i do not know how to properly articulate the absolute hilarity that was the first draft of this chapter

i was talking to some friends while writing this up and somehow someone had me write silver dropping everything to do the macarena as if he were puppeted by an unseen diety

all four of us found it hilarious, and there now exists an animation of young silver doing the macarena

as it was not my animation, and it was never posted, the most i can say is that it is out there and it is the best thing to ever happen to this fic

Tumbling into the null zone, Silver wasted no time in picking himself up and running towards the ruined structure he had deemed his home. The flashlight had proved quite handy for navigating the rocky fields behind him in the dark of night, but there was no time to reflect on its usefulness. Running as fast as his legs could carry, the hedgehog tried to make note of what items he would need.

His boots scrunched on the stone ground as he halted himself before the unlit living space of the lower level. Even though adrenaline still rushed through every vein in his body, he still found himself gasping for air. The fight and the subsequent run had stolen his breath from him through the solid couple hours he had been active without rest. Placing his paws on his knees, Silver heaved and gasped. His ribs seemed constrictive and tight, though the hoglet knew it was an illusion. Take deep measured breaths. Deep. breaths.

There was a job to be done.

"Right." Silver gulped, hyping himself up and shining his flashlight onto the shelves and barrels in front of him.

Now where did Shadow keep those medical supplies…

Silver knew where the first aid kit was. Many a time he had used the basket of bandages and alcohol to patch up a scrape or bruise. But rolls of fabric and a bottle of alcohol was not going to be enough to fix broken bones and lacerations. Even so, every little thing might come in handy. Seizing the minor kit, he placed it on the floor in a place he would not forget it.

But where was the sewing kit? Needle and thread would stitch together flesh in a pinch. It would not be the best of things, but it would slow or stop the bleeding at hand. Or so he had heard. Even then, Shadow's workbench was not organized to Silver's liking. Kitchen tools were mixed with utensils, woodworking was mixed with tanning… everything seemed to be organized by frequency of use and not by type of tool.

Time was running short. Not caring that the adult would be most irritated by what he was about to do, Silver began to take the items and throw them aside. The box of spices was hastily placed on the tabletop. The woodworking boxes were tossed haphazardly on the floor. The chemistry glasses set on various barrels and boxes… Where in the heavens was the sewing kit? Diving to the space underneath the bench, Silver began to discard whatever came across his path.

Not finding what he wanted, Silver began to turn his attention to other shelves. Standing on the workbench itself, the hoglet began to read the chemistry vials above the spice shelf. Sulfur… Lye… Toluene… Sulfuric acid… Ether… The hedgehog paused. Ether. Silver recalled Shadow having used that substance on him before. Seizing the vial, he pulled it close and stared at the darkened glass bottle. Ether, if he remembered the chemical lesson properly, was an anesthetic. Used in surgery and as a means to make someone unconscious. Shadow had only used a tiny amount on him before, but in the case of the rangers… it might be helpful for any procedures that might need doing.

Hopping onto the floor, Silver called the first aid kit to his paws and placed the ether within. Seeing danger in tripping on it later, the hoglet placed it on Shadow's wooden workbench stool. But where was that stupid sewing kit?

Turning to the other shelves littering the walls, Silver began to shuffle through them - setting aside items and frantically darting his flashlight around. Where in the blazing-

The glint of the impaled pincushion sparkled in the outskirts of the flashlight's shine.

"Gotcha!"

Silver scrambled after the woven basket of various sewing supplies and seized the stuffed fabric ball. Droplets of blood danced at his fingertips as the needles pricked his skin, but the hoolget didn't care. Tossing the pincushion into the first aid kit, Silver dug around for some strong enough thread.

Satisfied with the find, Silver began to think. There had to be more serious medical supplies hidden somewhere around here. Perhaps something to help stop bleeding. Perhaps something to brace bone and sinew. Grasping the floor rug in his paws, the hoglet gave the heavy carpet a mighty tug. The storage space below would hold things like that. That's where all of the extra stuff was kept. Yanking at the woven edges, Silver let out a grunt as he saw the trapdoor reveal itself. Without hesitation he dropped what he was holding and flung it open - finding a pole inside to hold it ajar while he rummaged through the boxes below.

Hopping into the space, Silver began to read labels. Fabric… Wood… Leather… Training… Boots… Blades… Shaking his head, Silver pulled the box labeled "fabric" and pried it open. Shining his flashlight within only revealed rolls of various materials and squares of leftovers. Not wanting to waste more time than already, he slammed the lid shut. Spying the label "Emergency", Silver wasted no time in throwing the top open and rummaging through the contents.

Braces… Bandages… strange looking bottles with strangely labeled chemicals… this seemed more like it. Tossing out the bandages, Silver feverishly began to sort his options. Fabric and metal labeled "blood pressure" - sure why not take it. Thermometer? Yeah it might be useful. How about a -

" What are you doing?"

Silver jumped at the abrupt voice. Turning his flashlight skyward, the hoglet spotted the irritated face of Shadow staring down at him. Or was staring down at him. The elder hedgehog had raised his hand to shield his familiar red eyes from the assaulting flashlight beam.

"This place is a mess ." Shadow grumbled with his usual but thorough annoyance. "And stop shining that in my-"

"Shadow!" Silver exhaled, both happiness and relief gleaming through his voice as he lowered his light. "Thank Gaia you're here!"

"You're supposed to be sleeping." Shadow sternly spoke. "And what in creation possessed you to start-"

The ebony hedgehog found himself cut off by objects tossed into his hands. Silver, having shut the lid to the crate he was dissecting, had tackled the pile of things he had removed and began throwing them out from the storage space.

"We don't have much time." Silver announced, hopping out of the room and kicking the pole down. "We have to move quickly."

"What are you talking about?" Shadow growled, annoyance growing heavier and starting to bubble into anger. "And what is on your…"

The armful of supplies were rapidly discarded as the elder hedgehog reached out and seized the hoglet's sore arm. Wincing from the touch, Silver could only cringe as Shadow held a glowing hand to the kid's face.

"Is that stalker blood?" Shadow asked, frown furrowing deeper as he wiped the incriminating fluid from the ivory fur.

"I don't have time to explain-"

"Oh I think you do." Shadow growled, teeth baring and eyes glowing. "I want to hear whatever excuses you have to cook up."

"Shadow - please!" Silver whimpered, snatching his arm back and seizing the first aid kit. "Be mad at me all you want later but there are people in trouble!"

"What were the three rules I gave you, Silver." Shadow questioned, driving his fingers into the crease of his brow.

"Shadow there's-"

" What were they? "

Silver could only stare at the hedgehog in front of him, shame beginning to boil in his blood as his face flushed an embarrassed red. Stammering over his words, he tried to force his mouth to cooperate. Yet all he could muster was a series of vowels.

"Silver."

"Don't stay out after dark…Don't talk to strangers…Don't do anything stupid…" He managed, breaking eye contact and staring at the ground in front of him. Heat burnt at his muzzle, ears following suit as both contrition and guilt began to eat him up on the inside.

"And you mean to tell me…" Shadow breathed, voice strangely emotionless. "You broke all three."

"Y-yes sir…" Silver sniffled, trying not to cry. "But I promise I have a good explanation… I-I had a good reason…"

"Under what circumstances is doing any of those a good reason?"

"You just have to trust me, Shadow." Silver gulped. "There's no time right now - you have to help me!"

"Help?" Shadow exhaled, irritated at the hoglet for even uttering the word in his direction. "You go and make a mess and now you want me to deal with the consequences of your actions?"

" Consequences? " Silver sputtered, quills flaring. "This isn't my fault!"

"You broke the rules, Silver." Shadow countered, turning away and kicking the dropped supplies to the side. "You are a fool if you think I will repair any damages you have done."

"I didn't do anything!" Silver screeched. "They were already in trouble when they ran into me!"

Shadow abruptly twisted, eyes flashing in the midnight darkness at the nerve of the hoglet to raise his voice towards his elder. Silver met the glare head on, shoving down the twinge of remorse for his justified actions. Poker face. Keep a poker face, Silver. No weakness.

"You didn't do anything?" Shadow asked.

Despite the calm tone of voice, Silver couldn't help but feel that the question was a trap. Glowing eyes, intense stare, statuesque stance… The hoglet gulped as he suddenly found himself on a slippery slope.

"It was an accident."

"Accident?" Shadow questioned, voice still deceptively calm. "Explain how you 'accidentally' break three of the simplest rules I have ever given you."

"The rangers stumbled into me as I was hunting in the-"

"Hold it right there." Shadow interrupted, palm raised to the child and eyes abruptly shut.

Silver's jaw snapped shut with a click. In the time it took for him to stop his voice, the fur on his back and neck began to bristle in anxiety.

"Rangers?"

"Yes sir."

" This close to the fields?"

"Yes sir."

Shadow's eyes opened once more, this time lacking the eerie glow that they had moments earlier.

"I promise it wasn't my fault - they figured out I was your student very quickly." Silver continued, fingers bracing in an attempt to stop trembling. "They were looking for you."

"You spoke to them."

"They cornered me at first, thinking I was in danger - I had to get a bit violent…"

"And?"

"When I asked why they were looking for you they said they needed your help." Silver explained, nervously tapping his foot and crossing his arms across his belly. "They're dying from the fog lungs, and a doctor in Crescent city told them you could heal them…"

"That doesn't justify the other two rules." Shadow sighed, placing his fingers on his forehead.

"I was trying my best to help out and lost track of time."

"And?"

"Stalkers attacked… an imp was with them and so many are injured…"

Shadow abruptly ripped his hand from his face.

"An imp ? "

"I had to put its head in the jaws of a stalker just to kill it."

" You killed- nevermind." Shadow sighed, voice agitated but still controlled. "So that's why you're back here ripping the place apart and throwing medical supplies at me."

"Yes sir…"

Silence pierced the air as the elder hedgehog stood in his spot. Thoughts and emotions flashed in his red eyes in brief seconds and intervals. Silver could only stand there - anxiety taking him as he awaited the final judgement. Objectively, Shadow had the right to be mad at him. He was in trouble after all. All three of the rules had been broken and there was no reason to assume that consequences wouldn't follow. But the situation was incredibly nuanced. Shadow knew this. Silver could see the fight in the elder's head whether or not that breaking the rules was the right thing to do in this specific situation. On one hand, none of this would have happened if Silver had never spoken to the Rangers in the first place. Yet on the other, was following Shadow's instructions the right thing to do having learned of the dire situation?

"I'll figure out what to do with you later." The elder grumbled, stomping his boot onto the tip of the dropped thermometer and flipping it up into his gloved hands. "Tell me what you know."

"There's around twenty sick." Silver began, bolting from his spot and gathering the scattered supplies he had been collecting. "Five dead and the rest at various stages of sickness."

"How many children."

"I didn't count." Silver admitted, sliding bandages into the first aid basket.

"Don't use that." Shadow corrected, opening a nearby supply box and reaching inside. "Use this."

Silver found himself blinded by brown as a leather satchel hit him with an oof . His fingers caught in the shoulder strap as it awkwardly slid off his body. Without wasting a second, he began to assemble the items within.

"They're running out of supplies though, and they were really desperate for the Hero's light." Silver continued. "I couldn't find any Chaos energy though… so I've been trying to find a way to help them."

"I can deal with that." Shadow stated, gathering a couple rags and tossing them at the hoglet. "What you need to concern yourself with are the injuries from the attack."

"Right."

"How severe?"

"I didn't get a good look, but there's a lot of blood." Silver stated. "Shep's arm and chest are almost completely destroyed."

Muttering filled the air as the adult began cursing under his breath. Despite feeling quite stressed himself, Silver somehow didn't get the feeling that Shadow was expressing exasperation over the ranger injuries.

"Alright then, there's no time to waste."

Silver felt a twinge of panic as he turned to climb onto the elder's back. However, having not done such an act for quite some time, the hedgehog realised that he had grown too large to safely hold onto Shadow's shoulders at intense speeds. Eyes growing wide, Silver tried to articulate his dilemma yet only a string of babbles escaped his mouth.

"Hold still, I got you."

Before the hoglet could even comprehend what Shadow had said, the ebony hedgehog had walked over to the panicking child and swept him up into a firm hold with one arm under his legs and the other wrapped around his shoulders.

"You're really getting too big for this."

And with that, a harsh blast of wind hit Silver directly in the face.