Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognized characters or gameplay patterns within this fanfiction. Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Eggman, Blaze, and all related characters of such are owned by SEGA. All original character's are owned by me, unfortunately.

Exile 8.3

The run back was filled with silence. Blaze knew at least that her mind was worried over the Choosing, of how many people she might have to hurt, and how many she'd have to do it without relying on her flames. It was times like this she missed having another weapon besides her body. She was still a cat, and had plenty of hidden weapons, but it'd be nice to have a longer reach. A spear, maybe, or perhaps a sword.

It had been years since she practiced with her rapier though. Her father, the one from the Sol Empire, had forced her to become rather proficient by the time she was eight or nine. She forgot his reasoning, something about how all royals needed to know fencing.

She had picked it up again years later when Sonic had told her of his...dream, or nightmare, or traversal to another alternate plane of existence. She was a knight, in that world. Using a rapier.

Who'd ever heard of a knight using a rapier for official duties?

She certainly hadn't. All the knights of the Sol Empire used broadswords. A few that were particularly strong used zweihanders, but those were few and far between. None had used rapiers for anything besides fencing; the weapon was meant for quick, swift and accurate strikes. Not the bloody carnage that was a battlefield. She'd have to ask a history sapient when she went home. A part of her wished that was soon, but another part, buried deep, wished that it wasn't and was glad that the Sol Emeralds weren't charging. She could ponder that part of her much later.

But the Sol Emeralds not charging was something worrying. She still had her connection, so they hadn't given up on her, but rather it seemed like they were waiting for something. But for what? For her to burn down Ikan'Thoa? To burn the world?

As much as that would satisfy her carnal need for destruction and mayhem, she doubted that would be it. Was Marine using them? Probably not; the Sol Emeralds were fire, not water. The tanuki could, given time, use them as Blaze did, but given her personality Blaze thought better of it.

Ikan'Thoa's walls showed up in the distance, and Blaze settled down to a brisk walk. Katia was on her back, holding her chest tight to prevent herself from falling. Tails and Spark were right behind them.

"Why do you forgive him so easily?" Katia asked after a moment. "Tails, that is."

"He hasn't done anything wrong to me. And even if he has, I know he's just trying his best for everyone. Just as I would," Blaze answered.

"But...I suppose I shouldn't ask you. I know you want him, but you're a caller and not a channeler...but if we're already throwing Ikan'Thoa's ideas away it doesn't matter-"

"Not like you're thinking. He's a friend," Blaze answered. "And we watch out for each other. It'd be the same for you or Spark."

"Speaking of, what was Vianex like? The elders banned going out there due to the constant scouting parties disappearing," Katia asked, her head tilting a bit.

"Dirty, acidic, and quite painful. It's like a volcano decided to erupt, and coat the entire area with ash that wouldn't grow anything. I think it's also a place where time starts doing weird things."

"But what's out there? Is there anything?"

"Nothing useful. Just a lot of dead and death," Blaze answered. She wasn't going to mention the parabola, and her ensuing panic attack. Or the acid that ate away at fur, or the fact it looked more grey and brown than some of Marine's games.

Honestly she was doing her absolute best to ensure she didn't remember it. She knew that she should, as that was the only way to start working through it, but the scars it led to her were still too fresh.

The guards didn't seem to care that they came in, and Blaze didn't think they'd been here last night. But the gates had been opened. Did they know, that they were going to try and run? Was that common enough to have a normal policy for? The earth district was barren, with no one around. The merchant stalls were empty, and the dirt looked as if no one had stepped on it for a while.

They finally saw their first sapient closer to the meeting hall. It was an older man, staring at them as if guarding the hut. "The two Minders, first. After, you two may join."

"We'll see you soon," Katia murmured as she and Spark headed towards the back. Blaze nodded, and she shared a look with Tails.

This was it, then. No more going back, after this they would leave. Hopefully Strike hadn't been able to talk to Lightning, but Blaze knew those chances were almost nil and void.

The inside of the meeting hall was packed, and Blaze instantly wished she had her flames available. At the front sat the elders, all four of them, with Strike next to Lightning. Along the wall, closer to the elders side, were at least thirty other sapients, fifteen on each side. Fifteen women, and fifteen men. Blaze scowled.

Water seemed to notice her hesitancy. "And the Exceptions come, as called," he said. The thirty on the side seemed to sigh with relief, and Blaze got a better look at them.

Sapients of all shapes and sizes abound on the wall, all of them with theirs shirts off. She gave Tails a quick look, and saw that he was staring at the ground, away from the exposed women. She had to give him props for that; it wouldn't be easy for a boy his age to ignore it.

She saw Fern, standing in the middle, as if the giant scar on his chest didn't bother him any. The other men next to him weren't bother by their shirts being off, or the loose pants that didn't bother trying to hide anything underneath.

It was times like this she appreciated Tails' biology, and the small pocket of skin that protected that area. Most of the males she knew had it, both in Tails' world and the Sol Empire, but it was startling that this place didn't. She assumed they wore pants because it would have been dangerous not to, not because of indecency.

Water stared at her. "Now, fire caller Exception, now is the time of Choosing. Choose wisely. This will be your mate for times to all come, their choices will reflect on you, and your choices reflect on them."

He turned to Tails, "Lightning channeler Exception, now is the time of Choosing. Choose wisely, for this will be your mate for times to all come. Their choices will reflect on you, and your choices upon them," he finished with much the same speech. Tails stared at him with barely disguised disgust and resignation. At the far corner, Blaze noticed, was both Spark and Katia, dressed in much the same as the other women. Small grass skirts, hiding nothing. No chance of weapons, other than their natural abilities. She saw the small scar on Katia's side from the temple.

"Fire caller. Choose," Fire's voice sounded. Blaze looked at the aged vixen, small worry lines imprinted upon her face. She could grab Tails, and bolt out of here. Spark and Katia would...they would inevitably die should they bolt now.

"Let me see their abilities," Blaze pronounced carefully. She had to judge this right; she had to abide by Ikan'Thoa's laws just long enough to get out of here. And hopefully bring everyone out at the same time.

The fact they hadn't asked about their adventures in Vianex or Reveniah said much. Strike, next to Lightning, looked far too smug and self-important to be anything but a thorn in their side.

One by one, the men took a single step forward and demonstrated whatever kinesis they had. The water's did a small twirl of water around them, the earth's made a small rock float. The barest of abilities. The fire's weren't much better, a small wheel of flame around them. One of them, a wolf, created a double of fire and made it stare towards her, its eyes piercing her with barely disguised hatred. Fern's was by far the strongest, a small circular flame that became a small butterfly, making it fly towards her, bumping itself on her nose gently.

The coyote was staring at her, and it was with a flash, she recognized the other fire callers. They were all around the fire, last night. Their last night alive, she assumed it meant. She paused as she felt for the flames of the butterfly. She couldn't feel a thing. Normally she'd be able to take control of its fire and have it do a loop, but yet...she just couldn't.

"Lightning channeler. Choose. The fire caller is taking her sweet time," Earth said harshly. Blaze looked at Tails, obviously trapped by indecision. He wanted to save them all. Just as she did.

"You have fifteen minutes, Exceptions. We are busy," Lightning judged after a moment. "We do not have all day."

Thoughts raced across Blaze's mind. There wasn't much she could do. Her fires weren't answer her, and there was little way she could dart forward and harm Lightning, not with Strike right there, not enough for it to matter. Even if she could get a claw into his heart, that didn't mean...

"Do you not remember, little kitten? What it meant to be a Guardian?"

Her mother's voice called to her.

"A guardian must be wise, and tough, and strong. But most of all, a guardian must be willing to defend."

Her father's voice answered.

A city in flames. An ocean burned. She couldn't reach the flames; but that didn't mean that she couldn't count anything out. "Tails," she called out in Common. "Still got your Charger?" she asked.

"Silence with your strange tongue!" Water yelled.

Both ignored him. "Yeah, I still have it. Why?" Tails asked in much the same.

"Choose Spark. Remember her story? We're going to do that. And bust everyone out."

"Boat's not big enough."

"Doesn't need to be," Blaze smirked. "I have a plan."

"I said silence!" Water shouted. "Speak using only the tongue of heroes! Of-"

"Of course," Blaze answered. "I'll let Tails go first," she said, motioning towards the two-tailed fox. He took a deep breath, thinking hard about what her plan was. Which was a good idea, because she wasn't certain she really had one. Could she improvise well enough?

"It'll take a minute or two," Tails said, carefully looking up at all the women's faces. Blaze noticed he kept his eyes up, matching their own stares. Some of them were calm, most were scared. Another cat, much like herself, was staring in undisguised horror at Tails and her. Both Katia and Spark seemed to be standing tall, as if they had full trust in the both of them. Was that a message to her, or to the elders? She thought back to how Spark had explained the tempest the first time. How it was effectively a full charged assault, using all of the owner's energy. A fearsome technique, for certain. She nodded after a moment, and Tails matched her eyes for the split moment. It was a message to her.

The fox walked in front of them, carefully measuring their faces. It looked as if he was looking for a specific something, but Blaze knew he was probably just killing time. He was worried, and stressed. Blaze couldn't fault him; she was too. "Make your choice Exception!" Lightning barked as soon as Tails reached the end, Spark in front of him. The vixen gulped noticeably.

Tails stared at him for a moment. "Spark. I choose Spark," he said after a moment. Katia looked devastated, and many of the other women that were scared tightened up more on themselves. The other cat met her eyes, and she blinked away the instant Blaze met them. She narrowed her eyes; they wouldn't kill the others anyway, just to make a point, would they? Who was she kidding, of course they would. She would've thought by now she knew this place.

"The channeler has spoken, and he chooses Spark. Odd choice, channeler, but it is your choice," Earth claimed softly. She turned to Blaze, "And now, fire caller, it is your turn. You have only minutes. Make your choice."

Blaze stared at her, before she shook her head. "I have a statement I need to make first, before I choose anyone," Blaze said quietly. "I've already made my choice, but I feel that this is something that needs to be said, and everyone here needs to hear it."

"Make your choice then, if you've already made it!" Water barked out. Fire narrowed her eyes, leaning back into her chair. There was an odd smirk there, as if she knew what Blaze was planning. The pyrokinetic gave her a glance, and there was a brightness to the vixen's eyes, a playfulness, that made Blaze not need to wonder. She knew Blaze's plan. Now if only she could tell Blaze what it was...

—Side T—

Tails was terrified. He felt he had honestly the right to be, considering their entire plan was hanging on being able to give Spark the ability, time, and energy needed for the Tempest while Blaze was monologuing. Did that make them the bad guys, in this scenario? No, he knew better than that. But he also had to give Spark the information at the same time.

"They're going to kill the others," Spark whispered as soon as she joined him in the center. Tails nodded. He kind of figured that they would do something like that. He ignored the scent in the air, smelling the fear and hopelessness from most of the others, the lust from the one next to him, and the hopefulness from Katia. Spark gave him an incredulous look. "You have a plan, don't you?" she asked, whispering. Tails nodded mutely.

"Make your choice, fire caller!" Water shouted. Blaze held up her hand, as if he was nothing of any importance.

"I've only been here for a few days," Blaze said loudly, gesturing to the crowd behind them. "And yet, in that time, I've been through two very obvious assassination plots, and one not so obvious. And everything I've heard, and I've heard a lot, has made me...well, it's made me angry. Lightning over here is practically top god, simply because he can control lightning. Fire is simply there because she is the oldest, and the strongest. Water, Earth...I'm not going to start. My point is that I didn't hear a single dissension despite the obviousness.

"I asked around. Katia, Fern, Sticks, Spark...and in each of them they've told me of a life broken, of a life shattered due to others choices. Spark lost her parents, was trained wrong on purpose, and was going to be given to Strike here. I suspect if we hadn't shown up when we had, it'd be happening right now," Blaze pointed out. The crowd was silent, and Tails narrowed his eyes. What was she planning?

"Katia lost her hopes, her dreams. Fern lost his patience, his dreams, everything that he had ever thought for the future for the sole purpose of playing some sick games devised by four elders who didn't know when to shut up," Blaze snarled. "But that's not all, no, far beyond. See, they may not even be the entire picture. While all four may have to have agreed, only one spoke up any more than was barely necessary. Only one gave out the assignments, and only one told the others how to vote, how to talk, when to meet...only one. Lightning.

"For years everyone was under his thumb as he steadily gained power, giving promises and reneging on them, giving out hope when he had none to give, taking away hope when it cost him nothing. He took all, and gave nothing back," Blaze ranted. The panther was glaring at her with an amused smirk on his face, as if he was finding the entire speech to be a show. "No more, I say. For years, he stepped on others, using them to go ever higher, and when he was at the top, he raised his son to be the same, as if eldership was dictated by genetics. No more. He stepped on all of you, but the thing is...all of you can win." There was no longer an amused look on Lightning's face, nor on Strike's.

"Someone stop-" Lightning started, only for Fire to raise her hand, a small smirk on the vixen's face. Had she known, that Blaze would try something like this?

"And Lightning is capable, make no mistakes. But there's something that I've forgotten, that I've recently remembered," Blaze shrugged. "And with this, I make my choice. I am a Guardian. A guardian of the Sol Emeralds, a Guardian of the Sol Empire. But beyond all things, I am a fire caller. At the core of my being, I am a being of fire. Just as many of you are beings of your respective elements. Steady as the earth, as flowing as the water around, or as quick as lightning. But fire? Fire isn't just hot. Fire is the element of rebirth. As Vianex, a land of death and acid proves, even life can be found after ashes reign. So help me burn. As for me...?

"I choose fire."

Tails assumed that was the mark, just as the crowd started yelling their indignity. His hand reached into his pocket, grabbing the charger and hitting it as many times as he could. Spark seemed to figure out what he was doing, and tensed up next to him as she felt the energy flood the both of them. Lightning and the other elders jumped out of their seats, Strike yelling for everyone to calm down.

Then he felt the heat. Blaze had lost her fire, hadn't she? She certainly didn't act like it though, massive amounts of heat emanating from her figure. It seemed almost demonic, somehow. Pain shot through his head as it reminded him of something, an impossibility given form. Visions flashed before him. Fire engulfing cities, burning entire continents to the ground, rivers running red with fire and lava, the very ocean itself coming to a head and engulfing the stream of fire.

The heat was enough to silence everyone, but the silence seemed to ring in his ears, but no, that was the electricity shooting off Spark, doing her best to keep it contained. "As one, we fight!" Blaze shouted, the heat increasing the volume of her voice, loud enough to be heard by everyone there. "They were about to be killed for no reason, with no justification! When you see a wrong in the world, you must fight! Fight and right the wrongs, and only then will the world be a better place!" Blaze finished. Her eyes had literal flames coming from them, as if she was some demon coming back from the abyss.

The others of the Choosing options glanced to each other, subtly whispering to one another. Maybe she was winning them over? An impossibility, given form. Tails had almost given up hope of ever changing Ikan'Thoa. And yet...they had a chance. "Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart," Tails muttered under his breath. Spark's ears flicked his direction. "We are chaos!" he shouted after a moment. He gave a glance towards Spark.

Lightning had apparently had enough, as he made a small deliberate step forward, and coated the roof of the meeting hall with lightning, the sound drowning all talking and whispers. Spark was still holding on to his charge, Tails realized, but she'd have to release soon. "Silence!" the panther shouted. "I care not for your false hope. Kill them! All of them!" he pointed towards a few guards in the back.

"Now," Tails asked, and Spark let loose. The lightning on the ceiling turned from the golden yellow to a raging blue as Spark added to it, shifted and commanded it. It crackled and leapt from the fountain of lightning that was Spark. It reminded Tails why he'd been afraid of thunder for so long...and why he wasn't anymore. Strike took a step back, before he snarled at the both of them, running out of the hut.

"Fight!" a shirtless coyote shouted from the front of the room, pulling a guard down and letting loose with an impressive display of fire that Tails wasn't sure he'd been capable of, grabbing the fire that emanated from Blaze herself. Katia broke away from her place in the lineup, grabbed a knife from seemingly nowhere and stabbed another guard next to her, before jumping back as the guard swiped at her with their spear. There was a cat, looking a lot like Blaze, who bolted into another of the guards a moment later. One of the fire callers, the wolf that had done the double of fire, grabbed the closest other sapient, another of the Choosing options, and threw them to the ground.

The elders seemed intimidated by the sheer fury of the elctricity coming off from Spark, as if wondering how she was generating it all. The guards seemed afraid of the potential revolution that was boiling just below the way, looking madly at each other for some sort of reasoning. The coyote and Katia's attacks seemingly galvanized the others in the Chosen lineup, as the others forced their own abilities to rise, whether they be in weapons or in kinetics, and Tails smirked. "We are chaos. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart," he said quietly. Despite the volume, it seemed that everyone heard it.

"Kill the Exceptions!" Tails heard as a cry behind him. He gave a short look, and it appears their words didn't meet their ears as most of the civilians simply fled. He turned to Blaze, still emanating heat, but not fire.

"We need to go. Now," Tails whispered. Blaze gave him a glance, almost unnoticeable except for the smoke rising up from her eyes as she nodded subtly. She tossed her head back. "Everyone, out!" Tails shouted as he grabbed Spark and Katia, running between the villagers as he did so. Some were hunters, but he was Miles Prower, best friend to Sonic the Hedgehog...and just about as fast. Blaze held up her hand, and as if fire was simply waiting for her, the lightning on the ceiling, still there as if controlled by Spark, turned to fire. Fire didn't come from Blaze; it was as if it simply teleported there. There was nothing, or only lightning, the next it was only fire. Blue fire, red fire, green fire, black fire...how Blaze did it, he had no idea.

He heard a cry of pain come from both Katia and Spark, both of whom probably weren't expecting him to grab their arms and speed off at nearly three hundred miles an hour. But this wasn't the time to worry about accidents, or injuries. They had to live first. "Blaze, go! We'll get you out!" the coyote shouted as he reached towards the ceiling, a small stream of fire coming down and circling him. The guards around him seemed to worry about it.

Tails could barely hear any of it. There was a stream of guards outside the meeting hall, ready for the first of the evacuees. Or to kill them, Tails wasn't sure. The ground was moving underneath him, the sure sign of a geokineticist doing some earth working underneath him. But he wasn't limited to just movement on the ground, now was he? He spun his tails and gripped Spark and Katia's wrists a bit harder as he jumped, flying far above them. Some of the more level-headed ones pulled out their crossbow and started to fire, only to shocked as Spark used the last bit of the energy from the Charger to send out small bolts, shocking their hands harmlessly.

"Blaze will catch up. Hope nothing's too important!" Tails said as the walls of Ikan'Thoa vanished behind him. He knew the path now, and though he'd only traveled on it once, he remembered enough to be confident in his speed. The wind was ripping out the air in both Katia and Spark's mouths, and he supposed he should have warned them about the dangers of traveling at high speed. But really, they should know by now. They've known Blaze and Tails for at least a couple of days, those warning are usually one of the first things that pop up.

It took only a few minutes before Tails forced himself to slow down. He'd only flown for the first minute or so, long enough to be out of Ikan'Thoa's range before he settled on the ground, running. The boat was still there, anchored upon the rising tide. Katia and Spark dropped to the ground, both of them breathing heavily. "Warn us, next time?" Katia said, one arm hanging loose. "This is gonna suck," she murmured as she gripped her bad arm, and with a sickening crack and scream of pain forced it back into place. Spark gave him a dirty glare, and did the same thing a moment later.

Tails gave them a hard stare. "You know we have medical supplies in the boat, right? You didn't need to do that..." he murmured. The sound of the crack would be haunting his nightmares, he knew. Probably more now than later, once the adrenaline died down. "Oh well. We'll wait for Blaze, and then set off. Hopefully we did enough of a change."

"Oh you'll be waiting, definitely," Strike's languid voice called out as the jaguar walked out of the treeline, a smirk engraved on his face. "But it'll be over your dead bodies," he said, one hand on the set of metal claws attached to his wrists. Tails breathed a sigh. This world was going to kill them. And he without his rings.

Originally, I intended to put a warning for Exile 8.3 for the start of extreme suggestive themes, and remembered that by this point I'd already changed it to M. I'm doing my best to tone it down, so that should say just how bad draft 0 was. By the way, Blaze rolled a 2. This becomes more obvious in the next chapter.

Although 8.4's a bit of a doozy...

Until Next Time.