It's been 182 days since Dr. Eggman won and Sonic went missing. 181 days since his invasions began and Knuckles first heard of it all happening. And 180 since everyone began to look at him for help. For solutions. For guidance.
The atmosphere around the resistance's base had always been dense and heavy. Unsurprising, considering the dire circumstances the large region found itself facing for these past six months. Lately, however, more so than usual. The silence it spread throughout the hallways was eerie at best and downright unbearable at worst. Yet, despite it all, there was also an ironic calmness it carried. After all, tranquility promised a moment to breath, to settle. A moment of peace between all the gun-shots and explosions and screams of terror as everything these innocent citizens knew fell apart right before their very eyes.
Knuckles hated it. He hated it, he hated it. He hated all of it. The situation. The silence. All these eyes and all this attention directed at him, as everyone waited for his next move. His next command. The silence in particular was the worst, if he had to pick. It was driving him mad. Because it was a sign… a warning, that the enemy forces were plotting their next ruthless step. One whose outcome was sure to be drenched in blood, if he couldnt predict or find a way to keep the casualties as low as possible. Like the dark, it habited the unknown with no room for even the smallest chance of telling what was about to happen next. So, yes… of all the things he resented, the silence was what the echidna grew to despise the most.
A true tragedy in all honesty, because this natural state of being once was one the guardian found great solace in. But now… Now all it yielded was anxiety and distress instead of comfort and serenity. It messed with his head. So badly he could no longer form clear thoughts. Hell, somewhat decent sleep too became unobtainable the more time passed. Each attempt at rest ended in a feeling of sheer unease. Like he couldnt afford even a second of disrupted focus, for one mistake could lead to annihilating defeat. The consequences of which he wasnt sure he could handle. Him. The unmovable Guardian of the Master Emerald, the most powerful object known to the world! He could simply not allow for it to come this far! So more often than not, the echidna found himself wide awake at night because of these concerns. Alone and staring out into the somber void from his window with a blank, near unreadable expression as he watched the horizon burn a sinister orange hue. Just like he did this exact moment.
Purple eyes stared out into the uncertainty of the war and the ever-growing number of ruins that painted its face, observing all yet seeing nothing. Somewhere in the distance a booming explosion illuminated the darkening sky. He couldnt see it as it was outside of his range of vision but it didnt faze him anymore either way. Knuckles long ago stopped counting how many it's been. They enticed nothing out of him. No flinch. No change of expression or anything akin. He stayed stoic and proud like he always had. Never turning away, no matter what their foe was throwing at them next. A feat many clung onto as if it was a safety-net amidst an endless storm. The last bit of hope that maybe… just maybe, one day things will return to normal once more.
…If only it all wasnt a giant fraud. A façade. A mask to conceal the violent war raging away within the emerald guardian himself, because the truth is… Knuckles was struggling. More than anyone could possibly imagine, let alone see. Every day was a constant battle against his own head. Guilt, anxiety and ever-increasing despair poisoned his mind. It ate away at him and consumed him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. And the only thing keeping it all contained… keeping him from falling apart entirely, was this unshakable desire to keep everyone around him safe. Alas, the layer separating sanity from losing it all was quickly growing thinner and thinner with every passing day, every reported loss… and every new detonation.
Knuckles drew a sharp breath when another one went off. This time he could even see it from where he sat and despite his reluctance to show any external reactions, it made his hands clench hard into fists. He was shaking too. Ever so slightly, but still… and the sudden urge to throw up overcame him right then and there.
Just how much more will he be able to endure before he inevitably breaks too?
"Knuckles?" an unexpected voice suddenly spoke, startling the echidna out of his darkened thoughts. It was Silver, standing in the doorway, a concerned expression clear upon his face. "Hey… Sorry. I knocked, but… I guess, you didnt hear it…?"
Knuckles said nothing as he merely looked at the grey hedgehog, his own expression as neutral as he could muster. After all, the last thing the guardian wanted was for anyone to see how much everything truly got to him. Least of all his friends. Nor did he want to burden any of them with even more worry than they already were forced to deal with. At this point, they got more than enough of that to serve them three lifetimes. And that's one being generous in their estimation. No… like a mountain he had to stay strong. Unmovable. If not for his sake, then for everyone else's. Giving in to this crushing pressure was not an option.
Unfortunately, the glaring lack of a proper response… or any actual reaction for that matter, did the exact opposite of what the echidna sought out to accomplish. In fact, it only added to the feeling of concern Silver already had from even before he entered the room. Knuckles' eventual withdrawal to his original position without any further acknowledgment, just to silently stare out into the progressing evening again, was certainly not helping it either. It caused a frown to appear on Silver's face, unsure what to make of this odd behavior the guardian was displaying. While it wasnt exactly the first instance in which this happened, as Knuckles had kept to himself to this degree before, something about it felt… off this time. More alarming. It worried Silver, even if he couldnt quite find the words to describe why.
Nevertheless, he didnt want to instantly jump to conclusions. For all he knew, he could have just caught him at an inconvenient time and that's the reason for this strange seclusion. If that's the case, Silver wanted to, at the very least, give him the necessary time to get his thoughts in order. Perhaps he'll say something then. Though, when his leniency ultimately proved futile, seen by how the echidna chose to continue to act as if he hadnt entered the room, the time traveler decided it might be better to just take a more direct approach after all. Doing so whilst fully stepping into the protective space Knuckles had crafted for himself and using his psychokinesis to gently close the door behind him. "Is everything alright…?"
"Just peachy," Knuckles replied dryly and, to Silver's ever-increasing worry, devoid of any notable emotions. On their own these already gave more than enough ground for the frown on the hedgehog's face to deepen. Especially since the guardian was known to wear his heart on his sleeve; always voicing what really was on his mind regardless of what anyone would say or think. What made it so much worse however, was the fact that he was doing so without sparring him as much as a single glance. Knuckles doesnt avoid eye-contact. Not without reason anyway. It may have merely been around six months in which Silver had truly gotten to know the echidna and fight alongside him, but during this time he had plenty opportunities to pick up on the many quirks and mannerisms he possessed. For all his pride and stoic exterior, Knuckles was a rather open book. One that even the time traveler had little trouble reading… So, for him to do virtually the opposite of everything the hedgehog grew to learn was… concerning indeed.
"…Doesnt sound like it."
An audible sigh left the echidna's nose at the remark, clearly indicating that he did not appreciate it whatsoever. Yet, he said nothing. Instead, he closed his eyes for just a moment before finally finding it in himself to turn and actually look at the hedgehog standing a mere handful feet away from him. "Why are you here?"
Silver didnt answer right away. Not because he lacked an explanation or reason. He very well had those. It was just that he tried to figure out what was going on with him, now that he actually got Knuckles to pay attention to him properly. Preferably achieving to do so without having to fall back on the necessity of using words, since the echidna made it quite evident that he had no intention or desire to reveal any information, if their interactions so far had been of any indication. Unfortunately… well, not necessarily unfortunate, but unfortunately in this case, mind-reading was not part of the time traveler's otherwise impressive arsenal of abilities. Besides the obvious discontent about Silver's very presence, the hedgehog got nothing… and any additional attempts at deciphering the echidna's expression for anything else resulted in only more of the same. It was then that he recognized that perhaps Knuckles wasnt as easy to read as he originally thought. Well… it was worth a shot, at least. Even if the outcome was a sigh on the hedgehog's end this time around. "…I just wanted to check on you. That's all."
"Why?"
"Why?" Silver repeated bewildered, taken aback that Knuckles would question his intent. Mostly because from where he stood, he felt it should be painfully obvious as to why he was here. "Knuckles, you havent stepped a single foot out of this room in like two days! Not even to eat! I'm worried… and so is everyone else."
Again, the words spoken enticed little to no visual reaction out of the emerald guardian. Almost as if they really just left him flat out cold. Though eventually, after a couple of seconds of blankly staring at the grey hedgehog, Knuckles did finally stir. "Well…" he began, momentarily closing his eyes as he got into the motion of slowly rising to his feet. "You can tell them everything is perfectly fine!" he continued upon reaching full height, declaring so far too cheerfully as he put his sole focus on Silver once more. An unexpected shift the time traveler had not foreseen and a quite eerie on at that when compared to the behavior the echidna had displayed just seconds earlier. This sudden change in attitude, however, was an extremely short-lived occurrence, for it was dropped as quickly as it came to be. And in its wake? A demeanor much colder and dismissive than before. "Now get out."
Close to deafening silence settled between the two mobians after Knuckles damn near ordered his visitor to leave. Silver just didnt know what to say. Baffled as he was by the hard and somewhat hostile tone used against him. This had never happened before. Sure, it was no secret that Knuckles possessed a well-known temper. The hedgehog had witnessed it in person before not too long ago. But this? This was… different. Vastly so. He didnt know how to describe it, but it certainly wasnt the echidna's usual openly flaring anger. Instead, it felt… distant. Detached…? Emotionally closed off was probably as close to a specific description as the hedgehog was able to find. Whatever it truly was… it did nothing but cause Silver's worry to reach its all-time peak. Especially when the echidna proceeded to walk away from him after he was done talking, in, what he assumed, was an effort to bring more distance between the two of them. Physically as well as metaphorically.
That's it. Something was definitely amiss. All these signs were simply too glaring to be brushed aside. Silver had to get to the bottom of this right away ere the agitated guardian ended up accidentally hurting himself or someone else. "…I know, I'm not the best judge when it comes to stuff like this… and for what it's worth, I'm sorry that this will sound accusatory… but I dont think you're telling the truth."
For a moment Knuckles halted. Though, much like their initial interaction, he didnt pay Silver the respect of looking at him. In fact, his gaze stayed stubbornly pointed forward, where there was nothing but an empty wall to ogle. "What does it matter," he replied, shocking the time traveler yet again with how apathetic he made it sound. It wasnt even a question. He said it like a statement! As if it really just didnt!
"What do you mean 'What does it matter'?" Silver instantly questioned, disbelief over the guardian's words strong in his voice. "Of course, it does! Knuckles, if you're not feeling well, you know you can tell us!"
The guardian's fists started to visibly clench in rapidly increasing annoyance at the hedgehog's persistence. This guy… just cant seem to take a hint, can he? Knuckles really thought he made it perfectly clear that he wanted to be left alone! Yet this hedgehog refused to let up for some reason! What more did Knuckles have to do to get him off his back? "I just told you, I'm fine…!" he repeated slowly and through gritted teeth, trying his damn hardest to stay calm in the face of the other's obnoxious, unrelenting attitude. Which became progressively harder and harder with every passing second. Seriously, what was wrong with this hedgehog? Was he too oblivious to perceive the warnings? Or did he just straight up not care? Knuckles really hoped it was the former for the time traveler's sake.
"I'm calling bullshit."
…
The latter it was…
"DO YOU WANT TO BE PUNCHED THROUGH A WALL?!" Knuckles suddenly snapped as he spun back around, startling the hedgehog enough to make him recoil from the unexpected volume. Yellow eyes went wide in shock. Less because he was yelled at but more so because of the threat his opposite so casually threw at him. Like he was an opponent standing in his way rather than a friend he could trust. Silver quite frankly did not anticipate that. He had no reason to since the echidna had never crossed that line before despite his explosive temperament. At least, as far as Silver was aware. It effectively silenced him. This on the other hand was about the pinnacle of his outer reaction and Knuckles didnt know what pissed him off more; the lack of even the slightest form of intimidation anywhere on the hedgehog's features or the fact that he had the audacity to give him a highly skeptical squint as soon as he found his voice again.
"You wouldnt."
"Try me."
"Do it then!" Silver immediately challenged. Loudly, without hesitation and just short of cutting the echidna clean off. He even opened his arms to expose his vital areas as if to invite the guardian to do good on his threat and actually carry it out. "Go ahead and punch me! Wont change the fact that you're clearly not okay!"
Purple eyes widened in shocked surprise at the bold and fearless opposition he was met with, said with such unwavering self-confidence, it left the echidna frozen in place from one second to the very next. This… caught him off guard. Severely so and in more ways than one. All at once, Knuckles' heated frame of mind seemed to have evaporated into thin air, just to be replaced by something different entirely. He became stiff, incredibly tense and motionless, but most prominently and much to his own horror, unsure of what to do next. All because the hedgehog did the exact opposite of what anyone slightly less would do.
How… J-Just how did Silver do this? It's not like Knuckles wasnt serious before! He meant the words he said, and he was ready to deliver on them, since they were in fact spoken in nothing but cold-hearted sincerity. Knuckles had even emphasized on them through a deliberate step closer to the intruding mobian. But now that he was supposed to follow up on his threat, to make Silver suffer the consequences of not abandoning his pursuit when he had the chance, he found himself incapable of taking these measures. And he didnt know why!
So… HOW?!
How was Silver able to call his bluff before Knuckles himself even knew it was one?!
"Well, Knuckles?" the time traveler prompted after a couple of seconds, pulling the echidna from the prison of his own head and back into the reality he hadnt realized he slipped from so easily. "Where is that punch you promised? I'm waiting."
Magenta eyes widened even further upon receiving those words. However, this time it was neither in shock nor surprise. Instead, it was pure, unfiltered dread painting his expression. Emerging from the depth of Knuckles' gut and spreading throughout every vein and every cell of his body. A feeling unfortunately all too familiar and one that rendered him immobilized far worse than it had before. As if a bucket of ice-cold water had been emptied over his head. Yet, somehow, despite the sensation paralyzing his mind… his very ability to command his actions at will, his body moved. All on its own, although not in the manner the guardian was usually known for…
He didnt close in on the hedgehog. Didnt attack him and do good on his threat like he implied he would. No… None of that… It was the contrary Knuckles found himself do. He was backing away from the hedgehog! Like he was the one intimidated rather than the other way around. Him! The unyielding Guardian of the Master Emerald! Submitting to the mere presence of another mobian, when not even the god of destruction themselves could faze him to this degree?! Unheard of! Yet… here he was… doing exactly that whilst staring at the time traveler, who hadnt moved a single inch. Like he was akin to such an unstoppable cataclysmic force, ready to wipe him off the surface of this planet.
In the blink of an eye, dread transformed into panic. A million and more thoughts flooded his brain, overloading it with contradicting instructions left and right. It shouted at him to run, to flee, to hide, to get as far away as physically possible from the person on front of him. Yet it also told him to stay put. To hold his ground as he had done time and time again. It demanded him to yell. To scream at the hedgehog to go to hell already and yet, his voice was nowhere to be found. Stuck inside a throat that felt like it was pressed shut by several hands closing around it tightly. Choking and ever so slowly suffocating him.
And if that by itself wasnt enough already, it was then, through this sensation, that Knuckles became aware of just how rapidly his breathing had changed in a matter of seconds. What had been semi-normal before from his now vanished anger, had turned heavy, strained and incredibly shallow and as if something within the guardian snapped, each of his senses collectively turned numb. His vision no longer clear and focused but instead blurry and shaking. His ears unable to distinguish between nor identify any noise that wasnt his own terrifyingly fast heartbeat. Knuckles couldnt feel his arms, his legs and his mind… his mind felt like it was swimming. Being everywhere and nowhere at the same time and despite standing on solid ground, Knuckles felt like he was falling.
This wasnt good. This wasnt good at all! He… he had to get the hedgehog to leave! He needed him to leave! Urgently! Desperately! Just why didnt he go for that punch when he had the chance?!
"J-Just quit it, hedgehog!" Knuckles attempted to hiss through his continuous loss of control in one last ditch effort to get the hedgehog to desist, once again avoiding to do as much as glance at him. On one hand out of the irrational fear that doing so would result in the time traveler attacking him and on the other, to cover just how quickly the color was draining from his face. "I'm fine! S-So, leave me alone already!"
Silver said nothing while he simply stared at the echidna, his expression as unimpressed as it could physically be. Knuckles didnt really expect him to buy this pathetically obvious lie, did he? Well… At the very least, it's what finally prompted him to lower his arms back to their respective sides, after keeping them raised for what felt like forever. "…At this point, are you trying to convince me or only yourself?"
"Stop!"
"Do you really think we havent noticed?!" the hedgehog pressed on mercilessly, disregarding the demand in every aspect and not caring for whatever consequences it would inevitably entail. Be it for himself or the echidna. "How weird you've been behaving lately?! How concerningly standoffish you've become?! Especially over the past couple of weeks?! Because we have, Knuckles! Every. Single. One of us!"
"Stop!"
"This isnt you! This is nothing like you! Okay! I get it! It's only been six months since we really got to know each other! And I know, compared to most of the others here, that's nothing! We may as well be strangers in all honesty, but none of that changes the fact that you're my friend! And seeing you like this?! I cant stand it! I want to help you, Knuckles! I really do! But Chaos dammit, I cant! Not like this! Not if you dont give me a chance! Why is that so hard for you to understand?!"
"Stop!"
"No! I wont! And do you want to know why? Despite you oh so clearly telling me to piss off?! Because you havent given me one good reason that doesnt include you continuing to bottle this up with your tail between your legs until someone actually gets hurt! Which I highly doubt is what you want! So, why dont you do us both a favor already and stop acting like this problem doesnt exist! It wont disappear if you keep this up and you damn well know that!"
At this point, Knuckles was backed into a corner. Figuratively as well as literally. As if edging on near hyperventilation wasnt bad enough already, the verbal assault, aggressive as it was, further prompted his body into acting on its own again. Taking the form of him retreating until there was truly no way left for him to go anymore. His eyes were shut tightly, both hands pressed against the sides of his head to cover his ears while his fingers dug into his skull with progressively increasing pressure. It hurt. Chaos, it hurt so bad. Even through the protection the thick fabric of his gloves offered, but it wasnt enough. Yet, he didnt stop either. Too desperate to tune the psychic out. At any means necessary.
"Stop…!" he repeated. Pleaded, really. Not out of hope it's what would finally get the hedgehog to heed his wish. He lost that a while ago, considering all the lines Silver was willing to cross. No… the hedgehog made it perfectly clear those words meant nothing to him. But as of now… after all the deflection and attempts to get him to leave… the threats of bodily harm and consequent calling of his bluff… what else was there left for the guardian to do?
"Stop…!" he said again between ragged, shallow breaths, louder and from here on out only rising in volume with every additional word. "Stop…! Stop it..! STOP IT ALREADY!"
"THEN TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"
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You know… There is this reality of everyone having a breaking point. That there will come a time where one is forced to face their limits and in all honesty? There is no shame in that. However, up to this moment, Knuckles had prided himself in being able to withstand anything. To stand mighty regardless of what hardships life would fling at his feet. Like a mountain, he would take the hits and still come out on top. That's what he does. That's what he has to do. To be. But most importantly, that's what his role as a guardian demanded of him. But… what he failed to realize then… and possibly now as well, is that even mountains, unconquerable as they may seem, were bound to be worn down over time. By wind… by water… by any other form of influence. Whatever it be internal or external. Layer by layer… piece by piece… they crumble and break… until enough had been taken away for it all to come crashing down in one massive, ear-shattering collapse.
"FINE!" Knuckles screamed from the top of his lungs, his quills bristling dangerously while he snapped his attention towards the hedgehog as he finally… finally relented to the unfaltering bombardment of harassment Silver had coerced upon him. Doing so in such a thundering way, the hedgehog was taken quite off guard, even though he didnt show it… much. "YOU WANT TO KNOW SO BADLY?! LET'S HAVE IT YOUR WAY THEN! No! Nothing is okay! Far from it in fact! Or have you not been here to witness the last six month?! People are dying left and right, Silver! Sonic's gone and quite possibly dead too for all we know! Shadow is Chaos knows where! Not even Rouge knows where he is! Omega is out of commission! Tails is- i-is…" …he couldnt get himself to say it… "And I…! I-I…"
From one second to the next, Knuckles deflated, all tension leaving his body as he let himself fall back against the wall in nothing but utter surrender, tears of despair instantly swelling in those tired purple eyes while one hand found it's place on one half of the guardian's face. Evidently, they had been waiting for release for far, far too long… "I dont know what I'm doing…!" he admitted, his voice now small and cracking due to miserably trying to keep himself from sobbing right then and there. "I-I'm not a leader, Silver! I never was…! Amy is! Rouge! Vector! Espio! Hell, Blaze was literally raised to be one! But not me…! I-I just… Why anyone thought it was a good idea to put me of all people in charge is beyond me…! I-I'm not who they need me to be…! I cant win this war, Silver…! Not on my own…! I… I'm simply not strong enough!"
There was a moment of near deafening silence right after the echidna's long overdue monolog ended, neither of the two mobians able to disrupt it with another word. That was, until the expression upon Knuckles' face suddenly shifted and the reality and weight of his own words hit him with all their might, resulting in him speaking one more sentence. Alas, in the most gut-wrenching tone of voice grey ears ever had to pick up. "…I'm simply not enough…"
If the hedgehog thought the silence was blaring before, it was nothing compared to the seemingly infinitely stretching void of sound that followed those four heartbreaking words. To say Silver was shocked would have not only been the greatest understatement of this past century, but the one to come as well. And not even that exaggeration did the feeling he experienced close to justice. He was frozen in place, mouth agape and powerless to say or do anything other than watch as the distressed echidna began to slide down into a curled-up sitting position, arms wrapped tightly around himself in one last attempt to hide. From the world. From Silver. And quite possibly, even from himself.
Just like that, everything immediately clicked into place. From the second Silver walked through that door, all the way to multiple weeks ago. Every oddity in the echidna's behavior. Every strangely hostile act. The progressively shorter getting conversations. Every time Knuckles disappeared without a word after a confrontation with the enemy just to be found hours later in isolation. …every time he just seemed… dissociated. It all started to make sense, and Silver could have slapped himself for only now seeing just how desperately the other was crying for help all this time. Knuckles couldnt have made it more apparent if he tried aside from straight up announcing his troubles. And yet…
Slowly stunned yellow eyes drifted to the side, away from the cowering echidna and onto the floor instead after what felt like being trapped in a stupor for far too long. Words were still unable to form, the psychic's mind not yet fully done with processing everything the guardian's confession revealed. It was… a lot, to put it lightly. Yet, despite this enormous flood of information, Silver couldnt help but wonder. About the others and all the questions their absence in this current dreadful situation stirred up. Like, how could they let it get this far? Werent they supposed to know Knuckles so much better than he did? Yet not one of them took any measures to help? Had they been as blind as he was? Or did they genuinely not realize just how bad it had gotten?
These were all questions the hedgehog would have loved to go find the answers for the very moment they popped up. Aggressively even, if need be. However, the far more pressing matter at hand was the one thing holding him back. Besides… regardless of their friends' level of awareness, dragging them into this mess, like Silver's knee-jerk reaction wanted him to, would most likely do more harm than good. And the last thing he presently wanted was for the echidna to shut everyone out again, now that he finally managed to crack him open, for the lack of a better term. Thus, after taking a deep breath to calm his raging insides from making any rash decisions, Silver allowed his eyes to close. If only to further suppress his desire to confront their friends.
"I… I dont know what to tell you to make you feel better…" he eventually began and at first, it appeared this was all there was to it too. How were you supposed to console someone who found themselves in a pit of such dark depths, after all? Knuckles certainly didnt expect more to come, but then again, he was not about to speak up or react towards the words anyway. However, simply giving up had never been part of Silver's vocabulary and soon enough those rich, golden eyes reopen to look at the echidna with a kind of determination that had been very sparse to come by over the past couple of months. "But I can tell you what I do know. People dont follow you because they think you are a good leader! They follow you because you have proven time and time again that you are! You are strong-willed, compassionate, caring… but most importantly, you are not afraid to put yourself out there! To stand between the enemy forces and innocent lives and fight for what you know is right! That's why people look up to you and follow you, Knuckles! That's why we respect and stand with you! That's-"
A moment of hesitation cut through the hedgehog's flow of speech, rooted in a sudden burst of uncertainty hitting him out of nowhere. It made him halt in his tracks, avert his eyes to the side and wonder… No. Question, if what he had on his mind, he should actually say since it may not even aid in what he was trying to accomplish. Though on second thought… literally the same could be said about everything he had declared so far and yet those abrupt doubts didnt manage to stop him before either, now did they? Besides, when Silver took the time to really think about it, he quickly realized he didnt necessarily care whatever his next words would be in vain or not. He wanted Knuckles to hear what he was restraining himself to say regardless! So, after taking yet another deep breath through the nose, the hedgehog directed his softened gaze back to the troubled guardian and finally added in nothing but genuine sincerity. "That's why I admire you…"
Up to this point, Knuckles showed little to no reaction to anything that came out of the hedgehog's mouth and like mentioned before, he really didnt plan to either. But when those words of pure unabashed, kind-hearted honesty reached his ears, he could do so no longer. Slowly he lifted his head out of its protective shelter to gaze up at Silver, eyes still terribly glassy from who knows how many unshed tears. …he couldnt believe the words he heard. He didnt believe the words he heard! Not a single one of them! How could he? Not only did he threaten and yell at the time traveler; his behavior in general had been nothing short of abysmal the entire time! And for what?! To keep up the very status quo causing him to be so miserable in the first place?! There was no way Silver meant what he said! He just couldnt!
Yet, here he was. Displaying nothing but unwavering sincerity in spite of it all. From the tone of his voice, to his body language, to the gesture of putting one of his gloved hands right above his heart for the sole purpose of emphasizing it even further. It messed with the guardian's head. His perception of himself and everything that surrounded him. So much he couldnt stop the self-loathing, the shame, the guilt and various other things of similar origins from manifesting physically. Silver could practically observe it happening in what felt like slow motion. It was… unnerving, to put it lightly. To see just how deeply the claws of these toxic, destructive notions had already hooked themselves into the echidna's psyche like the parasites they are. To the point he could genuinely not comprehend why anyone would show him kindness. It was absolutely heartbreaking.
Which was exactly why the hedgehog couldnt let this deter him. He needed to put an end to this! Hammer his good-natured intentions home without any room for misconstruction and he needed to do it now! Knuckles' head may feed him poison, may wrap around him tightly like a rope he cant find the strength to escape from and he may be in the process of giving up… if he hadnt already. But Silver? Nah, he was far from taking that step!
Thus, without wasting any more of the fading daylight, he approached the distressed guardian, got down on one knee right in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder to regain his full attention one more time. "You're not alone, Knuckles…" he spoke gently and with the most tender voice he was capable of creating. "And you never were."
Tear-glazed eyes went wide near instantly after this specific set of words reached the guardian's ears. As bizarre as it might sound, especially so shortly after what could only be described as a mental breakdown, but it was virtually as if this invisible barrier, Knuckles had surrounded himself with, shattered into thousands of pieces in that very moment. All thanks to two sentences so simplistic in nature, yet so powerful in every other aspect when spoken straight from the heart. Probably needless to mention, but it left the echidna flabbergasted to say the least. The strangely shocked look on Knuckles' face spoke volumes alone.
At the same time, while the stunned guardian continued to do nothing but stare at his opposite, Silver simply kept giving Knuckles his most empathetic of smiles, his expression not once wavering. There was no judgement over his poor choices, no anger regarding his terrible acting nor was there so much as an indication that his patience was at the beginning of running low. If anything, Silver showed nothing but pure appreciation for him despite it all. As if Knuckles was the most incredible person, he ever had the honor of meeting. And this was merely scratching the surface of everything that was to these warm facial features. If Knuckles didnt know better, he'd say he saw adoration in them as well. Admittedly, chances were high it was merely a trick of his fatigued state of mind. Regardless, Silver's undying faith proved too powerful, too contagious to oppose and despite his damaged self-worth trying its damn hardest to prevent it, Knuckles actually felt seen and not alone for the first time in what seemed like eternity.
"Heh…" he huffed quietly, the smallest, barely-there smile forming on his lips while he unwrapped one of his arms from around his legs to wipe away the lingering tears still threatening to fall. It took him a moment, the dampness rather stubborn, but as soon as he managed to dry the remnants of his distress, Knuckles utilized his limb's flow of motion to gently put his hand on top of Silver's own, squeezing it carefully in a gesture of gratitude whilst allowing his tired but brightening gaze to rise and meet the others once again. "Thank you, Silver…"
Instantaneously, Silver lightened up significantly upon hearing these small but oh so magical words. Knuckles could tell even though his sight had not yet fully recovered from being blurred for so long and truth be told, it inspired the rise of something heavily unanticipated deeply within the guardian. A sensation he could not have foreseen if he tried and one he hadnt been able to feel in a very, very long time. Tranquility. Knuckles didnt know why, but there was just something about watching that smile grow, those ears perk and Silver' posture soften in relief that had his effect on him. It was initially startling, yes, but was quickly overshadowed by how beyond pacifying it was. Soothing to his rigid nerves in a way nothing had accomplished since the dawn of this madness. It had him lower his guard, dropping it to the point where he was not only comfortable in permitting himself to let the other in, but to similarly reciprocate the vulnerabilities he was given. A true shift in atmosphere but one the echidna was open to welcome at last.
That was until he felt the other's hand slip out from under his own and wander to unexpectedly settle on a new spot entirely. Knuckles' face. Or rather, his chin. Perhaps needless to mention, but confusion was swift to take shape, the guardian's unbarred expression of thankfulness quickly replaced by that of a frown. What was Silver doing? The echidna certainly had no idea, which is why he was already in the process of opening his mouth to ask this precise question… hadnt it been for the hedgehog fastening his hold and pulling him in before he had the chance.
Shock borderline exploded within the guardian upon this sudden unprompted action, though it wasnt until he found his lips pressed against Silver's own that it took hostage over the entirety of his features as well. Knuckles' eyes widened, his quills and body stiffened and the deepest, darkest shade of red nothing short of erupted onto his poor, unprepared cheeks. He stared at Silver, frozen in place and unable to comprehend what in the world was happening despite experiencing the act with full consciousness. His mind simply gave out the very moment their mouths connected, leaving him in his paradoxical crossway of being mentally there yet not present at all. Which in turn just further added to the struggle of making sense of what was being done to him. Although, by the time Knuckles' brain began to finally process the situation properly, the hedgehog had already withdrawn.
"You're welcome," he replied at last, only for his words to be met with the most dumbfounded expression he had ever seen in his life. He knew it was mean but Silver couldnt help the amused smile cracking onto his lips at the sight. "What's wrong?" he asked teasingly, keeping full eye-contact whilst he leaned back in just a little to further add in a whisper. "Hedgehog got your tongue?~"
The already beef red blush on Knuckles' face darkened even further at the words. Almost to the point Silver was convinced the echidna's head was about to explode. Even so, it did nothing to hinder the growing amusement developing on his whole body, much to other' dismay. The guardian was about to give the mirthful hedgehog a piece of his mind for it, if it hadnt been for a sudden knock cutting him off before he had the chance to even begin.
"Commander…?" a quiet, nearly meek voice spoke, grabbing both leaders' attention and causing them to turn it straight to the door. It was one of the rookies that had joined the resistance a while ago, carefully peeking into the room through the barely opened entrance. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have news…" they informed, which of course captured Silver's and Knuckles' interest more than their unexpected appearance already did. The hedgehog's more so than the echidna's but that was beside the point. Seeing their cue, the rookie swiftly continued. "It's that masked jackal! He has been sighted!"
Straight away, Knuckles felt an icy cold shiver run down his spine, all color instantly draining from his face. The jackal… the very person responsible for almost all their heartache next to the mad human scientist himself, had returned…? Already?! Ohh noo… No no no! This was bad! This was worse than bad! Last time this maniac showed up their forces suffered heavy losses and had since barely managed to recover! They were in no way prepared for this again so soon! What should he do?! What can he even do?! W-What-
At once, all that panic and anxiety from earlier came crashing back down on the echidna. Only this time it felt approximately ten times more intense to the point the poor guardian thought he was experiencing an actual heart attack. Obviously, this abrupt change in behavior didnt go unnoticed by Silver or the rookie. Knuckles literally started to grip his own upper chest when his breathing began to visibly as well as audibly spiral out of control. Far, far too quickly. But while the rookie just stood there and watched helplessly, confused as to where this suddenly came from, Silver decided this was the last straw. He had literally just managed to get the echidna somewhat out of his own head! Enough was enough. It was time to take matters into his own hands.
So, ere this new wave of terror could drag Knuckles into another state of total helplessness, Silver replicated what he had done earlier and put a hand on his shoulder, startling the echidna just enough to effectively disrupt his unfolding hysteria and shift his focus. Away from the tidings and onto the time traveler instead. "Dont worry," he announced. "I got this."
"W-What?" Knuckles was fast to question in utter bewilderment. Though, by the time this one simple word had left his mouth, Silver was already up on his feet and heading for the door.
"I'll handle the dog. No one else is going to die today. I'll make sure of that."
Knuckles could only stare after the leaving hedgehog, his mouth agape in disbelief at what he just heard. Silver cannot be serious. H-He just cant! Going after that jackal may very well accumulate to a death sentence! Should Silver really go after him, then chances are…
"Silver!" Knuckles called out, his first instinct to immediately try and talk the hedgehog out of committing to a mission that'll quite possibly end in his demise. But when said psychic turned around without the slightest trace of fear or doubt in his expression, the echidna found himself halting and unable to voice his protests. There was a certain, unmistakable glint in those yellow eyes… informing him of everything he needed to know. Silver knew exactly what he was getting himself into, but he didnt care. And he would not let himself be swayed from his decicion, no matter what reasons Knuckles could come up with in an attempt to convince him otherwise. He was stubborn like that and had proven so thoroughly, if the past thirty-or-so minutes were anything to go by. As much as the guardian hated to admit it, he recognized this was a battle he'd fight in vain. So, he slowly closed his mouth back up, swallowing around a huge lump that had formed in his throat before taking a deep breath and gazing at his friend with as much faith as he could collect. "…be careful."
For a moment, Silver regarded him silently, their eyes locking in what could very well be the last connection they'll ever share. Yet, despite this sad possibility, the hedgehog's attitude didnt falter. Instead, he let a confident smile form on his lips in response. And it was the last thing Knuckles saw before the time traveler finally resumed his objective and exited the room without another word.
