Secret Chapter 1: Crossing Paths
Silver wandered aimlessly through the narrow, winding streets of the unfamiliar town, the soft orange glow of the setting sun casting long shadows across the cobblestones. The towering clock tower in the distance loomed over the rooftops, its clock face glowing faintly in the fading light. The town was quiet, almost peaceful, but Silver's mind was anything but. He could still feel the echoes of the battle they had fought—the chaos, the darkness, and the uncertainty that had followed.
"How did I end up here?" Silver wondered, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion.
The last thing he remembered was being on the other side of the Door to Darkness, standing alongside Mickey, Riku and Shadow as it was sealed shut. Then there was the blinding flash of Chaos Control, and suddenly… he was here, in this strange town with no memory of how he had arrived.
He paused for a moment, looking up at the towering clock tower, its bells silent for now.
"The future… my home… Blaze…" The thoughts tugged at his heart, a constant reminder of the responsibilities he had left behind.
He was supposed to protect the future, to save his world from destruction, but now he was lost, trapped in the past, with no clear way forward. The uncertainty gnawed at him, filling him with a sense of helplessness that he hadn't felt in a long time.
As he continued to walk, Silver found himself nearing the base of the clock tower. The streets were almost deserted, with only a few people milling about in the distance. The town was serene, but there was an underlying tension in the air, something that Silver couldn't quite identify. It was as if the town itself was hiding secrets, waiting for the right moment to reveal them.
He turned a corner, the path leading him into a quieter part of town, where the shadows were longer and the air was cooler. As he walked, his mind continued to swirl with questions.
"What happened after the door was sealed? Did Mobius return? Did Shadow find Aqua, did they make it back safely? What about the others?"
The uncertainty was almost unbearable for the hedgehog.
Silver's thoughts were interrupted when he caught sight of a figure in the distance. The figure was clad in a black coat, their blonde hair catching the last rays of the setting sun. Silver's heart skipped a beat as he recognised the familiar hairstyle.
"It can't be..." Silver thought, his breath catching in his throat.
"Ven..Ventus?" Silver whispered, his voice barely audible.
He watched as the figure turned and disappeared behind a corner between buildings, slipping into the shadows like a ghost. Silver's heart raced as memories flooded his mind—memories from over a decade ago when he travelled back in time to stop the catastrophic event that would ruin his home in the future.
Back then, he had been told that Ventus, along with Terra and Aqua, were the cause of the problems. Silver had even fought Ventus once or twice, believing him to be an enemy. But as the truth slowly came to light, everything changed. He ended up fighting alongside them, working together to take down Master Xehanort and prevent the forging of the x-Blade.
But that battle at the Keyblade Graveyard... it ended in tragedy. The loss, the darkness—it had been overwhelming. Silver never knew what became of Ventus after that. He had always assumed the worst.
But if Ventus was here, alive and in this town, then maybe… just maybe, there was still hope.
Silver didn't hesitate. He hurried after the figure, his mind spinning with questions. As he rounded the corner where the figure had vanished, he felt a mix of anticipation and fear. If this was Ventus, he had to know what had happened. He had to understand how they had all ended up in this place.
"I need answers," Silver muttered to himself, his golden eyes scanning the area frantically. "Where did he go?"
The streets were quiet, with only the distant sound of the town's clock tower marking the passage of time. Silver's heart raced as he searched for any sign of the figure. His eyes finally caught sight of something—a set of stairs partially hidden in the shadows, leading down to what seemed to be an underpass.
Without a second thought, Silver made his way to the stairs, his breath quickening with each step. The air grew cooler as he descended, the light from the setting sun fading behind him. The underpass was dimly lit, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls as he ventured deeper.
Silver paused at the bottom of the stairs, his senses on high alert. The passage was narrow and seemed to stretch on into darkness, the walls lined with old, weathered bricks. There was no sign of the figure, but Silver was certain this was where they had gone.
He moved forward cautiously, the silence around him almost oppressive. The further he went, the more uneasy he felt, but he pressed on, determined to find the answers he needed.
Then, in the distance, he saw it—a faint outline of a figure standing at the far end of the underpass, their form obscured by the shadows.
Ventus?" Silver called out, his voice echoing slightly in the dimly lit underpass.
The figure turned slowly, stepping into the faint light that filtered down from above. Silver's breath caught in his throat as he finally got a clear look at them. The blonde hair, those piercing blue eyes, and that youthful face—it all looked so much like Ventus, almost eerily so.
"Ventus?" the figure repeated, a slight frown creasing their brow. "I'm not Ventus."
Silver's surprise was evident. He took a step closer, trying to reconcile the familiarity with the strangeness of the situation. But as he looked into the figure's blue eyes, something unsettling caught his attention. Those eyes, though outwardly innocent, lacked a certain depth—a soul, a heart behind them. It was as if something vital was missing.
"If you're not Ventus, then who are you?" Silver asked, his tone shifting from confused to serious, a sense of caution creeping into his voice.
"I'm Roxas," the figure responded, his voice steady, but with an underlying tension.
"Roxas…" Silver repeated the name, trying to process this new information.
The name was unfamiliar, but the resemblance to Ventus was undeniable. Yet, there was something off about Roxas—his aura felt distant, as though he was caught between two identities. His blue eyes, though sharp and focused, seemed almost hollow, lacking the warmth that Silver remembered in Ventus.
"Who is this Roxas? Why does he look so much like Ventus? And why do his eyes feel so… empty?"
There were too many questions and not enough answers, and the situation was growing more tense by the second.
"Why… why do you look like him?" Silver asked, his voice edged with confusion and a hint of suspicion as he tried to piece together this mysterious newcomer's identity.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Roxas replied bluntly, his tone cold and dismissive. "I've got a job to do, and you're slowing me down."
"A job?" Silver echoed, confusion evident in his voice. "What kind of job?"
"I'm not telling you," Roxas shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't know you, and it's none of your business."
Silver's instincts, sometimes overprotective and overly cautious, kicked in. He began to believe that Roxas might be here to cause trouble—perhaps even harm—to this town. He couldn't let that happen.
"Are you here to cause harm to this place?" Silver demanded, stepping forward with a growing resolve.
The hedgehog's protective nature flared up, ready to step in and defend the town from this potential new threat.
Roxas's expression hardened, his gaze locking onto Silver with a mix of annoyance and frustration.
"That's none of your concern," he replied cryptically. "Just get out of here and leave me alone."
Silver shook his head, his determination solidifying.
"Not a chance," he said firmly. "If you're here to cause harm to this town and innocent lives, I will stop you."
Roxas's eyes narrowed further, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered.
Without another word, he thrust out his gloved hand, and in a flash of light, a Keyblade materialized in his grip—a weapon that symbolised great power and responsibility.
"A Keyblade?" Silver exclaimed, his golden eyes widening in shock. The hedgehog's voice was full of surprise, almost disbelief. "But how…?"
"Shut up!" Roxas snapped, his voice sharp with irritation.
Without another word, he charged forward, his Keyblade flashing as it cut through the air with deadly precision.
Silver's instincts took over. In a blur of motion, he dodged the strike, his body twisting gracefully out of harm's way. With a quick backflip, he put some distance between them, his movements fluid and practiced like a seasoned warrior. As his boots touched the ground, his green aura flared to life, surrounding him in a protective glow that pulsed with raw energy.
"Enough!" Silver shouted, his voice echoing through the narrow passage. With a fierce determination, he thrust his hand forward, his psychokinetic powers surging to life with a crackling intensity.
In a focused burst of energy, Silver unleashed his power, sending a wave of psychic force hurtling toward Roxas. The air around them seemed to warp and distort as the wave shot forward, the sheer force of it shaking the very ground beneath them.
Roxas barely had time to brace himself before the energy slammed into him with surprising strength. The impact lifted him off his feet, his body twisting in midair as he was thrown backward with a force he hadn't anticipated.
"Gah!" Roxas cried out in surprise, the breath knocked out of him as he skidded across the ground.
His Keyblade clattered beside him, the sound of metal against stone echoing in the passage as he struggled to regain his footing. The expression on his face was a mix of shock and newfound respect for the hedgehog's strength.
But Roxas wasn't done yet. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand, his hand reaching out to reclaim his Keyblade. The determined glint in his eyes revealed that he wasn't going to back down, no matter how powerful his opponent might be. He raised his weapon once more, the Keyblade gleaming with a renewed intensity.
Silver, his green aura still flaring around him, locked eyes with Roxas. The tension between them crackled in the air, thick with unresolved questions and the clash of their opposing wills. Both fighters knew that this battle was far from over, but neither was willing to back down.
Roxas tightened his grip on his Keyblade, his muscles tensing as he prepared to launch another attack. Silver's aura pulsed, his psychokinetic energy swirling around him, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
For a brief, intense moment, time seemed to stand still as the two stared each other down, the underpass silent except for the faint hum of their combined energy. The next move would be decisive, the outcome of this clash hanging in the balance.
Only time will tell how this battle will end. Who will emerge victorious, and what secrets will be revealed when the dust finally settles? The answers lie just out of reach, waiting for the moment when fate brings these two warriors together again.
TO BE CONTINUED