A/N: This started with a random idea I got recently. What if Silver's future getting better and staying that way also rewrote his memories of various timelines? In some ways, it's good because it gives Silver the chance to live a happier life, and he doesn't have to deal with the trauma of growing up in a post-apocalyptic world. However, it would likely affect his relationship with characters from the past if their memories weren't altered too.
I noticed that whenever I see the Espio/Silver pairing, I rarely see angst involving it. Not that there's anything wrong with fluff. I just wanted to try something different, and this idea that intrigued me.
There are hints of Silver/Blaze too. Also, slight spoiler, Espio is intersex in this story, which will come up more later.
Espio was training Silver when it first happened.
Silver, as someone who wasn't as used to physically engaging with enemies, was never the best hand-to-hand fighter. He had greatly improved since he befriended Espio months ago and took up his offer to learn the way of the ninja. But he still had a lot to learn.
Espio was gently instructing Silver on how to improve his stance to prevent being knocked over as easily. They already practiced various poses that tired Silver out. Noticing Silver getting tired, Espio suggested they take a break.
They sat on park bench, eating some rice balls Espio packed for them.
"What's got you so distracted lately?" Espio asked.
"It's nothing," Silver said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Just…thinking about my friends back home. What they're doing right now."
After the future was saved, again, a couple times ago, Silver started having friends in his own timeline that seemed to have known him for years.
"Do you want to go back now?" Espio asked. "We can end our training early if you want."
Silver, who just took another bite of his rice ball, shook his head. He chewed then swallowed to talk. "No, it's fine. I just think it would be interesting to tell them about some of our training when I get back. Maybe even show them a few things you showed me."
"That's good." Espio paused to sip his green tea. "So you're getting along with them fine?"
"Yep," Silver answered before taking another bite of rice ball.
Espio smiled slightly. "I'm glad. You seem happier lately. And I hope you stay that way for a long time."
Silver stopped eating to smile at Espio. "Thanks, I hope so too. And thanks again for training me."
Espio nodded at Silver. "Anytime."
Silver looked at the sky. "Say, Espio? You know that book I borrowed from...what was her name again? You know that rabbit woman that sometimes hosts dinners? I should probably return it while I'm here."
Espio, stopping mid-bite, looked over at Silver. "Vanilla."
Silver snapped his fingers. "Vanilla. Right. I normally remember. I guess it's one of those days, huh?"
"Yes, I suppose." Espio finished eating his food. "Okay. Are you ready to continue?"
"Sure," Silver said, finishing his rice ball. "Let's do this."
Silver visited regularly to hang out with his friends in the past, especially with Espio. Espio and Silver didn't always train. Sometimes Silver accompanied Espio and the rest of the Chaotix on a random case, where Vector would show Silver the ropes on how to do proper detective work. Sometimes Silver and Espio just spent time at the Chaotix agency doing things together like normal teen boys their age, such as talking about random topics, watching a movie or show together, playing video games or board games with Vectory and Charmy. Sometimes they each read a book, comfortable with each other's mere presence. Sometimes Espio took Silver on another sight-seeing tour of Seaside City, the city where Chaotix agency was located.
Sometimes, after some insistence on Silver's end to be able to help, the two worked on Espio's garden behind the agency, full of as many different crops the limited, fenced-in city lot allowed. There was a combination of a simple garden in the ground and some containers full of herbs and smaller crops on the agency's back wooden porch. Not only did Silver recently get into gardening, he learned a lot from Espio, who seemed to know a lot about it. Silver's personal favorite were the strawberries Espio managed to grow in a couple straw bales that were positioned on the ground in front of the back porch.
One day, they were weeding like normal as Silver talked about his parents. At some point, Espio wasn't sure, Silver started having a mother and father to come home to on top of his new friends in the future.
The future was still unstable, but Silver talked about how he was no longer afraid to find out who knew him in the future. Having new future friends and his timeline changing far less often helped warm Silver up to the idea.
"Did I mention Mom's a scientist?" Silver said, using his powers to plunge a couple hoes into some pesky weeds. "Oh, and Dad works in the government too."
"Really?" Espio asked as he plunged his own hoe into the ground. "That's wonderful, Silver. What field of science does your mom work in? What does your dad do for the government?"
"Mom's a physicist." Silver replied. "She studies physics and sometimes invents things related to it. She actually made a portal that has helped me time travel here easier. Dad works somewhere in our federal government. I think he works somewhere involving national security."
"That's interesting," Espio replied. "I imagine you have engaging conversations with them."
"Yeah, actually," Silver said. "We sometimes even borrow each other's books.
Silver levitated himself closer to Espio, watching Espio work without a word for a few minutes. He debated how to ask at first.
"So what are your parents like?" Silver asked, spilling his guts out before he changed his mind again.
Espio stood frozen, his hands holding the hoe that was deep in the ground. After a tense silence, Espio spoke.
"Why do you want to know?" Espio asked, not looking at Silver.
Silver shrugged, looking away in embarrassment. He wondered if asking was a bad idea. "Well…I hear a lot of friends mention their family at least once. Vector said something about parents he doesn't speak to much these days. Charmy said something about having parents, but Vector called him for something before I could find out more. Even Sonic mentioned having a dad that passed away years ago. I think he was some kind of hero too."
Espio returned to trying to dig out a weed that got too big for his liking with the hoe. "There's nothing to talk about. I was born to a mother and a father."
"So what were they like, if you don't mind me asking?" Silver pressed on.
Again, silence. Silver waited, knowing Espio was thinking hard about what he'd say about his past. As it turned out, Espio was silent for longer than usual, his mouth pressed in a tight frown.
As it turned out, Espio was going through an internal battle with himself. On the one hand, he wanted to keep his past secret to himself. He didn't see the point in digging it up if it didn't accomplish much. On the other, Silver was his friend, and it was Silver. Silver deserved to know something about Espio after he had been sharing so much. Espio decided there were better things to share.
"Well…um…they weren't anything special." Espio finally answered.
Espio was still digging as he felt Silver's eyes on him. Silver stared at him, waiting patiently for Espio to continue.
When Espio didn't reply after a while, Silver prompted. "Wasn't anything special? Do you remember anything interesting? Maybe something small."
Espio sighed. "I…well, it's not like I don't remember anything. Just don't have much to discuss."
"Come on. Try me. Even 'boring' is interesting to me. I find 'normal' family stuff underrated."
Wiping sweat off his forehead, Espio put down the hoe and leaned against it as the metal part stuck in the ground. Espio fiddled with his leather garden gloves he managed to get for a good price at a local garage sale, making sure they were on right.
Espio said, "It's just more like…it's complicated, alright?"
Espio looked at Silver, waiting for a response.
After a quiet minute, Silver, nodding in agreement, willing to drop it finally spoke again.
"Hey, Espio?" Silver asked. "Can I tell you something?"
Espio hesitated for a moment then nodded.
"I feel so bad," Silver said, brushing sweat out of his eyes. "I think I forgot...Amy, that's her name. I think I forgot her birthday. She was talking about a party she had with everyone a little while ago. I must have missed it. Do you think she's mad at me?"
Espio chuckled softly. "Well, no, I think she wouldn't blame you at all."
Espio watched his best friend not look convinced.
Silver nodded. "You're probably right. But still, I forgot. When was her birthday again?"
Espio thought for a moment, trying to recall, and then remembered what the date had been. "It was last week, Silver."
Silver lightly whacked his forehead. "Oh yeah, of course! I can't believe I forgot. It's close to my mom's too."
Now that Silver had the break he needed, he returned to using his powers to pick up various garden tools above him, ready to finally finish tending the garden.
"ESPIO!" A loud Charmy came seemingly out of nowhere, flying between the two friends.
Startled, Silver dropped all the tools he was levitating, leaving them to fall above them. Quicker than Silver's eyes could see, Espio left his spot, grabbed Silver and Charmy, weaved between the falling sharp tools, and, at the last second, rolling out of the way of a sickle just before they were moved to safety. The tools landed with a bunch of loud metal clatters where they once stood.
Panicked, Silver climbed to his feet and ran over to Espio, who landed next to him, holding a spooked Charmy.
"Are you guys okay?!" Silver asked, fear coating his voice.
"I'm fine!" Charmy quickly responded, squirming out of Espio's arms.
As Silver got closer, he noticed Espio holding the back of his right leg as he stood up. Silver could see blood as Espio looked down at the hand that touched his leg. Espio wore study garden boots, but Silver guessed the sickle they supposedly barely dodged got through it after all.
"What happened?!" Silver asked, getting closer to get a better look.
"It's nothing…just a scratch," Espio replied.
"Let me see," Silver said, reaching out toward Espio's leg.
Eyes widened, Espio pulled his leg away. "No! I got it. I'm fine."
"Fine?!" Silver exclaimed. "You're bleeding!"
"I'll bandage it, Silver."
Espio limped away into the agency, awkwardly covering his injury with his tail.
"But Espio!" Silver said, running closer, trying to grab Espio's arm as he caught up with him in the living room. "You should go to a doctor for that cut!"
"No thanks." Espio quickly replied as he stepped out of Silver's range.
"Just let me fix that for you, alright?"
"Look, Silver! I got it!" Espio yelled, turning back to continue walking.
"But Espio!" Silver shouted.
"Yeah, Espio," a worried Charmy flew next to Silver. "Let us help. Or I'll tell Vector."
Angry, Espio picked up his pace toward the stairs. Frustrated, Silver used his telekinesis to levitate Espio off the ground. Espio struggled against Silver's hold and flailed around to get away.
Silver walked closer, stepping around a captured Espio to get a better look at the wound.
"STOP IT!" Espio shouted. He managed to get a good whack on Silver's chest, knocking Silver backwards.
With his concentration broken, Silver dropped Espio and tumbled to the floor, landing on his rear roughly.
With his ninja training, Espio positioned himself to land on his feet as he fell with no trouble. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Espio dashed up the stairs and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Rubbing his rump, Silver quickly jumped up. He levitated himself after Espio and quickly found himself outside the bathroom door. Silver tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He knocked loudly, hoping Espio would hear him.
"Espio! Open this door!"
"Just give me peace," Espio shouted back through the door. "I got it. I got a first aid kit in here."
"Then let me see! It hurts, doesn't it?"
Espio didn't respond.
"What's this about Espio being hurt?"
Silver turned around to find Vector, led by Charmy, walking up. Vector noticed the closed door, went around Silver, and knocked.
"Espio, you in there?" Vector asked, banging on the door.
"We're gonna call someone, okay?" Charmy added.
When no answer was given, Vector shouted, "If you don't come out soon, I'm breaking down this door!"
"Wait!" Espio shouted. "I'm coming out. Just give me a second."
Irritated, Espio came out of the bathroom
"I told you to leave me alone." Espio harshly retorted, glaring daggers at Silver. Silver could see that the injured foot, not longer in a boot, was heavily layered in bandages. The bloody boot and sock were already tossed in the wastebasket under the sink. "I had it."
"Then let me see," Vector retorted, glaring back at Espio.
"Why do you care so much anyway?"
"Because we're teammates! And I'm responsible for your well-being!"
With a sigh, Espio turned invisible.
"Come here, Espio!" Vector yelled, glancing around for any sign of the evasive ninja.
Espio reappeared in his bedroom, slamming the door. Espio locked it, refusing to open it even after Vector repeatedly pounded on it. With an annoyed huff, Silver turned away.
Charmy stared at the door with concern.
Later that evening, while Silver was sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV with Vector and Charmy, Silver heard rustling in the kitchen. Curious, Silver left the couch to check it out. He found Espio standing in front of the stove, wearing a white apron. He was also wearing his regular shoes, gloves, and the rest of his casual gear. A thick layer of bandages was wrapped a little past where the top of his sock ended.
Silver looked at Espio with a sad frown.
"Please don't look at me like that," said Espio, salting the water in the pot. "I told you I had it."
"You had us worried," Silver said, holding his frown.
Vector wandered next to Silver in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, to glare at Espio. "Just so you know, if you didn't let me confirm your condition soon, I would have broken down your door."
Espio's expression didn't change as he set frozen garlic bread on a metal tray. "I'm aware." Espio lifted his injured foot to show. "It's fine. See?" Espio put his foot down then put the tray of garlic bread in the oven. "If it looks like there's any infection or anything strange, I'll let you know."
"Fine," Vector said, returning to his spot on the couch.
Silver knew how much Espio liked his independence, so he joined Vector and Charmy back on the couch to avoid annoying him. Silver glanced over at Vector and Charmy. Vector's eyes were glaring at the TV. Charmy wore a worried frown as he kept sneaking glances at Vector.
"He would tell us if he really needed help, right?" Silver whispered to Vector.
"His foot doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore," Vector said. "And I don't think it's puffy or anything suggesting an infection. Don't worry. I'll watch him. If it looks like he's in real pain, I'll figure something out. You just got to give him space with that kind of thing."
"Is it weird that I never seen his hands or feet?" Silver quietly asked. "He went all the way back to his room upstairs just to change shoes and gloves for the garden. He even went through the trouble of locking his door—I know because I went back to ask him something."
Vector looked uneasy for a moment. "Y'know, I don't think I ever saw them either. Have you, Charmy?"
Charmy shook his head. "I used to try to grab his gloves when he meditated. I thought maybe he hid some cool ninja scars."
"Yeah, but Charmy stopped after one incident where he got very close," Vector said, shaking his head.
Charmy lowered his head, trembling at the memory. "He was kinda scary. He screamed then stormed off to his room for a while."
"After that, I made it a rule to not to mess with Espio's clothes," said Vector. "Just to be safe since he really seemed upset. He does like privacy. Maybe it's a weird fixation he has?" Vector shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, and Espio wears a black wet suit whenever he or Vector takes me to the beach," Charmy said. "It covers everything except his head and tail."
"A wet suit?" Silver asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
"Well, he is a ninja," Vector commented. "It wouldn't be too out of the ordinary for him."
Before Silver could speak again, the oven timer went off. Espio quickly grabbed the tray with steaming garlic bread out of the oven.
"Food will be done soon," Espio called from the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Espio got everyone. Espio made spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread, along with a heavenly pasta sauce and salad that used ingredients from Espio's garden. Everyone filled their plates and took their food to the living room. Vector sat in the armchair further away from the TV so Espio would have a spot on the couch.
The meal itself went well. There was lots of talk and laughter.
Once all their plates were cleaned up, Espio and Silver went to Espio's room. They sat on Espio's bed with Espio's laptop in his lap. Espio was looking up so good anime to watch. They were browsing for a while, not saying anything since sitting there. The silence was uncomfortable.
"So what's bothering you?" Espio finally asked, looking at Silver next to him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you mad about what happened earlier?"
"No...but…um…you know…just was worried…" Silver sighed. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands.
Espio stared down at his laptop for several moments, pondering what else to say.
"If I tell you something about my family," Espio said, averting his gaze away from Silver, "would that make you forgive me?"
Silver slowly removed his hands from his face. As he gazed at Espio, he spoke softly, "You know I can never hold a grudge against you, Espio."
"I know. Still...oh, and you can't tell Vector either."
"Vector doesn't know?" Silver asked, surprised.
Espio nodded. "Those are the conditions. I can't have him knowing about my past. I don't even like thinking about it much."
"All right..."
Espio paused, staring at his laptop screen, before he glanced up at Silver, who gave him a gentle smile.
"I don't know who my father is," Espio said. "My mother never told me. Said there was no point in knowing. She liked to remind me I have similarities to him occasionally."
"Oh, sorry," Silver said. "I hope talking about it doesn't upset you."
"It's fine. I just prefer not to talk about it with most people."
"What about your mom?"
Espio stared ahead, his gaze becoming distant. For a moment, no words came out of his mouth. Eventually, he answered. "I…haven't seen her in a while."
"Oh." It was all Silver could say. As curious as he was, Silver was afraid of touching a nerve when Espio told him more than he planned. He wondered if Espio meant his mother died a while ago or if something else happened.
Espio glanced down at his laptop, eager to move on from the conversation.
"Here's a good one." Espio pulled up a specific anime on his laptop. "It's a classic. You want to see it?"
"Sure," Silver replied, smiling.
They spent the rest of their free time watching anime in a more comfortable silence. Silver eventually returned to the living room to sleep on the couch, where he normally slept when he stayed over.
A couple hours later, Silver likely drank too much before bed because his bladder forced him awake. With a messy bedhead, Silver slid off the couch then shambled to the nearby half bathroom, which was also near the stairs.
Silver stepped into the doorway, ready to close the door, when he heard a yell. Alarmed and more awake, Silver rushed out of the bathroom and into the living room, searching for the source of the yell.
Another yell led Silver upstairs. When he reached the top landing, his stomach lurched when he heard Espio screaming.
When he reached Espio's bedroom door, he placed his hand on the knob and tried opening it. Locked.
Silver used his telekinesis to fiddle with the doorknob, trying to unlock the door from the inside. It took some rattling, but Silver got the door opened after nearly a minute of trying. It was a technique he never got around to practicing much before.
Stepping inside the dimly lit room with the moonlight shining through the window, Silver spotted Espio, thrashing in his bed. His face contorted in pain and his fists clenched.
"Mother, stop!" Espio screamed, eyes closed shut. "I'm sorry! Please! Don't hurt me!"
Silver stood by, frozen, unable to react.
"I'm sorry!" Espio cried. "I'll be good! I'll be quiet!"
Silver didn't know what to do.
"I'll get stronger, please! Don't leave me!"
Silver couldn't move. He felt paralyzed. He wanted to run to Espio, but he couldn't. He was rooted to the ground.
"Come back!"
Then Silver snapped out of his trance.
"Espio!" he shouted then rushed towards Espio, nudging him by the shoulder.
Espio shot upright in bed, gasping, causing Silver to withdraw his hand. Espio's chest was heaving from his screaming and his face was soaked in sweat.
"Espio!" Silver cried.
Espio's widened eyes fell on Silver. A look of comprehension crossed his face.
"Wha…oh…I'm sorry. I woke you up, I—" Espio stopped midway, processing what happened further.
Silver shook his head. "No, it's fine. I was up anyway. Are you okay?"
Espio's gaze fell on his lap. "Yes, I'm alright."
"Do you wanna go downstairs? We can just watch some TV. If you want."
Espio shook his head. "No, thank you. I rather just try to go back to sleep. I apologize for waking you up."
"No problem," Silver assured Espio, smiling. Then he left Espio to try to get back to sleep.
When he returned to the couch, Silver spent his last waking moments pondering about the implications of Espio's nightmare.
A/N: Comments and other feedback is greatly appreciated.
I would love to hear opinions on the lore I try to create in this story.
I originally was trying to challenge myself into doing a one-shot because I only have done longer fics, outside a couple school assignments. I guess I failed that one. Oh well.