:D I have to say I was shocked to see how many reviews I got just out of the last two chapters! I love all of you, my dear reviewers! Each and every one! :) I also see some of you have taken the time to write a review for each chapter, which is great for me. Gives me enthusiasm to see that others are excited about the story. :) Myself, I'm quite getting excited...

Oh, the excitement... What will happen...?


Chapter Seven: Loveless Blame

"Knuckles... You, you're... You're bleeding!" I was staring at the palm of his hand, my thoughts racing. The only reason I'd even noticed the blood was that I had felt the warm, thick liquid dripping down my back. The blood hadn't been there at first. I was sure of that. It was as Sonic had spoken a moment earlier that I felt Knuckles' grip tighten around me. When he looked away, towards Sonic... That's when I felt it.

Knuckles looked at me when I spoke. I nodded at his hand then looked back up at him... What had happened? ...He looked down at his palm, then looked back up at me. His voice wasn't like it had been moments before. He spoke in a cold tone, almost like he just didn't care, "What? It's just blood."

Just.... blood? How could he say that? I could tell my voice was shaking, "Knuckles... It's your blood... You're... bleeding." I choked mid-sentence... He was just watching me, emotionless. Didn't he care?! "Knuckles, you're hurt!"

It was then that I noticed the change in his face. His eyes were not the same vivid purple I was sure they'd been minutes ago. They were black, hard, and frigid. He looked... lost in an ocean of emotionless... Gone... Separated from the rest of the world... And it was then I knew. Vaguely, in the background, I heard the voice of Vanilla, saying something along the lines of, "Oh, Knuckles, dear, you're covered in scratches..." I wasn't sure if that was all she said... But that's all I heard. His face, devoid of even the slightest bit of caring, told me everything. I swept my fingers over his hand slowly, not wanting to look down again at the bloody palm. I didn't need to. His left hand was the only proof I needed. Blood seeping into the cloth of his left-hand glove, only on the spikes of his fist. From experience with the government, I knew well what a knife looked like after a slash through flesh.... His hand-spikes looked the same.

I wasn't aware of the others, though I knew they were still talking. I glanced at Vanilla, the others, then at Knuckles. I heard Vanilla say something, but her voice was meek, and I couldn't quite hear it. I just stared at Knuckles. And I began to cry. I hugged Knuckles closely, burying my tears in his chest. He didn't try to move away, but he didn't try to comfort me either. There was an eerie sort of silence to the room.

Vanilla spoke quietly, almost as if she couldn't even believe what she was about to say. "You've been cutting yourself, Knuckles..."

I cried harder.

Knuckles' voice had a hollow tone. ""It was just the palm. It's not like it's suicidal."

I could hear no other words. My heart had stopped. I felt numb. Not suicidal... Not to kill yourself, Knuckles... No... Just to cause enough pain to make you wish you were dead... I heard Sonic yelling... Then I was shoved away. There was a crash, and Knuckles was at the door. He looked back at me for a split second. Knuckie... Wait... I understand...

But he was gone.

I was aware of shouting only after Knuckles left. Amy, Tails, Vanilla, and Cream were all hovering over Sonic, who was lying still on the ground. He looked like he had a broken nose, blood dripping all around him. Amy was shouting for him to wake up, and Tails was trying to convince her that his hero had only passed out; he was still alive. It took Amy a few moments to calm down, but when she did Vanilla and Cream walked over to me.

I hadn't bothered moving. I could tell nothing was broken. He hadn't meant to hurt me...

Vanilla had the look of a worried mother, sweetly asking, "Rouge, dear, are you alright?"

I nodded, slowly getting to my feet. "I'm fine, Vanilla." It wasn't completely a lie. At least I knew I was better off than Knuckles.... Where was he? I needed to find him...

Amy shouted, standing up, swinging her hammer wildly, "KNUCKLES IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!!!"

Tails ducked, dodging a swing of the giant mallet, frantically yelling, "Amy! Calm down! You can't hurt Knuckles!"

Amy turned to Tails, her face dangerous, "I CAN, AND I WILL!!!"

"....A-amy?" I watched Sonic wake up, and Amy's face immediately melted into a mask of compassion.

"Sonic, you're alright.... I was so worried." She smiled, her voice honey-coated.

Sonic sat up, his hand covering his nose, his voice the usual, almost comical tone. "Hey, you know I'd never leave you alone, Amy."

Her smile widened, and she hugged him...

"No, Sonic, you'd never leave Amy alone, would you?" I could feel my voice crack, breaking beneath my words. They all turned to stare at me.

Sonic looked concerned, quietly questioning... "Rouge, what are you talking about...?"

I shook my head, repeating, "You'd never leave Amy alone... I'll bet you wouldn't leave Tails, either... No, no one you care about..." Everyone was silent. I looked at my hand, staring at the fingertips of my gloves where Knuckles' blood had stained.... I swallowed hard, my gaze moving back to the blue hedgehog's bright green eyes. "And yet... You left Knuckles alone, didn't you?" I knew my voice was harsh. It didn't matter. They all stared at me. No one said a thing. That was enough of an answer. "Did any one of you ever go see him?!" Nothing. I felt disgusted... These creatures called themselves his friends... "Did any of you go visit him?!"

I turned on my heel, ready to walk out the door, when the sound of a single voice stopped me in my tracks. Two words.

From directly behind me, Amy asked, just loudly enough for everyone in the entire room to hear....

"Did you?"

I froze where I stood. Mostly because she was right. This was my fault, too. I drove Knuckles to this. He never was one to understand emotions... Nothing but anger. Emotional pain was not something he could cope with. To feel such separation... To feel so... Unloved... He needed something he could see... To understand... Physical pain... Blood. He needed the blood to understand because that's the only thing he knew... And no one took the time to explain anything else to him...

Knuckles... I'm so sorry... Where are you? ...I promise... Please... Come back... I promise I'll never leave you alone again...

I love you...

It didn't matter. He couldn't hear me. And I had no idea where he was... The look on his face when I last saw him was haunting my mind... Again, I looked at my blood-covered fingertips...

Please... Please... Let him be okay...


Hmm.... Interesting, maybe? Conflict, self-blame... But during all of this arguing and helplessness... Knuckles is elsewhere, ready to jump off a cliff... What's going to happen to him?! What if it's too late?! What if he's already jumped?!