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"Can I go?"
"I am sorry, princess, but you must prepare for your future."
"....Alright..."
The day looked so beautiful outside... with the gorgeous, radiant sun, the soft and fresh breeze of the wind, the vast and completely clear blue sky, and the sweet singing of the birds. It was a perfect day to go out and play... too bad she couldn't... she never could.
The child just stared out the window, treating the view as if it were a treasure. The outside world seemed like a completely foreign realm to her. Every day, she imagined herself playing with other children in the courtyard, eating heaps of sweets, and laughing without end. The idea of having friends sounded so fun....
By her side was her reliable guardian, who watched over, advised, and protected her. His name? It was Gardon, a koala who tried to find just the right words to lift the spirits of the future heiress of an entire kingdom—and, above all, the one who would hold the ultimate duty of protecting the most powerful relics in the world.
Her tail flicked occasionally from side to side as she returned to her reading. History, politics, and geography were just a couple of the subjects she had to learn and master if she wanted to live up to expectations. Hearing Gardon grant her a short break, she simply looked back out the window and immersed herself in endless curiosity.
A young girl daydreaming, with only the words of others and a window as inspiration for what she believed a normal child's life was like.
Gifted with the boon of flames—a scorching and destructive fire—such power meant danger, especially to the people of the kingdom. The first days after her flames awakened were the worst: isolated and removed from everyone, placed in quarantine as if she were a monster that could turn anything she touched into ashes at any moment.
Studying to gain the wisdom necessary to lead her kingdom in the future, and practicing so as not to reduce her people to cinders—that was the constant life of a mere six-year-old girl, dreaming of having friends to share her laughter with.
Gardon already knew her favorite tea and prepared it as beautifully as always. He told an anecdote, attempting to cheer her up, but her gaze remained fixed on the window. The wind looked strong; would the other children be outside playing with kites? She remembered hearing about those from the koala. Those kids were probably accompanied by their parents. Children and parents... it was hard for her to imagine having fun with them, but how she would love to see something other than her father’s frown or her mother’s cold stare.
But... what if she studied so hard that she made them smile? What if she impressed them so much that they would want to play with her, allowing them to be like any normal family?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"One moment, Your Highness, I shall be right back," the koala remarked, before stepping out of the room.
She sharpened her hearing as much as she could, listening to the whispers, maintaining just enough distance so as not to get caught eavesdropping. She had never been punished before, and she didn't want to start now.
"Are you sure? Don't you think it's too soon? The princess should—"
"These are royal orders."
"I know... but..."
"Their word is law. Do you understand or not?"
"I understand... I will inform her myself."
No matter how much mental preparation she had, she couldn't help but jump in fright when she heard the sound of the door opening. With her fur completely bristling, she tried to play it cool while taking a sip of tea.
"Are you alright, princess?"
"Yes... it's just... I burned myself with the tea."
Gardon said nothing, even though just today he had prepared iced tea for her.
It was time for her... to fulfill tradition.
.
.
.
.
They were beautiful, brilliant, and pristine—the incomparable gems, each holding absolute, invaluable power. As the future guardian, she would have to protect them at any cost. An unparalleled responsibility awaited her.
Emeralds so ancient, yet at the same time unknown, surrounded by thousands of myths and legends, granting a strength beyond understanding. Yet, they did not submit to their wielder; they guided them in mystical ways. Gems with their own consciousness and independence...
Alone in a room, with the only sound coming from the crackling of the torches, she could feel it. There were no words or movements from those gems, just a presence that seemed to say everything while doing nothing.
She meditated just as her masters had taught her, but calm was something she could not reach. Questions arose as time ticked by: *"How long do I have to be here?", "Will I be able to rest after this?", "Will I always have to do this? It's boring."*
"Do you feel lonely? It must be sad to be in here..."
There was no answer.
"I feel lonely..."
Still, nothing happened.
"People talk about having at least one friend. I think about what it would be like to have one. Friends have fun and help each other." Bashfully, her gaze fixed on the floor, and her tail curled up. "I would like to have a friend..."
With shyness, the child's gaze cast downward, stroking her own curled tail.
"Can I tell you a secret? ...Truthfully, I would like to have a friend..."
The door swung open, and it was Gardon who called for her, finally allowing her to leave that place. While the little girl was outside the room—and it was there, in utter solitude—the gems emitted a mystical glow. Thus, without knowing it, the feline's words had been heard.
---
Night arrived. Entering her room, every sheet was perfectly folded, and the pillows were placed exactly where they were supposed to be. Only books and clothes were her belongings; any stuffed animal or toy was considered a distraction in the eyes of others.
Behind her, her guardian stood in silence, thinking about how to break the next piece of news to her.
"Princess, regarding your training, your parents asked me to notify you that they will be in distant lands for a few months on business. I am sorry this is how you had to find out."
The little girl remained silent, lowering her head, and then walked toward her window. The cold wind blew hard, forming a faint whistle. Despite the girl's fear of heights, she saw the window like a firefly drawn to the light.
"Princess?" the koala asked, stepping closer with a hint of worry.
"Did they not say anything else?" she spoke in a low voice.
"I am afraid not."
"Alright..."
Trying not to show weakness, she kept staring at the view provided by the window, using the beautiful night landscape as an attempt to console herself for not being able to see her parents for a long time—or perhaps it was the fact that she couldn't even say goodbye to them in person...
Her tail retracted and her ears drooped downward. No matter how hard she tried, she was just a child trying to be what others demanded.
For a moment, only the howling of the wind reigned. The princess's guardian drew near, and she gripped the edge of the frame with indecision, her gaze still fixed on the beauty of the sky.
"Gardon, may I ask you something?"
"Anything you wish, Your Majesty."
"It's something silly."
"It doesn't matter."
"Do you think I would be a good friend?" Turning around to look at him, she asked hesitantly.
"I have no doubts about it."
Now, both of them were looking at the sky, a night adorned with an endless array of beautifully shining stars. Tilting his head, Gardon looked curiously at the little girl, who kept her eyes fixed on the heavens.
"I thought you hated being near windows... due to your discomfort with heights."
"Well... I feel like there is something calling to me. I don't understand it, but I feel like something is about to happen at any moment."
And the entire sky lit up.
A cyan glow emerged from among the clouds, descending at full speed, leaving a trail of light in its wake. It illuminated the night so intensely that, for a moment, she thought the sky had turned sky-blue again...
Even with everything she had studied about immense outer space, she couldn't identify what kind of comet it was... she only knew that no matter how long she stared at that beautiful cyan glow, she would never tire of seeing the beauty of that light.
"Was that what you were waiting for, princess?"
"I think so..."
And faster than she would have liked, the comet zoomed away, but not before changing its course and vanishing... and then, a tremor was felt throughout the entire castle.
"It seems it landed near the forest..." Gardon said, a bit overwhelmed.
"Yes, quite a comet..." the feline said, her fur completely puffed up from the slight fright.
That same night, she could only think about the glow her eyes had captured and how she felt it calling to her.
An idea came to her.
For the first time, she would lie, staining her perfect record.
She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she needed to do it.
"Princess, are you sure you want to go to the forest alone? Don't you think you should be accompanied?"
She stirred her salad; her tail swished violently from left to right, and her lips trembled.
"That... would undoubtedly be the most sensible thing to do, but the gems gave me the message to do it alone."
"The gems? How was the message delivered?"
"Yes, they gave me a vision..."
"Is it because of the comet?"
And with just the feline's slight tremble, he knew his answer.
"Well, I have no authority to deny the wish of the gems, and besides, you possess the skills necessary to go alone."
And so, she was able to set off alone... with a backpack at least twice as heavy as she was... all for a one-afternoon trip...
The forest was beautiful; the singing of birds echoed everywhere, her silent steps accompanied by falling leaves, along with the fresh and pure scent of nature. She guided herself by instinct, feeling how with every step, the presence of that comet grew closer.
She felt the breeze of the wind guiding her. As time passed, she noticed more and more how the forest was becoming increasingly silent. In time, the forest fell completely quiet. It was then that she observed just how close she was to her objective.
Destroyed and fallen trees formed a path, and a pungent, intense foul odor invaded her nostrils, making her dizzy. If she wasn't mistaken, it was sulfur. Fortunately, the path revealed was a relatively low slope, with almost no height.
Climbing down carefully, she followed the trail of torn earth left by the impact of that object. She walked and walked, excitement embedded in every step, and finally, she saw it... only there was no meteorite, nor any object from outer space itself... there was only a boy.
A little hedgehog curled up inside a crater, wrapped in ash and dirt, the smell of sulfur clung to him. His fur was almost entirely a silver that verged on white; his hands and legs had symbols she had never seen before.
She tried to remain professional, but she couldn't help but shake like jelly at what could very possibly be the corpse of a child her age.
"Uh... hello?... are you alive?"
She wanted to leave.
She wanted to call Gardon and be home.
But she couldn't; she felt there was something forcing her to stay.
She approached to get a closer look, just as her masters had taught her... only she never actually got to touch him.
He woke up.
Covered in filth, he stood hunched over. A slight snarl escaped his mouth, revealing his small but sharp fangs. His golden eyes looked directly at her. Those signs he had were now enveloped in a faint cyan glow. He breathed raggedly, his quills bristling in an instant.
He said nothing. The first thing he did was sniff the area, then that intense gaze directed upward, curious, as if it were the first time he had ever seen the sky and the sun.
"My apologies. My name is Blaze the Cat, future guardian, princess of these lands." Trying to sound as cordial as possible, she introduced herself.
But there was no answer. He only turned to look at her, saying nothing, merely tilting his head with curiosity, accompanied by a couple of blinks.
A loud sound rumbled through the forest; it was the hedgehog's stomach... he touched his aching belly. He was thin... very thin...
"I have food! I can help you!" the little feline said as she rummaged through her backpack. "What do you like?"
And he still said nothing.
Due to her clumsiness, an apple slipped and fell right under his feet. She picked it up... she had it right in front of him... at a very short distance.
At first, she thought about putting her guard up, but she looked into his eyes, which were completely devoid of malice; she could only see a scared and hungry child. She extended the apple slowly, sighed, and looked at him.
"Please, take it."
He first sniffed the fruit from side to side, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. Then, with swift speed, he grabbed the apple and bolted a few meters away from her, only to completely devour the fruit without leaving a single scrap behind. With his meal finished, he dropped all defensive posture; his quills stopped bristling.
Then, he approached her, no longer with hostility but with sheer curiosity, sniffing her.
"Uh, yes, I have more food."
The next thing she saw was the hedgehog eating all her provisions in the most savage way possible... that included several insects he had managed to catch himself...
Satisfied, the hedgehog flopped onto the ground and began to roll around on it.
"Can you tell me who you are?"
He only blinked a couple of times and offered her a bug from the ground.
"...Uh, no thanks, I mean your name."
He offered her the bug again; she only sighed, and he mimicked her. Then she raised her hand, and the hedgehog did the same. He tilted his head, and so did she... an idea had just come to her.
Pointing to herself with both hands, the feline exclaimed, "Blaze... I... am... Blaze."
She watched as the hedgehog moved his lips and narrowed his eyes, trying to imitate her.
"Bla...ze?" the hedgehog pronounced, his voice cracking and strained.
The little feline smiled brightly at his response. After that, she began teaching the hedgehog more and more things—the most basic language possible—but something was still missing.
A name.
Everyone had one, from the humblest peasants to the proudest nobles, and as a princess, she wouldn’t allow it to be any different for this hedgehog.
What name should this boy have?...
Analyzing the hedgehog from head to toe, she couldn't seem to decide on a name (he's not a dog, she told herself). Maybe something unique? Like... Venice? No, it didn't fit.
What name should this silver hedgehog have?... Silver...
"Silver!" the feline exclaimed joyfully, practically shouting while pointing at the hedgehog.
And Silver tumbled over in fright.
"Oh, my sincere apologies... I got too excited."
Pointing at himself, looking around as if he had never imagined that he too could have a name, the princess saw the boy smile happily for the very first time.
The young girl smiled back, because now she knew the name of her very first friend.
"Silver... I... am... Silver."