Chapter Text
Silver told Sonic about a timeline where there was a city named Soleanna that worshipped a deity named Solaris, “The Eternal Sun God", ruled by a foolish, grieving duke and an unfortunate princess.
Heartbroken by his wife’s passing, the foolish duke had betrayed his god. capturing the being in a glass case and harnessing its power to achieve control over time itself. His arrogant ambition soon lay wasted, and in his dying moment, the foolish duke pushed the heavy burden on his daughter, shackling her to the maddened half of her god and forbade her to ever cry.
For ten years, the unfortunate princess endured bravely and faithfully to her duty, only to have it all crash down on the day of disaster when the self-centered, imbecilic, deranged doctor kidnapped her to get the power within her and inadvertently caused both their death and the end of the world.
“That egotistical Eggman has always been your archenemy, Sonic. With how much damage that man has caused and will cause, I don't see why you let him walk around.” Silver commented coldly, looking dissatisfied at the blue hedgehog who had shrank at the aforementioned evil genius. Sonic rested his forehead on the fold of his hands as he cringed at the boy’s string of insults and his nemesis’ terrible deed. Silver has a point, but too bad for him, Sonic doesn't want to do anything about it.
“What can I do, dude? I'm not Egghead’s dad, I can’t just have him time out or tell him to stop. I could only kick his ass whenever he acted up. Believe me, I fold his ass real hard too.” Sonic complains, and Silver seems deeply dissatisfied with it. Thankfully, he lets it go with a disgruntled huff and continues the story.
The day of the disaster was the day when the mad half of the god got released into the world, and became a monster named “Iblis”, the maddened half, mother of monsters, and“Mephiles the Dark”, the dark half, source of darkness. Together, they devastated the world. Turning the green planet into a fiery hell for two hundred years. The world was an apocalyptic wasteland, ruined and ravaged by fire, with its very sky permanently covered in smoke, never to be graced by sunlight again. Silver was born into that hell, and together with his group, the last remnant of humanity, drifting from day to day in search of food and battling the spawn of Iblis.
“Well, Uncle Kruger calls us that, the last remnant of humanity. There hasn't been any encounter or sign of other people for a long time, only Blaze, for ten years.” Silver says calmly. “My group once had forty-seven people, but until my time, there were only fourteen left. That was how big my world was, Sonic. Only fourteen people, the last of humanity.”
There was a moment of sobriety, Sonic disbelief at the unimaginable severity, and Silver’s somber expression. It was ruined quickly when the kid suddenly snickered, which devolved into a strained giggle.
“Do you, hah, do you know how big the population was? 8 billion. Can you believe that? 8 fucking billion.” Silver barked a rough laugh, dropped an F bomb, and shared Sonic a look full of glee and shudder. “Spirits, I can’t even imagine how much that was, how much food and water to sustain them, resources for each person. It's so big, Sonic. I still couldn't believe it, couldn't comprehend it.”
“Yeah, it's a big number. Billion… A lot of zero…” Sonic commented partially, tongue twisted and heavy, lost in the hysteria in the other person’s eyes. It's understandable; the blue speedster supposed he would lose his mind too if his measly world of seven people were put next to literal billions.
Silver laughed again, this time low and subdued, and continued his story.
The remnant group was like a big family made of smaller families. There was my mom, our leader, me, and Blaze. Uncle Kruger’s family. The Lupo brothers, Aosta, Chiave and Broca. And finally, sister Reiss’s family. We were a tight-knit group, and we did anything we could to help each other survive.
The sky was permanently covered in smoke, making it cold all the time and hard to breathe with the ash and acid rain. The ground was an endless lava sea, so the underpart was always too dangerous to linger close, and, not to mention, the undetectable Lurker hiding in the lava. Therefore, we lived near the middle part of it, hopping from dilapidated building to another, in search of food, water, anything really, and fighting off Iblis's minions in our way. It was hardly a sustainable life; we barely had enough to eat, to drink, injuries and sickness meant death, and we couldn't afford to let our guard down even for a moment. We couldn't stay in one place to cultivate either, Ibis’s spawn was endless and in every corner, and the mother of all monsters, Ibis, whose path was unpredictable. Encountering it means certain causality. It was hard, Sonic, but we had each other, and it was enough for us to keep going on as long as we did. It has been hard without them.
Silver smiled, expression melancholic, wistful, and fond. His gaze glides to the prosperous jungle and up to the cloudless sky. eyes squinting at the blinding brightness.
“Three years and I still find it hard to believe. The world in front of me after the fall. The green jungle, the blue boundless sky, and just how easy it was to breathe. Those were once my impossibility, Sonic. impossible for us. We are, hah, we are in what could be literal heaven to my people.”
“It’s just a shame they weren’t here for it.” Silver chuckled, cracking a dark joke and making Sonic’s heart skip.
Sonic opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, and could only meekly say. “I’m sorry to hear that, Silver.”
Silver inclined his head with a bitter smile, graciously accepting the blue hedgehog’s quite sympathetic words. The facade soon crumpled, however, as his lips quivered, and the kid quickly turned his face away.
“I missed them so much,” he says miserably, “I missed my mom. I missed my family, and I missed Blade. I missed my world, too. Even if it was a hell pit, it was all I ever knew. It’s so confusing, Sonic. I'm grateful for these miracles, but sometimes I couldn’t bring myself to look at them.” He admits miserably.
Heartbroken for the boy, Sonic reached over and placed his hand on the grey hedgehog’s arm. Silently offering sympathy and support for his great loss. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be in Silver’s shoes. To be separated from his knit-knit group and to have every miracle be soured by the haunting thought that he is without his family, without his friends. Made it to heaven only to find himself devoid of his dearest confidants. Sonic personally couldn't imagine himself without his friends.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Silver. It’s alright if you hate it sometimes, heck, even all the time. You missed your family. It's perfectly alright if you are not okay.” Sonic says softly.
Silver lips pursed, his eyes lingered on Sonic's offering hand for a moment before letting out a long sigh. He patted Sonic’s hand, grateful for the blue hedgehog's sympathetic gesture, and waved for him to return his hand.
“I'm going to need this.” Silver mumbled and fished out a small brown bottle from his pocket. He twisted it open with a loud pop, releasing a yellowish liquid with a sharp metal scent and poured generously into his cup. Hastily mixing the thing before drowning the whole cup in the way an alcoholic would.
“What is that?” Sonic asked, a little alarmed.
“Something to make it easier.” Silver replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and returning the bottle to his pocket. He fell back into his chair with a contented sigh and continued his story after a long moment.
We didn’t know why the world was the way it was, why our god turned on us, or how it happened. I’d have thought that hell was just how the world is if it wasn’t for the old stories that Mom loved to tell, it was stories that grandmother passed to her, and so on. Stories that depicted how the world used to be. How once there were so many of us roaming around, how blue the sky was and how it filled with stars every night, how different the shape of a green leaf could be found everywhere. The boundless body of saltwater that was called the sea, and the endless stream of freshwater called the river. It was impossible to imagine the whole picture, but it brought me dreams nonetheless.
It was why I volunteered to join the scouts; they were the spearhead of our group, responsible for scouting and scavenging. I want to look for clues about the world's ruined fate, the reason for our 200 hundred years of suffering and hardship. Little did I know, it was all because of a foolish man who couldn’t let it go. It's infuriating, but I guess I understand him a little now.
Anyway, since I couldn’t read, all I got were rare intact picture books. Mom loved it very much, but she, ah, she doesn't like that I'm in the scouts.
Silver chuckled, a small joy in his gloomy face. Sonic was glad that the poor kid could still smile with the card he dealt with.
“Why is that?” He prods gently.
“It was a dangerous task. My dad passed away doing it, so I can understand where she was coming from, but I kept sneaking out to follow them. Mom gave up after a while and made me promise to be ten times more careful while Aosta, Broca, and Chiave a hundred more when they brought me along. Oh, Aosta, Chiave, and Broca were our scouts. Aosta, the lead brother, Chiave, the handy brother, and Broca, the muscle brother. It was fun learning from them, although Chiave begged me to be extra considerate so Mom would kill them.” Silver told him.
Sonic chuckled, shooting the other a playful look. “I didn’t think you were such a brat.”
Silver grin, a little cheeky, a little bashful. “I was the youngest of the group, so I was a little bit spoiled. I did cause a lot of grievances for mom, but I don't regret it. It was how I met Blaze.”
“Blaze?” Sonic recalls, “The only person in ten years?”
The kid nodded, “That’s her. She was a feline that had the power to control fire. A person who can manipulate fire at will in a world ruined by a fiery monster. She was not welcomed as she should be.”
Silver’s smile sadly, “She had a hard time. Her guardian abandoned her, and she has had to survive by herself for a very long time. I couldn't imagine how she would have survived without the group or family.”
“She was the wildest and most fierce. When I first met her, she thought I was easy meat and tried to eat me.” He laughed, rather bashful at the aforementioned attempted murder.
Sonic eyeballed Silver's slight pink cheek and happy upturned eyes, spotting a crush a million miles away. It's adorable and surprising; this fella is actually wilder than he thought.
“That's crazy. How did it go?” The blue hedgehog asked, leaning forward and eager for details.
“It was great, I almost died.” The boy said frankly, eyes sparkling. “Her ability to control those heartless fires was mesmerizing. You have to imagine it; she becomes one with the flames, yet her eyes shine brighter than anything. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.”
“At that time, I was too stunned to dodge, and she pinned me. One swipe and I'd be toasted, but she didn't.” Silver recalls fondly, “She admitted later that she was surprised by my reaction, as no one had looked at her like that before. Actually, she tried to kidnap me right there and then, but Aosta and Chiave came out and chased her away.”
“Whoa, bummer.” Sonic commented with a smirk, sniggered when the boy sighed woefully in agreement.
“The group had discussed Blade later about Blade. Mom was adamant about taking Blaze in; she wanted to save what little was left of humanity, but the others were wary about the nature of Blaze’s power. Ibis spawn made fresh, wearing feline skin. Sam had said.”
Sonic was shocked hearing that and hurriedly asked, “What happened next?”
“We couldn’t get an agreement on it. Mom was the leader, but this matter was sensitive and had to be based on the majority vote. So she lost.”
“That sucks…”
“Yes, it sucked, but understandable.” Silver nodded sagely, “Regardless, I'll just sneak out to find her anyway.”
After that encounter, Blaze had stalked us. She has rarely encountered other people before, much less this many in our group. I didn't know it, but she followed me when I sneaked out to look for her. She didn't attack or anything, just observe.
It took an embarrassing while for me to notice Blaze was around. I didn't dare to look directly at her, but I often left something for her, just in case. She looked like she needed any help she could get. It was some rations, some purified water, pieces of fabric, and little trinkets I found. We are always on the move, so I don't know if Blade takes it. She did, and it took a few flare cycles for her to come out. She scared me half to death when she did so, dropped right on me and pinned me, again, and demanded to know why I was doing all of this.
When Silver spoke next, he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. timidly and fragile, like he was telling Sonic an important secret. And the blue hedgehog finds himself steadfastly wanting to take this precious kid under his wings.
“I, it was embarrassing. I just kind of blurted out that I want to see you again. I have never seen anything as beautiful as your flames. I really want to see you again. Can we be friends?”
The grey hedgehog’s cheek went pink, and he hurriedly retreated to his chair. Eyes darting everywhere but at Sonic’s amused gaze.
“Well, Blaze didn't believe it at all, saying her flame, her ability to control it, was a curse. It was presumptuous of me, but I argued back that Ibis's hellfire could never be this beautiful. It's really different, Sonic. Blaze's fire was so bright, so controlled and so hers.” Silver says, making meaningless hand gestures, and is visually frustrated by his clumsiness in explaining the difference between fire.
“Yeah, I wish I could see it too. She sounds amazing.” Sonic commented honestly, and how couldn't he with all that glazing?
Silver seemed pleased by that, bobbing his head. “Me too, I want to see her again, too.”
“Anyway, Blaze called me crazy, but thanks Spirits, she decided to hang around. Since she was not welcomed into the group, she continued to follow us, and I kept leaving things for her. She actually comes out whenever I manage to fall behind.” The boy says, smiling at his youth shenanigans and the precious memories they created. “Blaze would accompany me in the scout, just the two of us, and she’d teach me each of Ibis spawn’s habits and weaknesses, where to poke for an instant kill, and what part is edible even if it’s all coal and ash. In return, I told her my mom’s stories and bits of my group. What she liked most was the song we shared in downtime.”
“Spirits, it was always a treat to see Blaze. Her fire ability was really useful to fight the spawn, and her fighting style was like a flaming cyclone. It was so unlike what we had.”
Silver paused, his eyes lit up, and turned to Sonic. brings up his hand and indicates it with his eyes. “I didn’t mention it, but my people, especially my family lineage, have a psychokinesis ability. Every bloodline shares the same blessed mark and spirit color. Here, look closely.”
Sonic’s fast brain already visually imagines the ‘Psychokinesis’ before seeing it with his eyes, and was not surprised that it was exactly as he envisioned.
The boy’s hand was glowing on the outline, thin and translucent teal glows that are akin to someone using a water marker drawing on a character form. A circular symbol with the same color on the back of his hand, shining through the black glove and seemingly pulsating with the boy’s every blink. Although less noticeably, Silver’s eyes also changed with a tiny teal glint in his molten gold eyes.
With a flick of his finger, the empty cup was instantly shrouded by the strange light and started levitating. It lasted only for a short moment before it was unceremoniously dropped into the kid’s awaiting hand.
Sonic was strangely underwhelmed by the display. While it was impressive as one of the better abilities, he expected it to be more flashy or epic. More livid. This seems pale in comparison to what he vaguely recalls. A cup compared to a building, thin and dwindling compared to engulfing and fantastic.
He wanted to press for more tricks, but Silver already seemed worn out. The strange color has left his eyes and hands, leaving the kid dazed and pale in the same way Tails does when he gets up too fast after sitting for a long time.
The grey hedgehog took notice of the other hedgehogs’ concerned peeks, smiling helplessly as he fidgeted with the cup. His left eyelid was intermittently twitching, which Silver either ignored or didn't realise.
“This power was called Solaris’s last gift. The power to move things by might alone. The stronger the will, the stronger the strength. It was a key to our survival in a hell pit world with every monster made of lava and fire. My bloodline has the strongest potential; it was our utmost responsibility to safeguard and lead the group for many generations. Mom and I are the last in line.”
“I’m very weak now, but at my best, I could lift an entire building, kill many spawn, and do so much more. We are all.” Silver says bitterly, overcome with the motion to defend himself, the legacy of his family. “This’s not, I, this isn't my best. Please don’t think little of them, Sonic. I can show you later how strong I can be, I can…!”
“Hey!” Sonic interrupted, sharp and curt, before showing the fretful boy a playful smile.
“Hey, I did remember you threw a car at me, remember? I don’t think you are weak, Silver. I think that you're just not in, uh, the best condition? No offense, but you don't look alright at all.” Sonic emphasized, “Like seriously.”
Silver’s mood wasn't lifted; it plummeted; he glared at his hands, fingers crawling on the old gold cuff on his right. “That's still not an excuse. I have had worse, and I could still do much better than this pathetic display. To be reduced to this level is disgraceful…!”
“You literally look like you've been starving, Silver. Relax.” Sonic deadpanned, ready to smash the sense into the kid’s head. “I get that you're from a literal apocalyptic world and your family bloodline is strong and all of that, but no parents would care about their kid's poor performance if he's starving and unwell. Can you imagine your mom's reaction? Getting angry about this?”
Silver chewed his lips, eyes fluffy, and shook his head. “...No, she wouldn't. She would never.”
“See? So don't get so worked up about it, Silver. You should prioritize your health above all else, and the rest will fall into place eventually. And, if you haven't forgotten!” Sonic beams, jabbing a finger at himself. “I'm your friend! So you can bet on me that I'm in your corner!”
Deeply moved, Silver met Sonic’s determined eyes and clumsily swiped at his eyes. He seemed embarrassed yet strangely happy when he raised his head.
“Thank you, Sonic. I'm very happy to know that. You had no idea how much those words meant to me. I'll keep them close to my heart.” he says, expression bright and heartfelt.
Silver smiles earnestly, causing Sonic to become embarrassed. He couldn’t recall being this assertive and supportive towards anyone who wasn't part of his close friends' group in years.
“It’s nothing! That’s just what friends should do, heck, what decent person should do! So, uh, don't get too serious about it, okay? And don’t add this into your tab either, I’m just saying you’re being a doofus!”
Silver nodded obediently, “Yes. You're too kind.”
“I’m being decent by knocking some sense into you!” Sonic scoffed, “And Silver, your eyes, uh, your left eye has been twitching for a while now. It’s very distracting.”
Hearing that, Silver calmly pressed his palm to his eye. Resting his right elbow on his thigh, he shifted his body forward. Looking overall awkward with his left side facing Sonic while hiding, obscuring that side of his face. Out of sight, out of mind. Unfazed, the kid picked up his story. Solemn and detached, a far cry from the fond and passionate he showed earlier.
Back in that life, I had thought this was how it'd go on forever, and eventually, I'll replace Mom as the group leader, and I could convince them to welcome Blaze in by then. My family and friends beside me, surviving, fighting off Iblis's spawn, learning from the elders, and hanging with Blaze. Looking back, that thought was so simple and naive, but it was everything. I wouldn't mind reliving it again.
Anyway, that naive life didn't last long. Maybe when I'm around twelve or thirteen, we had a major food shortage problem. There was simply nothing left to scavenge or find despite our many expeditions, nothing. We were starving and desperate as a few started to fall sick. My mom decided to risk rerouting into the inner zone. It was near Ibis's nest, highly dangerous, but was possibly untouched. She was very stressed and had forbidden me to go out during that time, so I didn’t know if Blaze still followed us or not. I always wished I could have been more helpful to Mom; she tried to hide it, but I knew she wished Dad were here.
It went smoothly at first; there were a lot more Biters and even Golems, but we easily went around them. It took a long time to find and secure a safe place for the group, and no one dared to sleep for the first few nights. We were all on edge, Sonic. The constant noise of the spawn lurking around, and the terrified sound that Ibis made. It drove us insane, Sonic. No one slept or made a sound. We hold on to each other as we tiptoe deep into the monster's lair.
It was hard, but we managed to secure a stronghold. Uncle Kruger sacrificed himself to create a distraction for long enough for us to build a false wall. It was a great loss for the group, and we did everything we could to hold a proper funeral for him. I still miss his lessons and witty humor.
It was decided we'd stay in the hideout and leave immediately after the scout had finished salvaging the surrounding building. Only Aosta, Chiave, and Broca can leave while the rest of us stay hidden and pray for their safe return. Thankfully, they found some of the food cans hidden in the downstairs flood. I think someone must have put it there before the spawn overran the place. Chiava even said there were markings on some of the walls, man-made and different from my group's signals.
I was sad that we missed the chance to meet other survivors, but I was glad we didn't have to starve anymore.
Silver paused for a moment; his expression turned gloomy and hateful. In that belief moment, his eyes gleamed the same color as his spirit sigil.
I really hated being there, Sonic. Stuck in that room. I hated that hopelessness, and for all our strength, we crouched in fear and helplessness before monsters and chances. Even if it was the best surviving solution, it is still not the way to live.
The hand on Silver's face reached up and wrapped around one of the quills on his forehead. Revealing the boy’s dreadful expression. His voice turned strained and haunted.
“I saw shadows, sometimes, a dark silhouette in the corner, watching me. We were all. That dark thing whispers cruel thoughts into someone's ear at night and drives them mad.” Silver's full body shuddered, his face blanched, and he shook his head as if to ward off those horrible memories. He wrapped an arm around himself, pulling the old blanket close and tight.
“I won’t speak of it, but we lost four people because of it. We thought it was a sickness. A disease that is contracted by being near Ibis. We were wrong, Sonic. We were so wrong. It was Mephiles. He has invaded the hideout.”
Silver lamented, face distorted by grief and rage. Sonic was shocked by that vivid expression, even more shocked when he found it fitting on the grey hedgehog.
“That thing, that demon...It made them kill themself. It broke down the false wall and led the spawn to the hideout. Two hundred years earlier, it tricked me into killing you. I’ll never forgive it, Sonic. If it’s still out there somewhere. I’ll hunt it down and destroy it for good.”
Silver told him, eyes glaring and quill raising. Sonic is touched and rather startled by the murderous fury radiating from the boy and the ominous blue gleam shimmering in his eyes. That rage was soon melted, however, into somberness and sorrow.
“I lost everyone that night. It happened so suddenly. The false wall toppled, and the spawn flooded in. I was knocked down by a Biter, and before I could kill it, it managed a good swipe at me. It was how I got this scar.” The boy raised his right hand, his middle finger tracing the scar idly. “It was pure chaos. Everyone was fighting desperately, but the building suddenly started to shake. A chunk of concrete, I think, fell on me and knocked me unconscious. I didn’t know what would come next, but when I came to, I was far away. Blaze, she rescued me. She said all she could manage was to drag me out.”
There was a forlorn silence, and Sonic felt his heart break for the other’s hedgehog. Silver’s gloom and doomed expression, the tired lines on his face seem to stretch and edge deeply, not unlike the jagged scar. Golden glaze forward into the jungle, glossy and unseeing.
“I rushed back as soon as possible, but…The building wasn't there anymore. It has collapsed into the lava sea. I, Blade, and I tried to find anyone for days, but we couldn’t stay for long. I left marking to tell them I'm alive and am heading North. Until the end, there was no reply….”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Silver…” Sonic trailed off when the grey hedgehog shook his head resolutely.
“You shouldn’t be. My mom is very strong, she and everyone are still out there. I’m sure of it.”
“Then I’m sure they’re doing okay.” He concedes, and is rewarded with a tiny smile.
“They must be. Blade, she used herself to seal Ibis and opened the sky. Without the mother of monsters, the spawn will cease to exist, and the lava sea has frozen over. Wherever they are, they can start over now. I wish I could be there for it.”
Silver rolled his head, curling deeply into his large blanket. face pensive and reminisce. “Afterward, I travel with Blade. It was her idea to head North. If it wasn't for her, I think I'd still haunt that collapse.”
“Why North?”
Silver shrugged a shoulder, “She said it is safer up there with edible spawn such as Stalker. I didn’t find out much later, and I don't think she knew either that the Stallker's meat contains long-acting poison. That's why my group never pushes up North. There's no future there.”
“We stayed there for a while. Day by day, hunting Stalkers and discovering the place. It was nice up in the North, to be honest. Most of the building was still standing and mostly filled with Stalker and Worms, and Taker’s nest. It was cold but bearable with Blade’s flame.” Silver smiled sadly, “Blade was everything to me, Sonic. She kept me going for a long time when I lost all hope and will. She pushed me to move forward, to avenge Ibis for all our suffering. She was my partner and my best friend. Sometimes I'd turn over, expecting her to be there...”
Silently, Sonic reached his arm over the table and placed it on the boy’s shoulder. giving it a brief squeeze and shared the poor kid a sympathetic look. Silver's smile was less sad when he saw it, and he placed his hand on the blue hedgehog’s hand.
“That is where you come in, Sonic. Two hundred years earlier, when the course of fate was averted and the new timeline was born.”