Editing Maria Robotnik (section)

===Shadow the Hedgehog===
{{Quote left|It breaks my heart to see [[Shadow the Hedgehog|you]] so full of anger. This isn't who you are. Do you know why I named you "Shadow?" Because without light there's only darkness, but a shadow will show you where to find the light. Do you understand? I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light with peace in your heart.|Maria Robotnik, ''[[Shadow Generations]]''}}
[[File:SXSGDB PS5 Bonus Scene 16.png|thumb|225px|A vision of Maria hugging [[Shadow the Hedgehog|Shadow]], from ''[[Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings]]''.]]
Maria's closest relationship was with [[Shadow the Hedgehog]], a creature created to help cure her illness. The two met aboard the Space Colony ARK and formed a very close bond, becoming inseparable.

According to Gerald's journal, Maria was Shadow's guide to the world and he was her trusted friend. He was completely devoted to her, helping her with her condition and being her protector. Shadow cared deeply for her well-being and safety: once, after she nearly passed out from overexertion, he caught her before she fell to the ground and then reminded her not to get too excited so as not to worsen her condition.<ref>[[Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings]] episode 1: "[[Shadow and Maria]]". '''Shadow:''' "The low gravity here only keeps [[Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome|your condition]] in remission. You should know better than to exert yourself."</ref>

At first, Shadow's sole purpose in life was to cure her, and when he discovered that he could not cure her illness, he was deeply saddened and distressed, as he did not want to lose her. As a result of this, he began to question the purpose of his existence. However, Maria never blamed him for this and was always there to comfort and encourage him. Maria was a guiding force in Shadow's life, doing her best to erase any doubts he had about the purpose of his existence. Even after discovering that Shadow was created with Black Doom's DNA, Maria never stopped loving him, believing that his actions are what define him. Maria was the most important person in Shadow's life, mostly because of her support when he questioned his purpose for being. Shadow trusted Maria enough to share his doubts and inner conflicts with her, mainly about the purpose of his existence. Maria, in turn, always comforted and reassured Shadow when he doubted himself.

According to Commander Tower and Rouge, Maria was the only person who could calm Shadow down and convince him not to do something.<ref>[[Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings]] episode 3: [[To the ARK]]. '''Commander Tower:''' "You could have talked him down, Rouge!" '''Rouge:''' "There's only one person who could ever do that." '''Commander Tower:''' "True. And she was lost to us a long time ago."</ref> This claim was later supported by the fact that Maria convinced Shadow to let her and Gerald return to their own time. Shadow was visibly distressed, but he complied with her wishes and chose not to stop them from disappearing.<ref>As shown in [[Shadow Generations]]' final cutscene, "Never Forgotten".</ref> She is by far the person who has made Shadow the happiest, and they shared the same dream: to visit [[Earth]].

Unfortunately, Maria was shot and killed by [[Guardian Units of Nations|G.U.N.]], who considered Project Shadow too great a threat to the world. They eliminated everything they could related to the project, including the people aboard the [[Space Colony ARK|ARK]]. Ultimately, Maria's love for Shadow led her to sacrifice her life and her dream of visiting Earth to save him from the G.U.N. military. Even as she lay dying, Maria's only thoughts were for Shadow to fulfill his purpose, and she begged him to do it for her, knowing that he could make their dreams come true for her sake. Her final words of farewell were "''Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.''"