I leapt directly into the air, just missing the metal-tipped fist that flew under me. I landed behind Knuckles, but he simply whirled around, his fists tight and his eyes cold. I ducked and sidestepped, extending my leg and knocking him off his feet again. He stood, but instead of charging blindly, he leapt aimlessly upwards. I was more than confused, but by the time I realized what he was doing, it was too late to counter.

His fist came into hard contact with the ground, causing it to rumble and rocks to fall from the tunnel's ceiling. I lost my balance, but while I stayed upright, I was in no position to avoid the sharp blow delivered across my eye. I swear, those "shovel claws" work more like blades than knuckles. As scarlet trickled down into my left eye, I realized I now had a temporary blind side. You'd think I'd have learned after years of watching him work.

I didn't have time to do anything about my overlooking details, but instead dodged another blow. Suddenly, I saw his eyes go from cold to downright murderous. He lunged, but not directly. It was towards my blind side, so I had to turn in order to see what he was doing. Then I saw the dagger glinting in the dim light of the cavern. Dang, I was slow!

He shot towards me, and we continued a battle I hoped to never have again. He would stab with the blade, and I would dodge and deliver a somewhat useless blow. I couldn't bring myself to do anything permanently harmful to him, although it was obvious he did not have the same concern for me. We continued in this way for probably close to fifteen minutes, with my reactions coming slower and slower each time. I couldn't keep this up.

Then the time came where I was finally too slow. The dagger sliced across my chest, not burying into it, thank goodness. I yelped as I was slammed into the wall, Knuckles' arm across my chest and the blade in his other hand, pressed tightly against my neck. "You know you can't do this, Knux…"

"Why not?" he hissed, nose to nose with me, his gaze merciless. He would kill me, I had no doubt. I just had to talk my way out of it faster than he could thrust that dagger.

"Amy and Tails. What'll they think of you?" I asked, trying not to shiver at the feeling of ice cold metal against my throat.

Knuckles grinned. "Look around you. I told them to leave when Luktani started fighting you. They're not here; they're above ground, far away from us. All I have to tell them is you lost to Luktani. They won't know any different."

"You really think killing me is the answer to your problems, Knux?"

"Without you in the way, Amy would be mine," he stated simply.

"What if she falls for Shadow or something?" I suggested.

"Then I'll kill him."

I closed my eyes and laid my ears back, hoping for some sort of answer to this dilemma. "You're turning into a murderer, Knux. No better than Luktani or anyone else we've defeated." At this, he scowled, but said nothing. So I continued. "Is that what you want? If you had Amy, knowing you had killed me, and potentially Shadow and many others, would you be content? Would you even be able to sleep at night, knowing what you did to 'gain' her heart?"

"I…"

"Knux, think about it! Why can't we just let her choose?! Isn't it her choice anyway?"

I should've quit while I was ahead. Now I'd ticked him off. "Yes. And what if you're not an option?" he snarled, pressing the blade tighter. I could feel the metal prick my skin, and then the blood trickling down my neck, mingling with the blood from the chest wound. I couldn't handle this for much longer.

"Knux… really. Killing me won't get you anywhere."

"It'll rid me of a rival."

"And gain you a world of enemies."

"Shut up, hedgehog!" he snapped, jerking his arm back and letting me collapse to the floor. I was shocked, but just stayed there, grasping my chest and ensuring I was still breathing. I heard retreating footsteps, and I knew he was leaving. I'd follow later. For now, I needed to recover.

***

I sat against the wall outside the base with Tails, the two of us still in shock and trembling. Then we saw Knuckles as he raced out, skidding to a halt in front of us. He was breathless and obviously upset. "Sonic lost to Luktani! Tails, I saw you putting something on the roof of the tunnel, what was it?!"

Tails' eyes widened, but he managed to stammer a reply. "A… a ch-charge of C4."

"Set it off! Now! Before she has a chance to get out!" he exclaimed.

Tails didn't hesitate, and pressed the button on his remote control. I didn't see anything after that. The tears blurred it all. She'd killed Sonic again. I couldn't believe this would happen three times in less than a week, but it had. Why, I didn't think I'd ever know.

***

Inwardly, I smiled. Tails and Amy thought Luktani killed Sonic, but in reality, Tails killed him. I didn't have Sonic's blood on my conscience, and I still got rid of him. It was perfect. I noticed Amy was sobbing uncontrollably, and it hurt to see her that way, but I knew she'd get over him. She'd fall for me. Someday.

***

One second, I'm breathing, minding my own business, the next, I'm being blown across the room by a shock wave. Slammed against the wall (again), I crumpled to the floor. The explosion was earsplitting and destructive, sending fire everywhere, but the flames were dispelled on the rocks. Confused and battered, I glanced up to see the entire tunnel collapsing. I swear, I think my heart stopped. With a sharp intake of breath, I forced myself to stand. The wounds Knux had given me, coupled with the new ones from the explosion, made it far harder than it should have been. I had to get out, but I couldn't run. That much was certain.

I decided if nothing else, I should start moving. Leaning heavily against the wall, I began limping out, hoping with all my might that by some miracle I would come out of this alive.

***

I could feel the earth trembling beneath us as my C4 charge did its work. The walls of the base shook dangerously, and Knuckles wisely suggested we all back away from it. Across the street, we simply observed the structure as it began to crumble. My tails swished around wildly, an escape for my extreme stress levels. I stared, horrified, as what was once a huge metal fortress began its transformation into a pile of rubble.

I glanced over at Knuckles, and I saw that he had the same expression as he always did: uncaring and indifferent. I knew he had a rivalry with Sonic, but still, they had always been allies. I mean, we'd worked together so many times, I couldn't believe he was so nonchalant. I wasn't crying, but I was pretty darn close to taking off then and there and never showing my face in Metal City again.

He apparently caught me staring, and he turned away. I shook my head and turned my attention to Amy, who was a complete wreck. I walked over and sat down beside her, curling one of my tails around her comfortingly. She stroked it a little. Normally, I don't let people do that. It bothers me. But she needed a distraction, and my tails could do.

"Amy… If it helps any, you can come stay with me in Mystic Ruins…"

She glanced up, looking me in the eye. "Tails, thanks, but… but I just… I couldn't believe I'd lost him the first time. It nearly killed me. But losing him twice… it's… it's just too much!" she exclaimed, burrowing her head in her arms.

I just hugged her closer, praying for some kind of answer. Personally, I felt the same way, but I just didn't feel as if I could show it. I wanted to be strong for her, but that was hard when I'd lost my brother.

***

I watched Tails and Amy as they sat together, and seeing them so downcast made me regret what I had done, at least for a heartbeat. I quickly reasoned it away, confirming that I was in the right somehow. Until it hit me that Amy was responding to Tails more than me, I was fine. A pang in my chest made me think something had gone very wrong with my planning.

Sonic had said it: how many people would I kill before she turned to me? I gazed at the young, twelve-year-old kitsune. Sure, he was younger, but he was more mature than I could ever hope to be. I didn't really think Amy would look for a romantic relationship with him, but what if she did? What if, in some whacked out situation, I had to kill him? A child, essentially? Was that what I was destined to be?

It was one thing, rigging it so Sonic was out of the way. He was only a year younger than me. As for others, I'd debated killing Shadow long before this situation ever showed its ugly face. He always did get on my nerves. But Tails… Tails hadn't done anything to hurt me. In fact, he was one of the few who always backed me up. Could I kill him? I didn't think so. Then, if Amy was still going to have someone else, why did I kill… no… Tails killed Sonic. Tails. Not me. Why did Sonic have to die, though? If the only reason was to win Amy, and that never happened, what did Sonic die for? If I didn't get her… my life would become a mangled mess I didn't want to think about.

***

I lifted my head and watched the building for a while, with some shred of hope that Sonic would come out. I knew it was impossible. There was no way. Tails' tail, which had been wrapped around my middle, was suddenly jerked away as Tails stood. "What?" I asked, nervous.

The kitsune said nothing, but instead gulped. "The Chaos Emeralds! They're still in there! We have to get them out, or the entire city will--" Suddenly, every electronic device city began acting like it was on a power surge, the noise interrupting the explanation. Tails' sapphire eyes widened. "We have to get them out, before they overpower everything and turn this place into a giant fireball!"

"What?!"

"Will you come with me, or not?"

"Yes, but--"

He grabbed my wrist and then my midsection before flying us both into the collapsing building. I heard Knuckles call after us, but I don't think he followed. Tails refused to put me down, although I knew the extra weight made it very difficult for him to fly. We raced through the building and headed back towards the tunnel, but the entrance was already blocked off by debris.

Tails landed right in front of it, glancing at his remote control's screen as it calculated some formula he'd typed in. "Tails! They're deep down in that tunnel and this place isn't going to be here much longer! We can't get to them!"

"We have to! If we don't, the city will be destroyed!"

"Tails, how're we going to get out with the Chaos Emeralds? We could die for nothing very easily!" I exclaimed, desperate to talk him out of getting them.

"No! You don't have to stay if you don't want to, but I'm getting those Emeralds!" he snapped.

I glared at him, then my ears perked at the sound of a voice. It was faint, feminine, and vaguely recognized. "Get out of here, both of you," it murmured. I glanced over my shoulder to see a small sphere of red orange energy hovering above the ground by about three feet.

Tails' eyes widened, and he barely stuttered out: "T-Tikal? How are you here?"

"The Master Emerald is calling the Chaos Emeralds to scatter, and I can escape briefly when it does so. It does that whenever the light energies are used, and it is also why your city's power is on a surge. But that doesn't matter right now, Tails. This insanity will end, and the Chaos Emeralds will move themselves. Take Amy and get out. Now."

Before I knew it, Tikal's sphere had disappeared and Tails was flying me out again, obviously reluctant, but obedient just the same. A large portion of the ceiling fell in, and he jerked back. I yelped, and I'm pretty sure I heard him mutter an apology. He continued to rush out, flying up, down, left and right as different parts of the building collapsed.

Far in the distance, I saw the door. Knuckles was obviously concerned as he waited for us. It seemed as if we were going to make it out, but a huge support beam fell to the ground, blocking our only escape. Tails returned me to my feet and he glanced around, nervously swishing his tails and desperately searching for another way out. Another support beam fell, and I pulled him out of the way just before it crushed him.

"Th-thanks…" he murmured, unsettled. It figured. He'd be brave and get us in here, but I'd have to be brave to get us out. I summoned a hammer and began working on the blockade, but without a bigger hammer I couldn't make much headway, and without the Chaos Emeralds I couldn't make it any bigger.

I gave up, panting and resting on the hammer. "Tails, we're going to die," I stated simply. To tell the truth, I wasn't against the idea, but I didn't say that out loud.

"No you won't." On top of the support beam behind us stood a Sonic, his confidence still evident despite his battered appearance.

"Wh-what?! No, it can't be!" exclaimed Tails. Then the support beam covering the door was destroyed, and a familiar red echidna grabbed Tails' wrist and jerked him out, practically flinging the kitsune to the sidewalk. Then he saw Sonic, and his eyes widened, almost horrified. I didn't ask, but gasped as Sonic grabbed me and pushed Knuckles out of the way as the building's final beam snapped and it collapsed into a useless pile of debris.

He pulled all of us onto the other side of the street, panting harshly and holding me close. I never wanted him to let go. Never. Judging by his determined expression, I could tell he wasn't going to. Knuckles, for some reason, looked terrified. I had no clue why, since we were all safe now. Tails was simply confused, his namesakes motionless for once and his left ear flopped as he stared at the building, then at Sonic, then back. "H-how?" he finally managed. "Knuckles said Luktani won."

I could see Knuckles tense. I still couldn't figure out why on earth he was so jumpy. Sonic's embrace tightened and he stared Knuckles in the eye. "That's right. She did. Then she used the dark energy to teleport out. But I used the light energies for Chaos Control to get out after you set off your charge." His voice was in some odd way forgiving and threatening. I had never been more confused in my entire life.

***

I couldn't believe it. I'd pretty much killed him, ensured he would die, and then he backed up my story. My lie. The lie I made up to explain his supposed death. I didn't know why he did it, but he did, and I swore I would be eternally grateful to him for it. I smiled a little, and he gave me that smug grin I normally hated. I turned around and raised one hand as I glanced over my shoulder and began my journey back to Angel Island. I wasn't going to bother them anymore; not after what I'd put them through. I would take my loss with dignity, go home and continue to guard the Master Emerald. I heard Tails call after me. "Knuckles? Where are you going?!"

"Home."

"When will you come back?!"

"…When I'm needed."

***

I smiled as Knuckles left. I'd miss him as a rival, sure, but a little less drama would be nice. I knew he'd take the chance and leave us alone if I backed his story, so I didn't see why I shouldn't. Like he said: Amy and Tails would never know any different. And it would give us some ground to rebuild our friendship. Then I turned my attention to Amy. "I'm going to assume you read the letter," I stated.

"Yes…"

"Then there's no way I can back out of it?" I asked.

"Sonic!" she snapped.

"Just kidding, Ames! Really!" I laughed. Then I grew serious. "Amy, I should've told you this a long time ago… and I'm sorry I put it off for so long."

And just as I said those three words every girl wants to hear, she said them with me: "I love you."

Only one more chapter left! =D I know I changed POV a lot, but I hope it wasn't too hard to follow.

~Wolf~