Chapter 9 of w/Sonic: Honest's Dream (Part 2)

## **Summary:**

The chapter begins with Honest hearing the clanks of Shadow's metal shoes on the floor when suddenly, they stop. She catches up to him and sees him helping someone off the ground. Only after that someone asks Shadow what's happening and where her grandfather is does Honest realize it's Maria. Shadow tells her that there isn't enough time to explain and tells her to just follow him. Maria stands up and nods. Next Honest hears someone shout and turns around to see five or six soldiers standing farther down the hallway. When she turns back around, Shadow and Maria are already running away. Honest tries to catch up to them, but she feels herself being pulled backwards by an invisible force. The soldiers pass her at some point, and she eventually catches up to them when they stop. Honest suddenly notices what's about to happen. It's the classic scene. Soldiers at a door, guns up and pointing at something in the room, the sound of someone banging on the glass of a capsule-- Honest knew it could only mean one thing.

Honest yells "no!" and pushes past the wall of GUN soldiers. Once Honest is through them, she sees Maria at the lever, holding on for dear life but not yet pulling it. A soldier tells her to back away from the lever, but she only tightens her grasp. The soldier speaks louder, but still Maria did not let go. She turns towards Shadow, who is banging on the glass, trying hard to break out. Honest notes how emotional Shadow is and how he looks as if he's about to cry. Shadow knows that Maria is in danger, but she has no intent on releasing him. She is going to guarantee that he would survive whether she did or not. The soldier points his gun at her, only to scare her, but it doesn't seem to work. Instead, her begins to count down from three. Maria turns to Shadow and begs him to give the people of the world a chance and to forgive them and give them a chance to be happy. Shadow quits his banging and seems to realise what Maria is suggesting, that she won't be going with him. That her life would end before she got the chance to. Once the soldier counts to one, he pulls the trigger and Honest hears a *bang*.

As soon as this happens, the soldiers, Maria, and Shadow disappear. The metal walls of the Ark fall away and Honest finds herself back in her bed, the sun rising outside her window. Honest feels the urge to cry, but she knows that Shadow needs her to be strong for when he cannot. She exits her room in Eggman's base and moves towards the kitchen, finding Eggman and Shadow there. Eggman is reading the Station Square Monthly while sipping from his #1 Doctor mug while Shadow is flipping pancakes in his pink (light red as he calls it) apron and humming a tune. Honest exclaims "Good morning!" Eggman doesn't seem to notice her, but Shadow turns around and glances at her before turning back around to stare at the pancakes. He says that it's good to see that Honest is in a good mood today. Honest wonders if he meant that in a good way. She crosses her arms and wanders over to him. She stands beside him and grabs him in a hug, telling him that she loves him. Instead of running away like Sonic does when Amy shows him affection, Shadow just rolls his eyes and says he loves her, too. He looks somewhat uncomfortable what with Dr Eggman sitting so closely. Honest smiles and lets so so that he can get back to work flipping the pancakes they would eventually be eating.

## **BG Info:**

* The writing improves somewhat after this chapter. This is due to Honest starting to use what happens to her in high school to format her stories rather than starting from scratch.
* Honest starts the book {Café Edition} after writing this chapter. She takes a nine month break to work on that story after she publishes this chapter.