HOME | DD

Description
"Love is More Than A Memory"
  By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

   It was a windy, late summer day in Station Square.  Amy Rose was busy going on another shopping spree, one which she could not convince anyone to go on.  She was getting lonely, and it was growing sadness that not even her favorite hobby, shopping, could dispel.  She hated it when Sonic, Tails Prower, and even Cream the Rabbit would come up with excuses just so they wouldn’t have to go shopping with her.  It seemed at times she didn’t have a friend in the world, and today was one of those days when it hurt her heart the most.

   Tired from her latest run of stores on the boardwalk, she collapsed in a chair in the café that looked over the beach below.  Sitting her shopping bags and handbag down neatly beside her, she ordered a chocolate milkshake to drink, and rested her arms on the table, burying her face in them.  She whimpered, “I’m so lonely…I can’t believe all of them, Sonic, Tails…even Cream and Cheese wouldn’t go out with me today.  I’ve never felt more alone and unloved than I do now…” She fell silent, unable to speak any more as her eyes filled up with tears. She cried silently until the waitress came back with her milkshake, upon which Amy quickly dried her tears and took her beverage from the waitress.

   After she got her milkshake, the waitress left, and Amy was alone once more.  She took a few sips of her shake, and sighed heavily.  Not even a chocolate milkshake could cheer her up.  She glanced around at the people around her.  Everyone she saw was with someone, whether it be a friend, a husband or wife, a child or parent, or even a pet.  She almost felt sick, and again tears fell from her eyes.

   Why did no one want to be with her?  Was it something she did, or did they just not want to be with her?  She knew that none of her friends were shop-a-holics like she was, but making up excuses just to get out of hanging out with her was just crazy.

   A few brief minutes passed, and she cried into her milkshake while at the same time trying to enjoy it and not draw attention to herself.  Finally, she finished her shake, and crushed it under her fist as she slammed it down on the table.  She looked up sadly, unsure of why she was angry, or crying, and before she could speak, she froze, her eyes locked on the horizon.  She shaded her eyes with her hand, squinted, and in the distance she could make out the silhouette of Angel Island, Knuckles the Echidna’s home in the sky, where he guarded the Master Emerald, all day everyday and alone.

   Amy smiled at thinking of him, even though she couldn’t remember the last time they had seen each other.  She did, however, remember him fondly, for she admired him.  Every time he lost his temper, she couldn’t help but smile inside, because something about him, whether he was happy, angry, or stubborn, something about him always made her happy, no matter how down she was.  She stood up, and leaving the bill and tip on the table, took up her bags, and said, “I’ll just go visit Knuckles.  He’s probably just as lonely as I am.  We can comfort each other.”

   A little while later, Amy had taken her belongings home, and had taken her little convertible down the coast, Angel Island growing larger and larger in the distance as she approached it.  At first, she was unsure of exactly how she would go about getting up to the island, but as she got closer she saw it was anchored unusually close to land.  Ordinarily, she knew Knuckles would never bring the island this close to land unless he had to.

   She slowed down her convertible, stopping when she was as close to the island as she could get.  She parked it behind a nearby tree, and walked to the edge of the mainland, peering up at Angel Island, seeing it surrounded by an ocean mist.  She said to herself, “Gee, I hope Knuckles is okay.  Why on earth would he anchor Angel Island this this close to the mainland?”  At that moment, an almost unending list of horrors flashed through her mine which might explain why Angel Island was so close.  Scared that someone she cared very much about was in danger, she cried out, “Knuckles! Answer me if you can hear me!  Please!”

   Only a short distance away, Knuckles was walking in the woods outside of the Master Emerald’s altar, stretching his legs.  He was surrounded by silence, save the waves of the ocean below and the sounds of the forest, birds chirping and wind blowing in the trees, until Amy’s cries rang clear over the breeze.  He wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying, but heard his name out of her cries, and while he didn’t know what was going on, if she was calling for him, he knew he had to see what she was crying for.

   He ran through the woods, in the direction of the mainland, not hearing anymore cries from Amy, and growing increasingly worried, wondering all the while why she was there in the first place.  As he neared the edge of the woods, he called out her name, not even looking before he leaped into the air, gliding down towards the mainland as he answered her cries.  “Amy!?  I’m here, now you answer me!”

   It had been a few minutes since she had cried for him, and at this point Amy had fallen to her knees at hearing no immediate response, crying, wondering how she would get to him if something serious had really happened.  Now, she heard him answer her.  She only heard her name, unable to make out the rest of Knuckles’ words.  She stood up, drying her eyes, and saw Knuckles emerge from the veil of fog, and seconds later, land on both feet on the ground beside her.

   He bent over, putting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.  As he panted for breath he looked up at her, seeing tears stains on her face and a few lone tears still falling from her eyes.  As she looked back at him, she could see a look of deep concern in his eyes, and she managed a weak smile, speaking in a barely audible whisper, “You’re…You’re okay.”

   Knuckles cocked his head, looking confused as he stood up straight.  He rubbed the back of his head, saying, “What do you mean?  I’m just fine…,” he paused, and walked up to her, looking into her eyes and said, “What about you?  I heard you crying for me…,” he took a finger and dried up the last of her tears, and continued, “…and apparently you’ve been weeping.  What’s wrong Amy?”

   Amy felt her heart race as he dried away her tears.  She would never speak it, but she had a love for the echidna growing in her heart.  Seeing her behavior around him, you’d only see her as a friend of his to say the least, sometimes even being the one to provoke his frustration.  Yet behind this façade Amy had a deep love for Knuckles, and even a simple gesture such as this made her feel warm inside, and her sadness immediately melt away.

   She spoke, and said, “Well…I had been by myself today…well, lately, because everyone else is preoccupied with their owns lives to spend time with me…so I…I…,” she found it difficult to continue, her throat tightening up as she tried to finish her statement.

   Knuckles looked at her, his eyes gentle and soft unlike they normally were, hardened and grim.  He said, “You thought you’d come out here to visit me, right?”  She looked up at him, trying to keep from crying again as he finished her sentence exactly she was wanting to put it.  She only replied with a nod, and he smiled at seeing this, then continued, “I see…now I’m just curious as to why you were crying for me.”  He looked at the island, and how close it was to shore, then grinned as he looked back to her, saying, “Ah…I get it.  I worried you by bringing Angel Island so close to shore, didn’t I?”

   The pink hedgehog looked up at Knuckles, who only stood maybe an inch or so taller than she, and said, voice trembling, “That’s…that’s right…I was worried about you, because you never bring the island this close to shore…so I assumed…something was wrong.”  They locked eyes for a moment, and trying to hide her affection for him, she said, “I’m okay, really, I just got scared for a minute.  I was just feeling lonely since no one had time for me so I thought I’d come visit you…that’s all.”

   With this sudden burst of confidence in her voice, Knuckles backed away from her a step or two.  He folded his arms across his chest, the gentle look in his eyes returning to a hardened and grim look once more.  He looked at her and said, “Well, okay then…but perhaps maybe you were just upset at not knowing how to get up there eh?”  The two again locked eyes, but this time as they did whenever they had a problem growing between them.  Knuckles didn’t want to bring any hurt to her at all, but was unable to handle his emotions in any other way, not knowing how she felt for him in return.

   Amy went soft again, surprising the echidna as she usually remained firm around him, and nodded, lowering her eyes, saying, “Yeah…but you…you don’t have to spend time with me…everyone else has already come up with an excuse…so I don’t mind.”  Amy felt silly; inside she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him, and maybe learn how he felt about her in return.  However, she found herself shying away from him, feeling like nothing more than a bother to everyone, even Knuckles.

   The echidna wondered what had her so upset, but didn’t want her to be sad.  He unfolded his arms as she slowly walked away to her convertible, and whispered, “I didn’t say that…I just moved Angel Island closer to shore because of a tropical storm that’s coming.”  He fell silent, hearing a rumble of thunder as the first band of storms from the approaching tropical storm began to break over the mainland.  He looked up, seeing lightning flashing in the sky, with the occasional streak among them.

   He backed away from the line of trees, knowing that lightning streaks headed for the tallest structure around, and the nearby woods served that purpose.  However, he looked up in horror as he saw Amy still heading for her convertible near the line of trees, even worse as the metal of her vehicle was a great conductor of electricity.  He called out her name to comeback to him, but his cries were drowned out by the howling winds and rolling thunder.

   “Amy…no!  Come back!” he cried.  He took a few steps toward her, only to see a lightning streak strike the branches of a tree directly above her, breaking them and sending them hurdling to the earth below, ready to smite Amy and her car underneath them.  Knuckles’ eyes widened and were filled with fear, his heart sinking at what was about to unfold.  He cried out her name once more and ran for her, praying he could reach her before the branch hit her.

   Amy sniffed once more, trying to suppress her tears.  She stopped, however, as she heard Knuckles screaming out her name, and a loud cracking noise in the woods.  She turned slowly, but before she could turn fully, Knuckles had leaped towards her, pushing her clear of the falling branch, but falling hard to the ground where she once stood after he moved her.

   She was confused at first, but before she could think, she looked up, only to see what Knuckles had just saved her from.  He looked up in horror at the branch coming straight towards him.  With no time to move, Knuckles covered his head with his arms and hands, hearing Amy cry out as the branch landed hard on him.

   After a few moments, Amy, who had curled up in a ball, looked in shock at seeing the branch laying on Knuckles’ motionless body, and his head now with a wound that was bleeding profusely.  “Knuckles, no…it can’t be!  No!”  She crawled over to where he lay, and pushed the branch off him with a new found strength she gained from her anger at was happening.

   She pulled Knuckles into her lap, not giving a thought to anything but him.  She saw a gash in his head, and she shook him gently, weeping once more, and said, “Please Knuckles, please, open your eyes…if you don’t…I’ll never be able to tell you…how I feel.”  Her voice was barely audible when she spoke the last three words.  She held Knuckles’ head to her chest, and wept into his hair, saying, “I’ll save you Knuckles, I promise!  I can use my convertible!”

   Amy laid Knuckles down gently on the grass as the rain from the storm began to pour.  She pulled her convertible up beside him, and managed to get him in the seat, resting his head in her lap so she could drive.  She sped into town, then took Knuckles to the local hospital, being separated from him for quite some time, sitting by herself, crying, afraid she might never see him again, or tell him how much she cared about him.

   After many minutes, which to Amy seemed like an eternity, a doctor came to her.  He said, “You’re with the echidna right?”  She looked at him, only able to manage a nod, trying to dry her eyes with her pink handkerchief.  He continued, “Well, he suffered a bad bump to the head if anything else, and there’s no permanent damage…however, there is one thing that you should be aware of.”

   Amy stood up, and whimpered, “What’s wrong with him?  Will he be okay?”

   He looked at her and said, “Of course Miss Rose, but there is one thing.  That branch that hit him gave him a spot of amnesia, and there’s no telling when it’ll go away…and it may be awhile…”

   Amy looked crushed, she nodded, and spoke with a quivering voice, “O--okay…thank you very much…I just…want to be with him right now.  So if you’ll ex--excuse me…” Amy fell silent, and stood up, walking slowly and sadly down the hall to the room they had put Knuckles in.  She peered inside, and saw him fast asleep, his head bandaged up, and the covers pulled up to his chest.  She pulled a chair up to his bedside, and took his hand in hers, and tried not to cry as she looked at him sleeping.

   She whispered, “Oh Knuckles, I’m sorry…what if…I can never tell you that I--I love you…?”

   Once she said this, the echidna opened his eyes, and once he saw her he looked confused, and said, “Who…who are you?  What am I doing here?  Everything is so confusing.”  He frowned, upset as he didn’t even know who he was, and was more scared than anything else.  He said, voice shaking, “Please, I’m very confused…what’s wrong with me?  What’s going on here…?  Please…”

   This was breaking Amy’s heart, for this was the first time she had ever seen Knuckles this way…so scared, so weak, so vulnerable.  She hid her tears so she wouldn’t distress him further, and said, “You’ll be okay…I’m your friend.  I’m Amy Rose…and you’re Knuckles the Echidna.  You got hurt by a branch that fell when you…when you pushed me out of the way.”  She fell silent, being saddened by the memories of what had happened.  She looked back at him, smiled, and said, “But don’t worry.  When you got hurt you lost your memory, but it’ll come back to you…I promise, but until then, I’ll look after you.”

   Something about her smile comforted the echidna.  While he knew nothing about her, or even himself, his heart had not forgotten that he could trust her.  He too managed a smile, and said, “Okay…Amy…I trust you.  Thank…thank you very much…”

   This comforted Amy to see he trusted her.  She knew now what she had to do.  She had to look after Knuckles until his memory returned. This was extremely important because he had to look after the Master Emerald, so until he was alright, she had to make sure both he and the Master Emerald were looked after.  She would do it, because she cared deeply for him, and felt like she owed it to him for saving her life.

   After the tropical storm passed, Amy brought Knuckles back to Angel Island, which, because he had anchored it in just the right place, suffered little damage from the storm.  She stayed with him on the island, every day trying to jog his memory by talking to him, reminding him of things he had done, adventures they had been on with Sonic and the others, and other things.  Weeks passed, and still, he was no closer to regaining his memory than the day he lost it, though the head wound he had suffered had long healed.

   One night, about four weeks since Knuckles’ accident, Amy left Knuckles sleeping on the ground near the Master Emerald’s altar, wrapped up in a blanket, and a fire burning to keep him warm.  She walked to the edge of the island, sitting on its edge, her legs dangling over the side, as she looked to the ocean below.  Her stomach felt sick, and as she sat there she crossed her arms over her stomach and bent slightly, rocking as she wept.  She said, “It’s been weeks now…what if…what if he never gets his memory back…” She sniffed hard, and finished in a soft voice, quivering, “What if he never remembers me…and I can never tell him, that I love him?”

   She started to cry, and after a few moments, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She gasped as she looked up to see Knuckles standing beside her.  He said, “You’re sad…aren’t you?  There’s something you need to say, but I need to be able to remember you for you to tell me, right?”

   Knuckles looked at her, and when she didn’t reply, he sighed, and sat next to her, putting an arm around her and hugging her tightly.  He said, “I’m sorry…but, even though I can’t remember you, I’d like for you to be able to tell me what you need to say…so you won’t be sad anymore.  I don’t want you to be sad.”

   Amy gazed into Knuckles’ amethyst eyes, and rested her head on his chest, unsure of what to say.  He put his arms around her and held her close to him, keeping her warm in the chill air.  She finally said, “I’m okay Knuckles…I’m just sad because you’re not better yet…and well, I wish I could do something to help.”

   The echidna looked at her, for he knew she was hiding something.  He said, “No, what is it you want to tell me…?  Please, just tell me…maybe it’ll help me get my memory back…you never know.”

   Amy’s heart began to pound.  How could she tell him that she loved him when she wasn’t even sure that he loved her in return?  Then again…he did have amnesia, and maybe he wouldn’t remember her telling him once his memory came back.  She spoke, her voice shaking, and said, “Well Knuckles…before your accident, I had come to visit you, because I was lonely…well, not just that.  I wanted to spend time with you…so maybe I could…well, let you know how I really felt.”  She paused, waiting for him to say something, but he just looked at her, his eyes gentle as they had been for weeks.

   She continued saying, “Knuckles…I…I don’t know if you’ll remember this, and if you do if you’ll ever feel the same…but I…I…I like you…much more than I ever let on to you or others.  What I’m trying to say is…is…”

   Amy struggled to speak, ready to cry, and Knuckles looked up, almost like something snapped inside of him.  He gently pulled her up to eye level, and said, “You love me…that’s what you want to say…isn’t it…Amy?”

   Amy froze, looking into his eyes, silent at hearing his words.  He had said her name with certainty, like he did before he lost his memory, and not hesitantly as he had recently.  Tears fell from her eyes silently as they twinkled with the reflection of the stars above, and she said, “Do you…do you remember me Knuckles?”

   The echidna looked at her, his eyes still gentle, but he cringed, bringing his hand to his head, and holding it as if it pained him badly.  He cringed, moaning softly but said, “I--I think so…Amy.  When you said you loved me, I thought of you…even though I’m only barely able to remember who you are…let alone myself.”

   She took his other hand, concerned and said, “Are you okay Knuckles?”  She paused, and put her other hand on the one he held to his head, and said, “Wait a minute…I never actually said I loved you, you said that, even though that was what I was trying to say.  I’m confused…what made you say that, and then immediately think of me, even though you’re still trying to remember?”

   Knuckles opened his eyes, and said, “I think it’s because…well, over the past weeks, while I didn’t know you, myself, or anything you’ve told me, I’ve felt…at home…safe, when you’re near me.  I don’t know what it is Amy, but I think it’s the same feeling I felt when I pushed you clear from that falling branch.”

   Amy smiled and said, “You’re remembering now!  Oh wow, this is great!”  She paused and said, “I’m still confused, why are you just now remembering everything?”

   The echidna smiled in return, nodding, and said, “Amy…what it is, is you said you didn’t know if I’d ever feel the same about you that you do about me…and to tell you the truth, I feel love when you’re near me, like I never feel when you’re away.  Even through losing all my memories, I never forgot that feeling of love I have when you’re near…that makes me feel safe, at home…and alright.  I would have returned my love to you had you spoke yours to me, and since you have now, so do I speak mine to you.”

   Amy felt ready to cry, but it was tears of happiness, and she hugged Knuckles tightly and said, “You really do remember!  Oh Knuckles, this means you’re okay…and…,” she paused when she realized what he had said.  She continued, and said, looking up at him, “You love me Knuckles?  You really and truly do?”  The echidna smiled, and nodded, Amy smiled brightly and hugged him tighter, and as he hugged back, she said, “Yes, I love you too, and I’m so happy you’re okay!”

   Knuckles laughed, and paused, gently kissing Amy on the head and said, “Yeah, I’m okay now, I’m starting to remember everything.  I can’t thank you enough for looking after me…and saving me too.”

   She looked up, and sat up straight beside him and said, “You’re welcome Knuckles…but how did I save you?  All I did was try to say I loved you, and then you realized it, and said it for me, and now, well, here we are.  I don’t understand.”

   The echidna smiled and said, “Don’t you see Amy?  This whole time, even from the beginning, whenever you were near me was when I wasn’t afraid, and whenever we talked about each other, I was the most responsive.  Nothing else, not the Master Emerald or even talk about the others did anything more than confuse me.  It was the memories of you, you Amy, that before the accident I felt love for, that made me feel alright, happy, and slowly get better.  Whenever we were apart I was scared, but…whenever you were with me, we talked about you, or I thought about you, I felt alright.  Don’t you see Amy?  My love for you wasn’t lost when I lost my memory, it stayed there, because love is not a memory, it’s more than that, it never dies, I just needed to hear it from you, and truly remember who you were before it could be made real.  Hearing your love for me, I made myself remember you, so it could finally be realized, and I could be made whole again.”

   Amy just gazed into Knuckles’ eyes, smiling when she saw him smile, finally understanding what he meant.  She simply nodded, and shaking her head she said, “Your love for me was always there…in fact it’s what got you into this mess to begin with.”  The two laughed, and as they stood up, Amy continued, “…but I guess mine did too.  It is what made me come to see you.  At least now…everything’s okay.”

   Knuckles took Amy’s hands, and smiled.   Knuckles whispered, “That’s right Amy, and now, with all that said and done…I love you Amy, and my love, unlike my memories which made fade and disappear, my love will always be alive in my heart, and never die.”

   Amy blushed, looking towards the ocean and horizon for a fleeting moment, towards Station Square in the distance, where she knew Sonic had really been sleeping instead of running off on another adventure, and not much further Tails had been playing a video game instead of working on his experiments, and Cream and Cheese had been playing Hide and Seek instead of helping her mom, Vanilla, like they all claimed.

   Then, giggling softly, she thought, “That’s just fine with me…I don’t care if they’re “busy” and can’t hang out with me, because I’ve got Knuckles, and that’s forever, like our love.”  She then looked back to him, and said, “I love you too Knuckles, there’s no doubt about that.”

   He smiled in return, and hugged Amy tightly, kissing her gently on the head.  Amy sighed happily; Knuckles withdrew from their embrace and extending his hand he said, “Come on, let’s get some sleep before dawn what do you say?”

   Amy yawned and nodded in agreement, saying, “Sure, we better rest up…” She took his hand, and led him towards the Master Emerald’s altar, and continued, “…before we go on a shopping spree tomorrow!”

   Hearing this, Knuckles was taken aback, unnerved for a fleeting moment at the thought of going shopping.  He sighed happily and thought, “I love her, and heck, she deserves it, so eh, I’ll go…as long as we can be together.”  He laughed then, and said, “Okay…just no more parking your car next to trees…in a lightning storm.”  He cringed as he rubbed his head, causing Amy to laugh once more.  The two headed off into the night, Knuckles’ memory returned, and their love for each other realized, they both knew that now, they’d never be lonely again.

Description
"Love is More Than A Memory"
  By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

   It was a windy, late summer day in Station Square.  Amy Rose was busy going on another shopping spree, one which she could not convince anyone to go on.  She was getting lonely, and it was growing sadness that not even her favorite hobby, shopping, could dispel.  She hated it when Sonic, Tails Prower, and even Cream the Rabbit would come up with excuses just so they wouldn’t have to go shopping with her.  It seemed at times she didn’t have a friend in the world, and today was one of those days when it hurt her heart the most.

   Tired from her latest run of stores on the boardwalk, she collapsed in a chair in the café that looked over the beach below.  Sitting her shopping bags and handbag down neatly beside her, she ordered a chocolate milkshake to drink, and rested her arms on the table, burying her face in them.  She whimpered, “I’m so lonely…I can’t believe all of them, Sonic, Tails…even Cream and Cheese wouldn’t go out with me today.  I’ve never felt more alone and unloved than I do now…” She fell silent, unable to speak any more as her eyes filled up with tears. She cried silently until the waitress came back with her milkshake, upon which Amy quickly dried her tears and took her beverage from the waitress.

   After she got her milkshake, the waitress left, and Amy was alone once more.  She took a few sips of her shake, and sighed heavily.  Not even a chocolate milkshake could cheer her up.  She glanced around at the people around her.  Everyone she saw was with someone, whether it be a friend, a husband or wife, a child or parent, or even a pet.  She almost felt sick, and again tears fell from her eyes.

   Why did no one want to be with her?  Was it something she did, or did they just not want to be with her?  She knew that none of her friends were shop-a-holics like she was, but making up excuses just to get out of hanging out with her was just crazy.

   A few brief minutes passed, and she cried into her milkshake while at the same time trying to enjoy it and not draw attention to herself.  Finally, she finished her shake, and crushed it under her fist as she slammed it down on the table.  She looked up sadly, unsure of why she was angry, or crying, and before she could speak, she froze, her eyes locked on the horizon.  She shaded her eyes with her hand, squinted, and in the distance she could make out the silhouette of Angel Island, Knuckles the Echidna’s home in the sky, where he guarded the Master Emerald, all day everyday and alone.

   Amy smiled at thinking of him, even though she couldn’t remember the last time they had seen each other.  She did, however, remember him fondly, for she admired him.  Every time he lost his temper, she couldn’t help but smile inside, because something about him, whether he was happy, angry, or stubborn, something about him always made her happy, no matter how down she was.  She stood up, and leaving the bill and tip on the table, took up her bags, and said, “I’ll just go visit Knuckles.  He’s probably just as lonely as I am.  We can comfort each other.”

   A little while later, Amy had taken her belongings home, and had taken her little convertible down the coast, Angel Island growing larger and larger in the distance as she approached it.  At first, she was unsure of exactly how she would go about getting up to the island, but as she got closer she saw it was anchored unusually close to land.  Ordinarily, she knew Knuckles would never bring the island this close to land unless he had to.

   She slowed down her convertible, stopping when she was as close to the island as she could get.  She parked it behind a nearby tree, and walked to the edge of the mainland, peering up at Angel Island, seeing it surrounded by an ocean mist.  She said to herself, “Gee, I hope Knuckles is okay.  Why on earth would he anchor Angel Island this this close to the mainland?”  At that moment, an almost unending list of horrors flashed through her mine which might explain why Angel Island was so close.  Scared that someone she cared very much about was in danger, she cried out, “Knuckles! Answer me if you can hear me!  Please!”

   Only a short distance away, Knuckles was walking in the woods outside of the Master Emerald’s altar, stretching his legs.  He was surrounded by silence, save the waves of the ocean below and the sounds of the forest, birds chirping and wind blowing in the trees, until Amy’s cries rang clear over the breeze.  He wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying, but heard his name out of her cries, and while he didn’t know what was going on, if she was calling for him, he knew he had to see what she was crying for.

   He ran through the woods, in the direction of the mainland, not hearing anymore cries from Amy, and growing increasingly worried, wondering all the while why she was there in the first place.  As he neared the edge of the woods, he called out her name, not even looking before he leaped into the air, gliding down towards the mainland as he answered her cries.  “Amy!?  I’m here, now you answer me!”

   It had been a few minutes since she had cried for him, and at this point Amy had fallen to her knees at hearing no immediate response, crying, wondering how she would get to him if something serious had really happened.  Now, she heard him answer her.  She only heard her name, unable to make out the rest of Knuckles’ words.  She stood up, drying her eyes, and saw Knuckles emerge from the veil of fog, and seconds later, land on both feet on the ground beside her.

   He bent over, putting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.  As he panted for breath he looked up at her, seeing tears stains on her face and a few lone tears still falling from her eyes.  As she looked back at him, she could see a look of deep concern in his eyes, and she managed a weak smile, speaking in a barely audible whisper, “You’re…You’re okay.”

   Knuckles cocked his head, looking confused as he stood up straight.  He rubbed the back of his head, saying, “What do you mean?  I’m just fine…,” he paused, and walked up to her, looking into her eyes and said, “What about you?  I heard you crying for me…,” he took a finger and dried up the last of her tears, and continued, “…and apparently you’ve been weeping.  What’s wrong Amy?”

   Amy felt her heart race as he dried away her tears.  She would never speak it, but she had a love for the echidna growing in her heart.  Seeing her behavior around him, you’d only see her as a friend of his to say the least, sometimes even being the one to provoke his frustration.  Yet behind this façade Amy had a deep love for Knuckles, and even a simple gesture such as this made her feel warm inside, and her sadness immediately melt away.

   She spoke, and said, “Well…I had been by myself today…well, lately, because everyone else is preoccupied with their owns lives to spend time with me…so I…I…,” she found it difficult to continue, her throat tightening up as she tried to finish her statement.

   Knuckles looked at her, his eyes gentle and soft unlike they normally were, hardened and grim.  He said, “You thought you’d come out here to visit me, right?”  She looked up at him, trying to keep from crying again as he finished her sentence exactly she was wanting to put it.  She only replied with a nod, and he smiled at seeing this, then continued, “I see…now I’m just curious as to why you were crying for me.”  He looked at the island, and how close it was to shore, then grinned as he looked back to her, saying, “Ah…I get it.  I worried you by bringing Angel Island so close to shore, didn’t I?”

   The pink hedgehog looked up at Knuckles, who only stood maybe an inch or so taller than she, and said, voice trembling, “That’s…that’s right…I was worried about you, because you never bring the island this close to shore…so I assumed…something was wrong.”  They locked eyes for a moment, and trying to hide her affection for him, she said, “I’m okay, really, I just got scared for a minute.  I was just feeling lonely since no one had time for me so I thought I’d come visit you…that’s all.”

   With this sudden burst of confidence in her voice, Knuckles backed away from her a step or two.  He folded his arms across his chest, the gentle look in his eyes returning to a hardened and grim look once more.  He looked at her and said, “Well, okay then…but perhaps maybe you were just upset at not knowing how to get up there eh?”  The two again locked eyes, but this time as they did whenever they had a problem growing between them.  Knuckles didn’t want to bring any hurt to her at all, but was unable to handle his emotions in any other way, not knowing how she felt for him in return.

   Amy went soft again, surprising the echidna as she usually remained firm around him, and nodded, lowering her eyes, saying, “Yeah…but you…you don’t have to spend time with me…everyone else has already come up with an excuse…so I don’t mind.”  Amy felt silly; inside she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him, and maybe learn how he felt about her in return.  However, she found herself shying away from him, feeling like nothing more than a bother to everyone, even Knuckles.

   The echidna wondered what had her so upset, but didn’t want her to be sad.  He unfolded his arms as she slowly walked away to her convertible, and whispered, “I didn’t say that…I just moved Angel Island closer to shore because of a tropical storm that’s coming.”  He fell silent, hearing a rumble of thunder as the first band of storms from the approaching tropical storm began to break over the mainland.  He looked up, seeing lightning flashing in the sky, with the occasional streak among them.

   He backed away from the line of trees, knowing that lightning streaks headed for the tallest structure around, and the nearby woods served that purpose.  However, he looked up in horror as he saw Amy still heading for her convertible near the line of trees, even worse as the metal of her vehicle was a great conductor of electricity.  He called out her name to comeback to him, but his cries were drowned out by the howling winds and rolling thunder.

   “Amy…no!  Come back!” he cried.  He took a few steps toward her, only to see a lightning streak strike the branches of a tree directly above her, breaking them and sending them hurdling to the earth below, ready to smite Amy and her car underneath them.  Knuckles’ eyes widened and were filled with fear, his heart sinking at what was about to unfold.  He cried out her name once more and ran for her, praying he could reach her before the branch hit her.

   Amy sniffed once more, trying to suppress her tears.  She stopped, however, as she heard Knuckles screaming out her name, and a loud cracking noise in the woods.  She turned slowly, but before she could turn fully, Knuckles had leaped towards her, pushing her clear of the falling branch, but falling hard to the ground where she once stood after he moved her.

   She was confused at first, but before she could think, she looked up, only to see what Knuckles had just saved her from.  He looked up in horror at the branch coming straight towards him.  With no time to move, Knuckles covered his head with his arms and hands, hearing Amy cry out as the branch landed hard on him.

   After a few moments, Amy, who had curled up in a ball, looked in shock at seeing the branch laying on Knuckles’ motionless body, and his head now with a wound that was bleeding profusely.  “Knuckles, no…it can’t be!  No!”  She crawled over to where he lay, and pushed the branch off him with a new found strength she gained from her anger at was happening.

   She pulled Knuckles into her lap, not giving a thought to anything but him.  She saw a gash in his head, and she shook him gently, weeping once more, and said, “Please Knuckles, please, open your eyes…if you don’t…I’ll never be able to tell you…how I feel.”  Her voice was barely audible when she spoke the last three words.  She held Knuckles’ head to her chest, and wept into his hair, saying, “I’ll save you Knuckles, I promise!  I can use my convertible!”

   Amy laid Knuckles down gently on the grass as the rain from the storm began to pour.  She pulled her convertible up beside him, and managed to get him in the seat, resting his head in her lap so she could drive.  She sped into town, then took Knuckles to the local hospital, being separated from him for quite some time, sitting by herself, crying, afraid she might never see him again, or tell him how much she cared about him.

   After many minutes, which to Amy seemed like an eternity, a doctor came to her.  He said, “You’re with the echidna right?”  She looked at him, only able to manage a nod, trying to dry her eyes with her pink handkerchief.  He continued, “Well, he suffered a bad bump to the head if anything else, and there’s no permanent damage…however, there is one thing that you should be aware of.”

   Amy stood up, and whimpered, “What’s wrong with him?  Will he be okay?”

   He looked at her and said, “Of course Miss Rose, but there is one thing.  That branch that hit him gave him a spot of amnesia, and there’s no telling when it’ll go away…and it may be awhile…”

   Amy looked crushed, she nodded, and spoke with a quivering voice, “O--okay…thank you very much…I just…want to be with him right now.  So if you’ll ex--excuse me…” Amy fell silent, and stood up, walking slowly and sadly down the hall to the room they had put Knuckles in.  She peered inside, and saw him fast asleep, his head bandaged up, and the covers pulled up to his chest.  She pulled a chair up to his bedside, and took his hand in hers, and tried not to cry as she looked at him sleeping.

   She whispered, “Oh Knuckles, I’m sorry…what if…I can never tell you that I--I love you…?”

   Once she said this, the echidna opened his eyes, and once he saw her he looked confused, and said, “Who…who are you?  What am I doing here?  Everything is so confusing.”  He frowned, upset as he didn’t even know who he was, and was more scared than anything else.  He said, voice shaking, “Please, I’m very confused…what’s wrong with me?  What’s going on here…?  Please…”

   This was breaking Amy’s heart, for this was the first time she had ever seen Knuckles this way…so scared, so weak, so vulnerable.  She hid her tears so she wouldn’t distress him further, and said, “You’ll be okay…I’m your friend.  I’m Amy Rose…and you’re Knuckles the Echidna.  You got hurt by a branch that fell when you…when you pushed me out of the way.”  She fell silent, being saddened by the memories of what had happened.  She looked back at him, smiled, and said, “But don’t worry.  When you got hurt you lost your memory, but it’ll come back to you…I promise, but until then, I’ll look after you.”

   Something about her smile comforted the echidna.  While he knew nothing about her, or even himself, his heart had not forgotten that he could trust her.  He too managed a smile, and said, “Okay…Amy…I trust you.  Thank…thank you very much…”

   This comforted Amy to see he trusted her.  She knew now what she had to do.  She had to look after Knuckles until his memory returned. This was extremely important because he had to look after the Master Emerald, so until he was alright, she had to make sure both he and the Master Emerald were looked after.  She would do it, because she cared deeply for him, and felt like she owed it to him for saving her life.

   After the tropical storm passed, Amy brought Knuckles back to Angel Island, which, because he had anchored it in just the right place, suffered little damage from the storm.  She stayed with him on the island, every day trying to jog his memory by talking to him, reminding him of things he had done, adventures they had been on with Sonic and the others, and other things.  Weeks passed, and still, he was no closer to regaining his memory than the day he lost it, though the head wound he had suffered had long healed.

   One night, about four weeks since Knuckles’ accident, Amy left Knuckles sleeping on the ground near the Master Emerald’s altar, wrapped up in a blanket, and a fire burning to keep him warm.  She walked to the edge of the island, sitting on its edge, her legs dangling over the side, as she looked to the ocean below.  Her stomach felt sick, and as she sat there she crossed her arms over her stomach and bent slightly, rocking as she wept.  She said, “It’s been weeks now…what if…what if he never gets his memory back…” She sniffed hard, and finished in a soft voice, quivering, “What if he never remembers me…and I can never tell him, that I love him?”

   She started to cry, and after a few moments, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She gasped as she looked up to see Knuckles standing beside her.  He said, “You’re sad…aren’t you?  There’s something you need to say, but I need to be able to remember you for you to tell me, right?”

   Knuckles looked at her, and when she didn’t reply, he sighed, and sat next to her, putting an arm around her and hugging her tightly.  He said, “I’m sorry…but, even though I can’t remember you, I’d like for you to be able to tell me what you need to say…so you won’t be sad anymore.  I don’t want you to be sad.”

   Amy gazed into Knuckles’ amethyst eyes, and rested her head on his chest, unsure of what to say.  He put his arms around her and held her close to him, keeping her warm in the chill air.  She finally said, “I’m okay Knuckles…I’m just sad because you’re not better yet…and well, I wish I could do something to help.”

   The echidna looked at her, for he knew she was hiding something.  He said, “No, what is it you want to tell me…?  Please, just tell me…maybe it’ll help me get my memory back…you never know.”

   Amy’s heart began to pound.  How could she tell him that she loved him when she wasn’t even sure that he loved her in return?  Then again…he did have amnesia, and maybe he wouldn’t remember her telling him once his memory came back.  She spoke, her voice shaking, and said, “Well Knuckles…before your accident, I had come to visit you, because I was lonely…well, not just that.  I wanted to spend time with you…so maybe I could…well, let you know how I really felt.”  She paused, waiting for him to say something, but he just looked at her, his eyes gentle as they had been for weeks.

   She continued saying, “Knuckles…I…I don’t know if you’ll remember this, and if you do if you’ll ever feel the same…but I…I…I like you…much more than I ever let on to you or others.  What I’m trying to say is…is…”

   Amy struggled to speak, ready to cry, and Knuckles looked up, almost like something snapped inside of him.  He gently pulled her up to eye level, and said, “You love me…that’s what you want to say…isn’t it…Amy?”

   Amy froze, looking into his eyes, silent at hearing his words.  He had said her name with certainty, like he did before he lost his memory, and not hesitantly as he had recently.  Tears fell from her eyes silently as they twinkled with the reflection of the stars above, and she said, “Do you…do you remember me Knuckles?”

   The echidna looked at her, his eyes still gentle, but he cringed, bringing his hand to his head, and holding it as if it pained him badly.  He cringed, moaning softly but said, “I--I think so…Amy.  When you said you loved me, I thought of you…even though I’m only barely able to remember who you are…let alone myself.”

   She took his other hand, concerned and said, “Are you okay Knuckles?”  She paused, and put her other hand on the one he held to his head, and said, “Wait a minute…I never actually said I loved you, you said that, even though that was what I was trying to say.  I’m confused…what made you say that, and then immediately think of me, even though you’re still trying to remember?”

   Knuckles opened his eyes, and said, “I think it’s because…well, over the past weeks, while I didn’t know you, myself, or anything you’ve told me, I’ve felt…at home…safe, when you’re near me.  I don’t know what it is Amy, but I think it’s the same feeling I felt when I pushed you clear from that falling branch.”

   Amy smiled and said, “You’re remembering now!  Oh wow, this is great!”  She paused and said, “I’m still confused, why are you just now remembering everything?”

   The echidna smiled in return, nodding, and said, “Amy…what it is, is you said you didn’t know if I’d ever feel the same about you that you do about me…and to tell you the truth, I feel love when you’re near me, like I never feel when you’re away.  Even through losing all my memories, I never forgot that feeling of love I have when you’re near…that makes me feel safe, at home…and alright.  I would have returned my love to you had you spoke yours to me, and since you have now, so do I speak mine to you.”

   Amy felt ready to cry, but it was tears of happiness, and she hugged Knuckles tightly and said, “You really do remember!  Oh Knuckles, this means you’re okay…and…,” she paused when she realized what he had said.  She continued, and said, looking up at him, “You love me Knuckles?  You really and truly do?”  The echidna smiled, and nodded, Amy smiled brightly and hugged him tighter, and as he hugged back, she said, “Yes, I love you too, and I’m so happy you’re okay!”

   Knuckles laughed, and paused, gently kissing Amy on the head and said, “Yeah, I’m okay now, I’m starting to remember everything.  I can’t thank you enough for looking after me…and saving me too.”

   She looked up, and sat up straight beside him and said, “You’re welcome Knuckles…but how did I save you?  All I did was try to say I loved you, and then you realized it, and said it for me, and now, well, here we are.  I don’t understand.”

   The echidna smiled and said, “Don’t you see Amy?  This whole time, even from the beginning, whenever you were near me was when I wasn’t afraid, and whenever we talked about each other, I was the most responsive.  Nothing else, not the Master Emerald or even talk about the others did anything more than confuse me.  It was the memories of you, you Amy, that before the accident I felt love for, that made me feel alright, happy, and slowly get better.  Whenever we were apart I was scared, but…whenever you were with me, we talked about you, or I thought about you, I felt alright.  Don’t you see Amy?  My love for you wasn’t lost when I lost my memory, it stayed there, because love is not a memory, it’s more than that, it never dies, I just needed to hear it from you, and truly remember who you were before it could be made real.  Hearing your love for me, I made myself remember you, so it could finally be realized, and I could be made whole again.”

   Amy just gazed into Knuckles’ eyes, smiling when she saw him smile, finally understanding what he meant.  She simply nodded, and shaking her head she said, “Your love for me was always there…in fact it’s what got you into this mess to begin with.”  The two laughed, and as they stood up, Amy continued, “…but I guess mine did too.  It is what made me come to see you.  At least now…everything’s okay.”

   Knuckles took Amy’s hands, and smiled.   Knuckles whispered, “That’s right Amy, and now, with all that said and done…I love you Amy, and my love, unlike my memories which made fade and disappear, my love will always be alive in my heart, and never die.”

   Amy blushed, looking towards the ocean and horizon for a fleeting moment, towards Station Square in the distance, where she knew Sonic had really been sleeping instead of running off on another adventure, and not much further Tails had been playing a video game instead of working on his experiments, and Cream and Cheese had been playing Hide and Seek instead of helping her mom, Vanilla, like they all claimed.

   Then, giggling softly, she thought, “That’s just fine with me…I don’t care if they’re “busy” and can’t hang out with me, because I’ve got Knuckles, and that’s forever, like our love.”  She then looked back to him, and said, “I love you too Knuckles, there’s no doubt about that.”

   He smiled in return, and hugged Amy tightly, kissing her gently on the head.  Amy sighed happily; Knuckles withdrew from their embrace and extending his hand he said, “Come on, let’s get some sleep before dawn what do you say?”

   Amy yawned and nodded in agreement, saying, “Sure, we better rest up…” She took his hand, and led him towards the Master Emerald’s altar, and continued, “…before we go on a shopping spree tomorrow!”

   Hearing this, Knuckles was taken aback, unnerved for a fleeting moment at the thought of going shopping.  He sighed happily and thought, “I love her, and heck, she deserves it, so eh, I’ll go…as long as we can be together.”  He laughed then, and said, “Okay…just no more parking your car next to trees…in a lightning storm.”  He cringed as he rubbed his head, causing Amy to laugh once more.  The two headed off into the night, Knuckles’ memory returned, and their love for each other realized, they both knew that now, they’d never be lonely again.