(Last two Echidnas just here like: =/)

"So..." Jaya-Lee looked at Knuckles.

He was much older than when she left Angel Island. He'd only been nine then. He was sixteen now. And she was nineteen.

It felt weird, like she hadn't actually grown up.

"Master Emerald Guardian?" She continued.

Knuckles looked at her, giving a faint smile in return. "If you want your title back, just ask." He said, assuming she wanted to be guardian like she had been before the Dingos invaded.

"No, no, you can have it. I never wanted the thing, really." She admitted, looking ahead of her. The Sun was setting and the sky was brilliant amber.

"I shouldn't have gone to the temple that day." Knuckles suddenly said. "If I hadn't distracted you, maybe you could've been safe." Jaya-Lee looked at him, a coil of light blue hair getting in her view. "If you had been safe, you could've used the Chaos Emeralds and stopped the Dingos before they..."

"Killed our entire species?"

"Yea..." Knuckles shifted slightly.

Jaya-Lee hummed a bit at that. "Well, you certainly weren't meant to be there."

He didn't respond.

"But that doesn't make the genocide your fault. You were a child, and you went to the person you thought knew what to do."

"But that's not fair to you either. You were twelve."

Jaya-Lee paused, leaning her back against the grass. "Yea... It's the Dingo Clan's fault then." She decided.

"Yea... Fuck those guys." He grumbled. It almost felt cathartic.

"Does that make you feel better?" She asked.

"Not really, Jay... Not really..."