Chapter 9: Verdant Melody

Silver wasn't stupid. In fact, he was quite astute, to an almost frustrating level if one asked Knuckles. The wordsmith had a way to figure things out about people, especially when it came to those he cared about. Sonic was no exception.

In the weeks that had passed Silver had noticed several inconsistencies with his son's behaviour when he started studying him closer after the incident with the wagon. Unusual temper snaps at Knuckles, uncharacteristic mood swings, excessive secret harbouring. Silver's worry was mounting, and that night in his study he was pouring over the extensive notes he took in his leather-bound journal. Something was wrong, and Silver was getting increasingly worried. He knew he needed some help, and there was only one person he trusted enough with this information.

"And that's just a few examples of how he's been recently," Silver concluded with a sigh as he wrapped his hands around the cup of tea and took another tentative sip. Blaze looked at him incredulously from across the table before a giggle escaped her lips. "It's not funny."

"Silver, I think what you're noticing is called being a teenager. They have mood swings. They act out. It's normal, and, honestly, I'd be worried if he wasn't acting like that," Blaze replied calmly.

"I'm not sure," Silver scratched his chin. "It seems more than just teenage mood swings. I was never that bad at his age. How was Tails?"

"That's different. Tails' a little different," Blaze sighed, sipping her own tea.

"How so?"

"You know. He's a little shyer than the other kids, and he's far more reserved. Not like Sonic or Amy – they're so confident. Even though he's older than Sonic, I can tell he looks up to him, and I thank Chaos each night that he has such a wonderful friend."

"Thanks Blaze, that's kind of you to say, and I feel the same way. The two of them make a great friendship. I often find myself jealous of their relationship. I grew up far more lonely, preferring the comfort of books than companionship."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Blaze giggled into the back of her hand. "I can imagine young Silver tucked away in the corner reading his favourite book while the other kids kicked the ball around town."

"Spot on, as usual," Silver smiled, but as he stared at Blaze, a sight that normally filled his smile more, it instead waned this night, and Blaze took notice.

"You're still worried about Sonic, aren't you?"

"I… I don't know. I've known Sonic his whole life."

"That's generally how parenting works," Blaze jabbed, smirking when she noticed the slight tinge of embarrassment in Silver's cheeks.

"I know he's growing and changing, but this is something else. Something, I'm not sure how to put this, but darker? I know that sounds like a silly superstition, but he's always been the optimistic, loud one. If Knuckles were acting the way he's been I wouldn't think twice, but it's Sonic. It can't just be time's arrow that's causing this. I–" A knock at the door stole Silver's words from him.

"Expecting anybody?" Blaze asked. It was late at night, after all. Silver shook his head, but shuffled to the door to check, and was surprised by Rob O's presence outside.

"Hello, Silver. I'm sorry to bother you so late at night," Rob O' began, removing his hat and clutching it anxiously between his hands. "I've been a bit worried recently and wanted to talk to you. Might I come in?"

"Of course you can," Silver stepped aside, inviting him in. A look of surprise, and then a tinge of embarrassment crossed him as he noticed Blaze sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh, I didn't realise you had a… guest over," Rob O' murmured.

"Wh-what?"

"We were just talking about our children, Rob," Blaze laughed. "Are parents not allowed to discuss their children anymore?"

"N-no, I… No, of course. That's actually why I wanted to come here," he gathered himself and took a seat between Silver and Blaze. "Have either of you noticed any strange behaviour from either Sonic or Tails?" Blaze and Silver exchanged an unreadable glance.

"Why do you ask?" Silver inquired.

"To be honest, I've noticed Amy has been acting a bit strange recently. Not like herself at all. Ever since they had their encounter with the prince, er, sorry, the king in the forest she hasn't been the same. I'm wondering if something else might have happened that the kids are keeping a secret from us," Rob O' admitted.

"I was just speaking to Blaze that I've been noticing some strange behaviour from Sonic myself. I came to a similar conclusion."

"Has he been quite down recently too?"

"Not quite down," Silver pondered. "More angry or aggressive, but only for moments. I'm not quite sure what to do."

"Have either of you actually spoken to your children?" Blaze asked. The two men exchanged a look that said more to Blaze than any words could. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Trust both of you not even to think about trying to talk to them."

"I'm not good at talking to Amy. Mary was always far better than me at that," Rob O' admitted.

"I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to Sonic as well," Silver added.

"You? At a loss for words? That's a sentence I never thought I'd hear. I guess that's why they say never send a father to do a mother's work," Blaze sighed. "I'll speak to Tails tomorrow and see if he knows anything about why Amy and Sonic have been acting different recently. I suggest the two of you take some initiative and talk to your children, too."

"Sounds like a plan. We can reconvene later to discuss our findings," Silver decided. Blaze shot him a look. "What?"

"Don't treat this like an experiment, Silver. They're our kids. You know, the people we love. They are probably going through a confusing time, so try to approach the situation with caution and don't say something dumb."

"I don't think Silver is capable of saying something dumb," Rob O' chimed in.

"You'd be incredibly surprised," Blaze smirked, and for the hundredth time Silver's face glowed a dull red. Like usual around Blaze, he found himself at a loss for words, an occurrence that was rarer than diamonds around anybody other than her. "I'll see you both tomorrow," Blaze rose.

"You're going so soon?" Silver asked, a twinge of disappointment in his voice.

"I'm going home to my son," Blaze said curtly before waltzing out of the door. Rob O' shot Silver an apologetic look.

"Did I ruin the mood?"

"Don't worry about it, Rob O'. She's right, our children should be the number one priority," Silver sighed, before adding, "but next time, do wait until the morning to come over."

The tree sat staunchly like a lone soldier atop the hill scanning watchfully over Ashorus, keeping the village safe and ready to support whomever came. The branches swayed in the wind with a musical creak, its bark patterned with rings.

"Hey, Amy, are you alright?" Tails' words cut through Amy's trance. She whipped her head around to face him, surprise coating her features.

"Wh-what? Oh, yeah, right, I'm good. What's it to you?" Amy fired back instinctively.

"Why've you got to yell at him like that? He was just trying to be nice," Sonic jumped to his defence.

"Nice? He was clearly judging me and insinuating that something was wrong," Amy argued.

Tails sighed with a roll of his eyes and leant back against the tree the trio sat under. Usually when he and Sonic escaped the bustling village to the hilltop serenity they sat together on the old bench, but with three of them it was always a bit of a squeeze and so they normally elected to lounge around the trunk on the soft grass.

Tails hugged his knees to his chest and gazed out at the village, ignoring Sonic and Amy's bickering. They always argued, and normally it was about him, but he knew it was because neither of them knew how to articulate how they really felt about each other. Tails smirked. It was so obvious to him, but both seemed so oblivious. It'd be funny if it weren't so frustrating sometimes, but he knew they'd figure it out, and if they didn't soon, he'd pull back the curtains and force them to talk.

However, as his mind wondered to his companions, it again settled on Amy, as it had before when he caught her daydreaming. She rarely did that, but recently he'd caught her off in her own world often, trapped in her thoughts. That was something he often did, and Amy was the one chastising him to live in the present.

Tails contemplated confronting her. It was clear something was weighing on her mind, but a small part of Tails knew Amy would bite back, and it would cause another fight, exactly what had just happened.

"Tails! Tails!" Amy shouted at his face. He shook his head and turned to face her with a quizzical look. Her face instantly softened, and it was replaced with a warmness rarely seen. "Tails… are you okay?" That question surprised him.

"I'm fine," Tails croaked.

"That's the same thing he just asked you, hypocrite!" Sonic bellowed, but Amy ignored him, antagonising him further.

"Are you sure? You seem off. Whenever we've been together recently you've looked at me different. It's not fun to make fun of you if it's actually affecting you. I can cut back a bit. If I've crossed a line you can tell me."

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Amy?" Sonic joked.

"Shut up, I'm talking to Tails!"

"Actually, there is something," Tails finally found the nerve to speak up, silencing both his companions. "I have been feeling more worried lately, but not because of myself. Because of you," he stared at Amy.

"Me?"

"You've been different, Amy. Ever since we fought with Shadow you've been distant and lost in your thoughts. I know that look, because it's the look I so often get."

"Now that you mention it, I've noticed something similar," Sonic added.

"No, I'm… I…" Amy trailed off and gave the look like she was waging some debate within herself, but before Tails or Sonic could pipe up again, a long exhale escaped her lips and she nodded. "Okay, you caught me. I have been a bit off."

"What's wrong. We're your best friends," Tails offered a smile.

"Yeah, you know you can always talk to us," Sonic added, and the affectionate look he gave her instilled a strength that had been missing.

"Yeah, I know," Amy parroted the smile. "Truth is I can't hear the music." Tails' eyes widened as he stared agape. "I've been lying about it. I've never heard that emerald make any noise, the same way Shadow couldn't. I've been thinking back to what Aldar said – about how I must not have a gentle soul or good intentions. I must be bad inside."

"Don't you dare think that for one second," Sonic cried out, startling the two of them. He coughed awkwardly and sat back down. "I mean, that's just not true."

"He's right."

"Aldar called it the Emerald of Harmony. Whatever the harmony of the world is, it's clear there are people like me and Shadow that simply aren't harmonious or whatever," Amy looked downcast.

"I'm not sure. What if we got the emerald again and–"

"No!" Sonic lashed out, barring his teeth and letting out what Tails could only describe as a hissing snarl. Tails and Amy froze in shock, staring unbelievingly at Sonic. There was a shift in his eye. A momentary coldness as brutal as an unforgiving storm. And then it was gone, just like that, and the familiar light returned to his eyes, as did his smile.

"You meant the green emerald, didn't you?" Sonic awkwardly laughed his outburst off. "Aren't you the one that's been holding onto that one, Tails?"

"Y-yeah… yeah I was just reaching to get it," Tails found his words again, still taken aback by Sonic's uncharacteristic outburst. He'd been having more of them recently, but Tails figured he couldn't dwell on that fact yet. He needed to help Amy first, he thought as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, glowing emerald.

Tails handed it to Amy and watched as she hesitantly took it and fumbled it around in her palms nervously.

"Don't worry, just feel the emerald," Tails insisted, and both he and Sonic watched as Amy studied the emerald, caressing its edges with her thumb, but after minutes no green mist emanated from the emerald and, frustratingly, she dropped it down to her lap and cursed herself.

"Hey, it's okay, here," Sonic jumped in, taking the emerald from her and holding it out. Tails thought for a moment that Sonic would be unable to play the music, but cursed himself for that thought immediately and, thankfully, a gentle tune began to emanate and green mist swirled around the air. "Can you hear that?" Sonic whispered.

Amy shook her head.

Sonic closed his eyes and concentrated more. Amy could see the emerald glow a brilliant green, but still despite visually seeing a change, she still couldn't hear a single note. With a sigh she shook her head again.

"Nothing."

"That's alright. I'm sure you'll be able to hear it soon," Sonic suggested helpfully. However, as he spoke he went to pocket the emerald when Tails took note and piped up.

"Can I have the emerald back?" Tails asked, and Sonic froze, his eyes glazing over again, and that's when Tails truly noticed it: the whites of his eyes were more a pinkish shade, and red veins tickled the corners.

"I just figured it might be better if I kept watch over it, considering I have the red emerald for protection if Shadow decides to come looking for it in Ashorus," Sonic said.

"I don't think it's a good idea to keep them with the same person if that's the case," Tails debated back.

"I'm just trying to be smart about this," Sonic insisted.

"Fair enough. If we're being smart then I think Amy should hold both the emeralds."

"Me?"

"Her? Both?" Tails nodded.

"Yep. Think about it. She's the strongest, so the red emerald would serve her best, and she won't accidently make any sound just in case one of Shadow's friends can hear it. That makes the most sense."

"Actually," Sonic reconsidered after a moment's pause. "Thinking about it I think your first suggestion of keeping them separate was a smarter idea. Here," Sonic quickly handed Tails the green emerald. "You keep that one, and I'll keep this one."

"But–"

"It's getting quite late," Sonic interrupted, standing up and stretching out his limbs. "I really should be getting home. I don't want Silver to worry. You know how he can be. I'll see you two later," Sonic waved, calling as he began to jog down the hill and back towards Ashorus. Tails turned to Amy with worry etched into the lines on his furry face. That same worry shone on hers too.

"I'm worried," Tails whispered in concern.

"Same here. I'm not sure what has gotten into him, but he's definitely not acting normal – well, less normal than what usually constitutes as normal for him," Amy agreed. "But, um, I should probably be getting home too."

"Wait," Tails grabbed the hem of her sleeve, halting her in her tracks. She turned back at him expectantly. "Are you sure you're alright? I know you said you can't hear the music, but it's more than that, isn't it?"

"Sometimes your perceptiveness annoys me," Amy admitted. "I… I'm worried that the emerald knows something about me that I don't even know. I–"

"Ames," Tails interrupted her, the use of Sonic's nickname for her sounding strange from his mouth. grabbing her hand in his. She glanced from his hand up to his soft smiling face. "It's going to be okay. Okay?"

"Okay," Amy forced a smile and a nod, taking her hand back. "Either way, it's dumb of us to be worrying about me right now. I can figure my own stuff out later. It's Sonic I'm worried about. You saw the way he reacted. Something is wrong with him."

"Very wrong," Tails nodded. "Did you see the way he reacted when he thought we were going to try to take the red emerald? I'm worried that thing has some sort of power over him. If the green emerald has a drawback, maybe the red does as well."

"I'd be lying if I said that thought didn't cross my mind too," Amy said, staring out at Ashorus. "Aldar was telling us of the red emerald's powers when Shadow interrupted him. What if…?"

"No 'what ifs' remember? He's our friend, our best friend, and he needs our help. We can figure this thing out, and we can help him. We have to. Agreed?" Tails asked. Determination sparked in Amy's eyes, and she needn't think long before she replied.

"Agreed."

Castletown had always been the crown jewel of Deyfros, standing tall and wide in the nation's north-east quadrant, Castletown had flourished and become a beacon of prosperity and innovation. Home to hundreds of thousands, its maze-like cobblestone streets, tall houses, and criss-crossing rivers confused the indigo-haired maiden who held her wide-brimmed hat atop her head to save it from the prevailing winds.

Mina was Ashorus-born, and had lived in the mercantile coastal city her entire life until her father, a well-renowned scholar who often lectured at Deyfros University in Goldoa, invited her to study the sciences under his tutelage at age nineteen. It was a hard and gruelling three years, but she didn't regret a day of it, even if she missed Ashorus dearly on her trip. It wasn't until the untimely death of her father that she felt a need to return home.

She marvelled at the masonry throughout the city, theorising the many methods the guards and workers used to construct such intricate buildings. However, nothing in Goldoa was quite as impressive as the central structure extending from the earth like a gift from the gods – Deyfros Castle. To the envy of many, the castle was the largest and sturdiest in the land. Steeling her nerves, Mina took a breath and sauntered inside.

She still couldn't believe the king himself had reached out to her, requesting her services personally as his royal scientist. Had he heard of abilities from her father? He often said he'd spent time in the royal libraries of Deyfros alongside King Mephiles when he was younger, but Mina so often dismissed that as an old wives tale. Maybe her father had been telling the truth all along, but regardless, it was an offer she knew she couldn't refuse, even if she had only returned back to Ashorus less than a year ago.

As Mina continued to crane her neck, admiring the sheer size and structure of the castle, she noticed the sun hanging lower in the sky than it should be. That's when she realised she'd taken too long gawking and would run late for her meeting with the king – an embarrassing thought indeed. Whipping around, she noticed a well-dressed man quietly strolling the grounds, eyes down at his feet.

"Excuse me!" Mina called out as she hastened over to him. "Do you live here? I'm horrible lost and horribly late."

"Yes, I–" Eclipse began, but as he turned around and caught sight of Mina his words were stuck in his mouth. "Hi."

"Yes, hello, could you please help me? I'm running terribly late and I've gotten a bit lost wandering around the gardens," Mina explained, but Eclipse just looked at her dumbly.

"Hi…" he repeated again.

"I think we're well past that now, sir. Can you direct me to the throne room, please?"

"…Hi." Mina slapped her forehead with her palm.

"Okay, this is going nowhere. Thanks for nothing," she turned to leave when Eclipse finally found his words again.

"Wait, s-sorry, I don't know what came over me. Yes, I can show you to the throne room. Is the king expecting you?" Eclipse asked.

"Yes he is."

"Then follow me," Eclipse beckoned her.

"Thank you so much, I really lost track of time. My name's Mina by the way."

"Eclipse," Eclipse nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise. Can we, uh, hurry it up a little, though?"

"Certainly," Eclipse broke into a jog, Mina keeping up beside him with ease as the two of them rushed towards the central door and past the lazing guards. It only took a few minutes before the two came to a halt outside the main doors to Shadow's throne room. "Here we are," he gestured to the huge wooden door.

"Ah, you must be Mina," Rouge boomed as she strode confidently into the foyer, looking at the young woman with displeasure. "It isn't becoming of the new royal scientist to keep the king waiting."

"New royal scientist..?"

"I'm sorry… Rouge?" Mina surmised.

"Very astute," Rouge nodded. "I see you've already met Eclipse, but I'm sure you two can become acquainted later. Shadow is waiting for you inside. Follow me," Rouge announced as she pushed open the doors and stepped inside. Mina turned back to Eclipse and beamed a smile.

"Thanks for your help. I'm guessing by the way the guards paid you no mind, and the way Rouge addressed you, that you have a pretty important job here?"

"Not really a job… Shadow, sorry, the king and I are best friends. I'm one of his royal advisors," Eclipse said shyly.

"Oh, my goodness, I guess I chose the right person to show me around," Mina laughed, as did Eclipse.

"Mina!" Rouge's voice boomed.

"Sorry, coming!" Mina called back. "Sorry Eclipse, duty calls. I'll see you around, maybe you could give me a tour of the castle later?"

"That sounds nice," Eclipse nodded.

"Goodbye!" Mina waved as she rushed inside, and the door closed behind her.

"…Bye."