The Master Emerald, the largest of the chaos emeralds sat untouched upon the top of it's ancient ruin, serving in prosperity to Angel Island as a certain proud echidna stood watch over it's magnificence. The sky was peaceful, yet the ground below was left scarred from a certain pair of rivals..
Red and blue streaks clashed and flew around as two hedgehogs were at war with one another, once again trying to prove their strength in combat.
Knuckles growled at this petty fight, standing at the ready to protect the gem at all costs. Those idiots were being reckless, and he wasn't about to stand by and let something terrible happen to the emerald without going through him first. They, of course, weren't here for it, but the red echidna couldn't take his chances, even if by mistake one of them flies into it. He felt like a goalie, ready to take the ball and kick it back into the field. Hoping this wasn't the case, he watched them carefully.
"Chaos spear!" The ebony hedgehog shouted, throwing lightning bolts of chaos energy in the cobalt's direction.
As if knowing some choreographed dance, Sonic evaded the attack, leaping and twirling from one side to the other.
Without hesitation, he lunged at the ultimate lifeform, getting him right in the gut with his forehead which knocked the wind right out of Shadow's lungs. The dark rival gasps, his breath catching in his throat as he forces himself to get back up and wipe at the blood which dripped from his bottom lip, using the back of his hand.
Knuckles wanted to intervene, but he merely growled, watching the two go after each other as they were. It was ridiculous.
As if the fight couldn't get any worse, Sonic zipped up the ancient steps of the ruin toward Knuckles and the giant green gem.
"Oh no, you don't!" Knuckles snarled, reaching out to try and stop Sonic. Without much thought, the ebony hedgehog also ran up the steps to chase his counterpart. Now the situation was getting sticky. The emerald started to glow, the usage of chaos energy between the two rivals almost too overwhelming for the powerful gem to handle. It was igniting with a bright aura, almost as if with a green flame as the two stood by it, now wrestling the other to the ground, One rolled overtop of the other like children fighting on a playground over who gets to go down the slide first. "Get away from it! You're going to set it off!" The emerald's protector tried to warn the two as they got closer to it, unknowingly. Knuckles acted fast, racing over as he tried to pull Sonic off of Shadow who's grip was firm enough to keep a strong hold on the cobalt's peach colored arms. Grunting and cursing under his breath as he attempted to yank his friend from his foe, he suddenly felt an unintentional kick to his groin and stumbled back, yelping in pain and surprise as he fell back, having let go of Sonic.
Both hedgehogs stood up, arms locked together as they growled and groaned, pushing the other back as their feet slid and repositioned, trying to keep balance while also attempting to find ways to throw the other off guard.
"Guys!" Knuckles tried, holding his crotch as to nurse the pain. They were too close to the emerald. It was only a matter of time before their energy caused some kind of conflict with the mother of all emeralds.
With one false move, Sonic managed to push Shadow against the Master Emerald.
However...
as soon as the biohog's back came in direct contact with the gem, a strong, sudden burst of light erupted from it, blinding the party of three for only a moment.