School was finally over. Dozens of school boys scrambled out of the building like there's a fire. Chris walked out last, and waited for his ride to come. He saw his cousin Carter had already left. As Chris stood, he heard a beep from somewhere. He turned around and saw his Uncle Sam and grandpa Chuck waving to him in topless car.

"Hey Chris! Let's go!" Sam called. "Unless time froze here, I can't afford to sit here and wait all day! Let's go!" Chris rushed to the car and got in. "Hi Grandpa! Hi Uncle Sam!" He greeted as he put on his seatbelt.

"Hey! My boy!" Chuck replied.

"Hold on!" Sam said. He chuckled as he put the pedal to the metal. They went fast than the speed of sound!

"Whoa!" Chris exclaimed. Chuck grunted in alarm. Sam laughed in joy. They zoomed around the busy city, cruising. Cars beeped in the streets. The people were on the go.

"So, my boy. How was school?" Chuck asked his grandson.

"Huh? Oh, it was ok." Chris replied, worn out from today.

"Tough day?" Sam put in.

"Yeah." Chris admitted.

"School work harder?" Chuck asked.

"Well yeah, but mostly it's because of Carter." Chris responded.

"Did he give you a hard time?" Sam put in. Chris nodded.

"It's alright, Chris." Chuck consoled. "You know, when your father and uncle were boys, they used to constantly compete against each other at everything, I mean EVERYTHING! Basketball, bicycle racing, even at good table manners! HA HA HA! You should have seen them when they were at the lemonade stand. They were bickering about whose lemonade was best and who had the better prices! HA HA HA! Sibling rivalries these days!"

"I don't think it's the same, Grandpa. It seemed that no matter what I do, he's always picking on me. It's like he's angry at me or something."

"Don't let him get to you, buddy!" Sam advised. "Someday, maybe he'll grow tired of it and decide to bury the hatchet with you! I know I did with my sister! HA HA HA!"

"Hmm." Chris looked out his passenger window. He saw a couple of kids running, a church whose bell tolled, a couple riding in a horse carriage, a man bicycling, a band trying to earn some change, a man walking a group of dogs, and a woman carrying groceries. A flock of pigeons flew off and travelled through the city. Nearby, Tails and the ladies were concluding their shopping spree.

"You're going too fast, Sam! Slow down!" Chuck nagged.

"Relax! I'm going the speed limit. I know what I'm doing!" Sam retorted.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Chuck pestered Sam about driving. Nearby, an unsuspectingly silver hedgehog entered the street where...

"AAH! LOOK OUT!" Chris screamed as he pointed ahead.

Chuck and Sam looked up ahead. "Huh? Aah!" Sam screamed as he stepped on the brakes. On the road ahead was Silver! He saw the car coming and yelled in alarm. The car hastily spun in a different direction...WHACK! The rear of the car hit the stunned yelling hedgehog who was sent flying and crashed through the garbage cans in the ally! Sam's car crashed into a fruit stand! The seller yelled in panic and fled. Melons and fruits splattered on the paint job! Sam, Chuck, and Chris panted hard after they went through this. The city folks gasped in shock after they saw what happened.

"MY CAR!" Sam shouted.

"MY MELONS!" The seller screamed.

"Holy Moley!" Chuck exclaimed. He turned over. "Chris, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine!" Chris answered. He then remembered that the silver hedgehog may be hurt. "But that poor guy...I gotta help!" He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, exited the car, and ran to Silver's aide. The people gathered around near the scene, wondering what happen.

"Did you see that?" They commented,

"He just hit a hedgehog!"

"Are you crazy, Sam?!" Chuck bellowed. "Gee Whiz! What were you trying to do, you crazy kook?! Kill somebody?! Just look what you've done!" He stood up, glaring. The people stared at them accusingly, muttering.

"It...it-it was a accident!" Sam stammered. "I-I didn't mean to, Man! I...I didn't even see that guy! He-he just came out of nowhere!" He slapped his head. Both were now arguing whose fault is it.

Chris ran to the ally. He searched through the trash cans. He found the stunned Silver who groaned in pain. Chris leaned over him. "Hey, hey are you okay? Say something!" He shook the stunned hedgehog.

Silver painfully opened his eyes and saw Chris for the first time. "...OW!...I'm okay." He muttered.

Chris smiled in relief. "Phew! I'm glad!"

"Huh?" Silver stared at Chris. The boy strongly bore a resemblance of his older human friend back at the future, Israel, except his hair is short and he doesn't have a bandage or a scar. Silver even had a flashback of him. For all he know, Chris could be Israel's 12-year-old ancestor!

"Israel?" Silver uttered.

"Pardon me?" Chris responded.

Silver shook his head. "Ohh...Nothing, sorry. It's just...You just remind of someone else."

Chris helped him up. "That's okay. I'm just glad you okay. Sorry about my uncle. He can be reckless sometimes but he's cool."

Silver patted himself of the dust. "What was that thing you're riding on?"

"You mean that car? My uncle's a race-car driver. He loves speed. He's also the leader the S-Team whose job is to protect the city from crime doers."

"Really? That's amazing! What's a race car driver?"

"You don't know what a race car is? It's a car that runs really fast. My Uncle Sam collects them. He wouldn't keep one if it isn't fast enough to beat a certain hedgehog."

"I've seen a car before," Silver said out loud. "But I had never actually seen it run ever."

"Huh?" Chris inquired.

"Nothing," Silver replied.

"Come on, I'll help you!" Chris grabbed Silver's hand and escorted him out of the ally. He is unaware that the hedgehog is from the future.

"By the way, I'm Christopher Thorndyke, but you can call me Chris. What's your name?" Chris asked.

"Um, Silver." The psychic hedgehog replied.

"That's a nice name. Nice to meet you, Silver." Chris led his new friend out of the ally and returned to his grandpa and uncle. They were cleaning the car up. The seller grumpily picked up his spilled fruits, grumbling bitterly.

"Is he alright, Chris?" Chuck asked.

"He's okay," Chris replied.

"Sorry about that, kid!" Sam apologized. "I guess I should have watched where I was going."

"You think?" Chuck asked him.

"Hey, guys!" Amy cried from a distance. She and her friends arrived at the scene.

"We saw the whole thing!" Tails said. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything fine now, you guys!" Chris said, waving.

"Oy! I keep telling you that someday, his reckless speeding is going to get anybody in a jam!" Ella said.

"I'm just glad nobody's hurt!" Vanilla said.

"Who's your new friend, Chris?" Cream asked.

"Huh?" Silver looked up when she said the word "friend".

"Everyone, this is Silver. Silver The Hedgehog." Chris introduced his silver new friend.

"Hello, Silver!" Said everyone.

"Ha, Ha! It seems like all the other animals have unusual names. Sonic...Knuckles...Big..and now Silver!" Chuck said.

"I can see why you're called 'Silver'," Sam said, eyeing his coat.

"Just look at that shining coat!" Vanilla said.

Did she just called me a friend? Silver thought.

"What a pretty name! And it suits you well." Ella added.

Tails shook Silver's hand, "nice to meet you, Silver." He said. "My name's Tails!"

Silver eyed on his twin tails. "I can see why. Nice to meet you, too, Tails."

Cream hugged the silver hedgehog. "And I'm Cream," she said. "And this is my buddy, Cheese!" Cheese chirped in acquaintance.

"Hello, Cream. Hello, Cheese." Silver responded.

"And I'm Amy Rose," the pink hedgehog greeted him lastly. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Uh...just arrived," Silver answered.

"Welcome to Solaropolis!" Amy answered.

"Uh thank you..." Silver replied. He wasn't expecting some people to be friendly to him.

"Well, I'm starved," Chuck said. "Who's up for pizza?"

"Yeah!" Everyone except Silver cheered.

"I hear there's a great pizza joint in town!" Sam said. "Hop in my car and I'll take you!"

"Sounds good!" Chris said.

"Yay! I love pizza!" Cream said happily. Cheese chirped in glee.

"Me too!" Tails added. "Especially the gooey cheesy ones!"

"Shopping can certainly build up your appetite!" Amy said.

"Would you like to join us, Silver?" Chuck offered.

"Well, that depends...What's a pizza?" Silver inquired.

Everyone chuckled as if Silver is joking.

"That's good one!"

"Real funny!" But apparently, Silver wasn't joking. In his dark timeline, he had never even seen a slice of pizza in his life.

"Wait, you're serious?" Amy said.

"You know, it's a pie with almost everything on it." Chris construed.

"What's pie?" The hedgehog was still confused.

"Ah ha ha! You're really killing us, Silver," Chris said. "Surely you must be hungry."

At his answer, Silver's stomach began to growl in hunger. He blushed in embarrassment as he clenched his stomach. "I guess I do feel pretty empty."

The rest of the gang got in Sam's car.

Chris dragged the confused Silver in the car. "Come on then, let's go!"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Before Silver could protest, the car took off. Eggman was spying on them secretly. "Hmmm..."

Elsewhere, Topaz and Rouge were taking a well deserved time-off, window shopping. They were licking pistachio ice cream cones while passing a solar electronic store and a jewelry shop. "My, look at all this cool stuff!" Rouge exclaimed. "So many sparkling stuff! They're just as beautiful and glamorous as me."

Topaz browsed around the solar electronic on sale set out on selling stands, gazing at those gadgets. Alarm clocks, radios, (a song was playing in one of them) toys that move in the sunlight, batteries, phones, everything. "Wow! Everything here is solar charged!" She said. "That's why they called it 'the City of Tomorrow'. The whole world would be saved from pollution at this rate."

Rouge came up to her with a flier. "Check this out, Topaz!" She held it to her. "Robert Thorndyke, head of Solar Tech. Corporation is throwing a formal charity ball at the palace. Isn't that where we supposed to go by orders of the President?"

Topaz took the the flier from her. "Yes," she replied. "Hmm...interesting. This Robert hunk has the same last name as the one from Station Square." Behind her, Decoe and Bocoe were eavesdropping behind merchandise table. Bocoe knocked over a radio and broke it. "Oops!" He mumbled. The man behind the table approached them, cleared his throat, and demanded payment. "You break it, you buy it." He stated. The robots tittered nervously.

"I hear that they're brothers," Rouge said. "I'm surprised that they haven't formed together in one big Thorndyke Corporation. For I what hear, that big brother got a rare treasure rumored he's going to be unveiling tonight at his ball tonight. So we're going there and getting that treasure!" She munched on her cone and the two girls clasped hands of teamwork.

Silver found himself seated at the pizzeria with a group of strangers he doesn't even know. He looked up from the menu. Chuck was ordering a large pepperoni pizza, "that would be fine, thank you." The gang chatted with each other happily while Silver sat there quietly in puzzle.

What am I doing? He thought, scratching his head. I'm sitting here with a bunch of strangers when I'm supposed to be looking for the Iblis Trigger. He looked at his newfound friends. I don't even know them. Yet, they're being nice to me. But why? He wasn't expecting any kindness from anybody since he after all, came from the dark future.

"Hey Silver!" Chris interrupted his thought.

"Huh?" Silver answered, blinking.

"What do you think which will win?" Chris asked. "Tails' X Tornado or the G.U.N. aircraft?"

"G.U.N. aircraft? What's that?" Silver asked.

"You don't know what an aircraft is?" Tails asked with surprise. "Haven't you ever seen one?"

"Nah, I can't say I have," Silver answered. True, he never seen an airplane of his life during his dark timeline.

"Boy, you don't get out much, do you?" Amy said.

Silver looked around and saw that people were pouring a shaker of salt on their food. He grabbed one on his table and dumped some in his mouth. Everybody stared at him in amazement.

"Mmmmm..this white stuff isn't too bad!" He said, consuming the salt. "Crunchy, bitter, but tasty. What do you call this stuff?" Everybody eyeballed at the mysterious hedgehog in shock and distaste.

"Uhh...Silver...that's...salt." Chris blurted out in aversion. "And I don't think you're supposed to eat it like that."

"Uh-huh...Whatever." Silver replied, continuing salting his tongue.

He sure is strange, Tails thought. Who is he?

He's definitely weird, Amy thought. But then again, he's...kinda cute! Not as cute as Sonic!

"Hey, look! The pizza's here!" Ella announced.

The waiter placed the large plate of hot fresh pepperoni pizza and ten glasses of milkshake on the table. The gang looked at it with hunger.

"That looks good!"

"Yummy!"

"Everybody dig in!" They all each grabbed a slice and pigged out.

Silver just looked at it in curiosity. He'd never seen food like this in his dark future.

"What are you waiting for, Silver?" Chris said, slurping on the cheese of his slice. "Help yourself!"

"Are you sure it's okay to take it?" Silver asked unsurely.

"Of course!" Amy said, knifing her slice. "Go ahead, it's free!"

"Free? I was paying for it!" Sam said, gnawing at the tip.

"It's really, really, good!" Cream added, holding her slice. Cheese chirped in agreement, feasting on a pepperoni.

"Go on, it won't bite!" Ella said.

Silver slowly picked up the pizza by the crust. He looked at the dangling and the dining others and placed the cheesy tip into his mouth. "Aah! HOT HOT HOT!" He cried out in pain. The slice slipped out of his hands and splatted on the floor. He yelped so loud, people turned and noticed. His friends stared at him when he grabbed the milkshake glass and hoisted fast. He suddenly felt sharp pain in his head! "Ow! My brain!" He shouted. Everyone in the restaurant, including waiters and chefs turned and stared.

"He's got brain freeze!" Tails cried.

"Swallow it!" Amy said.

Silver gulped it down and then rapidly pounded on his chest as if trying to relieve some gas.

"Take it easy!" Chris advised him, rubbing the hedgehog's back. Chuck and Sam watched in bewilderment. Silver breathed deeply as the pain in his chest is gone. "You alright?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Silver gasped.

"Poor guy!" Chuck said.

"What a esophagus!" Sam exclaimed.

Cream chuckled quietly. "I like him. He's kind of funny."

"Now, dear, let's not be rude." Vanilla said.

"Sorry, I meant in a good way. He seems really sweet!" Cream said.

"He does look rather sweet." Vanilla agreed.

Suddenly, one of the waiters slipped on the pizza on the floor and tilted over the cart full of desserts. Cakes and tarts flew up in the air.

"Look out!" A waitress cried.

The desserts were about to splatter in the floor! The gang gasped. Ella screamed. Suddenly, Silver stood up on his chair, eyes glowing again, and caught the desserts with his ESP before they could hit the floor! The people looked up, astonished.

"Oh my goodness!" Ella exclaimed.

"Whoa!" The gang awed. Silver placed the cakes back on the cart, all neatly in order.

"Phew! That was close, huh?" He said.

Chris was astonished by his amazing abilities. "Wow, how did you that?" He asked.

"Do what?" Silver replied, hands and eyes ceased glowing.

"Make the cakes fly and not get messy?" Cream said.

"You didn't even touched them!" Tails added.

"Oh, I, uh, just lifted them up by using my mind," Silver explained. "I can move things around in the air just by thinking about it."

"ESP," Chuck analyzed. "Extrasensory perception. Amazing brain ability."

"That's amazing!" Amy extolled.

"Cool!" Exclaimed Chris.

"How about that? We got a psychic in here!" Sam said. Silver scratched his head modestly.

"Where are you from, Silver?" Chuck asked.

"A lot of places." Silver answered.

"Are you traveler, Silver?" Tails asked.

Silver shrugged and cocked his head. "You can say that."

"Where exactly were you born?" Amy asked

"I...can't tell you." Silver hesitated.

"Huh?" Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean you can't tell us?" Chris asked. "What's up, Silver?"

"Well, it's a little complicated. You see, I..." Silver began to say.

"Actually, we don't see." Chuck interrupted. "Explain yourself, young man."

Silver shook his head no. "I can't. It's top secret. Sorry." Everyone looked at each other, wondering what's up.

"Actually, the truth is, I'm looking for something called, 'Iblis Trigger'."

"Huh?" Everyone uttered.

"'Iblis Trigger'?" Chris inquired.

"What's the Iblis Trigger, Mama?" Cream asked her mother.

"I don't know, dear!" Vanilla replied.

"Sounds scary!" Cream said. Cheese chirped.

"I'm not sure we follow you, Silver," Chuck said. "Though the name sounds familiar."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sam asked.

"Uh, no thanks, guys!" Silver replied, hopping of his chair. "This is something I gotta handle on my own!"

"That's fine, Silver," Ella said. "We should be heading back to the palace anyway. You guys need to get ready for tonight."

"Right!" Everyone agreed.

"Get ready for what?" Silver asked. "What's tonight?"

Everyone stood up.

"My uncle's throwing a charity ball at his castle tonight." Chris answered. "Not this uncle, my other uncle. My dad's brother."

"He runs the solar-powered machinery company." Sam added.

"My eldest son will also be revealing his most prized treasure that's supposed to be more valuable than any other gemstone in the world," Chuck said. "Not to mention more powerful than a Chaos Emerald!"

Tails spat out his milkshake in shock. Everyone was stunned by his words.

"Really?!" Cream proclaimed.

"More powerful than the Chaos Emeralds?!" Amy exclaimed.

"How could that be?" Tails cried.

"We'll just have to find out tonight," Chuck said.

Silver was just as surprised. What? Another gem? More powerful than the Chaos Emerald?! That didn't show out in the data room! He hastily ran out the door. "Yeah, I'm sorry!" He said. "I really have to go!"

"Will we see you again, Silver?" Chris asked.

"Maybe..." Silver answered dubiously. "Later!" He took off at psychic speed!

The gang were awed that the mysterious silver hedgehog could also fly with his ESP.

"Did you see what I just saw?" Tails said in marvel.

"Yes, but I don't believe it!" Vanilla answered in surprise.

"That's something you don't see everyday!" Chuck added.

"He may be mysterious, but he's pretty cool!" Chris said. "I wonder what's it like to fly like that?"

At the pizza restaurant, Eggman and his henchmen were also dining at the table, absorbing every word they heard.

"Did you hear that?" Eggman whispered to his robots. "They will be hosting a magical gemstone at that charity ball! More magical than a Chaos Emerald!"

"Amazing!" Decoe said.

"You can say that again!" Bocoe added.

"Mmm! Ice cream and cake!" Mumbled Bokkun, stuffing his face in a ice cold chocolate dessert.

"Come, my slacking morons! We must retreat to the hidden lair and see what information we collected!" Eggman ordered. "Check, please!"