Before I forget: I thought I would explain the "Shaun" thing from previous chapters!

The whole "Shaun" thing comes from a concept that makes sense if you were to think about the fanfic as a video game or make a fan-game version of Silver Edition (and if you did, I would be both flattered and afraid but you have my full permission if you truly wanted to attempt that and make it a full fledged game with more than my crappy fanfic could provide). Mephiles wouldn't directly reveal his name to the player (he's Mephiles to us just because we have to rely on the knowledge of the 06 SEGA gave us which makes it obvious who he is to us fans despite this fic being an attempt at a reboot).

Mephiles using a false name (no matter how lame or amazing it was) would be decided by the player. I imagine from a game-design stand point you would have to insert a name before starting the game or when prompted to come up with a name for a cut scene or event similar to how you name your key blade in the first Kingdom Hearts or how you name Asriel's friend (the friend's canon name being Chara btw) in Undertale. From a game design perspective he would also have a default name should the player not pick one for him – and that's how we get 'Shaun': because fanfic is a non-interactive medium he just picks the first thing that pops into his head regardless of how it sounds (though if you did truly want to make this fic into a fan game: please pick a better name than Shaun).

The name 'Shaun' for Mephiles was also a running gag that made me laugh and cringe when I was actively doing let's plays with my partner. He kept calling Mephiles by any other name besides Mephiles until we see his cool icy-looking design. The point of that gag was him taking jabs at Mephiles' other form basically being a recolored Shadow like how some 'OCS' are basically an existing character that's been recolored or given a small accessory to make them "original". It was a clever gag, but he overused it. But to sort of remember my let's play days I decided to shove the 'Shaun' thing in there as an easter egg.

But enough of my crud. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Fall of Normality

A grassy hilltop. A clear blue sky. A gentle wind. He was flying around using his psychokinesis and then he landed gently on the ground, a human collapsing on her hands and knees once she landed.

Elise... For some reason she was here and she was smiling at him as she lay down in the grass. "I've never flown before. Not like that."

He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and avoiding her gaze.

"You have a unique gift. You're able to do so many incredible things with it! You have a power a lot of people can only dream of. It's certainly something to be envied."

"I've always been able to do it. It's just second nature to me really."

"You say that but you don't realize the magnitude of such power."

"I'm naive, I know." he felt himself frown. "A lot of people have told me I'm naive."

"Well, you are..." she urged him to sit down beside her. "... but just because you're naive now doesn't mean there isn't room to grow."

He didn't sit down instead standing up and looking at clouds far off in the distance and scratching his nose. "I know. You tell me that all the time."

"Quit trying to be cool and lay down with me."

"I'm not trying to be cool, I'm-."

"Relax a little!" she commanded, giving a playful pout that quickly faded into laughter.

And though he had no intention of doing so originally, he resigned himself and sat down;stretched a bit before laying back with his hands behind his head.

She mused. "That's more like it. It's not often we get time away from the castle. The only times we do are times like these..." her smile turned neutral, making the hedgehog concerned.

"Are you going to be okay Princess?"

"You know me; anything having to do with the Solaris Project worries me. I still haven't visited that lab since the incident..."

"If the time ever comes though you may end up having to go back there anyway." Silver said, reaching his right hand out to her and pressing a single finger against her nose. "I hope I can be there should something like that ever happen. You shouldn't have to go through that alone."

She pressed her finger against his nose in-turn. "I hope so too."

Silver squeaked. "I'm really glad we're friends."

Elise nodded. "I'm happy we're friends too."

Friends... He kept dwelling on that word until he was fully conscious again.

Silver had fallen asleep as soon as he hit the twin-sized bed arranged for him. While he feared going to sleep back in Blaze's dimension he found he had no trouble sleeping here – his first dream being a peaceful one. He had no idea how long he managed to sleep for but regardless of the amount of hours it was a deep and restful sleep and he wasn't going back anytime soon.

He looked up blankly at the ceiling under the warm sheets. It was finally sinking in...

"I'm actually here..." he smiled weakly. "I'm actually living in this dimension and everything is really real!"

He breathed in as much oxygen as he could, fully accepting he was here, living in this world in this reality. He felt so alive in that instant. He turned to his shadow that appeared on the wall – his normal shadow with it's leaf-shaped quills sticking out the most.

He smiled at it. "I really hope I can save this world... Not just for mom and dad but for Blaze, Elise and Rouge too."

But his shadow did not respond with a clever quip nor did it peg him with questions or demands that he find Sonic in two days time. It was deadly silent and it felt lighter than it had before.

"Hey... Shadow, you there?" he whisper-yelled. "Shadow? Shadow-person? Shaun? SHAUN?!"

No response, his shadow unwavering, moving with his every movement and obeying everything the body it was attached to did so long as there was light to keep it alive.

He's gone? So soon? It feels like I just got here and I only have two days to save the world now... I didn't even get his real name!

He wanted to kick himself but didn't think using psychokinesis on his boots to do so was very wise. He got up, opening the window of the room and feeling a rush of cold that made him shiver.

He thought of his dream of Elise... He wondered what their past was – if they actually knew each other or if that dream were simply a dream based on his experience today. He would've liked to see her again, talk about her kingdom, travel with her to that grassy hill and have a picnic together. Though he knew now wasn't the time to rest.

"You awake, Sterling?" Rouge stirred, eyes barely open. "Close the window sweetie, you're going to freeze."

"S-Sorry Rouge. I just wanted to get a better view of the stars and the moon. It's gorgeous out!" and while it was true that there were similar starry skies in Blaze's dimension, the constellations that rode across the sky in Soleanna were truly unique.

"Can't sleep?"

He shook his head in 'no' while smiling. "Do you wanna look at the stars together?"

"Are you asking me out on a date~?" she teased though failed to get the reaction she wanted out of him.

"I'm asking if you wanna see the stars! I've never seen them before and I can use the company if you're awake!"

"Hmm~ I guess I can spare a few minutes. I much prefer a night sky full of stars over a blazing hot sun." She crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb Shadow but also surprised to find a mess of gemstones now littering the bed, causing her to giggle and pulling the silk bag from between her breasts – bag otherwise empty save for something that felt like metal that was clinging to cardboard.

"Rouge, what's taking so long?" Silver asked, jumping like a child on a sugar rush.

She got off of the bed and joined him by the window, bag in her hand and hidden behind her back. "Shadow's going to wake up thinking I robbed a jewelry store in the middle of the night~."

Cool! Sounds like she liked the gemstones! Silver grabbed Rouge by the arm, raising the both of them off the ground with his psychokinesis and flying them to the roof despite her objections.

Once they landed she put her hands on her hips and looked at him, very upset. "You didn't have to do that. I have wings after all. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself over lil ol' me."

Then and there it had just occurred to him that he hadn't seen Rouge fly once.

But as quickly as she got upset, she didn't exactly regret her decision in deciding to stargaze with Silver, sitting on the edge of the roof in awe of the constellations. She laughed under her breath.

"Something the matter?" Silver asked.

"Just one thing on my mind." she stretched her arms and her wings, expanding the latter as far as they could go. "You really do remind me of Shadow. On his good days you two aren't all that different. It's too bad you've only seen him when he's angry or occupied with work."

"Oh... Shadow again?"

"Well I heard you calling for him in your sleep so-."

Crap... He made something up: "Oh... Well, I just had a bad dream I guess. I didn't realize I was talking in my sleep. Sorry if I bothered you."

"Shady wasn't exactly easy to put to bed earlier, so you talking in your sleep is no skin off my nose."

He sat down next to her on the edge of the roof feeling like he managed to get away with another lie. "I'm really glad I could stick with you guys, especially you putting me up here. You really didn't have to!" and of course he was mostly referring to the bat who wrapped a wing around him and pulled him in closer.

"I wasn't going to let you sleep on the streets. What heartless person would do that to someone as good and well-behaved as you? I see why Blaze wants to take you home so bad~. Kitten probably wants you all to herself to keep her warm at night~." Rouge teased, watching Silver attempt to curl up into a ball. "Oh don't be so shy! I can tell just by looking that she's really active at night anyway!"

Contemplating whether or not that was supposed to be some sort of innuendo only made him want to curl up into a ball and roll off the edge of the roof but the wing cradling him prevented him from doing so.

After a sad sigh she popped the question: "Do you have any clues on your mom?"

He looked away from her, feeling young and naive. "That pink hedgehog from earlier – the one standing next to Elise... Who was she?"

"Amy Rose. Seems like a nice kid but I haven't spoken to her much personally – or at least not much one on one."

Mom had a pair of gold bracelets... And looking back at my memories I think mom really liked the color pink. But why can't I remember a face? I don't even know my own mom's name! And that shadow never told me!

Silver wanted Rouge to slap him wit her wing because of how stupid he was – letting valuable information slip past him and not being more assertive and aggressive regarding the information he so desperately needed! If his parents were so important to the fall of Soleanna knowing their names would've been USEFUL!

"I'm actually really afraid of figuring out who my mom is." Silver sighed.

Rouge's interest was peaked though her ears tilted downward.

"I think she died way back when I was younger. So no matter who she is..." he shook, abstract images flashing before his eyes in an order he didn't want to piece together. "In my memories she was already gone! I was left alone with HIM!"

"You don't think Shadow did anything terrible do you?" and if Silver did, she would kick Shadow in his sleep. Silver never really replied, just sort of shook his head left and right while the rest of his body shook with him. Poor thing had to be scared out of his mind.

"Based on what little memories I have, my mom died and my so-called dad only saw me as a burden."

For that Rouge would kick Shadow in his sleep regardless. Time and space were complex things and for someone like Silver who was an inhabitant between dimensions it was even more headache inducing yet at the same time so intriguing that she couldn't just leave it alone.

"Well I don't have much experience with traveling through time and space but..." she hesitated to ask just due to his age. How would he even know where he would be at this point in time, where he would be living, so on and so forth. Who's the say he didn't travel too far back in this dimension's timeline or too far into the future? "No... Never mind... I don't really think it's my place."

Silver smiled pathetically. "I'm sorry I got you all wrapped up in this."

"Don't talk about yourself like that. I'm involved because I want to be – regardless of how complex it is." she pet his leaf-shaped quills. "So for now it looks like you have two leads for finding your mom. The first came from Blaze. The second is Amy."

Blaze did say she found someone who knows who I am. But now Blaze is probably so angry with me she might not tell me!

He thought about the blurry memories of his mom. No name. No face. No nicknames. No traits or particular way of speaking that made her stand out. The only consistent thing across his shattered memories of her were a pair of gold bracelets like his own and the color pink. The fact she seemed kind and loving toward her own son was irrelevant – that's what a normal mom was supposed to do.

"Do you know what happened to Elise or Blaze?"

"Elise got home safe and sound thanks to Amy and Sonic."

He tried not to sweat bullets when hearing that name. Oh how his shadow pegged him for information on this Sonic character. How badly his shadow wanted to get the two of them to meet! He hadn't had one encounter with this Sonic person and already he was intimidated. And while he had been partially ignoring the shadow that once took shelter in his shade when it came to finding this person, he did want to know more about him and about his relationship with Blaze, their adventures together!

"What are Sonic and Amy like?" he asked abruptly. "I keep hearing 'Sonic this' and 'Sonic that' but I don't know anything about him!"

Rouge sighed, thinking of young love and how it messed with your mind. "Oh don't worry your head off. He won't try stealing Blaze from you. If anything he might be after the princess."

Silver cringed, feeling defensive about Elise and having no idea why. "Why would she ever want a hedgehog?! What would make you even say that?!"

"I'm kidding." she was, but seeing Silver's innocent reaction over such an absurd idea got a rise out of her. "Well, Sonic isn't really the type to take girls too seriously so no evidence toward the theory of Sonic being your dad there. Amy is certainly interested but he treats her as more of a friend – it's a very one-sided love. Poor girl~." Rouge puffed out her chest and crossed her arm, looking hurt though Silver couldn't tell why. She didn't really have a reason to be (not that Silver could see anyway).

"And what about Amy?"

"Very young, but very sweet girl. Despite her looks she's incredibly strong so I advise you not to get on her bad side. From what I was told while you were upstairs she can run almost as fast as Sonic now – but she's had her strength for the longest. Never judge a girl by her looks, Sterling."

Don't I know that.

"Besides that I can't really tell you much. I don't speak with her too often. The few times I do, it just sort of happens due to work or coincidence – nothing I can control." Rouge explained. "If it helps and if she's still involved with Elise, I suppose we could get a chance to talk with her. All depends on what my work demands of me when the sun comes up."

Silver adjusted himself to sit up normally without curling up into a ball of embarrassed fluff and quills. "That agent stuff seems pretty cool. You and Shadow really pull off the whole agent thing! You could be comic book heroes or something!"

"Oh you." Rouge pressed a finger against the tip of his nose. "It's a field you need to meet a lot of qualifications for. The only reason I got this job is because of..." she paused, contemplating whether or not to tell Silver of her actual first-choice career as a jewel thief. Normally she wouldn't have had a second thought about bragging about all of the beautiful stones and precious metals in her collection but for some reason he seemed too wide-eyed and innocent.

"Yeah? You were saying?"

She yawned in a cute and distracting sort of way. "Well, Shadow and I have these jobs due to special circumstances. That's all it is."

Not bothering to dig deeper into Rouge's past, the white hedgehog looked up at the sky, spotting Soleanna Castle off in the distance thinking about Blaze. How he wanted to see that lavender cat again, pretend like they never had an argument so they could work toward saving this world together. Mission aside he still missed the Blaze he knew back home. It hurt not having her around.

Leaning against Rouge's shoulder without realizing it he found himself drifting off in his imagination, thinking of his feline friend and living with her in a series of visions from a past, present or future that may or may not have happened...

…

She was subjected to complete darkness save for a white light in the distance – an open door with unfamiliar silhouettes walking left and right. The rhythmic beeps and hums of machinery and the sound of someone breathing. Someone's warmth. She recalled Silver at times like this. She watched him sleep and when the nightmares hit him the hardest she broke every rule when it came to how a princess should interact with her knight.

But now in an unfamiliar kingdom she was a woman without rank, no power, no title and while she certainly had the power to back it up there was the weak monarch who ruled this kingdom standing in the way. Just thinking about that girl and her wavering determination upset her.

Her head hurt.

More beeping.

Sillhouettes walking through the door to check up on her in her hazy state that drifted between staying consciousness and going under again, recalling how she could've ended up this way. Gods she didn't even know how she ended up in such a powerless state of feeling heavy and dazed in the dark.

"Princess Elise you really must return to your room! You'll make yourself sick from stress!"

All Blaze heard was a grunt coming from the blurred figure next to her – someone sleeping beside her and nothing more than a head and pair of arms.

"Princess, please! We have our best doctors on staff to-."

"I. Am. Fine." Elise's voice sounding stern.

"And your hands!"

"My hands are fine. Nothing some light medication and bandages can't fix. I'll just hide them under my gloves. And I'm not leaving this room – I want to make sure my friend is alright."

"Princess..."

"She is my guest and of noble rank. Just because she is a foreigner does not mean she can't be respected. It is my duty to watch over my people whether they be native or visitors from other lands. Now, if you would kindly leave..."

The silhouette that tried to reason with the girl exited the room.

Blaze didn't have any words, nor could she lift her torso... Bound with no memory of how I got here. Terrific. As interesting as that was to see I don't want to stand idly by and-.

Her head wanted to burst, a haze holding her brain hostage by blurring her vision and distorting every noise that filled the room. A voice in her head whispering sweet nothings of despair to her.

If I don't get stronger soon we're going to miss that deadline. Just two more days and supposedly Sonic will destroy the world. It really can't be...It's either a misunderstanding or an outright deception: Sonic can't destroy the world! He lacks the power to and he's just as clueless as everyone else unless Elise gave him a briefing of some sort.

She wondered where that blue hedgehog was now.

She wondered if he would get along with Silver.

And the more she thought about it the more the memories of what happened came back. He refused to leave her no matter he objections he wanted their melee to be over. He cut in whenever he could only to get kicked aside. How he tried to pull them apart and make sure she was still standing... It wasn't like him. Of course he was nice, he wouldn't have wanted to see a friend die but even then...

That wasn't really the Sonic I know, was it? Does that mean the world as a whole is...? No... It can't... I must be crazy... I might need more sleep...

…

Shadow was in a state of near consciousness where he realized he was dreaming and in his dream he was laying down in what he only assumed he was a grave or a shallow hole he dug himself. Maria standing over him and looking down at him with an unusually emotionless look that wasn't the Maria he knew at all.

Not remembering what lead up to this point in his dreams he had no context for the white, blurry object Maria forced into the hedgehog's arms making him wrap his arms around it in a certain way while he lay there unable to fight back or do anything about it.

Shadow sat up, the blurry object in his arms. "Maria, what's going on? I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

Maria sat beside him quietly, cold and unmoving as her robotic stare drilled dread into him.

"Have I failed you somehow? Did I do anything wrong? How have I disappointed you, Maria? I won't understand if you don't tell me!"

Again, Maria said nothing which made his mind spiral down into instant depression, thinking about how she should've gotten the second chance at life he currently had – how his life was being wasted and how she could've lived the normal life she wanted.

"Say something Maria... I can't stand you being silent." he still demanded, holding this object censored by his dreams. "Tell me what you want..."

"You have a job to do. That's all I really needed to say."

He forced himself to wake up, feeling something in his arms but what it was was disappointing...

He growled under his breath, looking at just how content Rouge looked as she hugged a certain white hedgehog from behind and that white hedgehog was wedged in between the pair when he was supposed to be sleeping in a separate bed four feet away!

No doubt this was Rouge's doing.

He sat himself up with Silver's arms still wrapped around his stomach as he checked his communicator for any messages or updates from GUN, the princess or otherwise.

Only a message from Omega as well as one from the princess.

He checked Omega's message:

Reporting to Agent Shadow:

Objective: collect information on one Mephiles the Dark in the nearby desert zone then return to home base on Pier 5. Will relay information.

Mephiles the Dark is one half of the being known as Solaris. The other half of Solaris is Iblis. If Mephiles the Dark and Iblis fuse they will become Solaris and recreate a disaster similar to the Day of Disaster 10 years ago. The Scepter of Darkness used to seal Mephiles originally may no longer be powerful enough to hold him. Likelihood of finding something else to contain Mephiles: 10%.

I have relayed the same information to GUN. Agent Rouge will receive the same update.

Location: Currently on the ship docked at Pier 5 as instructed.

Will enter stand-by mode after the conclusion of this message.

I am Omega.

He didn't need to hear the rest as Omega's outros for his messages were always the same. "I am Omega. I am the ultimate unit. Eggman must be eliminated." and other such things a robot would say. Omega's consistency was something Shadow liked about that giant hunk of metal.

Stretching his arms and resting a hand on Rouge's head (not realizing he was rubbing her ears) he checked the message from the princess. He had left a communicator in her room when he realized she would be hard to handle and after ordering Rouge to leave to pursue Silver.

The message played:

Agent Shadow, I would first like to thank you for giving me this device. I was going to ask you how we could keep in contact should we be separated but I suppose you read my mind. I appreciate that. Second I need to give you and Silver some important information regarding Blaze.

Elise sighed.

I don't know what's going on. I don't know what caused it but she's not in a good place right now. Yesterday was so hap-hazzard that I'm surprised I haven't been hallucinating in some tomb in the desert. Feels... It feels almost like a dream... Like nothing is actually happening – like this is all some script we're all playing some part of. I know it's strange... But this has to do with Silver coming to this world, I know it. And Blaze too...

He wished she would get on with the point – it was okay for a girl her age to have feelings but he was no therapist and his time was too valuable to get invested in some girl's life story!

After you went upstairs with Agent Rouge, Amy and I went to find Sonic and Blaze was incapacitated. So arranging for Amy to carry Blaze we all ran to the castle and I summoned a doctor to check her. She seems physically healthy but something must've happened that caused her to enter a persistant vegetative state. You wouldn't have guessed something like this would happen to her! She was perfectly fine and I know you've had your quarrels but all of you are very strong considering...Ugh, I just feel helpless... According to the physician she's completely normal but she can't wake up. I've considered taking the advice of one of my ladies in waiting which was to have her be checked at a local hospital but something tells me that's not right! She needs to stay here! Something bad is going to happen if anyone else watches her but me.

While they did nearly try to kill each other the night before over what seemed like a stupid issue in hindsight, both of them suffered a good amount of abuse from the other. He couldn't have been completely responsible. Mephiles's words began ringing in his ears again...

"With interest, huh? So you plan on taking out everyone else first, is that it?" he found himself gripping Rouge's fur hard enough to stir her awake which got him a nice bite to the hand. "Was that really necessary, Rouge?"

Rouge looked at him obviously upset that her beauty rest was disturbed, one hand on Shadow's wrist and the other still wrapped around Silver. "The fact you nearly ripped my fur out aside, do we have any work today?"

"I was checking just that." he resumed the message.

I know Silver isn't going to be happy if he hears about this, so I'll leave it up to you as to whether or not he should know. But there's one more thing I felt I should say and that is...

She inhaled and exhaled calmly.

I want to go to my father's old lab...

Chapter end