"How" Peach/Maria asked in surprise pulling away from the hedgehog. "I always had my suspicions," Shadow replied "I mean you look just like her, you act like you've lived way longer than you should and I always sensed some form of chaos energy inside you. This just proves it." Peach/Maria took a step back looking down at her hands "I always had these visions where I was somebody named Maria. I always thought I was hallucinating and going crazy but, I just had one that made me feel like maybe they were the memories of my past life coming back" Shadow took her hands again "you're not crazy" "how can you know that" "I just know. Tell me about the memories I was in and I'm sure I'll remember them to."
Maria took a deep breath "the first vision I had with you in it came a few years ago. I was sitting in the gardens admiring the lilacs when suddenly I was in a lab. My grandfather was explaining something to me. He spoke of an ultimate life form which would be able to do amazing things and could be my friend. He led me to this giant test tube and I saw you for the first time just floating there. That's about when it ended and I was back in the gardens." So, they continued on like that for a while Peach/Maria recounting her visions/memories and Shadow confirming that he remembered them as well.
Eventually as the night passed on the pair reached Maria's most recent vision "I remember everything going black after the last vision and in this one I wake up in a lab and ask if I died. The scientist said yes but, they brought me back to life in a new body a body without my disease a body that could switch between human and hedgehog at will. Then they told me I was going to be sent to earth and placed into the royal family of the Mushroom Kingdom." Shadow stood up from the rock he was seated on the nighttime sounds of the forest interrupted by his outburst "you can be a hedgehog too! You should try it!" "I have no idea how but I guess I could try..." Maria closed her eyes okay how the heck am I going to do this she thought to herself. Suddenly, a strange feeling came over her she imagined a green glow inside her covering her body and changing it. Shadow watched with wide eyes as a green glow over took Maria/Peach's body.Chaos energy he thought I knew she had some this must be what it's for. The glow became so bright that he couldn't see Maria's slight figure.
After what felt like hours but was really only minuets the glow faded leaving Maria standing there she had no idea what she looked like or if it had worked at all. Shadow pointed at a nearby pond. Gasping at her new reflection Maria jumped up giddy with excitement. Her blond hair had now turned into blond quills much like Amy's only longer and her face and body had the proportions of most anthropomorphic hedgehogs. Her dress had lost it's princessy feel becoming more of a light blue casual thing. Her shoes we're much like Shadow's own only blue and she now had blond fur all over her body. She could barely recognize herself.
She smiled at Shadow. Oh how she was glad to have found out about her past life and who she was truly meant to be. Suddenly, her cheery smile turned into a frown. Sitting down next to Shadow on the rock she sighed. "It's getting late," Maria said her head drooping "soon I'm going to have to change back and go to they castle. It'll be like this never happened." Shadow sighed as well "I wish you could stay forever too but, you have responsibilities to your kingdom" Maria frowned bitterly at this "I actually don't. My advisors run the whole kingdom for me. I have no say in anything I'm just a figurehead. Smile and wave Peach they'd say all you have to do is smile and wave." Shadow only blinked at this and the pair sat there for a while until an idea hit him "Maria...," Shadow said "what" she answered "I was thinking if the kingdom really won't fall apart without you. I mean no one would recognize you..." "spit it out" "I was thinking we could fake you death and I could introduce you to my friends as Maria brought back to life." Maria looked up at Shadow "you," she said "are a freaky genius."
The two discussed plans on how to make Peach's "death" look believable until they finally came up with a plan. After teleporting to Peach's room to get some supplies Maria hid in the trees while Shadow went off to get Mario and the others.
The others were either eating dinner or looking for Peach in shifts they'd never think she'd leave the grounds. Shadow burst through the doors causing everyone to stare at him "I found something," was all he said. Shadow had to suppress a smirk as he led the others to the set up Mario particularly eager. Maria had told him she had no feelings for that guy. When they finally arrived Shadow stepped aside to reveal the scene on a cliff facing the sea. h and Maria had decided that a suicide would be the most likely death as Bowser never actually physically harmed her and she did run out of the party crying. He had gotten some of Maria's extra shoes and a dress from her room and they laid out the shoes like she just took them off and a piece of her dress was placed in a thorn bush. A note was laid on a rock. Mario rushed over and picked up the note his moustached face going pale Shadow knew what the note said he had watched Maria write it. Mario stated to read the note out loud "Dear everyone, I know this must come as a shock to you as I've hid it so well but, I've considered suicide before it's just now that I finally gave up on life. I's no you it's me I hope you can forgive me. Signed, Princess Peach." Tears were falling down Mario's face faster than Sonic could run because as far as he knew his precious princess was dead, which in a way she was but Maria, his Maria was alive.
Authors note: Thanks for reading my story please read and review I own nothing