Streak of Hope: A Sonic X Story

Prologue: Why I wrote it.

-If sections like these bore you, I recommend skipping it and coming back if you are still interested.

-I wrote this because I like Sonic X a lot. In fact it is my favorite out of all the different versions of Sonic… Also, there was an objectively untapped potential to the Sonic X universe. I like many other people were a little confused when the show was over because it felt like a melting pot of several interesting ideas, but with few of them ever being developed.

-I also added/changed the origin stories of some characters because I thought it enriched the lore and added to the understanding of the characters themselves.

-I have been working on this since I published my last story in 2011. It took much longer than I would have liked it to but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Scene 1

Knuckles Destiny

Knuckles felt a sense of purpose for the first time in his life as Tikal walked him around the modern ruins of the once great echidna race. Tikal held the torch to lead the way through the cavernous depths.

Tikal: This is the thrown room and city market place where everybody would go about his or her daily lives

Knuckles: The king used to rule among the common folk?

Tikal snickered at his surprise "Yes he did. My Dad used to love being among the people. This big open area was the main stretch of town. All of those large wholes in the walls on both sides of us used to be where the people lived and worked."

Knuckles looked around in wonder as the torch lit up the ancient caverns on both sides. You could tell that they were echidna made formations in the rock because they stretched up for 8 stories like the floors of an apartment building but with only openings and no railings. The kings chair and throne were at the very end of the long room.

Knuckles: Was this place always underground?

Tikal: Yes but it wasn't quite as deep underground in the past. We used to walk up a small flight of steps over there to go outside. Now, these ruins are buried a few thousand feet underground.

Knuckles: When are we?

Tikal: This is an undisclosed time, but we come here to make sure there can be no interference from the outside world. Come here Knuckles!

Knuckles focus shifted from the caves around him to Tikal who was standing in front of a large round basin with water flowing from somewhere in the darkness of the ceiling. Knuckles walked up to Tikal and they both looked down at the clear water below them.

Knuckles: How is this possible?

Tikal: This whole place is still powered by the master emerald but power is kept to a minimal to keep anyone from tracing the flow of energy here.

Tikal proceeded to take the gem out of her gold headband and placed it into a small slot on the side of the basin. The whole place began lighting up from the entrance to the kings thrown. Knuckles gasped in wonder.

Tikal: Knuckles, you are more than just the last remaining echidna left on mobias. You come from a rich cultural heritage. But, we also, need your help.

Knuckles, once again distracted by now fully lit room focused his attention on Tikal.

Knuckles: My help?

Tikal: Yes.

There was a pause as Tikal decided where to begin. "You know the story of how our race was ended by Perfect Chaos."?

Knuckles: Yes.

Tikal: That story is not entirely true.

Knuckles: What?!

Tikal: What nobody else on earth or mobias knows, is that I pleaded with Chaos afterwards to do something to save our race. I was so heartbroken; I begged it to take my life also. Without my father and my people to be with, my misery was complete. Chaos, moved to compassion, vowed to never destroy a race again. He took me back in time and let me choose 10 echidnas to spare so we could repopulate our race. We didn't succeed in saving our race but we did manage to save the world.

Knuckles: Why that's ridiculous! Why couldn't it just go back and stop the whole thing from happening? Why couldn't…

Tikal put her finger on his lip to stop him from talking. "He couldn't, because changing a timeline involves risk so great that it can create a temporal paradox that destroys the entire universe! No, Chaos did what he could.

"This is why I brought you here Knuckles, to explain to you what your real purpose is"…. Tikal touched the water in the basin and to Knuckles surprise, an image formed in the water and change according to Tikal's narration. "After our race was destroyed, Chaos helped me to rebuild our race. It wasn't without its drawbacks. My father disagreed with many of the suggestions of Chaos and at times threatened to kill him if he didn't restore things to the way they were. I kept the peace between the two but the hardest part was all of the assignments we were given to travel through time with the help of Chaos to prevent certain events from destroying our universe.

Knuckles: Why haven't you ever told me Tikal?!

Tikal: In time, you will wish that I hadn't told you… Do you remember feeling drawn to the master emeralds energy? Do you remember the long naps you used to take next to it, feeling safe, and comfortable?

Knuckles: Yes.

Tikal: That wasn't an accident. Not only was our race sincere in our worship of God, we became intimately connected to the chaos emeralds in a way that no other race ever has.

Knuckles: What are you trying to say Tikal?

Tikal: The power that God grants us through the chaos emeralds is a responsibility to keep this world from falling apart. All of those times you spent napping by the chaos emerald, will eventually be used by you to save the world…When you are given an assignment by chaos, we will summon you from those times you weren't doing anything by the master emerald and leave a holographic projection of you there while you go and save the universe from complete annihilation!

Knuckles: Are you serious?! What about you?

Tikal: I have used up almost every spare moment of my life Knuckles, as well as all the surviving members of my family to keep the past safe. All of us died saving the world, except you Knuckles. We are the reason you are standing here right now. You would be shocked at how many times mobias has come close to complete destruction.

Knuckles: And you need me to make sure there are no anomalies in our timeline?

Tikal: Why yes! Each one of use is given a period of about a thousand years to watch over and nurture. In your case, we need more. You see we haven't found the ultra mobian in any of our timelines. It has to be in yours Knuckles.

Knuckles sighed. "You referring to the prophesy of the super mobian that will bring peace to all of mobias and balance to the chaos emeralds?"

Tikal: Yes.

Knuckles sighed. "Unfortunately I have an idea of who that might be".