This will be a Sonic/Knuckles (or Knuckles/Sonic) story. You have been warned. I've read every kind of yaoi hate review out there so if you think you'd be being clever by leaving me one, think again. In fact, go ahead. I need flames to make s'mores.

The original idea (Chaotic Angel) was going to be a joint story between Sakata Ri Houjun and myself. Whether we continue working together or not, I don't know. The idea to write a human Sonic story has been bouncing around my head since I saw fan art of a human Sonic and Knuckles a few years ago. Hope you enjoy the story. Getting started is always one of the hardest things for me .

Chapter 1

The stars offered little light to the moonless night. However, the sole occupant of the mysterious floating island preferred nights like this. He laid back at the top of the stone stairs of the shrine that housed his charge: an emerald, roughly the size of his fist, that could control chaos. His people knew it as the Master Emerald.

Of course, it would have been nice if he knew where these "people" his father had told him about were. More so, he wished to know where his father had disappeared to eleven years ago. Instead, after determining that his father had truly left the island some how, the young guardian had done as he was brought up to do. What his people had apparently always done.

He sighed, breathing in the cool night air. Raising a hand, he traced one of the constellations his father had taught him, his other hand folded behind his head. He wore only a tattered pair of pants, one of the few things he had been left with. Below his collar bone, a white crescent scar cut across his tanned chest, a mark that he had had for as long as he could remember.

Closing his eyes, he tried to sleep, but something bothered him. Sitting up, he found himself looking to the northeast, as he had been wont to do as of late.

"Since the dreams started," he muttered, rising to his feet and staring to walk. His mind turned to the dream he had been having. A being engulfed in bright light, yet shadowed so all he could make out were flashing ruby-red eyes, gold hair, and a pair od snow white wings folded behind him. Perhaps most startling was that he could see the master emerald hanging from its neck on a silver chain.

Pausing, he found himself standing on the edge of the island, his amethyst eyes starring out toward the distant horizon. The wind tugged at his hip length red hair and, with a heavy sigh, he headed back to the shrine. In his heart, something told him that a change was coming. For better or for worse was yet to be seen.

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Just out of sight of the floating island, a set of emerald eyes stared out its direction. He wore a leather jacket open over a white shirt, his hand shoved into faded blue denim jeans. On his feet were a special pair of red sneakers that his friend had given him, a white strap crossing over the top and buckling on the side securing them snuggly. His chin length blue hair was spiked back, mostly from running, though he liked it as it was. Tearing his eyes away after a few minutes, he looked down from his perch and spotted his prey: a robot guard. Hundreds of them patrolled the city, all owned by a villainous man known as Doctor Eggman.

Twenty years ago, the tyrannical dictator overthrew the government and had since ruled over the city and spread his terror slowly westward. There had been several rebellious groups that had tried to stop him, but so far only one group had lasted. They called themselves Freedom Fighters and were mainly comprised of teenagers and young adults, though others came to them for shelter and to offer what support they could. Very few citizens actually approved of Eggman, and of those who did, many only pretended to do so so they could keep the power they had before the take over.

All this was either before the teen's time or unimportant to him. All he cared about aside from assisting in the defeat of Eggman was being free and able to run.

Leaping from the top of the street light, his sped forward, a metal staff in hand. As he ran past the bot, he knocked its feet out from under it and skid to a halt, turning to watch the now legless machine topple backward before attacking again. This time, he leapt over it, ramming the end of his staff through its head.

"Good job Sonic," a younger teen called out to him, coming out of the shadows. He was dressed in a black shirt, pants, and shoes so he could blend in with the shadows, although his bright orange hair was eye catching enough. His shoulder length hair was pulled back in a pony tail, the very tip of which was pure white. Blue eyes looked up at his friend through a pair of glasses and he grinned, motioning to his backpack, which was also black.

"I got the stuff."

Awesome, Tails," Sonic grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "Let's head back. Sal's probably getting worried." He grabbed Tails' wrist firmly and started running, the younger teen doing his best to keep up. It wasn't long before his feet left the ground and he allowed himself to go limp, his free hand keeping a firm grip on one of the shoulder straps of this pack.

Sonic felt his heart racing, exhilarated by the speed he was going, even though he would love to go faster. He skid to a halt before the entrance to their base, catching Tails before he was hurt.

"Please don't stop like that," the teen panted as Sonic set him on his feet.

"I agree." Sally approached the duo with a smile. "How was the mission?"

Tails hurriedly removed his pack and began detailing the night to the older teen as Sonic looked back toward the southwest. After a moment, he noticed that Sally and Tails had already gone inside.

"What's up with me lately..."

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Well, how's that for a first chapter? I'll write more, really. And hopefully the next chapter will be better than this one .;;