Author's note: It's been a while since I've written a one-shot with Team Sonic so it was about time I came up with something XD
In any case, I hope you enjoy this one!
Warning: Mentioning of blood
Faith
"C'mon! You wouldn't!"
"Yes, I would! Do you know who I am?"
"Yes, you're the champion of being reckless, unprepared, and a daredevil,"
"Hey, you do know me!" A defeated sigh followed Sonic's cocky reply.
It made a smirk appear on his lips as he had listened to the conversation since they had left the vineyard. Taking part of it wouldn't yield him many results in terms of winning the argument. They were both stubborn in their own ways.
"Just admit it litl' bro – there's nothing I can't do!" The echidna glanced at the hedgehog who sent the youngest a cheeky smile. Tails merely shook his head and pushed the crate he was holding closer to his chest.
"If it wasn't for me, you would've died a long time ago," the fox muttered, low enough to make it sound like he wasn't saying it on purpose but loud enough to make the statement clear, "is that why you keep me around?"
"Of course, not – all my stuff at the workshop gotta have some place to be, right?" Sonic snickered amused as he winked at the suffering sidekick. Tails rolled his eyes into the sky and whilst his hands were occupied, it was his tail which smacked the hedgehog in the back of the head.
"Ow!" Unable to rub the affected area, Sonic shook his head which made the fox laugh into the clear blue sky.
Knuckles couldn't keep in the snicker as well, knowing he wasn't going to be the one to underestimate Tails' strength. The hedgehog was going to be purple tomorrow. The echidna tuned out the subsequent argument and instead looked up.
Cloudless, the sun shining, Flickies sitting in the trees and singing a song. It was a perfect day on the island, a rare occurrence when weather changed as quickly as Sonic's attention span. Being high up in the air brought with it odd and often unexplainable weather patterns. The Master Emerald took care of the harsh winds and low oxygen levels but couldn't prevent rain or snow. It depended on the zone as well, though the temperature was just right when walking in the forest of Azure Lake zone.
His eyes were shadowed by the brown hat which adorned his scalp, a blue ribbon with stars embroidered around it (*). It was a gift he had received years ago from the two people walking next to him. They claimed that when one walks around in the sun all day, one must wear a hat. When he argued Sonic ran daily in the sun as well, they merely shoved the gift into his hands and told him to please take it. Oddly enough, he quite enjoyed wearing it. Harvesting days were one of the more tiresome and exhausting tasks on the island, which meant wearing the hat had given shade.
"C'mon Knux, you believe me!" He was added into the discussion by the sound of his name. He turned his head at Sonic who had said his nickname, yet it didn't bother him this time around.
"Believe what?" He asked as he could still see the teasing glint in the hedgehog's eyes.
"That I could cross Lava Reef on a hoverboard in less than a minute," he explained as he sent the echidna a cocky smile.
Over his shoulder, Tails was shaking his head. Knuckles snorted to himself and adjusted the crate in his hands.
"I don't know. There are some hot spots you need to move around and there's some dark tunnels you can't see through."
"I'll pass that no problem!" Sonic immediately countered, not sounding unlike a toddler who was trying to convince their parents they could definitely ride the adult coasters.
"I'll believe you the day you get night vision," Tails snickered beside him.
"Let me borrow yours!" The desperation was clear. The sidekick furrowed his brow in confusion.
"How would that even work?"
"I don't know man, you're the inventor, right? You'll figure something out," the hedgehog encouraged, being convinced the fox was fully capable of such a task. Knuckles observed as Tails considered the suggestion for a brief moment before he had to shake his head.
"At a later day maybe," he concluded and heaved in the crate again, "for now, I wouldn't mind hurrying back to the cave. This is a bit heavy and I'm getting hungry."
Knuckles glanced at Tails' crate and then realized the fox was carrying the heavier fruits, some which were better described as an evolved mango.
"Now you're speaking my language!" Sonic interrupted, before the echidna had time to ask if they should switch crates, "a little snack wouldn't hurt."
Knuckles' attention switched to the hedgehog instead in the same moment as he rolled his eyes into the sky.
"You ate almost an entire crate of raspberries," he mumbled as he ignored the pointed glare from the glutton.
"They're delicious!" The protest was as clear as the blue sky, a mere justification for his eating habits.
Granted, the echidna knew the hedgehog's metabolism worked as quickly as his feet. However, he was surprised time and time again at how much food he could consume and still be hungry minutes later.
"It's incredible you ate something healthy for once," the last of the group muttered again, a personal stab which made the echidna smirk in satisfaction. Getting Sonic to taste his own medicine was a reward in itself.
"They're much better than those you buy at the store," Sonic ignored the jab and instead his attention had diverted to another topic in the same moment.
The subtle compliment didn't go unnoticed, one which made the echidna turn to look at the blue hedgehog. Beside him, the sidekick was nodding.
"I can't argue with that – Angel Island has the best produce."
"You said it buddy!" Sonic and Tails were exchanging a snickering smile between themselves as the echidna was looking away.
He wasn't sure what to do with the compliment, other than he was told the food here was one of a kind. He knew it already. The grapes he was offered at the workshop didn't taste nearly as good as those he grew himself.
Granted ever since he had established himself a home garden he hadn't experienced going to bed on an empty stomach in a long time. A younger echidna had spent a long time learning how to properly garden by reading in the old manuscripts and learning some tips from his friends. The latter had been helpful, considering the former had been vague in explanation.
Knuckles narrowed his eyes momentarily as they rested on the lake coming into view. The zone's name described the lake's color, the surface of the water glinting in the rays from the sun as it was completely still on a windless day. It wasn't until after he'd realized what Doctor Eggman truly had done to his island that he would have the opportunity to share this view with someone else.
When his home had been infested with badniks and traps alike he'd allowed destruction to come to that which he loved the most. It had prevented friendships. Years later, every single badnik was gone and he had two people who were more or less traveling partners or his friends. It depended on his mood.
"Oh Knuckles! The lake looks great! Can we take a break and go for a swim?" Interrupted from his thoughts, the echidna turned his head toward an eager Tails.
His blue eyes were wide with hope, his behind appendages thrashed with excitement. Something he only usually saw when mints were presented to him. He must be warm if the prospect of getting completely soaked sounded as good as a sugary treat.
Knuckles looked back at the lake hesitantly. He was momentarily admired by the fact that Tails asked first instead of diving head in unlike somebody else he knew would have. Then he thought a part of him didn't want the rare fish to be disturbed while the other part of him thought it was ridiculous. One swim wouldn't kill anyone.
"Alright," he allowed as he stopped at the same time. Tails' enthusiasm was palpable, his eyes wide as he gently left the crate he was holding on the ground.
"C'mon then!" He urged as he waved a hand at the still water. Sonic was quick to shake his head.
"You know who I am – but go for a swim, we'll wait for ya," the hedgehog decided quickly as he walked away, toward a tree. When the fox's expected eyes turned to Knuckles the echidna shook his head too.
"You go on ahead. I might dive in in a minute," he said without promising anything as he put the crate he had been holding down as well. He wasn't feeling too hot since the hat provided shade and he was used to the warmer temperatures in the summer.
Despite the declines from his friends, Tails wasn't deterred, instead kicked off his shoes before running and jumping in. The doggy paddle into the deeper waters spoke of an eager fox, something which made the echidna smirk before he turned around toward Sonic.
The hedgehog had already made himself comfortable as he laid on the ground against a tree, one leg crossed over the other and stuffed his face with blackberries.
"You're being rather agreeable today. The Knux I know wouldn't allow something like that without an argument," Sonic said, another handful of the berries being swallowed in the same moment.
The echidna walked over and promptly moved the crate out of reach, being afraid he wouldn't have enough for jam. Vanilla made the best blackberry pies.
"Because someone hasn't annoyed me as much as they usually do," was his simple explanation.
He ignored the frown on Sonic's brow, being rather dissatisfied with his snack taken away. Knuckles saw down a few paces from him.
"Or someone woke up on the right side of the bed," the hedgehog said, as he leaned forward and pulled the crate back beside him.
The echidna rolled his eyes into the sky as the former kept eating. He didn't comment on the statement, instead leaned his head against a tree and crossed his leg over the over. Linking his hands behind his head and watching over the lake, he could see Tails floating on the water, moving his arms back and forth, presumably cooling off.
He tipped the hat forward a little which gave shade to his eyes. He ignored Sonic's munching and smacking as he was looking over the forest. The zone was rather unexplored given it took care of itself compared to the more active zones such as Lava Reef and Hydrocity. Maintenance and supervision were required to make sure most of his home remained stable, yet Azure Lake was one of those places which didn't call for his attention. A rather quiet zone with some mountainous areas and thick forest, housing feral animals and wild flora and fauna alike. Practically nothing happened here.
"You know - I'm tempted to take the plane to the workshop and come back with the hoverboard just to prove him wrong," realizing he was being talked to, the echidna turned his head at Sonic.
The hedgehog cleaned his hands off excess berry juice before they linked behind his head and closed his eyes against the sun. Knuckles spent a second remembering their earlier argument about doing daredevil tricks across lava, though another detail occupied his mind instead.
"You can fly a plane?" He sounded more surprised than he had wanted to let on. The curious gaze Sonic gave him was one of surprise as well.
"Yeah. You know, the Tornado was actually my plane when I first met Tails," the hedgehog explained as he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't pilot it anymore since the guy loves doing it more than me and is totally better than me as well. I just wanna sit on the wing and enjoy myself, you know?"
Knuckles listened interested in this new part of Sonic he didn't know existed. Granted, the only information he knew about how the two of them had first met was about Tails being found by Sonic on Emerald Hill and they had explored Westside Island together and since then had been by each other's side. He had thought Tails had built the plane. But by this newfound information, he realized the aircraft had another origin story.
"I didn't know that," blurted out before he had time to stop it.
If Sonic noticed the words hadn't meant to be spoken out loud would remain his secret as he quirked an eye open at the echidna. A smirk appeared on his lips.
"Well, then it's about time we share a little more about each other," Knuckles could see the teasing glint in his eyes. "How's you and Rouge coming along?"
The echidna had already fisted his hand in preparation and punched the hedgehog's shoulder.
"Ow!"
"There's nothing going on!" Knuckles growled as Sonic rubbed his sore shoulder.
The hedgehog looked mildly hurt, though waved his other arm in a placating gesture.
"C'mon, you don't have to be mean about it!" He said.
The statement made the echidna blink as he wondered if Sonic's question had been genuine. Even then, the hedgehog knew Rouge and he were not two names you should put together in the same sentence. The bat was nothing but a jewel thief who wished destruction upon his home by removal of the Master Emerald from its pedestal. She didn't know the consequences of her actions and neither did Sonic. The echidna smirked.
"Fine. Then how are you and Amy?"
"Don't you dare!" Knuckles had to hold back the snort from Sonic's quick change of demeanor. He stopped rubbing his arm as he leaned back against the tree. He let out a deep sigh.
"You know she's crazy! I mean, she's my friend and all but I wish she would just stop chasing me and make me do something I don't want to do!" The hedgehog said.
The island dweller was once again surprised by the genuine frustration which escaped between Sonic's words, as if he meant what he was saying. No joking manner or hint of humor which overexaggerated the situation or made it seem overdramatic.
Rather it was on the spot of how Knuckles experienced it when Amy would ram into Sonic in a bear hug. He knew the hedgehog wasn't a tactile person and didn't like being touched, similar to the echidna. Knuckles figured when Sonic was being honest with his words it would be rude to dismiss it with another jab. He therefore huffed and leaned against the tree again.
"Alright. If there's nothing with you and Amy, then there's nothing with me and Rouge. Got it?" Knuckles said as he arched a brow to make sure the hedgehog understood he was serious. The latter raised his hands in surrender.
"Dude, relax, I was just joking," he answered with a shrug of the shoulders. Knuckles knew he was trying to brush it off as if it had been mere humor though it hadn't sounded the part.
"Seriously though, I wouldn't mind knowing a little bit more about you. Whadday do around here? I know you take care of the place, but do you just walk around and look over everything?" Sonic's unexpected question made his previous musings come to a halt.
The glint in his eyes were replaced with genuine curiosity, the small smile on his lips seemed real as well. Knuckles took a second to blink and regard his words.
He wasn't directly asking for Master Emerald secrets, despite knowing Sonic wouldn't mind knowing them too, but rather a daily routine. Though it depended on the weather, it depended on what he had done the day before and if he had been gone from the island.
A whole heap of information collected in his mind while he was trying to figure out if he should tell him or not. The echidna wasn't sure if he had decided yet when he opened his mouth.
A yelp and a splash interrupted.
His head whipped toward the lake. No one in sight.
"Tails?" Sonic's question sounded hollow as the hedgehog sprang to his feet.
Knuckles' own eyes were searching for the fox who had been out there a mere minute ago but was now gone.
As he scrambled to his feet, Sonic ran forward but stopped at the edge of the water. He stood on his toes, called for his sidekick again, yet no one answered. The echidna stared where he'd last seen him. His eyes widened when he could see bubbles coming from the area.
Then Sonic turned his head.
Their eyes met, the echidna saw a pair of emerald, green eyes filled with utmost worry. Stunned by the clear show of emotion, the hedgehog was screaming silently at him.
His entire body was rigid, his quills raised, his hands shook.
He stood unmoving, merely staring at Knuckles.
The echidna ran.
Water splashed all around him before he threw the hat away and inhaled a large pocket of oxygen.
And dove.
The water was clear, the fish rushed away in his haste as he swam forward, trying to navigate toward where he'd last seen him. It wasn't difficult to see the large mass of bubbles slowly sinking deeper down.
His eyes widened in realization as he could see what was happening.
Tails was kicking and thrashing at a Chopper, a robot fish badnik which had its metal teeth sunk into his ankle, slowly heaving its prey deeper down. By the slow movements and panicked expression, the echidna could tell he was quickly losing the fight.
He swam faster to reach him, maneuvered around seagrass, and ignored the strain in his lungs. His heart began beating faster in his chest when he saw the fox loosen his grip, his eyes closed. With newfound adrenaline Knuckles kicked faster with his feet.
He reached the badnik. It didn't even bat the echidna an eye when it was met with a punch. Even under water the impact was fierce, as the fish let go in the same second, floating in the water. With a kick the metal casing cracked, and oil filtered into the water as it sank immediately.
Knuckles wrapped an arm around Tails when he realized he wasn't moving and thrashed and swam to get up. His own lungs were starting to hurt, his being screamed at him to let in oxygen as he narrowed his eyes. The limp body he was pushing against himself was cold, a thin ribbon of blood following their path.
Knuckles moved faster, swimming up and up, kicking and seeing the light becoming clearer.
He broke the water surface.
He took in a large inhale of oxygen. Tails didn't.
Quickly, he wrapped his arm around his neck, making sure his head remained above water as he swam toward land. Sonic was yelling something he couldn't hear, his ears were popping with leftover water, panting, and concentrating on getting back on dry land. His arms were getting tired as he fought through the water, a part of him considering if more badnik fish was going to show up. To combat the thought, he swam faster.
He could stand on dry land quicker than he thought, making him turn around and heave in the limp body.
"Tails!" Sonic's voice panicked when Knuckles laid him down.
The hedgehog fell on his knees immediately and leaned his head against the fox's chest. Knuckles panted as he was on his knees too, felt his heart beating in his chest, and watched the hedgehog for a second.
His eyes widening by the second told him he wasn't breathing.
Without a word, the echidna grabbed the kid by the shoulders and rolled him over to his side, his head pivoted toward Sonic.
"C'mon bud! Stay with me! Tails!" The hedgehog's panicked voice echoed between the trees.
Knuckles pounded his hand against the fox's back as hard as he dared. Once. Twice.
Sonic's wide eyes were glued to Knuckles as he switched his gaze between him and the little brother. The eight-year-old. The fact flashed through Knuckles' mind.
He narrowed his eyes. He hit harder.
He coughed.
Knuckles froze from the sputtering, gurgling, choking sound of water flushing out of Tails' throat.
"Tails!" The name was said in relief as Sonic's hands rested on the fox's head and shoulders. The latter was still struggling to get water out of his system, lifting himself up on a single elbow.
"Hey, hey, easy now. Just breathe, alright?" Sonic continued; his eyes still wide as they concentrated on the sidekick.
The echidna could only watch as the fox hurled out a mixture of water and bile in the matter of seconds. When he spat out seemingly the last remnants of water his head fell back on the ground.
He inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly. He was alive.
His body was quivering, a slow vibration which echoed between Sonic's fingers. Knuckles, being unsure on what to do now, left his hand on Tails' back. He could feel the gentle vibration under his glove as well as his own shaking.
Sonic was mumbling something else to the fox, something the echidna chose to ignore as he looked down at his body. Water was dripping down his pelt, yet his eyes traveled down the hip, leg, and foot, making him see the injury. Blood was trickling slowly from the ankle into the sock, not looking bad.
"S-Sonic?" the low voice pierced through his mind. Knuckles turned his head at Sonic who was nodding at the sidekick.
"Yeah, it's me. Just take it slow, alright?" He said, as he squeezed the fox's shoulder in a comforting gesture.
Tails coughed again, a hard and rough thing which brought more water out of his throat. His body was still shaking lightly, trying to breathe calmly.
"What happened?" Knuckles switched his gaze to Sonic when the hedgehog had asked. The latter looked down at the fox's body. His eyes averted to the echidna for answers.
"A Chopper got his ankle. And dragged him down," was the simple explanation, as he figured the kid hadn't expected the robot to be there and therefore hadn't been vigilant. It wasn't his fault.
"What – what happened?" Tails' raspy voice halted his thoughts once again. Knuckles looked down at the fox again as Sonic rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.
"I think – you almost drowned litl' bro. Knux ran and got you out," the words sounded foreign, as if they were wrong.
The echidna switched his gaze to the hedgehog as he suddenly realized how pale he looked. The eyes still wide, his fingers slightly shaking from the transpired event.
"Oh," became the fox's only comment, as he coughed again.
Knuckles' hand on the still shaking back told him his breathing was normal, and no more water was coming out of his mouth either. He seemed stable.
"Try and sit up," Knuckles said then, as he wanted to get a look at the still bleeding ankle.
Sonic looked up as if the echidna had asked the kid to take off his arm and throw it away. Before he could protest, Tails was already moving, getting up on his elbows and swinging around his legs to sit. Knuckles moved back to give him room while the hedgehog still had a slightly shaking hand on his shoulder. As the fox sat and breathed deeply, the echidna could see the pale skin under his fur, his body still quivering.
"You alright?" The echidna asked. The question made the blue eyes turn to him.
They were tired as he stared at the island dweller to seemingly try and understand what he had been asked in the first place. He coughed again.
"My back hurts. And my ankle," he said with the same raspy voice. He closed his eyes for a second, something which made the hedgehog rub his shoulder again.
"Knux had to… kinda pound some air back into you. And the bot got your foot. But we'll fix it no problem," Sonic reassured, the smile on his lips strained.
Knuckles felt slightly guilty from the explanation as a part of him knew the fox would be sporting some purple and blue spots in the morning. At the moment there had been no other choice.
He watched as Tails opened his eyes and looked at Sonic again for a moment. Then they turned to the echidna.
"Thank you Knuckles. For saving me," he said as he tried to smile as well, though it became a tired thing instead, "and sorry for… making a mess like this."
The apology made the echidna blink in disbelief and opened his mouth to tell him there was no need to apologize for what wasn't his mistake. Sonic came ahead of him.
"Don't apologize Tails, you didn't do anything wrong. It was-" the hedgehog stopped at the same moment.
Knuckles looked at him, yet Sonic was only looking at the fox as he closed his mouth. He didn't say anything else, merely decided to look at the ground for a second.
He couldn't figure out what the hedgehog had been trying to say. Or why he regretted saying it in the same moment. He instead turned his head to Tails.
"You're welcome kid," was all he said, which made the fox look at him. He didn't say anything then, merely nodded at something and took in a deep breath again.
"I think we should head back to my cave. We'll take a look at your foot, and you can get some rest," Knuckles then decided.
It made Tails look up at him again, the same smile from before appeared again as he nodded in agreement.
The echidna looked at Sonic as the hedgehog looked at him. Something unspoken remained in his eyes, something he couldn't tell. Yet it showed clearly.
"You're right. Let's head back," Sonic said which interrupted his staring competition with the echidna.
He concentrated on the sidekick again as he asked if he could walk on the foot and if he would be okay. Knuckles breathed his own sigh of relief as his heart began to calm down as well. The situation was over, everyone would be fine.
The thought plastered to his mind as he looked at Sonic again, the hedgehog currently helping his sidekick to his feet, that haunted expression now invisible.
Whatever it had been, or what had caused it, remained an unanswered question to the echidna.
With one arm slung over his knee and sitting comfortably in front of the fire; he could have convinced himself he was having a quiet late afternoon with himself. The fire was calm, embers cracking and dancing, the smoke filtering into the makeshift hole in the roof of the cave. His eyes rested on the flames while he listened to the quiet snoring from the other end of the room.
His stomach was hollow, he hadn't been hungry since they came back nor had been in the mood to talk or jester. Sonic had tried as he had thrown out one joke after the next, something which had only calmed one of them. Knuckles wasn't sure what to think, as he instead repeated the scenario one more time in his mind.
The yelp, the thrashing, the kicking, the coughing. It had been too close for comfort.
Granted, they risked their lives every single day. They had run past traps, ducked under lasers, barely avoided missiles which had come for them. Fighting an enraged doctor whose goal was to conquer the world brought with it risks and consequences. A contract they had signed the day they had decided to fight him. This had been different.
This had been a mundane day, the mood had been high with laughs and jokes, it had been a moment which had felt calm for him. But out of the blue, it had turned into a disaster. An accident on his island, his own home, had come to his youngest friend.
Knuckles switched his gaze to the bed on the other side of the campfire. Laying in his bed with his back turned to him, the fox was resting. He'd said he'd been tired when they had come back and washed and bandaged his ankle and had been told he could sleep in the echidna's bed if he wanted to. He hadn't let the opportunity pass when the kid had fallen asleep within minutes. He'd only spoken of chest and back pains. He would be fine in the morning.
Knuckles repeated the reassurance in his mind one more time before he let a sigh pass his lips. He threw a branch from beside him into the fire which made it sputter to life.
He found it odd Sonic wasn't sitting and watching vigilantly over Tails. He'd expected the hedgehog to sit here and talk his heart out with every possible topic which was dumped into his head, eat some sort of snack, or play with a branch. But he wasn't.
Once the fox had been tended to, he said he would go for a run and had disappeared. That wasn't abnormal in itself, but Sonic choosing to stand outside instead of being in here was. Knuckles turned his head as the door to his home was open.
He could see him, the hedgehog was standing somewhere close to the edge of the island, merely staring at the horizon. The sun was about to set behind them, colors of purple and orange had started to emerge and color the sky. The echidna couldn't hear if he was talking to himself or not, but he could see he was standing still. No foot tapping, no pacing back and forth. His quills were a little rigid, his head only moved when a Flicky moved from one tree to another.
The behavior was odd enough for the echidna to believe he was sick. But if he wasn't ill then it meant something else was bothering him. Something he didn't know. Knuckles turned his eyes away from the haunted Sonic and watched the fire again.
He'd seen his face at the lake. Pools of emerald had screamed at him, his mouth a little agape, his body stiff. The echidna had never seen Sonic looking helpless and lost before. Quite the contrary, the hedgehog was the one who said they would be okay when they were trapped in a laser grid with a bomb about to explode. He was the one who always had a plan, he was the one who knew what to do on every occasion possible. Whether it be on the battlefield or at somebody's birthday party.
Knuckles let the thoughts swirl in his mind as he wondered why it had been different this time. And then knew the answer immediately.
It had been the water. The deep, deep water where the hedgehog only sank. He'd been unable to save him.
Knuckles looked back when he had solved the puzzle. If Sonic was beating himself up about it or was trying to accept the situation the echidna was unsure. And didn't know if he should get involved either.
He wasn't good with that kind of talk, generally preferring punching and thrashing than using his words. Least of all in situations where talking would be the solution to a problem. Knuckles was still in the process of figuring out if you could replace speaking about something with distraction and work. It was the one thing he'd been doing ever since he was born. Then again, he'd never had an alternative until he had met them.
He'd watched it between Sonic and Tails. He'd seen the hedgehog talk and reassure the fox when he'd been unsure of himself, and he'd seen the opposite when the sidekick had to convince the hero when something hadn't been his fault. The exchanges had been interesting and had seemed to solve the issue whenever it had arrived.
If he could do it was another question entirely. But he wasn't sure if he had a choice, given when supposedly you were friends with someone then it said somewhere in the contract you had to fix a problem if you could, right? As his eyes traveled to the sleeping Tails; he was figuring the fox would at least appreciate it if he tried.
With that mildly suffocating thought in mind, the echidna took a deep breath as he got to his feet. He wasn't sure what to say or what to do as he walked out. He noted it was still warm as he tipped his hat forward a little and let his eyes rest on the horizon as well.
Knuckles saw as Sonic's ears turned to him before the head followed suit. The hedgehog's expression was blank, a small crevice in his brow and his eyes were clear, as if he'd been thinking long and hard about something. It only lasted for a second before the hedgehog smiled, a small thing which didn't hide the deterred demeanor.
"How is he?" The question was quiet, not the same cheeky and joyous tone which ordinarily accompanied his words. It made the echidna feel uneasy as he stood next to him.
"Still sleeping," was his short answer as he crossed his arms over his chest. He avoided looking at Sonic, a part of him not wanting to look him in the eye.
"Good," the hedgehog sighed as he turned his head away from Knuckles again. The echidna didn't say anything in return.
The silence lasted, the two of them merely resting their eyes on the horizon, their breaths synchronizing. It became thicker and more uncomfortable by the second, the echidna bit his lip while Sonic scoffed his shoe against the ground.
Staying quiet hadn't been Knuckles' object, though now when he was knee deep in his own decision, he had no idea what to say or do.
"What a day, huh?" The hedgehog saved him from his predicament with the ice breaker.
The echidna turned his head at Sonic in response, yet the latter didn't look at him. His expression was still haunted, slightly cold as no smile was present anymore.
"Yes," Knuckles answered lamely as he looked away, again being uncomfortable by the lack of emotion.
It was a defense mechanism he used on a daily basis, one he knew put up a barrier between the problem and the solution which meant you could avoid facing it. He reminded himself again why he was here which made him look at the ground briefly. He said the first thing which came to mind.
"I didn't know the robot was there," he said without completely knowing why.
If there was shame gnawing at him or if he merely tried to make conversation; it was a puzzle, he couldn't solve. He didn't get far in his musings when Sonic sighed heavily.
"Dude, stop with the guilt, alright? It wasn't your fault, and it wasn't Tails' fault either," he said, drawing an invisible line in the sand.
He prevented Knuckles from thinking further on the matter, as the echidna had heard what he had said. He looked at Sonic.
"It wasn't your fault either," the echidna stated.
The hedgehog didn't answer, merely looked at the horizon as he bit his lip.
"I'm not so sure about that," his answer was low, his voice crawling on the ground instead of being high in the air.
Knuckles had been right all along, a notion he hadn't thought true until proven otherwise. And now he stood here.
"He was saved," he began. He threw himself out in the mess having no expectations for where this would lead him.
"Yes, but if you hadn't been there Knux he wouldn't have been!" Sonic said harshly.
Harsh enough for his hands to curl tighter around his arms, his brow furrowed a little. When he realized he'd been mad for no reason he sighed again.
"Sorry," he mumbled as his gaze switched to the ground.
He kicked at a tuft of grass, which made it fling over the edge of the island and fall into the ocean. Something the echidna wouldn't mind doing. He pushed away the thought, clenched one hand into a fist as he sighed himself.
"You would have done something,"
"But I didn't,"
"No, but if I hadn't been there, you would have done something," Knuckles repeated.
If he could punch that fact into his head, he would've. He didn't get the chance when Sonic finally looked at him, disbelief plastered across his face.
"What should I have done? I can't swim," he stated matter of factly as if that was it. End of discussion.
The hedgehog blinked as Knuckles tried to give him a reasonable answer. Trying to think of scenarios where the hedgehog hadn't needed to get into the water. When nothing came up, he shook his head.
"I don't know," he admitted as he looked back at the sky, "but I know you wouldn't have just stood there, you would have-"
"Well, I did! I did just stand there and didn't do anything!"
"But only because you tru-" Knuckles paused.
The words had been stuck in his throat when he realized what he had been about to say. Sonic was looking at him, blinking as the same realization had come to his mind.
"Yes," he said "Yes, I did."
The echidna couldn't answer, instead only watched as Sonic looked away again.
"I trusted you Knuckles," he repeated, as if a puzzle had solved itself in the hedgehog's mind.
The subsequent sigh was heavy and filled with the guilt he was feeling. The echidna found himself looking away again.
A part of him hadn't made that connection. He wasn't one to ponder about deeper meanings or why people acted the way they did. Sonic had stared at him at the lake and there was no explanation as to why. That's what he had thought.
Realizing it laid in the foundations of trust he hadn't expected. It was how you were a part of the echidna tribe – loyalty to one another, trust between your tribe members. That's the ground rules he had set for himself when traveling with Sonic and Tails. They had each other's backs no matter the situation.
He shook his head when he realized he was thinking about this instead of concentrating on the situation at hand. Knuckles pushed the compliment away as he tried to think of something else.
It was difficult when the air was worse between them. The echidna saw Sonic's fingers fidgeting, as if he considered walking away. Deciding that option would make it worse; Knuckles scrambled to find something else to say.
When his thoughts swirled back to the stone pillars of who he was and how he'd become an echidna warrior himself, he looked at Sonic.
"I read a story once." He paused, searching for something in the hedgehog's expression which wanted to ignore him. Instead, his fingers stopped fidgeting. He was listening.
"About this echidna warrior. It's one of those tales you would tell puggles when they were young to teach them lessons," he explained.
The echidna found himself gnawing at his lip again, being unsure if this was a good choice. He didn't mind sharing the story, quite the contrary, whenever he shared these kinds of things they often listened with interest. But if it was a smart decision at this moment he had yet to find out.
"What's it about?" Sonic's question made Knuckles look at him. He didn't look back, merely looked at the horizon. It made the echidna begin.
"It was the warrior Achix who was on patrol one day. The sun was shining, and it was warm as he walked through the jungle. Suddenly he fell down a deep hole. He was uninjured but when he looked up, he realized how deep he had fallen. The issue with Achix was that he was born without spikes on his hands. Which meant he couldn't climb out of the hole. He was stuck," he said.
Knuckles paused, being unsure if he should continue when Sonic made a hum which wanted more.
"He sat there for a long time and called for help. But he was the only one who walked his patrol which meant it would be difficult for the rest of his tribe to find him. He was lost and alone. But he didn't give up. He dug in the dirt and when rain fell it turned into mud which he used to make steps. When branches and twigs fell in the hole, he tore off his clothing and used it as rope to make a ladder. He drank from the rain and ate the insects. He used leaves and mud to keep him warm at night and spent days trying to get out. When he one day made his final step and crawled out of the hole. He went back to his tribe, and he was celebrated," he said.
Knuckles let his own tale swirl in his mind again, as he hadn't thought about it for a long time. The tales he did remember where once he had learned from himself and thought most useful.
"For what?" Sonic's question caught him off guard. The hedgehog looked at him with a puzzled expression, one which made the echidna nod at him.
"For using what he had available to him," he said. He looked at Sonic and could see that the hedgehog was listening.
"The story is about someone who finds themselves in a deadly situation but does whatever they can to get out again. You do that all the time Sonic," the use of his own name made the hedgehog's ears flick.
It felt weird in Knuckles' mouth since he only called his name if he was about to do something stupid or if he was in danger of being killed. When the hedgehog looked away, he felt compelled to elaborate.
"Whatever mess you get yourself into you've always managed to get out of again. Whenever we're all trapped you find a way to get us out. I don't know how you do it, your plans are dumb and dangerous, but they work. Whenever someone is in trouble you do whatever you can to save them. Then it doesn't matter what obstacles stands in your way," Knuckles said. While meaning what he was saying.
He'd been surprised at Sonic's creativity and quick-thinking mind times and times again, at moments where death had seemed imminent. The hedgehog always managed to escape it. He also managed to save others from it as well.
"What would you have done if I hadn't been there?" He said again.
He looked at Sonic as he tried to gauge whether or not he had changed his mind or if he had listened at all. Nothing indicated as such as the hedgehog kept staring at the ground, his quills still rigid, his eyes empty. Until he shrugged his shoulders.
"I would have jumped in," he said, without looking at Knuckles, "I would have used a rock to throw at the bot and maybe used the seagrass as a lasso or something."
Despite the demeanor, his words came out strong and confident. He raised his head a little as he looked ahead, blinked as if something came to his mind. Knuckles was furrowing his brow instead.
"Under water?" He asked. The hedgehog looked at the echidna as a snort came from him.
"If what you're saying is true then that would've worked," he cheekily smiled, one which was true for once. It made Knuckles smile as well.
"I would believe you if you told me," he said and genuinely believed it.
It seemed Sonic could hear the truthfulness in his voice as the smile widened a little as that haunted and empty expression finally bleed off his face. The echidna sighed as he had his chance to make his point across.
"Sonic, you wouldn't just have stood there."
"I know I wouldn't have," Knuckles looked up when Sonic looked away again.
It wasn't the same muffled or deterred voice from before but rather a statement. He meant it this time around.
"It's just – hard to convince yourself that when you didn't do it," Sonic continued and looked at nothing. He shook his head then and looked at Knuckles.
"But I trusted you instead. Which was the correct choice," he smiled as he lightly punched the echidna's shoulder, "thanks Knucklehead."
For once, he didn't mind the nickname. He instead saw Sonic's smiling face and realized he had actually accomplished what he had wanted to. The outcome was perfect, but he wasn't sure if he had been able to do it. It made him smile.
"You're welcome," he said, which made the hedgehog look away again.
The latter crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the horizon. Knuckles joined as the air had become lighter, more bearable from the problem which had been solved. By him.
"But," Knuckles turned his head at Sonic's question, "what are puggles?"
His brow was furrowed in confusion as the name had apparently bothered him. The island dweller shrugged his shoulders.
"They're baby echidnas."
"Baby echidnas? I thought it was a kind of pudding or something," Knuckles couldn't help it, he punched Sonic's shoulder. It wasn't as hard as the one he'd given him at the lake though he still rubbed it.
"You never stop thinking about food, do you?" He asked with a quirked brow.
Sonic had a childish glint in his eyes and a cheerful smirk on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest again.
"Never in my life Knux," he promised.
It made the echidna snort though let the conversation lie and shook his head in response instead. It was much easier listening to a joking hedgehog who he could punch at any moment than a guilt ridden one. The shame had been irrelevant as Knuckles knew Sonic could do anything if he poured his heart into it. Which included his daredevil stunts and his protective actions.
"Hey," the new voice made both of them turn their heads.
The echidna couldn't hide the small smile as he watched Tails walk toward them. The fox's namesakes were moving in calm strides, not limping on the foot and the paleness in his face was gone.
"What are you two standing out here for?" He asked as he stood next to Sonic. Knuckles could see the even wider smile on the older brother as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Just discussing pudding."
"Pudding? I don't even know if Knuckles has had pudding before," the perceptive sidekick questioned as he quirked a brow at the obvious lie. Sonic dismissed it by shaking his head.
"It was interesting," he ended the previous discussion with that and instead looked at his sidekick, "how're you feeling bud?"
Tails didn't look as if he was ready yet to accept the lie, he'd been told. He apparently let it slide as he smiled back instead.
"Better. My ankle doesn't hurt as much anymore which is good," he said as he briefly looked down at the mentioned foot. Knuckles followed his gaze and saw the bandages, a bit of red showing though looked fine.
"Yeah. That's really good," Sonic said breathlessly as he smiled at the younger.
Tails looked back with a slightly confused look and opened his mouth to say something when the hedgehog pulled him into a hug.
"I'm glad you're safe bud," the embrace had been unexpected yet Tails melted into it immediately and wrapped his arms around the hedgehog.
"Me too Sonic," he answered as he tightened the hug a little.
The echidna was content staying out of it, merely crossing his arms over his chest in the moment. Though he saw as Tails looked up at Knuckles over Sonic's shoulders, his brow furrowed a little as he mouthed 'what did you do?'.
The echidna smirked and only shook his head in response.
Tails knew there had been a conversation, Knuckles could tell. Though what it had been about would remain between him and Sonic. It wasn't often soapboxes and stories were shared between them – only when the situation called for it.
He was happy about his choice as he watched Sonic let go of Tails and started rambling about dinner. Knuckles could see what he had done and what he had proved. Stemming from a place of friendship.
When you trust one another, even in life-or-death situations or in moments of fragile and awkward problem sharing, then not many things can go wrong.
That was one lesson Knuckles had learned today.