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"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 5: Filling in the Gaps

     By daybreak, the warm rainfall had ceased, and the morning sun rose fresh over the ocean, breathing new life into the sleeping world.  The sun’s rays peeked into the windows of Amy’s apartment, and right onto Knuckles’ face.  He was sleeping peacefully in Amy’s bed…peacefully for once, as he could not remember a restful sleep such as this.  For some time, his dreams had been nothing but painful reminders of his harsh reality, a life of isolation on Angel Island that would never end.  However, for once, he was able to rest easy, knowing that he was with Amy, and would be able to recover from his wounds.  He felt like he knew so little about her, and he hoped to spend this time with her, getting to know her better, and making their friendship as strong as it once was.

     As the sun’s rays fell on Knuckles’ face, they caused his eyelids to flinch, the bright light rousing him out of his peaceful slumber.  His eyes were drawn to the sliding glass door that looked outside over the horizon.  He could see the sun rising slowly, bringing a new day to the world.  He sat up, bringing his hand to the back of his head and rubbed it gently, cringing as he felt a hint of pain rush through his skull.  He was immediately reminded of why he was with Amy; he remembered what had happened the day before, and he could feel a dull pain circulating through his body…an ever-present reminder of the injuries he had inflicted on himself in his disconsolate rage.

     He stood up, drowsy-eyed, and looked over at Amy.  She was sleeping peacefully on her couch, a warm fleece blanket draped loosely over her body.  Knuckles managed a smile, and started to walk over to her.  He felt very dizzy, his legs were wobbly and fatigued, and he stumbled over towards the glass door.  After a few unsure steps, he leaned against glass door, glad to have made those few steps towards the daylight.  He desperately wanted to regain his awareness, and for the pain that coursed throughout his entire body to dissipate.  He was quite hungry, but not wanting to disturb Amy, or mess around in her kitchen, he put the feeling of hunger out of his mind.

     Desperately wanting to find relief from the agonizing pain left over from his injuries, he cautiously pulled the glass door open, stepping out onto the balcony of Amy’s apartment.  The warm, wet air felt good on his fur…and the cool and gentle breeze brought comfort to his wounds.  He took a deep breath, relaxing to the familiar scent of the morning air, fresh and crisp after the warm rain.  He nodded his head groggily and rubbed his eyes gently…trying to wake up and get energy back to his tired body.  He stretched his arms trying to loosen up his tense muscles, and as he lowered his arms, a bead of dew fell in splashed on his nose.

     Knuckles blinked as water trickled down his nose.  He brought his hand to his nose to dry it off; as he did so, he heard a faint sound coming from nearby.  It sounded like the mewing of a kitten, or some small animal of that kind, and having concern for it, Knuckles set about looking for it.  The balcony was not that large, but there were plenty of places a small animal could find to hide, and Knuckles wasn’t feeling well enough to keep looking for the source of the sound.  He collapsed in a deck chair and tried to catch his breath, a dull pain continuing to pulse through his body.  His breath was faint, and he had a hard time catching it; he let his muscles go limp as he panted heavily, desiring to breathe normally again.  The cool sea breeze blew over him once more, and he inhaled deeply as the rush of chill air rolled over him.  It was then that he heard this mewing sound again, and it attracted his interest once more.

     He slowly began to ease out of the deck chair; it wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was easier on him than standing and moving around.  He felt a little feverish, as he had been sweating all through his sleep.  He stood up completely, feeling all the more dizzy because he stood up too quickly, but again, he heard the mewing, and he continued to search for its source.  His legs were shaky underneath him, and a pulse of numb pain rolled through his achy muscles, causing him to fall hard on the floor.

     “Auggh, my aching…everything.  I’ve never felt so horrible in my life.  Never sicker, never more tired, never in this much pain…I can’t stand it.  I should be lying down, but instead I’m looking around on hand and knee for some small animal.  I’m must be losing my mind…,” Knuckles muttered to himself.  He continued to cringe at the pain that needled his body at every level.  After a few feeble attempts to get off the ground, the echidna realized he was too weak to get up at that moment.  He let his tired body collapse fully to the cold, deck floor, and he began to breathe heavily, in an effort to gain back even a bit of strength.  He had never felt this weak before…it was a sickening feeling, being this ill and this sick, and a few tears fell from his eyes, as he lay there, powerless to make the pain go away.  He shut his eyes tightly to try to suppress his tears, but as they ran fast and hot down his face, they stung the scratches that were scattered across his muzzle.

     Just then, the mewing sound returned, and a tiny creature peeked out from behind a potted plant.  It was a small kitten, covered in fuzzy grey fur with a few white wisps of fur scattered amongst the grey.  She crept slowly towards the weeping echidna, not sensing a threat, and drawn to his body heat.  He was indeed quite feverish, and the little kitten’s fuzzy fur wasn’t keeping her warm, as it was dampened by the rain and chilled by the cold the night before.  She heard the echidna weeping, and crept closer to his still form.  She walked up to his head, and could see the tears streaming down his face.  She gently bumped his muzzle with her pink nose, and not receiving a response, she nudged his face again, mewing quietly.

     Knuckles felt the bumps of her nose, and after sniffing a couple times, slowly opened his eyes.  His watery eyes were blurring his vision, but he could make out the silhouette of a small cat, and at the same time, he could hear it mewing softly.  He managed to crack a weak smile when he saw the tiny creature in front of him, nudging him gently.  He found he had enough strength to pick himself up off the ground.  He got up slowly, stooping to scoop up the kitten in his large hands, once he was steady on his feet.  After more, uneasy steps, Knuckles sat down easily in the deck chair, breathing deeply once more, as the pain from his wounds returned to plague him.

     The kitten squirmed out of Knuckles’ hands and crawled up to his chest, her little claws not sharp enough to cause Knuckles anymore pain.  He felt her tiny claws dug into his skin barely, giving him a tingly sensation, rather than putting him in pain.  The kitten stopped when she got to the white stripe on his chest, finding it a nice warm spot for her to curl up in and sleep.  She was growing close to him quickly, and he too was cheered up by her presence.  He could see her wet fur, and it was nice and cool against his feverish body.  He felt the kitten shivering from the cold, and realized that she was chilled to the bone from her cold, wet fur.  He was sure his warm, overheated fur was warming her up, while her dampened fur was cooling him down, and soothed the wound on his chest at the same time.

      Knuckles took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  He could feel the dull pain that rushed through his body slowly dissipate as he relaxed, and he felt some mild relief from his sick and aching body.  He shut his heavy eyes and began to drift into a peaceful dream, but before he did so, he heard the kitten purring happily.  She had curled up in a ball on top of Knuckles, and gently whispered, “You—you little grey fuzz ball.  You’re such…a sweet little kitty…with your fuzzy grey and white fur, little paws and ears, and your sweet little pink nose.  Why don’t we both…get some rest…”  His voice, weak and tired, fell short, and he drifted into a restful sleep, and the little kitten, trusting and loving her new friend, slept with him.

     Some hours later, Amy woke up, trying to remember the events from the night before.  Then she remembered tucking Knuckles in the night before, and her thoughts immediately turned to her friend.  She walked over to her bed, not wanting to wake him should he still be sleeping.  “Knuxie…are you awake?” she whispered quietly.  She rubbed her tired eyes sleepily and took a few more steps towards her bed.  She called out in a slightly louder voice, “Knuxie?  Are you awake?  Do you feel alright?”  She sat down on the edge of her bed, only to find a pile of blankets where the echidna once laid.  She immediately grew fearful for him, wondering where he might have gone.  He certainly couldn’t have improved much from the night before…what if…, “What if he got up during the night…and didn’t know where he was going!  He could be hurt somewhere…Knuckles!  Where are you?” Amy cried.

     That idea rooted itself deep in her mind, and she tried to think where Knuckles could have gone.  She rushed back over towards the couch where she had left her boots, and while she was putting them on, she felt a rush of cold air blow by her.  She saw the sliding glass door cracked slightly open, and getting up from the couch, she walked over to investigate.  It was then that she saw the red echidna sleeping peacefully on the deck chair.  She breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to the balcony.  She then walked outside to sit with him until he woke, but after she closed the door behind her, she saw the little grey and white kitten curled up in a ball on his chest.

      Amy smiled at the sight.  It was so sweet, Knuckles all sprawled out on the deck chair, with a little grey and white kitten balled up on his chest.  She knelt down beside the chair taking Knuckles’ hand, which hung droopily over the arm of it.  He twitched slightly at feeling this, and stirred a bit, coming out of his sleep.  The kitten, reacting to his movement, mewed happily while continuing to purr warmly.  She stretched her tiny legs and body, yawning as she woke up from her nap.  Knuckles too yawned deeply, wanting to stretch, but feeling the pain return to his body, resisted this impulse.  He brought his free hand up to rub his eyes, blinked a few times, and then looked to see Amy kneeling next to him.

     “Hey Knuxie, how did you wind up out here?  It’s awfully chilly out here, and still very early in the day.  Are you alright?” Amy asked.

      Knuckles blinked once more, and the kitten stood on its four tiny paws, climbing up to sit on Knuckles’ shoulder, burrowing into his hair and fur for warmth.  A happy mew came from the kitten, and Knuckles tilted his head back to nuzzle her gently.  He heard her purring, and then looked back at Amy.  “It’s not cold to me…I’m actually feeling very feverish.  It feels pleasant out here…I needed to cool off.  I’m feeling okay otherwise…no, that’s a lie.  I don’t want to upset you, but I’m feeling terrible.  I don’t recall ever being this sick, tired, or in pain before in my life.  This is all my fault, if I hadn’t been such an idiot and attacked myself then this wouldn’t have happened.  Now I have you upset and worried.”

       Amy shook her head, patting Knuckles’ hand gently.  “Oh Knuckles…this isn’t your fault.  Being alone and isolated on that island was bound to make you crazy after awhile.  Heck, I know I couldn’t have lasted that long by myself…none of us could.  You’re the strongest person I know Knuxie, in body, mind, spirit, and heart, you’re just sick now and need a break.  Everything will be okay, and you know it.”

       Knuckles managed a smile, finding comfort from her words.  Before he could speak, he let out a groan, the pain from his wounds returning to him.  He took hold of Amy’s hand and gripped it tightly, cringing as the wave of pain rolled through him.  “Uggh, I’ve never been in this much pain before.  I doubt the village elders saw much worse than this…even after our most frightful battles.  Heh, shows you the strength of an echidna you know?  Thing is, the echidnas never turned on themselves…so, heh, I again doubt the village elders saw injuries worse than my own.  They’d be ashamed of me were they here…and all because of that stupid Master Emerald…”  Knuckles paused, remembering the Master Emerald in the back of his mind.  He had some concern for it, but at that time, he didn’t care.  As another rush of pain rolled through his tired body, he continued to wince and was almost brought to tears.

        Amy looked at him, and began to worry for him.  She began to wonder if taking him from the hospital was the right thing to do.  She thought about what he said, and if his injuries were as bad as he said, then she was putting him through unnecessary pain.  She closed her eyes, feeling her eyes begin to tear up, to try and suppress the tears.  She shook her head, breathing deeply to try and refrain from crying, and at the same time she tried to figure out how to get Knuckles’ mind off his injuries.  She heard the kitten mew happily from her spot on his shoulder, and Amy opened her eyes, now knowing how to get Knuckles’ pain off his mind.

        “Hey Knuxie, whose you little friend here?” she asked innocently.

         Knuckles looked at her, hearing the kitten purr as it curled up on his shoulder.  “Oh, you mean the kitten?  I woke up this morning, and wandered out here.  While I was enjoying the cool breeze, I heard her mewing, and after collapsing from exhaustion, she walked up to me and we became friends.  After that, we both went to sleep, there’s not much else to tell really.  I haven’t even named her yet,” Knuckles replied.

          Amy smiled and said, “Awwe, that’s sweet Knuckles.  I have a question though; you referred to it as a “she”.  Are you sure that it’s a girl kitten?”

          The kitten mewed again, and stood up, climbing on top of Knuckles’ head.  He let out a laugh, relieved that she hadn’t aggravated his head wound, and said, “I’m sure it’s a “she” Amy.  Don’t worry…”  He and Amy let out a laugh, and Amy’s heart felt warm.  At least Knuckles was happy.  As long as he was feeling okay, she was fine.

          “Hee hee, okay Knuxie.  I trust you…but since you know it’s a girl, you can probably name her right?  She looks quite attached to you Knuckles, I think she really trusts you,” Amy said smiling.

            The kitten squeaked in reply, and the echidna let out another laugh.  He reached up and carefully picked the kitten up off his head.  The little kitten was so small she fit snuggly in the echidna’s large hand.  Amy let go of his other hand, and he gently petted the kitten with one finger.  As she purred happily, Knuckles laughed gently and said, “You’d think I’d be able to name her right?  I’m having a bit of trouble actually.  I’m just not sure…I mean, her fur does remind me of the mist you find over the ocean each morning…but I’m not sure.”

             Amy said, “Awwe, something like…‘morning mist’ or ‘misty’ or something.”

             Knuckles looked at the kitten and murmured, “Kelerai…”

             “What did you say Knuckles?”  Amy asked.

             “Kelerai…you mentioned something about naming her Misty or something.  Well I remember what the word ‘misty dawn’ meant in the old echidna language.  Kelerai was the word for either ‘misty dawn’ or ‘morning mist.’  It’s funny how I can remember some things and not others…but anyway, I think Kelerai sounds nice.  I like it…,” Knuckles explained.

              Amy smiled and Kelerai mewed in agreement.  Even Knuckles had a good laugh, followed by a low, raspy cough that quickly dissipated.  He winced as rays of the morning sun fell upon them; the morning was passing quickly, and already he felt better, though he still felt slightly feverish and achy.  He stood up slowly, his legs a bit shaky, and groaned.  “Uggh…I feel a bit better, but…mmm, boy do I ache,” he muttered.

              Amy stood up, placing her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently and saying, “Well, everything can’t get better immediately.  You’ll get better though, I’ll make sure of it.  It may take a little while, but you’ll be back to full strength.  In the mean time…we can get back to, well, being friends again.”

              Knuckles looked back at her, grinning, and Amy returned the smile, blushing as she did so.  Kelerai purred warmly, rubbing against their legs, as the two stood in a half hug, Amy resting her head on Knuckles’ shoulder for a brief moment, before he felt his fever and hunger return.  The two looked to each other, and Amy gently kissed Knuckles on his cheek, before opening the glass door and Kelerai quickly ran inside.  Extending her hand to him, Amy then helped Knuckles inside, where the air conditioning came on, and Amy made breakfast; even Kelerai got her fill.

              In those few hours, Knuckles had made a new friend in Kelerai, and from that same morning on she never left him.  She became his pet, and for the rest of her life, was there for him when he needed her, and she needed him.  In Amy’s eyes, he seemed much happier, even through his pain, which she knew had to be great.  She assumed that Kelerai brought him considerable joy, but unknown to her, Knuckles’ real happiness came from being with Amy again.  His love for her was growing by the day, and being this close to her was what made the pain seem largely non-existent.  He thought little of Angel Island, or the Master Emerald at this point…though they were of concern to him.  Being with Amy meant so much more to him at the time…he loved her, and at this time, she meant more than anything to him.  All he wanted was to be with her, and let her know how much he truly cared.

               This was a time for healing for Knuckles, and more than just being friends, for they knew of their love for one another, but it was now that it would really begin to grow.  Filling in the gaps meant that they would catch up on what they had missed, only to fall ever the more in love, that love to be increased, as time went on.

Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 5: Filling in the Gaps

     By daybreak, the warm rainfall had ceased, and the morning sun rose fresh over the ocean, breathing new life into the sleeping world.  The sun’s rays peeked into the windows of Amy’s apartment, and right onto Knuckles’ face.  He was sleeping peacefully in Amy’s bed…peacefully for once, as he could not remember a restful sleep such as this.  For some time, his dreams had been nothing but painful reminders of his harsh reality, a life of isolation on Angel Island that would never end.  However, for once, he was able to rest easy, knowing that he was with Amy, and would be able to recover from his wounds.  He felt like he knew so little about her, and he hoped to spend this time with her, getting to know her better, and making their friendship as strong as it once was.

     As the sun’s rays fell on Knuckles’ face, they caused his eyelids to flinch, the bright light rousing him out of his peaceful slumber.  His eyes were drawn to the sliding glass door that looked outside over the horizon.  He could see the sun rising slowly, bringing a new day to the world.  He sat up, bringing his hand to the back of his head and rubbed it gently, cringing as he felt a hint of pain rush through his skull.  He was immediately reminded of why he was with Amy; he remembered what had happened the day before, and he could feel a dull pain circulating through his body…an ever-present reminder of the injuries he had inflicted on himself in his disconsolate rage.

     He stood up, drowsy-eyed, and looked over at Amy.  She was sleeping peacefully on her couch, a warm fleece blanket draped loosely over her body.  Knuckles managed a smile, and started to walk over to her.  He felt very dizzy, his legs were wobbly and fatigued, and he stumbled over towards the glass door.  After a few unsure steps, he leaned against glass door, glad to have made those few steps towards the daylight.  He desperately wanted to regain his awareness, and for the pain that coursed throughout his entire body to dissipate.  He was quite hungry, but not wanting to disturb Amy, or mess around in her kitchen, he put the feeling of hunger out of his mind.

     Desperately wanting to find relief from the agonizing pain left over from his injuries, he cautiously pulled the glass door open, stepping out onto the balcony of Amy’s apartment.  The warm, wet air felt good on his fur…and the cool and gentle breeze brought comfort to his wounds.  He took a deep breath, relaxing to the familiar scent of the morning air, fresh and crisp after the warm rain.  He nodded his head groggily and rubbed his eyes gently…trying to wake up and get energy back to his tired body.  He stretched his arms trying to loosen up his tense muscles, and as he lowered his arms, a bead of dew fell in splashed on his nose.

     Knuckles blinked as water trickled down his nose.  He brought his hand to his nose to dry it off; as he did so, he heard a faint sound coming from nearby.  It sounded like the mewing of a kitten, or some small animal of that kind, and having concern for it, Knuckles set about looking for it.  The balcony was not that large, but there were plenty of places a small animal could find to hide, and Knuckles wasn’t feeling well enough to keep looking for the source of the sound.  He collapsed in a deck chair and tried to catch his breath, a dull pain continuing to pulse through his body.  His breath was faint, and he had a hard time catching it; he let his muscles go limp as he panted heavily, desiring to breathe normally again.  The cool sea breeze blew over him once more, and he inhaled deeply as the rush of chill air rolled over him.  It was then that he heard this mewing sound again, and it attracted his interest once more.

     He slowly began to ease out of the deck chair; it wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was easier on him than standing and moving around.  He felt a little feverish, as he had been sweating all through his sleep.  He stood up completely, feeling all the more dizzy because he stood up too quickly, but again, he heard the mewing, and he continued to search for its source.  His legs were shaky underneath him, and a pulse of numb pain rolled through his achy muscles, causing him to fall hard on the floor.

     “Auggh, my aching…everything.  I’ve never felt so horrible in my life.  Never sicker, never more tired, never in this much pain…I can’t stand it.  I should be lying down, but instead I’m looking around on hand and knee for some small animal.  I’m must be losing my mind…,” Knuckles muttered to himself.  He continued to cringe at the pain that needled his body at every level.  After a few feeble attempts to get off the ground, the echidna realized he was too weak to get up at that moment.  He let his tired body collapse fully to the cold, deck floor, and he began to breathe heavily, in an effort to gain back even a bit of strength.  He had never felt this weak before…it was a sickening feeling, being this ill and this sick, and a few tears fell from his eyes, as he lay there, powerless to make the pain go away.  He shut his eyes tightly to try to suppress his tears, but as they ran fast and hot down his face, they stung the scratches that were scattered across his muzzle.

     Just then, the mewing sound returned, and a tiny creature peeked out from behind a potted plant.  It was a small kitten, covered in fuzzy grey fur with a few white wisps of fur scattered amongst the grey.  She crept slowly towards the weeping echidna, not sensing a threat, and drawn to his body heat.  He was indeed quite feverish, and the little kitten’s fuzzy fur wasn’t keeping her warm, as it was dampened by the rain and chilled by the cold the night before.  She heard the echidna weeping, and crept closer to his still form.  She walked up to his head, and could see the tears streaming down his face.  She gently bumped his muzzle with her pink nose, and not receiving a response, she nudged his face again, mewing quietly.

     Knuckles felt the bumps of her nose, and after sniffing a couple times, slowly opened his eyes.  His watery eyes were blurring his vision, but he could make out the silhouette of a small cat, and at the same time, he could hear it mewing softly.  He managed to crack a weak smile when he saw the tiny creature in front of him, nudging him gently.  He found he had enough strength to pick himself up off the ground.  He got up slowly, stooping to scoop up the kitten in his large hands, once he was steady on his feet.  After more, uneasy steps, Knuckles sat down easily in the deck chair, breathing deeply once more, as the pain from his wounds returned to plague him.

     The kitten squirmed out of Knuckles’ hands and crawled up to his chest, her little claws not sharp enough to cause Knuckles anymore pain.  He felt her tiny claws dug into his skin barely, giving him a tingly sensation, rather than putting him in pain.  The kitten stopped when she got to the white stripe on his chest, finding it a nice warm spot for her to curl up in and sleep.  She was growing close to him quickly, and he too was cheered up by her presence.  He could see her wet fur, and it was nice and cool against his feverish body.  He felt the kitten shivering from the cold, and realized that she was chilled to the bone from her cold, wet fur.  He was sure his warm, overheated fur was warming her up, while her dampened fur was cooling him down, and soothed the wound on his chest at the same time.

      Knuckles took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  He could feel the dull pain that rushed through his body slowly dissipate as he relaxed, and he felt some mild relief from his sick and aching body.  He shut his heavy eyes and began to drift into a peaceful dream, but before he did so, he heard the kitten purring happily.  She had curled up in a ball on top of Knuckles, and gently whispered, “You—you little grey fuzz ball.  You’re such…a sweet little kitty…with your fuzzy grey and white fur, little paws and ears, and your sweet little pink nose.  Why don’t we both…get some rest…”  His voice, weak and tired, fell short, and he drifted into a restful sleep, and the little kitten, trusting and loving her new friend, slept with him.

     Some hours later, Amy woke up, trying to remember the events from the night before.  Then she remembered tucking Knuckles in the night before, and her thoughts immediately turned to her friend.  She walked over to her bed, not wanting to wake him should he still be sleeping.  “Knuxie…are you awake?” she whispered quietly.  She rubbed her tired eyes sleepily and took a few more steps towards her bed.  She called out in a slightly louder voice, “Knuxie?  Are you awake?  Do you feel alright?”  She sat down on the edge of her bed, only to find a pile of blankets where the echidna once laid.  She immediately grew fearful for him, wondering where he might have gone.  He certainly couldn’t have improved much from the night before…what if…, “What if he got up during the night…and didn’t know where he was going!  He could be hurt somewhere…Knuckles!  Where are you?” Amy cried.

     That idea rooted itself deep in her mind, and she tried to think where Knuckles could have gone.  She rushed back over towards the couch where she had left her boots, and while she was putting them on, she felt a rush of cold air blow by her.  She saw the sliding glass door cracked slightly open, and getting up from the couch, she walked over to investigate.  It was then that she saw the red echidna sleeping peacefully on the deck chair.  She breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to the balcony.  She then walked outside to sit with him until he woke, but after she closed the door behind her, she saw the little grey and white kitten curled up in a ball on his chest.

      Amy smiled at the sight.  It was so sweet, Knuckles all sprawled out on the deck chair, with a little grey and white kitten balled up on his chest.  She knelt down beside the chair taking Knuckles’ hand, which hung droopily over the arm of it.  He twitched slightly at feeling this, and stirred a bit, coming out of his sleep.  The kitten, reacting to his movement, mewed happily while continuing to purr warmly.  She stretched her tiny legs and body, yawning as she woke up from her nap.  Knuckles too yawned deeply, wanting to stretch, but feeling the pain return to his body, resisted this impulse.  He brought his free hand up to rub his eyes, blinked a few times, and then looked to see Amy kneeling next to him.

     “Hey Knuxie, how did you wind up out here?  It’s awfully chilly out here, and still very early in the day.  Are you alright?” Amy asked.

      Knuckles blinked once more, and the kitten stood on its four tiny paws, climbing up to sit on Knuckles’ shoulder, burrowing into his hair and fur for warmth.  A happy mew came from the kitten, and Knuckles tilted his head back to nuzzle her gently.  He heard her purring, and then looked back at Amy.  “It’s not cold to me…I’m actually feeling very feverish.  It feels pleasant out here…I needed to cool off.  I’m feeling okay otherwise…no, that’s a lie.  I don’t want to upset you, but I’m feeling terrible.  I don’t recall ever being this sick, tired, or in pain before in my life.  This is all my fault, if I hadn’t been such an idiot and attacked myself then this wouldn’t have happened.  Now I have you upset and worried.”

       Amy shook her head, patting Knuckles’ hand gently.  “Oh Knuckles…this isn’t your fault.  Being alone and isolated on that island was bound to make you crazy after awhile.  Heck, I know I couldn’t have lasted that long by myself…none of us could.  You’re the strongest person I know Knuxie, in body, mind, spirit, and heart, you’re just sick now and need a break.  Everything will be okay, and you know it.”

       Knuckles managed a smile, finding comfort from her words.  Before he could speak, he let out a groan, the pain from his wounds returning to him.  He took hold of Amy’s hand and gripped it tightly, cringing as the wave of pain rolled through him.  “Uggh, I’ve never been in this much pain before.  I doubt the village elders saw much worse than this…even after our most frightful battles.  Heh, shows you the strength of an echidna you know?  Thing is, the echidnas never turned on themselves…so, heh, I again doubt the village elders saw injuries worse than my own.  They’d be ashamed of me were they here…and all because of that stupid Master Emerald…”  Knuckles paused, remembering the Master Emerald in the back of his mind.  He had some concern for it, but at that time, he didn’t care.  As another rush of pain rolled through his tired body, he continued to wince and was almost brought to tears.

        Amy looked at him, and began to worry for him.  She began to wonder if taking him from the hospital was the right thing to do.  She thought about what he said, and if his injuries were as bad as he said, then she was putting him through unnecessary pain.  She closed her eyes, feeling her eyes begin to tear up, to try and suppress the tears.  She shook her head, breathing deeply to try and refrain from crying, and at the same time she tried to figure out how to get Knuckles’ mind off his injuries.  She heard the kitten mew happily from her spot on his shoulder, and Amy opened her eyes, now knowing how to get Knuckles’ pain off his mind.

        “Hey Knuxie, whose you little friend here?” she asked innocently.

         Knuckles looked at her, hearing the kitten purr as it curled up on his shoulder.  “Oh, you mean the kitten?  I woke up this morning, and wandered out here.  While I was enjoying the cool breeze, I heard her mewing, and after collapsing from exhaustion, she walked up to me and we became friends.  After that, we both went to sleep, there’s not much else to tell really.  I haven’t even named her yet,” Knuckles replied.

          Amy smiled and said, “Awwe, that’s sweet Knuckles.  I have a question though; you referred to it as a “she”.  Are you sure that it’s a girl kitten?”

          The kitten mewed again, and stood up, climbing on top of Knuckles’ head.  He let out a laugh, relieved that she hadn’t aggravated his head wound, and said, “I’m sure it’s a “she” Amy.  Don’t worry…”  He and Amy let out a laugh, and Amy’s heart felt warm.  At least Knuckles was happy.  As long as he was feeling okay, she was fine.

          “Hee hee, okay Knuxie.  I trust you…but since you know it’s a girl, you can probably name her right?  She looks quite attached to you Knuckles, I think she really trusts you,” Amy said smiling.

            The kitten squeaked in reply, and the echidna let out another laugh.  He reached up and carefully picked the kitten up off his head.  The little kitten was so small she fit snuggly in the echidna’s large hand.  Amy let go of his other hand, and he gently petted the kitten with one finger.  As she purred happily, Knuckles laughed gently and said, “You’d think I’d be able to name her right?  I’m having a bit of trouble actually.  I’m just not sure…I mean, her fur does remind me of the mist you find over the ocean each morning…but I’m not sure.”

             Amy said, “Awwe, something like…‘morning mist’ or ‘misty’ or something.”

             Knuckles looked at the kitten and murmured, “Kelerai…”

             “What did you say Knuckles?”  Amy asked.

             “Kelerai…you mentioned something about naming her Misty or something.  Well I remember what the word ‘misty dawn’ meant in the old echidna language.  Kelerai was the word for either ‘misty dawn’ or ‘morning mist.’  It’s funny how I can remember some things and not others…but anyway, I think Kelerai sounds nice.  I like it…,” Knuckles explained.

              Amy smiled and Kelerai mewed in agreement.  Even Knuckles had a good laugh, followed by a low, raspy cough that quickly dissipated.  He winced as rays of the morning sun fell upon them; the morning was passing quickly, and already he felt better, though he still felt slightly feverish and achy.  He stood up slowly, his legs a bit shaky, and groaned.  “Uggh…I feel a bit better, but…mmm, boy do I ache,” he muttered.

              Amy stood up, placing her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently and saying, “Well, everything can’t get better immediately.  You’ll get better though, I’ll make sure of it.  It may take a little while, but you’ll be back to full strength.  In the mean time…we can get back to, well, being friends again.”

              Knuckles looked back at her, grinning, and Amy returned the smile, blushing as she did so.  Kelerai purred warmly, rubbing against their legs, as the two stood in a half hug, Amy resting her head on Knuckles’ shoulder for a brief moment, before he felt his fever and hunger return.  The two looked to each other, and Amy gently kissed Knuckles on his cheek, before opening the glass door and Kelerai quickly ran inside.  Extending her hand to him, Amy then helped Knuckles inside, where the air conditioning came on, and Amy made breakfast; even Kelerai got her fill.

              In those few hours, Knuckles had made a new friend in Kelerai, and from that same morning on she never left him.  She became his pet, and for the rest of her life, was there for him when he needed her, and she needed him.  In Amy’s eyes, he seemed much happier, even through his pain, which she knew had to be great.  She assumed that Kelerai brought him considerable joy, but unknown to her, Knuckles’ real happiness came from being with Amy again.  His love for her was growing by the day, and being this close to her was what made the pain seem largely non-existent.  He thought little of Angel Island, or the Master Emerald at this point…though they were of concern to him.  Being with Amy meant so much more to him at the time…he loved her, and at this time, she meant more than anything to him.  All he wanted was to be with her, and let her know how much he truly cared.

               This was a time for healing for Knuckles, and more than just being friends, for they knew of their love for one another, but it was now that it would really begin to grow.  Filling in the gaps meant that they would catch up on what they had missed, only to fall ever the more in love, that love to be increased, as time went on.