The princess leaned against the tree trunk, as her companion gazed at the surrounding land. Blaze wanted to show him more of her kingdom. Once they both woke up, she offered him a tour of the land, and they set out. Now they were at the outskirts of the city, standing atop a hill. Nav stared into the distant forests and plains in wonder, watching birds sore across the vast sky. The sight was very pleasing to the eyes. It was why she took him out here.

Eventually the teen turned around and met her gaze. "This place is so big"

The cat smiled softly as the wind gently blew into her fur. "Indeed. The Sol Kingdom has a lot to offer once you leave the town"

"I can see that" he replied as he continued looking at the landscape. "Those mountains… I feel like going to them"

"You could. Many people enjoying hiking. In fact, we could do that if you want"

"Sure" he grinned. "I'm ready whenever"

Eventually the pair decided to head back to the city. The hedgehog admitted he was craving a nice drink, and the feline listed a few places they could go to quench their thirst. As they made their way towards the markets, an armed guard came rushing towards them. "Your highness!" he shouted, as he slowed to a stop. "The treasury is under attack!"

"What?!" the monarch questioned. "By who?"

"An army showed up after you left. Probably pirates"

"I figured" she snarled and turned to face her friend. Nav was stunned, not sure how to react. "Soldier, take my friend somewhere safe. I'm going to deal with the intruders"

The guard nodded, and the princess ran off towards her castle. Nav just stood there, staring after her. Was it the same pirates who attacked them before? He felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see the royal guard.

"Sir, please follow me"

Nav took another glance towards Blaze. He honesty wanted to go with her, but he figured it was best if he stayed out of trouble. He wasn't a soldier. Besides, it was what the princess wanted. He nodded to the man, and was lead away.

~

When Blaze finally reached her palace, she saw a small battle taking place. A few robots were fighting against her troops, firing lasers and tossing debris like javelins. The monarch quickly summoned her flames, and blasted the metallic raiders until they exploded into bits. A guard with red armour stepped forward, panting slightly.

"Your highness, they've taken the Scepter. My guess is they're bringing it to their ship"

This was alarming news. The most important object in the kingdom was stolen. "We have to get it back. Gather as many troops as you can, and chase after them. I'll go on ahead"

The captain frowned. "Princess, perhaps you should wait for us. They pushed through our defences. Their ship was strong enough to hold off the city"

Blaze shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, captain. But that staff is beyond powerful. We can't let them take it" And with that, she turned and ran off towards the shoreline.

Once she reached the harbour, she saw the carnage. Most of the defence ships were damaged, and the city walls had holes in them. A large ship could be seen retreating from the island. From the dark sails it had, the cat knew it was the same ship that attacked her at sea. She glanced around to see if any of her ships were still functional.

One was. A large warship made it way towards her, and she hopped onboard. Despite her desire to chase down the pirates immediately, she now realized that it was better to wait for reinforcements. And judging by the faces of her troops, they all felt the same way.

~

The dark hedgehog sat in the tavern with his drink, gulping down the juicy beverage. The guard left after giving him some food and coin, and now Nav was simply waiting for Blaze to come back. News had spread about the invasion, and the other customers were chatting away. Admittedly, he was a bit bored. Part of him wanted to see the battle personally. Just then Marine barged into the building, and after spotting him, made her way over.

"There you are, mate" she greeted as she hopped into a seat. "Did you hear about the pirates? Apparently they ran off with some treasure. I think they were the same blokes who chased us at sea"

"Yeah, I did" he answered. "Blaze ran off to deal with it"

"Course she did" she smirked.

Nav hummed in agreement. "Where were you during this?"

"Me? I was at the docks when they came. I quickly lead my ship away before they could sink it"

"Huh. Smart thinking" He also thought that they probably could've used the ship's help, but he didn't mention that.

"Yep" She leaned back. "And I say we should go after them"

The hedgehog's eyes widened. "Come again?"

"I said, let's chase down the pirates! We can take my ship, and get some fresh faces to join us!"

He sputtered "Uh, Marine. I'm not really a fighter"

"Course you are! You did fine last time"

"…Blaze told me to stay here"

"So what?" the raccoon exclaimed. "She isn't here now. And she'll thank us when we bring back that treasure"

The male glanced down at the blade he had. He honestly wanted to. It sounded more exciting than sitting in a diner. But he has little experience with fighting. And what would Blaze say? "I don't know…"

"C'mon!" she pleaded. "It'll be fun! Please?"

He sighed. "What if I say no?"

"Then I'll just go anyway"

That wasn't surprising. He continued to mull over it. If Marine was going, then he might as well join her. She was his friend, after all. He wanted her to be safe. He made to rise. "Fine. What's the plan?"

~

The Royal Navy was on the move. Five ships sailed away from the citadel, in pursuit of the enemy. As they travelled through the sea, Blaze stood onboard the flagship, pondering how they should proceed.

The Jeweled Scepter was the most powerful object in her world, along with the Sol Emeralds. Ever since the last heist, she increased the security, confident that nobody would steal it again. Clearly she was mistaken.

She glanced off to the side, looking at another creature outfitted with a hat and large badge. Admiral Parker was the head of the Royal Navy. They were currently onboard the HMS Triumph, the best ship in the kingdom. He caught her gaze and walked over.

"Your majesty, what do you plan on doing once we reach our target?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I was planning on just rushing in"

The man raised a brow. "And what about now?"

"Well, now I think we need to be careful. If those pirates got through our entire defence, then who knows what they're capable of. We only have five ships"

"It was all we could muster, Princess. The rest are damaged"

"I know" she sighed. "Hopefully, it'll be enough"

"With you here, I'm sure we can retrieve the staff. We all know how vital it is. Rest assured, we won't back down"

Eventually the lookouts spotted an island in the distance. It was a mixture of mountains and jungles, with large rocks protruding around the beaches. A few ships were also spotted nearby. It was essentially a natural fortress in the sea.

"I think we found our enemy" said the admiral.

The princess was cautious. "We don't know for sure. Keep some distance for now"

Parker relayed this order to the steerer, before looking through a scope. "Plus, there could be guns set up along the beach. From the looks of it, I don't think we can lay a siege"

The cat scratched her chin, eyeing the distant land mass. "I think you're right"

"We could wait for more backup"

"We could" she agreed. "But they have the Scepter. It has enough power to topple our world. I fear they may find a way to use it"

The naval leader handed the scope to her. "Well, I don't know if we can storm the island and win. I count two smaller vessels, and the massive one that attacked the city. Plus, they could have more ships hidden away. Even if we do win, there's gonna be casualties"

The monarch wasn't sure what to do. She knew how important the relic was, but she didn't want to throw away her troops. Blaze exhaled. "Send for more help. We'll wait for a bit. I'm sure they've noticed us by now. They're probably preparing their own defences"

The admiral nodded. "At once"

~

Suddenly Nav wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. The harbour was an utter mess. Whoever those attackers were, they did a number on the navy. The Ocean Tornado was a decently sized ship, but not as large as some of the other ships he had seen. Marine kept her promise of getting recruits. About a dozen creatures filled the deck, scrambling around to complete their tasks. The captain herself was currently steering the ship away from the citadel.

Nav raised the scabbard of his knife, wrapping his hand around the handle. It was becoming clear to him that he would have to fight. Hopefully the small amount of training he did would pay off. But now that he thought about it, perhaps he should have taken a larger sword. Or a gun. This wasn't the Royal Navy. None of the crew had rifles. Just blades and cannons.

After under an hour of travel, they saw an island in the distance, surrounded by ships. So far there wasn't any gunfire, but it was clear that the naval armies were about to clash.

The dark hedgehog turned to Marine. "So, what next? We join Blaze?"

The raccoon stayed silent for moment, then shook her head. "Nah, I got a better idea. While those guys are all fighting on the left side of the island, we can go right. We'll head up the beach, find the treasure, and bring it back to the ship. They won't know what hit em!"

"That's… actually not a bad plan. But are you sure we can handle it? We don't have any rifles"

"It'll be fine, mate. See all those jungles? We can sneak around quietly" With that, she began shouting orders to the crew, and got the ship moving.

As they approached the island, they came across multiple rocks along the shoreline. Suddenly, a shot went off, and a cannonball flew by the stern. Nav and Marine were startled, and ducked their head. They spotted a trail of smoke coming from land.

"Battle stations!" shouted the frenzied captain.

The crew members began loading their own cannons, and fired at the island. Soon a bastion could be seen firing shots at the Tornado. A shot railed the ship, causing the crew to cry out in alarm. Eventually after dancing around in the waters for a few minutes, they managed to destroy the enemy platforms, and clear a path to the beach. Their vessel was a bit damaged, but still afloat.

The captain gave the wheel to someone else, and prepared for the invasion. Half the crew stayed on the ship, while the rest hopped into the boats. A few robots ran down the shore to meet them, and a rumble ensued. Nav pulled out his blade, and jumped off the canoe. As soon as he neared a combatant, he slashed across its torso, causing sparks to erupt from the cut. The bot whirred, as Marine charged in with her own sword, and finished it off. The rest of the droids were eventually destroyed, and the strike team continued up the beach. A few members were injured, and decided to go back to the Tornado.

"Alright, me and Nav will handle this next bit. The rest of you guard the ship!" They obeyed and left the pair alone. Marine pointed at a large mountain in the centre of the island. "The treasure is probably there, mate. Let's head into the shrubs"

Nav merely nodded, and followed the young sailor into the jungle.

~

Blaze put down the spyglass, and frowned. "Why am I not surprised…" She saw the attack that Marine had launched. She should've known that her friend would join the fight.

"Princess?" spoke the admiral.

"Our times up. A friend of mine has joined the fight. Start the attack"

The man nodded and began barking orders. Soon the Navy was on the move, getting into their positions. The pirates noticed this, and got into their own formations. The enemies flagship was just as large as theirs.

Blaze remembered the last time she engaged it. It's firepower was unmatched, and the only reason she escaped was because Marine's ship was faster. But this time she had her fleet. Now the feline was on the offensive. The rival parties began exchanging fire, and a fierce battle took place.

~

Nav wiped his forehead, as he trekked through the trees. The pair was keeping their heads down, making sure not to get spotted by the island's defenders. Hopefully the Ocean Tornado was keeping most of their attention. As the duo climbed up the mountain, they saw both robots and living creatures patrolling the area. A cluster of them were standing at a cave entrance.

"There" the raccoon whispered. "That's how we get in. The treasures probably inside"

"Yes, but how do we get past them?" He gestured to the guards.

"Hmmm" she rubbed her chin in thought. "How about one of us distracts em, while the other sneaks in"

"Are you sure? That sounds risky. There's like, five of them here. Probably more we haven't seen yet"

The girl didn't reply. "Marine?" He turned to look at her, but found an empty spot instead. Alarmed, he began looking around for her. A few moments later, the raccoon dropped down from the treetops, right onto a robot. She plunged her sabre into the bots chest, and quickly ran back into the dense jungle. The pirates shouted angrily and gave chase.

"Dammit" said the hedgehog, as he pulled out his dagger. He was still hidden, watching the scene unfold. He slowly moved towards the cave, eyeing the last two guards who stayed behind. "How exactly am I supposed to do this?"

Nav glanced at a small rock in the grass beside him, and pondered. "…There's no way it'll work" There was one man, and one droid. Whatever he was going to do, he had to act quickly. Marine was currently on the run. He gripped the stone, and inhaled.

The sound of something dropping caught the pirates attention, and they looked over at the source. As the man went to cautiously investigate, he was smacked in the head, and fell down. Nav leapt out of the bushes, and retrieved the fallen pirates gun. Before the robot could reach him, he blasted it down.

The hedgehog glanced down at the weapon, admiring how effective it was, before moving into the cave. The interior was dark, save for a few lamps placed along the walls. The path travelled upwards, and the teen began climbing. He lurked in the shadows, allowing his dark fur to act as camouflage. He didn't want to be spotted in the middle of a pirate hive.

Eventually Nav started hearing voices, and came across a large room, filled with cargo and guards. There was an exit on the far side opposite to him, leading back outdoors. One of the pirates was sitting down, chatting to his peers.

"-let them. We've got enough here to hold them off. They ain't getting the staff. I told the doctor I could handle this"

"Doctor?" The boy was still out of sight. He could barely make out the features of the one talking. The shadowed figure sported a hat, and held a long stick in his hands.

"The scouts say another ship attacked us from the other side of the island"

There was a pause, before the outlaws continued.

"…And? Did we win?"

"Dunno. They say they're still fighting. The invaders did take out some of our guys. And another thing, someone attacked the guards right outside our caves. They haven't reported back yet, though"

Nav stiffened. He knew they were referring to Marine.

The apparent leader stood up. "Everyone stay alert. One of you go check the tunnels. We're not loosing the Scepter"

His minions obeyed, and began shuffling around the room. Nav lowered himself to a prone, hiding himself behind wooden crates. Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it carefully. He was surrounded by armed enemies. "I'm starting to doubt this plan"

The boy focused on the cane that the chieftain was holding. Whatever it was, the pirates seemed to value it. What was he supposed to do now? Wait for Marine to show up? Or Blaze? They didn't think this far ahead. But the hedgehog knew that he would eventually get spotted. And if the Navy failed, he was essentially trapped on the island.

As he scanned the room, he started to form another plan. If he were to snatch the cane, then escape through the exit, he could make a run for the beach. That, or get shot down.

He gripped the stolen gun from earlier. "Fuck it. I'm not staying in here" He took a breath, and eyed a nearby guard.

A shout alerted the pirates and they saw one of their own fall to the ground. A shot was fired at a droid, before Nav ran out of the shadows. He rammed into the leader, and began wrestling over the staff. Fortunately for him, he caught the pirates off guard, and managed to pry it away. Curses flew as he sprinted towards the exit. Sunlight from the outside blinded him slightly, but he carried on.

Suddenly the teen cried as he felt his arm explode. He fell forward, right off a cliff, plummeting into the dense jungle below.

~

Projectiles slammed into the hull, shaking the ship and causing the passengers to stumble. Blaze gripped a railing, and watched the battle rage around her.

So far the Navy was winning. They lost a ship, but in return took down two of theirs. Now it was just the enemy's flagship remaining. The dark leviathan maneuvered through the waters, it's broadsides resembling volcanic eruptions. It was a beast of a vessel. The royal fleet was hitting the giant with everything it had. Despite its immense power, it was clear that the ship was struggling.

As more chunks fell off its black hull, the flagship began turning away from them.

"It's falling back!" the Admiral shouted. "Princess, we have a path to shore"

"Perfect" the cat replied. "Move our troops onto the island"

The navy deployed their boats, and fought for control of the beaches. More pirate ships could be seen rolling along the coast, preparing to engage the feline's fleet.

~

Marine slowly rose off the ground, confident that she finally lost her attackers. She distracted the pirates for as long as she could, hoping that it would buy Nav the time he needed. Honestly, she knew it wasn't a perfect plan, but at the time she acted on impulse.

Now she was navigating the treacherous jungle, trying to see if there was another way into the mountain. After many minutes of travel, she saw a dark creature lying in the grass. Splotches of red could be seen on their body. The raccoon gasped, and ran over.

"Nav!"

The boy was grabbing his right arm and moaning, trying to stop the bleeding. Cuts and dirt covered his form, and he was breathing heavily. Marine looked him over while calling his name.

"Nav, it's me. Show me your arm!"

The teen did as he was told, allowing her to quickly wrap the wound with whatever material she had. Once she finished attending to him, she noticed the jewelled cane nearby. "What happened to you?"

Nav grunted. "I… fell down. I think I got shot"

Marine looked up towards said mountain, noticing the treetops above her. "I think those trees caught you"

"Doesn't matter. I'll be fine" he hissed. "We gotta leave. Bring that stick thing with us"

The girl shook her head, wiping a few tears. "I'm so sorry, Nav. This is my fault"

"Not now. Just help me up. We gotta move. Those pirates are probably looking for me"

She nodded, and offered him a hand. Once the pair was settled, they began moving through the jungle. Nav was tired, but he did his best to stay awake. Now wasn't the time to fall asleep. Eventually the two made it to the beach, and saw the Tornado waiting for them. They climbed onboard, and took off.

~

"Your highness, Admiral's calling a retreat!"

The monarch turned and watched as her troops ran back to the ocean. She was confused, but followed the order regardless. The navy was still fighting off the remaining pirate ships. Once she boarded the Triumph, she marched up to Parker.

"Why are we pulling back?" she questioned in slight irritation.

The man pointed towards another ship nearby. "See for yourself"

Blaze followed his gaze, and saw a small brown girl near the helm of said ship, waving a staff in the air.

The cat's eyes widened.

Immediately she issued orders, and the fleet was moving. They formed a wall around Marine's smaller ship, escorting it away from the island. The enemy flagship was still lingering along the coast, but didn't give chase. The battle was over, they had won.

Blaze dropped down onto a bench, exhaling in relief. Somehow her friend retrieved the Scepter. Initially she was worried when she saw Marine charging the island, but fortunately she was alright. Or at least she looked fine from a distance.

The princess watched as the Ocean Tornado moved closer, and she took that as a sign to hop onboard. After leaping down onto the other deck, the crew greeted her, and she made her way towards the ship's helm. Marine was there waiting for her, holding the mystical staff in her hands. She looked up at the cat earnestly.

"Here's the staff" spoke the Raccoon. "It's all yours, mate"

Blaze smiled, and took it from her. "Thank you, Marine. Once again you've served our kingdom"

The young girl waved a hand. "Ah, shucks. I didn't do everything. I couldn't have done it without my crew! Besides, Nav was the one who stole the cane from those-"

"Wait, Nav's here too?" the feline interrupted. She never saw him onboard. "Where is he?"

"Oh" the girl realized, and averted her gaze. "Yeah, he's inside. He um… got injured"

"What?!" Blaze shouted, causing Marine to flinch. The monarch was alarmed. She specifically sent the hedgehog to safety. "Take me to him, now"

Marine nodded, and lead her to the ship's interior. Once inside, they saw Nav lying on a bed beside another sailor. The boys arm was wrapped up, his fur was stained by blood, and his eyes were shut. To the relief of the girls, they could see his chest moving. He was alive.

Blaze marched up to the bedpost, and began questioning the crewman. "How is he?" she tentatively asked.

The man gave her a look. "He's sleeping. The boys arm got shot. We stopped the bleeding and took the bullet out, though"

The cat viewed her injured friend. His body was bruised, cut and dirty. Though she was relieved that he was still breathing, she was still upset at his condition. "What happened?"

"It's my fault, Blaze" spoke Marine. The raccoon looked somber. "I dragged him along. We found this cave, and I helped him get inside. When I saw him later… I think he fell off a mountain. I'm sorry"

Blaze focused on the small girl. "So he took back the Scepter?"

"Yeah" she smiled. "I don't know how, but he got it. At least something good happened"

The feline sighed, and ran a hand along her head. She wasn't sure who to blame for this. The pirates for causing trouble, herself for not protecting the treasure, Marine for putting Nav in danger, or Nav himself for agreeing to this. The victory wasn't so sweet anymore. But a part of her also felt proud of her friends for saving the kingdom. Even if it could've gone smoother. "Let's just hope he recovers. Once we get back, I'll have the doctors treat him"

Blaze stayed by the boy's side for the rest of the voyage. She helped to clean the blood off his fur. At some point Nav's eyes opened. He was utterly exhausted, barely able to move on his own. The feline gave him water, and told him to continue resting. Whenever the teen whimpered, she stroked his face gently. Blaze herself ended up napping in the room.

~

When the naval force arrived at the city, the princess quickly took her friend to a hospital. The doctors said it could months for his arm to repair. Aside from that, his body was sore from all the damage he took during his fall. Fortunately he was able to walk after a day of rest.

During this time, Blaze kept the Scepter at her palace, surrounded by guards. Even though the vault was still being repaired, it was the most secure place for it. When Nav was brought back to the castle, Blaze took him to see the treasure.

"I wish you weren't injured, but you've done a great service to the kingdom. With the Scepter returned, the world is much safer" She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you"

The teen scratched the back of his head bashfully. "You're welcome"

The pair was currently headed to the Jewelled Scepter. The princess figured that Nav should be allowed to see the item he fought to save. Once they arrived, the soldiers opened the doors and revealed the cane. During the battle Nav was too busy, but now he was finally able to see how the treasure looked.

It was a long dark handle, with a curved hook at the end. The entire cane was adorned with jewels. The overall length was taller than himself. According to Blaze, the Scepter had enough power to conquer the planet. It was great luck that the pirates weren't able to use it.

The cat picked up the staff, and turned to him. "Would you like to get a closer look?"

The boy glanced at it, then back at her. "Um, sure I guess" He went up to her and slowly brushed his hand along the artifact.

The object suddenly glowed and covered his entire body in a white flash. Blaze covered her eyes from the dazzling sight, while the guards shouted in alarm. Once it faded, there stood Nav holding the cane, his gloved hands illuminated in a golden hue. The light pulsated and flickered gently. Tiny sparks danced on the tips of his fingers. The hedgehog himself was mesmerized, staring at his hands in wonder.

The princess herself was speechless, equally as amazed by the sight. The energy flowing from the boy's hands was familiar. It reminded her of Sonic's transformation. She wondered if Nav was undergoing the same process. After a few more moments the glow died down, and the hedgehog was back to normal. He turned his sights to her, mouth agape, wondering what exactly had happened to him.

Blaze was the first to speak. "Are you alright?" she asked in concern. Her friend slowly looked himself over before nodding.

"I think so" he uttered quietly.

The feline noticed that the Scepter was also back to its usual state. She gestured to it, and he handed it back to her. Blaze placed it back onto its stand, and walked over to her stunned companion. She noticed that miraculously, the cuts he had were gone. Not only that, his overall posture was more upright. "Your body… How do you feel?"

"I… feel relaxed" Nav flexed his hands. "I don't feel sore anymore"

The cat raised a brow. "Really?" She moved to place a hand on his shoulder. Once it landed, she gasped as the same warm glow from earlier began travelling up her arm. Nav himself gazed at the display. Blaze felt like she was being massaged, as the soreness in her own body started fading. She eventually pulled back and inspected herself. She then glanced up at the dark hedgehog. "…I think I know what happened"

"You do?"

"Well… you might have the power to heal"

The boys eyes widened. "I- seriously?"

"It's why our injuries are gone. Why that light was flowing from you… I've seen similar things like this before. I think the staff healed you, but… you healed me"

Her friend was silent, stretching and looking himself over. Blaze continued. "I have powers as well, remember?"

Nav viewed his hands again. "Huh. That's… really cool" He grinned wildly. "So I've got powers too? Awesome!"

The cat smiled and nodded, amused by his excitement. "We can test this later. But for now, I think we should leave this place. Let's head to the diner"

Her friend responded with vigour. "Right behind you"