Chapter Text
“I want to believe in a better world.”
Those were the words he spoke so long ago, back when everything was simply ash. Silver had reminded himself of this adage every time he traveled into the past, this unknown world so full of life and color. For his whole life, he had known only the monstrous heat of magma and the dark, ruthless thunderclouds that dominated the sky. The forests and rivers of his world – which one would assume had the purest waters and the grandest of trees, were nothing more than empty, hollow husks. Tree stumps were burned to cinders, and the waters of said rivers were either dried to nothingness, or were replaced with the molten flows of fatal lava.
The only thing that dared to challenge those dark bodies were the ruined, decimated skyscrapers. Even in their dismal state, they still pierced the clouds, but even their might wasn’t enough to reach that holy body. Silver had always wondered what laid beyond the clouds, he had heard of the Sun, this incandescent beauty that brought warmth and light to the world. What was it like, he wondered?
Today, he finally knew. The Sun was a breathtaking beauty. The subtle warmth that touched him eased his soul, and the light was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. The emerald greens of the grass that laid at his feet, the elegant sapphire water so pure that he could see the fish freely swimming down the shore. The forests that bordered his new home were littered with so many wonderful creatures. The young man once found a herd of deer galloping through the wondrous woods, and along with them the birds sang throughout the grand wood. He once heard the distinct chirps and laughs of foxes, and hearing such a unique sound filled him with a somber joy. This was a true paradise, something he would never want to lose.
And yet, despite this small acreage of paradise, something was missing. Silver stared at his reflection in the crystal-clear waters. He saw everything he needed to see. His five-pronged quills, his thick, collar-like fur, his sleek and technological wristbands, but most of all, his golden eyes. He stared at his reflection longingly, searching for something. What was it? This lush landscape was picturesque, many of those who came before called it a paradise. Surely someone would find the greatest happiness here. Silver on the other hand felt something unfamiliar, something deep within him. Despite the beauty of the land, he felt like something was… off.
It wasn’t dissimilar from looking at a magnificent painting. The picture, the scene curated on that canvas could’ve been made with the greatest materials, the steadiest of hands, and with absolute precision. It could be painted as many times as needed, for days and weeks at a time, but even with all the skill and effort in the world, there will always remain an imperfection. Silver could feel this strange phenomena swirling within, and that very feeling materialized in his own, perfected reflection.
The young hedgehog glanced upward for a moment as a powerful breeze disrupted the calm of the wood. The water’s motionless surface soon transformed into a steady stream, and the waters soon rushed down into a flowing river. Entire tufts of grass were blowing in the wind, as were the trees. This powerful whirlwind knocked the stillness of the land fresh off its roots, so much so that Silver himself became distracted by the sudden change in the forest. He looked around, readying himself with his psychokinesis. His entire body glowed with an extravagant teal and he began hovering over the ground. He waited for the threat; there was no way he could believe this to be a coincidence. He had known too much danger from his future. The demonic creatures of pure magma, the never-ending battle against an all-powerful god, the mechanized monstrosities of a deluded madman. For too long he knew danger, but even in the darkest of times, he had hope guiding his way. He was ready to fight until his dying breath.
The sudden wind rebounded and slammed the woods once more. The leaves blew strongly as something moved above. Silver looked upward, and something most unusual caught his eye. He saw someone, a man perhaps, flying across the sky. He squinted his eyes; his eyes trained on this strange figure like a hawk. It took him ages, but he finally pieced together what it was.
“Is that…?”
He couldn’t be certain. All he saw was a large red fabric. It was flowing freely as the figure flew off. It flew with such speed that a loud BOOM cracked out with thunderous force. Silver sat there in amazement as the man disappeared across the horizon, and he could only watch as the wind settled once more.
The danger never arrived, eventually the world returned to the stillness once again. Silver readied himself once again, his powers boiled to the surface and he was prepared to unleash his might. In time, however, nothing came. He sighed, and released his energy. He returned to the smooth rock he was resting on, and eventually, he found his reflection yet again. Silver allowed himself to tunnel his vision on his singular reflection. Nothing else existed in this serene moment. Only Silver and his thoughts remained… helpless.
“A-ha!”
Silver jumped to his feet as a familiar voice suddenly cried out, spooking him straight into the air. He hovered in place and suddenly spiraled around wondering who made that sound. He shook his head trying to regain his focus, and as he looked at the ground, he found someone who knew all too well.
“Sonic?!” He cried. “Don’t sneak up on me like that man!”
“What? I just wanted to say hi. It’s not like I was gonna jump you or anything!”
Silver gazed downward and saw Sonic’s large toothy grin. Sonic had quite the eye-catching appearance, with deep blue fur and shining jade eyes. His bright crimson shoes were in stark contrast to his azure fur, but even more striking was his apparent lack of chest fur. Silver always wondered how Sonic got through the bitter chill of winter, yet every time he tried to ask him, it always slipped his mind one way or another.
Yet, the white hedgehog sighed and slowly fell back to the ground. He returned to his previous position as though Sonic weren’t even there. Silver, in his absent mindset, couldn’t keep himself focused on the blue blur for too long, there was too much on his mind. Sonic took notice of such feelings, and he too sat down on this large rock next to Silver. He glanced over and opened his mouth, ready to say something quirky, or perhaps give Silver one of his usual jokes and quips. But Silver didn’t move, his gloomy eyes trained on the calm stream that laid before them. Sonic sat there ready to speak, but seeing Silver’s quiet dilemma, he stopped himself short. His smile vanished and was replaced with a calm, neutral frown. The zephyr that appeared earlier had returned, and once more, the gentle wood had returned to a harmonious peace.
Silver had lost track of how long the two sat there. The sun had slowly danced across the sky to an adagio melody. It rose in the east, but now, it laid in the center of the sky, there was no doubt it was the middle of the day. Silver tried to glance over at Sonic, but somewhere deep within, there was something stirring. Silver could barely swallow as that memory returned, and he soon realized what it was that he was feeling. A small modicum of guilt resided deep in his heart, who would’ve thought that something so small could leave such a lasting impact on him? He slowly brought his knees to his chest, and he buried his face in the darkness.
“So what’s up buddy? It’s not like you to be so quiet all the time.” Sonic remarked.
“Huh? Oh! Yeah it’s not much really, just spacing out a bit!” Silver exclaimed excitedly, though Sonic saw right through him. “Thanks for helping with the house, this spot’s perfect. I have plenty of space to start my garden, there’s a fresh well, an amazing forest right over there and uh… well there’s lots of nature and uh-”
Silver was running out of things to say, and as he nervously glanced at Sonic, he saw the blue hedgehog wince one of his eyes, and a smirk slowly grew across his face. Silver kept his face as solid as he could, trying with all his might to retain that stoic glance. And yet, it was no use. The young hedgehog cracked under the pressure of Sonic’s grin, and he sank his head in defeat.
“Espio told me you weren’t a good liar,” Sonic said sarcastically, much to Silver’s dismay.
Silver spoke, but with his face buried in his knees, Sonic could barely make out what he was saying. He sat for a moment looking at his friend with a soft smile, and eventually, he pat Silver on the back. Silver looked up and over as Sonic continued staring with this perfect grin, his emerald eyes gleamed with a warmth Silver hadn’t felt in a long time. Sonic may not have seen it since the young hedgehog’s arms were covering most of his face, but Silver smiled. It was short-lived however, and Silver stared outward at the forest once more, his eyes drifting with the current.
“Do you ever wonder why you’re here, Sonic?” He asked with melancholy. Sonic’s smile vanished, and he raised his brow.
“Where’s this coming from?” He asked calmly. Silver lowered his legs and stretched them outward, laying them flat on the rock. He laid back slightly, putting his weight on his arms and then he stared at the sky.
“Well-” Silver started, his voice trembling quietly. “I’m really grateful for everything you and everybody else have done for me, really. But I came back to this time period to save my future. There was the Metal Virus and all that craziness, then Eggman split the world apart-”
“Oh yeah, that one was unbelievable,” Sonic interjected. Silver glanced at him for a moment.
“And then there was that time we met…”
He remembered how he first learned of Sonic’s very existence. Before the two became friends, they were bitter enemies. Silver remembered all too well the days he referred to him as, ‘the Iblis Trigger,’ an alias he used on the person he believed to have started his apocalyptic world. He remembered how easily he was manipulated by Iblis’ twin, a dark and twisted entity known as Mephiles the Dark. Mephiles had warped the young hedgehog’s view so easily, But it was with Sonic’s help, along with his friends, that Silver finally learned the truth, and together, they defeated Iblis and Mephiles from tearing all of their worlds apart…
“But after all is said and done, we saved the world countless times,” Silver continued. “Everything’s fine now. You put the world back together, we contained the virus, Eggman is gone again, everything’s all set and match. My future was restored… at least I think it was.”
“You think? Haven’t you gone back?” Sonic asked. Silver shook his head.
“I don’t know why, but I’m trapped here,” He said faintly. “I’ve tried using the Chaos Emeralds to get home, Tails said he could whip something up, but with everything else going on I don’t know how long it’ll take. I even asked Knuckles if I could use the Master Emerald…”
“And? What did he say?” Sonic asked.
“He said he wants to help, but that’s not how the Master Emerald works. I’ve already messed around with time enough, and even if the Master Emerald had that kind of power, it could be extremely dangerous.”
Shortly after, he sank his head in defeat. Sonic was only more confused as he watched Silver’s gloom. But the blue hedgehog slowly pieced together his dilemma and he was back to his normal self.
“But now I’m trapped here.” Silver continued. “I don’t know if I’m stuck in some kind of paradox, or maybe Eggman did something that messed with the whole time stream. All I know is that I’m stuck here, and that I can never go home…”
Sonic inched himself closer and felt a dejected aura cloud Silver. The young hedgehog gazed at the sky once more, watching as the clouds slowly covered the sky, passing through with everlasting leisure.
“Every time I’ve come back, it was always to save the time stream and the world with it,” Silver continued. “There’s always been a crisis and I’ve always been there to stop it from destroying the world! That’s my purpose, isn’t it? I’ve always come back to save everyone.”
“But now the world’s saved, but I’m still here. I don’t know why… why am I here?” He asked, his voice trembling. “There’s nothing wrong with the world, everything’s so quiet and peaceful. But- what if Eggman is plotting something again? What if someone snatches the Chaos Emeralds? Or maybe Metal Sonic might try to take over again, you fought him with everyone years ago, right?”
Silver had clenched his fists and his body shook strongly. He could barely breathe as the infinite ideas came flooding to the surface. Perhaps there was a chance Mephiles could return, or an ancient entity could awaken from the Earth, threatening to wreak havoc across the world. Silver could have sworn he saw a second moon not long ago, one emanating with an all-consuming aura. He trembled wondering what could come next, he was here for a reason, he just knew it. There had to be something he couldn’t see coming, something waiting to strike in his most vulnerable moments.
“I want to believe in a better world… but-”
Then, there was a loud snap that rang in Silver’s ears, and he snapped his head around. Sonic had an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. He looked Silver dead in the eye, his eyes gleaming with something he couldn’t quite define. He seemed so confident and steadfast, why?
“I know this is rich coming from me, but I think the real problem is pretty simple,” he said warmly. “You need to slow down and just take everything in.”
“W-What?” Silver asked.
Sonic smiled, and he looked out on the horizon toward the trees.
“You chose this spot for a reason, didn’t you? It’s the perfect place to relax, everybody needs that from time to time.” He said softly. Together, they watched as a stag roamed through the woods slowly, eating the plants off of several bushes in the clearing.
“I know I need to relax, but what if something happens and I’m not there?” Silver protested. “What if Infinite comes back somehow? Or Eggman finds something from 50 years ago that could endanger everyone?”
“If that happens, then we do what we do best, we’ll head right in and stop them again,” Sonic replied. “We’ll do it as many times as we have to; it’s just the right thing to do.”
“But what do you do when that time doesn’t come?” Silver asked. It was here that Sonic stood up, and looked at the sky with a hopeful glimmer.
“I just run. I want to see the world, the people and all the various things out there to explore.” He said. “I want to see it all and do it all, I have the freedom to do that, and I want others to have that freedom too.”
He looked down at Silver and offered him a hand.
“Sometimes just spending time with others is the best way to ease your mind.” He continued. “If you’re constantly dwelling on the bad things in life, you never get to experience what’s out there.”
Silver was in awe, what stood before him was no longer his friend but something else. He felt safe, warm. He knew that this shimmering light before him was the sun, there was no doubt about that. But how is it that every time things felt so dark, he was always there?
He took Sonic’s hand and stood up. They sat there for a moment, taking in the wind as it blew with a gentle zephyr. The stag called out and galloped deep into the woods, birds chirped and dang loudly as the sun shone down offering warmth. Silver rubbed the back of his head nervously, blushing from embarrassment.
“Thanks Sonic, really.” He said happily. “That really helped, you didn’t have to do all that.”
Sonic smirked.
“Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?” he asked. Silver chuckled.
“I guess not.”
In that moment he suddenly raised his fist, and Sonic, in a delightful laugh, bumped Silver’s fist.
“So where should I start?” Silver asked, enriched by Sonic’s words. “You said I just need to relax, right? Well, I’ve been trying that here and I uh… it’s not working. Don’t get it twisted though! I love this place! It’s perfect for my garden and I love all the land with it, but it’s just-”
“You don’t have to explain it, Silver,” Sonic interjected. “Your house will still be here, just get out and see the world.”
Sonic then bumped Silver on the chest.
“I bet a certain someone would love to tag along.” He said with a snarky grin. Silver raised a brow, confused by his words.
“I mean, you can come with me if you want.” He said. Sonic paused for a moment, unsure of how to even respond.
“N-No. I meant Blaze. She’d love to travel with you.” Sonic said, dumbfounded. Silver pondered what he said for a moment, but it didn’t take long for him to realize what Sonic meant.
“Oh, yeah… about that.” He said. “She’s back in her home dimension. She said something about ‘urgent royal business’ that needed her attention. But she can’t wait to help out with the garden, really!”
“Well, she’s doing the best she can. But when she comes back, it’ll be a blast.” Sonic said, reassuring Silver.
“Did you wanna come with me then? You could show me so much stuff. I’ve never had a chance to try out different kinds of food or meet different people.”
“I’d love to! But I can’t.” Sonic said regretfully.
“Huh? Why not?” Silver asked impatiently.
“Well…” Sonic said, he reached for something he had brought with him. It was a letter. He handed the envelope to Silver, and much to the white hedgehog’s surprise, it had his name on it.
“All of us were invited to Cream’s birthday party, so I’ve gotta head back and help Vanilla set everything up. Cream wanted you to come!”
Silver was in awe as he opened the letter. He was astonished to learn, however, that it wasn’t written by Cream. Instead, the letter was neatly written in Vanilla’s handwriting. She had invited him to a surprise party that she was putting together. She asked Silver to bring something sweet, and wished him the best.
“Wow, that's amazing.” Silver commented. Sonic nodded with a smirk.
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint her, so I’ll be heading off to help set everything up. But don’t worry, Cream’s birthday isn’t for a few days.”
Sonic pat Silver on the back.
“But if you wanna go see the world, then go do it. Why stand around and plan for the future when you could be doing it right now?”
Silver glanced downward for a moment.
“Where should I start?”
“There’s tons of places to check out. Spagonia, Holoska, Central City, there’s too many for me to count on my hands.”
“But here’s something to keep in mind. There’s no instruction manual on adventure. You just need to go and see it. So go ahead and see it for yourself.”
Silver… smiled. He glowed with a teal energy and flew upward, ready to take flight. Perhaps he was just in his own head again, he never felt so… encouraged, determined. He looked down as Sonic stretched his legs, and as the blue hedgehog finished, he set his eyes on Silver and gave him a thumbs up.
“Thanks Sonic, you’re the best. I’ll be sure to tell you everything when I’m back, okay?”
“Sounds good buddy.” Sonic replied.
Silver started to take off, flowing upward even higher into the sky. He bent his knees ready to fly, when suddenly…
“Silver!” Sonic shouted. The white hedgehog halted and looked down once more. “Be sure to stop by Metropolis! That’s one of the best places around!”
Metropolis… that’s not far, is it?
Silver gave Sonic a thumbs up, something the blue blur could easily see. He smiled, and before Silver knew it, Sonic had blasted off into the distance with blue lightning trailing in his wake. Silver was alone once more, but this time, he had a renewed goal. A purpose. The only question on his mind was where to begin.
This time, he thought he’d let fate make that decision for him, and with a flash of his power, he flew off into the distance, and left the woods behind…