The weather was fair yet cloudy, it wasn't too warm, but it wasn't too cold and the tide was almost fully in. Sunset was a little more than a few hours away, before it came the clouds would break further and a beautiful, pink-red, sky would be revealed. No attacks would come today; there would be no evil, hairbrained, scheme put into motion on either a domestic or galactic level, though such a plan had been entirely unmade a little more than a day prior. Yes, today, this calm day at the docks of Soleanna was one that Silver the hedgehog knew well. To most of his friends, today might have seemed especially mundane but he knew it differently. To him, this day was like no other. Although, unlike when he'd first lived it, he was viewing it through the lens of nostalgia.
Despite his knowledge and experience of today, Silver the hedgehog was quietly quaking in his boots as he wandered past the shops and restaurants on the city's most coastal street. When he'd last been here, to this exact day rather than this exact place, he'd been fourteen years old and yet, as he'd come to know, it wasn't the first time he'd visited this city and it certainly wasn't his first time being fourteen. Currently he was twenty-four in terms of linear time. He'd gained a lot since that day, both in terms of height and understanding his place in life, but it wouldn't be farfetched to say he felt all that and more had been stripped away. He felt as though he'd reverted into an insecure and nervous youth, not as a result of this time nor place but as a result of his intended next action.
Walking side by side with him, holding his hand in hers, was a feline who'd matured in equal measure to him, linearly and otherwise. Blaze wasn't wearing her usual guardian uniform, the ten-year anniversary of them reuniting had warranted a change in both of their wardrobes. While he had donned spiffy black boots, a set of nicer gloves, a white dress shirt with black trousers and a bowtie that he was seriously regretting, she had put herself in a full suit. A deep burgundy jacket and trouser combination hid a button up, white-silken shirt and a purple-wine coloured tie. She'd kept her heels but, despite their best efforts, he was still just a little taller. She seemed to like such outfits far better than the dresses she'd once been forced into. Suits seemed to further imbue her with a certain brand of confi-
She came to a sudden halt, causing him to stumble, and the rolling of her eyes fully derailed his train of thought.
"If you spend all night watching me, you'll miss the sunset," She'd caught him staring and come to a stop, a small smirk had formed on her muzzle. Just as quickly as she'd halted though, the princess took a small lead and pulled him after her, "Come on, let's find somewhere for dinner."
A few years prior, she'd have insisted he keep his eyes forward and stop looking. Safe to say, she'd gotten far better at hiding her blush. While once he'd been oblivious, now he was the one who'd stammer and redden. The heat laying siege to his muzzle was proof enough of that. As he sped up to match her pace, he fought not to meet her eyes nor muzzle again. In lieu of that, he managed to turn his attention to the sea and tightly grip an object that he'd stashed deep within his right pocket; a small, purple, ring box. It was the clear source of his nervousness, a source that he half hoped was obvious to her and half hoped was not. He wanted to surprise her, even just a little, but to say he was tense about proposing was an understatement.
Blaze was his partner, she had been when they'd battled monsters in a city overtaken by flames and now, she was again. Even during their younger years together in that prior life, he'd always just kind of figured they'd stick together forever. Back then that mentality derived from a rather simple and childish desire to stay with his best friend for ever and ever but, with time, that want had rather evolved. She was still his best friend and yet she was something much more. It'd taken time, they'd fought for ages to overcome the denial and embarrassment that came with their burgeoning feelings, but, in the end, they'd managed to admit their love for one another. He cared for her in a way that he knew he couldn't care about anyone or anything else. Their loss of one another had brought what'd gone unspoken and unthought of to light, even if it'd blinded them at first.
This was just like that first step towards love all over again, he felt like he was stumbling at each and every step, but now there was something even deeper to it. He'd been too young, naïve and oblivious to understand what he was really getting into when they'd first started dating. Blaze was a princess, her family had defended her kingdom for generation upon generation, their romantic lives had historically involved suitors, people with power and land in her world. Only a few generations prior, becoming the second half of a royal pair had been an event that Blaze could only describe to him as ludicrous with competitions and bribery and all manner of horrendous implications. It was supposed to be a bizarre spectacle of some sort, guesses and bets were gruesomely made on who would take the royal's hand.
Asking the girl who'd died for his future, who he'd been more than willing to die for, who'd call him naïve, chastise his insecurity and who he couldn't live without to marry him would be ludicrously difficult. Asking that same girl, who also just happened to be the princess and guardian of an entire world in which he was a relative nobody and a stranger, seemed practically impossible. She cared so deeply for her people and their wants, more than she cared for herself. He'd so casually tended to other people's futures, yet he was scared to take a serious step towards theirs. He'd battled monsters and lived through the unliveable but asking his closest companion a simple question seemed far more gruelling.
Pulling his right hand from his pocket, he reached up to awkwardly tug at the small cluster of chest fur he had access to. He was probably a little underdressed for all this, she'd made such a bold choice while he'd been indecisive, but that was nothing new. He'd recommended this place and time both due to its romanticism and to force himself to act. This was the exact day they had reunited, that moment was mere hours away. Out there a much younger Silver and Blaze were blindly wandering across the city, on an inevitable collision course. There would only be one opportunity to actually act on his want, a moment he thought perfect to pop the question. If he failed today then the site where he wanted to propose would be overcrowded, a seemingly impossible task would truly become impossible.
They'd known where and when they were visiting today, but, beyond that, they'd essentially schemed in secret. Though this beachside wasn't unlike those in her dimension, they both knew the area well enough to take each other on unique, albeit relaxed, adventure. There was a good star watching spot just outside the city, a few good movies playing, some attractions that would currently be going unused and plenty of historical sights. He'd promised to take care of their early actions while their later efforts were up to her.
"So, did you have an actual plan for dinner? It's a Tuesday night, I doubt we'll need any reservations…" She half asked and half mused.
"O-Oh, right," He'd been pulled from his thoughts again. Looking to her and tugging more tightly at his chest fur, Silver explained his plan, "Yes, I made plans. There's a place that does really good pasta around here. It'll close down in a couple of years, but the head chef will go on to start running a far bigger and busier restaurant in station square. His current restaurant is quieter, a small place on the waterfront that's much too expensive for its owner to maintain," Realising he was rambling, releasing all he had researched in the future, he caught himself, "B-But that just means the view is very good, it's not too far from here either."
"That sounds perfect, let's go then-
"W-Wait," He stopped walking this time, she turned to him with a small quirk on her brow. Much more and she'd start asking questions and he'd crumble where he stood, "Before the restaurant, there's somewhere I'd like to go first. It's just a little further ahead."
She gave him a knowing look before resuming her lead, their reunion was burned into her memory just as it was his, "I suppose that we can go there first, but it's hardly going to vanish."
"So will we though," He interjected, walking alongside her, "So I figured we should probably avoid that, I don't really know what'll happen if we bump into ourselves. I've never really done it before."
"Doesn't that mean we should be avoiding the wharf at all costs? Perhaps even the whole city," She questioned.
"Maybe but," He scrambled for an answer, "I just thought it'd be romantic. I think we can stand to do it just this once, I know I'll be too distracted by you to notice another of myself hiding nearby."
"Well, I suppose the same is true of me… and it is a rather special place," He could tell by the flicking of her tail that she was curious, she knew he was up to something, but also genuinely interested in visiting the site, "I suppose, just this once. I think we might start to notice if there's more than four of us in the vicinity. It might distract from another day's romanticism."
It took a lot to keep himself from sighing with relief but, despite that urge, he was still incredibly nervous. She'd agreed to come to the spot, but he still had to act once they'd arrived. He knew what he wanted to say, he knew what he wanted to do, but putting that into motion was going to take the sum of his willpower. Even then, that might not be enough. He hoped the site of such memories would catalyse him.
A squeeze of his hand tugged him from his thoughts again, Blaze was scanning him with a lingering inquisitiveness. He beamed at her, fully knowing she'd recognise the nervousness behind it. Fortunately, she seemed to take it in good faith; her shoulder gently met with his as she walked just a little bit closer to him. Their relationship with contact like this had changed a lot over the years, going from natural to embarrassing to natural once more. The hedgehog was glad he could find such comfort in her touch. Despite having regained both his memories and his companion ten years ago, he was still a little new to contact. While he'd hug and hold others, the quiet moments were still reserved for her.
"What about later tonight? Have you planned a lot?" He inquired, realising that he'd been too deep in thought to properly drum up conversation.
"I've got a couple of things up my sleeve, you'll just have to wait and see what happens," She hinted, leaning just a little bit more to accentuate her point, "It'll just depend what we have time for and where our wanders take us."
"I told you everything but you're not going to say anything?" He whined, half-jokingly, "Blaze, please..."
The only response he received was her tail winding around his waist and her leading ever so slightly faster.
Clearly, she planned to lead him on for the entire evening. He'd kind of come to expect that from their dates. While he planned relatively simple things for the most part, innocent and obvious, the feline enjoyed playing with him quite a lot. Her position in her home world meant that dates were often sporadic, arranged at the last minute or constantly shuffled and reshuffled, but she'd learned to take advantage of that. He'd find her at his door and, very quickly, find himself being pulled across islands and in all sorts of directions. Despite this, she didn't like to take advantage of her position as guardian. Most commonly, they would find themselves hiking across far off islands and cooking in by campfire or she'd order food and pull him up to the castle for a night in. Blaze seemed to relish in surprising him with what was, in comparison to the lives they knew and had known, relatively regular things. He'd be lying if he said, just as he had her, he'd fallen in love with things being regular.
He threw another glance oceanward, finding the sky still overly cluttered with white, fluffy, masses, untouched by the reds and pinks of a sunset. The change in tone from day to night couldn't have been too far away, they were going for dinner rather than a late lunch after all, but the lack of signs was giving him some comfort. As they reached his intended destination, it told him that they still had some time.
He'd brought her to the site at which they'd soon be reuniting. They wouldn't quite be meeting for the first time in this lifetime but they would remember what they were to one another. It was a stairway down to the thin wharf that edged along the entire coast and splayed out in places to create small harbours. It was a simple, unassuming, sight; but the view of the sea from those stairs was breath-taking, even when the sun wasn't setting.
The first time they'd visited here was the darkest day of their life. Amy Rose had just stopped him from killing Sonic, displaying her love by defending the blue blur with her body before bluntly admitting how much she cared for him. Uncertain how to proceed from here, Silver's faith in their mission shaken, he'd meandered his way to these steps and found himself moping but, ultimately, had been distracted by the sight and smell of the sea. Eventually Blaze had joined him but, with the future on the line, he hadn't had the strength to so much as mention the beauty of their surroundings, let alone suggests they sit for a while. They were trying to save their world, but the cost of such a victory proved to be too much. He'd lost both her and his memories of her only a handful of hours later. They both ended up reincarnating into entirely different lives in total opposite locations, they'd become strangers.
In this life though, this spot held a very different meaning. It was where they'd reforge their connection, where she'd convince him to visit her world for the first time and he'd managed to claim a moment of true peace for the first time across any of his lives. That peace hadn't lasted for too long of course, the future was still destroyed back then, but it'd been enough of a taste that he knew what he wanted and where he wanted to be.
Leaving her side, he rushed up to arrive at the top of the stairs and took a seat on the far-right side. Sitting himself on its pale wooden boards, he patted the spot next to him. She rolled her eyes and grew another smirk before walking over to sit with him. These were the positions that their past selves would soon take to talk and, eventually, reminisce. He swore he could see the slightest twinge of pink on the clouds but, beyond that, the cluttered sky was still hiding many secrets.
He turned his attention to her, just in time for her head to meet with his shoulder, "It's not quite the view I remember, but it's getting there."
A bigger smile broke onto his face, he reached across his body with his right hand and held it flat to her; fingertips to the sky. Without so much as blinking, she brought her left hand to meet it. Palm to palm and finger to finger before, gently, their fingers slipped into a grasp. This was the first contact they'd made in this lifetime, the trigger to remembering had been no more than a simple touch.
Silver knew what he wanted to do, he'd been riling himself up to do it all day, but he couldn't help staring for just a moment. He could easily imagine the younger feline who'd just regained her memories; the combined look of shock, regret and happiness was unlike any expression she'd worn before or since. Now she just looked happy, peaceful even, so much had changed across these lives; the places, their comfort and feelings alike. After a minute or so of flickering between her and the ocean, he took a deep breath and steeled himself.
His closer hand was still locked in her grasp, so he stretched with his right and struggled to cross his hand over his body to delve into his right jacket pocket. Once he'd grasped the box, he threw a glance in her direction only to find her expression had changed; she was squinting, but not at the horizon. Almost instinctively, he followed her eyeline only to find that the cloud barrier had shifted slightly. The orange sun was struggling to break through the clouds.
It was as Silver realised this, that he felt Blaze's hand slip free from his and a sudden push impact his right shoulder, sending him tumbling from the banister-less staircase and onto the wharf below. The moment he hit the ground he used his powers to force flip himself back upright, prepared to fly back up the stairs, but the suit-clad feline had jumped straight after him and very almost knocked him back to the ground.
"W-What's going on? What was-
Before he could finish, her hands had found his shoulders and shunted him backwards. His back met with wood, her palms were on his chest and the sky was blocked by the edge of the staircase above. She'd pushed him into the minuscule nook beneath the wharf's staircase, the sea was directly beneath their feet once again. Before he could shift, the princess moved. She was no longer pinning him with her body so much as caging him, her hands placed against the wood at either side of his neck. This wasn't a position he was new to, but she had fully caught him by surprise. His muzzle was painted fully crimson, sweat immediately began to pool on his brow, but Blaze wasn't even looking at him; her gaze was thrown to the boards above them. He only half understood what was happening but, before he could ask, she gave a demand.
Her words came out hushed and sharp, "Stay still, keep quiet. I think you're about to arrive."
It took a moment for those words to process, he hardly had an impeccable sense of time, but he was certain they weren't about to meet. It was only then that he realised what of that day he remembered; only really from meeting Blaze onward, the exact point of his arrival was lost on him. He remembered the sky just beginning to change as she called out to him and he turned, but not the minutes leading up to that.
"Already? I didn't see myself or anything," Silver answered, trying to keep his voice equally low, "How do you know?"
"The clouds were beginning to part," She hesitated, as footsteps padded above them, "When I found you that day, my eyes landed on you because you were caught in the first sunbeam. I saw it starting."
He'd just thought it was somewhere nice to sit, he hadn't noticed that back then. Looking up and to his right, he saw a glimmer of sunlight breaking through the slats. Silver couldn't see much from his position, but he knew well enough to take her word for it. Well, that and he didn't have the strength to. He'd waited a moment too long and missed his opportunity, that realisation sapped him of energy. His other self hadn't arrived mid-proposal, but he had failed.
"What're we going to do?" She questioned.
"I guess we'll just have to stay here and keep still," He sheepishly mumbled, feeling thoroughly to blame. They'd be sat up there for a good few hours, "If things go how they're supposed to then they shouldn't notice us and, when they remember, we might be able to slip away?"
"You're right, I think leaving before that would be dangerous. Changing the future here could be dangerous," She nodded, her head very almost meeting with his, "Remembering will probably distract them enough," Her eyes flickered back to the wood above, "Well, distract us enough."
She didn't look upset, but he couldn't help grimacing; he'd effectively stranded them, "I'm sorry, I should have timed this better."
"Oh hush," She looked at him, seriousness in her eyes but a joking smirk on her lips, "Even if you should have, this is a very fitting experience. I never considered that we could relive this," As his brow softened, the harshness fled her eyes and a small spark of excitement took its place. Footsteps sounded overhead. Silver the hedgehog, age fourteen, had just arrived, "Let's enjoy ourselves."
His chance to propose was dashed, he couldn't move his body nor his spirit from this position, but at least she was happy. This was a rather unique opportunity, no one else could really relive a significant moment in their life as they were about to. Even if it wasn't the new experience he'd wanted to give her, at least it was an old one that he knew was close to their hearts. As he watched her eyes drift across the woodwork above, he couldn't help but marvel at her again. The drop had made her fur ever so slightly unkempt, almost urging or asking him to push the pieces back into place. She hid her emotions so well, but he was equally skilled at uncovering them. As she stared at the boards above, he couldn't help but keep noticing that smile on her muzzle and the slow batting of her tail. She wasn't lying about wanting to enjoy this.
He gently reached up, made cramped by her holding, and went to push back a strand that was dangling from her ponytail. He'd only just made contact when a voice called him to flinch and pin himself back against the wood.
"So, it is you," Those four simple words clued him in to this current moment without holding any real meaning whatsoever. That voice was one he knew all too well; it was that of Blaze the cat, age fourteen. Almost instantly, even without seeing, he could visualise the goings on above them.
"Oh, hey!" His own mid-pubescent voice almost brought his toes to curl, but his eyes did flicker to the woodwork above. He couldn't really see anything, but he perfectly remembered what was happening, "I've seen you a few times before. What was your name again…? I don't think I've asked before..."
Once he finished stumbling over himself, she'd take two steps closer and make a brief introduction, punctuated with a nod, "I am Blaze the cat, guardian of the Sol Emeralds."
"Blaze… that name really does sound familiar," The reason for that would soon become apparent to the youngster, "Well, I'm Silver! Thank you for helping out the past couple of days, you were amazing!"
She'd pause for a moment, still stood somewhere behind him. Meanwhile, his prior self would quickly turned his attention back to the water, confused by a strange feeling that was engulfing him, "Why are you not with the others? Surely they're celebrating another victory?"
"If I'm honest, I don't really know," A bizarre feeling had pulled him there, a wanderlust like no prior, "When I first arrived, I just happened to pass through here; the blue sky over the sea looked so pretty. I felt like I was supposed to see the sunset on it before I left, I figured it'd be even nicer than the regular sky," Yes, soon the clouds would part to reveal a beautiful sunset, but that would pale in comparison to what he was about to receive, "You're not at the party either though, did you come out here to watch the sunset?"
"You could say that," She had chosen to offer, obscuring that very same feeling in her heart, "…Would you mind if I joined you? I don't know why, I've seen the sun drift beneath the sea a million times, but this seems… rather important."
"Important?" She'd confused him but offered no elaboration, "Of course you can, anyone who wants can and should see this," He'd pet the spot next to him but she'd choose to sit a good half foot further away, "The skies of this time can be so pretty, I can't wait to see it reflected on the water!"
Now that pair were sitting side by side, an awkward silence engulfing them as they tried to focus on the sea but kept exchanging hesitant glances. The older Silver allowed his eyes to flicker to his Blaze. Any lingering concern had left her face and been replaced by a curious stare, it briefly dropped to grace his muzzle before flickering back to the floorboards above them. Given their positioning, she likely had the better view, perhaps she could even see herself. As long as neither of their past versions caught on, nothing could go wrong.
Silver was reminded of the ring in his pocket. His hope of presenting it was abandoned but, at this moment at least, he was almost too awed to worry about that. Even if he'd wanted to right now, and he'd thoroughly kick himself later for not acting, another moment would come. This was still something special. He cast his gaze towards the ocean, the clouds had split far further now and cotton candy colourations were fanning out across the sky. No reflections were clear yet but, within the next half hour, he knew they would begin to appear; that truly beautiful sky would arrive soon. By the time that the pair above had made their peace, the world before them would be cast in the most stunning of colours. Regardless of what happened this evening, regardless of how events progressed, this would linger in his mind as one of the best days he'd ever lived, and now they were getting to experience it for a second time.
Despite being pinned to the wall, despite the tension tied to hiding and the loss of his engagement plan, the lapping of the waves just feet beneath them, the gentle glow of the sun on the horizon and the closeness of her frame to his was putting him entirely at ease. When he was fourteen, he'd been drawn here, but now it felt like he was meant to be here. His ears flickered as the conversation picked back up.
"Is this really the only reason you didn't stay for the party?" The young princess had dared to ask, opting to break the quiet for once. Even before they'd remembered each other, they'd been able to read the other's voice and expression so fluently.
"Well, mostly, yeah," She'd just thrown him a look, a look that told him that she could tell he was lying, "Th-That and, well…" It wasn't that he was embarrassed at being caught so much as he was struggling to disclose a truth that he didn't truly understand, "If I stay for the party then they'll ask me to stay longer, I think… a-and if I do that, then I won't be prepared for the next problem," He'd be scratching at his chest fur now, surely, "I don't know, they probably want me there but don't realise that they shouldn't have me there. I'm more useful elsewhere, you know?"
"You're so naïve," That was the first time he'd been called that in this lifetime, "If you're not going to stay for long, then you should have stayed for as long as you could and had your fill of fun rather than worrying and cutting it short. They'd probably rather have you around for a short while than not at all. They're sad but they've always understood when I've had to go," The feline was giving advice that she herself should probably be taking, "These opportunities are rare for me and, by your tone, I assume they are for you too."
"They are a little, yeah. I don't stay in the same time as them. You're probably right but… there's also just something about this sky, I don't know what it is…" Just now he'd turned to her, he'd got his first proper look at her and noticed the gem that marked her forehead. Something about it, her clothes and the colour of her fur would seem familiar too, just like her name, "Why aren't you with them? You're their friend too, right?"
"Hm," She'd been staring at him, though she'd probably just turned away from his inquisitive look, "I suppose I just needed some air and peace. It's nice to be away from my kingdom but it would seem I've exchanged one rowdy crowd for a different, albeit more social, sort."
The older Blaze snorted ever so slightly, "I'd been curious about you ever since the prior battle, I just couldn't bring myself to admit it."
"This is so strange," The twenty-four-year-old hedgehog mumbled, eyes flickering from the upper left in order to meet his girlfriend's gaze, "Is it weird that I'm really enjoying this? It's so strange, being an observer to the very reason we're here. If I hadn't come here that day and you'd decided not to talk to me, we wouldn't be here right now."
Silver noticed a change in her demeanour, the waving of her tail stopped and the smile on her face grew. Something was going through her head, she was contemplating something very deeply, but that expression quickly passed. Her shoulders rolled into a more relaxed position and her features softened, forming into a look he knew all too well. The hedgehog had no idea what she had decided, but he already knew the result of it.
He felt her grip shift slightly; the base of her palms was pushing on the edge of his shoulders. She'd already been close, but now her nose was bumping against his. She'd captured all of his vision, her tone was still hushed but, somehow, huskier, "Why don't you pay just a little more attention to the here and now…"
Her head tilted, he felt the weight of her wrists drop to his clavicle as her tail had managed to curl its way around his leg. The scent of her lavender perfume was surely beginning to mark him, its aroma was almost hypnotising him. The first kiss landed lightly, a stunning but soft peck on his lips, but the second was just heavy enough to get her message across. A gentle bite at his lower lip followed, a request for access.
He granted it without hesitation, the third kiss pushed him against the wood and brought his back to curve as he conceded to her control. Overhead they were still talking, growing more distracted and fascinated by the other with each passing moment. Still, they had to keep this subtle and quiet, Silver knew fine well that Blaze could have been doing more to overpower him. Through this kiss, their eyes had remained half lidded and captured within the other's glow; never quite breaking. His hands came to hold her, his fingers almost clawing at the small of her back as he tried to pull her even closer.
Their passionate bout soon paused though, she'd pulled back as a handful of familiar words spilled from the younger hedgehog's mouth, "You really do look familiar, I know I've seen you before but… it's like there's more to it than that? I'm not really sure how to describe it."
"Oh?" The feline half-hummed, trying not to seem desperate for answers but prompting him to speak further.
"I came here to look at the sky, but I can't stop looking at you. It's like you're drawing me in," The future hedgehog of the past explained, eyes locked on her, "I don't think his has ever happened to me before."
"Well, I'm sorry to be such a distraction. It is a beautiful sky…" She answered, not even looking at the very view that they were discussing, "But I'd be lying if I said you weren't distracting me too."
"R-Really?" The sound of shifting above caught him just a little off guard, he'd forgotten that he'd been the one to move closer first, "I've never felt anything like this before, it's like I already know you…"
"It's so strange but… I feel the same," A shuffling came from further behind him, the climax was about to arrive, but, once again, the adult Silver's attention was pulled from the princess above and towards the one in front of him.
His Blaze had shifted, her hands had dropped from his shoulders and found her sides, the feline's eyes had broken from his and a seriousness had overtaken his muzzle. They'd gone from so intimate to bordering on distant in no more than a minute. She caught his eyes only to part from them again, reaching down and dusting off both her jacket and her trousers. Had she noticed or remembered something that he hadn't? Were they at risk of being spotted? Was she preparing turn?
Even though his attention had been stolen, Silver's ears still picked up the younger hedgehog's voice, "But you aren't from around here, are you? There's no way we could have met before."
"I'm certain I'd remember your face," The young feline commented before seeming to catch herself, "Well, it feels like I do remember your face…"
"I wonder if…" He'd just started a sentence that he'd never get to finish.
Their hands had touched, that contact had sparked something that lingered deep within their very souls. They'd undone the lock and regained the memories of their past life. In little more than a second, he'd learned of another life in which he'd fought for a bright future, she'd learned of a world and time that so heavily contrasted that of her present one. Most importantly though, they'd both learned of each other.
The current Blaze though, his Blaze, had taken a single step away from him as their past selves made their first contact of this lifetime. Her eyes had returned to his, bring with them a steely serious expression that he'd thought was reserved for only the most difficult of fights, "Silver…"
"Y-Yes?" He stammered.
She dropped to one knee. Her right hand had sunk into her pocket. He immediately understood what was happening. His jaw slacked and eyes went wide as the princess revealed a small, silver, box.
"We've lived both together and apart; I don't ever want to be apart again. I want to stay with you for the rest of my life," Her voice was stable but he could see hints of concern in her demeanour. Little quirks like the flicking of her tail and the bending of her ears; little things that only he could identify. Those worries were entirely pointless, of course. He felt himself begin to shake; his vision had begun to blur.
The hedgehog managed to take a stumbling step forward, closing the gap.
"I know this sudden, but I've been carrying this little box with me for five months now, just waiting for the right time," Her voice was still quiet but, somehow, it cut through the splashing of waves and talk above. She captured held attention in a way that nothing else could, "I can't imagine that there'll ever be a better moment than this…"
The box was thumbed open, revealing a golden right with a band of inset red gems, like a combination of his cuffs and the jewel on her forehead. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, all their moving and talk faded from recognition as his vision shrunk to the ring alone and the face just above it. He hadn't expected this, he hadn't remotely considered it!
But it was perfect, it was so perfect.
"Considering all we've been through, both in this life and the last, this might seem like a formality, but…" That iron expression was wavering, being cracked away by the pressure behind her inevitable next words, "I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?" The question was asked but, before he could give an answer, she had started to talk again, "I know that-
"Y-Yes," It took all he had not to shout as he cut her off, almost falling forward as he reached for the ring and her hands, "Yes, of course Blaze! Of course I will!"
It took some fumbling to get the ring onto his finger, the sound of their past selves shouting and crying with mixed joy and regret acted as an impossible backdrop to this unimaginable occasion. The sun had broken through the clouds, the sunset was freely visible; everything had aligned so perfectly, even if he had failed earlier. In the moment, they almost forgot that this was their time, their chance to escape before their past selves noticed.
Once the ring was on, his hand slipped back into hers. With no more than a single glance up to their past selves, finding them on their feet and clinging to each other as though the universe was about to tear them apart again, the newly engaged couple ran along the wharf. They tried to keep light-footed at first but, eventually, their footfalls rang across the wood. The adrenaline of the moment carried him and, almost certainly, her as they dashed. It perhaps wasn't the most normal thing, proposing and then running from your past self, but it made this endeavour all the more memorable.
They ran until the sun had slipped its way down to sit on the ocean's smooth skyline, slowing themselves to a halt as they arrived at another set of stairs. It was narrower and more crudely constructed, attached to a small harbour that was home to a trio of small vessels. Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, they took a seat on those cramped stairs and began to catch their breath. Silver's mind was still racing, his eyes flickered to her before crashing into the ring on his finger; he could hardly believe it was real. He passed his thumb over it, feeling the smooth bands that shielded the gemstones.
"Blaze," She very quickly turned to him, "Th-That was incredible!"
"I know me doing this means something more than you were maybe hoping, taking any role in the royal family is difficult, let alone the one you are," She wasn't quite meeting his eye, instead choosing to almost look past him. He felt her hand slip from his, "Was I too sudden? Were you ready for me to ask? I know I didn't really drop any hints, but I wasn't sure how to. I thought about discussing our future, but we did most of that when we started dating, and you seemed happy so…"
Thoughts ran rampant through his mind, concerns and regrets; not about her choice to act, but his own inaction. He was overwhelmed, happier than he'd ever been, and now he had an opportunity to reassure her and return that happiness. That ring was burning a hole in his pocket, it was the answer to this problem. If he could will himself to draw it, then her worries would disappear. What kind of fool would he be if he failed to?
She kept talking through his silence, worry still plagued her face, "I also know that this is another huge responsibility you'd be taking on, and with the future at peace you might have hoped you'd never really have another. If you want some time to think or-
"P-Please don't worry about that, Blaze. I-I…uhm," The nervousness in his tone surely wasn't helping her. He closed his eyes, curled his toes and took a deep breath. He had to do this properly, "I have something for you too," Taking her left hand in his, Silver rose from the stair only to turn and drop to one knee. After a moment of rummaging through his pocket, a small box was retrieved and held before him. By the way and speed that her initial surprise dovetailed into a more relaxed joy, he knew that he had offset her worries. Even if it was a little pointless now, he unleashed the words he'd been reciting for months now, "Blaze, I don't want to lose you again. I've spent a life with you and one without you, nothing and no one could fill your place in my heart. I want to stay by your side forever, I always have. Both in this life and our past one, there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you."
The ring box sprung open with no more than a thought, revealing a silver band with a large red gemstone. Tears still lingered in his eyes, but now they'd started to form in hers. Without missing a step, she lowered herself to match his height and let her lips find his again. He was hardly able to focus but, with a little more fumbling, his ring found itself on her finger. Tonight had hardly started, and what little they'd done had gone entirely contrary to his plan, but, just as he'd thought it ten years ago, this truly was the best night of his life.