30 Days of Sonic Prompt 4: Hidden
Media: Pre-Reboot Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Comics
Obligations We Undertake in Our Youth
Angel Island was a mystery to the Shinobi Clan, and the Bride of Constant Vigil had wanted answers. Espio had abided by his mother's will when she issued the command. His new duty had been to observe the guardian of the Master Emerald, the lone Mobian living on the island. Within days of the order, he had relocated to the hovering paradise near Downunda and secured his place amongst the residing chameleons.
They were both in the midst of their teenage years when Espio first saw him. Like Espio, he was following his obligation. Protecting the Master Emerald was a thankless job, but Knuckles had performed it well day after day. When he wasn't standing by the altar, his eyes scanning for any danger, he trained. Running laps, doing push-ups, and destroying lasers that seemed to pop out of the ground were only a few of the training methods he pursued.
Espio had grown to admire him. He had longed to speak with him, but his mother denied his requests. She claimed there had been more information to gather, mentioning something about a Brotherhood that seemed nonexistent. Espio had almost disobeyed her when he witnessed Knuckles burying his face in his hands, sobbing about the father who abandoned him, and he learned to distrust this Brotherhood.
Incredible loneliness followed Knuckles. It surrounded him like an aura, seeping into Espio. The urge to reach out to him had plagued him, but Espio remained near yet invisible. Their commitments had come before relationships, but he had the chameleons in the village for company. Knuckles only had a mangy bird bothering him for associations until a loud-mouthed crocodile crash-landed on the island.
When new friends and foes arrived, Espio had considered himself fortunate. It had allowed him to break the code of the shinobi and speak to Knuckles. Over time, they became friends. Trust had formed, which he shared with the rest of the Chaotix. Even if Vector was boisterous and Mighty's puns grated his nerves, Espio had found himself saddled with lifelong friends.
But now, the group was splintered. In their absences, a tragedy occurred. Charmy's sobs over Saffron could not compare to the depths of Knuckles' despair as he bashed through the earth again and again, inconsolable.
Julie-Su was gone, trapped in the Twilight Zone where no one could reach her. All of the echidnas, victims of Knuckles' tenure as Enerjak, were sentenced alongside her. They paid the price for the crimes of their ancestors, and Knuckles would have to live with the knowledge of being the last living echidna.
For days, Knuckles was a shell filled with resentment. He refused to leave the Master Emerald, refused to meet with the Freedom Fighters to discuss the situation with the roboticized princess, refused any semblance of an olive branch. Espio knew he only had one thought in his head, and that was to follow through with his role as guardian.
"He's not okay. I, um, I don't think he'll r-recover from something this harsh," Ray whispered, fiddling with his tail.
"Thanks for the observation. You got any other doubtful comments about Knux?" Vector huffed, crossing his arms.
"Leave him alone, Vector. You know Ray didn't mean it like that," Mighty said, exasperated.
Vector's nostrils flared. "How am I supposed to interpret it otherwise, smart guy?"
Ray bit his lip and avoided meeting Vector's glower. "I didn't mean to say-That is, uh-"
"Maybe we should get Knuckles flowers. I can pick some," Charmy interjected, his hand shooting into the air. He glanced at the space next to him, and Espio wondered what Saffron would have said.
Mighty patted the bee's back, a sympathetic smile forming on his face. "Sorry, Charmy, but I don't think Knuckles wants any right now."
They had gathered at the foot of the altar. Knuckles' shadow stretched down the cracked steps. It occasionally shuddered, the arms moving towards his face and rubbing with a fervor.
Distressing Espio further was a fungal scent carried by the breeze. Looking to the forest from where the rich odor festered, he narrowed his eyes on the distorted, moldy mushrooms leaning into the trees on their last legs of life. Their orange tops seemed melted, dripping with ooze, rot, and flies. They reminded Espio of Knuckles, and he shuddered, the blood in his veins freezing. It was as if Angel Island was manifesting Knuckles' emotional state, but he understood it was simply nature.
"Let me talk to him alone," he said, glancing at the others. "I promise I'll be back with a report."
He felt like he was speaking with his mother. The Chaotix relented after some persuasion. As they left, Espio hiked up the stairs. Each step felt heavier than the last. He heard Julie-Su's laughter in the back of his mind, her smirk full of confidence and poise, and he wished he could have mastered such an art.
"Knuckles?" he called as he reached the top.
His heart sank into his stomach. Espio stumbled forward, reaching out, hoping he would not trip over his feet. He crouched next to Knuckles and gripped his wrists, but the echidna wrenched them away, a hiccup escaping his throat.
"Knuckles," he said with as much conviction as he could muster, "Knuckles, look at me."
The hue of the Master Emerald covered Knuckles from head to toe. It was like he was empowered by Chaos energies once again. But instead of power and courage, only bitter sorrow remained instilled in him.
Kneeling by the emerald, Knuckles buried his face in his hands. His shoulders quaked, his chest concaving in and out from uneven breaths. Wetness seeped into his gloves, the stain deepening. He gnashed down on his molars, grinding them until Espio thought they would crack all the way to their roots.
Espio clutched his shoulder, distracting him. Knuckles raised his head, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He gasped for breath, his lips quivering and teeth chattering. Tears dribbled down his cheeks, seemingly endless despite dragging his hand across his face to stop them.
"Leave me alone," he choked out, but Espio shook his head.
"You know I can't do that."
"Go spy on someone else! Back off!" Knuckles shot his elbow at Espio's neck, but he snatched it, applying enough pressure for Knuckles to relent. His expression twisted in anguish, and he sucked air through his teeth. "Please, just go, Espio. Take the rest of them with you."
"As I said, you know I can't do that." Espio took his hands and cupped them. They quivered under his touch, and Espio wished he had the strength to soothe them. "We're here for you, Knuckles. We share in your pain." He inclined his head forward, his horn pressing against Knuckles' brow. His breath hitched, and he closed his eyes, feeling them sting. "I wish I could do more for you. I wish, right now, that there was something I could do to prove it to you."
He wasn't supposed to fall in love with Knuckles. He was supposed to follow his ninja creed. Everything else should have been secondary, but Knuckles was more to him than the teachings of his clan. And he wanted nothing more than to take Knuckles in his arms and protect him from the cruelty imposed upon him by the sins committed by his ancestors.
Knuckles gasped. He worked his stiff jaw. Espio cursed himself for letting the tears slip free from his eyelids. He reached for his face, saying, "Espio, I-"
"What the heck is that?" Vector screeched with all the air in his lungs.
They tore their attention to the horizon at the shrill sound of Vector's scream. Espio froze. His training could never have prepared him for what was swiftly devouring everything in sight.
Pure whiteness covered the landscape, encapsulating them. Within blinks, it arrived. They heard the Chaotix wail for the briefest of seconds. Then, as if they had ceased to exist, the light silenced them.
"You wanted to do something for me?" Knuckles murmured, the lighting racing toward them.
"Anything, Knuckles," Espio breathed out.
"Don't let go," he pleaded, and he grasped Espio's hand.
Those were the last words Espio heard before the light struck them.
He opened his eyes. He was meditating in the corner of the Chaotix Detective Agency. Dust wafted around him, and he waved the particles aside. Vector snored on the spring-riddled couch, his tail occasionally flicking from side to side. From the locker, Charmy drooled, muttering in his sleep about delicious honey, and Espio rolled his eyes, wondering when the youngest member of the Chaotix would overcome his sugar fixation.
When he pushed off his knees, one of his hands felt strained. It was as if he had just been holding something heavy. Flexing his fingers, Espio massaged his palm, assuming he had somehow harmed it during his throwing star practice.
His face felt damp. Blinking, Espio touched his cheeks and winced. Tears filled his eyes and spilled seemingly at random. His chest ached, a strange sensation of hollowness washing over him. He stumbled into the couch, gripping his mouth and knocking into Vector's tail, as a rush of shock and sorrow forced his knees to buckle.
"Huh? That you, Espio?" Vector groggily called, sitting upright. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he jolted to his feet upon seeing Espio cry, blurting. "Wh-whoa! Espio! What's wrong?"
Charmy sprinted from the locker, shouting, "Espio, what's up? Are you-?" He stopped by Vector, gawking at the chameleon who couldn't stop his tears. He tugged Vector's arm, panic empowering his voice. "Vector, why is he crying?"
"I-I dunno. He was like this when I woke up," he muttered with a shake of his head.
Espio rubbed his eyes with his arms and continued sobbing. He had no idea why such misery consumed him. It was as if a dam had broken within him, and he would cry until he had no tears left to shed.
As Vector and Charmy tried comforting him, Knuckles came to mind, and his heart panged, but Espio couldn't fathom why.