HOME | DD

Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning
Chapter 3: My Life, My All, My Everything

   Amy and Knuckles had grown close to each other again, and it made Knuckles feel good whenever she was around.  However, one thing that he had admitted to himself in his heart was that he never spent enough time in Amy’s world.  He was unsure of himself, and was equally unsure of the rest of Amy’s kind.  He had had a hard time just being accepted by Sonic and Tails, though Tails came around to the idea quicker because of his childlike innocence.  He had only been to Amy’s world a few times before, and he usually avoided people every time.  Her world was strange to him, and even as he grew older and matured, he was still uneasy with many things that her kind seemingly couldn’t live without.

   For instance, whenever that thing she called a telephone rang, it always succeeded in frightening him.  How she could talk into that thing and actually carry on a conversation escaped him.  He also had not developed a liking to this thing she called soda.  In his mind, it was a mockery of perfectly good water, and candy…it was good, but he still could not put it over grapes.  He didn’t like the feeling that candy gave him after he ate it.  Sometimes, the food that Amy ate made him sick.  He did not like the way that her kind would mess up the food by frying it or whatever else they did to it.  However, it wasn’t just the way her world worked that bothered him; the apprehensiveness to her world lay in himself, and how her kind saw him…an outcast.

   After Angel Island crashed onto the mainland, the inhabitants of the mainland waited for any sign of life from the island.  After weeks of waiting, they gave up on the echidna clan, giving them up for dead, proclaiming them an extinct species.  However, when attempts were made to find the Master Emerald, little Knuckles was protected by the spirits of his fallen ancestors.  Ten years has passed since then, and while Knuckles trusted Amy, he had come to trust no other.  It upset him though, that he could not be with Amy more often.  He beat himself up over it because he knew if he could just muster up the courage to go to Amy’s world, then he could see her more often.  This had been part of the reason that they had grown apart in the first place.

   It was late one night and Knuckles lay awake, staring at the stars and picking out constellations that his dad had shown him so many years ago.  The echidna heaved a heavy sigh and looked at the Master Emerald with disgust.  It restricted him; it was like a chain keeping him tethered to the island, doomed to protect it until he died.  It was a hindrance, and he couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore.  The Master Emerald was the reason his parents were dead in the first place.  It was the reason he lost everything he had ever known, and why he had become so withdrawn from the outside world.  He loathed the gem; and while he knew that it was his duty to look out for its well-being, what would happen if he died and left no heir?  What was the point in even living if there would be no guardian to succeed him?

   Anger built up in the echidna’s heart, anger unlike he had ever felt in his life.  He was so upset that he didn’t even know clearly what he was angry about or to whom he directed his frustration.  Why did his entire tribe die out and leave him alone?  Why did he have to be alone?  Knuckles growled angrily and an angry rage made his heart pump fast.  His sadness and loneliness turned into rage and hatred.  He was tired of being alone…and the one thing that held him back...was that worthless Master Emerald.  He despised it, and his resentment for the jewel and everything it represented was rooted in the deepest part of his soul.  He wanted to be rid of it, so badly, to the point that if he couldn’t destroy the gem, he would destroy himself so he would no longer be held back by the weight of his duty to protect it.

   Knuckles clenched his fists and glared at the emerald.  He took one swift punch at it in his fury, however, a barrier encircled it and it knocked the echidna back.  Knuckles flipped head over heels at the force and began to fall backwards down the stairs.  Knuckles, in his anger, was not concerned with his own well-being.  All he wanted was to be rid of the Master Emerald one way or another.  He mustered all of his strength and pulled himself out of the fall, performing his own kind of mid-air roll and landing on the stone stairs.  The Master Emerald was his enemy, and he would destroy it, even if he destroyed himself in the process…it didn’t matter to him anymore.  What hope was there for the echidna clan?  For the Master Emerald or his own future, what hope was there to live for?  He would never leave an heir, and it sickened his heart at the thought of living for one more day.  Not even for Amy did he want to live; her kind would never accept him anyway.

   The echidna fought with the Master Emerald through the night, and a storm formed over Angel Island, growing darker into the next day.  From the beach near Station Square that next morning, Amy could see the darkness surrounding the island.  Even though the floating island was a considerable distance away, the dark cloud spread for fifty miles from the edge of the island while the sky around it was a beautiful blue, making it easy to pick out even from a distance. Amy grew fearful for Knuckles.  Fearing the worst, she ran into town to find Tails so she could fly to Angel Island to check on him.

   It took a significant amount of time to find Tails and even longer to get a lift to Angel Island.  As each second passed, Amy grew more anxious.  The cloud shrouding the Floating Island had only grown darker and more ominous looking.  A crowd had formed on the beach as people looked at the foreboding storm.  Whatever was happening, it certainly looked bad.

   Finally, Amy and Tails were on their way to the island.  Amy grew increasingly restless at the time it was taking to reach Knuckles.  She was sure he could take care of himself on his own turf, but she just had to make sure he was okay.  “Tails, can’t we get there any faster?  I’m worried about him!”

   “I am too Amy, but I don’t wanna push Tornado II too far.  I haven’t perfected its emergency system in the event of a crash in the ocean so we hafta be careful.  We’ll get there soon, I promise.  Knuckles will be alright!” Tails cried.

   Amy responded with nothing more than a sigh.  She still worried for Knuckles, and she had every reason to worry.  On the island, Knuckles was battling his will to protect the Master Emerald, and the power he was draining from it was having an adverse affect.  Normally the power from the Master Emerald was easy for him to control, as long as he used it for good and not evil.  However, he was using the emerald’s power for a bad purpose, and its volatile nature created the gathering storm around the island, blinding the echidna to the world around him.

   Knuckles didn’t know who he was more angry at; the ones who killed his clan or the ones who mocked him, making him feel out of place in Amy’s world.  Whomever it was, he took his frustration out on himself.  While he did not swing directly at himself, he meant for his attacks to let out anger that had built up inside him for so long.  In his heart, he still thought of Amy, and how it would sadden her at his loss, and yet...in his depression, nobody's feelings mattered to him.  “And why should I care about anyone else?” he thought to himself, “They never cared about me, and I know that they’d all prefer if I wasn’t part of their world…” he screamed a terrible cry and shouted, “I’ll put them and myself out of suffering!!”

   His cries of anger were carried by the winds to the Tornado II, and Amy urged Tails to move faster.  “Hurry Tails, something’s wrong with Knuckles!  He needs help!  I hope he’s alright!” she cried.

   Tails also began to worry for the echidna.  He had never heard cries of this nature coming from him before.  Tails pushed the twin engines to their limit and the Tornado zoomed on with all speed towards the island.  When it entered the boundaries of the storm cloud, turbulence began to rock the aircraft violently from side to side.  Tails tightened his grip on the joystick that controlled the plane and eased off the thrusters in an attempt to regain control.  He shook his head in dismay and said, “I think Knuckles is creating the storm!  I’ve never seen a storm like this in my life!  I wonder what’s wrong!?”

   Suddenly, the engines cut off, and all of the equipment on the Tornado II failed, and the aircraft was left gliding slowly to the ground.  “Tails, what’s wrong!?  Why did everything shut down?” Amy cried.

   Tails began to panic as well.  Beads of perspiration formed on his brow.  The Tornado II had never malfunctioned this badly before, and he was not prepared for such an emergency.  “I…I…I don’t know Amy!  I think we’re gonna crash!  Good thing the Tornado II can crash land pretty good.  Hang on tight Amy!”

   The Tornado II continued its glide down to the island and after a few minutes of tense silence, it landed hard on a patch of trees.  However, just like Tails had said, the airplane handled the crash landing as well as could be expected.  Amy didn’t waste any time getting out of the mangled plane.  Before she took off to find Knuckles, she asked Tails, “How long will it take you to get the Tornado II airborne again?”

   Tails shook his head and said, “I’m not sure, reason being I have no idea why all systems failed in the first place.  You go find Knuckles.  Maybe he can help explain what’s going on.”

   Amy replied only with a nod before taking off into the forest.  As she drew closer to the echidna village, she began to hear Knuckles’ cries of anguish.  She cried out to him, “Knuckles!!  Are you alright?  Hang on!!”  She did not know what was ailing him, only that she needed to get to him as quickly as possible.

   Knuckles couldn’t hear her at the time.  He was so angry at himself that he had lost connection with reality.  The battle was coming to its climax, and at this point, the end was unavoidable.  Knuckles glared at the Master Emerald.  He would free himself from the domination his guardianship of it had over him once and for all.  It was as if time slowed down, bowing its head to honor the tragic scene Amy emerged from the forest and cried out desperately to Knuckles…, “Knuckles!!”  Her cry echoed for miles…and seemed to resonate on forever.  Before Knuckles could turn around, he threw another powerful attack at the Master Emerald.  He finally heard Amy’s cry for him, and he awoke from his rage.  “Amy?” he whispered quietly to himself.  He began to turn around right after he threw the punch at the emerald.

   Then, disaster struck.  His punch was deflected off the Master Emerald’s glowing surface.  The attack was turned against him, and his fist flew back at him as a result of the shock from the impact.  His knuckle-claws were plunged into his chest, and blood immediately stained his white stripe.  He cried out in anguish from the pain of the attack.  He became airborne and flew in a backwards somersault off the shrine and down to the ground as a result of the collision of his fist with his body.  Once again, Amy gave a desperate cry that reverberated with more pain in her tone with each echo.  She ran towards him crying out his name.

   Knuckles landed hard on the ground, his head receiving the brunt of the impact.  He went limp where he lay and did not move.  It was then that time resumed its normal pace for them once again, bringing the reality of the tragedy home, and the dark storm that surrounded Angel Island began to dissipate.  Knuckles awoke from the spell his misery had over him.  He began to feel pain again, and the wound caused by his attack turned back on him, became too much for him to bear.  He remembered hearing Amy crying for him, and he heard it now.

   “Knuckles!  Knuckles!  Are you okay!?” Amy cried.  She finally got to his side and tears welled up in her eyes when she got to him.  He had really beaten himself up, but her biggest worry was the wound on his chest, and his head injury only provided her with an increased concern for his health.  Her heart sank…she dropped to her knees and lifted the echidna’s head onto her lap.  He had had the wind knocked out of him, but his coughing let her know that he was alright, because it was a sign that he was trying to breathe again.  Between his gasps for air, she heard him cry softly for her.  She stroked his hair and said, “I’m right here Knuckles, are you okay?  Please tell me you’re okay!  Please tell me you’ll live!”

   Knuckles shifted his position in her lap and moaned softly from the pain.  He opened his eyes and strained to look up at her.  However, his head ached, with the majority of the pain throbbing in the base of his head.  Amy could feel him tightening the muscles in his back to try and look at her.  “Don’t try and move Knuckles, don’t hurt yourself.  Let me help you,” she whispered.  She braced herself, expecting him to be heavy, however, she was pleasantly surprised to find that he was not as heavy as she expected.  Why this was so, she was unsure.  Whether it had anything to do with his race or not, she was just glad for this good fortune.  She turned him carefully so he could see her face easily, and at the same time, she set him up higher so he could lean against her body for support.

   “Amy…I’m…I’m sorry.  I don’t know what came over me…I feel so stupid, dumber than I’ve ever felt in my life.  I was sick with despair at the thought of my future.  I gave up on it, and I wanted to put an end to my pain.  I never thought about your feelings…for…forgive me,” Knuckles said with a shaky voice.  He coughed and sputtered as he tried to speak to her, his voice sounding much weaker than it normally did.  His strong, deep voice had been reduced to a tone so quiet that it was almost impossible to hear.  Amy’s heart wept for him; she had never seen him more depressed in his life.

   She cradled his head gently in her hand and stroked his hair with the other.  The hand that she used to support his head, she held against his muzzle, and as she did so, she could feel him trembling.  Whether it was from fright or the chill air she was unsure, but she was sure that he needed help.  “Oh Knuckles, you don’t need to be sorry.  You shouldn’t give up on your future yet…it’s too soon to tell.  You won’t be alone forever.  I’ll always be with you,” she said.

   Knuckles looked at her and she gazed intently into his deep violet eyes that she had come to love.  He coughed quietly and appeared to be breathing easier again.  He said, “You can’t promise that Amy…and I wouldn’t expect you to.  You are the only person I truly trust, the only one I’ve ever really cared about, and I’m stuck between reality, my duty, and what can and cannot be.  I just can’t become accustomed to your world, and how can I, when that Master Emerald needs my protection.  Furthermore, how am I supposed to pass this guardianship on, when I am the only guardian left?  It cannot be done Amy…I’m torn between my duty and my needs, and the responsibility of guarding the Master Emerald runs too strongly in my veins.  I cannot escape it, no matter how hard I try.  I’m doomed to remain on this island forever, and it is a prison…a death sentence that nobody deserves to suffer…”

   Amy looked at him, and his view of her became blurred by tears that formed from his aching heart, as well as the pain that pulsated through his body.  His life had become too much to bear, but he could not escape his fate to protect the Master Emerald, and yet Amy still had that chance.  She had the chance to be free, and while it pained him in the bottom of his heart to let her go, he knew that he must, for if he cared about anything in his life, he cared about her the most.  She had shown him love like no one else had, and he would return the affection by letting her go.

   He spoke again, his lips quivering and his words shaking as he tried to restrain his tears.  “It was nothing but a dream Amy.  The idea that you and I could be anything more than friends was just a foolish dream.  Nothing will ever come of it.  You need to be with your own kind…you must understand.  You don’t have to suffer the same fate as me…you should escape while you can…,” he paused, tears began to fall from his eyes, and they were strange to him.  He did not remember crying like this, and while he was sure he had before, he could not remember when or why.  Then he managed to continue saying, “Leave me here Amy.  I’ll recover, and so will you.  You need to move on with your life…I’ll never be anything more than an outcast in the eyes of your kindred…and you know I’m right.”

   Amy grew angry at him.  She cried harder and yelled at him saying, “I can’t believe you Knuckles!  We’re finally becoming close again, and look what you do to me!  I won’t let you give up on yourself!”  She was so upset and frustrated with him for his words.  She would not give up on him, for he had been a friend to her unlike anyone else had been.  He was genuine and good, kind-hearted and gentle, fighting only when he had to, and he listened to her.  He always looked at her when she talked, his eyes never wandering when she spoke, and he was always supportive of her.  He had done so much for her, and whether he liked it or not, she could never forget about him…never could she forget her first real friend…her true friend…and the one she loved so much…that words could not begin to describe her feelings.

   She murmured quietly to herself, “I can’t do that Knux, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”  She looked back at him and added, “How could you let those people judge you!?  It’s not about what others think of you, but what you think of yourself.  Those people are nothing compared to you!  Who are you going to believe Knuckles…those ignorant people who ridicule you, mock you, and make you feel bad or are you going to believe me, someone who’s your friend, and knows you better than anyone else?  Well let me tell you something Knuckles!  If anyone in the world cares about you, I do more than any of them, and I won’t let you give up on yourself…I won’t let you quit!  I care about you too much to let you go!!”

   Knuckles was shocked at her response.  He had never seen her like this before.  He sniffed a couple of times and said, “What…what do you mean Amy?  I thought we were just friends.  How far can a friendship go?”

   Amy grew calmer and smiled gently at him.  She said in a lower voice, “Knuxie, you wanna know what I mean?  The truth is Knux; that I can never let you go, because I can never stop thinking about you.  No matter what I do, you’re always on my mind, and I look forward to every time that I see you.  I’ve gotten used to the fact that the city scares you, and I don’t mind coming here to pay a visit, but I know that you miss me when I’m gone.  I miss you too if you didn’t know.  I find some nights you’re even in my dreams, and even though we aren’t together a lot, I’ve grown to love you.  Before I knew it, you had taken my heart.  You’re such a precious soul Knuckles and you are alive for more than just the Master Emerald I’m sure.  I think the truth is Knux, that you need me as much as I need you.”  Amy took a breath, shook her head and giggled slightly.  She said, “The fact is Knuckles, is that I love you…very much.  That’s why I came here that night, because I had to see you.  I had grown weary of all of those other people.  I love your company; you’re so much better than they are Knuckles, I just wish you would believe that.”

   Knuckles’ began to feel warmth in his heart.  He closed his eyes and thought back to that night she had cried for him.  He remembered her saying, “I love you Knuckles,” as she slept beside him…that is, he thought she was sleeping, and perhaps she was, but now he knew that she loved him like he loved her.  He opened his eyes, for he had the desire to kiss her.  However, he cringed as the pain in his chest seemed to worsen.  His cries became more pleading, and he clung to Amy for dear life.

   “Knuckles!  Are you okay?  What’s wrong?!  Please tell me so I can help you!” Amy cried.

   “Oh Amy…I’m nothing but a fool.  I forgot how good of a friend you were to me.  You never let me quit, and I’m grateful for that kindness alone.  I shouldn’t have been so stupid as to give up on my life…”  Knuckles’ voice faltered a little.  Amy knew he would die if she didn’t get him help.  Unlike last time, she couldn’t bandage up such a deep wound like she had been able to put a splint on his leg.  She had to do something for him.

   Amy started to get up slowly, making sure not to aggravate any of his wounds.  He was going in and out of consciousness, but the sudden movement woke him up.  “What are you….what are you doing Amy?”

   “Hush Knux, I’m going to help you.  I’m going to take you to a hospital where they can help you.  I don’t know how much longer you can last.  Hang on tight Knuxie, I’ll save you,” she said.

   “B—but the Master Emerald…I can’t leave it unprotected…” he could no longer speak.  A rush of pain rolled through his body.  He was losing blood too quickly, and though the violent storm had passed, it was still cold and drizzle had begun to fall.  Between the threat of hypothermia, blood loss, and him losing consciousness, Amy had no choice.

    “Forget about the Master Emerald Knuckles!  You’re more important right now!  It’s not worth your life!” Amy made sure one last time that he was balanced evenly on her shoulders before she dashed off into the forest in the direction of the Tornado II.  She prayed that Tails had fixed the plane, hoping against hope that he had fixed it in such a short amount of time.

    Amy quickly found the place where the Tornado II had crashed, and found that Tails had indeed gotten it airborne.  He had been circling the area, waiting for Amy’s return.  When he saw her with Knuckles badly injured on her back, he quickly lowered the plane as close to the ground as possible.  While Knuckles was only half-conscious, the roar of the engines scared him, and his reflexes influenced him to lurch away from the frightening sound.  Amy nearly lost her grip on him, and a fall like that would only succeed in injuring him further.

   She soothed Knuckles by saying, “It’s okay Knuckles!  It’s just the Tornado II, one of Tails’ planes!  It’s going to get you to help as quickly as anything.  Everything’s okay!”

   The echidna didn’t answer her; he was slipping into a state of shock.  The combination of blood loss, hypothermia, and lack of food was becoming too much for him.  Amy could feel him shivering and he was becoming increasingly incoherent.  She feared for his life and her stomach began to hurt.  She cried to Tails, “Tails!  I know that the Tornado II has only two seats, but I don’t think he can last much longer!  He’ll die if he doesn’t get help soon!”

    Tails pulled a thermal blanket out of the cargo hold and said, “Wrap him up with this Amy!  We’ll get him back to Station Square where he can get help!  Let’s get him into the plane!”

   Amy and Tails carefully lifted the echidna into the backseat and the two scrambled in afterwards.  Tails pointed the nose of the plane to the sky and flew up into the air.  He circled Angel Island one more time to get in the right direction.  Before he could leave, Amy, who had pulled Knuckles into her lap, said, “Tails, can’t you pick up the Master Emerald?  I’m not worried about it in the least but Knuckles is so devoted to guarding it I think it’ll make him feel better to know that it’s safe!”

   “Amy, I can pick it up with the crane, but you know what’ll happen!  Angel Island will fall out of the sky again and it might crash into the ocean and sink to the bottom!” Tails cried.

   “That’s not important Tails!  The Master Emerald is what is important, as well as Knuckles’ well-being.  We’ll just have to take that chance!  Now get the emerald quickly!”

   “O--okay!  I’m going in!”  Tails flew towards the Master Emerald’s shrine.  He positioned the plane over it, lowered a mechanical crane down to it, and picked it up with a claw, gently hoisting it into the Tornado II’s cargo hold.  Almost immediately, the island began to sink, falling out of the sky as it had done once before.  Tails maneuvered around to the other side of the island and positioned the plane behind it.  He activated a force field and nudged the falling island towards a mountain where it would land, saving it from being lost in the ocean depths.  Tails could hear Amy urging him, and he took off with all speed to Station Square…the race to save the echidna’s life was on.

   After mere minutes, their destination was in sight.  “We’re almost there Amy!  He just needs to hang on a little longer!”

   Amy heard Tails, but didn’t acknowledge him.  Instead, she gave all her thoughts to Knuckles, who lay motionless in her lap.  His shivering had lessened, but the wound in his chest was still open and bleeding slowly, though not as badly as before.  She stroked his hair gently to soothe him, and she nuzzled the top of his head with her own, gently kissing it as she did so.  Whether he knew it or not, he had become part of her life now.  He meant so much to her.  She valued him so much that she could not imagine life without him.  She began to grow impatient, even though she knew they were almost to help, it just wasn’t fast enough.  “I love you Knuckles, everything’s gonna be alright now.”

   Even though he could not hear her, he knew that she loved him.  In the swirling dark that was his mind, all he could think of was her, and how she was his life…his all…and his one and only true love.  She kept him going, she was his life, and it was because of her, that he had not died a long time ago.  She showed him love when he was weak, given him so much expecting nothing in return, and kept him from quitting when things were hard on him.  “You stupid, stupid echidna…you have so much to live for.  If anything, Amy will always love you, and that alone is enough to live for…please don’t give up on me Amy…I don’t want to die anymore.  I love you…” and he remembered no more…

Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning
Chapter 3: My Life, My All, My Everything

   Amy and Knuckles had grown close to each other again, and it made Knuckles feel good whenever she was around.  However, one thing that he had admitted to himself in his heart was that he never spent enough time in Amy’s world.  He was unsure of himself, and was equally unsure of the rest of Amy’s kind.  He had had a hard time just being accepted by Sonic and Tails, though Tails came around to the idea quicker because of his childlike innocence.  He had only been to Amy’s world a few times before, and he usually avoided people every time.  Her world was strange to him, and even as he grew older and matured, he was still uneasy with many things that her kind seemingly couldn’t live without.

   For instance, whenever that thing she called a telephone rang, it always succeeded in frightening him.  How she could talk into that thing and actually carry on a conversation escaped him.  He also had not developed a liking to this thing she called soda.  In his mind, it was a mockery of perfectly good water, and candy…it was good, but he still could not put it over grapes.  He didn’t like the feeling that candy gave him after he ate it.  Sometimes, the food that Amy ate made him sick.  He did not like the way that her kind would mess up the food by frying it or whatever else they did to it.  However, it wasn’t just the way her world worked that bothered him; the apprehensiveness to her world lay in himself, and how her kind saw him…an outcast.

   After Angel Island crashed onto the mainland, the inhabitants of the mainland waited for any sign of life from the island.  After weeks of waiting, they gave up on the echidna clan, giving them up for dead, proclaiming them an extinct species.  However, when attempts were made to find the Master Emerald, little Knuckles was protected by the spirits of his fallen ancestors.  Ten years has passed since then, and while Knuckles trusted Amy, he had come to trust no other.  It upset him though, that he could not be with Amy more often.  He beat himself up over it because he knew if he could just muster up the courage to go to Amy’s world, then he could see her more often.  This had been part of the reason that they had grown apart in the first place.

   It was late one night and Knuckles lay awake, staring at the stars and picking out constellations that his dad had shown him so many years ago.  The echidna heaved a heavy sigh and looked at the Master Emerald with disgust.  It restricted him; it was like a chain keeping him tethered to the island, doomed to protect it until he died.  It was a hindrance, and he couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore.  The Master Emerald was the reason his parents were dead in the first place.  It was the reason he lost everything he had ever known, and why he had become so withdrawn from the outside world.  He loathed the gem; and while he knew that it was his duty to look out for its well-being, what would happen if he died and left no heir?  What was the point in even living if there would be no guardian to succeed him?

   Anger built up in the echidna’s heart, anger unlike he had ever felt in his life.  He was so upset that he didn’t even know clearly what he was angry about or to whom he directed his frustration.  Why did his entire tribe die out and leave him alone?  Why did he have to be alone?  Knuckles growled angrily and an angry rage made his heart pump fast.  His sadness and loneliness turned into rage and hatred.  He was tired of being alone…and the one thing that held him back...was that worthless Master Emerald.  He despised it, and his resentment for the jewel and everything it represented was rooted in the deepest part of his soul.  He wanted to be rid of it, so badly, to the point that if he couldn’t destroy the gem, he would destroy himself so he would no longer be held back by the weight of his duty to protect it.

   Knuckles clenched his fists and glared at the emerald.  He took one swift punch at it in his fury, however, a barrier encircled it and it knocked the echidna back.  Knuckles flipped head over heels at the force and began to fall backwards down the stairs.  Knuckles, in his anger, was not concerned with his own well-being.  All he wanted was to be rid of the Master Emerald one way or another.  He mustered all of his strength and pulled himself out of the fall, performing his own kind of mid-air roll and landing on the stone stairs.  The Master Emerald was his enemy, and he would destroy it, even if he destroyed himself in the process…it didn’t matter to him anymore.  What hope was there for the echidna clan?  For the Master Emerald or his own future, what hope was there to live for?  He would never leave an heir, and it sickened his heart at the thought of living for one more day.  Not even for Amy did he want to live; her kind would never accept him anyway.

   The echidna fought with the Master Emerald through the night, and a storm formed over Angel Island, growing darker into the next day.  From the beach near Station Square that next morning, Amy could see the darkness surrounding the island.  Even though the floating island was a considerable distance away, the dark cloud spread for fifty miles from the edge of the island while the sky around it was a beautiful blue, making it easy to pick out even from a distance. Amy grew fearful for Knuckles.  Fearing the worst, she ran into town to find Tails so she could fly to Angel Island to check on him.

   It took a significant amount of time to find Tails and even longer to get a lift to Angel Island.  As each second passed, Amy grew more anxious.  The cloud shrouding the Floating Island had only grown darker and more ominous looking.  A crowd had formed on the beach as people looked at the foreboding storm.  Whatever was happening, it certainly looked bad.

   Finally, Amy and Tails were on their way to the island.  Amy grew increasingly restless at the time it was taking to reach Knuckles.  She was sure he could take care of himself on his own turf, but she just had to make sure he was okay.  “Tails, can’t we get there any faster?  I’m worried about him!”

   “I am too Amy, but I don’t wanna push Tornado II too far.  I haven’t perfected its emergency system in the event of a crash in the ocean so we hafta be careful.  We’ll get there soon, I promise.  Knuckles will be alright!” Tails cried.

   Amy responded with nothing more than a sigh.  She still worried for Knuckles, and she had every reason to worry.  On the island, Knuckles was battling his will to protect the Master Emerald, and the power he was draining from it was having an adverse affect.  Normally the power from the Master Emerald was easy for him to control, as long as he used it for good and not evil.  However, he was using the emerald’s power for a bad purpose, and its volatile nature created the gathering storm around the island, blinding the echidna to the world around him.

   Knuckles didn’t know who he was more angry at; the ones who killed his clan or the ones who mocked him, making him feel out of place in Amy’s world.  Whomever it was, he took his frustration out on himself.  While he did not swing directly at himself, he meant for his attacks to let out anger that had built up inside him for so long.  In his heart, he still thought of Amy, and how it would sadden her at his loss, and yet...in his depression, nobody's feelings mattered to him.  “And why should I care about anyone else?” he thought to himself, “They never cared about me, and I know that they’d all prefer if I wasn’t part of their world…” he screamed a terrible cry and shouted, “I’ll put them and myself out of suffering!!”

   His cries of anger were carried by the winds to the Tornado II, and Amy urged Tails to move faster.  “Hurry Tails, something’s wrong with Knuckles!  He needs help!  I hope he’s alright!” she cried.

   Tails also began to worry for the echidna.  He had never heard cries of this nature coming from him before.  Tails pushed the twin engines to their limit and the Tornado zoomed on with all speed towards the island.  When it entered the boundaries of the storm cloud, turbulence began to rock the aircraft violently from side to side.  Tails tightened his grip on the joystick that controlled the plane and eased off the thrusters in an attempt to regain control.  He shook his head in dismay and said, “I think Knuckles is creating the storm!  I’ve never seen a storm like this in my life!  I wonder what’s wrong!?”

   Suddenly, the engines cut off, and all of the equipment on the Tornado II failed, and the aircraft was left gliding slowly to the ground.  “Tails, what’s wrong!?  Why did everything shut down?” Amy cried.

   Tails began to panic as well.  Beads of perspiration formed on his brow.  The Tornado II had never malfunctioned this badly before, and he was not prepared for such an emergency.  “I…I…I don’t know Amy!  I think we’re gonna crash!  Good thing the Tornado II can crash land pretty good.  Hang on tight Amy!”

   The Tornado II continued its glide down to the island and after a few minutes of tense silence, it landed hard on a patch of trees.  However, just like Tails had said, the airplane handled the crash landing as well as could be expected.  Amy didn’t waste any time getting out of the mangled plane.  Before she took off to find Knuckles, she asked Tails, “How long will it take you to get the Tornado II airborne again?”

   Tails shook his head and said, “I’m not sure, reason being I have no idea why all systems failed in the first place.  You go find Knuckles.  Maybe he can help explain what’s going on.”

   Amy replied only with a nod before taking off into the forest.  As she drew closer to the echidna village, she began to hear Knuckles’ cries of anguish.  She cried out to him, “Knuckles!!  Are you alright?  Hang on!!”  She did not know what was ailing him, only that she needed to get to him as quickly as possible.

   Knuckles couldn’t hear her at the time.  He was so angry at himself that he had lost connection with reality.  The battle was coming to its climax, and at this point, the end was unavoidable.  Knuckles glared at the Master Emerald.  He would free himself from the domination his guardianship of it had over him once and for all.  It was as if time slowed down, bowing its head to honor the tragic scene Amy emerged from the forest and cried out desperately to Knuckles…, “Knuckles!!”  Her cry echoed for miles…and seemed to resonate on forever.  Before Knuckles could turn around, he threw another powerful attack at the Master Emerald.  He finally heard Amy’s cry for him, and he awoke from his rage.  “Amy?” he whispered quietly to himself.  He began to turn around right after he threw the punch at the emerald.

   Then, disaster struck.  His punch was deflected off the Master Emerald’s glowing surface.  The attack was turned against him, and his fist flew back at him as a result of the shock from the impact.  His knuckle-claws were plunged into his chest, and blood immediately stained his white stripe.  He cried out in anguish from the pain of the attack.  He became airborne and flew in a backwards somersault off the shrine and down to the ground as a result of the collision of his fist with his body.  Once again, Amy gave a desperate cry that reverberated with more pain in her tone with each echo.  She ran towards him crying out his name.

   Knuckles landed hard on the ground, his head receiving the brunt of the impact.  He went limp where he lay and did not move.  It was then that time resumed its normal pace for them once again, bringing the reality of the tragedy home, and the dark storm that surrounded Angel Island began to dissipate.  Knuckles awoke from the spell his misery had over him.  He began to feel pain again, and the wound caused by his attack turned back on him, became too much for him to bear.  He remembered hearing Amy crying for him, and he heard it now.

   “Knuckles!  Knuckles!  Are you okay!?” Amy cried.  She finally got to his side and tears welled up in her eyes when she got to him.  He had really beaten himself up, but her biggest worry was the wound on his chest, and his head injury only provided her with an increased concern for his health.  Her heart sank…she dropped to her knees and lifted the echidna’s head onto her lap.  He had had the wind knocked out of him, but his coughing let her know that he was alright, because it was a sign that he was trying to breathe again.  Between his gasps for air, she heard him cry softly for her.  She stroked his hair and said, “I’m right here Knuckles, are you okay?  Please tell me you’re okay!  Please tell me you’ll live!”

   Knuckles shifted his position in her lap and moaned softly from the pain.  He opened his eyes and strained to look up at her.  However, his head ached, with the majority of the pain throbbing in the base of his head.  Amy could feel him tightening the muscles in his back to try and look at her.  “Don’t try and move Knuckles, don’t hurt yourself.  Let me help you,” she whispered.  She braced herself, expecting him to be heavy, however, she was pleasantly surprised to find that he was not as heavy as she expected.  Why this was so, she was unsure.  Whether it had anything to do with his race or not, she was just glad for this good fortune.  She turned him carefully so he could see her face easily, and at the same time, she set him up higher so he could lean against her body for support.

   “Amy…I’m…I’m sorry.  I don’t know what came over me…I feel so stupid, dumber than I’ve ever felt in my life.  I was sick with despair at the thought of my future.  I gave up on it, and I wanted to put an end to my pain.  I never thought about your feelings…for…forgive me,” Knuckles said with a shaky voice.  He coughed and sputtered as he tried to speak to her, his voice sounding much weaker than it normally did.  His strong, deep voice had been reduced to a tone so quiet that it was almost impossible to hear.  Amy’s heart wept for him; she had never seen him more depressed in his life.

   She cradled his head gently in her hand and stroked his hair with the other.  The hand that she used to support his head, she held against his muzzle, and as she did so, she could feel him trembling.  Whether it was from fright or the chill air she was unsure, but she was sure that he needed help.  “Oh Knuckles, you don’t need to be sorry.  You shouldn’t give up on your future yet…it’s too soon to tell.  You won’t be alone forever.  I’ll always be with you,” she said.

   Knuckles looked at her and she gazed intently into his deep violet eyes that she had come to love.  He coughed quietly and appeared to be breathing easier again.  He said, “You can’t promise that Amy…and I wouldn’t expect you to.  You are the only person I truly trust, the only one I’ve ever really cared about, and I’m stuck between reality, my duty, and what can and cannot be.  I just can’t become accustomed to your world, and how can I, when that Master Emerald needs my protection.  Furthermore, how am I supposed to pass this guardianship on, when I am the only guardian left?  It cannot be done Amy…I’m torn between my duty and my needs, and the responsibility of guarding the Master Emerald runs too strongly in my veins.  I cannot escape it, no matter how hard I try.  I’m doomed to remain on this island forever, and it is a prison…a death sentence that nobody deserves to suffer…”

   Amy looked at him, and his view of her became blurred by tears that formed from his aching heart, as well as the pain that pulsated through his body.  His life had become too much to bear, but he could not escape his fate to protect the Master Emerald, and yet Amy still had that chance.  She had the chance to be free, and while it pained him in the bottom of his heart to let her go, he knew that he must, for if he cared about anything in his life, he cared about her the most.  She had shown him love like no one else had, and he would return the affection by letting her go.

   He spoke again, his lips quivering and his words shaking as he tried to restrain his tears.  “It was nothing but a dream Amy.  The idea that you and I could be anything more than friends was just a foolish dream.  Nothing will ever come of it.  You need to be with your own kind…you must understand.  You don’t have to suffer the same fate as me…you should escape while you can…,” he paused, tears began to fall from his eyes, and they were strange to him.  He did not remember crying like this, and while he was sure he had before, he could not remember when or why.  Then he managed to continue saying, “Leave me here Amy.  I’ll recover, and so will you.  You need to move on with your life…I’ll never be anything more than an outcast in the eyes of your kindred…and you know I’m right.”

   Amy grew angry at him.  She cried harder and yelled at him saying, “I can’t believe you Knuckles!  We’re finally becoming close again, and look what you do to me!  I won’t let you give up on yourself!”  She was so upset and frustrated with him for his words.  She would not give up on him, for he had been a friend to her unlike anyone else had been.  He was genuine and good, kind-hearted and gentle, fighting only when he had to, and he listened to her.  He always looked at her when she talked, his eyes never wandering when she spoke, and he was always supportive of her.  He had done so much for her, and whether he liked it or not, she could never forget about him…never could she forget her first real friend…her true friend…and the one she loved so much…that words could not begin to describe her feelings.

   She murmured quietly to herself, “I can’t do that Knux, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”  She looked back at him and added, “How could you let those people judge you!?  It’s not about what others think of you, but what you think of yourself.  Those people are nothing compared to you!  Who are you going to believe Knuckles…those ignorant people who ridicule you, mock you, and make you feel bad or are you going to believe me, someone who’s your friend, and knows you better than anyone else?  Well let me tell you something Knuckles!  If anyone in the world cares about you, I do more than any of them, and I won’t let you give up on yourself…I won’t let you quit!  I care about you too much to let you go!!”

   Knuckles was shocked at her response.  He had never seen her like this before.  He sniffed a couple of times and said, “What…what do you mean Amy?  I thought we were just friends.  How far can a friendship go?”

   Amy grew calmer and smiled gently at him.  She said in a lower voice, “Knuxie, you wanna know what I mean?  The truth is Knux; that I can never let you go, because I can never stop thinking about you.  No matter what I do, you’re always on my mind, and I look forward to every time that I see you.  I’ve gotten used to the fact that the city scares you, and I don’t mind coming here to pay a visit, but I know that you miss me when I’m gone.  I miss you too if you didn’t know.  I find some nights you’re even in my dreams, and even though we aren’t together a lot, I’ve grown to love you.  Before I knew it, you had taken my heart.  You’re such a precious soul Knuckles and you are alive for more than just the Master Emerald I’m sure.  I think the truth is Knux, that you need me as much as I need you.”  Amy took a breath, shook her head and giggled slightly.  She said, “The fact is Knuckles, is that I love you…very much.  That’s why I came here that night, because I had to see you.  I had grown weary of all of those other people.  I love your company; you’re so much better than they are Knuckles, I just wish you would believe that.”

   Knuckles’ began to feel warmth in his heart.  He closed his eyes and thought back to that night she had cried for him.  He remembered her saying, “I love you Knuckles,” as she slept beside him…that is, he thought she was sleeping, and perhaps she was, but now he knew that she loved him like he loved her.  He opened his eyes, for he had the desire to kiss her.  However, he cringed as the pain in his chest seemed to worsen.  His cries became more pleading, and he clung to Amy for dear life.

   “Knuckles!  Are you okay?  What’s wrong?!  Please tell me so I can help you!” Amy cried.

   “Oh Amy…I’m nothing but a fool.  I forgot how good of a friend you were to me.  You never let me quit, and I’m grateful for that kindness alone.  I shouldn’t have been so stupid as to give up on my life…”  Knuckles’ voice faltered a little.  Amy knew he would die if she didn’t get him help.  Unlike last time, she couldn’t bandage up such a deep wound like she had been able to put a splint on his leg.  She had to do something for him.

   Amy started to get up slowly, making sure not to aggravate any of his wounds.  He was going in and out of consciousness, but the sudden movement woke him up.  “What are you….what are you doing Amy?”

   “Hush Knux, I’m going to help you.  I’m going to take you to a hospital where they can help you.  I don’t know how much longer you can last.  Hang on tight Knuxie, I’ll save you,” she said.

   “B—but the Master Emerald…I can’t leave it unprotected…” he could no longer speak.  A rush of pain rolled through his body.  He was losing blood too quickly, and though the violent storm had passed, it was still cold and drizzle had begun to fall.  Between the threat of hypothermia, blood loss, and him losing consciousness, Amy had no choice.

    “Forget about the Master Emerald Knuckles!  You’re more important right now!  It’s not worth your life!” Amy made sure one last time that he was balanced evenly on her shoulders before she dashed off into the forest in the direction of the Tornado II.  She prayed that Tails had fixed the plane, hoping against hope that he had fixed it in such a short amount of time.

    Amy quickly found the place where the Tornado II had crashed, and found that Tails had indeed gotten it airborne.  He had been circling the area, waiting for Amy’s return.  When he saw her with Knuckles badly injured on her back, he quickly lowered the plane as close to the ground as possible.  While Knuckles was only half-conscious, the roar of the engines scared him, and his reflexes influenced him to lurch away from the frightening sound.  Amy nearly lost her grip on him, and a fall like that would only succeed in injuring him further.

   She soothed Knuckles by saying, “It’s okay Knuckles!  It’s just the Tornado II, one of Tails’ planes!  It’s going to get you to help as quickly as anything.  Everything’s okay!”

   The echidna didn’t answer her; he was slipping into a state of shock.  The combination of blood loss, hypothermia, and lack of food was becoming too much for him.  Amy could feel him shivering and he was becoming increasingly incoherent.  She feared for his life and her stomach began to hurt.  She cried to Tails, “Tails!  I know that the Tornado II has only two seats, but I don’t think he can last much longer!  He’ll die if he doesn’t get help soon!”

    Tails pulled a thermal blanket out of the cargo hold and said, “Wrap him up with this Amy!  We’ll get him back to Station Square where he can get help!  Let’s get him into the plane!”

   Amy and Tails carefully lifted the echidna into the backseat and the two scrambled in afterwards.  Tails pointed the nose of the plane to the sky and flew up into the air.  He circled Angel Island one more time to get in the right direction.  Before he could leave, Amy, who had pulled Knuckles into her lap, said, “Tails, can’t you pick up the Master Emerald?  I’m not worried about it in the least but Knuckles is so devoted to guarding it I think it’ll make him feel better to know that it’s safe!”

   “Amy, I can pick it up with the crane, but you know what’ll happen!  Angel Island will fall out of the sky again and it might crash into the ocean and sink to the bottom!” Tails cried.

   “That’s not important Tails!  The Master Emerald is what is important, as well as Knuckles’ well-being.  We’ll just have to take that chance!  Now get the emerald quickly!”

   “O--okay!  I’m going in!”  Tails flew towards the Master Emerald’s shrine.  He positioned the plane over it, lowered a mechanical crane down to it, and picked it up with a claw, gently hoisting it into the Tornado II’s cargo hold.  Almost immediately, the island began to sink, falling out of the sky as it had done once before.  Tails maneuvered around to the other side of the island and positioned the plane behind it.  He activated a force field and nudged the falling island towards a mountain where it would land, saving it from being lost in the ocean depths.  Tails could hear Amy urging him, and he took off with all speed to Station Square…the race to save the echidna’s life was on.

   After mere minutes, their destination was in sight.  “We’re almost there Amy!  He just needs to hang on a little longer!”

   Amy heard Tails, but didn’t acknowledge him.  Instead, she gave all her thoughts to Knuckles, who lay motionless in her lap.  His shivering had lessened, but the wound in his chest was still open and bleeding slowly, though not as badly as before.  She stroked his hair gently to soothe him, and she nuzzled the top of his head with her own, gently kissing it as she did so.  Whether he knew it or not, he had become part of her life now.  He meant so much to her.  She valued him so much that she could not imagine life without him.  She began to grow impatient, even though she knew they were almost to help, it just wasn’t fast enough.  “I love you Knuckles, everything’s gonna be alright now.”

   Even though he could not hear her, he knew that she loved him.  In the swirling dark that was his mind, all he could think of was her, and how she was his life…his all…and his one and only true love.  She kept him going, she was his life, and it was because of her, that he had not died a long time ago.  She showed him love when he was weak, given him so much expecting nothing in return, and kept him from quitting when things were hard on him.  “You stupid, stupid echidna…you have so much to live for.  If anything, Amy will always love you, and that alone is enough to live for…please don’t give up on me Amy…I don’t want to die anymore.  I love you…” and he remembered no more…