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“Take THIS!” Silver exclaims, using his powers to grab whatever he can find–poles, boxes, rubble–and tosses it directly into Iblis. This is his usual strategy, though he’s acting with more swiftness in desperation. He and his teammate have already been injured tonight.
The creature roars, finally going down with the last attack, its claws reaching for the surface of an abandoned skyscraper before collapsing. Silver watches it go, making sure it’s properly defeated.
And then he goes to Blaze.
She’s sitting by the platform they fought on, holding one of her arms. Blood visibly trickles from it, her hand stained crimson. Otherwise, it’s mostly bumps and bruises, with a lot of scuffed dirt.
“You’re hurt that badly?” He asks, worried, as he removes her hand to look at the wound without warning. Blaze blinks, before shaking her head.
“No, I… it’s only normal for these kinds of fights, is it not?”
“A little, but you’re still bleeding!” Silver exclaims, a bit horrified.
“Well… is Iblis taken care of for today?” For Blaze, that’s priority. If they don’t take care of it when it shows up, it could damage the city more than its already been damaged. A ruined world doesn’t need further ruin for the few living here, themselves included.
“Yeah, I got it downed before I came over here. Come on, we gotta patch up your arm.” Without a second thought, he takes Blaze by the hand, lifting them both up with his PK.
For a moment, she freezes. “Silver, we’re not going… high up, are we?”
“No, I remember. Just enough to get you to the hideout. Let’s go.”
—
Silver uses his PK to wrap a bandage around the arm of Blaze, having already made the haphazard attempt to disinfect it. “Aaand… there.” He bites off the end of the bandage, and wraps the rest of the loose end around. “You should be good to go with that, I think? I’m no doctor, but…”
“It will do,” Blaze responds, cutting off any attempt at rambling. “Thank you, Silver.”
“Yeah! Honestly, though… you’re sure that fire doesn’t burn you?”
It burns him, each time they fight against Iblis. He’s so used to the searing pain against his flesh now that Blaze has to remind him to stay careful. He won’t feel it in his legs otherwise.
“I am positive,” She answers, hands in her lap, now that they’re sitting and patched up. “I am able to control the fire well enough. The added bonus is that burns hardly leave their mark on me, now. But the downside…”
“…Yeah.” Silver can empathize. His own powers could be used for destruction, if he wasn’t careful with it and his emotions. He channels all that into taking down Iblis whenever it reappears again. It’s a nice outlet, but realistically, he shouldn’t be using it as his only outlet.
Whatever. He sighs. “I get it. The fire’s probably a lot harder to control, huh?”
“Not anymore, thankfully. But I used to have such problems with it, growing up…” It already put enough people off from her, when she had accidentally let loose with the flames more than once. Any stragglers tended to stay far away from her, learning of her pyrokinesis. Silver was one of the few friends she had made that wasn’t completely put off by her flames, once he saw past them.
“Well, hey, so did I, with my PK. It’d go all over the place!” Silver chimes in, in an attempt to cheer her up from the topic by talking about his experiences. “I’d grab the wrong things, or use too much force and break it, or… well, a lot of stuff happened. People didn’t like me for it that much. Called me clumsy.”
“Hm. I would have thought you’d be able to exert more control over it, honestly… so I am surprised.”
“It’s connected to the way I use my mind, but it still takes effort, you know? Like, actually focusing my thoughts and emotions to use with it. Or something like that, anyway…”
Blaze lets out a huff of a laugh, at that. “I see. I suppose our powers could be similarly treated.”
“…Yeah, maybe!” Silver chuckles.
They share a quiet moment passing between them, watching the smoke-filled sky from Silver’s personal hideout. It doesn’t have much, as “much” is hardly a concept in the city, these days. A torn-up couch, a fire pit for the colder nights (when it even happens), and… a small fishing magazine. Anything else would be trinkets he’s picked up from other buildings, something to make it feel a little more like an actual home. Blaze has surmised before that if it were whole, he would probably already be living in an apartment. This building in particular looks like it had housed more people, even if they can’t get downstairs due to the massive amount of rubble blocking the stairs.
Even if there was electricity, in the state this building was in? They would not be trying an elevator.
Silver, in the meantime, grabs that fishing magazine with his PK, bringing it over while they look around in silence. Beginning to flip through it, he starts to ponder something. Blaze notices when he does this. He gets a look in his eyes, far-off and thoughtful. “May I ask what you’re considering?” She inquires, a small smile on her face after noticing.
“Hm? Oh! Uh… well, I was just going through this old thing again.” He holds up the magazine.
“I can see that. But what are you thinking, exactly? You had that look on your face again.”
“Well…” Silver trails off, taking a moment to find the proper words to describe what he’s thinking. “I was just wondering… if we ever manage to stop Iblis for good, and if the world ever gets back to normal… what do you think you’d be doing? If things did get better?”
“Oh. That is… that is a good question,” Blaze replies, a little caught off-guard by the question. She’s positive they’ve both wondered about it before, but never has the question actually come up between them. “To be honest with you… I’m unsure. I have tried to think about it, but… with my flames, who knows how far I could truly get with anyone in a better world.”
“Hey, don’t think like that. I’m talking a world where there’s no fire, and people know you’re better than that. They’ve got to, right? You’ve helped me drive him back more times than I can count.”
“That is true, but no one ever sees us…”
“Okay, okay… back on topic, though. I mean a world where you’re not judged for your flames. Ignore all of that. If you could choose anything… what would you do?”
Blaze begins to reconsider the question for herself, again. “I am still not sure. I… In a better world, I’d like to be the one assisting rebuilding efforts. It is something productive, and I would rather focus on bettering things as quickly as possible. I can’t exactly say I can think of an occupation that I’d specifically enjoy… although…”
A small smile crosses her face again, looking up for a moment. “I think I would rather like to try ballet.”
“What’s ballet?” Silver asks, blinking confusedly.
“Ah… it is a type of dance,” She explains. “But it has its own rules to follow, and requires technique. I have always found it interesting. Perhaps I could try it myself, someday.”
“Oh! Yeah, you’d be pretty good at that! I mean, sometimes, when you’re fighting… you almost look like you’re dancing?” Silver comments. “I mean, uh… well, you look… what’s the word… graceful. Your flames spiral around you, and if it wasn’t fighting, it almost looks like dancing.”
“Hm. I appreciate the compliment.” Blaze gives him a coy smile. In truth, she feels more confident in her pick, now that Silver’s told her such.
“Enough about my opinion, though. You have asked the question, and now, I request an answer from you, of your own thoughts. What kind of position would you like, in a new world?”
“What would I like… I don’t know. I always like helping people, and my PK can do a lot, so there’s a lot to put it to use with. I think I could do just about anything, with more practice other than fighting. I mean, what’s something that requires you to pick up a lot of stuff at once?”
“Plenty of manual labor jobs. Or repair.”
“Then repair, probably! We’re gonna be repairing a lot if Iblis ever gets permanently taken down.”
“That is true, but what of for when the repair work is all complete? What will you do then?”
“Uhhh… good question.”
Silver runs a hand through his top quills, thinking further on the matter. “I guess if it’s not just manual labor, uh… I don’t know! Maybe a mailman? People used to get mail and stuff all over the place. Maybe that would let me travel more, see the rest of the world as it was meant to be seen. Instead of just being stuck in this city all of the time…”
“I hate to dampen your excitement of travel, but mailmen do typically stick to one city or general area,” She reminds him. “You would not be traveling as much as you could believe.”
“Aw. Still, I don’t think that’s a lost cause. I’d get to meet all sorts of people I couldn’t meet before, and I’d still get to see the rest of the city. I wanna know what this place used to look like when it thrived. Before all of this.” He stretches his hands out, still holding the magazine, at the expanse of ruined city below the high rise of the hideout. “I want to know what this would look like if it was just blue skies, and happy faces. People actually being able to enjoy their life.”
Blaze stares at him, softly smiling. He never quite realizes how excited he gets, talking about better times. It’s a little ray of hope in a sea of ash and ruin. These days, it’s what keeps her moving forward. She won’t admit it, but she’s gotten just as tired of Iblis’s repetitive showings as he has. But just as she relies on Silver’s neverending hope to keep moving forward, he relies on her determination. Not once has she ever given up, and it strives him to do the same. She’s gotten perceptive of that much, in their time working together to drive Iblis back.
It’s re-energizing, in a sense, to see someone so lively now. They never run into anyone else anymore.
“Blaze?” Silver calls, breaking through her train of thought. He stares at her, puzzled, arms back at his sides. “Are you okay? Did I say something weird?”
“Oh, no…” Blaze composes herself again, laughing at the situation. “I was just thinking, is all. It is good to see you so hopeful for the future.”
“…” Silver doesn’t know what to say to that, at first. So he pivots. “You know what? When you and I finally get to live for ourselves, we’re gonna take this apartment, and we’ll go see the rest of the world. Once this city’s rebuilt. I’m sick of skyscrapers, anyway.”
“I would love that, Silver. There are no better people I would share such a time with.”
The two laugh in tandem, now, cheered-up and ready to look forward to a brighter future. Silver can hardly wait to see what it holds, feeling his heart pounding. It’s a special moment.
He’ll remember this. He’ll fight for that day to become reality.
—
Silver hasn’t left the cliffside in three hours.
The city is safe. There’s no more threat of Iblis, and the people around have finally come out of hiding. He’s overheard their clamoring for about an hour, now. They haven’t stopped. Why would they? But now they’re trying to find the people responsible for clearing their sky.
Silver doesn’t have the heart to go down there. He’s stared at the lava flowing below, which, in the aftermath of Iblis, has slowly begun to coagulate. He’ll chalk it up to some magic stuff with the Chaos Emeralds, and the fact that its creator has disappeared. No Iblis, no magma.
The Emeralds. He occasionally glances between them. They’re still full of energy, but with no one to use it. She already left.
He doesn’t want to leave, still. He doesn’t care how long it takes. Maybe, maybe there’s a chance to see her again, if it doesn’t need a total sacrifice, maybe he can just wait, and she’ll come back safe. Right?
…Right?
He feels his throat close up, his vision blurring again. Hastily, he wipes at his eyes, before staring back down into the clotting lava again.
“…you agreed we could go traveling,” He mumbles, as if she’s there to hear any of it. “You- You said it would be nice. We could’ve lived for ourselves. You could’ve seen the sky like it is now, it… the sun’s so bright, and people are happy everything is better…”
He sniffles. “Why did it have to be you? Why did it have to take you?”
In his eyes, Blaze has been robbed of a future she will never see. And Silver can’t share his better future with her, the way she deserved.
She deserved so much better than this.
—
“Silver!” Blaze calls, running up to catch him. She holds a bag in one arm, and a bag in the other hand, intended for him.
Silver’s at his garden, today. Each day that goes by, he’s grateful that the crash on top of the Restoration HQ didn’t destroy this little place, even if it took all the flowers and vegetables with it. But he supposes he’s used to the cycle of destruction and renewal, by now.
Dropping a hoe that he’d picked up with his PK, he waves to his friend. “Blaze, hey! What’s going on?”
“Here, for you. I’ve been traveling with Sonic, and we went to a particular shop I thought you might like… they had a lot of apple-flavored things.”
“Oh, perfect! I was starting to get hungry.”
He takes the bag, rummaging through it. Granola bars, apple chips, juice, and even some pastries. They’re small snacks, but enough to keep his stomach from constantly growling while he works on making up the new orchard. “Thanks, Blaze!”
“It’s no trouble. He’s left for now, so I decided I would rather stop by. Do you need gardening assistance?” She asks, sitting down in front of the little yellow shed.
“Nope, I’ve got it handled. I’m just prepping the field to plant the trees.”
“Very well. Though, if you’d like to take a break and eat, I can chat.”
“Mm… okay! I’ve got all day to be here, right now.” He walks over to the opposite seat of Blaze, pulling out the apple chips to crunch on. “So, you were just here visiting?”
“I was, yes. The kingdom is safe for a day without my presence. I was due to travel again, and… I did want to ask. You hardly travel, do you?”
“I mean…” Silver shrugs, finishing some chips before he replies. “I travel to the past, right? Does that count?”
“You know what I meant by that, Silver.”
“I guess so… no, not really. After all, whenever I do come back, it’s usually because something happened in the future. My main priority is just keeping it protected.”
“Perhaps you’d like to travel with us, sometime?”
Silver lights up, hearing her ask such a question. “Yeah! I like my future, but being stuck mostly between cities when I come here, and then mostly being in my apartment or working back home, I haven’t actually seen most of the world… I’d love to, Blaze! This time has some really great scenery!”
She admires that excited tone. Though, these days, she’s noticed that it brings a bit of melancholy with it. She hasn’t been able to pinpoint why, though something about it feels familiar, like an old ache that never really went away.
Perhaps she spends too long considering that, because Silver takes notice, his face falling. “Blaze? Are you okay?”
“Oh…” She hesitates, before nodding. “Yes, quite. Lately, there is just… a feeling I cannot seem to shake off. Some kind of longing, or lonliness. Have you gotten such feelings before?”
“…yeah, actually.”
Silver contemplates this turn in the conversation. “It’s weird. Sometimes we’ll be having a normal conversation, and I just sort of feel sad, all of a sudden. My heart hurts, and I want to recall something I know hasn’t happened before. You get that way, too?”
“I do…”
“…then maybe this isn’t just coincidence.”
“Perhaps not. But if something has happened… do you think knowing could perhaps change this current time? Or the future, even?”
Silver pauses when she asks that. “Maybe. It just depends on what that something actually is.”
Blaze takes a second to think, taking out a bottle from her own bag, some iced black tea. “Hm. I do have a solution, if it turns out to be a memory-related incident. Otherwise, we have nothing to go off of… and it could very well just be coincidence.”
“I guess, but I don’t feel like it is.”
“We still hardly have a lead on what appears to be coincidental feelings.”
“Okay, okay…”
“Still, yeah, I want to travel with you. I think it’d be a ton of fun! Are you busy, uh… tomorrow? I’ll probably still be here tomorrow.”
Ah. Blaze smiles, because that lines up perfectly with her own suggestion. “As a matter of fact, I could be. I will have to return to my kingdom and address anything awry that my substitute could not handle, but… yes, I would love to start tomorrow with you. I can prepare tonight.”
“Great! Then it’s a date, right?”
“A-A date?”
“…isn’t that what people call it, here?"