-DISCLAIMER-

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

-THE GIFT (REDUX)-

Part II: Future

After what felt like an eternity, every wish they ever had had come true. Not only did they have a home on Mobius, but each other and a little one between them. That fantasy life they always spoke of had become a reality far more wonderful than either of them had hoped. Granted, it had a rough start but, considering everything, it had been worth it.

Earlier in the year, Shadow had been offered a job working at a company named Rimlight Corp. Said company focused on health care and medicine. It was one of the best decisions he ever made. While he was being brought up on the ARK, his vast intellect and concern for his one and only friend had lead him into the medical field in order to study her illness, namely Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In doing so, he had kindled a love for biology and the reasoning behind bodily functions. As such, this job turned out to be a god-send.

The founder of the Company, Adiemus Rimlight, had come to their home late one evening. The aging gentleman somehow had been able to track them down, having gained access to some of the ARK's studies and discovering that their author happened to be an 'experiment' himself. In them there was so much promise, using what had yet been deciphered to help the feeble and ailing. So, once discovering its creator was still living, he decided to find him and offer him the recognition he so rightly deserved.

It wasn't a traditional job in the least, which may have been what made it enjoyable. The time period they now lived in allowed anthropes the same liberties as humans. Meaning, despite his fur, his title granted all the same rights it would a human. And, it would seem the individuals he called coworkers were genuine in this as well. The man supposedly hand-picked each member of his company. If that rumor were true, he certainly had a way of weaning through the masses and finding those most amenable.

Shadow spent his mornings at the facility while his evenings were his own with family. It would seem, as time went on, the founder of the company would stop in occasionally for chats. Interestingly enough, he and Shadow became quick friends. They shared a similar mind and, in some more pleasing ways, Rimlight reminded him of the Professor. They were able to speak openly of theories, decide plans of action, and eventually just of every day life.

Even Maria got involved. She, as intelligent as her grandfather, would often times enter their conversations by accident. Her prowess genuinely surprised Rimlight. Shadow, however, loved every second. One of the major things that attracted him to her had been her intellect. After so many interruptions, Rimlight saw only one solution.

As the year road to a close, the company saw its newest employee. Maria had never once in her life thought of working an actual job. All she had ever envisioned of herself was of a homemaker. Now, she shared a similar position to her mate and she adored every second of it. Those she worked with were wonderful and showed her the same consideration as they did any other. She and he shared shifts in each other's stead, able to spend time at work and leisure equally. Not only that, but now the family had a decent source of income that resulted in financial security for themselves and their daughter.

It was December fourth and the tiny family had finally begun preparing for the upcoming holiday. Neither had been able to truly participate in Yule when they had been on the ARK. Now, things were finally different. As such, they made sure to make the most out of their first on the surface together. They strung up multicolor lights along the trim of their home, having a laugh when a large swatch of snow came loose from the roof and almost burred them. Inside they set up a tree, draping it in tinsel and glass orbs of blue with silver glitter. Beneath it they began stocking it for the twelve days to come. Eleven of them were meant only to be simple things, like socks or blankets or chocolate. But, on the final day, the gift that remained was meant to be the most heartfelt. Shadow knew exactly what he wanted to get her. More so, he wanted it to be as much of a surprise as possible.

When they had been young on the ARK, there had been a discovery that was simply called Blue Metal. Decades later, said discovery had found a niche on Mobius. The majority of the stone was used in the construction of hovercrafts, due to its high conductivity and light weight. Still, some here and there displayed it for its beauty, constructing figurines and, more importantly, jewelry.

Though such places were rare, rarer still was actually finding a raw hunk and then molding it oneself. Shadow would have preferred to remake her ring by paw, however, given their current living situation and the odds, he found his time was better spent with family and preparing for the days to come. So, he tracked down a jeweler who worked with the unusual material and put in a special order.

When ready, over a week later, he retrieved his gift and used nothing other than a cardboard box, the size of one's palm, to display it in. Shadow waited until the night before, when they were preparing for bed, to place his inconspicuous gift beside whatever she had gotten him. In the morning they would leave for the Soleil Manor. Sonic and Elise were throwing their Yule-Tide and everyone, of course, was invited. Shadow and Maria had decided, once all festivities were done, to exchange their own upon their return home.

The little family pulled into the alabaster-dusted drive a little after five. The night was heavily draped in smoky clouds, sending down brief puffs of snow that blanketed everything in freshly fluffed glitter. Once parked, Maria unbuckled their contently snoozing daughter from her car seat in the back while her mate retrieved all the bounty they had received from the party. Most were house-warming gifts, like electronics, utensils and blankets. More than anything, it had just been nice to see everyone again. As well, though Marie had yet to turn a year, it was good to have her socialize with the other children of the Freedom Fighters. This was, sadly, not an easy task. The group had long since went their separate ways, now that Mobius had suddenly become peaceful and their services unneeded. Even so, they still made time for simple things, like these holiday gatherings, that brought them all together again to catch up on old times.

Said baby had tuckered out an hour earlier, signaling to her parents that it was time to make the arduous journey home. That had been another reason why it was so difficult to plan anything last minute. They, along with most of the others, had settled down in their own little corners that hardly coincided with any of their companions. To gather anywhere, for anything, now, took an exceeding amount of effort that wasn't worth much given that each now had their own lives and loved ones to tend to. However, despite the remoteness, neither of the pair would ever willingly part with the foundation they had finally been able to plant.

Once the front door had been broken of it's think coating of ice, the lithe woman backed into it to prop it open for her package-laden other half. He, upon brushing the threshold, shook out his quills of collected snowflakes that had accumulated up the short distance from the car. Maria giggled, amused by the contrast in hues from his ebony pelt, as she closed and locked the entrance into their well loved and homey domain. While he clustered the festively designed bags and boxes beneath the stairwell, she ascended to nestle the content bundle of platinum fur in her crib for the night. Unfortunately, both knew that she would be up bright and early, seeing the time she had tuckered out. Although, given the amount of excitement and stimulation she had all day, they may just get lucky and be able to sleep in a bit.

Shadow could feel the excitement build in the pit of his stomach like a child witnessing their first Yule-Tree. It was finally time for them to exchange gifts. He had no clue what she had gotten him and he, frankly, didn't care. All he wanted was to see the look on her face when she saw the bands. It was a wonder he had been able to keep everything to himself.

Waiting for his life-mate's return, he set about preparing the mood. He built up the fire place into a content roar, ignited all their decorations so that every nook and cranny gleamed in orbs of red and yellow and green and silver. So much so that this made any other lighting unneeded. He was fussing with the tree garter when the repetitive creaking of someone's approach downward shifted his attention.

Maria grinned from the bottom of the stairwell, heart swollen at seeing his ebony fur dappled in multicolored spots. They had not gone overboard, by any means. But, the darkness of the evening and the fact that there were no other sources of illumination, made the image burn in her mind as a perfect example of the culmination of everything they had worked so hard for. The sight erupted a deep sense of nostalgia. A memory, decades aged, rose to the surface of him on that early morning when she was a teen still growing on the ARK.

From his end, seeing that angelic form admire him from a distance made all hardships past worth every pill of pain and madness. While that body was not the same as that which he had grown alongside, she was still every bit of the woman he had fallen for over half a century ago. And a woman she was, he realized in that moment. Every inch of her was pristine and proper, almost like a sculpture maliciously carved to mimic that of a goddess.

The thought brought a soft smile as he rose and walked towards her. It remained when he took her spindly hands into his and guided her into the living room.

"Happy Yule, Maria," he couldn't help but breath.

She giggled quietly in response, rosy cheeks blazing to life as they crossed the front of the crackling hearth. "Deja vu, much?"

Shadow shrugged, hoping she had yet to piece together all his planning. "Maybe."

He released her after a bit and she wandered to the enchantingly shimmering tree to retrieve the box she had nestled there a few weeks ago. Relief washed over him when she seemed still not to notice the other, much smaller, parcel he had tucked behind a wrinkle in the emerald skirt. She then made her way to the sofa and sat, her mate following behind.

The box she then presented to him was light and wrapped in a simple snowflake pattern on a sky-blue backdrop. The job had been so perfectly done that he almost felt bad in tearing off a strip and folding it away. What was revealed happened to be an inconspicuous container reminiscent of something one would display a suit in, which made him wonder. Upon lifting the cover there was a pause at what he saw. It actually took a moment or two of processing. An overwhelming sense of peace and sorrow washed over him as he lifted the ivory jacket from its folds. A sudden thought that this was all just a dream wiggled its way inside his mind like a blood starved leach.

Memories, once very much dead, rose to the surface. So long ago, back when he began having actual hopes for the future, he idolized Gerald and the other scientists who toiled their lives away around him. They were making the world better, one discovery at a time, healing those in pain and easing once hardships. He tried not to, as all of them made it perfectly clear what he had been created for. Project Shadow was an artificial beast designed to be death incarnate, harbinger of chaos. Still, he maintained a hidden grain of hope, continuing his own studies alongside combat drills and experimentations on the limits his minuscule frame could accept before collapsing.

Maria had always known this secret. He had never wanted to be a killer. Rather, he longed to help those who could not heal. He wanted to be like those scientists, like Gerald, people who were looked upon with reverence for their accomplishments in health, rather than feared through suffering. This lab coat, her gift, said so much. That insignificant secret, that stupid hope had been made real. Shadow had never actually taken much thought into it until this very moment. He was now working, employed, as a scientist. He, the grim reaper, now labored to make life worth living again for so many who had lost their own faith.

The anthrope was brought out of his memories by an insignificant peck of heat on his cheek. Shadow shifted slightly to her, the woman who had given him everything and never wanted any return. She, his mate reborn, held such a small grin yet it spoke verses. Was he crying? It was hard to tell. His eyes certainly felt like they were burning.

"Thank you, so much." Could she even hear him?

Maria nuzzled into the crook of his neck, the moist warmth of her breath sending shivers down his spine. "I'm glad you like it. I had Sandra tailor it for you, so it should fit. I hope the font's okay, though. I told her I didn't think you'd appreciate cursive."

She was referring to the nameplate, which he honestly hadn't paid as much attention to. Beside his left paw was an outlined box. Inside said box was stitched his name. But, it wasn't just 'Shadow.' Again, a slight prick of disbelief found his fluttering heart. Instead, it read: Prof. Shadow Robotnik. By that point it could have been accented by hearts and flowers and he wouldn't have cared in the least. Briefly, he wondered what the man he had called Professor would think, seeing what his creation had become. But, it was only in passing. Everything was perfect. Well, not yet…

He returned his gift to its case with care and rose from his seat, annoyed at having to disrupt her perch. Shadow bent beneath the tree and scooped up the cardboard box from its hiding place. Still not letting her see, he made sure to hide it behind his back as he approached with a grin.

Maria responded in turn, wonder highlighting her aquamarine irises. "You did have something under there?"

"Of course, but I knew if you saw it you'd know exactly what I got you."

She hummed, facade shifting to genuine curiosity. Instead of sitting back down, he stood at her front, quills blocking the dance of flames at his back and haloing his fur in a rich gold. A subtle part of her petal-hued lips told him that she was catching on to his game and he adored every second of it.

"Something tells me you're doing all of this on purpose."

Shadow chuckled softly and presented her the box that was in no way special or unique. However, her eyes lit like a pair of swirling galaxies, lungs stopped dead. He was right. That little parcel held no secrets.

"You..?"

When she tentatively reached for it he willingly parted. He watched her intensely as she lifted the top and peered inside. A single silver stream rolled down the curve of that angelic face of hers and she brought up a palm to quickly fuss it away.

Maria was in absolute awe. Though, she should have known this was what he was planning. Everything he had done was in mimicry of the same morning he had presented her her ring what felt like ages ago. Inside, to her amazement, there was not one but two, it's counterpart almost double the size.

"It took me a while to find a jeweler who actually worked with Blue Metal. I still wish I could of made them myself, instead." He ending with a soft shrug and grin when she removed the larger of the two.

It's ethereal hue almost seemed to glow amongst the peppering of lights surrounding the pair. Maria tilted it and squinted, knowing full well what he must have done. And, she was right. Inside of the larger were the words: 'Forever Your Light.' It made her heart weep horribly but in a wonderfully therapeutic way.

She set the box on the cushion at her hip and immediately reached for his left paw, lifting it from his side and removing his glove with little effort -seeing as though he no longer wore those ungodly restraining devices. The woman took a moment, holding it and relishing the warming velvet of his palm. Then, she elegantly slipped the band onto the finger beside the one of which ended the strip of red along his arm. Afterwards, she lifted said member and brought it to her lips, sealing it in place with a tender kiss.

This time, it was his turn to be left completely speechless. This must have been how she had felt all those years ago. Even so, there was no question what both of them had held secret and how deeply embedded it now ran between them.

Once her grip receded, Shadow reached down into the box and retrieved the lonely one that remained. Inside of hers were the worlds: 'Forever Your Shadow.' He then preformed the same action on his mate, gingerly taking her left hand and slowly fitting the perfectly smooth ring into its proper place. He ended the action same as she had, irises locked with hers all the while.

Maria launched for him then, arms enveloping his slim hips and silken lips claiming his. Her mate made sure to balance himself foremost, the back of his knees almost buckling over the glass coffee table only a few inches behind. Chaos averted, he then responded in turn, squeezing her as tightly as he dared and moaning against her.

A thought passed briefly at how amusing and horrid it would have been if she had done the same that morning on the ARK. Gerald had made his way inside her dorm, not even a minute after. If he had caught them like this, the hedgehog didn't want to image the consequences. So instead, Shadow held his mate tighter till she squeaked.

Maria pulled away from him but not even by an inch. Instead, she took his jaw between her palms and continued gazing lovingly into his eyes, grinning madly all the while. He responded in turn, desperately hoping this dream had no end, that perfection like this happened in reality. He kissed her again and again till she began giggling like a child loosing a tickle fight. Before she could effectively escape, he repositioned his hold till she lay against his chest. Her arms had wrapped around the quills of his head, continuing to ensure no space remained between their pressed bodies.

Without warning, he turned and began ascending the stairwell to their room. Now, with an official pair of mated bands, it was time to reaffirm their meaning, something they had not done since before Marie had been born almost a year ago.

-AUTHOR'S NOTES-

Marie, the daughter of Shadow and Maria, has an interesting color scheme. When Shadow was originally made, his fur was silver with blue stripes. The colors changed due to the introduction of Doom's blood. Even so, Shadow's DNA is still that which Gerald constructed. As such, any child he would father would have his original color scheme passed down, instead of Doom's artificially induced black and red. Marie is more of a platinum blonde, however, due to her mother's genes.

Mirage was the one who constructed a new body for Maria. She used a Darwin, the same gene-splicing super computer that had birthed her and Shadow, to create a near-exact clone of Maria's original body. However, Mirage made sure to tweak it just enough so that it would not develop NIDS at any point in its growth. This doesn't effect her physical appearance whatsoever.

In NAA, Shadow doesn't need his Rings. They're called Power Suppressors and they do just that. They were used as a way of controlling him, rather than keep him sane or his powers in check so they wouldn't damage him. Instead, when activated, they would completely inhibit his elemental abilities and increase to about a ton in weight. This would not only make him completely immobile, but would prevent him from using his chaos powers.

The final part to this is only the original short simply titled 'The Gift.' It was written god-knows how many years ago. It was made pretty much right when I started developing the concept for NAA, before the series even had an official name.

I will probably get around to writing their intimate scene but it isn't planned to be placed up with this, regardless.