Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

"Welcome Back, Maria Robotnik the Hedgehog"

White Space - Not Long After Shadow's Encounter With Maria and Gerald

Despite his seemingly grim and seemingly serious demeanor, Shadow the Hedgehog was fighting a war within himself. Never, in his wildest dreams did he think that he would ever see the two people who made him the hedgehog he was today, and certainly not in a void that seemed to be the result of some kind of Space-Time anomaly, whatever that big shadowy creature was that had sent the three of them here really was.

From what Shadow could deduce, the Maria and Professor Gerald that were present with him in this White Space were quite clearly from before the G.U.N. raid on the ARK, allowing Shadow an opportunity that, in his darkest moments, he had wished for, begged Chaos, the Gaia Siblings, and any other deity he could think of for: to change Maria and the Professor's fates, and give Maria the chance to be happy, just as she'd wished him to give the people of the planet she held so dear to her. Would that the potential consequences of revealing to the Professor and Maria what fate had in store for them not be so great, the wrath of his potential offspring, Silver the Hedgehog, being the least of them, considering he risked over fifty years worth of written history that, in his attempt to save an innocent girl from her demise, could potentially cause something worse to happen. And yes, he was fully aware that it was theorized among their circle of acquaintances that he and Silver were related by blood to one another in some way, with Amy Rose being his potential mate, due to Silver being pure hedgehog.

Shadow, for his part, while he agreed there were some pieces of this theory that made sense, such as Silver's psychic abilities being derived from Amy's own unique psychic traits, though far more powerful to the point where he required more technologically advanced Inhibitor Cuffs to keep it in check in addition to being more combat oriented due to Shadow being the Ultimate Lifeform, there were far more reasons as to why he doubted this to be the case. For one thing, he didn't even know if he could actually sire offspring, being genetically engineered from alien DNA. Another flaw was that Silver didn't recall anything of his biological parents, having apparently been left in a cardboard box on someone's doorstep as a baby, and Shadow had a very hard time seeing Amy abandon a child of hers, at least by choice, which was certainly what it sounded like to him, nor would he do anything of the sort.

But, the biggest flaw in this theory was that, while he would admit that Amy Rose was indeed a beautiful woman, she didn't seem as interested in him in the same way she was interested in Sonic, but more than that, Amy Rose failed to exhibit the same power that Rouge had over him, a power that changed him somehow, a power that made him want to protect her with every fiber of his being, a power that made him feel as though he were lighter than air, a power that made him feel complete in some way.

Of course, he hadn't actually told Rouge about this power that she had over him, partly because of a fear that she would share the same fate that had befallen everyone else he had ever gotten close to, but also out of a fear that, were he to reveal the existence of this power to her, he would destroy the connection they had developed ever since Dr. Eggman woke him up from stasis in that G.U.N. base, and that had reformed when Rouge found him inside that Eggman base a few months after he used his full, unrestrained power to stop the Ark from falling.

Yet... could Shadow, in good conscience, allow Maria to die if he had been gifted with a chance to save her from her tragic fate?

Shadow let out a frustrated grunt as he launched a Doom Spear at a nearby wall. Why did this all have to be so damn complicated?! He was created to save Maria, damn it! Could he not even-?

Shadow froze, his eyes bolted wide as the word "created" bounced around in his head as he looked over to where Maria and the Professor were standing, the former looking at him with a worried expression on her face, while the latter looked around the immediate area with a thoughtful expression that belied his own worry, likely for him.

Maybe... just maybe... there was a way he could save Maria without putting the Space-Time continuum at risk from his own selfishness.

Spurred on by this thought, Shadow made his way over to where Maria and the Professor were standing, a look of dire urgency on his face.

"Maria, Professor, we need to to talk. It's urgent, like life-or-death urgent," Shadow said, desperately as Maria and Professor Gerald turned to look at him, their worried expressions becoming much more visible.

"Shadow, my boy, what's wrong?" Gerald asked.

Shadow hesitated. Should he really go through with this...?

"Shadow... you're scaring me," Maria said.

Any trance of hesitation was gone immediately. He needed to do this. He needed to save Maria at all costs, consequences be damned.

"Sorry, Maria... it's just... difficult for me to put this into words... I'm sure that, to the both of you, you likely just saw me earlier today... but... to me... the last time I saw either of you alive was over fifty years ago..."

Space Colony ARK - Five Years Later

From a blue flash of light appeared Shadow the Hedgehog, who began making his way to the same lab where he had been created all those long years ago, a determined look on his face as he thought back to what had occurred within White Space and the reason he kept making frequent return trips to this cold, empty, and forsaken place.

"There was an accident onboard the ARK. No one knows what caused it, not even me. And given the circumstances for our reunion, I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to tell you even if I did. But, what you need to know is that nearly everyone onboard the ARK was killed, save for myself, Abraham Tower, and a few others. Maria, you gave your life to save mine. G.U.N. salvaged what they could, myself included, but without you, Professor, Project: Shadow was shut down, and I was placed in stasis until, fifty years later, Dr. Egg-er, Ivo Robotnik, found me and woke me up again. Together, with a group of new... acquaintances, I think is a good term to use here, we defeated Black Doom and destroyed the Black Comet, or at least, we thought we did, but apparently we didn't defeat him enough as you can see. That being said, I destroyed Black Doom at full power once, and I'll do it again, as many times as it takes."

"More importantly, I'm not one to believe in coincidences or chance. There's a reason we were reunited after all this time, and I don't think it was due to Black Doom's machinations or that time-eating entity. Just as it tore us apart, fate has once more brought us together, Maria. I want to save you, to give you a second chance at the life that was stolen from you by that accident."

As Shadow arrived at the lab, and gazed upon the figure that was now being held within the pod, the corners of Shadow's mouth twitched as he thought back to what he had said next, the thing that had allowed him to carry out his little biology project.

"But, to do that, I need a fresh sample of your DNA, Maria. Your blood, specifically."

Inside the engineering pod that Shadow was looking at was a nude female hedgehog with blonde fur and long golden locks, her eyes closed as though she were asleep, dreaming the sweetest dreams as Shadow looked over at one of the terminals and read the loadout.

Essential Life Data and Memories: Download 100% Complete

Neuroimmune Deficiency Syndrome: Negative.

Subject Has Been Successfully Cured Through Genetic Template and Splicing of Project: Shadow's DNA

Status: Stable-Genetic Recombination Sequence Successful, No Degeneration or Complications Detected

Project: Rebirth Complete

Shadow had to admit, it had been a delightful surprise to have found that buried deep, deep within the ARK's databases, the code Professor Gerald had given him prior to returning to his and Maria's proper place in time granted him access to a digitized copy of Maria's memories and essential life data that looked as though it had been created the same day that the G.U.N. Raid had happened. Certainly made Shadow's life a lot easier, as he knew all too well what it was like to have no memory of who you used to be or why you existed, and he'd certainly wouldn't want that fate for Maria. Sonic had teased him to no end for how "edgy" he had been at the time, whatever that meant.

Regardless, the experiment worked. Maria Robotnik lived once more as a member of his, Sonic's, and Silver's species, free of her NIDS and, once she recovered and properly adjusted to her new body, would at last be able to leave this Space Colony behind and see the world she so deeply cherished, with all its beauty and its flaws, for herself.

Shadow smiled, a genuine smile, for the first time in a long time as he reached for the button that would release Maria from her slumber.

"Welcome back... Maria Robotnik the Hedgehog."

CLICK!

Soleanna - Kingdom Valley

In the darkness of the night, a shimmering yet shadowy purple portal appeared. From said portal emerged a creature that, at a distance, one might mistake for Shadow the Hedgehog, but upon closer inspection, one could not be more mistaken. For one thing, it lacked a discernible mouth, and for another parts of its body seemed to be made of dark crystals.

Mephiles the Dark opened his eyes and set loose a peel of dark and sinister laughter to the heavens. "I thank you, Black Doom. Had you not seen fit to attempt to utilize that space-time anomaly to your own benefit, I might never have regained a foothold on the timeline, and would forever be consigned to the void of nonexistence and suffering forever in that accursed prison. Alas, poor Iblis is not so fortunate. Snuffed out in his crib by that insufferable woman and that accursed hedgehog. No matter, I killed that blue insect once before and will do so again. And I shall make sure he stays dead this time. In any case, now that I have at last been fully restored to the timeline, it is time for my reckoning to begin."

A fierce determination appeared in Mephiles' unholy red and green eyes as he clenched his clawed fist.

"And this time... I refuse to let myself become nothing more than an erased memory. This time... I will ensure that my shadows conquer and consume all! It's time to raise the curtain on Mephiles the Dark's comeback tour!"

As Mephiles' dark laughter rang out in the night, the shadows seemed to grow just a bit deeper, just a bit darker... and just a bit more sinister.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Waking Up

Space Colony ARK - Medical Wing

As consciousness returned to Maria Robotnik, she quickly came to realize two things. The first was that her body felt off somehow. For one thing, there seemed to be something protruding from the base of her spine. Additionally, she felt as though a soft and fluffy blanket had been infused with her skin from head to toe, making her feel warm and toasty. And for some reason, it felt as though she was much shorter than she last remembered being. 

Oddly enough, her body no longer seemed to be as frail and sickly as it once was. Indeed, it felt like she was much stronger than she last remembered being, and her entire body virtually sang with raw energy and power.

It was… quite honestly the best Maria had felt in a long time.

The second thing Maria realized was that someone was holding her hand… and the hand that was one that she knew very well, given how many times it had held her hand while she had drifted off to sleep after she’d exhausted herself or when it was simply time to turn in for the night.

Slowly, Maria opened her bright blue eyes, and found herself in a familiar scene that she had been in countless times before. She was wearing a hospital gown, lying on a medical bed on the Space Colony ARK, with her best friend and sibling in all but blood, Shadow the Hedgehog, sitting by her bedside, holding her hand with a warm smile on his face.

“Good morning, Maria,” said Shadow, tears forming in his eyes as he smiled at his dear friend and sister figure, back in the land of the living once more.

Maria smiled back at the dark hedgehog. “Good morning, Shadow,” she said, the familiar sound of her voice threatening to break down the walls that Shadow had built to keep his emotions from consuming him.

Shadow cleared his throat before speaking again. “How-how are you feeling?” he asked.

Maria frowned before she spoke. “I feel… stronger. Like my entire body is fit to burst with an energy or a power of some kind,” she said. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t feel so tired or weak.”

Shadow hummed in thought. “Then we’ll need to build you your own set of Inhibitor Cuffs and Anklets. I really hope there are supplies here that I can use to build them. Come to think of it, I should probably head back down to the planet and pick up some supplies, see if Amy and Tails are back yet,” the black hedgehog said before he turned to a monitor to read the loadout, and began muttering quietly to himself.

"Or if Amy’s not around, I could ask Rouge for help. Or maybe that Jewel woman who’s running that Restoration group. Either way, I’m going to need some help of the female persuasion to get Maria her more material needs, and help her adapt to the modern world. I’ll also need someone both smart and trustworthy to help keep tabs on her new body’s stability and integrity. Someone who’s better versed in the genetic engineering sciences than I am…”

Maria tilted her head in confusion as she heard Shadow's muttering. “Inhibitor Cuffs and Anklets? Why would I need those? And… what do you mean, my new body…?” she asked.

Shadow softly chuckled. “Ah, yes. It would seem that I neglected to fill you in on that particular detail…” he said before he grabbed a small mirror that was lying nearby and held it out to Maria. “Take a look at yourself.”

As she reached for the mirror, Maria quickly realized that her arm had changed. Where exposed skin should have been, there was instead blonde fur. A feeling of dread creeping into her, Maria took the mirror and looked at her reflection.

Her eyes bolted wide open in shock at what she saw.

Instead of a young human girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes looking back at her, there was instead a female hedgehog of the same variety as Shadow, with blonde fur and quills that were styled in the way she usually wore her hair, clad in a hospital gown. She quite honestly didn’t know what to make of it or how to feel about it.

“Shadow… what… how…” Maria said, unaware of the faint, pale blue aura that had begun to appear around her.

Recognizing the danger signs, Shadow grabbed ahold of Maria’s hands. “Maria, breathe, okay? Just breathe with me. Don’t focus on anything else, just focus on breathing with me,” he said.

Shadow breathed in and out, Maria doing her best to match his pattern. After a few moments, the aura had faded and Maria had calmed down once more.

“Better?” asked Shadow, to which Maria nodded. “Good. Now then, I suppose I had better explain why you’re a hedgehog.”

Shadow sighed before he spoke again. “Do you remember, when we were in White Space, how I mentioned that I had an idea for how to save you after you sacrificed yourself to save me when an accident happened on the ARK, and how I needed your blood in order to make that idea work?” he asked Maria.

Maria nodded. “Yeah…” the blonde hedgehog said before something clicked for her. “Wait, are you saying…?”

Shadow nodded. “The professor left a digitized copy of your memories and essential life data buried deep within the ARK’s databases, as well as a set of instructions. By using my DNA as a template and following the professor’s instructions, I was able to synthesize a new genetic strain, from which I was able to create your new body, and then implement the copied memories and essential life data. By all appearances, everything worked out. By splicing our DNA together, your NIDS has been cured, and your new hedgehog body's genetic structure shows no sign of degeneration or degradation. In short, you're healthier than ever before, at least, from what I can tell looking at the data,” he explained.

“But, I refuse to take any chances. Which is why I intend to keep you here under observation for a couple weeks, during which time, I intend to reach out to a few of my acquaintances, see if I can get their assistance with helping you adapt to both your new body and the modern world. A lot has happened and just as much has changed in the last fifty-five years, you know. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around some of the advancements the world has made in that time,” Shadow said with a smirk. “I’ll also need help from someone who’s actually a bit more well-versed in the genetic sciences than I am to help me make sure your new body truly does have a clean bill of health. You understand?”

“Y-yes, I think so…” said Maria. “But, what happens after this new body is confirmed to have a clean bill of health?”

Shadow’s smirk grew wider. “Well… the way I see it, I’d say we’re about fifty-five years overdue for taking a trip down to the planet together, wouldn’t you agree?” the black hedgehog said. “Speaking of which, I need to head down there myself to pick up some supplies for us and my acquaintances for the next couple of weeks, as well as make contact with those acquaintances. I’ll be back as quickly as I can. In the meantime, please, rest. Give yourself some time to adapt and adjust to your new body, and please, remain calm, keep your emotions in check until I can get a pair of Inhibitor Cuffs and Anklets built.”

And with that and a bright blue flash of light, Shadow disappeared, leaving Maria alone with her thoughts.

Soleanna Castle - Princess Elise’s Chambers

With a look of sheer terror on her face, Princess Elise, a beautiful young human woman with flaming red hair and wearing elegant nightclothes, took a chair from the table in her room and used it to block the door leading into her private chambers.

It had been a scream of terror coming from that had awoken her, followed swiftly by the cries and screams of her Royal Guardsmen. Curious, she had gone to investigate the screaming, and found her guards being torn to bloody pieces by demonic creatures of darkness, with her captain having been killed with what looked like shards of a mirror. As Elise stood, frozen in horror at the grisly scene before her, one of the creatures caught sight of her, prompting the others of its kin to pursue her, making the creatures’ intentions clear, as were those beloging to whoever controlled these creatures.

This was an assassination attempt. Whoever or whatever these creatures were, and whoever had summoned them, they were out to spill royal blood. Her blood.

Elise suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she suddenly felt a pair of eyes on her, eyes belonging to someone who wished to do her insidious harm.

“You killed me, Princess? Tsk, tsk, tsk… I’m afraid the sin of making an attempt on the life of your kingdom’s patron deity is quite severe indeed,” a hauntingly familiar voice said, though Elise couldn’t quite put her finger on where she’d heard it before.

Suddenly, Elise felt a searing pain pierce her from behind, causing her to look down to see a gleaming blade of celestial energy impaling her from behind, causing her to cough up a sizable amount of blood as her eyes went wide and the blade was retracted, causing the Princess to collapse to her knees as the blade that had impaled her was placed at her throat, causing her to look up to see that the blade belonged to a dark shadow made of what looked like crystals that had haunting red eyes that burned with the fury and wrath of a god who had been blasphemed.

“Tell me, Princess… do you know what it’s like to be unmade?” Mephiles the Dark asked as he knelt down in front of the dying woman. "Not fun in the slightest, I assure you. Be thankful for the quick deaths you and your rabble are being given. It is a mercy compared to what you did to me, and what you did to Iblis, my dear flickering flame... and it is nothing compared to what I will do to your blue beloved, that gullible fool, and the so-called Ultimate Lifeform," Mephiles snarled as he returned to his full height and raised his celestial blade.

“One down, eight to go.”

With a single stroke, the royal bloodline of Soleanna came to a brutal, grisly, and bloody end.