Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters are the copyrighted material of Sonic Team and SEGA. These characters are used without permission without the intent of compensation for my time and effort.
Italics are
thoughts.
Recap
In our previous story - Guardian's End – Knuckles the Echidna met a tragic end in a concentrated attack by Sonic and others against Dr. Eggman. He sacrificed his life so that Rouge the Bat would live. In his final moments, dying in Rouge's arms, he hinted at his true feelings with his last act.
Phoenix Rising
Prologue
Aftermath
None of the heroes could look at eachother. Silence surrounded them as Amy Rose sobbed over the crimson figure on the ground. They had all seen death. It was a given in their chosen path through life. You just couldn't save everyone. But the grim reaper stared up at them all from underneath Knuckles' lidded eyes, mocking them and their mortality. Miles 'Tails' Prower had already vomited nearby, still unused to the cruel reality of life and death. Shadow the Hedgehog kneeled over the fallen hero, offering a prayer for his comrade's passing into the afterlife. Sonic stood disbeliving, his sight blurred by tears running silently down his face.
Suddenly, all those close calls came rushing back to Sonic. The first badnik, each of his fights against Eggman, Metal Sonic, his narrow escape from the ARK escape pod. Harshly, he realized that it should be him on the ground. He had had far more lucky breaks than Knuckles. "It isn't fair . . . It isn't fair . . ."
"It isn't fair!"
His shout only caused Amy to cry harder. Rouge just continued staring at the corpse on the hard dirt. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, but she seemed beyond crying, so great was her grief. Shadow rose from the body, and turned his back, hiding his misty eyes as best he could.
Tails finally dragged himself closer to the group, his eyes bloodshot. He looked around at those assembled, and finally mustered up enough courage to speak . . ..
"So what now?"
All of them seemingly ignored him, but internally each was debating what a proper response would be. Shadow turned back around and looked at each of them in turn.
"It's my feeling that he should be buried on Angel Island, with his people."
The group turned and looked at Shadow. They stared at him for sometime, before Sonic finally began to nod. Slowly, each followed suit . . ..
Some time later
Black was the dominant color among the remaining heroes as they stood around the Hidden Palace. No one spoke if they could. One by one, they had filed past Knuckles sparse coffin. Vector had chosen to speak the eulogy.
"None of us knew Knuckles beyond what mythology surrounded the Master Emerald, and what little he himself had told us. In the small span of time that I knew him, he led the Chaotix as well as anyone else could have. When that adventure ended, we all went our seperate ways, but I myself was most sad to see the last of the Echidnas leave. He was as loyal and purehearted as any of us, and the world is a darker place without his presence. I now wish that I had tried harder to be his friend, and I hope that his death will have taught me a lesson I should have learned long ago. No matter how strong or courageous you are, nothing can fill a void in your life as a friend can."
The rest of the funeral was a subdued event. None spoke as his Knuckles' body was laid to rest, but most cried. All present felt dead on the inside, and no one dared break the silence. Black met blue as the two prominant hedgehogs among the small crowd met in front of the Master Emerald.
"Sonic, you know what needs to happen."
"This isn't the time Shadow.", Sonic replied bitterly, feeling that his usual retort of faker wasn't appropriate in such circumstances.
"Eggman has near unlimited resources, and he knows how to reach this place, or so you have told me."
"I know, but who knows what the Master Emerald will do if we try to touch it? As far as I know, only Knuckles had any inkling to what the Emerald is truly capable of, and . . .."
"Well, how did he become Guardian? Surely there must have been someone before him?"
"There wasn't."
The voice seemed to come from nowhere, and everywhere at once. All eyes turned toward the Master Emerald, and to their astonishment, a light within was pulsating! Suddenly, a light flashed, and before them stood an echidna.
"Tikal.", Sonic said simply. The echidna princess nodded slightly, and turned to the assembled group.
"I think that you all should know of Knuckles past. As some of you may have surmised, Knuckles has been the last of the echidnas for some time. Since the Great Disaster to be exact. He was born shortly before my tribe's assault on Chaos. When Perfect Chaos went rampant, the Master Emerald sought out a new guardian, one who would be more malleable and easily controlled than Chaos had been. It found Knuckles, an infant at the time, and shaped him into the warrior that you knew. He spent his whole life alone, until he met Robotnik. The rest is history."
All stared at the apparition for a short time, before Rouge talked for the first time since Knuckles' death.
"How can you toy with someone's life like that! You never even gave him a choice in the matter! You forced him into servitude for thousands of years!"
With a final wail of despair, she sank once more to the ground, sobbing. Amy knelt down next to the bat, trying to comfort her as best she could.
Espio strode forward, fresh tears in his eyes as he accused Tikal.
"Knuckles' past, though interesting, isn't your real purpose here, is it? What urgency has brought you before us?"
"The Master Emerald needs a new Guardian."
Shadow walked forward to address the ghost, his voice having the full attention of his comrades.
"We all know what will happen. The Docter has an opening. With Knuckles dead, nothing is left standing between him and the Master Emerald. He has reached the Hidden Palace before, what is to stop him from doing it again? The only choice is to find a new Guardian."
"Actually, we were hoping that one of you might volunteer."
This question did not come unexpectedly. Unfortunately, none had prepared. Many quick glances and nervous coughs were exchanged, but they were quickly stopped as Shadow spoke once again.
"I volunteer."
Tikal smiled, and the Master Emerald brightened once more.
"You understand the consequences of your actions?"
"I am immortal, as far as I know. I'll need something to do for eternity."
Shadow's macabre humor did nothing to lighten the mood, and his friends visibly saddened as he approached. Sonic suddenly darted forward though, and grasped Shadow's arm.
"Wait! Tikal, what if Shadow wishes to pass this burden onto someone else? What happens then?"
"Fortunately, we have decided that what we did to Knuckles was against his God-given rights as a living being. We know that simply apologizing underwhelmingly insuficient, but we feel that at least bestowing the choice upon those that follow in his footsteps is the only thing we can do."
Shadow wrenched his arm out of Sonic's hold, and calmly walked forward. As he approached, Tikal kneeled upon the emerald, and reached her hand out to grasp his.
"We shall return in one week. In the meantime, we ask that you remain here to guard the Controller. It will be defenseless while I guide Shadow on his path."
Sonic merely nodded.
Tikal pulled firmly on Shadow's hand, and yanked him up onto the Emerald. She closed her other hand around his, and bowed her head. The Master Emerald shone brilliantly as they rose into the air.
"Chaos Control."
With Tikal's whispered words, the pair disappeared in a flash of green light, and the Master Emerald dulled once again.
A/N: So, whaddya think? I think Shadow may be a little OOC, but I'd like your opinions on it. In fact, tell me if anyone is out of character, and what you want to see in this story. I'll try to be attentive, but I'm also going to follow my own path on this baby. Also, remember that I'm in college, so updates will be sporadic. Please R&R. Flames will be used to help power my doomsday device.