The warm, summer evening was peaceful and serene, especially to the couple who was leaning against an old willow by a pond. It was a welcome change to the dramatic near-death experiences the two had suffered through over the last few weeks. The male's fur, which had been a dull shade of slate blue, had finally returned to a bright, healthy hue of cobalt. The female seemed pleased simply to be in the presence of her hero.

Neither said much, but observed the stars in silence, enjoying the serenity of the night. It didn't really last. "I think… that's a satellite," stated the female, after at least fifteen minutes staring at the exact same point of light.

The azure male gave her an amused look, then looked at it himself. "I'm pretty sure it's just a star, Ames."

"But just look at it!" she argued.

"I did. And it's a star."

Amy sighed, but did not push it any further, despite the fact she still believed it was a satellite. Instead of arguing, though, she rested her head on Sonic's shoulder, and he nuzzled her softly. She had hoped this would happen for years, but even in her wildest dreams, she could not have imagined it truly occurring. Luktani had nearly snatched everything away from her, but she had him. He was hers, and she was his. They made that clear soon after Sonic had been practically dragged to the hospital. He probably would not have gone if Knuckles had not made him.

He sighed contentedly, then spoke: "I'm alive."

Amy looked at him, somewhat confused. "Yes. Why?"

He smiled a little. "I can't explain it. After you've been that close to death, simply being able to breathe becomes the coolest thing in the world. Trust me on this one: not breathing really isn't fun."

"I didn't imagine it was, but I suppose it makes sense."

He laughed, smiling at her softly. "Pretty logical, I guess."

They were silent for a little while longer, continuing to observe their surroundings. Other than the stars and the moon, the only light in the secluded area came from the fireflies. They hovered in the humid summer air, their lights like tiny beacons to the world; to the paradise the two temporarily called home. It was the only light they really wanted there. No lamps, computers, or flashlights. Nothing. Just the moon, the stars, the fireflies, and their reflections on the water. That was all they needed; all they wanted.

"We live in a very fallen world," stated Amy after a while.

Sonic was jerked out of his reverie and back to hers. "…yes, I suppose we do. But what makes you say that now?"

"You nearly died. Murders happen everyday. It's like no one thinks life's important anymore."

Sonic smirked. "We'll show them they're wrong. Just watch."

Amy thought it over, then spoke. "Yes, we are few, at least compared to the number of evil people out there. How on Mobius can we change them? Especially if they don't want to listen?"

Sonic chuckled softly. "Yeah, good point. Maybe someday, we'll teach them to value life. I don't think we can convince them completely, but we can try. And if everyone tried, then the world would change."

"So if everyone loved and valued life, kind of like you and me… wow!"

"What?"

"Just imagine what the world would be like! No one would be lonely. No one would hate. No one would ever have to fight. Maybe… maybe no one would have to die."

Sonic glanced at Amy with a surprised expression, pondering what she had said. Then he yawned, closed his eyes, and quietly replied: "Maybe you're right, Ames. Maybe you're right."

"Alright, hold on a sec, I have one more thing to ask you before you doze off."

Reluctantly, Sonic opened one of his bright, emerald eyes. "Shoot."

"What happened between you and Knuckles? Your conversation, right after we found you?"

Sonic tensed, but managed to conceal it from Amy. "Why do you ask?"

"Knux looked… almost scared when we found you. You didn't exactly look like you appreciated seeing him, either. Why was that?"

"Um… it was nothing, Ames. I'm sure you just imagined it."

"I'm not an idiot, I know what I saw. Your stories didn't match up with the location of the Chaos Emeralds, and Knuckles seemed almost grateful when you confirmed his story. It didn't make sense!"

"Ames, I can't tell you."

"Why?!"

"Because it's all in your head. I used the Emeralds, that's that. And he certainly had no reason to be grateful to me. Nothing happened."

Amy glared, but she accepted the answer without further complaint. "If you say so."

"I do say so," replied Sonic, relieved.

Amy sighed and moved into a more comfortable position. It was not long before Sonic was asleep, and Amy soon followed suit. Knuckles and Tails sniggered quietly from underneath a nearby willow, glancing at the pictures they had taken on the digital camera. The blackmail that was soon to follow would only mark the beginning of new good-natured fun between the four. Relationships and lives were being rebuilt from the incinerated ashes of sorrow and regret, and nothing was going to stand in the way. At least until their next adventure.

Yes, the change in tense (1st to 3rd person) was on purpose. I didn't want to have to state what was going through Sonic and Amy's minds. I decided to leave that part to the reader. ;) Well, this is it! It's done and published. Tales of Knighthood will be my next big project. Hope you enjoyed it!

~Wolf~