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The sea surrounding the Sol Empire lay docile; at most, gentle waves and the occasional school of fish were all that threatened to disturb the calm waters. This tranquility was not to last, however, as a sudden flash of light shook the seas, with a moderately-sized watercraft materializing in its wake. Piloting this ship was the brilliant fox kit Miles “Tails” Prower, accompanied by his older brother, Sonic the Hedgehog.
“Man, is it nice to be back in the Sol Dimension, or what?” the hedgehog asked, taking in the ocean vista before him.
Tails only gave a simple “Mhmm” in response, his eyes focused more on his ship’s controls and status. “Everything seems stable. Could ’ya keep an eye out for any harbors? I’m not able to do a thorough diagnosis unless we’re docked, and I really don’t wanna risk anything…”
“Tails, you worry too much!” Sonic teased; “we’re on vacation: You can let loose a little!”
“You sure? ’Cause I remember you being a teensy bit apprehensive when we first set sail on this…” the fox kit shot back with a smirk.
“I— uh… In my defense, you said that you never even tested if the ship worked before!”
“What, you don’t trust my handiwork?”
“Of course I do! I’m just, uh…—”
He was cut off by his brother’s laughter.
“Man, when’d you become a master of snark?”
“I learned from the best!”
“I swear to Gaia…” Sonic trailed off, chuckling alongside the young fox.
Soon enough, a distant land mass began emerging from the horizon. Their ship—the SS Tornado MK III—made its gradual approach to the port.
“Where’d Blaze say to meet us?” Tails asked.
“She said that she’d be by the docks in a place called… Zodiac? I think that’s what she called it. Said that it took up most of the empire’s coast or something, so we’d be likely to end up there.”
“Mhmm. Well, I hope she was right; wouldn’t be fun getting lost on our first day of vacation.”
“Psh, that’d just be us getting an early tour of the place!”
“If you say so…”
Once their ship settled into the harbor, Sonic and Tails hopped down onto the dock, with the latter securing the boat to the mooring. The harbormaster—a large sparrow with a clipboard and a jovial expression—greeted the hedgehog. Following a quick exchange of words (and three rings for the dock space), the man had one more thing to ask.
“I also… hold on, you seem familiar.” He squinted for a moment. “Do I know you from somewhere? A sort of overseas celebrity or something?”
The Blue Blur casually shrugged. “You could say that…”
“Hmm… no matter. Anyhow, I’ll also need your names.”
“Name’s Sonic the Hedgehog, and back there’s my brother, Tails.” He paused, before adding: “Oh, and the boat’s his.”
Their names sounded awfully familiar to the bird and so he, after jotting them down, pondered them for a moment. “Sonic… Oh! You wouldn’t happen to be the lads Lady Marine was askin’ ’bout, would you?”
“That’s us!”
“Brilliant! She said she’d be just by the ol’ observatory; you can see it just there.” He gestured towards a wide building with a domed roof that was decently nearby.
“I see. Thanks, mister…?”
“Smith, or ‘Smithy’ if you’d like.”
“Well, Mr. Smith, it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
After exchanging farewells—and once he managed to get his brother to stop fretting over the ship’s diagnostics—Sonic and Tails made their way over towards the rendezvous point. They decided to go at a (relatively) leisurely pace, both to better appreciate the new world they found themselves in and so they wouldn’t disrupt the passersby.
The town the two had to pass through was, frankly, bustling: Crowds upon crowds of people funneled through the streets—cats, wolves, sheep, pigeons, eagles, robins, geckos, iguanas, sharks, seals, and even the occasional human could all be found littered amongst the assembly. Sonic noted how Tails’ namesakes coiled around each other in response to such a large swamp of sapients—an old habit the kit had yet to break free from; although, not one passerby placed even a lingering stare upon the young fox. Indeed, neither of the two were singled out by anyone; at most, they received brief, friendly smiles—a reminder of how their fame did not cross dimensions with them.
Their destination was preceded by a busy marketplace, with rows of stalls selling various different goods. Being so close to the sea, quite a few were dedicated to fishing—be it supplies or simply selling caught fish—but there were also those selling fruits, vegetables, meats, wines, and even non-food items such as clothing and souvenirs. No chilidogs, though… Sonic noted, slightly disappointed.
The crowds thinned out as they neared the observatory, much to Tails’ relief. The young fox displayed quite an interest in the building, even briefly taking to the skies to inspect its impressive design, while Sonic made it up the steps to wait by its entrance. Once Tails returned to Sonic’s side, the latter gave the observatory’s ornate door a good few knocks.
Following the sound of excited footsteps, the door was swung open by a young raccoon; behind her sat a lavender cat who, upon seeing the guests, gave a small smile.
It was Marine who greeted them first. “Tails!” she squealed as she went to embrace the fox kit in a tight hug. “Crikey, I was gettin’ worried that you ’n’ Sonic weren’t gonna rock up!”
“Marine, do you not have any faith in our friends?” Blaze teased, a hint of formality accompanying her stride as she approached. She turned her attention towards their guests; “Sonic, Tails… it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“And it’s wonderful to be back here—and without the threat of the eggheads to boot!” the hedgehog replied, a large smile plastered across his face. “Oh man, with what I’ve seen so far, I know for a fact that exploring more of your world is gonna be a blast!”
The cat let out a soft chuckle. “You flatter me.”
“What can I say? I know a nice place when I see one.” He paused, before a hint of mischief began tainting his smirk. “And besides, I think Her Highness is deserving of a little flattery, hmm?”
A light blush accented Blaze’s otherwise subdued expression. How bold… she thought, but was unable to discern any underlying intent in Sonic’s words other than just playful teasing. Of course, Marine interjected before she could respond:
“Bloody hell, youse can pash later; we haven’t even shown these lads ’round the place yet!”
After taking a moment to decipher the raccoon’s words, Blaze concurred: “Indeed. We mustn’t squander the time of our guests.” She glanced back towards the young sailor. “Marine, how quickly can one of your ships reach Solstice via the canals?”
“Depends on how much fun yer willin’ to have!”
“Heh, we don’t need boats for that,” Sonic remarked, a competitive glint in his eyes, “I bet me ’n’ Blaze could make it there in half the time!”
“And that’s what concerns me,” the princess deadpanned, causing a silence to befall the group. “Besides the fact that you don’t know where the city actually is, if we were to…” she trailed off with a sigh. “Look, I’ll explain once we get there, but in short: It would likely not bode well for either of us.”
Sonic raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. Instead, his attention was drawn to his younger brother, who had been preoccupied with analyzing the observatory’s practically ancient telescope. “Tails, buddy!” he called out. “What’cha got there?”
“O-oh!” The fox kit sprung upwards, nearly hitting his head on the device. “It’s just, this telescope—it’s a real marvel! Probably not all that useful anymore, what with light pollution an’ all, but still!” Soon, however, his expression grew sheepish: “Oh… a-am I holding you guys up, or…”
“Heh, not at all!” his brother reassured; “we’re in no rush—”
“No worries!” Marine interrupted him as she ran over to Tails. “And ’sides, she’s a real beaut’, ain’t she? To think that blokes hundreds o’ years ago…”
As the raccoon and the fox fell into conversation, Sonic turned back to Blaze. “Hey, is everything alright?”
“As I said before, we will talk about it at the palace.” The princess waved him off, and the two left it at that.
Eventually, the party left the observatory and headed back down to the docks, where Marine led them to a familiar ship: The Ocean Tornado. The four boarded the vessel, which was promptly brought toward the mouth of the Stellar Stream—a network of canals that wove almost the entirety of the Sol Empire together. Through them, they would reach the empire’s heart in no time.
And that they did. The city of Solstice was quite a wonder to behold: Diverse arrays of buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, and while the different architectural styles spanned countless ages, there was no sense of disorder—it all felt natural. The experience was such that even Sonic stopped lounging to admire the metropolis.
An entourage of about seven-or-so guardsmen—including a familiar koala in a blue vest and matching hat—awaited them at the docks. Once the four disembarked from the vessel, the convoy helped escort them to the palace.
Along the way, the two newcomers took in their surroundings. They beheld bustling marketplaces, cozy inns, eccentric taverns, and even a grandiose university. The company also invited quite a few stares, whispers, and even a gasp or two—no doubt because of the imperial princess waltzing through their city. They could practically hear the imminent rumors.
However, nothing could prepare the two for what came next…
The surrounding village parted, unveiling the grand imperial palace to the group. Immense marble spires sprouted from the ground, topped with azure globes and golden spears; the central abode consisted of similarly imposing structures, adorned with lavender roofing. The castle was further circumscribed by worn, stone walls and an antiquated moat. Finally, an elegant bridge was what connected the wonder to the mainland.
“Woah…” the hedgehog and fox awed in unison. They’ve been to palaces before, yes, but there was something about this one that was simply remarkable to the duo.
The imperial princess allowed herself a moment of pride for her homeland, before beckoning the two to follow. “Come; make yourselves at home.”
The heavy palace doors slowly opened, revealing the castle’s spacious interior. Tails took flight almost immediately, examining the foyer’s decorated ceiling, chandelier, and anything else up there that the fox wanted a closer look at. Sonic had to call him down once the palace staff arrived to pick up their luggage.
Once their belongings were dealt with, the four made their way over to the drawing room and began to chat.
“Man, what a place this is!” Sonic remarked as he fell into one of the sofas. “Like, wow… there’s so much to explore!”
Blaze humbly chuckled at the praise. “Why, thank you. The Sol Empire certainly has centuries of history for one to delve into.”
“I’ll say!” Tails interjected, “I mean, I didn’t just imagine the eras of architecture we passed by on our way here, did I? This world is so different from our own… Man, I can’t even imagine the evolution of your guys' tech! Now that’d be a sight to see…” the fox trailed off.
“Oi! In that case,” Marine suddenly exclaimed. “Tails, you just gotta take a gander at some o’ the things them Uni blokes up in Nova have thrown together! I betcha wouldn’t wanna let all their hard yakka go unappreciated, aye?”
The sailor talked so quickly that Tails barely got out a “Y-yeah, sounds fun!” before she started dragging him out of the castle.
Sonic chuckled at the sight, before turning to Blaze. “There’s, uh, nothing we need to worry about there, right?”
Blaze couldn’t help but notice the tinge of seriousness in the hedgehog’s voice. “Most of the crime in that province involves theft. And the crime rate has been steadily declining recently. Besides, I’m certain Gardon will accompany them nonetheless.” She paused, before sending him a playful smirk. “Lest, of course, you want me to have the royal guard escort them there, just to be safe?”
“…No, that won’t be necessary; Tails and Marine can handle themselves.” He said after a brief silence, as if he actually considered the cat’s witty proposition for a moment. “Y’know, I’d love to explore more of this place.” Sonic quickly changed the subject with his suggestion. “Heck, I’d be down to venture the whole continent!”
“Hmph. Knowing you, I wouldn’t doubt it,” Blaze teased. “And yes, I believe I do owe you a tour. Although…”
The hedgehog gave her an inquisitive look. “Is there something up?”
“I… well no; this goes along with what I’ve been meaning to tell you since you got here: My people… they do not have the most… keen disposition towards my flames…” The princess tried to ignore the growing concern on her companion’s face as she spoke. “I am, frankly, skeptical if gallivanting through the empire in a grand pyrokinetic display would be all that well received…”
There was a brief pause between them before Sonic spoke up, his tone unexpectedly firm. “Blaze, how long has this been going on—?”
“That’s not important now,” she cut him off. “What I am trying to say is that you aren’t in your world anymore; it is possible that people will not react positively to your speed, and I do not want you to be perceived as a potential threat…” She paused for a moment, before quietly adding: “like me…”
“You are not a threat, Blaze.”
“That is for the people to decide—” Now, it was Sonic’s turn to interrupt.
“And the only way to convince people otherwise is to show them that your powers are not a threat to them. You can’t let others keep you from being yourself.”
A deafening silence flooded the room, with Blaze casting her gaze to the side, seemingly in thought, while Sonic’s stubborn expression slowly began to falter. Eventually, the latter recanted: “Chaos… Blaze, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s…” she turned her attention back towards him, a faint smile on her lips. “You’re right: You wish to have fun on your vacation—it wouldn’t be right of me to let my fears inhibit that.”
“Blaze, if you don’t want to, that’s fine—”
“Sonic,” she began definitely; “I want to give you a tour; like I said, I do owe you one, after all.”
“…You sure?”
“I’m certain; I’ll also have the guard send a notice that we’ll be making our way through, just in case.”
After a brief pause, the Blue Blur’s trademark smirk returned. “Well, where do we start?”
The princess returned a small grin of her own. “Follow me.”
The two went to one of the adjacent rooms; after sifting through a few drawers, she unfurled a map of the Sol Empire onto one of the desks. Alongside the capital city, it displayed the empire’s six provinces: Aurora, Nova, Equinox, Zodiac, Twilight, and Eclipse.
“Man… I don’t even know where to start!” the hedgehog admitted.
Blaze pondered for a moment, then pointed to the easternmost province. “Equinox should work as a great introduction; it’s often considered the cultural hearthstone of the empire.”
“Then it’s a date!”
It was quite an ordinary day in Epoch—the capital of Equinox—save for a notice from the local guardsmen advising people to keep off the roads. Soon enough, brief streaks of orange and blue shot through the town, accompanied by bellows of wind.
Sonic and Blaze made their way across the city, weaving around and over buildings with dazzling speed. One would wonder how they could manage to sightsee at such velocities, but they made it work—exemplified by how they spotted what appeared to be a grand, marble temple and quickly changed their course to investigate.
The pair skidded to a halt at the building’s steps, which climbed up to its pillar-clad entrance. Upon their entry, they were greeted by an impressive rotunda. The building’s use as a place of worship was certainly a thing of the past, as it had been transformed into a beautiful art gallery.
As they examined the artwork littered around the museum, Blaze explained how it, along with much of the other architecture within Equinox, and especially its city of Epoch, dated back hundreds or, such as the case with the one they were in now, even tens of hundreds of years. Sonic didn’t hold back his intrigue.
The hedgehog and cat sped across the city of Rift’s shoreline, with the former leaving a chevron of sand in his wake and the latter leaving patches of glass in hers. To the left, they saw numerous fishing vessels amidst their returns to the harbor; upon nearing the dock, the two drifted rightward and began scaling a nearby ornate lighthouse instead.
Upon reaching the top of the structure, the two paused to take in the vista of Zodiac’s capital city. Today’s market had begun slowing down at this hour, with a couple of the stands closing down for the day. Nonetheless, the town was as lively as ever, with people greeting each other, exchanging gossip, and catching up with old friends. And when Blaze noticed the joyful grin on her companion’s face, she couldn’t help but smile as well.
…That was, until they found themselves passing by a memorial, at which the princess paused. Its design was quaint, depicting a simple bucket hat adorned with tackle resting upon a broken fishing rod; placed before the statue were a few flowers, likely from passersby paying their respects.
Sonic took notice of her silence rather quickly; turning, he found Blaze staring through the inscription that accompanied the memorial, her expression somber.
As he approached her, she seemed to snap out of her trance, urging her friend to ignore what had happened. Sonic’s curiosity got the best of him, however, and so he briefly inspected the plaque: “In memory of Beckett Solis, and all others who were impacted on that fateful day. May your catches be bountiful in the world beyond.”
One would expect that Twilight—being the smallest of the provinces—would not have much to occupy the princess and her guest, but that was far from the case. Its capital, Horizon, was one of the largest trading hubs in the empire. There were many interesting sights to see and, of course, many souvenirs one might purchase.
One such commodity seemed to catch the eye of a certain hedgehog: An ornate bracelet made from rose-gold and palladium. An even ratio of sunstone and moonstone comprised the centerpiece, at which the metals converged.
“You see something you like?” Blaze asked, noticing her friend’s brief pause.
“Hmm?” It appeared that Sonic had zoned-out for a moment. “Oh, I’m just admiring some of the craftsmanship; never seen anything quite like it, honestly.”
“Indeed; artisans from all over the empire—and even beyond it—come here to trade,” she explained, before turning to ask her companion: “Are you fond of jewelry?”
“I mean, it’s alright. I really only have one piece.” He slid the cuff of his left glove upward, revealing a round, green gem set in a quite ancient, yet nonetheless beautifully carved, silver bracelet. “It’s a parting gift from a good friend.” A tinge of sadness laced the hedgehog’s voice, though it quickly returned to its usual, joyful tone as he moved his glove back into place. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to buy something; a souvenir, perhaps?”
Sonic briefly stuttered at the question. “O-oh, well… I mean, it’d be cool to have, but I don’t think my dimension’s cash’ll work here, y’know? And it wouldn’t be right to make you pay for it, either…” He then noticed the playful grin that had been forming on his friend’s face. “What?”
“Hm, this all feels strangely familiar…” Blaze answered teasingly; “If I recall correctly, we had a pretty similar discussion regarding a certain sundress back in your dimension, did we not?”
“I, uh…”
“Think of it as me returning the favor.”
The hedgehog paused, before chuckling in acquiescence. “Alright, if you say so.”
As the evening hours crept closer, the duo found themselves racing through a familiar locale as they returned to the Imperial Palace.
Despite being the fastest thing alive, Sonic soon remembered that it wouldn’t do him much good if he didn’t even know what route to take. And thus, he eventually found himself at a dead end. But before he could double back, he was greeted by the princess herself.
“Lost, are we?” she asked with a smirk.
“What? Nah, ’m just… y’know, taking the scenic route.” He stood tall, even as Blaze retaliated with a quirked brow.
“The scenic route? During a race? You’re bolder than I thought…”
“What can I say? It’s a good way to spice things up!”
By now, it was difficult for the two to hold in their laughter, and so they soon found themselves chuckling at their own antics.
“Be that as it may,” Blaze began again; “I believe it would be best to make haste, if we want to have enough time for dinner.” She lent the hedgehog an outstretched hand, offering to guide him through the rest of Solstice.
“Well, I can’t argue with that.” And he accepted her invitation.
“…A whole kingdom that runs on steam?” Tails repeated, baffled.
“Yup! It’s a fair dinkum marvel!” Marine was quite enthusiastic, although her mood soured for a brief moment. “’S a bloody shame that they’ve put the kibosh on travel there; would’ve loved to have a gander ’round there someday, furphy be damned!”
But before the young fox could reply, he was interrupted by the residual sounds of a sonic boom, signifying Sonic and Blaze’s return from their tour. It looked as if they were in the midst of their own conversation, although it must’ve paused once the hedgehog spotted his younger brother.
“Tails, buddy!” he called out. “How was it? Did ’ya see anything cool?”
“Man, where do I even start? Technology evolved in an entirely separate way, here! I mean, aviation as we know it isn’t really a thing, but instead they’ve managed to harness steam and Sol Energy in ways we haven’t even dreamt of! It may look like magic, but I’m fairly confident that there’s a lot of underlying logic to these systems…” The kit’s eyes were practically sparkling as he described what he had learned.
As the fox, hedgehog, and raccoon engaged in conversation, Blaze was approached by one of the palace staff members—an unfamiliar-looking pigeon.
“E-excuse me, Your Highness,” she began, and the princess could already tell that the young woman was still learning the ropes. “The, um, guests’ rooms are fully prepared.”
“Excellent; thank you for telling me,” Blaze responded. Once the pigeon began to take her leave, however, the princess called out to her. “Hold on a moment; I never got your name.”
“O-oh! My dearest apologies, Your Highness. M-my name is Plucky…”
“It is wonderful to meet you, Plucky. And please, we’ve no need for monikers,” she replied with a smile and an outstretched hand.
“O-of course, Your— I mean, Princess Blaze,” Plucky corrected herself, and shook the cat’s hand.
Once the two chats concluded, Blaze brought her friends upstairs to show them where they would be staying the night. Once there, she was met with a surprising amount of resistance coming from Sonic.
“Y’know, I’m cool with stayin’ outdoors to save your guys the hassle of maintainin’ a room for me.”
“Sonic,” the princess sternly began. “It is not right of me to sleep in a palace whilst one of my guests—a friend of mine, no less—sleeps on the dirt outside.”
“Y-yeah, but…” His fingers combed through his quills for a moment. “I wouldn’t want to skewer the mattress, y’know?”
“This palace is hundreds of years old, and some of its previous inhabitants were, in fact, hedgehogs. Our staff are readily equipped to accommodate your quills.”
“Is that so…?” Sonic paused, and eventually acquiesced. “Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” To accent his words, he flashed a reassuring smirk.
Despite this, Blaze had noticed a tinge of wariness in his smile, although she decided not to inquire.
With their sleeping arrangements settled, they could finally start dinner. Of course, dining in the great hall would be the obvious choice, but Blaze felt that simply remaining in the palace would be discordant to the nature of her friends’ vacation. Instead, she picked out a quaint restaurant not far from the palace for them to eat at, and the four of them soon made their way over to the establishment.
Overall, dinner had progressed smoothly. Between Sonic’s careful adaptation to the restaurant’s atmosphere, Tails’ not-so-subtle attempts at snatching a few mints, and Marine being… well, herself, Blaze found their evening quite pleasant: They had good food, nice chats, and a relaxing walk back to the palace.
The sun was just barely still peaking over the horizon when they returned, and it wouldn’t be long before nighttime would begin urging them to sleep. Soon enough, a certain fox began visibly succumbing to the encroaching night’s embrace.
“Hey, bud; you ready to call it a night?” Sonic asked after noticing his brother’s growing drowsiness.
“No, I’m…” Tails yawned. “I’m not tired.”
“Sure, but you can’t be stayin’ up all night, bro; you need a good night’s sleep.”
“But we’re on vacation!” the kit whined, although his pleas were betrayed by his slowly drooping eyelids.
“Which is exactly why there won’t be any projects of yours to save ya, here,” the hedgehog chuckled while he affectionately tousled Tails’ hair. “Now, c’mon.”
After a momentary pout, the young fox finally relented: “…Fine.” And soon after, he found himself drifting off to sleep in Sonic’s arms.
A few minutes after he returned, Marine also decided to head to bed for the night, which left Sonic and Blaze as the last ones awake.
For a while, the two chose to simply chat and enjoy each other’s company. But before long, they found themselves growing tired as well. And so, they wished each other a good night’s sleep, and left for their rooms.
Unfortunately for Sonic, a simple wish wouldn’t be enough.
The mattress the hedgehog laid on gave him no comfort while he twitched under his painful sleep. The many moments of quickened breathing and flared quills were apparently too much for Sonic, as he suddenly shot straight upright, drenched in a cold sweat. As soon as he caught his breath, he wasted no time in throwing himself from the bed, slipping on his shoes, and bolting out the door. The palace halls were all but a blur to him as he sprinted towards his brother’s room. Skidding to a halt once he reached the door, he went for its handle; however, it only took this brief moment for his mind to finally catch up.
He paused, finally able to assess his surroundings. There were no wires stabbed into his back; no blood staining his gloves; no steel mask boring into him with its gaze… He was in the Sol Dimension; they were on vacation with Blaze and Marine; no harm could have possibly come to his brother... And yet, were he to close his eyes, he could not help but see that crumpled, broken body; the sanguine slowly infecting white and yellow fur; and those eyes—ones that should be brimming with life and optimism, yet were now only empty and unblinking…
He wished he could believe the rational side of his brain, but it failed to drown out how the images screamed at him to rush to his brother’s aid. He hovered over the handle, trembling. The images did not fade. Eventually, he gave in and nudged the door ajar…
…
Lying on the bed was the fox, lightly snoring as the subtle rise and fall of his chest shifted the covers.
Sonic breathed a heavy sigh of relief and slowly closed the door. He quickly had to brace himself on the nearby wall to prevent his own collapse. He’s fine… he thought; of course he’s fine! Why wouldn’t he be fine? We’re on vacation! There is no danger! We’re safe… He’s safe… And yet, he still saw his brother’s lifeless form behind his eyelids…
Acquiescing to the fact that he wasn’t going to get sleep anytime soon, the hedgehog decided to wander the palace halls.
There was a dreamlike serenity that rested upon the palace, what with the beautiful intricacy of its architecture, the steel blue light from the moon peering through the windows to illuminate a path, or simply the knowledge that he was the only one passing through these halls at this hour; everyone else had, wisely, chosen to sleep. Although, there was also an uncanniness present within the lifeless corridors that Sonic just couldn’t pinpoint.
As he drifted through the castle, the hedgehog’s mind began trying to torture him with the remnants of his dream; the way the passage of time failed to dilute them, almost becoming more opaque instead, was downright anomalous. And why must his mind force him to dwell on such things in the first place? Why can’t he be permitted to enjoy his vacation with his friends? The world gave him a respite—a moment to reconnect with friends—and yet his mind chose to squander it?
Sonic glanced around in search of some sort of distraction. Soon enough, his eyes fell upon the wall to his left, which was adorned with portraits, undoubtedly emperors and empresses from years gone by. In other words: Blaze’s relatives. It was a hallway lined with history.
The hedgehog’s scanning of the paintings was done, for the most part, modestly. The Sol Empire’s long history was certainly an intriguing topic, but it was not something Sonic was capable of dwelling on at this moment.
…That was until he came across the final painting.
It depicted three felines: A light-magenta cat in an embroidered red tailcoat, along with a gemstone adorning her forehead. A slight smile was all that betrayed her otherwise stern expression. An indigo cat sat next to her, his robes an extravagant mix of white and purple; his face held long whiskers and a kind, gentle smile. And, sitting upon his lap, was a lavender kitten who must’ve been no older than six—a young princess Blaze.
“I should’ve known that a single tour wouldn’t be enough to tire you out.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Sonic quickly whipped his head around in search of its owner; almost as quickly did he spot a certain feline princess leaning by the balcony, highlighted by the moon. “Blaze? Why’re you up so late?” he questioned, his voice qualifying as a whisper only in the loosest of definitions.
“I could ask you the same thing, hedgehog,” the cat teased, before beckoning him over. Judging from her nightgown and the fact that this was one of the first times he had ever seen her with her hair down, Sonic could assume that Blaze, too, was prematurely ejected from the comforts of sleep; his suspicions were practically confirmed once he reached the balcony, as he was able to discern bags under her eyes. Or had those always been there, and he had just failed to notice them until now?
“I’m sorry if I’m… intruding on anything…” he began to murmur, only to trail off at the sound of his friend’s chuckle.
“Please, you have nothing to apologize for. You’re my guest; it would be rude of me to confine you solely to your room.” She glanced back to the horizon and sighed. “Besides, it’s… nice, having some company every once-in-a-while…”
Sonic leaned on the railing as he took in the vista before him: The grand city of Solstice at rest. Even the dazzling quilt of stars in the sky was completely visible—it appears that light pollution wasn’t as prominent in the empire as Tails had thought.
Perhaps it was due to his drowsiness, but the Blue Blur found this all to be a tad bit overwhelming: To think that all of this was Blaze’s duty to protect and to govern… he failed to even fathom the amount of pressure that must be upon her shoulders. He had inferred that her obligations must have been imposing before, but to this extent? And for how long? From what age was this thrust onto her? If the portrait was the first he had seen of her parents, then did that mean…?
“Sometimes… Sometimes I don’t realize how grateful I am to finally have friends.” The princess’s words snapped Sonic out of his thoughts. “Sol knows that I would’ve gone mad were I by my lonesome much longer. Intriguing how quickly one can take things for granted…”
“Well, if you ask me…” the hedgehog began, his companion turning to face him; “I’d say that’s a good sign. Shows that your mind’s willing to embrace these sorta things, y’know?”
“Perhaps…” Blaze then proceeded to step back from the railing and motion towards Sonic. “Care to walk with me?”
“Sure; don’t see why not.” And so, the two departed from the balcony to roam the palace.
Their trek through the imperial palace commenced mostly in silence. Not an awkward silence by any means, but instead a sort of mutually appreciated tranquility. They passed by a multitude of rooms—including Blaze’s study—and eventually made a detour through the library.
Rows of bookshelves towered over the pair as they explored the labyrinth of literature. The arrays of both fiction and nonfiction books were striking, with Blaze mentioning that some of the texts dated back hundreds of years. Sonic even admitted—much to the princess’s surprise—that he always had a soft-spot for literature, and could see himself spending quite a lot of time here.
They did not linger for too long in the library, though, and had soon proceeded back into the hallway. After a few moments, they again crossed a threshold, this time into the foyer. And as they descended its steps, Sonic inquired about the beautifully decorated ceiling above them.
Blaze explained that the mural portrayed the coalition between her ancestors and the peoples of Sky Babylon—the agreement which birthed the Sol Empire. The alliance formed out of a need to defend against the grieving goddess of order, Sol; the very one they mourned through the empire’s name. She also pointed out the first Guardian of the Sol Emeralds, an electricity-wielding cat, who fought against the raging deity. Near the end of Blaze’s legend, it depicted how the survivors abandoned the destroyed city and settled on the continent they stood upon now. Finally, it showed their old, mystic home of Sky Babylon returning to the heavens.
Sonic was left mystified by the tale. Perhaps he just didn’t think much about it on his previous adventure here, but he had never expected Blaze’s world to have such a rich, breathtaking history.
Eventually, their wanderings concluded in the palace courtyard, where the two decided to rest for a moment. It consisted of small, quiet gardens and a central fountain, all of which were circumscribed by pristine hedges.
“Wow…” Sonic spoke as he admired a patch of oak- and crisp-leafed geraniums—he swore he could even detect a faint smell of lemon. “Who tends to these?”
“Gardon does; he is quite fond of plants.” Blaze walked by one of the boxwood shrubs, gently taking one of the finely-trimmed branches in her hand. “I’ll admit, I was somewhat shocked when I first learned of this hobby of his, though that was many years ago.”
“Well, he’s done a pretty great job. I could see him competing with Amy in one of those flower competitions she does.”
“Mhmm,” was the princess’s vague acknowledgement, her attention now supposedly on a blackthorn bush, but the shuddering inhale that followed betrayed something deeper.
“Yo, Blaze? Are you alright?”
“I’m… everything’s f-fine.” She heard the hedgehog’s approach and took a glance at him, only to immediately avert her eyes once she saw the worry etched onto his face. “There’s n-nothing to worry a-about…”
He didn’t buy it. “I… Do you wanna sit down?” He said, gesturing to a nearby bench.
The cat paused for a moment, before nodding.
A vignette of scabiouses and pasture roses surrounded the bench the two were seated at, whilst a deafening silence draped over them. The princess was solemnly staring at the ground; her hedgehog companion, meanwhile, was enveloped with concern for his friend. Before long, he spoke: “What’s been bothering you?”
“I told you, there’s noth—” she cut herself off when she took another glance at Sonic. Sighing, she altered her tactics. “I… It’s not something I should bother you with.”
“Blaze—”
“I know; it’s just… It’s on me for letting this keep me up all the time.” She tried to ignore how his eyes widened at that statement. “It’s silly for me to worry about these things—there are much more important matters for me to deal with.”
Sonic looked at her for a moment, placing a gentle hand on the cat’s shoulder. “Look, Blaze… I’m not going to try and force you to talk about this if you really don’t want to, but…” He looked off to the side for a brief moment, before returning his focus to her. “It’s not healthy to keep all this bottled up inside you, y’know? Sooner or later it’ll…” He trailed off.
She sighed again, her gaze drifting towards the stone fountain in the center of the courtyard.
There was another moment of silence as the two gazed off into the distance. Eventually, however, Blaze spoke up:
“It started years ago…” she began, eyes still fixated on nothing in particular. “I had only just started displaying signs of my pyrokinesis, and I eventually even began my training. I’ll admit, I was… very clumsy back then. That was not the biggest worry, all things considered, until…” She let out a shaky sigh. “Until Eggman Nega appeared.
“We… There had never been a threat on that scale before—at least, that I knew of. He attacked Zodiac and… and he captured my cousin…” Blaze was shaking at this point, but she continued onward. “My parents went after him, only to come back e-empty handed…
“My mother, she… I’m not entirely sure, but this sparked something in her. If she wasn’t training me to become the next guardian, she was locking herself in the barracks. I… I remember overhearing my father talk to her about this: He was so worried for her and… she eventually told him how… h-how scared she was…
“And it was because of me…
“She was so scared of what might happen to me, were I not able to defend myself. Knowing that I, and my utter failure at controlling my flames, had been what p-put so much stress on my mother, I…” She took in another shuddering breath. “It was unbearable…”
Blaze paused for a few moments to breathe.
“They had promised each other to… to not lose hope, but… a few m-months later… my f-father, he…” That brief pause failed to help; she was desperately holding back a sob. “He was murdered…”
Sonic took one of Blaze’s hands in his, in hopes of grounding her. Eventually, she continued:
“The doctor, he attacked again, and…” Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. “T-that was the first funeral I’ve ever attended…
“My mother w-was never the same, after that… I don’t even think she even smiled anymore… or cried…” A shiver coursed through her body. “She was j-just so focused on our training… and on avenging my father…
“I had… a much better control over my flames by then, but it was never near close enough to protect myself, or to become the next Emerald Guardian… I never really saw my mother outside of the barracks anymore. She was always preparing herself for another attack.” Blaze’s breathing quickened briefly as a memory returned to her. “Sol, she was so thin…”
Another period of silence prevailed.
“As part of our training, we cadets—once we reached a certain age—were to assist the current Guardian of the Sol Emeralds in her duties, although being called back if a situation became too dire. When the doctor returned, a few of us—myself included—accompanied my mother.
“We were called back, of course, but n-not before… Not before I saw m-my mother fall . I rushed over and… t-there she was…” Blaze lightly squeezed Sonic’s hand. “Dead…”
Blaze went quiet for a while, the sounds of her breathing being all that was present in the courtyard.
She did, eventually, speak once again: “I don’t remember much of what happened, after that… Just that Eggman Nega was defeated, and… and how the battlefield was nothing but ash…
“With the death of the Emerald Guardian, the declaration of a new guardian was imminent… I’m still not sure why, but the Sol Emeralds… they had chosen me…” She stared at her hands for a moment. “The other cadets didn’t take this all too well… I don’t really blame them… For someone as clumsy and dangerous as me to become the next guardian, it was… unfathomable…
“And not to mention the fact that this was the first time in centuries the heir to the throne and the Guardian of the Sol Emeralds were one and the same… rumors of nepotism quickly spread, solidifying my peers’ choice in shunning me…”
Once more, the cat paused, although now she had stopped shaking. She took in a deep breath, then resumed.
“Even now, in my dreams, I still see them—both the other cadets, and my parents. Desperately, I cry out to them not to leave me; to be given another chance; to be told that they still believed in me… It changes nothing. I… I still end up alone… in the void… Forced to eventually acknowledge that I’ll remain this way… forever…”
Sonic was about to take a moment to register all that Blaze had said, but stopped himself; the information was still churning in the back of his mind, but the here and now was much more important. He gently took Blaze’s other hand, prompting her to face him.
“Blaze, you are not alone.” His voice was firm, yet warm, as he spoke. “Marine, Cream, Amy, Tails ’n’ me… we’ll always be here for you. Well, we do live in other dimensions, but, heh, you know what I mean.” He allowed himself a brief moment of lightheartedness, before his tone sobered back. “While I can’t undo what happened with your parents—what Eggman Nega did to you—never be afraid to come and reach out to us… even if it’s just to have someone to talk to. Your friends will always be there to help you, Blaze; never forget that.”
The princess sat there for a while as the hedgehog’s words washed over her. She had tried to use such thoughts in the past to prevent sleepless nights, though often to no avail. And yet, Sonic’s words still brought comfort to her, along with a small smile. “I… am feeling a tad better. I’ll… try to keep what you said in mind.”
“That’s the spirit!”
He almost began to stand up, but Blaze’s words caught him before he could. “Hold on, what about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“What kept you up? I’ve told you my woes, it would be only fair if I tried to help you with yours.”
“Oh, pssh.” He instinctively dismissed the notion. “It’s no big deal, really.”
“Sonic. If something is troubling you, then it is important.”
“It’s… it’s really nothin’ I should be worrying you about, Blaze. ’Sides, it’s gettin’ late, so we should prob—”
The hedgehog tried getting up to escape the confrontation, but the princess’s firm grip on his wrist prevented him.
“Sonic…” she began in an almost stern voice. “‘It’s not healthy to keep all this bottled up inside yourself.’ Is that not what you told me earlier?” The hedgehog winced at her words. She continued: “Please, let me help you as you have helped me. You shouldn’t face this alone.”
It took him a few moments, but he eventually sat back down on the bench. He had not spoken yet, instead only glancing around the courtyard and bouncing his leg. Finally, he let out a sigh, and chuckled awkwardly: “I dunno where to start, really. I, uh… ’S not really my thing, I guess?”
“Hmm…” Blaze pondered for a moment. “Well, let’s start with whatever specifically’s keeping you up. What was it that was in your dreams—if that’s what this concerns.”
The hedgehog’s pause felt almost eternal. He fidgeted with his hands, and his gaze never stayed in one place. If Blaze hadn’t been focused, she would have missed the single, quiet word he finally uttered: “T-Tails…”
The princess did a double-take. “Tails? Your brother?”
He gave a slow, hesitant nod. “I keep… seeing him… ever since I escaped Eggman’s prison… The number of times I was— Argh.” Sonic’s tone shifted completely, shaking his head as if he were trying to rid his mind of something. “Gaia, I’m sorry, Blaze; I shouldn’t be forcing this all on you—”
She went to place a stabilizing hand on his shoulder. “Sonic, it’s okay. You’re not forcing anything on me.” The cat showed him a patient smile. “Please, continue.”
“Okay…” the hedgehog acquiesced. “In… In my dreams… Tails, he…” A shudder ran through his body. “I see him dying…”
Blaze’s breath hitched for a moment, but she was successful in keeping her expression otherwise stable. She would be there for her friend, and thus must remain tactful.
“It’s all because of that damned jackal!” Sonic nearly shouted. “The things he forced me to see every day; being reminded of what must’ve been happening to everyone because of my failure… I should never have let that happen! If it wasn’t for I-Infinite, maybe I’d be able to allow Tails to enjoy his time here, and not fret over everything instead.
“…But that’s not entirely true, though, is it? This… This all started way before all of that—back at the Lost Hex…” The shaking of his hands was almost violent. “The Deadly Six, they… they captured him and…
“While, yes, we were able to undo the roboticization, but… what if we couldn’t? What if… it was permanent? What if… what if they had just killed Tails instead? How could I have let that possibility occur? Gaia, why?”
Sonic shot up to his feet, clutching his head. His feline companion immediately rushed to his side. “Sonic! What’s—”
“Why am I even thinking this?”
“Sonic, please—”
“I shouldn’t be worried over this! I am Sonic the Hedgehog! Tails survived; that’s all that matters! Why am I letting myself be stuck in the past? W-why am I…”
Sonic stumbled back onto the bench. “Oh, Gaia… Blaze, I’m… I’m so sorry… I…”
Blaze lowered herself to look him in the eye. “Sonic, it’s okay… I’m here.”
After a while, he spoke again: “There… there was one other time. It was only a few months ago…”
Blaze moved to reseat herself next to him. “When you had crash-landed here?”
“Yeah. Eggman… we thought he was done; he had lost all his memories, ’stead was just fixing things for people…” He spoke slowly, trying not to stumble over his words. “I let him go, and everyone had to pay the price for it.
“He created a plague, and… if it wasn’t for Silver, we’d all be…” Another chill shot through him. “So much pain… So much suffering… It was all my fault; I should’ve listened. I should have…” he trailed off.
“Sonic,” the princess began, cutting through the silence that threatened to separate them once more; “was your choice… was it what you thought was right?”
“It certainly turned out to be wrong—”
“No. I mean… at the time, do you think it was the right thing to do?”
Sonic said nothing, but gave a cautious nod.
“Then that’s what matters most. Perhaps there was some variable which you couldn’t have predicted; maybe the world intended for it to be the right thing to do, but it was prevented from making it so?”
Blaze only heard him murmur, “That’s right…”, but she could swear she saw the word ‘star’—or, at least, some form of it—leave his lips soon after. She continued onward:
“What I’m trying to say is: You did what you believed was right; you were true to yourself, and I can only admire you for that.”
Sonic took a glance towards her. To the cat’s dismay, he tried to retreat back under his mask: “Well, this’s been great, but I’m f-fine, really—”
“Sonic the Hedgehog!” she scolded, before quickly calming herself. “I just… I wish I knew sooner. I would have done anything I could to help if I knew this was tormenting you.”
“Nah, you really don’t have to worry—”
“Sonic.” Blaze seized his shoulders. “Don’t abscond from my aid! I…” She paused; then, much to the hedgehog’s surprise, she embraced him. “I want to help you… Please, don’t run away.”
Guilt coursed through his veins—she sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. Slowly, he began to reciprocate the hug.
Neither of them knew how long they stayed in each other’s arms; frankly, neither cared to know.
Eventually, however, they had to part.
“We better get back to bed, don’tcha think?” the hedgehog stated, lightly rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We oughta get up early so we don’t leave Tails and Marine hangin’.”
“Agreed. However;” the princess caught him before he could sneak off. “Promise me that you’ll let us check in on you?”
Sonic paused for a brief moment, slightly brushing up against a lilac bush. “Alright… Goodnight, Blaze.”
“Sleep well, Sonic the Hedgehog.”
Before the two departed to their respective chambers, the Blue Blur turned around to say one last thing to the princess: “Oh, and… Thank you…”
Blaze remained silent, but returned a warm smile.
Despite her hopes, restlessness still plagued the remainder of Blaze’s night. She awoke groggy with images of abandonment lingering in her mind.
There was a knock at the door, which was soon followed by one of the palace maids entering with the princess’s morning tea. Blaze gratefully accepted the beverage and bid the staff member farewell; after getting herself ready for the day, she left for the dining hall.
She soon discovered that Tails and Marine were not only awake but already finishing their breakfast. Sonic, however, was nowhere to be seen—perhaps he was just out on a short jog? Blaze decided to only ponder the topic after she had something to eat.
Even after she had finished her meal, the blue hedgehog had yet to show up; and so, Blaze asked the others if they had seen him.
She was informed that neither the fox nor the raccoon had seen Sonic at all this morning.
A previously overlooked seed of worry within the princess’s mind had begun to sprout; she quickly attempted to dismiss it, internally justifying his absence with the idea that the hedgehog was simply a heavy sleeper. Therefore, she decided to go back up and wake him.
When she reached the room Sonic was staying in and went to knock, there was a brief moment of hesitation—was this truly necessary? Or were her dreams of isolation simply instilling needless concern?
She pushed those thoughts away. No, I am simply checking in on a friend, she thought as she opened the door.
Past the threshold, Blaze discovered a mass of flared, blue quills curled on top of the mattress; she could not tell if the slight shaking was truly present or just a trick of the light.
“Sonic?” she called out; the hedgehog only subtly shifted in response. Blaze glanced around, quite uncertain as to what exactly she should do. After a brief pause, the cat slowly approached the bedside; another wave of hesitation hit her, but failed to convince her not to place a hand onto the shoulder of her sleeping friend.
Once she did so, Sonic jolted awake and brought his hands up defensively. Once he realized where he was, however, the hedgehog relaxed.
“Oh, it’s just you…” he sighed. “Heh, sorry ’bout that, Blaze; didn’t mean to freak out on you.”
Her worries were not yet eased. “Sonic, are you alright?”
Reflexively, he began to dismiss the question, but quickly caught himself. Remembering last night’s discussion, he briefly admitted: “Just a bad dream. No big deal, really.”
Blaze did not look convinced, but decided not to push it right now. “I see… Well, Marine, Tails, and I already had breakfast—you should head downstairs and grab a bite to eat so we can all head out.”
Sonic agreed without issue. Although, Blaze couldn’t help but notice how Sonic’s tired expression forcibly vanished right before entering the dining hall.
After an exchange of greetings, the hedgehog went to grab a bite to eat. As he did so, the remaining cat, fox, and raccoon began to discuss their plans for the day. After Tails mentioned that there’s still some catching-up for him and Marine to do, Blaze suggested that the four of them take a trip over to Southern Island. The two concurred, and so now all that was left was to ask Sonic if he was okay with postponing his tour by a day.
“Sounds great! I can’t wait to see what Marine’s whipped up since we were last here,” answered the hedgehog once he was informed of their plans.
“Mate, I know just the thing you oughta give a burl!” was the sailor’s response.
Despite having ventured across the Nebula Archipelago before, Sonic was just as excited to explore it again. And although the hedgehog has never been a fan of vast bodies of water, a craft such as a jetski seemed to be enough to put him at ease and thus able to joyride.
Blaze and Tails watched as their two friends raced across the water; a speedster and a seafarer, determined to prove to the other their masteries. The onlookers couldn’t help but smile at the antics.
After the competition simmered down—the true winner of which being left undecided—Sonic drifted back over to the dock to ask Blaze if she wanted to join him on a ride. Unfortunately, a night with minimal sleep had left the princess a tad lightheaded, and so she refused.
Later, the group met up at Marine’s house on Southern Island; the raccoon herself had dragged Tails off to show him some of her projects, leaving Sonic, Blaze, and Gardon to chat with a few members of the Coconut Crew.
Blaze, however, found herself drifting away from the conversation. It wasn’t that she disliked it, by any means; she simply felt that she did not have the energy required to adequately participate. She took a moment to observe the relaxed hedgehog and oddly tense koala; I’m certain they can hold their own, she thought to herself with a chuckle.
And so, after explaining that she needed some fresh air, Blaze departed.
After being greeted by the ocean’s gentle breeze, the princess paced across the shoreline, lost in thought. What a terrible host I must be, she chided herself internally. Sonic and Tails are finally able to visit and I won’t even bother spending time with them? She clenched her fist, and could tell it was ready to burst into flames if it weren’t for the sudden spell of dizziness returning. She noticed a nearby bench, at which she decided to sit as she attempted to soothe the tension wrapping around her skull.
With one hand at her head, Blaze wondered what her friends must think of her, what with her blatant inhospitality. To think that she was taught courtesy at every corner throughout her upbringing, only for her to completely forgo it because of a simple, meager headache? It was unacceptable, to the point where she wondered if she really did deserve the—
“Yo, Blaze!” She was awoken from her brief stupor by the approaching hedgehog. “You feeling alright? You seemed kinda out of it, today.”
“Oh, I am just a bit tired,” she responded after a brief pause.
Sonic sat down next to her. “Did you…” he began cautiously; “did you still have trouble sleeping?”
The princess hesitantly shrugged. “Somewhat, yes. Although there was nothing… concrete, if you will.”
The Blue Blur hummed in understanding, then glanced around. “Tails ’n’ Marine are gonna roast marshmallows soon, if you want any.”
She shook her head. “I am not hungry; thank you, though.”
“I get it. ’Sides, that's quite a gorgeous sunset, over there.”
Blaze shot him a smirk. “Hm, I never took you as one who’d appreciate such a sedentary activity,” she teased.
“Hey, I’m not that one-note!” he said in faux-offense, and they shared a laugh.
Their gazes were drawn back to the horizon, and Blaze had to agree with Sonic’s earlier statement: “It is quite beautiful.” She took in the sounds of the waves against the shore—the wind brushing against the palm trees—the seagulls returning to their homes for the night; it was all wonderfully serene. She subconsciously rested her head on her hedgehog companion’s shoulder. “Thank you, Sonic…”
The hedgehog himself was surprised at his friend’s movements, but did not protest. “W-what for?”
“Just… being here…” She nuzzled up to him slightly. “It’s nice… having you around…”
A rare blush tinted his face. “No problem. I kinda wish I got to spend more time here, honestly…”
“…I’m glad,” Blaze quietly murmured, before succumbing to the gentle embrace of sleep.
Sonic found himself in a stunned silence. He gently nudged the cat’s shoulder, but that only resulted in her shifting to rest her head on his lap instead. He heard a subtle rumbling, and it took him a moment to realize what it was…
She was purring!
This was… quite unprecedented; at least, from his experience. When he first met her back in Leaf Storm Zone all those years ago, he would have never expected that she’d eventually be comfortable enough with him to fall asleep on his lap. A small smile crept onto his face.
Of course, Sonic didn’t dare disturb Blaze from her slumber. He knew for a fact that she was in desperate need of sleep, and he was content in being immobilized by her if it meant that the princess would finally get some rest. He gave Tails and Marine an uncharacteristically sheepish wave when they eventually discovered his predicament; he could also tell that the latter of the two was already formulating plans for how to tease the princess the next day.
Even after the stars finally revealed themselves, Blaze did not stir. Sonic had tried to rouse her once it was time for them to return to the mainland, but it turned out that her nap was quite stubborn. Naturally, this left the hedgehog with only one option: Carrying the slumbering princess back to her castle.
He chose to accept this duty, and gently lifted the sleeping cat into his arms…
After reassuring a quite worried Gardon that the princess was merely asleep, Sonic was brought to Blaze’s room and gingerly placed her onto the bed. As he went to leave, however, the hedgehog felt a delicate grip on his arm. Turning, he saw Blaze’s pleading eyes as she rested on the brink of slumber.
“C-could you stay? …Please?” was her hushed request.
What followed was an eternity of silence. Sharing a bed felt invasive, and yet Sonic could not bring himself to reject Blaze.
Eventually, he acquiesced. He laid down next to the cat—making sure to allow her enough personal space—before the two drifted off to sleep.
There was no abyss; no isolation; no figures looking down upon her. For the first time, Blaze had awoken peacefully.
She had also awoken with her arms wrapped around a familiar, gently-snoring hedgehog.
The memories of the night prior came flooding back, causing the princess’s face to heat up. And yet, she didn’t chastise herself for the decision; it had finally brought her a good night’s sleep, after all. As much as the thought made her blush, she… wouldn’t exactly mind if she awoke like this more often…
A quiet gasp came from her bedroom doorway. Turning, Blaze saw a familiar maid who was looking quite shocked. Plucky must’ve been intending to give the princess her morning tea, but quickly became apologetic, believing that she was intruding on something personal; she placed the cup on a nearby table then swiftly departed the room.
…Okay, Blaze might regret the gossip that’ll inevitably spawn from this, but that’s a cost she’ll just have to accept.
“Hmm…? Blaze?” Sonic began to stir. It seemed that the cat’s attempt to call the maid back only succeeded in rousing her companion. “What’re— Oh…” A faint blush made itself known on the hedgehog’s muzzle once his situation became apparent. “Right… I suppose I have some explaining to do?”
The princess responded with a light giggle. “There is no need; I am… well aware of the events of last night…” The crimson tint of her cheeks only grew as she spoke. “I will admit, I cannot recall the l-last time I slept so soundly.”
“Hey! Well that’s good news!” Unfortunately, restlessness was not fully purged from Sonic’s night. Although, whenever he did find himself awaking in a cold sweat, he found that Blaze’s presence beside him was surprisingly grounding. For a brief moment, he wondered what it’d be like to wake up like this more often, but that thought was quickly dismissed. Instead, he simply stood up from the bed and stretched. “Where’re we headin’ off to today?”
Blaze chuckled at his eagerness. “I think that’s something we ought to decide after breakfast, Sonic.”
“Heh, fair enough.”
And then, silence. With nothing more to say, the awkwardness of their situation grew increasingly apparent. Sonic tried his best to break the ice:
“So… should we, uh… grab a bite to eat?”
“Y-you go on ahead; I still need to get changed.”
“O-oh, right.”
Once the hedgehog took his leave, Blaze took a moment to gather her scrambling, yet oddly giddy, thoughts.
Being the last day of Sonic’s vacation, it was decided that they would finish up their tour of the Sol Empire, albeit now accompanied by Marine and Tails as well. Their first stop was both the capital of Eclipse and one of the entertainment capitals of the empire itself: Corona.
Upon their arrival, the quartet quickly found themselves amidst a bustling crowd. Usually, the princess would find herself singled out when amongst a mob such as this, but it was quite evident that someone else had taken the public’s attention. It took the party maneuvering into a sparser area for them to see the guitar-wielding beaver who managed to so deeply captivate the audience.
For a while, the four were content to simply relax and let the music wash over them. It was only until the saxophone solo did Sonic notice how Blaze was staring off into space, seemingly oblivious to the concert the group found themselves in.
He gave the cat a gentle nudge to ask if she was okay, unintentionally causing her to jolt out of her trance. She was quick to recollect her bearings, informing her slightly concerned friend that she was simply lost in thought for a brief moment. The hedgehog decided to take her word for it, although he could have sworn that he saw the faintest hint of a blush on her muzzle.
Throughout this trip, Tails found the Sol Empire absolutely fascinating, and Halo—the capital of Aurora—was no exception. It was so culturally different from Eclipse, it almost felt like he had entered another world; he could swear that they even had their own technology that was entirely separate from what he saw in Nova.
But as the fox went about chatting with Sonic and asking Marine and Blaze for nearly everything they knew about this province, he couldn’t help but notice something off about the princess in particular. She sounded a tad less… focused, whenever he asked a question. He worried that he might’ve done something to upset her, but when he asked, Blaze reassured him that she was just a bit distracted by something, and that he had nothing to worry about.
Tails felt much better, after that; although, he found it odd that, when asked about what was keeping her mind occupied, Blaze looked almost embarrassed. He decided not to pry further, especially since he only had an hour or so left before he and Sonic had to leave.
When they reached the city of Remnant, Tails immediately dragged his brother over to one of the science museums that he had visited on his first day of vacation. Being more familiar with the technology and history showcased in the province of Nova, Blaze and Marine had opted to stay back and chat, instead.
“So, looks like yer mate there is more than just a mate, eh?” Marine asked teasingly.
The princess did a double-take. “Pardon?”
“Oi, I’m not blind! I’ve seen how you’ve been lookin’ at ’im.” The raccoon’s impish smirk grew wider as she spoke. “You fancy him!”
Blaze’s face exploded into a blush at those words, and she had to take a moment to breathe before giving her refutation: “Marine, your imagination is quite impressive, but… I can assure you t-that I have n-no idea what you’re talking about…”
“Oh, I reckon that I do, and I bet that a sheila such as yerself won’t have any troubles with wooing our spiky pal over there!”
“Wait, you aren’t saying that I… that I should…” Blaze stammered in bewilderment.
“I’m sayin’ that you oughta give it a fair go before it’s too late, ’cause it’s lookin’ like Tails is done talkin’ Sonic’s ear off!”
Marine was at least right about one thing—Sonic and Tails had finished their treks through Nova’s museums. And with the last province explored, Sonic’s tour of the Sol Empire was complete.
And that meant it wouldn’t be long before he and his brother had to head back home.
In spite of everything, it felt like Sonic and Tails’ departure arrived quicker than it should’ve. And as the Ocean Tornado drew closer to Zodiac, Blaze could not stifle the premature sense of longing that grew within her; she knew from the start that her friends would have to leave, yet that knowledge did nothing to ease the ensuing melancholy.
Before long, the Ocean Tornado docked, and the quartet disembarked from the ship. Zodiac’s coastline now lay before them and, for the first time in her life, Blaze felt not just saddened by it, but almost spiteful of what it represented: An unimaginably vast barrier which kept her from those she cared about; how dare it separate her from not just her friends, but the one who—
Blaze shook those selfish thoughts from her mind almost as quickly as they arrived; she would not end her friends’ vacation on a sour note. And so, she continued onward with the rest of the group over to the SS Tornado MK III.
Once they had arrived, Blaze heard a few sniffles coming from Marine; it seemed like she wasn’t the only one stricken by their friends’ impending leave. Tails, too, noticed the girl’s change in demeanor, and dejection soon formed on his face as the young sailor let her emotions spill out; this, of course, was emphasized by a nigh bone-crushing hug.
After rescuing his brother from Marine’s powerful embrace, Sonic bid his own farewells to the raccoon, alongside providing her with some well-needed reassurance; Tails, meanwhile, said his own heartfelt goodbyes to the observing princess, admitting that he felt bad for not spending much time with her. Blaze was quick to ease the fox’s worries, stating that there was no need for him to apologize. Following a brief hug, Tails flew up to his ship in preparation of setting sail, making only a brief stop by Marine to ask for her assistance with the mooring. This left Sonic and Blaze with the space needed to chat, before they were sent on their separate ways.
Blaze motioned to speak first: “S-Sonic, if I may, could I perhaps… talk with you in private?”
Concern briefly flashed on the hedgehog’s face before he responded: “Oh, sure. We can, uh, head onto the deck, if you’d like.”
The princess nodded in agreement, and the two boarded the ship to get away from prying eyes.
“So, what’s up?” Sonic asked once they had sufficient privacy.
“First off, I… I wanted to… t-to thank you. For staying with me, last night,” Blaze managed to say despite the whirlwind of feelings within her.
Sonic, too, seemed to have maintained some thoughts, judging by the newfound pink hue of his muzzle; of course, he still tried to mask it with a gentle smile. “Oh, well, that’s no problem. I, uh… d-didn’t mind it much, myself, y’know?”
“I am glad, but there’s… o-one other thing that…” she trailed off, her blush growing by the second and she tried to muster what to say. “S-Sonic, I… T-there’s something that…. What I’m trying t-to say is…” Try as she might, the princess was unable to find a series of words she deemed adequate.
After a few moments and a quizzical look from the hedgehog before her, Blaze’s resolve switched to a much bolder tactic. “Sol, forgive me…” she muttered under her breath, before stepping forward and pressing her lips to his in a brief kiss—inexperienced, yes, but its message held no uncertainty.
Sonic was left momentarily silent, but his mind was quickly able to register what had occurred. “Blaze… a-are you…?”
His words having temporarily cut off any resurfacing doubts of hers, the princess’s response was concise and definite: “Yes.”
There was another moment of silence, and the hedgehog’s expression grew abstract, almost uncertain. Worried that she might’ve gravely overstepped, Blaze began to retreat, only to be halted by a hand taking her own.
“Wait.”
The cat faced him once again, glancing between his contemplative expression and their interlocked hands.
Eventually, a smirk finally returned to Sonic’s face, which soothed some of that alien apprehension of his. “You’re not gonna settle for just that, are you?”
Blaze’s eyes went wide at those words and, before she knew it, he drew her closer to reprise their kiss.
She froze at first, but quickly melted into the embrace. Like its predecessor, the kiss was inexperienced—mutually so, even—but now, passion was allowed to flow freely between them; any unsaid questions regarding the existence of shared feelings were instantly resolved.
For a moment, it felt as if the world had paused—content with the two holding each other in their arms for eternity.
For a moment, all the extraneities of status, distance, inevitability, and so on were washed away, leaving them in their most earnest, unadulterated forms.
For a moment, they were free.
But, of course, they knew that they had to part.
They always had to part, eventually.
And like always, they stood hand-in-hand in hopes of delaying their sundering just a bit longer.
Finally, Blaze decided to break the silence: “I… I suppose this means we’re…” Her disbelief, however, was quickly followed by a sharp pang of sadness. “If only… if only we could stay like this.”
“Blaze, look at me,” Sonic began, his hand gently directing her gaze to him and wiping away a tear that the princess never even realized had been shed. “We will see each other again. I’m sure of that.”
“Yes… again…” she said after a pause, a few more tears falling in its wake. “I love you, Sonic the Hedgehog.”
“I love you too, Blaze; I always will.”
Blaze the Cat watched as the vessel left the pier and sailed towards the horizon, comforting the distraught raccoon beside her as she did so. She, too, was greatly saddened by the departure.
But even as the ship vanished into a great flash of light, there was something—a sort of indomitable force—that kept her reassured and fueled her hope. Something that might even let her rest easier, tonight.
An undying certainty that—
“We will see each other again…”