AN: Sooooo readers, what do you think of the story so far? I'm not sure what to think since there's hardly any reviews. Am I making the chapters too short or too long? R&R please? :)
Maria gave up trying to break up their bickering. She looked over at Shadow, his red eyes she found gazing at her. She swore he blushed a bit before looking another direction. She smiled to herself with a small giggle. She slipped away from the girls and led Shadow outside by the hand.
"Come on Shadow, you look bored," She smiled at the dark hedgehog. "I want to go out site-seeing!"
He calmly began his usual run while holding her hand.
"Whoa Shadow! I can't run as fast as you!" Maria shouted.
He looked back at her surprised.
"You don't have any running abilities?" He questioned.
She looked down embarrassingly.
"I only have a heightened hearing ability but that's kinda it-" She giggled nervously.
Shadow just picked her up bridal style and picked up speed with running.
"Well I think it's a unique ability. Now hold on tight," He smiled down at her.
Maria held him as he advised. One thing she noticed as the green fields whizzed by her was that she couldn't hear Shadow running.
His shoes, they hover off the ground when he runs. And it seems he's traveling faster than the speed of sound...So that's why he's able to sneak up on me. Maria realized.
"We're here," Shadow murmured to her. Maria blinked twice.
"Oops!" She yawned and letting herself out of his hold. "I must've fallen asleep, where are we?"
"Look," He pointed behind her.
Maria turned and awed at the view of being on top of a mountain.
"It's incredible!" Her jaw dropped.
"Listen Maria, about what I said earlier. I'm sorry about upsetting you." He said to her remorsefully.
She looked back at him.
"Oh no hard feelings Shadow. Really, I'm fine," The girl nervously laughed it off.
"Well I don't think it's fine," He said more sternly. "If something about me upsets you, just tell me. I'm not used to having you around again, so it'll take time for me to treat you the way I should treat you."
"Oh Shadow, it's just me. I'm not the president or anything," Maria chuckled lightly.
"No you aren't. That's the way I like it. You're you Maria. You're no one else and that's what makes you the most special girl to me, " Shadow explained in a more passionate tone.
This took Maria by surprise.
It took Shadow by surprise that he was telling her this.
Am I really going to pour out my feelings for her now? I should just go with it..
"Do you really mean that?" Maria asked awestruck at his words.
"O-Of course I do, you have that place in my heart no one else can ever take," Shadow cleared his throat hesitantly. "I really like you-No I don't like you-"
"You don't like me?" Maria questioned sadly.
"No,no,no! I mean I don't just like you. I-" Shadow stopped to take a look at her confused expression.
He took in a heavy sigh to calm himself and then hugged her tightly.
"Maria, what I'm trying to say is that I love you."
He felt her arms embrace him back.
"I love you too Shadow!" She happily responded.
The black hedgehog didn't have time to process her response; he felt a light kiss graze his cheek. The world around him seemed to have stopped at that moment. Just then he felt her head jerk upward with a gasp escaping her.
"Shadow! We're surrounded by Eggman's robots! I hear them about to fire at us!" She trembled.
Quickly, Shadow got a firm grip around Maria and leapt them behind a bush. They dodged the rays by just a second. They all came out then. They were large round red robots, about ten feet high all with Eggman's symbol displayed proudly on their torsos.
"Stay here," He told the frightened girl.
Shadow leapt from his hiding area hoping the robots will see him as the main target. He Spin-Dashed straight at the first two figuring a simple move like that would finish them. But it didn't. His attack didn't scratch their surfaces!
"Hand over the emerald." They all ordered Shadow in synch.
"Oh, you mean this emerald?!" Shadow smirked taking out his green emerald from his back quills.
"Chaos Blast!"
The first three robots exploded to his attack.
"Put me down!" Maria screamed.
Shadow turned and saw one of the remaining robots lifting her by her delicate arms. The other robot prepared its aim for her!
"Let her go! Chaos Spear!" Shadow threw two of his spears hitting one robot each. Luckily with one shot and they were down. He leapt in the air to catch a screaming Maria.
"Oh thank you Shadow!" She awed him out of breath.
"Are you hurt?" His immediate response was.
Then he saw it. The blood was already staining his glove; it came from a large cut along her forearm.
"It doesn't look too deep. I'm sure I'll be fine Shadow," Maria attempted to assure the worried hedgehog.
He didn't say anything, he held her firmly as he ran down the mountain.
"Shadow are you mad at me?" Maria asked now feeling guilty for burdening the strong hedgehog.
If only I could be stronger.
"No Maria," She felt him cradling her close. "I'm just worried for your safety."
"I'm safe now, because of my hero," She nuzzled her head against his shoulder.
She chuckled when she heard his heartbeat accelerate to her response.
So prideful but you can't hide it, the yellow hedgehog smiled to herself.