Silver rushed through the forest leading to the Sol Kingdom's palace, kicking up grasses behind him with each stride forward. He held fast to his cap, looking every which way with frantic eyes, licking his lips chapped by dehydrating panic; he wasn't used to this feeling. The kingdom was under attack - the life of his beloved princess was in jeopardy, without a doubt - and Silver never knew anything of it. Normally, being as open-eared as he was around the area, he might have been able to get word of the attack before they arrived. He scolded himself each time that thought raced to the front of his conscience, for surely he could have prevented the situation had he remained alert.
It was the Cryokinetics, surely, Silver thought to himself. He knew of their plans to snatch the Sol Emeralds in the past; for many decades they had laid dormant in their attempts, feigning a desire for peace to recruit an army in the meantime. It was only earlier that year that Silver had stolen the Cryos' plans for their original invasion. He was able to alert the princess, and Sol thwarted the attack before the enemy ever set foot on land. All the pride that had brought Silver was being diminished by the second.
Through the passing spaces between trees, Silver soon found the despicable silhouette of fighting in the distance. Far too near in the distance for his liking, actually - one of the invading phalanxes had already moved to the palace's facade. The pirate cursed beneath his breath, and gained a subconscious burst of acceleration once Blaze's balcony was in his sights. It was as if all his nightmares had decided to rear their wretched heads on Sol's shores.
After leaping over the shrubbery lining the foundation of the palace, Silver scaled the vines leading up to the princess's balcony with an intensity he had never before employed. He moved as if he were under the eye of an archer - and perhaps he was, he thought - that would be the most typical of deaths. Sweat was pouring past his eyes, down his muzzle and neck, saturating the frills of his coat and the fur beneath it. For a moment, he believed that the princess would be forced to tend to him once he reached her chambers. He also possessed enough self-awareness to laugh at such irony.
In a perfect world, Silver expected to find Princess Blaze immediately - surely she would be perched behind her window, gazing out with a somber contour to her lips as the Cryos' siege crept closer. He would be able to comfort her before speaking of his plan, and that would soften her to the idea of it. On the contrary, of course, she was nowhere to be found, and Silver had to venture into the hallways to stand any chance of escaping with her.
"Princess!" Silver whispered sharply, scuttering along the carpet so that his boots wouldn't alert anyone. He peered around each corner he came to, fearing the inevitability that he would be mistaken for an intruder, or some senseless notion. He raised his voice as his search dragged on, leading him to duck behind tables and chairs whenever paranoia played its tricks.
Silver soon found himself on one of the grand hallways, weaving behind columns that overlooked the barren dining hall several stories below. There was simply nothing to hide from. He seated himself to catch his breath, and after he had done so without any disturbance, he decided that the residence portion of the palace was empty. Still, he checked the handle of the cutlass at his belt, and looked down either side of the hall before venturing to one of the tall windows before him. He winced at the faint clashing of swords and shields; Sol was never a kingdom built for war. Powerful, it was, but only for the peace it stood for. There were no battlements, no gatehouse, nothing separating it from the people it resided over. Even a mere pirate could roam its interior in a time of such crisis. The town, only a few hundred meters away, was being ransacked - by nightfall it would be reduced to a pile of dust. More painful clanging of metal against metal rang out through the air.
Silver checked the leverage he had on his weapon once more. An oddity, since he was a sworn pacifist; for as many immoral deeds as he had inked to his resume, he only ever stole. A robber he was, but never a murderer. Often times, his theft had merely been to provide for his crew, anyway. Silver had his way through his words, not his sword. He had a certain way of speaking - a honeyed, high-pitched, sensual voice that could manipulate even a deity. One would think he had, given all the times he had escaped death. But never had he cut life with his weapon. He simply assumed that would have to change, if he were to escape with the princess alive.
Perhaps the princess had already evacuated, or had fallen back to the barracks - no. Silver's hopes deceived him not. Blaze was more likely to be outside fighting alongside her people than on a ship sailing elsewhere. That thought was troubling enough to force him back to his search, and down another adjacent path.
Silver passed another corner, and his heart leaped to his throat when he heard a footstep behind him. Before he could even flinch, an arm wrapped tight around his head, exposing his neck to the cool edge of a blade. His shock was paralyzing, though he was only in danger for a moment - he knew that boiling touch on his cheek.
"Princess!" Silver's cap slid off his head, exposing his eccentric quills. "My, how glad I am to see you!"
Blaze retracted her smallsword. Her brow was as sharp as her tone. "What business have you in here?"
"Oh, I thought I'd stop for tea." Silver retrieved his headwear, grabbed Blaze's hand, and tried to pull her in the direction from which he came. "What business have you alone?"
She submitted a few steps toward him before standing her ground. "They wouldn't let me fight. Everyone is either outside or guarding the entrances."
"Well, they overlooked your balcony."
"Enough! Unhand me!"
"Where are the emeralds?"
Blaze tugged on the strap of her haversack. "With me."
"Excellent! Forward thinking! So we can leave?"
"No!" Blaze asserted, throwing Silver's hand down.
"Princess, I beg of you-"
"Out of the question!" she intervened, walking back to her post. "I will never abandon my people. The only way the emeralds are leaving Sol is if they're stained with my blood."
Silver bounced in front of her, eyes fixed on the end of the hall. "Princess, listen to me, I've docked at the kingdom's rear-"
Blaze crossed her arms, and turned her head in disgust. "And what importance does that hold now? I have no time for your crude innuendos."
"My ship is behind the palace! We're outnumbered, but we're not surrounded. We can escape!"
"Are you dense? I've told you no!"
"Princess, I admire your bravery," Silver admitted, resting his hands on her shoulders, "and your loyalty to your people is unquestioned. But if those emeralds are stolen, you won't have anything left to be loyal to! You can't fend off an entire army!"
"I can die trying."
"We don't have much time! Princess, look at me." The albino slouched into her line of sight, and his voice shook as he held her gaze. "It's difficult to think now, I know, but you must trust me. You don't understand how badly I need you. If anything happened to you, I could never go on." He pointed behind her. "They could never go on. You know this. Live to fight another day, my love, I beg you. Come with me."
Blaze hesitated, kneading the rough, worn leather of her sword's hilt, but found herself submitting to his touch. She did trust Silver. She had accepted that long ago. He had done nothing but support her from the time she released him as a prisoner. There was always a smug curvature to his face when he played false cards; Blaze had noticed this. No such expression held her attention now. She inhaled deeply, and nodded at his sincerity, allowing him to lead her away.
The couple hadn't made twenty paces before they were stopped in their tracks. A heavy stampede of footsteps echoed through a nearby corridor, and it was a moment later that a group of four Cryo infantry appeared at the end of the hallway, fully armed with axes and shields.
"That must be the princess!" one of the soldiers exclaimed, lifting his fingerless gauntlet toward Blaze.
Silver froze, the black stripes at the edges of his eyes stretched by shock. The soldiers started toward them, their shouts bouncing in the wide space between the walls. This only further tensed Silver's muscles; Blaze was forced to grab hold of his cape, and pull him away so that he would move. The pirate struggled to find his feet, but rushed ahead of Blaze at her command. The Cryos raised their hands, and shot shards of ice from their fingertips.
Blaze backpedaled, and disposed of each projectile with a wave of flames from her free palm. She threw a few balls of fire at the Cryos, but they could only fizzle out upon contact with their shields. Her bag beat against her hip with each stride she took until she was level with Silver again. She pulled him around a corner, where they continued their retreat down another corridor. Mahogany doors flew by them on either side. Fine, lively spearheads of ice fizzed past their arms and necks. The princess reached behind her to create a wall of fire, supposedly to grant a moment's worth of thought, though she set the carpet as well as her tail ablaze in the act. She winced in pain, and flicked her tail in front of her so that she could swipe the flames away.
Silver chuckled between his short breaths. "Perhaps your rear is-"
"Do you ever tire?" Blaze spat, as she flung more fireballs at their pursuers. A glance over her shoulder revealed that her wall of flames had provided little resistance. She sped ahead, and grabbed Silver's hand to encourage his pace. The pirate stumbled, and nearly lost his cap, let alone his life. They weaved around several corners before resting against one of the violet walls, just beneath a grand portrait.
Blaze peered back, and laid her hand on Silver's shoulder, circling her thumb to feel the soothing velvet of his coat. She slowed her breathing. "Now, it is your turn to trust me," the princess asserted. Silver tilted his head with skepticism, but listened to her plan with intent, as he always would.
When the four Cryos appeared again, they were greeted by the sight of Silver standing alone in the middle of the hall, his backside facing them. The albino flashed a smug grin, and flicked two fingers in a v-shape at the soldiers before shaking his tail. The infantry dashed toward the obscene gesture, forcing Silver to evade as they unleashed a barrage of ice in his direction. Blaze appeared behind them just as they did so.
With one swing of her sword, Blaze knocked two of the enemies off their feet. With a thrust, she pierced one's shoulder. With the utmost grace, she leapt to the man's chest, kicked him off the end of her weapon, and landed behind the remaining Cryo before he could ever react. She held her palm out, and forged an intense flare between his legs, burning anything that was unarmored beneath his tasset. Blaze judged that to be more than he would have liked, given his reaction: a frantic skip back toward the grand hall.
The two unwounded Cryos attempted to grab Blaze, but she wormed away from their grasps with ease. She struck one soldier's helmet with the heel of her boot, and only just dodged the other's axe. The princess disarmed him as a response, slicing his exposed fingers with her smallsword, curling him to the floor with a scream. Blood spattered over the carpet, and its metallic scent filled the princess with rage. She placed her hand over the face of the last Cryo standing, and unleashed a fire befitting of the sun itself. Only the sight of Silver, who was sat up against the wall clutching his shoulder, interrupted the feline's excessive punishment for the invaders.
Blaze rushed over to Silver, and dropped her weapon beside him. He laughed through his grimace, assuring her that he was still in good spirits. A small circle of crimson was seeping through his coat at his shoulder blade; the projectile of ice had already melted. Blaze fingered at the wound for a moment, and tore away the furred portion of her cuff to clean it. She smiled at him.
"Could the princess spare a kiss, for the pirate's bravery?" Silver curled his lips.
"As if the princess hadn't just slain the enemies," remarked Blaze. She helped Silver to his feet.
Just then, the floors quaked as another stampede sounded through the palace, far more turbulent than the last. This prompted the couple to skitter away, and they were able to navigate to Blaze's chambers. Shouts and crashes echoed through the princess's vast home. Sol's forces had been broken, she thought. Every rumble of the walls, every booming voice, every thunderous second nailed that idea further into her soul. It had happened. She was part of the reason it was able to happen. Blaze could hardly see through her tears as she climbed over her balcony after Silver.
The princess was numb until her boots hit the ground outside. Even then, she stumbled forward at Silver's plea, reaching for her sword that she had left inside among all the commotion. For the first time in her memory, she felt powerless. Fire alone couldn't save her world. Her mind raced from regret to acceptance and back again, stomping over any emotion disgraceful enough in between. Had she stayed back and fought, she would have perished. She knew this, yet couldn't cleanse herself of shame.
Perhaps death wouldn't have helped in that endeavor, anyway. Blaze kept her eyes forward, focusing on the forest of palm trees ahead as they approached her. She turned her hand over the smooth suede of her bag. Perhaps death was never necessary.
Blaze snapped out of her musing when she and Silver were spotted from a distance by a few Cryo knights on horseback, who ordered them to halt. The first one to them dismounted, and immediately identified the princess with a stark confidence. Blaze's stomach sank - surely now she would not only die a brutal death, but one of a coward as well. She turned to blame Silver for this, and was shocked to find him laughing.
"My gods," Silver began, glancing over the knights without a trace of trepidation, "what flattery to be mistaken for royalty! Are both of our costumes so convincing, or is it only my partner?"
Blaze glanced down. Perhaps such duplicity would have been more convincing if she had her cloak - she sported a frilled blouse and tights, hardly befitting of an exaggerated royal get-up. The remainder of the knights dismounted, and pointed their swords at the couple, clearly unmoved by the pirate's words.
Still, Silver pursued with his game. "Gentlemen, please, we are but actors from the local theater! We have no hand in this fight. We will leave you to your business." He turned to walk away.
One of the knights advanced, poking Silver's neck with the tip of his sword. A harsh voice rushed through the slits of his helmet. "Our king will be the judge of that."
Another weapon was thrust close to the princess, and Silver rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course, I'm sure his Majesty will be thrilled by the capture of two peasants." His eyes shifted to Blaze. "How laughable it will be, when you return home under the claim you've arrested the princess, and you present to your king a man in make-up instead. I'll make plans to attend your execution."
Blaze shot daggers at Silver, but realized his cruelty was part of the show. She spoke not, for she knew her voice would ruin the illusion, and nodded at the knights. The most vocal of them lifted his visor, and squinted at the princess's frame, taking note of her attire as well as her flat chest. Blaze stared into his eyes with defiance until he was finally convinced. All the knights remounted, and turned back toward the palace with a cry. Blaze touched the bag at her side again, relieved to feel the emeralds inside it, and was pulled by Silver back to their escape route. She followed him in silence as they hurried along toward the setting sun.
Silver's ship was in their sights. Sand shifted around their boots. They had escaped disaster. Blaze was greeted with bows and embraces from Silver's crew, and as soon as she was settled in the ship, the anchor was hoisted. They were safe from the violence, and the wind was in their favor. It was only the princess and the captain who did not celebrate; the couple stood solemnly at the stern, gazes fixed on the palace as the madness became darker in the distance. Blaze placed her hand over her bag once more.
"I am sorry, princess," Silver admitted, "I wish I would've gotten here sooner." She gave him no response, and he was certain why. "Oh, princess, please forgive me. Surely you know that you're the fairest woman I've ever laid eyes on." He ran his hand along her side before sliding it up to her chest. "It was but a ploy to save our heads."
"That does not trouble me." Blaze lied, but for once she was grateful for Silver's deceitful nature. She removed his hand from her breast, but didn't let go of it. She leaned backward. "How is your wound?"
"Do not worry for my health, princess."
"You seem to be more loyal than many of my knights."
"Perhaps I could prove as such, and take you with me forever?"
"Let us not dream of the ideal," replied the feline, her gaze shifting across the muted horizon, "it withers the soul."
Silver leaned his head against Blaze's, and chirped at her warmth. "Aye, my love, but life is far too short to live fearing the worst. May we return to a kingdom strengthened by adversity. In any event, the emeralds are in the hands of their rightful owner." He pressed his lips to her muzzle. "And she is safe with me."
"Thank you, Silver." Blaze lowered her eyes at a realization, and tightened her grip between his fingers. "I don't believe I could do without you, either."
Honestly I love this au so much u guys. Again, silv is ooc to fit his role, but I think as I make more one-shots for this au (and maybe eventually write the whole story, who knows) it'll become clear that, deep down, he's not so different from his canon character. He's still very much a dork.
Also shidd dawg I almost forgot to shoutout my homie Aurora-Boring-Alis (ru) for helping me edit this and also generally putting up with me lmao. We came up with (and developed) this au together so a TON of her ideas are meshed into these one-shots. Plz go check out her stories if u got the time bc Got Damn it's the good stuff, u won't be disappointed. Love u ru!