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Angel Island is peaceful this time of the year. No one visits and the sky looks beautiful at sunset. Because it isn't ravaged by the seasons, the trees are truly in their glory.
Knuckles, on the other hand, wasn't taking in the scenery. He was busy practicing his combat moves on a tree that had been void of bark for quite some time. He hadn't even noticed Rouge when she landed on a nearby tree.
Rouge, realizing her position, smirked as she glided down. "Hey, big boy. Having fun?"
Knuckles, surprised someone snuck up on him, crashed into the tree, leaving a dent where his head hit. After a minute, he got up with some help from Rouge. "Rouge! What are you doing here?" Knuckles asked, rubbing his head. "Not to steal my emerald, I hope..."
"I was here to see you." Rouge turned around and walked towards the edge of the island. "But if you're going to accuse me of crimes I have yet to commit, I'll just leave." Rouge turned to face Knuckles, glad to see he looked confused. "Have a Merry Christmas. Maybe I'll come by after the holidays." Rouge said, jumping off to glide back to the mainland.
"Christmas?" Knuckles thought, turning back towards the shrine.
---
Knuckles sat in front of the shrine, legs folded and eyes closed. He was breathing slowly and seemed completely at peace.
"Knuckles!" Tails exclaimed as he came into view of the shrine. Close behind him was Amy Rose and Cream. "They wouldn't leave me alone until I brought them here. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Tails." Knuckles exhaled deeply and opened his eyes. "What can I do for you?"
"We were curious if any mistletoe grows on the island." Amy smiled.
Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "Amy, you're going to have to tell me what mistletoe is first."
"Oh..." She pulled out a small notebook and showed him a sketch. "They're these little plants with red berries."
"Those weeds?" Knuckles makes a face at the drawing. "A lot grow a bit east of here. You have plans for the stuff?"
"Yes!" Both girls chorused, causing Tails to shudder.
"I...guess that's fine, if you're getting them off my island." Knuckles settles back into his meditation. "Help yourself."
"Thank you, Mr. Knuckles!" Cream shouted as they rushed off.
Knuckles meditated for a minute or so before realizing that Tails was still standing nearby. "Not going with them?"
"If I don't see them pick any, I can't tell Sonic where they got it from." Tails sat down next to Knuckles, mimicking his pose. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to meditate."
"Oh..."
The two sat in silence for a minute, before Knuckles opened his eyes and looked over to Tails. "Do you know what they want those weeds for?"
"The mistletoe?" Tails scratched the back of his head. "It's a Christmas tradition, I guess. If you catch someone under it while it's hanging, you're supposed to kiss them."
"Ah." Knuckles chuckled. "I can guess why Amy wants it then. Not sure about Cream, though."
"I'm, uh, trying not to think about it too hard."
"So, it's a...Christmas tradition?"
"It sure is."
Knuckles mind wandered back to Rouge's visit. "Tails, what is Christmas?"
"Um, it's a holiday where people exchange gifts and, uh..."
"Has a kissing tradition?"
"Yeah, I guess?" Tails shrugged. "I didn't really celebrate it until after I met Sonic. I don't know much about it either."
The two settled into a silence.
---
Sonic took a step back, admiring the work he had put into the shack. The lights on top said Merry Christmas and the house looked like a freshly wrapped present. It was even worth calling in a favor from Team Chaotix to get a tree up beside the building. It would've been easier if Espio had been around, but he had left weeks ago to spend the holidays with a friends. "Finished just in time." He smirked as he heard the propeller of a plane in the sky above. He turned around to see the Tornado trundle to a stop on the workshop's runway. "Surprise, buddy!"
With a shocked look on his face, Tails slowly climbed out of the cockpit. Behind him, Amy and Cream hopped out of the plane and started unloading its cargo hold.
"Hey, Tails! I said surprise!"
"My...workshop..."
"Buddy?"
Tails just stood there, gawking at the workshop.
"See ya later, Sonic!" Amy cooed as the girls started to leave.
"Uh...bye, Amy, Cream." Sonic replied, then looked at what they were carrying away toward Station Square. "Um, where'd you get all the mistletoe?"
"Does it matter?" Amy let out a giggle as the two girls go over a hill.
"Yeah, it mat-"
"IS THAT PAINT?"
"Well..."
"You painted my workshop, Sonic!?"
---
Sonic laughed and sat down across from Tails. "Sorry Tails." He said, handing him a mug of hot chocolate. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't miss me while I'm gone."
"Where do you even go every year?"
"Home."
"This is home."
"Home's not any one place."
"So, you're still not going to tell me?"
"Sorry, buddy." Sonic ruffled Tails' head. "It's something I need to do on my own. But you know I'll be back Christmas morning, bright and early."
"I guess..." Tails takes a sip from his mug. "Did you know that Knuckles doesn't know what Christmas is?"
"Really now?"
"Well, he has lived alone for so long..."
"Hmm..." Sonic stood up and smiled sadly. "I should probably get going. I want to make sure I get there on time, y'know."
Sonic had zoomed out of the workshop before Tails could say anything.
---
Rouge frowned as her phone rang, interrupting her musings over her recent conversation with Knuckles. She had gone there in the spirit of Christmas to spread some holiday cheer, yet he had wrongly assumed she was up to no good. Reluctantly, she answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hey, Rouge! How do you feel about doing a stealth mission on Angel Island?"
"Now is probably not the best time." Rouge let out a long sigh. "I'm trying to be...nice. I'm not going to help you with any pranks."
"Well, as luck would have it, the mission I have in mind is nice."
"Uh-huh."
"Totally. It has to be a surprise, but all I really want out of it is to make sure Knuckles has a great Christmas."
"I didn't think you had that in you."
"Well, it might be his first one, from what I can gather."
"Oh..." Rouge holds the phone away from her and stares at it, then brings it back to her ear. "Oh. What do you need me to do?"
---
Knuckles couldn't believe his eyes as he woke up. The trees around the shrine were all glittering with fresh fallen snow. "It never snows around the shrine..." he muttered, looking around in bewilderment. Seeing a note attached to one of the pillars, he yanked it down and started to read.
Yo Knucklehead,
Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends, and enjoy peace and sharing. Check out the clearing north of the shrine.
Sonic
Knuckles sighed and crumpled the note. "What has he done to my island?" He followed a path north, groaning as he saw decorations of streamers and lights growing more flamboyant. Finally, he came to a tree that practically glowed with the decoration, atop of which a star was placed. "Great, he left me another mess to clean up." He directed his gaze to the base of the tree upon hearing a yawn. There, he saw Rouge hanging from one of the lower branches with a brightly colored box laying under her. "Rouge?" He stepped forward and shook the bat.
"Wah!" Rouge unfurled her wings and dropped to the ground in a crouch, blearily glaring at Knuckles. "What did you do that for!?"
"What are you doing on my island?"
"This was Sonic's idea. He kept me up half the night setting this up." She scowled as she noticed a bow resting on her forehead and tossed it aside. "See if I do him any favors again. It does look nice, though."
"And what's this?" Knuckles growled, tapping the box with his foot.
"You really are clueless, aren't you?" Rouge sighed with a smile. "It's a present, you big doof. You can open it."
Knuckles looked at Rouge doubtfully, then pulled the lid off the box. He chuckled at seeing a piece of mistletoe on top of a pair of gloves.