Chapter Text
The young girl strolled along the hall in excitement, her head held high and a huge smile spread across her features. Where usually, her feet would drag across the floor due to fatigue, today Maria Robotnik couldn't afford to be tardy. For today was the day that her grandfather had finally finished it. The Ultimate Lifeform, who, from her suggestion, had been given the name "Shadow".
She could remember the countless days that she had spent in that room with her grandfather. A small chamber filled with screens, monitors and keyboards, all maintained by researchers that were both familiar and unfamiliar to her. And in the center, there it was. There he was. Laying asleep in a chamber filled with noxious green liquid. She never quite understood why it was there, but her grandfather had told her that it was necessary until Shadow could breathe on his own. This made Maria feel a little sorry for the dark hedgehog in front of her. Unable to move or breathe or even wake up yet, but she was assured that by this stage, he was very much alive. Her grandfather reassured her that he was just like an unborn baby. And that when the time came he would be able to do all of those things on his own.
And today was that day! The researcher leading her to the room that she already knew the directions to quite well had confirmed that Project: Shadow was a success, and that the Ultimate Lifeform was finally awake and complete.
The researcher opened the door, and Maria was met with the smiling face of her grandfather. She looked up and greeted him politely, before asking about the whereabouts of Shadow.
"Why, he's right-" the professor stopped, looking to his side to find no sign of the Ultimate Lifeform. At least, not straight away. Following his gaze, Maria spotted a small red and black hand grasping tightly at Gerald Robotnik's trouser leg, and behind it hid the small form of a rather nervous looking black and red hedgehog.
"Ah, there you are, my boy!" Gerald exclaimed in delight, startling the small creature into gripping at his leg even tighter. "Come now, don't be shy. This is my granddaughter, Maria. She's very excited to meet you. Come and say hello."
Maria smiled patiently at Shadow, who took another moment of hiding behind his creator before stepping forward and looking up at her. His small body trembled as Maria knelt down to meet his gaze, extending a hand in front of her.
"Hello, Shadow. My name is Maria. I'm so excited to finally meet you." She grinned.
Shadow carefully assessed her, before he cautiously grasped a soft-furred hand around her middle and index fingers. He made a small noise, something that sounded like he was trying to form words like Maria just had, but he didn't know quite how to do it. The girl let out a small chuckle, squeezing shadow's hand gently.
"So he can't talk yet?" She asked her grandfather, who simply shook his head.
"Well, can i teach him? I think it would be a good way to get to know each other, don't you, Shadow?"
The hedgehog made another sound, but this one was less unsure than before, and with another tight squeeze of her hand, Maria could tell that Shadow agreed with her sentiment.
"Even Shadow agrees! Please, can i teach him, grandfather?" The two looked up at the old scientist pleadingly.
"Well, there's no way i can argue with that, is there?" Gerald said with a sigh, but a warm smile split his features. "I'm glad to see you two getting along so well already."
"Mhm!" Maria nodded, "We're gonna be great friends, aren't we Shadow?"
And the small hedgehog, repeating what he had seen his new friend do, gave a nod of his own in return.