Author Note: Behold, the reason (beside writer's block) I haven't updated Underground Superstars in forever. A more, dare I say it, "literature" story. More accurately, an experiment with a serious short story that includes things like "motifs", "themes", and "Dramatic Irony". Finally, I think Silver has failed to get a really good story from anyone. Including SEGA. I'll admit to not drawing up much sympathy for the character, and so in an attempt to make him a story, I got this. With that out of the way, I hope you readers feel this worthy of a serious, constructively critical review. Enjoy!

This story follows current game canon about Silver as closely as possible. It also assumes that The Eggman Nega from the Rush series is different from the Rivals series one, for the sake of convenience.

Chapter 1: The Flames of Disaster

"Come on, live it up! We just won, remember?" Sonic said. Silver nodded vacantly and began to tap his feet to the raucous old-style music that was playing. They had just stopped the plans of Eggmen from present, past, and even a parallel dimension. The battle had raged near nonstop for a week, across the entire length of the U.F. and had finally ended with the Eggmen's final battle ship sinking into the sea and the three Eggmen being held in the past's most secure prison.

After such a grueling battle, it was only right to celebrate.

Tails, Cream, and the rest of the younger kids were having a sleepover at Vanilla's, with Vector eagerly joining in to help chaperone, meanwhile the "big kids" were enjoying themselves with a private beach party. They had a small shore side hotel to themselves and filled the back patio with food, lights, and some of the loudest music Silver had ever heard.

"Come on, Sonic, you've danced with all the other girls twice!" Sonic, though influenced by his hydrophobia, had agreed to the idea mostly under the promise of girls in swimsuits. Amy was quick to pick up on this fact and had dressed to please.

She was a cute girl, and very energetic, but her undying dedication to Sonic left Silver doubtful of her sanity. Rouge the Bat was apparently trying to provoke a fight between Knuckles and Shadow, but both seemed utterly oblivious to her flirting. Espio was standing in a corner, sipping from a cup of soda and occasionally twitching at the more questionable lyrics. This left the last member of the party, Blaze.

The purple cat had come from the parallel dimension (and apparently was a princess in it), and during the battle had kept a serious and stone faced demeanor about her. Tonight, however, she was the life of the party. Dressed up in a two piece swimsuit and dancing in a very un-princess-like manner, she managed the amazing feat of being the only thing to attract Espio's attention other than his drink.

"Come on, you haven't danced all night." Suddenly Silver found Blaze dragging him by the arm into the center of the patio. Shamefully, Silver was not a good dancer by any century's standard, and was at a complete loss of what to do besides try and copy his partner.

As the previous song faded out, someone quickly flipped the old-style audio discs. Something sounding like classical Techno started playing, and Silver felt himself relax as he began to actually enjoy the music. As the pair danced, Silver noticed Sonic whispering to Knuckles, both of them looking at Silver and Blaze with puzzled expressions. Whatever Sonic said left Knuckles nodding very slowly. Some of the lyrics made Blaze giggle and pat Silver on the head.

"I know someone who can change the past." She said.

"Um, I don't actually think that's how time travel works." Silver said. Wrong reply! Silver's mind screamed. Knowing no other choice, the time traveler was forced to explain himself. "You see, if going back in time could change the past, you'd end up changing everything that caused you to go back in time. If you suddenly stopped having been in the past, the changes you made would never have happened, and it'd go back to the way it was before, but that just ends up with you going back in time again." Silver personally viewed time as a loop, and that going back wouldn't actually change the present. Still he found himself bringing the explanation to its logical end. "To actually change anything you'd need to be unaffected by the changes you made when time traveling, sort of like creating an alternate timeline."

"Clever boy." Blaze said, smiling like he was a windup toy that had just served its function.

"Hey, I'm not just all brains, you know." Silver replied. Blaze replied with a playful snarl.

"That so? Why don't we meet after this is over so I can see what you mean? I didn't really get to see you during the battle." With that Blaze drifted away as suddenly as she had come. While his first thought was that she just wanted to see the actual limits of his power, the post- pubescent boy in him thought about something else entirely. He quickly dismissed the thoughts as ridiculous with a shake of his head.

Silver walked over to the food table and poured himself a new drink. As he did so Sonic shuffled over and began talking to him.

"Hey, can you read minds?"

"What?" Silver said in surprise.

"It's just, being psychic and all..."

"No. I'm only telekinetic. Lifting stuff and all."

"Ah. The thing is, not sure if you'd know this but, Blaze has been acting... Oddly all night."

"Really?" Silver asked.

"Yeah she's usually really uptight." They both glanced over to where Blaze was dancing with Rouge. "Really uptight."

"Sonic!"

"Bye" the blue hedgehog said and dashed off as quickly as possible, leaving Silver in Amy's grasp. He apologized for having become a makeshift barricade, and the two actually ended up sharing a rather enjoyable dance up until the point where Amy suddenly broke off as Sonic tried to slip past. The party continued on it as it had, with Blaze always managing to avoid him, and Sonic not commenting on her again. The energy that fueled the evening gradually ran out, and everyone slowly drifted inside. Silver followed at the back of the progression, waiting until everyone was in to turn around and head back out.

Blaze was waiting for him on the beach, arms hanging behind her back.

"Hey." Silver said as he came close. Blaze turned around and grinned. "You ready?"

"Yep." Blaze said. Before Silver could react he was in her arms and her lips were pressing onto his. Silver started to resist, but hormones took over and he gave in. With a shudder of their legs the pair collapsed onto the ground. The sheer shock of what was happening made Silver oblivious to the heat as flames began to lick up on Blaze's back.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Please?" Amy said. "No one's going to catch us, you don't even have to say you did it."

"No." Sonic said slowly. "I'm tired, it's dark, and you've been harassing me all night!" with that he slammed the door to his room shut and dead-bolted it.

"...I just wanted one dance..." Amy whispered. Even as part of her screamed to keep trying, her shoulders sank and she walked away. She needed to give up. It was like a drug.

Amy shook her head of the negative thoughts. She decided to walk on the beach to clear her mind. That's what she really needed.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Ah." Silver winced as he grabbed at Blaze's back and his fingers were burnt. He opened his eyes to see what had caused it. The hedgehog's eyes widened as he saw the flames on Blaze's back spread around her body. He realized that the sweat on him was actually from the heat of her flames. He broke the kiss and tried to push her away.

"Blaze! Your flames!" Silver yelled as he found her grip to be too strong for him. She slowly opened her eyes and snarled at him. It only sounded like the voice of a predator before it pounced on its prey. Silver screamed.

There was a flash of bright pink and a harsh cracking sound. Blaze went tumbling across the sand, flames abruptly gone out. Silver glanced over to see Amy standing over him, hammer in hands, eyes wide as if she too was surprised.

"Is she okay?" Amy said.

"You're the one that hit her." Silver exclaimed as he stood up.

"I was just trying to get her off, I didn't mean to hit so hard." Silver went over to Blaze and quickly checked her breathing.

"She's only unconscious. We need to get her inside." Silver said. He used his power to gently lift Blaze up, while Amy stood by in case the cat fell. They had no time to question each other because their comrades were already coming out of the hotel to watch the spectacle, and they stood aside to let Silver and Blaze pass. Silver set her down on one of the lobby's couches and took a seat.

"What happened?" Sonic asked. "All I saw was Amy hitting Blaze, I didn't even know you were involved."

"Why were you looking outside in the first place?" Amy asked.

"I... kind of felt bad for yelling at you." Sonic admitted. There were a few seconds of silence before Shadow interrupted.

"We still don't know what happened." Silver nodded, biting his lip.

"Blaze had told me she wanted to see my abilities after the party." He said.

"Really?" Rouge said.

"Yeah. And when I went to meet her she just grabbed me and started..." Silver sucked in to stop the blood flowing to his cheeks. "Kissing." Everybody's eyes rose at that one. Silver rubbed the back of his head. "I kind of got... Caught up in things. I didn't- She- She started using her flames, and when I realized it I tried to get her off but she was too strong, and-" Silver bowed his head. "When I tried to tell her to stop she just snarled at me. And then Amy hit her."

"Is she alright?" Knuckles asked.

"She's in a coma." Silver said automatically. "Her mind's weak right now, and it wasn't caused by Amy." He looked up to see everyone staring at him.

"There is no way you could determine that." Espio said.

"I thought you said you couldn't read minds?" Sonic asked.

"That can't be it." Silver said. "It's perfectly logical; Amy didn't hit her that hard, it wasn't in the head-"

"Silver, how did you know she was in a coma?" Shadow asked. "Not even the best doctors could make a call like that after just seeing her."

"It might have something to do with why Blaze was acting so oddly." Sonic said. "Maybe Silver knows something he isn't telling us?"

"I don't know how I know that, okay? I might just be able to read minds suddenly." Silver said. "Look, I'll try it right now, and if it works that will explain things." he put his hand on Blaze's head and willed himself to see her thoughts.

This can't possibly work.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to SEGA.