Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Oh, Miss Rose! You’re back so soon…!” The receptionist of the asylum, a bear mobian nurse, chuckled nervously at the sight of Amy Rose, a well known therapist and psychiatrist in Station Square, who clearly took pleasure in visiting the mental asylum whenever she had the time, mostly to chat with patients that were in dire need of comfort or assurance.

”Well, yes! I had no appointments for the afternoon, and so I decided to stop by. I hope it’s no trouble.” She smiled brightly. “Really, I can go if I’m bothering-“

”No, no! I’m sure we can find the right patient for you today…” She said slowly, grabbing a notepad from under her desk and reading quickly through the papers.

”Is something the matter?” Amy asked, noticing the nurse’s fretting.

”Well, it seems you have already chatted with every patient, Miss Rose.” She responded quickly.

The pink hedgehog sighed, looking around at anything that might reveal a new patient to talk to, and her relief came when she saw the list of the asylum’s areas, and her gaze lied heavy upon the sign that read ‘Max security area’. “How about in there?” She asked, pointing at the sign.

Instantly, the bear woman shifted nervously behind her desk, as if trying to come up with the right answer. “Well, we really have no patients there…”

Amy was about to nod sadly and take her leave, when a loud crash was heard from behind that same door that caught her attention, and she immediately rushed through, the bear nurse following quickly and shouting for her to stop.

The hedgehog followed the sound of the commotion, leading her to a dimly lit hallway with padded cells on both sides, one of the doors unlocked and wide open. She hurried towards it, and her eyes instantly widened when they met the terrified gaze of a cat mobian patient, who was currently trying to escape the vice grip of two doctors, while a third had a syringe in hand and desperately struggled to reach her neck and administer that medicine. She had purple, ruffled fur and the restraining belts hung loosely from her suit, with one of the guards currently trying to strap her arms so she would stop squirming.

Amy gasped and rushed forward, a determined look plastered on her face. “Hey, leave her alone!” She shouted, noticing the way the feline’s breathing had become rasp and uneven, and her hands were trembling against the concrete floor. Amy shoved one of the doctors away, making the other two back away slowly, while the cat shuffled in one of the corners of the cell, bringing her knees to her chest, burying her head in them and hugging herself, as uncontrolled sobs wrecked her body.

”Miss Rose, you’re not supposed to be here, it’s not safe!” One of the doctors spoke up.

”You said there were no more patients!” Amy shouted at the nurse, who watched from the hallway nervously as the situation unfolded.

”This one can’t be helped. We’ve tried. Now please moved out of the way, Miss, so I can-“ The Doctor with the syringe started, but got interrupted by the patient looking up and shouting as well.

”No more! No more, please! It burns!” She cried, tears streaming down her face, accentuating the large bags under her eyes.

Still, the doctor frowned and pushed closer, but Amy stood up to him, stopping him from reaching the patient. “Let me talk to her!” She demanded.

”Miss Rose, it’s not safe for you to-“

”Please! Maybe I can help. Just let me talk to her. It won’t take long.” She added calmly, taking a short glance behind her, her gaze locking with the feline’s pleading eyes.

”Fine…But if you need anything, call us. We will be right down the hallway.” He sighed, motioning for the other doctors to exit the room and carefully closing the door behind him, locking it with a loud click.

Amy smiled, turning to the cat and crouching to her level, watching as she flinched away from her. “Hello.” She said quietly, trying to sound calm and steady as to not scare her further.

The feline measured her warily, without saying a word.

”My name is Amy Rose. What’s yours?” She smiled gently, but still no response. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” She added reassuringly, extending a hand as if for a handshake.

”My…name…” A long pause followed. Her words were barely audible and Amy had to focus to her what she was saying. She looked at the hand that was stretched towards her and slowly her own crawled away from her legs and reached to touch the hedgehog’s, revealing the way it was tightly wrapped in bandages. The moment her shaky fingers had contact with Amy’s hand, she retracted it and settled it on the floor. “Blaze…”

”Well, Blaze, it’s very nice to meet you.” She smiled gently. “Can you tell me how long you’ve been in here?” She asked slowly.

”I don’t know…Date?” She requested quietly.

”It’s April fifth.” She said quickly.

”Year?” The cat continued, making Amy frown but she complied without commenting.

”2025…” 

At that, the cat’s eyes widened. “I’ve been here…for seven…years…” She said slowly, as if not believing herself, and she felt her eyes water once more.

”Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay…” Amy tried comforting her by extending a hand and gently touching Blaze’s, but all the cat did was pull away with a snarl. “Hey, let’s change the subject. Tell me, what’s your…favorite season?”

Blaze sobbed, but eventually she managed to speak up. “…spring…and I’ve missed seven of them…now I’ll miss the eight…” she cried softly in her arms. “I’ll die in here… all alone…”

”No, that’s not true! They’ll let you out…eventually…” Amy said reassuringly, whispering the last part.

”It’s not my fault. I never hurt anybody…”Blaze sobbed, but threw a quick glance at her bandaged hand and her answer changed. “Except myself…I just want it to be over…All of it…” she managed, hiding her face from Amy.

The hedgehog covered her mouth, figuring out what she was referring to. She had dealt with patients with suicidal thoughts, but this one was clearly a fringe case. Blaze was damaged and wrecked. She had her life wasted in a mental asylum, even worse…in a padded cell. Away from people, away from comfort and with doctors that clearly didn’t treat her like a person.

And then, the door to the cel swung open, and the doctors returned, making the cat cower in the corner once more, rocking back and forth and muttering intelligible things. Tears spilled out of her eyes and sobs wrecked her shaky form, making Amy stand up in front of her, ready to defend her in front of the doctors. However, she was stopped by Blaze’s skeletal hand, which grabbed her wrist. “Don’t. I can’t be helped. Thank you for talking to me…Still, can you do something for me?”

Amy nodded, giving the patient’s hand a comforting squeeze.

”What’s it like out there…?” She asked slowly.

Instantly, and idea bloomed in Amy’s mind and she spoke up. “You’ll see it for yourself, I promise.” And with that, she hurried out of the cell, with Blaze standing up and reaching for her, not revealing the comfort she wanted.

Of course, she was stopped by the doctors that pinned her down as Amy closed her eyes, hearing the patient’s pained wails and helpless struggles to escape their vice grip. Everything about her voice dripped fear and the pink hedgehog couldn’t but feel sorry for leaving her like that, without an explanation.

Determined, she jogged back to the front lobby, where the bear nurse shifted nervously at seeing her. “Miss Rose…How did it go?”

”How much to get her out?” Amy asked, frowning.

”Excuse me, what?!” The woman inquired, not quite understanding what she was referring to.

”I want Blaze out!” She shouted, and then the Doctor from earlier entered, sighing when he noticed that the psychiatrist hadn’t left yet.

”Is something the matter here?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

”Miss Rose wants to pay to get Blaze Mordeaux out.” The nurse whispered to him.

“Ugh, Miss Rose, I don’t think you quite understand the situation. She is dangerous. To herself and to the outside world. It’s better for her if she stays here. We’re keeping her safe.” He tried to explain it, but everything fell on deaf ears.

”I will pay. It’s your policy. You have to let me do this. Give me the papers and her dossier. She will be under my constant supervision and she will stay with me. You have to do this.” She confronted him.

The Doctor finally sighed. “Give her the documents.”

Chapter Text

It was clearly hard for Blaze to tell exactly when it was night and when it was day, hence her padded cell didn’t have any windows. To her, anytime she felt tired she had to sleep.

And she usually got tired after the doctors gave her some weird injectable medicine that she absolutely hated. For one, it had to be injected in her neck of all places and for two, it made her throat feel like it was burning, and that sensation would spread to other parts of her body.

Of course, nobody trusted a word that came out of her mouth and so, in a few minutes after being injected with whatever that serum was, she would inevitably pass out and get really dizzy, and she would usually wake up barely remembering what had happened the previous time she was awake.

After the pink hedgehog’s visit, the doctors forced themselves onto her again and the last thing she could remember was being pinned to the ground and her arms being strapped together by her suit’s leather belts.

She was on the floor, completely out, but, through her tired state, at some point she clearly heard some muffled voices that caused her to regain some consciousness.

In a few more minutes or hours, even she couldn’t tell how long passed, her eyes started fluttering open, and she started feeling her body once more. Her tired, bloodshot eyes met the white padded ceiling, and she tried moving her arms only to find them still strapped together.

How long did I sleep?

Did another day pass?

How is it outside?

Why is it so quiet?

What happened this time?

Of course, her mind didn’t let her rest for long and surprised her with a flurry of thoughts and voices, all asking questions she didn’t know the answer to.

She groaned and turned to the side, her gaze meeting a pair of emerald eyes, causing her to scurry backwards and panic, her breath picking up pace immediately at the unknown person.

”Oh, good, you’re awake! Hello again!” A pink hedgehog said cheerfully, smiling brightly.

”Who…are you?” Blaze asked, utterly clueless about who this girl might be.

”I’m Amy, the therapist from the other day. You have to remember that.” She frowned, realizing that something was wrong with her memory.

Surely, some of the feline’s memories flooded back in, and her shoulders relaxed. “What do you want?”

”I promised you that you would get to see the outside world again the other day. And I’m keeping my promise.” She smiled gently and pushed a backpack towards her.

”What is this?” Blaze asked, clearly not recognizing the backpack.

”This is yours. The nurse said you had it on you when they brought you in, and I managed to get it. I even put you a little gift in there. Come on. Let’s get you back on track.” She encouraged, leaning closer and carefully undoing the belt that bound her arms, and then gently grabbing one of her hands and giving it a light tug.

”I don’t understand… What’s going on?” The cat asked, still quite unable to grasp what was happening.

”I made it so you’re let out of the asylum. You don’t have to stay here anymore.” She explained, and Blaze’s eyes lit up in realization.

Shakily at first, the cat rose to her feet and stood up as straight as she could, and Amy could clearly see now just how tall she actually was compared to her.

“Let’s go outside, or the Doctor will find another excuse to keep you here.” She joked, gently pulling Blaze with her, who still couldn’t quite believe that she was going to get out of the asylum. She wouldn’t be tied down anymore. She could more freely. She could live.

They reached the nearest shower room shortly and Amy pushed Blaze in one of the dressings.

”I got you some clothes in there, they should fit you. You can throw that ugly suit away. Clean up and meet me at the lobby.” She instructed.

”But…can I move alone? Just like that?” She asked.

”You literally have to cross one hallway. Big deal. I’ll wait for you. Take however long you need.” She said, exiting the room.

She slowly undid the zipper of the backpack Amy gave her and peeked inside, the corner of her mouth twitching at the sight of a pair of white and puffy arms warmers. Looking deeper, she spotted a pair of white sneakers that were kept in a plastic bag.

You can’t look normal.

You are not normal.

You won’t be fine.

She is tricking you.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

No…

I am normal.

She took a deep breath. Then another and another. She could not mess this up.

Twenty minutes later, Blaze was done showering and she finally took the courage to try the clothes the pink hedgehog gave her.

Fortunately, the white arm warmers hid her bandages perfectly, and with the deep purple jacket on nobody could tell there was something wrong with her. The black jeans and white sneakers were comfortable and when she looked at herself in the mirror one last time, she couldn’t believe she looked so…normal. She had even straightened her hair, quietly reminiscing on the time it was long, hence the doctors had it cut short when they brought her in.

She threw the backpack over her shoulder, took a deep breath and stepped out of the room, stepping determined all the way through the hallway and opens the door, her eyes closing at the sudden bright light.

”Oh gosh, you look so well!” Amy’s voice encouraged her to face the light, and her gaze met the annoyed one of the bad doctor and the cheerful one of the pink hedgehog.

Clearly forcefully, the Doctor stepped forward and extended his hand for a handshake, and the feline slowly took it, letting him shake it. “Be careful out there. If you mess up, you won’t be getting a second chance.” He warned warily, and Blaze nodded shakily.

“O…Kay…” Amy said slowly, sensing the tension. “Let’s go, I have so much to show you!” She added, grabbing Blaze’s hand and pulling it gently. Her perky attitude and loud, but cheerful tone caused the feline’s ear to twitch, as she wasn’t used to loud things anymore.

The cat nodded slowly and allowed herself to be pulled towards the exit. The fresh and crispy morning air brushed against her fur and the scent on blooming spring flowers filled her nostrils. It all seemed…Alive.

And then, the noises started. The cars rushing past on the street, the chattering of people, the rings and honks. Her sensitive ears rang and she bowed her head painfully, covering it with her hands. Noticing this, Amy’s look changed from hopeful to worried and she grabbed Blaze’s arms.

”Hey, calm down. Everything is fine. You’re safe. But you have to calm down, or else the doctors might notice and they will take you back, you understand?” She tried to convince her, but the feline only looked up, breathing fast and shaking. “Let’s hurry to the car to get out of their sights, okay? Okay!” She pulled her after her really fast, reaching the parking lot and still trying to comfort the feline through soft words and quick pats on the arm.

They reached a small, white car and the hedgehog opened the first seat, urging Blaze to get inside quickly before slipping into the driver’s seat herself.

”That was close.” She breathed, looking at the cat, whose eyes were wide in alert and she was hugging herself, clutching her arms tightly as a weak whimper formed in her throat. “Hey, hey, it’s fine. Tell me what’s going on.” She encouraged, gently touching Blaze’s shoulder.

”L-loud…” She managed shakily, looking down at her trembling hands.

Amy’s gaze softened as she realized what was wrong. “They’re just cars. And those were just people. Harmless. They won’t hurt you.”

”Where-where are you taking m-me…?” She asked, remembering that she had no idea where she was going.

”You’re going to stay with me. I live in a large enough apartment about twenty minutes away from here. After you get all settled in we can figure out something to do together.” She smiled.

”Do those things involve…my…problems?” She asked slowly, not sure how to refer to her disorders.

”No, no! If you don’t feel comfortable talking about any of it yet, that’s fine. We have plenty of time. No pressure at all!” She assured. “So, you good to go?” She asked.

Blaze sighed, nodded slowly, her head getting a little less noisy for once. She threw one last glance at the asylum as the cat pulled out of the parking lot. The feline gripped the fabric of the jacket, leaning in the seat and not looking anywhere other than at her own hands, now covered by the arm warmers that hid her bandages.

You really think you can make it out there?

You really think the world will accept you?

Freak

Inapt

Loser

Waste

Broken

Chapter Text

The drive back to Amy’s home had gone by excruciatingly slow for Blaze. She desperately tried to silence the voices in her head while also fighting back any uncalled for reaction that curled around the edges of her brain.

She tried to focus on small things, throwing her glance from the leather seat to the shut down radio, but she never wanted to look outside. She didn’t want to see other people.

And she didn’t say a word. The feline had gotten used to being silent. Years passed without her having any normal conversation with anyone, and even when she did nobody believed anything that came out of her mouth.

”We’re here!” Amy exclaimed happily, snapping Blaze out of her daydreaming. The cat inhaled sharply, fighting back a startled gasp from being surprised by the hedgehog’s loud voice, as a question she had pondered on reached her lips the moment she finally stole a glance out the window, seeing the tall apartment building.

”I…don’t understand. Why?” She asked slowly, frowning.

”Why what?” Amy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

”Why are you doing this? How are you doing this? How can the thought of having a mentally insane patient live with you?” She said quickly, looking at the hedgehog with a dumbfounded expression.

”I don’t like that word…” Amy said. “Insane… I don’t think you’re insane. You’re-“

”Oh, please! Haven’t you read my dossier? I’m basically a walking red flag of mental disorders!” She spoke back, a little too loud. Amy frowned at her, and Blaze noticed the way she flinched and looked at her trembling hands.

Too much.

”I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She said slowly, a little above a whisper.

Amy’s gaze softened, and her hand snakes its way to Blaze’s, gently tapping it in what she hoped was a comforting manner. “You’re not insane. You’re just a little lost, and that’s normal. Once you get used to a typical life, you can ease yourself into living with your…” She stopped, trying to find the right words.

”Problems.”

”No, not problems.” Amy spoke back, her face stern. “Look, I’m a therapist and I have ADHD. I learned to live with it, and it’s not such a big deal anymore.” She smiled, but it didn’t change Blaze’s mind.

”No offense, but I don’t think you can compare that to comorbidity.” She said slowly. “Even my OCD will make this difficult, and that’s among the ones that I can actually control. What if I get a dementia episode? What if I can’t get any sleep because of schizo? Just…are you sure you want me to stay with you?” She asked, a painful whimper slipping into her voice.

”Yes, I am. I want to help you.” She said honestly. “Are you ready to get out of the car, or do you need a few more minutes?”

”No, I think…I think I’m ready…” Blaze said shakily, taking a few deep breaths in.

Amy nodded, exiting the car and going to the other side, extending a friendly hand towards the nervous feline. However, she didn’t take it and just exited herself, throwing her backpack over her arm in the process, which only contained some remnants of what she was doing before she was taken to the asylum for an unknown reason.

Blaze silently followed Amy to the apartment building, stealing shy glances at other cars and some of the passing people. It was still too loud for her sensitive ears, but the noise was manageable at the very least. Still, she was more than happy to enter the tall complex, escaping the outside buzz.

The feline was curious, to say the least. She had rarely gone into any apartment buildings, hence she remembered living in a house near the edge of town. Of course, every memory she had was to be taken with a grain of salt, hence everything seemed twisted and messed up inside her mind from the years she spent detached from the outside world, with only her demons by her side.

So, she followed closely in Amy’s step, shifting her gaze from the walls to the tilted floor, but never quite looking at the other girl. They reached the elevator, and then a thought started bugging Blaze.

”What floor in your apartment on?” She asked, gently tapping her foot on the tiled floor, careful not to make too much noise, but just enjoying the way the hard surface felt pressed against her heel.

”It’s on the fifth. It isn’t that high, it shouldn’t trigger your phobia.” She said quickly, giving her a gentle smile.

”How do you know about-“ she paused, remembering that she had read her dossier. “Right, my files.”

Once they entered the elevator, the sudden motion shook Blaze a little bit, and she leaned against the wall, tail swishing nervously and eyes wide in alert.

The loud beep came as a comfort when the machine stopped and the door opened. Despite her impatience to exit the elevator, Blaze recalled some politeness and allowed Amy to exit first.

The cat’s shoes hit the carpet on the floor, a new sensation that was a welcome change. Still, it’s somewhat softness reminded her of the walls of the padded cell, that were blocking any noise from the outside, but also kept her from hitting herself by banging her head against a wall (not like she didn’t try at some point). What was worst, the scatters and messy patterns on the carpet caused a pang in her chest, and her eye and ear twitched.

She stopped for a second, nose scrunching in irritation at the imperfection, before she heard the hedgehog’s confused hum, snapping her out of her trance. Quickly, she regained her composure and followed her to a door near the end of the hallway, her gaze never meeting the patters on the carpet.

”This is it! Your brand new home!” Amy said cheerfully, unlocking it with the key, not knowing that Blaze’s heart was sinking in by the second, a feeling of anticipation filling her chest. With a grandiose gesture, she opened the door, encouraging her to go inside first.

Of course, another twitch occurred in Blaze’s brain and she stood still as a statue, looking straight ahead at a short hallway. She could see a window with drawn curtains, but other than that, her only other stimulated sense was her hearing.

She’ll never want you here after she sees what you are!

She will kick you out, and you know it!

All because you had to be such a freak!

A waste of oxygen

A hopeless byproduct of a perfect family

Unnatural child

It’s your fault

It’s your fault 

It’s-

“Hey, it’s okay to be shy. You’ll like it, I promise!” Amy’s happy voice once more broke through her voices and reached her cracking mind, somehow.

”How can you be so sure?” Blaze asked absently, a little shaken up by the well of voices that crowded her mind a few seconds ago.

”Please, you’ve missed out on a lot of stuff all these years. This is a big chance for you. Let me help-“

”You can’t…” The feline stopped her, a low whimper rising in her throat. “Many people like you tried to help me, but nothing has changed. I still can’t find peace…” She paused, bringing a hand to her head. “I don’t want to disturb yours… I don’t want you to regret your choice, if you don’t receive the result you expected.” She took a deep, shaky breath, fist clenching when Amy tried to clasp her hand. “I just…I don’t think I can do this…I don’t think my mind will take it…There are so many-many things that can go wrong and I…I don’t know what I’ll…do…” The voices rose once more in the back of her head like an echo of her distress, and she was fighting back her own tears.

”And I’ll be there to help you through and through, I promise!” Amy’s voice encouraged, trying to comfort her and trying to urge her inside the apartment.

”It was easier in that cell…Painful, but easy…I couldn’t hurt anyone. I was restrained, often passed out or lethargic… I don’t even remember how I did this…” She said shakily, looking at the bandage that wasn’t covered my the arm warmer. “I just got these two days ago and I don’t even remember that! I don’t remember anything! I don’t know why they took me in, or what I was doing before that!” She whined painfully.

”Things will get better now that you’re out of there. You won’t take that medicine that made you faint anymore. You will be able to focus better on things without that stupid drug in your system! Everything will get better-“

”I don’t want to hurt you!” Blaze spoke up louder, her pained eyes quickly hiding behind trembling hands as sobs wrecked her body. “I-I’m so-sorry…I’m so sorr-y…”

Then, something completely unexpected happened. The feline felt a pair of steady and thin arms wrap around her waist tightly, holding her firmly in a tight hug. With a curios hum, she removed her hands from her eyes to see Amy hugging her tightly, but gently, her head softly pressed against her jacket. The hedgehog didn’t say anything, but Blaze felt for a split second how something twitched in her chest, and everything went quiet, which was something to her.

Uncertain and wary at first, the cat tentatively touched Amy’s shoulders, trying to remember how to reciprocate such a gesture and, seeing that she didn’t pull away, she got the courage to wrap her arms around her shoulders gently, sighing at the softness and simplicity of the moment she hadn’t gotten a chance to live for years, and letting her head rest on the shorter girl’s. Weirdly, something moved inside her and she allowed the remnants of painful sobs to shake her body as she allowed herself to calm down in the therapist’s arms.

Chapter Text

“Alright, shoes off, hang your jacket up there!” Amy instructed, sounding as cheerful and exited as ever. She didn’t seem to care that the person she wanted to live with just had a mental breakdown on her doorstep.

”Um, Miss…Rose? Are we going to pretend like none of…that…ever happened?” Blaze asked slowly, still shaken by everything that just went down, more so confused from the unexpected hug she had received. Of course, she listened to Amy’s instructions and neatly and symmetrically placed her shoes next to the hedgehog’s, discreetly straightening hers as well, a gesture caused by a poor OCD twitch. Also, she hung her jacket where she was told, pulling her arm warmers so they would keep hiding her bandages.

”Um…First of all, don’t call me ‘Miss Rose’ or anything, okay? We’re roommates now, Amy is enough. Second of all, do you want to pretend like none of that happened?” She asked, and Blaze could tell that it was an honest question.

She hummed in thought, recalling everything and weighing what had just occurred, trying to come up with the most suitable answer. “If it’s no trouble, I would like to pretend none of it ever occurred…except that hug…” She said slowly, looking at the floor without her sight being disturbed by the weird and trippy patterns of the hallway carpet.

”Ok, sure! If that’s what you want. Come on, I wanna give you a little tour!” She answered without inquiring anything else, which was both a surprise and a relief to Blaze, who nodded and followed her silently, her eyes darting to the neat and smooth concrete walls.

They reached a semi-open living room that was separated from the kitchen by a sturdy counter. A large TV was perched on a shelf with a couple of large drawers, a wide and soft looking sofa positioned panoramically, facing the screen. A glassy coffee table was placed on a rug in between the TV and the sofa, and it had a few stacked magazines on it.

Along the walls, there were more shelves, most notably holding numerous books, with a few framed photos on the top shelves. In the corners of the room, near a heater there were two potted, tall fern-like plants, with some small, but brightly colored flowers on some of the leaves. The door to the balcony, which seemed rather small, was closed and seemingly locked, but a few flowers were visible near the edge.

”This is the living room. It has alphabetically organized books there if you’re interested, big TV there for movie and daily shows if there’s anything you like in particular or just ambiance, remote on the table there, personal heater; it needs to be turned on manually, and that’s the…balcony.” She said, a little slower. “Um, you’re not allowed in the balcony…unless you’re with me.” She said, trying to sound happy, but failing to do so.”

”You’re worried I’ll jump.” That wasn’t a question.

”I mean, the doctors told me about your…suicidal attempts and the way you told me the other day how you wished everything would just end got me a little worried. I’m willing to change the rule if I decide that your mind stops from drilling such things in you, but for now this is the safest option.” She explained calmly. “It’s for you own good, you know that, right?” She asked, worried that she might’ve upset her.

However, Blaze nodded her head slowly and motioned for her to lead her to keep going with her tour.

”Okay, then, so there’s the kitchen with the fridge and oven and range. Basic stuff, y’know. If you’re ever hungry, you can always take whatever and if you’re not certain you can ask me.” Her smiled returned, and that caused the cat’s shoulders to relax a bit. “If you’re thirsty here’s the water filter. I usually eat in the living room, but if that isn’t okay with you, we can always eat here, at the counter. I trust you enough to not try to hide the knives. You won’t do anything, will you?” She asked worriedly.

”I…I don’t know…I’ll try not to…” She responded slowly.

”That’s all I can ask.” She smiled softly, tentatively touching the feline’s shoulder, but pulling away before she could make any contact. “Now, come this way.” She motioned with her hand to follow her down another hallway. “In here is the bathroom and right next to it is the storage room. And opposite from here is…” She reached for the knob of a dark wooden door, twisting it and pushing it open. “…the bedroom! Where you’ll sleep!”

The room was rather spacious, with a bed in each corner. While the right half of the room was decorated with mostly shades of pink, making Blaze guess that that was where Amy slept, the left side being mostly empty. Well, besides her bed which had deep purple covers that matched her fur. There was a bedside table with drawers and a night lamp perched on top of it. Opposite the bed, there was a large wardrobe and there was a magenta puffy carpet on the floor. However, unlike Amy’s part of the room, she noticed a cabinet that stood out, and she frowned when she saw it.

”Well, do you like it? I tried to get as many stuff as I could yesterday, so you have all you need. I didn’t want to move you in another room, hence I want to be close to you if anything occurs during the night. Plus, truth be told, I didn’t even have any other spare rooms to put you in!” She giggled. “So, besides the bed and everything visible to you, in that cabinet I got you some medicine.” At that, Blaze’s ear twitched and her fist clenched. “Nothing injectable, nothing that makes you dizzy or anything. Mostly vitamins, some soothing pills, some that will help you sleep better, but none of those should have any impact on the your memory or the way you see things, I promise!” She said quickly, her hand hovering over her heart.

The feline sighed, nodding shortly and decided to take a hesitant step towards the bed, taking a quick glance at Amy, who only nodded encouragingly, giving her permission to go inspect the furniture. Blaze approached the soft-looking bed with caution, her thin fingers reaching to touch the fluffy material of the purple blanket. Her hand dug in the puffiness and her pupils enlarged somewhat at the sensation, as she shyly sat down on the edge of the bed, tossing the corner of the blanket to the side so she wouldn’t mess it up, and she couldn’t help but sigh in content at the way she sunk into the mattress. She gripped the clean white sheets with her fingers as her tail swished from side to side lazily on the bed.

Blaze extended a hand and tapped the lavender colored pillow gently, liking the way her paw sunk in with every touch. Slowly, she allowed herself to fall on her side, head deep in the soft pillow, one of her legs bent on the bed, while the other dangled numbly off the edge. She brought her hands to her head, snaking one of them under it so she could lie more comfortably. Her eyes were still alert and they didn’t betray the pleasure she was experiencing in that very moment.

”Feels good, doesn’t it?” Amy smirked.

”It’s incredible! Thank you so much for this, Amy…” She said slowly, a little above a whisper. She was still expressionless and her voice was still smooth and whiny, but the hedgehog could swear she saw the corner of the cat’s mouth twitch.

”Well, then you’re going to love the way I will improve your sleeping experience even further!” She said cheerfully, opening the drawer of the bedside table and pulling out a wrapped box. “This is for you. I’ve recommended this thingy to a good bunch of my patients who were dealing with sleeping issues or even anxiety disorders, similarly to yours, and it showed some promising results, so I thought it would help you too!” She smiled, pushing the box in Blaze’s hands. “Go ahead! Open it!”

”You really didn’t have to-“

”Oh, save it! Open it, I wanna see your reaction!” She giggled, urging her further.

Blaze sighed, sitting upright on the bed and carefully and neatly unfolding the wrapping paper and she frowned when it revealed a box that had a…toy in it?

She opened the top of that box as well, and she was surprised to see that it was indeed a plush toy of sorts. She carefully plucked it out of the plastic binds so she wouldn’t damage it and she found herself holding a rather heavy, but small plush toy that looked like a sleeping otter, indication that it had some sort of mechanism, hence the back of it was hard to the touch. It had its hand-like paws sown to its chest and on its belly there was a symbol in the shape of a golden seashell. Its little tail had fish patterns on it, similar to its feet, but most notably its soft material eyes were closed and it bore a peaceful smile on its snout. Looking at it alone gave Blaze some sort of comfort.

”Um, I don’t get it.” She said slowly, not understanding what she was supposed to do with such an item. After all, she was still an adult, and adults didn’t usually have stuffed toys. “I mean, it’s cute and all, but what should I do with it?”

Amy rolled her eyes playfully, looking through the box and pulling out a small plastic package that contained a few batteries. She grabbed the otter plushie from Blaze, and clasped some fabric on its back, revealing that it wasn’t sewn together.

That revealed a plastic case with four buttons on it, each having different symbols that probably corresponded to a specific command. Amy removed a plastic cap with practiced precision, while Blaze watched her intently, the time she had spent in the asylum making her forget that interactive toys were a thing.

Then, the hedgehog inserted the batteries and closed the case, turning the plush on the other side and gently pressing the seashell symbol on its belly.

And, surely enough, it lit up in a yellow color and its belly started going up and down, accompanied by a soft huffing, as if that plush was actually breathing.

Taken aback by that, Blaze shuffled away from Amy and the plush terrified of its nature, pushing herself as far as the surface of the bed allowed her, until she hit the wall with her back.

”What is that?! Why is it doing that?!” She asked, all scared and stunned.

”It makes breathing sounds, relax. It’s supposed to mimic breathing, and it’s soothing. It can also play short instrumental lullabies, but you have to switch to the settings up a bit. At night, it will give you a nice nightlight and it will silence the voices in your head, because you’ll only be able to hear this little guy!” She explained, holding out the plush for Blaze to take. “Go ahead, it won’t hurt you. You can even hold it against your chest; the way it’s belly moves is supposed to be soothing. Try it!” She encouraged.

The feline gulped, tentatively reaching for the toy with her paw. She slowly grasped its small body and pulled it towards her in one fluid motion, examining its features thoroughly; it looked as relaxed as before.

She sighed, getting the courage to bring it to her chest me squeeze it gently. She started breathing slower, in the same rhythm with the plush sounds. The way its belly rose and fell against her was calming and made her feel like she wasn’t all alone.

It was certainly odd for a grownup to find comfort in things such as plush toys for babies, but Blaze wasn’t a normal grownup, and the fact that she had to deal with a constantly decaying mental state meant she had to seek closure in anything at her disposal…

Chapter Text

When patients are taken to an asylum, the doctors are required to find out as many informations as possible about them.

And that information doesn’t stop at addresses or family or any other daily things.

That data refers strictly to their mental health and the way the patient reacts to different patterns, being put through certain scenarios, which are often unpleasant and fear-inducing.

But such tests are sometimes bypassed, especially when the staff deals with cooperative and honest patients, who are still coherent and have a good grip on what they are doing and saying.

Blaze didn’t have that luxury.

Being put in a padded cell was already bad enough. She faintly recalled being asked some questions by a doctor, but when she woke up the next day, it was all a fuzz.

Days passed, and her sanity depleted from not having interactions with other people. Her mind started cracking, she was beginning to lose her memories and, truth be told, she didn’t even know how she ended up in the asylum in the first place. She knew of her disorders beforehand, but they were nothing a few weekly therapy sessions couldn’t control.

She must’ve snapped at some point. For some reason…

Her self-control was weak and she could barely get a grip on what she was doing in that cell. She was probably not eating a lot, as she got thin really fast. No noise. Nothing to see but isolated white walls and an old mattress the doctors called ‘a bed’.

All that while the other patients rested in private rooms. Even the other cells had better conditions than hers.

And, a few days later, what could be called a first contact happened.

Blaze woke up, as dizzy and numb as ever. She could say she had gone through a sleep paralysis episode, hence she fairly remembered a figure entering her cell, but even the feline couldn’t believe her own thoughts.

Maybe she did sleep well, but she just couldn’t remember well.

As her vision cleared a little bit, she could see that something has been brought in her cell.

Lying on the concrete floor, was a sturdy tablet with its screen lit up, displaying one simple question: ‘Start the survey?’, and under it there was a white tile that read ‘Proceed’.

Blaze shifted her gaze from the device to the video camera on the wall, which sometimes moves from side to side. She wanted to scream at it, to ask what all of this was about, but she could barely speak up from how hoarse her throat was from dehydration and lack of speaking.

So, she looked back at the screen, her finger hovering shakily above the one option she had.

You have no choice.

You shouldn’t press it.

You can wait.

Turn away.

Close your eyes again.

Outside is pain.

Close your eyes.

Close your eyes.

Close your eyes.

Close your-

“Shut up…” She said weakly, barely above a whisper, covering her ears and bowing her booming head. As a way to win over the voices, she pressed ‘proceed’, and a loading symbol appeared on the screen.

”Hello and welcome to the Survey Experience, created specifically for you to make you feel more comfortable. You will be asked simple queries, which you will have to answer with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Are you ready to proceed with the first query?” It displayed next. Blaze didn’t know what this was all about, but it wasn’t as if she had anything better to do.

If she were to think about it, she would’ve realized that perhaps a doctor put it here to gather more information on her, but in that moment the simple command of responding with ‘yes’ or ‘No’ seemed like the break her mind needed.

If only she knew better…

And Blaze clicked ‘proceed’ once more.

”Are you having a good day?” Was the first question, with the two buttons labeled clearly underneath.

You could lie.

You should tell the truth.

Truth won over this time, and she clicked ‘No’.

”Did you sleep well last night?”

”No.”

“Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?”

”Yes.” She answered quickly, thinking of her previous night.

“Do you know what day it is?”

She thought for a second before pressing ‘No’ again.

”Look around your room for a moment. Take your time and breathe. Examine every corner, take in every detail. Is everything the way it should be?”

She followed the instructions, looking around carefully, taking a few seconds to examine the padded walls, the tilted floor. Everything seemed normal. Well, as normal as it should be. Her bed was in the right place. The only thing that wasn’t there previously was the tablet, so she clicked ‘yes’.

”Are you sure?”

”Yes.”

”Good. Do you feel comfortable in your room?”

”No.” I want out…, she thought sadly.

”Do you feel safe in your room?”

She took a few minutes to think. On one hand, she was fearful and stressed the whole time, mostly caused by paranoia. She hadn’t seem people and that caused her mental state to decay.

And yet, the cell was safe. Nobody could come in except staff, and they weren’t dangerous as far as she was aware. And she most certainly couldn’t go out. People couldn’t hurt her, and she couldn’t hurt them.

”Yes.”

”Great! Are you alone in your room?”

”Yes.” Of course I am…

”Are you certain you are alone right now?”

”Yes.” She pressed a little too quickly.

”Do you ever feel as if you’re not alone in your room?”

Her eyes widened. She didn’t quite know how to answer that. Sure, she was paranoid enough to feel as if she was being watched, and her schizophrenia added to that stress, but if she were to think for a little while, she would realize that nobody was watching her.

Well, except the person watching the cameras…

”Yes.”

”Does that make you feel uncomfortable?”

”Yes.”

”Do you feel as if you’re being watched?”

”No.” She pressed quickly, gulping, knowing that it was a half-lie.

”Do you believe in God?”

There has to be.

And if there is, what good did it do to you.

Nonsense.

Stop answering.

Stop lying.

They know.

There is a God.

”Yes.”

”Are you afraid of the dark?”

Truth be told, Blaze was quite wary of the darkness, even though her cell was always somewhat lit. But the darkness combined with the silence was…

”Yes.” She pressed shakily.

”If the lights were to go out right now, would you be scared?”

”Yes.” She started shaking somewhat. Please don’t turn off the lights. Please don’t turn off the lights. Please don’t-

And sure enough, the lights went out. Everything was dark. Even the light that came from the hallway, barely visible through a small window on her cell’s door, was out.

Blaze sat, frozen in the darkness, her heart picking up pace as she closed her eyes, being met with more darkness as a faint ‘please’ emerged from her throat.

Then, her eyes snapped open and her heart skipped a beat when she heard the door to her cell creaking open and, in a few moments, the light in her room was back on. She looked in the direction on the door and, surely enough, it was cracked open. However, the corridor was pitch black, which only added to her distress.

Blaze wanted to stand up and close it, but she felt paralyzed, with her gaze glued to the screen.

It should be locked.

It was locked.

It’s unsafe.

”Did that scare you?”

”Yes.” She pressed slowly, hugging herself with the other arm.

”Are you still alone in your room?” The question popped up again, only adding to the cat’s distress.

”Yes.” She pressed without even taking a look around.

”Did anyone enter your room?” The questions pressed on her mind.

”No.”

”Are you sure?”

”Yes.”

Then, slowly, the next question appeared on the screen. “Do you recognize the person behind you?”

Her heart sank. There shouldn’t be anyone behind her. Her sanity felt as if it was about to collapse. She didn’t want to turn around. The breath was quick and so was her heartbeat. The voices were going crazy as Blaze closed her eyes tightly and slowly turned around.

With a whimper, she opened one of them and was met with…nothing? There was nothing there. She sighed in relief and was about to turn around, when her gaze met a slim figure standing in the hallway, barely visible because of the darkness.

Blaze gasped, but before she could scurry away, the figure was gone as if it had never been there in the first place. The feline breathed heavily, clutching her head as her heart and mind raced and tears threatened to spill out of her eyes.

In her panic, she pressed “No.” on the screen, barely registering the moment the question switched. And it wasn’t a question at all.

”Take a break. Take a few minutes to breathe and relax. Tap the screen when you’re ready to proceed with the survey.” It displayed, and Blaze pushed herself in a corner, as far away from the door as possible, bringing her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth while muttering intelligible words.

There is nothing there, there is nothing there.

You are safe, you are safe, you are safe.

You’re okay, you’re okay…

She hyperventilated for minutes on end, forgetting about the tablet on the floor. She wanted to believe none of it was real, because it wasn’t.

Slowly, she approached the screen and tapped it gently.

”Are you relaxed?”

”No.”

”That’s okay. You will calm down. Do you have any phobias?”

”Yes.” Blaze responded quickly, at least four of them coming to mind instantly.

”Are you afraid of death?”

She gulped. What was with these questions. They weren’t normal. Something was not right. She felt as if she wasn’t…alone…

Blaze wanted to pull away from the screen again, but she didn’t feel safe enough to do that, so she remained glued to the device, deciding to keep answering the questions without paying attention to anything else.

”Yes.”

”Do you ever think about death?”

”Yes.”

”Do you think about how you will die?”

All these questions about death and dying were getting to her, as she was starting to sweat and her breathing was heavier again. “Yes.”

”Have you noticed the person standing outside your door this whole time?” That question made her whole body tremble. She didn’t want to look away, she didn’t want to check the door.

Just answer the questions… “No.”

A loading symbol appeared again, making her anxious. “We have examined your results thoroughly. Your responses have helped a lot.” The whole room went dark again, making Blaze gasp sharply and.

However, the screen’s white text was still visible as it shifted.

”It’s inside now. You are not alone. We know what you did. It knows.”

Her heart sank and she covered her mouth, thinking of the figure she saw earlier. Blaze quietly prayed it couldn’t see her in the dark as she scurried to where she thought was a corner, bringing her knees to her chest and trying to quiet her breathing.

However, her body was wrecked by sobs and she closed her eyes.

She heart a loud snap and opened one of her eyes, barely catching a glimpse of a terrifying demonic entity before being hit in the head with something head and passing out, stopping her panic attack.

The lights went back on and a tall man was standing in front of her fainted form, a frown plastered on his face. His eyes were hidden by shades and a large grey mustache flowed down his cheeks. He was wearing a Doctor coat, showing that he was one of the staff.

He studied the knocked out feline, noting something down in a notepad and picking up the tablet from the ground, exiting the room and locking the door after him.

There was no monster in the room.

Amy pulled out the USB from her laptop as soon as the screen went dark, announcing the end of the recording, more shaken up than ever.

She had received some footage of the now ex-patient, Blaze from the doctors, but she never expected they were doing something like this to the already tormented people.

She breathed heavily, not believing what she had just witnessed, and closed her laptop.

The hedgehog hurried to the bedroom, sighing in relief as she found Blaze fast asleep in her bed, puffing soundly in her sleep, keeping the same soothing rhythm with the breathing otter plushie that was being hugged safely at her chest. The feline had pushed herself against the wall, but Amy couldn’t help but feel relieved at seeing this poor person, whose daily life was filled with struggles and mental torment, and whose mind was bend and manipulated by mean and uncanny doctors, relaxed and peaceful.

A small smile tugged at her lips, as she inches closer and gently tapped the cat’s paw, quickly exiting the room without making too much noise.

Chapter Text

After washing her hands three times and splashing some cold water in her face to cool herself down, Blaze couldn’t help but stare at herself in the mirror.

Her vision wasn’t messy or disgusting to look at. She still wasn’t comfortable with herself, but wearing clean clothes and having her arms move freely, without the fear of having them restrained by belts. The feline also couldn’t seem to remember much of anything from before she was at the asylum, but she was hopeful that her memories would come back eventually, after all that crud injected through that vial would be gone.

Blaze looked at her arm and dared to slowly rolled up the arm warmer, hissing at the sight of bandages as she felt a tingle in her brain before covering them up.

Stop looking at those.

They are who you are. What you are.

She doesn’t have to see that.

You will do it again.

You know you will.

You know this is all your fault.

Just because you’re not surrounded by isolated walls doesn’t mean you escaped.

That stung her the most, and a low whimper formed in her throat.

”Hey, is everything alright in there?” Amy’s worried voice broke through the silence, calling out to her from the hallway. She knew that if she wasted time or seemed stuck on something, it would catch her attention.

”Yes, yes, I’ll be out in a minute!” Blaze called back, trying to hide the shaking in her voice.

She heard the hedgehog stepping away, and she sighed in relief. 

You will never be able to escape that.

You will always be there.

You know it’s all your fault.

That was herself speaking. Not some voice created by her schizophrenia. Those were her own thoughts. That was her inner turmoil.

That is the truth.

She looked in the mirror, and her eyes widened at what she saw. She was back in that room, wearing that suit, arms locked in place by sturdy belts, hair ruffled and eyes tired, with large bags under them. Blaze gasped, looking away and storming out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her and hurrying to the living room, where Amy was patiently waiting for her.

She noticed the girl frown at her distress and gulped, knowing what was next.

”Are you okay? You seem a little…shaken.” She said slowly, gently tapping the stop next to her on the sofa.

Blaze inhaled sharply, seating down and leaning on its soft back, letting her head rest on its edge and look at the empty ceiling.

”Do you want to talk about it?” Amy asked again, hoping that after seeing where she would live, Blaze would open up to her.

”Will it help me any?” She asked flatly, her face blank. She turned her head to the side to look at Amy, her eye twitching at the sight of her worried look.

”I mean, I’ll do my best. All of my patients have shown results after session with me, so I’m confident I can help you too!” She smiled, reaching and tapping her hand. “Can you tell me what happened to you in the bathroom? If you don’t feel comfortable yet, it’s fine. Or maybe you’d rather have this chat over dinner?” She offered gently.

”Dinner?” Blaze mumbled.

”Well, you have to eat. Tomorrow, I’d like to put you on a diet to strengthen your body. Also…” She slowed down, and Blaze raised an eyebrow.

”Also what?”

”I lied about one thing. There might me a tiny…little injectable medicine that you have to take before breakfast and dinner…” she smiled sheepishly.

At that, Blaze looked at her with pleading, big eyes, thinking of the medicine that made her body feel like it was burning up.

”It’s not like the one the doctors gave you, I promise! It’s a vitamin shot. You won’t even feel it.” She assured, getting up and rummaging through a drawer, pulling out a white box. Amy opened it carefully and pulled out a small plastic bag that contained a syringe, with the vial already in it, and the needle in another package next to it. “See, it’s really small! Do…you want to do it yourself or will you let me. Because you have to take this, you’ll heal physically so much faster.” She explained gently.

Blaze hummed in understanding, looking at her shaky hand and sighing deeply. “Your hand is steadier.”

”Will you let me clean those, too?” Amy wondered, pointing at the arm warmers.

”Umm…” she swallowed, looking away. “Okay…” she said, knowing that she had just agreed to show her weakness to this therapist.

“Great, I’ll be right back.” She said cheerfully, disappearing down the hallway and entering the bathroom.

Blaze whimpered, looking at the syringe. Without realizing it, she pushed herself against the sofa, bringing her knees to her chest, socked feet meeting the soft fabric, and she started rocking back and forth, a habit she had formed while she was in the asylum and she would do that every time she was anxious or stressed.

You can’t trust her.

That’s just what happened before. One sting and everything goes awry.

You will start seeing them.

He will come for you.

You can’t escape him.

You can’t be free.

You don’t belong anywhere.

She doesn’t care about you.

Liar

Liar

Liar

Liar

Liar

”Shut up!” She wailed, eyes wide as she clutched her head, shaking violently. “Shut up shut up shut up shut-“

”Blaze!” Amy shouted for her, making the feline gasp and look ahead of her, her teary eyed gaze meeting the hedgehog’s emerald eyes. “You’re okay. You can calm down now. It’s all in your head. It’s not real…” she said soothingly, hands on her shoulders.

”Please, stop…” she said weakly, and Amy realized she was still referring to the voices. The hedgehog gently wrapped her arms around her shoulders, knowing how it had calmed her down before.

Instantly, she felt Blaze burry her face in her shoulder as she hugged back, painful tears wetting her shirt. Still, she didn’t care. All that was important was for the cat to feel safe and comfortable on her first night in her new home. She realized that every little thing triggered one of her disorders and caused her to have breakdowns, which was something she had to work on if she were to have her walking around like a normal person.

”I’m so sorry…” Blaze said weakly, holding tightly onto Amy’s body, not showing signs of wanting to let go.

”You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m not upset. I am just worried. I want to help you  but I can’t do that if you won’t let me. Everything is fine. And if it doesn’t seem that way now, it will soon enough, I promise.” She pulled away, noticing the feline’s grip weakening. “We will make it happen. You will get better.” She said, sounding awfully sure of herself.

Blaze sobbed weakly, rubbing away the tears from her eyes. She sniffled, taking in every word Amy said to her and, somehow, the voices had gone quiet once more. “I’m too much…You shouldn’t have to deal…with me…” she muttered.

”No, you’re not. Just because you’re different doesn’t mean people shouldn’t care about about you… I care. I know I do. That’s real. This…” She softly touched Blaze’s shoulders. “This is real. What those voices say isn’t real. There are no monsters. There is nothing that can hurt you here. It’s just you and me.” She explained, her tone soothing the feline’s sensitive ears and encouraging her to stop crying, removing her hands from her eyes.

“I can’t do this, I’m not…I’m not…” she tried, but the right words couldn’t slip out.

”Whatever you want to say, it’s not true. You’re just a little lost. But you will find yourself. I’ll help you. Things are going to get better, you’ll see. Now, are you willing to let me take care of you?” She offered with a kind smile, holding Blaze’s hand and squeezing it gently.

The feline swallowed, only whimpers remaining from her crying and nodded, extending her arms and allowing Amy to remove the arm warmers.

The hedgehog unwrapped the bandages on both forearms, a sharp gasp forming in her throat at the sight of still open gashes, scratches and cuts covering her fur. Blaze looked away, ashamed of herself.

”It’s bad, isn’t it?” She asked in a low voice.

”Nothing we can’t work on, okay?” She encouraged, dipping a pad in some sanitary alcohol and gently cleaning the wounds. Blaze hissed at the touch, but didn’t pull away and allowed Amy to do the same to her other arm and then wrap them up in some clean bandages with doctor-accurate precision. “Done! Nothing was infected, and that’s good! Now…” she began, opening the plastic bag with the syringe and making the feline back away shyly and tense her shoulders. “Will you let me?” She asked slowly, encouragingly.

Blaze swallowed hard and nodded, shakily extending her arm and putting the other behind her back, to not be tempted to smack the hedgehog’s hand away.

Amy nodded, attaching the thin needle to the syringe and gently tapping a spot just above the feline’s forearm, lightly squeezing the skin around that part and carefully injecting the needle.

Blaze didn’t really feel it, but seeing most of the needle go under her skin made her flinch. In a few seconds, the liquid in the syringe was emptied and was pulled out, and then wrapped in a paper towel to be thrown away.

”See, not so bad.” Amy smiled putting some pressure on where she had stung Blaze with a pad.

”Mhm…” the cat hummed to herself. Nothing bad had happened to her. She didn’t feel the sting and even after she didn’t feel anything strange. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you said something about…dinner?” She said slowly, shyly above all, as she still hadn’t eaten that day.

”Oh, right! Yeah, I made some cooked chicken breast, with baked potatoes, cherry tomatoes and some broccoli. Everything bite sized, so you can swallow easier, hence I know you haven’t eaten anything particularly consistent for a long time. Sit!” She said cheerfully, motioning towards an empty and rather tall stool at the counter

In a few minutes, Amy turned to her and placed an organized plate with all the aforementioned foods, and the looks of it alone were enough to make the feline’s mouth water.

”I tried to keep everything as organized and neat as possible, so your OCD wouldn’t get triggered.” She explained, and Blaze nodded, though her heart swelled at this girl’s care for her already. “Well, enjoy your meal!” She added with a bright smile, starting eating from her own plate.

Blaze shakily grabbed the fork and stabbed a minuscule piece of chicken alongside the smallest potato slice she saw as gently as possible and brought them to her mouth.

The second she felt the taste of that delicious food, fresh and clean, with no medicine crud in it, she felt her eyes water. She swallowed and breathed, and brought her free hand to the table, hitting it with a loud thud, before her body was wrecked by sobs once more.

”What’s the matter?” Amy asked worriedly, stopping her eating and leaning closer to the other girl, soft patting her back.

”I-It’s s-s-so good!” She stuttered, dropping the fork and hiding her face in her palms. “It’s a-amazing!”

”What? The food?” Amy asked, figuring out what was going on.

Blaze nodded between sobs.

”Aw, thank you! But then why are you crying?” She asked, wanting to hear how her mind had processed everything.

”I don’t deserve this…I-I can’t re-remember the l-last…time I’ve h-had something th-this good…” she managed.

”Oh. Well, there’s no reason to cry for that. It’s okay now, right? I’ll give you food like this every single day! Free of charge, of course!” She giggled, trying to get her to stop crying.

”R-r-really?” Blaze asked, uncovering her face and looking at Amy with pleading eyes, still watery. The hedgehog couldn’t get over how vulnerable she seemed, how every single thing could trigger a breakdown. After all, this was her third one in not even a day.

The hedgehog smiled and nodded. “You should eat, it’s gonna get cold.” She advised, seeing that she had calmed down a little.

The cat breathed slowly and deeply and nodded, picking up her fork and actually starting to enjoy her meal.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, with Blaze taking one of the warmest baths she remembered having. Fortunately, that didn’t start another episode and it was all okay. Amy happily presented her some clean and new white pajamas with some magenta accents around the edges and helped her get all settled in her bed for the night to come.

”So, I got you some water there on the bedside table in case you wake up during the night and you’re thirsty and you don’t wanna wander off in the dark all the way to the kitchen. Plushie,” she said with a chuckle, pushing the otter plushie in Blaze’s arms, who gently settled it on her pillow. “Everything okay?” She asked.

The felines nodded slowly. “Thank you for today, Amy. It was really a very special day, and I’ll be sure to remember it. I’m still quite sure I’m too much and that you don’t deserve all the headaches I gave you today. But, I enjoyed you company nonetheless.” Amy smiled, her ear twitching at her name slipping from Blaze’s lips. It had a really nice ring to it.

The cat looked down, before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. This time it was her who initiated the hug, and it surely was a pleasant surprise, as the hedgehog almost instantly reciprocated with a bright smile.

When they pulled away, another surprise came Amy’s way, as she could see that Blaze was smiling! It was small and controlled, but it was a smile nonetheless.

”You’re smiling! See, I told you people make quick progress with me!” She winked, and Blaze hummed amusingly with a short nod.

”Good night, Amy.”

”Sweet dreams, Blaze! Sleep tight, cuz tomorrow I have a whole list of fun activities planned!” She warned with a small giggle, and the cat gave her an amused sigh in response, leaning into her pillow and pulling the blanket over her once the lights were off and the Amy closed the door behind her.

Blaze tightly hugged the otter plushie to her chest, turning it on and slowly breathing at the same pace with it. That smile still tugged at her lips as she could finally sleep soundly, with no voices clouding her mind, as one comforting thought crossed her mind.

Everything will be okay…

Meanwhile, in the living room, Amy turned on her laptop and plugged in a USB the doctors gave her that supposedly contained footage from when Blaze was in that cell.

If it would help expose the staff and what they were doing to those poor patient, how they treated Blaze in particular, she had to risk it.

But Amy was never ready for the horrors she was about to uncover…

Chapter Text

Blaze had woken up during the night, but with no notable disturbances. She just reached for the glass of water, emptying it before lying back down.

She turned her gaze to the other side of the room, spotting Amy lying on her side, back turned to her. She was absently hugging herself and the blanket was pushed to her feet. The feline understood that she was most likely cold and so, she made a rather bold move by quietly standing up and tiptoeing her way to her bedside, gently grabbing the edge of the blanket swiftly pulling it all the way to the hedgehog’s shoulder. She instantly saw Amy relaxing and cuddling against the blanket, and Blaze hummed in satisfaction before returning to her own bed and lying back down.

The cat clutched the otter plush to her chest and she heard it turn on, helping her fall asleep with its soft breathing. However, one word lingered in her mind that was produced when she was just about to fall asleep completely.

Unaware

In the morning, Blaze stirred and turned for a few seconds, her shut eyelids bothered by the light protruding through the nearby window. She hummed and growled at the weird and yet unknown light, refusing to wake up.

Of course, she couldn’t lie like that for long and soon her eyelids fluttered open, her golden pupils bracing themselves for the light and scrunching at its brightness.

The otter plush was still being held tightly to her chest, having stopped during the night. She let go of it and sat up, stretching her wary back.

Blaze quickly scanned her surroundings, taking in the neat concrete walls and the pink decorated side of the room, as well as noticing the empty bed that had the blanket pushed to the edge.

That caused a twitch in her brain and urged her to stand up and rush to the other bed, rearranging the pillow and neatly folding the blanket, settling in on the far edge and straightening the covers, before doing the same for her own bed.

Perfect

Neat

Collected

Controlled

Yes, it was controlled and neat. She now could see clearly where it all was meant to be. Everything had its place.

Except you

She whimpered, blinking quickly and feeling a shiver run up her spine. She made her way towards the window, looking outside. She could see people walking. On the other side of the road the was a park with tall and green, blooming trees. The street was full of cars but somehow it didn’t seem scary or unsettling. The people…were just people. There was nothing unnatural. They were…normal.

Unlike you

Her hand slid down the glassy surface and she pressed her forehead on cold window as one single tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground.

Then, she inhaled sharply and stormed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her and entered the toilet, not even bothering to see where Amy was first.

You have to at least look acceptable for her.

She looked in the mirror, groaning at the sight of her messed up hair and slightly bloodshot eyes. For once in her life, she didn’t feel tired, but the remains of all those sleepless, but numb days still stuck to her skin.

Blaze remembered Amy telling her the other day that she had gotten her all she needed for her hygiene in a drawer, things she had used the previous evening as well.

And so, she got to work, making herself as neat as possible.

Meanwhile, Amy was sitting in the kitchen, having heard the door to the bathroom close and figuring Blaze had woken up.

She could only hope everything was fine this time. She was already well aware of the fact that the feline had woken up during the night, hence the glass she had left for the was empty, and she desperately hoped that didn’t cause her any problems with sleeping. The last thing she needed was her not getting enough sleep.

Then, as she waited another ten minutes, she started for on breakfast for the both of them, boiling some eggs and roasting some loaves of bread. She chopped some vegetables and fried some bacon and, by the time the was done settling everything in plates, she heard the door to the bathroom open and footsteps hurrying towards her.

She turned around, her gaze meeting Blaze’s blank stare.

”Good morning, Amy.” She said quietly, back straight and posture stiff.

“Good morning! Did you sleep well?” She asked quickly, with a bright and wide smile.

”It was pleasant. Satisfactory. I find myself still recovering from my poor sleeping habits over these past years.” Blaze responded flatly, clearly wanting to avoid mentioning the asylum part. “How about you?” She mouthed, trying to sound polite.

”I slept well. I just noticed the glass I had filled for you was empty, so I figured you woke up during the night, and I just wanted to make sure you had managed to go to sleep again easily.” She explained, setting down eating utensils on the counter. “I made breakfast. But first, that medicine” She announced, and Blaze quickly complied, sitting down and waiting for the hedgehog to return with another syringe. This time, she allowed her to administer the medicine without flinching. “It seems you’re not so afraid of it anymore. That’s good!” She praised, throwing the syringe away and fetching the plates, placing one in front of Blaze.

Her mouth twitched when the plate was placed in front of her, and she struggled to wait for Amy to take the first bite before starting to eat herself.

”Well, someone’s hungry. Is it good?” Amy chuckled.

Blaze swallowed and nodded in satisfaction. “You cook really well!” The felines praised, her tail swishing behind her in sheer delight, which wasn’t lost on Amy, who had gotten used to her tail trailing numbly behind her.

”Why thank you! I’m glad I have someone to finally test my cooking skills!” Amy responded. “By the way, how’s it going in there? Is everything…clearer?” She asked, pointing towards the feline’s head.

”Um…” Blaze paused her eating. “I mean, bits and pieces are coming back to me. I…actually remembered something.” She said slowly.

”Good or bad?” Amy asked worriedly.

”Good. Really good, actually! Do you want to know?” She wondered.

”Sure, if you’re willing to tell me!” The hedgehog beamed.

”Okay. After breakfast.” She huffed, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards in a brief smile, making Amy giggle.

”Have it your way.”

”So, what’s it about? I can’t wait to know!” Amy asked cheerfully, leaning closer to Blaze, now sitting on the couch, the clothes she wore the other day covering the bandages on her arms once more.

”Well, do you have anything about my previous life in those files?” Blaze asked.

”Well, not much. I mean, I have your…mother’s phone number…?” She said sheepishly. “…and your address.”

Blaze frowned. “And when were you going to tell me about that?!”

”It was going to be a surprise, I swear!” She sighed. “Ugh, I wanted us to go to your address, so your mother could see you! It’d be a surprise for both you and her!” She smiled sheepishly.

Blaze exhaled heavily. “Well, what I was about to tell you was actually about my family…In a way?”

”Ok…Go on…”

”So I remembered about my parents. How I never met my dad and I only had my mother. She…got me into music…playing the piano…”

”Go on!” Amy beamed, her eyes lighting up when she realized that she was actually remembering something coherent and precise without that stupid drug in her system.

”And all my life sort of revolves around music. And I had…graduated college. I was at the music conservatory. For about four years. I got a degree in literature and political studies. And…everything was going so good. But I still don’t know what went wrong…” she breathed.

”Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re finally starting to remember things! That’s huge! It’s just been a day, and you already remembered what you were up to before the asylum! I’m so happy!” She wrapped her arms around the feline and hugged her tightly.

”But…what if it isn’t true? What if it’s just another illusion?” Blaze asked, pulling away and sighing in self doubt.

“Well, how about we find out?” Amy asked cheerfully, and the cat raised an eyebrow at her excitement. “Let’s go visit your mother. Imagine how happy she’ll be when she sees you! Do you remember anything about her?”

”She was nice…Always stuck with family business and stuff. But she wanted the best for me. I always knew that. I didn’t forget her. Never. She just…stuck to me. All throughout my time at the asylum. I wonder…has she ever tried visiting me? She probably did, but the doctors wouldn’t let her in.” She whimpered.

Or maybe she didn’t care

She left you to rot

She wasn’t there

Why does it matter now

”I’m sure she did.” Amy encouraged, grabbing her hands and squeezing them gently.

“Yeah…I’m sure too…” she silenced the voices. “But…do you think she’ll recognize me? Do you think she’d still want me there?” She asked.

”Of course she will! Girl, if all you told me about your studies is true, and I think it is, you seem like the perfect child. Really now! Like, a degree in political studies! That’s amazing!” She praised. “Imagine! You could get such well paid jobs! Your previous achievements could unlock so many possibilities for you! C’mon, be a little positive here!” She encouraged.

”You’re right. Stay positive…Everything is fine…” she whispered.

”That’s the spirit! Now, get ready! It’s like a one hour drive to your address, and now I’m sure you won’t be scared of cars anymore!” Amy urged happily.

”Your enthusiasm is infectious, I have to say…” Blaze muttered.

”It it is so infectious, then you’re gonna give me a smile for my effort!” She smirked.

Blaze huffed in amusement, giving her a brief smile before standing up and exiting the room. Inside, she was truly terrified of seeing her mother again. And she knew she had to look perfect.

Chapter Text

“No…No no no no no…” Was Blaze’s plain and yet desperate reaction of what she had just witnessed. Her mind was racing and her heart sank inside her.

After the one hour drive, she had managed to gather all her thoughts and prepare herself for seeing her mother once more, but she didn’t expect…this…

The second she wanted to knock, she heard laughter coming from inside, which was strange to say the least. The feline remembered her mother being a very reserved person, rarely having anyone come over. The only one really keeping her coming was Blaze herself. So what she was hearing…was odd.

She would then frown and pull away from the door of the mansion, a house which both surprised and intrigued Amy, who was a little worried about the cat’s reaction.

Blaze looked around and spotted an open window, through which the laughter inside could be heard and she swiftly moved towards it, turning her head to look inside. And what she saw shocked her.

She was looking at the kitchen, which was just as she had remembered it. And she saw her mother: a rather slim but tall old woman, sharing the same fur color as her, but that had lost its shine over time. She was staying at the table, having lunch with a man. With a tall lion man. And she remembered him too. She remembered him being a work friend of her mother’s.

Which wouldn’t bother her much, but they were holding hands on the table. And on their hands, clear as day, she spotted wedding rings.

However, what made Blaze’s heart really shatter was a little girl, that looked more or less like her, make her way down the stairs. She didn’t have any sister. And she didn’t look older that six or seven. Which was precisely the time she had been locked in that asylum for.

The two grownups inside kissed the girl and hugged her. She was their daughter.

”No…Nononononononono…” was the only thing she could managed to say as she pulled away from the view that pained her and allowed herself to fall on the grass, back against the wall as she breathed heavily.

”Hey, are you alright? What happened?” Amy asked, clearly understanding that something was wrong with the picture inside the house.

”She…she replaced me…” Blaze breathed out, more to herself, not even looking at Amy. “The second I was out of the picture…she…she had another kid…with another man…Why?” She wailed, covering no her head with her hands. She didn’t know what she was feeling. She didn’t know if she was angry or upset or disappointed or…or all at the same time.

”Oh…I’m so sorry, Blaze. I didn’t know… I didn’t want to bring you here to-“

”I know.” Blaze started, uncovering her face, her expression unreadable. The feline stood up and knocked on the front door with force. Amy was worried, but she didn’t want to hurt her more by putting herself between the feline and the situation.

The hedgehog knew what she was thinking. And she knew it was probably true. It wasn’t unheard of for members of a family to call an asylum to forcefully take someone from that same family and take them in. But it surely damaged Blaze to know that her mother did this to her, a child who strived all her life to fight her disorders and please her.

”And who do I owe this-“ her mother, who came to open the door, started, but her eyes went wide when she saw Blaze in front of her. “Blaze? How are you here?”

”I just came for my dossier. I put all my diplomas and personal info in that, you know it. It’s in my room, in the safe. You know the code. Now. Bring it to me.” She demanded.

”Well, don’t you think that’s a little rude of you, young lady? No hello.” The woman scolded.

”I don’t think so. Unless you want me to say hello to your new husband and that little girl.” Blaze responded, crossing her arms and raising her voice.

The commotion however led to said girl to peek from behind a wall, looking scared at Blaze. “Mom? Who’s that? Why does she look like me?” She asked timidly.

”She’s unimportant, sweetie. Go to your room, Blaze!” The woman said, and instantly the tall feline’s heart sank.

”You named her Blaze?! Really?!” Blaze yelped.

”She’s what you should’ve been! Now, I’ll get you your stupid files and then I want you off my property, and away from my family!” Her mother shouted back.

”Your family?!” She repeated, as if not believing what she was hearing. “And then what am I, MOM?!” She snapped, but her demand fell on deaf ears as the woman closed the door in her face. Blaze heard her walking around rapidly inside the house and, in a few minutes, she opened the door again and tossed her a large dossier.

”You are a deranged patient who shouldn’t be interacting with society. You are a shame to the family name. Everything you have ever did couldn’t fix you, it couldn’t-“

”Everything I have ever done in my life was to make you PROUD! But you never were! All you wanted was me out of it! No matter how hard I tried…you still didn’t love me, did you?” Her voice was small and shaky.

”I did love you-“

”ALL OF ME!” She screamed. “What if I died in there? Would you have cared? Why would you do this to me?” She questioned. “Why-“

”Leave.” The old woman said quickly, her tone authoritarian and deep. “Now. And don’t come back, or else I’ll call the cops, and you know there’s no getting out after that.” She threatened darkly.

”I’m sorry…” Blaze breathed out. “Please don’t do this to me…I didn’t ask to be born this-“

”No. I don’t want to hear it. I won’t repeat myself.”

The young feline looked at the large dossier she was holding. So many achievements, and all of them cheered and made her mother proud at the time. What had happened? What had she done to deserve this?

Everything is destroyed around you

Nobody loves you

Nobody cares about you-

“How can you do such a thing?!” Amy stepped in, as she had been watching and listening, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

”Who are you?” Blaze’s mother asked disgustedly.

”I got her out of that asylum, because I realized that she needed help and that she didn’t deserve to be there! How could I, a total stranger, figure this out, when you couldn’t?! You sent her away for no reason, and replace her?! What kind of mother are you?!” She shouted, while Blaze seemed completely lost, looking at nothing, her eyes wide and her whole body shaking.

”I’m not her mother.” That felt like a dagger just stabbed Blaze in the heart.

Amy was about to say something, but the feline touched her shoulder. “Let’s go, Amy.” She said simple. “It’s not worth it.”

Blaze’s mother nodded shortly and inhaled sharply, closing the door in front of them. Blaze turned on her heel and rushed to the car, getting inside.

Amy hurried after her, placing a soft hand over Blaze’s after they were both inside. “Hey, are you alright? I mean-“

”I’m…okay…Thank you for defending me…” Someone cares about me…, she thought. “At least I…have somewhere to go…with you…That, if you still want me there…”

”Of course! I could never kick you out. I’m just surprised you didn’t-“ she was interrupted by a Blaze, who started sobbing next to her, her face buried in the thick cover of the folder her mother had given her. “-cry…” she finished.

”Why does nobody love me…? What have I done wrong…?” She asked weakly. “Why does nobody care…? It’s all my fault…”

”That’s not true…I care about you. All your mother said about you isn’t true. I know that things aren’t looking up right now, but I’ll help you, and you will be okay. I promise.” Amy said gently, caressing Blaze’s arm.

”Just…drive. I want to leave this place…” she requested, whining and whimpering.

Any sighed, removing her hand and turning to face the road ahead. She turned her car and proceeded to head back home.

All the way Blaze didn’t talk, and the hedgehog didn’t try to force her into conversation.

If only she knew what was going on in the feline’s head.

You’re nothing

A lost cause

A waste

A freak

Sooner or later she’ll figure it out

What is wrong with you?

You only make things worse

You should just die and save everyone the trouble

At that last one, Blaze’s eyes widened and her heart seemed to stop. Luckily, Amy didn’t notice.

The feline had always been afraid of that disorder in particular, and it triggered rarely, in very tense moments, and those twitches affected her…badly…

A dementia twitch…

Chapter Text

The whole drive had been pure torture to Blaze. She felt lethargic, with her limbs going numb and then going back to normal for entire minutes. She could feel her heart rate increase significantly, and she found herself relieved when the car stopped.

”We’re here…” Amy said slowly, getting out of the car and waiting for the feline to follow her, only to realize that she didn’t budge. “Blaze?” She signaled, opening the door to see Blaze breathing heavily, with one of her arms shaking.

”I…can’t move…” she managed, lifting her left leg, only for the other one to remain still against the seat. She winced as she felt needles shoot up her right forearm, all the way to her shoulder, shutting down that part of her as well. “My leg and arm are…numb.”

Amy looked worried, but was quick to place a steady hand on Blaze’s back, grabbing her unaffected arm and pulling her out of the car carefully, supporting her with some significant effort.

The hedgehog managed to close the car and she walked as quickly as possible to the building while still holding the feline, whose eyes went wide, and she was clutching her abdomen, seemingly in pain.

”It’s okay, we’re almost there…” She encouraged, getting her inside the elevator and keeping her on her good leg, the other one trailing limply behind them all the way to the apartment. Amy struggled to unlock the door and she hurried and gently dropped Blaze on the couch, as she skipped back to the front door to lock it. “What’s the matter?” Amy asked quickly once she got back to Blaze, who was about to collapse on the couch. She was shaking uncontrollably, and the look she gave her could only be described as fearful.

”So…loud…” She breathed out, allowing Amy to pull her head on the sofa so she could lay more comfortably. The cat hugged herself, her breathing quick and her heart feeling as if it was ready to burst out of her chest. Amy couldn’t quite figure out what she was experiencing, but for Blaze it was chaos.

Her vision was blurry, the colors would constantly alter, the shapes would overlap, everything seemed to brighten then darken. And the voices, oh…the voices boomed in her head, taking her by storm. Even she couldn’t realize what they were saying anymore. She could see things…people, they seemed to be. She didn’t know what she was looking at. There were misplaced objects everywhere, she could see things that weren’t there, and she couldn’t feel…anything.

”What twitch?!” Amy’s desperate voice managed to get through to her.

”de…de-dementia…” She managed, her pupils now mere dots. “Anti…psychotics…” she pleaded, and Amy immediately understood and rushed out of the room, soon returning with some syringe. Blaze couldn’t see it through the visions, but she could clearly feel the sting before blacking out. Her mind seemed to get quiet and she found herself at ease before her eyes closed and she became blind to the chaos.

“She looked so scared and kept twitching in her sleep! Her heart rate going up and down, I thought she was experiencing some sort of sleeping paralysis, but I don’t think that can happen if she was tranquilized…” Amy’s worried voice broke through the silence in Blaze’s empty head. She started to regain enough conscience to register a conversation happening between Amy and a stranger in her room, but she didn’t yet have the strength to open her eyes and face whatever awaited her.

”I agree. And you said that you administered that to get rid of the shock in her body, and then gave her an antipsychotic, while she was asleep. However, she requested the latter…” The voice of a male stranger spoke up. He seemed calm, with a deep voice and in somewhat denial.

”Oh, I know I’ll have to give an explanation to her when she wakes up. I already feel so bad about taking her to reunite with her mother only to realize-“

”-that she’s an absolute bitch…” He sighed. “Well, maybe she will understand that you only wanted to help her. You and I both know that with mentally unstable people you can’t exactly take their silence for an answer or an accusation.”

”Do you think…she’s unstable?” At that point, Blaze started regaining some consciousness and started writhing on the soft surface on what was presumably her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and met the worried gaze of Amy, who was quick to come to come to her and give her a comforting hug. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake! I was so worried about you! How are you feeling?” She asked quickly, pulling away and smiling gently, her hands still pressed of the feline’s arm.

Instead of answering, Blaze looked over Amy’s shoulder, her eyes locking with the ones of a tall black hedgehog with red highlights on the long quills at the back of his head. He was wearing a gray cardigan and jeans, and his feet were covered in what looked like Oxford style shoes. “Amy?…Who’s he…?” She asked shyly.

”I’m Shadow Murdock, it’s nice to meet you.” He spoke calmly, extending a hand towards her for a handshake. “And you’re Blaze. Amy told me about you, we’re friends, you don’t have to worry.” He added, giving the feline the courage to shake his hand gently, but skittishly.

”Shadow is in a very similar situation to mine!” Amy perked up. “You see, he lives with an ex-patient from a mental hospital, unlike you, who were in a mental asylum…Shadow got him out and has been caring of him for over two years now!” She said happily and encouragingly.

”And he struggled with comorbidity, similarly to you.” He added.

”What is he doing here, Amy?” Blaze asked, not really paying attention to their chatter.

”I called him, because I got scared for you. He is a way more experienced psychiatrist than me, and I knew he could figure out what was wrong with you. You…started twitching in your sleep and I tried to wake you up but I couldn’t…I’m so sorry, I should’ve told you about the tran-“

”Tranquilizer. I get it. You did the right thing to calm me down. And it helped somewhat. Even though I have a splitting headache right now…” Blaze said slowly.

”So you’re not upset with me?” Amy asked shyly. Blaze shook her head. “I still gave you an antipsychotic. Fortunately, you were only asleep for a few hours, meaning the tranquilizer dose wasn’t too much…So, yeah, I panicked and called Shadow to take a look, and he stayed, assuring me that I would just have to wait for you to wake up on your own. Which you did! And I’m so glad you’re…well, okay, I guess…” she finished. “And I’m also sorry for taking you to-“

”You tried to do the right thing. It isn’t your fault it didn’t work out.” Blaze said quickly.

”Yes, but Shadow supposes that’s what caused the dementia twitch in the first place…”

”In the end, I would’ve found out anyways and it would’ve just resulted in the same thing…At least it happened sooner than later. So no, I’m not mad with you. I can’t be, after everything you’ve done for me.” Blaze said reassuringly.

Amy winced, her heart swelling at how the feline didn’t give into her despair, choosing to not hold a grudge against her.

”Well, I see that you two are all good here. It was nice meeting you, Blaze, I’m sure Silver…err, my roommate…will like you. Amy, are you sure you’re up to looking after him for the evening?” Shadow asked, possibly referring to the ex-patient Amy had mentioned.

”Of course! Who knows, maybe it’ll help them both, talking to each other and all that.” Amy chuckled, leading Shadow outside of the bedroom.

Blaze rested her head on the pillow once more, staring at the ceiling and hearing the front door get closed. Amy returned in a matter of seconds, a gentle smile across her lips.

”Well, you should eat-“

”Wait!” Blaze snapped, grabbing ahold of Amy’s arm and holding her in place tightly. “Uh…about what happened earlier…”

”Oh, so there is something…” Amy winced, sitting on the edge of the bed, as Blaze felt safe enough to let go of her arm.

”You know…I realized that you’re all I have left now…I don’t have any other family or friends for that matter. And I might…snap. At you. And I won’t mean it. But if I do you have to promise me that you won’t stay there to comfort me. You’ll have to get away from me.” She said sternly, her eyes wide.

”What are you talking about?”

”I’m dangerous. I know you don’t want to believe that, but it is true. And I can hurt people. I don’t want that, but I just do it. And I do that because there is something very wrong with me.” Blaze said, pointing at her head. “Promise me.” She demanded.

”Blaze, I can’t-“

”Promise me!” She said louder, leaning forward, her gaze almost crazed and rabid as she grabbed the hedgehog’s arms tightly, almost staring into her soul.

”I-Blaze, are you alright?” Amy asked skittishly.

”PROMISE!” The feline shouted, making the pink girl shudder and try to snake out of her grasp, with no success.

“I-I promise…” she said slowly. “Better now?”

”No. I mean, it is better…in a way. It’s just that…I can’t lose anyone else. And you’re all I have now; you’re the only person I can hold onto from now on. And I can’t let this go…I just can’t…So, please don’t leave me…Don’t abandon me like she did, because if you do…” Blaze breathed in shakily. “Amy, for me that’s the end of the line…”

The feline looked at her hands, which she had removed from Amy’s arms. Her palms were sweaty and she was shaking. Her eyes were twitching and colors started to fade. Slowly, though, Amy inches upwards with a steady hand, reaching Blaze’s silky white muzzle and gently touching her cheek, locking her gaze with hers. “I won’t leave you, I swear. I told you that you can put your trust in me and I won’t let you down. I promise.” Amy said sternly.

”Then you could keep a secret for me, and not let it ruin this…relationship.” Blaze added.

”Sure.” Amy agreed without giving it too much thought. If anything, she was glad the feline chose to tell her a secret.

Blaze nodded. “It was an accident.” And she leaned closer, whispering softly in Amy’s ear. “I killed someone…”

Chapter Text

With a short ring at the door, Amy rushed from the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner, to the hallway. She opened the door, only to be greeted with the all-too-familiar face of a white hedgehog, with more fluffy fur than quills, which was most unusual, and that bore the silliest of smiles on his face.

”Amyyyy! Hi!” He said a little too loud, wrapping the pink hedgehog in a tight hug.

”Hey, Silver! I see Shadow let you come on your own. He usually drops you here himself…” she chuckled after he let go of her.

”Yeah, but he really was in a hurry. BUT. He said I could make a new friend here. That, and I’m enjoying my good mood!” He seemed very happy, and Amy smiled at that, but then her expression dropped when she realized that the ‘new friend’ he was talking about was none other than Blaze…

And after everything Blaze had told her a few hours ago, Amy brushed her off, saying she understood and left quickly. She was a little scared, to say the least. After all, the feline had just confessed of killing someone, trying to explain it by saying it was an accident. She tried to stay positive and think it was all an illusion caused by the dementia twitch she had just experienced, but the way Blaze said it, so casually, as if she actually trusted Amy with this piece of information, shook the girl to her very core.

”Soooo, can I meet her?” Silver asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

”Well, why don’t you get comfortable in the living room, find something nice for yourself to watch on TV, and I’ll go get her. She seemed very sleepy the last time I talked to her, and I don’t want you to catch her in a broody mood…” Amy said, locking the door and rushing to the bedroom, to find Blaze lying in bed on her side, her head resting on her palm. She was blinking slowly, and the otter plush was being held tightly at her chest, now playing a sweet and gentle lullaby. “Hey, there.” She said as sweetly as possible, sitting on the edge of the bed. “How are you doing?”

”I’m lethargic…” Blaze whined weakly, not moving an inch. “I think my depression is acting up again…I don’t feel so good…”

”Do you want an antidepressant, or would you like to wait and see if it goes away?” Amy inquired, pressing a tender hand against the feline’s forehead, only to frown when she felt just how warm it was.

”I…tend to warm up after episodes…Oh, and no, I think I’d rather wait a little longer…I don’t want to become too much of a pill-popper…” she responded, and Amy nodded in understanding. “Oh, and about earlier…I’m sorry if I freaked you out with what I told you…If it makes you feel better, it might be only an fake memory created by that dementia twitch…Those often mess my mind up pretty bad…” Blaze sighed. “Is the guy the black hedgehog guy was talking about here?”

”Yes, and he seems pretty excited to meet you. You see, he is bipolar and when he is in one of his good moods, he is overly excited and he becomes a social bug. Of course, if you don’t feel up for it, I won’t push, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind either…” Amy explained.

”He can come. I can hold up a conversation, but I can’t get out of bed. If he is so happy about getting to meet someone with similar mental instabilities…Maybe he could help me, too, you know?” She agreed, pressing the button of the stuffed toy’s belly, turning it off and tucking it safely behind her, out of view for anyone.

”Alrighty then! Would a hug make you feel better?” Amy offered with a small smile, opening her arms. Blaze nodded slowly, sitting up and being quick to wrap her long arms around the hedgehog’s waist, burying her face in her shoulder, and taking in her scent, which seemed to calm her down somewhat.

Amy barely had the time to react, hugging her back and softly rubbing her back in slow circles. “I really enjoy this…” Blaze said lazily, pulling away. Her eyes were droopy and tired, her ears were flattened against her head and her limbs were limp. “You’re really nice to me…and you’re very patient and understanding…I really wish there was a way to show my appreciation towards you, Amy…” she confessed, fiddling with the blanket.

“You know you’re not, like, in my debt or anything, right? You don’t have to repay me. I’m helping you because I want to, not because I expect something from you in return…All I can hope for is that to your mental state will be getting better and that you’ll be able to…live a normal and healthy life again…” she smiled encouragingly, but Blaze didn’t seem to have the same kind of faith.

“You should bring the boy here…I want to get this over with and then I want to sleep…Unless you need me to do something…”

“No, no! If you feel tired, you have to sleep away some of the broodiness. But, if you’re really sure you’re up for meeting him, I’ll go get him! You call me if anything is wrong, okay? And if you change your mind about the pills, they’re in the cabinet down there. I’ll bring you some water.” Amy stood up, brushing Blaze’s arm in what she could only hope was a comforting manner and exited the room…

Leaving Blaze with her demons once more…

It’s not okay

It’s not okay

It’s not okay

It’s not okay

You have to leave

You have to leave

You have to leave

You should die

Nobody loves you

Nobody cares

Nobody can help you

Lost cause

You can’t be helped

Hopeless

Alone

Abandoned

Scared

Unnatural

Blaze closed her eyes, refusing to shed any more tears. The only thing she wanted to do was wait it out. They would soon go away…wouldn’t they?

Fool

No. No, they wouldn’t…

In a few minutes, the door to the bedroom opened slowly, with Amy stepping through first and placing a tall glass of water on the bedside table next to the feline that had been waiting patiently for her return. Second, a white hedgehog wearing a teal hoodie and baggy pants, with socks colored in different shades of blue stepped through, bearing one of the widest smiles Blaze had ever seen.

“Blaze, this is Silver. He is Shadow’s boyfriend, and they live together a few floors higher.” Amy introduced him, and the happy hedgehog stepped forward, outstretching a hand for a handshake.

“Hi! Silver is me, and yes, I am the emo guy’s boyfriend!” He seemed to like joking around, and Blaze found it rather strange, if not a little irritating at first. However, she slowly grasped his hand, shaking it quickly before pressing against the frame of the bed, trying to get a little farther away from the stranger.

“So, I’ll let you two talk things out, while I finish up on dinner. Have fun!” Amy smiled, leaving the room.

“Wow, she mothers you around as well!” Silver chuckled.

“What do you mean?” Blaze huffed.

“Well, Shadow is way too caring when it comes to me. He cooks, he washes my stuff, heck, he even tucks me in at night! It’s like he’s my father or something! So I guess your relationship with Amy is something like that.” He supposed.

“I have just met her. I haven’t been able to establish any sort of connection with her yet. Yes, she is a comforting presence, but…I’m not looking for anything more…” Blaze explained quickly.

“Yeah, sure, sure, I get that! When he got me from the asylum, I was pretty closed off, too! You know, all episodes and twitches and mood swings, all the bad stuff-“

“We’re not similar, stop trying to make it sound that way…Your comorbidity is way more different than mine.” The feline growled threateningly, feeling her schizophrenia flare up again, so she reached up with her hand to her head, stroking her forehead.

“Do you hear voices, too?” Silver asked in a small voice.

“Why?”

“Well, I do, too! I don’t have schizophrenia or anything, but I know what it’s like to have a voice in the back of your head, that tells you how you’re no good, or how the world doesn’t want you, or how you mess everything up, but it’s just your imagination, you know?” He tried to sound encouraging, but clearly failed in Blaze’s eyes.

“Does it tell you to harm yourself? Does it tell you that you should just end it all?” She asked shakily.

Then, suddenly, Silver pulled her close into a tight hug. “Amy said hugs calm you down…and I’m a pretty good hugger…” he said, as the cat was frozen in place.

Blaze allowed her limbs to fall at her sides, simply enjoying the moment, but not wanting to show signs of reciprocity.

“Is it any better? Can we be friends now? We don’t have to talk about our problems…Maybe I can tell you what I like doing, and you can tell me what you enjoy most? You know, just get to know each other…I don’t have any friends besides Shadow and Amy…I mean, there is her boyfriend, but-“

“Her boyfriend? Amy has a boyfriend?” Blaze asked, weirdly enough feeling a needle pierce her chest.

“Yeah…he is this really hyperactive guy. Really, he sounds as if he hates spending time with Amy, always wanting to leave on dates as soon as he’s done eating…He’s a jerk, in my opinion. But, hey, he makes Amy happy…I think?” Silver explained. “His name is Sonic, he’s a hedgehog, but I don’t think the connection between the two is like species related. I heard they were in the same high school, and he was like…Amy’s crush or something like that…and after college she reached out to him and they’ve basically been together for six years.”

“Oh…good for her…She didn’t tell me about him…” Blaze muttered, having mixed feelings about this whole situation.

Silver was about to open his mouth and say something more, but was stopped by Amy calling from the kitchen. “Guys, dinner’s ready! Come one!”

“We should go…” Blaze managed, standing up slowly, her legs still a little wobbly under her.

“Yeah…you’re really nice! I hope you’ll open up and want to be friends with me soon enough!” He smiled, offering a helping hand, seeing how she couldn’t walk to well.

“Thank you..” the feline muttered, still thinking of other things, but allowing Silver to support her side all the way to the kitchen. Truth be told, she was quite hungry herself…

And that wasn’t a good day for Blaze…

Chapter Text

After a most quiet dinner, with Silver starting most of the chattering with his cheerful attitude, Blaze excused herself and retreated in the bedroom, bidding her newfound friend good night, with some hopes of seeing him once more.

And so, Blaze changed into her pajamas and took a quick shower after the hedgehog had left, but she didn’t chat with Amy much throughout that period. However, the feline was extremely tired and lethargic, so sleep didn’t come to her easily. She lied in bed for god knows how long, staring at the ceiling and tossing from side to side with the lights turned off.

And, in the end, the inevitable happened: her movements became more frantic and her breathing quickened, constantly thinking she was hearing or seeing something out of the ordinary, only to see that there was nothing unusual around her. Her arms were flailing around and moving was becoming increasingly painful.

And then, Amy came in. Hours must’ve passed by, hence the pink hedgehog was all dressed in her sleepwear, seemingly ready to turn in for the day. She had instantly noticed the fretting in the cat’s bed and proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed, gently pressing her hand on Blaze’s shoulder to let her know that it was just her.

“Are you alright?” Amy asked.

“Do I look alright?” Blaze asked mockingly, not turning to face her.

“I guess not…Look, Blaze, I…am so sorry about today. I should’ve checked everything out myself first. I shouldn’t have put you first-“

“No. Don’t do that to yourself, please…Yes, I feel like a broken toy in a trash can and my mind can barely hold up with everything that’s going on, but…” she clearly tried to figure out a positive side of the situation, but she just frowned, utterly lost in thought. “You know what, forget it…All of this is bullshit…”

Amy inhaled sharply, partially because she heard Blaze curse. “You know, I think I have finally figured you out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your personality. Without disorders and mental illnesses or anything. I have figured you out!” Amy breathed out. “You aren’t lost; you’re in denial! You’re socially closed off and you’re afraid of showing others what you feel, and that scared you, because-“

“Be careful!” Blaze said sternly, lunging forward and grabbing the hedgehog’s arms with force, staring daggers into her very soul.

“Because you’ve shown me how…you’re inside…You had the courage to break down in front of me three times…” Amy said slowly, reaching up with her hand and brushing it against the feline’s cheek, who was looking at her as expressionless as ever. “…You allowed me to see… you …and you are someone…sensitive and soft…and you don’t mean to harm anyone…including yourself…” she explained, gently caressing tufts of soft white fur.

“What are you-“ Blaze started, dumbfounded and confused, although her heart fluttered with a hopeful beat.

“After today…I think you should let it all out…I won’t judge you, I won’t even talk to you…but you have to let the pain and denial out. And you know I’m here for you, right?” The hedgehog felt the feline’s grasp weaken and snaked her arms away from her hands. “And if you ever need a shoulder to cry on…I’m here…” she added, seeing that Blaze had gotten a little shaky.

“W-w-why…?” She said slowly, bowing her head as tears fell from her eyes, dropping on the covers below. Amy softly caressed her back in slow circles. Blaze didn’t cry as aggressively as before, but there was something about her sobs and whines that made Amy’s heart shatter. “I…I want my life back…” She lied down on her side, curling against herself and quietly crying.

And Amy stood there, soothing her, waiting for her to stop, without saying a word, letting her cry everything out, for minutes on end. Of course, soon enough, the cries died out into soft sobs and whimpers and the hedgehog spoke up. “Should I leave?”

“No! Stay! Please!” Blaze pleaded, gripping her hand to stop her from standing up and pulling her down as well.

“Okay, okay…I’ll stay…” she agreed, giving her a soft smile and lying down rather close to the feline, hence the bed was pretty small, and shuffled her head in the crook of Blaze’s neck, hands resting against her quickly rising and falling chest, still able to feel her rapid heartbeat.

Then, Amy heard a soft rumble of sorts escaping Blaze, something that sounded all-too-well like a purr, and one of her long arms wrapped around the girl’s shoulders, the other snaking under her head to help her lie more comfortably.

“You’re…a good…friend…” Amy heard Blaze mutter, and she responded by gently hugging her with one arm, pressing her hand against her back, but not before, pulling the blanket over them both. To the pink hedgehog, it felt warm and comfortable, unlike anything she had experienced before.

Only she knew of that, but her ADHD sometimes flares up too, and that day in particular was one of them. Amy felt overly agitated by Blaze’s distress, and after she fainted from the fatigue and medicine, she started panicking and barely knew what to do anymore. But, here, next to the fluffy feline, which was now fast asleep, softly purring against her, Amy felt safe.

Amy felt whole.

Chapter Text

After falling asleep, a long train of stressful and painful moments followed for Blaze. It was clearly one of her brutal and shaky nightmares, but this one was chaotic in every sense of the word.

One second, she was falling; the next, running from God knows what, following a long search for someone or something. The visages would change rapidly, and it was so loud…and she was terrified of those dreams.

All that movement, the agitation and the lack of control made her chest hurt and her eyes water even though she was asleep. The feline would feel as if she was losing air, as if she was drowning and as if she was buried in the ground. There were voices, screams, shadows, eyes, hands, buildings, places, vehicles, trees and lights.

It was something that simply couldn’t be understood. It was illogical and chaotic. And then, she was back there…In that same old cell, with blank walls, constricted and with no escape. She was once again alone and terrified, having to deal with her hallucinations all by herself…She felt her breathing getting harder, until…

In a second, she went back to reality, jolting upwards and breathing heavily, finding herself in the very room she was supposed to be in.

”It’s alright…You’re safe…” A soft voice spoke up from next to her, making Blaze realize that someone was clinging to her arm. Turning her gaze, she was met with a tired-looking Amy, her head gently pressed against her shoulder and one of her hands trying to soothe the build-up tension in her spine. “It was just a dream…”

However, Blaze didn’t find comfort in her words and continued breathing heavily, gasping for air, eyes wide. Her shaking wouldn’t cease and she found herself in a state of paralysis. The feline’s chest was hurting and she had the worst feeling of impending doom in the world. Everything was shady and it was too quiet…

”Blaze? You should lie back down…Everything is fine…” Amy tried to pull her down, but the feline only grabbed the front of her shirt as she started sweating. It was as if she couldn’t breathe right and her body wouldn’t listen to her.

”No…nonononononononono…” Blaze whispered, her voice terrified and yet still tired. In the end, Amy managed to get her to lie down, but she seemed utterly stuck, looking at the ceiling and barely able to breathe as the pink hedgehog tried to keep her calm.

”Blaze, it’s okay-“

”NO, IT’S NOT!” She snapped, looking at Amy with pure anger in her eyes. However, beyond that, Amy could clearly spot her fear. “I can’t breathe…” She added, wasted from screaming. Blaze curled against herself, shutting her eyes tightly as her body started stinging terribly. It felt as if someone wrapped their hands around her throat and she was constantly getting kicked in the gut.

Amy, being a therapist, instantly realized what was going on. And she had dealt with panic attacks many times before. “Blaze, I’m going to need you to look at me and focus a little bit.” She said sternly, gripping her arms and directing her gaze towards her. She stood a little over her, making sure she would stay still on the bed. “Can you feel my hands?”

Blaze nodded quickly, already gasping for air and looking around uncontrollably.

”No, don’t do that! I told you to focus! Look at me!” Amy pushed her head in the right position, making sure she couldn’t move it anymore. The cat’s pupils were minuscular dots and she was looking at her with both a pleading and scared look. “Okay, we’re going to do a short breathing exercise! Take a deep breath through the nose with me…” she instructed, inhaling sharply and carefully watching as Blaze did the same, gently placing her thumb on the feline’s abdomen, feeling the rapid motion and pressing, making it slow down. “…Now release it through the mouth…” she exhaled slowly, and Blaze did the same, still shaking. “Good, let’s do it a few more times…”

And they did so, and, slowly, the feline’s breathing got a little less frantic and she wasn’t to agitated, but she was still shaking uncontrollably. Still, Amy felt safe enough to rest on her side next to her, pulling Blaze into a tight hug and intending to hold her until her shaking ceased. Almost immediately, the cat hugged back, hiding her face in her pink hair.

”Is it a little better?” Amy whispered.

“Th-th-thank y-y-you…” Blaze could barely make out words, and she was still shaking, but the pink hedgehog figured out the relief dripping from her voice.

Amy sighed in relief, gently rubbing the feline’s back. Before drifting back to sleep, she could faintly feel something what was most likely Blaze’s long and fluffy tail wrap protectively around her waist, as well as the cat’s grip tightening on her.

Like before, Amy woke up before Blaze, finding herself in a mist peculiar position. She was cuddled between the feline’s arms, her face pressed against her soft neck. Above her, Blaze rested her head, puffing soundly in her sleep.

The hedgehog couldn’t even move with her limbs being firmly pressed against the cat’s chest, where she could feel a slow and controlled heartbeat under her palm. What was most interesting was Blaze’s tail being wrapped tightly around her waist.

”You woke up?” A soft and deep voice spoke up from above her, proving Amy’s beliefs of waking up first wrong.

”Yeah…Hi…” The pink hedgehog responded. “I see you’re comfortable.” She managed a soft chuckle.

”I am…Do you want me to let go?” Blaze asked shyly.

”If you want to stay like this for a little longer, it’s fine, but could you please loosen your grip a little? I’m kinda squished here…” She requested, and Blaze quickly complied, untangling her tail from her waist and removing her arm from above her.

Amy shuffled away a little bit, going face to face with Blaze, who seemed to have the most depressed and tired expression in the world.

”How are you feeling?” Amy chirped, her still cheerful and hopeful voice resulting in a playful twitch of Blaze’s ear.

”Hmm…lethargic, I guess…Um, about last night…What happened?”

”Well, you were screaming and moving a lot in your sleep, and I woke you up. Aside from that, I was hoping you could maybe…elaborate.”

“If there’s anything I’m willing to tell you, I’ll let you know. For the moment, your company is enough to bring me comfort…” she said politely, turning on her back. “You know, you didn’t have to stay…”

”You looked like you needed me then. And I promised I’d be there to help you whenever and however I can. Plus, right now, I think you need all the comfort you can get…Your mind deserves a break…” Amy responded empathically, her delicate fingers finding Blaze’s and gently interconnecting them. “By the way, you’re really warm! I mean, it’s not as if you’re having a fever or something, you’re just…I dunno, emoting this strange warmth. So, really, the way you held me last night was actually…” She paused, noticing Blaze’s curious gaze lying heavily on her. “…you helped me too…You comforted me in a way I don’t think anybody could’ve…”

”Did I?” The feline questioned, tilting her head to the side.

”Yeah…You’re a very comforting presence to me, too…and I’m glad you are here. I appreciate that you’re willing to adapt and remember things, that you’re trying to get yourself out of that puddle of self-doubt. I know you might not see it the way I do, but so far…you’re doing an incredible job…”

”What do you mean?”

”You’re starting to rediscover yourself…And that’s amazing…You’re trying to trust me, to rely on me…and I really appreciate that. And you’re a good friend, too…” Amy smiled kindly.

No, you’re not

Liar

You know it isn’t true

Why would she say that?

Maybe it is true

Maybe it isn’t 

You can’t know

What do you know, anyways?

You’re afraid

You’re afraid of her

She’s going to hurt you

”Um…okay…thanks…” Blaze replied slowly, with a blank expression, sitting upright and casually staring at the concrete wall in front of her. “Maybe…you shouldn’t think of me as a friend, and more or a…patient…”

”Why?” Amy asked with a small frown.

”So you don’t get too attached…I already did, and that scares me…” Blaze admitted.

”But I want to be your friend, I want us to feel close to each other, and I want you to trust me. I want you to tell me what’s going on-“

”Then if you really wanna know, you should put a shock collar around my neck and start asking questions!” She suddenly snapped, making Amy flinch away.

”You sure you’re okay-“

”NO, AMY, I AM NOT! Okay?! You can’t keep believing you’re going to make things okay with me, because that just isn’t possible! The only way this will end for me is me finally committing suicide! And I know it! That’s how I’m going to die!” The feline screamed, with the hedgehog standing up in slight intimidation. “You can’t make this better for me! The worst case scenario is me killing you and then killing myself for it! So you can’t fix me! You can’t help me! Hugs and kind words don’t solve-“

”YES, THEY DO!” It was Amy’s turn to yell, leaning forward. Her eyes were watery and she looked like she was in the verge of crying. “That’s…what therapy is all about! So you start treating yourself better!” She sobbed, and, in that moment, Blaze looked at her dumbfounded, her eyes wide but with no particular expression on her features.

”Amy, some things are just broken beyond repair…You can’t help everyone…” She closed her eyes, speaking calmly as she stood up and rushed outside of the bedroom, locking herself in the bathroom.

Blaze sobbed weakly, leaning on the bathroom sink as a long train of coughs followed, accompanied by her sorrowful tears dripping on its shining surface. Her mind was going wild, and she threw a quick glance at her almost skeletal arms, seeing the bandages that hid her obvious instability.

Her hand absently starting unwrapping them, staring at the cuts and scratches and even bruises. Her mind felt like an endless void, and her limbs started twitching, her claws seething out dangerously.

Why do you have to be such a bitch?

Why can’t you be normal?

Why aren’t you loved?

Why can’t you just die?

At that, the clawed hand instinctively du into the other, painfully ripping through the soft veil of skin and flesh.

Blaze was once again hurting herself, and she was crying in agony…But not out of pain, but out of lack of it…

The pain came from somewhere else. It came from somewhere deep in her chest. It felt like her heart was drowning.

And, in a way, it was…

Chapter Text

Amy felt broken. All she ever wanted was to help people recover. She wished people would accept themselves, embrace their quirks, but, so far, she only saw the hatred Blaze bore. The feline hated herself, and didn’t see anything good in her life.

And, after being abandoned by her own mother, her last family, Amy knew that Blaze was depressed. And, even after she rejected her help and methods of therapy, the hedgehog still didn’t want to give up on her. She knew that somewhere she could find a glimpse of hope and love. Amy had to believe that Blaze could be helped, because it would ultimately affect her if that wasn’t the case.

A few minutes ago, Blaze returned from the bathroom, seemingly having changed the bandages on her arms on her own. The feline said she wasn’t feeling fine and left it at that before snaking under her blanket and burying her face in her pillow.

”Blaze, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes at most, will you be okay?” She asked, having come up with a plan to make the feline feel better.

Amy heard a grunt of approval and she saw Blaze nod against her pillow, and so she hurried to the bathroom to get herself ready.

She put together a simple outfit and headed outside. She had to keep her hope, because she had to show Blaze that, even though things seem hard and the world gives you nothing but hell, you have to hold on and keep moving. Amy regretted leaving the feline at home like that all by herself, and she was truly worried for her, but she was well aware that, if she didn’t do anything about it as soon as possible, it might be impossible to pull Blaze out of that state…

And so, she beamed with energy as she spotted the bakery she was looking for. Amy had to make this day count…

Blaze lied in bed, in utter silence, holding the dossier her mother had given her the other day, mindlessly flipping through it.

She stopped and pondered on the diploma she had gotten when she absolved college. She could still picture herself there…She could remember how proud and happy her mother was. She did everything right. Everything was perfect. And not even three years later she was being kept locked up in an institution for mentally insane people.

Why would she do this?

Why does nobody love me?

They all used you

They all abused you

They all hated you

None of them love you

None of them miss you

None of them need you

They probably talk shit about you

They all betrayed you

They all hate you

It was so painful how hurtful her mind would be at times. She had hoped that remembering things would help her understand her problems and maybe move on, but it only deepened her sorrow. And now, Blaze pushes away the only person that seems to care. That seemingly wants to help. And for what? Maybe she just wants to prove herself right. To make herself realize and embrace the fact that nobody could ever appreciate and accept her for what she is. And yet, she still lied. She still kept secrets. Blaze was starting to be aware of how dangerous she was in fact.

She shakily extended her hand, looking at her palm and trying to concentrate of that area in particular. And, surely, something truly strange occurred, as a small flame lit up, dancing playfully around her fingers. For years she hasn’t used ability. She wasn’t so sure she could do it anymore. And, in fact, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be able to do it.

Blaze quickly snuffed it out and stood up, stuffing the dossier in the drawer of the bedside table. She blinked quickly, starting to feel a little lightheaded. The fresh cuts on her arm stung and, admittedly, looking at the afflicted area, she noticed some blood oozing out of the wounds, staining the cotton wraps.

She stood up with a groan, feeling her head get heavier and her breathing quicken and struggled to walk to the bathroom, having to keep a hand on the wall for support.

Blaze closed the door, feeling the bright light in the bathroom and white walls blind her. Weakly, she leaned on the sink. Her heart was beginning to beat faster as memories of the life she didn’t have anymore flooded her mind. Her childhood, her times in middle and high school, some contests and competition she won, her happy mother, some therapy sessions here and there, and even a crush she had while she was at college on a pretty girl that could play the violin.

”H-how could I lose…all of that? Why…? Why? Why?! WHY?!” Blaze yelled, punching the edging of the sink. She angrily tore through the bandages on her arms like some crazy animal, feeling herself losing sanity considerably fast.

She collapsed to the floor, her head getting heavier as a terrible migraine settled in. She felt dizzy and spun around, trying to regain some balance as the walls seemed to close in on her. She knew she had to make it back to the bedroom and take some pills. She knew she had to take some yesterday, too. And yet, her fear of getting addicted stopped her and only lead to more suffering. The feline leaned against the wall, her head lightly hitting its hard surface.

Blaze’s vision was getting blurry and and her mind seemed to split into multiple sides of her, all thinking simultaneously, only adding to her distress. Then, in a short second, she felt a twitch and she instinctively bashed her head against the wall as hard as she could…

And she did it again, and again, not minding the pain in her ears, screaming and coughing her lungs out. Her eyes were wide but they were unable to see, her ears were twitching, but the only thing they listened to was her own rampaging mind. And, surely, a final pang in her head jump started a wave of fatigue and she slithered against the now bloodstained wall, leaning with her back against it, her arms and legs numb and limp and her ears bleeding.

Then, as she breathed heavily, with her last strength she managed to mutter a single word… “A-Amy…”

”Hey, Amy! How’s it going? I haven’t seen you in awhile? Did you get a new roommate? Silver told me you got a roommate?” A grey female lemur bombarded Amy with questions from behind her counter the second she sees her, her bright and wide smile a symbol of welcomeness and hospitality, some basic treats that you need if you want to run a bakery, where you deal with all sorts of customers.

”Hi, Tangle! It’s nice to see you!” Amy chuckled at her excitement. “Yes, I see you got the news. I got myself a very nice and special roommate…”

”Ohhh, so that’s for real? I didn’t actually think you got her out of a-“ she whispered, not wanting to draw the attention of other customers.

”Well, yes…And I’m here to get her somewhere that might…cheer her up, y’know?”

”I got you, girl! What’s on you mind?” Tangle inquired, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

”I want one of those full eight sliced strawberry cheesecakes and could you have something written down on it real quick, please? That’s kinda the whole point…” she requested, pushing a small piece of paper on the counter and the lemur smiled, picking it up and stuffing it in her pocket.

”Sure, I’ll get that right back at ya! Oh, and, once she feels all better, make sure to introduce her to me. A new friend is welcomed anytime.” She said cheerfully, getting the cake from the freezer and moving to the back to prepare it the way Amy requested.

Still, the hedgehog couldn’t push away the feeling that something was wrong. It was like an itch in her heart, but she decided it was probably just the worry of leaving Blaze unsupervised at home.

But she’ll be fine…She can control herself for a few minutes…I’ll just take the cake and go back home and everything should be fine, she told herself.

Not even ten minutes later, Tangle was back with the cake, all wrapped up and packet in a box, and Amy quickly took it, paying and exiting the bakery. She wanted to hurry back home…No, she had to hurry back home. She kept feeling that something was clearly wrong and desperately hoped that wasn’t the case. The hedgehog was already aware that leaving Blaze was a risky game, and that only made it worse.

”Blaze, I’m back!” She called out, unlocking the door to her apartment, but no response came. Worried, she settled the box with the cake on the kitchen counter and rushed to the bedroom, only to find the bed empty, with the sheets all messed up. She felt her heart skip a beat when she realized the only other place she could be.

Amy hurried to the bathroom opening the door, instantly covering her mouth as a sharp gasp escaped her. On the floor, leaning against the slightly bloodstained wall, was Blaze, seemingly unconscious, with blood oozing out of her ears and with deeper, fresh wounds on her arms that were bleeding abundantly.

”No…Blaze?” She kneeled next to her, shaking her shoulder, and unexpectedly, the feline’s head lifted.

”oh…You’re…back?” She asked weakly, her eyes barely open. “I…did a stupid thing…” she breathed out. “I…dirtied your…wall…’m sorry…”

”No, don’t worry about the wall, it’s fine…What happened?” Amy asked a little too quickly, putting pressure on the cuts on the cat’s arms.

”I don’t…know…But I feel…dizzy…” she admitted, hanging her head low once more.

”Alright, I’m going to try to lift you and take you to the bed, okay? Try to work a little bit with me, can you do that?” Amy asked desperately.

Blaze nodded weakly, allowing the pink hedgehog to support her. She couldn’t help too much, but she struggled to not lie too heavily on Amy, taking small steps and soon making it to the bedroom, where Amy rushed through a drawer, still holding the feline, and grabbed a large towel, settling it on the bed and letting Blaze rest on it, so she wouldn’t dirty the sheets.

”Did you hurt yourself? While I was gone?” Amy asked shakily, placing a hand over a deep gash, resulting in a hiss of pain from Blaze.

”mmm…hmm…Amy…” she spoke out her name, staring blankly at the ceiling as she fell completely numb, unable to move a finger.

Worried about excessive blood loss, Amy went to the bathroom, which was a total mess, and grabbed a roll of bandages, some pads, and some sanitary alcohol, then rushed to the freezer and pulling out a bag of ice. She hurried back to the bedroom, grabbing another towel and wrapping the ice in it, gently placing it on the feline’s forehead, hearing her sigh in comfort as the pain was instantly eased. “Do you want to do this sleeping so you don’t feel it?” Amy asked sincerely, showing the pads and the alcohol to Blaze.

”No more pills…” she muttered, and Amy listened, moving the ice to the side of Blaze’s head so she wouldn’t hurt herself if she were to jolt from the pain, and dipped a cotton pad into the sanitary liquid, squeezing it lightly and giving Blaze one last encouraging look before pressing it on a deep, bleeding gash on her arm, her other hand holding the limb in place as the feline instantly started squirming and yelping from the pain, sobbing and looking away scared.

”Easy, it’s okay…it’s okay…” Amy soothes her gently, trying to calm her down a little bit as she moved to the other arm. Once she was done cleaning the wounds and bandaging them, she went to wash her hands and returned with the saddest expression, attracting Blaze’s attention, who was still recovering from the painful shock. “I’m so sorry, Blaze…I shouldn’t have left you…I knew it wasn’t okay, and I still left…” she sobbed, letting her head fall in her hands as she could barely contain the tears that started pouring out of her eyes. “How could I be so-“

She was stopped by a soft and gentle hand grabbing her wrist and removing it from her face, making her lift her head, looking at the feline with a teary-eyes look. “Please don’t cry over me…It could’ve happened anytime, whether you were here or not; and it could’ve been a lot worse. You did nothing wrong…You’ve made everything better for me…You gave me a chance, and that’s a lot for someone like me…All you want us to help people, and that’s admirable. You look over yourself, and you put others before you…always…And, yeah, it might not alway work out the way you want it to, but…” Blaze sighed deeply, obviously starting to lose some consciousness. “You’re trying…And you’re still here…with me…Thank you…” she whispered the last part, her eyes closing as her hand fell limp on the bed and she started puffing soundly in her sleep.

Amy felt touched by what she had said and, indeed, it was a relief to hear that this event didn’t damage Blaze mentally as it did physically. She cleaned the residual blood that dripped from the feline’s ear, checking her pulse and searching for any other injuries, removed the bag of ice and placing a wet towel on her forehead in its place and quietly exited the bedroom, letting the purple cat rest.

The hedgehog still couldn’t quite get past the feeling that all that had happened was her fault, but she had to show that she was better, so she wouldn’t ultimately end up affecting Blaze even further.

It was late and they still hadn’t had breakfast, but Amy was willing to wait for Blaze to wake up before eating.

However, the girl settled for a cup of warm tea to ease her mind, as one thing was for sure…the next couple of days would be very difficult…

Chapter Text

Five hours had passed and Blaze hadn’t woken up. Amy went to visit her a few times, but she wasn’t showing any signs of regaining consciousness. Fortunately, she wasn’t showing signs of sleep disturbances either.

And so, she couldn’t wait any longer and chose to eat. The hedgehog didn’t want to wake her up, hence she needed all the rest she could get. Amy still remembered Shadow telling her that Blaze might also suffer from severe mental exhaustion, and rest was the best cure for that, and with the frequent nightmares she would experience, getting a good sleep was a luxury.

The pink hedgehog then went about her usual household chores, trying to get herself busy. After all, she took two weeks off work to help Blaze settle in easier, without her having to worry too after about leaving her home alone, although she was well aware that they’d have to cross that line someday.

Another line they’d have to cross, and soon, was going shopping. Amy knew Blaze couldn’t live off the clothes she had gotten her much longer, and they’d have to go to the mall, a rather drowsy and loud place, to purchase some more necessities for the feline.

Amy watered her flowers, cleaned the mess in her bathroom, making sure there was no remnant of it that could trigger something in the dormant feline when she were to reenter, and sat down to watch some TV. She gained the habit of going to check on Blaze ever ten to fifteen minutes, and she was always relieved to see her so peaceful, although her injuries would start hurting her the moment she’d wake up.

Another hour passed and, while Amy was sitting in the living room, reading some magazine she had found resting forgotten on the edge of the table, that she could only hope would help with Blaze’s recent dementia episode, since it mostly covered that typing of illnesses. She didn’t even hear Blaze’s light and quiet footsteps making their way towards her.

”Amy?” She spoke up in a small and tired voice, and the hedgehog instantly raised her gaze towards the feline, eyes wide in surprise.

”Oh, you woke up! How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Did you sleep well?” She bombarded her with questions, dropping the magazine and rushing to her, checking the bandages on her arms and gently patting areas around her head, making sure she had no possible concussion.

”I’m just fine, thank you.” Blaze responded in her calm and deep voice, a tone Amy wasn’t so sure she had heard her speak in before. “Actually…I think I feel a little better at the moment. Everything seems to have simmered down for the time-being, which is relieving.” She threw a short glance at a clock on the wall, frowning shortly. “I’m sorry for this late notice-“

”No! It’s great! You slept, you’re well-rested, and that’s fine. You don’t hear anything, you don’t feel and compulsion or anything…?”

”No, I do not.”

”See, that’s all I can ask for! I’ll make you something to eat, you should sit down!” Amy sounded agitated and desperate, quickly pushing Blaze towards the couch and forcing her to sit down.

Before the feline could question it, she was already in the kitchen, pulling out pans and bowls and spoons.

So, for the both of them, this was a weird change. To Amy, Blaze was way too calm. To Blaze, Amy was way too agitated.

”Aright, it’s ready now. Give me your arm.” Amy requested, placing a plate with eggs and colorful vegetables and slices of golden toast.

However, when Blaze looked up and saw the syringe in the hedgehog’s hand, she pushed away, her eyes wide in alert. “What for?!”

“Um, the injection. Come on, we’ve been through this…You know you barely feel-“

”I have no idea what you’re talking about! Put that thing away right now! Please…” she begged, seemingly terrified of something she knew all to well wouldn’t hurt her.

”Blaze…we’ve already settled this. Did you forget about it? You know, a vitamin shot that I administer before you eat…Nothing? Doesn’t ring a bell?” She asked worriedly, and Blaze shook her head. “You must’ve had a short memory slip. That’s fine. Look, I promise you it doesn’t even hurt. I promise we’ve already talked this out and you agreed to this medicine. Come on, you already skipped a dose last evening. Please…I’ll hold your hand if that makes you a little more comfortable.” She offered with a gentle smile, placing her hand on the table and taking Blaze’s paw, squeezing it gently.

The feline gulped and nodded, watching as the needle lowered and protruded her skin. She barely felt a pinch, but the drumming in her chest was impossible to ignore. Her hand shook in Amy’s, but her grip was surely comforting.

”See, done!” Amy announced, tucking the used syringe in a napkin to throw it away. “Enjoy your food! Remember to take small and slow bites, I know you’re hungry, but I don’t want you getting sick, okay?”

”Okay…” Blaze muttered, still a little shaken from the sting. She reluctantly started eating, but she quickly got comfortable with Amy’s presence there. “Um, Amy? Can I…ask you something?” She paused her eating, lifting her gaze.

”Sure, shoot!”

”Are you alright? You’re acting…weird…You’re very agitated…” she asked slowly, trying to not intimidate the girl.

”Yeah, I’m totally fine! Just worried for you, is all. I should ask you that! You’re acting as if you didn’t just bash your head on a wall!”

Blaze frowned, not knowing what to say, and looked around the table absently, when her eyes suddenly fell upon the magazine Amy was reading. Her eyes scanned the title and figured that the magazine was about dementia studies, and picked it up. “What is this about?” She showed it to Amy, frowning in confusion.

”I…I thought that if I could understand your disorders better, I could help you control them. And I’ve never dealt with a patient with dementia before, so I have to learn…Maybe we could look into it together? I’d like to see how you experience it, to see if it matches the descriptions in the magazine. Is that okay with you?” Amy wondered, gently patting the feline’s arm to make her feel more comfortable.

”I’ll…think about it…” Blaze responded slowly, putting the magazine back down on the table and resuming her eating.

”You know…I was really worried that you weren’t waking up. I thought I’d have to call Shadow again. I’m glad that wasn’t the case and that you’re alright…” Blaze kept eating, but she was listening intensely to everything the hedgehog was saying. “I really don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I want you to feel safe and comfortable here. I wish that, one day, you’ll think of this place as home, too…

”You really shouldn’t worry like that about me…” Blaze answered shortly, choosing to ignore that last part, even through that was the most important of everything.

”I can’t not worry about you…I’m supposed to care about you and to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or everyone and…” she paused, inhaling sharply and shakily. Blaze had finished her food and pulled away from the plate, looking at Amy with a blank expression. “So far…I’ve been doing such a bad job…” she sobbed weakly. “You’ve already had multiple breakdowns, and I couldn’t stop or prevent any of them…I don’t know how you can trust me with caring for you and helping you get through your-“

She was stopped by two arms wrapping around her body tightly and bringing her close, her face burying in the crook of the feline’s neck. “You held me when I cried…Now I want to do the same thing for you…” Blaze said gently, holding the shorter girl safely between her arms. Amy was quick to hug back, her body shaking with the strong sobs as tears flowed out of her eyes, wetting the feline’s shirt.

”Thank you…Blaze…?” She spoke up weakly, her voice muffled by her face being shoved into the cat’s blouse. She hummed in acknowledgment. “I’m glad…I’m not alone…anymore…”

”I’m glad, too, Amy…You saved my life…” She admitted, but Amy heard and instantly raised the question.

”W-what?”

“I have been so…out of it…today, because I…the asylum doesn’t keep patients like me forever…And if I were to remain in that place…If you hadn’t shown up…I wouldn’t have lived to see tomorrow…” She breathed slowly. “It’s just…so good to be here…And I’m so glad you didn’t give up on me…”

”I couldn’t…that’s why I become a therapist in the first place…to show people that not everybody believes they’re too far in their insanity to be saved…And I still believe in you…And I’ll keep doing it because…because we can overcome this…together…” Amy encouraged, holding the cat’s hands. “And with all those problems considered…you’re doing an amazing job…You’re trying…” She smiled warmly. “Actually, come to the kitchen. I wanna show you what I got you when I went out earlier.” She stood up, still tearing up a little bit but smiling encouragingly. Even through her pain and distress, she was still a perky and caring girl that Blaze really started growing attached to.

So, the feline stood up with a short huff of amusement and followed the hedgehog to the kitchen, leaning on the tall counter and watching as the pink girl opened the door to the fridge and pulled out a large white box with the emblem of a cake on the side.

”Open it!” Amy urged, pushing the box close to Blaze.

Blaze hummed, her hands moving to remove the lid of the box. Inside, her eyes were met with a delicious-looking cake with red frosting on top and with white chocolate writing on it. “Amy, I can’t…”

”Read what it says!” The hedgehog interrupted, almost jumping in joy and excitement despite the weak sobs that still lingered in her throat.

The feline swallowed and moved to read what it said, and her eyes instantly started to water.

You matter. You are loved. You are cared for. You’re important. And your presence on this earth makes a difference, whether you see it or not.

”You…You mean that?” Blaze asked slowly, not believing her eyes. Her hands were shaking and Amy realized just how overwhelmed she was by that moment.

”Of course…You deserve to know that. And I got it on a card, too.” She pulled a small white card from the edge of the box and handed it to Blaze. “As a small reminder in case you ever forget that. You want a slice? It tastes even better, I assure you!” She chirped happily.

Blaze wiped a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand and nodded shyly. “Only if you’ll join me…” She offered.

”Of course…” Amy responded, also brushing off her tears.

They sat down, ate together, chatted about silly things for awhile, with Amy telling Blaze about stupid things she would encounter in her daily life. She could swear she even saw the feline crack a smile from time to time, but it would quickly dissipate.

Well, a start is still a start… Amy thought hopefully.

Meanwhile, Blaze’s mind kept repeating the word ‘kind’ for some reason. However, the repetitive nature of this didn’t seem to affect her in a negative way, and just made the cat’s heart swell with a feeling she hadn’t felt in awhile: joy.

Chapter Text

“You know, I’ve noticed something very cute about you!” Amy chirped happily from her spot next to Blaze on the sofa. After each eating a slice of cake, they decided that simply chatting a little bit, non-related to anything difficult in the feline’s life, explicitly her disorders, would make them get to know each other a bit better and also help Blaze with settling in easier.

“What?”

”You absolutely love that otter plush I got you!” Amy giggled, and Blaze blushed deeply.

”No, I do not! What-what makes you say that?” The felines tried retaliating.

”Yiu hug it whenever you sleep, even if you don’t turn it on, you’ve never pushed it away. And before going to bed, you make it start playing those lullabies. I think you like those more than the breathing, right?” She asked, leaning close. However, Blaze just turned away in shame. “Aw, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, y’know? It’s a plush. It’s good that it soothes you, that’s what I wanted it to do!” She encouraged, rubbing the cat’s arm.

”Yeah, you’re right…I love that silly plush, and it really helps a lot with sleeping. I had something similar when I was little, but it was like…a koala, I think…And I remember continuously pawing at it, trying to get it to turn on, but my fingers where always, like, really thin and I didn’t have much strength in them, so I’d have to call my Mom…to…” she sighed, trailing away and falling silent after mentioning her mother. “I miss her so much…I really wish she was here and, y’know, she’d still care about me…”

”I know it must be hard for you to accept that, but…you have to keep moving forward, and maybe one day she’ll realize that she’s made a mistake and she’ll come to make amends for them. It depends on how you’ll react to that…”

”I hope so, but I just don’t understand…my mother had never shown signs of wanting me out of her life, so why would she do such a thing to me…and immediately replace me with another girl…I don’t know, it seems messed up…like something isn’t right…She’s always liked Richard, the guy she was with the other day, but she never showed that she wanted to move on from dad and marry him or something…”

”Maybe you shouldn’t beat you head too much…You might send up discovering something unpleasant and you’ll be disappointed. Try to let things wrap themselves around you, but don’t throw yourself down loopholes, trying to uncover things that might or might not have happened…You’ll just tire yourself down even further…” Amy advised, gently patting the feline’s hand.

In the next second, a long ring was heard coming from the front door, and Amy stood up, hurrying to the hallway to check out who it was ringing so loudly.

However, her heart stopped when she looked through the peephole and saw…Blaze’s mother, looking utterly distressed on the other side of the door.

”Um, Blaze, I’ll go out in the corridor for a minute. I’ll be back quickly, I promise.” She said a little too rapidly, and Blaze nodded, her gaze fixating on the tv screen that showed some nature documentary that had been playing in the background of their talking.

Amy barely opened the door, slipping through the crack and closing it so Blaze wouldn’t see who was on the other side.

”Oh, thank goodness I got the right address!” The old woman spoke up, seemingly breathless and tired.

”What are you doing here?!” The hedgehog demanded, raising her voice.

”I know this might look…weird, given our first interaction, but I can explain everything. I just want to see my daughter…” She said. Her eyes were wet and red, either from lack of sleep or recently she’d tears.

”Well, I’m waiting on your explanation! I’m not letting you anywhere near Blaze after the way you talked to her yesterday! You made her faint, y’know?! She hurt herself because-“

”What?! Please…please let me see her! Is-is she okay?!” The old cat almost started crying, trying to get past Amy and enter the house, hoping to see her daughter.

”Explain everything, or I’m not letting you in! She’s fine, no thanks to you!” She accused sarcastically.

”Alright…Look, Richard got her in there…He knew she was the one thing keeping him away from me…and I was never interested…He said he’d have her killed if I didn’t marry him…I had to do it…He’d never let me see her…But now he left for a few days with his daughter and I just had to try to find Blaze…So I checked in with the asylum and got them to give me an address…Please…” she pleaded helplessly. “I just want to see my girl…I didn’t mean to hurt her…He would’ve…if I hadn’t…”

She trailed off to sobs and Amy’s heart actually started to swell for her. She could understand that the situation was tense and highly risky, but she couldn’t help but believe Blaze’s mother. “Okay, look, I understand…I’m Amy, by the way…I’m sorry I overreacted, you may see her. I think she’d be happy about it, too…” Amy smiled, extending her hand for a handshake.

”Ember…Thank you…for getting her out of there…for giving her a second chance…” Amy was about to open the door. “Are you certain she’ll want to see me, after everything?”

”Yeah. I am.” The hedgehog reassured, stepping inside. “Wait here.” She smiled. “Blaze, I have a surprise for you!” She giggled, stepping to the couch and nudging the feline playfully, turning off the tv.

”Another one?” Blaze groaned, huffing in amusement.”

”Yes, but you’ll have to close your eyes for this one.”

”Do I really-“

”Yes!” Amy insisted, already grabbing Blaze’s paws and covering her eyes with them. “No peeking!”

Blaze sighed. “Alright…”

Amy motioned for Blaze’s mother to come inside, and the older woman slowly entered the room, nervously walking up to the seating feline.

”Can I open my eyes now? It’s getting absurd…”

Amy was about to speak, but the elder started first. “Yes, sweetie, you can…” she said shakily, and Blaze’s heart skipped a beat and she froze, slowly removing her paws from her eyes, unable to first the voice she had just heard.

Her eyes opened and she looked up hopeful, and she inhaled sharply when her gaze met her mother’s kind one that was smiling warmly at her. She trembled in disbelief, unable to think of anything to say. Blaze saw that same kindness she remembered receiving in her childhood, and she felt her mother’s still soft hands cup her face. “M-m-mom…?” She barely managed.

”Yes, honey, it’s mommy…And she’s never going to leave you again…” she spoke gently, seeing tears well up in her daughter’s eyes and, before they could spill out, Ember sat on the couch and brought Blaze close, hugging her tightly as sobs wrecked her body.

The young feline brought her arms around her mother, embracing her tighter than ever, breaking down into loud cries as she could feel one of her hands softly pet her head. She kept her face hidden in her shoulder, unable to move as everything else became white noise.

”Easy…Shhh…I’m not going anywhere…” She leaned towards Amy. “Some tissues and maybe an Ibuprofen; she gets severe migraines after crying episodes…” she whispered, and the hedgehog nodded, her heart swelling with happiness at the two’s reunion.

Amy nodded and hurried to bring what the woman had requested, leaning the two alone.

”I knew it…I knew you didn’t mean that…I knew you still loved me…” Blaze whimpered in the hug.

”I’ll always love you, baby…I’m so sorry…I’ll explain, I promise-“

”I’m so happy…you’re here…with me…”

”I’m happy, too, my dear…And maybe you’d like to tell me more of how you ended up here, with this lovely girl…”

”Who, Amy…?” Blaze trailed away. “She’s nice…kind…caring…gentle…”

”I’m glad you had someone to take care of you in my absence. I’m glad you didn’t have to deal with all that I told you alone…” She responded comfortingly, but the younger girl still didn’t stop crying. “Baby…? You know it’s okay, you can stop crying now…I’m not leaving you…”

”I…I don’t wanna let go a-again! Please…!” Blaze pleaded, hugging her mother tighter.

”You’re not, sweetheart…I’m not going anywhere…I’ll stay right here…” Ember smiled, running long pets along the cat’s spine.

”Here you go!” Amy chirped, placing a box of tissues on the coffee table next to a glass of water with an oval bright orange pill.

”Thank you, darling!” Blaze’s mother smiled, grabbing a tissue and pushing the young feline’s head away from her so she could gently start wiping the tears from her eyes. “See, isn’t that a little better?” She brushed her hand along Blaze’s arm, and a shiver swiped past her spine when she felt the rash surface of bandages underneath. “Maybe you could give me an explanation to these, too…” she whispered, and Blaze winced.

”I didn’t mean to! It was an accident, mom, I promise! I won’t do it again, it was just a-“ she spoke fast and panicked.

”Just a twitch…I know…it’s okay…” She kept removing the tears around her daughter’s eyes, which were still flowing out.

”Y-you remember…” she whispered in disbelief. “I’m so happy…you’re here…” But then she froze. “Wait…How are you here?”

She pulled away, tears still in her eyes, measuring her mother up and down in disbelief, trying to comedy the dots in her head and find a logic.

”Look, sweetie, I’m in a pretty bad situation and just now I was able to come see you. I would’ve come earlier, but Richard would’ve noticed and I can’t have that happen.” Blaze frowned, trying to understand. “You see, a month before you were taken to that asylum, he proposed to me, despite knowing that I still loved your father. I refused, of course, knowing that you wouldn’t allow such a relationship as well, and he was furious about it. So he arranged for you to be taken away forcefully, and I couldn’t do anything to stop that from happening.” She sighed, remembering those terrifying and painful memories.

”But you still wouldn’t accept him…” Amy muttered sadly, already knowing where this was going.

”Yes…and I tried to come see you and get you out…and I did see you…only a few days had passed, but…” she winced. “You we’re on the floor, wailing in pain, back pressed against a wall, continuously bashing your head on it and screaming your lungs out, with your arms restrained by belts and buckles…I tried talking to you, but…you wouldn’t answer…You looked at me, but you wouldn’t recognize me…” A tear rolled down her cheek. “It was as if you were not there…And then…you started running toward me…and you were angry…and violent…And they-they forced me to leave and got you pinned down…I tried to convince them to let me stay, that this was not right…” she breathed slowly, and Blaze gently grabbed her mother’s hand, nudging her shoulder twitch her head in a comforting manner. “Anyways, exiting…Richard was waiting for me. He said that if I didn’t accept his proposal and move in with him and give him part of the family fortune and also supply him with a suitable heir, he’d tell the asylum staff to kill you, hence there were no hopes for you to be healed…”

”But what was wrong with Blaze in the first place?! When I found her in that asylum, she was nothing like that! She was calm. Scared, but didn’t respond violently…” Amy observed.

”Richard must’ve drugged her…There are some…substances that trigger a wild sense in her, alongside a long episode of violent schizophrenia. He must’ve done that to convince them to take you, because you…ended up…”

”…killing somebody…” Blaze finished, that broken fragment of her memory actually coming into place.

”That psycho sacrificed his own cousin to have our family business. You killed him in cold blood, not even knowing what you were doing. With a shot of whatever he used on you, you became nothing more than an animal…”

”I knew it. See, I was right…” Blaze looked towards Amy, her tone dripping of somewhat sadness.

”Yes, but it isn’t your fault you did it…” Amy tried to comfort her.

”But I still did it! I killed someone, I cold blood! I remember the screams, and I-I remembered enjoying it!” She shouted, and her mother gently tugged on her sleeve, motioning for her to come closer.

“Does she know, dear?” She whispered, and Blaze’s eyes widened when she realized what she was talking about.

”No. Of course not…” she pulled away, very sure of herself. Amy didn’t pry, but intended to discuss whatever this was about later on when it’d be just her and Blaze again.

”Sweetie, you should take your pill. It’ll calm you down a little bit.” Ember said quickly, noticing the hedgehog’s staring.

Blaze nodded and proceeded to take said pill with the water next to it, as her mother ended her tragic story.

”So I had to agree, because I couldn’t have you killed. I tried to visit you, but the staff would never let me in again. I watched you from beyond that metal door. And a few days ago, I was reading through your papers from the asylum and I saw that your…execution was scheduled today and I just felt hopeless, but didn’t let Richard see it…” She turned her gaze toward Amy. “And then this lovely girl found you and saved you from that horrid place.” She smiled gently. “Now, I think you remember the therapist you used to go to when you were younger. She’s willing to let you stay with her until the situation with Richard gets solved, which I’m currently trying to figure out…”

Blaze looked at Amy, seeing how she looked away at that comment, somewhat sad. “Actually, mother…I’d prefer to stay here…with Amy.”

”Oh, really? Well, are you sure she is fully-“

”Yes. So far she’s been a truly comforting presence. And I don’t know what I would’ve done if it weren’t for her. And I don’t think I could…” She stood up and walked up to Amy, wanting to go on, but not finding the strength to do so, as her mind rang with what Silver had told her: ‘She already has a boyfriend…’

”Well, alright then, if you’re certain she helps you with feeling better, I have nothing against it. I’ll leave you girls my work phone number and my schedule. You can only call me by this number and within this time table.” She placed a paper on the floor. “And one more thing for you!” Ember smiled, grabbing her daughter’s arm and handing her a card from…the local conservatory she studied at…

”I don’t-“

”I thought that in the meantime you might need a job. So I talked to a friend of mine that works at the conservatory, and she said that they’re looking for a new teacher at the music high school. One that knows how to play piano…”

”No way…” A sincere smile actually broke on Blaze’s face as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

”So you call her, settle for a meeting, try teaching the kids for a day and, if everything goes well, she’ll let you be a teacher.”

”But I haven’t played in years. I can’t go with no practice.” Blaze stuttered.

”I took care of that, too. I got you a piano to practice on! It’s a smaller one, so it can fit anywhere, and the delivery guy will bring it all the up here, so you don’t have to worry about that. You’ll have to assemble it. How does that sound?” She smiled gently.

”Amazing, I-I can’t believe this! I’m gonna have an actual job!” She looked at Amy, utterly ecstatic. “Thank you so much, mother!”

”It’s an apology gift for the way I acted yesterday…I’m so happy I got to see you and I’m so proud that you’re holding up and that you’re actually trying to adapt…” She rubbed Blaze’s arms comfortingly. “I should take my leave…I’ll contact your friend here and try to send some funds for you, so you can buy everything you need for the time being.”

”Really, Miss Mordeaux, you don’t have to…” Amy started. “I can take care-“

”It’s alright, dear. I’ll try to help my daughter however I can best, and money isn’t a problem…Blaze, do you mind walking me outside?”

”Um, sure…I’ll be back shortly.” She told Amy quickly, following her mother outside.

”She really is a nice girl! Im talking my chances and say that she’s prettier than the one you invited out to prom on your last year in college.” Ember chuckled.

”Mom, no. I can’t.” Blaze sighed sadly.

“Why not? You didn’t mind inviting her!”

”I know, but it’s different now…She already has a boyfriend…” She looked away shyly, and her mother gently rubbed her arm. “Plus, let’s be honest…it’s not like someone would be thrilled to go on a date with someone with severe mental disorders…” she chuckled sadly.

”Oh…Well, don’t lose hope now! That girl didn’t mind them-“

”Mom, that girl left me the second she found out I was schizophrenic.” Blaze frowned.

Ember sighed. “Well, if something does happen between you two, you know you have my support, yes?”

”Yeah, I know…I love you, Mom.” She gently went for another, shorter hug.

”I love you too, sweetie.” Ember responded, reciprocating the hug and discreetly wiping a tear that had formed in her eye. “Good luck! You’re going to do great out there, I know it!”

She walked away, and Blaze’s heart ached as it felt like letting go again. A tear rolled down her cheek and she sighed shakily as she entered the apartment, locking the door.

However, the second she reached the living room, she was jumped by Amy hugging her tightly, squeezing her arms and pressing them against her body.

”Amy-“

”I’m so happy for you! I’m so happy you trust me with caring for you and that you didn’t leave, even though you had a chance at something better!” She said too quickly, and Blaze smiled at that.

”I’m good with what I have here…I’m happy…” She waited for Amy to pull away before she continued. “You make me happy…” she confessed, even though what she actually felt ran a little deeper.

Amy smiled warmly at that and, deep down, Blaze felt her heart ache.

You could never have that

You aren’t enough

You're lucky your mother loves you

You know you’re still a waste

Chapter Text

Hello, readers, this is your author, Blaze_MonoMix04 (or Mono for short) speaking! I truly appreciate your support, your kudos and especially your comments on my ongoing fanfiction ‘Shattered Glass’.

To start this off, I’ll begin by giving a huge shoutout to Skrooy for his feedback on this particular work, hence I’m still a relatively new writer on this forum and knowing that someone follows along with one of my works is truly a delight!

With that said, this chapter will have a very simple formula, hence I’ve made sure to introduce the characters that are relevant to the plot. The only character who will not receive a ‘character board’, as I call them, in this particular Extras chapter is Richard, Ember’s husband (a.k.a Blaze’s mother) who still hasn’t made his huge debut into the story (but I think we can all agree that he is the Big Jerk in this peace of fiction).

So, I’m going to offer each character their own story boards, alongside details and other relevant details.

Blaze Mordeaux — The utterly distressed character who tries to get used to get back on her feet after being locked up in a Station Square Mental Asylum for seven years (the fuzzy protagonist with a big and warm heart that everyone should love :))

Full name (yes we have that too): Blaze Anthony Mordeaux

Age: 29, soon to be 30

Height: 6’4 (yes she is tall)

Weight: 100 pounds (50 kg—considering how tall she is, Blaze is underweight from a clinical point of view)

Fur color: Lavender, fades to deep purple around her edges

Powers: (yes, this AU has characters with powers—I think I mentioned that somewhere…): Pyrokinesis (Power to control fire)

(And the part everybody is interested in) Mental disorders/illnesses: Dementia, Borderline personality disorder, Schizophrenia, Post traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, Social anxiety disorder, AND a major depression disorder (Poor baby…)

Other problems: Insomnia, Sleep paralysis

Medicine (this is important, these are actual medicine that fit people with these conditions): Benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, clozapine, lithium, lorazepam, quetiapine, stimulants

Phobias: acrophobia, agoraphobia, anthropophobia, philophobia, autophobia

Now for some context and descriptions: Blaze comes from a wealthy and educated family, and her being born with some disorders wasn’t so bad at first because she could contain and control them. The real problem appeared when, around the age of 15, she started manifesting schizophrenia. And the problem was that the hallucinations she was experiencing became violent and utterly disturbing. Fortunately, a family friend who was also a psychiatrist helped her live with those problems with the help of rather large amounts of antipsychotics, leading to her developing an addiction to them. She went to college at the conservatory, further proving her love for music, especially playing the piano, although her voice isn’t lacking either, and got a master in social and law studies and even managed to get one by the age of 23, when an twitch caused by [REDACTED] led to her brutally killing one of her mother’s coworkers. This led to the young feline who had it going great for her professionally speaking to be taken away to a mental asylum and distributed to the maximum security area, where she was studied through some very unethical methods that only led to her developing C-PTSD. Some therapists had tried talking to her, but she has never shown improvement, until a particular such doctor shows up: a pink hedgehog that manages to break through her shell, as well as getting her out of that horrid place and giving her a place to stay. This hedgehog, Amy, fights to understand Blaze instead of growing impatient and pushing her away and who knows? Maybe it’ll be enough for Blaze to push away the grief and sorrow of seven whole years and move on to a new and normal life…

Amy Rose (The ball of energy and happiness and tries to glue Blaze together piece by piece. And she has a boyfriend…for now, but don’t tell anyone I said that…)

Full name: Amy Rose

Age: 27

Height: 5’

Weight: 110 pounds

Fur color: Pink (technically they’re quills but whatever—they don’t sting by the way, so the fact that Blaze leans in them when they hug doesn’t harm her)

Powers: None—Wait, yes there is one power Amy has: the unyielding and unstoppable power of POSITIVITY!

Mental Disorders/Illnesses: ADHD

Other problems: Periodic anxiety attacks caused by self doubt mostly or the feeling that she isn’t doing a good job in helping others, especially Blaze

Medicine: Some mood stabilizers and anxiolytics, but nothing major or continuous. Unlike Blaze, she doesn’t need constant medication.

Phobias: Autophobia (she might not show it, but she really despises being left alone or abandoned)

Story: A perky and happy hedgehog who liked helping people ever since she was little. Her big heart led to her studying medicine and, after she finished college and got a degree in psychology, Amy wasted no time in joining a private clinic as both a psychiatrist and a therapist, appreciated by coworkers for her heartwarming attitude and loved by her patients, she takes pleasure in visiting mental institutions to aid the patients that aren’t yet allowed back into society. During one of those visits, she stumbles upon a most peculiar one, that has been kept in the maximum security area of a mental asylum for seven whole years. Seeing the deteriorating state she was in, she decides to get her out and take care of her, making sure she gets better and learns how to live with her severe problems, unknowingly saving her from her own death at the hands of the abusive doctors of the asylum. The two quickly warm up to each other, and Amy also finds comfort in the feline's constant presence and gentle nature.

Here is the end of this EXTRAS chapter! I kept it short by only adding details on the relevant characters, hence other might have short descriptions in chapter notes or are simply revealed mid-story.

However, if there is any other character in this fanfic that you’d like to know more about, please put your suggestion in the comments and I’ll update this chapter by adding more character files.

Again, thank you for your support and feedback! I hope you’re enjoying this story, because I’m not stopping this until I finish it!

Chapter Text

“I’m so tired…” Blaze sighed, throwing herself onto the couch next to Amy. She had spent the last few hours assembling the piano her mother had bought her, which was thankfully brought all the way to the door by the delivery guy. Her arms hurt but, with the help of some tools Amy had been willing to let her use, she managed to put everything together and create a perfectly functional piano that was to remain in an empty corner of the living room.

The feline would’ve started playing it then and there if it weren’t for her being so tired. It was already dinner time, with Blaze not realizing that since she ate what should’ve been breakfast way too late in the afternoon. “Well, now you can rest for the rest of the evening, which is good for you!” Amy giggled, turning down the Tv volume. “Do you want to do something in particular?” She wondered with a gentle smile.

”Mmm…Not really…I mean, unless you have any ideas. I’m down for everything, as long as I go to bed at a decent hour.”

”Yeah, about that…I was thinking of making a little change in the bedroom…” Amy started, making Blaze raise an eyebrow. “If you’re comfortable with it, I’d like to scoot my bed and fix it to yours. You seemed a lot more comfortable sleeping with me near, and I don’t want you having any sleeping mishaps and me not being there to help right away…” She explained. “Of course, if that makes you uncomfortable, I understand.”

”Sure, why not…I really don’t want you to be alone either.” She agreed, unnoticeably shuffling closer to the hedgehog.

”What do you mean by that?”

”I’m the cause for all your stress and…I didn’t mean to make you cry through my poor behaviors…” the feline said, looking away.

”Hey, don’t worry about it. None of this is your fault. It’s just that I sometimes have twitched of my own, just like you. I’ll be fine.” Amy said softly, gently rubbing Blaze’s shoulder. “So, why how about this? Let’s order a pizza and while we wait for it we go ahead and move the bed and then we could watch a nice and calm movie.” She suggested calmly.

”A pizza?” Blaze wondered, finding herself not quite remembering what one looked like. “Like…round and with pepperoni and cheese and stuff?” She asked for clarification.

”That’s the one!” Amy chuckled. “So is that the kind you want?”

”You can order whatever, I really-“

”Nope! You tell me what you want on the pizza! I can roll with anything, it’s time for you to make your own decisions once more!” She paused. “But I would appreciate if you wouldn’t ask for pineapple on the pizza…”

”Pineapple?! Who puts fruit on pizza?!” Blaze jumped, not knowing what to think. “Alright, that’s interesting…I don’t know…I guess I want something with multiple ingredients…Like the most diverse one. To like really feel it, y’know?” She said a little shyly, not wanting to sound to demanding.

”They have something close to it. Any problem with spicy pepperoni?”

”Nope.”

”Okay then, I’ll make the call, you go to the bedroom and wait for me. I’ll be with you in a few.”

Blaze nodded and stood up, stretching her aching back and moving down the hallway, towards the bedroom as she was told. Just then she realized how messy the room was, with her one pillow scattered in the middle of her bed and with the blanket thrown aside. Her eye twitched at the mess, and her fingers snapped uncontrollably. Wasting no time, she rushed and made her bed, but something still wasn’t right as she realized there was a spot where the blinker wouldn’t lie flat.

Reaching under it, she grasped what it was and pulled it out, finding the stuffed otter Amy had given her. Her heart swelled. She could barely remember this pure sensation, of innocent happiness; those quiet moments when she could forget the pain, the voices, the…

The noises…Those things still didn’t leave her. She could hear banging on the windows, but she was afraid to look. And when she did…all she saw was…something…not normal…not natural. She could always see it in the corner of her eye, out of reach…but always watching. And yet, when Amy was there, everything was quiet. There was nothing staring her down quietly, waiting for her to break down. It was just her and Amy, and so far the girl has had nothing but a good influence on the feline. It was a good day. She had reunited with her mother, and for now…

”…that’s enough…” Blaze finished her line of thought out loud, sighing in content and settling the plush on her pillow. Her gaze moved to Amy’s side of the room, and figured she could handle moving the bed until she was done ordering the pizza. Thankfully she still had the needed strength to push the piece of furniture all the way against her own bed, making sure the covers weren’t messed up at all before moving away.

Suddenly, she felt a hand tap her back, and she spun around rapidly, her scared gaze meeting Amy’s.

”Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you! I see you already took care of moving the bed. I hope it wasn’t too hard, you know you could’ve waited-“

”It was no problem, really!” Blaze chuckled nervously, still a little shaken by Amy taking her by surprise.

”Alright, so…Would you like taking turns in the shower so you can change in something a little more comfy and then decide on what to watch? I have some comedy or romance movies; maybe they could put you in an even better mood.” She suggested with a gentle smile.

”Yeah, maybe…you can go first, don’t mind me.”

”Okay, but are you sure you’re alright? You seem upset all of the sudden…” Amy asked worriedly, her hand reaching for Blaze’s, who retracted it quickly.

”I’m fine, I’m just thinking of…stuff…Really, I’m doing great! I mean, I had an amazing day! I reunited with my mom and I got a chance at a job…Everything’s starting to…become clearer…” she trailed away, looking at the floor.

”Well, that’s great! Make sure to tell me if something’s up, okay?”

”Yeah! Totally!” Blaze agreed, nodding quickly.

Amy smiled, going to her wardrobe and getting her sleeping clothes. “I’ll be quick! The movies are on the table, you can have a look at those in the meantime!” She suggested and left the bedroom, disappearing in the bathroom.

Blaze sighed, exiting the bedroom lazily. Her steps were heavy and she barely managed to carry herself all the way to the living room, throwing herself onto the couch, her gaze resting on some DVDs on the table.

”Pick out what to watch…” she muttered to herself, picking up a random CD and examining it. “I’ve never even heard of these movies…” She looked through some tapes, and there were mostly romance movies, which she was particularly interested in, hence she considered something soft paced and without too much action would be the way to go for her.

And then, she spots an awkward title for a movie, with two women on the cover art: ‘Blue is the warmest color’. She vaguely remembers watching that one when she was younger, and she recalls enjoying it, hence it was a movie she actually watched with her girlfriend during college before their breakup.

She could only hope that watching it again would bring her some good memories.

In a few minutes, Amy exited the bathroom, now dressed in a white tank top with baby blue shorts, her feet covered in soft-looking white socks. “Did you make a choice?” She asked Blaze, seeing her holding one of the CDs.

”Yeah, I guess. Wanna watch this one? I vaguely remember watching during college with a friend…” She half-lied. The feline held out the tape she had found earlier.

”Well, I haven’t really watched that one myself, to be honest…I wanted to watch it with my boyfriend, since watching romance movies isn’t as fun on your own, but he wasn’t so enchanted by the idea, so…sure, I’d like to watch it with you!” She chirped happily. Blaze suddenly was remembered of her boyfriend that Silver had mentioned the other day and she also remembered how he didn’t describe him as being such a nice guy. “Why don’t you go ahead and get a warm shower and slip into something more comfy and I’ll go ahead and get some plates and forks. You want something to drink? It’s either soda or fresh juice for you.”

”So you don’t do alcohol?” Blaze wondered, standing up.

”What do you mean?”

”I mean, you only buy juice and stuff, but no actual drinking stuff like alcohol.”

“I do sometimes, but rarely. And you clearly shouldn’t drink alcohol for the time being. Your organism could get a little flipped.” She paused, chuckling nervously. “Are you into alcohol?”

”No. Just water, please.” Blaze responded, a little to quickly and left the room.

Amy noticed how the feline seemed to like keeping things form her. One moment, she’d be trusting and the other she’d act as if they’d only talked once in their life, by accident or some weird coincidence. However, she decided to brush it off and set the table while waiting for the pizza to arrive.

She didn’t have to wait long as, as soon as she was done setting the table, the doorbell rang and she rushed to the door, opening it and quickly paying the delivery guy, getting the cardboard boxes, which released an absolute divine scent all around the apartment.

Not even a minute later, Blaze came out of the bathroom. She’d clearly needed more time, since she had to change her bandages. Amy smiled upon seeing her. “Food’s here! Now, you’ll let me do the vitamin shot without complications now, alright?” She winked playfully, and the feline nodded, not complaining as the hedgehog straightened her arm and injected the syringe worth practiced accuracy, and the whole procedure was over in seconds. “Done! Now we can turn this thing on…” She pressed some buttons on the remote until the Tv was switched to DVD and the movie started loading. “Oh, this is so much fun! Movie night, pizza, all with a friend! Aren’t you happy?” She asked excitedly.

”Um, yeah, it’s nice…” Blaze muttered, cutting a slice of pizza and placing it on Amy’s plate first before doing the same for herself, the gesture not lost on Amy’s gaze.

”Hey, are you sure you’re okay? I’d figure that after getting to reunite with your mother and getting a brand new piano you’d be a little more excited…” The hedgehog pointed out, softly stroking the cat’s arm for comfort.

”Yes, I am, I swear! I just had a full day and I’m a little better. Now that I’m a little more comfortable, all clean and about to have my belly full, while also watching a movie with you, I’m gonna start feeling better! Really, don’t worry! Let’s just turn this thing on and see what it’s all about.” She quickly changed the subject, evading any further questions as Amy turned turned on the movie.

The next few hours were filled with cheerful remarks from Amy which always seemed to bring out Blaze’s smile. However, watching a movie about two women falling in love made her ponder if she was ever going to find something like that. But she was grateful for the pizza, a food she hadn’t eaten in a long time, and that tasted as if she ate a slice heaven; she was grateful for Amy being here. She was grateful for her soft looks and sometimes her soft touches whenever a lovely scene played. As the credits rolled Blaze finally looked down and realized that throughout most of the film, Amy’s fingers intertwined with her own, resulting in them holding hands. Looking up, her eyes met Amy’s, and her face warmed up seeing how close their faces were.

Suddenly, Blaze felt her heart beating faster and a soft blush tainted her cheeks, as her tail swished nervously behind her. She couldn’t identify her feelings and she most definitely couldn’t control them. She found herself weirdly staring at Amy’s lips, feeling the odd urge to close the distance between them. However, her endless train of thought stopped.

”That was lovely! Thank you for watching it with me, I enjoyed it!” Amy smiled, pulling away, resulting in a pang of disappointment in the cat’s chest, as her hand also left hers.

”Yeah, I liked it, too…Do you think I’ll ever find someone like that? Now that I’m out?” She asked nervously.

Amy understood instantly and smiled warmly. “Of course you will, don’t be silly! You’ll find someone who loves you and cares about you just the way you are! I mean, I like you despite knowing of every single disorder of yours and I especially enjoy your company without even thinking about it.” She said encouragingly. “Well, you go get settled in bed while I clean up stuff around here. Before you go to bed I want you taking a mood stabilizer and a antipsychotic, okay?”

Blaze nodded and did as she was told, rushing to the bathroom and splashing her face with cold water. What is wrong with me? I can’t think like that, she has a boyfriend for crying out loud! She mentally cursed herself. No…I’ll just wash up a little bit and go to bed. Sleep will be good for me.

A few minutes later, Blaze met up with Amy in the bedroom, and it was the hedgehog’s turn to go to the bathroom, brushing against Blaze’s shoulder, which was enough to set off the cat’s senses. She shook her head, looking at the tall glass of water on the bedside table, with two pills next to it, and decided to take them without much thought. After all, it was a controlled doze of pills. That couldn’t possibly make her want more.

Except it did send an unpleasant response through the feline’s body, and she almost reached for the drawer to get more, but was stopped by Amy exiting the bathroom and jumped into bed nervously.

”I see you took your pills, that’s good! Maybe now we’ll be able to end a fully peasant day-“

”Except the moment I bashed my head on a wall…” Blaze muttered. Amy slipped under the covers, and the cat did the same, somewhat happy that they were close to each other.

”No, don’t think about it! It’s fine now! I’ll just turn off the lights and all you have to do is close your eyes and sleep.”

”What about the sounds?”

”What sounds?” Amy asked, not understanding.

”Creaking…” she said oddly, looking at the dark hallway.

”Hey, how about I close the door…” Amy said quickly, standing up and hurrying to the door of the bedroom, closing it, and then also shutting the blinds for the windows. “Better?”

”I hope so…” Blaze muttered nervously.

”So can I turn off the lights? Maybe the antipsychotic will block some of it, you have to stay positive…” Amy encouraged, climbing into bed.

”Okay…” the cat said weakly, turning away and cowering under the blanket, tending up once everything around her went dark. She winced, her ears ringing with sounds. Some part of her knew it was all in her head, but she couldn’t shut off the feeling that she was being watched.

Blaze started shaking, shutting her eyes tightly, her arms tightly clutching the stuffed otter, turning it on and making it start playing a soft lullaby, hoping it would block some of the noise, but she was just as scared of those unknown clicks and creaks.

Seeing her state, Amy gently placed her hand on the cat’s back, petting her in soothing circles. “It’s okay…I’m here…It’s all in your head…” She said soothingly. She continued doing so for minutes on end, until Blaze’s shoulders fell slack and her breathing evened, making sure that she fell asleep before even thinking of closing her eyes herself.

Chapter Text

Amy tossed and turned in her sleep, unable to escape the nightly terror that her mind intercepted. She was running from people, people that she couldn’t help in time. People that couldn’t be saved and just wanted to escape their miserable life. And all of them were blaming her.

All of them dead, chasing her through an empty graveyard. No people mourned them, and the ones who knew them were glad they were gone. She would hide around corners, but their husks were omnipresent. If only she had done more for them. Another medication. Another session. But she couldn’t help them and they died by their own hands. She could see flashes of them hanging themselves in their own homes, or jumping of tall buildings or throwing themselves in the street and getting run over by a car, or dying from blood loss after harming themselves too roughly. All those images and memories haunted her.

And she had to keep running. Poor Amy could barely contain her cries and screams, as those ghosts got closer to her and reached to grab her, claw at her, kill her…

Until the ghouls vanished into a deep fog behind her, and she breathed slowly, trying to regain her composure. However, she was jumped by another one, and was pinned to the ground.

Through her fatigue, she could distinguish a pair of golden eyes that she instantly recognized to be Blaze’s. Tears welled up in the hedgehog’s eyes when she saw the thick rope attached to a noose hanging around the creature’s neck.

”Why did you do it?!” A ghastly voice echoed through her mind. “Why did you leave me?!”

”I’m sorry! I’m so-so sorry!” Amy screamed and wailed, trying to look away.

”This is all your fault! Why couldn’t you listen?!” It screamed, its voice barely sounding like Blaze’s anymore.

”I’M SORRY!” Amy screamed, snapping out of her dream. It took a few seconds for her to take in where she was and, oddly enough, she found herself being held firmly between two trembling arms, her face pressed against tufts of lavender fur.

”It’s…it’s okay…You’re safe…” She heard a shy and desperate voice say. Amy took a deep breath as her body was wrecked by sobs, realizing Blaze was the one who was holding her tightly. The hedgehog hugged back, tears spilling out and wetting Blaze’s shirt, happy that the feline was safe and alive. “It was just a dream…”

”I know…Are-are you okay?” Amy asked weakly, her care never faltering.

”I am…Are you? I heard you scream and-and I didn’t know what to do…”

”You did great…” Amy tried to chuckle softly, but all that escaped her was a hoarse sob. “I’m sorry I-I woke you up…”

”You sounded scared…” Blaze pointed out, still holding her tightly.

”Will you be able to fall asleep again?” Amy asked worriedly.

”I don’t know…It’s really loud…But if you’re okay…” The feline also found herself sobbing as her mind throbbed with noise. “…I’ll be okay, too…”

Amy gently rubbed her back in soothing circles, realizing that her own screams might have triggered a panic response for Blaze, and she was constantly hearing things. “Do you see anything, or is it just random noises?”

”Banging…creaking…Footsteps…There’s nobody else in the room besides us, right?” She asked weakly, not wanting to open her eyes and check for herself.

”Yes, it’s just the two of us, don’t worry. I’m really sorry I woke you up…”

”I’m sorry for keeping you up right now with my endless twitches…” Blaze responded shyly. She knew her chances of falling asleep were slim, but at least she could figure out that she was safe, and that Amy was too.

”Try to sleep…” Was the last thing Amy said before closing her eyes and nuzzling her head in the crook of Blaze’s neck, the fear and panic caused by the nightmare finally dissipating, having been replaced by the safety induced by her being held tightly in the cat’s arms.

The feline sighed, trying to focus on the sound of Amy’s breathing instead of the ringing in her ears. The hedgehog found it hard to fall asleep, too, as she was still a little shaken up.

Thankfully, sleep gave them a second chance and in the end they both drifted into a peaceful slumber.

As morning rolled around and the sun rays protruded beyond the blinds, smothering Amy’s eye lids. It didn’t take long for her to finally regain consciousness and her eyes fluttered open, expecting to meet Blaze, but instead she was met with…nobody.

There was nobody next to her in bed. Confused, she stood up and snaked out of bed, not even stretching before rushing out of the bedroom. However, a wave of calmness washed over her when she heard the softest melody being played, while also having the smell of warm food fill her nostrils. Amy sighed in relief, barely peaking around the corner into the living room, watching as indeed it was Blaze sitting down in front of the soft piano, playing short and melodic sequences of notes as if she was trying to remember what to do.

The hedgehog noticed her stopping and looking away, sniffing the air and standing up, rushing to the kitchen area, where she was apparently making omelettes in a pan, as she single handedly flipped it in one smooth and practiced motion.

Amy didn’t want to interrupt her working and was about to turn around and go back to the bedroom as to not disturb her, when-

“Good morning, Amy.” Blaze spoke up softly, not even looking behind her at Amy, being too busy chopping down a cucumber. “I made breakfast…I was gonna bring it to you, but since you got out of bed, I guess eating here together isn’t that bad…” She said slowly, putting the food she had been working on in two separate plates. “Tea or coffee?”

”Uh…How long have you been up?” Amy asked, a little worried.

”Not long. I started playing but got a little bored and I didn’t wanna make too much noise, so I decided I’d make myself busy by putting together a breakfast I remember my mom would make for me every now and then.” She explained. “Tea or coffee?” She repeated, a little louder.

”Oh, right! Lemon green tea, please. There is a box in that cupboard-“ She was about to point but Blaze had already grabbed the box and poured water in a kettle. “I’ll go freshen up and I’ll be right with you, okay?”

Blaze nodded. Weirdly enough, the two didn’t even make eye contact, which worried Amy somewhat…

“So, I see you’re trying to get back to playing…” Amy winked at Blaze, trying to make conversation as they sat down. The hedgehog took a bite of the eggs that Blaze had made, which, beyond looking stunning with the plating, tasted absolutely divine. “Mmm, this is amazing! You didn’t tell me you could cook like that!”

”Thank you. But then again, I haven’t told you many things about myself, now, have I?” Blaze pointed out, taking small bites out of her own food.

”Oh, Gosh, I forgot about the-“ Amy started, panicked that she forget about the vitamin shot she was supposed to give Blaze.

”I took care of it. I wasn’t so shaky anymore, so it was now big deal.” She explained calmly. “Now, about your previous statement, yes, I have been willing to resume playing, hence I’ll soon enough have to meet up for a job interview my mother was talking about, and I have no doubt they’d want a demonstration of my…skills.”

”But I heard you play and you sounded beautiful-“

”No, it sounded metallic and fake. I need more practice at the moment.” Blaze backfired, sounding irritated and disappointed.

Amy paused, taking her time to finish her breakfast as silence settled between the two. However, as they finished and placed their plates down, the hedgehog perked up again, although not so cheerful. Her tone was serious and stoic.

”I’m so sorry for you…” That made the feline snap her gaze in her direction. “All your life got turned around and it wasn’t your fault, and that frustrates you. Now, even more changes. Everything is just spinning around you, and you try to grasp what is going on and what will happen next, and that causes you stress and make you break down over and over again.” Amy breathed, her ears flattening against her head. “There’s no wonder you’re sad all the time…I just want you to know that if you need me, I’m here. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here. And if you just don’t want to be alone, I’m still here. I can’t force myself onto you, because…I won’t lie, you’re not like the patients I had in the past…You’re damaged in ways I’m still trying to understand, and I’m really trying to find a remedy, but…”

”You can’t do that if I’m not willing, too…” Blaze finished, realizing where everything was going. She was stoic and blank, but under that empty stare Amy saw a glitter of empathy and understanding. “But what if you just can’t fix me? What if I’ll never be normal…”

”So what if you’re not normal?! Normal’s boring! You really don’t realize how strong you are! You’re trying to fight and break through your sorrow, and you’re doing it your way. But if you ever meet a road block and you’ll need to ask for, you know who you can talk to, yeah?” Amy smiled gently, grabbing the cat’s paws. “You’re amazing! You’re smart and talented and you’re a great friend! Even though it’s sometimes difficult and challenging caring for you, I…” Their eyes met, and Blaze actually twitched a little bit. “I wouldn’t have it any other way…You’re not a burden, you’re not a patient, and you’re not crazy. You’re my friend and you’re just going through a rough time, but it too shall pass.” Amy’s soft words caressed Blaze’s ears. “And you’ll see that things will sort themselves out.”

”I…I got really scared last night. When you started screaming in your sleep.” And at last, Blaze started talking. “I thought it was a dream or a hallucination, but I was wide awake and it was real. But the screams…shattered me. They made me tremble and I didn’t know what to do…I felt paralyzed. I held onto you to make you feel safer, but…I think I might’ve done it for myself as well…When you woke up, I just wanted you to know that I was there. Because I know what it’s like. I know how hard it is. I can understand those things you see in your dreams because, trust me, they aren’t as distorted as you think. In mine I just feel like dying so…um…never-mind…” Blaze fidgeted with her sleeve, looking down. “I didn’t want you to be scared. It was as if I had done something wrong. I couldn’t really sleep for the rest of the night, and I held onto you, hoping you could. And in the morning I just wanted to get out of that room.”

“See, it wasn’t that bad…” Amy pointed out. “Do you feel a little…”

“…lighter…yeah, I think. It feels nice. I-I think I’m ready to talk.” Blaze said, her tone strong. “…about all of it.”

”And I’m ready to listen.” Amy smiled, her heart bouncing with joy.

Chapter Text

“So how do we do this?” Blaze asked nervously, as Amy returned with her pillow and placed it on one end of the couch.

”You lie down, and talk, maybe answer some questions, and I take notes based on your reactions, attitude, fluency, yada-yada…There are no bad answers, you just say the first thing that comes to mind and I’ll see what I can draw from that. Now, I’m going to split this first session in two parts. So here.” She placed a jar of pills in front of her. “They’re mood stabilizers. For the first part of the session, I need you to be as fluent and controlled as possible. We do this for an hour, then another hour for the effect to wear off, and then we go to the second part…” Amy sighed.

”What’s the second part about?”

”Look…I do it with every patient with dementia or schizophrenia when we have our first session. I’ll inject you with a drug…that will boost your psychosis, and it will make your disorders more violent.” Blaze shuffled away slightly, but Amy was quick to try to comfort her. “And I know it sounds bad! But I need to see what those disorders induce on you so I know how to come talking to you, because there could be some topics you’re very sensitive about. Still, don’t worry, the effect wears of in two hours at most, and after our session is down if you think you can’t take it I’ll just give you a sleeping pill and you’ll sleep through it. The only other bad part about it is that I’d prefer tying your hands together, so if anything overwhelms you you don’t hurt yourself…”

”But what if I feel like it’s too much during our session?” Blaze wondered, still not feeling too good about that part.

”I’ll know. I have this bracelet.” She placed a rubber band with a screen on its front, that looked like a smart band or something similar. “It constantly records your heart rate and stress levels, and my phone will start beeping if anything goes out of control, and if you go a little…”

”…insane.”

”Yeah…in case of that, we resume to a quick tranquilizer, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Later today, I might start giving you something for your stomach. I don’t want you getting sick from so many medicine.” She muttered to herself. “So, put the bracelet on, take the pill, lie down, and let’s start. No pressure, if you need a break, tell me, it’s fine. Try to relax your muscles, there are no wrong answers you can give me…”

Blaze nodded and did as she was told as Amy went to sit down on an armchair not too far from her. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her mind.

”All good? You ready?” Amy asked, the worry obvious in her voice, even if it fell on Blaze’s deaf ears. However, the feline nodded shortly, barely looking at Amy and trying to position herself as comfortably as possible. She could faintly recall going through things like these, and how she desperately wanted to feel safe during her therapy sessions, how she wanted to feel connected to her therapist, although her mind sometimes wouldn’t allow her. “Good, so I’ll give you a starting point. I’ll give you three words and at the end of the session I’ll want to see if you remember them. Now pay attention: bird, heart, leaf. You got that registered?”

Blaze nodded.

”Great! Now…how about…Except your mother, who’s someone you can name that you are grateful for and you like thinking about?” Amy asked.

”Well…Amy Rose, I guess…” She said slowly, not sounding as if she was telling a joke.

”Really? That’s so sweet!” Amy cooed, bringing a hand to her chest. “Now, what is the first happy memory that comes to mind?”

Blaze didn’t need too long to think about that, as a memory that was rather important to her from before she was put in the mental asylum popped up in her brain. “So…in college I really liked this…” she scratched the back of her neck nervously. Amy only smiled encouragingly. “I really liked this girl that played the violin. And we did a couple of duets and that’s how we got to know each other, and so I developed a crush on her and I asked her out. We were on a few dates and we were sort of together for a few months…and we went to the prom and couple of parties together…I just like thinking about her even if…she dumped me when she found out about my schizophrenia…” She sighed, closing her eyes painfully.

”Oh…well, that’s nice. Not the part when she dumped you. Is there really nothing else?” Amy tried.

”You coming into my life…You make things so much better for me…You actually made me think my life was worth living after all, even if my memory has huge cracks and I can’t escape my monstrous and breaking mind…” Blaze explained, a dreamy smile on her face.

”I’m really glad I have that sort of influence on you, and that in the short period we’ve known each other for we’ve managed to develop a healthy relationship and that helps you recover.” She paused. “You mentioned cracks in your memory. I was meaning to ask. If you had to describe your case of Alzheimer’s, how would you do it? Schizophrenia is way more easy to picture…”

”It’s as if I’m disconnected from the world. Like I sometimes step outside of everything and I lose it. I can’t hear birds sing, I can’t smell flowers, I cannot remember my loved ones…I can’t see, or at least I can’t process images, I can’t cry, I can’t speak, or my words are messed up really bad…I try to pray for it to go away but I can’t. I sometimes stay utterly still for hours on end, time is lost on me. If I do something, I can’t know if I’m doing something right or wrong. It’s as if my own existence is turned upside down…” She took a deep breath to regain her composure. “But that’s just when I have episodes. I just forget things most of the time and I’m sometimes a little clumsy or I can’t remember elementary things for a few minutes…”

”Have you ever felt as if you’re forgetting who you are? As in, you’re forgetting key elements of who you are…”

”It’s…complicated…I guess that for a really long time…while I was locked up in the asylum, of course…I stopped feeling like myself. In truth, I stopped feeling like a person.” Her voice was shaky and she was staring blankly at the ceiling. “It was like everything was wrong. I still can’t remember anything clearly.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I'm not really answering your question…”

”That’s fine! You’re letting things out, and that’s great! Take your time.” Amy assured her, scribbling something down on a notepad.

Blaze looked at her briefly, twitching a smile. “Anyway, the answer is ‘yes’, I do sometimes feel like a part of me is missing, but that hasn’t happened since I came here. Can I…ask you a question?” Blaze asked nervously.

”Sure, shoot!”

”You remember when we first met…When those doctors wanted you out of my cell, and you stepped in front of me, trying to buy me, us, a little more time…” Her voice became quieter, and she blinked quickly.

”Yeah, I remember. Where are you going with this?” Amy asked.

Blaze raised her bandages hand, looking at it with wet eyes. “I grabbed your hand…It felt so…surreal…touching another person after so long. I felt as if I wasn’t alone anymore…And I tried to make peace with the fact that I wouldn’t live for too long after that. And so…I wanted to hold on to that touch. I wished I weren’t injected with that medicine so I wouldn’t forget it.” She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. “Anyway, the question was…do you really think I can live a normal life? Do you think I can move on?”

Amy blinked quickly, looking at the feline intently. “I do. I really do. But…you should get the dying part out of your brain. It doesn’t do you good. You can keep going without such memories. And, as you said, there are good things in the world. Things that you should hold onto. Things that make you feel. And that’s enough. And, just know that…for better or for worse…I’ll help you however I can. You can tell me anything.”

”I know…” Blaze muttered.

Small questions followed. It wasn’t really a therapy session, more of a calm chat to help Blaze ease herself into talking about what she was feeling. And also getting her ready for the second, darker part of the session…

Chapter Text

Amy was patient with Blaze. They took a long break between the sessions. The hedgehog praised the feline for remembering the three words she instructed her to keep in mind at the beginning of their talk.

And, for a minute, Blaze actually thought being injected with a drug meant to boost her psychosis wouldn’t be so bad as long as Amy was there to make sure she was safe and wasn’t going to hurt herself. She trusted the girl with her own safety, and she didn’t want to stress herself further with dark thoughts.

She didn’t complain when her hands were tied together, she didn’t complain when that needle stuck into her arm. Amy sat down next to her, holding her hand comfortingly the whole time, making sure she felt safe.

If only Blaze knew what awaited her. It was agonizing. All of it. It started slowly, a swirl here, a twitch there. A silhouette, a shadow. But then there were noises. Whispers that turned into voices. Voices that started screaming. Pain rushed over her and panic mounted. She was lost and frightened. The room seemed to close in on her. Amy’s touch left her.

Truth be told, whatever she was seeing wasn’t the room she was supposed to be in.

But then, through her fatigue and dizziness and flurry of emotions and hallucinations, a calm and gentle voice broke through. And, for what felt like the first time in her whole life, Blaze breathed.

It’s not real. It’s all in your head. You’re safe. Take a deep breath and calm down. You’re fine…, her mind told her, and she did so. She exhaled slowly, closed her eyes.

Her shaking voluntarily ceased and her shoulders slumped down. Blaze actually calmed down on her own and, slowly, the voices faded in the back of her head, the noises stopped and she felt safe to open her eyes.

She felt…relieved, somewhat. She found the courage to flutter her eyelids open and face just what was supposed to be there: the living room, the Tv and, of course, Amy.

The hedgehog was looking at Blaze with worried eyes, but a confused glint was visible in her eye. She clearly wanted to say something, but didn’t know quite what. Looking down, the feline noticed how her hands were no longer tied together. However, what scared her the most were the patches of soot on her palms that weren’t there before.

So, her calmness vanished as she looked at her side to see that Amy had retreated in a far corner of the couch, her knees brought to her chest, a look of pure fright plastered on her face.

Blaze knew what had happened and she too started panicking. She looked at her hands, the soot, the ash…This wasn’t supposed to happen. And so, she did the only thing she thought herself capable of in that moment: she ran.

The feline stood up and rushed out of the room and locked herself inside the bathroom. Her hands fell heavily on the sink as she bowed her head, unable to look at her own reflection. Without her even noticing, tears started dripping from her eyes, and sobs formed in her throat.

”Why? Why? Why…?” She questioned herself. Why was her life so unfair? Why couldn’t she be normal? Why did every have to be so messed up? Why couldn’t she just have a normal life? Why did she have to lose everything? “Why do I have to fuck everything up?” She cursed herself, smashing her fist in the sink as her crying intensified.

”Blaze? Are you alright? Can we…talk?” Amy’s voice came from the other side of the bathroom door. The feline winced at the sound of her voice, as innocent and willing as ever. “Please?”

Blaze sighed, going towards the door and reaching for the knob, ready to open it, but stopped before even making contact with the cold metal, crouching the ground and sitting down on the floor, with her back pressed against the hard wooden door.

Her legs stretched limply and her hands rested at her sides. “Let’s talk, then…” Barely a sniffle was auditable anymore in her voice.

”Could you come out-“

”No.” Blaze responded bluntly, frowning.

”Alright, then…” the cat heard a sigh. “Can you tell me what that was all about?”

”What was what about?” Blaze asked, choosing to believe that what she thought had happened was just part of her imagination.

”Um…your hands…fire came out of your hands…” Blaze’s eyes widened, but she didn’t speak up yet. “You started panicking from that medicine…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have given you that! I knew your state was weak and giving you that stupid vial just made everything worse! I’m really sorry, Blaze!” No response. “Can…you forgive me?” No response. “Please, can you come out? If you don’t want to explain yet, that’s fine. I just want to make sure you’re okay!”

Blaze whimpered. Her powers scared Amy, who had no idea what she was capable of, and she still cared more about her than her own curiosity, even though she knew she was well within her rights to ask anything of the feline.

”Blaze? Are you there?” Amy spoke up again, her voice dripping with worry.

”I’m here, Amy…I’m safe…” Blaze said slowly. “I…don’t think I can come out…”

”Then…can I come in…?”

”The door is open-“

”Yes, but I want to know that you want me there! I don’t want to make things worse-“

”YOU DON’T MAKE ANYTHING WORSE!” Blaze snapped, her fist hitting the wooden door. “You’ve never done anything wrong to me…” she said, standing up and forcing herself to open the door, meeting Amy looking up at her. “I’m sorry I’m too much. I’m the one who makes everything worse. I’m the problem-“

”No, you’re not!” The hedgehog interrupted, desperately grabbing the cat’s arms, their gazes locking together. “I’ve been feeling so much better since I met you. I like having you around. I just want to know what happened because I know you’re not okay, and I don’t want you to put even more pressure on yourself.” She paused. Blaze seemed lost in thought. “So please…don’t shut me out…”

The feline growled. She didn’t want to shed any more tears in front of this girl. She didn’t want to show any more pain. “Have you…hav you ever heard of mobians who were born with…special abilities?”

”Yes, but they’re pretty rare…And those abilities are pretty much enhanced senses or speed. But there are so fringe cases-“

”Well, I am one of those fringe cases.” Blaze interrupted, clutching her fist. “I was born with the most peculiar ability to generate fire and even control it at will…I had to go through some special courses when I was younger to keep…everything my under control…” she looked at her open palms wistfully. “Hence my powers were directly tied to my emotions…and my disorders didn’t help with controlling them either…Every twitch, every panic attack…it all fueled the flames…And then my mother told me to forget they even existed…It was hard at first, but slowly my life became normal. I hadn’t used my powers for years, and it didn’t affect me any. Until…I did it again. And I killed someone.” She looked at Amy to be sure she was following along. “That guy my mother mentioned the other day…Richard’s cousin…the guy I killed, which was what got me in the asylum…I killed him using my powers. I trapped him in his own home, setting fire to it in the process. The police thought I was just an arsonist who purposely lit the place up to prevent the guy from escaping. I remember everything… I remember him running from me, trying to hide. But it all resulted in casualty. I mutilated that poor guy…” she winced as painful images flashed through her head.

“But it wasn’t your fault!” Amy reached for her hand, but Blaze just pulled away harshly.

”That doesn’t excuse it! The law doesn’t care-“

”So what if the law didn’t care?! So what if it doesn’t matter to the law?! It matters to me!” The hedgehog shouted and Blaze could see that she wasn’t even remotely upset with her. The girl took a deep breath and continued. “Look, you have powers…and that’s cool. That’s unique. It’s part of who you are. I know you were scared to tell me, and I understand that.” She twitched a brief smile, resting her hand on the feline’s shoulder. “I’m not upset with you. Today you made another big step confessing to me.”

”But I ruined the whole session-“

”You didn’t. No session is ruined.” She sighed. “You did great! And I’m very proud of you! And I swear to you that you having powers doesn’t change anything…”

”Really…? You’re not upset with me? Not even a little bit?” Blaze winced, looking at Amy with big and pleading eyes.

”Not even a little bit.” Amy said solemnly. “For now you should rest. You can take a nap, relax…In a few hours you have a doctor’s appointment.”

”A doctor’s appointment? Why? You didn’t mention that…” Blaze said as Amy lead her back to the living room.

”I know, I didn’t want to stress you even further. It’s just a normal checkup. The doctor is a friend of mine, she’s really nice. You’ll like her, I promise!” Amy assured her, making her sit down.

Blaze sighed and nodded, her head resting against the couch. The effect of the medicine still lingered as she felt a little bit lightheaded.

”Do you want some water?” Amy asked, noticing her drowsiness.

Blaze nodded, closing her eyes comfortably. She could feel the hedgehog cleaning her paws with a wet towel, removing all the soot patches. After drinking a little water, the feline couldn’t held her head up anymore and the last thing she felt before falling numb was her head being settled down on a soft surface.

Chapter Text

 Blaze was peacefully dozing off on the couch when a gentle brush on her shoulder made her stir and her eyelids fluttered open, a grunt of irritation escaping her.

”Wakie, wakie, sleepyhead…” An innocent chuckle comforted her, making the feline’s distress of having been woken up dissipate. Blaze shook her head to get some of the drowsiness away, and she sat up, her gaze being met with Amy’s happy face. She wore a jacket and blue jeans, seemingly already ready to head out. “I know you would’ve slept more, but we should get ready for your appointment. It’s over around an hour.” She explained. “I left you some clean clothes on the bed.”

”Mm, thank you…” Blaze muttered, rubbing her ears and petting the ruffled, overgrown tufts of fur on her head before standing up and lazily moving going towards the bedroom. She instantly noticed that the clothes weren’t much different form the ones the hedgehog gave her when she got her out of the asylum, with the exception being a white t-shirt. Still, the arm warmers were there and those were the item Blaze cared mostly about.

Truth be told, she was feeling kind of nervous. This was the first she was going outside since being released from the asylum, so she was well within her rights to be nervous, scared even.

She looked out the window at the busy streets. She looked at the people that were just minding their business, living their own lives. She didn’t want to go out there. There were too many people. Too many strangers. Too many dangerous things.

”No, you can calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you. You’ll be fine as long as you’re with Amy.” Blaze tried to tell herself, but her mind wasn’t really listening to her rational thinking.

”I think I’m ready.” Blaze said sheepishly, coming out of the bathroom and meeting up with Amy in the living room, where she sat down patiently. “Do I look…okay…?” She asked nervously, looking down, her socked feet rubbing against each other.

”You look good, don’t worry. So then, can we go? Are you calm, do you feel safe enough to go outside?” Amy asked worriedly.

”Well, you’ve already made the appointment, so…”

”No, I mean it. It’s no biggie. If you don’t feel quite ready yet, I’ll call right now and reschedule. So I’ll ask again: are you absolutely sure you’re ready to go out?” Amy asked solemnly, rubbing the feline’s arm.

Blaze gulped and nodded shyly. However, Amy’s smile was surely a comfort and she followed her to the hallway, where she slipped her sneakers on, reaching with her hands to tie the laces, only to stop and realize that she didn’t quite remember how to do it. She did a small knot, her hands shaky, but it all fell apart when she tried to make two bunny ears.

”Need help?” Amy chuckled, already crouching and grabbing ahold of the laces, tying them with ease, and then doing the same with the other one before Blaze could even complain.

”You didn’t have to do that…” Blaze said, feeling as helpless as a little kid.

”It’s okay, I don’t mind!” The hedgehog chirped, unlocking the door and holding it open for Blaze to exit first.

The feline’s instincts flared up the second the door was locked behind her and she felt a desperate urge to go back inside. “Did-did you turn off the lights…?” She asked shakily, already reaching for the knob.

”Yes, I did!” Amy giggled, tugging on the cat’s sleeve.

”How about the stove? Did you close-“

”I didn’t even use it, Blaze…” Amy said calmly, realizing it was the feline’s OCD speaking. “Everything is fine. Let’s go…”

Blaze sighed, her tail swishing nervously from side to side behind her as she followed the hedgehog along the hallway and into the elevator. Her foot tapped the floor and her heart rate was going up.

The moment they reached the lobby, Blaze looked at the front door with wide and fearful eyes, her hands rubbing against each other. Amy noticed and outstretched a hand toward the feline. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” She smiled kindly and the cat slowly reached with a hand, her hairs standing on end on the back of her neck as her fingers intertwined with Amy’s.

Blaze allowed the girl to pull her after her and, when they reached the front door, they stopped and Amy motioned for the feline to open the door.

”Why don’t you open it?” The hedgehog offered. Blaze looked at her, unsure of herself, but soon enough she found the courage to grab the knob and push the door open, the outside light instantly hitting her eyes and making her blink quickly.

However, as she advanced with Amy, her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see the parking in front of the apartment building, some people walking around, the park on the other side of the street, car rushing by. Some honks startled her, but she had remembered the sound and it wasn’t that bad.

”Is everything alright?” Amy asked, still holding her hand.

”Nah…It’s great…” Blaze smiled wistfully, following Amy towards the car.

She was still struggling with calming her nerves about the doctor’s appointment, but she was well aware that going outside of the house and feeling some of the fear go away was a large step in her readapting to society.

The drive to the clinic was relatively short and quiet. By the moment, Blaze was becoming more nervous. Her breathing was getting raspy, her heart rate was going up, and her palms were sweating.

And so, the moment the car stopped, she felt completely paralyzed. She didn’t want to exit the car, but she didn’t want to annoy Amy, so she got out nonetheless. She threw a quick glance at the not so tall building in front of her, but that made her shiver nonetheless.

She walked a few steps behind Amy, her eyes fixed on the ground. She was walking, but her legs felt wobbly under her and she crossed her arms over her chest to control her shaking.

”Hello! How can I help you?” A female voice spoke, making Blaze look up. She met the gaze of a pigeon woman who was sitting behind a register, with a white uniform fit for a nurse on. The feline looked away the instant they made eye contact. Looking around, she noticed they were in a well lit hallway, with some other people of all ages sitting down and waiting for their appointments, with some funny drawings on the wall to make the doors to the cabinets look more friendly.

”We have an appointment under the name of Anthony Mordeaux with Vanilla Winslow.” Amy responded.

”Right at the end of the hallway. Take a seat and she’ll be right with you.” The lady said, and Amy gently tugged on Blaze’s sleeve to get her attention.

”C’mon.” She encouraged, and they walked side by side all the way till the end of the hallway. “Sit.” She offered, sitting down as well and gesturing with her hand towards another empty seat next to her.

Shakily, she complied, shivering the second she felt herself sink into the rather pillowy chair.

”Are you alright?” Amy wanted to make sure, clearly having noticed her distress and the way she hadn’t said a word all the way there.

Fearfully, Blaze shook her head, looking at her trembling hands with wide eyes. “Will there be needles?”

”No. I promise, it’s just a normal checkup. There’s nothing for you to worry about. Nothing is going to hurt.” Amy assured her, grabbing her paw and giving it a gentle squeeze.

”I’m afraid.” Blaze confessed, wincing fearfully.

”I know, I understand. But you trust me, right? You know I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt you…”

Blaze was about to nod, when the door they were sitting next to swung open and the feline’s heart dropped. “Anthony Mordeaux?” The voice of a woman came from the other side, and Amy stood up first, with Blaze feeling as if she was glued to the chair.

The hedgehog quickly grabbed Blaze’s and pulled her up to her feet bringing her inside the cabinet and closing the door. The feline gulped, ducking behind Amy with her head bowed shyly.

”Good afternoon, Miss Vanilla!” Amy chirped, but Blaze didn’t show any signs of wanting to say hello.

”Hello, dear! I see you and your friend managed to make it after all.” That same woman spoke up. Much to Blaze’s distress, Amy moved out of the way, making her face the stranger. Slowly, Blaze’s looked up, her gaze meeting the kind one of an older rabbit woman with cream colored fur and brown patches on her ears. She was wearing a doctor coat which made Blaze’s heart beat faster. “It’s really nice to meet you, dear.” She outstretched a hand, but Blaze jumped and took a large step back, ducking behind Amy.

”She’s a little jumpy, I’m sorry…” Amy giggled, and turned to the cat, who had buried her face in her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay…”

”It’s understandable. Now, I’m not going to hurt you, alright? I’m here to help you, that’s why I became a doctor.”

”That’s a lie! Doctors are bad!” Blaze snapped, still hiding behind Amy. The hedgehog tried to calm her down by rubbing her arm.

”Well, why don’t we try to get to know each other, and then you can decide whether or not I’m a bad person, hm?” Vanilla tried, smiling gently.

”Yeah, isn’t that a good idea? Let’s just sit down and relax a little bit, okay?” Amy said, pulling Blaze and making her sit down on the edge of a bed, while the doctor grabbed her stethoscope.

The hedgehog tried to stand up to make room for Vanilla, but was stopped by Blaze’s hand shooting and getting ahold of her wrist.

”It’s okay. I’ll just pull a chair over to make room for the doctor.” She assured and snaked out of the cat’s grip, pulling over a nearby chair as she assured.

Vanilla took a seat the to Blaze, who shuffled away quickly at the sight of the unknown medical utensil. “W-what are you going to d-do with that?”

”This is a stethoscope, dear. I press this round end on your back and chest and I listen to check if your breathing is alright.” She explained calmly.

”Does it hurt?”

”No, it doesn’t. Here, give me your hand. I’ll press it there to show you that there’s nothing to be afraid of.” She offered, and Blaze complied fearfully. She shivered at the cold metal touching her knuckles, but she realized it was safe and tried relaxing. “Is everything alright now? Can I start consulting you?”

Blaze nodded with a gulp, allowing the woman to straighten her posture and lift her shirt, pressing the stethoscope on her back.

”Take deep and slow breaths.” The woman instructed, and Blaze did as she was told, feeling as the doctor moved the utensil around, checking different areas. Amy was looking at her like a concerned mother wanting to make sure her child was comfortable, which reminded Blaze of when Silver asked her if Amy was mothering her around. Still, the feline didn’t mind it and tried to focus on the cold utensil brushing against her back fur distressingly. “All done. Everything sound fine. No respiratory problems whatsoever.” She stood up next to a poster on the far wall opposite from Blaze, which was full of letters that were progressively smaller. “Let’s do a basic optical checkup. I’ll show you some letters and you’ll have to tell me what they are, alright Blaze?”

The cat nodded, remembering this sort of medical procedure, and straightened her back. Fortunately, she made out every single letter the doctor had shown her, leading to a positive result. However, she snaked away when the rabbit rubbed the sides of her neck with her fingers.

”Any pain?” She asked.

Blaze shook her head, and Vanilla moved to her side, pressing, but that didn’t result in any pain for the feline either. Still, the doctor was disturbed by the way she felt the girl’s ribs under her hand, and lifted her shirt a little bit to have a look at her disturbingly thin form.

”Now that’s a problem.” She frowned, motioning for Amy to have a look as well, while Blaze was gulping nervously. “You see how the skin goes below the ribs? These right here are clear signs of malnutrition. Even her face seems a little bit drawn…” She pointed out, running a thumb along Blaze's jawline. “Dear? Can I ask you something?”

The cat’s head snapped in the doctor's direction. “Y-yes ma’am…?”

”I know I’m a total stranger to you, so it’s fine if you don’t want to answer yet, but…back in that asylum, did you eat regularly?” She asked calmly.

Blaze shook her head quickly and vigorously. “Only the-the other patients…N-not me, ma’am…”

”Okay, thank you for telling me…Now, I’ll write you some vitamins. In the meantime, hop on the scale for me, please.” She requested, and Blaze stood up reluctantly, pacing towards the scale. When Vanilla came and noticed that her weight didn’t match with her height at all, she gave the feline an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry too much about it. As long as it isn’t giving you any hunger pains, it’s fine. You just have to eat a little more.”

”Okay…” She said in a small voice, hurrying back at Amy’s side.

“About you anxiety disorder, dear…Any itches? I don’t know, chest pains?”

”All the time…” Blaze said shyly, looking down and scratching her arm warmer.

”So, here’s what I made for you: during breakfast, some basic vitamins, you’ll eat rich meals, maybe with some natural juice; if you don’t like that, tea is fine, too. Daily walks. Amy, make sure to take her outside daily, fresh air is good for her. For lunch, I recommend light soups. For dinner, cooked meats, vegetables, make it consistent. And before bed, I’ll give you some melatonin pills to hep you sleep better. I suggest eight, maybe even nine hours of sleep. Is that alright?”

Blaze didn’t really listen but, fortunately, Amy did and quickly chirped that everything was in order.

“Well then, it was-“ Vanilla started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door and the woman smiled as if she already knew who it was. “Come it, sweetie!” The door opened to reveal a small bunny girl that was very similar to Vanilla, carrying a school backpack. The child rushed in and at her rabbit’s side, hugging her.

”Hello, Mommy!” She said happily.

”Hello, Cream! I was just finishing with a patient here and then we’ll go home, okay?”

The bunny turned and a big smile stretched across her face when she met Amy. “Hello, Miss Amy!” She hurried to the hedgehog and hugged her as well, like two old friends.

The hedgehog smiled, looking back at Blaze, who was terrified. The poor cat got so scared of the little girl that she climbed on the bed and cowered in a far corner, bringing her knees at her chest and hugging them while rocking back and forth and muttering small and intelligible words.

”Blaze, you can calm down now, this is Cream. She’s Miss Vanilla’s daughter.” Amy tried, but the feline didn’t listen as her breathing got more frantic.

The bunny got upset, large ears flattening against her head as she walked with small steps towards the cat, not sitting on the edge of the bed.

”Miss, I’m sorry I scared you…” The girl said shyly.

”I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna go home…” Blaze wasn’t listening, barely paying attention to her own words, shaking like a leaf and unable to open her eyes.

”Blaze, it’s-“

”Leave me alone!” The cat snapped, interrupting Amy and looking at her with scared and wide eyes.

“I’m sorry Miss Amy…I really didn’t mean to scare your friend…” Cream said.

”It’s okay, Cream. She’s just a little shaky. Thank you for having us, Miss Vanilla! We’ll be on our way now! Have a nice day!” She said, tugging on Blaze’s sleeve and motioning to her that it was time to leave, and the feline wasted no time in rushing out of the cabinet, pulling the hedgehog after her.

Blaze hurried down the hallway, the only thing she wanted being reaching the car and going back home. She was panicked and scared. She barely knew what happened. She had forgotten what a kid looked like. And so, seeing one being so happy frightened her.

Reaching the outside, Blaze didn’t mind the light anymore. However, Amy stopped her, snaking out of her grip.

”Blaze, slow down! It’s fine!”

”Where is the car?!”

Amy looked down, realizing that the feline wasn’t listening and quietly starting walking towards the car opening it and watching as Blaze slipped inside instantly. The hedgehog followed, closing the door but she refused to start the car yet.

”What are you waiting for?! Let’s go back to you place!” Blaze demanded.

”Hey, relax…You’re safe, we will go home. I just want to know what happened. You got really scared of Cream for no reason.”

”I made a fool of myself…” Blaze said shamefully, showing that she wasn’t absolutely incoherent. “I’m sorry…I really don’t feel like talking right now…Can we just go?” She pleaded, trying to control herself.

Amy sighed, nodding and starting the engine. Blaze was relieved to know she was finally going to return home, where she was safe.

However, Amy had other plans…

Chapter Text

It was getting rather late and so the sky was getting significantly darker, with the sun having already set, which triggered a sort of unease inside Blaze, who couldn’t wait to get back home at once.

She looked at the familiar streets, knowing the apartment building was near. Her heart rate slowed when she saw the welcoming parking on the other side of the road. However, unexpectedly, the car slowed down in front on the park opposite Amy’s safe and peaceful home, making Blaze instantly panic.

”What-what are you doing?!” She gripped on the seatbelt tight, not wanting to exit the car. The hedgehog just smiled briefly at her and opens the door, getting on the other side and opening the one on the cat’s side for her. Of course, Blaze didn’t show any signs of wanting to follow outside.

”Come on out! I wanna show you something!” Amy said cheerfully, unlocking the seatbelt and reaching for the feline’s paw to bring her up, but Blaze pulled away harshly.

”Can we do this another time, please! I just want to go home! It’s right there!” She motioned desperately towards the other side of the road, hoping Amy would listen, as she wasn’t really up for any other surprises.

”No, we can’t! It’s really important. You’ll like to, I promise! If you don’t, we’ll come right back.” She assured.

Blaze looked down, sighing and reluctantly stepping outside the vehicle, closing the door behind her and following Amy to the back of the car, where the hedgehog got a blue picnic blanket from the trunk.

She quickly locked the car and got ahold of Blaze’s paw, pulling her after her.

”Could you at least give me a clue about what this is all about?” Blaze requested. “It’s getting really dark, I don’t like this…” She pointed out. Indeed, the moon was showing, announcing the falling of night.

”You’ll relax. Don’t think too much of it, yet!” Amy giggled, pulling her down the paved alleys of the park. Blaze curiously looked at the grassy sides that stretched for long distances, and she didn’t even realize when Amy stopped in front of a lake illuminated by nearby lampposts. Around the water, there were many people with similar picnic blankets or sitting down on benches, looking up at the sky.

Blaze frowned, not understanding what was happening. The area was rather clear, devoid of any trees or bushes, and the sight of many people made Blaze shrink.

In the meantime, Amy settled the blanket on the grass and sat down, pulling on the cat’s sleeve to motion for her to sit down too.

”What are you doing-“

”Ugh, sit down at once!” Amy said, faking annoyance and pulled her down with strength, forcing the startled feline on her back. She squirmed, complaining, but the hedgehog kept her smile. “Stop it and look!” She pointed with a finger at the sky and, in an instant, Blaze’s eyes widened.

She was looking at the most beautiful sky, filled with tiny and shiny stars, with the round and full moon in a corner, completing the visage. Blaze tried to think of the last time she had witnesses such a beautiful scenery, but nothing came to mind, as a single tear rolled down her cheek, and her features were illuminated by a wistful and honest smile. “It’s…It’s so beautiful…” She managed, her breathing heavy and shaky.

Every drip of fear and distress left her, allowing the cat that had been tormented for so long to finally relax. Her shoulders slumped as she rested on her back, unable to stray her gaze from the blanket of stars. “Told you…” Amy whispered, not wanting to interrupt her friend’s stargazing. “I’ve never done anything like this with someone else…So I’m glad I get to spend more time with you through such activities.”

Blaze frowned. She was truly surprised the Amy seemed to have a rather lonely life, despite having may other friends and even a boyfriend. “But…you have a boyfriend…do you really not do…relaxing stuff with him?”

”I do. We sometimes go on dates at movie theaters. He really likes action movies…” She said and Blaze realized that she was avoiding the question.

“No offense, but I didn’t think you were the type to watch action movies…” She snickered, still looking at the stars. still, her arms were starting to become itchy, making her stray her gaze and look at the arm warmers that were meant to conceal her shameful actions.

”I’m not…But he likes them…I’m really not sure about our relationship anymore…” she said sadly, making Blaze look at her and take a brow. “Anyway, that’s not important right now! It’s us here, so let’s not talk about other people…”

Blaze nodded shortly, sitting up and rolling up one of her sleeves tugging on her arm warmer, taking it off and revealing the bandages that wrapped all the way up to her elbow.

”What are you doing?” Amy asked, curious about the fact that Blaze was usually nervous when showing her bandages.

”I’m itchy…” The cat said quickly, taking the other arm warmer off and settling it next to her, surprisingly starting to unwrap the bandages from her arms that slowly revealed healing cuts.

Amy smiled, realizing that Blaze was beginning to accept the signs of her disorder and stop being afraid to show them, and offered to unwrap the ones on her other arm. In the end, the feline sighed in content and lied back down, arms at her sides. The gentle wind whisked through her fur, biting at her cuts at first and making her frown uncomfortably. The hedgehog saw that and held her paw encouragingly, directing the cat’s gaze towards her.

Their eyes locked, and Blaze instantly realized just how close they were to each other, with Amy having lied down as well. Nervously, she shuffled away, and cleared her throat.

”Um…I don’t mean to be rude, but…What’s for dinner? I’m rather hungry…” she said with a shy chuckle.

”I can make some quick chicken breast with some veggies. If you want, we can watch a movie after. I have nachos and fresh avocados in the fridge. We can make guacamole.” Amy offered. “Is that okay?”

”Yeah, it’s great…” Blaze sighed with a small smile, looking at the sky once more. Unbeknownst to her, Amy was still holding her hand, adding for a soft and comforting gesture.

The feline knew that her cuts and scratches were fully visible and were a concerning sight to say the least, but in that very moment she didn’t care. It was just her and Amy, and that was enough.

Chapter Text

After having dinner and watching some random movie that was on Tv while enjoying some at home guac with nachos, which delighted Blaze beyond measure, the two girls ended the day by taking turns in the shower and changing in some more comfortable sleeping clothes.

Surprisingly, Blaze felt weirdly at peace settling down in bed, ready to close her eyes and let sleep come. She had stopped thinking about all the bad things that could happen while sleeping, such as nightmares or sleep paralysis. She knew everything was just a figment of her imagination and that Amy would be there to comfort her when she would wake up.

Still, one thought her mind stuck to was the way she acted to the doctor’s daughter. That little girl just wanted to talk to her and make her feel better, but she responded desperately, and she was worried she had scared her.

The pink hedgehog standing next to her noticed her friend staring blankly at the ceiling, and couldn’t help but raise questions.

”Are you okay? No offense, but you seem a little…blank. You usually do that when something’s wrong.”

”Even though we’ve met not even a week ago, you seem to have registered my reactions and expressions very well.” Blaze pointed out, looking at her with big and innocent eyes. Amy smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that little girl. Do you think I…scared her or that I was off putting towards her mother?” She asked with a low sigh.

”Nah, Vanilla is very understanding, and Cream even more so. If you ever want to talk to her, she won’t be opposed, I assure you.” Then, her expression lit up. “Hey, if you want, I can call Vanilla and ask if we could pick Cream up from school tomorrow. I sometimes have her hang out at my place if Vanilla hasn’t finished her shift yet. So…? What do you say? We pick her up and you get another chance at introducing yourself. She’s a really sweet and calm girl. In fact, her mother allowed me to bring her to therapy sessions with me alongside some really distressed patients, and they said she was a comforting presence. Therefore, you might end up wanting her around even more.” She explained, and Blaze nodded absently.

”Yeah…I’ll think about it.” The feline’s blood said, reaching with a shaky hand towards her temple and rubbing it gently.

”Did you take your pills?”

”Yeah, I even took some of that melatonin you gave me. I can only hope I’ll sleep better tonight.” She winced, and Amy placed her hand over hers, turning off the lamp with the other and shuffling closer to the feline, resting her head on her shoulder just to be closer.

Blaze had stopped being flustered by these gentle gestures, and appreciated the way Amy was acting to lovingly towards her, despite knowing her for a really short period of time. Therefore, she was put off by her nuzzling her head against her shoulder, but it did cause a twitch in her system.

”You feel just like her…” She muttered with a painful wince.

”Who?” Amy asked, not pulling away and just grasping the cat’s paw even tighter in what she hoped was a comforting manner.

”My girlfriend. She used to rest her head on my shoulder whenever she got the chance, especially when we slept together. She said I was a comforting presence to her.” She sniffled. “She-she said she loved me…”

”Well, I’m here now. And while I’m not the same as her, I care deeply about you nonetheless. It’s not the same kind of love you had with her, but I love you, too, you know?” The hedgehog said softly.

”R-really? You-you do?” Blaze asked nervously, rubbing her tired eyes.

”Of course I do, silly! You’re a very nice person. Now close your eyes and and try to sleep, okay?”

”Okay…” Blaze smiled, managing to stop herself from shedding any tears this time as she brought her other hand over Amy, hugging her tightly. “I love you, too…”

”Aww, that’s sweet.” The hedgehog cooed, hugging back and reaching for the plushie behind the feline, turning it on so Blaze could focus on the gentle lullaby while falling asleep.

However, before falling asleep, Amy swore the heard a low rumble coming from right next to her, but she didn’t have a chance to figure out what it was before losing consciousness.

Amy had woken up a little bit before Blaze, shuffling out of her hug, pleased with not having to deal with any nightmares that night. After doing her morning routine, she prepared breakfast only to realize that her feline roommate hadn’t woken up yet.

Curiously, she returned to the bedroom, to find Blaze sleeping soundly. However, she had moved on her own pink pillow and was nuzzling in it, holding a pink goofy-looking stuffed pig. Which also belonged to her. It must’ve fallen on the floor when Blaze moved the bed, and she must’ve absently picked it off the floor with one of her long arms and now was snuggling with it.

”Good morning, sleepy head! What are you doing down there.” Amy asked with an amused smug, shaking the cat’s shoulder to wake her up.

Blaze grunted, eyes squinting open. “mmm…Good morning…”

”All comfy under there?” Amy joked, making Blaze look around and jump at the realization that she wasn’t on her side of the bed anymore and holding something that by far didn’t belong to her.

”Oh…I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to.” She tried moving away, only to realize that…she couldn’t move. “What the…?”

”Is everything alright?”

”I can’t move…Lethargy…It happens to me sometimes. It’s okay, it’ll pass. But here…” she added, motioning towards the stuffed animal. “I didn’t mean to take it.”

”It’s okay. You need him more than me. If he helps you sleep, consider little snuggles here yours.” She said sweetly, pushing the plush back into her arms.

”Are-are you certain?”

”Of course. I’ll bring you your breakfast and the vitamin shot. We’ll see what we can do about your whole lethargic state after that.”  She noticed Blaze looking away sadly. “Hey…you’ll tell me if there’s something else going on, right?” She pressed a hand on her shoulder, checking her gaze for any reaction.

”Of course, Amy.” Blaze responded, letting her head sink in the pillow.

Chapter Text

Blaze rested with her back pressed against the frame of the bed, the blanket covering her legs as she stared at the plate in her lap, not really knowing what to do next, as she couldn’t feel her arms and therefore was unable of moving.

“Um, Amy? I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can…move…” The feline said shyly after the hedgehog had administered the injectable medicine effortlessly.

”Alright, I’ll take care of it.” Amy said from her seat on the edge of the bed, picking up the plate and starting to cut everything in small pieces, turning back to Blaze once it was all bite sized. “Here you go.” She smiled, sticking the fork in a piece of egg together with some corn bread and bringing it to the cat’s mouth.

”You really don’t have to do all this.” Blaze complained, aware of looking like a little helpless kid.

”I’m your caretaker and your pacient supervisor but, above all, im your friend. I feed you, clean you and treat you if need be. If you can’t do things yourself, I do them for you; the last thing I want is having you hurt yourself. Now eat.” She urged, and Blaze sighed, extending her neck and accepting the food given to her, chewing slowly and a little painfully with her sore muscles.

”That’s good, did you make that? You had regular bread before.” Blaze pointed out, motioning towards the corn bread.

”Yeah, it’s rather easy to make, and I though you’d like a little change. And it’s healthier, too.” Amy said while feeding Blaze, making sure not to hurry and wait a few seconds after her friend had swallowed. “You wanna take a bath after? I will have to help a little, so if you’re not comfortable yet, I understand.”

”I’ll think about it, thank you.”

”Have you thought about going to pick up Cream from school?”

”I’d like to, it’s just that…this Parkinson’s killing me…”  Blaze sighed.

”You think it’s Parkinson’s doing this? Not you MDD?” Amy frowned. “And I really don’t understand how you have Parkinson’s in the first place…You’re just thirty.”

”Hey, I’m twenty nine! Don’t make me seem even older!” Blaze joked, and Amy chuckled. “I know Parkinson’s is pretty rare among under fifties, but I was diagnosed at around thirteen or fourteen, and since then it’s kept giving me aches and pains, including causing some of the worst lethargy episodes ever.” She explained. “So yeah, I’m not blaming my depressive problems on this one.”

Amy continued feeding Blaze, who would sometimes stop to stare through the window sadly, thinking of a time when she could walk on her own outside. It all seemed so far away now…

”Hey…When did you say you’d start going to work again?” Blaze asked, nervous about the first time she’ll have to stay alone at home.

”I have nine more free days. Even then, I’ll work short shifts. If you don’t get a job until then, you can come with me anytime!” She offered with a gentle smile. “Tomorrow I was thinking about going to the mall to buy you some more stuff. You need a phone, too…”

”I feel bad. You’re not supposed to waste so much money on me.” The cat’s ears flattened against her head.

”No money I give to get you stuff is wasted. Until you’re back on your feet, you’re my responsibility, and I have to assure you have all you need.” Amy said sweetly, settling the now empty plate on the bedside table next to her. “Are you full? Do you want something else?”

”No, no, I’m full, thank you!” Blaze said quickly.

”I mean it. If you’re still a little hungry, I’ll bring you more.” She frowned at the feline, but her smirk betrayed her. “I know you! You’d never tell me you need anything! You should work on that. I’m here to help you, and if you ever want something, tell me.” Amy said, her voice strong and truthful. “Got it?”

”Y-yes, Ma’am!” Blaze said playfully, earning a soft shove from the hedgehog. “Ouch! Rough spine…”

”Oops, sorry, didn’t realize.” Amy chuckled. “Grumpy old cat…”

”’OLD’?!” Blaze snapped, still unable to stand properly. “I’ll have you know almost every girl in both high school and college wanted this! I am in my youth and I’m still hot!” The feline joked and Amy burst into a fit of laughter, soon accompanied by her friend.

”Oh, God…! I haven’t laughed like that in so long!” Amy wheezed, calming herself down and wiping a tear from her eye.

“Yeah…Me either.” Blaze pointed out. “Hey, is that bath you mentioned earlier still an option?”

”You sure you’re that comfortable with me?” Amy asked, wanting to make sure everything was fine with the feline and her request wasn’t simply to make her feel better.

”Yes, I am. After all, you’re my guardian and all that custodial stuff. We’d have to cross that line sooner or later.” Blaze replied. “Does it make you feel uncomfortable?”

”No, no, I’m fine!” Amy said quickly, waving her hands frantically. “I’ll go get everything ready. Sit tight for a minute and don’t try making any sudden moves.” The hedgehog advised as she left the room.

Absently, Blaze started scratching at her side, feeling a weird rash around a strangely itchy surface. Raising the hem of her shut a little bit, she peeked under her ribs, gasping when she noticed a large area where fur was shorter and she could clearly see patches of red skin. Immediately, she pressed a hand against her forehead, only to feel how hot it was.

The muscle pain. The fever. The rashes. Her tired eyes which were most like red. The way her throat felt a little clogged.

”Blaze, I’m back, are you-“ Amy noticed the feline looking at her hands with sheer panic in her eyes.

”Amy, I…I think I’m…sick…” the cat muttered shakily, as if refusing to believe herself.

The hedgehog looked at her for a second before pulling the feline to her feet, snaking her arms under her shoulders to support her and the other to guide her, making sure to take small steps so Blaze wouldn’t trip. The cat felt awfully lightheaded, wincing at the sudden white light of the bathroom.

Amy carefully lowered her friend on the stool next to the tub, before going through a cabinet and pulling out a thermometer.

”Alright, open up.” The hedgehog chirped, trying to retain a rather cheerful tone despite Blaze’s poor state. The feline complied, her heart pounding in her chest out of fear of actually running a fever.

A few minutes passed, and the device beeped, the cat pulling it out of her mouth, resulting in a sharp gasp and her eyes instantly widening. “It’s…bad…”

She handed the thermometer back to Amy to have a look herself. “106?! What?! How could it rise so fast?!” The hedgehog panicked, but stopped, realizing that she was probably worrying Blaze even further. “Alright, don’t panic. I’ll just give you a warm bath and then we’ll see what medicine should fix you up. Do you feel anything else?”

”Um…” The feline started, slowly lifting her shirt to show the pink hedgehog the large rash on her side. “…it really stings…”

Amy gasped. “Okay, then let’s move fast!” She urged, dipping her hand into the water to check if it was still warm enough.

Blaze wanted to take off her shirt, but she felt stuck gulping nervously. “You…won’t judge the way I look…right?” The feline asked, her voice trembling.

”Of course not…Come on, I’m sure it’s not that bad…” Amy encouraged. “I won’t even stare, I promise.”

Blaze nodded, taking off her pajamas and settling them next to her on the stool. However, when the hedgehog turned to face her, she instantly jumped and covered her mouth with both her hands.

What startled her was that, on the feline’s body, there were numerous large scars and stitches, around which fur wasn’t able to properly grow back. There were tufts of white fur, alongside a patch of burnt skin with dried hairs around it that was way too pale and contorted all the way around the back.

Scared, Amy unknowingly took a step back, while the feline’s ears flattened against her head. “Amy, I-I can explain…”

“No…No, you know what? It’s okay…” Taking a deep breath, the hedgehog reached forward with a hand, choosing to ignore the terrifying wounds present all around her friend’s body and helped her stand and get inside the bathtub.

”Are you sure you’re not uncomfortable?” Blaze inquired, feeling quite nervous herself as she didn’t really enjoy being completely exposed, despite knowing that she’d have to get used to Any helping her with things like this, with her being her guardian and all…

”No, I promise. Is it warm enough? Are you comfortable?” The hedgehog responded, giving her an encouraging smile and getting a soft sponge, rubbing it with some body wash.

Blaze winced, feeling a chill run up her spine as she hunched forward to hugging herself and covering her front with her arms while her tail shivered from getting wet.

”Try to relax a little bit…Say, do you want raspberry or honey body scrub?” Amy brought two small jars into Blaze’s view, and the feline pointed towards the pink raspberry one. “Do you…mind telling me how you got these…scars?” She asked slowly.

”Um…well…When I first got to the asylum, the doctors were, well…intrigued by my disorders. That, and they wanted to figure out why I got a violent mood swing and killed a guy…They were very fond of ‘electroshock therapy’…” She whimpered at those painful memories. “The stitches are just from incisions and…many scalpels and needles.”

Amy gulped, gently rubbing the feline’s back with the sponge in a comforting manner.

”But…But I’m here now! And…and you’re making sure I’m okay! You care about me, r-right?” Blaze asked shakily, looking up at Amy.

”Of course I do!” The hedgehog cooed, hugging the cat’s head gently before continuing to clean her. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me everything about your time in that horrid place…I understand. If you ever need more space, tell me and I’ll give it to you.”

”Of-of course! Thank you! You’re a-a really good friend.” She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand, wincing and sniffling, feeling her nose starting to run from the steamy surroundings.

Amy smiled warmly, proud of the fact that at least the feline trusted her and was aware that she cared about her. “This too shall pass…You’ll get better. Even if you’re sick, I’ll make sure you’re okay…” She paused, looking at the large spot on the cat’s back that lacked fur. “You’ll be okay…” Fortunately, Blaze didn’t see her frown.

The feline nodded absently, wanting to let Amy do her job. The hedgehog’s voice didn’t fail to caress her ears and tingle her senses once more, resulting in a warm feeling in Blaze’s chest.

The cat found herself smiling fondly, and a strange heat rose to her cheeks whenever she felt Amy’s hand brush her back. 

Chapter Text

“Can you sing? Like, with your voice, I mean? Or are you just like instrument-based?” Amy asked Blaze, who was now resting on the couch, eyes tired and trying to focus on some documentary that was on.

The hedgehog wanted to avoid looking at the news or listening to things that might be potentially sad, as the cat could have some major and rather snappy mood swings.

”I can…It’s been some time, but I think my voice is still there. It’s like…I feel it.” Blaze touched her throat, which was not so sore as it was before hence the warm air managed to get some of the log out. Also, she was wearing, besides a thick sweater, pants and socks, a bathrobe that the hedgehog borrowed her which, despite being a little short did its job well enough. “I really wanna try playing a little more.”

”And why don’t you?” Amy inquired, sitting next to her and sharing a bottle which contained some sort of medicine, alongside a spoon.

”I…I don’t want to disturb your quiet even further.” She admitted, watching as the pink girl poured a little bit in the spoon.

”Open up.” She chirped, and Blaze obliged, taking the medicine and swallowing before grimacing at its utterly disgusting taste.

”Awful…” she coughed, and Amy chuckled, putting the bottle away.

“So, about what you just said…You’re really not a bother! I mean it! You don’t disturb and your playing certainly won’t!”

”Well, I feel too tired right now, so it’s not like I can play…” Blaze muttered with a frown, feeling a wave of lightheadedness brush over her. She looked around, trying to find something else to ponder on, when her eyes fell on… a very messed up Rubik cube resting on one of Amy’s shelves, which instantly triggered a twitch and made her claws come out.

”What’s the matter?” The hedgehog asked worriedly.

Blaze growled. “That cube, goddamnit!” She snapped, finding it impossible to look away. “Give it!” She ordered and Amy soon complied, rushing to the shelf and grabbing the toy, bringing it to the feline, who snatched it out of the girl’s hands like a feral animal.

In a frenzy, Blaze started twisting and turning its sides with unnatural speed and, in less than half a minute, she exhaled sharply, hands trembling as she held…a perfectly solved Rubik cube. “How…? How?!” Amy couldn’t believe her own eyes. “I’ve been trying to solve it for ages, I’ve honestly given up on it! How did you solve it so fast after so many years?!”

”I’m an algorithmic person…” Blaze said numbly, almost unable to take her eyes off the cube.

”Can I…put it back?” Amy asked with a small smile, noticing the way her friend spaced out.

”Oh! Yes, of course! Here!” She jumped, returning the toy to Amy and letting her place it back where it belonged.

”You’re really smart, y’know? I’m impressed.”

Blaze’s ears pressed backwards and she bowed her head, blushing. “Um…Say, have you told your boyfriend about me yet?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

”Nope! And for now, I don’t think he has to know. You still haven’t gotten used to everything, so he can wait.” She said frowning. “You keep asking about him, is there a problem?”

”No, no, it’s just that…so far, you haven’t really made any good remarks about him, and…” she paused. “I guess I’m kind of worried about your wellbeing as well.”

”Aww, how sweet of you!” Amy cooed, leaning forward and lightly ruffling one of Blaze’s ears. “But you don’t have to worry your fuzzy head about me! I can take care of myself. And trust me, my relationship is fine.”

The feline shook her head to escape the touch and shuffled away, feeling a low murmur escape her throat. “Yeah, yeah, I just wanna make sure you’re okay…”

Amy chuckled, hearing that low noise, which she had heard Blaze produce when she slept. Connecting the dots in her head, she smirked mischievously. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

”Sure, I guess. Depends on the question.”

”Can you…y’know…purr, like cats do?” She inquired.

Blaze’s face flushed instantly, and she looked a way, mouth opening and closing as she tried to muster a word. “I…No! No, of course not! I’m not a normal house cat after all.” She chuckled nervously in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

”Well, then you wouldn’t mind if I…” Amy stood up, walking closer to Blaze.

”What, Wh-what are you-“

She was stopped by the pink hedgehog pushing her down with incredible force, her head hitting the arm of the couch with a soft thud. Pinned down and utterly defenseless, Blaze blushed deeply and tried to look away, but was stopped by Amy leaning closer and getting ahold of one of her larg ears.

Blaze winced as she felt the hedgehog’s fingers brush the back of her ear in a rhythmical and controlled motion, sending ripples of pure pleasure across her body.

The other hand moved to the feline’s cheek, stroking lower and lower until she reached her neck, and Blaze found herself tilting her head to the side to give her friend easier access.

The cat’s pupils grew unknowingly larger as Amy giggled and continued petting her and, before she realized it, a low and soft purr arose up Blaze’s throat, escaping her with each breath as her eyes closed in content.

”R-rouge…” the feline winced, a small smile stretching across her lips. She grabbed one of Amy’s hands, gently guiding her to rub all the most sensitive spots around her face and neck.

Amy heard the unknown name escaping Blaze’s lips and frowned, tilting her head to the side, not understanding what this was all about.

The feline sighed, a weird image of her and a bat woman with pure white fur hanging out together in a lounge like area, with the feline lightly strumming the strings of a guitar and the bat watching her intently. They made eye contact, and pure love radiated as Blaze blushed and looked away from the bat, who was all too quick to get ahold of the other girl’s chin and press her lips against her own.

The memory faded and Blaze’s eyes snapped one, her smile fading when she realized that the one touching her wasn’t the one from her dream. The purring stopped and was replaced by a sob as she pushed Amy away forcefully and covered her face with her hands, hiding the tears that were streaming down her face.

”Why…? Why did you leave me…Why can’t I be happy? Why? Why?!” Blaze yelped, anger bruising up and heat rising to her shoulders as she stood up, legs trembling from her sickness under her.

”Blaze, are you-“

”WHY?” Fire and sparks shot from the feline’s shoulders, making Amy cower away and yelp in fear.

Blaze whined, removing her hands from her eyes, realizing that she had just scared her friend and gasped, dismissing her flames and rushing past Amy.

The hedgehog tried to follow, but couldn’t stop Blaze before she slammed the door to the bedroom, locking herself in.

Amy desperately tried to unlock the door, twisting the knob and pulling and pushing with all her force. “Blaze! Blaze! It’s okay! I’m not upset! Please open the door!” She was afraid. But not for herself, but for her friend. She couldn’t imagine what she could do on her own after she locked herself in a room. After all, last time she was alone she bashed her head against a wall…That memory of the blood stained wall in her bathroom and with Blaze lying on the ground, almost passed out next to it made Amy gasp and continue knocking violently. “Blaze, please open the goddamn door!” She yelled, tears rolling down cheeks.

In the end, Amy broke down, sobbing, pushing herself with her back against the door and sliding along it until she sat down.

“Amy, please leave…” Blaze’s voice was heard from the other side of the door, trembling with fear.

”I’m not-I’m not l-l-leaving as long as you-you need me…” Amy sniffled. She couldn’t leave.

Chapter Text

Amy was desperate. She punched the door to the bedroom, screamed and begged for Blaze to open it, tried talking to her, tried breaking the knob and picking the lock, but every single one of her efforts proved to be futile.

From inside, no noise was heard. The feline stopped responding and apparently she wasn’t even moving, which only made Amy panic even further.

A dull headache settled on the hedgehog’s forehead, and she found herself panting from exhaustion and stress. She tried to convince herself that, as long as no particular noise could be heard, Blaze was most likely doing nothing.

Plus, she wouldn’t put staring endlessly at a wall for hours on end, utterly disconnected from everything going around past the cat, hence her disorders often made her space out completely. And Amy truly hoped that was the case and that she didn’t find something to hurt herself with.

”Blaze? I’m going to the kitchen. Do you-do you want anything?” No response. She didn’t want to leave, but she felt herself getting dizzy and a wave of fatigue threatened to make her legs wobble under her. “Call me if anything happens…”

She stood up, rushing to the kitchen and sitting down on one of the stools, putting her head in her palms and grunting. Her eyes were wet from crying, and her body was still a little bit wrecked by sobs.

Between sobs, she got herself a glass and filled it with water, emptying it in seconds. She brought a hand to her forehead, feeling a dull migraine settle in. Through fatigue and pure despair and fear, she looked to her side at the vacant piano.

Any felt agitated, thinking of all the things that she let slip. She should’ve been more observant of Blaze and how the acted towards herself. She was reluctant to resume her passion, she was scared to go outside, she was afraid of children because she hadn’t seen one in a really long time.

The hedgehog’s breath picked up pace and became high-pitched. She felt as if she was choking and she knew it was her own disorder causing this.

You should’ve done more

You should’ve been more careful

You’re just making things more difficult for her

You’re just a liability

You’re nothing to her

She will kill herself because of your negligence!

Amy’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. It had been so long since she last heard that awful and hurtful voice in the back of her head.

Instantly, the girl rushed back to the door of the bedroom, trying the knob once more, only to yelp in frustration as this attempt didn’t help her any.

Sweating, Amy closed her eyes, leaning against the hard and cold wooden door. She tried to take a deep breath, then another and another, wanting to calm herself down so she could try to solve this situation logically.

”Blaze? I know you don’t want to talk, and I won’t make you. But can you at least knock on the door once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no’?” She asked.

A short knock was heard, and Amy’s heart fluttered. The pink hedgehog still felt a little bit of fatigue brushing over her, but knowing that the feline was at least willing to communicate was a relief.

”Are you okay in there?”

Another knock.

”You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

Two knocks. Amy sighed in relief. She nodded to herself. She wanted to take some medicine. Still, she never was one to rely on medicine to shake the fatigue away. But she had to do something to distract herself. She had to drive the dark thoughts away.

”Hey…Amy?” Blaze’s small and shy voice was heard from within the room. “Are you okay…?”

“I-I am…” she winced painfully, pressing her ear against the door.

”Good…That’s good…I’m sorry I locked myself in, I just…don’t feel safe coming out y-yet…”

”It’s alright…I’m not upset. Do you…need anything?”

A long pause followed. “You have cigarettes on a table in your balcony, rights?”

”I…Y-yes, I do…You saw them?” Amy asked shakily, feeling a little embarrassed. She didn’t really want to show Blaze that she indulged herself in such unhealthy habits.

”You smoke inside…I figured that out, too…” Her voice was deep, but it didn’t sound accusing. “Your room smelled like smoke when I got here…”

”Yeah, sorry about that. Where are you going with this?”

”Can I-can I have one?” Blaze asked shyly, her voice muffled by the door between them.

Amy sighed. “Only if you open the door.”

A low growl. “I’ll crack it open for you to slip the cigar through. But I won’t let you come in…yet…Sorry.”

”Deal.” Amy gave in and stood up, going to the living room and unlocking the door to the balcony, retrieving a half empty package of cigarettes. She only pulled out one and returned to the bedroom door, knocking softly.

Surely enough, the lock clicked open and the door cracked open and Blaze’s open hand slipped through, asking for the cigar. Amy looked at it for awhile, before reluctantly placing it in her paw.

A loud thud was heard, followed by a finger snap and a long exhale. Amy figured she had used her powers to light the cigar, not even bothering to ask for a lighter.

“Do you-“

She was stopped by a long wheeze and a short cough. “You are…my fire…” Was her slurry and melodic voice bleeding through the open crack. “The one…desire…”

”Blaze, are you-“

”Believe…when I say…” Her deep tone blended with the slow and soft rhythm perfectly, and Amy smiled softly, recognizing the song. “…I want it that way..”

“Tell me why…” Amy joined in with a soft chuckle.

”Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache…” A little cloud of smoke puffed out through the crack, and Amy continued, smiling warmly.

”Tell me why.”

”Ain’t nothing but a mistake!”

”Tell me why!”

“I never wanna hear you say…I want it that way!” She trailed off with a chuckle that unexpectedly turned into a muffled sniffle, making Amy’s smile turn into a look of worry.

”Wait, what? What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?” She was about to enter, but instead Blaze snaked out of the bedroom and brought Amy into a tight and warm hug, burying her head into her shoulder, still holding the smoking cigar between her two fingers.

Before she could get her response, Blaze pulled away and sat down with her back pressed against the wall next to Amy.

”I am. I really am. And it’s all thanks to you, Amy.” She looked away, puffing some smoke from the cigarette. “I’m sorry I’m difficult sometimes. I’m sorry I do illogical stuff. I’m sorry that I make your life harder.” The cigar burned out and Blaze closed her fist, and it dissolved into pure dust as small sparks came from her hand.

”Was…that woman you mentioned…Rouge…your girlfriend?”

”Yeah…She was the best thing that ever happened to me. But… when she found out about my schizophrenia, she said that we couldn’t work out together and left me…I was so mad after that.” She winced. “I gave her all my best, and all she cared about was some-“

”Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. One day you’ll find someone who accepts you for you. I believe in that.” Amy touched her shoulder.

“I mean, you seem to accept me for me. Maybe I’ll get lucky a second time…” She smiled, and turned her head, her cheeks heating up once more when she realized her muzzle was way too close to Amy’s.

Nervously and blushing, Blaze stood up and cleared her throat. “Say, uh…I’m feeling a little better! Wanna go pick up that kid from school?”

”Really? You’re willing to go?”

”Sure! Why not?” She smiled briefly, wanting to go to the bathroom to get a little freshened up and escape the embarrassment of standing unprofessionally close to her guardian, but she got stopped by Amy grabbing her sleeve.

“Just so you know, you have a beautiful voice.” The hedgehog smiled and Blaze nodded.

Unknowingly to Amy, the cat’s heart skipped a beat and it swelled, her stomach churning as if butterflies were swarming inside and her face heating up. Blaze swallowed hard, not really knowing what all this meant…

Chapter Text

Blaze and Amy were currently sitting on the couch, talking about some things here and there. The feline kept warming up to the pink hedgehog, revealing more and more things about her past. The other girl didn’t want to pressure her too much with therapy sessions, but this setting was good too, hence it helped the cat unwind a little bit.

They even had a slice of strawberry cheesecake, at which Blaze admitted that sweets seemed sweeter than the way she remembered, but sugar didn’t bother her that much. Even more so, it made her feel more energetic and willing to participate in certain activities.

However, their peace and quiet was interrupted by a rapid and intense knock on the door. While Blaze jumped, Amy only shivered and a worried look was plastered on her face. She knew the one person who knocked on the door like that.

”Who-who could that be…Amy?” Blaze asked shakily, cowering in a corner of the couch.

The hedgehog sighed. “Relax…It’s Sonic…My boyfriend…Just be cool.” She stood up reluctantly and walked to the door, interrupted by another knock.

She extended a shaky hand towards the knob, twisting it uncomfortably and hearing the loc click. Before she had a change to pry the door open, it was pushed with incredible force by the person on the other side, who instantly lunged and hugged Amy.

The girl yelped, getting muffled by a quick kiss on the lips. She heard a male chuckle and her vision cleared, meeting the emerald colored eyes of a tall blue hedgehog with a coy smile on his tan muzzle.

”Heya, Babe~” He slurred attractively, wriggling his eyebrows sensually, sending a shiver up Amy’s spine.

”Hi, Sonic! What-what brings you here?” She asked nervously, glancing at the couch to notice that Blaze was no longer there, only adding to her distress.

”What, am I not allowed to stop by my beautiful girlfriend? I was around and I couldn’t help myself!” He grinned, pulling away from her and walking inside the living room, Amy following closely behind him, completely distressed. “So…Whatcha been up to? Ya haven’t called Good Ol’ Bluey here in a good minute!” He joked, but a drip of seriousness and accusation leaked from his tone.

”Yeah, well, I’ve been busy with a little something…” She chuckled nervously.

Suddenly, Sonic frowned and got a little too close to Amy, glaring at her suspiciously. “Hey…You aren’t hidin’ somethin’ from me, right…? Amy…?” He pressed a hand on her shoulder.

”I…I-uh…”

”She was busy with me…Sorry if she didn’t slide you into her timetable with me around.” Blaze’s deep and utterly emotionless voice came from behind the hedgehog, startling both of them.

Sonic turned and looked up at the feline, and only then Amy truly realized how tall she was. Blaze was a good few inches taller than Sonic, eyeing him with a weird glint in her eye, but that for some reason made Amy feel safer as she slid away from Sonic’s grasp and snaked her was to Blaze’s side.

”Wooh, and who are you sneaking up on me with that freaky ass glare?!” Sonic frowned, clearly not enjoying being looked down on.

Blaze cleared her throat. Amy searched her gaze, only then realizing that her friend had changed clothes, now wearing a black turtleneck and black jeans with grey socks, not showing any weakness. If anything, it was a little scary seeing her so blank. Unpredictable.

Before Amy could speak up, Blaze started. “I’m Blaze. Your girlfriend, Amy here, helped me out of a pretty bad situation and now she’s helping me get back on my feet. She was kind enough to share her apartment with me for the time being.” She avoided the important parts, like how she was a patient from an asylum.

”O…Kay… And when were you going to tell me about this, Ames?” Sonic asked cocking his head to the side.

”She didn’t have the time to inform you…” Blaze hissed under her breath, clearly losing her patience with his complaints. “Be a little sensitive about her…She had a packed week. If there’s anyone you should be upset with, it should be me.”

”Yeah…” He managed, only looking more suspicious. “Say…Amy, would ya like to go out sometimes? Or you can always come by my place…” His confident smirk returned, and she scooped Amy closer to him, arm wrapped around her waist and his hand going way to low for Blaze’s comfort, and she couldn’t help but growl. “Oh, right…You, uh…Do you at least have your job? Cuz from what ya told me, what was that ‘bad situation’? Were ya homeless of somethin’?”

Blaze growled, leaning a little closer. “No, hedgehog…I was not homeless…” She hissed threateningly, but he chuckled it off.

”Hey, now, no need to get all fired up…Just jokin’!” He trailed away with a smirk, turning to Amy. “So she was homeless…”

Blaze heard that and her fist clenched, a weird type of twitch growing in her brain, making start shaking with anger.

”She really wasn’t, Sonic…Can you stop saying such things?” Amy backfired, although she seemed to shrink in front of him, her perky attitude now long gone.

”Aighty then…So, wanna go out? Or are ya too busy with…what’s your name again? Burst, or something’ like that…”

At that mockery, Blaze couldn’t stand it any longer and inched way closer to his face.

”Listen, you little-“ she was about to throw some very painful words when Amy split them apart, grabbing Blaze’s arms and looking her deep in the eye.

”Relax…Take a deep breath…Calm down…” she whispered slowly, and, surely, Blaze unclenched her fists and sighed, turning and retreating to the bedroom without saying another word.

”That’s right, walk away!” He grinned victoriously. “Um, hey Amy, is she bothering ya? Cuz, y’know, 9-1-1 is still active…Maybe they can send her to one of those mental asylums-“

”DON’T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!” Amy shouted, forcefully grabbing his shoulders.

”Woah…Okay, you’re a mood today…” he frowned. “You know, I thought you’d be more loyal to your boyfriend. You’ve been avoiding dates lately…not calling. I suggest you reconsider this change, Amy, cuz you’re starting to lose me…” He shook his head, and Amy’s eyes widened.

”I-I’m sorry, Sonic…”

”It’s okay…Tell ya what…Get this chick a getaway for the evening and I’ll crash by…We can watch some movies…cuddle, like the cute couple we are…” He chuckled sensually, pressing his lips against her own once more.

”O-okay…I’ll try…” Amy said shakily.

”Great! I’ll take my leave, then! See ya, babe!” And as quick as he came, he left, slamming the door behind him.

The hedgehog exhaled in relief, tears threatening to escape her eyes. She was about to go check on Blaze, but she came out first, now dressed in normal house clothes. “Blaze, are you-“

”That little…shit…He dares mock my name…Stupid son of a bitch…” She swore, eye twitching with anger.

Amy placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, managing a soft smile. “It’s going to be okay…He’s gone now. I promise he isn’t like this all the time.”

”He said you should send me to a mental asylum! A fucking mental asylum!” Her breath picked up pace, and Amy finally realized that her friend was fighting back tears. “You-you can’t send me back! You can’t do this to me!” She yelled desperately, pure fear dripping out of her voice.

”I won’t…I won’t, it’s okay…” Amy hugged the tall feline gently, rubbing her back in soothing and circular motions.

”Please-please don’t abandon me…!” She sobbed, holding tighter onto the hedgehog.

”No…I would never, Blaze…You’re not going anywhere…You’re safe and you’ll never go back to that place…”

”P-p-promise…Promise you’ll…n-never give up on m-me…” She sniffled, wetting Amy’s shoulder.

”I promise…I’ll never leave you…”

Amy felt absolutely miserable…

Chapter Text

“What if I scare her again? What if I get scared again? What if I get a panic attack? What if-“

”Stop it!” Amy raised her voice once she pulled over, pressing her hands on Blaze’s arms to stop her from rambling. “It’s going to be okay. Why don’t you go in the back so you and Cream can talk on the way back home?” She suggested, leaning and opening Blaze’s door for her.

The feline gulped and nodded reluctantly, slipping outside. Her eyes widened instantly when she saw that they were in front of a large school, kids screaming and laughing everywhere.

Instantly, a panic response itched at Blaze’s heart and she felt like she was suffocating. In a frenzy, the cat slipped inside the car, snaking as far away from the door as possible.

“Try to relax a little bit. Cream won’t hurt you.” Amy spoke, turning in the driver’s seat to talk to her. “Oh, here she comes!”

Blaze’s heart skipped a beat and, looking out the window, she noticed the little bunny from yesterday excitedly approaching their car. The feline tried convincing herself that it’d be okay, rubbing her face with her paws.

A chill ran down her spine when she heard the door next to her click open, followed by a soft thud and a childish voice. She covered her face with her hands, not wanting to look at anyone around her.

”Hello, Miss Amy! Thank you for picking me up from school! I see you’ve brought your friend, too. Hello!” She chirped. Blaze knew she was being talked to, and nervously removed one paw from her eye, meeting the friendly gaze of the bunny, alongside a small smile.

“H-h-hey…” The feline managed shakily, noticing that the bunny had her hand outstretched, as if asking for a handshake.

Gulping, Blaze offered her hand and reluctantly grasped the girl’s little paw, shaking it slowly. “I’m Cream. I’m really sorry I keep scaring you, Miss, I don’t mean to do that…” She said, her voice dripping with sadness as her ears pressed against her head.

Blaze studied her thoroughly, noticing how she indeed didn’t seem to intend on hurting her. Therefore, she slowly straightened her back, her gaze fixated on her small form. “It’s alright…I…I apologize if I scared you, as well.” She said, cocking her head to the side. “I…haven’t interacted with children in awhile and you just surprised me a little bit…”

”Well that’s okay! I hope now we can get to talk and know each other. If it’s no bother, that is.” The bunny smiled warmly, and Blaze looked a little bit to the side at Amy, who was smirking.

”Yes…That sounds fine. I’m Blaze, by the way.”

”It’s nice to meet you, Miss Blaze!” She chirped, and the corner of the feline’s mouth twitched upwards.

”Alright, we all good back there?” Amy asked.

”Yes.” Blaze said plainly. “Let’s go back.” She urged, truly wanting to just go back home and get some more rest. She was grateful that she didn’t scare the poor kid too much. The last thing she wanted was to look like a crazed person in front of a child…

Blaze tapped her foot nervously on the carpet in the hallway of the apartment as the pink hedgehog worked on unlocking the door. She couldn’t help but notice how Amy was rather skittish. She didn’t speak on the way back home, like she normally did. She looked a bit sad, actually, and Blaze was getting a little bit worried.

Despite not really knowing her roommate as much as Amy had gotten to know her, the feline cared deeply for the girl, and the last thing she wanted was for her to not feel good, even though she could often be the one to make her feel upset, an unintentional habit she hated.

Once the door opened, Amy took the lead and showed Cream where to leave her backpack in the living room and was then about to go to the kitchen, most likely to start cooking dinner, when Blaze stopped her, grabbing her sleeve and making the hedgehog spin around to face her.

”Is everything alright, Blaze?” She asked, masking a platonic worry, which made Blaze frown even deeper.

”Yeah…Actually, I was going to ask you that; you seem a little distant, Amy. Is something the matter? Did something happen? I truly hope I didn’t do anything…”

”No, no! You haven’t done anything even remotely wrong, don’t worry…It’s just that…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I have a little problem.” Blaze raised an eyebrow. “Sonic wants to come this evening, so we can hang out. He thinks I’ve been neglecting him. Problem is…he can’t have you here.” Blaze clenched her fist and, noticing that, Amy grabbed her hand, rubbing her thumb against her tense knuckles. “It’s just…after Cream leaves, could you go upstairs and hang out with Silver and Shadow for a few hours, so me and Sonic can watch a movie or something?” She pleaded.

”I-I don’t really feel comfortable-“

”I know you’ve gotten a little bit attached and-“

”I’m not attached to you, for the love of God, Amy!” Blaze snapped. “I’m a grownup, I can take care of myself!” She growled, claws seething out. “I’m afraid for you! I don’t feel comfortable leaving you on your own with that guy!”

”I know you don’t like him, but he’s actually really nice, otherwise I wouldn’t be in a relationship with him. Please? Just for two and a half hours at most. I’ll be fine.” She squeezed the cat’s paw. “You’ll be fine.”

Blaze looked down, sighing. “Fine.”

Amy smiled, gently hugging Blaze’s shoulders. “Thank you. Now why don’t you go ahead and…I dunno, help Cream with some homework while I make dinner?”

”Sure…” Blaze said with sadness dripping from her voice, ears now flattened against her head as she returned to the living room, where the little rabbit had patiently taken a seat at the edge of the couch and was holding a large book. “What are you reading?” The feline asked flatly, sitting down next to her.

”Oh, there are these really hard play written by Shakespeare. It’s as if it’s a whole different language.” She pouted, as memories of all the study she had done on literature years ago flooded Blaze’s mind.

”Well, it sort of is.” She said skittishly. The bunny turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Most people think that English was only split in two: old English and modern English, which isn’t entirely true… You see, during the Middle Ages, what was then old English moved a little further away from its Germanic origins and borrowed accents and even words from other languages, such as French, creating what can be called Middle English.”

”So there were three English-languages, and how does that help me?” Cream asked.

“Well, the first step in understanding a book is knowing what language it is written in. Shakespearean English is a newer version on Middle English, but that enters the modern English category, even though it sounds like a different language. Yes, it is full of metaphors and kennings, but the grammar is very similar to what we have now. Take it little by little, try to look into the characters. Shakespeare can’t really be rushed when you read it first time around, but you get the hang of it.” Blaze explained.

”How do you know so much about literature, Miss Blaze?”

”Well, it kind of was a major part of my life, especially at college. Shakespeare was a personal favorite.” She smiled gently. “What play is it?”

”Hamlet…It sounds boring but interesting at the same time…it’s weird.”

”It is, but the story behind it is actually very enticing and moving. Do you just have to read it, or…?”

”I have to read the first act and complete some papers with what I understood from it. But so far, I’ve only managed to fill one blank.” Cream said, looking disappointed.

Blaze threw an eye over the papers and then back at the book in the bunny’s hands. “Hey, I’ll tell you what: we’ll go through the first act together, and we’ll go slowly and I’ll explain the methanols, the archaic forms, and then we can focus on completing the blanks. How does that sound?” She smiled briefly.

”You’d really help me? Even after I scared you yesterday?” Cream looked at her with her big chestnut eyes, and that deep stare made Blaze’s heart swell.

”Sure…It’s the least I can do…” Blaze muttered, looking away and, before she knew it, she felt two small arms wrapping around her torso, paralyzing her in a hug. “Uh…”

”Thank you, Miss Blaze!” She heard the little girl say, her voice muffled by the feline’s shirt.

”No-no problem…” Blaze said slowly, patting the bunny’s head to shake some of the embarrassment away.

Still, it felt pretty good…

Chapter Text

“You were right, it is quite an interesting play once you get to know it!” Cream said happily, closing her notebook once she had finished the last sentence of her homework with the help of Blaze, of course, who was resting on the couch next to her with a soft and pleased smile on her face.

”It was quite enjoyable, I must admit. It’s been awhile since I’ve read anything…” She sighed, looking away.

”Thank you for helping me, Miss Blaze! It was really fun doing my homework with you. My teacher is always so stuck up and boring and he barely explains things in class and then he gives us incredibly hard tests where we somehow have to deduce everything…” she pouted, ears flattening against her head.

”Are you struggling with literature?” Blaze asked slowly, figuring out that Cream might have gotten a not so good grade on a test and now her overall score wasn’t too good.

”A little bit…I just have to study hard for the next test…”

”Hey, um…if you want, and if you mother agrees, too, you can come by a little more often and I can help you with literature even further, I’m sure Amy wouldn’t mind.”

”Really?” Cream smiled brightly, eyes beaming with light. “Oh, thank you! That’s so nice of you!”

”It’s no problem. Amy even says that keeping myself busy with things like these is good for me. It stops my mind from…thinking too much.” Blaze muttered, scratching her head nervously.

”What do you mean?”

”I…I thought your mother told you already.” Blaze cocked her head to the side. “About what was going on with me.”

”She didn’t. She just said you were in a pretty bad situation and that Miss Amy is helping you recover.”

”Yes, but recover from what?” Blaze pushed.

”She said your mind was a little bit disoriented. Isn’t that it?”

The feline sighed. She shouldn’t bother. She shouldn’t tell this kid what was actually going on with her. She should leave it as this. “Yeah…That’s it…” She was stopped by a knock on the door, causing her to stand up as Amy instantly came out of the kitchen. “I think that’s your mother. I’ll take you.” She threw the hedgehog a glance, and the girl nodded back with an encouraging smile.

Blaze slowly picked up Cream’s backpack and lead her to the hallway, where she unlocked the door to reveal Vanilla, whose doctor coat was still visible under a jacket, showing that she had just gotten back from work.

”Good evening, ma’am.” Blaze winced, instantly straightening her back and pushing Cream in front of her as if to show that she was unharmed.

”Good evening, dear! Hello, Cream!” She greeted them both with a bright smile. “Oh, I hope asking you to take care of her wasn’t too much of a hassle…I know how distressed you were the other day. How are you feeling, dear?” Vanilla asked Blaze, her sweet tone tingling the feline’s ears.

”I’m managing, Miss, thank you. Your daughter was a comforting presence really. I’d be more than delighted to have her around more often.”

”Well, then I’m glad! Cream, did you have fun?”

”It was great, Mom! Miss Blaze is really smart and she even helped me understand my literature lesson better.” The bunny said happily, and Blaze’s mouth twitched.

”Oh, isn’t that so…” The woman chuckled. “Well, I’m so happy you two got along just fine. Now Cream, say your goodbyes.”

”Goodbye, Miss Amy!” Cream said a little louder so the hedgehog could hear her, who was standing in the hallway, her gaze utterly blank, making Blaze frown. “Goodbye, Miss Blaze.” Cream chirped, holding the feline’s paw into her own. “I hope you get better soon!”

”Uh…Thank you…Good evening Miss Vanilla…Bye, Cream…” She managed as the woman saluted her and was beginning to walk down the hallway towards the elevator.

Without her even noticing, Amy’s hand came and pulled the front door shut for Blaze, locking it before throwing her roommate a weirded out glance.

”What’s wrong?” The feline wondered, not lifting her gaze from the ground.

”Dinner is ready. Wash your hands and come to the kitchen. We’re eating there today…” Amy said, not too sternly, but her tone was far too blank and caused Blaze to get a sudden itch on the back of her neck.

Still, Blaze followed suit, as obedient as she was, even though fear had already began to grow in her chest. The feline sat down on one of the stools as a bowl with creamy looking noodles that had some meat pieces around, alongside a boiled egg cut it half.

”It looks good. Thank you!” Blaze said, having been quite some time since she had ramen.

”Sorry I didn’t have time for anything-“

”No, no, it’s great!” The feline stopped her. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’re the one who’s struggling and working to cook for me everyday. If anything, I should be apologizing. Plus, I remember liking ramen!”

”Amy sat down next to the cat, pushing a pair of chopsticks towards her. “Do you remember how to use those?”

Blaze hummed, spreading the chopsticks apart and fiddling a little bit with her hand but, soon enough, she got them in the right position and could easily tap them against each other to show that she had gotten the hang of it.

”Say, um…Are you nervous for this evening?”

”What makes you say that?” Blaze wondered, fiddling a noodle around the two sticks and managing to take her first bite, instantly savoring it immensely.

”Your tail is swishing around and you keep tapping your foot on the floor.” Amy said, causing Blaze to instantly stop her repeated gestures. “Don’t forget that I’m a psychiatrist. I know body language.”

”Yeah…you’re right, I’m a little nervous. It’s just that…ever since I got out of the asylum, you’ve always been close to me, always ready to act in case something popped up. And when you weren’t there, I…” Blaze blinked quickly, remembering the time she bashed her head on a wall to stop her rampaging mind from hurting her. “I’m afraid of getting attached to you, but it seems I’ve already done it. And now, I have to leave you again for a few hours now.”

”But you won’t be alone!” Amy said softly. “Silver and Shadow will be there in case something happens, and they’ll call me and I’ll be right with you-“

”Yes, but I NEED YOU THERE!” Blaze yelled, turning to the hedgehog as her hand slammed against the table. “Sorry…Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell…”

”It’s alright…Look, I know this must be hard for you, but sooner or later, we’ll have to cross this line. You’ll be safe. Nothing is going to happen to you or me. I promise.” Blaze wasn’t so sure, but it wasn’t like she had much of a saying in this. “Now finish your dinner. I’ll take you upstairs afterwards.”

”You forgot the vitamin shot…” Blaze pointed out.

Amy sighed. “After you eat…”

“Ow!” Blaze winced when the needle stung her arm, making Amy frown, as she had never shown this sort of reaction.

”Are you okay? You seem a little more sensitive.” The hedgehog said, wanting to examine Blaze’s arm a little bit to make sure nothing was wrong, only for the feline to yank in backwards.

”I’m fine.” She huffed, pulling her sleeve over her arm. “Let’s just go upstairs and get this over with…”

Amy sighed sadly, nodding shortly and approaching the hallway, wanting to unlock the door. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

”I’ll manage. I’ll try to watch some Tv with Silver to focus on something else and hopefully I won’t have any twitches.” Blaze didn’t make eye contact with Amy.

”Do you want a hug?” The hedgehog tried to smile, opening her arms, only for the cat to frown.

”Nah…I’m not in the mood.” She huffed and, in that moment, Amy felt like her heart shattered in a million pieces. “Just…be careful.” Blaze added, her voice deep and serious, tentatively touching the shorter girl’s shoulder.

Amy nodded and unlocked the door. She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. Blaze had never rejected a hug. She always wanted to receive such comfort.

What has she done wrong?

Chapter Text

“I’m so glad we finally get to spend more time together like this!” Sonic said with a large grin on his face, one of his arms wrapped around Amy’s shoulders.

They were watching some cheap action movie Sonic had found on some channel, about some sort of superhero. And Amy wasn’t feeling any of it. The way the blue hedgehog jumped at every explosion in pure delight, always loud and…not really paying attention to her. Any time the girl would try to say something, he was absolutely mesmerized by the Tv.

”Yeah…I’m glad, too…” she muttered, even though she wasn’t feeling that at all. Truth be told, even though Sonic was her, her apartment felt kind of empty…She missed Blaze. She wished she were here, and not Sonic.

No. No, she liked that Sonic was here. He was her boyfriend. Of course she enjoyed his company. Of course she…

”Hey, is everything alright, Ames? You seem super out of it today?” He asked, surprisingly turning down the volume.

”Yeah, I’m just…a little worried about Blaze. She’s never been far away from me for more than twenty minutes, and I’m-“

She was stopped by Sonic, who burst into a fit of laughter. “No way! Oooh, sorry! I thought-I thought you were serious for a sec there! Wooh!”

”I am being serious!” Amy frowned.

”WOW…wait, what? You mean you actually care about that freak?”

The hedgehog’s ear twitched. “She isn’t a freak! She’s just scared and a little lost, and of course I care about her!”

”Why would you care about a crazy person from an asylum?!” It was his turn to raise his voice.

“How? How do you know that she is from an asylum?” She asked in pure shock.

”Shads told me. What, you didn’t expect me to find out sooner or later?! Were you going to keep this from me?!”

”I-I…”

”You what?! You pay a ton of money to let a crazy bitch loose, and you let her stay in your fucking house?!” He shouted, and Amy shrunk in front of him.

Her hands trembled and, before she realized it, one of them smacked Sonic’s cheek and she yelled. “Don’t you dare call her such things!”

For a second, Sonic fell silent, not saying a single word, his head bowed and his hand rubbing his cheek, until a low growl was heard coming from his direction.

”You little…” He hissed under his breath and, with no warning, shot upwards and pushed Amy against the couch on her back, hands on her shoulders, completely paralyzing her. His expression was that of pure rage. Still, something else dripped from it, as a coy smirk formed on his muzzle. Lust… “If you won’t do something, then I’ll just take care of it myself by calling the cops…”

”No-MFFFF” Amy was shut up by Sonic pressing his palm against her mouth as her leaned closer to her face, completely pinning her down as he loomed dangerously over her, making Amy tremble with fear and her eyes to widen.

”But not before teaching you a lesson~” he whispered in her ear with a dark chuckle and his hand moved lower, reaching her chest.

Amy gasped, yelped and tried to scream under his gag, but was helpless as he undid one of the buttons of her shirt…

Silver’s and Shadow’s apartment was very similar to Amy’s in what concerned its layout, but it was a little more empty, without any house plants and shelves with books all around the walls, which was most fortunate for Blaze, as it couldn’t possibly trigger her OCD. However, that didn’t mean she was okay…

”Hey, you wanna watch a movie? I found this really cool musical on Netflix! Amy said you like music! Ya wanna give it a try?” Silver pried, leaning way too close to the distressed feline, who was glued to the couch in the living room, staring blankly at the Tv screen. She knew there was something playing, but she couldn’t focus on any of it.

She felt terrified. Blaze looked at the white hedgehog who was smiling encouragingly at her, clutching the remote with pure excitement readable on his features. “Um…what did you say?” She asked, sounding completely blank.

Almost three hours had passed since Amy dropped her there, and she hasn’t done anything in particular but stay and watch some Tv.

However, anxiety soon started to creep in, and she couldn’t help but notice that Amy hadn’t returned when she said she would. Blaze couldn’t help but continuously look at the clock on the wall, listening to every tick with anticipation and dread growing in her chest.

She couldn’t keep staying here. She wanted to go home. What if something happened? What if that weird hedgehog guy was doing something to her.

”Um, I think we should check on Amy.” She said, ignoring Silver and looking past him, at Shadow.

”She should be here any minute now. Don’t worry.” He said plainly, clearly trying to let her know that everything was fine. However, his comforting tone didn’t match Amy’s in the slightest.

”Please, just one phone call! She told me that she’d come back after three hours at most. She hasn’t. What if that guy did something to her?” She asked desperately, standing up and stepping closer to the black hedgehog.

Shadow sighed, pulling the phone from his pocket and quietly dialing Amy’s number. He waited a few seconds, and Blaze frowned as tension grew in the room. Her heart dropped when she heard a beep and the call entering her voice mail box. “W-why isn’t she picking up?” She asked shakily, pure fear readable on her features.

Shadow frowned. “Something’s wrong. Amy always answers. I’ll go check, you too stay here-“

”No way, I’m coming!” Blaze snapped, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him backwards forcefully.

”Absolutely not. You’re my responsibility while she isn’t here, you’re leaving this apartment.”

”I’m not asking. Now get out of my way!” She yelled, her eyes burning with rage.

”Hey, guys, let’s clam down here!” Silver stepped in. “Shadow, just take Blaze with you and let her see for herself that Amy’s fine. I understand her, y’know. She just wants to make sure.”

Blaze blinked, mutely thanking Silver for defending her gesture. Shadow grunted, opening the front door and allowing the feline to step through, wasting no time in rushing to the elevator.

Amy screamed. She squirmed. She tried to run, and for a second it actually worked. She took refuge in the bathroom, for almost an hour, legs trembling and breath hitched, not knowing what to do. But Sonic proved to be stronger, and pushed through the barricade, seizing her once more.

The poor girl ended up on her bed. Unable to speak as a piece of duct tape covered her mouth. Her hands were tied behind her back by an old rope that painfully dug into her skin. And what’s worse…her clothes were gone, and Sonic was looming over her, with pure hunger in his eyes.

Tears started spilling out of her eyes, and quiet sobs muffled by the tape shook her weak body, knowing what he wanted to do to her. In those agonizing moments, as he started running his hands all around her body, brushing against senzitive tufts of soft fur, Amy’s mind was racing with thoughts. She should’ve listened to Blaze. She shouldn’t have let him in. She shouldn’t have left her. When she’ll find her, she’ll have to say what happened, and that would destroy Blaze, hence Amy knew she’d blame herself for everything.

”What’s wrong, pinky~? Want more? C’mon, you gotta admit. You love it~” He said sensually, breath against her neck as Amy sweated and panted weakly, violently shaking her head. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to go lower…”

As Amy’s heart started racing, her assaulter was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

”Wait here, babe~ I’ll be with ya in a sec.” He said, standing up and exiting the bedroom.

Reaching the hallway, he brushed a hand through his quills so he wouldn’t seem so messed up, and unlocked the door, barely creeping it open.

He frowned instantly at the sight of Shadow with Blaze behind him, looking utterly pissed off.

”Hey, man! What’s poppin’?” Sonic asked with a smirk.

”Good evening, Sonic. We were just wondering how Amy was doing, hence she said she’d come to pick Blaze up from mine after three hours at most and she has bypassed that time stamp.” He explained calmly.

”Oh, she’s fine. Yeah, we finished that movie and know we’re just hanging around. Well, bye now!” He tried shutting the door, but was stopped by Blaze’s foot.

”Where is she?” She asked, eyes staring dangerously at him.

”She’s in the bathroom. It’s not disturbing someone, y’know. But I get it, you must’ve forgotten with how long you’ve spent in that crazed people cell.” He chuckled, and Blaze’s ear twitched. She growled threateningly, but Shadow tried to stop her from doing anything by putting a hand on her shoulder.

”MOVE!” She snapped suddenly, pushing the door with such force that it hit Sonic an made him stumble backwards. By the time he got up and was about to shut the door in their faces, the two were already inside.

Blaze rushed all about the house and, once she reached the bedroom, a gasp of pure terror left her body. “Shadow!”

Amy locked eyes with her, looking terrified beyond imagine. Her body curled and shook uncontrollably, as Blaze kneeled by the bedside reached for the blanket, wanting to cover her shaky naked form.

Shadow also entered the bedroom, and he instantly started working on undoing the ropes around her wrists.

In the whole commotion, Sonic frowned and took his chance to leave to house, shutting the door quietly. However, even that almost inaudible sound reached Blaze’s ears, making her stand up and frown.

She was running on pure anger and, without either Shadow or Amy noticing, she snuck out of the room and rushed through the hallway, instinctively sliding a kitchen knife out of its socket when she bypassed the kitchen before quietly exiting the house.