Maria

Spinning Fast and Free

The dusted pink pointe shoes were from a time when she thought she was able to do anything. She was still sick then, obviously, but maybe less sick at that time. She only stopped dancing because her own sweat killed vital white blood cells. Don't ask her why or how, that's what the doctors on the ARK told her, and at the time she was young enough that she didn't even question it.

Now though...

Out of curiosity, Maria got the pointe shoes down from the shelf and sat down to put them on. They still fit. Then, with a skill marked for masters, Maria crossed the ribbons together before wrapping the rest smugly around her ankle. Maria looked around her room for something to help her back up again. The closest object was her desk, so she got herself up again and mused herself in flexing and pointing her feet to admire how the pointe shoes looked on her feet once more after years of inactivity. The canvas of the shoes slid a bit on the steel floor, but it didn't bother Maria and it had brought back good memories. From here on out, the floor was ice and she was the ice fairy sent to chill the raging waters on Earth for the winter.

Wait!

Where was that one dress that made her feel like a princess?!

The idea hit Maria with much excitement that she almost slipped when she ran to her dresser to find the tulle-nightmare dress that made every movement she made seem like she was leaving behind a light breeze in her wake. She loved the dress to pieces, even when the static built up and ended up clinging to her legs.

Maria looked at herself in the mirror, and she smiled at herself as she even set to make a messy hair bun for herself. After that had been accomplished, Maria ran out of her room as if she was five years old again and wanted everyone in the vacancy to know that she was Princess Maria, Dancing Ice Queen of All That Freezes. In her happiness, Maria passed by a window that had a fairly good view of Earth below them. She stopped to look at it and smiled. Now she was a rising prima ballerina in a grand dance troupe that held summer concerts in large, beautiful amphitheaters where crowds gather to see her, Maria, and would throw roses at her feet to show their admiration.

You want an encore? Well, but of course! What's that? Act Two of the Nutcracker? The Dance of the Reed Pipes? But of course, anything for such grand admirers as yourself!

. . .

From the Desk of Gerald Robotnik

Date: Omitted

Subject: It's Been a Long Time...

Text:

At first, I thought I was mistaken. But when I saw her smile, I knew at once that I certainly was not going mad.

Maria was dancing again.

So fluently too, it was quite surprising for me to see her on her toes again. There was no music playing for her as she simply flitted around like a little fairy-child, but whatever world she was in certainly made her happy. Never, in such a long time, have I seen Maria so happy. The sight of her smile almost made me smile right back at her.

Shadow happened to be with me so a few other colleagues and I could further study the root of his blood and what part is the healing properties set to potentially save the world. Although wired to many different devices, Shadow stared at Maria then turned to me to inquire what she was doing. I explained to him that she was dancing, a pastime she had to give up about three years ago due to a severe decline in her health. In an act that rather interested me, Shadow gave a biological reaction, but did not show any emotion physically. Then Shadow asked me a question that I was sure he had already knew;

How long has she been sick?

Admittedly, I did not know where to start. I even tried to have one of my colleagues answer for me, but they had all chosen to go silent then. I distinctly remember rubbing the bridge of my nose as I let out a heavy sigh.

I informed Shadow that it has been a long time, and it was likely that Maria could not remember a time when she was completely healthy. Again, Shadow responded to the news biologically but gave no indication physically.

Perhaps this phenomenon needs a lot more investigation that what I first thought...

. . .

Maria couldn't remember the last time she felt this great as she twirled down the hallway en pointe. Happily dizzy, Maria didn't even notice someone else was in the hallway until she ended up tripping over them. Still feeling dizzy, Maria laughed as she looked at the one she had tripped over. When she saw who it was, her smile instantly became a frown. His burning red eyes did not hold any shame even though it was obvious that he had tripped her.

"Why did you stop laughing?" Shadow asked her.

"I tripped." Maria told him. Oddly enough, although her vision had returned, she still felt lightheaded. Shadow then got really close to her without much warning. It sent a rather distinct shiver up her back as those horrible red eyes glared into hers.

"Your nose is bleeding." Shadow then informed her. Maria raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to believe him at first. Regardless, she put two fingers to the base of her nose and found that it was. It took Maria a moment, but then she realized why she still felt dizzy. It wasn't because she was happy, it was an indication that something was wrong.