As her glare glanced one of the castle's many maids, Blaze watched her shrink back and bow her head. Though she felt an immediate upwelling of guilt, the princess couldn't bring herself to stop. With every second that past, she knew she would further regret being away from her desired destination; as she began to scale the stairs, she found her pace had only further increased. She knew this path well but not out of practice, only because she had wandered this trail so often in her mind. Even as she finally walked it, the feline found herself dissociating from her surroundings and lost among her thoughts.
Yesterday replayed in her mind, the attack had come without warning. From the sea just south of Southern Island, as the sun set and they day came to its end, a titan milled from metal had emerged from the sea. The warning bells began to ring only after the first of its tentacles had burst from the ocean, soon followed by a gaping maw filled with saw blades. Whether its limbs numbered in the hundreds or the thousands Blaze could not recall but an endless hail of them had jettisoned from its body and rained down as a concentrated missile strike on the palace grounds. Blaze could visualise the moment so clearly, hearing the initial explosion as rocket after rocket rose from the ocean. She had stood, stunned, as they arced through the air and towards the palace she had just left.
A second intruder to her world hadn't been so blindsided and, what's more, he had been in a position to act. She'd watched a tiny cyan speck ensnare the explosives, preventing them from breaching the palace, and heard him call out… something, something she couldn't recall but it had brought her back to her senses. She'd took off like a shot, racing to secure the Sol emeralds. Just as she'd laid hands on them, just as she thought they'd be safe, an explosion shook her to her very soul.
As she reached the landing, seeing the long stretching hallway of visitor guest rooms, Blaze could still visualise what had happened. She'd emerged from the basement expecting to find the castle in ruins only to see it was untouched, hardly an ornament out of place and nary a window broken. She'd rushed outside, emeralds prepared and fists aflame, only to find him on her doorstep. Crumpled, smouldering, unmoving; barely recognisable. The fit of rage she'd fallen into, emeralds sparking and clashing into her being, had been more than enough to see off Eggman Nega and his cruel device... but it had been too little too late. While the day was saved, it had come at a cost.
Blaze found herself on the threshold, her forehead practically against the door. She couldn't bring herself to reach for the doorknob. The guardian hadn't been allowed to see him yesterday, doctors and surgeons had rushed back and forth from his room all through the night, but she'd been told partway through the morning's first meeting that his condition had much improved. Unfortunately however, that fact had come coupled with some more negative news.
Certain medical practices, common to this world, could not be safely used on him; they had taken blood and were running tests, trying to determine what could be done to help him. He came from a totally different world, let alone a time without medicine, he could have had a negative or allergic reaction to any number of this world's standard medical treatments. They'd cared for him as best they could but all they could really do was bandage him, monitor him and wait for his body to heal. Even his blood was thought to be abnormal, due to the psychokinetic energy that ran through him. Blaze couldn't help but expect the worst.
Swallowing hard, she dared to rap against the wood. The silence that hang in the act's wake was deafening.
Finally, she forced her hand upon the doorknob. She couldn't feel what should have been cold brass in her hand, heat was flagging from her frame and pouring into it. Her emotions were building beyond what was manageable, beyond what was acceptable. This wasn't safe, not for her and certainly not for him. When her emotions got the better of her, control was lost- her powers would escape her form without her say and run rampant throughout her surroundings. If she went inside she had to be calm, otherwise he'd only-
"Good evening, your majesty," A familiar voice spun the feline on her heel.
"Good evening, Gardon," The cat greeted the guardsman.
The older koala, dressed in blue, had evidently followed her up the stairs; she'd been too lost in her worries to notice. He plainly had something in his satchel, be it to deliver to her or the hedgehog within. Regardless, the immediate formality of his poise and tone brought sickness to her stomach. She had wanted to meet with Silver alone, without the barrier of ceremonious trappings.
"I presume you've come to visit our guest?" He enquired, surely knowing the answer.
"Yes, I wanted to ensure his recovery is going smoothly," She half lied.
"That's very kind of you, your highness," A small smile crept across his fuzzy muzzle, "I'm certain that he will appreciate your visit."
The stiffness of his frame was different from his usual overly formal manner, the cat could read on his face that he was perturbed. Between that and Silver not coming to the door, something was clearly wrong. Why had the guard even travelled up here?
"Is there something on your mind?" The ruler asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Forgive me for prying," He bowed once again, "But, prior to his unannounced appearance, I hadn't heard of this Silver the hedgehog, yet he plainly sacrificed life and limb to defend the kingdom. Has he visited prior?"
Gardon wasn't verbalising the full scope of his intrigue, but Blaze knew him well enough to read between the lines. In reality, the elder was asking if the hedgehog was another threat to the kingdom, if Silver was being kept close because he was a danger to her people. Did others think his appearance signified a further threat?
"He has not, but I know him," She answered, "He however does not know me."
"Ah, so you had only heard of him before his arrival here," Gardon thought aloud, "That-
"No, we are acquainted, I am simply far more familiar with him than he is with me," She cut him off, "It is a complicated matter."
"It certainly sounds to be," The koala paused for a moment, perhaps expecting more of an explanation, but Blaze offered none.
Instead, she asked, "Has he eaten anything?"
"A small amount this afternoon, we offered more but he claimed to be full quite quickly... he is a rather gaunt fellow," That much would have been made all the more of obvious by the shearing of his fur to treat his wounds, "You instructed that we should keep him here rather than transfer him to a hospital. Are you certain that was wise?"
"If they cannot offer him any further treatments, then I can see no reason why he shouldn't be here," She much too quickly responded.
"Oh, yes, of course," The harshness of her tone had plainly rattled him, "I only asked because of how unusual the situation is," He was starting to ramble, "After all, as you answered, he is a relative stranger to this world. It is unusual that he is staying here..."
"What are you implying?" She felt her brows furrow.
"N-Nothing, Princess Blaze," He averted his gaze, "I am simply explaining that, due to your busy schedule, and the straightforwardness of your initial orders, there is confusion amongst the staff as to why he is being kept here. There are questions as to whether he is a captive, thought to be partially responsible for the attack on the palace. Some think you have been rather..." He was scrambling for words, "Uncommunicative regarding your intentions for him."
A sigh escaped Blaze's lips. Between the combat yesterday, the public interfacing that had followed, this morning's meetings, and the time he'd spent in treatment- she knew she had been both blunt and short with people. There hadn't been time for true explanations, it was no wonder that her staff were confused. Had she been taking out her frustrations on them?
"I'm sorry, Gardon," She apologised, "He is a guest, not a captive... but I have no idea why he appeared here or for how long he intends to stay. His arrival is in and of itself an anomaly," Again, she leaned into formality, "My intention would be to hold him here until he has fully recovered, though I have my doubts that he will agree to such."
"If you know him as well as you think you do, don't you stand a chance of convincing him to stay?" Gardon asked.
"I intend to try," Though she knew she would be unsuccessful.
"Well, regardless, there is no need to apologise your highness, there was simply some confusion and concern," Gardon seemed to squirm where he stood, "Especially regarding that right arm of his."
"Right arm?" Blaze questioned.
"I was visiting to deliver this," From a his satchel, he revealed an overlarge golden bangle, "The pieces of it were recovered from across the palace grounds, I had it reconstructed... though I am uncertain if its function will have been restored. Regarding that arm, there were some difficulties..." The elder shrank under Blaze's stare, he was avoiding explaining, "There was an incident this afternoon."
Concern again overflowed, "What kind of incident?"
"He seemed to lose control of the uncuffed arm while his bandages were being changed," Gardon grimaced, "No one was hurt, but you'll find the room in a rather dysfunctional state. I've taken the lead communicating with him, most of the staff are rather intimidated."
Blaze's gaze drifted back to the door before returning to the golden band in Gardon's hand. She had never seen him without those cuffs, even when he'd been young and they'd been overlarge on him. The cat had no idea how they functioned, and hearing what he'd done without one of them flared her anxiety.
"I will return this to him," Blaze took the trinket, "Thank you."
"You are very welcome, your..." The guardsman seemed to catch himself this time, "Blaze," Despite that, he still gave a small bow, "I hope his recovery will bring you some comfort."
With no more than that the koala moved along, walking the hallway before descending the stairs and out of view. Again Blaze found herself alone outside of his door, would he have heard all they had discussed? Was he even in a state to have heard their conversation? She should have been comforting him, not conspiring behind his back.
Straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath, the pyrokinetic tried to muster her professionalism. Blaze didn't give herself time to overthink, slipping into the room without another attempt at knocking. She pinned her back against the door to shut it the moment she was inside, both hands behind her. Her blood ran cold as she took in the space.
The room's floral wallpaper was gashed, it looked to have rolled off as if torn by the claws of some gigantic beast. Everything right of the bed was in complete disarray; where once a vanity and desk were stood, now lay a pile of rubble and an indentation into the wall it had been crushed against. The carpet was fanned up and clearly some of the floorboards had come with it; twisting to form the likeness of a gnarled hand and revealing the plumbing beneath.
He was sat on the far side of his bed, parallel to the balcony window across the room's centre. Light was shining from him; psionic power, the likes of which would only typically glow from him in the midst of combat, almost blinding to look at. The energy was bleeding through the bandages that covered his body, displaying markings-
"Oh, it's you," A bandage covered his right eye, the dressings over his wounds left little for the cat to imagine, "Hello."
Silver's arm stole her attention, the right limb he'd apparently lost control of. The symbol that usually sat on the palm of his hands had distorted and stretched; cyan light now traced all the way up the limb as multiple strands, now more of those circular sigils marked his elbow and shoulder but the colour didn't end there. From his shoulder further lines, jagged and rough, stretched up his neck to mark the right of his face. The extensions faded as they neared his quills but Blaze swore she could see a circle faintly flickering at the centre of his forehead.
"Good evening," She greeted, quickly feeling the need to explain herself, "I knocked but you didn't answer."
"I was distracted," He turned away again, "The moon's nice tonight."
He was lying, but the cat still had no idea how much he'd heard of her conversation with Gardon. His fur had been shorn short, even his quills were reduced from their usual branches to mere twigs. Blaze's heart ached at the sight of him, not just damage but demoralised. Feeling her muscles tense as anxiety swelled, the cat slipped closer, arriving by his bedside.
"How are you feeling?" She managed to ask.
"I've been worse," He shrugged, "How about you?"
He was hurt, how could he stand to ask? "I've been worse too..."
The view from his window wasn't anything special, it didn't overlook an especially grand section of the royal garden, but her timing had been just right to centre the full moon within the peak of the glass. Despite its shortened state, his fur reflected the moonlight in a manner that only added to the otherworldly glow that filled the room. She'd never had a chance to see him awash in the glow of moonlight. Only the red of flames.
Her chest ached and heart pounded, she could see in her minds eye all she would have loved to do. To re-bandage him as she had so often before, to wrap her arms around him, and to promise that she would protect him. Now these would be surprise acts from a stranger; likely unwanted by a more self-sufficient hedgehog.
"They told me that you beat Eggman Nega's machine," His gaze was still locked on the window, "Do you know what happened to him?"
"He had some sort of emergency escape advice, a form of crude teleportation," The cat answered, "Once I destroyed his machine, he vanished in a flash of green."
"He probably went back to mess up my world," Silver grumbled, "I don't even know why I'm here, I've already caused you far too much trouble."
"Nonsense," She huffed, "You injured yourself saving the palace, you've done the opposite of causing trouble."
"You don't think Eggman Nega followed me here?" He shot back, "I made a mistake, I fell through time, he must have followed..."
"Based on the design of his machine, I doubt that was the case. He always intended to strike here," Blaze quickly countered, "It was just a fortunate coincidence that you arrived at the same time."
"Maybe..." Her words were falling on deaf ears, "Still, I know what I did to this room..."
His optimism was at an all time low, things were surely dire in his timeline. Whether it was conflict with Eggman Nega or an apocalypse induced by failures in the world's past, the Silver she'd known had certainly struggled but never fallen to the kind of despair that this one was presently wrestling. She'd seen him hurt, but he'd always longed to jump to his feet and keep fighting for what was right. Perhaps keeping him here to heal wouldn't be so difficult after all...
Why did she long for him to be so foolhardy? Did she want him to hurt himself, just so that she knew that her partner was still in there? Was his state of self-sacrifice not proof enough of that?
Blaze started to reach out, just to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but she thought better of it before her fingers could meet with bandage and fur. This was not her Silver, he did not know of her shared past. To him she was an ally but a quiet and distant one, just as she was to everyone else. She didn't know how he'd respond to comfort, let alone her sympathy. Besides, if she let that wall down then what more would follow? Even visiting him in the night like this had been foolish.
Her gaze drifted past him, landing on the bedside table. A platter of sandwiches still sat uneaten. Had that been his lunch? Had they not brought him dinner? Regardless...
"You need to eat more," She lowered herself to sit at the foot of the bed, "It's clearly affecting your head."
"I'm not hungry," He refused, "I feel... strange."
His bluntness irked her more than it should; Blaze felt her teeth grit. Were this her Silver, she would have called him naive and made him eat. The hedgehog would have complained but he would have seen it was for his own good, understood and trusted her guidance as she would his. But, again, this was not her Silver.
She didn't know what to do with herself, let alone him. This hedgehog had plainly been hardened by a time spent struggling alone; he had not learned to rely on others in his moments of weakness. He didn't seem comfortable with showing weakness at all in fact...
"I've never seen your arm like that," The cat professed, "Does it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't," He turned to her, "But it's more than just my arm."
He reached up and shifted the bandaging over his eye, revealing what lay beneath. Rather than the bright yellow iris she had anticipated, the hedgehog's eye was glowing with psychic intensity. One of the lines stretching from the mark on his palm had cut up over his cheek and through the pupil.
"Can you see through that?" The cat asked.
"Barely..." He replaced the binding, "My whole body feels so sluggish, but my psychokinesis is surging. Just keeping it under control is making me nauseous. I can't eat, I can't sleep..." His stare fell to his lap, "I'm going to be a burden if Eggman Nega returns."
He was wallowing in his self pity, this truly wasn't the psychic she'd known. Her Silver was far from immune to his emotions, but his response to them had so rarely been to cower. He would rush forward, headstrong; she would have to wrestle him to sit still and act rationally. He may have at times thought himself a burden, but his response would never have been to admit it. He would have struck out even harder, been even more self sacrificing!
As his eyes flickered back to her, she quickly turned her gaze to the window. The hedgehog had once compared her to the sunlight they'd sought, but he had been that very light to her. She had not held hope that life could improve before she'd met him, every day had been a joyless struggle. Would this Silver be like the moon? He was colder, but did he reflect the light of that prior hedgehog, no matter how many times more weakly? Was his soul still within this new mind and body?
The cuff Gardon had given her no longer looked like the others on his person. The koala was right when he said there had been issues with its restoration; vein like lines of silver filled what had surely once been cracks in the golden metal. It held together as one solid piece, but it was neither whole nor smooth to the touch. Even ignoring that the cuff's initial crafting was a mystery, its restoration had plainly been a struggle.
Blaze glanced to him again, finding he had returned to sullenly staring into the moonlight. Again the princess looked to his arm, she was certain it hurt more than he was letting on. She had seen him lose control of his power before, how rage could turn what was would be a gentle psychic grasp into crushing force. If that same energy was flaring uncontrollably within him, then the cat could imagine how it felt. The least she could do was try to help him, she owed that much to the hedgehog she'd known.
A flinch pushed her back as she touched his arm, feeling the psychokinetic surge that was pulsing through his body. Her second grasp carried her purpose, she would not let go of him no matter how it hurt. She would gladly suffer any pain if it meant that Silver could finally rest properly after all the good he had done.
Surprised creased his muzzle, "What are you do-
"Give me your hand," The cat insisted, "Now."
He didn't resist, but his expression remained perturbed. His fingers were thinner than she recalled; was this a result of psychic energy draining him, or the world he came from? Regardless, Blaze pushed on.
She wasn't even certain what she was doing, the cat went off of pure instinct. It was a little difficult to squeeze the cuff over his hand, it always had seemed to fit so perfectly around his wrist, but with a shove and a tug the jewellery found its way back to its proper place. Almost immediately light filled the dark band in the golden cuff, cyan energy immediately flared and the wristlet solidified itself into place.
Blaze interlocked her fingers with his, still feeling the psychic static continue to buzz through her bones. Hard callouses were obvious to feel, as were the bones of his knuckles, these things were at least familiar to her. She watched with baited breath as his cuff grew brighter; as it did, the lines stretching up his arm thinned slighter and slighter. Where silver had been used to fill the cracks of gold in the cuff, the cyan light was sparking like wild electricity- would that impurity prevent his recovery? Would the cuff break again?
The cat clenched her teeth and held him tighter, she felt his body spasm. The light was fading from both him and her surroundings, only amplified on the metal armlet. Finally, when the limb was too bright to look at directly, she turned away from his arm and up to him. The lines hadn't fully faded, but they had been greatly reduced.
Gently the princess reached up with her free hand, pushing back the bandage that obscured his eye. There was a hint of cyan, a tiny speck in the depths of his pupil, but otherwise the glow had fully left his face. There was no flickering symbol on his forehead, no lines down his cheek. The cuff wasn't containing the spread of psychic energy as successfully as it had before, symbols still stretched as far as his bicep, but he immediately looked so much less alien. So much more familiar.
"How's that?" She asked without thinking.
"Better," His gaze fell to his wristlet only to squint at the brightness, "I think."
Her eyes searched his expression for warmth but still found only confusion and shock. Was he surprised that the cuff had been restored or that it had partially cured his affliction? Was he simply puzzled why she was still holding his hand? She should have been able to read his expression, she used to be able to read him like a book.
He didn't understand why she was doing this for him. This Silver had never known her; did he have any companions? Did he know the kindness of others? Did he act out of his own kindness or a hardened sense of what was right and wrong? It was her fault he was like this; she had left him for a good cause, but she had abandoned him. She was responsible for what he had become. No wonder she was keeping him so close, this was penance.
The cat released his hand, pulled away from his forehead and rose to stand. He didn't know her. She didn't know him. His body and mind were plainly different; it had been foolish to pretend that his soul would differ.
"Please excuse me, I have further duties to attend this evening," Blaze announced, "If you require anything, do not hesitate to ask. You are a guest here."
Despite pushing away she lingered for a moment longer, staring at him from the middle of the room before making for the exit. She had needed him; when the feline had been but a kitten she had been painfully nihilistic, not illogically given the world that she had found herself living through. Silver had helped her, his naive drive to restore their broken world had inspired her to work toward the same and want more than life had dealt them. Now he needed her, it was her turn to mend him, and yet she hadn't the strength to do any more for him. It was only as she reached the door that his voice again reached her ears.
"Blaze?" She looked back to him, still sat on the bed, "Thank you."
Without so much as a goodbye, the princess shut the door behind herself. The weight didn't leave her shoulders, if anything it redoubled. Across this second lifetime she had always been pressured; to hold herself to royal standards of etiquette, to defend her kingdom, and to protect the Sol Emeralds. The weights she'd carried had been countless, and yet... they had never been personal like this. She'd always tried to deflect, to isolate her dutiful self from the true thing. That wasn't an option with him.
Blaze slumped against the door, eventually sliding to sit on the carpeted floor. She couldn't bear to open that door again. Not until he was able to open it for himself.