Archive of Our Own ^beta

Life started as it always did, within darkness.

A darkness that surrounded him on all sides as he slowly started to feel his own body. Fully formed, curled up, aware yet unable to move. Because it wasn't time yet.

He didn't know what he was waiting for or what this "time" meant. But all he could do was lie there, as he was. Where it was dark, where he felt protected, where he was surrounded on all sides by something hard but warm. A warmth that pulsed and gave him comfort that he couldn't fully comprehend.

This lasted for a while but he wasn't sure what "time" was or how long a "while" was. But something changed suddenly, as the pulsing warmth around him was rattled, shifted and grew much warmer than it should be. But he still wasn't uncomfortable. And it still wasn't time yet. Not yet.

A hard impact rattled the darkness he'd come to consider his own. The heat dissipated and the soft pulsing returned, the comfort returned and he started to relax. His limbs could move within this tight space, that was new. But it still wasn't time yet. He still didn't know what he was supposed to do when it was "time" but he'd know when that day arrived.

More moments passed, more "time" passed that he was unaware of. Things hit against the darkness that surrounded him, rattling him but never disturbing him. Sounds that filtered through that he slowly came to understand. He was safe. His safety couldn't be disturbed-.

Crack!

What…? Wait…

Crick! Crack!

No, it was too soon. It wasn't time yet-!

The darkness he considered his own was breached and fluid quickly filled it. Fluid that burned against his skin and fur, washing over his head and quickly filling up his space of safety. His whole body shivered as his eyes flew open, staring out into wavering green and blurry figures beyond a veil. He curled up further, as if that could bring the safe darkness back, but it was already broken. It was already cracked open and it was too soon for it to-!

… What… had he been waiting for….?

More of his safety broke away, the liquid made the only space he knew crumble around him and he sank down into this green liquid until he hit the grey ground. His hands were black, black with claws. Red highlights that ran up his arms-.

How did he-…?

"-at is that…?"

His ears twitched and tilted up when he heard voices, voices that he understood. He had yet to take a breath, but he didn't need to take a breath either. There was something inside of him… The same, soft pulsing that had been around him was inside of him. Another shiver went through his body as he lifted his head to stare at the blurry figures past the veil.

These were unknowns. They took him out… Had he liked being in there…? Yes. Yes, he had. But he also didn't mind being out of it. And what was this blurry veil…? He reached out with a hand towards the blurry white figures, but his hand was stopped by something flat. He could break this. The liquid that surrounded him stung, it stung against his skin, fur, eyes, everywhere. As if it was trying to eat him.

He was about to press harder against this barrier when he heard the liquid shift. He looked up and saw where he'd come from get lifted out of this liquid. A... rock…? No, it wasn't just a rock. It was a… meteorite. That felt like a better word, but he didn't understand why a meteorite felt better than a rock. And the level of this liquid was lowering with it…

He stepped back from the barrier and watched as the liquid lowered until it went down past his head and drained completely. This did three things.

One, he was wet and it wasn't a good feeling. He was quick to shake off the stinging liquid, as much as he could, and he was now cold. The pulsing warmth inside of him helped stave off that cold feeling.

Two, he took his first breath as if that was something he should do regularly. With this breath, the energy in his chest shifted to spread through his whole body instead, which made him look at his hands and then his chest. This spread of warmth felt better. And he knew he could make it stronger.

Three, he could now see those white blurry figures clearly. There were multiple… things standing on two legs like he was. They all had white on them. Some over their whole body and head, others only over their shoulders and down. 

They were all looking at him just as he was looking at them. He felt his hair stand on end from so many eyes on him and his hands clenched into fists. Those things took a step back when his eyes landed on them this time, all except one…

That one stepped up. It was completely white and had something strange in front of their eyes that were circular in shape. And grey fur sticking out to either side of its face. He narrowed his eyes at this creature and let the warmth within himself circulate faster through him. Just in case it tried to do something-.

"Can you understand me?"

His head tilted slightly when the creature said this. It wanted a conversation. Was it a creature that preferred words over actions, then? He… wasn't sure what type of creature he was himself. It had been a question, so he should give the creature an answer. And so, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Yes. And you took me out."

There was a faint murmur of voices around him from the other creatures. His ears twitched to pick up pieces of the conversations. His eyes quickly darted around from creature to creature to try and gauge their reactions.

"-amazing that it can-"

"-came from space so how-"

"-haps listening and learning while in that meteorite-"

"-oes it look like that-"

"That's a relief." The circle fur thing spoke over the hushed whispers of everyone else, which made everyone else fall quiet. "It must have been cramped in there. When we found a life source within it, we wanted to free it."

"Okay." He said, then turned towards the thing that mentioned "space" and "meteorite" prior. "What is the difference between a meteorite and a rock?"

The thing twitched and stared at him with the hole on its face opening and closing. Yet, it didn't speak. It made him frown. "You don't know…?"

The thing beside the one he had asked nudged the one he had asked. That made it twitch and speak. "A-A meteorite is a stone mass that comes from outside our planet's atmosphere." 

He let out a soft sound of acknowledgment. But that description also felt wrong to describe the place he had come to know. The warmth he had experienced… That place wasn't a simple mass of stone. It was something more than that. And he could see it quickly crumbling where it had been laid down, crumbling until there was nothing that remained of it. It made him feel a sense of… loss. He couldn't go back to the place he came from. It was completely gone…

He looked towards the thing with circles and fur, this barrier was getting annoying. So with a simple thought, he now stood in front of the creature, it was tall, taller than him. The ground he stood on was cold on his bare feet and he looked down to lift them a few times to get used to it. The white clad things let out sharp breaths and it made him turn to look at all of them instead of his feet.

A few of these creatures were dressed in dark green and they were suddenly tense and aimed objects in their hands in his direction. But no one did anything… When he looked back at the thing with circles and fur, he could see it had its hand up with all fingers together. 

He was a little confused by this, but decided to mimic the creature's action.

"Are you what I've been waiting for?" He asked the creature he'd teleported in front of. One who wanted to talk with him and not just react to him.

The thing let out a soft sound in surprise and the fur on its face shifted upwards. "Perhaps I am. And perhaps you are the answers I have been searching for as well. Do you have a name?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but then paused. A name… He knew what a name entailed, a way to address someone, but he couldn't grasp what it was for himself. It made him frown.

"I don't know… what that would be."

"I see. Perhaps you will find your name as you are here on earth." The fur on its face tilted further up and it showed teeth. "My own name is Gerald Robotnik. But I usually go by my academic title, Professor."

"I don't know what an academic title means." He said with a slight tilt of his head. "If you're what I've been waiting for, what am I supposed to do?"

'Professor' let out a pleased noise and gestured towards a thing beside them. "Before that, let's get you dry and comfortable. Are you hungry?"

"Yes." He said and watched as the creature 'Professor' had gestured towards approach him with some form of fabric. He looked at the fabric the thing held out before he took it and felt its rough texture with his hands. It seemed to absorb the liquid that stuck to his fur. So this is what 'Professor' meant by getting dry. He started to wipe the moisture off his arms. His claws also easily tore through the fabric, making it into little more than tatters for him to use.

"Everyone, please adjust the equipment in the testing room. I will accommodate our new guest in the meantime." 'Professor' said to the other creatures, then looked towards him and gestured towards the exit. 'Professor' expected him to walk.

'Professor' stated that it was what he had been waiting for. He didn't know why he was here, but if what this creature said was true then it would know. It felt like there were multiple gaps in the information he should already have. Like something had gone amiss, but he couldn't know what.

When he glanced at the other creatures, he saw them talking with each other and moving away from him. It made him hold onto the fabric in his hands a little tighter.

So he put the moisture absorbing fabric on top of his head and did his best to dry it off in its tattered state while walking towards the exit 'Gerald' gestured towards. The heat pulsed steadily in his chest and through his body, one piece of the comforting warmth that was still with him. A heat that he could use to be wherever he wanted to be.

Something was wrong, tilted, but maybe this 'Gerald' could help him understand why he was here.

He frowned when his hand crushed the frail object he picked up. A "cup", the Professor had said. Something that was supposed to be sturdy and yet, crumbled when he attempted to pick it up. Its sharp edges cut his hand, but the wound wasn't deep enough to make him bleed.

"It's fragile." He noted as he turned towards the Professor. He could see how the other two humans stared at him with wide eyes while the Professor smiled. 

"You certainly have a firm grip." The Professor noted, then gestured to the other objects it had asked him to pick up. 

Fabric was ripped apart. Cardboard boxes crushed. Paper was punctured. And now, hard plastic was cracked and bent. Nothing they had given him to pick up so far had been left intact. 

He crossed his arms, something he had picked up from observing these creatures these few hours. "Then don't make them fragile."

"Good gods, what is that thing…?" One of the other humans whispered to the other, something that made him look at them with a frown. Was it really that surprising…?

There were more of those dark dressed creatures who were holding objects in a tense and protective manner. Creatures that felt more dangerous than those who were white. He didn't know why, but he wouldn't let his guard down.

"Instead of grabbing it like you believe it should be grabbed, why not adjust the force that you use in your grip?" The Professor said as he marked off something on his 'taking notes' and then gestured towards the metal block again. "Could you pick up the porcelain cup without damaging it?"

He looked at the other cup with a small frown. He didn't like hearing how those other human's voices trembled when talking about him. He was so… different. He looked different. And now they were whispering how his strength wasn't normal. Then… What was their normal? 

He walked over towards the small white cup and placed his hands on either side of it. He tried to pick it up doing only this, but that didn't work. So he applied just a little bit of pressure before he tried to lift it again. This time, it worked… So he carefully settled his fingers under the cup to support its weight from gravity and let up on the pressure. He turned towards the Professor who was already writing something on 'taking notes'.

"What reason is there to do this?" He asked the humans.

"To see how strong you are compared to us humans here on earth. We do this in order to guide you properly through different types of testing. Now, are you able to crush that metal cube?" The Professor gestured towards the hand sized cube beside him with its pen.

This made him slightly confused. First, it wanted him to pick up fragile things. Then it wanted him to pick up a thing without damaging it. And now it wanted him to crush something? He couldn't see the point of all of this. He let go of the cup in his hand and twitched when it fell to the floor and broke apart in pieces. Everything was so fragile… He stepped over the shards towards the metal cube. Those shards looked as sharp as the hard plastic cup shards and he didn't want his feet to get cut into. He felt that they were more sensitive than his hands.

He picked up the metal block and was surprised when it didn't immediately crack or get damaged like the other things he'd picked up "normally" instead of "carefully". Metal seemed to be sturdy. And just to try it, he dropped the metal block to the floor like he'd done to the cup. It didn't break. One of the white clad creatures let out a soft sound, but when he looked at it, it kept its mouth closed.

So he picked up the block again. The Professor was what he'd been waiting for inside that safe space. So doing this would help him understand why he was sent here. So he'd need to do as the Professor said.

He pressed his hands on either side of the cube and put more pressure on it. It creaked slightly under his grip, but it didn't budge. It seemed to be dense. He let his energy flow through his body, something that made orange sparks run alongside his arms and his body. And with a firm crushing motion channeling his energy through his hands, the metal cube crumbled under his grip and bent inwards in the middle with the two ends bulking up and down. He stopped the flow of energy and held the piece of metal towards the Professor.

The humans were trembling. The white ones were huddled together. The green ones were lifting up the things in their hands slightly towards him. But the Professor moved its head up and down.

"Simply remarkable…" The Professor said with its face fur tilted upwards. "You are truly a remarkable creature. I am looking forward to seeing what other wonderous things you are capable of." The Professor shoved his 'taking notes' into the chest of one of the other humans to hold while the Professor took a few steps towards him. "Would you like to rest? I would like to plan and prepare for more tests to understand your physicality better. The better I understand you, the more I can help you in the end."

"So there will be more of these… 'tests'?" He asked while glancing towards the objects he had ended up destroying. He didn't like the sound of that, it seemed useless and boring… But it was in an effort to understand why he was here… "Okay… I need to rest. And if it gives you time to plan…"

"Excellent! I will make sure you get the best type of hospitality we can offer while monitoring your condition. We wouldn't want your travel to Earth to affect you in a bad way." The Professor's hand settled behind his shoulder and guided him forward, something he allowed as he was led out of the room. The hand was really warm… Surprisingly warm.

"Let's put you in a type of suspension you're used to." The Professor said as its face fur tilted upwards, something he'd come to understand as something to soothe him or reassure him. And with this reassurance, he nodded. If the Professor wanted to look over his physical health, then it had to be part of why he was here.

He hadn't expected to be asked to step into a similar "barrier" that he woke up in and being connected to strange strings. The Professor explained that it was called a pod and the strings attached to him would help them monitor his condition while he was resting. The pod was filled with a warm, light green liquid. His energy focused on his chest again when it went past his head so he wouldn't need to breathe. 

It felt… familiar. He didn't expect to actually find comfort in this pod thing. He felt exposed when he could see everything, which wasn't as good, but these humans weren't strong enough to break this "glass" the pod was made of with their bare hands. He was. So that was a small relief, even if these humans could see him clearly.

And he did feel tired… So he waited until he was alone in the room, then curled up into a ball to rest. He could imagine that he was back in that dark safety, without the noise of human made creations around him. The warmth inside of him continued to bring him comfort in the strange environment he'd found himself in.

The humans didn't want to answer all of his questions. When asked what their aim was, they directed him to the Professor. And the Professor said it was simply trying to understand him the best it could. When asked if there was something else to eat, they stated that they didn't have the funding to give him something else than bland soup or grains. When told that he didn't like them poking him with needles for their "tests" he was told that it was all done to understand him and not as any form of malice.

So he learned to keep his thoughts to himself, other than to learn about the things that existed in this world. If they were going to explain their actions towards him as "a way to understand him", then there was no need for him to ask questions about their goals or state what he preferred if he would only get the same answer.

He decided on his name, from an offhand comment made by one of the soldiers as he heard them talking in the cafeteria. "The shadows of the mountain seemed to stretch on endlessly, it was huge! Like an endless dark road."

Shadow. Something that was ever reaching and endless. Something that was attached to everything, the darkest parts of oneself. A shadow that made others scared and flinched away if it moved in a way they didn't expect. A shadow that existed but wasn't acknowledged more than necessary. A shadow that was a mirror of the creature it was part of yet didn't fulfil a clear purpose other than be a disturbance of light.

So he stated that his name was Shadow. And the Professor was quick to approve the name, saying that it suited him.

He wondered what the Professor meant by that comment…

When Shadow had torn through too many cables with his claws, he received reinforced gloves so he wouldn't hurt those cables or any fragile humans by accident. That is another thing he found out about himself, Shadow didn't like hurting others. He didn't like how afraid everyone was of him as they discovered more and more of what he could do. Only frowning at humans was enough to make them back off and leave him alone. With the way they stared at him, he preferred being alone…

Shadow performed the "fragile" test again with these gloves. And being mindful of his strength this time, he picked up every object without breaking them. The reinforced gloves helped cover his sharp claws so nothing was punctured.

They told him about many different things. How this place he had found himself in was a "GUN military base" and that he lived in the research department specifically designed to create weapons. They showed him pictures of different weapons and brief instructions on how they were used, which highlighted that this was a very violent world despite the tameness Shadow had experienced so far.

They told him of humans, what humans were and their culture.

Shadow understood that humans worked over "days" and "hours", a way to calculate time for them. It had been 5 days since Shadow emerged from the meteor in their lab. He had yet to explore the planet he had ended up on, even less so of the military facility he lived in since he went between the test and lesson chambers and the glass pod he saw as his "safety" in this building. He also didn't feel the need to explore any further, he felt that there wasn't anything outside that would be more interesting. He didn't have any kind of calling. Especially not when the Professor and the other humans could explain the world to him when he asked about something he didn't understand.

Humans have multiple countries with multiple languages. Humans are technological creatures who always aim to improve what already exists to make it more effective and automated. Humans have had periods of war between each other. And Shadow found out that they hoped he could become a useful weapon… Not because of what anyone told him, but because of what they were teaching him.

Facts, logic, reasoning, knowledge that could be used to make him effective in combat. Knowledge of how he could use weapons and use his powers to his advantage to overpower someone. It seemed like they thought he couldn't make the connections. Just because he was new didn't mean he couldn't understand what it meant.

He understood that weapons were used in wars to hurt other beings in order to get their opinions heard over everyone else. And they wanted Shadow to be a weapon, to hurt people… He didn't like seeing fear on these human's faces. It always puts him in a bad mood. Hurting others would only make them more scared of him and he didn't want that. But Shadow also felt like he didn't have much of a choice. He depended on these humans to understand what he was capable of and what he was supposed to do.

On day 7 in the facility, Shadow received shoes. Shoes that he was supposed to channel his energy through, Chaos energy, in order to make himself float. He was fast, but his feet didn't move as quickly as they needed to in order for him to reach max speed and not risk stumbling while doing so. So the Professor had built these in order to solve that issue.

He had never run faster than when he first put on those air shoes. It created a complete blackout through the whole facility when he ran laps around the running track they had built specifically for him. A small misstep in his own body's design that had been solved by the technology crafted by the one who was helping him understand why Shadow had come to this place. It was fascinating how inventive humans were. 

He still didn't understand why he was here. But the Professor seemed to have a plan for him, perhaps something that wouldn't turn him into a weapon like most of the green clad humans wished him to become. So he just had to wait until the time came that he became useful, when he'd understand why he came here.

His pod became familiar to him, as did the hallways between his pod, the cafeteria and the testing grounds of the military base Shadow lived in. The pulse of power flowing through his veins was a constant source of comfort, something that the Professor had him explore the limits of constantly. He always ended up doing more damage or expending more energy than necessary or messing up their tests when pushed to his limits. It left him exhausted too quickly and he couldn't get a proper grasp of how much Chaos energy was "enough" energy for every designated task.

Another thing that felt wrong with him, like he really should know how to handle it but that knowledge was lost on him. Just like how he couldn't run faster until he received those shoes.

It ended with the Professor giving Shadow something he called "inhibitor rings" on day 11. Something to help him regulate his Chaos energy output to a more manageable level so he wouldn't tire out as easily. He was in awe at how well they worked, he barely felt a drain on his energy with these rings on. His attacks weren't as powerful, but they felt more precise. His energy source felt almost endless with just the right amount of usage for everything he wanted to perform.

And they continued to teach him things that he felt would only make him stronger than he was now, but never gave him a reason to use that strength in any capacity. They didn't say there was any type of directive, only that he should grow as powerful as he could be. And the Professor only told him to be patient, that his reason would become clear soon. That the Professor needed Shadow to play along with them for now and follow instructions when told.

It was tiring. This… This should be what he was sent here for, right? The Professor said he'd help. He didn't like their prodding. He didn't like their tools or when things hurt, but he was getting used to it. He didn't like the comments said behind his back that he could hear with his greater hearing.

Shadow was different, he understood that. But he also didn't like being different. He didn't like being feared. He didn't like that he couldn't trust anyone but the Professor. Those who held weapons were especially wary of Shadow. He just wanted to understand why he was here, what his purpose was, what he was supposed to do on this planet.

He just wanted answers to questions he could never receive the answers for. So he remained quiet.

These technologies he had received were fine tuned to work perfectly with what Shadow wished to achieve with them on day 15. Shadow also received the blueprints of the air shoes and rings from the Professor, so he could calibrate or fix them himself if he needed to. Even went so far as to watch Shadow take them apart and build them together so Shadow could understand what the technology that helped him did.

The fear these humans exhibited grew as they discovered more of his powers and capabilities. They also found a way to absorb Shadows expended Chaos power and contain it, a way to contain unlimited power in a condensed mass. Shadow started to suspect that they viewed him more and more as a means to create weaponry in order to cause destruction, the Professor included. 

And he… wasn't sure what to think about that. Not only himself but his powers too?

He was now instructed on how to use multiple weapons the humans had created after being given clear instructions on what they were. He picked up on how to use all weapons quickly, as if his body had used some before but Shadow just didn't remember. The familiarity was strange, but he dismissed it for the most part. It was just another way to be useful for whatever the Professor had planned for him. And he needed to play along… It was just knowledge in the end, knowledge that could be lethal if Shadow had to use it.

A short human appeared at the research facility on day 18. One that became endlessly fascinated with Shadow and who… didn't look at him with fear. But just… looked at him. Their first meeting entailed this small human entering his room and drawing on his pod while smiling. Despite Shadow frowning at her, she didn't go away. She stayed. It felt strange how this small human was determined to visit Shadow at any given opportunity. It asked an endless amount of questions that he didn't know how to answer during its other visits while she was doodling on his pod with a marker.

"Why do you look like that?" He simply woke up this way. He didn't know the reason for it. 

"What's your favourite food?" Having a "favourite" would entail that he'd tried enough different foods to distinguish which he found tasted better. He didn't think that was something he lacked until the human asked the question.

"What do you do all day?" Tests, tests, and more tests. All to help the humans understand what Shadow was and make Shadow stronger.

"Do you do anything for fun?" He didn't understand what that word meant, not truly. He liked being fast and powerful, but that source of power also caused the humans to stay away from him. He didn't do much else.

Maria was the human's name. Was… her name. A name that felt important with how she often went to see Shadow and even helped him get away from the non stop testing the other humans wished to do. The Professor had seen Shadow leave with Maria a few times but all he did was smile and nod to them. The Professor let Maria take Shadow away and it was a bit… confusing.

Shadow also didn't understand why Maria did what she did with Shadow. She gave him a lot of different foods to try, she had him sit with her during her own lessons so they could learn new things together that didn't include weaponry, she encouraged him to "build" a small "fort" with soft things like blankets and pillows between chairs to make a small cave for them. It made Shadow think of the sharp claws that hid underneath his gloves, how they could accidentally tear the fort that Maria was so happy to build with him. Shadow felt like he needed to be careful.

Maria also spoke about such… positive things. So different from how he'd learned humans were like. She spoke about kindness and how it can heal people. She spoke of individuality and how to be a person. She spoke of wonders of the world that made Shadow want to see those things for himself. She spoke about creativity and how to express it, how to have fun and what that felt like. The wonder that she held when she viewed the world, Shadow wanted to experience that wonder as well.

Shadow found himself enjoying spending time with Maria more and more as the days passed and as Maria never failed to visit him. It set back the test and research, but the Professor also didn't seem to mind. The soldiers, those dressed in green, didn't seem as happy that Maria helped Shadow get away, but their opinion didn't matter to him. They got their readings on Shadow and the Chaos energy they siphoned from Shadow through his running, that should be enough to let them discover new things without Shadow being there. And Shadow himself could learn how to be a person from Maria. He learned what "fun" was. He learned what "creativity" was. He learned all of this from Maria, a young girl with a bright smile and wanted to share her wonder for the world with him.

"Maria, what are these?" Shadow asked as he picked up something that looked like shoes with wheels on the bottom. He gently spun the wheel on the shoe.

"Those are roller skates! It's fun to roll along on the floor, like you do with your air shoes." Maria said as she walked up to stand next to him. "Grandfather's colleagues don't like it when I use them, they don't want someone speeding through the hallways."

"Why not? They haven't told me to stop doing it. And they often let you pull me away from the tests." Shadow noted with a small frown. Why did the other humans tell her to stop doing something she enjoyed doing….?

"You teleport rather than run most of the time, it's different." Maria shrugged slightly. She then started to smile, something Shadow had come to enjoy seeing on the young girl's face. "We've hidden away for a while now. What do you say about taking these for a ride?"

Shadow tilted his head slightly. They hadn't been actively hiding today, they had only remained in Maria's room with Maria playing the guitar for him. Shadow wouldn't count that as hiding. The last time they actively hid was when Maria and him went to the kitchen to hide until no one was looking in order for Shadow to quickly steal some sweets for the two of them.

"What do you mean?" Shadow couldn't help but ask and handed the roller skate back to her when she gestured for it.

Maria's smile widened as she sat down on the floor and started to put the two roller skates on both of her feet. "Let's skate along the halls together! We need to go faster to avoid others catching us, so you should pull me along since you're faster than I am."

Shadow nodded slightly as he looked down at her shoes. Shoes that worked similarly to his own air shoes… His own expression shifted into a small smile at the thought of Maria experiencing the feeling of wind blowing past her as everything else turned into a blur. It was a feeling that Shadow enjoyed and he was sure Maria would enjoy it too.

And he'd been right. With Maria tying a rope to Shadow's waist, he pulled Maria along as the two of them skated down the hallways. Shadow was smiling as he heard Maria's shouts of glee and laughter, always glancing back to make sure she was safe after every curve. The warmth of his Chaos energy couldn't compare to the warmth Maria's joy brought him. Hearing her be happy and carefree made Shadow happy as well.

While the speed was enjoyable, Shadow had it a bit harder to stop their momentum. Maria shouted a warning to the one manning the food carts that were in their way but it didn't help much. Shadow stopped in time but he was pulled along by Maria's momentum, so the two of them crashed into the food cart. Both of them got covered in condiments, food and dessert as they laid on the floor, but Maria didn't seem to mind since she still had a wide smile on her face.

It made Shadow think about their time in the kitchen two days ago, when a bag of flour had been dropped and Maria had laid down and moved her arms and legs up and down. To make the shape of an angel, she'd said. Being an angel suited her, she was so pure and bright. So Shadow started to move his arms and legs up and down like Maria had done before, but now within food stains instead. When Maria saw Shadow doing this, she let out a soft laugh and did the same with him.

Both of them ignored the stares and groans of despair coming from the humans around them that had approached the messy scene. There were only the two of them, making angel shapes in the mess of food and smiling at one another. When the Professor approached to scold Maria for her recklessness, Maria was quick to stand up and urged Shadow to run away with her. And the two of them, still covered in food, zoomed down the hallway with Maria's laughter ringing loud and clear between the walls as she held onto his rope.

Maria has taught him how to smile and how to be happy. They haven't known each other for long, but he'd do anything to make sure Maria is as happy as she can be.

28 days. 11th April 1974, that was the date. When Shadow told Maria how many days it had been, she taught him about birthdays and how the two of them should celebrate Shadow's birthday when it arrived on March 14th. Shadow wouldn't count his emergence from the meteor as something to be celebrated like Maria described. But if it made Maria happy, then he'd celebrate this "birthday" with her if she wanted to.

Maria said that she had a surprise for Shadow for the day. And he grew a bit unnerved as Maria continued to lead him along the corridors of the facility, through hallways that Shadow hadn't thought to go through before because they weren't close to the usual testing chambers. It was unfamiliar territory so he stuck close to Maria as they sneaked through the hallways.

Maria led him out to an elevator that she used a card to activate to move the two of them upwards. When Shadow looked up, he saw the doors in the roof open up to the two of them to let light seep into the facility. Light that he knew was the sun, he had seen pictures of it. And the smell was… different from that open door. He unconsciously grabbed hold of Maria's hand as the two of them entered the open space above. And Shadow saw the planet he'd ended up on with his own eyes.

It was… breathtaking.

The view Shadow had gotten from the pictures of their surroundings didn't encapsulate how large it all felt. The sun was shining low but bright in the sky, a source of light that gave life to this planet. The light was warm against Shadows fur and he felt his fur and quills stand on end from the feeling. It was so warm and comfortable… It felt like the space within that "meteor" he'd come from. Better than the pod of liquid he rested in after each day had passed.

A light source that gave life… Was this warmth the source of life, then? 

The mountain that the research facility was built into was part of a mountain range. Mountains that had sections of trees and greenery and brought with it a pleasant smell that Shadow couldn't place. And a strong but gentle smell. The wind brushed past his twitching ears without him needing to run, because it was moving and circulating. It wasn't stagnant out here.

But the shadows from the other mountains covered sections of the land below in darkness… Shadows that prevented them from receiving the light of life from the sun.

Was he also destined to be that kind of shadow…? But he wanted to be a hero like the stories Maria read to him…

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Maria noted as she stood beside him with a wide smile. 

She pulled Shadow forward onto the field of white flowers that blossomed around this elevator. Something he only noticed when Maria pulled him forward. This seemed to be a top section in the mountain that didn't have a clear path that led downwards. A viewing point, perhaps… Or specifically designed for these flowers.

"It is…" Shadow noted in a quiet voice as he stepped around the flowers. The smell coming from them felt intense, but calming. He ignored the thoughts that had surfaced from seeing the long shadows and focused on everything else instead. His hold on Maria's hand tightened ever so slightly. "I didn't think the world would be this… alive outside."

"The sun always feels comfortable and warm." Maria closed her eyes with her head tilted upwards, towards said sun. "The weather was so nice today, so I had to show you this before the sun went down. Grandfather might get mad at me for it, but it's worth it."

"Why did you need to show me this?" Shadow asked as he glanced towards her. Because looking at Maria being happy and comfortable was more calming than watching the world around them filled with tall mountains and shadows.

"Because you always seem so curious when I talk about the outside world. So I wanted to share it with you!" Maria's wide smile was now aimed towards him. "You can go anywhere you want. You don't have to stay here with me and Grandfather all the time, you know. And you'd get back so fast no one would know you were gone!"

"I know. But there's nowhere else for me to go. And any other place wouldn't have you in it." Shadow looked out over the mountain range again and frowned as he again noted the shadows from the mountains. Shadows which covered blank patches of land without any greenery.

Shadow that blocked life from flourishing… Is this what the Professor meant by the name suiting him…?

Maria's warm hand settled on his shoulder and it made Shadow twitch in surprise from the contact.

"Shadow…? What's wrong?"

His hands clenched into fists. He didn't understand how Maria could tell when his thoughts made him feel upset… No one else did, or it was simply the fact that no one cared. But she cared… All questions shouldn't be answered, that's something he'd learned from the humans here during his time at the research facility. But this was Maria asking a question. Just how Maria answered Shadows questions, he should answer hers…

"What does… the name "Shadow" mean to you…?" He asked quietly after a few moments of silence, looking out over the expansive land in front of them.

"What it means…" Maria mused to herself with her hand still on Shadow's shoulder. A comfortable warmth that Shadow found himself leaning into. Maria and the Professor were the only two he didn't feel strange being touched by. Maria's touch was comfortable, warm. The Professor's touch was… rare. But also comfortable. Everyone else was only manageable, because it usually meant more "tests". More needles. More things that might hurt.

"To me, your name means someone who can help you find the light."

Shadow twitched when he heard her answer and looked up at Maria with wide eyes. The girl noticed his stare and looked down at him with another one of her warm smiles.

"Without light, there's only darkness. But a shadow will show you where to find the light. Light and shadows always exist together. And as long as a shadow exists, light will always exist."

Shadow felt himself stop breathing when she explained her reasoning further. An… emotion he couldn't understand made his chest feel tight as he stared at Maria. He wasn't sure what to say, how to react… Did she truly see him that way? Did she truly think… Shadow was someone who could… help people…? Like those in the stories they read together…?

"You've chosen a name that really suits you, Shadow." Maria's smile widened into a grin. "I like it a lot."

As long as a shadow existed… light would always exist. That thought made a wide smile spread over Shadow's face. He liked that thought a lot more than his original reason for choosing that as his name.

He is still stretching the limits of his power further and further. He still made others scared when he moved in a way they didn't expect. He still wasn't acknowledged more than necessary.

Maria was light. She was the light to Shadow, and with Shadow you could always find the light. It meant the two of them would always stick together, that the two of them would never part. Because as long as a shadow exists, light will always exist. 

"Thank you." Shadow said, a simple way of stating his appreciation because he couldn't find the words that existed to truly encapsulate how grateful he was.

It made Maria giggle and lightly shove him to the side. "You're the one who gave yourself that name, there's nothing to thank me for."

Shadow let out a soft hum in acknowledgment and looked out at the scenery in front of him again. A shadow who points others towards the light. He liked the sound of that. And with that thought settled deep into his heart, the scenery of the world in front of him grew even more beautiful than before. Especially with Maria, his light, beside him.

They'd always stay together. He'd make sure to use these powers he had in order to protect Maria from any hardships she might encounter.

Days continued to pass and Maria continued to be a constant presence in his life. A welcome presence, one that he believed to be the true purpose more and more each day. that his purpose for coming to this planet was to find Maria and protect her from everything that could harm her. He still wasn't sure, but that felt more right than being lost.

When he was on the testing grounds or when the researchers prodded him with needles and instruments, Shadow felt irritated. They continued to say that they were making progress, but that progress was only in their own technological advancement with Chaos energy siphoned from Shadow or Shadow's prowess in harnessing and using the power that lived inside of him. The Professor wasn't much help either and Shadow got less eager to perform these tests. Did he really need to find the "true reason" for him being here now when he had Maria, his light?

Shadow was starting to wonder if their goal had ever been to find out why Shadow had come to this planet or if they had always wanted to create destructive weapons. And in turn, make Shadow himself into a weapon. He was even taught how to drive vehicles through the same obstacle courses he went through on foot. His way of infusing the vehicles with his Chaos energy to drive them faster gave the researchers new ideas, too. 

"Professor. What is the goal of all of this?" Shadow asked the older man with a frown on the 30th day. After he'd seen schematics of Chaos driven weapons on the wall in the Professor's lab. It was late in the evening and Shadow had put Maria to bed before he went to search for the professor. Because it didn't feel... right.

"To further technology, Shadow. To explore how your Chaos energy could benefit humanity." The Professor said while holding one of Shadow's glowing quills in his hand and tinkering with the machine in front of him. "I believe your Chaos energy can be used as a replacement for electricity. It would greatly improve the conditions in rural areas."

"Then, why do they continue to make blueprints of weapons?" Shadow was still looking over the wall of blueprints with his arms crossed. "The soldiers keep presenting more difficult challenges for me to clear. They want to make me into a weapon too… But I'm not sure if that's the reason why I came to this planet."

"That's the downside to working for GUN I'm afraid. This is a military base at its core. Anything we develop here needs to benefit the military in some way. Including you, Shadow. Which is putting me in a bit of a bind…" The Professor sounded tired when he said this. The Professor has become tired more easily lately… Shadow wondered if he should ask Maria about it, but then she would grow worried. And he didn't want her to feel worried.

"If you dislike it, why haven't you left?" Shadow asked while he turned to look at the Professor's back. 

"I need the funding, Shadow. I can only leave once all my desired research is complete. And with your help, I can see it become reality." The professor put Shadows glowing quill between two clamps and the mechanism he had hooked it up to started to glow in a gentle light. Shadow walked up to stand next to the Professor to watch the machine.

"Look, your quill can recharge batteries." The professor said while pointing to one of the monitors. "These batteries cannot be recharged once they are empty and need to be tossed away. But with your power, they can be recharged through this machine. Your Chaos energy is a power source to you, the ultimate lifeform, and to anything else we can imagine. With your help, I can improve humanity as a whole."

The Professor's hand settled on Shadow's shoulder, something that made him look up at the Professor. But he was smiling at the machine. 

"We could power more than simple machines or weapons. We could power ways to create new food and water sources. We can make portable electricity sources that could last for days, weeks, maybe even years. The GUN military are fools to limit themselves to simple weaponry. There could even be ways to generate oxygen through your powers so we can ascend into space. Explore the vast corners of the universe and maybe even find where you come from, Shadow."

A way to find… Shadow's home…? Shadow wasn't sure what to think about that. Would that be a place Maria could go to as well…? 

"This is what I need more time to complete, Shadow." The Professor said as he kneeled down to look at Shadow properly. "Until I can complete all my blueprints outside the official working hours, I need you to continue as you are. You growing in strength isn't a bad thing, it only means that you gain new and more powerful means to protect me, Maria and my research once we leave. Because we both know they wouldn't be happy with us going to live outside this military facility."

"Outside…?" Shadow repeated while looking down at the floor. It made him think back to the flower field he stood on with Maria on a sunny day. "I… enjoy being outside. Is that your goal in this? To… help me get stronger and bring me outside?"

"It is something Maria has asked of me. She doesn't want to leave the military base until she can leave with you. And I intend to make her every wish come true." The Professor lightly squeezed Shadow's shoulders before he stood up straight once more. "This is only the first of my multiple ideas. With the progress we've made with understanding your Chaos energy, there's only a matter of time before GUN will make prototypes of Chaos powered weapons. I need to complete these before their weapons reach the final stages. I need to keep my promise to Maria."

Keeping a promise to Maria… So the Professor's goal hadn't been to take Shadow away the whole time. It only shifted into this after Maria had asked the Professor to do it. 

Then, what had the Professor's first plan been…? Shadow wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"For Maria." Shadow said with a small nod and looked at the device that had his quill attached to it. "I will do my best to buy you time, Professor."

"Thank you, Shadow. I'm counting on you."

As Shadow exited the room, he saw notes on the Professor's desk that focused on bio-engineering through Chaos energy. To improve humanity…

Shadow felt that there was a double meaning attached to that. But he wasn't in a position where he could argue with the Professor about it, because Shadow wasn't Maria. Only Maria saw the goodness in humanity and wanted to help it, genuinely. Anything Maria wanted, Shadow would give. He didn't care for humanity as a whole. Whatever the Professor had planned, Shadow wouldn't interfere with as long as it didn't impact Maria.

He'd get stronger for her. He'd buy the Professor time for her sake. So that the two of them could always be together.

Maria had the Professor install a television in their private "fort" that she and Shadow had built together on day 31. Small lights and more soft things were added too that Shadow ended up liking a lot. He liked these soft things, because it was something Maria liked and wanted to share with him.

The days continued to pass and Shadow wasn't sure if he was truly buying time for the Professor like he wanted or if his slight delays in following the testers orders were a source of irritation to those involved. The Professor was seen less and less during the testing periods, which was both good and bad. Shadow learned more and more each day, just how the scientists and soldiers were finding new ways to test his limits.

He hadn't liked the pain tolerance test. It ended up with one of the researchers getting a broken arm and fractured ribs when they'd tried to pull him up and he attacked them in retaliation. The Professor had called a stop to the pain threshold testing after that incident…

Maria continued to expand his view of life. Introducing him to concepts like friends, family, the connections people made with each other. And how the two of them, Maria and Shadow, were friends. The thought made Shadow feel warm even without his Chaos energy swirling through his body. To Shadow, friendship wasn't enough to explain his connection to Maria. Because she was everything that made him feel… good.

Maria was his light. His reason for staying in this military base. His reason for enduring the endless testing and demands forced upon him on what they wanted him to be. He'd given up on finding the reason why he'd come to this planet. Because he was certain now. Shadow had found his own reason for being here. The reason that felt true to himself. To be with Maria, to help and protect her in any way he could.

Shadow hadn't felt his own room was lacking until day 34 arrived. The glass pod with warm liquid he rested in had become familiar. But Maria's room was… different. And it felt warmer.

The small sketches they had made together were hung up on the walls of her room. With Marias pictures being better drawn than Shadows. An open space for them to dance to the music that played from Maria's recorder. Soft blankets and pillows that the two of them laid down on to play music or watch movies, all that were so comfortable against Shadows body.

So much so that one time on day 34, he fell asleep.

They'd been watching a movie about a love drama between three people that was supposed to be touching. A story that Shadow quickly found himself bored with and settled for watching Maria's reactions instead. How her eyes sparkled with excitement. How she felt touched by the declarations of love. How she'd cheered on one of the male protagonists as he argued with his family.

Shadow closed his eyes, only briefly, to cuddle further into the soft blankets that he always needed to be careful with. Blankets and warmth that he felt comfortable and safe with, something he only felt in Maria's room or suspended in the warm liquid of his own pod. Where the tests had stopped and he could just rest…

Next thing he knew, he woke up with a blanket thrown over his body and Maria curled up next to him in their fort. Asleep and taking in deep, calming breaths. The television was off and it made Shadow confused. Hadn't they been in the middle of the movie…?

His head and body felt heavy, tired. Like he still needed rest even if logically, he should get up and put Maria to bed properly. He had done that before many times. Maria would fall asleep while they were relaxing and Shadow had picked her up to put her to bed. But on day 34 when he woke up and saw Maria asleep and peaceful, he felt like he couldn't move.

So he fell back asleep among soft blankets, pillows and Maria. He woke up later than he used to and the Professor arrived to fetch him for his daily testing on day 35.

After that single time of falling asleep amongst soft things and beside his light, he found it harder to sleep on his own. Not impossible, of course, but he couldn't seem to enter a deeper sleep while suspended by liquid as often. 

Shadow almost asked Maria if he could stay with her every night. But that felt like a line he shouldn't cross. Humans were fond of their personal space, just how Shadow enjoyed his own personal space. He couldn't be selfish and ask Maria for even more when she had already given him so much.

No one mentioned how Shadow had fallen asleep in Maria's room on the next movie night where he'd found the movie uninteresting. Or the next one. If Maria fell asleep first, Shadow carried her to her bed, tucked her in and left. But if Shadow fell asleep first, he'd wake up to Maria next to him and the Professor stepping in to take him away for testing.

It became their new type of normal. A type of normal Shadow wanted to keep as it was. He was afraid of hurting her in his sleep if he fell asleep with her too often. It was all to make sure Maria was safe and happy. He'd do anything for her.

On day 46 when Maria hadn't come to see him, even when he was led back to his own room by the Professor, he found himself looking up at the older human.

"Professor… Where is Maria?"

The Professor looked down at Shadow with his mustache tilted upwards. "Ah, there's no need to be on edge, Shadow. She's only sleeping in with a cold. She'll bounce back up soon enough."

"A… cold? She's sick?" Shadow frowned with his hands clenched. The Professor stopped when Shadow stopped. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Like I said, there's no reason to worry. It's a common sickness and she's received medicine for it. She might be tired for the next few days, but the sickness will be warded off in no time." The Professor said as he stroked his mustache.

"But she's suffering alone. She shouldn't be alone." Shadow protested while he turned to make his way towards her room instead. "I'll stay by her side until she feels better."

The Professor let out a fond chuckle behind him. "Alright, alright. It gladdens me to see you care for her so much. I was planning to visit her with some soup later. I'll bring some to you as well." 

Shadow nodded towards the doctor over his shoulder, then sped off using his air shoes to reach Marias room within seconds. That's where he stopped with his fist hovering in front of the door.

The Professor said she only needed rest and that this was normal… Would she even want Shadow there if she was sick? Shadow had never seen anyone be sick before. He didn't even know the symptoms of a "cold" other than fever and a runny nose. Both of which sounded horrible, and it was the very reason why Shadow wanted to be by her side.

But what if Shadow woke her up by entering her room? What if he disturbed her? He wouldn't want to be the one who made her feel worse. But he was already here, in front of her door and-.

Shadow shook her head of those thoughts and lightly knocked on the door. Shadow was Maria's protector. He had to be beside her when she was feeling bad. Just how Maria had been there for him.

A weak "come in" came from the other side of the door and Shadow entered. Maria was curled up in bed with her eyes and nose red, sniveling and trembling as she was huddled up under her duvet. The girl frowned slightly when she saw Shadow.

"Shadow…? Wha are you doin 'ere…?" Maria asked with another snivel. 

"I'm here to keep you company." Shadow said as he stepped inside the room and went up to sit on her bed. "You said being sick was 'horrible' when we watched that movie two days ago. And I wanted to help you feel better sooner…"

"Aaw, Shadow…" Maria cooed with a tired smile. "You worried 'bout me?"

"Of course." Shadow replied without hesitation and frowned when Maria's smile widened. "But I… don't know how to make it better for you… I've never seen someone be sick before."

"Tha's alright. Jus' 'nowin you care is enough." Maria nuzzled into her blankets with that wide smile still on her face. "Were tests goo' to'ay?"

"Nothing unusual. They siphoned more of my energy and let me test my powers without my inhibitor rings. I've seemed to have grown stronger than before I received them. The Professor was pleased with the progress. GUN tested… prototype weapons on me that they have made from my energy. I could dodge every bullet"

"Of course." Maria noted with a tired giggle. "You're amazing after all…"

Marias way of looking at Shadow still filled him with awe. How she could accept him so easily… it made him feel warm, cared for, seen in a way he wanted to be seen. Maria only continued to praise how strong he was, she never showed the same fear the scientists or soldiers did. 

So with a small smile, he told her more about his test results. Their roles flipped on its head with Shadow talking and Maria listening. If she was too tired to talk, it felt like it was Shadows duty to fill the silence she left. 

Her stories were filled with wonder and adventure. Shadows stories were facts and data. But Maria didn't seem any less interested in hearing it and even asked Shadow to tell her more. Because Shadow rarely shared what he did during those tests, an effort to keep Maria away from the more unsavory parts that happened to him. He kept everything mild and structured, never stating his own opinion on the matter. Because hearing his own opinion would make Maria sad. He didn't want her to be sad and sick.

The Professor arrived with food for all of them. Shadow helped Maria sit up to eat and let the Professor take over the task of filling the silence.

It was… comfortable. Warm. While Maria was sick and suffering, Shadow also didn't mind this atmosphere. He did the right thing by staying next to Maria even when the Professor left. Because it felt right to be by her side as her protector.

Maria was his light. His reason. Of course he'd do everything he could to soothe her pain.

Shadow was walking slowly through the hallways after hours of… testing . How he hated that word now… He wanted to stop, he wanted to be left alone, but they were still determined to find out more about what made Shadow… himself . The Professor hadn't been there, again. They had pushed him further than usual. Told him to let himself deliberately get shot by their designed pistols to see how strong his defensive Chaos energy was or how many shots it took to make him collapse. And the stares Shadow received as he just kept going-.

He was tired. He wanted Maria… He wanted to see her smile and bask in her presence. His body felt heavy, the wounds on his body were slowly healing and the blood had already been washed off. Maria wouldn't notice the wounds, that's one thing he never wanted her to see. Because then she'd be worried like when Shadow hadn't noticed a burn on his arm and she'd found it. She'd carefully wrapped his arm, with a gentleness Shadow was unused to. It made his chest clench in a way he didn't want to experience again…

Shadow took a deep breath when he stood in front of Maria's room. The door opened but there wasn't a Maria inside. He felt his ears droop slightly when he walked inside to look around. He wasn't sure what time it was and where Maria could be but his chest ached at not finding her where he expected her to be. 

He walked over to their fort, their own little place meant for just the two of them. Such a bright place, suited for a light like her. And for a shadow like him… Wherever a shadow existed, light existed. His hand gently cupped one of the colourful lights that hung from their fort. As long as Maria existed, he existed… She would return here soon, this was her room after all. Shadow was just so… tired … He didn't want to wait.

Over and over again the researchers did the same thing. Probed him. Told him to do things. Told him to run, run and run to gather his energy. Told him to destroy targets, teleport endlessly, dodge projectiles, attack robots, test after test after test .

He just wanted to be with his friend. These… GUN soldiers… He hated their tests the most. They wanted to make him something other than a person. They didn't test Shadow every day but their tests grew more and more frequent. He didn't want it… He just wanted to protect Maria. 

The door opened behind him and he turned around to see Maria stepping into her room. The wide smile that overtook her face made all the dark thoughts within his mind melt away. That something so simple as her bright smile could take away the darkness that clung to him tighter and tighter as time and days passed in this place.

He wouldn't know what to do if Maria wasn't here with him…

"Shadow! You're early." Maria said as she ran up to him and gave him a hug. Something she'd come to do rather recently… 

Shadow tensed up briefly at her hug, then relaxed into it with closed eyes. "Hm. I did all I needed to."

"Did they make you tired again…?" Maria asked with a frown as she pulled back to look him over. Shadow's wounds were hidden by his fur, what was left of it to heal. Maria couldn't see them. He stepped away from her touch while glancing to the side. 

"I can handle it. It makes me stronger… Could we watch a movie?"

He didn't want to tell her how tired he was, how he liked other humans less and less because of it. He didn't tell her how he was thinking of ways to destroy those who wanted to force him to do things that didn't involve protecting Maria. He didn't tell her how they were making him into a weapon, and how Shadow was getting used to it . But he only wanted to be a weapon for her, to protect Maria and to hopefully help the Professor to take all three of them out of the military base. That was his only reason for going along with all of this.

She was his reason for being on this planet. He'd dedicate everything he could, everything he learned, all to her and her happiness. Once the Professor was finished, they'd leave. And if any type of force went after them, Shadow would stop them. And if they went after him specifically… Then he'd make sure to stay behind so Maria could escape. She was the most important person to him.

"Alright. I just got a new movie from my grandfather, so let's watch that." Maria said with a small nod, then crouched down to crawl into their fort. Shadow was about to join her when Maria let out a soft disappointed sound. "Aww, our snacks are out…"

"I can go get some from the kitchen." Shadow was quick to offer and stood up straight. "I'll be back soon."

Maria gave him a nod and a bright smile. And in a flash, Shadow appeared by the kitchen entrance and stepped inside. He surprised a researcher with his sudden appearance, but he ignored it. At least the Professor was used to his method of teleportation. Why couldn't the other researchers get used to it as well? He asked the kitchen staff for popcorn, because that was the easiest snack for them to get. He got a bowl for the two of them and with a small nod towards the kitchen staff, Shadow disappeared again. 

Shadow stumbled slightly when he appeared again, he had used so much Chaos energy today that he was getting dizzy… Even with his inhibitor rings. But he ignored it, Maria came first. So he walked into Marias room and pretended that everything was as it should be, normal. Maria didn't notice that anything was off, a small relief. 

Maria decided that it was going to be a full movie evening for the two of them. She had picked out two movies for them to watch before they'd go to bed, something that made Shadow's face twitch into a small smile. A movie evening was what he needed after today.

The two movies Maria took out were a detective movie they'd seen before and the new monster movie. The detective movie was fine, it wasn't too obvious on who the criminal was and it had a satisfying ending. He still liked watching it even if he knew the ending. Maria complained that it was slow, but Shadow hadn't minded the pace.

The monster movie… A movie where a giant monster spread fear by destroying a city and the humans had to band together and use their weapons to take it down. It made Shadow feel… worried. It made him think about the fear he often saw in the researcher's eyes. It made him think about his own power, how he had honed it so he could destroy a city if he had to. And the monster appeared on the planet, created, without a clear purpose. And without a purpose and with the humans hurting it and abusing it, it turned towards destruction. The very humans who created it set out to destroy it.

A dangerous monster that only brought pain and suffering… Could… Could Shadow also have turned into that type of monster…? Was he… a danger to everyone around him even if he was careful….? Were those who were honing his powers now going to eventually turn on him, just like those in the movie…? Not even Maria playfully flicking a popcorn at him and feign innocence could bring him out of those thoughts. Could he be just as likely to be a freak monster as he was a hero…?

Maria lightly nudged him and her smile seemed a little more strained now. "Come on. I know what we'll do." She then crawled out of their fort, which made Shadow follow close behind.

Maria stole a card to take them up to the flower field again. The second time they did this. A field Shadow had remembered clearly from the first time they'd gone outside. It looked completely different during the night compared to during the day. A small secret between the two of them that they didn't share with anyone else. A flower field that seemed to glow in the night as Maria guided him to sit down.

Shadow took a deep breath of the night air and relaxed. Even with the dark thoughts plaguing him, this flower field, and Maria, always helped him calm down. Perhaps she had noticed how tense he was anyway… and that's why she brought him here again.

The sky was dark, endless with countless stars. Shadow could barely see the mountain range in front of them with how little light there was. The moon was out but it wasn't bright enough to shine light over the darkness of the night. 

When Maria lay down among the field of flowers, Shadow joined her. Now, all he could see were the shining stars… Small sources of light that coloured the night sky. This was his first time seeing the outside like this… It was beautiful.

"Wow… Look at the stars. They sparkle like diamonds." Maria started off in a quiet voice that was shared between only the two of them. 

"You know, my grandfather says it can take hundreds of years for the light of the star to reach earth. And by the time we see it, the star might not even exist anymore. Isn't that crazy?"

Shadow glanced over towards Maria to see her look at Shadow with a small grin. The awe in her eyes was clear, the wonder she held for the world around her. And for the light to take hundreds of years… It made Shadow look back at the stars again. 

"The light shines… Even though the star's gone." Shadow mused in return. He couldn't discern which star might already be "dead" and which might still be alive. They all shined the same way…

"Yeah… It does." Maria replied with a smile in her voice. "I wonder which one you came from, Shadow."

Shadow frowned when Maria said that. It was something he didn't often want to think about… 

"I don't know." Because he truly didn't know. "I don't know anything about my home…"

"This is your home, Shadow. Earth." Maria's protest was soft, coaxing in a way. 

It made something uncomfortable stir in his chest that he couldn't place. Could a "home" really be a place that forced him to grow stronger and stronger? Could a "home" really be a place where those around you feared you? Could a "home" really be a place where his powers were used to create things that would hurt others?

Shadow sat up and looked down at the flowers around him. Flowers that were so soft, bright and Fragile. Just like Maria… He didn't feel like he belonged amongst such gentle things. A question that he'd always been too afraid to ask, too hard to place, seemed easier to speak up about after that monster movie. As if the movie had given his own situation a new perspective…

"Maria… Do you think I'm… dangerous…?"

Maria sat up at his question, but he couldn't bear to meet her gaze. 

"What are you talking about?"

"The way the scientists look at me… I can tell they're afraid." He'd always been able to tell. "Like I'm that horrible thing from the movie we watched."

Shadow took a deep breath, then lifted his head to look at Maria. Feeling.. lost and confused. Hoping that his light could have the answer… She was looking, listening.

"I don't know… what I am…"

Maria let out a soft hum and glanced down at her lap in thought. The uncomfortable feeling in Shadow's chest grew, if Maria didn't know what he was… then he wasn't sure if anyone could answer that question.

"My friend." Maria answered with a small smile as she looked him in the eyes once more. "And you can do or be anything you want. Not because of your powers. But because of who you are, in here." Maria reached over to gently poke Shadow on his chest.

She had often talked about the "heart" of a person. How a person's "heart" could shape how good they were, how much they cared about others. This was Maria saying that it didn't matter if he was dangerous. It didn't matter what exactly Shadow was. Because the thing that mattered was that Shadow was Maria's friend and that he remained true to his "heart". 

A "heart" that he has decided to dedicate completely to Maria and Maria alone. Because she was his light. And the thought made some of Shadow's unease melt away and let him smile ever so slightly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

Maria didn't say anything in return, but held out her hand so Shadow could grab it. And he did, without any hesitation. The two of them continued to watch the endless stars, hand in hand. Shadow and his light. Because where shadows existed, light would always exist. She always helped dissipate the darkness that grabbed hold of his heart on the worst of days.

Day 54. It was the worst day Shadow has ever experienced. Where he lost everything.

On day 54 he had finished his daily testing and was listening to Maria playing the guitar.

On day 54, the Professor barged into Marias room and told both of them that they had to leave.

On day 54, Shadow ran through the hallways holding Maria's hand as warning sirens rang through the military base.

On day 54, they were chased by GUN soldiers and Shadow had to knock away some of the soldiers he'd gotten to know the faces of because they stood in their way.

On day 54, Maria's breaths were filled with panic as the Professor led them through hallways that would lead them towards the exit of the facility.

On day 54, Shadow found out that Gun wanted to take Shadow away from them, take him away from Maria so they could dedicate him completely to being a weapon. To make him into something Shadow didn't want to be.

On day 54, Shadow argued that he should stay but Maria begged him to run with them instead.

On day 54, he'd used too much Chaos energy to teleport the three of them out and was stuck on the ground with them.

On day 54, Shadows life ended when a GUN soldier's stray bullet collided into one of the Chaos energy containers which caused a giant explosion. On day 54, Shadow's life ended as he woke up after the explosion and found the Professor sitting over Maria's limp body. On day 54, Shadow's life ended as he held Maria's lifeless body in his arms and she wouldn't wake up. On day 54, Shadow's life ended as he lost his light, his reason, the very person he wished to protect.

He didn't even react as the Professor placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled out one of his quills. All he could see was Maria.

He shoved and pushed away hands that wanted to drag Shadow away from her body, his body sparkling orange as he only wanted to stay by her side. 

He didn't react as soldiers grabbed hold of the Professor, because his light, his reason, was gone. Killed. Killed by a bullet from those GUN soldiers. Murdered. Tears blurred his vision as he continued to beg Maria to wake up.

Something was shoved into his side that made the muscles in his body seize up from the electricity that coursed through him. Noises, chaos, destruction, all caused by that GUN soldier who took the shot. Despite the electricity that coursed through him, Shadow saw it. He saw that creature who killed her and he teleported over with a sparkling fist raised to strike. He was shot clean in the stomach by his own chaos energy that threw him back and away, they had gotten too used to his way of fighting-.

Shadow received another taser shot, one that drove him into a reinforced cage.

He screamed for justice. He screamed how they'd killed her. How he'd make them pay for the pain they caused as his whole being was being torn in two. There was a gaping hole in his heart where Maria had made her place. The very heart that he'd dedicated to her and her alone .

Chaos energy was forcefully drawn out of him to keep him in a weakened state as they transported him elsewhere. He was tired, he was hurting, she was gone and the explosion and her dead body kept replaying in his head over and over and over .

He was shoved into a pod. A pod that was different from the one he was used to. He was too weak from drained Chaos energy to break through the glass. In too much pain to think about anything other than retribution.

The pod started to get filled with liquid. Cold liquid, one that made his hair and quills stand on end. He made another futile attempt to break through the glass, but it wouldn't even crack.

The last thing he saw was the stern face of Captain Walters, the guard who had known Maria the best. A soldier for GUN who had killed her . Walter who was the one who had commanded that Shadow gets locked away while the murderer for Maria stood right next to him .

On day 54, Shadow lost everything. And with the pain of his loss lingering fresh within his mind, he was forced into a deep sleep. A sleep that was a never ending, 50 year long nightmare.