A Weekend At Maddie's

Six months ago Shadow the Hedgehog died. Maddie hadn’t known much about this other hedgehog besides his allegiance to the Robotniks and his assault on Tom, so she was a little hesitant when Sonic insisted on having a symbolic funeral for him. Her son, almost to tears, explained Shadow’s history, his friend Maria, his change of heart, and his eventual sacrifice to save Earth. Maddie realized, much like her own sons, that Shadow was a kid who hurt a lot. But unlike her boys, he had no proper guidance, no place to call home, and no one to love him unconditionally. They held the funeral in their background and Sonic performed the eulogy, even though he only learned about the word ten minutes before. Maddie was proud of her sons’ empathy and maturity—even Knuckles refrained from punching anything unnecessarily.

Five months ago gifts began showing up on their doorstep.