Diamond in the Sky

Brokenhearted

Rouge wakes up to the sound of a baby crying. Hormonally charged, she opens her eyes and springs up, ready to do the mom thing... but finds herself... back in the cave?

She gasps, "oh no, I can't be here! This place will collapse!"

She takes off flying but crap! She can't find the exit. She does however, find the portal and... Tikal.

"Hi friend! It is good to see you again!"

Rouge rolls her eyes.

"Since when have you and I been friends, honey?"

"You will probably want to go back inside this portal soon."

"What makes ya say that?" Rouge asks.

Before another word can be spoken, Silver chaos controls right next to her. Though strangely, he doesn't seem to acknowledge her.

"Silver?" she says, surprised to see him.

"Hi friend!" Tikal greets. "Did your psychokinesis lead you here? You wish to return to your time period, do you not?"

And now Shadow Chaos Controls behind him and grabs his arm.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," he insists.

Then, what the heck? Sonic zooms into the space from out of nowhere, grabs Shadow's arm and begins to beg?

"No, Shadow, you can't leave me, you have to stay here!"

Rouge folds her arms.

"Okay, what's going on, Tikal? Why are these boys all worked up?"

Silver tells Shadow, "no, you can see me in twenty years. I'm from the future, remember?"

"Wait until you grow up? Like how it was supposed to be?" Shadow replies, dismayed.

"I guess so," Silver says, with a bitterness in his voice that stings Rouge in the heart.

"Awe, why so jagged, love?" she asks but he still seems to be ignoring her.

"Before you say anything else, I already know what you're thinking," Silver says to Shadow. "None of this was your fault. So promise not to spend the next two decades beating yourself up before we meet again."

"But you just got here!" Shadow refutes, "Rouge saved you from a dystopia!"

"I do not mean to interrupt," Tikal politely interjects, "but you can not enter this portal, Shadow. I must ask you and Sonic to leave now."

Shadow flips out.

"Damn it Silver, you're not leaving!"

Silver turns away and faces Rouge, though with his eyes closed. She can tell he's on the verge of tears but doesn't understand why.

"What's the matter, darling?" she asks him.

Shattered, Silver coldly admits that he's not so naive.

"I thought this was a Utopia. I was happy. But it's time for me to stop believing in childish things, like a better future or a home in the past. That's not what my powers are for. I'm not meant to rest. I don't expect you to understand."

"Don't do this, it's not what you really want," Shadow insists.

Sonic takes Shadow's arm and pulls him aside.

"Shadow," he says quietly, "let him go. You and I can deal with Eggman but don't make him do it. Okay? If he stays, he'll only want revenge. Let him go back to the future. It's better that way for him."