Disclaimer I do not own any characters that are mentioned except for 1 or 2 (you can guess which ones ^_^)

Authors note: I have played most of the sonic games but am not a fanatic sonic fan, while playing S2A: B a friend told me about super sonic going loco in a old comic so this got me thinking about knuckles and how he is always alone.

Knuckles: One alone two afraid

It was had for Knuckles to say goodbye, he had been raised and trained to protect the emeralds but no one had asked if he wanted to leave his family and friends behind to go on this sacred task. It was a cold morning as his boat shoved of from the shore, the water was choppy and the wind cut cold to the bone he was not happy but all his training to control his emotions had helped him to not cry as he watched the shadowy shapes of his parents waving farewell to him from the shore. "How long till we reach the island"? Asked Knuckles to the Echidna rowing the Boat "Not long sir, once we are far enough from the shore we can port strait there" replied the man as he heaved the oars out of the water. "I have never trusted this Porting technology" "Fear not young warrior I have made this journey dozens of times" With this he pulled a small red orb out of a bag and held it aloft, slowly he started to enchant a pray.

"AAAAGGGGGGHHHH" Knuckles shot into an upright position, covered in a cold sweat looking from side to side he found himself not on an old rowing boat but in the Floating island. Straining his eyes in the darkness he could not see anything that could have woken him up and with a gloved hand whipped the sweat from his forehead. "Just a dream" he said to no one as he picked himself of the floor. He had chosen this small chamber as his sleeping room for two reasons first it was close to the Temple where five of the seven chaos emeralds were and the Master emerald also resided. Second was the fact that it had a small hole leading to the outside, not big enough for some one to fit in but big enough for a cooling breeze to pass. He slept on a mattress which was just laid unceremoniously on the floor with sheets and covers left in the corner of the room, for years he had slept under with the emeralds close to his person but out of comfort he had moved to this room. Without another word he walked to the door which slid open allowing the gloom and darkness of his room to be molested by pure sunlight, Knuckles flinched in the light almost blinding himself he covered his eyes and gave them time to adjust to the new day. Crossing the old courtyard to the Temple where he climbed the twenty steps to the chamber, "always twenty" he murmured as he reached the top. Looking around the temple stood as it always had, collecting dust he could make out the footprints from all the times he walked in the chamber, not as many as he could recall. "Once when I arrived" he lifted a finger and looked at some faded footmarks. "Once when Eggman tried to steal them" his eyes followed a different set which had a pain directly next to them "huh Sonic" he recalled how he and Sonic had retrieved the emeralds, even though Knuckles had fought against Sonic from the start this is were they had struggled together and had formed a unique friendship. "Once when I returned the Emeralds" he lifted a third finger then stopped he was not alone, he had seen something move in the shadowed corner of the room. "Who's there" he called raising his fists and stepping into the temple.

The port was uneventful just a flash of dim light and he was no longer in the boat but was now upon a platform on the Floating island. He stepped down an Echidna stood before him with a sash over his shoulder Knuckles instantly recognised it as that worn by a high priest, He bowed deeply and waited for permission before he rose again for fear of upsetting such an important man. "Ah yes you must be the new Honour guard for the Emeralds" he said in a chip cheerful mood knowing that he would be of this island in a matter of minuets and not spend the rest of his life here like the poor man in front of him. "It is an honour and a privilege sir" said Knuckles only thinking about the family and life he was leaving behind. "Tell me young man what is your name" "Sir I have no name that may be spoken, less enemies use it to gain passage past me" He had been told of guards in the past to have abandoned there post to blackmail fearing there family doomed. "Indeed as it should be" said the priest looking the young Echidna up and down "You shall be called Knuckles after the great fighter you so resemble" Knuckles was taken aghast to be named after a warrior of such high esteem was an honour beyond his belief and by a priest. "Thank you sir" he bowed again "Think nothing of it young Knuckles, here is your charter you may read it at will but always remember to follow your training and never disturb the temple unless it is unavoidable" With this the priest climbed onto the platform and vanished Leaving the young Echidna alone.

END CHAPTER

Well what do you think so far this is just the warm up trying to get you into the mind of Knuckles. I have no doubt that I have got something wrong but will work them out later in the story. FYI I am looking for a proof reader my old guy had a "nervous breakdown" if your interested email me at Stone-Golem@bolt.com.