Silver had never been part of a stranger group. Aquarius led the group minus Infinite back out of the Granifer entrance, it was thankfully still frozen so they let Razor rest for a few minutes. Coral and Silver helped him sit down. They then noticed Elias, he was standing at the top of a small hill staring at Soleanna castle "Go" Razor said. It took a moment to understand what he meant "No, it's fine. I'll-". Coral took his hand "I'll stay. Go". Silver looked at Razor "You alright?" "I'm fine, go". Silver left them alone. Coral stared at Razor's leg "It looks painful" "So painful… They might have to chop it". Coral smirked "Madam Vanilla will get it sorted" "It's too late. I'll just have to live without it". Silver joined Elias who continued to stare at the castle "Beautiful. I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man". His eyes shifted "That was a very noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it" "Maybe. But I don't think my Dad would have wanted his friends to become killers. Besides if he dies the truth dies with him". Elias smiled and then nervously looked to the ground "I don't know if anyone told you this, Silver, but before I went to prison I was made your godfather" "I know" "Well, your parents appointed me your guardian if anything happened to them". Silver stared, did he mean what Silver thought he meant. Elias' started wringing his hands "I would understand, of course… if you wanted to stay with your Aunt and Uncle. But… Once I'm cleared if you wanted a new home". Silver's mind exploded "What, live with you? Leave Penders Drive?". Elias quickly looked away "I thought you wouldn't want to. I understand, I just thought-" "Are you insane!? Of course I want to. Do you have a house? When can I move in?". Elias turned right around and looked at him "You… Really want to?" "Of course". Elias then gave the first true smile Silver had seen from him. The change was startling, as if Elias had gained back ten years of his life. For the first time Silver saw the man who was laughing at his parent's wedding. He was going to leave his Aunt and Uncle.
He was going to live with Elias, his parent's best friend "SILVER!" it was Coral's voice. They both turned and saw from the mountains in the distance the full moon rose. Knuckles froze and the moonlight enveloped him. His eyes turned a darkened red as Elias ran to him "Knuckles? Knuckles, listen to me!" he sounded terrified. Knuckles started to scream and convulse. Elais held him "You know the man you are, Knux. This heart is who you are! This heart here! This flesh is only flesh!". The shovel claws broke off of Knuckles' growing hands. Silver ran to Coral and they both got Razor to his feet. The coils around Mordred disappeared and he got to his feet and picked up the shovel claws "Expelliarmus!" Silver yelled and the claws flew to his hand. It was too late to stop Mordred, he transformed into a Chao and flew out of reach. Knuckles let out a dreadful scream revealing the fangs that now circled the inside of his mouth. Elias tried to restrain him "Run! RUN!" he yelled at the three but they couldn't, there's no way they could outrun a Zilla with Razor's leg. Knuckles grew an extra three feet in length, his dreadlocks grew almost resembling tentacles. Then with one swing Elias was thrown into the bushes. Knuckles slouched down and made a moaning, pained sound. Coral breathed heavily but started to move forward "Coral!" Razor tried to to grab her but she moved too far "Professor? Knuckles?". Knuckles looked up at her and then released a terrifying screech. Coral backed away to the others and they held each other. As Knuckles advanced on them someone suddenly ran out of the Granifer cave. It was Infinite, he looked so angry Silver thought he'd rather take his chances with the Zilla. He grabbed Silver by the chest fur "There you are, Hedgehog!". Knuckles let out another screech at this new pray. Infinite turned and upon seeing the Zilla he raised both his arms protectively, keeping the trio behind him. Knuckles swiped his large hands, Infinite took the brunt of the force but they were all knocked over. Razor fell back and hit his head knocking him out. Just before Knuckles could take another swipe Elias in his lizard form leapt over the group and knocked Knuckles back. The trio got back to their feet and stayed behind Infinite as Elais and Knuckles stared each other down.
The two creatures growled and charged forward biting and clawing at one another. Elias was clearly getting overpowered so took one last bite at Knuckles arm before running. Knuckles', enraged by the injury, chased Infinite down the hill towards the lake. "Elias!" Silver yelled, he and Coral both ran past Infinite and chased after the two of them "Come back here, Hedgehog!" Infinite yelled after him. They caught up and saw Elias in his lizard form lying on his back being clawed at by Knuckles "Everte Statom" Silver fired a spell at Knuckles. It bounced off doing no harm but it took his attention away from Elias. It advanced on the pair, Silver and Coral both fired spells but nothing seemed to have an affect. It raised it's arms ready to kill them both when suddenly there was a screech in the distance. A screech that sounded identical to the one Knuckles made after he transformed. Knuckles stopped and stared in the direction of the sound. Without giving Silver and Coral a second thought he sprinted towards the Deep Woods in search of the voice. They then spotted the large lizard moaning in pain try to stand. It transformed into Elias who stumbled and fell down the hill. Silver and Coral ran after him, they found him lying, a bloodied mess just on the shore to the lake. They kneeled down next to him "Elias? ELIAS!". Then he felt it, the growing cold, the surface of the lake was starting to freeze over and a faint but familiar scream could be heard. Elias gasped "No… No, please…" he cried. Prelates, hundreds of Prelates were lumbering towards them from every direction "Coral, remember what I told you. Think something happy". Silver rose to his feet, he thought of Elias, he was going to live with him, he was going to leave his Aunt and Uncle "Expecto Patronum!" he made a wall out of the cyan cloud. Elias gave a shudder and then rolled over motionless. "He'll be fine" Silver thought as his Patronus started to die "Expecto Patronum! Coral, help me!".
Coral played her flute but no tune came, no words, Coral just depsertely tried to conjure a spell as the Prelates got closer and closer. Silver didn't know what Coral heard but she quickly collapsed. His Patronus fell, a bee Prelate flew over the icy surface of the lake and hovered inches from him. The sound of Tikal's screams was so loud it was deafening, even Silver's own pained scream couldn't drown it out. A bat then took advantage and hovered Elias, he started to scream and convulse. Both flying Prelates retreated to give their brethren a turn. Silver, now crying raised his hand again "Expecto Patronum!" he made another wall but this one was so feeble that the nearest Prelate simply swept it aside. A crocodile twice as tall as Silver grabbed him by the throat and forced him to the ground. Then Silver watched in horror as the metal around the Prelate's face melted away revealing the face of a Mobian. A Mobian who had completely white eyes and who's mouth was stuck open in an expression of absolute terror. This was it, Silver was about to suffer a fate worse than death with the last thing he hears being his mother screaming. Then Silver felt himself being released, he was still blinded by the affect of the Prelates but he felt something. A pulsing force was hitting him but not painfully. In fact with every pulse Silver felt his strength return. The Prelates were still surrounding him but they were frozen. Then a shape that Silver could barely see charged into the Prelates who scattered and disappeared. As Silver's vision cleared he saw the shape at the other end of the lake disappear. In it's place was a silhouette, a shape that felt very familiar to Silver. But it couldn't be. Silver's body finally failed him and he fell unconscious.