It was an early morning, and Knuckles, who grew into a curious child, looked out onto his balcony near his bedroom and smiled. Today was the day that his father, Locke, would spend time with him.

He ran out of his bedroom, and went to his parents' bedroom. In the hallway, it passes through the bedroom of his aunts Rita-Le, Komi-Ko and Mari-An, his uncle Wynmacher and cousins Jon and Kneecaps, who were still asleep. He slipped quietly past so he would not wake them. When he got to his parents' room, he opened the door.

-

"Dad! Daad! Come on, Dad, we gotta go! Wake up!" He got on the bed where Locke and Lara-Le slept, and climbed on Locke.

"Dad? Daad!" As Knuckles said 'Dad' multiple times, Lara-Le looked sleepily at her husband.

"Your son is awake."

"Before sunrise, he's your son."

"Dad?" Knuckles called out. "Come on, dad!"

He pulled his father's dreadlock, but he still wouldn't budge and he fell off the bed.

"Dad! Whoa!"

He then kicked the bed, waking his father up. "You promised!"

Locke looked down on his son and sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm up. I'm up."

"Yeah!" Knuckles got off the bed, and Locke let out a yawn.

Knuckles' parents got up, and walked out the door with their son following them.

Knuckles gave Lara-Le a hug, and she nudged him to follow his father. She watched her husband and her son walking to the M.E. shrine with a smile on her face. When Knuckles and Locke arrived at the M.E. shrine, the sun was rising.

"Look Knuckles." Locke pointing towards the horizon. "Everything the light touches is our home."

"Wow."

"A guardian's time on this island, rises and falls like the sun. One day, Knuckles, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new Guardian."

"And this will all be mine?" Knuckles asked.

Locke nodded. "Everything."

"Everything the light touches." Knuckles looked around until he spotted a dark place off the island. "What about that shadowy place?"

"That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Knuckles."

"But I thought a guardian can do whatever he wants."

"Oh there's more to being guardian than getting your way all the time." Locke smiled.

"There's more?"

"Knuckles." His father chuckled.

At that time, Espio raced over. "Sir! All is ready for the young guardian's first tour of the island. The greeting committee gives trumpeting all the pomp and circumstance."

"Espio, I didn't want fanfare." sighed Locke.

"Oh sir, you know you love it." Smiled the chameleon. "And it pleases the subjects, so little light in their dreary lives."

"Yeah, dad. What's wrong with the little fanfare." Asked Knuckles.

Locke finally accepts and begins to sing, as they begin to explore the island watching their inhabitants.

Locke:
To be guardian is a huge obligation
It's not just a license for fun
And since you're the next generation
And even more, since you're my son

I owe you a dad's explanation
That a lifetime of duties begun
But don't get depressed
You get ranked with the best
I'll tell you how, one to one

To be guardian is a daunting position

Espio:
But who gives a hoot when you're hot

Locke:
He must uphold both the law and tradition

Espio:
But the perks make up for a lot!

Locke:
In short, he's a master tactician
Who must give every subject a shot

Espio:
From termite to tusker

Locke:
From dawn until dusk-ah

Locke and Espio:
A guardian gives it all that he's got!

Inhabitants:
Guardian, head honcho, master commander
Defender of all you survey
Up in the mountains
Down in the flat lands
My, what a beautiful day
Guardian, protector, paterfamilias, to his duty reconciled
Rock of the ages
Feast for all seasons
Mighty guardian
Mighty guardian
Mighty guardian of the island

After finishing the song, Locke and Knuckles continued their walk while Espio followed them both.

Locke placed his son on his shoulders, and he began to take him around the place, the mobains that visit were having a wonderful day.

"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As guardian, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the nature, great and small. From the growing plants, to the mobains you consider your friends."

"But dad, don't we eat the fruit that grows here?"

"Yes Knuckles, but let me explain, when we die our bodies become the plants, and animals eat the plants, and some mobians take care of the animals. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."

"By the way Espio, could you tell me the morning report." Locke asked, turning to the chameleon and letting Knuckles off his shoulders.

"Of course."

As Espio began to talk about his morning report, Knuckles spotted a grasshopper, and started to pounce on it. While Espio was still talking, Locke caught sight of his son.

"What are you doing, son?"

Knuckles pounce on the grasshopper, but it got away.

"Pouncing." He said.

Locke knelt down to his son. "Let an old pro show you how it's done."

"Cream, Cosmo and Amy are currently picking flowers for Vanilla." Espio was still talking about the morning report.

"Espio, would you turn around." Locke asked.

"Yes, guardian."

As he continued to talk with his back turned, Locke pushed Knuckles to the ground.

"Stay low to the ground."

"Okay, stay low to the ground, right?" Knuckles asked in a whisper as his father shushed him.

"What's going on?" Espio asked as he realized that something was amiss.

"A pouncing lesson."

"Oh very good. Pouncing." Espio quickly realized what was really going on after the words escaped his mouth. "POUNCING?! Oh no, guardian, you can't be serious!"

Locke just motion for Espio to turn around.

"Oh, this is so humiliating!"

"Try not to make a sound." Locke whispered to Knuckles.

"What are you telling him, Locke?"

Espio looked around uneasily, and noticed that Locke and Knuckles seemed to have disappeared on him.

"Locke? Knuckles?"

Then without warning, Knuckles pounced on Espio who screamed, and landed on the ground.

Locke laughed as his son got off the stunned chameleon. "That's very good."

Both father and son exchanged a hi-five.

Just then a little bee named Charmy approached Espio and addressed him.

"Yes?" Espio asked, feeling exasperated by the pounce.

"Espio. News from Green Hill!"

"Now this time-." Locke was about to teach Knuckles how to pounce again, but then Espio got up.

"Guardian! The Rogues' robots! On Angel Island!"

Locke prepared to leap into action.

"Espio, take Knuckles home."

"Oh, Dad, can't I come?" Knuckles asked.

"No, son."

As his father left to take care of the problem, Knuckles started to walk home and sighed.

"I never get to go anywhere."

"Oh, young master, one day you will be guardian." Espio said as he escorted Knuckles, and tried to cheer him up. "Then you can chase those clobbering mangy stupid clunkers from dawn until dusk."