The winter was middle aged and the sleet gray sky was quiet. It was like the Earth was getting ready to cry, and then let itself all go in a big ball of pain. Footsteps crunched the sticky snow which would never become a snowman or a snowball. The footsteps continued to crunch the sticky, crystal like snow. The person who made these footsteps and prints was a black male hedgehog with red streaks and eyes. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care, he just wanted his time to be up. Heh, easier said than done; he was ageless and immortal, so he couldn't die. And any hurt that would come to him would heal instantly. He missed her, and longed for her… "Maria," he spoke, smoky breath escaping his lips.

Shadow the Hedgehog missed his dear friend, Maria, and he would never see her again. He had always kept his promise to her to protect all life on Earth instead of destroying it, but he still felt angst and hate for what they had done to his life. 'Why? Why did this have to happen to me? Why am I always forced to feel such hurt?' the ebony male thought, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

There were footsteps behind him…

He turned abruptly to face whoever was making the other footsteps. However, he saw nothing but the darkness of the woods behind him. He sighed and continued to walk.

The sleet gray sky slowly turned more grumpy and restless; just like Shadow… He wanted her back! Suddenly, he felt a big gust of wind blow through him. Yes, it went through him. Strange… somehow, this gust felt familiar… Dear even. He looked down at his scarf and felt drawn to it, like a bug to a zapper. He took the red bundles of cloth up in his hands, brought them nearer to his face, and smelled them. 'Maria?' he wondered. The smell of his scarf was different… It smelled like… Maria! Shadow let go of the scarf and let it fall back to its original position. 'It felt like… she went through my soul…' he thought in wonder. He then noticed something odd: The snowflakes were frozen! They weren't moving at all, they were frozen in time. They glimmered and shined like little stars against every other detail in the forest. It was like time had stopped, but Shadow could still move. "What's happening?" he wondered, backing up a step.

"Don't go..."

Shadow jumped slightly and moved left and right. He had heard a voice! "Who's there?" he asked swiftly, readying himself. There was no response, only the wind. Starting to think he was hearing things, Shadow started to leave.

"Please don't go!"

Shadow halted again. This time, he was sure he heard something. "This is not amusing, whoever you are!" he shouted through the forest. This time, there came an answer… but unlike any he had ever expected.

The frozen snowflakes all seemed to blow in one direction: In front of Shadow. They all started to illuminate and form something. Shadow covered his eyes from the blinding light, unaware of what was happening and why. A bright flash filled the background and covered the rest of the woods in a shining blanket. The light also felt warm and tender, which made Shadow feel the same way. He sighed out blissfully as the light took him over…

Brightness… That's all he could see and feel. His eyelids felt heavy, stoned, and… well, an indescribable feeling. Foreign, even…

"It's been a while, my friend…"

Shadow knew this voice! No, that's impossible, she's dead. He was finally able to lift his eyelids to see his new environment. It was just a big, white, empty space. Despite being an empty environment, he felt something filling up his empty heart space. Like air, but better! He looked around for a sign of life, but didn't see one. Then he felt another breeze! It had the same feel as the one that gave him the smell of Maria. He smelled his scarf again, and sure enough he got her scent.

"I've missed you…"

'There's the voice again…' Shadow thought, looking around. Then, he saw someone in front of him: Maria! He gasped as his ruby red eyes shrunk in disbelief. "M-Maria?!" he gasped. It was her, but she seemed… different. He could only see her upper body, and she was enormous! She also seemed to be… see-through. Like a ghost… "Yes, it's me, my dear friend." she whispered, looking down at him with her soft blue eyes.

Shadow felt something tug him forwards to her, so, he went with it; not like he had a choice. He continued to stare up at his blonde friend, she stared back. "Shadow," she said, leaning forward. Shadow gulped in fear of what she had to say. "Y-Yes?" was all the ebony hedgehog could manage. Maria breathed in and breathed out. "I know that you miss me, and you're grieving about it." she said, "But you have to let it go… You'll always have me in your heart, and I'll always have you in my heart too. There comes a time when we all have to move on and forget what happened in the past that makes us miserable." Shadow was about to reply, but got stuck on his words. Why did he find it so hard to move on? "But… I feel so alone…" he whispered, his voice starting to break off. Maria closed her eyes in understanding. "You're not alone…" she whispered. Shadow brought his head up in confusion. Maria waved her hand in front of her and in a flash, an image appeared. Shadow looked at the image; it was Sonic and his friends. They were laughing and playing and joking. "You have friends," Maria explained.

Shadow was mesmerized by the images of the happy friends, but soon turned away. "They're not my friends…" he said, crossing his arms. Maria gave him a loving glare. "Why not?" she asked him. Shadow jolted slightly and sighed. He had never admitted to anyone else why he never considered them his friends. But now was the time to confess. "Because, they're all so happy," he explained, "and they've all had good lives. I haven't. My life has been miserable ever since you died. I know you want me to move on, but I won't ever. I'll alway miss you, and not a day goes by that I don't think of you…" Maria sighed then smiled. "You're still that innocent hedgehog that I knew 50 years ago…" she added in the sigh. Shadow blushed at this comment.

"Well, I don't have much time left, Shadow." Maria said. Shadow heard this and turned around swiftly. He didn't want his friend to go! "Wait!" he called out. "Promise me something, Shadow." Maria pleaded. Shadow sighed and started to cry. "What?" he asked. "Promise me that you'll try to change and make friends." she said. Shadow gasped and continued to cry. As the tears continued to drip like giant raindrops from his eyes, he started to feel different. It was like he wanted friends again. He needed them… "I-I promise, M-Maria…" he stuttered, wiping his tears away. Maria smiled softly.

Hush little baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird

She sang to him, making him feel a little better. She then leaned down and kissed ebony on his forehead before fading away…

When he opened his eyes, he was back at home. He looked around and smiled. 'That's right…' he thought, sitting down in his lounge chair. 'I made a promise, and I keep my promises.'