Shadow paced around impatiently, Sonic was tapping his foot and Amy was swinging her feet, finally a man in a white coat came, "Mr. Sonic?" Sonic came up, "Well we were able to save her unfortunately she lost so much blood in her legs, she will be paralyzed for quite some time." "How long?" Amy asked her voice quivering, "How long until she can walk again?" "In minimum I have to say she will at least be confined to a wheel chair for a year at the most seven years. We have therapy to help her though it, so don't you worry about it." "May we go in and see her?" Sonic asked, "Yes." They all ran down the hall way, and opened the door, to see Maria in a white bed, she looked at them, "Why do I have to be in a wheel chair? Is something wrong?" "You're going to have to, to get better." Amy said. Maria smiled, "Okay, but that means I can't run on the beach? Or be able to swim?" Amy sadly shook her head, "But the doctors are going to help you." Maria hesitated, "Not forever?" "No, not forever." Amy said her eyes brimming with tears "Amy why are you crying is it something bad?" Amy hugged her, "No, not at all, not at all." Amy stopped hugging her, and looked in back of her, "Shadow and Sonic are here to." "Yay!" Maria bounced up and down in the bed, and Amy smiled at the small child, 'Oh god she's so innocent even after everything that has happened, but now she's normal again, no powers, no angels. Just her, and I like it that way.' She turned to behind her "I'll give you and Shadow some alone time with her." Amy walked out of the door, and closed it behind her Shadow and Sonic watched her leave so did Maria. Sonic turned to Maria, "How ya doing kid?" "Good!" Maria said happily, Sonic grinned, "What are you so happy about?" "Why shouldn't I be happy?" "No reason." "Why are you blue Sonic? And why is Shadow red and black?" Sonic sweat dropped, "Uhhh, I'm blue because that's how my family gene pool is and Shadow is his color because he's Shadow." "Oh. So does the sky have a gene pool to because it's blue? But then it's red and pink sometimes to...so why are there so many colors in the sky?" Sonic smiled sheepishly, "Uhh because...uhh...Shadow can explain this one." Shadow looked up at Sonic smirking, "Figures, Maria when you have a question you have to ask me because Sonic over there knows nothing." Maria looked at Sonic, "Really?" Sonic shook his head, "No I know things, just not scientifically things." Shadow grunted, and Maria looked at the two of them, "I dun get it." Sonic grinned, "Don't worry you will." Maria looked outside, "I want to go outside." She said simply, "You can't Maria you still are in recovery." Shadow said sternly, "But you guys can come, and push me around or I can even push myself around, I just wanna go outside, please?" Maria looked at Sonic then to Shadow hopefully, Sonic smiled, "I'll go ask the doctors." He ran out of the room leaving Shadow alone with Maria, "Shadow, have you ever been to the beach?" Shadow looked at Maria, "No, I haven't." "Maybe you, me, Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles can go to the beach and stuff!" Shadow looked at her, "You don't like it in here do you?" "Not really it's all white, white is such a boring color!" Shadow looked at Maria, and walked over and picked her up, so he was giving her a piggyback. Maria put her arms around his neck, "Where we going?" "To the beach," "Shouldn't we wait for Sonic?" "He's slow, by the time he gets back here we'll both be old and gray." Maria smiled, "Do you know where the beach is?" "Nope." "Shouldn't we ask?" "Nope." "Why?" "Because we can have our own adventure." "Kay!" Maria bobbed her head happily and Shadow took off, Maria was laughing, he held onto her tight, she watched all of the buildings go by, and soon they came to a beach, "Shadow, what does the sand feel like?" "Smooth, it feels like salt if you get little pieces of it, here." Her let her down gently and she picked up the sand letting it sink through her tiny hands, she smiled, "This is fun!" Shadow smiled at the small child, who looked up at him, "Can we make a sandcastle?" Shadow nodded and he got some wet sand and Maria felt it, "Why is this all muddy like?" "Because it was in the ocean water." "Okay!" Shadow helped Maria build it soon, they were finished, Shadow looked at it, and noticed Maria had some sand on her face he chuckled a bit, "Man you are something Maria." "Something good or something bad?" "Good." She looked over to the water, "Can you bring some water over to me?" "No. I'll take you over to the water, and I'll hold you up so your feet can touch the water and sand, take off your shoes." Maria nodded and took off her little shoes and socks, Shadow supported her and picked her up and steadied her in the water, "Wow! It's really cool!" Maria said happily, "Look Shadow a sea shell! Can you pick it up, it looks like one of those shells you put up to your ear and you can hear the ocean's roar!" Shadow carefully bent down still supporting the child and picked up the shell. And gave it to Maria she clenched it and he picked her up from the water and told her to sit on the sidewalk for a second, he zoomed into the hotel and bought a towel, he raced back to Maria who was still holding the shell but was now looking at the sun, "Looky! It's red Shadow! Like your stripes...why do you have stripes and Sonic don't?" "Because I'm the coolest." "Okay!" He dried off her feet and helped her put back the shoes back on, she smiled, "Thank you for bringing me here Shadow! It was really fun!" Shadow had to smile, 'She reminds me of myself so much except I'm Maria back at the ARK she thinks I know everything, funny how fate can twist life.' "Hey Shadow! Look the first star, I heard if you see the first star you can make a wish what would you wish for?" "Can't tell you otherwise it wouldn't come true." "Ohh yea, I knew that!" "C'mon Maria we have to go back to the hospital." "We hafta?" "Yes we hafta." He picked her up, and ran back to the hospital.

Sonic waited at the entrance he knew where Shadow had taken Maria, he had followed them and was glad Shadow did take her, Amy on the other hand was a bit angry but he figured Shadow could deal with Amy, he had seen how they had built a sand castle, and he knew they would be back soon, sure enough he saw Shadow running down the street with Maria on his back, Shadow stopped and grinned, "Okay we are back, now come on we have to get you in your wheel chair." "Do I hafta?" "Yes you hafta, we've been over this a million times." "No only twice." Shadow walked over to the hospital entrance Sonic saw him roll his eyes, he stopped leaning against the wall, "So Shadow, Maria how nice of you to join us again." "Are we busted?" Maria asked, "No I told Amy where you went before hand she's just a little angry at Shadow for not telling her." Shadow looked up at Maria, "See told you." Maria nodded, "I'll make sure she isn't mad at cha Shadow." Shadow smiled, "Okay now come on faker show us where her wheel chair is."