Archive of Our Own ^beta

The world returns from embers.

In the aftermath, the flame has fled and left gleaming ashes. Angled as if to pounce, Blaze lies crumpled on the rough ground. Her lilac fur and purple coat are covered in dust and gravel. Stagnant smoke crawls down her windpipe into her lungs, curling up inside her, heavier than lead. Weak as the extinguished flame, her hands twitch uselessly against the dirt beneath her. Her eyes are too heavy to open.

Somewhere next to her, a hedgehog stirs. His body shakes with hoarse coughs and gasps for air. The sun bears down on them, but its heat is cold as ice.

"Blaze?" he croaks.

There's a scraping sound as he drags himself closer to her. Why is he so far away? Hadn't they been together before...?

"Blaze!?"

His voice turns frantic, a pitch of panic, and only with the sharp intake of her own breath does she realise how flat her breathing had been. Then his hand falls on her back and suddenly, she cannot breathe at all. Spurred by adrenaline, she flinches back and tumbles into a crouch away from the danger. Finally, her eyes open.

The hedgehog's eyes seem to flicker for a moment, but they're the same shade of gold they've always been. His hand hovers halfway between them, his eyes fixed on her in a mix of worry and fear. As though she could disappear between one blink and the next, simply an apparition.

For a tense moment neither of them move – then she slumps as the pounding of her heart evens out into something more bearable.

"Silver," she murmurs, her voice cracked in the places where her heart has jumped into her throat.

Hearing her voice, his features soften in relief. The weight of his hand lands on her shoulder, almost too heavy to bear, while his other curls into a fist above his heart.

"You're okay!" he exclaims, his voice as rough as hers.

"So are you, I see," she whispers and swallows down a cough.

Aside from his ruffled, soot-covered fur and how he appears to be leaning on her when she herself has trouble keeping herself upright, her rudimentary once-over reveals no wounds. Any bruises he may have are hidden by his fur.

She is oscillating between adrenaline spikes and heavy lethargy that is quelling even the worry she should be feeling. If only she could fall back into unconsciousness until her body feels like hers again... but she can't, she has to be strong. She's the Guardian-

"The Sol Emeralds!" she gasps.

With sudden force, their absence ambushes her. Or rather, the absence of their energy. For all seven gems lie scattered in an arc around them, only they are dull and colourless. Their lifelessness almost seems to lick at her, and when she lunges for the one closest to her, she cries out. A static shiver spreads through the point of contact, from her hand up to her shoulder and into her heart, like the prickling numbness of blood returning to a limb. Silver has to catch her to keep her from falling over.

He rightens her and, once he's sure she'll remain upright, gathers up the Emeralds. They clink together like regular stones.

Blaze can only sit and stare, unable to comprehend. Not when her last memory is of their lustrous light, brighter than it has ever been before. Not when she remembers how they hummed with power as they... as she... what has she done with them? They must have been in danger but... but why would they...

And then the world opens up around her. The small bubble her awareness has kept itself in pops. A cacophony of impressions rush at her all at once, which she bears with helpless indifference. The wet smell of forest and mud hits her nose, mingling with the stale scent clinging to her and Silver. A sharp wind tugs at her without making a sound. The kind of unnatural silence that rushes to fill the vacuum after a calamity surrounds them.

In the distance, something rustles in the foliage.

Distantly aware of Silver's presence at her side, her gaze remains trained on the Sol Emeralds. The longer she stares, the more they blur together into a single black mass. Limply, she reaches for them again. The sensation is just as alien as the first time, forcing her to quickly retract her hand and shake out her wrist. She almost does it again, a desperate third time that wouldn't change anything. Are the gems... rejecting her? Silver could touch them without issue.

Heavy steps force her out of her thoughts.

"What's going on here?" a rough voice shouts moments before Silver calls out, "Who's there?"

Blaze looks behind her. It takes a few blinks to dispel the imprint of black from her vision, but when she can focus again, Silver has put himself between her and a red echidna standing at the edge of the perimeter. His hands are raised defensively in a mock mirror of the echidna's balled fists.

She's seen that echidna before. Hard to forget that shade of red.

"Knuckles?" she asks weakly.

"Blaze," Knuckles acknowledges gruffly without relaxing or even just lowering his fists. "And...?"

"I'm Silver," Silver replies, his chin defiantly raised.

At her nod, Silver reluctantly drops out of his defensive stance. Still he keeps his eyes on Knuckles as he steps back to her side and helps her up. His touch is soft, almost gentle, and she appreciates and hates it in equal measure. She's not so fragile as to need such treatment, but she also knows that he's not thinking about it that way.

Thankfully, though he still regards Silver warily, Knuckles no longer looks like he's a hair's breadth away from knocking him out. His expression deepens to a frown as he takes in the poor state that they're in, cautiously coming closer.

Blaze swallows. Her throat scratches like sandpaper. Then she takes a deep breath, straightens her spine and fends off Silver's hands that try to steady her as she sways on her feet.

"Sorry for the intrusion," she says, because with the way Knuckles is posturing, they are intruding somewhere.

"Cut the crap. Are you hurt?"

Straight to the point, as always. A quick glance shared with Silver reassures her earlier assessment; no blood is leaking through his thick pelt, any bruises are well hidden. Better off than her, judging by appearance. Her ribs and chest ache, though from what, she doesn't know. And that annoying fatigue bearing down on her... Though that's nothing that some rest shouldn't be able to fix.

"No, we're unharmed," she answers.

"I'll believe that when you're not covered in ten layers of dirt," Knuckles scoffs. "But fine. Then tell me, why are you here? How did you get here?"

At this question, her hair stands on end. Her mouth opens, confident that there will be an easy explanation on her tongue. But there is none. There is only the state of the Sol Emeralds nestled in the back of her head, waiting to crash over her again, and the gaps in her memory slowly surfacing.

Why are they here?

The last she remembers is walking together with Silver in the dark, her attention fixed on the sparkle in his golden eyes, her lips tugged into a small smile. Fire coursed through her veins, warm and kindling, and excitement sparked in her chest. And then...

Then she woke up here, that fire gone. The Sol Emeralds dull and lifeless, cast around their crumpled forms. No longer in her own dimension, judging by Knuckles's appearance, but across the border to Sonic's.

"What's wrong?" Knuckles presses.

She swallows and covertly draws closer to Silver.

"See for yourself." She spreads her arms and gestures to where the Emeralds lie, unable to look at them herself.

After studying her briefly, Knuckles kneels down next to them. One of his hands hovers over the gems without touching them, while his expression grows more troubled.

"I didn't want to believe it," he murmurs as he stands again. "But they really lost their power. I can't sense them at all."

"You can sense the Sol Emeralds?" Silver asks.

Knuckles nods. "Well enough. They resonate with the Chaos Emeralds, usually. But this... What happened to you?"

"I can't say," Blaze confesses. "What about you, Silver? We haven't exactly had a chance to talk before you showed up, Knuckles. How did you find us so quickly?"

"Let's say I had a hunch," Knuckles answers with a snort.

When Silver doesn't provide his own input, his gaze lost somewhere near the Emeralds, Blaze shakes his shoulder. With a grimace he rubs his temples and flashes her what he tries to make a reassuring smile.

"I don't know. Trying to remember just rewarded me with a massive headache."

Resolving to ask him about it later, she turns to Knuckles. "We need to rest. Since you found us, can you tell us where we are?"

Knuckles's attention stays on Silver for a beat longer before he answers her.

"You're on Angel Island, my home. I can take you someplace you can rest. And dress any wounds, if you decide you have any after all."

Perhaps the name should ring a bell, but if so, that bell had molten in the fire that took her memory.

Without further ado, Knuckles turns on his heels and goes back the way he came. Once Silver has hurriedly gathered the Emeralds and returned to her side, she moves to follow Knuckles but Silver catches her by the elbow.

"Who is that?" he asks, his voice dropped to a whisper.

Her eyes flit to Knuckles's retreating back, then back to Silver.

"... A friend. I'll tell you later."

Cocking his head, he accepts her words for now, and says: "I'll hold you to that, Blaze."

The walk is quiet, the only noise aside from the rustling leaves comes from the occasional misstep Blaze or Silver make as they stumble after Knuckles. For all his might and presence, Knuckles moves swiftly and silently through the thickening jungle. Even the red fur seems to blend with the environment, in spite of how bold it is.

It would be a good opportunity to pick through her thoughts if not for the fact that the mere thought of the Sol Emeralds causes her palpitations. To an almost painful degree she is aware of how little she can sense them, the lack of it more palpable than the inherent presence has ever been. Where she reaches, there's nothing; where she prods, her mind stumbles into emptiness.

With distant annoyance, she tries to pluck the memories from their hiding place. What has drained the Sol Emeralds of their energy, and how? Have they been attacked by someone? Have they defeated them?

The same weird, static feeling from earlier grabs hold of her head. Her vision unfocuses until Knuckles becomes just a red blur ahead of her. Then Silver bumps his shoulder against hers and she sharply jolts back to reality. When their eyes lock, their worried expressions mirror each other.

Knuckles leads them to a small shelter that was built with the wood of the trees nestled around it, located at the edge of a winding path leading to a wider, grassy area. Stocked with first aid supplies, a bedroll and provisions, the three of them are enough to crowd the space inside.

"Here we are. Welcome to Angel Island's first and only shelter. Help yourself to anything, it's here for a reason," Knuckles says gruffly. But his posture softens as he looks them over again, and his voice becomes warmer. "I'll contact Sonic and Tails and let them know you're here, they can get you off the Island. You stay here."

At the mention of Sonic's name, Silver's eyes jump to her.

"We're not going anywhere," she assures Knuckles. Really, she'd prefer to go ahead with the 'sleeping until she feels like a normal person again' plan.

After throwing them one last look on his way out, Knuckles disappears into Angel Island's wilderness. Once he's gone, Blaze sighs and with her breath releases the tension that has kept her upright.

She sinks onto the bedroll. Faint tremors run along her body, down to her twitching fingertips. While rest certainly sounds alluring, they really should try to recapitulate anything they might remember, before even the tiniest shreds are swept away by sleep.

With a soft groan Silver sits down next to her, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his cheek on them. The faint soot scent clinging to him pricks her nose from this close. The Sol Emeralds are stuffed in a small pouch he procured from somewhere, trapped in the small hollow space between his legs and his stomach.

"So, who is that guy?" he asks, angling his head to look at her. "And who is this Sonic?"

"We should talk about what happened first," she reasons.

"Blaze, don't put me off again." Before she can open her mouth to reply, he shuts his eyes and quietly insists, "Please. Tell me first."

Surprised by his unusual insistence, she complies.

"That echidna is Knuckles, as you heard. We met briefly before, when I was searching for the Sol Emeralds after they had been stolen from me. After a bit of a rough start, he helped me out. He is a friend of Sonic, who played a key role in getting the Emeralds back..." she trails off, taking in Silver's expectant look. "This happened a while before we met."

"You've never told me about this before."

"It never came up, so I didn't see a need to-..."

"A need... right..." He exhales harshly, dropping his eyes to his knees.

"Silver I-... I didn't mean it like that. I would have told you."

But the spark in his eyes has dimmed. They slip into silence, for once uncomfortable and awkward, until it becomes too much to bear.

"Is there anything you remember?"

He mulls it over, his face hidden from her. How someone who is sitting so close to her can seem so distant, is a path she'd rather not tread. So she averts her own eyes to her hands hanging limply in her lap.

"Everything is... murky. I was hoping you would have a better idea," Silver says eventually.

"I don't," she sighs. "Nothing that could explain this. Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

He flinches but shakes his head. "No. I see flashes, but that could be anything."

"Flashes?"

Absentmindedly, Silver nods.

"Anything more you can tell me?"

"No. I'm sorry, Blaze. I have no idea how to describe it."

Her heart clenches painfully at the genuine distress in his voice.

"It's okay. Let's rest until Knuckles gets back."

However much time passes between her eyes falling shut and the conversation filtering in from outside, Blaze can't tell. She comes to with her and Silver leaning against each other, still sat on the bedroll where a ray of sunlight barely grazes her fur. A light queasiness has settled in her stomach. Silver's ears twitch as he stirs awake as well, and when he meets her eyes, it's with his usual smile in place.

The voices are close now, but still indistinct enough that she can't pick them apart. Knuckles's slightly deeper, gruff voice seems to be part of the mix, but there are others she can't place. Silver is already on his feet, peeking out of the doorway with her close on his heels.

"Sonic?" he blurts.

The blue hedgehog turns towards him with a surprised tilt of his head.

"Oh, hey Si-" he cuts himself off, blinking in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Great," says Knuckles. "Since everyone knows each other, I'll leave you to it."

Without waiting for an answer, he holds up his hand in a wave and leaves. The rest of them stand in a loose circle, somewhat dumbfounded by his exit. Next to Sonic, having gained a few centimeters since she'd last seen him, is Tails. The twin-tailed fox is staring after Knuckles with a mix of resignation and exasperation.

"He's not very welcoming," Silver notes.

That earns a laugh from Sonic. "That's just Knuckles for you. Pragmatic, that one. What did you say your name is?"

"It's Silver. You're Sonic?"

"Yup, that's me. And this is my buddy, Tails."

Blaze nods at both of them, inserting herself into the conversation. "Hello, Sonic, Tails."

"Hey, Blaze," Sonic greets warmly. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Blaze!" Tails smiles, his twin tails swishing behind him. "Nice to meet you, Silver."

"Has Knuckles filled you in?" Blaze asks.

Conspiratorially, Sonic leans closer to Silver and says, "Another one who gets straight to the point." Then he straightens and shrugs. "The gist of it. I think he was more concerned about us getting you off his island as soon as possible."

"What Sonic means by 'the gist of it' is just that you two are here and that you might be hurt," Tails supplies, gently elbowing Sonic in the side. "We came as fast as we could. I'm glad you two look okay! Can you tell us what happened?"

Blaze swallows and tries to ignore the renewed ache in her chest. "Of course."

"I can do it," Silver offers, perceptive as ever. It's almost scary how a year together is all it takes to be known by someone else.

"No, it's fine," Blaze says anyway, because despite that, it is her responsibility. "Silver and I woke up on this island with our memories leading up to it missing. And the Sol Emeralds, they... they lost their lustre."

Significantly more composed than she was during the discovery, Tails and Sonic merely share a worried look.

"That's not good," Tails says, tilting his head in thought. "Do you have them here?"

"I got them," Silver answers.

"I get why Knuckles wants you off the island. Even without their lustre, having them so close to the Master Emerald is asking for trouble. Though it is concerning that they lost it at all... and you can't remember anything?"

Blaze and Silver shake their heads.

"Why is it asking for trouble? What is the Master Emerald?" Silver questions.

"You don't know? Right, I guess it wouldn't have come up in you guys' world. To keep it simple, the Master Emerald can be used to control the Chaos Emeralds, think of them as this dimension's equivalent to the Sol Emeralds." Tails brings his hands close together. "Chaos and Sol Emeralds brought together can generate immense power, which can lead to catastrophic events." He mimes an explosion to illustrate his point.

"... Our world?" Silver says, sounding faint.

"Oh boy." Sonic crosses his arms and shakes his head. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll figure it out. You'll find a way to restore their power, Blaze. After all, you've done it before, and you've only grown since then, yeah?"

Hearing his steadfast optimism, Blaze allows herself a small smile. The straight line of her shoulders drops into a more relaxed posture. "Right. Thank you Sonic."

"This happened before?" Silver asks, looking between them like he's the only sane one.

Blaze hides a cringe. Or more accurately, like he's the only one left out of the loop. Right, she had only told him about the hunt for the Emeralds, not the conclusion. There'd been more important matters, true, but she's unintentionally kept him in the dark again.

"It has. I'll fill you in later, Silver," she promises.

"In any case, we better get going before Knuckles comes back," Tails says hurriedly. "I can take you to my workshop and we'll figure things out from there. Come on, we left the Tornado back there!"

'Back there' leads them up the winding path, where trees and bushes thin out to grassland. A short walk later, the edge of the island comes into view. The barren cliff contrasts strongly with endless blue of the sky surrounding them.

She regards it warily – no water in sight, no sound of crashing waves... they must be very, very high up. A bit further up, closer to the edge than she would have liked, waits Tails's brilliant red plane. It's an impressive machine, cutting a striking figure against the blue backdrop. But as impressive as it is, it is also quite small.

"Is that plane big enough to fit all of us?" she asks doubtfully.

"It's a two-seater, so one of you will have to be on the wings," Tails explains.

"I guess that'll be me," Silver says. "What about you, Sonic?"

"Oh, don't worry about me." Sonic waves him off. "I'm gonna go on ahead. See ya!"

He salutes them and proceeds to jump off the edge, turning midair to shoot them a cheeky grin before he plummets out of sight. Her heart jumps into her throat as though to catch him in her place. Her feet remain rooted to the spot while Silver dashes after him, skidding to a halt only centimeters before the sharp drop to peer over the edge.

"I can't even see him anymore! What was he thinking?"

Tails holds up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Sonic's fine! Don't worry, he knows what he's doing."

After a doubtful glance at Tails, Silver looks back down. "That hedgehog..." he mumbles, before getting to his feet and finally stepping back on solid land.

Her heart doesn't get a chance to settle down though, as Silver, ever curious, proceeds to ask Tails how high up they are. Which in theory would be a good question, but one she would prefer to have the answer to once they've made it to Tails's workshop. As such, she focuses on climbing into the plane and remaining dignified in the way she resolutely keeps her head down.

When eventually Silver has settled on one of the plane's wings and Tails has manned the cockpit, the smooth purr of the Tornado's engine is almost enough to lull her into a sense of safety. Almost.

Tails's workshop is located in Emerald Town, a small, idyllic town by the ocean. The sparkling waves lap at the shore in greeting as they fly low over the sand shortly before they touch down on the runway by the workshop. The sea-salt air grazes her nose, so nostalgic that as long as her eyes are closed, she can pretend for a moment that she is home. The sky is too blue, too much aquamarine instead of turquoise the way her home's sky should be.

Silver assists her as she gets out of the plane and onto the stable ground below, and although everyone here knows of her fear of heights, it's easier to pretend that she needs help due to exhaustion.

The workshop is small, clearly homebuilt and meant to withstand experiments of the more explosive variety. They enter through a side door connected to the runway.

"It's not much, but make yourselves at home," Tails says as he pushes the door open.

A loud clang! and the stomping of heavy boots greet them. Blaze has just enough time to spot Tails wincing, then suddenly they're face-to-face with an irate pink hedgehog.

"Finally! I don't know what was so urgent that you- Oh."

She stops in her tracks, looking from one to the other with wide eyes. They brush over Tails, catch onto Blaze, and linger on Silver. Slowly, she leans back on her heels, clasps her hands together and wrinkles her nose. Her next words sound almost casual, belied by the bewildered smile on her face.

"Well, good thing I always plan for leftovers, huh?"

On cue, Silver's stomach growls. He quickly slaps a hand over it and cringes, flustered. Blaze chuckles, ghosting her fingers over his shoulder, before she aims a small smile of her own at the hedgehog.

"It's good to see you again, Amy, despite the circumstances."

"I'd say the same, but you don't look so good," Amy says bluntly, softening her statement with a laugh. Casual as ever, she grabs her and Silver's hands and drags them along behind her without giving them a chance to object, leaving Tails to awkwardly trail behind them into his own home. "Introductions will have to wait until we're eating, I'm not letting the food go any colder than it already is due to someone leaving me waiting without a word."

"I'm sorry!" Tails cries, flailing his hands as he unsuccessfully tries to squeeze himself past Amy. "I don't usually plan emergencies. Knuckles called me, and you know any issue with Knuckles doesn't allow any delay."

"Excuses, excuses," she tuts, amused. "We try to meet up for dinner one time..."

She deposits Blaze and Silver at a hastily cleared table, the assorted miscellanea littering a nearby counter instead, then busies herself with grabbing more plates. Her actions are so quick and self-assured that no one thinks to object or stop her when she deftly starts unwrapping containers of food and distributing it. Even Tails just lowers himself into a chair, following Amy's movements with a pinched expression.

Silver is at a complete loss, a combination of hunger, exhaustion, and general overload in the face of today's events and revelations keeping him in a kind of stupefaction. Blaze's state is honestly not much better. Saliva pools in her mouth as the delicious smell of food hits her nose, dispelling her worries and concerns for the moment to make room for the hunger she'd kept on a low flame so far.

It's only when Amy places a glass of water in front of each of them with decisive clinks and falls into her own seat that they break out of their collective stupor.

"Let's dig in!" Amy cheers.

"Enjoy the meal," Tails mumbles weakly.

Keeping a modicum of dignity, Silver and Blaze wait until the others have taken their first bites. Then that restraint fizzles out and for a while, all they can focus on is the food. While it has cooled down to only lukewarm, it is still delicious, and the hearty dishes warm her up from inside. Amy plays the role of gracious host and refills their water and their plates without them having to ask, until eventually the sheer speed at which they devour the meal slows down to a pace that allows conversation.

Amy leans her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her folded hands, looking at Silver with the kind of smile that has him squirming in his seat, uncomfortable with the attention. Even when Blaze had first brought him home and he'd been the object of curiosity for insatiable weeks, he'd never gotten used to it.

"Sooo..." she drawls, her inquisitive eyes on Silver. "I don't think we've met before! I'm Amy, and who are you?"

"I'm Silver," he answers. "Thanks for the food, I guess we needed that."

She giggles. "I guess you did! Mind filling me in on what happened?"

So they do, quickly catching her up on what little they know. How Blaze and Silver woke up, how Knuckles found them, and the short trip back here.

"That does explain why you look like this," Amy muses. "No offence, but you two need a warm shower and eight hours of sleep at minimum."

"We're fine," Blaze tries to assure. "The Sol Emeralds come first."

"Normally I'd agree, but..." Silver levels her with a stare. "You said yourself that we need to rest. You look exhausted."

'And you don't?' she almost replies.

"If you want," Tails interjects, "I can take a look at the Emeralds in the meantime and run some tests. That'll take time anyway, so you might as well rest and recover. Maybe you'll even be able to recall something tomorrow."

Begrudgingly, Blaze concedes their points. Something inside her bristles at the idea of handing the Sol Emeralds off to someone else, but she knows she can trust Tails. And she has to believe that he can protect them. What use would they even have for anyone now?

"Well, where do we go then?" she asks.

"I'm glad you ask!" Amy jumps up and puts her hands on the table, leaning forward in excitement. "To my place! I have a guest room. Oh, it's been ages since I've had someone over for the night, this'll be fun."

"We're not here for fun?" Silver reminds her.

Amy waves him off. "Let me have this. Girls night."

"Silver isn't a girl," Blaze supplies.

"Girls night featuring Silver, let's go!"

Neither of them have it in them to argue much, and a shower does sound great. As of yet her nose has not dulled to the stench of burning, sweat, and dirt covering them, and she'd rather not give it time to.

All dishes are quickly gathered together and stuffed into the dishwasher. While Amy packs her containers away, Silver hands the Sol Emeralds over to Tails. Neither of them show in any way that touching them feels weird.

"I should have some results for you by noon tomorrow," Tails says.

"I appreciate it," Blaze sighs. "See you tomorrow then."

Amy's house is on the outskirts of town, a short walk away from the workshop. They pass the neatly painted wooden fence and cross the flower patches seaming the path. The wet floral scent mixes with the faint remnants of lacquer. The setting sun crests the rooftop, its rays embracing the quaint house. The image stands in such stark contrast to their arrival that it almost seems surreal.

Amy leads them inside and ushers Silver to the bathroom with a quick rundown of how things work. Then she leads Blaze to her room to pick out a change of clothes for her to wear.

"We should be similar enough in size. I'll give you something oversized, just in case," Amy says, buried inside her wardrobe.

She keeps up a stream of small talk, content with Blaze's distracted hums, who is keeping an ear on the sound of the shower running in the other room. As impolite as it is, she lets the sound of Amy's voice washes over her, lulling her into a light doze. Her shoulders ache and her chest constricts with every inhale, and even sitting, the floor seems to sway under her feet.

It's not surprising that Amy notices her inattentiveness. But she only places a warm hand over Blaze's own and gives it a comforting squeeze, earnestly assuring her that everything will be alright.

Shortly afterwards, Silver comes back with his quills still damp, almost asleep on his feet. Amy laughs lightly as she presses a bundle of clothes into Blaze's hands and helps her to her feet. She gifts her with a smile before leading Silver away to the guest room.

Blaze goes to the bathroom. She turns the shower to cold, letting the freezing stream prick her for a while. Then she turns the dial to scalding hot and runs her fingers through her fur until the water that flows down the drain is finally clear. She shakes out the water and steps outside of the shower stall into the steam that has gathered in the bathroom. The mirror is fogged up, obscuring her reflection.

Once she is dry, she kneels down and rummages through the bundle Amy had pushed into her hands. The blue shirt fits well enough, loose on her lithe frame. A faded print adorns the front of it; it doesn't seem like something Amy would wear outside of the comfort of her home.

The sweatpants cause her agony, however. They fit over her hips nicely, but try as she might, she can't fit her tail through the small hole at the back. It's obviously for hedgehogs and not made to accommodate her bushier tail. In the end she has to give up, having accomplished nothing but the discomfort of fur being pushed the wrong way. Surprised, she has to blink away a few frustrated tears.

She's not about to cry over something as stupid as this. It isn't worth it. So she sucks it up, curls her tail around her leg and pulls up the pants.

When eventually she gets to the guest room, she finds Silver already curled up in a nest of blankets on the double bed. She curls up next to him, trying to garner some of his body heat. The smell of Amy's shampoo hangs between them. as her fingers trail over his shoulder and side, his eyes open sluggishly. He allows her to check him over for injuries again, to make sure that he is fine. She whispers her thanks and curls her hand back to her chest.

The extent of her concern startles her. What has she forgotten that her subconscious mind remembers that has her fretting so much? She lays awake, listening to his steady breaths as he falls asleep, watching she slow rise and fall of his chest.

'Everything will be alright'... Somehow, she is not so sure.

When she wakes up the next morning, she finds Silver standing bolt upright in the middle of the room, looking by all means like a statue. His eyes, open but unmoving, stare at nothing. His chest is caught in stasis, neither rising nor falling. He is so still, she has to rub her eyes to assure herself he is there at all and not a figment of her still-asleep mind.

A call of his name yields no results, so she cautiously slips out of the bed and approaches him, her tail flicking against her ankle. She waves a hand in front of his eyes, but this disruption doesn't affect him either. Finally, she lays a hand on his shoulder.

Near instantaneously, Silver lurches forward. His hands shoot forward, narrowly missing her, and fire off a small blast of psychokinetic energy. The pushback sends him reeling backwards, whereby he trips and falls. Blaze only has the time to blink once before he is sprawled on the ground, her hand still hovering in the air.

"What just happened!?" she demands as she drops to her knees at his side, helping him to sit up.

He shakes his head almost compulsorily and pushes himself away from her, leaning against the bed for support instead.

"I have no idea," he replies shakily. "Where are we?"

"Amy's guest room." Her own voice nearly trembles.

While she speaks, he glances at her but then his gaze falls to the ground. "Oh. Right."

He curls into himself and tucks his face against the mattress. Helplessly out of her depth, Blaze sits on her knees next to him.

"Silver," she tries again, trying to make her voice gentle, "what was that?"

Fire, crackling and burning, spitting and hissing. The world split into flames and ashes, grey desolation and red heat.

"No, it's..." Silver blinks and focuses his clear eyes on Blaze. "It's nothing. Bad dreams."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he snaps, only to wince immediately after. "Sorry. Yeah, just bad dreams."

His eyes plead her to drop the issue. This much, at least, she owes him for her own secrecy. But that hadn't been like any night terror she's encountered before, and she likes to think she's become well acquainted with them in the time she's known Silver. A side effect of what occurred, perhaps, his subconscious reacting to memories he can't recall, stemming from the same source as her overblown concern. She'll have to keep an eye on him

"Alright," she says. Doubt still leaks through, a final chance to elaborate that Silver doesn't take.

He nods, pushing himself to his feet and offering her a hand, a wobbly smile on his face.

"Let's see if Amy is up yet," he says.

Not just that, it turns out. The sounds of clinking cutlery lead them down the stairs, but ultimately it's the warm scents that lure them into the kitchen.

Amy has her back to them, bustling around in front of the stove. A spread of sweet and hearty food is already set out on the wooden table.

"Good morning!" Amy greets.

"You didn't need to do this," Blaze says in lieu of greeting, her eyes growing wide as she takes in the amount of food Amy can't possibly expect them to eat.

"And, what, let you go hungry?" Amy laughs, a twinkle in her eye. "I figured I'd let you sleep in and keep myself busy. I had to use up the eggs anyway."

Sleep in? It is still well before noon as evidenced by the charming analogue clock on the floral-patterned wall.

"Plus, I'm a stress cook slash baker."

"You're stressed?" Silver asks, managing to sound like it was entirely his fault.

"I guess so. Our chance meeting wasn't in the cards, last I checked," Amy admits, scooping scrambled eggs into a dish. She turns around to face them. "You looked really rough yesterday. It's kinda still sinking in for me that you're here, but it's probably worse for you."

That is one way to put it. Blaze hides a grimace by wrinkling her nose, rubbing her arms. In addition to the memories they are missing, yesterday's events are only just beginning to settle. She wishes they could go over to Tails's workshop right now and get some much needed answers.

They finish setting the table and begin their meal. At least one of her worries proves unfounded, as they end up clearing every plate and every dish. Breakfast itself is a quiet affair, with everyone dwelling on their own thoughts. If Blaze sneaks worried glances at Silver and he avoids them, that is their issue alone.

"So, anything new?" Amy asks as they get up to clear the table.

"... No, nothing," Blaze answers for the both of them, trailing her thumb over the white porcelain plate in her hand.

Amy hums. "Don't let it get you down. How about a walk to clear your mind? We have time until we can head back to Tails."

"That sounds perfect," Silver says.

The sun is shadowed by a few clouds when they step outside, but the wind is pleasant enough as it ruffles her fur. Blaze takes a deep breath of the clear air, dressed in her normal clothes, as they turn to follow the road back to the workshop.

Soon enough the paved sidewalk gives way to a well-trodden dirt path as they leave the main road. The grass grows taller here and stinging nettles lean into the path. On the horizon, blue waves clash against the lighter blue of the sky. A smile slips onto Blaze's face as it becomes clear that they're heading for the sea.

"Sooo," Amy drawls, clasping her hands behind her back. "I admit I'm curious! How'd you two meet?"

"By chance," Blaze replies, smiling.

"It was fate," adds Silver, sharing her smile.

"I was taking a walk by the beach by myself. I spotted something in the sand by the shore, so I went to investigate."

"And she found me, unconscious."

"Yes. It's a miracle you survived. One I'm thankful for, don't get me wrong, but a miracle nonetheless."

"Why, what happened to you, Silver?"

Silver shrugs. "I've been trying to remember that for nearly a year now. My memories start when I woke up in the royal infirmary. There are some things I know intrinsically, like my name, but... how I got there? Why I was left stranded? I have no idea."

"We asked around, but no one's seen or heard of Silver before. If he was shipwrecked... well, if there was any crew to remember him, they didn't go looking for him."

"Blaze took me in. I remember the royal advisors making a big stink about it." He snorts.

She rolls her eyes. "Strange amnesiac hedgehog, unfamiliar with our customs – yes, I remember, too. What they seemed to have forgotten is that they don't get to dictate my company. One more reason why it's good I don't spend much time at the palace anymore."

"I'm really grateful to Blaze. If it hadn't been for her..."

"You would have pulled through without me, too. You're tough."

"As we've learned." His laughter is tinged with bitterness. Noticing Amy's curious gaze, he adds, "that's a story for another time."

Amy smiles softly. "You seem to be good friends. Y'know, when I first met Blaze, she wouldn't stop thinking she couldn't rely on anyone. And when she finally did, she had to leave, and I had no idea if she wouldn't go back to her old ways once she was away from us. So I'm glad she has you."

He ducks his head and rubs the back of his neck as Blaze groans in annoyance.

"Did you have to share that?" she asks.

"Of course." Amy giggles. "I only mean well, you know that."

They slip back into silence, letting the breeze caress their fur and watching the waves flee the horizon until it's time to leave.

They take the front door to Tails's workshop this time. The fox is bent over a screen when they arrive but quickly comes over to greet them. He shows them some of the samples he took and tests he ran and the data he got as a result.

"So, it could be worse," he starts once their eyes are sufficiently glazed over from looking at tiny numbers and variables. "They're still responsive, just dormant, it seems. Like they expelled a large amount of energy at once. The Chaos Emeralds usually scatter when that happens, but perhaps the Sol Emeralds were prevented from doing that when you crossed over. We'd have to know what happened to be sure.

"The Sol Emeralds have lost their powers once before," Blaze admits, her face pensive. "When I was here the first time, hunting for the stolen Emeralds. I was careless, and the Eggmen managed to sap them of their energy."

"Oh, I remember that!" Amy says. "But didn't they regain it almost immediately."

"Not quite. You all came to cheer us on and then... Sonic said something to me, and I... it was like their energy returned when I regained my optimism."

Silver laughs lightly in disbelief. "Well, what did he say?"

"I can't remember," she says with gritted teeth. "Something about controlling the Emeralds, but..."

"If someone can do it, it's you," Silver says. "Why don't you try?"

"Yesterday- you say what happened when I touched them yesterday."

"What happened?" Tails asks.

"It was weird. Like the blood flow to my hand was cut off and I could no longer feel my arm." She shifts her weight from one foot to the other.

"What about trying to recreate it without touching them?" Silver suggests. "Seems like the most logical thing to try first."

"I'm not sure how saying motivational things to me is going to help," Blaze mutters.

Like a shark tasting blood, Amy's attention zeroes in on Blaze. She grabs her hands and holds them up between them, giving them a vigorous shake with each point she makes:

"You got this! You're smart, you're strong, and you're cool!"

"Stop!" Blaze almost shrieks. Her blush is sure to shine through the white fur on her cheeks.

"Hm, nothing from the Emeralds," Tails notes.

Blaze gently extracts herself from Amy's grip and smooths down her sleeves.

"I guess it's more about control. Maybe I lost control of them and now they don't accept me anymore. You seemed fine when touching them, Silver."

Silver blinks. "Well, yeah. But I could never use them like you, I don't have that special connection. Fire and I have a difficult relationship."

"Maybe they really just need rest," Amy brings up. "If what Tails says is true and they would have scattered, that seems likely, doesn't it? It always takes a while for the Chaos Emeralds to be found after they scatter, too."

"But I can't just sit around. Whatever attacked us could still be out there."

"You were attacked?" Tails asks, scribbling something in his notebook.

Blaze hesitates, the conviction with which she claimed so faltering. It's the only explanation, though, for why they woke up in the state that they did. A terrible sense of foreboding tells her it's not over yet, either. That whatever attacked them must still be out there, waiting for the next opportunity. But what is its target? Them? The Sol Emeralds? Or something else...?

Where was she with Silver before it happened? It was dark, cold...

"It'd make sense, wouldn't it?" she says.

"They wouldn't just lose the power on their own," Silver points out.

"And something would have had to trigger the warp. We wouldn't do that by accident," Blaze adds.

"Okay, let's say that's true," Amy says. "We know nothing about it, unless you spontaneously remember something. So what do we do?"

"We could go back to Angel Island to look for clues. I doubt you two were in shape to do it, and I doubt Knuckles thought to check, either," Tails suggests.

"That's a good idea. But I can't come with," Blaze says.

"Your fear of heights?" Silver asks.

She bristles. "Because I'll be taking the Sol Emeralds back, and Knuckles was very clear about them not being welcome."

And she would welcome the chance to be alone for a little while.

"Fair enough," Tails agrees with a nod. "Then Silver and I will go. What about you, Amy?"

"Wait, what about Sonic? Tails, you said he went with you on Angel Island yesterday, but I haven't seen him. Shouldn't we ask him if he knows anything?"

"Oh, right! All he said was that he was gonna go on ahead. Where could he be?"

"I guess that's our job to find out, then," Amy says with a smile.

"Let's split up. We can cover more ground that way."

"I'm not sure about leaving you alone. You said it yourself, your attacker could still be out there."

"I'm not defenseless. I still have my flames."

She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, daring Amy to challenge her. Amy frowns, stemming her fists on her hips.

"Blaze, I'm your friend. It's okay to rely on me."

Annoyance settles over her like frost. Frustration ripples over her skin and she has to fight back a snappish response by clenching her fists. One moment she'd like purely to herself to face the rubbed-wrong feeling she has been carrying since yesterday, to burn it away so she can finally feel warm again.

The spirit of flames ensouled her, took hold of her and made her its own, gifting her not only fire but a temper to match it. She's fought for her freedoms, for the ability to be cool, knowing she can never be free of her dependency on her flames.

But where sparks whispered to her, there is silence. She can't feel the Sol Emeralds anymore, and she can't feel the embers in her chest that are always ready to inflame anew.

"Please, Amy. I'll be okay."

Tails gently pipes up, "I can give you a communicator, Blaze, then you can reach one of us if there's trouble."

Amy stomps her foot and expels the air in her lungs in a great huff, clearly not happy with the situation.

"Fine, because you said 'please'," she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, giving Blaze a stern look. "In return, you promise to actually use the thing, alright?"

She follows up her order with a smile and one pinky held out for Blaze to shake, who snorts as she does so. Relief wins out over the guilt at the back of her mind – it's not like her logic is wrong. Sonic could be anywhere, so it really is more efficient to split up.

Tails leads her and Silver to a different room with a lot of machinery. One see-through case holds a brilliant yellow gem – a Chaos Emerald – and over there, on a mostly-cleared desk, are the Sol Emeralds. Blaze clears the distance in a few big strides and reaches out as though to cradle them in her arms. Just barely she restrains herself, resting her hand on the edge of the desk instead like she'd intended to do that all along.

"Silver?" she hears Tails's voice.

The silver hedgehog has stopped dead in his tracks in front of the Chaos Emerald, fascination plain on his face. The yellow light reflects in his gold eyes. She wonders if he can sense its immense power, like Knuckles could sense the Sol Emeralds' lack. It's something she hasn't paid attention to before, too focussed on her own duties.

"Come on, Silver," she calls, coming over to tug on his arm.

The touch startles him, although he should have seen her coming. He sheepishly rubs the back of his head.

"I'm here, sorry," he apologizes. "You got the Sol Emeralds?"

Tails hands over the bag he's stuffed them into. "Here they are. And here's the communicator. Are you ready to go, Silver?"

"Of course. I'll see you later, Blaze?"

She offers him a small smile, one he thankfully mirrors after a brief delay. "See you later."

Silver and Tails have an important task of their own. Hopefully, without the Sol Emeralds there, Knuckles will be willing to cooperate.

The bright noon sun greets her when she steps outside the workshop. The rays tickle her nose. The familiar scent of the sea brushes past her, and her feet draw her there.

Strange as it is, the sea has always been her friend. The archipelago made it difficult to ever get away from it. If she could count on one thing, it was that the ocean would know to douse her flames. In the past she used to train there a lot, when she wasn't adept at handling her flames and ran the risk of losing control. Even now the certainty is comforting. She lets the wind brush down her ruffled fur.

It's peaceful for a while, with the surge of the waves carrying away her thoughts. Even the terrible static prickling that the Sol Emeralds exude gets pushed to the back of her mind.

Ah, there it is again. She suppresses a shiver and decides to continue her walk. Some exercise will do her good. Then she'll get warm again. Ever since she regained consciousness in the impact site yesterday, she has been cold. The cold sits in her neck like a tick, sucking away the heat, refusing to let go. Her flames should warm her up – it's not just thanks to her home's warm climate that she rarely feels cold. And yet...

She looks around the beach, watching the few people that are quite a distance away from her. Then she starts walking in a direction that seems the most remote and devoid of people. Quickly, no longer soothed by the waves, her thoughts return.

She hates not knowing. Especially the gap in her memory regarding Sonic's words irks her. Of all the words ever addressed to her, why are those the ones that had to be extinguished? Why can she remember the trivial jokes she made with Silver, but not what gifted her and the Sol Emeralds new power? Will Sonic still remember? He doesn't seem to be the type to care about some mere words, and the moment held far more importance to her than to him; but she also knows that the impression that Sonic makes doesn't always align with how he really is.

She'll ask him when she finds him. But first, she has to tend to her flames. By now she is sufficiently far away from the beach and the paths leading there, with only the wind for company. The dusty ground is dry and free of flammable vegetation. Perfect conditions to call upon her flames and chase away the shivers shaking her frame.

A breath in. Out. Another. In. Out. Oxygen rushes down her throat, into her lungs in an eager rush to stoke her flames. What it finds is the barren drought left in the aftermath of fire, and all it does is coat her throat with ash as it leaves.

Again. In. Out. Blaze treads over the dusty ground, each of her steps whirling up sand and dirt in her fruitless search for pockets of embers.

Again. She digs deeper, into the recesses she seldom ventures into for fear of being consumed herself, but the furnace is empty, the air thick and stale. And there she falls into herself, grasping at her chest in asphyxiated panic, growing colder and colder and colder. A drop of water splashes on her hand, seeps through the fabric and soaks into her fur. Another rolls down her cheek.

Her flames are gone.

Her flames. Are gone.

A terrible, wounded cry tears from her throat, pries open her jaw and fills out the hollow spaces inside her. Her fangs glisten in the sun and the sun reaches out and holds and consumes. There is so little of her but the enormity of what she is lacking. Kindling left untouched.

A shadow passes over her. Without thinking she lashes out, desperately lunging for the last vestiges of sun, of warmth. She roughly hits the ground, clawing at it in a vain attempt to catch herself. The taste of copper floods her tongue.

The sudden flash of pain roughly jerks her back to reality. Breath comes back to her lungs, the smell of earth and dirt mixes with the blood pooling in her mouth. The ground cools her feverish face and absorbs the salty tears still rolling down her cheeks.

The pain, paradoxically, feels good. It anchors her, this awareness of it. The horrifying spiral lies interrupted, reined in again.

She heaves herself onto her back and stares up at the sky to find the cloud that is blocking the sun. A lonely cloud in a clear blue sky.

Isn't that what she had wanted? To smother her flames, to hide them and feel no pain in their absence? Now that they're really gone – why did she fall into the same panic like back then, when her flames threatened to overwhelm her?

Fire has always been a part of her, so deeply ingrained in her being that she doesn't have to consciously tend to it. It keeps burning inside her chest whether she uses it or not. But with Silver's appearance everything has changed. She, her fire...

No, it was shortly before that, wasn't it? Before she had found Silver washed ashore and dragged the sand-crusted hedgehog back to land, rubbed warmth back into his cold limbs and brought him into her life.

Since she met him the fire burned stronger, flared up; but she'd thought it was because of their new friendship, the same heady rush she had felt fighting side by side with Sonic, to know that when she looked at him he'd smile back at her. She grew restless.

Only once after his arrival did she deliberately use her flames. Only once, to show them to him in a grandeur usually forbidden. And everything had gone wrong.

Silver didn't worship or hate her as the Princess of Flames. Her title didn't mean anything to him. His respect he held for her, for Blaze not for the Princess, and his attention had scratched an itch she hadn't noticed festering.

So she'd asked him to come along to a place forbidden to anyone but herself. Her heart beat in her chest like it wanted to dance ahead of her. Her hackles were raised, not because of the cold in the underground tunnel or the deeply-rooted awe for what lay at its end. No, it was the pure, almost childlike excitement that had taken hold of her.

Just this once. Just this once she wanted to be seen, not unseen as she performed her ritual, and she grinned as she imagined how he would react. Even the smallest wonders could mesmerize Silver, and the great secrets of this world seemed to almost paralyse him. Where on this scale was her place?

The gems speckling the walls glimmered. Water dripped from the ceiling and pooled at their feet. Only their echoing steps could be heard, an eager silence spread over them. She peeked at Silver, but his gaze was scattered elsewhere, taking everything in. A small smile appeared on her lips.

The grotto that opened up before them reflected the light of the lanterns they carried and was thus illuminated in its entirety. Here it wasn't as cold as in the tunnel. She put down her lantern and asked Silver to do the same. Then she told him to wait and stepped to the center of the cave where the Jewel Scepter, the fabled heirloom with the power to transcend space and time, was kept to start her ritual. The water, the rough walls, they always made the fire seem bigger, they played with the shapes of her flames and let them grow into something grander.

She began as she'd done so many times before and called upon her flames. But they didn't come as they always did. No, they burst out of her, enveloped her limbs and lashed out as if the air was made of inflammable gas. Too powerful to smother immediately. Between the flames' red tongues she searched for Silver, something imploring in her gaze like he could have done anything at all. But the sight of him froze the blood in her veins. Pure horror had eaten into his face.

A pounding headache tears her away from the memory of his face, something she is almost thankful for. The scene dissolves into the murky waters it had come from.

There's a spark on her fingertips, just a tiny prickle. A faint warmth blossoms along her side where the bag with the Sol Emeralds is pressed against her. Her eyes flicker down and lie to her. At the very tip of her fingers mewls a tiny flame, hungrily licking at the air. And the Sol Emeralds emit a fallow light, only a flicker of colour to shade their darkness.

A lurch goes through her chest as Silver's horrified face flashes before her eyes. With a flinch she buries her fingers in the dirt and stifles the fledgling flame. The Sol Emeralds become dim again.

She barely tastes the air she sucks in with every gasp. For the fraction of a second, for a single shining moment, she has felt the bond between her and the Emeralds rejoice. But before it could ignite, she smothered it.

She smothered it.

She clutches her arm to her chest and grasps her wrist with her other hand so tightly her knuckles turn white. She tries to let her mind go, to ease the pressure on the lid she's keeping on her powers, to direct the energy to her fingers. A flame does come back, stronger than the spark she'd accidentally conjured, but it bursts from her hand and tries to scale up her arm, only stopped by her own grip on her wrist. Panic flares in her chest, her stomach coils, and she snuffs out the flame. Her powers have never felt so... so volatile before, so eager to burst for all that fire loves to consume.

That's how it felt in the cave, with the Jewel Scepter behind her back. Something inside of her had burst forth, alien yet familiar. And Silver's fear reflected onto her.

If the solution is to let go, how can she?

The communicator on her wrist beeps once before Tails's voice filters through, undercut with static.

"Blaze? We've got a problem, Silver is-"

She jolts, swallowing the blood in her mouth. She scrambles to lift the device to her face, trying to hear over the blood pounding in her ears.

"Tails," she gasps out.

"Silver- Silver is-"

"Take a deep breath," she orders, breathless herself. "What about Silver?"

There's a commotion on the other end of the line, indistinct sounds. Scuffling, a foreign voice, too distorted to understand.

And then the floor gets pulled out from under her.

"Silver's gone."

"What?"

"He was right behind me, I know he was, but then- I can't explain it. He just disappeared."

Fragments of her memory rush to her, of that time she was walking with Silver in the dark. Of her leading him into the cave where the Jeweled Scepter is kept, another secret she's never shared voluntarily but that her heart pulls her to share with him. Of him lingering behind her as they got closer and closer to the Scepter, the stillness radiating from him that should have clued her in to something being wrong.

She's missed the warning signs again.

Blaze pushes herself to her feet. She rolls her shoulders.

"I'll find him."

It's time to make this right.

"Silver!" she calls out when she finally, finally spots his silver pelt, pushing herself to run just a little faster.

A great field opens up before her covered with short, yellowed grass. The sky is inflamed, red hues wrestling with the blue of the sky, mixing, melding into shades of pink and red. Silver stands alone, a speck of silver strung up on an invisible string. His body turns to face her.

She lurches to a sudden halt.

His eyes are glassy, set in a completely neutral, lifeless expression. His chest lies still, neither rising nor falling. Everything about him is unnaturally still. Without thinking, her hackles raise and her lips pull back in a snarl. Her very core thrums with the wrongness.

"Who do we have here?" a dark voice calls.

It seems to originate from Silver, whose mouth has not moved. Her eyes are wild as she swivels her head in search of the owner of that voice.

"Reveal yourself!" she hisses, baring her teeth.

"But you're still so ignorant," it scoffs derisively. "You have no idea what you are facing."

Dark smoke seeps out from below Silver, rising to cloak him in thick shadow. Maniacal laughter pierces the air as the smoke slowly congeals into the shape of a person. The quills grow and extend, curving upwards at the ends. The limbs elongate, sharping into pointed ends. The figure rises from Silver like a moth crawling out of its cocoon. From within the shadows, acid green irises gleam at her from red eyes. When the last dark tether snaps, Silver crumples to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Blaze rushes forward to catch him. Her flames burst out from her wrists, licking along her arms, gorging themselves on her fear. They reach for Silver's fur as she backs away – she almost drops him, lowering him to the ground before putting herself between him and it.

"Rise, Iblis. Discard your shell as I have discarded mine. It's time," the figure croons, beckoning. It lacks a mouth and a nose, the form only vaguely reminiscent of the hedgehog it appeared from. The blue Chaos Emerald from Tails's workshop rests in its palm. "We can do great things together."

"Who are you? What did you do to Silver?" Blaze spits, a flare of anger licking at her fear. Her eyes flicker between it and Silver, her hands itching to touch him despite the flames.

"I'm not talking to you," it snaps. "Iblis! Flames of Disaster, heed my call!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't care about joining you and I never will!"

"Or what? Your weak, unawakened flames can't hope to measure up to Iblis. You have no idea what kind of power you wield!"

She straightens, pulling back her shoulders. Her anger simmers down from a raging inferno to cold fury.

"You attacked us in the cave."

"And I almost succeeded! But no time like the present to right your wrongs. I'll destroy the world as punishment for taking Iblis for me, for trying to cast me into oblivion! And you handed me just the tool to do so."

With a flash the Jeweled Scepter appears behind it. The scepter glows brighter and brighter until the light blurs the edges and melds with the shadowy form.

A great cataclysmal force pulses through the ground. The air charges with foreboding and the sky begins to turn. Power prickles over her skin, the force of Space and Time, Chaos and Sol combined tearing at the edges of their reality.

The being's body collapses into itself and folds out, stretching and thinning until it rises far above them.

A wounded whine snaps her attention back to Silver. Despite the threat unfolding in front of them, in that moment she can't tear her eyes from Silver. She leans over him, the tips of her fingers hovering over the pulse point of his neck, not daring to touch. She wouldn't be able to feel his pulse when her own thrums in her ears.

"Wake up, Silver," she begs.

His eyes open and they are clear, pure gold. He looks at her and recognizes her, his heartbeat fluttering beneath her fingertips.

"Blaze," he croaks weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Why is that the first thing you say to me?" she chides, her reprimand softened with relief.

"This is my fault. Mephiles, he- He hid in my shadow and- my memories are back. All of them."

"Even the ones from before...?"

He nods, trying to sit up, his shoulders quivering. "From before I met you. Blaze, I'm from the future. We- I knew you, in the future and we- we fought him but everything disappeared and I guess he wasn't beaten, he just hid in my shadow. He has the Jeweled Scepter, Blaze, that's how he's become so strong. I'm sorry, I should have-"

"I know, Silver, I know," she hushes, "he merged with it."

"Do you remember, too?" he asks, full of hope.

"Not your future, but what happened in the cave. I scared you."

The hope dims, settling into determination. He

"Blaze, I was never afraid of you," he rushes to say.

"But-"

"I was afraid for you. Because I saw- I remembered- I-- you sacrificed yourself for me to seal Iblis, and you did it wreathed in flames and I- I couldn't stand the thought of losing you again."

"Silver..."

"Even if Iblis is a part of you now, I know you won't hurt me. You're so strong, Blaze. They're your flames and I know we can beat him. Let me help."

"Okay," she says so softly it might as well be a whisper.

She grasps his hands, letting the flames touch him despite the fear that they'll hurt him. And Silver doesn't flinch, he looks at her flames in wonder, his hands slack in hers.

"Together?" she asks softly.

He tightens his grip on her hands and meets her eyes. "Together."

When they close their eyes, for a moment there's only the two of them. Only the connection of their hands, of their hearts beating together. Their shared fear isn't getting stronger in its togetherness but easier to push through. Blaze calls upon the Sol Emeralds, lets them ignite her heart and blaze through the kindling that is she.

The warmth that answers her curls around her limbs and singes her skin with its gentleness, a warmth so complete and whole that it covers her entirely. It chases out the cold lingering so frigidly inside her as the flames eat away at the restraints she placed upon herself. Her limbs unfurl one by one as the restraints snap, each snap accompanied by a rush of fear and exhilaration. Her ribcage expands through the force of it, each breath followed by a giddy jump of her heart. She feels herself slipping, slipping farther from the walls and the fort she had locked herself up in and watches in wonder what is about to happen.

The Sol Emeralds sing to the tune of her heartbeat, drawing closer and then escaping her reach like a toy being dangled in front of a kitten. She lunges for them, gives chase with single-minded focus, trusting her paws to lead her over stable ground without looking down.

Her transformation washes over her. It's Burning Blaze who opens her eyes and returns to herself, settled inside herself, she's mesmerized by the Sol Emeralds' glimmer. They're hot to the touch, rejoicing with her. And they speak to her. And she listens.

When the power reaches for Silver, she instinctively tries to contain it, to hold it back from him. But Silver squeezes her hands in reassurance.

"Together, right?" he repeats.

"Right," she echoes on a whisper.

Her fire burns brighter, hotter than ever before. She lets it flow through her completely. The flames spread to Silver, cover his pelt with their might as they reach for the very tip of his quills. His smile is as dazzling as the brilliant flare of his eyes. His fur has turned into a deep, flaming blue, burning as brightly as her. Scorching Silver is at her side.

She smiles back at him as they rise together. The bubble around them breaks and awareness returns, but this time she's ready.

Mephiles has no hopes of winning.