Maria's Fate
Living on the Space Colony ARK was all she knew. She never could actually remember living on Earth with the sky above her head and the grass beneath her feet. This was all because of NIDS.
Poor Maria Robotnik was a young innocent girl with a healthy life to look forward to. But when she was diagnosed with NIDS—Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome—which put her life on the line, she had to be taken away from her parents and to the Space Colony ARK, which orbited the Earth alongside the Moon.
Her grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, was desperately trying to find a cure to his granddaughter's disease, but to no avail. He just couldn't find the right formula to make to save Maria from a slow death. As Maria waited for a miracle, she would gaze out of the big window of the ARK at the Earth spinning below and feel a sense of longing to go back there. But she knew she was stuck there on the ARK until a cure was made for her and she was well.
NIDS was an incurable and inevitably fatal disease that wore away at Maria's very nervous system. However, with the right medicine that only Professor Gerald could make, she would hopefully be saved. Frail and weak as she was, she would have to endure.
A week after she turned ten, her grandfather came to her bedroom to wake her up. He told her he had a surprise for her. She leapt out of bed joyfully and ran with him to his lab. The present she wanted most was a cure for her condition. Professor Gerald led her to a stasis tube in the middle of the room. Taking her hand, they peered through the glass together. It was foggy, but Maria could see something inside, lying utterly motionless and unconscious in the large stasis tube. The blond-headed girl tipped her head to one side in confusion.
"What is it, Grandfather?" Maria asked. Her blue eyes sparkling.
"It's a hedgehog, Maria," Professor Gerald replied, typing in the code to open the stasis tube, which was of the one thing he loved most.
M-A-R-I-A. Maria.
The stasis tube slowly opened to reveal a black-and-red hedgehog hooked up to life support. Maria gasped in surprise.
"His name is Shadow and he's to be your cure for NIDS," Professor Gerald continued. He smoothed his graying mustache. "I'd say I've made an impressive feat! He's supposed to be the immortality formula I set out to make when I was chosen to lead the government sanction research to develop an ultimate lifeform. At first, I couldn't make any progress and research was long and hard but I finally did it. He's to help you, Maria."
Still confused, Maria tapped the hedgehog on his nose. "Is he dead?" she asked innocently.
"No!" Professor Gerald couldn't help chuckling. "He's just sleeping!"
The blonde girl got up in Shadow's face to get a closer look. "How is a hedgehog supposed to help me with NIDS?"
"It's a long story, sweetie. Now, happy birthday—ten days late!" Professor Gerald pressed one more button and the black-and-red hedgehog awoke from his slumber. He sat up and the life support suction cups unstuck themselves from his head. Jumping out of the stasis tube, he faced Maria and the professor.
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog," Shadow intoned in a deep voice. "Hello, Professor Robotnik."
"Shadow," Professor Gerald responded. "This is my granddaughter Maria. She needs you with her at all times."
"I see." Shadow looked at the girl. "She looks like a good kid."
Professor Gerald brought Maria close with his arm. "Please do all you can for her."
"I will, Professor," Shadow said, nodding his head.
"I-I am Maria!" Maria suddenly grew shy.
"I know."
Professor Gerald walked away, leaving Maria with Shadow. Suddenly, Maria jumped up and down and grabbed Shadow's hand. "Come, Shadow! I want to show you our view of Earth! It's beautiful!"
"Shadow, what do you think it's like on Earth?" Maria asked, pointing at the planet with wide eyes. She met Shadow's gaze.
"The professor said his life's work was dedicated to all of those who live down there. He once told that the reason for his existence was making people happy through the power of science," Shadow replied huskily.
"Shadow…" Maria began.
"Maria…I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created. What my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I will find the answers. Maybe…" Shadow looked away from the window and sighed.
"Shadow," the frail girl murmured. "There is a reason you were created." She paused. Does he know about NIDS? "I needed company up here. Without you, I don't know what I'd do."
"I was awakened for the first time before I met you. Professor Robotnik told me a few things then. They were mostly about you and how I need to protect you for some reason. He wouldn't tell me that reason."
"Oh?" Maria was surprised.
"He kept me under wraps until your tenth birthday, however." Shadow cracked a smile. "I was to be your birthday present!"
"And you're a great one! The best!" Maria wrapped her arms around the black-and-red hedgehog in a hug.
Two years later Shadow was looking out of the ARK's big window marveling at how large Earth was. Curiosity bubbled inside him.
"Are you going to stare out that window all day Shadow?" Maria asked, coming up from behind the hedgehog.
He shifted his eyes to her and then back to the window. "I've seen photographs from down on the surface, but I wonder what it's like to be there. What is it like to see the sky above your head? I'd like to visit there and find out," Shadow answered.
"Me too." Maria's voice trailed off. She couldn't remember ever being down on Earth because she was taken to the ARK as a little baby.
"Maybe I could find some answers down there." Shadow squinted his eyes to make out the Earth's detail of the continents below. "Professor Robotnik said I'm here to do something important though he never told me what that means. But something tells me it's connected with that planet!"
The president had sent orders for the Guardian Units of Nations to go up to the ARK and bring down all the researchers from up there since funds for Project Shadow had been cut by the government, since it was deemed dangerous. An ultimate lifeform just sounded like a threat to humanity in general. Professor Gerald hadn't been expecting this since they had originally given him permission to develop one as a cure for NIDS. This was obviously lately noticed because Shadow was already created so G.U.N. was tasked to seize him and bring back everyone on the ARK.
Professor Gerald found Maria staring out the window, admiring Earth. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.
"At all times, stay with Shadow. If anything happens, head to the escape room and escape through a pod with him. I'll stay here and distract them."
Maria tensed but nodded. She then got up and ran to find Shadow and stick with him.
Within a day G.U.N. soldiers appeared at the ARK with guns in tow. Every one of the researchers was shocked about this, but they froze, putting their hands in the air, guns pointed at them.
One G.U.N. soldier searched around the professor's lab for anyone other than the researchers. Suddenly, he caught the eye of Maria, who was hiding behind a control panel, watching in fear at the gun he held out to the side. The scientists were all put under arrest by the other G.U.N. soldiers and were being led off the ARK and into the pod the soldiers had come on. The soldier who had spotted Maria gasped when he saw her, noticing she was a kid there on the ARK. Maria knew Shadow and Professor Gerald were in trouble so she bolted, out the opened door and into the hallway.
"Wait!" the soldier called, beginning to go after her. "Girl, don't run!"
Maria was panting hard as she ran down the hall. She had gotten much weaker, but she was still swift on her feet. She had to find Shadow and Grandfather and get out of there!
The soldier pursued Maria, but then called to his comrades to follow him. They left the researchers where they were and fell in behind their leader. The exhausted girl looked back at the soldiers who had their guns cocked and ready to shoot. Heart pounding, she made it to where Shadow was already sealed in an escape pod and Professor Gerald was nowhere to be seen. Maria had come to a tough decision. She would leave without Professor Gerald and hopefully, in his own time, make it out alive. But what about the researchers? she thought. I can't leave them here too!
Knowing the soldiers were right behind her, she shut the door to the escape room and dashed for the lever that would free Shadow. She could hear his muffled voice from behind the glass calling to her. "Maria, what about you?"
"I don't have much time!" her voice rose in panic. "They're coming!"
Just as she said that the soldiers shot the key-code which opened the door Maria had shut. Every one of them had their guns aimed at her. She gasped in shock.
"Freeze!" the leader of the G.U.N. soldiers ordered. "Take your hand off that lever!"
Maria reluctantly looked at the soldiers before putting both her hands on the lever.
"We're not fooling around here!" another added.
Still focusing on saving Shadow, she began to pull down on the lever. She tried to budge it with the little strength she had.
Before she could pull more, the leader soldier thrusted his gun forward at Maria's chest. "Let go now, or I'll shoot!" he threatened.
Maria immediately saw the gun pointed at her and faltered. She was putting herself in great risk at that moment. However, she kept her left hand on the lever and made another move by reaching her right hand out towards the soldiers to shield herself and her blue eyes were stretched from fear and pleading, but they shot her in the breastbone, knocking her off her feet.
"Maria!" Shadow screamed.
The G.U.N. soldiers left as soon as Maria collapsed, as if facing what they've done would scare them.
Maria was huddled on the ground, bleeding out quite heavily. Her breath came in jagged gasps as she fought for life. Shadow, from his escape pod, was staring at her with eyes wide with grief.
"Shadow, please promise me…that you'll help people and be…friends with them," the young girl murmured desperately, reaching out her hand towards Shadow. Since she was so weak from her injury, she immediately dropped it. She was trembling violently.
"Maria!" Shadow called, his voice cracking.
After a sharp gasp, Maria continued. "I'm sure you'll be very happy down there, Shadow. I only wish that I could go along with you." Her blue eyes glowed like the Earth and reflected the oceans. They were full of loving affection. "The world looks so beautiful from up here in space! But my grandfather says the people who live there have to face many problems." She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. They were duller now. "That's why you were created…to help those people and to be their friend."
Though she was dying, Maria squirmed across the floor on her stomach to the lever she had abandoned. She reached for it and grabbed it, slowly getting to her feet. She leaned on the escape pod control panel to gain support, but her legs were buckling. Her eyes were beginning to glaze as she looked to Shadow once more.
"You'll have to take my place in the future, Shadow." Her breathing was shallow now and she was close to falling back down to the floor. "Everyone who lives on that planet…give them a chance, and they will live very blessed lives," Maria whispered, barely audible. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog." Her legs fell out from under her and her weight helped pull down the lever. Shadow's escape pod left the ARK and plummeted down towards Earth's atmosphere.
Lying at the foot of the control panel, Maria stared at the glowing planet below. Feeling that she did her best for Shadow, she closed her eyes and breathed her last, never to wake up again.
Shadow never had the chance to cure Maria of NIDS, however, she had sacrificed herself to make sure Shadow would help others and not just herself. If Shadow never was created by Professor Gerald, Maria would have died anyway. Either from her disease or a bullet. The news of his granddaughter's death really shook the professor, but it impacted Shadow most of all. This all led to Shadow wanting to seek revenge on the human race all because Professor Gerald rewrote his memories of Maria's death because he was sad, making him loathe humanity. However, Shadow soon gets over his need for revenge, remembers Maria's true final words, and prevents the ARK from destroying the world. Though he eventually gets amnesia, he's reminded of Maria's sacrifice and his own and keeps saving everyone alongside Team Dark and Sonic and friends, just like Maria wanted.
Bring hope to humanity.