Infinite Sadness

Time Paradox

In under and hour's time, Jackal Squad's been assimilated. Per Zero's orders, they've separated to fervently search for their missing pack member. Though, it may not have been wise for Zero to take the jungle. As he swiftly cuts through the brush calling out her name, he experiences a terrible flashback... in the Modern World, at Eggman's Facility in the Mystic Jungle.

"Arg, I don't have time for this," he grunts, hardly in the mood to be triggered by his past. He forges through the Luminous Forest, emerging right back into the moment when he found his siblings annihilated. He gasps at the sight of them laying broken, spread out on the ground ahead.

"Don't look at it!" he commands himself, dramatically turning away. But he also starts to hyperventilate, becoming terrified that Tikal has somehow experienced a second death by the hand of Mephiles.

"Tikal! Where are you?! Come out right now!" he commands.

Nearby, someone hears his cry. Halted by the desperation in his voice, a mysterious being appears before him via a cyan Chaos Control. Zero faces forward again and raises his sword, though the light is hardly ominous. In the blink of an eye, Silver the Hedgehog manifests.

"Grah, what is this?!" Zero cries, "What do you want?!"

"Don't be alarmed! I felt Chaos Energy and I heard you crying for help! I can help you. My name is Silver, Silver the Hedgehog."

"You!" Zero growls, knowing that Silver is one of the good guys. He did after all, have a pretty memorable spat with another version of him in the modern universe. "I remember you."

"Oh? You do? I get that a lot," Silver replies. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Zero confesses, "one of my squad members is missing. Last time I saw her, Mephiles was about to..."

"Mephiles the Dark?" Silver gasps. "The one who looks like a flaming crystal?"

"Yes, how did you..."

"I was raised in another dimension..." Silver tries to explain... "and I'm from the future... it's kind of a long story."

"Then you're the same resistance fighter I battled with once, are you not, Silver the Hedgehog? What were you doing here in the jungle?"

"Must have been another Silver... Infinite the Jackal. I was exploring."

Zero lowers his sword.

"Yes, I am Infinite the Jackal, but there's no time for revenge. Tikal needs my help. Save my punishment for another day."

Silver holds his temple. He seems to know something Zero doesn't, something helpful.

"What is it?" he asks him.

"My father told me about you. No-one in this dimension wants revenge on you... except Mephiles the Dark. You ultimately rejected him, you're one of us."

Suddenly the space transforms into the Mystic Jungle again. Zero sees his dead jackals once more. He covers his eyes with his arm and kneels, trying to avoid seeing anything at all. Silver kneels as well and grips Zero's shoulder firmly.

"I see it too. Why? Do you know?" he asks him.

"It's an illusion, he's trying to scare me! Well, I fear nothing! Tell him I said that!"

Silver nods and stands.

"It won't work, Mephiles!" Silver calls out. "I know all your tricks!"

Zero becomes intrigued. He collects himself and stands.

"Are you a ghost?" he asks Silver.

"No but... I did perish in this dimension."

"Figuratively or actually?" Zero asks.

"Truly," Silver replies, "another version of me died the first time I came here. I share the same parents as him."

"I see, you're here by means of a predestination paradox," Zero concludes. "Your past is looped."

"Yes!" Silver responds, relieved that he didn't have to go into a spiel. "That's right. I'm a redo."

Zero grins, glad he's not the only one around here with a multidimensional history.

"I'm sure it's a complex backstory, as is my own past life. Good, you and I will work well together, Silver. Help me find Tikal."

Silver holds his palm inches from Zero's Chaos Emerald. A blinding cyan light flashes. It's so radiant, that neon spots bubble within Zero's retinas. He has to blink a few times to make them go away.

"Mephiles hates the light," Silver tells him. "My father gave you that Chaos Emerald to protect you. With my powers, Mephiles won't be able to cripple you with visions or lies."

Zero recoils.

"Shadow the Hedgehog is your father?!"

"Er, well... yeah," Silver shrugs.

Zero groans.

"The long, hard road to a friendship with my worst enemy... a destiny I had hoped to bypass."

Silver comfortingly puts his hand on Zero's shoulder. The white hedgehog is so ethereal, too celestial to be related to Shadow... right? With a bright, innocent smile, similar to that of Tikal, Silver assures Zero...

"Shadow's not your enemy. Now let's go!"

He places his other hand on the Chaos Emerald and Chaos Controls them both away.