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Description
It was the beginning of yet another December, and Knuckles the Echidna reclined beside the Master Emerald.  It was snowing in the mountains on Angel Island, while falling as rain in the forest below.  He stood up, looking towards the mainland; Station Square was bustling with activity.  He never saw much of his friends this time of year, and he wondered why this time of year was so important to them.  He glanced at the Master Emerald and said to himself, “You’re a cruel beauty, keeping me tethered to this island all year.”  Breathing a deep sigh he continued, “However, the activity of the mainlanders, and the reason for this commotion, eludes me still.”
     Knuckles was annoyed with his duty of guarding the Master Emerald, for he couldn’t leave it, and it was a burden at times.  He could never see his friends as much as he wanted; he knew that they revered this time of year, and had no idea why.  A forlorn feeling enveloped his heart, making this time of year burdensome to him.
     Meanwhile, the beginning of the Christmas season was a great event for Sonic and his friends.  Lights were hung, presents were being purchased, and the whole town was in an uproar over the arrival of the Christmas holiday.  The friends had gathered at Amy’s apartment, and were busy decorating her Christmas tree.  Tails gently placed the star on top, and Sonic made putting the lights on less of a chore, while Cream and Cheese put on the garland.  Amy brought out the box of ornaments and sat them down.  Seeing the tree, she smiled and said, “The tree looks magnificent!  This is going to be a fantastic Christmas!  Now all the tree needs is some ornaments…”
     Sonic nodded in agreement; he and Tails started to hang the ornaments.  Cream walked over to Amy and said, “Do you ever wonder about Knuckles this time of year?  It must get lonesome for him sometimes, having to stay on Angel Island all the time to guard the Master Emerald.  He must wonder what we’re doing.”
     Tails looked at Cream and said, “Poor Knuckles, bound to the island everyday…it must get lonely for him, especially around Christmas.  I wish we could do something for him, but what?  He only leaves the island if the Master Emerald is in danger, otherwise there he remains.  Imagine, not ever celebrating Christmas, I know I can’t.”
     Sonic shook his head and said, “Maybe it’s better that he not know about it.  You know how the ways of our world get to him.  Imagine how he’d react to finding live trees being cut down and decorated.  However, it would be nice to do something for him, don’t you agree Amy?”
     “Yeah Sonic, it would be nice to try and cheer him up.  We’ll all have to fly out to Angel Island and visit him.  He should be included in our festivities somehow.  He is our friend after all,” Amy explained.
     Tails said, “Then that’s what we’ll do!  I can have the X Tornado ready by tomorrow.  I’m sure Knuckles will appreciate a visit with us.  The least we can do is try and explain to him what we’re doing this time of year.”
     Therefore, the group decided to go visit Knuckles the following day.  That next morning, the sky was clear and a blanket of snow covered the ground.  The troupe took off for Angel Island, finding the forest untouched by the snow, while the mountaintops were capped with a fresh layer.  Knuckles could see the X Tornado coming, and he was filled with excitement at their arrival.  He quickly descended the stairs and ran to meet them.  When he found the X Tornado, he quickly tried to hide his exhilaration; he tried to act as if their visit meant nothing to him, while inside he was thrilled to see them.
      Sonic jumped off the wing of the plane and helped Amy out of the cockpit.  She looked around and said, “Wow, the precipitation must have turned to rain before it hit the ground.  It’s so warm here.”  She took off her jacket and tossed it back in the plane.  Tails, Cream and Cheese climbed out of the plane and joined them.
     “Well, we know where Knuckles is.  He’s up with the Master Emerald as usual.  I can’t imagine remaining in isolation all of the time.” Tails said.
     “Of course you can’t imagine it, yet in isolation I remain.  What brings all of you here?  I usually never see you when the season changes from autumn to winter.  What makes this year any different?”  The group looked and could see Knuckles leaning against a tree nearby, his arms folded across his chest, his violet eyes gazing at them intently.
     “We came to visit you because of Christmas!” Tails said happily.
     “Christmas?  Is that what all of the commotion is about where you live?  What in the world is Christmas anyway?” Knuckles asked.
     “You mean you don’t know what Christmas is?”
     “You mean to tell me you expected me to know?”
     Tails was about to say something, but paused, looking at Knuckles in amazement.  Sonic placed his hand on Tails’ shoulder, bent his head down and whispered, “Knuckles has never celebrated Christmas before.  I imagine even before the echidna clan was all but wiped out that they didn’t celebrate Christmas either.  It might take a lot of explaining for him to understand what Christmas is all about,” into the fox’s ear.
     Knuckles stood silently for a few moments.  He shook his head and said, “I’ve come to expect not seeing you all; I’m just wondering why this “Christmas” thing excites you the way it does.”
Amy looked at him and said, “Tell me something Knuckles.  Did the echidnas ever have special days of the year that they held in reverence, like the start of the new year, or someone’s birthday?”
     Knuckles scratched his head and said, “You mean a festival?  The echidnas celebrated the New Year; we also celebrated the beginning of the new season, as well as the summer and Winter Solstices.  We celebrated the births of children and marriages in the tribe.  However, our biggest festival came when the new guardian of the Master Emerald was instated.  We held that ceremony with the utmost veneration.  Those were events that we’d celebrate.  Are you saying that this “Christmas” you speak of, is a celebration for you?”
     Amy smiled and said, “Exactly Knuckles.  We celebrate Christmas on December 25 every year.  We decorate trees with lights and ornaments, spend time with family and friends, and give each other gifts.  Christmas is one of the days we celebrate every year.”
     Knuckles cocked his head to one side, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.  He said quietly, “Christmas…Christmas…”  He repeated it slowly as if it sounded strange to him.  He looked at the group and said, “Show me…what you are talking about.  Show me how you celebrate Christmas, for I haven’t spent a festival with friends for years now, and I long to celebrate with people again.”
     Sonic walked over to the echidna and said, “Whatcha gonna do about the Master Emerald Knuckles?  You aren’t just gonna leave it here are you?”
     Knuckles glanced in the direction of the Master Emerald’s altar and said, “Of course not.  I can’t leave the Master Emerald unprotected.  I’ll just have to take it with me.”  With that, he started back to the altar, and the others looked at each other in confusion.  The echidna explained that he could control where Angel Island fell to, and that when Christmas was over, he could raise it back in the sky as he usually did.  With that matter resolved, the group headed back to Station Square to show Knuckles how they celebrated Christmas.
     It took a lengthy explanation to enlighten Knuckles about how they celebrated Christmas.  It wasn’t easy even then for him to understand the Christmas traditions that the others had grown accustomed to.  Trying to wrap presents was a challenge for him.  The scissors were hard for him to use, and he instead used his knuckle-claws to cut the paper neatly.  He had trouble enough with folding the paper tidily around the gift.  Even after Amy helped him, he got into a terrible tangle with the scotch tape, and made a complete mess out of things.  After that little adventure, he succeeded in wrapping one gift, only to find moments later that he had wrapped up his own hand by accident.
     That was just the beginning.  Knuckles got electrocuted hanging lights, slipped numerous times on ice that coated the sidewalk, and was sickened by the holiday treats that everyone was baking.  The peppermint candy canes specifically were bizarre to him, and the sensation they gave his nose, was a harrowing experience for him.  Ironically, the fruitcake appealed to him, as did buttered rolls, banana bread, and any unfrosted cakes.  Even plain sugar cookies made him ill, but he managed to keep a positive attitude about it.  Everyone thought that he was having a miserable time.  Christmas Eve made them uneasy; they wondered how exasperated he would be for making him participate in their holiday.
     Christmas Day came, and a blanket of snow covered the earth.  In their excitement, the group forgot about Knuckles and ran straight for the Christmas tree.  They immediately opened their presents…their anticipation unable to be restrained any longer.  Awhile later, Tails shouted for Knuckles to come join them, but there was no response.  Tails ran back to where Knuckles had been resting to check on him.
      Sonic sighed saying, “He must’ve gotten fed up with everything and gone back to Angel Island.  I can’t blame him; he must’ve been miserable.”
      Tails came back and said, “The Master Emerald is still here.  He would never leave it behind…he must—“
      Then, they heard someone in the foyer, and Knuckles appeared carrying a stack of perfectly wrapped presents in his arms.  He sat them down and looked at the group with a smile on his face.  “Merry Christmas!” he said joyfully, “I hope you like your gifts!”
       He handed them all a package and said, “You won’t believe how happy I was to learn that they’ll wrap these things for you at the store.  I never wanna do that again.”
       Amy looked at Knuckles and said, “But Knuckles, we thought you were having a miserable time!  You act like you’re really happy!”
       He shook his head and said, “I am happy Amy.  One thing I remember about the echidna festivals was that they were a time of gathering to celebrate special events.  I’ve had a wonderful time these past few weeks.  I don’t need presents, or treats, or even decorated trees to have a good time;  just getting to spend time with you all and get away from that lonely life on Angel Island was a good enough gift for me.  I want to thank you all; I’ve never been so happy in my life.  You’ve made my first Christmas a happy one and I can’t wait to celebrate it again next year.”
       The room was silent, and Knuckles balled up some wrapping paper and tossed it at Sonic, hitting him in the head; rousing him from his thoughts.  Knuckles grinned and said, “What’re you waiting for?  It’s Christmas!  Open your gifts before I die of anticipation!”
       The group laughed merrily and went back to opening their gifts.  Knuckles had had a wonderful first Christmas, and while it wasn’t the kind that the others had wanted for him, he had truly enjoyed himself.  He knew what holidays meant to him, and that was being together with family and friends.  He knew that while he had to go back to Angel Island and guard the Master Emerald that he would always have his friends throughout the year to keep him company…and a celebration called Christmas, where the true meaning of the holiday, was found in your heart.

Description
It was the beginning of yet another December, and Knuckles the Echidna reclined beside the Master Emerald.  It was snowing in the mountains on Angel Island, while falling as rain in the forest below.  He stood up, looking towards the mainland; Station Square was bustling with activity.  He never saw much of his friends this time of year, and he wondered why this time of year was so important to them.  He glanced at the Master Emerald and said to himself, “You’re a cruel beauty, keeping me tethered to this island all year.”  Breathing a deep sigh he continued, “However, the activity of the mainlanders, and the reason for this commotion, eludes me still.”
     Knuckles was annoyed with his duty of guarding the Master Emerald, for he couldn’t leave it, and it was a burden at times.  He could never see his friends as much as he wanted; he knew that they revered this time of year, and had no idea why.  A forlorn feeling enveloped his heart, making this time of year burdensome to him.
     Meanwhile, the beginning of the Christmas season was a great event for Sonic and his friends.  Lights were hung, presents were being purchased, and the whole town was in an uproar over the arrival of the Christmas holiday.  The friends had gathered at Amy’s apartment, and were busy decorating her Christmas tree.  Tails gently placed the star on top, and Sonic made putting the lights on less of a chore, while Cream and Cheese put on the garland.  Amy brought out the box of ornaments and sat them down.  Seeing the tree, she smiled and said, “The tree looks magnificent!  This is going to be a fantastic Christmas!  Now all the tree needs is some ornaments…”
     Sonic nodded in agreement; he and Tails started to hang the ornaments.  Cream walked over to Amy and said, “Do you ever wonder about Knuckles this time of year?  It must get lonesome for him sometimes, having to stay on Angel Island all the time to guard the Master Emerald.  He must wonder what we’re doing.”
     Tails looked at Cream and said, “Poor Knuckles, bound to the island everyday…it must get lonely for him, especially around Christmas.  I wish we could do something for him, but what?  He only leaves the island if the Master Emerald is in danger, otherwise there he remains.  Imagine, not ever celebrating Christmas, I know I can’t.”
     Sonic shook his head and said, “Maybe it’s better that he not know about it.  You know how the ways of our world get to him.  Imagine how he’d react to finding live trees being cut down and decorated.  However, it would be nice to do something for him, don’t you agree Amy?”
     “Yeah Sonic, it would be nice to try and cheer him up.  We’ll all have to fly out to Angel Island and visit him.  He should be included in our festivities somehow.  He is our friend after all,” Amy explained.
     Tails said, “Then that’s what we’ll do!  I can have the X Tornado ready by tomorrow.  I’m sure Knuckles will appreciate a visit with us.  The least we can do is try and explain to him what we’re doing this time of year.”
     Therefore, the group decided to go visit Knuckles the following day.  That next morning, the sky was clear and a blanket of snow covered the ground.  The troupe took off for Angel Island, finding the forest untouched by the snow, while the mountaintops were capped with a fresh layer.  Knuckles could see the X Tornado coming, and he was filled with excitement at their arrival.  He quickly descended the stairs and ran to meet them.  When he found the X Tornado, he quickly tried to hide his exhilaration; he tried to act as if their visit meant nothing to him, while inside he was thrilled to see them.
      Sonic jumped off the wing of the plane and helped Amy out of the cockpit.  She looked around and said, “Wow, the precipitation must have turned to rain before it hit the ground.  It’s so warm here.”  She took off her jacket and tossed it back in the plane.  Tails, Cream and Cheese climbed out of the plane and joined them.
     “Well, we know where Knuckles is.  He’s up with the Master Emerald as usual.  I can’t imagine remaining in isolation all of the time.” Tails said.
     “Of course you can’t imagine it, yet in isolation I remain.  What brings all of you here?  I usually never see you when the season changes from autumn to winter.  What makes this year any different?”  The group looked and could see Knuckles leaning against a tree nearby, his arms folded across his chest, his violet eyes gazing at them intently.
     “We came to visit you because of Christmas!” Tails said happily.
     “Christmas?  Is that what all of the commotion is about where you live?  What in the world is Christmas anyway?” Knuckles asked.
     “You mean you don’t know what Christmas is?”
     “You mean to tell me you expected me to know?”
     Tails was about to say something, but paused, looking at Knuckles in amazement.  Sonic placed his hand on Tails’ shoulder, bent his head down and whispered, “Knuckles has never celebrated Christmas before.  I imagine even before the echidna clan was all but wiped out that they didn’t celebrate Christmas either.  It might take a lot of explaining for him to understand what Christmas is all about,” into the fox’s ear.
     Knuckles stood silently for a few moments.  He shook his head and said, “I’ve come to expect not seeing you all; I’m just wondering why this “Christmas” thing excites you the way it does.”
Amy looked at him and said, “Tell me something Knuckles.  Did the echidnas ever have special days of the year that they held in reverence, like the start of the new year, or someone’s birthday?”
     Knuckles scratched his head and said, “You mean a festival?  The echidnas celebrated the New Year; we also celebrated the beginning of the new season, as well as the summer and Winter Solstices.  We celebrated the births of children and marriages in the tribe.  However, our biggest festival came when the new guardian of the Master Emerald was instated.  We held that ceremony with the utmost veneration.  Those were events that we’d celebrate.  Are you saying that this “Christmas” you speak of, is a celebration for you?”
     Amy smiled and said, “Exactly Knuckles.  We celebrate Christmas on December 25 every year.  We decorate trees with lights and ornaments, spend time with family and friends, and give each other gifts.  Christmas is one of the days we celebrate every year.”
     Knuckles cocked his head to one side, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.  He said quietly, “Christmas…Christmas…”  He repeated it slowly as if it sounded strange to him.  He looked at the group and said, “Show me…what you are talking about.  Show me how you celebrate Christmas, for I haven’t spent a festival with friends for years now, and I long to celebrate with people again.”
     Sonic walked over to the echidna and said, “Whatcha gonna do about the Master Emerald Knuckles?  You aren’t just gonna leave it here are you?”
     Knuckles glanced in the direction of the Master Emerald’s altar and said, “Of course not.  I can’t leave the Master Emerald unprotected.  I’ll just have to take it with me.”  With that, he started back to the altar, and the others looked at each other in confusion.  The echidna explained that he could control where Angel Island fell to, and that when Christmas was over, he could raise it back in the sky as he usually did.  With that matter resolved, the group headed back to Station Square to show Knuckles how they celebrated Christmas.
     It took a lengthy explanation to enlighten Knuckles about how they celebrated Christmas.  It wasn’t easy even then for him to understand the Christmas traditions that the others had grown accustomed to.  Trying to wrap presents was a challenge for him.  The scissors were hard for him to use, and he instead used his knuckle-claws to cut the paper neatly.  He had trouble enough with folding the paper tidily around the gift.  Even after Amy helped him, he got into a terrible tangle with the scotch tape, and made a complete mess out of things.  After that little adventure, he succeeded in wrapping one gift, only to find moments later that he had wrapped up his own hand by accident.
     That was just the beginning.  Knuckles got electrocuted hanging lights, slipped numerous times on ice that coated the sidewalk, and was sickened by the holiday treats that everyone was baking.  The peppermint candy canes specifically were bizarre to him, and the sensation they gave his nose, was a harrowing experience for him.  Ironically, the fruitcake appealed to him, as did buttered rolls, banana bread, and any unfrosted cakes.  Even plain sugar cookies made him ill, but he managed to keep a positive attitude about it.  Everyone thought that he was having a miserable time.  Christmas Eve made them uneasy; they wondered how exasperated he would be for making him participate in their holiday.
     Christmas Day came, and a blanket of snow covered the earth.  In their excitement, the group forgot about Knuckles and ran straight for the Christmas tree.  They immediately opened their presents…their anticipation unable to be restrained any longer.  Awhile later, Tails shouted for Knuckles to come join them, but there was no response.  Tails ran back to where Knuckles had been resting to check on him.
      Sonic sighed saying, “He must’ve gotten fed up with everything and gone back to Angel Island.  I can’t blame him; he must’ve been miserable.”
      Tails came back and said, “The Master Emerald is still here.  He would never leave it behind…he must—“
      Then, they heard someone in the foyer, and Knuckles appeared carrying a stack of perfectly wrapped presents in his arms.  He sat them down and looked at the group with a smile on his face.  “Merry Christmas!” he said joyfully, “I hope you like your gifts!”
       He handed them all a package and said, “You won’t believe how happy I was to learn that they’ll wrap these things for you at the store.  I never wanna do that again.”
       Amy looked at Knuckles and said, “But Knuckles, we thought you were having a miserable time!  You act like you’re really happy!”
       He shook his head and said, “I am happy Amy.  One thing I remember about the echidna festivals was that they were a time of gathering to celebrate special events.  I’ve had a wonderful time these past few weeks.  I don’t need presents, or treats, or even decorated trees to have a good time;  just getting to spend time with you all and get away from that lonely life on Angel Island was a good enough gift for me.  I want to thank you all; I’ve never been so happy in my life.  You’ve made my first Christmas a happy one and I can’t wait to celebrate it again next year.”
       The room was silent, and Knuckles balled up some wrapping paper and tossed it at Sonic, hitting him in the head; rousing him from his thoughts.  Knuckles grinned and said, “What’re you waiting for?  It’s Christmas!  Open your gifts before I die of anticipation!”
       The group laughed merrily and went back to opening their gifts.  Knuckles had had a wonderful first Christmas, and while it wasn’t the kind that the others had wanted for him, he had truly enjoyed himself.  He knew what holidays meant to him, and that was being together with family and friends.  He knew that while he had to go back to Angel Island and guard the Master Emerald that he would always have his friends throughout the year to keep him company…and a celebration called Christmas, where the true meaning of the holiday, was found in your heart.