Blaze's heels clicked against the polished hospital floor as she made her way through the secure wing. Her coat swished around her legs, hiding the bandages still wrapped around her torso. Two G.U.N. agents flanked her, their weapons ready but lowered.

The security checkpoint loomed ahead - three separate scanners, reinforced doors, and enough firepower to take down a small army. Blaze presented her credentials, suppressing a wince as she raised her arm. The wounds might have mostly healed, but certain movements still pulled at tender flesh.

"Princess." The guard's eyes widened in recognition. "We weren't expecting you."

"That was rather the point."

The guard swiped her card, and the first set of doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss. Beyond lay a corridor bathed in harsh fluorescent light, the walls a sterile white that made Blaze's eyes ache.

Cell block D stretched before her, each room outfitted with specialized containment fields. Most sat empty - G.U.N. preferred to keep their prisoners separated. But the last cell on the right hummed with active barriers, chaos dampeners, and enough tranquilizer gas to drop an elephant.

Scourge sprawled on the narrow bed inside, one arm thrown over his eyes. His leather jacket hung limp on the wall hook, leaving him in just a plain white shirt that made his green fur seem almost sickly under the harsh lights.

"Well, well." He didn't move his arm. "If it isn't the princess herself. Come to gloat?"

"Actually, I came to deliver news." Blaze's tail swished behind her as she stepped closer to the containment field. "Dr. Magnus received his sentence this morning."

Scourge's arm dropped, revealing bloodshot eyes. His trademark smirk wavered.

"Life imprisonment." Blaze's fingers traced the edge of a bandage beneath her coat. "The judge ruled his experiments violated both G.U.N. and Sol Kingdom laws. No possibility of parole."

A bark of laughter echoed through the cell. "One down. What about the others?"

"Five more scientists involved in the power inheritance program are under investigation." Blaze kept her voice neutral, professional. "My father's old research team. We found their files in Magnus's lab."

Scourge sat up, his quills bristling. The smirk transformed into something harder, more feral. "Didn't expect you to actually follow through, Princess. Thought you'd sweep it under the rug like daddy dearest."

"The Sol Kingdom's past sins don't disappear just because they're inconvenient." The bandages pulled as she straightened her spine. "Magnus was just the beginning."

"And here I thought you were just Shadow's latest charity case." Scourge leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of his bed. "Tell me, does it burn knowing your perfect royal family built their legacy on lab rats like me?"

Blaze met his gaze without flinching. "They'll face justice for what they did. All of them."

Blaze's voice cracked, her composure slipping for the first time since entering the cell block. "Including my father."

The smirk dropped from Scourge's face, replaced by genuine surprise.

"He's been dead three years now, but I'm working with the Sol Council to get his involvement on official record." Her claws dug into her palms. "Every experiment, every test subject, every..." She swallowed hard. "Every child he enhanced."

Scourge rose from the bed, moving closer to the containment field. His reflection ghosted across the barrier between them, green fur taking on an electric blue tinge from the energy field.

"You'd drag your own father's name through the dirt?" His eyes narrowed. "The great King Solomon of the Sol Kingdom, exposed as just another mad scientist?"

"He wasn't..." Blaze's tail lashed once, betraying her agitation. "He loved me. But what he did - what they all did - it was wrong. The records show he personally oversaw hundreds of power enhancement procedures before..." She gestured at herself. "Before he succeeded."

The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft hum of the containment field.

"Hundreds of failures." Scourge's voice came out rough. "Hundreds of kids like me, pumped full of experimental serum and left to burn from the inside out."

"I know." Blaze's hands shook as she smoothed her coat. "I found their names in Magnus's files. The Council is helping me locate any survivors or their families. They deserve to know the truth."

Scourge paced along the barrier, his movements sharp and predatory. "And what does your precious Shadow think about all this? About you airing your family's dirty laundry?"

"He..." Blaze's ears flattened. "He doesn't know yet. I wanted to handle this first."

"Oh, that's rich." Scourge pressed a hand against the containment field, sparks dancing across his fur. "The princess is keeping secrets again. Didn't you learn anything from last time?"

"This isn't about Shadow." Blaze's tail lashed. "This is about justice for what happened to you. To all of you."

"Justice?" Scourge's laugh echoed off the cell walls. "You think a few trials and some public apologies make up for what they did to us? For what your father did?"

"No." Blaze's flames flickered beneath her skin, but she kept them contained. "Nothing can make up for it. But the truth needs to come out."

A slow grin spread across Scourge's face. "You know what the best part is? Even locked up in here, I still won. Your perfect little kingdom's about to crumble, and I didn't have to lift a finger."

"The Sol Kingdom will survive the truth." Blaze turned away from the cell. "More than that - it needs this. We can't move forward until we acknowledge our past."

"Must kill you, watching your precious kingdom fall apart." Scourge's breath fogged against the containment field. "All that royal pride, gone in an instant."

Blaze's shoulders dropped. "I am sorry, Scourge. For everything."

"Save your pity."

"I'm sorry they strapped you down. Sorry they filled your veins with fire that wasn't yours to control." Her voice wavered. "Sorry my father watched while you screamed. Sorry he wrote down your pain in cold, clinical notes like you weren't even real."

Scourge's quills bristled. "Shut up."

"I'm sorry they kept trying even when the serums failed. Sorry they treated you like a thing to be modified instead of a person." Blaze's claws dug into her palms. "Sorry they broke something in you so deeply that you could shoot Fiona - someone who loved you - without hesitation."

"You didn't know anything about me and Fiona."

"No, I didn't. But I saw how she looked at you. How she believed in you until the end." Blaze's tail drooped. "And I'm sorry they hurt you so badly that you couldn't even see it."

Scourge slammed his fist against the barrier, chaos energy crackling. "I said shut up!"

"My apology means nothing. I know that. But I needed you to hear it anyway." Blaze touched the spot where his fist connected, separated by inches of energy field. "I'm so sorry, Scourge."

Blaze's hand lingered on the containment field for a moment longer. "I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Not today, maybe not for years, but someday."

She straightened her coat, squaring her shoulders despite the pull of healing wounds. "I'll speak with Commander Tower about your accommodations. The dampeners and tranquilizer systems might be necessary, but you deserve better than this bare cell."

"What I deserve?" Scourge's laugh cut like broken glass. "Is this how you ease your guilt, Princess? Playing savior to the monster your daddy created?"

Her heels clicked against the floor as she turned away.

"You're just like him, you know." Scourge's words chased after her. "Pretending to care while you watch us burn."

Blaze kept walking, her tail perfectly still behind her. The security doors hissed open, then closed, leaving Scourge's bitter laughter echoing through the corridor.

—-

Shadow's kitchen filled with the acrid smell of scorched carrots. Blaze stared at the blackened vegetables in the pot, her ears drooping as wisps of smoke curled up from what should have been a simple vegetable soup.

"That's the third batch." Shadow lifted the pot from the burner, dumping the ruined contents into the trash. "You're letting your powers affect the heat."

"I'm not." Blaze crossed her arms, tail twitching. "The stove is broken."

Shadow's apartment kitchen was sparse - white walls, stainless steel appliances, and a single potted plant on the windowsill. No decorations, no personal touches. Just like the rest of his living space.

"The stove works fine." Shadow placed a fresh pot on the burner. "Watch."

He demonstrated the proper technique, keeping the flame low as he added oil to the pot. His movements were precise, measured - like everything else he did.

"Now you try." He stepped aside, giving her room at the stove.

Blaze picked up another carrot, attempting to copy his exact knife technique. The blade slipped, nearly catching her finger.

"Your grip is wrong." Shadow moved behind her, adjusting her hold on the knife. His chest brushed against her back as he guided her hands through the motion. "Like this."

The proximity sent her internal temperature soaring. The burner flame jumped in response, licking up the sides of the empty pot.

Shadow shook his head. "You're doing it again."

"I'm not-" Blaze stopped, watching the flame dance in time with her pulse. "Oh."

"Your powers respond to your emotions." Shadow stepped away, leaving a cold space where his warmth had been. "You need to maintain control while cooking, or you'll burn everything."

"That's not-" The flame spiked again, and Blaze's ears flattened in embarrassment. "Perhaps you're right."

"Start over." Shadow handed her fresh vegetables. "Focus on the task, not on..." He paused, red eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before darting away. "Just focus on the vegetables."

Blaze took a deep breath, trying to center herself as she had during years of pyrokinesis training. The knife felt awkward in her hand as she positioned another carrot on the cutting board.

"Smaller pieces," Shadow said from where he leaned against the counter. "They'll cook more evenly."

She adjusted her cuts, focusing on the rhythm of blade against board. The burner flame steadied, settling into a proper cooking temperature.

"Better." Shadow moved closer, inspecting her work. "Now the onions."

The pungent vegetable made her eyes water as she peeled back the papery skin. Her claws caught the layers, tearing them unevenly.

"Here." Shadow passed her a fresh onion. Their fingers brushed, and the flame wavered before Blaze forced it back under control.

She sliced through the onion, her movements becoming more confident with each cut. The pieces weren't as uniform as Shadow's, but they were improving.

"Add them to the pot," Shadow instructed. "Then the carrots."

Blaze scraped the vegetables into the heated oil, watching them sizzle. The familiar warmth of the stove felt different now - not the raw power she wielded in battle, but something gentler, more controlled.

"Stir occasionally," Shadow said. "Don't let them stick."

She picked up the wooden spoon, careful to keep her powers in check as she moved the vegetables around the pot. The onions turned translucent, their sharp scent mellowing into something sweet.

"Now you're getting it." Shadow's voice carried a hint of approval that made her chest tighten, but this time the flame remained steady.

Blaze watched the vegetables simmer, a small smile tugging at her lips as the aroma filled the kitchen. The flame held steady under her newfound control, but an idea sparked in her mind.

"I think I need help with my stirring technique." She glanced over her shoulder at Shadow, trying to keep her expression innocent despite the mischief dancing in her golden eyes.

Shadow's crimson gaze narrowed, his arms crossed as he studied her. "Your stirring is fine."

"No, really." Blaze tapped the wooden spoon against the pot's edge. "I'm not sure I'm doing it right."

Shadow raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of her sudden claim of incompetence after mastering the knife work. He remained still for a moment, weighing her words against her previous progress.

"If you insist." He moved behind her again, his breath tickling her ear as he reached for the spoon. "Though I suspect you're perfectly capable."

His hand covered hers on the wooden handle, guiding it in slow circles through the sautéing vegetables. Blaze leaned back slightly, allowing herself to enjoy the warmth of his presence despite knowing he'd seen through her ploy.

"See?" Shadow's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Exactly like you were doing before."

"Perhaps I needed a refresher." Blaze kept her tone light, though her ears twitched with satisfaction at having drawn him closer.

Shadow stepped back with an exasperated sigh, though the slight upturn at the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusement. "Add the broth now. Pour it slowly so it doesn't splash."

Blaze reached for the container of vegetable stock, carefully tipping it over the pot. The liquid hit the hot pan with a satisfying hiss, steam rising as it merged with the sautéed vegetables.

"Keep stirring while you pour," Shadow instructed, watching her technique. He fell silent for a moment, his expression shifting to something more serious.

"One of the GUN agents stationed at the detention center told me you visited Scourge today."

Blaze's hand stilled on the broth container, but she kept her voice steady. "I did."

"Why?"

"Because he deserved to know what's happening with Magnus's case." She resumed pouring, focusing on the swirling liquid rather than Shadow's intense gaze. "And because I needed to tell him about the changes I'm making in the Sol Kingdom."

Shadow sighed, leaning against his counter to watch her stir, crossing his arms. "What changes?"

"The power inheritance program." Blaze kept her eyes on the simmering pot. "I'm declassifying all the documents, making them public. Every experiment, every subject, every scientist involved."

"Your council won't like that."

"My council doesn't have a choice." Her grip tightened on the wooden spoon. "These crimes were committed in my kingdom's name. Children were taken from their families, experimented on, all to perfect the process that gave me my abilities."

Shadow's quills bristled. "Like the ARK experiments."

"Yes." Blaze added a pinch of herbs to the broth. "My father believed he could create the perfect heir by enhancing natural abilities. Hundreds of children went through the program before me. Only very few survived."

"And Scourge was one of them."

"He was one of the last test subjects before I was born." The soup bubbled as Blaze stirred. "He wanted revenge against my family, against the kingdom that treated him like a lab rat." Blaze's voice hardened. "And he was right to be angry. What was done to him, to all of them - it can't be undone. But I can make sure it never happens again."

"By exposing everything."

"Every document, every record." Blaze met Shadow's gaze. "No more secrets. No more hidden facilities. No more children stolen in the night for the sake of power."

Shadow studied her face, his expression unreadable. "It could destabilize your entire kingdom."

Blaze's eyes narrowed, her tail swishing behind her as she adjusted the wooden spoon in her grip. "I have to hope my kingdom is stronger than that. That my people believe in me enough to face this truth."

She reached for the dial, lowering the heat under the simmering pot. Steam curled around her fingers as she stirred, the vegetables dancing in the broth.

"I exposed my father's involvement too." Her voice remained steady despite the weight of her words. "Every order he signed, every child he condemned to those labs. The public deserves to know their beloved King Solomon wasn't the benevolent ruler they thought he was."

"That couldn't have been an easy decision."

Blaze's voice wavered, her grip tightening on the wooden spoon. "It wasn't. He was... wonderful to me. Patient. Loving." Her stirring slowed as memories surfaced. "When my powers first manifested, they were overwhelming. I set fire to everything I touched. But he never showed fear, never treated me like I was dangerous."

Steam rose from the pot as she adjusted the heat, trying to steady her hands. "He'd spend hours helping me learn control, teaching me breathing exercises. Even when I burned his favorite tapestries or scorched the palace gardens, he just smiled and told me we'd try again tomorrow."

Shadow remained silent, watching as she added another pinch of herbs to the broth.

"The day I finally managed to create a controlled flame in my palm, he was so proud." Her ears drooped slightly. "He called me his perfect princess, his greatest achievement."

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "But being a good father to me doesn't erase what he did to others. Those children deserved justice. Their families deserve to know the truth."

The soup simmered quietly between them as Blaze stirred, her movements mechanical, precise. "I can love my father and still condemn his actions. I have to."

The wooden spoon clattered against the pot's sides as Blaze's stirring grew more aggressive, soup threatening to slosh over the rim. Shadow moved closer, his hand covering hers to steady the erratic motion.

"You don't owe Scourge anything." His voice was low, barely above a whisper. "Not your guilt, not your explanations, not even your apology."

Blaze's hand trembled beneath his. "But I-"

"No." Shadow's grip tightened slightly, forcing her stirring to slow. "Your father's crimes aren't yours to atone for. Exposing the truth, changing the system - you're doing that because it's right, not because you owe Scourge or anyone else."

Blaze stared into the simmering pot, her reflection wavering in the broth. "Scourge will never forgive me. Or my kingdom."

"That's his loss." Shadow's hand remained steady over hers on the wooden spoon, guiding the gentle stirring motion.

"Have you?" Blaze's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Forgiven me for not telling you about my family's involvement sooner?"

Shadow's hand stilled on hers. The soup bubbled between them, steam rising in lazy spirals as seconds stretched into silence. His crimson eyes met her golden ones in the reflection on the stainless steel hood above the stove.

"I understand why you kept it from me." His words came carefully measured, each one chosen with precision. "Finding out your family helped fund the ARK experiments... that's not something easy to confess."

"That's not an answer." Blaze turned to face him, forcing Shadow to either step back or maintain their close proximity. He chose to stay, his hand still resting over hers on the wooden spoon.

Shadow's gaze lingered on Blaze's face, his expression softening almost imperceptibly. "No, it's not an answer."

The soup simmered between them, forgotten as tension filled the small kitchen. Steam curled around their joined hands on the wooden spoon, neither willing to break contact first.

"I was angry." Shadow's voice carried no accusation, just quiet honesty. "Not at you specifically. At the situation. At finding out there were more people involved in the ARK than I knew about."

Blaze's tail swished behind her, betraying her nervousness despite her steady gaze. "And now?"

"Now..." Shadow glanced down at their hands, still overlapped on the wooden spoon. "I understand why Gerald needed outside funding. Why the Sol Kingdom would be interested in power enhancement research." His free hand clenched at his side. "It doesn't make it right, but I understand."

"That's still not an answer." Blaze's whiskers twitched, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth despite the serious conversation.

Shadow exhaled slowly, his thumb brushing against the back of her hand. "I forgave you the moment you injected yourself with that serum to save Rouge. You could have died."

"Worth it." Blaze's smile grew warmer. "Though I didn't expect it to kick start my powers again…instead of killing me."

"You took an enormous risk." Shadow's eyes narrowed. "Don't do it again."

"No promises." Blaze turned back to the soup, which had started to boil over. She adjusted the heat, Shadow's hand still guiding hers on the spoon.

A sharp, burnt smell hit her nose. Her ears pulled back as she peered into the pot. The vegetables had turned an unappetizing shade of brown, clumping together at the bottom where they'd stuck and scorched.

"I burned it again." Blaze's shoulders slumped as she stirred the ruined mixture. The wooden spoon scraped against blackened bits of carrot and onion. "Maybe I'm not cut out for cooking after all."

Shadow stared at her, his crimson eyes unfocused as she stirred the ruined soup. Blaze's ears flattened against her head, her tail drooping behind her.

"I'm sorry, I know you're trying to teach me and I keep messing up." She moved to dump the burnt contents into the sink. "Maybe we should just order-"

Shadow silenced her apology, closing the distance between them in one fluid motion. His lips found hers, tentative at first, then with growing certainty. The wooden spoon clattered against the stovetop as Blaze's hands moved to his chest, her fingers curling into his white fur.

Heat radiated from her skin, her pyrokinesis responding to the surge of emotion. Small flames danced along her shoulders, casting flickering shadows across the kitchen walls. Shadow pulled her closer, one hand tangling in her lavender fur while the other settled at the small of her back.

Blaze melted into the kiss, her initial surprise giving way to eager response. The flames intensified, spreading down her arms in harmless waves that warmed but didn't burn. Shadow's chaos energy crackled in response, red sparks mingling with her fire in a display that lit up the darkening kitchen.

When they finally broke apart, Blaze's golden eyes were wide, her fur slightly ruffled. Shadow's usual composure had cracked, his breathing uneven as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I thought you said this couldn't work," Blaze whispered, her flames slowly settling back beneath her skin.

Shadow's trademark smirk spread across his face, a mirror of her own playful energy from days ago in the hospital room. His crimson eyes held that same glint she'd shown when confessing her feelings while he'd rattled off his list of reasons why they couldn't be together.

"I never said this would work." His voice carried that low, amused tone she'd come to recognize. "I just kissed you."

Blaze's ears twitched as she processed his words, her tail swishing behind her. She fought back a laugh, remembering her own boldness when she'd first told him she loved him.

"Is that so?" Her golden eyes sparkled with mirth, matching his smirk with one of her own. "Maybe you should do it again…you know, just to be clear about what isn't going to work."

Shadow shook his head, but his hands stayed at her waist. "This is a terrible idea."

"Absolutely terrible," Blaze agreed.

"I have a list." His crimson eyes tracked her dancing fire. "Several lists, actually. About why this won't work."

"Mhm." Blaze's fingers traced patterns in his chest fur. "Very comprehensive lists, I'm sure."

"The dimensional barriers alone-"

"Shadow?"

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me again."

And he did. Because lists and reasons and barriers didn't change the way his chaos energy sparked when she was near. Didn't stop him from pulling her closer, from letting her flames warm his skin, from memorizing the soft sound she made when his fingers tangled in her fur.

Love wasn't supposed to be part of the equation. The Ultimate Lifeform didn't need emotional attachments. Didn't want them. But here he was, holding a princess from another dimension who could burn worlds with a thought, and none of his carefully constructed arguments seemed to matter anymore.

Shadow broke the kiss just enough to rest his forehead against hers once again. "This still won't work."

"Of course not." Blaze's smile lit up her entire face. "But we're doing it anyway."

The burnt soup continued to simmer behind them, completely forgotten.

And that was fine.

Because they could always order take out.

—-

AN: Man, what a journey. I have never written something this long before…It was pretty fun. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!