GATHERING KNOWLEDGE
They all ran through the entrance as the wind blew vigorously outside. It seemed as if the weather was getting worse ever since it began raining at the funeral, which was a day before. Knuckles' cave was left the same from when they last saw it. However, it seemed to have a gloomier air about it. Like something was missing, when in fact, something-or rather someone-was. They had come here for one specific reason: to learn about the friend they had lost.
"Wow! I didn't know he had a Bat cave!" DJ said as he took in his surroundings. "It's not a Bat cave! It's an echidna cave," Swiper corrected. "It's not anything like that! It was his home!" Vector said to settle them. "Why are we here again?" Morph asked. "Even though we were his friends, we still didn't know that much about him. We're hoping that maybe we can find something out here," Sally answered as they came into his room. There wasn't much in it. Just a hand-made bed, a dresser, and a large bookshelf. They stood there for a minute, then decided to begin their search. "I appreciate you guys staying a little longer with us. I know you must have to get back home…" Julie-Su said quietly to the Ravagers as they spread out with the others. "He was our friend too…and you're all our friends. Friends do things for each other, so it's really nothing. Just doin' the right thing," Vipes said as he picked up a book on the shelf.
Julie-Su wiped some water off of 'her' hat and placed it back on her head. She wore it everywhere now. She opened up the top drawer of his dresser and froze. It was the picture of him and her from his birthday. She picked it up with tears in her eyes and stared at it, remembering how happy they were. Rouge placed her hand on her echidna friend's shoulder and asked, "You sure you wanna do this?" Julie-Su nodded as she dried her eyes and began to look around.
"Wow. Look at it all," they heard DJ say as he looked in a book. "What is it?" Mighty asked. "He's got the biggest collection of Poe's books I've ever seen. My library at the mansion doesn't have half as many." "Poe?" Vector asked, having never picked up a book in his life, besides the regular 'magazine'. "Edgar Allen Poe. He was a writer. He was…kind of a…a crazy guy," DJ replied. "How so?" "His work was mostly about horror and the occult, loaded with blood, and usually very horrifying. Just the way he wrote it made me think the guy wasn't well in the head." There was a silence for quite a while, and no one moved. "Dimitri…did once say that Knux wasn't all together in his head…Maybe he wasn't pullin' our legs. Maybe Knux was a bit messed up," Sonic muttered.
They looked through every book in the shelf. Nothing but books. No journals, no records, nothing. "'Sigh'. I was hoping to learn something about him," Julie-Su said quietly as they got ready to leave. "Hold!" Vipes said as her froze while walking past the bookshelf. He motioned for F.C. to come next to him, and the mage did so. "What is it, old friend?" he whispered to the young ninja. "Take your hand…and slowly move it forward about six inches ahead of you." F.C. did so, and moved his hand curiously through the air. "What is going on?" Shadow asked as he too stepped forward. "There is a soft wind current in the air…and it's coming from the bookcase," Vipes said as he turned to the shelf. DJ ran a x-ray scan and said, "Yep. There's something behind it." This was strange. What did he have to hide that he would keep it behind a bookcase? Cap and Mighty looked at each other and nodded as the each took one end of the shelf and moved it, revealing a long, dark passage. "Creepy…" Freezie said in a high-pitched voice. At first, no one motioned to go in. "Guys…if we do this…we can't go back…and we might not like what we find," Espio said. Julie-Su took a deep breath and said, "No. I have to learn about him. Learn what he never told anyone. It's all down there, and that's where I'm going."
Grim created a fireball in his hand and led the way as they slowly walked down the passage. It was cold in there, and they were rather cramped for room. "You know, this is like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where they find the passage and there's the evil Indian guys, and the guy rips the other guys heart out and gets dipped into lava, and they get caught trying to escape and-" "DJ…You aren't making this any less creepy. Please stop," Grim said as he stared DJ in the face. "Oh. Okay." They continued a few more steps, and DJ began rambling again, "Or it's like The Goonies, where the kids find the map and they're in the tunnel with the booby traps and they're being chased by the Mafia people and they find the big, tall, freaky guy that yells 'HEY YOU GUYS!!!'" "SHUT UP!!!" Grim yelled aS 'GUYS!!!'echoed through the passage. He shook his head in astonishment and turned as he took a deep breath. "There's the end…praise the Lord."
They stepped out of the hall into a large room, they looked around, but still couldn't see anything. Antoine found a small fireplace, which Grim lit. When the room was lit up by the fire, they knew they had found what they wanted. "L-look," Ray said as he pointed to a shelf filled with books. Julie-Su picked one up and smiled. "We did it. These are his journals."
She chuckled and said, "Listen to this:
Today I met a squirrel named Sally. She's the Princess of Mobius. At first I thought she was a snob, but she's actually really nice. I've never had a friend before, because I'm not supposed to, but it's nice to finally have one. She's really pretty, too. I hope that we become really good friends."
Sally smiled as her eyes watered. "Aww…'Sniff'. That's so cute!" Sally reached onto the shelf and picked up another journal. "Check this one out:
Today was crazy. I was minding my own business, practicing my meditation, when this Legionnaire tries to jump me. Turns out he was a she. Her name is Julie-Su. She said she had to find me, but didn't know why (To kill me, perhaps?). Anyway, I was kind of a jerk to her. She wanted to get away from the Legion and I treated her like she was still one of them. I have had a lot on my back lately, but I really should have treated her better. I'll have to make it up to her somehow. She doesn't seem to know anyone, so maybe we can be friends or something. Just to note, she is absolutely beautiful. I should be so lucky she would want a shmuck like me as a friend. But hey, only those who try are rewarded. Anyway, back to the craziness of the day…"
Julie-Su closed her eyes and remembered back to that day. She sighed at the thought of him finding her attractive way back then. "Check this! It's a photo album," Amy said as they gathered around. There were pictures from all periods in his life. When he was a kid, when they became friends, there was even a big group picture of all of them that was taken before they left Station Square. He must have gone here before he was kidnapped.
"Woah…" Morph said as he flipped through another journal.
"I have to wake up now. Dad isn't coming back. It's been two months now. Where is he? Why did he just leave me? I just don't get it. He has some ability to use the ME to help him out, so no one could have killed him. Did he just leave me here? Why? Did I do something wrong? Was I a bad son? Did he not love me? Did he love someone else more?"
They all stood in silence as Morph turned the page and read another section.
"I almost did it today. I almost killed myself. I was gonna use my spurs to kill myself quick, but I decided to jump off the Island. If I hit my head on the water, I would be knocked out and die without knowing it. I was so close to doing it. I was on the edge, about to jump, took a deep breath and counted to three, but I fell to my knees and cried instead. Why is this happening to me? I don't wanna die, but I don't wanna live like this. It's so lonely up here…it's been years since I spoke to someone. I'm willing to talk to anyone. I don't care who. Just to talk to someone. I hate you, Dad, for leaving me here like this."
"That's…really heavy," Sonic said as they all nodded slightly in agreement. He obviously didn't want anyone to find these. After searching for a little longer, Vector walked up to Julie-Su and held out a journal to her. "I…think he'd want you to have this." She stared at him for a moment, took the journal. She opened it and couldn't believe it. The entire journal was about her. It was filled with thoughts, pictures, and entries. What really surprised her was the fact that there were poems and songs, and even a few hand drawn pictures, which were really good. All of her. All about her. She just stared tearfully in awe as she flipped through the pages. She closed it up and clutched it tightly against her chest. He really had cared about her. She really had meant something to him. This was too much to take at once. She ran. Without saying a thing, she ran out of the room and down the dark passage. She heard the others call out to her, but she didn't answer them. She just kept running and running. She ran out of the cave, out into the woods, until she finally stopped to catch her breath. When she looked up, she saw a familiar pond in front of her.
"Where are we going?" "Don't worry. It's just a little farther." "Knuckles, what's up with you?" "Nothing. We're here. Now take off the blindfold." "Wow." "Yeah. When the fireflies come out at night the pond looks really cool." "Cool? It's beautiful." "It's not the only thing here that's beautiful." "…Thanks."
She was so happy that night. It was the first time anyone had ever called her beautiful. Sure there was the ever-occurring "Hey Hottie" back when she was in the Legion, but that always came from some self-worshiping jerk, or some pervert looking for a wild night. But Knuckles had been different. He had made her feel like a lady. And now he was gone. It was too much. She had a thought and looked up at the waterfall high above the pond. She slowly walked up the side of the cliff and looked down. She placed the journal on the ground and stepped onto the edge. 'I can't do it. I can't go one without you. With this cold feeling in my heart. At least we'll be together this way.' She closed her eyes and jumped.
It was weird. She knew she was going to die, but she didn't care. She only thought of seeing him. Slowly, the darkness began to overcome her. Suddenly, she felt someone's arms around her and pull her towards the surface. When they broke surface, her rescuer began to pull her towards shore. She wanted to scream at whoever was saving her. She didn't want to be saved. But she couldn't speak. She was hardly clinging onto consciousness, and there was too much water in her lungs. She felt someone lie her out on the shore and breathe into her mouth to give her air. She felt a surge of water coming up her throat and began coughing it up. She started gasping loudly and turned to her rescuer, only to gasp in shock.
This couldn't be real. It just couldn't. Because there he was. He was soaked from the rescue, and he was a little out of breath, but there he was. "Kn-Knuckles?" she asked, looking up at him. He nodded, not saying a word. She looked into his eyes and saw that he was crying. His face and his tears made him look like a little boy who had just had a beloved pet die. "Why are you crying?" He didn't answer. He just stared at her with his big, tearful eyes. She felt her eyes water as she threw her arms around him. "Please!Don't cry! What's wrong?" she sobbed. "I died so that you could live," he said just above a whisper. She looked up at him, tearfully. "But I want to be with you." He brushed her wet hair away from her eyes and replied, "And I wanna be with you…but I can't. I want you to live…and be happy." "I can't be happy without you. You died a month ago and I still can't get you out of my mind. I love you." He smiled and said, "Well, there's your solution." She looked at him, confused as to what he meant. "Love never dies. I love you, and therefore, I'll always be with you." She smiled at him, and how romantic he was being. "I have to go, now," he said, causing her eyes to water again. "No, please! Don't-" she began, until he put a finger to her lips, put his hands on the sides of her face, and kissed her. All she could do was enjoy the moment, and close her eyes...
She felt something shaking her, and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked up and saw all of her friends gathered around her. She quickly sat up and looked around, he wasn't there. She looked at herself to see that she was soaked, and 'her' hat lying next to her as damp as she was. Had it happened? She looked up at them, and quickly received a slap to the face. She put her hand on her red cheek and looked up at Sally. "What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Do you think he'd want you to go kill yourself over him?!?! He wanted you to live!!! I've already lost one friend, I don't want to lose another!!!" Sally shouted, half crying at the same time. She fell on her knees beside Julie-Su and began crying. Julie-Su, feeling bad, put her arms around Sally to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Sal."
"Did you swim to shore on your own?" Swiper asked. Julie-Su looked up at him in shock. "You mean you guys didn't save me?" "No. We found you here unconscious." She couldn't believe it. He had saved her. "Guys…I think he saved me." They all looked at each other, and then at her. "Julie-Su…It's a nice thought that he did, but he-" "No! He really did! I saw him! He pulled me to shore and spoke to me!" She paused for a moment and went on, "He told me that he would always be with me, and that love never dies." "Hun, maybe you were hallucinatin' er somethin'," Bunnie said. "Or maybe…she has a Guardian…Guardian watching over her," Grim remarked. "Maybe…" Mighty said.
Time went by, and not too much changed. The Ravagers had gone back to Station Square, the Freedom Fighters returned to the Kingdom of Acorn, and the Chaotix took up the Guardian's duties. The weather had been very strange since his death, some six months past, with weird storms blackening the sky.
Mighty was doing his usual route, passing through the cemetery as he did every Sunday. The tombstone had not changed. It was a very nice stone. It simply read:
Here Lies
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
Brave Son of Edmund
Protector of Peace and Friend to All
"What's up, bro? Things are going alright here. Weather's been weird, though. Haven't seen the sky in days. Anyway, guess what? Remember stuttery ol' Ray? He doesn't stutter anymore. He's real happy about it. Espio is being Espio, quiet and out of the way. Vector, he's the one that's changed the most. He's been treating Julie-Su real nice. Crazy, huh? He's treating her like a sister or somethin'. Julie-Su…she's still real upset over you. I know it's been a while, and you supposedly came to her, but she's still out of it. I see her come by here every day. I try to, but I'm always too busy. Me? I'm alright. I just…I just miss you, man. We all do." He started crying, but felt comforted as someone placed their hand on his shoulder. "I'm always here to pick you up," Ray said with as big a smile as he could muster. Espio appeared out of thin air and threw in, "Same goes for me." "N' me," Vector said as he walked towards them. They looked out and saw Julie-Su coming towards them. She looked no different, except for the hat she wore. It was his hat, the one he had given her. "His mom does a nice job with the flowers," she said as she stood beside them. "Yeah. Red and violet, with a few whites in there. Just like him," Espio replied. Julie-Su had felt better since she'd 'seen' him, but every day it seemed harder and harder to get along. Her heart only became heavier. But she would live through the pain…for him. "You okay, Jewel?" Vector said to her, using a nickname he had given her. "Don't laugh, Knux! I told ya he was treatin' her good!" Mighty said, chuckling. "Mighty…he isn't really-" "No. Don't," Julie-Su said, interrupting Ray, "I like his laugh." They all smiled and looked down at the grave. "Yeah. Us too," Mighty said.
"It is happening, Locke. All of the prophecies are coming true. The weather-" "I realize this, father. I had hoped this would have passed over us, but we will have to endure it." "Endure it? How??? This is-" "I know well what it is! It's bad enough I have to lose my only son, but now I have to deal with this!" "Locke…the lad loved you." "I know. And he would have gladly led the charge into this, but…he can't now. I will contact King Acorn. We have to make preparations."
King Acorn looked out his window at the black, cloudy sky. 'It is happening. May the Walkers be with us.'
"F.C.! Are you okay, my friend?" "Vipes! It's unbelievable!" "What?" "The positive-negative energy flow of the planet! The imbalance is huge! It wasn't this great when Eclipse had arisen!" "What is it? What is this new evil?" "I don't know…but it is unlike anything we've ever encountered." "How off-balance is the positive-negative energy flow?" "To make it clear for you, if the total energy was the air around the whole planet, I could hold the positive energy in the palm of my hand."
Author's Note: Gotta give credit where it's due! I am SO good at leaving you all in suspense. The next story will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing, crying, shivering, eating a slice of pizza...Yeah. I won't give too much away, but it's a little something I call 'The Chaose Tournament', and it will includetwo new fan character of mine (Don't worry. He isn't at all as crazy as the Ravagers!) Well, gotta go! Later!