Chapter 5- Recoveries and Discoveries
-------------------------------------
Sonic raced Tails feverishly, jumping from one tree to another and
laughing along the way. It was an unusually hot Spring day, no breeze
today to dissapate the sweat beads that formed at the top of their
forhead and brow. Sonic's quills drooped from the humidity and for
once he panted as he bounded after Tails who was high above the canopy
of the trees.
Sonic reached one hand in the air and held up a peace sign. "Tails!
I need a rest! Can we stop for a while? We've been at it for almost
five hours straight!" he remarked. Tails slowed to a halt and lowered
himself to the ground, panting and his tongue hanging from his mouth.
Both moved to sit on two nearby boulders and settled down-Sonic
holding his hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat and Tails
clenching his eyes shut, still winded.
"Tails. You're really getting fast. Soon you'll be just as fast as
me!" he complimented to his sidekick. Tails beamed at the comment.
It wasn't often that Sonic commended him for much, especially his
speed.
Tails replied, "No. No one can beat you Sonic. You're just about the
fastest Mobian on Planet Mobius." Being modest.
Sonic contemplated it and smiled. "Yeah. You're right. No one can
beat me."
Both looked at each other and laughed. Sonic continued to watch Tails
and thought of how he himself would feel if his best friend-his
companion-His little bro! Had amnesia like Knuckles. And, yes.
Knuckles and Sonic were pretty close friend-wise, but their
friendship couldn't ever compare to Sonic and Tails'. Just the thought
made him squeamish. What would he do without Tails' humor, or his
smarts? Just about fall away from existence, that's what.
Tails must have noticed Sonic was thinking of something, because he
asked him, "What's wrong Sonic?"
Sonic stood up and ruffled Tails' golden-orange fur. "Nothing. Just
taking a little time to myself. C'mon buddy. Let's go." He lent out a
helping hand and they paced themselves home. Sonic put his arm around
Tails' shoulder and smiled down at him. He defiantly couldn't think of
Tails losing his memory.
The walked into Knothole village and noticed Knuckles sitting on the
log again, clutching his crutches half-heartidly. Sonic and Tails
looked at each other with quizzical expressions and shrugged. They
tiptoed over to him and settled on either side of him. Knuckles didn't
even bother to look at them. At the same time, both looked down and
noticed Knuckles didn't have his cast on anymore. Appearently his leg
had healed by now.
"Hey! You got your cast off! Bet you feel much better, huh?"
"I guess." He stated emotionlessly without looking at them. His eyes
remained in the distance, almost like he could see something they
couldn't.
"Knuckles, are you alright?" Sonic murmered. Knuckles didn't answer
for a few moments, almost like he was choosing his answer carefully.
"Leave me alone. I'm trying to figure out something, and you being
here is ruining my concentration. Please leave." He asserted.
"Whatcha thinking of?" Sonic contended.
"Someone. It's none of your business."
Tails cocked his head to the side and exhaled a breath of frustration.
"Knuckles, what's bothering you?"
Knuckles thrust a fist into Tails' face, the gleam of his knuckles
literally blinding him. He began to whimper.
"Listen here fox-boy! I'm not Knuckles! Nothing is wrong, and when I
say so, don't decide to question me! I'm sick of you, this stupid
village, and life in general!" and hopped up, towering above Tails.
Sonic also sprung up, Knuckles proceeded to push him back down onto
the log, but Sonic caught him right in between the protruding spikes.
There was a classic stare down, both trying to wear each other's
mentality out. Tails watched on in horror, not knowing what to do
exactly.
Sonic sneered bitterly. "Knuckles the Echidna. You are one sight to
see." And swung his other free paw around to hit Knuckles in the
side of the head angrily.
Knuckles appeared stunned, almost shocked. He pulled his fist from
Sonic's grasp and faltered away, ashamed of his defeat. Tails still
had his mouth open from the excitement that took place. Without even
beckoning to Tails to follow him, he walked back to the village and
stormed into his house, slamming the door behind him. Knowing when
not to push Sonic's buttons, Tails chased after Knuckles who hadn't
gotten far down the path. He walked silently beside him, scared to
even say a syllable to the now-vicious echidna.
"What do you want? Coming to bug me some more? Huh? Or maybe you
want to possibly convince me who I really am?" he continued to file
on. Tails remained hushed, knowing it was a rhetorical question.
"Get lost, pest." He hissed below his breath. Tails halted, watching
Knuckles walk away. This time he didn't even bother to stop him. He
shook his head in disbelief, moved a strand of fur from his face and
walked away, looking back at Knuckles once in a while who still held
a blank look on his face.
When Knuckles finally sensed him gone, he walked far into the forest
to the right side, carefully measuring each step. When he came about
thirty paces inward, he sat down and made sure no one was around.
This was his quiet spot, and as far as he knew, no one had infiltrated
it yet. He used this spot to get away from everyone who continually
asked him questions and tried to get him to remember anything about
his past, that is. If he had one.
He let his thoughts drift back to the person he was thinking of before.
For some reason, Rouge wouldn't leave his mind. Like he knew her for
some time now. It was a really strange feeling. And it annoyed him to
no end that he had no clue who she was, but yet had feelings for her.
He leaned his back against a tree and looked up into the dark leaves
that shaded him from above. Very little sunlight reached the floor,
but enough where you could see around.
Rouge seemed to be the only one who actually let him take his time
with things. She seemed to really care about him, and for that, he
was grateful. Unlike Sonic and Tails, who constantly asked him about
things. He wasn't exactly stupid.
His trance-like state was broken when he heard an ear piercing scream
from off in the distance. Knuckles ran off to find out what was
happening. He tumbled numerous times over various roots and twigs
hidden beneath dark leaves-damp with the morning dew that hadn't
evaporated completely due to the coolness of the canopy.
The scream repeated itself, but this time seeming more desperate.
Knuckles hastened his speed to hurry over to the shrieks. He finally
came into the opening of the forest and found himself back in Knothole,
but nothing seemed to be disrupted or out-of-place. Irritated that
someone would scream like that, he stalked back to the forest to be
alone again. But as soon as he reached the borderline of Knothole and
the Great Forest, he heard the screams again, but farther away. Sonic
came out from his house and looked to where Knuckles was looking at.
"Who's screaming like that?!" he cried, displeased. Knuckles glared
daggers at him and perked his ears to see if he could hear the
mind-shattering screeches again.
When they didn't hear it for a good thirty seconds, both ran to where
they heard it before. No one talked to each other, and when they
passed by Tails who was picking berries from a bush, Sonic reached his
hand out and grabbed him by the collar, forcing him along.
"Wh-what's going on!!??!!" he announced angrily.
"Someone's in trouble." Sonic shouted over the roar of the rushing
wind. Sonic stopped short and grabbed Knuckles by the hand and pulled
the two with him into a nearby bush. He held his hands to their mouths
and shushed them.
Knuckles pulled away. "Are you mad? Someone could be hurt right now,
and all you can do is hide?" he scolded.
Sonic shushed him again before he began. "Guys, I saw who it was. I
know who's behind whatever screaming there is. And if I'm not mistaken,
the screaming is coming from Rouge."
"Say what? How can you be sure Sonic? And who is it?" Tails interrogated.
"Rouge left almost right after you disappeared, Knuckles," Knuckles
showed some slight irritation, but held it in. "and went off in this
direction. I saw her from the window. And who else knows this place
then Melafariblaze?"
"Melafariblaze?! I thought you killed him a month or two ago!" Tails
was outraged. Both didn't notice the blank look on Knuckles' face.
"Tails. I only injured him badly. I knocked him out, but sooner or
later he would have woken up. I figured he would have left us alone
after that." He whispered. The ground began to rumble and Melafariblaze
came stomping down the path, Rouge unconscious in his arms. Knuckles
progressed to stand up, but Sonic pulled him back down, shaking his
head.
"Let me go!"
"Hey! I almost lost you once. I'm not losing you for good. You're
staying put until we have a game plan set."
"But that lizard-creep could kill her! I'd rather myself die than her.
At least she has something in life to look foreward to! I don't know
who I am, or anything. And you'd rather me live than her?!" he shifted
his weight.
"Knuckles, listen to Sonic. He knows what he's talking about." The
gold-orange fox beseeched. Knuckles clenched his eyes shut, almost
like he was thinking really hard about the situation.
"Alright. I'll stay." He agreed. Sonic slowly let go of his arm.
Knuckles smirked and muttered something under his breath before he
took off.
"HEY! KNUCKLES! GET BACK HERE!" Sonic boomed as he chased after him.
But as he passed by one tree, Knuckles' violet eyes scanned after the
blue blur that raced by and frowned.
"I'm sorry . . . friend." He rustled and took off to find Rouge and
her predator.
* * *
Knuckles moved a strand of hair from his face and approached a
temple-like structure. It was a very dark brown, heavily decorated with
paintings and vines, and seemed dated back to ancient civilization
times. With a gulp, Knuckles headed up the steep steps and made his
way indoors. Every step he took echoed on and on down the damp and
musty chambers. His heart flustered and for a moment he debated on
turning around and going back. Before he could, though, two figures
dropped from the ceiling and enclosed his arms with their gloved paws.
"Figures we'd see you here." A voice said in his left ear. Knuckles
turned to see Sonic's olive-colored eyes bore into his. He turned to
his right to see Tails' eyebrows arch angrily.
"Ok. You got me. Now just let me go!" he surrendered.
"I dunno. Last time you said that, you lied and ran off. How can we
trust you this time?" he argued. Knuckles shrugged both of them off and
faced them.
"I need your guys' help finding Rouge and that Mela-what's-his-face."
He became tongue-tied. Sonic looked at Tails for an answer and nodded.
"Fine." Sonic looked around at the three rooms that branched from the
central room they were in. One ahead and two to their sides. "Ok.
Here's the drill. Tails. You'll take the left room. Knuckles. You'll
take the right. As for me, I'm going dead-ahead. Yell if you need
backup, or if you've found them. Let's juice!" he cheered as he
flashed away in a split second, sending an after-wind behind him. Tails
and Knuckles coughed from the smoke and left their separate ways.
Along the way, Knuckles kept getting faint, but clear, signals from
something, but no clue what. As he followed them, they became stronger
and stronger. Finally, Knuckles reached a room with an emerald of some
sort. Hey! This is like the one in my dream. Come to think of it, that
lizard was also from my dream, and he was holding this emerald! What
is this?
Knuckles heard a muffled groan and looked over to see Rouge tied to a
chair with her mouth duct taped. He frantically untied her and gently
pulled the tape off.
"Hey! Wake up!" he shook. Rouge slowly gained conciousness and propped
herself up on one elbow, eyes half open. She shook her head to rid the
dancing green and blue spots from her vision and saw Knuckles towering
above her. She smiled widely, almost laughing.
"I didn't think you guys would come! Oh my gosh, you don't know how
happy I am to see you!" she whispered.
"Yeah. Ditto. Listen. We don't have much time. Do you know where that
lizard-."
She corrected him. "Melafariblaze."
"Whatever. Anyways, do you know where he might be?" he asked.
"I'm right here. Why do you ask, echidna?" Melafariblaze twirled
around in a circle, almost elegantly, and sneered. Knuckles rose to his
feet and faced him boldly.
"You kidnapped my friend." He hissed.
"Is that what you call it?"
"You kidnapped my friend." Knuckles repeated.
"I see that."
"You kidnapped my friend. Now. You will suffer the consequences." He
challenged, his voice in a low, deadly-rasp.
"And what? Are your puny brass knuckles going to puncture me again?
That barely did any damage. You're going to die. You got off lucky
last time. You're friends are gone somewhere in these chambers. And
the control room is right here. So I can lock them wherever, whenever.
You are outmatched, and outdone. Your time has come. I will make sure
that you are dead this time!" he spoke as his claws grabbed Knuckles
by the waist like before, his other hand enclosing the other. But
before he could get any further than he did last time--.
"Leave him alone!!!" Rouge screamed angrily as she charged into his
face like Sonic had done, causing Melafariblaze to become distracted
and drop Knuckles to the ground. Rouge ran over to his side.
"Knuckles! Please! Tell me you're alright!" she pleaded. He stirred
and coughed roughly.
"Am I in Heaven yet?" he half-joked. Rouge tilted her head in
confusion and lifted Knuckles up so he was sitting up ever-so slightly.
She looked back at Melafariblaze anxiously and took note of him
regaining his senses.
"Knuckles! Snap out of it! Hurry up, he's co-AHHHHH!!!" she screamed as
Melafariblaze whipped his tail out at Rouge and sent her flying off
into a nearby metal pole. She slammed into it, creating numerous cracks
branching from the huge dent she caused, and slid down lazily. He toyed
with her, tossing her around like a rag doll.
Knuckles his hand to his head, moving it slightly. Searing pain ripped
through it, causing his hand to clench tightly on his skull and pull
some of his dreadlocks. Colorful spots illuminated around his vision
and a buzzing noise droned in his head.
"Knuckles . . . wake up!" a voice in his head cried out. He disobeyed,
keeping his eyes closed. The voice tried again. "Sonic and Tails are
far away, and you're the last hope for the Master Emerald."
"M . . . Master Emerald?" he repeated.
"She will die without you."
"Wh . . . Who's g . . . going to die?"
"Rouge is hanging on by a thread. She will die without you. If you
don't remember her, or anything, anything that happens will be your
fault. She'll die, the Emerald falls into the wrong hands . . . your
friends will cease to exist . . . " It concluded.
Suddenly Knuckles' recounted and registered everything in his head that
the voice was talking about. The Emerald, he remembered, kept Angel
Island afloat. But Angel Island was gone now, wasn't it? Yes, it had
to be. That was the main reason he was here. And his friends? Who were
they again? A blue hedgehog-Sonic the Hedgehog. And his sidekick-Miles
Prower. No! It was Tails! He hated the name Miles. That's right.
And finally he remembered Rouge. Although he couldn't remember exactly.
She was that girl who tried to take the emerald not to long ago. But
wasn't there something else about her?
The whole thing began to flood him now, almost to the point where he
thought he would explode. The lies and deceit they both bestowed on
each other, the parting of ways after the ARK, when they both decided
to go on a date, the island crashing on their second outing, and him
deciding to stay in Knothole.
And then, that moment of his. With just him and Rouge in the forest by
the grotto. He remembered walking away, then turning back to kiss her
goodbye. They hugged for what seemed like forever, and she finally
returned the kiss. That was the last time he was with her while he
still had his memory.
It was his fault that they were in this predicament. If he hadn't have
been so stupid to go off by himself, they would all probably be back in
Knothole enjoying the sceanary. He continued to blame himself while
remaining half-concious.
You blew it, Knux. Rouge is probably already dead, as well as Sonic and
Tails. And you're still laying here like there's no problem going on
around here. You had to go after the emerald by yourself. Just had to
be the hero for once. Didn't even bother to listen to your girlfriend.
It's all your fault!
"No . . . it's not my fault. I didn't do anything except try," He
reasoned. But he still felt guilty at heart. He finally decided to
open his eyes and see what damage he caused. "I guess it's now or
never." And opened them slowly while sitting up. He saw the Master
Emerald in a hold right in front of him which made him immediately jump
up and rush over to it.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! It's here it's here it's here!" he rambled on
while smiling to himself. I can't believe I couldn't remember you! My
baby!
"YOU AGAIN!!" Melafariblaze vocalized loudly. Knuckles flinched, but
other than that, made no other motion to show his fear.
"Where are they Melafariblaze?" he questioned dangerously.
"Where are who? Oh, your little friends! Well . . . let's see. Where
exactly did I put them?" he teased. Knuckles crossed his arms and
tapped his foot on the brick floor, waiting for a reply. "Ah! Yes! That
naïve hedgehog is trapped in the lower chambers, and that pesky fox-boy
is lost in a maze not suitable for someone his age. As for that girl.
Well, sorry such beauty had to be wasted. I threw her somewhere over
there, and she hasn't made a peep for the past thirty seconds."
Melafariblaze tossed around carelessly while making motions to the
general areas to where Sonic, Tails, and Rouge could be. Knuckles
widened his eyes and calmly strode over to Rouge's body, lying limp
in a dusty corner.
Knuckles kneeled by her side and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey.
Everything's ok. It's going to be ok, Rouge." He whispered, feeling
the cold stare of Melafariblaze digging into his back viciously.
Rouge stirred and opened her eyes halfway. "You remember . . . it's
about time you knucklehead." And passed out. Bending down, he gently
picked her up and carried her to the doorway, leaving both the
emerald and Melafariblaze behind.
"Hey! What are you doing! Get back here!!" he called after them.
Knuckles ignored him and continued on. Melafariblaze ran and jumped
in their way, blocking their exit. He started towards them, licking
his lips.
"You lock my friends up, steal the Master Emerald and send my island
plummeting into the ocean, try and kill my girlfriend, and even go
as far as to try and kill me. No more! I'm not about to let you
unleash any more evil into this world. You won't get away with this!
Mark my words, you won't!"
"I'm afraid I already have," And sideswiped him with the back of his
hand, knocking Knuckles to the floor with Rouge in his arms. They
both landed with a thud, and Knuckles tried hard not to land on her
and hurt her anymore than she already was. "Can't you see, echidna!?
You can't win! You've tried numerous times to defeat me. And your
tactics are futile. Face it! You can't win!"
"That's where you're wrong! I can so win and I will!" he declared,
sending a punch right below the neck, puncturing the skin. Blood
gushed from the wound and Melafariblaze lashed out menacingly due to
his pain. He knocked the Master Emerald from its hold and Knuckles
caught it before it hit the floor. With one hand occupied with the
Emerald, he reached out and grabbed Rouge by the waist and ran out the
way he came. Everything whizzed by and he never bothered to glance back
over his shoulder to see if he was being chased. He didn't have to
because the violent vibration on the floor told him that Melafariblaze
wasn't to far behind.
Skidding in the central room, Knuckles tried to remember who went into
what room, and who to save first. Sonic had enough speed so he could
zig-zag though the maze by himself to find Tails, but Tails was too
young to be left alone anymore than he was in that awful maze. And he
could prove useful by helping him get Sonic from whatever trap he
was in at the time. Shifting the weight of both the emerald and Rouge,
Knuckles decided to go for Tails, seeing as he was younger, and he
might already be out looking for them.
He ran right into the left room with Melafariblaze closely behind.
The hallway became darker and darker each second and seemed to be
getting more narrow. It suddenly opened up to a large, cluttered
labyrinth. Knuckles smirked to himself. If he could run long enough
and fast enough, surely he could get Melafariblaze off his tail.
But he'd also have to do it while he was in the process of searching
for Tails and keeping the Master Emerald and Rouge safe.
He broke into a mad run, dodging spinning spikes and falling bricks.
Finally, after what seemed like forever (but was probably only a good
minute or two) he could tell that Melafariblaze was at the other end
of the complex, trying to find his own way out. Now came the hard part,
looking for Tails without luring that lizard-creep over to him.
"Tails! Where are you?" he called out while trying to keep his voice
at a minimum. The rumble came closer and closer, and Knuckles had to
also travel away from his spot so he wouldn't be found. Within a
minute though, Tails was by his side, ears plastered to his head and
his whole body shaking.
"About time you got here. This place is a nightmare. Please take me
home." He whimpered. Tails paused for a few moments and gasped.
"Knuckles, you called me Tails . . . didn't you."
"There's no time to explain, but I'll save it for when we get out of
this joint. We still have to find Sonic and get Rouge and the Emerald
to safety." He rushed. Tails led Knuckles to the exit and both jogged
to the next room.
The room was damp and lit by very few lamps and lanterns. Cobwebs
invaded every nook and cranny of the hallway and it was difficult to
get by without getting stuck to your face.
Tails flew ahead and within minutes had Sonic in his hands, gasping
for breath.
"Sheesh. Took you long enough. I was about to die! I hate water," Sonic
complained. He took sight of Knuckles holding the Master Emerald and
Rouge and smiled. "Wow. You found them! Good job!"
Knuckles nodded, not speaking. The familiar vibration was faintly felt
and the trio knew they had to find a way to get out of the chambers,
or at least get Melafariblaze out of their hair. Sonic squirmed away
from Tails' grasp and smirked, wiping the side of his mouth with his
thumb.
"Leave this one to me. I've got some unfinished business with that
creep. Trying to drown me like that. The nerve!" he shuddered and
proceeded to walk ahead when Knuckles touched his shoulder.
"Let me help you Sonic. I need to repay him for the damages he's
caused me. The bill's piling up." He joked. Sonic's eyes widened in
surprise as he heard Knuckles remember him.
"Knux! You . . . you . . . you . . ." he stuttered. Knuckles beamed
as he walked backwards, still facing the astonished hedgehog.
"Like I told Tails, I'll tell you later. Tails! Watch the Master
Emerald and Rouge. Make sure nothing happens to them." Knuckles
emphasized the last sentence and turned to run off, Sonic by his
side. Both smirked to each other and sped towards Melafariblaze,
ready for the challenge.
-------------------------------------
Sonic raced Tails feverishly, jumping from one tree to another and
laughing along the way. It was an unusually hot Spring day, no breeze
today to dissapate the sweat beads that formed at the top of their
forhead and brow. Sonic's quills drooped from the humidity and for
once he panted as he bounded after Tails who was high above the canopy
of the trees.
Sonic reached one hand in the air and held up a peace sign. "Tails!
I need a rest! Can we stop for a while? We've been at it for almost
five hours straight!" he remarked. Tails slowed to a halt and lowered
himself to the ground, panting and his tongue hanging from his mouth.
Both moved to sit on two nearby boulders and settled down-Sonic
holding his hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat and Tails
clenching his eyes shut, still winded.
"Tails. You're really getting fast. Soon you'll be just as fast as
me!" he complimented to his sidekick. Tails beamed at the comment.
It wasn't often that Sonic commended him for much, especially his
speed.
Tails replied, "No. No one can beat you Sonic. You're just about the
fastest Mobian on Planet Mobius." Being modest.
Sonic contemplated it and smiled. "Yeah. You're right. No one can
beat me."
Both looked at each other and laughed. Sonic continued to watch Tails
and thought of how he himself would feel if his best friend-his
companion-His little bro! Had amnesia like Knuckles. And, yes.
Knuckles and Sonic were pretty close friend-wise, but their
friendship couldn't ever compare to Sonic and Tails'. Just the thought
made him squeamish. What would he do without Tails' humor, or his
smarts? Just about fall away from existence, that's what.
Tails must have noticed Sonic was thinking of something, because he
asked him, "What's wrong Sonic?"
Sonic stood up and ruffled Tails' golden-orange fur. "Nothing. Just
taking a little time to myself. C'mon buddy. Let's go." He lent out a
helping hand and they paced themselves home. Sonic put his arm around
Tails' shoulder and smiled down at him. He defiantly couldn't think of
Tails losing his memory.
The walked into Knothole village and noticed Knuckles sitting on the
log again, clutching his crutches half-heartidly. Sonic and Tails
looked at each other with quizzical expressions and shrugged. They
tiptoed over to him and settled on either side of him. Knuckles didn't
even bother to look at them. At the same time, both looked down and
noticed Knuckles didn't have his cast on anymore. Appearently his leg
had healed by now.
"Hey! You got your cast off! Bet you feel much better, huh?"
"I guess." He stated emotionlessly without looking at them. His eyes
remained in the distance, almost like he could see something they
couldn't.
"Knuckles, are you alright?" Sonic murmered. Knuckles didn't answer
for a few moments, almost like he was choosing his answer carefully.
"Leave me alone. I'm trying to figure out something, and you being
here is ruining my concentration. Please leave." He asserted.
"Whatcha thinking of?" Sonic contended.
"Someone. It's none of your business."
Tails cocked his head to the side and exhaled a breath of frustration.
"Knuckles, what's bothering you?"
Knuckles thrust a fist into Tails' face, the gleam of his knuckles
literally blinding him. He began to whimper.
"Listen here fox-boy! I'm not Knuckles! Nothing is wrong, and when I
say so, don't decide to question me! I'm sick of you, this stupid
village, and life in general!" and hopped up, towering above Tails.
Sonic also sprung up, Knuckles proceeded to push him back down onto
the log, but Sonic caught him right in between the protruding spikes.
There was a classic stare down, both trying to wear each other's
mentality out. Tails watched on in horror, not knowing what to do
exactly.
Sonic sneered bitterly. "Knuckles the Echidna. You are one sight to
see." And swung his other free paw around to hit Knuckles in the
side of the head angrily.
Knuckles appeared stunned, almost shocked. He pulled his fist from
Sonic's grasp and faltered away, ashamed of his defeat. Tails still
had his mouth open from the excitement that took place. Without even
beckoning to Tails to follow him, he walked back to the village and
stormed into his house, slamming the door behind him. Knowing when
not to push Sonic's buttons, Tails chased after Knuckles who hadn't
gotten far down the path. He walked silently beside him, scared to
even say a syllable to the now-vicious echidna.
"What do you want? Coming to bug me some more? Huh? Or maybe you
want to possibly convince me who I really am?" he continued to file
on. Tails remained hushed, knowing it was a rhetorical question.
"Get lost, pest." He hissed below his breath. Tails halted, watching
Knuckles walk away. This time he didn't even bother to stop him. He
shook his head in disbelief, moved a strand of fur from his face and
walked away, looking back at Knuckles once in a while who still held
a blank look on his face.
When Knuckles finally sensed him gone, he walked far into the forest
to the right side, carefully measuring each step. When he came about
thirty paces inward, he sat down and made sure no one was around.
This was his quiet spot, and as far as he knew, no one had infiltrated
it yet. He used this spot to get away from everyone who continually
asked him questions and tried to get him to remember anything about
his past, that is. If he had one.
He let his thoughts drift back to the person he was thinking of before.
For some reason, Rouge wouldn't leave his mind. Like he knew her for
some time now. It was a really strange feeling. And it annoyed him to
no end that he had no clue who she was, but yet had feelings for her.
He leaned his back against a tree and looked up into the dark leaves
that shaded him from above. Very little sunlight reached the floor,
but enough where you could see around.
Rouge seemed to be the only one who actually let him take his time
with things. She seemed to really care about him, and for that, he
was grateful. Unlike Sonic and Tails, who constantly asked him about
things. He wasn't exactly stupid.
His trance-like state was broken when he heard an ear piercing scream
from off in the distance. Knuckles ran off to find out what was
happening. He tumbled numerous times over various roots and twigs
hidden beneath dark leaves-damp with the morning dew that hadn't
evaporated completely due to the coolness of the canopy.
The scream repeated itself, but this time seeming more desperate.
Knuckles hastened his speed to hurry over to the shrieks. He finally
came into the opening of the forest and found himself back in Knothole,
but nothing seemed to be disrupted or out-of-place. Irritated that
someone would scream like that, he stalked back to the forest to be
alone again. But as soon as he reached the borderline of Knothole and
the Great Forest, he heard the screams again, but farther away. Sonic
came out from his house and looked to where Knuckles was looking at.
"Who's screaming like that?!" he cried, displeased. Knuckles glared
daggers at him and perked his ears to see if he could hear the
mind-shattering screeches again.
When they didn't hear it for a good thirty seconds, both ran to where
they heard it before. No one talked to each other, and when they
passed by Tails who was picking berries from a bush, Sonic reached his
hand out and grabbed him by the collar, forcing him along.
"Wh-what's going on!!??!!" he announced angrily.
"Someone's in trouble." Sonic shouted over the roar of the rushing
wind. Sonic stopped short and grabbed Knuckles by the hand and pulled
the two with him into a nearby bush. He held his hands to their mouths
and shushed them.
Knuckles pulled away. "Are you mad? Someone could be hurt right now,
and all you can do is hide?" he scolded.
Sonic shushed him again before he began. "Guys, I saw who it was. I
know who's behind whatever screaming there is. And if I'm not mistaken,
the screaming is coming from Rouge."
"Say what? How can you be sure Sonic? And who is it?" Tails interrogated.
"Rouge left almost right after you disappeared, Knuckles," Knuckles
showed some slight irritation, but held it in. "and went off in this
direction. I saw her from the window. And who else knows this place
then Melafariblaze?"
"Melafariblaze?! I thought you killed him a month or two ago!" Tails
was outraged. Both didn't notice the blank look on Knuckles' face.
"Tails. I only injured him badly. I knocked him out, but sooner or
later he would have woken up. I figured he would have left us alone
after that." He whispered. The ground began to rumble and Melafariblaze
came stomping down the path, Rouge unconscious in his arms. Knuckles
progressed to stand up, but Sonic pulled him back down, shaking his
head.
"Let me go!"
"Hey! I almost lost you once. I'm not losing you for good. You're
staying put until we have a game plan set."
"But that lizard-creep could kill her! I'd rather myself die than her.
At least she has something in life to look foreward to! I don't know
who I am, or anything. And you'd rather me live than her?!" he shifted
his weight.
"Knuckles, listen to Sonic. He knows what he's talking about." The
gold-orange fox beseeched. Knuckles clenched his eyes shut, almost
like he was thinking really hard about the situation.
"Alright. I'll stay." He agreed. Sonic slowly let go of his arm.
Knuckles smirked and muttered something under his breath before he
took off.
"HEY! KNUCKLES! GET BACK HERE!" Sonic boomed as he chased after him.
But as he passed by one tree, Knuckles' violet eyes scanned after the
blue blur that raced by and frowned.
"I'm sorry . . . friend." He rustled and took off to find Rouge and
her predator.
* * *
Knuckles moved a strand of hair from his face and approached a
temple-like structure. It was a very dark brown, heavily decorated with
paintings and vines, and seemed dated back to ancient civilization
times. With a gulp, Knuckles headed up the steep steps and made his
way indoors. Every step he took echoed on and on down the damp and
musty chambers. His heart flustered and for a moment he debated on
turning around and going back. Before he could, though, two figures
dropped from the ceiling and enclosed his arms with their gloved paws.
"Figures we'd see you here." A voice said in his left ear. Knuckles
turned to see Sonic's olive-colored eyes bore into his. He turned to
his right to see Tails' eyebrows arch angrily.
"Ok. You got me. Now just let me go!" he surrendered.
"I dunno. Last time you said that, you lied and ran off. How can we
trust you this time?" he argued. Knuckles shrugged both of them off and
faced them.
"I need your guys' help finding Rouge and that Mela-what's-his-face."
He became tongue-tied. Sonic looked at Tails for an answer and nodded.
"Fine." Sonic looked around at the three rooms that branched from the
central room they were in. One ahead and two to their sides. "Ok.
Here's the drill. Tails. You'll take the left room. Knuckles. You'll
take the right. As for me, I'm going dead-ahead. Yell if you need
backup, or if you've found them. Let's juice!" he cheered as he
flashed away in a split second, sending an after-wind behind him. Tails
and Knuckles coughed from the smoke and left their separate ways.
Along the way, Knuckles kept getting faint, but clear, signals from
something, but no clue what. As he followed them, they became stronger
and stronger. Finally, Knuckles reached a room with an emerald of some
sort. Hey! This is like the one in my dream. Come to think of it, that
lizard was also from my dream, and he was holding this emerald! What
is this?
Knuckles heard a muffled groan and looked over to see Rouge tied to a
chair with her mouth duct taped. He frantically untied her and gently
pulled the tape off.
"Hey! Wake up!" he shook. Rouge slowly gained conciousness and propped
herself up on one elbow, eyes half open. She shook her head to rid the
dancing green and blue spots from her vision and saw Knuckles towering
above her. She smiled widely, almost laughing.
"I didn't think you guys would come! Oh my gosh, you don't know how
happy I am to see you!" she whispered.
"Yeah. Ditto. Listen. We don't have much time. Do you know where that
lizard-."
She corrected him. "Melafariblaze."
"Whatever. Anyways, do you know where he might be?" he asked.
"I'm right here. Why do you ask, echidna?" Melafariblaze twirled
around in a circle, almost elegantly, and sneered. Knuckles rose to his
feet and faced him boldly.
"You kidnapped my friend." He hissed.
"Is that what you call it?"
"You kidnapped my friend." Knuckles repeated.
"I see that."
"You kidnapped my friend. Now. You will suffer the consequences." He
challenged, his voice in a low, deadly-rasp.
"And what? Are your puny brass knuckles going to puncture me again?
That barely did any damage. You're going to die. You got off lucky
last time. You're friends are gone somewhere in these chambers. And
the control room is right here. So I can lock them wherever, whenever.
You are outmatched, and outdone. Your time has come. I will make sure
that you are dead this time!" he spoke as his claws grabbed Knuckles
by the waist like before, his other hand enclosing the other. But
before he could get any further than he did last time--.
"Leave him alone!!!" Rouge screamed angrily as she charged into his
face like Sonic had done, causing Melafariblaze to become distracted
and drop Knuckles to the ground. Rouge ran over to his side.
"Knuckles! Please! Tell me you're alright!" she pleaded. He stirred
and coughed roughly.
"Am I in Heaven yet?" he half-joked. Rouge tilted her head in
confusion and lifted Knuckles up so he was sitting up ever-so slightly.
She looked back at Melafariblaze anxiously and took note of him
regaining his senses.
"Knuckles! Snap out of it! Hurry up, he's co-AHHHHH!!!" she screamed as
Melafariblaze whipped his tail out at Rouge and sent her flying off
into a nearby metal pole. She slammed into it, creating numerous cracks
branching from the huge dent she caused, and slid down lazily. He toyed
with her, tossing her around like a rag doll.
Knuckles his hand to his head, moving it slightly. Searing pain ripped
through it, causing his hand to clench tightly on his skull and pull
some of his dreadlocks. Colorful spots illuminated around his vision
and a buzzing noise droned in his head.
"Knuckles . . . wake up!" a voice in his head cried out. He disobeyed,
keeping his eyes closed. The voice tried again. "Sonic and Tails are
far away, and you're the last hope for the Master Emerald."
"M . . . Master Emerald?" he repeated.
"She will die without you."
"Wh . . . Who's g . . . going to die?"
"Rouge is hanging on by a thread. She will die without you. If you
don't remember her, or anything, anything that happens will be your
fault. She'll die, the Emerald falls into the wrong hands . . . your
friends will cease to exist . . . " It concluded.
Suddenly Knuckles' recounted and registered everything in his head that
the voice was talking about. The Emerald, he remembered, kept Angel
Island afloat. But Angel Island was gone now, wasn't it? Yes, it had
to be. That was the main reason he was here. And his friends? Who were
they again? A blue hedgehog-Sonic the Hedgehog. And his sidekick-Miles
Prower. No! It was Tails! He hated the name Miles. That's right.
And finally he remembered Rouge. Although he couldn't remember exactly.
She was that girl who tried to take the emerald not to long ago. But
wasn't there something else about her?
The whole thing began to flood him now, almost to the point where he
thought he would explode. The lies and deceit they both bestowed on
each other, the parting of ways after the ARK, when they both decided
to go on a date, the island crashing on their second outing, and him
deciding to stay in Knothole.
And then, that moment of his. With just him and Rouge in the forest by
the grotto. He remembered walking away, then turning back to kiss her
goodbye. They hugged for what seemed like forever, and she finally
returned the kiss. That was the last time he was with her while he
still had his memory.
It was his fault that they were in this predicament. If he hadn't have
been so stupid to go off by himself, they would all probably be back in
Knothole enjoying the sceanary. He continued to blame himself while
remaining half-concious.
You blew it, Knux. Rouge is probably already dead, as well as Sonic and
Tails. And you're still laying here like there's no problem going on
around here. You had to go after the emerald by yourself. Just had to
be the hero for once. Didn't even bother to listen to your girlfriend.
It's all your fault!
"No . . . it's not my fault. I didn't do anything except try," He
reasoned. But he still felt guilty at heart. He finally decided to
open his eyes and see what damage he caused. "I guess it's now or
never." And opened them slowly while sitting up. He saw the Master
Emerald in a hold right in front of him which made him immediately jump
up and rush over to it.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! It's here it's here it's here!" he rambled on
while smiling to himself. I can't believe I couldn't remember you! My
baby!
"YOU AGAIN!!" Melafariblaze vocalized loudly. Knuckles flinched, but
other than that, made no other motion to show his fear.
"Where are they Melafariblaze?" he questioned dangerously.
"Where are who? Oh, your little friends! Well . . . let's see. Where
exactly did I put them?" he teased. Knuckles crossed his arms and
tapped his foot on the brick floor, waiting for a reply. "Ah! Yes! That
naïve hedgehog is trapped in the lower chambers, and that pesky fox-boy
is lost in a maze not suitable for someone his age. As for that girl.
Well, sorry such beauty had to be wasted. I threw her somewhere over
there, and she hasn't made a peep for the past thirty seconds."
Melafariblaze tossed around carelessly while making motions to the
general areas to where Sonic, Tails, and Rouge could be. Knuckles
widened his eyes and calmly strode over to Rouge's body, lying limp
in a dusty corner.
Knuckles kneeled by her side and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey.
Everything's ok. It's going to be ok, Rouge." He whispered, feeling
the cold stare of Melafariblaze digging into his back viciously.
Rouge stirred and opened her eyes halfway. "You remember . . . it's
about time you knucklehead." And passed out. Bending down, he gently
picked her up and carried her to the doorway, leaving both the
emerald and Melafariblaze behind.
"Hey! What are you doing! Get back here!!" he called after them.
Knuckles ignored him and continued on. Melafariblaze ran and jumped
in their way, blocking their exit. He started towards them, licking
his lips.
"You lock my friends up, steal the Master Emerald and send my island
plummeting into the ocean, try and kill my girlfriend, and even go
as far as to try and kill me. No more! I'm not about to let you
unleash any more evil into this world. You won't get away with this!
Mark my words, you won't!"
"I'm afraid I already have," And sideswiped him with the back of his
hand, knocking Knuckles to the floor with Rouge in his arms. They
both landed with a thud, and Knuckles tried hard not to land on her
and hurt her anymore than she already was. "Can't you see, echidna!?
You can't win! You've tried numerous times to defeat me. And your
tactics are futile. Face it! You can't win!"
"That's where you're wrong! I can so win and I will!" he declared,
sending a punch right below the neck, puncturing the skin. Blood
gushed from the wound and Melafariblaze lashed out menacingly due to
his pain. He knocked the Master Emerald from its hold and Knuckles
caught it before it hit the floor. With one hand occupied with the
Emerald, he reached out and grabbed Rouge by the waist and ran out the
way he came. Everything whizzed by and he never bothered to glance back
over his shoulder to see if he was being chased. He didn't have to
because the violent vibration on the floor told him that Melafariblaze
wasn't to far behind.
Skidding in the central room, Knuckles tried to remember who went into
what room, and who to save first. Sonic had enough speed so he could
zig-zag though the maze by himself to find Tails, but Tails was too
young to be left alone anymore than he was in that awful maze. And he
could prove useful by helping him get Sonic from whatever trap he
was in at the time. Shifting the weight of both the emerald and Rouge,
Knuckles decided to go for Tails, seeing as he was younger, and he
might already be out looking for them.
He ran right into the left room with Melafariblaze closely behind.
The hallway became darker and darker each second and seemed to be
getting more narrow. It suddenly opened up to a large, cluttered
labyrinth. Knuckles smirked to himself. If he could run long enough
and fast enough, surely he could get Melafariblaze off his tail.
But he'd also have to do it while he was in the process of searching
for Tails and keeping the Master Emerald and Rouge safe.
He broke into a mad run, dodging spinning spikes and falling bricks.
Finally, after what seemed like forever (but was probably only a good
minute or two) he could tell that Melafariblaze was at the other end
of the complex, trying to find his own way out. Now came the hard part,
looking for Tails without luring that lizard-creep over to him.
"Tails! Where are you?" he called out while trying to keep his voice
at a minimum. The rumble came closer and closer, and Knuckles had to
also travel away from his spot so he wouldn't be found. Within a
minute though, Tails was by his side, ears plastered to his head and
his whole body shaking.
"About time you got here. This place is a nightmare. Please take me
home." He whimpered. Tails paused for a few moments and gasped.
"Knuckles, you called me Tails . . . didn't you."
"There's no time to explain, but I'll save it for when we get out of
this joint. We still have to find Sonic and get Rouge and the Emerald
to safety." He rushed. Tails led Knuckles to the exit and both jogged
to the next room.
The room was damp and lit by very few lamps and lanterns. Cobwebs
invaded every nook and cranny of the hallway and it was difficult to
get by without getting stuck to your face.
Tails flew ahead and within minutes had Sonic in his hands, gasping
for breath.
"Sheesh. Took you long enough. I was about to die! I hate water," Sonic
complained. He took sight of Knuckles holding the Master Emerald and
Rouge and smiled. "Wow. You found them! Good job!"
Knuckles nodded, not speaking. The familiar vibration was faintly felt
and the trio knew they had to find a way to get out of the chambers,
or at least get Melafariblaze out of their hair. Sonic squirmed away
from Tails' grasp and smirked, wiping the side of his mouth with his
thumb.
"Leave this one to me. I've got some unfinished business with that
creep. Trying to drown me like that. The nerve!" he shuddered and
proceeded to walk ahead when Knuckles touched his shoulder.
"Let me help you Sonic. I need to repay him for the damages he's
caused me. The bill's piling up." He joked. Sonic's eyes widened in
surprise as he heard Knuckles remember him.
"Knux! You . . . you . . . you . . ." he stuttered. Knuckles beamed
as he walked backwards, still facing the astonished hedgehog.
"Like I told Tails, I'll tell you later. Tails! Watch the Master
Emerald and Rouge. Make sure nothing happens to them." Knuckles
emphasized the last sentence and turned to run off, Sonic by his
side. Both smirked to each other and sped towards Melafariblaze,
ready for the challenge.