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The faint light of the moon shone gracefully, the gentle breeze was refreshing, while the howls of the wind echoed in a silent murmur just like the faint sound of the campfire. Both of them sat facing each other, separated by the fire, each holding a stick with a fish skewered on the end.
The silence was comforting for them both, with the feline trying not to burn her food in the process, though ending up failing, while on the other side the silver hedgehog had managed to cook his fish to perfection.
It was all rather strange for him, because on one hand they had just regained memories from a dead timeline, something that seemed impossible, but by a mere accident involving one of Eggman’s time machines, he had traveled to the past to prevent a catastrophe and she had been called by the Sol Emeralds. Just a mere coincidence, right? That they had both been called at the same time, in the same place… yeah, that was all it was… coincidence.
It had taken weeks for them to return to some kind of “normality.” He still vaguely remembered the fierce hug and the words of comfort they had shared. He never thought a memory erased by existence itself would hurt so much.
And now they were trying to catch up, to learn more about each other, to enjoy peace after such a long time of nothing but fighting.
Even so… deep in his mind, a thought bloomed no matter how much he tried to avoid it. It was simply impossible for it not to surface. He didn’t know how long he had been staring into that flame in front of him, listening to the sparks from the campfire, feeling that warmth so familiar…
The fire… the flames… were something that…
"Silver?"
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
"You’ve been quiet ever since we got here, and you haven’t stopped staring at the fire," the feline spoke with concern and seriousness.
He met her gaze, though unconsciously he knew he wasn’t good at this, especially when it came to lying to her.
"I’ve just been thinking about something."
"About the future? Did something happen?" she asked in a soft voice.
"No, it’s just something that… well… I don’t know if I should say it."
"You can tell me, don’t be afraid that I’ll judge you."
Silence returned as the hedgehog’s only answer. His lips trembled for a moment, but his eyes drifted back to the fire, watching almost hypnotized as the wood was consumed more and more by the flames, being devoured and destroyed slowly before his eyes.
"It’s about these new memories… I can’t stop thinking about…"
He felt the princess’s gaze still fixed on him, watching him with patience and calm, waiting for an answer. That empathy she always showed… it never failed to captivate him.
"…about how I came to hate."
His gaze grew intense, unconsciously his rings glowed brightly, his teeth clenched hard, and his heart pounded heavily. He felt his quills bristle. There was no turning back now—he would speak from the bottom of his heart.
"Fire consumes everything, like an infection that spreads out of control, it hurts anyone who comes near, leaves scars that never fade, like a memory of its terrible heat." His fists clenched tighter as he continued. "I was born in a world of flames, with nothing but ruins of what once was civilization. With every breath I felt my lungs burn, with every step my feet scorched. A bad memory of a time erased, right? Well, no—the fire came back into my life."
The campfire crackled again as sparks jumped, and to his surprise Blaze had not said a single word. He didn’t want to—he couldn’t—look at her expression. Anger or sadness… either of those on her face would shatter him.
"Ifrit came too, a demon from an infernal dimension, and it happened again—my world wrapped in flames, the scorching heat and choking smoke, that déjà vu sensation all over again. I hated that monster with the same passion I hated Iblis. Both were fire, both were pain and pure evil. It seems no matter when or where, I’ll always end up tied to the flames one way or another."
As if he were back in those places, he felt the sensations again: the burning of his flesh under the infernal heat, his heavy and painful breathing, the relentless stinging in his eyes. He blinked hard and unconsciously sought her gaze.
He moved his hand and psychokinetic energy wrapped around the campfire like a mantle, then he drew out a small flame, contemplating it in his palm, watching the flicker of the fire.
"Silver," the feline spoke in a doubtful voice.
"But there was someone who changed all that hatred."
In that moment every painful memory of fire seemed to dissolve as he lifted his gaze to look at her. The pain turned into warmth.
"Blaze, it was you. I was able to see that fire is more than just destruction. Your flames bring warmth… they’re like this campfire, they give comfort and safety to everyone you protect. They’re warm… like a hug."
But his words received no reply. The princess had simply stood and walked closer until she was right in front of him. He wasn’t used to feeling intimidated, but it was hard not to under Blaze’s presence.
"Is that what you think?" she asked, expressionless, staring directly at him.
"Yes, that’s what I think," he answered without denial.
Both looked into each other’s eyes, amber and gold irises lit by the campfire, and the hedgehog finally rose to his feet.
"I know that’s who you are, Blaze. Warm. You’re reserved most of the time, but still you show concern for everyone. I see how seriously you take your duty. The people of your kingdom feel safe with you, just like your friends do… and I feel that way too. I think if I always end up near fire one way or another, it doesn’t feel so bad if I think it keeps me close to you."
He noticed her tail swishing quickly from side to side, while she kept a face he couldn’t quite read. Her ears twitched in quick fleeting movements, her arms crossed tightly.
"Light."
"Huh?"
"You’re like a light that always ends up illuminating even the darkest path, one that refuses to be dimmed by darkness, guiding your world down the right way. No matter how dark your future is, you always find a way to light it up again. That’s what you are to me. Light."
Now it was his turn not to know what to say. They were words that made him feel special. He had never seen himself as a light, nor thought someone would ever think of him that way. He felt the cyan glow of his rings shine brighter than usual, and even the fire seemed to grow larger. Maybe his friend had wanted more fire…
They both froze like statues, neither knowing what to say, yet neither looked away from the other. They both felt an overwhelming urge to get closer, but fear held them back. A strange feeling for them both, a completely new territory each one hesitated to step into.
"Blaze… do you really think that?" the hedgehog asked nervously, clutching his arm.
"Without a doubt."
"…That’s… beautiful."
"Your words were too."
The silence seemed eternal. They both averted their gazes, not knowing what to say. They wanted to break the ice, but it was extremely hard. They didn’t know how long they had been sitting there like fools, staring into nothing without saying a word. Neither of them realized the weight of the other’s words, nor how both of their cheeks had flushed red.
They each saw something in the other the other could not see. They felt a great respect for each other’s convictions. They understood the weight the other carried. They were different, and yet the same in many ways. They felt identified with what they shared, and captivated by what made them different. Each day they silently wondered if the other felt that same connection.
"I think it’s getting late, and we should be going. Tomorrow I have a meeting about trade with neighboring lands," the feline said.
"Sure, no problem. Maybe you could come to my future this time? I’d love to show you my apartment."
"I’d love to."
"Great! We could even cook. I learned an excellent apple pie recipe."
"That would be splendid, but cooking has never been my strength," the feline admitted shyly.
"Does that matter? I can teach you. Who cares if we burn something, as long as we do it together."
And so they kept chatting as they walked away from the campfire, enjoying each other’s company, their slow steps ensuring more time together. As for the fish… well, both had completely forgotten the reason they had started the fire in the first place… and of course, neither noticed the presence of a young raccoon who had been watching everything from afar.