i didn't hear sonic or knux, i couldn't see past the tears flowing from my eyes, "mama, i miss papa!" i cried, malory hugged me tightly as tears flowed from her eyes, pyro and hedge came over to us and hugged me trying to comfort me.

Knuckles walked over and helped Sonic to his feet. "I said I didn't wanna fight," The hedgehog muttered.
"I guess she doesn't care. Wolfish, if you ask me," Knux shrugged.

pyro and hedge jumped down from the tree looking very angry, "she lost her dad and that's all your going to say!" pyro snarled, hedge glared at knux, "i wanted to be you, now, i'd rather beat the pulp outta ya." hedge growled, i sniffed as the tears slowed down, "pyro, hedge, please don't fight them." i said softly, hedge walked back to the tree and climbed up to me, pyro stayed where he was, "both of you need to apologize, now." pyro growled.

Knuckles gaze softened. "I could say the same to you," He said quietly. "At least there are always more wolves and foxes and hedgehogs. I'm pretty much extinct," He turned to walk off, then paused. "I don't know what your issue is, Kit and Malory, but there are better ways to solve problems," With that Knuckles walked off. Sonic glanced at the other four. "I don't know what it's like to loose a parent, but I'm sorry," He zipped off after the echidna without another word.

pyro looked down and walked behind a tree, we then heard pyro crying, hedge dove into a bush and let out his grief of being left without any family, malory sniffed, "what do we do now?" she asked, i shake my head, "i don't know." i whispered, "i'm going to go talk to sonic and knuckles and try to make amends." malory said, she climbed down from the tree and walked in the general direction that sonic and knux went, i used my jetpack and flew to where the master emerald was and floated above it, "if only you were real, tikal then knuckles wouldn't be so lonely." i said softly, hoping tikal would hear.

(i gtg for now)

Knuckles looked around. "I don't think they followed us..." Sonic sighed in relief. "Sorry I dragged you into this,"
"You didn't know. What happened?"
"I dunno. Kit mentioned something, and then..."
Knuckles listened in scilence as Sonic explained what happened.

There appeared to be not response from the massive stone.

"have you ever made Homemade cookies?" she asked rookie looking at him

"Once or twice." He shrugged.

i sighed and landed in front of the giant jewel, i sat there with my eyes closed and my head down.

malory followed the two boys in the trees silently.

"...And you saw the rest," Sonic said as the duo slowed to a halt beside a crystal-clear stream. Aside from a gilded egret lingering in the shallows on the other side, they were alone. Knuckles nodded in understanding, then paused, glancing around.

"Wassup?" Sonic asked.
"We aren't alone..." Knuckles whispered.
"Act oblivious," Sonic whispered back.
The two did so and followed the flow of the stream.
----

There was still nothing from the Emerald.
----

Where Pyro and Hedge were, the young boys were attracting quite a crowd. Hidden in the bushes, two wolves, half a dozen parrots, three small snakes, a pyton, a few colorful frogs, a lemur, and a crested eagel, all looked on in curiostity.