"Maria," Shadow began, "You asked about Della earlier?"

"Yeah. Why did she suddenly leave us alone?"

"She died, Maria. You were there."

"Oh, yeah." My memory was going now, too? It wasn't fair. All I said after that was, "...Am I still bleeding?"

Shadow sat up next to me and looked at the bloody middle of my nightgown. "I'm not sure, there's already a lot of blood, but it's not as bad as before." He started to put more pressure on it. His gloves and arms were soaked in my blood, and it really frightened me to see how much damage I had taken. "Please, please don't cry. I don't think I can take it." He begged.

I hadn't even noticed that my eyes were tearing up again, and I immediately strained not to. I didn't want Shadow to feel guilty or anything. "Hey, my... uh, speech doesn't get messed up anymore. You think it'll happen again?"

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. "I hope not."

The silence began its usual reign as I laid on the ground, Shadow treating my wound. "Uhh..." I moaned as my vision blurred slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly and frantically.

"I..." My eyelids drooped.

"No! Please, Maria! Plea-ease!" He was begging with all of his might now. I had never seen him, in all of the stress I've seen him under, this mangled-looking. It was as if he didn't have anything left in his life except for me, and he could hardly even help fight for it.

Then I realized that that was exactly correct.

"Don't leave me! Please!"

I fought to keep my eyelids open. I fought so hard. "I won't." I promised groggily, almost inaudibly. "Never. Never."

He nodded his head sharply, forcing a half-smile. "Yeah! That's it."

But then his voice began to echo in my ears, and my vision got even blurrier. I had an overwhelming sense of relaxation in my body and mind. Was this what dying was? My eyelids got ever heavier...

I saw his mouth turn back into a frown as he observed my body language. He was screaming something at me, but I couldn't hear anymore now. Couldn't hear at all. Then suddenly, he turned around and stood up in front of me. My vision was just barely allowing me to see some GUN soldiers running into the room through the door that they had broken down. Shadow held his hands out to the sides to block me from them, and I saw him crouch into his defensive position. From what I knew of him, he was probably growling viciously. Instead of his ears flattening themselves on his head like they often do, he had them pointed straight up into the air menacingly. It was either a new tactic of defense or a sign of fury. I had a feeling it was the second one. He charged toward the guards and I saw them pull their triggers as my world faded to black.

-XXX-

I awoke suddenly to see a human lying face down to my right side. There was a pool of blood beneath him. Then again, there was a pool of blood beneath me too. I lifted my head and saw that all of the guards were lying on the ground, likely dead. Well, all but one. Shadow stood over him with green Chaos Energy crackling from his hands. I saw him jerk forward and looked away just in time to hear some horrifyingly indescribable noises. I heard him yelling, "You killed her! You all did! This is for her! THIS IS FOR HER! I LOVED HER!" The rest was drowned out by screaming that grew softer and more muffled until it finally ceased.

"Shadow..." I mumbled, looking back over, trying to keep the bloody heap on the floor out of my vision.

His eyes lit up. "You're not...? How?" Running over, he put his arms around me tightly and kissed my lips, my cheeks, my forehead. But when he pulled away slightly and looked into my eyes, I could still see that look of hopelessness in his eyes. There was so much blood beneath me, it was obvious I'd never survive this. I mean, it was either the gunshot or the toxin that was going to kill me. I didn't have a choice. "Maria, I'm not ready to lose you. I'll never be."

"I know... Shadow. I know." I reached a shaky, blood-covered hand out to touch his face. "But... just... please don't... remember me... like this."

"Never. I'll remember the jokes we shared, the beautiful moments of romance we had, and I'll always remember what you've done for me."

"Same here." I tried to smile. He could tell.

"You don't have to lie to me and pretend you're happy. I get the idea."

"There's the old Shadow I know and love." That's what got us both to smile for a second, and actually mean it. But as soon as it happened, it was gone. We were almost instantaneously back to the people we had now become. Scarred, with hearts filled with pain. "Do you... really think this was worth it?" I asked.

He leaned up to my ear closely. "Yes. I always will. Everyday of my immortal life, and beyond."

"Good." Then I took his hand. "Now... Shadow..."

"Yes?"

"I'm... in... so... much... pain."

"I'm so sorry, Maria. What can I do?"

I looked into his eyes with longing, and I watched the realization sweep over him. "No. N-no."

"You promised me... that you would... do this..."

He began to shake his head violently. "No! Don't make me..." He was sobbing again.

"Shh... Shadow, see that pistol?" I pointed at a blood-soaked firearm that was still tightly in a soldier's grasp. "The best thing you can do is relieve me of the pain."

He sucked in a breath. "I promised you this. You shall get it." He slowly walked over to the soldier and pried the gun from the soldier's hand. He couldn't get it loose, and as he got frustrated I began to hear the crack of the human's fingers being broken. Eventually, he got it and walked over to me. His metal shoes hit the cold floor and every step he took toward me, I felt warmer inside, because I knew it would be all over soon.

He checked the magazine for ammo. It had three bullets left. He loaded the weapon, then cocked it. Setting his index finger lightly on the trigger without pulling it, he looked up at me for guidance. "Before... we do this... will you... help me up?"

He grabbed me and pulled me to my feet. Letting go slowly, he left me to walk on my own. I motioned toward an escape pod in the corner of the room. "Get in." I instructed.

He narrowed his eyes, but did as he was told. He left the door open and leaned against the fiberglass back wall of it. I walked up to the control panel near the window and typed in a command.

"TEN SECONDS UNTIL DEPARTURE. TEN..."

It began to count down and, leaning against the window, I made my way to the escape pod. "NINE."

"Maria..."

"You'll have to... replace me in the future... Shadow."

"Maria..."

"EIGHT."

"I only wish... that I could go with you... but... don't judge the humans by these people..." I motioned to the soldiers. "Give them a chance... to be happy. That's the reason you were brought... into this world... Shadow."

"SEVEN."

"You were created... to help people... and... I hope... you'll... be friends with them..."

"Maria."

"SIX."

"Yes, Shadow...?"

He held up his hand and unraveled a blood-stained piece of paper.

His poem.

"Let me read this to you."

"Okay."

"FIVE."

He took a breath, and as quick as lightning, he began to read,

What is love?

Love is friendship set aflame,

Love is sunshine after rain.

Love frees me from the weight and pain of life,

Love is the eraser of any and all strife.

Love may not make murder okay,

But love is what keeps me living another day.

He read it so fast that the automated voice didn't say "FOUR." until after he was done.

I smiled in response and he smiled back. "I'll never forget you." He whispered.

"THREE."

"Alright... you must... do it now." I looked down at the gun that he had set on the ground to read his poem. He just nodded.

He brought it slowly up to my head. I could feel the touch of the cold metal on my forehead and smiled at him. "Thank you."

He didn't say anything.

"TWO."

"I love you... Shadow."

"I love you, too." I watched his grip on the trigger begin to slowly tighten. I could feel that his hand was shaking, but our eyes were locked on each other. We began to hear more soldiers coming. "Sayonara, Maria Robotnik."

"ONE."

The instant he pulled the trigger, I felt the bullet fly through my skull and lodge itself in my brain. I was blinded by red and I felt the blood splatter on and around me. Shadow's last words to me rung in my head as I heard the escape pod door slam shut and the split-second grinding of metal as it shot downward and flew into space. I wanted to dwell on the idea that Shadow had loved me enough to actually kill me just because I asked him to, but I couldn't because by the time I was about to begin the thought, I was already dead.

I began to feel comfortably weightless. My eyes opened and everything seemed bright and warm, though no characteristics of the location were distinguishable. I looked around for a while, not daring to move much, until I realized that there was no longer any pain in my body. I felt my stomach, my head, but nothing. It was as if I'd never taken any damage at all recently. Then there was a voice. Well, if you could call it that. It wasn't really making words, or sounds, but I could tell that I was in heaven. Somehow, for a reason I still don't know, I knew to look down. And then it was as if the ground was made of glass and I was watching through a window.

I could see Shadow, plummeting toward the earth, encased in glass, engulfed by flames. He was on his hands and knees, and I could see his tears dripping to the floor. Suddenly, it was like I was standing next to him in the capsule, watching him from a few inches away. I put my arms around him but I knew he couldn't tell I was there. He was talking to himself, no, to me.

"I promise you, Maria. REVENGE!"

"No!" I shouted at him, that's not what I want! Be kind to the people of Earth!"

But I knew he couldn't hear me. He just stood up, threw his head back and laughed. Being soaked in blood that wasn't his really didn't help him look any less deranged. I began to realize that if it hadn't been for me, that one day many months ago, turning around and actually talking to him, we might still be carrying out our lives. Not happy, but not broken either. I kept saying it was worth it, but was that only to convince myself? I was starting to have doubts about my decisions. Stepping slowly away from Shadow, the scene changed and I was back in heaven, only now it was a green field. There was an ocean to my right, and a thick forest to my left. Butterflies danced gracefully on the wind and flowers towered over the sea of green, but I wasn't happy at all.

"I don't deserve this." I said it aloud. "I caused hell, so why am I in heaven?"

"Don't think like that."

I turned around and jumped, so startled that I think both my feet actually lifted off the ground for a second. It was Shadow. Young, naive little Shadow. The one who used to follow me around in the ARK all the time. Not the new Shadow, who always wore a grave, shattered expression on his face. This one's eyes lit up when I called out his name. He ran up to hug me but I suddenly decided to step aside, not letting him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, offended.

"You're not Shadow. You're just an illusion. That's not who he is anymore."

This faker let out a sigh before saying, "That's true, Maria. You saw right through me." He then dissolved into a million pieces that looked like shards of light. This cloud of soft yellow suddenly surrounded me and all I could see was bright gold. I heard this entity speak again, but it wasn't Shadow's voice. It was a genderless, kind, welcoming voice.

"What can I do to make you happy in heaven?"

"Nothing." I replied, "Nothing at all."

I'm sorry to see it end. I liked writing this story, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I'll miss reading my new reviews and having this as a fun pastime, but everything has to end eventually. Thank you so much for all of your kindness and support. "Be My Shadow" wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for you guys reviewing and encouraging me! I love you all! Sayonara!

-TheVideoGamer