Chapter Text
They walked all around the castle grounds in search of the Iblis Trigger. Amy talked the entire time, but Silver didn't mind. It was different from when he and Blaze patrolled Crisis City. They barely conversed, focusing their senses on any crying human or anthropomorphic animal. Amy's ramblings were a nice change of pace.
As Silver scoured the streets for any sign of a blue hedgehog, he realized Amy had slowed down, her hands behind her back as she slightly tilted her head.
"Excuse me if this is rude, but I can't quite place you," Amy hummed, slowly approaching him and inspecting him. "Where, exactly, are you from?"
Silver's breath caught in his throat. He could give her so many answers to that question. Instead, he rubbed the back of his head, gaze evading hers.
"Is it obvious I'm not from here?"
"I wouldn't say obvious, and I don't claim to know everyone out there, but there's something about you, Silver, that's a bit… off."
Silver chuckled nervously. Did it show he was unfit for the task handed to him? That he wasn't worth proving himself? What about him made Amy clicked he wasn't from this timeline? Should he tell her he's from the future?
Blaze's extended hand flashed in the back of his mind. He took a deep breath. Blaze and Mephiles proved to him that trusting someone was worth everything when they could help him. Amy was currently helping him, without him asking for it or seeking it.
"I'm from the future," Silver confessed.
Amy blinked at him, mouth wide open.
"What?"
"I'm not sure how far in the future I'm from," Silver spotted a plant forming in the crack of a building, and briefly mesmerized its beauty before pointing it, "but I'm here to bring this back to my own timeline."
Amy hummed in thought, "Are you saying you don't have flowers in the future?"
Silver looked back at the plant and the colourful bud at the top. He smiled.
"So that's what it's called, huh? A flower…"
She gave him a look, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.
"You… don't know what a flower looks like?"
"I've never seen one until today," admitted Silver.
"What kind of world doesn't have flowers?"
Silver clenched his hands.
"One that is ravaged by fire and lava, littered with abominable creatures that show no mercy."
Amy grimaced, "That sounds terrible. How did it come to that?"
Silver looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled in the night, bright and full of life. He gaped at the beauty of it. Maybe Blaze was as beautiful as the night sky, shining to guide him through the darkness while being so far from his reach.
He glanced down at his fists, scowling, "The Iblis Trigger brought the Flames of Disaster upon the world. That's why I need to kill him. To prevent Iblis' release."
Amy hummed, crossing her hands behind her back as she looked at the stars, "Sonic would never let the world be destroyed like that." She sighed dreamily, resting her hands on her cheeks. "He'd do anything to protect this planet."
Silver quirked an eyebrow, "How can you be so sure? I just told you the world will be destroyed."
"I just know Sonic would never let it come to that. I trust him, and if there's one person who can defy fate, it's him."
Silver let out a hum, unsure. How could Amy still have faith in someone when Silver described her the damage Iblis inflicted onto their world in the future? How could Amy hope that this Sonic character would change the fate of the future?
What made her hope so easily, so freely, when Silver had to fight tooth and nail to get even a flick of it?
She skipped in front of him, a slight tilt to her head.
"Do you have someone like that?"
Silver frowned, "Like what?"
"Unwavering trust? Like, you just know they'll be there when everything seems hopeless?" She gasped, taking his hands in hers. "Is that who you're looking for?"
Silver could feel heat rising up his cheeks, his steps faltering at her excitement. His mind briefly went to Blaze. She was the one always there for him, and he trusted her. She was the saviour of his world, bringing hope back to everyone.
He shook his head. Silver needed to kill the Iblis Trigger, to cleanse his wrongdoings, and to hold on to that flame of hope that hadn't left his chest since Mephiles told him there was a way to destroy Iblis for good.
"I'm looking for the Iblis Trigger, and kill him once and for all."
Amy let go of his hands, undeterred by his harsh tone of voice, and tapped her finger on her chin, resting her other hand against her hip.
"You know, I don't think it's fair to kill someone without hearing them out first. Even if they cause the end of the world."
That stunned Silver in place. Amy, the kind hedgehog that was helping him navigate this foreign city unprompted, was willing to hear out someone who caused the destruction of the world. Amy believed talking first would solve his problem.
He didn't know how to answer that. He had been presented with a solution, the only one anyone had been able to come up with since Iblis had been released. A permanent solution to save his world. A flicker of hope in a land of despair.
Silver didn't have a choice.
A small voice told him that he should've listened to Blaze. She had something important to tell him, but he clung onto Mephiles' words like a moth to a flame. That was hope, tearing his insides out as he took the bait. Only now was he wondering if killing someone would be a step too far.
"You don't understand," Silver nearly growled, but held himself back. "If I don't kill the Iblis Trigger, there won't be any flowers or stars in the future."
He looked in front of him. They had arrived at the quayside, the waves ebbing and flowing with the light breeze of the end of the night. Silver took a deep breath. If he wasn't wearing gloves, his claws would be marking the insides of his palms.
"I don't have a choice, Amy."
Amy hummed, resting her hands on her hips as the sun slowly rose, dimming the stars. She then placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look at her. She had a small smile on her face, and squeezed his shoulder.
"I'm just saying, Silver. I would've talked to them first."
Silver nodded. She clasped her hands together, smile wider, and sniffed the air.
"Oh! I can already smell bread! I'll go get us some, because if I don't eat something right now, I might tear the entire world apart," she laughed at her own joke, and ran off, waving to Silver. "We'll continue the search right after, promise!"
Silver only stared at her in horror at her comment, wondering for a millisecond if Amy might be the Iblis Trigger. He shook the thought away, and looked at the sunrise. It mesmerized him, painting the sky in orange colours he thought only flames could bring.
A shadow passing at the edge of his vision made him turn his gaze away from the beautiful sunrise. He stiffened in place, eyes wide when he saw the blue hedgehog. A human woman accompanied him, and they seemed to be talking.
Silver couldn't be frozen right now. The Iblis Trigger was in front of him, vulnerable, and open for attacks. He called upon his psychokinesis, feeling its energy thrum underneath his fingertips, and used it to lift the blue hedgehog. Then, as the woman gasped, he threw him against a pillar, watching him fall on the ground.
The serpentine creatures, his mentor, mother and child crying, all of these images flashed in his head as the blue hedgehog grunted in pain and rose up to one knee. Blaze's smile appeared in his mind, and Silver took a step forward, taking the various chairs and tables with his psychokinetic abilities.
"I found you, Iblis Trigger," he nearly growled.
The woman gasped once more, hand in front of her mouth as she took a step backwards. The Iblis Trigger got on his feet, glancing at Silver.
"What?"
Silver growled, "It's no use! I've got you cornered, and I will kill you."
He threw the chairs and tables at him, crying out at each throw. The blue hedgehog seemed to dodge them with ease, going so fast Silver had trouble aiming at him. He couldn't give up now.
The woman had been captured by someone — if her screams were any indication — but Silver didn't care.
He picked up the blue hedgehog with his psychokinesis, throwing him against the ground, against the pillars, against the walls. For some reason, his opponent didn't seem to fight back, grunting in pain every time he was flung against a wall. Just as Silver approached him, his opponent fled the other direction, trying to chase whoever took away the woman.
Silver threw a chair at him, halting him in his tracks.
"You won't get away."
The blue hedgehog smirked, flicking his nose. He looked battered, dirt all over his furs, and yet stood tall at Silver's threat.
"Come and get me, then."
Silver only growled, and let out warrior cries as he threw all the tables and chairs on the quayside. His opponent kept dodging, his smirk faltering whenever a chair hit his arms. There was no end to this cat and mouse game they have started.
Silver cried, "Stop moving!"
He caught his opponent once more, and threw him against the ground. He panted as the battered hedgehog tried to stand up and collapsed to the ground at every attempt. Silver walked towards him, armed with a floating chair. The blue hedgehog grunted before looking up.
It was hard to take deep breaths. His rib cage constricted around his lungs, tongue mere ash in his mouth. The Iblis Trigger was right in front of him, ready for the final blow. His world would go back to its former glory. No more Iblis, no more lava, no more flames.
He let out a warrior cry until something pink appeared right in front of his target. Silver faltered when he recognized Amy standing between him and the Iblis Trigger.
"Stop!" she yelled out.
"Get out of my way, Amy!"
Her arms were extended, exposing herself as a shield. She shook her head.
"I won't let you hurt my Sonic!"
Silver blinked at her before bringing his gaze back to the weakened hedgehog. Sonic was on one knee, slightly grunting as he clutched his arm, a pained expression loud and clear on his face. Silver scowled. Sweet and kind Amy would not be the obstacle in his way to a better future.
"He's the Iblis Trigger! Once I kill him, I'll be out of your hair."
Amy's eyes widened, "You were looking for Sonic?!"
Speaking of, when Silver glanced behind her, the blue hedgehog was on his feet, grunting and panting. He couldn't let him go away. Mephiles counted on him. Blaze counted on him. Hope twisted his guts, roaring inside him like Iblis' flames. Hope turned into desperation.
"I won't repeat myself twice, Amy. Move out of the way."
She shook her head, "I don't believe this! Sonic would never destroy the world. He'd be the one saving it! He loves the Earth too much to not save it."
Both Sonic's and Silver's eyes widened. A small smirk appeared on Sonic's lips, while Silver frowned.
"Thanks, Amy," Sonic whispered before running away.
Silver let out a frustrated growl, and was about to chase down Sonic, until Amy stepped in his way, blocking him off.
"Amy —!"
"I won't let you hurt my Sonic," she growled, glare piercing through his guts.
Hope lit his insides aflame, and desperation clawed at the walls of his stomach, forcing itself out of his mouth.
"You'd rather let millions die than let me kill one person just because you think that he'll save the world?!"
Amy raised her head, as if looking down on him.
"I would choose Sonic over the world. Always. You wouldn't understand."
A knife stabbed him and twisted around his guts. Silver stayed frozen there. Hope couldn't save him from the images of his mentor being dragged into the lava. Hope couldn't save him from the lava serpents. Hope couldn't save him from a girl's will to protect the one she trusted.
Blaze appeared in the back of his mind. The hope lit up once more. He placed down the floating chair, and hung his head low.
"You're right."
Amy faltered at that, and couldn't grab his arm in time.
"Silver —"
"Goodbye, Amy Rose. Thank you."
He floated away from her, searching the streets of the city for any sign of Blaze. He should've been searching for her instead of the Iblis Trigger. He should've joined forces with her. Silver knew he couldn't beat Sonic on his own.
He huffed. If Amy trusted Sonic, if the hope inside him still flickered and hadn't given its place to despair, that meant something was not adding up. He needed to talk to Blaze. She would have some insight on this situation.
—
Silver found Blaze on the quayside of the city, watching over the water. He sat beside her, kicking his feet against the wall as he appreciated the waves rippling away from the breeze. Blaze glanced at him.
"Did you find the Iblis Trigger?"
Silver hung his head, gripping the edge of the quayside.
"Blaze," he started before stopping himself.
He didn't want her to know of his incompetence. He didn't want to lose her, to make her realize he wasn't worth her time. He wanted to stay at her side, to take her hand in his, and never leave this place. Silver didn't want to worry about Iblis, or the hope clawing his insides, or the despair twisting his guts.
A hand landed on top of his. He looked back at Blaze, whose face was neutral, brows furrowed slightly.
"Silver? Did something happen?"
Silver grimaced, looking back at the water, motionless when the breeze fell. Just like a rock falling in his stomach.
"Do you think what we're doing is right?"
She quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
Silver mulled over his words in his head, gripping the edge of the quayside tightly.
"Is it right to kill someone just to save the future?"
Blaze frowned, "Didn't you want to save it, Silver?"
Didn't you want to prove yourself?
Silver realized he didn't want to prove himself this way. To kill someone just to bring back hope when it could be stolen away any minute. He didn't want desperation to take control of him, to snuff out the flame of hope to prove himself. He let out a growl, closing his eyes in frustration.
"Not like this, Blaze. Or maybe like this? I — I don't know, anymore."
He hung his head, eyes starring at the water, still as a mirror, barely reflecting his silhouette, muddling his figure and thoughts. He heard Blaze hum, and cast her a furtive glance.
The rays of the sun formed a halo around her, making her fiery eyes shine as she looked over the distance. Silver wanted to take her hand and kiss it gently, shyly, asking for permission to be in her presence.
"If you don't want to kill anyone, then don't kill. It's your choice, is it not?"
"I don't think we have a choice here, Blaze."
She hummed, frown back on her features as she thought.
"We could make choices available to us," she declared.
"Huh?"
"Silver, if we work together to find who the Iblis Trigger is, and hear his side of the story, we might get a better picture as to why Mephiles wants us to kill him."
Her eyes shined, with a hope Silver didn't recognize. It took the shape of her grateful smile whenever he saved her, but much brighter, rivalling the sun. Desperation twisted his guts.
"I already met the Iblis Trigger."
Her frown was back, and Silver wanted to see her smile. He wanted to see the way hope danced across her features effortlessly. She truly was their saviour.
He looked at the water, his silhouette still not reflecting on the dark mirror.
"I-I couldn't kill him. I let him go, like an idiot." He laughed, empty and hollow. "How can I ever save the future if I can't even kill one guy?"
Blaze hummed, "I don't think I ever attempted to kill a person. You're braver than I am."
"Or foolish," grumbled Silver.
"Silver, you are many things —" she squeezed his hand, turning his gaze towards her, a serious expression adorning her face. His gut twisted and his heart skipped a beat, "— but a fool is not one of them. You're strategic, brave, and persevering. The Iblis Trigger got away, but if I have learned anything from you, it's that you will still go after him despite the setbacks."
Silver blinked at her, shocked by her words. He couldn't even respond, mouth gaped. Then, she pulled out a gem, one similar to what Mephiles used to bring them in the past, but it had a deeper shade of blue. His eyes flickered between hers and the gem in her hand. She took his hand, and presented him the gem.
"You said the Iblis Trigger was a blue hedgehog, right?"
Silver nodded, "Yeah, his name is Sonic."
Blaze's eyes widened for a second, so fast Silver wouldn't have catch it if he hadn't been looking at her.
"Of course it's Sonic," she muttered to herself. "This," she held the blue gem higher to his line of sight, "is a Chaos Emerald. It has similar properties to the Sol Emeralds. The only difference is that they will not obey me as easily, since I am not from this dimension. We need to find Sonic. He knows their power and can use them to our advantage."
She handed him the Chaos Emerald, and stood up. Silver's gaze locked onto the gem. The energy it was radiating drowned him, almost at odds with his psychokinesis. He pocketed it in his quills, ignoring its energy that wanted to penetrate his skin. He stood beside Blaze, and nodded.
Maybe hope was finding other solutions. Hope was powered by different things. By a person, by a group, by a philosophy. As he and Blaze flew over the city, Silver realized hope was multifaceted. It was the fire in his guts, it was the halo around Blaze, and it was the desperation clawing at his stomach.
—
They landed on the roof of the tallest building, to get a better view of the town. A shiver ran down Silver's spine, snapping his head to its origin. There stood Mephiles, face stoic as he and Silver had a starring contest.
"Mephiles…" Silver trailed off, fists clenched at his sides.
Blaze stepped right beside him, a hand on her hip as she starred down the black hedgehog.
"It seems that the Iblis Trigger is still alive, Silver," Mephiles shook his head. "And here I thought you wanted to save the world from Iblis."
Blaze frowned, but Silver gaped at him, stance slightly faltering at his words.
"N-no — I mean, yes, but —"
Mephiles cocked an eyebrow at his words.
"You do not want to save the future?"
"Yes! I do!"
Desperation ate his insides, claws digging in the palm of his hands. He wanted to save the world, to be the saviour everyone saw him as. The flicker of hope burned in his throat. He glanced at Blaze, whose haughty expression faltered when their eyes met. The corner of her lips turned upwards, and Silver was blinded by the halo the rays of sun cast around her.
Something else clawed in his stomach.
"How can you be so sure that one person doomed the world?" Silver asked Mephiles, ignoring the way his stomach churned at the sight of Blaze. "What if you're wrong, and —"
Mephiles took a step closer, their noses barely touching. Silver's breath caught in his throat.
"Your world will be unsalvageable without his death. Do you want to doom your present or save it?"
Blaze stepped in front of Silver, a flame appearing in the palm of her hand. Mephiles took a step back, and looked at the horizon.
"He's at the train's terminal station," he said after a moment of silence. "Remember, Silver. I've only been trying to help you since the beginning."
Mephiles jumped off the building, and when Silver bolted to catch him, the black hedgehog was nowhere to be found. Silver gripped the railings tightly, a frown settling on his face. Blaze walked to his side, a hand on her hip. She quickly glanced at him, as if waiting for his instructions.
"Let's go find Sonic," Silver declared.
As they took off to the train station, Silver didn't see the small smile Blaze sent his way.
—
He and Blaze fought through hordes of robots both had never seen before. Unlike Iblis' forms, those were easier to take out. Just a slam against the wall or engulfing them in flames turned them out of commission. They spun around one another, a dance they knew all too well back in their world.
Once they arrived at the train station, Sonic halted his run as they crossed path. In his arms was the same woman Silver had saw earlier. The desperation gnawed in his oesophagus, activating his psychokinesis to throw the blue hedgehog against the wall once more.
"Stop right there!"
Blaze caught the falling woman, helping her up on her feet as Silver held Sonic with his psychokinetic abilities.
Sonic grunted and tried to squirmed out of his grasp. The woman gasped, and stepped forward, only for Blaze to hold her back. She shook her head to the woman.
"E-Elise…" grunted Sonic.
Silver let out a frustrated growl, "You've got some questions to answer, Sonic."
Sonic let out a laugh only for it to turn into a grunt.
"I don't — don't know what you're on, man," he winced, and yet, a grin formed on his lips, "but I'm not doing jack shit for you."
Silver scowled, and was about to reply until cries cut his train of thought. The woman — Elise, Silver figured was her name — screamed for help as a mechanical hand captured her, the same one at Soleanna New City.
Silver shared a look with Blaze, who nodded and ran after her. Sonic cried out her name as he struggled harder against Silver's psychokinesis. Suddenly, something hit the back of his head, breaking his concentration. The kick slammed him so hard that he lost his balance. He rolled to soften the fall, but still rubbed the back of his head as he grunted in pain.
When he stood on one knee, the sight in front of him bewildered him. A black hedgehog stood in front of Sonic, who seemed to have fallen after Silver lost his hold on his powers. He frowned.
"Mephiles?" He stood up. "What are you doing?"
The black hedgehog scowled, wrinkling his nose at Silver's words.
"I'm Shadow," he glared at Silver, "Shadow the Hedgehog."
Silver blinked at the name, frowning in confusion. Meanwhile, Shadow looked back at Sonic, who nodded and bolted away. Desperation wanted Silver to chase after the blue hedgehog, to kill his target and save his world.
His mind went back to Amy's and Blaze's words. Hope flickered at the possibility of more than one solution. Only Sonic knew the answers to his questions. That hedgehog would answer him, whether he liked it or not.
He growled, "I won't let you get in my way!"
Shadow only grunted, arms crossed. Silver decided to use his psychokinesis immediately, paralyzing Shadow before throwing him against a wall. A low cry echoed within the empty space. Silver shrugged it off, and started running where Sonic went.
Out of nowhere, Shadow appeared in front of him, scowling once more. Silver skidded to a stop, mouth wide open.
"What —"
"Chaos Spear!"
Silver barely managed to dodge the golden spear that was thrown in his way. The Chaos Emerald in his quills buzzed lightly at the energy of the spear, but Silver paid no attention to it as he dodged a kick.
He didn't have time for this fight. He needed to find Sonic, and hear out his side of the story. Desperation bubbled in his throat as he threw rocks at Shadow, trying to distract him to get away from the fight. The black hedgehog only growled.
"Chaos Control!"
One second, Shadow was behind him, the next, he was right in front of him, managing to land a punch against his cheek.
Silver slid away from the force of the punch, landing on the ground with a grunt. He rubbed his cheek, and Shadow's shoes stepped into his periphery vision. Silver glanced up, and his eyes widened when he saw that golden spear in Shadow's hand.
"How do you know Mephiles?"
Silver blinked at him, and when he tried to squirm away, Shadow placed his spear right against his throat. Silver held his breath.
"I don't repeat myself twice, hedgehog."
Desperation licked his insides, giving him the strength to push Shadow away with his psychokinesis. He yelled out as Shadow faltered, and kicked the black hedgehog off balance, switching their positions.
"You won't stand in my way," Silver snarled. "I'll change the past, and save the world, so back off."
Shadow frowned, "Change the past? What makes you think changing the past will save the world?"
Silver wanted to explain to him exactly how changing the past would save the future. Hope burned brightly at the thought of trusting someone else, of hearing other solutions. Desperation made him activate his psychokinesis, stopping Shadow from moving. Shadow started squirming, like Sonic did, but ceased his movements momentarily.
"My world isn't as green as yours," Silver nearly growled. "If I don't stop Sonic now, nobody ever will see a flower in their life."
"Mephiles told you that?"
Silver's breath caught in his throat, desperation and hope finally agreeing to listen to the black hedgehog. Shadow harrumphed.
"He doesn't want to save the world. He wants to erase it."
Silver frowned, and before he could say anything, Shadow halted his thoughts with a "Chaos Control!". Silver saw how he disappeared in front of his eyes and reappeared standing up, arms crossed. He was no longer under Silver's psychokinesis. He gaped at the black hedgehog.
Shadow ignored him, and inspected his surroundings. Silver didn't want this black hedgehog to disappear again. So, he threw rocks at him, crying out at each throw, hoping it would pin his opponent in place.
No matter how hard Silver tried to knock him out, Shadow seemed to appear and disappear out of his sight, dodging his attacks.
Silver cried in frustration, "Stop moving!"
Shadow scoffed, "You can't counter Chaos Control."
Silver raised some rocks and threw them at Shadow with a warrior cry. Shadow blinked out of existence only to appear right behind him. Before Silver could stop him with his psychokinesis, his opponent kicked him in the back of the head once more.
Silver fell, tumbling on the ground. Once the inertia stopped his body, he slammed the earth with his fist.
"I won't give up!" He snapped his head to Shadow, whose stance was firmly grounded. "I can't give up!"
Shadow frowned, and opened his mouth. Silver didn't let him speak. He took the gem out from his quills, in hopes it would offer him more solutions than fighting uselessly the black hedgehog, and ran towards Shadow with a cry.
"Chaos —!"
Shadow's eyes widened, and he quickly pulled out his own gem as he muttered "Chaos".
"— Control!" they said in unison.
Their arms crossed, two swords battling for dominance. The wind picked up around them, and a portal opened up. They both jerked back at the force, Silver falling on the ground while Shadow crossed his arms in front of his face, stumbling backwards.
Silver raised his head, mouth gaped at the bluish portal whirring in the empty train station. Shadow lowered his arms, hands clenched into fists as he huffed. He turned to face Silver, and jerked his head towards the portal.
"Follow me if you want to know the truth."
Without giving a chance for Silver to answer, he jumped inside, leaving Silver on the ground. Silver shook his head. He looked behind him, gut twisting. He could follow Shadow into the portal, which he had no idea where it would bring him, or he could pursue Sonic, and get answers from him.
Desperation wanted to ignore Shadow, to chase down that blue hedgehog, and make him answer. Hope made him turn his head where Shadow had disappear.
Hope had guided him so far, had given him solutions, had made him realize the beauty of the world. He stood up and jumped in the portal, hope lighting up inside him.
If he could blindly follow Blaze, the most powerful person he'd ever met, then he could blindly follow Shadow, the hedgehog who seemed to master powers beyond Silver's comprehension.
—
Silver didn't have time to comprehend what everything meant as he witnessed the Duke of Soleanna and other scientists fall back from the explosion. He had a god to chase and to seal. The Duke limped behind him, holding his daughter — a much younger Elise — in his arms, face dropping from exhaustion.
The laboratory twisted and turned in ways Silver couldn't understand. Still, he managed to corner the Flames of Disaster in a room, holding it with his psychokinetic abilities.
The Duke appeared at the door frame, grunting as he laid Elise on the ground. Iblis roared and tried to lick Elise's face, but Silver held it firmly with his psychokinesis. A pearl of sweat trickled down from his temple under his muzzle.
"Would you happen to have a Chaos Emerald, young man?" the Duke asked.
Silver blinked at him, confused how the Duke knew he had a Chaos Emerald stored in his quills, and nodded. He took out the gem from his quills, eyes never leaving Iblis out of his sight, and handed it to the sovereign. As Silver winced from the force Iblis tried to break free from his psychokinetic hold, the Duke of Soleanna mumbled something he didn't quite catch.
The crackling flames of Iblis rang loudly in his ears, amplifying the buzzing. The Duke looked up at the ball of fire, and raised the gem towards it. The flames let out one last roar before going through the gem and into Elise's body.
Silver stumbled when he couldn't hold on to his psychokinesis to stabilize himself. He stared wide eyes at the Duke carrying his daughter in his arms. Her head rested against the crook of his shoulder while he held it with the palm of his hand, his other arm wrapped around her back to keep her safe against him. Silver blinked where Iblis — or Solaris, he didn't know anymore — stood, and looked back at Elise.
The Duke had managed to seal Iblis with a simple gem, one whose powers Silver still found eluding. This could be the solution, he realized. Iblis stored in a vessel, no longer a danger to others. Without his presence, the flames would disappear, letting the world finally heal after so much destruction.
At this moment, Silver had little time to think it through. The building shook, forcing the Duke to hold his weight against a wall. Silver gestured him to follow, and they ran into the hallways, hoping to spot an exit.
The Duke kept falling on his knees, weakened by the explosion, and Silver got tired of helping him stand up when a piece of pipe fell close to them. He used his psychokinesis to hold the sovereign afloat with his daughter, and dragged them through the corridors of the facility.
Eventually, he crossed path with Shadow, and together, they found the exit, bolting out of there just as the ceiling collapsed behind them. Everyone panted; Silver with his hands on his knees, Shadow frowning towards the blocked exit, and the Duke cradling Elise close to his chest.
Shadow offered a hand to the Duke, but he refused, standing up against a tree, and walked towards Silver. He placed the Chaos Emerald back in the palm of Silver's hand, a small smile as he turned away from them.
"My Lord," Shadow started, only to be stopped when the Duke raised a hand.
"You have my gratitude," the Duke said, not looking back at them, "but my daughter needs medical help. Thank you."
"Before you go," Shadow stepped forward, handing out a sceptre to the Duke.
He took it, and walked away, where the silhouette of a castle blocked the horizon. Silver knew the Duke was more in immediate danger than Elise, but he let the sovereign go, glancing back to Shadow.
The black hedgehog only frowned, and pulled out his Chaos Emerald.
"Ready?" he asked.
Silver nodded. Iblis could be sealed. The flames could be contained. Now he just needed to find Blaze and go back to the future to execute his plan.
—
While the damaged had always been worst in Crisis City — or Soleanna New City, as Silver learned —, Iblis stayed in the valley of the mountain range not so far from the city. His monsters and forms infested the city, but the root of the problem was nowhere close it.
Blaze frowned, but behind her eyes, her fiery eyes, Silver saw uncertainty. A waver of trust gone, a waver of hope snuffed out, only to reappear as she looked at Silver.
"Are you sure?"
Silver was afraid. She was beautiful, surrounded by lava and looking like an angel, and Silver was afraid for his life. He wanted to prove himself. That he could save everyone, like he was meant to. As was his purpose from the beginning. If it meant leaving Blaze behind, if it meant the end of his existence, so be it.
He could finally prove he was worthy. Worthy of being in her presence. Worthy of being blessed with her smile. Worthy of making it this far despite failing to save countless of others.
Yet, his hands couldn't stop shaking as he pulled out the Chaos Emeralds from his quills. He stepped forth, where Iblis shined with all his might, ready to attack the intruders. Silver directed all his energy in the Chaos Emeralds, all of his psychokinesis into the gems, and cried out in pain.
The flames surrounded him, going in and out of the Chaos Emeralds, but never staying. His arms strained under the light weight of the gems, muscles spasming under the feat he was putting them under.
He groaned out, doubling his effort and concentration onto the Chaos Emeralds. The flames still roared around him, never entering his body.
"No!" he cried out, tears in the corner of his eyes drying. "Why?! Why — ugh — won't it accept me?!"
The Chaos Emeralds vibrated through his gloves, as if the flames punctured the gems with small hammers. Silver tried to keep his eyes open, to stay on his feet and force his psychokinesis to accept the Chaos Energy from the mystical gems.
A hand rested on his shoulder, jolting him out of his skin. He grunted and glanced at the gloved hand squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. Blaze had a smile he had never seen on her face before. It was that thankful smile whenever he helped her defeat Iblis' creatures, but her eyes held no flames. Silver opened his mouth, but Blaze shook her head.
"Let me," she said simply.
Silver shook his head.
"No, I-I — we'll find a way, and —"
Silver knew Blaze was their beacon of hope, their saviour, the second he had met her. He was so close to prove himself, she couldn't do this now. He was so close to be worthy of her time, she couldn't leave him.
"I have better chances than you, Silver. My affinity for flames would make me the ideal vessel."
Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, and he shook his head frantically.
"I-I don't — I need you, Blaze."
She placed her other hand on top of his, cupping the Chaos Emerald.
"I was brought here for a purpose, and I figured out what it was. Maybe the Chaos Emeralds will let me use them."
Her grip on the gem tightened, and she took the other one. Desperation yelled at Silver, begged him to let her stay, because he was supposed to sacrifice himself. Blaze was supposed to help the others and give them hope. He was supposed to pay for all of his mistakes.
"Blaze, please," he cried out, trying to hide the other Chaos Emerald from her. "Please, there's gotta be another way."
Blaze shook her head, and held out her hand.
"I am a Princess. I always do what is best for my subjects."
Silver looked at the Chaos Emerald in his hand, rib cage crushing his lungs. Desperation clawed at the walls of his stomach, screaming. When he faced the princess, her smile looked serene.
She knew this was a possibility from the beginning.
Silver couldn't help but feel betrayed by that. Even if the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was inevitable. Reluctantly, he handed her the gem, eyes drifting to the ground.
"Silver?" Blaze called.
He looked up, and her smile gutted him. The flames created one last halo around her, and the flower bloomed right under his eyes. She was beautiful.
"You were the best teammate I could ever ask for."
She faced Iblis and held out her arms. She took one last deep breath before flames surrounded her, and pierced her heart through the Chaos Emeralds. Her cries clawed Silver's insides, and he stepped forward to bring a hand on her shoulder. The flames burned him when he got too close.
Blaze smiled at him one last time as flames circled her. Iblis no longer stood in front of them, disappearing inside of Blaze. When the last lick of flames went into the gems, Blaze floated, her body slowly becoming transparent.
Silver tried to reached out to her, tears flowing down his cheeks. She drifted away, and waved at him as she closed her eyes. The last thing he ever saw of Blaze was tears going down her cheeks as her smile remained intact against her face.
The sky finally cleared of the smog, showing its bright blue colour to the world. Plants grew around Silver as he fell on his knees, and sobbed against the ground. Despair crawled through his throat, and he already missed her presence.
Something purple caught his attention. He took deep breaths to calm himself, and looked ahead. There stood a purple flower, its bud opening up slowly but surely. Silver admired the plant, and let out a wet chuckle.
Despair longed for her presence. Hope knew that one day, she would manifest in ways he would not expect. As he marvelled at the flower, hope flickered inside him. It was fleeting, never overstayed its welcome, but it always manifested when unforeseen. That was fighting for hope, Silver realized.
That was who he needed to be for the people of Crisis City. It was who Blaze wanted him to be.