I'll Stand By You

By Kirbymon (-^v0-)^

AN: Another Sonuckles fic...will I ever stop writing these? Probably not, lol. Anyway, this here's a songfic that I decided to write that has to do with-what you've probably predicted-Sonic and Knuckles' friendship. The song used is I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders. So, with that said, here we go!

(NOTE: When I mention Sonic Colors later in the story, I'm basing it off the Wii version, which Knuckles doesn't appear in. You'll see why I'm telling you this once you get to that part.)

It was just another day on Angel Island. A very bland way to start a story, yes, but that's the only way to describe that day...ordinary. The sun was shining, glistening on the island's many lakes, the grass and tress were a lush shade of green, and all the little animals were running around having tons of fun. And, of course, our hot-headed hero, Knuckles, was relaxing on the shrine of the Master Emerald.

Scratch that...'relaxing' isn't quite the right way of putting things. The correct words would be 'contemplating some very depressing thoughts'. You see, our beloved echidna wasn't in a very good mood that day. He was too busy thinking about their latest adventure, when some monster called "Time Eater" froze Knuckles and all his friends in time until his best friend, Sonic the Hedgehog, rescued him. Or should I say, Sonic the Hedgehogs, because there were two of them.

However, Knuckles wasn't thinking about the strangeness of it all. He was thinking about how Sonic wasn't acting right. Sonic would usually ask him to come along on his adventures, but upon freeing Knuckles, he didn't. In fact, the hedgehog did the same thing after rescuing each of his friends: listen to whatever they had to say, smile, and leave. Knuckles could see why he would do this to some of his not-as-close friends, but...to do it to Knuckles just didn't seem right at all. Sonic had told Knuckles, after all, that he was one of his best friends.

Of course, there was one friend who went along with him...Tails. Tails, a young fox with a niche for mechanics, was also Sonic's best friend. Sonic had known Tails for even longer than he'd known Knuckles. They were always adventuring together, so it made sense that the kit would tag along...but why hadn't Sonic let Knuckles come, too? Sonic had declared the three of them a team nearly ten years ago.

Knuckles also remembered the time when Sonic and Tails had gone to an interstellar amusement park built by their arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman. Sonic was convinced that Eggman was up to something fishy, so he had taken Tails along to check it out. Knuckles realized...that was another time Sonic asked Tails on an adventure but not him. There was also the time when Dark Gaia shattered the planet into pieces...Tails was there, too.

So why was this happening? Knuckles had been able to go on most adventures with the blue blur...in fact, there was a good four-or-five-year period when the echidna and hedgehog were inseparable. Why would he reject him now?

That's when it hit him. Sonic hadn't been paying attention to any of his friends...besides Tails. Tails, that little, wretched pest...he was the only person Sonic cared about now. He would leave all his other friends to rot, even Knuckles, who was more than just a friend...he was his fighting partner, his friendly rival, his teammate...his brother...but not anymore. Knuckles felt his heart grow heavy with both sadness and anger when he finally realized...Sonic had replaced him.

Knuckles normally didn't care about other people, but Sonic...although he would never admit it out loud, he was special to him. Very special. Sonic was his first rival, his first friend...the first person to be there for him when he needed someone...he was the only real family he had...and he was gone. Over and done. Only that damn fox boy mattered now, even after everything they'd been through...and although the emerald guardian didn't want to admit it, it hurt. Bad.

He didn't want to cry, he really didn't. Knuckles never cried, he was always a strong, stubborn individual...but to have his brother taken away from him...he couldn't stop himself. As he felt tears welling up in his eyes, he heard the whirring of an engine...a plane's engine...could it be?

Yes, it was. As the sound got closer, Knuckles could identify the engine's owner as the Tornado...Sonic's plane. Knuckles didn't want to see Sonic, though. Normally, he would be at least a little happy to have some company, to have his brother by his side...but now, all he felt was hatred, hatred for that idiotic hedgehog who betrayed him. He never wanted to see Sonic's annoyingly smug face again.

Unfortunately for Knuckles, by the time Knuckles had finished thinking these thoughts, the speedy hedgehog was already approaching the altar. "Yo, Knux!" The hedgie called out, with his trademark smile on his face. Knuckles turned his back to Sonic and clenched his fists. "Go...away..." Knuckles muttered.

This made Sonic stop in his tracks. He was used to the echidna being irritated, but his tone of voice sounded far from just irritated...it sounded like a voice of seething rage, of great hatred...perhaps even severe depression. This didn't sound like Knuckles at all.

"Hey, buddy...is everything alright?" Sonic questioned, slowly walking towards the guardian. "You..." Knuckles growled, making Sonic stop again, "you...betrayed me. You don't even care any more..." Sonic let out a slight chuckle. "What are you even talking about?" he asked. Perhaps the echidna didn't get enough sleep again.

"You replaced me...with...him..." the echidna turned to face the cobalt hedgehog. His normally bright, violet eyes seemed to be a darker shade of purple. There were tears forming in his eyes...that definitely wasn't normal for Knuckles. "Replace you...?" Sonic whispered. He was starting to get concerned...very concerned...

"You replaced me with that little whiny bastard...that fox..." Sonic gasped on the word 'fox'. He could tell that Knuckles was talking about Tails. Was he suggesting...Sonic had replaced him with Tails? "Wha-what makes you think...?"

"You never pay attention to me anymore. You never asked me to come along on your adventures, like you used to. You never come up here to check on me anymore..."

"But...that's what I'm doing right now..."

"You've probably only come to tell me of some kind of Eggman invasion, or that Tails needs you to tell me something..." the echidna's voice croaked on the word 'Tails'.

"Knux..."

"Don't call me that anymore. In fact, don't call me anything ever again. I trusted you, you were my brother, the only family I ever had...we were a team...until you decided to pay all your attention to that stupid kid...you treated me like I was a pupil, and nothing more...as if everything we've gone through together...never happened..."

"Knuckles, that's...that's just not true!" A tear slid down Sonic's cheek, followed by another, and another...this didn't make any sense. Why would Sonic replace Knuckles with Tails...or anyone, for that matter? Tails had always been Sonic's brother at the same time as Knuckles...why would anything change now?

"Tell me, then..." the echidna said, "tell me why you never ask me to help you anymore...why you never come visit me...why you act like I don't exist..."

"Knuckles...none of that...none of that is true. I don't not talk to you because I don't care about you...I thought that you like to be left alone, so I stopped visiting all the time...I just wanted to check on you today since I haven't seen you in a while..."

"You...are lying..."

Sonic started to cry harder. He hated to think how Knuckles must've felt inside, to think that he didn't care...he wanted to let him know that he'd never stop caring about him, but his speeches weren't working. What would he do?

He then remembered a song he had listened to, a song that brought tears to his eyes. It was a special song, one of the only songs that made Sonic emotional. He had memorized the words, but decided to only sing it when someone really needed to hear it. Now was the time...he began to sing...

"Oh...why you look so sad...?"

Knuckles raised one eyebrow. Sonic singing? That was a new one.

"Tears are in your eyes...come on and come to me, now..."

Knuckles frowned. What did Sonic mean by this?

"Don't...be ashamed to cry...let me see you through...cause I've seen the dark side, too..."

So...was Sonic saying he wanted Knuckles to be sad? Or was he saying...he wanted him to open up...? Knuckles shook his head. Sonic didn't care...did he...?

"When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do..."

He was right...Knuckles didn't know what to do...

"Nothing you confess...could make me love you less..."

'Love'? Maybe Sonic did care...

"I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you...won't let nobody hurt you...I'll stand by you..."

Knuckles cracked a small smile. Not only was Sonic singing beautifully, but...he was actually starting to believe that, just maybe...Sonic really did still care...

"So...if you're mad, get mad...don't hold it all inside, come on and talk to me now..."

This is the kind of thing Sonic used to tell Knuckles when he thought he was hiding something. Of course, he would say it in a more "Sonic-y" way...

"Hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too...but I'm a lot like you..."

No, no he wasn't. They were very different...most of the time...or so Knuckles thought...

"When you're standing at the crossroads, don't know which path to choose, let me come along...cause even if you're wrong..."

Now it sounded like Sonic wanted to help Knuckles...

"I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you..."

There was that line again... "Won't let nobody hurt you...I'll stand by you...I'll stand by you..."

"..."

"Take me into your darkest hour...and I'll never desert you..."

But he already did desert him...wait, maybe he didn't...

"I'll stand by you..."

"Would...would you really...?"

"Yes, Knuckles...I would never betray you, no matter what happens..."

"You mean that?"

"Yes...I really do...if you ever feel depressed because of me again, than I'll want to rot in hell forever..."

Knuckles was shocked at those words. Only...only a real friend would say that..."

"And when...when the night falls on you, brother...you're feeling all alone...you won't be on your own...I'll stand by you..."

"Sonic..."

"...I'll stand by you...won't let nobody hurt you...I'll stand by you..."

Knuckles was crying again...but not of sadness...he was crying tears of joy and relief...

"Take me in into your darkest hour...and I'll never desert you...I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you...won't let nobody hurt you...I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you..."

Before Sonic sang the last line, he walked up towards the Master Emerald and hugged the echidna tightly.

"I'll stand by you..."

Both Sonic and Knuckles were now fountains, tears streaming down their faces. Knuckles couldn't believe how wrong he was...he hugged Sonic back... "Sonic...I'm sorry..."

"No, Knuckles...I'm sorry, for making you feel this way..."

Both hedgehog and echidna released each other and sat on the altar in silence for a minute, until Sonic broke the silence.

"Knuckles..."

"Yeah?" "You'll still be my brother...right?"

Knuckles grinned and nodded. "As long as you'll be mine."

"Thanks, Knux." Sonic leaned in to embrace the echidna once more, it was shorter than the last hug.

"Would you like it if I...stayed the night?" Sonic asked. Knuckles normally didn't like people staying on his island overnight, but Sonic was an exception...for now, at least.

"Yes...I would like that...brother..."

AN: Aw...so cute and sad...my heart literally felt heavy while writing the beginning of this story. Hope you all enjoyed this quick little oneshot!

For those who are curious, here's an excerpt from the story I'm currently working on.

In his dreams, Knuckles found himself in a big, black space. It was silent as the grave, with not a single object or being in sight...until the Master Emerald seemed to fade into the room.

"Guardian..." the jewel began, glowing so fiercely that Knuckles had to cover his entire face with his hands to shield himself from the bright light, "you are the Ultimate Hero...you can become a form no other can...only you can save the universe when the time comes..."

This was the same speech the emerald gave the scarlet echidna the other day...what did this all mean?

Curious, aren't you? Don't worry, the fic will hopefully be finished by the middle of June. Hopefully. I'm also working on a sequel to One Year Later, but I'd like to finish the one above first. Anyways, one more thing before I go: THIS WAS NOT MADE TO HATE ON TAILS. I love Tails, he's my favorite character behind Knuckles, but what I DO hate is that SEGA HAS BEEN ACTING LIKE TAILS IS SONIC'S ONLY FRIEND.

But that's a rant for another time. See ya! (-^.^-)^