Disclaimer:

Right. We don't own Sonic Team's characters. But we sure do own OURSELVES!

Really.

We sure . . . hope.


Timeless Bonds

Chapter Two: Oncoming Clouds

By Chicobo329 and Debbie (Dai-chan)


After the endless night of dread, the dawn of pacification did little to soothe Tails.

Shielding his blinking eyes from the sunlight with a paw, the youngster repressed a yawn. When he finally woke, he realized that he never felt this troubled before. His mouth was dry, and his muscles were sore from tension the whole night while he tried so hard to keep the dream away. He could still recall the faint sensation of the crack, beyond his sight. No longer comfortable in the Hidden Palace, Tails decided to leave it, wanting fresh air, wanting open spaces.

The sky was still dark, but he could see the pinkish-orange dawn from the eastern side around Ice Cap, at his right. Angel Island had no sense of real direction, rotating in a slow pace that took several months to change into a slightly new direction. Watching the dawn light banishing away the night's darkness from the gate, Tails was reassured. The dawn was soothing, and while it didn't ease his mind completely, it gave Tails a sense of appreciation. With all the battles and the hastened lifestyle that Dr. Eggman so nicely bestowed, Tails didn't get to appreciate the simple beauty in anything often.

Seeing the dawn for the first time in a long time was cherished.

Maybe a walk of Angel Island would help him feel better. Knuckles had demanded that he not wander too far, but Tails assumed that a walk near Ice Cap wasn't out of the question. Besides, Tails loved to observe from a height, admiring the lands from a bird's view. Each verde had his and her own way to see beauty and Tails was no different.

Ice Cap may have been icy, but the trick was to know where to step without slipping. There was a well-worn footpath leading uphill, winding between large, glazed boulders. The foothills were very different from the nearby meadows. The meadows were flourishing. The foothills had barren grass and a few tiny saplings struggling to grow through from underneath the rocks. It seemed to Tails that he was treading over the line of this world into the next. The air was surprisingly warm in spite of the ice, and the cub enjoyed the mix of the warmth and coldness.

Soon, he discerned another path branching from his right. It was thinner but so worn that the rocks had flattened and polished so well that sunlight reflected off them. Someone had used this path a lot. Curious, he took it, wondering where it was leading. He suspected that Knuckles must've walked this path often, but why?

He gazed downhill and halted in his tracks. The sight was magnificent. He drunk in the beauty of the vast savannahs, the pale greenness with the darker green smudges that were tightly packed forests standing alone. Diffused colors of wildflowers mingled with the greenness, Even from the heights, the boundary of Angel Island wasn't seen, but if it could be, it would be as a faint line of dark umber, offering a boundary of protection and warning.

As usual, Knuckles was easy to notice. The bottom side of Ice Cap was pretty steep, forming high walls and slight cliffs. Tails realized that he had taken the path around them and was now near the top of the steep side. Knuckles was spotted upon one of the cliffs. It was difficult to tell what he was doing, for Tails was far off and Knuckles' crimson back was facing him.

The fox wondered why he hadn't noticed him on the way up, but then the boulders must've blocked any obvious sight. He came closer, but at a slow and quiet pace. He was uncertain at how Knuckles might act if Tails intruded into his space. Maybe it was his way to keep solitude. It could be anything, Tails knew it, and yet he felt that he needed Knuckles's company.

The dream disturbed him so severely that he kept shivering at the creeps slinking down his spine. His tails betrayed his emotions all the time, no matter how collected he can get. His tailfur was as stiff as it was soaked and frozen with ice water. This proved his dread, and he just needed a comforting word to help him forget.

As he approached, he could see Knuckles seating at the edge of the cliff, his legs crossed and paws tightly clenched on his knees. His head was slightly bowed, as if in deep meditation, while he observed the sights below with intentness. He had a troubled look, mixed with faint curiosity. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from this distance, but Tails could see that Knuckles was obviously perturbed.

Tails felt guilty as he sat at Knuckles's side. He awkwardly hoped that the bold approach didn't ruin the solitude. But to his astonished pleasure, the solitude didn't seem to vanish in his presence. Knuckles didn't express any disapproval. At the edge of his vision, Tails could see the bulging paws lightly slackening, a slight rise of his head in acknowledgment.

Having the sturdy Echidna near did present a sense of security. It was different from Sonic, Tails noticed. With Sonic, he felt a brotherly protection from him, a protection that instantly warmed him, letting him know he was already protected no matter how far Sonic could be. It was a protection that came from within.

The security from the Echidna was more of a physical sort. It was almost tangible, weighting on his body. It wasn't instantly warm, although. Impassive protection. Still, it was a security that Tails felt safe in, a solid security that might barricade the foreboding.

He shyly glanced at the Echidna and voiced softly, "Nice scenery."

A simple nod. "I enjoy watching the island from here."

"What do you come here for?" Tails had to ask. "Do you think about stuff or do you just enjoy the scenery?"

" . . . Both, actually. But . . ." He crossed his arms, closed his eyes. With the eyes closed, he appeared more distracted. "I come here when I feel troubled. When I need time by myself to think things out."

His ears flattened at the mere remembrance of the foreboding. "I couldn't sleep last night . . ." It was too hasty for a change of the subject, he knew, but he really needed a sympathetic word. He didn't know if Knuckles would be even equipped to give a sympathetic word, but he just needed to hear it.

"Bad dream?" Sincere concern was there again, in the rich voice.

"I don't know if it was a dream . . . It felt too real." He waited for Knuckles to answer or even say something, but the Guardian remained silent. He was listening, although, his gaze locked on the cub. "There was a fracture, a kind of a crack, then pain. It was surreal because I had the perception that someone was hurt and yet at the same time, I was hurt."

The violet eyes slightly narrowed, as in bewilderment. "Hurt?"

"Hurt. Not only physical and mental. Just hurt." He didn't add that the hurt was like the only thing, the lone sensation he was feeling. Was this plausible to feel only one emotion, one that filled each sense entirely?

Knuckles seemed to pause thoughtfully, and then questioned, "You hurt now?"

"No . . . but it still bothers me."

The silent Echidna appeared to be mulling with an indeterminate visage, deepening the stern lines. Tails lowered his gaze to the plains. He just stared, nothing on his mind but the morbid sensation. It was like the dream; the honed slit splitting in his mind and the agony vibrating within his chest. He felt like he was hurting, but simultaneously, he was feeling the hurt from something. He contemplated over this; what was hurting? And by what?

His voice was restrained. "I hope it will go away."

The Echidna made a humming sound. It sounded like a half-grunt, a half-murmur. Tails turned his glance to him, mystified at the reaction. Knuckles didn't look directly at him, but he gave the impression that he was directing his thoughts in the words.

"Even if it does, keep it in mind. It could have a meaning."

The fox was baffled and was about to ask him for clarity, then he paused. The words had a spiritual tenor to them. It did sound like this foreboding was somewhat metaphysical, not quite what Tails would expect in the logical sense. But as he mulled over this, the dream wasn't logical. Dreams were rarely logical, with many atypical and surreal panoramas that seemed nonsensical. It took a lot of insight to peer through the panoramas and decipher the hidden meanings. Tails was observant, but not always about dreams. He rarely received dreams like this or knew anyone who dreamed the same.

Even though that dreams weren't logical, they did have an intention. Dreams acted on subconscious thoughts, reflecting the past events, whatever the time interval was. The pain could be from Tails' memories. He didn't remember being that hurt before, but then he might not remember anything of this pain. He knew this affiliation was from another person. He was remembering this person's pain? Could this be possible?

Azure eyes shut, Tails rubbed his head in an attempt to appease the tousled thoughts. This wasn't very logical to him, but he comprehended Knuckles' remark. The dream was a foreboding. He never was so certain about this. It meant that something will happen, perhaps something dangerous. Something to watch out for. Verden was still a feral and primitive planet, and in spite of the efforts from the verdians and verdes taming it, the earth wasn't one to be underestimated. It seemed logical to Tails, that a danger could come.

It made him feel a bit better.

Not that he was glad for the danger, but at least, the danger could be something that he could handle with. A physical danger. A logical danger.

The foreboding ebbed, the agony lessened into a dull ache. A faint smile of gratefulness appeared on the fox's features. He briefly cast the Echidna a glance and softly voiced, "Thanks. Thanks for talking with me, Knuckles."

Knuckles's face appeared to be open for an instant, occupied with curious surprise. It was then erased aside as he regained the outer composure. His voice was still tinted with mild surprise. "For what?"

"For just talking with me." Tails then made the wide, warm grin he often displayed for reassurance and appreciation. "I needed to someone to talk with, that's all."

The Guardian again expressed surprise, but Tails caught a twinge of a new emotion. Longing? Conceivably, a longing for companionship? Perhaps, it was because of the solitude he had to endure with?

Knuckles formed a rare smile, a smile with modest amiability. "You can stay and talk some more, if you like." Even his dark eyes softened.

"Sure!" Casting another glad grin, Tails scooted closer, welcoming more of the physical protection, and observed the plains again. Instead of the shy silence between, Tails enjoyed the new and companionable silence that came from Knuckles. Even his body relaxed down, the paws lightly reposing on knees. It seemed to Tails that this position was pure Knuckles, the relaxed manner and yet with the ready stance that could come in abruptly once he got alert of oncoming danger.

He then speculated over Knuckles's life. How did he live through the years? The years being alone must be so difficult on him, and yet it had no effect on Knuckles, as Tails suspected. Even so, the Guardian hid his emotions well and it became more difficult to figure out his thoughts by reading the impassive features. He supposed the simplest way to find out was to ask. Tails anticipated that he was close enough to Knuckles to ask personal questions.

"How long have you been guarding the Master Emerald?" Tails questioned.

Knuckles didn't hesitate to answer. "I've been guarding for nine years, since I turned nine. That was also when I became the Guardian."

His ears pricked, his tails swayed, the typical reaction that stated Tails' interest. "You were that young? What about your parents?"

"I didn't know my father. Mother was the last Guardian before me. She . . . vanished."

"Vanished? How?" Tails was perplexed; how could anybody disappear on this island?

The Echidna's slanted eyes narrowed in sullenness as he fixed a blank stare at the horizon. "I don't know. She just vanished that day, and I couldn't find her anywhere."

He felt a twinge of sympathy, and it wasn't because of the loss of parents. It was because he had been through this before. "So you don't have any parents now . . . " His azure gaze dropped to the barren ground. "Like me . . ."

He felt the gaze coming on him and heard gentleness in the rich voice. "An orphan, too? You know anything of your parents?"

"Not much. I can't even remember their faces . . . All I know is that Sonic found me in South island when I was a year old and took care of me since." He vaguely recalled Sonic's parents who first attended to him and adopted him as a family member, but he couldn't remember much of them. His life with them was too short, and Sonic's other caretaker had surrogated him afterward. Tails was grateful for the secure life he had, but still, he often wished to take a glimpse of his parents' faces or even any knowledge of their lives.

He wasn't even certain if they were alive after all the years.

"I'm sorry," he heard Knuckles voicing sincerely. "Memories of your parents are precious when you don't have them here . . . At least you have Sonic."

Tails smiled, nodding. "Yeah, he's like a big brother to me."

"A big brother?" Knuckles then snickered, an amused curl on his lips. "I thought you were the big brother there."

Tails chuckled, knowing how immature Sonic can get. "Sometimes I do feel like the older one." Sonic's face appeared in his mind, and startled, he realized that the face wasn't the same. Pale and fatigued. He became agitated; will Sonic stay like this ever? He sighed. "Now I'm the older one. I keep worrying about Sonic."

"I'm sure he'll get better. You did mention he's been fighting for far too long, remember? He only needs rest."

"I said that, didn't I?" Besides, it wasn't his nature to worry that much. Before, he was very positive, would never let any miserable situations or hopeless moments dampen his cheerful mood. He's been that way as far back as he could remember, learning from his guardians and Sonic to stay optimistic through the bad times.

Ears flattened, Tails closed his eyes, still anxious. He supposed that all the adversarial circumstances have finally hit him in the face with a cold slap and wore down his optimistic barrier. Or maybe his eyes opened at last and saw the harsh reality. All he knew was that it was all the foreboding's fault. He never felt this dreaded before. Not even when Dr. Eggman attempted to control over Primera or the world. It was because he just knew that the verdian will be defeated, no matter how elaborate his attempts were.

This was too different. The foreboding was too personal, he perceived. He tried hard to disregard it, but it was still there. It won't go away. It was too real, the very agony still abided in his mind, reminding him constantly. He just couldn't stop forgetting it.

A soft chuckling jounced him out from his thoughts. Knuckles was chuckling. Not the faint chuckles or wry snickers. A lighthearted tone was heard and Tails was astonished to see a friendly smile on the Echidna's face. The first friendly smile ever since Tails' first encounter to Knuckles. The smile was directed at him. Tails instantly felt the protection around him thickening, becoming companionable. He could feel the foreboding being pushed away.

"You definitely need to keep your mind off the troubles," Knuckles was saying, his eyes lightening with a smile. "How about joining me on a journey?"

"A journey?"

The Guardian nodded, standing up form his seat. With a slight curl of his fingers, he beckoned Tails to follow along, as he started among the cliff. Another path turned around the cliff, wide and also worn-down, winding on the cliffs and between, offering a safe step. Knuckles strode with a quick step, his mind already linked to each step. Tails had to falter now and then at a sudden rise or drop in the path, but he managed to stay in pace.

The path was long but it didn't seem long. Tails presumed that Knuckles or a past Guardian made this path for quickness in travel whatever possible. This could explain the Echidna's unexpected appearances in far-away places in so short a time span. Soon, Knuckles stopped in a spot and overlooked in the northeastward direction. Coming to his side, Tails then received a gorgeous sight.

The sparkling glint reflecting off water was so dazzling that the young verde had to squint to block off the sight. An ample lake spread its banks before the lush jungles that loomed in the distance. The surface was crystal-blue, its brilliance from the sunlight and the clearness beneath. A ruined city, dubbed Hydrocity, could be seen near the lake, some of its buildings submerging into the waters.

One thing, though, caught Tails' attention as he gazed across the jungles. Faint wisps of black smoke drifted up from a blackened area, nearly as the same size as the lake. He was too far to smell the smoke, but he did remember Sonic's words while the cobalt verde got himself stuck there.

'You couldn't believe the fires there. It was as if the sun forgot where to set and ended up setting there.'

Sonic may not be poetic, but his words were enough for Tails to imagine the wildfire the badnik swarms had set as they rout out. Only Sonic's quick speed and slashes of his quills and Knuckles's punches (as Tails found out later) cutting down nearby trees stopped the wildfire from spreading further. Wildfire may be part of nature, but not this one. The cub's heart clenched in pity as he gazed around the charred zone.

The Guardian pointed toward the jungles, voicing, "The jungles are burned down, thanks to the badniks. I'm going to plant seeds and saplings to aid the jungles growing." He glanced back with another smile. "Care to help me out?"

The cub met the purple gaze with an astounded look of his. He didn't expect a request from the Echidna. He thought that in the years of solitude, the Echidna had reckoned he could not acquire any outside help, had to rely solely on himself. If any help was available, he would've taken it, but it was simpler for him to do it on his own. That was the way it was, being his own helper and supporter.

As he gazed back, Tails realized that Knuckles wasn't just asking for help. He was also offering something to keep him occupied. Seeing the stern and impassive Guardian giving a gesture of solace to banish away the dark gloom affected him.

The cub widely grinned, glad that he finally got to spend time with his new friend. "Sure, I'd love to help!"

---

After what seemed to be infinity in a sense, the heaviness finally lessened. The fluffy grogginess dwindled from his mind, pushed away by an irritated persistence. For long moments, awareness inched in, sweeping clean and sharpening the consciousness until his senses woke.

The sense first to wake was his touch. He perceived that he was laying on his stomach, his legs tucked close, and a crooked arm under his head. His other paw was near his face; he felt heated breaths steaming, warming through his thin-furred cheeks. His first notion was that he hasn't been like this before since he was a child, slept in the fetus position. This puzzled him at first, then the thought was pushed aside into the sub consciousness as he finally roused from the blankness of sleep.

Jade eyes drowsily opened, the bright light that was usually shining boldly within now blanched and nearly lifeless. They blinked in bleary perplexity and took a languid glance around the faintly green-illuminated chamber. The inner light in the eyes brightened briefly as in realization, and then it was veiled as the eyelids drooped over.

A grunt. The curled paw opened to rub the tan cheeks, then to the eyes. The rubbing seemed to rouse him further in awareness and the hedgehog sat up. The dirty-white blanket slipped off from his shoulders. His body, suddenly exposed to the cooled air, momentarily shivered, and a large gloved paw grasped on the fabric. Paused. Sonic made no other move, blinking his eyes, trying to drive the drowsiness out from his mind. He shifted to lean back against the wall behind him and gathered his blurry memories.

'Where am I . . . ? This place isn't . . . familiar. Wait . . .'

His eyes closed from the green glow for a fleeting instant.

'Oh, yeah. Beat Robuttnik, saved the stone, and back on Angel Island. Right.'

The eyes opened, this time with a glint of remembrance, a sullen scowl blemishing his face. He was no longer tired, but the irksome fatigue was still lingering in his limbs. A perceptive heaviness weighting down inside his muscles. He felt imprisoned from the sensation, and at an instinct, Sonic stretched his body, determined to get rid of the heaviness.

Ignoring the protests of his tight muscles, the hedgehog got off his bed. For an instant, a nauseous dizziness filled his head, causing the Guardian's chamber to spin before his eyes. Sonic shut his eyes, murmuring a low growl, as he again inclined back on the wall. He did not like this. He was sturdy, rarely having to get anxious over diseases. This fatigue . . . it was becoming like a malady, draining his energy and increasing the ire.

He was already aggravated the minute he nearly lost his balance, nearly stumbled in front of his companions. He could feel his dignity incurring bruise after bruise as the fatigue constantly threatened to sap the very life from his speed and pull him into a black torpor. He still sensed the fatigue, as a veil of blackness closing on his consciousness, suffocating and creeping in . . .

Sonic made an abrupt shake of his head in a shudder. The shake seemed to push away the fatigue a tad. Alright. He decided that he'd stay awake so the fatigue won't conquer as it did to him the minute he was rescued.

'Man, I was really out of it . . . ' Sonic cautiously took a step forward. No burst of grogginess. Another step, then another. Nothing. His lips pulled back in a grin of triumph. He beat it. Sure, the fatigue was still there, but it wasn't pestering him. Quietly sheltered back in a corner of his subconsciousness. His limbs were now feeling light, although not as feather-light as they usually were.

But he beat it. It was a great feeling.

Sonic glanced around the Guardian's chamber once again. He noticed the bed over his was slept in, the dark-colored blanket left in a pile beside the depressed pillow. Maybe Tails? If he slept there and woke already, how long has Sonic slept? Sonic grunted, rolling his eyes, heading for the doorway. The light green glow didn't tell him the time of the day, and there wasn't any window built in this place to reveal other source of light.

"Ya think this place would have windows or at least a clock," he grumbled.

He continued his way up the passage, following the light. He found himself pleased at the beauty in it. It was no secret that he, the carefree, lively hedgehog, loved nature. It was more than just being a verde; he had a great appreciation for nature, cherishing and admiring Verden's mystique. One of the few who explored the unexplored wildernesses, the hedgehog often saw many things that mystified, repulsed, and baffled him. Despite what he had seen, his heart had a tender side and it often swelled in pride or rapture at a rare beauty.

Sonic faintly smirked; many people assumed he didn't have time to 'stop and enjoy the roses' because he was always dashing. Dashing past, eyes locked in front, never taking a glimpse to the side and see the scenery. They were simply wrong, and Sonic didn't try to correct them. Let them have difficulty trying to comprehend the persona that was Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic had no desire to show the truth about himself.

He liked being a puzzle, after all.

Sonic halted just before the Hidden Palace, watching in admiration. The Master Emerald was beautifully illuminating its light, painting everything with each shade of green. Even now, his fur and quills were aqua-green, reminding him strongly of South Island's shores. His jade eyes shifted from the Master Emerald to the Super Emeralds, and the eyes flashed heavy dislike.

Sonic didn't know why he happened to loathe the sight of the so-called Super Emeralds. He had the strange feeling that they were not natural. Made. They didn't look like real gems at all. More like plain stones with jewel-like paint as the covering. They weren't even shining at this moment, all dull and vapid. He didn't plan to question Knuckles more about them. All he knew was that they were made wrong.

Now, as he peered with aversion at the stones, the appreciation of beauty was ruined. He no longer can enjoy the magnificence in the larger emerald while those alien gems were in the same room. He also received a strong sensation that he wanted to get out of here. It was fine with him. He never really liked being underground, anyway.

His fur adjusted from the aqua color to a deeper indigo blue hue as he departed out from the green glow's parameter into the phosphorescence. His small ears pricked at the soft yet stentorian resonation from his footsteps. This wasn't the first time he'd heard the sound and he was still amazed by it.

It was also the first time he heard his own footsteps. This was different from what he had ran on: gravel, dirt, and even metal. He dashed fast enough that his pace became very light on turf, making little or no sound. The only sound accompanying his dash was an abrupt whoosh of passing air, like an ethereal trill, along with an occasional sonic boom whenever he reached the limits of his speed.

Here, in the Hidden Palace, he got to hear his own dash for the first time. It first startled him, thinking someone was following him at the same speed. He then noticed a sleek rhythm that was music to Sonic's ears. It was so perfect because it fit his personality so well. Each pound, each bounce and each whoosh was like a note on a sheet music, building up into the melody Sonic now memorized and cherished. It was too bad that the tunnels weren't long enough; he'd love to dash down them and listen to his dash's music endlessly.

The phosphorescence soon paled into actual sunlight as Sonic exited the Hidden Palace. He was so engrossed with the new resonation under his walk that the trip wasn't so long to him. He slowed down at the gate, letting his eyes adapt to the bright sunlight. The sky was azure-blue with several white clouds drifting along. Not the clouds of Sky Sanctuary, he noticed. The sun was nowhere to seen; he was still sheltered by the gate, but Sonic realized that it had to be near to noon, from the heading of the light shafts.

"Wow, I slept that long?" Sonic rubbed his head, fingers brushing in between his quills. He knew he was a heavy sleeper, but hardly a late sleeper. He had to be that exhausted to sleep that late. Momentarily, he wondered why Tails or even Knuckles didn't wake him up, but then he then shrugged. It wasn't a big deal to him.

He stepped out into the sunlight and widely beamed at the warmth effusing through his body. The air was sweetness with a faint citrus zest, the fragrance mixed from the wildflowers. The savannah was wide-spread beyond the gate, groves of forests glimpsed from far left, a greenness with splashes of colors. He inhaled in the sweetness, soothing his heavy limbs and expelling the ire away.

"Ahh, much better! That old palace gets too stuffy after a while," Sonic chuckled.

He glanced at the biplane parked nearby, but no Tails. It was odd at first, to him, that Tails wasn't working on his beloved plane. Again, Tails was a child and might already go off and explore Angel Island in simple curiosity.

Maybe a dash would do well for Sonic, too. He didn't get to enjoy the sights of Angel Island, being too busy pursuing Dr. Eggman and staying away from the even more persistent Guardian. He was looking forward to visit Mushroom Hill. The bouncy mushrooms fascinated him.

However, before he was ready to dash, Sonic needed to stretch his legs first. People were mistaken when they assumed he can dash instantly. This can be true, but his speed was only a Marked's(1) gift. His legs weren't innately built for speed, although he was lucky enough to have a love for running since he was a kit, had built his legs already for sprints. Sonic cherished his dash, but he cherished his legs more. He knew that if he hasn't taken care of his legs carefully, the dash would be his downfall under a pulled muscle or torn tendon.

The exercise routine was quick and his legs responded spontaneously, loosening and no longer so weighted down. Sonic grinned in achievement. Maybe the fatigue would finally go away. Done with the routine, the hedgehog then crouched down, a knee down, gloved paws spread in front. He rarely started his dash with the usual starting position, preferred the split second of standing into dashing and leaving behind a dust cloud - his trademark departure.

But no one was here to watch him, and so he didn't start this way. Jade eyes canted forward, eying the flat terrain, complete with tall, swaying grasses and sweet-scenting wildflowers. Body slightly tensed up.

'Ready . . . set . . . go!'

Sonic took only two steps forward before he was unceremoniously thrown to the ground face-down. Blinking in astonishment, he sat up, rubbing his bruised nose. His right foot was somewhat sore around the toes, happening an instant after the sudden topple, and he glared down to the offending object that caused his fall - a rock. A measly rock that was well-concealed in the grass. It had caught his foot in the way.

"Ok, this one didn't count," Sonic said, giving the innocence-radiating rock another glare, then stood up. Before he started, however, he took several steps away from that rock. He then took a quick glance around - hoped no one saw the ungraceful fall.

"Alright, that one is for real." The verde went into what he called the 'casual dash', which means he was jogging. There were two sides to Sonic's motion, he was aware. When he wasn't dashing, his motions were casual and normal. Compared with his dash, he could look awkward and ungainly, but this wasn't always the truth. He moved normally, with a touch of clumsiness found in most verdes, believed to be from the forced alteration from four legs to two and sometimes a third appendage.

During his dash, his movements were always flowing, smooth, and flawless. A unique grace that was often seen in his quick pace. Everyone has a peculiar grace, in motion or talent or speech. Knuckles had a grace in his strength and body, so poised and composed and calculated. Tails had a grace in his intelligence, analyzing and mulling thoroughly, thoughts buzzing behind those pale baby blue eyes.

While he ran, Sonic dominated the essence of fluidity.

And that wasn't all. An eager half-grin materialized on the hedgehog's face. 'Time to take it out of cruise control.'

It was natural for him to become cognizant when his Marked speed came in; the new energy coming in his limbs was gelid and brisk altogether, the essence of it filling his mind, so intense that it was impossible to disregard the speed. He felt new and vibrant every time. His senses strengthened. His hearing pricked, able to pick up the faintest sound. His sense of touch became sensitive enough to perceive a slight change in the air or in the ground and react with lightning-quick reflexes. Everything went in messes of colors in his eyesight, and yet everything was distinct and clear.

The best thing about his dash was the feeling of being free. Free from troubles. Free from despair. Just free.

He can't wait to experience that.

It didn't come.

The moment he invoked the dash, the energy didn't come. Instead, a dark, harsh weight surged through, much like heavy iron building and building until his legs no longer moved. Sonic gasped, the panic washing over him, as he stumbled down to the ground, on his knees and hands. He thought he will collapse from the dizziness, but his instincts turned in and locked his limbs, supporting himself.

Sonic forced to shut his eyes, thought the ground was spinning beneath him. Feeling back on firmer ground, he felt better, slowly. His breaths came out in short pants, clearing his dazed head and pushing away the fatigue. Now sure that he was able to stay upright, he sat back on his haunches. A mild shakiness caught his eyes to his large paws. His fingers were shaking. Faintly, but he still felt it. The paws clenched and the shakiness stopped. His teeth gritted.

'This can't be right,' Sonic thought. 'I never got that tired before. What happened to me?' What bothered him the most was that he couldn't remember a thing. He recalled the fight in the Death Egg and the fall . . . The light balls. Then the next thing was waking up on the Tornado, just after Tails rescued him. There was a span of blackness in between and he tried to remember anything out of it. Nothing, and that bothered him.

He was careful to get up to his feet, slower. The dizziness didn't come back nor did the fatigue. Good. He didn't want to experience that feeling again. He gazed toward the gate, wondering if he needed more rest to lessen the tiredness, then stopped himself.

"What's going on?" Sonic snorted, brows lowered. "Me, given' up? Yeah, right!" He grinned. This wasn't being 'Sonic'. He wasn't the type who would give up that fast. He won't let t'at fatigue imprison him. Not anymore. He eyed the gate, recalling the pleasure of his dash on the tiled floor, the refreshing energy that flowed within. "Just one more and I'll dash in no time."

He didn't waste his time stretching or getting in the starting position. Bold, Sonic decided to begin in full speed. To emphasize to the fatigue that he will not be restrained. Never will.

The speed did come, but it wasn't the same, as he detected in the instant he began dashing. The energy was also weighty, lukewarm and suffocating, some how. Muscles groaned and protested at the unfamiliar energy, and his limbs stiffened up. Helpless, he plummeted, skidding on the ground from the burst of speed. His chest and face burned, but with a dull ache, the fur protecting the skin from completely chafing.

The hedgehog laid there, still, face-down. A moment of silence, then it was broken by a low growl. It was acidic but tinged with a startling realization. The growl changed into grumbling as he pushed himself up, absently dusting himself, ignoring the dull ache. It was nothing compared to the building ache inside him.

Dejection.

Entering the tunnels, Sonic kept a paw on the wall, because his eyes were shutting, he attempting to lessen the dismay. Was he losing it . . . ? Losing his speed, his Marked gift? No, that was wrong. Sonic can feel his dash; the speed's intuition was too strong to be neglected, hanging somewhere at the edge of his subconsciousness. A Marked's gift can't go away. It was forever there. Sonic cherished his speed, knowing that he was born to run. No doubt about that.

It was the confidence he was losing. Perhaps his control, too . . . He hated that feeling. Lack of confidence was dejection and he hated it. He once felt the same before, and never again, he swore, that he would feel dejected. What was happening to him? Why didn't his speed come to him when he asked? Why wasn't the fatigue going away?

Will . . . this go back to normal?

That distressed and irritated him further and pulled out another bitter growl.

The dimness behind his eyelids lightened and Sonic opened them, finding himself back in the Hidden Palace. Everything was the same as he left; the Master Emerald was still glowing and the unnatural Super Emeralds were quietly resting, revolving around their larger counterpart. But there was something else. He had the impression that he was being watched. An ear pricked in curiosity as Sonic glanced around. No one could hide that well, what with the glows from both the Master Emerald and the phosphorescence. He gazed hard at the two other passages, but saw no one there, either.

He was sure that he would've seen Tails or Knuckles entering the tunnels while he was outside. He had to be alone here. Why did he still feel like he was being watched? And this odd . . . smugness. He felt the sensation of smugness in the watch. Who could be here with him . . . ?

His jade eyes whirled to the Master Emerald. The magnetism and the glow appeared to be changed in some way that they were directed toward an object. Him. Again, he received the impression that the Master Emerald was observing him, the hidden gaze seeming smug, the glow bathing the hedgehog in its colors.

He growled at the emerald. "What are ya lookin' at?"

He swore the stone was smirking.

Sonic got a brief quaver creeping up his spine, a thin iciness stiffening his hackles. Shaking his head, he then frowned. 'It is just a stone. Powerful and alive, yes, but just a stone . . .'

Still, he couldn't shake off that the stone was still eying him as he headed for a passage. Sonic felt relieved when he got out of the stone's vision, that if it did have vision, the walls hiding him. This was too weird. Sonic continued down the path. He recognized this passage as the one the Guardian had led him toward the entrance after Dr. Eggman fled with the Master Emerald.

Walls of pictures . . .

The murals were different and even so, he thought they were beautiful. This must be a painstaking and thorough task for the ancient Echidnas to affix the tiny tiles on the walls, knowing the right place to put them and keeping the big picture in the heads altogether.

Comforted by the beauty, Sonic pulled off his right glove, revealing long tan-furred fingers, and placed them on the tiles. Coolness and smoothness. He traced cleaves in between and the glazed surface. Beautiful. As he sensed it through his fingers, Sonic glanced at the paintings, momentarily curious of the stories the Echidnas revealed.

Under his fingers, a pitch-black sphere floated alone in the dark blue background that he recognized as outer space. The sphere seemed dead, lifeless, and a small green stone was above it. It appeared to release a sort of beam down on the sphere, surrounding it with an emerald-tinted glow. Beside the figures, he saw shorter forms of verdians, formerly 'humans'. Sonic formed the ancient word with his lips, jade eyes sliding across animals, strolling among verdians on fours.

The next mural demonstrated the same green gem, but it was accompanied with seven smaller stones, each with a different aura of color. Like the gem, the stones shone beams upon the animals. He could imagine the change easily; animals standing up on two instead of four, their throats evolved for speech.

The Growth.

The cobalt verde closed his eyes, letting his fingers telling the stories, admiring the smoothness and the warmth from the rubbing. He could almost see the stories from the murals. The cleaves told the tiles' patterns. The shift from warmth to coolness told a new mural. The smoothness told the flawlessness of the physique in the tiles.

Beautiful . . .

A sound of a throat clearing shattered the placid silence, and the jade eyes snapped open. Whirling around, Sonic saw the noise's source. The Guardian stood in the dead center of the doorway. His arms were crossed, a gloved paw lightly tapping on the crimson fur. His head was cocked, the dreadlocks dangling. Even some were half-covering his face, so only one twilight eye was gazing straight on him.

"Geez, do ya always have to do that every time?" Sonic mumbled. "It's gettin' really annoyin'." The minute he first met Knuckles, Sonic knew that the Guardian had a way to remain silent in his encounters, spooking him with his sudden appearances. The only way to notice the Guardian was when he let Sonic know, sometimes with a tap on his shoulder or a soft sound.

It always spooked him.

Knuckles formed a slight smirk, softening the stern features. "It's my thing, and of course, I can't turn down a surprise on you." The smirk was abruptly erased away. Now he radiated solemn concern. His voice became even softer than usual. "Feeling better?"

At first, he thought the Echidna was teasing, perhaps simply because he showed signs of weakness. But there wasn't any hint of smugness in him. Sonic knew him just enough to understand that Knuckles tended to mask his emotions and wouldn't show the true emotion until it was necessary, in the Echidna's opinion. It perhaps explained why Knuckles was difficult to read.

Sonic knew better. He had a trick up his sleeve. He looked at the eyes instead of the face. Eyes do not lie. 'The eyes are the window to the soul'. He remembered the saying well. He favored eyes over face, favored truth over illusions. He wasn't afraid of the truth. He knew that sooner or later he had to face the truth and so he simply decided to see the truth sooner rather than later.

That was one of the reasons why he loathed Dr. Eggman. The verdian never removed his eyeglasses. Light always reflected off the round glasses and in the dark, the glasses were simply black. Sonic had no way to see his eyes, to see the truth reflecting the tyrant's mind, not even seeing the eye color. Nothing. Sonic hated Dr. Eggman because he couldn't see his eyes.

As Sonic gazed into the Echidna's purple eyes, he then knew.

Knuckles was sincerely concerned.

The hedgehog merely shrugged, deciding to let Knuckles know about his true thoughts. "Not really," he admitted. He lightly tapped a foot, the sound softened under the sole of the red-and-white sneaker. "My legs keep feelin' like jelly."

Silence thickened from Knuckles, the only movement was his gaze shifting to the tapping foot.

"You just need more rest." The quiet words were meant to reassure him.

Apparently, the Guardian didn't know what happened to him. The hedgehog silently turned his gaze back on the murals. Sure, he could admit more about the failure in his dash, but he said enough. This was far more personal than the Guardian would ever know. Speed was part of Sonic's life. Heck, it was part of his soul. Without speed, Sonic wouldn't be Sonic. Now that the speed was no longer answering him, that affected him profoundly. A twinge of angst plucked within, dampening more of his confidence.

He closed his eyes, fingers abstractedly stroking the tiles. Found small comfort from the touch, appeasing him.

"What are you doing here?"

The voice was much closer, at his ear. A jade eye opened and found Knuckles standing a couple of feet away. It amazed him that the Echidna made no sound on the tiles. How did he do that? A slight pressure on the tiles and it became so solid that it lingered in the ears just a tad more before it faded just like any other sound. Perhaps that explained Knuckles's silent encounters - he learned to stay silent while he walked on the tiles and so stayed silent on other terrain.

Sonic then felt a light gratefulness for Knuckles, for the change in the subject. He didn't wish to brood over his failure any more.

Again, a bored shrug. "Checking the wall." Fingers lowered and Sonic took a step back, eyes half-closed, as in an expression of exaggerated boredom. But inwardly, he was curious. Curious of the tales the Echidnas were endeavoring to an observer. "The pictures are good."

"These are the Walls of History," the Guardian mentioned. The hedgehog discerned a tone of pride in the rich voice, and the eyelids lifted farther to see the flicker of pride brightening the twilight eyes as Knuckles observed the walls. There was even a faint smile. Knuckles flattened one of his gloved paws on the wall - not completely flattened, although, the unnatural knuckles preventing the ability - and traced the murals with a thoughtful motion. "They hold many stories from the past, telling the history of Verden and its people."

"Oh?" An arch of a thin eyeridge revealed more of his inward interest. "So what's the stuff about?" He gestured to the murals he has regarded with a jerk of his head.

He didn't miss the glance of mild puzzlement cast from Knuckles. He made a mental smirk; once again, he got one more person that couldn't figure out the enigma in the cobalt hedgehog. Sonic sure enjoyed fooling people.

Knuckles then lowered his paw to hover beside the black sphere. He began in that rich voice and Sonic felt an allure toward the voice. The Echidna was a master storyteller, voicing emotions and timbres perfectly to fit to the tales. Making them alive. The hedgehog's ears pricked forward, betraying his interest, although he kept his practiced bored face on.

"Our world, Verden, was dark and dead. It had no life to flourish, no energy to feed itself. An orb of death suspending alone in the vastness of outer space. It had been thus for millions of years, until the Master Emerald appeared." The jade eyes followed the curled paw to the painted green gem. "We believed the Master Emerald was the life source of Verden. No one knew where it came from, but we were deeply beholden to it, for without its energy, Verden would still be dead.

"It gave off some of its energy on the world, the light causing life to prosper. Lands were formed and shaped by eruptions of the underground volcanoes while oceans were born from small raindrops from the thick black clouds above. Plants flourished from underneath harsh rocks and Verden became green. Verdians walked along our ancestors, the animals, co-existing and growing altogether for eons in the First Era(2).

"And yet, Verden didn't have much of a life, barely subsisting past its dependence on the Master Emerald. It was weakening. Sensing the lack of energy in the planet, the Master Emerald created the Chaos Emeralds - earlier known as Kaos Stones - to help it keeping the world alive. The added energy aided the world endure, at last, but the Chaos Emeralds also affected the people. Unstable energies were released, the stones unable to maintain, and struck on the animals. We call this the Growth. Changed by the new energies, the animals evolved into new forms, keeping the same features to the originals and yet standing on two instead of four and received the ability to speak.

"We call ourselves verdes . . ."

He was listening, but he wasn't watching. As softly as he could, during the storytelling, Sonic slowly stepped forward among the wall, keeping a paw on the wall. He kept his eyes closed, allowing the voice painting the stories in his mind, and at the same time, experienced the coolness and smoothness through his fingers as they stroked across the tiles.

He knew the story. The Growth. It was believed to be a myth among the verdes, and he only could guess that it was a myth because it happened a long time ago. Long enough for the truth to become history, to legend, and to myth. Eroded by Time, nearly unrecognizable as the absolute truth and now viewed as an exaggerated myth of the ancients.

Still, Verden was an enigma. The planet was primitive, the wilds still untouched even after the passing of the fourth Era, and yet unseen magic dwelling within each life, whispering of power, energy, and heart. So many mysteries waiting out there to be discovered and solved. So many questions waiting to be answered. So many . . .

A change in the patterns aroused Sonic from his thoughts. A slightly bigger size in the tiles told him of a new mural and he opened his eyes to regard it.

The mural was large in size, appearing to be one of the biggest murals in this chamber. Colorful and detailed, it seemed to tell more than just one story. Two assemblages of verdes, verdes that were long gone from the face of the world. The larger group was immediately recognizable to Sonic - identical to the storyteller who was still rambling on.

Splashes of colors painted the furs of the ancient Echidnas, making them one of the majestic verdes living in the second Era. Dreadlocks decorated with bands and jewels, bodies clad in tropical garments that enhanced their outlandish allure. Looking nothing alike to the original Echidnas, the ancient Echidnas were indeed so exotic that people believed them favored by the Master Emerald or by some deity.

It was little wonder that Sonic thought Knuckles as exotic at the first encounter.

His fingers slid rightward, from the Echidnas to the other group. Again, he recognized the verdes and he thought it was preposterous to believe that those verdes were extinct when they looked so alike to his little brother. Foxes. Foxes with multiple tails. Two, three, four, even five tails swaying motionlessly. Clad in loose attire of plain colors that appeared to hide their hidden strength. No jewels decorated the slender bodies. Humble yet regal.

Although . . . those foxes weren't looking very vulpine like other foxes with one tail. They seemed less vulpine. He knew; he had met enough foxes to tell the difference in foxes and those unworldly verdes.

A slight frown appeared on Sonic's face. There was something . . . ghastly about both the verdes.

They were facing each other, the Echidnas at the left and the foxes at the right.

Faces of anger and intimidation.

Mouths opened in silent screams.

Clenched paws bearing barbaric weapons.

Arrows flying over, seeking victims.

Blades slashing across, dismembering and drawing blood.

Bodies splayed in a ballet of death . . .

Immediately, he wanted to know what this story was saying.

"Red, what's this?" Sonic managed to call out, his gaze glued on the mural.

His hearing picked up a shift in the rich voice, from a mild pride to a thick annoyance. From the corner of his vision, a turn of red as Knuckles faced him. A growl.

"Didn't you know that it's rude to interrupt during a story?"

A smirk twitching on Sonic's lips, he glanced up to the Echidna. Not even the stoic Echidna can resist his gift of provoking. The hint of a frown on the features, the slight stiffening in the frame told him so.

Letting his eyes rolling upward, Sonic casually beckoned him closer. "Whatever, come 'ere!" Visibly straining in irritation, Knuckles went to his side - Sonic could hear a soft resonation under the Echidna's pace this time, the composure briefly breaking - and folded his arms across his chest. Waiting.

Sonic tapped on the many-tailed vulpine figures. "These little verdes look a lot like Tails."

The Guardian took one brief glance at the figures and uttered one word. "Kitsunes."

There was displeasure in his voice.

"Kit . . . soons?" Sonic rolled the word in his mouth. As strange as the name Echidnas was, it was pronounceable. At least, it was to Sonic, who had to say it several times to get the word right. This new word was too alien.

"Kitsunes," the Guardian corrected him, his lips thinning from either amusement or annoyance. "Mystical foxes with multiple tails and the innate skill of using illusions to trick their opponents(3). The only thing I know is that they hid in an island somewhere and never came out." He made one of his indifferent shrugs. "Probably extinct by now."

' . . . Illusions?' Sonic frowned in puzzlement. He's never seen Tails using this kind of magic - or whatever it was called. In fact, Tails had no evidence of an unique talent that was Marked and related to this capability of creating illusions. His flying ability wasn't a Marked gift; Sonic was the one who taught him to use his tails for other abilities and Tails himself further practiced using his tails for flight. Tails wasn't a Marked.

It didn't mean Tails wasn't a Kitsune. After all, he had two tails. These . . . kit-soons had two tails and some had more, as well. In fact, as Sonic inspected the faces closer, Tails appeared more and more alike to those verdes than to a natural fox. The triangular ears, board muzzles, and the element of having more than one tail.

It was interesting that Sonic didn't think of that earlier. He only assumed that Tails was a normal fox born with two tails as a mutation(4).

Departing his thoughts, he then questioned. "What were those doin'? Looks like a fight."

The red verde nodded. "Yes, a war between the Echidnas and Kitsunes over the Master Emerald. The two races were the first of the creations and they argued over who was chosen to guard over the Master Emerald. The war was long and hard, but we won."

His lips were pulled back in a wide grin of pride, bearing small fangs. The sight actually changed the stern features into almost a malicious demeanor. Reminded Sonic of what the Guardian can do if his strength and ferocity were released in a burst. An indomitable foe. A protective friend.

Reminded him of a cherished companion.

Feeling briefly nostalgic, Sonic turned, locking his gaze on the mural.

A war. A ballet of death, verily.

How terrible that the mystical races had blindly entered a war and lost lives over the possession of guardianship. How terrible, as Sonic brushed fingers across the laying figures, that the dead were sentenced to die with nothing but anger and pain on their minds.

Terrible . . .

"Hey, guys?"

Knuckles stepped aside, peering over his shoulder, as Sonic shifted his gaze from the bloody conflict to his little brother. The sight of the young cub warmed him, giving him the comfortable protection he had over Tails. Again, he gazed at the older verdes with open azure eyes and a question on his face. He always had a question to ask and for that, Tails was easy to read. His emotions were rarely hidden. It was obvious that Tails was simply curious of the hedgehog and Echidna in the chamber, together.

Sonic wore his favorite grin, a wideness that nearly split from ear to ear and beaming blitheness. "Hey, big guy! We're checkin' out this wall with stuff on it. Come over 'ere."

A soft blow on the top of his head, soft but blunt, told him that Knuckles punched him. He could've reacted negatively by countering with a fist of his own, but the good nature in the punch heeded that the blow was meant to be a friendly rebuke. Even the grumble from the red verde sounded dryly amused.

"You're not a very good listener, hedgehog."

"Hey! Knock it off!" Sonic retorted back, still wearing the wide grin. Although the punch was a little more than a friendly blow. He added a hurt glare as his paw gingerly rubbed the soreness. Good thing his head quills weren't being pulled out. If Knuckles's punch was wrongly aimed, that would be painful, and not just for Sonic.

Tails lightly shook his head, chuckling, as he strode nearer. "Ok, what 'stuff' are you checking out?"

"We found this. It's a kit-soon."

"Kitsune!" The Guardian did an action not usual to his self - rolling the twilight eyes upward.

"Yeah, whatever!" Sonic shot back, then watched Tails. The cub had frank bewilderment and astonishment expressing, the wide azure eyes probing the mural. His small paws traced curiously, as if were touching the figures for credibility. His swaying tails betrayed an emotion, Sonic noticed, and it was a faint shade of anticipation. It was too little to be hope, but it appeared to be close to that.

Sonic understood why Tails reacted to the mural. Sonic was aware of the yearning Tails had in himself, a longing to find what real species he was belonged to. People assumed that the cub was just a normal fox with an extra tail, but this cub didn't always believe the assumption. To Sonic, he often said that he felt he had something more. A trace of quaintness, a bloodline long lost. Something unusual to make him seem more special than just a fox with two tails.

Sonic used to think that Tails was being imaginative and hopeful toward his history, but as he met a fox after fox in his travels, he began to wonder if there was something special hidden somewhere inside his little brother. The inspection of the war mural caused his assumptions to become more real.

Tails had little kinship to the foxes. Even with the fur color and vulpine appearance, Tails looked too little like a fox. For a cub his size, his muzzle appeared too broad, his ears appeared too large, and yet they seemed right in size. They made him appear dignified. In fact, Sonic had the oddest notion that the dignity was more than practiced; it was inherent, as if it was there through each generation of his bloodline.

Maybe there was something unique in his little brother after all.

"This's a Kitsune?" Tails's voice was soft, even for a cub, stating the struggling doubt in the tone. "It looks like me!" A light frown, then he glanced to the Guardian. "What were they?"

Knuckles was indifferent this time. "Just mystical foxes with the innate magic of illusions. They vanished a long time ago, probably extinct."

The hedgehog briefly glanced at the Echidna. Why can't he be cheerful? At least, sound cheerful?

"Extinct?" The cub's ears slightly flattened, again making him easy to read. Disappointment. Although, Sonic, watching him closely, noticed the anticipation there. Tails wasn't the one who would give up hope that quickly. The ears lifted, again with a hopeful expression. "At first, I thought I could be a Kitsune . . ." He was still watching Knuckles, expectant.

"Can you use illusions?" The Guardian questioned, with a blunt rise of an eyeridge.

"No . . . But what if I am? I could be a Kitsune who doesn't know how to use them. . . "

"Kid, they are gone. Extinct."

Struck by the heavy bluntness, the ears and tails drooped, dispirited. Even the eyes were dimmed. Feeling a twinge of sympathy toward the cub and casting a resented glare at the Echidna, Sonic placed a brotherly paw on Tails's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, big guy. Red is just being a bonehead." The soft tone changed into a sneering timbre, his jade eyes glancing back to Knuckles. The crimson verde expressed nothing, simply gazing back with impassivity.

Soft chuckles emerged from Tails and he shook his head as he spoke, "Nah, he's just being honest. Beside, I'm fine the way that I am, even if I'm not a Kitsune." Azure eyes met jade eyes. A relaxed grin. "I'm already happy, chasing down Dr. Eggman with ya and all."

His paw moved over to the top of the cub's head and affectionately ruffled the headfur. "Yeah, that's it, stayin' positive!" Leave it to Tails. He will find a way to lighten up hope every time.

Tails's grin widened, then faded slightly, as he seemed to recall something. The cheerfulness abruptly changed into strong concern. "Hey, you feel better now? Not too tired or . . . ?"

Just sometimes he felt like the child instead of the adult, under the fox's exaggerating concern. Still, Sonic understood. They cared for each other, tended to one another's wounds, embraced each other when the outer composure broke down, and even scolded at their mistakes. What normal brothers usually do.

Still, Sonic wouldn't say a thing to worry Tails. He didn't have the heart to let the cub know about his personal problem. He was still little, young, and so innocent, and the hedgehog hated to desolate the innocence. The innocence he himself no longer had. He needed to see the innocence in his little brother to keep hope high, and so he mentioned none of the failure in his dash, the persistence of the fatigue that still lingered in his limbs.

"Oh, yeah, I'm all better!" Sonic grinned, flashing the victory sign. Inwardly, he was deeply grateful that his limbs didn't bend under the fatigue like it did last night. "I just need some rest, that's all."

"Or you're getting old."

The hedgehog blinked at Tails' impish tone. The twin tails were swaying and he detected a teasing playfulness in them. Even those eyes were twinkling! He was teasing! Teasing him!

"Hey, I'm not that old!" He protested, then whirled around toward Knuckles. "Why are ya laughin', too, Red? Back me up!"

Knuckles halted the snickering, a fist hovering in front of his twitching mouth, and actually, actually made an wide-eyed blink. He raised both paws as a shield, still snickering. "Oh, no, I can't back you up. Rules of Rivalry."

Who knows the Guardian had a sense of humor? Sonic snorted, shaking a fist at his rival. "Bah, ya're no help."

Tails was chuckling, too, but it was cut off with another look of knowing concern toward Sonic. The hedgehog mentally sighed; Tails wasn't always fooled. "Really, Tails, I'm fine. Really."

The cub nodded in answer. "Alright. I'll be outside, working on the Tornado, if you need me." With a 'tail-wave' of his, he departed, a skip in his step, expressing his ever-strong enthusiasm to work on machines.

Silence formed and stretched between the two verdes. Sonic, not accustomed to utter silence, turned his mind on the murals. This time, he didn't want to hear more stories or even read the details. He let his fingers do the storytelling. Keeping the bare paw on the tiles, he strolled further down, luxuriating in the textures. He didn't feel the gaze of Knuckles on him nor cared if he was being watched. This was his moment, his time to relax and receive serenity from touch.

After a long moment, the serenity was curtly halted by emptiness. Wait, not emptiness, but an absence of tiles. The surface was crude, irregular in pattern. Gravelly and chilly. His eyes opened and regarded the sight. A wall was blank, naked of the colorful tiles. He noticed that he was standing near the end of the chamber, the walls present and beyond empty. The wall wasn't the same to the other walls in other chambers. No phosphorescence. Just a flat grey-black rock wall.

"Hey, Red?"

The Echidna didn't move from his spot, twilight eyes studying the war mural with profound inquiry. At the mention of his nickname, Knuckles merely turned his head with an eyeridge raised in mild interest.

"What's with the blank walls?"

"They are for me to fill in the stories I'll be getting." He motioned around the chamber. "All the murals were made by the past Guardians, telling the histories and stories they have lived through. A tradition of the Guardians, you could say."

Sonic glanced down to the curled, bulging fists and wondered if this stolid Echidna did have an artistic streak. If so, he would love to behold the beauty the Echidna might paint. He had an idea of what might be on this wall, but he kept his lips zipped. He liked to be surprised.

Instead, he voiced, "Looks like ya have a way to go." He then grinned, rubbing his chin in an interested look. "I didn't know that ya could be a good artist anyway."

A flash of indignity winked in Knuckles' eyes, but it was tinged with rare cunningness. "Either way, I'll know I can draw better than you."

"Heh, yeah, right!" The blue verde burst in laughter. Only if the Echidna would see what he had made.

---

Stories have a way to weave within the mural of life. A streak becomes land. A drop becomes water. A brush becomes a life. Each stroke becomes a word. A voice. A sound. All connecting with others. Stories within stories. Stories giving birth to other stories. Stories dying from other stories.

Truth to history to legend to myth.

But sometimes, in some murals, it goes backward.

Myth giving birth to truth.

As this goes inside one of the murals.

The mural of today.

---

A tile was pressed gently upon the wall, the curled paw holding it there until the paste hardened. The paw was ever gentle. One would think that his paws were clumsy because of the mutated knuckles. A simple but wrong thought. The thick and short fingers, permanently curled, were capable to balance a delicate object without any fear of toppling or cracking. The knuckles were capable to drive themselves deep in rock and lift their wielder without discomfort and yet added elegance and balance in handling.

Seated upon an elevated plank, Knuckles flexed his fingers, regarding his work. The sky was nearly done, the tiles of pale blue and grey reaching high to the top edge. In the top center, the half-finished figure of Angel Island hovered. The only thing missing was the white sphere of the Death Egg on the eastern side, along with the flames in the jungles, telling the story of the verdian's conquest.

Knuckles could've created a marvelous work on the mural, but he kept feeling that there was more to this story. He had a feeling that it wasn't done yet. Something that was missing or delaying, waiting beyond his reach. He had the feeling for days, and no matter how hard he tried to figure this out, the 'thing' was still out of reach.

So he waited.

Putting aside the paste bowl on the plank, the Echidna stretched his limbs. He wasn't weary from his work. It was the nagging statement that the story was half-finished that kept him from finishing it. He leaned back, his eyes sliding up and down the mural, his mind turning to other thoughts.

The past weeks went so fast to him. Very few had visited the island during his time and the Guardian always made sure they were aware of his presence, watching from a distance, allowing just enough of himself to be seen as a warning. Nothing too exciting, too hazardous to his hallowed duty.

Until the arrival of the falling star.

That was what he first thought as he came close to the jungles, the gigantic metal sphere glimmering in the glowing yellows of the sun. It seemed cold and insipid, a false life going on within the sphere. The only living heart was the operator and he was equally cold and insipid, his face identical to the metal countenance. The Echidna could, more than just see, sense the intelligence, the shrewdness, but the main thing he noticed was the arrogance. The cocky grin, the slight bristling of the bushy moustache whenever he was pleased, and the glint reflecting off the eyeglasses.

Reminded of his ancient kin's arrogance.

Perhaps that was why he was drawn to the magnetism, because it reminded him of his own kin. And blinded him from the truth. The verdian, called himself as Dr. Robotnik, was clever and managed to trick Knuckles into believing that two verdes were seeking to take capture of his Master Emerald. Enraged, the Guardian wasted no time pursuing the verdes until he stole back the Chaos Emeralds, hid them in random zones, and kept at the verdes' heels, distracting and inferring with tricks of his own.

His fists slightly tightened in recollection. How could he be such a fool, believing that Robotnik? When the verdian robbed him of the Master Emerald, he realized his mistakes. And realized his fortune when the verdes forgave him and asked for his help. Knuckles was more than glad and grateful to add his strength to theirs.

As time passed, Knuckles began to notice qualities in the two verdes, slowly seeing them just more than acquaintances. Sonic, the wild one, was his opposite. The encounter was enthralling. He didn't need to take a long look at the hedgehog to know that he's met his match. A glance to the jade eyes told him of the spirit's fire burning so vividly. A glimpse to the body told him of the implication as a Marked, the speed altogether divine and aberrant. The other encounters were exciting and Knuckles enjoyed the assaults, never feeling so alive as he dodged and met each of Sonic's blows. He could tell that Sonic was enjoying them, too, in spite of his mind on stopping Dr. Robotnik.

The fraternization with the hedgehog warmed and annoyed him from time to time. Sonic proved to be a puzzle. Knuckles was often exhausted from the mere attempts of comprehending the hedgehog, but at the same time, he appreciated the challenges the hedgehog was throwing at him. His rival. Somehow, Knuckles felt gladdened he had a rival, because in a way, he now knew that he was no longer alone.

The Echidna didn't get to socialize with Sonic's companion, Tails. He knew only what Sonic told him - a little brother with the mind of a genius. He heard the proud affection in the hedgehog's voice, and Knuckles felt that he'd like to meet Tails. He got his chance after the Death Egg lifted itself up from the ground and departed before the hedgehog and Echidna could embark. Tails suggested a ride on his aircraft.

Knuckles now understood why Tails was very precious to Sonic. He couldn't just not smile in the presence of the cub. The blithe grins, the hopeful sways of the two tails, and the mix of innocence and resourcefulness in the baby blue orbs. He was trustworthy, Knuckles can tell, and that was why he chose to trust the cub with the rescue of the Master Emerald. The lightness in Tails's grin told him that his decision was not regrettable.

Something told him the encounters weren't accidental, but it didn't matter to Knuckles. He was simply glad to have befriended the enigmatic Sonic and the amiable Tails.

He would miss them.

The Guardian truly hoped that the worst was finally past. Dr. Robotnik was assumed to be dead. When he had nothing against verdians, Knuckles was secretly hoping for the end of his tyranny. The Death Egg was already demolished, sank completely under the ocean, and the verdian's body wasn't found. Either it meant his body was charred or disappeared.

Fine with Knuckles, as long as his Master Emerald was no longer coveted. He didn't worry about the Chaos Emeralds this time. He was aware that the stones were independent, relying on no one but themselves, and the fact that they were in the hands of his new friends reassured him. Angel Island, recovering from the machines and the damage in its landscapes, was safe. He was reassured toward those facts.

However, the existence of the Super Emeralds didn't reassure him.

He tried everything to find the reason behind the creation. He started by touching the gems the moment he found them. He wasn't surprised at first when their energy felt different to him. The Master Emeralds and Chaos Emeralds were different, too, in energy, but Knuckles was familiar with them, knew their energy and the sensations from the touches. The Master Emerald was soothing and comfortable, much like a mother's touch. The Chaos Emeralds had a bit of wildness to their energy, sending a refreshed jolt through fiber and spirit.

The Super Emeralds were gentle and mellow. Almost like they were sleeping. So unfamiliar . . .

He had checked the entire Walls of History for any hint, but he wasn't sure of what he was supposed to find. Were the Super Emeralds made from the Master Emerald? From the Chaos Emeralds? Were they even materialized out from anything? Or nothing? There was no proof that the Super Emeralds were created a long ago, along with the Chaos Emeralds, or came from space with the Master Emerald. It was possible that they appeared recently, he was certain, but of what purpose?

His purple eyes shifted from the mural and toward the faint green glow at the entrance. He was instantly comforted by the light, and he breathed out a relaxed sigh. No matter. As long as his Master Emerald was safe, as long as his Angel Island was free from invaders, he was satisfied.

He turned to look at his half-finished mural.

Yet, he couldn't stop feeling that he was about to be drawn - more like being yanked - into a new mural.

And who was holding the brush?


To be continued...


Chicobo's Footnotes

1: A Marked is a verde who is touched by, or has interacted with a Chaos Emerald, and is given an unique ability. To become a Marked, the ability has to be awakened through a strong display of emotion. Having a Chaos Emerald merely touching you doesn't make you a Marked. It's high likely that an ancestor would have been touched by a Chaos Emerald but received an ability that is dominant, sleeping. The ability could've been passed through the bloodline until a descendant awakens it. It can be a stroke of luck or a genetic change that cannot be prevented.

Sonic is an example of a Marked because of his supersonic speed. It is unheard of for a verdian to become a Marked, but it's not impossible.

2: The history of Verden is divided into five Eras:

E0 (Era of Darkness, Era of Zero) : The period of time when Verden was completely uninhabitable before the arrival of the Master Emerald. The nearby sun, named Sone (pronounced as 'sun'), had too little energy to warm and create life for the planet. Most historians and scientists estimate the period of this Era to have lasted five million years, even more.

E1 (Era of Birth) : In this Era, the verdians and animals of the planet were created by the Master Emerald. This was the beginning of verdian civilization. This Era is estimated to have lasted between five and six thousand years.

E2 (Era of Domination) : Historians use the term 'Era of Domination' over 'Era of Change' because that's what the Era is all about. Near the end of the first Era, the Chaos Emeralds were created and their unstable energies occurred rapid evolutions in some animals, thus the beginning of the verdes. Approximately one thousand years later, the mystical kins - Echidnas and Kitsunes - rose to advanced civilizations and dominated over the verdians and verdes. Peace lasted between the mystical kins and 'lesser kins' for at least thirteen hundred years.

Little is known about the end of this Era. Although, common knowledge states that there was a war, named the Gem War, in which it caused the disappearance of the mystical kins and the disfiguration of Verden's lands, the largest change being a new continent named Primera.

This Era lasted nearly three thousand years.

E3 (Era of Hatred) : A turbulent period of a 'cold war' where the view of peace was lost as verdians and verdes grew cautious of each other. Single-kin communities were formed, staying afar from the verdian cities. It is difficult to estimate how exactly the War of Difference began, but it lasted far too long, over some three hundred years. At the end, a peace treaty was written between the verdians and verdes and the first step to acceptance began in the last year of the Third Era.

The Third Era lasted over fifteen hundred years.

E4 (Era of Acceptance) : The current Era. The Six Nations were founded as a result of the peace treaty, along with the new world military force of Holicore, Guardians of United Nations (G.U.N.). Industrial technology was established and growing in a leisurely pace, and it was thus until in 1800's when technology evolved into digital, using binary code. Locomotives and flight are the main transportation, with automobiles slowly catching up. Peace lasts up to this day. The current year is 2467 E4.

3: The ability to cast illusions that all Kitsunes share is a result of them (technically) all being a Marked. The entire race of Kitsunes are Marked as a result of more exposure of Chaos Energy from the clear Chaos Emerald during the rapid evolution of the Growth.

4: While it is rare, minor mutations can occur among verdes upon birth as a result of sometimes unstable genetic code. In this case it's unheard of, but not impossible for a verde fox to be born with an extra tail as a result of a mutation.