A/N: This is the second fanfic I've started! While I do intend to return to my original WoW fanfic, I have lately been thinking about creating a story based on my love of all things Sonic (particularly KnuxRouge -grins-). I really love the storyline I have created and feel that this story has enormous potential, so keep checking back.
Disclaimer: All Sonic-related characters, places, and plot elements are property of SEGA. All coincidences (whether it be name, appearance, etc.) regarding characters not created by SEGA are purely coincidental.
Chapter 1-Prologue
Knuckles gazed up at the stars and let the soft, brisk night air wash over him. The stone surface of the altar had become cool to the touch, and this sensation easily seeped through the echidna's thin, vibrant fur and chilled his bare back. However, he was quite used to this by now, and, lost in his thoughts, the very concept of being uncomfortable meant nothing to him. For one who had spent the majority of his life on an isolated island guarding the Master Emerald, one night's discomforts meant nothing. As far as Knuckles was concerned, his life's discomforts meant nothing. What mattered was that he remained loyal to his duty - to protect the Master Emerald at all costs.
He turned his head to the side, gazing up at the large green gem that constantly emanated a warm, soothing green glow. This jewel had witnessed a variety of adventures and misadventures, yet it had still returned to Angel Island, safe under the never-ending watch of Knuckles. As guardian of the gem with the ability to control the powers of the Chaos Emeralds, the red-furred, stubborn echidna knew that the protection of such was to be his highest priority until his final breath.
Knuckles let his eyes drift to the endless expanse above him once more, and he folded his arms across his chest. In the star map above him, he traced the innumerable lights with his weary eyes. Lately, he could not sleep, nor could he allow his mind to wander beyond the well-defined borders of his own duty. The reason for these aberrations from his normal way of living was not that he was physically ill, nor that he felt like doing so would put the Master Emerald at risk of theft. Simply put, he was afraid of his own thoughts. If he allowed the cogs of his mind to turn, he found that there was a concealed element of his priority list that he could not allow himself to think about. The more he thought of this accursed part of his life, the more he feared that he might somehow lose sight of his most important purpose, to guard the Master Emerald, and chaos would consume the world because of his foolishness.
Raising an arm to his forehead, Knuckles groaned and closed his eyes as he tried to suppress the mounting headache that now plagued him due to his lack of sleep. His brain had become weary, and blurred images of his fragmented thoughts danced about in front of him. The breeze gently caressed his face, carrying with it the calming scent of the ocean that tumbled onto the shore, far beneath the island. The warm glow of the Master Emerald partially visible through his closed eyelids, Knuckles found himself entirely at peace with the surrounding world. Slowly, silently, darkness filled his mind and he succumbed to sleep.