Guardian Angels
S1:E5: The Guardian Duo
(A/N Wow! Over 60, 000 words! That's crazy y'all! But anyways, enjoy this chapter guys! It's a super long one! Have fun!)
After running and laughing through the forest for about two more minutes, the two guardians slowed down and started to walk together instead. They were now just holding hands as they calmly observed the tranquil forest of Leaf Storm. Kathy was happy yet calm as she was looking around the beautiful forest while walking beside Knuckles' left side. Knuckles was also looking around at the peaceful forest too with a calm smile on his face. He was certainly enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the forest. He looked at the tall, dense trees, the long, twisty vines, the dozens of bushes on each side of the forest, and the small flickies that were either running up on the trees, on the ground, or just flying through in the air in peace. Knuckles even looked up at the clear, afternoon, blue sky. He honestly didn't know why he didn't notice the beauty of this forest before even though he had walked through it multiple times in the past. He probably assumed that he was too focused either on his duty to the Master Emerald or on his depressing thoughts to even notice the tranquil atmosphere of the forest. He was honestly grateful that this was his first time appreciating it with Kathy here. It really made the whole experience even more special to him.
…All because I've decided to follow Kathy's advice and let myself to have fun. …Huh...Hmmm...Knuckles pondered with a little frown as he looked at Kathy now. He can see that Kathy was still smiling brightly yet calmly as she looked at her left to see some flickies flying together in peace.
"This place is so peaceful. I like it!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly with a cheerful smile.
Knuckles smiled too at that as he replied while looking back at the road ahead of him, "...Yeah...I like it too. It's really calming".
Kathy looked at Knuckles and beamed at him while exclaiming happily, "Yeah!".
"Hmph," Knuckles grunted calmly as he looked back at Kathy with a gentle smile. They both stared at each other with fond looks on their faces as they enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere between them since they felt quite at ease with it and with each other. As they stared, they were quiet since they were content by having the other's presence fill in the silence. They've even enjoyed looking at the other's calm, happy face and the other's eyes as they walked while holding hands, but when they soon realized that the other was being rather quiet, they smiled even wider at that realization.
Awww...Knuckles/Kathy is quite the quiet type. How had I not realized this before? Hahahahahaha! No wonder that I like him/her! Huh. I guess that we are both shy then. Hahaha...Hmmm...Not that I don't mind it...It's honestly reliving to me that he/she is quiet because I like being in peaceful scenarios such as these. We really don't need to talk much just to enjoy each other. We're just fine with the silence as well. ...Sigh...Kathy and Knuckles pondered calmly yet brightly in amusement at the same time with huge smiles on their faces as they looked fond of each other.
Kathy then beamed as she replied jokingly in amusement while giggling a little, "Hehehe! I guess that you are going to look at me while guarding me then! Hehehehe! I don't mind!".
Knuckles blushed brightly at this as he replied calmly yet shyly in amusement with a sheepish smile while chuckling nervously, "Oh! Uh...Heheheh...I guess that I am. Heh...Uhh...Heheh...Whoops...Awkward".
He then shyly looked away from Kathy while still blushing a lot in embarrassment. Kathy giggled sweetly while she playfully pulled onto his hand as she replied jokingly in amusement, "Hehehehehe! Hey! Keep your eyes on me, Knuckles! You don't want your 'treasure' to get stolen by somebody, right? Hehehe! I COULD get kidnapped you know".
Knuckles immediately looked back at Kathy and stared at her with a playful grin on his face as he exclaimed in amusement, "Hey! Don't you dare joke about that, little missy! That kind of talk is going to jinx you someday when you actually get kidnapped by someone! I hate to break it to you, Kathy, but as long as you live here, trouble is going to follow you everywhere! You can't escape it! It's like a curse!".
Kathy giggled at that as she playfully replied in amusement with a grin of her own, "Hehehehe! Oh, yeah? But what about you, Knuckles? Aren't you worried that it could be you who gets kidnapped by someone?".
Knuckles scoffed with a huge smile while rolling his eyes playfully, "Pffft! Get real, Kathy! I'm not that stupid to get captured by someone! Those kidnappers would have to be crazy to try to kidnap me! Either that or...".
Knuckles then looked devious as he smirked while staring at Kathy, "...Or have a death wish with me".
Kathy just laughed out loud at this. Knuckles just smiled in amusement as he watched Kathy laugh as much as she could. "Hahahahahahahahaha! Oh, my goodness, Knuckles! That's so mean! Ahahahahahahahah! Hehehehehehehe! Of course, you would say that since...what Sonic had claimed before...'You do beat EVERYONE up!'...Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as she laughed cutely.
Knuckles smirked teasingly as he replied playfully in agreement, "Heh. I sure do".
Kathy just laughed some more while Knuckles just shook his head in amusement of this. After Kathy had calmed down again, he then added casually yet a bit awkwardly with a coy smile while looking at the road ahead of him, "Heh. You know, Kathy...You apparently have a sicker sense of humor than I thought. For someone who's so...Umm...bubbly and...Uhh...sweet...you have quite the dark side that I never knew you had...if you like the thought of me beating someone up that is".
Knuckles glanced back at Kathy for that last part of his sentence. Kathy giggled a bit as she replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a sweet smile, "Hehehe! Well, I mean, I'm half-Kaiju. So, I'm pretty used to monsters beating others up for the most ridiculous of reasons! Since my ancestor had seen a lot of fighting and battling of diverse monsters over the years, it would be natural for her to grow a sick sense of humor while dealing with those monsters for centuries. That's probably why I'm not phased at all with you saying those kinds of dark things, Knuckles! It strangely makes me feel like I'm at home again".
Knuckles smiled even wider at that as he looked back at Kathy and replied calmly yet gently in reassurance, "Well, I hope that I will help you feel at home here in this dimension, Kathy. Even though you have hated your old dimension, I doubt that you only had bad memories of that place. I'm sure that you had fond memories of it too. After all, everyone gets homesick from time to time whether we like to admit to it or not. So, it's okay to tell me if you get homesick too, Kathy. I'll do my best to cheer you up whenever that happens. Okay?".
Kathy smiled widely as that as she nodded and replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with another giggle, "Hehehe! Okay! Thank you so much for wanting to do that, Knuckles! And...you're right. I do have some good memories in that dimension. I mean. My last week was great since I've met Blaze and Marine!".
"Heh. See? I knew that you do have fond memories of your old home dimension. It's okay to miss your old friends, Kathy. I'm sure that Blaze and Marine are going to miss you too," Knuckles replied calmly in reassurance with a gentle smile.
Kathy nodded again as she replied calmly in agreement with a little smile, "Yeah...I'm sure that they will".
Knuckles nodded in understanding and looked back at the road ahead of him. Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles before she frowned a little and looked down to the ground as she replied calmly yet quietly in sadness, "...My other good memories were really on Infant Island whenever my mom was around".
Knuckles gasped silently as he looked back at Kathy with a concerned look on his face. He frowned a bit in sadness when he saw the disheartened look on Kathy's face. She continued softly in sadness with a little frown, "I have so many good memories of her...and of Infant Island as a whole...It was my home after all. My mom had always made me feel so happy and joyful that...I thought that...it would...last forever...".
Kathy closed her eyes as the thought of her mother's dead body comes to mind. She grimaced when her bitter memory of her mom's death had come back up in her mind. Knuckles only frowned in sympathy for Kathy. He could tell that Kathy's mom had meant so much to her. He could only assume that she was just as important as Ms. Vanilla was to Cream. He grimaced as he brooded calmly in sympathy. I would hate to see what would happen if Ms. Vanilla dies. Cream would be devastated...and I think that all of us would be too. In a way, she is like a mother figure to all of us besides Cream. I'm sure that even Kathy would love Ms. Vanilla as a foster mother too.
Kathy eventually shook her head as she refused to dwell on her mom's death any longer. She then looked at Knuckles as she asked calmly in curiosity with a sad look on her face, "Hey...Have you ever felt homesick, Knuckles?".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows at that question, but he decided to answer it since he knows that Kathy wants to change the subject here. Even he thinks that it's a good idea to do so.
"Well, yeah, I have felt it when I was sent to Earth that one time with Sonic and the others. It was...by complete accident that we got sent there. It was through the means of Chaos Control that had sent us to Earth. I...I felt really bitter that I had been sent there since...my home was Angel Island after all..." Knuckles replied calmly in somberness with a grave frown as he looked ahead of him and not at Kathy.
"Oh...I see. ...Umm...Was Chaos Control done by the Chaos Emeralds?" Kathy replied calmly yet slowly in curiosity as she frowned a little in sympathy for Knuckles.
Knuckles nodded as he calmly answered in somberness with a solemn frown, "Yes, Kathy. Chaos Control is like teleportation. It can be done either with all seven of the Chaos Emeralds or with one. We got sent to Earth by all seven of them".
"I understand. Hmm...Interesting. You know...I had arrived here by using my Sol Gems to teleport. I had first contacted with the Sol Emeralds before getting into contact with the Chaos Emeralds in this dimension. It was through their shared chaos energy that I was able to teleport here at all," Kathy replied calmly in understanding with a little frown as she looked at the blue sky absentmindedly.
Knuckles raised his eyebrows again in surprise at this fact. He looked at Kathy briefly before looking at the road ahead of him again. "...Ah. That would explain it then. I was wondering for a while on how you were able to come here in the first place without having the Sol Emeralds with you. That was how Blaze got here the first time. Dr. Eggman had stolen them, and she was chasing after him through a portal created by the Sol Emeralds. She was quite shocked to see that there were different emeralds here too such as the Chaos Emeralds for example. I was also surprised when I had heard about the Sol Emeralds too," Knuckles replied calmly in understanding and in somberness with a solemn look on his face.
"Was it more or less surprising than you being beaten up by a girl again?" Kathy asked teasingly in amusement with a playful grin as she looked at Knuckles.
Knuckles then just stopped walking, turned his head towards Kathy, and smiled smugly at her after that question. Kathy just giggled a lot as she watched Knuckles looking smug at her without saying anything. He then lowered his eyelids at Kathy in a smug way as he replied teasingly in amusement, "You...stay out of this".
Kathy just burst out laughing after Knuckles had said that. Knuckles just smirked back at her before starting to walk again. Kathy giggled a little as she calmly replied in amusement before in curiosity with a coy smile, "Hehehehehe! Okay, let's get back to what we were talking about before. …...So, anyways...you felt rather bitter about being sent to Earth by complete accident. Was there any reason why you felt very upset by that? I understand why since Angel Island is your home, but...Umm...didn't you say that you had lived there your whole life alone? Why would you feel bitter about being separated from a remote island?".
Knuckles then frowned deeply as he heard those questions. He looked solemn as he replied calmly yet quietly in somberness with his eyes closed, "...To be honest...I really don't know why. I know that I had no family or friends on that island. …...It was just me and the Master Emerald. No one else. You do have a point, Kathy. I honestly didn't have a reason for my bitterness or for maybe...my homesickness...yet...".
Knuckles had his head down as he opened his eyes halfway while looking sad. He then continued calmly in a sad tone of voice, "...Yet...There was something about my island that holds...a special place in my heart. I don't know why it is...yet...I feel such a strong connection towards that place aside from my job as a guardian. Maybe...Maybe at some point I had considered my home as a paradise...and that...might have been the reason for my homesickness. For some reason...while I had lived on Earth...I had a burning desire to go back home. For a while, I thought that it was my passion for my job that had made me want to go back...but now that I think back on it...I think that...I was expecting...someone...to greet me back home".
Kathy gasped in surprise at that before she looked concerned as she repeated in a soft tone, "...'Someone'?".
Knuckles just looked depressed as he continued calmly yet quietly in sadness with a sigh, "...Yeah. Although...at the time that I had thought about it...I just dismissed it because it sounded too crazy for me to think about. I know that no one is on that island. No parents. No friends. No nothing, but the Master Emerald. …...But somehow...I was obsessed about going back because of those thoughts. Even when I justify my reasonings to others that it was for the Master Emerald...it was really because I wanted someone to warmly welcome me back as if I had gone on a long trip to somewhere. …...(Sigh)…Maybe I really was crazy back then...and possibly even still now since...I sometimes think that someone was supposed to live there with me...but somehow isn't for some reason. I...I just don't understand it".
Kathy frowned in sadness as she felt sympathetic for her friend. She doesn't know what to say to that. She felt rather bad for Knuckles for feeling such painful memories of his time on Earth but also wondered who that someone was that Knuckles was trying to think of or was expecting when he got back to his island. But she figured that it would be pointless to ask because she has a feeling that even Knuckles doesn't have a clue as to who it was. So, she just replied calmly in sympathy, "...Maybe it was something on a subconscious level that you felt compelled to go back".
Knuckles slowly looked back up to stare at Kathy with a sad expression on his face. With a sad frown, he then calmly replied in agreement, "...Yeah...Maybe that was it...".
Kathy still looked concerned as she stared at Knuckles. She then gently squeezed his hand in a comforting manner as she decided to cheer him up by telling him another anecdote about herself. She smiled a little gently as she calmly replied in amusement, "...You know...If it makes you feel any better...you weren't the only one who felt like someone was supposed to be there on your island. I...Uhh...might have something like that too. It was really weird if I'm being honest".
Knuckles then raised his eyebrows in surprise at this reply. He looked a little confused yet intrigued as he calmly asked in curiosity, "Uhh...You do? …Who was it that you thought was supposed to be there on your island?".
Kathy then looked a little sheepish as she blushed at Knuckles while she answered calmly in shyness, "...A...A boy".
Knuckles was completely shocked and startled at that answer. His eyes went very widely, and his mouth gaped very widely too. He then exclaimed in shock and in confusion, "A...A...A boy?! What?!".
Kathy blushed even more at that as she calmly replied in shyness with a little smile on her sheepish face, "...Listen...Even I don't know why I had started thinking about it too...Yet somehow...I had wished that there was a boy in my island so that I can play with him while my mom was away fighting Battra. I was...a very lonely child, Knuckles. I had always wanted someone to play with me ever since I was but a larva. But when I was eight, I've started to desire having a boy to play with me. I had no idea what had spurred this on into my mind all of a sudden when I got to that age, but somehow...something in my heart had told me that it was a boy that I want. I felt like...if I had that boy in my life...I thought that I can handle anything that life throws at me. That boy...was very dear to me somehow".
Knuckles was still stunned by this fact. He just doesn't know how to respond to something as that. So, he just muttered calmly in understanding, "O-Oh...I see".
Kathy smiled sheepishly as she calmly yet brightly replied in amusement, "Yeah...Even I thought that I was being a crazy, silly kid too. In fact, I was so crazy that I even have dreams of this boy playing with me. I was a complete loony!".
At that last sentence, Knuckles can't help but smile a lot in amusement. Kathy smiled a lot too as she saw that she was successful into cheering Knuckles up a bit. Knuckles then smirked a bit as he playfully teased in amusement, "Who's to say that you're not now, you loony?".
Kathy giggled a lot as she swung Knuckles' hand a bit in a playful way as if she was a little child. Knuckles just smiled a lot as he allowed Kathy to swing his arm a bit for fun. "Hehehehehehe! See?! That's why I wanted a boy to play with me in the first place! They make me smile and laugh! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with a bright smile as she giggled.
Knuckles raised his eyebrows again at that and smiled gently as he replied calmly in understanding, "Ah. Now, I see then. You wanted someone who could make you smile and laugh just like your mom does, right?".
Kathy smiled fondly at Knuckles as she calmly answered in endearment and in curiosity, "...Yeah...That was it. I...I wished that you were there on my island when I was little, Knuckles. We probably would have lots of fun together as kids. We would certainly be not lonely at all if we had each other to play with. …Don't you wish that you had me to live on your island too when you were little?".
Knuckles was surprised at that question as he silently gasped. He stared deeply into Kathy's light-blue eyes as he pondered calmly in fondness. …...To have Kathy living on my island with me for my whole life? …...To have her as my...my friend? I...I...
Knuckles then slowly smiled in fondness as he answered softly in endearment, "...Yes. ...Yes, I wish that you were living on my island too, Kathy. You make me laugh and smile just as much as I do to you. I...I wouldn't mind having you as my childhood friend, Kathy. We get along so well that it's crazy to me. I hardly get along with anyone. In fact...I...I'm...Uhh...usually considered as a 'loner' to others. While some of that may be true...I don't mind having at least one friend by my side. I don't need multiple friends just to keep me happy. ...All I want is just one...good...faithful friend who treats me well and gives me respect. That's all I really want in life. And...I'd be very fine if you were that friend, Kathy. I really do...and...I won't mind if I was the boy that you had wanted in the past. I don't mind it at all".
Kathy smiled back in fondness after hearing such touching words from Knuckles. She can feel her heart soar in happiness as she heard that he also wanted her to be his friend too. She then smiled sheepishly as she calmly yet awkwardly replied in shyness, "Umm...It's great that you do want to be my friend when I was younger, Knuckles. But...Umm...You do realize that I wasn't in my Adult Form in the past like I am now. I had turned into this when I was thirteen. Before that, I was nothing more than a brown silkworm. I wasn't...you know...exactly pretty back then. Maybe cute but not pretty".
Knuckles smirked coyly as he asked calmly yet gently in amusement, "...Are you sure about that?".
"Well, duh, Knuckles! Of course, I'm sure about that! I just went through my Larval Stage! I know what I had looked like back then!" Kathy exclaimed back in slight annoyance with a little frown as she rolled her eyes a bit.
Knuckles smirked even wider in playfulness as he replied calmly in amusement, "Hey, now, Kathy. Don't you dare sass me. I'm just saying...you're probably underestimating yourself there. Besides...do I really look like the person who only cares about the outward appearance of someone?".
Kathy looked confused at that. She tilted her head in a cute way again as she replied calmly yet slowly in a confused tone, "Ummmm...Yeeeessss...eeerrrr...noooooo?".
Knuckles just snickered at that response. He shook his head in amusement before looking at Kathy with a huge grin on his face as he asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement, "Are you trying to play it safe by saying both answers?".
Kathy smiled sheepishly as she replied calmly in amusement with a shrug, "...But...can it be both answers? Can I say that the third answer is 'both'?".
Knuckles snickered yet again in amusement as he replied calmly in playfulness with a huge grin, "Heheheheheh. You're ridiculous, Kathy".
"Aha. Yes, I am, but you're not saying that I'm wrong though. So, therefore, the correct answer was 'both'!" Kathy replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a silly smile as she held a finger up and waggled it at Knuckles.
"Ridiculous! Hahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge grin as he chuckled a bit. He then pushed Kathy's finger away from himself in a jest. Kathy just smiled playfully at him, and Knuckles smiled playfully at her too. He then looked warm at her as he calmly replied in fondness, "...Kathy...I really don't care how a person looks. Sure, even if my younger self thinks that you're a weirdo or strange-looking, I still would've liked to play with you as a kid. Besides...I've never met a brown, silkworm monster either you know. I certainly would've been impressed seeing you spit out silk from your mouth. …Of course, assuming that you can do that".
Kathy beamed at Knuckles as she happily replied in amusement, "Of course, I did that as a child! That was how I had made my cocoon when it was time for me to go into my Metamorphic Stage! I used to spit silk out of my mouth all the time! It was really fun! Although...sadly...I can't do that anymore. No more swinging around through the trees by doing that".
"Heh. ...A crying shame," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a smug smile on his playful face.
Kathy giggled a bit at that before she replied calmly yet brightly in fondness and in amusement with a gentle smile, "...But still...Thanks for saying that, Knuckles. I certainly feel much better about myself by saying that you don't mind me being a small, ugly larva!".
Knuckles then gently squeezed Kathy's hand back as he replied caringly in concern with a little frown, "Hey, I've never said that you were ugly, Kathy. Now, don't say things like that ever again. Understand? You are much better than that. In fact, you're much more valued than you give yourself credit for!".
…And you're certainly more beautiful than you make yourself out to be, Kathy. I still would've adored your looks even when you were a larva. It's you that makes yourself beautiful, Kathy. Not by how you look. Besides...the fact that you look like this as an adult just further proves that you can't judge a book by its cover. I certainly would've loved to see you transform into your Adult Form by going into your Metamorphic Stage. It certainly would've been an amazing sight to see. Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a concerned look on his face.
Kathy just gasped at this before replying calmly in shyness with a little frown, "...! ...O-Okay...Th-Thanks. Thank you so much, Knuckles. That was...so thoughtful of you to say that about me. I'll...I'll do whatever you say, Knuckles".
Knuckles smiled sheepishly at that as he replied calmly in a relieved tone, "That's good. Now, no more degrading yourself, alright?".
"Alright," Kathy replied calmly in understanding with a little frown and with a nod.
"Good. Now...Umm...onto something else then...Yeah..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shyness with a sheepish smile as he doesn't know what else to say next.
Kathy smiled a bit at that as she lightly teased in amusement, "...Yeah...Like how I don't mind having a weird boy who can fly through the air with his hair".
Knuckles just laughed at that. He protested playfully in amusement with a huge smile while laughing a lot, "Hahahahahahah! It's called 'gliding', Kathy! 'Gliding'! Hahahahahaha! Also, how dare you say it like that! Hahahahahahaha! Just because it's true does not make it right for you to make fun of it! Hahahahahahah! Don't you dare call me weird, you loony!".
"Hehehehehe! Well, I'm going to keep on saying it if you keep calling me 'loony', you weirdo!" Kathy exclaimed back playfully in amusement with a sweet smile while giggling a little. She even poked at Knuckles' chest at the "weirdo" part.
"Ahahahahahahahah! Oh, real mature, Kathy! Hahahahahahah! Fine! I'll stop calling you a 'loony'! Heheheheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile while laughing some more.
Kathy giggled a little as she exclaimed back cheerfully in amusement and in gratitude, "Hehehehehehe! Thank you!".
Knuckles continued to laugh as he shook his head in amusement. He pushed Kathy's hand away from his chest as he recovers from his laughing fit. After he had finally calmed down again, he then replied calmly yet playfully in amusement with a huge, fond smile, "Heheheheheh! …But I'm still going to call you a 'silly girl', silly girl".
Kathy beamed happily at that as she replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a giggle, "Hehehehe! I don't mind! Besides...I think that you like calling me that most, Knuckles. I can tell just by the tone of your voice!".
Knuckles blushed deeply at this as he pondered calmly in curiosity while looking bashful towards Kathy. …Do I really like calling Kathy that? ...I mean...That pet name just rolls off the tongue very easily whenever I'm with Kathy. It just...feels so right calling her that. I just don't know why that is. Hmmm...
Kathy smiled happily at Knuckles before looking from the side of him. She beamed even brighter as she exclaimed cheerfully in amusement while pointing at the adjacent path in the forest, "Hey! Look over there! It's a pond! Let's go over there, Knuckles!".
"Huh? ...Oh...Uhh...Y-Yeah...Let's go then," Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in confusion as he looked at his right to see a path that leads to the clean, sparkly pond. He quietly sighed in relief as he pondered calmly in sheepishness. Thank you for the diversion, Kathy. I just didn't know what to say next anyways. Man, I'm bad at this.
Knuckles then nodded to Kathy and turned right towards the eastern path in the forest. Kathy walked beside Knuckles for a bit on the pathway before deciding to let go of his hand and to start running ahead towards the sparkling pond. Knuckles gasped at this and had called out to her.
"Kathy! Hey! What did I tell you about running off from me?!" Knuckles yelled out while having a hand at the side of his mouth.
"Hey! You can still see me since I'm right in front of you, Knuckles! You didn't say that I couldn't run off while being seen by you, right?!" Kathy exclaimed back with a mischievous look on her face.
"...W-Well...Yeah...I didn't say that but..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly while putting his hand down as he frowned deeply in sheepishness.
"'But' nothing! Relax, Knuckles! As long as I'm safe and sound, I could do anything I want, okay?!" Kathy exclaimed back cheerfully with a happy smile on her face. She looked back ahead of herself and ran towards the grass before stopping before the pond. She smiled happily and giggled a bit at seeing the beautiful, sparkly pond before sitting down and put her hands behind herself to relax. Knuckles saw this and sighed while shaking his head.
"...(Sigh)…...Oh well..." Knuckles muttered quietly to himself while sighing. He shrugged before walking further to reach where Kathy was sitting at. Once he had reached the pond, he slowly sat down next to Kathy and placed his hands next to his sides instead of behind himself like Kathy's hands were. He looked at the sparkling pond before him, and once again...he felt at peace with himself as he took his time to observe his surroundings. He smiled a little as he enjoyed the shining sunlight being seen through the forest and shimmering in the water. He can see the slow, tranquil movements of the water moving through the pond. He can see the trees surrounding this little area of the forest. And...he can see Kathy's gentle, serene look on her face as he stared at her. Somehow...this was the best part of admiring the nature of the forest because of Kathy's reactions to the place.
He smiled calmly as he saw Kathy's gentle smile on her serene face. In his mind...she really does look like a Queen here due to how relaxed and peaceful she looks as she's admiring the beautiful view of the pond in peace. He can even see her sparkling, light-blue eyes on her relaxed face. It looks just as beautiful as the pond itself. He felt relaxed himself since he's busy staring at her like this. He can feel his eyelids drooping halfway in fondness as he kept staring at her in peace.
…...Here She is...The Queen of the Monsters...sitting here right beside me...Who knew that the Queen Herself would look so...so...Knuckles thought calmly in fondness as he had a huge, relaxed smile on his face as he stared gently at Kathy.
"...Beautiful..." Knuckles whispered accidently in fondness.
"Yeah...This place is very beautiful, Knuckles. And tranquil too. I...I love it..." Kathy replied quietly yet gently with a calm smile on her face.
"...Me too..." Knuckles whispered in fondness while he looked dazed as he stared even more into Kathy's eyes. He kept doing that for several more seconds before his brain had caught up to him and bashed it to wake himself up from his "lovesick coma" that he's currently in.
SCRRRRRRRRRECH!
BAAAAAASHHH!
AAAAGH! WHAT AM I THINKING?! ARE YOU HIGH, KNUCKLES?! WELL, YES! TECHNICALLY YOU ARE BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH YOU'RE SPENDING ON "CLOUD 9" LATELY! GET A GRIP, WILL YA?! IT'S JUST...IT'S JUST...Kathy...(Gulp)…...Oooohhh...She's so...so pretty...ACK! STOP IT! STOP IT! IT'S...IT'S STILL ONLY DAY FREAKING ONE, AND YET LOOK YOU, KNUCKLES! YOU'RE DROOLING ALL OVER KATHY HERE! I'M...I...Oh my gosh, I really am drooling, aren't I?! Oh, for goodness' sake, I'm a walking, talking mess over here! Knuckles! You are going to lose your dignity BEFORE losing your mind over Kathy here! Now, just...relax...Knuckles brooded as he berated himself while also fawning over Kathy in his mind. He had a shocked, frightened look on his face as he brooded to himself. He shook his head a few times as he tried to focus again. He even...wiped the drool off of his lips with his arm in embarrassment.
With flushed cheeks, he looked back at the sparkly pond to calm himself down. He could still feel his heart pounding fast after having that embarrassing revelation of what he had just done earlier. He can't believe that he had said those things in that way. He had never done that before in his life. Not even towards Rouge did he act that way. It was...apparently with Kathy that had made him act like this. Knuckles gulped hard as he realized of how weak he is when it comes to Kathy.
She could do anything to me, and yet, I wouldn't even fight it because I would be busy...(Gulp)...enjoying it. I'm just that pathetic towards her. Ugh...Knuckles pondered calmly with a sheepish frown as he looked down at his lap. A few seconds later, he then looked nervous and a bit scared as a horrible thought came into his mind. …...(Gulp)…...I really, really, REALLY hope that Kathy doesn't find out about my..."secret weakness"...because if she does and..."d-does" it to me...then...I'm in HUGE trouble here. Knuckles pondered with a nervous, scared expression on his face as his eyes glanced over to Kathy. He can see that Kathy is still looking peaceful as ever as she looked at the sky and at the trees too.
"Ahh...What a tranquil place. …Hmm? You alright there, Knuckles?" Kathy said calmly with a gentle smile on her face as she turned her head towards Knuckles.
"YES!" Knuckles blurted out again in nervousness as his eyes were still wide.
"Huh?" Kathy replied calmly in confusion as she blinked her eyes a bit. She tilted her head a bit in a cute way again as she looked at Knuckles' nervous face.
"...Meep..." Knuckles squeaked with a panicked look on his face as he thought nervously in a squeaky tone of voice. Don't tilt your head like that. Please don't. Nooo.
Kath blinked her eyes at Knuckles before she giggled happily again. She then gently rubbed Knuckles' head again as she replied calmly yet brightly, "Hehehehehe! You're so funny, little doggie. There. There. Relax, okay?!".
Now, it was Knuckles' turn to blink his eyes at Kathy. As he nodded his head a bit to follow her hand as she pets him again, he had somehow relaxed himself just like she had suggested to him to do. He could feel his shoulder muscles relaxing and his breathing to slow down some more. He began to take deep breaths to calm himself. Kathy smiled as she saw that Knuckles was calming down on his own. So, she removed her hand from his head and placed it back behind herself. She smiled calmly yet brightly as she watched Knuckles recover himself.
…...She's right. Just relax, Knuckles. Just...relax. After all...she's the Goddess of Peace. Just take some notes from her...and think peaceful thoughts. She must have meditated a lot on her own...and you had done that too in the past. So, just...do what you normally do...and meditate. Knuckles pondered as he slowly took deep breaths while looking at the pond again. As Knuckles focused onto the pond again, he then closed his eyes to further relax himself. Kathy smiled gently as she watched Knuckles meditate in silence.
…Awww...He's meditating. It seems that we both do the same thing when we're on our own or when we're stressed out. Huh. I guess that means Knuckles is feeling a little stressed out. Awwwww! That's so cute! He just said "yes" that loudly because he was feeling stressed out! Hehehe! Poor guy. I guess that I'll let him cool down before talking to him again. Although...I do wonder why he felt stressed out in the first place. It's not like...I'm in danger or anything. Kathy pondered calmly yet brightly in fondness with a sweet smile on her face.
Knuckles then pondered to himself about the position that he's in now since he's protecting Kathy currently. …Hmmmm...One monster destroys a clan...while another monster gets a clan. …One's...the God of Destruction...while the other is...the Goddess of Peace...One monster used to be gentle...while the other monster is still gentle...I'm alone thanks to a monster destroying my clan...while Kathy...is alone thanks to monsters rejecting her from her own clan...Hmmmm...Our situations may vary in some ways...but we're...we're both in the same boat...and that boat is called "Loneliness"... Knuckles pondered calmly yet solemnly as he slowly opened his eyes and looked towards Kathy again.
Kathy smiled happily as she saw that Knuckles had recovered finally and is now looking at her. "Are you feeling okay, Knuckles?" Kathy asked sweetly.
"..." Knuckles was silent, but he had nodded his head to say "yes". …...It's so strange how life throws in these curveballs at you that you wouldn't expect. My clan was destroyed by Chaos and had made my life miserable because of it...But here I am...protecting a Kaiju monster...a monster...who is going to save my life from destruction...and who's going...to bring my life happiness...It has now come full circle...If I wasn't aware of it...then it would be clear to others that my life...is really "dramatic irony" in a nutshell. Knuckles pondered some more as he stared calmly yet solemnly at Kathy.
Kathy smiled calmly at Knuckles as she replied quietly, "That's good. …See? Isn't it great to let your guard down and relax at times like these? You get the time to observe your surroundings more and enjoy the beauty of nature that way".
"..." Knuckles was still silent as he stared at Kathy after hearing her say that. But he did nod to her in agreement. Kathy smiled gently at him and turned her head at the sparkling pond again. Knuckles turned his head too at the pond as well. He listened to Kathy as she continued.
"...This place...is so beautiful and relaxing...It's certainly one of those places that deserves to be protected from Battra. Without it...people won't see what 'peace'...looks like. It's important to have these 'reminders' of peace so that...others could care about preserving places like these in their lives. If they're gone, then...people will start thinking that having no 'peace' is normal and...destruction...and desolation are the norm. …...But I don't think that it has to be that way...especially since..." Kathy continued wisely with a calm smile on her face. She then looked at Knuckles as she finished solemnly with, "...There are many people in the world who are begging for peace. Begging...that their nightmarish lives that they had lived in for years will come to a resounding...peaceful end".
"..." Knuckles was still silent as he turned his head back to Kathy and stared at the calm, solemn look on her face. He can see her smiling calmly yet gently as she looked elegant and mature. As he stared into her calm, light-blue eyes, he brooded to himself. …...It's almost as if she's talking about me here. …Is she...staring into my soul with those...calm...gentle...eyes of hers? Hmmm...
Kathy still smiled calmly as she calmly replied, "...So, take the time to enjoy these beautiful, peaceful places, Knuckles. After all...they deserve our protection you see".
"..." Knuckles was quiet, but he nodded in understanding. He looked back at the pond and sighed calmly. Kathy smiled a little before looking towards the pond too. They were silent after that.
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...
"...You know, Kathy. …...I can understand why you enjoy places like these...They...remind you of home...Right?" Knuckles replied slowly yet calmly as he broke the long stretch of silence.
Kathy smiled a little sadly as she calmly answered, "In a way...they do. Nature is always so soothing to me. That's why I like my home so much. Such a beautiful, tropical island...that is full of mysteries and wonder...a lot of history...and...".
Kathy then frowned as she looked down on her lap as she finished with, "...and damage...".
"Huh? 'D-Damage'?" Knuckles repeated quietly in confusion as he looked at Kathy again with a surprised look on his face.
Kathy frowned even more in sadness as she continued, "...Yes. In the past...my island was used as a testing ground for nuclear weapons. This was back when the human race was still around. The humans kept testing their weapons on islands that they think are remote and had...caused tons of damage onto my island. I'll admit that if the humans didn't do that then Mothra wouldn't exist, but...I'll never understand why they had continued doing that. Wasn't one test enough for them to see if their weapons will work? Why should they even try to destroy an island completely? I...I can never understand...how people could be so uncaring about the world they live in daily. If they think that nuking an island a lot is okay, then sure, why not destroy an island that has people living in it while they're at it? It's not as if they're going to get their own homes destroyed. So, why care about another person's home then? …...And people wonder why wars even exist in the first place. If you stop caring about the world you live in and the people around you, then you're most certainly going to become a dictator...just like Battra is".
Kathy then placed her hand over her forehead and sighed tiredly. Knuckles only frowned in empathy at that. He understands how painful and hurtful it is when Dr. Eggman or some other person comes to his island and starts destroying the place. In fact...the only reason why his island is floating is due to Chaos' and Tikal's spirits living inside of it. His island was completely leveled off from the ground because of...his own clan. All because...his own people stopped caring about the Chao anymore.
…...It's okay, Kathy. I don't understand people either. You're not alone here. I'm in the same boat as you are, Kathy. We're both upset that the homes that we've grew up in were damaged in the past. Honestly...I'm just as upset as you are. If Infant Island is just as beautiful as you had claimed that it is, then it is a sin to ruin it in the first place. Knuckles brooded calmly with a compassionate, solemn look on his face.
Kathy then continued while still having a hand on her forehead, "...Say...Knuckles?".
"Huh? What is it, Kathy?" Knuckles asked quietly while looking concerned and slightly surprised.
"I...(Sigh)…...I must apologize to you," Kathy replied slowly with a sad look on her face while she sighed again as she stared at her lap some more.
"What? Apologize...for what exactly?" Knuckles asked in confusion as he looked lost at what Kathy is talking about here.
Kathy sighed again as she then looked at Knuckles again with a sad look on her face. She put her hand down and frowned at Knuckles. Knuckles still looked confused as he stared at Kathy's sad face.
Kathy continued by saying, "...For hiding the fact that my island had been damaged by the humans. I...I had hidden that fact from you last night when the topic of what our islands looked liked had come up. You were honest with your answer about what your island was like while my answer was...only half right".
"...Ummm...Huh?" Knuckles muttered calmly in confusion as one of his eyebrows was raised at Kathy since he's that confused. Kathy saw that Knuckles was confused, so, she tried to explain what she had meant.
"Look, when I had said that my island also has wastelands, I had only told you that they were really old and were there before I was born. I didn't say why they were there in the first place. Those wastelands were created by mankind destroying the island with their nuclear weapons. Those damaged areas in my island were caused by nukes," Kathy explained calmly with a frown. Knuckles just stared at Kathy in confusion even after hearing that.
Kathy rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she continued awkwardly, "...So...that was what I had...Umm...lied to you about. Even though I...Uhh...technically didn't told you a lie...I was still being dishonest about it by not telling you everything. You see...I was just worried that if I told you that it was the humans that did that, then the whole conversation would just delve into a downward spiral of me telling you about my Kaiju origins and how I had known of the human race's existence even after they were extinct. …But...since I didn't want you to know that I was half-kaiju at the time...I...I had to give you a non-answer and quickly divert your attention towards something else such as the Sacred Springs for example. So...yeah...I really was acting weird back then...I'm sure that even you had caught that odd behavior too, right?".
Knuckles was slightly startled when Kathy had asked him that. He actually did think that Kathy was being a little strange when the topic of wastelands had been brought up, but he didn't think about it that much afterwards. In all honesty, he forgot about it completely after going to bed last night.
So, Knuckles answered calmly yet awkwardly while nodding his head slowly, "Ummm...Yeah? But...Umm...I didn't think that it was a big deal or anything. Why did you feel the need to bring it up?".
Kathy frowned a lot in guilt as she replied sadly, "...It was because I was being dishonest with you. I felt really guilty about not telling you everything about myself last night. It's the same thing with my Kaiju origins. I felt very guilty for hiding a lot of secrets from you, Knuckles. You were being honest about yourself the whole time last night and even today. I...I really felt like I was deceiving you. I wished that I shouldn't have to hide it from you like that, but I did anyway. I felt very guilty ever since last night, and I just wanted to get it off my chest now since you know now that I'm half-kaiju. I...just wanted to be honest with you, Knuckles. I'm sorry that I wasn't truthful to you. I'm...I'm so sorry".
Knuckles slowly looked surprised when Kathy told her reasonings and her apology. He can see that she looked very guilty at what she had done...even though...in his mind...it was really just a minor thing. In fact, it's just insignificant at this point. Although he will admit that...it's really sweet that she just wanted to be completely honest with him. Slowly, Knuckles felt a grin growing on his face as he realized just how pointless yet adorable this apology was.
…Only you, Kathy, would make such a big deal out of this. But...at the same time...you did it all for me. All because...you just wanted us to have an honest, open relationship between us. …...Pffft! That's just too funny to me considering how much I had hidden from her! Knuckles pondered calmly yet brightly with a huge grin before he broke out into full-blown laughter.
"Pffffft! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahahahahahahah! I...I...Ahahahahahahahahahahah! I just can't with this! Hahahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed happily as he laughed very hard since he's shaking his head and face-palming himself.
Kathy looked surprised and confused as she watched Knuckles laugh himself into such hysterics. With a confused yet concerned look on her face, Kathy asked tentatively, "Uhhh...Umm...Knuckles? …Why are you laughing? Did I...Uhh...say something funny?".
"Hahahahahahahahah! Yes! But not in the way that you think! Hahahahahahah! You're not the only one who was being dishonest here, Kathy! Hahahahahahahahahah! I hadn't told you everything about myself either! Ahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed a lot in mirth.
"Wait! Huh?!" Kathy exclaimed in shock while having wide eyes and a wide mouth. She was completely baffled at this. She really did think that she was the only one in the wrong by being dishonest to Knuckles, but it seems that Knuckles was also...being dishonest. Huh...Didn't see that one coming. Kathy thought calmly in surprise and in confusion.
Knuckles still laughed for a bit before he calmed himself down so that he could explain himself to Kathy. As Knuckles removed his hand from his eyes, he smiled widely at Kathy as he replied calmly, "Heheheheheh...Listen, Kathy, don't beat yourself up too hard just because you had hidden some secrets from me. I wasn't expecting you to tell me everything last night. I mean for one. It was really late, and you were clearly tired...and so was I. Secondly, having you explaining your origins would take too long. I mean...it was that long of an explanation, right?".
Kathy was surprised by that, but she nodded in agreement. Knuckles smiled even more in amusement as he continued while laughing a little more, "...See? So, I wasn't surprised at all that you had decided to tell me this now after you had told me that you were half-kaiju. Although...Heheheheheh...it's not like that it matters at this point! Hahahahahah!".
Knuckles laughed a bit again in amusement, and Kathy...even though she was still surprised and confused by this...had started to giggle a lot too after hearing his cute laughter.
"Hehehehehehe! I...I just wanted you to trust me is all. I certainly can't get you to trust me if I'm being dishonest now, can I?" Kathy replied calmly with a little smile as she giggled cutely.
"Hahahahahahaha! Well...Hahahahahaha...you have a point there! But still! Hahahahahahahahah! It's not even that relevant at the moment! Hahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with a huge smile as he laughed some more.
Kathy giggled a bit as she calmly replied, "Hehehehehehehe! Yeah, that's true. But I care about being truthful to you and being honest. I...I don't want you to doubt me when I'm telling you the truth".
Knuckles then calmed down his laughter again as he replied calmly yet solemnly with a fond smile, "Heheheh...I...I know, and I understand completely, Kathy. Thank you. I'm glad that you care about honesty too. I...I don't meet a lot of people who care about honesty as much as I do. So...I'm grateful that you do care about it, Kathy. Even it's for the smallest, insignificant things...I'm glad that you want to be completely honest with me. I've already trusted you before, but this just makes me trust you even more. Kathy...You're...You're very sweet. Thank you for telling the truth to me".
Kathy gasped a bit when Knuckles had said this. She blushed when he called her "sweet" like this. She didn't say anything, but she smiled shyly at him while blushing a lot. Knuckles was still calm as he was smiling fondly at Kathy. Suddenly, to her surprise, he then scooted closer to her and had wrapped his left arm over her shoulders to ease her a bit. He held her in a side hug and had rubbed her left arm a bit. She blushed even more in embarrassment as he does this. As she stared at his face, she can see that he had a huge, boyish smile and amused, violet eyes as he stared back at her. She smiled a little more shyly as she stared back at him while still blushing a lot.
Knuckles looked even more warm as he replied gently, "Kathy...It's okay to hide secrets occasionally. Everyone has a secret or two they want to keep from others. Some secrets may be little, strange, embarrassing, or important, but...they all deserve to be kept hidden as long as they can until the person is comfortable enough to tell it to others that they care about. As long as you tell the truth in the end and tell the important secrets to others eventually...then it's okay to tell others that you have a secret that you want to keep. I don't want to pry into your private life, and I'm sure that you don't want to pry into mine too. So...just relax, Kathy. It's alright".
Knuckles' eyes twinkled calmly as he said this to Kathy. Kathy just stared at Knuckles with her mouth opening a little. She was surprised that Knuckles had told her this. She smiled a little as she blushed some more in relief. She felt happy that Knuckles cares for her like this. She felt understood by him. She could feel the weight being lifted off of her chest after hearing this piece of advice. Knuckles smiled even more fondly as he saw that Kathy was happy again.
Kathy then beamed happily at Knuckles as she exclaimed brightly, "Thank you, Knuckles!".
"You're welcome, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly with a gentle smile as he rubbed Kathy's arm some more. Kathy just giggled happily at this action, and Knuckles smiled even more as he saw that he's making her happy. He then looked fond at Kathy as he asked softly, "...You like this?".
Kathy nodded happily and beamed at him as a response. Knuckles smirked a bit as he replied calmly, "...Okay then. I see that you're comfortable with it. Now...want to know a few secrets about me?".
He then playfully winked at her when he asked that. Kathy smiled brightly and nodded her head again happily to him. She then decided to wrap her arms around his waist just to get even closer to him. She held him gently and leaned a bit into him. Knuckles' eyebrows were raised in surprise by this action, but he smiled a lot as he was happy that Kathy was...hugging him again. He held her more tightly towards himself as a response. She smiled at that and held him more tightly too. They were smiling widely as they saw what the other was doing. Honestly...they were happy that they were close like this. Strangely...they feel at ease with the other being close together. They feel so comfortable with each other. Knuckles was even surprised with himself that he's letting Kathy hold him in this way. He knows that she was still new to him, and that he wouldn't normally let others get too close to him. But with Kathy however...it seemed like to him that his boundaries don't matter in the slightest. Usually, that would be a bad thing if someone keeps on holding him and touching him even when he had said "no" to someone. Rouge was someone that comes to mind when he thinks about people who can't keep their hands to themselves. But...it seems that Kathy is not just "someone" to Knuckles apparently.
She...is his "Master".
And that is why I like it whenever Kathy holds me and... pets me. I...I guess that I really am her "little doggie" then if I trust her that much. I mean...Even I can't help but want to get close to her too. It's like we're magnetized to each other and... that we don't want to let go of the other. Besides...I've never felt this comfortable being this close to someone before. So, this...this feels so nice to me. I...I like it. Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a little smile as he holds Kathy with his left arm.
"...Say...Umm...Are you okay if I hold you like this, Knuckles? I could let go if you want me to," Kathy replied tentatively with a shy smile as she stared at Knuckles' calm expression on his face.
Knuckles smiled fondly as his eyelids went down halfway while he calmly replied, "It's okay, Kathy. I do like this. I'm rather comfortable if I'm being honest".
Kathy smiled widely in relief as she calmly yet brightly replied, "Oh, thank goodness! I thought that I was making you really uncomfortable here! Umm...thanks. Thank you for...letting me hold you, Knuckles. I'm glad that I could get to do this again".
Knuckles smiled calmly yet gently at Kathy as he softly replied, "...Me too".
Kathy beamed brightly at him after that. Knuckles gently squeezed Kathy a bit as he caklmly replied, "Alright. Anyways...let's see what secrets I can tell you...for now".
"Hehehehe! I'm listening!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile as she giggled.
Knuckles smirked at her as he started calmly, "Hmph. Okay then. How's this for starter's? …Did you know that Angel Island wasn't always a floating island?".
As if Kathy was either playing along or being serious...Knuckles couldn't tell...she gasped out loud as she exclaimed in shock, "No! Really?! Is it true?!".
"Oh, yeah, it's true. At one point in the past, it used to be connected to the mainland. However, it had started to float after Tikal had sealed Chaos and herself into the Master Emerald as a last defense tactic so that no one else could use the Master Emerald anymore. Those two spirits are what's keeping the island afloat, and without them, the island would just fall into the ocean. I've learned it through one of my adventures in the past," Knuckles continued with a calm smile on his face.
"Wooow...That's amazing! I didn't know that your emerald has spirits inside of it! Ooooh! Does each Chaos Emerald have a spirit living inside of them too?" Kathy replied happily yet innocently with a bright smile.
Knuckles chuckled at that innocent response. "Hahahahahah! No, Kathy. There are no other spirits living inside the Chaos Emeralds. I assure you that it's not," Knuckles replied calmly yet amusingly with a gentle smile while chuckling a little.
"Awww...That would have been so cool if they did though. Then the Master Emerald could have a spirit party with them," Kathy replied in a disappointed tone while having a little frown on her face.
"A 'spirit party'?! Hahahahahahahahah! Just what would the spirits do in a party like that, Kathy?! Hahahahahahah! They'd be trapped within their emeralds anyways! So...what's the point of doing that?! Hahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed happily and amusingly with a huge smile as he chuckled harder in response to that.
"Oh, I don't know. …...They could make the emeralds glow brightly at night like a light show would do," Kathy replied calmly with a sheepish smile as she shrugged a bit.
Knuckles just chuckled even more in amusement at that answer. He simply rubbed Kathy's left arm some more as he chuckled happily. "Heheheheh...You're a silly girl you know that?" Knuckles replied calmly yet amusingly with a huge grin as he stared playfully at Kathy.
Kathy giggled a lot at that reply. She simply held Knuckles a little tighter as she replied happily, "Hehehehe! I know! Anyways, tell me more! Like...how did Angel Island ended up that way in the first place? What's the reason behind that?".
Knuckles soon stopped chuckling as he frowned in sadness. He soon sighed as he answered solemnly, "It's...It's complicated, but if you want to know...it's...the result of my clan's selfishness that had led Angel Island to be separated from the mainland. Their arrogance, ignorance, and...greed had been my clan's downfall. And the sad part is...it was one of the main reasons why there aren't any echidnas like me in the world anymore".
Kathy gasped at that revelation and had frowned in sadness afterward. She looked pitiful to Knuckles as she replied sadly, "That's so sad. I'm very sorry to hear that, Knuckles".
Knuckles sighed again as he calmly yet solemnly replied with his eyes closed, "It's alright, Kathy. There's no need for you to pity me like that. I've basically accepted my clan's corrupt history already. Besides...I've been alone all my life, so, learning about my clan's downfall wasn't that big of a blow to me. But...thanks for your support, Kathy. I appreciated it".
Kathy frowned even more in sadness at that. Knuckles opened his eyes again and looked even more solemn as he continued, "You know, Kathy...a remnant of my clan's greatest, fatal mistake is still left on my island. It's...at the Master Emerald's shrine. Before that shrine got destroyed, it...it used to be a beautiful place. In a way...it could be seen as our 'Sacred Springs', Kathy. It's that special to my clan".
Kathy gasped again in shock at this revelation too. She had never thought that old, rustic shrine used to be a beautiful place that could rival the Sacred Springs. She looked even more pitiful to Knuckles as sparkles can be seen in her sad eyes. "That's...That's terrible," Kathy replied calmly yet softly in a sad tone.
Knuckles was just calm yet solemn as he stared back into Kathy's sad, sympathetic eyes with his own serious eyes. Knuckles frowned even more as he replied quietly, "I know. …That is why the shrine is in its ruined state. …It's all because of my clan's pride that had led to their demise".
Kathy frowned in sadness after hearing that sad secret. She then held Knuckles even more in a comforting way. She even snuggled a bit on his left shoulder to comfort him. She didn't say anything this time but just hugged and snuggled Knuckles out of comfort. Knuckles smiled a little at this kind gesture and had held Kathy a little more tightly to return the gesture. He then replied softly with his eyelids down halfway, "Thank you".
"..." Kathy was still quiet as she just held Knuckles some more in peace. Knuckles smiled gently as he decided to stay quiet too just to enjoy this peaceful, sweet moment with Kathy here. He then looked back at the pond as he was being silent. He was enjoying all the hugs and snuggles that Kathy was giving him in peace. He had a huge smile on his face as she did this. He had never thought that physical contact like this would make him feel warm and relaxed. He felt rather happy that he had discovered that through Kathy here. It certainly made this experience even more precious to him. Just when he thought that Kathy can't be any more kind or sweeter than this, he was surprised when he felt her right wing wrapping over his back like a blanket. He slowly looked at his right and saw a part of her beautiful wing covering his right arm. He smiled even more widely at this sweet gesture. He felt like his heart had melted the moment that she had done this.
…...Awwww...Kathy...You...You...You sweetheart! Now, you're doing this just to butter me up. Forget cheering me up. You're just buttering me up at this point. Knuckles thought calmly yet brightly in fondness with a warm look on his face as he kept staring at Kathy's right wing. He still had a huge smile on his face as he enjoyed Kathy's comfort tactics. He even felt his face blush as he's enjoying this. He stared back at the pond while still enjoying Kathy's affection in peace. He could even feel his eyelids drooping a bit since he's that relaxed.
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"...Knuckles?" Kathy asked quietly as she finally spoken up after a few minutes of silence.
"H-Huh? Yes?" Knuckles asked quickly as he was slightly startled when Kathy had called him out so suddenly. As silly as it sounds...Knuckles was about to close his eyes and take a nap. Who could blame him since he has Kathy's wing as a warm blanket?
"...It's nothing, but...I was just thinking...Umm..." Kathy replied quietly yet slowly with a little frown.
"...Go on. I'm listening," Knuckles replied softly as he gently squeezed Kathy's left shoulder in an encouraging way.
Kathy smiled a bit at this gesture before she frowned again. She looked solemn as she calmly replied, "...I was just thinking about how strange and coincidental it is that both of our islands have some desolated, ruined places thanks to past events. It seems that both of our islands had suffered major wounds in the past and...their scars are still seen in certain spots on those islands. …...Both of our beautiful homes were damaged thanks to ignorant, selfish people in the past. It's...It's such a tragic truth to accept".
Knuckles frowned in empathy and nodded his head in agreement at that truthful statement. He closed his eyes and sighed before he replied quietly yet solemnly, "...Yes...Yes, it is, Kathy. It seems that there is no difference between humans and Mobians after all. People are just people. No matter how different they are from one another".
"...You know, Knuckles...I've heard from someone that 'monsters are not born, but rather, they are created'. …Do you think that it is referring to people creating monsters? I mean. If so, then...people are the true monsters here. Not the ones that they had created themselves," Kathy replied quietly yet solemnly with a little frown on her face.
"..." Knuckles was silent on that. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Kathy after that statement. He frowned solemnly as he stared at Kathy's restful body as she still held him tightly yet gently. In his mind, Kathy can be considered a blessing in disguise. It may be true that it's because of humans that a threat named "Battra" would be born in the distant future and come into this dimension just to take over it. …But at the same time, it was thanks to them that a girl named "Kathy" would be born and basically...turn Knuckles' world upside down. So, at this point...who knows if that's right or not? …However...compared to that with what his own clan had done with Chaos...it seems that there is still some truth buried in that quote.
So, Knuckles simply replied softly, "...Yeah...I can see that. People are the worst".
"Mmhm..." Kathy mused in agreement as she nodded her head. She soon lifted her head from Knuckles' left shoulder and looked at him with a sympathetic look on her face. Knuckles looked back at Kathy with a calm, solemn look on his face. They both stared calmly at each other with both solemn expressions on their faces. They seem to be quite understanding of each other due how much in common their history of their origins has with one another. They soon thought at the same time while staring into the other's twinkling eyes. Maybe we aren't much different from each other after all.
They both soon smiled a little as they realized that fact. Sure, their personalities and their life stories are different, but in the end...they are both very mature people who are just doing their best to take care of their precious jewels from evil. ...And that evil...is people.
Knuckles smiled a little more as he replied calmly, "I guess that we have to do our part and stop people from making the same stupid mistakes again. Man...what a hassle".
Kathy smiled a little more too as she replied calmly, "True, but as long as the world is safe in the end, then the hassle is worth it".
"Agreed. And let's make sure that we don't make the same mistakes that the people had made in the past. A happier future means that mistakes won't be made twice. That's what I believe anyway," Knuckles replied calmly with a gentle smile as he nodded in agreement.
Kathy smiled happily at that as she exclaimed cheerfully, "Yeah! Let's do our best to be the best kind of people in the world!".
Knuckles smiled even more wider in determination as he replied solemnly, "...Yes. Let's do it...together".
Kathy beamed at that and stared happily at Knuckles, and Knuckles smiled a lot as he stared back at Kathy. He has faith that with Kathy here, he can become the best kind of person that he can be. Knuckles smiled more fondly as he pondered calmly. And the only reason that I want to become better was because of you, Kathy. Your optimistic energy gives my heart life. Your joy becomes my joy. Your laughter becomes my laughter. And...your peace becomes my peace. How fitting considering that I get peace from...The Goddess Herself. Sigh...
"Say...Knuckles? Are there...any more secrets that you can still tell me at least?" Kathy asked shyly with a sheepish smile as if she's begging.
Knuckles raised his eyebrows at that and smiled at her. "Well...I can tell you another secret...Although...it's...it's actually rather small this time..." Knuckles replied slowly yet shyly as he blushed in embarrassment. Kathy smiled a lot as she held Knuckles a bit tighter in happiness.
"Tell me! Tell me!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet innocently with a cheerful smile.
Knuckles chuckled quietly at this, and he held Kathy tightly again in amusement. Her happiness never ends. Heheheheh. Knuckles thought calmly in amusement as he chuckled a bit. He soon smiled shyly at Kathy as he replied awkwardly, "Umm...You see...Uhhh...Do you remember this morning when I had prepared our breakfast?".
"Hmm? Uhhh...Yeah, I do. ...What about it?" Kathy replied slowly in confusion as she slightly tilted her head again.
Knuckles then blushed in embarrassment since he can't believe that he's going to confess this. With a sheepish look on his face, he continued, "Well...Uhh...when I had said that I made it special because you were a guest in my home...I...Uhh...I kind of...told you...Uhh...a non-answer too".
Kathy's eyebrows were raised at this as she looked shocked and also confused while she exclaimed in surprise, "Wait! You did?!".
Knuckles smiled sheepishly at her, and he rubbed his head with his other hand while he replied awkwardly, "Uhhh...Y-Yeah".
"So...Uh...why did you make it special then? If it's not for that reason, then what for?" Kathy asked curiously yet innocently as she looked at Knuckles' eyes with intrigue.
Knuckles felt his face growing even more red as Kathy stares at him curiously. He can't stop having the hugest, goofiest smile on his face as he felt really shy now. It's Kathy's curious stare that's making him feel weak and nervous here, and the worst part about this is...this secret is really embarrassing in hindsight.
"..." Knuckles was very silent as he was still smiling widely in shyness. His face looked even more sheepish the more Kathy keeps on staring at him with those curious, light-blue eyes. ...Awwwwwwwww! Kathy! Stop! Stop it! Stop staring at me like that! Knuckles thought brightly in embarrassment as his face blushed in a darker shade of red while he stared back at Kathy's curious face.
Kathy was still curious yet confused as to why Knuckles isn't saying anything. Although she can't help but smile a little when she noticed that Knuckles' blush had turned into a darker shade of red. Awwww! He's blushing again! He's so cute! Hehehehe! Kathy thought brightly in amusement with a happy smile on her face.
"Awww...What's the matter, Knuckles? Cat got your tongue?" Kathy asked jovially with a cheerful smile.
"..." Knuckles was still silent as his blush deepened even more when he saw Kathy's happy smile again. Argh! No! Anything but that cute smile! No! I...I...Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Knuckles thought in further embarrassment as his face melted into mush. He immediately placed his right hand over his eyes and moved his head away from Kathy in shyness. He still smiled widely yet sheepishly in embarrassment as he hid his face from Kathy. His list of weaknesses he has with Kathy keeps rising up the more he spends time with her. And in this instance...it was Kathy's happy smile that got to his heart.
Kathy smiled even more in amusement as she exclaimed brightly while giggling a little, "Hehehehe! I think that your tongue had been stolen by a cat! Awww! The poor doggie got his tongue stolen by a cat! That's so sad! Hehehehehe!".
…...Yeah...It was stolen all right...by you...you little kitty cat. Knuckles thought calmly with an amused smile while he still blushed in shyness. He soon felt Kathy holding him tighter in her hug, and he smiled even more in happiness. Despite how embarrassed he is with Kathy here, he can't ignore the happy, fluttering feeling in his chest by being with her and having her hold him. He feels at ease with her despite feeling the nervousness in his stomach. He can't deny that...his "thing" with Kathy here...is really something else entirely.
...
...
After another stretch of silence, Knuckles finally regained the courage to tell Kathy the truth to his little secret. He placed his hand down and looked back at her with a warm smile on his face. Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles as she waited for him to tell her his secret.
With a warm, caring look on his face, Knuckles answered quietly, "You see...I actually did that because I was...thinking about you, Kathy".
Kathy quietly gasped at this but smiled even more in fondness as she whispered, "Really?".
Knuckles lowered his eyelids as he whispered back fondly, "Really...I just...wanted to see you smile. I...I really like your smile, Kathy. You're just...just...so happy whenever you do it. It's not even funny. …...When you smile...it's like the world is a better place now since you're here...smiling...as silly and as jovially as you can. It's...It's infectious to me. Even I...smile whenever you smile, Kathy...You make me smile because of it. Just...please promise me on one thing, okay?".
Kathy smiled gently as she blushed while hearing this. She whispered back gently while still blushing, "What is it, Knuckles? You can tell me".
"..." Knuckles was quiet for a bit as he gently rubbed Kathy's left arm. He looked fond as he then turned his body slightly towards her so that he could get his other hand to reach Kathy's head. He then gently stroked her head fondly, and she smiled shyly yet sweetly at him as he does this. Her blush grew a bit as he kept petting her. As he did this, Knuckles whispered with a fond smile on his face, "...'Do not forget to smile'. …That is what I want you to promise me, Kathy. Remember...Your happiness is important to me, and...I want to see you become the happiest girl in the world. Please...do it for me, Kathy. I'll...I'll be very happy if you do that".
He winked at her again after saying that. Kathy looked shocked as she heard this. She felt like her heart was going to implode after hearing Knuckles saying that...he wants her to be happy. He wants her to smile...just because he wants to see her be happy. In a way...it sounded like something that her mom would've said to her. So, Knuckles' words had really touched her heart. Her eyes had sparkles in them as she stared fondly at Knuckles. She then smiled warmly yet sweetly at him as a response.
Knuckles smiled even more fondly as he calmly asked, "Is that a 'yes'?".
Kathy replied sweetly yet playfully with a bright smile, "Well...I'd frown if I want to say 'no'".
Knuckles chuckled a little in amusement of that innocent reply. "Heheheh...Alright then. I see that you have no objections to that promise, right?" Knuckles replied quietly with a chuckle and with a gentle smile.
Kathy shook her head as she exclaimed brightly, "Nope! I want to keep that promise! Mothra had always kept her promises to others! And I'm no exception to that since I'm the current descendent of her! Don't worry, Knuckles! I'll smile as much as you want me to! ...Even if my cheeks hurt, I'll still keep on smiling for you!".
Knuckles chuckled even more in amusement when he heard that last sentence. "Heheheheheheheh! That's the spirit, Kathy! Heheheheheheh! Never stop smiling no matter what! Heheheheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with a gentle smile as he chuckled a lot in amusement.
"Okay! Yaaaay!" Kathy exclaimed happily yet brightly as she smiled widely and silly while sticking her tongue out.
Knuckles genuinely laughed after that silly response. "Ahahahahahahahahah! I didn't mean 'literally', Kathy! Hahahahahahahahahah! But yeah! Keep on doing that! Hahahahahahahah! You're certainly doing very well into making me happy! That's for sure! Heheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed a lot. Kathy giggled sweetly as she still had her tongue out. After Knuckles had laughed, he soon looked mischievous before he moved his right hand and...gently grabbed Kathy's tongue in a playful jest.
"Hey! Hehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed before she giggled a lot when Knuckles grabbed her tongue suddenly.
Knuckles smirked deviously as he replied playfully, "Who's got your tongue now, you little kitty cat?".
Kathy just burst out laughing at this while Knuckles just smirked at her in fondness. He soon ended up laughing again as Kathy's laughs got to him too. They laughed happily for a while in amusement before they calmed down again. Knuckles soon released Kathy's tongue and put his hand back at his right side. He soon took some deep breaths as he is still recovering from his laughing fit. Although he can't help but chuckle at times as he tried to recover. Kathy is the same way but with giggles instead. After chuckling and giggling for a couple more seconds, they soon both took a huge breath and sighed in unison. There was a brief silence after that.
...
The two guardians soon looked back at each other with huge, amused smiles on their faces. That...That was so much fun. Knuckles and Kathy thought calmly at the same time with happy smiles on their faces. Knuckles looked rather fond again as he looked at the pond ahead of him instead of Kathy.
"...You know, Kathy...I...I still can't believe that you're a Kaiju monster. Of all things to be...a monster? …I...It just baffles me that a silly girl such as you could be a monster. I...I'm still too stunned by that fact. It just feels so...unreal to me," Knuckles replied calmly with an amused smile. Kathy smiled gently yet longingly at Knuckles after hearing that.
"...Heh...You want to know another secret?" Knuckles asked calmly yet coyly with a playful smirk as he glanced at Kathy. Kathy nodded happily while smiling brightly. Knuckles lowered his eyelids at her before looking back at the pond.
He continued while looking calm, "...In the past...we had a water monster protecting the Master Emerald along with the Chao surrounding the shrine. The monster's name was Chaos".
Kathy gasped in shock after hearing this. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth went agape a bit as she was surprised to hear that a monster such as that...had existed in this dimension. "You mean...the one that's inside the Master Emerald?" Kathy asked curiously while still looking shocked.
"Hmph...The very same one. And...Tikal was a female echidna. She had protected Master Emerald too along with Chaos," Knuckles replied calmly with a gentle smile as he looked back at Kathy.
Kathy was even more surprised at this fact. "Was Tikal...your ancestor?" Kathy asked slowly with a curious look on her face.
Knuckles shrugged as he answered her with a solemn frown, "I'm not so sure. I mean. She had sealed herself away in the Master Emerald after sealing Chaos in there first. So, it would be impossible for her to be my ancestor. I'm more certain that I'm from the warrior side of my clan than from the Chief's side. Tikal was the Chief's only daughter. So, that's what had made me believe that I came from the warrior side. Besides...".
He then smirked a bit as he raised his arm up and clenched his fist. He looked proud as he replied confidently, "...I'm one of the strongest, toughest fighters on Mobius. I'm certainly the muscle in Sonic's group. Even he could admit that he had needed my strength in his past adventures. Only someone who is a tough, strong fighter is a warrior according to my clan's history. So, there couldn't be any doubt from my mind that I'm a warrior at heart".
Kathy was amazed as she listened to that answer. She could see Knuckles flexing his arm a bit to show her how strong it is. Out of curiosity, she then reached up towards his arm with her left hand and had held it. She was impressed on how well-toned his muscles were.
"Whoa..." Kathy awed with a surprised look on her face.
Knuckles smiled calmly as he lets her hold his arm gently. Strangely...it felt nice to him. He really did like having Kathy hold his arm and gently rubbing it as she inspects it. He can see that she was smiling as she does this.
Kathy smiled happily as she looked up at Knuckles while she calmly replied, "Wow...You're a tough little doggie, aren't you?".
Knuckles smirked in amusement at that innocent comment as he replied playfully with a devious chuckle, "That's right. This is why others shouldn't mess with me. Because if they do...Heheheh...Then they're going have to face 'this dog's' bite. Grrrrr...".
Kathy giggled a lot at that response especially when Knuckles growled playfully at her to make his point. She then moved her hand from his arm and put it onto his head instead. As she gently rubbed his head in amusement, she replied playfully with a giggle and with a happy smile, "Hehehehe! Nice doggie. Good doggie".
Knuckles can't resist but be playful with her as he growled a little more. "Grrrrrrr...Ruff..." Knuckles growled playfully with a playful smirk while he nodded his head as Kathy pets him. Kathy giggled sweetly as she kept petting Knuckles like this. Knuckles soon closed his eyes as he's enjoying the petting again. He has a small, calm smile on his face while Kathy pets him gently. He even lowered his right arm again as the petting continues.
...Ahhhh...Don't stop...Please...Knuckles thought calmly as he felt relaxed by this gentle action.
"...Yeah...That's a good doggie. Relax...Enjoy it..." Kathy replied softly with a gentle smile as she pets Knuckles some more.
"Mmmmmm..." Knuckles mused contently as a response.
...
It was about a minute of petting before Kathy had finally stopped...much to Knuckles' dismay. …Awww...Why did you have to stop? I was...enjoying it...Knuckles thought calmly in disappointment as he opened his eyes again and frowned a little.
Kathy smiled in amusement once she saw Knuckles' disappointed face. She giggled a little as she replied teasingly, "Hehehehe! Awww! What's this? Is the little doggie disappointed that his Master had stopped petting him? Teehee! I think he is!".
Knuckles blushed in embarrassment of this as he replied shyly yet awkwardly, "What?! Uhhh...Ummm...N-No...Th-That's...Umm...not it...Really...".
"Hehehehehe! Oh, I think that it is! I bet that you really do like to be petted! You're just denying it because you want to look tough to me! Hehehehehehe! Isn't that right...Mr. Tough Warrior?" Kathy replied playfully with a grin as she teased some more while giggling a lot. She petted Knuckles' head again to further tease him.
Knuckles blushed even more in embarrassment after hearing that. He shyly looked away from Kathy while blushing a lot. Even though he is enjoying the petting again, he protested by saying, "Th-That...That's not true! I...I just...Ummm...I...Just cut it out! Q-Quit it!".
"Hehehehehe! If you wanted me to quit it, then why aren't you swatting my hand away? And...Hehehehehe! I can see you smiling over there! And you said that you want me to stop petting you! Well, look at you...smiling a lot just because you're being petted gently by me. Something tells me that you do enjoy it, Knuckles. Is there something that you're...not telling me?" Kathy teased playfully with a silly smile while giggling a little as she petted Knuckles some more.
Knuckles was indeed smiling a lot since the petting is getting to him now. His blush grew as Kathy teased him like this. He even smiled wider when Kathy had mentioned him smiling in her teasing. He then exclaimed back in amusement while smiling widely, "I...I...I've just never been petted before! That's what! Just...Just stop it! It...It makes me feel weird!".
Kathy giggled a lot at this silly response, but she did as Knuckles had told her to do and had stopped petting him. Although she teased him some more by saying, "Makes you feel weird? Or...makes you feel...relaxed?".
Knuckles looked back at Kathy with a huge blush on his face. He then smiled sheepishly at her as he replied shyly yet quietly, "...Ummm...Y-Yeah...It...It does make me feel relaxed. I...I...I just never let someone pet me before".
Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles and had lowered her eyelids at him after hearing that. She felt happy that she was the first person to pet Knuckles without having any resistance. Knuckles lowered his eyelids too at Kathy as he calmly replied, "...I'm glad that it was you who had first done that to me. I'm...I'm happy that you were the first".
Kathy smiled fondly at him after that. Knuckles shared the same expression as hers. They stared at each other in silence for a little while.
...
Kathy smiled gently at him as she replied calmly after the brief moment of silence, "Anyways...You said that Tikal and Chaos had protected the Master Emerald together, right?".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows in slight confusion before he remembered what they were talking about before. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, that's right. They did. It was the only time in my clan's history that the Master Emerald was protected by two people instead of one. It was the only time where...a monster and an echidna had teamed up together and...had become friends with one another. It had never happened again after that," Knuckles replied calmly as he looked back at the pond before him.
"Oh...really?" Kathy replied calmly with intrigue with a curious look on her face.
Knuckles nodded his head as he continued with a solemn frown, "Yeah. Unfortunately, that ended when Chaos became angry and...killed a huge majority of my clan".
Kathy gasped in shock as she put a hand over her mouth. She was speechless when she had heard that. She might have an idea on where Chaos had attacked Knuckles' people. She then tentatively asked, "Did Chaos... attack your people...at the Master Emerald shrine?".
"..." Knuckles was a bit silent on that as he remembered the vision that Tikal had showed him in the past. He and Sonic saw the devastating scene of his people being killed in a flash thanks to Chaos' powers. It was...a truly shocking scene to be sure. Knuckles closed his eyes as he answered solemnly, "...Yes. My clan had tried to take the Master Emerald for themselves...but Chaos had stopped them after he saw them hurting his Chao friends. He even saw them...hurting Tikal too by knocking her down to the ground".
"..." Kathy was silent after hearing that. She frowned in sadness as she felt pitiful for Tikal and Chaos. She then looked at the pond before her as she replied solemnly, "...I guess that Chaos was trying to protect Tikal by killing her attackers. I'm certain that the Chao weren't the only ones that Chaos cares about. Chaos and Tikal were friends, right? ...Who wouldn't want to protect their friends from danger?".
"..." Knuckles was quiet as he opened his eyes and looked at Kathy after hearing that. He still had a solemn look on his face as he stared at Kathy. As Knuckles stared at her, he then brooded solemnly. …You're right, Kathy. That's what a true friend does. They protect their friends from potential danger. …And I don't want you to get hurt either, Kathy. I'll protect you as much as I can.
Knuckles sighed quietly as he calmly replied, "Yeah...I can see where you're coming from, Kathy. Since you're Mothra, you had experience in the past protecting the humans, your egg, and the Shobijin from multitude of threats over countless decades. If anyone could understand Chaos on a personal level, then it would obviously be you, Kathy. As long as you have Mothra's blood, then you can relate to Chaos in that way. Out of all of us...you probably understand Chaos the most aside from Tikal".
Kathy frowned a bit as she nodded in understanding. She replied calmly in a sad tone of voice, "...I'm certain that Tikal was also trying to protect Chaos too. She probably saw something in Chaos that no other person could see. That was why she was friends with him in the first place".
Knuckles nodded too in understanding as he looked back at the pond. He frowned even deeper as he replied solemnly with a deep sigh, "I'd believe it. Tikal even said that Chaos used to be a gentle and loving creature. But...he had changed after my clan had attacked his Chao friends and her. In fact...at that point...he...(Sigh)…he was then nicknamed as The God of Destruction".
Kathy gasped in shock after hearing that last part. She looked at Knuckles with a shocked expression on her face as she replied calmly in surprise, "...No way...Chaos was also called that too? I thought that Godzilla was the only one who was called that".
Knuckles sighed again as he looked at Kathy with a solemn frown while he replied calmly, "That was what I had thought too when you had said that Godzilla was also called by that title. I was very shocked when I heard him being referred to that title too. It was the same thing with Sonic and Tails. We were...all shocked by hearing that title again. We never thought another monster could be called that too".
Kathy frowned in sadness as she calmly replied, "...Oh...Was that why you guys had freaked out when I had said that title the first time? Because...it had reminded you guys of Chaos?".
Knuckles nodded solemnly as he calmly answered, "Yes. That was why".
"Hmmm..." Kathy mused in sadness before looking back at the pond. So, that's why the guys had acted so weird then. I had never thought that there was another monster that has one of Godzilla's many nicknames. Chaos...huh? …...It would be very hard to believe that he was gentle at one point if he was regarded as The God of Destruction by others. I...I pity him. I know how difficult it is to appear kind and gentle despite being regarded as a monster to others. It just goes to show you that monsters do indeed have a bad connotation to them. They are cursed by having a horrible reputation no matter if they are good or bad. …I just...I just wish that...that I could break that line of thinking while I protect this world. Kathy brooded calmly with a sad frown on her face.
Knuckles stared at Kathy some more before looking back at the pond. There was a bit of silence between them before Knuckles had spoken up again.
...
"...Hmmm...It's funny...When I had first heard that Tikal was friends with a monster like Chaos, I thought that she was a crazy person protecting a lost cause. I just...I just never understood why she would protect a monster who could kill everyone in her clan...as well as everyone else in the world..." Knuckles started with a grave frown as he stared solemnly at the calm, sparkling pond.
"..." Kathy was silent as she listened to Knuckles while still looking at pond. She also had a solemn look on her face.
Knuckles looked solemn for a few more moments before he looked slightly amused as he smiled a little. He continued calmly while having a little smile as he chuckled a bit in amusement, "...Man...I was so naïve back then. If my past self had learned that he would be protecting a monster in the future, then he would definitely laugh and call that person crazy too. ...Heheheheh...But...Here we are...Now...I'm the one protecting a monster who's going to save this world from destruction. A monster...who is gentle and kind...The very same character traits that Chaos was back when he was a good monster. …...Heheheheh...It's so ironic that it's funny to me. Heheheheheh...".
Kathy smiled a little at that and looked at Knuckles in amusement. She then replied playfully with a gentle smile, "Heh. Who's the crazy one now, Knuckles?".
"Hahahahahahahahahah! Fine...It's me now. Hahahahahahahah!" Knuckles replied calmly yet amusingly with a huge smile as he laughed a lot again. He laughed some more in amusement as he held Kathy even tighter. He rubbed her left arm in fondness as he laughed happily. Kathy had a huge smile on her face as she's enjoying the affection that Knuckles is giving her. She held him tightly too as he kept laughing in happiness.
Eventually, Knuckles calmed down again and was quiet. He sighed in relief and in fondness while he smiled calmly. He looked fond again as he continued quietly, "...It really is strange how life works out like that. My clan's legacy started with a monster nearly destroying them. But now...it seems that legacy will end with a monster protecting the last member of its clan. Except this time...".
Knuckles stopped for a moment to stare at Kathy in fondness. He had a huge, warm smile on his face as he stared at her. Kathy smiled in fondness too as she stared back at him. He finished by saying solemnly yet gently, "...It's the Goddess of Peace protecting me...not the God of Destruction. Because of this...I'm certain that history won't repeat itself just like last time".
Kathy beamed at him after that. Knuckles just smiled even wider in fondness as he stared at Kathy's happy, innocent look on her face. I know that it won't happen again because of her child-like innocence. Even with all the powers that she has thanks to her Kaiju origins, I'll still believe in her. Even if others become afraid of her, I'll still defend her. Her life...matters to me the most right now. I don't care what other people will say to me. I'm going to protect her life with my own life. If I have to use the Master Emerald to save her life, then I will because I...I...I care for her. …...Tikal...I think that I finally understand why you did what you did. You protected Chaos because you cared for him. You were worried for his life...and that's the real reason why you had sealed him away in the Master Emerald along with yourself. You didn't just do that because you were worried that Chaos was going to destroy the world, but rather...it was more so that you can protect him from what others could possibly do to him once he's calm again. You believed in him, and I...I believe in Kathy too. Knuckles pondered calmly with a warm smile on his face as he stared at Kathy's happy face.
Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!
Soon, the two guardians heard some birds flying down towards the ground near the pond. They both looked at the little flickies hopping around near the bank of the pond once they had landed. The little flickies chirped happily while pecking the ground in peace. Knuckles and Kathy looked at each other after seeing that and smiled again in amusement.
"Well, would you look at that...we got company," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a smile.
Kathy smiled too in amusement before she looked devious. She replied calmly yet playfully, "Yeah...Too bad that's not going to last very long soon".
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh?! And just what are you going to do, little missy?! Hahahahahahah! You're not going to scare them off, are you?! Hahahahahahah! And you say that I'm mean! Hahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement as he laughed happily again.
Kathy smiled playfully at him as she replied while removing her arms from Knuckles and beginning to stand up, "Sorry, Knuckles. But I need to exert my dominance here".
Knuckles just laughed even more at that. "Ahahahahahahahahahahah! But why?! Hehehehehehehe! Why do you need to do that?! Hahahahahahah! Is it because you're the Queen of the Monsters here?!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement as he laughed harder while he watched Kathy get up and walk towards the bank of the pond.
Kathy smirked in amusement as she looked back at Knuckles while standing near the birds. She replied calmly yet playfully, "No...It's because I'm a kaiju. We always got to show to others that we're the dominant species in the animal kingdom. It doesn't matter if I'm a Queen or not. I'm going to do it because I can...Heh...And will".
Knuckles can't help but laugh hysterically at that answer. He put a hand over his eyes and bent forward a bit as he laughed a lot in amusement. He had always thought that he's mean and cruel at times, but he was surprised to know that Kathy can be mean and cruel too. But he knows that Kathy's doing it more in a playful way...and...in a way, he relates to that. Not too many people could get his dark humor at times, and he had made people upset because of that. Mostly...with Amy and Cream. But now, he's glad that he's not the only one who is like that...and he's happy that it's Kathy who's like this too. In his mind, it just makes Kathy more fun and humorous.
"Hahahahahahah! Okay! Okay! Fine! Heheheheheheh! Do whatever you want, Kathy! Hahahahahahah! If you want to scare off the birds, then just fine! Hahahahahahahah! Just do it! Entertain me! Show me how you'll do it! Hahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed happily while laughing in amusement. He removes his hand from his face and stared at Kathy while laughing in amusement. Kathy just smiled back at him as she watches him calm down a little from his laughing fit.
Once Kathy saw that Knuckles was feeling better, she replied calmly with, "Alright. Here I go. Watch and learn from your Master, little doggie. This is how you exert your dominance!".
Knuckles chuckled a little when Kathy said that, but he nodded in amusement as he watched her closely in curiosity. Kathy smiled some more when she saw that Knuckles was watching now. So, she looked back at the birds in front of her and smirked deviously. She then put one foot forward and leant forward towards the bank. Then after taking a huge breath in...
…She screeched as loudly as she could.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! KIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOO! (Buzz off, birdies! Get your own pond to stay at!)
At those loud screeches, the poor, scared flickies flew away from the pond in a panic. Knuckles gasped in surprise after hearing Kathy screech in her kaiju language. He looked shocked when he heard those screeches again but this time more closely. If he had any doubt in his mind that Kathy wasn't a kaiju, then all of those doubts would be destroyed after hearing Kathy screech like that.
Kathy smiled proudly as she watched the birds fly away in fear. She screeched again as she looked at the birds flying away.
KIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOO! SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (Yeah! Go away!)
Kathy smiled a lot in amusement after doing that. Hehehehehe! That was fun! Kathy thought with a huge smile. She looked back at Knuckles with an amused smile on her face. Knuckles was looking back at her with a stunned expression on his face. He was rather impressed that Kathy was able to do that.
…...She...She really is a monster then. I...I can't believe this. Knuckles thought with a stunned look on his face as he stared at Kathy's light-blue eyes again. Kathy smiled even more as she asked calmly, "Do you believe that I'm a kaiju now?".
"...I...I...Uhhh..." Knuckles muttered slowly with a stunned look on his face. He could feel his heart beating fast as he stared at Kathy longingly. He could never understand why he feels this...but after hearing Kathy screech in that way...it made him feel even more fonder and adoring of her. Just by knowing that Kathy could do that just made her even more special and precious in his eyes. He knows without a doubt that no other girl is like Kathy here. After all...not too many girls could make a screech that sounded like something that a monster could make. Only Kathy could make those sounds.
Only...Kathy...Knuckles thought as a warm smile grew on his face. He then replied calmly with a warm smile, "...Yes...Yes, I do believe you, Kathy. Hmph. Not that I didn't believe you before".
Kathy beamed happily at him after hearing that. She had a cute, silly smile on her face as she looked at Knuckles in fondness. Knuckles just smiled warmly back at Kathy as looked at her in fondness too. They soon fell silent again while still staring at the other with fond smiles on their faces.
...
…This is so peaceful...Sigh...Knuckles and Kathy thought at the same time as they stared at each other in fondness. It's like at this moment...nothing could ruin the peaceful atmosphere that they have now.
...Well...It was peaceful...But...
[Meanwhile Near Central City]
"Umm...Sir? Is it really that necessary to bring your Fly Squadron with you? We're just going to the hardware store to buy more supplies to rebuild your damaged base," Orbot said as he, Cubot, and Dr. Eggman were riding in the Egg Hovercraft. Dr. Eggman's flying robots were trailing behind his hovercraft.
"Yes, Orbot, it IS necessary! Do you think that I'm going to be that nice to the clerks in that store when we get there? We're going to rob the place clean and swiftly! That's how you shop efficiently, Orbot! It's much easier than regular shopping! It's even better than online shopping!" Dr. Eggman replied gleefully with an evil grin as he steers his hovercraft closer to the city.
"Woohoo! We're robbers now! Can I be a bank robber?! Huh?! Can I do that, sir?!" Cubot exclaimed happily as he looked at Dr. Eggman.
Dr. Eggman looked at Cubot with an evil grin as he replied calmly, "Only when we're in need of money, Cubot. Then you can do that".
"Yahoo! I got promoted to bank robber now!" Cubot exclaimed in joy as he waved his arms around happily.
Orbot rolled his receptor eyes and ignored Cubot as he replied, "Doctor? Really? This is your evil plan now? Robbing a hardware store? I swear man. This has got to be your lowest point of your villainous career. Have you no shame, sir?".
Dr. Eggman grinned nervously as he answered awkwardly, "Heheh...Uhh...Come now, Orbot. We're not just going to rob the place...We're...umm...also going to blow it up with my robots here! Yeah! That's what were going to do!".
"..." Orbot was unamused as he stared at his boss with narrowed eyes. Dr. Eggman sweated profusely as he stared back at Orbot with a twitchy smile. Orbot then replied tiredly, "Let me guess...You're actually bringing your Fly Squadron with you because you're afraid of that moth monster, right?".
Dr. Eggman frowned in embarrassment and looked down as he replied, "...(Sigh)...Yes...".
Orbot face-palmed himself after hearing this. He then muttered, "I should've known".
Dr. Eggman then looked determined again as he replied, "Hey! There is nothing wrong about being prepared for anything! So what if I'm now scared of a bug monster?! I'm still going to do my thing and be my evil self! I'm not going to let that moth monster spoil my fun!".
"...(Sigh)...Whatever..." Orbot replied tiredly with a sigh as he rolled his receptor eyes again.
Dr. Eggman smirked as he looked ahead of him as he continued, "Yeah! That's right! I'm still going to be the ruler of this world soon! No one is going to come here in this dimension to take that away from me! No one!".
"...No one except me..." a gruff, male voice said.
"Huh?! Who?! What?! Where?! How?!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed in surprise as he looked around for the unknown person.
But it wasn't until another three seconds later that he heard explosions behind him.
BOOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM! KAABOOOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOOOM! KABOOM!
Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot all screamed in fear as they heard the explosions behind them. They immediately looked behind themselves and were shocked that all of Dr. Eggman's flying robots were destroyed. What they were more shocked by was what they saw flying behind them instead.
It was Battra the Moth.
Battra had an evil smirk as he stared at Dr. Eggman in particular. Dr. Eggman looked terrified of the new moth creature staring at him. Dr. Eggman gulped as he thought in fear. OH NOOOOOOOO! NOT...NOT TWO OF THEM!
Battra then said calmly with a smirk, "Hmph. If I wasn't so sure that I'm in a different dimension, then I am now. Surely, you are a different Eggman than the one in my dimension, are you not?".
"A...A...A different...Eggman?" Dr. Eggman muttered nervously in confusion.
"Yes...Have you heard of the Sol Dimension, Doctor?" Battra asked with a smirk.
"...! Y-Yes! I have! That dimension was where my future descendent lives! How...How did you know him?!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed in shock as his eyebrows were raised in surprise.
Battra smirked deviously as he answered, "Let's just say...it was a fated encounter. Although...I will say this though...He was a fool into waking me up from my slumber...Because now...I'm going rip this whole world into a new one. In other words...".
Battra grinned evilly as he finished menacingly, "...I'm going to make you obsolete".
After Battra had said this, he quickly flew faster and ahead from Dr. Eggman's hovercraft. Dr. Eggman gasped as he looked ahead of him to see Battra flying towards the city.
"What is he going to do now?!" Cubot exclaimed in shock.
"I don't know, Cubot! I have no clue at what he's planning!" Dr. Eggman exclaimed back in a panic. He soon growled in irritation as he continued, "Grrrr! If he thinks that he's going to make me obsolete, then he has another thing coming! Besides, just what is he going to do?! Destroy this whole city with his own-".
KAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOOM!
Suddenly, a huge explosion was heard in the city, and people ran while screaming in terror. Battra soon walked out from...a destroyed hardware store while holding onto his own Sol Gems in his hands. The Dark Sol Gems were glowing light-green as Battra held them in his hands. Yes...He did indeed destroy the store with nothing but his own two hands.
Dr. Eggman then screamed in fear and in agony, "Noooooooooo! My hardware store!".
"Forget the hardware store, boss! We've got to get out of here while we still can!" Orbot yelled as he gripped Dr. Eggman's shoulders and shook them.
"Yeah, man! That dude is psycho! Let's run! Run!" Cubot yelled too in fear as he's panicking.
"We're getting out of this place! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Dr. Eggman screamed in panic as he quickly turned his hovercraft around and flew away from Central City as fast as he could. Orbot and Cubot also screamed with him in fear. Dr. Eggman thought while screaming in panic. Alright! It's official! I HATE MOTHS! THE BOTH OF THEM! I HATE THEM! HATE! HATE! HAAAAATE!
As Dr. Eggman flew farther away from the city, Battra just stared upwards at the sky as he watched Dr. Eggman fly away in fear. Battra had a devious smirk on his face as he stared at the fleeing human before him. Battra then said calmly to himself while still looking upwards, "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make someone obsolete".
[Meanwhile At Tails' House]
"Aaaand...Done! There! Ah. At long last, I had finally spruced up this old guestroom! Look at how clean and tidy it is now! I'm sure that Kathy would love it!" Tails exclaimed brightly as he finished cleaning the sliding, glass doors. He turned around and saw the clean and sparkly guestroom. He soon put the washing cloth into the pail on the floor and opened the sliding door to let some fresh air in to the clean room. He walked towards the balcony and smiled at the calm, atmosphere of the neighborhood of Emerald Town.
Once he approached the marble railing, he held onto it and looked upward at the clear, blue sky above. He then replied with a smile, "Ah...Peace and quiet".
[Meanwhile Somewhere North Of Central City]
Sonic was just calmly observing the view of the mountainous regions of Hill Top. He had his arms crossed and had a huge smile on his face as he's enjoying the peacefulness of nature. He was pondering to himself with a calm smile. So...now we have a monster as a friend, huh? Heh. I never thought that I'd see the day that we do get one. But who knew that this monster would be a real cutie?! That's just even better! Heheh...Still...I do wonder what's on Knuckles' mind lately. It seems that he's getting weirder by the minute. Of course, it doesn't help that we have an adorable, girl monster on our side now. He must be having a hard time dealing with her. Not like in a bad way as if they're fighting all the time like Rouge was with him, but rather...in a good way by how well they get along easily! He certainly can't act all tough around her without turning into mush. That's for sure! Hmmm...But I do wonder what this Battra guy is like. I mean. What kind of trouble is he going to do? He can't be that threatening...right?
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot screamed as they flew as fast as they could through Hill Top.
"Huh?!" Sonic exclaimed in shock as his head followed Dr. Eggman's hovercraft from his right to center since Dr. Eggman is flying right in front of Sonic's line of sight. Sonic had wide eyes and a wide mouth as he stared at Dr. Eggman fleeing away in terror.
With shocked yet confused look, Sonic exclaimed out loud, "The heck is wrong with Eggman?! Why is he flying away screaming like that?!".
Suddenly...Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Kathy simultaneously heard...the emergency siren going off in Central City.
WHEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOO!
"...! What the-?! What's going on here?! The siren is going off in Central City! But...wait a minute...how could that be?! Dr. Eggman was just flying past here a minute ago! Screaming in terror no less! Hmmm...I better go check what's going on in that city if Dr. Eggman's not there making havoc!" Sonic exclaimed in surprise yet in determination as he looked serious. He then turned his body around and frowned before he ran off towards Central City.
[Meanwhile At Tails' House]
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEOOOOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO!
"Ah! That's the emergency siren! I've got to check what's going on in the news! They must have a report ready if the emergency siren is going off!" Tails exclaimed in surprise as he turned around and ran back inside his house. He had a shocked yet worried face as he quickly got downstairs to the living room. Once he got there, he quickly grabbed the T.V. remote and turned the T.V. on.
"This just in: A mysterious, flying, black monster had been spotted in Central City and had started attacking it at around 5 PM. He had first destroyed a hardware store when he had arrived in the city. Currently, he is rampaging throughout the city by either punching through buildings or firing purple lasers out of his eyes. Just by the footage alone, we can see that he is extremely dangerous since he's very fast. Almost at the same speed as Sonic the Hedgehog's speed is. With his destructive nature and flying speed, this monster is a huge threat. We're not sure if this monster is going to attack the other cities or other districts yet, but it is very important to stay alert and wait to see any new developments. Remember. This is an emergency broadcast. So, keep your television and radio turned on for further updates," the newscaster said calmly as footage displays Battra destroying the city very quickly. Explosions and smoke can be seen from the footage as Battra punches through some skyscrapers and fires his Prism Beams at the other buildings. Fire can also be seen from the footage after Battra had destroyed those buildings. Battra's roar was also recorded in the footage.
"GYRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!" Battra roared menacingly as he fired more Prism beams from his eyes and blew up more skyscrapers in the process.
"...!" Tails gasped loudly in shock as he saw the horrible footage and heard Battra's loud roar. Tails looked frightened as he stared at Battra through the T.V. footage.
Without even realizing it, Tails accidently dropped the T.V. remote to the floor out of fear.
[Meanwhile In Leaf Storm Forest]
WHEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOO! WHEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOO!
Knuckles and Kathy both gasped in shock at hearing the loud siren going off. Kathy looked confused yet worried as she looked around to see what's going on. She had never heard that sound before.
"Huh?! What's going on?!" Kathy exclaimed in shock as she looked around quickly.
"It must be coming from Central City! Someone must be attacking the city then if the emergency siren is going off! It's got to be an attack!" Knuckles exclaimed as he quickly got back up from the ground and stared at Kathy solemnly.
Kathy gasped in shock again at this before she looked solemn. She then simply muttered, "...Battra...".
"Hmm? You think that it is Battra attacking the city?" Knuckles asked solemnly as he frowned.
Kathy nodded her head as she replied, "Well...Knowing him...he's going to show up eventually and make his presence known to everyone anyway. He had done this before by attacking island after island back in my old dimension. Having him attacking a city is not that far of a stretch for him to do".
Knuckles grimaced at this before replying seriously, "...Then we better get there quickly and stop him".
Kathy nodded in agreement as she replied, "Yes, we should. But...oh...uh...".
She then smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head. "Ummm...I don't know where Central City is..." Kathy replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile while blushing a bit in embarrassment.
Knuckles smiled a little as he replied, "Don't worry. I know where it is. I'll lead you there".
Kathy smiled brightly at that. Knuckles smiled back as he walked over to Kathy. As he does this, Kathy grabbed her Sol Pendant from her pocket and placed it back over her neck again. Kathy then replied calmly yet playfully as she put her pendant back on, "Welp...Fun's over. Time to get back to work".
Knuckles smirked in amusement at this and nodded. "Hmph. Agreed," Knuckles replied calmly with a smirk. Kathy smirked back as she felt ready to fight Battra again.
Knuckles then held his hand out towards Kathy as he replied, "Follow me, Kathy. I'll lead you the way there. It seems that you're going to have to run again".
Kathy smirked even more as she...gently pushed Knuckles' hand down in refusal. Knuckles was confused by this action. With one eyebrow raised in confusion, Knuckles replied awkwardly, "Uhh...Kathy...You're supposed to hold my hand. Not push it down. Ummm...You do realize that we do need to run, right?".
Kathy looked playful yet excited as she replied, "Au contraire, my little doggie. We don't...need to run to get there. There's always another way".
"Huh? Like...how?" Knuckles asked in confusion as he scratched his head with his hand.
"Well...Do you remember how you carried me on your back last night?" Kathy asked with a playful grin.
"Uhh...Yeah? But what does that have to do with anyth-" Knuckles replied in confusion as he looked skeptical at Kathy.
"Hop onto my back, Knuckles! Because you're flying!" Kathy exclaimed confidently with a smile as she turned her back around at him and pointed at her back with her thumb.
"Wait! What?!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock as his eyes went as wide as saucers. Now, THAT he didn't see coming.
"Yeah! We can get to the city faster by flying there! All you need to do is tell me which direction the city is from here, and then we'll fly there! See?! Problem solved!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile.
"But! But! But! Couldn't you just fly, and I run instead?! Why should I have to ride on your back?!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in confusion.
"Huh? What's wrong? You're...You're not scared of heights too, are you?" Kathy asked curiously as she looked slightly concerned for Knuckles.
Knuckles shook his head as he exclaimed while having his hands out, "It's not that! I just don't understand why I have to ride on your back! Central City is not that far ahead! It's only a couple of miles in the western direction from here! I could run there too you know!".
"Well, yeah, you can...but it won't be fast enough. Battra would just destroy the entire city if we don't make it there by flying. I doubt that you can run that fast. I mean..." Kathy replied casually with a shrug. She then smiled a little teasingly as she added, "...Can you run as fast as Sonic, Knuckles?".
At that little comment, Knuckles gasped before he growled in frustration. Grrrrrrr!...She's...She's right...Unfortunately...Sigh...Knuckles thought as he growled a bit before sighing reluctantly. He then closed his eyes and replied, "...No".
Kathy smirked playfully as she replied teasingly, "See? Well then, tough luck, Knuckles! You're flying! And that's final!".
"...(Sigh)...Yes, Master," Knuckles replied sarcastically while sighing in defeat.
Kathy giggled a lot at that reply. Knuckles opened his eyes again and smiled a little in amusement. Even he knows that he's not too upset at this. He's just joking around to amuse Kathy a little. Kathy then smiled to him as she showed Knuckles her back again.
"Now, Knuckles, wrap around your arms over my neck. After that, wrap your ankles over mine so that you won't fall off from me when we're airborne. Got it?" Kathy commanded calmly as she pointed at her neck and ankles for emphasis.
Knuckles nodded in understanding as he replied calmly, "Alright. I got it".
He then walked towards Kathy's back and wrapped his arms over her neck first. He then wrapped his ankles over hers after that. ...And thus...Knuckles was finally off the ground...in a way.
Kathy beamed as she looked at Knuckles. "There you go...Comfy?" Kathy replied calmly with a gentle smile.
Knuckles blushed a bit before replying awkwardly, "Uhhh...Umm...Y-Yeah...I am...".
"Well, good! Because now..." Kathy replied brightly yet calmly with a smile. She then held onto Knuckles' hands tightly as she added calmly with a confident smile, "...I'm going to fly really fast. So, hang on tight, Knuckles. Because you're in for a ride".
Knuckles blushed even more when Kathy held onto his hands more tightly while saying this. Before Knuckles could say a word, Kathy then immediately flapped her gorgeous wings and quickly flew up into the sky. Of course...in no time at all...Kathy was already flying at supersonic speeds.
"...!" Knuckles gasped loudly in shock as he saw how fast Kathy is flying here. He immediately gripped onto Kathy even tighter as he feared that he would just fall off from her since she's flying so fast. He could feel his dreadlocks flapping a lot due to how fast Kathy is flying right now. Oh my gosh! Kathy's flying speed is as fast as Sonic's running speed! Just...How?! Knuckles thought in shock as his eyes and mouth were very wide.
Kathy smiled widely as she looked at Knuckles while exclaiming proudly, "Heh! Now, do you see why I'm good at flying instead of running?! Because I certainly can't run at high speeds like this!".
"Now, you tell me!" Knuckles yelled in shock as he looked at Kathy with a freaked-out expression.
Kathy giggled a lot after seeing Knuckles' hilarious expression and hearing his reaction. She replied brightly with a grin, "Seems to me that you're not used to speeds like this, huh, Knuckles?".
"Of course, I'm not! I'm not Sonic! I may have ridden on a plane called the X-Tornado before! But even that plane couldn't go as fast as this! Just...how are you flying so fast, Kathy?!" Knuckles yelled out in shock and in panic.
Kathy smirked playfully as she replied, "Did I ever mention to you that Mothra was also nicknamed the Supersonic Queen?".
"No!" Knuckles yelled back immediately in response.
Kathy giggled happily as she replied, "Hehehehehe! Whoops! I guess that it's too late to tell you now! But anyways, get used to this, Knuckles! Because you're going to ride on my back more often as long as we stick together! Now, come on! We better go find Battra!".
"Alright! Alright! Fine! Uhh..." Knuckles exclaimed quickly as he moved his head to look where they should go next. Once he looked at his left, he exclaimed again, "Hey! Kathy! Head towards the left! The city is that way!".
"Got it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly as she turned left graciously yet effortlessly.
She then flew closer towards Central City after that.
[Meanwhile In Central City]
("Battra's Theme" from "Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for the Earth" starts playing)
BOOM! KAABOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOM! KAABOOOM!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" The people screamed in terror as they ran as fast as they could while their city is being destroyed by Battra. More explosions, sparks, fire, smoke, and rubble falling keeps on going throughout the city as Battra attacks it with his Prism Beams. Battra roared with a devious smirk on his face.
GYRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Fear Battra!) (A/N Gotta bring the joke back somehow. So, why not here?)
Battra then flew down quickly towards several smaller buildings and punched through them with his Sol Gems.
BOOOOM! BOOOM! KABOOM! KAABOOOM! BOOM!
Again, more explosions and rubble fell as the buildings are destroyed flawlessly by Battra. As he kept flying through the city while attacking it with his Prism Beams, he thought to himself with a devious smirk on his face. Man, do I love it when things go smoothly for me! First, I lost Kathy last night; next, I found a place to make my new, hidden base; then, I slept in for a long time, which was a glorious treat; and now, I'm destroying a city with little resistance being thrown at me! Ah...Such a wonderful first day for me. And the best part about this is that Kathy isn't here to stop me! I bet that she's severely wounded after that little surprise attack I've just thrown at her. Because of that, she isn't going to stop me any time soon. Hahahahahahah!
BOOM! KABOOM! BOOOM! KABOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOM!
More explosions, sparks, and falling rubble kept happening as more buildings are destroyed by Battra's attacks. Battra even fired his Prism Beams down on the streets, and thus, the ground became a sea of flames due to that. People still screamed in panic as Battra attacks their city as fast as could. Battra roared again as he attacked the streets below him.
KABOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM! BOOOOM!
GYRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Fall down before me!)
He soon flew around the city to see where he would want to land at. He could see that he had done humongous amounts of damage as multiple tall buildings are on fire, and smoke had come out of them. Rubble was everywhere as it filled the streets below. Tons of smaller buildings were demolished to smithereens too. Battra smirked as he felt proud of the damage that he had caused to this city.
"Ah...Perfect," Battra said to himself calmly yet darkly.
He then found one tall skyscraper amongst the city that he wanted to land on. So, he flew towards it and slowly landed on it. He then turned around and smiled evilly after seeing how much destruction he had caused. Battra thought to himself with an evil smile. How glorious. I'm certain that my ancestor is quite proud of me for creating such destruction upon a city. Surely, these fools are going to learn to fear me now that they know that I'm here in this dimension. Hopefully...they'll learn to behave...properly...like the good citizens that they're supposed to be. Heheheheheheh!
Battra smirked as he watched the people below running around and screaming in terror of him.
"Aaaaaaah! What is that thing?! It's a monster!" a man screamed in terror.
"It's going to kill us all! Run!" a woman screamed in fear.
"Can someone please stop this monster?! Where is Sonic when you need him?!" another man screamed in panic.
"Help! Help! Sonic! Save us! Please! Aaaaaaaaaah!" another woman screamed in fear.
("Battra's Theme" ends here)
Suddenly, as if those pleas were heard, the people soon saw a blue blur running past them and heading towards the building where Battra was standing at the top. While people were still running, they soon cheered once they saw that Sonic is here now and is boosting up towards one of the tallest buildings in the city.
"We're saved! We're saved! Sonic is here!" a man cheered loudly as he ran.
"Go get him, Sonic! You can do it!" another man cheered loudly while he ran too.
"Yeah! Go stop that monster!" a woman cheered with hope in her voice as she also ran.
"Sonic! Sonic! Sonic! Sonic! Sonic!" everyone chanted loudly with hope in their voices as they stared at the tall building where Battra is at.
Sonic was running as fast as he normally does while looking up at the building ahead of him. He can see Battra having his arms crossed as he stared at the destroyed city ahead of him. Sonic frowned as he pondered. That's Battra? Huh. He really is a black monster after all. Hmm...You know...In a way...his demeanor is somewhat similar to Shadow's when I first met him back on Earth. Which means...Oh, boy...This is going to be troublesome. I can tell. Let's see how powerful he truly is by fighting him head-on!
With a cocky smirk, Sonic soon zipped around the building a few times before making a cool stop by skidding his feet on the ground a few feet behind Battra. Sonic was now standing at the roof of the tall skyscraper along with Battra. Sonic had his legs bent a bit as he prepares himself for battle. Of course, Battra just ignored this as he still had his arms crossed and looked at the damaged city ahead of him.
Sonic smirked in cockiness as he said to Battra, "So, you're Battra, eh? Think that you're so tough just because you had caused some damage to a city? Heh! I bet that your attacks won't be fast enough to hit even me!".
"..." Battra said nothing to Sonic as he still looked at the damaged city below him.
"...What? Got nothing to say to that? So, you do admit that you're slow then! Ha! You must feel so ashamed of that fact about yourself since you're refusing to say anything to me!" Sonic replied teasingly with a playful smirk while pointing at Battra.
"..." Battra was still silent as he ignored Sonic again. Sonic frowned a bit at this as he saw that Battra was still ignoring him despite his taunts. Sonic then stood up straighter and had one hand out in front of him while his other hand was on his hip. Sonic tried to talk to Battra again.
"...Ummm...Hello? Earth to monster-man? Are you even going to try to say 'hi' to me? Or get angry at my taunts? Seriously! What's with the silent treatment that you're giving me? Or...can you not even hear me speak to you? Do I have to get up close to you and scream in your ears? Because I'll do it if you ignor-" Sonic replied in annoyance as he frowned.
"I'm not going to speak to someone who's ABD," Battra replied calmly yet darkly while having a devious smirk on his face. He still looked at the damaged city in front of him and not turning around to face Sonic to talk to him directly.
"Huh? …'ABD'?" Sonic repeated in confusion as he had one eyebrow raised.
"Hmph. ...It means 'all but dead', you talking corpse," Battra replied deviously with a smirk as he slightly turned his head behind himself to see Sonic.
Sonic gasped a bit in shock at that dark reply before he growled a bit in slight frustration. He exclaimed back with a frown on his face, "And what's making you think that you're going to kill me, huh?!".
"I don't 'think'. I know. Just because of how easy it is to do so," Battra replied calmly again with an evil smirk.
"Grrrrrr! Do you even know who I am?! I'm the Fastest Thing Alive here! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog! And if you think that you're going to kill me that easily, well then, you're in for a surprise! Because I die hard! Which means..." Sonic exclaimed with a growl as he looked solemn while steading his body into a battle position again. Sonic then smirked cockily again as he finished with, "...You're in for the fight of your life".
"..." Battra was silent as he frowned at Sonic. Battra looked unamused by this. He stared at Sonic with his two, red eyes in silence. He then moved his head back at the city in front of him and ignored Sonic...again. Sonic was shocked at this reaction as his eyebrows were raised and as his mouth was agape.
Sonic then exclaimed in shock and in disbelief, "A-A-Are you ignoring me?! Again?! I...I...I just challenged you to a fight! And you're just not gonna take me up on that challenge?! Just...Just...Just what gave you the right to ignore your opponents from a fight?! What kind of a villain are you anyway?! A coward perhaps?! That's the impression that you're sending to me right now! A cowardly monster who doesn't want to fight!".
"I'm not going to waste my time fighting someone who is worthless," Battra replied calmly yet darkly.
Sonic gawked at Battra after hearing him say that. "'W-W-Worthless'?!" Sonic repeated in shock as his eyes went very wide at that remark.
"You heard me. I'm not going to waste your time and mine to a fight that is completely pointless. You may try to play the hero, Blue Boy Blunder, but you'll die the moment you dare to confront me. I can kill you, you know. And if you had at least some sense in your crazy, stupid mind, then you'll realize that it's better for you to run away while you still can. You're still alive...and you won't get a second chance in life once you're dead," Battra replied calmly yet darkly with an evil grin as he glanced back at Sonic on his last sentence. Battra then smirked as he looked at Sonic again as he added, "...And you shouldn't throw away your worthless life trying to battle me".
Sonic just stared at Battra with a stunned look on his face. He had certainly never heard any of his enemies say that a fight with him is pointless. He also certainly hasn't met someone who's cockiness is even greater than his own and possibly even Shadow's. Just to say that he is worthless is so uncalled for!
Sonic then looked appalled as he tried to reply back, "I...I...That...How could you even say that?!".
Battra smirked even more evilly and menacingly as he answered, "Simple. …...What's one...worthless hedgehog...to a 'god'? Kaijus like me...are the 'gods' of the animal kingdom, boy. Either you bow down before your 'god'...or run away in fear of him".
Battra then chuckled evilly yet darkly as he glared at Sonic fiercely to intimidate him. Sonic gasped in shock after hearing Battra boldly say that. He even called him "boy"! No villain in his life had ever addressed him as that either! In a way...that was like the worst insult to him because it's like saying that you're not allowed to fight your opponent due to your age. Sonic then frowned deeply and gritted his teeth in frustration now. Geez! This pompous creep makes Shadow look like an angel! Grrrrrr! As if I'm EVER going to bow down to you, you narcissistic jerk! Call me "boy" one more time and I'll- Sonic pondered angrily while gritting his teeth.
Battra then looked back at the city before him while replying, "So, you're just going to stand around and stare at me then. Hmph. Whatever. Just keep your trap shut, boy, while I start my speech".
OH! HE DIDN'T! Sonic thought with a shocked and angry face as he growled a lot now. He had a vein bulging on his head since he's so mad that his opponent had refused to fight him. His anger is about as much as Knuckles' usual anger right about now. Sonic's body shook in anger before he quickly grabbed his Power Ring and held it tightly.
"THAT TEARS IT!" Sonic shouted in anger as he held the Power Ring as it glows brightly in his hand. A second later, Sonic went into his famous Super Spinball Form and attempted to attack Battra with it.
But when Sonic got close to Battra...
POW!
CRAAAAASH!
"...Owwwwww..." Sonic groaned weakly as he cringed in pain since his back was somewhat on the wall of the skyscraper behind him where he stood at prior. For what just happened, Sonic couldn't believe it. Battra had easily and effortlessly punched through his Spinball Form. Battra had just simply turned around and punched Sonic hard with his Dark Sol Gems. Battra smirked a bit in amusement once he saw Sonic's pained expression on his face.
"Hmph. Consider that a warning, boy. Attack me again, and you'll suffer an even greater punishment than that," Battra replied calmly yet darkly with an evil smirk as he crossed his arms and turned back around again.
Sonic groaned again before growling in frustration as he glared at Battra. I can't believe it! He just punched through my Spinball Form as if it was nothing! How dare he! Nobody punches through my Spinball Form! Nobody! Not including Knuckles! Grrrrr! Now, he's going to get it! Sonic pondered in frustration before he gripped onto the Power Ring even tighter as he's ready to attack Battra again. Sonic then went into his Spinball Form again and tried to attack Battra once more.
Just when Sonic got close to him again, Battra immediately turned around and punched Sonic upwards this time with his Dark Sol Gems.
POW!
Sonic's Spinball went flying up into the air. Sonic cringed again in pain as he felt that strong punch. His body soon got out of its Spinball Form for a moment and just spun around in the air a bit. Argh! This guy punches harder than Knuckles! But I'm not going to quit just yet! Sonic thought as his body flipped a lot in the air. Sonic gritted his teeth again as he looked down at Battra before gripping his Power Ring yet again. He then went into his Spinball Form yet again for another attempt.
Battra saw that Sonic was coming down towards him. He smirked a bit as he then put both of his hands up to catch Sonic's Spinball. Battra charged up his Dark Sol Gems again. A few seconds later, Sonic had reached down towards Battra, but when Sonic had reached him, Battra just simply slammed his two hands onto Sonic's Spinball and held him. Sonic gasped in shock once he saw that Battra had caught him into his own trap. Battra's Dark Sol Gems were glowing light-green as they contained Sonic through their energy. Sonic thought in a panic. Ack! I'm trapped! I can't get out!
Battra smirked evilly as he replied calmly, "That's strike two".
Battra then flew up quickly in the air to gain some height for his next attack. Once Battra flew up a couple feet in the air, he looked down at the skyscraper below him. Battra smiled evilly as he then flew down while holding Sonic in front of him as if he was dunking a basketball.
"Cannonball!" Battra exclaimed jokingly yet deviously as flew straight down onto the roof of the skyscraper below.
SLAM!
"Aaaaaarrrrrrgh!" Sonic groaned loudly in pain when his body was slammed hard onto the concrete floor of the roof. Sonic cringed a lot in pain once he landed hard onto the concrete floor. He got out of his Spinball Form the moment Battra had slammed him onto the roof. Sonic was now lying on his stomach. Battra looked down on Sonic's injured body and smirked evilly yet again.
"Give it up while you still can, boy. Because if you keep on doing that, then you'll only hurt yourself much more," Battra replied calmly yet darkly as he glared down at Sonic's back.
"Uuuuugh...Grrrrrr...I...I won't give up! …...I'll...I'll stop you...Eventually..." Sonic muttered weakly as he groaned in pain.
Battra smirked even more as he then crouched next to Sonic's right side and stared at him. "Are you sure that you're ready to pay the ultimate price for confronting me? Attacking me again will be your biggest mistake that you'll ever make. This is...your last warning," Battra replied calmly with an evil smirk as he stared at Sonic. Sonic stared back at Battra as he said that while gritting his teeth in pain and in frustration.
Sonic grunted a lot as he stared back at Battra. I. Refuse. To. Lose. To. This. Jerk! Sonic thought angrily as he glared hard at Battra's cocky expression on his face. Sonic then placed his hands onto the floor and tried to lift his body up. His arms were wobbly, and his body was aching from the pain. But just as Sonic was lifting himself up from the ground, Battra then just shoved Sonic's body back onto the ground and held his back.
"Grrrrrrr! What gives?!" Sonic exclaimed angrily and in pain as his back was being held by Battra.
Battra smirked evilly before he "tsked" a bit in a taunting way while shaking his head. "Well...would you look at that...you're even stupidier than I thought. That's strike three, boy. And now..." Battra replied calmly with an evil grin as he looked down onto Sonic's back. He then looked at Sonic's face as he finished in a dark tone of voice, "...You're going to receive your punishment".
Battra then charged up his Dark Sol Gems while holding onto Sonic's back tightly. The gems glowed light-green again before electricity was being shot out from them.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Sonic screamed in pain as he was being electrocuted. Flashes of light and light-green sparks were seen as Battra was attacking Sonic with his electrical attack. Sonic was completely covered in electricity and couldn't get out even if he tried. He can't even go into his Spinball Form since he was in such agonizing pain. Sonic kept screaming in pain as he was being electrocuted.
The people below had heard Sonic's screams of pain and had gasped in shock of this. They couldn't believe at what they are seeing. They are seeing Sonic...losing. They looked very worried and fearful again as they watched Sonic suffer in horror.
Battra shocked Sonic for a few more seconds before he stopped. Sonic groaned even more in pain after that strong attack. Electrical burns were seen all over Sonic's body. Smoke was also coming off of Sonic after that electrical attack. Battra smirked at Sonic as he replied calmly, "I warned you not to try to attack me, boy. But look at what you did...By trying to get up and attack me again...you got yourself electrocuted. You really are a stupid, worthless hedgehog".
Sonic groaned in pain and in humiliation before replying weakly to Battra, "H-How? …...Just how...were you able to...c-counter my attacks...so fast...l-like that?".
"Hmph. Simple. ...Fifteen years of fighting experience is what had enabled me to successfully counter all your attacks, boy. I've been fighting much longer than you had been alive. Being involved in a civil war with my nefarious archenemy, Klara the Moth, had given me much experience on how fast a person's attacks can be. No matter how different the individual is, their attacks are nothing to me. After all..." Battra answered calmly with an evil smile as he looked at Sonic's face again. Battra smirked as he added darkly, "...who can stand up to a 'god'?".
Sonic grimaced both in pain and in...fear. He can see Battra's two, red, bug-like eyes glaring at him coldly. Sonic then realized that he really is way out of his league to battle Battra. Kathy did warn him not to confront Battra, but he didn't think that Battra would be that tough. But it seems that...his ego had led him astray again and got him into serious trouble. …And he is suffering from it.
Ugh...If I had known that Battra would be this tough, then surely, I wouldn't have confronted him at all. I would be busier getting everyone to safety instead of fighting him! Why did I have to try fighting him? Is my impatience and cockiness really that bad? I'm starting to think that it is. Ooooh, Kathy, where are you? I could really, really use your help right about now. Because I'm...I'm so screwed. Sonic pondered with a grimace on his defeated face.
Battra then placed his Dark Sol Gems back into his pendant and then...grabbed Sonic by the neck with one hand. Sonic cringed in pain as Battra held him tightly. He had hoped that Battra won't choke him to death with his fierce grip. As Battra got up, he held Sonic by the throat and had shown his beaten body in front of the fearful people below. The people gasped in shock again as they looked horrified at this.
"No! It can't be! Sonic had lost!" a man cried in horror.
"Sonic! Please! Don't give up! Keep on fighting him! Please! We beg of you!" a woman yelled out in fear.
"You can't let this monster beat you! Without you, who will defend us?!" another man yelled out in fear and in panic too.
The rest of the people either kept yelling or shouting for Sonic to keep on fighting Battra. However, Battra was not amused by this and had fired some of his Prism Beams at more buildings to shut the people up. The people screamed in fear once they saw more buildings being attacked and blown up.
"There! Now, that I have your attention...I would like to make..." Battra yelled loudly as he smirked evilly. He then added darkly, "...an announcement".
[Meanwhile Near Central City]
"I can see the city from here! We're almost there!" Kathy exclaimed solemnly as she flew faster towards the damaged city ahead.
"Yes! Now, hurry!" Knuckles exclaimed back with a nod as he looked at the city again. He frowned once he saw how badly damaged it is. He can see fires on top of the buildings, rubble, and smoke rising to the sky. He grimaced as he brooded. I can't believe what I'm seeing here. All this destruction due to one kaiju monster that is about the same size as Kathy here? I...I'm just so baffled by this. It looks like something that a huge monster could make...I guess that kaijus really do hold up to their name even when they're now the size of Mobians. Hmmm...Battra must be more menacing than I thought. I hope that Kathy can take him out. Otherwise...
Knuckles frowned deeper as he looked more solemn as he finished brooding with this thought.
This world is doomed.
[Back At Central City]
"Hear this, you naïve people! You may fear me for what I had done to this fair city, but I am not the one who you should be fearing here! There is a much greater threat than I in this dimension, and that person will cause even greater damage than what I had caused in this city alone!" Battra started boldly as he said his speech while holding Sonic by the throat. Sonic was still groaning and cringing in pain as he was being choked. Even while being choked, Sonic still listened to Battra's speech. Oh, this should be good. Sonic thought sarcastically while gritting his teeth in pain.
Battra smirked evilly as he continued, "The real monster who you should be fearing here is the one who had brought me here! Kathy 'Mothra' the Moth!".
The people gasped in shock and in confusion as they looked at each other and at Battra. They soon talked amongst themselves while looking confused. Sonic frowned in worry as he thought. Oh no...
"Huh? 'Mothra'? Who's that?" a woman asked in confusion.
"I've never heard that girl's name before! Who is she?!" a man exclaimed in shock and in confusion.
"Did she...Did she really brought this monster here?" another woman asked in confusion.
Battra continued while people still murmured to themselves, "Yes! You heard right! She's the one who had brought me here! Kathy is also a kaiju monster just like me! For whom I am, I am Battra the Moth! And I'm here to warn you all that this girl monster is going to bring this world into destruction! The reason being...she refuses to end this war with me!".
"Huh?! A 'war'?! What war?!" a man asked in confusion.
"Is that girl really going to destroy this world?! I can't believe it!" a woman yelled in a panic. The other people were also confused and frightened by this fact.
"You see, ladies and gentlemen, Kathy's original purpose was to bring peace all over the world since her ancestor was the legendary kaiju monster, Mothra! However! She had strayed off from her ancestor's roots and had decided to bring nothing but terror and destruction towards this world as a way to fulfill her own power hungry needs! She is going to use her own Sol Pendant to take over this world and be the ruler of this world as Queen!" Battra continued loudly with a devious smile as he stared at the frightened people below.
Liar...Sonic thought with a grimace as he looked at Battra with one eye. Of course, the people were shocked by this fact.
"But! I'm going to save you all by defeating her and taking that pendant away from her dastardly hands! All I wish for is having peace with you! I had only destroyed this city just to draw her out of hiding! She is in this world and is waiting to destroy it! But I'll protect you all from her! I'll make her surrender in our war, and then, true peace will flourish as I plan to make this world and society a better place to live in! A society were no deceit, cheating, abuse, or betrayal will be tolerated! A new society were families and loved ones could flourish in peace without having those four terrible things in their lives! A utopia where everyone will be obedient and faithful!" Battra continued while getting more passionate as he went along.
The people were both stunned and confused by this. They don't know what to think of this. They're simply shocked, scared, and confused. Battra looked devious as he glared down at the people below. Sonic just glared at Battra in frustration while still being choked.
Battra finished by saying, "Surely, all of you guys would want that, right?! But unfortunately, Kathy does not want that to happen! You guys should be against her if you want to have a utopia like that! Join my cause if you want a better society where all of you will live in peace and harmony! Only though obedience will others be happy and have peace in their lives!".
"Objection!" a young, elegant, female voice exclaimed boldly yet loudly.
"What?!" Battra exclaimed in shock and in anger as knows that voice all too well.
Kathy...Battra thought bitterly with a growl.
The people gasped in shock as they now looked over at the other tall skyscraper across from the one that Battra was standing on. They were even more confused after hearing that girl's voice.
"Huh?! Who is it this time?!" a woman exclaimed in confusion.
"I don't know what's going anymore! Make this nightmare stop!" a man cried out in agony.
Kathy then quietly yet slowly walked across the roof dramatically while having Knuckles on her back. She soon stopped at the edge of the roof and stared at Battra with a solemn look on her face.
She gripped onto her pendant while replying boldly yet calmly, "'Obedience' you say? More like control! The kind of peace that you're promoting here, Battra, is a false one! Stop pulling the wool over the people's eyes, Battra! What you seek is not peace! But control and domination!".
Battra growled angrily as he glared at Kathy coldly. Sonic looked over at Kathy and smiled weakly at her. Thank goodness! The cavalry has arrived! Sonic thought with a weak smile on his pained face.
Kathy released her pendant. She then put her hand under her chin as she continued, "To live in a world...where everyone in society is behaving properly 24/7...and the penalty for trying to go against it is pain and punishment...".
She then shook her head and frowned solemnly as she exclaimed boldly while pointing at Battra, "That is NOT a utopia! That is a prison! An inescapable prison where you are the ruler while everyone is just slaves who are forced to obey by your rules! It is a society where no one could truly feel safe and loved! Everyone would only just act nice and be good just because they were forced to do it! Not because they truly love others around them! Families and loved ones would only know conditional love in that dystopia! Not unconditional love!".
Battra growled even more in anger as Kathy's speech is irritating to him. Kathy then crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she finished with, "True peace could only be achieved in a society where everyone expresses unconditional love. Freedom of choice is what's important here. Not obedience, Battra. People will only feel peace when they are loved unconditionally by others. They won't if they are forced to obey a person's rules and get punished immediately after breaking them. The only things that will come out of that is fear and anxiety. Not peace".
The people were just stunned by this. They really have no clue what's going on here. First, they heard one speech from a black, moth monster, and now, they heard another speech from another moth...who is...a girl.
"Aaaaah! There it is! There's that girl monster!" a man yelled in a panic as he pointed at Kathy.
"Oh no! Now, there's two monsters!" a woman yelled in fear.
"Let's get out of here before we all get killed by both of them!" another man yelled in a panic.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" everyone screamed as they ran both in the east and west directions to evacuate the district that Battra and Kathy are in.
Battra frowned at this as he saw the people run away in fear. "Good going, stupid girl! You made them run away! I was in the middle of my speech! And you had to come in and ruin it!" Battra exclaimed in anger as he growled at Kathy.
Kathy frowned as she replied, "At least it's better for them to leave than to hear more of your lies, Battra! Will you ever stop tricking them from buying into your so-called utopia that you want to create?! Have you no shame into deceiving them and making them disappointed after giving them false hope?! Your deceitful, manipulative tactics are disgusting, Battra!".
"Hmph! A naïve, little girl such as you will never understand the importance of justice. The people who had been treated unjustly will never love others unconditionally as you had claimed. They want justice to be served. Having everyone being equally punished after cruelly hurting someone is what the people truly desire. Those who hadn't suffered through life without dealing with deceit, cheating, abuse, or betrayal will never understand those people who had," Battra replied calmly yet darkly as he frowned deeply. He glared sharply at Kathy as he added, "...People...like...me".
Kathy only glared back just as intensely as Battra's. The two moth monsters glared at each other in silence while both Sonic and Knuckles were both speechless yet confused by this. Knuckles frowned too as he looked at Kathy and Battra solemnly. Is that what's this whole war is about? A utopia where deceit and betrayal don't exist? …And Battra wants one because...he had been lied to and betrayed before? Is that what I'm getting here? Hmmmm...I can't blame him for wanting one though...after what I had been through. Knuckles brooded with a frown as he looked at Battra solemnly.
Kathy then grabbed her Sol Gems and took them out as she prepares for another battle with Battra. She looked solemn as she exclaimed boldly, "Don't you dare say that I don't know what justice is! After all...you had treated my mother and me unjustly for over fourteen years! Even I want justice after what you had cruelly done to the both of us! And I'm going to get it by defeating you once and for all!".
Battra growled in fury as he replied darkly, "...Even you don't understand me, Kathy. You never will thanks to all the lies that your mother has told you".
"My mother had never lied! What she just told of you was true! You're the one spouting lies, Battra! Not my mom!" Kathy exclaimed angrily as she glared at Battra coldly while pointing at him.
"Hmph...Mamma's girl...Fine! Whatever! Believe in that lying traitor all you want! Besides..." Battra replied bitterly yet angrily as he choked Sonic's neck a little tighter before throwing his body behind himself.
CRASH!
"Ooof!" Sonic exclaimed in pain as his back hit the wall again before falling face-first to the floor below. Thank goodness that's over...Ugggh...Sonic thought in agony as he groaned in pain.
Battra then smirked evilly as he added darkly, "...You're all alone now, Kathy. Your mamma can't come over and save you now. It's only...just you battling me now".
Kathy grunted in anger and in pain after hearing Battra say that. She had an angry face as she glared at Battra's smug face. How could one creature...be so cruel? Why? Kathy thought with a grimace as she gritted her teeth.
Knuckles looked at Kathy and frowned both in anger and in sympathy. Kathy, I don't blame you for getting angry at that. What he just said...was just heartless. I understand your frustration for having to deal with this jerk for years, Kathy. But you…...you...Knuckles brooded with a frown.
"You can do this," Knuckles muttered quietly to Kathy with a solemn look on his face.
Kathy gasped quietly in shock as she looked at Knuckles after hearing him say that. She stared at his solemn face while her heart was beating fast with hope. Knuckles...Kathy thought with sparkling, light-blue eyes.
Knuckles just stared back into her eyes with a frown on his face. He soon smiled a little as he encouraged quietly, "Don't let this creep scare you off, Kathy. Remember what you had just told me earlier? A kaiju should always exert their dominance to show to others who rules over them. He may be a kaiju too, but...".
Knuckles then smirked as finished with a wink, "...But you're the Queen of the Monsters here. You should be the one who needs to be feared of. Not Battra. Now, go scare him off...Master. Show this little doggie how you're going to do that".
"..." Kathy was speechless after hearing those encouraging words from Knuckles. She felt like those words had powered her up with such confidence that she believes that she can do this. The fact that...she can win this fight.
Kathy smiled a little at Knuckles before she replied gently, "Thank you, Knuckles. I needed that reminder".
"Hmph. You're welcome. Now, go get him," Knuckles replied quietly with a smirk as he looked back at Battra. Kathy nodded and looked back at Battra too.
Battra had his arms crossed as he glared impatiently at Kathy and Knuckles. "Are you done prepping up the loser's corner yet? Because I want to get this fight started already!" Battra replied with impatience in his tone.
Kathy then held up a finger as she replied brightly with a smile, "Hold it, Battra! Safety first!".
Battra growled in impatience as he can't take the waiting any longer. "Screw safety!" Battra yelled in fury before he fired his Prism Beams towards Kathy and Knuckles.
"Yeah, uh, how about no?!" Kathy exclaimed quickly as she dove down from the building before the purple laser beams hit the building.
BOOOOOOOM!
A huge explosion happened when the lasers hit the top of the skyscraper. Sparks and rubble came out from the building once it was hit. Knuckles cringed in shock after hearing that loud explosion. However, he was already shaken after seeing Kathy jumping down and flying quickly again as fast as she went down. Kathy flew down towards the street before flying back up towards the other building where Battra was standing on. Knuckles only gasped in shock after experiencing those fast actions which only took place within five seconds. Kathy smirked at Battra as she flew up towards him. Battra growled in irritation before he attacked again by firing more of his Prism Beams from his red eyes.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Knuckles screamed in panic when he saw the purple lasers coming towards him and Kathy.
"Shield!" Kathy exclaimed quickly as she commanded her Sol Gems to create a purple shield surrounding them both.
KABOOOOOOOOM!
Sparks and explosions came upon the purple shield once the Prism Beams had hit it. Kathy was still flying upwards as the shield tanks the hit from the lasers. She had a calm, determined smile on her face as this happens. Meanwhile, Knuckles had a fearful, shocked expression on his face as he watches the lasers hit the shield but didn't break through it. He was impressed but also shocked at the same time. He could feel his heart pounding fast as the adrenaline had kicked in after that shocking event. He could see that Kathy wasn't fazed at all at this. He could feel his breathing being fast as he still couldn't get over how he's still alive after that attack. He gripped onto Kathy even tighter afterwards.
Battra gasped in surprise once he saw that his attack had failed due to Kathy's quick thinking. Battra gritted his teeth as he watched Kathy flying up and over him. Kathy had gracefully turned upside down a bit in the air for a dramatic and cool landing on the roof. She then flipped her body over again just to land on her feet safely onto the roof. She landed next to Sonic's wounded body. She was on Sonic's right when she had landed. Battra turned his body around and growled as he glared at Kathy and Knuckles after they had landed onto the roof.
Kathy simply smirked back at Battra as she commanded her Sol Gems to make the purple shield disappear. "Battra! I just said, 'safety first'! Do you not know the basic safety rules before doing something dangerous?" Kathy replied jokingly with a playful grin.
"Do I look like I care about one's safety when I can just literally kill them?!" Battra yelled in frustration as he gritted his teeth at Kathy.
Kathy simply smirked playfully at him as she replied tauntingly, "Well, with that response, I guess that means I can beat you up then since you don't care about your own safety!".
Battra simply growled in frustration after hearing that. Knuckles just snickered quietly in amusement after hearing that taunt from Kathy. Kathy smiled a bit as she looked at Knuckles. "Heheheh...Good one, Kathy," Knuckles whispered in amusement as he snickered. Kathy winked at him before looking at Battra.
"Grrrrr! Fine! Do what you want! Tch...Waste my freaking time then," Battra replied in irritation before he crossed his arms and looked away in annoyance.
Kathy smiled at that as she replied, "Finally! Now then...".
Kathy looked at Knuckles and beamed happily at him. Knuckles had his eyebrows raised by how Kathy is looking at him. He smiled a little as he replied calmly, "What?".
"Hehehe! Safety first!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a giggle as she pulled Knuckles' hands off of her to put him down. Knuckles saw what Kathy was doing and had unwrapped his ankles from Kathy's just to put his feet down onto the ground again. He then stood at her right side and smiled at her.
"Oh, I get it. You want me to stay out of the fight so that I won't get into harm's way, right?" Knuckles replied calmly with a smile.
"Yep! Thank you for riding the 'Mothra Express'! Hope that you enjoy your next flight! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed jovially with a silly smile as she giggled a bit.
Knuckles just smiled even wider in amusement after hearing that silly response. Even in this serious situation, she still takes the time to get me to smile. Knuckles thought with a wide smile on his face as he stared at Kathy longingly.
"Have you finally dropped off the dead weight yet? My patience is starting to run out," Battra warned darkly with a frown.
"Hey! Who are you calling 'dead weight'?!" Knuckles and Kathy yelled angrily at the same time as they glared at Battra. They soon gasped a bit in surprise and looked at each other after realizing that they had said the exact same thing at the exact same time. They blushed a bit before looking serious again as they stared back at Battra again.
Battra rolled his bug-like eyes as he replied with annoyance, "Oh, great. The red echidna had teamed up with Greenhorn Girl over here. First, that stupid cat, and now, this poor, naïve echidna".
Battra then smirked a bit as he added darkly, "Just how many more poor victims are you going to trick into believing your sob story, you deceitful, mamma's girl?".
Kathy growled in anger at this. But Knuckles spoke up for her by yelling angrily, "You're the liar here, Battra! As if you can prove that Kathy had lied to me! She's way more honest than you'll ever be! Yes, I'm on her side because she's telling the truth! If there's one thing that I can't stand, then it is liars! And you...".
Knuckles then raised his fists as he glared angrily at Battra as he finished with, "...You dare to drag Kathy's name into the ground by calling her a liar when YOU YOURSELF ARE ONE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR DOING THAT!".
"Aw great. You're also the little girl's white knight. How swell," Battra replied in annoyance with sarcasm in his tone. He rolled his eyes again while saying that.
Knuckles growled even more in frustration after hearing that response. This guy...REALLY IS A JERK! Knuckles thought in anger as a vein was bulging in his head. Before either Knuckles or Kathy could respond to that, Sonic then spoke up.
"Hey...Knuckles has a point you know. You really are a liar, Battra. As if any of us will believe in you! Especially after you had destroyed this city with your own two hands!" Sonic replied solemnly yet boldly as he slowly pushed his wounded body up from the ground and got on his knees while staring at Battra.
Battra frowned as he watched Sonic get up. Sonic grimaced as he continued while having one eye closed, "You may think that you're the innocent one here, but you were clearly demonizing Kathy as if she was the villain in this scenario. You really do want to paint her as a cruel and destructive person who cares only about power and influence. But it's so obvious that it is you who cares about having power and influence just like Kathy had said about you! Your malicious intent and actions had only made us believe in Kathy even more than with you! If you're going to drag her reputation down in the mud even further, then we're going to defend her with all that we have because we care about her! We're going to defend her innocence to the bitter end! Knuckles isn't going to be the only one who gets to be her 'white knight' as you had said! I'm going to defend her too! She's my friend, and any friend will defend others when they have been pushed into a corner by heartless individuals such as yourself! If you mess with her, then...you're messing with me".
Kathy looked at Sonic with wide, sparkly eyes as she felt touched that Sonic had said that he's defending her too. She had never thought that she would have others in her corner while her war with Battra persists even further. Having both Sonic and Knuckles defending her like this just gave her a comfort in her heart that she is going to be protected. It gave her even more courage to keep on confronting Battra like this. …And to think that I would live my whole life without having friends thanks to Battra's lies and manipulation tactics. To be honest...I was afraid that both Sonic and Knuckles would believe into Battra's lies too. But since they don't believe in Battra at all...I...I really do feel safe and secure around them now. They're going to believe in me...because they care about me. I...I...I'm so grateful that I had met such wonderful people such as these two after coming here. Staying in this dimension is going to be the best experience in my life. Kathy pondered with sparkly eyes and with a little smile as she looked at Sonic and Knuckles. She can see that the two boys had frowns on their faces as they glared at Battra coldly.
Battra was just silent as he glared at Sonic coldly too. Battra frowned even more as he then asked darkly after the brief silence, "...Do you want to die?".
Sonic smirked a little as he replied tauntingly, "That depends...Am I worthy enough to be killed by you?".
Battra growled in response to that. He then shook his head in frustration before he exclaimed while pointing at Kathy, "Enough of this! Kathy! I dare you to fight me in this duel!".
He then started to flap his wings as he flew upwards and backwards so that all three of them could see him in a distance. He continued by saying, "You think that you're going to defend this world from me? Well then...I dare you to prove it to me by battling me in a duel. Go ahead, Kathy. Fight me...and then we'll see who gets to rule this world. It's either you...or...me".
Battra smirked evilly as he added, "Let's fight so that your 'white knights' can see how weak you are despite being titled as the Queen of the Monsters. Surely, your failure as a Queen is going to be seen as I beat you. And the worst part about this is...your 'knights' are going to witness it first-hand. So, remember, Kathy...don't...choke".
Kathy grimaced as she glared at Battra as he chuckled evilly and coldly at her. I can't screw this up now! I better beat him in this battle! Kathy thought solemnly with a determined look on her face. She then nodded as she replied calmly yet seriously, "Fine. Challenge accepted".
Kathy then walked ahead a bit before she flapped her wings and flew upwards into the air to join Battra. Battra flew towards the east while Kathy flew towards the west so that they are facing each other. They flew in place while staring at each other solemnly. Battra soon took out his Dark Sol Gems and held them tightly in his hands. Kathy also gripped onto her own gems as she glared at Battra with a frown on her face. Knuckles and Sonic were speechless as they watched Kathy and Battra in the distance. Knuckles crossed his arms while having a frown on his face. Sonic was still on his knees while having a frown too. The two Mobians can feel the tense atmosphere as both kaiju monsters flew in place while staring at each other in silence.
…...Sheesh...You can cut the atmosphere with a knife, and it still wouldn't be enough. Knuckles and Sonic thought at the same time as they stared at Kathy and Battra.
Battra smirked evilly as he kept staring at Kathy. He then replied calmly yet boldly, "So...are you ready to have your first fight with me in this dimension? I'll warn you though...I'm not going to go easy on you. You had deliberately abducted me from my home dimension and brought me here to a new one. I'll never understand your true intentions for doing that, however...".
Battra then looked devious as he finished with, "...I'm going to make you regret doing that by taking over this dimension instead".
"..." Kathy was silent as she stared at Battra solemnly. She is aware that what she had done was a huge gamble essentially. If she doesn't beat Battra, then this world is going to be destroyed by him. It may be one battle, but it's still a huge risk if she fails to beat him. And if she fails this...then she's putting her new friends in danger by having them confront Battra instead. Kathy grimaced before she looked to her right to see both Sonic and Knuckles staring at her and Battra. She can see Knuckles staring solemnly at her while still having his arms crossed. As Kathy stared at him, she brooded to herself.
…Sonic may have already gotten hurt by Battra, but...Knuckles hadn't. I don't want him to get hurt, and I don't Sonic to get hurt even more than he already has. If I don't stop Battra now, then their lives are in serious danger. I...I can't fail this. Kathy brooded with a solemn frown on her face. She then remembered what had happened to her the first two times that she had battled Battra back in her own home dimension last week. She grimaced as she remembered herself losing to Battra both times. Kathy closed her eyes as she brooded further. I'm...I'm still a novice. I may have strong powers and have trained for battle for years...but...I'm still a greenhorn fighter. I don't have the experience of battling someone just like Battra here has with my mom. He is an expert fighter. I...I...I'm not really sure if I can do this by myself. I...may have gotten the courage to confront him, but...now that I'm here...and facing him head-on...I'm not so sure anymore. Can I...really beat him all by myself? For the first time ever?
Kathy opened her eyes and looked...sad. She could feel her confidence draining away as her doubts had clouded her mind. As she stared at Battra, she looked rather anxious and sad. I know that I don't want to get Sonic and Knuckles hurt or killed by Battra here, but how can I do that if I can't fend him off myself? If my mom was here, then she can take Battra out no problem! …But as for me...I...I just don't know if I can do it or not. Just what...what should I do? Kathy brooded with a sad frown on her face.
"Kathy!" Knuckles exclaimed loudly so that Kathy could hear him.
"...!" Kathy gasped loudly as she quickly looked back at Knuckles with sad, worried eyes. K-Knuckles...please...help me...I'm...I'm scared...I'm so scared that I'm going to lose you to Battra! I...I can't do this. I want to fight for you, but I...I...I'm just too weak! Kathy brooded in sadness as her eyes looked at Knuckles pleadingly.
Knuckles stared back at Kathy solemnly yet with concern on his face. He can see that Kathy is looking anxious and sad. So, he encouraged her by exclaiming, "Don't be afraid of him, Kathy! You can stop him! Fight him for us, Kathy! Protect us!".
…"Fight him...for us"?...Kathy thought with widened eyes.
"Remember what you had promised me, Kathy?! That you will protect me no matter what?! That was your promise, Kathy! And just as you had said, 'Mothra always keeps her promises to others'! I believe that you can keep your promise to me, Kathy! I believe in you! You can do it!" Knuckles exclaimed boldly as he looked solemn yet concerned for Kathy.
"..." Kathy was speechless as she heard those bold words of encouragement from Knuckles. Her heart was touched that Knuckles has faith in her in that she could beat Battra herself. Seeing that Knuckles is rooting for her gave her back the courage that she needed to face him. Kathy then looked solemn again as she stared back at Knuckles. …...I may have lost to Battra twice before, but...that's no excuse for me to quit now. Knuckles is right. I should fight for him and for Sonic. I've made my promise to Knuckles that I will protect him, and protect him I must! Besides...Kathy brooded with a solemn frown before she looked back at Battra.
Kathy frowned even further once she saw Battra's smug look. "Aw, is the little Greenhorn Girl getting a pep talk from her 'white knight'? Do you really think that you can take me on now after that pathetic display of encouragement? Because I'm waiting for you to make your first strike. 'Ladies first' as they say," Battra replied teasingly with a devious smirk as he taunted Kathy.
"..." Kathy said nothing but glared at Battra coldly. She frowned as she brooded one last time. ...If there was one thing that I had learned from my past adventure, then it is that I should focus on others and not on myself when I fight. It doesn't matter that I am much stronger now than I was as a kid. My strength...isn't what's important here. Being strong means nothing if you can still lose loved ones and friends! I...I should focus on protecting Sonic and Knuckles here as I fight. As long as I keep them in my mind, then I'm sure that my true strength shall come through to me. I...I can do this! I can beat Battra all by myself! And...And it's all thanks to Knuckles' encouragement that's giving me the courage to go on.
Kathy then smiled boldly as she looked ready to fight Battra. She crossed her arms as she replied confidently with a smile, "Heh! You may say that it's pathetic, but I think that it's going to be pathetic when you lose because of it!".
Battra frowned after hearing that reply. He replied with a frown, "Hmph. You know, I was originally going to give you a freebie by having you throw the first strike at me just like a gentleman would do, but now that you had said that...I'm afraid that I'm going to attack you first instead".
Kathy then smirked playfully as she taunted, "Aww, does Battra want to be a lady instead? You know what they say, Battra...'Ladies first!'".
Battra growled in anger after that taunt. Knuckles and Sonic smirked in amusement after hearing that savage taunt. "Ooooh, she's good," Sonic replied in amusement with a smirk.
"Hmph," Knuckles grunted in agreement with a smirk. Knuckles doesn't know why, but he somehow felt very proud of Kathy after hearing that. She's really standing up for herself now...That's my girl...Knuckles thought with a proud look on his face. But after thinking that, Knuckles blushed in embarrassment as he realized what he had just thought. Wait! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where in the heck did that come from?! "That's my girl"?! Why did I even think of that?! Sure, I may have felt proud of Kathy, but what does that have to do with her being "my girl"?! She doesn't belong to me! And I don't even own her! Just what...Just what had made me think that she's mine?! I...I...I just have no idea. Ugh. My "thing" for Kathy here is making me think weird thoughts of her. But anyways...I should focus on Kat-I mean the fight! Knuckles pondered while blushing and with a shocked look on his face. He shook his head on that last thought and looked at Battra and...Kathy again with a solemn look on his face.
With a frown, Battra then replied darkly, "It's going to feel so good when I beat you. Now then...Take this!".
("Godzilla vs. Mothra" from "Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for the Earth" starts playing here)
After saying that, Battra made his first move by firing his purple Prism Beams at Kathy. Kathy quickly dodged the first attack by flying upwards. Battra saw that his attack had missed, so, he tried again by firing more beams at Kathy. Kathy had dodged the beams by quickly flying to the left or to the right as Battra aimed upwards now. Battra gritted his teeth as he saw that he isn't hitting Kathy with his Prism Beams. So, he chose a different tactic by fighting her in close combat. He then quickly flew upwards towards Kathy to make his first punch at Kathy by using his Dark Sol Gems.
But Kathy was waiting for Battra to come at her. She smirked a bit as she then fired her yellow energy beams from her antennas at Battra once he got close to her. Battra grunted as he felt the sparks and fire coming off of his body and wings as he got hit by Kathy's energy beams. His body was knocked back a bit from that strong attack.
"...!" Knuckles and Sonic both gasped in shock after seeing Kathy firing her energy beams at Battra. They had shocked faces after seeing that powerful attack. Whoa! Kathy can DO that?! That's unbelievable! Knuckles and Sonic thought at the same time in shock.
Kathy kept firing her energy beams at Battra while flying towards him now to make her first punch at Battra. Even while cringing in pain, Battra still made his punch at Kathy in self-defense. Battra had hit Kathy hard in the face, and this had made Kathy stop firing her energy beams at Battra.
"Ugh!" Kathy yelped in pain at the hard punch that Battra had thrown. She was knocked back very far away from Battra. This had allowed Battra the chance to recover and to try to attack Kathy again with his Prism Beams. But this time, he also flew straight towards Kathy as he does this so that he won't miss her. As he flew very fast towards Kathy, he fired his purple Prism Beams again from his red eyes. The beams had hit Kathy this time, and sparks and fire also came off from her body too.
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Kathy screeched in pain as she felt her body and wings being hit by Battra's Prism Beams. She cringed in pain as she flew backwards to get away from Battra's attacks. She tried to get out of Battra's line of fire by dodging from left and right while still flying backwards as fast as she can. However, Battra kept following her as he flew as fast as he could too. He kept firing his Prism Beams to distract Kathy as he prepares a surprise attack.
"Teleport!" Battra exclaimed quickly as he commanded his Dark Sol Gems to teleport himself to a new location.
PING!
Battra disappeared from sight immediately after he had said that command. The last of his Prism Beams had hit Kathy after he had disappeared. Kathy cringed again in pain before looking around where Battra is at now. Kathy looked at her right and left. She even looked behind herself to see where Battra would show up to make his surprise attack.
Huh?! Just where the heck is he?! I can't fin- Kathy thought in alarm with wide eyes as she can't find Battra anywhere. However, she didn't realize that Battra was flying upwards towards her since he had been below her the whole time.
And she realized it when it was too late.
POW!
KIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOO!
CRAAAAAAASH!
Battra had punched Kathy hard at her right side and had made her crash into a building. Kathy screeched loudly in pain after that strong punch. Battra smirked as he saw that he got a good hit onto Kathy there. Sonic and Knuckles cringed too after seeing that attack. They felt worried for Kathy now since they saw that she's not doing so well in this fight so far.
"Come on, Kathy! You can do it! Don't give up!" Knuckles exclaimed loudly as he looked concerned.
"Yeah! Keep on going, Kathy! Don't let this creep win!" Sonic exclaimed loudly too as he also looked concerned.
"Nnnnrghh..." Kathy groaned in pain as she slowly opened her eyes to see Battra flying in place with a smug look on his face. Kathy was in a wall of a skyscraper at this moment. She frowned as she thought. Grrrr! Cheap shot.
Battra smirked mischievously as he replied tauntingly, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I about to give you a chance to hit me back? I'm afraid that I was. So...let me fix that".
Battra then fired his Prism Beams at Kathy again. Kathy gasped before she fired her energy beams in self-defense to counter Battra's attack. As cliché as it was, the two separate beams hit each other, and thus, the two kaiju monsters are in a tug-of-war between the two attacks. The yellow beams were hitting against the purple beams, and the two moths were giving it all they got to have their own attacks reach the other. Kathy grunted as she concentrated on her attack while Battra was being calm as he keeps his attack going without stopping. Unfortunately, Kathy's attack was not being effective enough to counter Battra's since it was being pushed back towards her. Kathy gritted her teeth as she tried to keep her energy beams up to counter Battra's attack. Battra smirked as he keeps pushing Kathy's attack towards her. Kathy frowned as she knows that she can't counter this any longer.
Ugh! I can't push his attacks back! Grrrr! If I can't attack him directly, then I guess that I'll have to change tactics! Kathy thought with a frown as she still fired her energy beams at Battra's beams. Kathy then smirked as she commanded her Sol Gems again.
"Shield!" Kathy exclaimed quickly as she commanded the gems to form a purple shield around her. She stopped firing her energy beams after that. After the shield went up around her, Battra's Prism Beams had hit the shield instead, and sparks and explosions had come off from the shield and from the skyscraper surrounding Kathy. Rubble fell from the destroyed wall of the skyscraper. Fortunately, the shield had protected Kathy from the rubble falling onto her. Fire was coming off from parts of the skyscraper after the Prism Beams had hit it. Battra frowned once he saw that Kathy had protected herself from those attacks.
"Hmph! Trying to protect yourself, huh? No matter...I'll just break through your defenses," Battra replied calmly yet darkly with a frown. Battra then flew towards Kathy as he was ready to punch through her shield with his Dark Sol Gems. Kathy smiled a little as she thought. Heh! Payback time!
Kathy then quickly commanded her Sol Gems to make the shield disappear before making another command.
"Teleport!" Kathy exclaimed quickly as she commanded her gems to teleport herself to a new location.
PING!
"Oh, sh-!" Battra exclaimed in shock as he realized that what he had done was a mistake.
CRAAAAAAAAASH!
GYRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Battra screeched in pain after he crashed hard into the same skyscraper that Kathy was in earlier. More rubble fell from the building and onto Battra. Battra cringed in pain after that dreadful counterattack that Kathy had cleverly made. Grrrrr! Stupid brat. Battra thought with a grimace as he still cringed in pain.
Kathy reappeared at the same place that Battra was at before his attack. Kathy smiled once she saw that Battra was still collapsed on the floor inside the wrecked skyscraper. Kathy then taunted back with a mischievous smile, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I about to give you a chance to hit me back? I'm afraid that I was. So...let me fix that!".
Kathy then fired her energy beams at Battra before he got up. The beams had hit him and the skyscraper too. Sparks and explosions were everywhere on the top part of the skyscraper. Battra cringed in even more pain as he took the attacks reluctantly. He was upset at himself that he had let himself in this humiliating situation. Just when he thought the situation couldn't get any worse, the top of the skyscraper soon collapsed on him to further damage him. Battra screeched again in pain.
GYRRRROOOOOOOOO!
CRAAAAAASH!
The whole roof of the skyscraper fell on top of Battra. He cringed a lot as the rubble fell on him. He had bruises and scratches already from this unfortunate event. Fire and smoke rose from the crumbled skyscraper that Battra was in. Kathy smiled a bit as she saw that she had done a good deal of damage to Battra now.
("Godzilla vs. Mothra" song ends here)
"Yeah! There you go, Kathy! Keep it up!" Knuckles exclaimed happily with a smile as he saw what Kathy had done.
"See?! You got this!" Sonic exclaimed happily too with a smile.
Kathy looked back and smiled at Knuckles and Sonic even though she was a bit far away from them at the moment. She looked back at the skyscraper in front of her again and frowned. She's ready for Battra to get up and attack her again. She stared at the skyscraper solemnly as she thought. …Any second now...
...
...
...
There was a long period of silence. Kathy frowned even more in confusion as she saw that Battra hasn't gotten up yet. Kathy thought again with a confused look on her face. Huh? Is Battra...knocked out? He hasn't come out of that building for a long time now. I wonder if I should get closer just to see if-
"Missed me?" Battra said darkly with an evil smirk as he suddenly appeared in front of Kathy.
"Ack!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise as her eyes went wide and as her mouth went agape. However, Kathy couldn't react in time to defend herself since Battra had punched the left side of her head very hard.
POW!
"Ooooh!" Sonic exclaimed with a frown as he cringed after seeing Kathy getting hit like that. Knuckles grimaced at this while also cringing too. Just hang in there, Kathy! You can recover from this! Knuckles thought with a worried face as he watched Battra and Kathy battle some more.
("Battra's Theme" plays again here)
Kathy grunted in pain after that hard attack. Battra smirked even more before he flew towards her and had started to attack her quickly with more punches. Kathy gasped again as she saw Battra coming towards her and had started to punch her. Kathy had taken a few punches in the face and stomach while she flew backwards to get away from Battra. Meanwhile, Battra kept flying towards Kathy and followed her as he punched her a lot. Kathy cringed a lot as she received the hard blows from Battra, but she gritted her teeth as she then retailed back with her own punches from her Sol Gems. Battra had also taken some hard blows at the face and stomach, but he kept punching hard at Kathy. Kathy then blocked some of Battra's punches with her own punches. Battra frowned once he saw that Kathy was blocking his attacks. So, he tried to throw his punches at Kathy's sides as he flew back and rammed at Kathy from both right and left. But Kathy had knocked Battra away by blocking those attacks too. Battra growled in irritation at this and tried to ram into Kathy's stomach next. As Battra flew back a bit, he then put his two fists in front of him before flying towards Kathy as fast as he can.
Kathy smiled a little as she saw her chance for another counterattack. She then quickly flew downwards once Battra got close to her. Kathy then immediately flew back up towards Battra to punch him hard into his stomach.
POW!
"Oooof!" Battra yelped in pain as he was knocked up high into the air.
Now, it was Kathy's turn to attack Battra with nothing but punches. Kathy quickly flew around Battra as she punched him at his head, stomach, and sides. Battra grunted in pain as he received the hard punches from Kathy. He tried to block her attacks by punching Kathy's punches. He was successful into blocking a lot of them, but he still received hard blows to the head and stomach. As Kathy was about to make another punch, Battra then retaliated by kicking her right side to give him time for a counterattack.
"Ugh!" Kathy yelped in pain as she felt the hard kick to her side. This minor distraction was enough for Battra to attack Kathy with his Prism Beams again.
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Kathy screeched in pain as the beams had attacked her body and face. She was knocked back hard from Battra and was hurling down to the ground. Sparks and fire came off from her body as the beams continued to hit her. Battra had also attacked her wings too with his purple beams. Kathy cringed a lot in pain from this attack. Battra then flew down towards Kathy while continuing to fire his Prism Beams at her. Before Kathy had the time to dodge or make a counterattack to Battra, he had already reached to her and punched her very hard in the stomach. Kathy was then knocked back very hard down towards the street below after this strong attack.
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!
Kathy had crashed down onto the ground hard on her back. Kathy cringed a lot before screeching again in agony.
KIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"NO! KATHY!" Knuckles and Sonic shouted in shock after seeing Kathy crashing down to the street below. They both had worried, shocked faces after seeing Kathy fall from the sky. They both thought that Kathy was doing well there. But how did this happen?
("Battra's Theme" ends here)
Battra soon flew a bit downwards and had stopped in front of the skyscraper where Sonic and Knuckles are at. Battra looked down onto the street below where Kathy had crashed down. Kathy was still cringing in pain from that hard crash. Her back and head were like on fire by how painful the blow was. She kept looking up at Battra while grimacing in pain. …...Uggghh...I'm still not out yet. But what should I do now? Even when I do well at fighting him in close combat, he's always ready to break out of that and counterattack me when I least expect it! Grrrr...Is there something else that I could use against him? Something...that not even he could ignore or expect? Hmmm...Kathy pondered with a grimace as she stared back at Battra.
Battra smirked at Kathy before laughing evilly. "Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Well, this isn't surprising to me. The young, stupid, novice losing in a battle with me again. Face it, kid. You're just not capable enough to beat me. I'm the expect fighter here. You are just a naïve greenhorn who is simply a cheap imitation of my former archenemy. It's times like these that I question your worth as a replacement opponent for me to fight with. Should I deem you worthy as an archenemy or not? Well...Hahahahahahahahaha! I think that it's obvious what the answer to that question is! Ahahahahahahahahahah!" Battra replied cockily with an evil grin while laughing and while having his arms crossed.
Kathy growled in frustration after hearing that. And should I deem you worthy as a jerk or not? Well, the answer to THAT question is CLEARLY obvious! Kathy thought sarcastically with a grimace while sweating a bit on the head.
Battra kept laughing evilly as he stared down at Kathy. Knuckles and Sonic glared at Battra with grimaced looks on their faces. Sonic gritted his teeth since he can't believe that a villain would say such harsh, cruel words like that to his opponent. Sure, Dr. Eggman can be mean and cruel too, but even he sees Sonic and his friends as worthy opponents for him to fight. But...with this guy...this is just too cruel...too heartless...too cold...
It is simply something that a monster would say.
"Battra..." Sonic muttered lowly while growling in frustration. If I wasn't so injured now, then I would've gladly tried to kick his butt again after hearing that! I've never met a villain who is so callous and uncaring before! Does he...Does he even HAVE a heart?! Sonic pondered with a frown as he glared at Battra. Sonic then looked at Knuckles next and...he wasn't that surprised to see that reaction on his friend's face.
Knuckles had a furious look on his face and had his arms uncrossed. He now had his fists up and had clenched tightly since was so ticked off by Battra's cold behavior towards Kathy. His body shook angrily, and he had a bit of a purple aura around him as if he was in his very own Maximum Heat Knuckles Attack. He had a vein popping on his head as he glared intensely at Battra. Knuckles then said quietly yet darkly, "No one...should say that...towards my Master. No one...".
Sonic frowned in empathy towards Knuckles. Sonic then replied calmly with a frown, "...Go get him, Knuckles. He's all yours".
Immediately after hearing Sonic say that, Knuckles ran fast across the rooftop and towards Battra. Knuckles growled in anger before he shouted as he got closer to the edge of the roof, "BATTRA!".
"Hahahahahaha-Huh?!" Battra laughed before he stopped in confusion as he looked at his right. But when he did that, he saw Knuckles jumping high towards him and shouting before throwing a hard punch at him.
"YOU! TAKE! THAT! BACK!" Knuckles shouted angrily as he jumped high and thrown a hard punch at Battra's face.
POW!
CRAAAAAAAASH!
GYRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Battra screeched in pain after receiving that hard punch and after crashing into the damaged skyscraper that is across from the one where Knuckles and Sonic were at. Rubble and smoke came upon that damaged skyscraper again after Battra had crashed into it. Knuckles soon went back towards the skyscraper behind him and stood on its edge while glaring intensely at the damaged skyscraper before him. He still had an enraged face and had his fists up as he was ready for Battra to get up and fight him. He was growling as he waited for Battra to get up.
Meanwhile, Kathy was just flabbergasted at what she just saw. Her face was one of pure shock since she didn't saw that one coming. She had never thought that Knuckles could do something like that. She had heard him say that he is one of the strongest fighters on Mobius, but she had never thought that he could stand up to Battra and manage to wound him very badly. She could feel her heart fluttering in shock and in amazement. Seeing that powerful punch...and by seeing how bold he was to attack Battra like that...it was something that she would never forget in her life. Slowly, a little, fond smile formed onto Kathy's face as she stared at Knuckles now. …Knuckles... Kathy thought with a weak smile.
...
There was a brief stretch of silence before Battra pushed away the rubble from him and slowly got up while growling in anger. Once he stood up, he turned around and glared harshly at Knuckles. While growling, Battra thought in anger. This...red echidna...had the audacity to inflict harm on me! ME! The new 'god' of this world! Just where...where does he get the balls to do that? Grrrrrrr...
"Just who do you think you are? Attacking me like that? You got to be either bold or dumb to even dare to try to attack me in the first place. Besides...if I recall...this fight is between me and Kathy...Certainly not with you, stupid boy," Battra said darkly with a scowl on his face.
Knuckles frowned solemnly as he glared back at Battra just as harshly. He replied back with a frown, "If you must know...I'm Knuckles the Echidna, and I don't care if this fight is between you and Kathy. I've sworn to her that I would protect her with my life! And if I must hurt you in order to protect her, then I'll do it because it is a promise that I intend to keep!".
Knuckles then lowered his arms a bit before smirking at Battra. Knuckles continued while having a mischievous smirk on his face, "Besides...I prefer fighting more than standing around doing nothing anyway. I don't mind taking on a new challenge such as you, Battra. Taking on a kaiju monster is certainly a first for me. And I'm sure...that you...taking on a strong echidna such as myself must be a first as well. So, in other words...".
Knuckles then raised his fists up again as he prepares his body in a battle position. While still smirking, he then finished with, "It's a perfect opportunity for the both of us to see what it's like battling a new, strong opponent such as ourselves, wouldn't you say?".
Battra frowned even deeper as he glared at Knuckles after hearing that. He was unamused by this. He had never thought that he would face an opponent that could be as strong as him despite the fact that it is a Mobian that he's dealing with. It feels...rather humiliating that he got wounded hard by a regular Mobian. A kaiju monster is one thing, but a regular Mobian...such as that red echidna over there? The thought is just too absurd for Battra to even think about! Battra growled even more in frustration at this ludicrous thought. He must think that he's so tough to even take me on! Well! I'll show him the consequences of messing with a 'god'! He's going to regret dealing with me! Battra pondered in frustration as he frowned deeply at Knuckles.
Battra then flew up and flew in the middle of the two skyscrapers. He was flying right above Kathy at this moment. Battra grimaced as he glared at Knuckles. Knuckles looked prepared for a fight while having a solemn look on his face as he glared back at Battra. Kathy just saw all of this and was surprised. Kathy pondered with a shocked expression on her face. Wow! Knuckles is really serious into taking Battra on! But I can't allow Knuckles to start fighting him! I know that he is very strong, but I still fear that Battra will kill him! I must stop Battra from doing that! But how can I stop Battra? Hmmm...Come on...Think...Think...
Battra frowned as he replied to Knuckles, "'Perfect opportunity' you say? Are you sure about that? Because the only thing that I see that is a 'perfect opportunity' in all of this is that I can kill you right now and be over it. Is that...what you were referring to, red meat?".
Knuckles frowned too at this as he replied solemnly, "Hmph. If you think that I'm that weak of a fighter, then you're surely mistaken. A strong warrior such as me will have no problem battling a monster such as you. I have fought Chaos in the past, and if I can have a fight with him and live, then I'm sure that I could fight you and live as well!".
Battra smirked evilly as he replied calmly yet darkly, "Well, someone's being cocky today. If you're that confident that you'll live after this little scuffle, then it looks like I'll have to destroy that confidence by choking you to death. It'll be your last regret before you die".
Knuckles then smirked back too as he replied confidently, "Aw, well, that's nice. I'm surprised that you want to kill me in that fashion. Why not use those eye beams of yours and just kill me with those instead?".
"Because I want to make you suffer. I want to get into your head that you're no match for a 'god' such as I before you die. If I don't install fear in you before you die, then killing you with my Prism Beams would be pointless. I just want to make a bold statement to you and to all of those around me that I am their new King. The new King of the Monsters after Godzilla," Battra answered darkly with an evil smirk as he glared at Knuckles coldly.
Kathy just watched Battra and Knuckles talk to each other while still lying on the ground. She had a frown on her face as she stared at Battra and Knuckles. She pondered some more with a contemplative expression on her face. Hmmm...Knuckles has certainly gotten Battra's attention. That's for sure. Boy, after Knuckles had called out to Battra and challenged him to a fight, Battra had completely forgotten about me. In fact...I'm not even sure that Battra is thinking about my existence at all at this point. Hmmm...So...Knuckles has Battra's attention when he calls out to him...Knuckles has his attention...Knuckles has...
"...! 'His attention'!" Kathy exclaimed with a gasp as her eyes went wide at this revelation. Ah! That's it! Since Battra's ego is so large that his focus is always on those who is a threat to him, he'll always pay attention to those individuals instead of me! As long as he's distracted like this, I could easily attack him in surprise! That's how I'll turn this battle around into my favor! Kathy pondered with a shocked expression on her face.
She then smiled widely as she looked at Knuckles. …And it's all thanks to Knuckles over here. I should tell him about my new attack strategy so that he'll help out too! All right, Kathy! Time to stand up and get ready for your "second wind"! Time to make your comeback! Kathy pondered with a smile as she slowly sat up while looking at Knuckles and Battra some more.
Luckily for Kathy, Knuckles still has Battra distracted as he continued to banter with him. "You? 'King of the Monsters'? Ha! Don't make me laugh! The only true heir of the monsters such as you is Kathy! She is and always will be the Queen of the Monsters! She will be a better ruler than you, Battra! You won't take her title away by killing her! I'll make sure that you won't!" Knuckles replied solemnly with a frown.
Battra smirked evilly as he replied, "Oh, really? You are going to prevent me from killing her? You? Hahahahahahaha! What could one...stupid...powerless...echidna such as you ever do to stop me? Kathy is just a weak novice who doesn't even know how to fight properly, and you are just a weak Mobian whose power isn't even close to what a kaiju naturally has. None of you fools could ever stop me. So, why do even try to entertain the idea of stopping me? Like I had said...I could kill you. In fact, I can kill the both of you right now. But, oh wait, you might want to beg to me to spare your life, don't you? Come on, Knuckles. We both know that you're truly scared of me on the inside. There's no shame into admitting that you're afraid of something. It's quite therapeutic you know. So...what do you say...Are you afraid?".
Knuckles growled in frustration at this. How dare he say that I'm afraid! As if! Knuckles thought in irritation as he glared at Battra intensely. Knuckles replied with a frown, "You think that I...a strong, bold warrior...such as myself...am afraid?".
Battra smirked while he shrugged a bit cockily as he replied, "Well...it's just my opinion...but I say...yes".
Knuckles then smirked back as he replied, "...Heh. And you know what? …...You're right. I am afraid...Afraid that you're wrong!".
Battra gasped in shock after hearing Knuckles say that. Knuckles looked smug as he thought. Yeah, didn't think of that one, did you, Battra? You totally walked into that one, you idiot.
Battra then growled in anger as a vein bulged in his head. He gripped onto his Dark Sol Gems tightly in anger as he thought. You dare to mock me, you piece of red meat! Now, you are going to get it!
Battra then spread his legs a bit as he prepared himself for battle. He still flew in place as he glared at Knuckles. Battra then yelled in anger, "Oh, so you think that this is funny, do you?! Well, would you think that it'll be funny if I punch you right now?!".
"Hmph! Oh, please. That'll be hilarious," Knuckles replied sarcastically with a smirk.
"Grrrrr! Cocky...little...red meat! I'M GOING TO WIPE THAT SMUG LOOK OFF OF YOUR STUPID FACE! AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHO WOULD BE LAUGHING AT THIS 'HILARIOUS' MO-" Battra yelled in frustration before he shouted in fury as his vein popped in his head.
POW!
"Gaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh..." Battra squeaked in pure agony as his eyes went wide and as his jaw was hanging wide open after feeling...that painful attack to his groin. Battra immediately put his hands over his groin while still cringing a lot in pain. While Battra was talking to Knuckles, Kathy had finally stood back up fully and then flew back up into the sky. But then in the next moment after that...yeah, you can figure out what Kathy had done next. It's..."painfully" obvious.
Knuckles saw what Kathy had done and immediately had the hugest grin on his face because what he just saw...was pure gold. Battra slowly looked at his left and saw Kathy flying beside him with a playful smile on her face.
She then teased by saying with a silly smile, "Hehe! Missed me?".
"Grrrrrrrrrr! You! You!" Battra yelled loudly while growling angrily as he glared at Kathy coldly.
"Pttttttth!" Kathy blew a raspberry at Battra to taunt him before turning around and flying away from him.
Battra then looked furious as he shouted, "GRRRRRRR! YOU BRAT!".
He then chased after Kathy to continue fighting with her. After Kathy and Battra flew away, Knuckles then immediately fallen on his bottom while laughing hysterically at this.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahahahahahahah! Yeah! Go get him, Kathy! Hahahahahahahahahahah! That's how you do it! Ahahahahahahahahah! You got this now! Hahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles cheered happily while laughing hysterically.
Even Sonic can't help but laugh at this too. Hahahahahaha! Now, THAT'S a comeback! Hahahahahaha! Sonic thought while laughing loudly too.
("Godzilla vs. Mothra" plays again here)
Kathy had a confident smile on her face as she flew as fast as she could to get away from Battra. She flew all around the city while dodging from left to right to avoid Battra's Prism Beams. Battra was very ticked off now as he fired many Prism Beams at Kathy, yet he still missed her...like A LOT.
BOOOOM! KABOOOOM! BOOM! BOOOM! KABOOOM! BOOM! KABOOM! BOOOM! KABOOOM!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" Battra screamed angrily as his attacks had missed Kathy completely and had hit multiple buildings instead. Sparks and explosions kept happening as the buildings were being hit by the purple laser beams. More fire and smoke went on after the buildings were attacked by the laser beams.
Meanwhile, Kathy kept dodging the purple beams gracefully as she went from left and right, went downwards, and even went sideways at times as she flew. She then flew faster towards a building and turned left once she passed it to get behind it. However, just when Battra was about to fly past the building, Kathy then punched him hard at his left cheek and had sent him flying towards another building beside the one that Kathy is at.
CRAAAAASH!
GYRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!
Battra screeched in pain after crashing into another building. Rubble fell on him again after that big crash. His injuries are getting to him now since he felt tired and weak, but he's still not done yet. He cringed in pain as he thought bitterly. Grrrrr! Great! She's getting the better of me! But I will not allow her to get her way in this fight! I'll strike back! You'll see!
After Kathy saw that Battra was down for a bit, she quickly flew back towards the skyscraper where Sonic and Knuckles were at. Knuckles was still laughing in amusement once Kathy flew towards him and spoke to him while flying in place.
"Knuckles! Knuckles! I need you to do me a favor! It's important!" Kathy exclaimed quickly as she looked back at the building where Battra was in to check to see whether he's going to get out or not.
"Hahahahaha! Okay! Hahahaha...What is it? Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied while laughing less as he paid attention to Kathy now after hearing her say that.
"I need you to distract Battra! Just call out to him whenever you can! Talk to him! Taunt him! Or anything like that to get his attention!" Kathy exclaimed quickly with a solemn look as she kept staring at the damaged building on her right.
"Ahahaha...Ah...Okay. I got it. Go get him, Kathy," Knuckles replied calmly as he chuckled quietly while getting back up from the ground. He smiled and nodded to her on his last sentence once he stood back up.
Kathy looked back at Knuckles and smiled at him. "Thanks!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a smile before flying back towards the damaged building on her right.
Once she flew back, she immediately fired her energy beams at the building. Sparks and explosions had come off from the building after Kathy had attacked it. Battra cringed some more in pain before he quickly commanded his Dark Sol Gems to create a dark shield around him.
"Shield!" Battra exclaimed quickly as a dark shield surrounded him to protect him from the energy beams. The energy beams had hit the shield instead, and sparks just came off of it instead of Battra. Kathy frowned once she saw that she isn't hitting Battra anymore. Battra smirked as he quickly got back on his feet and looked deviously at Kathy.
"Come on, Kathy. Go ahead and hit me. I know how much you want to win. I'll give you a free pass to hit me this time once I make the shield disappear. What do you say, Kathy? Do you want to hit me or not?" Battra taunted with a devious smirk as he expected Kathy to take the bait and attempt to attack him.
Unfortunately for Battra, Kathy just smirked back as she replied playfully, "Ha! Please! Why do I want to bother to hit a loser like you? I don't want to waste my energy beating up a loser! Soo...See ya!".
Kathy then flew away from Battra to further insult him. As expected, Battra was then ticked off by this insulting action. He growled in anger before making his dark shield disappear and flying after Kathy again. This time...it was Battra who took the bait.
Got him! Now, it's time for a distraction! Kathy thought brightly with a smile as she looked back to see Battra flying behind her as he chased her. Battra locked his eyes onto Kathy and was ready to fire his Prism Beams again...when suddenly...
"Hey! Battra! Missed me?!" Knuckles yelled out with a mischievous smirk on his face as he had his fists up.
"What?!" Battra exclaimed in confusion as he looked at Knuckles while flying straight in the air.
POW!
Battra cringed once he felt a strong punch at his head and was knocked away. Kathy had taken her chance to punch Battra after Knuckles had distracted him. She then flew downwards to avoid getting seen by Battra after he recovers from that attack. Battra shook his head and had looked around for Kathy after that attack. As he flew in place and looked around quickly, he then exclaimed impatiently, "Where did she go?! Where did she go?!".
"She's going where you won't be when you die, Battra! In Heaven!" Knuckles taunted with a smirk as he yelled out to Battra again.
Battra growled in anger as he stared at Knuckles again. Battra yelled back with impatience in his tone, "Will you shut up?! Don't make me come over there and choke you to death! If I'm going down, then I'm taking you with me!".
Knuckles smirked even further as he asked cheekily, "Taking me down to where?".
Battra felt frustrated as he shouted, "TO H-!".
POW!
"Ooooooooooooowww!" Battra screamed as he fell from the sky after being hit hard in the back by Kathy's punch. This time, Kathy had used both of her fists to punch Battra.
"Watch your mouth, Battra!" Kathy exclaimed teasingly with a grin as she watched Battra's body fall to the street below.
CRAAAAASH!
GYRRROOOOOOOOOO!
Battra screeched in pain once his body crashed down onto the hard ground below. Battra cringed in pain as he landed hard on his stomach. Even at his roughest hour, he still refused to give up. I...I...I won't stand to this! If I give up now, then it would be the most humiliating defeat that I had ever suffered in my life! I...must...stay...strong...Battra pondered with a grimace as he cringed in pain and had rolled his body over on his back to see where Kathy is now.
Battra frowned once he saw Kathy flying down towards him and was flying in place a few feet above him. Kathy had a mischievous smile as she replied playfully with her hands behind her back, "Hello!".
"Grrrrrrr..." Battra simply growled at her as he glared at Kathy's smiling face with disgust.
"Soo...Do you give up?" Kathy asked innocently with a silly smile as she looked at Battra's scowl on his face.
"No..." Battra answered quickly yet flatly with a scowl.
Kathy shrugged in amusement as she replied with a smile, "Aw well. Your loss then".
Kathy then immediately fired her yellow energy beams at Battra for her next attack. Sparks and explosions came off from Battra and the ground around him. Battra cringed in even more pain as the beams had hit his face, body, and wings. As a desperate attempt, Battra tried to fire his Prism Beams at Kathy to attack her back. But this time, Kathy dodged them by flying backwards while still attacking Battra with her energy beams. Battra still attacked her with his Prism Beams, and Kathy did eventually got hit by some of his attacks. Sparks and explosions also came off from her body and wings after being hit by them. Kathy cringed in pain and had decided to make her next move by flying towards the damaged skyscraper to get away from Battra's attacks. She continued her assault by attacking him next to the damaged skyscraper. Battra cringed in even more pain as he kept getting hit by the energy beams. With one eye closed, Battra looked at his right to see Kathy attacking him with her energy beams. Battra frowned before he decided to attack Kathy again with his Prism Beams once again. However, Kathy just flew upwards before the beams had hit her. Instead, Battra's Prism Beams had hit the skyscraper again.
BOOOOOOOOM! KABOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!
Sparks and explosions had come off from the bottom part of the skyscraper. Battra didn't care about this and had moved his head up to follow Kathy just to try to hit her. As Kathy flew up further, Battra had caused even more damage to the skyscraper with his attacks.
KABOOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! KABOOOOOOOM!
Even more sparks and explosions had come off from the skyscraper as Battra kept on attacking. Eventually, Kathy was too high up for Battra attack her with his Prism Beams. Battra grimaced as he watched the wrecked skyscraper on his right being on fire. He watched the skyscraper burn in fire, and rubble had started to fall from it. ...And then...he noticed that the skyscraper's support was crumbling down...and...was now falling...forward...right towards him.
Battra frowned in pure exhaustion as he muttered, "Aw sh-".
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSHHHHH!
("Godzilla vs. Mothra" song ends here)
The huge, wrecked skyscraper had fallen on top of Battra, and a loud crash sound was heard. Rubble and smoke came off from the demolished skyscraper. Kathy was just flying in place while staring at the huge pile of rubble on the street below. She had a huge smile as she saw that she might just have won this. Knuckles was smiling too as he can tell that Kathy had planned this to happen. Sonic was also smiling as he saw how happy Kathy is right now.
"Alright! You did it, Kathy! Way to go!" Knuckles exclaimed excitedly with a proud smile on his face.
Kathy just beamed innocently yet happily at him as she felt proud of herself too. Kathy then exclaimed jovially, "His whole world came crumbling down! Hehehehehehe!".
"Heh...Yeah...It sure looks like it," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he looked down at the pile of rubble too. With a proud smile, he stared at the huge pile of rubble while thinking to himself. She...She really did it. She stopped him. She stopped Battra. Just like she had said. I...I...I'm proud of her. I'm really...really proud of her. I don't know why I am proud of her...but...I am.
...
...
...
There was a long period of silence since Battra hadn't come up from the rubble yet. Kathy and Knuckles still stared down at the rubble to see if Battra will come up again. They soon frowned as they felt confused as to why Battra isn't getting up yet. They both thought at the same time. I don't understand. Why isn't Battra getting up? He can't be down for that long. He's tough. Is he...Is he uncon-
PING!
"Grrrrrrrrrrr...Ngggghhhh...Ugggggnnnn..." Battra growled before groaning and gasping in pain as he reappeared in the air again. He was a few feet away on Kathy's left and Knuckles' right respectively. Kathy and Knuckles gasped in shock as they looked at Battra again. They could see that Battra was gripping his left arm as he's cringing in pain. He has a lot of bruises, burns, and scratches where blood is seen on certain places on his body. Kathy and Knuckles can tell that Battra was in rough shape. Battra is clearly weak now.
Kathy soon flew more towards the center to face Battra fully. Kathy had her hands behind her back and smiled a little mischievously at Battra as she said playfully at him, "Did you take a quick nap, Battra? You were out for a while there".
"Grrrrrrr...Just...Shut up," Battra muttered bitterly with a growl as he frowned deeply at Kathy.
"Well then...What are we waiting for? Go ahead, Battra. Hit me. I'll give you a free shot at me," Kathy challenged playfully with a bright smile as she looked prepared to keep on fighting him.
"I said, 'Shut up'!" Battra yelled angrily with a scowl on his face.
Kathy smiled innocently and silly while she titled her head in a cute way again as she replied teasingly, "What's this? Battra doesn't want to fight me anymore? Does he want to give up and go home? And then actually take a nap?".
"Grrrrrrrrrr...Do you dare to mock me even further?...Even when I...when I..." Battra muttered darkly while growling angrily as he glared coldly at Kathy.
"'When I lost'? Is that what you're trying to say to me?" Kathy asked teasingly with a playful grin on her face.
"UGH! I...I!" Battra shouted in irritation as he closed his eyes and moved his head away from Kathy in disgust.
"'Lost'. Come on, Battra. I know that you can say that word. Although it is a BIG, tough word for you to say out loud. So, I'll spell it out for you to help you say it right. ...L-O-" Kathy teased playfully with a grin as she leant forward towards Battra to taunt him further.
"Fine! I lost! I lost, okay?! You won this fight, Kathy! Happy?!" Battra yelled in frustration as he had a vein popping in his head.
Kathy beamed brightly at Battra as she replied happily, "Definitely!".
"Just!...Just how?! How did you even beat me?!" Battra yelled in exasperation as he grabbed his yellow horns in frustration while glaring at Kathy.
Kathy just smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders at Battra as she answered innocently, "I don't know".
"What do you mean 'you don't know'?! You must've used some sort of strategy against me in order to win! There is no possible way that an amateur upstart such as yourself could ever beat a veteran like me! I refuse to believe that you had beaten me due to stupid luck!" Battra yelled further in anger as he had a scowl on his face.
Kathy kept smiling sheepishly yet innocently as she replied while having a hand behind her head, "But Battra...You know what they say...'Third's time the charm'! Right?".
"I...I...You...You..." Battra muttered bitterly as he glared intensely at Kathy after hearing that outrageous reply.
"Hehehe! Besides...I've...uh...just been winging this whole fight anyway. Even if I did form some sort of plan of some kind...Umm...There's no guarantee that I would execute it right. You are right, Battra. I may be a novice," Kathy replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile. She then shook her head and smiled more confidently while having her hands on her hips. She finished by saying brightly, "But this novice just beaten you at your own game! So, just give it up, Battra! I've won!".
"Grrrrrrr...You think that this is a game?" Battra replied darkly with a low growl.
"Well, since I'm winning now, then sure. Yes!" Kathy replied playfully with a triumphant grin.
"Grrrrr...Hmph. Fine. Think of this as a dumb game why don't you? Because in the end, I'll still beat you no matter how many victories you will have against me. I'll still win this war in the end and take that Sol Pendant of yours away from you. Then...I'll reform this world into my utopia, and finally...there will be peace at last," Battra replied calmly yet darkly with a solemn frown on his face while glaring coldly at Kathy.
Kathy smiled confidently as she replied calmly, "Oh please. As if that will ever happen. Besides...in my opinion...I think that this world would have peace...if you aren't around anymore to destroy it, Battra. The only reason that this world isn't peaceful now is because you exist in this world. If you're gone or if you had finally given up on taking over the world...then this world would know peace at last".
"Oh, whatever! I'm not going to keep on staying here and listen to these speeches of yours! They're about as bad as your mother's! I'm leaving!" Battra yelled again in frustration as he shook his head before turning around to fly away from Kathy. Once Battra had turned around, he frowned deeply at Kathy before looking back at the view in front of him. He then flew away as fast as he can from the city. He soon made his retreat to his hidden base.
Kathy smiled calmly as she watched Battra fly away in spite. As she watched Battra leave, she then breathed a huge sigh of relief as she thought. I...I did it. I beat Battra. For the first time ever! That...That was my first win against him!
Kathy smiled sheepishly again as she put her hand behind her head again while pondering further. This is great! Not only have I beaten Battra, but I was also able to protect Knuckles and Sonic from him too! I did it! I've saved them! I've saved the day! And I...I did it because...
Kathy then smiled gently yet fondly as she looked at Knuckles and Sonic. They can see them both smiling proudly yet happily at her as they were glad that Battra is gone for now. Kathy lowered her eyelids at them as she pondered again. …Because I was thinking about them. I was caring more about their safety than about myself and my own abilities. In that fight...I didn't care about showing off how strong I am or how powerful I am towards them...I only cared about protecting them from danger. And that...that was the true reason behind my win against Battra. Sure, maybe it had been through dumb luck...but...I know that it was my persistence into protecting these two from danger that had helped me win. As long as I keep thinking about others in my future fights against Battra and his monsters...then...I'll win this war.
Kathy then beamed happily at Knuckles and Sonic before flying towards the skyscraper where they are at. She then landed on top of the roof and walked towards Sonic. Knuckles smiled as he turned around and ran towards Kathy. Sonic smiled brightly while winking at Kathy as he said brightly, "You did it, Kathy! Way to go! That was certainly one heck of a fight! Definitely something that I hadn't seen before!".
Kathy smiled brightly at Sonic as she replied calmly, "Well, seeing two kaiju monsters fighting each other is a rare sight to see up close. So, you're not wrong there, Sonic".
Kathy soon reached Sonic and knelt on one knee. Knuckles soon caught up with Kathy and replied brightly at her, "Congratulations on beating Battra, Kathy. That jerk totally got what he deserved. You got him good, Kathy. I'm proud of you".
Kathy looked up on her left to see Knuckles and smiled brightly at him. She replied jovially, "Yeah! We sure showed him, Knuckles! Thank you for helping me beat him!".
At this sweet gratitude, Knuckles blushed and replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head, "Uhhh...Ummm...Are...Are you sure about that, Kathy? Because...uhh...that was...totally your idea to do it...Umm...Not mine...Uhhh...".
"True, but you still helped me out by distracting him! So, you did your part on this fight! So, take more credit to yourself there, Knuckles! You deserved it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile.
"Uhh...Errrr...I...I don't know about that...Heheheh..." Knuckles replied shyly with a bashful face as he looked away from Kathy and Sonic in embarrassment.
"Oh, good grief, Knuckles! Just take the credit already! Geez! And you think that I hog all the glory just because of my heroic deeds! You just don't give yourself more credit, and then, when you see someone else get praise or thanks, you get all jealous and grumpy about it even when you were a huge help in it!" Sonic exclaimed while looking slightly annoyed as he stared at Knuckles with a frown.
"Huh?! Hey!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in embarrassment as he stared back at Sonic with wide eyes.
Sonic frowned a little at Knuckles before smiling as he continued, "Knuckles...Kathy is being serious here. Just because you didn't fight him head-on like she did, that doesn't mean that you were useless. I mean. I saw what happened. All of it. Kathy had asked you to help her, and you just did what she asked you to do. Yes, it was a small task, but you did that task well and had helped Kathy win the fight. You two had worked together to stop Battra and had saved the day. You two were like a team!".
Sonic then winked at Knuckles as he added, "Kind of like Tails and me! Heheheheh!".
"...! ...A...A...A team?" Knuckles and Kathy said at the same time with shocked faces as they stared at each other. He's...He's right. We did work together like a team. We had beaten Battra...together...Knuckles and Kathy thought at the same time with shocked looks on their faces. They soon smiled fondly at each other after that last thought.
…Together, huh? Knuckles and Kathy thought with fond smiles on their faces.
"(A-HEM!)...Umm...I hate to break this sappy moment here, but umm...now what?" Sonic replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile after clearing his throat a bit.
Knuckles and Kathy blushed a bit in embarrassment before looking back at Sonic. Kathy smiled sheepishly too as she replied, "Oh, yeah! Uhh...Here, Sonic. I'm going to help you with your wounds. I'm just going to give you some energy to help you heal".
Sonic smiled brightly as he replied calmly, "Oh! Cool! How are you going to do that?".
Kathy smiled brightly too as she grabbed Sonic's shoulders and answered calmly, "I'm just going to use my Sol Gems to do that. Just hang on for a minute, Sonic. It'll be done before you know it".
Sonic slightly shrugged his shoulders as he replied calmly, "Alright. Do your stuff, Kathy. If you say that it's fast, then it's all fine by me".
Knuckles slightly rolled his eyes at that but had watched Kathy heal Sonic with her Sol Gems. Kathy closed her eyes and focused on her Sol Gems to command them to give energy to Sonic. The Sol Gems glowed bright yellow, and Sonic's body was now enveloped in the yellow light. Sonic was slightly surprised by this but had started to relax once he felt the warm light around him. To his surprise, he could feel his injuries slowly numbing down to the point that he can't feel the stinging pain anymore. He felt very warm in this yellow light and had smiled a little at that. …Wow...It's almost like the same feeling that I have when I turn into Super Sonic. It's...really warm. Sonic thought with a smile.
But just when Sonic was about to enjoy it, Kathy had stopped once she finished healing Sonic. Kathy smiled as she replied calmly, "There you go. You must feel more energized than before, huh?".
Sonic frowned a bit in disappointment after Kathy was done healing him. But he then smiled at her as he replied, "Yeah, I sure do now. Still...what did you do, Kathy? What was that just now?".
Kathy smiled brighter at Sonic as she lets go of his shoulders and had placed her Sol Gems back into her pendant. As she did that, she answered calmly, "What I had just done was called The Healing Technique. It is one of the Sol Pendant's many powers that it can do. In fact, I had used my Sol Gems during my fight with Battra. They are used for battle both for the offense and the defense".
Sonic smiled even brighter as he looked amazed at this fact. "Wow! That's very cool! I would never have thought that pendant of yours could be used for battle! I thought that it was only for a fashion statement!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a smile.
"Honestly...I agree with Sonic here, Kathy. To think that a jewel can be used as a weapon in close combat like that..." Knuckles replied calmly with a smile as he stared at Kathy too. Knuckles then looked impressed as he added, "...That certainly is something that I would never expect to see in my life. You really are something else, Kathy".
Kathy beamed brightly at both Sonic and Knuckles. She replied brightly with a smile, "Well! The more you know! Hehehehehe!".
Knuckles and Sonic looked at each other and smiled in agreement. They looked back at Kathy and said in unison, "I think that it's time to bring you back home, Kathy. Let's go".
Kathy smiled happily and nodded her head as she replied brightly, "Yeah! Let's go home! Hehehehehehehe!".
[Few Minutes Later; Back At Tails' House]
After Kathy had followed Sonic back to Tails' house while having Knuckles riding on her back, all three of them had arrived back at Tails' place. Tails was both happy and relieved that Sonic was safe and sound despite the injuries on his body. Tails was baffled when he heard that Sonic had managed to run all the way back here in that horrible condition, but Sonic explained that Kathy had healed him...or in this case...gave him energy to keep on going. Tails was confused on that part, but he decided that he'll ask Kathy later about that since he figured that she needed some rest after what she had been through today. Besides...it can wait until tomorrow. Tails thought with a smile.
In the meantime, the guys had decided to give Kathy the full tour of Tails' place to help her get familiar of the place. Knuckles had explained to Sonic and Tails that Kathy needs to be taught of the modern world around her since she was sheltered from it. They both nodded and understood that it is for the best to take their time and let Kathy explore her surroundings as much as she can. They all helped Kathy understand what a living room is, a closet, a kitchen, a laboratory basement, a backyard, a patio, a hallway, a bathroom, and of course...
("A Calm Afternoon~ VS Arrange Ver." from Professor Latyon VS Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney starts playing here)
"Here we are. The guest room. This place is going to be your room, Kathy. Oh, and over there is the balcony," Tails said calmly with a smile as he opened the door and walked inside while pointing at the marble balcony on the left for emphasis.
"Wow..." Kathy awed softly in wonderment as she walked inside the neat and tidy guest room. She can see that it was a bedroom with a small T.V. near the glass, sliding doors, some wooden cabinets, a large closet in the right side of the room, a lamp on a table near the bed, and...an advanced computer on a desk. The walls were coated in a warm shade of yellow...and thanks to the sunset...the room's design was rather cozy to look at.
Knuckles and Sonic stood at the entryway as they stared at Kathy looking around the room with a curious look on her face. Sonic was leaning on the door hinge while having his arms crossed and having a smile on his face. Knuckles was just standing with his arms crossed too. He also had a calm smile on his face as he stared at Kathy.
"Hard to believe that this girl doesn't know anything about the modern world. I honestly wouldn't believe it if you hadn't told me, Knuckles. But you know what they say, 'Seeing is believing'. And...oh boy...I believe it now," Sonic replied calmly with a gentle smile.
"Hmph. Yeah...I didn't believe it at first either...but it's true. Kathy is just...is just..." Knuckles replied calmly with a gentle smile too as he still stared at Kathy fondly.
"'Special'?" Sonic teased with a grin as he figured that was what Knuckles was going to say next.
To Sonic's surprise, Knuckles looked at him...and smiled even wider and fonder as he calmly replied, "...Y-Yeah...That's what Kathy is...She's special...She's just too pure for us".
Sonic's eyebrows were raised after hearing and seeing that response from Knuckles. Sonic looked shocked that Knuckles hadn't denied it or become defensive at that. Knuckles had...agreed with him. Knuckles had actually agreed with him on something! Sonic kept staring at Knuckles in shock before he smiled in amusement as he pondered calmly to himself. Oh, he's got to be having a crush now if he isn't getting angry or upset at me for that teasing comment. I've expected him to get embarrassed and ticked off after hearing me say that...not...actually agreeing with me. Hmm...I'm going to talk to Tails later about Knuckles' behavior just to see what else he had done before I got here this afternoon. It seems that more evidence is needed pronto!
Sonic then looked back at Kathy and replied calmly yet casually, "Couldn't said it any better myself, Knuckles".
Knuckles looked back at Kathy and sighed in fondness with a calm smile on his face. Kathy was still looking around and smiled happily as she liked the room that she's in now. Tails noticed this and smiled to her.
"Do you like the room, Kathy? I've cleaned it up myself," Tails replied calmly with a smile as he looked up at Kathy.
"Ah. Why yes indeed! This place is so nice and cozy that it feels warm to me. I already feel like I'm at home now thanks to this quaint, little room that I'm in. I love it!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly with a little smile as she looks at Tails and at the balcony at her left.
Tails smiled sheepishly at Kathy as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, are you sure about that, Kathy? Doesn't this place feel a little...umm...cramped to you? It is a small room after all. I may have rearranged some of the furniture around so that there would be more space for you to walk around in, but...it's still too crowded...if you ask me. This is why I have my own room. It's more spacious that way despite how messy it is," Tails replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile.
Kathy smiled calmly at Tails as she crossed her arms. She replied calmly, "Not to worry, Tails. This room is much, much larger than my old room back on Infant Island. So, I'm quite comfortable with this nice, little arrangement here. I'm very content with this".
Tails' eyebrows were raised, and he had smiled even more at Kathy. He then replied while wiping his head in relief, "Oh, great! That's a relief! I was worried that you might need a larger room since...well...you're a...uhh...a Queen and all".
Kathy shook her head and smiled gently at Tails as she asked, "Didn't I already told you that I don't reside in a castle or a kingdom of some kind despite the fact that I'm a Queen?".
"Uhh...Heheheh...Yeah. You did. I...ummm...I forgot," Tails replied awkwardly with a sweat drop on his head.
Kathy smiled some more in amusement as she replied calmly yet wisely, "It's okay, Tails. I don't blame you for thinking that you need to give the best that you have for your guests. People always expect to be pampered and get conveniences everywhere they go to in the world. That is why they can't stand living in an environment where no such conveniences is around such as technology for instance. If you had lived in my island for example, then the only kind of comfort you can get at all is just two hammocks and a candle in a very small room that is equivalent to a hallway with two compartments on either side. Those two compartments are where the hammocks are placed, and at the back of the room, there is just a tall, flat rock that has a candle on top of it".
Kathy smiled warmly a bit at the end as she finished with, "…And my mother and I had slept in that cramped, little room for many years. So, any type of technology...whether it be small or large...is like a blessing to me. Sure, some types of technology might be useless to you, but it certainly would be a blessing to me since I've never had it before in my life".
Tails just gawked at Kathy in shock. He was quite surprised on how wise Kathy had sounded there. What she just said...was kind of true. Thanks to modern technology, people are very spoiled on how they get to live their lives. They think that they can get everything they want at any place they go to and expect others to give them their very best due to their upbringing in a modern environment. But when they go to a place where there is no technology at all...people...usually have a mental breakdown since they've lived their whole lives on nothing BUT technology. Just living a single day without that would drive anybody insane. In fact...it would certainly drive Tails insane since his life revolves around inventing machines and using technology such as the X-Tornado for example.
Tails frowned at that thought. Boy, no wonder Kathy is just so happy all the time. She has no expectations on what the world is going to be like outside of her island. She could probably do nothing all day and keep on smiling without interacting with technology. Hmmm...Kathy may not know very much about our modern world, but it's clear that she has a lot of wisdom about life as whole to make up for that. It's...It's rather fascinating when you think about it. Tails pondered with a small frown as he stared at Kathy's happy face.
Tails then smiled sheepishly again as he rubbed the back of his head. He then replied with a smile, "Wow, I never even thought of it that way. But you're right, Kathy. Everything around us should be a blessing and not a curse. Still...wow...you've slept in a cramped, little room...that is about the size of a hallway? Boy, that just makes this room even bigger now that I had thought about it. It certainly makes me sound like a spoiled brat earlier when I said that I like my room better than this room".
Kathy giggled a little as she replied calmly yet brightly, "Hehehehehe! It's okay, Tails! It's not your fault. You can't help it but keep on comparing things to what others have instead. It's just a natural thing to do. That's what people do in general".
Tails smiled even more in embarrassment as he slumped his shoulders and had his ears flattened after hearing that. He then replied, "Yeah...Hahah...But that still doesn't make me feel any better about myself. I still sound like a two-year-old who wants to get his way".
Kathy giggled a lot at that as she replied brightly, "Hehehehehehehehe! Do you want a hug, Tails? That could help you feel better!".
Tails chuckled a little at that and replied with a smile, "Hahahahaha! Yes. Fine. I do want one now. Thanks, Kathy".
Kathy beamed brightly at Tails and had proceeded to kneel herself down to hug Tails. Once she had knelt, she gave a warm hug to Tails, and Tails hugged Kathy back with a smile on his face. As Tails hugged her, he then replied calmly, "Hahahah...It might take a while to get used to, but I don't mind it at all if you want to hug me, Kathy. You're very sweet. I certainly think that we're going to get along just fine as you live here with me".
Kathy smiled happily as she still hugged Tails gently. She replied brightly, "Yeah! I think that we're going to have a great time together, Tails! I'll certainly enjoy living here with you! Especially since you don't mind me hugging you a lot! You're just so cute!".
Tails blushed a little at that as he replied, "Hahaha...Yeah. Everybody says that. Besides, I've got to own it up at some point. Especially now that...I'm going to have to live with a girl in my house".
Kathy looked back at Tails and pouted playfully at him after hearing that last sentence. Tails smiled mischievously at Kathy after saying that. Kathy kept pouting at Tails playfully before she smiled and stuck her tongue out at Tails jokingly. Tails just chuckled happily after seeing that response from Kathy.
"Hahahahaha...I take it back. I'm going to deal with a two-year-old in my house. Hahahahaha," Tails replied calmly with a smile as he chuckled.
"Yeah, but I'm a cute two-year-old. So, deal with it," Kathy replied playfully with a grin as she gently rubbed Tails' head in affection.
"Hahahahah...I will! I will! Hahahahahah..." Tails replied happily as he chuckled in amusement.
Sonic and Knuckles both smiled in amusement as they saw how well Kathy and Tails are getting along with each other. They were also impressed with Kathy's wise statements earlier. Even they can see why Kathy is so content and happy all the time due to her upbringing. After hearing her say that, they felt an even greater appreciation of the world that they live in daily.
"Boy, it doesn't look like Kathy is ever going to stop smiling then if she sees everything as a blessing. That's a relief," Sonic said casually with a smile.
"Yeah...She's easy to please alright. That much is certain," Knuckles replied with a smile too.
Sonic then smirked while he looked at Knuckles as he teased, "Yeah...She certainly is the opposite of you. That much is certain".
"...Yeah...That...Hey!" Knuckles replied calmly with a fond smile before he exclaimed in annoyance as he looked back at Sonic with a frown.
Sonic just smirked in amusement at Knuckles before he got off from the door hinge and walked towards Kathy and Tails. Knuckles just stared at Sonic with a frown on his face. Hmph. Wise guy. Knuckles thought with an unamused frown on his face.
Sonic smiled brightly at Tails and Kathy as he stood next to them and had his hands on their shoulders. Sonic then replied brightly with a smile, "So, is everything going great with you two? You guys seemed to have hit it off quite nicely there".
"Of course, Sonic! We're doing great!" Tails exclaimed brightly with a smile.
Kathy smiled brightly at Sonic as she stood back up after releasing Tails from her hug. "Yep! We're becoming great roommates! Right, Tails?" Kathy replied brightly yet happily.
Tails nodded in agreement and replied happily, "Yeah! Kathy and I are going to get along just fine! She won't be any trouble to me! It'll be a pleasant experience having her around in my home!".
Sonic smiled brightly at that and nodded too. "Sweet! I'm glad to hear that you two are going to be fine on your own! And I agree with that, Tails! You certainly aren't going to cause Tails any trouble, Kathy! You're a gentle, kind person to be around! I'm happy to know that Tails is with good company here while I'm not around. So, thanks a bunch, Kathy! I do need someone to give Tails some company while I'm off adventuring and whatnot, and, having you here could make it a lot better for Tails. So...Thanks," Sonic replied brightly yet calmly with a smile as he looked at Tails and then at Kathy.
Kathy smiled cutely at Sonic and nodded her head in gratitude. "You're welcome, Sonic! I just love kids! So, I'd be happy to give Tails company as I stay here! I'll make him as happy as he can!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet happily as she looked at Sonic.
Sonic smiled even wider at that and gave Kathy a wink and a thumbs up. "And I'm sure that you're able to do that, Kathy! After all, you're an expert on happiness!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin. Kathy just beamed brightly at him just to prove his point. Sonic looked back at Tails and grinned at him as he replied, "You see that, Tails? That is how you smile, buddy! You certainly need her to remind you of that! Especially when I'm gone!".
"Sonic! You're making it sound like I need a babysitter here! I can handle living on my own thank you very much!" Tails exclaimed with annoyance in his tone as he slumped his shoulders while looking at Sonic.
"Yeah, I know. But then again, you still talk to your favorite rose like almost every day when I'm not here. I think that this is a telltale sign that you're lonely, buddy. You could use some real company to talk to instead," Sonic replied with a grin as he ruffled Tails' head a bit.
"Sonic!" Tails whined with a pouty look on his face as he swatted Sonic's hand away.
Sonic smirked as she replied, "Hey, I'm being serious, dude. You do need to socialize with new friends like Kathy here to keep yourself happy. It's good for you to develop new friendships, buddy! Take it from me! I make new friends all the time in my adventures! And if I can do it, then so can you!".
Tails frowned as he looked sad. He muttered with a sad frown on his face, "But...But Sonic...You know that...that plant isn't any ordinary plant. She's...She's...still my friend...in a way...".
Sonic then frowned in sadness too as he understood where Tails is coming from. He knows that rose is basically what's left of Cosmo's life at this point. In a way...Cosmo is both dead and alive at the same time. Just...not in the way that people could see it normally. Sonic then placed a hand on Tails' shoulder and said gently, "I...I know, little buddy. She is still your friend. But I'm sure that she would want you to be happy with your life by having new friends to keep you company. I'm sure that she would be very happy with Kathy making you happy, Tails. You know that she would".
Tails sighed and looked at Sonic with a sad look on his face. Tails frowned but he soon nodded and closed his eyes. "...(Sigh)...You're right, Sonic. I'll be fine with Kathy giving me company here. I just...can't help myself but think of her sometimes...you know?" Tails replied calmly with a sigh as he opened his eyes again and looked at Sonic.
Sonic smiled sadly yet gently at Tails as he replied, "I know, Tails. It's okay. There's nothing wrong with reminiscing about your old friends and loved ones. Just...Just don't get too wrapped up into thinking about them too much because otherwise...you'll just make yourself too depressed. So, just keep your chin up while you still can, okay?".
Tails then smiled a little and nodded at Sonic. "Alright. I will. Thank you, Sonic," Tails replied calmly with a smile.
"Anytime, buddy!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a wink. Tails smiled wider at that.
"Ummm...Are you going to be okay, Tails?" Kathy asked tentatively with worry in her tone as she looked sad.
Sonic and Tails looked at Kathy and frowned once they saw Kathy's sad, worried look on her face. Sonic looked a little awkward as he replied, "Oh...Uh...Sorry, Kathy. We kind of forgot that you were here with us. Ummm...You see...Tails used to have a friend in the past who was a plant alien, and we had an adventure with her in space. But...umm...".
"...She...She died...and...that little seed just grown up to be a rose. That plant you just saw in the living room...that was...what's left of my old friend," Tails continued after Sonic trailed off. Tails had a frown on his face as he decided to tell Kathy more about his favorite potted plant.
Kathy gasped in shock and in sadness as she had her hands over her mouth. She looked even more pitiful for Tails now after hearing that. She frowned as she replied softly, "Oh, Tails...I...I didn't know...That rose...was very pretty to me...I...I just didn't know that was your friend...".
Kathy then bowed her head towards Tails as she added solemnly with a frown while having her eyes closed, "...You...You have my condolences...".
Tails smiled sadly as he replied gently, "It's...It's okay, Kathy. It's been a long time ever since that adventure. So, I'm over it...well...mostly anyway. But...thank you for your consideration, Kathy".
Kathy looked back up and frowned at Tails. She replied slowly with a sad frown, "It's just that...that...Umm...Hmmm...N-Never mind. Forget I said anything".
"Huh?" Tails and Sonic muttered together in confusion. They looked at each other in confusion before shrugging their shoulders as they figured that it's best to move on from that even though they were curious to what Kathy was about to say there. So, instead, they looked back at Kathy with small smiles on their faces.
"Hey! Cheer up, Kathy! It's all in the past now! There's no reason to stay sad! See? Even Tails is having a smile on his face!" Sonic exclaimed happily with a smile as he glanced at Tails before looking back at Kathy.
"Yeah! Sure, what I've gone through in the past is sad. But I'm still going to keep on smiling because I still have the rest of my friends with me! And with you here, Kathy, I think I'll be even more happy than I ever was before!" Tails replied happily with a smile as he nodded in agreement.
Kathy's eyebrows were raised at this. She smiled a little as she asked, "Do you really think I'll make you even more happy, Tails?".
Tails beamed at Kathy as he answered brightly, "Totally! You're like a sweet, innocent child on the inside, Kathy! Everything makes you happy and gets you to laugh! With your giggles and laughter, I'll be laughing too. After all, it's been scientifically proven that laughter is infectious. If I'm not smiling now, then I would be soon after hearing you laugh, Kathy. So, it's going to be okay!".
Kathy smiled even more in relief after hearing that. She smiled more happily as she replied jovially, "Hehehehe! Yay!".
Sonic and Tails smiled a lot after hearing that innocent response. Kathy then opened her arms as she asked happily yet gently, "Group hug?".
Sonic and Tails looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders while still having smiles on their faces. They both replied at the same time in amusement, "Aw, what the heck!".
Kathy beamed brightly as they saw that Sonic and Tails were willing for a group hug. Kathy first hugged Tails first and then opened her left arm to get Sonic in too. Sonic smiled as he got closer to Tails and Kathy and hugged the two of them. Poor Tails was being hugged in the middle, but he had a huge smile on his face as Sonic and Kathy hugged him in peace. Sonic and Tails were also pleasantly surprised when they felt Kathy's beautiful wings enveloping them both as she kept hugging them. They smiled even more after that and had enjoyed being covered under Kathy's large wings.
While all three of them were in their group hug, Knuckles was just staring at them quietly with a little smile on his face. He was still standing at the entryway with his arms crossed. He stared at Kathy in particular as he saw her cheerful face while she was hugging both Sonic and Tails. He can see Kathy's cute smile on her adorable face. He was rather happy that Sonic and Tails were willing to make her happy. It brought some relief to his heart that both Sonic and Tails are going to take care of her and get her to smile a lot. Hmmm...It seems that Kathy is going to get along fine with Sonic and Tails. That's good. …She really does get happy very easily. I bet that she would still be smiling even when I'm not here to do it. …...Hmmm...Huh...Knuckles pondered with a little smile on his face.
("A Calm Afternoon~ VS Arrange Ver." song ends here)
However, once he got to that last thought, he frowned in sadness. He looked down to the floor as he brooded. …Even when I'm not here...to do it...Kathy...You really can stay happy without me here, can you? …...Sonic and Tails can make you happy, Kathy. …If they can do it too...then...what purpose do I serve in this? In fact...maybe...maybe you don't want me to...to...
"Spend time with you..." Knuckles whispered quietly in sadness while still having a sad look on his face.
"Huh? Did you say something, Knuckles? Hey, why are you looking down at the ground for?" Kathy asked out loud in confusion.
"Ack! Uh! Uh! Nothing! Nothing! I'm fine! I'm fine now!" Knuckles exclaimed quickly in embarrassment as he looked up again and saw Kathy, Sonic, and Tails staring at him in confusion. He could also see that they had stopped hugging now and were just looking at him instead. Knuckles had a shocked yet embarrassed expression on his face as he stared back at the group in awkwardness. Sonic, Tails, and Kathy looked back at him in awkwardness too.
"...Uhhh..." Knuckles muttered awkwardly as he doesn't know what to say after that.
Sonic smiled sheepishly as he figured that Knuckles needs some help here. But then he smirked as an idea came to his mind. Heheheh...I think that it's time for him and Kathy to have some alone time together. Those two need to bond...like A LOT! Sonic thought with a smirk as he looked at Kathy and at Knuckles for emphasis.
Sonic then grabbed Tails' shoulder and replied to him, "Say, Tails? Why don't we make some dinner for Kathy here? She must be starving after battling Battra today. She could use some rest and relaxation now. So, why don't we go to the kitchen and make some grub?".
"Huh? Oh, yeah, you have a point there, Sonic. I'm feeling hungry too especially after that brief tour earlier. Let's go," Tails replied with a smile and a nod as he walked past Kathy and Knuckles. Tails then stopped and looked at Kathy as he asked with a smile, "Is there anything that you want, Kathy?".
Kathy shrugged as she smiled a little at Tails while replying, "I don't know. Surprise me".
"Okay then. Maybe some chicken noodle soup could be a good first meal for you to try. I'm sure that you hadn't had any soup before. So, I'm going to prepare it up for you, Kathy. Don't worry! It'll be delicious!" Tails replied calmly yet brightly with a smile.
Kathy smiled brightly at Tails as she replied happily, "Okay! I can't wait to try it!".
Tails smiled back as he replied, "Alright. I'll be downstairs if you need me, Kathy. Call out to me if you need anything. Anyways, I'll see you at dinner time, Kathy! Rest easy now!".
Kathy smiled happily as she nodded her head at Tails after he turned around and left the guest room. Sonic smiled at Kathy as he replied calmly, "I'm going down to help Tails out too, Kathy. I might leave soon after helping him prepare your meal. So, in other words, this is goodbye for now, Kathy. Like Tails had said before, just call out to any of us if you need anything. Just stay comfortable and relax, okay?".
Kathy nodded happily at Sonic too and smiled brightly at him. She replied calmly yet brightly with a smile, "Alright. I will! See you later, Sonic! Maybe we can meet up again tomorrow!".
"Heh! Yeah, we can! In fact, I was planning to do that anyways! I just think that there is still a lot that we all need to know about you and this whole war thing you have with Battra currently. If we know your situation better, then we can do our part and help you out with it!" Sonic replied brightly with a grin.
"That would be great! I'll tell you though. Knowing about my war with Battra is like another long story. So, it's better if you do hear about it tomorrow morning," Kathy replied calmly with a smile and a nod.
Sonic winked at Kathy and gave her a thumbs up as he replied calmly, "I understand. We've already heard enough stories for one day. There's always tomorrow!".
Kathy nodded again in agreement before she exclaimed, "Oh, yeah, that's right! I forgot to tell you something, Sonic!".
"Oh? What is it?" Sonic asked with curiosity in his tone of voice.
"Be sure to give yourself some medical treatment and some deserved rest when you get back to your own home, Sonic. You see, the energy that I gave you with my Sol Gems will eventually run out given a few hours after they were used. That amount of time is enough to give yourself medical help and to rest up by going to sleep. The Healing Technique may be good to give someone energy to their exhausted bodies and to numb the stinging pain of their injuries, but it shouldn't be used as a means for an actual physical recovery. Never substitute my healing powers for traditional medical treatment. Got it?" Kathy explained calmly with a frown as she looked a bit solemn at Sonic.
Sonic was a bit surprised when he saw how serious Kathy was being here. But he nodded in understanding and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Kathy. I got it. I guess that I'll have to go to sleep early then so that I'll rest up properly like you had said. Thank you for telling me this. I'll do that once I get back home," Sonic replied calmly with a smile.
"Good. Now, I'll see you tomorrow then! Take care of yourself, Sonic!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly with a smile as she gave Sonic a quick hug to say "goodbye".
Sonic smiled a lot when Kathy did that. He then replied brightly, "I will, and you too, Kathy! Have a nice evening!".
"Yeah! You too, Sonic!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cute smile and a wave as Sonic walked out of the room. Sonic then grabbed the doorknob and looked at Knuckles with a smirk on his face. Knuckles then turned his head around to look at Sonic.
Knuckles frowned deeply at him and calmly asked in annoyance, "What is it, Sonic?".
Sonic smirked and winked at Knuckles as he calmly yet coyly replied in amusement, "She's all yours, buddy. Now, be nice! And no fighting!".
"H-Hey! What do you mean by tha-?!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in embarrassment as he stared at Sonic with a flushed face.
SLAM!
Sonic quickly slammed the door after that. He had a huge grin on his face as he quickly got downstairs and went towards the kitchen. He chuckled to himself and shook his head as he thought. Oh boy, that was great! Heheheheh! That shocked look on his face was priceless! Hahahahahah!
Sonic kept chuckling as he entered the kitchen. Tails looked confused as he looked at Sonic with an eyebrow raised at him.
"Sonic? What's so funny? What just happened up there?" Tails asked calmly in confusion as he took out a soup can to prepare his meal.
Sonic walked towards Tails and had stopped next to his right side. He chuckled as he answered calmly in amusement with a relaxed smile "Heheheheh! It's nothing, Tails. I was just messing with Knuckles a little bit".
Tails rolled his eyes a bit as he replied calmly in exhaustion, "Why am I not surprised by that?".
Tails then pulled onto the can's lid and opened it before pouring the soup into the pot. Sonic continued calmly in amusement with a playful smile, "Oh, don't be like that, Tails. You know that knucklehead was just asking for it due to how he's treating Kathy so far. Besides, he needs to get out of his comfort zone some more and make a new friend anyway, and I just think that Kathy is perfect to be his new friend".
Tails raised his eyebrows at this. He looked at Sonic with a surprised look on his face as he replied calmly in agreement, "Hey, that was what I was thinking too earlier today. I've given Knuckles an opportunity to spend some time alone with Kathy by having those two go exploring outside for a while. I just didn't think that Battra would soon show up and attack Central City though. I bet that they were enjoying themselves before that happened".
Sonic smiled hugely at that as he then replied calmly in amusement with a chuckle, "Oh, really now? Heh. I bet that they did enjoy themselves before that too. But anyways...Heheheheheh...You think that Knuckles would enjoy Kathy's company too, do you?".
Tails smiled sheepishly at Sonic as he shrugged his shoulders while he replied calmly in amusement, "Hey...I thought that it was a good idea. Knuckles can learn more social skills from Kathy and have a new friend in the process too. We both know how he's lacking in both areas of his life".
Sonic chuckled at that and crossed his arms while looking at the other staircase at his right as he replied calmly yet cheerfully in agreement with a bright smile, "Heheheheheheh! Boy, do I! He really loves to shut himself in and keep others out of his personal life. But that's just who he is, and we need to help him connect with a good friend just to soften him up a bit. And...Heheheheh...Kathy seems to be doing a good job at that on her own".
Tails smiled gently at that and nodded in agreement as he replied calmly in fondness. "Yeah...She does have that certain charm to her that makes it impossible for Knuckles to give her the cold shoulder. That was why I wanted those two to spend some alone time for a while. They just...".
He then looked at the stove and turned the knob to heat up the pot while he finished by saying gently in endearment, "...get along so well together".
Sonic smiled gently after hearing that as he replied calmly in amusement, "They sure do, buddy. Kind of like us if you think about it".
"Huh? You think that Kathy and Knuckles are like...you and me?" Tails asked calmly in confusion as he looked at Sonic with a little frown and with curious eyes.
Sonic looked at Tails and shrugged his shoulders a bit as he answered calmly in amusement with a cheerful smile, "Well...in a way...yeah. They are. I mean...They look after each other and help the other out in difficult situations at times. Almost like what we would do ourselves in our own adventures".
Tails blinked his eyes at Sonic before muttering calmly in a stunned way, "...Huh. …I hadn't thought of it like that before. …Hmmm...Interesting...".
He looked back at the pot as it cooked the soup. Sonic smiled brightly as he looked back at the stairs again. He then changed the topic a bit by saying, "Hey, Tails? There is something that I'm curious about for a while now".
"Oh? What is it, Sonic?" Tails asked calmly in curiosity with a little frown as he looked back at Sonic.
Sonic smiled gently as he calmly asked in curiosity, "...Say...Did you notice anything strange with Knuckles before I got here to your house this afternoon?".
"Huh? Why do you say that, Sonic?" Tails asked calmly in confusion with a little, gaped mouth as his eyebrows were raised.
"Just humor me for a bit, okay?" Sonic calmly asked back in amusement with a coy smile as he glanced at Tails.
Tails was even more confused when Sonic had said that, but he shrugged as he answered his question. "Well...After I had met with him and Kathy this afternoon, Kathy just went inside my house and looked around while Knuckles and I were talking for a bit. Eventually, Kathy just spoke to him out of the blue, and Knuckles...he...he...Umm...he just joked around with her...and...was being playful with her," Tails answered calmly yet a bit awkwardly while still looking confused.
Sonic looked back at Tails fully and smiled playfully in amusement of this fact as he replied calmly in curiosity, "Go on".
"Umm...Yes. Knuckles didn't get mad at Kathy for saying ridiculous things like T.V.s grow up to become bigger T.V.s and the like. In fact, he just argued back...but in a more playful way than in an angry way as he usually does. Honestly...I was really confused as to why he didn't get mad as he argued with her. He was even smiling widely as he shouted at her. It's like he's more amused than angry that Kathy had argued with him in a childish way," Tails continued calmly with a little frown as he recalled what happened this afternoon.
Sonic just smiled calmly as he listened to this. He looked at the staircase with a huge smile on his face while scratching his chin in thought as he replied calmly in amusement, "Oh, really then? That's new".
"Yeah, tell me about it. But do you want to know what's even stranger than that?" Tails replied calmly in curiosity with a confused frown on his face as he checked the pot every now and then to see if it's done cooking.
"Hmm? Yes, I do want to know. Tell me more," Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a curious expression on his face as he looked back at Tails.
Tails frowned a bit as he continued calmly, "...Umm...Knuckles had also chased after Kathy in my house after she had pranked him".
"Huh? What's so strange about that? That just sounds like something Knuckles would normally do to someone that he's mad at," Sonic replied calmly in confusion as he frowned a bit too.
Tails frowned some more as he replied calmly in sheepishness, "Well...about that...Knuckles wasn't angry at Kathy at all after that prank. He was...actually...amused by that. He was smiling at her in a playful way and had chased her while still having that huge smile on his face. It was...really weird to be honest".
Sonic's eyebrows were raised in surprise at that fact. Even he didn't expect Knuckles to not be angry at Kathy after pranking him. Sonic kept scratching his chin in thought as he replied calmly in confusion, "...Huh. That is weird. That's so unlike Knuckles to act that way".
Tails frowned even deeper as he looked back at the pot and grabbed a large spoon before stirring the soup a bit while he continued calmly, "Yeah, that's what I had thought too at the time. Knuckles had never let someone get off scott free after pranking him. He usually blows up at them for doing something like that. But when Kathy did that...he just didn't get angry at her for that harmless prank. I just wonder why he never did though. …But then again...he...kind of did catch her though...and...Umm...".
"Hmm? What? What did Knuckles do after he caught her? Did he get mad at her then? Did he yell at her?" Sonic asked calmly in curiosity with an intrigued expression on his face as he looked back at Tails.
Tails then looked embarrassed as he looked back at Sonic while he calmly answered in sheepishness, "Ummm...He didn't yell at her. He just...Umm...smiled fondly at her while...Umm...being on top of her".
Sonic then gasped in shock as he exclaimed in a worried tone with an alarmed look on his face, "...! What?! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Back it up there, little buddy! Don't tell me that you saw...that you saw...Ooooh, Tails, it's going to be okay! Tell me what you saw! Were you scared?! Uncomfortable?! Scarred for life even?!".
"Hey! Hey! Settle down, Sonic! It wasn't as bad as you're thinking! They didn't do that! All Knuckles did was lay on top her while she was still clothed! They didn't do...that. It was completely nothing. Knuckles even got off of Kathy and scooted away from her after I saw it," Tails replied quickly in alarm with a sheepish look on his face while shaking his hands at Sonic.
"Oh, thank goodness! Whew! I thought that I was going to have to smack Knuckles upside in the head after being indecent in front of you! I care for your innocence, little buddy. Remember if you saw anything like that...don't hesitate to tell me about it. Really," Sonic replied in a relieved tone with a concerned look on his face as he wiped his head and sighed in relief.
Tails smiled sheepishly at Sonic as he replied calmly in understanding, "I...I know, Sonic. I was uncomfortable at that moment though, but it wasn't that big of a deal. It was just...weird. But harmless though".
"Thank goodness that it was just a harmless incident. I wouldn't know what I'd do if I heard that you saw them...Uhh...you know," Sonic replied calmly yet awkwardly in worry with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it, you overly protective big brother. You'd just kill Knuckles after being an idiot like that," Tails replied casually in amusement with a playful smile as he waved his hand at Sonic.
Sonic scratched the back of his head while smiling sheepishly at Tails as he replied calmly in endearment, "Hey, I'd do anything for you, little bro. I care very much for you".
Tails nodded as he replied calmly in understanding with a gentle smile, "I know that you do. Thanks for looking out for me, Sonic. I'll always call you when I need you. Besides...I care about you too".
Sonic then smiled brightly and winked at Tails as he gave him a thumbs-up while he exclaimed cheerfully in amusement, "Heck yeah you do! Now, let's move past all this mushy stuff and get back at what we were talking about before!".
Tails smiled brightly too and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's do that. Anyways...Hmmm...I just don't know why Knuckles did what he did with Kathy in those two moments. He had never acted that way towards anyone before. Just what made Kathy so different from them?" Tails replied calmly in agreement and in confusion with a bright smile but then with a little frown as he looked back at the pot.
Sonic then smirked as he looked back at the stairs in amusement while he replied calmly in playfulness, "Heh. It could be because...he's got a crush on her".
"Huh? I thought that you said it was just a 'thing'?" Tails asked calmly in confusion with a little frown as he looked back at Sonic while stirring the pot with his spoon.
"I thought that it was just a 'thing' too, but after hearing that, it's definitely a crush. Heheheheh...And poor Knuckles doesn't even realize it. Heheheheheh...He's got it so bad," Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a huge smile as he chuckled a little again.
Tails looked confused as he asked calmly in curiosity, "Do you really think that what Knuckles has is a crush?".
"It could be since he's behaving so weird lately. However, it's all speculation currently. Once I see some concrete evidence that he does have a crush for Kathy, then I can be certain that it is the case. And once I find out that he has a crush..." Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile as he looked back at Tails before he smirked and chuckled some more in mischievousness while he finished deviously, "...Heheheheheh...then it's going to be soooo much fun teasing him about it. In fact...I might even 'push' him in the 'right direction' too. Heheheheheh...".
Tails frowned a bit after hearing Sonic say that. But he soon smiled a bit in amusement while shaking his head. "Sonic...You are such a devious person sometimes. I'm surprised that you haven't become a villain yet with that attitude," Tails replied casually in amusement with a little smile and with a shrug before stirring the pot some more.
"I know! Heheheheheheheh!" Sonic exclaimed brightly in agreement with a huge smile before he laughed a lot in amusement.
...Oh, brother. I pity Knuckles the moment that Sonic discovers his crush. He has my full sympathy. Hmm...I just wonder what Kathy and Knuckles are doing right now...Tails pondered calmly in amusement and in curiosity with a sympathetic smile on his face as he stirred the pot some more.
[Meanwhile With Kathy And Knuckles]
Knuckles just stood there facing the closed door with a shocked yet embarrassed look on his face. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was agape after seeing Sonic closing the door on him. His face was also red after hearing that teasing comment from Sonic. "Be nice" to Kathy, huh? Just why did he say it like that?! It's not like I'm going to hurt her or anything! I would never...I would never hurt her. She's so...so...Knuckles pondered in confusion and in endearment with a flushed face as he stared at the door some more.
"Knuckles?" Kathy asked tentatively in a soft tone of voice.
"Ah!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise with a startled expression on his face as he looked back at Kathy. He gasped softly in shock after seeing Kathy's gorgeous, serene face as she smiled gently at him while having her hands behind her back. The warm rays of the sunset still glowed beautifully in the yellow room that they're in. The orange and yellow sun rays glowed brightly and yet perfectly at Kathy's serene face. He can see the orange light reflecting in her beautiful, twinkling, light-blue eyes. Kathy's eyelids were also down halfway as she stared at him. This expression made her look warm and sweet. Kathy's natural warm colors on her skin and wings...and the orange and yellow colors of the sun rays...they both made her more stunning to look at. Not to mention...
...Beautiful...Knuckles thought calmly in shock with a stunned look on his face as he stared at Kathy's serene, warm face.
Kathy smiled even more sheepishly as she blushed at him with pink cheeks while muttering quietly in shyness, "Hey...".
Knuckles snapped out of his trance after hearing Kathy say that. His eyes were still wide, but they relaxed a second later as his face looked sheepish again. He had a sheepish smile on his reddened face as he muttered quietly in shyness too, "Hey...".
...
There was some silence in the room as the two guardians stared at each other in fondness and in shyness. It is a little ridiculous that they can't think of anything to say to each other after that, but it's not like they're complaining or anything. They've just accepted that they're just bad at starting conversations at this point. Besides...they've always enjoyed staying silent and just let their stares do all the talking that they needed.
...
"...S-So...Uhh...Y-You like this room, Kathy? It's...pretty nice...Right?" Knuckles asked calmly in awkwardness with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head and looking towards the glass, sliding doors in shyness. Even he was surprised at himself that he was the one who broke the long silence.
"Hehe! Uh huh! It's wonderful! I've never had my own room before! Especially not one like this!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a light giggle and with a cute smile as she kept staring at Knuckles.
"Umm...Heheheh...Y-Yeah...Th-That's...understandable. You've lived on a remote island all your life without a house in sight. …Hahahahah...Uhh...Huh...Kind of like me..." Knuckles replied calmly in awkwardness with a shy smile while chuckling nervously. His blush deepened when he said that last part of his sentence. …I guess that it is true when you think about it. Infant Island was...Mothra's home. It had been her home for many years...way more years than Kathy had been alive. …...And my island is just the same way...My parents...grandparents...great grandparents...and much more of my ancestors had lived on Angel Island for many years too before my time. They had protected the Master Emerald and Angel Island for centuries...because...it was their home...It was the home to the Echidna Clan...Well...At least what's left of my clan anyways...Heh. It's so strange how similar our home situations and our history are like...In a way...I don't feel alone anymore. Knuckles pondered calmly in amazement and in endearment with a little smile as his eyelids went down halfway in fondness.
But of course, Kathy had broken his thoughts by saying this teasing quip.
"Hehehehe! This bedroom is a lot bigger than your bedroom, Knuckles!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a little giggle and with a silly smile.
Knuckles immediately looked back at Kathy and smiled hugely in amusement at that as he exclaimed back in protest, "Hey! You leave my poor bedroom out of this! Of course, my bedroom going to be smaller than this one because this place is a house! Not a shack!".
"But it's just so sad! This bedroom has a balcony and everything! That's like two bedrooms combined!" Kathy exclaimed happily in playfulness with a cute smile as she stared at Knuckles' amused face.
"That is so not fair! My bedroom is on the ground floor while this one is on the first floor of the house! Of course, it's going to be fancier than mine anyways because of that advantage!" Knuckles exclaimed back playfully in amusement with a teasing grin while having his left hand on his hip.
Kathy couldn't stop giggling after hearing that response. Knuckles grinned even wider as he calmly asked in amusement, "Just what are you giggling about now? ...Heh...Besides everything?".
"Hehehehehehehe! Because...Hehehehehehehe! I don't have to say anything more to that! Hahahahahahahaha! You just boned yourself, Knuckles! Hehehehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed happily in playfulness with a sweet smile while giggling cutely in amusement.
"...Just what are you going on about? I just said that..." Knuckles replied calmly yet slowly in confusion with a bewildered look on his face before he stopped and thought over what he just said. He blushed deeply in embarrassment again as a sweat drop fell from his head since he realized that he had just burned himself. He really did make himself look like a fool to Kathy here...and yet...he can't help but smile widely in amusement due to that. He'll admit that he's honestly confused as to why he's feeling so happy about that despite how embarrassing it is. Usually, he hates being laughed at and being made fun of by others because it hurts his pride. But strangely...it's not that way with Kathy here. Sure, she probably didn't mean to really laugh at him for his embarrassing mistake, but she did it due to how humorous she finds it to be. Maybe she's laughing because...she enjoys him. She enjoys who he is, and thanks to that...it gave Knuckles a reason to enjoy himself too.
…...I'm...I'm such an idiot! Hahahahahah! Knuckles thought calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge smile before he broke into laughter too.
"Hahahahahahahahah! Oh, just shut up! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed a lot. Kathy kept giggling as Knuckles was laughing. They were both happy in the moment as they laughed and giggled in amusement over this. Eventually, after a minute of laughing and giggling, they both calmed down again and looked at each other with relieved smiles on their faces.
...
They've grown silent again after that little, amusing moment. They can both see how relaxed they are as they stared at the other's calm faces, and they felt quite at ease with the other staring at them in peace. For all the nervousness that they still feel inside of their stomachs, it pales in comparison on how at ease they are with the other's presence. They felt like they belong in their world...and they just can't feel any happier than that.
...
"...Heh...It certainly had been a long day for you, huh, Kathy?" Knuckles muttered calmly in fondness after the brief silence with a little smile as he stared at Kathy with relaxed, twinkling, violet eyes.
"...Yeah...It had been...I just never thought that my first day here in this dimension would involve meeting you and your friends...revealing my secret identity as a Kaiju monster...battling Battra again and beating him for the first time ever. This day...has been like the best day of my life!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in fondness and in amusement with a gentle smile as she stared back at Knuckles with relaxed, twinkling, light-blue eyes.
Knuckles lowered his eyelids at Kathy but didn't say anything after that. With a warm look on his face, he then thought calmly in fondness. …...Mine too, Kathy...Mine too...
Kathy then smiled a bit sadly as she calmly yet softly replied in disappointment, "...It's just sad that the day is finally over now. I think that...you...you want to go home now. I mean...You have the Master Emerald to look after, right? I can't...I can't prevent you from doing your duties, Knuckles. I'm sure that you're aware of that too".
Knuckles blinked at this before he gasped and shook his head after realizing what Kathy had just said. With a shocked look on his face, he pondered in surprise. Ah! That's right! The Master Emerald! I've forgotten about that! I should go home, and...and...and...protect it instead of...instead of...
Knuckles then frowned and looked down to the floor in sadness while in the middle of his thoughts. He looked depressed again after having flashbacks of today's events of him taking care of Kathy. He remembered all the smiles, giggles, and laughter that Kathy had showed him as he looked after her. He remembered how playful she was towards him when she teased and joked with him and how sincere she was towards him whenever a serious subject came up in their conversations. He can tell just by this day alone that Kathy is the silliest...yet most mature person that he had ever met in his life. He knows that Kathy can be very serious in one moment and then be very silly in another moment after that. It's due to these two, different yet complementing character traits that Kathy has that had made her so unpredictable at times that it's crazy. …Yet...it's because of those traits that had made his duty to guard Kathy so enjoyable to do. But now...he has to go home to protect the Master Emerald instead of...
...Kathy...Knuckles brooded calmly in sadness with a depressed expression on his face as he looked back up at Kathy. Kathy frowned too once she saw Knuckles' sad look on his face. Before she spoke up again, he then calmly yet slowly replied in a sad tone of voice, "...Oh...Yeah...You're right, Kathy. I should...I should get going now. Today...Today really is over...(Sigh)…".
Knuckles sighed in sadness before he turned around and walked slowly towards the door. Once he stood next to the door, he slowly grabbed the doorknob and held it as he looked down at it in silence. As he stared at his hand holding the doorknob, he brooded calmly in confusion and in somberness with a sad frown on his face. …Why? …Why am I not leaving? What's stopping me from leaving? Kathy is right. I should be going on my way back home to Angel Island now. Why am I not doing that? Do I really not want to leave? Do I want to...stay here with Kathy? Hmmm...No...I...I can't stay here...I really do need to leave. My job...My job is always about protecting the Master Emerald...Nothing else...Nothing else...besides that...
Knuckles grimaced as he closed his eyes while cringing after that thought. He can feel the cold despair again in his heart. He knows that there is nothing else in his life that's important besides the Master Emerald. Nothing...except for Kathy's life. ...But even still, he knows that it's Kathy's choice to ever want him to protect her and stay at her side. He knows that she could fight for herself and protect herself in that way. She's a strong, Kaiju monster. He saw how powerful she was when she fought Battra today. She is a force to be reckoned with. But even when she wants protection from others, she could simply ask Sonic to do it instead of him. Heck! She could even ask Tails to do something to help her in her own battles! ...She could ask Sonic, Tails, Amy, and even Cream to give her all the help, protection, guidance, and attention that she needed...and not ask him at all. It's all because...it's Kathy's choice.
…Kathy...She's just being nice to me. Before she had ever met Sonic and Tails today, she only had me to take care of her and protect her. But now that I've introduced her to Sonic and Tails...she now knows that she could depend on them instead. She doesn't...She doesn't need me anymore. I've helped her out enough...and now she could move on and forget all the memories that we've shared together...The times that we've "argued", joked, teased, comforted, hugged, cuddled, and...laughed together. I'm sure that tomorrow morning...she would just forget about my existence since Sonic and Tails would be there to make her laugh and have fun with them instead. Knuckles calmly yet sadly brooded some more in somberness as he cringed in agony. He even gripped the doorknob even tighter in pain. He bit his lip hard as he refused to break down and cry in sadness to that painful truth. As he swallowed the hard lump in his throat, he understood why he doesn't want to open the door and leave right now. The true reason as to why he's hesitating. The true reason as to why he feels...scared of leaving.
It's because if he did leave right then and now...he knows that...he won't live to see the next sunrise.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he stood at the door while tightly holding onto the doorknob. He felt frozen solid, and he felt like he was going to collapse entirely due to his overwhelming depression. He felt his chest tighten both in sorrow and in fear. His hand started to shake the doorknob out of fear. He felt trapped in time, and his only two choices that he has now in this moment was to break down and cry or...run out of the door and...make the worst mistake of his life. He felt powerless. Weak. Pathetic. And obviously...terrified.
…What...What should I do? What can I do? I...I can't do anything! I can't change Kathy's mind! I can't make her choose me as her own personal guardian! I can't even make her...make her...Knuckles brooded in agony with a deep grimace while still having his eyes closed.
"...Love me..." Knuckles whispered silently in sadness with a deep grimace as some of his tears had fallen from his face. He cried silently as he kept holding onto the doorknob. He can't help but cry at this sad yet unfortunate truth. He really wanted Kathy to have him as her own guardian. He wanted to protect her and take care of her so badly. But he knows that Kathy can make her own choices and live her own life. He can't control her. If there is one huge difference between her and the Master Emerald...then it would be that he CAN control the Master Emerald...but he can't control Kathy...even though...she is his Master. People...should never be controlled by others...instead...they should be free. Even Knuckles knows that...and yet...it's hurting him.
Knuckles sniffled before he wiped his tears with his other hand. He had his head hanging low and had a depressed look on his face again. He realized now that his tears don't even matter anymore since he can't change a darn thing about this. So, instead...he had accepted the dark truth...He knows what he wants to do now.
…...It's over...It's pointless...There's nothing left for me to fight for...I must..."give up"...Knuckles brooded calmly in somberness with a defeated look on his face. He closed his eyes again in pain as he slowly turned the doorknob to finally leave while brooding one last time with this sad thought. …Goodbye, Kathy...
…But just like when Knuckles had stopped Kathy from making the worst mistake of her life...Kathy had stopped him from making his...all by saying...four, little, child-like words from her mouth.
"...Will you come back?" Kathy asked softly yet gently in concern and in hope.
…! What?! Knuckles thought in surprise as he stopped turning the doorknob and turned his head back at Kathy while having a shocked expression on his face. He can see Kathy looking both concerned yet hopeful as her light-blue eyes were sparkling. It's as if her gentle, soft eyes are pulling Knuckles out from the cold, wintery night and back into the warm sunshine of the hot, summer day. In other words...back to reality.
Knuckles blinked at Kathy in shock and in curiosity before asking calmly yet quietly in confusion with a surprised look on his face, "What did you just say?".
Kathy frowned a little in worry as she repeated calmly in concern, "'Will you come back'? ...Tomorrow?".
"...'T-Tomorrow'? You want me to come back here...tomorrow?" Knuckles repeated calmly yet slowly in confusion as he released his hand from the doorknob and turned fully back around to face Kathy directly while still looking shocked.
Kathy nodded gently as she looked pleadingly to Knuckles while she begged softly, "Please come back tomorrow. Please...I...I need you...Please?".
"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock of this request. His eyes were very wide, and his mouth went very wide too. He just couldn't believe this. Kathy had wanted him to come back to her! He could see that Kathy is looking like a worried, little child who's wondering if their parents are going to return or not. If he thought that he was looking helpless before, then he could see that Kathy had him beat by how helpless she looks by seeing her huge, pleading eyes and her sad frown on her face. After staring at Kathy in shock for a while, Knuckles quickly shook his head to focus back onto her again. He then walked towards her and grabbed her arms while having a sad yet confused look on his face.
"Kathy...I don't understand. Why do you want me back? Don't you know that you have Sonic and Tails looking after you now? Why do you need me? What reason do you have for wanting me back? …Just what...Just what did I do that had made you decide that...you want me back?" Knuckles asked calmly in confusion while having a sad yet bewildered look on his face.
Kathy looked and felt very sad and confused at Knuckles after hearing those depressing questions. Knuckles...How could you even think that? What else would I want you back? …It's because I care about you...Do you...really think that I don't? Kathy brooded calmly in somberness with a sad frown on her face as she stared into Knuckles' depressed, violet eyes.
She then gently placed her hands onto Knuckles' cheeks as she answered calmly in sadness with a little frown, "It's because it just wouldn't be the same without you here".
Knuckles' eyes went wide again in surprise of this answer before yelling in shock and in confusion while shaking Kathy a little, "What?! How could even you say that?! Look at me! I'm boring! I'm like the most serious, stoic person that you have ever met! I'm not a fun person to be around! Sonic is the fun person here! Even Tails is more fun than me despite how much of a geek he is! Don't you see how much fun they are than me?! They could easily get you to smile and laugh way more than I can! Just what...Just what is it that you see in me, Kathy?! A clown?! A comedian?! I am neither of those things! In fact, you are the clown here because you're so ridiculous and silly! You're a comedian because you're funny! You easily cause me to laugh at the stupidest things that you had said to me and even still, I don't know why I had laughed at them in the first place! You're just...just...You're just contagious to me! Your silly demeanor offsets my serious demeanor! We're like a train wreck when we're together! A stupid, ridiculous, mess that laughs at everything that the other person does, and that everyone would just look at us and think that we're crazy or something! I just...I just...".
Kathy just blinked her gentle eyes at Knuckles as she heard his...somewhat emotional speech with a stunned look on her face. She was quite surprised on how passionate Knuckles looks right about now. She had heard him yelling in anger before, but this is just...surprising. She then saw Knuckles looking sad again as he calmly yet quietly continued in somberness with a deep frown, "...I just don't understand why you want me back because of who I am on the inside. I mean...I'm just like you, Kathy. Metaphorically speaking, of course. I'm nothing but a monster who just scares everyone away when angered. I...I can't control myself. I'm just a rage-induced monster who just...wants to be left alone...and...not have...any friends...I just don't deserve to have friends because of how I act...and...treat others...I'm...I'm not a safe person to be around, Kathy. You saw how I had treated you earlier today. Sure, I was nice and was caring towards you, but I...I...".
He stopped in the middle of his speech to sigh deeply and to rub Kathy's arms a bit. He closed his eyes again and gently held onto Kathy's arms again as he finished his speech by saying in somberness, "...But I had yelled and shouted at you today too. I've hurt your feelings and had made you cry. I'm a horrible person for doing so. I don't think that...a mean, hurtful person like me should ever come back to a kind, sweet person like you, Kathy. We may be similar in some fashion...but we're largely different. …And I don't think that...you really need me. You're just...saying that just to be nice to me. I know how cruel and mean I am in my personal life. I don't need you to tell me that I'm not".
Kathy frowned even more in sadness after hearing that. She then placed her hands onto Knuckles' arms and rubbed them gently in a comforting way. Oh, Knuckles...Don't say that...You're much more than that...In fact...You're a...a...Ah! Kathy pondered calmly in concern with a sympathetic look on her face before she gasped in shock as she realized what she could say to cheer Knuckles up and...to convince him that she needs him.
"...You're a guard dog," Kathy muttered calmly yet brightly in absoluteness with a sweet smile and with twinkling eyes.
"Huh?" Knuckles muttered calmly in confusion as he opened his eyes again while looking bewildered.
Kathy beamed brightly at Knuckles as she continued calmly yet cheerfully in amusement, "You're a guard dog! Of course, you're going to be mean and cruel to others at times! That's what dogs do naturally! You can't stop them from doing what they instinctively do. Well, in a way, you can, but it's only through lots and lots of training from their Masters!".
"'T-Training...from their Masters'?" Knuckles repeated calmly yet slowly in shock with wide eyes on his stunned face.
Kathy nodded happily before smiling widely at Knuckles as she exclaimed brightly in amusement, "Yep! And I'm your Master, Knuckles! I'll train you on how to behave like a good little doggie! That way, others won't see you as a 'cruel, mean monster' that you portray yourself to be! You'll be a calm and collected person in no time as long as you stick by my side and learn from my teachings! Understand?!".
Knuckles only gawked in shock of this. He had never thought that Kathy is willing to train him to become a better person. He just found it so baffling that someone is willing to take their time and energy to help him...HIM...the most short-tempered, irritable person on the planet...to become a docile, patient person instead. In his mind, he just finds it impossible to do so. No one can change who they are...can they?
Knuckles' eyebrows were raised upwards in sadness and in confusion as he replied calmly with a sad frown on his face before shouting in slight frustration, "But Kathy...it's impossible. I'M IMPOSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH!".
Kathy just smiled brightly yet contently at him as if she found no problem with that whatsoever. In fact, she doesn't even see it as a problem at all. Especially when she replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile, "Well, I don't have a problem dealing with you! So, what's your point?".
Knuckles just gawked again at this response. He shook his head before he calmly replied again in somberness with a sad look on his face, "Kathy, I'm serious. I'm very short-tempered. I can easily hurt your feelings after getting irritated by something that's unrelated to you. You don't need...You don't need me. You don't really want to be around me, Kathy. You can...You can just tell me the truth. I can...I can take it".
Kathy frowned in sadness again as she replied calmly yet softly in a pleading tone, "But I do need you, Knuckles. I still don't know anything about this dimension. I'd be lost without you here guiding me and teaching me about the modern world".
"Why are you relying on me to teach you about this dimension? You could ask Sonic or Tails to do it. They can show you around this world and teach you everything that you need to know about modern technology," Knuckles replied calmly in confusion with a sad frown on his face.
"But it wouldn't be the same! I like it when you teach me, Knuckles. I just want you to do it," Kathy exclaimed and muttered calmly yet softly in sadness with a little frown while holding onto Knuckles' arms a little tighter.
Knuckles only frowned even more in sadness and in confusion. He just doesn't get why Kathy is so insistent into wanting him to teach her about the modern world when she could ask Sonic and Tails to do it instead of him. Sure, he had heard her say that it wouldn't be the same, but does it really matter? Does it?
"...Why? Why do you want me to do it? Just what is it about me that made you desire-?" Knuckles asked calmly in confusion with a sad frown and with upward eyebrows.
"It's because you're like a guide dog! Not only are you like a guard dog, Knuckles, but also as a guide dog who leads blind people to where they should go! I'm...I'm really like a blind person since I have no clue as to where everything is at in this world. Everything about this dimension is new to me. I don't know my way around it. I really do need you, Knuckles. We're like a team when we're together. A duo even!" Kathy replied calmly yet sincerely in somberness with a sad frown on her face.
"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock after hearing all of that. He was stunned when he heard Kathy say that they're like a team. He had heard it before from Sonic, but it seems that even Kathy agrees with Sonic's thoughts of them being a team. "A duo" as Kathy had called it.
"A...'A duo'?" Knuckles repeated calmly yet slowly in shock as he still had a stunned look on his face.
Kathy then smiled a little as she replied calmly yet gently in fondness, "Yes, that's right. You remember, don't you? You had asked me if we should become a team that is called 'The Guardian Duo' after saying our promises to each other. It was your way of wanting us to get closer without being referred to as 'friends'. Being each other's teammate was like the best compromise that you could think of at the time, and I think that we're a team, Knuckles. That's why I need you...partner".
Knuckles' eyes went wide in shock as he saw that Kathy had remembered his offer earlier today. His mouth was open a little in shock too as he couldn't believe that she's bringing this up now. Even after when she had declined it before.
"But...But I thought that you didn't want us to form a team like that. What had made you change your mind?" Knuckles replied calmly in confusion with a little frown as he stared into Kathy's eyes with his own curious eyes.
Kathy smiled gently yet sweetly at him as he stared calmly yet curiously at her. She then answered calmly in fondness after being quiet for a bit, "...It's because I didn't have to fear you hating me for being a Kaiju anymore. That was why I had refused your offer before, Knuckles. I was worried that you would have hated me and reject me as your partner after hearing the truth about me being half-Kaiju. I was afraid that our partnership would be over before it had begun if you had discovered the truth. But now that I know that you won't hate me or reject me because of who I am on the inside...I have no reason to be afraid. I...I want us to be a duo, Knuckles. Let's become The Guardian Duo!".
Kathy smiled brightly as she exclaimed her last sentence. She beamed happily at Knuckles after saying all of this. Knuckles just blinked his eyes at Kathy in stunned silence. It...actually made sense to him as to why Kathy had declined his offer before. She just didn't know what his beliefs were at that time and was rather paranoid about her Kaiju identity being known to him. So, having her decline his offer was...understandable. But since that's over and done with...it's now his turn whether he should take Kathy's offer or not. Ironic, considering that...it was his very own idea at the start.
"The Guardian Duo"...Heh...I never thought that it would come to this...and in this situation too...Life really does have a strange way of working things out for you at times. Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a stunned look on his face before he smiled a little as he realized that this is the perfect opportunity for them to become closer.
"...Hmph. You know what, Kathy? Why not? For now on, we're known as The Guardian Duo, and no one is going to stop us..." Knuckles replied calmly in fondness with a little smile as he stared gently into Kathy's hopeful eyes. He then smirked a little as he calmly yet coyly added in amusement, "...Not even Battra".
Kathy then beamed widely and happily at Knuckles after hearing that he agrees with the idea of them becoming a duo. She exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge grin, "Yeah! Nothing could stop us! The Master and her little doggie are going to win this war together!".
Knuckles smirked even wider as he quipped jokingly in amusement with a playful growl, "Yeah...And if you want me to go sic after Battra, then feel free to do that, Kathy. Heh...I don't mind showing Battra how sharp my 'bite' is. Grrrrrr!".
Kathy giggled a lot in amusement after seeing Knuckles pretending to be a dog again. Knuckles just smiled widely in amusement after hearing Kathy giggle again. "Hehehehehehehehe! Oh, Knuckles! You're so funny! Hehehehehehehe! I don't understand why you keep saying that you're not! Hahahahahahaha! Are even hearing what you are saying?! Hehehehehehe! You ARE being funny!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with a huge smile as she giggled a lot.
Knuckles blushed at this and looked sheepish again at Kathy. With a sheepish smile on his flushed face, Knuckles replied calmly in shyness as he chuckled nervously, "Ummm...Heheheheh...I...Uhh...Well...I...I try...Heheheh...But I'm still not that humorous...Just...maybe a little...".
"More like A LOT! Hahahahahahaha! Come on, Knuckles. You're being too hard on yourself. You're just fine for how funny you are. Besides, if you got me to laugh, then shouldn't you at least admit that you're funny to someone? Hehehehe! To someone like me?" Kathy replied happily yet gently in amusement with a little smile on her face as she giggled a bit.
"Kathy, you laugh way too easily. You're like a clown as I had said so earlier. You like to laugh a lot," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a huge grin and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"And is there something wrong with that? Hehehehehehe! I like being happy!" Kathy replied happily in amusement with a cute smile as she giggled sweetly.
Knuckles was about to open his mouth to say something to counter that, but he closed it and just smiled to her instead. He then looked fond to Kathy as he replied calmly yet gently in encouragement, "...No...No, there's nothing wrong with that. Just be happy as much as you want to, Kathy. I won't be complaining at all about that".
Kathy just smiled sweetly at Knuckles after hearing him say that. Seeing that warm yet sweet smile had always made Knuckles' heart melt. He can't help but look warm towards Kathy after seeing that happy expression on her jovial face. He enjoys that look so much. I could just stare at this expression all day. It's like a beautiful piece of art that soothes your frantic mind on a bad day. It's like all your worries and troubles just fade away due to someone else's happiness overpowering them. …...And...And...Knuckles pondered calmly in endearment with a fond smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared into Kathy's happy face. He lowered his eyelids halfway as he pondered this last thought in fondness. …...And it gives you hope by reminding you that everything is going to be alright in the end. ...Her smile...gives me hope in my own dark world.
Kathy beamed brightly at Knuckles as she replied calmly in fondness, "I'm glad that we became a team, Knuckles. You're like the best person that I could think of as a partner".
Knuckles then smiled a little sheepishly as he replied calmly yet awkwardly in confusion, "Uhh...Are you sure about that, Kathy? I mean...I know that I had made my promise to you to take care of you and to protect you, but...Uhh...I'm sure that either Sonic or Tails would be willing to team up with you. I still don't see why you chose me to be your partner in the first place. Just...why did you choose me, Kathy?".
Kathy then exclaimed brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile, "It's because we form a heart together, Knuckles!".
"A what?!" Knuckles exclaimed in confusion with a gaped mouth as his eyes went wide in shock. ...That...has got to be the strangest reason that I had ever heard someone say. ...A...heart? Just what does Kathy mean by that? Knuckles pondered calmly in confusion with a gaped mouth as he stared at Kathy with wide eyes.
"Here. Let me explain this for you," Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile as she gently released Knuckles' arms and backed away from him a bit. Knuckles released Kathy as he saw that she wants to have some space to make her point. He stared calmly at Kathy while she carefully takes off her Sol Gems from her pendant and held them in her hands.
Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles as she lifted the two gems up near his face. As she placed the two gems together, she then asked calmly yet gently in curiosity, "Knuckles? What do you see?".
"Huh? …...Uhh...Your Sol Gems?" Knuckles answered calmly in confusion as he stared at the gems with a bewildered look on his face.
Kathy smiled brightly in playfulness while shaking her head as she replied calmly yet cheerfully in amusement, "No, silly! Look at the middle of the two gems. You can see some gold inside each of them. Now...I'll ask you again...What do you see? Look closer".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows at this and stared into the gems more closely this time just as Kathy had said. He had seen this insignia before when he had first found Kathy last night. He then answered calmly yet assuredly in confusion with a little frown and with raised eyebrows, "It's a gold heart".
"That's right! Now for the next question...What do you see now?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile before she moved the two gems away from each other.
What is she? A psychiatrist? Knuckles thought calmly in amusement with a smug grin and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Kathy's jovial face.
"A happy face," Knuckles joked calmly in amusement with a smug grin and with half-lidded eyes as he kept staring at Kathy.
Kathy giggled a lot at this as she replied brightly in amusement with a huge smile, "Hehehehehehe! No, Knuckles! I meant the gems! Hehehehehehehe!".
Knuckles smirked a bit as he coyly teased in amusement, "Heh. I know. I was only messing around".
"See?! I told you that you're funny! And yet, you keep denying it!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a cheerful grin as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Oh, will you just quit it already?! Heheheheheh...Fine. I'll admit that I'm a little bit funny. There. How's that?" Knuckles replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge, smug smile as he chuckled a bit while shaking his head.
"Better! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with a cheerful smile as she giggled a little.
"Hmph..." Knuckles grunted calmly in amusement with a fond smile as he waited for Kathy to stop giggling and to continue with her explanation.
"Hehehehe! …...Alright, Knuckles. I'll tell you what you're supposed to see. You're supposed to see two different gems, and say 'two gems'," Kathy continued calmly yet gently in amusement with a little smile after giggling a bit.
"Didn't I just say that earlier by saying 'your Sol Gems'? Are you just screwing around with me, Kathy? I don't see what's different between that previous answer and the one that I had said after that," Knuckles replied calmly in confusion with a skeptical look on his face.
"Of course, there's a difference! Because the first correct answer can't be correct if the two gems are separate from each other!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a confident smile and with twinkling eyes.
"Wait! Huh?! That doesn't make any sense!" Knuckles exclaimed back in confusion with a shocked look on his face.
Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles before she brought up just one of her two gems in front of him as she replied calmly yet softly in amusement, "Are you sure about that, Knuckles? Look at this single gem closely. …Does it look like a heart to you?".
"I...Huh?" Knuckles muttered calmly in confusion as he stared at the small gem with a bewildered look on his face. He really can't see a heart at all. Only half of it. He continued calmly in confusion after being quiet for a moment, "...N-No...No, it doesn't. It's only half of a heart. But what does that have to do with anything?".
Kathy smiled even wider at Knuckles as she asked softly in curiosity, "Well...Do you want to know a secret about the Sol Gems?".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows at this question. He then nodded his head quickly in curiosity. He doesn't know where Kathy is going with this, but he's still curious about the Sol Pendant that Kathy keeps on wearing and protecting apparently. So, any information that he learns would be useful for future reference...especially since he needs to look after her for the time being.
Kathy smiled even wider at this as she replied calmly yet brightly in amusement, "Good! Now...watch closely...".
Kathy then held the Sol Gems closer to her sides and closed her eyes. She commanded the Sol Gems to be powered up. Thus, the gems glowed light-blue again, and her hands glowed light-blue too. She opened her eyes and lifted her hands towards Knuckles.
"There. As you can see, the gems can be powered up by giving my commands to them. If I keep holding onto the gems, then they won't stop glowing as long as I have them in my hands. …You with me so far, Knuckles?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently in amusement with a warm smile as she showed Knuckles' her glowing, light-blue hands.
Knuckles nodded calmly as he stared at Kathy's hands and then at her directly. Kathy smiled brightly as she continued calmly in amusement, "Okay then. Now...let's see what happens when I...have only one gem in my hands...".
Kathy then gently placed her left gem onto the bed beside herself...and immediately after that...both gems...had stopped glowing. She smiled calmly as she held onto her right gem in her right hand while showing it in front of Knuckles. Meanwhile, Knuckles was surprised by this. He gasped in shock when he saw that both gems aren't glowing light-blue anymore.
"H-Huh?! Th-They've stopped glowing! W-Why?! H-How?!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he quickly looked at the two gems in confusion.
"That's the secret, Knuckles. I can't just command one gem to do all the work. I need two gems to do all of the abilities that the Sol Pendant can do. Without the other gem, the Sol Pendant is useless," Kathy explained calmly in amusement with a confident smile and with gentle eyes as she stared at Knuckles. Knuckles just blinked in shock of this fact. He can see how bad a scenario would go if Kathy lost just one of her gems during a fight with Battra. It would be...very terrible if that happened at one point.
Knuckles frowned a bit and nodded his head solemnly at Kathy as he calmly replied in somberness, "I understand".
Kathy smiled gently at Knuckles before she looked at the bed and grabbed the other gem back. She held onto the two gems again and lifted them back up together close to Knuckles' face. She smiled calmly at Knuckles as she explained gently in wisdom while slowly moving her gems around in little circles for emphasis, "You see, Knuckles, just like it takes two gems to work properly together, a team could only win if they work together. Separately...we can't do everything that we want to do due to our weaknesses holding us back. We're just two lost souls wandering around cluelessly in this world without any goals or direction in life. Without the other soul, we're just a wreck without them. A complete mess. A 'monster' if you will".
"..." Knuckles was just silent as he stared at the gems and at Kathy with a curious expression on his face. He was listening attentively to Kathy's explanation and had nodded along with her points. He then saw her put the Sol Gems together again while saying her next point.
"...But once we're together, we can do a lot more things that we couldn't do previously before. We can both see the other's strengths and weaknesses. We can pick up the other's weaknesses and then help them out with it. We feel a lot stronger that way because we have help on our side. We would then feel...complete. Whole. And...at peace..." Kathy continued calmly yet gently in fondness as she lowered her gems a bit so that Knuckles could see her relaxed face.
"..." Knuckles was still silent as he stared into Kathy's serene look on her face. He can see her smile gently at him with twinkling, light-blue eyes. He heard her explanation and understood what she's saying. All of it. Knuckles' violet eyes twinkled as he stared calmly yet solemnly at Kathy after hearing her say her wise explanation and seeing her demonstration. Kathy just smiled calmly at him as she finally attached her gems back into her pendant.
She then finished her wise speech by saying calmly in fondness with a gentle smile, "That's why I had said that we're like a heart. To make one, you need two gems. ...Two people. …...Besides...I feel...I feel at peace when I'm with you, Knuckles. I feel like I don't have to be afraid of the strange, new world around me because I have you to guide me. I don't need to worry about where to go next because we can work things out together and solve those kinds of problems together. We may be different people and have separate lives...but we just work so well when we're together. I feel like we're complete. I...I know that sounds crazy to you, but that's just how I feel, Knuckles. So...anyways...will you come back tomorrow...for me?".
"..." Knuckles was still silent even after hearing that last part of her speech. He had wide eyes and a wide-open mouth as he gawked at Kathy. If there was one feeling that he had felt the most in his life, then it would be emptiness. He felt empty and incomplete. It's as if his own heart was the Master Emerald after it had shattered twice in the past. Once during that Chaos incident, and the other at the end of that Metarex incident. But...whereas the Master Emerald was eventually restored on both occasions...Knuckles' heart had never been restored. He had felt like it has always been halfway complete from the very start. He doesn't remember when he was aware of this empty and incomplete feeling...but he knows that it's that feeling that's tearing him apart on the inside. So much so that he wants to...to...
Knuckles then closed his eyes and looked solemn again as he brooded calmly in somberness. I've been hurting myself so much by pushing others away in my life and by distancing myself from them in the process. I've never let anyone in because I had feared that...that...that person would just trick me again and betray my trust again. I've always worked alone because of that. Why would you want to put your trust into someone who's going to make you look like a gullible idiot in the end? I just...don't want to be made fun of again...to be humiliated...to be used...to be like...a fool again...
He then opened his eyes slowly and saw Kathy's calm yet hopeful smile on her cute face as she waited for his answer. He can see that she has her hands behind her back again in a coy way. He stared calmly at her as he brooded some more in somberness. …...And yet...This girl...She wants me to be with her because she feels...complete with me being here. She feels at peace when I'm here...And I...I...
Knuckles then smiled warmly at Kathy as he finished his broodings with this fond thought.
...I feel the same way.
"...Alright, Kathy. I'll come back tomorrow. I promise," Knuckles replied calmly yet quietly in understanding with a nod and with a warm smile.
Kathy then smiled hugely yet brightly at this as she looked excited while exclaiming cheerfully in amusement with a giggle "Yes! Hehehehehehe! I'm so happy that you'll come back tomorrow, Knuckles! I can't wait for you to come back!".
Knuckles then looked sheepish as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, easy there, Kathy. It's not...that big of a deal...I mean...All I'm doing is just showing up to this house tomorrow...It's not as if I'm taking you on a...a...Ummmm...You know what?! Never mind! It's nothing! Heheheheh..." Knuckles replied calmly yet awkwardly in shyness and in amusement with a sheepish smile and with a nervous chuckle as he blushed in embarrassment when he almost said "date" in his sentence. Am I crazy or something?! She probably doesn't even know what a "date" is! There are some things that are best to keep quiet about! I'm sure that Kathy will get curious as to what a "date" is and then would want to have one with me because...that's just who she is! She's just an innocent girl! She's just too pure in her thoughts to think things...like that. Besides...I...I don't know what I'll do if she does ask me out on a date...Well...I'll probably scream in panic. That's for sure...Knuckles pondered in embarrassment with a flustered look on his face as he stared shyly at Kathy.
Kathy looked even more bubbly than before as she bobbed up and down on her heels while getting closer and closer to Knuckles in excitement. "Hehehehehehe! But it IS a big deal! My little doggie is coming back home to his Master! I have every good reason to feel happy and excited about that!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in excitement with another giggle as she smiled sweetly at Knuckles.
…! "Coming back...home?" Knuckles thought calmly in shock with a gasp as his eyes went wide in surprise. Before he could think or say anything else, he noticed that Kathy is bobbing up and down towards him and felt her arms gently wrapping around him.
Kathy slowly wrapped her arms around Knuckles' lower back as she asked excitedly in curiosity with a cheerful grin, "So, will you also come back here the next day after tomorrow?!".
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, sure. I will," Knuckles replied calmly yet quickly in amusement with a little smile as he held Kathy's arms again.
"And the day after that?!" Kathy asked excitedly in curiosity with a hopeful grin as she held Knuckles close to her body.
"Uh...Why of course! Why not?! I'll be there on that day too!" Knuckles exclaimed in excitement with a huge grin as his eyebrows were raised in amusement. Kathy is getting really excited now. Oh boy...Knuckles thought calmly in amusement with a huge grin as he saw Kathy beam brightly at him after hearing that response.
"Oooh! Oooh! How about the day even after that?! And the next day?! And the other day?! No! Wait! How about all week?! Can you visit me every day this week?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement and in curiosity with an excited grin on her face as she held Knuckles gently yet warmly. Knuckles could see her light-blue eyes shimmer brightly with excitement, and he adored that look with all his heart.
With a huge smile, he shrugged his shoulders a bit as he answered calmly in amusement, "I don't see why not. That's plenty of time to help you get adjusted to your new home dimension, Kathy. I'm sure that you'll adapt to your new surroundings in no time. Especially since I'm the one who's going to show you every place in this world".
Kathy smiled more warmly and gently as she asked softly in curiosity, "You're going to take me...everywhere?".
Knuckles lowered his eyelids halfway at Kathy as he answered softly in fondness with a warm smile, "Yes...Everywhere, Kathy. I...I want to take you everywhere in this world. I want to show you everything...teach you everything that I know about this world...and...and...just make you happy while we do it. I...I...I mean...".
Knuckles' face then glowed red in embarrassment as he added softly in shyness, "...Isn't that...Uhh...what teammates do...for fun?".
Kathy gasped quietly after hearing that last part. She then smiled warmly at Knuckles since she felt so happy that he is taking what she had taught him to heart. She has full faith in Knuckles now since she knows that he's clearly teachable. Heh! And they that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well, look at this. Knuckles is starting to understand what's important in life and is clearly taking what I had said in fullness. If he keeps this up, then surely, he'll change for the better...and be even more happy than he is right now. Kathy pondered calmly in fondness with a warm, proud look on her face.
She then replied gently in fondness with a warm smile, "Yes...That's what we should do, Knuckles. Have fun while we still can".
Knuckles stared back at Kathy with a warm smile too. He can certainly feel all the coldness and darkness melting away by the warmth of Kathy's relaxed face. As he kept staring at Kathy's serene, warm expression on her face, he could feel his own warmth returning back into his heart. He longed for this warm feeling for years. He had felt it before multiple times after he had met Kathy last night...and he had loved it ever since. With this warm feeling in his chest, he felt...peace...ease...calmness...and maybe even...happiness.
…I haven't felt this warm feeling in years...Had I ever felt this feeling at all? I...I don't know...Maybe I did once...But I just don't remember when...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm look on his face as he stared gently into Kathy's light-blue eyes again for like the umpteenth time today.
Kathy then beamed brightly at Knuckles as she replied excitedly in amusement with a little giggle, "Hehehehe! You know what would make our team even better?! Nicknames!".
Knuckles chuckled a bit at this as he replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge grin, "Hahahahahahahah! Why do you want to that?! Wasn't 'little doggie' good enough for a nickname? What's the purpose of giving ourselves nicknames?".
"Because Knuckles! We've got to form nicknames to each other so that our team is legit!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile.
Knuckles chuckled even harder at that innocent answer. Hahahahahahah...Ridiculous...Knuckles thought calmly in playfulness with a huge smile as he chuckled and shook his head in amusement. He certainly knows by now that when Kathy had an idea, she wants to go through with it in strides. So, in response to that...he just gave up.
"Okay! Fine! Whatever! We'll call each other by our nicknames too! Heheheheheheh...Silly girl...Heheheheheheheh..." Knuckles replied calmly yet brightly in playfulness with a teasing grin as he shrugged his shoulders and as he chuckled some more in amusement.
Kathy beamed happily at this and exclaimed brightly in amusement while gently poking at Knuckles' chest for emphasis, "Great! Now, as your Master, I ask you to come up with a nickname by tomorrow at sunset! I'll tell you my nickname for you by then too! So, get creative, Knuckles! I'm counting on you, my little doggie!".
"Hahahahahahahah! Okay! Okay! I get it! I'll come up with a nickname by then! S-Settle down, Kathy! Hehehehehehe! Geez, you're excitable! Hahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed brightly in amusement with a huge smile as he chuckled a lot and as he walked backwards a bit. Kathy beamed brightly at Knuckles before she grabbed his shoulders and quickly turned him around towards the door.
As Kathy pushed Knuckles towards the door, she then exclaimed happily in amusement with a bright smile, "Great! Now, off you go, Knuckles! I can't keep your emerald waiting any longer than needed to! Have a nice night! And make sure you start coming up with nicknames! Oh! But don't you dare call me 'The Thing' because I'm clearly a moth! Not a thing!".
Knuckles looked behind himself at Kathy while she's pushing him towards the door as she says this. His eyebrows were raised in amusement on those last sentences and had smirked deviously at Kathy after hearing about that.
He then calmly teased in amusement with a devious smirk, "Heh. Why? What's wrong with being called that? I mean...You certainly are a strange thing, silly girl".
Kathy pouted at that, and Knuckles just smirked even wider in amusement. He teased even more in mischievousness with a devious smirk on his face, "Awww...What's wrong? Does it...bother you so much?".
Kathy then shoved Knuckles hard towards the door and stuck her tongue out at him after that. Knuckles just laughed out loud in amusement after that response. Priceless! That was pure gold right there! Hahahahahahahaha! Knuckles thought brightly in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed very hard while rubbing his chest a bit after that hard shove.
"You're mean!" Kathy exclaimed in annoyance with a pout as she crossed her arms while staring at Knuckles.
"I know! Hahahahahahahahahaha! But that was so worth it! Hahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile while laughing very hard. He soon clutched his stomach after rubbing his chest a bit and held onto the doorknob too to keep his balance as he laughed.
"Don't make me nickname you 'Godzilla'! Keep that up, and you might have that as your nickname permanently!" Kathy exclaimed back in annoyance with a deep frown as she still looked unamused while glaring a bit at Knuckles.
"Hey! At least, it's better than being called 'Knuckie'! Seriously! That's a girl's name! Hahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile while still laughing a bit as he stared at Kathy.
Now, it was Kathy's turn to look devious as she smirked at him in amusement while she playfully teased, "Awww...What's wrong with being called that, Knuckie? Does it...bother you so much?".
"Ahahahahahahahah! Oh! Don't you dare start with that, Kathy! I might call you 'The Thing' IF you keep THAT up! Hahahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement as he smirked back while still laughing a bit.
"Bad doggie! Bad! You don't call your Master 'The Thing'! I forbid you from doing that!" Kathy exclaimed playfully in amusement with a teasing smirk as she pointed at Knuckles.
Knuckles just laughed even more in amusement at this. He soon stopped laughing and smirked evilly at Kathy instead. Kathy stared back at Knuckles with a smirk of her own. She knows that she's just challenging Knuckles at this point, but she doesn't care. She secretly wanted him to go against her out of playfulness, and naturally, Knuckles did just that.
"Fine. I'll do that...Thing," Knuckles replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with an evil smirk and with a wink when he said "Thing".
Kathy immediately ran towards Knuckles after that, but Knuckles quickly opened door, slipped out of the room and closed the door fast enough before Kathy had caught him. While Knuckles held onto the doorknob to prevent Kathy from opening it, he then laughed out loud again in amusement of this. He could hear Kathy's banging and laughter too with some occasional shouts of "Open this door, Knuckles!", "Let me out!", and "You're such a bad doggie, Knuckles!". But all those shouts were drowned out by both Knuckles' and Kathy's laughter as they know how ridiculous this is. Both Kathy and Knuckles leant on either side of the door while laughing as much as possible.
[Meanwhile In The Kitchen]
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles and Kathy laughed loudly from upstairs.
Sonic and Tails soon stopped preparing their meals to listen to Kathy's...and surprisingly Knuckles' laughter. They both looked at each other with surprised yet confused looks on their faces since they had no idea what had brought this on all of a sudden. But they soon smiled happily in amusement since they know that whatever it is that Kathy and Knuckles were doing...it's obvious that they're having a good time together.
"Heh. Someone's happy," Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a coy grin as he stared at Tails.
"Yeah, and yet that's somehow an understatement," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a coy grin too as he stared back at Sonic.
"Heheheh! Tell me about it!" Sonic exclaimed back in amusement with a chuckle and with a wider grin.
Sonic and Tails smiled in amusement as they listened to Kathy's and Knuckles' laughter until they've both stopped at last.
[Back Upstairs]
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahah...Hahahahah...Ahahaha...Hahah...(Sigh)…" Knuckles and Kathy laughed before they calmed down finally and sighed in unison.
...
Knuckles and Kathy both had fond, relaxed faces as they stared down at the floor below while holding the doorknob on both sides of the door. They felt relaxed again. They felt at peace again. They felt...happy again. We really do complete each other. We may be opposites, but we complement each other regardless. I...I could never find someone like this in my own world. I wished that I could've met you much sooner, Knuckles/Kathy. You really do turn my world upside down due to what you do. I'm...I'm so happy that I could meet you at long last. Now...Now, I don't feel so lonely anymore. Let's just...stay together...forever...Kathy and Knuckles pondered calmly at the same time in fondness with longing smiles on their faces.
...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Knuckles soon heard Kathy's light knocks after a long bit of silence. He soon looked back up at the door and smiled a little as he gently opened the door a bit. He could see Kathy standing next to the door with an innocent, sweet smile on her face as she has her hands behind her back.
As Knuckles smiled back while having the door halfway open, he calmly asked in a playful tone, "Yes?".
Kathy beamed happily at Knuckles as she sweetly yet brightly replied in amusement with a light giggle, "Hehe! I just wanted to say 'goodbye'!".
Knuckles raised his eyebrows again at Kathy before he smiled warmly at her after hearing that sweet response. He then smirked a little playfully as he calmly yet coyly asked in amusement, "Is that all?".
"Hehehe! Yep!" Kathy exclaimed happily in amusement with another giggle and with a bright smile as she nodded a little.
Knuckles smiled calmly at this as he replied quietly in fondness, "...Heh. Alright. Goodbye, Kathy".
Kathy smiled calmly at Knuckles too as she replied softly in fondness, "Goodbye, Knuckles. I'll...I'll see you tomorrow. …R-Right?".
Knuckles' eyes went slightly wide at those two other sentences, but he soon looked fond again as he replied calmly yet gently in endearment, "Right...I'll see you tomorrow, Kathy. I promise. I will come back here and see you again".
Kathy looked fond too after hearing that as she softly whispered in endearment with a gentle smile, "Have a nice night, Knuckles".
"...You too, Kathy. Have a nice night. Bye..." Knuckles softly whispered too in endearment with a fond look on his face before he gently closed the door. Even though Knuckles had closed the door, he still couldn't move away from it. He held onto the doorknob while having a fond look on his face. He could hear Kathy's footsteps walking away from the door. He can't tell if Kathy's going to sit on the bed or go outside and check out the balcony for a bit, however, he didn't care about any of that. He's just too elated right now to think about it. He sighed quietly yet deeply as he thought about what he just said to her.
…I...I really am going to come back. I'm going to come back...here...tomorrow...for her. She...She wants me back...She really...truly...wants me back...She...She needs me...She wants me...Knuckles pondered calmly in endearment with a fond smile and with half-lidded eyes. But when he had pondered on those thoughts and let them sink in, his fond smile slowly turned into a huge grin as he raised his head up.
…She...She wants me! She wants me to come back! That means...That means...I...I...I'm worth something! I'm needed for something! And Kathy needs me! I...I...Knuckles pondered calmly yet brightly in hope with a huge grin on his excited face. He shook his head quickly and placed his hands on his head while having such a powerful euphoria going on in his heart. As silly as it was, he then quickly ran downstairs and ran towards the front door while having a giddy expression of his face...just like a kid would have.
Oh my gosh, I can't wait until tomorrow! Just what are we going to do next tomorrow?! Go look around in a different city?! Go fly around in the sky together?! Going to the beach?! The forest?! The mountains?! The lakes?! The desert?! The arctic?! The caves?! The meadows?! No! Wait! What about the islands?! We could fly there together! I bet that she would love going to a tropical island! It would remind of her of her home island! Yeah! We could do that! Then she would look so adorable and happy when we get there! She would be so curious looking around the place and ask me tons of questions! And...And...And we're just going to have so much fun together! I...I...I just can't wait and see what her reactions will be when we go everywhere in this world! This is going to be like the best adventure ever! Knuckles pondered excitedly yet giddily like a happy child as he quickly went downstairs and rushed towards the front door with a huge grin on his face. He opened the door, went outside, and closed the door quickly...and unintentionally loudly which startled Sonic and Tails. They both looked into the living room with surprised looks on their faces.
They then looked at each other and asked calmly in unison while having confused expressions on their faces, "Huh? What just happened?".
Meanwhile, Knuckles was just speed walking while still having a giddy expression on his face as he was still in his thoughts. I wonder what I'm going to teach her tomorrow? Ice cream? Pizza? Burgers? Soda? Pretzels? Steak? Fried chicken? Restaurants? Malls? Parks? Wait! Amusement parks! No! The Entertainment Center at Night Carnival! There's an amusement park at that place! As well as stalls, movie theaters, costume stores, the arcade, and much more restaurants there! We could observe the beautiful neon lights in Night Carnival! Oooh, she would love them! She might love the Casino districts too! With all its bright lights, tall and crazy buildings, and the friendly games that we could play there without losing any money! I bet that she had never played the slot machines or BINGO before! I wonder what other games that we could play that she hasn't seen or played before?! I...I...Hmmmm...WAIT A MINUTE!
Soon, Knuckles suddenly stopped walking as he finally realized what his thoughts had led him to. He had a shocked expression on his face while standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. He just can't believe that he had those thoughts just then. He could feel his heart beating fast, and his face glowing bright red in embarrassment. He slowly put a hand on his head as he looked at the ground in shock and in confusion. Just what is wrong with me? Why was I thinking those thoughts? Where did they come from? Just what started those lines of...thought...? Knuckles pondered calmly yet curiously in confusion before his eyes went wide when a realization had hit him.
His thoughts all linked back to Kathy.
"Pfffahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Of course! I was thinking about Kathy! Hahahahahahahahaha! I was just thinking about all the potential places that we could go to for our dates! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!" Knuckles exclaimed loudly in amusement with a huge smile as he laughed very hard again. He laughed so much that he bent over and grabbed his knees again. He just found it so funny that despite how important it is for him to teach and show Kathy everything about the modern world that he lives in, it was very easy for him to come up with potential dates that he could have with Kathy here. …But that was when he had stopped laughing when he realized...that he was actually thinking about dating Kathy. He then looked horrified as if he had done something terribly wrong like committing a murder of some kind.
He swallowed hard and had a sweat drop on his head as he realized that his "thing" for Kathy...had gotten way out of hand. It's way out of his control at this point...and he can't stop it. He then face-palmed himself in embarrassment and in frustration of himself while shouting irritably, "I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!".
SERIOUSLY! KATHY IS JUST MY TEAMMATE AT THIS POINT! WE'RE STILL NOT EVEN FRIENDS! AND YET, HERE I AM THINKING ABOUT DATING HER! JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! WHY DO MY THOUGHTS ALWAYS LEAD BACK TO HER?! I...I...Knuckles brooded in irritation with a grimace as he growled a bit in humiliation.
..."We're just two lost souls wandering around cluelessly in this world without any goals or direction in life. Without the other soul, we're just a wreck without them. A complete mess..."
When Kathy's words had been replayed into Knuckles' mind several times, he then finally understood what she had truly meant by that. …Of course, he can't help but feel completely embarrassed by that fact as his face turned into a deep shade of red. But even as he felt completely embarrassed, he can't fight off the fond smile from his flustered face. He then turned halfway behind him to see Tails' house from the back. He smiled even more fondly as he saw Kathy standing at the balcony with her arms over the marble railing. He can see how relaxed Kathy is as she watched the gorgeous sunset with a content, happy smile on her adorable face. He can even see her beautiful wings which looked even more stunning with the sunset going on as the oranges, yellows, and reds are being reflected off from her wings.
He then pondered calmly in fondness and in amusement with a warm smile on his face. ...Kathy...You couldn't be any more right if you tried. I'm...I'm such a wreck, but that's because it's you whom I'm thinking of. I...I don't think that I'll ever get you off my mind...even when I get back to Angel Island. I feel like my soul is just going to keep wandering all night just because it wants to be with you. I...I really am such a mess without you...but I can't help it. I have...I have such a huge "thing" for you. It's crazy. …Heh. I guess that I have a HUGE "thing" for "The Thing". Heheheheh...How perfect...Sigh...
As Knuckles keeps on looking at Kathy in a longing manner, he then finally came up with a nickname for his guardian partner. A nickname that is so fitting and perfect for her. A nickname that is just so familiar to him that he swore that he had said it like a thousand times before in the past. ...Just how did I not see this earlier? Of course, it is perfect for her because...she saved me. She saved my life. She saved me when I had no hope left in my broken, depressed heart. She's my...She's my...my...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a longing smile on his flustered, warm face. As he stared at Kathy's happy, serene face, one last, fond thought came to his mind.
…Angel...
Oh, my goodness, I just broke a new writing record! Over 55, 000 words! What a big finale for the first arc of this story! Of course, it's going to end with a bang! So, why not make it longer?! Anyways, I hope that you had enjoyed reading this even though it was quite a long chapter than the others! Thank you for your patience and support! But I will say this though...I still suck at the action scenes. I felt like this was a problem back when I had written "Blaze the Cat: Monster Outbreak". I mean...I'm good at writing dialogue...but I'm not so good at the action scenes. Although I do plan on making the action scenes at least faithful to what you see in the Godzilla films by having the destruction, "the special effects" such as the sparks, explosions, and what the monsters fire out of their mouths and stuff, monsters destroying robots or the military from both Dr. Eggman's forces and the Neo G.U.N. forces, and obviously the monster battles between Kathy "Mothra" the Moth, Battra the Moth, and the other monsters that will appear in this story. So, yeah, that's going to happen alongside the blossoming friendship/romance between Knuckles and Kathy. It's going to be a huge adventure!
Speaking of which, I hope that I had done my best to make Knuckles stay in character while he's "in love" with Kathy. I really do think that he would stay serious as he does his job protecting Kathy and keeping his promise to her, but then have his seriousness broken whenever Kathy does something sweet or silly to him. I feel like that's a fair balance from his old character and for his new character that I'm writing. So, when he does "break out of character" at times, it's understandable since it's because of a deeply rooted crush. That way it's both for romance and for humor. I hope that you're fine with this decision because oh man, it's going to get even more adorable and sweeter from here on out! So, stay tuned for more chapters in the future! Let's keep on moving to the next arc: "Kathy's First Week"! Boring in title, but very adorable in its content! Keep on looking for the following chapters when I post them! See you all next chapter!