Again, same as my previous rant, I'm not very proud of these latest ones, and will be doing better in the future (hopefully). So be nice...please?

Also! Before you read, I made this one a little weird, and had it so no one knows about Blaze's powers yet. And...another thing...there's not an entire plot line here. It talks about there being a wreckage, and I'm not entirely sure of what. I was thinking maybe their plane had crashed or something and they don't have any materials or anything. I don't really know. Once again, just use your imagination. :)

And thanks for all the lovely compliments. xD I really appreciate it. It lightens the crappy week I've been having.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Characters, Sega does.

Stubborn

The stranded group of friends were all miserable.

The atmosphere was frigid, snow soaking through socks and sneakers hungrily, numbing their skin to a tingling sensation. Rouge, who's outfit had no straps or sleeves, seemed to be faring worst than most. Her shiny glossed lips were no longer puckered, instead turning blue as her tan muzzle paled to the color of her frosted fur.

Surprising everyone, Knuckles had begun to help her, wrapping his furry red arms around her own and literally sweeping her off her heels. His super strength not only could hold impressive amounts of weight, but his endurance was impeccable as well. He carried the shivering bat over the icy terrain without complaint, both counter-parts seeping as much warmth as they could from each others bodies. Her leather wings folded around them both as best she could manage in her limp state.

Sonic was sick. He was continuously sneezing, his bare arms and chest taking the brunt of the nipping frost, paling his skin to an overall cobalt color. Despite his high fever, he kept his confidence as he stumbled over the thick layers of snow, often spouting encouraging words, such as, 'a little farther' or 'not much longer'. His hope never faltered, and if it did, he hid it well.

Amy was playing mother hen. She festered over Sonic, knowing he had a high temperature despite the arctic air around them, and the snowy horizon stretching on for miles in all directions. She pleaded for him to take her jacket, but he had refused to let her go any colder. Finally, they had come to an agreement to share, each with one arm in a single sleeve, the other wrapped around each others back as they zipped up the rosy colored coat and walked in sync.

At first glance, Shadow looked to be unaffected by the cool air and the biting chill winds. His ebony fur was thicker than most, and his white chest fluff proved to be comforting. But upon further inspection, one could catch him stumbling every so often, as well as the quivering in his hands and legs. He was shaking, a scowl clear on his face. He hated the cold, and this time, there was no escaping it.

One stood out of the crowd, not bothered by the frosty winds, nor the tingling numb of bones. Blaze only seemed a little tired from their long trekking, the cold doing little to affect her at all.

No one could figure out why.

She wasn't wearing thick clothing at all. Her body merely adorned her athletic wear, flared yoga pants, pink sneakers, and a long sleeve crop top that showed off her narrow waist. The lining was thin, and in no way able to capture any remnants of warmth that may or may not have lingered in the arctic air, yet even as the growing wind sifted through her lavender fur, she would simply breath it in, and exhale slowly.

"B-blaze. You m-must be f-freezing. W-why don't y-you huddle up w-with S-Shadow or s-something?" Sonic claimed, glancing over at the lone feline with a half lidded gaze. The longer the trek went on, the sicker he got, and all knew that time was not on their side if they were to survive this escapade.

Blaze glanced over at the ebony hedgehog who walked along like her, before quickly looking away. She didn't need anymore awkward tension with him.

"I'm fine Sonic. The cave is just a little farther. I'm thinking about three-fourths of a mile. Once we get there, we'll all warm up and worry about contacting someone to find us," she relayed.

Shadow nodded in agreement, stealing a suspicious glance at the stoic feline. She walked without care in her steps, the cold seemingly not bothering her at all. He himself was playing it out to be nothing, but his foot falls were faltering even in his act, and his hands wouldn't stop shaking no matter how hard he clenched them.

She was hiding something. He was sure of it. And his curiosity about the she-cat only sparked farther.

Knuckles spoke up, his voice strained from the sharp intakes of shrill air, "she's right. We just need to pass over this frozen lake and we'll be fine."

The life-or-death tension lifted just slightly, everyone beginning to see hope in their strides as they pushed onward for survival.

Everyone except Blaze.

Her ear twitched as she registered his words.

Frozen lake...

A sizzle was heard beneath her steps and she halted. Looking down, she realized they had just made it to the edge of the icebound water, and only needed to cross the slippery field to reach the cave that gaped in the side of the high mountain.

'Oh no.' Piecing facts together, she realized she couldn't cross this lake. Not without putting everyone else in danger. Her footsteps would melt the ice within a minute of her presence. 'Just my luck' she grumbled to herself, glaring down at the ice at her feet.

"Blaze...are you coming?"

Turning her gaze up, she realized Shadow had spoken, and caused everyone to stop and look back at her expectantly.

"Um..." Her mind frantically clawed for any excuse she could manage, but her lips moved before registering an idea and she gave a blatant response, "I can't."

Shadow frowned, displeased with her vagueness. "What can't you do?"

Blaze fidgeted, shifting her weight back and forth, "I...I can't walk on the ice."

This caused many looks of confusion to cross on her friends' faces. "What are you talking about Blaze?" Amy asked, desperate to reach the shelter of the cave.

"I can't walk on the ice. You guys will have to go on without me," she spoke softly, glancing down at her feet wearily.

"What? We're not going on without you Blaze. Now come on and lets hurry to that cave!" Sonic prodded, nodding his head toward the other side of the lake.

Blaze shook her head in defiance. "No, you don't get it. I want to make it there, but I can't. If I try to cross the lake, I'll melt it."

Shadow, having suspected something all along, turned around to face her completely, crossing his arms and narrowing crimson eyes at her. "Care to elaborate Princess?"

The she-cat frowned at the nickname, her tail beginning to swish and twitch in anxiousness and irritation behind her. "Look, I didn't tell you guys because...I...I just..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. She hadn't yet told them of her curse from fear of rejection. Wherever she went, no matter what time-line, dimension, or galaxy, everyone feared her fire manipulation. Blaze was never outspoken of her powers ever since her kingdom had banished her in conviction of murder of the king. But it had been a set up. Someone had a lit her father in flames, and she had taken the down-fall of the blame.

Biting her bottom lip, to both refrain, and tempt herself into spewing the information, she finally gave in and told them truthfully. "I'm a pyrokinetic."

The reactions were astounding.

Sonic's jaw dropped towards the floor, jade eyes widening in surprise from the sudden news in such a dire time.

Amy, ever the outspoken one, let out a loose, "what!?" in surprise.

Rouge, half unconscious, whimpered in shock, as Knuckles simply stood looking like a gaping fish, gasping for air.

Shadow, the least perturbed, blinked his ruby eyes. After a moment, he smirked smugly and uncrossed his arms, "I knew there was something about you. Things are starting to make sense now."

Blaze shuffled sheepishly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now. But as of the moment...you now understand my predicament..."

Understanding dawned on the faces of her friends, and Sonic sniffled harshly, "so what should we do?"

Everyone looked to each other. No one had any ideas.

Shadow narrowed his eyes in thought, "as long as you're not touching the ice, it won't melt...right?" he asked.

Blaze nodded, "I don't think so. As long as I keep my nerves in check."

The hedgehog nodded, and began walking toward her, entering the closeness of her personal space that Blaze indistinctly backed away from his touch. "What are you doing?" she snapped, flattening her ears.

Shadow frowned, "I'm going to carry you."

Amber eyes fluttered, registering his words in thought before shaking her head. "No way am I letting someone carry me. I'm not a damsel in distress, I don't need it," she argued, scowling disdainfully.

"It's either I carry you, or we freeze to death out here!" Shadow snapped, becoming annoyed with her stubborn antics.

After a few moments, Blaze gave a sigh of defeat, complying to the demands of the situation, and letting the ebony hedgehog approach.

She swallowed her blush as best she could as he bent down and plucked her off the ground in a bridal fashion. His chest was cool against her fiery fur, and she instantly felt bad about not helping him warm himself during the trek.

"Just relax and hold still," he whispered in her ear, and she was surprised at how soothing his deep voice reverberated, as he began walking. She expected a bumpy ride the entire way, but found that he held her firmly against him, barely budging.

His touch caused her emotions to tingle, as her skin began inadvertently rising in temperature. Closing her eyes, she leaned farther into his chest, feeling his frozen-tipped fur thaw beneath her, as she breathed in and out slowly to quiet her climbing nerves.

Suddenly, her calming tactics were interrupted as Shadow shifted his arms so she was fully against him, her eyes narrowing skeptically. He seemed to enjoy her close presence, soaking in the heat she radiated.

'Of course he is Blaze, he's probably been freezing the entire time since we left the wreckage,' she reminded herself, yet that didn't stop her heart from escalating in rhythmic pounding.

A sizzle beneath Shadow's next step caused her ear to twitch, and the hedgehog to stop. His red eyes flickered to the crackling ice below, to Blaze's anxious amber orbs.

"Blaze, I need you to cool down a little more," he explained calmly, his deep voice steady in the pressing situation.

Blaze gave a small nod, closing her eyes and once again desperately clawing for serene thoughts to slow her increasing calidity.

Her efforts were proving noneffective as the ice beneath his feet continued to melt achingly slow, un-crystalizing from it's winter slumber.

"Shadow, I-I can't get it to stop..." she quivered, the pressure of the situation weighing heavily on her manner.

It was happening again, just as it had years ago.

She had lost control of her powers, and the flames that she unintentionally let loose reeked havoc upon a village in her kingdom. Her people began fearing her, mobs sent to rid of their 'cursed princess', the possessed child given to them in payment of their sin was what the rumors told.

Now, here again, her powers were putting others in danger, and all her attempts to quench her thirsty flames were futile in resistance.

The past flashed through her head at that very moment, and panic gripped her soul in cold fingers.

Shadow had watched the past horrors flood into her golden eyes, he could tell something of this situation sent her off the edge. But as their time was leaking, just as the ice at his feet, he needed to help her pull through to the finish.

"Hey Blaze," bending his head down, he nudged her face with his, pulling her attention to his face, "look at me, look in my eyes and relax. Just breath slowly."

Blaze did as he told, focusing solely on him and him alone. The depth in his pupils, the sincerity in his irises, his entire face that was held close to her own. It remained lank from obvious emotion, yet she could see that his features had softened to comfort her.

Studying him intently, her flames began to slowly reside inside of her, and Shadow began taking gentle steps to not break the trance.

He didn't look up to where his feet were set in path, merely followed the sounds of the others' footsteps. He didn't take his eyes off her own, knowing that she needed something solid, stable to take abundance in.

It was almost like silent words passed between them, a personal conversation that linked between locked gazes as they walked onward across the frozen lake, not taking notice too how far they had come.

After long moments and many strides, Amy's weak voice interrupted their intimate reverie.

"We're here," she breathed in relief. Everyone has seen what had happened back on the ice, Blaze's heat having almost taken herself down, as well as them all to the icy depths of the water below. It had been an intense crossing, but successful all the same.

The cave now loomed in front of them, inviting them to get away from the chilled winds and cold evening air. The sun that had been hidden beneath cold fog most of the day was sinking below it's sheets of sky, taking with it any warmth that remained in the arctic atmosphere.

Shadow set Blaze down softly, as she whispered a soft 'thank you' in his ear and pulled away. The friction of their bodies had created a warmth against her skin no flames could match, and she missed the feeling.

Without hesitance, the six Mobians filed into the cave, it's deep cavern snug but cozy, far enough carved into the mountain to hide from the shrill breeze.

"We'll have to stay here till someone realizes we're gone. They should be able to follow our tracks easily," Sonic reasoned thoughtfully, propping his back against one wall of the cave, Amy still huddled closely at his side, the jacket holding them firmly in place.

Shadow nodded in agreement, placing himself against the parallel wall of the cavern across from his blue counterpart and resting his heavy lids. "I agree. But right now we all need rest. Rouge is sick, and so is Sonic. The fevers will only get worse without sleep."

Knuckles grunted his accession, setting himself down next to the blue and rosy hedgehog who were huddled into one another for heat, crossing his legs and prepping Rouge in his lap, who happily cuddled into his chest for warmth.

Blaze remained standing, observing her friends with sadness. She only wished she could help them in their dilemma, they all looked so cold, a feeling she rarely experienced...if ever.

Looking around for any type of props, she found none but the hard stone ground. There was no sticks, nor rocks to build a fire, meaning she would have to help them some other way.

Peering over at the ivory bat that shook violently in the guardians lap, she sighed heavily.

Gingerly, Blaze peeled off her own violet over-coat, slipping off the warm sleeves and layering. Underneath, she merely wore a tight black tee with gray sweats. Anyone else would have froze instantly, but she made sure to warm her fur in flames just marginally to even out the temperature.

Walking over to the pairings seating, she held it out to Knuckles, "here, you two need it more than I do."

Knuckles looked up and eyed the coat, then glanced at the feline's own attire, "are you sure?" he asked, amethyst eyes gleaming in appreciation.

Blaze nodded, urging him to take the coat, which he did so happily, and adjusted himself and Rouge into the warm fluffy contents of the fiery feline's jacket.

Shadow peeled own eye open to watch as the lightly clothed feline peeled off her layers farther, pulling her gloves from her fingers and laying them in the center of their cave, crouching down above them.

This caused him to frown, as she now only stood in a tee, a pair of light sweats, and her under garments, not nearly enough to keep her warm in such cold weathering.

He remained quiet, eyes flashing with realization as to her intentions. She a lit her gloves aflame, creating a small yet warming bonfire that burnt the material slowly. After finishing her task, she rose once more and looked about the small hovel and nodded in contentment with her work.

"Pyrokinetic or not, you're going to freeze only wearing that," he spoke up from his side of the cave, causing the feline to jump slightly from shock. She had suspected him to be asleep.

Turning her vision to the dark hedgehog, she noticed how the fire illuminated parts of his face, leaving his own shadow's to dance across his fur.

"I'll survive. It should only be one night. In the morning I'll head back out to the lake to somehow boil the water and contain it for drinking," she reassured, turning her head back to the look at the small flame that danced between the six of them.

The other four Mobians were already fast asleep, though despite all efforts to increase warmth, still shivered in their slumber.

Shadow remained quite, registering her words in silence before she broke it once again.

"I'm sorry about back there on the lake by the way. You shouldn't have had to go to such an extent as to carry me," she sighed, obviously embarrassed by the subject.

The hedgehog shrugged, turning his red eyes to watch the orange fire eat away at the white cloth of what once was her gloves. "It had to be done."

Blaze nodded, "yes, it did. But I also mean for helping me through that little...flaw that happened half way across. Your the first person who's been able to help me relax in that situation," she admitted.

Shadow was surprised to here this, yet felt pleased with the news. Almost honored for such a small accomplishment. "Your welcome," he stated simply, letting his eyes rest once more in an attempt at sleep.

He found he couldn't rest easily. His entire body was shaking entirely, the cold nipping at his bone, seemingly soaked to the very marrow tissue. He absolutely despised the cold, but excepted the situation as it was and crossed his arms over his chest to bring some warmth to himself.

Suddenly, he felt a slight warmth begin to creep inside him, the temperature around him rising a few more degrees from an unknown source. His questioins were answered as he felt someone brush up against him, and cracked his eyes open half way to see Blaze sitting next to him, her fur radiating the heat that he craved.

She tilted her head at him innocently, continuing to press against him tentatively further.

"You're cold," she stated simply, reaching across him and plucking his own arm from around his own body and wrapping it around her frame, snuggling against his side and emitting a hot wave of warmth into his fur.

His thoughts clouded with doubt, wondering whether he should pursue her advances. Shadow surprised himself in finding that he simply like not only the feeling of her flames locked within her, but also the feeling of the feline pressed against him period. He had first noticed it when carrying her, only now the pleasure was more intense as she willingly pushed herself on his side.

Complying to her actions, he tugged her closed with the arms that had been placed around his shoulder, and pulled her partially onto his lap, soaking in the feeling of her calefaction, and reveling in her touch.

At that moment, he didn't care when they would be found, just as long as he had the stubborn feline at his side.