Sonic: Atonement
Chapter 5: Back To The Present
"Okay, we're ready...we are ready, right?" Silver asked Blaze and Shadow.
As per Tails' instructions, the three of them had reconstructed the time machine they had used to go back to the future, but this time they were going back to the past. Silver certainly could feel the weight of the situation crushing his chest, but he couldn't tell how the others were feeling.
"The machine is ready. The emeralds are ready. All that's missing is us in it." Blaze answered him.
"The two of you in it," Shadow specified. "I won't be coming with you."
"Why not? Don't you want to help?!" Silver asked, grabbing his arms. Shadow immediately pulled himself free.
"There's already a Shadow in the past that can help you. But there's also a Praxis here in the present that still has to answer for what he's done to me and my friends. He's the last name I still have to cross off my list. When you get back to the past, be sure to do the same." Shadow said, resting his hand on the control panel for the time machine.
"We will...what list...?" Silver asked.
"Let's go," Blaze said, leading Silver into the machine. "There's no way of telling exactly when and where we'll arrive, so we won't have any time to waste." She reminded him.
"Yeah...this is all so messed up, Blaze. What happened? Is everything we're doing all for nothing?" Silver asked.
"Silver, we need to get this situation figured out as soon as possible. Then we'll figure out how to proceed. Okay?"
"Okay...okay," Silver nodded and took in a deep breath. "Can you start the machine, Shadow? We're ready to go."
"Good luck." Shadow said as he pushed the power button.
The machine whirred to life. Blaze allowed the Sol Emeralds to exert their power, and they began to spin around her and Silver. Faster they spun until they were quickly engulfed in a blinding white light...
In a flash, they found themselves standing in the middle of an open grassy plain. Silver looked around as Blaze recollected the Sol Emeralds. They realized that they were back in Green Hill, not far from where they had been when they had left.
"We're back. It feels like it's been too long." Silver commented.
"With everything that we saw, I can't help but agree. Tails' workshop is not far from here. We should start there." Blaze suggested.
"Right!" Silver agreed. He quickly began to fly, hurrying off ahead of her. The speed at which he was moving caused tears to form in his eyes. It wasn't long before he reached Tails' workshop.
Upon reaching it, Silver noticed a few small but noteworthy differences. Of course, it was still Tails' small hangar, but now a second level had been built on top of it, and an emblem of two yellow fox tails had been painted on the garage door.
"Tails! Tails, are you in there?!" Silver shouted as he made his way to the front door and tried to open it. The door was locked, so he forced it open with his telekinesis and ran inside.
"Whoa!" Tails, who was right inside, flinched in surprise. An alarm started to go off inside the workshop accompanied by flashing red lights. Tails raised his left hand, tapping a button on a watch-like device he was wearing.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to...uh, do that. I just got back." Silver sheepishly apologized. Tails didn't respond right away; his eyes were widened in shock.
"Silver...? What're you doing back here? You returned to your time, didn't you?" He pointed out.
"Yeah, but there's something else. The future is still in danger, and so are all of you. Where is Sonic? I need to speak with him right away!" Silver insisted urgently.
"U-Uh, he's been crashing at Vanilla and Cream's house the past couple days. Here, let me call him." Tails tapped a few buttons on his watch device again. He used it to call Sonic directly.
"Ho! Looks like I got this thing working," Sonic chuckled and moved back, reclining back on Vanilla's couch again. "What's up, Tails?" He asked.
"Hey, Sonic. Silver's back. He says it's serious," Tails said, gesturing for Silver to come over so Sonic could hear him too. "Him and Blaze are with me at the workshop right now."
"Silver? As I live and breathe! How's it going? What brings you back? Didja miss us?" Sonic asked with a chuckle.
"Well, I did. Listen, something really bad has happened to the future again. We need to talk. How soon can you get here?" He asked.
"Heheh, it's only been like 2 years, dude. Did you forget who I am? I'm practically there already!" Sonic chuckled before abruptly ending the call.
"Some things never change, huh?" Tails commented with a little laugh.
"Has it been that long since we left? For you guys?" Silver asked, noticing Sonic's comment. Tails confirmed this with a nod.
"Mhmm. Eggman has kept us busy, for sure, but nothing we can't handle. How long were you gone? For you?" Tails asked curiously.
"Barely a day. As soon as we reached the future, things were all wrong. So we built a new machine and came straight back." Silver explained.
"That's crazy! It was that bad?! What happened?" Tails asked, becoming increasingly worried now.
However, before Silver could even begin to try and answer his question, there was a knock at the door. Tails started to reach for his watch, but then the door opened and in walked Sonic. Blaze was about to reach for the doorknob to let him in, but had to retract her hand as Sonic entered.
"Woops! Hey, Blaze! Good to see ya! Haha, if you ever need to get in here, Tails keeps a key under his doormat like an old grandma." He said to Blaze to tease Tails.
"I see. It's nice to see you again, Sonic, although I wish it were under better circumstances." Blaze expressed.
"I'm glad to see you too! I'm glad to see both of you," Sonic said after noticing Silver. He walked right up to Silver and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "We missed ya, bud!" He said cheerfully.
"It's nice to see you too, Sonic. I'm glad you're alright." Silver said, turning to face him. Sonic let him go and took a step back.
"Of course I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be?"
"That's what we've come to warn you about. A new threat has emerged." Blaze spoke up.
"What did you see?" Tails asked.
"In the future, the entire world was taken over and ruined by machines that all serve one master." Blaze explained.
"Eggman." Sonic quickly presumed, pressing his fist into his open hand.
"No," Silver shook his head. "Someone else called Praxis. We don't have much information, but we were given a date...by you, Tails." Silver said, looking at him.
"Me?" Tails said in surprise.
"Mhmm. You told us that exactly one week before Valentine's Day, both Sonic and Eggman will be killed on the same day...by a hedgehog called Zero." He explained. Both Sonic and Tails exchanged bewildered expressions.
"We realize that this may be difficult to believe, but we've seen it with our own eyes. That's why we're here – to keep this bleak future from coming to pass." Blaze said.
"A week before Valentines, huh? Tails, how do you pull up the calendar on this communicator thing?" Sonic asked, trying to fidget with his own watch device.
"I got it," Tails said, pulling up his calendar. He started to scroll through it like a touch screen, but then he quickly scrolled back. "Whoa, wait a minute. That's tomorrow!" He realized.
"Eggman's attacking tomorrow. Did the Tails of the future say where it's happening?" Sonic asked.
"Yes. In Station Square." Blaze answered.
"Huh, haven't been there in awhile. Alright, Tails, you let the others know. I'm sure they're gonna wanna start evacuating the city ASAP. I'm gonna call Amy, let her know she might need to get outta town." Sonic instructed, starting to leave the workshop.
"I'm on it, Sonic!" Tails nodded.
"Wait...that's it?" Silver asked, following Sonic outside, "You heard what we said, right? You'll die tomorrow if you go!" He argued.
"Oh, come on, Silver. I'm used to stuff like this! We've dealt with these kinds of threats before together. It's nothing we can't handle!
"Besides, isn't it like a rule of time travel that if you go back and warn someone about what happens in the future, it won't happen? That makes me safe either way!" Sonic pointed out.
"This isn't a movie, Sonic. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Which is why you should let us handle things this time." Silver reasoned.
"You know I can't just sit by with Eggman on the loose. What are you so worried about? It's just Eggman, some hedgehog, and an Eggman copycat." Sonic listed off, counting on his fingers. "That'll be easy with everyone ready!" He said with a smile.
Silver paused momentarily before responding, "Are you really that confident?" He asked slowly.
"Of course I am! I got the best backup a guy could ask for if things go south." Sonic smiled and offered him a fist bump.
Silver swallowed nervously; he was still very unsure about this situation, but Sonic's optimism was undeniably infectious, and because of it, Silver found himself feeling a little more confident that things would be alright.
"Yeah, I got your back, Sonic." Silver stated, sealing his promise with a fist bump...