The little hedgehog's birthday, Maria decided, wasn't much of a birthday so far. Maybe it was because it was his first, but he certainly deserved more than this.

She briskly tugged on her Grandfather's sleeve, intending to bring the topic up with him, but he looked down at her distractedly to wave her away and she didn't push her luck with the topic. Perhaps later. For now she drew her attention back to the scene in front of her- agitated scientists, flashing lights and beeping noises, and in the middle of it all the huge glass tube (to her, anyway) she was drawn over to.

Maria had always thought that children came from their mothers, but this strange little black bundle she could see suspended in liquid certainly wasn't. He looked far too big to be a baby anyway, she concluded; at least he was from what she could tell from the sizes of the few people on the ARK that looked like him. Curious, she pressed a hand on the glass and leant upwards to try and get a better look-

"Gerald- Professor, do you really think it wise we let the girl see this?" Came an exasperated voice as a man in a labcoat she vaguely recognised as a technician came over to gently pull her away.

"I want her to see what I'm doing for her," was the only reply he got, and she thought, it was a vague reply at that. For her? What did he mean by that? She was distracted from pondering this question for too long as she was deposited to one side of the room as the instruments went haywire- an excited murmur went up and she swore she heard at least half the room collectively hold their breath as the glug of water signalled the tube draining itself, a dim light that had previously lit it flickering off. The dramatics continued regardless, the glass of the tube disappearing into the floor with a silky hiss as the small infant remained, now exposed and yet still floating eerily. No doubt there was some scientific explanation involved, but Maria didn't care.

All of that went out of mind when the little thing straightened as much as his posture allowed and began to wail.

She felt a ripple of shock go through them that she couldn't understand... though come to think of it, they'd never talked about things like crying when she heard them discuss Project Shadow. Fighting and running and all sorts but never crying.

It passed, though, and suddenly they were on it- him- like flies, lifting him out and strapping things on and just looking in awe. But like she'd noticed at the start, it wasn't like the attention you got at birthdays. And that wouldn't do, she decided, in her young mind. She boldly pushed passed, looked up at the person currently examining him- Grandfather, who she could always get around- and put her arms out expectantly. He looked shocked, but after a moment (to, if she had noticed, much eye rolling) handed him over.

The moment she touched him he stopped crying, she noticed with pride, and gazed up at her with red eyes. Smiling back down, she gave him his first birthday hug, and then announced to the rest-

"I want you all to wish my brother a happy birthday."

A/N: Short little drabble oneshot that I basically did to get a better hold on Maria's personality, since I never really went for the gentle, sweet, conceding Maria. If she was like that in my mind, Shadow might have loved her, sure, but... maybe she wouldn't have made such an impression. It was fun to write, have to say. :) Reviews are appreciated, critique especially! And yes I know I should be doing Another Universe, shhhh ¬¬;