Chaos Bond

The Change In The Timeline

They stopped at the same time.

They had heard a noise - like a young child crying. 

Then a voice speaking: "...calm down, little one. Stop struggling! OW!"

Shadow dug in his toes and pushed forward first although Silver was just half a second behind him. But as soon as they approached a gap in the trees, Shadow dug in his feet a second time to come to an abrupt stop, springing back as though he'd been electrocuted, throwing himself against a tree and almost skewering Silver in the process. 

"What's up? You almost turned me into a kebab," Silver hissed in a panic but Shadow just looked... worried? 

"Yep," the unknown voice went on from beyond the trees, "that one drew blood. Get gloves."

"Yes, Sir," a woman's voice responded. 

"I... can't let those scientists see me!" Shadow breathed, his chest moving in and out rapidly. 

"What?" Silver ducked down behind the trunk of a neighbouring tree and peeked round.

"They're the ones who created me," Shadow whispered so quietly that Silver had to partially rely on lip-reading to understand what he had just said. Shadow stared ahead, pupils dilated. "If they see me, it could throw this entire timeline upside down."

"I thought the whole reason you and I were the ones coming was because we wouldn't have this kind of problem."

"Oh let me beg for forgiveness. Perhaps you had some kind of prophetic vision but I, for one, didn't foresee bumping into some of the people from my distant past - most of whom are supposed to be dead or imprisoned by this time."

Silver flattened his ears and looked through the trees where he saw a group of scientists, all Human it seemed, in white coats huddled around on the ground. Two of them appeared to be struggling and fighting a losing battle with something which was obscured from Silver's immediate line of sight. 

Something that let out a heart-broken cry which wailed above the noise of the scientists which made Silver's heart freeze and his spines stiffen. 

"I wanna go! I wanna go NOW!"

There on the floor was a tiny, bright blue hoglet, wriggling and crying, looking absolutely terrified and utterly helpless under the grip of his captors though he was kicking at the two that were unfortunate enough to be trying to contain his legs. 

Sonic the Hedgehog. 5 years of age. Alone in the world.

Shadow knew what it was like to feel alone in the world and Silver knew what it was like to feel alone in the world. 

Sonic wasn't supposed to know that feeling. ...Was he? To see a time before Sonic had a group of friends surrounding him...

The silvery hedgehog from the far future could see young Sonic trying to poke his baby quills into any exposed bit of flesh but he was losing that battle. The only thing he was having decent success with was the kicking which only proved to Silver that Sonic had always had the most powerful legs in the world. With a sharp blow, one of the scientists at the end of the kick doubled over in agony.

A firm hand clamped around Silver's arm.

"Don't," Shadow warned in a soft growl. "Block your ears." He could anticipate that Silver wanted to give in to his paternal instincts and rush in to save the poor child. 

"I've got the Long Hand, Sir," said another scientist. "Do you need it?" He was addressing a man which Silver was certain had to be Professor Gerald Robotnik, judging by the resemblance to Eggman. A long stick with grasping prongs was produced and the man wielding it looked between the hoglet's neck and the kicking legs, trying to decide where it might be needed most.