Forgotten Soul: Espio the Chameleon

Part 4: Weakness

Silver wasn't always happy, he's had his moments of sadness but he always hid at those times and he didn't want to bother his friends like Espio and Shadow.

He was supposed to be there for them, not the other way around, though he wouldn't admit it, he still wasn't used to the affection of others.

Recently Sonic and friends ran into a really tough Eggman robot, Knuckles was on Angel Island recovering from that robot that attacked him, Sonic and Rouge had been up there at the time with him to help him recover, despite his many protests. So the only people that were there to defend the village were, Shadow, Silver, Amy, Tails, Omega, Espio, Vector, and Charmy, Silver didn't feel very useful compared to Shadow, Amy, Vector, Espio, or Omega, they all had their useful skills, Shadow was basically Sonic, don't tell him Silver said that, but a bit stronger and had Chaos power, Amy had he giant Piko Piko hammer and her never give up attitude, she can be pretty scary, Vector had his strength and his fire breathing, Espio was a ninja and a chameleon, useful tail, blending into his surroundings, and stealth, Omega was immune to most attacks and was a robot himself, he's als pretty scary.

Silver was fast and had powers of his own, and chaos energy, but he could only do so much, his powers had its limits and that's where his usefulness ended, he'd been helping the village with so many things, he'd have restless nights, and would overwork himself, his mind just couldn't handle it.

Granted Shadow and Espio understood that he was drained both mentally and physically so they didn't rely on him so much gladly, but why, why couldn't he just push himself more, why was he so useless?

Silver was thinking about these things in his room alone at night, he grew frustrated, he went to sleep, though the peacefulness didn't last long.

Useless

Pathetic

Worthless

Annoyance

Why can't you help us

Why are you so helpless

Do better

Why can't you fight

Thoughts haunted Silver as he slept.

Don't sleep

People need you

Rest is not needed

What use are you

-

Shadow slept peacefully, as peacefully as the Ultimate Lifeform could, when he felt something was off, his chaos energy was reactinglike something was amiss, he opened his eyes to see a teal glow, his furniture was levitating.

Silver!

Something was wrong.

Shadow leaped out of bed and ran to Silver's room, when he opened his door he saw Silver in his bed in a struggle, he grasped his bed sheets as if in pain.

Shadow shook his friend desperately.

Silver was mumbling disconnected words in his sleep as he writhed.

"Silver, Wake up!" Shadow yelled, Espio ran into the room and helped Shadow wake his friend.

-

Danger! Wake up!

Silver's eyes shot open and he used his power to throw his two friends away in a frantic motion, Espio went flying into the wall,going through the wall into the next room, which was Sonic's room, resulting in a yelp from the blue hedgehog, and Shadow crashed through the door.

"G-Guys!" Silver cried, coming to his senses Espio grabbed his head and Silver ran up to him, a confused Sonic already checking over him.

"I-I'm so s-sorry!" Silver sobbed.

"H-Hey, I'm ok Silver, check on Shadow," Espio said, Silver saw a shaking Shadow walk back into the room, he fell into Silver's arms as he collapsed.

"Shadow!" Silver cried.

"What happened?!" Vector and Amy asked as they approached through the hall.

"S-Silver was ha-having a nightmare, an-and when he woke, h-he panicked a-and accidentally threw me into the wall and Shadow through the do-door," Espio explained.

Silver picked up Shadow bridle style, holding the other close, the other was conscious, but seemed unaware of his surroundings.

"Get Tails," Silver told Amy, she nodded firmly and left to find Tails.

"Vector, help Espio," Silver said, Vector nodded and helped Espio to his feet.

Silver looked down at the dazed Shadow, his eyes were barely open and he was breathing heavy.

"I'm so sorry Shadow..." Silver whispered, Espio frowned and grabbed Silver's shoulder.

"He'll be ok Silver, he's tough..." Espio said, Silver nodded.

-

Silver waited by Shadow's side all night, he just couldn't bring himself to sleep, he'd hurt both of his closest friends, how did he even throw him hard enough to be dazed like this for so long, he was having a hard time even focusing on using his powers, much less using it on other people.

"Silver, come on, you need sleep," Espio said sternly.

"Espio... am I useless?" Silver asked, Espio frowned.

"Never, and I feel terrible for making you feel that way..." Espio said. Silver looked down with his ears drooping.

Espio had recovered for the most part, he just had a shallow yet deep cut and bruise on his back from crashing through the wall, and since Shadow had busted through a door, Tails said his side had hit the door knob, bruising it badly, most likely, and he got many splinters in his skin from the wood, and a large gash from hitting his back in both the door and wall, he'd dislocated his left arm from hitting the wall, then into the door.

So Shadow definitely got the worst of it.

"Is that what you were dreaming about? You thinking you were a failure..." Espio asked after a moment of silence and observing his friend, Silver looked at him.

"H-How-"

"I'm a ninja Silver, and I'm also your friend," Espio said, Silver looked down again.

"You can talk to us Silver, you can talk to me, and you can't hide from a good friend, who just so happens to be a skilled ninja, remember, it's ok to show emotions," Espio said, pointing back to the time Silver helped him with showing more of his emotion and that they all knew he cared for them.

"Right..." Silver said, and still Espio was not done.

"We all have our limits, you really think that when Shadow uses his chaos energy to help us, he's not tired after wards and needs rest, or when he takes off his gold bands and drains most of his energy, or that I'm always the great and stealthy ninja, I mean back before I was a ninja, I could barely go a few steps without tripping over my tail, don't you dare tell anyone I told you that," Espio said, making Silver chuckle, Espio had his dignity to keep after all.

"We don't ask much of you right now when fighting, because we know how much you pass your limits to help the villagers, we know you need rest, we don't need you hurting yourself from overworking yourself now do we? The strain of the mind can be much more severe than anything you could do to your body," Espio said, and Silver smiled, getting closer to his friend.

"Thanks Espio..." Silver said, leaning his head on Espio's shoulder.