Disclaimer: Maria isn't mine, and neither is Shadow or Gerald. The general story outline isn't either, but these circumstances of this version are, so if you take them, I will cry. And if you make me cry I'll send my Nameless Muse after you.

The Nameless Muse: Oh yeah, like I'll fight your battles for you.

I could always make you a hedgehog again. True, you make an awesome human bishonen with those black wings and the cool, dark hair, but you do just as good work as a hedgehog.

The Nameless Muse: Despite the fact that you can't draw me in either form.

Shut up, or I'm changing you into a talking green pile of mush.

The Nameless Muse: Shutting up.

Good boy. Now for some review answers, cause I haven't done them in forever and a day. -ahem-

Dragoness Fei - Yes, yes, praise me, for I am the shiz... -does weird-like godly pose- Though I must disagree on my story being better than your Shadows Of The Heart, since I got the inspiration of this fic from you and numerous other writers. Plus lots of downloaded information and some random Sonic X episodes....

Golbezandcrew - Well, as you can see I wrote more :D Now review some more and we'll both be pleased!

::"Just" Nen:: - Yeah yeah, we're all very impressed Jenny. Now if you'd live up to your word and read the other what, twelve or so stories you promised you would? But I luff you, cause your my bride. -lick-

Celestial the Hedgird - Hah! Another crazed fangirl like myself! I'll just add you to the list, and soon the rabid Shadow fans will rule! -evil laughter-

KiumuRo-Ku-Bee - Well, I wouldn't know about cute. He's more like annoying when he gets into my brains. All that silent brooder stuff? It's a lie. I can never get him to shut up. Stupid muses...

Shadow: HEY!!

Dragon Master Naya - Hey, it's you! I saw you on Deviantart, splendid stuffs there. And yay for Ness, cause it is just so cool.

gohan11 - The person of few words, allow me to answer with one of my own: awesome.

Chaos Flower - Hiya, haven't seen you around but I guess the vacation probably messed up your schedule real good. Glad to hear you like my story, but the Biohazard one ish rockin' happy-like. And I saw you on Deviantart too. (Nice job Flower, breaking priceless Ming vases like that. -rolls eyes- :p)

And now, on with the show, cause you all are just dying to shut me up and get to reading. :p

"Sometimes, I find myself wondering what my purpose is...why I was created. And, I think maybe, if I go down there to Earth....I'll find the answers I'm looking for...maybe..."

Among the metallic walls of the space colony ARK, silence reigned above all else. Maria Robotnik had learned this at a very young age, almost seven years ago, when she'd found out that her visit to the steel and iron fortress was to be her last. Not because she would never return, on the contrary. The blonde haired girl was now forever trapped inside of the scientific breakthrough, the greatest masterpiece in all history. Trapped, by her own weakness.

Maria had been diagnosed with a severe illness called Neuro Immunodeficiency Syndrome, also known as NIDS, from birth, but her parents were informed that with proper care, she would stay healthy, and there would be no need for extreme measures. However, in the end, they found she would be safer on ARK, were disease did not easily rear its ugly, and for Maria, fatal head. So after a tearful farewell, and great persuading on Professor Robotnik's part, her parents descended to Earth, leaving Maria with her grandfather on the colony.

It was the last time she saw them.

In the middle of its journey back to Earth, the shuttle Maria's parents had ridden on had somehow been damaged, supposedly by an unseen dent in the outer hull near where the bulky liquid fuel was kept. The area's shielding had been thinned, and during the trip to Earth, it broke open, sucking all of the fuel out of the shuttle. At the same time, the planet's gravitational field seized control of the ship, bringing the metal bulk down to land in an infused mass of steel and flesh. There were no survivors.

Maria was an orphan, but her parents' guardianship had already been passed to her grandfather prior to the accident, so there was no federal fuss to struggle through. Maria had become quiet and withdrawn in the years after her parents' demise, keeping to herself, which was made remarkably easy by the large colony, and small scientist crew.

The girl was positive that her selfish wish to keep her parents was what took them away, and as a result, relinquished all her former desires, focusing on one in particular: to help all the people of the Earth, in a way that would keep them all safe and happy forever. She could never achieve this she knew, but she tried as hard as she could to help everyone on the ARK, in little ways that were noticed, and praised.

However, it was not the wish that kept her going, but a search.

As Maria grew and matured, she never forgot what had happened so many years ago, when she had been saved from certain death by a strange hedgehog. She used every advantage she had to find out more about him, but there wasn't much information to locate. Most of the notes she read on her grandfather's computer had to do the prototype Ultimate Lifeform, which she learned was the monster lizard who would've killed her had it not been for the hedgehog's intervention.

She did however find one promising file, stating that the original Ultimate Lifeform, codenamed Project: Shadow, was placed under dormant conditions after an experiment that failed when outside factors were brought into play without the over-seer's knowledge.

On the same date as the incident.

Maria had been taught from a child to never believe in coincidence, and concluded that that two were one and the same. After that it was simply a matter of finding the Project: Shadow's actual location on ARK, a quest which at first had seemed wonderfully simple, since the file had contained a link to information on that as well. Not entirely to her surprise, the location she sought was locked from her DNA, and well guarded. While Maria was ahead of most young people her age in the mental sense, she was not as much of a genius as her grandfather when it came to computers. So she bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment.

It finally came.

Because her grandfather had spent the last several years experimenting diligently on the Prototype, the creature had grown to a colossal size, almost four times as large as it had been when it had nearly done her in. In all that time, it's temper hadn't improved at all. In fact if it was four times larger, it was certainly ten times as foul tempered. As a result, it had to be constantly monitored, and could not be subjected to pure Chaos energy. So whenever the thing threw a fit, every scientist and guard went straight to it.

Such was the perfect time to free her savior.

The fit was particularly violent that day, it shook the entire colony, and the roaring the creature made was deafening. It probably forced the walls to tremble more the the monster stomping and throwing itself against the wall did.

It took longer than she'd hoped to bypass the genetic block, but when she finally did get through, she was beyond amazed. The large was twice as large as the observation deck, where she'd spent most of her free time staring down at the beautiful blue planet the colony revolved around, and by far dimmer. All around its perimeter, were computers and severs, lined neatly and so well that most of the floor was left bare.

And in the very center of the room, was a large tank, filled with an acidic yellow fluid, in which floated the silhouette....of a hedgehog.

Maria rushed to the cylinder and used her sleeve to wipe away the condensation that had formed on the glass. Her sleeve immediately clung to her skin, wet with the frigid water, but she took no notice. She squinted into the smeared glass, and slowly a triumphant smile crept its way across her face, for beyond the clear shield, hooked with multiple wirings and fitted with a mask for air, was the same red streaked hedgehog from her childhood.

She began to bustle about the room, tapping the password in every lock and computer console she came to, all of which were the same, as her grandfather had insisted on. What was even stranger was that the password was, in fact, Maria's own name in computer language.

After everything was unlocked, a loud hissing sound filled the room, the sound of the liquid draining from the capsule. As soon as it had reached a low enough level, the glass slid upward, and the hedgehog, which had been lowered to partially stand, and somewhat lean on the glass, fell forward, wires and mask still attached. The blonde preteen hurriedly pulled away the wires, grimacing as the small animal gave muffled whimpers into her thick jacket-like vest. Finally the mask was yank away, much to the hedgehog's obvious discomfort. The creature gagged and coughed heavily, clutching her like a lifeline.

Maria gave him time to recover, knowing that he wouldn't be active right away. He'd been locked up for several years, and she doubted that her dear grandfather had ever taken him out of the tank during that time period. So instead of rushing the furry to his feet, she cradled him gently, smiling when his eyelids twitched and pulled back to reveal the same brilliant crimson eyes she seen at the age of five.

He seemed unfocused for a while, an eternity to Maria's stiffening arms. However, the moment he began to push away from her to see his surroundings, it felt like it had only been seconds ago. The half-unconscious hedgehog struggled to his feet, nearly tripping over them, and turned to try and peer at her face.

He made a movement to reach for her hair, but Maria intercepted his hand and placed her palm against his. The furry stared blurrily at their hands, before switching his gaze back to his rescuer. Maria smiled back at him.

"I'm Maria." She said softly, taking her hand away and running it over the red stripe on his foremost center quill, smile growing at the sound of his sleepy purr. "Pleased to meet you, Shadow..." The hedgehog suddenly leaned heavily against her, chest still rumbling as he fell asleep. She continued petting him even as she pushed herself to her feet, humming a soft lullaby while rocking him gently. She'd only just stepped into the hallway when she heard her grandfather's voice from behind her.

"What are you doing...?"

And that's a wrap for chapter two!

Sonic: .......

Shadow: What are you doing?

Sonic: ...thinking....

O-o ...that's kinda scary.....

Sonic: ..no, it's just...you and the Nameless Muse have the same initials...

Shadow: ..you just now noticed? We've been stuck here a year almost. Isn't that right, Moonshine?

.... o--o

Shadow: ....Um...Moonshine?

....................wow..........we really do have the same initials....

Shadow: -.-'