Sonic Adventures
SHADOW STORY
Episode Eleven
Angel Island Trauma
Knuckles hated picking berries. It was a loathsome chore that took near over four hours. Certain berries that grew on Angel Island were better than others. Some were slightly poisonous. Knuckles had learned this the hard way, and now tasked away in the brush picking plump red berries. His basket was almost full, and a full load would last him a month or two easily.
The Master Emerald he was supposed to be guarding sat serenely on top of its pedestal on the altar. Its lime-green glow illuminated the space around it, as brilliant in day as it way in the dark of night.
Knuckles hauled his now full basket of berries up the numerous stone stairs and set them next to the Emerald. He felt a sudden surge of awareness.
As he looked onto the horizon, he saw a small black speck, barely visible in the light blue sky. It seemed almost like an impurity, a spot of dirt that needed to be cleaned off.
Knuckles quickly descended the altar stairs and walked to the edge of the island. The speck was a bit bigger now; it appeared to be moving. Fast.
Another impulse came to Knuckles and he stepped aside, as the black speck rapidly became a giant missile, easily the same size as him. It rocketed past him almost sweeping him from his feet.
The thing shot up the altar stairs. It tried to turn around, but its momentum was too strong. Knuckles could've sworn that the thing had been a hedgehog, or at least something shaped like one.
It crashed into the Emerald, but instead of shattering it, the black missile simply meshed into it.
"Hey!" Knuckles cried as he began to charge up the altar. A bright flash of lime green light stopped him halfway up. The Emerald was doing something. He hurried up faster.
When he reached the top of the altar his heart sank. The Master Emerald was gone. In its place was a black hedgehog with menacing spikes. He was kneeling.
"Y-you!" Knuckles said in shock, "I-it can't b-be!"
The black hedgehog stood up and turned to face Knuckles. Knuckles recognized the creature.
"Shadow!" he scolded, "This is funny! What did you do to the Master Emerald?"
"It is not what I have done to the Emerald," Shadow smirked viciously, "But what the Emerald has done to me."
Knuckles looked at him befuddled. He was playing the previous scene back in his mind, trying to make sense of everything.
"Here," Shadow spoke up, "Let me show you." A flash of green light emitted from his eyes and he put his hand out as if to block Knuckles from something. Then a blinding shot of green energy surged from his hand and met Knuckles's chest. The blast sent him flying.
"Here this mortal!" Shadow called from the altar, "The time of the Shadow is here!" Shadow then flew off into the sky, leaving Knuckles on Angel Island, gasping for breath.
