"The Chaos Emeralds' origins are unknown, much like the Master Emerald. When me and Charles went our own ways, I decided I'd research them. Without visiting Angel Island it was difficult to get any substantial information on them. To be honest, I, like many others, thought they were a myth. Until they were used." And Cliff looked straight at Sonic.

"We haven't known about them for very long." Shadow quickly argued. "Faker couldn't have-."

"Not him." But Sonic shook his head and Cliff couldn't find it in himself to expose that part of history.

"Anyway, after they were used they disappeared. It seems they disband and hide all across Mobius. The one you freed on Christmas Island did the same-."

"That was a Chaos Emerald?" Amy gaped.

"The way the Doctor spoke of it made it seem that way." Shadow replied.

"If the power surge I received is anything to go by, then yes. He had one. And now it seems he has another."

"How are you so sure?" Tails inquired.

"Because where I come from has two, until he came and took one. You see, using a Chaos Emerald and mimicking it's energy, you can use that to help in finding the others. I believe he's caught onto that."

"I'm so sorry." Amy sympathised.

"Don't be yet." Sonic grinned, flicking the underside of his nose. "He may have one, but so do we. We'll head to your home and get the other, so we can keep that place off Egghead's radar."

Sticking a foot onto the coffee table, he rested an arm over and tossed the purple Chaos Emerald between his hands. It unnerved him how cold it became and how loud they grew to be.

Still, he winked. "A race against Time, huh? First one to get all seven emeralds? Sounds like fun."

Silver's eyes shone (much like Tails) and he wasn't above being able to admit he may have been wrong about Mobius' Fastest Hero.

———

At first, he left the living room (where Team Dark, Blaze and Amy conversed over a map of Mobius) prior to peaking within Tails' workshop. Sure enough, the fox and Cliff hunched over the former's desk with the Chaos Emerald and cyan rings scattered between. He hummed, leaving them be, and stepped outside to find who he'd been looking for.

Silver didn't know why he quickly became nervous or fidgeted with his fingers. Perhaps it was the way he'd been glaring or acting snidely or fighting.

If his future's scrolls and history books were correct, he was a very powerful being- much more than what meets the eye.

"Um...hi, Sonic."

The Blue Blur had his cheek leaning against his palm, perching on the porches bottom step. His arm shook and elbow balanced on his knee, but he didn't respond. Silver cringed (he must've been, understandably, cross at him). Looking to the setting sun, the albino hedgehog sat beside the other, at a distance.

"I er...I'm sorry, by the way. For how I've acted." When nothing came, Silver leaned forward only to jump at a snore.

He frowned and when Sonic began mumbling, he decided it best to nudge him awake (it made him wonder how much sleep the speedster had). When Sonic sharply stirred and snorted awake, Silver already had a question in mind.

"Whozzat? Oh. Hey, Silver."

"Hi. Um. Who's Sonia and Manic?"

The Blue Blur paled and gripped his patchy brown neckerchief. "What?"

Silver squirmed. "Y-you mentioned them- that's all."

"Huh. I dunno."

"You-?"

"Why'd ya come out here?"

Silver would have been taken aback, but (despite Sonic's voice carrying a certain bluntness) it lacked any judgement. "I wanted to apologise."

The speedster waved a hand. "Ah don't worry about it. Water under the bridge."

"Only someone who get's attacked so much wouldn't find it a big deal." Silver poked.

Sonic laughed. "Sounds like you have a hard job- I get trusting your gut and doing what you think is right."

"And everything else?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think about this Time Travel stuff?"

"Well, it'd be dumb of me to deny it. 'Sides, my Uncle is a genius. He invented Eggman's greatest, and most dangerous, weapon after all. But it doesn't really make much of a difference to me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Branches or no branches, catalysts and what else, I'll fight it all."

Silver chuckled. "Yeah, Tails seemed to think you'd have that view."

Sonic grinned and stood. "Guess I haven't completely messed him up then." He offered his hand.

"I hate that I've been asking this a lot lately, but do ya think you can trust me pal? Keeping Mobius safe is my number one priority- not that Shadow would let me mess it up anyway." He laughed.

"I get you've been lied to a lot, so I can't blame ya for being wary- but I'd never want to hurt this planet and especially not my friends."

"Blaze did say it counted for something- how much they all trust you." Silver hummed and shook the other's hand. "You haven't really given me a reason not to do the same, yet."

"I'll take it. Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure."

Sonic's eye ridges wiggled. "What's the deal with you and Blaze anyway?"

—————

"You know, when I brought Cliff with me I didn't think I'd end up on another adventure." Amy giggled.

"When you're friends with Big Blue and Tails, you shouldn't expect anything else." Rouge teased.

"True! Although, I do worry because Cream and Vanilla are still at my place-."

"You had guests?" Shadow wondered.

"Yeah. They came over for Tarot Readings."

"Tarot Readings?" Blaze rather quietly recited.

"Yup!" Amy beamed. "I have a stack of Tarot Cards. I read them usually for fun. One time, when I was younger and Sonic was still mostly a mystery, I wondered if I'd ever meet him. Turns out they were right! O-obviously. Ever since I count on them to point me towards the right path when in doubt."

"Hmm. That sounds like a nice talent to have."

"Aw, thanks!"

"So, you rely on them so much now because they suggested the chance you'd meet Sonic?"

Rouge snickered and Amy blushed. "Well I-."

"Do you love him?" When Shadow choked, Omega whirred and Rouge wheezed, Blaze worried she had overstepped.

"You know it's bad when a newbie catches on." The bat wiped a tear. "Shows just how oblivious Big Blue is!"

"He doesn't know? How?"

"There's many things that Faker isn't aware of." Shadow replied, a hint of amusement buried beneath.

"As for the issue with the rabbits, I will be happy to remain here and protect them. We do not want a repeat of last time." Omega offered.

Behind her spiked quills, Amy murmured a thanks.

Still confused, Blaze watched the Sol Emeralds on the coffee table. "Is he aware of his own feelings?"

Amy swore she was going to pass out. "WHAT!"

—————

"So you know Sonic's Uncle through the first war?" Tails asked behind a face mask, ever so carefully tearing a slither of the cyan ring- setting it onto a dish.

Cliff, admittedly, was impressed with the fox's set up. "Yes. We were both engineers. He was top of the class, of course. A brilliant inventor- much like yourself apparently."

Tails removed a broken golden ring from a complex weighing scale of some kind, replacing it with the dish. He turned with wide eyes. "Me?"

"Maybe we aren't sat in the same room, but what I'm seeing is really impressive. Especially by a...erm...."

The fox snickered. "I'm twelve."

"And we call Eggman the smartest thing alive. What a world! It astounds me that we rely on children to keep us safe. N-not that I'm underestimating you!"

"Don't let my brother hear you." Tails laughed, typing away on his hooked up computer. "He's been doing this for the longest-."

"With Princess Sally, yes?"

"...Right."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It's just weird to hear her name- even if Sonic does mention them all from time to time now."

"Will we be asking them for help?"

"With finding the Chaos Emeralds? Probably not. Sonic-...it's not necessary right now. We've got this."

Cliff shrugged. "You're the professionals."

"Speaking of, do you understand these readings?" Tails moved himself to the side so the dog could view his screen.

"This...this is incredible."

"When Silver mentioned scientists made these, I found that conflicting too. If his future really is destroyed, and by Sonic's hands, then that doesn't make sense because these rings would've been made decades later. I doubt in his time they would've had the supplies."

"Assuming Sonic is The Catalyst."

"Right. If these readings are right, that's not exactly hopeful." Tails stood with a ring in hand.

"They suggest the rings were made around three thousand and fifty years before our time. Somehow they ended up in Silver's an extra two hundred later and I'm guessing whoever really made them used them to travel that far."

"So what would've brought them to three thousand and fifty years ahead?"

Tails observed the ring. "If my theory on Time Travel is right, assuming Traveler's can only do so when the Timelines intertwine- they would've been brought to...."

Sky blue eyes widened and he looked to Cliff.

"According to that data, they skipped our period. They landed a few decades back before reaching Silver's timeline. So, if my calculations are right, they would've landed at Shadow's time."

—————

It was late into the night when Tails and Cliff vacated the workshop, stepping into the living room filled with the aroma of chilli dogs and coffee. Obviously, Sonic had been denied a cup- but he remained awake with the others all the same.

"I don't know how you're able to focus on this Time Travel stuff for so long- my brain is fried." Amy sleepily greeted.

"I found when I break it into parts and take one thing in at a time, it's rather simple."

"I believe she was exaggerating." Cliff mumbled.

"Oh."

"So, what did ya guys find? My legs are begging to move." Sonic scrambled up to stretch said limbs.

"It's not concrete yet- I still need more data. But I think-." Tails met Silver. "You've been lied to a lot more than we thought."

"Oh great."

"How'd you get these rings, Silver?"

"My er...my Mentor gave them to me."

"They're the one who told you all this too, right?"

"Yup."

"Did they ever mention how they got them?"

Silver tightened. "I never...no. Not really. I met him when he was already a Traveler, though. With what he said about the scientists I just kinda assumed...."

"Why?" Blaze inquired.

"Until I know for sure, I'll keep my theories private. I-if that's okay? I just don't wanna-."

"We trust you, fox." Shadow assured.

"In other news, me and Cliff think we've managed to make our own Chaos Tracker!"

"Great!" Sonic clapped. "Then let's-!"

"It still needs to configure."

"Come on!"

"Me and Cliff are gonna stay behind but I thought, in the meantime, you guys could get more information on these Chaos Emeralds."

Rouge grinned. "I like where this is going."

"I think it's time we pay Knuckles a visit."