Chapter 5: Angel Island

When Shadow teleported to the island with the three guys, Knuckles was there waiting for them, arms folded and an expression of annoyance.
Before they could say a word, he began - Here you are. This is my house, and these are my rules: don't touch the Master Emerald, don't poke around the ruins, don't touch my grapes, don't go into the woods, don't annoy the chaos, don't annoy the animals, don't annoy me and don't approach the edge of the island. Breakfast from six to eight. If you get up later, you will eat what is left, or you will not eat at all. Now I show you where you'll stay.
- Why is he angry? - Tera whispered as they walked.
- I guess he doesn't want us here. - Alexi said - He could tell us in the face.
Nadia watched the plants lining the path. The green fronds let the sun filter in and the chirping of birds was heard all around. - I still cannot believe it. It really exists.
For the Mobians, Angel Island wasn't a secret, for humans instead, it was little more than a popular legend of the mobian culture. Since the early days of peaceful coexistence between the two species, Knuckles had improved the island's defense system and, after countless attempts and many curses in his native language, he finally was able to put the old shield system back into operation. The island was hide to radars and sight. Thanks to the shields and its continuous movement, humans had never found it, and the lucky ones who landed there did not come out alive: Knuckles treated the traps in a maniacal way.
- Of course it exists. - said Alexi – It's the island that once housed the ancient capital of Echidnapolis, which was almost razed to the ground after th– he stopped when Knuckles hit a boulder with his fist, destroying it.
- It blocked the road. - He justified himself.
- It seemed to me it was on the ed- she grumbled while Alexi closed her mouth.
- It's gorgeous. - Nadia only gained a grunt from the guardian in response.
- What kind of fauna does it host?
This time the echidna replied Rabbits, deer, small rodents, birds.
- No predator?
- Some birds of prey. And Shadow.
- My body needs a constant supply of noble proteins. And don't pretend: I know you love dried meat.
- I like to vary between one insect and another. Do you know that they contain more protein than meat?
- Yew! - Tera said.
- They may also contain pure energy, I wouldn't eat them anyway. - Nadia replied.
The guardian took them to a refuge carved out of the rock, then leave quickly, as if he couldn't wait to get rid of them.
It was a spartan but welcoming cave. The rock walls were covered with wooden planks, like the floor. There was a fire pit and five rooms, three well furnished, with a feather bed, a bedside table and a desk. Above each desk there was a basket of island fruits and an earthenware jug with a glass.
Shadow watched the place as the boys settled down. Knuckles must have taken time and resources to tidy up that place. He noticed that much of furniture came from his home on the island, and a lot of food from his supplies. Of course, the echidna didn't like to have guests, but he hadn't lost his good heart.
- Hey, my bed is so soft! - He heard Tera shout.
- Mine too. I thought I'd find a sleeping bag, or a pile of straw. - Alexi replied.
- Looks like Knuckles is just an old grumbler after all. - Nadia chuckled.
Shadow folded his arms - Knux may have a tender heart, but if you don't respect the rules, he will throw you off the island without thinking about it. - he said - He did it with me.
With that phrase he gained the three's attention, whose heads popped out of their rooms.
- What did you do? - Alexi said
- I rummaged through his archives. There are millenary echidna texts down there. He took and threw me down from Sky Sanctuary. He didn't want to see me on the island for a week.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- And how did you survive? - Nadia asked.
- Chaos control.
Alexi's eyes widened - Cool! Can you teach us? Please?
- Not now. First I have to see how far you've come.
- When will we start training? - Nadia asked.
- The real one, tomorrow. Today I want you to settle down and show me what you can do, what your skills are. For now, you will only train with me.
- What about Knuckles?
- He claims to have nothing to teach you. In any case, he always has a lot to do on the island.
- Like? Look at the Master Emerald, then look at the Master Emerald and finally polish the Master Emerald?
- He's behind you.
Alexi blanched and spun around, but there was nobody behind him.
He heard the black hedgehog chuckle - It's not funny! - he barked.
Shadow crossed his arms - It is cowardly to speak behind others. If you believe that he is guarding the Emerald all day, check it in person and then tell him what you said.
Alexi looked down. - Mmh. But seriously, what does he do here all day?
Shadow shrugged - Follow him and you'll see. He may be grumpy at first, but tends to reward those who are as stubborn as he is.

They were lined up in the clearing where the altar with the Master Emerald stood, protected by the motionless red figure of Knuckles. Shadow stood before them with folded arms.
- Well, I want to test your skills. Attack me one at a time, with everything you have. Try to defeat me. Tera, you are first.
Tera formed a sphere and began to rotate, raising dust and dirt. Then she sprang forward to strike Shadow. The hedgehog planted his feet well and stopped holding her with his hands. The little hedgehog couldn't put him in trouble, but the force of the impact made him retreat anyway.
He threw she upward, she stopped spinning and fell screaming in fright, ending up sitting on the grass.
- Ouch!
- You are too weak to make a decent Spin Dash. You need more thrust.
As Tera massaged herself in pain, Alexi stepped forward. He charged a fist at Shadow but as soon as the hedgehog moved to parry, the raccoon rotated on itself ending up behind him and giving him a hard blow on the neck with the side of his hand, taking the hedgehog's breath away. Shadow fell to his knees, his eyes turned off.
- Ah, screwed! Silver's library has an entire anatomy shelf. I know all the pressure points to make an enemy harmless.
Shadow remained in that position for a few moments, then smiled - Oh, interesting. I also know them. - he got up, under Alexi's incredulous eyes, rubbing his neck - And you were an half centimeter wrong. - the hedgehog dealt a blow to the neck of the raccoon who fell instantly, unconscius - This is the exact point.
He heard an electric shock behind him and turned, starting to run towards Nadia. She threw the lightning, but Shadow dodged it. Nadia bit her lip and pointed her hand to the ground creating a wave of electricity. Shadow formed a ball and jumped up, plummeting down to Nadia, purposely missing her but passing close enough to throw away and make rolling her for a couple of meters.
From the top of the Emerald sanctuary, Knuckles watched impassively.
- That was a Spin Dash! - Tera exclaimed.
Shadow got up, removing the earth from the fur and looked at the human - Your technique with lightning is rough and predictable. You must know every aspect of your power to make the most of it. - He said and looked at Alexi that was sitting and massaging his neck - And you. You cannot hit sensitive points if you lack of precision. You have to perfect the technique, or you risk getting killed. - concluded the evaluation, he sighed - There is a lot to do. For now I will train you one at a time on different days, and when you are ready we will work on the team.
- But we are already a team. - Nadia said.
- True. But if each of you doesn't know your potential and cannot use it, the whole team suffers. - he sighed - Me, Rogue and Omega were a great team, but even before, each of us knew how to make the most of their skills.
Tera raised her hand, snatching a smile from Shadow - Yes?
- While you train one of us, what will the others do?
- You can use the day as you see fit. Or give Knuckles a hand, like I said.
He was certain that the echidna would protest from the high of his sanctuary, instead he did not utter a word. He simply went down the stairs and left.

Shadow trained the three guys until sunset, when Knuckles saw them come back muddy and distraught. Outside the refuge there were three tubs full of steaming water, while trunks were arranged around a fire over which fish were roasted. There were also bowls with bread, cheese and fruit.
- Yeah! I'm starving! - Alexi exclaimed.
- I want to have bath!
- I want to sleep. - Nadia murmured.
After they washed, they sat by the fire. Shadow and them around the bonfire, Knuckles a little on the sidelines, snapping his fish skewer in silence. He watched them eat tastefully, laugh and joke with each other, sometimes even with Shadow. A slight smile appeared on his face, which immediately disappeared as he shook his head and stood up to take care of the empty dishes.
- Guys look. - said Nadia and the others raised their faces noticing the myriad of stars in the sky above Angel Island - The Milky Way. It's fantastic!
- It's almost like the campsite. - Alexi commented as she nibbled on a cob.
- Yeah! We just haven't stories to tell around the fire. Master Shadow, can you tell us a story? - Tera asked.
- What? No, no. I am a bad storyteller. - the hedgehog replied, a little flattered at being called master. He smiled - But the echidna here knows a lot of legends.
Knuckles glared at him, but now he had the attention of the three kids.
- Come on Knuckles. You don't want to deny children a good night story.
- Please Mr. Knuckles. - Tera said and pulled out the best version of her "puppy eyes".
The echidna sighed and sat on the trunk. Silence fell as they waited for it to begin.
- This is the legend of the Origins, as the Echidnas tell it. - he said and Shadow started to pay attention: seeing Knuckles in the role of narrator was a rare event since the disappearance of their friends. Usually it was Sonic who troubled him to tell one of his "echidna stories". Shadow had a different approach to that culture, preferring the dusty and real registers to the tales handed down orally.
- At the beginning of all, there were two gods: one was Chaos, the god of water, and like water, changing and unpredictable, and Iblis, the god of fire, like fire, source of life and death. - he stared at the fire in front of him and the bucket of water next to it. - Iblis and Chaos were two very close brothers and one day they decided to forge something together, combining their powers, to make a material testimony of their fraternal bond. Iblis forged a sphere of magma and Chaos used the water to cool it. Then Iblis made the sun, to warm it, and Chaos the clouds, so that it wouldn't become dry. Then Iblis decided that they should give it a name: Chaos wanted to call it Mobius, Iblis wanted to call it Earth. They disagreed for the first time, but made up for both names.
Tera chuckled.
- Every day the two brothers controlled their creation and soon realized that it was changing: life was spreading over it. Iblis and Chaos were happy: together they had created something unique and wonderful. They decided to divide the tasks at that point: Iblis would watch over one half of world, Chaos on the other. Time passed and life grew on the planet, giving rise to species. Chaos had his favorite of all and gave it a name: Mobians, the people of Mobius. Iblis also decided to name his favorite species, and called them Humans, which means "creatures born from the Earth".
Nadia smiled.
- Humans didn't have claws or fangs like Mobians, but only their intelligence, yet they survived and Iblis was so proud that he wanted to reward them, giving them fire. In fact, no echidna knew fire before the arrival of humans. With Iblis' power on their side, the children of the Sun prospered. Chaos noticed this and was irritated when he found out what his brother had done. How could he have left the power of a god in the hands of mortal beings?
Nadia frowned.
- Power made Humans prosper, their numbers grew and they became haughty and proud. They began to claim as their whole prairies, forests, mountains. In all those centuries, the Echidnas also had a thriving civilization and thrived under the guidance of Chaos and his valuable advice. Among the Mobians they were the most advanced and powerful civilization. When the humans arrived, the Echidnas opposed their advance and the first great war began. - he stopped and looked at the Moon - You should go to sleep.
Tera's eyes widened - No please, a little more!
- Yeah, I want to know how it ends. - Alexi said.
- Me too. - Nadia said, serious in the face. - Please.
Knuckles looked at Shadow and the hedgehog shrugged, so the echidna continued.
- The fire caused severe losses to the Echidnas, bringing terror and destruction to the point that even today, no echidnas light a fire without first collecting water and asking for forgiveness and protection from their ancestors.
- Really? - Alexi asked.
- Yes.
- And did you do it now?
- Yes, I did.
- Shhhh! - Tera said.
Knuckles continued - Humans took the small villages one step away from the big city of Albion and the capital Echidnapolis. The desperate Echidnas asked Chaos for help. Then he sent his power in the form of a global storm. The rain fell on all Mobius, thick and powerful. He impregnated the ground, lapped the rock and filled the cracks. When the water evaporated, only the crystallized energy remained, like the vein of gold in a mine. Chaos led the Echidnas to a deep cave, where much of the energy had crystallized. He told them to choose seven crystals, take pieces of them and carve seven gems. The Echidnas did it and also carved the mother stones to distinguish them from the other crystals. Thus were born Chaos Emeralds.
Tera and Alexi listened kidnapped by the story.
- With the help of the Emeralds, the Echidnas drive Humans away and peace returned. Chaos's power, however, was too unstable and caused countless disasters. So the god intervened once again: he bring his favorite tribe and led them where the rain had started long before. In a large cave, he made a pact with them: he would give a way to have total control over his power, absolute mastery of Chaos. In return, they would have dedicated their lives to protecting that gift and the Emeralds, to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. As soon as the tribe finished carving the Master Emerald, the earth shook, and that portion of the world rose to heaven. Thus was born Angel Island and thus were born the Guardians, who still defend it today.