((Hello everyone! It's been too long, time for another bonus chapter! At the time of writing this (I may not post it the same day, and you probably aren't reading it on the same day), it's Sonic's 23rd birthday on June 23rd! It's a golden birthday for a golden hedgehog! When he's Super, anyway. XD

I read through old reviews on this story, and you guys are so nice. u You really made my day (which was very boring; the only things I did were playing Sonic Unleashed and drawing.). :3 I love my readers, and I must thank you for all the support you've given me! It's your kind words and eager anticipation that keeps me writing.

Yay, I get to deal with time-space continuums. How fun.

Anyway, onto writing!))

This chapter takes place soon after the crisis with Dark is resolved and the world is back in order. This is told in Shadow's point of view.

Silver is my son.

I look down at the glowing gem in my hand.

Silver is my son.

My grip tightens on the Chaos Emerald. What am I doing? I, the Ultimate Lifeform, am trying to work up the nerve to visit my future son. I, of all people, shouldn't be nervous.

I look around me to make sure no one is around, which is a pointless move. I am deep in the burnt remains of a forest for the very purpose of being alone. I sigh to myself.

I must be losing my mind.

I hold the Emerald above my head, envisioning where I want to go, and speak the words that will take me there.

"Chaos Control."

With a brief flash of red light, I disappear from the scene and appear in another, 200 years passing within a split second. I tuck the Emerald away and look around.

The future is nothing like I had envisioned it.

What was once a desolate city crumbling under countless flames is now tall and shining, full of life and personality. The buildings gleam in the sunlight, and the sky is perfectly clear. People roam the sidewalks, talking to neighbors and friends with smiles on their faces. I hear a shout and finally notice someone on a hoverboard barreling toward me. I gasp and jump out of the way onto a sidewalk, bumping into a few pedestrians in the process. The rider also swerves a bit in an effort to get out of the way, nearly losing his balance but quickly regaining it. I wonder if I've come to the right place.

Then I realize that yes, this is the right place. The ruined city never would have existed since we stopped Dark. This may make my search for Silver all the more difficult.

"Excuse me," a soft voice says to me. I look up. A blonde-haired human girl with blue eyes peers down at me, and for a moment, I mistake her for Maria, a girl from my own past. Then I shake myself mentally.

She's dead, idiot, I remind myself. She died a long time ago.

"Are you from around here?" the girl asks.

"No," I respond, acting little more than surprised that she had spoken. "I'm looking for someone who lives here."

"Are you? Maybe I can help." The girl smiles and extends her hand. "My name is Katie."

I hesitate, looking down at her hand. "Shadow the Hedgehog," I say, and shake her hand briefly. I can't help but be disappointed that she's not the real Maria.

Her eyes widen a little at my name, almost in familiarity. "Shadow the Hedgehog? Are you sure you're not from here?"

"Yes, I've never lived here," I say, then look around and mutter, "Not yet, anyway."

"Are you moving here?"

I'm taken aback by her assumption. "I—Possibly," I respond.

She smiles. "It'll be nice having a new face in town! Anyway, let me take you to the Citizen Archives, they might help find who you're looking for. Follow me!" She pushes past a crowd of people and heads off. I keep on her heals so as not to lose her.

The city is full of shops I don't recognize. I realize that the city doesn't even look like any that I know in my time. The items in shop windows are unfamiliar and futuristic to me, looking small, light, and practical. Every so often, I see small, silver robots doing everyday tasks; cleaning the streets, picking up litter, cleaning windows, etc. The whole city is surprisingly clean, and everyone seems friendly. If this is the perfect world of peace without crime those Freedom Fighters always seem to be dreaming about, I suppose they eventually succeed. But I can't make too many assumptions about this future.

Katie leads me to a tall, pristine building with windows set into the white stone structure. The entrance is intricately carved, and over the arched doorway is the word ARCHIVES, with intricate designs all around it. Katie leads me inside. The lobby is huge and just as clean as the outside, if not cleaner. The girl walks up to a tall desk and speaks to a woman behind it. I'm too busy looking around to listen to what she's saying. The woman points us toward an elevator and says something to her in reply.

"C'mon!" Katie says, heading off to the elevator. I follow.

The elevator is completely glass with some metal, but it's so advanced that you can't see any cables or gears pulling it up. We're heading to the fourth floor. The lift comes to a smooth stop and the doors glide open, and we step out. On this floor, tables line the walls, with strange devices sitting atop these tables. For people who are sitting at the tables, the devices project what looks like a holographic screen and keyboard. In the center of the room is another hologram-like image of a globe of many icons, with several keyboards around it. Above the icons is a number, which every so often rises or falls.

"You can use the bit screens to look up a full biography of the person you're looking for," Katie explains, pointing to the devices on the tables, "or the Quick Search mega-screen to find out where they are at the moment." She gestures to the hologram in the middle of the room.

"Thank you," I say to her, and head to the device she called the mega-screen. I type in Silver the Hedgehog on the keyboard, and an icon pops up in front of me. The icon has his picture, and beside it a small bit of text.

Silver the Hedgehog – Born Day 15, Year 3417

Status: Youth

Current Whereabouts – Hedgehog Manor, 140-34 West Side

I memorize the information and close the icon. I hesitate, then out of curiosity, I type in my own name. An icon without a picture pops up.

Shadow the Hedgehog – Born Day ?, Year 3166

Status: Immortal

Current Whereabouts – Unknown

I frown. Silver was right. His dad – or I – did disappear. I close the icon and go back to Katie.

"Could you take me to 140-34 West Side?" I ask.

Minutes later, a hovering taxi cab pulls up the drive to Hedgehog Manor. I get out, and the taxi pulls away before I can ask if I owe any money. Katie had seen me off when I got in the taxi, so I'm alone. I turn to look at the manor.

It is a grand house, made of the same stone the Archives building was made out of. It's four stories tall with a red roof, gardens lining the front of the house, and a large staircase leading up to the front door. A fountain sits in the large flower garden that's directly in front of the mansion. I take a deep breath, walk up the steps, and knock on the large front door.

There's no answer.

I frown, then knock again, louder this time.

I hear a click of a lock, and someone deep inside the house yells, "Door's open!"

I hesitantly push the heavy doors open and go inside. The main entryway is a long, red-carpeted hallway with many doors leading off it. On one side is a staircase leading up, and on the other, a staircase leading down. Portraits line the wall between the doors, none of them of people I recognize, and some of them are covered in purple curtains. I frown.

"Upstairs, third door on the right!" the voice calls again. The voice is a bit familiar, but younger, more carefree. I follow it into a large game room. Arcade games that must be ancient in this timeline sit against the walls, plus multiple screens are projected on the walls and controllers lay on the ground, some of which I recognize. Plush chairs sit before each one, and in one chair facing away from me, I see the familiar silver fronds of the person I'm looking for.

"Silver?"

The hedgehog turns around, and I immediately realize that I'm not quite in the right time; he must be five years younger than when I saw him the last time I went to the future. His gold eyes immediately brighten and he breaks into an overjoyed grin.

"Dad!"

He zips over to me and hugs me tightly. I gasp, and after a moment hug him back. It's strange. I can slightly feel a fatherly connection to this boy, though I've never had a child. Then I gently force him to let go and look at me.

"Sorry, kid, I'm not your father," I say. His smile fades, his ears drop, and his eyes fill with disappointment.

"B-but…" he stammers, then his eyes land somewhere on my face, and his ears droop even further. "You're right…you're not my father."

"Hm?"

"You don't have the scar." On his own face, he closes his left eye makes a diagonal gesture across the eyelid. I frown. The young Silver slumps in a plush chair, looking defeated. I immediately feel the need to cheer him up.

"Hey, do you know anything about time travel?" I ask.

His ears perk up. "I've always been interested in it. There's a rumor that the Chaos Emeralds can do it! But they're impossible to find… The government has some of them." He perks up even more at another idea, and his voice becomes excited. He sits forward in his chair. "Are you from the future? Can you tell me where my dad is?"

I shake my head. "I'm from, at most, 200 years in the past. I suppose you don't remember that I came here with two other people at some point? A pink hedgehog and a female squirrel?"

Silver looks at me in confusion.

"Of course not," I say, mostly to myself. "That never would have happened. Plus, if I recall, you were about fourteen at the time…"

"What are you talking about?" Silver asks.

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. Let's just say I met you once before, and I wanted to see how you were doing. You weren't doing the greatest when I was in the future last."

"Can you tell me about it?" Silver asked, his ears perking again.

I contemplate for a moment, then decide it can't hurt. I sit across from him and begin to tell him as much as I can about the adventures with the Dark crisis and where it led us. When I finish, little Silver is looking at me in awe.

"I almost disappeared?" he exclaims. "Cool!"

I shake my head. "Not cool," I say. "We thought we wouldn't get back in time to save you. It seems we did all right, though."

Silver grins.

I sigh and stand to go. "I'd best be getting back to my own time before I cause anything bad to happen." I head for the door.

"No, don't go!" Silver wails and grabs my arm. I look down at him and see that he's on the verge of tears. "My dad left like you are and never came back! Don't leave me now!"

I frown, and I can't help but sympathize for him. "I'm sorry. I have to. I'm sure he'll come back soon."

Silver looks down. "That's what they all say," he mumbles. Then he looks up into my eyes, his pleading. "Could you stay? Could you be my dad?"

I crouch down to his level and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I really am. But you know what? I'll tell you a secret." I lower my voice. "The Chaos Emeralds can control time. You find one, and you go find your father. They'll lead you to him. Make that your mission."

The young Silver sniffs and nods, his eyes full of tears. I wipe his eyes with the back of my gloved hand.

"If your father left you," I say, "there's probably a reason behind it. But I will be your father in 200 or so years, and in that time, I will figure out a way to keep from leaving you. Understand?"

Silver nods again.

"Thank you." I stand. "Good bye, Silver." And I leave the room, Silver watching with sad, yet still hopeful eyes.

((This was a really cute yet sad chapter. I feel for Silver, don't you? Looks like I might be able to post it the same day I'm writing it, but considering it's four minutes to midnight, I won't technically be able to. Gosh dang it.

Well, that's it for this bonus chapter! If you want more bonus chapters to fill in the holes of In the Dark or to see what happened afterward, just review or PM me some ideas or suggestions! I take each and every one into consideration. (Except requests with OCs. I don't write about other people's original characters, for the information of the one guest reviewer, werewolf lover99, who continuously requested I added his characters. You can write your own fanfictions about them, I'm sorry, but I'm not including them in mine.) These chapters are made possible by your ideas, so keep them coming!

That's all for now!))

~SonicTheHedgehog-Nerd