This was not in the spirit of what had been agreed. Blaze the cat, guardian of the Sol Emeralds and ruler of islands, was stood at the heart of a very empty great hall that should have been even emptier. Three months ago, when the feline had requested time be scheduled for dance practice in advance of the Winter Ball, she had thought of the day as one to look forward to. It would be an opportunity to spend some time with her partner, free from the shackles of duty that ensnared them both, away from prying eyes and potential interference. Instead, today seemed to embody restraint, eavesdropping, and hinderance.

Rather than a record player or a tape deck or even something more advanced, Gardon had elected to involve the most archaic and dramatic of sources for the effort's music... a live band. No fewer than twenty koalas, dressed in finery and wielding a variety of instruments, had been staring at the guardian ever since she'd arrived. They were positioned above her, looking down wordlessly from a stage as they tuned their instruments. The conductor had explained that Gardon's suggestion that their practice coincide with her own to make the most efficient use of the space; but Blaze knew that wasn't truly the reason. They were spies, plain and simple, and their incredulous stares were making the feline all the more conscious of her chosen garb.

Formal attire and Blaze had a tumultuous relationship. While her usual guardian outfit was professional enough for most engagements, there was a certain expectation to dress differently with regards to scheduled appearances. For the princess, donning a dress was an expectation she had chafed under but generally acquiesced to. With this being a rehearsal for the true outing, she'd thought it wise to get used to her outfit as well- a flowing red dress with a slit that marched much of the way up her right thigh.
While the choice had initially seemed wise, the slit allowing for freedom of movement, under the beady gaze of no fewer than twenty elderly koala, the princess was feeling rather exposed. She knew the opening wasn't truly revealing, she'd checked and rechecked enough in the mirror to confirm such, but now every shift and step would push a fresh needle of doubt into her mind regarding the outfit's construction. Even the skirt's length, perhaps being a size too large, should have been enough to put her mind at ease- but of course, it wasn't.

She'd already noticed her subconscious choice to keep her elbows folded and arms at her side; the dress's straps being off the shoulder meant a further level of exhibition she was not used to. Of course the dress wouldn't malfunction and fall away, she'd spun in her room and tested its practicality... but being perceived always spiked her temperature, and she was the sole point of observation. This orchestra would report the slightest hint of impropriety back to Gardon- any imagined whiff of scandal would reach his furry ears before the day's end. This all reflected poorly on Blaze to... it looked like she had set her partner up to fail, any graze of exposed shoulder or hands upon thighs would surely result in him being chastised. The psychic wasn't a subtle fellow, he'd surely make mistakes without even realising. Having him act as her escort for the ball was already treading on toes and now he was late to their rehearsal! That would surely be the first strike against him, what was that-

The doors to the hall burst open as a figure stumbled his way inside. His white fur was visible but not so thoroughly as usual- a blue waistcoat, sealed all the way up to his neck with golden bands, was seeing to that. Upon his head, struggling to stay put amongst his quills, a blue military cap had been positioned. As he took a step Blaze's attention darted down to the brown dress shoes he'd surely been force into, before her gaze was hoisted up by the sound of tearing. The hedgehog's face twisted the confusion, he reached back behind himself and turned to feel. One of his spines had cleanly burst through the back of his coat.

As their eyes met across the hall, a wry smile crept its way onto Blaze's face but she smothered it with a hand, "Please start us with something slow," She requested through her fingers.

Her heels did not click as she crossed the floor- she'd exchanged her usual heels for a set of black dance shoes which provided little additional height. With each step she felt a brief gust brush by her right calf, the exposure set her fur to prickle. She could hear the orchestra adjusting in their seats and the conductor tapping her baton to rouse attention. It was only as she arrived before him that the difference in their heights was made obvious- had they really given him shoes with lifts? He would have to lead...

"Sorry I'm late," Silver grumbled, "Gardon says they'll have a better version of this for the day."

"It's alright," Blaze sighed, "I'm just glad that you're here."

The opening bars sounded; Blaze instinctively extended her right arm and reached around his shoulder with her left, only to meet with torn fabric and his spine. As those initial notes shifted into that of a proper waltz no hand found the small of her back, nor did it grasp her own. The hedgehog was looking down at her, more than a little befuddled. It was was only as they exchanged glances, the hedgehog finally awkwardly grasping her hand and haphazardly matching her hold on his shoulder, that Blaze realised what should have been an obvious truth.

Silver surely hadn't spent much time dancing- he'd been spread thin across time and space, fighting all manner of threats! Despite this being their first time dancing together, they had an audience to impress. Those koalas, in various configurations, had been present at prior royal balls for decades- they knew what a professional waltz was supposed to look like. Failure here would lead to Gardon recommending she switch to a more appropriate suitor. Silver would be atomised beneath their critical gaze, it was a certainty and it was entirely her fault.

"Walk with me," The cat harshly hissed, hoping the band wouldn't hear.

With a single step the cat felt herself stubble, she'd moved too quickly and caught on her dress! She heard a tear as she reflexively clung to her partner, fingers buried deep in his waistcoat's gash. He'd caught her of course, Silver had reflex enough to do that, but his fingers must have been burning- her temperature had skyrocketed. She could feel his palm on her exposed shoulder; somehow the small of her back or the edge of her hip now felt like a less intimate position!

Gritting her teeth and lowering her gaze, the cat marched on with her stare locked on her feet. She'd been so focused on the slit and shoulders, the dress being one size too large had almost completely slipped her mind! She had to step far, that was the only way to counteract the length of the dress. She was already leading, that wasn't a massive change to make; she could do this, she just had to keep calm.

They weren't even spinning, just walking as they clung to each other's body, not daring to attempt a more dramatic move. A sigh slipped between Blaze's lips as she tried to cool off, daring to glance up to Silver as they stumbled around the hall. Immediately her eyes met with his, gleaming with a combination of confusion and concern. He was holding on much too tight, was he still worried about her falling? What was-

The centre of Blaze's sole met with something too lumpy to be the floor, and too dense to be excess dress fabric. She heard a breath sucked in much too quickly and felt a flinch rock through her partner as his eyes widened. The cat had only looked away from her feet for a moment, and she'd already stood on his foot. She hadn't stepped on a dance partner's foot since she was a child taking lessons...

"Sorry," The cat quickly stepped off of him.

"It's okay," He winced as they slowed to a halt, "Do you want me to try leading?"

Blaze blinked, she could immediately tell that the hedgehog was serious. Had he somehow found time to practice? She supposed he'd had three months to prepare for this date, but in that period he had prevented no fewer than six apocalypses. When would he have found the time to even consider today? Had he travelled outside of usual time periods specifically to practice?

"You can try," The cat grimaced at the surprise in her tone, "Move your right hand to my back and take over."

Her first realisation she'd made a mistake was the sheen of psychic light that coated both his body and hers. In the blink of an eye they went from barely stepping to spinning through the air, orbiting each other arm in arm. Blaze looked to the ground just in time for them to have risen to a high point and begin a descent! The cat bent her knees as they gently, but quickly, met with the ground only to rise over and over again- the orchestra hadn't stopped playing despite the sudden change in their dancing style!

That was a point, was he even listening to the music? Had he ever danced at all?! She would be laughing if they weren't beneath the mortifying gaze of processionally trained musicians- this was anything but a waltz. He wasn't remotely following the time signature!

Midair, Blaze felt his hands release her- the feline's frame drifted back from his before coming together once more. The movement was too sudden, she didn't manage to match his hold before his psychic power separated them again! This time he lowered to the ground while she stayed at the same height- all of a sudden she was lying flat in the air and his hand was at her midsection, all the while the two of them were spinning!

The cat felt herself released, like an arrow suddenly shot straight- only to perform most of a loop and land on her feet. Her head was spinning, the guardian felt herself step and slip only to then glide over the ground, flowing frictionlessly back into his hold. She tried to grab onto him only to fall short, crashing into his chest with arms half folded. To his credit, he rolled with it- unfortunately that meant more psychic puppeteering. Blaze's frame spun out of his, practically pirouetting. With a powerful stomp she brought herself to a halt, dispelling the psychic cloaking.

This wasn't like them, why couldn't they do this? They'd fought in sync for years, anticipating the other's movements wordlessly, but now they were stumbling over each other like drunks on their way back from a very productive evening at the tavern. It wasn't just his lack of experienced, she was failing too. With each mistimed grasp and step they were proving Gardon right.

"Are you okay?" She caught Silver's eye and saw his concern, "Was that wrong?"

Frustration reigned as her stare fell to her feet and her toes curled- despite them coming to a halt, the music hadn't stopped. Whether they'd danced for mere moments or minutes Blaze had no idea, the waltz was too repetitive! Was the orchestra expecting to play the same song until she commanded them to change?! Well, if they wanted an order she'd give them one.

"Leave us!" Blaze ordered, bringing the music to an abrupt halt, "I need some time to speak with Silver. We will recall you when we are good and ready."

The cat could sense the panic in the room, radiating from the musicians and her partner alike. Three dozen koalas hurried their way down from the stage, most leaving their instruments behind. It must have taken them about a minute to cross the hall, but it felt like hours- none of them looked back, but Blaze could still feel their judgement boring into her. It was only as the door finally closed that her eyes arrived on him again.

"I thought you were going easy on me," He quickly informed her, "I wanted to show you I could do something more complex..."

A sigh slipped through her lips, "I wasn't going easy on you Silver. That's just how the dance is done," It wasn't his fault, she'd thrust the time traveller into the world of the royal court- of course he'd reacted strangely.

"I was trying to impress you," He admitted, closing the distance between them, "I didn't have a lot of time to practice, but I tried to come up with a routine..."

Blaze blinked, "A routine?"

"Well, I know you've done ballet before," Silver explained, "I thought we'd be doing that kind of dancing? You know, more of a performance? Rather than whatever that slow wandering this is."

"What you did certainly wasn't ballet," That sounded too negative, "Well, it was closer to ballet than waltzing I suppose..." That wasn't much better.

The hedgehog's lips pursed for a moment, "What actually is waltzing?"

"It's a type of slow dancing, it's common at formal events," She answered, quickly turning the conversation back to her confusion, "Before you came up with," Blaze tried to sound positive, "Your routine," She failed, "Had you ever danced before?"

He seemed to seriously contemplate for a moment, "I don't think so? I didn't really hear any music before I arrived in the past, I barely knew what it was," He tugged at his chest fur, "I guess I would have seen people dance for the first time around then too? They always seemed to be doing it to impress a crowd... or at least another person? That or to make money."

His answer raised more questions, "Why do you think it is that I do ballet?"

"Oh, well, I thought that was more an exercise thing, right? To improve speed and balance?" He responded, "But when I consider it I understood that it's a type of dancing rather than just exercise, so I figured reading some books on it would be smart? Copying some of the poses..."

Reflecting back on how he'd shifted her, his comparison to ballet dancing did make a little bit more sense. From raising her above his head to the spins and even separating only to reunite in sequence. The showmanship involved was perhaps closer to ice skating or even circus acrobatics- exciting and skilful, though not befitting the royal ballroom.
None of this was really Silver's fault- if they weren't being watched so heavily none of this would have happened. She'd have laughed as he'd taken their dance too far and gently brought him back to normalcy. This should have been something fun to laugh about, rather than worrying the cat about days to come.

"I practiced using a mannequin," He broke the silence and crashed her train of thought.

A wiry smile creased her lips, "What?"

"In a ruined future- I found one in a mall... well there were a few of them in a collapsed mall, I sort of created an audience," He said, plainly embarrassed, "When I saw there were others, it felt like leaving them out would be wrong... I practiced in a big stadium that was mostly still standing, I put them in the stands."

"That's horrifying," She felt her smile grow as her tail swished, "But I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound fun."

"I know we're going to have a lot of eyes on us at the ball," His hand tugged at his chest fur, "I thought it'd make sense to practice under the same sort of circumstance."
Blaze could so easily envision it, a faceless crowd watching as he practiced and practiced alone on a world that had undoubtedly lay lifeless for almost two hundred years. Despite there being no other lifeforms, he'd somehow found a way to gather the pressure of attention. Truth be told, his recreation was rather close to the reality Blaze had come to expect- she would encounter countless faceless financiers and bureaucrats, many of whom would look upon her appearance as if she were some kind of spectacle to behold rather than their nation's guardian. Those dummies were equally mindless.

Then again, who was she to think anyone mindless? Given their current situation, the two of them were worse than ignorant- they were too far gone, lost in their own minds and perspectives. They had to get back to basics.

"We're both trying to do very different things. You rehearsed a routine alone and without music, I'm relying on you understanding dance in a way that is impossible given where you were born... and I'm also greatly overthinking this dress I'm wearing," She summarised, "We need to work together, like we always do. Get on the same page."

Even without the crowd of onlookers, they were still out of sync. That pressure was still lingering, creating an undeniable barrier between them. They needed a reset, some kind of catalyst that would return them to normalcy.

"I think the dress is nice?" He offered as a first step.

"Thank you," She sighed, "But I don't think it properly fits me," A thought entered the cat's mind, a way to reset their mental imbalance, "Much like that uniform doesn't fit you."
With a single swipe of her claws, his garb was split down its front and rendered into an open vest. Immediately fur burst free as golden clasps rained to the ground. Despite the surprise on his face, the psychic's posture was immediately more comfortable.

She knocked the hat from his head to fly across the room, "Blaze, what are you-

"Gardon said they'll have a better version for the day, did he not?" Blaze questioned, "Besides, it's already ruined. I'm simply rendering material that might be used," She justified, "Shoes off. Now."

Rather than bend down, the hedgehog began to hover. Crossing his legs midair, he tugged until the left clog flew free and the right soon followed it. While he was busy with that, Blaze hiked the straps of her dress up her shoulders- they almost certainly wouldn't stay there, but their new position felt much more comfortable. With another cleave of her claws the fabric of her gown was torn- the lower quarter was removed, allowing the cat to take full advantage of the freedom the slit had hinted toward. As he returned to the ground she assessed him once more- finding that without his shoes they were closer to their regular height difference. He was unkempt and still just a little confused- exactly how she liked him.

"Much better," She nodded, raising her hands again, "Shall we resume?"

The hedgehog's arm rounded her waist as their hands clasped, "But we don't have any music?"

"Neither did you when you rehearsed," She reminded him aligning their bodies, "Hum with me."

Blaze took the lead in sound and body, replicating the music the orchestra had played in her own tone. She felt the weight of Silver's hand on the small of her back as he followed her steps, pulling her close enough that their legs were almost, but not quite, entangled. Soon, he was humming in time with her. As they walked the feline gently introduced a soft sway to the effort, taking one step backward toward the centre of the hall only to then walk him back out toward the edge.

"Keep humming," She instructed, "I'll walk you through some more steps."

His hands were warm, the tightness of his grip signalled to Blaze his intensity- he did not want to fail again, he plainly felt that he had was responsible for their missteps in someway when that burden was truly mutual. Even in these simple steps, the cat could already feel herself matching him more thoroughly. Yes, this already so much better.
"Raise our handhold and I'll spin under it," She instructed.

She swayed beneath his raised hand with ease, though had to somewhat twirl herself on his fingers. By the third attempt though he seemed to fully understand the motion, delicately spinning her to arrive exactly within his grasp without tripping or standing on his toes. Soon they were dancing as if it was second nature, despite her request she barely had to say a word to him.

"Now we shall turn as we waltz," She explained, feeling confident, "Follow my lead."

There was a moment of confusion, she pressed her shoulder against his chest and guided him into the motion. Soon that contact was not required but the cat chose to maintain it; feeling the recreation of the song vibrate through the hedgehog as they paced. She lost track of time, comfortable in the knowledge that this was far more like the afternoon she'd imagined spending with him than what'd come before.

Eventually, Blaze slipped out of his grasp, allowing her hands to drift down to her torn skirt, and gave a deep curtsy as their humming came to a close. The imagined sound of an ovation played in the cat's mind, the same polite sort that always followed a song's conclusion during the Winter Ball. Despite its normalcy, to hear such applause with Silver by her side would feel much more important- the guardian was certain of it.

"That is how you waltz," She informed him, looking up to meet his still overly contemplative gaze, "Thank you for the dance, Silver."

"Oh, um, thank you too, Blaze," He quickly matched her curtsy before asking, "Can we practice some more?" His brain seemed to be moving much too fast, "I mean, before we invite the band back in."

"Feel free to ask whatever you want, Silver," She instructed him, "I can tell something is on your mind."

"It's just..." He seemed to struggle do the right words, "This feels a bit simple, doesn't it? Sort of plain."

"I believe that waltzes are intentionally easy to learn but hard to master, there are certain intricacies beyond what I have taught you," Blaze explained, "How would you propose we change the dance?"

"Well, I practiced a lot with my powers," He reminded her, "I'm not saying we do the flips or flying tricks but we could make a couple of changes and do some things different, right?"

"I would try to limit it to small flourishes," She suggested, "I'd also recommend timing the efforts with a change in the music- like is done in more intricate dances."
Silver's eyes lit up, "Can we test some?"

"Of course," She smiled, taking his hand once more.

As they resumed their humming she allowed him to lead, feeling his tug at her waist. They managed to pick up from where they'd left off, slipping back into the dance without a single stutter or misstep. As the two of them got back into the swing of things Blaze watched as cyan light leached from the symbols in his palms to gently cloak their frames.
His eyes met hers and his brows furrowed as if to ask, "Is this okay?"

She responded with a smile, to tell him that, "Of course."

This time, as he pirouetted her beneath his arm, the two of them gently rose to hover above the ground- just as she had anticipated. The dance continued at that higher elevation, their steps against his psychic light rather than the floor. Gently, each time she twirled beneath his hand, they would rise and fall with suitable grace. Soon that experimentation expanded to include other figures surrounding them, conjured from his will to fill the hall. It took the feline a moment to realise they weren't simply other dancers- but exact copies of them, a steps ahead in the sequence. It wasn't that they were dancing in time with the ghostly figures, rather they were becoming them. Each time they matched their pose and stepped into their space, they would burst into shining psychic glitter that drifted to the ground.

Blaze quickly realised this wasn't just a stylistic choice, not only was he marking their steps ahead but planning their poses ahead of time. With that intention plain the feline felt him truly take control of the dance, manoeuvring their poses to be slightly more dynamic as they went. Eventually, his eyes no longer lingered on those conjured figures but locked with her own as he finally returned to his bolder self.

Once again Blaze lost track of time, this wasn't just like the afternoon she'd imagined- it was exactly it. Here they were free to express their bond without the risk of generating rumours or being seen as uncouth. With this practice in her heart, regardless of what came next, she would be ready for the ball. When the final set of doppelgangers disintegrated their humming came to synchronised conclusion.

"Thank you for the dance," This time he curtsied first, "How did I do?"

"Thank you for the dance," She matched him, "That was excellent, Silver."

He beamed at her with a light in his eyes that Blaze could barely look upon- he looked upon her with a warmth she'd felt from no one else. Despite how things had started, their practice would now be considered a success. Their technical skill wouldn't win any awards, their efforts would likely still be reported back to Gardon as a failure- but it would be one that she could confidently argue for.

"Shall we get reacquainted with the orchestra?" The cat asked, as they slowed to a stop.

"I'm ready if you are," He quickly answered, "But are you sure you want them to see us like this?"

"Your coat was already torn," Blaze justified in an overly proper tone, "Besides, a princess should have the freedom to style her own dress."

Her eyes met his; she could not hold her seriousness. As a smile cracked across her lips, she leaned much too close into him. Her clavicle met with his, she tiptoed to rest her chin upon his shoulder. Temptation became overwhelming as she felt Silver's arms cross behind her to complete a hug.

"Thank you for doing this," Her lips feathered against his pulse, grazing only briefly before she stepped back.

In the aftermath his face was red, either the cat was far warmer than she anticipated or she hadn't been as subtle as she thought. His inability to meet her eye suggested that the latter was much more likely. Despite that truth, her smirk did not waver.

"Well, I think it's time to call them back in," She said, as nonchalantly as possible.

"You can come back in, we're ready now!" The hedgehog yelled, turning his beet red face toward the hall's doors and tugging them open with a wave.

Revealed on the other side were three members of the orchestra, plainly attempting to eavesdrop with their fluffy ears to the door. Rather than make any excuses, they quickly set about gathering their fellow musicians in a complete panic. Soon the colony had regathered.

As a cacophony of koala feet once again filled the hall, her eyes lingered on the hedgehog's still smiling face. If Silver had led a more charmed life he could have made for some incredible dancer, incorporating his powers to glide across the ground as if on ice and carry his partner with ease. In such a reality however, he would not be the same Silver that she'd sought out to accompany her. It was better to make fools of themselves and have fun than be stilted and professional with a stranger. If that wasn't why she'd asked him to accompany her, then what other possible reason was there?

Well, besides the obvious.

"Feel free to play whatever you like," Blaze recommended to the conductor as she passed, "We're ready for anything."

Though the koala looked befuddled, once her orchestra were back in position, she quickly turned to lead the music once more. A familiar song played, another waltz- though slightly faster than that which they had previously failed at. The feline had surely danced to it over a dozen times, holding the hand of a different person each time yet performing the same tiresome steps. That would not be the case this time- not as long as she stood in Silver's grasp and she held him.

They moved to the melody of their own music and didn't follow some standard time signature. The hedgehog may not have had rhythm, but the feline knew that he could match her every move. While Blaze was trained in dance, she knew her partner better than any simple series of steps. They could do this, they could do anything together!