Alternative Universes | Kindling

Silver stared lovingly into Espio’s eyes. The chameleon was resplendent in his white tuxedo in contrast to Silver’s black one. This was perfect. All their friends and family were here to witness their union. Yes. This was perfect. He wanted nothing more than to be with Espio forever.

Right?

“If anyone should have reason for these young souls not to be joined in holy matrimony in the light of Chaos, speak now or forever hold your peace.” The officiant read aloud.

“I OBJECT!” A deep resonate voice filled the cathedral, drawing a cacophony of gasps and insulted exclamations as all heads turned to face the newcomer.

Silver’s eyes grew wide. It couldn’t be! But it was. Standing in the back, chest heaving, stood Mephiles, his brilliant green eyes trained squarely on the white hedgehog. Silver felt his face flush and his heart flutter.

“Well, this just got interesting.” Sonic, Silver’s best man snarked.

The dire wolf pup whined piteously. Silver stood over it, his knife raised, but he was frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. Do it, he pressed himself. Just do it and get it over with.

“Finish it.” His father commanded. “How do you expect to kill weres if you can’t even handle this welp?”

Silver’s hand shook. He had to do it. He had to prove himself. He was the latest in a long line of brave hunters stretching back for generations. He wouldn’t bring shame to himself and his family. He had to do it. He could do it.

“I-I can’t do it.” Silver’s young voice squeaked.

“Pathetic.” His father took the knife from him. “You’ll never be a hunter, lily-livered as you are.” Then the green striped hedgehog finished the job.

“I-I’m a magical girl?” Silver stammered. This was what he got for leaving his window open: strange creatures trying to give him jewels.

The grey-green cat with no mouth rolled its glowing neon green eyes. “Yes, technically. But that doesn’t matter. Just take the Emerald and repeat after me.”

“B-but,” Silver slunk further back on his bed, “I’m just a junior high school student! And how is that an emerald?” He pointed at the large clear gemstone. “It’s not even green!”

“Shut up!” The cat’s hackles rose. “Grab it and say the stupid phrase. Chaos Emerald Power, Make up!”

“You coming to happy hour tonight?” Silver asked, hands in the pockets of his trousers, as he and his companion waited for the elevator.

“I can’t.” Mephiles grumbled. “The missus has us scheduled to look at cabinets for this bathroom remodel she wants to do.”

“No worries. Better to miss a brew than incur Ib’s fiery wrath.”

The elevator dinged. Silver and Mephiles readied to step in, but as the doors open, Shadow rushed out. “Gentlemen.” He greeted them coyly, as he passed, hands working to adjust his tie.

Silver’s brow arched as his eyes followed the dark colored man, but he didn’t think anything of it as he turned back to the elevator and froze.

Inside the car, Sonic was leaning heavily against the wall, quickly stuffing his shirt back into his slacks and buckling his belt, his face covered in a flaming blush. “O-oh hey, Sil, Meph. Y-you going to happy hour tonight?”

Mephiles groaned. “I swear to Gaia I’m going to report you two to HR one of these days.”

Silver leaned into the elevator car and hit the ‘door close’ button. “We’ll get the next one.” He told Sonic as the doors slid together.

The Scepter balanced precariously on a dais suspended over a pit so deep nothing but darkness greeted the observer. For anyone else, retrieving the vessel would have been nearly impossible, but Silver meerly activated his powers and floated over the expanse easily.

Delicately, he lifted the artifact from the place it had occupied for a thousand years. A cylindrical shaft was topped by elaborate metal…wings? Whatever, he wasn’t here to criticize some ancient’s stylistic choices. He had the vessel containing the Darkness of Devotion and it was time to get out of this cave and meet up with Shadow. Smiling, he zipped back to solid ground.

Silver’s ears picked up movement in the darkness a second before a sudden light blinded him. “Who the hell are you?” A gruff voice asked.

“K-knuckles?” Silver stammered. What was the red echidna doing here?

Knuckles’ eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name? Where’s the Chaos Emerald?”

“Sorry, Emerald?” Yeah, Silver had one, but how did Knuckles know that and why did he want it? Oh shoot, what was the crisis for this time period? “I’m sorry. I’m kind of on a time crunch here, sorry!” He lifted and flew over Knuckles’ head. Whatever was going on, he couldn’t get sucked into it. He had a mission and he had to focus!

Something slammed into him and Silver cried out. Where had-? Espio? The surprise muddled his attention and he realized he wasn’t gripping the Scepter anymore.

“No!” Silver cried, but he was too slow. The Scepter hit the stone floor and shattered.

Silver stood on a windswept steppe, watching the multiverse progress. Above the stars were just fading in as the sun, below the horizon but still painting the border of the sky in quickly cooling hues, slowly retired.

He could see everything.

His ear twitched and a voice spoke behind him. “Hey Silver! Long time, no see!”

Silver turned slowly to find an elderly hedgehog with fur nearly as white at his own. The old man was lean, but fit, and his blazing green eyes hadn’t lost any of their splendor. Though he looked very different, Silver could recognize Sonic the Hedgehog in any timeline. His chaos signature burned even brighter than in his youth, the crucible of age having tempered it to something breathtakingly stunning.

“Sonic.” Silver greeted his old friend. “You are looking well.”

Sonic grinned. “Same to you. To what do I owe the pleasure? Something fun, yet deadly perilous about to befall us?”

Silver chuckled. “Not today, friend. Believe it or not, I’m just enjoying the view.” He could always see everything chaos touched.

Sonic flicked his finger across his nose. “I’m glad you’ve finally found an appreciation for the finer things in life. Open skies and fresh air.” He threaded his head behind his head. “What have you been up to? I don’t think I’ve seen you in decades!”

Silver looked at his hands. His cyan flowed through him backlit by a darkness. A drop shadow, giving him depth. “I think I’m some sort of time god now.”

“Wow!” Sonic’s brow raised. “Well, it couldn’t have happened to a better guy!” He gave Silver and encouraging thumbs up. “Not to change the subject or nothing, but do you, uh, by any chance, know…where we are?”

Silver had an extremely detailed understanding of where and when they currently resided down to a level of detail incomprehensible to a mortal mind. “No,” He answered, “I don’t, I’m afraid. Sorry.”

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. “No worries. I’ll just pick a direction and go until I hit a river or something. That normally gets me back to civilization…or the ocean.”

“Do you get lost often these days?”

“I, uh, I can’t remember.” Sonic smiled, absolutely unperturbed about his situation.

Silver huffed. “You know, everyone always assumed your age finally caught up with you in some remote location and you perished in the wild.”

Sonic blinked, then he smirked. “Yeah, that sounds like me. Beating feet until I literally can’t anymore. I probably got lost...get lost? Whatever. My memory isn’t what it used to be. Cyber Corruption keeps flaring up, you know?”

Silver could see the red connection. Sonic was suffering the consequences of what it had taken to fully defeat The End. All in all, he had gotten off fairly light. Some of the other Sonics, however…

“Hello? You still with me, Silver?” Sonic waved his hand in front of Silver’s eyes and the white hedgehog startled. He must have gotten distracted.

An idea struck him. “Do you want to see it? The future you created?”

Sonic’s face broke into a massive smile, his wrinkles collecting around his eyes. “Heck yeah! That sounds like a great adventure.”

Silver reached out his hand and Sonic took it eagerly.

They appeared in the rose garden. Sonic’s eyes grew wide while he surveyed the colorful space. “Wow!” He pivoted in place. “Nice!”

Sonic approached Mephiles’ abandoned rock and sat, leaning against it, exactly where Mephiles had sat for so long. “I just need a minute, dude. Time travel took it out of me.” Sonic wasn’t lying, at least not about being tired, but Silver didn’t care.

Silver lowered beside Sonic and together they watched the warm spring day progress.

How many times had Silver been drawn to this place? Whatever had lured him here was gone now, but it was still a beautiful place. Once it had been the closest thing to a home Silver had then. But now he was always home, because he carried it with him.

“You know, Shadow might be able to do something about your-“ Silver was interrupted by a light snoring noise. He turned to Sonic and found the old hedgehog napping, his gray head lolled to the side.

Silver smiled.

As Sonic slept, Silver watched the roses.