Once again, Sonic and all related characters belong to Sega. One of my fan-characters is introduced in this chapter. If someone else had a fan-character by the same name, I didn't copy you.
Please review if you can, but go easy on me since this is the first story I've ever posted.
Chapter 2: The Emerald Breaks…Again!
Meanwhile, on the floating Angel Island, Knuckles was looking up at the Master Emerald in its altar. He had decided that it was too risky to leave it outside where anyone could see it, so he had moved it underground again. He realized that this was the third time he'd changed its location.
"Gee," he said. "First a water guardian and a girl get trapped inside it, and then a bat-girl tries to steal it…what next?" Knuckles stepped up to the big green emerald and put one hand on it. "Hopefully, with it underground like this, there won't be anything next."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a strange blue light began coming from the back of the cavern. Knuckles stood up straight and looked at it, suspiciously. Suddenly, someone stepped through the light and appeared at the base of the altar. Knuckles put up his fists.
"Who are you?" he yelled. "And what are you doing here?"
The figure looked up at him. He was hard to see in the darkness of the cavern, but Knuckles could see him just fine because his eyes had adjusted to the low light. It was a black echidna, almost like him. He had white sneakers with blue stripes and blue, half-closed eyes. He smiled at him.
Knuckles was surprised to see another echidna, but he still didn't put his fists down. "Answer me!" he barked. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
The black echidna just climbed to the top of the steps. "Is that an emerald?" he asked, calmly.
Knuckles jumped in front of it. "Yes, that is an emerald, and you better not get any closer to it, or I'll beat the living daylights outta ya!"
For a moment, the black echidna looked shocked. Then a big smile appeared on his face. "My name is Drake," he said. "Calm down, I'm not going to steal it."
Knuckles just frowned. "How did you get in here? Where did you come from?"
"Questions, questions," Drake just muttered. He didn't answer either of them. There were a few moments of silence as he stared at the Master Emerald.
Finally, Knuckles spoke again. "Look, Freaky-Drake-Echidna-Guy," he said. "You better get out of this place right now, and if I ever find you telling anybody else about this place, I'll hunt you down and break your…"
Drake sat on the floor in front of him, completely at ease. "I told you I wasn't going to steal it. You don't believe me?"
Slowly, Knuckles put his fists down, but he still remained on alert. Besides, Drake would be easier to hit if he saw him going for the Master Emerald, because it would take a while for him to stand up.
Drake just seemed contented staring at it. Finally, he asked. "Is this the Great Emerald?"
Knuckles had no idea how to answer that question. Finally, he decided to just use his technique and not answer at all.
"So?" Drake asked again. "IS this the Great Emerald?"
Knuckles crossed his arms. "You never answered my questions, so why should I answer your question?"
Drake sighed. "Well I guess it doesn't really matter…" He looked up at Knuckles. "Have you seen any medallions around here?"
"Medallions?" said Knuckles. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Drake stood up again.
Knuckles readied himself, just in case.
Drake was starting to glow. He held his hands at his sides and something big and round was appearing behind him.
Knuckles' eyes hurt, but he forced them to stay open. One second he closed his eyes would be just enough time for Drake to swipe the Master Emerald. The light kept getting brighter…until all of a sudden, the Master Emerald exploded. The pieces went through the cave and scattered throughout the land.
Knuckles groaned. "Not again!"
Drake dropped to the ground and his face turned very white. "Oh my God…I…I didn't know it would do that. Oh, I just screw up everything! One day I'm accidentally going to destroy the planet."
Knuckles was surprised at how distressed he looked.
Drake crawled to his knees. "I'm so, so sorry, Mr. Red-Echidna-Keeper-Guy. I didn't know it would do that. There must be something wrong with the…"
"Don't worry about it," Knuckles said. "I just have to go get 'em again and stick 'em back together. I've done this twice before."
Drake looked confused. "Really? That's strange…" They stared at each other for a while.
"Anyway, I'm Knuckles," Knuckles spoke up. "Bye for now." He went running away.
Drake stared at the podium where the Master Emerald once stood. "I should take lessons from you, Knuckles," he said to nobody. "You're a much better keeper than I am." He looked around. "Well, I best get started finding those Chaos Medallions." He ran off in the opposite direction.
Even government spies need a break every now and then. After Rouge had fallen from the space colony, she had decided to take it easy, but that didn't mean she'd given up her hunt for jewels. She lied on a beach towel, tanning and sharpening her nails. Then she sat up and drew some hearts in the sand, just for fun.
Suddenly, Rouge noticed something glimmering in the sky. It hurled through the air and landed right in front of her. She gasped.
"A Master Emerald shard? But how could we have missed one?" She thought for a while. "Unless it shattered again somehow…which means…" Rouge hugged the shard to her chest. "I know!" she cried. "I'll collect all of them and only give them back to him if he takes me out on a date!" She frowned. "But that would be admitting that I like him…" Rouge shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I've still got to go hunting for them again!"
She got up off her towel, packed up her beach equipment and changed into her normal pink and black suit with white boots and gloves.
"Okay," she said, "Time to get back in business! You better look out; here I come!"