The boat plunged into the darkness. For a moment Silver saw the core of the world below them, glowing and purple, pulsing like a dark heart, bigger and farther down than he could comprehend. He tightened his mental grip, keeping the boat from plunging down into the web of violet energy. In front of him White leaned forward, peering down in awe as they soared over nothingness. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but Silver cut him off.

"{I'll explain in a bit. Right now I need to focus.}"

White quickly clamped his mouth shut and went back to staring over the side of the boat. Ahead of them a dark mass loomed. Silver lifted the boat higher, carefully gauging where to land. It was always awe-inspiring to see the ocean floating ahead of him, a massive wall of supernaturally suspended water descending down to the distant ocean floor. What kept it from spilling over, he didn't know.

White's eyes went wide as the ocean rapidly approached, and he scrambled back as Silver maneuvered the boat to land on the surface of the water. Silver kept pushing the boat until they were a good distance from the edge, then finally released it with a huff. For a blissful moment there was silence as they floated in the darkness, made darker after seeing the light of the core.

"{Whoa,}" White said at last. He whirled around, eyes glowing. "{What was that? Where are we? All that water— Do you do this a lot? And what was that thing down there? Why was it purple? How—}"

"{If you'll be quiet a moment, I'll explain.}"

White clamped his mouth shut and leaned forward expectantly. Silver looked over his shoulder, where he could see the glow of the core spilling out of the crack they'd just crossed. The violet light cast the ocean in surreal, dreamlike shades. Beyond the light loomed the dark shape of the continental piece they'd just left behind.

"{The planet was split into pieces almost three hundred years ago," Silver explained. "{There are fourteen pieces, seven major and seven minor. The one we just left was the Burning Piece. Now we're on the Between Piece.}"

"{Creative names,}" White joked. Then he frowned. "{But you said it was split into pieces? Did someone break it or something?}"

Silver hesitated. Should he really tell this to a stranger? It wasn't exactly common knowledge, and might get both of them in trouble with greater forces. But after learning the real story, Silver had resolved to make sure everyone knew it. Everyone deserved to know the truth. And it wasn't like White had much of a chance of avoiding trouble anyway, not with how clearly he was marked by Iblis.

Silver leaned forward, lowering his voice. "{It used to be unified, a seamless globe. You could sail from one side of the world to another without having to worry about falling off. That was before the wolf.}"

His voice, though he tried to keep it low, felt far too loud in the dark night. It wasn't necessarily forbidden knowledge, but neither was it widely spread. Silver hoped to change that. He'd studied every piece of history he could find extensively, always wondering why his world was the way it was. He still didn't have all the answers, but he did at least have a general idea of the timeline, helped by his trips to the past. Most importantly, he knew it hadn't always been like this, didn't have to be like this. Some people had forgotten that.

White's ears perked up. "{The wolf?}"

"{They say he was a wolf,}" Silver said, remembering the old stories. Remembering an aged and cracked voice, echoing off the cavern walls, while an enthralled younger Silver leaned forward with wide eyes, the same way White was now. "{Green eyed and night-furred, a friend of the darkness. Long ago, there were two deities: Argus, the sea, and Iblis, the land. They battled for dominance, each wanting to reshape the world as they saw fit. Argus desired a world of water and darkness, and Iblis wanted unending light and land. For centuries upon centuries the world was kept in balance as they battled, because neither could defeat the other. They were evenly matched.}"

White cocked his head. "{But if you get rid of all the water or all the land, no one would be able to live. Didn't they know that?}"

"{They should have,}" Silver said. "{But they couldn't see each other's side, and they were blinded by rage and hate. They each believed the only perfect world would be one without the other.}"

White huffed. "{That's stupid. And what's the point of fighting if you can't ever win, anyway? Sounds like they needed a hobby. If I was them—}"

"{Do you want me to explain what happened or not?}" Silver demanded, cutting him off before he could go on a tangent.

"{I do!}" White insisted. "{I'll be quiet.}" He made a strange motion over his mouth with his fingers and then gave Silver an enthusiastic (and thankfully silent) thumbs up, though he continued wriggling impatiently in place. At least he was doing it quietly now.

"{Right.}" Silver shook himself, trying to get back into the groove of the story. He reached out with his telekinesis, pulling water from the nearby ocean, and shaped it into two drops, wrapping around each other to form a globe. He kept it hovering between his hands as he went on. "{For millennia they battled without either gaining an advantage over the other, and so the world survived with day and night, land and sea, in balance, as it should be. But then…}" his voice dropped low. "{Then came the wolf.}"

White leaned forward, eyes wide.

"{The wolf was a mortal, but a mortal gifted with great power by forces from beyond the heavens. He had the power to maintain the balance of the world… or destroy it.}" He clenched his fist, and one of the water drops burst, sending a spray of droplets over the floor of the boat and making White scramble backwards. "{After one of the battles between Argus and Iblis, the wolf found a weakened Argus and took pity on her. He bolstered her strength and helping her fight Iblis. But even with his help Argus was unable to win. The battle ended in a stalemate, so they returned to their slumber, as it should be.}" Silver reformed both drops, fixing the spherical shape.

"{So the wolf didn't do anything wrong,}" White concluded, relaxing slightly. "{He helped keep things in balance.}"

Silver looked at him gravely. "{Yes… except he didn't leave it there. In his time with the weakened Argus, the wolf had foolishly come to care for her. And more than that, he had come to hate Iblis for what he had done while empowered. The wolf was no longer balanced. Though Argus returned to her slumber, she knew of this weakness and encouraged it, whispering in his mind and in his dreams from the depths of the earth. The wolf became obsessed with resurrecting Argus and getting vengeance against Iblis. And… he succeeded.}" Silver flicked his hand in a slashing motion, and half of one of the droplets was thrown into the sea, leaving it far smaller than its counterpart. "{Argus awoke, and together she and the wolf defeated Iblis, reducing it to a single foothold in the world. Without Iblis to counter her power, Argus split the world into pieces, flooded it, and plunged it into eternal night, just as she had always desired.}" The globe of water split into pieces, then broke apart entirely, falling like rain on the floor of the boat.

"{And the wolf?}"

Silver shrugged. "{He was mortal. He died eventually. Whether he realized the mistake he had made or remained twisted by Argus, no one knows.}"

White sat back, frowning. "{That story sucks.}"

Silver snorted. "{I didn't write it. My… guardian told me.}" He felt a twist of old grief and forced it away.

"{But Iblis is still alive?}"

"{Yes. He's back there, waiting for his chance to get revenge against Argus.}" Silver gestured over his shoulder at the aptly named Burning Piece they'd just come from.

"{So get Iblis to bring the day back,}" White suggested eagerly. "{Then it wouldn't be so dark all the time!}"

Silver shook his head. "{Iblis has been stewing in bitterness and hatred for centuries. If he was let out now, he'd burn the world to ash.}" He sighed and looked up at the dark sky overhead. "{Even if our world is dark and cold, we can at least survive in it. Argus prefers to keep to herself, watching from afar. As long as no one tries to take her power or give Iblis strength, she leaves us alone. Iblis would not be so kind.}"

White mused over that for a moment. "{That's stupid,}" he declared at last. "{It doesn't sound like either of them is happy! They should just talk it out like normal people.}"

"{It's been too long,}" Silver said. "{They're too full of bitterness and hate to see any other way.}"

White flattened his ears, crossing his arms. "{So what, you just… accept things have to be this way?}"

"{Most people do. It's the way things are.}"

White cocked his head. "{But not you?}"

Silver looked away. "{I've been trying. But the solution isn't easy. I'm not sure there is one.}"

"{Of course there is one,}" White said, puffing his mane up. "{There's always another way!}"

Silver smiled. "{I hope so.}"

White smiled back, then shifted restlessly. "{Are we almost there? Where are we going, anyway? This is taking forever.}"

"{Boat travel usually does. That's why we're going to the village. We're going to get a pilot.}"

White's ears swiveled forward. "{A pilot?}"

Silver nodded. "{Aerial travel will take us between pieces faster. I'm friends with a pilot—}" in training "{—who should be in the village we're going to.}" He leaned to the side to look around White's bushy mane. "{Speaking of which, we're almost there.}"

White shifted around to look, and Silver was reminded of just how conspicuous he was. The clothes really weren't helping much.

"{Crouch down, I don't want you drawing too much attention.}"

White didn't seem to be listening, bounding to the front of the boat and leaning forward to get a better look at the sight in front of them. Silver sighed. Well, if something was going to attack them because of White's headache-inducing glow, it probably would have by now.

Bioluminescent cyan mushrooms, growing on coral just below the water's surface, created a circle of light ahead of them. As they approached, the creatures in the water below became visible, drawn to the surface by the mushrooms's glow. Fish and eels flashing bioluminescent patterns slipped through a phosphorescent kelp forest. A glowing manta ray cut a shining trail, and White jumped back with a squeak of alarm as a shark bumped against the boat, luminous red stripes cutting down its sides. Ahead of them limestone stilts became visible, jutting out of the sea to support a wide stone platform. On top of the platform was a mass of closely packed huts, illuminated by carefully maintained pots of gleaming bamboo and paperwhites, while luminous moss, vines, and orchids crawled over the roofs. Mangrove trees with glowing yellow and red flowers sprawled beneath and around the platform, seabirds shuffling in their branches.

"{Who goes there?}" A voice called in Spanish as Silver guided the boat towards the "dock", a woven kelp raft tied to one of the stilts and connected to the village by a rope ladder. A bat leaned over the edge of the platform above, squinted down suspiciously. "{Silver? Who's with you?}"

"{A friend,}" Silver called back, tying his boat to the nearest stilt and hopping onto the woven platform. Or I hope he's a friend.

Silver was beginning to like White, constant chatter aside, but he couldn't ignore his blinding light. It was a purer light than that of Iblis, and he didn't think White would ever intentionally hurt someone… But he couldn't forget the parable of the wolf. Even the well-intentioned could end up disturbing the balance of the world. If he let White roam free, only to find out he was a minion of Iblis… well, it was best to be sure. Argus was cold and distant and hardly kind, but this was still her world, and if White was a threat to it, she would know.

Silver offered White a hand, but White ignored it in favor of jumping out, nearly tripping into the ocean, regaining his balance, and then nearly falling again as he spun in a restless circle, as though trying to keep all the water in view at once. Silver pushed him toward the ladder, waiting until he started climbing before following.

"{Is Gold here?}" he asked the watchman as they reached the top of the ladder.

"{She's in a meeting with the other leaders, I think,}" the watchman told him, grabbing his hand to pull him onto the platform. He glared suspiciously at White, but White was too busy staring wide-eyed at the town to take notice. "{Who is this? I know you said he's a friend, but—}"

"{His name's White. He won't hurt anyone.}"

The watchman frowned. "{Even so, that glow's going to attract attention.}"

That… was true. They'd been lucky on the way over, but that had been when White had Silver with him. Most creatures of the dark and the light alike knew Silver wasn't easy prey. But the village already risked attention just by existing; he didn't want to endanger it further by having White standing outside like a beacon. More than that, though, the watchman was already looking at White suspiciously, and he was a fairly even tempered person. Other people in the village might not be so welcoming. In a world where darkness ruled, light wasn't always welcome.

Silver looked around, eyes landing on the watchman's shack. "{Could you keep him in there? Just until I get back from speaking with Gold.}"

The watchman nodded and moved to grab White's arm, but White flinched away from the touch, mane puffing up.

"{Why can't I go with you?}" he demanded, looking anxiously at Silver. "{And who's Gold? Is she your friend? Am I your friend? Who is this? Why is there so much water here I'm really scared of the water and the dark and the water why did they build this place over the water this is horrible—}"

Silver gently pushed White into the shack, ignoring the torrent of words. "{Just stay here and stay out of trouble, alright?}" He closed the door, ignoring White's protests, and gave the watchman a grateful nod before hurrying into the village. He doubted White would stay put for long; hopefully Silver could talk to Gold and find their pilot before White decided to do something stupid.

Silver was never really sure how he felt about the village. It was a relief to be away from the oppressive smoke and fire and constant monster attacks of Crisis City, but it was also strange, almost eerie to walk between silent buildings with the ocean lapping beneath his feet. Rain started to fall, a soft rhythmic pattering. Idly he hoped it wouldn't become enough of a downpour to delay their trip. The only light came from the softly glowing bioluminescent plants, leaving the village in constant twilight. Fire was considered too dangerous to be kept outside for several reasons, and besides, brighter light than the natural bioluminescence would only attract attention. The people of Silver's time had adapted to the darkness and the ever-present water; it had been strange to visit the past and see that most people didn't have glowing markings or webbing between their fingers. The people of this time would be shocked by the world of the past. Most Temporans had been born into darkness and quiet; to them this was all there had ever been. But Silver had grown up amid the heat and clamor of Crisis City. Cocos Island, by comparison, was cold and empty. No heat, no smoke, no flames. Like another world entirely.

Still, he knew the people here were happy. It was a far calmer existence than being in Iblis's domain, and he understood why Gold had wanted to move here. She'd always preferred to keep her head down and avoid a fight, which was hard to do when you kept company with Silver the Hedgehog. He was just glad she'd chosen a settlement close enough for him to visit.

Soft voices reached Silver's ears as he approached the town hall. That was at least one similarity between here and Crisis City: everyone kept as quiet as possible to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Iblis and Argus had ears everywhere; conversations were better held indoors, and quietly. Silver slipped through the door, grateful to escape the rain (another thing they didn't have in Crisis City), and stood off to the side. The hall was a simple structure made of polished limestone, decorated with sealskin rugs and home to one of the few flames on the island, a quietly crackling fireplace carefully contained by more stone. It made the room warmer, at least. Not warm enough for Silver to take off his damp poncho, but still.

In the middle of the room, the village leaders stood around a table, watching as Gold pointed something out on a diagram spread before them. Silver smiled at her animated explanation. Tooth had told him the village leaders had started turning to Gold to help plan improvements and expansions to their little island, but this was the first time Silver had caught her in a planning meeting; usually she knew ahead of time when he was coming to visit. He had no idea what most of what she was saying meant, but it was nice to see her in her element.

Silver let his gaze wander around the room as the meeting wrapped up. The attendees began to depart, exchanging a few last pieces of small talk, while Gold continued leaning over the diagram, chewing thoughtfully on a graphite stick. The seal next to her gave her a nudge, and she looked up from the diagram at last. Her eyes went wide. Silver waved. It was a testament to how focused on her plans she was that she hadn't noticed him earlier; though Silver had better mental shields than the average person, he still wasn't immune to her telepathy, and usually she picked up on his presence the moment he arrived in the village.

"{Silver!}" Gold hurried over, her sealskin sari rustling softly. She grabbed him in a quick hug, then pulled back, beaming. "{I didn't know you were planning to visit!}"

"{'Planning' is a strong word,}" Silver grumbled. "{The Time Stones have disappeared, Gold. And there was this strange lion in their place. I'm taking him to Argus to make sure he isn't a threat.}"

Gold's brow wrinkled with concern. "{You're traveling with a stranger? Alone?}"

"{He's harmless,}" Silver assured her, hoping she didn't pick up the silent hopefully from his mind. He hurried on quickly before she could question him further. "{Have you seen Tooth? I need to ask her a favor.}"

Gold's frown deepened and she looked away, chewing her lip. "{That… will be a problem. Tooth left almost immediately after you did last time.}"

"{What?}" Silver blinked, taken aback. "{Why would she leave? Where could she possibly be going?}"

Gold's ears flattened, and he felt a wave of anxiety not his own. "{I don't know, but I'm worried about why she hasn't come back. You know we've been having a problem with pirates, and…}" she trailed off, looking towards the door. "{Is someone—?}"

Her question was answered as a blur of white and gold burst into the room. White shook himself ferociously, showering Silver and Gold with droplets, then looked around eagerly. His eyes landed on Silver and he immediately perked up. "{Ha! Found you!}"

"{I told you to stay in the shack.}"

"{Oh, yeah,}" White said, having the grace to look a bit sheepish. "{I got bored. So I decided to come find you!}" He blinked at Gold, who was looking at Silver with an expression of "please tell me what's going on". "{Hi! Who are you? Are you Silver's friend?}"

"{I—I'm Gold,}" she stammered.

White only brightened up more at her answer—literally. The humble fireplace seemed downright pale by comparison. "{Awesome! Are you Silver's sister? You look really similar y'know, except your glowy bits are yellow, that's so cool. Also why are you holding that rock? And what's that on the table—}"

"{White,}" Silver interrupted. "{Just… calm down. You're giving us headaches.}"

Gold rubbed at her forehead. "{He's— very bright,}" she whispered to Silver, squinting at White's ever-present glow.

Silver sighed. "{I've noticed.}"

"{Is she the pilot?}" White asked Silver eagerly, reminded Silver of the conversation White had just interrupted..

Tooth was missing. Possibly kidnapped. She was generally able to handle herself, and pirates were usually out for profit, not blood. Most likely she'd be held for ransom. But that still left them without a pilot. Few people had airships, and fewer still were willing to risk flying through pirate-infested skies without a hefty sum. That left them to go to Argus by boat, which would take weeks at best. Unless…

"{Change of plans. We're going pirate hunting.}"