Be One World, Be The Light
Chapter 15: One World, One Light
Upon returning home, everyone questioned if Tikal developed some weird sense of humour. While they had indeed returned to Floral Forest, they were dropped off on the outskirts miles from Amy's home. Despite the setback, the pleasant smell of the wilderness was a welcomed presence. No longer did the harsh blizzard claim the land. The snowstorm was no more, liberating the land from Mother Nature's wrath.
Their eyes welcomed the sunrise, a huge relief from the blackness of night. The sun spreaded her gold in every direction, coming in the way that natural forces do, needing no invitation. Everyone marvelled at the sunrise, watching the world wake. The sun ignited to bring warmth to all.
Sonic briefly glanced down at his communication, eyes briefly widening as the time came into view. The digital clock landed on the sixth mark. "Whoa, talk about pulling an all-nighter. How long were we in there?"
"Long enough," Shadow responded, his gaze not leaving the arriving sun. He absolved the gentle rays, taking comfort in the warmth it provided. Shadow, a darkened hedgehog who preferred to confine himself from others, welcomed the beautiful warm air.
Blaze, who found the strength to walk on her own two feet once more, approached the large cat nearby. "Big. I… I wanted to thank you for saving my life yesterday. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now. Thank you, Big."
The large cat smiled. "You're welcome. Please don't go swimming when it's cold anymore."
She opened her mouth to correct him, but decided to let her protests die in the cold air. A soft smile took its place. "I promise I won't."
While the others glanced around the area, Sonic took note of the future warrior's disappointed state. Concerned, he approached and greeted the hedgehog. "What is it, Silver?"
The simple question attracted the attention of the others. There was no response for a moment. He shifted around at the gathering of their friends, people who risked everything to help them. He struggled to maintain eye contact with the blue hedgehog, guilt still lingering from within. Sheepishly, he rubbed one hand through his quills and answered in a low whisper. "I have nowhere to go."
Sonic titled his head, curiosity filling his expression. "What do you mean?"
"Crisis City isn't the same Crisis City I grew up in," Silver explained. "If I returned there now, I'd just be living a lie. For all we know, it would just create another timeline. I can't keep messing with time anymore. All it's done is cause more problems! But… But I can't return to my old life either. It's not there anymore."
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the hedgehog cupped both arms over his head, distraught at the idea of being homeless. The others exchanged glances, uncertain on where to go from here. Of course, his friends posed no issue with him staying in their world if he chose to.
Before anyone offered a solution, Blaze appeared by his side, placing her hand softly over his shoulder. He lowered his arms, locking eyes with his closest friend once more. It felt surreal. To have known each other since they were children, yet remain completely oblivious to their identities for long. But now, with a second chance at life, this was their opportunity to begin anew.
"Silver, if you have nowhere to go, perhaps you would like to come with me," Blaze offered, her tone gentle and sincere. "Back to the Sol Dimension."
Surprised by the kind offer, Silver found himself tongue-tied. There was nothing he would like more than to be by her side, but the guilt that lingered within said otherwise. "Are you sure that's okay? I-I don't want to be a burden."
"Nonsense," Blaze tutted. "You could never be a burden, Silver."
Still uncertain, he turned away from her comforting gaze, slowly rubbing one hand over his arm. "Will it be allowed? I don't want to get you into trouble for breaking the rules."
"And who is going to tell me otherwise? I am the princess, remember?" Blaze reminded, offering the smallest of smiles.
Overwhelmed by the kindness of his best friend, Silver returned the smile. "I would like nothing more, Blaze."
The princess expressed her joy, no longer masking her emotions with that stoic expression of hers. Her gaze shifted towards the rest of their friends, who risked everything to help them in their journey. "Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Marine… All of you... I… I cannot thank you all enough for your friendship. I know we didn't get off on the right foot long ago, but…"
She truly felt at a loss for words. Addressing a large crowd with a rehearsed speech became second nature, but expressing her true feelings was always a difficult feat. Blaze had grown out of her shell long ago, yet there was still a sense of awkwardness to her that made sharing her feelings difficult.
Without needing her thanks, Sonic stepped forward and winked. "You're welcome, Blaze."
"No problem, mate!" Marine added with a supportive thumbs up.
The feline's eyes shifted to one side as Amy sneakily appeared, taking a hold of Silver's hand. "Wait just a minute! You guys aren't going anywhere without celebrating first."
Silver tilted his head. "Celebrating?"
Amy nodded. "You guys have just rediscovered your old lives and beat one of the strongest bad guys ever! We have to have a party!"
While Sonic was more than happy to tag along, the others felt hesitant to accept the offer. Knuckles and Shadow, the quietest of their group, didn't exactly enjoy informal events. Blaze appreciated the offer, but longed to return to the Sol Dimension. Despite their personal desires, no one could refuse the pink hedgehog's request. Her enthusiasm filled their hearts with joy, her kindness too sweet to ignore.
"As long as there's cookies, count me in!" Sonic spoke up.
"Sounds like fun," Silver agreed, becoming quite fond of Amy's home-made treats during previous visits. "I'm up for it!"
The others said nothing but acknowledged the pink hedgehog's request. Once Amy had her heart set on something, no one could change her mind. Sonic knew this all too well from personal experiences. Now they just needed to figure out how to return home. The now absent storm would make travelling easier, but in their exhausted states, nobody was eager to traverse on foot anytime soon.
A soft rumbling caught their attention, the ground beneath them beginning to tremble. Everyone shifted around as the Egg Carrier lingered over the horizon, stopping just short of the small group. The team shifted, preparing to make their stand. Now that Mephiles was taken care of, Doctor Eggman would soon reclaim his throne as the world's most dangerous villain.
The Egg Carrier shifted to one side, hovering just a few feet above the surface. To their surprise, the ship's hanger willingly opened. The doctor himself personally greeted them from the inside, lazily gesturing his hand back. "Need a lift?"
Suspicious of the offer, Sonic crossed both arms while raising a curious eyebrow. "I can't figure you out at times, Eggman."
The doctor shrugged. "It's like I told you before, I am a complicated guy. Now, get inside or get left behind! This fuel isn't cheap, you know!"
The blue hedgehog chuckled, willingly accepting the offer. He shifted his gaze towards the others, reassuring them everything would be fine with a simple wink. While his friends didn't trust Eggman in the slightest, they trusted Sonic, and that was a good enough reason to board the ship. Everyone entered the aircraft, the hanger door closing behind them as it took to the air. Its powerful engines roared to life, the scorching temperatures incinerating the snow beneath them. Finally, they departed from the battleground, ready to leave behind the terrible experience.
Upon returning to Floral Forest Village, the Egg Carrier stopped just short of the reaching the ground. Its roaring engines threatened to wake the sleeping neighbours. As the hanger door opened, the others eagerly hopped off out of the Egg Carrier, cushioned by the soft snow.
Sonic paused by the entrance, shifting his gaze towards his longtime nemesis. "I gotta admit, Eggman. I didn't expect you of all people to risk your neck for us."
"Don't flatter yourself," Eggman replied. "We simply shared a common enemy, just like the ARK and Lost Hex. That is all. You better rest up, Sonic. Next time we meet, don't expect any mercy."
Unfazed by the threat, Sonic chuckled while offering a two-fingered salute. "See you later, Egghead."
The blue hedgehog struck a pose before backflipping out of the hanger, landing with style in the snow. Eggman briefly grinned at his nemesis' enthusiasm. Admittedly, the good doctor relished in their rivalry. As much as Sonic drove him insane for thwarting his plans on countless occasions, there was something about their feud he found enticing. In a weird way, they completed each other. Without the other, their lives would be boring.
With a small chuckle, Eggman retreated inside the Egg Carrier. "Till next time, Sonic."
The large aircraft took to the sky once more, departing from the peaceful forest in no time. Some of the group watched on in anticipation, awaiting for the good doctor to doublecross them in an instance. Surprisingly, Eggman kept his word and left the area, racing away into the crystal clear sky. Relieved, everyone retreated inside Amy's house for the warm comfort, escaping the winter air once more. True to her word, Amy hosted a celebration party for everyone, already having hundreds of party accessoires ready.
Before long, everyone settled and enjoyed themselves, relishing in the victory. Sonic and Tails chatted to each other in one corner of the room while the latter worked on fixing Omega's damaged arm. Marine hung close by, fascinated by the allied robot. Shadow and Rouge lingered nearby. His extensive injuries forced him to stay seated the whole time. While the dark hedgehog didn't express any signs of enjoyment, he seemed to be contempt hanging idly by with his partner. Rouge, on the other hand, enjoyed the fun, a fresh drink resting in her hands. Knuckles soon joined them, chatting away with the bat in a friendly manner.
Silver happily helped Amy out with providing refreshments. However, the pink hedgehog couldn't help but notice how distracted he seemed. He barely looked at her, keeping his eyes focused on the living room. She raised her eyebrows with curiosity, but decided not to spoil the mood by raising her concerns. Going through so much trauma in a single night would drive the toughest of people insane. He held his composure well, albeit with a noticeable tension he carried.
The Chaotix stuck together in the corner of the living room. Vector took advantage of the large buffet, filling his bottomless stomach with countless snacks. While Charmy encouraged his leader's limitless appetite, Espio sighed with disappointment, quietly retreating to another area of the room for solace.
Along the way he passed Blaze, greeting her with a curt nod. "Blaze."
The princess returned the gesture. "Espio."
As the detective walked by, Blaze leaned against the wall, her eyes abscently scanning around the living room. She stood by herself, left to her own thoughts. While far from her old antisocial self, she found herself having no one to talk to. Marine was usually close by to keep her talking, but the young raccoon seemed happy with her new friends. The others took to Marine quite well. Amy especially became quite fond of her, almost as if she were looking through a gateway to her younger self.
Left to her own devices, Blaze resumed her focus to nowhere of interest. A thousand thoughts raced around her mind at once. Fighting her inner feelings was difficult. It was times like this she wished Cream was present. The young rabbit could always bring a smile to her face, even during her worst days. She would happily listen to Cream to talk about Chao and cooking recipes all day. But even with her closest friends surrounding her in all directions, she felt more alone now than ever before.
"Excuse me?"
Blaze shifted her focus, turning towards the one who called for her attention. Shade the Echidna. The two only briefly crossed paths during the battle against Mephiles, having not much time to talk in the heat of battle. Admittedly, Blaze did not expect to see another echidna. Sonic had once informed her long ago Knuckles was the last of his kind.
"I do not believe we have been properly acquainted yet," Shade noted, placing one hand over the other, followed by a small bow. "I am Shade. It is an honour to meet you, Princess Blaze."
With a shy smile, Blaze outstretched her hand in response. "That's very kind, but please, you can call me Blaze."
The echidna shifted her stance, dropping her shoulders and appearing more relaxed within an instance. She returned the smile, accepting the princess' hand. "I must say I was quite fascinated when I learned of your dimension. I… Am sorry to learn about your sacrifice."
At the mention of her past, Blaze briefly shifted uncomfortably. One hand clutched the side of her arm, forced to look away from the echidna. "That's… All right."
Realising her own error, Shade quickly changed the subject. "I understand what it is like to be far from home. I too am from another dimension. I… Had to leave my family behind."
Peaked with interest, Blaze resumed eye contact with the former warrior. "You are from another dimension?"
Shade nodded. "My people were once proud warriors. We were sealed away in another dimension. I foolishly followed my imperator into battle, believing his intentions were righteous. But… I was wrong. He sought to conquer this beautiful planet. The rest of my people were willing to do what it took to escape. I was not."
A hint of sadness etched onto her face, but quickly swallowed her remorse, allowing the warrior within to mask her grief. Blaze understood her penitence, knowing from first-hand experience what it was like to have no one. For the longest time, she grew up alone in her new life, refusing to connect with others. But now, with the close bond she shared with the others, the mere thought of leaving them terrified her.
Shade continued with her story. "It was thanks to Sonic and Knuckles that I have been able to remain in this world. It was difficult adapting at first. But I can proudly say I am now at peace. Blaze, may I impart some wisdom to you?"
Slowly, the princess nodded her head. "Of course."
Shade outstretched her hands, beckoning for Blaze to hold out her own. With little hesitation, Blaze allowed the echidna to take her hands. Ignoring the world around them, Shade strengthened her voice, parting great wisdom. "Do not let your past define who you are, Blaze. Whether you are from this world or your own makes no difference. Learn from your experience, strengthen your resolve. I know you have the power to overcome your trauma. Both you and Silver. Take care of each other."
Blaze fell silent, finding herself tongue-tied once more. The echidna's words sunk in deep, leaving the princess frozen in surprise. Shade appeared much younger than Sonic, yet her eyes looked so old. Despite the initial shock, Blaze surprisingly felt calm. She still carried doubts about returning to the Sol Empire with recent revelations, but part of the burden suddenly felt lifted from her shoulders. She felt at peace, feeling liberated from the stress of reality.
As Shade released her hand, Blaze finally found her voice. "Thank you, Shade. I will try my best."
"That is all I ask," Shade replied with a reassuring smile.
Without another word, Shade bid Blaze farewell and proceeded to reunite with Knuckles nearby. Left to ponder in her own thoughts, she swiftly grasped her drink, feeling quite parched after their talk. No one else seemed to have taken an interest in their conversation, oblivious to their talk. While the echidna's encouragement helped put some of her concerns at ease, returning the Sol Dimension would be the least of her worries.
Blaze briefly glanced over her shoulder, noting Silver's gaze from the distance. Even with several guests filling the small living room, he refused to let her out of his sight. She felt her mood shift, concerned about the hedgehog's unstable emotions. He was terrified to take his gaze away, afraid he would lose her again. Placing her drink down on the table, she gently pushed through her friends until they were reunited once more.
"Silver," Blaze greeted. "Is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing!" Silver answered a little too quickly, forcing an unconvincing smile to spread across his muzzle.
He excelled at many things, but lying was not his forte. With a gentle sigh, she took his hand within both of her own, rubbing her thumb gently around his fingers. Silver dropped the smile and peered down, almost startled by the gesture. In both their old and new lives, he knew Blaze wasn't fond of physical affection. To see her willingly offer this level of comfort was a surprise. But admittedly, he enjoyed it, noting how warm and comforting her touch was.
"It's okay, Silver," Blaze reassured, her voice gentle and heartfelt. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
Her words were sincere. This was more than a royal obligation. This was the promise of a friend. Silver's expression softened, traces of worry beginning to fade. Truthfully, overcoming recent events was going to take time. His whole life changed in just a few hours. In a short while he was going to begin a new life with his best friend. As well as staying in the past for good, he would be residing within a new dimension. It all felt surreal, yet he knew this was no dream.
"It's just a bit much to take in," Silver admitted, rubbing his free hand softly over his eyes. Heavy black bags rested under his eyes, his usual white orbs were now beginning to form red. While it had been a long night for everyone, Silver hadn't taken a break since he woke up that dreadful early morning. Sleep threatened to take over, having not rested for well over a day drained him of physical and mental energy. Adrenaline and caffeine once fuelled his body with temporary strength. Now it was beginning to leave him quickly. "But I'm really excited about going to your dimension, Blaze."
"We'll take it slow," Blaze added. "Together."
Silver nodded in agreement. "Together."
The future warrior's gaze shifted away briefly, spotting the blue hedgehog happily conversing with his best friend. Truthfully, Silver questioned how Sonic could be so calm and upbeat after the recent revelations. Perhaps Sonic masked his emotions with humour, or maybe he truly couldn't be fazed by anything. Guilt ate Silver up inside, threatening to tear him apart if he didn't make peace with everything now.
He shifted his gaze back to Blaze, who returned a similar expression. "I think we need to talk to Sonic about… You know."
She nodded with concurrence. "We will, but in private. Silver, you know there's a good chance he might not want to talk with us again."
It pained him to admit it, but he hesitantly nodded. "I know, but we owe it to him."
As the reunited friends shared their worries, Tails finally put the finishing touches on Omega. He stepped back to set his tools down and admire his own genius, all the while dusting his oil-stained gloves. "That should do it, Omega."
The robot lifted his now functional arm, checking for flaws in the fox's work. The exposed circuitry surrounding his metallic structure had since been restored, preventing anymore oil leaks and loose sparks. If Omega could express physical joy, perhaps he would be offering an appreciated smile. "Your craftsmanship surprises even me, Tails."
"Thanks, I guess," Tails chuckled.
"That's as good of a compliment you're going to get from him," Rouge added with an appreciative grin. "But thanks for fixing him up again, Tails. Maybe next time you'll learn to be more careful, Omega."
"I am E-123 Omega, the ultimate E-Series Robot," Omega proclaimed. "None of Eggman's worthless consumer models are a match for my power."
Rouge rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, honey."
Sonic chuckled at the robot's self-confidence. Never did he imagine one of Eggman's own robots would become one of their closest friends. He trusted Omega just as much as his team. While the mighty robot continued lecturing the others on his abilities, Silver and Blaze approached the blue hedgehog, the former calling for his attention.
"Sonic, may we have a word?" Blaze requested, gesturing her head towards the kitchen. "In private."
The blue hedgehog, while curious to know why they were being so elusive, nodded in agreement. Tails and Marine watched the three of them leave, turning towards the other for an explanation. Neither knew the answer, though Marine thought nothing much of it. Her short attention span brought her back to the lecturing robot, hanging onto his every word.
The trio retreated to the kitchen away from the rest of their friend's attention. Blaze closed the door behind them for privacy before everyone took their seats around the kitchen table. Silver and Blaze sat together on one side with Sonic on the other. A sense of awkwardness seemed to fill the air, an unnerving silence soon followed. While drumming his fingers against the table, Sonic watched the duo exchanging nervous glances.
Silver finally averted his attention towards the blue hedgehog, all the while he shifted uncomfortably, twiddling both thumbs together within his clenched hands. "Sonic, there's no easy way to say this. I… We're sorry."
Puzzled by the surprise apology, Sonic tilted his head curiously. "Sorry? What for?"
Flabbergasted by the response, Silver elborated. "For trying to kill you. You did nothing wrong. I was an idiot for trusting Mephiles in that other timeline."
Blaze took her turn to speak up. "And I encouraged Silver to do what he thought was best, no matter if it was morally the right choice or not. The blame falls on me just as much. I am sorry for my interference, Sonic. Please accept my most sincere apologies."
"We're so sorry," Silver repeated, his voice beginning to break with emotion. "If you don't want to be friends anymore, I… We understand."
With a huge weight lifted off their chests, Silver and Blaze finally exhaled with relief, though their hearts continued racing with anticipation for Sonic's response. It wasn't long before the blue hedgehog spoke. His response caught the duo by surprise, to say the least. Instead of a harsh rebuttal or hesitant forgiveness, he casually dismissed the event with a single wave.
"It's cool," Sonic reassured. "No hard feelings."
Silver was taken back by the relaxed response, almost falling out of his chair in shock. Blaze shared a similar reaction, though held her composure a lot better than the future warrior. Startled, he struggled for answers, trying to understand the blue hedgehog's reasoning for the quick forgiveness. "Sonic, we tried to hurt you. We tried to kill you. And you're gonna forgive us, just like that?"
Sonic nonchalantly shrugged, not carrying any doubt in his sincerity. "Guys, I saw the world you were from. It was horrible. You both saw a chance to save your world and took it."
Blaze interrupted, a hint of anger filling her tone. "The end doesn't justify the means, Sonic! We had no right to try and take your life."
Unfazed by her sudden interruption, Sonic held his composure and continued speaking. "It doesn't matter. Silver, you're a good man who would do anything to save the ones you care about. Blaze, you care about protecting your people and would die for them. You didn't try to kill me because you're evil. You did it because you wanted to create a better tomorrow. This might sound crazy, but maybe I would have done the same if I were in your shoes."
Awestruck at Sonic's perception, the two friends fell silent once more. For as long as they knew the blue hedgehog, he always carried himself with stride, confidence and never let anyone put him down. To see him display such a level of maturity left them frozen in shock. Sonic always seemed to surprise them, revealing levels of wisdom they never knew he carried. Personal experience taught Sonic to look at the world with several perspectives.
Without saying a word, Silver pushed himself up and approached the blue hedgehog, who looked towards him with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment. Before he could speak up, Silver threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the hedgehog's shoulders.
"Thank you, Sonic," Silver whispered. "Thank you."
While initially caught off guard by the surprise embrace, Sonic smiled and gently patted him the future warrior on the back. "Anytime, Silver."
Silver peaked one eye open, spotting Blaze approaching from the opposite side. By the time Silver released his hold and stepped, the princess outstretched her hand towards the blue hedgehog, holding her usual formal stance. "We appreciate your forgiveness, Sonic."
Rather than accept their usual custom, Sonic dashed out of his chair and pulled her into a hug as well. "Enough with the formalities, Blaze. Hug it out! You'll feel better!"
The princess stood frozen for a moment, glancing over the hedgehog's shoulder with a look of uneasiness. But with an encouraging nod from Silver, she slowly raised her arms and placed them around her friend, mindful of her own strength while doing so. "I… Thank you, Sonic."
It pained her to admit it, but the hug did provide a level of comfort. Her guard slowly dropped, shoulders losing their tension and brows softening, finding her head resting softly against his shoulder. She grew to enjoy the experience more than she would like to admit.
As she allowed herself to relax and ease her guard, Sonic perked up as a familiar fluttering brushed against his ears. He leaned back out of their embrace, a grin of amusement lacing his muzzle. "Did you just purr?"
A wave of embarrassment flooded over Blaze, the redness of her cheeks turning brighter than her Burning Form. "What? No!" She quickly pressed her arm against her mouth, struggling to conceal the purrs that began to resonate with her breathing.
"It just means you're happy, Blaze," Silver reassured. "Don't feel embarrassed. I'm happy too!"
Sonic chuckled. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with us. Now, what'd you say we get back to the party?"
With vocal agreements, the trio returned to the living room. Most of their friends remained oblivious to their brief absence, though Omega was to mostly blame for this. His self-proclaimed speech continued, breaking down in great detail of why he was the strongest robot within existence. Sonic eagerly raced forward, wanting to get a front row seat. Silver and Blaze exchanged glances, both now relieved to see things were beginning to turn in their favour.
Perhaps everything was going to be okay after all.
The brief celebration came to an abrupt end only a short hour later. While no one expressed any disdain about the party, their own adventures awaited them. The Chaotix were the first to leave, trekking their way back towards Station Square with their Chaos Emerald in hand. Charmy protested at first, though was quick to change his mind when Vector offered to let him play video games before their next case.
Big was the next to leave, opting to return fishing now that the sun was back. No one was surprised, but they admired his joys for the simplest things in life. Knuckles and Shade soon followed, eager to resume their positions as guardians of the Master Emerald. Now that the storm had finally passed, Angel Island awaited for its protectors to return once more. Sonic tossed the echidna his Chaos Emerald back along the way, making a snide remark about not losing it this time. Knuckles laughed the insult off, promising to exact retribution when Sonic least expected it. Team Dark were the last to leave, carrying three of the Chaos Emeralds. Shadow promised to return one of the Chaos Emeralds to Queen Serenity along the way. With one final goodbye to Blaze and Silver, the trio vanished from sight. Only a handful of the friends remained now.
The reunited duo returned to the now empty living room, each carrying a warm beverage between their hands. The others lingered close by. Sonic helped Amy clean the dishes within the kitchen. As for Marine, the young raccoon's fascination with snow brought her to the back garden, attempting to build a snowman. She dragged Tails with her, who soon relished in the fun and helped teach her how to accurately form a snowball. A mistake he lived to regret. Silver and Blaze took positions on both ends of the couch, basking in the silence till it was time to leave.
"Marine's certainly something, huh?" Silver chuckled while placing his beverage softly against the table.
"She is quite a handful of times," Blaze admitted, a smile creeping its way onto her muzzle. "But I couldn't ask for a better friend."
Silver leaned back against the couch, one arm supporting his slumped head while the other dragged along the cushions. He casted a sideways glance to his closest friend, albeit with some discomfort. "Hey, Blaze."
She turned towards him. "Yes?"
"I know we already agreed, but are you sure about me coming with you?" Silver hesitantly asked, fearing he would not like the answer that was soon to come. "I've just been doing some thinking and-"
She held up her hand before he continued, silencing him from further rambles. "It's all going to be okay, Silver. If someone does have a problem with it, they will have me to deal with."
Despite the assertive answer, he couldn't help but notice the comfort in her tone. His smile returned once more, barely forcing out an audible whisper. "Thank you, Blaze."
He felt relieved to see her smile return as well. Blaze softly glanced towards the nearest window, hoping the outside world would provide some solace. "I understand your concerns, Silver. I'm worried too. But we cannot dwell on the past any longer. It is time to move forward with our lives. We can only do that together. But we will take it one step at a time… Silver?"
Concerned by the lack of response, the princess turned around, ready to repeat herself, only to find the future warrior slumped over the couch's armrest after finally losing his battle against sleep. With the assurance that Blaze was finally safe and out of harm's way, he gave into his body's demands for rest. He fell into a deep slumber, chest slowly moving up and down with gentle breaths.
Instead of frowning, Blaze allowed herself to gently chuckle. "So naïve."
While the desire to return home was strong, she refused to leave without Silver by her side and had no intention of waking him up. Sonic and Amy happily welcomed their company for as long as they needed. She stood up, placing her arms gently around Silver's shoulders and easing him into a more comfortable position. She found the same blanket once used to comfort her hours ago, softly placing it around Silver up to his neck. His slumber continued, feeling the cradle of the loving universe, dreaming of a new and better world.
Content her best friend was at peace, Blaze took her place at the single armchair, hot beverage held closely to her chest. The Sol Emeralds rested within Marine's satchel nearby, their powerful presence concealed from sight. She leaned back, watching as the snow came as heaven's sunlit glitter to bring the world to a new shine. She relaxed, allowing her eyes to close and slip away into a slumber of her own, finally at peace with the past.
At last they were one world and one light.
Seems things are finally looking up again. Join me soon for the final chapter. Peace be with you!