Chapter 3
The Diamond of Destruction
"I guess this is the powerful item," Sonic said.
Rotor and Sonic found a strange room within the caves. They saw a shine with a diamond floating within it. The diamond is shining crystal. It has a great power that Sonic could feel, but it wasn't good, but Sally said to salvage the item and report back.
"Let's get this diamond and get outta here," Sonic said before he picked up the diamond.
When Sonic touched it, the diamond shined brightly. Rotor touched the diamond to pull it out of Sonic's hands but he couldn't.
"Sonic! Let go!" Rotor shouted.
"I can't!" Sonic shouted.
The diamond shined even brighter and Sonic and Rotor both disappeared.
Meanwhile, Marco and Tails was halfway to the guardian of the Master Emerald. They had flown through many obstacles and pathways to get to him. So far, they were at a desert inside a temple with lively ghosts. One ghost appeared in front of Marco.
"Ahhhh!" Marco screamed.
Tails couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Why are you laughing, those things are real!" Marco shouted.
"Marco, they're ghost, they can't hurt you," Tails said.
"…Oh."
Tails laughed again. They walked down the temple and there weren't any traps, just obstacles that took time to pass. When they made it out of the temple, they were finally at the other side of Angel Island.
"Finally!" Marco shouted.
"Yeah!" Tails agreed.
Marco and Tails walked down a path to the shrine.
"I wonder how this guy looks," Marco thought.
Marco pictured the guardian as a big dragon with fangs, blowing out fire.
"That would be so cool!"
Marco and Tails made it to the shrine and Marco saw the huge green emerald known as the Master Emerald.
"Cool," Marco said.
The shrine had two rows of stone blocks surrounding the altar. The altar had stairs which lead straight to the Master Emerald. Tails walked to the stairs with Marco following. They walked up the stairs and soon found the guardian of the Master Emerald.
"He was nothing like how I picture him!" Marco shouted.
The guardian was asleep. He is a red echidna with gloves with spikes when he makes a fist. Most of his friends known him as Knuckles Echidna.
"Knuckles wake up!" shouted Tails.
Knuckles woke up. "Huh, hey intruder!" Knuckles shouted.
Knuckles punched Marco and he fell down the stairs. Marco got up and Knuckles punched him to the ground.
"Okay that's it!" Marco shouted.
Marco back-flipped away from Knuckles and punched him. Knuckles stumbled backwards and he jumped, and then he glided forward. Marco jumped and flew straight for Knuckles. They both rammed each other and they fell to the ground. Knuckles was the first to get back up. Knuckles jumped up high over Marco then he used his drill claw attack. Knuckles spun around and came straight down to Marco in great speed. Marco was able to roll out of the way and Knuckles ended up burrowing in the ground and then he popped back up. Marco and Knuckles were ready to attack again but Tails got in the middle of it.
"Guys stop!" Tails shouted, "We don't have any time for this!"
"What do you mean?" Knuckles asked.
"Come on, Marco and I will tell you at the altar."
Marco, Tails, and Knuckles walked up the stairs.
"I would've won," Marco said.
"Maybe if every bone in my body was broken," Knuckles said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"That you're weak."
"Don't make me use my sword."
"I dare you to try."
"Guys stop arguing!" Tails shouted.
Knuckles and Marco took one angry look at each other then Marco turned around. Knuckles looked at Tails.
"What is this all about?" Knuckles asked.
"The palace was under attack by one of our fighter jets," Tails started, "We never knew who it was that was piloting it because there was no pilot, it was remote controlled, and we need your help to keep the palace safe."
"Sorry Tails, I can't, I need to protect the Master Emerald," Knuckles said.
"But we really need you help."
"It's my duty to protect the Master Emerald at all times."
"Couldn't you just…"
"Sorry, I can't."
Tails looked down. Knuckles was very sorry, but he had no choice but to decline.
"You're just too weak to help," Marco said.
Knuckles faced Marco and they gave each other a mean look again.
"What did you just say?" Knuckles asked.
"Are you deaf are something?" Marco said, "I said you're too weak too help us and you scared too."
Knuckles clenched his fists. Marco did the same.
"I have my reasons," Knuckles said.
"Your reasons are, you're scared and you're weak," Marco said.
Knuckles angrily grinned.
"You really want to get beat up do you!?" Knuckles asked.
"Give me your best shot!" Marco shouted.
Knuckles pulled his fist back and was about to punch Marco, but Tails stopped him.
"Will you two stop it!?" Tails shouted.
Tails looked angrier than both Marco and Knuckles.
"We got enough problems as it is right now!" Tails shouted.
Marco started to calm down and Knuckles dropped his fist. Tails looked angrier than ever. When Marco and Knuckles was fully calm, Tails calm down.
"Okay I'll help," Knuckles said, "Just so I can show this little punk that I'm not afraid of anything."
Marco smiled, and then he laughed.
"You fell for it!" Marco said, still laughing.
"Huh?" Knuckles and Tails both said.
Marco grinned, "Call it the biggest prank of all time," Marco said.
Tails laughed when he found the joke, Knuckles had no idea what he was talking about.
"You remind me of this person, Marco," Tails said.
"Who?" Marco asked.
"Ah, never mind," Tails said, "But I would see what you're like up against him, he the king of all pranks."
"Ooooo, a challenge!" Marco exclaimed.
"Hey, can we get this show on the road?" Knuckles asked.
Tails Knuckles and Marco was ready to go.
"Ready to go to the other side of the mountain?" Marco asked.
"Hold on, I got a quicker route." Knuckles said.
Knuckles touched the Master Emerald. Then, Marco and Tails touched it. Knuckles began to say some weird language and they disappeared. They reappeared at the other side of Angel Island.
"What just happened?" Marco asked.
"Teleportation." Knuckles said.
Tails found his Tornado and got on. Knuckles got on the Tornado's back and Marco spun his tails.
"Let's go!" Tails shouted as the Tornado's engines came to life. The Tornado hovered in the air and flew off with Marco by its side.
"So what's the deal about the Master Emerald?" Marco asked, "Why is it so important?"
"The Master Emerald has the power to neutralize the other powers of the Chaos Emeralds, which makes it very powerful." Knuckles said.
"So its power keeps the island floating?"
"Yes it does."
They got off the island and headed to the palace.
"I still don't find that prank," Knuckles said.
"You don't have a sense of humor do you?" Marco asked.
Knuckles didn't reply. Marco knew that was true. An hour later, it was dark and it was hard to see in the air.
"Guys, were going to take a pit stop at Emerald City," Tails said, "I'm low on gas."
Tails, Knuckles and Marco landed in the city.
"Oh my god," Marco said.
The once shiny, glimmering, happy town now lies in ashes.
"What happened here?" Tails asked.
"I don't know," Marco said, "but if something attacked this city, then it won't be long until it attacks Castle Acorn, lets get a move on!"
Tails left the Tornado and flew to the palace with Marco following by air and Knuckles following by ground. They got on the road and kept heading for the city.
"Who could've done that?" Marco asked, "And more importantly, why?"
"Looks like they're a person following Eggman's footsteps," Knuckles said.
"Do you think it could be Snivley?"
"No way, when Snivley loss, he changed his ways," Tails said.
"Well, I'm stumped."
"Come on guys, all we need to know is that there is going to be an attack on the palace, and that is enough for now." Tails said.
They pushed themselves to the max, trying to run as fast as they could. One hour later, they made it to the Great Forest and were astonished for what they saw.
"We're too late," Tails said.
The Great Forest was in flames and ashes, not a single tree survived.
"If they attacked the Great Forest, then that mean…" Marco started but didn't want to finish.
Marco, Tails and Knuckles ran to Knothole Village, but Knothole wasn't there at all.
"Who could've done this!?" Knuckles shouted, confused.
"Oh no…Maria!" Marco shouted as he ran to the palace, with the others following.
When they got to the palace, it was still standing, just heavily damaged. They ran into the throne room. What they saw, wasn't pretty at all. Most of the guards were injured, few dead. Knuckles saw Sally. She looked like she was in pain.
"Sally, what wrong?" Knuckles asked, obviously worried.
"It's Maria," Sally said.
"What about Maria?" Marco asked.
"S-she was the one who attacked us from the inside."
"What! Maria would never do something like that!"
"She just went completely berserk on us, we couldn't stop her, and then…swatbots came!"
"How, Eggman was the only one who could make those," Tails said.
Sally stood up, holding onto her right shoulder.
"Well obviously there is a copycat in our mist, we need to find that person."
"Wait," Marco said, "What about Maria?"
"She left with the swatbots."
Marco was sad and angry at the same time. He clenched his fist and punched his other hand.
"Things just don't add up here!" Marco shouted.
Then there was a huge green shine. Sally and the others covered their eyes, preventing their blindness. When the flash was over, Rotor was laying on the ground with a diamond.
"Rotor!" They all said.
Sally ran over and lifted Rotor, "Where's Sonic?"
"I don't know," Rotor said, "The last thing I can remember is touching this diamond, disappearing, going through time and space and ending up here."
"I wonder what happened to Sonic." Tails asked.
"I just hope he's okay," Sally said.