Chapter 12

The six of them started looking at old documents that were scattered around as their 'something to do' for the time being. The room was chalked full of notes from research folders from Professor Gerald or others on the ARK.

"Hey what's Project: Angel?" Tails asked as he pulled a folder out from others.

"I don't know," Maria answered walking over to the fox and taking the folder from him. She looked at it and saw G. Robotnik on it, "It's got Grandpa's name but I don't remember any Project called Angel." The others came over to see was this folder was all about.

"So are you going to open it?" Sonic asked out of curiosity. Maria looked at him and smiled.

"Um...yeah," She said with confidence. She opened the folder and they all stared to read the contents that were hidden inside of so many years.

-XXX-

Project: Angel

Creation: Accidental

Notes: I am so sorry my dear Maria. If you do find this, find Log 760 and start from there.

That was it. There was nothing more in the folder. The six of them looked at each other and then to the computer. Maria was the first one to spring over to it and start looking.

"Found it!" She shouted and the rest came running.

-XXX-

Log: 760

Something happened today. Over the past few weeks after the incident with the Bio-Lizard, it has seem as if the treacherous attack is now far out of the minds of the Ultimate Lifeform and my granddaughter. I was doing a blood check on Maria today to see how her NIDS was...and...

There was no trace left, as if it was cured over night. She was completely free of it. Like a miracle.

More testing well done on her on a later date.

Log: 761

Maria came to my office today and asked if she could hold one of the Chaos Drives. She told me that she could feel energy coming off of it although it was faint. She then proceeded to put it back on my desk and said that Shadow was coming as they were in a mid game of hide-and-seek. If the Ultimate Lifeform didn't show up 30 seconds after she said that, I would have told her that she was delusional.

There is something strange about her now that I can't put my finger on.

Log: 762

I have made a grave mistake that will most certainly impact my granddaughter's life in the future.

I took another sample of blood from Maria. It seems as if she is now a secondary lifeform. She can sense Chaos Energy. Any machine will never compare to her. I feel that she was trained with her new found abilities, she would master it and be the first and only human to be able to perform Chaos Attacks like the Ultimate Lifeform, though not as strong. I have made two silver inhibitor rings that will express her energy where the gold one on the Ultimate Lifeform depresses his. I hope she will never need them. If GUN finds out about her and her abilities, they would use her as a weapon for acts of war.

His blood was the only match. We had none on hand to do a transfusion for her.

Maria, I am terribly sorry. I hope one day you will be able to forgive me.

-XXX-

They stared at the screen in shock.

"He used Shadow's blood...to save you?"Rouge asked.

"He made Shadow a perfect match to me in case anything happened," Maria started, trying her best to wrap around what she had just read. Her hands on her temples, her eyes closed trying to think.

"I'm not over the fact that 'Edgy the Hedgy' played hide-and-seek," Sonic snorted. Maria opened her eyes and glared at the blue hedgehog, as if to give him a warning to knock it off.

"Right. I think we've done a lot today. Let's go find the kitchen and then get some sleep and we start fresh tomorrow," Rouge stated. The other's nodded and Maria led the way to the kitchen.

-XXX-

Dinner went as well as it could. It was a lot of freeze dried foods that were rehydrated and heated up. Not terrible but not great. Maria led them to the living quarters where everyone said their goodnights and went into their separate rooms. Maria entered into her old room and laid down on the bed.

She couldn't sleep, not after everything that happened today. Her mind was a floodgate of questions and she had a feeling that she would never get the answers she wanted from it. Done with tossing at turning in her bed, she got up and went back to the room in which they woke in. She watched the stars and the Earth, longing to be back down there and find her friend.

Footsteps came from the dark. Maria looked over her shoulder and saw Sonic.

" Hey," he said mid yawn walking over to her. Maria smiled.

"Hey," she replied back. They both stared into the inky blackness void of space with its white glittery stars. Maria had decided that standing was starting to be too much effort and sat down on the floor, Sonic following with her.

"Can't sleep."

"Nope."

"Rough day?" he asked jokingly.

"You can say that," Maria replied with a laugh.

They sat in silence looking at the dark just enjoying the other's company.

"Hey um," Sonic started. Maria looked over at him. He seemed to be a bit fidgety almost nervous.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"I just-you know what, never mind."

"You want to know what and how it happened, don't you? On that day?" Maria asked. Sonic looked at the floor and gave a small nod. She gave a small sad smile.

"Alright. I'll tell you what I remember."

-XXX-

AN: I'm glad to be back writing again. Forgot how much fun it is. R&R