Frostfade

Reunited

The tranquil ambiance of the garden shattered with an earth-shattering rumble. Blaze and Eggman startled, their reconciliatory moment rent asunder as a brilliant emerald flare blazed into existence mere feet away.

Blaze leapt to her feet, instinctively summoning flickering flames to her palms as the spherical energy distortion coalesced into a rapidly solidifying form. Her eyes blew wide, all color draining from her cheeks as the telekinetic maelstrom resolved into a painfully familiar silhouette.

"S-Silver...?" she breathed, scarcely daring to believe.

Eggman, for his part, scoffed audibly as he too surged upright. "Well, this certainly isn't the uninvited hedgehog I expected today," he grumbled, brushing idly at his coat.

Sparing Blaze one last inscrutable look, the villain shook his head. "I'll let you two...catch up," he muttered, already turning on his heel to make his retreat.

Blaze barely registered his departure, too enraptured by the sight of her closest friend - her nearest family after Gardon's untimely demise. Silver's muzzle was twisted into a cold rictus sneer, ruby irises blazing with an intensity that stole her breath. It was a look she'd never witnessed...and somehow, that chilled her more than any of Eggman's villainy ever could.

The silence stretched indeterminably until Blaze simply couldn't restrain herself any longer. Reckless relief and hurt swelled in equal measures, cresting over in a tidal wave of unchecked emotion.

SMACK!

Silver's cheek exploded with blossoming color as her palm connected with searing force. Raw, blazing shock contorted his features further as he reeled back a step...only for the livid mask to crumple as he registered the wellspring of pain shimmering in Blaze's eyes.

"You...you just disappeared," she managed in a ragged whisper, chest heaving with each ragged inhale. "No word, no explanation...not even a token effort to reach out in almost a year."

Silver worked his jaw, words temporarily failing him as insurmountable guilt swamped his features.

Blaze sagged, spent - until Silver's arms encircled her in a desperate embrace, crushing her trembling form to his heaving chest.

"I'm so sorry," he rasped into her lavender tresses. "So, so sorry, Blaze..."

She allowed herself to sink into his comforting solidity, fatigue tugging at her limbs. Fresh tears leaked from her tightly screwed lids, splotching his pristine fur dark.

"Why?" It was little more than a broken exhalation against his chest. "Why did you abandon me?"

Silver's arms tightened infinitesimally, his next words muffling into her crown.

"Your subjects needed you...your family...I..." His voice cracked, the anguished confession splintering off into an aborted whimper.

Blaze gasped, pulling away slightly to stare into his eyes. Of course. Of course her closest friend would step up in her absence, see to her family back home, make sure her subjects were alright...

Silver's expression flickered with a mixture of hope and lingering regret as he gazed down at Blaze. Taking a deep breath, he revealed the truth weighing heavily on his mind.

"I picked up energy signatures from this dimension attempting to bridge into the Sol dimension," he admitted quietly. "That...that was you, wasn't it? Trying to find your way home?"

Blaze's eyes widened momentarily before she gave a slow nod of confirmation. "Yes, it was me...along with Tails' help. We've been working tirelessly to re-establish a stable dimensional pathway."