Chapter 2

The Festival of the Earth and Sea

The sun hung high in the sky, its rays beating down into the endless ocean of the world below. Among the waves the S.S. Marine II was being heaved along by the wind caught in her heavily patched sails. Among her crew was a snow white hedgehog, currently peering over the edge, watching the water froth against the ship as the wind tried its best to plaster his front quills against his head. He never wanted to take these moments for grant-

"PLATINUM!" Marine shouted, shocking Silver out of his daze. He looked up to the crows nest where the raccoon was perched.

"Yes, Captain?" He replied.

"Lift the sail on the front mast! Land ho!" Silver eyes grew wide. A teal glow enveloped his form as he blasted above the ship to get a better view. Sure enough, a beach was visible on the horizon. His face filled with joy until he looked back at Marine. An impatient look from her reminded Silver of his job.

"Right captain!" He said. "Sorry captain." The sails began to glow the same shade of blue that covered Silver and they rolled up to the top where ropes tied them in place. "Nolar, here we come!"


The shipyard was filled to bursting with vessels trying to find a port to dock in, but with the help of Silver, who was flying above the S.S. Marine II, the ship fortunately had little trouble finding a spot to settle into. Silver landed on deck and high fived the otter waiting for him. "That power of yours is mighty useful, mate!" He remarked. "I've never seen this ship sail so smoothly."

"Aw geez, Emmet," Silver said as his hand found a spot on the back of his head. "I'm sure you all do just fine without me, too." The otter chucked and gave a firm pat on his back.

"Y'aren't used to receiving compliments, are ya?"

"It's better than not taking responsibility." A kangaroo responded as he passed behind them. Emmet rolled his eyes and shouted back.

"Are you seriously still going on about that rock from the other day? I told you it wasn't me!" Hearing this, Silver decided it was a good time to slip away. He had almost made it to the boardwalk before a piece of paper was shoved into the outer coat of his chest, Marine's hand was connected to it.

"Where ya goin'?" She asked.

"Well, uh…" Silver stumbled over his words. "To uh… to find Blaze?" The raccoon shook her head.

"Yer not gonna be able to find her 'til later tonight." Her hand retracted and Silver realized she was holding a map for him. He went to grab it but it was yanked away. "Nolar's havin' a festival so it's gonna be as crowded as all get-out. You can go and look 'round but I need you back here after the opening ceremony, got it, Iron?" The hedgehog took a beat to absorb the instructions.

"Yes captain, I'll be here after the ceremony."


It had barely been a half hour since Silver left the ship but his head was already spinning. He had been to towns and cities, inhabited and abandoned alike, but none of them had this much life. Banners everywhere welcomed him to The Festival of the Earth and Sea. The streets were packed with people from all walks of life and Silver wished to learn all of them. His heart soared in the environment. It was everything he wanted for his future and more.

The city itself had as much character as any of his friends. 1000 year old buildings seemed to mesh perfectly with others that could have been finished yesterday. The streets rose and fell with the hills and even tunneled in some areas, making the architecture all the more beautiful. Libraries, museums, restaurants, hotels, ice cream shops, and so much more! It was all almost too much for the hedgehog to take in.

Silver continued to spend the whole evening trying to figure out where to begin only to realize that, once the sun was setting he had not entered a single building, but managed to walk almost every street within 5 miles of the shore. At the moment he stood in front of an altar seemingly in the center of town. The monument seemed similar to the shrine for the Chaos Emeralds on Angel Island, only there were no emeralds on the seven pillars. The center was unique as well. Instead of a flat platform where the Master Emerald would be, there were two stucco half-pillars, each about a meter high with a small space between them. The sun cast its rays between the pillars to highlight a variety of runes on the ground.

Silver's attention was snatched from the runes by a tap on his shoulder. A light gray koala dressed in a light blue guard uniform stood before him with what was probably a decorative sword stowed in his yellow sheath. "Pardon me, sir," He spoke with authority, but a hint of kindness. "We are closing this area off for the opening ceremony-"

"Oh, right!" Silver didn't even let the guard finish. "The opening ceremony!" The hedgehog clasped the koala's hands, catching him off guard. "Do you know a good place to watch from? I want to see it in the best way possible!" There was a pause that gave Silver the time to realize the awkward situation he had put both of them in. He tried to sound an apology as he let go of the stranger's hands.

"You can watch the ceremony, but not from here." The guard answered, resuming his professional aura. "Now, please move along."

"Right," Silver responded. "Sorry, I'm not used to being around… people." He turned to go.

"The roof of the Ember Museum provides an excellent view." Silver heard the guard say. He looked back to see a warm smile on his face, which he enthusiastically returned.

"Thank you…"

"Gardon."

"...Thank you Gardon." With that, he set off to find the museum.


The general public watched in awe as a white hedgehog levitated up and over the three story Ember Museum, but Silver's only concern was not to drop the chili dog in his hand. Once he made it to the roof, he perched himself on the ledge with his feet dangling over the edge. The sun had set a half hour ago and timers projected all around the city were counting down to the opening ceremony.

15 minutes remained. Just enough time for Silver to finish his meal and take in the view around him. Even three stories up, the view seemed to change drastically. Gardon was right about this place. From here, Silver could see a channel leading in from the ocean, passing by his spot, and stopping at the altar he'd been to earlier that day.

10 minutes remained. He wondered what this opening ceremony would be like. He'd never really been to a party before. Maybe he should have stayed for the zombot victory party back in his world for practice. He had to admit, he was enjoying himself. A creeping thought suggested his good future should be filled with parties and festivals, celebrating life and all it was worth.

5 minutes remained. Silver finished his chili dog, then his thoughts turned to Blaze. He had met many people over his many timelines, but he had only really worked with this feline maybe three or four times before. So why, even now, has she so often dominated his consciousness? Maybe it was because she sought him out after the Metal Overlord ordeal to help with his gardening, but he couldn't shake the feeling it could be more than that. After all, why would she bother seeing him if that wasn't the case? Moreover, why did it mean so much to him when she was around?

The hedgehog's train of thought was interrupted when every light above street level dimmed. Silver snapped back to reality and his eyes were immediately drawn to the shore. The opening ceremony had begun! A series of eight ships were entering the channel from the ocean. Each vessel was decorated to the nines and all had their own distinct color. Silver recognized the first seven to be the colors of the Sol Emeralds Blaze always had with her. The last ship, however, was decorated in gold. One by one, each vessel made their way down the river, boasting the dancers and other performers on board. But when the golden ship reached the Ember Museum, it stopped, the line of floats ahead of it blocking its progress. For a moment, Silver worried something had gone wrong. His mind flashed as images of a similar event invaded his mind, but the vision was unfocused. A loud boom pulled him back to reality and the hedgehog turned his attention to the sky. Fireworks exploded into shimmering fragments of light and as they faded, the hedgehog's gaze was lowered down to the river.

And there she was.

Princess Blaze stood tall on the main deck, eyes forward and locked on the altar. "So this is what royalty looks like?" Silver heard himself say. He craned his head closer in an attempt to get a better look. Blaze wasn't dressed in her usual outfit. Instead an ankle length dress with sleeves that burrowed into her gloves was draped over her lavender fur. The whole outfit sparkled with a deep purple hugh. She was wearing her ponytail lower than usual behind her head. Even her tail was dotted with sparkly pearls to make her shine as bright as possible.

Silver watched Blaze's attention lower from the ships ahead of her to a figure that was approaching her. It was… Marine? He would have a better time believing it if she was still wearing her eyepatch, but it had vanished and her other eye seemed to be perfectly fine. Her outfit had changed as well, sporting a less shiny blue dress and some sort of staff in her hands. The rod was gunmetal gray with a crescent moon crowning its top. Several blue and red jewels seemed to both fasten the staff to the moon and stick through its peak.

Marine stopped in front of Blaze and offered the scepter to her, as though it was a sword being offered to a knight about to ride into battle. The princess reverently took the staff and the jewels lit up in her hand before she pointed it forward to the other ships. One by one, each ship produced a shining gem of their respective colors. Once they reached the princess, Silver felt a blast of heat assault him from the shore before he saw her burst into flames. Burning Blaze hovered a foot or two above the ship before rocketing up and releasing a solar wave that temporarily turned night into day. The remaining flames took the shape of the island of Nolar. After they flickered away, Burning Blaze landed in the altar and powered down. The Sol Emeralds left her body and floated to their pedestals.

"In the name of Nolar, and her people, I, Princess Blaze, pledge the arrival of the Festival of the Earth and Sea!" As Blaze spoke these words, she planted the staff into the center of the altar, then, in a whirlwind of flames, she vanished. The city's lights returned and the cheering filled Silver's ears. The hedgehog sat there for a moment, wonderstruck. As his other senses returned to him he came to realize how cold the night had become. It would be best for him to head back to the ship before long.


The S.S. Marine II was host to an after party. There was soda, chips, and, to Silver's delight, space heaters to keep the deck warm. He noticed the difference in temperature as soon as he crossed onto the ship. It wasn't long before Marine spotted him and shuffled over.

"'Bout time you showed up!" She remarked. Silver noticed she was wearing the same dress she was for the ceremony, but had her eye patch back on. "Was worried you got lost, I was!"

"Right, sorry, captain." Silver said, his hand once again drifting to the back of his head. "I headed back as soon as the ceremony ended but…" The captain's laughing overpowered his apology.

"Oh come off it, mate! Don't they have sarcasm in the future? Let your worries slide!" She promptly shoved a soda can into his hand. "This be a party after all, so go and socialize! Capn's orders!"

With that, Silver was pushed further into the boat. He almost, well, did fall but caught himself psy-kinetically. A small piece of the group noticed this and applauded. A voice in the crowd called for him to do a flip. He may have been a little confused, but Silver saw no harm in complying. Ever so slowly his body rotated 360 degrees without touching the ground and the group applauded again. A few more people circled him and the hedgehog gained more confidence.

"Would you like to see another trick?" He asked. The group gave a resounding yes in response. The glowing aura around his form shone brighter as he called an array of mugs, bowls, and a plate to surround him. The items formed an orbiting ring around Silver drawing some oohs and aahs from the crowd. He performed a backflip and landed on one knee. In response, the dinnerware flew above him to make the shape of the island. Silver looked around as his audience cheered him on, but he had to admit he was a little bit flustered from all the praise. His next trick was, unfortunately, foiled courtesy of a patch of ice on the deck beneath him.

The hedgehog slipped, but he did not fall. Instead a familiar warmth came about him as he felt a hand support his back. Blaze the Cat had caught him. Her free hand extended out to meet the plate Silver dropped and shifted it around, expertly catching every bowl and mug that fell down to them. Then she turned her attention to the hedgehog, a small smile on the side of her muzzle.

"Hello Silver." She said as though they had seen each other yesterday. "Long time, no see." Silver found himself unable to respond. For reasons he didn't understand his face was growing hot and his pulse was quickening. Finally, he managed to stutter out a few words.

"Wh- I-... Helay Blaze." The princess let out a bemused huff, lifted him to his feet and removed her hand from his back to set down the plate of stuff Silver dropped. She was still wearing her dress from the ceremony. Now that he could see it up close he noticed it was covered in similar gems as her headstone, albeit purple instead of red. "That's a beautiful outfit!" He remarked, trying to make up for his staring. "You should wear it more often!" Blaze looked down, letting out another huff.

"Silver, this dress is for the festival only. Besides, I do not have much mobility in it." To demonstrate, the feline attempted to reach above her head only for the dress to stop her halfway. "I would not have even worn it to this party but I - but Marine insisted I keep it on."

"Well I'm glad she convinced you. You look amazing in it." Silver managed a sheepish grin while Blaze only managed a glance his way, the white of her muzzle turning a light shade of pink. He cocked his head, worried he might have said something wrong, but she raised her own before that thought could get too far.

"Well thank you, that is very sweet of you to say." Her smile seemed to pierce the hedgehog's heart. She turned around and motioned for Silver to follow. They both came to a stop at the edge of the deck looking out towards the city. "I have a few questions." Blaze said, turning to face him. "First, how did you get here?"

"Tails has a machine that he sent me here with." He explained.

"Figures. So why are you here?" She became alert. "Is your world in trouble?" Silver put his hands up.

"Oh, no, no! My world is doing fine! I mean, we had a whole robot disease thing that almost ended life as we know it but we worked it out in the end."

"Right," Blaze put a finger and thumb to her chin. "That might be why Sonic crash landed here a few days ago."

"That's where he went?"

"Yes, but I sent him back. I had to reinstate his memory but other than that he was fine. Returning to the question. Why are you here, Silver?" The hedgehog lifted a finger, but paused. Blaze was about to speak again before he continued.

"Well, I was thinking about how often you've come around to help our world and… as far as I know, none of us have ever come over to see if we could help out on yours. So I… figured I'd… come over and… see what I could help with." With each pause, Silver became more unsure of himself. The feeling of the feline's eyes on him definitely wasn't helping.

Blaze stood, puzzled for a moment. Then her eyes narrowed. "So you crossed dimensional barriers on the off chance that my world could have some sort of problem you could help me resolve?" Silver felt himself shrink under the pressure as he answered.

"Y-yes?" Blaze's stare hardened still. For a while, the two stood in silence, the princess still trying to peer into Silver's very soul. Finally her eyes softened, but he swore he could see a shred of disappointment in them. Regardless, Blaze looked back at the city.

"As a matter of fact, there is something I was going to investigate tomorrow. If you wish to help then I will let you tag along."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, but for now we both need rest." Blaze made her way towards the ship's exit. "I will be back in the morning at ten-o-clock. Be ready for a half a day's journey by that time or you are not coming." Silver followed her to the boardwalk, then she stopped and turned to him. "Oh, and Silver." Her amber eyes locked with his. "It is good to see you." Then she walked off the deck and into the city.

Silver didn't move until Marine tapped his shoulder, inciting a yelp out of him. The sailor laughed. "Ohoho! You told me you were mates but you never said you had a crush!" She taunted. He looked at her, confused.

"Why would I want to crush her?" This seemed to make her laugh even harder.

"Where does Blaze find you people?"

"I told you before, captain. I come from the future of Sonic's world. By the way, I'm going to need tomorrow off."

"Oh dontcha worry, mate." She patted him on the shoulder. "I've been hearing everything. You can go on yer little date tomorrah." Date… Silver had heard Amy talk about taking Sonic on a date, but he was never sure what that meant. It was late, though, and he was probably overthinking things. He definitely needed rest so he could be ready for tomorrow.