Knuckles snapped awake from his sleep and, on instinct, whirled around
to look at the glowing green emerald sitting in its hold, unharmed. A
smirk painted itself across his cream-colored muzzle and he relaxed.
The wind blew its way into the Hidden Temple, rustling Knuckles'
waist-length red dreadlocks and cooling the back of his neck. He wiped
the sweat from his brow and leaned back against the Master Emerald,
allowing his heartbeat to calm to a regular pace.
It happened again. He fell asleep at his post. And if he kept this up,
the emerald would be taken from its hold for sure. There wasn't a
position for mistakes. Especially learning from his last mistake.
That Government Spy bat, Rouge the Bat, right? Waltzing right in here
like she owned the place, and snatching the emerald like there was no
tomorrow. And for what? Just because of it's beauty?
Well, Knuckles had to admit to himself. Who could blame her? The Master
Emerald was a pretty nice looking gem, and anyone with half a brain
couldn't pass up the opportunity to even spare a passing glance. But
Rouge! Snatching the thing and thinking it was hers! What possessed
her to do that?
Wanting to get off the topic of Rouge, Knuckles' thoughts drifted to
the past few months. How many was it now, since Shadow, and the ARK?
Three? Maybe even four? It didn't even seem that long ago. Now that
was one adventure Knuckles wouldn't forget. But it was one he wanted
to. Just the image of Shadow's face as he floated backwards into the
earth's atmosphere was enough to make him scream. He looked so
peaceful, so at rest. But it didn't have to end like it did. The
Biolizard, the ARK on a collision course to earth, having to team up
with the enemy, and Sonic and Shadow, risking their lives to save the
planet that didn't deserve such an ending. Sonic's sullen face coming
back on board, the unbearable silence. And now, the reporters. Not a
moments peace in the city. Not one!
"Knuckles! Hey Knux!" a small voice called from the distance.
Startled, Knuckles looked off into the horizon to see a small,
orange-ish fox approaching the island by air. The small fox was
half-squinting due to both the position of the sunlight and the rush
of wind into his wide aqua eyes. He was carrying a blue hedgehog by
the arms. The blue hedgehog had olive-colored eyes, and was sporting
his all-too familiar smirk. Knuckles recognized them both in a
heartbeat. The hedgehog was Sonic, and the fox carrying him was
Tails.
Knuckles jumped up and waved. Although Sonic wanted to wave back,
Knuckles could tell, Tails had a firm grasp on both arms and had no
intention of being lenient. Both landed right outside the temple and
Knuckles strode over to meet them. Knuckles and Sonic both exchanged
handshakes, and smiles from Tails and Knuckles.
"So, what brings you two all the way from the mainland to Angel Island?"
Knuckles queried. Both Sonic and Tails turned to look at each other and
shrugged.
"We dunno. Just felt like coming over. Thought you were bored." Sonic
answered.
"How thoughtful." He said dryly and walked back to the emerald, slowly
settling beside it and looked up to the ceiling. Sonic sat on one side
of Knuckles, and Tails on the other. For a few minutes, the only sound
that could be heard was the trees rustling in the wind and the birds
chirping from the cloudless sky above.
"So, Knuckles. I guess it's been a long time, no see sort of thing,
huh?" Sonic wondered aloud. All he could do was nod back.
"Whatcha been doing the past few months?" Tails asked.
Knuckles motioned to the Master Emerald behind him and closed his eyes
in thought. "Honestly Tails. Do you have to ask? Since the moment I
met you, what do you think I've been doing?"
"Guess that was a stupid question. Oh yea! I have another question!
Have you been to the Chao Gardens yet?"
"Yea. In fact, I went there just the other week. I was really happy
to see them, and I guess they were relatively hyped to see me also. I
saw your guys' chao. Zippy is really turning into a fast runner,
Sonic. Looks like you may have competition." Knuckles joked, nudging
him in the arm.
"Yeah, that's Zippy. Too bad he doesn't look like me. He just had to
be grey."
"Knuckles, actually, the real reason we came over, I just remembered,
was to ask you something."
"Hm?" Knuckles' ears perked.
"You willing to go to the Chao Gardens tomorrow?"
Knuckles pretended to take out a planner from behind him and flipped
to today's date. He smiled. "Sure, I'm up for it. I think my butt need
a break from sitting 24/7 by the Master Emerald."
"Alrighty then! Chao Gardens tomorrow! This is going to be so cool!"
Sonic exclaimed, jumping up and waving his fists in the air. Knuckles
rolled his eyes and groaned.
"You guys have anything else you needed? Because if you don't, I need
to get back to work. I don't have time for foolish games." Knuckles voiced.
"Sorry Mr. Irritable. We'll be leaving. But meet us tomorrow at the
Gardens at around 1:30."
Knuckles' eyes widened. "In the morning?!"
"Yes Knuckles. In the morning." Sonic replied sarcastically.
"Then I can't go!"
Tails slapped Knuckles in the back of the head. "No! In the afternoon!
1:30 in the afternoon. I know you have better common sense than that!"
he screeched into his ear, making Knuckles stumble back a little bit. He
glowered at Tails and stood up, fists by his side. Seeing the fire
glowing in his eyes, Tails snatched Sonic by his wrist and half-ran,
half-flew out of the temple and of the island.
"See you tomorrow Knuckles!" Sonic's voice echoed back to the red
echidna. Knuckles walked back to the emerald and stood against it, back
to his routine. But the thing he had to look forward to was seeing his
chao again.
But from the large Sable Palm, two revolting glowing red-eyes stared
intently at Knuckles and the Master Emerald. He licked his parched lips
and leered. Getting that Emerald would be easier than taking candy from
a baby, and he'd get it sooner than he had expected. Jumping from the
tree, he dashed away before Knuckles could look over to see what the
sound was.
to look at the glowing green emerald sitting in its hold, unharmed. A
smirk painted itself across his cream-colored muzzle and he relaxed.
The wind blew its way into the Hidden Temple, rustling Knuckles'
waist-length red dreadlocks and cooling the back of his neck. He wiped
the sweat from his brow and leaned back against the Master Emerald,
allowing his heartbeat to calm to a regular pace.
It happened again. He fell asleep at his post. And if he kept this up,
the emerald would be taken from its hold for sure. There wasn't a
position for mistakes. Especially learning from his last mistake.
That Government Spy bat, Rouge the Bat, right? Waltzing right in here
like she owned the place, and snatching the emerald like there was no
tomorrow. And for what? Just because of it's beauty?
Well, Knuckles had to admit to himself. Who could blame her? The Master
Emerald was a pretty nice looking gem, and anyone with half a brain
couldn't pass up the opportunity to even spare a passing glance. But
Rouge! Snatching the thing and thinking it was hers! What possessed
her to do that?
Wanting to get off the topic of Rouge, Knuckles' thoughts drifted to
the past few months. How many was it now, since Shadow, and the ARK?
Three? Maybe even four? It didn't even seem that long ago. Now that
was one adventure Knuckles wouldn't forget. But it was one he wanted
to. Just the image of Shadow's face as he floated backwards into the
earth's atmosphere was enough to make him scream. He looked so
peaceful, so at rest. But it didn't have to end like it did. The
Biolizard, the ARK on a collision course to earth, having to team up
with the enemy, and Sonic and Shadow, risking their lives to save the
planet that didn't deserve such an ending. Sonic's sullen face coming
back on board, the unbearable silence. And now, the reporters. Not a
moments peace in the city. Not one!
"Knuckles! Hey Knux!" a small voice called from the distance.
Startled, Knuckles looked off into the horizon to see a small,
orange-ish fox approaching the island by air. The small fox was
half-squinting due to both the position of the sunlight and the rush
of wind into his wide aqua eyes. He was carrying a blue hedgehog by
the arms. The blue hedgehog had olive-colored eyes, and was sporting
his all-too familiar smirk. Knuckles recognized them both in a
heartbeat. The hedgehog was Sonic, and the fox carrying him was
Tails.
Knuckles jumped up and waved. Although Sonic wanted to wave back,
Knuckles could tell, Tails had a firm grasp on both arms and had no
intention of being lenient. Both landed right outside the temple and
Knuckles strode over to meet them. Knuckles and Sonic both exchanged
handshakes, and smiles from Tails and Knuckles.
"So, what brings you two all the way from the mainland to Angel Island?"
Knuckles queried. Both Sonic and Tails turned to look at each other and
shrugged.
"We dunno. Just felt like coming over. Thought you were bored." Sonic
answered.
"How thoughtful." He said dryly and walked back to the emerald, slowly
settling beside it and looked up to the ceiling. Sonic sat on one side
of Knuckles, and Tails on the other. For a few minutes, the only sound
that could be heard was the trees rustling in the wind and the birds
chirping from the cloudless sky above.
"So, Knuckles. I guess it's been a long time, no see sort of thing,
huh?" Sonic wondered aloud. All he could do was nod back.
"Whatcha been doing the past few months?" Tails asked.
Knuckles motioned to the Master Emerald behind him and closed his eyes
in thought. "Honestly Tails. Do you have to ask? Since the moment I
met you, what do you think I've been doing?"
"Guess that was a stupid question. Oh yea! I have another question!
Have you been to the Chao Gardens yet?"
"Yea. In fact, I went there just the other week. I was really happy
to see them, and I guess they were relatively hyped to see me also. I
saw your guys' chao. Zippy is really turning into a fast runner,
Sonic. Looks like you may have competition." Knuckles joked, nudging
him in the arm.
"Yeah, that's Zippy. Too bad he doesn't look like me. He just had to
be grey."
"Knuckles, actually, the real reason we came over, I just remembered,
was to ask you something."
"Hm?" Knuckles' ears perked.
"You willing to go to the Chao Gardens tomorrow?"
Knuckles pretended to take out a planner from behind him and flipped
to today's date. He smiled. "Sure, I'm up for it. I think my butt need
a break from sitting 24/7 by the Master Emerald."
"Alrighty then! Chao Gardens tomorrow! This is going to be so cool!"
Sonic exclaimed, jumping up and waving his fists in the air. Knuckles
rolled his eyes and groaned.
"You guys have anything else you needed? Because if you don't, I need
to get back to work. I don't have time for foolish games." Knuckles voiced.
"Sorry Mr. Irritable. We'll be leaving. But meet us tomorrow at the
Gardens at around 1:30."
Knuckles' eyes widened. "In the morning?!"
"Yes Knuckles. In the morning." Sonic replied sarcastically.
"Then I can't go!"
Tails slapped Knuckles in the back of the head. "No! In the afternoon!
1:30 in the afternoon. I know you have better common sense than that!"
he screeched into his ear, making Knuckles stumble back a little bit. He
glowered at Tails and stood up, fists by his side. Seeing the fire
glowing in his eyes, Tails snatched Sonic by his wrist and half-ran,
half-flew out of the temple and of the island.
"See you tomorrow Knuckles!" Sonic's voice echoed back to the red
echidna. Knuckles walked back to the emerald and stood against it, back
to his routine. But the thing he had to look forward to was seeing his
chao again.
But from the large Sable Palm, two revolting glowing red-eyes stared
intently at Knuckles and the Master Emerald. He licked his parched lips
and leered. Getting that Emerald would be easier than taking candy from
a baby, and he'd get it sooner than he had expected. Jumping from the
tree, he dashed away before Knuckles could look over to see what the
sound was.