Judas

Summary: Three years after Eggman's defeat, it is quiet. Knuckles and Rouge are married, Cream and Tails (young as they are) have fallen so much in love, and Sonic is finally ready to settle down and marry himself. But, when a new evil villain suddenly threatens the land…the most unlikely candidate begins to doubt himself!

Chapter I: Hurt

"He did WHAT?!" Knuckles the Echidna clamped a fist over the curled cord on the telephone he held to his ear. Rouge, now heavy with child, looked up at him wearily. "Okay, okay Amy. Slow down. You know he tends to…yes…yes…Well, yes I guess so, but…okay. Well, it doesn't sound serious yet, but I'll be over in a second… Yeah, you too. Bye." The receiver on the phone clicked and Rouge slowly rose to her feet.

"Knuckles, what's going on?"

Knuckles smiled at his wife and pulled her into a quick hug. "Nothing huge."

"Just that you have to leave this beautiful island, and me, for Amy." Rouge answered smartly, quirking an eyebrow. No, she hadn't changed much. And Knuckles loved that about her.

"Please. I'll only be a minute. Try to rest." He planted a small kiss on her cheek before tying a scarf around his neck and taking to the skies. It may have been tropical up on Angel Island, but the planet below was far colder.

And the echidna was worried about his cobalt rival as well. What on the planet did Sonic think he did now?

JJJ

Amy stood on her front porch, running a hand down her tights and firmly pulling up her boots. The pale pink sweater she had on covered up the white lacy top she wore underneath. Her mini skirt now resembled her red dress of old, though she'd mostly outgrown that old thing. Her quills were now a little longer and blew into her face with the wind.

She only wished that the wind was Sonic, but knew it really couldn't be.

A dot of red by the poplar in the corner of her vision told her that Knuckles, one of her best friends in the world, was now here. She dashed down the porch steps and pulled him into a quick hug. "Thank you for coming, Knuckles!" She gushed, pulling away just as quickly. "How's Rouge?"

"She's good." Knuckles answered, pulling the scarf more thickly around his neck. It was colder than he'd thought.

"And the baby?"

"Yeah, the baby's doing fine, too. Look, can we get on with it already?" Knuckles was not well equipped to handle small talk, just as Sonic feared too much contact. Amy respected both boys' limits, and had grown used to going to Rouge for details. I'll have to call her later… "Come inside, Knux. It's cold out." She gestured towards the house, running up ahead of him. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" It was dangerous for Sonic to drink coffee, so she never left it lying around the house, even for company.

"Actually, that sounds good." Knuckles answered, walking towards the house. He wondered at her outer appearance. Amy had sounded so discouraged over the phone…had Sonic recovered that quickly? Or was it one of Amy's famous masks? Either way, he was sure he'd find out he didn't leave Angel Island for nothing.

JJJ

"As you know," Amy began, placing a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of the echidna and then sitting across from him with her own. "Snively stepped up to the plate to take Eggman's place."

Knuckles nodded, gulping down the warm liquid. "So what?"

"So…" Amy rubbed her arm and bowed her head, blushing. "Sonic completely blames himself. He's not the same anymore, even when we're together. He's just so…distant, all the time. It isn't like him to be despondent." She looked up into violet eyes, and he was unsurprised to see her crying.

"I see. He doesn't seem like Sonic anymore, huh?" Knuckles reached for her hand across the table and patted it.

She sniffled and nodded.

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"He's nearly impossible to find."

"Know thy rival." Knuckles teased softly. "And, I know him well."

"Yes, please talk to him. Thank you, Knuckles." Amy released a grateful sigh and squeezed his hand.

"No problem. See ya." And Knuckles was off.

Amy turned around and watched him leave. She could only hope he found her Blue Blur…before it was too late.

JJJ

Sonic stared down into the misty clouds that had formed below in the cliff, obscuring his vision of what hazards might lie below. Winter was fast approaching, and Sonic was freezing without a jacket, or even so much as a scarf. He shivered and sneezed suddenly, wincing as it burned in his chest.

"Guszunteight."

Sonic jumped, startled by the sudden entry of someone who was not himself. "Knuckles?"

"Yes it's me, you doof." Knuckles offered a small wave. "Long time no see."

Sonic smiled in response, and then shivered again. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and soft. "Another person I severely let down."

"Don't say it like that. Our baby wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."

Sonic pressed his hands to his chest as a terrible cough burned his lungs. He thought he could taste blood. "Your sperm saw to that, I think."

"Listen to me, Sonic." Knuckles grabbed him by the shoulders firmly, forcing him to turn around and face him. "You've done so much for this planet, for me, for Tails, for Cream, for everyone. For Amy." Sonic's eyes lit up as he heard his love's name. "Sonic, no one but you blames you."

Sonic felt tears coming to his eyes, and he struggled to get away. "You're right." He sniffled, swallowing hard. "I can't go. But Shadow…" He looked away, still in Knuckles' grasp, up to the misty sky. "He's gone. And, that's my fault."

"Shadow's where he always wanted to be, you know. And it's not like you killed him. Eggman did that." Knuckles let the hedgehog go, and watched his rival stumble backwards. "Just…listen, I'm not good at talking about these things. But, I told Amy I'd talk to you, so I'm talking now. Sonic, Cream and Tails would never have had the chance to fall in love without you. Rouge and I would've never found each other if it weren't for you. And, Amy wouldn't be so happy without you." Sonic's ears perked up again, and a ghost of a smile traipsed across his lips. "Now, stop breaking her heart and go home, Sonic. Cause that's where I'm headed." Knuckles clapped him on the back and took to the skies once again.

Sonic watched his rival fade to a speck of red. Then, he turned around and sped back home.