It is said that time will heal all wounds, that a thread of fate will slowly stitch the broken pieces back together to make something strong and new. Time doesn't normally work like this though, she's a far crueller mistress; more often she decays rather than heals. What had once be a bump of regret can smooth out completely, or it can grow into a mountain thousands of times more treacherous than it had once been. Time may also heal the wound but through healing other distortions can be worsened.
Silver was floating his way across Crisis City, burning city beneath and clouded sky above, searching for another way back to the past. He always did that upon returning, it was much easier than finding a potential cause of the destruction.
He had never truly understood time travel; he'd always just used, often giving himself a headache trying to rationalise it. Chaos emeralds, phantom portals or even machines left by those of prior generations were just things that let him travel from one space, and usually time, into another in order to provide aid. Finding such objects had been difficult in a flaming, devastated, world but with his growing understanding of chaos control had come a greater understanding of what to look for; strange energy fluctuations that stood out from the rings' background noise. Finding a strange energy meant finding a way back to the past, that simple. Granted… things weren't perfect, upon finding an emerald Silver became perhaps a little too confident in his own capabilities, often he'd end up arriving much earlier or later than he had aimed. Once he'd been stuck hanging around a Birthday party, another time he'd allowed Eggman to take over a little more land than he was comfortable with before being present. It was an imperfect system but the best he had to work with.
Slowly passing over the city, loosing pulses of energy through areas in search of a reaction, he couldn't help but daydream. He was mostly thinking about music, a wonderful thing he'd known of from writings but gained a much greater insight through his travels. As he slowly progressed his flying would become more erratic, his path going from straight to curvy and occasionally incorporating loops when he came to parts he really liked in his head… although… try as he might there were words missing from the songs, causing stutters in his swaying. Pausing before setting off again he tried singing it aloud, hoping it might help, "Push it to the limit, push it to the limit, push it to the limit, push it to the limit! Da da da da dee dee daaaaa. Buh dah duh da duh duh, buh dah duh da duh duh…" It clearly didn't.
It was probably just a little bit of tiredness from consistent flight and checking, he rationalised hunger was probably affecting his memory too. He'd been deep in thought as he waved his over an area flooded by lava and felt something pull back within. Looking to the point there were hardly any buildings in sight, it almost looked as though a meteor had landed or some kind of bomb had gone off; there was a huge central crater surrounded by walls as tall as cliffs. It certainly looked like a climactic place for an emerald to lie, like something out of the old stories he read.
He began to approach, brows furrowed both due to the near lava flight he was performing and the lyrics he still couldn't remember. He hovered in a laying flat position rather than his more typical straight standing manner, allowing him to get a better view to scan any islands or extremities within the crater and yet curiously, despite the energy reading, he found none. Could a chaos emerald survive within lava? He supposed it might be able to, he didn't know that they couldn't at least? He supposed he'd never seen a shattered chaos emerald or even a cracked one… something to ask Knuckles he figured. Unable to spot the emerald he knew he'd have to rely on his senses, he hadn't really practiced feeling with his psychokinesis (let alone in lava) but he figured it was worth a shot.
Noticing a small outcropping on the edge of the crater he flew up and roosted, taking a wide stance with both palms raised in the direction of the pit. He took a deep breath, he was around fifty present certain he could feel the emerald in his grasp… he just had to better isolate the exact area. He used his powers to isolate a sphere of the lava where he thought the crystal was, around fifteen metres wide, and slowly raised it before himself. Bringing his hands together he began to twist them; pressing inward with his fingers as he did so, the lava mass shrinking and draining slowly out through a hole in the bottom of the psychokinetic bubble he had formed. As it made the volume smaller and smaller he could begin to feel the energy more and more potently before eventually he caught a glimpse of it on the surface: a grey crystal bobbing throughout the lava.
Bringing his hands together in a clap the lava pressed outward and rapidly drained back into the crater, the crystal he had focused on caught in his mental grasp. "Wow Silver, if other people were around to see this they might be impressed, finding a chaos emerald in lava and pulling it out? I don't think that anyone has ever…" He sighed, going from being around people who thought psycokinesis was cool to being alone again was quite jarring.
Shaking the emerald at range to remove any excess lava he brought it toward himself, taking it in his grasp and almost immediately dropping it. It may not have been in lava but it was still far to hot! Watching it tumble for no more than a moment grasped it with his psychic energy, licking his burned fingers. He was glad no one was around to see that, otherwise he might have died of embarrassment… he was supposed to be strong and cool and confident, from a good future like he told everyone! Sunshine and happiness and not… this. Still, that for their own good he had decided; everyone would lose their spirit if they knew the end was coming. It was his burden to bare, a couple white lies so they could live in happy ignorance. He figured he would tell them eventually… probably… he wasn't certain how that would all work out though. Would telling them the truth make him stop existing? Would a significant change just-
Realising he was giving in to some bad thoughts Silver tried to remember the third verse again, taking off into the sky with the emerald slowly cooling in his psychokinetic grasp. His head was getting light and he could feel a pit in his stomach, it would be best to go home and collect some rings before continuing. He'd done one mission, that was probably enough for today.
Rings were strange in the future; they continued to occur and very much were a power source… but with no food around applying them to himself was Silver's only real option for sustenance. It wasn't filling; not like the food he'd had in Sonic's time, but a couple hundred provided enough energy to get through the day… as long as he didn't over exert himself. He made his way back to his abode, it was easy enough to find; the highest point in crisis city, an old apartment building that a good quarter had been lost to time and magma. He lived in one of the larger flats that had lost its roof and one of its walls… with no chance of rain and consistent heat it was more logical than living in a complete one. That and it made moving in new furniture much easier if he found something cool, currently it was decked out with tie-dye prints with splatter-style painting done on the walls. Approaching the dresser he kept by his bedside he opened a drawer, placed his hand on a bundle of rings within and absorbed them into his body. It was enough to see off hunger… but perhaps it was worthwhile going to the past and getting food, the prices seemed like it'd take absorbing more rings to produce a meal than just buying food. That and well… ever since he'd had that birthday cake his hunger was lingering for far longer.
Thinking the emerald had probably cooled he popped the psychic bubble, letting it land in his right hand. It was still weirdly warm but it wasn't scalding him anymore. On closer inspection it felt a little heavier than he remembered and there was certainly something else off about it, running his hands across its edges he realised that this emerald was far flatter than prior emeralds and had a more symmetrical design; no pointed bottom. The cut was completely different than the emeralds he had used before… was that normal? He shook it around a little but the heat wasn't dissipating.
Shrugging, assuming that since the energy had been similar it'd likely work either way, he began to contemplate going back to the past. He still had no idea why the world had ended; the last few attempts (while it was nice being around folk) had been a waste of time. No improvement on the future's situation, everything had been left the same. Was there any reason to go back outside loneliness and the want of a meal? If he wasn't cautious he could go back and mess something up, maybe the world would get worse… well, perhaps not if he went back immediately after he last left. That way he'd probably not encounter whatever destroyed the world too. It'd be a little awkward to show up so soon after leaving but time travel always was, keeping his age in check had always been difficult… granted he wasn't sure when he'd been born, he was pretty sure he was still fourteen? Shaking his head, trying to find another reason to go to the past the song returned his mind… the song he could hardly remember now was nagging at him. His brow furrowed, he scratched his quills as he tried to remember.
Alone in a flame-filled world, a song stuck in your head that you can't even remember. As if things weren't bad enough. "Well," Silver looked to the gleaming crystal in his hand, "I suppose a quick jump wouldn't do too much harm, listen to it a couple more times just to get it out of my head… get some meals, maybe meet with Amy and Tails." He headed for the opening in the side of his flat, held the grey crystal aloft, body wrapped in his psychokinetic energy, focused on a time he'd like to be; "Chaos control!" The crystal began to pulse and gleam, radiating brightness as the crystal's heat increased again. But there was no change outside that. Silver remained exactly where he had been, now much brighter crystal in hand. He cringed a little; glad this hadn't happened when he left Sonic's time when he'd tried to leave. Creating portals was how he did it, naturally Silver didn't want to take an emerald away from the past or leave an additional one there lest it create further problems. Usually it meant the emeralds, by their own volition or otherwise, weren't where he left them on his return. Still… this was weird, not even a portal appearing then petering out? He'd done one just a couple days ago, it wasn't as if he was rusty.
Raising it again, feeling the warmth in his palm, he closed his eyes. "Chaos… control!" The crystal lit up brighter, the light a fiery orange, and he could feel a heat building but still there was no portal. Silver bore his teeth, brow deeply furrowed, and held the emerald in both hands; psychokinetic energy crackling off both him and it, "Chaos…con…troll!"
This time something did happen. The crystal burst free from his hands, an aura of flame surrounding it. Before he could even react with his energy the emerald was before him, the heat unbelievable, before it imploded upon itself; the flames vanishing inward and in their place a hole forming before him with the emerald at its centre. He had no intent to entre, what with how strange it had been, but he felt a force pulling him up and into the portal… almost like gravity itself was pulling him to fall forward. He braced but the pull was too strong, as he fell the crystal fell with him; giving off heat and sparking with energy as they tumbled down for but a moment before crashing into a body of cold water. His mouth had been open when he fell, water filled his system! He'd never had to swim before, he was from a burning future where water was scarce. He forced a psychic bubble around himself but, being underwater, it was naturally full of water. He saw the emerald sinking before him and reached out to it, grasping it and trying to focus, trying to open another portal… only for darkness to take him before he could. He passed out, crystal in hand, adrift at sea.
Blaze shot up straight in bed, a low rumbling somewhere in her room had awoken her. Throwing back the covers her palms opened wide, flames igniting within them. Her room was now lit, there was nowhere for an intruder to hide, she bore fangs as she scanned; ears flicking as the sound continued to ebb. She stood up, releasing the flame in her left hand; she had noticed the sound's source but the danger level hadn't lowered. She had been awoken by a disturbance in the Sol Emeralds; the eight crystals were under lock and key, embedded in the wall of her bedchamber for the optimum protection. She approached the display, sending glares throughout the room, her ears still twitching. As she approached the display she was able to identify the cause, it was not that all the crystals were sounding; only the centre one, teal in colouration. She brought her left hand to it, still on edge, attempting to push it deeper into its slot only to find it pushed back. Deeply puzzled but more so concerned she donned her regular attire, taking the keys and unlocking the teal sol emerald; snatching it out of the air as it rocketed toward the opposing wall. Something was calling to this emerald and there was no time to lose, with the world very much asleep she kept a tight clutch on the emerald and quickly made her way out of the castle… the emerald was pulling harder the further she went from where it wanted, but it was the only way out.
Having made it outside she set off without hesitation, more than prepared for a fight as she vaulted and dashed her way through the city. She quickly discerned that the crystal was pulling her toward the north beach, the beach closest to the Castle fortunately, though she was unsure whether it wished her to take it to another island. Regardless she was sure Marine would aid her if it was truly required, this was serious business after all and the Racoon had an ever-present thirst for adventure.
Arriving at the beach she felt the tug of the emerald weaken, she hoped this meant they were growing near. She expanded the flame in her left hand, creating a torch to better scan the empty beach. Lifeguard's chair, abandoned toys and sandcastles… there was nothing too suspicious. Blaze could sense it though, to now; having been around the Sol emeralds her entire life she could tell when one was near… but all of them had been securely locked up. Advancing with caution, still fully prepared to fight, she noticed a body, lying face down in the sand some distance from the wave's edge. Expanding the flame even further, detecting the presence of a sol emerald, she shouted; "Show yourself, rise! You are in the presence of the princess." But there was no response, no movement and no sound. This person could very well have drowned but it could very well be a trap, she threw her flame around her person; hovering like a halo. Arriving at the body she gently turned it over, immediately recognising the figure in the firelight.
They had met perhaps a handful of times, once at an amusement park and secondly at one of Sonic's birthday, made idle chatter… as well as Blaze made idle chatter, he'd mostly taken the lead. Regardless, outside her initial surprise to see him, she didn't hesitate; pocketing the teal sol emerald she gripped his shoulders and shook him; calling out, "Wake up! Are you alright?" Only to no response. She pulled his eye open yet his eye refused to react, put a finger to his neck and felt no pulse, passed a hand over his mouth and felt only weak breath. This was bad. She knew she'd have to resuscitate him to stand any chance, she'd spotted the emerald but a life came first.
Pushing down on his chest she realised that under the fur he was much thinner than she'd anticipated, bordering on unhealthily, but there was no time to think about that. She kept pushing in the practiced manner, counting as she did so, but his limp body wasn't responding.
Prying open his jaw, giving it a cursory glance to be sure there were no signs of poison or clear infection, she heaved a breath and administered the kiss of life; pushing air back into his lungs through mouth to mouth. Though there was some redness on her cheeks, it was a stretch more gross than romantic. He was cold and very wet, not to mention on death's door if not passed it.
She pulled back and began to push down again only for a splutter and cough to come from beneath her as she pulled back, eyelids but eyes were struggling to focus. A faint blue began to light the surrounding area, radiating out from Silver's gloves as he began to shift. Immediately he attempted to sit up but Blaze placed a heavy hand atop his chest fur, her brows lowered, as she looked him in the eye. She spoke loudly and clearly, "It's in your best interests to remain still and regain your breath, you're lucky the emerald called out to you otherwise you could be dead. Take rest for now, try not to hurt yourself."
The Princess kept her eyes glued to Silver; she kept her ears pointed, listening out for an attacker and a hand on his chest. She did all this in an attempt to appear commanding, as it was for his own good… yet while she would have done this for any of her citizens, passed out on the beach, there was something nagging at her. More than it usually did around this Silver character, a hedgehog from the future; a fact the kept creeping into her mind every time the word silver was used in her presence; as a colour or a metal. Her hand was lingering on his chest in an attempt to dominate the situation, and yet… rather than pressing hard if felt relaxed atop his chest fur. Far more soothing than she intended it to be, it wasn't as though she was still trying to care for him. Snatching her hand away she reached down, collecting the emerald that lay next to him.
Silver's head was still spinning, the world around him was pitch black sans the glowing exception before him; a purple cat he had met once or twice but had always seemed familiar. He forced himself to sit up, scared he might throw up. He knew her name was Blaze, that had stuck in his head and refused to leave, but… was she a princess? He was quite certain he'd heard that she was a princess, but that always seemed to slip his mind, just like the fact that she was from another dimension than he and Sonic's own. He guessed she just didn't look like a princess to him, despite her apparently being one… the way he was thinking right now, it was probably the result of drowning more than anything. Her hand had just been on his chest, had she kissed him? Was… could princesses bring people back form the dead by kissing them? Why was his mouth a different wet than the rest of him? He had so many questions, most importantly whether he was in another dimension… but currently he was much too full of seawater to even try and ask them. He felt himself about to fall back again, not only backward but back into unconsciousness, only to feel a hand on his back; now propping him up straight.
"Just keep breathing, I've got some questions for you and I'd rather you didn't die please." Blaze was rubbing circles on his back, being so close to another person (let alone this person in particular he already felt a weird connection with) was certainly keeping him conscious. He hadn't had contact from another person since he came back to sonic's time, high fives and hugs and such, it was always nice but a little embarrassing.
With a splutter and a cough he responded; "I'd rather not die to, so hey we can work together on this one. Then again you can just kiss me and bring me back right?"
He felt a heat on his back, the rubbing paused momentarily, "It was simply CPR, and I hope you did not get the wrong idea. It's not a good kind of kiss so please, lets avoid it if we can, it'd be naïve of you to seek out kisses in such a way. If you feel up to it I do have some questions for you."
There was another splutter from Silver but he nodded the go ahead, giving her a thumbs up. His fur was starting to dry from the heat that surrounded her, he thought he'd be more scared of fire being from a burning future but her flames were almost comforting in a warm radiator in a cold room kind of way. He leaned back into her gasp.
"First of all, why did you come here?"
"I didn't really mean to, I was trying to get back to the past… there's this song I had stuck in my head that I forgot so I thought I'd just go back there to remember it and well… something went wrong, please don't tell the others. They seem to think I have a handle on things." Silver had now almost completely returned to his senses; he could see Blaze clearly in the firelight and that they were on a beach somewhere. Shooting a glance to the sky above and the hanging stars. "Sure is pretty out here though, is the sky always like this? It's so… well it's a lot of space."
That was certainly one way to put it. The island kingdom was dark at night, with low levels of light pollution, and so the sky above was awash in spirals and simmering orbs. A crescent moon hung above them, consolations Silver didn't even know of forming in his mind like connect the dots puzzles.
"You're… very naïve you know that? You've just drowned, apparently been flung into a world parallel to your own, and yet immediately you're looking to the stars?" Blaze frowned, her hand moving from his back to supporting him via shoulder.
"Well I mean… look at it; it's beautiful." Silver smiled clambering to his feet, he felt the half tug of Blaze try to keep him down but was feeling quite recovered. He extended a hand to help her up, almost subconsciously, still looking up to the cosmos. "It's the kind of sky I like to look upon almost as good as a sunset or- or a blue sky with no clouds."
There was a pause but Blaze did eventually take his hand, pulling herself to her feet. "I do suppose it'squite a nice skyline, but I have looked upon it all my life. I suppose that luxury isn't afforded in the future?"
"It's uhh… cloudier. A lot cloudier."
"I see…" Silver was pulled from his star watching by a rustling from Blaze, the emerald he had used to travel here in one hand she reached into her pocket and produced another holding them before her body. "When you-
There was a sudden shift in Blaze stance, as though the emeralds themselves had pulled her to stand straight, her hands went from being held palm up to palm down; her wrists crossed, her stance widened. Fire began to radiate from the two emeralds, looping in a figure eight around her hands. A look of fright crossed her face, ears flattened, she tried to pull away and tried to shift but it was as though her hands were locked in place; stuck atop the emeralds as they hovered in the air. "What did you do!? What are you doing?!"
"I'm not doing anything!" Without hesitation Silver lunged forward, psychokinetic energy glowing around the pair he attempted to tear the emeralds free but regardless of his attempts the hands refused to budge. He tried to pull back, prepared to use a blast of psychokinetic energy, only to find his hands were now stuck beneath hers; on the emeralds. The fire now raged around them, the sand beneath turning to glass, they looked into each other's eyes in fear and bewilderment.
From each of them, coloured bright gold, a projection of some kind emerged, a version of themselves similar to themselves… but not quite the same. From Blaze came a Silver, from Silver came a Blaze. They passed over the Sol emeralds and into their respective counterparts. Immediately the flames were snuffed, a detonation from the emeralds separated the pair; throwing them backwards. Both crystals fell to the ground, clattering together on a silent beach.
There was a beat of noiselessness as the two recovered from the shock, physical, mental… and eventually emotional.
Blaze was first to rise, wide eyes penetrating the dark and looking to him... small flames flickered from her, not just her hands but all over her body. Silver, still quite waterlogged, slowly pulled himself up, tears in his eyes and a wide smile beneath. There was no disguising the strong emotions he was feeling, a raw expression with meaning behind it, but in practice his face was very red and it was a struggle to stay on his feet. Blaze saw to it that this was a struggle he'd lose; sweeping him off them. Being around the same height this was quite the feat, Silver ending up raised by his legs with his back supported; a mix of his own tears coating his chest fur… and quite a lot of hers.
"It feels like its been so long… it feels like I've been missing a part of me without knowing. It's finally returned, you're finally back, Silver!" She was trying to hold back her emotions, but there were cracks Silver now knew far too well. The shaking, the lip biting, the way the flames that surrounded her seemed to be blowing in a gale; flickering back and forth.
He threw his arms around her, and much less eloquently shouted; "IT'S BEEN TOO LONG I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Before bawling his eyes out into her, "I WAS ALONE AND TH-THE FUTURE'S STILL RUINED AND-AND-
He broke down into a sobbing mess, fighting through his body struggling to recover, Blaze to dropping to her knees as they settled into a hugging position. "I-It's alright Silver, you can come with me now. W-We can be together again, I've got so much to show you. Th-There's so much we can do. I have a lot of work to do, it sound like you do too… but we don't have to do it alone again. I'm not leaving again, I promise. I promise you Silver, we'll never part again."
And with that the two truly broke down, clinging to each other lest the world pull them apart again. Weeping into each other's arms about a time they could never morn until now, crying about their long forced separation.