Soleanna was quiet tonight, but that was probably for the best. A monster was stalking its streets, determined to vanquish all that stood in its path. Mephiles the dark was out there somewhere, ending lives and devouring mortal souls, yet Silver the hedgehog was sat idly by the waterfront. He hated waiting- but the hot pain in his palms served as a reminder that such was a necessity.
The hedgehog had re-bandaged his hands no fewer than three times today, washing them clean and replacing the antiseptic ointment that Blaze had forced upon him. Nothing had changed, after tonight his palms would be freshly scorched and he'd be out of commission once more. How long would he end up benched this time- a week, a month? It was no wonder that the feline had proposed their current strategy. No matter how much it infuriated the hedgehog, Silver knew that Blaze was trying to look out for him. He had no right to complain, he'd was failing her after all.
She was out there somewhere, completely alone, searching for that monster and prepared to fight. Perhaps she'd already found Mephiles and dispatched him all by herself. Blaze was strong, that was absolutely possible. Maybe she hadn't needed-
A red flash realigned Silver's shadow, he spun to see a red flare soaring through the sky. That was her signal, she'd found Mephiles- their battle had begun! The hedgehog stumbled to his feet, pushing on his knuckles to stand before racing through empty streets with his eyes to the sky. They were close, he'd be with her in moments!
As her light faded the hedgehog heightened his perception to scan for her soul's frequency. Through buildings and statues, his sixth sense picked up on a familiar mote of spiritual energy weaving across a plaza- purple but warm and impossibly bright to look at. The fight had already started, he was certain of it. By the movement of her spirit, he could tell that the cat was leaping from place to place, striking fast and hard- but he could also see the tainted soul she was in combat with. Colossal and red, with dark and hardened external shell- it was no wonder he hadn't been able to sight it from a distance.
Heavy boots scraped to a sudden halt as Silver entered the plaza and found himself aghast by the scene before him. A monster made of lava and dark stone, as tall as a building, was looming in the middle of a forecourt. With no more than lurching step its molten body fused into a statue of Soleanna's princess and brought it to crumble. All around fires were raging out of control, catching on anything and everything even the slightest bit flammable. There was a demon at the heart of the city, horned and clawed- it looked nothing like Silver had anticipated.
The beast hadn't noticed him yet- instead, it's green eyes were scanning the rooftops. Before Silver could follow its gaze the creature staggered forward, struck from behind. It twisted right to look behind itself but a purple blur dashed around its left. Blaze slid into view, her palms alight and clawed. With a thrust of her arm fire leapt onto the monster's face.
The feline had proved herself to be fully autonomous at this point- capable of defeating tainted souls all by herself. As the monster tried to turn again the cat threw herself into the air and spun to kick, but the hardened shaft of a pole made contact rather than a leg. By the time she was back on the ground she had two feet once again- she had truly mastered her transformation.
Despite the strike landing hard, the monster was seemingly unharmed. It swept a claw through the cobbles of the plaza and tore the earth asunder. The cat leapt with the devastation but was caught up in it- battered as she soared away from her foe. Why was he standing still while she was fighting; they were meant to be partners! Was he really that useless to her?
"Blaze, I'm here!" Silver shouted out to her, arms wide as he ran.
It took no more than their eyes locking for her to make a decision. In a moment she was light, blinding white energy that reshaped to take an inanimate form. Blaze the cat had become a jewelled sceptre; she was shaped like a shepherd's crook but decorated with gems and equipped with a long dark rod that ended in a spike. Silver snatched her spinning form from the air only to stumble as he felt her weight, very almost dropping her.
"Are you okay?" He asked aloud, already wincing.
"I'm fine, I just don't want to leave you without protection," The sceptre huffed, "We have our mission, it's time to focus."
"Are you certain that's Mephiles?" He grimaced, hoisting the pole-arm against his clavicle and looking to its gemmed head, "It doesn't look especially... dark?"
"It's a monster at the heart of Soleanna, Silver," Her words roared in his mind like fire, "Whether this is our quarry doesn't matter. It's a threat that must be destroyed."
Already, she was blistering against his flesh, "Right, of course, but-
"Silver, eyes forward, now!" The cat screamed in his mind.
The statue of Princess Elise was flying toward him- its once white stonework blackened by flame and glowing magma red! Despite her heft in his grasp, Silver knew Blaze's staff form was far from impervious to damage. Though her flesh was hidden, she could still break- he had to protect them both!
The hedgehog allowed himself to fall, tumbling beneath the sceptre's weight- the hurtling stonework bounced no more than a meter to his left before crushing an abandoned taxi. Silver planted Blaze's pointed end into the cobbles and used her to leverage himself back upright. He bit back a whelp as his hands steamed against her form. The sceptre was spun, he grasped her just below its jewel encrusted head. He could feel her amplifying his soul's wavelength- energy was passing back and forth between the two of them, heating up as it went and boiling his skin.
"Mephiles the dark! Your reign of terror over Soleanna is over!" He called out as he ran, hoping to bluster Blaze as much as himself.
He went low again as another chunk of molten concrete flew toward them, sliding beneath it before using her length to pop himself back up to running. With a heave he cast a torrent of flame that slashed through the air. The flaming projectile broke against the demon's chest, leaving little more than smoke and embers behind.
"I'm not certain that fighting fire with fire works," Silver spoke aloud in his mind, hoping Blaze could hear him over the monster's roar of defiance.
"You just need to aim more carefully," She instructed, "Strike where the lava has cooled."
Silver jumped back, straightening his arm and raising his bicep to align with his eye. A fireball bristled at the head of Blaze's staff form, a shot ready to fire, but it was for naught. With his palms burning and the weight of her form, the hedgehog couldn't target properly. The shot went wide, glancing off Mephiles shoulder.
"I don't think I can do that while you feel like this," He admitted, "At least not from afar. I could run in and-
"No, absolutely not," She shut him down, "Let's use our usual strategy."
It was a weapon's job to defend their meister, that much was true, but since their troubles began Blaze had insisted he take an almost fully hands off approach. A meister was supposed to channel their soul wavelength into their weapon to have it amplified and sent back, empowering them to strike. Instead, they were about to enact only half of that equation. The hedgehog retreated, weaving as molten cobbles raced past.
A roar breached Silver's lips as he grasped her in both hands, feeling the sceptre's heat and weight. He began to spin her from one hand to another, minimising contact while simultaneously forcing as much of his soul wavelength into her as was possible. Despite how heavy the cat felt in his hands, the true lightness of her weapon form was not lost on him. He had to be strong to generate the momentum she needed.
The crook lit into flame as he slide to a halt- far enough away to dodge but close enough to make the shot. Sparks flashed amongst a purple miasma in the hedgehog's mind, crackling with a burning intensity. He felt himself pant as the speed of his twirling increased, finally reaching suitable threshold.
"Throw me, now!" Her command rang in his psyche.
Using the momentum he'd gained, having put so much of his energy into her, the hedgehog let the sceptre fly loose and into the air. It continued to spin, tip flaming, as it raced toward the tainted entity. In the last second before the staff could strike Blaze reversed her transformation. With a cacophonous crack her heel struck the monster's stoney head. Fire raged, putting pressuring and power behind the strike, but Silver could tell it wasn't enough.
He dashed as Blaze jumped back toward him, catching her by the ankle. In an instant she transformed again; Silver forced his soul wavelength into her once again before again tossing her, this time before his hands could even resister her temperature. Burning once again, she transformed back just in time to strike one of the monster's rocky horns. Again, it wasn't enough- the entity was barely flinching! Silver rushed forwards as Blaze jumped back into his arms.
Once more a staff, her words rang in his mind, "I need more power."
He retook his stance, spinning the pole-arm in his grasp. The earth tore beneath them, revealing a layer of roiling red magma that slid to fill countless narrow crevices. As if the heat of their failure to resonate wasn't enough; now this monster's fire was inescapable. This couldn't last much longer; it felt like he was standing on a glacier, melting over boiling water and shifting on its waves.
"Blaze," He winced, feeling his blisters tear, "You're getting heavier..."
"Just a little more Silver," The cat pleaded, "I just need you to throw me one more time."
Her flames ignited on the staff's crook- as if things couldn't get any hotter. The hedgehog started to spin her fully around his body; over his shoulders and around his back. The momentum was building, she still felt so heavy but with every touch he pushed his energy into her and-
"Now!" She screamed in his mind.
With an underhand toss he threw Blaze skyward; the weapon became a blur as she spun, crook over tip. The ground beneath him sank and in a flash she transformed, still spinning over herself with her right heel alight. It was then, with a chest shaking roar, that the ground split even wider.
Lava surged upwards as a burning pillar- all that momentum meant that Blaze couldn't dodge! In that moment time slowed, Silver could only watch as his partner tumbled into the magma geyser. The molten rock struck her out of the air legs first; reversing her spin and sending her tumbling back toward him. She was a blur of purple against the black of night; her flames had died in an instant.
"Blaze!" He screamed out, heart pounding.
The hedgehog dashed forward, catching the feline before she could hit the ground. Her body was limp and eyes closed. Panic gripped him as he looked up, coming eye to eye with the monster. The heat was crushing- there was nothing he could do, no way he could defend her. They had to run!
As the beast let out another roar, lava plumes burst from the ground throughout the courtyard. The beast had realised it couldn't keep up with Blaze so it'd set a trap! The ground was sloping; the earth was crumbling beneath them! This monster was like an antlion- drawing them down into its pit to eat them whole, to amalgamate their souls into its own!
Silver put the cat over his shoulder and ran. The cobbles of the plaza were melting beneath his feet; behind him he could hear the monster screaming, tearing apart the plaza. People were in danger, that thing was a threat to the whole town, but the hedgehog knew there was nothing he could do. If he stood and fought then Blaze would die too, it was all but a certainty; he couldn't let his partner die!
The world beneath him was tipping, angling down toward the beast. His right hand met the ground and he felt his blisters sting; but from that pain came opportunity. The statue of the Princess was dead ahead; half melted into the ground, but mostly still solid. He scrambled with Blaze over his shoulder, catching the stoney edge of Elise's dress and clambering up its length.
Silver tumbled from her head and back onto stable ground. The hedgehog didn't dare look back, instead stumbling deeper into the dark of the city- away from the monster's scorching red light. Just as he'd observed during the fight, the monster wasn't fast. Soon the hedgehog was running through dark streets, tripping over himself. He only came to a final halt when he ran out of breath, down a narrow alleyway between two tall buildings.
Immediately the cat was lowered from his shoulder and into his arms. She hadn't been scorched, perhaps due to her inherent elemental properties, but a tremendous mass of molten rock had struck her fast and hard. As he cradled her in his arms he felt for broken bones, but truly he had no idea what he was doing. She was hurt, he was certain of that, but her chest was rising and falling. Blaze was alive, his partner was alive.
As his breathing slowed and his heart rate lowered, the comparative cold of his surroundings set in. His skin wasn't blistering at the touch of her fur, there was no pain in the contact whatsoever. Had he ever actually held her like this before? He'd barely even touched her, she always seemed so standoffish. How could she be so heavy as a weapon but so light in her true form? She felt so delicate like this, despite all he'd seen her do...
"Silver," She groaned, eyes fluttering open, "What happened?"
"Mephiles was too powerful. You jumped and it countered. A pillar of lava burst through the ground, it caught you in midair," He shamefully admitted, "I had to run."
"You should have left me," Was she insane?! "It's a weapon's job to defend their meister, you could have-
"I could have been killed, but you would have died for certain!" He snapped. "Of course I saved you."
"We could have both died, I'm certain you would have been safe if you'd just ran," She continued to argue, "If we both died then news wouldn't get back to the others, more lives would have been lost."
"But we did both make it out; that's what matters!" He retorted, "I would have given up my legs if it meant we'd both make it out of there. I saw an opportunity and seized it, why can't you-
"Enough! This doesn't matter!" Blaze cut him off, "We need to get back and tell the others. People are in danger."
She tried to step out of his grasp but her stoic demeanour immediately crumbled. The pain was plain on her face; had she kicked that rising pillar? Was one of her ankles broken? Regardless, he held her tight in his arms to keep the strain off her extremities. Their eyes met again, he could see her discomfort and pain.
"Turn back into a weapon," His request sounded too much like an order, "I think that'd keep your wounds from worsening; keep you still and solid..."
Blaze acquiesced; in a flash of light she went from lying in his grasp to being held within it. Feeling the weight of her again, not to mention the boiling misfire of their resonance, the hedgehog opted to prop her up against the opposing wall of the narrow ally. A glance to his gloves found them stained with blood- some of it was surely his, but was it hers as well? How badly was she injured?
For a while, both leaned against separate walls in silence. What were they going to do? Go back to the others and admit their failure; tell them that a monster was still destroying Soleanna? How long would it take to send another weapon and meister team out?
No, a whole new team wasn't needed. Assuming Blaze could maintain her form, he was the one that needed to be replaced. She had struck the beast cleanly multiple times on her own, it was almost a certainty that in the right hands she could topple Mephiles. This was all his fault, he was surely the reason that they couldn't resonate.
"There's got to be a better meister out there for you than me," Thoughts bubbled through his lips, "Maybe-
"No," She cut him off, "There isn't."
"I can't even wield you Blaze," He admitted aloud, "There's got to be someone better for you out there, someone who matches you better..."
He could practically see her shaking her head, "I have burned every meister who has tried to wield me, it's an inevitability," What was she saying? "My weapon form is unwieldy, it's impractical and dangerous. If I were a sabre or a pike then you could strike with me, use me the way weapons are supposed to be used. Instead you're forced to keep your distance, to channel energy into me so that I can strike directly, burning yourself up in the process. It's not how we are supposed to fight, I know it's not," She elaborated, "I'm sorry about your hands, Silver. This is all my fault."
Silver looked back down at his hands again, blistered and bloody. How could she think that about her own weapon form? It was the coolest one he'd ever seen; far more interesting than some plain-old sword or war hammer. She was a pole-arm and then some; being able to generate anything, let alone flames, was incredibly rare for a weapon! It wasn't as though she was fragile either; she could still be used for striking as required. He'd even though about igniting her crook and swinging with it, combining momentum and flames like she did in her physical fighting style.
"You're wrong, you aren't the problem, it's both of us," He spoke up, "It's not that you're just too hot, it's that we're not resonating properly. That's why you feel so heavy Blaze. We're just not matching up, something's not right. It's like we're not in the same headspace. We're not aligned. If we were, then we could battle in exactly the way that you described. You need someone else."
"If I can't resonate with you, then I stand no chance of matching wavelengths with anyone else," Her response only puzzled him more.
"Why do you think I'm any different from anyone else? Why do you want me to be your meister?" He asked.
"It's not that I think you're especially fire resistant or anything. It's because of when we..." Her voice was somehow softer now, less forceful in his head, "Do you not remember when we first met?"
"You approached me at the school," He recalled aloud, "You basically demanded that we work together."
"No, before that," She quickly replied, "Years before that."
A scene played out in Silver's mind's eye, one which had been tucked back deep in the annals of his memory. He'd been young, no older than eight, playing at the park when the scent of smoke filled the air. At the top of a pyramid shaped metal climbing frame a fireball was raging out of control. While other children ran for safety, the young hedgehog had dared to approach.
Even from a young age his senses had been heightened; he'd been able to see a soul at the heart of the flames, in distress but unharmed- a small purple orb bouncing around a trembling silhouette. He'd climbed up the metal structure despite the protests of those below, parents and children alike. Silver could remember that as he clambered, getting closer to the top, he'd felt the burning heat of the bars- radiating from the figure at the top. He'd burned his hands quite badly, the scars had lasted for months.
Still, he'd clambered as high as he could and shouted to talk to the girl over the roar of fire. He'd confirmed what he'd already guessed- that she had got up too high and was afraid of heights. The hedgehog had promised her that he wouldn't let her fall, that he'd help her down- he'd even reached out an open hand toward the flames. From the fire a tiny hand had reached out to clasp his; a sobbing purple kitten had been revealed as the embers fully died down.
Hand in hand, with him talking too much about very little all the while, the two had managed to make their way back down. Moments after they'd made landfall the two had been separated by panicking parents. An ambulance had arrived to take the kitten away, to understand whatever phenomena had occurred, with one paramedic staying behind to treat his hands. Was that the day Blaze had realised she was a weapon?
"That really was you?" Silver realised aloud, "I didn't learn your name back then so-
"How many purple pyrokinetic felines do you think there are, Silver?" Despite the bluntness of her chiding, his head wasn't ringing, "Of course that was me."
They'd been so small, he'd barely remembered clambering up to help her! It'd come to mind when they'd met again, but over time that reality had seemed less and less likely. Blaze wasn't great at communicating, but he hadn't picked up on a single sign beyond how she looked.
In the wake of that thought, a realisation struck him, "But you're always jumping so high, you literally ask me to throw you! The cat I knew was afraid of heights."
"I was a child back then, my fear of heights isn't that awful anymore," Was the sceptre blushing?! "Besides, after our encounter... I wouldn't say I'm comfortable at heights but you helped me learn to handle them."
This all seemed so impossible, was it any wonder that they were struggling to resonate? He thought Blaze had chosen him on a whim; that she'd been blunt with him rather than have to deal with the social kerfuffle of looking for someone specific. When he'd come to understand her transformation and how powerful she was, the meister had become certain that she had made a mistake. He'd thought that she deserved someone better than him, while she had clearly been focused on matching his effort of helping her. Blaze had picked him for a reason, whether someone else could wield her better was irrelevant- she trusted him! Blaze wanted to be his weapon and he wanted to be her Meister!
"You never brought it up, and you're always so stern," The hedgehog panicked, "I considered it at first, but I thought that if I was wrong it'd only make things-
Darkness filled Silver's vision, cutting him off and pinning him to the wall. Suddenly his ears were filled with the sound of deep cackling; he tried to reach for Blaze but his dark mass around him felt impossibly thick. He heaved out into the dark, groping blindly for her hand or staff only to catch solid shadow. The hedgehog opened his mouth to call for her, only to find his jaw sealed shut.
"Iblis may have broken you, but I will finish this once and for all!" A voice whispered from the black, "To think you would mistake my partner for me..."
Something sliced across Silver's cheek, sharp as a blade and so very close to his eye. Was this to be a death by a thousand cuts? Was Blaze set to suffer at the same time as him? He'd never encountered a monster like this; there was no way of knowing what its plan was. Perhaps he was already in its gullet, about to be swallowed soul and all.
The hedgehog flexed, trying to reposition his stare, only to feel a grasp at his neck like razor wire. Eyes squinted against the black as the hedgehog tried to narrow his focus; trying to channel the power of his soul. There were lights through the dark, beacons calling to him!
He could see her; his perception cut through the monster's crooked soul and the dark alike! Was she pinned against the wall too? If he could just reach out, if he could only-
Her soul was moving as it had before; was Blaze conjuring fire, could she cut through the dark?! The hedgehog grit his teeth, straining to pull his arms from his sides. As a weapon, Blaze couldn't see souls in the same way that he could. If he was going to make himself known, then he'd have to do it physically. He had to fight!
Clawed fingers dragged through the dark, the shadows were cold as ice, thick like candle wax, and yet it was as sharp as glass. The material did move beneath his fingers but he had no idea how dense it was. He couldn't breathe beneath the shade's weight, not only was his chest being crushed- it didn't feel like air was breaching through!
His fingertips made contact with something; he felt claws drag across his palm! Either that was Blaze or he was set to die, there was no alternative! Silver held on tight and pulled- the sensation of holding a hand transitioned to that of grasping a baton! Silver felt heat but his fingers weren't burning; his soul's energy poured into the staff and doubled in return!
He wasn't being smothered anymore, he had the strength to move! He spun the sceptre in his right hand and pushed out against the shadow with the left, striking and tearing the mass from his frame. The tangible darkness swirled away from him, flung down the alleyway. It landed with a splat- now a puddle of tar. He could see the shadow bubble and writhe, trying to constitute itself into a more tangible form.
Silver's hands hurt, but they weren't burning. Blaze was light in his grasp; it was as if she'd gone from being made of burning lead to cool and light as a feather. There was no sign of damage on her exterior; the gems were all still in place. Had him remembering, and her confirmation, really been enough to put them on the right wavelength? Could he-
"Eyes up, Silver!" Her voice sounded in his mind.
This time, his reaction was more than fast enough. The hedgehog spun the sceptre, parrying as a lance of jet black ichor launched from the liquid shadow. As Silver rushed to close the distance a form had fully risen from the tar- a head with sharp quills and a near skeletal torso. Three more inky javelins launched from its base; he sidestepped one, jumped over the second, and smacked the last skyward.
Blaze was still spinning in his hands; he struck the Mephiles beneath the chin and knocked him free from the puddle. Again time seemed to stretch and slow but Silver wasn't panicked this time! He kept pushing forward- Silver's left fist clenched tight, with a single soul empowered strike he knocked the dark figure down the alleyway. This time his form failed to liquify.
"Mephiles the dark!" Silver yelled, "You reign of terror ends tonight!"
With a single thrust the hedgehog pushed the crook's head forward and a cone of flame exploded from the gems. Above the roar of the inferno Silver heard a scream- through orange flames he could see a shadow struggle to rise before rushing toward him. His response was instinctive and simple- no more standing back while she did all the work! With a single well timed thrust Mephilies the dark was thrown backwards once more. This time his body did not reach the ground.
With no more than a flick the flames stopped spilling- embers still crept over the alleyway walls but only one light held the hedgehog's attention. A red orb was floating ahead of him, a tapered wisp at its top and dark hexagons encroaching on its light like some kind of infection. It was over, it was done!
"We did it!" He beamed aloud, "We won!"
Blaze had half emerged from her sceptre form- her frame, up to her second rib was, reaching out from where the staff's head was. The cat gingerly plucked the red orb from the air, taking it into her palm. He'd never actually seen her eat a soul; the sight of her fangs gleaming as they clamped over the wispy spirit wasn't one he'd soon forget. She didn't pierce it or even chew it- with a single swallow the spirit was gone.
She caught his eye only to quickly revert back into her staff form, "Do you have to stare?"
"Sorry," He mumbled, responding to the staff's head.
Blaze wasn't remotely heavy in his hands anymore; the length of the sceptre was cool to the touch. Despite her body's absence in reality, Silver could still see the cat in his mind's eye. Her presence was a bizarre overlay on his vision, one that he could focus upon or look beyond at will. In that space between spaces she stood within darkness, only visible from above the navel but...
"Wait, are you always naked in there?" Silver blurted, "I don't think I've ever managed to actually see you while in weapon form..."
"We're finally making progress and that's what you ask?!" Blaze's arms crossed her chest as her words burned in his mind once again, "You're so naive."
"Ow, ow, ow, sorry, I'm sorry..." He shook off the pain, "We beat Mephiles, but that doesn't mean we're done here, right?"
"That other monster is still out there. We have a duty to act," She affirmed, her voice returned to normal.
"I agree, but this time we're going to fight properly," He looked down to the sceptre's head, "We're partners, we fight together. I'm done standing by the sidelines. I'm going to wield you for as long as I can!"
He could see her beaming within the weapon, "That's sounds more like the meister I expect you to be."
Silver took off running; now unburdened by the weight of their misaligned psyches. His eyes scanned through the dark of night, quickly catching on the anomalous red soul of the monster. It hadn't moved from the courtyard where they'd last found it. Still two streets away he could feel the heat radiating; that pit it'd generated had surely grown further. Its trap was still set.
"We need a plan," He announced, still rushing forward.
"Its body was tough, but the parts made of stone were tangible," Blaze hummed in his mind, "I didn't mange to strike its eyes but I imagine they are a weak point too. They didn't look to be made from magma..."
"Did you flames seem to hurt it?" He asked, "Or just your strikes?"
"I'd say primarily the strikes, it was difficult to tell if the fire was doing much..." She hummed, "But, with them empowered by our bond, perhaps they will burn hot enough..."
"Only one way to find out I guess," He accepted, slowing and putting his back to a wall, "We'll go for the eye, see how much that hurts it," His hands were still sore, "Are you ready?"
"I should be the one asking you that," Her arms were still crossed, he could see her rolling her eyes, "If I say to back off, then back off. You're already hurt enough."
"I'd say the same to you, but you don't really have a choice in that form," He shut his eyes taking a deep breath; the monster was just beyond the wall behind them, "Let's do it!"
Silver rushed out into the plaza only to find the scene massively changed. The statue of Elise was now little more than a floating branch caught within a lava whirlpool. There were other masses of rock caught in the maelstrom but all were charred and glowing; soon it seemed parts of the nearby buildings would collapse into the burning pit. At the centre of the rock cauldron stood the so-called Iblis; his stare immediately met with its glowing green eye, he scanned the hardened magma spread across its back...
"Iblis the," His brain misfired, this foe had no title, "Lava monster!" That'd do, "No more running! Tonight we end of you!"
The monster let out a burning roar, but the hedgehog was not shaken! Without even a word to Blaze he knew they were in agreement, there was only one path forward. He spun the sceptre in his hands and took off running.
He bounded onto the melted statue of Elise, hearing his boot-heels hiss as he made contact. Silver didn't linger for more than a second; his senses heightened by his bond with Blaze, he knew just where to land each time. Lava streams shot through the air like snakes lunging to bite, but each time they flew that bit too close Blaze was at the ready to parry. The once massively heavy blistering pillars could now be deflected with ease!
Sparks flew at the head of Blaze's crook as Silver jumped onto what had once been a section of the Plaza fountain. They were in it deep now; lava waves could crash over them at any moment. Regardless, Silver felt no fear. Their opponent was right in front of them- the monster towered high. Though his body screamed out in pain, Silver leapt for the head of Iblis.
Soul resonance flared as they flew, Silver felt his body, mind, and soul fully synchronise with Blaze! Both let out a roar of defiance as their combined wills reached their peaks. The flames bursting at the crook of Blaze's sceptre stretched and tapered to come to a sharp point, turning fully red before solidifying in the form of a rippling blade. Encased in glowing light, impossibly hot and yet not burning the hedgehog, the staff had become a scythe!
Silver slashed horizontal; his flight was uninterrupted. The two of them came to land on the far bank of the magma whirlpool, Silver dropped to one knee. He glanced back as Blaze's scythe blade once more became flame and returned to the gems upon the staff. The monster had been split just above its upper jaw; the slash had torn through its eye and cut all the way through the rocks upon its hunchback.
With no death-rattle the monster's massive body slumped down into the magma pool. The lava cooled in the blink of an eye, blackening and hardening to grant the plaza a brand new much lower and more jagged floor. It was only once the last ember had cooled that a red orb emerged from the earth. Silver's soles and palms were aching, his knees certainly hadn't enjoyed his death defying leaps either, but he still had strength enough. The hedgehog approached the tainted soul but stumbled as he reached it.
In an instant, Blaze's shoulder was beneath his armpit and his arm was around her. The feline was still hurt, that much as plain to Silver, but together they could finish this. Learning on each other, they managed to reach the lingering spirit. The hedgehog took all her weight as she reached up and plucked it. Again, he couldn't help but watch as she opened her jaws wide and swallowed Iblis' soul whole. As she unleashed a contented sigh, the two of them finally tumbled to the ground.
His soles were now blistered to match his palms and sparks had surely burned through his quills. Blaze by contrast looked mostly unharmed, but then Silver could only really see her head and shoulders. Regardless of how badly beaten they looked, they surely deserved better than lying upon rough igneous rock. Well, they didn't have much of a choice at the moment- the plaza's benches had been completely destroyed.
"Have you ever done that whole scythe thing before?" Silver asked, exhaustion sounding on his voice.
"No," She quickly responded, eyes shut in contentment, "Never."
"Well, then we've got to name the attack then, right? That's what the cool meisters and weapons do," He asked and pointed out.
"What do you have in mind?" He could tell she wasn't impressed.
He thought for a moment, "How about Iblis Hunter?"
"You're so naive," She deadpanned, "If you call it that, we'll never resonate properly again."
After a beat of silence, chuckles echoed into the silent night, breaching from their lips almost simultaneously. Their souls had already desynchronised for more foolish reasons; but Silver couldn't imagine that happening again. They were meister and weapon- they'd be partners to the end.