Awe! I love the ending!

This might sound horrible, but by then I think I'd be grateful for a bus hitting me lol

Aw I read it! It was so wonderful, I actually cried poor shadow...but Maria gave him a present and how much more could anyone ask for him?! (T T) 3 loved!

Okay, zuerst mal, die Fic ist tatsächlich schon 11 Jahre alt, wow. Ich kann mich vage erinnern schon vor vielen Jahren mal 1-2 Kapitel von gelesen zu haben, jetzt so viele Jahre später ist sie endlich mal komplett, was für eine nette Überraschung :D

Mir gefiel das Konzept dieser etwas chaotischen Geschenksuche rund um Shadow echt gut und ergo ist es sehr toll, dass die nicht minder chaotische Bescherung ebenfalls erfolgreich über die Bühne gegangen ist. Sehr spaßige Fic, es waren beim nochmaligen kompletten Durchlesen einige Lacher mit dabei. Persönlicher Favorit mit ganz leichtem Abstand zum Rest ist wohl Kapitel 3 mit den etwas schief gegangenen Festvorbereitungen in Sonics Apartment, ein lustiger Moment hat den Nächsten gejagt und sich die immer größer werdende Eskalation bildlich vorzustellen war amüsant ohne Ende - schätze sowas passiert wohl, wenn man eine solche bunte Gruppe an Unruhestiftern mit einer im Prinzip so simpel scheinenden Aufgabe in einen Raum steckt xP
Ironisch auch, dass Sonic diesmal zur Abwechslung derjenige war, der mit wachsender Panik und Verzweiflung auf die verrückten Shenanigans seiner Freunde reagieren musste. Das Karma ist manchmal in der Tat gnadenlos ;P

Eggman als böser Santa, Sonic als zähneknirschender Autogramm-Schreiber, Shadow der nach dem Busunfall plötzlich Engel sieht, die berühmt-berüchtigte Bat Credit Card - müsste ich alle Szenen die mich zum Schmunzeln gebracht hätten aufzählen würde das den Rahmen des Reviews etwas sprengen ;)
Die ganze Story ist rundum spaßig und voller Anspielungen für findige Fans, Charakterinteraktionen waren wie gewohnt ein Highlight, und die herzerwärmenden Momente zwischendurch genug für das ein oder andere laute "Aaaw!" von meiner Seite. Dann natürlich das letzte Kapitel, mit der humorvollen Bescherung und das spezielle Geschenk für Shadow von einem besonderen Geist der Weihnacht - was für eine knuffige, schöne und passende Art diese kleine Weihnachtsstory zu beenden.

Kann nur erneut ein großes Lob für deine Schreibkunst aussprechen, und ich bin mir sicher ich werd auch in den nächsten Jahren hin und wieder nochmal reinlesen wenn ich in die passende Stimmung zum Fest kommen möchte :D

Very cute!

Looks like this Shadow-centric Christmas story wins first place in the race to the finish (No offense to the other story and I still love that one, too.)! :D
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Of course, some stuff that caught my curiosity:

Hmm, why wouldn’t the Space Colony Ark still exist, Rouge? My question is how did the moon become whole again? And if someone says, “Santa did it,” I might just lose it! -_-’

In this story, Shadow’s saying he usually visits the Space Colony Ark once a year and that day being Christmas? I’d imagine Shadow definitely visits the Space Colony Ark or rather treats it as his ‘sorta’ home or his secret getaway year-round (Though, I can only imagine the mixed feelings one must have in a place where both terrible and wonderful things happened.). Makes me wonder what Canon Shadow (I’m calling Shadow from the main games that.) does on Christmas. I don’t think outside of Sonic Channel Wallpapers and without Shadow Chao, he’s ever celebrated the holiday (or ‘any’ holiday). He definitely didn’t have a childhood… Or was a child- Anyway, speaking of years, how many years has it been in this particular fic after Shadow was released?
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Aww, Tails’ gift is definitely a good one for Shadow. Hopefully, this fake Chaos Emerald doesn’t disintegrate upon the first usage like the one in Sonic X.
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IT’S THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST!- Or Maria. And finally showing up for Christmas, or at all. Where were you years ago, Maria?! XD

Did she use the five-fingered discount? ;D
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If I’m remembering correctly in Life Could have been So Different, on Christmas, Maria gave Shadow a fake Chaos Emerald and he apparently lit up the sky with it. In this fic, Shadow receives another fake Chaos Emerald but earlier lit up the sky by using a real Chaos Emerald to get everyone and himself to the Space Colony Ark. And I guess according to this story, Shadow’s actions in doing so became a Christmas legend or myth. If only they knew it came from the one they feared most. Cool and hilarious at the same time! XD

Hip, hip, hooray! Congratulations on finishing this story! Even if Canon Shadow would never get this close to people outside of his team and take part in such sentimental parties (I remember in Sonic Generations and Sonic Runners that Shadow doesn’t really care to show up to Sonic’s birthdays ‘cause at best he might be a friendly rival, but he’s not that close to Sonic.), this was a very nice Christmas Story for Shadow that even allowed Maria to sorta come back as a Christmas Miracle.

Thanks for writing it; it was a pure joy to read Shadow in this cute and funny Christmas scenario and may other fun holiday scenarios follow. ;)

Ahhhh, this was really sweet! And funny too, of course. Cream you lovable, naive child... though I guess her instincts were right, in the end. And of course Tails would make a FUNCTIONAL FAKE CHAOS EMERALD just for a Christmas gift exchange, the little overachiever. And then Shadow sort of got to finally say goodbye to Maria, in a way... awww. This was a really nice story, thanks for writing it! And Merry (belated) Christmas!

Aww what a wonderful ending to a sweet Christmas story! I'm also so glad to see this was finished after all these years! :)

I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING!

Honestly just a beautiful ending. I love how you left it ambiguous where the present actually came from, leave that to the reader to decide for themselves.

Merry Christmas, Tara.

"…merry Christmas, Maria."

Suddenly, it became hard to breathe.

I really appreciate your take on Shadow, he's not as melodramatic or Vegeta as most make him out to be, but not totally stoic like in Forces either. Thank you for this Christmas story.

I. Am. Crying. This was too beautiful. Thank you. I’m sorry for such a simple review, but I don’t have much else to say if I could hug you I would. Thank you. Merry Christmas Taranea 3

A Christmas story starring Shadow that doesn’t force him into the role of Scrooge or Grinch as he actually has very little in common with them, yay! Sure, I’ve never been obsessed with Christmas despite it being one of my favorite holidays, but I do love a Christmas story that doesn’t feel forced or disingenuous and this story so far, for the most part, fits those criteria. As for this long-awaited update and this story’s eventual completion?... Well… Between this and another Christmas story starring Shadow I’ve been looking into, I hold full confidence this one will be completed first. So whenever that may be, there’s that! ;D

Speaking of holidays, I’ve noticed by now that SEGA mainly pairs Shadow with Halloween, possibly hinting it to be his favorite holiday (for me Halloween stories were always my favorite holiday stories as I’m actually a big fan of the horror genre). Though Shadow has yet to be officially involved in any holiday story in the canon (though, there’s very little holiday stories or references to them in canon, to begin with), but regardless I always thought Shadow’s interest in the holidays, in general, depended greatly on whether or not he has loved ones to celebrate them with. Shadow Chao isn’t even an official character in the story of the canon but I’ve noticed with the Sonic Channel wallpapers, Shadow’s always or almost always (my memory fails me) paired with it when shown participating in a holiday also hinting at this idea of Shadow’s conditional and fleeting interest of the holidays.

On an unrelated note, I’ve noticed that Shadow Chao tends to get brought up a lot, especially compared to Sonic Chao, and it seems it’s mainly to provide Shadow a motivating factor to get him to do anything sentimental since Maria’s never coming back. It’s to the point, Shadow Chao might as well be made canon in an upcoming story when SEGA lets us have fun playing with Chao again (Oh, how I do miss those Chao Gardens…)- Anyway, on to ‘this’ chapter!
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First off, some miscellaneous stuff that caught my attention:

Bat Credit Card? Is that Rouge’s version of the “five-finger discount” or the name of a brand of credit cards? On that note, it definitely would make sense if Team Dark had some kind of GUN credit.

Where the heck is Omega?!

Knuckles, you better watch out (what you say about women), you better not cry (when said women kick you where it hurts), better not pout (after the fact) I’m telling you why, Rouge will not be forced to deal with your gendered expectations!

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone rile each other up that fast…”
Did you mean rile ‘the’ other up rather than rile ‘each’ other up?

A red and black Christmas Tree (I’d buy one…)? I bet if Sonic could get away with it, he’d have an all blue Christmas Tree. ;p
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Wait, Shadow and Sonic… KISSED? Was it on the lips or the cheek (some cultures, I think, have people, regardless of gender, kiss on the cheek)? Ahhhhhhh- Ummmmm Uuuuuuhhhhhh?- I have a hard time believing Shadow and Sonic would ever do something like that under ‘any’ circumstance. Maybe if they were both drunk or drugged? Or even a ‘hilariously convoluted’ scenario involving both of their faces smacking into the others looking like they kissed? No matter how the kiss happened, good thing no one took pictures! Not that I hate reading Sonadow in terms of guilty-pleasure fanfiction, but as far as what Shadow and Sonic’s relationship in canon will ever be, I don’t see them kissing ‘ever.’

I’m also not certain Shadow would ever use Sonic’s toothbrush, but he’s the ultimate lifeform, so it’s not like he’s gonna catch any Sonic germs. ;)

Anyway, moving on.
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And people think Disney is evil (Well, they kinda are, but I’m not talking about their attempts at world domination. :o ), making so many parents die, typically only sparing one parent to raise the children, SEGA spares NONE (Almost always because of Cream’s Mom.). At least that’s the assumption; only Shadow has confirmation of the demise of his family. Unfortunately, story-wise, because we don’t have confirmation of what happened to the other characters’ parents, it’s truly impossible to say just how hard Shadow really has it in regards to familial tragedies.

Speaking familial tragedies, I think I know what relocation Shadow’s thinking of. Though, considering what happened there, I’m kinda surprised it’s not haunted. Haunted or not, Halloween Party at the You-Know-What next year? ;)

Whether or not this story gets completed soon, I’m enjoying this story and look forward to its next chapter. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

Yesssss I was so excited by the new chapter! I even re read the first two, haha. Love your sense of humor

Is this? Could it be? It is! Another All They Want chapter!

Ah, it just isn't a Taranea fic without a joke at Christopher Thorndyke's expense. And I'll be honest, I lost it for a good minute at the "bat credit card" joke.

Honestly there's just something about they way you work these characters that just makes them bounce off of each other so perfectly. It's such a treat to read.

So first of all, I read the first 2 chapters some months ago and was completely sure it wouldn't be finished, but still decided to give it a follow and favourite, because I really like it.
And now I see the notification in my email and almost can't believe it, I guess it's true that you should never lose hope xD.
Apart from that I don't know a lot about writing, so I can't give you a great review, but I can tell you that I'm loving it so far, the characters don't feel ooc and plot is entertaining.
Thanks for continuing the story, I hope you can finish it before 2024 LOL.