Thank you to SilverPsychic for the incredible YouTube animation! im still blown away by the imagry you've done - you captured *most* of my imagination in less than a minute i am in shock
BANG
Silver leapt out of his bed with a scream on his lips. Frantically, his gold eyes darted around trying to figure out where he was and what could have made the loud sound. Sleep hazed over his mind as his eyes slowly came into focus. Inhaling deeply, Silver stopped his panting and relaxed his body.
He was only in his room.
Rain fell across the Gravity Fields in rhythmic splats, pitter pattering on the concrete floor unprotected by the overhang above. Ripples and splashes sparkled in the dim light, catching the small specks of candlelight from the room below and blinking like sequins into the fields beyond. Like a breath from a distant spirit, cold air kissed Silver's baby fur - exciting the follicles into a slight yet comfortable puff.
Yawning through the chilled night air, the child rubbed his eyes. The pleasant sound of rain calmed his nerves from the startled awakening, but still left a lingering question in his groggy head. What in the world could have made that-
BANG
There it was again. Sitting from his comfortable mattress, Silver gazed out into the fields. There was no lighting with this rain. If it wasn't the great bolts of sky electricity making the noise, then what else could it be? Scratching his head, the hoglet began to pull through his memory.
Hang on a minute…the last thing he remembered was climbing on Shadow's back to leave the city. But how did they get back so fast? Silver scraped through his brain. He remembered the adult running through the gate and out into the savannah. He especially remembered the beautiful colors of the sunrise as Shadow made his way towards the Mazuri Desert. And he most definitely remembered the awful sand cloud that blew into the duo as they raced back towards home. But after the sand cloud? Silver scratched his cheek. It was possible he had fallen asleep…
BANG
An irritated frown graced the hoglet's features as he stood from his mattress. What on earth could be making that annoying noise?
BANG
The little hedgehog toy leapt off of its shelf from the force of the sound - tumbling through the air in a haphazard spin. Reflexively, Silver shot out his arm, hand springing to life with his cyan glow on instinct. Within milliseconds, the wooden figure had been snatched from it's descent; halted in midair by a field of cyan mentality. Breathing a sigh of relief, the ivory hedgehog pulled it to his hands.
When the weight of the wood dropped into his palms, Silver held it close to his chest. He couldn't imagine his sadness if the little figure broke. Squeezing his eyes shut, the hoglet clutched it tighter. Thanks be to the carver for making the figure so sturdy…
BANG
Snapping open his eyes, Silver let out a small growl. Shouldn't Shadow be dealing with the thing already? It seemed the adult was doing something. The air was ripe with Chaos Energy, buzzing around the hoglet and covering him with its persistent touch. Silver could have sworn the air was full of the energetic whirr.
BANG
Not even bothering with his shoes or socks, Silver made for the ladder. Holding the toy with one hand and the rungs with the other, the hoglet descended onto the ground floor - peering through the bars at the living space below for any sign of Shadow. Most annoyingly, the room was empty. Candles were lit and the workbench was untidy, yet there was no-
BANG
The ground under Silver's feet shook in a harsh vibration. Fortunately this time, the child could tell the relative direction of where the awful racket was coming from. Not caring how the rain pelted against his dampening fur, Silver turned into the outdoors. With hands pressed against the wet concrete walls, the ivory child scraped his claws against the many cracks and crevices. Bumps and clefts greeted his nerves as he stepped along the structure, feeling how the rock brushed against his furry paws in calming bliss.
BANG
Rain beat against Silver's pelt in splattering plats as he traced his way to the end, ready to peer out into the other half of the fields. Curiously, he peeked his eyes around the beaten corner.
BANG
Two glowing objects twirled around, some distance out into the field beyond. Like swirling stars they spiraled and twisted - guided by a dancing figure that spun about in the rain. Curious, Silver stepped further into the stone plain. As his paws left the concrete of his home, he felt an air of curiosity and wonder fill his mind.
The closer he got, the more he recognized the figure as his mentor. Like a tongue of fire the elder hedgehog twisted through the rainy night - arms poised perfectly and feet anchored expertly in the well known stances. Cloak and shirt ditched, Silver couldn't help but gawk as the elder's rings sparkled in the dancing lights. With each expert sweep of his ebony furred arms, an Emerald orbited on a directed path through the rain drops and mist.
BANG
A flick of the hand released a bolt of unused energy, lighting the air with the chaotic buzz that Silver had grown oh so familiar with. Shade cast against the intense light of the yellow beam, the elder twisted on his toes; hands sweeping up in tandem with a floating gem. In a circle of gloved hands, the elder stepped forwards. Like twin stars, yellow and blue rotated around, building speed and momentum with each sweep of the poised hands. A step and a sweep. Step and sweep. Step and sweep. Faster and faster the gems twirled as the elder snapped through each pose.
Arcing up and in, the elder swept a palm to his opposite shoulder - altering the orbit of the blue gem and setting it at a much closer revolution. Defying gravity, the gem twirled faster. Arms held tight, Shadow spun through the rain; tuned to the Emerald's movement. Slamming his boots into the ground, the hedgehog cracked into pose after graceful pose. Glistening from the raindrops and puddles, the Emeralds revolved faster and faster.
Arm rapidly opened, the blue emerald followed the strike of Shadow's pointed hand. Like a marble thrown from a cup it rolled through the air. Curved from its physics, it arced - glowing brightly as the ebony hedgehog extended both paws towards its sapphire brilliance.
With an audible grunt, Shadow's palms began to glow. Like a mirror, the blue emerald reacted; aura growing brighter as it swept around at its thrown distance. With a shout, the ranger pulled his hands in. Immediately, the emerald's aura leapt. In a fluid beam of blue brilliance, its energy raced towards the hedgehog. With an audible growl, Shadow persisted through the impact, keeping the line between gemstone and elder in a tornado of blue tongues and sparks. Hands drawing closer, the ranger kept pulling. Like coals in a flame, the rings around the hedgehog's wrists and quills began to glow - steam hissing from the golden surfaces in the cold rainy air.
Arms twisting to the side, Shadow spun away from the gem's mighty aura. Stepping and spinning, the hedgehog snapped through his poses once more; directing the emerald's orbit until-
BANG
A flick of the hand unleashed a bolt of brilliant blue. The air burst with chaos energy in an almost audible buzz, rejuvenating the night through the rain and wi-
"Silver!"
The hoglet in question flinched.
"You're supposed….to be in bed!" Shadow frowned, stopping mid sentence and movement to breathe a quick breath.
"I… was woke by a loud sound…" Silver admitted, suddenly aware of how cold his soaking wet fur made him.
Shadow only stared at the sopping child, Emeralds still orbiting his body at a slower pace. Without breaking eye contact, the ranger pulled himself out of his fighting pose. Snorting raindrops out of his nose, the elder hedgehog assumed a more regal pose - arms held akimbo with palms facing the sky.
"So you chose to investigate." Shadow grumbled, brows furrowing in an intense stare.
"It was keeping me up…" Silver mumbled, holding the hedgehog toy to his chest.
Shadow's expression changed from intense to neutral, meeting the meek expression of the child with a familiar blank look.
"Wh…what are you doing?" Silver dared to ask, lifting his shoulder slightly.
"Practicing." Shadow bluntly responded, hands bouncing slightly as the spinning emeralds came to rest in his leather gloved palms.
"For what…?" Silver pressed, lifting his shoulders slightly higher.
"Bed." Shadow sharply ordered, single word rippling the hoglet's sopping fur in a wince.
"Y-yes sir…" Silver submitted, turning on his heels to walk back towards the walls of the house.
"You know how I feel about you staying up late." Shadow grumbled, stepping after the defeated hoglet. "I can't have you falling behind because of sleep deprivation."
"But you never sleep…" Silver grumbled.
"I am an adult." Shadow sharply rebutted. "I am old enough and wise enough to make my own decisions."
Silver only set his ears back, shivering slightly from the torrential rain.
"Besides, I was designed to go months without sleep." The elder mumbled.
"But what were you doing?" Silver pressed again, hand reaching out to touch the slippery walls of the base.
"Practicing." Shadow cryptically answered. "I haven't been able to safely perform this technique in some time. Having two Emeralds is quite important for my energic wellbeing in this set."
"But what is it?"
"Something dangerous." Shadow responded. "I've gotten a little rusty…"
Silver reached for the ladder rungs with a yawn.
"Hold on." Shadow spoke, halting the hoglet. "Let's dry you off a bit first."
Reaching for a basket under the workbench, the ranger selected a larger dishcloth that Silver had occasionally used for drying his wooden bowls. Beckoning the child to his side, Shadow dropped to the young hedgehog's height and threw the towel over the small head. Sniffling from the cold, Silver grasped at the woven fabric and began to rub it over his face - drawing out the moisture that had kept him so cold before.
"My fur is so heavy…" He grumbled, pulling the cloth over his quills and rubbing them into oblivion.
"Your fur should become denser and more waterproof when you go through adolescence." Shadow stated, stowing the emeralds somewhere on his person. "That should be coming quite soon, actually."
"What?" Silver peeped, eyes emerging from the stained white cloth as he began drying his arms and chest.
"You're approximately six, which is roughly the time you begin your transition to adulthood."
Silver fell back into thought. Was he six already? It had felt like yesterday when Shadow had stumbled into his little orphanage home. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He had been almost five when Shadow found him, and had turned five at some point on the first journey to the Gravity Fields. A few months spent here…a few months on the road…a few more months back home… he was getting older. And stronger too. A year of training and hardship had made his muscles quite reliable. Heck, he even knew how to throw a proper punch.
"You're all dry now." Shadow spoke, interrupting the hoglet's thoughts. "Climb into bed."
Nodding, Silver handed the dish towel to the older hedgehog, rubbing his eyes sleepily. With a yawn, he made his way up the ladder.
"Will you tuck me in?" Silver asked, reaching the top of the rungs and pulling himself onto his upper floor.
"No." Shadow sighed, standing up and walking out into the fields. "I'm not done practicing."
"Aren't you already an expert?" Silver pondered, pulling his covers over his chest.
"In some ways." Shadow responded, out of sight from the child. "But there is always something new to learn."
Blue and Yellow lights shone in the distant puddles as the ranger began his trek back to where he was.
"Thinking you cannot improve is the worst pitfall to become a person."