She wished time moved slower so she could enjoy the peace a little while longer. It was already time to fall back into her routine, far too short to let her mind process the turn of events. Now, she performed her daily rituals with the mindset of going into battle.

"It's not fair," she mumbled under her breath. When was the last time she felt like a child complaining about school? Never. She couldn't remember a time she didn't want to study her passion. In truth, she wanted to hang out with her new friends some more, but Blaze knew that once she set foot on campus, it was all business. There would hardly be any time for idle chitchat and friendly banter. The school was a place of learning and discovery. Everyone's focus should be on their improvement.

"I no longer know what to expect," she performed some light stretches. After the rollercoaster of emotion the past week forced her to endure, Blaze was uncertain about the future. Her new friends would be there this time. Her new potential partner would be participating in his new lifestyle. Blaze hoped they would stick around.

The purple cat failed to determine what forces were at play when she went to Emerald Coast with Cream and Marine. No matter how intensely she pondered the days, everything fell in line too smoothly. It was as if the universe was in collective harmony. She conveyed her thanks for letting her experience a perfect day. There were no worries, no strife, no demons, and no powers going out of control; it was just her and her new friends happily enjoying themselves.

However, she couldn't help but wonder. 'How long do I have to get everything under control?'

She tried her hardest to hide the issue, but something was slipping. She could feel the beast vying for control, resulting in a tug on her psyche that left her distracted. It refused to let her enjoy this happiness a second longer.

Blaze grew worried. She didn't know why her curse was worsening and blamed it on recent events.

"Deep breaths, Blaze," she advised herself. "Don't let it rile you up. That's exactly what it wants."

Long ago, Blaze garnered an understanding of the monster inside. It did everything to draw her in because she was the only one capable of dealing with it.

"Okay, I can do this. You've been doing this for years. You're not stepping down from the throne any time soon."

The feline gathered her thoughts, put on her disguise, and made her way to the battlefield. Mornings were always the worst for new people, and Barbara wanted to beat the crowd and get her master plan underway.


A sense of déjà vu washed over the brothers of Sonic and Silver as they waited for their friends. While it wasn't as bustling as the open house, the sea of Mobians and Overlanders was nerve-wracking.

"It hasn't changed a bit," Sonic whistled.

"No mosh pit full of fangirls though," Silver watched his brother shudder.

"Thank Mobius, but if all the teachers are famous muscians, I'm not out of the woods yet. The horde can appear again."

"At least you have your guitar. I'm amazed you managed to find it."

"Right," Sonic chuckled and caressed his instrument, "It took forever digging through my closet to find this thing, but man, let me tell ya, it feels great having it in my hands again."

Slowly, their friends began to arrive. First was Amy, who was the most eager to get the show underway. She bounded over to the brothers, beaming with a bright smile on her pretty face.

"Morning, guys. You ready for this?" she inquired.

"Ready as ever," was Sonic's response.

"As I'll ever be," replied Silver.

Next was Tails, who mirrored Silver's anxiety. His pace was slower, reflecting his uneasiness on the matter.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one nervous for today."

Rouge showed up a little after, as cool as a cucumber.

"Ready to take the world by storm, guys?"

"I don't see Knuckles anywhere," Tails looked around. "You think he'll make it?"

"He'll show," Rouge put her hands behind her back. "I believe in Knuckie."

True to her word, Knuckles mingled through the crowd and made his way to the group. There was heaviness in his steps but his face was noticeably more relaxed than before.

"I'm here," his tone, however, still held his reluctance. "How's everybody else?"

"I could hardly sleep last night," Silver spoke up.

"That's because you spent a good bit of the night painting. I heard you," Sonic shook his shoulder gently. "What masterpiece did you come up with this time?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," Silver pressed a finger to his lips. "I'm taking notes on everything I see."

"I can't wait to see what you come up with," a beaming Vanilla and Cream greeted the group. "I'm so glad you all decided to attend."

"What are you taking, Cream?" Amy hugged the young rabbit.

"Choir, it's my third year."

"You all better get going. It's bad luck to start the first day late," Vanilla pointed out. "Do you know where to go?"

"Studied the campus yesterday," Sonic answered.

"We'll be in your care, Vanilla," Rouge said. "Knuckie and I will be the best duo you've ever had."

Vanilla saw Knuckles scratch the back of his head but didn't shy away from the flirtatious bat like he normally would. Already, she was gauging their dynamic.

"Oh really? I hope you guys don't think it'll be an easy course. I'll make sure you get a proper feel. As for the rest of you, please enjoy your day," Vanilla blinded the masses with her radiant smile, "Don't be a stranger."

Vanilla's glow faded as she left to assume her role as instructor. Her daughter bid everyone farewell as they, too, slowly departed. Sonic and Tails went one way, Amy followed Knuckles and Rouge another way, and poor Silver was left to venture alone.

'Here we go, Silver. It's time to get this show on the road.'

A new frontier was waiting for him to take the first step, but signals were blaring in his head. He didn't know the first thing about dancing, and the overwhelming presence of the prestigious school loomed over him like a vulture.

'It wasn't this intimidating during the open house.'

Silver continued walking. He tried to spot any familiar faces, but like him, new people were struggling with the same mentality. Did they have the promise to meet the school's demands, or would they find themselves thrust against the wall throughout the journey? It was a question that followed Silver to his destination, where two large, wooden double-doors greeted him. They were massive compared to the other studio doors he recalled seeing, and based on the color and texture of the wood, he deduced the entrances to be made of mahogany, the same material his easel was made of.

'Alright, I already like this person's choice of wood. Mahogany's very sturdy and versatile. Why are the doors so big though?'

Upon entering, he caught the attention of several other students. No one bothered to talk to him as they were more focused on getting through the first day.

Silver chose to stay to himself and get his mental state under control. The feng shui of the room served as a relaxant for the painter. It reminded him of the main hall seen in a castle, complete with a red carpet that stretched to a small platform with a large chair on it.

'Minus the carpet and chair, this room reminds me of mine. Everything is so symmetrical. It's nice.'

He wished one familiar face was present to take the load off him. Even staring at his reflection made Silver nervous.

'I wish Blaze was here. Someone I could talk to. I wonder where she is.'

Any thoughts on the beautiful feline ceased upon hearing loud, thunderous footsteps ravage the land. Growing louder as they drew near, Silver swallowed the lump in his throat and prepared himself for what was to come.

'Have mercy on my soul, Chaos.'

The large double doors swung open, revealing a huge, burly, green-shelled tortoise with spikes, horns, and hair. His bushy eyebrows and mane were, fittingly, a bright, fiery red-orange and his bright red eyes commanded something fierce. He sported two small horns, many spikes on his shell with brown-orange spike-rings, as well as along his tail (minus the spike-rings). He wore several spiked collars around his neck and arms and possessed three claws on each of his massive padded feet and four claw-tipped fingers including a thumb on each hand. His arms were noticeably brawny, indicating his vast physical strength. While his face and his shell are green, his plastron and muzzle were tan and his tail and limbs were an orange-tinged yellow.

'He's huge!' Silver's mouth dropped at the sheer size of the tortoise who marched into the studio. His initial thoughts were correct, but the teacher was larger than he imagined. He didn't think anyone could outdo Knuckles in the muscle department, but the walking tortoise gave the crimson echidna a run for his rings.

"Alright, maggots, listen up!" their voice boomed, capable of shaking the ground with ease. "We have a lot to discuss and little time to get it done. Here's the pecking order! It goes you, the floor, the instructors, the headmaster, then me. Any questions?"

No one raised their hand, to which the monster nodded and folded his massive arms beneath his chest.

"Excellent. Then, we may begin. Front and center!"

In seconds, the whole studio was lined up like a platoon.

'You lied to me, Blaze! I thought he was supposed to be a teddy bear!'

The beast, about to roar, paused his speech to give the intercom the floor.

"Greetings, everyone! My name is Julian Ivo Robotnik, your wonderful headmaster. I would like to welcome all our new students to our fine academy. You have taken your first steps to obtain world domination. Soon, the world will tremble before your superior skills. Even if you lack those skills now, we here at Julianard will temper your metals until masters are forged. Be warned though, your smithing will be rigorous, but your lusters will be dazzling. My instructors are my generals, and I have every faith that they will forge master soldiers. I can't wait to see how my army fairs. Ta-ta for now! Ho ho ho!"

It was eerily quiet after the announcement.

"Finally," the monstrous tortoise growled. He faced the students. "Alright! Before I was rudely interrupted, let me introduce myself. The name's Bowser, Bowser King Koopa, and as the egghead said, you're all part of my platoon."

'How come I don't like the sound of that?'

"Now, here's a few things you need to know about members of my squad," Bowser began pacing back and forth with his arms behind his back like a drill sergeant. "They all need to be made of tough stuff. I don't tolerate weakness, I don't tolerate failure, and I don't tolerate incompetence. As long as you work on mitigating these three things, we won't have any problems. Any questions?"

Again, no one raised their hands.

"I see discipline won't be a problem. That'll save us some time," he turned his back, "But I need to hear you maggots sing. You!" Bowser spun and pointed a large finger at a profusely sweating Silver.

'NOO! Why me?!'

"What's your name, maggot?" Bowser interrogated.

"S-Silver the Hedgehog, sir!" the painter squeaked, straightening his posture.

"Silver, huh. Why are you here, soldier? Share your story with your new brothers and sisters."

'Is this how he weeds out the competition?'

"I-I'm here to improve my artistic endeavors, sir!"

At this, Bowser eyed Silver more curiously.

"Art? You draw?"

"Paint, sir," Silver corrected, "I'm a painter."

'And a decent one at that.'

"And what does a painter hope to achieve by dancing?"

"I plan to climb out of the rut and rediscover the passion my block is keeping chained, sir!"

Bowser mulled over the response.

"I see," he nodded. "So, you seek self-discovery and expansion. That's noble. I can work with that. You can stay."

Silver breathed slowly but remained vigilant. The instant he showed vulnerability, he felt the instructor would capitalize on it.

"As you heard, I will be getting to the bottom of why you're here," Bowser resumed pacing. "Let me make this clear. I do not have time for those with petty thinking. You're here at the best school in the world, and I'm gonna make sure you're worth our time. If I find your reasoning detestable, I will personally escort you out the door."

Bowser's grin grew so large it threatened to split his face. He fixed his gaze upon every soul in the studio and relished in making them squirm.

"If you believe this is too much, get out of my sight."

No one budged from their position. After all the peptalk from his friends, Silver refused to back down. He promised to see it through.

"No takers? Then we can begin. Don't disappoint me, or else," Bowser breathed in and then out, belching a wave of fire from his mouth at the fire-resistant floor. His squad was speechless.

"I'll give everyone a point for not letting cowardice control you; however," Bowser began steepling his fingers like a villain, "you have three days to decide if you're strong enough to handle this because there will be no mercy. Now then," with his back to them, Bowser turned his head, "Let's see how many lives I have left by the final level."


When Amy stepped into the studio, the first thing she noticed was the populace being all females and being stupefied by the décor. It was like stepping into a ballroom with the main focus being the beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the elegant ballerina pirouetting before the audience. Atop her circular platform, the Overlander's perfect form sparkled under the spotlight. She had a lovely, soft, oval face and large eyes with blue irises framed by six lashes, and thin, dark blonde eyebrows. Her golden-blonde hair, done in a ponytail held by a blue scrunchie, reached her waist in length with two sideburns and a heart-shaped bang covering her forehead. She also wore a pair of sapphire earrings and donned a smile with peach-colored lipstick.

'She's gorgeous!' Amy was mystified. She watched the young woman leap into the air with the grace of a swan. Her moves were nothing short of elegant, reminiscent of a princess entertaining her guests. As she captivated her audience, the woman's focus never wavered. The stage was her domain and she ruled it with beauty and grace. Amy wanted to see her and Vanilla smile, betting it would create a light so blinding, it could burn corneas.

The blonde ballerina performed one last leap and posed with her legs crossed, hands laced behind her back, and modest chest puffed out.

Thunderous applause greeted the blonde as she took a bow.

"Welcome to my kingdom, everyone," she had a sweet voice. "My name is Peach, and I will be your ballet teacher. I hope we can all get along well."

'I'm loving this already.' Amy beamed.


Holding his guitar again filled an empty void in his heart. It was like a piece of him finally returned to its appropriate place after years of wandering. His stance was shaky, but he anticipated this. He chose to devote himself to the craft again, and this time, he promised himself to never abandon the art.

Without a word spoken, Sonic could already tell the teacher had a zealousness for the guitar. The way he grinned as he and his clones performed spoke volumes. Sonic was convinced the teacher cloned himself, seeing as they all looked exactly alike minus a few characteristics.

The guitar player was a young male Overlander with short, spiky chestnut-brown hair and cool emerald-green eyes. All his clones had the same face, colored eyes, and wore an identical dark blue suit, resembling a jazz band. The only difference immediately apparent was the way they styled their hair.

"This is how legends are made!"

The vocalist sounded amazing, his melodious voice keeping everyone trained on him and his band. He possessed similar features to the guitar player. The only difference was his hair being longer, with a medium length that framed the side of his face, which was gentler.

The keyboardist acted as a backup singer. He was the only one wearing glasses and maintained a calm countenance. His flow on the instrument was masterful, and his harmony with the drummist was incredible to behold.

'Man, Sonia and Manic could learn a thing or two from these guys.'

Leading the group, the drummer brought everyone together without needing his eyes to see his instrument. He was the most focused, only interested in the music and not anything else. The expert way he tapped on his drums was evident in how hard he practiced.

'Yeah, Manic and Sonia ain't got nothing on them.'

Overall, Sonic couldn't be more excited to get his skills back.

Tails, on the other hand, felt his heart sink. He was stunned by the performance. The harmony of the band, every member working together, was perfect.

"This is how legends are made!" the song came to an end, and the room broke out in roaring applause.

"Welcome to my symphony, my fellow rockers!" the guitarist stated. "Special thanks to my brothers for the great session. My name's Kaoru Shinichi, and I'll be your conductor for this orchestra."


The difference in expression between Knuckles and Rouge was like night and day. Knuckles wanted to be anywhere else while Rouge's ears flapped with excitement.

'Chaos, please get me through this.'

Knuckles took a couple of deep breaths. He wasn't the only one having issues, but while the other amateurs were nervous to try out. Knuckles just didn't want to be here. However, he had to live up to his word.

He turned to Rouge, who was busy admiring the instructors, Vector and Vanilla. Once again, they amazed the crowd with their skills, gliding across the floor in an intimate and sensual embrace. The partners were like a real-life couple in a youthful flame.

"They're really good," Knuckles commented.

"Aren't they?" Rouge imagined herself and Knuckles in a similar position, where their bodies were pressed together and their faces were inches apart so that at any moment, a kiss could be stolen. She imaged the instructors felt the same because there was no mistaking the passion between the two. Vanilla's beautiful soul burned as she forwent her formalities and openly embraced the intimacy her partner offered.

'That's how I want us to be.'

Vanilla let herself be swallowed by her heart's desire. Her soft hands held the sides of Vector's face, her left leg wrapped around the crocodile's hip, and her forehead touching his as they spun around.

The couple separated to arm's length and held hands. Then, the distance closed yet again, their dance of intimacy ending with Vanilla safely jumping into Vector's hold, his hand on her back and leg akin to a princess hold. Her hands landed on his chest and upper back, faces so close they could kiss at any second, but they left the crowd disappointed and craving for more.

They basked in the applause.

"Welcome to the rhythm of our hearts, everyone," Vanilla spoke up. "My name is Vanilla, and my partner here is Vector," the reptile, noticeably pinker, bowed to the masses, "We'll be your teachers for this course."


New emotions surfaced inside Blaze's chest that left her contemplating recent life choices. She was worried for her new friends, a painter in particular, and wondered how they were fairing. Of course, the real practice didn't start until later in the week. There was still time to finalize their decision.

As for her, she was a planner and a stickler for organization. Because of this, she spent the majority of the morning getting everything situated. More specifically, she spent time getting her heart under control.

'Why is this so difficult? I made sure I was happy with my partner. Why am I so hesitant?'

Blaze sighed and leaned back on the wooden bench she occupied. Her mind was made up, but her heart wasn't in it.

'I'm so used to dancing alone my pride won't accept anything else. You can't think like that, Blaze.'

If she knew her mental state would be a roller coaster of emotions, she wouldn't have danced at Twinkle Park.

'It all started with you. Now, I don't know what to think.'

She was lost. For every question, more arose to jumble her mind. Instead of answers, she came up with more inquiries.

What was so dangerous about Silver?

What was that mysterious force she sensed during the open house?

How would a partnership with Silver work out?

Why have things been quiet between her and the monster within?

The last question stumped her the most. Its activity worried the feline more than it should. On one hand, its quietness was refreshing and allowed her to get her thoughts in order. However, Blaze had no idea what the beast was thinking or how to get a grip on the situation. Part of her continued to believe it was all just a means to rile her up as the burden of fire was a chaotic one. So far, the dancing cat had no problems with her flames. They obeyed her; however, there have been small moments when the element refused to cooperate. Every so often, Blaze would test her curse to monitor its progress. Alone, her curse would surface, but around certain people, it retreated to the far reaches of Blaze's soul and awaited her orders.

'What am I missing? Why are there so many strange happenings occurring around me?'

Was it taunting her? Did it feel the same way the monster inside did? She had no way of knowing. 'Tonight, I have to try it again. The sooner I get this behind me the better.'

Blaze rose from the bench and did a few stretches, but her mood suddenly soured.

'Well, speak of the devil.' A frown obscured her pretty features. 'I was wondering when you'd rear your face again.'

Blaze checked the time and hissed. Twenty minutes barely passed since the first set of classes went underway.

'It's too early. I have to wait until tonight. No matter.'

The feline made her way to the opposite side of campus. In truth, the school was divided into multiple buildings, but with the way they came together, it appeared as one giant establishment. There was always a soul walking about, but Blaze, or in this case, Barbara, was too quiet for anyone to notice.

'Your timing is horrendous as always.' Blaze kept an eye out for anyone and occupied another bench closer to the building her potential partner's first class was being held. 'I do not have time to deal with you now.'

The beast growled louder this time.

"He's near."

'He? Silver?'

"Burn him. Reduce him to ashes."

'What are you saying? Why do you hate Silver so much? He's done nothing!'

"He's dangerous."

'How? How is Silver dangerous?'

The beast growled, giving no answer, and leaving Blaze a pondering mess as she endeavored to figure out why the beast had a grudge against the pale furred painter. Why did it regard Silver so callously? To her, Silver was a kind soul. There was nothing about him that alerted Blaze to any evil intentions. She believed there wasn't an evil bone in his body. It was practically impossible to consider the hedgehog to be a dangerous being, but Blaze's monster was convinced of this notion.

"It doesn't make sense!" she hissed. "What am I not seeing?"

She covered her face and breathed deeply.

'Okay, take it from the top. What do you know about Silver? He's an excellent painter with a heart of gold. He's sweet to his friends but seems a little naïve and too optimistic. Nothing out of the ordinary, but then what makes it fearful? A strange power maybe? It's not uncommon for Mobians and Overlanders to have powers. Is that it?'

Her mind was slowly starting to calm down.

'Yes, that's plausible. Pyrokinesis is a thing. I've yet to find another soul with the same power. Mr. Bowser breathes fire, so I guess that counts, but that's more so his unique biology. Now, what if Silver had some strong ability that the monster detects? That would explain why it's so weary. However, I can't sense anything.'

Blaze thought harder, her mind going into overdrive, recalling back to any time in the past week that struck her interest.

'That mysterious force!' she gasped. 'That weird sensation I felt. Could it be… no, wait a second. There's no way of knowing if Silver was behind that or not. However, we did cross paths immediately after it disappeared. That's too much of a coincidence, the fact he just so happened to show up when I lost the trail. It's not impossible.'

Then she recalled what Gadget said when asked about it.

"Maybe they ran away to keep it a secret?"

'Yes. Yes, I may be onto something! Let's say Silver does have a hidden power. That would explain the sudden sensation I felt at our open house. He doesn't want people to know. That's why it disappeared when I got too close. I almost stumbled upon it.'

It wasn't a guarantee. Blaze wanted something more concrete, but she took whatever progress she could manage and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, two of the biggest inquiries had a plausible answer.

'Silver is capable of something that terrifies the monster. That's the only reason I can think of, but how can I know for certain? If it's too personal, I doubt he would tell me unless he really trusted me with the information. The only people privy to it would be his closest circle, and they'd never tell me. Does Vanilla know? Then again, is it even my place to know?'

Blaze studied her hands and conjured a ball of fire.

'Are we both suffering?'

She fizzled her flames and contemplated her next move.

'It's okay though. I'm slowly starting to unravel this mystery. The more we interact, the more we learn about each other.' her mood soured again. 'What if he learns about my pyrokinesis?'

Only time would tell. At the moment, Blaze was unsure. She was so deep into her thoughts that she spent the remaining class time contemplating and not even the bell's chime could rouse her from her musings. Eventually, Silver exited the building and spotted the feline. He called out to her, but his words didn't get through.

"Barbara?" the painter said carefully, remembering the feline's disguise. "How long were you waiting out here?"

Again, no response. Silver tilted his head and reached out to shake her by the shoulder.

"Whoa!" the feline jumped and let out a startled cry, ready to attack with a set of claws. "S-Silver?"

"What's left of him," the pale hedgehog clenched his chest from the fright. "You okay? You almost gave me a heart attack."

Realizing she was caught off guard, Blaze straightened her outfit and regained her bearings.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something," she mentally reprimanded herself for being so careless.

'I'm the one who almost had a heart attack.'

"Seems like it. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," Silver scratched the back of his quills.

'The glasses really suit her. She's beautiful. Gah! No, Silver. Now is not the time!'

"No, no, it's okay. Actually, I was wondering how you guys were fairing. I wanted to see everybody earlier, but on the first day, I wanted to beat the crowd and finish some last minute preparations. How did it go?"

Silver put his hands together and let out a heavy breath.

"Barbara, we're friends now, so, I'm going to be honest. Don't you ever lie to me like that again."

As if slapped by the hedgehog, Blaze appeared flabbergasted. Any response she had froze in her head, unable to comprehend the painter's blunt response.

"I'm sorry?" she cocked her head to the side, awaiting Silver's elaboration. Part of her struggled to stay calm and not laugh at the sudden demand. It wasn't often she was taken by surprise, but she found the painter's responses comical.

"Barbara, I recall you saying the instructor who taught contemporary dance was supposed to be a big teddy bear. Is that not what you claimed?"

Blaze blinked once. "I said he was a big softy, yes, but I also said he was strict."

"Okay, now, when I imagine a big ol' softy, I think of someone who's nice, gentle, compassionate, and tenderloving. Mr. Bowser was no teddy bear! He was a dragon!"

Blaze blinked once more.

"Mr. Bowser is a softy though."

"He threatened to burn us alive! How is that being soft?"

"Did anyone run?" Blaze inquired.

"Oh, trust me, we wanted to. How could you lie to me like that?"

Blaze couldn't contain herself any longer and exploded with laughter.

"Don't laugh! I had years shaved off my lifespan!"

"I'm sorry," the feline giggled. "You just caught me off guard again."

Silver couldn't stay mad. The magic behind the dancer's radiant smile and cute laugh quelled any negative thoughts he had.

"You're overthinking it though. Since none of you ran away, you're already in his good graces," Blaze patted him on the shoulder. "He comes off as intimidating, but I promise, he's a big teddy bear on the inside. Did he ask about your reason for enrolling?"

"Yeah, he asked the whole studio. He said mine was noble. Others were courageous or understandable."

"No bad eggs? I'm surprised."

"There were only eight of us. It was nice to hear everyone's motivations. I think our favorite was, and I quote, 'I want to show this witch that I can throw it back and crush her beneath my heel.'"

The two shared a laugh.

"There's always that one," Blaze said. "I bet Mr. Bowser was elated."

"He was chortling. His exact response was, 'Yes, that's the kind of motivation I want to see. Absolute domination is the best kind of takeover.' I don't know how to feel about that."

"Don't question it," the feline advised. "You'll be hearing their takeover the world spiel for hours."

"He and the headmaster must get along well then."

"Like two peas in a pod. I can't stay in the same room when they're together. It gets too loud for my liking."

"That bad?"

"You've heard them laugh. Now put them together."

Silver hissed at the thought. He was sure it was worse for someone with a keener sense of hearing like Blaze.

"That sounds horrible," he chuckled. "How was your morning by the way?"

"Aside from the occasional confusion for Blaze, it was peaceful," she ushered the painter to join her in the courtyard, where they sat around the large water fountain and waited for the others to come out.

'I'm one step closer to nirvana. Soon, I'll have this behind me.'