SHORT STORY TIME! YAY!

okay, I know I should update Unexpected family in the realm of chaos, but I kinda wanted to do a little something for the holiday that I like dressing up for anyway even if where I live we don't really DO Halloween. *shrug* (I don't mind that much though. I don't really need the sugar) and I thought it would be fun for it to be on the ARK with his best friend so there would be more inspiration to dress up...mwahhahahaha

EDIT: yes I have edited it a little with better storyline words. It just makes it easier and more fun to read.

anyway one shot story, hope ya like it, don't be afraid to leave a comment though please try to be nice about it. And Have a great day!

ON WITH THE STORY!

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Shadow glared harshly at the die as his shoe piece got dropped in the forbidden square of impossibility to escape from. Remembering how once he spent the entire game there of Monopoly.

Falling backwards on his back in exasperation "Your turn." Shadow moaned annoyed as Maria took her next turn. He hated loosing especially on a stupid board game and landing in prison square meant an immediate "game over" when ever is was played with Maria and, or, Gerald.

Opening his eyes they stared at the human in the doorway with a white lab coat on, but basically everyone wore one, so they all looked the same to the black hedgehog.

"Hello! Is something wrong?" Maria said cheerfully to the Scientist before she saw the look of concern on his face.

He said nothing at first his eyes fixed on Shadow as he saw Shadow admitting defeat to a board game. Then remembered why he came to see them. "No. Nothing's wrong. Gerald's calling everyone on the ARK to the cafeteria for a meeting of some kind, and he told me to come get you two."

"He means it's 'game over'?" Shadow said happily looking back at Maria, jumping to his feet, doing a fist pump whispering joyfully to himself in a different language.

"Alright let's see who actually won. Count your profit." Maria said quickly flipping through her paper play money, while Shadow just sat up and waited for her to count it, surprised to find that when she finished they found that Shadow had actually won but not by much. Then they quickly packed it in the box and raced to the cafeteria.

Skidding across the floor, making a sudden stop ahead of his human friend. He thought he left enough room for her to stop, but as Maria skidded into the room behind him he found that she didn't have that much traction and collided with the Ultimate Life Form. They both hit the floor tumbling over each other.

While everything happened rather fast Shadow could still comprehend everything going on and grabbed Maria when he noticed the table they are heading for and protected her head as best he could as they tumbled and collided into the table him first which would've been her head.

Gerald ran over to them and helped Maria up while Shadow released Her from his grasp, He stood up realizing that they hit the table pretty hard. enough to make his head kind of hurt for a brief moment before it almost instantly healed when he brushed his hand over the area on his head that took most of the impact.

rubbing the back of his head, looking around the room at a lot of the frozen, scared, people that filled the cafeteria. He noticed that the cafeteria was full, like most, if not, everyone on the ARK was in there, but Shadow was more concerned about Maria. asking to made sure she wasn't hurt,

She smiled softly and nodded "I'm not hurt. Are you?" She asked in her soft concerned voice.

She brushed her hand on his head where he rubbed earlier. His ears lowered as he Winced as the pain shot through his system then suddenly vanished completely.

His eyes shot down to the floor avoiding the worried look in her kind blue eyes "I'm Fine. It doesn't even hurt anymor-..." He said passively before as his ears pearled back up. He went stiff for a second when he felt something on his head, in realizing Maria just kissed his head He looked up at her, Confused. She giggled, he didn't really notice or care that she laughed at him because she said all the time that she liked the look he made when he was confused about simple things.

Everything that happened in the next few seconds for the Ultimate Hedgehog became null and void as he tried processing what just happened and why she did that.

When Maria convinced Gerald that they were alright he stood up straighter to make an announcement calling Shadow out of his deep thought.

"Okay. Now on with what I've actually called all of you here for." Gerald said moving towards the middle of the room.

Shadow climbed up, and stood on a chair next to Maria as Gerald spoke so he could see over the almost 4 foot tall tables

"I know I don't have to remind every one that today is October 31st, Halloween. And some of the people here have planned some games for our younger members..." Professor Gerald said.

Shadow's ear twitched as he heard Maria's giggle. She leaned over and whispered in his ear "grandfather used to say just my name and sometimes Abraham's there. I'm so glad you will be apart of tradition this year." Shadow returned the smile she gave him, but remained clueless as to what this Halloween was or what the Professor was saying about it.

Gerald spoke up again; His gaze set on his granddaughter. "Now this year there is a request that a costume party happen tonight, and after some consideration I have decided that it will happen tonight at eight o'clock, and since it's tonight and it doesn't giving a lot of time to come up with a costume, we're going to dress up like each other."

The silence in the room was defining as everyone exchanged awaked expressions with exception of Shadow Who was still pretending he knew what was going on.

Gerald passed Maria a small bucket of paper with pens to her and another empty one to Shadow.

"Maria, will you pass out these strips of paper and pens. Everyone will write their name and job name, or hobby, down, and put them in this bucket, and... Shadow will be collecting them." Shadow held up a black bucket with a pumpkin on it, and followed behind Maria and collected every paper and pencil that was passed out. Despite the leeriness of everyone he gathered the paper and pencils from, He liked helping Gerald and Maria with anything they needed even though it scared other people around them every time he asked to help with something. though he was sure most of the people on the ARK are afraid of him one way or another, but he was unsure of whether or not he should try to convince them that he wasn't someone to be afraid of or not; because he didn't feel like a mean person but he has heard several things that could be classified as "bad" that the scientists said about him and also that The professor does have to sometimes referee between a scientist and him every now and then because of something he said or did that freaked out the scientist that made him upset with both him and the professor about some black creature that apparently wasn't him.

Maria stood next to Gerald as he filled out a strip of paper and placed it in the bucket Shadow held.

Maria then handed a blank strip of paper and a pencil to shadow telling him to write his name too.

Shadow put it on the table and hesitated several seconds before Maria finished hers, stuck it in the bucket, and asked him what was wrong.

Glancing at her blankly for a second before he shook his head passively. not ready to admit that this was the first time he attempted writing anything. Shadow wrote his name and what he was ("the Ultimate Life Form.") in the only language he knew how to write in, the black language, then stuck in the bucket.

Gerald picked up the bucket and placed it on Shadow's head saying

"Alright, now pick one, but don't let anyone see who it is."

Reaching above his head into the bucket he picked up a piece of paper and glanced at it before shoving it in his glove.

He wasn't very good at reading English but that didn't mean he didn't understand whose name was in the paper.

For the next few minutes as Gerald passed the bucket around Shadow tried figuring out where he could get a costume of his someone, that'd fit him, and other minor detail that he now regretted not asking what was going on before he signed up for it.

"Everyone has from now, until tonight to get their costume ready, but the catch is no one can find out who it is until tonight. ...unless you need help with it."

Gerald announced, fixing what he said as he looked at Shadow's confused expression as the Hedgehog pulled the paper from his glove again. Shadow looked at Gerald as he finished his statement to see the Professor looking straight at him making him wonder what kinda stupid expression he had on his face that gave away that he needed help with this mission.

As the meeting broke, Maria followed the cook to the kitchen with the promise that Shadow would come after he spoke with Gerald.

"Professor, are you sure it's a good idea to put me in tradition? I don't think everyone is calm enough around me for me to be doing this." Shadow asked nervously, really hoping that he could skip this crazy holiday, at least for this year.

Gerald smiled softly, replying. "No one's ever going to warm up to you if you stay serious and threatening around everyone except Maria."

Shadow's eyes gazed at the floor as he let out a Sigh. He knows Gerald is right, and probably knows the motive of why he wants out, and honestly he doesn't care. he is still not up for it as much.

Knowing he could never change the Professor's mind he pulled out the paper he put in his glove that had his costume idea's person's name on it and read it to himself again. Glancing in the kitchen for a moment, He jumped up on the table next to the professor and showed him the paper that had Maria's name written in elegantly childish handwriting.

A smile of amusement appeared on the Professor's face, which is something Shadow has never seen before, But as Shadow took a step away from him Gerald said "So this is why you don't want to do it."

He took the paper from Shadow and intently stared at it. Shadow did not know what The Professor was thinking about, but his expression read more on 'how to come up with a costume for this person that would fit Shadow.' instead of 'No, You don't have to participate.'

Shadow opened his mouth to say something, but Gerald spoke, his eyes still fixed on the piece of paper. "I'll see what I can come up with. I should have something by the time. you and her get finished carving pumpkins. come see me after you finish them."

Staring at the professor as he left the cafeteria. He either did not see the look of non-amusement at all on Shadow's face, or he just did not care. Although, Despite being actually kinda mad about it, He just nodded while jumping down and wandering towards the kitchen.

Looking up from the floor he raised an eye ridge as he found Maria rolling the bigger pumpkin across the floor semi towards him.

"What is that?" He asked as he ran up to her holding it steady as she stumbled over it and her own feet for a minute.

"It's a pumpkin. This is what they look like before they're carved." Maria said happily, and slight confused, when she remembered that he was only about three months old.

Stopping it and setting it up Maria struggled in picking up the pumpkin, but refused the help from Shadow. She just simply pointed to a slightly bigger pumpkin that the chef put outside the door of the kitchen and told him that that was his.

Shadow ran over and easily picked it up even though it is about the size of his head, and he brought it out to a table just outside the kitchen door, where Maria was.

He watched Maria struggling to put the pumpkin on the table noticing the second when her hand slipped and she dropped it and tripped at the same time. Reacting as fast as it happened he caught the pumpkin by the stem and broke Maria's fall as she landed on top of him then rolled into his other free arm.

Maria stayed still for a little while, but it was long enough for Shadow to wonder if he did something wrong when he caught her and he had hurt her. "Maria? Are you still alive? Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" Shadow asked one after the other worried that he had hurt the very person he had promised that he would help heal.

Maria sat up and looked at Shadow, shocked that he could move that fast. "What?" Shadow asked hesitantly, but still worried.

A playful smile and gentle eyes replaced the surprised look on her face. "Show off." She teased

"I didn't want you to get hurt." Shadow said blunt and serious as the cook came out with the knife, spoons and a few bowls.

"I know. I just wasn't expecting you to move that fast. Im not hurt, just a bit surprised."

Taken back a little by her reacting to his reaction, Shadow helped Maria to her feet and sat down at the table where the pumpkins are as soon as Shadow put the other one on the table as the chef explained what to do with the pumpkin guts as he cut open the top of the pumpkin and placed bowls next to the pumpkin and Maria instantly started pulling out the pulp and seeds. Shadow watched her do it several times before he stuck his hand in the hole at the top of the pumpkin. Shadow froze as he felt the oozy, stringy, insides of the pumpkin his Shadow looked up at the Chef and Maria with the most pitiful eyes causing Maria to giggle and The Chef to use everything in his power not to laugh. "What's wrong?" Maria asked

Shadow frowned as he tried grabbing some of the insides. "Ew..." he said with a slight disgust to his voice. The Chef let out a snicker as he tried holding back his laughter. "Yeah, I guess I could've warned you about that. Sorry." He apologized to Shadow as Shadow got a grip on some of the insides and pulled them out. He opened his hand slowly over the bowl as he looked at the seeds and the stringiness of the inside of the pumpkin ooze off his hand as the Chef explained a little bit more about the pumpkin.

As Shadow turned his hand over and wiped it on the side of the bowl

His expression blanked out as he recalled an image of thick, red, squishy, stringy alien organs with black creatures holding other smaller scorpion like creatures dead in their arms. He jerked his hand away from the bowl and glanced at the guts on his hand.

"Shadow it's just a pumpkin. It's not going to hurt you." Maria said jokingly, but with a slightly serious tone to her voice.

Shadow stood up in his chair, brushing off the images saying to himself that he would tell the professor about them later, he stuck his hand back in the pumpkin and did the same as Maria has done to hers, and by the end they were both covered in the stuff.

When they got back from cleaning the pumpkin guts off themselves they started drawing their designs and carving into the pumpkins. For some reason Shadow found it easier to carve the shapes out of the pumpkin than it was to gut it or draw on it.

"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." Maria said fitting the top of her pumpkin on after a while of carving into it.

Shadow backed up and looked at his pumpkin. Since he wasn't sure what they were suppose look like he didn't really care that it didn't look exactly like he wanted it to. Shrugging in response to his friend Shadow turned his pumpkin towards the girl. She smiled when she saw his carving of her, Gerald, and Himself playing together kinda looked like... Stick figures that got morphed in to a... Sumo wrestler combined with pointy bush.

"Is that a ball, ...going up a ramp?" she asked looking at the morphed hole in the pumpkin that kinda looked like it had a tail to it and legs.

"It's a Hedgehog." He said through her giggling "what's Santa doing on your pumpkin?"

"Santa? What's a Santa? That's supposed to be the professor."

Maria stared at him for a little bit then shook her head. "Santa's not a what, he's a who. He brings presents to all the good boys and girls who live in the planet."

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Is he mental?"

Maria cocked her head in confusion "what?" She asked

"Who, in their right mind, gives kids everywhere on the planet presents every day just for being good?" Shadow asked not even the slightest bit concerned on how he gets around the globe all in one day.

Maria let out a little giggle "No. He does it at night, once every year... I'll explain it more when it gets closer to Christmas." She explained, or tried to. Shadow shook his head confused. She smiled and Shadow half smiled back but wasn't all that impressed with his pumpkin art.

"It looks wonderful, Shadow!" Maria said smiling pleasantly.

Suddenly standing up she ran out the door saying "oh! I've gotta get my costume together! I'll see ya soon, Shadow!"

The Ultimate Life Form watch her leave, silently wishing that tonight wouldn't last very long and that he wouldn't be noticed very badly in his own costume if Gerald could actually come up with something. Not that he didn't appreciate the Professor helping him with it he just would rather train or sit in the lab keeping his energy levels stable until Gerald could finish the inhibitor rings he was making for him.

"Could you help carry these pumpkins to the door?" The cook asked bringing Shadow out of his thoughts. The chef picked up Shadow's pumpkin and is taking over to a table that he had set up while they carved the pumpkins.

Shadow Pulled Maria's over to him, picked it up, and followed the Chef, placing the pumpkin on the opposite side of the door on the little table for it. It had two triangle eyes and a jagged smile like the one on his, what they called, candy bucket.

The cook disappeared into the kitchen for a few seconds, returning with two small candles and a match box. Once the cook lit the candles, Shadow placed them in the pumpkin and replaced the top.

After that the cook returned to the preparations in the kitchen while Shadow stood there looking at the now glowing pumpkins he shrugged, still understanding the concept of this holiday and he hovered to the lab.

...

Shadow opened the door and saw Gerald and another scientist at Gerald's desk when they heard the doors open. Gerald swiveled around in his chair, seeing that it is Shadow he stood up taking a few steps towards the hedgehog with papers in his hand saying "Finally. I have two options for you and have already given the idea to a scientist here that can draw and we came out with these." Gerald said handing the Ultimate Hedgehog the two papers.

Looking them over briefly, Shadow could tell that the costume really depended on how serious he wanted to take it. He gave Gerald the paper with the yellow colored hedgehog on it back asking "How am I going to turn yellow?"

The tailor on the ARK came in with a miniature dress identical to the ones Maria wears. Speechless and fed-up, all he did was groan and slap his hand over his eyes. Nodding his head towards the ground.

'No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Why did I have you pick her name out of the hat?' He asked himself trying to figure up a different way of getting out of this holiday. Pretending to get sick is out of the picture entirely, and he hasn't been tired since he was created so that excuse wouldn't work that well either.

With a sigh of exasperation Shadow looked at the other picture in his hand as Gerald talked to the taylor. It had the same blue dress Maria wore that the taylor is holding only this picture looked a lot like him wearing a dress where as the other one looked like he tried to look like Maria.

"I'll put it here and if you need anything else done to it, you know where to find me." The tailor said placing the dress on the back of a chair, and left.

Gerald wandered over to it and got a better look at it while Shadow kept his distance from it as long as he physically could.

Shadow watched Gerald as he picked up two boots that would fit him that semi resembled the small slip-on shoes that Maria sometimes wore around the ARK, only in boot form, he placed them next to the dress and picked up a headband that would fit him that, again, looked exactly like the one Maria wore.

"But, Professor, how am I going to turn yellow? I'm not against the idea of Maria as a hedgehog, but I'm black and red not yellow, or gold, or whatever color that is." Shadow asked again, hoping that he could think of another reason before the professor answered, unfortunately Gerald just chuckled in amusement, possibly at the face he was making, or the many attempts he's tried at getting out of tonight, or who knows what, "The answer is in the bathroom in my room. Take this in there and I'll meet you in there in a minute." Gerald answered as he placed Shadow's costume in a plastic bag and handed it to him then went to gather his own costume.

His eyes shifting to the bag in his hands, Shadow shook his head in disbelief that he couldn't get out of this thing.

He kept his head hung, avoiding eye contact with everyone he passed in the corridor as he made his way to Gerald's room.

He knocked on the door. Surly Gerald must have beaten him to the room; after all Shadow took his time getting there because he was in no hurry at all. Sure enough Gerald's door slid open and the Professor stood by his closet searching for a certain color t-shirt to wear.

"Shadow, I figured you would've beaten me here, but never mind that go into the bathroom and there's a tin can sitting on the counter next to the sink, you're going to use that to turn yellow." Gerald said glancing over his shoulder at him gesturing to a door across the room from him.

Nodding Shadow went into the bathroom and there, by the sink, sat a small bucket of the something he needed to pull it off, the dress (with the tiny blue boots someone couldn't resist on making), and the picture, Shadow poked his head out of the door telling the professor that he is going to get ready, and locking the door behind him.

...

After a couple of hours everyone was in their costumes and started gathering in the cafeteria.

Shadow emerged from the bathroom wearing a black hooded cape that reached the ground and dragged behind him as well (since it was made it fit a human, and not him.) and he walked down the halls looking like the grim reaper wishing that was his real costume.

Dreading every moment in the horrid outfit he didn't feel even the slightest relief until he went in the cafeteria and some of the workers were dressed up like their work companions in the previous job that they worked in, and honestly some looked ridicules, but to him looked better than he did if he took the cape off.

Although Gerald dressing up like the cook was funny, but Not even that lightened the Ultimate Life Form's mood.

The real point where he was relived was when he saw Maria in a solid black outfit, a few cotton balls stuffed in the jacket showing just enough to giving the illusion of his patch of chest fur a small tail attached to her pants, fake hedgehog ears and her own hover shoes; she even had part of her face painted black, and red chalk in her blond hair.

"How ironic." Shadow said his tone a bit more perky than he thought it would be when walking up to Maria. "I didn't know the Grim Reaper worked here?" She said in a playfully cheery tone. Shadow, Chuckling briefly, Pulled off his cape off revealing that he had straightened his quill and painted himself blond before putting on the dress and boots and a blue headband to pull it together. "Although, now, technically we're both Hedgehogs."

Maria gasped in excitement at Shadow's costume "you drew my name?" She squealed enthusiastically.

Shadow shrugged, looking down at his costume. "Yep." He said significantly less impressed with it than she was.

"Makes me wish I was a hedgehog too. Especially if I'd look that nice!" She sighed, with a daydream smile.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "what are you talking about? You're the Ultimate Life Form, at least for tonight! You are THE Hedgehog!" He said with a half-smile, making Maria giggle.

"I guess I am." And with that the two of them enjoyed the rest of the night with each other trying their hardest to ignore the few rude comments about Shadow's costume, and together, Gerald pronounced them both winners of the best costumes, and they all stayed up till midnight playing games and eating candy and having fun with each other.

But Shadow's favorite part was when it was FINALLY over and he got out of the constricting feminine costume and back to himself.

Although his most favorite time about the holiday of all is when he saw Maria's reaction when she saw the dress with matching boots laying on her bed with the note that read.

'Incase your daydream for becoming a hedgehog comes true, here is an outfit for you. No need to thank or repay me. Your friend ~Shadow'