Don't get used to the quick updates. After this one there's gonna be a delay... But anyway, I do believe Silvaze fans will like this chapter.

Chapter 4: Just a Friend

It had started out as such a great day. In fact, it was going to be the day. Silver had been so close. He'd spent pretty much all of yesterday practicing, arguing with himself, and working up the nerve to finally tell Blaze how he felt. Their recent battles and close calls had really brought them closer together. But they'd always been close; ever since they'd met the two had been best friends.

Silver had always looked up to Blaze and how she took her duty so seriously. She'd always been so sure of herself, especially when Silver wasn't. He'd always thought he couldn't live without her, and couldn't fathom how he would have made it this far without Blaze. She made him feel safe, like he was doing something right.

Somewhere a long the line he'd developed a crush on her, but her withdrawn and unemotional nature had made him fear rejection, so he'd kept quiet. There was little chance that she liked him back anyway.

But it was becoming harder for him to hold back. So Silver been about as ready as he was going to get to admit his feelings, when suddenly Blaze finds him, looking about as emotional as she ever did. She then desperately told him that someone had stolen the Sol Emeralds, those precious family jewels she had sworn herself to protect.

Silver had immediately gone with her, but by the time they'd arrived, it was too late. Whoever had stolen them had used their power somehow, and there was this big explosion of light, and then Silver had found himself here. Alone.

Yeah, alone was the worst part. He was desperately hoping Blaze had been transported here, too.

The hedgehog kept flying through the air, looking for either her or the Sol Emeralds. Suddenly he saw a burst of flames rushing down below.

Oh, thank goodness, he thought.

"Blaze!" Silver called out as he propelled himself toward the cat.

The flames stopped, and Silver's heart leaped at seeing his friend again.

"Silver!"

He landed next to her, and she hugged him, shocking Silver a little. Blaze wasn't usually all touchy-feely. It was a pleasant shock, though.

"Are you alright?" he asked, flushing a little at her contact.

"Yeah. Where are we?" Blaze asked.

"I have no idea," Silver said.

Blaze nodded. She was relieved to see Silver had made it here, too.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked.

"We have to find the Sol Emeralds," she said, and then she remembered. "Oh, Silver, look what I found," she said, and pulled out the Emerald she had found. That blue hedgehog had called it a Chaos Emerald. Strange.

"Whoa. That's not a Sol Emerald, though is it?"

Blaze looked down. "It's not, though it certainly looks valuable."

Silver nodded. "Well, you ready to move on?"

She considered telling him about the hedgehogs, but decided against it. They weren't likely to meet again, anyway. "Let's go."

The 2 best friends continued throughout the forest, their hazel eyes searching for clues.

Blaze was glad to finally have Silver back at her side. It was a familiar, welcome feeling. Silver kept her from being too serious. He'd also been one of the only people who accepted her for who she was: quiet, reserved, withdrawn. She'd always wanted to tell him how much he meant to her, and that she considered him more than a friend. But well, she was a little afraid of what that would do to their friendship she treasured so much. Besides, she'd never been one to speak her mind anyway.

Part of that was just her personality, but part of it was tied to her blessing, her curse: the flames she had been born with. As the last remaining member of the royal line (who'd only survived because of her flames) the duty fell to her to protect the Sol Emeralds. At first, she'd thought they were merely family jewels, but she'd eventually realized they had amazing power. Silver himself had helped her figure that out.

Yes, it had been Silver that had made her come out of her shell created by the bitterness of losing her family and being teased about her pyrokinesis.

Knowing that the Sol Emeralds had enough power to destroy the world had just made Blaze take her duty more seriously. After all, on his dying breath, her father had begged her to protect the Sol Emeralds. So she did.

Until now. How had she been so careless?

"Blaze?"

The cat broke from her thoughts. "Yes Silver?"

"Don't blame yourself for this. We'll get them back."

She smiled. He was so naïve. Yet he knew her so well.

"Yes. Yes, we will."

*******

So did I nail Silver and Blaze alright? I did take some poetic license with the plot, but you kinda have to with the ambiguous ending in Sonic 06 and… stuff. So yeah, I kinda went for a more Sonic Rush feel. I hope that's okay to you all. Please tell me what you think about how I portrayed Silvaze...