Knuckles rested in front of the Master Emerald. He was nervous and jumpy. His friends had somehow managed to convince him into going to a "Guy's night" Camping party. He promised he would only stay for food and wouldn't sleep there, but even that felt like too much. But alas he had too much honor to reject the invite the day the party was happening. But still, what if Rogue got to the chaos Emerald? He would clip her wings so fast-. On second thought, he'd rather not mutilate his somewhat friend. He'd just stay with the Master Emerald.
"You Must Go"," A voice said, but didn't actually say. It rang in his mind yet it was silent.
The crimson echidna whirled around and faced the giant beryl behind him. "Master Emerald?" He queried. It was a stupid question, this wasn't the first time he spoke to the emerald.
"A Life Is At Stake," It said. The voice was very feminine, yet completely masculine. "You Must Go."
"A life? Whose life? Will Eggman attack again?" Knuckles said frantically.
"One Of Your Friends," It said. "They Are Endangered By Their Mind." The emerald's urgency filled Knuckles.
"A trial of the mind?" Knuckles brought one of his massive hands to his schin.
"Secrets Of The Past Trouble The Future. An Ordeal Usually Left For The Individual And Time Must be Dealt With As A Group Immediately," The Master Emerald spoke it like a prophecy.
"Trauma," Knuckles mumbled to himself. "How exactly will I uncover this trauma to deal with it?"
"I Shall Give You The Gift Of Lie seeking," The emerald glowed as it spoke. "When The Time Is Right, Ask About The Topic Of Virginity."
Knuckled laughed. "You're joking?"
"I Do Not Joke Echidna," The emerald said with such force it physically pushed back Knuckles. "Now Go! The Sun Kisses The Peaks!"
Knuckles felt his worry sink away as he chatted and joked with his friends around the campfire. The chaotix, Silver, Shadow, Sonic, Tails, and Himself, everyone else had rejected. He had no idea how they managed to get Shadow to come. Hot dogs cooked over flames. Embers drifted in the sky like stars.
At some point the conversation had drifted to asking questions everyone had to answer, it was some sort of game. Knuckle's hotdog turned sour. This was likely the best time to ask.
The guardian considered each of the boys and men around the fire. Tails had a past of bullying, could it have been him? Something could have happened to silver in his dystopian future. It could most definitely be Shadow, but The Master Emerald's words made it sound like there may be a suicide tonight or tomorrow, and Shadow had spent too long dealing with his trauma for that. Charmey had a tragic past apparently, but he never got the chance to talk about it. Espio was brudy enough. Vector was a very happy go lucky guy, but the softest people have the hardest pasts. It couldn't have been Sonic. Nothing really bad ever happened to the kid, and if it did he could just brush it off. Those first few weeks after being rescued from the Death Egg he was a bit jumpy and nervous, but who wasn't?
"Knuckles?" Sonic asked, concern was etched into his Emerald eyes.
"Sorry what?" Knuckles asked dumbly.
"If you had to date anyone from this circle who would it be?" Charmey repeated.
"That sounds like a girly sleepover question." Knuckles pointed out.
"It's stupid and fun." Vector said with a shrug. "Just answer the question."
"Hmm." That was a difficult question. Who would he date? "Vector I guess, he's about my age and he's nice." Knuckles decided.
"That's two for Vector!" Sonic piped up cheerfully. Knuckles remembered the blue theria said he would pick Shadow, which made the dark hedgehog very grumpy for some reason.
"Well Shads, it's your turn." Sonic said teasingly.
"This game is stupid." Shadow growled.
"We've established this, now answer." Sonic, talkative as always, snipped back.
"Ugh." Shadow growled. "Fine, Sonic, only because the faker is the one that can keep up with me most." That earned a blinding smile from said hedgehog.
Knuckle's lie seeking gift rang like a bell at the second half of Shadow's grumbling. The dark hedgehog had a soft spot for Sonic! Knuckles suddenly felt guilty, like he had eavesdropped on a private conversation. He brushed it off, he had to focus on his goal.
Knuckles sighed sadly, he should get this over with and get back to the Master Emerald. He felt bad for probably ruining their night, but he reminded himself of the life at stake.
"What'cha sighin' for?" Silver asked. "And the dejected face, sumthin' wrong?"
"It's what I actually came here for." Knuckles straitened. "The Master Emerald sent me. I wanted to give you guys time to have fun, but a life is at stake."
There were questions and confused murmurs. Shadow looked actually interested for once.
"It said that I must go here because of someone's- well someone's trauma. It is overwhelming them and we need to help them immediately." The ruby furred Monotremata said.
"I-is this a suicide prevention thing?" Espio asked.
"Yeah, I guess." Knuckles didn't want to completely confirm it. He couldn't bear the thought of any of these wonderful people around him being hurt that much.
"The emerald told me to ask, and it's okay to laugh a little, I know I did, about- about virginity. It gave me the power to detect lies. Temporarily." Charmy did a genuine giggle, but the others were nervous laughs. Shadow sat up straighter, his eyes wide. Espio was grimly silent. Tails blushed deeply.
"Maybe charmy and I should sit this one out?" Tails half asked, half stated.
"If you wish, but depending on the results we may ask you back." Espio said.
Tails nodded sharply and left with the bee.
Vector was on his left so they started with him. "I was eighteen, a girl named Veronica."
"I'm only sixteen," Espio stated. "I haven't been with anyone."
"Same," The fourteen year old silver hedgehog said.
They skipped Sonic and went straight to Shadow.
He shook his ebony head. "No one." Knuckles was kind of glad all these kids weren't idiots. He was the second oldest in the group and felt an obligation to protect them.
Their gazes finally landed back on Sonic and he looked visibly uncomfortable.
"Yeah, same as Espio, sixteen and all," Green eyes darted left and right, not making eye contact.
Something rang at the back of knuckle's head. "I can tell half truths too." He said sternly, gazing intently at the boy. It was probably something stupid he was hiding. It was probably poor Tails. Knuckles was going to make the hedgehog fess up for wasting their time.
He felt Shadow shift next to him. When he glanced over he was surprised to find genuine concern.
"Sonic," The ebony hedgehog's voice was surprisingly gentle. "You're safe here,"
Shadow's eyes glittered warmly in the firelight. This was completely out of character for Shadow! If he was acting like this, then the hedgehog had reason to believe… no. Knuckles couldn't accept it. Anyone else he could deal with. Charmey and Tails would be second hardest, but better than Sonic. Knuckles was technically their leader, but Sonic was the one that gave everyone hope. The one who ended battles as soon as he joined them. Sonic was practically Knuckles' little brother for crying out loud!
The echidna silently scolded himself. He was being selfish. It's like he said earlier, the softest hearts have the hardest pasts.
Knuckles willed his face to soften. For his eyes to take Sonic in at his entirety. He finally saw the way Sonic's knee bounced up and down so fast he could hardly see it. Knuckles saw the way sonic picked at his glove and wrung his hands. Most importantly he saw the fear deep in those green eyes, and it broke Knuckle's heart.
"Sonic," Knuckles whispered. He couldn't stop himself from sounding shocked. He noticed his error and shifted into a grim happiness. What he hoped was his best supportive gaze. "Shadow is right. We're here for you."
He knew Espio had come to the same conclusion they had, but the rest of the group looked confused and scared.
"You're always saving us. Let us help you," The chameleon pitched in.
Sonic sat back and rested his feet on the plastic chair. His chin on his knees. Sonic's arms wrapped around his legs and his fingers laced together.
Knuckles fought back the urge to start crying right then and there. The kid looked like just that, a kid. A scared kid.
Sonic looked up and blinked a couple times. For a moment his eyes locked with the starless sky. A grim silence hung in the air.
Sonic broke the silence, startling everyone, Silver actually jumped.
"Death Egg, Infinite," Sonic whispered
Knuckle's heart shattered. And then rage filled him. He wanted to destroy that masked freak a second time.
"You did the deed with Infinite?" Vector asked, amused. "Why?"
Knuckled held himself and Shadow back from punching the crocodile in the face. Before they could Sonic mumbled.
"I didn't want to."
And that is when it set in. Silver sat staring wide eyed at the older hedgehog. Espio sat back, his face made it clear that he wished his suspicions weren't true.
Vector began apologizing profusely. Sonic made a waving hand gesture that said It's whatever.
Puzzle pieces suddenly began snapping together. Sonic's Jumpiness whenever he was touched. Infinite and Sonic's interactions. Sonic's protectiveness of Silver when it came to the masked weirdo. The way he would randomly speed off to chaos knows where. How long Sonic had stayed in the shower after being rescued.
Two months. Two months the lapis hedgehog had held this secret. Two months had he suffered alone. And he was reaching a final breaking point. He was suicidal. Chaos, he was in that prison for six months, Infinite could have done it multiple times. The thought made Knuckles sick.
Shadow slid out of his chair and walked over to Sonic with his gloved hands plainly in view.
"Do you need a hug?" The dark hedgehog queried softly.
"Yeah," Sonic croaked.
The two hedgehogs embraced each other, and stayed like that for a long while. After a certain point Knuckles noticed that Sonic was crying, but was trying to hide it.
The lapis theria pulled back and wiped tears from his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Sonic's voice was heavy with tears.
"Sorry for what?" Silver asked, lowering himself to the ground in front of Sonic.
"The only one who needs to be sorry is that Infinite bastard!" Shadow growled through clenched teeth.
"Sorry for ruining your guys' night,." Sonic whimpered.
Knuckles lowered himself too. "Nah that was me," Knuckles said." And you're more important than some stupid party," He added.
Sonic seemed taken aback by that. Knuckles did not treat the kid well did he?
It was Vector's turn to pipe up. "Hey kiddo, we love you. I'm upset you felt the need to hide this, but we're here for you, forever and always."
"There is no shame in this. It is okay if you want to sleep at our place or be left alone. If you need to cry it's okay to cry. It'll be a long road, but we'll walk it with you," Espio said.
And that must have tipped something over, because Sonic started to cry again, but he didn't hide it this time.
With consent, several pairs of arms wrapped around The blue blur. Knuckles had to go back to angel island to grab a sleeping bag.
Rouge was trying to steal the Master Emerald but when she saw the look in the Echidna's eyes she put the beryl down and left with a promise that he can talk about it with her if he needs.
When he came back all the guys were asleep. Charmey was curled up on Vector's chest and Tails tangled his limbs with Sonic's.
Knuckles eyes rested On the blue hero. His heart ached.
"He'll be okay." Knuckles told himself. He just had to keep an eye on him. Especially in the next few days.
A life is at stake.