Location Unknown — Time Unknown

In a flash of light, Silver and Zero appear in an alley between two old buildings. Silver asks, "Did it work?"

Zero crosses his arms. "Obviously, it didn't. Everyone knows there were cities like this at the same time as ninja and samurai living in rural villages."

Silver looks surprised. "Really? I didn't know that."

Zero sighs. "I was kidding. Wow, you are naïve."

Silver freezes up as he remembers Blaze calling him the same thing.

Zero realizes something he said hurt Silver. "Sorry."

Silver shakes his head. "No. Don't apologize. Naïve is what she used to call me. You couldn't have known because I didn't tell you."

"You mean Blaze?"

"Yeah…Blaze…" He forces the thought away. "Can't focus on that now. Need to keep my attention on the present." He pauses. "Whatever that means in our context." He looks up. "I'm going to get a better vantage point and see if I can figure out where or when we are." He levitates himself straight up and lands on the roof above. Looking around, he sees an antique city on the coast. Canals crisscross the city, all leading to a large lake in the center. In the middle of that lake is an island with a large altar. Silver gasps as he recognizes the sights from another timeline. He's in Soleanna's Castle Town.

He floats back down. "Good news is, I know exactly where we are. Bad news, I couldn't tell you when."

Zero is holding a discarded newspaper in his hands. He looks concerned. "I can tell you when…" He holds out the issue of the Daily Soreanna for Silver to see.

Silver gasps. "No…" He steps back slowly, horrified by what he sees. "That puts us over a year before the Temporal Sapphire will appear…"

Silver & Zero: Partners in Time

Part 4

The Long Way Home I

Written by Yuni Oha

Castle Town, Soleanna — November 10th, 13 B.E.

Silver shakes his head in disbelief. "No. This can't be happening. We were supposed to be let out soon before Sapphire appeared."

"Silver…this is soon. We just traveled a thousand years in suspended animation. In hindsight, the fact that we're as close as we are is a miracle…" He may say it, but it doesn't sound like he believes it.

Silver is on the verge of a panic attack. He looks around frantically. "I can't do this. No. I can't wait a year. No. No." He shakes his head rapidly.

Zero grabs him by the shoulders. "Silver, you have to get a grip."

"Get a grip? How can I get a grip? We don't have a year to wait! At least five Temporal Sapphires have been taken. That means time has already started to unravel! We don't have time to wait a year!"

Zero sighs. "Actually, we do. Chronal relativism."

Silver is confused. "Time has a family?"

"No, not chronal relatives, chronal relativism. It means time is subjective. There is no such thing as absolute time. You might think that after a year from our perspective of time falling apart that everything would be doomed, but Mephiles' perspective matters here too. We can assume he'll show up for the Sapphire here, and for him it will have only been a matter of days, maybe even hours. Not enough for time to collapse yet. Since he has to appear to a time that hasn't unraveled yet, that means time won't unravel for us while we wait for him."

Silver tries his hardest to understand, but remains confused. "I think I get it…maybe…" He sighs. "Okay, maybe we can wait. So what? What does that mean? What do we do from here?"

Zero looks towards the city streets. "I don't think we have much choice. We have to stay close so that we're here when the Sapphire appears. That means we can't search for alternate means of time travel.

This seems to give Silver an idea. "Alternate means of time travel…?"

Zero continues, "Today is November tenth. The Sapphire won't appear until late December next year. We have nearly thirteen months. All we can do is wait. We have to accept that fact right now."

Silver shakes his head. "No. I refuse to accept that! We can't just wait here while Mephiles destroys the timeline."

Sounding annoyed, Zero asserts, "Silver, Mephiles isn't doing anything while we wait. The moment he comes to this time, we'll be caught up with him."

"I don't care. Doing nothing would be wrong. Besides, I-"

Silver is cut off by someone asking, "Hey, are you guys okay? I heard shouting." A man in a suit has stepped into the alley.

Silver shakes his head. "Sorry to worry you. We'll be fine."

But Zero does not look fine. His pupils have contracted as he stares wide-eyed at the man. His entire body begins to shake. He says beneath his breath, "Human…"

Silver's eyes widen. "Oh no…" He looks to the man. "Go! Run!"

The man is caught off-guard. "Huh?"

Zero shouts with rage, "He said run!" He looks at the man with the face of Aleph.

This is scary enough to startle the man into running away.

Silver encourages, "Come on, Zero. You can control it. Remember what Shino taught you. You control the darkness. The darkness doesn't control you."

Zero rocks back and forth on his feet as he holds his head, as if with a major headache. "I'm trying! It's so hard! Aaaaah!"

Zero pushes Silver away and runs out into the streets. A car abruptly slams on the breaks to avoid hitting him. It honks. Zero looks through the windshield to a woman driving it. She honks her horn again. He turns around to get her out of his sight, only to spot a group of children playing on the sidewalk. He turns again, but there's a man playing the accordion. He turns again and sees the crowd of people his antics have attracted. Everywhere he looks there are humans. "Humans!" he shouts as loud as he can. "I will kill you all!" Aleph's face has taken over entirely.

Just as he's about to move towards the closest child, who cowers in fear, Silver bursts swiftly across the street with his levitation and grabs Zero psychically along the way. He ducks into the next alley.

Zero struggles against Silver's mental grip. He punches and kicks the air to no avail. "Put me down! You cannot handle a god in this manner!"

Silver asserts, "You're not a god! You're my friend! Stop this, Zero! Remember who you are!"

Zero suddenly goes limp as his face returns to normal. "Silver…I'm sorry…"

Silver puts him back on the ground. "It's not your fault. We should have considered how you would react to seeing humans."

Zero looks up to the sky. "And now this is my personal hell. I have to live in a city of humans for the next year…"

Silver shakes his head. "No. We're going to find a way. We will not wait a year. I promise that-"

"You can't make that promise, Silver!" Zero is upset. "We're in over heads and completely out of options! The sooner we accept that, the better!"

"Call me naïve if you want, but I refuse to accept this. I will not stop fighting. I will find a way. And as long we stick together-"

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. We're not sticking together. If we're going to be here for a year, I need to take time alone. I need to refocus myself."

"Zero, we can't split up. We're partners. We're friends. We're in this together."

"We're not the same people anymore, Silver. I think we need to accept that as well. I don't even know if we're friends anymore. I need to figure out who I am. And you need to figure out who you are. We can't do that together."

"Zero-"

A voice shouts, "Come out with your hands up!"

Silver sees two Soleanna Guardsmen stepping into the ally. He looks behind him towards Zero, but Zero is gone. "Shoot," he complains under his breath.

The guards notice him. Before they can say anything, Silver teleport dashes up. The officers don't have a chance to respond before he's out of sight.

"Where'd he go?" one asks.

Silver looks down at them from the roof above. He says to himself resolutely, "I don't care what you think, Zero. There's no way I can accept this. I'm not stopping until I can find another way to time travel. For your sake. I can't let you rot away for a year here, trapped in your own mind. Fortunately, I think I know a way."

—–—

Soleanna Forest — November 10th, 13 B.E.

Silver stands in a lush forest at the bottom of the stairs to an ancient stone altar. Atop the platform are three pedestals. Behind the altar is an enormous castle wall. Silver looks to the altar with trepidation.

He briefly remembers Blaze saying, "Silver! Thank you!"

He steps back nervously. "I'm not ready…I can't do this…"

Just then, a man wearing a black suit, top hat, and glasses walks by. "Oh ho ho. What are you doing way out here? Admiring the ruins?"

Silver shakes his head. "No. I need to speak with the Duke of Soleanna."

The man laughs. "You must have been reading some history books, then. Nobody's taken the trials in decades. We have much more modern ways to arrange entry into the Kingdom Valley these days."

"What do I have to do?"

"Well, you're talking to the right man. My name is Lord Regis, I'm the governor of Soleanna. I could arrange a meeting with the Duke. I do believe the soonest appointment time for civilians is in ten months."

"No! I can't wait that long!" He pauses. "Wait…did you say Lord Regis…? You were a part of it. You would know."

Regis looks to him with confusion. "No. I'm afraid I don't."

Silver announces bluntly, "I am Silver the Hedgehog. I come from the future. I wish to speak to the Duke about the Solaris Project."

Regis is flabbergasted. "H-how c-could you know that name?"

"I told you. I'm from the future, and I have important information to offer up regarding time travel."

Regis shakes his head in disbelief. "In that case, follow me back to the city. I'll take you where you need to be."

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — November 10th, 13 B.E.

Zero looks up at an old decrepit building. Judging by the caution tape around it, it's been condemned. He says to himself, "Not many people live in this part of town anymore. And no sane person would go near this building. Living here will keep me away from any humans. It's for the best."

A piece of debris falls from a higher floor to the ground. Zero sighs. He can't help but think of the ruined buildings left standing in the Fallout Zone of his time. "Home sweet home…" He takes another moment to stare at the building, then ducks under the tape and enters.

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — November 10th, 13 B.E.

Regis leads Silver to an entryway. On the other side is a round room. In its center, several scientists dressed in white hazmat suits are gathered around a large glass tube. Within the tube is a storm of electrical energy dancing about. One scientist announces, "An electromagnetic pulse has just been generated!"

Silver gasps, as he recognizes the scene. "No! It can't be! This time is different!" Despite his apprehension, he rushes into the chamber.

"Injecting a decompression–"

"No! Stop! Shut it down or you're all doomed!"

One of the scientists demands, "Who are you?" He has a familiar voice.

The Duke of Soleanna is there as well. He shouts, "Listen to him! Shut it down!"

The first scientist enters a command. "Total shutdown initiated. Energy levels dropping to within safety threshold." He looks at his console. "No…this isn't possible…"

The Duke asks, "What is it?"

"If I had tried to inject a decompression agent, it wouldn't have done anything. A spatial meltdown would have been inevitable!"

Lord Regis comes running in after Silver. He bows before the Duke. "Pardon the intrusion, my lord. I told Silver to wait until after you were done with your experiment."

The Duke shakes his head. "This hedgehog may have just saved our lives." He turns to Silver. "Silver, was it?"

Silver nods. "Silver the Hedgehog, at your service, your majesty."

"How did you know the experiment was about to reach a meltdown?"

"Because it happened before. The circumstances were different. You were experimenting on a living flame, but the events were the same."

The Duke stares at Silver, trying to ascertain his meaning.

"Sorry. I got ahead of myself. I'm a time traveler from the future, and I've come to offer my expertise for the Solaris Project."

The scientist with the familiar voice laughs a familiar laugh. "Do you honestly expect us to believe this preposterous story?" He removes his mask and peels off his suit to reveal himself to be Dr. Eggman. But as this is ten years before Sonic's time, he's younger and more in shape. He's slimmer, though not thin, and his mustache is more well-groomed. Notably, the normally square gold buttons on his red coat are now round, looking exactly like the buttons on the front and back of the Duke's lab coat, as well as the scientists' hazmat suits.

Silver says with surprise, "Dr. Eggman!?"

Eggman sneers at him. "Why does everyone insist on calling me that? It's Dr. Robotnik. I look nothing like an egg."

The Duke looks to Robotnik. "Ivo, I know you are skeptical by nature, but let's hear Silver out. It's the least we owe him."

Robotnik crosses his arms and turns his nose.

Regis explains, "My lord, Silver came to me knowing of the Solaris Project and requesting to join the project. Given the importance of the project, I did not think it would be right of me to turn him away."

The Duke nods. "I see. Silver, what do you know of the Solaris Project?"

"Not much, unfortunately, especially in this timeline. In the timeline I know, it was a project to create time travel by exploiting the power of a living flame, the vestige of the god Solaris."

"Solaris?" This surprises the Duke. "You come from a timeline where Solaris actually existed beyond myth?"

"Well…kind of. That timeline was erased when Solaris itself was erased…" The talk of erased timelines pains Silver. "I'm now stuck here in this time, and I wish to help you."

One shorter scientist steps forward. "You think you know anything about time travel?" she asks skeptically. "Tell me the chronoton flux frequency required to open a stable vortex."

Silver sighs. "I'm afraid I don't know the specifics. But my firsthand experience can be valuable. I know it."

She pulls off her mask. "How naïve."

Silver is stunned by what he sees. "Blaze…?"

The scientist is an animoid cat, similar to Blaze, but not her. Her fur is various shades of light blue and her eyes are orange. Similar to Blaze, her hair is tied up, but it hangs down instead of standing. When she pulls off her hazmat suit, it's seen that even her clothes are similar to Blaze's, though less elegant, and primarily red in color. Also on her sleeve is the emblem of the Solaris Project, and on the front of her shirt is the gold button. She looks at Silver with confusion. "Who?"

Silver sighs. "Sorry. You look like someone I used to know…"

The Duke looks to the cat. "Spark, Silver is right. First-hand experience with time travel could prove invaluable."

The cat, Spark, shrugs. "Perhaps."

Then someone shouts, "Father!"

The Duke turns around to see a young child running towards him. He asks with surprise, "Elise?"

The young Princess Elise runs to him and hugs his leg.

The Duke sighs. "Oh, Elise. How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak down here? It's dangerous."

"Sorry…" The young girl looks down to the ground in shame.

The Duke smiles. "Elise, this is Silver."

Elise looks to Silver. "Hi!"

Silver smiles at the young girl. "Hi, Elise."

The Duke asks, "Tell me, Elise, Silver wants to work with us. Do you trust him?"

"Um…" Elise suddenly nods. "Yes."

"That's enough for me. You're in, Silver."

Robotnik gasps. "Surely you're joking! You're going to let a child make such an important decision?"

The Duke gives him a stern look. "Ivo, please don't forget that I've chosen to welcome you onto this research team despite your…less than favorable standing in the academic community. Perhaps such an important decision was made too lightly."

Robotnik recoils. "I…meant that with all due respect, of course."

The Duke nods. "Of course. I have found that when it comes to questions of trust, the untainted heart of a child is the best judge." He turns to Silver. "So tell me, Silver. What is your first piece of advice?"

Silver grins. "From what I could tell before, you're basing your time machine off of the Chaos Emeralds. Chaos Emeralds are great, they can let you time travel, but they're a sledgehammer. You need a scalpel. Allow me to tell you about the Temporal Sapphires."

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — November 19th, 13 B.E.

Zero sits alone in the darkness of the derelict building. His legs are crossed, and his eyes are closed as he meditates. He chants to himself, "I control the darkness. The darkness is not evil. The darkness is a tool." His concentration is broken by his growling stomach. He sighs as he rubs his stomach. "It's still another few hours until I can go out to find food without seeing anyone on the way."

He looks to the wall beside him, where eight tally marks have been carved into the wall. He picks up a shard of glass from the ground and carves a ninth. "Nine days… It's only been nine days…" He is completely overwhelmed by the thought. He drops the shard and backs away slowly, staring in horror at the makeshift calendar.

Someone calls out, "Hello?"

Zero freezes up.

"I know you're in here! I saw you sneaking out and in last night!"

His eyes widen as he sees the silhouette of a man edging his way between the fallen rubble of the dilapidated structure. "A human…"

"I want to help you! Can we talk?"

Zero closes his eyes and whispers to himself, "I control the darkness. The darkness is a tool." Then he shouts, "Go away! Stay away from me! Keep out of my sight! I'm dangerous!"

The man shouts back, "I work at a soup kitchen across the street! We help people like you while you get back on your feet! You don't need to dig through trash for food."

Zero keeps his eyes firmly shut. "I said go away!"

There's a pause, then the man says somberly, "I know it can be hard to accept help. I was in your position once as well. I know how you feel…" His voice is getting close to Zero.

"If you come any closer, I can't promise you won't get hurt. Humans aren't safe around me! If you know what's best for you, stay away!"

The sound of the man's footsteps stops. "I brought a thermos of soup from the soup kitchen. I'll leave it here. Please, come by. You're always welcome. Help is out there. You just need to ask for it." Zero can hear him leaving.

Once the door shuts, Zero lets loose and punches straight through a nearby wall as he shouts, releasing all the anger he had been trying to control. He shakes violently as he leaves his fist in the wall. Then the fist collapses to his side as he pants heavily.

He walks out to the next room and finds a thermos sitting on the floor. He picks it up and ravenously eats it.

The next night, Zero finds another thermos outside the building. This keeps up. Every night, as new tally marks fill the wall, the thermos from the previous night is gone and a new one filled with soup has been left.

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — November 28th, 13 B.E.

Silver steps out from a glass chamber. Robotnik shakes his head in disbelief. "Well, it does seem that you have some sort of chronoton radiation emanating off you with a signature completely different from anything we've ever seen."

The Duke asks, "Can we use the reading to recreate the temporal signature?"

Spark nods. "It should be possible, in theory at least."

Robotnik suggests, "If I could dissect him, we could get even more accurate readings."

Silver objects, "Hey! Standing right here!"

Robotnik laughs. "Oh ho ho! I'm just joking, of course."

Silver isn't convinced. "Of course." He rolls his eyes.

The Duke ignores this. "That puts us on the right track. That will be enough for today." He looks across his team of scientists. "Today's a day for giving thanks, so I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all of you. Time travel is a dream of mine, and I have a good feeling that with Silver's help, as well as all of your knowledge and expertise, we will unlock the secrets of time travel. Thank you. Enjoy your time with your friends and families."

Everyone files out to leave. Silver sighs. "Friends…"

The Duke approaches him. "What's the matter, Silver?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about me."

"You must not have anyone in this time. You're alone?"

Silver sighs. "Yeah. Alone."

"I know it's no substitute for your own family, but you shouldn't be alone tonight. What would you say to joining Elise and me for dinner? Elise seemed to really like you, and it's the least I could do to thank you for everything you're doing to help us."

Silver slowly nods. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Okay. Then we'll see you at the castle."

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — November 28th, 13 B.E.

Zero steps outside his condemned building and looks to where he normally finds soup. Instead, there's a plate full of food, including a turkey leg, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and more. Zero can't help but smile.

Sitting next to the plate is a piece of paper with writing. Zero picks it up and reads to himself, "I've figured you out. I know what you're going through. I've gone through it myself. The world's not fair. That doesn't mean you have to accept it. Never stop fighting for a better world. Never give up on yourself. Never accept anything less than what you want. Happy holidays."

Zero shakes his head in disbelief. "You don't know anything about what I'm going through." He crushes the note in his hand. "But you are persistent…" He pauses. "And that turkey does look awfully good."

He takes the plate and retreats back inside. He didn't catch that someone was watching him from hiding across the street.

—–—

Kingdom Valley, Soleanna – November 28th, 13 B.E.

The Duke shows Silver through the royal castle of Soleanna. They're currently in a library. "This is the Royal Library. Here I have gathered one of the most extensive collections of scientific literature you'll ever find."

The room is impressive. Towering shelves house an inexhaustible supply of books. Silver is impressed. "By my time, the books we read are all digital. Printed books like this are collectors' pieces. I've never seen so many physical books in one place before."

"You are, of course, welcome to use the library any time you wish."

Silver notices a painting above the entryway. It features the Duke when he was younger, as well as a woman holding a baby girl. "Is that your–"

The Duke explains solemnly, "That was my wife. The Queen of Soleanna." He hangs his head in sorrow.

Silver quickly realizes his mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I shouldn't have brought it up."

The Duke shakes his head. "No. I'm the one who invites it by keeping that portrait hanging. The fact is, it's been years since she was taken from us, and I still can't accept the fact that she's gone."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"There is no need to be sorry. She still lives on in my heart." He beckons to the room. "This library was her project. She was always the one with the interest in science. It wasn't until after she was gone that I began studying myself." He forces the grief from his face. "Now is not the time for sadness. Now is a time for celebration. You've seen enough of the castle. Come, Silver. Let me show you to the dining room."

The Duke escorts Silver to an elegant chamber with an immaculately set table. Already sitting at the table is Spark. Seeing her gives Silver flashbacks of Blaze that he'd rather not deal with. Silver asks with surprise, "What's she doing here?"

The Duke laughs. "My apologies. I failed to mention that I had also invited Spark for dinner. Her family lives far away. She came here to work on the Solaris Project, so she needed a place to celebrate as well. I also invited Ivo, but he declined."

Silver can't argue with this. "Okay." He takes a seat at the table across from Spark while the Duke sits next to them at the head of the table.

Spark acknowledges Silver with a nod and greets politely, "Silver."

Silver returns likewise, "Spark."

The Duke announces, "Now, once Elise makes her way down here, we'll be ready to bring out the first course."

Elise comes running in. "Father!" she shouts as she cries. She's holding a picture frame in her hands. The glass on the face looks broken.

"What's wrong, Elise?"

"I broke it!" she cried. "I knocked it off the table by accident and now its broken!"

The Duke takes the frame. Inside is a photo of Elise with her mother. The Duke lifts up Elise and sets her on his lap. "There, there," he comforts, "it's okay. We can replace the glass."

"Can we?" she asks between sobs.

"Yes. There's no need to cry."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying."

"No, Elise, no. You don't need to apologize for crying. It's okay to cry. Crying means you're strong. It means you're willing to share your emotions with the world. And that's the bravest thing anyone can do."

A smile appears on her face. She says through her remaining tears, "Then I must be really brave."

The Duke smiles back at her as he strokes her hair. "You are." He sets her back down on the ground. "Now go take your seat and we'll eat." She nods and runs around her table to the opposite end of her father.

The Duke's staff serve up a mouthwatering meal with all the fixings. They all share this food, as well as their thanks, together.

At the end of the meal, while eating a slice of apple pie, Silver says, "I know you guys probably don't want to talk about work right now, but there's something I've been thinking about. If we could somehow replicate that energy reading you got from scanning me, maybe we can somehow create an artificial version of a Temporal Sapphire."

Spark eyes him critically as she crosses her arms. "Your naivety continues to show."

Silver eyes her back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just that you don't know what you're talking about."

Silver stands up. "Okay, it's about time you tell me what your problem is."

"My problem?"

"Yes, your problem. All I want to do is help, and yet you clearly resent me for it."

"I don't resent you for helping. I'm sure your accounts will advance our research by years."

"Then why are you so critical of my ideas?"

"I said it was your accounts of time travel that are helpful. Not your ideas."

"Excuse me. Who's the one here who's actually traveled through time in multiple cases?"

"That would be you. But who's the one here who actually has a PhD in theoretical physics? That would be me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you need to accept the fact that you don't know what you're talking about." She stands up too. "It doesn't matter how many times you've traveled through time if you don't understand the physics. So how about you just leave the science to us and stay out of the way."

Silver shakes his head. "No. I can't do that. I need to do anything I can to travel in time. I can't sit back and do nothing."

"I don't care what you do, just leave the science to those who actually understand it. Accept your situation."

Silver looks like he's about to object, but he stops himself. "You're right."

This surprises Spark. She has no response.

Silver turns around and heads for the exit. "Your majesty, I hope you were honest when you offered me use of the library whenever I wanted." He pauses. "You were right about me not knowing what I'm talking about, but you were wrong about something else. I won't accept my situation. No matter what." He leaves.

—–—

Silver sits at a table in the library. In front of him is a large stack of books with titles such as "Chronodynamics," "Relativity," "Temporal Mechanics," and "Chronal Field Theory." One such book is open in front of him. He switches between reading it carefully and jotting notes.

Elise runs into the library carrying a picture book. She stops when she sees Silver. "What are you doing, Mr. Silver?"

Silver looks up to her for a moment, then returns his attention to his book. While reading, he answers, "I'm studying the physics of time travel."

Elise looks at one of the books and asks with confusion, "What's Chronomomanics?"

Her ignorance brings a grin to Silver's face. "It's the study of how time flows. Time is like water in a river. Always moving and nearly impossible to stop. You can divert it. You can slow it. You can even ride across it, but you can never fully control it. Does that make sense?"

Elise shakes her head in bewilderment. Silver chuckles again as the girl runs off. He returns his attention to his books.

Spark watched this exchange from outside. She is left surprised.

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — December 21st, 13 B.E.

Robotnik is soldering a circuit board, but it suddenly blows up in his face. He shakes his head with disgust. "It's no use. The energy required to emit a chronoton-generating field is too much for any traditional circuit to hold."

Spark doesn't like the sound of that. "It has to be possible. Without chronotons, this project won't even get off the ground. Try again."

"I'm a scientist, not a miracle worker."

Silver, who had been watching, steps forward. "Wait, what if we've been going about this wrong? We've been trying to generate our own chronotons, but what if we captured existing chronotons instead?"

Ivo appears surprised. "Finally agreeing to let me extract the chronotons in your body? I did mention that would kill you, right?"

"That's not what I meant. I read last week that there were chronotons created at the birth of the universe. Those chronotons still exist today. I also read yesterday that neutronium can be used to capture chronotons."

Spark is surprised. "That could work. Primordial chronotons are rare, but we could possibly catch a few."

Silver continues her thought, "And a few chronotons is all it takes to build a stable temporal field."

Sounding excited, Spark adds, "And once a stable temporal field has been erected, it will generate new chronotons."

Just as excited, Silver concludes, "We'll have as many as we need for future experiments."

Spark looks to Silver with disbelief. "You…you…"

Silver grins smugly. "Actually know what I'm talking about?"

"Well…yes." She looks at him for the first time in a whole new light.

The Duke grins. "Good work, team. Ivo, can you build such a device?"

Robotnik grins. "You supply the neutronium, I build the machine. There's not a machine out there that Robotnik can't build. Oh ho ho!" He twirls his mustache.

The Duke states, "Very good." He claps his hands together. "Now, on to our next order of business. As you all know, today marks the Winter Solstice, the day of the year where the Sun is at its weakest. As such, the people of Soleanna partake in the Festival of the Sun in honor of our patron deity, Solaris. It is our hope that our prayers will empower the Sun for another year. As monarch of Soleanna, I will be lighting the ceremonial Altar of Light. It would be my honor if you, as my royal scientists, consultants, and friends, would accompany me tonight aboard the Vessel of Flames on my way to light the altar."

Spark bows her head. "My lord, I am most honored."

Robotnik chuckles. "Sounds like fun. I've always wanted to be the center of attention at a solar festival." He breaks to grin. "Hope I don't steal the spotlight."

The Duke looks to Silver. "What of you, Silver?"

Silver shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I can't. I need to dedicate the time to my studies. There are still so many books I have to read. I haven't even started looking into temporal engineering yet."

This impresses Spark even further.

The Duke laughs. "I'm sorry, Silver, but I'm afraid that won't be possible. The entirety of the Kingdom Valley is closed on the night of the festival. I said you could use my library any time, but tonight is the exception. So how about you have a little fun instead?"

Silver is not amused. He groans. "Okay. I'll be there."

"Very good!"

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — December 21st, 13 B.E.

The festival is a magnificent spectacle to behold. Th entire city is lit up. Fireworks illuminate the sky. People gather around the central lake of Castle Town in a dense crowd. A silver barge emerges from underneath a bridge. It's decorated and covered in lights. Dancers in orange gowns prance about its deck. This is the Vessel of Flames. Its appearance elicits much cheering and clapping frown the people.

At the very front of its bow stands the Duke, with Elise at his side. Behind him, Silver, Spark, Robotnik, Lord Regis, and the other members of the Soleanna Project stand.

Robotnik takes pleasure in being at the center of attention. "Someday, the world will cheer for me like this. There will be parades and fireworks, all in my great name."

Spark laughs. "As if. Why would there be?"

Robotnik sneers at her. "Perhaps I'll be the emperor of the world. That would be a title befitting my greatness."

"Keep dreaming, egg man."

He ignores the jab.

Elise looks around with wonder and awe. "It's all so pretty!"

The Duke looks down to her. "Someday, when you're older, it will be you that the people cheer for. You will be the center of their world. Their Sun on Earth. That is the duty of the monarch of Soleanna. But for now, just watch me closely."

Elise nods.

Robotnik leans down and whispers in her ear, "Just be careful, brat. A ceremony like this is the optimal place for you to be kidnapped by some egomaniacal villain."

Elise sticks her tongue out at him.

Silver overhears this and stares at Robotnik with disapproval.

Robotnik stands up straight again and shrugs. "Hey, it's what I would I do." After a second thought, he adds, "If I were an egomaniacal villain, of course."

Silver rolls his eyes. "Of course."

Elise kicks Robotnik in the shin. Robotnik jumps up and down, clenching his leg in pain. "I take it back! No would want to kidnap this brat! She's not worth it!"

The barge reaches the massive altar in the center of the lake. The Duke and Elise step off from the boat and onto the altar, where they're greeted by the bishop of Soleanna. A servant hands an ornate torch to the Duke, who accepts it. He takes a moment to stare into the fire. The bishop bows to him, and he bows back. He announces for all to hear, "We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light." He steps forward and lowers the torch towards a cauldron in front of him. The cauldron accepts the flame and ignites. The flames spread from the cauldron up a massive set of wings made of metal to the top of the altar, where an even larger cauldron ignites.

As the fire spreads, more fireworks are launched. The crowd's cheering reaches its peak. The Duke and Elise wave to their people.

Silver can't help but smile. He thinks to himself, Last time I saw this festival, I was focused on finding the Iblis Trigger. I couldn't afford to appreciate the beauty. Now I can. The fact that these people can find such joy and comfort in their connection to a deity is amazing. It's unfortunate that a part of that deity is currently destroying the entire timeline. This is a reminder of why I can't accept being stuck here.

—–—

Even across town, the sounds of the celebration are still loud. Zero looks out a broken window towards the celebration. Its light creates a warm golden glow around the town's center. He thinks to himself, All those people, celebrating together. After a month of being alone, I want nothing more than to join them. But that's not possible.

Someone says, "You shouldn't be alone on a night like tonight." It's the man from the soup kitchen.

Zero freezes up. "I told you to stay away from me."

"You also told me to stay out of your sight. That's your trigger, isn't it? The sight of a human? I'll just stay behind you. Don't turn around and we'll be okay."

Zero is taking deep breaths, trying his best to keep himself under control.

"I brought you a little more than soup this time. I figured you wouldn't mind. You seemed to like the turkey I brought last month."

"You shouldn't bring me anything. You're putting yourself at risk."

"I know a thing or two about risk, and this is one I'm willing to take."

"You don't owe me anything. Stop this."

"I told you in the note I left you before. I know what troubles you. We're the same."

"We're not the same."

"You're a veteran, right?"

"A veteran?"

"The war showed the worst of all of us. I'm sure you were hurt by what the extremists did. People with powers like you were conscripted to the front lines, weren't they? I'm sure you made a fine soldier, with that vengeful instinct that was forced onto you when you saw the horrors humans were capable of. Then, when peace was made, you were cast aside, no longer holding any value to them. Now you have to struggle through life, suppressing both your killer instinct and your hatred of humans for making you who you are. Just the sight of a human is enough to put you back to the state you were in during the war. To drive you to kill."

Zero is shocked. "That's…not entirely wrong…"

"I may be human, but my story is similar. I signed up for the army when I was a young and impressionable boy who knew nothing of the world. I hardly knew what side I was joining. I didn't know what horrors awaited me. Since the war, I haven't been whole. I have episodes where I find myself once again as that poor kid who was dropped into an operation that by all means should have been certain death. The war took so much from me, physically and mentally. It turned me into someone I didn't recognize. But I've never given up. I refuse to let that dark time define me. I will not accept the circumstances which I find myself in."

Zero remains silent.

"I understand how hard it can be to open up about something so traumatic. But if you ever decide it's time to open up, I'll be there for you."

Zero continues his silence.

"By the way, my name's Gary. What's yours?"

After a moment's hesitation, Zero responds, "I'm Zero."

"Nice to meet you, Zero. I hope we speak again." Zero can hear him leaving.

Zero continues to stare out at the celebration in the distance. "Maybe we are similar, Gary. What's different is that if I mess up, everyone you know and love will end up dead. That's why I have no choice but to accept the reality of my situation."

—–—

As days turn into weeks, Silver and Zero continue living out the new lives they've found themselves in. For Zero, that means constant meditation and self-control exercises. For Silver, it's studying and work with the Solaris Project.

Zero spends all day, every day, in a meditative state. He only comes out of it when it's time for dinner. Gary delivers him soup every night at the same time. Sometimes he remains to chat with Zero. Though he always remains out of Zero's sight, it sometimes seems difficult for Zero to control himself. Despite this, Zero finds himself looking forward to these visits. The two don't speak of anything substantially. They simply chat.

For Silver, as the days goes on, he accumulates a larger and larger pile of read books next to the table he studies at. As he runs out of books about time travel, he branches out into other fields such as quantum mechanics, astrophysics, and even engineering as he attempts to learn anything that could be even somewhat relevant. From time to time, Spark checks in on him. She is truly and honestly impressed by his show of dedication and hard work. Any doubts she had about him are completely erased. The two of them form an impressive team. Together they're able to combine Silver's practical experience with both of their knowledge in order to come up with solutions to nearly any problem.

All the while, Zero continues to scratch new marks onto the wall every night. The tallies quickly amass.

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — February 14th, 12 B.E.

Silver and Spark are the last ones in the lab for the night. They sit together at a table discussing ideas.

Spark suggests, "If we could just isolate the time-space frequency, then we could stabilize the exotic matter."

Silver shakes his head. "If we knew the time-space frequency, there's a whole lot of other things more impressive than time travel we could pull off."

Spark sighs. "You're right." She goes into deep contemplation to look for an alternate solution. Until she notices Silver staring at her. "What is it?"

Silver instantly stops staring. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You look a lot like someone I used to know when she was deep in thought."

"Someone you used to know? She wouldn't happen to have the name Blaze, would she?"

Silver is shocked. "How could you know that name?"

Spark laughs at his expense. "Don't worry, I'm not reading your mind. You called me that when we first met."

Silver nods. "Right. To tell the truth, you look a lot like her in general."

"Someone from the future?"

"Kind of…"

"Is she the reason why it's so important for you to create time travel?

"Kind of…"

"So, she's special to you."

Silver nods. "Very special. I never had a dearer friend."

"Sorry if I'm prying, but was she just a friend? Or was she…more?"

Silver holds up his hands in innocence. "Just a friend, I swear." He sighs. "But then again, we lived a very hard life. What I needed was just a friend. In another time, I don't know what we would have been." Looking to change the topic, he asks, "What about you? Anyone special in your life?"

Spark shakes her head. "No. I've always thrown myself into my work. Working towards a better future has always been my goal. No, my obsession. There's never been any time for anyone else." She chuckles. "How ironic, given my line of work."

Silver honestly laughs at her joke. "Good one." Spark laughs with him.

Spark stands up. "Well, I think we've done all we can do for the night." She pauses as she glances at Silver. "What do you say you and I go and get a bite to eat on the way home?"

Silver shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm going back upstairs to the castle. I found a new book on time theory in the library, and I want to get through it as soon as I can."

Spark looks saddened. "Oh…okay…of course. You do that. Good night, Silver."

"Good night, Spark."

As Spark walks home through the streets of Castle Town, she looks at all the flowers and hearts that decorate the restaurants and shops. She says to herself with sadness, "Oh, Silver, you really are naïve. If only you realized what today was. Then maybe you would have understood what I meant when I asked you to have dinner with me…"

—–—

Tropical Jungle, Soleanna — April 5th, 12 B.E.

Zero walks through a lush and dense jungle. He stands before a set of ancient ruins. He looks happy and relieved in a sense. He says to himself, "Gary was right. I did need to get out of that depressing building. No one ever enters this jungle, so there's no chance I find any humans. It's perfect."

He runs his hands over an oversized leaf. "So much green. Even before the bombs, there was never this much green in my time."

He looks down into a puddle of rainwater and sees Aleph's face staring back up at him. Aleph says to him, "You have the powers of a god, and yet you waste your time taking a walk in the forest. Pathetic."

Zero kicks the puddle, distorting the reflection. But then he sees his reflection in another puddle. "You fear me. What you don't understand is that I am you." Zero stomps in that puddle.

When he turns around, he finds himself staring into a piece of polished obsidian from the ruins reflecting his face. "You can't avoid the truth forever. I am a part of you."

Zero punches through the obsidian, shattering into tiny pieces. He says, "Yes, you are a part of me. A part that I will control."

"Admitting it is the first step," Gary's voice says from behind a tree.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. That's what friends do."

"We're not friends…" he adds under his breath, "I only hurt my friends…"

"We're friends, whether you like it or not. Look, Zero, you can't keep suppressing your darkness. It's not healthy. You have to find a way to channel it. Make it work for good."

Zero collapses to his knees, as if suddenly no longer able to carry his own weight. "Gary…it's been five months since I first arrived in Soleanna… Every day since then I've spent every waking minute trying my best to contain this darkness… Gary…I'm tired…I'm not even halfway there yet, but I feel like I can't go on any longer… I just want this all to end…" He closes his eyes in shame.

"Hey! That's no way to speak! I don't know what you mean by halfway, but I do know that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel you travel through now. You just have to keep on walking."

"How can I walk when my feet won't even support me anymore?"

"That's why you have friends to prop you up along the way. And that's not just me. Surely you must have other friends."

Zero sighs. "I used to…" He thinks not only of Silver, but of Gregor, Nina, Uni, and the others of Animoid Village. He even thinks of Janice. "But it's been so long. I've been without them for so long… I was different person when I was their friend…" He cradles his head in his hands. "Nina…what would you think of me now?"

"Nina? A friend of yours? More than that, perhaps?"

"It's complicated."

"As relationships often are. Don't forget Nina. Don't let her go. And until you reunite with your friends, I'll be there for you too."

Zero imagines himself walking through a dark tunnel. At the opposite end is Nina. But no matter how far he walks, Nina is always out of reach. He tries running, but he stumbles. Someone helps him back up. It's Silver. Together they walk forward a few steps before Zero pushes him out of the way.

Zero sighs. He says quietly to himself, "Silver, I was such a jerk to you… I wonder…do you still think of me as your friend…?"

—–—

Dusty Desert, Soleanna — May 17th, 12 B.E.

Silver, Spark, and Robotnik trek over a sand dune in a dry desert. There's nothing but sand and ancient ruins in sight. Robotnik wipes sweat from his brow. "It's too hot for my delicate complexion out here. And don't get me started on the sand. If I ever build a base, I promise you, it will not be in the desert. Maybe somewhere nice and cool. I know, a snowy mountain! Then it would never be hot."

Spark questions, "Why would you need a base?"

Robotnik shrugs. "I don't know." In a mocking tone he asks, "Why would you need a base?"

She raises a brow. "I don't."

"Well, I don't either!"

Silver points ahead. "There's the Duke and his expedition party. It's time to see why he called us out here."

A few minutes later they make it to the Duke's field lab. An array of equipment and scientists are gathered around something, obscuring it from sight.

The Duke throws his arms open wide. "Welcome, my friends! You're in for a treat!"

Spark asks, "What kind of treat?"

"My people have made a discovery that will change the course of our research for the better! Behold!"

At his beckon, several scientists move aside to show what they block. A swirling blue vortex.

Silver steps back in horror. "No…it's a time-space rift…"

To Be Continued…