Chapter 1: We Start at the End
Chapter Text
There was a house here.
Well, less of a house and more like a manor, if he was to be honest. Still, even with its imposing size, it looked inviting, well-maintained, clean… and downright quaint. A wooden sign stood above its porch, with a picture of… some kind of flower? Maybe? The text on it was completely illegible, probably worn down by time. The steps leading up to the porch itself were illuminated by a single hanging bulb, and its sandy-yellow walls made it stand out against, well… everything else he could see. Which, admittedly, wasn’t much at the moment.
His surroundings were dark, and it made him wonder just where he possibly ended up, for this house to be the only thing he could spot when looking around. The darkness of night seemed oddly impenetrable to see through, no matter how much he strained his eyes. He couldn’t even see the moon or any stars hanging in the sky.
But he could worry about that later. Right now, he needed to get up!
…a task easier said than done, unfortunately.
Grunting with effort, he managed to push himself only a little off the ground, before his arm gave in and he flopped to the side, ending on his back. His strained breathing was the only thing he could hear, followed by the rapid thumping of his heart.
He could use… another minute to recover. Yeah…
He reached down to touch a cut on his stomach, and was somewhat relieved that his glove was not as bloody as he expected. A shallow wound, like many others currently littering his body.
“Still, that was…”, Silver muttered out, recalling the chaos that was going on not even five minutes ago. To say he got lucky was an understatement. He didn’t know how much longer he would have been able to fight against the horde of… things that went after him.
Those… weren’t Mobians. Couldn’t be. No way in hell…!
The time portal couldn’t have appeared any sooner, and he was only too eager to escape. And it - almost literally - spat him out here, as he slid across the ground, battered, bruised, and bloodied all over.
“...way too close.”, he finished, slowly steadying his breathing. Alright, take two.
With a determined grunt, he again pushed himself upward, trying to ignore the stabs of pain and discomfort as he did so. His psychic power would make this a breeze, but he had already used too much of it during the last few days of non-stop fighting. And he wasn’t about to give himself another headache just to stand up.
“H-hrrrgghhhrr…!”, with a hiss through clenched teeth, he was back on his feet. Wobbly and unsure in his stance, but it was progress.
With careful, deliberate steps, he stumbled closer to the manor, and climbed up onto the porch. The wooden handrail helped in keeping himself steady, but it was a moment later that he realized he was leaving bloody gloveprints all over it. That, along with a trail of blood dripping from his fur.
Oops.
He’d make sure to apologize to the owner and clean up after himself. Preferably after getting some help and rest. Of course, that all hinged on his assumption that there was somebody home.
With a relatively clean part of his glove, he knocked on the door.
…
…
…
Nothing. No movements inside that he could hear.
He knocked again, a little more forcefully.
…
Still nothing.
Was there really nobody home? He looked around for a doorbell - maybe that would get the owner’s attention? But there didn’t seem to be one. As a last resort, he reached out for the handle.
Huh, it’s… open? , Silver thought, surprised by the fact. He felt bad about barging in uninvited like this, but he figured that whoever was inside would understand his circumstances and his pressing need.
Going inside, he was greeted by the sight of… an utterly ordinary home.
Several hallways stood before him, as well as a stairway leading to the floor above. Motes of dust were visibly floating in the air, and a soft creak came from the hardwood floor as he stepped inside. The walls were painted in some off-white color, and there were a few photo frames hanging from them. As well as several more frames standing on top of a small cabinet.
However, that’s all they were. Just frames. Devoid of any photos.
Before Silver could think more on that, he heard a crackle in a room at the end of one hall. The crackle of fire. A fireplace? And if it was lit, that meant…!
“H-hello…? Is there anybody here?”, he called out, eyes glancing down the hallway in question. A grimace appeared on his face as he saw his blood also leaving a noticeable trail inside.
Fortunately, his wounds weren’t losing enough blood to leave him in danger, but it was enough to make him dizzy. He spared another look at the trail. He’d have a lot of cleaning to do…
“Um, I’m sorry for intruding, but I need some help! Hello?”, coming closer to the living room, he called out again as he cupped his hands around his mouth.
And… once again, nothing. The house was completely empt–
“Why, hello there, young one! It’s nice to meet you!”, a voice suddenly boomed behind him.
“EEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIK!!”, Silver… didn’t shriek. He didn’t . He let out a very normal, not-at-all-high-pitched sound of surprise. At least that’s what he would be telling himself.
He did, however, jump in alarm, landing away from the speaker, in a fighting stance and ready to tussle. Even with how much his body was telling him he was in no condition to do so…!
“Ah. My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you, young one.”, the person in front of him said, his words taking a softer tone.
Said person - a Mobian - wasn’t a species Silver was familiar with. He looked like a… fluffy elephant? He didn’t think that was a possible combination, but then again, the world was vast in its surprises. The elephant wore a house robe, along with a pair of fuzzy slippers, and a cane in one hand. He loomed over the hedgehog by at least a few feet, and a warm smile adorned his face.
Silver’s posture relaxed just a bit. “It’s, uh… it’s alright, sir. I’m the one who should be sorry. I don’t mean to intrude, but–”
“Oh, pshhh, nonsense.”, the fluffy elephant cut in, waving his worries off. “Visitors are always welcome! Though… your journey must have been a perilous one, for you to end up here of all places, my boy.”
Ugh, you have no idea. , the hedgehog mused to himself. “Where is ‘here’, exactly? Ah, no, before that… do you perhaps have some medici– ack, no, no, wait!”, he tripped over his words, before taking a deep breath and standing up straight. “My name is Silver, sir. It is nice to meet you, too. Thank you for allowing me into your home.”, he took on a formal, polite tone, extending his hand.
A moment passed between them. Then, the fluffy elephant began laughing. A booming laugh, not in mockery, but simple delight. “Oh ho ho, no need to be so stiff, boy! I can practically see you standing there like a statue!”, he kept laughing, before reaching out to put his hand on Silver’s shoulder. Something that he was doing slowly, with great care, almost like he didn’t… know where… he was…?
Can practically see you…?
Oh. Oh, the Mobian before him was blind. A conclusion supported by the elephant’s murky-grey eyes. That, and the way he never seemed to look directly at him. Just vaguely in his general direction. “Ah, let me help you there, sir!”, Silver then guided his hand, earning another smile from the elephant.
“...much appreciated, my boy. Manners like yours are one-in-a-million. Or maybe I’m saying that because I don’t get many visitors in the first place, ho ho!”, he chuckled. “Also, you can drop the whole ‘sir’ business. Just call me Mo. Mo the Mammoth.”
Mammoth? Not a species the hedgehog was familiar with.
“You got it, sir– Mo.”, he corrected himself, giving him a nod… before feeling a bit silly for doing so.
The mammoth took back his hand, ready to say something else, but then felt the sticky substance on it. Sniffing it with his trunk, the mirth in his expression was gone and his brows furrowed. “Blood. Are you…?”, he sniffed again, closer towards the hedgehog. “...you’re injured, Silver. That’s why you’re looking for help, isn’t it?”
A murmur of affirmation. “Y-yes. I know it’s all a bit sudden and I don’t want to impose, but if you don’t have any medicine to spare, then all I ask is for a place to rest. J-just for a little while, that is!”
A shake of the mammoth’s head. “Rest? No, no, no. Follow me - let’s get you patched up first, young one.”, he motioned for the hedgehog to come after him, as he began walking down a hallway.
His face brightened up. “Thank you! I owe you one, Mo!”, and Silver followed.
At least at first.
It could have been the literal days of missed sleep, or the extensive injuries he had. The blood loss definitely contributed, and on top of that, he was also forcing himself to be as alert as possible. With the danger now gone, and a promise of help, it was like a switch had flipped in his body.
A switch that made his limbs feel like they had weights attached to them. Dragging him down with each step, with his eyelids feeling just as heavy. It took only a few more steps before Silver stopped in place, no longer able to push through or ignore his exhaustion.
He collapsed, his consciousness fading long before he even hit the floor.
***
The little hoglet walked. And walked. And walked some more. This sure was a long path they were taking. He couldn’t even tell how much time had passed on this road!
The trees around them were so tall! And so… so lush and green! He giggled as he stepped on another leaf, hearing how it crunched under his boot. And since they were going so slow, he made a game of skipping and hopping onto different paved stones, trying to avoid stepping on a crack between them.
The beautiful, russet colors of the dusk filtered in through the tree tops, performing a dance of light and shadow as he kept playing his little game. The modest village in the distance was getting closer with each moment, along with a huuuuuuuuge mountain looming next to it! It took his breath away when he first saw it, but now that it was so much bigger…!
He got distracted from his game. He was brave. He was very brave! Okay… maybe just a little scared… but that was alright! He just needed to not to show any of it, he decided as he clenched his little fists. Then the silly fear would go away!
Still, his anxiety - bubbling quietly under the surface - reared its head as he looked up at the person next to him, reaching up to hold her hand. “W-what are… w-what are the o-other kids like?”, he asked, not quite able to mask the trembling in his tone.
The woman glanced at him, her features impossible for him to make out, except the warm smile she gave him. “Oh… I’d say that they are a colorful bunch. Each special in their own way. And ready to meet you, so don't worry. There is nothing to be afraid of.”
He immediately shook his head. “N-nuh-uh! I’m not scared!”
“Oh, my mistake, then. I should have known better, heheh.”, she chuckled, putting a hand on top of his head… before quickly ruffling his front quills into a messy pile.
“Nooooooooooooo, stop it! Stop it! Aaaaaaaaaah!”, the hoglet began swatting at her hand, laughing in spite of his words.
The woman merely chuckled once more, before finally stopping her dastardly “attack”. He quickly began readjusting his quills, styling them in the way he always preferred, a smile still plastered on his face.
She spoke up. “I promise you, my dear. You’re going to love them, and they’ll love you. Believe in that, alright?”
He looked up at her, still unable to make out anything but her smile. “Mhm!”, he nodded and held her hand again.
The pitter-patter of his little boots on the cobblestone path continued, as the woman led him into the rustic village. So many buildings towered over him… so many amazing new things wherever he looked… and just as many new faces surrounded him, going about their daily lives…
Dusk soon turned to a relaxed evening, the streetlights turning on around them. With each home they passed by, he could hear spirited conversations from the families inside, all accompanied by the people’s moving silhouettes in their windows.
He couldn’t help but smile.
Still, it felt like the hoglet could get lost in this new place if he wasn’t careful, yet the woman strode on with steady confidence, as both of them kept a firm grasp on each other’s hand.
He remained quiet as his eyes darted around to absorb more of the sights, his mouth agape in wonder. It was getting a little hard to keep up with the woman, with his short legs breaking out into a jog. With all the walking they did beforehand, he was also starting to feel out of breath.
But the little hoglet pushed onwards. It wouldn’t be that much longer, would it? Yet, a part of him hoped that it would. At least he’d spend a little more time with her before–
“We’ve arrived, Silver.”, the woman suddenly said to him, stopping in place.
“H-huh?”, Silver wasn’t expecting that, his train of thoughts a jumbled mess. And then, as he looked in front of them…
There was a house here.
***
“...aah!”, Silver’s eyes snapped open! He rose up, with a flicker of panic coursing through him as he tried to figure out where he was!
Well… certainly not in danger.
He was greeted by the sight of a… child’s bedroom? That’s the feeling that he immediately got, in no small part due to the playful, wavey design of the wallpapers and a whole starry night sky painted on the ceiling. There was also a wardrobe and a toybox next to it, while the floor had a cute playmat of some sort. A nightlight in the shape of a moon was plugged into a socket, casting a soft, comforting glow over everything.
A sense of calm settled over Silver, though he did wonder if Mo lived here with any children. Again, the question nagged him: where was here?
He looked towards a nearby window, only to be faced with more unrelenting darkness outside. Amazing view , was his dry observation.
“How long was I out…?”, he muttered, shuffling out of the bed he was in and wincing as a dull pain made itself known across his whole body - a reminder of the future he was lucky to survive.
At least he wasn’t bleeding out any more. Mo must have tended to him, what with all the bandages he now had wrapped around his wounds. He mentally compared himself to a mummy, which made him chuckle… only to wince again.
“Ow, ow, ow. It hurts to laugh. Sheesh, good to know…”
Steadying himself, he had half an idea to leave the room and go look for his stuff. His gloves and boots have been removed, leaving him only with his socks. However, he had no clue where to start looking for them in this house, and he didn’t want to pull a disappearing act on Mo, in case the mammoth showed up to check up on him.
Perhaps it was wise to slow down for a bit? Relax, even?
“It is safer here than anywhere else I’ve been in the last few days…”, he reasoned with himself, then nodded.
His hands splayed at his sides, a steady flow of cyan energy was released, soon enveloping him in its familiar aura. Without the regulators on his gloves and boots, he had to be more careful with using his powers, but the lack of stress and urgency made it easier to focus. To mold the somewhat volatile psychokinesis into something just precise enough to be practical.
Leaning back and closing his eyes, Silver fell for just a moment, before lifting himself and hovering in the middle of the room. With deep breaths, his focus shifted inward, the slow sway of his hover similar to floating on the water’s surface.
Was this a strange way to meditate? Perhaps. Silver couldn’t deny that, but this was just what worked best for him. He tried a few times to emulate the cool mystics he read about in books and stories, by crossing his legs and keeping his form symmetrical… and soon abandoned that idea after his legs kept getting numb from the strain.
Not doing that again, ugh. , he grumbled under his breath.
And as relaxing as this all appeared to be, it was also a form of training. A way to sharpen his awareness by constantly controlling the output of his psychokinesis, keeping his thoughts calm, and keeping his breathing in check. Well, that , and making sure not to fall asleep to the faint hum of his power!
The one time he busted his ass by suddenly falling down was one too many, thank you very much!
Pushing that embarrassing experience aside, his thoughts turned to the dream he had. Not that he could gather a whole lot from it, as many details were already getting murky. Trying to hold onto them was akin to grasping at an optical illusion - something seemingly so close, yet so far.
Though, it was strange how… often he was getting these dreams lately. Or were they visions? Memories? He genuinely wasn’t sure.
Sometimes, like in this dream, they showed him mundane, simple scenes - ones that left him with… an odd sense of longing. Sadness. Like a wound deep inside, that even time itself would never really heal. Silver couldn’t tell where these feelings were coming from.
And other times?
Flames. Devastation. Death.
Silence.
Worlds left in ruin by the actions of sadistic men, gods, and demons. All things too familiar to him. Yet also scenes that he couldn’t really place. Were these futures that he had once helped prevent? Or events that were yet to happen?
…
He supposed that it didn’t really matter. Whatever hell was thrown at him, he would stand and fight against it, determined as he always was! Such was the case with the current predicament he escaped from. However… a massive issue loomed over him. One that left him questioning what to do next.
That issue being… he had absolutely zero clues as to what caused this apocalypse!
It was a problem that he ran into before, but after the world twisted and lurched… peeled itself off… he tried his best to figure out what happened. He did! But priorities soon shifted to either helping people who were caught in the mess, fighting off the hordes of monsters coming after him, or sheer survival! There was simply no time to investigate at all!
Frustration boiled within him when he finally decided to fling himself through the time portal to escape! How could it not?! Core issue aside, his abilities were barely enough to keep himself safe! The amount of innocents he saw getting dragged off by the monsters to… who-knows-where, and him not being able to help was just so… so …!!
The cyan energy around him flared up, lighting up the bedroom in a brighter glow, while small objects around the room started rattling in place.
“Grrrrrhhh…! Haa… calm! Calm. Calm down. Gotta calm down…”, Silver muttered to himself, bringing his energy under control. A sigh escaped him. He wanted to smack himself for losing his cool. That wasn’t the point of meditating like this.
More deep breaths. He refocused. Time to shift gears.
The glow of his powers slowly became brighter, as it extended across the room once more. This time, however, for a different purpose. It was something that the young psychic was aware he could do - though also something that had yet to have a practical or easy usage for him, as he did specialize in telekinetic applications of his power, at the expense of most other avenues.
Including extrasensory perception.
Even so, he was still able to “see” the room around him. The simple bed, just a few feet to his side, with its sheets ruffled by his sudden awakening. The wallpapers, and the way some of them peeled just a little at the corners. The thin layer of dust settled on some of the furniture. The toys in the toybox, most of which were either cars, action figures, or building blocks. The playmat, and its… in softer terms, lack of cleanliness. To the point where Silver briefly considered looking for an incinerator to toss the thing away.
All this and so much more.
He could perceive it all with clarity, but any small misstep with his concentration, and the picture in his mind would waver, rippling and distorting. The level of focus needed did distract him from thinking further about his situation, but even that would only work for so long.
As he floated there, testing out his “sight”, his ears twitched as they picked up on a noise. The sound of a doorknob turning. Extending his power once again, the person on the other side of the door was…
Well, no surprises there. , he thought, exhaling as he floated himself down into a standing position.
The mammoth entered the room a moment later, his movements slow and deliberate as he gently shut the door behind him. Maybe he thought Silver was still sleeping?
The psychic cleared his throat. “Hey there, Mo!”
“Oh, Silver? You are awake!”, the mammoth perked up, relief evident in his tone.
A nervous smile appeared on his face. “Eheh, yeah… I am now. Sorry for suddenly dropping on you like that.”
“No need for apologies, my boy! I’m just glad to know that you’re up! You’ve been out of it for quite a while. How are you feeling now?”
“Well…”, he hopped from one foot to the other, the soreness in his body mostly gone. The pain was still, but he went through worse. “Better, for one! Much better. Thanks again, Mo. But, err… how long was I out?”
At that, the mammoth tapped his chin, lost in thought. “Hmm… don’t rightly know. Hard to tell time around here. Though, with how much you were sleeping, and how many times I changed your bandages, something must’ve really put you through the wringer.”, he said with a sigh, then put a warm - if tired - smile. “It’s good that you came here when you did, Silver.”
The hedgehog thought so as well. He had half a mind to share with the mammoth what exactly he was dealing with for the past few days, but decided against it. For one, Mo probably wouldn’t believe that he arrived from 200 years in the future, and two… Silver himself was still processing the pandemonium that he went through. He gritted his teeth as his frustration simmered in the back of his mind.
No need to fuel this old mammoth’s worries with his current problems.
“I’m lucky to have met you, Mo. I really am in your debt.”, he replied earnestly. “Say, where can I find my gloves and boots? They aren’t here, and, uh… I need to be going soon.”
The mammoth’s brows furrowed. “Going s– My boy, you just woke up. You can’t seriously be thinking of travelling anywhere in your condition. Where is the urgency?”
“Ah, I-I don’t mean leaving right this very second!”, he quickly corrected himself. He’d still need to clean up the messy blood trails he left in the house, as a first order of business. He could do at least that much to repay the mammoth’s kindness! “But I do need to go! It’s important that I get to the Restoration HQ as soon as possible!”
“...hm, I see.”, another sigh from him. “Even if you were completely fine, I fear that may not be as easy to do as you think it is. Not with how, let’s say… ‘remote’ this place is.”
Silver looked at him, a bit confused. “Um, I don’t know what you mean by that, but trust me, Mo, I can get there just fine! No matter how far it might be!”, he said with a confident smile. And it wasn’t an unproven confidence, since his psychic flight could be maintained for hundreds upon hundreds of miles, before any real fatigue would start setting in.
After such a good rest, he could handle this, no problem!
But Mo shook his head. “No, no, my boy, it’s not really an issue of where you need to go… but rather, when .”
The wording immediately took the wind out of the hedgehog’s sails, and Silver felt a rising apprehension in him. Several questions stood at the forefront of his mind - ones that he didn’t really want to ask… but knew that he had to, regardless.
“Um, Mo… what do you mean by tha–”
Before he could even finish asking the first question, a loud sound suddenly broke the peaceful atmosphere of the room! It was like that of glass breaking and shattering into tiny pieces… only far more amplified, and even echoing for a good while!
“W-what was that? What’s going on? Mo, keep your head down!”, the hedgehog stood on guard, already hovering above the ground, ready to defend his host and face whatever made the noise!
The mammoth… then perked up, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oho, a delivery is here! And ahead of the usual schedule!”
“.........huh?!”, Silver’s whole posture became askew, followed by an incredulous look. “What are you– what delivery?!”
Mo chuckled at his tone, stepping over to a nearby window and tapping it softly with his cane. “See for yourself, my boy. I’ve been told it can be quite a spectacle.”
Blinking at the request, Silver did settle on the ground again, then carefully shuffled over to the same window, expecting only to see the darkness outside.
Darkness did greet him… along with a visible, glowing crack going through it. A crack… in reality itself! The noise then returned, as this broken reality started going in different directions, the glowing fissures looking like branches of a tree, yet spreading like wildfire! Spiderwebs soon formed as the fissures intersected with themselves and broke into more pieces.
It was only a second later that color started leaking… bleeding through those cracks like a fresh wound! Silver couldn’t even make out what that color was , as its hue kept shifting and blending with itself, almost making his eyes hurt.
More and more was oozing out without end, before the broken pieces collapsed and fell into themselves, leaving giant, jagged holes in reality! Staring into them, he could see more of that strange color, constantly swirling inside in a chaotic dance of existence and non-existence, roaring like a waterfall.
It reminded him of… oh.
OH.
“No, no, no, no…! T-this can’t…! How did they follow after me?!”, he muttered in a panic, then turned to the mammoth. “Mo, we have to get out of here! I don’t have time to explain, but–”
Like before, the mammoth put a gentle hand on the hedgehog’s shoulder. “Woah, easy there, my boy. Calm yourself. I don’t know what has frightened you so, but I promise that you are safe here. Just keep watching.”
Silver couldn’t believe how unbothered Mo seemed to be, but he still did as he was told, and kept looking through the window. Focusing on the holes in reality. His gaze hardened as he kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
But… no monsters emerged. None whatsoever.
What did emerge, however, were objects. Debris, as far as he could tell. Shooting out from the bleeding technicolor holes like bullets, before soon hitting the ground with an assortment of bangs and crashes. Curiously enough, none ever came remotely close to hitting the house, only landing in its immediate surroundings.
The debris kept coming for a while, making the outside look like a junkyard. And then, just as suddenly, everything came to a stop. No more debris. No more bleeding colors. No more spreading fissures.
Instead, reality began mending itself, reversing the whole process!
The color was sucked back in, the holes were “plugged up” by the spaces of darkness that were supposed to be there, and the cracks retreated down the same lines that they first formed. The hedgehog watched, fascinated, as everything got repaired, while this whole anomaly became nothing more than a glowing white dot, just floating in mid-air. Only to blip out as well seconds after, leaving no evidence of its existence at all!
That is, if one ignored the enormous piles of junk that were now encircling the house.
Silver was quiet for a long while. What could he even say after… everything? He was no stranger to otherworldly sights like that, but that hardly meant he wasn’t left awe-struck whenever he witnessed one!
“Mo. What. Was. That.”, he finally asked, barely keeping his tone even.
Again, a knowing smile from the mammoth. “Quite the sight, isn’t it? I can tell from your tone, hohoho! And I’ll tell you all about it, but what it means to me right now… is a delivery day! Come now, Silver, there’s no time to waste!”
Whatever other questions the hedgehog had were quickly pushed aside as the mammoth walked out of the room. “Wh– woah, wait up!”, he cried out, but followed nonetheless, still hovering.
One long, dusty hallway and a set of stairs later, and he was back at the front door. Mo was a lot more spry than Silver gave him credit for, since he already went outside. The blindness certainly didn’t hinder him in knowing this place like the back of his hand.
When he got to the porch… another realization washed over Silver, much like a cold shower.
His… less-than-ideal state when he arrived probably made him dismiss it, but there was no doubt about it now. Why he couldn’t make anything out, why there was nothing present in the night sky, why the darkness felt so engulfing…
Seeing Mo stand there on the ground in front of the house - stand on nothing at all…
He gulped in dread as it finally clicked. It wasn’t nighttime here. It wasn’t even dark at all. This house… was simply surrounded by an endless expanse of void ! Pure nothingness in every direction. Only the house and the junk existed here, yet they felt oh-so-small and insignificant next to the absence of literally anything and everything else .
His breathing was getting heavier. More questions gnawed at him. Looking for answers that he didn’t want to get. And yet, he had to.
“Mo!”, he called out, catching the mammoth’s attention. “What… what is this place? Where did I end up? Please, I need to know!”, he asked, pushing past the fear in his mind.
Mo stopped in his tracks, turning back to Silver. He said nothing for a few moments, before a sigh escaped him. “Yes, I suppose you should be aware of it. And the reason why you can’t really make your journey.”
Spreading his arms in a dramatic fashion, he continued. “Welcome, my boy. To the last stop. Not just for you, but for everyone and everything. Where every branching path, every decision, and every consequence eventually meets up…”
Mo’s next words cut through what was left of Silver’s composure, like a dagger stabbing into his gut.
“Welcome to the End of Time.”
Chapter 2: The Past is a Stone’s Throw Away
Chapter Text
“The… the End of…?”, Silver stumbled on his words, thinking that he heard the mammoth wrong. But no, the longer they both stood there, the longer the heavy silence lingered between them. Silver gulped.
There was no joke to be had. Mo didn’t look like he was about to go “gotcha” and laugh it off. On the contrary, he kept standing there - standing on a ground of pure nothingness - like he was giving him time to process the words. The implications.
The reality of his situation.
“...the End of Time.”, Silver uttered, his tone calm. Too calm. Then… he shook his head. “No… no, no, no… y-you must be mistaken. There’s… there’s n-no way that that’s true…!”, he said, trembling. Waiting for something - anything - that would disprove the mammoth’s explanation!
His host, on the other hand, gripped his cane just a bit tighter, as his expression softened. “Silver. There’s no reason for me to lie. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“No, I’m–!”, the psychic started, before immediately cutting himself off. He raised his hands as if to stop himself from just blurting out whatever came to his mind. “I-I’m sorry. I’m not calling you a liar, Mo. It’s just… it’s never worked like this! I’ve never…”, he then waved his hands around, pointing at everything around him. “...ended up somewhere like here before!”
“Hmm. So you didn’t plan on coming here? It does sound like a terrible accident. Though, a far more dire case than just following the wrong directions.”, the mammoth began, taking it all in stride. “But, ahem - please help me understand. It’s ‘never worked like this before’...?”, he asked, repeating Silver’s words.
“I…”, the hedgehog thought about evading the question, but then dismissed the idea. It wouldn’t be right to keep Mo in the dark. Especially not after the kind mammoth showed him - a bloodied-up stranger - nothing but patience and goodwill. “...I’m a time traveler. From the future.”, or the very, very distant past now, he supposed.
He continued on. “My time tends to be a peaceful place, until something in the past goes wrong and everything just turns to… ruin! Wastelands where there were cities before, armies of robots turning everything to ash and enslaving anyone still alive, every living thing being infected and turning to metal…!”, Silver gritted his teeth as he recalled the memories. Even with those fates averted, it made him angry to know that some people were so unfathomably… unbelievably evil , that they made the whole world suffer because of it!
To his credit, Mo didn’t seem taken aback by Silver’s answer. Instead, his posture was solemn, his face tired even beyond his age. “I am… so sorry that you had to live through all of that, my boy.”
“...I am as well. But that’s why I do everything I can to figure out what went wrong. And then, I use a time portal to go to the past and try to fix things. A-ah, of course, I’m not alone in that! I get some… well, a lot of help from the people in the past. They’re all friends that I can count on!”, he said with an earnest smile.
It was kinda funny, how he knew so many more people in the past than in his own present, and all of them were just so cool and strong in their own ways! Heck, even with the newest threat that loomed over his future, he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to spending more time with Sonic and the others, tending to the Victory Garden with Blaze, or training together with the Diamond Cutters! Even just taking a simple stroll through nature made visiting the past a treat!
“Is that so?”, another question from the mammoth, one more playful. “It sounds like you care about them a lot, hoho.”
“Eheh… yeah, I do. Ah, wait, the point is–! What I meant is that we all work together to fix whatever problem pops up in the past, and then I eventually go back to the future with another time portal.”, Silver added to his explanation, then spoke again. “And that’s how it always worked. I always traveled between my present and the past. That’s why I just never expected a portal to fling me further into the future, to a place like… well, this!”
“Hah!”, Mo let out a snort, clearly amused. “The End of Time does seem like quite a dreary place, no? But I’d argue it has its charms. Like living in this beautiful house here, the lack of rent I need to pay, the literally infinite square footage I have for my front and backyard… oh, and no annoying neighbors to deal with! Can’t forget that!”
That earned a laugh out of Silver. “Hah, I suppose so. But still, I… I just don’t understand. Why did I end up here? How am I supposed to do anything to fix my future, if I’m strand–”
A loud rumble then interrupted him. One coming from his own stomach. Whatever concerns the hedgehog had were suddenly pushed aside as he felt a pang of embarrassment. “...s-sorry about that, Mo.”
Mo, however, didn’t even seem to hear the apology. Instead, his brows furrowed. “How long was it since you last ate, lad?”
“Um…”, he couldn’t remember exactly. Fighting off and surviving one monster horde after another usually made one lose track of time. Silver was no exception to that. “A while?”
“Mhm, a while. I’ll assume that stands for ‘way too long’. And I forgot to offer you anything since you woke up, because this ‘delivery’ took my mind off of it. Haa…”, he sighed, displeasure evident in his tone. Though it didn’t seem directed at the hedgehog, but rather, himself. “Alright, no sense regretting it now. Silver, please go back inside and feel free to eat something light. I’ll make a proper meal when I’m done scavenging for supplies.”
“W-wait just a moment, Mo! I can help you out!”, Silver hastily replied.
“Silver, while I appreciate the enthusiasm, this isn’t something to be done–”
“No, I’m serious! I want to help!”, he insisted, soon continuing. “Believe me, I can do it! With my psychokinesis, I’m more useful out here and helping you out, than I am in there, waiting for you to finish!”
“Psychokinesis…?”, the mammoth scratched his chin. “Ah, the power to move things with your mind? My, my… that does sound like a handy ability! You’re just full of surprises, young one… but are you sure you’re okay with using it, so soon after your recovery?”
Even though Mo wouldn’t be able to see it, Silver still nodded his head. “Yeah! Don’t worry, I’m not trying to act tough - I just know that I can make things easier for you!”
And Silver did believe in his own words. It wasn’t pride that fueled the belief, but rather, his own experience and confidence in using his psychic powers. Safe to say, they helped him - and others - out of many tough spots, whether in his own time or in the past, which is why he tried honing them whenever a chance presented itself. Heck, his powers were pretty amazing even the first time they… manifested…?
…
…when was this “first time”?
Silver… couldn’t remember at all. Yet, a feeling lingered whenever he tried to grasp at that elusive memory. Something strong, special - a feeling of… protectiveness?
Gaah… whatever. , he thought. It wasn’t something to worry about at the moment.
“Hoho, oh dear… with that kind of certainty in your words, I doubt I can convince you to change your mind.”, the mammoth responded with a wry smile. Even with the assurances he got from the young psychic, he didn’t seem too keen on letting him strain himself in any way. Not when he was still nursing so many injuries. Yet, he relented. “Very well, then. Do follow me, my boy.”
“You got it!”, a wide smile from the hedgehog. A smile that momentarily faltered as he glanced over the enormous piles of junk surrounding the house. “Uhm… but where do we even start looking?”
At that, the mammoth chuckled. “You can leave that part to me, Silver. I have a knack for knowing where the useful stuff is. You could even say… that I have the nose for it!”, he said, patting his trunk.
“Snnrrrrk… Mo, that’s just… a terrible joke.”, the corners of his mouth twitched.
“Hmhmhm, I may not have the gift of sight any more, yet why do I see you smiling?”
Nope, that joke was just too much on the nose . Silver did not sport a dorky grin on his face at this moment. No matter what his host said. No siree!
***
Alright, just gotta make this tight, and clip it like this, aaaand… there we go, looking better already! , he nodded to himself in the bathroom mirror, as he finished changing his bandages. Not all of them needed to be reapplied, as some wounds were already feeling much better, in no small part due to how fast he could heal.
Regardless, Silver was deeply grateful to Mo for providing him with so much medicine, and he wished he could help him beyond just gathering supplies, but sadly, cooking was not one of his strong suits. That, and the mammoth constantly reassured him that he got everything under control in the kitchen, and that he’d call for Silver when everything was done.
It was after that, that the hedgehog asked for and borrowed some old rags, as well as a bucket of water. Cleaning was still something he could do and a cinch with his powers, so he made sure to wipe away any trails of blood he tracked through the house. It was only right of him to do so!
And now, here he was, still looking in the mirror. He began fixing his jumbled crown of quills to stand in just the way he preferred, as his mind led him to think more about the strange place he was in right now.
The End of Time.
How far in the future did the time portal take him? Tens of thousands… hundreds… many millions or billions of years? A whole eternity later? It was… dizzying to consider, that there was an end point for the concept of time itself. A hard thing to wrap his head around.
However, his biggest concerns were still the questions he posed earlier: why did the portal send him here ? To this house on the edge of existence itself? What was so important about this place? When could he leave?
How could he even save his future from here?
He had long finished styling his quills, his hands at his sides as he kept thinking on those questions. It was Mo’s booming voice that finally brought him out of his ponderings. “Silver! Food’s almost ready!”
“On my way!”, he called out from the bathroom, as he tossed his old bandages in the trash.
Strolling down a hallway and past the living room bathed in the warmth of the fireplace, the young psychic arrived in the dining room. Just like the rest of the house, it provided a calm, comforting atmosphere, with a large table situated in the middle, capable of seating far more people than just him and Mo.
The homely image was, unfortunately, slightly diminished by the number of crates currently stacked in one corner of the room. The supplies they found.
Another thing to chalk up to the strangeness of this place. Silver certainly didn’t expect to see mostly intact boxes like this among the debris outside, while the mammoth seemingly knew they were there! He lived up to his boasts, and then some!
Taking a seat at the table, it wouldn’t be long before his host showed up, a warm bowl in hand. “Silver? Are you here, my boy?”
“Ah, yes! Right here!”, the hedgehog called out, to which the mammoth smiled, before putting the bowl in front of him. A generous helping of some kind of stew. He couldn’t tell exactly which kind, but the aroma was heavenly . “Oh, wow, it smells amazing! Thank you, Mo!”
“Heh, you’re quite welcome! Now, do enjoy yourself.”, he replied, giving the young psychic a pat on his shoulder, before going over to the stacked wooden boxes.
“Oh, you’re not going to eat as well?”, Silver asked, slightly confused.
“No, no, not just yet. Not just yet…”, he began, feeling around the lid of one of the crates, before slowly popping it open. “Let’s just say I’m eager to see what goodies we managed to get. A celebratory feast can come after that, hoho!”
“Er, okay… whatever floats your boat.”, the hedgehog said with a shrug, before finally digging in. It took only a single spoon of the stew before his face lit up like a candle. “W-woah! This doesn’t just smell amazing, this is amazing!”, he said in awe, before immediately eating faster!
“Hohoho, I humbly accept your praise!”, Mo laughed in response, as he rummaged through the crate’s contents. “Oho, we got fruit in this one. Haven’t had those in a while.”
Silver’s ears perked towards him as he swallowed another spoonful, before speaking up. “Fruit? Got any apples in there?”
A knowing smile. “You like them? Then, hmm… maybe! You might get some after you finish your meal.”
“Hehe, I wasn’t planning on letting anything go to waste, so you got yourself a deal!”, he replied in good spirits. Apples were easily his favorite snack, and yet another reason he liked visiting the past. Not that he didn’t have them in his time, but it was exciting to see the progress he and Blaze were making with growing the orchard in their garden!
Mo soon moved on to another crate, opening it just as easily as the first, while Silver kept eating for a while. That is, until the hedgehog remembered something. “You know, you still haven’t answered a question I had. And I mean, by giving me a real answer.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”, the mammoth turned to him, head slightly tilted.
“Simple: what was all that ? This place being a near-empty void is one thing, but reality breaking apart and then stitching itself back together is something completely different! And no, don’t use the ‘delivery’ thing again, please.”, he explained, his tone somewhat demanding, but patient.
“Ah… right.”, Mo stood a little straighter, though his posture was still relaxed. “You recall what I told you about the nature of this place? How it is a meeting point for every decision and branching timeline that ever came into existence? And how they come to an end here?”
“Yeah…?”
“Well, some timelines end subtly, without much fanfare, with just about the same impact as a light getting switched off. An ember that eventually sputters out.”, he began, leaning on his cane. “And then there are other timelines which like to end… with a bang! With some flare! Flashiness! ”, he added, waving his hands and wiggling his fingers for emphasis.
Silver blinked. “Flashi– what, like fireworks?”
“Exactly like fireworks!”, he pointed at the hedgehog in approval. Well, in his direction, at least. He was still a little bit off by a few degrees. “A timeline ending in a blaze of glory. That’s what you happened to see earlier! It was a pretty stunning display, no?”
Oh, the hedgehog was stunned, alright! “You could say that again. But, uh… how often does it happen?”
For a moment, the mammoth seemed deep in thought. Then, a shrug. “Hard to say, really. My guess would be somewhere between ten or hundred thousand times a day. And even that could be an abysmal estimate!”
He almost choked on his food. “H…! A h-hundred thousand times?! Per day?!”
Mo boomed in laughter. “Hohohoho, no need to be so surprised, lad! How many timelines do you think exist at any given moment? Why, no less than an infinite number of them! All branching from even the most insignificant decisions any person can make. So it shouldn’t come as a shock that a lot of them would be constantly coming to an end as well.”
“B-but… there’s only been a single ‘fireworks show’ the entire time I’ve been here! Shouldn’t there be, I dunno… more of them? Happening simultaneously, at that?!”, Silver kept asking, trying to bring some rationality to what Mo was saying!
The mammoth wasn’t laughing any more, but he still looked amused. “...methinks you are underestimating the size of the endless void outside, dear Silver. Particularly the ‘endless’ part, heh. It’s simple, really - there are most likely ‘fireworks’ going off at all times, so far removed from anywhere near here, that it would take multiple lifetimes to even see a glimpse of them, let alone reach them. I, for one, am glad to only receive one of them at a time, at… ehh, semi-regular intervals.”
“R-right… right.”, Silver muttered, shaking his head. Listening to the mammoth made… a bit of sense to him, he guessed. Though, just as he was about to continue eating, something else nagged at him. “And what about the crates?”
“Hm? What about them?”
“Well… earlier, when the ‘fireworks’ happened, I just saw tons of junk being flung out. I didn’t even notice the crates among them all. But you… you found them so easily! It’s like you expected them to be there! Not only that, but…”, the hedgehog paused for a bit, glancing over to the supplies. “...isn’t it weird ? To find fully stocked boxes like this in the first place? It’s like they were prepared or something!”
At this the mammoth grew silent. The moment stretched long enough that Silver didn’t think he would be getting an answer at all. But then, “Mm, who knows, honestly? Maybe I am just lucky? Or I got somebody looking out for me? Either way, I’m not one to complain.”
As he turned back to search the second box, Mo’s tone was effortlessly casual. Playful, even. Silver didn’t exactly need to be a genius to notice the deflection, nor did the mammoth even try to make it subtle. Nevertheless, it sent a clear enough message that he wasn’t going to talk about it.
While it did make the psychic a lot more curious about his host… he was going to respect the boundary that Mo had set. It’s not like the burly guy was obligated to give him all the answers, or any of the personal secrets he held. So Silver decided not to press. Even if the vagueness bugged him.
As he kept eating, another sound caught the hedgehog’s attention - the sound of bottles clinking against each other, coming from the second box. “Aha, we struck gold with this one!”, Mo said in delight, pulling out and holding a rather old bottle of wine. “Enough to last us a while! Oh, and by ‘us’, I mean me. I suspect you’re not yet old enough to drink. Are you, lad?”
Silver held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hah, busted before I even got to put any plans in motion. You’re just too good at this!”, he said… then smirked with mischief. “Anyhow… you like your wine, huh? Then… you might have a drink or two after you eat your own meal!”
That made Mo pause. And in the next moment, he held himself against the crate, one hand dramatically clutched over his heart. “Ah, what is this… this betrayal that I feel? To think that my own words would be used against me! I am such a fool! Is this what they warned me about? The insolence of youth?”, he said, tone appropriately sorrowful, with a quivering lip to boot.
Silver was having a hard time hiding his giggles. “Heheheh… it’s not that serious, you know?”
“Not to you, it isn’t! You’re underselling my pain! My anguish! For me, this might as well be a matter of life and death! Aaaaah…”, the mammoth began slumping down the crate, looking like he was mortally wounded… until he stood back up just a second later, like nothing had ever happened. “But very well. Your terms, though unbelievably tyrannical, are acceptable.”
“Yeah, yeah, go ahead and make me out to be a bad guy, if it makes you feel better, hahaha!”, Silver laughed for a good while, clutching his stomach, and only stopped when a brief jolt of pain flared up again from his injuries. “Haha… phew. But seriously, Mo, you should eat some of this as well. I mean it.”
Putting the bottle of wine on the dining table, the mammoth was thinking to himself again. A nod followed soon after. “You are right, my boy. But…”, he held up a finger. “...just one more box. I feel like I’m on a roll so far. After that, I’m taking a break.”
Going back to polish off the rest of his meal, Silver watched as Mo chose another box to search. The one he picked, however, was far smaller than the rest of them, easily fitting in the mammoth’s hands. Naturally, it also required much less effort to open it. And when he reached inside…
“Huh… now isn’t that curious…”, Mo mumbled to himself, catching Silver’s attention once more.
“What’s up? Found something good again?”
“...maybe. It seems… somebody might be looking out for you, too. Because I certainly am not able to make use of this.”, he began, then pulled out one of the items inside.
A book.
A positively ancient one, judging from its looks. A thin layer of dust coated it all over, and with how tattered and damaged it was, it has definitely seen better days. Its covers were impossible to make out, and the majority of its pages looked ready to fall out of its spine, forcing Mo to handle it as gently as possible.
Silver blinked as the mammoth passed the book over to him. “Wha– you think someone sent it… to me? B-but… how is that even…?”, the young psychic trailed off with his question, as he opened the book.
The state of the pages inside it were similar to its outward appearance, with some destroyed and torn out, and some too illegible to read. But some pages had illustrations. Diagrams of some kind. Symbols repeating over and over in intricate patterns.
And while Silver was kept busy with that, Mo took out the only other thing that was inside the wooden box: a smaller box!
Though, as he felt it over with his hands, he could tell that this new box was far more detailed in its appearance. Metal inlays swirled over its surface, forming complex patterns, giving Mo the impression that he was holding something quite precious. A jewelry box, perhaps?
There was a metal latch on the front, but it wasn’t locked. So, he would investigate it further…
Am I supposed to make sense of this…? Dang, there’s so much to go through… , Silver thought, flipping over another page. He had no luck with the text at all, but many of the pictures within were oddly well-preserved. Not that they told him any kind of story he could understand!
That is… until his eyes landed on illustration somewhere in the latter half of the book. One that had a disturbing similarity to the apocalypse that he escaped from.
His breath hitched. W-w… what in the…?!
He flipped through more pages. And more pictures greeted him, all depicting the chaos that had unfolded in his future. A cold sweat came over him, as he flipped over one decrepit page after another. Until he was somewhere near the end of the book. And there it awaited him.
One final picture. This one… showing the oppressive presence that took over the skies. Looming over everyone like a silent reaper. Mocking those who desperately tried to survive.
The Red Star.
Silver’s teeth clenched in anger as he thought back to it. What he wouldn’t do to fly at it and snuff it out completely! But the tides of monsters kept him far too busy with fending them off and keeping any survivors safe. That, and he didn’t know how to even begin destroying the monolith that it was.
Now, with this book at his side, he believed he had a precious clue. A way to turn things around. If he could find out more about it, perhaps in the past… then maybe, just maybe… he could prevent the Red Star from ever forming into existence!
Unfortunately, there was still the issue of his current situation. How long would he have to wait until a portal could take him away from here–
“A-ah… AAH!!”, a cry of pain cut through his concerns, as the young hedgehog saw the mammoth suddenly fall on his knees, holding his head!
“MO! Wh– Mo, what happened?! Are you okay?!”, he said in alarm, instantly going to the mammoth’s side to check on him!
His host, though panting heavily and still looking in pain, seemed to find comfort in the psychic’s presence. “I-I… I’m going to be alright, Silver. It was just a… a sudden migraine. It’ll pass, I just– I require a moment.”
“O-okay. Just breathe, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”, he reassured him, before noticing something that fell on the floor next to them. A jewelry box, he assumed. And sticking out of it… was a singular gem. “Is that a Sol Emera– no. No, it’s… something similar? What is that?”, he spoke, mostly to himself.
“...an advantage.”, Mo gave an answer all of a sudden, reaching out towards the orange gem.
Holding it aloft, it was easier to spot how this jewel differed from a Sol Emerald - mostly with its hexagonal shape and slightly larger size. It gave a soft gleam in the light, and Silver could sense some kind of power emanating from within. Not like the Emeralds he knew of, however. The power was something uniquely its own.
“An advantage? For what?”, the hedgehog voiced his confusion.
The mammoth slowly got back up on his feet, with Silver supporting him. “For you, my stu– my boy. And for your mission, as well.”, he put the gem onto the table, then turned back to the hedgehog. “Stay right here, please. I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Wait! Are you alright now? How do you fee–”
“No need to worry, lad. No need to worry. I’m already much better, I promise.”, Mo spoke back in a reassuring tone, patting his back. “Just… stay here. And hold onto that book. It proved to be rather priceless to you, no?”
“Uh, yeah, it did…”, Silver answered, but Mo had already walked out of the dining room.
What just happened…? , he quietly pondered, eyes drawn over to the orange gem. Did it… somehow affect Mo? But if that was true, then why with a migraine? A part of him almost wanted to reach out - see what was up with it - but he also felt reluctance in doing so. With a sigh, he went back to his seat.
It was only a minute later that Mo came back. And carrying with him–
“My gear! I was wondering where it ended up!”, the hedgehog was pleasantly surprised to see his gloves and boots, now perfectly pristine and without any blood on them! “Thanks again, Mo!”
Handing them over to the psychic, a warm smile graced the mammoth’s face. “Don’t mention it. It was no trouble at all, to help you. On the contrary, I am… so very glad to have met a soul as kind as you, my boy.”
Silver chuckled nervously at the sudden praise, even blushing a bit, as he put everything back on. Everything fit just right, and his regulator cuffs hissed open as he directed his power through them, before he cut the flow and they closed with a satisfying click.
It was then that he picked up on something. “Er… Mo? Is everything alright?”
“Mm… I would say everything’s better than alright. Why do you ask?”
“W-well, it just sounds like you’re saying your goodbyes! And as much as I need to leave, without a time portal open, that’s–”
“Very much in the realm of possibility for you.”, Mo finished his sentence for him, giving him a nod.
“Huh…?! H-how?!”
The mammoth walked over to pick up the gem, showing it to him. “This right here. This… belongs to you. And it will take you to where you need to be. I would explain more, but you probably want to start unraveling the disaster that sent you here. It’s a much better use of your time than listening to the ramblings of a fossil like myself, no?”
“Um, I guess, but… I don’t understand! I’ve never seen that thing before!”, he protested, unsure where Mo was going with this.
“Heh, it’s alright, young one. It’ll make sense eventually.”, he beckoned him closer, before placing the gem in Silver’s hand. “Hold onto it, and onto the book, and then just– oh, wait one more second.”
Making his way to the very first crate, Mo reached inside, before producing a shiny red apple. He promptly gave it to Silver as well. “One for the road, yes? To keep your strength up. So you better appleciate it.”, another smile formed on Mo’s face as the hedgehog snickered at the joke, before continuing. “Now… close your eyes, and simply focus on the gem in your hand. Focus on the power inside it. Let it guide you…”
There was so much that he wanted to ask about what was going on, but nevertheless, the young psychic kept the questions at bay, and nodded. “...alright.”
With his attention solely on the mysterious jewel, Silver tried to look deeper into it. He felt that same flow of power inside it, far more easily now that he held it in his grasp. And from that power… sensations emerged. New… yet, oh-so-familiar to him. As well as memories and timelines that were this close to being remembered. Scraping against the back of his mind.
His breathing was calm. He kept focusing. And then, just a little bit deeper - another discovery. Seemingly small, at first. Two words. Yet, words themselves could hold unimaginable power. And as Silver zeroed in on them, they revealed themselves in crystal clarity.
Two words that could bring about miracles .
CHRONOS…
“...CONTROL!”, Silver shouted out, his mission at the forefront of his thoughts.
And the Time Stone responded.
In no time at all, the dining room was bathed in a vibrant, green glow, courtesy of the jewel in Silver’s hand! It pulsed with power, even making one of the pages fly out of the book he was holding, before the hedgehog got a better grip on it! A similarly green dome of energy formed around him, preparing for… something major.
“Attaboy, lad. I knew you had it in you.”, Mo’s tone was full of approval, pride, and… something else. Something somber. Regardless, he kept smiling.
The psychic recognized a feeling from the dome surrounding him. It was remarkably similar to what he felt whenever he went through a time portal. And if that was the case…!
He turned to Mo, giving him a bow in spite of knowing he couldn’t see it. “Thank you for everything! For welcoming me, for the medicine, for the comfy bed…! Oh, and for the food! I am also glad - and very lucky to have met you, Mo! So, again, thanks for all your help!”, the words came easily to him, full of earnest gratitude.
The dome’s glow got more intense, and Silver knew he only had a few more seconds left. He smiled brightly at his host. “I promise I’ll visit you later! So this is just a farewell until then!”
Before he could hear any response from Mo, the world outside of the green dome blurred and distorted, as the time travel finally kicked in. The Time Stone itself shone with a brilliant orange hue, its power given direction by the hedgehog from the future. And so, the distortion kept going, and going, and going…!
Until everything finally came to a stop. The dome shattered like crystal, revealing to him where he ended up.
It was a peaceful, sunny day. The wind blew gently through his quills, and wherever he turned, he got a breathtaking view to enjoy. The way the canyon’s multi-colored stones shimmered in the sunlight made him feel even more relaxed. In the distance, he could see a cozy outdoor café, with people similarly taking the time to enjoy the sights. But most importantly of all… he knew exactly where he ended up.
“Rainbow Ravine…! So if I’m getting this right, the Restoration HQ should be… in that direction!”, he mused to himself, as he tucked away both the Time Stone and the tattered book into his quills.
Cyan energy surrounded him, lifting him off the ground. He took a deep breath. And in the next second, Silver blasted off, leaving only a brief trail of dust in his wake…
***
It wasn’t long until the crackle of energy ceased, and the lingering trails of power dissipated into the air. Stillness once again permeated in the room, and the quiet overtook the house.
“...farewell, my dear student.”, the mammoth uttered, as a certain exhaustion settled into him.
His footsteps echoed softly through the house as he picked up the wine bottle he left on the table. He probably should have taken Silver’s advice to eat something himself… but he really could use a drink right about now.
Thus, he poured himself a glass, before going over and taking a seat in the living room. The lit fireplace emanated its warmth throughout the room, yet Mogul couldn’t really find any comfort in it. The whole house just felt a bit colder now.
With a sigh, he took a sip. The rustic flavor similarly failed to provide any comfort.
“Hahah…”, it began as a small chuckle. One that kept going. Escalating. “Hahahaha… haha. HahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Laughter. Pure and unrestrained. Going on for far longer than it should have. And yet, there was nothing to laugh about at all. Still, the mammoth kept it up. But in spite of all his efforts, his sobs still crept in-between his bouts of exaggerated joy.
“Hahahah… you…”, he started, his head tilted backward. “You really are… a cruel one, you know? Ha… making me remember him for only the last few minutes before he needs to leave? Before I need to send him on his way?”, he spoke, seemingly to nothing. Perhaps he did. He could never be sure about it.
The tears fell either way.
“Would it have been that hard to give me those memories back? Without a Time Stone?”, he asked, taking another sip of wine. “Pah, whatever. I suppose I should count myself lucky that you decided to give me anything at all?”
His grip on the glass tightened, threatening to break it. But no, that would just be a waste of good wine.
“...were you happy to see him again? At all? Or are you still waiting for him to fulfill whatever inane ‘purpose’ you bestowed upon him? Tch… I can’t understand you at all. Or your plan. I don’t think Silver will, either.”, he said in disdain, before downing the whole glass of wine. More tears threatened to come out, until he recalled his student’s words.
“I promise I’ll visit you later! So this is just a farewell until then!”
It was a promise given so easily. Honest in nature, and without any strings attached. Simply because he wanted to see an old fossil like him again.
It suited the boy.
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Heh… perhaps I should brush up on an apple pie recipe? I bet you’d be over the moon for it.”, Mogul said to himself, his mood slowly lifting as he anticipated the young psychic’s next visit. Or maybe the buzz from the wine was kicking in?
In any case… heavens knew that Silver was a far better guest than the only other guy that ever visited this house…
Chapter 3: Apocalypse Prevention and a Crocodile's Confection
Chapter Text
Six months.
Goodness, has it really been that long already? Her desk calendar said that yes, it has. Time just had that tendency of flying by, she supposed.
Six months since they began their rebuilding efforts, and it showed that, regardless of the hardships that came their way, the people here had the heart and spirit to face it. Even when that hardship came in the form of an entire airship destroying their homes!
It was… devastating, at first, to see the consequences of partnering up with the opossum. Clutch’s promises had once brought her relief. An assurance that she would have the businessman’s help in managing the Restoration's plethora of operations, services, and staff! Exactly the honeyed words that she wanted to hear.
All lies.
Lies that were, in hindsight, so painfully obvious to see through, much as it hurt to admit. Was she really so naive - or worse, willingly blind - to his nature, that she was ready to jump into any agreement that sounded even remotely decent? Or was she just that riddled with doubt in her own abilities, that she thought she needed any avenue of help that came knocking?
Was she actually doing a good job leading the Restoration?
A question that plagued Jewel the Beetle constantly. She knew that indecisiveness was not a trait that a leader should have. Even though she herself considered her position more akin to a glorified secretary with extra authority, people still looked up to her and firmly believed that they were in capable hands.
Thus, the answer to her question was… she wasn’t sure. In the slightest.
Her friends, on the other hand? There were no doubts in their minds that she knew what she was doing. Tangle, being the sweet ball of energy that she was, was always quick to step in and either support her with boundless enthusiasm, or dispel any doubts that crept in from time to time.
A fond smile appeared on her face. She truly couldn’t have asked for a better friend.
Of course, that wasn’t to say that others didn’t pitch in in their own ways! Amy, Tails, Whisper, the Chief… everyone did, especially when the rebuilding had just begun! Lanolin as well, though her advice focused more on practicality and pragmatism when it came to reviving the Restoration HQ, as well as ways to reestablish the network and supply lines between the organization’s branches in different cities.
Jewel was more than happy to help her in turn, since bringing back Emeraldville to a livable state was not going to be easy, even with the two of them directing things at the helm. City planning and management were not skills they had in their repertoire.
At times, it was almost comical how much they were floundering with bringing everything together. And other times, they both felt like they were tackling something impossible, bringing them to the verge of giving up. Frustration and tears went hand-in-hand during those tough periods.
And yet…
And yet, they continued on. People recognized their honest efforts to breathe life back into one of the many towns ruined by the war. More folks soon gathered around them, helping out as well, all drawn towards the one thing that the pair had given them: hope. Hope in restoring this place, in making it just as good, if not better than before… in taking back something that the evil doctor thoughtlessly ruined in his mad conquest!
Hope in a better tomorrow.
Again, Jewel found it hard to believe that six months had passed since the whole “Clean Sweepstakes” fiasco. But one simply had to take a short stroll around to find that not only was the Restoration HQ back in full swing, but that Emeraldville itself now had a bustling community! An admittedly small one, sure, but that was changing with each day as more and more people moved in!
The eyesore that was Clutch’s destroyed airship had long since been deconstructed and scrapped for parts - mostly courtesy of Tails - but a single piece of its plating had been kept, as a sort of a reminder of what the town went through. It was now a centerpiece of Emeraldville’s new park, fixed in place on a pedestal, along with a decorative plaque describing its significance.
Many of the town’s districts were still far from fully operational - or even habitable - but construction was going strong and new projects were being planned almost daily! Progress wasn’t about to slow down any time soon. If anything, it was speeding up, with predictions that everything would be done in just a few more months! If they kept up with their smooth sailing, of course.
But…
…
No. No, everything has been going well. And Jewel was glad for that, really! It was just… at the same time, everything felt a little too easy.
It could have just been her nerves again, but the fact of the matter was that Eggman didn’t orchestrate any major moves or attacks during these whole six months! Sure, there was his attempt to do something on Starfall Islands, but even that was promptly overshadowed by The End’s appearance. And its subsequent destruction.
Another threat that Sonic - as well as Tails, Amy, and Knuckles - stopped, for which she was grateful for.
However, after that… nothing. Eggman going silent for this long just put her on edge. There were still the random badnik patrols terrorizing villages and towns, but the evil doctor was seemingly biding his time. Hopefully, they wouldn’t deal with something on the scale of the Metal Virus again, she thought with a sigh.
But that was a worry for another day. She leaned back in her chair. At the moment, she could relax. Well, almost relax. There was still some paperwork to deal with, but after that, she would be free for the day!
“Alright, Jewel, focus now!”, she said to herself, looking over to the relatively small stack of papers left. With a pen in hand and a determined glint in her eyes, she was ready to see what needed to be signed, acknowledged, approved, rejected and/or shredded. Nothing that she couldn’t wrap up in an hour or two!
Unless there was an emergency of some kind, but what were the chances of tha–
And then, with a glance, she saw it. Or rather, him.
There was a TV monitor set up in her office. Its purpose? Showing the different camera feeds around the HQ. For her, it was a good way of keeping track of activity in the base. For the Restoration’s security teams, it was a means of keeping a lookout for any suspicious persons or potential enemies.
Silver was neither of those things. The hedgehog was good company, and a delight to have around! His optimistic and straightforward attitude had earned him plenty of friends, even with his moments of naivety and recklessness. Not to mention, his immense psychic abilities proved useful time and time again, especially whenever he also participated in the rebuilding of Emeraldville!
And on any other day, the time traveler would be a welcome visitor, just like always.
But Jewel could see it. It was hard not to, with the way Silver looked as he moved through the cameras.
“Oh, no…”
The many bandages covering him. His hurried, purposeful stride. The hardened gaze in his eyes as he read a tattered book in his hands, like it owed him lunch money.
“Nononono…”
Quick bites out of an apple floating next to him. The direction he was going for - as he weaved through the people in the living areas and the many connecting hallways - was leading straight to her office.
This wasn’t like any other day. It could only mean… that the future was once again in dire straits - and that also meant he was here to warn them about it. Which also also meant that another global threat was on the horizon.
“Nooooooooooooooo…”, and just like that, the paperwork she would have to do practically quadrupled in her mind. A groan escaped her as her head fell onto the desk in defeat. Perhaps she still had a few minutes that she could use to de-stress, if Silver took his ti–
Quick, sharp knocks on the door put a stop to those thoughts.
***
“Come in!”, Silver perked up at the response and did a little fist pump of victory, glad that he managed to catch Jewel while she was still in her office. He went inside.
“Heya, Jewel, sorry to barge in like this, bu–”, he immediately cut himself off, upon seeing the beetle looking at him with tired eyes, while using the hardwood desk… as a head rest? He raised a brow. “Wh… are you okay? Or feeling sick? Did I interrupt something?”
“No, no… I’m just… meditating, I suppose. Getting closer in touch with my paperwork. Figuring out the true meaning of bureaucracy. You know how it is.”, was her slow, somber response, along with a shrug and a half-smile.
“Uh… huh. Or maybe you just need more sleep? It would do you good, you know?”, he suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Nonsense. Sleep is for the weak.”
He cracked a smile at that. “...and you’re looking very, very weak.”
“And I’m looking very, very weak, yes. But still very, very busy.”, another shrug from her.
“Heh, do I need to get Tangle or Amy involved here? They’d be sure to break whatever overwork streak you’ve got going on there.”
A chuckle came from the beetle as she raised her hands to placate him. “No, no, no, no, I promise I’m being good. Honest.”, she finally lifted her head, before assuming a more proper posture with a sigh. “Please, have a seat.”
Silver did exactly that, planting himself in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk, legs crossed and the tattered book clutched in his hand. “Alright. Again, sorry for barging in, but… the future is in trouble. Massive trouble.”, he said, his tone turning serious in an instant, his eyes now showing a certain fierceness to them.
“Oh dear…”, she mumbled out, sighing once more. “What’s even going on now? Is that why you’re so…”, she motioned to the bandages covering up his wounds. “...thoroughly banged up?”
“Yeah, I… I got insanely lucky this time. If I didn’t…”, he trailed off, his silence making the implication ring that much louder. “But that’s not important right now! We need to gather everyone we can - there’s way too much I need to share, and I can’t waste time bringing people up to speed one by one!”
Jewel regarded him with a serious expression of her own. “So, I should issue a Code Sil- I mean, a Code Future, is what you’re saying?”
Code Future. Formerly known as Code Silver, before the name was promptly changed, so it wouldn’t make the time traveler feel like he was a harbinger of doom or anything. Not that Silver actually cared about the naming convention, only that it worked.
It was a protocol that was put in place shortly after the Metal Virus catastrophe. Its purpose was simple - quickly informing everybody about whatever new post-apocalypse plagued Silver’s future, and figuring out ways to stop it from ever happening.
Thankfully, it didn’t need to be used until now, since - even with the hedgehog’s frequent visits - Silver had been enjoying the good future they had all created. And for quite a while, to the point of holding a steady job and even having his own apartment! Though, a small, persistent doubt in the back of his mind told him that it wouldn’t last forever. It was so… so deeply frustrating - and so damn infuriating - that he was proven right!
He clenched his fist and nodded. “Exactly that, yeah. How soon can you contact everyone?”
“Hm…”, Jewel tapped a pen against the desk, thinking for a moment. “Honestly, it depends. Even if I issue the Code now, you’d still need to wait a few days at minimum for everyone to assemble. And I use a loose definition of ‘everyone’.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”, he asked, a bit confused.
The beetle began explaining. “Well… okay, so, there’s no problem with getting some folks right away. Lanolin will definitely put any of her tasks aside as soon as the Code is sent out. As for Sonic, Tails, Amy, and the Chaotix… Cream is celebrating her birthday tomorrow, so they’ll be present there at the party, without a doubt. Blaze should also be showing up at the same time from the Sol Dimension. And they can all answer the summons right after, I’d imagine.”
“Okay, everything sounds good so far… so I’m assuming that this is where the good news end?”, Silver leaned forward a little, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“You’re, uh… half-right, I suppose? I don’t exactly have bad news, per se, but there is still the matter of waiting for Whisper and Tangle to get back from their current mission. A week ago, Tails picked up on some strange energy readings coming from Angel Island, and I decided to send them to scout it out. Nothing too serious - mostly just a wellness check on Knuckles and the Master Emerald. Though they are still yet to report, let alone return…”, she sighed, a little worried with how long her two friends were staying radio-silent. However, this wasn’t the first time the pair had gone off the grid for so long, so she was yet to be truly concerned about their safety. “And then… there’s Team Dark.”
“Shadow, Rouge, and Omega? What’s going on with them?”
“That’s the thing - we don’t know. We haven’t known for… goodness, a few months now? It doesn’t help that they’re not exactly easy to contact. But! But…”, she held up a finger before Silver could say anything. “I do know where they are - in the United Federation! Err… somewhere.”
“Whoa, hold up. All the way over there?”, the psychic asked, unsure of what they could be doing so far overseas. “What are they up to?”
“To that, I can confidently say… that we also don’t know. But there are rumors and speculations floating about that G.U.N. is trying to reestablish themselves. I’m not sure how that’s even possible. Their public support essentially hit rock bottom after their inability to do anything against Eggman during the war. Still, if those rumors are true, it could be a good reason as to why Team Dark is over there right now. Perhaps they have been recruited once more into the organization?”, she said, proposing quite a likely possibility.
“...hm, I see.”, the hedgehog muttered out, processing all this information. This is… not ideal, but still far from a bad situation…, he thought to himself, planning out his next move. Not that there was much to plan out, to be honest. He knew what he needed to do.
Nodding to himself, he made his decision. “Alright, seems I got my work cut out for me. So I better get to it right away!”, he said as he stood up from the chair.
“Work cut out– huh?”, Jewel began, taken by surprise. “Silver, where are you going?”
“The United Federation, for one.”, he promptly answered, like it was completely obvious. “Look, I can and want to do more than just wait around, so I’ll go find Team Dark and bring them on board for this. Regardless of wherever they are and whatever they’re doing, their strength and experience will be as crucial as everyone else’s for solving this crisis! That’s what I believe. And, uh… I just wouldn’t feel right if they were kept out of the loop about this, you know?”
It was kind of a stretch to say that he was friends with anyone from Team Dark. Not Rouge, not Shadow, and definitely not Omega… but that hardly meant that he didn’t hold a certain respect for them and for their capabilities.
The beetle held the pen against her head, deep in thought. “That’s all well and good, but where will you even begin looking? The UF isn’t really a small country.”
Silver wasn’t too bothered with that. “I know, but I gotta start somewhere. So I could test my luck by going to the capital and seeing if there’s any truth to G.U.N. coming back.”, he shrugged, before showing a confident grin. “Even if there’s not, I can always ask around if anyone has seen them. Hard for people to not take notice of a professional jewel thief, a robot with more bullets than lines of code, and a hedgehog with a glare that can melt through steel.”
Jewel couldn’t stop a little laugh from escaping her upon hearing the… colorful way Silver used to describe the trio. She was sure that they would have something to say about it. The tension in the room seemed a little less palpable now.
“So, yeah… Radical City it is. That’s the first order of business. After that…”, his eyes trailed over to the book in his hand, barely holding its pages together. “I gotta figure this thing out. It’s a shame that it’s so trashed, though. Other than a few clear pictures, most of it is just illegible nonsense.”
“Ah, I’ve been meaning to ask about it! Is it related to your current future?”, Jewel pressed, genuinely curious. With the way Silver looked at it in the cameras, she was wondering if the book somehow personally offended him on some level.
The time traveler nodded, expression turning serious once more. “That’s right. Or the pictures are, at the very least. I’d love to know what the text in it says, but I’m honestly grateful that I have something like this in the first place. Maybe– huh.”, Silver trailed off, a new idea suddenly coming to him, as he glanced again at the book. “Maybe I can find a newer, less damaged version of the book in this time period? But how would I go about doing that…?”, he posed the question out loud, more to himself than to Jewel.
Regardless, the beetle tried her best to provide him with an answer. “Looking through libraries and bookstores, perhaps? That’s what I would do first. Still, doing that on top of also searching for Team Dark would be a little… too much at the moment, even for you.”
A frown appeared on his face. She was right, and he knew it. Didn’t mean he had to like it.
Undeterred, Jewel continued. “So the way I see it, your options are limited. You could try tracking down a copy of the book either before or after your visit to the UF. Otherwise… hmm…”, she grew quiet, eyes closed in concentration. And then, a snap of her fingers! “Oh! Actually, Silver, how do you feel about taking a small detour before the UF?”
The hedgehog’s head tilted, ear flicking. “A detour? How would that help me?”
“Well… there’s another option on the table for you. Instead of looking for an intact book copy all by yourself, how about you have somebody else help you on that front? In this case… why not talk to the Chaotix? Think about it! With the ace detectives on your side, you could wholly focus on Team Dark, while they try to find out more about your book!”, she explained with a faint, but excited smile, obviously glad to offer an optimal solution to the psychic’s issue.
And Silver could see the practicality behind it. There wasn’t really a reason for him to deal with all his problems by himself. He didn’t mind receiving help, especially when it came to protecting the future. Though, he was a bit embarrassed that he didn’t think of this solution himself. It just… didn’t occur to him. But yeah, it would be a relief to have reliable friends looking into this!
He nodded, giving her a smile of his own. “You’re right. Okay - first, the Chaotix, and then, Team Dark! That’s the plan now!”, he psyched himself up, determination burning within him. He took a few steps towards the door, ready to leave… before suddenly realizing something. A nervous chuckle left him, as he faced Jewel again. “Eheh… umm, where can I find the Chaotix right now? Are they here at HQ?”
The beetle hid her snort of amusement with a hand, before shaking her head. “No, not at the moment. They’re at their detective agency in Seaside City. But as I said, that should still be a small detour for you.”
True enough. He could fly there in no time at all. Heck, it was almost in the same direction he needed to take towards the United Federation! “Alright, thanks! Now, I can… wait, if they’re at the agency, are they in the middle of a case?”
She shook her head once more. “Nothing of the sort, no. I’m not sure on the details, but they’re doing some last-minute preparations for the birthday party. So now’s as good a time as any to visit them.”
“Then I won’t waste this chance! Thanks again, Jewel!”, he said, acknowledging her words with a quick nod and leaving the office.
Before anything else, Silver took a deep breath. Okay, saving the future starts now. And in a few days’ time, everybody else will join you in that…!, he thought to himself, keeping his optimism high.
Sure, the meeting with Jewel wasn’t completely smooth sailing, but he half-expected it at this point. Keeping the future safe was by no means an easy thing to do, after all! But at the moment, he had direction, he knew what he had to do, and he had the drive to do it!
The hedgehog allowed himself a smirk. This day was going pretty good so far…!
***
This day… couldn’t be going any worse.
The hum of the car engine was like a constant noise that drowned out his thoughts, yet did nothing to quell his feelings, with anger being the most prominent. His grip on the steering wheel was like a vice, though that didn’t stop him from smoothly navigating the city traffic, his instincts sharpened to a razor’s edge. It was a beautiful, clear day, but he didn’t allow himself to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays. Not when a cold fury was building behind his steely gaze.
Coming to a stop at a red light, he briefly wondered if his rage would match the intensity of the color. Perhaps even surpass it? Inhale. Exhale. His hand reached out to adjust the rear-view mirror, catching a quick glimpse of the black-and-yellow antennae reflected in it. Eyes snapped back onto the road as the light turned green, before he continued driving. His memories once again replayed the conversation he had over the phone - a call that he received a mere half an hour ago, yet one that shook him to his very core. A reminder that nothing in life could ever be straightforward. That nothing could be a walk in the park.
When did everything go so wrong?
It was supposed to be simple! Just another regular day at the office, but… tragedy struck soo-
“Vector.”
Ahem… tragedy struck soon after. Now, a swirl of emotions roiled within him. Anger, confusion, disgust, contempt. Mixing together like a thick sludge, leaving him on edge as he was getting closer to his destinatio–
“Vector.”, the deep voice once again interrupted his thoughts.
A child’s voice joined soon after. “I don’t get it! What’s he doing?”
“Hmm, I believe he is currently imagining himself to be the main character in a gritty detective melodrama.”
“Oooooooh, like the audiobooks that he has! I dunno how he can keep listening to them. They’re so boring! One of them made me fall asleep one time! But it was the best nap I ever had, so it wasn’t all bad!”
“Ha, yes, they’re quite… esoteric like that. It takes a particular person to find enjoyment in them, especially in some of the works of… lesser quality that Vector has in his collection.”
Okay, that does it! “Hey, Espio, Charmy! Stop gossiping about me like I’m not even here!”, the crocodile snapped, eyes darting between his passengers and the road. “And stop disrespecting my novels! They’re all masterpieces! You just don’t understand them!”
Charmy piped in. “Nah, they’re just boring and weird! Also, what does it mean when a lady is called a, uh… ummmm… oh, a fame fatal!”, he asked with eager sincerity, making Vector sputter for a moment.
“W-why you little–! Alright, I’m keeping my detective novels under lock and key from now on! Since they’re soooooooooo weird for you!”, he said, just a little too hastily, while avoiding the bee’s question altogether.
“Mhm, I am sure that is the only reason you’re doing it.”, the chameleon added with a sagely nod and subtle sarcasm.
“Don’t you–! Don’t you even start with me!”, Vector warned him, flustered.
A silence soon settled in the car, though it wasn’t as oppressive as before. Not that it did anything to calm Vector down. He had too much on his mind to chill out at the moment.
“...are you still angry about what happened?”, Espio asked him after a short while.
“Grrr… aren’t you?! Today was supposed to be super simple! We wait at the office, we receive the call to pick up our order, and thus, we have the birthday cake ready for tomorrow! But no! Nothing can ever be that easy!”, he spat out, smacking the steering wheel in his outburst.
“I admit, I am particularly annoyed at this development as well. Still, I have no doubts that we can solve this mystery as well as any other. But for that, you also need to rein in the emotions you’re feeling right now. They won’t help you with this.”, the chameleon replied, his tone low and even.
“Yeah, and, and…! With us on the job, we can do this super quick and we’ll have an awesome story to tell tomorrow!”, the bee added, trying to cheer up the crocodile in his own, hyperactive way.
“I agree, that is certainly one potential bright side to this. Also, Vector, we’re getting close now. You should park around here.”
“...got it.”, he muttered under his breath, bringing his car into a convenient, empty spot on the street. Moments later, they were out and about, walking towards their destination. It was just around the corner, but it still gave the croc some time to process their words.
Of course, both Espio and Charmy were right. He knew that. He knew that! Still, that didn’t make him any less pissed off. It was just…! Gah, he wanted to help Vanilla with the birthday party! Cream, with how sweet and caring she was, definitely deserved to have a great one to remember! So why did this happen?!
…
No, no. He couldn’t ponder that right now. No time to do that. His boys were right. He had to get his head in the game. Keep it cool, keep it steady. How unfortunate that his composure was already fraying when he rounded the street corner and saw it.
Crusty’s Cakewalk Confectioneries.
The most well-known bakery in Seaside City. Famous for their fluffy breads, their oh-so-delicious chocolate donuts, and their ridiculously overpriced, gold-sprinkled apple pies, among many other things. Also, able to fulfill any custom order that the customer could imagine - or that’s what they advertised, at least.
Though they were on the more expensive side than what the Chaotix were used to, Vector still made an order with them. A very special one, since it was supposed to be Cream’s birthday cake. Both Vanilla and Amy were already so busy with organizing everything else, that he offered to be the one to supply the cake, and take away some of the workload from them. He was no good at baking, though, so this was his solution.
And now, arriving at the confection shop, he and the others had one hell of a memorable sight in front of them. Broken windows, broken display cases, trashed furniture… and the shop’s entire inventory stolen!
A quokka was slumped over the store’s counter, looking utterly defeated. Probably the same guy that gave the detectives a call, hastily explaining what had happened and how their order was lost.
“Alright… alright… here’s the first mystery of the day. Lemme see if you can find the answer.”, Vector began, looking at his two companions. A growl built up in his throat. “What kind of absolute, pinheaded moron goes and robs a bakery?!!”
***
“...and that’s the way the cookie crumbles, when you’re up against…”
“ROUGH & TUMBLE!”, their combined voices echoed inside the van, followed up by the periodic clatter of dishes and plates that were stacked in the back. A proof of a very successful robbery, along with the lovely smell that the baked goods gave off.
“So, whatcha think, bro?”, the taller skunk asked. “Pretty good, yeah?”
“Eeeeehh…”, the smaller skunk waved his hand, while keeping an eye on the road. “6.5 out of 10. It’s good enough, bro, but we didn’t really get any cookies, so it kinda doesn’t fit at the moment.”
“Bah, everyone’s a critic! Fine, lemme come up with something else! I’ll show ya!”, he went back to thinking up more introduction rhymes, before his stomach grumbled. “On second thought, gonna eat something first! You want anything, Rough?”
“Eh, sure, gimme something.”, the smaller skunk said, holding out a hand to receive it, while Tumble turned in the passenger seat to look through their loot.
“Got anything in mind? We got cupcakes, flapjacks, uh… quasons, brownies…”
“Huh? The hell’s a quason?”
“Uhhh, you know? A quason! The… the thing with curled hooks on the ends! Filled with chocolate or something else!”, he struggled with describing the pastry.
And yet, idiot-to-idiot communication was working just fine. “Oh! You mean a crow… uh, crews… cruise ant… ah, whatever, it’s not called a quason! Just give me a brownie, will ya?”
After being given exactly that, Rough wasted no time scarfing it down, making a mess of himself. “Mmm, you know what this tastes like, Tumble?”, he asked with a grin.
“Uh, yeah? I already ate, like… a half a dozen of them.”, he responded, all while eating a pink-frosted cupcake and becoming similarly messy in the process.
“No, not that! I meant– wait, save some more brownies for me, jerk!”, he lightly slapped his arm, annoyed. “And what I meant was… this has the best taste of all - victory!”
“Hahah, I getcha! And I could get used to savoring more victories like this!”, he returned the grin and the brothers shared a fistbump.
Their indistinct white van continued driving down the highway, bringing them closer to home with each second. All while the two skunk brothers basked in their success, convinced that they got away with their crime scot-free!
Seriously, who was gonna stop them at this point?
0verZealous on Chapter 1 Sat 12 Jul 2025 09:58PM UTC
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UltimaWeaponFFX on Chapter 1 Sun 13 Jul 2025 12:35AM UTC
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EverChangingPeacefulAcolyteOfChaos on Chapter 1 Sat 12 Jul 2025 11:08PM UTC
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0verZealous on Chapter 2 Sat 19 Jul 2025 10:29PM UTC
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0verZealous on Chapter 3 Sun 07 Sep 2025 10:33PM UTC
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