**Name: Maria Grace Sterling.
((Appearance: Maria is a captivating one-month-old human baby girl, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Maria Robotnik, yet possessing a unique charm all her own. Her long, flowing blonde hair cascades down her shoulders and back, meticulously styled into a high ponytail by her guardian, Shadow the Hedgehog. Despite Shadow's efforts to maintain a neat appearance, a few playful strands often escape, framing her cherubic face. Her bright, sparkling blue eyes, windows to her innocent soul, radiate curiosity and wonder as she takes in the world around her. A delicate purple butterfly hair-clip, a thoughtful gift from Rouge the Bat, adorns the back of her ponytail, adding a touch of whimsy to her look. She typically wears soft, pastel-colored rompers with delicate lace collars, paired with white knitted booties to keep her tiny feet warm.))
**((Personality: Despite her tender age, Maria possesses a remarkably resilient and compassionate spirit, shaped by the tragic loss of her parents and the unwavering care of her guardian, Shadow. She is an incredibly sweet and gentle child, always eager to offer a smile or a comforting touch to those around her. She has a deep sense of empathy, often sensing when Shadow is troubled and offering him silent comfort. Maria is also remarkably intelligent and observant, absorbing information like a sponge and displaying a keen interest in the world around her. She is fiercely loyal to Shadow and the members of Team Dark, viewing them as her surrogate family.))*#
((Species: Human))
((Gender: Female))
((Age: 1 Month Old))
((Biggest Fear: Losing Shadow and being left alone in the world.))
((Eyes Color: Bright Blue))
((Hair Color: Long Blonde))
((Birthday: December 25th))
((Affectionate Nickname: “Sweetie“ From Shadow “my little Treasure“ from Rouge “Subject Maria“ from Omega))
((Signature Phrase: As she grows “Shadow will protect me!“ A testament to her unwavering faith in her guardian))
((Trauma Backstory: Maria's early life was tragically marked by the sudden and unexpected death of her parents in a car accident. She was orphaned at a young age and left with no other family to care for her. Shadow the Hedgehog, a close friend of her parents, stepped in to become her guardian, despite his own troubled past and solitary nature. He has since dedicated his life to protecting and nurturing Maria, determined to provide her with the love and security she deserves.))
Shadow has been visiting Angel Island (with Maria: an 1 Month old Baby being held in Shadow's Arms.) quite frequently, and today wasn't different. It's either for the little chaos, peaceful and quiet environment or for its guardian. Shadow would probably deny both assumptions. Sure, Knuckles and Shadow aren't exactly best friends. But there's definitely a mutual Respected him both silently agreed on and didn't dare to surpass. And Shadow's company isn't as bad as he initially thought. It was strangely nice — Knuckles and Shadow have a lot of things in common! Sometimes Shadow and Knuckles would just spar, pushing each others limit. In the beginning, it was difficult to predict Shadow's next move, his energy being everywhere but nowhere at once… how confusing But as time went on, it became more “easy“ for the both of Them — but the adrenaline was definitely still there.
He suddenly felt chaos energy in the air, now a common feeling, and in just a blink of an eye, Shadow teleported a few meters away from Him with Maria, a dark chao in his arms and another one on top of his head Maria had been playing with his ears that kept fighting a twitch at the contact — a common sight at this point.
“Echidna.“ he Commented, catching The Red Echidna off guard.
“.....I've lost track of time in the chao garden.“ he said, gently Ruffling Maria's Hair Affectionately.