PoC: It has been waaaay too long for me! PenFullofChaos819 owns none of the Sonic characters within! Well after an annoyingly long wait, I'm finally back!

Metal: Idiot! Did you go and forget about me, the one who makes your success, however little that may be, possible? Well? DID YOU?

PoC: I uh…

Silver: Of course he didn't forget us! We're like one big family, right?

PoC: Huh? Family?

Metal: You make me sick…

Silver: And now, to celebrate our grand comeback, I think we should join in…

PoC: Not a chance! *Runs away*

Metal: No way! I forbid it! FORBID IT DAMMIT!

Silver: A big group hug! *Pulls PoC and Metal in*

PoC: Ugh! Silver, did you forget I have a story to write?

Silver: Aw come on. It's not like you guys are allergic to brotherly love, right?

Metal: No! I will resist! I WILL RESIST TO MY LAST BREATH!

PoC: The story…must go on!

-l-

Invitation of Love

-l-

After a long day of trudging through the rank alleys of the Underground's low-towns, it was finally time to head back. Stomping down the streets of poorly-paved roads only lit by very dim, near-shorting out, lights, Knuckles tried to keep his path clear. Despite having come to these desolate streets on a recruiting mission, the fierce echidna would be forced to leave empty handed. To those looking from the outside in, Knuckles would've appeared to be nothing more than a dissatisfied thug who'd failed to procure his next paycheck. Leastways this image would be expected for a criminal of Knuckles' caliber.

A gaze inside this hardened blood-hunter's head, however, would've told a different story. Somewhere deep in his ever greedy mind stirred harsh feelings of hate, disgust, and most shockingly, sadness. Personal feelings may've had no place in a rogue's life, but when the time came to put a lid on them, Knuckles had secretly failed to do so.

It was inevitable, he told himself. They were bound to go soft on him sooner or later, so no surprise that they bailed on him now. Cowards like that weren't welcome in the streets of the Underground, and that certainly qualifies them as no friends of his. Guys that back out on a job due to its 'dirty' nature were just begging to be bumped off by the more 'contemporary' crime lords. The echidna knew he couldn't hang with that crowd if he wanted his reputation to remain intact.

So then why was he getting the shivers all of the sudden? Why did the place where Vector struck him still sting? Massawd had hit him probably ten times harder, yet somehow it paled in comparison to this pain. Fixing his thoughts on the long road ahead, Knuckles refused to acknowledge the true source of his suffering; one that stemmed from a feeling almost as forbidden as love…

And that feeling could've been described no better than by another four letter word: Loss.

He'd lost something more than an assistant in his latest crime; he'd lost someone he'd nearly, on his most dire day, called friend. It seemed that sentiment was not shared by the chaotic threesome, as they had refused his invitation without second thought. But why had they? This mission wasn't very different from those they'd had in times past. In fact, this job was rather clean compared to some of the work they'd taken before.

What made this time different? What had changed since the good old times?

"You have…" a nagging, if not whining, voice echoed in the echidna's mind. It was her… It was that damn hag again, trying to worm her way back into this thoughts. She'd been trying to forge a connection with him in the recent past, but hadn't succeeded thanks the firm mental guard he'd conditioned to block her out.

"If I'm hearing her again…" the red killer pondered "Then that must mean I've been letting my meditations slip. I've been spending too much time worrying about those morons." seeking out a place of silence, the echidna knew he was going to be checking in a bit late, but he had to keep that annoying old coot out of his head.

"It's your lucky day Maasawd." Knuckles growled softly while settling down to a sitting position "You get the girl for a whole hour longer. Enjoy it while it lasts."

He then proceeded with the ritual. Level-headedness was not something he could afford to lose, for peace of mind was nearly all someone like Knuckles had left. No sense in having to suffer more than one loss in a row.

L

*Entrance to the Verdant Marsh*

L

Sloping into the ever-increasing greenery had been a relaxing experience, even for the heavily-burdened trio. Had it not been for the unexpected beauty of the environment, the group would've certainly not been in such high-spirits. The place was dotted with a few rare, but eye-catching types of flower with even more strikingly lush green bushes that acted as a sort of natural canvas. What little water they saw was remarkably clean and pristine, so much that you could smell and nearly taste the freshness of it. Such a place was undeserving of the word 'marsh'. Sadly, due to the presence of trees, the location had been geographically misnamed, and was more obviously a swamp, albeit a lovely one.

However, even in awe of this natural masterpiece, the heroes still remembered the far greater treasure that lay hidden within. Remembering the legendary gem sadly instilled a number of mixed emotions inside the determined group. To Sonic, it represented Rouge's safety, but also the success in Maasawd's twisted plan. To Tails, it symbolized, along with this entire quest, his failure to protect those who depended on him. And to Amethyst, it guaranteed the near-end of their journey, but not necessarily the safety of her best friend. All three knew intrinsically that this gem could either represent their greatest hope, or possibly their ultimate doom.

Regardless of these doubts, all three chose to hide them in their own way. Moving past the lanes of greenery, Tails kept his focus on finding the gemstone by acting as the group's point-man, or perhaps 'point-fox' in his case. Amethyst steadied her own thoughts by aiding her dearest friend with all the direction her scanner could provide.

Sonic meanwhile was, as the expression goes, 'off in his own world'. The sight he'd chanced upon before still stayed fresh in his mind. He wondered how it was possible to lose such a large ship/house/thing in this lightly forested place. To make matter more distressing, he'd been unable to shake the feeling he was being watched the whole time. Though famous, as stated many times prior, for his bravery, seeing an illusionary pair of eyes flashing at him was enough to put the even the confident spiny hero on edge. Whether it was nerves or phantoms, the hero jumped once he'd heard the distinct sound of a twig snapping. Staring towards the sound's origin revealed nothing more than a pair of trees.

Initially relieved and now more concerned about keeping up with his two fox-friends, Sonic was ready to make tracks when that same snapping sound returned. Uncertain if he'd imagined it this time, the azul hedgehog tilted his head back to the twin trees. A closer, more studious, examination revealed some inconsistencies between the two trunks. With a breath for luck, Sonic moved in even closer, almost hoping his mind was just playing a cruel trick on him.

"Seriously." he commented in a hushed tone "I know I might be crazy, but I swear that tree is looking at me." taking a couple careful strides nearer, Sonic could now hear something. It was stifled, but it sounded markedly similar to…

…heavy breathing? Someone was definitely here.

This new revelation was startling, but it also provided a greater reason for him to meet up with the main group. But as he turned to leave, Sonic soon found himself on the receiving end of a powerful smack to the face. Not able to make out his attacker's identity, the hedgehog was soon forced into a scuffle with his faceless assailant.

L

*With Tails and Amethyst*

L

Coming out to the wetland clearing, Tails checked his surroundings. He could swear he'd seen this same clearing not five minutes ago. Yet whenever he asked Amethyst what the scanner showed, it seemed to be giving a unique result each time. Upon noting a wooden peg he'd placed down as a landmark, Tails was now certain they were going in circles.

"Ame, are you sure that thing is working right?" he cast a ticked glare toward the handheld piece of junk. All they needed right now was a technical issue to complicate already complex matters.

"I'd like to think so, but these readings are going nuts. It's like we're chasing a moving target." she groaned at her silly bad luck. Of all the scanners to act up, why did it have to be the mother of them all? Now they might have to rely on short-range devices and risk getting lost in this moist maze. Gazing back at Tails, she took notice of his cold, irate stare bearing down on her. Though inside she knew he was just frustrated at the scanner, she didn't like how much it looked like he was staring at her with all that fury.

In her own state of fury, directed at the stupid machine, Amethyst smacked the malfunctioning thing so hard that it fell out of her hands and into the wet mesh of green below. Cursing her clumsy anger, the vixen struggled to find the now-obscured scanner.

"Great." she seethed venom all over herself "Now he's going to see how upset I am, and will probably freak out, then I'll have to lie to calm him down, and…" bordering very close to tears, she thought "Argh! Can't I do anything right? I'm such a failure, and he...he probably thinks so too." she sniffled; now finding the ground difficult to see.

Noticing how stressed she was, the male vulpine felt compelled to say something.

"Ame…" Tails began softly, but had spoken at a poor time, as the vixen merely stepped up her already vigorous search. Confused but respectful of her current frustration, Tails waited calmly while Amethyst continued to sift aggressively, though carefully, through the plant life at her feet. Seeing her in this state brought the vulpine to an interesting choice: He could be his usual self and step back while she cooled off, or he could take the other Sonic's advice and show some initiative. Though he'd originally been against taking advice from his junior, the present circumstances seemed too perfect to pass up. Puffing up his chest in a long breath for courage, Tails knelt down to her level.

"Amethyst…" Tails voice cracked slightly, prompting to him clear his throat and try again. Before he could however, she'd lifted her head up to face his. Her face was toughened up and tense, especially her jaw, but her eyes were red and anything but dry. Seeing her in such despair hurt the fox very much, and oddly served to bolster is rather shaky composure.

"Relax…" he told her while placing a supportive hand in her own. He could feel her palm tremor at the mere contact, and so he increased the firmness of his hold ever so slightly. The comforting gesture eventually allowed her frayed nerves to un-coil thus ending her shaking "That's better. Now, will you tell what's wrong?" his words earned him some brief eye-contact with her, still he could sense the aura of hesitation that surrounded her.

"N-nothing." she lied and wished she hadn't. Telling Tails what she really thought was asking her to risk so much, so much of what she already didn't get enough of. The idea of losing that long-standing need was too great to chance a careless response.

Leaning in closer, Tails eased the issue further, not wanting to let this moment slip away. It was hard on the both of them, as they had stepped into dangerous territory with each other, territory that might endanger their relationship.

That aside, one idea emboldened the two: They were both secretly willing to take a new approach, even knowing what it may cost them. Not because they hadn't much to lose, but rather due to the mutual trust they hoped they still shared. Amethyst felt this acutely when Tails approached her, not cocky and full of cute pick-up lines, but sincere and with his heart in hand. It might've been unusual, still it reminded her of the many reasons she trusted him above everyone else.

"Amethyst." he beckoned again, now in an even more soothing tone "You can tell me anything, and don't say 'you know', I mean it." he challenged openly, but soon backed off slightly "You haven't been able to confide in me for almost a year now, so I'll...understand if you don't trust me at all."

Shaking her head vehemently, Amethyst replied "You're wrong Tails. Out of anyone I know, I trust you the most...but sometimes…" she stalled, only barely forcing herself to continue "Sometimes you make things so difficult…" having started her speech, she figured she might as well finish it "L-look, all I want...is to be helpful, and to make you happy." she admitted and then added in bitterly "But you never seem to notice how hard I try! Then…w-whenever I get upset, I worry you'll think I'm just a useless burden! Like some lovesick idiot that only whines and nags all the time!"

Moving in to wipe a stray wave of tears off her cheek, the vulpine said "Ame I…I never thought of you like that. You're not a burden at all." Tails spoke as seriously as he could manage "You're very helpful to me, and I do try to tell you how much you mean to me, all the time." he reminded her.

"Y-yeah…but sometimes it feels like you only say those things to shut me up. I never know if you really mean those tender words or not. You use them so damn loosely!" she confessed openly and honestly, not withholding an ounce of truth from him.

Restraining an eager, overly pressuring response, Tails closed his eyes in contemplation. He'd like to say she was wrong, but she wasn't. He wished he'd been a better partner, but he hadn't. Touched by her moving honesty, Tails felt more encouraged than ever to do the right thing instead of dwelling on his past mistakes.

"I see… That's what I was afraid of." he too admitted his thoughts, forcing Amethyst to withhold her own hasty words "But, if you will, please forgive me Amethyst. I promise I'll be less words and more action from now on. I know that's flimsy coming from me, but I'm selfishly asking you to give me another chance, a chance to show you how happy you make me." pressing in even nearer he asked, almost in a whisper "Will you?"

Trying hard to not cry or get excessively emotional any more than she had, Amethyst merely forced a weak, but deeply genuine smile "Those were some of the corniest lines I've heard out of you in a long time." she giggled, causing the vulpine to give her a sly, falsely chastising, grin, before she continued "But I could tell you meant…every word."

Placing herself near enough to touch his nose and feel his warmth, she breathlessly whispered "T-Tails...I..." before pushing her lips against his.

For Tails, this was his idea of heaven. He'd forgotten how much he missed Amethyst's warmth and love until now. Enjoying the moment most profoundly, the two stayed as they were for as long as they could, in light of their unlikely reconciliation. As the passionate time came to a close, the two separated in order to catch some lost air.

"So…" Tails gasped out "Is that a yes or a no?" he teased, earning him a playful slap and eye-roll from the vixen.

Shy, but not embarrassed of his actions, Tails snaked his arm around the vixen's shoulder, much to her liking. Now more calm than he'd felt in years, the vulpine mustered the guts to ask "So what upset back there, besides the scanner?"

Amethyst blushed and facepalmed at her former jitteriness "It's stupid." she sighed a flustered voice "I thought you'd be angry with me for losing it, so got all upset and freaked out, Pretty dumb right?"

Nuzzling her cheek softly, Tails gave a small laugh "No not at all. I'm sorry for upsetting you." Smiling again, the vixen had already wordlessly forgiven him.

After their short 'together' time was over, the two suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing they still needed to find the Chaos Emerald. Teaming up, the pair soon found the missing scanner and immediately got to work checking the vicinity.

"Think you're right Tails." Amethyst said while gazing at the newest readout "This thing must be busted, or else that emerald is really close to our current position and…" double-checking to make sure she read it right, the vixen finished in a worrisome tone "Getting closer by the second?"

"Hold a sec." Tails chimed in without warning "I'm getting some kind of distress call. And it's really nearby." the fox spun every which way to pin-point the call's general location "It's coming from over…"

"There!" the two foxes shouted simultaneously, indexing fingers both extended in the same direction. Curious, both checked the other's scanner to reveal that distress call and the emerald were in very close proximity to each other. Stunned by the unlikely coincidence, they rotated their heads in the same direction.

"You know…" Tails began with reluctance "I haven't seen or heard from Sonic in a while, have you?" he inquired with hopefulness lacing his voice.

"No." came the unwanted reply "I thought you were keeping tabs on him."

Sure of yet another unfortunate coincidence, the high-tension couple moved further into the densely wooded area. Whoever or whatever it was, would likely be readying an ambush for them.

"Keep your guard up." Tails ordered firmly "No telling what kind of crazies we might find out here."

"Um…Tails dear?" Amethyst choked out fearfully "I think it's a little late for that." by the time Tails had heard her, he could hear a throaty snicker right behind them.

-l-

End of Chapter Twenty-two

-l-

Cold of me, yes? To come back all triumphant-like just to drop you guys a cliffy? Aw, but that's my style of course. Yes, as you can see this chap is rather romance heavy, but I figure now was as good a time as any. If you've a problem with the pairing, know that I have no intention of changing it now. And on a side note, I wasn't expressing ANYTHING yaoi between Knuckles and the Chaotix. Remember, there is brotherly love too people.

I won't be putting names on this chap, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten you! I simply don't have anything to say, and those kind words last chap are…too much for me to bring here (don't get me wrong, I was really touched by them). In any case, it's great to be back, and I wish all of you near and far a very premature MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Until next time!