I'm still alive and here's the part 2 to Honest's Dream...
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank. Honest had grown accustomed to hearing Shadow ahead of her, until they stopped. When she had caught up, she noticed he was helping someone off the ground. When she stood up and murmured "W-What's happening? Where's Grandfather?", only then did Honest realize who it was, and only who it could be. "Maria," Shadow said slowly, "There is really no time. Please, just follow me." Maria stood up and nodded.
"There! With the girl!" someone shouted. Honest turned around to see five or six soldiers standing farther down the hallway. When she turned back around, Shadow and Maria were already running down the hallway.
Honest tried desperately to catch up, but it felt like she was being tugged backwards. Soon even the soldiers passed her, and she found herself catching up to them when they stopped. Oh, no. Oh, no!
Honest knew what was happening. Soldiers at a door, guns up and pointing at something in the room and banging on the glass of a capsule could only mean one thing.
"No!" Honest yelled. She fought her way through the wall of GUN soldiers, and, once at the front, saw Maria at the lever, her hands wound tightly around it, not letting it go, but not yet pulling it.
"Young girl, please back away from the lever," a soldier said from beside Honest. Maria said nothing, but only tightened her grasp on the lever. "Little girl!" the soldier said again, just loud enough to sound forceful.
Still Maria did not let go. She turned towards Shadow, whom was banging on the glass, trying hard to break free. Honest had never seen him so emotional. He looked as if he were going to cry as he stood there pounding on the glass, seeming to realise Maria was in danger. But she'd never release him to save her. She was going to guarantee he would live whether she did or not.
The soldier had his gun on her, only to scare her, but it didn't. "Shadow, please."
"I'm going to count down from three!" the soldier threatened.
Maria turned to Shadow, not stirred a bit by the soldier. "Please, Shadow. Give the people of Earth a chance! Forgive them, and give them a chance to be happy!" Shadow got quiet, realizing what Maria was suggesting.
"Two! ... One!" Bang. And the room was empty. The soldiers were gone, two capsules were missing, and Maria was nowhere to be found. The metal walls of the Ark fell away and she found herself lying on her own bed, the sun rising outside her window. Honest wanted to break down and cry right then and there, but, well... It was all in the past and, after all, Shadow still needed her help to give the people of Earth a chance to be happy. Chaos knows that Shadow couldn't do it alone, getting discouraged every time he finds the world turned against him. When she exited her room in Eggman's base, she went towards the kitchen and found Eggman and Shadow there. Eggman was reading the Station Square Monthly and sipping from his #1 Doctor mug while Shadow was flipping pancakes in his pink (light red as he calls it) apron and humming a tune. Honest sighed.
"Good morning!"
Eggman didn't seem to notice her, but Shadow turned around, glanced at her, and turned back around to stare at his pancakes. "Pft. Good to see that you're in a good mood, today."
That was a good thing, right? To be in a good mood? But he said it like her friendliness annoyed him. She crossed her arms and wondered over to him. She stood beside him and grabbed him in a hug. "I love you, Shadow."
Unlike what Sonic frequently did to Amy, Shadow didn't run away. "I love you, too, Honest," he said, rolling his eyes and grimacing. She guessed he was a little uncomfortable seeing as though the doctor was standing behind them. Honest smiled, letting go of him and letting him get back to work flipping the pancakes Honest, Dr Eggman, and him were destined to share when he was finished.
So I hope you liked this mini story! Why this is part of w/Sonic and not w/Maria is beyond me, but it was a good change of pace, and provided a reason as to why Honest is hanging out with Shadow- she's his only true friend. Someone might change that detail of Shadow's life real soon, though...
(I guess I was alluding to Sonic becoming a large part of my stories after this. Anyway, I can tell that, at this point, I'm starting to slowly progress towards my current view of Honest and Shadow. Shadow actually did a lot of his own progressing, too, but I'm not sure if I noticed it at the time. When it came to how I viewed the Shadow and Maria thing, though, I still had a ways to go. I wonder if there was ever a real "turning point" in my thinking, or was it really just gradual? )