The Guardian's Rose_Part One

The Guardian's Rose_Part One

The Guardian’s Rose

Amy Rose The Hedgehog skipped happily through a park in Station Square. Why was she so happy? It was because she planned to win over Sonic’s heart. Or at least she would try, like the other 364 days a year she did. Skipping on the park path, she saw her beloved blue boy stretching in front of a tree, looking ready to do his daily run. His best bud, Miles “Tails” Prower, stood next to him, holding a stopwatch, ready to time him.
“A few more should do it.” Said Sonic, twisting his waist.
“Maybe you’ll beat your record-again!” said Tails.
“SONIKUU!” cried out Amy, going to them both. Tails sighed, shaking his head, while Sonic froze in a panicked state. “Guess what today iiiiiissss!” she sang.
“Thursday?” asked Tails.
“The day you stop adding things to the shrine you made of me?” asked Sonic.
“No and no!” said Amy with a giggle. “Today is the day YOU, Sonic, are going to take me out on a date!” she lunged at him, grabbing his nearest arm and tugging on it. Sonic tried to rip her off.
“It will NEVER be that day, Amy. I’m busy!!”
“Oh no you don’t! We’re going to have a romantic dinner, then see a romantic movie, then have a romantic walk in the moonlight!” she insisted, pulling more.
“What’s this ‘we’ BS?!?!?” Sonic shouted, getting his arm free.
“This won’t end well.” Muttered Tails.
“Come on Sonikuu! We’ll be late for our dinner reservations!!” she said, in her sweet tone. Sonic bared his teeth, really annoyed. Amy always did crap like this, every day, every time she was with him. And it was really, REALLY pissing him off. He felt he could snap any moment.
“AMY. LEAVE. ME. ALONE.” He growled.
“Come on, you know you want to!!” she giggled, and tried pulling at his arm again. Tails gulped-when you got Sonic angry, girl or boy, fan or stranger, you wouldn’t forget it.
“AMY! FOR THE LAST GODDAM TIME, LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON’T WANT TO DATE YOU, BE WITH YOU, OR KNOW YOU! YOU’RE THE BIGGEST PAIN IN THE NECK I’VE EVER KNOWN! GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD THAT WE WILL NEVER BE A COUPLE!!” Sonic roared right in Amy’s face.
Tails’s eyes widened. That was pretty harsh.
Amy stared at Sonic, as he continued to glare hate at her. Her lower lip trembled, and her knees shook. You could almost hear her heart breaking into many pieces. Tears formed in her eyes, and she turned around and ran off, bawling loudly.
Tails looked to Sonic, who got back to stretching. He didn’t know if he should support Sonic’s yell or tell him that it was too mean. He looked to Amy running off. “I hope she’ll be ok.” He thought.

In her apartment room, Amy was laying on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. All her Sonic photos were now ripped up, and anything that reminded of her of Sonic was thrown in the trash. She felt like her entire world was ending.
“Sonic…how could you?!? I hate you, I hate you!!” she shouted in her pillow with muffled cries.
“You don’t hate him.”
Amy lifted her head. She looked to her left, and right. Maybe it was her imagination.
“It isn’t your imagination, dear. I am talking to you.”
Amy turned over on her bed, looking everywhere. She didn’t see anyone.
“W-who’s there?” she stammered. The voice she was hearing sounded female, with a low tone. It sent chills up Amy’s spine.
“Someone who wants to help you…poor little thing, your heart aches for the man you love...”
“How did you know?” replied Amy, still looking for whoever this was.
“I know everything about you, Amy Rose…I want to help you...I can get you what you desire…”
Amy hugged her knees, still scared. “Why do you want to help me? Who are you?! WHAT are you?!?”
“I hate to see someone like you in such pain…I can make Sonic love you…as for who I am…it will all be revealed in due time…”
Amy bit her lower lip. Could this thing make Sonic fall for her? “…Why should I believe you?”
“Why shouldn’t you? Here is a sample of what I will do if you assist me…”
Amy blinked, and when her eyes opened for that blink, she was no longer in her room, but outside, in the park. She was under the shade of a big tree, and was sitting in someone’s lap, and being held in that someone’s arms. She looked up to see Sonic, holding her close.
“S-Sonic?? What…how…”
“I love you, Amy.” He said, all suave, and tilted her chin up with his hand. He stared into her eyes deeply, lovingly. Amy felt like melting.
“Sonikuu..” she whispered, feeling very happy. Like this was a perfect dream which she never wanted to wake from. Sonic moved his head closer to hers, to engage in a kiss. Amy blushed, and closed her eyes, ready to receive. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes to see herself back in the room, as if she never left! “Hey!! Where did Sonic go?!?”
“That wasn’t real. But I can make it so. I can make Sonic beg your forgiveness, and want to be your lover. And all I ask is a small favor first.”
Amy tried to recall Sonic’s warm arms, but couldn’t. She desired his touch, his words of love, and his passionate gaze. She wanted his love more than anything. She felt she could risk everything and do anything in order to get it. “What do you want me to do?”
“You are to go to Angel Island. Make up an excuse to stay with the Guardian for a week, the least. Make him enjoy your company. Distract him from guarding the Master Emerald.”
Amy gulped. “But why?? If Knuckles doesn’t protect the Emerald, someone could try and take it!! That would be horrible!!!”
“Don’t worry, dear. Everything will work out…you can trust Me ...”

The next day, Tails’s was in is lab at Sonic’s house, working on a new invention. He heard several beeps, and looked to his table, where his cell phone rang. (Yes. Tails has a cell phone. ‘Cuz I said so.) He picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Tails, this is Amy.”
“Oh, hey Amy. Um, are you ok? You know, yesterday and all...”
“I’m fine. But I need to ask you a favor.”
“Sure Amy, go ahead.”
“My apartment is being fumigated for bugs, and I need somewhere to stay. Could you fly me to Angel Island in the Tornado?”
“Angel Island? Knuckles is letting you stay there?”
Amy’s voice paused. “…Yes.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? With me and…” Tails stopped himself. Of course Amy wouldn’t want to stay here. Sonic had hurt her so. But it was still an odd choice to go with Knuckles. “Never mind. Yeah, you can come by and I’ll drop you off.”
“Thanks.”

So later that day, Tails was flying the Tornado with Amy and many of her suitcases. When she had come and during the flight, Tails had noticed Amy looked depressed. Most likely Sonic was the cause. But she also seemed to be hiding something, but Tails couldn’t make out what.
Many feet away from where the Master Emerald was, the Tornado came in for a gentle landing. Tails helped Amy, and her suitcases, off.
“So you’ll be here for a week?” he asked, getting back in his plane.
“Maybe more.” Amy mumbled. “I’ll call you when I need to get home.”
“All right. See you later!”
So the Tornado flew off. Amy picked up her luggage and began walking. She still had doubts about this, but no matter what her head said, her heart kept moving her legs. She walked and walked and walked until she saw the large stairway that lead to the giant crystal, and the red echidna standing before it.

Knuckles the Echidna sat down on one of the steps and sighed. Yet another day of guarding the powerful rock. Just like yesterday, the day before, and the rest of his life. It was his duty to keep the Master Emerald safe from harm.
But HELL was it dull.
He wished many times it wasn’t he who guarded the Emerald, so he could interact socially more often, to go have fun once in a while, to see what the planet had to offer him. But that could never be. As long as he lived, he had to stay there, all alone. He missed the few friends he had made. Although Knuckles did indeed look rough and tough on the outside, on the inside, he longed for companionship. He missed his friends in the Chaotix, Espio, Vector, Mighty and Ray. He missed the friends he had made while helping save the world, Sonic, Tails, and Amy…Amy…was that Amy down there?!?

Amy plopped her suitcases on each side of her, looking up at the echidna all the way at the top of the looming stairs. Knuckles blinked, making sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. He then ran down the steps until he was at the bottom, and looked at her.
“…What are you doing here??” he asked, looking very confused.
“…….” Amy knew this would be hard. How could she convince one of the toughest guys around to give her shelter? “My….my apartment is being fumigated. For bugs. I need a place to stay. Would…it be ok if I stayed here? With you? For a while?”
Knuckles blinked. Well, he DID want a friend. But he didn’t expect his wish to be granted so fast. “Why aren’t you staying with Sonic?”
Amy’s eyes looked away from him. “I….don’t want to be with Sonic.”
“Why not?” Knuckles crossed his arms, curious. He may have not known her that well, but he knew she was a wee bit obsessive when it came the world’s fastest Hedgy.
Amy looked to the ground. She recalled Sonic’s hateful words, his evil glare…it was painful remembering it. But she knew she had to, if she wanted to be with him. “…He didn’t want me around him anymore. He told me to leave him alone…he...he...” she felt the tears springing up, and tried to stop them, but to no avail. “He said he wished he didn’t know me...” she tried wiping her tears away, as choked sobs came up. Knuckles’s face turned to one of sorrow and pity. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. He held onto one of her shoulders and wiped her tears with his other hand. Paw. Thing.
“Hey hey, it’s ok. I understand. There’s no need to cry, everything will be ok.” His voice was gentle and caring. “You can stay.” He smiled. Amy looked up at him. She expected him to not give a nickels worth of care to her, much less smile. She swallowed a sob.
“Thank you...”

Knuckles led her to a quaint cave, which was his home.
“Now, I don’t have a guest room...I’ll try looking for a spare futon…” he said, looking through a closet. Amy looked around. It was pretty sophisticated, for a cave. But everything was made for one.
“Why don’t you have a guest room?” she asked. Knuckles pulled out the futon he found.
“….I never have any guests.” He replied.
“Never? No one ever comes over?”
“I have friends visit, but they never stay for long. I just live alone. It’s not a big deal.”
It sounded like a big deal to Amy. How could anyone bare living alone all the time? Knuckles laid out the futon near his own bed in his room.
“Thank you, again.” Said Amy, putting down her suitcases.
“Now, in case you need to clean or anything…there’s a nearby waterfall a few feet away. It should do.” Said Knuckles, leaving the room. Amy stood and followed.
“You don’t have a shower, or a bathtub?”
Knuckles shook his head. “The water out there suits me fine.”
Amy blushed a bit. It would be kind of awkward getting washed outside of the home. Knuckles headed for the door to leave. “If you need anything to eat, I keep my food back there.” He pointed to another room, and then opened the door.
“Aren’t you going to have anything? It’s around lunchtime!” said Amy.
“I don’t have lunch. Takes up too much time to come back here and eat. I only leave the Master Emerald at night, where I eat dinner then sleep, and in the morning I have a quick breakfast and go back to the Emerald.”
Amy raised her eyebrows. That kind of schedule looked very boring.
“I could make you lunch.”
Knuckles turned his head to look at her.
“Tails says I’m a great cook. I could make you lunch while you go guard and bring it out to you so you can eat and guard at the same time!”
Knuckles blinked. “Um…ok.” He left.

He resumed his position back at the Emerald. He got to thinking-which is all he really did anyway, since guarding the Emerald was dull as dirt.
“I hope she doesn’t mind everything. The food, the room, the waterfall…I wonder why she couldn’t stay anywhere else.” Thought Knuckles, stroking his chin. “Of course, I’m not complaining. It’s great to finally have some company, even if it’s only for a few days. Although it will be kind of weird having a girl around.” Knuckles laid back. He didn’t know much about the female mind. His entire life, he had barely known of the outside world, so what could he know about females? He knew their bodies were different, of course. But that was it. Did girls react differently from some things than boys? Maybe this little stay from Amy would help clear things up.
“She’s polite.” He thought, his stomach growling for the anticipation of Amy’s lunch. “It’s nice of her to go and make me lunch like that. Maybe she felt she owed me because I’m letting her stay here. She doesn’t have to feel like that.” He cracked his neck. Amy was the only female he could really remember knowing, other than family connections. And she was really very sweet. He couldn’t understand why Sonic would yell at her. If he knew a female was in love with him, he’d be sure to tell her how he felt towards that girl right away.
Wouldn’t he?
“Knuckles!” came Amy’s cheery voice. She was running up the steps, holding a small, flat box full of yummy looking and smelling food. She sat next to him and proudly presented his lunch.
“Your kitchen didn’t look like it was used much, I did my best!” She said with a smile. She hadn’t cooked for another person in ages, and wanted to make sure she hadn’t lost her touch.
Knuckles blinked, slowly taking the lunch box. He tried to make himself not drool, taking in the smells. The food he made himself usually didn’t look or smell so great. He was actually a horrible chef. He grabbed a rice ball and took a big bite. Amy looked at him with worried eyes.
“How is it?” she asked.
Knuckles swallowed. He felt odd, being looked at like that from her. Come to think of it, he had never been this near to a girl. It made his heart beat faster, seeing her face so close. He licked the rice around his mouth.
“It’s good.” He said, and then took another bite. Amy smiled, satisfied.
“Good. I got worried…it’s been so long that I’ve cooked for anyone other than myself.”
“So you make food like this all the time?” he asked, digging into the rest of the food provided.
“Yeah. I was an orphan, so I had to learn how to live on my own, which meant how to cook.”
Knuckles stopped eating. He rubbed some crumbs off himself with his arm, and looked at her. “You’re an orphan?”
“No one ever told you?”
Knuckles shook his head.
“Well, I was. I can’t really remember my parents….I didn’t even used to live here. I used to live on a planet called Little Planet. I was alone a lot. No one plays with the homeless orphans…” Amy’s voice got a bit quieter.
“So….as a kid...you…were alone.”
“Yeah…I felt so isolated….I didn’t understand it…I never got to make any friends….I never got to do anything I wanted….I was always lonely…”
Knuckles looked at her sadly. Before today, whenever he saw Amy, she was always cheerful and happy. Her smile brought friends and glee. He couldn’t imagine her being all alone. Like he was. He didn’t want to make her cry again, so he tried to cheer her up while continuing to eat. “So how did you get here?”
Amy smiled slightly. “One day, Eggman came to our planet. He let loose this mechanical monster called Metal Sonic, which was causing real havoc. At one point, he was after me!!! But Sonic came to our humble home and saved me.”
Knuckles finished the food. So she had fallen for him because he was the big hero. Made sense.
“He felt pity for me, because he also was an orphan, and let me stay with him a while. Soon I was able to live on my own in Station Square.”
There was a bit of silence. Knuckles let out a burp, which made Amy lighten up and go into giggles. Knuckles didn’t get what so funny. But he smiled anyway.
“Thanks for the lunch. It was delicious.”
“Did you really like it?”
“Yeah. Tastiest thing I’ve had for…..ever. I wish I could have meals like that every day.”
“Well, I could make your dinner and breakfast.”
Knuckles raised his eyebrows. “You would?”
“Sure. I like to cook. It would be fun.”
“Thanks Amy. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
The day passed quicker then the two thought it would have. Chats of the past, the present, families, friends, hobbies and all sorts of things made time go by. Amy never realized what a fun person Knuckles was. Her view on him had almost entirely changed. Knuckles was pleased to talk to someone other than himself. Amy was a great person to talk to. She was very understanding.
Cute, too.

As the sun fell and the moon rose, Knuckles led Amy back to his home, where she served him and herself more great food. Afterwards, it was time to hit the hay. Amy changed into her PJ’s-in private of course-and slipped into her futon. She noticed Knuckles hid his hands around her. When he slipped his gloves off, he immediately got into his bed to make sure she hadn’t seen them. She couldn’t figure out why.
Knuckles said a quick “Good night.” And pretended to fall fast asleep. He was worried Amy might have seen them. His talons that stuck out of his hands. It was what made him unlike any other echidna. Well, most echidnas didn’t guard powerful jewels all their lives, but you get the point. He didn’t want anyone seeing them, and Amy fell into the category of anyone. He felt if she saw them, she’d think he was a scary freak and would leave him sooner. He wanted company as long as he could.
He wanted Amy as long as he could.
Amy snuggled into her futon. Knuckles was so nice. She couldn’t see why Sonic was always willing to make fun of him. She closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.
“You’re doing quite well.”
Amy nearly jumped out of her skin. Clutching her pillow, she remembered the voice, and the deal. Had Knuckles heard? She sat up and looked at him. He seemed to be asleep. ,b>
“Don’t fret. He can’t hear me. You can speak using your mind, so you won’t disturb him.”
“Ok...” she thought. “…I…I’m having second thoughts about all of this…”
“Don’t you want Sonic’s love?”
“I do!! I just…it doesn’t feel right, doing this.” ,b>
“My dear, everything will turn out fine. Just keep up your end of the bargain. In fact, tomorrow, I will give you a bit of inspiration to help our little plan…”
Amy gulped. The voice vanished. She curled into a ball, trembling. Was Sonic worth of all of this?

Morning came. Knuckles sat up, yawning loudly. He looked down to where Amy had slept, and saw her gone. He blinked, and then smelled something delicious from the kitchen. He licked his lips. If breakfast were anything like yesterdays lunch, it would be heaven. He slipped on his shoves, socks and gloves and headed for the kitchen. Amy had already set up eggs, toast, and muffins for them both. She was just setting his plate down, when she saw him.
“Good morning Knuckles!” she said in her singsong voice. “I hope you like what I made.”
“It looks great!” he said, sitting down. There was only one chair, so Amy had to stand up to eat. She didn’t mind. As Knuckles had expected, breakfast was as good, if not better, then the lunch. Amy finished hers first, then washed her plate and utensils, then headed for the door with some clothes.
“Where are you going?” asked Knuckles between bites.
“To bathe.” She said.
“I’ll be at the Emerald if you need me.”
“I know.”

The waterfall made a huge river, and although Amy thought it was highly embarrassing, she also found it quite relaxing. The steady flow calmed her nerves, and the water wasn’t too hot or too cold.
“Mmmm.” She said to no one. “This feels better than any bathtub.”
“Good morning little Amy.”
Amy held in a scream. She turned bright red, looking around. She sunk into the water a little. “It was good…” she muttered.
“You are doing your job perfectly. A couple of days, and you will have your hedgehog.”
Amy glanced around. She felt unsure.
“In order to get the guardians attention, hook, line and sinker, you must tell him of your… feelings. ”
“Huh?” Amy sat up, blinking. “Knuckles knows how I feel for him. He’s a great friend.”
“No, dear….you must tell him false feelings.”
“False…you mean...”
“Yes. Fool him with a simple ‘I love you’.”
“But I don’t!” cried Amy, worried. “I can’t lie to him like that!!”
“You can. And you will.”
“But…but…”
“No buts. It is the only way.”

Knuckles sat before the Master Emerald. All his thoughts reeled of the pink one who now lived with him, even if it was only for a while. Knuckles was enjoying this time with her. She was cheerful, perky, and a good listener. The fact she was an excellent cook was a big plus. He couldn’t see why Sonic didn’t share Amy’s affections. Knuckles didn’t figure that all girls were like Amy, so she seemed to be the perfect girlfriend. Too bad Sonic was too big of an idiot to ever realize that.
“If I had someone like her around, I’d definitely let her be my girlfriend.” He thought out loud.
His conscience agreed. “She is someone like her. Sonic dumped her. She’s had the same feelings of loneliness as you. You two are more alike than you think. Perhaps, you two are meant for each other?”
Knuckles shook his head. “No. We can’t. I….she couldn’t live this life. Solitary, alone.”
“She wouldn’t be alone. She’d have you. You’d have her. She doesn’t seem to mind this life.”
“No…my talons, she’d be horrified.”
“Do you think Amy is the kind of girl who is affected by looks? Of course she isn’t.”
“You’re really beginning to bug me.”
“I’m your conscience. It’s my job. And don’t steer away from the subject. Amy would make the best mate.”
“No, no, NO!” Knuckles shook his head, unwilling to listen to what was right. “My duty is to protect the Master Emerald, and that is all.”
“But you wish it wasn’t, right?”
Knuckles sighed. Yes. He wished it wasn’t his fate. “…I’d like to know what love feels like.”
“Maybe you already do.”
Before he could think any further, he saw a pink dot walking slowly up the steps. The dot was Amy, dragging her foot step by step. Her feet felt like cement shoes. She hated what she was going to do.
“Amy, what are you doing here?” asked Knuckles. “It’s not lunchtime already, is it?”
Amy shook her head, and sat next to him.
“Then why come?”
Amy was silent. She then looked him right in the eyes. She looked ready to cry.
“…Amy?”
“Knuckles…I….” She turned her away and mumbled. “I love you.”
Knuckles blinked. What Amy said was barely audible. But he thought he had just heard Amy say ‘I love you’. Maybe he had heard wrong. “Could you say that again?” he asked.
Amy hugged her knees, and mumbled it again. “I love you.”
Knuckles stared at her. He hadn’t heard wrong. Excuses ran through his head, denying what she meant. “Well, I know…and I love you too…and I love the sky, and the birds, and the Master Emerald, and all our friends and-”
“No Knuckles.” She refused to look at him. “That’s not what I meant by love.”
Knuckles felt his face growing hot, his heart racing. “…So…you mean...as in…boy…and girl?” His voice was getting unusually high. Amy nodded. Knuckles looked away from her. He felt his whole face turning pink, then red. He couldn’t recall ever blushing before, but hell, he knew he was now. His legs shook a bit, and his paws gripped into the ground. He stared at the steps, trying to get his composure retained. He breathed hard and loudly through his nose, biting his lower lip. Sweat went through every gland, and he felt like he was boiling.
“WHAT THE HELL-!!” he screamed in his mind. “She…She…She’s IN LOVE with ME?!? WHY??! HOW?!? I didn’t….It doesn’t….she was…”
Amy had closed her eyes shut, wishing she could take back what she said. She didn’t want to toy with Knuckles’s feelings. She prayed that Knuckles was too tough to be moved by it. She prayed that Knuckles wouldn’t care. She prayed that he wouldn’t love her.
Her prayers went unanswered.

Neither spoke to the other for the entire day. Amy kept feeling guiltier as each second passed, and Knuckles kept trying to make sure he didn’t have a heart attack. As night came, the two went home. Amy was quietly cooking in the kitchen, trying to cheer herself up, but it didn’t work. Knuckles was pacing back and forth in his room, trying to sort it all out. Amy heard his footsteps and stopped cooking. She left the kitchen and stood outside Knuckles’s door to hear what he was going on about.
“This is just too weird.” He said shaking his head, walking from one end of his room to the other. “She…she said it. So it has to be true. But…it doesn’t make any sense. Why would anyone fall in love with ME?? I’m always acting like a jerk to everyone, I never leave my island…and she’s a hedgehog!! I’m an echidna!!! Where’s the logic in that???” he stopped to sigh, and sat on his bed. “Amy….” He laid back.
He recalled knowing her. All the times he met her, and the day she had come. The cute little dress she always wore. The small headband on her quaint quills. The way she swung her hammer with such vigor. Her happy voice. Her sparkling eyes. Her childish attitude. Then Knuckles saw he knew details of Amy that he didn’t know before. Her slender body. Her soft arms. The way her quills rested neatly on her bed. Her silky legs. Her adorable little tail. Her round-
“OK, that’s a bit far.” He said, sitting up. “But….I do enjoy her being here…..and…I…enjoy…her…”
Amy felt her heart jump.
“I…love her.”
She felt her heart break, even worse then when Sonic had barked at her. Knuckles smiled slightly, happy to come to this conclusion. He heard a sob, and looked to his door. He saw the edge of Amy’s dress and stood up, walking over. He saw Amy leaning onto a wall, crying.
“Amy!! What’s wrong?” he put a hand on her shoulder and used his other hand to take her head and let her face him.
“Please...” choked Amy, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Stop it…”
“Stop what?”
“Don’t fall in love with me…just don’t….” she leaned into his chest and cried heavily. A confused Knuckles slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He stroked her head.
“Shh, shh, its ok….everything’s going to be ok...”
“No its not…everything won’t be ok…I’m a horrible person...”
“No you’re not…now calm down….”
Amy continued to cry, not willing to tell him why he shouldn’t have feelings for her. His arms were warm. She felt safe in them. As if nothing could harm her. They were warmer than Sonic’s.

Night turned to day. Amy would not tell Knuckles why she acted the way she did that night. She made breakfast without a sound, and didn’t say a word as she ate it. Knuckles grew worried. After finishing his food, he went over to Amy, who was still in the middle of hers.
“Amy…is something wrong? You can tell me.”
She shook her head, continuing to eat. Knuckles didn’t leave her. Last night, when he held her in his arms….she was so soft. So gentle. He enjoyed having her that close to him. He wished he could do it again. A desire deep within made him want to grab her right then and there and hold her right, to make her happy, and to make sure she’d never feel sad again. He wanted more than that. He wanted to touch more than just her head. He wanted to stroke her arms, to brush her cheeks, to get a touch of her legs. Temptations rushed through his mind. Feelings rose that he never knew he could feel. He never knew how to react around girls. Was this how? To long for their bodies? Was this that thing called lust?
Amy licked her lips, clearing any crumbs around her mouth.
That set Knuckles into more thoughts. Her lips. He knew girls and boys did an act called ‘kissing’ when they loved each other. Had Amy ever been kissed before? Knuckles hadn’t. He wondered what if felt like. Did it have a taste? His heart felt like it was going to explode. He wondered…if he could…just once…he…could…
“Shouldn’t you be the guarding the Master Emerald right now?” Amy said, looking at him with raised eyebrows. Knuckles blushed hard. Had he been staring at Amy the whole time?
“Uh, yeah, about that…” replied Knuckles nervously. “I was thinking…there’s something I wanted to show you before going there.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Sure, why not? No one’s going to take it in the few minutes you and I are gone from it.”
Amy gulped. She had a flashback of meeting the voice for the 1st time. “…Distract him from guarding the Master Emerald...” Did this count as a distraction?? “I…I don’t know...”
“Come on, you’ll love it.”
Amy reluctantly said “Ok.” and put down her plate in the sink.

Knuckles led her into the jungle part of Angel Island. It was still early in the morning. Amy followed him, but kept turning around, expecting to hear the voice, or to see someone pass them to get to the Master Emerald.
“Ok, here we are.” Knuckles said eventually. Amy turned her head forward to see a giant, dazzling pond, and the sun rising slowly above it, creating clouds of many colors, which reflected into the water. Flowers of all shapes and sizes grew everywhere, making the air smell like perfume. Fish swam in the water, creating small ripples that made the sun’s colors flourish all about. One even jumped. Amy let out her breath in awe.
“What…is this place?”
“It’s just a little something I found a few years back.”
“It’s so beautiful…”
“Yes. You are.”
Amy looked to Knuckles. He was gazing at her, into her eyes. His gaze was deeper than Sonic’s in that illusion the voice had given her, more loving. She couldn’t look away. She felt she didn’t want to. Her heart beat faster and faster.
“Amy…”
He took a step forward to her. Amy couldn’t bare his look any longer.
“Stop!! Just stop it!!”
Knuckles blinked, confused once more.
“I told you not to fall in love with me!! I told you not to!! Stop loving me!!” She held her head, feeling tears once more.
He took another step forward. “You can’t tell someone to fall out of love…Amy, what’s wrong?!?”
“Just stay away from me!! DON’T LOVE ME!!” She screamed and began running off.
“Amy!!” Knuckles cried, running after her.
Amy felt the tears come. Sonic wasn’t worth this. Nothing was worth this. She ran as fast her feet would take her, not caring where she was going. She felt she should die. She didn’t want to live, to do this to Knuckles. Her feelings of self-hatred were interrupted when the ground began to shake violently. She froze where she was. It felt like an earthquake...but you couldn’t have an earthquake on a floating island!!!
She recalled their talk from the first day.
“….so can’t you carry it around?” Amy had asked about the Master Emerald.
Knuckles gave a big laugh. “That’d be like carrying a truck! Besides, the Master Emerald can never leave its position.”
“Why not?”
“Should anything happen to it, Angel Island would stop floating and fall right into the sea below.”
Amy gulped hard. She then started running again, heading for the location of the Master Emerald. That voice was trying to take it!! And the Island would leave her and Knuckles to a watery grave!! When she finally reached her destination, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Black smog had circled the Master Emerald, covering it entirely in darkness. The smog covered everything near it, from the Emerald to the bottom of the steps. Two piercing, blood red eyes gleamed in the darkness above the Emerald. Fear took over Amy’s body, and she couldn’t move. She felt she could barely breathe. The rumbling continued, causing Amy to land on her hands and knees.
“Amy!!!!!” yelled Knuckles, running forth. He gasped loudly, seeing the force around the Emerald. “What in the seven chaos emeralds is THAT?!?”
Amy now found herself able to breathe, and she did hard and quick. All her guilt seemed to be rising from the surface. This was all her fault.
“Foolish Guardian! Your absence has enabled me to gain the ultimate source of power!!!!” boomed the voice Amy had thought could help her.
“Who are you?!” Knuckles demanded, his paws made into fists. ,b>
“My name is Volt…I am a being formed of hatred. I was created long ago, as a magic spell to kill a King’s hated enemies. But I grew too powerful, and he cast me into space...I lost most of my power, drifting amongst the asteroids. But through a meteor shower, I was able to return to this planet. I learned of the Master Emerald, and now, with its power, I shall consume this planet in darkness!”
“Over my dead body!” roared Knuckles, teeth clenched. “Besides, if you’re so powerful, why did you need me out of the way? Couldn’t you try at night?”
“You are a descendent of that king who created and banished me so long ago. His blood runs through you. He made it so only his clan would be able to defend the planet against me. He knew that one generation of his would become Guardian of this almighty crystal, so he placed another spell, so that as long as you were still at this place, I would be unable to get this power source. But you left to entertain your mistress, and that made me able to become this planet’s ruler! And, as for night, he made THAT my greatest weakness.”
Amy looked up at the black source, tears still coming. She felt like vomiting from all the guilt.
“And I have Amy Rose to thank for all of this.”
“You leave her out of this!” Knuckles growled. “Amy has nothing to do with it!”
Amy wanted that black monstrosity to kill her right then and there.
“Stupid echidna, she is the reason you left your duty.”
“That isn’t Amy’s fault. I chose to leave my post.”
“On the contrary…I ordered Amy to distract you. To make sure you would leave the Master Emerald during the day. She agreed.”
Knuckles stared. He looked to Amy, whose crying was coming louder, as she watched the darkness consume more of the master Emerald. Knuckles narrowed his eyes, looking back to the blackness. “Spare me your lies, Volt! Amy would never do such a thing!”
Amy covered her ears with her hands. She didn’t want to hear this. She wished that the Island would fall already and kill her.
“Tsk tsk, temper temper. What I say is true. Poor little Amy, heart broken by Sonic, willingly agreed to do as I said if I made Sonic love her.”
“SHUT UP!” barked Knuckles. “I WON’T BELIEVE YOU!”
“Amy’s apartment has no bugs. She came here to seduce you. All for another man. She doesn’t love you. Who would? You are the guardian of the Master Emerald. Love is not an option. Did you really think she would fall in love with you?” The voice drew into harsh cackling.
“SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!” Knuckles yelled, running forward. He wanted to tear this Volt person to shreds.
“If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself.”
Knuckles stopped. He turned his head to look at Amy. She was sobbing into her hands.
“Knuckles…”she sobbed. “It IS true….she said if I distracted you, Sonic would love me…I thought she really would…he hurt me so much, I was willing to believe anything…but I wish I didn’t…I was being such an idiot…I knew I shouldn’t have done it all…I was going to leave today, and try and make you forget me…I told you not to fall in love with me...I told you..” she went into harder sobs.
Knuckles stared at her, his eyes widened. He felt his heart stop. He didn’t want to believe this. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
“And now, girl, for your help, you’ll get what I said. You’ll have Sonic’s love…IN YOUR NIGHTMARES!” A black light shone from its eyes, and hit Amy dead on. She screamed in agony, and then fell to her side, eyes shut.
“AMY!” screamed Knuckles running to her. He lifted her head, screaming her name over and over. Amy wouldn’t respond. Her chest moved up and down, indicting she was still breathing, and she still had a pulse. But Amy wouldn’t wake up. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER, BASTARD?!?” Knuckles roared at Volt.
“I merely gave her what she desired…she is now lost in her own world of nightmares. Tormented by her guilt, and what she can never have. She’ll stay this way FOREVER!” The voice burst into harsh laughter.
Amy did indeed look frightened beyond belief. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and sweat dripped on her forehead. She seemed ready to scream bloody murder. Knuckles kept screaming her name, shook her, pinched her, but she wouldn’t wake up. He emitted a low, spine-chilling growl, placing her down on the grass and standing up.
“You bastard…how dare you drag someone like her into this! How dare you play with her heart!”
“Like she did yours?”
“I will never forgive you for this! If my ancestor got rid of you all those years ago, then so can I!” He ran as fast as he could up the steps to his emerald, and tried to punch the black light. His hand went through. He tried to grab at it, but that also failed. It was like trying to attack air.
“You fool! You will never defeat me! In fact, you are making me STRONGER!” The darkness swirled around Knuckles. In a blink, he couldn’t see anything. Everything was black. All he could see was himself.
“What do you mean?!” said Knuckles, looking around.
“I am a being born of hatred...not only can I feed off of the Master Emerald, but your anger towards me fuels me as well! Your pure hate for me makes me even more powerful!”
Knuckles gritted his teeth. He couldn’t attack Volt. And the more he thought about Volt, the more he hated her, and the more he hated her, the stronger she would get.
“Dammit…How can I win against a feeling?!?” he thought. He looked around, still trying to figure out an answer. He knew that if he didn’t find the answer soon, the Island would fall into the sea, taking Amy’s life!
Amy….
Knuckles blinked. He found his answer.
“This Volt is made of hatred.” He thought. “So if hate makes it grow stronger…the opposite will make him weak!” he closed his eyes and concentrated. He focused hard on all his friends. Vector the alligator. Espio the chameleon. Mighty the armadillo. Ray the flying squirrel.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!” screeched Volt. She could feel Knuckles growing stronger, and felt herself losing power.
Knuckles remembered his somewhat new friends. Rouge the Bat. Tails the Fox. Sonic The Hedgehog.
“I AM TAKING YOUR EMERALD! I AM CAUSING AMY ULTIMATE PAIN!” yelled Volt, trying to fill Knuckles with hate again.
Knuckles thought of the one girl who brought such happiness in his life. The one girl who always seemed to carry happiness with her. The one girl who meant more to him than the Master Emerald. Knuckles smiled.
“YOU CAN’T DO THIS! NO ONE CAN DEFEAT VOLT!” The darkness left Knuckles, and tried to seep its way into the Master Emerald. Knuckles opened his eyes and put a hand to the Emerald. He concentrated everything that made him happy into it. He could hear Volt’s screeches of agony. That made him happier. “I won’t just send you into space! I’m going to get rid of you completely! Night isn’t your only weakness!” He could feel the ancient king’s blood in him, encouraging him. He could sense his friends cheering him on, not ready to take his defeat. “THIS IS FOR EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!”
Volt’s darkness tried to escape, but now she was caged within the Emerald. Knuckles glowed with his happiness, his friendships, and his love. “Amy…even if she doesn’t love me back…I’ll always love her.” He finished with a smile. Volt was lifted out of master Emerald and was split into pieces by the glow of Knuckles’s emotions. The ripped pieces dissolved, and Volt was dead.
Knuckles breathed deeply. He thanked the gods that was all over. The rumbling stopped. The Master Emerald was unharmed. He turned around to look down at Amy at the bottom. But she hadn’t moved. In a panicked state, Knuckles rushed down the steps and went to his loved one’s side. She was still in her nightmare. “But I killed Volt!! Why won’t you wake up?? Amy!!” He picked up her body and held it close to his. “Amy...I won’t live you live like this.” He looked up to the Master Emerald. Carrying her in his arms, he made his back up, and placed the girl before the crystal. He got on his knees. “Please…if you can hear me…please save her. Please wake her from her horrid dreams. She means everything to me.” Nothing happened. Knuckles gripped the ground with his paws, eyes shut. “She can continue to love Sonic, she can leave me, and I don’t care! Just let her live her life. She deserves it. Please…”
There was a moment of silence. Knuckles held back a tear. What would begging to that hunk of rock do? Amy would stay this way forever…
He heard singing.
Knuckles opened his eyes and looked up. Wisps of green smoke spewed from the Master Emerald, wrapping them around Amy. Knuckles watched in awe, as the green light entered Amy. He squinted at the Emerald. For a moment he thought he saw an orange female echidna in tribal clothing smiling at him. But once he blinked, the image was gone. The smoke left. All was still, as if nothing had happened. Knuckles looked to Amy. Her nose twitched. She had stopped crying, and her face looked calm. She moaned a bit, as if waking from a long sleep-even though it was probably less than a half hour-and fluttered her eyelids open. Knuckles stared at her, as she fully opened her eyes. She sat up, looking to where she was and who was with her.
“What happened…?” she asked, amazed that everything was all right.
“Amy...thank gods…” Knuckles said, his face going into a smile again. He reached a hand to her, to brush her cheek and make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“Amy!! Amyyyyyy!”
Knuckles stopped. That was Tails’s voice.
“…I was going to leave today, and try and make you forget me…”
So she had already called for him. Knuckles said nothing, but stood up, looking away from Amy. Amy stood up as well.
“Knuckles…I’m sorry….I didn’t mean for all of this...” She said.
“…It’s ok.” He said, but still didn’t look to her.
“Amyyyyyyyyyy!” Tails shouted from afar once more.
“…Goodbye.” Amy said in almost a whisper, running down the steps into the jungle to follow Tails’s voice. Knuckles waited until he was sure he could no longer hear her footsteps. He looked to the Master Emerald.
“Thank you.” He said slowly. His heart ached, yet he felt a smidge of happiness still. He was happy Amy would be happy…without him. His life would continue, that of having only one purpose in life, and being alone forever.
His conscience paid him another visit. “You’re going to miss her terribly.”
“Yup.”
“You should’ve stopped her.”
“No, I shouldn’t have. She’ll be happy now. We’ll get back to our lives. As if nothing has changed.”
“But something has changed. Your life has been turned upside-down and you know it.”
“Yeah. I know. But its ok…Amy’s happiness is all that matters.”
“You’re really going to miss her."
“Hell yeah.”
“Sonic really doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.”
“And I do.”
“KNUCKLES!”
Knuckles turned around. Had he just heard Amy scream his name, or were hallucinations beginning to start already?? He saw a pink blur come from the jungle and run up the steps. Amy was crying, again.
“Amy?” asked a very confused echidna. Amy continued running, and then leapt into his arms. He held her tight. “What’s wrong?!?”
“What I was doing was wrong...I don’t want to leave you now or ever...” She looked up at him, smiling. You tell she was being honest. “I love you Knuckles. I want to stay here with you forever.”
Knuckles blinked. Then a warm smile grew on his face as he held her righter. “Amy…”
“Knuckles..”
Her arms found their way to his neck and wrapped around it. She then lifted her head once more and pressed her lips onto his. Knuckles stared. He felt a wave of shock hitting him all over. So this was that thing called kissing. It felt wonderful. What the hell had he been missing all these years? He tried a bit of his own, and was pretty good for his first time. She tasted sweet, like sugar. Amy broke after a minute to look into his eyes.
“Tails is going to be back. He’s telling my apartment I won’t be coming back, and getting the rest of my things.”
“The rest?? You already brought 7 suitcases!”
Amy stuck out her tongue, and then laughed. Knuckles laughed as well. Amy laid her head on his chest. “I love you very much, Knuckles the Echidna.”
“I love you too, Amy Rose the Hedgehog.” He pat her head.
“You’re clueless how to live with another person, aren’t you?”
“Yup.”
“I’ll be glad to teach you.”
“I’ll be glad to learn.”

You think that’s the end, eh? It’s all sunshine and lollipops afterwards? Then you don’t know this author very well. For as the two exchanged another loving smile, they did not see the dark figure in the woods.
“Don’t rest just yet, Guardian. Your trials are just starting.”

End of part One.