"I'm afraid that you've suffered a few broken ribs," the doctor explained, guiding Remington through the X-ray print-out. "I can prescribe something to ease the pain, but you'll need extensive rest before they heal properly."
"But they will heal, right?" Sonic asked, to which the doctor adjusted his glasses.
"In time, and with proper rest. The real problem is the damage done to the spine…" The doctor pulled up a second X-ray, guiding his patient through it. He could see that they were struggling with the technical jargon. "Put simply, the damage to your spine is beyond repair. With therapy, you can still live a normal life, but… you say that you're a soldier?" Remington nodded. "Then I'm sorry, but I'll have to strongly urge you to retire."
Remington jumped to his feet, enraged. "Retire?! Like Hell I can do that!"
"Remington-" Shade began, trying to calm him down.
"I still have to fight! Everyone else is giving it their all! There are people in the Twilight Cage that are counting on me! I can't just throw in the towel over a small thing like this!"
"Mr. Remington," the doctor began, glancing nervously to Sonic. The hedgehog got the hint and gently guided Remington back into his seat. "This is no small injury, I assure you. Continued physical exertion could lead to irreversible damage that would leave you paralysed from the waist down. And, if you sustain another injury like the one you have recently, it could be even worse. Your spine may be completely destroyed, and if you don't die, you'll lose complete control of all your limbs."
"Then… Then do something about it! Four thousand years of medical advances, and you can't fix a damn bone?! There's gotta be an operation or just… something! I'll take a prosthetic, if that's my only option!"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple!" The doctor cleared his throat. "While prosthetics research has come a long way, it's still limited. Operations to the spine are reserved only for the most dire situations, and even then, we can't restore the spine, simply reinforce it. And I'm afraid it's too late for that in this scenario."
Remington clenched his fists, taking deep breaths as Shade gently lay a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her, a hopeful look on his face. "What about Chaos Restore? We have an Emerald, we could-"
Shade shook her head. "You know that's out of the question."
"Why's that?" Sonic asked. "Shadow told us about it. Sounds like a solid option."
"Because Chaos Restore is not without its drawbacks. The technique doesn't just heal injuries. It rewinds your body to a point before you ever sustained the injury in the first place. Without a Chaos Emerald, it can only be used to treat minor wounds, and the patient would feel just a little tired as a result. With one, the scope of its treatment is far greater, but so is the strain that it puts on the patient's body.
"Remington's injuries occurred days ago. Put simply, it's been too long for Chaos Restore to be a viable option. Even if it his injuries were more recent, I'd still be opposed. Lien-Da might be okay, thanks to her cybernetics, but a full, flesh-and-blood echidna could easily be overwhelmed by all that Chaos Energy."
Remington slumped down into his seat. "So that's it? It's… over?" He leaned forwards, covering his face with his hands. "I swore I'd stick by you. Do whatever I could to help make your dream a reality. How can you expect me to just be okay with letting it end like this?"
"Remington… There's no honour in a dog's death. Please, heed the Doctor's advice and sit this one out. When this is all over, the Nocturne will need people like you. Do you understand? Your role in all this isn't over, it is simply… not yet your time."
"…"
"Remington-" Shade tried to continue, but she wasn't sure what else to say.
"Rem," Sonic began, "We're gonna go discuss how we'll kick Dimitri's butt. You've done lots for us, so don't think that you've failed or nothin'. Take this time to get better, maybe learn all you can about this world. 'Cause when we get back, we're bringing all your people home, and they're gonna be clueless."
Shade smiled. "That's right. I'm ordering you, Constable Remington, to be ready to welcome and guide the New Nocturne upon their return."
Remington didn't respond for a while. Then, he gave a single nod. "Right. I'll… I'll do that…"
The doctor handed some forms to Sonic. "You should stay overnight," he told Remington, "So we can monitor your condition."
"Of course… You guys go on without me," Remington said. "And you might as well take my armour. I won't be needing it, but it may help you."
Sonic and Shade agreed, and after filling out the paperwork for Remington's treatment, Sonic collected Remington's armour and the two left the hospital. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Shade punched the wall to her side, releasing the breath she'd been holding. "You okay?" Sonic asked.
"I'm fine," Shade told him, though her shaking hands and the dent she made in the wall told Sonic otherwise. "I'm just so… furious at Doctor Eggman. Remington is a good man. He doesn't deserve this." Shade turned to Sonic, a dark look in her eyes. "I'll make him pay."
"Get in line," Sonic quipped. "There are hundreds-of-thousands whose lives have been messed up by Eggman, and believe me, he will answer for all of it. But… that look doesn't suit you, Shade."
"…" Shade took a deep breath, slapping either side of her face a couple of times, and then turned back to Sonic, looking much more like her usual, calm self. "Right, sorry."
"Don't sweat it. C'mon, let's get back to the others and give 'em the bad news."
It had been five days since the heroes had returned to Central City. In that time, they had searched extensively for the remaining Chaos Emerald that was still unaccounted for, but their efforts had been in vain. There had also been no signs of trouble from the Nocturnus, and though GUN were keeping a careful watch on Robotropolis, they could not determine what Eggman was up to.
"I don't like this," Knuckles said, grumbling as he lay on Tails' couch. Amy was working out nearby whilst watching an exorcise show.
"It's not that bad," Amy said as she stretched. "You should try it!"
"I mean how quiet it's been, and how we're just sitting here not doing anything!"
"No, you're just sitting there not doing anything," Amy pointed out. "Tails and Professor Morgan have been hard-at-work with Doctor Finitevus, Shade's been fine-tuning her armour, and I'm keeping myself in shape, so I'll be ready for the next battle!"
Knuckles scoffed, turning on the couch. Finitevus had returned two days prior, bringing with him a functioning prototype of the Chaos Syphon.
"You've finished it already?" Shade asked, examining the device. "Impressive. I knew we could count on you."
"Thanks, though you'll have to save your praise for Master Nestor. It was through his help that we could fashion together this prototype so quickly. There is the slight problem of testing, however. We've tested it on our allies in the Twilight Cage, and we were able to completely nullify their Chaos powers, but..."
"You need a Chaos Emerald," Shade surmised, and Finitevus nodded.
"Well, how about we ask Shadow?" Amy suggested. "We can test it out on his Chaos Emerald."
"That test was a complete bust, and every time they modify it, it's the same. Useless."
"UGH! That does it! Your negativity is totally killing my mood! You want something to do? Why don't you go do the shopping? You can at least do that much, can't you?!"
"You want me to-"
"Beats just laying around doing nothing, right?"
Knuckles climbed to his feet, grumbling. "Fine, whatever! I need to get out of here anyway…" He entered the kitchen, where Tails was busy brewing some coffee, and snatched the shopping list from the fridge.
Tails watched as Knuckles left the house, huffing as he closed the door. He poked his head into the living room and asked, "What's going on with Knuckles?"
"I wouldn't worry about him. He's just having one of his mood swings. How's the Chaos Syphon coming along?" She saw the frown on Tails' face. "Oh, sorry I asked."
"No, it's fine. It's just that Chaos Energy is, by its very nature, random. Nobody's ever been able to understand it to the degree Gerald Robotnik could, and here we are trying to contain it." Tails sighed. "I know I shouldn't be drinking coffee at my age, but I've gotta give it my all. We have to figure this out."
"Just don't overdo it," Sonic said as he entered the house, Shade behind him. "Yo! We're back!"
"Pardon the intrusion," Shade said as she entered, placing Remington's armour down beside the couch. She saw the concerned looks on Amy and Tails' faces. "Remington will be staying at the hospital for now, and I'm afraid he won't be joining us in our future battles."
"Was it that bad?" Amy asked, and Shade nodded.
"We'll all go visit him sometime, when he's feeling better," Sonic said, hoping to lift everybody's spirits. "Right now, we gotta focus on saving the world. I don't think he'd appreciate it if we slowed down because of him."
"Right," Shade agreed. "How is-"
"YES!" cried a very excited voice from the workshop. Finitevus rushed into the room, ragged and sweating heavily. "A breakthrough! We've had a breakthrough! Mi- Tails, please come and verify our results! I can't believe it. It actually worked!"
Before Tails could say anything, Finitevus was already running back into the workshop, cheering and skipping his way over to where Nate Morgan was crunching numbers into a computer. "Better go check this out," Tails said, gulping down his coffee and then running over. Sonic, Shade and Amy followed him, and watched as the three started speaking techno-babble faster than Sonic's top speed.
"Uh, so, is it all good?" Sonic asked, not able to stand the waiting anymore.
"We'll need to run a few more tests to be sure," Tails said, "But if these readings are accurate then, yeah, we're good! We just need to make a few adjustments to optimise the process, but I think we can safely declare the Chaos Syphon a success!"
Amy clapped her hands together. "That's great! So uh, what did you do, exactly?"
"Watch," Tails said, handing the Chaos Emerald to Sonic. "Sonic, try using Chaos Control to warp somewhere."
"I can do that, but I'm not as good at sticking the landing as Shadow."
"It's fine, anywhere will do."
Sonic gripped the Chaos Emerald. "Chaos-" Tails activated the Chaos Syphon, and a beam of white energy hit the Chaos Emerald. The energy quickly turned the same green as the Emerald itself, and then began to flow backwards, into the Chaos Syphon. "-CONTROL!"
Everybody stood and watched as Sonic remained exactly where he was. Tails turned the Chaos Syphon off and placed it down, allowing Nate and Finitevus to run the data through the computer. "See? I was able to draw the Chaos Energy from the Emerald into the device, effectively nullifying your Chaos Control!"
"Sounds great and all, but how's it different from the Anti-Chaos-majig Kragok and Lien-Da use?"
"The difference is that we didn't cancel your Chaos Control, we absorbed the energy you were going to use to perform it. Let's say you run an electrical current to your room to power all of your devices. The Anti-Chaos Field is the equivalent of somebody flipping a switch to turn all your devices off. The electrical current is still there, and your devices still work, they've just been temporarily stopped.
"The Chaos Syphon, on the other hand, would redirect all of that electricity elsewhere. All your devices work and are on, but you're no longer getting the electricity you need to power them. Instead, somebody else is."
"So what you're saying is, not only did you stop me from using my Chaos Control, but…" Sonic watched as Nate Morgan carefully extracted a vial of green, glowing energy from the Chaos Syphon. "Is that a Chaos Drive?"
"Not exactly, but it's fundamentally the same as one," Tails answered. "Chaos Drives are more-refined, whereas this is the pure energy you would have used to perform Chaos Control. The important thing is that we can't just 'cancel' the powers of Enerjak, but we can steal the energies of the Chaos Emeralds as Dimitri is channelling them. Without Chaos Energy, Enerjak's armour is powerless."
"This is sounding familiar somehow," Sonic said.
"It should. When Finitevus described the concept to me, I immediately thought of the Shattered World crisis."
"Oh yeah! Eggman sapped the Chaos Energy outta me, then used it to break the world open!"
Finitevus sighed. "I thought the Chaos Syphon was my own original vision, but it turns out somebody else already beat me to it in this world."
"But Eggman's method isn't reliable," Tails said. "His machine was massive, literally an entire space station, and required the subject to be in a very specific location within the device itself. Not to mention that that it's designed to drain the Chaos Emeralds completely. We need something smaller, portable, and that doesn't go that far."
"And that isn't pointed at the planet, ideally," Nate Morgan added, adjusting his glasses. "Anyway, as Tails says, we will have to repeat the test several more times to be sure this isn't just a fluke."
"Even if the tests are successful," Shade began, "Can you guarantee that the Syphon would work on multiple Emeralds at once?"
"That will be the final phase of testing," Tails answered. He moved over to his computer and brought up some files. "I've been looking at the report Hawk made about that Eggman factory in Holoska, and the pieces we were able to salvage from the wreckage. In particular, the components they were being forced to make. It looks like evil geniuses think alike, 'cause Eggman's also planning to use the powers of the Chaos Emeralds to power his latest creation."
Tails turned back to Shade. "You remember what we saw in Kingdom Valley, right? That mech was probably a precursor to Eggman's next big machine. A test. And if Eggman's planning to use the Chaos Emeralds to power this machine, then that makes it a perfect target for the Chaos Syphon."
"He's right," Sonic said. "Even if the Syphon fails, we'll just beat Eggman the way we always do. So there's really nothing to lose!"
"So we're shifting our focus from Kragok to Eggman?" Shade asked.
"That's right. We can't just leave Eggman alone, and we know that he has three Chaos Emeralds now. If we can stop him before he makes his next move, it'll be a huge blow not only to him, but to the Nocturnus, too!"
"And what of the seventh Emerald? Is there still no word?"
"Not yet. Since we've been unable to locate it, and there have been no reports of Eggman or the Nocturnus attacking any remote locations, I think it's safe to assume that someone already has it, and is hiding it."
"Hiding it how?"
"It wouldn't be easy, but there are ways to block out a Chaos Emerald's signals. Eggman could do it easily, as could I, but so can anyone with enough resources and know-how."
"In other words, it could be anywhere," Sonic said. "Even in Eggman or Kragok's hands."
"So what's the plan for reaching Eggman?" Amy asked. "I heard he was holed-up in Robotropolis, and that place is heavily-guarded."
"I'll have to run it by the Commander first, but I'm thinking if we can get GUN to create enough noise, you and Shade should be able to sneak in and shut down the city's defences. That'll give Sonic, Knuckles and me an opening to attack Eggman directly."
"A joint operation? That might work."
"Right. We can iron out the details after I get the okay from Commander Tower."
"Hey, speaking of Knuckles, where is he?" Sonic asked, looking around for the absent echidna.
Knuckles grumbled as he carried the full grocery bags down the crowded street. "Stupid Amy, dumping all this on me like that," he grumbled. "What does she think I am, a butler? And why do we need so much, anyway? We'd better learn more soon, or I'm going straight back to Angel Island!"
Knuckles dropped one of the bags, and grumbled as he placed the remaining bags down to pick it up. A passer-by helped him gather the items that had fallen out. "You need a hand?" he asked as he watched Knuckles attempting to carry all the bags at once.
"I'm fine!" Knuckles snapped, startling the helpful bystander, as well as everyone else around him. The man quickly walked away, leaving Knuckles to it. Knuckles sighed as he watched him leave. 'Why am I so agitated right now? He was just trying to help, I shouldn't have snapped like that…'
As Knuckles weaved through the people in his path, he felt somebody bump into him. "Don't cause a scene," the person said, and slipped something into Knuckles' hand. It was an envelope. When Knuckles turned to face the mysterious stranger, he found that it was an orange echidna wearing a black cloak that hid all of his features.
"You're-" Knuckles began, but the figure shushed him.
"I'm just here to deliver a message, not to pick a fight. Read the letter." With that, the echidna left, disappearing into the crowds around them.
"Wait!" Knuckles called, and fumbled the envelope. With a grunt, he put the grocery bags down and picked it up. There was a letter inside, along with a photograph of Julie-Su, shackled to a wall with a blindfold over her eyes.
We have your co-conspirator in our custody. If you want her to remain safe, you will bring the Chaos Emerald that you have to us, and you will come alone. If it appears you have brought anybody else, we will not hesitate to kill her. If you do not deliver the Chaos Emerald by this time tomorrow, she will be killed. The choice is yours, Guardian.
Knuckles crumpled the letter, staring blankly at the ground. "Conspirator? What do they... Wait, is it 'cause I helped her back in Seaside Hill? They think we're working together! Then that would mean..."
"The message has been delivered."
"Excellent. You're dismissed." The soldier saluted and left, and Kragok turned to his sisters standing behind him. "We cannot afford to wait any longer. We have been working the Gizoid twenty four-seven, and we have produced a sizeable army, but with only two Chaos Emeralds, it will be difficult - if not impossible - to recover the pieces of Enerjak's armour we have lost."
"That she lost," Lien-Da said, shooting a sideways glare at Julie-Su. "Are you sure this plan will even work? Why would they give up a Chaos Emerald for her?"
"Never underestimate the foolishness of the virtuous. The Guardian fancies himself a hero, one who always does 'the right thing'. And if his feelings for her are true, then he will come to recuse her."
Julie-Su was only half-paying attention, staring down at the floor as she was lost in her thoughts. 'Is it true? Does Knuckles really feel that way about me?' She shook her head. 'C'mon, that's ridiculous. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. But if it isn't... I wonder what it is about me that he likes?'
"-Su?"
'I mean, it's not like I'm as strong or as mature as Shade, and the fact that I'm a cyborg, doesn't that bother him?'
"Julie-Su."
'And not to mention how annoying he was when we first met! All 'Master Emerald' this and 'Master Emerald' that. He was insufferable, but despite all that, he still joined us, and he showed a more... agreeable side. He-'
"Julie-Su!"
Julie-Su snapped out of her thoughts, saluting Kragok. "Y-Yes, Procurator Brother?! Uh, Procurator Kragok."
"You were distracted," Kragok noted. "What were you thinking so hard about?"
"Oh, I was just... thinking about the Chaos Emeralds! That Eggman guy's at three right now. Should we not be preparing for any possible… attacks?"
Kragok eyed his sister suspiciously. "Do not concern yourself with that. We are already working on a solution to the Eggman problem. Your concern should be on the coming 'exchange'. You are still under suspicion, so do your best to alleviate those suspicions if you don't want to be branded a traitor."
Julie-Su nodded. "Yes, sir…"
Knuckles showed Sonic the letter and photograph. He scanned the letter quickly, then handed it to Shade. After she read it, she said, "This is likely just a trap to lure you in."
"You think I don't know that?"
"Yet you're planning to spring it anyway?"
"What choice do I have? If it's not a trap, then Julie-Su will die. If it is, I'll just punch my way outta there."
"I know you're strong, Knuckles, but Kragok's no pushover, and he'll be there with his entire army. Do you really think you have a chance on your own?"
Knuckles shook his head. "I know the odds are against me, but if I don't do something, I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"Just-"
"Let him go," Sonic said, startling both Shade and Amy.
"Sonic!" Amy shouted. "This is serious! We have to think of a better strategy than just using brute force!"
"You wanna try stopping Knuckles when he's set his mind on something? He said he's going, so that's that." Sonic turned to Knuckles. "Besides, the letter said he has to go alone, right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Then we can't go with him, that simple. That said, I can't let you take the Chaos Emerald. Way too risky."
Knuckles opened his mouth, but said nothing. 'If I show up without it, they might just kill her on the spot! But Sonic's right. They already have two Chaos Emeralds now, and this is the only one we have.'
Sonic dashed off into the house, leaving a gust of wind behind. He returned a moment later, and tossed the yellow Chaos Emerald to Knuckles. "Use this."
"This is-" Knuckles examined the Emerald more closely. "I get it. This is the fake Emerald, isn't it? But it should be good enough to fool Kragok."
"You gotta go alone, so we can't back you up. If you gotta do this, then just make sure you make it back in one piece."
Knuckles nodded, fist bumping Sonic. "You got it. Tails, can I borrow the Tornado?"
"Sure, just don't land it too close to the meeting spot," Tails cautioned. "And make sure it's well-hidden. Its security should prevent anyone from hijacking it, but I'm more worried about the Nocturnus taking it apart and reverse-engineering it."
"I'll keep it safe." Knuckles hopped into the Tornado and started it up, leaving the workshop as he took to the sky.
Shade turned to Sonic, an uneasy look on her face. "Are you sure about this? Your plan to use a fake Chaos Emerald was smart, but Kragok isn't one to honour his deals. There's no reason to think he'll let the two just walk away after making the exchange."
"Yeah, I figured as much," Sonic said, turning to Doctor Finitevus with a grin. "I need a favour. Think you could spare a few minutes?"
Julie-Su took in a deep breath, and then released. She tried again, and again. 'Nope. Still nervous... Why can't I just relax already?'
"Uh, I said the Procurator is ready to-"
"I heard what you said!" Julie-Su barked, startling the soldier standing guard. "Alright..." Taking one more breath, Julie-Su entered the room, finding Kragok surveying the recently-completed Gizoids. "Brothe- Procurator, sir, the preparations are complete."
"Good. We'll leave soon."
"And uh, t-there's still no sign of the remaining Chaos Emerald."
"... Is that so?" There was a hint of annoyance in Kragok's tone that made Julie-Su wince. "With two Emeralds amplifying our radar, we should have been able to find it by now. I wonder what that means?"
"Mmmmmaybe someone already has it? There could be a way of masking its energy signature. We lost track of the three Eggman has, too."
"If that is the case, it would mean we'd have to search this whole planet, just to find one little gemstone." Kragok turned to Julie-Su. "Do we have that kind of time?" Julie-Su shook her head, keeping her mouth tightly closed. "... Heh, why am I getting mad at you? You're just reporting the facts. Very well, you're dismissed."
"Y-Yes, sir..." Julie-Su hesitated for a moment, sweating as a question danced on her tongue.
"Is there more?"
"... I... I just wanted to ask, sir, about what you said before..."
"Before?"
"You said that I was being watched at Seaside Hill. There were Scouts monitoring my every move. I was just wondering, why didn't they help when they saw what was happening?"
"Why? Because that is what I ordered, naturally. I sent them there to observe, nothing more." Kragok turned back to the Gizoids and continued examining them. "If you had failed, their orders were to seize the Chaos Emerald and return. Technically, you hadn't failed yet."
Julie-Su held her hands behind her back, fiddling with her fingers. "And... did you also order them to rescue me, in that event?"
"No. The Chaos Emerald was the priority. Rescuing you was up to their own discretion, so long as it didn't interfere with the prime objective. Of course, they likely would have just left you there."
Julie-Su bit her lip. 'Of course', he said, as if it was obvious that nobody would voluntarily go out of their way to save her. "I... nearly died, Brother." Kragok stopped again, turning back to Julie-Su. "Knuckles is the one who saved me..."
"... If I were you, I'd keep such thoughts to yourself. Being rescued is nothing to be proud of, especially when it's by the hands of our enemy. You survived, and returned with the Chaos Emerald. There's some level of pride to be had in that, so embrace it."
"But..." Julie-Su shook her head. "No, you're right. Sorry to bother you with such... trivialities, Broth- Procurator, sir." Kragok nodded, and returned to his work. Julie-Su left. 'Of course I knew it. I'm just another soldier, after all. If I failed and died in my mission, no one would care. It comes with the territory.' Julie-Su stopped as an image of Knuckles flashed into her mind. 'But he saved me. He clearly cared.'
Sighing, Julie-Su walked down the hallway, motioning to two soldiers standing at attention nearby. "You two with me. We're heading out to the site of the exchange, and the Procurators want everything ready before they arrive."
The soldiers saluted, albeit lazily. "Sir."
Julie-Su led them into the garage, where vehicles were being checked and tended to. 'Here, I have soldiers that refer to me as 'Sir' and follow my orders. With them, all I had were 'friends'. I'm clearly better off here… right?'
Knuckles followed the directions in the letter, pushing his way through thick jungle shrubbery and wading through muddy terrain, until he eventually reached what appeared to be the remain of an ancient city.
Patrolling the perimeter were Nocturnus soldiers, meaning that it would be difficult to sneak inside without being seen. "Sneaking's not really my strong suit, anyway." Knuckles approached the entrance, where two soldiers drew their weapons upon hearing the rustling in the bushes.
"Who goes there?!"
Knuckles raised his hands, still approaching as he stared the soldiers dead-on. "It's me. I was called here, so here I am."
"A likely story!" one soldier replied, receiving a kick from the other.
"Moron. He's the whole reason we're out here, remember?"
"Uh, yeah, I remember. Just... testing you, that's all."
"Look, I don't have time for a comedy act," Knuckles said, and tried to move past the two, but they stopped him. "I'm here to see Kragok, not you two idiots."
"Us two 'idiots' were given orders not to let anyone pass without express permission from the Procurator, and that includes you!"
Knuckles sighed, folding his arms. "Then hurry it up, would ya?"
One of the soldiers stepped away to contact Kragok, while the other remained to keep his eye on Knuckles. "Yo, don't sweat it!" a third soldier said as he approached the scene. "I'll take it from here."
"We were given orders not to-"
"I know, and Kragok gave me the order to come 'n' pick him up. I'll escort him, so you got nothin' to worry about."
The soldiers glanced at each other uncertainly, but eventually stepped aside to let Knuckles through. Knuckles entered, and followed the third soldier through the city, glaring at him suspiciously.
"Name's Cinos," the soldier replied. "Don't do anything stupid, 'cause there are eyes watchin' you everywhere."
Knuckles subtly looked around, noticing soldiers hidden in the shadows, and in the ruined buildings around them. "Got it," he answered, and followed Cinos through the city.
"What? He's coming here?!" Lien-Da's voice startled all of the Nocturnus nearby, and the look of horror on her face concerned them. A stern glare from Kragok told them all to mind their own business.
Kragok nodded. "Apparently, he is displeased with the progress we have made, and is coming himself to take matters into his own hands." Kragok gripped the Warp Belt at his waist. "I speculate that our time is almost up. These Warp Belts will soon be useless, and the power of Enerjak will remain trapped on this side."
Lien-Da huffed. "So that's it, then. Our chance to impress him is gone, just like that."
"Not entirely," Kragok said. "Knuckles has taken the bait, and is on his way here." Kragok turned to Julie-Su, who was fiddling absentmindedly with her gun. "This will be your chance, as well."
"Huh?" Julie-Su asked, raising her head.
"I said that this will be your chance to earn some glory. Once Knuckles gives us the Chaos Emerald, we will let you go as we promised... And then when his back is turned, you will take the shot."
Julie-Su grimaced. "In the back? Isn't that a little... dishonest?"
"If he is foolish enough to turn his back on his enemy, then he deserves it."
"Do we really have to kill him? Wouldn't he be worth more as our prisoner?"
"He is the last of our rival clan. Assassinating him will not only prove your loyalty, it will erase the stain of your mother's name from our family. This one act will set the record straight on where we stand."
"But still, why me? Wouldn't either of you prefer to have that glory?"
"He will be expecting an attack from us, but he will let his guard down for you. And, you are Mari-Su's biological daughter. It has to be you, as that is the only way to permanently erase the shame from our family."
"That 'shame', right..."
"Don't tell me you don't have the stomach for it," Lien-Da said. "Oh, that's right, you've never killed before, have you? Well, don't go getting cold feet at a time like this. Being our sister doesn't mean we'll take it easy on you if you fail."
"Failure in this mission will be tantamount to treason," Kragok warned. "The penalty for treason is death. If you do not wish to die, then you will carry out your duty. Do that, and we can be a family, just like you wanted."
Julie-Su gasped. "A... family..." 'But I bet your idea of 'family' is different from mine…'
"Procurators, Knuckles the Echidna is here!" a soldier reported.
"Give him permission to enter," Kragok responded, and saw the confused look on the soldier's face.
"Uh, well, he already has entered, sir."
Kragok narrowed his eyes. "I gave explicit orders to inform me before permitting him entry! Who- … Never mind, I will deal with that later. Tell him to approach."
The soldier saluted, and then ran over to Cinos to deliver the message. "C'mon, let's move it," Cinos said, escorting Knuckles to what appeared to be a town square, where Kragok, Lien-Da and Julie-Su were waiting at the base of a large, golden cat-like statue.
Knuckles looked at Julie-Su, confused when he saw that she wasn't shackled, or even detained in any way. She met his eyes and quickly looked away.
"Do you know where you stand right now, Guardian?" Kragok asked, bringing Knuckles' attention to him. "This is the ancient city of the Felidae Tribe, a feline warrior tribe that once rivalled your own in terms of power. Your people waged a great war here, killing all but a few of the proud Felidae fighters, and turning their once-glorious city into an outpost of your Empire. Years later, one of the biggest battles between the Knuckles Clan and the Nocturnus Clan would take place here. The outcome of that battle was a Nocturnus victory."
"I didn't come here for a history lesson," Knuckles said. "I came here to tell you you're making a mistake. Julie-Su isn't working with us, and she's no traitor. There's no reason for you to be suspicious of her."
"Is that so? Then why have you come all this way to vouch for her? You honestly expect me to just take you at your word?"
"I came to set the record straight, that's all. If she died because of a misunderstanding that I caused, I'd never be able to sleep at night."
Kragok laughed. "Even though it would mean reducing your enemy's numbers by one? You're not making any sense."
"I don't care if it makes sense to you or not, that's just how I feel. We're only enemies once the fighting starts."
Lien-Da shook her head. "To think that this is the last remaining member of the Knuckles Clan. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you."
"They can think what they want. I know who I am, and I'm not sorry for it!"
Julie-Su clutched the handle of her gun. "Even though... it makes you weak?"
Knuckles pounded his fist to his chest. "It makes me strong. The fact that I don't live my life for the sake of others, but for myself."
"Living for yourself..."
"And what does that get you?" Lien-Da asked. "Glory? Wealth? Status?"
"Freedom."
"And with that freedom, you've come to the heart of enemy territory, risking your life." Kragok motioned to Lien-Da, who ushered Julie-Su forwards. "Enough of the idle banter. We made our terms quite clear: the Chaos Emerald for our sister's life.
"I've got your Chaos Emerald. Here." Knuckles took out the yellow jewel, shining brilliantly in his hand. "How do we go about this?"
Kragok motioned to Lien-Da, who shoved Julie-Su further forwards. The two began walking closer, before Kragok said, "I thought that the Emerald you had was green…"
"That Emerald belongs to Shadow's gang. This is the one we found recently, and then the rest are either with you or Doctor Eggman."
Kragok nodded. "Then all seven are accounted for."
'I guess that means the Nocturnus don't have the seventh. That's good news for us.'
"Now, you'll give the Emerald to Lien-Da, at which point we'll let Julie-Su go, and then the two of you can leave."
Knuckles nodded. He walked forwards to meet Lien-Da. Julie-Su met his eyes, her own trembling. "Knuckles..."
"Don't worry," Knuckles assured her. "I'm gonna get you out of here. It's my fault this happened, after all."
'No, it's not your fault,' Julie-Su thought. 'It's mine. All because I'm so weak that you had to save me. All because I can't be a good enough sister on my own.'
"I mean, do you really need to prove yourself for your family to accept you? They're giving you conditions for their love. Shouldn't they just love you, no matter what?"
"And I don't think they'd love you, even if they 'accept' you. You okay with that?"
"Next time we meet, let me know if it was all worth it. Let me know if 'family' is really that important."
"Let's make the exchange," Lien-Da said, extending her hand. Knuckles handed over the Chaos Emerald, keeping hold of it for just a second as he gave a cautionary look around. When he felt no murderous intent, and saw all hands off their weapons, he let go. "You know what to do," Lien-Da whispered to her sister.
"Let's go," Knuckles said, turning around to leave.
Julie-Su clenched her hands into fists as she stared at his open back. 'Knuckles... I'm sorry.'
Julie-Su reached for her gun with trembling hands, her heart beating wildly. It felt like the world was spinning as she gripped the handle, tears welling in her eyes. She drew it, all noise falling silent as she took aim...
Knuckles turned around, frozen at what he saw. "You-"
"What is this?" Kragok asked, glaring at his sister as she trained her gun on him.
"I... I don't want this..." Julie-Su hiccupped. "He's the one who actually c-cares about me. He... saved my life, a-and now he's come all this way... to save me again... even after I tricked him."
Lien-Da reached for her whip, but Kragok motioned for her to stop, approaching Julie-Su slowly. "And? So what if he saved your life? You don't owe him anything," he said.
Julie-Su gritted her teeth, her grip on her gun tightening. "I owe him everything! A-And you... How could even say that?! I'm your sister, but you... don't even care if I live or die! What do I have to do for you to notice me?! To earn even just a little love from you?!" Julie-Su wiped the tears streaming down her face. "Why couldn't you just accept me? The only time I ever felt happy was with them..."
Kragok shook his head. "You want my love? You think you deserve our love, just because we're related? That woman's blood is in your veins. You will never have our love, and with this act, you have forever lost our respect."
"What little we had," Lien-Da added.
"I... I shouldn't..." Julie-Su breathed. "I shouldn't have to earn your love, or your respect!" She began breathing heavily, now gripping her gun with both hands as she glared daggers at her brother.
"... Then shoot," Kragok told her as he reached his sister, standing mere inches away. "Pull the trigger."
Julie-Su squeezed the trigger of her gun, bringing it down just a little, but then stopped. It felt like it was being jammed, but she knew that wasn't the case. She gritted her teeth and tried again, but it was the same result. She closed her eyes, sobbing as she loosened her grip.
"Pathetic," Kragok said, batting the gun out of her hand. "You turn against us, then don't even have the courage to pull the trigger. And you wonder why we think so little of you?"
Lien-Da drew her whip and lashed. Julie-Su gasped, recoiling from the coming attack, but felt nothing. When she turned to look, she found a Nocturnus soldier standing before her, holding the electrified whip. He grunted, letting it go. "Hey, don't you think that's too much? Who could be expected to kill their own family so easily?"
"W-Who are you?!" Lien-Da demanded. "This insubordination will not be tolerated!"
Cinos removed his helmet, revealing himself to be Sonic the Hedgehog. While Kragok and Lien-Da were distracted, Knuckles jumped out and threw a punch at the former. Kragok managed to guard just in time, but the force of the impact still managed to knock him back.
"S-Sonic?! That was you all along?!" Knuckles asked.
Sonic almost fell. "You mean you seriously didn't realise that?! C'mon, you should know my voice by now!"
"I was paying attention to other things!"
"Yeesh, I even used such a simple name so even you'd get it. You really are a knucklehead."
"WHAT?!"
"Guys!" Julie-Su shouted. "Maybe save the arguing for later?"
Sonic and Knuckles watched as the soldiers around them began to close in. "Looks like we've outstayed our welcome," Knuckles said.
"Guess we better hit the road, then," Sonic replied. "Clear a path."
"On it." Knuckles raised his fists and ran towards the crowd. Lien-Da attempted to lash him from behind, but Sonic was able to kick the whip aside. "OUTTA MY WAY!" Knuckles slammed his fist into the ground, creating a tremor that caused the soldiers to fall down, and large chunks of rock to rain down on them.
Kragok attempted to give chase, but a shot at his feet halted him. He turned and found Julie-Su aiming his way, but not at him. Still, the diversion offered Sonic enough time. Without warning, he scooped Julie-Su off her feet, startling her, and began to run through the newly-cleared path created by Knuckles.
"After them!" Lien-Da ordered, and nearly gave chase herself, but she was stopped by her brother. "What are you doing?! They'll get away!"
"I will pursue them," Kragok said. "Your job is to secure that Chaos Emerald. Return to the base and await further orders."
"But-" Kragok shot his sister a glare, which silenced her. "Ugh, fine! I'll leave this in your hands, Brother!" The two siblings parted ways, Lien-Da rounding up her troops whilst Kragok gave chase after the heroes.
As Sonic and Knuckles continued to make quick progress through the city, they soon caught sight of a large, stone gate blocking the village's only entrance.
"How're we gonna get past that?!" Julie-Su asked.
"Over not an option?" Sonic asked.
"If you wanna be shot down by our snipers, be my guest!"
Sonic hummed. "If it was just me, I think I'd be fine, but Knuckles isn't that nimble…"
"Don't even!" Knuckles shouted. "Even you can be hit, usually when you act all cocky!"
"Well then, guess we'll just go right through it! Take it away, Knuckles!"
Knuckles punched his fists together, gathering energy. His body began to glow a deep red, radiating heat all around it. He tore through the soldiers blocking his path and reached the stone gate, and with one, powerful swing, he punched straight through the obstacle, shattering it before everyone's eyes.
Julie-Su was stunned, as were the soldiers that were previously trying to stop them. Now, many just stood in awe, shock, and a lot of fear. Others desperately ran away to avoid the falling debris raining from above. Sonic, meanwhile, saw his opening and increased his speed. "Hold on tight!" he told Julie-Su, and he and Knuckles took off together into the jungle outside.
"So, all that talk about me coming alone?" Knuckles asked.
"You didn't think I'd seriously let you fight alone, did ya? C'mon man, we're tighter than that! I asked Doc F to fix up Remington's armour for me, so I could sneak in and blend in with the Nocturnus!"
"Why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning?!"
"Because you'd have objected."
"… Okay, maybe I would've. But this was my responsibility! My burden to bear!"
"But if Sonic hadn't shown up, we'd have been in pretty hot water," Julie-Su pointed out, silencing Knuckles. "By the way, you can put me down now. I can run just fine."
"These jungles can be tricky to navigate," Sonic said, and just moments later, he leapt suddenly from the ground, grabbing onto a vine to swing over a pool of what appeared to be quicksand, Knuckles gliding alongside him. They landed and, without missing a beat, continued running. "I didn't come here just for you, by the way. I also wanted to see if I could rescue Fixit."
"And?" Sonic's face said it all. "No luck, huh?"
"He wasn't in the village. There'll be other chances, I just hope he can tough it out until then."
"How did you get here ahead of me?"
"Tails dropped me off at a nearby village, then I just ran the rest of the way. It helped that you parked so far away, and had to make the rest of the journey on foot. Speakin' of, where'd you park?"
"Uh…"
"… Don't tell me you don't remember."
"I'll know it as soon as we're out of this jungle! Just, everything looks the same around here. Anyway, at least we got outta there!"
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Sonic said. "Kragok's right on our tail, and he's catching up."
"What?!"
"Not surprising," Julie-Su said, casting her eyes down. "Brother has access to the latest flying tech in the Nocturne, whereas you two are running on foot. And carrying me, to boot…"
"We're gonna have to fight sooner-or-later," Sonic said, skidding to a halt in the middle of large clearing. "This seems like a good spot."
Knuckles also came to a stop, and Sonic let Julie-Su down. Moments later, Kragok came flying onto the scene using a pair of mechanical wings. As he landed, the wings retracted. "I'm afraid this is as far as you go."
Knuckles groaned. "We already gave you the Chaos Emerald! Why can't you just leave well enough alone?!"
"It would be one thing if it was just you and the blue rat-"
"What is with everyone calling me that?" Sonic asked.
"-But that girl has humiliated us time-and-time again. I can't let that stand any longer. Leave her here, and I'll look the other way as you escape."
"Yeah, not gonna happen," Sonic said, placing Julie-Su down and stepping in front of her. "You're the older sibling, right? You're supposed to be lookin' out for her, not trying to kill her."
"Familial relations mean nothing. A disgraced soldier has no value, and I certainly have no reason to protect somebody who is of no use to me."
"You jerk," Knuckles grumbled. "Don't you realise how much she's been through just to make you happy?! The least you could do is acknowledge her feelings!"
"Knuckles," Julie-Su said, "It's okay."
"You sure?"
"… He won't listen anyway." Julie-Su turned to her brother, fixing a sharp glare onto him. "No matter what you, or anyone else says, you won't change his mind. He doesn't see me as his sister, so I… I'm done trying to please you, Brother. I'm done trying to be part of this forsaken family! I've been trying to fix the rift between us my whole life, but it was all in vain, wasn't it?!"
"As if you even could have fixed anything, considering you are the problem."
"No… You, and Lien-Da, you're the problems! All Mother ever did was love you, even though you're not her biological children, and you treat her like crap even after her death! Father was no saint, but he at least understood the importance of family! All you two care about, are you own god-damned selves!"
"… Are you done throwing a tantrum? This is your last chance to choose some meaningful last words."
Knuckles watched, waiting silently to see if Julie-Su had more to say. She opened her mouth, but seemed to be struggling to find the words. "Forget it," she finally said. "You won't listen to my words, so I'll just show you through my actions. I'm going with them, and I'm going fight against you, my sister, and Imperator Dimitri. Against our grandfather. And I'm going to help Shade become the new Imperator!"
Kragok's eye twitched and he raised his hand, firing on Julie-Su. Sonic moved her out of the way in an instant. "That touch a nerve?" he asked, grinning at Kragok. "That wasn't very polite." Sonic turned to Julie-Su and said, "You can sit this one out if ya want."
"I can fight," Julie-Su argued.
"I know you can. I'm saying you don't have to."
Julie-Su looked over to Kragok and felt her hands shaking. With a nod, she took a step back. Kragok laughed. "After all that bluster, you hide behind others. All bark and no bite."
Knuckles rushed forwards and attacked Kragok, delivering a flurry of punches to put him on the defensive and drive him back. "She's plenty strong enough to take you on," he said, landing a blow to Kragok's gut. "She just has a little something called 'compassion'!"
Kragok jumped a great distance back, clutching his stomach. "'Compassion' is just a crutch for the weak, and one that leaves you vulnerable. A smart soldier would have taken the shot back at the Felidae village." Kragok reached to his eye and pressed it.
"Watch out!" Julie-Su warned. "He's overclocking! And he can control it a lot better than I can…"
"Let him," Knuckles said, raising his fists. "It'll just hit that much that harder when I knock him do-" Before Knuckles could finish, Kragok closed the distance between them, and then drove both of his claws into Knuckles, pushing him back with great force.
"Knuckles!" Sonic called, and then found Kragok running his way. Kragok's speed was impressive, but Sonic was able to easily keep up with and dodge his attack. Kragok began firing on Sonic, and this time Sonic had a much-harder time outrunning the bullets. Still, he managed to outmanoeuvre Kragok by jumping up high, grabbing the branch of a tree above them, and swinging from it to build-up momentum. He let go, curling into a ball as he flew down towards Kragok, and then crashed into his opponent.
As Sonic landed, he heard a rustling behind him. He dodged as two new enemies suddenly jumped him, brandishing leech blades. After Sonic moved a safe distance away, he saw that the two new enemies were Gizoids. They stared silently at Sonic, in combative stances, clearly ready to attack.
"You destroy the hedgehog," Kragok ordered, turning to deflect an attack from Knuckles with his shield. "I'll deal with the Guardian myself."
The Gizoids charged at Sonic. They attacked one-at-a-time, one attacking first while the other hung back, then switching. Sonic ran backwards as he ducked and shifted to dodge their attacks, and when he saw his opening, he grabbed the arm of one of the Gizoids and tripped it, causing it to stumble in front of the other. The other Gizoid didn't seem to care, and sliced through the first in an attempt to reach Sonic.
Sonic simply kicked the first Gizoid into the second one, jumping up into the trees as the damaged Gizoid exploded, taking the other with it. Sonic looked around for Knuckles and Kragok, but before he could spot them, he heard the sounds of jetpacks coming from below. He looked down to find three more Gizoids, flying up with their leech blades extended.
"How many of these do I need to take down?" he groaned, jumping across the branches of the trees with the flying Gizoids following him. He glanced over his shoulder to see how they were moving, and found them flying in a single-file line. "Heh, too easy," he said as he turned around, jumping towards the front-most Gizoid and driving his feet into it. This caused it to crash into the second, and both fell down to the ground. The third managed to avoid the collision by flying higher, and came down on Sonic from above.
A shot paralyzed the Gizoid, and Sonic took advantage of the opening to dropkick it to the ground. He landed next to Julie-Su. "Nice shot!"
"He was an easy target," Julie-Su said.
Sonic once again looked around for the fight between Kragok and Knuckles. He found the two battling it out in the distance, beyond some trees. Knuckles was slamming his fists into Kragok's shields, occasionally retreating to avoid his counterattacks. He was getting tired, but he didn't stop his assault. Kragok, on the other hand, didn't seem to be getting tired at all.
"Your brute strength won't be enough against me," Kragok said, gathering Chaos Energy into his hands. His body began glowing red, and Knuckles raised his guard. "CHAOS-" A blast of energy struck Kragok's left hand. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Kragok clutched his damaged prosthetic, which was cracked and letting out sparks of electricity. He glared at Julie-Su, firmly gripping her gun with both hands as looking back strong towards him. Her dreadlock was plugged into the gun, overclocking it.
"I don't want to fight you, Brother. Even after all you've done. But protecting my friends? That's something I'd do in a heartbeat!"
"'Preciate it," Sonic said, and then he rushed Kragok, jumping into the air and coming down on him with a bounce attack. Kragok extended his one good hand to raise a shield, and as Sonic crashed into it, Knuckles came from the side and delivered a blow to Kragok's face. The shield shattered and Sonic struck Kragok from above, and continued to lay into him with a series of homing attacks.
Kragok recovered and blocked Sonic's next attack, grabbing him by the leg and throwing him to the ground. Sonic also recovered quickly and dodged a series of shots. He then used his Sonic Wind to distract Kragok, creating an opening for him to spindash. With only one hand, Kragok's shield wasn't strong enough to ward off the attack and he was knocked down.
Sonic landed, observing his opponent. Kragok was breathing heavily, his bad hand twitching and spasming out of control, whilst his good hand clutched his chest. "I guess it's over," he noted, and heard Kragok growl.
"It's... not over!" Kragok declared, climbing to his feet. He slumped as he stood, glaring at the hedgehog.
"Dude, give it up." Sonic turned around and walked over to Julie-Su. "C'mon, let's split."
Julie-Su looked into her brother's eyes for a few seconds, and then holstered her gun. "Yeah, let's. Goodbye, Brother. And say 'goodbye' to Lien-Da for me, too."
Kragok extended his wings and raised his hand, just before he sensed a presence behind him. He was too late to stop Knuckles from grabbing one of his wings and, with a show of force, ripping it off. "You're not coming after us anymore!" Knuckles shouted as he tossed the wing aside, and when Kragok turned to face him, he delivered a punch that sent him flying.
Sonic offered to carry Julie-Su again, but she declined, instead running alongside the hedgehog, Knuckles right behind them. Julie-Su looked back to see her brother getting up, but making no attempt to chase them as they disappeared into the dense jungle.
After several minutes of running, the trio were out of the jungle and running across the open Mazuri savannah. They came to a stop at the base of a large tree, where Julie-Su immediately sat in the shade to catch her breath. She was amazed that neither Sonic nor Knuckles seemed tired. "You guys... have incredible... stamina..."
"I do this all the time," Sonic said, "And Knuckles lives up on Angel Island, where the air's thinner. We're just used to it by this point."
Julie-Su wiped the sweat from her brow. "Well, I'm not. I'd never even left the Noturne before meeting Shade..." She turned to Knuckles, who was looking right back at her, and quickly turned away, her face flushed. "Um... thank you." Julie-Su reached for her dreadlock, playing with it as she blushed.
"Don't mention it. Knuckles was the one who wanted to save you more than anyone."
"No, I mean... at the end of that fight there, you could've finished my brother off. But you let him go. So uh, thank you for that..."
"Oh uh, don't sweat it." Sonic turned to Knuckles, who was glancing out into the distance, sweating and tapping his foot, occasionally glancing over at Julie-Su. "Hey, Knux, you park anywhere close to here?"
"A few more miles that way," Knuckles said, pointing.
"Why don't you two rest up? I'll go grab the Tornado and bring it 'round."
"Wha-" Knuckles began, but Sonic was already off. "Doing his own thing as always…" Knuckles sat down beside Julie-Su, and after a few seconds of silence, turned to face her. She was looking right at him, and their eyes met. They both immediately turned away. "You uh, doing okay? Sorry, I didn't bring any water with me."
"It's okay... I'll manage."
"... Things got pretty intense back there, huh? I'm glad you're alright." Julie-Su simply nodded. "And hey, we made it out without killing anyone! So, you know, that's a bonus." A laugh escaped Julie-Su's lips. "I say something funny?"
"You don't have to try so hard. I'm okay, really. Although, I do appreciate you worrying about me." Julie-Su sighed. "Kragok and Lien-Da never did. They were ready to kill me if I failed." She brought her knees up, burying her face into them. "I did everything I could to please them. Whatever it took to win my way back into their lives, to just be part of a family again. But it was never enough, and now I've shut that door completely..."
Knuckles heard muffled hiccups. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he should say or do something. But then, what could he do? He hardly even understood his own feelings, let alone hers. "You didn't... They were the ones who shut you out. Somehow, I don't think they were ever going to accept you..." Knuckles inwardly berated himself. "What I mean is, you're not the one at fault here! You shouldn't feel like you did something bad!"
"I know," Julie-Su said, bringing her hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I know that. No matter what I did, it was never going to be enough. At best they would tolerate me, but that's not what I wanted... I should've seen it sooner." Julie-Su leaned to the side, resting her head on Knuckles' shoulder. Knuckles froze, staring directly ahead as his face heated up. The two remained in silence for several long moments, before Julie-Su asked, "... What should I do now? I betrayed Shade, and I've left the Nocturne. Where do I even belong?"
Knuckles took in a breath, calming himself. "Just come back and say you're sorry. She'll forgive you, and so will everyone else."
"... That easily?"
"Yeah. You haven't closed that door yet."
Julie-Su gripped the blades of grass beneath her hands. "I don't think I can face my brother and sister again. I don't want to fight them."
"You don't have to. Leave that part to us. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone anymore. Just do what you want, and only worry about what you can do." Knuckles heard a hiccup, and looked down to see Julie-Su crying. "H-Hey! Why are you still sad?!"
Julie-Su laughed, wiping her face. "It's not that. I'm not sad anymore... I'm just happy. So happy I couldn't help myself. Nobody's ever told me that I can just do what I want before." She turned to look Knuckles in the eyes. "Thanks. For everything. Believing in me, setting me free..."
"You did that yourself. I just gave you a nudge."
Julie-Su slipped her hand over Knuckles', smiling as she stared into his eyes. Knuckles held Julie-Su's hand as he stared back, swallowing nervously. "Can I do something a little selfish?"
"S-Sure…"
Julie-Su closed her eyes and leaned forwards, her lips meeting his. Knuckles closed his own eyes and gently embraced Julie-Su.
Not too far away, sat behind a large rock that hid him well, Sonic climbed to his feet, smiling contently, his face a little red. "Guess they'll be okay," he said to himself, before dashing off into the Mazuri savannah.
Knuckles and Julie-Su parted, staring into each other's eyes. "That was my first kiss," she said, her face now crimson. "Never thought it'd be with an 'enemy'."
"Well, I never thought mine would be with another echidna."
"Brother said that you have… feelings for me. That's why he was so sure this plan would work."
Knuckles looked up into the sky, slowly turning orange with the sun just starting to set. "He might not be wrong." He felt Julie-Su's grip on his hand tighten. "There's only one other girl who ever made me feel this way, but she drives me batty and likes to push all my buttons. With you, I feel like I just always want you around, and the feeling's that much stronger. I've been so on edge lately, and I think I get why now. It's because I had no idea if you were okay or not. I should have said more to stop you from leaving."
"But if you did that, I never would've come to the realisation that Kragok and Lien-Da are no good for me…" Julie-Su rested her head on Knuckles' shoulder again. "Or about my own feelings for you."
Knuckles rested his head on hers. "Well, guess all's well that ends well, then."
A few minutes later, Sonic returned with the Tornado, landing it near the two. They quickly rose to their feet, blushing. "Yo! Anythin' happen while I was gone?"
"Nope," Julie-Su said, smiling as she and Knuckles approached the plane hand-in-hand. "Not a thing. Right?"
"Right," Knuckles agreed.
Sonic sighed as the two climbed into the plane, and then took off. "I've called Tails. Gave him the good news, and let him know we're on our way!"
Knuckles and Julie-Su nodded. After about a minute of flight, Julie-Su took a deep breath. "Um, there's something I have to report," she said, her fists shaking in her lap. "Before this whole… incident took place, Brother mentioned something. He's coming here."
"'He' who?" Knuckles asked.
"… Grandfather. Imperator Dimitri. He's coming to this side."
Kragok and Lien-Da kneeled as Dimitri stepped forwards, flanked by several High Praetorian escorts. They felt the intensity of his stare as he looked down on them. "Where is Julie-Su?"
Lien-Da wanted to answer, but Kragok spoke first, choosing his words carefully. "She has betrayed us, Imperator. She has sided with the enemy, with the traitor Shade and her friends from this world."
"..." Dimitri remained silent, waiting for Kragok to finish his report.
"And we... gave chase, but she managed to elude us, sir."
"You failed to detain her," he said. "And you failed to execute her. Just as you have failed to secure all five pieces of Enerjak's armour, and the seven Chaos Emeralds."
"It wasn't a total loss!" Lien-Da shouted. Kragok wanted to silence her, but it was too late. "We got a Chaos Emerald out of it, so we're up to three now!"
A soldier nervously approached, carrying a tray with the three Chaos Emeralds they had so far and offering it to Dimitri. Dimitri scanned the Emeralds, his eyes stopping as he reached the newest addition to their collection. He reached down and grabbed the yellow jewel. "A Chaos Emerald? More like a convincing replica." He slammed the Emerald into a nearby pillar, shattering it to pieces before their eyes.
Kragok and Lien-Da stared in shock for a few seconds of silence, before Lien-Da spoke first. "A-A fake?! But it felt so real!"
"Indeed. It was clearly crafted to mimic almost perfectly the qualities of a real Chaos Emerald. But such an imperfect gem could never be considered a Chaos Emerald. And this means that you gained nothing of value."
"Please... accept our humblest apologies," Kragok said. "We have underestimated our foes, we see that now, but no longer. Now that our Gizoid army is ready, we will launch a destructive counterattack to-"
"No," Dimitri said. "I will launch the counterattack, and the two of you shall follow. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," the siblings replied in unison.
"Very good. I'll show you some leniency, in light of your success procuring two Chaos Emeralds, as well as the prototype Gizoid. I have studied all the data on this 'Doctor Eggman' that you sent me. Tomorrow, we will take the fight to him." Dimitri motioned to one of his escorts, who handed him a long, emerald-green staff.
