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Vine and root twirl around Silver’s fingers as he pulls up on the weeds of the garden. He rips away the spiked leaves, upturning the dirt as the roots hold on for dear life. He shakes off the muck into the new hole in the ground, and pats it down. The weed joins the bucket to dry out thereafter.
The garden was Silver’s reprieve since the war had ended. Even if it had been five years since the initial attacks, the gravity of the destruction still rested within the very earth. Silver originally came to fix the future, and while he had technically done his job by other people’s standards, he felt his duty was not yet done. Silver helped rebuild whenever he could. His body ached originally with all the work that came with helping with reconstruction of the cities, but he’d grown some muscles that he was very proud of. He helped with getting the communities back together with things such as making parks for children, building up events, and his favourite; the community gardens.
Silver knew that no matter what he did, he wouldn’t be the one recognized for it. Always Sonic and the resistance as an ambiguous group. Really, the world was changing around them at all times. The ivory hedgehog was very pleased to know that he was helping, even if he wasn’t recognized. That’s all he needed. He had been the head of the infirmary back in the war, he had been the head of the community building exercises, and he had been there for every single meeting about what to do. Silver loved his work.
This garden was his personal one. Silver said it was for the resistance, but he was the only one who really cared for it. At least, unless Cream was visiting. It became commonplace for the rabbit to be with him whenever her Mother was busy working. Even if the older rabbit was nearly 50 now, Vanilla constantly worked to make sure that Cream was going to be okay. Silver admired that about Vanilla--to never give up on her daughter.
Cream pushed her wheelchair closer to Silver. She held onto the armrests for balance as she leaned over to watch what he was doing. He was careful as he slowly twisted his fingers around the leaves of the weeds, then pulled upwards. As earth split from the roots and green mass escaped its prison of earth, he smiled. The ivory hedgehog gently handed it over towards Cream, who grabbed it and put it into the bucket of muck she’d been taking care of this whole time.
“Do you think your Mom will make carrot cake again for your birthday?” Silver said with a smile, golden eyes sparkling. Cream’s birthday was months away, and while she was no longer a child, turning 19 was a big step for her. It meant she could drink! That was something, right? Cream’s innocence may have died with her mobility, but she held onto whimsy in spite of it.
Maturity came with sacrifices. The war five years ago had taken away her birthday celebrations, and it had taken away her ability to walk, but now that it was all over? Silver watched her strive to walk every day, even if it were just a couple of steps.
“I think I’ll ask her for cheesecake this year with chocolate,” the rabbit would giggle, reaching down to grab a taller weed to pull it out of the ground, only for the stalk to snap. Silver winced as the hollow stalk leaked its innards, and he reached down to the base to yank it out. It snapped again, and the two mobians broke into laughter.
“I was just wondering! With spring, I can plant some carrots,” Silver would shrug, grinning at Cream. He’d grab the gardening spade and dig out the roots of the stubborn weed, then put it away into their weed bucket.
“Maybe try your hand at cocoa,” Cream hummed.
“Gee, way to raise the bar,” The ivory hedgehog would snort. Lifting his gaze again to the rabbit, he’d watch the light in her eyes reflect his own. He couldn’t help himself… he snickered, then grunted as he got up to his feet. Brushing the dirt off of his scrawny legs best he could, he’d grab the bucket from Cream.
“I think you’re underestimating your green thumb,” Cream said with a wink, grabbing her wheels to roll backwards and give Silver space.
“If anything, my thumbs are red with all the thorns,” Silver groans, “either that or brown…”
“It’s just a saying,” the rabbit smiles, hauling her way over to the center of the garden. Silver followed suit, moving to the compost bin to shove all the remains of the weeds inside. Silver liked watching the worms wriggle inside the dark box every time he lifted the lid, and shoving in new greens for them to devour always made him happier. If he could, he’d watch the little guys all day!
“Well, saying or not, I’m just saying that I think I’m just getting lucky with the success of this little place,” Silver would put down the bucket, pull off his brown gloves, and put on his usual white ones. Clipping on his golden cuffs afterwards, he’d walk to Cream’s side. It was easier now to push and move Cream around. He pulled her up onto the decking of the resistance’s yard towards the back door.
“You need to give yourself more credit for what you provide,” Cream, ever the inspirational speaker, lifted her head up to look up at Silver. Her hand raised up, and she’d rub some dirt off of his cheek. Silver’s neck would twitch against his will and he’d squeak. Neither of them said anything about it.
“I know I do a lot,” the futuristic hedgehog would pull Cream’s wheelchair to the back door, then he’d shuffle out of the way to sit on an old fold out chair. Silver sighed, face grimacing and twitching nervously, “I’m happy you think that I deserve more, though,” he smiled.
“Of course you deserve more,” the gingery rabbit would rest her chin on her hand, leaning forwards. She’d grab her water bottle from its holder on her wheelchair, lifting it to her lips and sipping at it. Her brown eyes looked over the garden thoughtfully while she licked over her braces. Cream then tilted her face back to look at Silver, “you grew this all. I’d say that’s pretty impressive.”
“You helped with everything,” Silver pointed out, flicking his ear to the side. He managed to catch a sparkle in Cream’s eyes. Her mischievous look shifted to match his own, and she grinned.
“With watering. If that’s enough to discredit you, then I’ll not help anymore,” Cream snickered into the water bottle, then pulled it back.
“What--! Then what will you do?” Silver would gawk. Though he knew they were both just bickering and joking, he really didn’t want to lose Cream’s insightful perspectives.
“I can just read my study books while you work in the sweltering summer heat this year,” Cream stuck her tongue out, leaning forwards out of her wheelchair, only to wobble. Silver let his face twist into concern, and quickly stood up onto his legs out of the fold out chair. He stumbles on the thin toothpicks, neck twitching to the side anxiously, then he remembers his powers. Silver lifted his hand, then grabbed onto Cream before she ended up toppling over, gently readjusting her position to help her back to the correct part of her chair.
The discussion, as joking as it was, about Silver’s worth was still in his mind as he got back to the fold out chair. Silver thought about his value to the resistance often. While he knew for a fact he was a friendly face to everybody, a hero to the world--the world itself only looked away from him. He knew that everyone looked up to the figureheads like Sonic for standing up against oppression at any time he could. Silver did admire that about Sonic, too. Amy being a calm flower that could be a force of nature at any turn. Silver was inspired by her courage all the time. Knuckles, who while he was aggressive and abrasive, meant well and stood up for whatever needed to be done. Silver could aspire to do that. Stars, even Tails, was a hero now that he had graduated from engineering school one year early and instantly began inventing things for those who were less able. Silver was amazed by the genuine positive impact Tails made in such a short time.
Those figureheads were gone on their own trips ever since the Starfall Islands. Silver didn’t know what had happened there, or what had gotten into the four when they returned, but they all had changed in their own ways. In the five years since Infinite and Eggman tore the cityscape apart, he’d never seen Sonic and his friends be so… oddly independent of each other, yet so reliant on one another in the same breath. Sonic slowing down and seeing the world ‘like old times’ in his words, Amy planting new seeds into relationships and letting them grow, Knuckles reading books like a scholar and embracing his culture, and Tails finally taking time for himself.
Everybody had changed, even Silver.
Silver didn’t know if he had changed for the better.
The ivory hedgehog knew he had changed, he just didn’t know how. Everybody felt the gravity of the war even after it had ended, but he could only identify things for others. He’d always been selfless in a selfish kind of way. It felt good to reject himself and hear others tell him to take care of himself instead. Silver hadn’t stopped doing that, but others had stopped telling him to take care of himself. He wasn’t sure if it was childish to want the love of others to be back on him, but he was pure of heart usually.
“Heh,” Cream pulled herself further onto the wheelchair with her upper arm strength, then lifted one of her twisted ears up as a little friendly gesture. Silver mirrored it with a raise of his quills. The rabbit would grip onto the wheelchair wheels and roll backwards to get inside, “Silver, thanks for taking care of me.”
“You’re going?” Silver asked as the sliding door rattled open. He didn’t mean to sound so lonely, but it was natural. He covered it up with an awkward clear of his throat, sheepishly folding his chair up and setting it aside. He’d go inside with Cream if she wasn’t in the garden, since he needed a drink anyways…
“Since Amy is coming back soon, I want to call Big and get him to come over,” Cream said, gingery markings darkening once the sunlight couldn’t reach her anymore. Silver smiled sheepishly and nodded. He took a step towards the sliding door to help Cream inside.
“Right. I forgot she wasn’t on holiday anymore,” the hedgehog hums, fluttering his ears cutely. Ivory quills smoothing down, he shifts inside and closes the sliding door beside him. Cream probably thought he was lying about not knowing Amy was coming back, but Silver honestly forgot what day it was all the time. Nobody asked him to do anything, so he had no real schedule. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t just go back to the future sometimes… but he enjoyed living in the moment, watching his friends grow up.
…That selfish selflessness again.