Guardian Angels
S1:E6: Angel And...(Pt. 4)
Kathy and Knuckles were still walking through Leaf Strom Forest together. They were still silent, but they were relaxed as they walked together while holding hands. Knuckles was still confused with his feelings. He couldn't understand why Kathy's rejection had hurt him so much that he couldn't even feel the pain of it. He wondered why he felt sad that Kathy just wants to be friends with him. After all, the only thing that he has for her is a "thing". It's not like he ever wanted to date her. The thought of dating Kathy is just ridiculous and silly. ...But even then, the fact that he felt sad at all from this speaks volumes about what his true feelings are.
...Do I...really want to be with Kathy? Am I...really that lonely? Knuckles brooded with a frown as he looked at Kathy. Knuckles looked sad again as he stared at Kathy's happy yet serene look on her face. He can't look away from her beautiful, light-blue eyes and from her gentle smile. He also adored that look on her face when she's relaxed. He adores it so much.
"...Hmmmm..." Knuckles mused quietly as he stared intensely into Kathy's face. ...She's...She's so beautiful to me. Every time that I stare at her serene, sweet face, I can't help but get lost into it. As I stare into her, I feel very...very weak. It's a miracle that I hadn't fallen towards the ground while staring at her yet. It just amazes me that her beauty has that effect on me. Knuckles brooded as he stared solemnly into Kathy's eyes. His violet eyes twinkled in adoration as he stared longingly at her. He frowned even more in sadness as he finished his broodings with. I...I just don't understand myself anymore. I don't understand why I feel the urge to go and hug her or hold her in my arms forever. I don't understand why I want to rub her head so much or her back. I don't understand why I want to just hold onto her shoulders and rub them gently again. I don't understand why I want to poke her...or push her...or cuddle her...or snuggle her...or nuzzle her...or even tickle her. I...I don't understand any of it! Why do I feel that way or desire to do those things to her?! Even childish ones?! I know that I have a "thing" for her, but...this...this is just driving me insane at this point! All I want to do is to give her attention because I...I...
"...I want her attention..." Knuckles whispered softly to himself with a sad frown on his face.
"Huh? Did you say something, Knuckles?" Kathy asked curiously with a little frown as she looked at Knuckles.
"Ah! Uh! Uh! Nothing! Nothing!" Knuckles exclaimed quickly in a panic as he blushed brightly at this. He can feel his heart beating faster since Kathy is staring at him now.
"Are you sure?" Kathy asked in concern as she stared gently into his worried eyes.
"Definitely!" Knuckles exclaimed back nervously with a worried look on his bashful face.
"..." Kathy was quiet as she kept staring at Knuckles curiously. Knuckles felt his blush deepen even more as he stared back into her curious face. ...No matter how many times I stare into her curious face...I still feel very shy of her. It's like she's trying to see through my tough persona to see my vulnerability. I can't help but feel nervous around her despite how...comfortable I am with her. Knuckles brooded with a flushed face as he stared longingly at her again.
Kathy blinked her curious eyes at Knuckles before she giggled cutely again. "Hehehehehe! You're so cute when you're blushing, Knuckles," Kathy replied calmly with a sweet smile as she giggled a little.
"Ack!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in embarrassment after hearing that compliment. He blushed even more in embarrassment as he turned his head away from Kathy. He then protested weakly with a shy frown on his face, "S-Stooop, Kathy. Stop it. I'm...I'm not cute...".
"Awwww, is Knuckles feeling embarrassed? I think he is!" Kathy teased playfully with a smile as she swung Knuckles' hand a bit.
"Cut it out! Stop it!" Knuckles protested more loudly this time while blushing hard in embarrassment.
"Hehehehe! ...Awww...Come here, you," Kathy replied sweetly with a giggle as she lets go of Knuckles' hand to wrap her arm over Knuckles' shoulders to side-hug him. Kathy smiled gently at him as she rubbed his left arm and back to comfort him. Knuckles blushed even more in embarrassment as he felt Kathy's hug and her gentle rubbing. His heart can't help but feel happy again since he's enjoying the affection that Kathy is giving him. He slowly looked back at Kathy and saw her smiling gently yet sweetly at him. While still blushing, Knuckles smiled sheepishly at her as she continued to be affectionate towards him.
"Awwww! See, Knuckles? You're smiling again! There's nothing wrong about being embarrassed. You can still look at me while still feeling embarrassed. Just relax while I comfort you. Okay?" Kathy replied happily yet gently with a warm smile as stared at Knuckles.
"...Heh...O-Okay..." Knuckles replied shyly with a sheepish smile on his flushed face. ...I'm...I'm so weak. Heheheh...Knuckles thought in embarrassment and in amusement as he kept smiling shyly at Kathy.
Kathy just beamed at him and had continued to side-hug Knuckles while rubbing his left arm and back. Knuckles was just being quiet as he lets Kathy do this. He had a huge, goofy smile on his flushed face as he stared shyly at Kathy. Kathy was quiet too as she does this. They were silent for a long time as they walked further into the forest.
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"...You know, Knuckles..." Kathy said quietly as she broke the long silence.
"Hmm?" Knuckles mused in curiosity as his eyebrows were raised a bit.
Kathy smiled gently at him as she continued calmly, "...Even if I did choose to treat you as a dog, I still had to be responsible towards you".
"...!" Knuckles gasped in surprise when he heard Kathy say that. He stared even more at her as he looked curious as to what Kathy is going to say now.
"I mean. After all...it would certainly be unladylike of me to neglect you or hurt you, Knuckles. Even dogs need love and affection to stay happy," Kathy continued calmly with a gentle smile on her serene face.
"..." Knuckles was quiet as he blinked his eyes at Kathy.
"...They need to be fed, cleaned up after, aided, trained, and protected. They even need someone to play with them to feel some sort of bond with their caregivers," Kathy continued slowly yet gently with a sweet smile as she kept rubbing Knuckles' left arm.
"..." Knuckles was still silent as he listened to this. He then nodded slowly to her in agreement. …"To feel some sort of bond with their caregivers" ...Knuckles mulled this thought over in his mind as he stared solemnly at Kathy.
Kathy smiled warmly at Knuckles as she continued, "...But of course, the most important part of taking care of dogs is showing them affection. Giving dogs lots of pets, hugs, cuddles, and snuggles will make them very happy and feel safe with their caregivers. If they feel loved, then they would naturally feel happy".
"..." Knuckles still hadn't said anything but had stared intensely into Kathy's twinkling, light-blue eyes. ...Y-Yeah...Knuckles thought slowly in agreement as he frowned a bit in sadness.
Kathy still smiled warmly at Knuckles as she hugged him a bit tighter in affection. "Just understand this, Knuckles. Whether I treat you like a dog or not, I'll still need to be responsible towards you and treat you right. Just as dogs need to be cared for and loved, people need to be taken care of and loved too. And since we're teammates, I'm going to do my part and look after you. I guarantee you that as long as you're with me you'll be respected and loved, and that's why we're going to have so much fun together, Knuckles! Because we're going to play with each other a lot and be affectionate towards one another as we stick together," Kathy continued gently with a warm smile on her face.
"..." Knuckles was stunned as he stared at Kathy with wide eyes after hearing that. Kathy just smiled warmly at him as she moved her left hand towards his head. Knuckles blinked a bit in surprise when he felt Kathy's hand stroking his head in affection.
Kathy then finished her speech by saying gently with a bright smile, "...Just like what good friends do".
She then beamed at him and had patted his back in affection after saying her little speech. Knuckles was rather stunned by what Kathy had said. Hmm..."Just like what good friends do", huh? ...Hmmm...Maybe...Maybe it won't be so bad after all. I mean...If I'm respected and loved by her, then...it wouldn't matter if were just friends, right? Right? Knuckles pondered calmly with a stunned look on his face before smiling a little. As he sighed a bit in relief, he then mused his last thoughts with a smile.
...Yes...Yes, everything will be just fine. I'll be...fine.
"Teehee! Aww, Knuckles! You're smiling again! Is there something on your mind?" Kathy said calmly yet happily with a sweet smile as she rubbed Knuckles' back affectionately.
"Ah. Uhh...It's...It's nothing, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly with a smile. While he said that, he enjoyed the back massage that Kathy gave him.
"Aww, come now, Knuckles. There's no need to feel anxious towards me. You can tell me what's on your mind. It's okay," Kathy replied gently with a warm smile as she continued to rub Knuckles' back.
"It's really nothing. Honest," Knuckles replied calmly as he smiled much wider in response.
"Hehehehe...If it's really 'nothing', then why are you smiling? Having happy thoughts? Hmm?" Kathy asked gently with a giggle as she looked closer at Knuckles.
"Heh...Maybe..." Knuckles answered coyly with a smirk as he stared back at Kathy.
"'Maybe'?! Hehehehehe! Then it's got to be something! Tell me, Knuckles! Tell me what had gotten you to smile!" Kathy replied brightly with a grin as she side-hugged him again.
"No..." Knuckles answered playfully as he smirked wider at her.
"Hehehehehehe! Aw, come on, Knuckles! There has to be something that you were thinking about that had caused you to smile!" Kathy replied happily with an innocent smile as she giggled some more.
"My thoughts aren't the only things that could get me to smile, you know. I could be smiling because of something else," Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully with an amused smile on his face.
"Hehehe! ...Then what else was it that had caused you to smile besides your thoughts? Hmm?" Kathy asked playfully with a grin as she stared closer at Knuckles' face.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he smiled widely at Kathy after hearing that. He can see that her face is close to his face. He can see her bright grin and her curious, twinkling, light-blue eyes on her jovial face. He then started to grin too since Kathy's infectious grin is getting to him now. With a sheepish yet amused look on his face, Knuckles then thought jokingly. Oh, gee, that's a VERY HARD question indeed. How am I ever going to answer that correctly?
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because..." Knuckles replied coyly with an amused grin before he wrapped his right arm over Kathy's shoulders and side-hugged her back. He continued playfully while side-hugging her tightly and staring at her more closely, "...someone's smiling at me, hugging me, and being overall affectionate towards me. How could I...not smile at that?".
Kathy giggled a lot in response to this, and Knuckles grinned even more at her after hearing her giggle. He then teased with a playful grin, "And now, that someone is giggling at me. Hmmm...It seems quite hard to figure out why I'm smiling in the first place. Don't you think?".
"Hehehehehehehehe! Ahahahahahah! Awww, Knuckles! Hahahahahahaha!" Kathy replied happily as she giggled very much at Knuckles' teasing. She ended up leaning her head onto his right shoulder as she giggled some more in amusement. Knuckles raised his eyebrows at that and had just smiled a lot in amusement. He then held Kathy even tighter at his side as he watched her giggle to herself in silliness.
...Sigh...Yeah...Things are going to be okay in the end. I'm sure of it...Knuckles thought optimistically with a relaxed look on his face as he stared at Kathy. They both kept walking through the forest in peace after Kathy had calmed down her giggles. They felt relaxed and happy as they held each other while they walked. They smiled calmly as they looked at the path ahead of them, and they were silent again as they walked.
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"...H-Huh? Hey, Knuckles! Look! I can see the city now! We're getting close to it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile as she lifted her head up from Knuckles' shoulder and pointed at the city grounds with her right hand.
"Yep. That we are, Kathy. The exit is just up ahead," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he looked at the city too.
"I can't wait to see what's like! Is it going to be like a village?" Kathy replied brightly with an excited grin on her face as she stared at Knuckles.
Knuckles looked at her and smiled even more in amusement as he replied coyly, "Heh. It could be".
"Hehehehe! Yeah! Let's go!" Kathy exclaimed happily in excitement as she stopped hugging Knuckles and grabbed his hand instead before running towards the exit.
"Ah! Hey! Easy there, Kathy! Slow down!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise as he ran with her with a shocked look on his face.
"But the city is right over there! I want to see it now!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile as she looked back at Knuckles.
"I can see that! But you need to slow down! The city isn't all that safe!" Knuckles exclaimed back with a worried look on his face.
"Oh, come on, Knuckles! I'm half-kaiju! A kaiju isn't afraid of some city or village! So why should I be cautious when going into a city?!" Kathy exclaimed back with slight annoyance in her voice as she rolled her eyes a bit. As she said that, she and Knuckles ran out of the forest and ran across the sidewalk.
"Because there are lots of things that could kill you in the city! In fact, the biggest one is-ACK! KATHY! GET BACK!" Knuckles exclaimed back with a solemn frown before he shouted in panic once he realized that Kathy is about to run out into the street. Without having any hesitation, Knuckles immediately skidded to a stop and yanked Kathy back to him before she ran out into the street.
"Huh?! AH!" Kathy exclaimed in shock as she felt her arm being yanked backyards. She then felt Knuckles' arms being wrapped around her as she leant against his body. She had a surprised yet confused look on her face as she stared at the street. Meanwhile, Knuckles was hyperventilating while having a shocked look on his face as he stared at the street too. He could even feel his heart beating very fast since the adrenaline had kicked in.
HONK! HONK! HOOOONK! VROOOM! VROOM! BEEEP! BEEEP!
Kathy was shocked when she saw several trucks and cars driving past her and Knuckles. She was also surprised on how fast they were. Woah! What were those things? Kathy thought in shock and in wonderment as she stared at the trucks and cars at her right.
"...(Pant pant pant pant)…(Pant pant pant pant)…" Knuckles panted in shock and in exhaustion as he stared at the trucks and cars too. Whew! That...was close...Knuckles thought in relief as he had taken a huge sigh and had closed his eyes as he leant his head next to Kathy's head. He held Kathy even tighter after that since he felt relieved that he had successfully protected her. His heart is still beating very fast even after that startling event.
"You're safe. You're safe. You're safe. You're safe," Knuckles repeated in a whisper as he held Kathy dearly to his body.
Meanwhile, Kathy was just surprised as she leant next Knuckles' body while listening to his mantra. She looked back at him with flushed cheeks since she realized how close they were now. She could even feel Knuckles' heartbeat on her back. She blushed even more in embarrassment as she thought. W-Wow...Knuckles really does worry about me. Poor thing.
"Kn-Knuckles?" Kathy asked softly with a worried look on her face.
"You're-Huh? What is it, Angel-err-I mean-Kathy?" Knuckles asked curiously yet awkwardly as he corrected himself. He had opened his eyes again and had looked at Kathy with flushed cheeks as he said that.
"Are you...going to be okay? You look worried," Kathy replied gently as she stared caringly at him with a frown.
"Uhh...Umm...Y-Yes...I-I'll be fine, Kathy. I'm just glad that you're safe," Knuckles answered awkwardly with a bashful look on his face as he stared caringly back at her.
Kathy stared back at him pitifully as she grabbed his right cheek while saying softly, "Are you sure that you're going to be okay? I mean. Look at you. You look like you were scared half to death".
"Uhhhh...Ummmm..." Knuckles muttered awkwardly in shyness as he blushed very much at Kathy's sweet gesture and concern. That's because I almost lost you, you silly girl. Of course, I would feel scared. You mean so much to me. Knuckles brooded with a frown as he still blushed in embarrassment.
Kathy was quiet as she stared into Knuckles' violet eyes in concern. She then gently rubbed his cheek to ease him a bit. "There. There. ...Don't worry...I'm going to be fine. Alright?" Kathy replied softly with a little frown as she caressed Knuckles' right cheek.
Knuckles blinked a bit when he felt Kathy's hand caressing his cheek. He then blushed even more in embarrassment when he realized what Kathy was doing. That...That feels good...Ack! Stop that, Knuckles! Focus! Knuckles pondered in fondness before in shock as his eyes went wide and as his mouth went agape. He then grabbed Kathy's hand and shook his head a bit to get his senses back.
"Again, Kathy, I'm fine. I'm good now. Ummm..." Knuckles replied calmly with a solemn frown as he stared at Kathy's eyes. He then lowered his eyelids halfway and had flushed cheeks as he added, "...Thanks, Kathy. Thanks for caring for me and helping me feel better. I needed that".
Kathy frowned in sympathy for Knuckles but had soon smiled when she heard him thanking her for her support. "You're welcome, Knuckles! I'll always be ready to comfort you when you need it!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully as she beamed at him.
Knuckles smiled back at her as he replied calmly, "Good. I'm glad to hear that".
Kathy just kept beaming at Knuckles, and Knuckles just kept smiling back at her in fondness. ...Awwww...She's so cute when she's smiling like that. Knuckles thought fondly with a warm smile. He then slowly released Kathy from his grip and had stood beside her right side. As he grabbed her hand again, he corrected her gently with a solemn frown on his face, "Now, listen carefully, Kathy. The streets are the most dangerous part of any city. There are cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles driving through the streets. If you get hit by any one of them, you could either get severely injured or worse...die to one of them. Do you understand, Kathy? You absolutely cannot run carelessly out into the streets like that or else you'll get hurt. Alright?".
"Uhh...O-Okay...I see," Kathy replied tentatively as she looked at Knuckles with a surprised look on her face and had nodded to him in understanding. I didn't even know that the streets could be dangerous. They look no different than the dirt pathways in the forest. But then again...I haven't seen any "cars" or "trucks" in the forest either. So, I guess I wouldn't know either way. Kathy pondered in surprise and in curiosity as she stared into Knuckles' solemn face.
Knuckles nodded back to her and had continued calmly, "Okay then. Now that you understand, I'll teach you how to cross the street safely. Just hold on tight to my hand and pay attention to what I say. Okay?".
Kathy nodded again in understanding and replied politely with a calm smile, "Okay, Knuckles. Please show me how to do it right. I'll listen to you carefully".
Knuckles smiled a little at that and had replied calmly, "That's good. Now then...look at the street before you, and I'll explain it to you".
Kathy smiled brightly at him and had done what he had said by looking at the street before her. She held onto Knuckles' hand much tighter than before as she listened to Knuckles' explanation.
"Now...Whenever you want to cross the street, you must always look left and right first before crossing it. That is how you look for incoming vehicles like the ones in front of you. Once the road is clear, you can safely cross the street by following the white crosswalk right here," Knuckles explained calmly as he looked at the street too and pointed at the cars, the trucks, and the crosswalk for emphasis.
"Huh? What's 've-hic-les'?" Kathy asked in confusion as she looked at Knuckles curiously.
Knuckles looked at her and smiled a little as he answered calmly, "Vehicles are things that can be moved by wheels or by fuel. Cars and trucks for example are vehicles since they both have wheels and run on gas fuel".
"Oh, I see. But...umm..." Kathy replied slowly in understanding before she looked at the cars and trucks in confusion as she continued, "...Which ones are the 'cars' and the 'trucks'? I can't tell from either of them".
Knuckles smiled even more in amusement as he stared at Kathy's confused expression on her face. Even her confused expression is adorable. I can't get enough of her cute expressions on her face. Knuckles pondered in amusement as he shook his head a little. He then put out his hand in front of her and pointed at the cars first and at the trucks second.
"The cars are right there. They are the smaller ones of the group. The trucks, however, are over there, and they are much larger than the cars. Not to mention, trucks have more wheels than cars. That's the other difference that the trucks have over cars," Knuckles explained calmly as he looked at the cars and trucks again.
"Oh! Now, I understand! The trucks are the ones that carry those large rectangles behind them! The cars don't carry those large things!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile as she pointed at the trucks before at the cars.
"Yeah, now, you get it. Trucks carry the cargo that's been loaded up into them in those large containers. Cars can only carry a limited amount of cargo. The cargo can be stored inside the trunk of the car," Knuckles replied with a smile as he looked at Kathy.
"Huh? The 'trunk'?" Kathy repeated in confusion as she looked back at Knuckles.
Knuckles smiled even more at her in amusement before he held Kathy's chin to move her head towards the car in front of her. He then pointed at the car's trunk while saying, "There. That right there is called 'the trunk'. It's at the back of the car".
"Ohhhh...So, that's what that is..." Kathy replied in understanding as she moved her head up and down while looking at the trunk of the car. Knuckles just kept smiling in amusement as he stared at Kathy's adorable, curious face. I could just stare at this face for hours, and it will never bore me. I can't stop staring at it. Knuckles thought fondly with a warm smile on his face. He can feel his heart melting in warmth as he stared fondly at Kathy's face.
"Hmm...Hey! Look! The vehicles are moving again!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile as she pointed at the cars and trucks driving again when the traffic light turned green.
Knuckles smirked at that innocent remark and looked at the street again. "Hmph. That they are, Kathy. That they are. They are moving again because the traffic light had turned green. See? It's right above there," Knuckles replied calmly with a smirk as he pointed at the traffic light at his right. Kathy looked to where Knuckles was pointing at and had awed in wonderment again.
"Wow! That green light?" Kathy replied in surprise and in awe with a bright smile.
"Yep. That traffic light changes at times from green, red, and yellow," Knuckles replied calmly with a nod and a smile.
"But why does the light change? What purpose does it serve?" Kathy asked curiously as she looked at Knuckles again.
"Traffic lights are important since they help regulate traffic. They help drivers by letting them know when to stop, slow down, or go again. Without those lights, it would make driving a lot more dangerous than it already is," Knuckles explained calmly with a smile as he looked back at Kathy.
"Oh, okay, that makes sense. But wait a minute. Wouldn't it be much safer to walk to places than to drive there?" Kathy replied in understanding before in confusion as she looked thoughtful.
Knuckles then smirked at her again as he answered playfully, "Well...In theory...Yes. But you've just proven to me on how dangerous it is to walk across the street in the first place".
Kathy then lowered her antennas a little as she apologized sheepishly, "Oh...Sorry".
"Heheheh...It's okay. But that just goes to show you on how dangerous the streets are in cities. Whether you are driving or on foot, you must always be aware of your surroundings to travel safely," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement as he chuckled a bit.
"Yeah...That's true..." Kathy replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile.
Knuckles smiled a little more as he continued, "Also, Kathy, these people want to drive in vehicles since it is more convenient to travel to places than on foot. It's much easier and faster to travel that way, aside from planes or jets that is. Besides, not everyone is a fast moth like you or a fast hedgehog. So, that's another reason why people drive in cars and trucks".
"Ah...Well then...That explains a lot...No wonder there are so many vehicles passing by," Kathy replied in understanding as she nodded to Knuckles before looking around at the busy streets of Central City.
"Exactly! And that's why the cities are so busy and crowded with people. Everyone has a place where they want to go, and no one is going to stop them from getting where they want to be," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he looked at the streets too. Kathy and Knuckles watched many cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles passing through the streets and intersections of the city. They were smiling as they watched the busy traffic going about with their busy day.
Kathy then beamed at Knuckles with sparkling eyes as she innocently asked, "You mean like...going back to their homes?".
Knuckles gasped a bit in surprise as he looked back at Kathy with wide eyes. He was caught off guard by Kathy's question. The fact that it was the first thing that had come to Kathy's mind was rather wise due to how...true that is. …"Going back ...to their homes"? ...Knuckles pondered with a stunned look on his face as he stared into Kathy's sparkly eyes. His eyes soon grew wider when he realized how much he wanted to go back to Tails' house last night because of Kathy. All because...I felt like I was at home with her around. Knuckles thought with a shocked look on his face.
Knuckles then looked fond as he lowered his eyelids halfway and had smiled warmly at Kathy after having that epiphany. "...Yeah...that's the one place that people would want to go to. Home is a very special place indeed," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly with a warm smile on his face.
Kathy smiled sweetly at him and had replied gently, "It certainly is...".
Knuckles continued to smile warmly at Kathy, and Kathy returned the look with a sweet smile of her own. They had stared quietly each other's eyes for a moment before Knuckles spoke up saying, "Anyways...are you ready to cross the street now, Kathy? We kind of gotten a bit sidetracked there".
"Oh! Why yes, Knuckles. I'm ready. Sorry for distracting you by asking you all these questions. I was just curious," Kathy replied calmly with a nod and a sheepish smile as she felt slightly guilty for diverting Knuckles' attention to something else.
Knuckles shook his head and replied gently with a smile, "That's okay, Kathy. You didn't mean to. I know that you were being curious, and I didn't mind it one bit".
Kathy then smiled more brightly when she heard that. "Oh, good! I'm glad that you were fine teaching me! I hope that I didn't waste your time doing it!" Kathy exclaimed happily with a bright smile.
Knuckles smiled even more in amusement as he replied calmly, "Hmph. It's hardly a waste. Especially since I find it so amusing to begin with".
"Huh? 'Amusing'?" Kathy repeated in confusion as she titled her head in a cute way again while looking at Knuckles with a curious look on her face.
Knuckles grinned a lot in happiness when he saw that cute head tic again. He replied calmly with an amused grin, "Heh. Yeah. 'Amusing'. Because I always find your curiosity to be amusing to me. Seeing you get curious always gives me a smile. I just find it so fascinating that you're willing to learn anything. Especially when I'm the one teaching you. How could I not be amused by that? It's rather...umm...".
Knuckles then looked sheepish as he blushed red when he realized what he was about to say. He then thought to himself in shyness as he blushed some more. It's...It's too cute...
"'It's' what?" Kathy asked in confusion when she saw that Knuckles had trailed off.
"It's nothing! Nothing! Heheheh...Umm...Hey, let's just focus on crossing the street now! Okay? Heheheh..." Knuckles replied awkwardly with an embarrassed smile on his face as he chuckled nervously. He even looked at the street in front of him while he said that.
"Wait...Huh?" Kathy replied in even more confusion as she stared at Knuckles curiously. What was that about? Was he about to say something there or what? I'm...I'm a bit confused. Knuckles can be quite strange sometimes. Kathy thought in confusion as she frowned a little.
"C-Come along now, Kathy. This way," Knuckles replied awkwardly with a little smile as he walked forward towards the end of the sidewalk.
"Uhh...Okay..." Kathy muttered awkwardly too with a little frown as she walked with Knuckles too. She and Knuckles stopped before the crosswalk and waited for the traffic to stop. Knuckles started to look at his right and left to see when it was safe to cross or not. Kathy saw this, and she decided to do it too. But since there was a lot of traffic in the street, there wasn't a moment where the cars or trucks had stopped. Knuckles saw this and frowned a bit. Well, this isn't working out. The traffic must be extra busy today. Hmm...Aha! Knuckles thought with a frown before he smiled when he had looked at his right to see the crosswalk button.
There. That's much better...Knuckles thought with smile as he pressed the crosswalk button. Kathy saw Knuckles push the crosswalk button and was looking curious again to what that was.
Hmm...I wonder what that button does...Kathy thought to herself with a curious look on her face.
Soon enough, the traffic light changed from green to yellow and then to red. The cars and trucks screeched as they made their stop before the crosswalk. Then the crosswalk light changed from a stop sign to a walking sign. Oh! The traffic had stopped! Did that little button stop them? Kathy thought in surprise when she looked at the street again.
Knuckles smiled calmly at this as he looked at Kathy and said gently, "Alright, Kathy. It's time to walk. Hold on tight. Understand?".
Kathy looked at Knuckles with a surprised yet curious look on her face. She soon nodded to him with a gentle smile on her face. Knuckles smiled gently back at her before he started to walk along the crosswalk. Kathy walked with him while holding onto his left hand. As she walked, she looked at her left to see the cars and trucks. She was fascinated by how the vehicles look. Seeing more modern technology like this had definitely piqued her interest to what the rest of the modern world is like. It just looked so cool to her! She even saw the people inside the vehicles. The people were obviously Mobians just like Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic. She can see how calm the people were as they waited patiently for her and Knuckles to cross to the other side of the street. She then looked at her right and looked at the street ahead of Knuckles. She can see countless buildings, both small and large, throughout the block. She can see multiple people walking along the sidewalks in a casual manner. She can tell that the city is really busy due to how many people are around.
"Wow..." Kathy awed in wonder with a bright smile on her face as she still stared at the huge city.
"Hmph..." Knuckles quietly grunted with a calm smile on his face as he kept walking across the crosswalk with Kathy at his side. I don't even have to look at her to know that she's smiling. Just hearing that "wow" shows that she is enjoying herself. Knuckles thought fondly with a smile.
Soon, Knuckles and Kathy had made it to the other side of the street. They walked on the sidewalk again and stood still for a bit as they looked back at the traffic. The second that they got onto the sidewalk, the traffic light changed to green again, and the traffic started to move again. They smiled as they looked at each other in amusement.
"See? Piece of cake," Knuckles said casually with a smile.
"It sure was! Hehehehe! That button must be so powerful that it makes the vehicles stop!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with a giggle as she beamed at Knuckles.
"Heheheheh...What button are you talking about, silly girl? Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied with a smile as he chuckled in amusement.
"That one! Right over there!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a grin as she pointed at the crosswalk button on the other side of the street.
Knuckles looked at where Kathy was pointing to and had chuckled some more in amusement. "Oh! That! Heheheheh...Yes, I guess you can say that button has lots of 'mystical powers'. It can 'summon' the traffic light to change to red whenever it's pressed. Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied jokingly with a grin as he chuckled.
"Wow! Buttons can change anything!" Kathy exclaimed happily yet innocently with a sweet smile on her face as she looked at Knuckles.
Knuckles looked back at Kathy and had instantly laughed at this. "Ahahahahahahahaha! Yep! They sure do, Kathy! Hahahahahahahaha! They sure do!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement as he laughed happily. It's always the simplest yet blunt sentences that get me. It's my weak spot in my funny bone. Out of all the things that get me, it's that. Heheheheheheh...Knuckles thought in amusement as he laughed some more.
"Hey! Come on, Knuckles! Let's keep exploring!" Kathy exclaimed happily with a smile as she tugged on Knuckles' hand towards her while pointing at the sidewalk before her.
"Alright! Alright! Let's go already! Heheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back happily too as he laughed. He soon calmed down his laughter and began walking forward. Kathy walked with him as he started moving. They both have smiles on their faces they kept walking along the sidewalk. They can see more cars, buses, and trucks passing by them as they walked. Kathy was still in awe of the huge city by looking up at the tall skyscrapers.
"Man, those buildings are huge! I've never seen anything like it!" Kathy exclaimed happily with a bright smile as she looked up at the skyscrapers.
"Yep. They sure are. Those tall buildings are called 'skyscrapers'. Those types of buildings are often made for business purposes or something like that," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he looked up at the skyscrapers too.
"Ooooh...So skyscrapers are buildings that reach towards the sky! Right?" Kathy replied in awe as she looked at Knuckles.
Knuckles looked at Kathy and smiled smugly at her which caused her to giggle a lot. He then replied playfully yet smugly, "Whatever gave that away?".
"Hehehehehehehehe!" Kathy giggled very much at this.
Knuckles smiled even more in amusement as he added jokingly, "Hmm...Maybe we should go to the top of one those skyscrapers to see if it does reach towards the sky".
"Hahahahahahaha! Oh, Knuckles! Hahahahahaha!" Kathy replied happily with a grin as she laughed a lot.
"Heh...What?" Knuckles asked in amusement as he smiled widely at Kathy.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing! Hehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed jovially as she giggled. Knuckles is so funny. I like it! Kathy thought in amusement as she giggled some more.
Knuckles smiled even more at Kathy as he enjoyed hearing her giggles and laughter. Geez...she's so cute when she's giggling like that. I can't help but feel happy every time she does that. Knuckles thought in amusement as he kept smiling at Kathy. Kathy soon stopped giggling and just beamed at Knuckles instead. Knuckles only smiled fondly at her in response to this. But soon, his eyes went wide when a thought had come into his head.
"Oh! I just realized that we hadn't started searching for the Sol Hearts yet! We're just casually walking through the city! We better start doing that! Now!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock as his eyes went wide and as his mouth went agape.
"Oh, yeah! You're right! I forgot about that! I guess that we're too busy enjoying each other's company that we've forgotten what we were supposed to do!" Kathy exclaimed too in shock as her eyes and mouth went wide as well.
Knuckles then looked sheepish as he smiled awkwardly and as his eyebrows went upwards after hearing Kathy say that. "Uhh...Heheheh...Y-Yeah...I guess we were...Heheheh..." Knuckles replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile while chuckling nervously.
Kathy looked sheepish too as she smiled shyly at Knuckles while saying, "Umm...S-Sorry...".
"Hey, it's not your fault. We can't help it if we get distracted sometimes. Besides, we were...umm..." Knuckles replied calmly with a sheepish smile before he blushed as he trailed off again. With flushed cheeks, he then added shyly, "...h-having fun...Right?".
Kathy blushed too as she smiled warmly at Knuckles after hearing that last part. "Yes...We were..." Kathy replied softly with a warm smile on her flushed face. Knuckles smiled shyly back at her as he rubbed his head with his other hand in sheepishness.
"So...uhh...Let's begin! Heheheh..." Knuckles replied awkwardly with a nervous chuckle as he lets go of Kathy's hand and looked at his right to search for the Sol Hearts.
Kathy nodded in understanding and replied simply, "Okay. Got it...Hmm...".
She then looked at her left, but unfortunately for her, there was a long brick wall in her line of sight. She frowned as she saw that there was nothing of interest on the left side of the sidewalk. So, she looked at her right instead. She and Knuckles could see lots of cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, people, trees, and buildings. But no sign of the Sol Hearts anywhere. They soon looked ahead of them and saw that the sidewalk was turning to the right. So, they walked faster to see if there is anything around the corner. They soon turned right and kept walking along the sidewalk. They scanned around the new block, but just like the previous block, there was nothing to be found.
"Hmmm...Maybe we'd have better luck if you use your Sol Pendant to find the hearts because searching for them manually isn't getting us anywhere. Could you try that for me, Kathy?" Knuckles said calmly with a little frown as he looked at Kathy again.
"Sure. I can try that. Here. Hang on for a moment," Kathy replied calmly with a nod before she looked down at her pendant and started to take the Sol Gems off of it. She then took them off and held them into her hands. As she looked at her hands, she thought with a frown. Okay...Let's see if I can do this right...
She then closed her eyes and tried her best to concentrate onto the gems. She had focused...and focused...and focused...and...focused...but...
...H-Huh? Is it working yet? ...Am I feeling anything? ...No...Not yet...Maybe a bit more...Kathy pondered as she held onto the gems more tightly. She tried again as she focused even harder than before. She kept waiting for the gems to glow so that she can sense the Sol Hearts' energy, but after doing it for another minute, the gems would still not glow. Kathy frowned even more at this as she opened her eyes and held up her hands again in disappointment and in confusion. Ooooh...Come on! This needs to work! What are we going to do if I can't use the gems to sense the Sol Hearts?! I must do this right! Just...Just keep trying and maybe...maybe it'll eventually work...Kathy pondered some more in frustration. She then closed her eyes again and held onto the gems more tightly this time. She kept mediating to focus onto her gems.
Meanwhile, Knuckles was still quietly looking around for the Sol Hearts. He moved his head left and right to see where the Sol Hearts could be. He could only see more buildings, people, and traffic but no hearts. Man...and to think that searching for the Chaos Emeralds were this bad...This is just near impossible to do. Hopefully, Kathy will manage to sense them with her Sol Gems. I couldn't imagine what it'll be like searching for the hearts blind. That would be...rather difficult. Knuckles pondered with a solemn frown as he looked at the sidewalk ahead of him.
"Ooooh..." Kathy awed sadly with a frown as she opened her eyes again.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Kathy?" Knuckles asked in concern as he looked at her.
"Umm...I think that we have a problem here..." Kathy muttered sadly as she looked at Knuckles with a guilty look on her face.
"'A...problem'? What is it?" Knuckles asked nervously as his eyes went wide and as he frowned in worry. Oh no...This can't be good...Knuckles thought with worry as he frowned sadly.
Kathy then looked ashamed as she looked down to the ground while answering sadly, "Well...I...I...I can't do it. I can't sense the Sol Hearts with my Sol Gems".
"Huh?! What?! Why?!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock as his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. His jaw had dropped too after hearing that surprising bit of information.
"I just can't, Knuckles! I tried and tried so many times to contact the Sol Hearts' energy, but it just wouldn't work! The gems hadn't glowed at all!" Kathy exclaimed back with a sad look on her face as she stared at Knuckles.
"Uhhh...S-Surely that there must be a way to contact them! Maybe we need to go to a different spot to do that!" Knuckles exclaimed back with worry in his tone as he still looked shocked.
"But what if...it doesn't work?" Kathy asked in a worried tone too as she frowned sadly.
Knuckles then frowned solemnly at her as he grabbed her right wrist and had stood still. He replied solemnly as he stared intensely at her, "We won't know if we don't try. Don't give up just yet, Kathy. You can do this. Alright?".
Kathy stared into Knuckles' solemn, violet eyes as he said this. Her face was one of shock as her heart beat fast while she listened to Knuckles' encouraging words. She can't help but feel flustered as she stared into Knuckles' solemn face. He's so...so handsome when he's serious...Kathy thought as her light-blue eyes twinkled in fondness. She then slowly nodded in understanding as she quietly replied, "A-Alright, Knuckles. I'll keep trying. But if I'm truly unable to contact the Sol Hearts...umm...please forgive me if that happens...".
Knuckles then slowly smiled gently at Kathy as he replied softly, "Hey...even you couldn't contact them, I'll still be happy that you tried. You won't be harming me in any way if that happens. I promise".
Kathy smiled a little in relief as she's glad that Knuckles doesn't mind if she fails. She then replied calmly with a smile, "Okay. Let's just walk around the whole city then until I could contact the hearts".
"Good idea, Kathy. I'll keep holding onto your wrist as I guide you through the city while you're concentrating on your gems. That way, we'll walk safely throughout the city," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Let's keep searching then!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile.
"Agreed. Let's go," Knuckles replied simply with another nod before walking again. Kathy walked with him again and had closed her eyes once more. As she was busy concentrating on her gems, Knuckles was busy looking around the city again to find any hints to the Sol Hearts. It was rather quiet for them, but they needed the silence to concentrate on their hunting mission. They walked through multiple blocks, made turns when needed to, and had crossed some streets too. As they did this, Kathy was doing her best to concentrate on her Sol Gems to get them to work properly. But of course, Knuckles had guided her safely through the streets whenever they had to cross them. Also, there were some moments of broken concentration when they heard the police and ambulance sirens going off when the police cars and ambulance trucks drove past them. They had to stop in their tracks whenever that happens.
WHEEEEE! WHEEEEEOOOOOO! HOOOONK! HOOOOONK! WHEOOOWHEEEOOOWHEEEOOOO!
Another set of police cars and ambulances drove past Kathy and Knuckles for the third time.
"Hmm...Those cars and trucks are very loud. Do you have any idea on what they are, Knuckles?" Kathy said calmly in curiosity as she looked at Knuckles.
"Hmm? Oh, those cars and trucks are emergency vehicles. Those black and white cars are called 'police cars', and those white trucks with red crosses on them are called 'ambulance trucks'. They're needed to help citizens feel safe and taken cared of. For example, the ambulance takes the citizens to the hospital whenever they are very sick or had been injured badly, and the police cars chase after citizens who are breaking the law," Knuckles explained calmly to Kathy with a little frown on his face.
"Oh...So that's what they are...Hmm...Say, are police cars and ambulances common in cities?" Kathy replied in understanding while still looking curious.
Knuckles nodded as he answered, "Yep. Very common. It's a normal thing in our modern world".
"Ahh..." Kathy muttered as she nodded in understanding.
Knuckles smiled a little as he's glad that he taught something to Kathy again. He then gently pulled onto Kathy's wrist as he replied calmly, "Hey, let's keep going then. We still have a lot places to check in this city".
"Okay," Kathy replied calmly with a nod as she closed her eyes and walked with Knuckles again. They continued to walk throughout the large city in silence. Knuckles tried his best to look around for the Sol Hearts but, he still couldn't find anything in his line of sight. Kathy tried her best to contact the Sol Hearts with her Sol Gems, but even still, she couldn't do it. Argh! The Sol Hearts had got to be around here somewhere! Why couldn't I pick up their energy by now?! Am I...really doing this right? I know that my mother had done it multiple times, and that had looked easy to me. Is it...more complicated than it looks? I'm starting to think that it is. Oooh...No! Don't give up, Kathy! Just do what Knuckles had said and keep trying! I mean...How much longer is it going to take to get some kind of contact? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Pfft! That's nothing! I'll find those hearts much quicker than that! Kathy pondered to herself with a frown before she looked determined as she closed her eyes again.
Unfortunately for Kathy...it was over thirty minutes.
"ARGH! IT'S NOT WORKING!" Kathy shouted in frustration as she abruptly stopped in her tracks. Some people on the other side of the street looked at Kathy and Knuckles briefly in surprise before looking back at the path they were walking on.
"Ack!" Knuckles yelped in surprise over the sudden shouting and having his arm being yanked back. He immediately looked back at Kathy in concern.
Kathy was looking very sad and frustrated as she stared at her Sol Gems in her open palms. She was grimacing as she replied sadly, "I...I can't do it. No matter where I am or where I go, I can't command the Sol Gems to sense the Sol Hearts".
"Ah! Hey! Don't say it like that! I'm sure that if we keep going further, we might-!" Knuckles exclaimed in concern and in sadness as he felt sad after seeing Kathy's defeated face.
"No! Don't you get it, Knuckles?! I CAN'T sense the Sol Hearts! I just can't do it right! Like at all!" Kathy yelled in frustration as she glared at Knuckles.
Knuckles gasped in shock when he saw Kathy glaring at him. He can see that Kathy is really upset by this. He then looked pitiful as he replied gently, "Kathy...That can't be true...You had said that you can control the Sol Pendant to do what you-".
"Yes! I've said that it is an ability that the Sol Pendant can do, but that doesn't mean that it is easy to control it in the first place!" Kathy yelled back in frustration as she cut Knuckles off again.
"Huh?! What?! But...But you had said that it was controlled through telepathy or your imagination as you had called it! How could that be hard to do?! All you need to do is think!" Knuckles exclaimed in confusion as his eyes went wide and as his mouth went agape again.
"Oh! As if I HADN'T been doing that THE WHOLE TIME! What do you think that I've been doing this whole time, Knuckles?! Daydreaming?!" Kathy yelled some more in frustration as she yanked her hand off of Knuckles' grip before crossing her arms.
Knuckles was surprised when heard her talking back at him. He then frowned in slight frustration as he turned around fully to face her. "Well, maybe, since you're not trying hard enough! Come on, Kathy! Don't quit this early on!" Knuckles argued back with an unamused frown on his face.
"It's not quitting! It's a fact! I just can't do it! Even after thirty minutes OF TRYING, I still can't do it!" Kathy argued back in frustration as she shook her head.
"But you had said that you can do it! Don't tell me that you had lied about that!" Knuckles yelled back in irritation as he had his hands out at her.
"I didn't lie! I really had thought that I can do it! I mean...This was my first time doing it!" Kathy yelled back with a frown as she shook her head again.
"What?! What do you mean that this is your 'first time'?! You mean that you hadn't done it before?!" Knuckles yelled in shock as he looked surprised.
Kathy grimaced even more as she shook her head "no" again. "No! I hadn't! My mother was the one who was always looking for the Sol Hearts in the past! She knows how to sense the Sol Hearts with those gems! Not me! I thought that it was going to be easy to replicate that move! I didn't think that it was going to be this hard!" Kathy argued back with a grimace as some tears had started to form in her eyes since she's that frustrated.
Knuckles didn't know what to say to this, but he sure was feeling annoyed by how much of an inconvenience the situation is now. Great. Now, we just have to find the hearts through blind luck. So much for having an easier time. Knuckles thought with a grimace as he felt annoyed. "Ugh...You should've just told me that from the start! Just...why did you have to say that you can do it even though you hadn't tried it before?!" Knuckles exclaimed in frustration as he gritted his teeth a bit.
"Because I just wanted to prove to you that I'm helpful! I'm tired of letting others down all the time! I just...(Sniff)...I just wanted to help you!" Kathy yelled back in anger as some tears fell.
"Kathy! You can't make promises that you couldn't keep in the end! You're going to keep letting others down if you keep saying bold promises like that!" Knuckles yelled back as he slapped his forehead in frustration.
"But...But...(Sniff)...I...I...I want to be needed. If people don't want my assistance...then...then...(Sniff)…" Kathy muttered weakly as more tears fell from her eyes.
"Look, Kathy! Even if you want others to go to you for help, you need to tell them what you can't do BEFORE offering to help them! Of course, people aren't going to go to you for help if you can't help them out with what they need! That's just common sense! In fact, that's just reality in general! No one can do everything that a person wants because we all have flaws and weaknesses! I have flaws and weaknesses, and you do too, Kathy! So stop..." Knuckles argued back in frustration as he put his hands on his hips and frowned solemnly at Kathy.
"...(Sniff)…...(Sniff)…" Kathy was mostly silent aside from her sniffing a little.
Knuckles soon paused and sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. He then finished his speech by saying calmly, "...Stop trying to be perfect, Kathy. I would have been just fine if you had told me that you can't sense the Sol Hearts at all".
Kathy was shocked when she heard Knuckles say that last sentence. She then looked angry again as she yelled, "Liar! You weren't fine when I had told you that I couldn't do it! You had said that you would still be happy with me even if I had failed to contact the Sol Hearts! You had promised me that you would be happy!".
Knuckles' eyelids flew wide open as he was shocked that Kathy had said that. He then looked angry too as he yelled back, "Hey! I just thought that you will eventually do it even AFTER you had failed! I didn't expect you to say that you can't do it at all!".
"But I had told you that the first time when I had realized that it's not working! Yet, you just said that you want me to keep trying! And so, I did! You didn't believe me the first time I had said it! Hmph! ...Thinking that I was just quitting! I was just being honest with you!" Kathy yelled back in frustration and in annoyance as she gripped onto her gems very tightly.
"But you had said that you can do it, and I had believed in you! You can't blame me for feeling disappointed when you had said that you couldn't do it!" Knuckles argued back in irritation as he clenched his hands into fists.
Kathy sniffed as tears kept streaming down on her face. She just felt hurt that Knuckles couldn't keep his promises either. She then closed her eyes as she yelled out, "I'm just as disappointed as you are, Knuckles! Disappointed that you couldn't keep your promise to me! I had believed in you too, you know!".
Knuckles gasped when he heard Kathy say that. He tried to retort, "Well, yeah, I had failed to do that, but-!".
"But you had lied to me! You're such a hypocrite, Knuckles! Saying that I shouldn't make promises that I couldn't keep when clearly you can't keep them either!" Kathy yelled some more as she pointed at Knuckles accusingly.
"I...! Uhh...Yeah, I had said that, but...but...I just thought that-" Knuckles muttered weakly with a frown as he realized that he doesn't know what to say to that true statement.
"And you know what?! …(Sniff)…Fine! Be disappointed in me because I'm disappointed in you too!" Kathy yelled even more in frustration and in sadness as she put her head down and placed her Sol Gems back into her pendant.
"I...I...Kathy..." Knuckles muttered sadly as he frowned deeply at this. He then looked surprised when he saw Kathy starting to fly upwards. Kathy flew a bit up into the air and had stared down at Knuckles in frustration.
"Just go and find the Sol Hearts yourself! Because clearly, I'm not needed here! If I can't help you, then what good am I anyway?! I'm just going to slow you down! Now, goodbye!" Kathy yelled one last time with tears coming down on her face. She then flew straight ahead from where Knuckles was standing at and had made a left turn. While she did that, she was crying softly with her arm over her eyes.
Knuckles was just shocked when he saw Kathy flying away from him. "Ack! Kathy! Wait! Stop! Come back!" Knuckles yelled out in shock as he kept looking at Kathy and had turned around while raising his hand up. But sadly, Kathy hadn't listened to him as she kept flying towards the west. Knuckles grimaced at this as he saw that Kathy isn't going to come back. Oh no...Kathy is going off by herself again. She doesn't know her way around this city! I...I better find her and fast! And also I...Knuckles thought with a grimace as he had a sweat drop on his head while staring at the sky above.
"...I...I really need to apologize to her. I've really screwed this one up," Knuckles muttered sadly with a frown as he looked guilty.
"Boy, you sure did, Knucklehead," a voice said in a teasing way.
"Ah!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock as he recognized that annoying yet sultry voice. He growled in annoyance and had closed his eyes as he thought irritably. Grrrr...Not now...Anything but this...
"...(Sigh)...Rouge, where are you?" Knuckles asked reluctantly with a sigh.
"Well, if you open your eyes, you can see where I am exactly," Rouge replied quietly.
Knuckles took another sigh and had replied while opening his eyes, "...(Sigh)...Fine. Just tell me what you-Ack!".
Knuckles' eyelids immediately flew wide open when he saw that Rouge was literally inches away from his face. Rouge was looking smug as she smiled playfully at him. "Why hello, Knuckles. How are you?" Rouge greeted teasingly with a smug smile.
Knuckles immediately back up from Rouge in shock. His face had turned red and had looked flustered. He then looked irritated as he yelled, "What are you doing here, Rouge?! You came at a bad time!".
"Aww, is that the kind of greeting that I get for not seeing you in a long time? I thought that you'd feel relieved for seeing a familiar face. Also, I think that I came at a good time! After all, I just saw the grumpy, short-tempered echidna arguing with a moth of all things! It's like looking at a dog barking at a falling leaf! It's hysterical!" Rouge replied playfully with a smirk as she had her hands on her hips and had batted her eyelashes at Knuckles.
"Grrrrrrr!" Knuckles growled in frustration as he clenched his hands onto fists and had barred his teeth. His eyebrows had narrowed too as he glared coldly at his old flame. Grrrr...When she says it like that, it's makes my situation ten times more embarrassing than it is! Why does she have to make things worse for me?! Why?! Knuckles brooded in frustration as he kept growling.
"Is this what happens when I'm not around, Knuckie? Do you argue with moths just release your pent-up anger?" Rouge asked teasingly with a smirk.
"No! I do not! And secondly, that moth wasn't any ordinary moth! She's my fr-uhhh-teammate! Yes, that's right! Teammate!" Knuckles yelled in irritation as he blushed a bit in embarrassment when he almost said "friend".
"Oh! So, she's your new friend. Eh?" Rouge replied playfully in mock interest as she placed a hand on her cheek and had smiled widely.
"Teammate!" Knuckles corrected immediately while blushing some more.
"Yeah, whatever. So, what's her name?" Rouge replied casually with a hand wave before leaning a bit closer to Knuckles in curiosity.
Knuckles pouted at this as he crossed his arms and glared even harder at Rouge. Oh, what's her deal here? Trying to know who Kathy is so that she could have more ammunition to tease me? No way! Not on my life am I telling Rouge who Kathy is! Knuckles brooded with a pouty look on his face. He then answered curtly with a frown, "None of your business!".
Rouge then pretended to look sad as she whined, "Awww, come on, Knuckie. It's just a name. You don't have to act so cold towards me. Why, if I have a new friend, wouldn't you be curious to know what their name is?".
"No! Because I don't care!" Knuckles yelled back with gritted teeth.
"Oh...Really? Not even when it's a new guy that I'm friends with?" Rouge asked sadly with a frown.
"I said that I don't care!" Knuckles yelled again in frustration as he closed his eyes. Grrrr! Rouge can't take a freaking hint to save her life! Ugh! Can she ever be so dense?! Seriously! Come on! Knuckles brooded irritably while growling.
Rouge then frowned in annoyance when she saw that Knuckles was being stubborn. Hmph. It's a good thing that Omega is at the grocery store right now because I would've gladly asked him to throttle Knuckles just to get some information out of him! Seriously! It's like talking to a brick wall! Rouge thought in annoyance. She then crossed her arms and had decided to be serious. She figured that getting straight to the point will get Knuckles to start talking.
"Look, Knucklehead. If you don't tell me who she is, then I might tell the Neo G.U.N. officials that she's dangerous and needs to be killed," Rouge warned with a frown.
Knuckles then gasped as he heard this. His eyes were open wide now as he gawked at Rouge in shock. "Ack! You wouldn't dare!" Knuckles exclaimed in worry as he frowned sadly.
"Hmph. Try me," Rouge replied sternly with a glare.
Knuckles grimaced at this. Ugh...I don't want Kathy to be in danger. Even though she could fend for herself, I still don't want her to get hurt. Knuckles brooded with a worried look on his face. He then sighed deeply and replied reluctantly, "Alright. Fine. You win, Rouge. I'll tell you a bit about that moth girl".
Rouge smiled in triumph as she thought. I had a feeling that he would comply to that. He gets all soft whenever his friends are in danger, and that is all the proof that I need to know that he truly is friends with that girl.
"I'm glad that you're seeing things my way, Knuckles. You're being a real good sport right now," Rouge replied smugly as she smirked at Knuckles.
Knuckles frowned in frustration of that as he hated when Rouge got the upper hand in certain scenarios. He grunted a bit before replying curtly, "Hmph! Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyways, that moth girl's name is Kathy the Moth. I've met her two nights ago when she had crashed-landed onto my island. There. Happy?".
"Yes, I am. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Rouge replied playfully with a smile.
"Hmph!" Knuckles grunted again in irritation as he looked away from Rouge.
"Well then...onto the next question-" Rouge replied calmly with a smile before Knuckles cut her off.
"What do you mean by 'next question'?! Are you testing me on something?!" Knuckles yelled in irritation as he glared at Rouge again.
Rouge shrugged casually as she replied with a smirk, "Hey, I'm just doing my job as a government spy, okay? I'm sorry that I have to question you like this, Knuckles. But I need to in order to finish my assignment".
Knuckles sighed again in exasperation as he closed his eyes again. "Ugh. Fine. Tell me your next question," Knuckles replied in exhaustion as he frowned solemnly.
But of course, he was not prepared when Rouge had asked him this.
"Are you and Kathy dating?" Rouge asked jokingly with a playful smirk.
WHAT?! Knuckles thought in shock as his eyes flew wide open again. He shouted while having an embarrassed look on his face, "WE'RE NOT DATING!".
Rouge obviously laughed at this and had clutched her stomach. Priceless! Absolutely priceless! Rouge thought in amusement as she laughed a lot.
Knuckles blushed very much at this humiliating situation. He hated himself for falling into another one of Rouge's devious traps. Grrrrr! I should've known that she would've asked me about that! She just loves to humiliate me on every occasion that she sees fit! Why does she have to be so infuriating to deal with?! Knuckles brooded in humiliation and in frustration as he glared at Rouge.
Rouge laughed some more before she calmed down a little as she replied, "Ahahahahahaha! Okay! Okay! Now onto my real question...Hahahahaha!".
Knuckles groaned in agony as he blushed in embarrassment. "Just hurry it up already," Knuckles replied tiredly with a grimace.
Rouge soon calmed down fully and had asked with a smile, "Alright. I will. Keep your head on, Knuckles. ...Okay, what I was about to ask was this. ...Had you ridden on Kathy's back yesterday when that black monster attacked Central City?".
Knuckles' eyebrows were raised in surprise of this question. He then answered with a little frown on his face, "Uhhh...Yeah, I did. What about it?".
"Nothing just...Was there any reason for that?" Rouge asked calmly with a curious look on her face.
"Umm...Well...Yes. It's because Kathy isn't from our dimension. She used to live in the Sol Dimension, but she had decided to come here to make her new home in this dimension instead. She had told me herself that she doesn't know her way around this world. So, she had asked me to help her guide her to Central City. That's the reason why I had ridden on her back. She had needed my help," Knuckles answered calmly with a frown as he recalled yesterday's events.
Rouge smiled even more in amusement and with intrigue as she listened to Knuckles' answer. She then replied coyly, "Oh, really? Is that all?".
"...Uhh...Yeah. That's it," Knuckles replied awkwardly with a confused look on his face.
"Are you sure that it wasn't because you wanted to ride on her back? I can understand if you're desperate for some physical pleasure, Knuckie. We all have them in some points of our lives," Rouge teased playfully with a devious smirk as she leant forward towards Knuckles.
"ROUGE!" Knuckles shouted in embarrassment as he closed his eyes and blushed hard at that crude question.
"Ahahahahahahaha! I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Geez, you get flustered so easily, Knuckles! Can't you take a joke?! Hahahahahahaha!" Rouge exclaimed in glee as she laughed again.
"No! And can you stop teasing me?! It's not funny!" Knuckles yelled back in irritation as he gritted his teeth again.
"Why should I stop teasing you? Seeing your cute, flustered face is totally worth it! Hahahahahaha!" Rouge replied playfully as she laughed some more.
"Grrrrrrr!" Knuckles growled in anger as he glared at Rouge while having a vein bulging in his head. Grrrrrrrrrr...No one gets to call me cute except for Kathy! She's the only one that I could allow to say that about me! But not this girl! Ooooh noooo! Definitely...DEFINTELY NOT THIS GIRL! Knuckles brooded in frustration as he kept growling at Rouge while she laughed at him. It's moments like these that he's glad that he had broken up with Rouge a long time ago. Because he doesn't want to think about what it'll be like if he had married her.
Of course, as if he had thought about that at all.
"You are the last person to ever call me 'cute', bat girl!" Knuckles yelled out angrily as he pointed at her.
"Awww, don't be like that, Knuckie. You're still cute even after you had broken up with me. You're just the same old Knucklehead that I had fallen in love with. You'll never change," Rouge replied playfully with a smirk as she slowly walked towards Knuckles and held his cheek.
Knuckles gasped when he heard Rouge say, "You'll never change". He blushed a bit when he felt Rouge's hand on his left cheek and having it being rubbed a bit. He then frowned solemnly as he replied coldly, "...The same could be said about you, Rouge. You'll never change for the better, and I had been a fool to believe that you will. You know what they say, 'Once a thief...always a thief'".
"But, Knuckles, I've clearly changed a lot ever since we had dated. Why don't you just give me another chance? I'll prove to you that I've taken what you had said to heart and treat you right this time. Come on, we both know that you're not interested in anyone besides me. So, why don't we just try again? I'll make your time extra valuable if we get back together again. I...promise," Rouge replied seductively with a smirk as she gently caressed Knuckles' cheek with her hand and had gently stroked his chest with her other hand.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he glared coldly at Rouge's seductive face. He hated that smug face with all his heart. To him, it was a symbol of deceit and disappointment. He then looked even more solemn as he brooded. "I promise", huh? Hmph. Yeah right. Even I know straight away that it's a broken promise. I'm not going to be fooled again. Sorry, Rouge, but even I had changed. And...
He then closed his eyes as he finished his broodings with. ...I'm going to keep changing for the better thanks to a certain moth girl helping me out. I'm going to change...thanks to her being in my life right now.
"Nice try, Rouge. But no deal. I'm not interested in you anymore," Knuckles replied solemnly as he moved Rouge's hands from his face and chest.
Rouge frowned a bit in disappointment before she smiled again and shrugged her shoulders. "Aw well, maybe some other time then I suppose. I know that you'll come around eventually," Rouge replied casually as she stepped a bit away from Knuckles.
"Hmph..." Knuckles grunted quietly as he opened his eyes again and frowned solemnly at her.
"So...let me get this straight...Kathy is someone that you trust, right?" Rouge asked inquisitively with flirtatious eyes.
"..." Knuckles was silent but had nodded his head to answer.
"I see...And she also hasn't hurt you physically, right?" Rouge asked curiously as she nodded her head too in understanding.
"..." Knuckles was still silent but had shook his head "no" to answer.
Rouge smiled at this and had replied causally, "Well, if that's the case, then my work here is done".
Before Knuckles had spoken up, he saw Rouge turning around and looked back at him with a mischievous look on her face. "I'm going back to see Omega now. He must be done getting the groceries for today. See ya later, Knuckie. I'll be waiting for you if you need some attention. After all..." Rouge replied calmly with a smirk before she narrowed her eyes as she added seductively, "...I'm willing to give you all of my attention if you come back to me. I'm sure that you miss that oh so much. Later...".
Rouge then gave Knuckles her signature mock salute before flying off into the sky again. Knuckles just stood still while looking at Rouge flying away from him. He can see her flying to the north side of the city. He had a solemn frown on his face as he glared at Rouge flying farther away from him. Just what was that all about? I'll never understand why she wanted to ask me those questions, but I better be on the lookout for Kathy here. She could be in danger for all I know. Knuckles pondered solemnly with a frown. He soon frowned even deeper when he remembered what happened before Rouge had showed up.
...And speaking of Kathy...I better go find her...Knuckles pondered solemnly again with a serious look on his face.
He soon ran off towards the north and then towards the west to follow the path that Kathy had made earlier.
[Ten Minutes Later]
Knuckles was panting as he ran as fast as he could while looking around where Kathy might be. He had looked through some alleyways and in other corners of the city, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Oooh...Kathy...Please be okay...Knuckles thought in worry as he kept running as fast as he could. His eyebrows were soon raised when he saw that he was approaching a park. He soon skidded to a stop in front of the park's entrance. He stood still as he saw a handful of children and their parents at the park. The children were obviously playing at the swings, the gymnasium, the monkey-bars, the cage, the wheel, and the seesaws. The parents were just either sitting on the benches or were with their children as they played. Knuckles was just quiet while having a little frown on his face as he scanned the busy park with curious eyes. Hmm...Knuckles mused as he looked back and forth at the happy kids playing in the park.
He can see how much the children were enjoying themselves as they played at the park and...it just reminded him of Kathy. Seeing her happy face when she was either giggling or laughing had always been enduring to him. Perhaps it was because of her childishness and simplicity that had made her so enjoyable to be with. She was as free as she can be by having fun wherever she's at. She may be 14, but she is like a 7-year-old without a care in the world.
"..." Knuckles was still silent as he stared at the park with a sad look on his face.
...Sigh...If only I was as free as these children are when I was a kid. I've never played in a park before. It seems...so much fun to do...Ugh...I wish that I was just a normal person and had a normal life that wasn't about guarding a powerful, mystical gem. I might have been happier if I had a life like that. Not...the one that I have right now...Knuckles brooded with a sad frown on his face as he stared at the happy children again.
Suddenly, an idea had sprung into his head.
Hey! Wait a minute! Kathy might be in this park! I better go check it out then! Knuckles thought in surprise as he realized that he hadn't checked in the park yet. He soon walked into the park and had started to look around for Kathy. He was being careful to not bump into any children as he walked around in the playground. He looked carefully for Kathy as he looked at the trees, the benches, the cage, and the gymnasium, but even still, he couldn't spot her anywhere.
"Hmm..." Knuckles mused quietly as he stood a few feet from the gymnasium while having a hand on his hip and had stared straight at it. Where are you, Kathy? Are you really not here either? Hmm...Knuckles pondered with a worried look on his face.
"Poor girl. I feel rather bad for her," a young boy said pitifully.
"Huh?" Knuckles muttered in confusion and intrigue as he looked at his right to see a brown bear cub and a white rabbit.
"Yeah, I know. She must be really upset by something. I wonder why she was crying," the white girl rabbit replied with a frown as she stared up into the gymnasium.
"I don't know. Maybe some mean bully had picked on her," the boy bear cub replied with a sad frown and a shrug as he looked at the girl rabbit.
"But why would they do that? She's very pretty, and she was very nice to us when we had tried to talk to her. Who would do such a cruel thing to a beautiful creature?" the girl rabbit said with a sad look on her face as she stared at the bear cub.
"..." Knuckles was speechless as he overheard the kids talking. He can't help but feel even more guilty for arguing with Kathy and making her upset. He frowned even more in sadness as he's worried on how Kathy's been doing after their little tiff. She must have been crying the whole time by herself I imagine. The poor thing. I really feel like jerk for being a little too harsh on her. Knuckles brooded with a sad frown on his face.
He then walked a bit towards the two kids and had asked politely, "Umm...Excuse me, but would this girl happen to be a moth of some kind? I'm...uhh...looking for her".
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, a beautiful-looking moth to be precise. If you want to go to her, she's inside that red square at the top right part of the gymnasium," the white rabbit girl answered calmly with a little smile as she looked up at Knuckles.
"Ah. Thank you for your help. I'll be going there now," Knuckles replied calmly with a nod and with a relieved smile on his face as he's glad that he had found Kathy.
"You're welcome!" the white girl rabbit replied brightly with a smile.
"Just please try to cheer her up. I feel so bad knowing that she's crying the whole time without anybody comforting her. She really needs some help," the boy bear cub added with a worried look on his face.
Knuckles smiled sadly as he replied calmly, "Don't worry. I will cheer her up. She'll be smiling again in no time".
The bear cub smiled at that and had replied, "Thank you, mister! Anyways, good luck! Come on, Sarah! Let's go play on the seesaws now!".
"Okay! Coming, Daniel!" the white rabbit exclaimed brightly with a smile as she and the bear cub ran towards the seesaws with happy looks on their faces.
Knuckles smiled a bit in amusement as he watched the two children running away while being carefree. Heh...Kids... Knuckles thought in amusement with a smile. He then looked fond again as he pondered while staring at the two kids. Hmmm...I wonder if Kathy and I will ever be like that someday. Being so happy and carefree that we just play around with each other all day and just relax. Sigh...If only...
Knuckles then took a huge sigh and frowned again as he looked back at the gymnasium. He started to climb and walk around in the huge gymnasium to get to where Kathy is at. He can see some children leaving the gymnasium by using the slides and was a bit relieved when he saw that there was no one left in the gymnasium. Good. Now, it's just Kathy and me. At least we can have our talk in private. Knuckles thought in relief as he got up to the top of the gymnasium. He can see that there were four secluded sections at the top with some slides at the adjacent sections. The ceiling of the gymnasium is a dome with red and white stripes on it. The secluded sections are a square, a circle, a triangle, and a star. They were also color coded as red, blue, green, and yellow. Knuckles could see the red square at his left and had headed towards it. When he got close, he could hear Kathy whimpering and sniffling in sadness as she cried. He grimaced when he heard those crying sounds. He soon got down to his knees and looked into the red square while saying softly, "Kathy? Are you in here?".
"...(Sob Sob Sob)…(Sniff)...Kn-Knuckles?" Kathy whimpered as she cried softly. She lifted her head up from her lap and had looked at Knuckles.
Knuckles only frowned sadly at her as he saw her crying face. It...It breaks my heart to see her like this. Knuckles thought in pity as he stared gently into Kathy's tear-filled eyes.
"Wh-Why? …(Sob Sob)...Why are you here? Shouldn't you be looking for...for...(Sniff)...the Sol Hearts?" Kathy asked sadly as she cried some more.
"I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you here? We need to look for the Sol Hearts together," Knuckles replied softly with a sad frown on his face.
"What? ...T-Together? …(Sob Sob)...Why? What good could I do to help? I'm...(Sniff)...I'm useless..." Kathy asked in confusion as she continued to cry softly.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered softly with a pitiful look on his face as he crawled into the red square and went towards the left wall where Kathy was sitting against. He then got to the left wall and had turned his position a bit to sit against the wall too. As he sat with Kathy, he stared sadly at her as he whispered softly, "...You're not useless to me. Just because you can't sense the Sol Hearts, that doesn't mean that you're useless. You have more abilities that are useful than you think".
"...I...I do? …(Sniff)...What other abilities that I have that could help us?" Kathy asked quietly as more tears went down her face. She stared at Knuckles with hopeful eyes as he stared back at her with sad eyes.
Knuckles then placed his hand onto Kathy's right shoulder as he smiled a little to her. "Well...You can fly really fast. It could help us search the whole world for the hearts in just minutes..." Knuckles whispered gently with a small smile as he stared caringly at her.
"...(Sniff)...I...I guess so..." Kathy replied softly with a little frown as she blinked her teary eyes.
"And you can teleport. It may come in handy for us someday, right?" Knuckles continued while whispering with a gentle smile on his face.
Kathy nodded as she answered quietly, "Well...Yeah...When I learn and memorize more places in the world, I could use my Sol Gems to teleport to those places. That type of teleportation is called 'long distance teleportation'".
"See? There you go. Since we can go anywhere in the world in no time at all, I'm sure that we'll find those Sol Hearts," Knuckles encouraged gently with a fond look on his face. He even gently squeezed Kathy's shoulder while saying that.
"...(Sniff)...Y-Yeah...Maybe..." Kathy replied softly with a little smile on her face as she was starting to cheer up. Knuckles smiled even more fondly as he saw her smiling a little. He then decided to wrap her shoulders with his arm to further comfort her.
As he rubbed Kathy's left arm with his hand, Knuckles replied gently, "Not only that...But you can fight. Whether it be from your antennas or from your Sol Pendant, you can fight off Battra anytime that he finds a Sol Heart. I know that you are capable of doing that, and when you need some help in doing that...".
He then winked at her as he finished gently, "...You can always count on me to get the Sol Heart for you. I'll even stop Battra myself if I have to. Heheheh...".
Kathy stared at Knuckles with a relieved smile while still having tears in her eyes. Knuckles only stared back at her in fondness. "Oh...Oh, Knuckles...I...I...(Sob Sob Sob)…" Kathy muttered softly before crying again as she hugged Knuckles tightly around his waist. Knuckles smiled sadly at Kathy as he hugged her back with one arm. Kathy just cried on Knuckles' shoulder as he comforted her.
"...There. There. ...Shhh..." Knuckles whispered softly with a gentle smile as he held Kathy tightly with one arm. He kept soothing her with gentle words until she had calmed down again.
"...(Sniff)…...(Sniff)…" Kathy sniffed quietly as she wiped her eyes a bit before hugging Knuckles again.
"...Feeling better, Kathy?" Knuckles asked gently with a warm smile on his face.
Kathy nodded her head onto Knuckles' shoulder, and this had caused him to chuckle again as he felt her soft antennas brushing against his neck. "Heheheheheh...I'll...I'll take that as a 'yes'. Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied gently as he chuckled a bit while cringing slightly.
Kathy smiled a lot when she heard Knuckles' cute chuckles again. She stopped nodding and just rested her head on his shoulder instead. She was quiet as she kept hugging Knuckles tightly yet gently. Knuckles was quiet too as he's glad that he had not only cheered Kathy up but was also hugging her again. The warm and pleasant feeling was back in his chest as he held Kathy close to him. He kept stroking her left arm in fondness as he held her tightly. He had a huge smile on his face as he's glad that things are back to normal again.
"...(Sigh)…" Knuckles sighed deeply in fondness as he stared at the glass window on the other side of the red square. He can see the beautiful, sunny day in the city and the busy playground below. He felt like he could stay in this little, red square forever with Kathy at his side and feel content with himself. Knuckles smiled fondly as he leant his head onto Kathy's head and stared calmly into the glass window. ...There's nothing in this life that makes me happier than being with Kathy. I feel at peace with her around, and I...I don't want that to stop. Please...Please let me stay here with her some more...Please...Knuckles pondered fondly as he begged in his heart that Kathy could stay at his side for much longer.
…
…
…
"...Knuckles?" Kathy asked quietly as she broke the long and peaceful silence.
"...Yes?" Knuckles asked softly with a fond look on his face.
"...I'm sorry...I'm sorry that I had yelled at you, argued with you, and had left you even though you don't want me to go off on my own. I was just...so frustrated with myself that I couldn't use the Sol Gems to help us look for the Sol Hearts. I...I didn't mean to snap at you...I'm very sorry, Knuckles. Please forgive me..." Kathy apologized gently with a little frown as she stared at the window too.
"..." Knuckles was quiet at that as he stared gently at the window with a calm smile on his face. He held Kathy even tighter when he replied softly, "...I forgive you, Kathy, and...I'm sorry too...".
"Huh? You're sorry? But...I was just acting immature there. Why do you feel sorry?" Kathy replied in confusion as her eyes looked up at Knuckles.
"It's because I've broken two promises to you, Kathy. That's why," Knuckles answered calmly with a longing smile as his eyelids went down halfway.
"What? T-Two? What two promises?" Kathy asked in confusion as she doesn't get where Knuckles is going with this.
"Heheheheh...You forgot already, huh? Heheheheh...It's okay. I'll remind you," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he chuckled quietly. He soon lifted his head up from Kathy's head and looked at her. Kathy then got her head up and looked at Knuckles in the eyes. With a warm smile, Knuckles continued while staring into Kathy's light-blue eyes, "I've promised you that I shouldn't yell or shout at you anymore no matter what the circumstances, and the second promise was that I should be happy even when you had failed to sense the Sol Hearts. Because of that, I've...".
Knuckles soon frowned a little as he finished his apology with, "...I've hurt you by breaking those promises...I'm very sorry that I had hurt you. I've made you even more upset by yelling at you and bringing you down. Even though what I had said was true, I still came off as being hurtful rather than helpful. I'm very sorry about that. Please forgive me, Kathy".
Kathy frowned a bit in sadness when she heard Knuckles' apology. She knew that he had said to her was right. She should have been more honest about herself from the start. She then nodded in understanding and replied softly with, "It's okay, Knuckles. I forgive you, and...you're right. I was trying way too hard to appear perfect. I was just...just trying to appease you. I really just wanted to be helpful".
Knuckles frowned even more in sadness as he felt pity for Kathy after hearing her say that. He then grabbed her shoulders as he replied gently, "Kathy...You already are being helpful to me and to Sonic and Tails. Why do you keep wanting to be helpful? Why are you so insistent into appeasing me?".
Kathy frowned even more in sadness as she looked down to her lap. With a sad look on her face, she answered quietly, "...Because...I wasn't helpful to anyone in the past...".
"Huh? What?" Knuckles asked in confusion as his eyebrows were raised by this. She wasn't helpful? How could that be? Knuckles pondered in confusion as he stared curiously at Kathy.
"Yes, it's true. When I was just a larva, I couldn't do anything that could help others. I was very weak, slow, and couldn't even fight. The only thing that I could do was spit silk out of my mouth, but even that didn't do anything to help others," Kathy replied sadly with a frown.
"But surely there was something that you can do to help others," Knuckles replied quietly with a sad look on his face.
Kathy looked at Knuckles and frowned even more in sadness. With a sad frown, she asked quietly, "You don't think that I hadn't thought of that, did you, Knuckles?".
"Ah!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise of that. He then shook his head as he replied awkwardly, "N-No! Not at all! I just meant...umm...was there someone in need of your help?".
Kathy looked even sadder as she answered quietly, "...To be honest...No. But...I just have to help them. They were already in enough trouble as it is thanks to Battra's monsters destroying their villages and families".
"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock as his eyes went wide and as his mouth was agape. ...I...I think I can see where this is going. Poor Kathy...Knuckles thought in pity as he looked sad again.
Kathy looked down to her lap again as she explained, "You see, Knuckles, many monsters had destroyed countless villages and people. Everyone was desperate to be saved from the monsters whenever they had attacked their villages. Sure, my mom may have destroyed the monsters and had saved dozens of lives, but she couldn't save everyone from getting killed by them. And sadly...I was unable to save anyone from the monsters too".
"..." Knuckles was just speechless as he stared at Kathy with a pitiful look on his face.
"Those monsters were bigger and stronger than me. There was no way that I could beat them in my larva form. Those monsters had killed countless people right before my very eyes," Kathy continued solemnly as she looked at Knuckles with a sad look on her face.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he stared pitifully into Kathy's sad, sparkly, light-blue eyes.
As Kathy stared deeply into Knuckles' eyes, she continued solemnly, "I...I could remember the terrified looks on people's faces as they were being cornered by the huge, dark monsters. Their screams from when they were killed by the monsters attacking them. The roars that the dark monsters gave out after killing the people. And...and...the grief...the anger...the fear...and the bitterness on everyone's faces when I had told them that I had failed to save their loved ones. They...They had hated me because I had failed to help them save their families".
"..." Knuckles just didn't know what to say to that. The fact that Kathy had tried to save and protect people from huge monsters at a very young age was rather a very brave thing to do. Knuckles can't help but feel impressed by that.
Kathy's eyes started to have tears again as she continued with her story, "...I'll admit...Maybe it wasn't a good idea to raise people's hopes up by boldly declaring, 'I can do it!' or 'I can save them!'. But...(Sniff)...But...what else could I do when I see people crying or feeling terrified? I...I just have to help them...It is something that...my mom would've done...(Sniff)...She was always so brave and caring towards the people in the Sol Islands and on Monster Island...(Sniff)...She wanted to protect others as a part of her duty as the Goddess of Peace...And since I...had wanted to help my mom in her war with Battra...I...I...(Sniff)...I need to protect others too...It's the only way that I know that will make her happy...".
Kathy looked down again as she closed her eyes. She cried softly again, and Knuckles felt sympathetic towards her as he watched her cry again. Kathy then finished her story by saying this, "...(Sob Sob)...But I...(Sob Sob Sob)...I couldn't do it! (Sob Sob Sob)...No matter how many times I tried...I...I...I couldn't save a single person! (Sob Sob)...I was just too weak, too slow, and too scared! (Sob Sob Sob)...I had tried so hard but had failed every single time! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...I was just useless! I've let everyone down and had gotten them to be angry with me! (Sob Sob Sob)...I just didn't want that to happen again! (Sob Sob Sob)...I'm so sorry that I had disappointed you, Knuckles! I'm so sorry! (Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob)…".
Knuckles immediately pulled Kathy into a tight hug after hearing that last part. He held her tightly in his arms as he comforted her. Kathy had hugged Knuckles tightly too as she cried over his left shoulder. Knuckles just looked devastated as he stared at Kathy as she cried. He just couldn't take her sad story anymore and just hearing her apologize again had broken his heart. He had no idea that was what Kathy's life was like as a child. That and the fact that she was a very lonely child just made Knuckles' heart cry for her in pity. ...I...I just don't know what to say to that...That story was just...pitiful...and...heartbreaking...Knuckles brooded with a sad look on his face.
"...(Sob Sob Sob)...I...I wasn't a hero! I was...was...a failure! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)…" Kathy exclaimed in sadness as she cried a bit louder. She could hear the people's disgust in her mind and had felt worse.
"...No, Kathy. You were a hero. You had tried to help someone, and that's what counts here..." Knuckles whispered softly as he closed his eyes and had stroked Kathy's back to comfort her.
"But I had still failed! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...Those people that I had tried to save had died! (Sob Sob Sob)..." Kathy exclaimed in sadness as she cried some more.
"I know. I know. But you still did something that not too many people would want to do...Confronting something that is scary and dangerous..." Knuckles whispered softly as he nodded his head in understanding.
"...But! (Sniff)...But what good did I do for even trying?! I had failed to stop those monsters! I had failed to save anyone! And I had failed the people who were expecting me to save their families!" Kathy exclaimed in sadness and in frustration as she gritted her teeth.
"...Kathy..." Knuckles whispered sadly with a frown.
"Those people wanted their loved ones back! And if I couldn't give them what they want, then how can you say that I'm a hero?! I did nothing!" Kathy exclaimed in frustration as more tears went down from her eyes.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered in slight annoyance.
"I'm serious, Knuckles! Everyone was disappointed that I couldn't save their loved ones! Children were devastated when they heard that they had lost their parents! Parents were frightened and upset that they had lost their children! And couples were grieving at the news of losing their partners! They were disappointed! They were furious! And most of all...they were disgusted by-" Kathy exclaimed in sadness and in frustration as more tears fell from her face.
"Kathy!" Knuckles yelled as he shook Kathy a bit in his arms.
"Ah! ...Y-Yes? (Sniff)…" Kathy muttered weakly with a shocked yet sad look on her face as she looked at Knuckles.
"..." Knuckles was quiet again as he held Kathy dearly in his arms. He slowly opened his eyes halfway and had a huge, sad frown on his face. He then replied gently, "Sorry, Kathy. Sorry for yelling at you like that. I just...wanted to say something to you. Please listen...It's very important that you should hear this...".
"O-Oh? Okay..." Kathy muttered quietly while having tears in her eyes.
"Good. So...umm..." Knuckles muttered awkwardly as he realized that he hadn't thought any further after that yell. He frowned a bit more as he thought. Come on, Knuckles. You know what you were about to say...S-Spit it out already!
"Knuckles? ...What is it? What were you going to say?" Kathy asked softly with curious, sad eyes as she stared at Knuckles in confusion.
"Uhhhhh!" Knuckles muttered in embarrassment as he blushed brightly to Kathy's questions. Knuckles! Think! Think! You know exactly what you were about to say when you had heard that! Come on! Say it! Say it! Knuckles pondered in panic as he stared at Kathy with wide eyes and with a wide mouth.
"Umm...Knuckles? Are you...going to say something or-?" Kathy asked in confusion as she stared at Knuckles curiously with tear-filled eyes.
"A hero isn't someone who lives on people's expectations!" Knuckles blurted out in nervousness and in embarrassment as his face flushed red.
"H-Huh? What?" Kathy asked in shock and in confusion as she pulled away from Knuckles a bit to look at his face. She can see him blushing red as he stared back at her. Knuckles could still see the tears in Kathy's eyes but had seen that she looks more curious than upset right now.
With an awkward and flustered look, Knuckles replied in shyness, "Uhhh...Umm...Uhhh...Y-Yeah...That's what...being a hero...is about...You just...ummm...do what you had to do...It's...uhh...an opportunity to act as a hero and...try to help others...It's...errr...It's a duty to do so! Yeah! That's what it is! A duty to serve others!".
Knuckles smiled a little when he got to the last part. Kathy was surprised yet confused when Knuckles had said that. "Huh? A...duty?" Kathy asked curiously as she titled her head in a cute way again.
Knuckles brightened up as he replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile, "Uhh...Yeah. You heard me. 'A duty'. Sonic, Tails, and I have a duty to save our planet every time it's in danger. It doesn't matter how you save it or whether you had succeeded into doing so or not...All that matters is...you do it because you want to do it. Not because you can make people happy for doing it. I mean...I'm happy to try and save the world from Battra. I...uhh...I want the planet to be safe again because...umm...".
He then blushed even more in embarrassment as he finished shyly, "Umm...I...uhh...I wanted you...to enjoy it...while having me by your side. I just think that...it's worth saving the world just for that".
"..." Kathy was speechless as she stared gently at Knuckles' violet eyes with her teary-filled eyes.
Knuckles then smiled lopsidedly as he rubbed Kathy's shoulders. "Uhh...Heheh...Umm...I...I don't know what else to say besides that. Heheheh..." Knuckles replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile as he chuckled nervously.
"Knuckles..." Kathy muttered quietly as she stared longingly at Knuckles.
"Hmm? Yes, Kath-y?" Knuckles asked curiously as with a gentle smile before Kathy rammed into him and gave him a huge hug. He gasped when he felt Kathy hugging him again. He looked at Kathy with a surprised look on his face. Kathy was still crying, but this time...she was smiling.
"...(Sniff)...Thank you...(Sob Sob)...Thank you so, so, sooo much, Knuckles! You...(Sniff)...You have no idea how much I had wanted to hear that. No...Need to hear it to be more precise. …(Sob Sob)...Knuckles...You're so sweet...You're such a sweet boy..." Kathy replied softly as she cried with a relieved smile on her face.
Knuckles blushed very much when he heard Kathy compliment him as being "sweet". He felt very embarrassed right now, and yet...a huge, warm smile formed on his face as he stared longingly at Kathy. He then shyly replied, "It's...It's nothing...".
Knuckles hugged Kathy back just as tightly as her. His cheeks were burning bright red, but his heart was fluttering in happiness as he's glad that he had cheered Kathy up again. He closed his eyes while smiling happily like giddy, little child. Heheheh...She called me "sweet". Heheheheh...Knuckles thought in amusement and in shyness.
Kathy was just happy to be hugging Knuckles again. She felt safe and secure again as she felt him holding her tightly. Knuckles is so nice. So sweet. And so...caring of me. It feels like I'm with my mom again. My mom always cheers me up whenever I feel sad, and...I'm just glad that Knuckles does the same thing as my mom whenever I'm sad. He always knows how to cheer me up. I just...feel so safe whenever he's around, comforting me like this. He really is like a little doggie. Dogs always go to their owners whenever they sense some discomfort or distress in their owners. They're just that sweet. Kathy pondered happily with a smile as she wiped her tears with her hand before placing it onto Knuckles' back again.
"...(Sniff)...Doggie..." Kathy muttered cheerfully with a sweet smile as she held Knuckles dearly and rubbed his back.
Knuckles blushed even more when he heard Kathy say "Doggie" again. He then smiled a lot in amusement as he asked gently, "Hmm? You want something from me?".
"Doggie!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with a happy smile as she squeezed Knuckles a bit.
Knuckles chuckled in amusement before he smirked mischievously at her. "Grrrrr...Ruff! Ruff!" Knuckles growled and barked playfully at Kathy to amuse her.
As he had expected, Kathy giggled a lot in amusement. "Hehehehehehe! Nice doggie..." Kathy replied happily as she giggled sweetly.
"Grrrrrrr...Ruff! Ruff!" Knuckles growled and barked playfully again with a mischievous smile on his face. He slightly turned his head towards Kathy as he barked some more in playfulness, "Grrr...Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!".
"Hehehehehehehehe! Down doggie! Down!" Kathy exclaimed happily as she giggled a lot at that response.
"Grrrrrrr..." Knuckles growled lowly in playfulness as he smirked. He then nuzzled his nose into Kathy's neck to make her giggle some more.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehe! Hahahahahahahaha! Knuckles! Stop! Down boy! Down! Hehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed jovially as she giggled a lot now. She rubbed Knuckles' back a lot now as she enjoyed his nuzzles.
Knuckles then playfully panted like a dog would do when being petted. Kathy giggled very much at this reaction as she replied happily, "Hehehehehehe! Good doggie! Nice doggie!".
"(Pant pant pant pant)…...Ahh...ahhh..." Knuckles panted playfully before he stopped nuzzling Kathy's neck when he felt a sneeze coming on. He looked away from Kathy and covered his mouth with his arm before sneezing. "ACHOOO! ….Ahhh...aaahhh...ACHOO! (Sniff)…" Knuckles sneezed a bit before wiping his nose.
"Oh! You sneezed! Are you alright, Knuckles?" Kathy replied in surprised before in concern as she looked at Knuckles.
"I'm...I'm fine. I'm just...Ahh...ACHOO!" Knuckles replied calmly before sneezing again.
"Are you sure?" Kathy asked in worry as she stared at Knuckles with a frown.
"I'm fine. Honest," Knuckles replied calmly as he pulled Kathy away a bit to look at her directly. He smiled sheepishly at her as he added, "It's just that...your neck is so fuzzy and soft. It made me sneeze".
"O-Oh...Uhh...S-Sorry..." Kathy replied shyly with a sheepish smile on her face as she blushed a bit in embarrassment.
"No need to apologize to me, Kathy. I've made myself sneeze because of what I did. I kind of got what I deserved to be honest," Knuckles replied calmly with an amused smile on his face.
"Oh...Uhh...Okay! Hehehe!" Kathy replied slowly yet happily as she giggled a little.
"Hmph..." Knuckles grunted quietly with a huge smile on his face as he stared back into Kathy's eyes. They were silent again as they stared at each other's happy faces. They feel at ease again as they know that all the negative stuff is over.
…
…
"...Are you feeling better now, Kathy?" Knuckles asked gently as his eyelids went down halfway.
Kathy nodded happily with a smile. "Uh huh! All better! Hehe!" Kathy exclaimed brightly as she giggled a bit.
"That's good. Soo...uhh..." Knuckles replied calmly with a smile before he looked sheepish as he rubbed his head with his hand while asking awkwardly, "...Uhhh...What do you want to do now?".
Ugggh...Knuckles...Could you be any less awkward and embarrassing right now? You're acting like a complete dork. Knuckles brooded with an awkward smile as he cringed at his own shyness.
"Oh...Ummm...Hmmm..." Kathy muttered awkwardly as she looked around in the red square. Hmm...You know...I don't know anything about this place or where I am right now. I better ask Knuckles about this place. Kathy thought with a curious look on her face. She then looked at Knuckles again and asked curiously, "Well...uhh...I want to do first is to know what this place is. Knuckles? Where are we right now? I just climbed into this strange thing without even knowing what it is. Is it a house?".
Knuckles smiled a lot in amusement at that last question before answering calmly, "No, Kathy. It's called a 'gymnasium'. It's one of the playground's famous attractions. Every playground has a gymnasium like this. Some are small, and some are big like this one for example".
"Ohhh...So, we're at a...'playground'?" Kathy asked in understanding as she nodded a bit.
"Yes. We're at a playground. It is located in Central City Park. The park is in the middle of Central City. This playground is just a part of the park. It's a place where kids go to and play at," Knuckles explained gently with a calm smile on his face.
"Oh, now, I get it! So, it's a fun place then!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile.
Knuckles genuinely laughed at this. "Hahahahahahaha! Yes! It's a fun place, Kathy! Hahahahahaha! You got that right! Ahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly as he laughed a lot in amusement.
"Hehehehe! Well, now that I know what this place is, I know what I'm going to do!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile as she giggled a little.
"Ahahahahahahaha! Oh, yeah?! What's that?! Hahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily as he kept laughing a lot in amusement.
Kathy beamed excitedly at Knuckles before she poked him briefly at his stomach. "Tag! You're 'it'!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile before she quickly got out of Knuckles' hold and crawled towards the square's exit.
"Ah!" Knuckles yelped in surprise as he felt that poke. He instantly recoiled and let go of Kathy when she did it. He looked very surprised as he stared at Kathy in confusion.
"Come on, Knuckles! Tag me! You're 'it', remember?! Hehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed back at Knuckles as she had already gotten out of the red square and had looked inside it instead.
"H-Huh?" Knuckles muttered awkwardly as he stared at Kathy in confusion.
"You know...Tag? You're 'it'? You got to chase me now!" Kathy replied playfully with an excited smile.
"Eh?...Tag? Really? I thought that game was only for little kids," Knuckles replied in confusion as he had an eyebrow raised at her.
"But I want to play it with you, Knuckles. You had asked me what I want to do, and I chose to play tag," Kathy replied sadly with a frown as she stared at Knuckles.
"O-Oh...Uhh...Y-Yeah...I did ask you that...Whoops..." Knuckles replied awkwardly with a little frown as a sweat drop fell from his head. I just didn't think that she would want to play tag of all things. It's so childish and immature that I-Knuckles pondered with an awkward look on his face as he stared at Kathy.
"Please, Knuckles. Please play tag with me. I just want to try it once with you," Kathy pleaded softly with twinkling, light-blue eyes.
...That I...I...I wish that I could resist that sweet yet pleading face, but alas...I can't. I'm such a sucker for her. Knuckles thought with an awkward look before his face changed to a fond look as he smiled warmly at Kathy. "Alright, Kathy. I'll play tag with you," Knuckles replied calmly with a fond smile on his face.
"Yay! Come on, Knuckles! I bet that you can't catch me! Teehee!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile as she taunted Knuckles.
"Heh. Oh, I bet that I can. You better run little missy before I get ya!" Knuckles replied calmly yet playfully with a smirk as he started to crawl out of the red square.
"Hehehehehehe! Never!" Kathy exclaimed playfully as she giggled a lot while she ran away from Knuckles. Knuckles eventually got out of the red square and saw that Kathy was on the slide on the other side of the gymnasium area. He smirked playfully at her before running towards her. "Bye! Bye! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed playfully before giggling a lot as she went down the twisty slide before Knuckles caught up to her.
"Hey! Get back here!" Knuckles yelled out playfully with a smirk as he looked down at the slide. He can hear Kathy giggling all the way down in the slide, and he can't help but smile a lot in amusement as he stood next to the slide. ...Heheheh...You know what? Maybe the Sol Hearts can wait after all. It's time to enjoy what I hadn't experienced as a kid...Playing tag at the playground...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly with a longing smile on his face as he stared at the slide. As he sat down on the slide and held the rim of it, he then added, "...And with the silliest yet childish girl in the world to boot...".
He then pushed himself into the slide and rode on it with a huge smile on his face. Kathy and Knuckles may be enjoying themselves for now, but all fun and games shall end eventually. Especially when Battra's monsters start attacking the city.
Who knows when the nasty monsters will show up to ruin Kathy's and Knuckles' fun? It's only a matter of time until they do.
Well, I didn't expect it to end it like this, but I don't want to make this chapter exceed over 20, 000 words. So, I'm cutting it off right here. What will Battra use as his first monsters? We'll find out in the next chapter! But anyways, thanks for enjoying this chapter! Keep on reading when this story gets updated! Your support is great! Anyways, onto the next chapter!