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"Through Their Eyes"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

Focuses on Knuxamy, with hints of ShadowxRouge and SonicxBlaze

Part 2: Knuckles’ Rose

   Leaving the log cabin behind, its dimly lit windows providing the only light, Knuckles thundered into the blinding snowstorm.  The clouds blocked out all starlight and moonlight, and Knuckles had to rely on his heightened senses, especially his sight and hearing, in order to find Amy.

   His adrenaline pumping, he called out for her, raising his voice as loudly as he was able so it could be heard over the deafening rush of wind that drowned out all other noise.  Knuckles could barely hear himself, let alone the sound of Amy crying.  The further he trudged into the forest, the more desperate he became.  He stopped when he realized just how panicked his voice had become.

   Turning around, he could no longer see the cabin in the distance.  He was lost, and all was dark around him.  He reached forward into the snowy darkness, his hand bumping into a tree that he could barely discern from the darkness around it.  Snow was clinging to his fur and hair; his breath was like smoke, chilled as it hit the air.  He could feel the bitter cold biting into his skin underneath his fur.  He knew that his coat was thicker than Amy’s, who didn’t even have much covering her arms; only light wisps of peach colored fuzz.  He was also fortunate enough to have shoes on, while she had none.

   He knew wherever Amy was, she would freeze to death before morning.  If he didn’t find her…she wouldn’t make it.  She would die alone on that mountainside, crying and shivering, all because of a broken heart.

   Knuckles could feel his heart being strangled as he thought of this.  His throat tightened up on him.  A rush of emotions threatened to consume him.  Anger towards Sonic for how poorly he handled the situation; sadness at seeing Amy’s tears; fear that he wouldn’t find her; empathy…knowing that she was alone.

   He never wanted anyone to feel that way…ever.  Nobody deserved to feel as miserable as he did every night looking at the stars, wondering why he was still alive.

   That familiar sting returned to his eyes.  He felt the tears coming, and now that he was alone, he wouldn’t be bothered to restrain them.  His knees buckled, and he fell to the snow-covered ground.  He held his head as he wept, cringing and trying to block out everything…the cold, the storm, the night.  It was too painful…too confusing.  It was too much to think of at once.

   All he could think about, was how much she said she cared.

   “I love Sonic so much, but he could never be what you are Knuckles; a Guardian of Life and Peace.  I think now it’s about time that you’re rewarded for it.”

   Bent over as far as he could manage without falling, Knuckles could hear himself growling again.  He was furious.  Amy was the first person in many years that ever said anything that kind to him before, and Knuckles couldn’t let her succumb to this night, not after he had endured so many of his own.

   Standing up fast, Knuckles let out another cry, shouting, “Amy!  Amy!  Please answer me!  You have to!”

   He looked around in all directions, not getting an answer.  Amy was obviously too upset to even think about her safety.  She wouldn’t think of going back to the cabin until it was too late.  Knuckles had to do something.  He had to find her now.

   Heaving desperate breaths, Knuckles tried his best to calm down, knowing panic would only work against him.  As he tried to gain control of his breathing, he closed his eyes, and took a good sniff of the air around him.  He could pick up many things with his sensitive sense of smell; he could smell the moisture of the snow around him, the pine trees, the trails crawled by forest creatures as they ran for cover, and then, he found the scent he was looking for.

   The smell of cookie batter, baked ham, buttered rolls…the smell of the kitchen and Amy’s shampoo.  There was no mistaking it; Amy had come through here.

   Opening his eyes, Knuckles found himself facing a nearby mountain.  Amy had started downhill, before making a blind turn towards a nearby summit.  The further up she climbed, the harsher the conditions became, and smaller her chance of coming back down alive became.

   His determination restored, fueled by anger and the overwhelming need to rescue her, Knuckles let out another cry, shouting, “Amy!  Please!  You have to answer me!”

   Not waiting for an answer, Knuckles raced in the direction of her scent, until at last he found the footprints she left behind in the deep snow.  He could feel a smile wanting to creep to his lips, but he forbade it, too desperate to save her to find time to be hopeful.  He followed her trail, and continued to call for her, wondering how far ahead of him she could have gotten.

   “Amy!” he cried again.  “I don’t understand it,” he murmured to himself, “I took after her immediately.  How could she have gotten so far ahead of me?  I know I paused for a minute, but…she’s no heartier than I am.  She couldn’t have gotten too far…could she?  Where did she go?”

   Before he could call for her again, he tripped over something under the snow, falling hard to the ground, thankful the snowpack cushioned the impact.  He slowly raised his head, spitting snow out of his mouth and wiping it clear from his eyes as he tried to recover.  Looking around into the endless, snow-filled night, Knuckles could feel hopelessness try to embrace him, for he no longer saw Amy’s footsteps ahead of him.

   And yet before he could despair, Knuckles closed his eyes, ready to suppress more sorrow, knowing it would only hold him back.  As he did this, he could hear something making a stand against the howling gale around him.  It sounded like the whimpering of a little child, separated from her mother.  It was the cry of a soul that had nothing left to offer in defense of what persecuted it.

   Looking to his left, he saw that he had tripped over the roots of a massive tree, bigger than all the tall and lanky pine trees it had for neighbors.  It’s massive branches still had some form of foliage clinging to them, providing a bit of shelter from the wind and snow, though not much.

   As he stood up, he peered around the side of the wide trunk, and realized it was also big enough to provide a heart-broken Amy a place to lean against as she wept, trying to recover her strength from that tiresome march up the frigid mountain.

   The echidna was overjoyed to find her, for now he knew she would make it through the night, and yet, before he would speak to her, he took a moment to look at her more closely.  She was out of breath, cold, and shivering, and still she put whatever strength she had left into crying.  She said nothing.  There was no mention of Sonic or anyone.  She simply wept, not knowing how or what to do, perhaps now realizing how far she had run, and that she had little hope of finding her way again.

   It was painful for Knuckles to watch, for all he could think about was any time he ever despaired at the thought of being alone.  He knew that losing his tribe wasn’t what hurt him the most; what hurt was not having anyone to talk to.  He once went without talking so long that he was afraid he had forgotten how to.  He knew that this kept him from being anything more than an extremely helpful ally to the others, as opposed to a good friend.  Still, Amy had opened up to him.  It was if she at last understood what afflicted him so, and she was offering him a path to recovery and redemption, even when she still didn’t completely understand him.  This made watching her go through what he was more than ready to let go of even more painful.  It was more than just concern for a friend; it was pure empathy, and the desire to keep her from walking the same road that he was dammed to walk when he was only a child.

   She didn’t deserve to feel empty and alone.  He may have, but she didn’t.

   He wouldn’t stand for it.

   Taking a step around the tree, he spoke to her, “Amy?  Are…are you alright?” in a hushed voice.

   Amy let out a gasp when she heard the voice.  Looking up from her lap, she could barely see Knuckles standing in front of her, the darkness and her tears blurring her vision.  He sounded incredibly gentle, unlike he ever had before.  She was used to his voice being gruff, harsh, and strong; now, his voice was soft and comforting, like a father speaking to his child, trying to comfort it after a bad dream.  This was a side of him that she never saw…none of them ever saw it.

   While this was surprising to hear from him, Amy couldn’t give it much thought.  Instead of answering him, she simply resumed crying, and lowered her head again.  Knuckles looked on sadly, and yet he warded off letting it upset him again in favor of looking after her.  He was the one everyone looked to for strength, and Amy needed that now.  The only difference this time was it wasn’t his physical strength that she needed; it was the power of his empathetic heart, toughened and sharpened after the traumatic years he had weathered alone.

   Sure, the hardships they endured were quite different, but the tears were shed for the same reasons; pain, wondering why they hurt; pondering what they did wrong, unable to see a light in the darkness; praying that somehow they would be rescued.

   Amy had offered to give Knuckles that chance to be free.  If there was anything he could do to help her in return, he would do it.  He wouldn’t let her fade away like he had, clinging to life as a wary and stubborn participant.  He didn’t live, he simply existed as a background character in the lives of those he found himself in.  He wouldn’t let Amy fall into that same cycle of living.

   Inching his way around the tree, Knuckles sat down beside her, trying to get comfortable as he rested against the tree.  He then turned his attention to Amy, who still had not spoken, and continued to cry softly yet with abundant tears.  Not knowing exactly what to say, his severe lack of time spent with others hampered his ability to help her.  All he had was the experience of many lonely years to help him.  He knew how much it hurt, and while Amy was feeling pain he would never know, knowing any pain that extreme made it easy to understand why she wept.

   Trying to get an idea of what to say, he thought of what he wanted to hear whenever he was suffering.  Then, he understood it.  When he wept, and was alone, the one thing he wanted was to have someone with him again.  Simply having someone to talk to would have made all the difference in the world.  Then he remembered how he felt at the bar when Amy hugged him, promising to visit him, “rewarding” him for all he had done.  She may not have known exactly what was wrong, but offering understanding and comfort, was enough to awaken feelings in him that he thought he had forgotten long ago.  For the first time in many years, he was truly happy again.

   A weak smile crept to his face as he looked to her.  Taking her hand in his own, he rubbed it gently, trying to warm it up, as she had removed her gloves before starting to cook that evening.  He said, “Aww Amy, it’s okay.  I know I can never understand what you’re going through, but you must know it’s no reason for you to want to give up.  You’ll move on from this, and you’ll find somebody a million times better than Sonic to love you.  You just have to believe that.”

   Finally, Amy looked up at him, trying to stop crying, and failing miserably.  “How…how can you say that Knuckles?  I—I…we’re perfect for each other.  He’s just…why can’t he see that?”

   With a sigh, Knuckles looked to her and said, “Obviously he doesn’t see you the same way.  You gave him all of your admiration, and never once did he return it outside of being a caring friend.  Do you really think he deserves something as precious as your love after doing this to you?”

   The pink hedgehog gazed at Knuckles in disbelief.  For many years she was brushed off by Sonic again and again, but never once would she consider what that really meant.  She thought that he just wasn’t ready for love yet, and that if she simply kept trying to show him how wonderful she was that he would finally return her feelings.  For the first time, she was finally able to hear and understand what Knuckles said, what was so obvious and forever present in everything she did.

   Amy thought about it now.  Sonic didn’t love her.  He was only a friend.  He saw something in Blaze that she didn’t have.

   However, thinking this caused Amy to burst into tears again.

   Knuckles was taken aback.  He put his arm around her and said, “Don’t cry Amy.  If he’s hurt you this badly he’s not worth your tears.”

   Sniffing to try and regain her composure, Amy looked up at Knuckles, inching closer to him as she shivered, and whimpered, “He loves Blaze.  He’s known me for years and her for such a short time, and still he falls in love with her.  She’s done nearly nothing for him, and I…I must be nothing but an annoying little girl that drives everyone crazy.  Nobody wants someone like me.  Guys want seductive and attractive women like Rouge, or feisty girls like Blaze that can roll with the punches and be their best friends and lovers.  They want sweet girls like I know Cream will grow up to be.  Nobody wants a nagging, annoying, pesky little girl like me.  I’m nothing more than a bothersome little sister always getting underfoot.”

   Her voice was so soft and stricken with tears it sounded crushed beyond help.  As she resumed crying, now huddled in a ball with Knuckles shielding her from the wind, the echidna shook his head in disbelief, feeling a wave of sadness rush over him.  With his free hand, he gently raised Amy’s head until she was looking into his eyes once more.  With a smile, Knuckles said, “Amy…it’s been…years since I lost my family.  The only interaction I’ve had with anyone has been when we’ve had to come together to fight Eggman and save the world.  And yet, I do know this.  Everybody needs somebody to care about them.  If they don’t…they’ll become detached from the world…and drown in hopelessness…like me.”

   Amy gazed at him as he lowered his eyes, looking away from her for a moment.  “This isn’t how I want to be…but what can you expect from a guy who spent ten years alone.  I lost everything as a five-year-old.  I had to lay to rest everyone I had ever known, including my parents.  It got to the point that I stopped speaking entirely as I tried to figure out how to get Angel Island into the sky again.  One time, I tripped and fell, and as I let out a shout, my voice was hoarse and scratchy.  It was the first time I had heard a voice in over a year, and it was then that I realized how lonely I was.  After that, I would talk to myself on occasion if a bird or squirrel wasn’t around to listen.  As I grew up, I understood how important it is to have something to live for, as well as somebody to be with.  If I didn’t have the Master Emerald to protect I…I think I’d be dead by now.”

   His voice had faltered as he spoke.  He could hardly believe he was willingly telling Amy all of this, feelings he had buried under mountains of anger and distrust.  Still, he didn’t hear her crying anymore, and so he kept speaking.

   “You can imagine how Eggman ruined things even further.  The first voice besides my own tricks me into hurting the good guys.  It was hard to know who to trust after that.  Sure, Sonic and Tails are great and all, but the more I got to know them, Sonic especially, the more jealous I became.  Everyone came to me only when they needed help.  They teased me with stories of a life I could never have…family, friends, a reason to live besides being bound by duty.  I never meant to be difficult with anyone, but to be honest, I think I lashed out at everyone because they had no idea what I had to live through, and made fun of me for it.  Still, I know now everyone has their path to walk in life, and to be angry at others for not understanding mine only adds to the obstacles they have to get through,” he explained.

   Looking back to Amy, he took a deep breath, and added, “But I guess my point is, everyone needs somebody Amy.  Someday you’ll find someone who sees you the way no one else ever can…through their eyes.”

   Amy was at a loss for words.  She and the others knew that Knuckles had lost his kindred, but not that he was only five years old.  They never thought about how that would affect how he acted around others.  For the first time, Amy saw another side to Knuckles, the side of him that most likely would have been the one he constantly showed to the world had he not endured so much pain and loss.

   It helped her forget her sadness for awhile, but what Knuckles had just said puzzled her.  “What do you mean Knuckles?  I think all I do is annoy everyone I meet.”

   Trying to cheer himself up after bearing his soul to her, Knuckles half-smiled and said, “You don’t annoy me.  Actually, watching Sonic reject you like he did only made me angry at him.”  Pausing for a moment, he looked back to her and said, “Do you remember all the couples on the train Amy?  Every one of them looked so happy just because they were together.  There was one guy that was shorter than his girlfriend, but they still looked happy.  One tall man had a wife that was kinda heavy set, and he still held her tightly with a smile.  A woman had a different skin color than her beau, but they were still a picture of perfect bliss.  Do you understand?  Each of those people saw something in each other that no one else did.  Sonic sees something in Blaze that he didn’t see in you, but also that no one else saw in her.  Same goes for how she sees him.  Shadow and Rouge see each other the way no one else can.  Amy, you just…you have to wait until someone sees you.  Through their eyes, you’ll be their one and only; the most beautiful girl in the world…their precious angel.”

   Amy’s heart, which was stomped flat by Sonic earlier that evening, was overcome with comfort.  Knuckles’ voice had faded into a whisper as he looked away from her again, gazing into the night.  She had smiled, but frowned when she saw the sadness in his violet eyes.  Placing a hand on his arm, she asked, “What’s wrong Knuckles?  You say all that as if you’re the lone exception to that rule.”

   Chuckling softly, he shook his head and replied, “It’s not a rule Amy.  It’s a reality, but I think…I’ve been detached from reality too long to fall under it anymore.  …You’re a beautiful girl Amy.  You have many special traits, and a wonderful personality.  Somebody infinitely better than Sonic will find you and take care of you forever, I promise.  But…I don’t think anyone in their right mind will want to be trapped on that floating prison.  It’s just not realistic.  Besides…I—I wouldn’t wish for that weight to fall on anyone’s shoulders but mine.  I—I deserve it.  No one else does.”

   In that moment, Amy could see Knuckles’ true heart; in pushing everyone away, he was trying to save them from what he felt was pain only he deserved.  The only reason he had trouble getting along with anyone was because he hadn’t for so long.  He cared enough to want to help Amy recover and move on, but gave no concern to his own bleeding heart.

   He had even said no one deserved to be alone, while at the same time freely admitting he was ready to accept this.

   It was enough to bring tears back to her eyes.

   Amy rested her head against Knuckles’ chest, and as she shivered, she whimpered, “Please…don’t talk about yourself like that.  I—I don’t think I can take it.  If nobody…deserves to be alone…then someone will see you the way no one else can too; through their eyes.  You may think Angel Island is a prison, but with you there, for someone, it’ll be a paradise.  P—Please Knuckles…you can’t give up.”

   The echidna looked to her.  She was no longer looking at him, but was tucked in a ball as she rested against him, shivering heavily.  He gasped, the panic from before returning to him.  She was starting to freeze.  Her body temperature would plummet, and so would his, if he gambled on the warmth of his fur for too long.  The snow storm wasn’t letting up, and as it grew later and later into the night, the frigid temperatures were heading closer and closer to sub-zero numbers.

   He looked around, wondering if he could find his way back to the cabin.  He saw his and Amy’s footprints were already disappearing.  He realized their trails were long gone by now.  If he tried to make it back down the mountain, he and Amy would probably freeze to death before he could make it.

   Still, that didn’t mean staying there was any better…did it?

   Knuckles realized this tall and mighty tree was a shield from the bitter wind.  Snow piled up on the other side of it, protecting them from being buried beneath it.  He glanced up at the branches, covered by snow flakes, and yet holding up under the strain.  This tree was strong enough to provide shelter from the storm…and was perhaps Knuckles’ and Amy’s best chance of surviving the night.

   He stood up, picking up Amy as he did so, before setting her down gently.  He then bent over and started to dig out a hole in the snow where they were sitting.  He pushed aside the mound of snow that covered the ground until he reached the frozen earth beneath it.  Amy watched him, and as she shivered, she sat up and asked, “Wh—What are you d—doing?”

   Not answering her for a moment, Knuckles built up the snow on either side of this pit, extending from the edges of the tree on both sides until they became the second and third wall in this shelter.  He picked up Amy again, placing her on the bed of icy grass, and said, “I’ll just have to be the fourth wall…”

   Amy held her breath as she looked at him.  Knuckles was preparing to shield her from storm.  He knew it was their best, and probably only chance.

   She looked up at him, rising slowly from where she lay, and again asked, “Knuckles…what, what are you doing?”

   The echidna brushed off any snow left on his fur and looked back to her.  Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gently pushed her back down and said, “We can’t make it back down the mountain…not in this terrible storm.  However, this tree is large enough to block out the storm, so we should be able to ride it out.”

   He slowly knelt down beside her, putting himself between her and the storm, forming the last side of this shelter he built against the tree.  Making sure Amy had enough room to move, he got as comfortable as possible as he sat down.  While the storm behind him continued to blast him with cold air, he found the area around Amy and before him safe from the storm, and though it was still cold, it wasn’t as frigid.

   “Is that any better?” Knuckles asked, looking to her.

   Amy gazed at Knuckles, only able to focus on his image and her breathing for a moment.  Her eyes sparkled; it was as if she was seeing Knuckles in a new light…with newly opened eyes.

   Gone away were images of a stubborn and rough echidna who had to be begged, and sometimes forced into helping others.  She once thought he was so bitter he was determined to do whatever he could to make them miserable, only being honest about helping when it was the Master Emerald he was protecting.  After what she had heard, these thoughts of him were shattered into shards of silver glass.  Now all she saw was the bearer of a beautiful, but wounded soul, trying his best to live the life he was resigned to.

   It wasn’t his fault that he struggled to get along with others.  After being alone for over ten years, from the age of five, she was surprised he wasn’t even worse off.  She didn’t know if echidnas spoke the same language as everyone else, but he did.  He knew how to communicate with people, and even how to get along, because that’s how he wanted to be so desperately.  Instead, he jeopardized his place among them by constantly pushing them away, just so they could be free.

   She knew who he really was.  She knew he wasn’t any different than the rest of them, perhaps better in some ways.  He was kind, polite, and had a deep respect for women, and everyone as long as they were virtuous.  There would probably never be another like him…unless, he were to somehow have children, someone to pass those precious traits along to before they were lost forever.

   And that’s what he wanted in his heart.  She could feel it when she heard his voice.  She could feel…his voice struggling as he tried to restrain the truth.

   Only now he was showing it to her rather than saying it.

   He didn’t want to be alone, and he didn’t want her to be alone either.

   As she regained awareness, she could feel the cold chill against her body suddenly begin to sting painfully.  Instead of answering Knuckles, she wrapped her arms around her body, closing her eyes as she cringed, slowly slipping back to the ground.

   Knuckles’ eyes flashed in horror at the site.  “Amy!” he cried as he dropped back to his knees, scooping her up into his arms and holding her as close as he could.  She gradually lifted her head to look at him, opening her eyes just barely.  Consumed with panic, he found his worried voice confined to a shaky whisper, leading the way for tears to follow.  “Amy?” he asked again, “Please…say you’ll be okay.”

   A smile crept to Amy’s lips.  She raised her arm and reached up to touch Knuckles’ face, her hand gently caressing it as she did so.  His eyes immediately shut in response, only they lowered slowly, as if relaxed by her touch.  He breathed deeply, unwilling to speak or move until he felt her fingers fall away.  As he opened his eyes, he saw she was still smiling, though now it was a sad one, as if it was a smile of regret.

   “I—I think I…understand what you mean Knuckles.  Heh, for someone who thinks he’s better off alone…you certainly know how to heal a girl’s broken heart.  If…if I didn’t know any better…I’d say you’d been in a relationship before…that you’ve loved someone for…for quite awhile.  I—I know you’re not the echidna we thought you were.  I’m thinking maybe…you do care about someone, whether you…you admit it or not,” she said at last.

   Instantly, Knuckles’ cheeks turned red.  He stammered a bit as he spoke, saying, “Aww Amy…that’s nothing.  I just…I was just helping a friend.”

   The pink hedgehog continued to smile.  As she leaned in closer to him for warmth, she replied, “I—I bet you regret coming after me then don’t you?”

   “What?  Why do you say that?” he asked, startled.

   Without looking back up at him, she answered, “You’re out here freezing to death.  This is a big price to pay for helping a friend.”

   This echidna felt his heart being strangled again.  He realized he was weeping when a hot tear streaked down his cheek, warming his face beneath it.  And yet, it was just a single tear, and not a flood of them this time.  He knew he either had to lie to her, or tell her the truth.  Only in telling her the truth could he ensure that all he had said wouldn’t be in vain.

   “It’s…not too big a price for you Amy.  There is no price too high for helping you.  You just have to believe me,” he murmured.

   She looked up at him, her voice nearly inaudible, and asked, “You…you promise?  I…I hate to think I’m being a burden to you too.”

   Knuckles shook his head, smiling as he readjusted his hold on her, shielding her from the cold.  “You were never a burden to me, nor will you ever be.  If Sonic says you bothered him, well, I’ll take care of him myself.  People have been too kind to him for him to treat others badly…especially you.  You’ve done so much for him and he’s never once thanked you for it.  Of course…I haven’t either…”  His voice fell short.

   “It’s okay Knuckles.  I don’t blame you.  Sonic had more reasons to thank me.  You…you did the best you could…you’re thanking me right now,” Amy offered.

   Shaking his head, Knuckles replied, “No, this isn’t in gratitude.  I’m looking after someone I care about.  Besides, I don’t call helping you all after being forced to being gracious and helpful.  If anything I only made life difficult for you.”

   Feeling chills run through her when he said he cared for her, Amy placed her hand on his shoulder and replied, “How do you think you should have acted Knuckles?  I mean, you were alone for most of your life.  I think the fact that you were willing to help us at all, needing convincing or not, is wonderful.  I…I don’t think I’d want to be with anyone if I spent that many years alone.  It’s funny…you’d think that you’d want to be with others when you’re alone.  Now I can see how it would have the opposite effect.”

   “You’ve got it wrong Amy,” Knuckles said with a sigh, “I crave that time more than anything.  The only reason I want to be alone is because I don’t want anyone to get close to me…I want to keep them at arm’s length.  Any closer…and they’d get comfortable spending time with me.  We’d bond, only for both sides to be broken because my life is bound to the Master Emerald.  How can I…give my heart to anyone when they’d have to sacrifice everything just to return their own?”

   It was Amy’s turn to have her heart strangled.  She looked to him and said, “But Knuckles, if you…what if you really loved someone.  Would you really keep it a secret just so she could be free?  I—I mean, what about what you said?  What if through her eyes, Angel Island is a paradise, a place where she can raise her children and find safety and comfort?  You’ll…you’ll never know unless you give yourself the chance to love someone.  You say you don’t want to be lonely…well, I just know that there’s someone tonight as lonely as you are, and willing to sacrifice everything just to be with somebody.  Someone will see you as such a beautiful soul, that changing their lives like that can’t even be considered a compromise.”

   Knuckles was shaking, not from chills, but from nerves.  He wasn’t as nervous as he was deeply touched by Amy’s words.  He couldn’t ignore the truth in her words, the same logic he gave her as he tried to cheer her up.  He shook his head, trying once more to keep himself from speaking.

   Amy could see this struggle, and as she closed her eyes, she could feel them feeling with tears again.  She turned to him as he held her in his arms, and she hugged him tightly.  “I promised you I would visit you Knuckles.  Tonight I said you could come visit me, but I’m changing that.  I’ll come to see you as often as possible.  We’re going to make it so your life isn’t so stressful.  I’m going to show you that even though you have a responsibility that binds you to Angel Island that you can still be as happy and free as the rest of us.  You deserve to be happy darn it.  I won’t let you deny it anymore!  You’ve given your life to safeguard the lives of everyone on this planet.  You deserve all the admiration that Sonic gets for doing next to nothing compared to you!  We all love you Knuckles.  I won’t let you be sad anymore!”

   He looked at her then.  He wanted to speak; he wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that she owed him nothing.  And yet all he could do was stare at her, his eyes quivering on the edge of a tear, his throat tightening so much he had to gasp for his breaths.  A single tear fell from his eyes.  Amy gazed at it as it slowly rolled down his cheek.  She reached for his face, catching the teardrop on her finger.

   She pulled her finger away from his face, both of them staring at it, as if hoping it would encourage them to speak.  Amy looked back to him, and as he returned her gaze, she whispered, “Somebody loves you tonight Knuckles.  Don’t deny yourself the words to open your heart to them.”

   In one last attempt to refute her words, out of desire only to make sure she was free, he stammered, “Who…who could ever love me?”

   Before she would speak, Amy sat up as best she could and gently kissed Knuckles on the cheek before murmuring, “Somebody who sees you with love in their eyes.  Someone who sees your true soul.  Somebody who sees you…through the same eyes…as I do.”

   Knuckles was at a loss for words.  After bearing his soul to Amy, she now felt deep sorrow for him…that’s all this was…right?

   “Please Knuckles, don’t tell yourself this is wrong,” she added when he didn’t speak.  “I’m your friend; I want to help you.  You’ve done so much for me tonight, and always…I want to make sure you’re happy.  Not just to return the favor, but because I want it for you so badly.  Maybe after we spend time together you’ll understand why I feel this way.”

   Looking at her, Knuckles tried to smile and said, “I…I think I already do,” in a soft whisper.

   The two looked at each other; after the tears and soulful confessions, the two had brought each other comfort, and though they still had a long night to weather, it was a blessing for them.  They saw each other in a new light, with newly opened eyes.

   Before Amy could reply, she curled back into a ball, shivering heavily, at last returning her concern to the bitter cold.  Knuckles gave a wary eye to the snowstorm and said, “It’s alright Amy.  Stay close to me.  We’ll keep each other warm with our body heat.  I know we can make it until morning.  We’ll be able to find our way home then.”

   As Knuckles scooted as close to the tree as possible, making sure Amy had as much coverage as he could manage, she looked to him and said, “Thank you…for coming after me…”

   With a smile, he replied, “It’s alright Amy.  Who else could I trust to come after you?  …Try and sleep.  Everything will be okay…you’ll see.”

   “I already know they’ll be okay…you’re here with me,” she murmured, with a yawn.

   Perhaps it wasn’t too good to be real.  No one had ever expressed such care for him, even simply from a friend, which made it hard to believe.  Amy really cared about him…just like he cared about her.  He didn’t even understand exactly how much he cared about her until Shadow told him.  It was funny how things worked out.  Sonic, who had angered him so much earlier, had provided a way for Amy and Knuckles to find out what was in their hearts.  In breaking Amy’s heart, Sonic had allowed Knuckles to find his rose…Amy Rose.

   With her sleeping in his lap, Knuckles found sleep tugging on his own eyes.  He tried to stay awake, but slowly…he lost himself to sleep and his dreams…dreams that for the first time for nearly as long as he could remember, were finally happy, and full of hope.  He was finally dreaming again, he could finally see his future again, and it was good.

   He knew that they would make it through the night.

   Back at the log cabin, Shadow wasn’t as sure about their safety as Knuckles was.  Grabbing his two chaos emeralds, he got ready to go out into the storm.  Rouge, the only one left awake, stood with him at the door.

   “It shouldn’t take me too long to find them Rouge,” he explained, “I’m guessing that he found Amy but was so far from the house that he thought it best not to leave that spot.  I’ve got the chaos emeralds so I have plenty of light.”  Handing her the red one, he added, “Keep this one.  It’ll help me find my way back…if worse comes to worse.”

   Laughing softly, Rouge said, “You should have given one to Knuckles for that very reason…”

   Shadow smiled, hugging Rouge tightly, her gave her a kiss and said, “Don’t wait up.  Get some rest.  I’ll be back soon, with both Knuckles and Amy.”

   Rouge nodded and replied, “Be careful Shadow.”

   Opening the door, Shadow took one step outside and said, “I promise, Rouge.”

   He then disappeared into the storm.  Closing the door behind him, he took a few steps into the snowy night, summoning power from the green chaos emerald until it started to glow, providing him light to see by.  He ran forward and called out, “Knuckles!  Amy!  Can you hear me?”

   After getting no response, he slowed his steps, trying to come up with a plan of action.  As he stood there, he didn’t realize he was under a tree with snow-laden branches.  As it began to crack, the noise caused Shadow’s ears to twitch.  He looked around, trying to locate the sound, unaware that it was right above him until it was too late.

   The branch finally broke free from the trunk and came crashing down on Shadow, hitting him on the head before burying him in a pile of snow.  He was knocked out instantly, and while he fell silent and didn’t move, his green chaos emerald continued to glow.

   The night wore on, and gradually, as if in apology to how woeful the night had become for the group of friends, the snow storm died down, allowing Shadow’s body to remain visible above the snow, and Amy and Knuckles to ride it out as they slept.  Morning would come, and all would be seen with a new light…only, Knuckles and Amy were a privileged few, allowed to see it before all, even through a snowy, chilly night.

Description
"Through Their Eyes"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

Focuses on Knuxamy, with hints of ShadowxRouge and SonicxBlaze

Part 2: Knuckles’ Rose

   Leaving the log cabin behind, its dimly lit windows providing the only light, Knuckles thundered into the blinding snowstorm.  The clouds blocked out all starlight and moonlight, and Knuckles had to rely on his heightened senses, especially his sight and hearing, in order to find Amy.

   His adrenaline pumping, he called out for her, raising his voice as loudly as he was able so it could be heard over the deafening rush of wind that drowned out all other noise.  Knuckles could barely hear himself, let alone the sound of Amy crying.  The further he trudged into the forest, the more desperate he became.  He stopped when he realized just how panicked his voice had become.

   Turning around, he could no longer see the cabin in the distance.  He was lost, and all was dark around him.  He reached forward into the snowy darkness, his hand bumping into a tree that he could barely discern from the darkness around it.  Snow was clinging to his fur and hair; his breath was like smoke, chilled as it hit the air.  He could feel the bitter cold biting into his skin underneath his fur.  He knew that his coat was thicker than Amy’s, who didn’t even have much covering her arms; only light wisps of peach colored fuzz.  He was also fortunate enough to have shoes on, while she had none.

   He knew wherever Amy was, she would freeze to death before morning.  If he didn’t find her…she wouldn’t make it.  She would die alone on that mountainside, crying and shivering, all because of a broken heart.

   Knuckles could feel his heart being strangled as he thought of this.  His throat tightened up on him.  A rush of emotions threatened to consume him.  Anger towards Sonic for how poorly he handled the situation; sadness at seeing Amy’s tears; fear that he wouldn’t find her; empathy…knowing that she was alone.

   He never wanted anyone to feel that way…ever.  Nobody deserved to feel as miserable as he did every night looking at the stars, wondering why he was still alive.

   That familiar sting returned to his eyes.  He felt the tears coming, and now that he was alone, he wouldn’t be bothered to restrain them.  His knees buckled, and he fell to the snow-covered ground.  He held his head as he wept, cringing and trying to block out everything…the cold, the storm, the night.  It was too painful…too confusing.  It was too much to think of at once.

   All he could think about, was how much she said she cared.

   “I love Sonic so much, but he could never be what you are Knuckles; a Guardian of Life and Peace.  I think now it’s about time that you’re rewarded for it.”

   Bent over as far as he could manage without falling, Knuckles could hear himself growling again.  He was furious.  Amy was the first person in many years that ever said anything that kind to him before, and Knuckles couldn’t let her succumb to this night, not after he had endured so many of his own.

   Standing up fast, Knuckles let out another cry, shouting, “Amy!  Amy!  Please answer me!  You have to!”

   He looked around in all directions, not getting an answer.  Amy was obviously too upset to even think about her safety.  She wouldn’t think of going back to the cabin until it was too late.  Knuckles had to do something.  He had to find her now.

   Heaving desperate breaths, Knuckles tried his best to calm down, knowing panic would only work against him.  As he tried to gain control of his breathing, he closed his eyes, and took a good sniff of the air around him.  He could pick up many things with his sensitive sense of smell; he could smell the moisture of the snow around him, the pine trees, the trails crawled by forest creatures as they ran for cover, and then, he found the scent he was looking for.

   The smell of cookie batter, baked ham, buttered rolls…the smell of the kitchen and Amy’s shampoo.  There was no mistaking it; Amy had come through here.

   Opening his eyes, Knuckles found himself facing a nearby mountain.  Amy had started downhill, before making a blind turn towards a nearby summit.  The further up she climbed, the harsher the conditions became, and smaller her chance of coming back down alive became.

   His determination restored, fueled by anger and the overwhelming need to rescue her, Knuckles let out another cry, shouting, “Amy!  Please!  You have to answer me!”

   Not waiting for an answer, Knuckles raced in the direction of her scent, until at last he found the footprints she left behind in the deep snow.  He could feel a smile wanting to creep to his lips, but he forbade it, too desperate to save her to find time to be hopeful.  He followed her trail, and continued to call for her, wondering how far ahead of him she could have gotten.

   “Amy!” he cried again.  “I don’t understand it,” he murmured to himself, “I took after her immediately.  How could she have gotten so far ahead of me?  I know I paused for a minute, but…she’s no heartier than I am.  She couldn’t have gotten too far…could she?  Where did she go?”

   Before he could call for her again, he tripped over something under the snow, falling hard to the ground, thankful the snowpack cushioned the impact.  He slowly raised his head, spitting snow out of his mouth and wiping it clear from his eyes as he tried to recover.  Looking around into the endless, snow-filled night, Knuckles could feel hopelessness try to embrace him, for he no longer saw Amy’s footsteps ahead of him.

   And yet before he could despair, Knuckles closed his eyes, ready to suppress more sorrow, knowing it would only hold him back.  As he did this, he could hear something making a stand against the howling gale around him.  It sounded like the whimpering of a little child, separated from her mother.  It was the cry of a soul that had nothing left to offer in defense of what persecuted it.

   Looking to his left, he saw that he had tripped over the roots of a massive tree, bigger than all the tall and lanky pine trees it had for neighbors.  It’s massive branches still had some form of foliage clinging to them, providing a bit of shelter from the wind and snow, though not much.

   As he stood up, he peered around the side of the wide trunk, and realized it was also big enough to provide a heart-broken Amy a place to lean against as she wept, trying to recover her strength from that tiresome march up the frigid mountain.

   The echidna was overjoyed to find her, for now he knew she would make it through the night, and yet, before he would speak to her, he took a moment to look at her more closely.  She was out of breath, cold, and shivering, and still she put whatever strength she had left into crying.  She said nothing.  There was no mention of Sonic or anyone.  She simply wept, not knowing how or what to do, perhaps now realizing how far she had run, and that she had little hope of finding her way again.

   It was painful for Knuckles to watch, for all he could think about was any time he ever despaired at the thought of being alone.  He knew that losing his tribe wasn’t what hurt him the most; what hurt was not having anyone to talk to.  He once went without talking so long that he was afraid he had forgotten how to.  He knew that this kept him from being anything more than an extremely helpful ally to the others, as opposed to a good friend.  Still, Amy had opened up to him.  It was if she at last understood what afflicted him so, and she was offering him a path to recovery and redemption, even when she still didn’t completely understand him.  This made watching her go through what he was more than ready to let go of even more painful.  It was more than just concern for a friend; it was pure empathy, and the desire to keep her from walking the same road that he was dammed to walk when he was only a child.

   She didn’t deserve to feel empty and alone.  He may have, but she didn’t.

   He wouldn’t stand for it.

   Taking a step around the tree, he spoke to her, “Amy?  Are…are you alright?” in a hushed voice.

   Amy let out a gasp when she heard the voice.  Looking up from her lap, she could barely see Knuckles standing in front of her, the darkness and her tears blurring her vision.  He sounded incredibly gentle, unlike he ever had before.  She was used to his voice being gruff, harsh, and strong; now, his voice was soft and comforting, like a father speaking to his child, trying to comfort it after a bad dream.  This was a side of him that she never saw…none of them ever saw it.

   While this was surprising to hear from him, Amy couldn’t give it much thought.  Instead of answering him, she simply resumed crying, and lowered her head again.  Knuckles looked on sadly, and yet he warded off letting it upset him again in favor of looking after her.  He was the one everyone looked to for strength, and Amy needed that now.  The only difference this time was it wasn’t his physical strength that she needed; it was the power of his empathetic heart, toughened and sharpened after the traumatic years he had weathered alone.

   Sure, the hardships they endured were quite different, but the tears were shed for the same reasons; pain, wondering why they hurt; pondering what they did wrong, unable to see a light in the darkness; praying that somehow they would be rescued.

   Amy had offered to give Knuckles that chance to be free.  If there was anything he could do to help her in return, he would do it.  He wouldn’t let her fade away like he had, clinging to life as a wary and stubborn participant.  He didn’t live, he simply existed as a background character in the lives of those he found himself in.  He wouldn’t let Amy fall into that same cycle of living.

   Inching his way around the tree, Knuckles sat down beside her, trying to get comfortable as he rested against the tree.  He then turned his attention to Amy, who still had not spoken, and continued to cry softly yet with abundant tears.  Not knowing exactly what to say, his severe lack of time spent with others hampered his ability to help her.  All he had was the experience of many lonely years to help him.  He knew how much it hurt, and while Amy was feeling pain he would never know, knowing any pain that extreme made it easy to understand why she wept.

   Trying to get an idea of what to say, he thought of what he wanted to hear whenever he was suffering.  Then, he understood it.  When he wept, and was alone, the one thing he wanted was to have someone with him again.  Simply having someone to talk to would have made all the difference in the world.  Then he remembered how he felt at the bar when Amy hugged him, promising to visit him, “rewarding” him for all he had done.  She may not have known exactly what was wrong, but offering understanding and comfort, was enough to awaken feelings in him that he thought he had forgotten long ago.  For the first time in many years, he was truly happy again.

   A weak smile crept to his face as he looked to her.  Taking her hand in his own, he rubbed it gently, trying to warm it up, as she had removed her gloves before starting to cook that evening.  He said, “Aww Amy, it’s okay.  I know I can never understand what you’re going through, but you must know it’s no reason for you to want to give up.  You’ll move on from this, and you’ll find somebody a million times better than Sonic to love you.  You just have to believe that.”

   Finally, Amy looked up at him, trying to stop crying, and failing miserably.  “How…how can you say that Knuckles?  I—I…we’re perfect for each other.  He’s just…why can’t he see that?”

   With a sigh, Knuckles looked to her and said, “Obviously he doesn’t see you the same way.  You gave him all of your admiration, and never once did he return it outside of being a caring friend.  Do you really think he deserves something as precious as your love after doing this to you?”

   The pink hedgehog gazed at Knuckles in disbelief.  For many years she was brushed off by Sonic again and again, but never once would she consider what that really meant.  She thought that he just wasn’t ready for love yet, and that if she simply kept trying to show him how wonderful she was that he would finally return her feelings.  For the first time, she was finally able to hear and understand what Knuckles said, what was so obvious and forever present in everything she did.

   Amy thought about it now.  Sonic didn’t love her.  He was only a friend.  He saw something in Blaze that she didn’t have.

   However, thinking this caused Amy to burst into tears again.

   Knuckles was taken aback.  He put his arm around her and said, “Don’t cry Amy.  If he’s hurt you this badly he’s not worth your tears.”

   Sniffing to try and regain her composure, Amy looked up at Knuckles, inching closer to him as she shivered, and whimpered, “He loves Blaze.  He’s known me for years and her for such a short time, and still he falls in love with her.  She’s done nearly nothing for him, and I…I must be nothing but an annoying little girl that drives everyone crazy.  Nobody wants someone like me.  Guys want seductive and attractive women like Rouge, or feisty girls like Blaze that can roll with the punches and be their best friends and lovers.  They want sweet girls like I know Cream will grow up to be.  Nobody wants a nagging, annoying, pesky little girl like me.  I’m nothing more than a bothersome little sister always getting underfoot.”

   Her voice was so soft and stricken with tears it sounded crushed beyond help.  As she resumed crying, now huddled in a ball with Knuckles shielding her from the wind, the echidna shook his head in disbelief, feeling a wave of sadness rush over him.  With his free hand, he gently raised Amy’s head until she was looking into his eyes once more.  With a smile, Knuckles said, “Amy…it’s been…years since I lost my family.  The only interaction I’ve had with anyone has been when we’ve had to come together to fight Eggman and save the world.  And yet, I do know this.  Everybody needs somebody to care about them.  If they don’t…they’ll become detached from the world…and drown in hopelessness…like me.”

   Amy gazed at him as he lowered his eyes, looking away from her for a moment.  “This isn’t how I want to be…but what can you expect from a guy who spent ten years alone.  I lost everything as a five-year-old.  I had to lay to rest everyone I had ever known, including my parents.  It got to the point that I stopped speaking entirely as I tried to figure out how to get Angel Island into the sky again.  One time, I tripped and fell, and as I let out a shout, my voice was hoarse and scratchy.  It was the first time I had heard a voice in over a year, and it was then that I realized how lonely I was.  After that, I would talk to myself on occasion if a bird or squirrel wasn’t around to listen.  As I grew up, I understood how important it is to have something to live for, as well as somebody to be with.  If I didn’t have the Master Emerald to protect I…I think I’d be dead by now.”

   His voice had faltered as he spoke.  He could hardly believe he was willingly telling Amy all of this, feelings he had buried under mountains of anger and distrust.  Still, he didn’t hear her crying anymore, and so he kept speaking.

   “You can imagine how Eggman ruined things even further.  The first voice besides my own tricks me into hurting the good guys.  It was hard to know who to trust after that.  Sure, Sonic and Tails are great and all, but the more I got to know them, Sonic especially, the more jealous I became.  Everyone came to me only when they needed help.  They teased me with stories of a life I could never have…family, friends, a reason to live besides being bound by duty.  I never meant to be difficult with anyone, but to be honest, I think I lashed out at everyone because they had no idea what I had to live through, and made fun of me for it.  Still, I know now everyone has their path to walk in life, and to be angry at others for not understanding mine only adds to the obstacles they have to get through,” he explained.

   Looking back to Amy, he took a deep breath, and added, “But I guess my point is, everyone needs somebody Amy.  Someday you’ll find someone who sees you the way no one else ever can…through their eyes.”

   Amy was at a loss for words.  She and the others knew that Knuckles had lost his kindred, but not that he was only five years old.  They never thought about how that would affect how he acted around others.  For the first time, Amy saw another side to Knuckles, the side of him that most likely would have been the one he constantly showed to the world had he not endured so much pain and loss.

   It helped her forget her sadness for awhile, but what Knuckles had just said puzzled her.  “What do you mean Knuckles?  I think all I do is annoy everyone I meet.”

   Trying to cheer himself up after bearing his soul to her, Knuckles half-smiled and said, “You don’t annoy me.  Actually, watching Sonic reject you like he did only made me angry at him.”  Pausing for a moment, he looked back to her and said, “Do you remember all the couples on the train Amy?  Every one of them looked so happy just because they were together.  There was one guy that was shorter than his girlfriend, but they still looked happy.  One tall man had a wife that was kinda heavy set, and he still held her tightly with a smile.  A woman had a different skin color than her beau, but they were still a picture of perfect bliss.  Do you understand?  Each of those people saw something in each other that no one else did.  Sonic sees something in Blaze that he didn’t see in you, but also that no one else saw in her.  Same goes for how she sees him.  Shadow and Rouge see each other the way no one else can.  Amy, you just…you have to wait until someone sees you.  Through their eyes, you’ll be their one and only; the most beautiful girl in the world…their precious angel.”

   Amy’s heart, which was stomped flat by Sonic earlier that evening, was overcome with comfort.  Knuckles’ voice had faded into a whisper as he looked away from her again, gazing into the night.  She had smiled, but frowned when she saw the sadness in his violet eyes.  Placing a hand on his arm, she asked, “What’s wrong Knuckles?  You say all that as if you’re the lone exception to that rule.”

   Chuckling softly, he shook his head and replied, “It’s not a rule Amy.  It’s a reality, but I think…I’ve been detached from reality too long to fall under it anymore.  …You’re a beautiful girl Amy.  You have many special traits, and a wonderful personality.  Somebody infinitely better than Sonic will find you and take care of you forever, I promise.  But…I don’t think anyone in their right mind will want to be trapped on that floating prison.  It’s just not realistic.  Besides…I—I wouldn’t wish for that weight to fall on anyone’s shoulders but mine.  I—I deserve it.  No one else does.”

   In that moment, Amy could see Knuckles’ true heart; in pushing everyone away, he was trying to save them from what he felt was pain only he deserved.  The only reason he had trouble getting along with anyone was because he hadn’t for so long.  He cared enough to want to help Amy recover and move on, but gave no concern to his own bleeding heart.

   He had even said no one deserved to be alone, while at the same time freely admitting he was ready to accept this.

   It was enough to bring tears back to her eyes.

   Amy rested her head against Knuckles’ chest, and as she shivered, she whimpered, “Please…don’t talk about yourself like that.  I—I don’t think I can take it.  If nobody…deserves to be alone…then someone will see you the way no one else can too; through their eyes.  You may think Angel Island is a prison, but with you there, for someone, it’ll be a paradise.  P—Please Knuckles…you can’t give up.”

   The echidna looked to her.  She was no longer looking at him, but was tucked in a ball as she rested against him, shivering heavily.  He gasped, the panic from before returning to him.  She was starting to freeze.  Her body temperature would plummet, and so would his, if he gambled on the warmth of his fur for too long.  The snow storm wasn’t letting up, and as it grew later and later into the night, the frigid temperatures were heading closer and closer to sub-zero numbers.

   He looked around, wondering if he could find his way back to the cabin.  He saw his and Amy’s footprints were already disappearing.  He realized their trails were long gone by now.  If he tried to make it back down the mountain, he and Amy would probably freeze to death before he could make it.

   Still, that didn’t mean staying there was any better…did it?

   Knuckles realized this tall and mighty tree was a shield from the bitter wind.  Snow piled up on the other side of it, protecting them from being buried beneath it.  He glanced up at the branches, covered by snow flakes, and yet holding up under the strain.  This tree was strong enough to provide shelter from the storm…and was perhaps Knuckles’ and Amy’s best chance of surviving the night.

   He stood up, picking up Amy as he did so, before setting her down gently.  He then bent over and started to dig out a hole in the snow where they were sitting.  He pushed aside the mound of snow that covered the ground until he reached the frozen earth beneath it.  Amy watched him, and as she shivered, she sat up and asked, “Wh—What are you d—doing?”

   Not answering her for a moment, Knuckles built up the snow on either side of this pit, extending from the edges of the tree on both sides until they became the second and third wall in this shelter.  He picked up Amy again, placing her on the bed of icy grass, and said, “I’ll just have to be the fourth wall…”

   Amy held her breath as she looked at him.  Knuckles was preparing to shield her from storm.  He knew it was their best, and probably only chance.

   She looked up at him, rising slowly from where she lay, and again asked, “Knuckles…what, what are you doing?”

   The echidna brushed off any snow left on his fur and looked back to her.  Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gently pushed her back down and said, “We can’t make it back down the mountain…not in this terrible storm.  However, this tree is large enough to block out the storm, so we should be able to ride it out.”

   He slowly knelt down beside her, putting himself between her and the storm, forming the last side of this shelter he built against the tree.  Making sure Amy had enough room to move, he got as comfortable as possible as he sat down.  While the storm behind him continued to blast him with cold air, he found the area around Amy and before him safe from the storm, and though it was still cold, it wasn’t as frigid.

   “Is that any better?” Knuckles asked, looking to her.

   Amy gazed at Knuckles, only able to focus on his image and her breathing for a moment.  Her eyes sparkled; it was as if she was seeing Knuckles in a new light…with newly opened eyes.

   Gone away were images of a stubborn and rough echidna who had to be begged, and sometimes forced into helping others.  She once thought he was so bitter he was determined to do whatever he could to make them miserable, only being honest about helping when it was the Master Emerald he was protecting.  After what she had heard, these thoughts of him were shattered into shards of silver glass.  Now all she saw was the bearer of a beautiful, but wounded soul, trying his best to live the life he was resigned to.

   It wasn’t his fault that he struggled to get along with others.  After being alone for over ten years, from the age of five, she was surprised he wasn’t even worse off.  She didn’t know if echidnas spoke the same language as everyone else, but he did.  He knew how to communicate with people, and even how to get along, because that’s how he wanted to be so desperately.  Instead, he jeopardized his place among them by constantly pushing them away, just so they could be free.

   She knew who he really was.  She knew he wasn’t any different than the rest of them, perhaps better in some ways.  He was kind, polite, and had a deep respect for women, and everyone as long as they were virtuous.  There would probably never be another like him…unless, he were to somehow have children, someone to pass those precious traits along to before they were lost forever.

   And that’s what he wanted in his heart.  She could feel it when she heard his voice.  She could feel…his voice struggling as he tried to restrain the truth.

   Only now he was showing it to her rather than saying it.

   He didn’t want to be alone, and he didn’t want her to be alone either.

   As she regained awareness, she could feel the cold chill against her body suddenly begin to sting painfully.  Instead of answering Knuckles, she wrapped her arms around her body, closing her eyes as she cringed, slowly slipping back to the ground.

   Knuckles’ eyes flashed in horror at the site.  “Amy!” he cried as he dropped back to his knees, scooping her up into his arms and holding her as close as he could.  She gradually lifted her head to look at him, opening her eyes just barely.  Consumed with panic, he found his worried voice confined to a shaky whisper, leading the way for tears to follow.  “Amy?” he asked again, “Please…say you’ll be okay.”

   A smile crept to Amy’s lips.  She raised her arm and reached up to touch Knuckles’ face, her hand gently caressing it as she did so.  His eyes immediately shut in response, only they lowered slowly, as if relaxed by her touch.  He breathed deeply, unwilling to speak or move until he felt her fingers fall away.  As he opened his eyes, he saw she was still smiling, though now it was a sad one, as if it was a smile of regret.

   “I—I think I…understand what you mean Knuckles.  Heh, for someone who thinks he’s better off alone…you certainly know how to heal a girl’s broken heart.  If…if I didn’t know any better…I’d say you’d been in a relationship before…that you’ve loved someone for…for quite awhile.  I—I know you’re not the echidna we thought you were.  I’m thinking maybe…you do care about someone, whether you…you admit it or not,” she said at last.

   Instantly, Knuckles’ cheeks turned red.  He stammered a bit as he spoke, saying, “Aww Amy…that’s nothing.  I just…I was just helping a friend.”

   The pink hedgehog continued to smile.  As she leaned in closer to him for warmth, she replied, “I—I bet you regret coming after me then don’t you?”

   “What?  Why do you say that?” he asked, startled.

   Without looking back up at him, she answered, “You’re out here freezing to death.  This is a big price to pay for helping a friend.”

   This echidna felt his heart being strangled again.  He realized he was weeping when a hot tear streaked down his cheek, warming his face beneath it.  And yet, it was just a single tear, and not a flood of them this time.  He knew he either had to lie to her, or tell her the truth.  Only in telling her the truth could he ensure that all he had said wouldn’t be in vain.

   “It’s…not too big a price for you Amy.  There is no price too high for helping you.  You just have to believe me,” he murmured.

   She looked up at him, her voice nearly inaudible, and asked, “You…you promise?  I…I hate to think I’m being a burden to you too.”

   Knuckles shook his head, smiling as he readjusted his hold on her, shielding her from the cold.  “You were never a burden to me, nor will you ever be.  If Sonic says you bothered him, well, I’ll take care of him myself.  People have been too kind to him for him to treat others badly…especially you.  You’ve done so much for him and he’s never once thanked you for it.  Of course…I haven’t either…”  His voice fell short.

   “It’s okay Knuckles.  I don’t blame you.  Sonic had more reasons to thank me.  You…you did the best you could…you’re thanking me right now,” Amy offered.

   Shaking his head, Knuckles replied, “No, this isn’t in gratitude.  I’m looking after someone I care about.  Besides, I don’t call helping you all after being forced to being gracious and helpful.  If anything I only made life difficult for you.”

   Feeling chills run through her when he said he cared for her, Amy placed her hand on his shoulder and replied, “How do you think you should have acted Knuckles?  I mean, you were alone for most of your life.  I think the fact that you were willing to help us at all, needing convincing or not, is wonderful.  I…I don’t think I’d want to be with anyone if I spent that many years alone.  It’s funny…you’d think that you’d want to be with others when you’re alone.  Now I can see how it would have the opposite effect.”

   “You’ve got it wrong Amy,” Knuckles said with a sigh, “I crave that time more than anything.  The only reason I want to be alone is because I don’t want anyone to get close to me…I want to keep them at arm’s length.  Any closer…and they’d get comfortable spending time with me.  We’d bond, only for both sides to be broken because my life is bound to the Master Emerald.  How can I…give my heart to anyone when they’d have to sacrifice everything just to return their own?”

   It was Amy’s turn to have her heart strangled.  She looked to him and said, “But Knuckles, if you…what if you really loved someone.  Would you really keep it a secret just so she could be free?  I—I mean, what about what you said?  What if through her eyes, Angel Island is a paradise, a place where she can raise her children and find safety and comfort?  You’ll…you’ll never know unless you give yourself the chance to love someone.  You say you don’t want to be lonely…well, I just know that there’s someone tonight as lonely as you are, and willing to sacrifice everything just to be with somebody.  Someone will see you as such a beautiful soul, that changing their lives like that can’t even be considered a compromise.”

   Knuckles was shaking, not from chills, but from nerves.  He wasn’t as nervous as he was deeply touched by Amy’s words.  He couldn’t ignore the truth in her words, the same logic he gave her as he tried to cheer her up.  He shook his head, trying once more to keep himself from speaking.

   Amy could see this struggle, and as she closed her eyes, she could feel them feeling with tears again.  She turned to him as he held her in his arms, and she hugged him tightly.  “I promised you I would visit you Knuckles.  Tonight I said you could come visit me, but I’m changing that.  I’ll come to see you as often as possible.  We’re going to make it so your life isn’t so stressful.  I’m going to show you that even though you have a responsibility that binds you to Angel Island that you can still be as happy and free as the rest of us.  You deserve to be happy darn it.  I won’t let you deny it anymore!  You’ve given your life to safeguard the lives of everyone on this planet.  You deserve all the admiration that Sonic gets for doing next to nothing compared to you!  We all love you Knuckles.  I won’t let you be sad anymore!”

   He looked at her then.  He wanted to speak; he wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that she owed him nothing.  And yet all he could do was stare at her, his eyes quivering on the edge of a tear, his throat tightening so much he had to gasp for his breaths.  A single tear fell from his eyes.  Amy gazed at it as it slowly rolled down his cheek.  She reached for his face, catching the teardrop on her finger.

   She pulled her finger away from his face, both of them staring at it, as if hoping it would encourage them to speak.  Amy looked back to him, and as he returned her gaze, she whispered, “Somebody loves you tonight Knuckles.  Don’t deny yourself the words to open your heart to them.”

   In one last attempt to refute her words, out of desire only to make sure she was free, he stammered, “Who…who could ever love me?”

   Before she would speak, Amy sat up as best she could and gently kissed Knuckles on the cheek before murmuring, “Somebody who sees you with love in their eyes.  Someone who sees your true soul.  Somebody who sees you…through the same eyes…as I do.”

   Knuckles was at a loss for words.  After bearing his soul to Amy, she now felt deep sorrow for him…that’s all this was…right?

   “Please Knuckles, don’t tell yourself this is wrong,” she added when he didn’t speak.  “I’m your friend; I want to help you.  You’ve done so much for me tonight, and always…I want to make sure you’re happy.  Not just to return the favor, but because I want it for you so badly.  Maybe after we spend time together you’ll understand why I feel this way.”

   Looking at her, Knuckles tried to smile and said, “I…I think I already do,” in a soft whisper.

   The two looked at each other; after the tears and soulful confessions, the two had brought each other comfort, and though they still had a long night to weather, it was a blessing for them.  They saw each other in a new light, with newly opened eyes.

   Before Amy could reply, she curled back into a ball, shivering heavily, at last returning her concern to the bitter cold.  Knuckles gave a wary eye to the snowstorm and said, “It’s alright Amy.  Stay close to me.  We’ll keep each other warm with our body heat.  I know we can make it until morning.  We’ll be able to find our way home then.”

   As Knuckles scooted as close to the tree as possible, making sure Amy had as much coverage as he could manage, she looked to him and said, “Thank you…for coming after me…”

   With a smile, he replied, “It’s alright Amy.  Who else could I trust to come after you?  …Try and sleep.  Everything will be okay…you’ll see.”

   “I already know they’ll be okay…you’re here with me,” she murmured, with a yawn.

   Perhaps it wasn’t too good to be real.  No one had ever expressed such care for him, even simply from a friend, which made it hard to believe.  Amy really cared about him…just like he cared about her.  He didn’t even understand exactly how much he cared about her until Shadow told him.  It was funny how things worked out.  Sonic, who had angered him so much earlier, had provided a way for Amy and Knuckles to find out what was in their hearts.  In breaking Amy’s heart, Sonic had allowed Knuckles to find his rose…Amy Rose.

   With her sleeping in his lap, Knuckles found sleep tugging on his own eyes.  He tried to stay awake, but slowly…he lost himself to sleep and his dreams…dreams that for the first time for nearly as long as he could remember, were finally happy, and full of hope.  He was finally dreaming again, he could finally see his future again, and it was good.

   He knew that they would make it through the night.

   Back at the log cabin, Shadow wasn’t as sure about their safety as Knuckles was.  Grabbing his two chaos emeralds, he got ready to go out into the storm.  Rouge, the only one left awake, stood with him at the door.

   “It shouldn’t take me too long to find them Rouge,” he explained, “I’m guessing that he found Amy but was so far from the house that he thought it best not to leave that spot.  I’ve got the chaos emeralds so I have plenty of light.”  Handing her the red one, he added, “Keep this one.  It’ll help me find my way back…if worse comes to worse.”

   Laughing softly, Rouge said, “You should have given one to Knuckles for that very reason…”

   Shadow smiled, hugging Rouge tightly, her gave her a kiss and said, “Don’t wait up.  Get some rest.  I’ll be back soon, with both Knuckles and Amy.”

   Rouge nodded and replied, “Be careful Shadow.”

   Opening the door, Shadow took one step outside and said, “I promise, Rouge.”

   He then disappeared into the storm.  Closing the door behind him, he took a few steps into the snowy night, summoning power from the green chaos emerald until it started to glow, providing him light to see by.  He ran forward and called out, “Knuckles!  Amy!  Can you hear me?”

   After getting no response, he slowed his steps, trying to come up with a plan of action.  As he stood there, he didn’t realize he was under a tree with snow-laden branches.  As it began to crack, the noise caused Shadow’s ears to twitch.  He looked around, trying to locate the sound, unaware that it was right above him until it was too late.

   The branch finally broke free from the trunk and came crashing down on Shadow, hitting him on the head before burying him in a pile of snow.  He was knocked out instantly, and while he fell silent and didn’t move, his green chaos emerald continued to glow.

   The night wore on, and gradually, as if in apology to how woeful the night had become for the group of friends, the snow storm died down, allowing Shadow’s body to remain visible above the snow, and Amy and Knuckles to ride it out as they slept.  Morning would come, and all would be seen with a new light…only, Knuckles and Amy were a privileged few, allowed to see it before all, even through a snowy, chilly night.