Shadow the Hedgehog IB: Book 1- A Second Chance

by Inv Junior- Gigantophis Form

Unable to shake the memory of his dead childhood friend and secret love Maria Robotnik; Shadow is in for an adventure like never before, through the eternal seas of time itself. Sent back to the past three-years before Maria's death, Shadow is given power unimaginable to protect the girl he loved, and he's not about to let this second chance go to waste.

2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: (Important, please read) Hey peeps, Omniarch is back with the second chapter of Shadow the Hedgehog IB for you all. I've been on a real Shadow and Maria kick as of late and intend to keep this story going as well as update my other ones. I don't respond to flames and the like, and I thank you all every day for being so patient and enjoying my one-of-a-kind stories.

Onto the important matters, I'd just like to say that I'm really into collaborations and crossovers with other Fanfiction writers now. For anyone who is interested or has a Sonic story of their own that they can't seem to find their hidden muse for; I'd be more than happy to do a collaboration and cross my story and characters over into theirs or vice versa, as a way to jumpstart any ideas you might have in mind. I've got plenty of motivation and creativity to go around if anyone needs it. If not that's okay guys, I just thought I should let you all know the offer stands for anyone who is interested or willing to play in my particular sandbox lol. Hell, it doesn't have to be a Sonic story specifically; my characters are capable of crossing over into ANY universe lol.

Bear in mind, I don't treat omnipotence as a singularity or a totally invariant construct so for anyone who believes in only one Creator or one aspect of the Creator; then for your own comfort and the sake of whatever religion you believe in… maybe avoid collaborating with me if you wish to avoid dealing with characters like mine lol. If you can put up with my wacky, eccentric concept of infinity and Aleph Numbers despite that however mates, then by all means you are more than welcome; just remember what I said is all.

A few ground rules though, number one… no crossovers with one-shot stores; I want to be invested in a long-term collaboration with somebody. Rule 2 is spelling, spelling, spelling; I'm not a grammar Nazi, but I know my spelling and I will likely point out any mistakes you make in that regard with little to no tact lol. Rule 3, and this is especially important to me; Gary-Stu's/Mary-Sue's and Godlike characters must not intermingle; if I am to collaborate with another godlike writer, their characters must not be absolutely unbeatable and/or perfect in every sense and aspect. Rule 4, though this is more of a guideline than a rule; you should probably have at least a minor or basic understanding of the mechanics of omnipotence, the Omniversal theory, Aleph numbers, and religious philosophy to name a few.

I'm more than happy to help anyone better understand my world if they're really lost on something, but while collaborating I tend to get really enthusiastic and go all out. I'll more than likely leave you behind in my proverbial dust if you can't keep up with my wackiness lol, and in times like that it's usually best for you to run with it. ;) Once again, this is all if you guys are wanting to collaborate and no worries if you don't. Thanks for reading this. (That's it for the important stuff guys; you can go ahead and skip the rest of this AN if you want)

Anyways, this chapter will pick up where the first one left off; there will be occasional time jumps between chapters, but for the most part these first few chapters will be Shadow and Maria fluff as well as the Ultimate Lifeform getting used to life back in the past and dealing with the concept of time travel. Anyways, that's all for my prattling for now folks; let's get this show on the road.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and I don't make any profit off this whatsoever.

Shadow the Hedgehog IB: Book 1- A Second Chance

Chapter Two: Settling In and Planning Ahead

That night after holding Shadow in her arms for well over an hour and hanging out with him in the Green Hills Park aboard the Ark's Biodome; Maria lied awake in bed in a speculative mood. What in the cosmos had happened to her best friend? Shadow was still the Hedgehog she knew and loved… for the most part, but there had been far too many moments today where he'd behaved like a completely different person. She wished he would tell her what's wrong; he didn't even join her in bed for the night like he had done every night of their lives together on board the Ark. He'd said something about joining up with her later and taking a walk to clear his head, and then he just left her to her devices in her… no, their room.

Maria had always thought of it as their room, since they pretty much shared everything with each other. Shadow had always been so open and caring, and while he was definitely still the latter; she felt like she was losing the candidness they once had, and she couldn't understand why. What was it he was keeping from her that was so incredibly damning? And then there was that cure-all power he displayed as well as that sublime transformation of his that allowed him to literally defy gravity.

'Oh Shadow… what in the world happened to you, and why can't you tell me what's going on? You still love me, don't you?' Maria thought dejectedly. He'd definitely said he loved her, and even acted like it, but some of the things he said and the way he held her possessively in his arms. She wanted to revel in the feelings he invoked in her, but she couldn't wrap her head around why he looked like he'd seen a ghost when he first saw her. The way he was crying when he held her, one would think they'd been apart for lifetimes. It just didn't make any sense.

Unable to sleep at her normal bedtime due to how strong and healthy she felt, and with how much she had on her mind; Maria decided to emulate Shadow's example and take a walk to clear her head. If he wasn't going to give her the answers she sought of his own volition, then she would just have to figure it out on her own. One way or another, she'd get to the bottom of this, and she thought about confronting Shadow tonight to see if he was willing to be more forthcoming or not, but opted to leave him alone for now and give him time to calm down from whatever emotional upheaval he was dealing with.

"I can't believe he was able to cure me so easily; oh no, what will I tell grandfather on my next checkup?! I promised Shadow I wouldn't tell anyone what he did until he was ready!" Maria exclaimed in a slight panic out loud. She knew she promised Shadow she wouldn't say anything but she was honestly a lousy liar, and her grandfather was bound to figure out something was up. The second he ran all the usual checkups, the jig would be up and he'd know she was cured.

She supposed she could try lying to him by saying she and Shadow had sex; given their incompatible biology, it was more than possible he wouldn't have gotten her pregnant but still had been able to cure her. Or, she could play dumb and act like she didn't know what happened; though her grandfather would see through that ruse in a heartbeat. Maria wasn't quite as well educated as her grandfather, but she was just as smart. Smarter actually, according to him anyway.

She had been tested a few-years ago and was assigned an IQ of 350; the highest in her family thus far. Her Grandfather was around 285, but had a far higher degree of education and a broader knowledge base than her… she may have been a child genius, but the truth was she was still only a 14-year-old girl. It was also difficult to say whether or not the IQ testing system was an exact science; for all she knew her IQ might not have been as high as all that. In any case, she realized she'd need to be honest with her grandfather without betraying her promise to Shadow; honesty was the best policy here.

She could explain to him that Shadow found another way to cure her without sex, without telling him exactly what Shadow did. It would drive any scientist spare not to know the how's or why's, and she knew Gerald was no exception, but what choice did she have? She'd always told Shadow that promises were something sacred and didn't believe in making a promise unless she was going to do whatever it took to fulfill that promise. Since she first explained that to him, the both of them made an unspoken but strictly upheld pact to never break any promises they made to one another. To say Shadow had taken her words about promises to heart would have been a vast understatement; he was more adamant than she was about it half the time.

She recalled one time how Shadow had promised to meet her in the Biodome for dinner at 5 PM, but got caught up in some of her grandfather's experiments and lost track of time. It was the first time she'd ever seen him cry, and he was absolutely distraught as he explained why he was late and apologized so profusely over and over again. Maria had been so understanding and compassionate of his plight, and could never have brought herself to be mad at him even if she wanted to be. She couldn't help but giggle at the memory, the whole situation was funny in hindsight, but she felt bad for making Shadow believe he was a horrible friend because he was a couple of minutes late.

If anything, she was extremely touched he went to such lengths to uphold his promises to her; that he was so cut up when a delay in their dinner was unavoidable. In the end, he'd still only been five-minutes late. It was one of the more memorable traumatizing moments she'd seen Shadow go through. Sufficed to say, he'd never broken a promise made to her again after that; not even accidentally or when it couldn't be avoided.

Now though, he seemed to be going through some private pain that was far worse than a 5-minute late arrival to their date, and Maria had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with her. She gave a polite hello and a wave to passersby as scientists and others under the government's payroll waved at her; unable to take her mind off Shadow for more than a minute. Not that she wasn't used to it, when she first started developing feelings for him at age 12 he occupied her thoughts at least once every minute of her life; she had been scared of the repercussions of a relationship with him beyond friendship back then.

It was on her 13th birthday that something occurred to her, her condition was worsening and she might not have had a lot of time left in this world. She realized she'd spent too much time worrying about what others would think and didn't even bother asking what she thought or what she wanted. She knew then that she wasn't going to waste what little time she had left worrying about other people and what they thought of a taboo relationship; in her eyes Shadow was her equal, friend, and companion… not her pet.

This wasn't a relationship between man and some mindless beast; it was a relationship between two equally sentient and emotionally complex individuals from different alien races. She was done being afraid of any prejudicial demons out there; people were always going to lash out at what they didn't understand… but she couldn't control their fear, only her own. Besides, Maria was under the impression this was meant to happen in a way; it would explain why her grandfather was always so keen on them staying friends and always allowed them to have the run of the place together.

Now, a year later, 14-year-old Maria was a lot more confident in her and Shadow finding a way to make it work, and she was glad that Shadow was finally coming around to. She blushed a healthier shade of red than she could ever remember doing when she thought about the way he'd kissed her earlier this evening; there was so much raw, pent-up passion inside him as he locked lips with her that she felt endlessly excited just thinking about it. How could anybody not see they were perfect for each other? Shadow and she may not have fit together in the same way as two humans or two Mobians did, but that didn't mean they didn't fit together at all. She was so beyond happy that he finally gave into his passionate side where she was concerned; now if only she could figure out what else was troubling him.

"Oh well, I'm sure he'll open up to me eventually, and if he doesn't I'm sure I can figure it out. I mean, how bad can it be?" Maria said with a dazzling smile on her face as she started skipping down the halls of the Ark while humming a song of her own design. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this strong or high energy; her condition was gone, she was sure of that now. There had always been an underlying feeling of weakness before today; she'd always tire out quickly even while doing her absolute best to keep up with Shadow's endless reservoir of energy, but now she caught herself wondering what else he could do with those strange Chaos powers of his.

She'd always dreamt of being able to run as fast as Shadow, and that spinning thing he did to speed up when he curled into a ball was so cool! God only knows the level of mortification she would feel if Shadow had caught the select few times she tried to do that herself only to do a failed somersault, but she could still dream, and nobody was going to stamp that fantasy out of her anytime soon; even if a fantasy was all it was. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if people everywhere wanted to do that trick someday.

She could see the lookout windows and Earth in her peripheral vision, a cheery smile on her face as she continued skipping and humming; wondering if she could find a new book to read in the Ark's library or find some kind of midnight snack to eat. She'd never had or needed a midnight snack before, but to her astonishment her stomach was growling hungrily. She wondered if her newfound appetite was another sign of her recently cured N.I.D.S. because that would be absolutely wonderful. She had just finished rounding the corner to the space cafeteria to ask for some food when she noticed Shadow talking to one of the maintenance crew members with narrowed eyes; as though they were disagreeing on something.

Maria was tempted to stay behind and eavesdrop on their conversation, she really was, but in the end she decided it was better for her to make her presence known and made her way over to them. "Hey Shadow, there you are! I was just making my way to the cafeteria to get some food because I'm starving! Care to join me?" She piped up with a dazzling smile on her face; halting any further conversation between Shadow and this man as said hedgehog turned to face her and his eyes lit up at seeing her. Maria beamed at this, clearly Shadow still cared for her as much as he ever did; maybe even more so, if just her mere presence could cause him to react in such a positive manner. There was still hope for them yet it seemed.

"Sure thing Maria, I have to admit; it's nice seeing you out and about at this time and hungry no less. I don't think I've ever seen you suffering from a case of the midnight munchies but I'm not about to complain; I take it you're feeling well." Shadow greeted her passionately, and Maria swore she could see the faintest traces of a smug smirk on his face as she nodded gleefully.

"Yes, I feel wonderful Shadow; I never imagined I could ever feel this strong and full of life before, and I have you to thank for that." Maria graciously responded, only just remembering that they were not alone as she turned her head to look up into the oddly kaleidoscopic eyes of the maintenance crew member she saw Shadow speaking heatedly with before.

"Shadow, aren't you going to introduce us?" Maria asked after several minutes of silence between her and the stranger, who wore the weirdest looking hat on his head and had the most maddening, shit-eating grin she'd ever seen. When he didn't announce his presence or interrupt her and Shadow's conversation, she decided she should at least try to be polite to him in return.

Shadow looked like he would rather be anywhere but in this man's presence, and Maria frowned as she wondered what was up with that. "Oh, right… right, Maria, this is my acquaintance Thomas. Thomas, this is my best friend and just recently girlfriend Maria; though you already know that." Shadow said with a zeal of passion as he tentatively took her hand in his own. Maria could feel her heart melting when she heard Shadow introduce her as his girlfriend; she had the distinct impression he was showing her off a bit, like he couldn't believe she was actually his.

The sheer reverence she felt him radiating in palpable waves when she didn't correct him and say they weren't quite there yet; it made it all worthwhile to her. Besides, she had started considering him her boyfriend when she first hit puberty anyways, but seeing him introducing her as such to a potentially prejudiced individual; it convinced her more than anything that he finally believed their love would conquer anything, even fear.

What surprised her was the approving smile on the aforementioned Thomas's face; clearly, he had no qualms whatsoever about seeing someone else in a cross-species relationship. "Nice to finally meet you Miss Robotnik; I've heard so many wonderful things about you from Shadow since we first started talking, and I've gotta say I'm glad he finally took some initiative where you're concerned." He spoke, his voice conveying a subtle symphony of every note of power, confidence, and inner equilibrium imaginable; something Maria found perplexing. Never had she met someone who literally radiated so much positive energy, who was so palpably content and at peace with his life; he had the look of a man who could not be touched even by all the evils of the universe.

"Nice to meet you as well Thomas, and please, call me Maria; I couldn't help but notice you and Shadow seemed to be in disagreement on something when I first arrived here. If it's not too nosey or presumptuous on my part, may I ask if there's anything I can do to help you guys find some common ground? You seem like an okay guy from what little I've seen so far Thomas and any person who can be so open-minded and accepting of my relationship with Shadow is always okay in my books." Maria smoothly replied as Thomas chuckled and waved off her concern.

"It's nothing too important Maria; there was something I had neglected to inform Shadow of right away when it should've been one of the first things I told him. I'll admit, I thought it was obvious and didn't need saying, but Shadow was right and I should've told him anyways. For that, I am truly sorry Shadow; I hope you can find a way to keep moving forward. You and Maria will be part of something greater than you can even imagine; mark my words you two, you'll both make waves… even tidal waves at times." Thomas told them with a wry grin as Maria tilted her head in confusion and Shadow developed in interest in his rocket skates; though he looked like he was considerably less irritated with Thomas than he was before. Maria noted he seemed accepting of Thomas's apology, and though she wondered what they had been talking about before; she wasn't going to pry and hoped Shadow would tell her when he felt he was ready.

"Anyways, you two kooky kids have fun now; young love is a wondrous thing, healthy even for people your age. I'm currently needed somewhere right now, but I left the mess hall open and there should still be plenty of food left." Thomas ushered them onward, and Maria nodded with a radiant smile as she took Shadow's gloved hand in her own and pulled him along into the dome-like structure of the mess hall, over-saturated with glee upon seeing the blush on his face at the simple contact.

XXXXX

Earlier, when Shadow first left Maria's room to clear his head…

Two things Shadow the Hedgehog hadn't considered properly when he first arrived in the past; one was he had no actual plan on how he was going to ease Maria and the Professor into all of this or on how to save Maria in the next three years. He may have cured her illness from what he could tell so far, but he didn't know if her alleged biological immortality extended to bullet wounds and things meant to kill somebody by unnatural means. Truth be told, he was horrified of the possibilities of losing Maria again, and though he was faster now and stronger with Chaos Energy than he had ever dreamed of; he still had a difficult time believing all of this was even real. It certainly felt real enough; the warmth and life in Maria's body as he held her in his arms for the first time in decades could only be reality… couldn't it?

Secondly, he hadn't considered that Thomas could have been playing an elaborate mind game with him. He certainly came across as a guy who just wanted to help Shadow be with the love of his life, and to give him a second chance, but Shadow had next to no idea what his real motives really were? Did he get anything out of this, or was he really just trying to help Shadow unconditionally? He also could've trapped Shadow in a world of pure illusion for all the Hedgehog knew; yet even if the powers he claimed to possess were all just fiction or a trick of the mind, he'd have to possess enormous amounts of it in order to make all of this so incredibly realistic. As much as Shadow's cynical side wanted to distrust Thomas's intentions or the realism of this past timeline he was in; he just couldn't.

His rocket shoes made a series of loud, metallic clangs as he walked at a leisurely pace down the halls to nowhere in particular; decades of learning from his mistakes had led to him gaining the patience not to rush headlong into anything, and so he didn't use super speed. Besides that, he still wasn't completely certain how fast he was now or if he should've been cutting loose right now; for all he knew, he could be fast enough to kill everyone on this ship with just the g-force he accumulated while running. Until he understood more about what he could do now and Thomas proved good to his word regarding what those abilities were; Shadow was content to tread on the side of caution.

He paused as he reached the mess hall, the smell of food wafting into his super olfactory system; realizing he hadn't eaten in some time and surprised to hear his stomach growling. Deciding it couldn't hurt to grab a midnight bite to eat or something; Shadow was just about to walk through the open door to the mess hall when a voice caught his attention and he spun around only for his eyes to widen when he saw Thomas standing there beside one of the many lookout windows showing a view of earth.

He held in his right hand a staff or walking stick of some sort, with a rather curious looking gemstone stuck fast to the broader top of it. "So, do you believe this is all real yet or do you need even more proof?" He asked him, the all-too familiar maddening grin splitting his face as Shadow walked over to him and stood beside him at the shatter-proof window; his case of the midnight munchies now the last thing on his mind.

"Dare I even ask how the hell you're here too, or why?" Shadow responded with a question of his own, not answering Thomas's although they both knew the answer anyways.

"I wanted to keep an eye on you and make sure you were making out well, and supreme meta-omnipresence Shadow; think it through." Thomas answered both his questions with surprising conciseness.

"You're a transcendent lifeform like Solaris; you exist in the past, present, and future simultaneously." Shadow realized as Thomas gave a jovial clap and smile of approval.

"Of the Omni-Omniverse itself I might add; Solaris's transcendent existence pales in comparison, but that's neither here nor there. I take it you've become somewhat aware of what you can do now, am I right?" He responded, the beginnings of a shit-eating grin on his face as Shadow rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I should probably thank you; you've given me the one thing I've wanted most." Shadow admitted, not really one for expressing gratitude but knowing he never could've done this without Thomas's help.

"Don't thank me just yet Shadow; after all, things have only just begun to change, and you're going to face some near insurmountable odds in the not-so-distant future." Thomas informed him as calmly as though they were discussing the matters over drinks. Shadow didn't like the sound of that, and remembered his earlier concerns about Thomas somehow manipulating him.

"Meaning what exactly?" He demanded irately, and Thomas's expression remained passive.

"Come on Shadow, think about it. You've been around scientists, so tell me… what's the third law of motion?" Thomas responded without answering Shadow's query.

"Don't play games with me Thomas; I want answers. What did you mean by that statement before? What insurmountable odds?" He hissed with a dangerous edge to his voice.

Thomas raised his hands in a placating gesture to ward off any attempts by Shadow to attack him. "Whoa, calm down there captain hostility; I was just explaining it. For the record, the third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Everything in the Omni-Totality has an opposite, an antithesis if you will; did you really believe that the ZOF was any exception? All I'm saying is that for all your new abilities, you're going to attract dangers and foes equal to what you're now capable of. It's the way things are, and there's nothing any of us can do about it. It's causality Shadow, your now infinite strength will invite challenges of equal worth, and those challenges will incite conflicts of the Godlike variety, and those conflicts in turn will breed Omni-Omniversal catastrophe."

"So what you're saying is that my enemies will gain the same kind of power-ups that I've gotten?! Are you insane?! Why the fucking hell would you not tell me that?!" Shadow was shouting by this point, not giving a shit if anyone heard them as Thomas simply nodded in affirmation.

"I thought it was obvious Shadow; it's common sense, though I guess that's not so common anymore. My point is, God powers or not the challenges you face are as even as they ever were, and you still have the advantage of foreknowledge over them. Besides, you've beaten all of your enemies before back when you and they didn't have powers like this; no doubt in my mind that you can do so again. You all may have new weapons and abilities to bring to the table but the balance of power between good and evil in your universe is still as even as it ever was; from a proportionate standpoint anyways." The madman responded with a smile.

"You still could have told me Thomas; if I had thought about what gaining these powers would implicate, perhaps I would've weighed my decision more carefully." Shadow responded, feeling slightly less peeved now than before but still moderately hacked off.

"Even knowing now what having these abilities entail Shadow; given that you didn't think it through, does it even matter? Has your decision changed? Something tells me we both already know the answer to that question… don't we?" Thomas rebutted with a smirk, and Shadow didn't even hesitate before answering; though a part of him didn't like admitting this to the man.

"Of course not; my decisions unchanged. I will use these powers and I will beat my enemies again; whether they have advantages to match my own now is immaterial Thomas. Still, I'd rather you told me this before thrusting me into this situation. Then again, I suppose I was the one who asked for the power to save Maria from death in the first place. You've given me that." Shadow admitted as Thomas nodded understandingly.

"We best halt any further conversation on this subject between us for now Shadow; Maria's coming our way." The ZOF Master informed him suddenly, causing Shadow to stare up at him in surprise.

"How do you… never mind, I already know the answer to that question." Shadow stated matter-of-factually once he took a moment to ponder how Thomas could've been aware of Maria's approaching presence without having to see her come this way. True to his word, Shadow heard his name being called by the voice of an angel, his angel. It was as Maria made her way to them and conversed with him and Thomas that Shadow finally decided to accept Thomas's apology then and there; realizing that he really was trying to help. Now though, he had other problems on top of his original ones; what if when G.U.N invaded the Ark they had Godly advantages to?!

He had to plan and alter his premade plans to rescue Maria accordingly, and for that she needed to be able to defend herself as readily as he could defend them both. That in turn, begged the question of whether or not his newfound Chaos Energy Godhood could transfer a complete repertoire of his powers over to Maria. He'd made her biologically immortal, so making her into a literal God was slowly becoming less and less of an imagination stretch.

XXXXX

After the tense moment Maria observed between Shadow and this Thomas person, she and her hedgehog boyfriend made their way into the empty cafeteria where freshly cooked foods like over baked pizza slices and Chinese food, and all manner of Earth cuisine that Maria loved sat waiting for them in silver platters while two white plates were set aside for both of them. Maria quirked an eyebrow at the setup, wondering how Thomas had known there would be two people in the mess hall at this time, but decided that some questions were better left unanswered as she and Shadow took their plate and loaded them up.

They decided to take their meals to the Biodome and soak in a hot tub together or something of that nature. It was only a 10-minute walk to the Biodome, during which time Maria decided to engage Shadow in a little small talk. "So, I read about a biome on earth known as a jungle and I was curious so I programmed the Biodome to imitate a jungle waterfall environment for us today. What do you think jungles are like in real life Shadow?" Maria whispered with awe and wonder, and Shadow had to refrain from telling her that he'd been to beautiful jungles such as the white one he escaped from Prison Island on after he, Eggman, and Rouge blew it up. There was so much he wished he could tell her; so much he could describe to her about earth and its many wondrous environments and beautiful sceneries.

"I'm sure they're very beautiful Maria." He said, deciding to settle for reassuring her that they were every bit as dazzling as she imagined. He'd spent so much time on earth in the future that he almost forgot how much going there used to mean to Maria. She'd spent almost her entire life on the Ark and couldn't remember the first few years of her life which she spent on earth, in sickness. He had half a mind to transport her to a real life jungle right then and there; the only thing stopping him from doing so was that she already had a lot of questions for him that he couldn't answer right away. There was too much at stake to risk unveiling everything to her and the Professor all at once; the best way to do so was to ease them into this.

"Do you think we'll get to see the earth soon now? I mean, you were created to be the living cure to every disease, and now that you've cured me I'm worried my grandfather will try and separate us. Do you think he only let us be together because you were meant to be my savior Shadow?" Maria couldn't help voicing her concerns now that she was better, and Shadow chuckled, causing her to pout at him cutely as he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm pretty sure the Professor would've been okay with us being friends and more even if you hadn't been sick. I wasn't just created to be the cure to everything Maria, I was created to help people; to be their friend, and you were the first true friend I've ever known. I would never let anything come between that, not even your grandfather. If need be, I'll take us somewhere far away and exotic where no one would ever find us, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that." Shadow admitted casually, as though the idea of him and Maria running away together was something he was okay with. Maria was shocked at his admission, surely it wouldn't come to that, but if it did…

"If it came to that Shadow; I'd happily go anywhere with you to the ends of the earth and beyond. I love you my Shadow, my angel." She whispered with pure reverence and adoration as Shadow blushed and the two of them reached the Biodome after what seemed an infinitely long ten minutes to them both. His heart melted and he suddenly felt very, very warm as he choked out a response; surprised he managed anything coherent at this point.

"I… love you to Maria; always have and always will… until the end of time." He told her in an uncharacteristic display of sappiness; unable to remember the last time everything felt so right in his world. He knew that dark and dangerous times lied ahead- if what Thomas told him was true- but for now he was content to spend one golden day of peace with the woman he loved and cherished most of all. He'd known the impossible was possible before this, but never had he dreamed of being able to reunite with Maria. He'd always believed that death was some immutable force that couldn't be persuaded or manipulated; that reuniting with Maria was as impossible as impossible could be.

Yet it seemed that there really was a God out there pulling all the strings, and the most mind-blowing thing of all; he actually cared! Thomas cared enough about people to grant Shadow's deepest and most desperate desire. He was even forthcoming about the good and bad aspects of his new abilities despite the fact that he didn't have to say anything; that alone made Shadow willing to take a leap of faith and trust the man for now. He just hoped that his faith was rewarded in the long run.

Maria sensed that Shadow had something heavily weighing on his mind and finally decided to pipe up as they found a comfortable spot to sit in the jungle-themed Biodome environment. Maria had taken off her shoes and socks and put her feet in the very real water; the temperature akin to a bathtub due to how warm it was as she idly wondered if that's how warm jungle waters really were. Shadow took off his rocket skates and followed suit, a sigh of content escaping his lips without his permission as the warm water ran across his feet in the form of a stream. There was no denying that the water in this artificially created jungle was real at least; the fact that this place could emulate real earth environments so realistically proving that the Ark was full of technological marvels. This place alone was decades ahead of its time; though Shadow knew he wasn't an expert on such things.

"Hey Shadow…" Maria whispered somewhat hesitantly.

"Yes Maria?" Shadow whispered back to her, sensing that whatever she was going to say was important and something she was worried he wouldn't take well as he took her hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He'd been anticipating her questions for some time now and wanted her to know she didn't have to feel afraid to ask him anything; even if he couldn't tell her the full truth right away he needed to make it very clear he wasn't keeping secrets to be an asshole.

"How did you cure me? I mean, I know your Chaos Control technique allows you to teleport but I didn't know that Chaos Energy could do things like that. Also, whenever you did use that move in the past it severely depleted your energy reserves, yet you literally just cured my seemingly incurable disease like it was nothing and you're not even showing signs of fatigue." She decided to start with the easiest question first, wanting to know what other hidden abilities he may have been keeping from her. Shadow hesitated slightly, and was glad Maria had asked him the simplest question first. At least he could be somewhat truthful to her on this one.

"I um… recently inherited drastic spikes in my Chaos Energy abilities, the applications for which I'm only just beginning to understand myself Maria. I honestly know little more about how I'm able to do stuff like this than you do." Shadow admitted truthfully, and Maria nodded though she wasn't done.

"And that transformation… was that something to do with your Chaos abilities to," Maria asked another of the easier questions as Shadow nodded.

"It is, it allows me to manifest far more of my Chaos Energy than I normally can in my base form. I call it my Hyper Shadow form; it's actually the highest powered form that I can achieve so far, at least as far as I know. Basically, you get me in my normal form, then my Super Shadow Form which gives me invulnerability and flight abilities among other things, and then my Hyper Shadow form which gives me the same abilities as super but at a much higher power level and other powers on top of it." He answered.

"Why didn't you tell me you could do stuff like that before Shadow?" She asked, and Shadow winced at the slightly hurt tone in her voice as he tried to think of a way to respond as honesty as possible.

"I didn't know I could do so before today Maria, and while the Professor is keen to help me explore my abilities he doesn't know everything about my physiology. But due to… unnatural circumstances I've gained far more knowledge of my inherent powers than I would've known at this point otherwise." Shadow told her with a sad smile on his face as Maria squeezed his hand as tightly as he squeezed hers.

"Unnatural circumstances huh, and this point? What does all even mean Shadow? Does it have something to do with that Thomas person; was that the reason you two were fighting earlier?" Maria pressed in astute awareness of her boyfriend's odd choice of words, and Shadow looked down at his bare feet soaking in the stream of crystal-clear water, refusing to meet her eyes because doing so would rip the whole truth of the matter right from his very soul.

"Thomas is just a catalyst Maria, he gave me the key to unlocking my new abilities I suppose, but I accepted them of my own volition. That was my choice, and I'd never take it back; not if it means I can better protect people… better protect you." Shadow admitted daringly, knowing he was risking a lot by telling Maria as much as he did but finding he didn't care enough to keep that part a secret from her. The only thing he was really worried about was telling her the time travel aspect, and the life he lead without her guidance and support until he was 75-years-old. He had been 75 in the future when he chose to let Thomas send him back in time, and hadn't shown any signs of aging anytime soon. He'd been totally bereft of Maria's love and support for 58-years, and he would be damned if he didn't tell her as much as he could.

"But why, I mean; you were pretty strong already don't you think? And you're so fast, faster than I ever thought any living thing could be without a plane or a jet. What more did you need besides all that?" Maria asked him, hating that he wasn't looking at her as her blue eyes watered slightly.

Shadow's hand that wasn't holding Maria's clenched into a fist out of emotional tautness, trying to remember that unveiling too much at this point may end up scaring her off. "I'm sorry Maria, but my reasons for accepting these new abilities… they're very personal and deep."

"You don't trust me. Shadow, no matter how bad you think it is it can't be that bad! I mean, what could be so damning that you wouldn't trust the one person you claim to love more than anything? A relationship built on secrets and lies can never work Shadow, and I want to help you; so please, tell me. I can handle it." Maria murmured imploringly, and Shadow finally looked her in the eyes and felt his heart cracking slightly.

"I want to Maria, believe me… I want to more than anything, and I will, but I can't just yet. It's too big, and Thomas advised me that easing you and the Professor into it was the best way to go about it. I promise you though, when the time is right you will know absolutely everything and anything. I hate that I have to keep this from you, even if only temporarily; believe me, there's nothing you can say to me that I haven't already thought myself. I just hope that when the time comes for the cat to be out of the bag, you'll be able to forgive me for the world-shattering details I've kept from you Maria." Shadow whispered back equally as imploring, and thus began a battle of wills between him and the love of his eternal life that Shadow won for the first time in his 75-years-worth of memories. He had always caved first before this, and the fact that he didn't this time was ironically what convinced Maria that what he was hiding truly was a world-breaker.

"Very well Shadow, if it's that important to you and the details are that big; then I'll back off for now. I trust you with my life, my heart, my body, and so much more besides; if you truly believe that easing me into this is the best policy then I will believe you. Just promise me you'll tell me everything the second you feel you can alright?" Maria requested of him with a pleading tone and a quivering, pouty lip. Shadow nodded without a second's hesitation.

"Maria, I give you my solemn word that I will tell you all; I promise, and you know better than anyone that I never break a promise." Shadow said with a reassuring smile as he extended his pinky out to her and felt his heart melt as she giggled and locked pinkies with him. The fact that they were sealing the pact with a pinky promise would've felt silly and childish to Shadow had he done it with anyone else, but with Maria it felt like the most sacred oath he could've ever made. Something happened that moment that made both of their eyes widen as a spiral of pure energy formed around their interlocked pinkies like some kind of binding chain and wrapped around both of their hands. Both of them knew somehow that the contract between them just became binding through some unimaginable force; though neither of them understood how they knew that or how it had happened.

"Um, did that really just happen?!" Shadow exclaimed questioningly as the chain faded but the contract remained tightly sealed.

"You tell me!" Maria emphatically stated, sensing that Shadow was just as surprised by this turn of events as she was. Their respective plates of food were pretty much forgotten in those moments as the slightly unsettling scene was interrupted by the arrival of a third party in the Biodome.

"The ZOF takes solemn oaths made by its conduits very, very seriously you two; what Shadow did just now is seal the deal you two made. This way, you both know that he'll never be able to go back on his promise to tell you everything. Not that he would've but it's reassuring to know in any case; of course, were you to enter your Hyper Form Shadow that contract wouldn't be binding to you anymore." The unmistakable voice of Thomas explained to them in exuberant passion as Shadow and Maria pulled away from each other slightly and addressed the third person now in the Biodome with them.

"The ZOF, what on earth is that?" Maria demanded; feeling slightly irritated by the man's untimely interruption. Even if the moment between her and Shadow he disrupted wasn't a particularly tender one it was still annoying.

Thomas grinned, "Oh, the number of times I've answered that question, and it never gets old; seeing people's reactions! Basically, it's the source of all power in every reality and where I get my mojo from; it's also what I tapped into when I created Shadow's new range of abilities for him!" He practically shouted in exclamation while flapping his hands about emphatically. Maria paused a moment to consider this information, processing the fact that Thomas seemed to have incredible abilities of his own. Yet that didn't seem possible, she never heard of any non-Mobian who had access to Chaos Energy; especially not someone who looked so human, regardless of the intensity or color of their eyes or the oddness of their outfit.

"Never mind that you guys, I want to know why you didn't explain any of this before Thomas; also, what do you mean about my Hyper form not being constrained to the promise I made to Maria?" Shadow demanded, feeling his annoyance with Thomas return with a vengeance as Thomas smirked.

"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, if I explained all of the subtleties and sheer mechanics of the ZOF to you in advance; we'd never get anything done, and besides it would ruin the thrill of discovering these answers for yourself. You and Maria are part of something greater now than you can possibly imagine, but this life is not meant for just anyone; being a Zenith Omnidony or ZOF enhanced individual will bring you both infinite joy and pleasure as much as it does absolute sorrow and tragedy at times."

"But hey, if everything about his life was all perfect and free of any bad qualities; you'd lose sight of the good ones and frankly that sounds like a very boring way to live. In any case, I don't want to give away too many spoilers; the best adventures are the ones you have no foreknowledge of in the first place. Not knowing where you'll end up or where you'll go from here is part of the fun, a big part actually." Thomas tutted while wagging his finger back and forth in a playfully admonishing manner as Shadow and Maria considered his words very, very carefully.

"So what you're saying is you manipulated us?! You messed with our lives like it was some sick game to you?! Is this how godlike beings like you get your kicks or something?! Shadow and I were perfectly fine, and our lives were somewhat normal before you came into the picture!" Maria was screaming at this point, her face red with rage that surprised even Shadow as he took her hand in his again.

"Maria, calm down." He tried rubbing his thumb overtop of the hand he held but Maria wasn't listening. To his surprise Thomas nodded understandingly at both of them.

"It's okay Shadow; I don't blame Maria for thinking that. I did sort of manipulate things the way I wanted them to be for you two, but not because I get off on watching you both struggle to realign with this new reality I've created. I am sorry you think so little of me Maria, but I am optimistic your opinion of me will change in the future. The ZOF would have chosen an IB version of Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria itself anyways, eventually… all I did was accelerate the process I suppose; I acted on behalf of the ZOF, as a fully sentient embodiment of its power. The difference is, while the ZOF would've chosen this life for you without your consent and with total impartialness; I actually cared enough to choose the best candidates I could find and you two fit all the bills."

"Out of the countless versions of your world throughout the Omni-Omniverse; you two showed the most potential for ZOF Mastery out of all of them. Whether I interfered or not wouldn't have changed anything; the ZOF would've done so at some point and not been nearly as nice about it. Nor would it have guided you two through the process of it all; it would've just expected you to adapt completely on your own. I only offered a hand Maria, I don't get off on this at all; I wish I could say there was a true element of choice or chance in this, but some things are predetermined by the ZOF."

"Your world would've been subjected to these changes eventually, maybe not right away, but eventually nonetheless. It's a fixed point in Omni-Omniversal time, and even though I'm a ZOF Master I can't change that; not without causing a tidal wave of Omni-Totality encompassing backlash. You have no idea how many lives your new abilities will change or save altogether Shadow. Whether you both believe it or not your fates are now tied directly to the fate of the Omni-Totality itself, or at least a massive chunk of it. All ZOF Masters are fixed points to this extent." Thomas explained to them both as Shadow's eyes widened at the enormity of this statement and Maria's eyes continued to narrow.

The Hedgehog had no idea that some higher power or force was really pulling strings like that, and felt sympathy for Thomas's situation well up inside him. The man was only doing what he could to minimize the impact of the changes their world would've undergone, and unlike the impartial force from which he got his powers; at least he was kind enough to walk them all through it. It was absolutely mind blowing to think his fate could affect so many enormous changes like that, an if that was true it was no wonder why the ZOF chose him; because if it knew all of this beforehand then it knew exactly who to choose and what not. Shadow hated the idea that he wasn't truly in control of his life, but the realization that Thomas was doing his best to help them make the best of their situation convinced him more than anything to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

"I don't believe you! If what you say is true then you're just as bad as this ZOF is; well I've got news for you buddy, an unconscious force of nature can't be raged at or cursed for all someone is worth… at least not to any effect. But you're a perfectly living, breathing example of a manipulative being who is content to introduce these changes! I won't deny that Shadow's ability to cure me of my N.I.D.S. is wonderful, and I can finally live the life I've always wanted to with him. But tell me something Thomas, at what cost do these new benefits come to us; what price do we both pay in the long run for accepting this new life you've crafted for us?!

And for that matter, how do we even know that anything you're saying to us is true?! Sure, it's easy to blame all of this on some abstract force that may or may not even exist, but you're the one who did the deed, and if ANYTHING happens to Shadow I'll make you wish you never knew us!" Maria hissed with such shocking vehemence that Shadow's eyes widened. Who knew the 14-year-old girl could be so defensive or vicious on his behalf; even after all the time he knew her in the previous version of events… it amazed him how much she could still surprise him. A part of him felt bad for the chewing out Thomas got from her, but something told him he was no stranger to this kind of criticism and he nodded understandingly.

"You're angry and upset because you think you and Shadow are not in control of your lives, and I don't blame you Maria; trust me, there was once a time where I would've done anything to escape this life. The only thing that stopped me from becoming human permanently in those low moments was the realization of how many lives I saved and changed for the better; how many people I will continue to save and change for the better. My mentor in my first life as Appaneesty once told me something that I've always found particularly apt; AIB bless Veetox and his infinite wisdom."

"He told me that life hands us all our own situations that we can't control, but how we deal with them… that's where the element of choice comes in. He said that while pain is a part of everyone's journey and inevitable, suffering is optional, and the lessons one learns from pain are the ones that make them strongest in the end. So you two may have a destiny to affect changes on an Omni-Omniversal scale but you have a choice… as to how you go about fulfilling said destiny. Make the best of this situation and you'll come out on top in the end; I can promise you both that." He told them both sagely, and Maria's scowl lessoned slightly as she managed to process his words despite not wanting to hear any lies; though she was still distrusting of him.

"Thank you for hearing me out you guys, I'll take my leave now. If there's ever anything I can do to help you; you need only call my name and I'll be there… in a flash." He promised them in a manner as though he was making some form of cosmic joke towards the end of his statement, one neither Shadow nor Maria understood. He gave Maria a warm, genuine smile that looked a thousand times better than any of the mad grins or smirks he'd worn previously. It was at this moment that Shadow realized he was actually a good looking guy; the kind he might feel an attraction to if he was gay, but as it was he only had eyes for Maria so this was a purely objective and casual observation.

He then promptly vanished… into thin air that slightly startled both Maria and Shadow. Once he was gone the blonde haired girl turned to Shadow with a shockingly panicked look. "Shadow, please tell me you didn't make a bargain with that man to amass greater power! Why didn't you come to me with this the second he made an offer to enhance your powers?!" She asked him. Shadow winced, she never raised her voice, but that was the worst bit; the fact that she was reprimanding him was not lost on him. Still, he remained steadfast and answered her regardless of the uncharacteristic anger she displayed on his behalf today. His journey back into the past was slowly going from bad to worse.

"If you're wondering if I sold my soul to him or anything; then the answer is no. He's not the devil Maria; as shocking as it may seem… I'm actually inclined to believe he's exactly the opposite, or at least the truth behind the creation myths." Shadow reassuringly spoke, but Maria shook her head.

"I don't know what he is Shadow, but you need to be very careful with people like that; his words are poison, and half the things that come out of his mouth are lies. He knows how to make it seem like you have a choice in all this but he manipulates you into following the path he wants in the end. Why didn't you come to me with this Shadow? We could've made this decision together but instead you let him grant you these abilities without considering any of the consequences." Maria's tone was icy as she continued scolding him as though he was just a child, but Shadow couldn't help but glare at her for thinking he was incapable of making his own choices. He understood that she was just trying to protect him, and she couldn't have known he was a time traveling, 75-year-old version of himself from the future, but it still irked him that she wasn't letting him be independent.

"Okay first of all, these new powers are what allowed me to save your life Maria and cure your disease! Secondly, you don't know a thing about Thomas and you're immediately assuming the worst of him, and I thought I was a cynic but you sure showed me huh! Thirdly, the reason I didn't come to you with this is part of the thing I can't tell you right now; you'll understand why when I fulfill my promise to tell you everything!" Shadow snapped with 75-years-worth of pent up fury and rage that made Maria draw back like she had been slapped.

He supposed he would feel sorry for yelling at her later, but right now he was too busy remembering how she had pushed him into the escape pod and gave her life to save his own. He remembered the select few times he had felt actual resentment towards Maria for foolishly dying on him; wondering if he would've been able to save her if she had just come with him and not been such a noble idiot. Still, this Maria hadn't done any of that yet, so he knew he needed to retain his composure.

"Shadow… I'm so, so sorry I made you angry, I truly am; I don't think I've ever made you angry with me before. It's just… I'm worried you may have rushed headlong into this decision without weighing all of your options carefully. I know you wanted the power to save my life but at what cost do these new abilities of yours come Shadow? We don't have the first clue who this Thomas person really is, what his past is about, or what his motives truly are." Maria whispered to him in a hurt, significantly more cowed tone as Shadow felt remorse well up inside him. Maria really was just looking out for him.

"I'm sorry for blowing up at you Maria; it just feels like you don't trust me to make my own choices sometimes. Can't you trust my judgment enough to give Thomas the benefit of the doubt?" Shadow implored her, hating how much it still hurt him- even after all these years- whenever Maria cried. She never shed a tear, but her gorgeous eyes were definitely shining and shimmering with excess water.

"I do trust you Shadow, I do… more than anything; it's Thomas that I don't trust." Maria whispered in a fractured tone. Shadow wondered how the day could've started out so well with him arriving in the past only for it to now fall apart at this moment. Thomas had been right, his decision to go through with this was definitely affecting Maria in a not-so-positive way and that was the final nail in the coffin containing his skepticism. That above all else convinced him that this was 100 percent real as he pulled her into a hug and planted a kiss on her pulse point, causing her to shudder and snuggle into him tighter as she cried in his arms.

"It's okay Maria, I'm not mad at you; even if I was I could never stay that way, not when you get this cut up about it. Please don't cry anymore, smile for me okay; even if Thomas is tricking us in some way we can find a way to make this work to our advantage. I know you trust me, and together… we can make the best of this." Shadow whispered while soothingly rubbing her back while he pulled away slightly only to kiss away her tears and then again on the tip of her cute little nose; causing her to giggle before she could stop herself.

"Oh Shadow, you really do know how to cheer a girl up; thank you for this. And I'm sorry I made you think I didn't trust you even for a second. And you're right, we can make this work; if Thomas is planning something nefarious, we'll find a way to stop him… with or without these new powers he gave you. Still, he hasn't done anything but seem to help us so far; he even gave you the power to cure me for seemingly nothing in return. Perhaps I judged him too hastily; I guess I'm just really protective of you. It's not that I doubt you can handle yourself; believe me I've seen what you can do even without your new upgrades… I suppose I just like being the one who looks out for you. Someone has to you know, especially when you're too busy looking out for everyone else to watch your own back half the time." Maria told him with an adoring, dazzling smile that had his entire body undergoing a whooshing sensation that was entirely, infinitely pleasant.

"I appreciate that Maria; just so long as you make sure your desire to protect me doesn't cost you your life I can accept that." Shadow whispered to her in response, knowing that he meant more than he said but also realizing Maria wouldn't notice the way his posture tensed slightly when he said that. Maria giggled before pulling him into a searing kiss on the lips that turned his brain to molten mush and caused his insides to coil and writhe in pure delight. Electricity, fire, ice, and all manner of other elemental sensations surged through his entire body with unimaginable vigor the moment her perfectly soft, supple lips met his in a heated frenzy.

He could've stayed like that forever and remained content for the rest of his existence; though he found himself hating the barriers that were still separating them. A deep thrum of desire rippled through him as Maria gently brushed his lips with her tongue and he moaned as she stuck her tongue in his mouth that very moment and the two of them pulled away for a second. Maria had the cutest little smirk on her face as she and Shadow kept their tongues sticking out and brushed them against each other without either one going into the other's mouth.

Their tongues painted and licked each other, Maria surprising Shadow with her boldness when she sucked on his tongue suddenly and nipped at his bottom lip. She started slowly laying him down along the jungle-like floor; their suppers lying forgotten to the side as the waterfall roaring overhead created a cascading rainbow and spritzes of drizzling water droplets sprayed them just enough to add a slight glisten to their skin or in Shadow's case, a slight dampness to his fur.

Shadow had never kissed or tongue wrestled with anyone before, but Maria had clearly been reading up on techniques like this from somewhere because the way she was kissing and playing with his mouth and tongue right now was making him want to forgo his earlier proclamation to wait earlier and fuck her brains out right then and there. He had to remind himself constantly that this was a 14-year-old version of Maria who didn't know he was 75; yet he caught himself wondering if she would even really care after she found out. He had the strangest feeling it wouldn't matter to her; assuming she was able to come to terms with the future he experienced without her. He knew that was going to be a really difficult conversation, but wouldn't trade having it with her for the world. He would do anything to let her in all the way right now without there being any consequences, but he was starting to believe that Thomas really knew what he was talking about.

He was currently laid out on the jungle floor, with Maria lying gently on top of him and peppering burning hot kisses along his jawline, his thin neck, and his lips a couple of more times as she gently nipped, sucked, and chewed his bottom lip. He jolted with a shock of pleasure when she suddenly moved over to run the tip of her tongue over, across, and around her earlobe; the sensation astonishingly pleasant especially since his ears were far more sensitive than a human's. Where on earth had Maria picked up these sinful techniques and why in the hell did he ever think he could live without her touch in the previous timeline?!

This was beyond the concept of pleasure; the things she was doing to his body right now made every one of his molecules scream in rapture! He realized something in the back of his passion-crazed mind; Maria had been waiting for this for nearly two-years, and she was making it damn well worth his while. Clearly she had read up on these techniques in preparation for this in case he ever gave into the feelings the both of them shared. Now more than ever, he regretted not taking a chance with her the first time around, but that just meant he'd have to double his efforts this time, and he was seriously looking forward to that.

They broke away from each other much too soon as the need for air became too great, but both of them were wearing giddy smiles and their hearts were racing happily in their chests. Shadow had been waiting for decades to do things like that with Maria, which sounded kind of creepy and pathetic when you thought about it, but he had never been able to move on. Maria had been the only girl he ever loved like this; the only other person like that being Molly who died during the galactic war against the Metarex. Even she was only a reminder of Maria though; because at the end of the day… this girl he held in his arms now was his first and last love. She was his endgame, and nothing and no one could ever change that.

"Shadow," Maria whispered, glancing at him with a flushed face, sparkling eyes, and a shockingly seductive smile on her face that had Shadow nervously gulping.

"Yes Maria, what is it?" He finally asked her, bracing himself for an onslaught of physical intimacy that he would need to somehow get out of.

"Are you sure we can wait for another three-and-a-half years before we go any further than this? Because honestly, I'm seriously questioning whether I can hold out that long!" She admitted completely unashamedly as Shadow's entire body clenched in response to the sexually charged atmosphere Maria was creating for them. She was only 14-years-old and she knew what she wanted already, and while Shadow wanted nothing more than what she was suggesting he felt deeply concerned about the immense age gap between them now. The problem of going back in time and merging with his younger self or whatever he did; Shadow still felt like his 75-year-old self, and whether Maria realized it or not she was barely a teenager in his eyes. He did love her, and he was willing to wait until she finished maturing, but that didn't mean she would understand the reason for all the chastity.

"We have to Maria." He finally said when he realized she wouldn't just drop it and continued gazing at him expectantly. She quirked an eyebrow at this statement, wondering what he meant by that as she decided to reply.

"And why's that; wait a minute. This has something to do with what you can't tell me as well, doesn't it?" She deduced, and Shadow had to applaud her astuteness. Nobody could accuse Maria Robotnik of being slow on the uptake; especially since her IQ was even higher than Eggman's would be in the future. Of course, Eggman was also in Mobius, and his IQ in a much more advanced civilization than earth made him better educated than both Maria and Gerald combined. He may not have been as smart as Maria, but he knew a helluva lot more. Shadow worried about how the source of Thomas's powers might affect him; now that Shadow himself was infused with its energy. Would his IQ skyrocket too literally beyond infinite heights; the thought of an ultra-competent, boundlessly brilliant Eggman made Shadow shudder involuntarily. Luckily for him, Maria didn't seem to notice and he nodded in silent confirmation to her question.

"I thought so. Shadow, secrets have a cost, they aren't for free. I just hope I can prove to you in the coming days that you can trust me with anything. I told you I trust you, now you need to do the same for me." She told him with a slightly hurt expression.

"It's not a question of trust Maria; it's a question of how much I can reveal to you all at once. I did say I will tell you everything didn't I? I just need you to wait for me a bit alright; everything will make sense eventually." Shadow whispered her as he held her gaze unflinchingly. Maria looked away from him and down at her feet, surprised by the almost inhuman intensity in her lover's eyes. Shadow seemed so much more mature today than normal, and if not for her gut instincts telling her it was him; she would've believed someone else had taken over Shadow's mind and body.

Still, she didn't know everything about him or his unique physiology so this sudden and overnight maturation could've been part of his development. Still, there were a few things that didn't add up. The way he burst into tears when he held her earlier this day was very strange; it made it almost seem like he hadn't seen her in years. She wished she could figure it out or that he would tell her everything without worrying about easing her into the truth. Then there was the matter of Shadow's supposed new abilities.

"Perhaps we should work together to see what kind of new abilities you have now, eh Shadow? It could be neat seeing what else you can do now, unless you already know. You definitely seemed to know a lot about your transformations." Maria commented.

"I knew which powers I had Maria, Thomas only enhanced them to the ultimate level or so he claimed. I'm still reeling from how much faster I ran earlier today compared to normal. I was moving and the entire ark and everyone in it was standing completely still in perpetual suspended animation. Then there's the comment he made about my Hyper Form and stuff and it makes me wonder what exactly this ZOF he keeps mentioning does exactly. I know it enhanced every one of my powers to a level beyond imagining, but I don't know enough about this ZOF itself or what else it does. Thomas wasn't exactly forthcoming when he made me the offer earlier today, though I don't think it's because he has something evil going on. I think he genuinely just wanted to surprise me. You should've seen him earlier when I first met him Maria; the dude's crazier than a shithouse rat but he acts like a giant kid. I'd be amazed if he had the capacity to hurt anyone without a very good reason for doing so." Shadow admitted, wanting to alleviate Maria's concerns about the man a little but also deciding to trust his gut on this.

"I'm still worried that could all be part of an act he does, but he hasn't done anything so far Shadow. I guess for now we can find out just how far your enhanced powers stretch or something. Though, if what he said is true then there isn't any instrument advanced enough to measure your full range of abilities now. We'll have to work on that at some point in the future. Also, we should really get to eating now." Maria giggled with a smile towards the end of her statement as she and Shadow picked up their respective plates and the Hedgehog frowned as he realized they were cold and smirked as he got an idea.

"Chaos Reheat," Shadow cried out suddenly, and both their eyes widened as a deep red light covered their plates of food for just a second before fading and leaving their food piping hot and steaming once more.

"I can't believe that worked." He admitted, while Maria could only nod.

"Unbelievable Shadow, I wonder what else you can do. I mean, if you can do anything you want just by shouting Chaos anything; maybe you're capable of anything." She whispered in astonishment.

There was a moment of silence between them as they ate and finished their plates in record time; Maria couldn't remember the last time she had been this hungry but she wasn't about to complain.

"Oh my God that was good." She moaned, and Shadow couldn't help but smile with glee at her drastic increase in appetite. He couldn't wait to see the look on the Professor's face when he did her next checkup in a week.

"Say Shadow… do you believe in God? I mean, after what Thomas just pulled I don't know what to think but what about you?" She suddenly asked him, and Shadow pondered the question in his mind for a while before settling on an answer he deemed satisfactory.

"I don't know either; I mean, after what Thomas did and what he seems to be capable of… I believe there's someone out there, pulling strings. Maybe that someone could've created our universe or even the Omni-Omniverse as Thomas calls it. I just think it's amazing that someone with so much power to do whatever the hell they want could care so much about us. It's… comforting for me to know this Maria." Shadow responded in delight, and Maria nodded in acceptance of his answer.

"We should probably get to bed." Maria finally said with a stretch and a yawn, the stretch causing her blue dress to stretch as well and accentuate her developing curves as Shadow looked away pointedly. He could wait until she was 18 for all that, and given that he cured her of her disease they weren't on a clock anymore to do that sort of thing before it was too late.

"I agree." Shadow concurred, and smirking he grabbed Maria and picked her up in a bridal hold, causing her squeal in delighted surprise. An infinitely tiny instant later, even from the perspective of the fastest beings in existence; they were in Maria's room and her eyes bulged in shock as her mind struggled to catch up to the sudden displacement of their surroundings.

"Wow." Was all she said in an astounded whisper, an open mouthed smile on her face when she recovered enough to speak coherently; Shadow allowed himself a smug smirk.

"Told you I was faster than ever," he bragged somewhat cockily as Maria giggled.

"You really weren't kidding; that WAS SO COOL! IT WAS JUST LIKE… BAM… WE WERE INSTANTLY SOMEPLACE DIFFERENT! Okay… calming down now, but serious Shadow that was amazing; I didn't even feel a rush of wind or anything. I didn't think any living could be that fast!" She exclaimed with overzealous passion.

After a few moments of them laughing together at the sheer absurdity of Shadow's current running speed; Maria began to strip naked right in front of him in order to change into her pajamas as Shadow abruptly and sharply turned away; his face as red as his eyes as he shouted all manner of profanity.

"Jesus Christ Maria; warn a guy before you do shit like that!" he reprimanded her halfheartedly; somewhat hating the fact that a part of him got off on this. 'The second that girl turns 18 I am going to start fucking her like there is no tomorrow. I'd do it right now and not give two shits about the age difference, but the less trouble we have from others when we do choose to do this the better. Besides, I don't want sex to be the only foundation for our relationship and the more we wait the more we can build up the anticipation.' He reasoned with himself, though he could sense that his resolve was going to be continually tested and maybe even broken given the way Maria was looking at him right now.

He could feel her lustful gaze burning a hole in the back of his head, and determinedly looked away from her as he somehow became aware of the fact that she was pouting playfully behind him. How he was so in tune with her thoughts, emotions, and every physical action even without looking at her was beyond him, but it had first started the second they kissed for the first time and now it was getting stronger the more they romantically interacted with one another. Perhaps it was another side effect of this ZOF thing, maybe it enhanced more than just his powers; was it possible that it also equally augmented his ability to love and bind himself to Maria in body, mind, heart, and soul. Shadow shook his head slightly, the very thought of that was insane and yet he couldn't shake it.

"Aww, come on Shadow; just think of it as a sneak preview. I mean, it's not like you won't be seeing all of this when you do decide you're ready for us to take this to the next level. Honestly, I'm ready now but if you want to wait… then I guess I'll have to settle for kissing and us spooning in bed. Seriously though, if you want I'd fuck you silly right now; I couldn't care less about the species difference, and I know you don't really mind either. I mean, what will we be doing in six months or a year from now that we can't do today hmm?" She purred with such sinful lewdness that Shadow shuddered and had to use all his willpower to not pop a boner. When did Maria, his sweet Maria… turn into such a sex goddess?

It was highly disconcerting to reconcile this Maria with the one he once knew, and he wondered how much of her more confident personality could be attributed to his changes to the timeline. He rather doubted so much had changed in the course of only a few hours, and he supposed that she would've behaved this way the first time around had he given her a chance as well.

"You're steadfast and stubborn Shadow, I'll give you that, but how long do you think you can keep this up I wonder?" Maria asked him while giggling and the sound of a zipping onesie filled his ears as she walked over to him and hugged him from behind.

"You can turn around now silly; I promise I'm not naked now." She reassured him as she took his hand and guided him slowly back to their bed. Shadow saw how it still looked new in this time period, the sheets and blankets a vibrant shade of blue compared to the version in his futuristic memories. The fact that he was sharing a bed with Maria again for the first time in so many years almost caused him to burst into tears again, but he managed to will them back this time as Maria slid under the covers and left the other side of the bed untouched for him to climb in after her. She pulled the covers over them both and wrapped both her arms around Shadow's waist before pulling him to her, his quills and back settling against her front as she pulled him up against her chest as though he were a back, soft, fluffy teddy bear. Their new dynamic made this position feel that much more intimate to Shadow, but he wouldn't have it any other way and leaned up against her harder before moaning with the most content he could ever remember feeling.

"Together forever, never apart," Maria whispered, starting their signature way of greeting each other as Shadow finished it with the warmest smile he'd ever worn in over 50-years.

"Shadow and Maria love each other with all their hearts." He completed the other half of their loving exchange, just as the two of them so completed each other.

"Sweet dreams… Shadow the Hedgehog; I love you." She whispered before closing her eyes in an effort to sleep as Shadow remained awake for a little while longer. Today had been a roller coaster ride of emotions for him, first with arriving in the past, confronting Thomas, and especially his small fight with Maria… but it had all worked out in the end and his first day back in the past was a success in his book. He knew that he still had a lot of work to do and so much to prepare for, but with Maria by his side he would gladly do it all over again an endless number of times. His world suddenly righted on its axis, and for the first time in 58-years he fell into the blissful oblivion of a dreamless sleep free from nightmares.

XXXXX

That night, as Maria and Shadow slept together in bliss and in content, Thomas was currently standing outside the Ark; though maybe floating was a better word. The ark was within his sight at all times, even while his ZOF Master-level omnipresence allowed him to be here and many other places in the Omni-Totality at once. He focused a lot of his attention here though, and allowed a fond smile to form on his face as the people on board the ark powered down for the night and went to bed.

"As I mentioned before; you two deserve a win for once, and whether you both trust me or not… nothing makes me happier than seeing the two of you together." Thomas whispered with adoration, despite the vacuum not being able to transmit sound and despite the fact that Maria and Shadow couldn't hear him. It was nice to pretend that they could though, and if he really wanted to he could make sound travel in a vacuum clearly enough for humans to pick up on it.

"You never could stand watching others suffer could you… not even in our first lives; not when you had the power to do something about it?" A voice suddenly interjected with admiration, a woman's voice that Thomas recognized all too well and which made him grin like an idiot with giddiness as said female materialized next to him.

She was absolutely breathtaking, with raven-colored hair as smooth and shiny as polished obsidian and twinkling emerald eyes glittering like stars in the night. She wore an off-white flower-print shirt with her midriff exposed and green surfer shorts that matched her eyes and showed a good deal of creamy white thigh. She was perfectly shaped and symmetrical, and her bust size was an impressive c-cup. At first glance, she looked no older than 20-years of age but her eyes told a different story; because though they twinkled with mirth, playfulness, and bliss… they also told the story of a woman who'd seen the turn of the Omni-Omniverse itself.

She was a being who had seen the endless rebirth of the Omega Omnisphere and who had seen and done things beyond all imagining. She'd also been called many different names and even had different faces throughout the ages. In this lifetime however, she was Selene Moon IB from her world's Alola Region, which was the name she was given when her mortal adoptive mother found her as a baby reincarnation of Serena 9BI in the Kanto Region of her latest home planet. She had forgotten who she was for a while, but eventually rejoined her reincarnated soul mate in their new life together… as ZOF Masters.

"I guess the more things change the more they stay the same." Thomas admitted calmly, for once acting his age and displaying some maturity as he refrained from flapping his hands about or acting like he was half-nuts. There was no need for that charade in this woman's presence, and she smiled at him as they held hands while floating out amongst the stars with no atmosphere to support them and only the stars and distant galaxies, universes, and Omega Omnispheres lighting their way.

"I'm proud of you Thomas; the ZOF would've just stuck these two with powers and just expected them to deal with it on their own… but you're willing to take the time out of your ever busy life to help, guide, and prepare them for their Zenith Omnidony destinies. You actually care about these people, and I couldn't be prouder. You may not always believe it, and you may act like a fatuous egotist to ward off any compliments people might throw your way, but you and I both know you're far kinder than you let on… don't we?" Moon smirked omnisciently at him, or as close to omniscient as anyone could be regarding him personally.

"They're good people Selene; they're going to affect changes on an Omni-Omniversal scale, so they need all the help and preparation for their destinies that they can get. I'll stick around as long as they need me, and I'll manifest here the second they call my name." Thomas responded as Moon smiled and kissed him along the jawline and then on the pulse point of his neck, making him lean his head on top of hers as they both pressed their bodies against one another.

"Don't forget about that tournament we're setting up though; the Pokémon portions of the various UV's out there need your attention too… though given your meta-omnipresence and omni-competence I'm sure you can tend to all matters at once. We both know you won't stop trying to help people; just remember there are people who love you and want to help you as well. I love you Thomas, and Lillie loves you, and so does Inverse Serena 9BI. You're one lucky bastard getting to bed three admittedly gorgeous women, and all three of us are your ESIT soul mates so make sure you spare some time and love for us eh?" She grinned cheekily as she brought him into a much more heated kiss on the lips… the both of them Kalosian kissing while floating amongst the stars and hearing the ESIT sing with joy in the presence of their bond… the two of them finally reunited after 2000 eternities of suffering.

When Selene pulled away and a line of drool connected her mouth and Thomas's, her expression was a tad more serious. "Just try not to suck up all the glory and let Shadow and Maria be the heroes here; this isn't even your story Thomas." She reminded him, though in truthfulness she knew he didn't need that reminder. But still, Thomas had been alone without her guidance for too long and she knew it would be a while before his heartache and despair finally ebbed away along with all the bad habits he picked up to distract himself from said headache.

"I won't Moon… trust me, I'm perfectly aware this is not my story. Now, let's say you and I take this funfest of ours elsewhere and leave the Ark and the people on board it to their devices hmm." He suggestively flirted with waggling eyebrows as Moon laughed.

"You're incorrigible Thomas, but sure… why the hell not? It's been days since our last romp and I'm as endlessly horny as ever." She replied with a frisky wink, and sharing a laugh the both of them vanished into the Omega Omnisphere lit night; the distant totalities of existence visible only to their all-seeing eyes as Shadow and Maria slept soundly and in blissful unawareness of the scene that just had taken place outside the Ark in the vacuum of space.

Author's Notes: And that was all he wrote folks. Seriously, I'm already liking the premise of this story a shit ton and I'm only two chapters in. Still, this wouldn't be much of a story if I didn't ask for your reviews and stuff, but keep comments polite and if you have anything constructively critical to say then say it otherwise flames and what not will be ignored. I'm also not interested in getting into a debate with people on things like whether or not I'm arrogant with the way I write because that doesn't help me either. If you can't find anything nice to say about my stories, then don't say anything at all. Anyways, have a good day people; Omniarch is signing off now.