D-008

Planet Earth

Outskirts of Central City.

22 Hours since launch.

As the sun dawns on a new day, the birds chirp on the safe haven of the Rosey household.

Right outside the house, Shadow the Hedgehog is waiting, arms crossed and eyes closed, right outside the door.

Then, he hears the crunchy footsteps of high heels hitting the fallen spring leaves.

Shadow: "Hmph, took you long enough."

The woman with the bright blue high heels walks forward. Her voice dripped with confidence.

"Not everyone can be as fast as you, Shads."

"You are still on and on about that nickname…you know, it has reached the point where Miles is calling me that too. Sooner or later my wife will call me that, and when that happens, GUN's blood will be on your hands."

"Ha! I'd love to see you try."

With a grin, Shadow opens his eyes and steps forward to shake the woman's soft hand, looking up to make eye contact with her towering figure.

Wearing a soft, pastel blue dress that stretched down, hugging her knees, contrasted her status as GUN commander, making her slender form look most unassuming. Her straight golden-rapunzel hair stretched all the way to her middle-back. Her face looked stressed, overworked half-to death…but her eyes and the high dark blue collar evoked the same, glimmering innocence that her namesake had. A spitting image of a pure soul from another time.

Shadow: "Good to see you holding up well, Miss Hearts."

"Oh, please. We are way past that now. You can always call me Maria, you know."

They let go of each other's hand, before they begin walking to the city side by side.

"I am well aware, but it still feels bizarre to have a Maria working for GUN, even if it's a different one."

"Come on, it's been like what? 10 years since I joined the academy? You had a whole decade to get used to it!"

"Fast at running, slow at accepting I suppose."

They make it to the sidewalk. Red light for them.

Shadow gives Maria Hearts an upward glance with a mischievous smile.

Hearts: "No, Shadow, you can't just break the rules just because you are too fast to be prosecuted for it." she says in a parental tone. As if speaking to an 8 year old.

He chuckles and goes back to looking ahead as the light turns green.

They cross the street and continue walking through the quiet, early morning city.

Hearts: "I seriously hope you aren't pulling these stunts in front of your son…then again…it's not like you can do it in front of him right now."

Shadow: "Tch. Sure, Hearts, rub it in, why dontcha?"

Hearts: "Okay, but seriously, how could you even let him run off like that? Or, well, fly off…"

"Look, it's as I told you: Kujo's daughter needed to change, Miles pinned it on ME for some reason, and then the next thing I know, the ship was already out of orbit."

"How is Amy handling it?"

"Lots of quill pulling and screaming, but it seems she calmed down after they got the first emerald. Speaking of, what's the status of the two emeralds still on Earth?"

"Well, since the Icarus training wheel idea is off the table, I already went ahead and made sure the emeralds were secured by GUN. It went by without a hitch."

"Wait…then…where are we… "

He trails off as he notices Maria looking down on the ground, shame crossing her face.

They proceed with their stroll through the city…until they reach the downtown roundabout.

Surrounded by the largest buildings in the city, the roundabout' centre has been oddly empty, looking quite plain and unremarkable with a hollow bright-red circle forming the outline of what seems like an obvious place to place a statue.

It seems someone decided to take the initiative.

…

Shadow sees the scaffolding on the centre of the roundabout.

Shadow: "It seems like they are building a statue. What of it?"

"..."

They walk towards the scaffolding, crossing the street.

They read the bronze name tag.

"Sonic The Hedgehog Tribute."

Anger flashes on Shadow's face.

Shadow: "How…but…we had the pact! No one is supposed to-"

"I know…but…"

The sounds of wheels rolling draws Shadow's attention.

He looks over to his right, his expression softens as he sees a beautiful peach-skinned young woman with aqua eyes and long, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail…rolling on her wheelchair.

She shyly waves to Shadow.

He looks back at Maria, and she gives him a slow nod.

With a sigh, he slowly walks forward, but when he sees the paralysed girl pushing the wheelchair, he walks ever so slightly faster.

He stops when they get comfortably close, then gets on one knee.

"Hey…" he says softly.

"H-hi…" she flashes a bright, nervous smile. Her pearly whites are almost blinding.

"What's your name?"

"It's H-Helen…you are Shadow, right?"

"Yeah. Helen…what is this?" He gives a nod towards the statue.

"W-well…I have been saving up and…I wanted to do this for a while…" Fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"Well…do you know about the pact?"

"I..of course I do…but…it just…isn't fair…"

"I…I get that, but-"

"No, you don't…he…"

She pauses for a moment, trying to gather her words before continuing.

"Shadow. Take a look around you. You see all these cars in bright yellow?"

He does just that. While there aren't that many cars in general, a good number of them are indeed bright yellow. Identical in their open hoof design.

"I see them…what of it?"

"Those are all pro-disabled vehicles. Those were made by the company that my husband and I own together. Every single one of these from the outside is unrecognisable from any other car. And it's not just cars. Boats, planes…I want you to imagine every single person who couldn't travel on their own, every single person who wished to reunite with a loved one from across the planet but then couldn't because of an accident or something they were simply born with. We were the first people to allow patients with MIDS to live with little to no complications for extended periods of time without resorting to low-gravity anti-inflammation techniques…"

Shadow is moved by her words, but doesn't dare show it.

"This is…quite noble of you…but what does this have to do with-"

"For years, I considered myself stuck on this chair. My mom and dad did everything for me…all their efforts were to simply make me survive, while all I wanted was to spend time with them. Or, well, anyone for that matter… I wanted to go everywhere and anywhere…I always imagined what it would be like to just…go and be free…like the wind. I thought it was impossible, I lost the gene lottery after all…then, when the incident happened, we moved to Soleanna. It was even more enclosed than before. The one part I loved was the white flower bed in the middle of the ocean. It glimmered in the middle of the night like nothing else. A light in an otherwise starless sky. I desperately wanted to go there, however, they were about to demolish and destroy it. The only way to reach the island at that point was a shaky, wooden bridge filled with gaps. Yet another road I cannot walk on, I thought. But then…"

…

D-XXX

Approx. 20 Years before launch.

Planet Earth.

Land of the Sun, Soleanna.

…

The sun begins to slumber as it hides behind the ocean, casting a stunning pink light that penetrates the cloud, causing the world to fall into comfortable darkness under the mercy of moonlight.

The wind softly breezed, moving the bangs of a young girl's hair in sync with the grass below her wheelchair, positioned at the edge of a cliffside.

Wearing a pink vest on top of a white, short sleeved white shirt, the kid Helen sighed as all light eventually disappeared…leaving only the shining flower bed in the distance, glimmering in an otherwise pitch black scenery.

"Yo, you are a bit too close to the edge there kiddo, don'tcha think?"

A voice from behind her calls out, his enthusiasm contrasted with the otherwise quiet scenery.

She looks back, and sees an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with emerald coloured eyes and an unmistakable smirk.

"H-hi…" Helen shyly raises her hand to try and wave at him, but hesitates and retracts her hand, looking down as her voice trails off.

Sonic simply walks forward to her side.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you? I really like the view here."

"I-I…y-yeah, of- of course! I m-mean, of course not- I don't mind-I m-mean-"

With a smile, he sits on the edge of the cliffside, staring at the ocean through the night.

"So…what's your name?"

"M-my name? It-its…Helen!"

"Nice to meet you, Helen."

"W-what's your name?"

"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

Helen goes silent, pondering what she should say next to keep up the conversation.

She opens her mouth to speak, but finds Sonic lost in the view, so she decides to not say a word.

Sonic: "It's getting late, you know…shouldn't you be at home?"

Helen: "Y-yes…b-but…I like to…" Her cheeks flush red. "...I like to…look at the…view…" her voice trails off. "Besides…my parents come very late these days…"

"Must be tough."

"It's okay…they always try their best for me…I just wish I saw them more, that's all."

"That's fair. Tell me, what do you like most about the view here?"

"I…I r-really like the flowerbed!"

"That glimmering island over there is a flowerbed?"

"Y-yes!"

"Huh. I never knew. Guess I ought to check that out."

Helen looks down on the ground, a small part of her jealous that anyone can just come and go to and from the island while she's just…helpless.

A part of her wants to omit the fact that the island will be gone soon. It's only fair, right? It evens the playing field…

But, even as a young child, Helen knew the right thing to do. She lifts her head up.

Helen: "W-well, if you are planning on going there…you better do it soon…they will demolish this island very soon."

"Really? Why's that?"

"I-I have no idea! It's a shame too…I really wanted to go there one day…"

"Well, if you want to do it, why not do it now?"

Helen looks baffled. She cracks a nervous chuckle.

"I- I can't mister…the bridge leading there…it isn't suited for…someone like…like me…"

Sonic glances up at her and smiles, before getting up.

"Alright, well, let's go."

"L-let's go?! G-go where?"

"To the e on, I will take you there."

"B-but…I…I-"

"It's fine. If you don't like it, I will just put you back here. Tell me something though…"

"Y-yeah?"

"Do you ever get fast on that thing?"

"Y-yes, I love it! I love rolling down hills and stuff!"

Sonic gives her a mischievous grin.

"Hold on tight."

…

"WOOHOOOO!"

Leaving enormous splashes of water behind, Sonic is SPEEDING through the glimmering ocean as he takes Helen to the island. The resulting wind blowing Helen's hair into a mess.

"H-HOW ARE YOU DOING STUFF LIKE THIS?"

"I have no idea!"

…

Laughing as her adrenaline wears off, Helen takes deep breaths when they finally stop at the shore of the island.

Sonic: "How's that for a water ride?"

Helen: "That…that was awesome, mister!"

"Come on kiddo, we still have the main event to go through."

Helen lets out an excited giggle as Sonic gets behind her and begins to gently move her to the centre of the island, going from the sandy shore to the forest pathway.

The night has long since fallen. The only sounds on the island are the occasional cricket noise and the soft turning of Helen's wheels against the damp soil as they go uphill. The forest's lush scent is unlike anything Helen has ever smelled before.

Sonic: "Since we are here…you want me to drag along a friend of yours to see the flowerbed with you?"

Helen: "I…I don't really have… friends…I was supposed to come here one day with my parents …but my daddy is always too tired to go anywhere after work…they even took away his weekends recently…"

She pauses for a moment as her voice trails off before proceeding

"Look, mister…y-you don't have to stay too long for me…I am sure you have more important things than to hang out with someone like me…"

"Nah, not really. Besides, I did say I want to check out that flowerbed too, I will just stay until you give the word."

"M-mister…you have done so much for me…I don't get it.."

"Well, what else are friends for?"

Helen takes a moment to understand what he's implying, and leaks out a shy smile.

…

As the final tree gets out of view, Helen is free to take in the stunning sight. Reflecting in her eyes is the blinding beauty of the flowerbed's white pedals and golden anthers, stretching out as far as the eye can see. You could swear that Helen's innocent eyes turned to the shape of a glowing star as she gasped excitedly.

Getting out of her wheelchair and sitting on the ground, Helen takes in the sights and smells of the flowerbed. A moment well worth the wait.

She lightly grazes her soft fingers over the smooth pedals of the flowers, delicate in every movement.

However, sooner than later, the euphoria wears off, and she is left sadly staring at the star filled sky. Sonic takes quick notice of this.

Sonic: "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"I…I don't want to appear ungrateful…but…it feels…boring…I just…don't know you, mister. I really appreciate you doing this for me but…I wanted to be here with my parents…"

Sonic gives a soft smile and sits down next to Helen.

"Are your parents always this busy?"

"No…well…kinda…my daddy was always so busy with work, but we at least hung out every once in a while. We had dinner together…we had fun…but…ever since that incident that I keep hearing on the news…I started seeing him less and less…my mom really misses him, and she always looks so sad now…I just wish I could do something to help them…"

"Well…about that incident…I just so happen to be working on a fix…"

"A fix? What do you mean?"

"We have a lead on who is responsible for it. After we catch him, the world will have the chance to go back to the way it was for the most part."

"R-really?"

"Of course! And when that happens…your dad won't need to overwork himself anymore."

"B-but…the island! They are going to destroy it!"

"Don't worry, we will make it far before that happens."

Sonic notices Helen looking doubtful.

He raises his pinky.

Helen: "...what are you doing?"

"A pinky promise. I promise that I will catch the bad guys responsible for the incident before the island goes away, so that you can go with your parents to this very island."

"Hmm…no deal!"

"What?!"

"No deal! I want you to come too! My parents told me that they wanted to meet my friends over and over!"

"Hey! No fair!"

She playfully pokes out her tongue with a grin.

He sarcastically rolls his eyes.

Sonic: "Fiiiiine, I promise that I will catch the bad guys responsible for the incident before the island goes away, and that I will go with your parents to this island. Happy now?"

"Hehe, yes!"

…

Awkward silence.

…

Helen: "I…h-how am I supposed to-"

"Here, just…tie your pinkie around mine."

She ties her considerably smaller pinkie around his, as they both share a smile.

Sonic: "Now that that's done, it's time to get you home. Your parents must be worried sick about you."

She replies with a fast, cheerful nod.

…

D-008

…

"He…he never ended up fulfilling that promise…finding out 'why' consumed me. Day in and out I would search every nook and cranny for him. They never told us the pact until we were way older…but until then…it was torture…I thought maybe he was too fast for me to catch, so I developed the first prototypes of the company's vehicles to try and match his speed. I didn't even know science was a talent I had, or perhaps it never was. Maybe it manifested out of a desire to meet him again, who knows. Regardless, it reached the point where I thought he wasn't even real…a mere illusion from a desperate paralysed girl…and it was all simply because I had no idea just what happened to him…"

Helen notices Shadow's visible hesitation. She leans forward.

"Shadow…I understand that you are his friend, and that you are thinking of what's best for him…but…he…didn't just…help you…he was my friend too…"

Shadow glances at the ground, thinking over Helen's plea.

"All I want to happen…is that everyone he has ever saved to get closure. Confirmation that he really did exist. That he really did care. That he had a reason to not fulfil the promise he made to me, and any other promises he made to people like me…you do not have to expose yourselves or anything…just…please…let me honour him."

Shadow glances at Helen's eyes, then stands up and turns around.

Shadow: "Very well…go ahead." His voice was way quieter than usual.

Helen: "Y-you mean it?!"

Helen shouts her thanks over and over, getting louder with every yell as she thinks he simply didn't hear her, but Shadow simply ignores her as he walks away with Hearts on his right side. She notices him wiping away a small tear, but ignores it, for she knows far too well how much he hates getting called out on it.

Hearts: "Agreeing is very…unlike you. Why did you do it?"

Shadow: "...I could never really tell what that blue moron was fighting for…was it himself? Was he a 'hero'? The answer seemed to change based on his mood that day…despite that…if there was one thing he was against…it was restricting the freedom of others. I personally think this is nothing but an idiotic and boneheaded decision…however, saying no would be a great dishonour on everything he stood and fought for."

"He sounds quite fascinating. I wish I got to meet him."

…

"I wish ATS didn't."