Glimmer
Prologue
It was a long drive ahead; a confusing road to travel. She sat, shotgun, in the truck as he drove late into the night. To keep each other from falling asleep, they would engage in conversation every now and then.
"Will you be alright when you get there?"
"Of course I will," she lit a flame in her hand as she said it, to demonstrate her strength,"I can take care of myself."
Then there was silence, as there had been before. Yet outside of their truck, the crickets sang a symphony over the night; with the bullfrogs in the lake as drums, and the fireflies as silent dancers. It was the greatest music ever to be played.
The paved road ahead of their truck was nearly vacant, with only an occasional passing vehicle. Each time one went by, Silver would ask her," What do you think they're doing out so late?" She would look out the window, smile to herself, and reply," What are we doing out so late?" She knew the answer, but what else was she to say? He would laugh a little, and the silence would return.
He, presently, picked the conversation up again. "You want the radio on?"
She questioned this in her mind. "Maybe. Not too loud."
He turned it up; some kind of quiet pop, not boisterous but endearing. Hard to find and memorable.
He turned his head, only for a moment, to see if she was ok with it.
She nodded to him, going back to gazing out the window.
He turned his head to watch the road.
She remembered the song in her heart, for the rest of the night. Maybe the rest of her life.
"So, do you want to catch a movie?"
"No. You know me, I don't care for those things."
"Would something more personal interest you?"
"With who?"
The bat huffed at him, as a playful reminder.
"Me, of course, you nasty thing."
The hedgehog knew it all along, but he still didn't humor her requests.
"For you, yes…but I won't. "
"Hardly makes sense, hon."
"I would do it for you. But it's unneeded."
"Let me guess- you have plans?"
"In my own way, yes."
She knew he would say that, and for the moment she soaked in the night around them.
The air was cold, but not unbearable; not bitter. She could tell Spring was coming soon, but was in no hurry. Like Shadow. She smirked at her comparison.
"Well, what are you doing tonight, then?"
He closed his eyes, and she knew he was becoming irritated, but only slightly.
"I'm going to sleep." -it was a joke, but an avoidance, too.
"Ha. Very funny. Can I sleep with you, then?"
"Inappropriate, aren't you?"
"I mean no harm by it."
He closed his eyes before answering again, and this time she knew it was due to something else.
"I know you don't." It was endearing.
She held out a hand, and he kissed it goodnight, just to be polite.
His softer side was touching.
She whispered a wish into the night and flew home, leaving it for him to have.
"Momma, will I ever be a grown-up like you?"
"Of course you will, dear. You're already getting so big."
"Really?"
The mother rabbit nodded, acknowledging what was still so surreal to herself. "Let me show you something."
She stood up and got a well-kept book from the shelf. "Come here, dear."
The little rabbit scrambled onto her mother's lap, as she sat down.
The grown-up flipped to a page. "See that little rabbit?"
Cream nodded.
"That was you, dear."
Cream gasped- a small, childish gasp that would some day be like her mother's. "Are you sure, Momma?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"I've grown that much? Really?"
"Why, yes, you have!"
Cream hopped up, giggling as she ran to get some crayons.
"I'm going to draw myself as a grown-up!"
Vanilla laughed, reminded of how much the young one had grown, and how quickly the years went by.
It almost brought her to tears, as her daughter began to draw.
He stayed awake long into the night, keeping watch over the large gem. He worked an unappreciated job, it seemed. Yet, it really made all the difference.
He watched the treetops dance in the midnight light. He watched the clouds drift against the sky's stage nearby. And he watched, with contentment, the island around that depended on him, or altogether it would stop dancing forever.
The scenery around smiled back at him, and he fell asleep, content.
A few legs dangled over the edge of the narrow bed, as the two slept together, in a disorganized heap. One's head on the other's chest, the other's arms on one's lap, and both of their hips in the same spot. Both of them slept soundly, chests rising and falling in steady rhythm.
The night seemed to watch over them, protectively, and the outside breeze whispered its lullaby.
It wasn't until hours later that they realized it. It wasn't until hours later that they remembered the night before clearly.
"Are you still awake?" Two aqua eyes looked at him, in their innocence and purity.
"Yeah, I'm up. What's buggin' ya?" The older brother sat up, criss-cross style.
"It's nothing. I just- I wanted to say I'm sorry for-"
"It's okay. I know you meant the best. Mechanics is a trial and error process, I know."
The kitsune smiled, bashfully, at the wooden floors.
Sonic patted the blue- sheeted bed in invitation.
"Hey, why don't you sleep over here tonight?"
"Why?"
"I don't know…you just reminded me of old times…when you used to come in here every night and say something like used to always come and sleep with me on those nights…I sometimes miss those times." His emerald eyes were reminescent; familiar in a comforting way.
Tails smiled at him. "Sure, Sonic."
The kitsune climbed into bed, as Sonic turned off the light, and settled down. Tails got beside him, and within minutes they were asleep, in their familiar heap.
It was never awkward for them, as they had been almost accustomized to it. Old memories practically stained in that place. Memories that even the outside world seemed to remember and cherish.
Times were changing, ever slowly but inevitably. Within a heartbeat, within a breath, maybe.
Yet, those soft memories stayed with them. Replayed in their minds, almost like they never left.
Even years later….
A/N: Adding another multi-chap to my list. Man, I need to update on Time Collapse, too. …Anyways, this is a prologue, kinda. Also, even though Silver's driving a truck, this story is NOT set in 'our' world or anything. It would just be weird for them to be walking. All characters belong to SEGA I own only the story.