Chapter 26: Rap Across Knuckles

It had been awhile.

It had been awhile since he returned to Angel Island, fuming with more anger than he had ever felt before. He had gone immediately to the Master Emerald and placed his hand on it, commanding it to show him Chaos. Where is it? Knuckles felt duty-bound to find it.

It had been awhile since he found Chaos. He, the Master Emerald with him, saw it walking, draining the life out of the plants around it with each step. He hadn't wasted a second before gliding down to it, landing with a fist in the ground. "Chaos!" he had shouted.

The liquid creature had turned to him and replied, "Well, well. The Master Emerald itself. I trust you are its guardian?"

"That is none of your concern, you monster!" Knuckles had bellowed. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

"What a petty thing… vengeance. Do you intend to fight me for this life? I am merely channeling it anew in me. The things in my wake are worthless—"

"How dare you speak so low of him!"

Chaos had narrowed its green eyes. "Ohhh… You speak of the blue one…"

Knuckles had held up his fists. "I'll avenge him if it's the last thing I do!"

It had looked between Knuckles and the emerald. "It will certainly be the last thing you try, red one… That little gem is no match for me."

Though he would have hardly called the Master Emerald little, he had noticed that with each life Chaos took, it grew in size—and likely in strength as well.

It had been awhile since the fight began. But Chaos had been merely dodging the furious punches Knuckles tried. Chaos had even avoided the power of the Master Emerald as Knuckles tried to capture it in the gem's light. He had worn himself out quickly, pausing for a breath and to think through his plan instead of just throwing attacks at the monster.

It had been awhile since Chaos asked, "You are quite connected to that emerald, aren't you?"

"So?" Knuckles had responded, angered that Chaos had not been taking the battle seriously at all. It had been clear that Chaos was only toying with him. But why? Why not go for a fatal blow like it did for Sonic?

"Unlike that group that came to the island… They had no connection to the emeralds… No connection… to Chaos."

Knuckles had realized what Chaos was implying. "I will not claim a kindredship with you!" he had retorted, charging at the monster again.

"Oh, but we are kin," this time, it had grabbed Knuckles. "And therefore… you are a powerful source of life energy, just as the chao's were… just like the life on Chao Island… just like the life here on Mobius… forever connected to the Master Emerald."

"NO!"

But Chaos had him right where it wanted him.

It had been awhile since then.

.

"Hey Tails, do you think you can make this thing track the Master Emerald?" Sonic asked, holding up the handheld tracker.

"You know, I can also sniff out that emerald," Rouge reminded him.

Sonic grinned and gave a thumbs up. "We're bound to find Knuckles no problem between Tails's machine and your treasure hunting skills!"

Tails took the machine and started to work on it. He knew he could do this… he knew he could help them find Knuckles.

.

It had been awhile.

It had been awhile since Chaos had held Knuckles in its grasp and the echidna called on the aid of the Master Emerald. Knuckles had used the emerald to blast Chaos away. Despite its large size, the Master Emerald had been able to do it damage.

It had been awhile since Knuckles landed on his feet, directing the Master Emerald to aim more of its energy at Chaos. Chaos cried out as it got blasted head on. Then, with a roar, it had redirected the beam of light right back at Knuckles and the emerald. Knuckles's eyes widened, but he couldn't stop it in time. He was hit, flying backward as the Master Emerald shattered into pieces.

Knuckles cried out, watching his only protection be destroyed.

It had been awhile since then.

.

"Sonic!" Tails cried.

"What's wrong?" Sonic immediately sensed trouble.

"The… The emerald…"

Sonic looked at the tracker's screen. "Why are there so many dots?"

"It's… It's the Master Emerald… It's been…"

The girls gasped. Sonic's brow furrowed. "It's shattered," he stated. He looked around at the others. "We… We may already be too late…"

.

It had been awhile.

It had been awhile since Chaos had Knuckles once again in its grasp, this time with no Master Emerald to aid him. "I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine," the monster had said. "And now…" It squeezed, causing Knuckles to cry out, which gave the monster the greatest pleasure. "Now… I will become even more powerful…"

It had been awhile since Chaos's green energy engulfed Knuckles, draining his life energy. Knuckles had not been able to make a sound then. He had felt his breath leaving him. He felt his blood run cold.

"…thanks to your life energy…"

It had been awhile since then.

.

The group sought the scattered remains of the Master Emerald, hoping that it could lead them to Knuckles after it was restored. Unfortunately, when they had finally gathered them all, there was no sign of them coming together as one.

"Did we miss one?" Sonic asked, double checking the machine.

Tails tried to hold back tears as he desperately tried to piece the gem back together.

"I think Knuckles is the only one able to restore it," Rouge predicted.

"Mr. Knuckles!" Cream cried out desperately.

"Shh!" Rouge covered the rabbit's mouth. "We don't want to attract any unwanted attention."

Sonic stomped his foot, "And why not? I'm ready for it! With or without Knuckles and the Master Emerald!" He clenched his fist. "I say we take out Chaos once and for all! This is it!"

Amy knelt down next to Tails to try to help. Tails wiped his eyes with his arm and sniffed. "There's gotta be a way to find him… Come on, Master Emerald…"

Amy tried to force two pieces together and mused, "If only the path of the shattered bits led the way to Knuckles… like some sort of trail."

Tails sat upright. "Amy! That's it!" He ran over to Sonic and grabbed the tracker. He traced a path with his finger. "The pieces… they were all in an arc!"

Sonic looked down at his buddy, "Are you saying that they were all arced around a certain spot?"

"The spot where it was destroyed!" Amy finished.

"Where's that point, Tails?"

"It has to be…" Tails studied the screen, trying to remember where they all were. "Here!"

Sonic looked at the spot on the tracker, then started running that direction.

The others followed, falling behind with each step he took.

"Knuckles… I'm coming for you, buddy…"

.

It had been awhile.

It had been awhile since Chaos had left.

It had been awhile since Knuckles was left lying lifeless on the dead grass.

And now, in the present, Sonic slowed his run as he came upon him. "Knuckles…" he let out a breath.

Knuckles was on his back, the color drained from his fur. Only a grey shade remained. There was no mark of injury, not like on Sonic. Chaos had taken his life force, just like he had taken the life force of the plants around him.

He fell to his knees. "Knuckles… What did you try to do?" He put his hand on Knuckles's chest and closed his eyes.

He tried to block out the words he had heard over the communicators. He even pulled out the earpiece, as if that would shut it out of his mind. Knuckles hadn't meant it. He cared more than he made known. But now, the last thing that he had ever said to them would haunt the group forever.

Sonic heard the gasp of his friends, and he turned toward them, dewy-eyed. But they hadn't been gasping at the state that Knuckles was in. They were gasping at the pieces of the Master Emerald.

They watched as the pieces lifted out of their arms and gathered above Knuckles. A bright green light shined as the pieces came together, restoring the gem. Sonic stared at the ground and stood as he watched the vibrant green return to the grass around him and, more importantly, the bright red seep back into Knuckles's fur. He let out a breath of relief.

The others hurried over to Knuckles as he woke.

"Thank goodness," Rouge sighed under her breath.

Cream hopped up and down, making herself the first one in view as he opened his eyes.

"Knuckles!" Tails grinned. "You're alright!"

Even Amy smiled down at him.

Knuckles struggled to sit up as he gathered his strength. "What… What are you all doing here?" He tried to get to his feet but stumbled back. Sonic caught him, unbeknownst to the echidna, and helped him all the way up. "What… happened?" He looked at the grass at his feet, then at the emerald high above him.

"We're here for you, Mr. Knuckles!" Cream continued hopping.

"But… I…" He looked over at Amy, expecting a sour look back, but she was still smiling. "I don't understand… I thought…"

Rouge smirked, "Knuckles, you've always had a… way… with words. But you can't hide from me."

He stared at her.

"Try not to make yourself such a stranger, echidna."

He furrowed his brow.

"He may be a good start." She pointed.

It was then that Knuckles realized someone was holding him up. He looked back at Sonic, who was grinning goofily. "S-Sonic?"

"Back from the dead, bud!" he laughed.

"Sonic… I… I thought…"

"Yeah, I know." He winked. "But you won't be rid of me that easily, Knuckles." His expression turned serious.

"Sonic…" Knuckles was in complete shock. Even as his strength was fully returning to him, he still felt as if he had been knocked out. "This… It can't be…"

"I'm right here, Knuckles. In the flesh." Sonic stepped back and held out his hand for Knuckles to take. "Got it?"

Knuckles didn't take his hand. He wrapped his arms around the blue hedgehog, much to everyone's surprise.

"Knuckles?!"

"I thought you were dead, Sonic!" He pulled back, a look of anger on his face. "How could you make us all think you were dead?!"

"Hey, I didn't do it on purpose!" Sonic defended, holding up his hands.

Rouge interrupted, "Love this reunion and all, but don't we have a problem we should be solving?"

"Chaos…" Knuckles answered quietly.

Sonic nodded, "This is it, guys. It's all of us, together." He held out his hand, palm down. "New rule," he looked at Knuckles, "we don't fight alone."

Knuckles furrowed his brow.

Cream was the first one to put her hand on Sonic's. "We're a team!" she exclaimed.

"Sure are!" Tails added his hand.

Knuckles looked away.

"We don't fight alone, Knuckles," Amy repeated, grabbing his hand. She put it on Tails's and put hers on top to keep it there. He stared at her as she grinned back.

"I am in as well," Rouge placed her hand on top.

"Alright, team," Sonic looked at each of them in turn. "Who knows how strong Chaos has gotten by now…?"

"Or how big…" Knuckles added.

"However big… however strong… we work together to fight it, right?" Cream asked.

"As a team," Rouge smiled.

Tails's eyes lit up, "I've got just the machine!"