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With a small thud, two navy shoes landed on the floor of the Imperial Palace, teal tips lifting upwards as Silver the Hedgehog began to turn around himself, taking in his surroundings. He had successfully made it to the right place, that was for sure, but…
“Um, excuse me…” He caught the attention of one of the palace’s employees, a Koala dressed in a sharp blue uniform. “Is the Last Masquerade tonight?”
“Well, of course!” The Koala explained, grin on his face. “We’ve been looking forward to this for years. Princess Blaze is finally engaging in the traditional festivities of our kingdom; I just can’t wait to see her ascend to the throne and become our Queen!” Adoration in his eyes, the Koala carried on with his duties, entering a nearby door, closing it behind him. He was right, Silver thought. So many people from all across time and space were coming to celebrate Blaze, and they’d all be dressed to the nines. There would be food, drink, music, and most importantly, the traditional dance of the Sol Empire. Everybody would pair up, a man with a woman, and perform an intricate and awe-inspiring routine. And Silver had been dreading it. While he’d never been good at dancing, it was almost as if his brain had some sort of mental blockage when it came to practising this one. He’d even seen Sonic doing it, however begrudgingly. And yet he just could not bring himself to try, no matter how badly he wanted to. He wanted to be there for Blaze, he really did, but… it was fine. He’d have plenty of time. If needed, he could always travel back to the future and practise all he needed, only to return not a second later. Of course, as long as he kept his suit clean.
Oh! Of course. How could he forget? That was something he definitely needed to get sorted out as soon as possible. In all of the hubbub of travel, he had forgotten to find a suit for the ball. Trailing through the corridors, Silver tried to find someone that looked like they knew what they were doing. They’d be able to help him, he thought. After a few minutes of wandering, he came across the kitchen, where an obviously anxious Sheep rushed around, stirring various mixtures in bowls, adjusting temperatures of ovens and hobs, and dicing a large assortment of vegetables. Silver didn’t want to interrupt, but he had seen nobody else for a while, so…
“Um, hello…” Silver poked his head into the kitchen, trying to catch the Sheep’s attention. The Sheep practically jumped into the ceiling, nearly dropping the bowl they were holding.
“Ah! Hi! Uh, this is the kitchen! Employees only, I’m afraid! Unless you need something urgent? Do you have a dietary restriction? I can help with that!” The Sheep spoke, almost breathlessly, as they rushed from one side of the kitchen to the other, and back again.
“Um, that’s okay! I was just wondering, do you know if there’s a closet or something around here? I don’t, uh… have a suit for tonight.” Silver dropped his head at this. He was almost ashamed to admit his lack of preparation. Of course, he had just been busy! Thinking about wearing a suit had been the last thing on his mind. Or, thinking about suits in general. He had just forgotten! Nothing more.
“Right! Well, I’m, uh, not sure about a closet, but Princess Blaze has a lovely tailor! They might be happy to help! Or, they’re probably busy with the Princess herself, I know she’s been having some trouble with her outfit… oops! Definitely shouldn’t have disclosed that. But maybe you should see her! She might be able to help. If she’s not too busy. Sorry if she is…”
“Th-thanks. I’ll try Blaze.” Silver ducked out of the kitchen with a swift goodbye, sensing that his mere presence was causing the Sheep far more anxiety than they needed. Besides, seeing Blaze wasn’t a bad idea! They had always held a somewhat strange familiarity to each other. Silver had always assumed that it was just their shared status as outsiders to Sonic’s world, but… there was always a small feeling that there was something more. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Silver resolved to find Blaze- once he could find his way around this labyrinth of a Palace, that is.
After a long wander, Silver finally stumbled across Blaze’s quarters. If the Sheep was right, then Blaze was probably in her dressing room, trying to find the perfect outfit. Silver could only imagine the breathtaking dresses and gowns that lay inside. He could almost feel their soft materials, and how pretty they would look. Maybe she would have a suit that felt like that! Blinking, Silver realised he had been standing at the door for thirty seconds. Glad that nobody had seen him, he raised his hand, knocking against the door. A moment later, Blaze’s familiar voice echoed from behind the door.
“Come in.” If Silver wasn’t wrong, he could almost sense some discomfort in her voice. Although, it was a big night for her, so that was to be expected. Pushing the door open, Silver entered, just poking his head in at first to make sure he wasn’t intruding. Blaze was standing, in her regular outfit, a large divider behind her- that must have been where she was trying on clothes.
“Hey there Blaze, I- Woah!” Silver’s eyes had become fixed to a dress, hung over the divider. A sleeveless gown with a silvery-white sheen and ocean-blue adornments, the material looked exactly as he had been imagining earlier.
“That’s beautiful! Is that what you’re wearing tonight?”
“Oh, this?” Blaze turned towards the gown, eyes looking over it for a moment before she looked away. “It’s nice, but… No. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to make up my mind yet.”
Realising his mouth was agape, he awkwardly closed it, still staring at the gown. By this point he had entered the room, footsteps slowly trailing towards the divider, although Silver didn’t even realise.
“If the rest of your wardrobe is as wonderful as this, I can see why!” Silver began to reach his hand up to the dress, before stopping himself. He had really become enamoured by the thing. Blaze let out a small chuckle, Silver realising that he probably looked ridiculous.
“I do have quite a collection. Did you need something?” Blaze looked at Silver inquisitively.
“Oh! Yes, it’s actually kinda on topic. I realised after I’d gotten here that I didn’t actually have anything to wear… and one of the attendants suggested I talk to you about it? I wasn’t sure you’d have anything for me, but everyone insisted, so…” Silver’s cheeks tinted red at this question. Now he was in the dressing room, asking, it seemed ridiculous. Why would Blaze have anything for him? This room was filled with nothing but ornate ball gowns, and smart but fancy dresses. He only wished he could wear something like this. To ease up the stress of the situation, of course.
“Hmm… I may have something suitable for you, though I fear most of what’s in this room is rather feminine,” Blaze started, Silver’s eyes dimming a tad. Of course. “I’m in need of a little fresh air, I’d be happy to offer some suggestions when I return. Feel free to look around in the meantime.” Silver looked up at Blaze, trying to hide his disappointment. Blaze offered him naught but a well-meaning smile.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” As Blaze left the room, Silver began to follow her, as she closed the door behind her, leaving him in the dressing room. Did she want him to stay here? Well, whatever the case, he was in here now. So there was no harm in looking through the clothes available, right? That must have been what she had meant for him to do- maybe he would find something suitable to wear!
Sifting through the clothes in the wardrobe, he couldn’t find anything particularly masculine, but to be honest, he really wasn’t looking that hard. His eyes kept drawing themselves back to the dress hung on the divider. How he would love to see Blaze wearing that dress. He was sure it would look fabulous! Silver closed the wardrobe, walking back over to the divider. Blaze said she would help him later, he reasoned. There would be plenty of time to find a suit.
Holding the gown in his hands, Silver pushed his gloves into the fabric. So silky smooth! He could just imagine how wearing this would make you feel. Thoughts drifting, he began to imagine the royal ball that evening; everyone eating, dancing, and enjoying themselves. They were all dressed up, but nobody compared to one figure. A mysterious arrival that one could only assume was a princess of a far off land, in the most beautiful gown of all. Descending down the steps of the ballroom, this princess drew looks from all across the room, even from Princess Blaze herself. But she didn’t care. She didn’t do it for the looks, for the attention. She did it because it made her feel good. With her long white quills brushed down the back of her head, she was as pretty as could be, and yet nobody knew her name. Of course, there was one person this princess really did care about. Strutting through the crowd, her heels dominating the ballroom, she found her target- Blaze the Cat. She had always admired Blaze, how confident she was in herself, and how she took no abuse from anybody, and this was finally her chance to show Blaze who she could be. Reaching the Sol Princess, the mysterious guest offered her hand, gloved fingers spread wide.
“May I have this dance?” This princess asked, her soft voice contrasting her powerful aura.
“Silver?” Blaze asked back. What?
“Silver?” Blaze asked again. Only…
Silver looked up. How long had he been stood in the dressing room for? Gown still in his hands, he whipped around, Blaze stood next to him.
“Blaze!” He called out, startled. How long had she been there? How long had he been there?
“Silver? Are you alright?”
“Oh, you’re back already!” He could feel her eyes studying him, as he realised that he had been stood, alone, in the changing room for who knows how long, holding a dress he was not meant to be wearing. Speaking of which, he hurriedly draped the dress back over the divider, trying to look as casual as possible. Blaze glanced around the room, noticing the open wardrobe.
“Where are the attendants? Did you not…” Attendants? Of course, he was meant to call for attendants. They would have a far better knowledge of men’s fashion- fashion in general- than he did. “Oh dear, I forgot to show you how to call them, didn’t I? I apologise, I’ve been completely forgetting my manners today. Please forgive me.” Blaze had bowed her head apologetically, causing Silver to raise his hands reassuringly. He’d been completely clueless, and she put it all on herself! The least he could’ve done was gone to look for somebody.
“Th-that’s okay. I’m sorry for looking through your wardrobe unattended. I-” Silver began to explain himself, but Blaze raised her head, an unexpectedly chipper smile on her face.
“Oh no, that’s perfectly alright! I did leave you here after all.” Silver was going through a whirlwind of emotions. Feeling bad for looking through Blaze’s wardrobe alone, not even thinking to look for somebody else, but Blaze really didn’t seem to mind! Blaze’s eyes seemed to narrow as she looked around a little more. “Though, I expected someone else to have been here to help. Please, don’t bother yourself about it.” Silver looked back towards the dress again. Its soft feel drew him in. If only…
“Thanks. I-I do really like how that gown feels, though.” A small lump formed in Silver’s throat. Was it just him or did thinking about what he was going to ask make him feel a little… guilty? Pushing those thoughts down, he opened his mouth again. “Do you think you might have a… suit that’s similar?” Blaze inspected the gown herself. After a moment, she looked towards Silver, if only for a second, but he averted his eyes.
“It’s not a traditional material for a suit, but we can check.” And there it was. For some reason, the idea of wearing a suit even slightly similar to the dress filled him with excitement, but now that that connection had been taken away from him, he found himself quite disappointed. Still, he tried to remain as neutral as he could.
“Okay! That makes sense.” Blaze still studying the gown itself, Silver tried to push the conversation along, not wanting to dwell on the topic much longer. Unfortunately, there was not much else he could think of at the moment. “There’s always such a difference between suits and dresses… It’s like a different world.” The comment slipped out before he even realised he had said it. Cheeks flushing, he wondered what Blaze would think of him for such an obvious statement. Of course they were different. Strangely, and luckily, she didn’t seem to think anything of it.
“Oh, certainly. There’s elements of both I quite enjoy.” Both. As a princess, she did have the luxury of being able to choose her outfits from a wider range than he did. “Come, the other closet is just across the hall.”
“Here we are. When you find something you like we can have it altered easily.” In an almost identical dressing room, Silver made his way behind a divider, opening a wardrobe to find a plethora of suits awaiting him. The sheer amount of outfits present instantly overwhelmed him- as he placed his hands on the first one, the texture immediately rougher than the gown, he felt himself fading into the background, as his body flipped through the suits, moving from one to the next as though skimming pages in a novel. Blinking, he realised his arms were at the end of the wardrobe, isolating the last suit on the rack. Yet, he acknowledged, he did not remember a single one. He had lost track pretty quickly, and not a single suit stood out to him. Pledging to himself to focus this time, he repositioned himself to the other side of the wardrobe, and removed the first suit from the rack completely. If he couldn’t easily move over to the next suit, he’d have to examine this one fully. Eyes panning from the top to the bottom, and from side to side, he stood there for almost an entire minute, just staring, no thoughts running through his head. He held no opinions about this piece of clothing. He didn’t even know what he should be thinking. The colour didn’t stand out to him, the design, as far as he could tell, was almost identical to all the others. Why would somebody make this? Slipping it back onto the rack, he grabbed another suit at random. He felt much the same about this suit- that is to say, nothing. He tried to imagine Blaze in one of these suits- attending some serious diplomatic meeting or something. Would this make her look powerful and intimidating in a way that her regular attire didn’t? Silver didn’t think so. Or maybe it toned her down, made her look professional and amicable. Silver didn’t really think that was the case, either. Though it seemed she really did like wearing them, almost as much as the dresses. Pondering on that thought a little, Silver realised that Blaze herself had not yet picked out a dress- or suit- for the ball. Was she suffering with a similar dilemma? Surely not, Silver reasoned. She was a refined princess, she must attend events such as this all the time. Though, this was the first time Silver had ever been invited to one. So she at least must not attend them as a host or guest of honour often. Maybe she could relate to his experience more than he first imagined. Silver began to think about asking Blaze about this, and opening up about his issues. Maybe they’d form a deeper bond than before. Though, if she didn’t relate, she may just think he was crazy. After all, it was just suits! How hard could that be? Right, the suits. Shaking himself back into reality, Silver stared at the mountain of suits before him. Without realising it, he let out a slow, pained, groan. Immediately, Blaze’s voice echoed from behind the divider.
“Silver?” Crap.
“Uh… yeah?” Silver called back, hoping not to arouse too much suspicion.
“Is something wrong?” No, he was fine! At least, he kept telling himself he was fine. But, looking back at the wardrobe, he realised how completely in his own head he was.
“...Maybe.” Almost immediately, Blaze’s head poked around the divider. Had she been waiting? Silver realised that he had been standing looking at suits for an awfully long time. Blaze focused her eyes on the suit Silver had been holding.
“Are you finding anything to your liking?”
“O-oh!” Glancing around him, Silver scrambled to look for a suit he found somewhat enjoyable, before looking down, the one in his arms the only one that stood out, purely because he was holding it. Not wanting to think about this any more than he had to, he held it up to Blaze. “I-I think this is the one. I’m all sorted!”
If Silver were not averting his gaze, he would have seen the look of scepticism on Blaze’s face as she fully stepped into view, arms crossed. Though, upon looking at her friend, her face softened, realising that choosing suits wasn’t his only problem.
“Are you sure? You seem… troubled.” Was it that obvious? Silver really didn’t want to have this conversation right now. He didn’t even know what conversation it was! This was the first time he’d ever felt like this. The first time he’d been forced to pick out clothes, the first time he felt like a stranger in his own body.
“It’s just… I’m a little worried about tonight.” Fighting the pit forming in his stomach, Silver managed to open up a little. However, looking into Blaze’s eyes again, he felt her staring straight through him. She’d done a great deal to open up and be more friendly, but sometimes he still felt like he was being judged by a great monarch. He couldn’t do this. Quickly, he began to stutter.
“A-about the dance! I haven’t practiced, at all.” Silver breathed a sigh of relief. At least he got something out. Even if it wasn’t what he was thinking about right at that moment, it was still true. And a problem he would still need to fix by tonight.
“Ah, an understandable thing to be concerned about.” Blaze gestured for Silver to follow her around the divider, speaking as she did so. “I’d better give you a lesson then.” Hanging the suit on the divider, Silver stepped into the open seating area of the dressing room, imagining it as the centre of a ballroom. Darkness surrounding them, a large spotlight emphasising his dancing skill; or, lack thereof. For whatever reason, the thought gave him an intense dread. It must be stage fright, he reasoned. But he was going to have to learn eventually.
“Oh, uh… sure! That’d be… great.” Silver moved into the centre of the space, spinning around, trying to find a feel for himself, to slip into a theoretical ‘dancing mode’, if there even was one. No such luck. “I hope I’m not too bad. I’ve, um… never danced before.” A small smile formed on Blaze’s face, almost as if she had been expecting this. Was he really that easy to read?
“Here, stand like this.” Stood in front of him, Blaze straightened herself out, before placing her hands on his shoulders, moving them into the proper position. It was slightly unnatural for him, but he shrugged it off. “In ballroom dancing there is a lead and a follower. Er, traditionally , you would be the lead.” Of course. As the man, Silver would be taking the lead role. He imagined his confident and suave presence on the dance floor, influencing the room with his simple movements. He was not that guy. He didn’t even know how to dance in the first place! Plus, those sorts of connotations being placed onto him seemed kinda weird. Wrong, almost. Silver felt himself drifting away again, glancing back to Blaze as he rejoined the room.
“Do you know how to lead?” He was surprised he was even able to ask that question, anticipating the worst. There was no way he was getting out of this one.
“Yes. Perhaps I should, to start.” Before he even realised, Blaze was holding her hand out, a smile on her face. “Shall we?” Despite everything, Silver felt somewhat comforted by Blaze, placing his hand in hers as a small smile spread across his own face.
“Place your other hand on my shoulder, like this.” Blaze demonstrated, laying her hand on Silver’s shoulder before he did the same. “And mine…” Removing her hand from his shoulder, Blaze’s palm hovered in front of his waist. “May I?”
“Right. O-of course.” Silver stuttered out. He hoped Blaze didn’t think he was uncomfortable. He was, of course, however not by her. This was all just becoming so real. In just a few hours, he would be doing this in a room filled with others, watching his every move, judging him. It made his skin crawl.
“Now, the first thing to know is…” Silver listened intently to Blaze’s explanation of the dance, trying his hardest to concentrate, yet he could not take in a single word. His mind seemed so acutely focused on his own movements, his mere presence. He felt his hand in Blaze’s, and his other on her shoulder. Touching her felt almost taboo, like he was breaking some great moral code. Yet, this was just what was meant to happen when you danced. She must be feeling a great deal of pity for him if she was so willing to do this for him- let him touch her so intimately. No! Silver broke himself out of his spiral. He had been beating himself up all day over this. Blaze was his friend! She wanted to help him! But all of this, it was just too much. He wished he was in her shoes. Confident. Ready. Able to wear that dress…
Hurtling back into reality, Silver found himself literally hurtling- across the room and straight into a sofa. Jumping up as fast as he could, Silver patted himself down and looked back towards Blaze.
“My gosh, I am so sorry! I don’t know what happened, I-”
“No, no!” Before he could even finish his hurried apologies, Blaze rushed in. “That was my fault, I should have given you more warning. We can try again-”
“No.” Silver was the one to cut in this time. He didn’t want to spare Blaze any more trouble. “I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Oh, nonsense.” Blaze stepped towards Silver, gesturing outwards with her arms. She sounded so encouraging. She was wasting her time. “It just takes a little practice, you’ll get it in no time.” Silver knew that wasn’t true. Whether Blaze still had hope was a different story, but he just wanted to go home. Placing himself on the edge of the sofa, he stared straight at the floor. The definition of glum.
“It’s not just the dance. I-I mean. The ball tonight. I don’t know if I can go.” That vision of himself leading a dance, so masculine, so powerful… it played on his mind. This version of himself filled him with dread. Could he live up to that expectation? Did he even want to?
“What? Whatever makes you say that?”
And just like that, it all spilled out.
“I don’t know if you could tell, but… I’ve really been struggling with what to wear. I know I need to pick out a suit, but I just can’t bear the thought of wearing any of them. I don’t know why, I just-” For the first time in a minute, Silver looked up, Blaze staring at him. This was so stupid. Why was he even bothering her with this? It was a non-issue. He should just pick a suit and get on with it. It was Blaze’s big night, and here she was fussing over him. “You probably think there’s something wrong with me, huh.” After all, if he did, then he was sure everyone else would. But just like before, Blaze was next to him, supporting him, before he could even process.
“Something wrong with you? Oh, Silver, of course not. In fact- and please don’t mistake my meaning- I’m actually relieved to hear that. You see… I’ve been feeling a bit similarly.” Silver felt like he had sprouted wings. Immediately, he had ascended from the depths of the void to the cloudy plains of euphoria. If he could see himself, even he would have noted the positively sparkling glow in his eyes as he looked at Blaze.
“You… have…?” As he opened his mouth, it spread into a hopeful grin. He couldn’t believe what he had heard. But, just like himself before now, Blaze averted her eyes.
“Um… yes. Not about suits, though.”
“Really? Have you been struggling to pick out a dress?”
“I have.” So they really were experiencing a similar problem. Silver now understood why Blaze had been so insistent on helping him. She must be working through her own issues… he had no idea! “Though, I haven’t been able to figure out why either. I haven’t had a problem with it in the past. But something about tonight feels different, like it’s wrong. Like… I’m wrong.” Without thinking, Silver jumped off the sofa in defiance of the very thought.
“Blaze, you’re not wrong!” He proclaimed to the world. “Every time I see you, you’re like… a pillar of strength. I look up to you so much. To be honest, I thought you had tonight all figured out. I was kinda scared of admitting to you how worried I’ve been.” There, a little of the dread returned. It was still scary opening up about himself, even if the floodgates had mostly been lifted. “So if you’re wrong, I’m… a complete mess. But you’re Blaze the cat! You have nothing to be worried about.” He looked back towards her, smiling. A smile that said that everything will be okay. They had each other.
“That’s very kind of you, Silver. But…” Blaze walked around Silver, sitting down, tail, wrapping itself around her legs. Had he said something wrong? “Maybe I don’t want to be a pillar.” Oh. Silver couldn’t think of anything to say, lest he make things worse, so he sat, silently, to her side. The least he could do was to be there to support her.
“Everyone is looking to me. Everyone is expecting me to be Princess Blaze, Ruler of the Sol Kingdom, but for one night, I’d rather just be, well… Blaze the Cat, as you said.” The confession hung in the air, muffling the conversation. This was much bigger than Silver had been expecting. Had her role as princess really been weighing her down this much? And had he really been too blind to realise? An awkward laughter broke the silence, coming from Blaze. “Listen to me ramble on! To even consider it is to shirk my responsibility. Please, forget I said anything.” This just wouldn’t do. If Blaze had been so persistent about his problems, he had to do the same. Still, he felt some shame at missing this all this time.
“Oh… I had no idea… But… I can’t just forget about it. You’re always so kind and helpful to me, I have to return the favour! I just have one question… Is this why you’ve been struggling to pick out a dress?”
“I… I think so. It seems to be tied up in all that. But as for why it’s surfacing now…” Blaze opened her mouth as if to speak, though no words came out. She closed her eyes for a moment, quickly shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be alright, in the end. But I want to make sure that you’re as comfortable tonight as anyone. You deserve it.”
“Thanks…” Silver realised that this was Blaze’s journey to go on- just as he had taken time to open up, so would she. Which left the focus back on him. Though he hated seeing his friend in anguish, he had somewhat enjoyed not being the centre of attention. Though, now he had opened up, there was no going back. “I just… I can’t stop thinking about the dress. No matter how hard I try to focus on a suit, or anything else… That’s all I can see. But that’s okay. I’m sure I’ll find something here.” He wasn’t going to bother Blaze with it anymore. Now that he understood what she had been going through, he couldn’t bear to make this day any more about himself than it had already been. Though, what Blaze did next did catch him off guard.
“The dress…?” Hmm…” Musing for a moment, she seemed to have an idea. And then she stood up. “Wait here.” Without any explanation, Blaze promptly left the dressing room, closing the door behind her. Following her instructions, Silver waited. He knew in his heart what she was doing, but he didn’t want to let himself get too excited. Partly because he may be wrong, but partly because… he didn’t know that he should be. Even if he did put the dress on, and he did like it, he couldn’t wear it to the ball. Everyone would see!
Silver lost track of time, sitting in the dressing room. To him, it felt like at least ten minutes, but it could easily have only been one or two. Just when he was becoming restless, the door began to open again, and in walked Blaze, carrying the same dress he had been- admittedly- fantasising about all day. She looked down at him, still on the sofa.
“This is the one you were looking at, right?”
“Y-yeah!” Silver blurted out, jumping to his feet before his brain could even process. His eyes wide, he reached out- stopping himself. He was being far too enthusiastic about this; he didn’t even know if he would actually like wearing it! “Are you… sure?” He looked into Blaze’s eyes. A sense of warmth and comfort washed over him- she really did seem enthusiastic to give this to him. She looked back at him, her expression as sincere as one could be. She opened her mouth, uttering a single question.
“Are you?”
Alone, Silver stared at himself in the dressing room mirror. Draped over him was the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. He still couldn’t believe it. He blinked, doing what was maybe his fifth or sixth double-take. That was him… right? He span in a small circle, the silver frills at the bottom of the gown ruffling from the movement. It just… flowed, so well. It almost felt like a natural extension of his own body. His fingers laced themselves around a blue bow on the chest of the gown- it was just so pretty. It made him want to be seen. Only a little. He still couldn’t bare the thought of people recognising him in this- what they would say, what they would think. Reaching to his side, he picked up a mask. A small thing, encrusted with blue gems, really only big enough to cover his eyes and nose. His mind travelled back to taking the dress from Blaze.
“I know this is right, but…” Silver looked away from her, the folded gown in his arms. He could hardly believe he was feeling that material- that he was going to get to put it on. “I can’t help worrying about what everyone else will think when they see me.” Blaze placed a hand on his shoulder, his posture softening.
“You have nothing to worry about.” He turned to face her- her reassuring smile, there as always. “And besides, they might not even be able to tell it’s you.”
“You… think?” Silver’s eyes narrowed, pulled out of his emotional state by sheer confusion. “I don’t think it’ll make me look that different.” Blaze gently span Silver around, so that he was fully facing her. In her other hand, she was holding out a small mask- fit for a masquerade.
“You’ll be wearing a mask, won’t you?” Silver raised his arm, taking the mask. He glanced at it, but barely took it in. The words echoed around his head. He would be free, free to be whoever he wanted. Nobody would know it was him. This was the greatest gift he could’ve ever asked for. He looked at Blaze once again, a small tear welling in his eye. He muttered a small phrase, quiet as a mouse, carrying the weight of the entire world.
“Thank you.”
Holding the mask up to his face and staring into the mirror, Silver suddenly felt far more confident about the ball that night. He chuckled to himself- nobody had thought to tell him that it was a masquerade! The laugh lifted him higher, as he felt a sense of weightlessness. Soon, however, he realised that his psychokinesis had actually lifted him from the ground. Surrounded by a blue aura, the same ocean blue as the ribbons and gems on his dress, Silver gently floated around the room. He felt like a beloved princess, free and happy with her duties in the world. Though, still, something was distracting him. Something was off. Descending to the ground, he fully took himself in. The dress, the wonderful dress, letting his joy fly free… the only part of him it didn’t impact was… his head. His face was covered by his mask, sure, but there was still… his quills. Sticking out like a sore thumb. He had never bothered to style them; they were so large and imposing that they worked to intimidate his enemies- or, he liked to think so. But he stopped for a minute to think- immediately, Amy Rose came to mind. Her quills were styled like a human’s hair, kept down with a hairband. Silver didn’t have one of those to hand, but he didn’t have to, right? Focusing on his quills, they began to softly glow as they bent backwards, cascading down the back of his head. Soon, they began to run alongside the two large quills on the bottom of his head, two of his former prongs even resting in front of his ears, giving him a full head of hair. Or, quills. Satisfied with their position, Silver let himself breathe. Resting with his quills like this felt… good. Nice. He gently shook his head, his quills softly colliding with his face. Immediately, he blushed. He had never felt like this before. A word immediately sprung to his head- a word he had never used, never even thought of using to describe himself- but he felt pretty.
Standing in the ballroom itself, Silver definitely felt a lot more anxiety than he did in the dressing room. The walk down had been terrifying enough- luckily, he was later than most, so the halls of the palace were quiet, but on occasion he would pass a member of staff or another party guest, and he could feel their eyes burning straight into his soul. There was no way they could’ve known it was him, but he still felt… seen. Fortunately, the ballroom itself was incredibly crowded, Silver blending neatly into the fold. There were so many extravagant outfits on display that he felt a lot more comfortable just relaxing and letting himself be free. Though, there was one person he was looking for. He had nearly considered using his psychokinesis to float above the crowd and scout Blaze out, but that would immediately give away his identity. Silver supposed that she must be making a grand entrance on her own a little later. It was her big day, after all. Before Silver could get too lost in his own thoughts, an energetic voice yanked him out of his trance.
“Oh. My. Goodness! You look so pretty!” Confused, Silver turned, facing what appeared to be a pink hedgehog in a frilly teal dress. By her side was another hedgehog, this one far more laid-back, in a dark suit embroidered with gold. The pink hedgehog was clearly more excited to be here.
“Th-thank you…” Silver managed to get out, almost instinctively raising his voice a little higher in order to avoid being recognised. Though, he had no idea if he even knew these two.
“Seriously, you look like you could be a princess! Where did you get that dress?” Uh oh. Silver definitely couldn’t reveal that this was Blaze’s dress. Not that he could say anything at the moment- that compliment had him wishing he was about 80 feet underground. And clearly his face showed it, because the hedgehog almost immediately backed off. “You know what, we’re meant to have secret identities! I don’t want to learn too much in case it gives the game away! But seriously- you look so gorgeous! Do you come to the Imperial Palace often?” Finally, a question he could answer.
“U-uh, not really. I’ve only been here a couple of times.”
“Wow, me too! We’re total tourists to this place- this dimension entirely, actually!” The hedgehog at her side nudged her at this.
“What happened to learning too much about our identities, huh?”
“Oh, shush. I’m making friendly conversation! It’s so wonderful to see all of the traditions of this place. And everyone’s amazing outfits! Especially yours.” The pink hedgehog spread her arms wide, seemingly presenting Silver’s dress to everyone in the room. “To be honest, I think this is the best dress I’ve seen tonight!” The hedgehog held both of her fists up to her face, nearly squealing with excitement.
“That really means a lot… Your dress is pretty, too…” Silver forced the compliment out. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe it- he really did love the dress, but something about this situation made him feel… wrong. Like he was lying by being here.
“Thank you so much! Are you here with anyone?” Silver glanced around. He wanted to be, but she hadn’t shown up… yet.
“Well, kinda. I was meant to meet my, uh… sibling. But they haven’t shown yet. I think they’re just running a little late.” The pink hedgehog bent to the side, looking around the room. Silver had to wonder what was going on in her head.
“Aw, that’s so cute! Two siblings together at a ball… Are you their big sister or little sister?” Sister… right, he was kinda… wearing a dress with his hair down. Still, if he was a sister… Wait, crap. Caught in a lie. Think fast, Silver…
“Oh, uh! We’re twins!” Silver smiled, eyes pleading for escape. Luckily, the pink hedgehog was so caught up in the fairytale of it all that she hardly noticed.
“Twins!? Are you kidding me? If something magical is gonna happen tonight, it’s totally going to happen to you two. Right?” She looked at her companion, who had since run off to grab some food, and was now holding a half-eaten chilli dog.
“Sure. I guess. That’d make this place way more interesting.” The pink hedgehog pouted.
“So- I mean… you! That’s so rude! Blaze has put her heart and soul into this ball!”
“I know, I know. It really is nice. And I’m glad you’re having a great time!” The other hedgehog sheepishly reasoned, clearly not wanting to get on his friend’s bad side.
“Where is Blaze, anyway? You think she’d have arrived by now!” The pink hedgehog mused, glancing around the room once again. Though, her eyes seemed to be caught on someone. “Woah… who is that?” Silver tried to see who the hedgehog was looking at, but the crowd had already covered her line of sight. Still, that didn’t stop her.
“I’m going to find that person… I bet they have a story!” The hedgehog begun to dart off into the crowd, before turning back towards Silver.
“Oh! I don’t want to forget our meeting today… Just in case I don’t see you again, would you… tell me your name? I know that’s breaking just about every rule of a masquerade, but I just can’t bear not seeing you again!” Aw, this hedgehog was so sweet! And somewhat overbearing. Though she was clearly incredibly excited. Silver thought for a second. Would he reveal to her who he was? No, he couldn’t do that… But maybe he didn’t have to. After all, he was expressing himself, being free. He didn’t just have to do that with clothes.
“Sil-Silvie.” The silver hedgehog stuttered out. Was this really the right thing to do? Silvie… the name did roll nice off the tongue. The pink hedgehog closed her eyes, beaming.
“Silvie! That’s such a cute name! Well, see you later, girl!” And with that, she darted off into the crowd. It was a cute name, wasn’t it? Looking up, it appeared that the other hedgehog had also been left out of the loop when it came to this mysterious stranger, still standing in the same spot.
“Yo.” He said, as casual as could be.
“Um, hi.” Silvie responded. This energy was much easier to match.
“You seem nervous.”
“...Is it that obvious?”
“Heh. Kinda, yeah. But it’s cool. This type of thing isn’t really my vibe, either.” Silvie let out a little laugh. She recognised this voice.
“Would you rather be running for the hills?” Silvie playfully questioned. It was nice to see a familiar face- even if they were covered by a mask.
“Darn, was I that obvious? I guess the blue quills are famous in this dimension, too.” Though, it seemed that Sonic still didn’t recognise Silvie. That was a plus.
“You don’t seem that uncomfortable, for someone that doesn’t want to be here.”
“Yeah, I guess not. I mean, it’s definitely a fun time. The whole mystery thing and all. I have no idea who you are. But I’m not uncomfortable. I just prefer runnin’. It’s who I am.” Silvie pondered on that for a moment. Once again, however, just as she was about to respond, the hedgehog had vanished, leaving her stranded on the dance floor. Silvie took a beat, thinking about what had just happened. Rotating that name in her mind. Silvie. It was so… her. And that felt right. Her. It wasn’t his name, not anymore. Immediately, that whole world felt so distant to her. It was as if her whole life, she had been living in a cardboard box, and she had finally broken out. Sure, she could get back in if she wanted, go back to that old life, but… why would she? Silvie wondered if she would be able to see the pink hedgehog on the other side of the ballroom, talking with the figure she had noticed. Glancing around, her eyes didn’t catch onto anyone immediately- there was Sonic, walking up to the ballroom’s balcony. Suddenly, her eyes keyed onto someone in the crowd. They were wearing a velvet suit, complete with a coat tail, actual tail poking out below. Seemingly innocuous, only their face was shielded by a dark hooded half cape. Strange. They turned to face the crowd for a moment, and, through their mask, Silvie could swear she caught a glimpse of a familiar pair of eyes. Was that… surely not. Silvie wasted no time weaving through the crowd, slipping in between groups of people dancing. If that was her, she had to find her. What was she doing? Closing in on the figure, Silvie’s heart jumped for joy before slamming headfirst into a large metal surface.
…What?
Stumbling backwards, Silvie looked up at the object she had crashed into, only to find that it was not an object at all. Before her stood E-123 Omega, his body covered only by a bowtie, and mask not even big enough for his face.
“Oh, um… excuse me please…” Silvie muttered. A sultry voice called out from behind him.
“Oh, you’re not going anywhere.” Silvie turned around. What was it with people ambushing her from behind today? Behind him was a bat, dressed in a glittering deep purple dress, a slit showing her leg as elegant heels lifted her off the ground. If Omega was here, then there was no doubt who this was.
“That is, until you tell me exactly where you got that dress.” Rouge followed up, her threat now placing Silvie in a lot less danger. Still… she narrowly avoided that question with the pink hedgehog, but she didn’t think she’d be able to escape it here. It’s okay! She’d just have to come up with a simple lie.
“I got it… from… the… Princess…”
“Wow, someone has an in!” Rouge sauntered up to Silvie, casually laying her hand on Silvie’s shoulder. Rouge towered above her, being quite an intimidating force. “You’ll have to tell me exactly where she keeps her jewellery!” Rouge let out a small chortle, the back of her hand covering her mouth.
“U-uh…” Silvie stammered, blushing a little.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’m just joking.” Rouge stepped away from Silvie, fully looking her up and down. “You know, you seem awfully familiar. Have we met before?” Oh, gosh, here it is. Someone finally recognised him- her. She felt it all slipping away from her. Soon, she’d have to return to her cardboard box, trapped once again. She couldn’t bear the thought.
“No!” She exclaimed, rather louder than she had intended. She paced herself a little. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve never really met anyone here before.”
“Ooh, so you’re a mysterious stranger with ties to the princess? I have got to get your number.” There was the blushing again. Before Silvie could respond, however, Omega chirped up.
“Attention: This is meant to be an anonymous masquerade. Receiving a communication detail would be removing the anonymity from the event.” Rouge rolled her eyes.
“Oh, you spoilsport. Why can’t you let me have a little fun?” Rouge turned back to Silvie, waving her hand dismissively at Omega. “Ignore him, dear. He’s just grumpy because we’re taking a vacation from work to be here.” Silvie was speechless. She was so out of her depth- never had Rouge taken so much time to just… talk to her. And so complimentary? She didn’t feel like she deserved it. She managed to mutter out some excuse.
“I- I really have to be going. My sibling is waiting on me.” Or, ‘I’m trying to find her’.
“Well that is a shame. But I’ll be keeping my eye on you, cutie-pie. With that wonderful dress, how could I not?” Rouge accented her speech by pointing to one of the ribbons on Silvie’s chest, her finger caressing the material. Silvie looked the other way, trying to hide her tomato-coloured cheeks as she slipped into the crowd.
Once she was sure she was alone, Silvie let out a deep sigh of relief. That had been too close. Rouge had nearly recognised her! Or, had she? Honestly, Silvie wasn’t sure. But she did know that these compliments weren’t making her feel how they should. Sure everyone was being nice, but… well, were they being nice to her ? It seemed so, until Silvie really thought about what people had been saying. Then it dawned on her- the dress. They had all been complimenting the dress. Silvie reasoned with herself- this was a masquerade ball, after all. The point was to hide your identity, to wear exorbitant outfits. Of course that’s what people would focus on! Yet it still felt like she was wearing a shell, a disguise- something that wasn’t entirely her. Even if it felt much closer to who she was than she had ever felt. And to top it all off, Blaze still hadn’t shown. Maybe her anxieties had gotten the better of her. Maybe she couldn’t make it. In that case, Silvie should probably go and check up on her. Turning to head out of the ballroom, Silvie was caught with the sight of a familiar pink hedgehog, charging towards her at great speed.
“SILVIE!!!” What happened to anonymity, indeed? Silvie, before she could think, braced herself for impact, closing her eyes and flinching. When no collision came, she opened her eyes to see the pink hedgehog, still running towards her at full speed, yet staying in one spot, A blue glow emanating from her. Oops. Silvie flicked her hand, releasing control of the hedgehog, who decelerated quite quickly, coming to a stop in front of her. Luckily, the hedgehog had closed her eyes, not even noticing the break in movement.
“H-hey! What’s up…?” Silvie asked, tentatively. She noticed that once again, Sonic was not with her.
“Your sibling! We found them!”
“Y-you did?” Silvie immediately regretted lying. How was she going to explain this?
“Yeah! My friend from earlier is with them right now! They’re going to meet us below the staircases, come on!” Before Silvie could object, the hedgehog had grabbed her hand and was pulling her along in the direction she had come.
Soon enough, Silvie and the pink hedgehog were below the set of stairs that Blaze was intended to enter the Ballroom from. Silvie still had no idea who the pink hedgehog had found, and who she was going to have to tell was not her sibling. Fidgeting with the hem of her dress, Silvie almost didn’t notice as a two-tailed fox in a green suit and mask floated down from the air in front of her, Sonic and another figure trailing along behind him.
“Hey, Amy! We found them!” Amy spun like a whirlwind towards the fox fists balled up. It seemed nobody here was good at keeping secrets.
“Tails! Don’t just shout my name like that!” So this was Tails. Silvie had had a hunch, but it was nice for it to be confirmed, if a little obvious. Amy glanced around to see if anybody else had heard Tails give away her identity, not realising that she had done just the same to him. Looking to Sonic, Silvie met his eyes as they narrowed, as Sonic seemed to be thinking deeply. Silvie forced a smile, trying to seem casual. It was possible he had figured out her identity.
“So this is the long-lost sister?” Sister? Had this person claimed that she was their sister? What was going on here? If Sonic did have any suspicions about her true self, he didn’t show them. “Nice to see you again.” He nodded politely towards her. Silvie raised her hand awkwardly, just wanting this confusion to be over.
“H-hi again.” For the first time, Silvie looked at the other guest. They were wearing a beautifully formal suit, maroon, but they seemed to be glowing with an iridescent lavender. A half cape adorned their shoulder, hood covering their head, with a simple mask, well, masking, their face. A purple tail stuck out from the back of their coat tails, curled around their legs. Could it be…? No, this was completely out of character for her! Though, wasn’t this also out of character for Silvie? Still, she couldn’t be sure, so she replied with a simple, “H-hey…”, rubbing the back of her head; an action she had done many a time, though now, she came into contact with her long quills, flowing down her head. That felt… nice. She waited for the stranger to respond, but Amy poked her head in between them before they could.
“So? Is this who you’re looking for?” Her eyes wild with anticipation, Amy glanced between the two, waiting for a grand display of affection or gratitude. Silvie really didn’t know what to say? Should she pretend that she knew this person? Did she know this person? Feeling like she had to say something , she opened her mouth, but before a word could emerge, the stranger cut her off.
“Yes.” The stranger looked Silvie up and down, focusing for a moment on the bottom of the dress, frills ruffling against Silvie’s feet. “You look beautiful.” The stranger focused back on Silvie’s face, a smile playing on their lips. “I’m glad you decided to come after all.” Silvie could have sworn she saw a wink beneath the mask, but that last sentence was all she needed to confirm it- the person opposite her was, indeed, Blaze. Immediately, a rush of relief flooded through her body. She really did know this person! And it was who she’d been looking for this whole time. But then, doubt started seeping in. If Blaze knew this was Silvie, then… Why didn’t she say something sooner? How did she know to call Silvie her… sister? These doubts were short-lived however, as the memory of their last encounter played back in his mind- how willing she had been to hand over the dress, the coy look in her eyes as she told Silvie that she would be able to attend the ball anonymously… Her next thought, she was proud to say out loud.
“Well it is all thanks to you.” She grabbed the sides of her dress, trying to do a curtsey, but wobbling slightly on the way down. As she stood up straight again, she noticed Amy looking at her, cheek resting on clasped hands, glum look on her face.
“What!? You almost didn’t come? Why not?” Silvie glanced back at Blaze, her reassuring aura giving them the strength to tell at least a little bit of the truth.
“I’ve never dressed like this before…” Oops, maybe too much truth. “Uh- this fancy. I was intimidated. But he-” Silvie’s eyes darted again to Blaze. Maybe she had assumed too much here. “They gave me the confidence I needed to be here.” This time, it was Blaze’s turn to be doted on by Amy.
“Your knight in shining armour! And we reunited you… I’m so happy we could play a role in your story!” Silvie could see Blaze chuckle awkwardly as Amy twirled in excitement. Just as she was about to step in, she felt an elbow at her side, Sonic nudging her.
“So, you gonna introduce us?” Uh-oh. She definitely couldn’t do that. She didn’t want to blow Blaze’s cover. Or her own. Luckily, Blaze took control of the situation, directing their attention towards Sonic.
“Have you already forgotten the first rule of a masquerade?” Right, of course! Just because these guys had been so bad at it didn’t mean that they had to give away their identities too!
“I think they forgot as soon as they walked in.” Silvie laughed, stepping towards Blaze, and standing at her side. Hopefully, the light-hearted atmosphere and chatter would give them an opening to slip away. Amy, however, had other plans, objecting to what Silvie had said.
“Hey! Just ‘cause Tails shouted out my name!” This garnered a side-eye from Sonic, as the hedgehog pointed their thumb at Silvie.
“Didn’t you literally ask our ‘long-lost sister’ here for hers?” Amy crossed her arms.
“Well, she told me.” she muttered, stepping away from the conversation. Silvie couldn’t help but laugh. Here she was, hanging out with her friends, in a long, flowing dress, her quills down, and nobody cared! If only she knew it would be this easy. Her hand drifted up to the mask on her face, trailing along its sides. It would be so simple to just take it off. But she couldn’t. Something in her, despite her elation, was screaming out, to keep herself hidden. Suddenly, a pit of anxiety started welling in her stomach as her breathing grew rapid. Sure, she was here, but she wasn’t really here, was she? Not as herself. They didn’t know they were hanging out with an old friend. And if they knew that this was her- or, him. No. Her. Then what would they think? Luckily, Silvie didn’t have a chance to dwell on the subject, as an unfamiliar voice pulled her from her spiral.
“Er, excuse me, Sonic, sir,” a Koala had appeared at Sonic’s side, nervously tapping him on the shoulder. The same Koala Silvie had met when she first arrived at the palace that morning, in the same blue uniform. “Have you by any chance seen the princess around? She’s, ah… missing.” Sonic glanced around the room, making sure no other guests were eavesdropping on the conversation, before quietly questioning the Koala.
“Blaze is missing…?” The Koala nodded, and opened his mouth, before a shout sent the ballroom into hysterics.
“BLAZE IS MISSING!?” Amy. Of course. Feeling herself being yanked to the side, Silvie stumbled past a velvet curtain and into an enclosed space. Turning in the direction she had been pulled, she saw Blaze, back against the wall of the small offshoot they had found themselves in.
“You’re missing!?” Silvie couldn’t contain her stress. Had Blaze not told anyone she was doing this? Not even her staff? The masquerade was supposed to be anonymous, but not for her! Silvie realised she had probably hissed too aggressively as Blaze slumped against the wall, pulling the mask from her face. Her head dropped, Silvie moved next to her, sliding her back down the wall herself. Blaze peered towards her, a small flame igniting in her open hand, illuminating the space between them.
“Oh, Silver, I didn’t mean to stay away this long! How am I going to explain this?” Silvie looked at Blaze with tender eyes- she wanted to offer advice, but she couldn’t. Not without knowing one thing.
“Well… What is the reason?” Blaze closed her eyes, mask pressed tightly against her chest.
“It’s… Completely selfish.”
“But you still did it,” Silvie replied, without missing a beat. Though Blaze was the more logical one of the two, her emotions could definitely influence her, without her even knowing it. Silvie was sure this was one of those times. “And the Blaze I know wouldn’t do anything without a good reason. So…” She trailed off, leaving space for Blaze to fill in the rest.
“I… After we spoke, I just couldn’t bring myself to put on another dress. So I did the only thing I could think of and indulged myself, hoping that it would sate whatever was keeping me from doing my duty. I only meant to try it for a few minutes. But… it seems to have backfired. Even while trying to keep my identity a secret, this…” Blaze moved from the wall, waving her hand down her body. “This is the most at ease I’ve felt with myself in a long, long time.” And there it was. Blaze’s truth. The same thoughts that had been running through Silvie’s head all evening. Ever since they had met, Silvie had always sensed some sort of connection with Blaze. They were both outsiders from other worlds, of course, but that wasn’t it. It felt like they had known each other, deeply, for a long time. Like they were one and the same. Silvie pulled Blaze into a hug, wrapping her arms around the cat, their kinship stronger than ever.
“Blaze… you have nothing to be worried about. I’m so glad you found yourself. This dress… I mean, look at me.” Silvie gently pulled away from the hug, hands waving down her own body as Blaze had just done. “I feel comfortable right now. I feel so much more like… me.” It felt nice to say it out loud, to tell someone how she was really feeling. She felt herself smiling, involuntarily. But she didn’t mind. “So what if you need to hide your face? You shouldn’t let that take this feeling away from you.”
“But I can’t hide away forever. They’re already looking for me. For Princess Blaze. The whole ball is dedicated to me becoming something I’m not.” Silvie could feel Blaze shrink away in her own body, her soul hiding itself away. She grabbed Blaze’s arms, trying to meet her eyes, though the cat looked away.
“Then tell them you’re not. Otherwise, they’ll keep looking. Sonic, and Tails, and Amy, out there… They don’t know who you are. Who either of us are. And they like the people they’ve met today. If we- you , just tell them the truth about who you are— who you really are — then everything will work out. Trust me. The future doesn’t change unless you make it.” Finally, Blaze met Silvie’s gaze. Silvie didn’t know it, but Blaze could see a sparkle in her eye. Conviction, determination. Pride. Silvie was truly proud of Blaze, for being who she really was. And helping her do the same.
“Alright. But… I don’t know if I can do it alone, Silver.” She was right. Silvie could offer as much advice as she wanted, but it wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t following it herself.
“Okay. I’ll start…” Silvie offered her hands out to Blaze, but noticed the fire still in her palm. Willing it under her control, the flames rippled turquoise as they floated into the air, the light it gave off brighter and warmer than before. Time to introduce herself. “It’s… Silvie. I think.”
“Silvie... That's a nice name.” Silvie’s cheeks turned a rosy red, hearing the name for the first time. Well, for the first time from someone that knew who she was. Knew that this name was different, that she was different. It was like floating on clouds. To be heard, to be seen. It felt right.
“Thanks. I kinda came up with it on the spot, but… I like it.” Understatement of the century. Blaze smiled as she put her mask back on, slipping their palms into Silvie’s.
“Before we go out there, I want to say… Thank you. For your encouragement, and your understanding, and just… for being you. You were right before, you know, about this dress. I was supposed to wear it tonight. But seeing you in it instead, happier than I ever could be… it’s giving me strength.” Happier than Blaze ever could be. If that was true, why did it hurt? Silvie didn’t get it. She was elated, truly joyous to be herself, finally, yet, the pain. It didn’t go away. Not totally. Forgetting herself for a moment, Silvie drifted from her body, slipping away from the moment. She didn’t even realise that she was letting out a deep sigh, face pulling downwards into an anxious frown. A moment passed. She was still here. The sheer weight of the moment dragged her back into her body, into the moment.
“I’m glad. And it really is making me the happiest I’ve ever been. But… I do still feel like there’s something. Not wrong , just… not right. Almost like the dress doesn’t fit quite right. But that’s okay. I guess I’ll just have to grow into it.” A melancholy smile spread across her face. She really meant it when she said she was happy. She just wished it was all she was. Pulling away from Blaze, she peered out of the curtain. The ballroom was still a panic, everybody looking for the princess. The princess they were never going to find. She turned back to Blaze. “They’re waiting for us.”
“Are you ready?” Blaze whispered to her companion. She was always at her side, making sure she was okay. But now it was Silvie’s turn.
“Are you?” Blaze put her hand to her face, touching her mask. Her expression softened.
“I believe I am.”
Pushing past that velvet curtain was like entering the world of sound again. While the guests seemed none the wiser, staff were buzzing in and out frantically along the outskirts of the room. Blaze turned away from it all and focused on her feet as Silvie led them up the staircase. Reaching the landing, she took centre, looking over the room as if she stood there for the first time.
Blaze reached out with both hands. One by one, the lamps lighting the ballroom went out, starting at the back and leading up towards the staircase. A sustained gasp from the crowd drew the entire room into a worried chatter. Blaze left the nearest lamps aflame and stood to her full height as she addressed the room.
“Attention, esteemed guests of the Last Masquerade!” she cried, letting her voice carry to each corner. “I have an announcement to make.” The crowd went silent, staff whispering amongst themselves in confusion. “As you all know, tonight marks Princess Blaze’s last ball as Princess. But I’m afraid you will not be seeing her tonight.” The crowd erupted again into panicked whispers. Blaze smiled to herself… themself. “…Because it is my last ball as Princess, and my first as Prince!” With as much drama as they could muster, Blaze whipped off their cloak and mask, casting both aside in a flurry of fire. All of the lamps burned to life as the room was filled with light, erupting into cheering and applause. At once, a Koala dressed in blue was at Blaze’s side, hugging and fussing over them, and apologising for a hundred things and asking a hundred questions more.
“Princess— Prince Blaze,” They said, “you’re not becoming Queen, of course… but why not become King? Is this not the Last Masquerade?”
“It is,” Blaze answered. “It’s my last as Princess, still. I need to spend a bit of time as Prince first, before I move on. But don’t worry, Gardon, when it’s time to make that shift I won’t be putting it off.”
“That’s a relief,” Gardon sighed.
Blaze laughed and looked out at the sea of people celebrating her— celebrating them , with such enthusiasm and joy, and wondered how they could have ever been worried.
“Come, Prince Blaze!” Gardon said, trying to lead them to the crowd. “You’ve delayed celebrating long enough!”
“Of course. But first, I have to thank—”
But there was no one else on the landing. It was disbelief that let Gardon have his way, and Blaze found themself swept up in that sea of guests before they could so much as protest.
Silvie sat on the floor of the alcove, hyperventilating. In, out, in, out, in, out. They could barely control their breaths. They had led Blaze up the stairs, but facing those people, that crowd. She couldn’t do it. Tears streamed down her face from below her mask. She couldn’t even be there for her friend. And why? Because of her own stupid insecurities? Who the hell cared!? This wasn’t her night! She had no right to ditch Blaze in their moment. Silvie pounded the floor with her fist. She shouldn’t even be here- she should be disposed of with the rest of the trash. Sniffling, she wiped her face with her arm. This was ridiculous. Why should she bother feeling pathetic about herself? She wasn’t even worth that. Wobbling to her feet, she wrung her hands together. If Blaze found her here, what would she even say? “Oh, sorry, Blaze, I couldn’t be there for you because I’m slightly uncomfortable in a dress I told you I liked.” “Sorry Blaze, I was actually wrong about this whole thing, and I just want to go back to normal.” “Blaze, I’m so sorry, I thought I looked weird so I left you in your moment of need.” But. None of that was true. As the thoughts ran through her head, Silvie knew she was lying to herself. So what was wrong!? She clearly wanted to wear this dress, and she clearly liked it. So why wasn’t she fine? She stopped in her tracks. She didn’t need to focus on herself right now. Was Blaze okay? Silvie snuck over to the curtain, deathly afraid of being seen, and peeled it back just a tiny amount. Even from that, she could see Blaze, maskless, being passed through the crowd. They looked so happy. Free. Thank goodness. Everyone was focused intently on them, celebrating their new prince. That’s how it should be. Blaze was fine, even without Silvie. They didn’t need her. Silvie eyed the crowd, looking at all the guests. They were completely enraptured by Blaze’s appearance at the ball. One person stood at the edge of the room, however, away from the crowd. A staff member, they appeared to man a small food station. It was the sheep she had met earlier in the day. Though, they seemed to be wearing something unusual. While it appeared that they were wearing traditional chef whites, Silvie soon noticed that the shirt was clearly a dress shirt, topped by a blazer. Underneath, however, they donned a simple, long white skirt. Silvie was starstruck- a complete mix of masculine and feminine, and it looked wonderful. Suddenly, her own gown seemed stuffy. Too over-the-top girly. Yes, she loved the freedom feminine attire brought her, but… that wasn’t all she was. Letting the curtain fall, Silvie paced around the alcove. Was that what she needed? Something less feminine? Was that all it was? Now she felt even more foolish. A simple change of clothes was all she needed, and that was enough to send her into a full-on panic and ditch her best friend in their special moment. Before those thoughts could overrun her mind again, a voice called out to her.
“Silvie! Are you okay?” Blaze. Silvie turned around, needing to hear her voice yet not wanting to face her. “What happened to doing this together?” Strange, Blaze didn’t sound angry. In fact, she seemed more worried than anything.
“I- I know. I’m sorry. I saw the crowd out there, and… I wasn’t ready. It wasn’t right. Please forgive me…” Silvie couldn’t bear to look Blaze in the eyes. What a lame excuse. She expected the worst, but instead, felt Blaze’s arms wrap around her. No words, just her presence. Silvie buried her head in Blaze’s chest. They tried to respond, but no words came out. Instead, they choked up. The tears started welling again, and a moment later, Silvie was sobbing into Blaze’s jacket. She felt terrible, but Blaze didn’t utter a single word, letting her cry. Eventually, just like the tears, words started to flow.
“I shouldn’t have left you… I promised I’d be there for you.” Silvie raised her head, wiping her nose. “But… I think. I think I’m ready now. Just… not like this.” Blaze moved their arms, resting them on Silvie’s shoulders. Their smile melted Silvie’s pain in an instant.
“It’s okay. You already gave me the strength I needed before we got up there. Now please… tell me what you need.”
Trying to avoid attention, Silvie and Blaze snuck out from behind the curtain and onto the dance floor. Keeping her head down, Silvie followed Blaze’s lead, weaving in and out of the party guests until they were in the dead centre of the ballroom. Trying to remember Blaze’s practice from earlier, they started stepping in time, counting out three beats in their head. Were they really ready for this? She was surprised Blaze had agreed. Feeling comfortable in the rhythm, she smiled, nodding at Blaze. Blaze nodded back, and spun Silvie around. This time, entirely focused, Silvie rotated her body in perfect sync with the music as Blaze snapped their fingers. At that moment, embers of flame flickered to life on the bottom of Silvie’s dress, frills waving in the breeze of the movement as fire rippled within. Silvie could feel the heat on their legs, but also the freeing air as the dress trailed upwards, burning away. Closing her eyes, Silvie thought back to earlier in the day, seeing that dress for the first time, and uttered a silent ‘thank you’. If it had not been for that dress, she did not know where she would have been tonight. Who she would have been. The flames moving to just above the knee, Silvie waved one of her arms as the fire turned turquoise, spiralling from the dress and surrounding the dancing pair. Until this point, they had been just another pair of dancers, but now, onlookers started to notice the transformation. Blaze, entirely focused on the dance, didn’t seem to notice as the two of them also began to glow turquoise, dancing in sync as they started to levitate into the air, beautiful spirals of green fire whirling around them. At this point, all of the other guests had stopped to look upon them, gazing into the air as wisps of smoke trailed from the hem of Silvie’s now skirt. With one last movement of her hands, a small trail of flame drew in on Silvie’s face, surrounding their mask. It did not burn away immediately, however, as the joint efforts of Silvie and Blaze lay bare on Silvie’s face, a testament to how far they had come. Silvie, twirling once again in time with the music, couldn’t help but giggle, as Blaze did the same. Soon, they were caught up in infectious laughter, the world below them fading from their thoughts as they enjoyed their dance, together, as their true selves. Soon, the turquoise aura surrounding them faded as the flames dancing around them disappeared into smoke, including Silvie’s mask, now leaving her face plain for all to see. Though as they floated down to the ground, there was only one person they wanted to look at. Blaze, finally being able to see Silvie’s face for the first time that night, pressed a hand against their cheek. No words, but the sentiment was clear. Both entering the ballroom as completely different people, their bond and friendship had freed the two people trapped inside. Despite being congratulated by many of their friends, Silvie didn’t take their eyes off of Blaze until the very end of the Last Masquerade.