"THAT'S IT! GET OFF MY ISLAND, RIGHT NOW!"
I backed a few steps away from the seething echidna. I wasn't exactly sure what it was that ticked Knuckles off, all I said was "I guess it's not fun being the last of your kind, huh?" I looked at Tails, but he had his face resting in his palm, and he was shaking his head disapprovingly and mumbling "Dear God Sonic!" like he knew I shouldn't have said it. I know, I probably shouldn't have, but it was just a simple question, not like I criticized him or anything! Oh, and the visit actually started out so nicely. We were chatting for a few moments, updating each other about our lives… Knuckles didn't have much to tell, of course. We went to sit by the edge of the island, where the Master Emerald was still visible of course, and watched the clouds roll by and chatted some more. That's when he started talking about how he wished he could know what it was like to have a normal life with his people, and how he couldn't remember any of his past, yadda yadda yadda. That's when it slipped, and man did I wish I hadn't!
"But Knuckles, I-," I tried to get out more, but the blasted echidna stopped me there.
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY BUTS! Get off my island now, and I never want to see you up here again, or so help me I'll murder you!" he exclaimed, balling his fist and putting it only centimeters from my nose. I could have sworn I saw his eyes quiver while he threatened me, like he was holding back tears or something. What was he hiding? Knuckles whirled around and stormed back over to the Master Emerald shrine. I gulped and backed away from him, grabbing Tails' hand and taking him with me.
"Heh heh, ok then, I guess I'll… see you later then?" I said quietly, before I sped towards the X-Tornado, nearly forgetting I was dragging Tails behind me. Once I stopped, I let go of Tails' hand and looked back at the shrine and the giant green gem glowing on top of it once more. I could see Knuckles' small shape walking up the steps towards it, and I looked away.
"Sonic, you've seriously done it this time!" Tails said, brushing his fur off.
"I'm sorry… I didn't expect him to react like that!" I replied, turning to face Tails.
"Sonic, you don't know anything about what happened to the echidna population, do you?" Tails replied bluntly. I lowered my ears slightly. I may have remembered something about it along the way on the news, but honestly… I forget things so fast.
"I'll take that as a no," Tails replied. "About eleven or so years ago, humans invaded the island and began to slaughter them. They enslaved so many of the echidnas, putting them through torturous rides back to the mainland where they'd be sold and put to work. Honestly, Knuckles was lucky to have made it through that without getting captured or killed," Tails replied.
"Eleven years ago… so he was only 5?" I exclaimed. I've never heard this story before… I was seriously shocked. Tails nodded to answer my question. "Oh man, I feel so guilty," I mumbled. I turned to look at my pal. "You think I should go up there and apologize?" I asked him.
"W-well, he seemed pretty mad Sonic," Tails murmured.
"Don't worry; I'm sure he didn't really mean he'd murder me. Anyways, if he tried, I'll just run back over here. Have the engine running so I could get out of here as soon as possible, ok?" Tails nodded in reply, and I headed back in that direction. I went slowly, because all the while, I ran through what I was going to say a million times in my head.
I headed up the stairs, slowly, to the shrine. I could feel my palms growing sweaty inside my gloves. I still can't believe I was actually that scared of him at that moment.
At the top, I saw Knuckles sitting next to the Master Emerald and looking at it, one hand on it, reciting some sort of enchantment or something in his native tongue. I shuddered slightly, then cleared my throat.
"Kn-Knuckles?" I stammered.
"Didn't I warn you about coming back here?" he asked me. Knuckles never even looked at me, yet he could tell I was there. He wasn't lashing out irrationally at me, so that was a good thing; maybe I'd actually be able to get out an apology before he attacks me.
"Knuckles, please, I came to say I was sorry," I tried to reason. Somehow, he didn't look convinced. "Tails told me about what happened to your clan. I had no idea, I'm sorry, and I didn't mean to hurt or offend you," I said, trying my best to sound truly sincere.
Knuckles huffed, and he actually smiled, still not looking at me. However, this wasn't an "its ok, I forgive you" type of smile. He looked more like he was about to school me… with his fists.
"Tails… the boy has no idea what really happened that day…" he said, with a tone that immediately told me there's more to this story. Knuckles looked back to the Master Emerald and his smile grew bigger, and more disturbing. He whispered some more words to the rock in his Echidnean language, and it began to glow. "…Oh no, he doesn't know the half of it…" Knuckles mumbled to me.
"What aren't you telling us?" I asked Knuckles, trying to take a step further. But suddenly, Knuckles was on me, before I had a chance to react. In the blink of an eye, he was on top of me, pinning my arms behind my back. I let out a cry in pain, then struggled to get him off of me.
"Let me go, let me go!" I cried. Knuckles got off of my back, but still had a grip on my arms. He pushed me, full speed ahead, towards the glowing Master Emerald. He didn't appear to be stopping, so I readied myself to have my face smashed into the side of the rock. I closed my eyes, tensed, and let my feet go limp so Knuckles was pushing me full force towards its hard, awaiting surface.
But then, it was the strangest thing… I felt as if I were falling, and I cracked open my eyes. Suddenly, ground was rushing towards me. I had no time to react, before I slammed onto the ground, flat on my stomach and knocking the wind from me. I wheezed for a breath for a few seconds, before I pushed myself to my hands and knees. My hand rushed to my dizzy head, and I rubbed it while I looked up and around to see where I was. I was so confused… the last thing I remembered was being shoved towards the Master Emerald… how was I here now? Was this a vision or flashback? I couldn't possibly be, because that fall really hurt… maybe I had been somehow transported to wherever this was? The place looked familiar, that was for sure. He had landed in the grass, right by a sandy shore that resembled the edge of Angel Island. But, this island wasn't floating. Right off the edge of the sandy beach, the rolling ocean waves kissed the sand and the sun was high above the horizon line between sky and sea.
"Where am I?" I mumbled, looking towards the opposite direction. I was looking into a deep, dense forest that also resembled the forest right off the base of Angel Island.
"C-Could this really be Angel Island?" I mumbled to myself, as I stood up and walked up to the base of the forest. Well, there was only one way to find out the answer to that question, so I trekked into the uncharted, jungle-like forest.
I was walking for several miles, walking past trees and bushes that I could've sworn I already passed, hoping that I didn't get lost. I was terrified that at any moment, something would jump out and attack me in this unknown wilderness.
"Oh please please let this be a dream!" I mumbled to myself. "Please tell me Knuckles just smashed my head into the blasted rock and now I'm flying home in the X-Tornado with Tails, and I'm just in an unconscious nightmare…"
Suddenly, a rustling sound ripped me from my worrisome thoughts. I whipped my head around towards the source of the sound and prepared to split if it were anything dangerous. The "whatever it was" was edging closer in a bush that happened to be right near me. I backed away a few steps and gulped, pulling my ears down.
"Uh… h-hi there! I'm not going to… to hurt you…" I forced out, my voice barely coming out in a squeak. The object hopped out into the clearing, and I flinched, scrunching my eyes shut and putting my hands out in front of my face and body to protect myself. But when several seconds went by with noting, no growling or obviously attacking, I opened my eyes and looked down. Sitting near my feet was a small, fluffy, white rabbit… one of the normal animals that resided on Mobius. Feeling foolish, I relaxed and knelt down by it.
"Hey there little fella!" I said sweetly to it. "Do you happen to know a way out of here?" I asked it, though I didn't expect a reply. Of course, it just stared at me with its huge, black eyes, its nose twitching. "Of course, I didn't think so," I mumbled, pulling my ears down, irritated.
That's when I heard it, a small twang, and the rushing of air. That's when an arrow struck the rabbit in its side, bringing it down and killing it instantly. I stared at it for a moment, mouth agape, my voice crackling in awe and probably fear. That's when I heard a juvenile shout from behind some bushes. I looked up to see two small echidnas jump out of the forest and run up to their catch. Now, by now, I was utterly terrified and confused as hell. If Knuckles was the last of his kind, then how were there two young echidna children running full force right at me, shouting and wielding their weapons… OH SHIT! They're running full force at me, wielding their weapons!
I flinched again and cowered in front of them… kind of humiliating, considering they were kids, but I couldn't run away in a territory that I wasn't familiar with, and they had weapons while I had nothing… no chaos emeralds or anything! But then, here was the really weird part. The kid stopped in front of the rabbit and began talking in their native tongue, which I repeat, didn't understand much of. Knuckles had once taught me some of it, but it was hard to memorize and remember. The two kids, both boys, decked out in fancy face paintings and bands around their short dreadlocks, stooped over the dead rabbit, and the one who shot the arrow set down his bow and ripped the arrow from the rabbit. They acted as if they couldn't even see me! I relaxed again, but not entirely this time, and stepped closer to them.
"Uh, excuse me?" I asked. But, to prove my theory that they couldn't see me, they didn't reply and didn't even look my way. It was as if I was a ghost or something, and I could see and hear them but they weren't aware of my presence, like in the movies.
The two boys were babbling their language amongst each other for several moments, before the one who'd shot the arrow bent down and picked up the rabbit, then they started heading off in another direction. I almost didn't want to follow them, but I didn't know where I was, and if I was somehow invisible to these people, it's not like I'd be attacked. So, I headed after them, listening in on their conversation as I did. I could understand bits and pieces here and there. Like, at one point, the shorter of the two boys, one with peachy-red fur, said the word "Corinazona," which meant "celebration." Then I heard other phrases like "Hach tuk sudest," which meant "these are blessings," and "Vesha Lambir," which meant "The Gathering of the Clans." I put two and two together, and figured that rabbit was probably for some sort of celebration they were having for some sort of "Gathering of the Clans."
Again, I was still so confused at that point. Knuckles would be so surprised to know that echidna tribes still existed out… wherever I was.
The two boys led him towards a tribe camp, where I couldn't help but stop and gape in awe at the camp. There were tents up everywhere, where the echidnas lived. There were tons of echidnas, all variant colors of red, peach, and white, and wearing all sorts of decorative dreadlock bands, tribal face paint, and tribal garbs for the ladies, walking around the tribe. Every one of them appeared to be doing something, whether it be coming back to the camp with food or water, or they were making or building things, carrying things, selling things, teaching strategies to younger echidnas, or just talking to others. I had never seen so many echidnas all in one spot before in my life… in fact, Knuckles was actually the only one. But then, I heard a horn blowing, and the echidnas all began to crowd around the center of the village. A few younger and teenaged echidnas ran towards me, but I didn't notice, until they had run right straight through me and on towards the gathering group. It startled me, but I already knew that I was unseen, so I didn't really take it to heart. Instead, I wanted to know what was going on. Man did I wish I could understand more of what they were saying! But suddenly, I was transported away from the area.
Completely confused, I looked around at my changing atmosphere, and noticed that I was being sent into the forest again.
"Who's controlling this thing!" I exclaimed. I heard a voice echo in my head.
"You must know the truth…" the voice spoke. I gasped… I recognized the voice.
"Knuckles!" I cried randomly out to no one. "I will help you translate what's going on," the voice continued, not replying to my voice. I knew it, I recognized the voice now; this was Knuckles, he was communicating to me. That mean he knew where he was… and he was probably the one who sent him here.
"Knuckles, where am I!" I called. "I know it's you, and I want out of here!" I shouted.
"You must know the truth," his voice repeated, and the sound echoed and disappeared in my mind. I looked around, but couldn't find the source of the voice. Instead, I heard another group of voices… English voices!
"Yes, finally, English people!" I exclaimed, and I ran towards the sound of the voice. But I froze when instead of a hedgehog or someone I recognized, I saw another group of young echidnas.
A group of small echidnas were walking out in the woods, following their teacher.
"…And that's how the echidnas have been blessed with the responsibility of keeping the Master Emerald here on this island," the teacher finished her story. The group kept trekking on in the forest, heading back towards camp, talking along the way.
I didn't know why I could understand them, until I heard Knuckles' voice again. "I told you that I was going to help translate for you," he said. But then, some rustling brought my concentration towards the bushes.
Another young echidna, a red one with violet eyes, white and green face paint markings on his face and a single white and blue band around his front dreadlock on one side, and an odd white crescent mark upon his chest, peeked over the bushes at his comrades hiking past him. He chuckled to himself in his throat and sunk back down below the brush. I squinted my eyes to see if I could try and still see him, but he was gone. However, he did appear familiar for some reason.
The teacher, a peachy-pink female wearing a dark brown shawl and a white band on each of her dreadlocks, stopped and looked back at her pupils.
"Where is Knuckles? Have you seen where he's gone this time?" she asked them.
"KNUCKLES!" I exclaimed, looking through the group of children echidnas, trying to find which one was him. But then, I thought back to the one I'd seen in the bushes.
Suddenly, before anyone can answer, the red echidna poked his head down, upside down, right in front of the teacher and the rest of the class, uttering out a loud roar and causing the teacher to scream and jump. The echidna was hanging upside down by his legs on a branch hanging over them, and now he was laughing at them as the teacher recollected herself, along with a few of the other kids, and the others laughed with him. The teacher frowned at him and pulled him down off the tree.
"Knuckles, that was not funny!" the teacher scolded. My eyes grew wide in shock. That young echidna… that seemingly careless and joking echidna was Knuckles, the uptight, boring, stick-in-the-mud echidna he knew, as a kid!
Knuckles was still smiling, but he put his head down. "Yes Kira-May," he said, kicking his foot at a pebble on the floor. With that, he walked back over to his other classmates, and once he was next to his friends, he smiled at them.
"Ha ha, that was hilarious Knuckles! She had to have jumped at least five feet into the air!" one red echidna boy with white tips of his quills said to Knuckles.
"Yeah, that was one of my best!" Knuckles chuckled.
"Knuckles, that most certainly was not funny!" a girl echidna his age scolded. "You scared both Kira-May and me! And I bet you didn't even hear the story she was telling!" Knuckles rolled his eyes then smiled down at her.
"Don't worry Linda-Jo, dad's taught me that story time and time again; I already know it! Remember, I am going to be its next guardian," he bragged, pointing to the crescent-shaped mark on his chest.
"Showoff…" another girl echidna, a bit older than him, mumbled.
"Yeah, dad's told me tons of stories! I bet you didn't know that at one point, this island used to actually float in the heavens!" Knuckles said, looking around at all the kids, who were looking at him now with interest. "That's how the island got its name! Dad said that because the Master Emerald controls the island, it used to allow this planet to float, suspended hundreds of miles above the surface of the planet. But for some reason, it doesn't work anymore," Knuckles said.
"Please! You of all people should know that's just a fairytale!" a male echidna with red fur spoke. Another male echidna, with deep red fur and glasses, spoke as well. "That seems highly illogical; how could it possible defy the laws of gravity?" Knuckles shrugged.
"I dunno, maybe with some special rocks or something?" he replied.
"Well Knuckles, thank you for that riveting story. But I'm going to have to tell your mother about your misbehaving again," their teacher, Kira-May, said to him.
I rose a brow confusedly, and thought back to the sandy beaches and the ocean I'd seen before. Does that mean that at this time in the past, Angel Island didn't float?
Just then, they heard the horn that I'd heard earlier in the village, blowing through the forest. All of the children looked towards the direction town probably was, some gasping.
"Village meeting, we must leave now!" Kira-May said to the students, and she shepherded them towards the village.
I turned and watched them leave. "Knuckles..? I don't know why you showed me this, but I think I'm ready to go home now!" I called. I heard a laugh in my head. "Oh no, you haven't seen the half of it yet!" his voice replied, and the background changed again.