"What if you went through with the same plan, studied Gerald's work and continued it yourself to make Maria's cure?" Sonic asked, hoping this would be the idea that would get Shadow to bring back Maria and be happy.
"The ideas are getting better, Sonic, I can't deny that, but they are still flawed," Shadow said, keeping his calm that time. Shadow's mind was filled with his imaginations again. "No doubt it would go well at first… but..."
Shadow made sure GUN had cleared from the ARK and led Maria out of their hiding place. Shadow realised that without Gerald to do his research, Maria wouldn't get her cure and the two of them would have to stay on the ARK forever. But after a few days of rest and discussion, Maria seemed content with that. The two of them were in Maria's bedroom, with Maria in her bed and Shadow on the chair beside it.
"Unless," Shadow said. "I continue his research."
"Oh no, Shadow. I couldn't possibly ask that of you," Maria said timidly. "You've done enough by attending to my needs… and saving my life." the girl took the hedgehog's hand gently. Shadow looked away from her, feeling his emotions build up.
"It was nothing, I'll do anything for you, Maria," Shadow mumbled, feeling uncomfortable with his overflow of emotions. When he felt he contain himself, Shadow looked back at his companion. "Please, Maria. I really want to continue Gerald's research. I promise I won't hurt you…"
Maria stayed quiet for a while and looked down at the sheets of her bed. Shadow's heart rate increased as he didn't know whether she would say yes. She was too grateful for his meaningless actions that it would be hard for her to accept and extended life span. The hedgehog sighed and got up from his seat, realising that she would never say-
"YES!"
Shadow turned to Maria immediately in astonishment. For the first instance in a long time, the hedgehog smiled with all of the available muscles on his muzzle. Maria received a tight and sudden hug from the ultimate life form. She gave a slightly start as this was unexpected, but after the surprise, she returned to embrace.
After a few moments of intimacy, Shadow broke away and ran out of the door.
"Shadow, where are you going?" Maria yelled out to him.
"Gerald's lab!" the hedgehog called, but he was out of site.
It was several hours before the ultimate life form returned. Maria sat on her bed in boredom, waiting for him to return for the full time he was gone. She was almost ready to give up and do something else, when Shadow burst into the room with piles of sheets full of research figures. He set them down on the bed in a hurry.
"Maria, I should be able to complete this research in the next ten years," Shadow said eagerly. Sheets of paper shuffled around and slipped off of the bed.
"That's a very long time, Shadow," Maria said confusedly. "I'm sure Grandfather was near the end of his research… why will it take another ten more years?"
"I'm not a scientist like, Gerald. I have a lot to learn, and I don't want to rush into anything or I might hurt you," Shadow said, shamefully.
"Oh, Shadow," Maria chuckled sympathetically and scuffled the quills on the hedgehog's head. "I can understand why you'd need that long, seeing as I hardly understand all of this advanced science. Don't be upset with yourself, you're already a genius compared to me,"
"Thank you, Maria," Shadow said softly. "I could reduce the estimated time if I work overtime-"
"Don't, Shadow. I don't want to be left alone all day," Maria said. "Promise me you won't work anymore than eight hours a day,"
"But… why should I only work for eight hours when there are 24 hours in every day!" Shadow said, failing to understand.
"Because, that's the duration of a work day. It's what most employees here used to work… before they were-" Maria stopped all of a sudden, as she realised that she had delved into a dark subject. Those scientist were all so nice to her, a very diligent workers until they were brutally murdered by GUN. Shadow walked over to Maria's side and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Let's do them all proud, Maria. I will make that cure… and if there's some kind of afterlife, they'll all be celebrating when we do create the cure."
After spending a few hours together, Shadow went to the lab to commence his studies while Maria rested in the observation room. Late night, after late night, Shadow continued the research that his creator begun. Maria grew bored and impatient, since despite telling Shadow not to work overtime, the hedgehog refused to take himself away from his work. It was like he had adopted Gerald's research as his own and become so absorbed in it. Something that he would regret later on.
Shadow planned to work nights and spend time with Maria in the day, but he forgot to look at the clock and several times found himself working for three days straight. Making this mistake, he came to understand why Gerald failed to spend time with Maria, and why Shadow and the other scientists were left to keep an eye on her. But, since the raid, there was no one to keep an eye on Maria, but the hedgehog himself, and he was always busy with his research. Maria wasn't a danger to herself, so he was safe, but like any other living creature she needed adequate company, something that Shadow failed to give her.
Time went by as Maria got older and more mature, and Shadow got further in his research. The end was within reach. It was a shame that Shadow let his close relationship with Maria slip away.
"I've got it! Maria!" Shadow shouted from the laboratory and ran towards Maria's living quarters. The young adult was sitting on her bed while she read a book. When Shadow burst into the room, she gave a surprised look and dropped what she was reading. Shadow expected Maria to be happy, but instead she looked panicked.
"What's wrong Maria? I thought you'd be happy, you won't be sick anymore. We can go to Earth now and live happily… forever," Shadow said; he sounded slightly ignorant to Maria.
"Shadow… while immortality and agelessness may be normal to you… it's strange and very scary to me… no human has ever gained immortality and you expect me to accept it so easily? Maria said, sounding slightly annoyed. Shadow took a step back and looked at Maria in confusion. The hedgehog tilted his head to the side slightly and raised a brow.
"I thought… humans wanted to live forever. Why else would Gerald start this project?" Shadow said miserably.
"No, Shadow. Not everyone wants to live forever. And… neither to do I. I want to live a normal life. Sadly, I don't have that choice. It's an eternal life, or no life. And what do you think I have to choose?"
"Eternal life… so we can go to Earth and live together?" Shadow asked.
"Yes… eternal life, so I can do what I've always wanted to do and go to Earth," Maria said softly. Shadow didn't notice that Maria had deliberately left out the part he'd mentioned about living together.
"Well… I guess I'll give you some time to think about it..." Shadow said slowly and turned to leave.
"Shadow, I thought you were done?" Maria asked, becoming impatient with him. "Why are you leaving me all alone again?"
Shadow stopped on the spot, finding Maria's tone had irritated him profoundly. The hedgehog had his back to the girl while he spoke.
"Maria… these past few years I've worked so hard to give you this… and you're acting as if I've done something wrong," Shadow said, ominously. "I wish you were a little more grateful…"
The hedgehog left the room and walked towards the lab again. He curled up in the corner of the room and sulked to himself while he waited for Maria to come to her senses and arrive to get her cure. Having immortality his whole life, it really was hard for him to comprehend the thoughts of mortals. He couldn't understand Maria's reluctance, why wouldn't she want eternal life? Did that mean she wanted to die? Was she suicidal? Shadow began to worry… just what WAS going through Maria's mind?
The hedgehog would never know.
Maria walked into the lab several hours later to find Shadow curled up with his knees to his face. The hedgehog snored softly. Maria guessed he'd fallen asleep after the many years of sleepless nights and hard work. She didn't want to wake Shadow up just so he could cure her, when he could simply do it when he woke up. Maria sat down beside Shadow and stroked the fur on the back of his neck. A small smile appeared on the hedgehog's muzzle and his body flopped towards Maria's.
Shadow had an unbreakable bond with Maria… and felt as though he could bond with her even more by creating this cure and making her young and alive forever. He'd figured that a few years apart wouldn't matter, since that amount of time was insignificant compared to the thousands and possibly millions of years they would be together. Sadly, Maria didn't see it in that way…
Half a day passed and Shadow woke up to find Maria entering the room with a cup of coffee.
"Oh, you're awake," she said softly.
"Huh? How long was I asleep?" Shadow asked, sounding groggy but surprised.
"I don't know…possibly as long as twelve hours," she asked and put the cup of coffee down by Shadow. "I wasn't with you the whole time…"
"Maria… I need to do the cure. Why didn't you wake me?" Shadow asked, sounding irate.
"Because… I don't want you to inject me with something while you're tired Besides, how do you know I came here for the cure?"
"Maria?" Shadow said in a hopeful tone, he looked at her with pleading eyes. "Do you… want the cure?"
"Yes," She said. "But… only if understand my plans."
"What plans? We never made any plans?" Shadow asked, becoming worried.
"I know we didn't make plans, but I did, on my own," Maria said.
"To… surprise me?" Shadow asked naively, but realised that he wasn't guaranteed good news.
"No…" Maria began. "Shadow… when you say you want us to be together forever… what do you mean?"
"For me to serve you and keep you company for as long as you live. That's my only purpose… and I need to fulfil it. That's why I couldn't tear myself away from this research, because I was doing it for you."
"Phew… that was a lot better than I expected it…" Maria said in relief. "Because… I need to find someone else, to be my soul mate."
"Soul mate? You mean… the one you stay with forever? That's me… isn't it? Since no human can live forever except you," Shadow said, starting to sound alarmed. Was Maria trying to take the cure that the hedgehog had worked so hard on and dump him?
"Yes… a romantic interest... us humans have certain needs that a hedgehog like you cannot fulfil," Maria said.
"You… want to… mate?" Shadow gulped. He started to feel cold and empty, Maria wanted something that he couldn't give to her. And there was no way he wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable and give it to himself, so it was out of the question. Maria nodded at his question. "I… understand…" Shadow said and hung his head in shame. "I suppose I can't be the only important person in your life."
"And… if I do find the right person… I'll need you to step back a little. You can't attend to my every need like you plan to-"
"Because they'll do it instead," Shadow finished Maria's sentence coldly as tears started to fall from his eyes. His only purpose was going to be fulfilled by another man…a human! "Fine… Maria… whatever you wish…"
Shadow solemnly drew the solution and the needle from the cupboard on the other side of the room. But he saw little point, seeing that as soon as they got to Earth, Maria would no longer be his.
"… She would most definitely leave me to go and live a normal human life," Shadow said solemnly. "And I don't know what's harder to do… to watch her die and to never see her again… or to see her happy with someone else, knowing I can never talk to her."
Sonic felt uncomfortable after making Shadow upset again.
"But… what if she was a hedgehog like you?"
"Shut up, Faker. Now you're starting to sound like the fan girls… Maria's return will never work, whether she were a hedgehog or a human… mortal or immortal. The species change is impossible anyway," Shadow sighed and begun to walk away. "Maria's never coming back… and that's how I want it." Shadow left Sonic to go to Rouges apartment.
Lucy Labrador