Believe by Mumford and Sons.
~~~

He hadn't realised he fell asleep, not until gracious sunlight crept past his workshops windows and dashed across the Tornado. The rays fell onto the desk he snored upon and next thing he knew, he sprung up with a weird type of grunt and blearily blinked awake. His aching, tired namesakes swished behind and baggy, sky blue eyes fell onto the blueprint before him. Decorated with his own added notes, he briefly swept across the original creators' before clambering up.

With a stretch, he yawned and stepped away from his desk. If his brother found out he'd been up all night....

Honestly, Tails Prower was surprised Sonic hadn't crept in the previous night- not even to tuck him in like usual. Still, he supposed, since Rouge gave their inventory back a week ago (from when Abraham Towers had sent a warrant for his brothers arrest) they've both been equally as busy. Sonic doing...whatever he did in the space between Eggman's appearances (worrying him all the same) and himself, trying to put together the mystery of his brothers uncle, Charles Hedgehog.

Sonic hadn't been pleased to return home from visiting Vanilla and Cream to see those plans and Rouge. According to him, he was more than happy to leave it a mystery- but the new G.U.N Commander insisted it could be dire. So, like usual, Tails made a compromise and suggested they'd look into it- but on his terms.

With ocean blue slippers on, Tails waddled out his workshop, rubbing his eye, and headed for their kitchen. If not waking him up, Sonic was otherwise situated cooking breakfast with a 'mother is disappointed' posture. Weirdly, today, he wasn't and only then did the twelve year old acknowledge the lack of the smell of pancakes.

"Sonic?" He called, traipsing to the bottom of the stairs.

His brother had been running fairly wildly since Christmas Island, approximately a month ago. Even more so when Rouge suggested he needed to "save face". Of course, he took it very literally and had been running himself into the ground since- even despite Amy's and Tails' voiced concerns.

Point is, Tails was growing accustomed to his brother leaving a lot (he'd been doing so for years, just not so often until recently), but what didn't sit right was the lack of the common note.

"You awake?"

Perhaps he'd been in a rush to leave- yet the only things that would warrant that only made Tails worry further. Still, if Sonic had, he most likely crashed upon his return and forgot to let him know (forgetting was something the fox was used to from his brother anyway).

"I'm coming in!" He called, at the top of the stairs, and went to open the speedsters door- briefly glancing at his sign in the form of a chilli dog.

When Tails learned Sonic didn't get to celebrate his birthdays much (Eggman weighing on him etc), he was quick to make the sign- also as gratitude. The way the Blue Blur's eyes glistened told the fox he needed to do that more.

His wistful smile dropped when Sonic's room appeared empty. Cluttered and messy, of course, he had a few empty Chaos Cola cans around the space. Sports equipment was tucked behind his poster scattered door, preventing it from meeting his even fuller room. A box of Soap Shoes rested before his dresser- where two draws were cracked narrowly open. Further posters and pictures with all their friends clung to the walls- even spreading onto the shelves only broken out by weird, miscellaneous items. The holder for his silver and green bracelet when he removed it, a Chao plushie, miniature plastic blue car, pretend sword hung against the wall opposing his race car bed and dozens of golden rings.

Speaking of his bed- it was a complete disaster. Tails knew his brother wasn't very...neat (in retrospect, his room sort of matched the energy of his mind), but this was a new level. Sonic's room, most of the time, was more cluttered than anything else- never...this. And when he noticed Sonic's open window- he knew something was wrong.

Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was sibling intuition. Whatever the reason, he manoeuvred passed the mess of Sonic's floor and hopped over his discarded duvet. Eyes shrunk at little blue quills sticking into his pillows and the faintest smell of sweat.

Okay. Now he was worried.

But when he flicked his Comlink open, he firstly noticed Sonic's on his bedside table and twitched at his front door knocking. He gave the rare curse and made for the entrance, throwing on an unsuspecting smile.

Tails never quite expected to see Team Dark and a couple of...strange mobians at his door.

———

"Let me lay this out, okay?" He shakily requested, watching his hands.

"Through Sonic's Uncle's invention- you, Silver, came from two hundred years into the future? With Blaze?"

"Not quite." The unfamiliar albino hedgehog corrected, sitting on the neighbouring sofa.

"We came from Sol. I was just in the future before then."

"And...you came because we have a messed up timeline?"

"It's not exactly messed up. S-sometimes branched ones can continue peacefully! It's just...we're here to prevent what could be."

"And we're branched because Shadow lived when he wasn't meant to?"

The Ultimate Lifeform, once pacing, stalled. "Apparently."

Tails chuckled and waved a hand. "Sorry, I just find this a little bit hard to believe."

Silver nodded. "That's-."

"I mean, some branches are fine but others aren't? The entire idea Shadow was meant to die? That breaks not just the fact multiple universes and timelines exist, but that free will just isn't a thing. Maybe it's how I've been brought up, but I've learned freedom's a pretty big thing."

Yeah, Sonic would not be pleased about this (Chaos, Tails hoped he was okay).

Silver sweat-dropped. "There's definitely free will-!"

"Just not with certain things, huh? If these branches are real, what exact events constitute them?"

He paused. "Well...."

"And you...stopped Eggman in the timeline that's apparently branched ours. I know Shadow already asked you this, but if you two are here now- won't that mess things up more?"

"Not if we succeed."

Tails slowly nodded. "Riiight."

Blaze extended her hand. "I understand this is difficult, but we-."

"It just doesn't make sense, is all."

Silver's chest fur fluffed. "Why not?"

Tails hurriedly waved his hands. "Sorry! What I mean is, don't you think there's too many conflicts here? I'm sure you're both being honest in where you came from, I really am, I just don't quite get the science behind these branches. I think whoever told you this Silver is lying to you- sorry."

"I told you." Blaze whispered.

Silver stiffened. "But why?"

"Maybe they wanted you here and this was how they could do it?"

"I see why you wanted to come here now." The snowy hedgehog weakly chuckled, glancing at Shadow.

Tails double took. "What?"

"Whenever there is something otherworldly or dangerous, it seems coming to you and your brother is our best bet. I was curious on what you thought- if you even believed this."

"What he means, hun, is that he respects your intelligence." Rouge smirked.

Silver sprung up and stressfully combed through his biggest, bandaged quills. "Tell me Tails, what exactly do you think is the lie here?"

"That you need to go back in time and fix these branches." The inventor shrugged.

"How?"

"Clearly, Charles somehow mastered Time Travel- at least mostly. It was actually this doctor called Harris who-."

Shadow coughed and Tails cringed.

"Right. Sorry. Maybe something is going to happen- something you need to stop. I just think Shadow surviving was on his own terms- not some Time God ensuring his continued existence."

"But then when I stopped Eggman...."

"The Doctor was the one who informed the Professor of Maria's illness, Silver. Do not get that twisted." Shadow assured.

"I'm not even saying there's not multiple timelines, I just think they're-."

"More seperated." Blaze breathed.

Tails' fingers snapped. "Right! There's this theory that if you were to travel through time- wherever you end up, you've created a new timeline. Like...you've created a new branch! I'm sure your rules still apply- the best lies have an undertone of the truth after all- but these branches only occur when a Time Traveler...well, travels."

Silver stumbled and Blaze moved to hold him. "I don't like how much this makes sense."

"He's clever." Rouge rather proudly praised.

"Although not entirely the same, I do understand the shock of having everything you once believed to turn out as a lie." Shadow  tried to comfort.

"At the very least, some elements of what you say is still true. Perhaps even all of it-."

"Yeah!" Tails stood, stifling a yawn. "I can try and find out for sure if I can study one of your rings."

"Yuh uh. Sure."

"Perhaps we should give Silver a minute." Rouge sweat-dropped.

"Okay. I wanted to ask you guys something anyway."

"Oh yeah?"

"It's nice hearing from you again, but where have you been? It's been a week of nothing." Tails raised an eye ridge at the five's glance.

"Very well." Shadow waved Omega over from the door and the latter snapped open a small hatch on his chassis.

"We didn't want to arrive with nothing. We hoped this would help in your research."

Tails' eyes shrunk and sparkled and he became mesmerised at the spectacular purple glow from the hatch. "What...is that?"

"Unfortunately not ours." Rouge grumbled as if that conversation had been a common occurrence.

Silver regained some colour to his face and he focused on the present. "It's one of seven. And it's what started...continued? The path to Mobius' downfall."

"They are also what Gerald used to help create me." Shadow's arms tightly crossed.

The futuristic hedgehog took the pristine, pulsing jewel into his hands. "This, is one of the seven Chaos Emeralds. And these-."

"Oh man, that was a long night! Hey Little Buddy, I'm home! Sorry for-!"

When Sonic the Hedgehog heavily stepped into his (sort of) home, he did not expect Team Dark, some crazy magnetic gem and two strangers who looked like they'd seen a ghost to greet him.

"What the-?"

"You." Silver snarled and lunged.