Sonilver: written as a gift to someone on another website.

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Water, such an abundance of water, cascades down the cliff in sheets of blue and sprays of white foam, roaring as it falls and splashes into the lake. Sitting by the shore, kneeling in soft green grass, and suddenly Silver is just hit with the beauty of it all. The absurdity. So much life, so much water, so much colour – all in one place. Soft pale flower buds, bottomless blue sky, and… all these creatures. Chao, was it?

They're so tiny.

"This," Sonic says, returning from wherever he went, and Silver glances up- "Is Vortex!" –and he's holding one of those small creatures. It's blue and flecked with green, with a little halo and small wings. Sonic grins and flops down to sit next to Silver – but then he tries to hand Silver the little- Vortex, Vortex it was-

(and that's Not Good)

"I don't want to hold it!" Silver exclaims, a bit panicky. Blazes, what if he accidentally hurt it?

"Ah, that's fine," Sonic says, smiling still, and puts Vortex on the ground instead. Silver stares at the little thing, which stares back for a moment. And then it loses interest, and Sonic says, "You've ever seen chao before?"

…Was it that obvious? "No. They're… extinct in my timeline." He really needs to stop saying that. 'My timeline'. It's not his timeline anymore – he belongs here, now, with Sonic. He's fixed the future. (Now he just needs to forget it…)

-It's like Sonic knew what he was thinking, when next he says, "Just gotta enjoy what we have now, here, don't we?" Eyes twinkling, grin mischievous. Silver looks and thinks, and then he doesn't have to decide, because Sonic leans in to peck his cheek, and Silver slings an arm around his waist. Sonic lets out a short burst of laughter, Silver smiles at once full of joy, and it's-

Yes. This is the timeline he would save, again and again.

And this is the person he would save it with.

(They'll save the Chao, too)