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“Come on,” she urged with a gentle smile, “It’ll be fun, I promise.”
The princess hesitation lingered, evident in the way her gaze flickered between Amy's eager expression and the bustling activity of the festival ahead.
"Amy," Blaze nervously glanced up ahead at the busy streets before quickly looking back at Amy.
"What exactly is a flower festival?"
Amy stared quite blankly, deadpanning; She really didn't know what to expect at this point.
"Blaze, you've never been to a festival before?"
Her voice was tinged with astonishment.
The lavender cat nodded sheepishly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Was that supposed to be common knowledge?
"I've spent most of my life committing to my royal duties," she admitted, her tone apologetic.
"I'm afraid I'm not as well-versed as you when it comes to traditions such as this."
The pink hedgehog's expression softened,
her heart swelling.
"Oh, Blaze," she murmured, "you never had the chance, did you?"
Blaze simply remained silent.
Amy's face formed a sad expression, then it abruptly changed to determination.
"I'll fix that today! Now you're definitely going!"
Now she couldn't refuse, not when she saw the determination in Amy's eyes. Her optimism was so infectious, she couldn't fight the smile forming on her face.
"Alright, Miss Rose," her voice laced with a slight hint of amusement, "but you shall have to be my guide."
Her mind completely betrayed her as she formed a full smile upon seeing Amy's face light up with joy.
Blaze couldn't repress the apprehension she felt as Amy guided her through the lively streets. The air was alive with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and citizens chatting amongst themselves; it was all too good to be true. The only comfort she felt preventing her from getting too anxious was Amy's hand holding her own.
They marveled at the vibrant displays of floral artistry, each bloom a testament to nature’s beauty. It turned Amy was right about it being so beautiful, though the feline was not surprised. Amy's intuition was always good, and she did seem to specialize not only in nature, but also being observant. She was beginning to tune out the rest of the crowd, and couldn’t help but fee a silent desire to thank the pink hedgehog for showing her the wonderful sights, nor could she dismiss the gradually intensifying guilt that she hadn't tried it before.
Sensing her friend’s wistful thoughts, Amy gently squeezed Blaze's hand, her touch a soothing balm to her troubled soul. “Look,” she whispered, guiding their gaze towards a field of roses bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
Blaze was confused for a short moment until the realization hit her.
"Roses," she whispered, "that's in your name."
Amy let out a soft and genuine giggle, Blaze congratulating herself silently for initiating such a sweet reaction out of the other.
"They really are beautiful," Amy murmured, "but there is something else you can draw from these flowers."
Blaze tilted her head in curiosity.
Amy fidgeted with the cuffs on her gloves.
"These flowers," she whispered, "they are late bloomers. That's what the gardener called them. It reminded me of you," she gazed at the field of roses in silence.
Blaze raised an eyebrow.
"Late blooming flowers?" she asked.
Amy nodded as a gentle smile graced her face once again.
"Yes," she continued, her voice tender, "they may take their time to blossom, but once they do, their charm is unmatched." She glanced at blaze, "such as yours."
A faint blush crept across Blaze's cheeks, her heart warming at the sincerity in Amy's voice. It would have been weird to hear it come out of anyone else's mouth, but with Amy, it felt natural. She is just well-spoken.
"I suppose it fits," Blaze agreed, "I am a little behind in terms of social life."
Rose squeezed Blaze's hand reassuringly, her touch grounding her in the present moment.
“And that’s perfectly okay,” she reassured the princess, “because when you finally do bloom, I have no doubt you'll be even more magnificent than any flower in a garden."
Blaze's lips curved into a hesitant smile. In Amy's presence, she felt a sense of acceptance and validation she hadn't known before in the previous years of her life before meeting Sonic and the others– a gentle reminder that growth takes time, but the end result is always worth the wait.
They stood there, admiring the roses for a few minutes in silence. The sky was getting darker. Amy abruptly interrupted the silence.
"I want you to know that there is more to life than solitude," she said, "I don't want you to feel like you must handle every obstacle on your own."
Blaze nodded.
"You're right," she replied, "Thank you, Amy, For showing me there's more to life than guarding some emeralds."