*Sonic's POV*
"What?" I asked as I took a step back then laughed. "You're joking, right?"

"I am not." She said as she looked down at her wrist to her communicator and pressed a button. A holographic picture showed above it to show me what looked like a phone. "I stole this device from Uncle Tails from the future to be able to come here."

The communicator looked almost exactly like the one Tails had given us now, but hers had upgrades. I could feel my head throbbing already, getting a headache. Was she just messing with me?

"Wait. Wait. Wait. You are saying you really are my daughter?" I asked as I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

She proceeded to press another button on the communicator, showing a picture of me and the team, looking older than we were now. I immediately noticed Shadow had an arm around my waist while looking away, and I had an arm around him as well. My ear twitched in annoyance at that. There is absolutely no way.

"That's you and dad." Maria said nervously, suddenly her hand turned see through for a split second. "I am here because something that happened here is causing me to disappear and be forgotten in the future." Her eyes turned watery, causing my heart to break slightly. 

"That's not possible." I shook my head. "It can't be." I took yet another step back.

"I saw you two fighting yesterday. What happened to you two?" She said as she put her arm back down, he picture disappearing.

I looked back at her, suddenly realizing just how much she looked like Shadow and where I heard that name before. My ears dropped, and that meant she wasn't lying or joking. That meant this wasn't a prank.

"Please. You have to help me. I need you and dad to get together, or I will disappear." She sounded desperate. She got closer and held my hand, then squeezed tightly. "Please, dad."

"I umm." I hesitated but pulled my hand away slowly. "I am not sure there is much I can do, Maria." I said softly and patted her head, I didn't know what to do with her. I knew what she was saying was true, but did I really believe it? She's from the future? She's my daughter? "Shadow and I hate each other. There's no way we would ever get together."

"No. No, you two love each other! There's no one as happy as the two of you. What happened? Why are you at each other's throats?" Maria held her hand back when she tried to reach for my face, looking at my injuries from the day before.

"It's complicated." I answered.

"I need to see him." She said. "Where is he?"

"He would kill you for your name alone, Maria. You shouldn't get close to him. And try to tell him all of what you told me? He'll not even let you finish." I scoffed and crossed my arms. Maria crossed her arms then grabbed my hand, and tugged as she started running. "Hey!" I gasped, but I couldn't let go, or I would fall.

"I knew it. Lucky, Auntie Rouge isn't here." She said as she finally let go of me while we stood outside Shadow's house.

Great. I'll die today.

She was peeking through the windows, tip toeing slightly to be able to see through, and then she knocked on the window. I instantly ducked down and pulled her down with me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked in a whisper. "Shadow hates when others come to his house."

"He would never get mad at me." Maria stood up and walked to the door then knocked. The door opened almost instantly, I was still on the ground, and Shadow immediately noticed.

"What are you doing here, Faker?" Shadow growled and took a step out of the house as I stood up and got ready to fight. Before any of us could do or say anything else, Maria grabbed Shadow's hand and made him turn to look at him. He immediately tensed up, taken off guard, then shoved her away. "Don't touch me."

Maria stumbled back, my ears pinning down as I quickly dashed to her and caught her. She looked so hurt and devastated. I let go of her, then walked to Shadow and punched him roughly across the face.

"I told you he wouldn't listen." I said and finally looked back to see Maria. She was now crying. Shadow was about to punch me, I flinched slightly, but Maria suddenly appeared behind Shadow and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from hurting me.

Shadow was taken aback when we both suddenly realized she had chaos controlled beside him. He was suddenly looking at her, examining her. "Who are you?" He growled furiously, giving her a death glare.

"You might want to sit down for this." I warned Shadow as I leaned back on the wall and rubbed my face, my headache growing stronger. "This is way too much for a Monday morning."

"Who are you?!" Shadow snapped at her when she started stuttering and crying. I felt bad for her, if what she said was true, she probably never met this side of him before. She probably grew up thinking Shadow as the perfect father, treating her like a princess.

"You're scaring her!" I shouted back at him, earning a glare from Shadow, but I ignored it and looked back at Maria. "She says she's our daughter."

"My name is Maria." She finally spoke after I helped her, sobbing slightly. "I'm from the future."

Shadow was as still as a statue, processing what we had just said. He was staring at her, then he snapped his head at me and was ready to attack me, making me stand up straight.

"Bothering me isn't enough, Hedgehog? What you did to Rouge isn't enough? Now you have to pull stuff like this to annoy me?" He threw a punch but missed when I jumped back. "How did you get her to do that?"

I was getting angrier by the second, I couldn't stand Shadow still blaming me over what happened. I can't believe he still thought I would let Rouge die. He thought I would pick and choose who my favorite was and save them.

"Leave him alone! Please!" Maria pleaded as she dashed in front of me and stretched her arms to the sides, trying to protect me. "Please, dad." She begged Shadow to stop. "The Shadow I know would never even raise his hand to Sonic. He would never hurt me or raise his voice. But you've forgotten about me!" My ears pinned down again at hearing her cry. "Both of you have forgotten about me."

I glanced up at Shadow, then looked back at Maria and got closer, then hugged her. I wasn't sure what was going on at this point or how to even help her, but it hurt to see her cry. Shadow had stopped growling and was just stating at us, I rested my head on top of Maria's and rubbed her back. It felt natural to hold her. Like she belonged in my arms. Like I should never let go and protect her with my life. I knew right there, and then that I needed to find a way to help her.