Guardian Angels
S1:E7: Traveling Around the World With You (pt. 1)
[At The Capital of West Island]
"Alright, Team Dark. Have you finished your assignment yet? What's the status of that female monster? Is she a threat or not?" Walter Walrus, the president, replied calmly with a solemn look on his face as he sat at his desk while having his hands clasped together. Shadow, Omega, and Rouge had stood a bit away from the desk while having their arms crossed or having their arms at their sides. Shadow stood at the middle of the team while looking as bored as ever. Rouge was standing at his right while looking as haughty as ever. And lastly, Omega is standing at Shadow's left while looking...just as his usual, robotic self.
Shadow first spoke up as he kept his answer blunt and brief, "Not a threat".
"Shadow, could you at least tell the president why she's not a threat?" Rouge asked in slight annoyance as she frowned while looking at Shadow.
"Sure," Shadow replied calmly with a nod to Rouge before looking at the president again and adding bluntly, "I saw it on T.V.".
"Ugh! Shadow! That's not being specific!" Rouge exclaimed in annoyance as she slapped her forehead and frowned deeper.
"Then you tell the president why. I know what I saw, and I'm sticking to it that she's not a threat. What else can I say that shows that I had meant it?" Shadow replied calmly in a bored tone as he looked at Rouge with a solemn frown.
"...(Sigh)...Could you just tell him what the girl did?" Rouge asked tiredly with a sigh and with a deep frown as she narrowed her eyes at Shadow.
"Well, why didn't you ask me that in the first place?" Shadow asked tiredly with lowered eyelids.
"I...! Ugh! Whatever! Just hurry up and say your report to the president!" Rouge exclaimed irritably with a frown as she rolled her eyes a bit.
"But I just did," Shadow replied bluntly with an annoyed frown on his face.
"Shadow! I'm-!" Rouge exclaimed in frustration with gritted teeth before the president cut her off.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Settle down, Rouge! I understand how much you want to tell us the report! So why don't you say yours first and wait until Shadow puts his report into words. Alright?" Walter replied in alarm yet in assuredness as he had his hands up and pushed them towards Rouge.
Rouge looked at the president and sighed tiredly yet again. She then put her hands onto her hips and replied calmly with a frown, "Very well, Mr. President. I'll tell you my report first. At least, my report will be more detailed than Mr. Dark and Mysterious over here".
Rouge glared at Shadow when she said that last part of her sentence. Shadow just stared at Rouge and shrugged with a frown as he was unfazed by this. Good. The less talking I do the better. Shadow pondered calmly with a frown as he looked at the president while not saying anything.
"Anyways, Mr. President, I've done my investigation by questioning Knuckles about her. It seems that he is familiar with the girl monster and is friends with her. I'd wager a guess that Sonic is familiar with her too since he is friends with Knuckles. According to Knuckles, the monster's name is Kathy the Moth. She was originally from the Sol Dimension and had come here to our dimension to live here in peace. However, it seems that Battra is making that difficult for her to do since he is fighting her and destroying our planet," Rouge answered calmly with a solemn frown as she stared at the president.
"Hmm...I see. Go on," Walter replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he nodded his head a little in understanding.
Rouge nodded back and continued her report, "Yes, well, it seems that Kathy is not a threat to our planet due to how she is treating Knuckles. As I had said before, Knuckles is friends with Kathy and had appeared to be unharmed while he was with her. It seems that he had trusted her which explains why he was riding on her back two days ago when Battra had attacked Central City. If he's not being harmed by her in any way, then it is safe to assume that she is a good monster. She is not our main concern. Battra is".
"Ah...Very well then. If one of Sonic's friends can trust her and be safe with her, then I guess that there is no reason for our government to go after her...Unless she starts attacking of course," Walter replied calmly with a nod as he leant forward while still having his hands folded.
"A wise choice, Mr. President. We don't want to be too trigger happy with the military attacks or else we won't have enough ammunition to fight off Battra," Rouge replied calmly with a smile and a nod.
"Very true. It's best to stay cautious while we still can. Shadow? Anything else to add to your report?" Walter replied calmly with a nod as he looked at Shadow next. Rouge looked at Shadow and glared at him as she awaited his answer. To her surprise, Shadow did answer the president's question.
"Yes. The girl monster never once attacked Sonic or Knuckles during Battra's attack. I say that she's protecting them from harm. It's best to assume that she's an ally to Sonic's friends. With that said, we have no reason to attack her or feel threatened by her. Even though it's still a mystery as to why Sonic and his pathetic group of friends are allies to this female moth monster, it's not worth looking into since it's not a threat to national security, Mr. President," Shadow answered calmly with a bored look on his face. Rouge rolled her eyes at that last sentence as she thought. In other words, he doesn't care.
"Ah. Interesting. So, this is the female monster that we're dealing with. A harmless monster who is protecting Sonic and others from Battra. Hmmm...Omega? Do you have any doubts on this decision? Is it wise to back off from the girl or go ahead and kill her before she attacks us? You know...just in case she might attack us..." Walter replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he looked at Omega next.
"IF THE CONSENSUS SAY THAT SHE IS NOT A THREAT, THEN I HAVE TO OBLIGE ON THAT DECISION. AFTER ALL, IT'S A DEMOCRACY," Omega replied in a monotone voice as he stared at the president.
"...(Sigh)…Alright. I get it. It seems that we have no choice but to drop the female monster from the National Security Threat list," Walter replied tiredly with a sigh as he grabbed his forehead and rubbed it. While the president was saying that, a male, Persian cat secretary entered the president's office with some files in his hands.
"...Umm...Mr. President? We got some more terrible news from Central City," Carlson replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he walked up towards the president's desk and handed him the files.
"...(Sigh)...More bad news...Didn't see that one coming..." Walter muttered sarcastically with another sigh as he grabbed the files and read them. But after ten seconds of reading the files, his eyes went wide in shock at the report.
"What?! Twelve, giant, bug monsters had decimated the western portion of Central City?! And they've appeared only yesterday AFTER Battra had attacked the city the day prior?! Just why is Central City a target for monster attacks?! Why?!" Walter exclaimed in shock as he stared at the files with wide eyes.
"I...I don't know, sir. However, there are rumors saying that Battra was the one who had created those huge, bug monsters. The monsters did have his color scheme when they had appeared. So, it could be possible that Battra was behind yesterday's attack too," Carlson replied while shaking his head and frowning as he had his hands together.
"...Ugggh...I don't know how much I can take with these monster attacks. Sure, it may be twice now...but I have a bad feeling that it's going to get much worse from here. Especially since...we've lost another 60 billion from Central City's stock market thanks to that horrendous attack," Walter replied tiredly with a groan as he face-palmed himself.
"...Umm...Yeah...We should...do our best to make amends to that city as quickly as possible. Especially since we lost two thousand citizens due to that surprise monster attack," Carlson replied awkwardly with a sad frown as he looked away from the president.
"...'T-Two thousand'? Oh, dear..." Walter muttered quietly yet sadly with a grimace.
"...(A-HEM!)...Mr. President. It seems that you have a lot on your plate right now. May we be excused and leave you be?" Rouge replied calmly with a sympathetic smile after clearing her throat a bit.
"...(Sigh)…...Yes, you may be excused, Team Dark. You have successfully finished the assignment. Your pay will be delivered to you by tomorrow. Now, please get out. I...I need some aspirin," Walter replied tiredly with a sigh as he rubbed his temples.
"Gladly. Come on, boys. Let's go back to our place to relax and have some fun. You in, Shadow?" Rouge replied calmly with a smile as she turned around while looking at Shadow and Omega.
"No. You and Omega go back. I'll be off on my own," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he turned around and walked towards the door without looking back at Rouge and Omega.
"What?! You can't be serious, Shadow! Do you even realize that there is a powerful monster out there that's ready to kill and destroy everything that moves?! He even created those huge, bug monsters! You should stay inside with me in my club! You'll be much safer there than outside!" Rouge yelled in irritation as she pointed at Shadow while frowning.
Shadow stood still while he listened to Rouge. He then replied calmly in a bored tone of voice, "Hmph. As if I'll be safe inside. If monsters are going to keep popping out of nowhere and destroy more places in the world, then it's for the best for me to stay on the move and be prepared for them whenever they attack".
"...! You're...You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?" Rouge replied in shock as she gasped and covered her mouth a bit.
"What do you think that I'm saying, Rouge?" Shadow asked back with a solemn frown as he turned his head back at Rouge.
"...You're going out there and...fight those monsters too?" Rouge muttered in shock and in worry as she frowned a lot from this.
"...Not exactly," Shadow replied solemnly with a frown.
"Wait. What?" Rouge replied in confusion as her eyebrows were raised.
"I AGREE WITH ROUGE'S SENTIMENT. IT DOES NOT COMPUTE," Omega added as he turned around to stare at Shadow.
"Let me rephrase it. I'll only attack monsters when they're in my way," Shadow replied calmly with a frown as he lowered his eyelids a bit.
"OH. YEAH. THAT MAKES WAY MORE SENSE," Omega replied calmly with a nod.
"Ugh. Shadow. You can't just risk your life fighting these monsters. Why can't you just take the safe route and stay inside unless we need to evacuate?" Rouge replied in annoyance as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Because I have better things to do than to stay inside all day. Besides...I'm going out to find Battra and kill him myself," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he looked back ahead of him and placed a hand on his hip.
"Ah! Shadow! Are you nuts?! He'll kill you!" Rouge yelled in shock as she ran forward towards Shadow before she stood a bit behind him.
"Not unless I kill him first," Shadow replied solemnly with a frown as he looked determined.
"Shadow! I know that your ego is through the roof, but can't you be reasonable about this for one second?!" Rouge yelled in irritation as she frowned at Shadow while balling her hands into fists.
"I am being reasonable here. Because if I go out and kill Battra, then this whole monster problem will be over, and everyone will be safe in the end," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly as he looked back at Rouge and frowned at her.
"..." Rouge didn't say anything, but she had an irritated look on her face. Ugh! Why do men always have to show off their bravado to others in serious times such as these?! Where is common freaking sense when you need it?! Seriously! It's ticking me off! Rouge brooded irritably as she glared at Shadow.
Shadow just stared back at Rouge while looking calm and collected as ever. Meanwhile, Omega just stared at Shadow and Rouge as he said to himself, "UMM...AWKWARD...".
"...(Sigh)…Hmph. Fine. You go out and do some monster hunting for all I care. But just...do me one, single favor, Shadow," Rouge replied calmly yet tiredly with a sigh as she narrowed her eyelids at Shadow and put her hands on her hips.
"Alright. What is it?" Shadow replied calmly with a shrug. He was then slightly surprised when Rouge grabbed his shoulders, turned him around, and glared harshly at his face.
"Just don't get yourself killed, you idiot!" Rouge yelled in anger as she shook Shadow a bit.
But of course, Shadow just brushed this off and frowned at her while looking bored. "Hmph. I'm not going to die, and I'm not going to let some monster destroy the Ultimate Lifeform. Not on my watch. So, you're worrying yourself over nothing, Rouge. I got this under control. Now...let go of me..." Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a bored look on his face.
"Hmph! Moron!" Rouge exclaimed in irritation as she shoved him a bit.
Shadow rolled his eyes at that childish display and shook his head. He then turned around and walked towards the door again. He opened it and looked back at Rouge and Omega one last time. He can see Rouge glaring coldly at him with the most unamused face imaginable and Omega standing in the background while staring at him.
Shadow shrugged a bit as he replied calmly, "See you guys later".
He then left the president's office while Rouge and Omega stared at the door. Omega soon walked up towards Rouge and replied, "WELL, ROUGE. IT'S JUST US NOW. PERHAPS WATCHING SOME MOVIES WITH SOME SMOOTHIES WILL LIFT UP YOUR GROOVIES".
"What does that even mean, Omega?" Rouge asked in slight annoyance as she stared at Omega.
"I DON'T KNOW. BUT ARE YOU IN, ROUGE? I LIKE TO WATCH THE MOVIE WHERE THE DOG SAVES THE BOY FROM THE WELL AGAIN. THAT MOVIE IS THE CLOSEEST THING THAT I'LL GET FOR FEELING ANYTHING IN MY ROBOTIC BODY," Omega replied calmly with a shrug.
"...(Sigh)…Fine. We'll watch some movies together. I could use a good smoothie right now after that little headache. Why does Shadow always have to go when I want to have some fun?" Rouge replied calmly yet tiredly with a frown as she sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"MAYBE BECAUSE WHAT YOU DO IS BORING," Omega replied with another shrug.
"What was that?!" Rouge yelled in anger as she glared coldly at Omega.
"UHH...NOTHING. HEY, LET'S GET BACK TO THE CLUB NOW. I'LL MAKE YOU SOME SMOOTHIES TO HELP YOU CALM DOWN," Omega replied calmly while raising his hands a bit in self-defense.
"Grrrr...You better..." Rouge muttered lowly with a growl as she looked irritated.
"UMM...RIGHT. LET'S GO..." Omega replied awkwardly as he walked towards the door and held it for Rouge. Rouge sighed again in tiredness before she walked out of the president's office with Omega. While she walked, she brooded to herself. Great. Another day without Shadow at my side. Geez...I don't know who's worse...Knuckles or Shadow? Because if there's two things that those two morons have in common, then it's that they want to show off their egos and that they refuse to have fun with others. And yet...it's quite hard to believe that those two don't hang out with each other because of how much in common they have with the other. Hmph. To be fair, how can one anti-social person get along with another anti-social person? That's the thing. They don't nor do they care to. Sigh...No wonder I keep having trouble with those two. They're both blockheads.
After Rouge and Omega left the president's office, the president sighed tiredly as he looked at some more files.
"...(Sigh)…I just hope that moth girl will help us out. Surely, whatever she's doing right now is important, right?" Walter said calmly yet tiredly with a sigh as he stared at his files. He then frowned as he then muttered worriedly...
"...Right?".
[Meanwhile In Tails' House]
"Okay, Tails. Now, watch carefully as I control the Sol Heart!" Kathy replied brightly with a grin as she held onto her Sol Gems in her hands while wearing the green Sol Heart over her neck. She and Tails are downstairs at his lab. Tails was still curious on how the Sol Pendant works especially with the Sol Hearts. So, he had asked Kathy this morning if she could demonstrate it in his lab. Naturally, Kathy said 'yes', and he and Kathy were at his lab downstairs where his X-Tornado is parked at.
"Alright, Kathy. I'm watching," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a curious smile as he stood a few feet away from Kathy.
Kathy smiled back as she closed her eyes and concentrated onto her gems. Her gems glowed light green as she commanded the gems to shoot forth spiky vines again. After a few seconds of concentrating, the gems did as Kathy had commanded them to, and two, spiky vines had come out from the gems.
"Whoa!" Tails exclaimed in surprise as he jolted a bit after seeing two vines coming out from the gems.
"Totally cool, huh?" Kathy replied calmly in amusement with a bright grin as she opened her eyes again.
"Yeah! I'll say! They just popped out of nowhere! ...And you're saying that can do that through telepathy?" Tails replied brightly in awe as he smiled a lot at this while pointing at the vines for emphasis.
"Yep! All you do is concentrate onto the gems and give them commands with your mind! After that, you can attack as much as you want to! Like so! Hiya! Hiya!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a confident smile and with a nod as she did some whip-cracks with her vines and had hit the floor with them. Tails flinched in surprise when he heard those loud whip-cracks up close and had backed away from Kathy some more.
"Hey! Careful, Kathy! You almost hit me!" Tails exclaimed in shock and in worry as he frowned a bit at this.
"Oh, relax, silly. I'm not going to hit you with them. Neither will I hit you with these! Whacha!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a confident smile as she commanded the gems to make the vines disappear before she threw some thorns up high into the air after commanding her gems to make them. Tails was shocked again when he saw dozens of thorns being thrown towards the air before landing onto some worktables and onto some computers.
"Kathy! Stop! You're making a mess!" Tails exclaimed in worry with a concerned look on his face as he watched Kathy throwing a lot of thorns throughout the lab.
"Tails, chill out. It's not that big of a mess, but it would be if I did this!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a confident smile as she looked at Tails again before she commanded her gems to create bramble up from the floor as she pointed them at the ground. Suddenly, tons of bramble shot out from the floor and had surrounded Tails with them.
"Yikes! Easy, Kathy!" Tails exclaimed in shock and in worry as he stared at the tall bramble around him.
"Tails, I told you to not worry. I got this under control!" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a playful grin while she created more bramble from the ground as she controlled her gems. Even more brambles grew from the ground in Tails' lab and had soon grown under his X-Tornado.
"Ah! My plane!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he watched the bramble grow and cover his plane completely.
"Aww, it's not too bad, Tails. I think that your plane looks lovely with the bramble covering it! It's...what you call it...'inside...covering'?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile as she stared at Tails before she looked confused while trying to recall the right words.
"You mean 'interior decorating'?" Tails corrected calmly with a little frown and with a lowered eyebrow as he stared back at Kathy.
"Yeah! That's it! It's just interior decorating!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile as she had her hands behind her back.
"But Kathy, I don't want my plane to be covered in bramble! I might want to use it whenever I want to go on a joy ride or whenever an emergency had arisen! Please get rid of it! Please!" Tails exclaimed in worry while frowning a lot as he stared at Kathy.
"Aww, what's the rush, Tails? It's not like the bramble is going to ruin your plane. Like I had said..." Kathy replied calmly in amusement and in reassurance with a confident smile as she had her hands out again before moving them towards the plane as she added for emphasis, "...I got this all under control".
CRACK!
THUD!
Immediately after Kathy had said that, the bramble had shot even further up into the X-Tornado and had broken through its legs and its cockpit. The plane soon crashed to the floor since it was broken. Tails and Kathy gasped in shock as they stared at the broken plane after that loud "THUD!".
"Oh no! My X-Tornado! It's broken!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he stared at the plane with wide eyes and with a wide mouth.
"...Uh oh..." Kathy muttered awkwardly with a worried frown as she commanded her gems to make all of the bramble disappear from the lab. The gems did what they were commanded to do, and the bramble had disappeared from the plane and around Tails. Oh, dear. What have I done? Kathy pondered calmly in worry with a little frown as she stared at the broken plane while putting her Sol Gems back into her pendant. She also put her Sol Heart away after putting her gems back.
Tails just walked up towards his broken plane with a sad frown on his face. Kathy looked worried and guilty as she slowly walked up towards Tails to look at him.
"...T-Tails?" Kathy asked tentatively with a worried look on her face as she stared at Tails.
"...I knew that we should've demonstrated this outside," Tails muttered tiredly with a disappointed frown on his sad face while staring at his broken plane.
[Few Minutes Later]
"I'm so sorry, Tails. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I was just too caught up into showing off my new abilities to you that I wasn't being aware of my surroundings, and because of that, I ended up breaking your plane. I'm really sorry," Kathy apologized meekly with a sad frown as she bent forward next to Tails while he was busying fixing his plane.
"Hey, it's no big deal, Kathy. It's just an accident. It happens all the time," Tails replied calmly with a little frown as he looked back up at Kathy while crouching on the floor. He had a wrench and a screwdriver in both hands as he was busying fixing the legs of the plane.
"But I broke your plane! It's all my fault that I did that! Besides..." Kathy exclaimed in sadness as she frowned even more in guilt before she muttered quietly, "...You trusted me that I wouldn't destroy anything in your home since I'm a good monster, but now look at what I had done...I've done the very thing that you would expect from a monster...Destroying things that people love and hold dearly to...".
Kathy soon had some tears in her eyes when she muttered that last part. Tails looked shocked when he heard that and saw Kathy's tears in her eyes. He soon stopped fixing his plane for a bit as he consoled gently to her, "Kathy...It's alright. Really. I'm not mad at you for breaking my plane. Just because you are a good monster, that doesn't mean you're not accident prone. Even monsters can be clumsy at times, and I don't fault anyone who makes accidents like these. Yes, even the ones that break my plane".
"...(Sniff)...R-Really?" Kathy muttered weakly with a sniffle and with a little frown as she wiped her tears a bit while standing up much straighter.
Tails smiled a little at her as he replied gently in reassurance, "Really, Kathy. You have no idea how many times I have to fix my plane due to some accident. I'm used to it at this point".
"Ah...So then...you still trust me?" Kathy replied tentatively with a hopeful smile on her face as she clasped her hands together.
"Of course, I do, Kathy. You wouldn't hurt me or my friends or destroy anything even if you had wanted to. I just know that you wouldn't," Tails replied calmly yet brightly in reassurance with a confident smile and with a nod.
Kathy beamed at this as she replied brightly, "Oh, thank you so much, Tails! I promise that I won't destroy your plane ever again!".
"Heheheh...Thanks, Kathy. I appreciate it," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a chuckle and with a bright smile.
"So...umm..." Kathy muttered awkwardly with a little smile as she crouched next to Tails and stared at the plane while continuing, "...May I help you fix your plane? I still feel like it's my fault that your plane is like this".
"Uhh...I appreciate the thought, Kathy, but I'm not sure how you can help me with this. You don't know how to fix planes, do you?" Tails replied calmly yet awkwardly with a little frown as he stared at Kathy.
"Nope. But I do want to learn how to. Can you teach me, Tails?" Kathy replied calmly in eagerness with a little smile and with a headshake as she looked at Tails.
"R-Really? You want to learn how to fix planes?" Tails asked calmly in surprise with a little frown as his eyebrows were raised.
"Well, I've never done it before. I mean. The only thing I did with planes was destroying them. Not fixing them. So of course, I want to learn! It's very intriguing to me!" Kathy replied calmly yet jovially in amusement with an innocent smile on her cheerful face.
Tails smiled in amusement of this as he replied calmly, "Well, I'm glad that you're an eager learner, Kathy. If you want to learn on how to fix planes, then I won't stop you from doing that. But let me warn you that it's much more difficult than you may think. I'm just only going to teach you the basics for now".
"Okay! I'm fine with that! I probably would've gotten lost if you had taught me the harder parts anyway!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a playful grin as she tilted her head in a cute way again.
"Heh. Yeah, I bet that you would. Most of my friends would agree with you on that statement. Knuckles especially," Tails replied calmly in amusement as he smiled smugly and lowered his eyelids a bit.
"Hehehehe! Yeah, Knuckles did tell me that you're a bit of a nerd," Kathy replied calmly yet innocently in amusement with a little giggle and with a bright smile as she pointed at Tails.
"Ah. Well, it looks like I'm going to have to thank Knuckles later for that compliment," Tails replied calmly yet sarcastically in amusement with a coy smirk and with half-lidded eyes. Of course, you would be the one to tell Kathy that, you knucklehead. Tails thought calmly in amusement while shaking his head a little.
"Well, I'm glad that you will! He's so sweet! Hehehehehe!" Kathy exclaimed happily with a huge grin while giggling a bit as her cheeks blushed pink a little.
Tails smiled even more in amusement when he saw Kathy's blush on her happy face. Heheheh...Someone has a crush...Tails thought calmly in amusement while smiling gently at Kathy.
"Yeah, he's a sweetheart. Anyways, are you ready to learn, Kathy? I've got my tools ready," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile as he lifted his tools up for emphasis.
"Why of course, I'm ready! But...Umm...what are those tools, Tails?" Kathy replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a cheerful smile before she looked confused as she stared at the tools in Tails' hands.
"Oh, uh, oops...I guess that it's important to teach you the tools first before teaching you how to fix a plane. I mean...You have to know what tools to use to fix something in the first place," Tails replied calmly yet awkwardly in amusement with a sheepish smile.
"Well, yeah! How else would machines get fixed? By themselves? Hehehehe!" Kathy replied brightly in amusement as she smiled and giggled a little.
Tails rolled his eyes playfully at that before replying calmly with a gentle smile in amusement, "No, they do not. But anyways, if you must know, what I'm holding in my right hand is called a 'wrench' and what I'm holding in my left hand is called a 'screwdriver'. These tools are very important into fixing machines as they tighten bolts or screws".
"Ooooh, so, that's why you're holding them. So...where are the bolts and screws?" Kathy replied calmly yet curiously in awe as she looked intrigued. She even looked back into the plane to look for the supposed "bolts" and "screws".
"Simple. The screws are right here. …...And the bolts are over here...Got it?" Tails replied calmly in amusement with a little smile as he looked back at the plane and started to fix it again by tightening some screws and bolts.
"Got it! Wow! This is much easier than I thought!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in amusement with a grin and with a nod as she looked at Tails.
"Hahahahahahaha! Oh, I'd beg to differ, Kathy. Like I had said, this is only the basics. Learning the more technical side of planes is much more complex than this. Hahahaha!" Tails replied calmly in amusement as he chuckled a lot while looking at Kathy.
"Oh...I see..." Kathy muttered quietly with a disappointed frown as her antennas went down.
"Aww, cheer up, Kathy. You'll get it eventually. It's just going to take you a long time to understand this. So, just keep your chin up as I explain more things to you," Tails replied calmly in encouragement as he smiled gently at Kathy.
"Uhh...O-Okay," Kathy muttered softly yet curiously with a little frown and with a nod as she stared at the plane again.
"Alright, Kathy. All you need to know right now is that every plane needs to be supported with its legs or its wheels. Planes need to be stable in order to take off from the runway. That's why you must always check and fix any problems in their support system. Otherwise, they will..." Tails explained calmly with a gentle smile as he kept tightening more screws and bolts in the plane's legs.
However, Kathy's mind had drifted away from Tails' explanation as some other things had entered her mind. Some things that...she can't help but think about.
...You know...I wonder when Knuckles will show up today. I haven't seen him after he had bolted out of my room and out of the house yesterday when I had asked him what he was doing. Then again, he looked incredibly embarrassed when I had asked him that question. His face was so bright red that it had matched his fur. …Hehehe...He was so adorable when he looked embarrassed and nervous. I wish that he would've stayed longer. Those chili dogs that Sonic had given me were so tasty! I never had those things before, and who knew that they would be delicious?! ...Sigh...It's too bad that Knuckles had missed out on it. I don't think that we had dinner together before...or maybe even lunch...It would be great if we had them together...Hmm...Kathy pondered calmly in fondness with a warm smile as she looked down at the floor.
"Kathy? Hey! Kathy! Are you paying attention to me?!" Tails replied curiously before exclaiming in slight annoyance as he shook Kathy's left arm a bit.
"Ah! Uh! Y-Yes!" Kathy exclaimed in shock as she snapped out from her thoughts and looked at Tails again.
"...Are you really sure, Kathy? Then tell me what's the most important thing that every plane needs," Tails replied calmly in suspicion as he frowned a bit and narrowed his eyelids a bit.
"Ummm...Bolts...and screws..." Kathy answered weakly with a sheepish frown on her face.
"Not quite, Kathy. They need engines. Without them, they won't run," Tails replied calmly with a little frown as he shook his head.
"Oh...Uhh...Sorry, Tails. I'll try to focus this time," Kathy replied calmly in awkwardness with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of her head.
"Okay then. Let's try again from the top. Just as planes needs engines, they need wires, wings, joysticks..." Tails replied calmly in understanding with a little frown as he looked back at the plane and worked some more on it.
However, yet again, Kathy's mind kept wandering back to Knuckles.
Knuckles...Where are you? I...I miss you...Please come back to me...Please...Kathy pondered calmly yet pleadingly fondness with a little frown as she looked up at the plane.
[Meanwhile With Knuckles]
Knuckles was walking through Emerald Town as he made his way towards Tails' house. He was looking a bit chipper today as he was smiling widely yet calmly. It was the third day for him to spend time with Kathy, and he just can't wait what's in store for them today.
...Sigh...Just me and Kathy again...I wonder if we'll travel somewhere other than Central City today...That would be great...And best of all...today's the day that I'm going to take her to a restaurant for the first time ever...I'm planning on doing that tonight when it's close to 6 PM...I'm curious to see how Kathy will react to the whole thing...Well...whatever her reaction will be...I'm certain that she'll love it...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a relaxed, warm look on his face. He made another turn and walked on the sidewalk that leads to Tails' house. He smiled even more widely as he saw the familiar house in the distance. Never did he feel so excited to visit Tails' house than right now. He can't wait to see Kathy's jovial face, her colorful wings, her gorgeous, hot-pink dress and shoes, her shiny pendant, and her beautiful, light-blue eyes. Especially her eyes. He could get lost into her twinkling, stunning eyes and never get out from them. He felt that entranced by them. In fact, he's so entranced by them that he can't stop thinking about them.
…...Kathy...Just don't stop staring at me...I want you to stare at me all day...just so that...I can stare into your gorgeous, sparkling eyes for as long as I can...They're...They're so beautiful to me...and you're...you're...Knuckles pondered calmly in fondness with a warm look on his face as he daydreamed about himself holding onto Kathy in his arms and staring gently into her eyes.
"...You're so beautiful..." Knuckles muttered calmly in fondness with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as his violet irises twinkled.
"Aww, why thank you, Knucklehead. I think that I'm quite beautiful myself!" Sonic teased playfully with an amused grin as he had his arms crossed while leaning against the front door of Tails' house.
"ACK!" Knuckles shouted in shock as his eyes went very wide and as his mouth gaped widely. He soon stopped daydreaming the moment Sonic had said that out loud. Knuckles blushed very deeply at this while standing a bit away from Sonic. I DID IT AGAIN! WHY DO I HAVE TO SAY SUCH EMBARRASSING THINGS TO SONIC FIRST THING IN THE MORNING?! IT'S HUMILATING! Knuckles thought in panic and in embarrassment with a freaked-out expression on his face as he blushed deeply.
"Heh...Thinking about Kathy again, Knuckles?" Sonic asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a knowing smile on his face.
"NO! NO, I WAS NOT!" Knuckles shouted back defensively in embarrassment while blushing a lot on his shocked face.
"Heheheh...Oh, you totally were," Sonic calmly teased back in amusement with a chuckle and with half-lidded eyes as he smiled smugly.
"I TOTALLY WASN'T! STOP MAKING THINGS UP!" Knuckles shouted back irritably in embarrassment with a flustered face as he gritted his teeth and as he clenched his fists.
"Then who were you referring to when you had said, 'you're so beautiful'? Was it Rouge?" Sonic asked calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a smug grin and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Knuckles.
"NO! DEFINATELY NOT HER!" Knuckles shouted defensively in anger and in bitterness as he barred his teeth at Sonic. Even if she is beautiful, she doesn't deserve to be complimented for it! Knuckles brooded irritably with a deep grimace while growling in anger.
"Yeah, I figured as much. So, who was it then?" Sonic replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful grin and with a shrug as he kept staring at Knuckles.
"NOBODY!" Knuckles shouted back irritably in anger with a deep grimace as a vein was bulging in his head.
"Really? 'Nobody', Knucklehead? Not even to yourself?" Sonic asked calmly yet teasingly in playfulness with an amused look on his face.
"AS IF I COULD EVER SAY THAT ABOUT MY-! WAIT! WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS?!" Knuckles shouted in anger as he glared harshly at Sonic with a deep grimace before he looked even more irritated after he shook his head a bit.
"...I dunno," Sonic replied calmly yet quickly in amusement with a coy smirk and with another shrug.
"GRRRR! YOU'RE THE WORST, SONIC!" Knuckles shouted back in frustration while growling a lot in fury as he closed his eyes and as he blushed a lot in anger.
"Oh, chill out, Knucklehead. You're going to meet your crush in a couple of minutes," Sonic replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a knowing look on his face.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH?!" Knuckles shouted back in frustration with gritted teeth as he opened his eyes again and glared coldly at Sonic while blushing furiously in embarrassment.
"About as many times as you will keep denying it," Sonic answered calmly yet coyly in amusement with a mischievous smirk and with playful eyes as he put his arms behind his head.
Knuckles growled a lot at that before face-palming himself in frustration. And why do I keep having annoying conversations with Sonic? It's ticking me off! Knuckles brooded in frustration with a grimace while having a hand on his face.
"...Ugggh...Just why are you here, Sonic?" Knuckles asked calmly in annoyance with a groan and with a grimace while still face-palming himself.
"Who? Me? Why I just came here because I knew that you would come here. After all...you would do anything for Kathy. Even coming to this house faithfully just to check up on her," Sonic replied calmly in amusement as he smiled smugly at Knuckles. He then added teasingly with a coy smirk, "...You're such a softie, Knuckles".
"Ack! Uhh...Uhhh...Grrrrrr! Just cut it out! Stop teasing me about it!" Knuckles exclaimed and muttered in embarrassment before growling and yelling in anger as he blushed deeply again.
"Aww, no comebacks this time? Kathy really must've done a number on your heart and mouth if you can't even make a single remark at me," Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a playful grin and with a casual shrug as he kept teasing Knuckles.
"I...I...I just..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly in embarrassment with a sheepish frown and with a deep blush before he looked away from Sonic and crossed his arms. He then added in irritation with gritted teeth and with closed eyes, "...Just let me inside already! I don't want to deal with you right now!".
"Hahahahahaha! Oh, Kathy certainly did a number on you, Knuckles! You're starting to lose your touch, buddy! Heheheheh!" Sonic exclaimed back in amusement with a huge grin as he chuckled a lot at this.
"Just...Just shut up..." Knuckles muttered weakly in embarrassment as he frowned sheepishly at that. I can't help it...Kathy just rubs out all the rough edges that I have and softens my hardened heart with her sweetness and unconditional affection...I even admitted to her that I was soft yesterday while she...she...tickled me...There's no way that I can go back to my usual self after admitting that...I guess it's because...I'm finally admitting to myself who I really am on the inside...I'm finally confronting myself as to who I really am...And the fact is that I'm...I'm...not as tough as I think...Knuckles brooded calmly in somberness with a sheepish frown on his bashful face.
"Alright, Knuckles. I won't prevent you from meeting Kathy. I think that she wants to see you as much as you want to see her, and I'm not going to waste any more of your time by teasing you. So, go on ahead, buddy. She's waiting for you," Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile as he got off from the door and opened it for Knuckles while gesturing him to go inside.
"...(Sigh)...Thank you, Sonic. I've been wondering if you're going to stop or not," Knuckles replied calmly in gratitude with a sigh and with a solemn frown as he looked back at Sonic while uncrossing his arms.
"Well, I'd love to tease you forever, buddy, but I can't interfere with true love," Sonic replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a playful smirk and with a wink.
Knuckles narrowed his eyelids at Sonic as he frowned deeper at that response. His cheeks flushed red again as he glared hard at Sonic. ...I hate you, Sonic...So much...Knuckles brooded calmly in annoyance with a disgruntled look on his face.
"You just can't stop yourself, can ya, Sonic?" Knuckles replied calmly in annoyance as he frowned a lot.
"Oh, I would stop, but then it wouldn't be fun anymore," Sonic replied calmly yet teasingly in amusement with a grin and with lowered eyelids.
"...(Sigh)...Whatever. I'm wasting more of my time by talking to you. Out of my way...Please..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet tiredly in exhaustion with another sigh and with a grimace as he walked towards the entrance.
"Aww, look at you. You're starting to become polite towards me. That's another telltale sign that you're in love, Knuckles. You're starting to change," Sonic replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a knowing smile as he stared at Knuckles while holding the door for him.
"Sonic! I-! …! ...Wh-What? What did you just say?" Knuckles yelled in annoyance before he gasped and muttered in shock as he stopped walking and looked back at Sonic after entering the house.
Sonic smiled a lot in amusement as he saw that reaction from Knuckles before he replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile, "You heard me, buddy. You're changing and for the better. Just keep it up, alright?".
"..." Knuckles was speechless as he stared at Sonic with a baffled look on his face. Just as he was surprised that he was changing, he was also surprised by the fact that Sonic is seeing him change for the better and is encouraging him to keep changing. ...Sonic? Do you...really care for me? Knuckles pondered calmly in shock and in confusion with a stunned look on his face as he stared back at Sonic.
"Also, Knuckles?" Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a grin.
"...A-Ah! Y-Yes?" Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly in confusion while still looking baffled.
"...I actually came here to see what Tails is up to. It seems that he is busy tuning up his plane with Kathy downstairs in his lab. I figured that Tails wanted to teach Kathy something, and I decided to let those two bond a little together as friends. I'm just waiting here until those two are done so that Tails and I can hang out together. I'm planning for a little b-ball action between the two of us. It's going to be great!" Sonic replied calmly in amusement with a bright smile as he leant against the door again with his arms crossed.
"..." Knuckles was silent after hearing that but soon smiled a little in amusement. I wonder if Kathy would like to play basketball too...I wouldn't mind playing it with her someday...Maybe I could teach her how to play...Knuckles pondered calmly in amusement with a little smile.
"...I'm sure that it will, Sonic," Knuckles replied calmly in amusement with a little smile and with a nod as he stared back at Sonic.
Sonic smiled back at Knuckles and had gotten himself off from the door again. As he held the door again, he replied calmly one last time before he closed it, "I'm glad that you are changing for the better, Knuckles. We were all worried about you. We were wondering if you'll ever smile or laugh again. But ever since Kathy had come into your life...you've gotten a lot happier. And honestly...I'm relieved that you're getting happier. ...As long as you keep spending time with Kathy...then I'm sure that you'll be very happy with yourself...So...good luck with that, Knuckles. You sure need it".
"...!" Knuckles gasped in shock after hearing Sonic say that. He's not sure if his acquaintances truly care for him or not, but after hearing Sonic say that genuinely...he might have the faintest idea that they do care. However...he's still doubtful on how deep they truly care for him. Maybe he's just saying that because he pitied me for being unhappy and is trying to make me feel better for pointing that out. ...Still...he's not wrong though...Even I had noticed on how happy I'm being lately ever since Kathy came into my life...Somehow...the days are a lot brighter now after she came into our dimension. It's probably just a coincidence that I'm feeling better lately thanks to her presence...but regardless...Knuckles pondered calmly with a little frown before smiling a little in fondness as he stared at the closed door. He then lowered his eyelids halfway in fondness as he finished his musings with these thoughts.
...I wouldn't change it for a second...I want to be in her presence all the time and never leave from it...I want...to be enveloped in her warmth and have...my heart be attached to hers...Just like the gems on her beloved pendant...
I'm back from my short break and ready to continue with this story! As much as I don't want this episode to be divided into too many parts and be much longer than the other episode, I suppose that I have no choice but make the parts slightly shorter at times like this one for instance. This isn't a guarantee that all parts will be as short as this, but you'll get more chapters this way regardless. Anyways, I hope that you had enjoyed this chapter as the next one is going to come out very soon! Now, onwards to part 2!