Infinite Sadness

Cryptic Avatars

Lightning cracks in the sky as the Damn Fourth Chaos Emerald cracks from top to bottom, all the way down. A wave of white light blasts out from it, knocking Silver away from Zero. He lands with a thud, unconscious, about twenty feet away. Time seems to freeze until Silver hears a caring, brotherly voice ask him...

"Are you alright, soldier?"

Silver opens his eyes to the sight of masked Infinite, on his knees leaning over him, surrounded by a white light. Infinite thoughtfully tucks his arm behind Silver's back and holds him tenderly as he stands Silver up. Once on their feet, Infinite thoroughly looks Silver up and down.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Silver finally replies, weird-ed out by Zero's polar change in behavior.

"Very good. Glad to see you're still with me," Infinite tells Silver, with a tone so genuine, that Silver feels a lump in his throat. He gazes at the cracked emerald, still embedded inside Infinite's chest. Peeking from the crack, a warm starlight shimmers. It's as though Silver is looking inside of an intensely broken heart.

"This light is so beautiful," he comments.

"What light?" Infinite replies, completely unaware of his transformation. "This is the darkest part of Null Space I've ever seen. If you weren't here with me, I'm pretty sure I'd be standing in pitch-black nothingness."

"Wait, you're back in Null Space?" Gasp! "Infinite! I think you're standing in two dimensions at the same time!"

"You're calling me Infinite?" Infinite responds, humbly flattered. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm Zero the Jackal, your commander. We're finally together again. Isn't it grand?"

"Zero the Jackal?" Silver replies. "Fine, if that's the name you prefer but I didn't ever leave you."

"Of course you didn't! You wouldn't abandon me, would you, brother?"

Silver is caught off guard. Sure, he's willing to be Infinite's friend, but his brother? Is the trust already that deep?

"N-no, I wouldn't abandon you, of course not," Silver promises.

Infinite walks behind Silver and examines his back. Silver is confused but holds still.

"What are you doing?" he asks Infinite.

"Checking your injury. Just as I thought, not as bad as it looked. I'm sure that fool will think twice before throwing you against a wall again." He lovingly brushes Silver off. "Ha, nothing but a little dirt. Good as new."

Silver notices a rustle in the brush.

"Did you see that? Is someone there?" he asks.

"Lost your red beret," he hears Infinite say from behind. Then he feels a pinch.

"Ow, what was that?" Silver squeaks.

Infinite chuckles.

"So you can handle being slammed into rocks but you can't handle your big brother pinning your hat back into your hair?"

It hits Silver like a brick in the face. Silver's assumed the avatar of the dead jackal they saw near the rocky wall in the Mystic Jungle. Infinite wraps his arm around Silver's shoulders and squeezes him playfully.

"Sorry for the poke. I used my claws. I figured since I showed you how to clip your attire on with a dagger... by the way, you didn't loose your favorite pocket knife, Fetch. Turns out it was stollen before we left. Ironic, since you're the snatch of the group. Oh well, no matter."

Silver knows he must treat the situation delicately. Though it's cryptic, he decides its best to play along.

"Right, it's no big deal. Thanks, Zero" Silver replies, reciprocating an arm wrap around Infinite's shoulders.

"Call me boss when we're on business," Infinite adds. "We don't want anyone taking advantage of us, now do we?"

"Got it," Silver nods. He then can't help but say out loud... "ugh, Mephiles is so cruel."