Don't Forget Your Duty
The gravel swayed lightly, the small gravel that there was. Sitting on the edge of an island it wouldn't last long. The typical island would have waves grinding away the gravel to sand and possibly inhabitants, however this was no typical island. The wind ripped at the coast of the island in rolling waves and the inhabitants although abundant in wildlife... were remote to one prominent figure. Standing tall against the rain and wind, sentient in being even at ease, was a lone echidna destined to despair.
Knuckles stood atop the altar of The Master Emerald in quiet contemplation. Reflecting on things past was always a good way to escape boredom. First he thought of the time that he first had to restore the emerald, the brilliance and shine of the emerald had never seemed greater. Next he thought of when he himself had shattered it to prevent that bat-girl from putting her hands on it. eh... the bat-girl... he always felt strange around her but recently he had come to ignore her, and she him. That brought him to space colony ark, and from there his thoughts turned to saving the world... and from that he thought of the Nocturnous tribe and her...
He stood up with a deep "hrrmp" in his throat as he tried to brush his thoughts aside. "I don't want to think about her... not now... she makes things so... difficult" he said thinking aloud. He left the alter and headed for the forest. He remembered the time that it had been set ablaze by that accursed Eggman. His mind wandered on in the forest for a while before his thoughts turned back to her. "Shade" he said without meaning too. He continued walking aimlessly thought the forest hoping for his mind to change subjects but it wouldn't. Soon a small twinge started to form in the base of his skull, he had been away from the emerald for too long. Knuckles hurried towards the altar as fast as he could and soon he could see there was a figure standing next to the emerald.
"GET AWAY FROM THE EMERALD" he shouted as he jumped the last steps of the altar. The figure turned startled and stumbled to the ground. Knuckle's fist was less than a hairs-breath away from the figure when he managed to stop himself. "Shade?..." Knuckles said clumsily as he stood over Shade. He quickly retreated before offering a spined hand to her. "Sorry" they both muttered at the same time. "I... I wanted to see you and I figured you would be near the emerald... i'm sorry for intruding... i'll just be going now..." said Shade with her normally high head held low. "What?.. no" said Knuckles in an apologetic tone, "Friends are welcome here anytime." He helped her to her feet and for an awkward moment their hands were linked. Knuckles struggled for something to say but his brain wasn't functioning right. Shade was there in a deep purple dress that highlighted her pinkish-orange fur, her wrist had a dark obsidian bracelet that seemed a bit bulky, and her normal Nocturnous headband was replaced with a red one. He was enchanted yet somewhere in his head he knew he had to say something, but what... anything... c'mon... "What happened to your armor" .. ok yeah.. your an idiot Knuckles he thought to himself.
"Huh?.. OH! I uh.. I'm rooming with Amy.. it's at her place..." "I like the dress" he said already wanting to hit himself. "thanks I got it from one of those.. uh strip.. malls yeah that thing..." "So... you find the world out there strange too?" he asked after she stumbled with her last statement. "Yeah... Nocturne didn't have some of these things..." Shade said after a while. Silence ensued for a while and the two were both beginning to get nervous, finally it was Shade that ended it. "Do you like the headband? I borrowed it from Amy." "It's nice... you look... good in it." Knuckles responded half dazed.
"Shade... can I ask... why did you come here?" ask Knuckles to stop the silence from resuming. "I... I just..." Shade let out a sigh as she tried a different approach. "All my life it was about helping the tribe and supporting them... now, I've had to fight against them and find myself without another echidna face for company... I guess... I just wanted someone..." Shade finished with a tear forming in her eye. "Shade" said Knuckles as he hesitated not knowing what to do. Acting on impulse he stepped closer and put his arms around her. Shade looked into his eyes and suddenly her legs lost the will stand. Knuckles slowly moved both of them into a sitting position with his arms still cradling her soft face. "I said that only two of you had managed to impress me..." Shade continued, "Sonic was one but before him... it was you..." Shade turned her head to look into Knuckles eyes and his deep purple irises were transfixed and staring back into her's. "Shade I... I can't" Knuckles said as he pushed her off softly. "What... but..." stumbled Shade. "I'm sorry... but I have my duty as guardian of The Master Emerald... and that duty is a duty of my tribe... I may be the last but I can't forget my duty..." said Knuckles coldly but with sadness seeping through his last words.
"I... can.. respect that" said Shade with silent tears running down her face. She moved her hand to her belt and teleported from the island. Knuckles turned and walked slowly back towards the altar. His steps were heavier then the mountains he was compared to but his face ran with more water than the ocean. Shade stood in Tails' workshop, it had been the last place she had used to belt to go to before Angel Island and she hadn't bothered to pick another place. The workshop was dark and without a sound, "Tails must be out..." Shade said aloud. She left the workshop and began to wander around the mystic ruins for a while. She passed a small pool surrounded by ice, a large waterfall, and some ruins. The ruins were echidna in construction and Shade spent a while there, After a while she found a marking she had known for quiet a while. It was the mark of Knuckles tribe... her old enemies. Suddenly she found herself running from the place. "Dammit, why did our tribes have to be so infatuated with hate!" she yelled when she came to stop by a ledge. She stood there crying for several minutes. All her emotions were at war and she couldn't tell what side would win. Without thinking she looked up and before her floated Angel Island. With that one glance the emotional war was settled and Shade stood up with tears in her eyes but a smile on her face. Her hand moved to her belt and she disappeared in a flash.
Knuckles sat with his back to the emerald. A ball of red light came from it and swirled around him once before settling next to his shoulder. "Was lord Chaos keeping watch with you?" inquired Tikal. "No... sorry... it must have been raining..." he responded in a detached way. "Knuckles... I know you have been crying..." Tikal would of put her hand on his shoulder but unless Chaos was present she couldn't form her old body. "You have a visitor... make yourself happy, don't think about the emerald just for now" Tikal said as she retreated back into the emerald. Shade came to a stop a short distance in-front of him. "Knuckles... I need you to know something." she said with a faint smile pulling at her lips. He looked up with his eyes still wet and nodded his acknowledgment. "I Shade of Nocturnous, hereby renounce my tribe and it's ways... For you" she said proudly with a moments hesitation before the last part.
"What" said Knuckles dumbstruck. "You're duty calls for you to protect the emerald, and our tribes were enemies forbade from contact... now... i've eliminated both of these problems." Shade explained with her smile spreading as she walked closer. Now in arms reach she pulled him close and kissed him deeply. "But what abou" "I don't care... I want to be with you..." Shade said cutting off his objection. She kissed him again this time adding her tongue and extracted a low growl of pleasure from him. Knuckles couldn't hold himself and lashed back with his own tongue and the two danced for a while in the warm moist cave created in their love. The embraced lasted until they both broke off gasping for air. "I love you Knuckles" Shade said with her arms wrapped around his neck, her hands both grasping at his back and lightly drawing her fingers across his spines. The two of them both looked deep into the others eyes for a moment and a smile spread across their faces; however, a small twinge began to pull at knuckles smile until he had to turn away. "Whats wrong?" Shade asked with fear creeping slowly into her heart. "I wish we could be together but... I don't see how the emerald problem is solved... i'm sor" he was interrupted by another kiss from Shade. When the kiss ended her smile was bigger then ever. She leaned in and rested her frame against his while looking him straight in the eyes. "Your duty is to protect the emerald?" Knuckles nodded in response. "Well then if you're not around wouldn't you be leaving the emerald unprotected?" Knuckles gave a shallow nod. "Well then when you get old and die, nobody would be left?" another shallower nod. "Well then... what you need is a heir for when you are gone to continue guarding the emerald." Knuckles wasn't quiet sure where this was going but he nodded for the fourth time. Shade drew in closer and kissed him lightly, as they separated she whispered so that only he could hear, "Well then it would be irresponsible of you to not leave a heir... I can fix that though." A wave of realization hit Knuckles and his lips formed a small o shape. "Don't forget your duty" Shade said as she went for another kiss. "Never" he whispered before their lips locked.
The night concluded with a certain spirit watching with a smile from within The Master Emerald, two echidnas under the covers of darkness and cotton attended to their "Duty", and Knuckles' image of The Master Emerald after being restored to its' magnificence was replaced with that of a pinkish-orange goddess.
Good night, live life, and don't forget your duty.
---One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox