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The Sounds of Silence; A little short story I just thought up, staring a certain pink hedgehog. A review or two would be appreciated.
Topic Started: Jun 19 2012, 11:41 PM (297 Views)
The Storyteller Jun 19 2012, 11:41 PM Post #1
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 Chapter One: Where There's A Dog, There's a Hog

Station Square. A quiet city most of the time, the town is filled with most anything that a person could want in a city. A casino to spend your nights and money, an amusement park to entertain yourself and your friends, and a dedicated police-force that works tirelessly, day and night, to keep any potential troublemakers in line. While the city seems like the ideal place to live for those who do not mind bright lights and packed streets, it has not been without its fair share of problems in the past.

On several occasions, most of which were within the span of a very short length of time, the town has become the target of certain . . . occurrences. Attacks by the brilliant mad-man known as Doctor Ivo Robotnik, A.K.A. Dr. Eggman. Terrorist-like threats delivered from a massive air ship. And at one point, even a titanic god of destruction who sought to destroy civilization in its rage, known only as Chaos. Luckily, each attempt by outside forces to disturb the lives of the citizens were stopped by a number of heroes, some recognized and hailed whereas others were not even known.

On this day, we find one such hero of the city's past, a young hedgehog woman named Amy Rose, seeking her beloved hero and (at least in her mind) boyfriend. Their mutual friend Tails had only realized all too late when she left his workshop that he had accidentally revealed to the excitable fan-girl that the one and only Blue Blur himself was stopping by the city for the day, so that he could relax and look back on a particularly eventful adventure.

"Oh, where could he be?!" The young woman wondered to herself, shielding her eyes from the warm sun above's brilliant light in an attempt to increase her chances of spotting the fastest thing alive. "Tails said that he was going to be here today!" She reminded herself. Several times during her search, she had wondered if the two-tailed fox had lied to her to hide what Sonic was really doing. But only moments after she would think this, it would also cross her mind that the boy genius had never been a particularly gifted lier. And so, she continued her search, though her resolve occasionally faltered when it seemed she had come so close, only to miss him by a few seconds.

"I've checked everywhere . . . " She said, sighing heavily and sitting down on a bench near the center of the town. "I checked the casino, Twinkle Park, the train station, even the docks! Still no sign of Sonic . . . " She pouted her lower lip slightly, when her stomach suddenly growled. She realized that in her excitement to find the blue hedgehog, she had forgotten to get something to eat when she got to town. Just then, a couple passed by her. "I'm starving, honey." Said the woman, hugging her fiancee's arm, for Amy could tell they were engaged by the ring around her finger. The man chuckled and thought. "Hey, what about that nice Chinese place that just opened up down town?" He suggested.

The woman smiled eagerly, and nodded to show her agreement. "That sounds wonderful!" She declared, though she stopped for a moment. "Wait, where was it again, exactly?" The man scratched his chin, and then lightly pulled her after her as they resumed walking. "I think it's next to that old chili dog stand out by the park, right?" He wondered out loud. The woman nodded again, thinking that he was right. Amy watched as they left, and looked down at her own finger and stomach, one more longingly than the other. Some Chinese food did sound good, she thought . . . Wait a second.

"A chili dog stand?" She whispered to herself, a mental lightbulb going off in her head and dinging so loud that it drowned out the sound of the hustle and bustle of the busy streets around her. She smiled widely and stood up, her confidence in her search renewed. Why didn't she think to look there, first?! She giggled happily to herself, and ran across the road as soon as the cars stopped and she could proceed down the sidewalk.


Several minutes later, Amy arrived at the old street-side food cart that she had heard the people speaking of. It had taken her awhile to find, as she had not thought to ask anybody for directions to it in her rush. The line was fairly long, which surprised her given the fact that there were many more restaurants around them. Still, even as a woman on a diet to maintain her health, Amy was more than able to see why the people liked the stand so much. She didn't even eat chili dogs, and the smell alone nearly made her drool. It wasn't that she didn't like them, she just never saw why Sonic was so fixated with them. She wrote her near salivation off as just being a side-effect of her hunger.

Occasionally, she would peek her head out from behind the person in front of her in an attempt to see who all was in line. She didn't see Sonic, and the thought made her sad. What if she had just missed him again? So distracted was she by these thoughts, that she didn't even hear the voice of the cart owner calling out to her. "I said 'next'!" He repeated loudly, startling her. She blushed and rubbed the back of her head as she stepped forward. "O-oh . . . " She said sheepishly, looking up at the man. "S-sorry, mister." The man saw her sad look and his expression softened a bit. "That's quite alright, miss." he said with a polite nod and a smile. "Now then, what would you like?"

Amy's own mouth lightly curved into a small smile in response to his less harsh tone, and she put her hands on the cart as she looked at the different condiments that the man had to offer. Engrossed as she was by the simple yet mouth-watering display, she did not notice a sudden gust of wind that came from behind her. "Hey Sam!" Said someone who was apparently now standing behind her. "I'll just have the usual. Better yet, two!" The owner nodded with a smile, but held up a finger. "One moment, Sonic. This young lady here was just about to tell me what it is that she wanted."

Amy began to point to a particular topping that she thought looked good, when the man's words to the new, or apparently old, customer, began to sink in. She turned around, and her eyes widened just as dramatically as the blue hedgehog's behind her. "Sonic!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, grin widening enormously. The hero of Mobius backed away in surprise, just as excitedly (although not quite as eagerly) shouting out, "AMY?!"

Amy lunged forward before even Sonic could react, giving him a tight hug that likely would have suffocated him had he not been accustomed to her affection. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She informed him, only further stupefying the boy. "H-how did you know that I was here today?" He asked her, still incredibly confused. Amy giggled and said, "I stopped by Tails' place for a visit, and he told me that you were going to be in town for awhile, so I took the train to get here!"

Sam smiled warmly as he looked down at the two shorter creatures, thinking that it was nice to see that his favorite customer had some friends besides the ones that he put in his stomach. "So Sonic," he asked with a slight twinkle in his eye. "I take it that this young lady is your girlfriend, then?" Amy looked back at him and smiled, nodding as she said "Yep!" in confirmation while the blue wonder himself, unbeknownst to her, was furiously shaking his head in denial. Sam blinked in response, not quite understanding it for a moment. Amy turned back to Sonic, who was thankfully fast enough to stop shaking his head the moment he saw her head move. "So Sonic," She asked, lightly loosening her grip on him to allow him to breath. "Is there anything you want to do? We could go out to eat, for a walk in the park, or take a ride on the roller coaster in Twinkle Park . . . Ooh, maybe we could go for a ride in the Tunnel of Love!"

Sonic sweat-dropped in reply to these offers, none of them sounding particularly appealing to he himself. "Uh . . . " He stuttered, his mind unfortunately having never been quite fast enough to keep up with his feet all the time. An idea struck him, and he smiled. "Actually, Amy . . . " He said, slowly moving closer to her, which caused her eyes to widen again. "I had something else in mind." Amy giggled as a blush colored her cheeks, and she said, "Oh, Sonic!" He chuckled nervously and bit his lower lip a little bit. "Now close your eyes, Amy." He instructed her. She nodded blindly, doing as he said and puckering up her lips as she leaned forward . . .

Only to stumble in said direction as she felt a fierce gust of wind blow by her at that very moment. She caught herself before she fell, however, and frantically looked around in surprise. "S-Sonic?!" She called out, holding her hands to her mouth as she did so. Where did he go?! Sam stared down at her, seeing that her eyes were beginning to water as she realized that Sonic was currently anywhere but there. "Sonic . . . " She whispered quietly, slumping up against the building behind her. Sam frowned, amazed that Sonic could do such a thing to such a sweet girl. "Ms. Amy?" He asked gently, trying to get her attention. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears. "I . . . I was so close." She told herself, having practically been able to feel the blue hedgehog's lips against hers.

Sam looked down at her with pity, feeling very sorry as he began to understand just what her relationship was with Sonic, as well as what she wanted it to be. He stepped out from behind the stand and put a hand on her shoulder, patting it gently. "Hey," He said, kneeling down so that they could look at each other eye-to-eye. She sniffed again, and tried to open her eyes to look back at him. "Hey, don't cry." He told her tenderly. Her lip quivered lightly. "B-but every time I get close to Sonic, he just runs off to who knows where!" She replied, feeling even worse as she acknowledged the fact. Sam thought on this, and about what he should say to help comfort her. "Maybe he just doesn't like me . . . " She continued, virtually unaware of Sam's presence.

The older man frowned. "Now wait just a second, Amy." He said, causing her to flinch in surprise. His expression softened again, and he said, "Just hear me out, okay? Sonic . . . He's a complicated guy. I've known him ever since he started coming to this city, and to my knowledge he hasn't changed much at all since. Well, maybe he lost a few pounds and got a little bit taller, but nothing besides that." Amy nodded, and managed a very quiet giggle in response to the man's joke. "But Sonic . . . He's not really a very easy person to attract either, from what I've seen." Sam resumed speaking, glad that he was getting through to her better. "I've seen a bunch of other girls try to ask him out, to try and get him to go on a date with them, and he turns down every single one of them."

She looked up at him again. So she wasn't the only one that Sonic rejected? "R-really?" She asked, having some difficulty believing that there wasn't ANY girl that had managed to get a date with him. Sam nodded in confirmation. "That's right." He said. "But you . . . I can tell that you've been at this for awhile, haven't you?" She nodded and thought. "Since forever ago . . . " She reminisced. "Ever since he saved me from Doctor Eggman, back when I was eight years old or so." She took an offered handkerchief from the chili dog salesman and wiped her tears away. "I . . . I just want him to give me a chance, is all." She told Sam.

Sam nodded, understanding how she felt. "I know what you mean." He admitted. "Back when I was much younger, I had a huge crush on a girl that I went to school with. But she was one of the popular kids, so to say that I had competition would be an understatement." Amy thought on this comparison, finding it fairly accurate to her current situation. "So you know what I did?" He asked her, smiling. Amy shook her head but said nothing as Sam took his handkerchief from her and walked back to his food cart. "I went camping. I just felt like I needed some time to myself. You know, to clear my head and help me relax, right?" Amy thought about this, or at least tried to. The noise around her was making it fairly difficult. It had never occurred to her just how loud the city was, since she spent so much of her time there. The notion of getting away from it all, if only for a few days, did sound appealing.

Amy smiled and stood up, rubbing her eyes one last time as she pushed herself away from the wall. Sam also grinned, glad to see that she was in a better mood. A question struck her, and she hesitantly asked, "Did . . . Did it work?" Sam blinked, and then his smile grew as he wordlessly held up his hand, showing her a ring that she hadn't noticed before. Amy nodded excitedly and bowed as a show of thanks. "Thank you for the talk, Mister!" She told him honestly. He waved his ring-adorned hand dismissively. "Please, just call me Sam. Everybody else does." She nodded again. "Well then thank you, Sam!" She corrected herself with a laugh, quickly running past the man.

Sam watched in surprise as she ran, seeing that while she wasn't as fast as her object of affection, she still had quite the spring in her step for one as young as herself. "Hey, where are you going?!" He shouted after her, curious as to where she could be heading so suddenly. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled, yelling back, "To get some supplies!" Sam chuckled and nodded, waving to her as she left just as a new customer stepped up to his stand. While he listened to the man's order, his eyes drifted down and saw something that made him laugh. He turned back to where she had gone, yelling, "HEY, YOU FORGOT YOUR CHILI DOG!"

But she was already gone.



Edited by The Storyteller, Jun 20 2012, 11:17 AM.
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The Storyteller Jun 28 2012, 06:55 AM Post #2
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 (Hey everybody, sorry for the big delay on Chapter Two. I was suffering from a pretty bad case of writer's block, so this one's probably not going to be anything too impressive.)


Chapter Two: Into the Wild

About an hour after her conversation with the friendly chili dog salesman, Amy found herself sitting down on the train leading out of the city and to the Mystic Ruins, where she could see her friend Tails. She had never been camping before, a fact that was possibly obvious given the very large backpack that she had purchased and filled with supplies. In fact, it was so large that she caught several people staring at her and the massive bag beside her on the seat, taking up more room that the hedgehog herself.

"Hmph." She sighed, turning away from the other people that were in her car. The ride was taking so long that she began to consider taking a nap, when she suddenly heard an announcement over the intercom. "The train will arrive in the Mystic Ruins shortly. Passengers that are about to disembark, please gather your things and prepare to exit." Amy smiled and slipped her arms through the straps of her new backpack and scooted to the edge of the seat, struggling for a moment to slide off due to the weight of the bag keeping her anchored. Nonetheless, she managed to get off and make her way over to the door.

She smiled as she looked at the beautiful nature around her, inhaling the clean, crisp air and admiring the clear skies. She had only just gotten there, and already she was feeling better. She readjusted her pack and stepped forward, but found herself stuck. Amy heard several voices behind her sounding quite annoyed, the man directly behind her pushing on her backpack in an attempt to get her out. She shot a glare at him and backed up, smiling with satisfaction as he was sent stumbling back before she turned sideways, managing a much better fit through the door. She started down the steps off of the platform and looked over at the large hill not far from the train station, spotting a familiar house with an airplane parked outside, and thought that she saw a speck of yellow down beneath it.

After several minutes, having to stop for short breaks on the way up the steps to Tails' house, Amy finally arrived at the top of the hill to see that it was indeed the young fox boy working on his beloved plane. "Hi Tails!" She called out, walking over. Tails seemed to stop for a moment before sliding out from under the aircraft, wiping some oil from his forehead with a rag as he did so. "Hey Amy, did you find Sonic?" He asked her, cleaning his bare hands of grime from his maintenance. She frowned for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah." She answered simply. Judging from her tone, Tails assumed that she wasn't exactly wanting to talk about it. He nodded in response and motioned for her to come into his hanger, where he had a minifridge and offered her a drink. "Thanks Tails." She thanked him, taking a can of lemonade gratefully.

Tails nodded. "No problem." He said. "So what's with the big backpack, Amy?" Amy looked back at it and smiled. "Oh," She replied as if she had forgotten about it. "Well, after talking to a new friend of mine, I decided to go camping! It's my first time, so I wasn't exactly sure what all I needed. I didn't want to forget anything, so better safe than sorry, right?" Tails voiced his agreement and walked over, still surprised that she was going camping. He looked at her supplies as she continued to sip at her drink, determined to make it last. "A compass?" He asked with a laugh, pulling it out and looking at it, as well as a book of matches. She frowned. "Yeah, in case I need directions. What's wrong with that?" The fox held up a hand and shook his head. "Oh, nothing!" He answered with another chuckle. "That is, if you were a caveman."

Amy blinked, not quite understanding him. The fox went inside his house for a moment, telling her to wait, and came back with a small device and a lighter. "Here, take these." He said. "A compass is good, but a place like the Mystic Ruins might be dangerous to explore if you don't have an exact idea of where you are. This GPS will help. And this lighter's waterproof, unlike those little fire sticks." The pink-furred girl nodded and looked at the two, thinking that Tails was probably right. He usually was, why wouldn't he be now?

She stood up and walked over to the exit of the hanger. "Thanks for the lemonade and things, Tails!" She told him, waving as she left. Tails returned the gesture and finished his root beer, crushing the can in his hand and tossing it into a trash bin before getting back to work on his plane. Amy looked around for the entrance to the deeper regions of the Mystic Forest. It didn't occur to her until just now, however, that her good friend Big the Cat resided in the jungle that she was going to. At least if she had some sort of trouble, she would have someone nearby to help, she thought.

Amy smiled as she stepped into the cave at the foot of the hill where the train station was built, deciding to head to a place that she had often come to in the past, be it willingly or not. The thick but peaceful jungle of the Mystic Ruins felt nice and relaxing, if a little bit humid. "Hmm . . . " she wondered to herself quietly as she strolled through the brush. "I guess that the first thing I should do is find some place where I can camp out for the night." She continued walking, when eventually she came upon a small clearing. It was near the river, so she would have plenty of water if she needed it. "This looks good." She told herself, setting down her bag so that she could rest. She sat down on a large rock, glancing at her ever-present red dress. "I need to change." She decided, reaching into her bag and pulling out a change of clothes. She walked behind a tree out of instinct, and re-emerged several minutes later wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dark orange shirt, still wearing her boots and gloves and switching her hairband out for an orange one.

Looking up at the sun through the trees, Amy decided that she should probably go out and look around to see what the place was like. After all, if she was going to be there for a few days she may as well know where everything was. She grabbed her bag and hoisted it onto her back, tying a large red ribbon to a nearby tree so that she could remember where her campsite was. The pink hedgehog smiled at the sights around her, seeing bird flying above and fish swimming down stream. The soothing songs of the birds, the gentle running of the water, and even the light rustling of the trees seemed so serene.

"HURAGH!" somebody suddenly roared fiercely, making Amy jump in surprise. "What the?" She wondered out loud, looking around for the source of the vicious shout. A sudden crash caught her ears, and she turned in its direction just in time to see a large tree splinter into pieces before falling, and a familiar red echidna standing over the remains. It was Knuckles, an old friend that Amy hadn't seen in quite awhile. It had been so long, in fact, that she had forgotten that he lived there. "What's he doing?" She wondered, standing there for a moment. He had apparently been there for quite a while, as that tree was apparently not the first to fall. The guardian of the Master Emerald was drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily through his nose.

"Knuckles?" She asked, causing the echidna to look up from the tree. He looked around, until Amy said, "Over here!" And turned to face her, blinking. "Amy?" He inquired, surprised to see her there. What was a girl like Amy doing out in the middle of the jungle? She ran over, smiling. "Hey, it's been awhile!" Knuckles blinked again, nodding slightly. "Uh, yeah. I guess it has." He answered simply, looking her over. "What's with the get-up?" He asked with a slight chuckle upon noticing the differences from her normal attire. She smiled again. "Oh, I made a new friend back in Station Square, and I was feeling down. He told me that I should try going camping for a few days."

Knuckles nodded again, walking over to a large stone basin filled with water, pulling out a wet rag to cool himself off with. "I see." He responded as he wiped his neck with the rag. Amy watched him curiously for a moment before asking, "So, what are you doing here, Knuckles?" The echidna blinked once more, confused by her odd question. "I do live here, after all." He reminded her, causing the pink hedgehog to blush in embarrassment. That was right, she thought. He did live there. How could she forget about the hot-blooded knucklehead who spent most of his time protecting his beloved Master Emerald, which Amy now realized that she could see from where she was. "Oh, yeah." She said lamely, not knowing what else she could say.

After a considerable period of silence, Knuckles cleared his throat awkwardly. She smiled slightly, knowing that he had never been good in social situations. "So, uh . . . " He trailed, trying to think of something to say. "So, you said that you're camping out here?" Amy nodded, pointing back toward where she came from. "Oh, yeah!" She exclaimed, remembering her little campsite that she had set up. "I picked out a spot back there. Do you want to come check it out?" Knuckles thought on this and, deciding that he could use a break, nodded. "Sure, why not?" He answered, tossing his rag back into the basin.
Amy then gestured for him to follow her, and he did.

As they walked, the Guardian looked at her backpack again. "So just what all are you carrying in that bag, anyways?" He asked her in an attempt to strike up a conversation. She glanced back at the pack. "Oh, just the stuff that I brought on the trip. I haven't actually set up my tent and stuff yet, so that's all in here." Knuckles' eyes widened slightly. "You're carrying around your entire campsite on your back right now?" He asked. She nodded. "Yeah." She said simply, inhaling steadily. The treasure hunter looked at her for a few more seconds, but then put his large hand on her pack. "H-hey!" She squeaked in surprise. "Wh-what are you doing?!" Knuckles ignored her struggling and let her tire herself out, which didn't take long given that she was already tuckered out. He then slid the straps off of her shoulders, taking her backpack away from her and carefully slinging it across his back over one shoulder with no trouble at all.

"You shouldn't strain yourself, carrying that much weight for so long." He told her sagely, knowing full well what he was talking about. "Aside from hurting your back, you might get caught in some foliage or something." Amy huffed irritably. "I can handle a little extra weight, Knuckles!" She assured him, though he did not seem to care. "I'm sure you can," He agreed simply, "But this is more than 'a little extra weight'." Amy growled quietly, not liking the fact that Knuckles was being so stubborn but being even more annoyed by the fact that he was probably right. And so they continued walking, Knuckles carrying Amy's bag and the girl herself stretching her back as she paced herself a bit more slowly than him.

As they walked, Amy saw the red ribbon that she had tied to the tree branch and smiled as they reached her campsite, though Knuckles continued walking. "Hey!" She shouted, causing him to turn around in surprise at her sudden outburst after so long in silence. "You just passed my campsite. It's over here!" Knuckles blinked and looked around, not seeing it. She sighed and jogged over to him, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him over to the small clearing. She smiled as she released her wrist and spun around, arms outstretched dramatically. "So, what do you think?" She asked proudly. The echidna sat her bag down and looked over the area, stepping over to the spot where she had sat earlier. He lightly tapped his foot against the soft, damp ground and looked over at the nearby river. Amy tilted her head, wondering what he was thinking. "Well?" She asked again, eager to hear the natural outdoorsman's opinion.

Knuckles remained quiet for another few moments before shaking his head slightly. "Well, to be perfectly honest . . . " He began hesitantly. "It's not a very good location." Amy frowned, wondering why. "How come?" She inquired curiously. He looked around for something that he could use as an example, before stepping closer to the river. "Well, for starters," He continued, "You chose a spot close to the river, which is good. But your campsite is downhill, which isn't good if there's a storm or something. Secondly, the ground. It's too damp, and pretty humid around here. That means that this place is a magnet for bugs. The damp area, plus the wind around this time of year means that a fire would also be difficult to maintain." He then put a hand on one of the trees. "Also, the trees are too short and thin. No protection from rain, and you can't hang food from trees this low to keep animals away from it."

He turned to look at Amy, who was now glaring at him. "Oh, so what?!" She snapped irritably, not seeing the problem. "The weather's been hot for the past two or three weeks! And I can just keep my food in the tent with me!" Knuckles frowned. Why was she so angry all of a sudden? She had asked for his opinion, and he had given it! Was it his fault that she had picked such a bad place for her own camp site? "That's not the point!" He returned just as rudely. "Just because the weather has been warm and sunny, doesn't mean it will be forever!" Amy growled, now regretting having invited him to visit her spot. "Oh, just leave if my spot is so bad!" She directed him, pushing him out of the clearing. He shook her hands off of his back and glared back at her. "You don't have to tell me twice!" He retorted sharply before disappearing into the jungle.

Amy sighed angrily as she sat down on the large rock from earlier, unable to believe just what an arrogant jerk that stupid knucklehead could be sometimes! "Just who does he think he is, talking to me like that!?" She asked herself as she set to opening up her bag, wanting to get her mind off of the red menace by working on pitching her tent and mumbling to herself all the while.


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The Storyteller Jul 10 2012, 05:02 AM Post #3
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 Chapter Three: The Softer Side of Stone

Amy sighed heavily as she wiped her brow with her arm, looking at her now completed tent with a mixture of pride and relief. "Let's see that stupid Knucklehead pitch a tent better than that!" She declared triumphantly to no one in particular, glad that she had been able to do it without any help. While she had initially came out there just to get away from all of the buzz of the city, now she had a secondary goal; prove to everyone that she wasn't just some damsel in distress who couldn't handle things on her own! Satisfied with her handiwork, Amy walked over to her bag and pulled out her food, just a few cans that she had bought at the grocery store. She made sure that they were all undamaged, and then returned them to the grocery bag and hung it by the holds on a tree branch.

Amy then unscrewed the cap of her canteen and took a long drink of water to cool herself off, looking around. All she had to do now was build a fire, cook some of her food, and go to sleep . . . She looked up at the sky uncertainly. The sun was still a fair ways from the horizon, and there was still plenty of light left. She thought about what she could do in that time, and then stood up as she got an idea. "I'll just go on a walk for a little while." She decided, dusting herself off as she walked over to the river to make sure that her canteen was full. Hanging it from her shoulder on a strap and spraying herself with some bug-spray, Ms. Rose nodded and set out to explore the island a little more.

Amy smiled as she casually strolled through the amazing jungle that was Angel Island, admiring the scenery much more now that she was protected from pests and didn't have to carry around all of her stuff at once. While she had been there before, it had never been for long enough to really look around. For that she felt sorry, because she had definitely been missing a lot. A pair of birds flitted through the trees overhead, singing happily as they ducked in and out of the branches as if they were playing tag or something, and she would occasionally stop to take a picture of a flower with her camera. Lost in her thoughts, or lack thereof, Amy did not realize until she heard a faint humming noise that she had somehow gravitated her way back to the shrine of the Master Emerald.

Amy looked up at the glorious gem, thinking to herself about it. From what she could recall from what the others said, it apparently possessed the powers to neutralize the energy of the Chaos Emeralds, essentially making them powerless. According to Knuckles himself, it was an ancient relic of his people that he was sworn to protect from any harm. She had once asked who he had sworn that oath to, but he had fallen even more silent than usual. While she was frequently annoyed by the hotheaded echidna's overprotective behavior in relation to the magnificent jewel, she had to admit (at least to herself) that she did admire just how dedicated he was to defending it and his island. Like how Sonic, despite all of his casual behavior and cocky attitude, was always there to save the world.

Sonic and Tails had both told her stories about how they had met the red warrior, and while they were generally similar tales, there were a few certain differences. Sonic claimed that Knuckles had sneaked into their campsite on Angel Island one night when they had landed his plane there for a vacation after foiling Dr. Eggman's (then Dr. Robotnik) latest plot, and stolen their Chaos Emeralds while they were asleep. Tails, on the other hand, had told her that they were flying the Tornado over the ocean, when they spotted Angel Island. Sonic, curious as he always was about new things, had jumped off of the plane and used the Chaos Emeralds to turn into Super Sonic, flying ahead to check it out. Tails had caught up with Sonic just in time to see Knuckles burst out of nowhere, somehow managing to strike the invincible Super Sonic so hard that he dropped the Emeralds, and then stole them before vanishing into the jungle. She imagined how fierce of a blow that must have been, and shuddered at the thought of what would have happened to Sonic had he not been transformed.

Amy stood there, at the edge of the jungle, for several more minutes before she again heard that humming noise. At first she assumed that it came from the Master Emerald, perhaps from its sheer power, but then realized that it actually seemed to have some sort of rhythm to it. She looked around and slowly made her way around the shrine, careful to remain in the brush until reaching the front. It was there that she saw the Guardian himself, sitting about half-way up the steps leading to the Master Emerald with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head, using them as a pillow of sorts. She watched him for a minute, having nothing really better to do. "Is this really what he does, all day every day?" She wondered quietly to herself, unable to imagine how boring it could get. But here he was, looking as peaceful and content as she had ever seen him.

As focused as she was on his unmoving figure, Amy was startled when the humming stopped and the echidna suddenly opened his eyes, standing up and stretching. She stepped a bit farther back into the green, knowing that her pink fur would be easy to see if she wasn't careful. She didn't want to think about what he might do if he had caught her staring at him while he was asleep. He looked around as he rolled his strong shoulders, and looked up at the sun before nodding to himself and heading down the stairs. "I wonder where he's going?" she thought to herself, watching as he made his way over to a tree on the opposite side of the shrine as her. He then reached into the tree and pulled out, much to her surprise, a large bag. He slung over his shoulder, much as he had her own earlier, and turned to face the the wild.

Knuckles then made his way into the jungle, unknowingly followed by a certain pink hedgehog. Despite his bright red fur, almost as noticeable as her own in the deep greens and browns of the foliage, Amy had a hard time keeping the echidna in her sight due to his far superior knowledge of the terrain. Still, persistent as she was to see what the "mighty warrior" did with his time, she followed after him like a long-distanced shadow. It almost seemed to her as if he himself didn't know where he was going, taking seemingly random turns and paths that only seemed to loop around back into themselves. For a moment she considered the possibility that he might know she was following him, and was attempting to lose her, but she brushed the notion aside; if Knuckles was aware of her, then she would know for sure.

"Chao!" She suddenly heard, a break from the maddening quiet of the jungle she was only barely beginning to get used to on the island. The sound surprised and confused her for a second, not having expected there to be Chao on Angel Island. Ahead of her, Knuckles seemed to smile slightly and headed in the direction of the sound. Amy frowned. "Oh, what is that big bully going to do to those poor Chao?" She wondered, worried for the adorable little creatures' safety as she picked up her pace. Eventually, both she and Knuckles arrived at a large clearing, with what appeared to be several small buildings and huts made out of stone or wood, and a large, elegant yet ancient fountain toward the end. And playing in the apparent little village were Chao; dozens of them. Singing, dancing, sleeping, playing tag, all the little things that Chao did.

She couldn't help but smile and giggle to herself at the sight, and the man she had followed suddenly looked up. She froze, wondering if he had heard her. But he did not make his way over to where she was, or even turn. Instead, he simply shrugged and proceeded into the garden. Amy bit the tips of her fingers through her gloves nervously as he stopped in the middle of the clearing, all of the Chao suddenly aware of his presence. And then, much to her incredible surprise, the Chao . . . cheered. They all seemed to squeal with delight, running over to the Guardian that had come. He knelt down and placed his bag in front of them, resulting in the Chao giving him curious looks and pulling at the bag. He lightly pushed them away, the slightest of grins on his face as he untied the rope that kept the bag sealed and revealed the contents. Nuts, fruit, and other such treats all spilled from the bag, attracting all of the Chao that for some reason hadn't approached him when he first made his presence known. "Chao chao!" They chanted happily, all holding their hands up adorably for food.

"Would you like some help?" Asked a voice, startling Amy. She looked around, trying to find the source. It wasn't hers, and it certainly wasn't Knuckles'. It was soft, gentle, and peaceful-sounding, and also fairly young. Knuckles looked up from the baby-like creatures, and smiled at a young woman who had appeared, seemingly from nowhere, by the fountain. "Good evening, Tikal." He greeted the girl, who Amy realized she recognized from quite a long time ago. A young, but ancient female echidna who had been sealed within the Master Emerald with Chaos in order to keep him calm. Amy was confused; what was Tikal doing here? Hadn't she re-sealed herself with Chaos years ago?

Tikal smiled at Knuckles, who returned the expression surprisingly. "Good evening, Knuckles." She returned as she stepped over, sitting down on the ground beside him with her legs tucked to the side, helping him pass out the food he had brought to the Chaos. "Thank you, Tikal." He told her, taking a position against a large rock that was similar to how he often rested at the shrine as he handed a young Chao a softer fruit. "So, how have things been going on here, today?" He asked her casually. She shrugged slightly. "It has been good." she said. "It has been about two years since this group of Chao hatched. It shouldn't be too long until they are ready to enter the next stage of their life." Knuckles nodded. "Sounds like it'll be busy here for awhile." He mused. "If you want, I could swing by here more often. You know, lend a hand?" Tikal smiled at his offer but shook her head politely. "Oh no, Knuckles," She declined. "I appreciate the offer, but things are quite fine, here. I have cared for Chao long enough to be able to handle things like this. Besides, you already come twice a day. Do you ever have breakfast?"

Amy listened to this in slight amazement, despite feeling quite rude for eavesdropping. This was a lot for her to take in so suddenly; Tikal was somehow not in the Master Emerald, Knuckles actually liked Chao, and he went out of his way every day to visit and help her take care of the infantile creatures? Since when had Knuckles been such a nice guy? She was shaken from her thoughts by a relaxed-sounding chuckle, having come from the Guardian. "It's not that bad." He assured Tikal. "So what if I skip out on breakfast occasionally? I'm used to it." Tikal frowned slightly. "You shouldn't skip out on your meals, Knuckles. No matter what or why." She told him. He shrugged, still not seeing what a big deal it was. Sighing, Tikal turned back to watch the Chao play, knowing that she could not persuade Knuckles. Members of her tribe had always been stubborn, after all. Knuckles saw this and smiled slightly, patting her should reassuringly. She smiled a bit to this, and the two fell quiet as they watched the little critters enjoy their own meals.

"So Knuckles," She asked, breaking the silence. "How has your day been?" Knuckles thought, and Amy leaned forward slightly in anticipation to hear what he had to say. "It's been . . . Interesting." He responded, unable to think of another way to put it. Tikal tilted her head curiously. "What was so interesting about it?" She inquired. Knuckles shrugged. "One of my friends has apparently come to camp out here for awhile." He told her. She nodded, interested. "I see." She remarked. "Who was it?" Knuckles had told her about all of his friends, some moreso than others, so she would know who he was talking about. "Amy Rose. She was one of the ones that was with us when Chaos destroyed Station Square, back when we first met." he answered.

Tikal nodded in understanding. "Ah." She said. "Then this is the first time that you have seen one of your friends in quite a while, isn't it?" Knuckles nodded in confirmation, and Amy felt a slight sinking sensation in her stomach, realizing how long it had been since she herself had spoken to him prior to today. "So, how was she?" Knuckles shrugged, but frowned slightly. "She seemed okay," He told her, thinking. "But a little bit distracted about something. We left on kind of a bad note, though." Tikal nodded again. "What happened?" She asked, curious. He sighed. "Amy invited me to her campsite to check it out and give my opinion on it, and I went along. Apparently, she didn't like my opinion." Tikal nodded a third time, catching his meaning. Knuckles had informed her of Ms. Rose's anger issues, and was well aware of the fact that the echidna himself could be a little aggressive when aggravated. Knuckles scratched his chin thoughtfully, and said, "I probably could have been a little more constructive in my criticism. Maybe I should apologize to her tomorrow." Tikal smiled slightly, and Amy was taken aback. "That sounds like a good idea." The ancient girl encouraged, the two both falling into a comfortable silence again.

After about an hour, Amy was startled once again by the sight of Knuckles standing up with little or no warning. "It's getting late." He announced, causing the hedgehog in the jungle to notice for the first time just how dark it was getting. He offered a hand to help Tikal up, which she gratefully took and stood. "Alright." She said. "As always, thank you for your help, Knuckles. I really appreciate it." Knuckles smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "It's not a problem." He told her. "I'm happy to help." He prepared to leave, when suddenly Tikal took hold of his large hand, surprising him. "Wait." She requested of him, motioning for him to stay there for a moment while she went off somewhere, beckoning several Chao to follow her. Knuckles remained where he was, wondering what was going on, as was Amy. After a minute, Tikal re-emerged from the greens with the Chao, holding a large bowl whose contents were hidden by a leaf over the top. "We wanted to thank you for all of your help over the past few years, so we decided to get you a little gift." She elaborated, handing it to the surprised echidna. She clasped her hand behind her back shyly and looked down. "It . . . It isn't much, but it was the least we could do."

Knuckles looked at her for a moment curiously before looking back down at the leaf-shrouded bowl in his hands, wondering what she could have gotten him. From her distant position, Amy had to stand high on her toes to even catch a glimpse of what was in the bowl as he slowly removed its cover. His eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head with a small frown in confusion.

"Grapes?" She muttered, not understanding.

"Grapes!" Knuckles exclaimed, surprising her with how happy he sounded.

Tikal nodded, looking back up at him. "Yes," She confirmed, smiling with a slight blush of embarrassment. "I . . . I knew they were your favorite, and there isn't much else that I can get on this island, so the Chao and I have spent some time now looking for grapes. I'm sorry that this is all we could get." Knuckles shook his head, smiling so widely that Amy almost didn't believe that he was the same person that she had known for all these years. "Don't be silly, Tikal!" He told her with a laugh. "I love it!" She looked up at him again in surprise. "Y-you do?" she asked in disbelief. He nodded in confirmation, and stared at the bowl for a moment. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Amy could have sworn that she saw his already red face get even redder as he set the bowl down on the ground. "Knuckles?" Tikal inquired curiously. After another moment, Knuckles suddenly closed the distance between the two and gave the smaller echidna a gentle hug, face burning in protest to what the rest of his body was doing. Tikal's own eyes widened, as did the pinkette's in the bushes. "Th-thank you, Tikal." Knuckles told her nervously, not used to being so close to a girl, especially willingly. She remained quiet for a moment, her own face red as well as she returned the gesture. "No, thank you, Knuckles." She told him before they separated.

The Chao watched all of this curiously, wondering what the two were so nervous about. Knuckles rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before he picked up the bowl of grapes that she had given him. "Th-thanks again for the grapes, Tikal!" He repeated, stepping back into the jungle. "I'll see you tomorrow morning!" He waved to her and the Chao, who all returned the gesture. "Good night, Knuckles!" Tikal bid him farewell, watching him leave. Once he was out of sight, she sighed quietly and sat down at the fountain, the Chao all looking at each other and giggling. Amy had left to follow Knuckles, not knowing where she was on the Island, and so did not hear when Tikal began to speak to the fountain, nor was she aware that it was responding to her.
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The Storyteller Aug 30 2012, 08:35 PM Post #4
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 Chapter Four: The River Runs Red With Remembrance

Amy Rose, having followed Knuckles back to the Master Emerald's shrine before returning on the path to her own campsite, was looking down at her fingers as she twiddled them about while walking, thinking about everything that she had heard over the past few hours, as well as what she knew from her past. Of all of her friends, even among the likes of Shadow and Rouge, she had come to realize that she probably knew the least about Knuckles. The bat may have preferred not to speak about her past, and Shadow not even fully aware of his own identity for the longest time, but the echidna . . . he was just an enigma.

"Just what kind of person is he?" She wondered to herself, biting her lower lip lightly. He was an aggressive introvert that never spoke to anybody unless it was necessary, and yet she had just seen him chatting and laughing with a girl - a girl, of all people! He preferred to remain up on his island, defending his precious Master Emerald, but had left it so many times just for the sake of helping them out. She could even remember one occasion in which he had came down just to help her move her furniture in her house.

She stopped, thinking for a moment before she realized something. That day had been the last that she had seen him. Months ago. He had seemed excited for some reason when she invited him over, which was certainly a rarity. He had even made light conversation with her, trying to make the situation less awkward for them both. While she probably would have preferred to have Sonic and/or Tails helping her, she had to admit that Knuckles had probably done more in a few minutes than they would have in an hour.

But then she remembered when he leaved, her taking him to the door and thanking him, followed by bidding him farewell. For some reason, his fairly chipper demeanor that day seemed to fade at that moment, his slight grin disappearing and his eyes taking their more familiar, serious intensity. He had told her goodbye, and to let him know if she wanted him to come back and help with anything else, and then . . . nothing. No letters, no texts or calls, no visits. In fact, as far as she knew, nobody had been up to Angel Island in that length of time.

Amy, having since resumed walking, had finally arrived back at her campsite. She sighed heavily and set to re-lighting her fire, cooking herself a simple dinner of canned beans beneath the stars. Oddly, there were only a few of them out tonight. Maybe it was because she was so high up, she contemplated. Once she was done, she took one last drink of her canteen and changed inside her tent, now just wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved shirt, plus her gloves and socks. She snuggled up in her blanket, resting her head on a pillow that she had brought along and breathing easily as she slowly began to drift to sleep.


"Happy birthday, Amy!" Shouted the pink hedgehog's friends in unison, Team Chaotix, Cream, and her mother all shooting off party poppers in greeting to the birthday girl. It was her sixteenth birthday, and she was surrounded by all of her friends in her house. Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla were beside her, giving her hugs and laughing. Team Chaotix had retreated into the kitchen to retrieve her cake. Shadow and Rouge sat on the couch, both acknowledging her presence in their own ways as Tails walked over and lead her to the presents that everybody had bought for her. Silver was pouring a glass of punch for Blaze, who took it politely and waved to Ms. Rose.

Off to the side, leaning against the wall, was Knuckles, eyes closed and arms crossed as if he was completely oblivious to the excitement around him. She remembered giggling at the sight of the normally solitary echidna being pulled out of his corner by Cream to wish Amy a happy birthday. She had yet to see Sonic, and could only imagine what the blue blur was up to.

After her delicious, chocolate chip cookie cake was entirely gone, the others had all gathered around to watch as Amy opened her presents. From Cream and Cheese, she had received a new book to read. From Vanilla, a hairclip in the shape of a butterfly. Team Chaotix had pooled their money together to buy her a gift basket filled with some of her favorite candy. Shadow and Rouge hadn't gotten her anything, but their presence alone was surprising. From Blaze she had received a pair of beautiful silver earrings with red rubies, and Silver had somehow managed to get her a reservation at a fancy restaurant that she had been dying to eat at.

She also remembered Knuckles, rather sheepishly at that, handing her a small box before retreating back to his hiding spot away from everybody, apparently thinking that his gift was nothing compared to the others'. She had opened it, only to find a simple note that directed her outside, to her backyard. Curious, she had followed the instructions with the others close behind her, snickering all the while as she opened the door to find Sonic, much to her joy, holding a single flower and looking fairly nervous, but still smiling at her.

As it turns out, Silver's reservations at the restaurant were for two, and they had all somehow managed to convince Sonic to go out with her for her birthday. The surprise had definitely made her day, as she was finally going on a date with her hero. Tails had told her that Knuckles had been the one that finally managed to talk Sonic into the date, and she had asked why he would do such a thing. According to Tails, Knuckles hadn't had a clue as to what he could get her, and so he had gotten Sonic to act as his birthday present for her. She often thought that he had threatened the younger male, as Sonic was notoriously stubborn about not going out with anybody but the wind.

Amy had walked through her house after getting ready for her date, looking for the echidna to thank him, but had not been able to find him. Apparently he had left, Sonic teasing that he probably wanted to get back to his beloved rock as soon as possible. While the thought of not getting to properly thank Knuckles bummed her out slightly, she had no trouble at all enjoying his gift anyway, even forgetting that it had been him who got it for her. They had headed outside, and the sun was just starting to go down, the street lights were on, the water was running beneath their feet . . .

Wait, water?


Amy suddenly gasped and shot awake, her wet hair gently slapping her face when she did so. Her tent was flooded, somehow! She frantically went to unzip the tent, and found that it was pouring rain outside. Much to her distress, she realized that it must have been the clouds of this storm blocking out the stars that was the reason she couldn't see them. "Oh, man!" She groaned, the water beneath her running down hill. She looked over and saw that the river had flooded.

"Just like Knuckles said that it would..." She muttered quietly to herself, momentarily lost in thought until a clap of thunder shattered the air, frightening her into hugging herself. She remembered the echidna's words, and decided that it was better late than never to follow his advice. "Have to find higher ground!" She told herself, picking up her bag and taking a moment to regain her balance before heading off to the side, wanting to use a nearby hill to try and get to somewhere safer.

Amy eventually reached a long, fallen tree that had formed a natural bridge across the river, and she gulped nervously. The other side would definitely be safer, but getting there was a whole different story. She steeled her nerves, still determined to prove herself to her friends that she could do this, and took a deep breath before stepping up onto the tree, holding her arms out to her side to maintain her balance. She took it slowly, as the tree was round and wet, not a good combination for crossing on top of it. Left foot, right foot. Right foot, left foot. One, two. One, two.

After what seemed to Amy like an eternity (though in reality it was probably about two minutes), she had made it about half way across the fallen tree with little trouble, keeping her eyes focused on the end of her makeshift pathway so as to keep her focus. But all of a sudden, there was anther vicious clash of thunder, and a bolt of lightning struck the side of the river that she was heading to, startling her into losing her balance. She flailed her arms wildly in an attempt to maintain her stance, but the great weight she was carrying around in her bag threw her off and caused her to fall into the river below.

"AAH!" She yelled before hitting the water, only to rise back up a second later. She stroked her arms and kicked her legs in an attempt to fight the storm-enhanced current of the river, but it was no use. And to make matters worse, her bag was so heavy that it was beginning to pull her down under water more and more frequently. "H-HELP!!" She screamed desperately, praying that somebody might hear her and answer her calls. She panted tiredly and decided that if she was going to live for long enough for someone to rescue her, she had to ditch the dead weight. With more than a little effort, she managed to free her arm from the bag's strap, only to be jerked from the other half's upon the river reaching a sharp turn. "AAH!" She yelled again, being pulled along by the rapids that she realized she must have reached.

"AMY!" Shouted a familiar voice from the shore. She gasped and looked around, and managed to spot a surefooted red echidna running alongside the river. "KNUCKLES!!" She called back, waving one arm so that he could see her better. "AMY, WATCH OUT FOR THE ROCKS!!" He instructed her, cupping his large hands over his mouth to project his voice farther. She turned, and her eyes widened with terror as she saw large, obstructive rocks jutting out from the water. She weaved and dodged as best as she could to avoid them, but the river seemed to keep pulling her back into the path of one. She heard an increasingly violent crash of water as she was racing down the river, and was unable to identify it.

Occupied as her mind was with this strange new sound, Amy was unable to react fast enough to a rock in her path, only turning just in time to see it before her head smashed against it, her vision exploding into a barrage of intense colors as her head felt as if it had also blew up. "AAAAAMYYY!!!!" Bellowed Knuckles, forgoing his sense of caution to the overhead lightning and jumping into a glide against the rough winds, moving as fast as he could to save the girl from the source of the sound that had so entranced her.

A waterfall that flowed straight into the ocean below.

The last thing that Amy remembered was a sudden sensation of weightlessness as her body was freed of the tide, launched as she was from the waterfall and off of the island. And a red blur flying after her, calling her name.

And then . . . nothing.
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"I'm in a hostile environment, I'm completely unprepared, and I'm surrounded by people who probably want to kick my ass. It's like being back in highschool!" ~ Lancun, Metroid Prime LP in the Phazon Mines.

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Nekochii Sep 18 2012, 07:26 PM Post #5
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 This is VERY good! I love the plot. BTW, Amy = Favorite Sonic girl. Are you gonna write more?
"Shall I Attach A Collar To You?
I Wonder If Leashing You Makes You A Little Tamer."

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The Storyteller Nov 24 2012, 11:20 PM Post #6
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 (Lol, glad to hear that you like it! Sorry for the long delay, I tend to procrastinate, and I just don't get the urge to get on this site that much any more.)

Chapter 5: The Eye of the Storm

"Come on, Amy!" Said Cream as she enthusiastically pulled on the other girl's hand. The pink-haired Hedgehog sighed with some degree of annoyance, her feet hurting and her breath short. "Hold on, Cream!" She pleaded feebly, putting her hand on her chest as she caught her breath. "Unbelievable,"She thought to herself ironically. She had gotten so that she could tirelessly chase after her adventurous blue hero for hours on end, but somehow she always found herself exhausted within minutes of following around the furry little ball of energy that was her best friend. "But Amy, we're almost there!" The rabbit girl insisted, pointing up the hill.

Amy looked up, and saw that she was right . . . sort of. Sure, the peak was probably only about another five minutes away . . . if you were climbing. But at this rate, on this steep, long path, she'd be lucky if she got there within the hour. She stared at the innocent child as she danced down the path with her Chao, knowing that she was just having fun but wanting nothing more at the moment than for her to trip or something.

"Ugh, fine!" She huffed hopelessly, shouldering her backpack to get it into a more comfortable position. "Don't worry, Amy!" Cream urged helpfully. "Mr. Shadow said that if you can climb up a hill easily, then running after Mr. Sonic won't tire you out at all!" Cheese chirped gleefully in agreement as Amy exhaled, having realized why she was on this hike. "Cream . . . " She said choppily as she took careful steps across a short log that went over a little creek. "Remind me . . . to teach you about . . . sarcasm."

"Okay Amy!" She affirmed obliviously, still as happy as can be. "I'm going to kill him . . . " Amy decided silently, imagining the smug, arrogant look that the black hedgehog probably had on his face at the moment. "Slowly."


"Just a few more steps, Amy!" Cream cheered her friend on from beyond the brush that hid the end of the pathway. Amy inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth slowly, gathering up the last of her strength as she ascended the final steps of the hill and pushed aside the low-hanging branches, feeling the sun and breeze hot on her face as she . . .

Slowly but surely, Amy's eyes fluttered open as she felt warm rays of sunlight and a brief breeze gently hit her face, causing her to stir from her sleep. She attempted to sit up, but hissed sharply in pain and returned to lying down. "Oh!" Said a voice that caused her to blink, looking over. It was the girl echidna, Tikal. "You are awake! Thank goodness you're okay." Amy lifted her hands to her eyes and rubbed them, trying to focus. "Where . . . where am I?" She asked her, looking around. It appeared to be a small but sturdy wooden hut, clearly hand made by someone with much experience. The branches were woven together with vines, and by an uncovered window's light she could see that the spaces in between the wood were filled in by dried mud. What seemed to be a heavy animal pelt of some sort was pulled aside at the entrance; a crude door. A small, dwindling fire was at the center of the structure, and a pot hung above it.

"You're on Angel Island." Tikal told her, seeing it as the logical answer. Amy nodded slightly, but frowned. She again attempted to stand but found that the sheets were weighed down by something heavy. "Angel Island?" She repeated, confused. "But . . . but I fell." Tikal nodded calmly and removed the pot from the fire, pouring some tea into a small mug that she handed to the dreary hedgehog. "Yes, you did." She confirmed factually. "And quite far, as well. You were lucky that the wind was acting up so much, otherwise he wouldn't have managed to get you back to the Island."

Amy blinked curiously, tilting her head at the other woman. "'He'?" She repeated questioningly, wondering who she was talking about. "He who?" Tikal then blinked as well, and simply pointed at Amy's side. The girl looked down, and her eyes widened as she gasped. There, head resting on the sheets, was Knuckles! "Knuckles?" She asked in disbelief. "But . . . but how?"

Tikal motioned for her to begin drinking before she would speak, and so she did. "Well," She began, "As you know, Knuckles is able to glide by trapping the wind beneath his dreadlocks. Well with the violent weather and strong winds, he was able to fly out to grab you and then managed to catch a powerful wind to fly back to the Island." Amy's eyes widened again. "How is that possible?" She asked. "There's no way that he could have flown me all the way back to the Island."

Tikal nodded again. "You are correct." She affirmed. "He did not, nor could he. Instead, he glided to the bottom of the Island and was able to grab a hold with his claws. From what he told me, you were unconscious, so he positioned you so that you were basically lying on his chest while he climbed back up to solid ground above." Amy looked down at Knuckles, more specifically at his hands. To her surprise, his gloves were off. And to her horror, his hands were bloodied and bandaged heavily. "I still can't believe that he was able to do it." Tikal continued thoughtfully. "Ever since he brought you here, he's only left your side twice; once to find some herbs for this tea and a second to relieve himself."

Amy gasped, and looked at Knuckles. He looked positively exhausted; the space beneath his eyes were dark, he seemed thinner than she remembered him to be, and if she had to be honest, he wasn't very pleasant in terms of scent either. "How long have I been out?" She asked the shrine maiden cautiously, almost afraid to hear the answer. Tikal looked at her. "Four days." She responded. Amy felt as if her heart had stopped for a moment, and she fell back into her pillows. "Four . . ." She repeated in disbelief. "Four days?!"

Tikal only responded with yet another nod. "Yes." She replied. "Four days. You were in quite the bad shape when Knuckles brought you here; you were running a fever, your leg had been badly hurt, and your body had even been cut into by the rocks of the river." Amy's breath caught again, and she lifted the covers to look herself over. Her leg was in a strong splint, to keep it from moving, and her chest had been bandaged as well. They were clean, so it was likely that they had been changed recently. She remained silent for a few seconds, taking another sip of tea, before saying, "Thank you, Tikal."

The ancient Echidna shook her head humbly. "Do not thank me for your bandaging." She insisted. "It was Knuckles who did it in the first place." Amy froze slightly. "Wh-what?" She asked, as if not sure of what she had said. Tikal resumed. "When he finally managed to get you to solid ground, your body was in pretty bad shape. Your clothing was muddy as well, and so to prevent your injuries from getting infected, he gave you a temporary bandaging until he could bring you here." Amy hugged herself slightly, rubbing her arms. "So my clothes?" She trailed. Tikal shook her head. "Gone." She confirmed. "But if it makes you feel any better, Knuckles had me handle your bandaging after you got here. He did the splint himself, though."

Despite the current situation, Amy couldn't help but blush in response to this new information of what all had been going on and what had happened to her while she was knocked out. For the next half hour or so, she and Tikal simply remained in that room, Tikal explaining to her that she would let her borrow some of her own clothing until she was able to return home. "What about Tails?" She asked, remembering the yellow fox. "I asked him to pick me up once the weekend was over." Tikal thought for a moment. "Oh, yes." She recalled. "He did arrive a couple of days ago, and Knuckles told him what had happened. For fear of opening up your wounds, they both decided that you should stay here until your injuries were less serious."

Amy nodded, and then flinched in surprise when she felt the weight at the side of the bed shifting. "Mmergh..." groaned the red-headed Echidna, yawning loudly as he slowly leaned back and cracked his back. "Good afternoon, Knuckles." Tikal greeted him, much to Amy's surprise. Looking outside, she realized that she hadn't been able to tell how late it was. "Tikal . . ." He returned the greeting politely, taking an offered mug of tea from her to wake up his mouth. "Knuckles, we have a guest." She told him with a gentle smile. "Is it Sonic?" He asked, sounding as though he would be annoyed if it was. "Because if that blue rat shows up now to try and play the sympathetic boyfriend part, then I'm gonna-!"

"Hi Knuckles..." Amy decided to speak up before Knuckles said anything too vulgar. The echidna froze, and then slowly turned to look at her. She waved delicately, subconsciously pulling her covers up as if to shield herself out of instinct. His mouth slowly morphed into a surprisingly happy smile, and his deep purple eyes seemed to glisten in amazement. "Amy!" He exclaimed excitedly, standing up eagerly. "Haha, you're okay!" He continued, face beaming so brightly that Amy almost couldn't believe that it was the same knucklehead that she had known for all these years. "Yeah . . . more or less." She agreed with a weak giggle, finding the whole scene amusing for some reason. Knuckles moved the chair that he had been sitting in further up the bed, looking at her face carefully. "So how do you feel?" He asked her protectively. "Headache? Warm? Cold? Sleepy?" Amy blinked, not used to Knuckles being so concerned for her. It was almost cute, in a way.

"I've seen better days," She admitted, nodding slightly. "But i'm fine now. And from what Tikal has told me, it was all thanks to you." Knuckles blinked in response, and then scratched his nose awkwardly. "Not really," He said modestly. "I just brought you to Tikal. She's the one who's really been taking care of you this entire time."

Amy looked at Tikal herself, and she merely laughed as she stood. "I'm going to go check on the Chaos." She told them, dismissing herself politely. "Knuckles, make sure that she gets some rest." Knuckles nodded and waved, barely allowing Amy to leave his sight as if she would disappear if he didn't. The two sat there for awhile, not saying anything, when Knuckles suddenly moved his chair next to the wall. "Tikal is right, Amy." He said, leaning against the wall in the chair. "You should get some more sleep." Amy sighed. "I've been sleeping for the past four days." She protested. He looked at her with one eye, the other closed. "And you'll sleep for the next seven if it means that you'll feel better afterwards." He responded seriously, though he quickly followed it up with a small grin. She pouted a bit and readjusted her pillows. "Fine." She huffed childishly. "But I don't even feel tired; how am I supposed to get to sleep?"

Knuckles smiled and closed both of his eyes as he resumed leaning back. "Just get comfortable and listen." He told her calmly, putting his hands behind his head. She looked at his abnormally peaceful expression, and decided to just do what he said. She closed her own eyes and nearly strained her ears trying to hear whatever it was she was supposed to be listening for. "I don't hear anything!" She complained. Knuckles chuckled and held a bandaged finger to his own lips before returning it to its position as a make-shift pillow. "Exactly." He answered simply. Amy blinked, and then decided to try again. She closed her eyes, and this time did not stress her ears; instead, she just began to sink into the bed, it felt like. The gentle crackling of the fire, the faint rushing of a nearby stream, a gentle breeze whistling by the hut. So many noises, and yet it was still so quiet . . .
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