A/N: 11toby - Sorry about my schedule. I'll try to update faster. I'm glad you're enjoying the story though. I'll work harder in the future


'When will it end?' she asked herself. It was a question perpetually swarming around in her head. The more things change, the more they stay the same. No matter how many detours she takes, the result remains constant. Her fight infernal, her pain eternal, it was a constant stake to her heart. Long has she grown numb to the agony sweltering in her soul. No sword to draw and no shield to brandish, her only weapon was the very thing keeping her bound to this immortal struggle.

'Will I ever find a way to escape the hollow chains that bind me?'

She built an inner castle to protect her from the monster. It was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress where she could be alone with her thoughts, no worries, no strife, but it was breached, and she was tossed from its halls, unable to return until the beast's hunger for destruction was satisfied.

To battle she went, drawing power from the very same source of her suffering. It was supposed to be a gift, but Blaze knew better. She had trained herself to perceive the truth behind any intention. The lie she was fed haunted her like a ghoul, laughing at her for believing such a tale. Her greatest strength was the gift bestowed upon her since birth, but in fact, it was a confounded curse that threatened to burn away at her soul until only a husk remained.

She held her palm out. At first, nothing happened. Once Blaze flexed her fingers, a small ball of fire sprung to life, thus her curse of pyrokinesis.

The feline raised her shining paw above her head and commanded the flames dancing around her to return to their place. It was a simple order, but it went ignored. The flames refused to obey. Instead, they rebelled, fighting back with a swarm of fireballs.

'So that's how it is.' Blaze clenched her fists. 'Fine.'

With speed and grace, the dancing pyrokinetic leaped out of harm's way and sprinted towards her castle. The drawbridge remained lowered, but guarding the entrance was her monster's servant: a large humanoid giant made entirely of lava, with cooled rock encasing their limbs like armor. It was a giant among giants with an extra-large upper torso, arms, and hands with rock armor encasing its hands, wrists, shoulders, torso, and almost minuscule neckless head. In particular, the armor is spiked on the wrists and back. It also has rock armor around its feet and lower legs resembling boots, with additional rock armor creeping up its left hip.

The golem spotted Blaze in the distance and let out a beastly roar. Its screech emitted shockwaves, the pressure overflowing from its presence expanding. Raising its extra-large arms above its head, the beast then brought them down like a mighty hammer and smashed the ground with its rocky fists. Per its command, a rush of molten stalagmites punctured through the ground and made a mad dash towards the approaching enemy.

Blaze twirled on the balls of her feet, gaining speed while still advancing. Her flames shielded her from the opposing fire, and once she was atop the spike rush, she threw her left leg out, using the momentum she gained to deliver a powerful kick strong enough to break through the rocky element.

"Leave my castle!" she snarled and set her fists ablaze. "You have overstayed your welcome! Begone!"

Blaze focused her mind and went on the offensive. Circling around, Blaze lobbed a fireball that separated into multiple shots. The golem blocked the projectiles with its bulky arms and returned the welcoming with a large molten lava ball.

The pyrokinetic came to a halt, spread her arms, and conjured hundreds of fire arrows.

"Think you can best me?" Blaze hissed. "Your master doesn't know its place. I'll remind you."

Crossing her arms, the fire arrows obeyed Blaze's orders and soared like bullets. The fire weaved around the lava ball while Blaze evaded it with ease. Her attack proved fruitless though as the golem stomped the ground and erected a stone wall to take the hit, and then, with its raging fists, reduced the wall to boulders and sent them tumbling in the feline's direction.

'Enough games.' Blaze clenched her paws, the power of her flames increasing. The creases in her brow deepened as her fire spread over her being like a shroud. Equipped with fiery paws and a single, swishing flaming tail, Blaze rushed headstrongly into the avalanche. She pulled her arm back, the flames at her paws morphing into a claw, and let out a roar as she pounced on the rocks. Like a hot knife cutting through butter, Blaze tore through the boulders without trouble and continued her advancement.

'Face my wrath.'

The flaming Blaze leaped high in the air and removed a drop of fire from her cloak. She empowered it with her cursed gift and hurled her titan-sized creation at the humongous golem.

Her enemy punched the great ball of fire with its mountainous knuckles, detonating Blaze's bomb. A wicked explosion rocked the realm, destroying the stone structure of Blaze's castle, and sending rubble sprawling over the floor. Pebbles and large chunks of cinderblocks made loud splashes into the moat. An ugly, gaping hole blemished her beautiful castle, but the golem was still standing. Most of its armor had been blown off, revealing a bright purple core where its skull split.

Regarding the castle, Blaze had to ignore the damage done to it. 'Focus. You can always rebuild it. Take care of this monster first.'

Blaze became the fire she embodied and seemingly teleported from her in-flight position. A streak of conflagration raced across the sky like lightning. In seconds, Blaze was in front of the golem, her fiery claw accelerating towards the exposed core.

"RAAAHH!" A fierce vociferate exploded from her lungs.

However, that was as far as her dream allowed her.

Blaze awoke with a start. Her left fist hung in the air, its light cutting through the darkness that blanketed her room.

"Again, the same dream," she sighed and turned off her flame. "This is grating on my nerves."

Kicking the sheets off, Blaze reluctantly climbed out of bed.

"The sun isn't even peeking out yet," she yawned, not needing to check the time. Maybe it was her feline traits, but thanks to the nightly ambiance, the cat's senses were more acute. Nothing escaped her notice.

"Stupid dream," her vision flashed through her mind, and for a moment, her paws caught fire again, but just as quickly, Blaze regained her composure.

"Some gift," the purple cat scoffed. "Out of all the things bestowed upon me, it wasn't a cure for my fear of heights. Great."

Canceling her kinetic abilities, Blaze rubbed her temple while letting a heavy sigh escape her lips. The beast inside wanted her attention, to let her curse take control and unleash devastation, but Blaze refused to give in. She had no choice.

"It's too early for this."

"I'll say. Do you have any idea what time it is? I'm bloody buggered, and here you are getting crooked."

Blaze took a deep breath. "Sorry for waking you, Marine," she apologized to her roommate: an orange furred raccoon with a white muzzle, small back nose, and blue eyes. She has brown triangular ears, brown rings around her rounded tail, and dark brown and cream-stripe markings around her eyes. On her head, she has two upturned pigtails with brown tips.

The roommate did not look pleased, evident by her cranky glare and disheveled pajamas.

"It's nothing to worry about," Blaze assured her.

The smaller girl yawned, "You ain't fooling anyone, mate. It's that dream again, isn't it?"

"I just have a lot on my mind. It's nothing," Blaze refuted, refusing to look her friend in the eye.

Marine frowned deeper. "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes, Blazey. This much ruckus at night? Seems fishy to me."

"Marine," Blaze said in a warning tone. "Please, just drop it. We have an open house to prepare for, and I don't want to think about… my little problem."

The younger girl moved to comfort the feline. Her hand rubbed the middle of Blaze's back. "Listen, you're as tough as they come, Blazey, but you're not some machine. Even you have your days. You can't let this bring ya down, mate. You haven't ruled the world yet."

Blaze covered her face at this. "Don't start with the taking over the world bit. I get enough of that as it is."

"But it sounds so exciting!" Marine flailed her arms in a cartoonish manner, eyes sparkling with childish naivety, her weariness momentarily forgotten. "Imagine it: Empress Blaze, a sovereign with unmatched dance moves. Anyone foolish enough to oppose her will face her fiery steps of fury."

Blaze didn't dignify that with a response.

"I'm going for a jog."

Marine tilted her head. "At this time of night? It's not even the crack of dawn."

"I need to clear my head," Blaze dressed up in a black sports bra and purple shorts. "I have to go to the studio, later on, to help set up, so you'll have to make your own breakfast."

"Roger that, mate. You be careful out there. Ain't no tellin' what drongo be lurking in the night."

Blaze thanked the heavens she bothered to learn Marine's slang from the get-go, otherwise, she'd be lost.

"I'm more than capable of taking care of myself," she stated. "Fire is my curse, but it's still my blessing. Even if it causes me nothing to strive," she muttered under her breath.

Blaze turned and left with an impatient kick in her step.

"No worries, mate," Marine said softly, looking at her roommate's backside. "She'll be right, just give it some time."

Blaze, on the other hand, felt her heart grow heavy as she shut the front door behind her, stepping into the warm outdoors.

"I'm sorry, Marine," she whispered. "I know you're just trying to help, but there's nothing you can do for me. There's nothing anyone can do. I have to face this alone."

She lifted one of her paws. "If you keep getting close, you'll only get burned."


His feet kissed the ground in an unbalanced gait. He pushed his legs to run faster, raspy breaths heaving from his lungs as he tried filling his chest with more. Sweat rolled down his face in thick, salty beads, his fur stuck to his skin, and quills becoming lopsided.

Right when he reached the leader, the poor boy nearly collapsed. If not for his brother's support, Silver would be making out with the hard pavement.

"Not bad," Sonic grinned, "That's the first mile done. Just fifteen more to go."

"Sonic!" Silver wheezed. "I'm dying!"

"You're not dying. What happened to that drive when you ran from Twinkle Park yesterday?" His brother inquired. "Not only did you run at speeds that even impressed me, but you also outran Amy and Tails. If you can beat Amy in a race, you should have no problems running around our block."

Silver panted hard. "I was in a different state of mind."

"Then get back into it," Sonic slapped him on the back. "I want to see that fire again. You won't last a single day in dance school if this is all you got. Those moves Vector and Vanilla pulled off? Working out. The sooner we get into a routine, the better it will be in the long run. Cardio is important. Never skip leg day."

"Easy," Silver was still panting, "For you to say."

"It is. Now, get back up. We still got another fifteen miles to go."

"Is this going to be my life now?" Silver questioned aloud.

"Yes. Working out is a lifestyle, not a goal. Once you start, you can't stop, and since we all agreed to attend this school, we're about to change our lives."

"Why am I the only being trained?" the younger hedgehog cried.

"Because Amy already works out, Tails and Rouge exercise every now and then, and you've seen the muscles on Knuckles. You hardly exercise your body. It's time to give your mind a break."

Silver rubbed his shoulders. "Okay, why are we starting before dawn?"

"Early hog gets the chili dog," replied the blue blur, giving his little bro a thumbs-up.

"You mean the early bird gets the worm," Silver corrected.

"I didn't stutter. Now pick yourself up, and let's get back to it. We're burning moonlight!"

Sonic strongly urged his brother to keep running. He stayed next to him the entire time, encouraging him throughout the whole trek. There were times Silver begged to quit, but Sonic wasn't having it. He pushed his little brother to keep going. No matter how many times Silver fell behind, Sonic did not leave him.

"You're doing great, Silver, just a few more yards! Once we hit the eight-mile mark, we can take a small break, but give it all you got. No slouching!"

Silver's muscles screamed with a burning passion. Adrenaline pumping through his veins and the promise of a break was enough to keep their spying painter on track.

"Annnd made it," Sonic said. His brother collapsed at that precise moment. "We're halfway there, Silver."

"I don't think… I can go on."

"No," Sonic frowned, crossing his arms. While Silver was bathing in his own sweat, Sonic hasn't broken one. "You can't think like that, Silver. I know it's tough, but trust me, you'll be grateful you did this. I'm not giving up on you."

"I know," Silver sighed. "I know, and I appreciate it, but physical labor and I don't mix."

"Here, drink up," Sonic handed his brother a water bottle.

The magical elixir touched Silver's lips and sent a rejuvenating surge through his entire being. His fatigue began to fade, and his stamina returned. He guzzled down the liquid and found the strength to sit up.

"Sweet Mobius," he sighed in bliss, "That's good."

Sonic held his hand out and pulled his brother up to his feet.

"Let's get back to it."

Silver emptied the heaviness in his chest with a couple of deep breaths. His wobbly form straightened out.

"I'm ready, partially."

"Better than when we first started at least, but hang in there, cinnabro."

Sonic took off while Silver's entire countenance turned two-seventy. He went from tired, to mildly happy, to exasperated in mere seconds.

"I said not to call me that!" he yelled and chased after his guffawing brother.

"Catch me then, slowpoke!" Sonic taunted, running backward to show off his superior athleticism.

If Silver could use his psychokinesis, he would do it in a heartbeat.


"See what happens when you put your mind to it?" Sonic grinned as he stood above his exhausted brother. "You actually almost caught up to me when I used five percent. I'm proud, bro, but."

"Don't," gasped Silver. He clutched his chest, heart pounding against its cage.

"Almost doesn't cut it," replied Sonic. "I'd say sorry, but we both know I'm gonna enjoy calling you my little cinnabro."

"Nooooo," the painter whined.

"Hey, when you finally tap into your latent hedgehog power, I'll come up with something better, maybe, don't count on it."

"I have psychokinesis. It doesn't get more latent than that."

Sonic helped his brother stand and eased him on the bench across from Twinkle Park. They were supposed to meet back home, but Silver's desire to hunt his brother made them run farther than intended.

"You did great though. Even if you were just trying to tackle me, you proved you can work hard physically too."

"I feel like I'm about to fall apart."

"No pain no gain, and hey, what's better than coming back to this view after a good run?" Sonic motioned with his head for Silver to look at the scenery.

As nighttime ended, the first rays of the sun peaked from the horizon. Peach and amber cut through the darkness, ushering in a new beginning. A brand-new day was upon them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sonic commented.

"Yeah, it is," Silver concurred. His fingers started to twitch as he gazed at the rising sun, the canvas of night slowly receding.

"Doesn't get better than this. I'm gonna run a while longer. Think you can make it back home?"

The aspiring artist managed to pick himself up.

"My legs feel like jelly," he panted. "I'll manage though."

"Try not to use your powers. I'll even hit Knuckles up for some extra instructions," Sonic's enthusiasm made Silver's heart drop. He did not want the roughest of them imparting his wisdom. Silver couldn't imagine what kind of training the red echidna put himself through to maintain his powerful physique.

"Please say you're kidding," Silver hoped.

"Who better to build muscles with than the best of them? While I help you work on your cardio, Knuckles can whip you into shape."

"Or he can kill me. That's something that can happen."

"Hey!" Sonic jabbed his finger in Silver's direction. "None of that. We agreed to this, and I plan to see it through. There will be no pessimism, understood, Cinnabro?"

"Stop calling me that!" Silver demanded. "Why am I a cinnamon roll to everyone?"

"Because you're too pure for this world and must be protected at all cost," Sonic's bluntness made his little brother blush slightly.

"I have psychokinesis," he retorted.

Sonic shrugged. "You can have the power to control time and space. We'd still protect ya."

"I'm an adult."

Sonic shook his head. He had every counter to Silver's counter. "Doesn't matter. You're still our little brother. Sonia and Manic would agree, and they were thrilled to hear your new nickname."

The color drained from Silver's face.

"Sonic, you didn't."

"Well, I better get back to running. Don't worry about making me breakfast. I'll grab something on the way back. Gotta go fast!"

"Sonic!" Silver's voice echoed as his speedy brother vanished in the blink of an eye, and yet, the aspiring artist could still hear Sonic's laughter bouncing around in his head. "Oooh, when I get my psychokinesis on you."

Silver grumbled as he made the trek home. His legs were still sore from his excursion. Every step made him limp, his legs heavy with lead. He kept his head high though, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"You got this, Silver. It's for your art. It's for your inner world."

'You won't win.'

The albino hedgehog stopped in his tracks. He swiftly turned, but there was not a soul near him. He walked the lonely road, his world illuminated by the morning sunrise.

"What was that?" he pondered aloud. "I know I heard someone."

Silence responded back. Tightening the grip on his gloves, the psychokinetic hedgehog resumed his walk. His guard was up, golden eyes scanning the vicinity for anything suspicious. He liked being the clouds, but he wasn't insane by any stretch.

"That wasn't the wind."

'You won't beat me.'

Silver pivoted and activated his gift, surrounding his body in a teal glow. He looked all around, but again, there was not a single soul nearby.

"I'm not falling for it," he said loudly. "Sonic, if that's you, stop playing games. Come on out."

Silence once again greeted him. After minutes of waiting, nothing happened. Silver turned off the glow, but he did not lower his guard. He started walking backward.

"I'm not that tired."

'I will break you.'

Silver slammed his hand on the ground and sent out a wave of psychic energy. With his powers, he got a count of everything around him, from animals to people, but despite this, there was still no one in his general vicinity. He was the only person walking around, but that didn't make sense.

"What is happening right now?" he contemplated.

The rest of the walk happened in silence. He could not get the words out of his head.

'That was a threat.'

The menacing voice was incredibly hostile. Its words haunted the white-furred hedgehog as he approached his neighborhood. Just in case, he let his psychic powers expand. It was invisible to the naked eye, but a large sphere of energy surrounded him, and as he walked, anything that entered the sphere was immediately relayed back to Silver. The number of birds flying by, the number of leaves falling to the ground; Silver can tell it all without needing to count. pick up another presence swiftly closing in.

His eyes shot open. "There's someone, but it's too slow to be Sonic."

His psychokinesis picked up another presence.

"Only one. Stay calm, Silver. You're just being paranoid," he whispered to himself.

He rounded a corner just as the company was at its closest. Another jogger came his way. However, he wasn't expecting it to be… her.

'Is that?'

It was for a moment, but in that second, time seemed to slow down for him. When he first saw her, her beautiful dance captivated everyone in the audience, especially him. The allure of her choreography was out of this world. It was as if she was speaking to him with her dance alone. No words needed to be conveyed, but at the same time, her mind was so sophisticated that even her dance steps couldn't be deciphered. Not easily, anyway, and Silver wanted to unravel the mystery surrounding her routine. What kind of story was she telling? Silver wanted to paint it out.

Here she was now, out on a morning exercise, her purple fur glistening under the morning rays of the sun. She jogged by him, but she didn't notice his presence until they were directly parallel to one another. Her eyes shifted to Silver, meeting his stare. She raised a hand, waved, and kept jogging, even as her eyes opened further. The realization finally hitting her.

'He's the one from the park.'

'That's Blaze from the park.' Silver had the same realization.

When the distance between them lengthened, time normalized.

Blaze vanished from Silver's sight, but he remained starstruck. The image of the feline's close-up face was engraved into his memory, overwriting his initial glimpse of her, which was hindered by a sea of people. Even from afar, there was no denying her beauty. Currently, beautiful no longer did her justice.

"Sweet Mobius," Silver exhaled deeply. His face felt hot, cheeks suddenly pink like a spring flower. At first sight, he felt an arrow pierce through his chest. At a moment's glance, he had seen the perfect image, and as her small greeting replayed in his mind, his inner world almost exploded, unable to process the event. It was a simple greeting in other people's eyes, but in Silver's, that single motion opened a whole new world for him. His soul was reignited with a searing passion, sending a euphoric sensation coursing through the artist's fingertips.

He was given a single order, "Create," as his mind went into overdrive.

Feeling restored, Silver hastened home. The itchiness in his fingers refused to go away until he put a brush to the canvas and satiated his most artistic desires. His kindled soul would not ease down until his mind released all its creative aptitude.

He had work to do.


She never forgets a face. For as long as she's been in the industry, remembering faces had become second nature. The aggressive paparazzi, adoring and annoying fans, and scumbags alike, Blaze had become too familiar with the way people work. Their faces, although can hide their intent, cannot completely block it out.

"I was right," she said to herself. The feline adopted a deep thinking pose as she leaned against a light post, right paw on her chin, her mind flashing back to the silver hedgehog she passed. When their eyes met, Blaze instinctively read the hedgehog's intentions. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the one from the park, able to applaud her performance without losing himself in the magic.

"He's the guy from the park," but something stuck out to her. "His face was too innocent."

Blaze wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked back at where she came. "He's probably long gone now."

Another thought occurred to her. "Hmm, I wonder if he'll attend the open house."

She sighed. "Why am I so fixated in reading other people?"

The way she had her audience captivated was akin to a kingdom marveling at their sovereign. No one had the bravery to stand up and speak their mind, except one. One soul was strong enough to stand up to the spell cast upon them. To Blaze, she greatly appreciated such genuineness. Getting lost in the magic meant losing themselves to the power within it, but she wanted to hold her tongue in case the silver boy was like the others. If his mask was the same, "No, it's too early to tell," she shook her head and resumed her jog. She felt better knowing her first close-up interaction ended on a good point.

Little did she know, though, the beast within was stirring, biding its time. Its fight within Blaze's dream world left it unsatisfied. Soon, it would set its sights on the feline and drag her back down for another skirmish, and when it does, there will be no interruptions.

"I will break you!"