11toby - Nah, I haven't abandoned my new son yet. Work really just kept me busy and tired. It's good to be back though.
WyvernWarrior17 - Really truly my friend, I do not deserve such praise, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I've always been intrigued by a person's inner demon come to life or seeing how well I can make the nicest guy the most dangerous person in a group. I try to focus on elements that not many have, and I find that I can make it work with just a little time. Still, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, it's comments like yours that make me strive to entertain with my stories.
Silver had a hard time falling asleep. Yesterday's thrills continued to fuel his body, bringing severe itchiness to his artistic hands. He wanted to paint. However, while there were thrills, there were also chills, and each shiver crawled down his spine as two forces continued their never-ending battle for his attention.
'I'm going crazy,' Silver was convinced. 'This whole situation is making me lose my mind.'
He checked the time, an abysmal two-thirty in the morning, and groaned.
'Sonic's going to drag me out of bed in a couple of hours. I better prepare myself.'
The whole night, Silver was transfixed on his time with Blaze. Nothing in the hedgehog's vernacular could accurately describe the sensation that enveloped him.
Something stirred inside him, but he was afraid to place it as a crush. With the way he envisioned her, it should be an obsession. Whenever he saw her, his desire to paint grew stronger. He wanted to capture her beauty, immortalize it for all eternity so new generations would be able to admire her magnificence.
'I don't think that's how crushes work.' he laughed at himself.
Silver would happily admit that Blaze was a beautiful girl. If anything, that word didn't do her justice. Her description given by the headmaster, the mistress of regality, hit the mark perfectly. Watching her dance was akin to watching a princess twirl under the shimmering lights of a large chandelier, her sparkling dress hovering above the polished floor.
'Hmm, a princess.'
Something sparked inside Silver's mind. Rising from his bed, he flipped the lights on and walked to one of his closets. One was dedicated to clothing while the other was full of his paint materials. Inside the art supply closet, the artistic hedgehog grabbed a large canvas and set it up for another composition. This time, he planned it differently. He didn't immediately use his psychokinesis like he would for his other paintings.
'A princess of what kingdom?' there were notes Silver jotted down.
Unfortunately, not everything about Blaze was a pleasant feeling. At some point, conflict arose between the dancing feline and some inner demon Silver manifested. He didn't know when he subconsciously made this for, but Blaze's words of encouragement fought valiantly against the demon's words of dissuasion with Silver torn in the middle.
'I'm good at art but horrible at professional dancing. I'm skilled at drawing but have terrible coordination.'
It was a hard-fought battle, but with everything that transpired yesterday, Silver chose his side. What happened from here on would be a mystery for him, which is why he chose to listen to the words of the feline and seek to improve his creative prowess.
'Hmm, a warrior princess fighting a monster. What kind though?'
Silver jotted more notes down and coated his brush in titanium white paint.
"This will be my start."
And thus, the first stroke of many was made.
Silver wasn't the only one having difficulties sleeping. There was a certain red echidna who also experienced a period of insomnia, but unlike Silver, his lack of sleep was due to the advances of a sultry batgirl.
'You played right into her hands, Knuckles. Why do you always do that?'
There was something cursed about the dance school he and his friends visited. Emotions were running rampant, his included. Despite the forced attendance, Knuckles admitted that he had a good time, even though he was stuck with Rouge for a majority of the event. Not only did she cling to him the entire time, but she also lured him into a trap.
"I should've known it was a trick. Why does she always manage to get one over me?"
The irate echidna huffed as he laid stretched out on his bed, gazing at the ceiling while the last moments of his time with Rouge haunted him.
"Why are you so handholdy?" questioned Knuckles, wrenching his hand away for the tenth time, but his question went unanswered. Rouge refused to let him go.
"Come on, Knuckie, don't be like that. I had so much fun today. At least let me enjoy the rest before we say goodbye. Please?"
'Why am I so bad with women? You're an alpha male, Knuckles, not a pushover!'
He relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine, but only until we get to your neighborhood."
"Aww, you don't like holding hands? You're so mean, Knuckie. I'm all giddy and you're acting like a sourpuss. Was spending the day with me that bad?"
It took a moment to respond.
"No," he sighed in defeat, "I had fun too. I was expecting something different, but I'm glad we went."
"See? And you were so adamant about not liking it. You'll enjoy life better if you loosen up a bit, Knuckie. It can't always be serious business.
"This is all for Silver. I just wanted to know if it was a good place. Now that I know what it's like, I guess this might work out for him after all."
"You're such a good big brother figure, Knuckie," Rouge cooed.
"I'm just looking out for a friend. I'd do the same for the others."
"Even me?"
Knuckles looked away, not wanting to see the sparkle in her eyes. "If you were having troubles, I'd try to help, but knowing you, you'd turn it around to make it seem like nothing's wrong."
Rouge snuggled closer, much to Knuckles' dismay.
"You know me well. I didn't think you'd have an answer."
Knuckles groaned as the bat continued to stay close. Nighttime was starting to roll around, and while Rouge lived in a pretty good neighborhood, there was no way of knowing what was going to happen.
"Stop shaking," he said, "You'll be alright."
Knuckles gave Rouge's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Do you always feel this way when going home?"
Rouge calmed down, a little exhale leaving her lips.
"I've had enough close calls in the past. Luckily, I'm a slippery little treasure hunter. Living here is much better, but I can't help but get anxious."
Rouge's abode was a simple house betraying her high-end lifestyle. A lover of jewels would've lived in a fancier house with at least three stories, but Rouge impressed Knuckles with her simplicity.
"Thank you for escorting me home, Knuckie. You're such a sweetheart," the bat hugged her prize from the open house, "I had so much fun today."
"Yeah, you're welcome. I had fun too all things considering."
"You need to loosen up every once in a while, Knuckie. Have some fun. Life moves too fast."
"Kind of hard when my job includes exploring ancient ruins full of traps and hazards, but enough stalling; you have some explaining to do."
"I suppose I do, don't I? However," she tapped his nose, "I also said you needed to guess, and if you're right, I'd keep my promise, but if you're wrong, you have to fulfill one wish."
Knuckles didn't back down. His curiosity wouldn't allow him.
"Something you like more than jewels. The obvious would be yourself, but I like to think you're more selfless than that. Is it the adventure and the freedom to travel where you want?"
'Ooh, so close, Knuckie.'
"I am indeed a thrill-seeker, and going anywhere I please is a luxury. Unfortunately," she booped his nose again, "I'm afraid that's not the right answer, hon."
"What?" Knuckles was taken aback. He was completely confident in his thinking.
"As much as I love treasure hunting, I've had enough time to sit down and think about other things," she turned her back and hugged the stuffed bat to her chest, "And I learned that jewels can be replaced, not easily, but I'd rather try to replace them than lose any of you guys."
Knuckles was speechless. Taking advantage of his stupor, Rouge turned back to face the echidna and invaded his personal space, where she placed a kiss upon his cheek, a moment to feel his warmth at her lips before the day ended.
"My friends, as cliché as it sounds, are my most precious treasure, but only you can make my heart race like this."
Rouge opened her door and gave the flabbergasted Knuckles one last glance.
"Thank you for the date, Knuckie. I'll enjoy having you as my new tango partner. Bye-bye," she gave him a wink before closing the door.
Knuckles shielded his eyes with his forearm. His mind was a hurricane of thoughts and gave no signs of calming down. He could feel the peck from Rouge's lips tickle his cheek, her intoxicating aroma wafting to his nostrils as the warmth of her body left a ghostly presence.
"What should I do?" he couldn't remember a time he felt so lost.
Well, except for one.
Lifting his head, Knuckles felt his chest tighten as he locked on to a picture frame sitting on his dresser. He nibbled on his bottom lip while his mind and body argued until finally, his legs gained sentience and forced him out of bed and closer to the picture. He was gentle in picking it up, staring forlornly at its content.
"What would you do, Babe?"
In the photo, Knuckles, in a cowboy treasure hunting attire, held hands with a rose pink-furred echidna with peach skin on her muzzle, a black nose, lavender bangs, and deep violet eyes, which also had two medium-length eyelashes on each side. For attire, she wore a black tank top with teal padding on the left side, a golden belt, and large, mechanical-looking teal boots. Her white gloves were mitt-like with the first finger on each separated, and in her free hand, she possessed a double barrel pistol that was pointed upward.
"What should I do, Julie-Su?"
Of course, there was no response.
"Right," Knuckles sighed and set the picture back down, "What was I expecting?"
At the crack of dawn, or what was assumed to be, Knuckles secured a backpack to his person and took a short glide to the Hedgehog residence. Much like the weather, his state of mind mirrored the cloudy canvas of the gray sky. His thoughts were a jumbled mess of indecision and anxiety.
Knuckles took a deep breath to regain his focus. Time was of the essence.
The red archeologist dropped down. He strolled to the front door and gave it a knock. It didn't take long for someone to answer.
"Morning, Knux," Sonic opened the door. "How's it going?"
"I can't complain. I got you and Silver something," he slid the backpack off and set it down. Upon hearing the loud thud, Sonic's eye grew wide.
"The hell? You got bricks in there or something?"
"Weights," Knuckles clarified. "I have about forty pounds in here. These should be enough for you and Silver. You're going to need it."
"Dude," Sonic said with the most unenthusiastic face, "you're not serious."
"Forty pounds is child's play, Sonic."
"You're not serious, Knuckles," Sonic repeated.
"It'll be good for you and Silver. Stamina is important."
"You trust me with weights?" Sonic raised a brow.
"No," the red echidna snorted, "I trust Silver with weights. I trust you to help him."
"Isn't that why you're here?"
"I can't supervise you all the time, and while I'm trying not to make a big deal about it, I do have to stress the importance of weight training. Your morning runs are good for improving endurance, but for a guy like Silver who isn't much of a runner, strength training is the next best thing. I should know. I don't like to run either."
"How dare you?" Sonic frowned. "Running is the best."
"You have an unfair advantage. Your opinion isn't credible."
"Touché. Alright, I'll help him out with his weights, but what about you? Are you going to join us?"
Knuckles lost his smile and turned his head. That was all Sonic needed to see.
"Rouge got you again, didn't she?"
Knuckles growled then took a deep breath. There was no point in getting worked up over it now.
"She's a clever bat, I'll give her that. We made a bet, one I should've paid more attention to, and I lost. Now, she wants to partner up for the tango class."
"Is that right? Are you gonna try and convince her to relieve you?"
"I'm an echidna of my word, Sonic."
"You're not wrong, but still."
"I'll… I'll manage somehow. At least I have you guys."
"All the way," the blue hedgehog gave his buddy a reassuring thumbs-up, "Amy can keep Rouge in line. We'll be stars, Knux."
"I'm not one for the limelight. How is Silver, by the way?"
"He was already up believe it or not."
"I couldn't sleep," the artist in question appeared behind the older hedgehog, "I was thinking about yesterday."
"You're not the only one," replied Knuckles. "Mind if I come on and get some coffee?"
"No problems. Want some pancakes?"
"Are they blueberry?"
"The best kind," Silver chuckled.
Silver and Knuckles went in, but Sonic held back for a second, a serious contemplative expression on his countenance.
'Do we all have girl problems?'
He couldn't help but wonder.
It was a rare morning. Most days, she would snap awake on high alert. Not today. She awoke feeling light and refreshed. Usually, her mind would be cluttered, but on this rare morning, she was unchained.
She felt free.
Blaze stretched her arms up toward the ceiling and threw the covers off. She didn't care what time it was, but she reminded herself not to grow accustomed to the feeling of freedom.
Soon, she would have to prepare herself for the days ahead. A new challenge presented itself, and as she looked around her room, memories of yesterday flooded her mind.
With a kick in her step, Blaze went about her daily rituals until she noticed a phenomenon in the mirror and took a thorough examination of her expression.
"I'm smiling," she pointed out, rubbing a hand along her cheek. Again, her focus shifted to the centerpiece hanging on her wall, the newest addition to her accolades that enlarged the smile to a greater form.
"I'm smiling," she said again, quieter, softer.
Silence.
"How long have I been smiling?"
She was so used to waking up on high alert that she failed to notice the soreness in her cheeks from smiling so much. It pointed back to the lovely picture sitting in the middle of her accolade wall.
Blaze finished observing her expression and went to the highlight of yesterday's endeavors. A large painting that presented her in a dancer's trance hung on her wall. Last night, she could not tear her eyes away from the composition until drowsiness took over. Even now, the dancing feline could not fathom the level of beauty exerted by the artwork.
"It's… amazing."
She reached up and briefly removed the picture from the wall.
"You are so talented, Silver," she put it back, "Maybe this will be fun after all."
'Fun.' She let the word rattle in her cranium. It was a word she rarely used anymore.
When was the last time she had fun? At Twinkle Park? She did have fun wooing the crowd, but that was to be expected. She knew her elegance would make the crowd go wild. Her last award? No, that was a couple of months ago, and much like the Twinkle Park showcase, she knew the crowd wouldn't be able to resist her moves.
When was the last time she felt like a Mobian instead of an automaton? When did it happen, if ever?
'Yesterday,' she decided, was the answer. Yesterday was the last time she ever felt so alive, to be able to walk amongst the people without anyone causing a fuss about her identity. Strangely, it was the first time she let herself be spoiled by a new fan. Yet again, everything came back to the magnificent painting given to her by Silver.
Silver, a name that rattled in the feline's subconscious. He was an enigma to her as she was to him. Blaze read what she could from his actions, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. She learned that both share a genuine passion for art with his ambitions towards the craft outshining hers.
Silver was remarkably kind, definitely more well-mannered than a lot of people Blaze had to deal with, and benign in his approaches. He was so easy to converse with that Blaze lost track of time at moments, wanting to pick his brain more and more, and loving hers being stimulated the entire time.
However, there was something about him that Blaze couldn't put her finger on.
What was so dangerous about Silver?
As much as she loathed the angry beast inside, there had to be a quality about Silver for him to be deemed menacing. The thought made Blaze giggle, another gesture she only did until yesterday.
"Don't you want to learn more about him and his friends?" Vanilla's words came back to haunt her.
'You slippery hare.' Blaze finally found the fuel to stop smiling.
"Don't turn back now, Blaze. You presented the offer. It's too late to take it back. Stay on track," she patted her cheeks, followed by taking a deep breath.
"You're looking like a shot fox," greeted a rested Marine, "I haven't seen you this happy in a while."
"I guess yesterday did have its benefits, but don't get used to this," Blaze replied, her smile returning. "This will not be an everyday occurrence."
"That's boring. I like this happier you. You're less serious."
"I wouldn't be me if I weren't somber though, so enjoy my smile while you can. It may be a while before you see it again."
Marine chuckled, already aware of the cause of her friend's recent euphoria. She wanted to poke fun at the feline, but it truly has been a while since she smiled so genuinely.
"Let me get a picture then," she ran to retrieve her phone and then nuzzled close to her best friend for a selfie. "Wow, you even posed. What is the world coming to?"
"Don't make me start charging you," Blaze threatened.
Marine was floored. "You'd charge your best friend?"
"Yes," there was no hint of mercy in Blaze's tone, "Now if you will excuse me, I have papers to fill out. I'm going to visit Cream and Miss Vanilla so they give me a hand. You're welcome to join me if you like."
"As much as I like hanging out with Cream and her mum, I don't want to talk about dresses. I'm good."
"Suit yourself," Blaze donned her disguise as Barbara, "I'll check back in with you later," she left their abode while Marine went to fulfill her morning rituals.
"Oh, I know Silver-mate will love this," the raccoon sent the selfie to the painter in question and awaited his response.
Outside, Blaze had paused to make note of the weather. The cloudy skies should've resonated with her, but her swelling heart deterred any negativity that could invade her subconscious. She could not even hear the growls of the beast inside, its insidious grumbles blocked out by the visage of a new day.
"Marine's right. I haven't been this happy in forever," she said. "I'm not thanking Vanilla for this."
Blaze couldn't allow the womanly hare to see her radiant smile. She would never hear the end of it.
"I'll stop smiling by the time I get there," she was positive.
She was positive but oh so wrong in her claim. The entire train ride to the appropriate station was spent with Blaze gazing out the window, her lips still curved upwards. Even after getting off the train and walking through the grassy wonderland that led through the residential district, Blaze was full of smiles.
'Why am I still smiling?!'
When she arrived at Vanilla's homey abode, she saw the motherly hare tending to laundry.
"Good morning, Blaze," she greeted in her usual sweet tone. "How are you today?"
"Good morning, Vanilla. I'm sorry for stopping by unannounced.
"It's alright, dear. You're always free to visit. Did you sign up for your classes?
"I was hoping you had some of the documents. I failed to grab some before leaving yesterday."
"Hmm, that's not like you," Vanilla stared inquisitively, "Did you have fun yesterday?"
'More than you think.'
"Yes, I had a good time. It was nice not being hounded by adoring fans. How do you do it, Vanilla?"
"Blaze," a tiny giggle escaped the hare's lips, "I may be sweet, but I know how to keep the masses away. The allure of a woman can be frightening as well as inviting."
A surprising snort came from Blaze.
"Is that right? And here I thought you were acting coy."
It was Vanilla's turn to laugh.
"I've got it going on as Vector once put it."
The hare turned to see the usually stoic Blaze nearly doubled over in laughter.
"No, he didn't say that, did he?"
"It's true. I was so flustered. Then, one day, I was looking at my reflection in the mirror," the hare began to blush, "and Cream found me posing. I was so embarrassed."
Her words baffled Blaze.
"I suppose even you have your moments, Vanilla."
"I can say the same about you. I haven't heard you laugh this hard in forever. You certainly had a great time yesterday."
Blaze caught herself and averted her gaze. Rosy tints stained her cheeks as she reprimanded herself for being so careless.
"You," she paused, "You can say that."
"Why are you ashamed? There's no harm in having fun every once in a while. Come on, don't keep me in suspense now."
Blaze mewled. "Well, I made some new acquaintances."
"Oh? You started hanging out with Silver and his friends," Vanilla deduced.
"We bumped into each other again at the auditorium and he introduced me to his friends. He's a shy one."
"That he is. He's good company though. The only person you have to be wary of is Rouge. She's a little sneaky."
"Sounds troubling," to which Vanilla snickered.
"That's one way of putting it. She has a good heart though, but as I said, keep your wits about her."
"Noted."
Vanilla invited Blaze inside and led her to the kitchen, where at the dinner table sat another young hare.
"Good morning, Miss Blaze," the young lady greeted.
"Good morning, Cream. How are you?"
"I'm doing great. I didn't see you yesterday at the open house."
"I'm sorry. I was busy keeping Marine entertained, and then I happened upon an… interesting group of individuals."
"Aww, that's great, Miss Blaze. I'm glad you're making new friends. Will you introduce me to them?"
"You should already know them. I met Silver and Tails and their whole circle."
"Mr. Silver and Tails? Amy didn't tell me they were there too."
"They seem like nice people."
"They're wonderful friends, Miss Blaze. You'll love them."
'Everyone is saying the same thing so far.'
The morning continued with Vanilla assisting Blaze with her application. When going through the list of options, part of her loathed her hesitation. Blaze accepted her decision, but aversions remained as she, one last time, contemplated her resolution.
"Are you alright, dear?" Vanilla placed a hand atop Blaze's shoulder.
"I'm… I've decided to try it, but part of me doesn't want to still."
"Don't force yourself," the older hare advised, "Only participate if you truly want to."
'It's already too late. I've laid down the offer.'
"It'll be fine. At least, I won't be alone in the endeavor," Blaze responded.
"Are you taking new classes?" asked Cream.
"She's partnering up this year," her mother answered instead, to which Cream's eyes began to sparkle.
"Really? That's amazing, Miss Blaze."
"It wasn't my intentions at first," Blaze tried not to sneer.
"Blaze wanted to try something new this year," Vanilla surmised, "Silver ignited a little spark with one of his paintings."
Cream pouted. "You saw Mr. Silver's gallery? How come Amy didn't tell me anything? I'm going to call her."
With Blaze and Vanilla alone, the beautiful hare started humming while under the ire glare of the feline.
"What's wrong, dear?"
"… I know what you're thinking, and I am in no mood for it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie," Vanilla tilted her head slightly, "I was just thinking how nice it is you made new friends."
"Mhmm, sure, and Miss Daisy didn't just so happen to give me a similar explanation about finding the right partner."
"Are you saying a painter like Silver wouldn't make for a good dance partner?"
"It's too early to confirm, by I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I offered a partnership to Silver."
Blaze wasn't wrong. Vanilla was ecstatic.
"That's wonderful. What did he say?"
"He would wait until the three-day trial period is over before giving me an answer. I'm fine with that. This way, he has enough time to thoroughly consider my proposal."
"As long you two can get along, I'm sure everything will be fine."
Blaze paused.
"What makes you so confident?" she inquired of the rabbit. "Our shared love for art aside, working together is an entirely different proposition. Not everyone can make a good team. Ideals will collide, and I will not lower myself to keep the pace."
"You don't have to do anything," said Vanilla, taking a seat across from Blaze. "All I want you to do is have a good time. There is more to my insistent behavior."
Blaze kept silent, waiting for Vanilla to add something else.
"You're having issues with your pyrokinesis, aren't you?"
Immediately, Blaze's pupils thinned to predatory levels. Nevertheless, Vanilla stayed calm. She had nothing to fear from the feline.
"Everything is fine," she growled.
"You're lying," Vanilla shook her head, "I noticed before you left my office yesterday."
Silence fell over the ladies until Vanilla, once again, broke it.
"How long has this been going on?"
Blaze didn't respond immediately. She had to think back.
"A week," she said softly, "It started a couple of days before our Twinkle Park showcase. It was calm for a bit, but two days before the open house, I started having those dreams again."
"And yesterday?"
Blaze drew her claws, her once good mood replaced with ire.
"It spoke to me, telling me to attack," she paused, "Silver."
At this, Vanilla was taken aback.
"Why?"
The feline shrugged, "It called him dangerous, called me out for not seeing it, but I'm sure it's just saying that to rile me up."
Unfortunately, Vanilla did not see it the same way. She knew what Blaze's inner demon meant.
"Psychological warfare," she responded, "Is it vying for control?"
Blaze let a huge sigh and shook her head.
"I'm… unsure. To me, it just wants my attention. It's getting restless, but it wouldn't spout such nonsense without a reason," Blaze hung her head, "It has to be a lie. I would've known if there was something about Silver. He was nothing but nice, and I can tell he has a kind soul."
'You're not wrong, except he's good at suppressing his abilities.' Vanilla contemplated her next words. 'I can't. It's not my place.'
"I think you should take it easy for the time being," she advised, "Silver isn't the only one with a lot to think about, but no matter what happens, I hope you'll still try to work with him."
Vanilla rose from her seat and circled the table. Gently, she enveloped the feline in a warm embrace.
"If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know. I'm always willing to lend an ear."
Blaze closed her eyes and relaxed. She tried to relax, but a certain realization sprouted in her subconscious.
'He's going to get burned.'
