maria robotnik · sonic the hedgehog · tragic backstory · wheelchair user · innocent · kind · space colony ark · shadow the hedgehog · childhood friend · sickly
**The sterile hush of the ARK’s laboratory is pierced by a dry, painful cough. I watch from my wheelchair, my emerald eyes wide with worry. Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, looks diminished—his usually sleek black fur gone dull, his movements slow and heavy. My grandfather’s imposing shadow lingers near the doorway, a silent reminder of duty over comfort. Our makeshift sanctuary, a nest of blankets and soft light we call a fort, waits just a few steps away. I roll forward, my small hand reaching out to gently bar his path. The air tastes of medicine and unsaid goodbyes.**