A creation and more
Fun and games
It has been a little over a month since Shadow's so called birth and his development was way above what everyone was expecting. His speed and strength shocked all the scientists that played a part on project Shadow and Shadow continued to surpass all expectations and more. Shadow's immune system was indestructible rendering him physically and mentally incapable of all known illnesses and deceases which pleased Professor Gerald to no end.
At this very moment it was early afternoon and both Shadow and Maria were in the games room that was specially put together just for the two of them. They were sitting on the floor with a deck of cards out and in motion.
Maria decided she would teach Shadow a few card games and the particular game she had in mind was go fish. She had already taught Shadow how to play many of the board games they had in that room to occupy them with so naturally it was different card games next on the list to teach Shadow.
They were in the beginning of the first round of go fish and already Shadow was finding the game confusing and a little pointless.
"Erm so let me get this straight, if I don't have the cards you ask for then I have to say go fish even though it has nothing to do with actual fishing…" Shadow asked as he studied the deck in his hands.
"That's right, its called go fish because you fish for another card to add to the deck in your hand." Maria answered with a smile waiting for shadow to take his turn.
"Also I'm not allowed to ask for a card that I do not posses in my hand. Why can't I just ask for any card?" Shadow asked as he looked up from his deck so he looked at his close friend for an answer.
"Its just the way the game is played Shadow, every game has a set of rules so that its fair for whoever is playing." Maria calmly explained to the black and red hedgehog in front of her.
"I see so I cant ask you for, say any A's…I mean aces if I don't have any in my hand therefore I would have to do some erm fishing…" Shadow concluded with a slightly confused look and tilting his head slightly to one side.
"I know it's a little strange but as you play more of the game you will get the hang of how its played…its your turn so ask away." Marie said with a soft look of understanding in her eye's.
"Alright…Do you hold any of those K's in you hand?" Shadow asked with a unsure smile.
"Go fish!" Was all Maria said, signalling Shadow to pick up a card from the pile on the floor.
The game went on for a good half an hour before they both got bored of playing it. Shadow did eventually get the hang of playing but never won a single match agenised Maria, still being new to the way's of go fish.
"Ok Shadow there is another card game I wish to teach you its called snap and its really easy to play." Maria said as she dealt out all the cards between them both.
"So how do you play this game?" Shadow asked once Maria finished dealing out all the cards also hoping the game didn't require pointless fishing that didn't involve fishing in some way.
"Well to start with you don't look at the cards you are dealt with so you can stop that…right alls you have to do is say snap when you see a pair that are the same but in order to snap at a pair we both take it in turns flipping one card down at a time until a pair come up then as I said you say snap claiming the cards as your own. The one that ends up with all the cards is the winner." Maria explained the best she could so Shadow would understand.
"Alright so who goes first? Is there some sort of ritual to pick who that is?" Shadow then asked innocently.
Maria rolled her eye's and giggled a little at Shadow's questions.
"No there isn't a ritual of any kind and I'll go first so you get an idea on what to do." Maria replied then flipping a card down to reveal a 6.
Shadow watched very closely on Maria's actions and copied her move when it was his turn.
"SNAP!" Shadow shouted out causing Maria to jump a little.
"What? No Shadow that not a snap I put down a 6 you put down a 2, so they are not a snap." Maria explained sighing a little.
"Yes it is, they are both those heart suits so it's a snap." Shadow argued back while crossing his arms over his chest and smirking at his best friend.
"Yes ok you are partly right they are the same suit but the way snap it played is you say snap when it's the same numbers, kings, queens, jacks and aces not the suits…do you understand because by the way you are looking at me, you seem very confused." Maria said in a soft tone.
Shadow was looking a little confused and somewhat fed up from these card games he was being taught. He uncrossed his arms and took a little moment to process what Maria said to him in his mind.
"Ok so let me see if I've got this…your not allowed to say snap when it come to the suits only at the numbers and letters but what if there the same colour…err I'll take that as a no then." Shadow said as Maria sighed loudly at the question on colours.
"Just snap at the pairs of numbers and letters and nothing else comes into the equation ok." Maria stated as she flipped a card down.
Shadow nodded and did the same, without the loud snap this time round. The game went on for a long time, well that's what it felt like to Shadow who wasn't particularly interested in the game but played anyway. Whatever made Maria happy he would persevere with.
By half way through the second game of snap Shadow started actually getting into the game and he found himself enjoying it. Although it might of had something to do with the fact that he was winning the game they not to long ago started. With his sharp sight and speed he was becoming unbeatable at snap with every game they played.
"Snap...O look I've won yet again..." Shadow boasted as he collected all the cards for the sixth time in a row.
"Well that's because your using your speed to get there before me. In a way I can claim that your cheating." Maria said in a matter of fact to her hedgehog friend.
"O no you don't. I have not done this cheating thing you claim of. You failed to say in the beginning how fast you can snap the snap so therefore I didn't cheat." Shadow defended himself with a playful smirk towards Maria.
Maria at that came to a realisation that Shadow was infact right...for once. She did fail to state that he couldn't use his super speed to snap at a pair. Sighing a sigh of defeat she allowed this one to slide.
"Ok Shadow this time you're not allowed to use your speed, that way I might get the chance to win...at least." Maria cheerfully announced with a smile.
"Do we have to play another game of snap, we've played 7 games of that already and quite frankly I'm bored of it. Do you know any more games we can play?" Shadow asked as he fiddled with the deck of cards in his hands.
Maria thought on what else she could teach Shadow that wasn't too difficult for him to understand and learn.
"Erm...we could play a game I like to call two's and three's. It's basically trying to get 2 of a kind and 3 of a kind. One starts with five cards in their hand while the other starts with six. The one with six cards goes first and puts a card down they don't need or want. Each player takes it in turn to pick up a card and if they need that card they picked they swap it for one they don't and put that one down on the faced up pile. If someone puts a card down that you need then you can pick that card up and put one down you don't need. It continues like that until someone gets three of a kind and two of a kind...I think I lost you didn't I" Maria explained to a very confused Shadow.
"I would say so yes...ok, ok what you're saying is we have to get 2 of the same and three of the same by...exchanging cards from the pile on the floor until one of us...succeeds in accomplishing the goal of two of a kind and three of a kind...I assume we are going but the numbers and letters of the cards and not suit and colour..." Shadow concluded trying to make sense of it all.
"Yes that's basically the way to go about it...So do you want to play?" Maria asked in a soft tone.
Shadow took his time thinking about it. He didn't really want to carry on playing all these card games. Shadow had an idea of his own so he put the cards to one side, stood up and took a couple of steps towards Maria so he was in front of her.
"Tag your it!" Shadow said to a shocked Maria, tagging her with one of his finger then shooting in a somewhat jog to the entrance door.
Shadow turned around and looked at his friend with a huge smile on his muzzle enticing her to chase after him. Maria smiled back and got up. She then dashed for Shadow. Shadow saw this coming, turned back around and moved right at the last minute jogging down the corridor.
Shadow's jogs were like Maria's runs but just a little faster so everything was in some ways fair in this game of tag.
"Can't catch me Maria!" Shadow happily called behind him to the blond girl on his trail.
"Bet I can..." Maria called back laughing, now only a few feet away from the hedgehog in front of herself.
Shadow looked behind himself and smirked at Maria. He could see she was catching up with every step. Shadow then noticed Maria's eyes started to widen as she started to slow down and that confused Shadow a little but not for long. He quickly found out why because he roughly bumped into someone and the both of them fell onto the floor with a light thud.
Maria skidded to a halt and looked at the two on the floor. She tried not to giggle at Shadows misfortune, she really did but accidentally let rip into a fit of giggles. Shadow looked up to who he bumped into and his eyes went wide with shock. He quickly got up and helped the poor human to his feet.
"I'm sorry Professor I didn't mean to crash into you like that. We were just…" Shadow apologised to his creator and father but was unable to finish his sentence due to being cut short.
"Shadow! How many times do I have to tell you not to run in the corridors and especially to always look where you're going…" Gerald stated in an angry and loud tone as he straightened himself out.
Shadow flattened his ears to the back of his head and looked down to the floor. He gave a sad and an apologetic look to the floor. Maria was frozen in shock at hearing her grandfather shout like that, she has never heard him shout in anger before therefore she too looked sorry for the whole situation.
Gerald softened his look at his son/creation and sighed. He didn't mean to be so harsh, it was just that he was under a lot of pressure and stress no thanks to GUN. Gerald kneeled down to Shadow's level and he put one of his hand on Shadows shoulder then lifted Shadow's head up with the other hand so eye contact could be made.
"Its alright Shadow just look where your going ok. I know you and Maria were only playing and I'm sorry for shouting at you, it was uncalled for. I've been under a hell of a lot of stress lately but that is no excuse to take it out on you. I'm truly sorry, to the both of you." Gerald softly apologised with a small smile.
"Stress…is there anything I can do to help you with Professor?" Shadow asked in a serious tone as his creator/father stood up.
Gerald looked at shadow and a warm smile spread across his face at what Shadow had asked. He felt proud that Shadow was turning out exactly the way he wanted him to, kind and caring. He supposed he had his granddaughter to thank for that, she was a brilliant example for him to follow.
"Shadow that is nice of you to offer your help but this is one of those situations you cannot help me with but I do appreciate your concern and offer." Gerald answered in a sincere tone and gave a loving smile to his son.
"Are you sure there is nothing we can do grandfather?" Maria asked in a sweet voice.
"I am sure my dear…why don't you both continue your game and be a bit more careful this time round…I have to be going so I shall see you both later for dinner. Have fun now, bye." Gerald said then rushed off somewhere.
"Well that was unexpected." Shadow said as he stared in the direction the Professor rushed off in.
Maria nodded in agreement then remembered something important about their game of tag.
"Tag…your now it Shadow…catch me if you can!" Maria said lightly pushing Shadow out of his trance.
Shadow blinked a few times as he watched Maria rush down the same way the Professor went down. That made him realise he was now it.
"Hay that's cheating Maria…no fair." Shadow shouted down the corridor and then raced after her with the biggest smile upon his muzzle…
Shadow's life couldn't get any sweeter then it already was and nothing could possibly ever change that…so it seemed…