Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog. Just in case: I do not own the Game-boy DS

Dr. Robotnik leaned back in his rolling chair, sighing loudly. The lab was always quiet at night, and he still couldn't leave. He had to watch the computer images to make sure the four new experiments remained under control until they completely fused with the data. He rubbed his bald head, and then decided to check on his daughter.

He pulled what looked like a game-boy DS from his pocket, and switched it on. It showed a living room. He pressed the A button on it, and it changed to a bedroom where a young looking girl sat on her bed with a lab-top in front of her.

"Maria, why aren't you in bed?" the doctor asked, smiling at the game-boy. Maria looked right at him, knowing she was looking at a screen with his face on it. Maria was a fourteen year old girl with long blonde hair, and blue eyes. She was in her pink pajamas with an M on the side pocket.

"Hey Daddy," Maria said smiling at her father, "I couldn't sleep. I was just checking my email."

"You know you should be asleep." Maria giggled a little.

"Okay Daddy," she shut down her computer, and set it on the floor next to her bed, "Goodnight." She got under her blankets, and closed her eyes.

The doctor shut off the 'game-boy', and put it back in his pocket. He longed to be with his daughter, but his job kept him away.

He worked for a top secret government facility in the middle of the dessert. He was working so much as of late, he could hardly even speak to Maria, short of the game-boy. He had been thinking of a way to help her. Then he decided. He was tired of knowing his daughter was stuck with just her home and computer. He stood up, set the computer to alarm him if any major changes happened with the experiments, and walked toward a door opposite the lab.

It was labeled 'Failed Experiments' in bright red. He knew nothing beyond the door would ever matter to the facility. Through the door seemed to be an entire coliseum, filled with shelves. All along the shelves were various, misshapen, and even scary creatures, machines, and even things he couldn't recognize; each in an individual jar.

He walked along them, searching carefully for anything he thought he could use. Then he saw one he recognized. It was Experiment 15696, dubbed Project Shadow. It was a small hedgehog experiment that had been discontinued when the subject wasn't developing as planned.

He gently grabbed the jar, which had fogged up, hiding the creature inside, and made his way back to the lab, a smile on his face.

--

Dr. Robotnik was sure he'd worked through every detail on the baby hedgehog. He had to admit, even to him it looked adorable. He had even found a little red collar and made a golden nametag with 'Shadow' written on it, and clipped it on. Luckily, when he removed him from the tube, after finishing the changes, Shadow was asleep. Even by his standards, it sounded inhumane, but he couldn't stand the thought of knowing his daughter was alone anymore.

--

Maria stepped off the school bus, and saw the small, metal crate on the doorstep of her house. She walked up to it, and picked it up, just as something scraped the side from the inside. She looked at one of the little holes on the side just as a little nose stuck out, sniffing the air. She then saw the note that had been under the crate. It was signed by her father.

Maria, I was tired of knowing you were always home alone. So I sort of made you something. His name's Shadow. I hope you like him. -Daddy.

Maria carried it inside, throwing her backpack by the sofa, and walked into the kitchen. She gently set the crate on the counter. On the front, where the door of it would open was freshly printed 'Face away from self.' She shrugged, figuring it was just her father being overprotective again.

She unclipped the two latches holding it closed and opened it. Nothing happened at first, only a pair of large eyes appeared from the dark inside of the crate. Then, slowly a small, adorable puppy hedgehog crawled out, sniffing the air curiously. He had black fur with red striped tips.

"Aaaah, aren't you cute." Maria said, reaching up to the hedgehog. Shadow scrambled back into the crate, hitting the back in his panic. "Don't be afraid." Maria said, looking into the crate, right at the little hedgehog.

Shadow watched the stranger carefully as he came out of the dark crate. She looked pretty, and nice. He stopped just outside the crate, and stood up, the stranger staring in amazement.

"That's…amazing." The stranger said. "I'm Maria." she said, pulling up at chair, and sitting down in front of him. Shadow opened his mouth as, trying to make a sound, when…

"Ma…Mawia." Shadow spoke before smiling happily at her. She looked as though she was going to faint. Shadow then grabbed his nametag, and looked at it for a second. "I…Sa-ha-da-oh-wha." he ran his little finger along his name as he sounded it out. He glanced back up at her, though his face was still down at his nametag. Her mouth was hanging open, and her eyes wider than he'd ever seen…even though she was the first human he'd seen.

"You…you can talk." The girl said, still stunned that he was even speaking to her at all. Shadow looked around, getting bored of the girl. He walked, on his hind legs, to the salt and pepper shakers at the end of the counter top.

Too curious to resist, Shadow sniffed the strange grey jar thing. He suddenly sneezed, the force forcing him to roll back, and off the side of the counter, and into the small trash can, which flipped upside down.

Maria watched as the trash can slid around on the floor, the whimpering puppy inside trying to escape the darkness. It sped up, and slid straight into a wall. It just sat there. Maria, couldn't help but giggle at his misfortune.

"Are you okay?" she asked, approaching the trash can. She lifted it up and saw the small hedgehog, having balled up, and sitting there, whimpering in fear. "Poor little guy." Maria, carefully, picked up the hedgehog, and held him in her arms like a baby.

Shadow quickly unrolled, and looked up at her. She smiled lovingly at him, and he smiled back.

"Hello Shadow." Maria said, smiling down at him.

"Hi Mawia." Shadow said, smiling adorably. He lay in her arm like a bed. Just then, he yawned, turned, and hid his face between her arm, and side.