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theflashdriver · 1 year ago

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Night of the Knight (Silvaze)

Blaze's pillow felt unusually hard tonight, that was a telltale sign she had fallen asleep somewhere besides the royal bedchamber. In her sleepy haze, the cat was failing to conjure up yesterday's memories. It had been a long day, that much was she could recall; she'd been pulled from meeting to meeting, visited at least three islands before lunch, and endured the endless pontificating of countless aristocrats attempting to obscure their ulterior motives. Yes, it was no wonder that she'd fallen asleep before she could reach her bed.

The cat rolled over and quickly found that the right side of whatever she was laying on was more comfortable than the left. Blaze debated keeping her eyes shut, returning to the rest she had stolen before she was too conscious to do so, but swapping positions had served to remind her of exactly where she lay. The weathered yet soft fabric she was lounged upon was that of a familiar couch. She'd fallen sleep within her private workspace at the heart of the royal library.

A surge of recollection carried on a yawn which slipped through the cat's lips; she'd been doing her due diligence. Rather than rest properly, she had decided to continue her studies of the Sol Emeralds in the hopes of further unlocking their hidden potential. Parsing through endless historical reports and the writings of prior guardians regarding powers ranging from defence to transportation and beyond had lulled her to sleep. She'd brought out the gems to aid in that research; she couldn't just leave them, discarded like the other tomes she'd abandoned within the library. That would be improper.

Squinted eyes peered across the space, expecting to meet with darkness only to sight a familiar hue of cyan spread-

A weight pressed into the small of the cat's back; a cold mass that sent a shiver down Blaze's spine and set her tail straight. He hadn't been here when she'd fallen asleep, had he just decided to join her? Why hadn't he woken her up?! Regardless of reason, the unannounced appearance of one Silver the hedgehog had certainly served to awaken the cat.

The cat rolled over once more, glancing a table littered with tomes and Sol Emeralds, before her confusion redoubled at the sight of Silver, so very close and... dressed in a full suit of armour? The time travelling psychic had left her dimension two weeks ago, planning to investigate the future and return with knowledge of the challenges to come. What manner of future could have prompted him to dress up like a knight? He had returned to her with all kinds of injuries before, but it was rare for him to bring back souvenirs from his journeys...

She'd first noticed the visor obscuring his eyes; sharp, angular, and ornate. Despite its holes to aid in vision, the sound of his muffled snores spawned a foolish parallel to a sleep mask in the cat's mind. The armour's colouration was bizarre too; even in the lowlight she could see similarities to his usual garb. Large golden cuffs edged the gauntlets that shielded his hands and marked the bend of his knee, outside of those much of the armour's colour was as silver as his fur. It was no wonder she had felt herself leant against something uncomfortable and hard; his torso was completely covered, even the spines on his back were encased in cold metal.

Glancing down, she even found metallic versions of his old boots now clothed his feet. It was truly bizarre; it was as if this armour was made for him. He couldn't have pilfered it from a long abandoned museum, could he? The back of his gauntlets bore the same symbols as his usual gloves, the same cyan light seemed to emanate through them as easily as it did cotton. Such a coincidence would be ludicrous...

Her fingers brushed along the thick metal plate set atop his chest as she leaned closer. As gently as she could mange, the cat raised the visor that partially obscured his sleeping face. Though she would loathe to admit it, something about his soft resting features contrasted by the harsh angles of his garb tickled her. He'd slept rough over countless nights in long destroyed worlds, it was no wonder he could manage while dressed like this. If only he'd left off the chest plate, perhaps she would have slept through tonight alongside him...

Yellow eyes met with hers as he sleepily blinked awake. A tired smile marked his lips, she heard metal clank as the hedgehog heaved a stretch. She supposed it would be for the better that they properly retired for the night.

"Is it my turn to watch over the keep?" He blinked, eyes plainly adjusting to the lowlight, "Where is your armour...?"

"Unlike certain others, I don't believe this so called keep requires its guards to be armoured at all times," She rolled her eyes as she gave him room, "Let alone while they are sleeping."

"I merely nodded off, I surely wasn't asleep for more than a moment," Silver countered, jumping to his feet and pulling down his visor to hide a blush, "Regardless, I'm awake now. I shall make my way to the palace entrance and begin my rounds. Rest well."

She hadn't noticed the sword at his side until he drew it; the large, almost triangular, blade floated up to his hand from his wrist. Wrapped in a psychic glow, he seemed to use the weapon almost as if it were a torch- lighting the dark as this apparent knight turned to delve into a labyrinth of bookshelves. He truly did look like some anachronistic royal guard, set to make his rounds. It was more than a little rude that he'd dozed off beside her only to rush off, but truthfully the cat was simply happy that he had returned to her side in one piece.

Another yawn escaped the cat's lips as his light left her surroundings; had he really felt the need to lie and sleep beside her for the sake as part of some silly role-play? She supposed he had just wanted to show off his find from the future, but there were better ways to go about that. Regardless of the horrors he faced, the hedgehog was just as naive as she recalled. If she were more awake, she'd have surely chewed him out for being so foolish.

Heaving a stretch, the cat leaned forward to refresh herself on all she'd been researching prior to drifting off. The Sol Emeralds were set atop many tomes, she'd practically used them as bookmarks and paperweights. Rubbing her forehead, her tired eyes slowly grazed across the table. Articles, leather bound tomes, aged diaries, and all manner of first hand historical accounts of the Sol Emeralds usage- from which she'd been working on a breakdown of powers she potential had access to. She knew that the Chaos Emeralds could make wishes reality, she'd experienced that truth first hand, but in all of history it seemed such power had never been drawn from her reality's own gems...

In her observing, Blaze couldn't help but notice some of the dustier books abandoned upon the coffee table. Before the hedgehog had left for the future, they had spent much of their final days in this room. She had laid across his lap with a book of poetry in hand, only interrupted by his occasional overenthusiastic urge to show her something he'd uncovered.The great mixture of fantasy, history, and botany that spanned before her was so very him...

The sound of clanking metal played on the cat's ears, she could tell by the cyan hue entering her surroundings that the hedgehog was returning. She supposed, with him acting as guard, resting here wouldn't be quite as foolish. Perhaps he'd given up on whatever character he'd chosen to embody for their reuniting... or maybe this was the second part of that act. She quickly drew up one of the books he'd abandoned, setting aside the grey Sol Emerald that was lain atop it. She wouldn't ask this knight to join her or watch over her, his rounds were his to decide.

"The layout of the library appears to have changed since my last visit," She could hear the fluster in his tone, but did not look up from her tome.

"Is that so?" She wasn't truly reading the book, just staring into it.

"Indeed, I could have sworn the exit was by the alchemy section... but I can't seem to find it. Perhaps I'm more exhausted than I thought," This pages were strangely misprinted, there were great gaps in the text, "What are these?"

The cat glanced up from the book, finding the hedgehog had drawn up the purple Sol Emerald in his gauntleted hand. Her brows furrowed, this wasn't just a role play, was it? The oddities were mounting, he looked unharmed but something was surely wrong. Had his travels changed him in a different way? Had he once again lost his memories of their shared past?

"Silver," She squinted at him, "Did something happen to you in the future, are you okay?"

"Percival, how would I know if something is going to happen to me in the future?" He asked, entirely unaware, "And why are you calling me Silver?"

Percival?! Did he not even recognise her? Why didn't he recognise his own name? Was this some strange dream?

The cat bit the inside of her cheek as she rose, finding this situation was very real even if the Silver stood before her was not. A complete stranger, either that or a memoryless yet powerful psychic, was in possession of one of the Sol Emeralds- intentionally or otherwise, they had breached the palace grounds and had her at a disadvantage! She'd thought him her closest ally, she'd trusted him to lie beside her and watch over the royal palace. How could she have been so foolish?!

"Who are you?" Her tone was icy, how could she have allowed herself to mistake him for another? "Put that down. Now." "

"You know who I am," He did not drop the Sol Emerald, he sounded suspicious of her, "It's me."

He wore Silver's face as if it were his own! This fake could have stolen her kingdom's treasure, he could have attacked her while she slept, or even captured her staff. The fact he hadn't suggested that the hedgehog was peaceful, but Blaze couldn't take that chance. If this somehow was her Silver, then his mind had clearly been polluted beyond logical thought- he might have been sent as a weapon to stand against her. She had to apprehend him, she could ask questions later.

"Drop the emerald," She ignited a flame in her right palm, "Now."

"Eh? If you want to spar put on your armour," He shrugged her off, "I'm just looking at it, what's so special-

Blaze surged forward, bounding over the table between them to crash into the hedgehog fist first. Contact was made with his chest plate, with force and flame sufficient to send him skidding backwards across the carpet. He caught himself in an aura of cyan; halting before he could topple from his feet or collide with the opposing bookshelf. As he came to a stop, the cat effortlessly snatched the purple emerald from the air in which it'd been launched.

"What is wrong with you?!" The hedgehog spat, changing his grip on his weapon, "I won't-

She rushed in again, flaming fist primed to strike his face this time, only to meet with a mixture of metal and cyan. He'd raised his blade and enhanced his strength with psychokinesis, he'd used the flat of his weapon to block her attack! With a loud clatter his visor lowered itself.

"I won't let this challenge go unanswered," He growled from within the metal, "If you will not armour up, then so be it!"

His left hand pressed against the back of his sword, with a flash of cyan the guardian was sent flying backwards; she soared over the coffee table, catching herself just in time to land sure-footed upon the couch. Flames reignited in her palms- he was zigzagging toward her, rushing in a manner that betrayed logic. It was only as she prepared to pounced that she noticed his sword was missing, her gaze leapt from him just in time to see his blade rushing straight towards her, spinning like a deadly drill!

Blaze threw herself towards him, a Sol Emerald in one hand and flame in the other! The blade sped past her back but the hedgehog at her front was more than prepared- a gauntleted hand caught her own flaming claw with perfect synchronicity. Before she could melt the metal, psychic power flooded over her arm and snuffed all she had conjured.

"Do you think so little of me that you're fighting without a blade too?" Was that anger or pain in the knight's voice? "I am not one to be trifled with!"

The cat heard psychokinesis whir behind her, the blade had repositioned! She ducked just in time for the blade to scream over her head, flying not blade first but by its handle. In one swift manoeuvre he both snatched up the blade and sent a psychic shove through her form. The edge of his weapon was quickly put to her chin.

"What's wrong with you? It's as if you're not in your right mind," He was looking down on her, "You knew this to be folly, didn't you?"

The cat had fallen to kneel before this intruder, this bizarre knight wearing her companion's own likeness! Cyan energy still engulfed his left hand and her right, pressing the cat to crouch lower and locking her in place! Her teeth grit, the guardian's free hand clawed tighter around the Sol Emerald. Did he think this was over? That she would surrender under this, or any circumstance?! Did this invader not know who he was battling with?

Energy surged from the Sol Emerald, fire raced up her left arm, across her shoulders, and into her right. Bright orange flames burst through psychic sheiling with explosive force, the hedgehog was launched back but the cat would not settled for that little. She pounced as the hedgehog stumbled backwards, using the springing force to deliver a palm strike harnessing the very Sol Emerald in her grasp!

A flaming blast exploded with the blow, striking his chest-plate and sending him spinning head backwards over tail. Flames now scattered across the green carpet, dancing to create a thin wall between her and the now fallen knight. She could see his shock through his visor as he lay flat on his stomach, his weapon on the ground but beneath his palm.

"I do not know who you think you are, but you are in the presence of Empress Blaze, Guardian of the Sol Emeralds!" Blaze announced, "Submit now or-

The knight moved, Blaze spun and kicked his hand without hesitation. His sword flew from his gauntleted grasp, Blaze braced for cyan to flash and the weapon to spin back towards her, but instead it hitched into the spine of an especially thick encyclopedia. She turned on her heel to face him once more, more than expecting to be met with a gauntleted punch, only to stare down at the near opposite. The hedgehog was kneeling, his head was bowed so very close to the flames spreading across the carpet.

"I have been a fool," He spat, lambasting himself up with his head lowered, "I should have seen the signs; your lack of armour, the change in the library's layout, finding myself asleep, and even those emeralds..." His fists balled, she heard metal clink, "A similar occurrence was said to have happened to our king... but why has it happened to me?"

"What are you mumbling about?" With a wave she dispelled the flames before they could catch his fur, leaving charcoaled carpet beneath them, "Speak clearly or prepare to face my wrath. Do not mince words."

"I am a most lost stranger in your lands, I have somehow found myself removed from my home with no knowledge of where I now kneel," She stepped closer, he did not look up, "And yet, albeit without intention, I have seen fit to intrude upon whatever manner of palace I find myself in and assault the one who stands to defend it... the one who undoubtedly protects this entire realm."

"Yes, you have," She refused to let her suspicion flag, even as he prostrated himself, "And you refused to heed my commands."

"Of course, yes, the emerald," Realisation seemed to hitch in his throat, "Surely one of the Sol Emeralds you guard. I have stolen from royalty without any cause, I have refused your instruction whilst intruding upon your fortress..."

"Y-Yes, you are correct," Why was her guard lowering?!

"Punish me however you see fit, your majesty," His hands relaxed but he still did not look up to her, "I accept my foolishness and all my wrongs, I take full responsibility."

Blaze hesitated, staring down at the armour-clad hedgehog for a full minute, but no more words came. What did he expect her to do? To throw him in some dungeon? To torture him? To burn him at the stake, as others had once feared she would? Perhaps he expected all those concepts in order. Wherever this invader originated from was surely archaic.

A sigh slipped past her lips, the cat could feel her tail swish. Could she trust someone who wore her best friend's appearance and matched his powers, but did not share his memories or the bond they had forged? She did not know this stranger, no matter how familiar he looked... but that also meant that she was wrong to assume the worst from him.

"I do not want to punish you, I want to understand you," She spat, "For you to be here means something has plainly gone wrong, and I believe you have a better understanding of what has happened than I do."

"Though I have seen no more than this room your highness, I am certain this world is not my own," The knight professed, "I have somehow found myself in a different castle, impossibly far from the one in which I belong. I believe that in my sleep I have somehow left my world to arrive in one that is different yet similar; the world in which you rule. I can assure you that I had no intent to invade your realm nor the sanctity of your palace, though I have plainly done so and deserve punishment accordingly."

Memories of times gone by played in Blaze's mind; of Sonic and Tails arriving in the Coral Caves, of Eggman Nega's various incursions, and of her Silver's not infrequent visits. She had been cast from her world before too, both purposefully leaving for missions and being made to by the Sol Emeralds. Had their power drawn this knight here too? Could she take him at his word, that he truly was lost and his arrival was unintentional? She had experienced such travel herself, but that did not prove anything.

"You would not be the first to intrude on me from another reality," She had been just as foolish as him, if not more so. She should have been faster to recognise that he was not her Silver, "My dimension has seen many otherworldly visitors, both kindly and dangerous. I doubt you will be the last."

She reached down a hand to aid him in rising, his fingers clasped hers but he did not move to stand. He gently tugged their shared hold closer to himself, their grasp disappeared beneath the knight's lowered head. Blaze felt something soft touch her knuckle, he'd released her hand before she could process what he had done. The dying embers that cloaked her body erupted back to life, once again the carpet was set alight!

"I have disgraced myself, soiled my honour, and besmirched my oath. I have drawn my weapon against one who was both unsuspecting unarmed, not to mention a woman of the highest nobility, for this I can never truly atone," His tone was that of Silver's when he was at his most serious, "I swear myself to you, in service and soul. I dedicate my mind and body to you in all moments, Empress. My life is for you to do with as you please," Were these wedding vows?! "My very will is forfeit. In recompense for my heinous acts, I now live only to serve you!"

As she grasped her retrieved hand the flames only surged brighter. She couldn't believe it, after all he had said and done, the knight had just kissed her! She tried to still her heart, ignore it as part of the chivalrous mannerisms that seemed to so ensnare him, but the princess could not. He wasn't Silver, this wasn't her companion, but he looked so much like him. She couldn't help but see the time traveller in the knight's place, couldn't help but imagine how she would have reacted to him being so forward.

"Y-You," With a wave of her hand the growing flames smothered themselves though the fire burned on inside her, "Get up," He finally looked up at her, Silver's own obvious confusion was plain on his muzzle, "Now!"

"As you command, Empress," With a last deep bow he rose to his feet.

She turned away from him but the image of her own Silver still played in her mind, the warm moments they'd share upon every occasion that they'd reunite. Was that building to something like this? Would he one day kneel before her and kiss her hand? What would she do if that day came? Even hearing his voice calling her empress, there was something strange about it. She hated those monikers, but in his voice...

Her eyes shifted back to the intruder, she fixated on his damage in the hopes of escaping her thoughts. The knight's breastplate was badly burnt, so much so that the holes were present in the charcoaled metal; she could see that she hadn't damaged the flesh or fur beneath, but she had come very close to hurting him. Harnessing the full power of a Sol Emerald whilst in the depths of confusion had undoubtedly been foolhardy. Sure thought, it was only because he bore so much of Silver's likeness that pyrokinetic couldn't help feeling guilty. This hedgehog was from another world, he brought with him different norms and sensibilities. Even though this knight matched Silver so perfectly, she couldn't equate the two. It was wrong to... no matter how easy it was.

"Don't call me that," She instructed, "My name is Blaze, you will call me such, and I do not need you to commit your existence to me."

"Forgive me, your highness, but it would be improper for me to take your name in my mouth as if it were that of the common man," He refused, "Especially after wronging you so."

So he'd swear his life and service to her, but not call her by her name?! Not even at her own request? Hadn't he just sworn fealty to her? Well, she had just refused his service...

"You're so naive," She cursed her tongue for slipping, she was feeding into their similarities, "I'm going to send you home, as soon as possible."

Without another glance to him, the cat turned and made for the coffee table. Bending over, she set the purple Sol Emerald down and scanned her gathered literature for anything abnormal. There was a possibility that there was something encoded on the ancient parchments, that perhaps some lingering message had reacted with the ancient gems to conjure forth a knight. That wouldn't explain his appearance and powers, but she had been reading the notes rather plainly. Given that many of the texts were so ancient and secret, it was possible-

"My apologies your highness, but I must enquire..." Was he really going to keep using those terms?! "Given that you are a royalty, why weren't you more surprised to find me here? You didn't even question my patrolling of the grounds..."

"I have an ally who looks uncannily similar to you, he matches you in both power and voice. I didn't think it unlike him to acquire a suit of armour and play into such a role for fun, though that was surely foolishness on my part," She answered, examining the papers beneath each placed Sol Emerald for any new revelations, "Besides, I didn't exactly find you here. When I woke up you were asleep beside me."

"A million apologies, Empress Blaze," His ears had bent, he looked to be more hurt than he had been by any of her attacks, "For me to intrude upon your rest, not to mention share in it, that is most reprehensible and ignoble."

"Th-That's what's surprising you?" She fumed, turning to find him stood at full attention but staring down at the burned carpet, "Not that I have a friend who shares your exact appearance?"

"Well, Empress, we are the same in that regard," He continued to avert his gaze, "I mistook you for-

"Percival, the name you used," She'd put it together, "Am I safe in presuming she is a knight who shares my likeness, alongside whom you were guarding a castle? Or rather, a keep, to your term."

"Yes, you are very astute," Upon claiming that, his eyes jumped from the carpet to meet her, "N-Not that I did not expect you to be! Of course I did not, your highness," Just as quickly, his gaze tumbled back to the carpet, "P-Percival is so astute, she can finish my sentences before I know what I'm going to say, it's obvious to me that you are just as canny," She heard metal clink, as his head lowered further, "I hope she has not been cast into another world in the same manner as me, though I doubt she will have acted as poorly as I have..."

Though this replacement was even wordier than her own Silver, the knight wore his heart on his sleeve in much a similar manner to the original. His feelings for this female knight were surely at least similar to Silver's own for her; given how he'd spoke of sparring before, he plainly didn't treat this fellow knight as he would an empress. How close was their bond? Did they train together often? Were they competitive? She couldn't dwell on that thought, she had work to do.

"The sooner I can return you home, the sooner you can make sure of that," She turned back to her literature spread, revealing the papers be mundane.

"You intend to aid me? To transport me back to Camelot?" The shock in his voice was plain.

She didn't answer him. Instead, fully focusing her attention on the coffee table. Ignoring Silver's abandoned literature, there wasn't actually all that much to look through. A few scattered journals, some ancient notes on old parchment, and books with sections on the emeralds rather than being full focused on them. She supposed those books on royal history could potentially have contained coded messages or hidden information regarding the emeralds that had somehow reacted to them. Was this knight's arrival part of the ancient will of a long past monarch? Did some sort of unknown power allow them to impose their will even across the centuries?

"Forgive my intrusion once more your highness. The name you used, Silver," Hearing his name used in that way by his own voice was so bizarre, "That is the moniker of my doppelganger?"

"Yes," Blaze answered, not overly comfortable with the use of the word doppelganger, "Despite your attempted politeness, I don't believe you have shared your name."

"Then I have failed once more, it is only due to your incomparable magnanimity that you have not yet more than hissed at me Empress," She turned back to find him on his kneeling before her once more, "I am Sir Galahad, Knight of the Round Table, son of Sir Lancelot, and seeker of the grail."

"Stop kneeling, Galahad," She rounded the table, retaking her seat on the couch and drawing up literature to obscure him, "This may take me some time. If you have any further thoughts that may be of use, do not hesitate to raise them."

Hopefully that would stop him from begging forgiveness every time he asked a question. The cat still could not see any changes in her literature, certainly none so obvious as glowing words or new sections of text. If there were coded messages amongst the words then she was certainly failing to decode them. Last night had been an abject failure, she hadn't uncovered any new abilities, why would viewing the texts now be any different? Perhaps she should have been looking for something different; sections that would relate to him rather than the emeralds.

Knights weren't an especially large part of her kingdom's history, though she knew them to feature heavily in others. Though swordsmanship was still practiced by the royal guard even to this day, mentions of those in such heavy armour were infrequent to say the least. There would surely only be one or two sections on knights in her gathered reading at most, they-

The hedgehog finally drew closer, standing by the left side of the couch, "If you expected Silver to be lying beside you, should we be looking for him?"

"I didn't expect him to be lying beside me," She'd spoken much to quickly, "I-It just wouldn't surprise me to find him there," Her temperature was spiking again, "Regardless, we don't need to concern ourselves with his status. My Silver travels other realities commonly. He is presently within the future of another reality, making certain our friends will be safe."

There was a brief pause, "Your Silver?"

"This is getting confusing," She hated hope huffy she sounded, "Unless you have something useful to say regarding my investigation, be quiet."

"Well, um," She heard the sound of metal scraping metal, was he trying to tug his chest fur? "The True King of Camelot arrived without warning in my world, just as I have yours," The knight explained, "Though I do believe he fell from the sky rather than waking up in a library."

"How did he return to his home world?" Blaze queried.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure, I wasn't present for his appearance," He sheepishly admitted, "Apparently he... dashed off and vanished shortly after receiving the title."

"That's not useful," She bluntly responded.

"My sincerest apologies, Empress," He sounded genuinely hurt.

Blaze rolled her eyes, catching sight of him in the process. He was stood at full attention, not looking at her but scanning the library as if anticipating how the books could pose some immanent threat to her life. His hand was on his sword, evidently pulled free from the encyclopedia she had kicked it into. Despite the mundanity, he looked as serious as Silver had whilst facing Iblis.

"Sit down," She commanded, though she immediately regretted it.

As instructed and without hesitation, Galahad lowered himself not to sit beside her on the couch but upon its arm. It was as if he was keeping some distance in a pointless attempt to maintain her modesty... after kissing her hand?! What foolish chivalry had been hammered into this hedgehog?!

"I do not require your services as a knight," She reiterated, "You are free to make yourself comfortable."

From the corner of her eye, she saw discomfort on his muzzle. The knight did no more than raise his visor and sheath his sword. She loathed the words that buzzed in her head, surely induced by his familiarity to her own partner. There was a certain... handsomeness which came with seeing him like this, all armoured up and protected, not to mention an unmistakeable feeling of nostalgia. It reminded her of his protectiveness back when they were younger, before he had truly accepted that she could look out for herself. She could so easily imagine that, beneath the metal, he wore similar scars to her own partner...

"Empress, Is something wrong?" She'd been staring, "Have I displeased you?"

"Quiet, I'm reading," The cat quickly insisted, fully turning back to her book, "Sit down properly, next to me. There's no need for you to keep watch. We are safe here, I assure you."

Finally, the hedgehog relented. Metal jangled as he slid from the couches arm to a cushion. She tried to push him out of her mind. Search as she might, the cat couldn't uncover a single mention of knights in all the texts she'd gathered. There were mentions of the use of weapons to supplement the Sol Emerald's might, not unlike the invading Doctor Eggman Nega and his predecessor harnessed in his machines, but that did not seem to match the hedgehog sat beside her.

Silver's own literature was a more likely source of something so fantastical, but they held no relation or connection to the Sol Emeralds. The books he'd left behind came from a variety of authors, none of then high-born or influential enough to have so much as lain eyes on the powerful gemstones. It wasn't as if their mere presence in the emerald's vicinity could-

"Forgive my intrusion once more, your highness," She glanced up from her literature, "Could this tome be of use? I found it upon the cushion you demanded I sit."

He was holding the book she had pretended to read upon his return, the one that she'd found full of misprints. Its cover was bare and its spine was the same, but Blaze recalled she'd flipped beyond a title and introduction on the first page. She had removed the grey Sol Emerald from atop its cover before he'd returned to the library's sanctum and initiated their fight. It seemed ludicrous to think the fantasy book could hold any sort of importance... but perhaps it wasn't what the book held but what it lacked that mattered.

Blaze snatched the hardback from him, quickly flicking through the pages to find countless gaps in the page's text. Most often it was a single word but on occasion entire paragraphs were missing, some pages were so lacking that they had become essentially unreadable. She scoured the surrounding text, searching for any indication that would prove her hypothesis only to find countless examples.

The most obvious she noticed were the names he had given her, both Percival and that of the nation Camelot, but it was the text that surrounded them which was even more interesting. The first page of the book bore the title, Tales of the Knights of the Round Table, and went on to give an overview description of both that group and the very kingdom of Camelot in which they resided. A land of knights and chivalry, where daring and valiant heroes in armour risked life and limb to maintain their honour and protect the weak. Such a world seemed likely to have shaped the hedgehog sat beside her.

There were many gaps surrounding text relating to a knight named Percival; even her own speech appeared to have frequently been redacted to the point of being incomprehensible. Her words would fill quotation marks, she'd ask a question, only for no response to come. Despite this, she would respond in the following line as if an answer had been given. It truly was as if some text had been scrubbed from pages written long ago, only an echo in the writing that surrounded other characters remained.

"I'm confident that your friend Percival remains in Camelot," His eyes widened at her words, "As do the other Knights of the Round Table.""How can you be so certain?" He responded, reaching out, "Does that book-

"I think it wise that you do not read it," Blaze cut him off, "For I am uncertain if it pertains to your past, present, or future."

"Did it arrive with me?" She was certain he had a different truth in mind, one much stranger.

Blaze was blunt, for she had no idea what else she could say, "I believe you came from it. That I, in my sleep, pulled you from your narrative."

Such a revelation would surely shake the mental state of any person, she'd expected him to question his entire existence and fall into a panic, but his expression showed no hint of fear. Instead, sadness quickly seemed to wash over him. His gaze fell to the book in her hands and hitched itself there.

"Does that mean I can't go back?" Was all his first question, "Will I never see the other knights again? Will I never see Percival again?"

"I'm not certain," He was not quite Silver, but he was so very similar, "But I have an idea, if you are willing to take a chance."

"I already placed my life in your hands empress," The cat rose as he spoke, "Now it would appear it has also been forced there by circumstance."

"I don't think it was so aimless as circumstance or fortune," She collected the Sol Emeralds, "I think I did this to you, Galahad."

"But you fought me, you did not anticipate my arrival," The knight countered.

"You are correct, but that does not free me from responsibility," Blaze simply answered.

The stepped around the coffee table, setting the book down on its wood and positioning herself opposite to the knight. She flipped the book open to one of its considerably more blank pages, one where the only words and descriptions were those of Percival. Blaze took a step further back, hearing charred carpet crunch beneath her heels as she solidified her footing, and quickly came up with a halfway decent concept of what she was even trying to do.

"Place your hand on the book," The guardian commanded, that idea solidifying.

Blaze had slumbered tonight having spent hours in search of a new power, one that matched that of her friend's dimension, one that could bring wishes to life. She had forgotten just why she had busied herself last night; how long the evenings had dragged without her partner by her side. Though she would never admit such to him, her past nights had been restless without him there to act as a pillow. She had hoped he would return soon. Her dream had, in a most literal sense, come true. She had unlocked the Sol Emerald's true power, now she had to learn how to harness it.

One by one she tossed five of the Sol Emeralds into the air. They began to orbit her, first floating around her core but soon transitioning to swirl behind her. Two remained in her hands, those of purple and silver- one she was mostly sure she had removed from the novel's cover and the one he had stolen. Energy in the form of heat began to pulse from the stones and into her.

Magenta flames spread to overtake her fur, transforming her purple fur to pink before the burning receded to surround her ankles and cuffs. In this state, she was at the height of her power. If she was going to stand any chance of sending him back to the book in which he resided, it would be like this. The last gems to fuse into her form were those in her hands.

The knight had done as she asked, his right hand was on the pages, but with his visor raised she could see the shock in his eyes. It reminded her so completely of when Silver had first seen her burning form; the wonder and excitement glowing in his eyes. Her colours were reflecting off of Galahad's armour far brighter than they had been Silver's fur. She had defeated great machines and all manner of monsters in this form; performed truly otherworldly feats. Surely its cosmic might would allow her to return him from whence he came.

"Galahad,"She shut her eyes tight, "I wish for you to leave this reality and return to your own," She spoke her will into the air, allowing the stones' might to flood from her form, "Return to Camelot and your allies, I beseech you!"

Her eyes reopened, the knight was still exactly where she had left him. Fire was spreading from where she stood, reigniting the already charred carpet. This form wasn't intended for such small and frankly flammable spaces; using this power in the heart of the library was foolish in and of itself. Perhaps she had been too quick to act, but there was no turning back now.

Blaze reached, palms open and directed toward the hedgehog. This time she kept her eyes open, hoping to use the threat of expanding flame as motivation to hasten her harnessing of the emeralds' power. She had travelled from one dimension to the other countless times at this point. This was different yes, she was practically returning a character to a book, but the same logic applied in theory. If the contents of his book were another world, then it stood to reason that she could send him there. She just had to accept that such was reality!

"I am Empress Blaze, guardian and wielder of the Sol Emeralds," Embers began to emanate from the knight, specifically flitting from site site that she had charred his armour, "I command that Galahad be returned to Camelot. His world needs him," The dancing lights began to die down, but the effort had given Blaze an idea, two wills were stronger than one, "Galahad, why is it that you must you return?"

"W-What?" He blinked at her.

"Speak with your heart, as plainly as you can, why must you return to Camelot?" She asked once again, certain his want to return was stronger than her want to return him, "What draws you home?"

"Though I wish I could stay by your side Empress, I must return to Camelot, because," His fist clenched atop the page, "Because it is where my true duty lies. I have sworn to defend its people, and I cannot do that from so far away. I must stand before its castles and at its borders, I must slay monsters and encage the criminals that stalk the land!"

Light that was ebbing from the crack in his armour, brightening as he spoke. His eyes shut tight, he was surely feeling the transmutation of his form, but the act was far from complete. There had to be more! Their efforts were surely working but there had to be more. He had to act quickly; the flames were still spreading!

"What else, Galahad?" She asked aloud, "Don't hide behind knightly modesty and your wall of chivalry, be honest, be true to yourself!"

"I..." His breath hitched, "I have companions I long to see again." "Who, who are your companions?" She asked, already certain of at least one answer."My father, Sir Lancelot. Since the disappearance of the king he has fallen from his noble heights. I must return to bring him back to the light," The cracks in his armour brightened further, "Sir Gawain, my friend, he surely still needs me. For as strong as he is, keeping that blunt temper of his in check is most difficult. He always needs guidance of some sort," The light had spread to his face symbols, replacing the blue with white, "Nimue, the lady of the lake. In times of trouble I go to her for advice and support. I bring her news of the world beyond her lake in return, she would surely miss my tales," His fingers almost looked to be fading away, "A-And, of course, Sir Percival, oh Percival," The mere mention of her name spread the light to his face and overcame his eyes, "If I could never see her again, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Without her I wouldn't have become a knight, I wouldn't have met my father or any of my other friends. She means the world to me, I was ready to give my life for her from the moment I meet her and now that is a hundred times the case. I-

It happened in an instant; light blinded Blaze for but a moment before reality was made clear to her. He had become a spirit, his physical form had turned to dust, but an echo that resembled flame and smoke still remained. The room had been made bright by his transformation, it was as if the sun was in the room with her, he shined so brightly that she was still scarcely able to look upon him. The hedgehog knight was surely, hopefully, on his way home.

"Blaze?" He'd used her name.

"I'm here Galahad," She called out to him.

"I not certain what's happening to me," He professed, "I can't feel my body... but I think I'm leaving."

"I'm quite certain that is the case," She smiled at him, "It's an experience that I am admittedly familiar with. It should be over soon."

"I see," He looked down to his hands only to quickly relock eyes with her, "Once again, I can only apologise for my intrusion, I've clearly caused a lot of trouble for you," His voice whistled as if on the wind, "I swore myself to you and yet I now find myself leaving you, I am so sorry, I truly have been nothing but ignoble-

"I'm sending you away," She cut him off, "I told you, I have no need for a knight. You are free to leave," Her vision adjusted, she could see his glowing ethereal form, "Everything else you can provide, well..."

"There is one like me already in your life, I know," He was grinning, for the first time since the hedgehog had arrived; he was smiling.

The tail end of his wispy form had connected to the book he'd originated from; the pages began to flip back and forth endlessly. With each passing his spirit faded further from reality; he became easier to see through as he shrank deeper into the tome. After mere moments he was reduced to little more than an arm and a helmeted head.

"Good luck, Galahad," She called out to him before he could disappear. "May good fortune find you too, Empress Blaze," The hedgehog beamed so brightly, "I hope your Silver will return to your side soon."

Of course, he had to get on her nerves just one last time. The hedgehog's spirit vanished into the book; the pages rustled one last time before the entire book brought itself to shut. The only light remaining in the room was that ebbing from her still burning frame and the flames she had conjured. As quickly as he had vanished, the feline dispelled the Sol Emeralds from her body- they fell to the ground, absorbing the spreading flames as they came to rest on the charred carpet.

In the calm and dark that followed Blaze felt more than a little lightheaded. A yawn forced her mouth open and her eyes closed; despite how peculiar her evening had been, tiredness was now working its way back into her bones. Perhaps harnessing this new power had taken something out of her. It eemed wise to retire properly for the night.

One by one she collected the Sol Emeralds, feeling their warmth still linger in the wake of Galahad's goodbye. She threw one last glance to Silver's abandoned books, lingering on the one from which the knight had been conjured. She couldn't help but wonder if, within the text, his appearance and personality truly matched her partner's own so thoroughly, or if that had simply been a quirk of his conjuration by the emeralds. Regardless, the cat made a mental note to keep the Sol Emeralds far from any of Silver's chosen literature, lest more of him manifested. She had no idea what she'd have done if one of him had emerged from the confines of each of book...

As the thought of other versions of her companion spiked the cat's temperature, she looked on from the table to take in the devastation the two's brawl and then further efforts had left behind. The carpets would surely need replaced, she could still see the gash his sword had left in what was likely a centuries old encyclopedia. A sigh slipped through her lips, these things would not be easily replaced. Regardless, thoughts of those cost were themselves soon replaced in the cat's mind.

What did it suggests that she had conjured one so similar to Silver through subconscious thought alone? Had she truly felt that lonely without him after only two weeks? Was it truly through her feelings for him that she had manifested a new power in the Sol Emeralds? The cat didn't want to dwell on that thought, but it would surely keep her awake tonight.

#silvaze #blaze the cat #silver the hedgehog #galahad #galahad the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #sonic

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theflashdriver · 3 years ago

Text

A Measure of Trust

Knuckles' birthday is on the horizon, Rouge had schemed up a surprise costume party for him. Unfortunately, a certain blue blur has taken much too long in picking out what he's going to wear, and a pink hedgehog has taken notice. Written for Sonamy/Silvaze Week 2021, but for the pirates or the knights prompt? You'll have to read to find out!

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Despite his usual arrogant antics, Sonic wasn’t without his share of weaknesses, that much he could freely admit. His cool demeanour tended to slip when it came to open bodies of water and he did like to the centre of attention more than he was willing to admit, but neither of those issues were plaguing him today. No, today’s grievances were derived from a two related yet contrasting sources; the need to plan and being forced to wait.

His issue with the latter was more obvious, his pseudonym was the blue blur for a reason after all. Sticking around in one place just wasn’t his style, he had to feel the beat of ever-changing terrain beneath his sole and watch his surrounding rush by so fast that he could scarcely make them out. No matter how much people watching he did, tapping his right foot all the while, hanging around outside the third costume shop they’d visited today wasn’t achieving the same purpose.

A sigh slipped through his lips as he readjusted his grip on the overlarge boxes stacked up to his chin, each of them a different colour and sealed with a bow. He couldn’t blame anyone but himself for his present position… but if he was asked, he’d absolutely point fingers at Rouge, Knuckles and the girl he was presently waiting on. His claim for the echidna was admittedly the lousiest, as this was all happening without his knowledge, but he was the central cause. Having heard that the master emerald’s guardian had never had a birthday party, the bat had seen fit to organise one. The bat’s chosen party type of fancy dress was the hedgehog’s reason to blame the girl currently rummaging through boxes and coat-hangers somewhere behind him, trying to pick out matching costumes.

In truth, Sonic knew that his current circumstance was entirely his own fault. Rouge had passed out the invitations months ago and Tails had literally read the letter to him, just to be sure it wasn’t forgotten. The fox had also reminded him of all this last week but there being seven days till he had to act meant seven more days to put it off. It’d taken Amy’s intervention, a mere half day before the party was set to start, to get him on the right path.

To his credit, while running through station square, Sonic had made a mental note of a hat that seemed to be Knuckles’ style and would make for a good enough gift… but the hedgehog hadn’t given a single thought to his own costume. Apparently being fashionably late and undressed for a surprise costume party was too much of a faux pas. Well, he knew it was but that didn’t mean it hadn’t been destined to happen.

Amy had dragged him out to buy the hat on the spot before insisting that she would help him pick out an outfit. The serious yet excited look on her face had left him unable to come up with a quip or excuse. He supposed he could just have run, just as he could now, but he’d told himself if he showed up late after her offer she’d have a genuine excuse to be mad at him. That was what he’d told himself, but the truth was that his inability to refuse the pink hedgehog was third weakness of his, especially when she’d so plainly planned this out. She’d probably known this was how it’d all play out upon first reading her own invitation.

Her aid had come with a few catches, the first being his status as her luggage caddy for the day; that wasn’t so bad, though he couldn’t help feeling the boxes were meant to weigh him down. It was the other two that were filling his stomach with butterflies; he wasn’t allowed to pick out what he’d be wearing, and he had to stand outside while she picked out all the pieces. He’d stepped into the first costume shop and been overly thoroughly measured before being promptly kicked out. Every garb and accessory she’d brought out since was so thoroughly packaged that he had no chance of guessing what was in store.

He’d tried not to think too about it too much, but boredom had made him laps a handful of times. They were here for his costume, not hers, which implied Amy had already picked out what she was wearing. The moment she’d insisted on her plan he’d known they’d end up matching or contrasting in some way, and that’d only fed his potential embarrassment. The most savoury hypothetical that he’d managed to imagine was that he’d be the knight to her princess, at least the visor of his helmet would hide his embarrassment. With Amy at the reigns though, and all the time she’d had to plan, he really doubted it’d be so simple.

Sonic shut his eyes and leaned harder against the side of the building; just how much longer would she take? They’d been to three different costume shops, three! Whatever she had planned had to be elaborate; he would have picked up whatever was nearest the door and called it a day or wrapped himself in toilet roll and claim to be a mummy.

Amy plainly had a vision for what he was going to wear. Maybe she’d pull something specific from one of those corny romantic movies she liked to watch? Perhaps he’d end up more princely than knightly, dressed in some overly restrictive ensemble? That was what bugged him the most, not something he didn’t like but that it’d keep him from movi-

“I should have known I’d find you here, Big Blue,” He didn’t have to open his eyes to know who’d said that; he fought to make his grimace a grin.

“Long time no see, Rouge,” Sonic said, keeping his eyes shut so as to avoid the smirk that was surely on her face, “I figured you’d have already picked out your outfit, given that you planned this whole shindig.”

“Oh I have, you don’t have to worry about that sugar,” The hedgehog couldn’t help but hear another set of footsteps come to a halt just in front of him, “Why don’t you go stand next to him, Shadow. You two are matching after all.”

At that, Sonic’s eyes snapped open. Rouge nigh perpetual flirtatious gaze was present, as expected, but just left of her was a figure more obscured by boxes than he was. If it wasn’t for the dark quills poking out from both sides of the tower, and the presence of some metal boots, identification would have been impossible. Without warning, the figure stepped directly toward him, clearly unable to tell where it was going. Sonic took a step to the left only for Shadow to fill where he’d been standing.

“I’m glad I left sorting Red’s outfit to Tails, Amy must have predicted I’d have my hands full,” That was a half-truth, Amy and Tails had talked the bat into handing over that job after hearing what she’d schemed for the guardian, “I’ll see you tonight then, assumedly on Amy’s arm?”

The bat slinked off laughing through the automatic doors, only half covering her mouth with her hand. As soon as she was out of view, the blue blur returned to his prior head raised and eyes closed position. That was just a taste of what was to come tonight… at least the birthday boy would get a laugh out of it.

He opened one eye, glancing to his partner in embarrassment. Though the black hedgehog was a natural scowler, but the look on his face was truly tremendous. He was staring into the box in front of his head as though he was willing it to explode. It looked like, at any second, he might just faint beneath his own exhaustion and frustration at this whole situation.

Seeing a silver lining to this dower situation, and an opportunity to distract himself, Sonic opened his mouth, “So, Shad-

“Not a word,” Shadow cut him off, “I’ll be dealing with your nonsense enough later, I’m sure.”

“Aww, come on, I want to guess what you’re going as. Rouge has a sense of humour; it’ll be something like a vampire, right? That way it won’t be hard for you to stay in character,” Sonic teased.

For a moment, icy silence hung in the air. The dark hedgehog’s eyes closed, “I don’t care what she’s picking out.”

“W-Wait, you trusted Rouge to pick your outfit?” After he asked that though, realisation struck him. Trust had nothing to do with it.

“I don’t care,” Shadow flatly insisted.

“That’s what your mouth says, but your face says you didn’t have a choice,” The blue blur smirked, “Amy stopped her from picking Knuckles’ costume for a reason you-

The sound of the automatic doors sliding open, and the footfalls derived from a familiar set of boots cut Sonic off. His blood ran cold as a long box was added as a new peak for the mountain he was carrying. He scarcely managed to see a set of pink ears line up in front of him.

“Alright my darling, that’ll do,” Amy Rose had returned, Amy Rose had finished her creation, “Let’s get you home and try it all on!”

“Alright, let’s do it,” He managed to grin as he poked his head around, locking eyes with the girl in red.

Immediately he was of two halves, the look on her face had split him in twain. She was beaming with excitement; the red on her cheeks, the smile on her muzzle and brightness in her eyes was overbearing. The hedgehog was so plainly happy with what she’d made, so overjoyed that all she’d planned had come together. That happiness struck him to his core and made the waiting worth it, but it also brought him certainty that this outfit would be his undoing.

She only managed to walk a couple of paces, her happiness unyieldingly blunt in her step, when she came to a sudden halt and looked to her left, “Shadow? Is that you?”

The set of legs beneath a mound of boxes gave no response, so Sonic spoke for it, “Rouge is picking his outfit for tonight.”

“Oh, Shadow…” The sympathy in Amy’s voice only lasted for a moment, being quickly replaced by a lecturing tone as she puffed up her cheeks, “Well, after tonight I’m sure you’ll have learned your lesson, just as I’m sure my darling Sonic will.”

Up until her last claim, seeing Amy talk down to the once named ultimate life form had been the highlight of the speedster’s day. Instead, it was just another source of conflicting joy and fear. Like two ships crossing in the night, without another word, Sonic walked past Shadow to catch up with Amy.

He wasn’t used to moving like this, walking slow to keep everything balanced. Usually, the only thing he could see was what was directly in front of him, now he was reliant on Amy to carve him a path through the people walking Station Square. Just looking at her from behind all these boxes, the sight of her red dress and boots, was conjuring more theories. He’d ended up a werehog due to one of Eggman’s schemes, would she make herself red riding hood? Maybe they’d visited so many places because she’d been looking to perfectly recreate that style?

Haphazardly poking his head out from behind the pile, seeing an opening, he rushed forward to walk next to her, “So…”

“So?” She cocked her head, plainly already aware of what he was going to ask but enjoying dragging it out.

“Now that you’ve picked everything out, I get to know what I’ll be dressed as. That was the deal,” He reminded her.

“The deal was that I get to pick out your outfit and you don’t get to know what it is,” She responded, rubbing her chin and pretending to be in deep thought, “I don’t remember saying I had to tell you what it was.”

“So, I can just open the boxes now?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“Well, I didn’t say that,” A sing song tone had entered her voice, “Besides, do you want to reveal my decision with all these eyes around?” That was a fair point, if he was set to be the nutcracker for an evening, he didn’t much want to pull the outfit out now, “My flat’s just a couple blocks away, after all this, I’m sure you can wait five more minutes.”

“Just five minutes till the embarrassment really starts,” He hummed, being forced in behind her by the passing of a group.

“Don’t you trust me, my darling?” She sounded from ahead.

“Ames, I trust you with my life,” Sonic honestly responded, but he wanted to match her teasing, “But I know not to trust you with the little things, you know you can take advantage of those.”

“Well, if my choice really embarrasses you, we can always swap. I’m sure I’ll look quite dashing in what I’ve picked you out, almost as handsome as you would,” She grinned back at him again and he had to duck behind the boxes, for whatever reason his face felt hot.

“Y-Yeah, well,” He muttered, biting his tongue. The only comebacks the came to mind played similarly to the half compliment she’d just given; he didn’t have the will for that sort of teasing right now.

As a result of his heavy tongue, the remaining walk back to her place was relatively quiet and left him with far too much time for speculation. The elevator trip up to her apartment was even more difficult, being side by side with her meant perpetually catching her excited grin and the dual mirrors in the metal box didn’t much help him avoid it. Amy Rose would never truly hurt him, physically or emotionally, he knew that for sure, but teasing was more than fair game. After all the times he’d jokingly run off and talked about dates, this did rather feel like karma.

He didn’t drag his feet though as they alighted the elevator and took the small walk to her door. The instant it was unlocked however, the scent of flowers just about knocked him from his feet. He’d been in Amy’s flat a handful of times, mostly just to escape the rain or crash for a night, and it never failed to perfectly reflect its inhabitant.

It was as if he’d stepped into valentine’s day as he made his way through the door and into her combined kitchen-dining room; pink, red and white were absolutely everywhere, from the tablecloth to the walls to the painted wooden fixtures. Even in the middle of the table, perfectly pristine and unwilted, sat a large bouquet that contained half a dozen red roses and various pink flowers he couldn’t identify. Admittedly only this room was that overpowering, her living room was far more regular looking, but the space’s first impression was certainly strong.

Finally, Sonic managed to set down the ludicrous pile of boxes on the kitchen table. Quickly, he managed to separate out the round ribboned hatbox that contained his gift for Knuckles and set it aside. A cold sweat swept down his back as he looked upon the four other boxes, he’d been made to carry for so long. While only one of them truly had any heft, Amy had made sure to have them sealed as though they were presents. The serious of difficult to carry shapes this had resulted in were not only difficult to carry but truly gave zero clarity regarding their contents. If he had to guess, he’d say the heaviest box contained shoes, but he didn’t have to wait any longer!

As Sonic reached to undo the first bow however, a single finger came down to hold the knot in place, “Not yet, my darling.”

“Eh?” He looked up only to be met with the pink hedgehog’s bright green eyes, “What’s holding up the show?”

“What you said before hurt me so badly,” Amy pouted, “I need to prove that you can trust me with the silly little things.”

“What’re you getting at Ames?” His bit back a stutter, totally lost about what was on its way.

Bounce still in her step despite the theatrics, the pink hedgehog slipped around the table and into her kitchen. She quickly returned with a pink dishtowel in her hands and a cunning look in her eyes. Immediately Sonic understood her plan and an embarrassed, wiry, smile crept onto his lips.

“I said you don’t get to know what your costume is,” When it became apparent that he didn’t understand her plan, she smiled oh so sweetly, “If your blindfolded, you’ll have to trust me to put your costume on.”

“Really, Ames? I can’t even dress myself?” He snorted, trying to play off her suggestion as a joke.

“Well, considering your usual attire, I’m not sure you know how to,” She only half fought back her laugh, “Have you ever even worn a shirt?”

“I’ve…” His mind went blank as he thought back, “Worn jackets?”

“You never even button them up though. You just sling them over your shoulders and decide that’s good enough, regardless of the weather,” She correctly established, but, rather than cockiness or excitement, a certain sincerity crossed her face, “I want your first view of it to be the full picture, everything put together,” She seemed to be aware of just how foolish this was, but it seemed like she’d planned it too, “There’s not that much to it, just some accessories, it’ll barely take me five minutes.”

Sonic hesitated, feeling his face grow warmer. He’d said no to Amy in embarrassing situations like this countless times, she’d ask for a date and he’d run off and she’d follow, that was the way things worked. Sure, he’d let her catch up in the end and they’d hang out for a while, usually doing something close to what she had planned, but by that time he’d have cooled off and come up with quips. With how late he’d left all this, there was no time or space to run. Unless he truly said no to her, he’d just had to face whatever she’d schemed up. Though he said no to her a lot, it’d never been wholeheartedly.

“At this point, what’s five more minutes,” He sighed, running his hand through his quills, “If it’s really what you want, then fine,” It was just so embarrassing, he had to do something, “No pictures or anything until after I’ve seen it though, alright?”

By the time he’d dared look down her eyes were sparkling like emeralds, enthusiasm had claimed her, “Deal!” She pushed the tablecloth into his gut, practically bouncing, “Put it on and don’t peek, I’ll try to be quick.”

Swallowing his embarrassment, the hedgehog tied the cloth behind his head. For a moment there was silence between them, by the wind on his nose he could tell she was doing something to check he was truly blinded.

Suddenly, a set of hands were on his shoulders, “You’ll need to bend down just a little,” He acquiesced immediately, and her fingers left him, “Now, where to start…”

“The beginning probably,” His nerves had forced a quip loose, he really hoped his muzzle wasn’t as red as it felt.

Her snort, followed by the shifting of boxes, only made that heat worse. Something about her contact, so gentle when she knew she could be so strong, struck a chord deep in his gut. Amy rivalled Knuckles in terms of strength, Sonic had seen her swing her hammer hard enough to behead metallic titans. Having her take control away from him and then so gently ask him for something she could take was just so heart wrenching yet surreal.

Her next contact sent the same static up his spine; she took hold of his right hand, raising it to be more accessible. Her fingers went from loosely locked around his wrist to fiddling with the hem of his glove and soon that garment was fully removed. Soon after, equally gently, a glove made from a thicker material with a wider cuff made its way onto his hand.

Reflexively, Sonic raised his left for easy access only to hear, “Thank you,” Uttered in response.

Trying to guess an outfit from the internal feeling of a single glove was foolish at best but when he closed his fist, he didn’t feel pointed nails. Well, that probably ruled out him going as the werehog. Puzzlement crept into his mind again as she finished with the left hand; the gloves were matching, that was clear.

Before he could think any further, her voice caught his ears, “Turn around.”

He spun on his heel, trying to make the action look cooler than it had any right to be. The hedgehog felt anything but cool however when she stretched over his back, pressing a loose shirt to his back before pulling the sleeves along his arms. It took her a little bit of shifting to fit the holes in its back, likely custom cut in the shop to fit his spines. He managed to keep cool until she moved at his neck, plainly fiddling with the shirt’s collar, before reaching around to do up his buttons. Did there have to be so many of them? This was why he never closed his jackets, it felt so restrictive! He was getting hotter and hotter in the face.

Well, it was a fun excuse to think about. She seemed to hang on the top two sets of buttons for a moment, as if debating closing them, before opting not to. Now with two distinct articles of clothing on, Sonic had no idea what he was set to be, but he felt reasonably confident ruling out that they were going as a knight and a princess. The next garb served to confirm that theory, it was some sort of loose waistcoat that she’d slung over his shoulders like he would a regular jacket.

Things got more confusing with the addition of what felt to be a large belt that was tied around his waist. That wasn’t too bad but then he felt another’s buckle on his shoulder, soon followed by her hand slipping beneath the supposed waistcoat and around his back; for whatever reason, she’d opted to bring that second belt out through one of the spine holes in his back. It was so bizarre, was there something on the belt? He was getting the feeling that he was being dressed as some sort of handsome prince when she reached for his midriff again, looping something new across the belt on his gut.

“A-Are we about done?” His stutter caught him off guard and shut him up.

“Very almost,” She sounded so pleased with herself, but that sound was followed by the dragging of a chair across carpet followed by her hands again arriving on his shoulders, “Sit down, the chair’s just behind you.”

He followed her lead only to then feel her, left hand grazing across her shoulders, walk around to face his front. After a little bit more shuffling he felt her hands in his quills and was relatively confident a crown of some sort was coming. The end result was strange though, he felt something pass between his quills and then heard the familiar sound of fabric knotting. As if that wasn’t a strange enough addition, the touch of her hand on his ear was followed by something cool and metallic being left behind. If he was set to be a prince, it wasn’t like any he could visualise.

“Wait right there, don’t peek, I need to get one last thing!” The excitement had put a tremble into her voice, matched only by the sound of the skip in her step as she rushed past him and through a door.

They hadn’t been exceptionally talkative, but something about the still silence her absence brought perturbed him. Once again, he had been forced into a position of patience. There was a reason he was known as the blue blur and not the azure anchor, stillness like this, unless he was snoozing or distracting himself some other way, just wasn’t his style. Though his face felt cooler, his thoughts were lingering on the various sites she’d made contact across his body. Words like intimate weren’t commonly thought of, let alone used, by the hedgehog, but feeling her fasten button after button couldn’t have been described any other day.

She was just so bouncy and jubilant most of the time, capable of throwing herself at him without a care. Amy Rose wasn’t afraid to use her strength, in moments of need and casual excitement, but her potential for softness always hung beneath those efforts. He’d seen her gently look after Cream and handle flowers with such softness. She was an adventure in and of herself, capable of being so surprising. Maybe that was why, no longer how far or for how long he ran, he’d always let her catch him again, eventually.

Sonic heard the door reopen, but Amy’s pace was bizarrely slow. He could hear the rubbing of fabric and the pad of very slow footsteps. Was she wearing some sort of long dress? That would validate his prince and princess theory, but he really didn’t feel like what he understood of his outfit matched it. The fabric rubbing sounded like some sort of strange flapping, it was as if she was waddling in her rapid approach.

“Here’s the final part of your ensemble, just a little something for you to carry!” She shouted bringing his head to snap, eyes still blind.

“Ames, wha-

He was cut off by a sudden form jumping into his lap, a form that weighted the exact same as Amy Rose but was weirdly textured. Whatever she was wearing, it was covered the entirety of her lower half. Anticipation and contemplation built toward climax as he felt her hands on her shoulders again. The feeling of her wrists sliding beyond the sides of his head absolutely renewed the warmth on his muzzle.

While his vision had been very red, the blindfold had been thin enough that his eyes barely had to adjust. He was greeted by Amy’s green eyes and wide grin first, but his eyes were quickly drawn to her forehead and a seashell headdress. From there his gaze was brought down and came to collide with a loose-fitting red shirt. Its sleeves were long rippling, almost like there were waves in fabric. Just beneath her midriff, he identified the source of her slow movement; made of what looked to be a red plastic material, dotted with sequins, was a fish tail.

As he looked down at himself too, it all clicked. Brown mariners gloves for handling ropes, a loose white shirt, a blue overcoat, buckles and belts and sashes. Sonic reached up, feeling what she’d attached to his ear and put through his quills, he was wearing an earring and an orange bandana. She’d made him pirate and herself a mermaid.

“Do you trust me now?” Mermaid spoke with mocking befitting of his stupidity.

“With my life,” The pirate cheekily grinned back.

“What about with everything else?” She asked, putting on a joking pout.

“Well,” He stuck his tongue out, “I trust you with my outfit at least.”

“I suppose that’s a start,” Amy hummed, “I’ll be trusting you to carry me to Tails’ airship and back here tonight, I’m afraid that walking’s not my strong suit.”

“Well, swimming up to a flying island does sound difficult,” He mock rubbed his chin, in thought.

“And I’ve got just the thing to help you,” She reached across and knocked the top off the last, and heaviest, of the boxes. Hitched on two of her fingers, up came a set of brown, “I figured, unlike everything else, you could handle the shoes,” A grin, more teasing than any prior, claimed her muzzle, “You’re used to those after all.”

He took them from her, matching her expression, “Didn’t want to leave the gloves up to chance though, good call.”

“Well, it’s not every day you let me hold your hand,” She repositioned herself, sliding to rest her shoulder on his, “So, seems like I planned this all pretty well then.”

“I can’t deny it,” He shrugged, more than content. Sure it was all a little tight around the chest, but it could be worse and at least his legs were free.

“I’d love to bask in this more, but we should probably get going, the actual party still needs set up and it seems like Rouge could use the extra hands,” The pink hedgehog leaned up and reached for the table, gathering up the boxes that contained their respective gifts for Knuckles and the keys to her flat.

“Only one set of feet though, apparently,” Sonic joked, shifting to hold her before rising, only to be struck with a realisation, “With us decked out like this, Shadow’s gotta have drawn the short straw.”

“Try not to tease him too much, he’ll be embarrassed enough as it is,” Amy half insisted as she was walked toward the door.

Between her as the arms and him as the legs, they managed to make it out and close the door, “Yeah well, if he’s hit rock bottom then I can’t push him down any lower.”

Their back and forth over how much to tease Shadow didn’t get very far by the time they’d reached the bottom floor. The moment they arrived there though, the talk didn’t stand a chance of surviving; with Amy in his arms, Sonic shot off like a rocket. He tore across pavement, skidding and weaving around people and over roads as if they were nothing.

In a matter of moments they’d reached the city’s edge and then, a further three moments later, they’d ran across enough green grass to sight Tail’s workshop. Above, just visible from this distance, Angel Island was hanging. He couldn’t help thinking that Knucklehead would probably be surprised he’d shown up on time, let alone with a halfway decent gift and a good outfit. It’d be a surprise within the greater surprise.

The hedgehog duo slid into the open door of the massive workshop, finding the scent of oil quickly caught up with them. At the heart of the space stood the overlarge plane that Tails had modified to transport not only the party people but the party goods. The mechanic himself was to the back of the room and looked to have just finished putting on his own costume. It was jokingly low tech compared to his usual work, plainly made from carboard boxes with slap on buttons made from loose junk, but the youngster had made himself into a carboard robot. He’d scarcely be identifiable if it wasn’t for the outfit’s cut face and tail holes.

“Hey Tails,” Sonic called across, getting his attention, “Cool costume!”

“You look so cute!” Amy shouted from his arms.

“Thanks guys,” The youngster beamed before throwing a knowing look, “I see Amy caught up with you.”

“Well, I mean, it looks more like I caught her,” Once the words fell from his mouth, he realised he hadn’t played this whole situation off as well as he’d planned. Instead, he tried to change the subject, “What did you end up picking out for Knuckles?”

“Oh, I just put the finishing touches on it,” He picked up what looked to be a heavy-duty briefcase, flipping it open, “I figured he’d want something cool and practical, something that could double as a proper gift.”

Inside was a set of ornate hand axes, a metal breastplate, a pair of metal shoes and a traditional knight’s helm. The whole get up was admittedly giving Sonic some very strange flashbacks to events he was only half certain were dreamed, but he couldn’t deny that the metalwork looked superb. It was all exactly to Knuckles’ style and, if that perhaps dream was to be believed, it’d look great on-

The sound of fast moment coming to a sudden stop, punctuated by three quick footsteps, pulled the blue blur from his thoughts. That was a sound Sonic knew well and could only associate with one prickly fella. It was finally time to see what the bat had made of him.

“Hey Big Blue, fancy seeing you here on ti-

In an instant, the prior gloating confidence seemed to hitch in Rouge throat as Sonic turned and the two pairs came eye to eye. The blue blur found his counterpart dressed in red and brown, with knotted ropes punctuating leather shoes and gloves. A belt with a golden buckle, a red overcoat with shoulder flares, a tricorn hat and an eyepatch made for a dissimilar yet still much too familiar view. The familiarity was again shoved to the forefront with Rouge, the tail that’d come to replace her legs was black and she’d opted for a pale crop top with a matching shark tooth necklace, but the intent so blatantly matched Amy.

Somehow, just as they’d ended up at the same costume shop, both girls had settled on the same concept to share with their partners who’d waited far too long to pick out an outfit.

“Well,” Rouge blinked, for once entirely deadpan and serious, “Two of us need to change.”

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