Requiem

Wynmacher gently draped a blanket over Lara-Le. She’d fallen asleep on the couch again, hugging her son’s faded baby blanket. Tomorrow would be the first anniversary of Knuckles’ untimely death and she still showed no signs of coming to terms with it. He had to admit, he wasn’t completely capable of understanding how she was feeling, he wasn’t a parent, even though he had hoped to be someday. Sighing he walked to the window. He knew Locke and Julie-Su weren’t handling it much better.

Locke had been forced back into active duty, leaving Haven to retake the position of Guardian. And as the youngest, he was being pressured to remarry, to produce a new heir to the title, something he obviously didn’t want to do. He felt sorry for his love’s ex-husband. He had lost his only son and now his family wanted him to replace him.

Julie-Su had spent a lot of the time on Mobius, with the Freedom Fighters. She’d only returned recently, after Doctor Robotinic’s latest scheme to thwart his enemies with a robot cast in the form of their fallen comrade. She probably didn’t feel comfortable in Echidnaopolis. Very few of the citizenry had accepted her when she’d been with Knuckles, and now some even blamed her for his death.

Lara-Le had been overjoyed to see the young female, and Wyn had hoped it was a sign that she was coming out of it. But it turned out that she was just happy to have someone else to cry with. Strangely, Julie-Su had been rather stoic. She expressed her feelings, admitted how much she missed Knuckles, that she knew she could never love again. But she had spoken in a rather emotionless tone. Wyn feared the girl was internalising, denying how she really felt. He thought what Julie-Su really needed was to have a good long cry, to let all her feelings out. But then he’d thought some creatures just have different ways of coping.

Lara-Le whimpered and moved in her sleep. He frowned sadly. He was at a loss. He didn’t know how to help her any more than he knew how to help Julie-Su.

~~~~~

Julie-Su awoke with a start. Even after all this time, she was still having the nightmares. Reliving the moment when Dimitri had plunged the Blade of Order into Knuckles, being unable to stop it. Which was strange, as she hadn’t actually seen it happen. But she’d been told about it. Sonic had gone into more detail than she really wanted to hear.

Even now she wondered, why had he just stood there and allowed it to happen? She remembered the numbness she’d felt as the instinctive bond between them had flickered and died like a candle flame.

Then there had been that wonderful, beautiful dream. He’d returned to her, saved her. He’d been everything she’d wanted him to be. Warm, caring, dare she think it, romantic. And it had only happened once. Why couldn’t THAT be recurring?

‘Why do you keep haunting me?’ She thought. ‘Why can’t you just let me get on with my life?’

In the darkness, she looked around the dingy room. It wasn’t much, but it was home. She was actually glad that Locke had held onto it for her. She’d only been back on the island for a couple of weeks. The Chaotix had been happy to see her, even Vector. But they had buried the hatchet some time ago.

A flicker of light caught her eye.

She glanced at the table by her bed, at the crystal he had given her just before he…

She reached out a tentative finger towards its hard curved surface. As she brushed it with the tip of her fingernail it sparked again. With a gasp she quickly pulled her hand away, as if fearing it would burn her. She stared at it for a long moment. It had been designed to absorb and store the ambient Chaos Emerald energy that Knuckles’ body had given off. That was the whole purpose of its existence.

‘It shouldn’t be able to do that.’ She thought as it flickered for a third time.

She picked it up. It was surprisingly warm. She closed her eyes as she felt its soft pulse in her hand. It was soothing, comforting…

Her eyes snapped open.

“By the Walkers!” She whispered.

It felt as if the crystal was calling to her. She could almost hear it’s whispering voice inside her head.

‘This way,’ it seemed to say.

She would tell herself later that it was her own sleep-addled brain that had spoken to her, the realisation of what the crystal’s sudden return of power meant. But right now she was just listening to her heart. She tossed off the blankets and bolted out the door, not even pausing to put on her boots, or something warmer than her nightshirt.

Moving as if possessed, Julie-Su followed the crystal’s lead, out of Echidnaopolis into the wilder parts of the island. Knuckles had always preferred it out here, choosing to live in a cave when, given his station, he could have had his pick of apartments in the city. The wind had picked up and she was beginning to feel a chill, after all, it was coming into the Island’s winter. She pushed her unruly hair away from her face and was about to turn back when a strange feeling came over her.

She gasped. She’d felt it before, but not for a long time, not counting her dream of two months past. That gentle hum she felt in the presence of…

But that was impossible. Wasn’t it? At least, while she was awake.

The forest around her had become dark, impenetrable. It was eerily still. Nobody lived out here. She was pretty sure the Brotherhood didn’t even monitor this far out. She felt a momentary surge of panic as she realised she could be walking into some horrible danger.

As if sensing her fear, the crystal pulsed in her hand, soothingly.

‘It will be all right,’ she thought she heard it say.

She moved quietly, cautiously, through the ever-thickening undergrowth, until she realised she wasn’t alone. Through a break in the trees, she could see a broad shouldered echidna crouching in the dirt. Large hands sifted the soil, almost reverently. She guessed he was male, due to his build. His spines were exceptionally long for a male’s, falling slightly below the small of his back. The pre-dawn light had reduced everything to shades of grey, so it was impossible for her to judge what colour he was.

His head flicked up as he sniffed at the air. His spines flared out menacingly as he spun to face her. He froze in his tracks as his dark eyes locked with hers. She gasped when she saw the white band, like a crescent moon, at his throat.

She stumbled towards him, one hand out before her, the other covering her mouth, her eyes brimming. She was dimly aware that she was all but retracing the steps of her dream.

The gentle smile curled his mouth, his eyes glistening in the last of the moonlight. He didn’t move as she gently touched the white fur at his throat. She wasn’t even surprised when she discovered just how thick and soft his fur was, or how much taller he was. She ran her fingers along the white curve, stopping at the centre when she felt the ridge of scar tissue, just where she knew it would be. She felt his hands cup her face as he gently tilted her head up.

She looked into his deep violet eyes. She could see her own feelings mirrored in them. Confusion, shock, elation. She ran a hand up his slender yet powerful arm. His hands, usually hidden within padded mittens, were bare. She cautiously ran a finger along the sharp spur that was the knuckle of his index finger. Her mind was screaming at her. ‘This can’t be real. I’m dreaming again.’

She didn’t care.

With a heartfelt sob, she threw her arms around him, burrowing in under his chin. She could hear his heart beating, feel the wonderful rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She felt his arms encircle her, holding her tight. He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

For what seemed an eternity they just held each other. She hadn’t shed a tear in all the time she thought he’d been dead, she hadn’t been able to. And now she couldn’t stop. He held her tighter, his own eyes squeezed shut, a single tear threatening to break his macho facade.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She frowned and pulled away from him. There was an overwhelming look of sadness in his eyes, the likes of which she’d never seen before.

“For what?” She asked.

“For being gone so long…for everything I put you through…for the pain I caused…for not saying goodbye… for…”

She placed a finger to his lips. “You did what you had to do, and it saved us all.”

“But…”

“Sure, it’s been a long time, and sure, it was painful,” she smiled. “You’re just gonna have to make up for it.”

He smiled awkwardly, in that bumbling shy way he always did whenever he was alone with her, and she knew it was truly him. As they gazed at each other, she knew there were others she should share this most startling revelation with. But as he gently wiped the tears from her eyes. As they slowly leaned towards each other. As his lips tentatively brushed hers, she didn’t care. At that moment she wanted him all to herself.

Suddenly, he pulled away from her, his eyes widening as he noticed the brightening sky.

“We’re gonna miss it!” He grabbed her hand and began to drag her through the underbrush.

“Miss what?” She demanded, more than a little annoyed. After wanting to feel the warmth of his touch for so long, to be hauled through the forest like this was not how she wanted to spend their reunion.

He released her hand and scrambled up a tree and out onto a sturdy branch. “Are you an echidna or a lemur?” She asked, surprised with the speed and agility at which he’d scaled the forest giant.

He held his hand down to her. “Come on up.”

She was about to take his offered hand when she noticed the branch he was perched on hung over the side of the island. There was nothing beneath him but air. She looked down at the dizzying drop to Mobius Prime, very, very far below.

He cocked his head and smiled at her trepidation. “I won’t let you fall.” He said softly. He looked at her with such earnest eyes, she couldn’t help but take his hand. “The view’s great from here.” He said.

She frowned as she looked at him. He was gazing off towards the distant horizon. His expression reminded her of a child at the prospect of opening birthday presents. It was not a look she’d ever seen on him before. “What are we looking at?” She asked.

He gestured towards the horizon where the first rays of the sun were just beginning to warm the world below them.

“The sunrise?”

“Yeah,” he said with quiet awe.

“Knuckles, the sun comes up every morning.” She sighed, failing to see the point.

“Have you ever stopped to look at it?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the brightening sky.

She frowned at his odd behaviour, his rapt expression. She wondered what he’d been through to make him so…poetic. He closed his eyes as the sun warmed him, and she noticed just how pale his muzzle was. She smiled gently. ‘Has it been a year since you saw the sun?’ She wondered.

She snuggled up to him. He glanced at her briefly as he wrapped an arm around her, then returned his attention to the glory of nature before him. Her eyes never left his face as she watched him watch the dawn.

“I’m hungry.” He said suddenly. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah,” she was stunned by his sudden change in mood, “I guess.”

“Let’s get some breakfast.” He said, scooping her up and gliding gracefully out of the tree.

~~~~~

The day dawned fine and clear over Echidnaopolis. The citizens went about their daily business. Nobody paid any mind to the pair of mix-matched young female echidnas, one tall, her fur a deep burgundy and the other petite, with fur of the palest lilac.

Not that long ago it would have been a completely different story. For these two had not been born in Echidnaopolis. Nor had they been born on the Floating Island. Not long ago, they had been Dark Legionnaires.

But now, with no trace of their former allegiance visible they were just two more faces in the crowd.

“Why are we doing this?” Moni-Ca looked up at her towering companion.

“I don’t think she should be alone today,” Ellie-Za replied. “She hasn’t coped with it very well, and today being the first anniversary…”

“You really think she’ll be in the mood?”

“Probably not,” she admitted, as they reached their friend’s apartment door. “But we’ll fix that. Hey, Julie-Su, you up?” She knocked loudly on the door, only to have it swing open at her touch. The two exchanged a worried glance moments before Ellie-Za all but dove into the room. Her eyes flicked about, taking in the situation.

“I don’t like the looks of this,” Moni-Ca said softly.

Ellie-Za visibly relaxed. “There’s no sign of a struggle,” she announced. “But it certainly looks like she left in a hurry.”

“So what do we do?”

“I guess we go talk to the guys.”

~~~~~

Mighty was staring moodily out the window, his head propped up in his hand. Vector was just finishing his second breakfast burger.

“Are you gonna eat that?” He asked, eyeing the armadillo’s untouched breakfast.

“Help yourself.” He mumbled.

“What’s with you?” The crocodile asked, noticing his friend’s melancholy mood.

“You forget what today is?”

“What?” Vector asked through a mouthful of burger.

“It was a year ago today that…” Mighty trailed off as Vector stopped chewing. He put the burger down.

“I think I just lost my appetite.” He said softly.

“Wonders never cease.” Espio said.

“Hey, guys.”

“Mornin’ Elle, Mon,” Mighty said to the approaching echidnas. Ellie-Za dropped onto a seat beside him.

“H-h-hello,” Ray managed, blushing slightly at the sight of the two females.

“You see Julie-Su at all today?”

“No,” Espio admitted. The quartet sat up, their attention suddenly focused.

“Is something wrong?” Mighty asked.

“I don’t know,” Ellie-Za admitted with a slight frown. “We were going to spend the day with her, you know considering…” they nodded sadly. “But she’s not home.”

“And her door was unlocked.” Moni-Ca added.

“You suspect foul play?” Vector asked with a raised brow.

“No,” Ellie-Za replied. “But considering what today is, and considering how she’s been coping with it, I just, sorta, got a little worried about her. You guys got any ideas? You know the Island better than we do.”

“I dunno,” Vector scratched his head. “How bout we check with the dude in the hat?”

“The ‘dude in the hat’?” Moni-Ca echoed.

“He’s talking about Remington,” Mighty smiled. “I think.”

“How many dudes in hats do we know?” Vector queried.

“Archimedes always wears a hat,” Mighty said. “So do his dad and granddad.”

“Nack the weasel?” Espio suggested.

“Ah, he ain’t a dude,” Vector protested. “He’s a loser.”

“King Max wears a crown,” Mighty mused. “Does that count as a hat?”

“And if it does, then we gotta count Charmy…” Espio added. “And he always wore a flight helmet when he was here…”

“Guys,” Ellie-Za interrupted, “you’re getting off track.”

“Yeah…uh…sorry…” Mighty traced circles on the floor with his foot.

“So,” Vector piped up, “let’s go see the ECHIDNA dude in the hat.”

“Didn’t Hawking wear a hat?” Espio asked.

“Will you guys just drop the hat thing?” Ellie-Za said in disgust.

~~~~~

“I’m not sure this is a good idea…” Moni-Ca said softly as Vector all but slammed open the doors to EST headquarters. Teri-Lu looked up at them, smiling politely.

“May I help you?”

“We’re here to see the boss man.” Vector announced.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“We don’t need no stinkin’ appointment.” Espio hissed.

Ellie-Za slapped a hand on their shoulders. “Guys, have you ever heard the saying ‘You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar’?”

“What’s ya point?” Vector asked.

“She means that you’re more likely to get what you want if you ask nicely.” Remington’s voice came from behind the startled receptionist.

“Hey, Rem man.” Vector grinned.

The dark brown echidna ignored him, turning instead to Ellie-Za. “So what’s the problem?”

“Julie-Su’s missing,” the tall female sighed. “And considering what today is…”

Remington nodded sadly.

“We just though she might be…” Moni-Ca began.

“Doing something a little…” Mighty continued.

“C-c-crazy.” Ray finished.

“Can’t we send out guys to look for her?” Vector piped up. “Declare her a missing person or something?”

“I doubt she’s in any danger.” Remington sighed. “If she was going to do something… crazy…she probably would have done it by now. I can see you’re worried, and I do sympathise,” he sighed again as he looked at the collection of youngsters before him. “Really, I do. But you can’t declare somebody a missing person until they’ve been missing for twenty-four hours.”

“But…” Moni-Ca began to protest.

“I will have my men keep an eye out for her,” he said. “And you could try looking for her in any special places she likes to go. The truth is, she may just want to be alone today.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Or she may be with the Lady Lara-Le…”

“I really didn’t want to disturb her,” Ellie-Za said softly.

“She may like the show of respect,” Remington smiled.

“But I didn’t even know…”

“C’mon,” Vector grumbled. “This ain’t getting’ us nowhere.”

The crocodile stormed out, followed by Espio. With a shrug, Mighty and Moni-Ca followed.

“Sorry,” Ellie-Za sighed. “He really can be a jerk sometimes.”

“You think he’s impatient?” Remington asked. “He’s nothing in comparison to the former Guardian.” He sighed.

“You miss him too?” Ellie-Za asked softly.

“He had so much responsibility. So much power. Sometimes you’d forget he was just a kid,” Remington shook his head. “He was tough as nails, and a little rough around the edges. But you couldn’t help liking him. All his life, he looked out for others. So much so, he died for us. It’s just such a waste, that he never got a chance to live.”

~~~~~

“So, here’s the deal,” Ellie-Za said. “We split up, individuals or pairs, we can cover more ground that way, and check out all the places we can think of where she might have gone. We’ll meet back at the food court at six.”

“Gotcha.” Vector said.

“Ray better stick with me,” Mighty said. “He doesn’t know the island that well…”

“And you better stick with me,” Espio said to Moni-Ca. “You don’t know the island too well either.”

Ellie-Za and Vector eyed each other for a second. Both shook their heads as they came to the same conclusion. There was no way either one was going to spend the entire day alone with the other. But the others had paired off, and Ellie-Za really didn’t know the Island that well, how were they going to get out of it?

Moni-Ca smiled to herself and came to their rescue.

“Who’s going to check with his mother?” Moni-Ca asked softly. All eyes turned to Ellie-Za.

“I don’t even know her.” She protested.

“Maybe not,” Mighty agreed. “But you are the most…diplomatic.”

“Okay, okay.” She sighed. "I'm not sure I agree with the diplomatic tag...but I'll do it..."

~~~~~

Lara-Le knelt in silence before an altar in the aurorium. She gazed with glassy eyes at the sea of flickering candle flames before her, each lit in memory of someone gone to the hereafter. With a trembling hand, she lit one of her own, adding it to the blanket of light. She lowered her head, barely able to contain her tears.

She felt the comforting presence of a warm body beside her. She turned slightly towards the burgundy echidna. The newcomer’s hazel eyes were filled with compassion and understanding.

“Do I know you?” She asked softly. The young echidna looked awfully familar.

“No,” she smiled gently. “But we have a mutual friend.” She offered her hand to the older female. “I’m Ellie-Za.”

“You’re one of Julie-Su’s friends,” Lara-Le said as she took the offered hand. “From the old days.”

“Yes.”

“How is the child today?” She asked.

“As well as can be expected.” Ellie-Za said softly. Inwardly she frowned. Lara-Le hadn’t seen her either. She thought it best not to worry Lara-Le with the news of her mysterious disappearance.

“Will you be seeing her later?” Lara-Le asked.

Ellie-Za nodded. ‘I hope so,’ she thought.

“Can you ask her to come and see me? I think we could both use some moral support today.” Lara-Le tried to smile but couldn’t quite get her mouth to respond.

“Of course,” she smiled.

~~~~~

Julie-Su was completely unaware of all the concern her disappearance had caused. She squeezed Knuckles’ hand a little tighter as he continued to lead her through an impossible dark, impossible small tunnel. Neither the confined space nor the impenetrable gloom seemed to be bothering him in the least.

“Just where are you taking me?” She asked, more than a little concerned.

“You’ll see.” He said brightly.

“Knuckles…”

“We’re almost there.” He assured her. Then he stopped, so suddenly that she walked straight into him. She felt him turn in the darkness, taking a firm grip of her shoulders, he lifted her and deposited her in front of him.

“Knuckles…?”

“Sshh…” he covered her eyes with his hands. “We’re here.”

“Knuckles?!” She grabbed his hands, mindful of the spurs, and tried to remove them.

“You’ll spoil the surprise.” He told her.

She sighed in her exasperation. She wasn’t use to him acting in this manner, but she trusted him. He gently nudged her forward. The ground beneath her bare feet suddenly became smooth and cool. She could hear his toe nails clicking on its hard surface. She could tell by the coolness of the air that they had entered a much larger chamber. She was about to question him when he removed his hands from her eyes.

Her jaw dropped involuntarily as she took in her surroundings. They were in a room of what she could only describe as a palace. It was tiled from floor to ceiling with green and purple tiles. Intricate mosaics and tapestries decorated the walls. It was obviously ancient, but still in good repair. Furniture and fixtures that she couldn’t even guess the use of were arranged about the walls.

“What is this place?” She whispered in awe.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “I found it when I was about ten. The Brotherhood don’t even know about it.”

“How do you know that?” She asked.

“I checked all their records when I was in Haven,” he explained. “I wanted to know what this place was myself. They had detailed entries on Echidnaopolis, Hydrocity, Sandopolis, Lava Reef, Angel Island, Marble Ruins, Rainbow Valley, even something called Sky Sanctuary, that I didn’t know existed. But there was nothing about this place.”

“And you didn’t tell them?”

“Why should I?” He asked, a slight tone of bitterness to his voice. “They kept secrets from me, they probably still do. I’ll probably tell them about it one day. I used to come here when I was a kid, whenever I was feeling lonely or depressed.” He looked around reflectively. “I used to come here a lot.”

“You were depressed a lot?” She asked.

“No,” he said softly. “Lonely. You don’t know what it’s like to think you’re the only one of your kind. To be totally unique.”

She wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder. She tried to picture him back then. All alone. At least she’d had friends.

“Then the Dark Legion showed up. Then Echidnaopolis. And I thought, ‘hey, I’m not alone anymore’. But then I realised, with all the things I can do, I’m still unique. I’m still different. I’m a freak…”

This caught her a little off guard.

“You’re not a freak.”

“You know any other echidnas with these?” He brandished his fist spurs.

She took a hold of one of his hands. “I happen to think they’re wonderful…” He sighed deeply. “So,” she began, wishing to change the subject, “how many beings know about this place?”

“Including you and me?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“Two.” He smiled a little sheepishly.

“You’ve never shared it with anyone else?”

“I never had anyone I wanted to share it with before.”

~~~~~

Locke brushed away the overhanging vines and tentatively entered the cave that had been his son's home. It was cool, dark and mysterious. 'Just like the boy was.' He thought sadly.

It had taken him a year to build up enough nerve to come near the place, to accept that his boy was gone.

He studied the trinkets and mementoes that made up his son's life. Hawking's hat. The books he'd given him for his sixteenth birthday. He felt the tears sting his eyes. He would have been seventeen now. He sat down heavily on the bed.

He picked up the journal he'd given the boy when he was nine, just before he'd left him to go to Haven. He'd only written a few entries. There were more doodles than words.

Locke frowned.

The doodles became rough sketches the further into the journal he went. They increased in detail, becoming magnificent works of art. There was a true artistic talent here.

"You could draw like this?" Locke whispered to the room. "And I never even knew."

The sketches were mostly of nature, of the world he'd seen around him. But towards the back, there were renderings of the people in his life. There was one of Lara-Le, one of himself. One of them both, in happier times. 'Probably did that after she told him she was re-marrying.' There were several of his friends, both on the Island and on the surface. There was one of the Royal house of Acorn, Max, Alicia, Elias and Sally.

The final sketch was of Julie-Su, but not as she had appeared, but more likely, the way Knuckles had seen her. Her spines were free of the Dark Legion's taint. She wore no jewellery, her hair and spines were unadorned. She was beautiful, and yet, pensive. She looked lonely. In fact, she looked a lot like she did now. 'Did the boy know he was going to die when he drew this?'

~~~~~

The sun was long gone when Espio and Moni-Ca entered the food court. The others were already gathered, their expressions telling them all they needed to know.

“You didn’t have any luck either, huh?” He said as he pulled up a chair.

“Nah,” Vector growled.

“Where were you?” Mighty asked. “It’s nearly seven.”

“We went outta town.” He said. “Knux always liked it better out there. I thought maybe she…”

Vector sat up. “Maybe she went to see Sally and the others…”

“I already called them,” Mighty sighed. “They haven’t seen her, and they’re as freaked as we are. They said to let ‘em know what we found, either way.”

~~~~~

Julie-Su gazed into the dancing flames of the fire he’d built in an attempt to keep them warm. Night had descended rather quickly. They’d been so busy talking and laughing, generally just being together, that they’d completely lost track of time. They’d spent hours just exploring his hidden palace. She felt extremely honoured that he’d taken her there. It was his special place, a secret place, that he’d kept hidden from everybody. She was beginning to wish they’d stayed there. It was big and drafty, but nowhere near as cold as it was out in the open.

“Can’t you just glide us back to the city?” She asked, rubbing her arms to encourage circulation.

“There’s no wind,” he said, looking up through the trees, and their motionless branches, “there’s nothing to glide on. Besides, there’s nothing tall enough to climb for an adequate launch.”

“So, we’re stuck here ‘til morning?”

“Looks that way.”

“Where do we sleep?”

“You’re sitting on it.”

She looked down at the ground beneath her. “We have to sleep on the ground? With all the dirt and mud and bugs and stuff?”

He raised a brow. “It’s not that bad,” he smiled. “I do it all the time.”

“Yeah, but not all of us were raised in the wilderness, Nature Boy.”

“It’s only one night.”

“I guess,” she sighed.

She watched him as he settled in for the night, his back against the broad trunk of a tree, his head resting on an exposed root as if it were a pillow. He seemed perfectly content. ‘I guess he has done this before.’ She thought. A gentle, but cool breeze ruffled her fur. She shivered, noticing it didn’t seem to effect him at all. She crawled over and snuggled up to him.

With a startled yelp he backed away, banging his head on the tree trunk. She wasn’t entirely surprised at his reaction. “Will you relax?” She soothed. “I’m cold. And you’ve got that lovely thick coat…”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

She smiled at his obviously uncomfortable expression. “I’m only asking you to share some body heat.” She assured him. “I don’t think either one of us is ready to share anything else.” She added in a shy whisper.

“It’s not that,” he said, adding softly, “well, not just that.” He held up his hands, the backs towards her, brandishing the four very sharp, and very unprotected spurs that were his namesake. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He lowered his head.

She studied them for a moment, then gripped his wrists, holding them in such a way as to keep them safely away from them both. She snuggled up to him again, using his upper arm as her pillow in much the same way he was using the tree’s root. “You could never hurt me.” She whispered.

She sighed as he kissed the top of her head. “Good night.” He whispered.

“Sleep tight.” She replied.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” She could almost feel him smiling.

“You just had to mention the bugs didn’t you?” He chuckled softly until she elbowed him in the belly. “Just go to sleep.”

~~~~~

Julie-Su awoke from the most blissful sleep she’d had in ages. She stretched out in the soft moss, smiling happily. Her eyes widened as she realised something, or rather, someone, was missing.

“Aw, you moved.”

She looked at him curiously, quietly letting out the breath she’d been holding. He was sitting cross-legged about a metre away, with a piece of bark and what looked like a burnt twig.

“What are you doing?” She approached him, peeking over the top of the bark. She stared, her mouth agape at the charcoal rendering on the bark.

“You just had such a beautiful look on your face,” he explained as she took the sketch from him. She looked at him, then back at his drawing. She had had no idea he could do anything like that.

He smiled at her expression. “You’ll find I have many hidden talents.”

She smiled impishly at him. “So I’m beginning to find out.” She chuckled at the uncomfortably shy look that came over him. “You could have at least drawn some clothes on me.”

“I would have if you hadn’t moved.” He stood up. “You want some breakfast?”

“You prepare meals too?”

“I have been fending for myself since I was nine, you know.”

She followed him to where he’d lain out a variety of fresh fruits. “What is all this?”

“Mango, paw-paw, pineapple, guava, coconut and passionfruit.” He pointed to each as he named it. “Picking’s a little slim at this time of year.” He said, indicating some spots on the fruits’ rinds. “They may not look the best, but they still taste fine.” Julie-Su picked up a mango, sniffing its strong aroma. She peeled back the skin and noticed he was gazing off into the distance, towards the barely visible spires of the distant Echidnaopolis.

“We heading home after breakfast?” She asked.

“Gotta go back sometime.” He smiled. “To my family, my friends…” He sighed.

“You don’t want to go back?”

“I’ve been gone for a year. I abandoned my responsibilities. How are they going to take it? ‘Hi, remember me? I’m not dead after all. I’ve just spent the past twelve months temporarily misplaced, leaving you all here to weep your eyes out over me.’”

“You didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter.”

“I just wish I could have contacted you somehow. Save you from all your suffering.”

“Well,” She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re here now, and everyone’s going to be over the moon about it.” She rubbed her cheek against his. “So you better get use to a whole heap of unbridled displays of affection.”

“I think I can handle it.” He smiled. “But we better make a stop at my place first.”

“Why?”

He flexed his fingers and wriggled his toes. “I’m a little underdressed for the city.”

“Knuckles, you normally don’t wear much more than you’re wearing now.”

“True, and I’ve gotten enough flack from some of the more upstanding citizens about it. They think I should wear proper Guardian attire.”

“I didn’t know there was proper Guardian attire.” She frowned.

“I don’t think there is.” He studied his feet. “But I think I’ll need some footwear at least. The pavement can get mighty hot.”

“You can be such a puggle sometimes.” She chuckled.

“Me?” He protested. “You’re the one who was complaining about sleeping on the ground with the bugs.”

“Well, bugs are icky.” She smiled.

~~~~~

“Looks like someone’s sleeping in my bed.” He said softly. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. She looked down, noticing Locke, who was curled up, fast asleep, hugging some kind of book to his chest.

“Oh, you mean him.”

“What did you think I meant?” He turned to her.

She smiled at him wickedly, twisting the tip of one of his spines around her finger, delighting in the deep flush she brought to his cheeks. “And I thought you couldn’t get any redder.” She cooed, kissing him on the tip of his nose.

He disentangled himself from her and knelt down beside the bed. “Dad?” He said softly. Locke moved in his sleep but didn’t awaken.

“Dad?” He repeated, a little louder. When he still failed to get a response, he placed a hand on the older echidna’s shoulder, shaking him gently.

Locke’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up into the face that so much resembled his own. “By the Walkers,” he whispered, his eyes widening. He sat up, touching his son’s face. Knuckles smiled as his father pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Where on Mobius have you been?”

“I don’t think I was anywhere on Mobius.” He pulled away from his father. “I’ll explain everything. Or at least as much as I can. But do you mind if we get everyone together first? I’d kind of a like to only have to say it once.”