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A life full of luxury was a boring one. At least, that’s how Blaze would put it if one were to ask about her about life in the palace.
Her life as princess of the Sol Empire was far from unbearable, as the kingdom was more peaceful and prosperous than ever. With Eggman Nega gone for good, Blaze’s constant paranoia, trust issues, and incredibly low self-esteem were beginning to dissipate. Her walls had slowly but surely began to crumble down into tiny pebbles, and in turn, her sense of purpose was strengthened and reinforced with great care. Sure, her agility and general reflexes were still as strong as ever, but Blaze no longer flinched at the smallest of unfamiliar sounds, nor felt as if she was holding her breath as she waited for something to occur.
But those details of self-awareness caused the princess to dive head-first into deep introspection.
Seeing the adoring faces of her subjects on a day-to-day basis was a nice change compared to her isolated childhood, but that fear of the unknown by the general public morphed into something of an unspoken, yet earned respect for the princess over the years. Blaze found herself silently appreciating that form of attention—or lack thereof—at such a young age, as it allowed her some peace and quiet as well as motivated her to become the sole protector of her kingdom. But that sort of life was incredibly lonely, and she learned the hard way of what it was like to experience and then lose something she never thought she would have: friendship.
When Sonic and his friends came into her life, it changed her entire world perspective. Blaze had the harsh realization that her entire self-image was entirely misconstrued for both herself and her people, and she had to work twice as hard to unravel most of her own self-inflicted trauma. Isolating herself clearly wasn’t an option anymore, but who else could possibly understand her struggles as princess and guardian of the Sol Emeralds?
That’s when she was visited by the blue blur once more, and she quickly learned that self-growth didn’t need to come at the cost of being alone. Befriending Marine had become one of the single greatest moments of her life, even if she would never openly admit it to the young raccoon pirate. She even learned to be comfortable with Gardon and the rest of the royal council shouldering some of her royal responsibilities. Every member was hand-selected by the princess herself, and although she still held the royal title, her job responsibilities and the stress that came along were significantly lessened. It was… nice, to say the very least. Her life full of saving the world alone and shouldering it all as a young, orphaned princess had finally come to a close.
But even on the calmest of nights, Blaze would find herself laying awake at night wishing for something more.
The princess had to constantly remind herself of the friends and family she had made and how her accomplishments helped save her kingdom. She wouldn’t trade any of it for the world, and she didn’t want to think about what or who she would be without them. But despite the privately-conducted therapy sessions with the royal psychiatrist, she still felt as if she was robbed of something. Even if she couldn’t quite place what it was.
Blaze was adored by the people of the Sol Empire, she was loved and cherished by her friends in both this and Sonic’s dimension, and Gardon—along with the other members of the royal council—had done their best to cater to her needs and became something of a closely-knitted family to her. She lacked for nothing, both physically and emotionally.
So why did she constantly feel this sense of emptiness?
On one calm and sunny afternoon, Blaze decided to go for a stroll along the coast line, observing the horizon line from afar. For as far as the eye can see, there was a single, puffy cloud painted amongst the cerulean blue sky, and the ocean waves crashed against one another with directionless fervor. It reminded her of her first adventure with Marine, Sonic, and Tails, and how she wished to see them all again. She replayed the memories in her head as she chuckled to herself aloud, turning her head back to face forward.
But without warning, Blaze found herself falling face first into the sand. She had tripped over a small boulder that was easily missed from her daydreaming, but regardless, she internally scolded herself for not paying better attention to her surroundings. Blaze winced as she tried to move her foot, but confirmed with herself that her foot wasn’t broken. Maybe a twisted ankle, but she would be alright. Her body usually healed pretty quickly.
Glancing over at the horizon again, she could see something steadily approaching the island. As it grew closer, she immediately recognized it as Marine’s ship, and her heart swelled with something unusual. Usually, Blaze would feel herself dreading Marine’s company, as it meant that she would have to mentally prepare herself for the pirate’s rambunctious energy as opposed to her usual need for peace and quiet. But now… Blaze recognized this unfamiliar feeling as pure and utter excitement.
“Ahoy, your Royal Highness!”
Marine’s voice called out to her as she drew near the shore, both gloved hands visible to the princess as she waved both arms. Blaze gave her a small smile in return, offering a small and modest wave. The princess watched as Marine docked the boat nearby and heaved the anchor over the side of the boat by herself, landing with a large splash. Blaze made her way over to the wooden dock nearby, a slight limp in her step.
“Hello, Marine. But how many times do I have to tell you to— oof!” Blaze had to act on reflex as Marine jumped into her arms, gripping her a bit too tightly for her liking.
“Boy, am I glad to see you again! I was just about to stop by the castle and restock on supplies before heading back out on another adventure!” Marine finally loosened her grip on Blaze and jumped down onto the deck, her shoes thudding against the heavy planks. “Are you finally ready to live a little and join me, Princess?”
Blaze’s eyes widened ever so slightly, the question far from foreign to her. Almost every time Marine came by to visit her, she would ask the same question over and over again. The princess admired her tenacity, but she declined the opportunity in favor of resuming her royal duties or insisting that the Sol Emeralds needed her constant protection. But now…
“I know, I know. ‘I need to protect the Emeralds’, ‘The palace needs me here!’, blah blah blah.” Marine playfully rolled her eyes and laughed, using her fingers to make air quotes. “I just like asking you in case you ever change your mind…“
“Yes.”
“…or wanna get out of that stuffy place and— Wait. Am I hearing you right? Did you just say yes?”
Marine leaned in close and squinted at Blaze, giving her a suspicious—but oddly hopeful—look. The princess held both her hands up in protest, the soft smile never leaving her face.
“I’m serious, Marine. I think a little adventure with you is exactly what I need.” Blaze widened her smile a bit, her tail swishing back and forth behind her.
The look of disbelief on Marine’s face almost made Blaze want to burst out into laughter, but she stood her ground. The image of Sonic’s iconic smirk and wink flashed inside her head, his voice encouraging her to live a little. He would be proud to see her finally listening to his advice.
“Really? You wanna be my first mate? This is fantastic, we’ll sail out right away!” The young pirate let out a loud and joyful laugh as she ran back up the large, wooden plank and began rotating the handle to bring the anchor back up. Blaze followed in her footsteps—albeit a bit slower with her limp—stepping onto the ship deck with a surge of excitement and anticipation. For once, Blaze would willingly be a part of an unforetold seaside adventure with one of her closest companions and fulfill her craving for more adventure.
Besides… what’s the worst that could happen?