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Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
Written by: Jade Lightning
Chapter 2: The Dewdrops on the Grapevine

   It was morning yet again for Angel Island and all who inhabited it.  The birds began to sing their habitual songs, bringing new life to the island as it awoke from its nightly slumber.  Every creature began to stir, including Amy Rose, who still lay peacefully beside the Master Emerald and safe from harm.  Her eyes fluttered open as the faint glow of the morning sun crept above the horizon and shown down upon her and the great jewel.  She rubbed the sand out of her eyes and turned to look for Knuckles.  She expected him to be where he was before, sleeping beside her and keeping her safe.  However, this was not the case.  Knuckles was nowhere to be found.  Amy stood up and looked around.  She picked up her backpack and thought, “Knuckles would never leave the Master Emerald unprotected for too long.  He must have left a little while ago.  I wonder if I should go look for him or not.”  Amy looked back at the Master Emerald.  She noticed that it glowed with a light that rivaled even the sun and moon.  She wanted to place her hand on it, but remembering what Knuckles had said to her long ago she controlled this impulse.

   Amy looked down the stone steps, and deciding to go look for Knuckles, she began her descent from the shrine.  Once she got to the bottom, she paused, shading her eyes with her hand, and gazed into the woods.  “Hmm, where would Knuckles go this early in the morning?” she asked herself quietly.  After a few seconds of silent thought, Amy readjusted the backpack straps to make them more comfortable on her shoulders and then started her trek into the forest.  She had become accustom to the forest paths over the years she had known Knuckles.  As she walked, she began to trail into her own daydreams that for her were memories of her past with Knuckles.  While her physical self was still aware of the world around her, her subconscious mind began to drift back to a time when things were simpler for the two, and when her love for him just started to bloom…

   It was an unusually warm autumn evening on Angel Island, but then again, the winters were always warm as the summers were always mild on the Floating Island.  Knuckles and Amy had spent the day together as they often did.  Amy was collecting flowers to press in a book.  She had known Knuckles for a couple of years by this time and had come to love the unusual variety of flowers that grew on Angel Island, many of which she had never seen before.  She picked blooms from her favorite flower bushes and made her way to a spot in the woods where she and Knuckles spent much time together.  It was near a grapevine that Knuckles, grapes being his favorite food, often frequented, and this particular day was no different.  He found Amy sitting nearby putting the flower blossoms between pieces of wax paper and then placing them between the pages of a book.  Knuckles did not understand what she was doing; for all his life, he had picked flowers only to give them to his mother.

   What she was doing startled him, and bewildered him as well.  He ran over to her and said, “Amy, what are you doing to those flowers?  Why are you putting them in that book?  You’re gonna kill them!”

   Amy looked at him.  She took his hand and pulled on it slightly so he would kneel down next to her.  After he did so, she let go of his hand and went back to her book.  She looked at him again and said, “I’m pressing the flowers into the book.  The wax paper will keep them from wilting and drying out.  I’m collecting them because I love all of these flowers.  I’m not trying to kill them.  What I’m doing will preserve them for years to come.  That way, I’ll always have something to remember our friendship by as long as I live.”

   Knuckles nodded, trying to give Amy the impression that he understood.  However, he was still slightly confused.  He stood back up and walked over to the grapevine.  He picked off a few of them and started popping them in his mouth while glancing over at Amy every once in awhile.  After about ten more minutes, Amy placed the last flower into the book and gently closed it.  She hadn’t noticed where Knuckles had gotten off to so she stood up and called, “Hey Knux!  Where did you go?”

   Knuckles was only a few yards away and could hear her calling for him.  However, he had never been called “Knux” by her before and he was again puzzled by her actions.  He called back to her saying, “I’m by the grapevine Amy!”  A few moments later Knuckles could see Amy approaching him with her tote bag slung over her shoulder.

   When she got to him, Knuckles said, “Hey Amy, what’s the deal with you calling me Knux?  Why did you do that anyway?”

   “What do you mean?  Hasn’t anyone ever called you Knux before?  It’s just a nickname…,” Amy started.

   “What I mean is…well, just don’t call me that alright!”

   “Knuckles wait!  What’s wrong?” she asked.  By this time though, Knuckles had taken off into the forest, running as fast as his little legs would carry him.  Amy ran off after him, hoping to catch up with her friend and find out what was bothering him so much.

   After a few minutes, Amy caught up with Knuckles.  He had tripped over a tree root and was sprawled out on the grass holding his right leg just under the knee.  He cringed at what must have been terrible pain in his leg.  Knuckles could not help but cry.  Amy gasped and ran over to help him.  She cried, “Knuckles?  Knuckles!  Are you alright?”

   Poor Knuckles was so embarrassed to have Amy see him like this.  He wanted to get up and run away so he could find a nice tree to climb and hide in.  However, his leg hurt so much that he couldn’t even bear to take his hands off it.  Amy knelt down next to him when she got to his side.  He opened his eyes long enough to see her beside him.  He was so upset, but he was in so much pain he began to forget his embarrassment.  Amy slid her tote bag off her shoulder and put her arm around Knuckles and hugged him to comfort him.

   “Awwe, its okay Knuckles.  You’re gonna be okay.  I’ll look after you don’t worry.  Everything will be alright Knuckles.  Please don’t cry,” Amy said.  She pulled her favorite pink handkerchief out of her dress pocket and dried the tears from his eyes with it.  Knuckles opened his eyes again and found that as hard as he tried, he just couldn’t keep from crying.  It wasn’t his wounded leg that made the tears flow…it was something else that made him weep uncontrollably.

   Amy smiled at him and though he was still weeping, he managed a faint smile of his own.  She glanced down at where he held his leg tightly and she asked, “How bad is it?  Have you even looked?”

   Knuckles shook his head and replied, “N…no, I’m too afraid to.  Amy, it hurts really, really badly.  Why don’t we just leave it at that?”  Just as he finished saying this, a shot of excruciating pain coursed through his leg, and he cried out in anguish as a result.  Simultaneously, he took one hand away from his leg and grabbed onto Amy, hanging onto her for dear life.  She looked into his eyes and saw for the first time, a hint of pain in his rich purple eyes.  She finally realized that even he could not completely hide his emotions.  He gasped as he tried to breathe while choking on his tears.  He then cried, “This really hurts Amy!  What’s wrong with my leg?  I…I want my mom back!!”  Knuckles continued to sob uncontrollably as he slid into Amy’s lap and tried to forget the pain.

   “Poor Knuckles, he must really be hurt.  For him to cry for his mother after all this time, he might be injured very badly.  What should I do?” Amy thought.  She took her hand and rested it on his head, stroking his hair to try to soothe him.  Then she noticed that he had removed his other hand from his leg.  Amy’s heart sank when she saw his injury.  His leg had snapped a little below his knee.  His right leg was broken and he needed help urgently.  Amy remained strong for Knuckles, knowing that this was a time when he needed her the most.

   Amy began to wonder what she could do.  Just then, she remembered something that her dad had taught her.  He had taught her how to make splints when they found a bird with a broken wing.  She figured that if she could put a splint on a bird’s wing, she could put one on Knuckles’ leg and it would help him in the same way.

   She looked down at him.  She could hear him crying softly for his mother.  Amy’s heart wept for him.  It must have been so hard on him not having his mother, father, or any of his family or tribe left, and now he was hurt.  She resolved to do anything she could to help him feel better.  She whispered, “Hey Knuckles?  I’m going to help you, but you need to let me get up for a few seconds.”  Then she looked and saw a patch of soft grass nearby and continued, “You can lie down over there until I get back.  I know what we can do to fix your leg.”

   Knuckles looked up at her and said, “Oh…okay, but what do you mean fix it?  What’s wrong with my leg?  All I know is that it hurts really badly!”

   Amy began to help Knuckles stand up as best he could.  She put his arm around her neck and walked him over to the patch of grass she had seen.  As they slowly made their way to it she said, “You broke your leg Knuckles.  When you were running and tripped over that tree root, the bone in your leg snapped and that is what hurts so bad.  Don’t you worry though.  I know what we can do to make it better.”

   Knuckles was beginning to feel a little better.  Though his leg still aggrieved him, Amy’s kindness and love seemed to make the pain in his heart lessen.  They soon got to the patch of grass and Amy gently lowered Knuckles to the ground, making sure he was comfortable before she left to go find some sticks that would make a good splint for his leg so it could heal on its own.

   Amy came back in no time at all and started to put the splint on Knuckles’ injured leg.  He was too tired to make much of a fuss but asked her, “What are you putting on my leg?  How are these sticks going to help?”

   Amy sighed and said, “Well Knuckles, they aren’t going to make the pain go away really quickly that I can assure you.  However, they will keep the bone in your leg straight until it heals.  Everything will be okay Knuckles.  I’ll take care of you.”

   It soon began to get dark as the evening faded into the night.  After she finished putting the splint on Knuckles’ leg, Amy pulled her jacket out of her tote bag and wrapped herself up in it.  After a few minutes, she realized that it had grown really quiet.  She looked back at Knuckles and saw that he lay there shivering from the cold air.  Amy quickly crawled over to Knuckles and laid her jacket over his body and tucked it in around him.  He soon felt this warmth and looked at her.  She had shifted her attention up to the sky, gazing at the stars as they filled the sky with their brilliance and gave hope to all who could see them.  It was soon that she began to shiver, and Knuckles, no matter how much pain he was in, would not stand for Amy getting cold.

   “Amy?  Are you cold?  Come over here and lie down next to me.  We can share the jacket and keep each other warm with what little body heat we have,” he said.

   Amy looked back at him and crawled back to his side.  She did lie down next to him and they snuggled together under the jacket.  After a few moments, the cold chill seemed to leave their bodies and warmth returned to their hearts.  Maybe it was the unique love they felt for each other that kept them warm, each performing an act of kindness for the other in their time of need.  However, one thing that was certain was that until Knuckles had met Amy, he could not trust anyone, especially after his entire tribe was killed off.  Amy had renewed his faith that there was kindness in the hearts of all people, and he felt happy at that thought.

   “Thank you Amy, for helping me feel better.  I really appreciate it.  It was foolish for me to run off like that in the first place,” Knuckles said.

   “You’re welcome Knuckles.  Now that you mention it, why did you run away from me earlier?” Amy asked.

   “It was what you called me.”

   “You mean you ran because I called you Knux?  Why did that upset you?”

   “Because…well Amy, it’s because before my mother died, she always called me Knuxie, and my father would call me Knux.  You just made me remember what I didn’t have anymore.  I haven’t been called Knux or Knuxie in years and I just was overwhelmed to be called that again.  That’s all it was really…I just over-reacted.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  I’m okay now, I just wanna get some sleep,” Knuckles explained.

   Amy felt Knuckles put his arm around her and yawn deeply.  She finally understood why Knuckles was being so sensitive about things.  Those things that upset him were only because they reminded him of his mother, father, and tribe.  Certain things reminded him of what he lost and could never have again.  He literally had no family left whatsoever.  Amy’s heart went out to him, and in this deep emotion of concern and affection for him, she ran her hand through his hair one more time, and then whispered, “Good night Knux, sweet dreams.”  Then she looked to see if he was asleep, and after she affirmed that he was sleeping, she gave him a quick peck on his cheek and hoped that he wouldn’t notice.

   She didn’t know why she had the impulse to kiss him.  She decided that she kissed him on the cheek to comfort him and let him know that someone would always love him just like his mother would have.  Amy loved Knuckles. Not so much in the romantic sense at the time, rather as a precious soul that she was sent to so she could look after him and he could look out for her.  That night was one of the few times that Knuckles ever displayed his true feelings, and one of the last ones that Amy could remember.  As he grew older, he had grown stronger and tougher, and strived to hide his emotions in order to stay strong in combat.  Amy loved him despite this, but she missed the Knuckles that she knew that night, the one who could show the true feelings of his heart without fear, and be strong even through his anguish.

   It was at this time that Amy stirred out of her daydream.  She had been walking for some time now and she finally realized where Knuckles had gotten off to.  She went in the direction of the grapevines that he often visited this time of year and within minutes, she arrived at her destination, only to find Knuckles leaning against a tree and eating grapes like she knew he would be.

   “Hey Knux, I’d should’ve known this is where you’d be.  How long have you been here?” she asked.

   Knuckles looked at her and swallowed the grape he had just eaten.  Then he answered, “Oh, not long.  I didn’t expect you to be up this early anyway.  I just had to come get some grapes to eat.  I just couldn’t help myself.”  He looked at Amy and studied the expression on her face.  He was slightly confused by the look in her eyes.  It almost appeared to be one of longing; a look of yearning filled her green eyes as she returned his gaze.  Before Knuckles could ask her about it, she walked over to the grapevine and looked at the grapes and leaves that had grown off it.

   She breathed a deep sigh and said, “Oh Knuckles, what’s happened between us?  We used to be such great friends, and now I feel we have just grown apart.  Could it be that we just can’t be friends anymore?”

   Knuckles looked distraught.  She had been his friend for as long as he could remember, and had helped him through some of the hardest parts of his life.  He just could never let go of their friendship.  He walked over to Amy and took her hands in his own.  As they faced each other he said, “Amy?  You were my first real friend, your kindness surpassing that of any of my friends before they died.  If it’s anyone’s fault that we’ve grown apart, you need not blame yourself.  You need look no further than me and my stubbornness.  I was always concerned with getting revenge and wallowing in my sorrow at the lost of my clan.  I’ve come to accept this loss and find that I can no longer weep for them or myself.  However, this thing I am sure of.  If there is anything in the world that I value as much as the memory of my family, it’s you and our friendship.  I care for you so much, if not more than them.  I realize it is not just the Master Emerald that has kept me going, but also your love for me, and all of the kind things you have done for me as well.   I know now that as I got older and increasingly dead set on becoming powerful that I forgot about our friendship, and I’m sorry for that.  Remember what you said when we first met?  Well you were right, we will be friends forever…”

   Knuckles found that he couldn’t say anymore to her.  He couldn’t find the right words to say.  However, this was alright for the words he had said to her were already enough to convince her that they would be alright.  As with the night before, Knuckles took his hand and placed it on Amy’s face, gently caressing her cheek.  No more words needed to be said, their smiles were enough to let them know everything was okay.  Suddenly, a bead of dew fell from the leaves in the trees above and landed on Knuckles’ nose with some of the water splashing onto his and Amy’s faces.

   After this happened, the two looked at each other and laughed.  Then Knuckles embraced Amy and she hugged him in return.  After a few seconds, the two withdrew from each other.  Knuckles grinned at her and said, “Hey, those grapes taste particularly good in the morning while they are still cold and have dew on them.  When the dewdrop on the grapevine first glistens in sunlight, I just can’t help but feast on them.  Come on!”

   Amy smiled in agreement and followed Knuckles to the grapevine where they had breakfast.  It was that day that the both of them rediscovered their inner feelings for each other, and while these feelings of affection would remain hidden for a little bit longer, the fact that they had rekindled their friendship gave them new hope for their future.  As surely as the dewdrops would appear on the grass every morning, so would the special friendship between Knuckles and Amy remain certain and unchanged…no matter what happened to them, be it good or ill.

Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
Written by: Jade Lightning
Chapter 2: The Dewdrops on the Grapevine

   It was morning yet again for Angel Island and all who inhabited it.  The birds began to sing their habitual songs, bringing new life to the island as it awoke from its nightly slumber.  Every creature began to stir, including Amy Rose, who still lay peacefully beside the Master Emerald and safe from harm.  Her eyes fluttered open as the faint glow of the morning sun crept above the horizon and shown down upon her and the great jewel.  She rubbed the sand out of her eyes and turned to look for Knuckles.  She expected him to be where he was before, sleeping beside her and keeping her safe.  However, this was not the case.  Knuckles was nowhere to be found.  Amy stood up and looked around.  She picked up her backpack and thought, “Knuckles would never leave the Master Emerald unprotected for too long.  He must have left a little while ago.  I wonder if I should go look for him or not.”  Amy looked back at the Master Emerald.  She noticed that it glowed with a light that rivaled even the sun and moon.  She wanted to place her hand on it, but remembering what Knuckles had said to her long ago she controlled this impulse.

   Amy looked down the stone steps, and deciding to go look for Knuckles, she began her descent from the shrine.  Once she got to the bottom, she paused, shading her eyes with her hand, and gazed into the woods.  “Hmm, where would Knuckles go this early in the morning?” she asked herself quietly.  After a few seconds of silent thought, Amy readjusted the backpack straps to make them more comfortable on her shoulders and then started her trek into the forest.  She had become accustom to the forest paths over the years she had known Knuckles.  As she walked, she began to trail into her own daydreams that for her were memories of her past with Knuckles.  While her physical self was still aware of the world around her, her subconscious mind began to drift back to a time when things were simpler for the two, and when her love for him just started to bloom…

   It was an unusually warm autumn evening on Angel Island, but then again, the winters were always warm as the summers were always mild on the Floating Island.  Knuckles and Amy had spent the day together as they often did.  Amy was collecting flowers to press in a book.  She had known Knuckles for a couple of years by this time and had come to love the unusual variety of flowers that grew on Angel Island, many of which she had never seen before.  She picked blooms from her favorite flower bushes and made her way to a spot in the woods where she and Knuckles spent much time together.  It was near a grapevine that Knuckles, grapes being his favorite food, often frequented, and this particular day was no different.  He found Amy sitting nearby putting the flower blossoms between pieces of wax paper and then placing them between the pages of a book.  Knuckles did not understand what she was doing; for all his life, he had picked flowers only to give them to his mother.

   What she was doing startled him, and bewildered him as well.  He ran over to her and said, “Amy, what are you doing to those flowers?  Why are you putting them in that book?  You’re gonna kill them!”

   Amy looked at him.  She took his hand and pulled on it slightly so he would kneel down next to her.  After he did so, she let go of his hand and went back to her book.  She looked at him again and said, “I’m pressing the flowers into the book.  The wax paper will keep them from wilting and drying out.  I’m collecting them because I love all of these flowers.  I’m not trying to kill them.  What I’m doing will preserve them for years to come.  That way, I’ll always have something to remember our friendship by as long as I live.”

   Knuckles nodded, trying to give Amy the impression that he understood.  However, he was still slightly confused.  He stood back up and walked over to the grapevine.  He picked off a few of them and started popping them in his mouth while glancing over at Amy every once in awhile.  After about ten more minutes, Amy placed the last flower into the book and gently closed it.  She hadn’t noticed where Knuckles had gotten off to so she stood up and called, “Hey Knux!  Where did you go?”

   Knuckles was only a few yards away and could hear her calling for him.  However, he had never been called “Knux” by her before and he was again puzzled by her actions.  He called back to her saying, “I’m by the grapevine Amy!”  A few moments later Knuckles could see Amy approaching him with her tote bag slung over her shoulder.

   When she got to him, Knuckles said, “Hey Amy, what’s the deal with you calling me Knux?  Why did you do that anyway?”

   “What do you mean?  Hasn’t anyone ever called you Knux before?  It’s just a nickname…,” Amy started.

   “What I mean is…well, just don’t call me that alright!”

   “Knuckles wait!  What’s wrong?” she asked.  By this time though, Knuckles had taken off into the forest, running as fast as his little legs would carry him.  Amy ran off after him, hoping to catch up with her friend and find out what was bothering him so much.

   After a few minutes, Amy caught up with Knuckles.  He had tripped over a tree root and was sprawled out on the grass holding his right leg just under the knee.  He cringed at what must have been terrible pain in his leg.  Knuckles could not help but cry.  Amy gasped and ran over to help him.  She cried, “Knuckles?  Knuckles!  Are you alright?”

   Poor Knuckles was so embarrassed to have Amy see him like this.  He wanted to get up and run away so he could find a nice tree to climb and hide in.  However, his leg hurt so much that he couldn’t even bear to take his hands off it.  Amy knelt down next to him when she got to his side.  He opened his eyes long enough to see her beside him.  He was so upset, but he was in so much pain he began to forget his embarrassment.  Amy slid her tote bag off her shoulder and put her arm around Knuckles and hugged him to comfort him.

   “Awwe, its okay Knuckles.  You’re gonna be okay.  I’ll look after you don’t worry.  Everything will be alright Knuckles.  Please don’t cry,” Amy said.  She pulled her favorite pink handkerchief out of her dress pocket and dried the tears from his eyes with it.  Knuckles opened his eyes again and found that as hard as he tried, he just couldn’t keep from crying.  It wasn’t his wounded leg that made the tears flow…it was something else that made him weep uncontrollably.

   Amy smiled at him and though he was still weeping, he managed a faint smile of his own.  She glanced down at where he held his leg tightly and she asked, “How bad is it?  Have you even looked?”

   Knuckles shook his head and replied, “N…no, I’m too afraid to.  Amy, it hurts really, really badly.  Why don’t we just leave it at that?”  Just as he finished saying this, a shot of excruciating pain coursed through his leg, and he cried out in anguish as a result.  Simultaneously, he took one hand away from his leg and grabbed onto Amy, hanging onto her for dear life.  She looked into his eyes and saw for the first time, a hint of pain in his rich purple eyes.  She finally realized that even he could not completely hide his emotions.  He gasped as he tried to breathe while choking on his tears.  He then cried, “This really hurts Amy!  What’s wrong with my leg?  I…I want my mom back!!”  Knuckles continued to sob uncontrollably as he slid into Amy’s lap and tried to forget the pain.

   “Poor Knuckles, he must really be hurt.  For him to cry for his mother after all this time, he might be injured very badly.  What should I do?” Amy thought.  She took her hand and rested it on his head, stroking his hair to try to soothe him.  Then she noticed that he had removed his other hand from his leg.  Amy’s heart sank when she saw his injury.  His leg had snapped a little below his knee.  His right leg was broken and he needed help urgently.  Amy remained strong for Knuckles, knowing that this was a time when he needed her the most.

   Amy began to wonder what she could do.  Just then, she remembered something that her dad had taught her.  He had taught her how to make splints when they found a bird with a broken wing.  She figured that if she could put a splint on a bird’s wing, she could put one on Knuckles’ leg and it would help him in the same way.

   She looked down at him.  She could hear him crying softly for his mother.  Amy’s heart wept for him.  It must have been so hard on him not having his mother, father, or any of his family or tribe left, and now he was hurt.  She resolved to do anything she could to help him feel better.  She whispered, “Hey Knuckles?  I’m going to help you, but you need to let me get up for a few seconds.”  Then she looked and saw a patch of soft grass nearby and continued, “You can lie down over there until I get back.  I know what we can do to fix your leg.”

   Knuckles looked up at her and said, “Oh…okay, but what do you mean fix it?  What’s wrong with my leg?  All I know is that it hurts really badly!”

   Amy began to help Knuckles stand up as best he could.  She put his arm around her neck and walked him over to the patch of grass she had seen.  As they slowly made their way to it she said, “You broke your leg Knuckles.  When you were running and tripped over that tree root, the bone in your leg snapped and that is what hurts so bad.  Don’t you worry though.  I know what we can do to make it better.”

   Knuckles was beginning to feel a little better.  Though his leg still aggrieved him, Amy’s kindness and love seemed to make the pain in his heart lessen.  They soon got to the patch of grass and Amy gently lowered Knuckles to the ground, making sure he was comfortable before she left to go find some sticks that would make a good splint for his leg so it could heal on its own.

   Amy came back in no time at all and started to put the splint on Knuckles’ injured leg.  He was too tired to make much of a fuss but asked her, “What are you putting on my leg?  How are these sticks going to help?”

   Amy sighed and said, “Well Knuckles, they aren’t going to make the pain go away really quickly that I can assure you.  However, they will keep the bone in your leg straight until it heals.  Everything will be okay Knuckles.  I’ll take care of you.”

   It soon began to get dark as the evening faded into the night.  After she finished putting the splint on Knuckles’ leg, Amy pulled her jacket out of her tote bag and wrapped herself up in it.  After a few minutes, she realized that it had grown really quiet.  She looked back at Knuckles and saw that he lay there shivering from the cold air.  Amy quickly crawled over to Knuckles and laid her jacket over his body and tucked it in around him.  He soon felt this warmth and looked at her.  She had shifted her attention up to the sky, gazing at the stars as they filled the sky with their brilliance and gave hope to all who could see them.  It was soon that she began to shiver, and Knuckles, no matter how much pain he was in, would not stand for Amy getting cold.

   “Amy?  Are you cold?  Come over here and lie down next to me.  We can share the jacket and keep each other warm with what little body heat we have,” he said.

   Amy looked back at him and crawled back to his side.  She did lie down next to him and they snuggled together under the jacket.  After a few moments, the cold chill seemed to leave their bodies and warmth returned to their hearts.  Maybe it was the unique love they felt for each other that kept them warm, each performing an act of kindness for the other in their time of need.  However, one thing that was certain was that until Knuckles had met Amy, he could not trust anyone, especially after his entire tribe was killed off.  Amy had renewed his faith that there was kindness in the hearts of all people, and he felt happy at that thought.

   “Thank you Amy, for helping me feel better.  I really appreciate it.  It was foolish for me to run off like that in the first place,” Knuckles said.

   “You’re welcome Knuckles.  Now that you mention it, why did you run away from me earlier?” Amy asked.

   “It was what you called me.”

   “You mean you ran because I called you Knux?  Why did that upset you?”

   “Because…well Amy, it’s because before my mother died, she always called me Knuxie, and my father would call me Knux.  You just made me remember what I didn’t have anymore.  I haven’t been called Knux or Knuxie in years and I just was overwhelmed to be called that again.  That’s all it was really…I just over-reacted.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  I’m okay now, I just wanna get some sleep,” Knuckles explained.

   Amy felt Knuckles put his arm around her and yawn deeply.  She finally understood why Knuckles was being so sensitive about things.  Those things that upset him were only because they reminded him of his mother, father, and tribe.  Certain things reminded him of what he lost and could never have again.  He literally had no family left whatsoever.  Amy’s heart went out to him, and in this deep emotion of concern and affection for him, she ran her hand through his hair one more time, and then whispered, “Good night Knux, sweet dreams.”  Then she looked to see if he was asleep, and after she affirmed that he was sleeping, she gave him a quick peck on his cheek and hoped that he wouldn’t notice.

   She didn’t know why she had the impulse to kiss him.  She decided that she kissed him on the cheek to comfort him and let him know that someone would always love him just like his mother would have.  Amy loved Knuckles. Not so much in the romantic sense at the time, rather as a precious soul that she was sent to so she could look after him and he could look out for her.  That night was one of the few times that Knuckles ever displayed his true feelings, and one of the last ones that Amy could remember.  As he grew older, he had grown stronger and tougher, and strived to hide his emotions in order to stay strong in combat.  Amy loved him despite this, but she missed the Knuckles that she knew that night, the one who could show the true feelings of his heart without fear, and be strong even through his anguish.

   It was at this time that Amy stirred out of her daydream.  She had been walking for some time now and she finally realized where Knuckles had gotten off to.  She went in the direction of the grapevines that he often visited this time of year and within minutes, she arrived at her destination, only to find Knuckles leaning against a tree and eating grapes like she knew he would be.

   “Hey Knux, I’d should’ve known this is where you’d be.  How long have you been here?” she asked.

   Knuckles looked at her and swallowed the grape he had just eaten.  Then he answered, “Oh, not long.  I didn’t expect you to be up this early anyway.  I just had to come get some grapes to eat.  I just couldn’t help myself.”  He looked at Amy and studied the expression on her face.  He was slightly confused by the look in her eyes.  It almost appeared to be one of longing; a look of yearning filled her green eyes as she returned his gaze.  Before Knuckles could ask her about it, she walked over to the grapevine and looked at the grapes and leaves that had grown off it.

   She breathed a deep sigh and said, “Oh Knuckles, what’s happened between us?  We used to be such great friends, and now I feel we have just grown apart.  Could it be that we just can’t be friends anymore?”

   Knuckles looked distraught.  She had been his friend for as long as he could remember, and had helped him through some of the hardest parts of his life.  He just could never let go of their friendship.  He walked over to Amy and took her hands in his own.  As they faced each other he said, “Amy?  You were my first real friend, your kindness surpassing that of any of my friends before they died.  If it’s anyone’s fault that we’ve grown apart, you need not blame yourself.  You need look no further than me and my stubbornness.  I was always concerned with getting revenge and wallowing in my sorrow at the lost of my clan.  I’ve come to accept this loss and find that I can no longer weep for them or myself.  However, this thing I am sure of.  If there is anything in the world that I value as much as the memory of my family, it’s you and our friendship.  I care for you so much, if not more than them.  I realize it is not just the Master Emerald that has kept me going, but also your love for me, and all of the kind things you have done for me as well.   I know now that as I got older and increasingly dead set on becoming powerful that I forgot about our friendship, and I’m sorry for that.  Remember what you said when we first met?  Well you were right, we will be friends forever…”

   Knuckles found that he couldn’t say anymore to her.  He couldn’t find the right words to say.  However, this was alright for the words he had said to her were already enough to convince her that they would be alright.  As with the night before, Knuckles took his hand and placed it on Amy’s face, gently caressing her cheek.  No more words needed to be said, their smiles were enough to let them know everything was okay.  Suddenly, a bead of dew fell from the leaves in the trees above and landed on Knuckles’ nose with some of the water splashing onto his and Amy’s faces.

   After this happened, the two looked at each other and laughed.  Then Knuckles embraced Amy and she hugged him in return.  After a few seconds, the two withdrew from each other.  Knuckles grinned at her and said, “Hey, those grapes taste particularly good in the morning while they are still cold and have dew on them.  When the dewdrop on the grapevine first glistens in sunlight, I just can’t help but feast on them.  Come on!”

   Amy smiled in agreement and followed Knuckles to the grapevine where they had breakfast.  It was that day that the both of them rediscovered their inner feelings for each other, and while these feelings of affection would remain hidden for a little bit longer, the fact that they had rekindled their friendship gave them new hope for their future.  As surely as the dewdrops would appear on the grass every morning, so would the special friendship between Knuckles and Amy remain certain and unchanged…no matter what happened to them, be it good or ill.