The following events are true, depicting the battle of The Death Egg Saga. Here, we follow Knuckles' redemption as he makes a stand against Dr. Robotnik.

...The sounds of the crippling winds are all that exists. The feel of soil, grass that's been beat down upon and craters of rubble are all of what's left of that towering platform up there in the sky. Static emitting from a familiar source of power, destroys the momentary peace around Sky Sanctuary. The once glorious and mythical sanctuary had been destroyed by the invasion of Robotnik's badniks during Sonic and Tails' race to board the Death Egg. All that's left is that single pillar. And...the Master Emerald.

(Knuckles lies motionless on the ground) "..." After a minute or so, Knuckles wakes up, treading the soft patch of grass with his claws as he tries desperately to get back up. His hearing had been shot for the moment, his eyesight very blurry. Feelings of peace and a moment's glare of amnesia were all he could do, as if a plane crash landed right next to him and sent him 50 yards across the field. And, just like that, fear struck his heart again...because he recalls what'd just happened.

(Rips and screams can be heard in the air as another energy blast had been hurled at Knuckles)

"...Why won't you die?" Knuckles thinks this to himself as the screaming blast flew right past him, just an inch away from his face. He tilts over to see his adversary, Mecha-Sonic, as it rests atop the Master Emerald to recharge it power. "I...there has to be a way..!" A mortified Knuckles staggers back to his feet, waiting for Mecha to strike again. "YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?!" He couldn't attack the metallic murderer head on; the power of the Master Emerald would just send Knuckles careening back onto his ass all over again. He whales at the top of his lungs, leaping forward to grab that 1 Power Ring he'd been holding onto desperately. In all of its excellence and might, Mecha-Sonic leaped high into the heavens and transformed into Super Mecha-Sonic once more, ready to rip the helpless echidna to shreds and destroy the ground beneath him. This was the final battle. Like a bat out of hell, Mecha spin dashed madly towards Knuckles, who'd began to run for the remains of the EggRobo that'd been cut to piece by Mecha's previous spin dash attack meant for Knuckles.

Mecha sliced through and, luckily, missed Knuckles, but by just alittle because he'd cut through the tip of Knuckles' locks. "This can't be happening!" Knuckles turns to face the robot after dodging it's last attack, with his guard up and feet ready for shuffling. "Come at me, you FAKE!". Right away, Mecha furiously throws out 3 power orbs, the first two missing and the third hitting Knuckles directly. And like that, Knuckles is sent into the air, screaming in agony. ...But then, as he lands onto his knees, he notices something. Mecha powers down! He loses his energy! THIS is Knuckles' Opportunity to strike. "Eat this!" Knuckles throws a vicious uppercut into Mecha's power drive, following up with a spin dash of his own and, finally a spinning jump attack as the robot Rushes back to recharge from the unlimited source of power in the form of a giant green emerald. "You're mine, robot."

Knuckles gets ready to fight again... However…every story has a beginning.

"Who am I, really?"…"What am I?"…"Why am I alone?"…

"….I don't wanna be alone anymore…Someone….Anybody."

Creatures from all walks of life wander this strange land. It embodies a never-ending peace, as if man had never set foot onto this…the land of the heavens. Angel Island. Nestled deep within the tall tree is a lone echidna. He sleeps soundly, so much so that he remains put while mosquitos and centipedes dance all around. A wondrous world even KNUCKLES, a self-proclaimed treasure hunter and last surviving member of a lost tribe consisting of proud echidna warriors, had yet to explore. Today, Knuckles' life would be changed forever…for this day, Angel Island would meet with the horrors of a climactic battle in the form of a mad scientist and his army of evil minions, and two very strange people that dare oppose him…

"I used to always wonder. Wonder why I'm here, and what purpose I serve. The only thing close to an answer is these drawings on the wall. These strange, cryptic messages. Someone was here, but, now they're gone?.. Were they….like…ME?" Knuckles quietly says to himself as he passes through the Hidden Palace, the only clues that may hint where Knuckles' origin began. "And…what are these giant pillars? Perhaps, maybe something was to be placed here. Such a strange, looming presence lies within this shrine." Further into Knuckles' dream, he can see a man that holds a striking resemblance to himself, but much older, with cloudy white eyebrows and an incredible, elderly beard as smooth as Christmas morning. Soft, caring hands have him by the waist, up and down he bounces. All around are people of his tribe, who stand atop a mountain and watch as he smiled with bliss that, for once, he wasn't the only echidna around. He wasn't alone. "Locke? Honey, what's that strange light?" He hears someone call out, as all echidna look off towards the horizon. From there, the dream starts to fade. You see, no one was there to teach Knuckles how to survive, much less teach him how to speak or, write or count or even adapt to the wild civilization. All but the fragmented memories that lay hidden within his dreams.

The night is peaceful. All is well in the forests, with the bugs singing and the birds nesting, the soothing sound of the Azure Lake's stream and the steady breeze that accompanied it all. Everything an echidna could possibly want at a time of rest. A loud boom, almost as if the gods themselves were screaming in agony, could be felt in the atmosphere as a mysterious, gigantic sphere crash landed onto one of the Volcanos of Angel Island. All of nature sung in despair as the fire slammed into trees and mountains, for miles on end, destroying everything that was unfortunate enough to meet with it.

"Oh…another dream." He rolls over, his masculine hands cover his face. "That place, what does it mean? Where is it? And. And, who's…Locke?" (Knuckles immediately hops onto his feet in amazement, examining the eruption) "That's the biggest one yet." He chuckles to himself, "I should go somewhere a bit further than here if I don't want MY butt getting charred as well." And so, he snips a handful of wild fruit from atop the tree as a snack, throws them into his duffle as he wraps it securely around his shoulders, snuggly fits his hat back onto his head, takes a few steps back to give himself a running start, leaps into the air and flies off into the morning dawn. Flickies in large numbers all migrate alongside the echidna, fleeing in despair. "Something's not right. This is highly un-usual. What the heck? What's THAT?" From afar he witnesses an enormous ship, shaped fearsomely with large, glowing eyes that pierce beyond a meager thousand-yard stare. They sky begins to rapidly shake, the atmosphere changing from a still color to rapidly growing louder and brighter. THE SKY WAS…NO! THE ISLAND WAS FALLING! Before he knows it, the entire island slams down onto the ocean of Mobius with such force, that it knocks him and many other airborne creatures onto their backs, with some being killed in the process.

The impact sends him crashing through a tree, losing his fruit, the treasure he collected during his last adventure, and his prized hat, crushing an oversized stone, spiraling into the Mushroom Hill Zone, A vast jungle populated by many great trees and dancing mushrooms. Knocked unconscious, he comes to. "Ugh…damn. My shoulder." Picking himself up off the half-destroyed mushroom that softened his landing, he sees a few Power Rings sitting idly by a small lake. "The island fell into the sea. I…have to get to the bottom of this…" Reaching to pick up the first of 3, like THAT the agonizing pain dulled long enough for him to find some makeshift supplies to mend his broken arm. Unable to fly, he looks to the sky to identify where he landed. He takes comfort in the falling leaves kissing against his fur, one of which landing directly on his muzzle. Before long, a disturbing noise knocks the leaves into the air. It grows louder as seconds go by. Countless badniks aligned in order loom over Knuckles. He can't burrow, as his arm's broken, so the only thing he CAN do was think fast. Think! He ran away. Running at break neck speed, panting, he starts asking what those "things" are, and what the hell they're chasing him for! "No, this is my land! My home! If you think you're gonna terrorize me, you clearly don't know what this ECHIDNA can do!" With the badniks in pursuit, locking onto Knuckles' position they fire widely. He quickly shoots past a thick mushroom, whips around at 360 degrees and, with one single stroke of his palm, knocks the mushroom loose from its roots towards the badniks as it tears apart their cybernetic limbs and slamming into dozens of the pursuing invaders. "Ha! Suck it, creeps!" He's feeling pretty good about himself, no doubt. But a random tree waits somewhere down the line, which he slams into. Without a moment's hesitation, the remaining Eggrobos surround him. The leader, looking on with red hot lights as eyes, picks Knuckles up by the neck and examines him closely. The lower robots continue to assume their position as they point their lasers onto the helpless echidna, should he begin to act suspiciously.

Weight….*processing*

Height…*Processing*

Mineral Count…*Processing*

Status…*Severe Threat*

The cyborg's cold fingertips ruffle up against his rough fur, slightly piercing his skin. A sinister stare can be seen on Knuckles' face as he bares his sharp teeth with a menacing grin. "Get the hell off me." At the shocking speed of a thunder crack, he reaches for the Eggrobo's neck, ripping out the circuits and crashing its system. As the surrounding squadron opens fire he yanks down the destroyed EggRobo, their beams indirectly striking the opposite robot. As he starts to land, he frees the dead bucket of circuits from his grasp, picks it up, and throws it against a grand tree, causing it to explode! "Man that was close. Those things nearly killed me. But...for what purpose…" Knuckles examined the broken parts to maybe grasp some concept of what they are. Without a moment's rest the echidna stumbles further into the deep forest. Anger wells up within him as he watches more of those dreaded robots take Flickies and squirrels and others captive, imprisoning them within a large capsule. As they sweep deeper into the area, he swiftly runs over to the capsules to release the animals. "Go! You're free! Hide so they don't discover you. And tell the others the same should you run into them." he warns them as they dance around him in excitement. Spotting a Thunder Shield left behind by the Flickies, Knuckles bursts into it, engulfing himself in a sphere-shaped cloud of thunder! "Whoa! This is pretty cool! And yet…it's not shocking me. Pretty strange." Treaded along the random path, rings begin to dance towards Knuckles and into his possession. A leaf falls from above as a squirrel climbs back atop the tree, landing soundly on the shield and gradually falling to the ground. "Huh…this shield must not only be a means of protecting me, but collecting nearby rings too."

His arm starts to ache once more. "Gotta find something to fix you up, buddy. He he…" Looking over from his side he spots a hidden cave to hide in. Minutes go by as Knuckles fixes a makeshift compress onto his arm, with a lone Flicky watching on. "Ah…that's much better. Now, time to discover the meaning of all this." As he strengthens his resolve and prepared to leave, the Flicky hovers in front of him, beckoning him not to go. "Move it, I gotta go crush those…things!" The Flicky whips around Knuckles' back, going deeper into the cave and chirping for Knuckles to follow. He does so. And the deeper they go, the darker it becomes. "Where are you…?" A brilliant gold light reveals itself just around a crevice inside the cave, revealing it's majestic nature. "A ring…it's so…big!" Nothing else engulfs his mind, except to examine it. The Flicky seemed to have wanted Knuckles to…..jump into the ring. "Are you sure, little one?" the Flicky smiles and waits in flight as Knuckles, hesitantly, reaches for the ring. "WHOAA-!" He disappears.

A white hot light engulfs his entire being, swallows him whole and takes him away from the sanctity of the dark cave. From the chaos that ravaged Mushroom Hill…from the joy surrounding the various animals he'd liberated. Where'd he go? Had he perhaps….no. Something happened. Weary and stunned from the spiraling feel of the light's absorption, things become clear, his feet still glued in place, his hand stretched out as if time itself…just, froze. The blinding light finally subsides, revealing Knuckles' whereabouts, and at the same time, opening the door for more mystery. "I'm…unharmed. *phew* That was weird beyond belief. All this craziness is too much for one echidna, I tell you. Feels like my fur had been set on fire…and yet, I'm alright." Existence calls out to Knuckles in the form of familiar signs. A strange combination of hot and cold brush up against his flowing locks, faint sounds of roaring lava, silk curtains flowing freely towards him, soothes his exhausted arm, and…and… sounds of laughter! Kids, maybe? It all hit him like a ton of sapphires. But it still didn't click in his head. Finally, he hears music that treads him all over, robbing him of his troubles…it was this, the hymn of the echidna tribe. A lone bead of water trickles down from above and kisses Knuckles' forehead. After Knuckles regains his vision, awe strikes him. He's now in the HIDDEN PALACE, where his people once sheltered and worshipped the power of the gods. This place housed some of the key members of the echidna society, notably Knuckles and his family, who're now just a blurring figment of his memory. The architecture, for its time, was highly remarkable! "I remember this place…" He gasps and sighs, "This is where...I used to play with my friends…" The powerful echidna then falls to his knees, overcome with tears and cursing his own existence. All he wanted was to have his people back. His mother. Her warm embrace… the nullifying feel of her fingertips brushing through his tiny locks…and that beautiful song she hummed to him…most of all.

It's not known how long he'd been sitting there, mourning the loss of his tribe. After grieving, he finds the strength to get on his feet and explore this beautiful palace, as it may help him remember. "It's been so long." He silently says while passing through the long halls and up the endless stairways, searching room from room for any sign of life; to no avail. Before long he spots a room with giant doors, housing very precious things. Open comes the doors, and now he stands in the inner shrine of the Hidden Palace in reverence. "Mom always brought me in here when we went on our dialing outings. Haha I can almost remember how tall those royal guard stood her at the entryway, scaring the crap out of me especially. Ah…" In tribute to the fallen royal guards he kneels before the helm, housing the prophecy that would come to pass. More soon than Knuckles realized, anyway. He never notices it, instead paying close attention to a strange sanctum. His feet drag him closer, and then inside. He stands before a statue of a female echidna. His curiosity is strong…

"Beautiful…is it not, my child."

"Who?!" Knuckles whips around, the crack of his locks wildly flaring, his dukes up and ready to go, "Who said that?! REVEAL YOURSELF!" Was he going insane finally? No, he swore he heard something …but no one was there to answer the echidna's call. Grief once again takes him captive as he whispers "If anyone is here, please…please let me see you. I'm tired of being by myself. I only want answers. Just, please…" for several seconds there was silence. The voice returned then, stating "It is I, young one. The strongest wielder of the power. The power known as Chaos. I am Aurora, powerful deity and peacekeeper of Mobius. I was once worshipped by our people, the echidna, before…" She stops abruptly, taking care not to reveal the whereabouts of the tribe to him, as it would tear his soul into shambles. Knuckles took care to be sure of not interrupting her. "Aurora? Are you here, Aurora? Please, reveal yourself." The ghostly deity laughs to herself. "Knuckles…" In that instant, Knuckles' mind starts racing…that name. It's so familiar to him! "Is that my name? Is that what our people coined me as?" "Yes, dear child. You also go by another moniker. You are the guardian of a great force, the pride of the echidna name and the infinite source of power that gives this island ever-lasting longevity. You, young one, are the GUARDIAN OF THE MASTER EMERALD." And with that, the white light engulfs him yet again. "Nooo! WAIT! What does all this mean?! What am I supposed to do?!"

Knuckles awakens back in the cave, lying on his back. The Flicky that guided him there earlier was now gone, leaving in place 3 more power rings. "Argh…" resting himself against the wall, the name "Aurora" plagues his mind. "I've gotta find another one of those rings."

Like a newborn bird trying to relocate its flock, he storms out the cave with a might spin jump and rushes through the many obstacles laid out to eradicate any opposing forces remaining forces on the island. Smashing through killer dragonfly badniks and rhino bots, corkscrewing through the endless mushroom plains, he scavenges every single nook and cranny, every treetop and under every stone he cracks open with his fists, just trying to find another special ring to take him back! For the first time in his entire life, he had someone to talk to, to understand him, his feelings, his mission, his devotion. He needed to hear that alluring voice again. He needed Aurora's guidance.

Sunset. About 6 hours, 34 wrecked badniks, 4 lamp posts, 132 power rings and one thunder shield later since Angel Island fell into the ocean. Smoke, broken cybernetic limbs and panic filled wildlife dance all around. After reaching the end of the Mushroom Hill, finally, Knuckles encounters two even bigger badniks than before. One wielded an axe and hovered in mid-air, destroying the trees and acting as a sentry; another wielding cannons that burst out incendiary bombs and danced violently around the forest eradicating some of the innocent Flickies. "N…NO…!" His fist starts shaking. This heinous genocide was gonna stop NOW. But how? He was outnumbered two to one…then again; he did take out an army of Egg-Robos single handedly. Knuckles then proceeds to calmly find a place to hide to keep from being discovered. It wildly swings its axe, cutting down the massive trees and sending random pieces of log flinging about. Finding shelter in a nearby patch of grass, Knuckles goes prone to get the drop on it, his claws kneading through dirt in anticipation. And then, it stops abruptly. His heartbeat grows faster the longer the badnik floats in mid-air, its axe gleaming in the crimson sunset.

Its head swings viciously in Knuckles' direction, their eyes meeting. "Shit, I've been had." It startles him, but not enough to make him flinch. Knuckles' heart rate increases so dramatically that his fangs begin to unveil from behind his muzzle and his incredible chest heaving. It takes a look at Knuckles…and identifies him as the one that caused the massacre at the start of the robot occupation. A reward had been announced to all sentries, stating specifically that the one to deal the fatal blow to the one responsible for destroying a squadron of EggRobo, would be subjected to immense infrastructure upgrades.

"DESTROY. ELIMINATE BY ALL COSTS."

A thunderclap rushed through the grass, hitting Knuckles and destroying his thunder shield! The other badnik had also spotted Knuckles and right away flung bombs down onto his location as he began to meet fist with robotic exterior. Landing, he barrels along the grassy knoll, watching as the lifeless body of a Flicky fling directly over him, spraying blood down onto his torso and on his cheek. This immediately sends Knuckles into a feral rage. He leaps high up into the sky and lands a spinning jump onto the axe wielding badnik, knocking it onto the ground, then proceeds to hit it again with another spinning jump attack! Another incendiary bomb crashes next to Knuckles and his downed foe, chucking them down a nearby graveyard of dead trees, surrounded by a cavalcade of capsules with captive animals trapped inside that watch the battle rage on. The axe wielding foe is destroyed as soon as it reaches the ground, thanks to another finishing blow from Knuckles. Without taking a breather the echidna focuses his attention on the next foe, that'd failed twice to take his life. "Now it's your turn, you bastard bucket of bolts!" The bot fires a barrage of bombs meant to maim the ultra-violent echidna, believing to have killed him. The bot then reports to others in the vicinity that the echidna had been eliminated. With further instructions it began to take leave of the area at once. However…Knuckles had burrowed underground to avoid detection…and had a very strategic surprise for the robot. Another life extinguished, at the push of….a spring. Knuckles was fortunate enough to find one of the hidden red springs he'd hidden in case he'd ever gotten stuck underground, tracked the robot down as it flew for minutes. Waiting for the moment where he could strike, Knuckles shot forth from the gravesite, several yards into the air and directly into the heart of the machine! The echidna emerges triumphant from the battle, with little to no injuries!

"Here…hold still, little one." He says as he holds an injured rabbit in his hand while pressing one of his power rings against its broken leg, effectively healing it. Each of the many rings he'd collected had been distributed to all of the free animals, including the beaten and weary, as a means for them to get back to their nests and holes and damns safely as possible. After a moment of mourning lost friends and family… He too received a heroes' treatment, savoring every moment of the Flickies' singing and the chicks' rubbing up against his scrapes and burns here and there, like this. But through and through, he remained stone-faced as he asked himself…

"Who or what is doing all this?"