Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Guardian's journal, May 15, XXXX.

I have been continuing my studies of Sol Shift. I am improving, as I was able to transport myself multiple times across Guardian's Isle in quick succession without tiring much. I plan to challenge myself by traveling between Guardian's Isle and Plant Kingdom next. I have completed this distance before, but the single trip wore me out, and I could not make the return journey again for a few hours. But that was last month; my stamina has greatly improved since then, so I believe I could do a round trip without trouble, if not more.

Of course, if it were just about getting there, it would not be difficult to make the journey on boat or on foot. This is about learning new skills that may prove useful in the future. I am grateful that previous Guardians and their councils made the deliberate choice to build unstructured time into the Guardian's duties. Gardon frequently tells me I err too far on the side of training and self-improvement and too little on the side of rest. But in truth, I am not purely motivated by the thought of self-improvement; in this particular case, it's also just... fun. I can see why Sonic spends so much time this way, chasing adventure. In another life, one without all of these duties, perhaps I, too, would--

No, I forget myself. There's no use in chasing what could be.

The sky is clear today, good for sailing. That's not Blaze's intent now, but it does make things easier in the event that something goes awry and she has to return to the Palace in a more conventional way.

She reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out the blue Sol Emerald. It catches the sunlight, glinting like surface of the sea. Then, she closes her eyes and imagines Plant Kingdom--enormous flora reaching towards the same blue sky.

"Sol Shift!"

The world bends around her and everything becomes muffled, like she's folding herself into a cotton ball. Her energy stretches and twists, reaching across land and sea to that node spot in her memory--

She lands, perched on an enormous mushroom.

She allows herself a moment to catch her breath and assess her condition. Easier than last time, as expected. She also landed somewhere safe, acrophobia aside--the previous time, she'd landed in the grasp of a flinging branch and been unceremoniously launched. Good, good. She's getting used to this, like learning to twist her body midair to land on her feet.

Just then, her comms chime. The caller ID reads "MARINE." Luckily Blaze just landed--would the call have gone through if she had been mid-Shift?

"What is it," she says by way of greeting.

"Hi, Marine, nice to hear from you!" Marine pipes back, using a squeaky voice that sounds more like Cream than Blaze herself. In her regular voice, Marine adds, "I got huge news, mate." She pauses.

"Are you going to tell me, or--"

"I was pausing for dramatic effect!" Marine harrumphs. "Anyways, you got to get to Southern Island quick as you can, you hear?"

"What--"

Marine hangs up.

"Quick as I can, you say?" Blaze pulls out the Emerald once more with a smirk. She imagines the little island house, with Marine inside. "Sol Shift!"

The world warps once more, tunneling her across waves. Just for a little extra flair, she arrives in a flash of flame.

Marine, who was sitting at the computer in the main room, jumps about a foot in the air and lets out a string of expletives.

Blaze raises a brow. "Apologies. I was aiming for the dock outside. It appears my aim could use some work."

Marine gives her a stinkeye as if evaluating the truth of Blaze's words. "Right, well, I did say to come quick as you could, and you're here, so." She beckons for Blaze to come over to the computer.

On the screen, there appears to be some kind of communication, with a twin-tailed insignia at the top of the window. The first message reads:

Yellow Sky: Marine, are you there?

"Just started downloading itself while I was working on blueprints," Marine explains. "Gave me a fright. Thought it was a ghost robot or something."

YellowSky: Marine, it's Tails. If you're reading this, I've managed to reach you from my home in the Chaos Dimension.

SeaCap: For real?! You're a fair dinkum genius, Tails.

What follows is a set of instructions from Tails to confirm that he has indeed reached the intended place and time, followed by Marine's replies. The conversation then shifts to briefly catching up on the past few months--Blaze makes a mental note to ask later about the planet splitting into pieces. Tails then asks about Blaze, to which Marine replies, "I'll call her." Now, Marine types again.

SeaCap: Got her right here.

In a moment, a reply appears.

YellowSky: Wow, that was quick! Hi Blaze!

The next message appears in a different color, instructing her to type in a username. Marine moves aside so that Blaze can type.

Blaze: Hello, Tails. It's nice to hear from you.

YellowSky: Heh, I should have guessed you would just put your name. I assume you've read back my conversation with Marine?

Blaze: Yes.

YellowSky: Ok, great! If you hadn't, the chat should have saved so you could read it back later. It's pretty bare bones right now, but I'm just really glad it worked!

He goes on, talking about how he wants to build out this program and then upgrade to audio, then video, and then eventually sending physical items. He also has plans to get this tech installed on personal devices, so that they can be away from the main tower. Marine's going to help him, of course, especially now that she has more experience building stuff on her end. He figures he can send her instructions and have her try them out, instead of having to build everything and attempt to send it over himself. Marine, for her part, is very pleased with the prospect of providing more hands-on assistance this time around.

Blaze checks the time. Tails types very quickly, but Blaze has already been here longer than she expected, and she'll have to leave soon if she wants to be on time for her meeting.

Blaze: I'm sorry to interrupt, but I do have prior commitments this afternoon. Will you and Marine keep me updated on your progress?

YellowSky: Oh, man! Sorry, I totally forgot you probably had stuff to do today.

YellowSky: Before you go, do you want to talk to Sonic? He's downstairs, he asked me to let him know when I got you online, oops.

It feels as though something has been lifted from Blaze's shoulders that she wasn't aware of until now. He wants to talk to her.

Blaze: Yes, thank you.

Another minute passes before a new message pops up.

blueblur23: heya blaze! long time no see :)

It's just words on a screen, but she can hear it in his voice. I'll see you again. That first time, she'd thought of it as a refusal to say goodbye, not a promise. But he came back, and they said goodbye, and now they're here. Again.

Blaze: It's good to hear from you.

blueblur23: likewise

Eight months ago, they're on a beach together, sunset orange on the horizon ahead.

"Promise me you'll come back," Blaze says, eyes on the water lapping at their toes.

She senses Sonic's eyes on her, and when she looks back, his gaze is soft. He smiles at her with that smile of his, that one she has come to cherish.

"Promise."

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: An invitation / 2pm in Mazuri

A week later, Blaze returns to Southern Island to find Marine having amassed a collection of various items from the Chaos Dimension--small rocks, pieces of paper, a book, a small basket of fruits and baked goods with a note on it.

"That Cream's a right good baker," Marine says around a mouthful of cookie. Ah, so Tails must have informed Cream and Vanilla of their initial contact. Blaze thinks back to Cream's impromptu invitation to have tea when they first met. She picks up the note on the basket.

Hi Blaze! I don't think I asked you what your favorite cookie was when you came last year--

Sols, she knew it had been a year, but seeing Cream acknowledge it in writing made it more tangible, somehow.

--and Mr. Sonic said he didn't know. So I just made a batch of my favorites. I hope you and Marine like them! Love, Cream

Blaze takes a cookie. The lemon tea cookie is lovely, just how she remembers it from that afternoon with Cream and Vanilla. She turns the card over, and on the back, there's a photo of Cream with Cheese.

P.S. I'm taller now, and Cheese is bigger too! I hope you can come see us soon so you can see for yourself!

Blaze looks up and finds Marine studying the picture too. When Marine notices Blaze's gaze, she startles.

"Just wanted to see what your friends look like," she mumbles, turning away.

Blaze chuckles to herself at that one.

Blaze is standing at her balcony, feeling the breeze, when she hears a knock at the door. "Enter."

Gardon appears, carrying a clipboard. "Evening report for you, Your Highness."

"Proceed."

Gardon rattles off the list of items he has noted.

"Very good, Gardon," she says when he has finished his report. "Thank you."

He nods, but instead of bidding her goodnight, as he usually does, he adds, "Oh, and one more thing."

Blaze raises her brow at this. "Yes?"

"I've cleared your schedule for the next three days."

She blinks. "But, the bill--"

"A number of Councillors were planning to be off the next few days for the upcoming holiday anyway," he reminds her, a rare interruption from him. "With how busy you've been lately, I thought you could use the same." He offers up a smile. "Besides, Marine demanded it. How did she put it? 'I'm gonna give the Councillors a good whallop if they don't let Blazey off for the holiday.' Evidently she has urgent news for you about her progress with Tails."

Blaze rolls her eyes amiably. "Very well. But I'll have my comms on, in case you need me."

"I won't," he assures her. "Goodnight, Princess."

"Goodnight, Gardon."

The next day, Marine is at her door early--"to make sure nobody gets any ideas about bothering you until you're back"--and they speed lightly over the waves in the morning sun. Upon arrival, Setter greets them with glasses of fresh juice and insists on taking Blaze's small travel bag from her. "Please make yourself at home, Your M--uh, Blaze," he says. Blaze appreciates the correction--she'll never train most of the Palace staff out of calling her by her titles, but the Coconut Crew has been trying.

As soon as they enter the hut, Marine holds her hand out. "Comms, please," she demands. When Blaze eyes her warily, she adds, "Tails got me some upgrades so we can do video chat now and such. I promise I'll give 'em back when I'm finished."

Blaze hums in assent and hands over the handheld device with its earpiece. Marine scrambles over to the desk and logs onto the computer. "You can talk to Tails and them while I get this set up," she says. "Tails said he'd be online anyway in case I needed help with the upgrades."

Moments later, Tails picks up the call. Cream is next to him, and her face absolutely lights up at the sight of Blaze. "Good timing," Tails says. "We just finished dinner."

"Blaze!" Cream cries, clasping her hands together. "I'm so happy to see you!" Cheese chirps in agreement next to her.

Blaze can't help but smile at Cream's enthusiasm. "And I you. How have you been?"

Cream launches into a long spiel about what she's been up to in the past year. Much of it is domestic, like repainting the house with Vanilla, Gemerl's new upgrades, and planting new flowers in the front yard. She's also started training with Amy to build up her strength. Cream was already incredibly strong when Blaze met her last year; Blaze wonders to herself how much stronger Cream is now.

"And, of course, Tails and Marine have been working super hard so that we can talk to each other now, but you already know that," she finishes.

"That's wonderful, Cream," Blaze says, accepting her comms back from Marine.

"Now if I can say something," Tails cuts in, and Cream covers her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Tails--"

"It's okay," he says, laughing and waving her off. "Anyways, now that we've got video up and running, the next thing we want to try is sending an actual person to a specific location."

"Already? You never cease to surprise me, Tails."

Tails rubs the back of his head and chuckles. "Well, after I got the timing sorted out, it wasn't too hard."

"He's being modest," Marine and Cream cut in simultaneously, and they both burst into laughter. Blaze looks on, amused.

"Anyways, we were thinking of having you as our first subject," Tails says.

Blaze blinks. "Me?"

"Tails 'n' me have to stay put for monitoring purposes," Marine says, looking slightly put out.

"Also, I just think the safest thing would be to have an adept Emerald user who has traveled between our dimensions before," Tails adds apologetically. "My understanding is that Chaos Control is easier if you're familiar with the destination, and Blaze can use the Sol Emeralds if things start to go sideways."

Blaze considers this. "What about Sonic?"

Tails, Marine, and Cream look at each other in a knowing way.

"He offered," Tails says. "But we told him you'd already agreed to come in July."

Blaze arches her brow, but before she can say any more, Cream jumps in. "Tails, Amy, and I are planning a surprise party for Mr. Sonic's birthday!"

"He always acts surprised, but he usually manages to figure it out," Tails says, rolling his eyes. Then he brightens. "But I think he'd be pretty surprised if you were there."

"We had to schedule this call special to tell ya the plan," Marine adds. "Amy roped him into going to Twinkle Park or something."

There's a small ping from Tails's computer, and his eyes flick across the screen. "That's Amy. She says Sonic's dropping her off at her place before coming back here. Guess she couldn't talk him into the 'couple's dinner' special." He laughs. "Anyway, what do you say?"

Cream clasps her hands and looks pleadingly at Blaze. "Please, Blaze, everybody wants to see you. We all really miss you."

Blaze is notorious in Council for having an unbreakable stone face. But how can she say no to Cream?

"I'll see about clearing my schedule for that day," she concedes, and the other three cheer.

"I'm sending you the invite now." Tails pulls out a small envelope and places it on a platform behind him. He types in a few commands. There's a small flash of light, and the envelope appears on the platform next to Marine.

Blaze picks up the invitation. Her name is written in brightly colored markers, with flames decorating the edges--probably Cream's work.

Elsewhere in the house, there's the muffled sound of a door opening and footfalls. "That'll be him," Tails says, looking somewhat relieved that they pulled this off. "We'll call again tomorrow, okay?"

"All right, we'll see you then."

Blaze has just enough time to hear a muffled, "Tails? Cream? You holed up in there?" before Tails and Cream wave goodbye and Tails ends the call.

Marine turns to Blaze. "Well, what are ya waiting for? Open 'er up!"

Blaze turns the invitation over. There's a small red seal in the shape of a star inside a ring. She opens the envelope with a swift, precise slice. The card inside has a loop-de-loop on the front and another piece of paper tucked inside. Blaze sets the extra paper aside for the time being and reads the rounded print--probably Amy's--inside the card.

Sonic's 17th Birthday

Double Loop Park

Leaf Forest Zone

June 23, 11am-4pm

RSVP by: June 13

Food and drink will be served.

Your presence is gift enough.

This is a surprise party so please keep things under wraps!

Blaze then hands the card to Marine and picks up the additional paper she'd set aside. It's a photo: Cream, Vanilla, Gemerl, Tails, Amy, Cheese, and Chocola are outside the Rabbits' house. Each person is labeled with their name in all capital letters in Cream's handwriting. Everyone is smiling and waving at the camera, with the exception of Gemerl, who has no mouth.

Blaze turns the paper over, and she is greeted with a smaller photo taped to the back next to another note in Tails's scrawl. In this photo, Sonic is holding the camera close to his face, winking and sticking his tongue out. In the background, Tails is fussing with a broken tripod.

Hi Blaze! Since there's that memory component to Chaos Control, Sonic thought that having an updated photo reference might help you get here safely. (He doesn't know we're sending it along with the party invite.) We figure you can arrive at Cream and Vanilla's house a few hours early, and then we can head to the park together. It was Cream's idea to label everyone. I'm sure you remember us all, but she said it was for Marine's benefit. See you soon! - Tails

P.S. Found this picture of Sonic after I got the camera back from him. I know you know what he looks like, but I thought you'd get a kick out of it anyway.

Well, Tails is right about that much--there's something so charming about this casual snapshot. She turns the paper back to the side with the group photo, and Marine peers at it over her shoulder. The two of them take in the happy faces, Blaze noting the slight changes to mark the passage of a year.

Sonic and Tails spent all of a few weeks in total with her. For Cream and Amy, it was just a few days. And yet here they are, deliberately crossing dimensions to talk to her, to invite her to something as special and and yet so mundane as a birthday party.

"Shame they live so far," Marine says.

There's a lump in Blaze's throat, and all she can do is nod.

They do call the next day. Amy shows up, though again, Sonic is absent. This time, Sonic's all the way in Mazuri, helping out with a bot problem. This doesn't surprise Blaze--she thinks that if her empire had been solid land rather than an archipelago, Sonic would have covered the entire empire and then some in a single afternoon. As it was, he often ventured out on the waterbike, pushing through his fear of water in favor of the thrill of speed and exploration. Sometimes, Blaze joined him. Blaze has a great deal of freedom of movement in her role as Guardian, but it's these joyful outings that stand out to her for feeling truly free.

Blaze is out now, coasting leisurely around the island as evening falls. She does feel better after these few days of respite, and though she won't admit it out loud, she's not entirely keen on returning to her duties tomorrow.

She brings the waterbike back to the marina, but instead of docking, she cuts the power a bit out from the pier and sits in silence for a while to take in the sunset.

Well, until her comms ring, and she almost leaps off the bike into the water.

She told Marine that she would be back after sunset--it must be dire if she's getting a call now. Without looking at the caller ID, she presses on her earpiece to answer. "What's the matter?"

"Hello to you, too," comes a familiar voice. Amusement barely covers what sounds like fatigue.

"Sonic? I thought you were still in Mazuri."

"Just got back."

"What time is it over there?"

"Uh." A pause. She imagines a sheepish look on his face. "4am?"

Probably fortunately for Sonic, he can't see the face that Blaze makes. "Sonic. Why are you calling me at four in the morning? You're clearly exhausted."

"It's 2pm in Mazuri," he offers, and when that doesn't appease her, he says, "Wanted to catch ya before you go back in the morning."

"I'll still have my comms on. You can still reach me."

He huffs. "Not when you're on duty. I know how you get."

She opens her mouth, then shuts it. "Fine. What did you want to talk about?"

He hums, as if deciding what to say. "Tails told me you were gonna come visit in July."

"Did he?"

"Yeah. I offered to test first, but he said Cream really wants to see ya, so, can't really argue with that, heh."

"Yes, the two of them were quite insistent."

He laughs. "I'm looking forward to it. I've already got some places I wanna show you. Some beaches I think you'll like. Well, if you got the time."

"Even if it's not this time, I'm sure we can make that happen."

"I'll hold you to that!" He laughs again, and Blaze can't help but smile a little herself.

After that, Sonic tells her about his past few days in Mazuri. He off-handedly mentions his birthday in the context of it being Eggman's favorite day to attack. "But I've survived so far," he adds, and Blaze imagines that if they had video on, he'd have winked.

Blaze recalls that Sonic had chosen the date of his "birthday" himself. "How old were you when he attacked that first time?"

Sonic pauses. "Uh... thirteen? Wow, it's been almost four years already."

Thirteen. Blaze had been younger than that when she acceded to Guardianhood, but it hadn't been a complete surprise to her, nor had it been her choice. Meanwhile, Blaze knows that Sonic never does anything he doesn't choose to do, and this kind of battle is something he loves in a thrill-seeking sort of way. Still, she wonders how it was that first time, being thirteen and taking on an army of robots all alone. Surely there were others older and more experienced who could have stepped in... She isn't sure she would have made the same decision Sonic did.

"Blaze? You still there?" Sonic says around a yawn.

"Yes, I'm still here." He can't see her, but she smirks anyway. "It sounds like you'll be dropping off soon, though."

"It's okay, you can say you're tired of me."

"I'm not the one yawning into my comms at four in the morning."

Sonic chuckles lightly. "Yeah, okay, I guess I better go. But message me sometime, all right? Don't be a stranger."

A softer smile works its way across Blaze's face. "Yes, of course."

"M'kay. G'night, Blaze."

"Good morning, Sonic."

Back at the Palace, Blaze keeps her promise and checks in with her friends every few days. Marine and Tails update her on their progress with the dimensional transport, while Cream and Amy update her on their party planning. Usually these are through text messages, though sometimes Blaze manages a call with them. It's nice to have something like this to look forward to.

Once, Sonic sends her some pictures. It's hard to make out anything beyond vivid blurs of green. "adabat" is the only description accompanying the images.

Another time, she manages to call him while he's home. He's cooking some leafy greens, rice, and fish. "Big had a good haul this week," Sonic explains over the sound of sizzling vegetables. "He's coming over for dinner tonight, actually." Blaze hadn't met Big last year, but from what she'd heard about him, he seemed more like a friend of Amy and Cream's than Sonic's. But she supposes Sonic would consider anyone who has adventured with him a friend.

Sonic cooked a few times while he and Tails were here. The meals he made were simpler than many of the dishes available to Blaze at the Palace, but she misses those moments, sitting nearby with Sonic standing over the small stove.

As if sensing her thoughts, Sonic adds, "You have one of Tails's hubs on you, right? I can send you some dinner, if you like."

She smiles at the thought. "I had breakfast recently, so I'll pass. Another time, perhaps."

Another time, because now they have a say in when they see each other, rather than waiting for Emerald-tossed fate. This prospect makes her a little nervous, truth be told. The Imperial Archives document only a few instances of interdimensional contact in millennia, with most Guardians passing their entire lifetimes without it. Meanwhile, she's already had two encounters, each time only narrowly avoiding dimensional collapse. Surely establishing a link like this is asking for trouble. Risking world-ending disaster just to talk to a few people... As Guardian and Imperial Princess, she shouldn't allow herself such selfishness.

And yet, she continues to sit here at her desk, listening to Sonic puttering about his kitchen, and she wants it to last a while yet.

"Another time," Sonic echoes, then starts humming a tune she doesn't recognize.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Jet lag, no jets necessary

On the day of the test, Blaze arrives at Marine and Setter's hut in the early evening, after dinner. They could have done this anywhere, thanks to Tails's hubs, but Blaze prefers the privacy here to the watching eyes of the palace staff. Besides, if she allows herself some sentimentality, Southern Island acted as a home base when Sonic and Tails were here. It's only fitting that she would start here for this next adventure together.

At nine, Marine announces, "Tails is online. Let's go!"

They head out to the dock, Marine with tablet in hand to monitor Blaze's status. Blaze has all seven Sol Emeralds tucked in her coat, but she only pulls out the dark blue one to use. Marine picks up Tails's call and after some brief hellos, the two of them get everything set up for proper surveillance, as Blaze can't use her comms to call and to guide at the same time.

"Ready?" Marine asks.

Blaze turns the Emerald in her palm. "Yes."

For all the fanfare, she half expects more noise when she engages the comms' guidance, but its humming is barely noticeable.

"Online," Marine says.

"Okay. See you soon, Blaze!" Tails says.

Blaze nods, locking eyes with Marine for a moment before closing her eyes. She imagines the photos on the invitation in her pocket, imagines Cream's house and her smiling friends.

"Sol Shift!"

The world folds. Her stomach lurches, the cells in her body shifting and stretching. A nauseating array flashes behind her eyelids. She twists, tears, turns to static, explodes into a supernova—

She lands on her feet.

"Blaze?"

She blinks, then falls to her knees and curls into herself.

"She's landed." Tails's voice, clear instead of lightly crackly through the comms. "Disoriented, but in one piece. Checking vitals."

Blaze takes in deep gulps of air, hands grasping at grass, not wood or sand.

As her vision adjusts, she sees Tails standing a few feet away on the porch, Miles Electric in hand. Next to him, Cream and Amy are watching Blaze anxiously, Cheese fluttering in the air next to Cream.

"Vitals all good," Tails says, finally, and Blaze offers a weak wave as she gets to her feet. The others cheer.

Cream runs up and nearly knocks Blaze to the ground again in her excitement. "Blaze! Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" she blubbers, arms wrapped around Blaze like she's worried Blaze could disappear at any moment.

"Cream, be careful," Tails cautions as he approaches, Amy following close behind. "Blaze, how do you feel?"

Blaze laughs weakly. "If that was a guided trip, I'm glad I was unconscious the first time I was brought here."

"Let's get you inside," Amy says. "We've got the guest room upstairs all made up for you."

Cream breaks her hug but keeps a hold of Blaze's hand as she drags Blaze inside. "Yes, we made it up very comfy!"

Once they're inside, Vanilla greets them with a mild "hello, dears," as if Blaze had just come from the next zone over. "I'm glad you made it here, Blaze. We'll talk more after you've rested." Blaze manages a nod, collapsing into a chair that Amy has brought. Distantly, Blaze registers Cream taking her heels to the closet, though she respectfully leaves Blaze's coat. Amy and Cream then help Blaze up the stairs to the guest room. Part of Blaze feels embarrassed about needing their help—they're practically carrying her—but she swallows the embarrassment and allows them to tend to her. Once they've finished and left the room, she removes her coat and tucks it under the bed. She barely crawls under the covers before falling asleep.

There's knocking on the door. "Blaze?" comes Cream's timid voice.

"Come in," Blaze says, sitting up in bed.

Cream opens the door and patters into the room. "How do you feel?" Cream asks, worry evident on her face as she offers Blaze a cup of tea.

"Much better," Blaze says, and she means it. She takes a sip of the chamomile tea. "Thank you. I think it helps that I wasn't resting on the ground like I was when I first came here."

Cream laughs, relieved. "That sounds like something Mr. Sonic would say."

Blaze considers the image of Sonic sitting in this bed, drinking a cup of tea brought by Cream. "Does he end up here often?"

"Not often, but sometimes." Cream then brightens. "I'm so glad you're better now, though. Are you hungry? There will be food at the party, but I could make you something light. Toast?"

Now that Blaze is thinking about it, she is hungry. "Toast sounds excellent."

After donning her coat and making the bed, Blaze follows Cream downstairs to the kitchen. Vanilla and Amy are both there, busily preparing for the party.

"Mama, I'm making toast for Blaze," Cream announces as she enters.

"All right, sweetie," Vanilla says as she packs food into containers for transport. Turning to Blaze, she asks, "How do you feel, dearie? It seems like the journey took a lot out of you."

"Much better now, thank you," Blaze says. "Would you like assistance?"

"Oh, no, it's quite all right. But perhaps Amy would—?"

Just then, Amy hefts up a stack of boxes. The stack looks heavy, but she carries it quite easily. "Uh... you could take the top box and then hold the door for me?"

Blaze does as suggested and then follows Amy to the front of the house, where Knuckles is loading up a pink car with more containers. He nods at them as they approach. "Good to see you, Blaze," he says, taking some boxes from Amy.

"Hello, Knuckles. I didn't take you for the party type."

He shrugs. "Amy said, quote, 'We'll bring the party to you if we have to.' And I don't like people crawling all over my island." He pauses. "No offense."

"None taken." Blaze can relate—she feels similarly when she has to hold audiences. "Besides, as I recall, Angel Island floats."

He takes a moment to understand her meaning. "Ah, that's right, you and heights get along like Sonic and water."

"Knuckles, you don't have to be so tough about it," Amy cuts in as she squeezes her last box into the car. Addressing Blaze, she adds, "He knows Sonic will be disappointed if his own boyfriend doesn't show."

"He has a funny way of showing it," Knuckles mumbles.

His boyfriend. Being new to the friendship endeavor herself, Blaze isn't quite sure she knows the difference between romance and friendship. Supposedly one knows it when they see it, but in practice, it's not so simple. Sonic prefers to refer to Knuckles by name, only dropping boyfriend casually when it's humorous. But even as he talks about their annoyances and quibbles, it's easy to tell they are best friends.

Blaze herself also considers Sonic one of her best friends. Of all of her Chaos Dimension friends, it is with Sonic that she has spent the most time, and when she finds herself reminiscing on good times, he is most often the subject of those thoughts. But Sonic is also one of her only friends, and he has a way of treating everyone like they're special to him, no matter how long he's known them. So surely she's not the only one who feels this way about him…

"Who else is coming?" Blaze asks.

"Vector, Espio, and Charmy... Big's a maybe... Rouge said she'd stop by... She also said she 'convinced' Shadow to come but I never know with him," Amy says, counting off on her fingers as she says each name. "Tails is keeping Sonic occupied while we set up."

Blaze nods. Aside from Tails, she hasn't met any of these others before, but the names are familiar and she has some idea of what they are like. Still, it's reassuring to know that there aren't a lot of people coming. She can socialize fine at imperial functions, but the rules are different at a casual gathering such as this one.

When they go back into the house, Cream has a mug of tea, a plate of toast, and spreads for the toast on the table. Upon seeing Blaze, she puts on a stern face. "Blaze! Please sit down. I know you want to help, but you've come a long way and you still need to rest!"

This makes Blaze laugh. "Very well. I mustn't upset my gracious host, after all." She sits and has her food while the others finish packing up the party supplies. By 10:30, they bid Vanilla goodbye and head on their way.

Their brief journey ends on a grassy knoll with trees. A crocodile, chameleon, and bee are already there, stringing up balloons and clearing a picnic table. Upon seeing the car, they wave in greeting.

"Knuckles!" the crocodile yells, removing his headphones. "Nice to see ya off the island." He nods at Cream and Amy. "Hey ladies. Who's your friend?"

"This is Blaze!" Cream says. "Blaze, these are Vector, Espio, and Charmy." Each of them nods as they are introduced.

"Chaotix Detective Agency, at your service," Vector says, and all three of them give a little bow. "Though, uh, we're not working just now, 'course. We're here for Sonic. But basically any other time, if you got a case, we're your guys."

"We never turn any jobs down," Charmy adds. "Got bills to pay, y'know?"

Vector looks like he's going to skewer Charmy with his own stinger. "Charmy..."

"What? That's what you always say."

"I say it to you guys, not people we just met—"

Blaze cracks a small smile. "Pleasure to meet you, detectives."

With the additional three sets of hands, they make quick work of unloading the car. Blaze happens to pull out the cake this time, and she is amused to find that the cake has Sonic's face on it.

"So, this is the pretty kitty that's got Sonic's tongue. Blaze, isn't it?"

Blaze nearly drops the cake as she whirls around, finding herself face to face with a white bat in a black and pink jumpsuit. The newcomer surveys her in kind.

"Guess Big Blue's got a thing for the stoic guardian type. I don't blame him." She glances at Knuckles, who is busying himself with a pile of presents, before giving Blaze a knowing smile.

Blaze feels heat rise into her cheeks, but she schools her expression into nonchalance as she sets the cake down. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

The bat smirks. "Of course I do, hon. It's my job to know things."

"Oh, Rouge, you made it!" Amy appears, holding a small box. "No Shadow?"

Rouge shrugs. "He's got some business aboard the ARK."

"Hm. Well, maybe he'll show later. I see you've already met Blaze." Turning to Blaze, Amy says, "I hope she hasn't been giving you a hard time already."

"Relax, Pinky. I'm not here to steal anybody's jewels today." Rouge winks at Blaze. "Even if the Master Emerald is currently unattended..."

Amy rolls her eyes. "Well, anyway." She pulls two party poppers out of the box she's holding. "Tails will be here soon, so when he comes, stand behind the table and wait for Sonic to arrive. We'll shout, 'Happy birthday!' and then you two, Knuckles, and Espio will pull the poppers."

"Only four of us?" Rouge says, taking one popper. Blaze takes the other.

Amy lowers her voice. "Vector and Espio don't want Charmy running around with one. They told him we didn't have enough poppers."

"Fair enough," Rouge concedes, tucking her party popper away. "Well, I'lll catch up with both of you later; I've got an echidna to bother." So saying, she saunters off in Knuckles's direction, and it isn't long before the two are arguing about something.

"It's so nice that almost everybody could make it today," Cream says, holding a tray with blue cupcakes on it. "It's hard getting everyone together."

"What else do you have planned?"

"We'll sing a birthday song, have cake, and then Mr. Sonic will open presents if people want. Otherwise, we left it open so that people could come and go."

Not much on the itinerary, then. That's fine—it's a breath of fresh air compared to the functions to which Blaze is typically invited. She wishes they would do something similar for the annual Guardian's Ball, an event marking the anniversary of her Accession date. It's about as close to a "birthday party" as she has ever had, but it's more for her people than a personal affair. She makes a valiant effort every year to socialize after the usual rituals, but Palace staff are known to place bets on how long she'll last before she inevitably retreats.

There's a familiar whirring sound, followed by footsteps—it's Tails. He gasps, "He'll be here... any second!"

Blaze looks to the horizon and spots a blue speck moving in their direction. It's a leisurely pace for him, but that still leaves no time to waste.

Everyone gathers around the picnic table in an attempt to look busy and hide some of the party items.

A slowing of footfalls, then a familiar voice:

"Hey, guys. You having a party or something?"

Her view of him is mostly obscured by the others in front, but simply hearing his voice—clear, not distorted by static—already sets her more at ease than she was a moment ago.

"Happy birthday!" everyone shouts, and Blaze pulls her popper on cue with the others. Everyone starts cheering, and, caught up in their enthusiasm, Blaze starts clapping.

Sonic laughs. "Aw, you guys..." He skims his eyes over the group, smiling at each person.

He freezes when he gets to Blaze.

It's like their encounter in Coral Cave—the shock of recognition, the warmth of realization. "You're here," she sees in his eyes, and she offers him a small smile. He opens his mouth—

"Well, were you surprised?" Amy interjects, jumping in the way.

Sonic laughs again. He glances back at Blaze as if to say, "I'll catch up with you later," then smiles at Amy and says, "Sure was!"

Someone starts playing music on a small set of speakers, and the other party guests chatter amiably. Cream and Cheese wander up to Blaze, and Cheese holds out a cupcake in offering. "Chao?"

"That's very kind of you, Cheese, but no thank you. Maybe later."

Cheese murmurs something, then bites into the treat with gusto, smearing frosting all over his face. Cream and Blaze laugh at the sight.

This is nice, Blaze thinks as she looks around at the partygoers. She can't remember the last time she attended an event where her title didn't precede her. Here, she's just like everyone else—present not out of obligation, but because they consider Sonic a friend.

Speaking of Sonic, where is—

There's a change in the air. The party music is still going, but underneath it, Blaze can sense the area's latent Chaos energy shift in a way that manifests into a menacing, tense tune. She braces herself and glances about to see if anyone else has noticed. Knuckles meets her gaze, mouth a hard line. Something's coming—

The air rips open, and a shockwave from the hole blasts the party decorations and food away. A creature—a dark mass with shining eyes, sharp teeth, clawed hands, and spinning cogs—emerges from the tear. It roars, and the air rends in several places. Each new tear begins to pull its surroundings into itself, like a tornado. Blaze can't get a good glimpse with the distortion and everything blowing around, but the tears seem to be portals opening elsewhere.

She tries to summon her flames, but she can't—it feels like she's being choked somehow, and it's hard to think.

She grabs a hold of Cream and Cheese, pins them and herself to a large tree, and digs her heels into the dirt. Others have grabbed onto other trees, the ground, Amy's car in an attempt to resist the portals' pull. A few are in fighting position—Sonic and Knuckles are shouting, though she can't make out what they're saying over the combined roars of the portals and the portal creature.

It occurs to Blaze that she could attempt a Sol Shift to safety. She's never Shifted another person along with herself, but—

The Chaotix try to fight, but they slip—with a chorus of yells, they're pulled into one of the portals, and it closes behind them.

Knuckles, who is holding onto the bolted-down picnic table with Rouge, lets out a cry of rage. He launches himself at the creature, fists raised—and he is seized by the wind, yanked off course into another portal.

More shouting. Rouge lifts Amy and her hammer into the air, wings flapping mightily against the portal's gale. Amy lets out a battle cry as Rouge slings her at the creature, and she gets closer than Knuckles, but she swings wide and is swallowed by another portal. Now no longer anchored, Rouge gets pulled into yet another portal.

Focus, Blaze tells herself. She pulls Cream and Cheese tighter to herself and tries to imagine somewhere safe. The house, perhaps? But would the creature come after them there?

Tails has managed to grab onto Amy's car. Sonic is running circles around the creature to resist its pull. They're the only ones left, and both are probably too far for her to try to Shift as well. But if Sonic had an Emerald on him, perhaps he could—

Sonic's circles grow ever tighter around the creature, creating a vortex of his own. When the creature looks distracted, Sonic attempts a homing attack. Instead of pulling him into a portal, though, the creature roars, sending out a shockwave that knocks Sonic out of the air. Blaze doesn't see where he falls.

"Cream," Blaze chokes out. "I'm going to try Sol Shift." Cream responds by clinging to Blaze and Cheese tightly.

And then the wind kicks up further, knocking the breath out of Blaze. Think of the house, think of the house, but it's too loud now, too much—

The tree snaps, and it, Cream, Cheese, and Blaze go hurtling through the air. Cream screams as the wind rips her from Blaze and pulls her into another portal.

Blaze registers blistering heat, Tails screaming for Sonic. And then everything goes dark.