"Born on an island in the heavens,

The blood of my ancestors flows inside me

My duty is to save the flower from all evil deterioration"

- Knuckles Theme –

Chapter two – New Second Life

The servers are the seven Chaos, Chaos is power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos…

A dragonfly landed on Knuckle's nose which caused him to snap out of his train of thought.

Two times, he pondered, two times the Master Emerald shattered into pieces and I had to go and collect them, and in each time that I put them back together again I've met someone new.

The dragonfly buzzed around him a few times before it flew off in a different direction.

The first time it shattered, I practically went everywhere to find them. As I was piecing them together again, I had met Tikal and saw with my very own eyes the richness and beauty of my people the, Echidna. I also learned that Tikal's spirit lived within the Master Emerald and that it was her voice, gentle and sweet that had always guided me.

The second time the Emerald had shattered however was not such a soul searching quest. I had met my first rival, Rouge the Bat. A very scandalous bat, having the nerve of taking what's mine! I understand how passionate I get when it comes to defending what is mine. And I know in some way I've must have offended her….so at that time when we fought in space, so near the ARK, I apologized. She gave me the pieces that she had and the emerald was complete. She was something, that Rouge….

Knuckles sighed and looked up into the sky. I wonder what is she up to now? He mused. Heh, maybe just stealing some jewels somewhere. Knuckles blushed. She really is something.

The night sky seen from Angel Island is one of the most spectacular sights only second to the Mystic Ruins. The floating Island was about 30,000 feet above sea level away form smoke and artificial lights. The stars above were numerous and the moon hung in the middle of a sea of darkness that was the night sky.

Nine p.m., ten, eleven… the hours passed by idly as Knuckles sat on the steps. His eyes closed in light sleep. Eleven- thirty, eleven-forty, fifty-five—midnight. There just then, a sudden silence spread throughout the entire little island. The crickets hushed, the air became still even the ant that crawled so near to Knuckle's foot stopped dead in its tracks.

"Knuckles," called a voice soft and tender.

"Huh?" Knuckles awoke suddenly as he looked left and right.

"Happy Birthday, Knuckles."

He whirled around, "Tikal…" he breathed when he found her. She was seated on top of the Master Emerald and Chaos who was not too far from her watched Knuckles cautiously.

"It's my birthday?" He asked clueless. Tikal placed her hand over her mouth and giggled.

"Oh Knuckles," she smiled , "That's why I'm here to congratulate you on your seventeenth birthday."

"That's it?" he had a slight suspicion that it may be some important mission that he had to do or something along those lines.

"No, Knuckles, nothing else, really." She pushed herself and let her feet fall to the ground.

"Oh," Knuckles flushed, "Damn, why did I act so cold? She only wanted to send me birthday greetings and here I am, questioning her motives. Humph, what a great guardian I am.

"Can I sit with you?" Tikal asked tilting her head a little.

"What, uh sure," Knuckles felt somewhat awkward having someone so special, so sacred, decide all of the sudden to spend some quality time with him. They sat at the steps together. Knuckles felt privileged as he looked toward the ground.

She seemed to glow with a type of beauty that was indescribable. Dressed delicately in the typical tribal garment of the ancient Echidna, she was a living remnant of his pride.

"Knuckles."

"Hmmm?" He quickly focused his attention towards her.

She laughed softly, "There's no need to be so uptight. Relax. I want you to get to know me more."

"Know you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," she nodded, "I know everything about you, Knuckles it's only fair for you to learn about me."

Knuckles scoffed, "Yeah right." He crossed his arms and looked at her in disbelief and a sly smile on his face.

Tikal noticed how his sudden bashfulness immediately faded away. "Well, then ask me anything."

"Uhh…what's my favorite color?"

"Red."

Knuckles stomped his foot in disappointment. "That was to get you started!"

She laughed.

"What do I like to do the most?"

"Crow about how fine and strong you are," Tikal answered giggling.

"Not true!!" He cried, his face as red as his hair.

"What do you want me say?" her smile shone through, soft and sweet and Knuckles had to the other way, "That you beat up people most of the time?"

"Yeah," he admitted looking back at her.

She gave him a melancholy smile, "You would like to do that most of the time—

"But I can't." cut in Knuckles. He stood there looking toward the ground.

Tikal stood wanted so badly to reach out her hand towards him. Poor Knuckles, I have watched him day and night stand guard without compliant with a sense of duty. A sense of pride. All those days and nights alone. I remember when he was small how his parents gave him up to me. How since then, I've watched him grow. And he has grown into a fine young echidna.

"What? What's with that look?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"No, what is it?"
Tikal shook her head and smiled. Stubborn as always. "I was just noticing how much you've grown, how strong you have gotten, too."

Knuckles placed his hand behind his head and smiled broadly, "Well you know, all it takes is a little training—you want me to show you…" he ran off looking for a boulder. Tikal stood watching. Once he found it he carried it and placed it at the foot of the steps.

"Watch this!" he called.

"Okay!" she shouted back.

Alright, thought Knuckles. He warming up and then delivered a direct deadly blow upon the surface of the rock cracking it first before it shattered into many pieces.

Tikal clapped and jumped at this great display of strength. "That was wonderful!" she ran down towards him. She tripped and Knuckles caught her before she fell.

"Huh?" she blinked

Chaos who had prepared his body to cushion Tikal's fall, straightened up again and glared at Knuckles who paid him no heed.

"I'm sorry I—" began Tikal.

"Its okay, those steps are ancient. It's easy to trip over them when you are not—HEY?!" He backed off in surprise, "I, I touched you, you're real? It can't be.."

She nodded, "The Master Emerald granted me another chance to live."

"What really seriously?!" He took her hands in his, "So you will stay here and keep me company?"

"Yes, like I always have…" she smiled warmly. Her cheeks glowed a supple pink.

Knuckles then realized what he was doing and he dropped her hands as if he had touched something cursed and whirled around, "Not that it would matter…"

"I'd love to."

She took his hand and led him back up the stairs, "Knuckles you want to learn more about your heritage don't you?"

"Of course!" he boomed with a smile.

"Well listen closely, because I will tell you stories passed down among our people."

Knuckles nodded. Both spent the rest of the hours into the night talking and sharing stories.

End Chapter