I was told that I needed to finish this story, and that person knows who
they are, and they are more than right. So I have finally gotten to
writing the 4th chapter, now that I have some time. Anyway, thank you for
reading and review to those who have! If you have yet to review, please do
so! I'd really appreciate it. Please enjoy!
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Chapter 4: The Past is Revealed
If you read the previous chapter, you should recall that Laki was about to open up the giant box containing the green gem that she found in her dad's closet. But this time, Shadow, Rouge, and Amy were all watching. What conversation might occur when the group lays its eyes upon it?
~~Current Time: August the next day, 12 am~~ ~~Location: Knuckles's Bedroom, Knuckles's Apartment~~
"Hurry up and open it!!! I can't stand the suspense!" Rouge screamed.
"I'm opening it slowly, so that it doesn't fall out, you know that it is huge," Laki commented.
"Girl, just open it!" Amy scolded.
"Fine, fine..." Laki said, as she flung the cover open.
"I feel some sort of intense energy coming from inside," Shadow said, perplexed.
As soon as the box was opened, a giant beam of green light cascaded out from it. Amy, Shadow, and Laki had to cover their eyes, but Rouge just stood there, staring at it wide-eyed. After a few moments, the light faded, and revealed a heavenly floating green gem with a magnificent size.
"Can this be?" Rouge pondered.
"I think that I have seen this before. (Shadow thinks intently.)"
"Me too!" Amy adds.
"What? It is just a big gem, it isn't really spectacular, except that it is big, (she looks at it again) What? It is floating, again!?!" Laki shrieks.
"I know what this is!" Rouge shouts.
"I am going to go get some aspirin and go to bed, I am seeing things again..." Laki says as she walks out the door.
"Laki, it IS floating. You have no need to worry," Shadow tries to reassure Laki.
"This is..." Rouge pauses.
"What is it?" Amy asks.
"It could only be..." Rouge pauses again.
"Just tell me!" Laki screams.
"The one and only, (Rouge is about to say it.)"
"Rouge, let us know, now!" Shadow yells.
"THE MASTER EMERALD!" Rouge exclaims with more glee than she should have.
"What?" Laki asks in an 'I'm not very interested' kind of voice.
"Oh yeah, the Master Emerald! What Knuckles is the guardian of, duh" Amy says.
"But, shouldn't it be at its shrine at Angel Island, instead of hid away in a box?" Shadow wonders.
"What are you guys talking about? Master Emerald? Guardian, shrine, Angel Island? You aren't making any sense," Laki says in a confused voice.
"You mean that, Knuckles's never told you?" Rouge asks Laki.
"Tell me what?" Laki responds.
"That he was... (Amy pauses) That he IS the guardian of the Master Emerald?" Amy adds.
"I never knew what a Master Emerald was, or that my dad was the guardian of it," Laki replies.
"Not was, Laki... is. Your dad IS the guardian. This IS the Master Emerald," Shadow corrects.
"Wait, so you're telling me, that my dad is the guardian of this over- sized gem that you call the Master Emerald?" Laki states.
"YES" Rouge, Shadow, and Amy exclaim.
"And that it is supposed to be at a shrine or something?" Laki asks.
"Once again Laki, it is not something of the past, and it is something unique," Shadow corrects again.
"The Shrine of the Master Emerald, on Angel Island, where Knuckles's used to live, until..." Rouge stops to think.
"Until what?" Laki asks.
"Until you were born! That's why Knuckles moved into Station Square!" Rouge shouts.
"Yeah, that explains it! He wanted you to live a normal life, not one where you had to eternally watch over the Master Emerald," Amy adds.
"But then, why was I born?" Laki asks, "I mean, why would he have had children if he was supposed to be watching over this gem?"
"I cannot answer that, but, I bet we know how to answer it," Shadow says.
"How?" Laki wonders.
"We are going to leave this room, and then I want you to mold your mind with the Master Emerald. It is said that, it speaks with whomever it knows it needs to," Shadow said.
"Ah, uh, ok Shadow, I will try to communicate with it," Laki says.
"Well, you heard Shadow, Rouge, let's go!" Amy says as she grabs Rouge's hand.
"But the treasure! The Master Emerald!" Rouge cries as she squirms to get away.
Needless to say, Shadow and Amy had to drag Rouge out of the room so the Master Emerald could communicate with Laki and tell her of her past.
{Laki, we are alone now...} A voice says.
"Who is there?" Laki asks.
{I am overjoyed, for now is the time that I may not only tell you, but show you who I am...} The voice responds.
"Then, do so," Laki whispers.
Suddenly, the Master Emerald dims its light a little, and releases a pale ball of glowing energy. Then, it slowly glides over to Laki, and wavers in the air for a few moments. It then, releases a huge wall of light, and momentarily blinds Laki. After a few seconds, the captive light ceased, and a beautiful figure emerged from it. Laki thought for a moment that this figure was familiar to her.
"Do, do I know you?" Laki asked.
"You do indeed, future guardian," The figure said.
The figure slowly began to take its form. First, beautiful straight pale-tan hair was visible. Laki recognized this, and realized that that hair was just like her own, except for the fact that she had natural red highlights when this figure's did not. The figure was soon fully visible, but Laki still could not think of who it was, but that it was a woman, who she felt a deep tie to.
"Future guardian?" Laki asked.
"Yes, that is what you are to become, my daughter," The woman said.
"You mean that, you are..." Laki said.
"Laki, I am your mother, Tikal," Tikal responded.
Laki, in a dazed manner, was suddenly cheerful. She threw her arms around this woman, her mother. And Tikal returned the embrace that her daughter gave her. But this moment of happiness was short-lived, for Tikal still had to tell Laki of her past.
"Laki, do you wish to know of your past?" Tikal asks her daughter.
"Oh, yes! Please tell me, mother," Laki begged.
"Very well. The Master Emerald was my tribe's, our tribe's, most prized treasure. It protected us, and allowed us to live in peace. But my father, your grandfather, was not satisfied. He wanted more. So he waged war to rule over much land. He was happy that he was able to this. But soon, his greed and arrogance grew, which soon led him to slow destruction. He was going to use this Master Emerald for the purpose of war, for his own personal gain. But attempting to do this, he killed himself, and his many followers. I knew, that the Master Emerald could be used for evil if it was not guarded carefully, so I allowed my sole to be one with the emerald. As the generations passed, many echidnas were chosen to guard this Master Emerald. The last in this line, was Knuckles. And after Knuckles, you are to come next. But your father is in great danger now, for he has been a target of destruction for many years. Laki, you must save your father! If you don't the line of guardians will be destroyed, and the Master Emerald will be susceptible to the evil in the world!"
"But, wouldn't I just guard the Master Emerald then?" Laki asked.
"I wish I were that simple, (Tikal sheds a single tear.) but Knuckles himself must pass the guard to you, or you are not the true guardian," Tikal says.
"Then, I will find and save my father! Mother, thank you for allowing me to know this, before it was too late," Laki says.
"May your violet eyes guide you true, and your arms uphold justice always, my daughter," Tikal said, as she transformed back into the pale ball of energy.
Laki watched as the ball slowly flowed back into the Master Emerald. Once it was inside, the emerald began to glow at its normal magnitude again. Laki sat on the edge of her father's bed, thinking about her new purpose in life.
~~Time Elapsed in this Section: About 8 hours~~
"GAAAAAH!!! I MUST GO BACK TO THE TREASURE!" Rouge shouted as she broke the door handle and made it fall over.
"ROUGE!" Shadow and Amy shouted.
"Oh, hello Rouge!" Laki greeted.
"Don't play dumb with me, what did it say?" Rouge demanded.
"Rouge, I must save my father!" Laki shouted.
"Oh, so NOW you tell me," Rouge said.
"You mean that, Knuckles is in trouble?" Amy asked.
"YES! That is why he has been gone so long!" Laki shouted a second time.
"We will help you find and rescue him, Laki," Shadow offered.
"Thank you, Shadow," Laki said.
"Well, if we are gonna go save him, where is he?" Rouge asked.
"Hmm, good question Rouge!" Amy said.
"Let's see, who could we go ask for help who always has the latest technology at his/her fingertips and has a vast knowledge of the land surrounded Station Square? Oh yeah, if might help if this person has piloting skills, too, I'm not gonna walk to where my father is being held prisoner," Laki said.
Amy, Rouge, and Shadow all look at each other, and blandly say together...
"Tails..." __________________________________________________________________
Hehe, don't you just love cliff-hangers? This one's for you, KittyHorse! Anyway, I'll try to get chapter 5 submitted some time this week, or weekend. Maybe even sooner. Anyway, please review and do not flame! Thank you.
Chapter 4: The Past is Revealed
If you read the previous chapter, you should recall that Laki was about to open up the giant box containing the green gem that she found in her dad's closet. But this time, Shadow, Rouge, and Amy were all watching. What conversation might occur when the group lays its eyes upon it?
~~Current Time: August the next day, 12 am~~ ~~Location: Knuckles's Bedroom, Knuckles's Apartment~~
"Hurry up and open it!!! I can't stand the suspense!" Rouge screamed.
"I'm opening it slowly, so that it doesn't fall out, you know that it is huge," Laki commented.
"Girl, just open it!" Amy scolded.
"Fine, fine..." Laki said, as she flung the cover open.
"I feel some sort of intense energy coming from inside," Shadow said, perplexed.
As soon as the box was opened, a giant beam of green light cascaded out from it. Amy, Shadow, and Laki had to cover their eyes, but Rouge just stood there, staring at it wide-eyed. After a few moments, the light faded, and revealed a heavenly floating green gem with a magnificent size.
"Can this be?" Rouge pondered.
"I think that I have seen this before. (Shadow thinks intently.)"
"Me too!" Amy adds.
"What? It is just a big gem, it isn't really spectacular, except that it is big, (she looks at it again) What? It is floating, again!?!" Laki shrieks.
"I know what this is!" Rouge shouts.
"I am going to go get some aspirin and go to bed, I am seeing things again..." Laki says as she walks out the door.
"Laki, it IS floating. You have no need to worry," Shadow tries to reassure Laki.
"This is..." Rouge pauses.
"What is it?" Amy asks.
"It could only be..." Rouge pauses again.
"Just tell me!" Laki screams.
"The one and only, (Rouge is about to say it.)"
"Rouge, let us know, now!" Shadow yells.
"THE MASTER EMERALD!" Rouge exclaims with more glee than she should have.
"What?" Laki asks in an 'I'm not very interested' kind of voice.
"Oh yeah, the Master Emerald! What Knuckles is the guardian of, duh" Amy says.
"But, shouldn't it be at its shrine at Angel Island, instead of hid away in a box?" Shadow wonders.
"What are you guys talking about? Master Emerald? Guardian, shrine, Angel Island? You aren't making any sense," Laki says in a confused voice.
"You mean that, Knuckles's never told you?" Rouge asks Laki.
"Tell me what?" Laki responds.
"That he was... (Amy pauses) That he IS the guardian of the Master Emerald?" Amy adds.
"I never knew what a Master Emerald was, or that my dad was the guardian of it," Laki replies.
"Not was, Laki... is. Your dad IS the guardian. This IS the Master Emerald," Shadow corrects.
"Wait, so you're telling me, that my dad is the guardian of this over- sized gem that you call the Master Emerald?" Laki states.
"YES" Rouge, Shadow, and Amy exclaim.
"And that it is supposed to be at a shrine or something?" Laki asks.
"Once again Laki, it is not something of the past, and it is something unique," Shadow corrects again.
"The Shrine of the Master Emerald, on Angel Island, where Knuckles's used to live, until..." Rouge stops to think.
"Until what?" Laki asks.
"Until you were born! That's why Knuckles moved into Station Square!" Rouge shouts.
"Yeah, that explains it! He wanted you to live a normal life, not one where you had to eternally watch over the Master Emerald," Amy adds.
"But then, why was I born?" Laki asks, "I mean, why would he have had children if he was supposed to be watching over this gem?"
"I cannot answer that, but, I bet we know how to answer it," Shadow says.
"How?" Laki wonders.
"We are going to leave this room, and then I want you to mold your mind with the Master Emerald. It is said that, it speaks with whomever it knows it needs to," Shadow said.
"Ah, uh, ok Shadow, I will try to communicate with it," Laki says.
"Well, you heard Shadow, Rouge, let's go!" Amy says as she grabs Rouge's hand.
"But the treasure! The Master Emerald!" Rouge cries as she squirms to get away.
Needless to say, Shadow and Amy had to drag Rouge out of the room so the Master Emerald could communicate with Laki and tell her of her past.
{Laki, we are alone now...} A voice says.
"Who is there?" Laki asks.
{I am overjoyed, for now is the time that I may not only tell you, but show you who I am...} The voice responds.
"Then, do so," Laki whispers.
Suddenly, the Master Emerald dims its light a little, and releases a pale ball of glowing energy. Then, it slowly glides over to Laki, and wavers in the air for a few moments. It then, releases a huge wall of light, and momentarily blinds Laki. After a few seconds, the captive light ceased, and a beautiful figure emerged from it. Laki thought for a moment that this figure was familiar to her.
"Do, do I know you?" Laki asked.
"You do indeed, future guardian," The figure said.
The figure slowly began to take its form. First, beautiful straight pale-tan hair was visible. Laki recognized this, and realized that that hair was just like her own, except for the fact that she had natural red highlights when this figure's did not. The figure was soon fully visible, but Laki still could not think of who it was, but that it was a woman, who she felt a deep tie to.
"Future guardian?" Laki asked.
"Yes, that is what you are to become, my daughter," The woman said.
"You mean that, you are..." Laki said.
"Laki, I am your mother, Tikal," Tikal responded.
Laki, in a dazed manner, was suddenly cheerful. She threw her arms around this woman, her mother. And Tikal returned the embrace that her daughter gave her. But this moment of happiness was short-lived, for Tikal still had to tell Laki of her past.
"Laki, do you wish to know of your past?" Tikal asks her daughter.
"Oh, yes! Please tell me, mother," Laki begged.
"Very well. The Master Emerald was my tribe's, our tribe's, most prized treasure. It protected us, and allowed us to live in peace. But my father, your grandfather, was not satisfied. He wanted more. So he waged war to rule over much land. He was happy that he was able to this. But soon, his greed and arrogance grew, which soon led him to slow destruction. He was going to use this Master Emerald for the purpose of war, for his own personal gain. But attempting to do this, he killed himself, and his many followers. I knew, that the Master Emerald could be used for evil if it was not guarded carefully, so I allowed my sole to be one with the emerald. As the generations passed, many echidnas were chosen to guard this Master Emerald. The last in this line, was Knuckles. And after Knuckles, you are to come next. But your father is in great danger now, for he has been a target of destruction for many years. Laki, you must save your father! If you don't the line of guardians will be destroyed, and the Master Emerald will be susceptible to the evil in the world!"
"But, wouldn't I just guard the Master Emerald then?" Laki asked.
"I wish I were that simple, (Tikal sheds a single tear.) but Knuckles himself must pass the guard to you, or you are not the true guardian," Tikal says.
"Then, I will find and save my father! Mother, thank you for allowing me to know this, before it was too late," Laki says.
"May your violet eyes guide you true, and your arms uphold justice always, my daughter," Tikal said, as she transformed back into the pale ball of energy.
Laki watched as the ball slowly flowed back into the Master Emerald. Once it was inside, the emerald began to glow at its normal magnitude again. Laki sat on the edge of her father's bed, thinking about her new purpose in life.
~~Time Elapsed in this Section: About 8 hours~~
"GAAAAAH!!! I MUST GO BACK TO THE TREASURE!" Rouge shouted as she broke the door handle and made it fall over.
"ROUGE!" Shadow and Amy shouted.
"Oh, hello Rouge!" Laki greeted.
"Don't play dumb with me, what did it say?" Rouge demanded.
"Rouge, I must save my father!" Laki shouted.
"Oh, so NOW you tell me," Rouge said.
"You mean that, Knuckles is in trouble?" Amy asked.
"YES! That is why he has been gone so long!" Laki shouted a second time.
"We will help you find and rescue him, Laki," Shadow offered.
"Thank you, Shadow," Laki said.
"Well, if we are gonna go save him, where is he?" Rouge asked.
"Hmm, good question Rouge!" Amy said.
"Let's see, who could we go ask for help who always has the latest technology at his/her fingertips and has a vast knowledge of the land surrounded Station Square? Oh yeah, if might help if this person has piloting skills, too, I'm not gonna walk to where my father is being held prisoner," Laki said.
Amy, Rouge, and Shadow all look at each other, and blandly say together...
"Tails..." __________________________________________________________________
Hehe, don't you just love cliff-hangers? This one's for you, KittyHorse! Anyway, I'll try to get chapter 5 submitted some time this week, or weekend. Maybe even sooner. Anyway, please review and do not flame! Thank you.