Flames of Chaotic Fury
Final chapter: Dream of an absolution

My name is Silver. Silver the Hedgehog. Son of Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria Robotnik-the Hedhehog. Or at least, that's what I was… My life was perfect for my first six year on this world: a father who loved me and taught me everything I needed to know, a mother who gave me all the love I needed, a big bro who played with me everytime he could and a lil sis, Sapphire, which I was so happy to be her big bro. My life was pretty monotonous but I was okay with it. Then everything changed. In just one night, in just one instant… And it was only one person's fault: Eggman Nega. I always heard dad talk about him like a monster, a ruthless and evil monster who killed just for the fun of it. I couldn’t believe that my father, the strongest and bravest Mobian around, could fear someone like that but, by the way he talked about him, it seemed like Nega took away someone he really loved…

The night everything changed we just finished dinner. I, as usual, was helping clear up the table when dad saw something from the window: an orange glow. In a second he figured out what it was: flames. A blaze? No, worse: Eggman Nega was attacking! “GET AWAY!!” he yelled before the wall crumbled on him. Me, my brother and sister left knowing that he'd be okay: it'd take more than a wall to stop him… right? Suddenly the earth started shaking and the castle started crumbling. Brass, who was holding Sapphire in his arms, used his powers to move away the rocks while me, still unable to use them, just stood behind him, hobbling behind. Suddenly a huge rock separated me from them. I tried to go back but the road was already blocked by rubble. I dodged rubbles for a while until a rock hitted my head making me pass out…

I regained conciousness after a while. Everything was dark. I tried to move but the heavy rocks pinned me down, keeping still my chest and limbs. As I tried to move them I realized they were precariously balanced and one wrong move would've made them fall on me. I started yelling and crying, hoping that someone could hear me but no one came... I yelled for hours until I heard muffled voices coming towards me “...everything crumbled… No survivors…” “King Shadow… Gone…” was all I could hear. I tried yelling but I had no voice left. I heard them starting to leave and I cried, knowing that my saviors didn't knew about me, then something happened: my surviving instincts kicked in and everything around me turned cyan. I felt lifted in the air as I moved the rocks without touching them until I got out in front of two Time Cops that looked at me in shock and mumbled to each other:
“Unbelievable… A survivor… And he's… Flying?”
“Wait… Isn't that Prince Silver?”
“Holy crud, you're right! How is he flying?”
“Does it look like I know? Let's bring him to the PD!”
They got close to me as I landed, and brought me to the PD. While we were going there they told me that both my parents and brothers were missing, in the worst case dead. My tears flowed like waterfalls (Hey, I was a six years old kid who just lost his family, what were you expecting?) , but when we arrived I was already a bit calmer. The commander, a hedgehog named Gold, told me that he would take care of me like his real son. And that he did. Aside me,there were more kids that like me lost their families in the bombardements. I didn't felt like making friends as I chose a camp bed for the night. Finally I chose one, then my attention was caught by a high pitch, feminine voice. My camp bed neighbor looked at me, smiling. She was a hedgehog of my own age with green fur, long hair and purple eyes. She was wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of light brown shorts. She got up and got to me “Hiya, new kid! I'm Maya! And you are?” she asked, helding her hand to me. I sat on my camp bed “…Silver…” I then mumbled “Woah, what a talker… You busted my ears with how much you talked…” she said sarchastical, helding her hand still “C'mon, don't leave me hanging!” she insisted until I shook her hand and she almost broke it “OW!!” I whined, pulling back my hand “Whoops, sorry! Hihihihi, I can't control my strenght sometimes!” she said, giggling almost as if she actually did it on purpose. I huffed and layed down, turning my back to her, even though I still felt her eyes on me and I heard her whisper “This is gonna be fun…”

A few months passed and I gotta say, I won the award for best grumpyhog at that time. I didn't befriended anyone, the only kid talking to me was that irksome Maya who kept bothering me when all I wanted was being alone. Though I didn't befriended any kid, I did befriended someone else: a Time Cop rookie named Tank. Actually Tank was a nickname but pronouncing his real name, Tankatonium or something, was too difficult for anyone so he preferred to be called Tank. He was a 15 years old rhinoceros, though he didn't showed his age. He was huge, and not just because I was a 70 cm tall dwarf: Tank was humongous! Almost 180 cm! A Mobian record! He wasn't just tall, he was also super buff and super strong, to the point where he lifted with one hand and carried with no difficulties at all a half-ton chest! Between me and him birthed a steel-strong friendship, maybe because I was scrawny and weak or maybe because like me he lost his family as well, my point is that I was happy only when he was around and I talked only with him. One day Maya sat with us and joined our chats. At first I didn't liked that but, when I knew that Maya acted like that to hide the enormous pain of losing his family, I started seeing her on a different light and we became friends. I also found out that she had psychic powers: aside from the psychokinesis I showed, Maya was also emphatic meaning that she could feel others's emotions, that's why she always tried to make me laugh: because my sadness was making her feeling sick. As she once said to me “The smile is the best part of anyone!”. Strangely wise for an hyperactive kid…

After a few more months, Gold named Tank our tutor. We were ecstatic, Tank not so much: he never was the tutor of anyone. Maya and I loved to pull any kind of prank to him and running everywhere when it was bed time. We drived him crazy but he never got mad, and when he did it was just a charade to make us go to sleep. I gotta say, I really liked that little, crazy family. Me and Maya went to Gold's lessons to learn how to use our powers until, when we turned 11, we were considered ready. By the new laws of the city, which went from Freedom City to Crisis City due to Nega's attacks, every Mobian with powers which turned 11 was considered ready for battle. Me, Tank and Maya were Team 06 and we were unstoppable! Me and Maya lifted the robots with our powers and Tank crushed them with his fists. Nothing could stop us! Two years later, we were the CCPD's most known squad, so much that we were requested to join the ChronoFighters squad but Tank said we weren't ready. And if he said that, it must’ve been true…

The day before my 14th birthday, which was the same day as an assault to Nega, Maya came in my room. In all those years, she changed a lot: the cheerful, hyperactive kid evolved into a cheerful, hyperactive girl. Yet, when she sat next to me, she looked awfully serious, which was strange to me. “Silver… I gotta tell you something…” she said looking down as if she couldn’t look me in my eyes “Did you putted itchy powder on my bed again?” I asked, checking. Thank Chaos, there wasn't “N-no… I-it's serious…” she said, shaking her head as the emerald cloud of her hair waved left to right “Really? You wanna talk about something serious?” I asked, shocked “Silver… We're not kids anymore… We’re grown up now… And I gotta admit that the Maya you knew… Was an act…” “I know, Yaya. Yet I gotta say it's weird seeing you without that beautiful smile of yours!” I said, smiling as well. That's when I saw something new in her: her cheeks were red! My compliment made her blush? Why? (Of course I know why now, but I didn't get that at the time…) “Yaya? You're all red? You okay?” I asked a bit concerned “Y-yes… A-all good…” she stuttered, twisting a strand of hair, something she used to do when nervous “Listen, Silvy…” I rolled my eyes: when she called me that way, it was always to ask me something uncomfortable, like when she asked me if I loved more my dad or my mom “You… W-what do you think of me?” she asked, squeezing her thighs with her hands “Huh?” “Sorry for being weird but… I wanna know what you really think of me…” she almost whispered the last part “Well, when I first met you, I couldn’t stand you… Then in time I learned to know you better. I know that, under your cheerful and optimistic shell, hides a sensitive soul, suffering for what you lost. Despite that you taught me to look at the better side of everything and the importance of smiling. You're nice, fun and good at burp-singing!” I said laughing at the end. She blushed more, giggling slightly when I mentioned her “singing” abilities. I looked at her for a bit as doubt invaded my mind “And you? What do you think of me?” I asked, raising a brow. It was almost as I dropped a bomb on her! She froze, shivering slightly and not talking for a good minute, which worried me a lot. Finally she cleared her throat and what she said shocked me. “Y-you, Silver… You're the best guy I ever met. You stay at my jokes, you're an awesome fighter and you take my defenses even when it's not necessary. When I met you I… I loved making you laugh b-because I love your laughter… Even though you too went through hell, your laughter it's marvelous, spontaneous and fills my heart with joy… Maybe this is why I l…” she blocked for a few seconds to find the words as I listened without speaking “L-l-like you…” she stuttered as her cheeks turned cherry red “You… Like me?” I asked shocked “B-but… Y-you like me… As a friend?” I added, making her shake her head “N-no… I-I like you… A-as a girl could like a boy… B-but if you see me as a friend I'll understand… I mean you don't need to… MM?!” she never finished her answer. I was faster. As my lips touched hers, I felt like an electric discharge coursing through my body. I pecked her lips without thinking then I withdrawed, shivering  and blushing like I never did before. She touched her lips, not leaving her gaze from me, then her eyes filled with tears and tackle hugged me, flunging me in my bed as she cried in happiness. Then the kiss came. Not a lip-pecking kiss like before, but a real grown-up kiss! Like the ones mom and dad gave to each other! I looked at her with buggy eyes then I closed them and hugged back, as our moment went on. After a while we pulled back, catching our breaths without looking away from each other and with a wide smile on our faces “I was wonderin' when ya were gon' do it…” Tank's strong voice interrupted our couple moment “Congrats, Silv. Yer a man, now!” he added chuckling then we tossed a pillow at him, yelling to get out while we both blushed in embarassement. He left snickering while Maya slammed the door a bit ticked “He has no manners…” she huffed “Well… Tank's Tank…” I chuckled as Maya cuddled next to me, pouting adorably. I stroke her hair and leaned back to look at the ceiling until I fell asleep. She smiled and kissed my forehead as she left (that's what she told me the next day, I was already asleep). I remember that that night I dreamed. I dreamed the future. I dreamed what I wanted to do if, no, when I’d win this war. Now I knew: I wanted to be with Maya. Forever. This was my new dream.

The next day we were in the Burned Wasteland Zone(maybe you know them as Green Hill Zone) early in the morning. The sun hadn't set yet, hard to see it within stormy clouds clashing into each other, and a cold wind blowed, awakening those who weren't completely focused (mainly me). A terrifying silence creeped on the dark brown wasteland, I watched the horizon with my quills moving in the wind. Every once in a while I looked at Maya, and every time it happened I realized that she did the same, smiling. A snap coming from sausages-like fingers brought me back into reality “Wake up, Pothead! Earth to Silvy!” Tank giggled, knowing how much I hated the “Pothead" nickname (thanks, Maya…) “I'm awake. And don't call me that…” I huffed while that rascal giggled. The earth started shaking. A robot's enormous shape appeared at the horizon followed by hundreds of Nega Pawns: Eggman Nega has arrived! I clenched my fists: it wasn't the first time I fought him. I had the honor of being called his worst enemy. You can imagine how “honored” I was: being the enemy of a fat bald robot-obsessed guy? I could barely hold my emotion… “Your preposterous resistance is amusing!” Nega chuckled through a speaker “But playtime's over! It's time I burn your city to ashes and claim it as a part of the Nega Empire! Have a taste of my Ultra Compressed Antimatter Cannon's power!” he grunted, sending the Pawns forward. With a warcry the three of us, aided by a lot of Time Cops and a G.U.N. platoon (some 200 years old military organization or something), charged at him. Tank arrived down first: when my bud starts running there is no one who can stop him. The Pawns found out the hard way as a dozen of them got swept up by him. Nothing but scrap remained. They started shooting but me and Maya protected the humans with our powers. Tank didn't needed that: his skin is literally indestructible and not even lasers can hurt him! “Go! I'll handle this!!” said Maya to me. I nodded and charged at the robots, breaking them one after another and being surprised on how strong I had becomed: I destroyed two dozens of them in two minutes flat! And without using my powers! (Since they drain a lot of my strenght I was conserving them for the big guy).

The big guy, meaning Nega, was calibring his big robot that suddenly had turned into a giant cannon! That was the weapon? It could have destroyed the city in a second! The Ultra Compressed AntiMatter had devastating effects on matter, both organic and inorganic. You know disintegration? It's the same but it completely decomposes every cell of the target! Yeah, pretty nasty stuff… And that thing was aiming me! But I was too busy destroying robots to notice. Tank tried to make me notice but I was too far and too focused on the battle to notice him. Then Maya took the initiative: she flied to me at crazy speed, taking down every robot around me but when she made me saw the cannon it was too late: the weapon fired. In that moment everything stopped for a second and in that wasteland there were only me, Maya and the shot rushing towards us. I watched her, desperate, and I saw her: she was crying. Despite her tear filled eyes, she smiled and whispered “I love you…” before pushing me away. There was a bright light but no sound. I landed a few meters back, just a bit shocked and full of dust, but I quickly got up and ran at the explosion site, a giant hole. I flew down calling for Maya but no answer came. And suddenly I was prisoner,  back in the castle's basement. Awfully, completely alone and with a giant weight on my heart. I fell on my knees and cried like I never did in my life. Dead. She was dead. She was my world and now she was gone… And it was all my fault… If only I noticed my surroundings… If only I was more careful… She might still be alive… It was all my fault… 

No…

It was HIS!!

“NEGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” I yelled with all the breath in my body while a fiery rage took over me. That monster took away everything I love from me! But Maya was the last straw! I could feel my power pushing inside me. It wanted to come out. It wanted to destroy everything Nega made. And I did it. I setted it free.

From that moment on, everything was confused. There was a lot of noise and everything was red, so I couldn’t understand much. What I will tell you now is what Tank said it happened once I calmed down. Him, Nega and the humans saw me flying out of the crater. However I was different. The marks on my hands and eyes, the liquid in my cuffs, my irises and even my own psychic aura were now blood red and my face was contracted in an angry grimace that Tank never saw on anyone. My friend described what followed as the most devastating robot destruction Mobius ever saw. He told me exactly how I psychokinetically disintegrated them (something I'm not yet capable of) one after the other and without breaking a sweat. Nega was very shocked (or at least that's what Tank told me), because his robot shapeshifted again and attacked me. It was then that, as he told me, I did something OP: I slammed my fist into the ground, causing it to crack, then I lifted both arms. As I did, a giant rock golem came out, roaring loudly. Tank said that that thing was connected to me: if I moved an arm, the golem would move the same arm and viceversa (I psychically controlled a golem? I wouldn't believe it if Tank didn't showed me the punch-shaped craters scattered around…) The golem and the robot fighted furiously but, for every piece the golem lost, it was substituited by a new piece. The robot couldn’t do that, giving us an advantage. I tore apart the robot's limbs then I started punching its chest until it opened like a tincan (or at least that's what the golem did. All I did was punching the air…). Nega got out terrified and tried to run away but I was faster and grabbed him with my powers as the golem vanished underground. I moved my hand, bringing him closer and glaring at him.

“THIS IS THE LAST STRAW, YOU DAMN FATSO! NOW YOU DIE!!” I yelled as my hands sizzled with red psychic energy and Nega struggled pointlessly. Suddenly Tank arrived behind me and grabbed me, holding me still and making me drop Nega “DON'T WORRY, HE AIN'T GON' HURT YA!!” yelled my buddy as I struggled, growling towards Nega “T-thanks… He suddenly snapped…” said Nega getting up “I WASN'T TALKIN TO YOU, BASTARD!! GET OUTTA ‘ERE ‘FORE I CHANGE MY MIND!!” Tank yelled to Nega, who ran away “C'mon, man, fight it! Don't make me hurt ya…” he whispered in my ear trying to calm me but I couldn’t either see or hear him. All I saw was Nega running away, once again unpunished. I wriggled enraged trying to get free, but Tank held on and kept me still while my fury faded “LET ME GO!! LET ME GO!! I HAVE TO… Have to…”I started growling but I ended up whimpering as I returned normal. I saw Tank holding me with tears in his eyes, the G.U.N  soldiers and the Time Cops looking at me with buggy eyes and the robots torn apart. Did I do that? I… I couldn’t remember anything… Except… “Maya… Oh Chaos… No…” I whined, crying in my buddy's shoulder, who sighed in relief and hugged me “I'm sorry, Silv… I'm sorry…” he mumbled while the sky turned darker… What a birthday, huh? And to think all of this mess happened yesterday…

I'm standing here, far from everyone, as they put up Maya's grave. An empty grave. Nothing can be worse… If we at least had her body… But we had nothing… No emotion comes out of me as the priest talks about a girl he didn't even knew, I don't even speak to Tank who is watching me worried about myself “Silv…” he starts saying but I silence him “Nothing to say… Her death confirms my theory… This world sucks…” I grunt leaving. I don't wanna see this charade any longer. Tank follows me, trying to cheer me up, but I know there's nothing he can say or do to cheer me up. I sit on a bench and, without thinking, I start singing the bedtime song my mom sang to make me sleep:

“In the nightlight, do you see what you dream?
All your troubles, are they all what they seem?
Look around you, then you may realize
All the preachers, all with their lies.
And I might know of our future
But then you still control the past
Only you know if you'll be together
Only you know if we shall last...

In the night light, do you still feel your pain?
For the valor you waited, it never came.
If you were able, would you go change the past,
To mend a faux pas with one last chance?
And I might know of our future
But then you still control the past
Only you know if you'll be together tonight...

'Cause every night I will save your life
And every night I will be with you
Cause every night I still lay awake
And I dream of an absolution
'Cause every night I will make it right
And every night I will come to you
But every night it just stays the same
In my dream of an absolution!

In the nightlight, do you see what you dream?
All your triumph, and all you'll ever be
Look around you, then you may realize
Happiness lies trapped in misery
And who knows what of our future
We can all try to change the past
Only you know if you'll be together tonight...

'Cause every night I will save your life
And every night I will be with you
'Cause every night I still lay awake
And I dream of an absolution
'Cause every night I will make it right
And every night I will come to you
But every night it just stays the same
In my dream of an absolution…!

'Cause every night I will save your life
And every night I will be with you
'Cause every night I still lay awake
And I dream of an absolution
'Cause every night I will make it right
And every night I will come to you
But every night it just stays the same
In my dream of an absolution...

And you'll see...

What you'll be…

And you'll see...

All you can be!

Oh...

'Cause every night...

And every night...

And every night...

I will dream!

And you'll see ...
That this is my dream...
And you'll see
Every night,
I will always dream!
'Cause every night…

And every night...

And every night...

I will dream...”

“The text is yours? Or someone else's?” Tank asks me, moved “It was my mom's… She used to sing it to me before bed… It gave me hope for the future… Now it just reminds me I have nothing to fight for…” I say lowering my ears “Dat's stupid… How bout me? Or Gold? Or the guys at CCPD? Don't we matter?” he huffs, ticked. He's right. I know he is. So I get up “I decided, Tank… I'll accept…” “Really? Ya mean ya will…?” “Yes… It is the only way to give this city the tomorrow it deserves… I solemnly say, clenching my fists. “I have decided! I'll change our future by rewriting our past! I will be a time traveler!” I say, smiling for the first time after Maya's death.

What happened next? Well, I think you already now… *smiles*

The end (or the beginning?) 
