It wasn't dawn yet, but yellow light was beginning to spill over the cold horizon. Blaze assumed it must be sometime around 4am. She kept her mind off the fresh pain of Zeena's kidnapping and Mecha's abandonment by focusing on the next task at hand: returning to Angel Island to visit Tikal. There was no point in risking solely a rescue mission - the time had come to put a stop to the madness. They needed to visit Angel Island in person to finally plan the counterattack on Redd. She wondered how this would all play out: sure they had access to the Phantom Ruby, but would it be enough? Would they be able to rescue Zeena? Was Mecha now their enemy through-and-through?
Infinite, the keeper of the Ruby, was another unknown. As he followed them away from the dark mansion, not quite limping but nowhere near marching, he still carried an aura of bitterness. Silver remained wary of his supposed turn to the light, so it rested on Blaze to keep him in check (she chuckled to herself, remembering how Silver once did the same for Zeena's case).
Unfortunately, the train car they'd arrived with was shot. The team inspected its battle damage, its broken windows, finding it totally inoperable. Without Zeena there to operate it nor maintain repairs on the crooked wheels, it was little more than a giant hunk of metal and plastic. Blaze explained their predicament to Infinite - he still seemed disturbingly amused by Mecha's apparent betrayal, bringing it up yet again:
"Was this girl in league with the traitor?"
Silver didn't humor him. "No, she's a victim and so is he. Mecha doesn't realize what he's doing. He's just following Eggman and Zeena, they're all he knows." Blaze appreciated his level-headed summation.
Infinite revealed a fang. "So you weren't particularly close, then?"
"Not exactly." Blaze chimed in. "He's a robot. He was designed to serve a master, not to make friends." That's what she told herself about Mecha, but his relationship with Zeena was much more than a servant and a master. Blaze was now ready to admit that she had seriously misjudged Zeena's character, or at least her potential - by the time they had reached the mansion, the Zeti had changed quite a lot from her bratty old self. She was closer with that robot than she was with Blaze or Silver… it only made her disappearance all the more painful. "But that doesn't mean we won't still save him."
"So how did you get food and stuff up here in the first place?" Silver failed to hide his irritation with the conversation, obviously changing subjects.
Infinite gave a terse laugh - it felt wrong to hear. "If my self-loathing was especially bad I'd hitch a ride on a train. Otherwise I'd teleport, but my body can't take that right now."
Blaze squinted at the snowy trees and cliffs below them. She could feasibly rush down the slope at superspeeds to escape in seconds, even reach Angel Island in an hour or so, but she couldn't leave them behind. They couldn't split up again. "Then I guess we'll descend by foot."
A light went on in Silver's head. "Hold on." He extended his psychic hands, prying a metal segment off the roof of the train car. As he placed it into the snow, bending it into a platform, Blaze shook her head.
"You want to sled down a mountain on a giant piece of sheet metal?"
He gave one of those naive smiles, almost mischievous. "It's faster than walking, right? I'll make sure we don't hit anything." Somehow he was dead serious.
What's his obsession with flying platforms? She shot Infinite a look, finding just as much concern in his eyes. Would this crippled jackal even survive the trip? Choosing to trust his judgement, the three cautiously stepped aboard the platform. Infinite knelt behind their driver beside Blaze, his hands clasped together. "God help us..."
She smirked, trying to defuse the tension. "You don't strike me as the religious type."
The makeshift toboggan began to inch forwards; Blaze felt her tail brustle, and she saw Infinite's own similarly stiffen. "Well, Silver's the most convincing missionary I've ever met."
"Let's go!" Silver whooped, and with a push of psychic force, the metal shot down the slope.
To put it lightly, this was a pretty bad idea.
Silver was an impressive pilot, expertly swerving their sled between trees and over hills. If they were caught off guard by an especially large jump or bump, he was able to stabilize and streamline the ride with his mind. For a moment, Blaze applauded his ingenuity - at this rate they might have made it down the mountain before sunrise.
About halfway down the mountain range, they came upon a ski lodge. Despite being dwarfed by Infinite's opulent hostel, the log cabin was an impressive work of craftsmanship - so impressive, in fact, that it completely grabbed Silver's attention. In his euphoria he failed to account for an especially wide tree, and by the time he'd noticed, his ever-present desire to have it both ways tore their platform in two. No one hit the tree, but they were violently separated.
Infinite went careening off into the snow, cursing and screaming as he flew over snow dunes on an uncontrollable sheet of metal. Silver was able to stabilize his and Blaze's half, but failed to hold onto their guest. "Did I just kill him?" Silver's voice had real fear in it, something Blaze wouldn't have expected from a sworn enemy. She jogged after the trail in the snow, flames searing ice and leaving the ground wet. She found Infinite embedded in a snowbank not half a kilometer down the slope, his legs kicking with comical anger.
As she excavated his body, he shook his head and patted down his parka. "Yes, I truly believe in god now," he snapped. "It's a miracle Silver didn't kill me just now."
"I'm so sorry Infinite." Blaze found herself apologizing for her companion's mistake, doing her best to hide her amusement. Mounting the shivering jackal on her back, she carried him back to Silver.
"I refuse to go on any more of this idiot's backyard fairground rides," he pouted, glaring at the white hedgehog. Then he pointed a finger at Blaze - it should have been intimidating, but his pathetic posture and frosty black fur gave away his frailty. "Get me a fire now, unless you want your precious Ruby to stay in Null Space while hypothermia adjourns my time in this life."
The duo had no choice but to comply, carrying him back up the slope conveniently to the lodge that had caused this mistake in the first place. Silver forced the locks open, finding the cabin empty except for a dark, cozy sitting area covered in blankets. Blaze threw a log in the fireplace and made it combust, sitting Infinite on the floor in front and throwing a blanket over his back. He continued to shudder, and frustration lingered in his eyes; he clearly wanted to be left alone.
Silver and Blaze checked the refrigerator and cabinets, finding little more than frozen water bottles, a box of crackers, and a can of spam - the cabin must not have been in use when the cataclysm struck. These humble rations were better than nothing, and Infinite reluctantly accepted a plate of meat. "Thanks…"
The two then sat on the couch a fair distance behind him. They watched the fireplace's performance over Infinite's shoulders, slowly eating crackers and drinking water.
In the silence, Blaze's ears perked up at a thought. "I haven't seen your backpack in a while, Silver."
He reached behind an arm of the couch, dragging the bag into view. She hadn't noticed, but it was quite beaten up - they'd been through so much since that first party on the beach. She couldn't help but wonder if the royal pin she'd gifted him remained safe.
No, she was dying to know. "Do you still have your pin?"
He nodded, sifting it out and revealing its golden glow. "Of course, Blaze." He replied as if it weren't even a question - and realistically, it shouldn't have been. But awkwardness still sat on the cushion between them, and had done so ever since their outburst in the mansion earlier that night.
Blaze was about to ask him about it, but he spoke first. "What do you think his intentions are?" His eyes led her to Infinite.
"He said he wanted to help us, so we ought to give him a chance," she sighed impatiently. "I watched his body fail to brandish a sword at you. He's dangerous, but not that dangerous."
"I see". Silver was unbothered by this knowledge. "I bring this up because it feels familiar…" He seemed more bothered by himself. "Like one of those flashbacks. We've trusted someone like this before."
As Blaze pondered his proposition, she came to agree. A similarly dark and cunning individual had approached them in her visions too - she was fairly sure it wasn't Infinite, but couldn't say for certain. "I wonder what came of it."
Silver didn't answer; he was deep in thought, so she let him build without interruption. They stared into the fire beyond Infinite. Then he spoke. "Blaze… why are you still so nice to me?"
"Infinite's not the only one needing second chances." Her witty response came quick, as if she'd rehearsed it in her head. Now it was her turn. "But I must ask: did you mean everything you said back at the mansion?"
Again, Silver took a moment to answer. "No, not at all. I'm just so…" He trailed off. "Stressed."
"I understand." Blaze didn't want to make him feel bad. "I cracked too..." But she did need him to see the severity. "What you said truly hurt me."
"I'm sorry for freaking out like that," he groaned a pained and sincere apology, his voice becoming hushed. "I'm so sorry… just, I've been working for the happiness of others for so long." He rotated towards her on the couch, leaning in to whisper. "When do I get to be happy, Blaze? I feel like it should be my turn to be selfish." Regret washed over him. "That doesn't mean it's right, it's just how I feel…"
Gingerly, Blaze laid a friendly hand on the cushion between them. She glanced at Infinite, noticing that the jackal had curled up on his side by the fire; he seemed fast asleep (that or dead). "It's okay. I'm working on forgiving you."
Silver continued, completely oblivious to Infinite's slumber. "I already asked, but how can you be so selfless? Doesn't it get exhausting, giving up your happiness for others all the time?"
The princess considered, drumming her fingers. "It does, and I'm not perfect." She thought back to her spat with Zeena again. "But I see a difference between comfort and happiness. On this journey, for example, I have not been very comfortable at all…"
Silver cut in to apologize. "Sorry."
Blaze couldn't help but smile. "It's not your fault." She moved her fingers again, inviting him to get the hint. "I knew this was going to be difficult the moment we exited that auditorium. What's important is that, at the same time, I can't recall being so happy."
Confusion shook his face. "What is it that's making you so happy?"
You're so dumb. Giving up, Blaze reached towards him and grasped his hand. She tenderly rubbed his palm, not smiling but maintaining love in her eyes.
He seemed so surprised, blushing in the orange firelight. "… I'm doing it?"
"You do stupid things sometimes, but I can't help wanting to be around you." Her other hand joined, caressing his knuckles. "I want us to work, Silver. You and I have a long way to go, I…"
He exhaled sharply, nervously pressing on the couch with his free hand. "Blaze…"
Is this too forward? Usually Silver was the one making her heart skip a beat, so she couldn't deny there was satisfaction to this, but she decided to relent. "A-anyways. I also have a bad habit of keeping myself from what I want." She decided to vocalize some of Tikal's wisdom. "Sometimes I find being happy is uncomfortable, like I don't deserve it. I guess I don't like endings, happy or not."
"No, I get it." He'd calmed down. "I may be a jerk about it sometimes, but honestly, I'm so scared of what's gonna happen after all this is over."
She retracted her hands from his, shifting modes. "Do you think Redd will win?
"He won't." That boyish conviction returned, and she couldn't help but be charmed by it. "He said he would destroy the planet if necessary, and there's no way I'm letting that happen."
Blaze saw an opportunity. "Naturally." She crossed her legs, propping up her chin with her elbow. "Look at how much you care about these people."
He scrunched up his face. "If the present is ruined, the future is too. I don't see how stopping that is selfless."
"Silver," she tutted. "You told me about Redd's offer. Why didn't you join him?"
He paused, tearing his gaze away from her to look at the old wooden flooring; then he watched Infinite's mass of blankets, gently rising and falling with his breath. Blaze waited.
"I…" he sniffed. "I remembered the party. All those people were there for me… they all count on me."
Blaze nodded. "I count on you."
Surprised, his eyes met hers again. He grimaced. "Why… why does everyone count on me so much? Don't they realize the pressure that creates?"
Moved, Blaze again reached towards him, this time placing a hand on either side of his face. She tenderly stroked his furry cheeks. "It's because we love you. We trust you. You're such a special boy, Silver."
He blinked, tears forming. "Everyone keeps saying that… maybe I want to be a normal boy…" his voice faltered.
"They tell me that too, you know." Now close to him, she rested her forehead against his. "But I feel more normal in your presence than that of any other… I want to feel normal with you for the rest of our special little lives." She realized that was an excessive commitment, but didn't rescind it. She smiled.
Finally, Silver reached up to touch her wrists. His fingers drew along them, eliciting heat and a red glow. "I love how normal you make me feel, Blaze… I don't want to leave you…"
Blaze wanted so badly to say, Then don't , but couldn't bring herself to. She had come this far with Tikal's advice to finally count her own desires, and yet she now failed again. Instead, she held him as tight as she could; maybe he could remember this moment fondly someday, or maybe he could hear the message straight from her heartbeat.
As if in an instant, Blaze fell asleep and awoke to sunlight shining through the lodge. How long had she drifted off for? She felt both excessively warm and excessively cold at the same time - a fierce breeze coursing through the hall, but her body was wrapped in warmth. She scanned her surroundings…
Infinite was gone, and there was a giant hole in the wall.
The princess was about to rocket upright, frantically searching the lodge, but found herself stuck to the couch where she'd slept. Not by any nefarious trap, but by the arms of her companion; never before had she awoken in such a position, and it paralyzed her. Her breathing accelerated, a nauseating mixture of girlish lovesickness and imagining what could have happened to Infinite. Did he run back home? Was he kidnapped like the others? As the panic set in, she had no choice but to pry herself out of the boy's arms.
It awoke him. "Good morning…" he yawned.
But Blaze was in no mood, turning around to shake his shoulder. "Infinite's gone!"
The two rushed to inspect the damage, quickly noticing a trail of footprints in the snow. The tracks bore the same infinity symbol as the soles of his shoes, confirming their maker.
"I knew he was gonna run off! Now we have an unhinged super soldier on the loose!" Silver growled. "I say we continue to Angel Island as planned. If he wants to get lost in the snow, so be it."
Blaze gave him a knowing, grave look. "He's not okay, Silver. We're all he has. If he dies out there, it's our fault." She shook her head, remembering. "And he has the Ruby…"
The hedgehog's face was pained, annoyed, but understanding. He gave in. "You're right, I'm sorry. Let's go find him."
They leapt to follow their only lead, walking after the footprints. The tracks were noticeably erratic, spiraling in circles or even taking ridiculously long steps; it was as if Infinite had gone out dancing at the break of dawn. What could he have been up to?
After barely ten meters of walking, however, the tracks stopped. Despair quickly started to set in; Infinite could have taken flight, teleported, been snatched up by a large bird, the possibilities were endless, yet they had nowhere else to go. Silver leaned against a tree. "What now?"
Blaze had no answer, but she really didn't need a frostbitten jackal's death on her conscience. "Let's see if there's any other evidence at the lodge-"
Turning around, Blaze noticed a particularly odd clump of branches to the right. It looked unnatural, constructed, a makeshift shelter - not a lean-to or quinzee, but like a box made of bent branches. She cautiously stepped off the path, reaching out and shifting one of the sticks - only to reveal a bloodshot eye staring back at her.
"Y-you two… you actually found me…" It was Infinite, having warped his surroundings into some sort of self-induced cage.
Silver couldn't contain himself, exploding the branches off of him with his mind. "What the hell is this, hide-and-seek? Don't run off like that!"
Infinite sniffed, shivering almost worse than the night before. "Had a n-night terror… you really didn't have to come looking for me…"
Silver was about to rip into him again, but Blaze carefully knelt to Infinite's eye level. "It's okay, We're gonna get you off the mountain today, we're almost there."
His voice was utterly pathetic. "No, I need to go back… please, take me back…"
Blaze shook her head. "We have a friend who can help your restless spirit, the one on Angel Island." Enthusiasm filled her voice, as if enticing a child to do his homework. "This is no time to clam up, you're almost out!"
He tried to stand but failed; much to Blaze's surprise, Silver rushed to his side to support him. The jackal's arm fit over his shoulders, and began leading him back towards the lodge. He looked shocked, maybe even touched. "What are you doing…?"
Silver smirked, glancing back at Blaze. "Didn't you hear Blaze? We're getting you off the mountain. Gotta get you somewhere you don't need this parka."
"I like this parka…" Infinite grumbled.
"It looks great on you, don't worry, but the mainland is so much cozier. You'll love it."
A grin crept across Infinite's face, despite his best attempts to cover it with a gloved hand. "I don't care about being cozy… I'm going to kill Redd, and that's all."
Blaze smiled, her heart warmed at the sight. "Easy, big guy."