I Will Not Bow

This is Where Magic Happens

Sonic's POV

Somehow, Eggman did not fire me... Here I was chasing that same boy for the fifth time. He laughed as I ran by his side.

"Hey, quit stealing my stuff!" I said as I noticed he had my headpiece. We came to a stop when we came across the wall. He did the same thing with the wall and the opening appeared again. He tossed me my headpiece back.

"Thanks for all the new stuff." He said before disappearing. Every time, I came back empty handed and with no equipment. He kept stealing it all. I wonder what sits behind this wall.

"Sonic." I heard Knuckles' voice.

"At your service."

"Where is he? I lost him." He said. I sighed.

"He disappeared again. I have no clue where he went." I said.

Shadow's POV

Did you hear that? He said he didn't know where I was! He's clearly lying to protect this location, he must be trustworthy. I ran to the cave and took the stuff out of my satchel.

"Okay...a phone, compass, and a watch." I looked at the watch. "What's this?" I pressed a button and a hollow gram of the city of Möbius showed. "Hmm, if I tweak it a little, I bet I can make it look inside of Eggman's base." I put the watch on. People were moving, so what's going on today, right now...is happening in this watch! Cool!

Sonic's POV

"Alright, it's your turn on night duty." Knuckles said. I stood outside the base. It was dark already. I sat on a small barrel and took out my pocket knife. I picked up a stick and started sharpening one end. All the peasants should be back in their homes.

None of them were allowed to roam the streets at night. As I kept sharpening my stick, I heard something. I turned put a glass that was connected to my head price over my left eye. It was night vision. I noticed someone was moving around searching for things in the dump. I got up.

"Hey! You!" I said. The person turned to me. "What do you think you're doing out here?" I asked. They just ran away. "Get back here!" I ran after them. Soon enough they led me to the wall. I took the glass off.

"Psst..." I heard. I looked sideways. "Up here..." The voice said. I looked up. There was a hand sticking out of the door that Shadow went through every time I had him.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You know who I am." I could see their face. Could this be him? If so, is he planning an ambush? "You comin'? I don't have all night." The voice said. I hesitated but took the hand anyway. It pulled me up into the opening, closing after I came in.

"Ow..." I said rubbing my behind. I looked up, there was no sign of anyone. It was completely dark, but I noticed a strung of Christmas lights started in front of me, going deeper into somewhere. I began to follow it. What is this place?

The lights stopped in front of a willow tree. They turned off, it was dark again. I was about to get my flashlight, when small lights started to switch on, fireflies... I loved these creatures! It's been a while since I've seen them. I played along with them. I turned back to the willow tree, and then I saw him.

He was sitting down by the willow tree holding a jar that contained fireflies, then opening it to let them out.

"Ah!" I gasped.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He asked. I was afraid to talk.

"This place... Is this where you go every time I let go go?" I asked him.

"Let me go? Please, I simply escape." He said chuckling. "And yes...it is."

"It's amazing! How can some body miss this? The world needs to know." I said. He shook his head looking down.

"No, the world can't know. They've gone blind, that walk is all they know after the city." He said.

"The Master of the town needs to know about this place. It'd be more land to cover."

"More land for him to destroy. This is all I have left, everything else I had, I loved...he took. So no, the wiles doesn't need to know." He said. "You wouldn't understand." He said standing up and leaning against the willow tree.

"No, I get it." I said.

"No you don't." He said looking away.

"Yes, I do. I know how it feels like-"

"To what? Watch everything and everyone you loved suffer because of you? You know how it feels to know that you could have done something to save those people, but didn't do it because you were afraid? To try and find out how you'll survive another night? I don't think so... If you have suffered like I have-"

"What? Turn you in?" I asked. He sighed. "No, I may not have been closed to knowing what you feel like...but Eggman did take something of mine that I valued." I told him.

"What might that be?" He asked.

"My freedom. He promised me...that if I'd work for him, he'd let me go." I told him sadly.

"Lies..." My ears perked up.

"Excuse me?"

"Lies, that man has lied to you. The people I trusted took my only friend's life. That Egghead promised me her back, but do you see her around? No, so if you think he's gonna set you free...boy are you dead wrong." He said.

"I'm so sorry..." I told him. He was looking down with tears in his eyes and tears that ran down his face. I noticed he has a small smile.

"You know..." He sniffed. "You remind me so much about her." He said. I blushed and looked down. I felt something cup my chin. I looked up and saw him. "Come with me, I have something to show you..." He said and took my hand.

He led me to the top of a tall tree. He turned off all the lights. My eyes started to see...stars? Stars! The stars, so magical... The sky was full of them. It was amazing.

"I've been dying to show some one this sight. The stars are the best thing that ever happened to me." He said. I looked down at my watch, it was 3:48am. I had to go, the day at Möbius was gonna start. I sighed and looked at him, he looked at me.

I reached for something in my vest. "You wanna get down?" He asked. I nodded. Once we were back on the earth, I looked back up at him rubbing my arm.

I hid whatever I had in my hand behind my back. "Shadow listen..." I took the cap off with my fingers.

"What's that?" He asked.

"I hate it to brake it to you, but I can't let you remember any of this. Please forgive me." I said.

"What are you talking about-" But I injected him with a syringe. He slid down to the grass, I sat him up against a tree. I smiled. I got to his face, our noses touch. I sighed.

"I can't do this." I said. I injected him with another syringe. This would not wipe his memory from tonight, but make it a little blurry...almost like a forgotten dream. Of course with time, he'll remember the whole thing. I put one of his arms around my shoulder, I gave another sigh and stomped my foot. "I can't do it, I can't..." I placed him down again, sitting him up against the same tree.

I can't take him to head quarters and turn him in. I won't do it, he's already become a friend...

I just petted his head and walked away. Hopefully no one else finds this place...