Honesty is the Best Policy {Comic Edition}

Chapter 28: Thinking Impossibly Hard about Anything and Everything

"Hey, I'm still your ally, aren't I?"

Now it was time for Honest to look confused. "Yeah?"

"Good," Mephiles replied, beginning to back away while he melted. Eventually he became a puddle and rocketed off.

"What was that about?" Honest asked nobody, or at least that's what she thought until the sunlight was blocked out yet again.

"I think he was trying to say that he's glad he's not your enemy," said a voice she didn't recognize at first. However, the flash of blue that blinded her as she turned around was all too familiar.

"Oh, hey, Sonic. I almost didn't recognize you with your new voice," Honest told him, turning back around.

"Yeah, it's gonna take some getting used to myself," he confessed, slipping through the bars like Mephiles had done and taking a seat beside Honest. "I don't think he's worrying about you, Honest. He's not your dad, he's a being composed of pure darkness." He then laughed. "Like my Honest-ism?"

"Yeah, I know," she replied, nodding. "I just wanted him to leave me alone and quit accusing me of mistreating Infinite. This is a story. Things happen in stories. And he shouldn't even care, he's, well, like you said, a being composed of pure darkness... And wow, you've got it down pat, haven't you?" Honest hoped Sonic thought her lackluster enthusiasm was due to what had just transpired between her and Mephiles and not due to... well... chapter 8 of {Limited Edition}. Speaking of which...

"I'm going to apologize, you know, the next time I see him. I just don't get why Mephiles thinks my 'conscience' won't be able to take it. I don't know whether to feel insulted or... I guess he's just being cautious, right? Anyone would." Honest twisted a strand of her hair around her finger in thought. "What I said about Infinite owing us... I was trying to scare him, and I didn't even realize. I didn't mean to, I swear, it was just an impulse."

"But do you believe it?" Sonic asked, resting his chin on top of his knees.

"No," Honest replied. "I guess that's where Mephiles was wrong... or right." Honest blinked and turned to Sonic. "He said Infinite was 'one of my own', but then I said that Infinite owes 'us'. Whose side is Infinite on??"

Sonic's eyes widened in confusion. "Well, he wants to kill Shadow, right? So, he's not on the side of the Resistance, or, at least he's not on my side." Sonic looked forward and sighed. "Anyone who seeks to do harm to one of my friends is my enemy."

Honest nodded, seeming to understand. "The reason Mephiles called Infinite one of my own is because he's Scourge's friend, right? That's the only reason."

If only Honest had come up with that explanation on the front end. Yeah, she could backspace all the way back to just after Sonic appeared, but that would mean she'd have to sacrifice all of that beautiful writing. Instead, she decided just to start monologuing again here. Where was the harm in more words?

Mephiles thinks that Infinite is one of Honest's own because Scourge claimed Infinite as his friend. Honest could see that. Like she had said earlier about Mephiles not understanding Honesty, 'he had no reason to take it any other way'. In fact, Honest had done things in the past to support this wrong assumption, that Infinite was her friend. Chapter 24 of {w/Rosy}, for instance. Infinite straight up admitted that his goal was to bring harm to Shadow. Honest threatened to 'delete him from the planet', and then immediately offered to buy him a Chaos Cola from the soda machine nearby. What kind of conclusion were you supposed to draw from that interaction? But still, in this same story even, Infinite had attacked Key, Honest's fan character, in chapter 6. Key was 'one of her own', right? So, that was proof of the opposite being true, that Infinite wasn't Honest's friend. No wonder Mephiles was confused. Who wouldn't be? Even... Honest was confused. Did she even have allies? Of course she did, what was she saying? Scourge was her ally. Shadow was her ally... except whenever he had a Chaos emerald she wanted to steal for Doctor Finitevus.