place for Lelouch Lamperouge (Zero), I thought it would be cool to make a compilation of a few stories based on him. So, here's a compilation of stories I've come up with in my head.

Be warned that I'm putting this in the teens rating because there will be swearing in later stories (plus some possible romance that may actually belong in the M rating). Also, be aware that most of these stories will not connect so don't complain they make no sense because they're not meant to connect to each other; it's a pile of Shadow the Hedgehog stories. The only stories that will connect will be the ones that I explicitly said they connect (though that doesn't mean I don't make mistakes, if that's the case, please put that in your review or pm me).

The first one's called Maria, the girl whom Shadow swore to protect and so on. I've read some fanfics hinting a possible romance between the two. While they were lively and entertaining, I disagree and still maintain that Shadow and Maria's relationship was more of a big brother/sister relationship (Shadow being the 'big brother' and Maria being the 'little sister'). So here it is: Maria.

Maria

It's been about 10 years since I've defeated Black Doom. That demon almost used me as a puppet, heh. But as I said before: I go at my own terms and no one tells me what to do; not especially after I lost…Maria. She was the only friend I've had; she was probably the only person who had ever shown me kindness and compassion.

Looking at her picture makes me think, makes me feel, makes me want to go back and find the happier days; the days where I was with her, to protect her, to make sure she was all right…

"Shadow, let's play tag!"

"Maria, you know we're not supposed to leave this room. Doctor Robotnik said so himself."

"Ah come on, Shadow! I'll tell grandfather that it was my idea if he finds out."

"Maria-"

"Come on, Shadow! Tag, you're it!"

Wha-, wait! Maria!"

Maria took off into the halls of Space Colony ARK. Shadow ran after her, making sure he looked back to make sure that Robotnik or one of his assistants did not check up on them. As he chased her across the seeming endless grey walls, Shadow looked to his right. It was none other than Earth, the planet that Maria always talked about. It was where she was born, where she had a chance to see the wild beauty of Mother Nature, where she as able to travel the beautiful cities that the humans have built. He stared at it for a while with his red eyes, wondering when, if he would get to share the same pleasure of going to Maria's home world with her…

"Shadow, you're not chasing me!"

"Uh, what?"
"Shadow, what's wrong?"

"Maria, are all humans nice, just like you?"

"Well, some people do horrible things and make us sad. But that's only a small part of the people in the world."

"I see. And the blue parts of the Earth, the ocean. Is it beautiful down there as it is up here?"

"It is, Shadow."

"Hm…."

"Shadow?"

"It's nothing, I'm sorry I worried you Maria."

"Oh Shadow, I just wish I could go back to Earth and see my mommy and daddy."

"Maybe you will, someday."
"And when I do, will you come with me? To see mommy and daddy?"
:Yes, Maria, I will."

As I look at Earth from here, I remember all the times she had told me about Earth. She had told me thousands of stories about the people she met, all the beautiful creatures she had seen. I remember one of those times as if it was yesterday…

Shadow and Maria looked out of the windows of Space Colony ARK, their subject was Earth once more.

"Maria, you said there were other creatures. Can you tell me about them?"

"Well, there's hundreds of them. There's this cat that has spots all over its beautiful yellow coat."

"Really?"
"Yeah. There's also this small, but beautiful bird. It's white and it sometimes carries an olive branch."

"I see. What's it called?"

"It's called a dove. It's a bird that means peace."

"Hm, tell me, have you seen animals that might be just as big as Space Colony ARK?"

*giggles* "Oh Shadow, you're so funny. I think there might be one. It's grey and its big, tall, and heavy. It has a trunk-"

"What is a trunk?"

Maria placed her arm on her nose and made a perfect imitation of an elephant's call while moving her arm like an elephant's trunk.

*laughs* "So what is it called?"

"It's called an elephant Shadow."

"Elephant. Hm, I would like to test how strong it is."

"Shadow…"

She looked at him with those sad blue eyes. His thoughts backed off.

"I'm sorry Maria."

"That's okay. I just wish grandfather would stop making you do all those bad things."

"What things?"

"Making you destroy things with your fists and forcing you to use your powers even when you looked like you were about to collapse."

"Maria, it's fine. Doctor Robotnik said they're just tests. He said I won't have to do what I did on those tests."

"Shadow?"

"Yes, Maria?"

Maria just stared at him with those majestic ocean blue eyes. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Tag, you're it!"

"Wha-, Maria!"

Looking back now, heh, those were the times. I remember this one particular time, something that even I am kind of embarrassed to remember…

Shadow walked into Maria's room to check up on her.

"Maria?" Shadow asked. He said her name again, but still no answer.

"Maria!" Shadow yelled, worried that she must've gone off on her own again. He checked her room for her before finding an unmarked door. He opened the door and…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a girl screamed. It was Maria, in a bathtub. She was completely submerged in the water save her head, covered by bubbles as a result of her adding some bubble bath mixture to the water. The room smelled of an intriguing fragrance of strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple.

"Maria!" Shadow yelled, blushing heavily as he turned away and began to walk for the exit.

"Shadow wait!" Maria yelled. Shadow stood, but never turned his head back to Maria.

"Maria, you'r-, I better go" Shadow concluded as he walked out the door…

"Shadow, it's okay. You don't need to look at me; just stay with me" Maria suggested.

Shadow stood there for a few minutes, embarrassed of what he was done. Professor Robotnik told him of how humans take baths and how he was never to look at a person taking a bath, or a shower, the Professor added. What will happen to him now that he did? He knew it was an accident, but…

"Shadow, I promise I won't tell grandfather" Maria added, which calmed Shadow down. He stayed, keeping his back to Maria out of respect for her privacy.

"Shadow, do you take baths?" Maria asked, curious of how her friend stayed clean yet he never mentioned taking a bath. Shadow silently declined to answer, even though he too took 'baths'. Maria accepted his silence as his answer however, and continued with her bath.

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" Shadow asked, back still shown to Maria.

"Yeah, just stay here until I get out of the bath" Maria answered, smiling at her friend.

"Very well" Shadow conceded. "Just until you're done. Once you're done, I leave because I'm not supposed to see you-"

"Naked, I know" Maria softly giggled. "Grandfather is so protective for me."

Shadow didn't answer, he just stayed until she finished her bath, then he left her bathroom. He knew to stay by her door, since she was going to go out of her room to accompany him to get something to eat.

Maria finally came out, wearing a blue blouse and a white, frilly skirt.

"Come on Shadow, let's get something to eat" she said, smiling.

"I would like that" Shadow answered, giving a genuine smile to her.

They both left, hand in hand…

Those were the days, before the incident…

"Hurry Maria!"

"Shadow, what's going on?"

"The Earth soldiers, they're killing everyone! They have professor Robotnik in custody!"

"Grandfather? No, no, that's not fair!"

"I think they're after me, Maria!"

"You? But, that means-, follow me, Shadow!"
"Maria! Wha-?"

Shadow and Maria ran as fast as they could as a squad of soldiers armed with assault rifles gave chase. They managed to get inside the emergency escape room, which was empty, save for an escape pod.

"Shadow, get in there!"

"Maria, what are you doing?"

"Get in!" she screamed, terrified as she closed the escape pod.

BOOM! An explosion rang out and the door fell right next to the escape pod, soldiers came in and pointed their guns at Maria and Shadow.

"Give us the hedgehog girl" one of the soldier growled.

"Leave him alone! He didn't do anything wrong!" Maria protested, her body being the only thing shielding the escape pod from the soldiers' gun.

"Get out of the way, now!" the same soldier ordered.

"No!" Maria defiantly yelled.

"Maria, just do-"

The soldiers had enough. They tried to push Maria aside, but she managed to hang on to the pod. One of the soldiers had an itchy trigger-finger…

"MARIA!"

Maria fell with a loud thud, as if she was dropped like deadweight. But she could still move, somehow, with her last reserve of strength.

"Shadow, promise me. You will give people a chance to make people…happy…"

"MARIA!!!!!!!!" That was all he could say before the escape pod ejected and hurtled towards Earth…

"Shadow!" A sultry, feminine voice called out through a communications link inside the station.

Shadow woke up from his nightmare. Damn memories, he cursed in his mind before getting up and pressing the button next to a panel of various buttons and switches.

"What is it, Rouge?"

"It's Eggman, he's gone at it again! Sonic needs our help!"

"Fine, I'll be there right away" he said reluctantly.

As Shadow grabbed a Chaos Emerald, his angry, red eyes looked at Maria's picture once more. The picture was of her with Shadow. Doctor Robotnik kept it in one of his files on the Space Colony ARK. He managed to get the frame from Earth and he uploaded the picture onto a digital camera before he managed to get the picture for the frame he got. It was the only instance where he had seen himself happy, a rare, genuine smile on his face. It was the only time where it came naturally, no forced smiles, it was as if somehow he too was like Sonic: curious, carefree, protective…

A tear ran across his cheek, but Shadow didn't seem to notice it.

"Chaos Control!" he yelled as the red Chaos Emerald glowed with an intense light. Shadow and the Emerald teleported right out of the space station, leaving no trace.

I'll never forgive what G.U.N. did to Maria. No matter how many times they say they're sorry or that they forgive me, that doesn't change the fact that those humans are evil. And one day, I'll destroy them, I swear! But Maria's promise comes first; I'll protect the humans until the very day when time swallows me and…

One day, we'll be together again. That is my promise to you, Maria…

Well, I hope you guys liked it! That bathroom scene was a controversial decision, but I figured if I can try to make it as innocent as possible (plus censor it to the best of my ability), it shouldn't be a problem. The soldiers giving chase in the ARK scene was a typical, nevertheless, important scene. I wanted to Shadow's transformation from an innocent, protective creature to one of darkness, vengeance, and hatred. He still has retained some of his humanity, however, and has since protected Earth time and time again with Sonic and friends. Of course, those who played the games or watched the anime know that the closest friend to him is Rouge the Bat (and not just because she seems similar to Shadow). However, the bond between him and Maria is something that can't be broken, period. So even if he loses Rouge somehow, he would still have the memory of Maria in his head.

Just a little disclaimer: the story was not to suggest a possible romance between Shadow and Maria. Because I don't believe in coincidences, the most logical explanation I can come up with is that this story was supposed to convey Shadow's memories, even the somewhat awkward and embarrassing moments. Therefore, any hinting of anything other than friends was purely by accident that I have foreseen, but cannot prevent.

One more note: If that last scene didn't make you cry, I'm not sure if you're human.

Thanks and continue to R&R!