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“Can you keep talking?” Silver mumbled eventually. “I don’t like it when it’s quiet.”
“Huh. I thought you found me too chatty,” Sonic teased… though it faltered at how Silver sat huddled in on himself entirely.
Was the psychic that sad about Sonic’s upcoming departure?
With gentle movements Sonic ran his hands through his friend’s fur. “Silver… why don’t you come along to the past with me?”
In Sonic’s hands, the psychic stiffened fully.
“…What do you mean.”
“Well, I get the feeling that you’re sad,” Sonic murmured. “And that it’s because I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“…It’ll just be weird. But you gotta be back there! With all your friends. They need you, Sonic. The whole world needs you.”
Sonic wondered whether Silver needed him as well.
And whether he needed Silver.
For the latter, he didn’t have an answer. Nor did he for the former, as he mulled that over next. Would Silver be alright, if Sonic left for the past and they’d meet each other again at a next crisis, whenever it would occur? Somehow, Sonic couldn’t shake the feeling Silver wouldn’t be. Sure, the other had friends here in the future, and a place to live and clearly ample things he concerned himself with, but…
Perhaps that was the problem. No matter how small or large or important or insignificant an issue, Silver would put it on his own shoulders, alongside the millions of other small, large, important, or insignificant issues he searched for every day.
“There’s more people in the world than just me who keep an eye on things. And it’s the same here,” Sonic hummed… though, based on how Silver scoffed, the psychic clearly didn’t share that sentiment. With a little laugh Sonic smoothed out his pal’s thin grey fur. “Remember how I said you’re not alone? I know you’re the world’s most powerful psychic, but surely things won’t immediately go amiss if you’re not around for a few days. You’re also just one person, Silver. The bravest and strongest and smartest and most caring person this entire era will ever have, of that I’m sure, but the world is so big, I-”
“But that just means I need to do more,” Silver interrupted, spines pressing into Sonic’s skin as the psychic took to bristling. “I- I can’t go with you. I shouldn’t. I mustn’t. There’s so much that I have to do in this era! Wouldn’t it be absolutely, utterly heinous if I just started lollygagging around in yours because I want to? I’d… I’d be an awful person.”
