A/N - Before we can start, I'm soooooo sorry to any and all figure skaters and ballet dancers! I'm not well-informed about either, but I hope you can still enjoy it despite the flaws ^_^;
This little story is for my friend -dark45- Have Early Merry Christmas <3 He said, "Years, Years" reminds him a lot of this Figure Skating Au, so I included this song here :-)
She was there. Floating above the ice. The veils of her dress wavered behind her like wings ready to soar higher. And then she flew toward the sun. Her purple fur radiated with fire, but her landing sent her down on her knees.
"Blaze!" a man shouted at her from the bench. "You okay?"
The feline shook her head before nodding. "I'm. No worries!"
"That's enough for today!" he ordered. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow!" her coach gave her stern look but full of concern.
Blaze made a sheepish smile but knew it was best not to provoke her coach. She'd been working hard the past month on her axel. Blaze kept falling at the end, that she started to mess the take off too.
Her coach urged her to relax more, and train her other jumps like the loop she was so good at. She always put a brave smile to mask her tears. How was she supposed to make herself a name among figure skating elite if she couldn't do an axel?
"Keep it together," she whispered to herself, leaving the ice rink. Only the staff and a few latecomers were here beside her. In the locker room, she took off her training dress. "I'll take a shower at home." Glancing the clock on the wall, she bristled as it was past eleven o'clock.
"Oh, crab!" She quickly changed and slammed her locker, dashing outside of the ice stadium to see the backlights of the last bus. She ran after it for a few minutes before realizing it was pointless.
Chilly wind touched her red cheeks and streaks of sweat-drenched her. "Good job, girl! Perfect!" she scolded herself. "Now you can enjoy your hour-long walk home"—she looked around the silent street—"in fantastic, spooky quietness."
Despite being a cat, she wasn't scaredy-cat. She gulped, pushed the hoodie over her head, punched her hands in pockets, and strode forward. She knew her way home like the back of her hand. She often ran back and forth to the stadium as the place stood on a hill, giving her legs a proper workout.
Street lamps lit her way, keeping many corners too dark. An occasional car passed or blinded her. She lifted her head, but the sky covered thick clouds, that not even a spark of moonlight touched the ground. She yawned, feeling like she could fall asleep walking when a loud noise alerted her.
"What?" She stopped bent in her knees, ready to kick. Her ears moved, picking every sound, but none came. "Must have been my imagination." She relaxed her pose when another bang echoed from a nearby alley.
Are those thieves? Is somebody getting mugged? Or worse! Her wild thoughts with the heart pumped adrenaline into her body. There was this saying, curiosity killed the cat, and Blaze had been born with a double amount of curiosity.
So, she peeked inside of the alley, sneaking further and further. The only lamp behind her flickered, casting her shadow on the ground. She reached the corner, but she still couldn't hear how many people were there. It could just be a stray animal.
Blaze held her breath, wiping her sweating palms into her jeans. After a few seconds, she dared to peek into the corridor. What she'd seen enlarged her eyes into plate-size.
In an open area stood a hedgehog with a fur shining like a moon. His relaxed posture filled the dim alley with calmness. And then the storm began. His body whirled around, jumping, and rotating, as nothing could stop him.
He danced from one end to another on just his toes, his face as frozen as a lake, but his eyes burned as the summer sun. He jumped in the air, his arms behind him like angel wings carrying him back into heaven.
But not all angels reached their bellowed land. His face twisted, and he yelped, catching his knee as he crashed on the ground.
"Are you okay?" Blaze shouted, dashing to help him stand up.
"What?" He jerked his body, realizing his street performance had an audience. "Don't touch me!"
"Do you have anything broken?" She ignored his request, dragging him up with a strength nobody would expect from her. "Do you need a doctor?"
"You need otorirano... otorifarot... orofiro..."
Blaze gave him a confused look.
The man barked, "Check your ears!" He tried to get from her grasp. "I'm fin—" He winced, going weak in his right knee.
"Obviously not!" She tossed him over her shoulder. "I'll walk you home."
The hedgehog growled but gave up under her gaze. "Just let me get my crutch." He gestured to a corner where it rested against the wall. They staggered that way, and once he got it, their pace picked up on speed once they synchronized their steps.
"I have a car nearby. I can get myself home just fine, but what about you?" He pointed with his crutch to a small car under a lamp.
"Well..." She thought about her next words. He was a complete stranger, and who knew what could happen in a car.
"I'm not a pedohog," he said with a small smile. "And with your strength, you would snap me like a wig."
Blaze giggled. "I guess I would appreciate a ride home."
The hedgehog unlocked the car and opened the passenger's door. "Ladies first." He slightly bowed.
Blaze's eyes shot open, and she glued the five quills against his head, giving him completely different visage. He lowered under her touch, his fang biting his lip.
"You are... You can't be..." she whispered, taking a step back. He turned his head away in shame. "The Silver Sun."
He gritted his teeth. "That's in the past," he mumbled with a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I always wanted to meet you!" She hugged him, letting him go in the next second. "Sorry!" Her ears flopped, but then stood up with her tail swishing. "You've inspired me to get better! I love your performance! Such elegance and fire!"
Silver couldn't stop a smile flashing across his face. Her enthusiasm was contagious. "Well, thanks. So, still, want to ride?"
"Of course! Of course! Of course!" She was jumping in the air like a small kid seeing an incoming ice-cream.
Silver laughed, limping to his seat.
"Should you be driving?" Blaze asked worriedly.
"No worries. With just a bit of tinkering, this car could drive itself and tell me how bad coffee face I have."
Blaze burst into laughter, falling into her soft seat. Silver took a few seconds to fit into the seat as his right knee refused to cooperate. He took a deep breath once he fastened his seat belt. The purple cat watched him start the car with a single button.
"Where do you live?" he asked. "Hello?" He waved his hand in front of her staring face, breaking her gaze.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's okay. I'm no longer a superstar of ballet. I'm just your average cripple."
"That's not true! You've just danced!"
"I was foolish thinking my injury would let me."
Blaze's eyes slid down to his knee. He rose to a top, becoming the best known and most glamorous coryphee in the last century. He was a lead dancer in over fifty of operas and plays or appearing on TV regularly.
He was a host in several talk shows and helped to raise almost a million for charity during his special four-hour program where he danced and answered questions from fans. That show also helped young talents to be discovered and try what it means to be in the spotlight.
Blaze watched and recorded all of his appearances and spent hours and hours studying his moves, imitating him since she was ten. She decided to go for figure skating as she loved it as much as she loved Silver. However, when she won her first medal in the junior category, Silver ended up in an ancient.
He'd fallen from steps when saving a small child from the same fate. The kid got only some bruises and was in shock, but Silver had fallen on his right knee, shattering it. Many doctors tried to save him, but in the end, he couldn't return to professional ballet.
Blaze moved her gaze away, embarrassed she'd reminded him of the pain. She clenched her fists on her legs. "You're still my hero," she said without realizing.
Silver's eyes winced. "So, where do you live?"
"Ah, right! It's Sol Street 2005."
"There? You're like my neighbor!"
"Seriously?" She leaned forward.
"I have a flat just a street away."
"No way!" Her face brightened up with a toothy smile.
They chatted a bit about everyday nonsense before they arrived on Sol Street.
"So, here we are." He stopped, glancing the ten-floor complex. It was a relatively new building, offering two to three rooms accommodation for students, freelancers, and a young couple starting their life on their own.
Blaze hesitated to get out, wanting to remain with her idol a bit longer. But staying would make her embarrassed. "Thank you for the ride." She slightly bowed, getting out.
"No problem."
She reached to her pocket, searching for her keys. "Where?" A shiver ran down her spine as she checked her second pocket, but aside from a pack of paper tissues, it was empty. She reached for her backpack, but nothing rested on her back. "No! No!" She searched herself, but it was no use. She'd left all of her things in the locker room.
"Do you have anybody to call?" Silver asked as he watched her distress.
"No. My parents live three hours away from here. I pour all my time into figure skating, so I have no close friends here." She paced back and forth. "Maybe I can ask at the police station if they can let me sleep there."
"Get on." Silver pointed to the seat. "You can sleep at my place." He lifted his palm, stopping Blaze. "This isn't a topic for the forum. Hop on."
Blaze's ears flopped a bit at first, but she returned into the car. "Thank you," she chirped, seating herself.
"No worries."
He reached his flat in under three minutes. When Blaze gave the building a quick look, she recognized it as a new complex that opened the last year. It offered quite luxurious accommodation she could only dream about. She followed Silver to the entrance where he flashed a card, opening the electronic door. The same mechanism worked in the elevator and as a key to the flat.
Inside, darkness blinded her as she stepped from the light, but with a snap of his fingers, Silver activated the lights. They slowly lit the area, letting their eyes to get used to it.
"Wow!" she meowed. The entrance hall was short, but the living room in front of her was as big as her flat. Except for a huge couch, a TV on the wall, and a large window behind curtains, there was no other furniture. Not even a flower pot in the corner.
"I prefer a simple design," Silver said from behind her with slight shy vibes. It almost seemed he was ashamed his flat was this poorly decorated.
"Not owning many dust collectors has its perks." She turned with a big smile, finding something positive about everything.
Silver put the crutch into the bin for umbrellas and hung his jacket on a peg by the entrance. "My bedroom is on the left." He pointed towards the light brown door when Blaze looked the other way. "You can stay there."
"I can't!"
"I'm fine with the couch!" He unbuttoned his shirt, and Blaze turned red.
"G-Good night!" she shuttered, dashing into her temporal room. Inside she bristled under the darkness but found the switch. Just as the living room, this one had only the most important things. However, her jaw dropped as she saw pictures of Silver featured in newspapers and magazines.
She gasped at many of them, finding never before seen photos. She closely examined all of them, recognizing other important figures. But with the midnight, her eyelids turned heavy, and she'd to slip into the comfy bed. She barely closed her eyes, and the exhaustion enveloped her, taking her to dreamland.
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The next morning came, and Silver yawned. His body ached, but otherwise, he felt fine. He growled at the couch, pushing the blanket off himself. "Why I'm not in my bed?" he muttered, scratching on his stomach. He took off his pants and threw them behind the couch before standing up.
He again yawned, rubbing his eyes. Another yawn reached his ears, but it wasn't his. He turned his head, seeing a purple cat in her underwear standing in the door to his bedroom. Her sleepy expression remained intact for a few seconds before she yelled, "I'm sorry!" She covered her face, and as her eyes dug into the carpet, she realized her lack of clothes. She yelped once more, hugging her chest and turning away.
Silver watched in awe, red as a tomato in the face. "Now, I remember." He scratched behind his ear.
"S-Sorry," Blaze muttered.
"That's o-okay," Silver replied. "Wanna use the bathroom?" The cat nodded, and Silver directed her to the spacious bathroom. While the young figure skater took a much-needed shower, Silver took a fresh set of clothes from his wardrobe.
When Blaze came out, she covered her whole body with a huge towel and quickly changed to her clothes. Inside of the room, her eyes fell on one picture she almost drooled over just a few hours ago.
The photographer captured Silver jumping and rotating. Her cheeks burned, and she snatched the photo without thinking.
"Mr. Silver!" she shouted. "Please, teach me!"
"Where did this come from?" Silver took a step back from her.
Blaze panicked for a bit. "I-I mean... c-could you give me some tips?" She shoved him the photo. "I keep messing my axel."
"I'm a ballet dancer."
Her ears flopped. "R-right."
Then their stomachs grumbled. "I should go. Thank you so much for your help." She turned to return the photo when he said, "But I know somebody who can help you with axels." She stopped. "And I can help you with your posture. Ballet and figure skating are a lot similar."
Her heart burned with happiness. She dashed to return the picture. "You're so kind!" Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.
"But first, let's go grab some breakfast. I'm starving."
And so, he invited her to a small family restaurant where they enjoyed their time and talked about figures and jumps both dancing sports offered. Silver then drove Blaze to the winter stadium, where she picked her stuff she'd left inside of the locker.
"Where are we heading?"
Silver gave her a mysterious smile. "To my friend's place where you can practice as much as you want. He's a bit of grumpy but not a bad guy once you get to know him."
Blaze shuffled her brain, searching for anybody who would fit that description, but she couldn't remember anybody. They left the city and drove for an hour before Silver said, "Here we are."
The small stadium stood on the edge of a small town named Green Hills. Why here? This town wasn't known for any big sports competitions or events. It was almost a sleepy town, but it'd the biggest town park with thousand of flowers across it.
Blaze followed Silver, who parked on a small parking lot. Only another car, a shabby looking one, stood there. There was no doubt this place was mostly empty except for upcoming events.
They headed to the tall stairs with a railing in the middle. In front of them sat a black-and-red scaled child drawing with crayons.
"Eclipse!" Silver called the boy.
The child lifted his head, and his big eyes with black sclera widened. "Uncle Siv!" He waved at him, jumping on his feet. "Long time no see!"
"You've grown up so much!" Silver caressed Eclipse. "How old are you this year?"
"I'm nine!" He proudly showed on his fingers, but he'd only six of them.
"Time sure flies! Mind calling your bro?"
Blaze watched them, smiling a bit. Eclipse's eyes scared her a bit, and his sharp teeth made her slightly uneasy, but he was a sweet kid.
"Bro!" he yelled, and Blaze blocked her ears. This kid was a living proof a child could be heard more than seen.
At first, there was silence, and then another voice roared, "Who bullies my Lil bro?" The glass door opened with a bang, and a red-and-black hedgehog in tattered jacket jumped out.
Blaze stepped back, as this man looked like he could tear the Earth apart.
Silver, however, remained calm, lifting his hand in an inviting gesture. "Yo, Shadow."
The other hedgehog's eyes shot open, and his fangs turned into normal teeth. "Silver?" he mumbled, and then he dashed towards him. "Jerk!" He punched Silver in the face, sending him sliding. "Yo, my butt!" He stomped, steam leaving his ears.
Eclipse laughed and clapped.
"What gives?" Silver shouted, holding his cheek.
"That's for not writing in five years!" Shadow stomped to him and hugged him. "I was worried about you."
Silver returned the hug. "I'm sorry."
After a few seconds, they let go of each other, gazing into each other's eyes.
"Kiss! Kiss!" Eclipse chanted.
Both of them turned away. "E-Eclipse!" Shadow rebuked his little brother, who just giggled.
Shadow's red eyes fell on Blaze, who bristled and hid her head between her shoulders. "H-Hello. It's nice to m-meet you. I'm Blaze."
Shadow got up, but not without punching Silver into the forehead. "Nice to meet you too. I apologize for the entrance." He offered her his hand, she accepted. "You can call me Shadow."
Blaze squeezed his hand, he winced. "Shadow!" She pulled him closer, her eyes sparkling. "Like in the King of Jumps?"
The older hedgehog pulled out a stiffened smile. "That's a title I didn't hear in quite some time."
"Translation – in twenty-three years." Silver dusted his pants, smirking.
Blaze let go of Shadow. "You don't look that old!" Her eyes fell to Eclipse, who pointed his older brother to a drawing he'd made. It was a bunch of black wisps feasting on a Chao in a cutely and creepily way.
"Want a cup of tea or coffee? My treat." Shadow gestured them to follow him inside as he patted his little brother. "And yes." He sent a smirk Silver's way. "We got a lift too."
Silver's eyebrows knitted, glancing the mechanism for people in a wheelchair. "I'm good."
"You sure?" Blaze asked once Shadow was a bit further.
"No worries. I won't let some stairs beat me."
After a couple of minutes, they entered the building. The entrance hall was small, but cozy with resting area and an automate for drinks and snacks. Shadow had just finished making the drinks.
Silver took a sip of his, gulping it with the power of his will. "How much sugar you used?" He stuck out his tongue.
"Just a dozen of bags."
Blaze quietly giggled. It seemed they were old friends. They enjoyed their drinks, except for Silver, for a few moments before Shadow asked, "So, what brings you here? I doubt it's nostalgia."
Silver gestured to Blaze. "She's a figure skater and keeps messing axel. I figured you could help her. You, after all, managed to do the full quadruple one."
Blaze's heart bullied her ribs from inside. That moment rewrote history. The whole stadium roared, and TV's spoke about it for weeks. Shadow was at his prime, and the axel was a normal part of his program. He already managed to do long jump sequences with ease, but this turned into his biggest achievement.
Shadow scanned Blaze from top of her ears to tip of her shoes, giving her shivers. "On ice. Now!"
"Y-Yes!" She put down the cup and dashed, but stopped after a few steps.
Shadow got up and showed her the way to the lockers. There she picked the right-sized ice skaters and headed to the ring. The slight shiver ran down her back, filling her with excitement. Shadow was inside the ring, leisurely skating, moving his weight from one side of the edge to another with ease. His precision was one of the reasons behind his perfect jumps.
Blaze stepped into the ring, that was smaller than in her city, heading his way. Before she could ask for any tip, he said, "Go warm up."
She nodded, following his instructions. She did a few small circles, rotating in place and a few basic jumps to prepare her body for more complex tricks. All the time, Shadow watched her like a hawk ready to dive and grab his prey.
"Not bad." He skated closer. "Your basics are solid."
"Thank you! I train hard."
"But you keep your skaters off-balanced." He pointed down at the marks her skaters left. "Do you see the difference?"
Blaze stared down and squatted, straining her eyes. One line belonged to her, and the other was made by Mr. Shadow. "It's not that sharp," she said after a while.
"Yes. You tend to lean to one side even when you go straight."
She sprung up, finding a burning strength in her. "I'll fix—" her eyes shot open, and she burst laughing, covering her muzzle.
Shadow rolled his eyes, turning back. Silver stood there, layers of winter clothes gave him the size of a ball like he was traveling to the North Pole.
"I hate cold," he muttered from behind his shawl.
"I'm sorry." Blaze held her stomach.
"And to think this idiot could dance across the ice instead of dry ground only because of a little cold."
"I have sensitive skin!" Silver barked. Next to him on the railing jumped Eclipse only in shorts and Silver shuddered, feeling ten times colder.
"Let's forget this fool and continue."
Blaze nodded and filled the next hours with intense training working up her appetite. Eclipse meanwhile got Silver on the ice, convincing him to take off some of the layers. The silver hedgehog couldn't resist Eclipse's big, puppy eyes begging for ice skating.
"I taught Silver the basics when he was starting." Blaze turned her head, keeping her bird posture. "He was a wild kid but had strong determination. He kept falling and getting up. I've almost ruined myself by buying plaster for his bruises." A small smile appeared across his face. "He may be a bit of a jerk, but his heart is golden."
"That's amazing! Both of you!" She relaxed her posture. "I feel like an amateur." She hugged her body.
"Don't forget. Every big name used to be a no name." He offered her his hand, and she accepted, circling around the stadium together. "That goes for everybody. You'll get there. And if not... don't forget what you felt when you stood on the ice. If you love what you do, it's not wasted time."
Blaze closed her eyes, letting him guide her. The chilling air prickled her face. Her mind filled images from her childhood when she stood on the skates for the first time. Her butt hurt a lot, but she soon learned to keep her balance, made new friends in the sports club, and moved to a new city to pursue her dream of becoming a professional figure skater.
Shadow slowly stopped, and she opened her eyes. Her red face covered by a veil from her breath.
"I'm sure that's illegal," Silver deadpanned.
Blaze jerked her body back with the red on her muzzle deepening.
"Get here, you punk!" Shadow roared in an amused way as his lips curved into a smile.
"Get away from me, you old fart!" Silver skated away, but Shadow was much faster, grabbing him around the neck.
They wrestled as old friends, and with a group inside-gong for lunch, they headed to locker rooms to change and wash a bit.
Their lunchtime flew past them so fast, Blaze found herself skating for a few hours before taking a well-deserved rest in the relaxing area.
Meanwhile, Shadow and Silver chatted outside on the fresh air. The terrace provided a perfect place for a cup of hot drink and a book.
"Still smoking?" Silver asked as Shadow took a puff from an electronic cigarette.
"I stopped once I adopted Eclipse. This is ninety percent water-based."
"Weren't you like smoking a pack per day?" Silver's jaw dropped.
Shadow's ears flopped. "Don't remind me of it. It was hell." He inhaled the vaporized water and held his breath for a few seconds. "I didn't want for him to breathe that kekel."
"Ke-What?"
Shadow scratched behind his ear. "That's what Eclipse was saying about disgusting things when he was learning to talk."
"What a word." The other hedgehog grinned, and for a short while, they both enjoyed the view from the terrace.
"When are you going to get up from that bench?"
Silver's relaxed expression darkened. "With my knee? You joking? I can't dance without breaking in five minutes."
"You sure?"
"Is that a question?"
"I've seen you skate," Shadow growled a bit. "I would say your knee is okay. I know what doctors did to save it, and the replacement is the best in the world."
"It still hurts."
"Perhaps it's just your own fear playing tricks on you."
Silver jumped on his feet, but Shadow turned around and walked inside. Silver clenched his crutch, shaking. After a few minutes, he followed.
Shadow stood inside the entrance hall and gestured Silver to be quiet. The other hedgehog approached with caution, but a big smile spread across his face. Blaze was sleeping with Eclipse on her lap.
"Should we wake them up?" Silver whispered. "Her neck is going to hate her later."
"I know, but a few more minutes can't kill it."
They turned their attention to the sleeping duo, enjoying the tranquility of the moment.
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For the next weeks, Blaze trained as always with the difference of coming to Shadow's stadium to receive private lessons.
"Is Mr. Silver alright?" she asked during the break.
"He's doing fine." Shadow didn't look at her. "He can be an idiot, though." They leaned against the barrier around the ring.
Blaze smiled, she'd learned to recognize when those two teased each other. Kinda like an old couple. Her eyes moved back and forth between Shadow and Eclipse, who was cleaning between rows. For his young age, he often helped around the place.
"If you have a question, ask it," Shadow grumbled, and Blaze's ears perked. "This moment may be the last moment where you have a chance," he added in a less harsh voice.
"I just... It's not my business to know." She looked away, but her eyes ventured to Shadow, who nodded at her, encouraging her to speak her mind. "You're over fifty, and Eclipse's nine. So, I kinda can't wrap my head around it."
"You mean there's a big age gap between us, it seems strange to have a younger brother?"
"I didn't mean it—"
Shadow shook his head. "We don't share mother or father. He's the son of my uncle who died over eight years ago."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"It's okay. We weren't particularly close." Shadow watched Eclipse for a bit as he checked a trash bin. "The officials contacted me as the only living relative. Naturally, I wasn't keen on taking a kid. That wasn't my style."
"How so? You seem to be a great father."
A red tint flashed across Shadow's face. "N-Not really. But in any case, it was I or an orphanage. All I needed to do was to sign the papers."
"But it didn't go that way."
Shadow smiled. "It went the best way. When I saw him, he was so small wrapped in a blanket. I can't describe what I've felt, but it was like something called me." The striped hedgehog shrugged his shoulders. "And then he woke up. His big eyes locked on me, and he laughed, reaching towards me with his tiny hands."
Shadow looked at his palm like he still could feel that touch. "He giggled and munched on my finger. At that moment, I knew I can't abandon him."
"See, you're a kind person."
"Well, my former students would tell you a different story. Which reminds me... Break's over!" he barked, but his sparkling eyes gave away his good mood.
"Yes!" Blaze tightened her fists and returned to the center of the ring. As she circled to warm up her body, she saw Eclipse running to Silver. She slowed down as the hedgehog had no thick coat, shawl, beanie, gloves, or any winter clothes. She stopped with her mouth agape. He was wearing clothes like her.
"What took so long?" Shadow called, stopping by Blaze.
"Shut up, old man." Silver entered the ring, taking it slowly. "Watch this." He smirked, picking up speed.
Blaze held her breath as she read his moves. He skated backward before jumping into the air, rotating with his arms wrapped around his body, and landing on the right blade with his other limbs spread.
"Loop jump!" Blaze shouted, and Eclipse clapped cheering on Silver, who skated backward for a few paces before doing the double version. His face held signs of a pain, but he landed both jumps, heading to the duo.
"Guess you didn't forget the basics I've taught you."
Silver snorted. "How could I? You've beaten them into my skull."
"Is your knee okay?"
Silver winked at Blaze. "I still feel it, but it's getting better. I didn't waste time at doctors the past weeks for nothing."
"So you're going back to ballet?" Blaze's tail wagged with excitement.
"Perhaps." He smiled. "But for now, I'm giving a figure skating a shot."
Blaze crowed, jumping around Silver's neck, he'd lost balance and fell on his butt. The cat laughed.
"Kiss! Kiss!" Eclipse chanted.
"Don't you have homework to do?" Silver shouted, his muzzle red, and Blaze quickly got back on her feet.
"Alright, let's get back into the training."
"Yes!" they chorused, strengthening their resolve to overcome all the obstacles.
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Months later came the day where Blaze would showcase her skills on TV. While this competition wasn't on the national level, she could still advance from here.
"Calm down!" she muttered, cleaning her sweaty hands. She waited in the locker room when somebody knocked. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Silver."
"Come in."
The hedgehog entered, already in his flashy costume.
"You'll please the crowd a lot."
"Not as much as your fiery beauty." Silver checked her red costume with glitters.
"No name like me?"
"Every big name..."
"... used to be a no name." She scratched her face. "Yes, Mr. Shadow told me so."
"So, you know."
"But I'm still nervous." She turned around, watching her figure in a mirror.
Silver put his hands on her shoulders. "I see a flame dancing inside of you. It burns and heals old wounds." He nuzzled her a bit. "It sparks a flame in others. Trust yourself."
She smiled. "I'll try."
"It's not about being good enough." Silver let her go and walked to the other side. "But about aiming to be better than yesterday."
Blaze wanted to speak when a loud bang landed on the door. "Miss Blaze, you're going next!" A fox woman said.
"O-Okay!" Blaze reverted to her shy self. With a deep inhale and exhale, she took her ice skates and headed to the ring.
Over half of the skaters here showed their tricks. They'd great performance, and Blaze spotted a few kids with a flawless program.
"The next is Miss Blaze," an announcer said. "But before that, we have a special guest. A somebody you hadn't seen for years but are dying to behold!"
Blaze stopped as murmur spread among the spectators.
"Behold..." he dragged the world as the lights disappeared. Blaze only managed to glance a moving figure and heard the ice getting cut. "The King!"
The lights returned, and the stadium turned silent. In the middle stood Shadow. His face calm and collected. Blaze gasped, covering her muzzle.
"Showoff." Silver stood next to her with crossed arms.
People around them burst into whistling, clapping, and cheering.
"Why is he here?" Blaze shouted into Silver's ear.
"Watch to get the answer."
"The King has a message for you!" the announcer shouted, silencing the crowd. "Your spark had rekindled the fire inside of me." Shadow looked over his shoulder and sent Blaze's way a smile. "So, let me be a coal to support you."
As the words ended, music played. It resonated with the whole place, and Shadow danced across the whole place. His moves were swift and gracious.
"Here it goes!" the announcer shouted, holding his breath. "The axel!"
Shadow jumped into the air, pivoting. He bared his teeth as the world turned into a blur.
"He landed!"
People shouted, cheered, and the atmosphere skyrocketed. Blaze's heart beat like crazy. Shadow wasn't dancing but flying across the ice. A blur of lights followed his every step like northern lights transcended onto the ground. Shadow repeated his axel three more times, combining them with other jumps, and he landed all of them without a single mistake.
After exciting minutes, Shadow stopped in the middle, hugging his shoulders with his head high. His chest billowing like a raging sea. The performance was at its end, and the stadium exploded with shouts and cheers. Nobody expected the King of Jumps to appear much less to perform such a high-quality program.
"Let's see the jumps again!" the announcer shouted, and judges examined all Shadow's jumps while the video played on the big screens in the middle of the ice rink.
Shadow meanwhile skated to Blaze and Silver.
"That was fantastic!" Blaze's tail swished. "Why you didn't tell us you would appear?"
"That would spoil the surprise." He caressed her fur between her ears. "And I wasn't completely sure I can still pull it off." Shadow let out a deep breath. "My body can't keep up."
"The results are in!" The voice moved their attention to the screens. "That first axel!" The announcer paused, making the tension even thicker. "It was full quadruple! The King of Jumps repeated his greatest axel!"
The stadium shook in its base. The crow had witnessed a repetition of history and a new chapter in figure skating.
"Can anybody beat this?"
Nobody could answer this question. Only time.
Shadow moved to pass Silver and Blaze, patting them over shoulders. "Good luck there. And don't forget..."
"It's not about being good or bad," Silver started, and Blaze finished, "it's about being better than yesterday."
Shadow turned and smiled. "That too, and also..." He smirked, flashing his fangs. "I'll beat you into a pulp if you score under eighty! Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes!" Blaze bristled, taken aback by this sudden outburst.
However, Shadow's eyes sparkled with joy and pride. "Show them what you have got."
Blaze nodded, the excitement spreading through her body.
"Alright, people!" the announcer shouted. "Let's continue with the regular program. The next one is Number 8, Blaze!"
The spotlights moved her way, and everybody watched her. She took one last breath and skated toward the center.
'I feel so calm.' Blaze's mind cleared with the starting music, and her body reacted to it.
This was her time to shine.
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Sometimes, we may feel we aren't good enough.
That everybody is better than us.
However, nobody is me.
No one can see what I see.
That's what makes me – a me.
Darkness can exist only thanks to light.
Being good or bad is irrelevant,
it's about aiming to be better than yesterday.
If you love what you do, it's not wasted effort or time.
Every Big name, used to be No name.
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I hope you have enjoyed this longer one-shot :-D If so, check -dark45- Tumblr (see the external link below). He is usually open for commissions or you can give him ko-fi :-D He is the author of Skater AU where Blaze is an aspiring figure skater and Silver is a retired ballet dancer :-)
Here is Blaze as a figure skater :-D She is beaming with energy and love <3 Picture by -dark45-