Chapter 4- Amnesia
------------------
Sonic held a look of pure anger on his face. "Why did he leave!? If
he really wants that Master Emerald, then why didn't he tell me?! I
would have come with him!" he slammed his fist into the desk he was
rambling at. "Knucklehead! When I get my hands on him."
Rouge stood silently on the other side of the room, watching Sonic
as he paced the room in rage. After he wore himself out, he sat on
the bed, head in his hands.
"Why does he do this to me? I don't care if he's got good reason. But
that lizard is a force to be reckoned with. Knuckles is going to die
when he meets up with him!" Sonic said quietly.
The door flung open madly and Tails outline stood in the doorway,
panting.
"Sonic! I was just . . . and Knuckles is . . . the lizard . . ." he
stuttered.
Sonic closed his eyes and nodded, burying his head. "I know, I know!
Rouge told me. Supposedly he's out looking for the Master Emerald and
he told Rouge to keep it a secret until tomorrow morning. What did he
tell you?"
"All he said was that he'd see us later, and not to worry about where
he's going."
For the next five minutes of the conversation, Sonic and Tails
conversed as if Rouge wasn't there. Which was fine by her because she
had her own worries. From what she had heard about the lizard, he
really was a sight to see. Just listening about it made her heart skip
beats. Imagine being there!
"Rouge! Tell us exactly what happened! Exactly!" Sonic emphasized.
Rouge pondered back to when they were talking, and began to just
repeat what she was thinking.
"Ok. I was outside, and Knuckles came out, sat next to me, and began
talking to me. After a few minutes, he got up and walked away. I tried
to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He walked back and told me not to
worry and . . . uh . . . well . . ." she began to redden and smirk.
Both boys watched her, smirking as well, for they knew what she was
getting at. "Anyways, he ran that way into the forest. And then I
came and got you." She ended. Tails stared at her and raised his
eyebrows.
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Sheesh! What is this, 20 Questions?!" she snapped while throwing her
hands in the air. "Why does it matter?! All he said was that he was
leaving, and to tell you guys tomorrow morning! I've told you guys
everything I know, so why do you continually ask the same questions in
a different format?!"
"Hey! We're asking you because Knuckles is our friend too! If he's in
trouble, we're going to find a way to save him. We're not doing this
for our health, you know! Knothole doesn't need Mobians like you
hanging around here! So you either answer our questions in a tone of
voice I can tolerate, or you can leave!" Sonic defended Tails as
well as himself.
"Oh yeah?! And what voice is that?"
"NOT ONE THAT HAS A HIGH VOLUME LIKE THIS AND CAN SHATTER MIRRORS AND
WAKE UP THE ANIMALS IN THE FOREST!" Sonic shouted back to her. She
gave a small gasp and cowered at his voice, frightened. Tails, also,
cowered, his two tails in between his legs, not used to hearing Sonic
yell. Realizing how much of a scare he caused, Sonic sighed and paced
the room, distraught.
"I'm sorry. Just, stupid Knucklehead has to go by his own rules and
would jump off a cliff for that stupid emerald if told to do so. He
doesn't care about what his watching that emerald does to himself as
well as his friends. It's just . . . it's become a bothersome lately."
He confessed. An inept silence followed. The only sound that could be
heard was the chirping of the crickets outside and the rustling of
trees and leaves.
"Well, when are we going to chase after him?" Tails spoke timidly.
"I . . . I don't know bro. I think it'd be wise to get some sleep and
be more alert when we find him, but he may be in trouble."
"Well, I'm going to find him now. I don't know about you two, but
Knuckles shouldn't be searching for that thing alone." Rouge announced
as she walked to the door.
"Wait! Rouge!" Sonic called from behind her. She turned around and
saw Tails and him standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling. "We'll
come with you."
"Alright! Let's go." And they all left to seek out Knuckles.
* * *
He watched as the three friends flew off to find that ridiculous
echidna. If they thought that with their help, he could be defeated,
well. They had another thing coming. Soon, Planet Mobius would be his.
His hands reached behind him and patted the emerald lovingly. The
end was near for them, and they were oblivious to what was coming
when they saw him.
* * *
Knuckles ran through the forest, panting but not stopping to catch
his breath. He knew Rouge couldn't let him go off by himself without
telling Sonic and Tails. Like he told her before, Knuckles didn't
want anyone to interfere with his business. A video of Rouge and his
little 'moment' flashed through his head. He smiled to himself and
blushed. That was something he'd never forget, no matter what happened.
Feeling like he was far enough to stop, Knuckles reached out for a
nearby tree and held his side to ease the pain of the oncoming cramp.
He fell to his knees and continued to gasp for air. When he finally
relaxed, Knuckles got up on his feet again and exhaled. He looked
behind him to make sure that Sonic, Tails, or Rouge wasn't coming. He
turned back and almost began to run when he stole a double-take
"Hello, Knuckles. Well, fancy meeting you out here, isn't it?" a deep
voice purred in his ear. Knuckles jumped and spun around, staring into
two beady-red eyes.
"You're . . . th . . . that . . ." he faltered.
The lizard stood on his two hind legs, heightening himself a good seven
feet. "My name is Melafariblaze. And I presume it is I you have been
looking for?"
"You took the Master Emerald from the Island! IT'S YOUR FAULT MY
ISLAND IS GONE!" he accused.
"Aww. Now is that something to say to an acquaintance? But, alas. It
is true. What are you going to do about it though? You aren't possibly
a match for me." He scoffed, swishing his tail from behind his body and
smacking Knuckles in the back of the knees, forcing him to collapse.
Melafariblaze chuckled in amazement but stopped short when he saw
Knuckles shakily get up, which cause a whole new round of laughs.
Having enough of being the one taunted, Knuckles hurtled his famous
metal knuckles at Melafariblaze's side, barely puncturing the skin,
but enough where a small trickle of blood dripped from the wound,
staining the forest floor. He let out a loud scream in pain and jerked
away. The fire in his eyes flickered violently and he swirled around,
smacking Knuckles in the side of the head this time with his tail again,
sending him flying into the next tree. Melafariblaze reached out and
picked him up with his large hands and proceded to crush him.
Knuckles yelped in pain as, one by one, he could feel his bones break.
Try as he might, he couldn't break free of Melafariblaze's stronghold.
Not being able to bear the pain any longer, he felt himself slip away
into eternal darkness when, out of the corner of his eyes, Knuckles
saw a blue streak crash right into Melafariblaze's face, making him
weaken his grasp and drop Knuckles. He landed on the ground head first,
with a thud, jolting another series of pain and soreness through his
body. He blacked out for a few moments, tossed into a blank void. He
could hear what was going on, but he could barely make out what was
happening. Suddenly he snapped his eyes wide open and saw Tails' small
face hovering above his, and Rouge's right next to Tails'.
"Knuckles?! Knuckles! Can you hear me?" Tails cried over the loud roar
of Melafariblaze and just the battle in general. Knuckles tried to turn
over but, instead, screams of anguish came from his mouth.
"M . . . my body! I can't feel my body! Someone help me!" he panicked.
Tails and Rouge both exchanged grim expressions. Knuckles looked at
both of them, paranoia rapidly overwhelming him. Tails looked over to
Sonic as he fought ferociously with Melafariblaze and gasped.
"Rouge! I'm going to help Sonic. Stay here with Knuckles, and if
something happens, call me!" Tails instructed as he flew off to the
battle. Rouge turned her gaze back to Knuckles who was now panting
heavily and grinding his teeth to keep himself from screaming in pain.
She scooted over to him and placed his head in her lap, stroking his
dreadlocks from his flushed face.
"Knuckles? Are you ok? Do you need something?" she asked softly.
Knuckles groaned a reply. "Who's . . . Knuckles?" he asked wearily.
Rouge's eyes widened and she stifled a scream of shock.
"Oh no. TAILS! TAILS! YOU NEED TO GET OVER HERE NOW! TAILS!" she
exclaimed.
"Who's . . . Knuckles . . ." he faded off and passed-out before Tails
could make his way over to the two.
* * *
Knuckles awoke in a bed in Knothole, bandaged from head to toe. Looking
over, Knuckles saw Sonic sleeping in a chair with his head buried in
his arms on the desk. Tails was sleeping in a hammock on the other
side of the room and Rouge was slumped against the leg of the desk
Sonic was sleeping on.
Trying to get up for Knuckles proved to be futile. Any sort of move
that he made, pain would course through his entire body.
All the racket that he made caused Rouge to wake up. "Oh man, what a
night," she complained. She noticed Knuckles looking at her and
sighed. "Knuckles! You're awake! Do you feel ok?" she questioned
with concern. Knuckles look at her, puzzled.
"Who are you? And who the heck is Knuckles?" he demanded. Rouge's
face turned from one of peace and happiness, to one of sadness and
hurt.
Without taking her gaze off of him, she reached back to wake up Sonic.
"Sonic! Hey, wake up! We have a problem here!" she whispered. He
stretched and ruffled his spines a little.
"Yeah, what's up?" When he saw Knuckles, he smirked. "Hey Knux! Well,
I hope you learned your lesson. Never go out for the Master Emerald by
yourself." He teased. But instead of Knuckles' face brightening, it
just remained blank.
"Who is Knux? And what is a Master Emerald?" he queried. Sonic's face
fell and the sparkle in his eyes from seeing his friend alright dimmed
to nothingness.
"Knuckles. Tell me. Do you know where you live?"
"Um, no. I don't think so."
"The name of your chao?"
"Uh-uh."
"MY NAME?!" Sonic was becoming desperate.
"Let's use logic here, buddy. If I don't know anything else, what
makes you think I'll know your name?" he barked. By now, Tails had also
woken up and heard the whole conversation from the hammock.
"Knuckles, do you remember anything? Anything at all?" Sonic breathed.
Knuckles took his watch away from Sonic's pained face to stare at the
ceiling. His eyes darted quickly, but he remained silent.
Rouge let out a small sob and shook her head. "This can't be happening.
No, no, no, NO!" and dropped to her knees. Tails and Sonic both had
glassy eyes but didn't bother to cry. Now they had two things to look
for. The Master Emerald, and Knuckles' memory. And until they found
his memory, they would continue to have a fallen comrade.
* * *
The next few weeks were torture. Getting Knuckles to remember
something was just impossible. They tried everything. Sonic told him
about the Master Emerald and Angel Island. Tails reminded him of the
recent trip almost around the globe and into outer space, and Rouge
reminded him of their first date. It was useless. Nothing worked.
About a month later, Knuckles was free to go outside, but still had
some broken bones, including a broken leg and a few ribs.
Using his crutches, he walked out to the grotto and eased himself
onto a log. There was a sense of familiarity about the place, but he
just couldn't put a finger on just what it was. He ran his hands
through his dreadlocks, knotted and frizzy from lack of care. He
tried as hard as he could to remember just what the other three were
trying to tell him. He had no past life. All he had was the present
to hold on to. No dreams to force him through the day, no past
encounters to think about. And everything was a nightmare.
Who was this Knuckles kid? And what does he have to do with the Master
Emerald? Nothing made sense. It was like markers splattered with
water. Everything ran together to form a unison.
Knuckles tensed up when he heard light footsteps approaching him.
When he saw it was Rouge, he eased up. She forced a feeble smile at
him.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked.
He just shrugged. "Thinking about everything, I guess. Contemplating
what's going to happen next. I don't know!" he bellowed, frustrated.
"Well, just keep trying. You'll find your memory soon enough,
Knuckles." She patted him on the hand, holding it momentarily and
searching his eyes. Finally she walked away.
"Wait!"
Rouge turned around, eyebrows raised. "Yeah?"
"D . . . Do you think you help me out a little more?" he requested.
She grinned her approval and walked back, sitting where she sat
before.
"Ok, where should we begin?"
"Well, let's see. About this, Master Emerald. What the heck is it?"
Rouge felt uncomfortable talking about it, considering her bad
history around it. But if it was for Knuckles, she'd try as hard as
she could to talk about it. "The Master Emerald is an emerald that holds
powers to neutralize the seven Chaos Emeralds. It also keeps Angel
Island afloat, so it won't crash into the water." Good thing he can't
remember any of this stuff, or it'd really be hard for him to take.
"So, Angel Island is a floating island?" he repeated.
"Yeah, I guess. That's all it is. An emerald with special powers. And
you are the one who's in charge of it."
"Wha-what?! I'm in charge of some emerald that holds special abilities
to make islands float, and neutralize other emeralds? What's the deal?"
"Don't ask me about that. I have no clue why you're the one who holds
the key to it. Sonic and Tails know that much. Everything I know about
the emerald is what I've been told."
"Ok. I know about the Master Emerald and Angel Island. Now, what link
do I have with Sonic, Tails, and you?" he continued to ask.
"Sonic and Tails met you on Angel Island, I think. They're your really
good friends. As for me? Well, we can save that for some other time.
But, I've really gotta get going. I'll talk to you later, ok?" and
dashed off before Knuckles could say bye. He watched her rush into a
nearby house in Knothole, making sure she got to her destination
safely.
Afterwards, he twirled around and relaxed a little. There was something
about that girl that made him shy. And he had an inkling that, before
the confusion, they were really good friends. But, he couldn't think
how.
Discouraged, he continuously hit his head with the palm of his gloves.
"Why can't I think of any of this! There has to be someway I can
remember any of this! I don't even know my own name! How can I be sure
Knuckles is my real name? How can I know if any of this is true? I
just want to run away from this place! I WANT TO GO WHERE I CAN
REMEMBER WHO I AM!" he cried out, distraught.
Knuckles shut up when an image of a lizard holding a gem in his hand
raced through his mind. It was a fraction of a second, but this image
stood out completely. Not like the ones that were there, just fuzzy
where you could barely make anything out in them.
"This is getting surreal." He muttered to himself. Finally having
enough of the fresh air, Knuckles picked up his crutches and hobbled
back to Knothole.
When he approached the house that Rouge ran inside, he stopped short
hearing voices inside. It was Sonic, Tails and Rouge.
"Ok, let's think. Knuckles has to have one thing he remembers. One
thing that'll stick out in his mind. Tails, you don't know of anything?"
Sonic whined. There was silence, Tails shaking his head no, probably.
"This is really getting on my nerves. Although I want to give up,
almost like there's no hope for the poor guy. He's my friend,
but . . . aurg!!" and there was a loud crash. Footsteps walked
towards the door, and Knuckles backed up as fast as he could, but tripped
and fell backwards. The door opened and Sonic was looking down at
Knuckles, frowning.
"Eavesdropping?" he assumed.
"What were you talking about?" Knuckles wondered. Sonic shifted his
weight from one foot to the other and shook his head.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." And he walked briskly past him. Knuckles
remained sprawled on the floor, watching Sonic saunter away.
* * *
Later that night, Knuckles tossed restlessly in his sleep, dreaming.
A large lizard approached him, a green gem glowing brightly in his left
hand. He cackled heartlessly, tossing the gem carelessly into the air
and catching it. Knuckles just looked on, helpless. As much as he
wanted to move, his feet stood planted into the ground.
The lizard reached down with one hand and grasped Knuckles around the
waist, constricting the life out of him. Hard as he tried, Knuckles
couldn't budge. And like before, all of his bones were being crushed.
"You stupid echidna! You were supposed to die out in the forest! You
got lucky that your friends decided to show up!" he spat. Knuckles
opened his mouth to scream, but only gurgling noises came out. "Now!
To finish the job!" he declared.
"NO!!" Knuckles shouted, jolting upright in his bed, hurting his ribs.
Knuckles' breathing didn't bother to slow down, but instead hastened.
He looked at the alarm clock on the night table and groaned. It was
two thirty-six in the morning. He would have to go back to sleep.
Knuckles clenched the sheets tightly to his chest and took a quick
scan around the room. Suddenly, he noticed, something moved outside the
hut out of the corner of his eye. Reaching for the crutches by his
bedside, Knuckles walked to the door and opened it slowly, as to not
create any noise. He went out onto the porch and looked around
cautiously. Finally convincing himself that there was no one outside,
he proceeded to walk back inside. As soon as his hand reached the knob
though.
"What are you doing?" a voice whispered almost violently, making him
jump. Knuckles whirled around to see Rouge with her head cocked to
the side and a puzzled expression placed on her face.
"I had a nightmare, and I heard you." Knuckles said bitterly. Rouge
rocked for a few seconds on her feet silently. "Well, what'd you come
here for?" he pressed on.
"I didn't come here. I was walking around to clear my head a little
bit. I also had a nightmare." She confessed.
"You're wasting my time. I'm going back to bed." He said. Rouge walked
up the stairs and next to Knuckles.
"Well, you seem troubled. What was your dream about?"
"None of your business. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Please?" she begged. Knuckles turned his head to look at her and
frowned.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Sure."
"Ok. C'mon in." he pushed the door open and used his crutches to make
his way over to the bed. Throwing them into the wall, he fell backwards
onto the bed and stared into the ceiling. Rouge picked them up and
started to put them by Knuckles again when he stopped her.
"Leave them there. I hate those crutches. They will seriously be the
death of me. I can't wait until my leg heals so I can walk again." He
mumbled. Rouge dropped them and sat next to Knuckles.
"Well, aren't you going to tell me what it was about?" she questioned.
"Ok. Ok. Well, I was standing face-to-face with some lizard guy
holding a green jewel when he started to laugh at me. I tried to run
away, but I couldn't move. He picked me up and started to squish me.
He mentioned something about me living his last wrath, and he wouldn't
let me get away again. It was just a dream, but it felt so realistic.
I woke up screaming," He recounted. Looking over at Rouge, he saw her
eyes were wide with what seemed like fear and her jaw was dropped.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Knuckles, are you sure that was a dream?"
"I'm positive. AND QUIT CALLING ME KNUCKLES! MY NAME IS NOT KNUCKLES!"
he demanded.
"Yes it is! Anyways. The reason I'm asking you is because that really
happened. I'm not sure if it was exactly what happened, but you
actually experienced that. The lizard's name is Melafariblaze, and the
green jewel you saw was most likely the Master Emerald. Melafariblaze
is still alive, and he wants you dead more than ever." She informed.
Knuckles' had his hands behind his head and looked smug. "I'd like to
see him try and beat me. He doesn't seem so tough. And if I fought him
before, how come I don't remember?" he countered.
"He's six foot, Knuckles. And you don't remember, because you have
amnesia!" she bellowed.
"If I have to tell you one more time, I'll kill you! My name is not
Knuckles! I have no clue who that guy is. I don't know what the Master
Emerald and that guy have in common, but I don't care! And
Melafariblaze?! Whatever."
"You're not listening! You are Knuckles! You are protector of the
Master Emerald. You fought against Melafariblaze and almost died! How
many times do you want us to repeat it?!" her voice quavered. Knuckles
sat up and had a look of annoyance on his face. His eyebrows furrowed
and he frowned deeply.
"I'm not listening?! You and your two friends aren't listening! I don't
know who you are, what I'm doing here. I could care less if anything
happened to you or the other two-." he stood up but immediately fell
flat on his face due to his leg. He remained toppled on the ground, not
moving at all. Rouge accompanied him by his side and lay one hand on
his back.
"Are you alright?"
"No! Of course not! What gives you the idea I'm alright?" he retorted.
His fists crashed into the floor repeatidly. "I have no clue who I
really am, where I live, or what my purpose is. I'm just someone
walking the streets, wandering aimlessly while everyone can say they
know what they're doing in their life," Knuckles looked her square in
the eyes, a single tear streaking down his cheek. "I don't care what
happens to me anymore. I don't care."
"Don't say that! We're trying to help you, and you're sitting back,
denying it all. You do know who you are. You do know where you live.
And most importantly. You know your purpose in life. You'll remember.
Just give it some time, ok?" she soothed as she kissed him on the
cheek and helped him up slowly.
Knuckles wiped the tear away almost like he was embarrassed to be seen
crying. It was strange though. She didn't seem to mind any of it. But
he couldn't let his guard down just yet.
Rouge looked outside and smiled. "I've gotta go. You'll be ok by
yourself?"
"Yea. I'll be fine," he confirmed. As she strolled away, he called out
for her again. "Hey! Thanks for . . . staying and comforting me."
She waved and walked outside, closing the door softly behind her.
Almost the whole time, she felt her dignity slip. But she didn't want
to add to Knuckles' stress, and held it in. Now that she was alone,
she broke down into tears and meandered aimlessly through the great
forest. It was hopeless. Her boyfriend couldn't even remember his own
name, let alone their relationship. Unless they found the perfect
set-off for Knuckles' memory, it really was a bleak future.
------------------
Sonic held a look of pure anger on his face. "Why did he leave!? If
he really wants that Master Emerald, then why didn't he tell me?! I
would have come with him!" he slammed his fist into the desk he was
rambling at. "Knucklehead! When I get my hands on him."
Rouge stood silently on the other side of the room, watching Sonic
as he paced the room in rage. After he wore himself out, he sat on
the bed, head in his hands.
"Why does he do this to me? I don't care if he's got good reason. But
that lizard is a force to be reckoned with. Knuckles is going to die
when he meets up with him!" Sonic said quietly.
The door flung open madly and Tails outline stood in the doorway,
panting.
"Sonic! I was just . . . and Knuckles is . . . the lizard . . ." he
stuttered.
Sonic closed his eyes and nodded, burying his head. "I know, I know!
Rouge told me. Supposedly he's out looking for the Master Emerald and
he told Rouge to keep it a secret until tomorrow morning. What did he
tell you?"
"All he said was that he'd see us later, and not to worry about where
he's going."
For the next five minutes of the conversation, Sonic and Tails
conversed as if Rouge wasn't there. Which was fine by her because she
had her own worries. From what she had heard about the lizard, he
really was a sight to see. Just listening about it made her heart skip
beats. Imagine being there!
"Rouge! Tell us exactly what happened! Exactly!" Sonic emphasized.
Rouge pondered back to when they were talking, and began to just
repeat what she was thinking.
"Ok. I was outside, and Knuckles came out, sat next to me, and began
talking to me. After a few minutes, he got up and walked away. I tried
to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He walked back and told me not to
worry and . . . uh . . . well . . ." she began to redden and smirk.
Both boys watched her, smirking as well, for they knew what she was
getting at. "Anyways, he ran that way into the forest. And then I
came and got you." She ended. Tails stared at her and raised his
eyebrows.
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Sheesh! What is this, 20 Questions?!" she snapped while throwing her
hands in the air. "Why does it matter?! All he said was that he was
leaving, and to tell you guys tomorrow morning! I've told you guys
everything I know, so why do you continually ask the same questions in
a different format?!"
"Hey! We're asking you because Knuckles is our friend too! If he's in
trouble, we're going to find a way to save him. We're not doing this
for our health, you know! Knothole doesn't need Mobians like you
hanging around here! So you either answer our questions in a tone of
voice I can tolerate, or you can leave!" Sonic defended Tails as
well as himself.
"Oh yeah?! And what voice is that?"
"NOT ONE THAT HAS A HIGH VOLUME LIKE THIS AND CAN SHATTER MIRRORS AND
WAKE UP THE ANIMALS IN THE FOREST!" Sonic shouted back to her. She
gave a small gasp and cowered at his voice, frightened. Tails, also,
cowered, his two tails in between his legs, not used to hearing Sonic
yell. Realizing how much of a scare he caused, Sonic sighed and paced
the room, distraught.
"I'm sorry. Just, stupid Knucklehead has to go by his own rules and
would jump off a cliff for that stupid emerald if told to do so. He
doesn't care about what his watching that emerald does to himself as
well as his friends. It's just . . . it's become a bothersome lately."
He confessed. An inept silence followed. The only sound that could be
heard was the chirping of the crickets outside and the rustling of
trees and leaves.
"Well, when are we going to chase after him?" Tails spoke timidly.
"I . . . I don't know bro. I think it'd be wise to get some sleep and
be more alert when we find him, but he may be in trouble."
"Well, I'm going to find him now. I don't know about you two, but
Knuckles shouldn't be searching for that thing alone." Rouge announced
as she walked to the door.
"Wait! Rouge!" Sonic called from behind her. She turned around and
saw Tails and him standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling. "We'll
come with you."
"Alright! Let's go." And they all left to seek out Knuckles.
* * *
He watched as the three friends flew off to find that ridiculous
echidna. If they thought that with their help, he could be defeated,
well. They had another thing coming. Soon, Planet Mobius would be his.
His hands reached behind him and patted the emerald lovingly. The
end was near for them, and they were oblivious to what was coming
when they saw him.
* * *
Knuckles ran through the forest, panting but not stopping to catch
his breath. He knew Rouge couldn't let him go off by himself without
telling Sonic and Tails. Like he told her before, Knuckles didn't
want anyone to interfere with his business. A video of Rouge and his
little 'moment' flashed through his head. He smiled to himself and
blushed. That was something he'd never forget, no matter what happened.
Feeling like he was far enough to stop, Knuckles reached out for a
nearby tree and held his side to ease the pain of the oncoming cramp.
He fell to his knees and continued to gasp for air. When he finally
relaxed, Knuckles got up on his feet again and exhaled. He looked
behind him to make sure that Sonic, Tails, or Rouge wasn't coming. He
turned back and almost began to run when he stole a double-take
"Hello, Knuckles. Well, fancy meeting you out here, isn't it?" a deep
voice purred in his ear. Knuckles jumped and spun around, staring into
two beady-red eyes.
"You're . . . th . . . that . . ." he faltered.
The lizard stood on his two hind legs, heightening himself a good seven
feet. "My name is Melafariblaze. And I presume it is I you have been
looking for?"
"You took the Master Emerald from the Island! IT'S YOUR FAULT MY
ISLAND IS GONE!" he accused.
"Aww. Now is that something to say to an acquaintance? But, alas. It
is true. What are you going to do about it though? You aren't possibly
a match for me." He scoffed, swishing his tail from behind his body and
smacking Knuckles in the back of the knees, forcing him to collapse.
Melafariblaze chuckled in amazement but stopped short when he saw
Knuckles shakily get up, which cause a whole new round of laughs.
Having enough of being the one taunted, Knuckles hurtled his famous
metal knuckles at Melafariblaze's side, barely puncturing the skin,
but enough where a small trickle of blood dripped from the wound,
staining the forest floor. He let out a loud scream in pain and jerked
away. The fire in his eyes flickered violently and he swirled around,
smacking Knuckles in the side of the head this time with his tail again,
sending him flying into the next tree. Melafariblaze reached out and
picked him up with his large hands and proceded to crush him.
Knuckles yelped in pain as, one by one, he could feel his bones break.
Try as he might, he couldn't break free of Melafariblaze's stronghold.
Not being able to bear the pain any longer, he felt himself slip away
into eternal darkness when, out of the corner of his eyes, Knuckles
saw a blue streak crash right into Melafariblaze's face, making him
weaken his grasp and drop Knuckles. He landed on the ground head first,
with a thud, jolting another series of pain and soreness through his
body. He blacked out for a few moments, tossed into a blank void. He
could hear what was going on, but he could barely make out what was
happening. Suddenly he snapped his eyes wide open and saw Tails' small
face hovering above his, and Rouge's right next to Tails'.
"Knuckles?! Knuckles! Can you hear me?" Tails cried over the loud roar
of Melafariblaze and just the battle in general. Knuckles tried to turn
over but, instead, screams of anguish came from his mouth.
"M . . . my body! I can't feel my body! Someone help me!" he panicked.
Tails and Rouge both exchanged grim expressions. Knuckles looked at
both of them, paranoia rapidly overwhelming him. Tails looked over to
Sonic as he fought ferociously with Melafariblaze and gasped.
"Rouge! I'm going to help Sonic. Stay here with Knuckles, and if
something happens, call me!" Tails instructed as he flew off to the
battle. Rouge turned her gaze back to Knuckles who was now panting
heavily and grinding his teeth to keep himself from screaming in pain.
She scooted over to him and placed his head in her lap, stroking his
dreadlocks from his flushed face.
"Knuckles? Are you ok? Do you need something?" she asked softly.
Knuckles groaned a reply. "Who's . . . Knuckles?" he asked wearily.
Rouge's eyes widened and she stifled a scream of shock.
"Oh no. TAILS! TAILS! YOU NEED TO GET OVER HERE NOW! TAILS!" she
exclaimed.
"Who's . . . Knuckles . . ." he faded off and passed-out before Tails
could make his way over to the two.
* * *
Knuckles awoke in a bed in Knothole, bandaged from head to toe. Looking
over, Knuckles saw Sonic sleeping in a chair with his head buried in
his arms on the desk. Tails was sleeping in a hammock on the other
side of the room and Rouge was slumped against the leg of the desk
Sonic was sleeping on.
Trying to get up for Knuckles proved to be futile. Any sort of move
that he made, pain would course through his entire body.
All the racket that he made caused Rouge to wake up. "Oh man, what a
night," she complained. She noticed Knuckles looking at her and
sighed. "Knuckles! You're awake! Do you feel ok?" she questioned
with concern. Knuckles look at her, puzzled.
"Who are you? And who the heck is Knuckles?" he demanded. Rouge's
face turned from one of peace and happiness, to one of sadness and
hurt.
Without taking her gaze off of him, she reached back to wake up Sonic.
"Sonic! Hey, wake up! We have a problem here!" she whispered. He
stretched and ruffled his spines a little.
"Yeah, what's up?" When he saw Knuckles, he smirked. "Hey Knux! Well,
I hope you learned your lesson. Never go out for the Master Emerald by
yourself." He teased. But instead of Knuckles' face brightening, it
just remained blank.
"Who is Knux? And what is a Master Emerald?" he queried. Sonic's face
fell and the sparkle in his eyes from seeing his friend alright dimmed
to nothingness.
"Knuckles. Tell me. Do you know where you live?"
"Um, no. I don't think so."
"The name of your chao?"
"Uh-uh."
"MY NAME?!" Sonic was becoming desperate.
"Let's use logic here, buddy. If I don't know anything else, what
makes you think I'll know your name?" he barked. By now, Tails had also
woken up and heard the whole conversation from the hammock.
"Knuckles, do you remember anything? Anything at all?" Sonic breathed.
Knuckles took his watch away from Sonic's pained face to stare at the
ceiling. His eyes darted quickly, but he remained silent.
Rouge let out a small sob and shook her head. "This can't be happening.
No, no, no, NO!" and dropped to her knees. Tails and Sonic both had
glassy eyes but didn't bother to cry. Now they had two things to look
for. The Master Emerald, and Knuckles' memory. And until they found
his memory, they would continue to have a fallen comrade.
* * *
The next few weeks were torture. Getting Knuckles to remember
something was just impossible. They tried everything. Sonic told him
about the Master Emerald and Angel Island. Tails reminded him of the
recent trip almost around the globe and into outer space, and Rouge
reminded him of their first date. It was useless. Nothing worked.
About a month later, Knuckles was free to go outside, but still had
some broken bones, including a broken leg and a few ribs.
Using his crutches, he walked out to the grotto and eased himself
onto a log. There was a sense of familiarity about the place, but he
just couldn't put a finger on just what it was. He ran his hands
through his dreadlocks, knotted and frizzy from lack of care. He
tried as hard as he could to remember just what the other three were
trying to tell him. He had no past life. All he had was the present
to hold on to. No dreams to force him through the day, no past
encounters to think about. And everything was a nightmare.
Who was this Knuckles kid? And what does he have to do with the Master
Emerald? Nothing made sense. It was like markers splattered with
water. Everything ran together to form a unison.
Knuckles tensed up when he heard light footsteps approaching him.
When he saw it was Rouge, he eased up. She forced a feeble smile at
him.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked.
He just shrugged. "Thinking about everything, I guess. Contemplating
what's going to happen next. I don't know!" he bellowed, frustrated.
"Well, just keep trying. You'll find your memory soon enough,
Knuckles." She patted him on the hand, holding it momentarily and
searching his eyes. Finally she walked away.
"Wait!"
Rouge turned around, eyebrows raised. "Yeah?"
"D . . . Do you think you help me out a little more?" he requested.
She grinned her approval and walked back, sitting where she sat
before.
"Ok, where should we begin?"
"Well, let's see. About this, Master Emerald. What the heck is it?"
Rouge felt uncomfortable talking about it, considering her bad
history around it. But if it was for Knuckles, she'd try as hard as
she could to talk about it. "The Master Emerald is an emerald that holds
powers to neutralize the seven Chaos Emeralds. It also keeps Angel
Island afloat, so it won't crash into the water." Good thing he can't
remember any of this stuff, or it'd really be hard for him to take.
"So, Angel Island is a floating island?" he repeated.
"Yeah, I guess. That's all it is. An emerald with special powers. And
you are the one who's in charge of it."
"Wha-what?! I'm in charge of some emerald that holds special abilities
to make islands float, and neutralize other emeralds? What's the deal?"
"Don't ask me about that. I have no clue why you're the one who holds
the key to it. Sonic and Tails know that much. Everything I know about
the emerald is what I've been told."
"Ok. I know about the Master Emerald and Angel Island. Now, what link
do I have with Sonic, Tails, and you?" he continued to ask.
"Sonic and Tails met you on Angel Island, I think. They're your really
good friends. As for me? Well, we can save that for some other time.
But, I've really gotta get going. I'll talk to you later, ok?" and
dashed off before Knuckles could say bye. He watched her rush into a
nearby house in Knothole, making sure she got to her destination
safely.
Afterwards, he twirled around and relaxed a little. There was something
about that girl that made him shy. And he had an inkling that, before
the confusion, they were really good friends. But, he couldn't think
how.
Discouraged, he continuously hit his head with the palm of his gloves.
"Why can't I think of any of this! There has to be someway I can
remember any of this! I don't even know my own name! How can I be sure
Knuckles is my real name? How can I know if any of this is true? I
just want to run away from this place! I WANT TO GO WHERE I CAN
REMEMBER WHO I AM!" he cried out, distraught.
Knuckles shut up when an image of a lizard holding a gem in his hand
raced through his mind. It was a fraction of a second, but this image
stood out completely. Not like the ones that were there, just fuzzy
where you could barely make anything out in them.
"This is getting surreal." He muttered to himself. Finally having
enough of the fresh air, Knuckles picked up his crutches and hobbled
back to Knothole.
When he approached the house that Rouge ran inside, he stopped short
hearing voices inside. It was Sonic, Tails and Rouge.
"Ok, let's think. Knuckles has to have one thing he remembers. One
thing that'll stick out in his mind. Tails, you don't know of anything?"
Sonic whined. There was silence, Tails shaking his head no, probably.
"This is really getting on my nerves. Although I want to give up,
almost like there's no hope for the poor guy. He's my friend,
but . . . aurg!!" and there was a loud crash. Footsteps walked
towards the door, and Knuckles backed up as fast as he could, but tripped
and fell backwards. The door opened and Sonic was looking down at
Knuckles, frowning.
"Eavesdropping?" he assumed.
"What were you talking about?" Knuckles wondered. Sonic shifted his
weight from one foot to the other and shook his head.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." And he walked briskly past him. Knuckles
remained sprawled on the floor, watching Sonic saunter away.
* * *
Later that night, Knuckles tossed restlessly in his sleep, dreaming.
A large lizard approached him, a green gem glowing brightly in his left
hand. He cackled heartlessly, tossing the gem carelessly into the air
and catching it. Knuckles just looked on, helpless. As much as he
wanted to move, his feet stood planted into the ground.
The lizard reached down with one hand and grasped Knuckles around the
waist, constricting the life out of him. Hard as he tried, Knuckles
couldn't budge. And like before, all of his bones were being crushed.
"You stupid echidna! You were supposed to die out in the forest! You
got lucky that your friends decided to show up!" he spat. Knuckles
opened his mouth to scream, but only gurgling noises came out. "Now!
To finish the job!" he declared.
"NO!!" Knuckles shouted, jolting upright in his bed, hurting his ribs.
Knuckles' breathing didn't bother to slow down, but instead hastened.
He looked at the alarm clock on the night table and groaned. It was
two thirty-six in the morning. He would have to go back to sleep.
Knuckles clenched the sheets tightly to his chest and took a quick
scan around the room. Suddenly, he noticed, something moved outside the
hut out of the corner of his eye. Reaching for the crutches by his
bedside, Knuckles walked to the door and opened it slowly, as to not
create any noise. He went out onto the porch and looked around
cautiously. Finally convincing himself that there was no one outside,
he proceeded to walk back inside. As soon as his hand reached the knob
though.
"What are you doing?" a voice whispered almost violently, making him
jump. Knuckles whirled around to see Rouge with her head cocked to
the side and a puzzled expression placed on her face.
"I had a nightmare, and I heard you." Knuckles said bitterly. Rouge
rocked for a few seconds on her feet silently. "Well, what'd you come
here for?" he pressed on.
"I didn't come here. I was walking around to clear my head a little
bit. I also had a nightmare." She confessed.
"You're wasting my time. I'm going back to bed." He said. Rouge walked
up the stairs and next to Knuckles.
"Well, you seem troubled. What was your dream about?"
"None of your business. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Please?" she begged. Knuckles turned his head to look at her and
frowned.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Sure."
"Ok. C'mon in." he pushed the door open and used his crutches to make
his way over to the bed. Throwing them into the wall, he fell backwards
onto the bed and stared into the ceiling. Rouge picked them up and
started to put them by Knuckles again when he stopped her.
"Leave them there. I hate those crutches. They will seriously be the
death of me. I can't wait until my leg heals so I can walk again." He
mumbled. Rouge dropped them and sat next to Knuckles.
"Well, aren't you going to tell me what it was about?" she questioned.
"Ok. Ok. Well, I was standing face-to-face with some lizard guy
holding a green jewel when he started to laugh at me. I tried to run
away, but I couldn't move. He picked me up and started to squish me.
He mentioned something about me living his last wrath, and he wouldn't
let me get away again. It was just a dream, but it felt so realistic.
I woke up screaming," He recounted. Looking over at Rouge, he saw her
eyes were wide with what seemed like fear and her jaw was dropped.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Knuckles, are you sure that was a dream?"
"I'm positive. AND QUIT CALLING ME KNUCKLES! MY NAME IS NOT KNUCKLES!"
he demanded.
"Yes it is! Anyways. The reason I'm asking you is because that really
happened. I'm not sure if it was exactly what happened, but you
actually experienced that. The lizard's name is Melafariblaze, and the
green jewel you saw was most likely the Master Emerald. Melafariblaze
is still alive, and he wants you dead more than ever." She informed.
Knuckles' had his hands behind his head and looked smug. "I'd like to
see him try and beat me. He doesn't seem so tough. And if I fought him
before, how come I don't remember?" he countered.
"He's six foot, Knuckles. And you don't remember, because you have
amnesia!" she bellowed.
"If I have to tell you one more time, I'll kill you! My name is not
Knuckles! I have no clue who that guy is. I don't know what the Master
Emerald and that guy have in common, but I don't care! And
Melafariblaze?! Whatever."
"You're not listening! You are Knuckles! You are protector of the
Master Emerald. You fought against Melafariblaze and almost died! How
many times do you want us to repeat it?!" her voice quavered. Knuckles
sat up and had a look of annoyance on his face. His eyebrows furrowed
and he frowned deeply.
"I'm not listening?! You and your two friends aren't listening! I don't
know who you are, what I'm doing here. I could care less if anything
happened to you or the other two-." he stood up but immediately fell
flat on his face due to his leg. He remained toppled on the ground, not
moving at all. Rouge accompanied him by his side and lay one hand on
his back.
"Are you alright?"
"No! Of course not! What gives you the idea I'm alright?" he retorted.
His fists crashed into the floor repeatidly. "I have no clue who I
really am, where I live, or what my purpose is. I'm just someone
walking the streets, wandering aimlessly while everyone can say they
know what they're doing in their life," Knuckles looked her square in
the eyes, a single tear streaking down his cheek. "I don't care what
happens to me anymore. I don't care."
"Don't say that! We're trying to help you, and you're sitting back,
denying it all. You do know who you are. You do know where you live.
And most importantly. You know your purpose in life. You'll remember.
Just give it some time, ok?" she soothed as she kissed him on the
cheek and helped him up slowly.
Knuckles wiped the tear away almost like he was embarrassed to be seen
crying. It was strange though. She didn't seem to mind any of it. But
he couldn't let his guard down just yet.
Rouge looked outside and smiled. "I've gotta go. You'll be ok by
yourself?"
"Yea. I'll be fine," he confirmed. As she strolled away, he called out
for her again. "Hey! Thanks for . . . staying and comforting me."
She waved and walked outside, closing the door softly behind her.
Almost the whole time, she felt her dignity slip. But she didn't want
to add to Knuckles' stress, and held it in. Now that she was alone,
she broke down into tears and meandered aimlessly through the great
forest. It was hopeless. Her boyfriend couldn't even remember his own
name, let alone their relationship. Unless they found the perfect
set-off for Knuckles' memory, it really was a bleak future.