Welshausten, Jacklethekitsune, Mana the Cat Magician, LivingFire, 01sonamy01, IHeartSonAmy, CherrletheChicken, the holograph of rugtugba, poka, Novus Umbra, XoxoSonamy440oxoX, EmoGlaceon, Writer's Freedom: You guys are too nice to me, you know that? Thanks a ton! :D

My long author notes are actually in the text itself this chapter. I get the feeling that's how it should be, let the writing speak for itself...

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Chapter 4: One and Only

...ooo...

A low grunt escaped Knuckles' throat as he set down his most prized possession in the middle of the engine room. As strong as the echidna was, it seemed like carrying the Master Emerald always took a lot out of him. Maybe because the gem was so dear to him and bursting with Chaos Energy, making it a big load for anyone. That, or he was still nursing aches and pains, fresh off the battle of the millennium.

Or it was in his mind anyway. No one else seemed to see the magnitude of the situation.

Knuckles wasted no time in hooking up the oversized Emerald to the engine, letting it power the Cyclone to break the dimensional barriers so they could get the heck out of this freaky world and back home. Home.

"Everything okay in there, Knuckles?" Tails' young voice called over the intercom, making sure he could take off.

"Yep, it's all good now Tails. Bring us home," he called back to one of the few people he could consider a friend.

Within seconds the Cyclone purred to life and shot the heroes into the dimensional void, back towards their own world. Back where they belonged. Well, nine out of ten of the group, anyway.

Finally allowing himself to exhale, Knuckles tore his gaze away from the Master Emerald, letting his mind rehash the recent whirlwind of events.

...xxx...

For all of his sixteen years, there had been a few things that Knuckles had taken as gospel truths.

1. He was the Guardian of the Master Emerald.

2. He was the last echidna.

That was what Knuckles knew. Both truths had defined his whole existence up until... recently.

But he'd become content with his simple, somewhat boring life. He'd had to. It was his duty. His destiny. His lot in life. He didn't have the luxury of running around where he pleased or freely searching for treasure like some people he knew. He was stuck. On Angel Island. As the last echidna. Carrying out his duty, day after day. It was something that had been thrust upon him - yet he clung to it. For it was his life. The Master Emerald was his past, present, and future. So he was proud - of who he was and his heritage.

And then, quite out of nowhere, there was... her.

The first time he'd seen her, Knuckles had been guarding the Master Emerald, just like he did day after day, when she'd appeared and fought him, finally winning and taking away the powerful relic. At the time, Knuckles didn't even know who she was, let alone that she was an echidna.

He'd been put in some sort of prison by these technologically advanced...things, but that couldn't keep him for long. Soon enough, he'd been able to free himself and ran into Sonic, who'd finally come back after his long trip. Knuckles had agreed to work with him and the others, but only to get his Master Emerald back. He didn't take to people stealing it. Still, throughout the adventure, his mind had kept easing back to that strange encounter. Finally, one thing led to another, and Knuckles and his assailant were about to go at it once again, when the unthinkable happened.

Shade had revealed her true identity. He'd been stunned to see the dreadlock quills, peach muzzle, and lavender eyes hiding behind all of that armor... She was the only other echidna that he'd ever laid eyes on. And he was beginning to think that she would be the only one he'd ever need or want to.

But before he could even have time to recover from his shock, Knuckles had been forced to fight her - only to be put in awe by her skills. Sure, she relied on technology, but there was no denying that she was an incredible fighter.

The next few hours were a blur. He couldn't remember anything but following Sonic around and fighting, as his mind had just been on one thing:

I'm not the last...

There are others...

I don't have to be alone anymore...

Her.

But... it didn't matter if they were echidnas, did it? They were the enemies. He'd finally found someone to understand his past and his duty and his existence... and they were the bad guys.

It almost wasn't fair.

Still - Knuckles wasn't a whiner. He took his lumps like a man and dealt with his problems using his fists. He just kept his mouth shut and kept fighting, as he'd vowed to protect the Master Emerald from all foes - including echidnas.

But then... she'd turned. When Ix had revealed his true plot to take over their world and not just return to it, then Shade had broke away from him, wanting nothing to do with his evil plans. Of course, Ix had discarded her, almost killed her, and Knuckles... well, he didn't remember any thoughts flooding his mind, only his body springing into automatic action. He'd saved her from a nasty fall. Why? Because... to him, Shade equaled hope. Especially since she'd defied Ix. So maybe, not all the Nocturnus were evil.

He'd come to know and respect her over the trip. She was serious, not wasting words. She was intelligent, sharper than a sword. She was unrelenting in combat, being trained well. And most of all, Shade understood him. They'd hit it off like they knew each other for years. Knuckles found himself telling her things he wouldn't tell anyone else. She was an equal.

...xxx...

Knuckles' decision concerning Ix hadn't been as easy as everyone had made it out to be. Normally Knuckles was a simple guy who lived by a few rules. There was him, and his emerald. But when they had appeared... that had all changed. And the others... they just didn't understand.

They never did.

Sonic... well, the hedgehog never could get his eyes off himself and his own bravado, but that was nothing new. Sonic had just thought he was crazy when Knuckles suggested that maybe they weren't doing the right thing by going after Ix. Of course; Sonic saw everything so simply, in black and white, good and evil. Knuckles... he knew that there were shades of gray. That was why he was willing to trust Eggman if the doctor gave him a reason to. And maybe Ix wasn't as bad as he seemed...

The others weren't any more help. Tails hadn't even noticed that he'd been having a internal conflict... and was too young to be of much help anyway. And where else could he go? Amy? Too busy making up fake boyfriends because she couldn't get a real one. Shadow? Why the heck would he care? Omega? He was a robot without any shred of feelings. Big or Cream? Please. And don't get him started on Batgirl, who only loved to hear herself talk.

But Shade? Whole different story. She understood. She took time to listen and help him work out his inner conflict. Knuckles had never been so torn, so... confused in his life. He'd believed one thing his whole life, only to have that whole idea pulled out from under him, leaving him shaken to the core. They were echidnas. He'd been shocked. Knuckles had never been one to share his thoughts or feelings, as he'd always been alone, with his own speculations.

But then she had come... an echidna... just like him.

It was a strange feeling that Shade gave him. She made him feel... like he was understood. He'd never even considered that was something that he'd been craving before. That wasn't the only feeling she gave him, however... there was also something... deeper, stronger tugging at his heart. Something he couldn't attach words to.

And ultimately, Shade was what had sealed the deal on his final decision. Yes, his guardianship played a large role. But it was because of Shade, and the hope that she gave him, that Knuckles hadn't sided with Ix in the end. In maybe the most important decision of his life so far, he'd stuck to his guns, his heritage, his duty, and his friends.

All because of her.

...ooo...

Shade had never seen anything like this before.

The most mismatched group of heroes she'd ever encountered, working together to save the world despite their blatant differences. Growing up as a member of the "long lost" Nocturnus clan, all Shade had known up to this point was training for war and combat. She didn't know much about friendship, about defiance, about humor, about... love. It was just a very different world.

Led by a rather... erratic hedgehog, this group had defied Lord Ix and fought to save the world against all possible odds. Why, the Nocturnus had far advanced technology - this group had the otherwise impressive but inferior in comparison Cyclone. The Nocturnus lived off leech blades and warp belts - this team had only their own natural abilities, such as super speed, super strength, and hammers that appeared out of nowhere. The Nocturnus were raised to be soldiers - while the members of this gang appeared to be self taught. They were, quite simply, impressive and inspiring. Shade was honored to work with all of them.

She'd been impressed by their quasi-leader, Sonic, yes, as he was just an extraordinary individual. But there was another figure that had caught her eye... and that was the lone echidna of their group, Knuckles. He was the one who kept them all on track, who took absolutely no bull from anyone, who was serious and obviously devoted to his duty as a Guardian. He was incredibly strong, too. He was the one who impressed her the most. Why, he'd stuck up with her and was willing to give her a chance, when most of the other members were rightfully suspicious.

Why, the first time she'd captured him in her vision without her mask, she'd been shocked. She wasn't sure if there would be any more of Pachacamac's descendants left after Perfect Chaos had destroyed them all... but here he was. Knuckles was a sort of testament to the strength of her clan's old rivals: despite everything, he was still there, and he was still holding on.

Ultimately, Knuckles was an inspiration for her. He had her thinking that maybe, there could be more to her life than fighting.

Which is why, as soon as they had piled back into the Cyclone after the battle, Shade had sought him out... to get more answers.

...xxx...

The door to the engine room opened silently, and Shade slipped in, hoping that she wasn't disturbing Knuckles. It was times like these that she desperately missed her warp belt and its accompanying ability to teleport. But if she hadn't given it up to help repair the Cyclone, then none of them would be heading back home now.

She tread quietly across the floor, approaching the stoic guardian, who was standing like a statue in front of the large, shiny Emerald.

"It's quite beautiful," Shade breathed, walking up beside Knuckles in front of the Master Emerald, letting her eyes feast on the glowing gem. "All the technology that my clan has created really does pale in comparison to power of this wonderful Emerald."

Knuckles turned his head and smiled, glad that it was her. He really, really didn't want to see anyone else at this point. "Yes, it is. The legends say that the gods created it to balance out the powers of the Chaos Emeralds."

"Gods..." Shade mused. "Some of my people believe that a higher being might have been what brought us into the exile of the Twilight Cage in the first place, since we were becoming too powerful by conquering the world. To balance out the power. So that would be consistent."

"I don't know, Shade. It's possible. "

A silence followed, along with the customary awkwardness; the two echidnas stood together, just a few feet apart, breathing the same stale air of the Cyclone. After a few seconds Knuckles shifted his weight and crossed his arms, not used to some one else being with him there. Not that he minded that she was here...

"I've been meaning to thank you," Shade suddenly said, breaking the ice and trying to start a conversation. "For saving me from falling off of..."

"Angel Island," Knuckles offered, a small smile appearing. "Don't mention it."

"Knuckles..." she paused, not sure exactly where this anxiety and nervousness was coming from. It was very unlike her. "Why... why did you save me? At the time, I was your enemy. I had tried to kill you. And yet, you forgot about that to risk your own life to dive after me."

He turned back to her, his heart skipping as he traced her terracotta and cream-dipped quills that complimented her light, lilac eyes so well. Why had he saved her? Not because of her beauty that was so entrancing him now...

"I... you gave me hope," he said simply. "I've been the last my whole life, Shade... you know this. And when I saw you defy Ix... that you might not be... evil... I acted. I hate to see a life wasted, either way. But you..." he trailed off, out of words. Or atleast, the thoughts were there, but he didn't know how to portray them. "I just had to save you."

Perplexed at his answer, Shade tilted her head. His muzzle was starting to take on the same color as his quills. Why was he embarrassed?

She sighed. "I still can't believe that I... was so blind, by trusting Ix." Shade looked shamefully down at her boots. "Why didn't I see the signs of what his true plans were? Maybe if I hadn't wanted to go to your world so much, I would have been paying more attention. I... trusted too much, let my heart get in the way."

"You shouldn't be ashamed," Knuckles said, glancing at her. "It happens to me all the time."

Her lavender eyes captured his deeper violet ones. "What do you mean?"

"I take others at their word, always. I tell the truth and expect as much back. And for awhile, I wanted to side with Ix, too."

"But in the end you didn't. Why is that, Knuckles?"

"I remembered what was truly valuable to me."

Truly valuable... why did those words strike Shade so hard?

Because you've never considered or felt anything like this before...

This was so odd... Knuckles was making her think and feel things she didn't know were possible in the training grounds of the Nocturnus. He brought out a side of her she didn't know existed. And she'd only known him for how long?

Her eyes drifted over his unclothed body and she found heat rising to her cheeks. She wasn't used to seeing a male... without armor covering him. She shook the indecent thought out of her head and forced her eyes off of his incredibly toned and muscular arms and abs.

"And... you." He glanced back at the Master Emerald for a second, and then back at the female echidna.

"Me?" Shade now found herself blushing deeply, not used to all of these intense emotions flooding her veins, fueled by a rapidly pumping heart.

"Yes," he breathed. "You... reminded me of who I truly am. I've never met anyone quite like you, Shade."

For a minute, lavender and violet eyes met, exchanging feelings that words couldn't quite convey.

"Knuckles... when we get back to your world..."

The guardian snapped out of his trance, back to reality. "I'll be guarding the Master Emerald. Just like I always have."

She lifted her head up and was about to say, "You are a very admirable man. Out of all the men I've worked with... you stand out.." But the words somehow got choked in her throat.

Why can't you tell him? It seemed silly to be stuttering over such a simple statement, but Shade had never felt this way around a man before. She found herself enthralled by his every movement, gesture, breath. How long had she known him? And yet...

She ended up saying, "You've always been alone, haven't you?"

"For the most part. That's how I wanted it, though."

Shade frowned at this comment, but Knuckles outdid her expression. "I-I mean, it's not that I don't want company... but... my main visitors have been Sonic, Batgirl, Eggman, or some one else trying to steal the Master Emerald. No one who understands..." he trailed off and diverted his gaze, wondering how that last statement had slipped out from his normally guarded, unemotional speech...

Shocking both of them, Shade reached over to break the touch barrier, gently taking his much larger hand in hers.

"I do."

A strange blush came over his muzzle, but Knuckles warily raised his indigo eyes to meet her lilac ones. Her hand was petite compared to his huge one, yet, Knuckles could feel the heat of her gentle contact spread all throughout his body.

"I know."

More seeming eons of silence passed between the echidnas, when Knuckles suddenly reached to take her other hand, clasping it gently inside the protection of his powerful fists.

"Shade..."

"Knuckles...?"

"I...I've never felt this way, around anyone before, Shade. Normally I don't let my guard down, as I can't... I don't know what it means, but... all throughout this trip, I have never ceased to be impressed by you. Your knowledge, your skills, your beauty..."

Somehow, with each passing word, Knuckles had sneaked up closer to Shade, so they were now so very close to each other, breathing the same air. Emotions and long-suppressed hormones were running high for both of them. The only part of Shade that wasn't paralyzed by the male echidna's actions were her eyelids, cloaking his image from her sight for a long moment.

"Knuckles, I've never felt this way, either. I've never met a man as strong and determined and handsome as you..."

Her heart was now pounding at a rate she didn't believe was possible as she felt Knuckles' face move closer and closer. Is he going to kiss me? Oh, why did she want him to do that so much? She craved his touch, his embrace... Shade was now blushing up a storm as his lips approached her own pair, ready to encase them...

He turned, exposing a crimson hued cheek. "Shade... As a guardian... I've never been able to get close to anyone before. I don't know if this would work or if I could do this."

Something like disappointment hit her, but Shade tapped into the more logical side of her brain. "I understand, Knuckles. I know you have a duty and I respect that. We don't have to jump into anything too fast. But Knuckles, if there's anything I've learned from you all and that you've taught me... it's that you shouldn't be afraid... to care. And to love."

His heart warmed at this statement, and Knuckles turned back to Shade, her lavender eyes melting his heart further. "You're right... and if there's anything I've learned from you, it's that... some things are worth caring about..."

And with that, Knuckles leaned forward, breaking all air between them to finally kiss the girl. Her lips were warm, sweet, and soft, and they made his heart pound like crazy. His hands left hers and curled around her waist, pulling her slender yet strong body up close to his. Shade melted into his arms, her own hands finding their way up to his dreadlock quills. She felt like she was spinning around in bliss.

Never, ever had either echidna felt like this before... never had they been willing to let their guards down... never had they felt understood. Not until... they met each other.

Knuckles was the one to break the kiss, a light smacking sound resulting from their lips parting. He stared deeply into the pinkish lilac swirls of her eyes, feeling a joy and tenderness and love bubble into his heart.

A rare smile lit up Shade's face. "Knuckles... when we get back... I'll be there. On Angel Island, guarding your Emerald. With you."

"Nothing could make me happier, Shade..." Knuckles said honestly, and then leaned forward to kiss her once more, as the Cyclone finally broke out of the dimensional void, bringing all 10, much more happy heroes back home.

End

...ooo...xxx...ooo...xxx...ooo...