The clapping of footsteps sprang back and forth between the lavish, lonely corridors of the grand Castle of Sol. The echoing footsteps were deep and powerful as the potentate to-be stomped the starving halls in garish boots. Heel to toe, heel to toe. The steps were sure and sharp; anxious. Patrons and castle staff within the way of the grumbling character moved out of the way quickly. It is fitting, their apprehensive glances, no smart soul would intercept someone bearing smoldering eyes like fog lamps ready to bring forth prosecution and castigation with a glare alone. Those golden eyes… those flickering, frustrated golden eyes.

Silver the Hedgehog rounded a corner quickly, his eyes paying no mind to the worried looks warranted as he impersonated a tempestuous storm through the castle walkways. Silver's eyebrows were knotted like a pair of agitated cobras. His gaze raked the very ground as if the expensive rug and pale granite had all the answer he sought. His jaw was clamped shut like a vice and slowly his molars ground against each other as he pondered relentlessly. The seething anxiety of losing his princess ensnared his brain in prickly brambles and it poked him to no end. He growled at the pestering thoughts and shook his head briskly; his quills swishing this way and that as though spiders were invading his noggin.

Silver's gaudy gloves on his trembling fists stretched audibly in his ire. He still couldn't believe the quite colorful language Blaze used against him in their little spat. His frown deepened as his thoughts began picking up pieces of the 'hellationship' puzzle and began putting them in their rightful places… He couldn't even deny that he saw this coming. He acknowledged that this toxic back and forth bickering has been going on for quite some time now.

Previously, many months ago, it was seldom for them to fight. They were friends, good friends, the best of friends even… well, at least it seemed to be true. Their familiarity only grew as soon they've left Mobius. They were there for each other no matter what. When she asked him to help her to get back home, he did so willingly. He was there when they removed her status from the Guardian of the Sol Emeralds; the emeralds was then confiscated from her possession. He was there for when Queen Aurora put Blaze on the fast track to becoming the ruling queen once they've acquainted her with a suitable suitor. He was even there for her when she broke down and cried for hours for an unforeseen reason, to his eyes, but all he knew was that a week after that emotional incident he was dubbed a knight. The castle was busy then, he didn't know of what exactly, but things were beginning to change. Things were good back then, but as time passed by, Blaze became someone else. In his mind, Blaze became mean. Biting. Apathetic. Unfeeling. Unfaithful!

In time, Blaze's smiles became a rarity. Her brilliant eyes grew dull and stoic; more stoic than when he first saw her for sure! And more lamentably, her heart burned like a matchstick compared to what Silver felt when the heat was higher; an absolute wildfire of passion and appreciation. Those days are long gone… Now, he felt as though it was winter and all he had was but a matchstick to warm his trembling fingers.

The pewter hedgehog smiled at some memories that flitted by in his mind as he thought of Blaze's 'passions'. A smirk danced on his face for the slightest seconds before his thought process took the wheel and steered Silver down Remorse Ave, and then a frown worth it's metaphysical weight in sorrow tugged on his face.

Silver was not entirely naive, he saw the signs of her prickling insensitivity towards him. He saw that there was less fire burning in her heart; less passion for Silver in all aspects of their lives whether it be greeting, conversation, personal time, or intercourse. It was like she didn't even care; like she wasn't real! What did I do to deserve this!?

He saw the signs… But all he could do was smile and bear it in the cold. Praying for the Blaze he knew to come back round. He reflected... Those brilliant golden orbs; dead-eyes when they glint at his way now. That smile that had molten barriers; a cold fortress of numb nonchalance. Those wonderful, welcoming arms; a self-hug of selfish comfort.

Silver tried to push all the alarming red flags that bothered him like perpetual screams from alarm clocks, but it was no use!

Again, reflecting on his fiance, he recognized her indifferent tone of voice that he became acclimated to months ago. He noticed her distance, both emotionally and even physically, that she puts between them almost everywhere in every connotation. And finally, as if she was aiming for his ego with a sniper rifle, she zeroed in on his insecurities; he made a final reflection: coitus, though he truly believed that she enjoyed it as she did the first time they've made love, she would wait after he would 'fall asleep' and she would quickly rendezvous to the bathroom.

What could that possibly mean? Perhaps she was bored of me? Is she looking for someone else? Who is it!? "She changed for the worst, the fucking worst!" Silver vented to no one in particular as he continued to stomp down the corridor.

Then, as those souring epiphanies took residence in his mind, overwhelming thoughts that sounded like metal against metal raked the softness of his brain, stirring up pestilence deep within that is ambiguity… anxiety… angst…

What's that name that Blaze love so much… that man… that damn male that she is so devoted to?

"Sonic…" The biting voice in the back of Silver's head whispered out with dripping fangs.

"It's because of Sonic…"

Silver sneered at his name. A frown worth its metaphysical weight in pure snake toxin tore its way onto Silver's smoldering face.

It's because of Sonic…!

Silver snarled, a growl rising in his throat. His anger frothing at the surface, threatening to spill over. His frown deepened as though imps pulled at his face. His hurt eyes flared with a blaze of hatred. His sharp incisors almost made a sinister debut from his mouth. His mind scurried and scampered and blundered through the vast dark void that is ambiguity. Anything could be the case. Anything could happen. Nothing was clear! There were NO answers! No. Thunderclouds shadowed his facade. He had an answer, he definitely had an answer to Blaze's on-setting emotional lethargy towards him. The gnawing voice in the back of Silver's head smiled in triumph.

SHE'S IN LOVE WITH SONIC!

Silver's heart begged for some sort of buffer for the nightmarish pain that flooded his veins, its contents like lye. Silver's mind raced and raced on weary legs; oh no, deep within the pitch darkness of his mind there was a monster lurking. It gave chase; it charged behind his good acumen within, nipping on its legs! A monster made of wrathful thoughts; the ones that made up his negative side, gleaming teeth ready to gnaw and rip! Thoughts that felt like perfect justification. Thoughts that he didn't know that was hiding within. Firmly in the jaws of the monster… Angry. Virulent. Powerful. Loud. HATEFUL!

The pewter hedgehog's pace was quick and sure. He was on his way down the hall when he stumbled on a part of the rug that ran along the length of the corridor that was sticking up. His frustration rose like the temperature in his face as he fell ungraciously on a knee and his hands. Embarrassment washed over Silver's body like an annoying wave of ants in his pelt; burning and itchy. Biting heat scourged his mind. His insecurities were basically teetering on pins on this point and his mind visualized a thousand eyes staring and judging him for misstepping.

"What a king you are." One voice sneered at him.

"Tripping like a child, is this what we have to look forward to?" Another voice judged.

"Surely Princess Blaze could do better." A annoyingly familiar voice said through a roguish grin.

Angrily, he pinched at the rug with his fingers, strangling the fibers with his trembling hands. Shut up, shut up! He yelled at the annoying voices internally.

From behind him, and unluckily for the perpetrator, Silver heard the unmistakable sound of someone snickering at his mishap. Silver shot him a glare so vicious that the mammal in question coughed nervously into his hand and looked away from the furious hedgehog with wavering eyes. Silver held himself back from levitating that man and flinging him across the hallway like a potato. He digressed though, he wanted this power; respect, to be king, and he wasn't keen on losing it so close to the day. Only 7 days from now.

Feeling a bit better from the man's show of cowardice. Silver stood back up quickly and marched to Blaze's chambers where she and he slept most nights. Upon entering, Silver took a glance behind him before stepping in and slamming the door behind himself. He flicked on the lights, took off his fancy shoes as it were a tacit law for Blaze's room, and then took a meticulous glance around the room, looking for a specific something.

Anything.

The room was tidy, as it should be. The extra large king sized bed stood grandly against the back wall of the room fitted perfectly symmetrical between two large windows adjacent to it. The afternoon light filtered gracefully into the room through translucent, lavender day-shades which gave the room a fair, childish wash of the carefree color. Dust speckled the air, it's movements ambient and slow to the large overhead fan's dextral, lackadaisical spin. The carpet felt soft and velvety to the bottom of Silver's soles as he ventured in further. The room was decorated in colors of different shades of purple, unsurprisingly, as purple is Blaze's desired color.

There were many different furnishings, of which was absolutely devoid of a general institution of style; much like a child's room, but nevertheless showed Princess Blaze's preference in quality materials and usability over style. Notedly, the hand-carved and heavy furnishings such as the Bocote bed, the mahogany dressers with big, deep drawers, the heavily decorated vanity with more drawers than she had shades of purple in the room, and a couple of Victorian genre trunks. Superfluously, she had such a free, undisciplined preference of vogue.

But he wasn't there to admire the work of the interior decorator (granted there were none, but the fiery princess herself) he was there to search for something, anything out of the ordinary. His mind gave him the fuel he needed to search for something, he wanted answers to those questions that rode his back. It wasn't like she wasn't asking for it... With given time, Blaze, in Silver's eyes, became sneaky; a sneaky kit that was always hiding things from him. Always keeping the true answer just high enough out of my reach. Always giving me the shortest answer... I'm freaking tired of all the secrets!

Silver initiatedhissearch on the silk laden bed. I know she's hiding something… it has to be somewhere in this room. All of her private possessions are here after all… Silver's frown revisited his face as he crept around the room, his sharp eyes darting this way and that. His hands combed through the various furnishings, checking under and in desks and dressers, scouring through closets and nooks, searching within crannies and little potential hiding spots. His search was turning up everything but, and he was growing tired.

After half an hour of insanity, he let out a frustrated groan and huff of air. His grimace deepened as though weighed by the gravity of his predicament as he realized that she must have hidden it especially from him. She knew that he would be looking. He knew that she knew that he would be searching for her personal secrets. Why hell else would she put so much effort into trying to keep me away? Silver thought dejectedly. He felt a pang of sadness at that.

She was purposely trying to exclude him from her personally.

A gripping coolness resounded in his mind, proffering him a shudder. His hands weakly gripped a stuffed animal he had lifted in an attempt to search its cottony innards, but slowly he lowered it back to the dresser. Grasping the edges of the hardwood bureau, he stared down at nothing in particular. She went through so much effort to keep me out, but for what? I mean… it's obvious that she likes him, love him even… but why? Am I searching for nothing? Why can't I just assume that she's just moody about the marriage? I mean… Why else is she fretting and spouting nonsense… Silver's mind tried to free itself from the monster of anxiety, but that damned voice in the back of his mind made a point to keep screaming. His moment of lethargic forbearance was then burned away due to the ferociousness of his convoluted resolve, at least in the beginning. That fire was faltering as though the sadness below cooled it with a bitter frost. It was like searching for God or praying for a way when there were none. He bit his lip as he peeled himself from the dresser. He began to feel empty.

Fucking searching for nothing...

As he half-heartedly continued his search to appease the siren in the back of his head, his sad eyes brought him to the big vanity that sat on the wall adjacent to the bed. Perfunctory hands rummaged through the various makeups and perfumes, his eyes roamed lamely over sparkling bottles and clinking accessories.

Magnetized by some force, upwards, at the gleaming mirror, he became entranced in what stared back at him. He frowned at his reflection. He noticed, after some time of staring, at just how sad his eyes seemed. He noticed the elder-like frown that wrinkled his young, boyish face. A long blink disrupted the staring contest, and in that moment, in more ways than one, Silver lost the battle for the day.

What am I doing…? Silver asked the ebbing siren in his head. Why am I even searching throughout her belongings, for what then, something that I don't even know is true or not… For once since he initiated his quest to gain an answer, his mind was quiet.

Silver reopened his dispirited eyes after some time. He had no conscious recollection of whether it has been 15 seconds or 15 minutes. Opening his eyes to take a good look at himself, the hedgehog felt somber-more. The screaming anxiety in his mind was hushed, the burning desire to find answers was drowned in despondency, and it felt as though the dry, heavy stone of angst from his back was transferred to his chest, hanging off of him like heavy, sopping seaweed.

There was a click from the thermostat. The soft, ambient sound of the air conditioning thrummed softly above him, and though it was the only sound present in the room, the sound felt loud to him. The air went from 'stuffy attic' to 'grocery store entrance' and it was quite refreshing to Silver. He lifted his head to the rotating air around him in relished as it felt as though it somewhat took the edge off his dilemma. After a few seconds of pondering, he lowered his head again and continued to peer at himself.

As he sought underlining woe in his heavy face, he felt an overwhelming sense of self-lamentation and became self-aware that he was immaturely looking through his fiance's belongings to try and find something that wasn't even his business, if there was anything to be found. His self-reflection allowed him to alleviate the bubbling sadness aimed at Blaze, so now his facade wasn't heavy at the prospect of his frustration of his girlfriend's behavior, but instead of his own. That screeching voice in his head stayed quiet, the jaws of the monster seemingly weakened and decided to slumber.

He stared at himself and himself stared back, both renditions of the pewter hedgehog looked tired and ashamed. "What am I doing…" He asked his reflection rather than his visceral self. I left her back there to deal with the bureaucrats and the official paperwork about our imminent wedding while I'm in here snooping around… Looking for something that may not even exist… I should go back. A sigh saturated with the honey-sweet matrimony of inner peace and composure bate from his dry mouth; a tranquil smile followed behind, spread wide like the eagles that reign in the bluest, mountainous skies.

He felt a bit alleviated, lighter even, as he prepared to leave the company of his reflection. But then, his sharp eyes betrayed his resolve of self-contentment. His eye's coup d'etat lifted the veiled truth, much to his dour lamentation. What truth... why, only the most frightful one.

Silver's muted eyes slowly fell to a spot on a table behind him in the mirror. His thoughts to rectify himself and join Blaze in their time of approaching marriage stopped revolving. Things were still, all body functions, even his heart; it felt like. A great calm before the storm; if you will.

His heartbeat pounced once as if it reanimate his ossified functions. It thumped again, he could hear it loudly in his head like a thunderous boom of thunder. Boom. Boom. Boom. Now, his heart flipped the switch and his heart thudded as if someone pushed a boulder down an infinite flight of stairs. Everything was on alert, the nibbling anxiety in the back of his mind screamed like a microphone to a speaker! Silver couldn't believe his eyes. Amongst a collection of purple lockboxes of various shades, a lone cobalt blue lockbox sat in the heart of the violet castle of intrigues.

He blinked slowly in the mirror. Suddenly, the weight of the atmosphere was felt upon his shoulders. The sizzling nape of his neck felt as though Blaze's own flames were hugging it. His breath hitched and suddenly there was a void present where all the sensible acumen in his brain seemingly vortexed away. His gaze tethered to the cobalt box that seemed to stand out even more against the myriad of purples in the room… How did I not see that before? He sweated then gradually turned around to meet the conspicuous box.

No, it's just a coincidence…

He stepped closer to the box, it's deep blue standing out even more amongst the sea of purples. It was a beacon. A large annoying visual pillar of blue. His brows furrowed as he thought about the likelihood of a cobalt blue box sitting amongst her usual purples. Silver couldn't fathom this, or rather he didn't want to, not anymore. One deep blue box out of the whole room devoid of this color. The more he looked at it, the more his vision tunneled and narrowed in on the irritating box. Suddenly, the air-conditioned air felt very cold.

There's no way…

The pewter hedgehog's heart kept racing as if pure octane ran through his veins. His throat felt parched with every exhale like dry grass and with a wheeze, he labored through each breath. His muzzle parted somewhat as his steely incisors were barely hidden behind a quivering lip.

Suddenly he made a quick grab for the box, knocking over a few other violaceous boxes in his flurry. He turned the snatched box over a few times noting the pristine cleanliness of the container. It was about the size of a cigar box. The box was beautiful; beautifully irritating. The irate hedgehog exhaled a poisonous rasp as he continued to inspect the box.

Deep blue velvet enveloped the box, and then emblazoned on each edge was a cap of silver. Furthermore, with even more chagrin to Silver, there was a crudely carved heart on the bottom of the box, done with a sharp instrument. Silver shivered in frustration and depression as he envisioned Blaze's own claw intimately carving out the heart in the light of candles and an air of incense; it would be lavender, he knew it would. On the front face of the box an intricate lock secured the hold, its surface beautified with silver, matching well with the rest of the box. The sterling surface glinted in the light comelily. Annoyingly beautiful, this box.

Silver frowned at the lock. I always find out… why do I always find out? He kept the locked box close to his face as he studied the bolt. I really shouldn't … But why is she always hiding something from me? What's with all the secrecy? Why is this Sonic so damn important?! Anger rumbled deep within the bowels of Silver's chest. The mental siren of alarm finally snoozed it's anxious howl... its job done. Another rumble deep within the forest of anxiety, the previously slumbering monster of angst began to trudge on its heavy paws.

Silver stared intensely at the lock for a minute longer, his piercing eyes glinting bitterly as he meticulously studied the lock. Then, after preparing himself, gently a faint cyan aura radiated from his being and then encompassing the lock. A series of hollow, spring-loaded clicks and then the sound of a metal chamber scrolling emanated from the lock. The tinny mechanical sounds came to a stop before the box slowly came open by tiny silver-coated spiral torsion springs. Then, from within the recesses of the box, a tiny music box began to play a happy, unfettered-free type of tune that lilted joyously. The tune was nostalgic; tingling highs and resonating mids pounced like hummingbirds from flower to flower.

A photogenic photograph of Sonic met Silver at once. Silver's breath seethed through a clenched maw at the sight of Sonic smirking. In the photo, the afternoon light glinted off of his emerald eyes like the gem itself; sourly he felt as though the picture were mocking him. Actually, if he were being honest with himself, it felt as though the whole situation was mocking him (it was lousy to honestly admit) but it was practically justified. There he is snooping through Blaze's stuff to find something tangible and incriminating, something that he could use against Blaze, and once he belatedly finds it there's a picture of Sonic bearing a roguish grin that seemingly jeered at him, saying, "So you found it, whatcha gonna do about it?".

Silver could feel a growl emanating from his throat as he became more self-embrangled into this quagmire that is the cobalt box. Tangled and metaphorically thrashing, his angry paw fished within, subjecting himself to the annoying catches of the day. It was almost maniacal, insane even, he knew he was diving deeper into the Pandora's box itself. He knew that it'll only bring the pain he knew that was impending the whole while. It was like diving his hand into a dark, dank hole in a tree that rattled threateningly. Absolutely fucking masochistic.

There were a whole collection of pictures of Sonic. Some deliberate, some surprise shots, and of course a few pictures of Sonic and Blaze posing in tandem. They're just friends… Silver tried his best to console himself, but there was no limiter for his drumming heart. Just some friends… He shook his head as if he knew the truth his heart didn't want to listen to.

With the final picture removed, Silver found even more "surprises", unsurprisingly. Underneath the bevy of photos, there was a flat separation card covered in blue velvet. Strung across the card was a slender, lavender ribbon tied into a bow over the face of the card. Interestingly enough, there was a couple of dried wildflowers underneath the card, hues lavender and baby blue. Silver blinked at the craftsmanship of Blaze's secret box… He had to notice that it looked so… intricate… He felt like a voyeur to the obvious atmosphere of familiarity the box implied within.

The box was very romantic. The sweetish scents of wildflowers were cast abloom as if by magic, tickling Silver's nostrils causing him to sniff. There was even another dried bloom of a lavender variety tucked into the corner. From the special materials forming the box, the chummy pictures, the melodious music box lilting away, and now the flowers- Blaze certainly spent a lot of cozy time putting this together; intimately. Silver almost felt perturbed as he picked through the box, but his teetering mentality needed to pick through this!

After sending the vexatious photos to the side with celerity, and then swiftly halting the plinking-plonking tune of the music box by psychokinetically ripping the cylinder out of the box, Silver took a minute to admire the second separation card. On its front, amongst the pair of dried wildflowers, a single blue quill adorned the card underneath the cutesy lavender ribbon. Slightly disgusted, but mostly hewed to the quite undoubted fact that his fiance has feelings for a different man, Silver removed the card from the box bereft of the quickness he used earlier.

Eyes as hot as bakery ovens peered at the card scrutinously before his eyes of embers spied more intrigues within the box. Silver handed the card to the surface of the table before taking a gander at the absolute assemblage of notes and letters at the bottom of the box. He stared blankly at the notes, and they looked back at him; the bottom of the pandora's box.

Against his better judgement, Silver took a deep breath in before he reached in and pulled out a couple of letters.

August; (Five years ago)

My dearest friend, yet again I've failed to be able to transverse the dimensional coil that I'm hailed to yours. I'm indefatigably sorry. I have been missing you. I mean… I- (Silver noted all the scribbled out attempts of her confession, taking up most of the page) I miss your friendship, and I do miss your presence as well. I do actually; not that I need you or anything, however, I wish you were here. I feel that you would be a breath of fresh air in this blasé life, I do admit I've been feeling jaded lately.

I wonder, do you still wear that necklace I made for you? The one with the feathers and such? You probably don't, I don't blame you though, it was scratchy, I could tell from your face when you tried it on. Dumb hedgehog. Sonic…

I actually do not hold the emeralds anymore, I'm forbidden. Now I'm kept in the castle at most times and I haven't seen the emeralds in months. I'm forbidden to go to the Sol Emerald shrine because of my status, or something. I don't know, it is not explained to me… I thought that maybe whenever I would come back home things would be better, but it's odd… I've only been back for a couple weeks now and… my mind has been on the fritz.

I hope all is well on Mobius though, I miss you and our friends. Especially Cream, I know that my letters will never leave my room, but I feel as though I must ask. How is she? Anywho, I should get to the point of me writing this. I miss you, Sonic the Hedgehog. Hope we will meet again soon.

Sincerely your friend,

Blaze

Silver furrowed his brow at the letter for a couple of seconds before thinking to himself. He shuffled his hand through the collection of cards. He noticed that the letters dated from August five years ago up to (Silver let out a morose sigh as he lifted a crisp note written on parchment and noticed the date) today June 16th. Today…This morning.

Randomly shuffling through the stack of notes, he cherry-picked a few and read them.

December, 3 years ago

Silver do not like chili dogs. I repeat Silver do not like chili dogs. I know that you would have a kick out of that. Guess what do he does like though, corndogs. Can you believe it! You two are so … weird. And don't you dare make fun of my Taiyaki sticks! They're delicious!

Until next time,

Blaze

Dearest Sonic,

I don't know how to write this as my soul burns, not in fire, but in sorrow. My life is changing. My freedom is gone. My finger may be banded to someone I do not love. I'm afraid of what may come about. I don't want this, Sonic! What can I do, I can't just up and leave this time... I want to nevertheless! Mother's planning something I know of it... I don't even know how much longer I have to when I can even write freely to myself, probably not that particular effect, but I'm afraid of what I may need to drop due to my royalty.

Help me...

Yours,

Blaze

Sonic,

I'm getting married soon, and I have a sneaking suspicion of who it is. Silver has just been given a special knighting ceremony.

Sonic... this may be the last time that I write personally to you, from my heart to parchment.

Blaze

Silver stared at the last note he read for longer than he should have. The heat of embarrassment pricked the fur on the nape of his neck. Silver kept his composure though, keeping the stomping monster that resided within at bay with a moat the width of a lake. He was in control... but for how long... The monster is trying to swim...

Some of the emotional notes had full page lengths of ranting and venting about her life denoting various vexes that virulently violated her mind space with vitriolic veliety and emotions. Distress speared Silver's heart as he could discern by a couple of notes that Blaze desperately wished that Sonic was there to vouchsafe her from her constricting, asphyxiating life; vivifying her, hopefully, and to Silver's vehemence, blessing her with righteous venery and resuscitation of verve that she denoted that was lost to her.

Silver couldn't help but feel perturbed by all of this, he was quite sure that she was definitely relating him to the various vexes, amongst other things. Matter fact as he read a couple more the fur that sat on his shoulders rose a bit as he realized that she never mentioned him as her fiance to Sonic, but she deftly denoted how unhappy she was.

Silver could see the relation of Blaze's apathy to their relationship; of which Blaze frequently mentions as an 'unbidden unity', in the letters. Over time she mentioned Silver less and less while describing her life as becoming lonesome, dull, constricting.

Silver's discordant golds grew wetter the more he read…

"I think of you constantly…"

"I wish you were here…"

"I remember how much you made me smile…"

"I wish to escape from here…"

"I am torn between what my heart wants and my duty to my people…"

"No one cares to understand…"

"Take me away…"

"I miss you… Sonic…"

"Sonic…"

"Sonic…"

"Sonic…"

"Sonic…"

Most pages were friendly, something true friends may write to another in reminiscence… But there were some letters that were absolutely maniacal. Silver stared with great bemused eyes at one letter in particular. He squinted in bewilderment as he read Sonic's name scribbled down the length of the parchment. Silver face turned slightly disgusted at the dried wet marks that bled the graphite from the pencil she used around the paper. The paper was in poor condition, but perhaps the paper mirrored the emotions from the author. Silver, however, was nearing his limit. He shook his head slowly as his mind was made up. Obviously, Blaze was crazy for the cobalt hero… the irritating cobalt hero.

Silver had enough. He clutched the letters and notes within his shaking fist. His eyes clamped shut against the lavender aura in the air, his mind lamenting reading any of the notes. His heart raced, his temples pushed against his head, his teeth gritted against each other so hard he feared his gums may start bleeding. A tempestuous cyclone of thoughts and assumptions burned a scalding hole in him that leaked his emotions into the open. He shook as he began to knelt down.

Sadness coursed through him as if his blood was chilled. "Blaze… why would you do this to me…?" His voice cracked like soggy corn husk. In his head a splashing; swimming was heard. With a couple of notes in one hand and the cursed Pandora's box in his other, he lowered his head further to the floor, the gravity of this quandary pulled on him like a thick rope. "Why… why… why… all I do- have done, was for you, all of this sacrifice, I did this all for you-" His voice squeezed out of him as though his throat was stuffed with cotton. Arboraceous breathing permeated the sounds of sobbing; heavy was the breathing, thick like sycamore and oak.

He shook slightly… and then from his eye, a single teardrop fell from the precipice of his tear duct. The air grew still. The teardrop fell with a tiny pat against the carpeted floor...

And then faintly his body glowed cyan. The timid light kissed all the surfaces of the room, exchanging it's muted glow to all the furniture within the room. Creepily, the numerous movables began shifting and sliding from their locations and edged over to Silver.

From the heavy dressers, the unique vanity, to the light end tables and miscellaneous tiny furnishings, they all glided across the ground and began to huddle around Silver in a makeshift, furniture cocoon. Clacking, clunking, flopping, and thunking alike, the furnishings enclosed Silver until there was only the faint gleam of his aura that peeked out of the tiny space he buried himself in.

Here, he was safe. It was quiet in the room, not a sound was heard. The atmosphere was still. Within his cocoon all sound was hushed; all hushed into absolute silence. A black hole of sound. A vacuum of all waves and particles alike. The complete timidity of sound.

Shhhhhh...

Within this safe space, Silver let a few more tears to fall as he thought about Blaze. "Why is she being like this? I brought her back home. I introduced her to romance. We were going to do so much for the kingdom. I'm the best suitor that was available. I'm the closest person she has in this world. Everyone else thinks I'm the best there is, I was even knighted to become her king. I came here for her, I didn't have to do any of this, yet I did so much for her, and she repays our betrothment by nonchalantly fraternizing with someone who isn't even relevant here anymore. All I wanted was to be happy with her but apparently has other plans. She makes me sick… how dare she!?" He vented out through dry lips and hissing breath.

Silver felt vehemently disconcerted. He was done wrong! He felt as though she was doing this solely to get at him; to wrong him of the gifts he blessed her with. He felt cheated, and understandably so… and slowly the cool lake of sadness within began to bubble and froth. From that once solemn water, forged by fire and anguish, thick chains ensnared his heart as it grew cold and his mind grew hot with anger. Those piercing, knife-like teeth speared the air as the monster within roared a cacophonous cry to the heavens. Sopping from the woe, growing hot from the anger, the monster let out everything into the air; verbose was the pain, silent no more.

She's so disrespectful! Taking my gifts then ditching me off to the side, I don't mean shit to her, huh? She just does what she wants, no matter what I do she just do what she wants! No type of consolation with my feelings, no type of consideration, nothing. I'm the best damn thing that has happened to her and if she can't see that then…

A tinkle of glass could be heard as though one glass tumbler was kissing another. The soft tinkling didn't last long as the timid sound then progressed into violent shuddering as if that same romantic tumbler was now shaking the other tumbler with a vengeance. Next came the shuddering of the wood tables collapsing into the other tables. Clunk Clack! Like as if a earthquake was being contained within the confines of the room; the entirety of the lavender space began shaking violently.

Glass fell from the huddled mess, crackling and spreading across the floor thanks to the intensity of the vibrations that drummed away at the ground. Wood clattered and clunked against each other as percolated against the flooring. The makeup and perfumes that graced the girlish vanity bobbed and throbbed until each article toppled over and tossed to the ground. The metal rods that held the broad curtains shimmied and shook, clanking as it did, as though it were fearful of falling from their height. The heavy stone furnishings thumped as they fell on the carpeted floor. From within his swaddle of appliance and furniture, the topmost of Silver's quills punctured through the opening cavity.

From within the dismantling mayhem, a coarse growl emanated that staggered the very air.

Then, with an absolute diminutive, quick succession, the shuddering stopped completely and there was an overwhelming, omnipotent hush of all noise.

Shhhh…

THEN, from within the cynosure of the temblor, a blinding cyan glow permeated every space of the room. With a ferocious roar of angst and a upheaval of sound of the energy explosion, a blast of telekinetic energy sent the lightest shards of glass to the heaviest piece of furniture; the large, pure Bocote wood bed, rocketing across the room as its own unorthodox missile.

Glass shards peppered the carpet, wood splinters showered the area, and cracks in the hard walls became aplenty. The destructive impacts against the wall tore away at the lavish, luxury wallpaper that coated them, revealing stone. The small lock boxes were sent in every direction, their contents freed from their havens and were dumped like rain. Dressers that banged and boomed against the walls opened and set free all their contents. The smell of the various perfumes was set free as their glass containers shattered against the other flying debris in the air. The cataclysm was irrefutable, but was it just?

The savage monster within let its head down, content with the catastrophic deshelving of sky and terra. Its permanent scourge defaced the mind that it resided in, scarred and ugly. With the damage done, the monster within settled to slumber once again, the angry, discordant forest of anxiety growing, sprouting through the hole in the sky where its weeds can fester like a parasite, feeding off the sad, sad hedgehog.

Destruction of space and identity.

Within the grand confines of the dining halls, the nobles and high-class citizens joined the Royal Family of Sol to a beatific, wholesome feast prepared by the castle chefs and confectionery artists. The grand windows were open, allowing the warm air to smoothly embrace the patrons and send the hearty aroma into butterflies; it's aromatic goodness smooching noses. The endless hall filled to the trusses with the woody scents of grilled meats, lovely, mouthwatering aroma of fish, and powerful sweet aromas of cakes, and of course the dusty, sweet tinge of wine. Patrons big and small occupied the tables with jolly, gay merriment. Loud were they, but in the name of their nation's forthcoming Royal Marriage, thus gave their verboseness merry meaning.

Blaze let out a bored puff of a sigh and allowed her face to melt into a tired one. Her posture dipped a bit as her head hung to the side slightly right and she rested her body weight on her left leg. Gravity seemed to embrace her more for some reason. Eager to get out of her heels and away from the stuffy room full of officiates and aristocrats, she turned from the dining hall to head to her room. If she wanted to get away, this'll be her last chance, also part of her wondered what happened to Silver, he'd left without so much of a word after the announcement ceremony.

She took a couple steps from the royal dining hall into the vast foyer that, from different vomitoriums, connected the grand balcony, dining hall, auditorium, and main walking corridor. Adjacent to the dining hall where the royalty feasted, the main corridor awaited her, and she knew through there she could escape to her room. As she took a couple steps forward, she put a pensive gaze to the mouth of the walking corridor as she thought of her king imminent.

Unwillingly, worry began to permeate her tired mind, he had left with no say, sure that was sometimes par for the course, but this time it felt different.

A couple more hesitative steps were taken as she thought of Silver. Perhaps she should say something about her outburst earlier, it was caustic, but was it justified? Marriage is sure, especially after today's announcements, so the best that she could do is at least be kind. Be kind, open, and courteous even if she did not feel- want to be married; at least not to him. The two could at least make the best of what's to come.

She had let Sonic's name slip out again, such is shameful, especially with a breath of their betrothment. She even had the gall to compare him to Sonic at his face! Blaze shook her head slowly. Doubtlessly, an apology would be beneficial. With that in her mind, she started again towards her room. Now, all will be well if she could just escape unfettered.

"Blaze, darling, won't you join us?"

Blaze growled internally, she chagrined at her mother's call. It was laced with a cheery, "come meet the neighborhood" tone that Blaze knew was nothing but an ersatz attitude towards her. She knew terribly well that her mother's tongue would be sharp if she was being called for anything. Blaze was honestly close to chastising herself, why couldn't she be quicker about her exodus?! But in the end, Blaze quickly straightened her posture, fixed her face, and then promptly headed towards her mother's delicately waving hand at the vestibule of the grand foyer.

Upon reaching her mother she saw that she was standing with a group of mature female felines. They all wore professionally scripted smiles and each had an elegant, showy air about them. Expensive perfume stung her nose and the elaborate sun hats that few of them wore was mind-bogglingly… ugly.

"Ah! There she is, Princess Blaze!" The eldest of the glaring, Blaze knew her by the name of Mathilda Mittens… and no joke was made that day about her name.

Blaze nodded and smiled politely as she lightly, yet quickly as she could cordially, crossed the shiny foyer over to the Queens. After respectable greetings and such, Queen Aurora smiled at the glaring around her and then lead the way past the grand dining hall, into the walking corridor, across a couple of sunlit halls, and then into an elevator. To the top floor, they exited and was then introduced to a lone corridor that slightly elevated and curved in harmony along the west tower of the castle. The curling walkway soon opened up to a wide sandstone walkway that then led to the lush indoor gardens.

Flowering vines blanketed the upper regions of the glass ceiling. Pink flowers kissing the glass. Snares of brambles and vines hugging the corridor from whence they've come. The brambles that blanketed the glass ceiling was so thick that its snaking vines acted as a natural sunshade. The afternoon sun peeked at the group of queens through the vegetative canopy, giving the room a very natural feeling; as natural as an air conditioned jungle would be. They walked towards the serene sitting place in the middle of the sweet smelling room. All the while Blaze couldn't help but stare in awe at the indoor garden; appreciating the aesthetic of having nature around while not being pestered by flies and such. The indoor garden was beautiful, vinyl shutters allowed the light breeze through tight, inconspicuous mesh. Many ferns and other beautiful green growing things decorated the room. Blaze's awe was warranted, the room was breathtaking and it spurred a twinge of something archaic and primal in her.

Probably like the rest of queens in the glaring, all Blaze wanted to do, especially in the warm kisses of the sun that touched the garden and it's furnishes around them, was to kick off her shoes, undo her bassire, and relax in the bountiful vegetation that surrounded them. Maybe even nibble on some catnip cakes, light some catnip incense, whatever it may be. The freedom spurring life of the green things reminded her all too much of Mobius.

The Queens around her smiled at the decor and ambled over to the elegant sitting chairs and couches surrounding a mini fountain that also functioned as a glass table. The fountain sat in the middle of the table, it's bubbling was soft and lulling, it well completed the serene, natural feel of the garden. Additionally, the glass surface of the table fit seamlessly with the edge of the pool of water, giving it a look as though the pool went from rippling water to clear, pristine glass. The Queens sat comfortably around this exotic table, minimal conversation being murmured as Blaze subconsciously joined them, her gaze observing the rest of the room in panorama.

The wind chimes sang timidly. The flowering buds and green leaves above attached to the vines swam in the breeze. The air couried around the succulent scents of mint and to Blaze's surprise, a heaping helping of catnip. She was expected to see tall stalks of the plant around her, but to her surprise it came from much closer. Her nose twitched in surprise, pulling her head to swivel back straight.

Attention now to the ladies by all the rummaging she heard, and subsequently, the tart, tantalizing smell that wafted from them, Blaze keenly watched as the queens made themselves comfortable. However, Blaze was hit with a stutter-inducing windfall as she witnessed the usually stiff felines relax by pulling out tiny crystal jars of dried catnip, waxy rolling papers, 'old men' pipes; basically throwing their lifetime of etiquette classes out of the window. Blaze remembered the laws in chagrin: A proper Queen must not slouch. A proper Queen must never smoke in public. A proper Queen must not possess items of 'sin' and especially do not host a congress nor colloquy of such items. Blaze recited those lines of the tired litany from her schoolings when she was younger. Despite it all, right there, right in front of her, the very ladies that practically run the nation and is the prominent poster-cats for all things 'noble decorum', was passing around a bit of catnip to the next to feed their various pipes. Absolute bonkers. She secretly loved it. And for once today, a genuine smile, though still piqued by bemusement, eased upon her face.

Lady Jezebel, a tall tabby feline, a cousin to Blaze by her papa's side, bless his heart, whoever he may be, packed her pipe with catnip and brought the thing to her red-stained lips and pulled a satisfying toke of smoke. The ladies around her looked at her with a content view as they packed their own devices. Blaze observed with idle worry as the eldering queen attempted to hold in the smoke, but quickly she was losing that battle as her body slightly convulsed a couple times. Lady Jezebel then let out a stuttered cough into her gloved fist, smoke pluming from every crevice between her lips and silky gloves. She racked her body for a couple seconds before finally calming down and relaxing back into her chair, her lanky exterior looking much more relaxed than she'd ever seen her. Her whole body morphed into the loveseat beneath her, a slightly wheezy sigh exuded from her lips; all was content.

The queens in the glaring smiled expectantly as Jezebel finally pulled a giddy grin, "That's some good shit!"

In applause and gleeful laughing, the ladies lit their own sins, took a drag, and then blew the savory smoke away; even Lady Mittens! The only queens watching and not enjoying themselves were the true Queen Aurora and the stargazing Princess Blaze. Aurora looked at each of the elders with uncomfortable glances, her hesitant eyes betraying to the fountain and the vegetation around themselves. Blaze, on the other hand, held a small smile as she witnessed her nobles enjoying themselves and letting loose of their aristocratic restraints. Blaze couldn't help but relate to these ladies, and perhaps she was more like them than she knew.

The fiery feline knew two lives: one with her life encompassing her, and another where she encompassed her life, in other words, her nobility governed her life in the prior, and she governed her life in the latter with the freedom that she knew in Mobius. If she could perchance achieve freedom here in Soleanna, then perhaps life here won't be so miserable…

"Oh, lighten up will you Aurora, you know that you're allowed to wind down sometimes. You're a busy Queen, relax a bit." A short, plump tortoiseshell with the daintiest, kindest voice and the shortest ears piped up, a polka-dot handkerchief pressed to her moist lip. Her quip made the standing Queen of Sol jerk slightly, dragging her uncomfortable eyes on the round feline.

"Lady Chartreuse, you know that I don't-" The queen's voice teemed with the immaturity of a green kit.

"Aunt Chartreuse, here, darling." The portly kin to the Queen shot back quickly with an understanding smile.

Another elder queen, an attractive, deep purple feline bearing similar marks on her shiny coat as Aurora does, spoke up next. "Sister, relax a bit please?" The mauve queen smiled at the standing Queen to her right and laid a graceful hand on her kin's arm. "Mother isn't here to scold you, you know. You've been running about so much since Princess Blaze's return, it's absolutely fine to just relax with the noble glaring and spark up a bit; as the kids say these days." A lovely smile danced across her face matching well with the laughter in her light-orange eyes.

Aurora put on a face that Blaze didn't think she'd ever seen all her life.

Before Queen Aurora could say anything, the elder queen, whom Blaze knows as Aunt Dawn, rose her long pipe to her lips and took a savoring toke with her left hand and propped up her finger to her sister, interrupting her.

After letting the tantalizing smoke out through her nose she put her spectacular eyes on her sister. "Catnip always does a woman well." Aunt Dawn watched her sister with a smile for an impelling second. Aurora watched as the smoke pool off the table and onto the ground as though she longed for the smoke as if it were a lost friend. After Blaze's usually stoic mother broke face and her eyes flickered from defensive to submissive. With Aunt Dawn's lower tone racketing back and forth through Queen Aurora's head, she watched with soft apprehension as Aunt Dawn then slowly passed her antique looking pipe to her little sister. The queens around the warbling fountain quieted as Queen Aurora took the pipe anxiously and stared at it for a second more before averting her eyes to her daughter next to her.

Blaze looked up from the pipe at her mother silently almost expecting chastisement to ensue by thorns and brambles, but instead, the Princess was invited by hues blue and honest familiarity. Aurora then frowned at the pipe, before redirecting her kind eyes to her daughter. At this soft transition, Blaze was left puzzled, her golden eyes round with thirsty anticipation. Surely this emotion; this empathy is feigned for show? Faux? Ersatz? What is with this chummy look in her reddening eyes?

"I know that I preach to you to learn by the example set by me… but know that I usually don't do this. We must never smoke our sins in public," Her mother recited finally, but then added, "But, in the Glaring, we are ladies first, royalty second. Like friends..."

Blaze sat with her soft lips slightly agape as she witnessed her mother's sentence fall apart like an old toy. Is this my mother? Blaze couldn't help but thinking. It must be the catnip getting to her. With that ember of notion taking breeze, Blaze could discern the soothing, lulling effects of the catnip in the air; that last thought was an utter understatement.

The air was thick with the heady vapors. Light and heavy at the same time. The smoke had the atmosphere fragrant like incense; definitely unlike tobacco smoke which burned her nose. Contrastively, the smoked catnip instead was like a kiss of aloe and mint. Her eyelids fell into a blink and it felt like seconds went by before they reopened into an inconstant ogle. Her golden gaze slowly scrolled from her right, around the glaring, stopping to her left on her mother. She blinked again. How long has it been since we've been sitting here? She blinked, her eyes still transfixed on her mother. Lady Jezebel tried to pass Blaze her pipe, but the upcoming Queen managed to shake her head. She practically felt high already. Matter fact, she didn't know whether she really nodded or shook her head in any type of affirmation.

She blinked.

Aurora was absentmindedly bouncing her right leg as though there was an exclusive tremor beneath her seat. Her arms were loosely crossed, a catnip cigarette in her right hand and a napkin in her left. She paused as she took in another savory puff of her sin and held the smoke like a pro, then exhaling the intoxicating vapors through her nose. She put her reddening eyes on her daughter to her right and squinted at her. Haze wafted from her nose like two tailpipes in the winter.

"What, you're not smoking?" The standing Queen asked. This caused the rest of the noble queens to slowly rise up from her slightly hunched position as their interest piqued. A couple of queens paused from their smoking to put their happy eyes on the princess.

Blaze blinked again. She could already feel it. A zing of euphoria spurred a zephyrean feeling within her body. Her physical self being easily blown from her mental self. Her existence was being measured and procured in a jar and her mind was that jar. Within, her mind buzzing like trapped lightning bugs. Lightning bugs… they're so beautiful. That would be awesome if lightning bugs actually em-emit- shot out lightning. "No lighting bug, I'm not smoking". She murmured to the insect addressing her.

"Why not?" The lightning bug challenged. He knocked the soot from his pipe onto the ground before relighting and puffing on it like a train. Blaze put her lazy eyes on the hypothetical insect as though it were an old friend.

"I, I just don't feel like getting high right now… got a lot on my mind is all." Blaze responded while slowly blinking, feeling like a sandwich, her brain smooshed between reality and her subconscious. With each blink, her vision popped with muted colors that then fled to the edges of her perception.

"This is a great time to get it all out, wouldn't you say that you feel relaxed already?" The lightning bug looked at her smugly as he exhaled the smoke from his nose. The purple haze surrounded her feet as it drifted downwards. "Say, the smoke will only make you feel better; get all those pent-up issues out." He took another puff while peering at Blaze from over his pipe.

"I- I guess… but, it's just that all the queens are here and this is a first for me… I- I really don't want to…" Blaze took a deep breath, the buzzing buzzing high from the catnip vortexed her frontal-lobe-turned-slushie down the drain. It was like her brain was trying to make sense of all the delicious scents that barraged her synapses with the tantalizing chemical in the vaporized catnip. It was calming; a euphoric body high! Soothing from between her eyes down to her exposed toes. All she needed now was some warm, sweet milk, a novel of some sort, and Sonic's hand over her thigh as he softly snored away. "Cutie hog…" The princess slurred, her mouth watering slightly.

Blaze blinked nebulously. 'How long have I been laying here?' She looked to her left at the dazed hedgehog who now stared at her dubiously. His eyebrow rocketed, his head cocked slightly. The lavender cat moved forth slowly with an entranced gaze in her eye. The now quite timid hedgehog glanced his ludicrous gaze from everywhere but at the reddish, golden tether in front of him. "Blaze?" He said nervously.

"Shhhhh…" Blaze blinked and phantoms of light danced in her corneas. "Don't talk…"

Gently, Blaze pulled the blunt from Sonic's ungloved hand and moved even closer. Once she was a breath from his own muzzle, Blaze rotated her head slightly to the right and then took in a lung-full of the minty herb. The embers crackled like chips as she pulled on the blunt. She then put her gorgeous gaze back on the blue stud who watched her with slight awe and a dalliance of embarrassment from a whisper away. Finally, with a trick of her pyrokinesis, she blew the smoke in the form of a heart. The heart shape cloud of fresh catnip was then blown at Sonic slowly until it billowed away as it collided with his muzzle.

Blaze then, while Sonic held his eyes shut momentarily against the smoke, closed the gap between them and pressed her nose to the Blue Blur's. A breath was caught in Sonic's throat as he felt possessed by her touch. He could only manage to look up and notice that her eyes shut and a blissful smile on her face and a purr deep within her bosom. She felt like she heard him call out to her, his voice feeble as if she commanded his world as a Goddess. To her, it was as if he questioned if he could love her, she wanted to reach out to him and pull him close and proclaim that he may give his all to her as she already had before.

Her mind was a garden with vegetation abundant; a thick fog blanketed the garden with its vapor. She wanted to live in this garden forever with Sonic. She wanted Sonic to never leave her garden again. She missed his face as he passed by and visited the garden. As she tended to the bounties of fruits and vegetables she wanted him to be by her side. She missed him in her garden. From where she stood now, in her garden, she allowed a grand smile to dance on her lips; Sonic was in the garden, holding a bright red passionfruit in his ungloved hands, a smile just as joyful as her own was mirrored back. She loved that he was in her garden. With a face as rosy as the fruit that he held, she opened her mouth to ask, "Sonic, won't you plant something in my garden?" She wanted his answer to be yes, she wanted his fruit.

She then stammered for her words before finally opening her glassy eyes, connecting their gaze by a manacle; a transfixation. The brazen princess then breathed out a simple phrase that weighed more than all the stars between their universes.

"I love you…"

.

..

...

..

.

"I-I love you too, daughter of mine. Blaze, ar-are you okay?"

.

..

.

With a lingering silence suspended above Blaze's head after the standing Queen's question, the flustered princess quickly yanked back her head from her mother's muzzle and sat up as straight as a board. She stared at the melting figure of Sonic with a bewildered gaze and found the background of the Mobius plains eroding away.

She blinked… then she blinked and she blinked and she blinked.

She stared at the petrified queens that surrounded her. Ambiently, she noticed the bubbling fountain-table, the haze of smoke lingering in the air, and then finally her hands that were gingerly holding a catnip blunt between her thumb and index finger. With eyes wide like rose-gold saucers, she flew into an awkward panic. She quickly discarded the blunt onto the table with such an excess amount of inebriated concentration, in fact, that she looked as if she was trying to defuse a bomb. She then frantically snatches off her ceremonial gloves before plunging her naked hands into the fountain and then feverishly wiping her face with her sopping hands.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, what have I done!? I- I- I just don't know what went wrong! Did I imagine all of that? It felt all so real, what is in this catnip?! Blaze froze for a microsecond as every neuron in her brain fizzled as a damning question came to, 'Did I just confess my love for Sonic at my mother's face?!'

After a couple of seconds of scrubbing, she yelped as realization broke through her mind like a pick through ice. She then froze. A beat passed before she made any attempt to move. Finally, with drastic timidity, and slightly behind her shoulder, she looked over at her mother who was staring back at Blaze with an equally embarrassed expression on her face. Their faces identical. The bloom on her mother's muzzle was easily apparent through her frosty fur.

And then, as if reality finally reset its router and the quite tangible silence that hung above the table was popped with a pin, the queens around the royal kin finally let out a verbose, all-encompassing howl of laughter. All the while the standing queen and the princess stared at each other in chagrined lamentation. As the seconds went on by and the laughter failing to cease by the nobility around them, they each began to blush even fiercer than before; in Blaze's special case, actual steam spouting from her ears.

In the midst of the laughter, Blaze buried her face with her hands and let out a stoned whine while Queen Aurora shook her head, let out a groan into her hands, and then prayed to the Gods for sobriety.

The sun debuted well today, it began with subdued force in the morning, granting the planet a subtle glow of warmth. Birds disappeared into the trees around the cusp of the afternoon, however, flowers in their full bloom replaced them Petals of every color and shape held hands high, embracing the hottest of the sun's heat and light; the sun's grand fortissimo! Deep into the afternoon, the sun's performance closed out into the ocean's plane; heat on diminuendo. A rapturous varnish of flaming oranges accompanied sweetly with blueberry violets painted the darkening, low hanging clouds that swaddled the horizon.

Thanks to the cooling air and the ebbing light, the queens determined that it was due time to leave the castle and return to their homes. In their absence, not much was heard but the trickling of water that remained the solo tune of the night, except when accentuated harmoniously by crickets and the toads. The air was timidly blowing with fragrant zephyrs, the tart essence aided by the surrounding mints and flowers.

Descending from the lofty heavens, diving past the warm twinkling of stars, bursting through thickening clouds, and then finally cannonballing back into her body, Blaze woke up with a start. She sprouted up like a beanstalk, and then immediately regretted it as her head swam with phantoms of tiny fleeting lights. She groaned as she held her head with a careful hand, her temples drumming. Gradually, she opened up her fluttering eyes to the dusky sky. Above, the bravest stars were making a stellar debut.

Back to Terra, Blaze heard another sound nearby. Her ears stabbed up from their previously discomforted position; then like a scope, they zeroed in on the source of the sound. Her head followed her ears' beacon and found her mother tentatively picking herself up from a reclining chair a few feet from the main sitting area. Her old bones popped and a slightly vexed sigh escaped her dry lips. Absentmindedly, she bit her lip, moistened them, and then stood tall; pandiculating towards the overhanging brambles as if she willed to become part of the tangled growth above.

Blaze let her eyes fall from her mother's figure and tried to shake the heavy, hypothetical cobwebs from her headspace. With her body high gone Blaze felt as though her body was made of jello, not of that ethereal, astral fluid that she felt was coursing through her hours before, or minutes; the last few hours was such a blur. As she reflected upon her mortal coil; she felt like a new person in an old body now, it was odd.

Ears pricking, she heard a strained moan from across the garden. Upon registering the distressed tone in the air, she reacted impulsively. Eyes lifting up like a jet and her body bouncing up like a bungee cord, she realized that her mother was in pain. Without hesitating, and ignoring her fleeting grasp on authenticating her existence, she scampered towards her mother in stride.

"Woah, mom! H-Hold on, I got you." Blaze let out quickly.

Queen Aurora was slightly stiff when Blaze got to her, but the light in her eyes from earlier was none dimmer. She appreciated her daughter's help as she helped her mother stand up straight. The standing Queen walked with her back in a weird position as she pulled a muscle in her lower back.

"What a time to be alive; your fifties, they won't be kind to you, my child." Aurora joked lightheartedly. Blaze smirked at her and began trudging towards the hallway before the spiral walkway. As they began their journey, Aurora put her piercing gaze on her daughter and held that tether for quite a while as she was being helped down the winding hallway. Though her head slightly swam; wading in the haze, her spirit hummed as she thought of her daughter. She had so much to say…

Beep.

The vanilla-colored elevator doors scrolled open with a sound that implied soon maintenance. Within that moment Blaze and her mother lumbered out with the two in arms; Queen Aurora's arm around her daughter's shoulders, Blaze's right hand holding the sore section of her mother's back and her left gingerly holding her mother's hand on her shoulder. As soon as the doors closed and the two walked a few feet from the door, a servant of the House caught sight of the two and promptly ran over. On the way over, his Bluetooth headset flashing with two fingers pressed against it.

Blaze noticed his concerned look on his face and quickly with her right hand indicated to the servant that it was a simple strain. Almost immediately the approaching servant let their almost troubled facade melt and whispered back into his headset.

Still, a bit buzzed, the Queen lent a tiny smile to her hireling and held her hand up as to stop him. He halted professionally, stood tall, and waited. "Such form." She commented under her breath. Blaze's eyes darted away, and then she continued. "Have Petungia prepare my room for retire tonight. Pinicotta House 3700 in my room with a glass; no, hold that thought," She looked to Blaze, "Tart or sweet, honey?" She asked with her head cocked, genuinely, a curious smirk on her face as she looked at her daughter with familiarity.

Blaze stared and almost gaped at her mother. "You're drinking tonight?" The servant's eyes darted subtly between the two, his professional facade unchanged.

Queen Aurora blinked and took a second to look at her daughter. As if the remnants of the high was wiped from her brain, she then straightened her back a bit and looked at her servant cooly. "Scratch the last order," She rushed, then in a more professional tone she added, "Have the pastry chef to prepare me something sweet, soft. Accompany that with tea, cranberry."

The servant mentally noted, recited, and then nodded in affirmation. "Medication's prepared, Miss Petungia is already there, and the pastry chef has just finished a cranberry cheesecake if that suffices you, my Queen." Light bow to his Queen, he looked up expectantly.

"That sounds lovely." She remarked stoically yet her voice remained as warm as the night air.

Blaze looked back at her mother thinking about her request for wine and how odd that was. As her look was ignored Blaze assumed her own stoic face and together after they dismissed the servant and began walking down the hall again. Her mother's posture stiff for a different reason now. The two most powerful women in the nation walked in silence thin enough to be pricked by their heels alone. Blaze felt a pressure in her chest and Aurora felt a tenseness in her throat.

Aurora kept her peripheral vision on her daughter and desperately wanted to say something. She felt transparent after today's events, she had said a lot today in her potted stupor and she didn't feel particularly comfortable about the unequivocal vulnerability that she felt around her.

Aurora noticed Blaze looking at her for a couple of seconds and suddenly her breath hitched. What was that look for? The queen fought to keep her laser-like gaze from perforating into her daughter's skull and examine her brain for the answers she sought. Was she judging me? It was the mentioning of alcohol, wasn't it?

A visible frown stretched on her face as heat steeped in her body like a kettle ready to whistle. Perhaps she was judging me from my earlier sins; Oh I knew I should have resisted! No, she partook in the smoking as well, certainly. The innocent glance that Blaze gave her was being perverted into one critical. Aurora felt a bit angry at that, regardless. Finally, she faced her daughter, her head pulled back to fully frame her daughter's face and her ears flattened against her skull. She took a breath, a bullet aimed on her tongue ready to fire.

Then suddenly Blaze pulled her head to look at her mother via her peripheral, her mouth too pulled into a frown.

"Mother…"

Aurora paused, eyes widening as she felt Blaze tug her a bit closer. The closeness of their fur brushing against each other made her fur slightly bristle. There was a couple of beats of clapping their shoes made as they transversed the lonely hallways.

"I want to say that I appreciate you allowing me to join the glaring today. It was a relaxing, eye-opening experience that I feel aided in alleviating my apprehension in inheriting the throne. It was nice to be included in the intimate talks amongst the other female nobilities of our kingdom. I was not knowledgeable on such support the throne gets by the elder queens." Blaze said with a professional tone. Her eyes never leaving their intended path. Her ears were angled up at her mother expectantly, shifting ever so slightly.

Aurora disarmed the barb on her tongue and swallowed. For a moment more she watched her daughter from above with a wise look before assimilating Blaze's lead, putting her eyes straightforward. The Queen and Princess' eyes glimmered like open flames in the low light of the corridor.

"Yes. The glaring has always been around as an emotional buttress for the royal families since ruling can be quite stressful at times. My mother was no exception and I'm quite sure that you won't veer from that custom, right?" She asked evenly as though Blaze's answer will be same as the one in her head.

"Affirmative." Blaze said having caught her mild authoritative attitude.

Deciding to end that topic quickly, the queen then look to her daughter once again this time with softer eyes. "And you're welcome Blaze. Every princess joins with the glaring at least once in her phase, especially during her culmination before she takes power as Queen." From her position she could determine the slightest twinges of a smile teasing Blaze's lips. Again, Aurora felt her mind buzz as she thought of her daughter.

Upon arriving at the Queen's private quarters the lavish double doors clicked and then opened widely, introducing the pair to an elderly champagne fox with the most pastel baby blue eyes. Her maids uniform was perfect, stance and air indefatigably experienced. She stood to one side, her back ramrod straight to the open door, her hands joined together with a palm over the other on her front. Her joined arms accentuated the opulent, deep violet bow tied around her waist. She was quite short for a fox, standing a whole ear length shorter than Blaze. She was no stranger to Blaze however, the princess knew her as Miss Petungia, the champagne fox, who was issued as Queen Aurora's personal maid at the unusual age of 16; Friday was issued to Blaze when the ferret was 28.

The open door escorted the mouth-watering scents of cheesecake into the hallway and in tow, but a lot more subtle, Blaze could discern the flowery fragrant perfume of a bath running. Aurora hummed affectionately at the sweet smells and already felt her body relax as she anticipated the hot bath.

Aurora looked back at her daughter, "I know that you haven't had the most pleasant purview of your imminent succession of the crown." The two swallowed as if they were keeping their own polarizing opinions down from escaping at the most inopportune moment. "But, I am confident." Aurora stood in front Blaze and took her hand daintily. Their gazes connected and again Blaze felt as though she's living in a paradox. "I am confident, that you will make a wonderful Queen." Aurora squeezed her hand in emphasis. "Just, you need to be confident in yourself and your life… come to me when you need help." Aurora let Blaze go and she smiled at her. Perhaps now Blaze would be much more involved in her upcoming role in the kingdom.

Blaze couldn't snap her eyes from her mother's gaze. She blinked, and blinked, and blinked. Words of every syllable formed on her tongue before she quickly swallowed them back down, she didn't know what to say. I will mother! Was one thought. I can't believe that you're accepting of me, this must be a dream? Another thought coursed through her. Yeah, but you're still the same controlling bitch that held me on an island for years. One justifiable notion rang. I will never love this life… but perhaps I can learn to appreciate what I have, what I have to look towards...

Aurora had turned to join Petungia, a thought interrupted her and she turned her head to glance back at Blaze. "Whatever happened to your fiance?" Her words interrupted Blaze's train of thoughts and struck a chord in the air that vibrated and arose the same question in Blaze's mind. "Please be kind to him, he's a wonderful and prepossessing young man, it'll be a shame to lose someone like him." She looked pointedly at her daughter and then turned to resume with Petungia.

Absentmindedly, Blaze spoke once more, "Goodnight mother."

The moon's argent luster laved all things in its brilliance. Moisture inundated the atmosphere with heavy vapor; the boldest of which begat the first drops of rain. In the distance, lighting sliced through the sky and blunderous thunder grumbled in response. The trees outside waved as though to shake the pewter blanket from its leaves. The performance of the night was a silent ballad. This won't be for long, however…

Ending of Part 1 of 2