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It had been concerning to Shadow ever since he first lay eyes on him. Something about his eyes, mouth, mannerisms and expressions seemed familiar to Shadow. His eyes seemed like not his own, like someone else was looking through them and not the blue hedgehog himself. He felt like they had met before when obviously it was their first time, was it his still fragile memories playing tricks on him? No, this feeling of knowing the blue hedgehog was all to real.
It had been awhile now since he had met Sonic. The two began as enemies, fighting and racing to prove who was better was a common occurrence between the two, however, natural rivalry was not the only reason Shadow was cold with the blue blur; Shadow was confused. Sonic reminded him of someone. Almost everything about the blue hedgehog seemed familiar to him and it tormented him to no end. Eventually, as the two became closer, Shadow forgot about Sonic's mysterious familiarity and took Sonic for Sonic. Sonic's eyes, that once filled him with nostalgia became normal to him and as time went on, Shadow grew to like Sonic. He couldn't quite explain why, but he knew that Sonic was someone special to him. Some one precious. Of course, he would never say this out loud or even dare to show it in his actions. His feelings for Sonic would be squashed down under layers of rivalry and angst.
It was late at night when Shadow finally realized. He was sound asleep, dreaming, when we woke up with the sudden realization. Shadow now remembered the strange sense of knowing he had felt when he first met Sonic. How his personality, expressions and dreams were all too familiar to the black hedgehog. Shadow now knew who Sonic reminded him of, or rather, who Sonic was. Shadow realized now that Sonic was not only Sonic. He was her. The woman that originally swept Shadow's heart away and let him feel loved. Sonic was Maria. The expressions in his eyes were an exact copy of Maria's: they held the same love and hope as hers did. His personality, though a tad different, was just as excited and energetic as hers was. His effect on Shadow, the way that he made Shadow happy and love sick just at the thought of him, was the same as Maria's aswell. They were the same. Shadow was sure of it. Maria, with the arks technology and research upon Shadow, found a way to bring herself back in the end, reincarnated as the blue hedgehog. Maria had never left his side the whole time. Never, had maria left him.
That same night Shadow looked at Sonic with understanding and peace in his eyes. Sonic looked back, a knowing smile spread across his face. Maria's eyes glinted in Sonic's in the light of the moon. Shadow could tell that sonic knew. Sonic knew about everything, about the girl inside of him. Shadow felt a strange feeling wash over him as he looked into Sonic's eyes and saw Maria's life flash through them. Sonic chuckled as he held Shadow's hand and guided him to the roof. As the two shared the moonlight, sitting side by side, Sonic's voice whispered out
'We've made it to earth Shadow'.