"Grandpa gave me this nice dress he said he found at a store back on Earth when I was younger!" Maria giggled and twirled around in her new--albeit, old--dress. It was pink, with lots of ruffles and folds. A bright pink bow was wrapped around Maria's blonde hair as an accessory to the outfit.
The light and friendly colors of the dress, complimented by Maria's upbeat attitude and big smile, were enough to warm even the coldest of hearts. She was referred to as the 'Sunshine of the ARK' for a reason.
Shadow nodded approvingly. "I like it."
Maria let out another one of her innocent giggles and took Shadow's hand in hers. "I want to show Grandpa how I look in my new dress, want to come with me?"
"Sure."
--
When Shadow first joined G.U.N., he was allowed access to all the files in G.U.N.'s database. Obviously, he read through every file they had related to Project Shadow. In those files, he learned that after the ARK raid, a few G.U.N. soldiers returned to retrieve every item or belonging on the ARK. They kept some of the lab equipment and research and sold some of the more personal objects. That included Maria's favorite Chao plush that she affectionately named 'Hope'. She liked to squeeze it whenever she felt upset, and she would let Shadow do the same.
--
After reading through all the files, Shadow sought to find Hope in his free time. He looked in antique stores everywhere and searched online. Eventually, he found it up for sale on eBay.
--
Hope sits on his work desk. Even with the age of the plush, it looks quite well-kept. As if someone cared deeply for it and made sure to put in effort to keep it as pristine as possible.
--
There it was. A light pink dress hanging from a cloth hanger. It still kept its beauty, even if the colors had faded a little and dust had settled on its fabric. Perhaps, the knowledge of who wore it over 50 years ago was what made it so gorgeous. That the dress had the privilege of being worn by such a kind and gentle soul, filling it with so much more meaning.
"You like that dress, huh?" The manager nodded toward the dress as if prompting Shadow to buy it.
"...It's an old family hand-me-down. I'd like to buy it." Shadow pulled out his wallet and took out some cash. He found it comforting to use physical money instead of a credit card.
The man behind the counter chuckled. "I see," he added, " It costs 65 dollars."
--
Shadow gave him the money and left with the dress. He looked down at it fondly, remembering her.
I drew something for this but ooohhh bad camera ooohh
