WyvernWarrior17 - thank you so, so much for the kind words. I'm very happy you're pleased with the story. I'll do my best to make sure everything stays entertaining. Again, thank you so much.
This Name Suits Me - I appreciate the very kind words. I know a lot of people don't like AU stories, but I'm glad I'm able to make things interesting enough to keep reading.
"There we go, perfect," she hung the portrait on the wall and stepped back to admire the room. Was it narcissistic to have a painting of herself hanging on her wall? She wasn't the kind of cat to look at her reflection and catcall herself. Hell, she barely remembered a time she patted herself on the back after a job well done. She accomplished a lot in her dancing career, obtained many awards, and received numerous compliments that she became numb to the feeling. It just wasn't the same anymore.
It just didn't matter to her anymore.
"Marvelous," a tiny smirk adorned the feline's face. She and Marine had finally returned to their abode after a rather interesting day. The first thing Blaze did was go to her room, pick an appropriate spot, and hang her new gift up on her wall. It was surrounded by her plaques and award pictures, resting in the dead center of a field of her accolades. She thought it would ruin the symmetry she strived to maintain, but to her relief, the picture was just the right size.
"Silver-mate really outdid himself," the seafarer, Marine, commented, "You reckon he might be able to make me a logo for my flag? I could use a new design."
"Ask him," replied Blaze, "You are friends with him now. Mr. Luigi said he might start commissioning him."
"Sheesh, one day, and he's already getting offers. Also, what was up with you today, Blazey? You've been acting very suspicious."
"I was not suspicious," Blaze's smirk vanished as her tail swayed in mild annoyance, "just curious."
Marine couldn't say she understood. Yeah, Silver was a fantastic painter, but it wasn't something to start getting hyped up about.
"Right, because curiosity didn't kill the cat," she replied.
"Hush," Blaze hissed, "I can't help it, okay? I have a curious soul. It's in my blood. Can you blame me? Today has been rather intriguing, to say the least."
"Yeah, you established a new persona that definitely won't put Silver through the wringer by his mates," Marine chuckled, albeit lightly at how Silver was interrogated mercilessly by his friends. They were careful with him, ecstatic even that he was playing the field, but it made Marine tickled to death how none of them figured out Blaze was Barbara.
"I told you the glasses would work," Blaze shrugged.
"Still, how did no one notice? You never changed clothes."
"They wanted a cat with a red gem in her forehead and her hair tied up, and instead, they got a cat with glasses and her hair down. Honestly, I'm not surprised. Hindsight is twenty-twenty," she frowned at the previous statement regarding the artist who gifted the feline her new favorite piece, "And what do you mean I put Silver through the wringer?"
"Silver and 'Barbara' will be a heated discussion between him and his pals. You were so clingy; I nearly mistook you for mates as well."
"I was not being clingy," Blaze was offended, "What makes you say that?"
"The minute you heard he had that painting, you became his predator," Marine's grin threatened to split her face, "I ain't ever seen you more interested in a person like that. You couldn't get enough of him."
Blaze thought back and failed to see how anyone could accuse her of being clingy.
"I still don't see it. Maybe I was a little pushy to get his painting, but he was going to give it to me eventually. I just helped accelerate the process."
Marine sighed while giving her head a gentle shake.
"Blazey, Blazey, Blazey, so smart and serious, and yet so oblivious."
"Excuse you?" The feline placed her hands on her hips.
"My eyes don't deceive me, Blazey. You have never been so eager to pick another bloke's brain. Then, some random painter comes along, and you're all over him. I can tell you didn't want to leave. Tell me I'm wrong. You were very eager to meet him, even though he was a new fan."
For once, Blaze didn't have a response.
"You even agreed to have a private meeting with him, something you never do for a fan."
Was her behavior that uncharacteristic of her?
"Well," the feline found the words to speak, "as I said, he was going to give me the painting anyway, and I felt it was better to meet in private to avoid any problems. You can't deny that it was better for him that way. He was so nervous, I doubt he'd be able to continue in front of so many people."
"Maybe, and the obsession with his painting?"
Blaze grew tired of the conversation.
"I love art. I think it is the most beautiful form of medium to express one's self. No one has ever given me a portrait before, so pardon me for being curious."
Marine was dumbfounded but pressed on. She had never seen her friend so defensive about her actions.
"How did you know Silver wasn't a creep?"
Blaze already had an answer. She got the answers she needed during her many passes by Silver leading up to their official meeting at the open house.
"I told you. He was the one I saw at Twinkle Park. He stuck out to me the most, so I did a little observation, and then, that morning after I had that bad dream, I passed by him on my jog," Blaze folded her arms and fixed Marine with a hard stare, continuing, "I saw everything I needed to see. Everything I do is not without reason. Even asking Silver to be my dance partner was done with specific intentions."
This made Marine imitate a fish, her mouth hanging low at Blaze's statement.
"You did what?"
"I asked Silver to be my dance partner," the feline gave her room a thorough once over, "It wasn't my goal to partner up, but Miss Vanilla put some questions in my head, and now, I can't resist."
"Are you sure you're not just gullible?"
"Don't forget, I have claws, Marine, and you know how sharp they are," Blaze didn't need to face her roommate to get her point across.
"Noted," the raccoon took it in stride, "but seriously, you are asking for a mate?"
"It wasn't my intention. I much prefer going solo, but at the very least, if I was going to get suckered into it, I wanted someone reliable."
"And that led you back to Silver."
In truth, Blaze was hesitant to ask the expert painter, but if what she imagined was to be true, she was in for a treat.
"If my dance can spark that much inspiration, imagine how great his artwork will be if he takes his creativity up a notch. I need to see it for my eyes, and this way, I can repay him for the marvelous painting."
"Mhmm," Marine had a smirk on her face. She noticed the look on Blaze's face was nothing short of pure happiness. The feline was so enthralled by her thoughts that she swayed about the room absentmindedly.
"I'm glad you're trying new things," the seafarer commented, making sure to leave the feline to her daydreams, "Don't work Silver-mate too hard though."
"We are professionals in our craft. I'm praying there won't be blood, but there will be sweat and tears. If he's going to be my partner, he's going to learn the hard way."
"I can't believe he agreed."
"He didn't," Blaze nodded at the clean state of her room.
"Wait, what?"
"He has not accepted my offer just yet. After the three-day trial period, he'll inform me of his decision, but I'm positive he'll agree. His mind is already set on attending our school."
Marine shook her head. "You are so manipulative."
"It's not manipulation. I'm merely pushing a fellow artist in the right direction. I'm helping someone reach their full potential. As a veteran dancer, I have an obligation to my juniors."
'Right, and the new crush you have is nonexistent.'
"And what kind of art do you hope to make?"
Blaze let her smile grow. The unknown was the most enticing part. It held many mysteries and frightened people because no one knew what existed on the other side. People tend to fear that which is incomprehensible, but for Blaze, it was the complete opposite.
She finally faced Marine with a radiant smile, responding, "One that can last an eternity."
Despite everything that transpired in his mission to express gratitude, Silver had a lot of fun today. He wanted to get to his easel and start another painting, but he held off and used that energy to fill out the application form and think about his new move.
"I had a blast today, bro," Sonic said from across the table, "Aside from being trampled, today was awesome," he shuddered at the memory.
"Same," the pale hedgehog replied, "I had my doubts, but I'm glad we went. Maybe this won't be so bad after all."
"That's the spirit. Does that mean you know what you're trying for? I'm still going for guitar; it's been a while since I played."
"I asked Miss Vanilla, and she suggested Rhumba, but since it's a ballroom type dance, I would need a partner."
"Oh yeah? I can see you trying something classical. Amy's the same way; she'd enjoy that kind of dance. As for me, nah, can't do it," the blue hedgehog felt sleepy just imagining it.
"Why did she drag you away earlier?"
Sonic stopped, and Silver glanced up at the unexpected silence. The blue hedgehog was uncharacteristically fidgety, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
"She wanted me to take her home. Didn't give me a chance to speak, just came up and dragged me off. She was so happy."
That was only part of it though. The rest of the details couldn't leave Sonic's lips, but it was a sweet memory.
"Amy, can you let up for a second? What's gotten into you?"
The pinkette slowed their pace and loosened her grip just a bit.
"Thank you," Sonic sighed in relief. "Now what was that about?"
"I'm really happy," was Amy's response.
"And I'm glad to see that, but you don't need to rip my arm off to prove it."
"I'm sorry, but I wanted to enjoy the moment more before we go our separate ways."
It wasn't long before Sonic and Amy arrived at the latter's apartment. They chatted excessively along the way, enjoying the festivities of today, and liking the other's company. For Amy, it was a dream come true to share such memories, and for Sonic, while it wasn't his style, he wasn't afraid to admit he quite enjoyed spending time with the hopeless romantic hedgehog.
"I had a lot of fun, Sonic," Amy did a marvelous job hiding her disappointment. She didn't want today to end, but she knew both had a lot of thinking to do.
"Same, this was the most fun I had in a while. What did you think about the school? You think Silver will like it?"
"There's no doubt in my mind. I'm excited about attending myself."
Sonic scratched under his nose. "I'm getting pumped too. I can't wait to shred on the guitar again. You know, I'm glad you brought this up, Amy. Silver might have already said something, but thanks for looking out for him. I hate seeing him so defeated."
Amy returned her crush's smile with a toothy grin.
"Oh stop, you're going to make me blush," too late, "You know I like helping out my boys."
Amy had no qualms showing her friends how much they meant to her. Whether it was tussling with Knuckles, building things with Tails, going shopping with Rouge, or just hanging out with her boys, Silver and Sonic, she openly expressed her joys when being around them. They weren't just friends. They were family. It was the way her heart operated. Amy had love in spades, but her issue was not having a better outlet. Sure, she could love her friends like family, but what about intimate love? The love for a man? How could she satisfy her desire when the man she loved refused to reciprocate?
"I also cherish every moment we're together," she said softly enough for Sonic to miss. Amy wanted to speak her heart, but that sort of talk would kill the moment.
"You guys would do the same for me."
'I don't want to end our date like this.'
"That's for sure. You take care, Amy. I'll drop off the application sheets tomorrow. I'm trusting Silver to grab a stack before he left."
"Thanks, I can't wait. We should all meet up to collaborate this Sunday. I need to see what Knuckles chose."
"You think he changed his mind?" Sonic would have to see it to believe it.
"Rouge said she had an idea."
"Leave it to her to handle our dear friend, Knuckie," Sonic chuckled. "Well, see you later Amy. I better head back."
Amy's goodbye hung in her throat. The pink hedgehog didn't want to say farewell. Today was such an amazing day for her; she didn't want it to end.
Amy clenched her fists and steadied herself.
Sonic turned his back, happy that today was ending on a high note.
"Not like this," he heard from behind and turned.
"You say something, Amy?"
The instant he faced his smitten friend, everything seemed to slow down. Amy's body had left her initial place and covered the distance between her and Sonic in mere seconds. The latter never had time to act before his admirer made him turn several shades redder.
Amy's soft lips planted on Sonic's cheek like a petal caught in the gentle breeze and sprinkled with the coolness of the morning dew, a fire ignited within her soul.
She withdrew after a couple of seconds and quickly hugged the stunned blue hedgehog, whose face remained frozen in pure astonishment.
"Thank you for spending the day with me, but I'm not giving up," she promised him, "It might not be what you're about, but not even you can deny the sparks between us. Have a good afternoon, my darling Sonic," she giggled before entering her apartment.
Sonic was stuck in a daze the entire way home.
Still thinking about the departure, the softness of the pinkette's lips lingered on Sonic's cheek. He was normally good at dodging Amy's affections, but this time, she successfully caught him off guard.
'What is happening? I'm better than this.'
"You okay?" Silver inquired, a look of concern on his face, "You look out of it."
"You can say that," Sonic leaned back in his chair and sighed, "I think my near-death experience left a bigger impact than I imagined."
The sun was barely setting, but Sonic had too much on his mind to focus on his application.
"I'm going to turn in early. Some rest might do me good."
"Okay, good night."
"Night, little bro, don't think about your new crush on Barbara," Sonic had to get one last jab in.
"It's not a crush!" Silver yelled out.
"Oh? You're already in love? You're moving fast, bro," Sonic laughed, but once alone, his lips regressed to a thin line. Something wasn't right; he could feel it in his chest. A rapid beat possessed his heart, and his mind found itself thinking of the female hedgehog that sought his attention. Sonic held on to the notion that he and love couldn't coexist. It wasn't in his nature. He preferred the free life, the excitement of adventure, and with love, it came with responsibilities and obligations he didn't want.
Did Sonic hate spending time with Amy? No, he quite enjoyed her company. She was a fun person to be around, especially when she got into a baking fever.
Did Sonic not find the pink hedgehog attractive? Quite the contrary, he found her very attractive. Sweet, beautiful, these were only a couple of traits he liked about the hammer-wielding hopeless romantic, but the excessive talk of romance was his turn-off point. Sonic just didn't find it interesting, not when he was the main factor.
'Why do I feel this way?'
He browsed through his phone and stopped at the cursed video Rouge sent him. The day at Twinkle Park when a spell was cast, and Sonic, yes, he was the instigator, took Amy by the hand and started twirling her around. It was completely in the heat of the moment, but there was no denying the happiness shared between him and Amy.
'Am I falling in love with her?'
"Seriously, I was just showing my gratitude," Silver huffed, "If this is what I had to go through, I can only imagine what Blaze went through. I bet Rouge would get along with Miss Daisy very well."
In the end, Silver was happy everyone gave such positive feedback on his compositions. Any artist worried their passion would earn harsh critique, but Silver got the best ending he could hope for.
"Have to stay focused," he took a deep breath. His mission wasn't over yet. He had an application form to finish filling out. It gave the option for five classes, but Silver stuck with his guns and chose one. However, there was another that needed his consideration.
'Why did she pick me?' Silver couldn't help but pause and question the inner workings of Blaze the Cat. 'Out of everyone, she picked me and not someone more experienced. Even though there are tons of students more adept than me, she chose me. Why?'
"Call it a sudden interest," her words echoed.
'What does she mean by that? My paintings? They're okay, but I wouldn't call them the most interesting. Then again, Mr. Luigi almost recognized my art style.' Is he a fan perhaps?'
Silver leaned back in his seat. He had a lot to think about and little time to do it. Five days total to be precise, Silver knew this was something he wanted to try. His love for art would not allow him to quit when his back was against the wall. An artist had to flourish regardless of the environment.
'I can only try. I don't have anything to lose, but partnering up with Blaze? I don't know.'
He already felt the pressure getting to him. Creating compositions was infinitely easier than what was to come.
'What if I mess up? Gah, of course, you're going to mess up, Silver. You've never danced before in your life! How is a complete amateur going to match up to a master like Blaze? It's no use!'
His forehead hit the table, rattling the wares placed on its surface.
'Okay, calm down. Try to figure it out. She wanted to help me get better. That's right, we love art. Think of it as painting like Amy said. I'm the brush, and the stage is my canvas.'
"But how long until it comes crumbling down?"
Silver shot up.
"One mistake is all it takes."
The paranoid hedgehog scanned the vicinity, but he was the only one in the room. It wasn't Sonic, who should be relaxing in his room.
'Oh no.' Silver wondered how long things would stay quiet. It didn't say a word at all for the past couple of days, but on one of the best days of his life, the seed that embedded itself deep in his soul saw fit to impede his happiness.
Silver furrowed his brow, easing the tension in his shoulder with deep, calming breaths.
'We've come full circle.'
Silence met him for a moment, a sickening quietness that sought to unnerve him. Silver, thankfully, didn't forget the voice, but because of today's festivities, he had grown too vulnerable. The seed had sprouted and became a seedling, slowly evolving into the adult plant it strived to be. However, it met opposition from today's surplus of positivity, especially one feline in particular.
"She's crazy," the voice returned, "There's no way someone like her would be satisfied with a partner like you. She's better off finding someone more suited to the job."
It couldn't handle the brightness of Blaze's presence, but the seedling had ways to use her to its advantage. However, still, it met opposition. Her constant involvement succeeded in slowing down the seedling. It couldn't absorb the necessary nutrients to grow further, and in the end, it cursed Blaze for having such a strong effect on its target. Silver's family and friends were bad enough, but when Blaze came into the picture, its influence practically stopped dead in its tracks.
'Maybe so, but she doesn't seem like the type of person who would tell a lie.' Silver buried his face in his hand. 'I'm talking to myself. How far gone am I?'
"Not enough."
Silver slid his hand down his face.
"It won't go away that easily," the voice taunted him, "I won't go away that easily."
'It? What is it? And who are you?'
Silver had more questions. Namely, why did this voice continue to haunt him? Why was it so insistent on antagonizing him?
'Say I believe I'm crazy, what do you want?'
What could it possibly want with the artistic hedgehog?
"To bloom," was the response, and Silver was left to contemplate in silence.
"To bloom? What is that even supposed to mean?" a question that would follow Silver to bed as he struggled to fall asleep. His thoughts were filled with an imaginary voice and a breathtaking feline. Their contrasting words collided in his subconscious, one promising to help him, and the other vying to bring him down.
Amongst their banter, Silver's voice could only be heard from one question.
'What is happening to me right now?'
