"Reaching Out"
"Silver! Long time no see, buddy!"
A familiar voice called out, pulling my attention away from the strange yet mesmerizing rock. I turned to see one of my best friends, Sonic, grinning at me.
"It really has been a while, hasn't it?" I said, returning his smile. "How have you been?"
Sonic's grin widened. "I've been great, actually! I finally got the chance to get closer to Shadow."
My eyes widened, and a grin stretched across my face. Damn, that was fast.
"That's amazing, Sonic! I’m glad you finally got Mr. Edgy to open up."
He rolled his eyes at the nickname, about to fire back with a response when a sharp, irritated voice cut through the moment.
"Sonic. The. Hedgehog."
Amy stormed over, her footsteps practically shaking the ground as she grabbed Sonic by the arm.
"I ran into Cream earlier, and she told me you left her at the park! You were supposed to be watching her!" she snapped, her voice carrying so much authority that even I felt a chill run down my spine.
Sonic winced. "I was watching her! But then I left her with Knucks he said he'd keep an eye on her while I, uh... chased after the ice cream truck. And then I saw Silver and wanted to say hi…"
Amy’s grip tightened, and Sonic let out a barely restrained whimper. I quickly averted my gaze, pretending to examine the sky, the ground, anything that wasn’t this.
Maybe I should just... leave.
"Cream didn’t mention Knuckles," Amy said, her eyes narrowing. "And he definitely wasn’t there when I found her. You better stop making excuses, Sonic, or I swear I’ll slam my hammer down so hard, you’ll be nothing but a puddle on the ground!"
Sonic paled, visibly shrinking under her fiery glare. Just as I considered edging away, Amy suddenly turned to me.
Her sharp expression softened in an instant. "Hey, Silver! Good to see you!" she greeted, her voice back to its usual bright, cheerful tone.
It was almost... calming.
"Hey, Amy," I replied, flashing her a friendly smile. She returned it without hesitation before immediately snapping her glare back to the now trembling blue hedgehog.
"I suggest you head back, or I won’t be the only one pounding you into the ground!" Amy warned—well, threatened.
Sonic nodded so fast I thought his head might fall off before he bolted, leaving nothing but a fading blue streak in his wake. Amy and I watched as he disappeared into the distance, the last traces of his speed vanishing into the air.
Beside me, Amy let out a sigh, drawing my attention.
"Sorry about that, Silver," she said, her gaze soft as she met my eyes. "Sonic can be a bit immature at times, and someone has to keep him in check."
I nodded in understanding. Yeah, Sonic could be reckless and impulsive, but I couldn’t really judge. I had my moments too.
"So, how have you been?" Amy asked, turning the conversation toward me.
"Oh, you know… the usual," I muttered, suddenly feeling awkward.
She chuckled, a light, melodic sound that made my heart do a little flip.
Oh. Did I mention I have a thing for Amy Rose?
Because I do.
And honestly, who wouldn’t? She’s kind, strong, beautiful—everything anyone could ever want.
But no matter how much I wish things were different, the truth is undeniable.
She’s not my girl.
And I’m not her guy.
Amy’s voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked, a bit nervously.
"It’s fine," she reassured me. "I was just asking—what brings you here? Did something happen in the future again?"
I exhaled softly, glancing away. "Kinda. It’s nothing too bad, I just need to change something..."
Amy tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Won’t that mess up the timeline or something?" she asked.
I shook my head. "It’s nothing major like that."
She nodded in understanding but suddenly turned quiet, her gaze drifting into the distance. Her expression shifted—subtle, but unmistakably pained.
Something was wrong.
"Hey… you okay?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice.
For a moment, she didn’t answer. It was like she wasn’t even here, lost in some invisible weight pressing down on her.
Crap. What if she doesn’t want to talk about it?
My chest tightened as I watched her let out a slow, shaky sigh.
"No… maybe?" she admitted. Another sigh. This one more resigned. "I don’t know. It’s just... I’m starting to think Sonic might not like me. Or worse, that he never did."
Her words hit me harder than I expected.
Sonic not liking Amy? That didn’t seem right. He didn’t hate her—he couldn’t—but then...
Oh.
Right.
I turned my attention back to the pink hedgehog, her face painted with uncertainty.
"What makes you think that?" I asked, even though deep down, I already knew the answer.
She hesitated before speaking, her voice smaller than before.
"He’s just been... distant. But not distant distant—just… different," she muttered, struggling to find the words. "Lately, he’s been spending more time with Shadow. Talking about him like he’s the best part of his day."
She sighed deeply, running a hand through her quills. "I don’t mind. Really, I don’t. I’m happy for them, Shadow deserves a friend like Sonic. But…"
Amy groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I don’t know… I just—"
"It feels like their relationship is more than just friendship?" I cut in gently.
She nodded, her hands still covering her face.
I let out a quiet sigh. If I could take away her pain—all of it, even the heartbreak she doesn’t know is coming in the future—I would do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t care if it shattered the timeline, if it rewrote history itself.
That’s how much I love her.
I love her so much, I would destroy time for her.
"I’m sorry," Amy murmured, her voice tinged with guilt. "I shouldn’t be dumping all my problems on you, I just—"
Before she could finish, I gently took her hands away from her face, stopping her mid-sentence.
"I don’t mind," I said firmly. "Really, I don’t. I’m always here to listen, no matter what." I flashed her a warm, toothy smile, hoping to ease even a fraction of her sadness.
For a moment, she just looked at me. Then, slowly, a small smile found its way to her lips. And just like that—my heart melted.
"Thank you, Silver," she said softly. "You’re a good friend."
My heart sank.
Friend.
No—it’s okay. It has to be okay.
As long as I can stay by her side… I’ll take whatever I can get.
——————
"So let me get this straight," Tails said, shutting his laptop for the day. "There’s some magic evil rock hidden in a ridiculously tall mountain, and if Eggman gets his hands on it, he’ll turn every Mobian into a mind-controlled zombie army?"
"Yep," I confirmed. Then, clasping my hands together in a pleading motion, I added, "So… could you do me a huuuge favor and help me find it?"
Tails let out a sigh, reaching for a sticky note and a pencil from his cup. He scribbled something down—probably a summary of the crazy situation I just dumped on him.
"I’ll see what I can do," he said, tapping the pencil against the note. "But it’s gonna take some time. That okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah, of course. Take all the time you need."
With that, I turned and headed out of Tails’s workshop.
"Silver!"
A familiar voice called out to me, and I quickly glanced around before my eyes landed on Blaze.
My smile tightened.
I don’t dislike Blaze, far from it. I love her like a sister. But the uneasy churning in my stomach tells a different story…
"Hey, Blaze," I greeted, forcing a cheerful tone, though my voice cracked ever so slightly.
She gave me a brief look of confusion but chose to ignore it, closing the distance between us.
"So, did you figure it out?" she asked.
I nodded, my gaze drifting down to the leaf-covered ground.
"I just talked to Tails," I said, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "He said he'll try to at least find some clues about where the rock is."
"Gem," Blaze corrected without missing a beat.
"Right, yeah—gem," I mumbled, suddenly feeling nervous.
An awkward silence stretched between us, thick and heavy like a fog. It felt like an eternity before Blaze finally broke it.
"Is something bothering you?"
My body stiffened.
It wasn’t the fact that she knew something was wrong—of course she did. Blaze was terrifyingly good at reading people. It was how she asked. That shift in her usually calm, nonchalant demeanor, replaced by something softer—something laced with concern.
And just like that, the fire of jealousy burning in my stomach twisted into something else entirely.
Guilt.
"I... I'm fine," I lied, forcing an easy shrug. "Just got the nervous jitters, that’s all. Plus, it’s insanely cold out here."
Not a total lie. It really was freezing.
Blaze’s sharp eyes narrowed, her ears flicking in suspicion.
She wasn’t buying it. Not that I expected her to.
"You’re lying," she stated flatly. "I know when you’re lying, Silver. I don’t even know why you try."
"I’m not lying," I shot back.
"Yeah, you are."
"No..."
Blaze let out a long, exasperated sigh, uncrossing her arms as she stepped forward. Instinctively, I took a step back.
"Silver," she said gently, her hazel eyes catching the golden glow of the autumn sun. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I'm not a judgmental person—you know this—"
"I know," I cut in quickly, my gaze drifting down to our shadows stretching across the sun-kissed grass.
Silence settled again before I finally spoke.
"Like I said, it's just nervous jitters."
She didn't look convinced, her expression twisting into something unreadable.
Before she could press further, I added, "And I know you think I’m lying, but honestly… I feel a bit better now."
This time, my smile wasn’t forced.
Blaze studied me for a moment, hesitant, before sighing. "That fast?" she scoffed.
I chuckled. "What can I say? Your scary demeanor is a pretty good distraction."
For the first time, amusement flickered across her face. She shook her head, turning to walk ahead.
I followed close behind.
Jealousy is such a selfish feeling.