FREE

By

LightDarkandChaos

She gazed at the Earth through the ARK's main windows and sighed longingly. She'd looked at that blue planet for so long, wondering what it looked like on the surface.

'Wonderful, I bet. Grass, lakes, flowers… I wish I could
see it.' She sighed again, sorrow passing briefly over her face. She knew
her immune system was far too weak for her to be able to survive anywhere but
the sterilized ARK, but that didn't stop her from dreaming. 'And maybe
someday, Grandfather will find a cure. Maybe someday, I'll be able to see
that blue planet.'

"Hey! The Professor said you were in the Computer Room!" A voice from behind interrupted her musings. She turned and smiled at the hedgehog walking over to her, smiling brightly.

"Don't you look bright eyed and bushy tailed, Shadow!" she teased gently.
"My eyes are generally bright, but my tail does not appear to be any bushier than usual," he said, clearly confused.
"It's a metaphor, Shadow. Grandfather uses it a lot." She smiled at the Mobian's obvious confusion at the term and continued.

"I don't really understand it either, but I think it means happy."
"Well, in that case it's true. You have that effect on everybody," he
laughed, turning to look out the window beside her. Her smile took on a hint of sadness as she returned her gaze to the mysterious planet. 'Yes… I have that effect on everybody but myself. All the scientists call me a little ray of sunshine, but I can never seem do anything but depress myself.'
"Shadow? What do you think it's like on Earth?" she asked suddenly,
turning to face him.
He looked up at her, surprised. "I'm sure it's wonderful. And when the Professor cures you, you'll be able to go there." The sorrow faded from her face as she broke out into a huge smile.
"No, Shadow. We'll go there together." He looked at her incredulously, then started to return her smile. Maria hopped down from the platform they'd been standing on and started to
run off in the direction of the Computer Room, the only fun room in their opinion.

"Race you!" she called back. She hadn't taken more than three steps when she collapsed, lying limply on the cold floor. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was Shadow desperately calling her name.

She lay still on the hospital bed, glaring up at the drab ceiling with an unusual anger burning in her azure eyes.

'I collapsed. Again. In front of Shadow, even.' He'd seen her weakness before, and it hurt her every time. Why had she been cursed with this terrible affliction?

"I didn't do anything," she muttered, fury rising in her voice. 'I did nothing to deserve this incurable malady. Nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!" she yelled, a tidal wave of wrath washing over her. For a few short minutes, she welcomed the freedom anger gave her. Then the light died from her eyes and she sank back into the bed.

'I mustn't think that way. I'm sure Grandfather won't rest until he finds a cure for me. Until then, I'll just have to live in this weak body.' She could handle it. She'd done it her whole life.

She was standing in front of the windows again, but she wasn't watching the
Earth or the stars or even the vacuum of space. She was looking at her
reflection.

'The results are in. I have about a month of normal health left. Then my body will start to fail and I'll be practically catatonic. After about two weeks in that state, all my vital functions will fail and I will die. Grandfather's working like crazy but I know he won't be able to finish a cure in time without sacrificing Shadow, and I will not allow him to do that. I may not live to see that blue planet, but he will.' She didn't notice that she was crying until something moist ran down her cheek. Another tear ran down her reflection's face. That single tear was all it took for her to break down.
"Why?" she screamed. "Why me? What did I do to deserve to die before I
turn 16?" She fell to the ground and curled up, sobbing her eyes out.

She walked into the room to see her Grandfather speaking into a camera. He looked even more worried than usual and strangely scared. She snuck up behind him and flung her arms around his shoulders in a hug, peeking out at the camera.
"Don't worry, Grandfather! Shadow and I will protect the world! Right, Shadow?" she asked the camera playfully.

Her grandfather looked up, startled, then smiled and continued the recording. After it was finished and he ushered her out of the room, she wandered aimlessly, considering what she'd said.

'The only time I'm happy now is when I'm with Shadow or I'm thinking about him. I guess it's because he takes my mind off the fact that I've only got two weeks left…' She continued walking, tears shining in her eyes.

She walked into the office with Shadow holding tightly to her hand. The Mobian had noticed her growing weakness and took it upon himself to help her. It was very kind, but it also hurt to be helped with things she had once done easily by herself. 'And now I only have three more days left with Shadow before…' She broke the train of thought off immediately. She wouldn't break down in front of others.
"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Shadow asked curiously, looking at her grandfather.
"Shadow, take Maria and run for the escape capsules. GUN has betrayed us. They are attacking the ARK as we speak," he said gravely, gesturing to a row of monitors.
Each screen showed a different part of the ARK, but they all had one thing in common: the soldiers in GUN uniforms storming the labs and slaughtering everyone they saw.

"What about you, Grandfather?" she asked anxiously as Shadow started to turn, tugging gently at her hand in an effort to notify her that it was time to leave. He sighed, suddenly appearing incredibly old.

"I'll be fine. They won't dare kill me. Now go before they seal off the escape room!" She nodded and ran out of the room, Shadow by her side.

She raced along the hallway, her breath coming in short gasps. The hedgehog beside her wasn't even breathing hard, but his eyes were filled with concern.

"It's not much farther to the escape room. If we can get there we'll be safe," he said, trying to reassure her. 'No, Shadow', she thought. 'I won't be safe on Earth. The professor didn't succeed in curing me in time. I'll fall into a comatose state in three days and spend the rest of my short life that way.

"I know," she said instead, trying to smile. At least one of them would live long enough to see earth.

"Get into the escape pod. I'll hold them off," Shadow ordered, turning
to face the battered door.

"Shadow, they'll kill you! They have guns!" she pleaded.
"Just do it!" he yelled, showing a rare flash of anger. Her face set as she realized what she had to do. She ran towards the control console, making sure Shadow heard her footsteps.

The door creaked in protest as the soldiers battered mercilessly. 'Please hold just long enough for me to get there,' she thought desperately.
The door broke down and a soldier ran through. Shadow stood in the center of the room, his hands beginning to glow with a Chaos Spear. She reached the console as the soldier yelled for him to freeze. She grabbed the controls and brought the escape pod down over Shadow just as the soldier spotted her. The Mobian turned, pressing his hands against the glass, his face a mask of disbelief.
"What are you doing?" he asked desperately. She smiled sadly as the soldier raised his gun. It seemed to happen in slow motion-first the horrible sound, then the tearing pain, then the inevitable fall.

"Maria!" Shadow yelled throwing himself against the glass. She leaned against the console as the soldier ran towards her. The wound hurt, but it brought with it the knowledge of the dying. Knowledge that was definitely worth the price. "Promise me, Shadow, that you'll give all those people on Earth a chance to be happy, okay?" she said, smiling sadly as blood ran down her dress. "I-I will." Tears fell on both sides of the escape pod. She really smiled when she saw the look of grieving on his face, just before she pushed the launch button. 'Oh, Shadow… Can't you see? With my death, I am finally… Free.'