The Gems in Us All (HIATUS)

Love?

It seemed to Tails that time just stopped whenever he saw her.

He watched her from a distance, her pale hands tending to the plants around the camp. He couldn't let her see him. No, not in a million years. They were so different...

"Just talk to her already!"

Tails jumped, falling back onto his back. "Wha-!" He looked up to see his friend giggling. "Sonic!" He hissed. "You'll give me away!"

Sonic rolled his head. "Dude, you're never going to get into the friend-zone unless you man up and talk to her."

"It would never work between us..."

"Your heart doesn't think that."

"You know," they both jumped as the very person they'd been talking about poked her head over the bushes. "You guys stink at being covert."

Sonic patted Tails on the shoulder. "Good luck, bud." Then he was gone.

Tails bit his lip then got up. "I...I um..." he felt his cheeks burning. "...I'm Tails! A-Actually it's Miles Prower, but my friends call me Tails!"

The girl giggled. "No need to be so modest, Mr. Prower..."

Tails blushed even more. Mr. Prower...!?

"My name is Cosmo. Cosmo Seedrian."

"I know. I-I mean, okay!" Tails buried his face in his tails, the embarrassment too much to bear any longer. "I'm so sorry...!"

He felt her put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I understand."
He looked up at her again, seeing her smile gave him shivers. "Meet you up here tomorrow afternoon?"

Tails nodded. "S-Sure."
As Cosmo hurried off again, Tails took off away from the camp to find Sonic. First to tell him he had talked to her.

And second to pound him for putting him in that situation.

.............................................................

Knuckles could see Tikal walking towards his hut, holding a basket of fruit in one hand. "Not another one...!" He groaned. "Tikal, at this rate you'll harvest the entire island before the end of the week!"

Tikal blushed. "Sorry... I just need something to do. I get all fidgety when I'm nervous."

"What are you nervous about?"

Tikal set the basket down. "I'm standing on a floating island that goes anywhere in the world, with a man I was told to marry whether I wanted to or not...I miss home."

Knuckles shrugged. "I could take you back, if you wanted."

"And dishonour both of our families? No, I'd rather be lonely on this rock."

"How can you feel lonely? I'm here."

Tikal crossed her arms. "You hardly talk to me unless it's scolding me for picking peaches!" She plopped down on a boulder. "I'm just overwhelmed, okay?"
Suddenly there was a crash, and Knuckles hurried out of his hut. "What was that?"

"Trouble." Knuckles replied. "Stay here where you won't get hurt."

"But-"

"Stay. Put."
Knuckles took off towards the shrine, his hands ready for battle as he saw Eggman's robots. "This is what I get for getting a girl to distract me on my island...!" He growled.

He didn't bother to announce his arrival, just slashed through the robots with his shovel-claw.

"Good morning, Knuckles!" Eggman called. "Good to see you're as angry as ever."

"Get your robots off of my island, Egghead!" Knuckles shouted.
He knew he was overwhelmed, but he kept fighting even as they fired at him repeatedly. "Rrrraugh!"

Suddenly a robot's head fell off, then another. Then another. As the robots all collapsed, Knuckles saw Tikal standing there in battle attire, and holding a scythe-ended spear in both hands.

"I'm no damsel to order around, guardian...!" She replied. "As for you!" She pointed her spear at Eggman. "Keep off our island!"

Knuckles grinned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Right. Our island."

Eggman took off, and Knuckles watched as Tikal held out her hand. "Partners?"

"...Partners."