Even this early in the morning, the temple halls were filled with light. Every window was aligned to let in the maximum amount of sunlight from dawn to dusk, and even when the sun set, torches kept the halls well illuminated. Other buildings used lanterns, but open flames were considered more holy. Only the rooms where the priestesses slept had curtains on the windows; everywhere else, the temple was never allowed to go dark.

Blaze hurried down the hall and into the kitchen. Thankfully no one else was there; the less people she had to explain herself to, the better. Not that it was unusual for Blaze to be up this early, or for her to take food back to her room to share with Marine. It was more that she wanted to avoid getting dragged into a conversation. The longer she left Black and Marine unattended, the more nervous she felt. She trusted Black, but her instincts had been wrong before, and even if he was telling the truth, what if someone found him? As much as Blaze wanted to dismiss his markings as coincidence, others in the temple might not be so sure. She knew from experience what superstition and suspicion could do to a person. She wouldn't let Black be a victim of fear like she had.

Don't assume the worst, she chided herself, stilling her lashing tail. No one's going to go into your room without your permission.

Making an effort to stop moving so hurriedly, Blaze gathered a few dried fish and a couple of salak fruits on a platter, then strode out of the kitchen. She paused as she passed a familiar door. A new thought occurred to her. Black's markings would immediately draw attention if anyone saw him… so why not cover them up?

Blaze glanced both ways down the hallway, then pushed the door open. On the other side was the room where they kept spare supplies and donations, often used to provide for unexpected visitors. A child's weaving—a gift of gratitude, Blaze had been told—hung on the far wall, depicting a bright orange campfire and a smiling child (Blaze couldn't determine their species) warming their hands against the flames. The tenet of warmth—expressed by hospitality and generosity—was written on it in pink. Warmth: the safety and security of a campfire, warding away the cold and the dark. It had always been one of Blaze's favorite tenets.

Footsteps outside shook her from her thoughts. Berating herself for her distraction, Blaze set down the platter of food and started shuffling through the pile of old clothes. She had to guess what Black's size would be. He was shorter than her, but broader, which made it tricky. More footsteps sounded outside, and Blaze flattened her ears. The food was one thing, but it would be much harder to explain why she was looking for clothes when she had a perfectly fine wardrobe back in her room. She grabbed a few pieces that seemed the right size, bundled them under one arm, and then picked up the platter with the other. She pressed herself against the door, listening intently.

The footsteps came close, then receded. A moment more. Silence.

Exhaling softly, Blaze pried the door open, slipped out, and hurried down the hallway. She just had to get back without anyone seeing her and they'd be fine. She was almost to her room when a voice called out behind her in Javanese.

"{Guardian Cahya!}"

Blaze froze.

Footsteps rang in the hallway, the familiar clicking of heels. "{What are you doing up this early, guardian?}"

Blaze turned slowly, keeping the bundle of clothes behind her back and the platter of food clearly visible. "{Eb—Empress,}" she greeted respectfully, bowing as best she could without spilling the platter. "{I could ask the same of you.}"

Empress Dwi Sariputri, regent of the Empire of Sol, came to a stop in front of her niece and returned the bow with grace. When she straightened, Blaze was quickly reminded of just how much taller her aunt was. Even dressed as casually as she was now, she still looked elegant and in-control. Blaze envied her.

"{That's fair,}" Dwi said, smiling slightly. Her long black tail swished slowly against the ground like a pendulum. She looked tired, Blaze realized. But then, she'd always looked tired since… since she took the throne. "{It's been a while since I've visited the temple.}" She looked around with warm nostalgia. "{It hasn't changed.}"

"{No, it hasn't,}" Blaze murmured.

Dwi smiled again, and Blaze felt something catch in her throat. Eb—the empress was almost treating her like she had before. Back when she was the guardian, not Blaze. Back when Blaze was just her troublemaking young niece. Back before… Blaze shook herself fiercely from her thoughts. She couldn't dwell on the past. She was the guardian now, and she had a duty to fulfill. That being said… Dwi seemed in a good mood this morning, and regardless of her current position, she still had more experience as a guardian than Blaze. It would be foolish not to draw on that experience, wouldn't it? Surely Dwi would understand some things were out of the guardian's control? Blaze bit her lip, then steeled herself and spoke.

"{Empress, the Sol Emeralds have disappeared.}" Her voice seemed to echo in the hallway. She watched the empress's expression nervously.

At the mention of the Sol Emeralds, the warmth vanished from Dwi's face like shutters falling closed on a window, blocking out the light. Suddenly she was no longer Blaze's tired aunt but the powerful regent of the Empire of Sol, strong and in command, cold and unyielding. "{Have they?}"

Blaze bowed again instinctively, suddenly feeling very small. "{Yes, Empress. I saw them vanish an hour ago, before sunrise.}" She carefully didn't mention Black appearing at the same time.

The empress was silent for a long moment, and Blaze looked up at her anxiously. To her relief, Dwi didn't look angry or even upset, just… thoughtful.

"{You don't know where they are?}"

"{No, Empress.}" Blaze's tail lashed with nervous energy, and she tried to keep from fiddling with her necklace. "{But if you would give me permission, I can start searching for them—}"

"{That won't be necessary.}"

Blaze froze. "{What?}"

"{You don't need to look for them.}" Dwi's voice was cold as ice. "{They left of their own volition. We don't need to waste resources chasing them down.}"

Blaze felt her fur bristling. She tried to keep her voice level, but despite her efforts it rose with anger as she spoke. "{We don't know why they left. There could be something wrong. The Jeweled Scepter has already been stolen, what if something or someone—}"

"{That is not our problem,}" the empress snapped, a growl bleeding into her previously regal voice. She made a visible effort to calm herself. Her voice lowered, cold and bitter. "{If the Sol Emeralds and the Jeweled Scepter are both gone, then I won't risk more lives just to retrieve them. It's time to let go of old relics.}"

Blaze stared at her in shock. "{You—you can't mean that! We have guarded the Emeralds for generations—}"

"{And what have they done for us?}" Dwi demanded. "{What have they done but brought pain and misery and death?}" Blaze flinched. Dwi looked briefly guilty, but then her expression hardened. "{The time of the Emeralds is over, guardian. And I am glad of it.}" She turned on her heel and strode away.

Blaze stood for a moment, staring after her. Rage and guilt and betrayal battled inside her. She was half-tempted to yell after the empress, run after her and challenge her… but when she started to move she felt the clothes in her hand and was abruptly reminded that she had bigger problems than an old woman's bitterness. At least Dwi hadn't noticed her bundle.

Growling with frustration, Blaze stormed down the hallway to her room. Gardon was standing beside the door as he had when she left, clearly trying not to eavesdrop on the argument between guardian and empress. Blaze waved off his concerned "{is everything alright, Your Highness?}" as she stomped into her room, slamming the door behind her. Both Black and Marine whipped around at her sudden entrance, Black scrambling backwards with wide eyes before he recognized her.

"{I brought food,}" Blaze said bluntly, handing the platter to Marine. Belatedly she remembered Black didn't speak Javanese and switched to English. "And clothes for Black."

"Were you talkin' to someone outside?" Marine asked curiously. "Besides Gardon, I mean."

Blaze's ears flattened. "The empress… stopped by."

"What did she want?" Marine took the lid off the platter, sniffing curiously at the food.

"She was just visiting," Blaze said evasively.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Marine grumbled, picking up one of the fruits. "Only salak? Weren't there any manggis?"

Blaze ignored her and turned to Black. "I think it will be best if we keep your markings covered. They might draw attention to you."

Black just nodded and took the batik shirt from her hands. While he pulled the clothes on, Blaze walked over to the Sol Emerald shrine. She knelt in the grass, letting the Fairies play around her hands, and closed her eyes.

Where are you? she asked. Are you safe?

No response. The only indication the Sol Emeralds were still out there somewhere was the dim but still glowing bond tied to Blaze's soul. She exhaled and ran a hand through her ponytail. Only once had the Sol Emeralds not responded immediately to her calls, and that was when Eggman had drained them. Even then there'd still been soft flickers. And they'd still been there, physically at the very least. Never had she felt such a distance between them.

She had to find them.

She had to convince Dwi to let her find them.

There was more going on here than anyone realized, Blaze was certain. The Emeralds had vanished, and Black had appeared in their place without memories or even a name to call his own. Her gaze drifted to where Marine was helping wind a headscarf around Black's ears, covering the mark on his forehead. Blaze didn't want to drag him into this. She believed he was telling the truth about his lack of memories, and she didn't want to overwhelm him more than they already had. But the Sol Emeralds were her responsibility. She needed answers.

And maybe if they found answers about the Emeralds, they'd find answers about Black, too.

"There!" Marine declared, stepping back to observe her handiwork. Blaze stood and walked over to join her as she put her hands on her hips, her expression pleased. "Now you look dardy!"

Black looked down at himself, his tail swishing against the rug. Blaze had tried to pick the most Solian clothes she could find, emblazoned in the traditional reds and golds. His gloves and sandals even showed the traditional sun, symbol of the empire, and Blaze belatedly wondered if it was blasphemous to use the sun to cover Lunaris's mark. Regardless, the clothes served their purpose. The shirt, sandles, gloves, sarong, and headscarf together covered most of Black's markings. The only ones still showing were the ones around his eyes and on his muzzle. Blaze noticed his claws, too, seemed to be glowing the same soft cyan as the patterns on his face. If only there was a way to tone that down…

"One more thing," Blaze said, an idea coming to her.

She knelt by her cot and pulled out the chest of her more personal possessions. She unlocked it, the lid creaking as it opened, and sifted through a few old papers and trinkets before at last pulling out the piece of cloth. A child-sized white cape with pink hem. It felt unnaturally cool to the touch, though not enough to be uncomfortable. Blaze walked back to the others and handed it to Black. She watched carefully as he shivered, his fur rising briefly before smoothing again.

"It feels strange," he murmured.

"It's a power limiter," Blaze explained. "I used it to suppress my flames when I was younger. I was keeping it in case Marine needed it, but I think it might help you avoid notice."

Black nodded and wrapped the cape around his shoulders like a shawl. As Blaze had hoped, his markings dimmed, and his cool aura subsided. Anyone who wasn't trained like Blaze wouldn't be able to sense it at all.

"Doesn't really match his outfit," Marine mumbled critically.

"We're not trying to make him look fashionable," Blaze said, rolling her eyes. "We're just making sure he doesn't draw unnecessary attention."

Then again, given what Blaze was about to ask him to do…

She took a deep breath. "Black, I need to ask a favor."

He looked up at her inquisitively.

"I believe your appearance has something to do with the disappearance of the Sol Emeralds. So I want to take you to meet Empress Dwi to see if she has any insights." And if I can convince her to take this seriously.

Black considered for a moment, studying her, then nodded.

"Some people are going to be suspicious of you," Blaze warned. Gardon had been, when she first mentioned their visitor (and that was after his panic at the thought of Blaze and Marine being alone in their room with a strange wolf), though he thankfully trusted Blaze's judgement when she insisted Black was not an enemy. "They might think you stole the Emeralds. I won't let anyone accuse you unjustly, but you should know it might happen."

Black just shrugged. "Maybe I did steal them."

Blaze wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I… alright." She looked at Marine. "While we're gone, don't tell anyone about Black. Alright? I don't want rumors spreading."

"Obviously," Marine rolled her eyes. "You act like I'm a child or somethin'."

"You are a child."

"I just turned 10! That's two digits!"

Blaze sighed and rolled her eyes. "Regardless, please keep quiet about all this until after I've spoken with the empress." She turned to Black. "Are you ready to go? The sooner we speak to her, the better."

Black nodded.

Blaze took a deep breath, shoving down her worries and trying for a smile. It didn't feel convincing. "Alright. Follow me."