Chapter 6 Behind The Door
Author's Note: Sorry for the long update wait, but I was lazy. Umm.... on with the next chapter! Oh, and by the way, from now on, the words Demon's Medallion will be capitalized. And just so everyone knows, Knuckles's dad looks just like Knuckles, except for the fact that his eyes are maroon and he wears a brown, hooded cloak, and his fur is sort of grayish. One last thing, when Knuckles is thinking, it's written like this.
I'm going to stop putting author's notes at the end of chapters, only at the beginning, just so you know. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, so be patient.
Disclaimer: The only person I don't own in this next chapter is Knuckles. Everyone else is mine! All mine!
The figure behind the door was not a pleasant one. He was a dog, a brownish tan color with ears erect, almost like a dingo. His one eye was a gray-blue color; the other covered by a black eye patch. His brown pants had many holes in them, and his shirt was red with a skull and crossbones on it. His double-pierced ear reminded Knuckles of Frankie, making him more home sick. But what really caught Knuckles's eye was a golden medallion around the dog's neck, with a wing on it and it was giving off a soft glow. Could it have anything to do with the Demon's Medallion?
The dog's Snarl soon turned to a smile at seeing Sparx. But even more surprising than the dog's sudden mood change was the fact that he reached out and shook Sparx's hand, while exclaiming, "Great to see ya again pal!" How could he touch Sparx's hand? Was he a ghost too? And why had Sparx made him come so far to see this dog with an attitude problem? The questions raced through his mind as the dog turned to look at him, his smile fading quickly.
"You!" he snarled, showing his rows off shiny white teeth. Apparently, his teeth were the only things he took good care of. 'What makes you think you can just show up on my doorstep!" The dog then looked at Sparx again, giving him an angry glare. "And you!' he shouted at Sparx, "What makes you think that you can just bring him here, and everything's gonna be fine and dandy between us again! Nothing will ever be fine and dandy between us again!" Once again he turned to Knuckles, "You hear that Jamie? Nothing!"
"Wait a second," Knuckles cut in, looking the exasperated dog in the eye. Now it made sense, this guy thought he was his father, which was very understandable since they were identical, except for eye color and the fact that Knuckles didn't wear a cloak. "I am not Jamie, I'm his son, Knuckles!"
"Oh yeah?" the dog snarled, "That's quite convenient that you and your father look exactly the same!"
Now Sparx stepped in, sticking up for Knuckles. "The boy speaks the truth!" He insisted, "Jamie is his father!"
Knuckles cringed at what Sparx had called him. A boy? He was no boy! A married echidna with two children could hardly be considered a boy. He would've liked to say something, but he decided against it.
"What do you take me for?" the dog demanded, "A pure idiot?"
Actually, Knuckles thought, I did take you for that at first.
"Listen," Sparx tried, in a calmer voice, "How about we just go inside and talk this over. I can assure you that he is Jamie's son, and we are in desperate need of your help."
The dog gave both Knuckles and Sparx dirty looks. "I wouldn't let Jamie into my home if you paid me!" he proclaimed.
Interesting, Knuckles thought, I wouldn't go into you home if you paid me.
"For the last time," Sparx said, "he's not Jamie! Look at his eyes!"
Why didn't we think of that sooner?
The dog looked carefully at Knuckles eyes and sighed. "Whatever..." he mumbled as he opened the door, letting them inside.
The inside of the house was no more appealing than the outside. There was an old armchair that looked like the dog had chewed it, a ratty old table, and a stone by the table, which Knuckles took to be a seat.
The dog effortlessly pulled the armchair over to the table a sat down. "You can sit there," he muttered to Knuckles, pointing at the stone.
"Thanks," Knuckles replied without meaning it.
"Well," Sparx started, breaking the silence, "Knuckles, this is LeLax, he's an old friend of mine."
Knuckles looked at the dog that Sparx had identified as LeLax in disgust. What kind of name is LeLax anyway?
Sparx then turned to LeLax and said, "LeLax, this is Knuckles." The dog grunted in response, not making eye contact with Knuckles.
"LeLax is kind of a... different name, isn't it?" Knuckles asked curiously.
"Oh, and like ya hear the name Knuckles every day?" LeLax shot back.
Sparx cut in before it got ugly, "LeLax isn't actually his real name, Knuckles."
"Sparx..." LeLax warned, obviously not wanting his real name revealed.
Knuckles grinned. His name is probably something nerdy. "Go ahead Sparx," Knuckles said, "what's LeLax's real name?"
Sparx ignored the dog's angry glares and continued talking. "Rover, actually. He was abandoned at an adoption center as a two-month-old, with nothing but a blanket that said 'Rover'. He adapted the name LeLax because as he grew older, everyone realized that he was Lazy and he liked to rELAX, earning him the nickname, LeLax."
LeLax glared at him, but Sparx ignored it.
"Ok," LeLax shot back, "what's the story behind Knuckles's name?"
Knuckles thought about that for a second. He didn't think there was a story behind his name. He was Knuckles, period.
"Well," Sparx started, "there isn't a story except for the fact that Jamie named him for the large knuckles on his fists."
LeLax nodded, looking half pleased with the answer. "So," he asked, "what brings you here?"
Knuckles stayed quiet as Sparx explained how they were after Jamie, and the medallion pieces. LeLax nodded, and grunted a few times to show he was listening.
"So," LeLax said when Sparx was finished, "I'm guessing you'll be wanting this." He pointed to the golden medallion around his neck, and Sparx nodded.
Sparx turned to Knuckles, knowing that he was wondering what the medallion around LeLax's neck had to with anything. "You see," Sparx said, pointing to the dog's neck, "this is the Hero's Medallion. It is exactly the same as the Demon's Medallion, except it supplies positive energy, instead of negative." Knuckles still didn't understand what that had to do with him, but Sparx wasn't finished. "More importantly," he continued, "wearing this medallion allows you to make contact with ghosts."
So that's why he could shake Sparx's hand, Knuckles thought.
"I haven't got a problem with giving it to you," LeLax told him, "as long as you're using it to fight Jamie." LeLax took of the medallion and handed it to Knuckles. "Jamie's the reason I lost my eye," he explained, pointing to the patch, "he couldn't kill me though, and I'm glad for that."
Knuckles nodded as he put the medallion around his neck, and he felt a certain power go through him.
"Thank you," he replied, meaning it.
LeLax nodded, and wished the two good luck as they continued on their journey.