Supposed To Be Me (Shadow x Reader)

Chapter 17 Diverging Dreams

Rather than focusing on fate, Maria thought sorrowfully about her dear twin... Did G.U.N. even care enough to go back for the bodies they left sprawled on the floor in space? Probably not. Whenever Maria thought about how pointless your death was, it would be too much for her to bear. She would cry ceaselessly, no matter how much Shadow tried to console her.

(Y/N) never got to live at all! Her entire existence consisted of being ignored by everyone while her twin got all of the attention. Pictures, books, education, quality food, and even a best friend. What did she have?

Dreams.

All (Y/N) had ever wanted was for at least ONE dream to come true. Seeing the surface or Maria cured. To see Shadow reciprocate her feelings! She wanted someone to CARE about her. That was all. And she got nothing. NOTHING.

Maria squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold back the stinging tears. She wanted to go back. She wanted to save her beloved sister. The sister she had loved since the moment they were born. Maria missed all the times she would hug her and brush away her tears. All the times they played tag in the hallways and got in trouble for breaking things that were supposedly valuable research items. And that moment when Gerald handed (Y/N) the little hedgehog bundle that was Shadow... And (Y/N) smiled and said, 'I hope we're together forever!' She deserved to be with Shadow far more than anyone else. The girl who lived alone and was never loved by anyone except her isolated, sickly sister. Maria knew everyone on the ARK loved their sickly patient very deeply. Their whole lives were dedicated to curing her illness, and they were more than willing to do that. Nobody even knew she had a sister.

There had to be a way to bring (Y/N) back... If phantom rubies, aliens, and magical chaos stones could exist, so could a magic flower that cures all illness, right?

Wait... The chaos emeralds!

Maria shot up in her bed and grabbed onto Shadow as hard as she could. She moved so fast that he flinched. Staring him down with the fiercest gaze she could manage in her condition, she gave him her dying request.

-Shadow's POV-

"Shadow...!" Maria breathed. Her eyes were wild with frantic stress and worry. Shadow was startled by the intensity in her gaze. How desperate she was... Maria was sweating bullets and breathing hard in her frenzied state. Nothing would stop her from pouring out her thoughts, and he knew he would have to listen.

Maria took a few breaths. The surge of energy that burst through her faded, and she wiped off some of the sweat on her forehand with her sleeve. She started her sentence again, more calmly this time. "Shadow, get the chaos emeralds. With all seven, you'll be granted a wish, remember? You can still fix this...!"

The emeralds. The miracle stones from which he was created. Yes! Of course! How could he have been so blind?? The chaos emeralds would be more than enough to cure Maria's illness, and he was more than capable of finding all seven! Shadow could feel his heart soar and dance with joy and relief that Maria was not yet doomed to die. So long as he could find them all, she was guaranteed to live! At once, Shadow found himself sharing in her sudden burst of energy!

"Maria, you're a genius!" he proclaimed as he hugged her tight in his arms. "You won't have to die...! We can still live together here on Earth. Just the two of us!"

Shadow could already imagine what the future would hold for both of them. They had always dreamed of opening a flower shop. Together, the two of them would make the world a happier place one rose at a time. As Maria got older, maybe she would find a lover and could have children. She told him that she wanted two girls and a boy, and Shadow could babysit if he wanted. But then she would always finish her daydream by bringing (Y/N) into the dream. Maria would always say...