Author's Note: Hello, everyone! This will be an ongoing story related to Shadow and Maria's relationship and history. There will be elements of Shadaria, or Shadow x Maria, so if that bothers you, please feel free to exit this story now. Additionally, lore from all elements of the Sonic franchise will be referenced at times, so although the story is set directly after the events of Sonic x Shadow Generations, the story is not limited to that universe. Thank you so much for reading my first story here, and any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Chapter 1: A Fate Beyond Time

He was running away again. Far, far beyond the expanses of White Space that quickly faded into nothingness as Black Doom's existence and consciousness were eliminated. Far beyond his past, and his future; beyond his ill-fated loved ones and his newfound friends awaiting his return.

Shadow ran, long and hard- trying to run so fast that he could no longer breathe, let alone think. He didn't have the strength to stop, to look back and allow himself the few seconds it would take to process reality once more.

His purpose was behind him. His mission was complete.

His purpose was behind him. He had nothing left to live for.

The transparent White Space surrounding his path had all but faded into a distant fog, revealing the dingy, dark hallways of the ARK once more. The forgotten steel beams and unforgiving glass corridors come to a halt finally, forcing him to stop his futile marathon against fate.

Shadow rests his forehead on the metallic doors in front of him and squeezes his eyes shut, heart pounding mercilessly. There was nowhere else to go, nowhere else to run. He was absolutely drenched in sweat and tears, his quills downturned by the weight. The lack of heating in the abandoned colony quickly caused his soaked fur to chill, and Shadow shivered profoundly. His eyes were still closed, and he frantically tried to stop himself from thinking the inevitable, but the thoughts would come and he knew he was powerless to stop them.

"Only a few moments ago, my forehead rested against hers… And now, I rest it against this cold, unyielding prison which stole her…" Shadow snarled, painful emotions bubbling and bursting up within his chest. Desperation and powerlessness overcame him and he could do nothing but claw meaninglessly at the steel panels of the door, sobbing and growling. He had failed to save her again; let her disappear into oblivion again. There must have been another way to prevent her fate, there must have been… And yet, he had failed for a second time. The purpose Shadow had spent over fifty years chasing.

"A way to bring Maria back to me…"

Her warm smile and touch, as weak as it had been, as they had said goodbye in the White Space, had brought him back to a place he hadn't been since he was a child. Even in such a cruel and heartbreaking situation, the calming alleviation he felt by staring into her azure eyes couldn't be denied. He knew he had done the right thing by letting them go. But still… But still…!

Shadow opened his eyes and snarled once more, completely lost in his rage and turmoil. He sent a Chaos Spear through the door, causing it to explode open with a thunderous bang that echoed down the abandoned hallways. It was only then that he realized Rouge was most likely looking for him and he had now revealed his location. After all, they needed to bring the real Chaos Emerald to Sonic as soon as possible, before he faced the Time Eater.

Shadow was still fully aware of his modern-day responsibilities, and of his pride. The last thing he needed was the responsibility of another world-ending calamity being placed on his shoulders, or for Rouge to see him in such a state. He gritted his teeth, his fang painfully biting at his lip.

"I need to push these thoughts aside and focus… just…" Shadow turned to face the inside of the room in which he just burst into. The wall was a giant sheet of glass, with faint blue light reflecting inside from the outside stars, moon, and the few external mechanisms still functioning to keep the ARK barely operational. His eyes quickly adjusted and he realized where he was standing.

"Maria's… Room."