Dusty Desert, Soleanna — May 17th, 9 B.E.

Silver stares with horror at the swirling blue vortex that floats above the desert sands in front of him. "No…it's a time-space rift…"

Spark, on the other hand, shouts excitedly, "No way! It's a time-space rift!"

The Duke of Soleanna nods. "Exactly. Last week the chronoton detectors Silver helped us to build went off, indicating a strong chronoton source in the desert. After much searching, my expedition team found this. A naturally occurring hole in the space-time continuum. This is the breakthrough we've been waiting for! Studying this will allow us unlock the secrets of time travel!"

Silver steps forward. "There's just one thing you're wrong about. This isn't natural."

Spark looks to Silver with surprise. "What do you mean?"

Silver sighs. "It's time I tell you all something I've been avoiding. The real reason I'm here. The Temporal Sapphires I've been teaching you about? They serve as anchors in time. They stop time from breaking apart altogether. When too many of them go missing, these time-space rifts begin to appear. I've seen it happen before. They link one point in time and space to another. The longer the Sapphires are out place, the more of these appear. Eventually they begin merging, connecting multiple points in spacetime. Ultimately, these rifts will grow so numerous they will all combine, making it so that all of time and all of space will exist at a single point. That is how a timeline collapses. That is why I travel through time. To stop this."

Everyone is silent. Everyone except Robotnik, who ponders, "I wonder if one could use this phenomenon to take over the world." He grins. "Hypothetically, of course."

Silver groans. "Of course."

After a moment of silence, Spark speaks up. "That's a lot to unload on us, but you know what? It doesn't make a difference. Our goal is still the same. We still need to crack the secret of time travel. The only difference now is that we're doing it to help save the world. So, let's study this rift and turn the curse into a blessing."

Silver smiles. He says to himself, "You never give up. Just like her."

Silver & Zero: Partners in Time

Part 5

The Long Way Home II

Written by Yuni Oha

Dusty Desert, Soleanna — May 18th, 12 B.E.

The Duke asks, "Is the drone ready, Ivo?"

Robotnik steps forward with a remote in his hands. The remote has a small screen on it. "I'm always so happy when given the opportunity to build a robot. It is in my name, after all. Say hello to E-01 Moto Drone."

A small, dome-shaped silver robot on a single wheel rolls forward. With a little paint and a face, it could almost look like a ladybug.

Spark asks, "What does the E stand for?"

Robotnik glances around nervously. "How should I know?"

"You built the robot." She grins mischievously as something dawns on her. "It stands for egg, doesn't it?"

He feigns insult. "I don't like what you're implying. I'm going to choose to ignore your harsh words and pretend like you didn't say that."

The Duke ignores their squabble. "Send it through."

"Good luck, Moto Drone." Robotnik uses the controls to have the robot wheel into the rift.

Spark asks, "So this rift could lead to anywhere in time and space?"

Silver nods. "As far as I know."

"Receiving video feed now." Everyone gathers around Robotnik's remote to see the feed. The small screen shows nothing but static. "Adjusting for interference." He turns a dial, and the image clears up somewhat. Now basic shapes and colors can be made out.

Spark suggests, "I think it's a jungle." She groans. "Oh no. It just sent it couple miles away to the Tropical Jungle, didn't it?"

A loud sound, almost like a roar can be heard from the audio feed. "Don't speak so soon," Robotnik points out.

Something moves into sight. Something massive. Silver leans in closer. "Is that…?"

Spark shakes her head in disbelief. "No way, it can't be…"

The Duke nods excitedly. "It is. It really is…"

As the form gets nearer it becomes apparent that it's a T-rex. The dinosaur stops to roar, creating the same sound as before. Then the feed cuts out.

Spark shouts, "Bring it back!"

Robotnik is frantically pressing buttons. "I'm trying! It seems that Moto Drone is out of power. Traveling across the time-space threshold must have drained its battery! Curses. If only I could have had a stronger power source. You know, even a small animal could serve as a sort of biological battery. If we had one of those in Moto Drone, I bet it would still have power."

Spark looks at Robotnik with disgust. "You can't shove innocent animals into a robot."

"And why ever not?"

"Because that would be evil."

Robotnik mutters under his breath, "That's what they all say…" When he catches the glances he's getting from the others, he adds, "It's all in the name of science, of course."

Silver and Spark say together, "Of course," as they roll their eyes.

Changing the topic, the Duke states, "It doesn't matter if the drone failed, we got what we needed. Proof that this rift does connect to somewhere in time. Study of this rift, combined with Silver's experience with them, will catapult our research years, if not decades into the future." He grins. "Maybe even literally. This is the breakthrough we've needed." He pauses and adds under his breath as he looks to the sky, "This is the breakthrough I've needed…"

Silver clenches a fist as he stares into the rift. "Zero…I haven't forgotten about you. I will fulfill that promise you wouldn't let me make."

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — June 10th, 12 B.E.

Zero is sitting on a wooden crate looking out the broken window towards the rest of town. Somewhere behind him, Gary hides out of sight and talks with him. Zero sighs. "I'm beginning to forget what it feels like to be free. Free of this house, free of this time, free of the darkness. I've been a prisoner in too many different ways for too long a time."

Gary suggests, "I think you're not as much a prisoner as you think you are. I think if you were to turn around and look at me, you would be able to maintain control. I trust you to do that much. The only real prison is the one you lock yourself in."

Zero shakes his head. "Gary, you're the only thing keeping me sane right now. If I didn't have you to talk to, I don't know where I'd be right now. I'm not willing to risk your safety on a hunch." He chuckles to himself. "Not to mention, I don't know how I'd get by without your soup."

"You're not going to be able to live like this forever. Someday, you're going to be forced out of hiding. Don't you think you should do it on your terms?"

"No. I lost all ability to dictate my terms months ago." He sighs as he thinks things over. He makes a realization. "We always talk about me. We never talk about you. I'm a terrible friend…"

Gary laughs. "It's not terrible if I don't have anything to talk about. Besides, keeping you sane is more important than any chitchat from me could ever be."

Zero ignores him. "How's your life right now?"

Gary sighs. "To tell the truth, it could be better. I'm doing alright for the most part. I haven't had an episode in a little while. Things seem fine for now, but I'm afraid for the future."

"What do you mean?"

"A new gang is making its presence known. The soup kitchen falls under what they claim as their territory. I've heard stories of them barging into places and demanding payment for 'protection.' If the business can't afford it, they destroy the place. I'm afraid for what will happen if they decide to pay me a visit. I barely have enough funds to keep the soup warm. That would be hurting everyone who relies on me. I can't let that happen."

Zero cracks a minor grin. "Gary, you're too good a guy. Even in the face of personal danger, you're worrying about others. Makes me feel selfish for holing up here and ignoring the world."

"There's nothing wrong with caring for yourself, no matter what form you feel that takes."

Zero chuckles. "And here we go, talking about me again, somehow."

"I've got no qualms with it."

"You're too good, Gary. Too good…"

—–—

Wave Ocean, Soleanna — August 5th, 12 B.E.

Silver steps off of an outdoor elevator onto grass. He looks around. He's atop a small island that juts up from the sea with a flat top. The usually inaccessible top is surrounded entirely by sheer cliffs all the way down to the water. The grassy top sports several tropical cabanas and some palm trees. He walks under an arch marking the entrance to the private area and calls, "Hello? Is anyone else here yet?" He crosses his arms. "What a waste of time." He readjusts the backpack he wears. Through its slightly unzipped opening, several thick books are visible.

"Silver, you're here!" Spark steps into view from behind one of the buildings.

"Oh, hi, Spark. Is the Duke or anyone else here yet?"

She shakes her head. "No, not that I've found. Though I haven't tried going inside yet." She looks out at the ocean vista. "This view is absolutely incredible."

Silver shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."

She looks at him with surprise. "You really don't want to be here, do you?"

"I told you all before, I don't have time to waste on vacation. I don't care if the Duke is letting everyone use his private island. I'm wasting valuable time right now that could be spent on the time machine. I'm only here because the Duke practically ordered it."

Spark points out, "Right now, we're waiting on all the parts to be fabricated. There's not much we could be doing anyways. It's the perfect time for a vacation." She grins and adds teasingly, "I, for one, think you could really use it."

Silver ignores her. "Let's just go inside and see if we can find anyone."

They enter the largest of the shacks on the far side of the small island. Spark notices a slip of paper on the kitchen counter. She picks it up. "It's a note from the Duke." She reads, "Silver and Spark, I had political affairs come up that I had to attend to. The other scientists also had last minute cancellations. Looks like you two get the island all to yourselves. Have fun. That means you, Silver."

Silver groans. "Sure. As much as I insist I can't come, the Duke makes me. Everyone else cancels? Sure. Why not?"

Spark grins at him. "Oh, stop being such a downer. We're at a world-class tropical vacation destination, with an entire island to ourselves, not to mention the resort amenities below. Not many people get an opportunity like this."

Silver turns away. "Not many people have as important a promise to keep as I do."

Spark crosses her arms. "Fine. You know what? Give me one day."

"What?"

"Just try to have fun for one day. Forget about time travel, forget about your duties. If, after that, you still don't want to be here, I won't stop you if you try to leave. You can spare one day, can't you?"

Silver groans. "Fine. One day. But that's it. This time tomorrow, I'm gone."

—–—

Silver and Spark begin their day with a dip in the ocean. Spark splashes Silver playfully, but Silver just scowls at her. After swimming, they lay out on towels on the beach to dry off. Spark looks happy to soak up the sun, but Silver spends his time reading one of the books he brought, much to Spark's dissatisfaction. After that, they rent a sailboat and take it out to sea. Spark apparently knows how to sail. Silver just sits at the bow with his arms crossed. Spark points out an orca jumping over the waves in the distance. Silver looks to it with some interest, but then turns away. While he's looking away, the orca swims closer and closer. Spark makes no attempt to warn him as the whale breaches the surface right next to their boat and splashes back down on the other side. The splash soaks Silver. This makes him grumpier, but when Spark bursts out in laughter at his expense, he can't help but chuckle along, a small grin forming on his face.

Once they make it to their destination, they jump off the boat to go snorkeling at a coral reef. The sights beneath the waves are stunning. There's so much color and life wherever they look. Even the grouchiest of people would have to smile at the view, and that's what Silver does. After returning the sailboat, they get dinner at a gourmet seafood restaurant. Silver pokes and prods his meal, an octopus tentacle, with his fork, not sure what to make of it. Spark laughs at him as she swiftly cuts a bite off his plate and tastes it for herself. Judging by the look on her face, it's delicious. Silver seems to agree when he finally tries it. After eating, they go hang-gliding and soar over the picturesque beach.

They end their day by returning to the private island and sitting on the cliff's edge as they watch the sunset. It's a breathtaking show of light and color as the sun meets the ocean, then slowly dips below the horizon. Silver peels his eyes off the sight long enough to look at Spark as a realization dawns on him. She notices his gaze and smiles to him. He smiles back, then they return to watching the sunset.

—–—

Long after the sun has set, the two remain outside. They now lie on the grass and stare up at the pristine starry sky. Silver comments, "The stars are all the same as they are in my time. It sounds obvious, but I've never taken the time to actually look up and confirm it."

Spark rolls on to her side and looks to Silver. "You tend to notice a lot when you actually take the time to slow down and live in the moment."

Continuing to stare up, Silver takes a deep breath. "You were right about today, Spark. I enjoyed myself more than I have in nearly a year." He sighs. "A year…" Something's troubling him. He stands up. "What am I doing?"

Spark stands up as well. "I thought we established that. You're taking a break and having some fun."

Silver shakes his head. "I can't afford to have fun. It's almost been a year since I first was stranded here. My time to fulfill my promise is almost up."

Spark sighs, having thought that she finally got through to him, only to be proven wrong. "What's wrong, Silver? You've never said why you're on such a schedule. If we create a working time machine, you'll have all the time in the world."

Silver looks back up to the sky. "There's something I haven't told any of you yet. I didn't travel to this time alone. I had a friend with me."

"I didn't know…"

"You couldn't know. He's dealing with…well…he's dealing with a lot. A whole lot. He's struggling. He's in pain. Every day we're trapped in this time is another day he has to feel that pain. As if that weren't enough, he's been ripped away from his family, all because I dragged him out on what I thought would be a grand adventure full of fun and excitement. In just a few months, the next Temporal Sapphire will appear somewhere in Soleanna. If I make him wait the entire year feeling that pain and absence, then I've broken my promise and I've failed him as a friend. That's why I have to get access to time travel before the Sapphire appears. So I can go back and pick him up before he had to suffer through that year of agony. That's why I can't waste time. That's why I can't just sit back and accept a new life here."

Spark puts a hand on his shoulder. "Silver, you can work towards helping your friend while also helping yourself. The fact is, you're here now. Let yourself live. That doesn't mean you're giving up on your friend or not helping him to the best of your ability. Especially when you have a team of people working with you towards the same goal. It's no use trying to bear this burden alone. I've felt the way you distance yourself, Silver. You don't let yourself feel like you're a part of the team, but you are. To some of us…you're more than that…" She looks him in the eyes.

"Spark…"

"I think there's more to this than just helping your friend."

"What do you mean?"

"I think there's something you're not being forthcoming about, to me and yourself. There's something else not allowing you to settle. You're being naïve again."

Silver takes a deep breath. "Naïve…that's what it's all about." He sits down beneath a palm tree, Spark joins him. "It's all about Blaze…"

Spark sighs. "Is this because of me? Does it pain you to see me because I remind you of her?"

"No…yes…I don't know… But that's not it. I'm still grieving her."

"So she's…dead…?"

Silver shakes his head. "Even worse. She was erased from history because I traveled through time."

"That's…rough…"

"It is… What's even rougher is knowing that I'll never see her again. Nothing I could do can change that. These past nine months I've had a hole inside of me that she used to fill. I have had a question I've been unable to answer. Who am I without her? Instead of trying to find the answer to that question, I've been doing everything I can to avoid it. That's why I could never accept my situation, because that meant accepting that Blaze wasn't here and having to grapple with the questions that leaves." He pauses to think. "And now that I've acknowledged the question, I can't put off answering it any longer. But I don't know how…"

"Silver, I'm here for you. The Duke is here for you. All of the Solaris Project staff is here for you." She pauses. "Well, except maybe Robotnik. Still haven't figured his deal out yet."

Silver chuckles. "You won't for another ten years."

She eyes him suspiciously for a moment, then continues, "We're all, mostly, here for you. We will help you find the answer to that question. I will help you find it. That's what friends are for."

Silver looks back up to the stars, "Zero…I've wasted all this time trying to save you, needing a friend with me the entire time. I can't imagine how much worse off you have been without me… Would my time have been better spent if I had accepted the situation and been there to support you…? I was trying to save you, but I very well could have abandoned you…" He sighs. He looks back to Spark. "Spark…you're really special to me too…"

She leans in and hugs him. He hugs her back.

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — November 10th, 12 B.E.

Zero carves another notch into the wall, adding to his makeshift calendar. He drops the glass shard as he stares wearily at the marks. The hundreds of tallies stare back at him. "One year… It's been one year since this nightmare began…" He drops to his knees as he shakes his head. "I'm almost to the end, but I don't think I have the strength to make it any further…"

He pounds his fists into the wall, accidently smashing straight through it and ruining his calendar. "One year!" he shouts in desperation at the top of his lungs.

His head suddenly goes limp and hangs down. He's now staring into the glass shard he dropped earlier. Aleph's eye reflects back at him. "It's been a year since you met me. I've been your constant companion. You've spent more time with me now than you have with Silver."

Zero slams a fist down onto the grass, pulverizing it to dust. Then he just freezes in that position. He's completely unable to move.

Until he's snapped out from his fugue by a scream of terror and the sound of glass shattering. He runs towards the front of the building and looks out the window. Across the street and several buildings down, several people flee in terror from the building. A chair is thrown out through the window, shattering it on the way.

Zero gasps. "That's the soup kitchen! The gang is attacking it!" He instinctively moves for the door, then freezes. "What am I doing? There will be humans there. Most innocent. I can't go there." There's another shout and someone pleading for mercy. Zero clenches his fist. "That could be my friend. And even if he's not in danger, if they ransack the place, then the people will have nowhere to go for food. They'll starve…"

He shakes his head, unable to believe what he's thinking. Not giving himself any time to second-guess himself, he ducks out through the door and runs across the street.

In the soup kitchen, several muscular thugs armed with crowbars are doing whatever they can to cause damage. One smashes chairs and tables, another breaks windows, and another walks up towards a group of people cowering in fear, continuously smacking his crowbar into his open palm in order to intimidate them. He says, "You see? This is what happens when you try to short us. We could have had a mutually beneficial arrangement. We all could have been happy. But no. You've forced us to take drastic measures now. You will pay, one way or another."

He raises the crowbar to swing it down on the people, but finds he's unable to. "Huh?" He looks to his upraised arm to find that Zero has grabbed it. His eyes are closed. "Woah, buddy. That's a pretty tight grip you got there," the gangster says nervously.

The sounds of bones cracking echo through the room as Zero clenches his fist even tighter. The man drops the crowbar as he howls in pain. Zero opens his eyes, revealing them to have turned blood red. Aleph is in control now.

Aleph lets go and the man collapses to the ground as he shouts. Two more thugs rush at Aleph with crowbars. Aleph grabs the first and hurls him at the second. When another comes at him from behind, he pivots around and rips the crowbar from his hands. Aleph takes the bar into his own hands and bends the thing effortlessly. The gangster slowly backs away in terror. Aleph smashes the bent crowbar across the thug's face.

He notices the one he threw earlier getting up in an attempt to escape. Aleph swiftly pins him facedown to the ground. He grabs one of the man's arms and pulls it back to an unnatural angle, forcing the gangster to scream in pain.

Aleph leans down and whispers into his ear, "I could kill all of you in a heartbeat, but it's been so long since I've been able to kill any humans that I want to savor this moment."

The pinned thug gulps. He's utterly terrified. Slowly, Aleph forces the arm into more and more of an unnatural position. "I wonder how long until it pops out." He begins to cackle with joy.

"Zero! Stop this!"

Aleph freezes up. "G-G-Gary…?" He slowly looks to the side, where he gets his first ever look at his friend. The man is tall and slightly muscular. He has graying black hair and an unshaven face. His clothes are old and worn. Most notably and tragically of all, he only has one arm.

"It's me, Zero. Stop this. I know this isn't what you want to do."

Zero's eyes fade back and forth between colors. His entire body shakes. He's at war with himself. "G-Gary, get out of here! I'll hurt you!"

Gary, without any fear, steps close to Zero. "No, you won't. Now let that man go and regain control over yourself. You are not the weapon you were forced to be. You are more than that. So much more."

"I-it's t-too h-hard! I c-c-can't do it! I'm t-too weak!"

"You are strong, Zero! You survived the worst already! It's all behind you. It's time you stop accepting your circumstances and take control over your life! Now, let him go."

Zero releases his grip on the man and removes the foot pinning him down. The gangster bolts up and runs for the door, his arm hanging limply.

Gary puts a hand on Zero's back. "How do you feel?"

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "A lot better than I have in a long time." He turns to look at the remaining gangsters, who all cower in fear from him. He announces, "This soup kitchen—no—this city is under my protection. I don't want to hear anything about you lowlifes extorting anyone again, or you'll be hearing from me!"

Sensing that he's letting them go, they all make a break for it at once, tripping and stumbling over themselves.

Zero falls to the floor and shakes his head in shame. "Gary…what have I done…?"

To answer him, the people left in the soup kitchen clap for him. Gary answers, "You've saved these people's lives, both in the long and short term."

Zero shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm not a hero…I'm a monster…"

"You had the bravery to come out here and help these people you'd never met, even though you were afraid you would lose yourself. That makes you a hero in my book." Gary offers his one hand to help Zero back up. Zero looks to him for a moment, then accepts it. "And you see? Here you are in a room of people, in total control. I always knew you could do it."

Zero nods. "I suppose you did." He looks to Gary, observing him closely for the first time.

"Surprised by how I look?"

"I never truly could believe you when you said you went through pain like mine. I feel horrible for doubting you."

"The arm? That's the least of mine. The real scars are what I feel in here." He points to his head.

"Thank you for being my friend, Gary."

"No. Thank you for being mine."

—–—

Zero no longer spends his time alone. He makes daily visits to the soup kitchen, where he meets lots of new people. Sometimes he struggles to keep control of himself when he's surprised, but he always manages in the end. He even allows himself to explore more and more of Soleanna, as his fears of being overwhelmed by Aleph subside. For the first time in a year, he's able to constantly wear a smile on his face. He's able to be happy again.

Meanwhile, Silver, Spark and the others continue their hard work on the time machine prototype. With the data from the time-space rift, their work precedes smoothly. Silver still works and studies hard, but he also allows himself to have personal time. He spends much of it with Spark. He too has found happiness.

As winter inches closer, the people of Soleanna prepare for the next Festival of the Sun.

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — December 20th, 12 B.E.

Robotnik covers up a hatch and steps back. "That's…it… We've done it…"

Everyone looks at the device in the center of the room. It's a large metal box with several dials and buttons on its side. The front of it features two straps so it can be worn as a backpack. Next to it is a large wristwatch-like device with a keypad on top.

Spark shakes her head with disbelief. "Have we really done it? We've created a time machine?"

The Duke puts a hand to the device and lets it rest there. He says to himself, "It's almost time. I'm so close. So close."

Robotnik has been brought to tears staring at it. He sniffles. "It's so beautiful…Oh, the wonders it could show me. The powers it could grant me… I would be able to control the flow of time itself…" He catches Silver's scornful gaze and adds, "To use for good, of course."

"Of course." Turning his attention from Robotnik, Silver announces, "I'm the only one here with experience time traveling. I'll be the one to test the time machine."

Spark objects, "But Silver, we have to test it with something non-living first. This thing could be dangerous."

"But what happens if the machine gets stuck in another time? We've worked too hard on this to allow that happen. It has to be me. I'm ready now."

The Duke shakes his head. "Not tonight, Silver. It is late. We need to properly prepare for a test run. We will spend tomorrow preparing, before the Festival of the Sun begins, and we'll perform a trial run the day after."

Silver objects, "But sir, I'm ready now."

"No. We've all waited this long. We can wait two more days."

—–—

That night, Silver sneaks back into the base. "Sorry, your majesty, but I've waited too long already. And in two days, I could be too late." He opens the door to the main lab and finds the time machine is missing. "No! Where is it!?"

He's answered when the room fills with light. A spiraling vortex of violet energy manifests around the central platform. There's another flash, and the Duke, wearing the time machine, appears and falls from above. The energy storm vanishes.

"Your majesty!" Silver runs to help him back to his feet. "What happened?"

"Silver…?" He's disoriented.

"You used the time machine? Did it work?"

"Yes…and no… I was so close… So close to making everything right…but it slipped from my hands." He looks to Silver with despair. "I held her! She was with me! But then she was gone…"

"What are you talking about?"

"My wife…I couldn't save her…"

Silver's eyes widen. "The Queen… That's why you were so dedicated to inventing time travel. You wanted to stop her from dying."

"A dozen times I tried to save her, a dozen times I failed…"

Silver nods. "I read about this. A fixed point in time. It doesn't matter how much you try, some things can't be changed without making it all worse…"

"I know…I wrote the book…" He shakes his head in despair. "It had never occurred to me that this would be one of those instances… I couldn't allow it to occur to me…" He breaks down sobbing.

Silver feels his pain. "You felt like you couldn't accept your situation. That's why you put everything you had into a building a time machine. But now…now you have no choice but to accept it…Sometimes there just isn't a choice…" These words take a toll on Silver.

"Father…why are you crying?"

The Duke and Silver look up in surprise to see Elise standing in front of them. She must have snuck in again.

"Oh, Elise…I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to see me cry…"

Elise steps up to her father. "It's okay to cry, Father. Crying means you're brave."

The Duke is rendered speechless by his own words of comfort being returned to him by his daughter. He reaches out and pulls her into a tight hug. "My wonderful little girl. You remind me of your mother in so many ways. She wanted me to tell you that she will always love you."

As Elise hugs him, she says ignorantly, "I miss Momma."

The Duke tightens his grip. "I miss her too, Elise. So, so much."

Deciding he doesn't want to intrude on this family moment any longer, Silver begins to sneak away.

The Duke looks up towards him. "Silver, I used the entirety of the time machine's power supply for my trip. It won't be recharged for at least another day. You'll have to wait to save your friend. I'm so sorry."

Silver nods. "I understand. You had to do it. I don't blame you. How could I?"

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna — December 21st, 12 B.E.

The Festival of the Sun has come again. Once more the people gather around the Altar of Light for this joyous occasion.

A block back from the main festivities, Zero stands, paralyzed in fear. "I can't do it. Not with so many people."

Gary steps up next to him. "Yes, you can, Zero. You've been getting yourself used to being near humans more and more over the past month. Not once have you had an episode. And I'll be here with you the entire time."

Zero slowly nods. "Okay. Let's go." They make their way to the crowd.

In the center of the crowd, Silver and the others once again have a place on the Duke's barge. The ceremony proceeds exactly the same as the previous year. The barge parks, the Duke accepts the torch, he says the prayer to the fire, and ignites the cauldron.

But when the larger cauldron atop lights, something is wrong. A sinister sillohette floats in the flames. The Duke can't believe his eyes. "What!?"

Silver looks to the figure as if he's seeing a ghost. "No…it can't be…"

Zero pushes someone out of the way to get a better look. "Not here…not now…"

Out of the flames floats Mephiles. Seven Temporal Sapphires now float around him in a ticking motion. He has found two more since Silver and Zero last encountered him. He announces, "Even in a timeline where I don't exist, you still worship me. That is a testament to my power." He takes a moment to bask in this worship.

The Duke demands, "Who are you!?"

"Do you not recognize your own god?"

"S-S-Solaris…?"

"You're half correct." He laughs, savoring the Duke's reaction.

Elise steps forward and shouts, "Go! Get away from here, bad man!"

Mephiles chuckles. "To think, you were once the center of everything. You are nothing but a shadow cast by the dimmest of lights, now."

Both Silver and Zero are looking around frantically. They both think the same thought, If Mephiles is here, that must mean the Sapphire is too. I have to find it before he does.

Mephiles announces, "Show me the location of the Sapphire, and your god will reward you."

Robotnik is holding a handheld scanner. He exclaims, "The power readings on that thing are off the charts! If I could control it, no one could stand in my way! Oh ho ho ho!" He adds to save face, "Because no one can stop scientific progress, I mean, of course."

Silver doesn't respond this time. Instead, he snatches the scanner from Robotnik's hand and uses it to search for the Sapphire.

Zero has his own methods. He closes his eyes and reaches out his focus to try to sense it. He opens his eyes and locks them in on a nearby bell tower. "Got it."

Gary asks, "Zero, what's going on?"

"Not enough time to explain. I've got to go!" He runs off, forcing his way through the crowd as he heads for the tower.

Silver also locks in on the same tower with the scanner. He throws it back to Robotnik and says to Spark, "Sorry, Spark, but there's something I have to do." Before she can respond, he leaps off the barge and levitates across the water, heading for the tower.

He floats at high speeds over the heads of everyone in crowd. Once he reaches the tower he floats straight up, heading for the top. He reaches the belfry and enters. On the floor beneath the bell is a Temporal Sapphire. Silver reaches for it, only to find someone has reached for it as well. He looks up to see Zero. "Zero!?"

"Silver!?"

Seeing each other for the first time in over a year, the two stare at each other for several moments, but are interrupted when Mephiles says, "Of course you two would be here. Like moths to the flame." They look to the side to see Mephiles floating outside the belfry. "You best keep your distance from this flame, lest you be burned flying too close. Hand over the Temporal Sapphire."

Zero picks up the Sapphire and steps forward. "No. I won't cower from you. I will end this, right here, right now."

Silver urges, "Zero, we can't beat him. He's too strong. We have to accept that and run."

Zero shakes his head. "No. I'm done running. I've accepted my circumstances for far too long. I'm done. I will not accept this. I will fight for better circumstances, no matter the cost."

Silver objects, "But how?"

Zero clenches a fist around the Sapphire. "Maybe I don't have the power, but I know someone who does."

Silver's eyes widen as he realizes Zero's meaning. "Zero, don't!"

But it's too late. Zero's eyes have turned red. Aleph is in control now. He grins for a moment as he looks Mephiles over. "So, you're this so-called god the weakling is concerned about? I'll show you the real power of a god!" The violent red aura flares to life around him. He leaps at Mephiles as the power of the Temporal Sapphire surrounds him.

Mephiles chuckles slowly. "So be it. Burn!" Aleph rams into Mephiles and they both vanish in a flash of blue and purple light.

"Zero!" Silver is panicking. "No, this isn't good. They could be anywhere in time, and Zero is making a mistake he's going to regret. I have to help him. But without a Sapphire, how can I?" It occurs to him. "A time machine!" He floats off as fast as he can.

—–—

Kingdom Valley, Soleanna — December 21st, 12 B.E.

"You have to let me through!" Silver shouts at two castle guards.

One guard shakes his head. "Sorry, Silver. You know the rules. No one is allowed in Kingdom Valley during the Festival of the Sun. Not even a member of the Duke's research team."

"This is different! If you don't let me through, then someone could die!"

"It doesn't matter. Please leave."

Silver's psychic energy flares up as he readies to fight.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You may be able to get past us, but there are plenty of other guards where we came from, and you'll be branded a traitor."

Silver cuts off his energy. "Fine." He turns around and leaves. "I'll find a different way."

—–—

Soleanna Forest — December 21st, 12 B.E.

Silver stands before the ruined altar as he did a year ago. As he stares at the altar with trepidation, he once again recalls Blaze saying to him, "Silver! Thank you!"

He steps back nervously. "No…I'm still not ready…" He stares at his clenched fist. "The Test of Friendship… One of the three trials to enter the Kingdom Valley… A test that takes place within my own mind…"

He remembers fully the last time he took the trial. He rips through an army of Iblis minions on his way towards an energy cage positioned between them. Once he defeats the last one by hurling a metal crate at it, the energy cage deactivates, revealing Blaze was kept inside. She smiles at him. "Silver! Thank you!"

Silver snaps back to the present. "If I take that test again…Blaze will be there… Can I face her…?" He swats his hand down. "It doesn't matter! I have to do this to save Zero! I have to accept that Blaze is gone! That's the only way I'll be able to do this." He nods. "I'm ready."

Silver steps up onto the altar, between the three statues, and announces, "I am ready for the trials! Give them to me!"

A voice, which sounds oddly similar to the Duke's, speaks directly into his head, Silver the Hedgehog, you may enter the Kingdom Valley.

"What!? But…what about the trials?"

The Test of Memory. You remembered this path from a life that is not your own. Your memory reaches further than anyone else. The Test of Heart. You display the bravery in your heart by accepting the trials, even when you can't stand the thought. Your heart will not bend. The Test of Friendship. For the past year, everything you have done has been in the name of your friend. You truly value your friends. You have taken the three trials. You passed them all.

A shriek echoes through the forest. Silver looks up to see a giant bald eagle descending towards him. Silver grins. "There's my ride."

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — 12 B.E.

Silver runs up to the time machine and slings it onto his back. He grabs the wrist control piece and straps it on. "Here I come, Zero. Hope I'm not too late." He enters a command into the wrist piece and disappears into a swirling purple vortex.

—–—

Glyphic Canyon — ~2,000 B.E.

In a desert canyon, tribal human workers labor away at building a massive structure. Their efforts are overseen by a group of Black Aliens. When one human collapses to the ground in exhaustion, a Black Alien uses a tendril-like purple whip on him until he stands up and gets back to work.

Aleph and Mephiles appear in the sky above the construction site in the same positions which they were last seen. Aleph tackles Mephiles into the ground, crashing first through a stone wall, causing several human slaves to scatter in fear.

With Mephiles pinned beneath him, Aleph, still empowered by the dark aura, delivers a succession of blows so powerful that the entire room shakes with each punch. He shouts in rage as he punches. Mephiles takes each hit as if it were nothing. He stares back up at Aleph with his empty gaze. This keeps up until Mephiles raises an arm and catches one of his punches. Aleph is shocked to see his brute strength so easily countered.

"So much strength. So little power. You are insignificant. Witness true power." A shockwave of shadows bursts out from Mephiles, blasting Aleph away.

Aleph hurtles through a wall, leaving a hole behind. As he flies up, he draws power from his Sapphire, and rewinds time around him, completely reversing his momentum. He falls back down, taking the same path he went up with. Just before he hits the origin point of his flight, he cancels the time reversal and uses his inversed momentum to deliver his strongest punch yet. The punch forces Mephiles several feet down into the ground, straight through the rock, releasing a massive shockwave. The shockwave rips apart time itself.

When everything reforms, they're now in a mechanical corridor. Judging by a nearby window, they're aboard a space station.

Mephiles laughs as he stares up at Aleph. "Now it's my turn." He splits into three duplicates of himself. Each one fires a blue beam of shadows from its hand, leaving Aleph no way to dodge.

As Aleph is hurled back, he's sent through time again, reappearing outside a medieval castle. Mephiles has followed him and floats in for another blast of energy. Aleph uses the Sapphire to slow Mephiles' progress and easily dodge away. As Mephiles moves past him, Aleph delivers a punch with the opposite effect, the Sapphire speeding it up to increase its impact.

This blow causes them to both end up in a jungle. Mephiles recovers quickly and announces, "Playtime is over!" He floats above Aleph and raises his arms into the air. Above them an orb of shadowy energy forms. It quickly grows larger and larger. "Now die!" He throws the gigantic orb down at Aleph.

Aleph is unfazed. He freezes the orb in time with the Sapphire, then leaps at it. He delivers a series of quick and powerful punches, each one seeming to have no effect on the frozen orb. But once Aleph releases the time freeze, all of the kinetic energy he imparted into it adds together all at once and sends the orb hurtling back at Mephiles faster than it was originally thrown.

"Let's dance!" Mephiles catches the orb as it enters his reach and begins to spin it around to redirect once more at Aleph.

But as he performs this maneuver, something is flung at his head. It's Moto Drone. The robot doesn't inflict any damage to Mephiles, but it distracts him just enough for the orb to fly off in a different direction than intended. Mephiles looks down to see Silver standing beneath him. "Stay away from my friend!"

Aleph recoils back. Zero comes out for just a second. "Silver!?"

"Zero, I know you want to defeat Mephiles by any means necessary, but this isn't the way. There are limits to not accepting your circumstances! Lines that shouldn't be crossed!"

Mephiles demands, "Do you honestly think this battle will go any differently now that you're here?"

Silver smirks. "Maybe not me. But Rexy seems to think so."

"Rexy?"

There's a thunderous stomping. A T-rex, perhaps the same the Solaris Project team saw through Moto Drone, bursts out from the trees. It roars, then bites down on Mephiles, chomping down several times, then swallowing him whole. It roars again.

Silver cheers. "Yeah!"

The celebration is short lived. Mephiles forces his way out from the dinosaur's mouth, shattering several teeth as he does so. The T-rex roars in pain and flees. Mephiles just floats there and laughs.

Seeing Mephiles escape has returned control of Zero to Aleph. He delivers another mighty punch, which does absolutely nothing. Mephiles laughs even louder. "So weak! So pathetic!"

Aleph shouts in rage, "I am not weak! I am Aleph! I am infinity!" His dark aura grows stronger. The blue aura of the Temporal Sapphire weaves its way in as well. "Time…Blast!"

Realizing what is happening, Silver retreats back out of the way.

A red and blue shockwave, visually similar to the Chaos Blast, bursts out from Aleph. Everything caught in the field instantly ages a million or more years. Trees, bushes, rocks, even an unfortunate giant dragonfly, age into dust over the course of a second. Like Chaos Blast, it is pure destruction.

Silver gasps. A sphere of annihilation has been carved into the surroundings. He is horrified by the power.

Aleph cackles. "I win!"

"Is that what you call this?" Behind Aleph is Mephiles.

"Impossible!" Aleph launches himself at Mephiles for another powerful time punch, sending them both somewhere else in time.

Silver grunts and enters further commands into his controls.

Aleph and Mephiles reappear in a primordial time, where the world around them is full of volcanoes and lava.

Using his incredible strength, Aleph leaps up, propelling himself like a missile with his fist outstretched. Using the Sapphire, he increases his speed further.

Despite all that, Mephiles is able to project a field of shadows around Aleph, freezing him completely in place. Mephiles splits into two. Together they attack with shadow beams at the immobilized Aleph.

When Aleph slams into the ground, he's reappeared in what looks to be Central City. Mephiles flies down quickly, and in a reverse of how the fight started, one of him pins down Aleph, while the other delivers a series of time-shattering punches.

Each strike creates temporal shockwaves, putting them somewhere else in time. First, it's the time of the ancient echidnas. Then, it's aboard the Space Colony ARK. Then, it's in the middle of a gladiatorial colosseum. Then, it's what looks like Zero's time, quickly followed by Shino's time. Another shot puts them outside the construction of a massive pyramid in the desert. One more punch, and they're atop a massive skyscraper in a futuristic metropolis.

Before attacking again, Mephiles looks down to a battered and bruised Aleph and asks, "Do you realize the futility of fighting me yet?" The clone holding Aleph down disappears. "You play the part of a god. I am a god. You only reached your previous peak of power from the seven Chaos Emeralds and twelve Temporal Sapphires. All you have now is one Sapphire. Your power is inconsequential to me. You are nothing."

"I am everything!" As he shouts this, he reaches out and grabs Mephiles, locking his grip around his wrists. The temporal energy of the Sapphire once again mixes into his dark aura, but this time both are much stronger. Mephiles attempts to break free from Aleph's grip, but his brute strength is too much, even for Mephiles. "Death to all who oppose me! Time…"

Just then, Silver appears next to them. He quickly realizes something with horror. "Zero, stop! Look beneath you!"

Aleph looks down, to the glass roof he and Mephiles stand on. Below, many people, both human and animoid, stand, looking up in fright and confusion at the battle above their heads.

"If you use that technique, you'll kill all those innocent people! Don't repeat history! Don't be like Aleph!"

Aleph shakes violently as Zero and Aleph battle for control. Zero wins. The dark temporal aura suddenly calms, turning from a raging storm to an ordered flow. "Thank you, my friend. But I can't stop now. Mephiles has to be destroyed. Trust me."

Silver looks to Zero with apprehension, but doesn't challenge him. "I trust you."

"You might want to look down."

Silver looks down to see another Zero has appeared below and is working on getting the civilians out of the building.

Zero looks back to Mephiles. "And now it's your turn. You're finished! Time Blast!" He unleashes the attack he had been charging. The field around Zero ages instantly. Glass first shatters, then turns to dust. Steel beams rust, degrade, then fall apart until nothing is left. All in less than a second.

But Mephiles still floats before Zero. In his shock, Zero loses his grip on his foe and Mephiles floats back.

Mephiles stares at Zero with absolute loathing. He seems somewhat disoriented. "Your fate… Sealed. Your death… Certain." Gathering himself, he declares, "I am a being of time. Time is nothing to me, and yet it is everything. You were a fool to think that enduring all of time at once would be the end of me. I felt every last second of those eons. You were nothing to me but an obstacle to erase, but now you've changed my mind. I will ensure that you live just long enough to regret every one of those seconds, Zero the Hedgehog. Keep the Sapphire. It won't stop what awaits you now. You…will die." With a pulse of shadows, Mephiles is gone.

Silver and Zero breathe a collective sigh of relief. They stare at each other for several moments. Finally, Silver smiles profusely. "Zero, it's great to see you again."

Zero doesn't even say anything. He just leans in and hugs Silver tightly. "I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you last year. The truth is, you were right. I shouldn't have given up so easily."

Silver hugs him back and shakes his head. "No. I'm sorry for not understanding your feelings. And it's not me who was right, it was you. I knew you were pain, but I never realized how much fighting that pain could hurt."

They both step back. Zero suggests, "Perhaps we could both learn something from the other."

Silver nods in agreement. "That's how the best friendships work." After thinking for a moment, he asks, "What was that you did before? Why were there two of you?"

Zero grins. "Mephiles isn't the only one who can be in two places at once. In short, I didn't accept my circumstances. I used one of Aleph's tricks. I was able to use the Sapphire to temporarily combine two different timelines. That way I could save the people and defeat Mephiles simultaneously. It was a time clone."

Silver grins back. "I'm proud of you, Zero. You managed to control your darkness, even in the most trying of circumstances. So…now we have the Sapphire at last. What's next?"

"We need to find the next one. I believe I sensed one while I was battling Mephiles. I can get us there."

"Okay, but first there's someone I need to talk to. I need to say goodbye."

Zero nods. "As do I."

—–—

Aquatic Base, Soleanna — December 22nd, 12 B.E.

Silver places the time machine back on its stand. He turns around to find Spark, the Duke, Robotnik, the other scientists of the Solaris Project, and even Elise behind him.

The Duke asks, "How was your trip? Fulfilling, I hope."

Silver grins. "It wasn't what I had been hoping to use the time machine for, but, in a way, I think my friend and I are better off for it."

Spark asks, "So you weren't able to help your friend?"

"I realized that if I helped him the way I wanted, I would have been robbing him of vital months of experience in conquering his pain. The year was rough for him, but he came out stronger."

Spark walks up to Silver and hugs him. "Just like what happened to you."

Silver hugs her back. "Yes, I think so."

Spark steps back. "Do you have to go now? Can you not stay any longer?"

Silver shakes his head regretfully. "No. I've spent too much time here. It's tempting. I've found a home here. I've found friends here. It's more than I ever had where I came from. But I can't afford to stop. I have to keep on moving. The fate of the world depends on it."

Spark remorsefully nods. "I understand. Will I ever see you again?"

Silver sighs. "I don't know…"

Robotnik chimes in, "Before you go, can you tell me about my future? I need to know if certain…plans of mine get off the ground. Do I ever rule the world?" He quickly adds, "Because everybody wants to rule the world. Perfectly normal, of course."

Silver rolls his eyes. "Of course." He can't help but chuckle at Robotnik's incapability of hiding his villainy.

Robotnik crosses his arms. "Fine. Don't tell me. I don't want spoilers anyways. But you could at least tell me if my new diet plan works. I want to be a mean, lean machine. And I meant 'mean' in the hypothetical sense, of course."

"Of course."

Spark laughs. "More like a mean bean machine."

Robotnik looks at her with confusion. "I don't even know what that means, but I might have to steal that name." Realizing his mistake, he adds, "And by steal, I mean borrow. No malicious intent meant, of course."

Silver chuckles some more, then turns his attention to the Duke and Elise.

The Duke holds something out towards Silver. It's a golden medal emblazoned with the image of an eagle beneath a sun. "Silver, this gold medal is the highest honor I can bestow. I wish for you to have it, to express my thanks for everything you've done for us."

Silver takes the medal and observes it closely. "Thank you for always believing in me, your majesty. Your support is why I was able to make it through this past year."

The Duke nods. "It was my pleasure, Silver. And don't forget, it was only because of your support that I was at last able to put an end to my futile crusade. You should know, Silver. I plan to have the time machine destroyed. Thanks to you, I see now my hubris in thinking that I could control time. Just as your friend is stronger thanks to his hardships, so am I. Who am I to erase them?"

Robotnik demands, "What!? Destroy the time machine!?"

Ignoring him, Silver nods at the Duke. "I think you're making the right decision."

"I hope I am…"

Silver looks down at Elise. The girl asks him, "Where are you going, Silver?"

"Somewhere that I won't be able to see you for a very long time."

Elise hangs her head in sorrow. "Oh…"

"You know, I don't think I can carry this medal around with me. I would really appreciate it if someone could hold onto it for me."

Elise looks back up. "I could do it!"

Silver hands her the medal. "Thank you, Elise. Someday we'll see each other again, and you can give it back to me. Until then, think of it as a lucky charm."

Elise takes the medal and smiles at it.

"Never stop smiling, Elise. You're going to grow up to be a ruler your mother can be proud of." Elise grins profusely at him.

Silver looks back to Spark. "So…I guess this is goodbye…"

Spark nods somberly. "It's been great knowing you, Silver. These past few months have been the best of my life. I will cherish the memories, always."

"The same for me. Goodbye."

She leans in and gives him one last hug. She whispers into his ear, "No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, don't let go of your friends, even the ones that are gone. Even in accepting that they are gone, your memories of them give you strength. We'll always be with you, no matter what." She steps back. "Oh, and one more thing. Never stop being naïve."

"Huh?"

She grins. "I've always liked that about you."

—–—

Castle Town, Soleanna Town — December 22nd, 12 B.E.

Gary shakes his head in disbelief. "Blimey. You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

Zero shakes his head. "No. Everything, I told you is the truth."

"Wow…that's a lot for one guy to go through. You must have thought I was so full of it for saying I've been through your pain."

Zero chuckles. "Maybe I did at first. But I came to realize that we really weren't that different after all. My circumstances may be more…fantastical, but that didn't make your pain any less than mine. That realization is what helped me to accept that I didn't have to be alone. That I didn't have to accept what life had done to me."

Gary smiles. "I'm happy to have helped." Curiosity gets the better of him. "So, how does it work? Is it like you have another person in your mind? Is it like a bipolar disorder?"

Zero shakes his head. "No. It's just me. But I have all of his memories. And it's our memories that define who we are. If I focus too much on his memories, I slip into being him, and once I'm in that state of mind, it can be hard to get out."

"I can only imagine." He pauses. "So, you're going to travel in time again? Are you going to the future?"

"Well…it will be the future from my perspective, but from yours it's the past."

Gary shakes his head again. "Time travel…" He pulls Zero into a hug with his one arm. "Alright, friend. You go and save the world. Just promise me you won't forget your pal Gary."

"I could never forget you, Gary." Zero hugs him back.

"And don't you dare forget that life is what you make of it. If you give up and accept things the way they are, you'll never make it anywhere."

Zero steps back and nods. "I won't ever make that mistake again."

"I'm holding you to that. If you don't, I might just come after you myself."

Zero chuckles at his joke. "I can't wait to see how you figure out a way to travel through time."

"Oh, I'll find a way."

"And I believe you." They laugh together.

To Be Continued…