A flash of blindingly white light. A feeling of… pause. Look around. All gray. All except Master Emerald. Master Emerald bright green. Green like grass. Green like Life. "Omega… I'm a bit busy at the moment…" voice comes from green.

Omega shook off the perception that had been imposed upon him. "Well, it's important… what do you know about E-151c?"

Just then, Omega became Aware that he was being watched. Not only watched, but studied. It was a cold, calculating feeling… and it wasn't familiar. It wasn't one of the Chaos Spirits, nor was it their Master. In fact, at that moment, one of the Chaos Spirits- Chaos Cyan- became Present in the fractured time. "Ah, THERE you are, Master. We've got a problem…"

"Chaos Cyan?" Omega asked.

Chaos Cyan gave the impression of turning around and spotting Omega. "Hmm? What? Oh, hello, Omega. Listen, can't talk, I have to speak with Master."

"That's why I'm here! But… how exactly are you here, when your physical presence is in Atlantis?"

"Oh, the Emerald? That doesn't matter. It's not like we actually travel anywhere. We just project our Presence and Power across the Fractured Time."

"Wait… you can project yourself?"

"Of course. We all did it the first time we met, remember? But this isn't the time for this sort of thing. There's a crisis."

"We're having a bit of a crisis in the physical plane, as well. There's a new E-series project out there, E-151c."

"I wonder if they could be related…"

"Finished! That should be all for a while…" the Master Spirit muttered, and turned its attention to Cyan. "Yes, Chaos Cyan?"

"Master, there is something in the Fractured Time that does not belong here. Something new. Something big. Something that could be very, very dangerous. And it's GROWING."

"But… I need to know about E-151c!" Omega interrupted.

The Master Spirit paused for a moment. Finally, it said, "They are the same problem."

"What?" Omega and Chaos Cyan said simultaneously.

"You heard me. They're the same problem. The new Presence in the Fractured Time is the original version of E-151c."

"Wait, wait… original version?"

"Yes, the original version. You are aware of how ant colonies operate? There are several different versions of E-151c. The ones that attacked you were soldier versions. There are several thousand of the worker versions currently building and maintaining Dr. Robotnik's fortress. But none of these are the original E-151c. The original E-151c, and the new Presence in the Fractured Time… they are one and the same… the Queen."

"Oh, no… this is very, VERY bad…" Chaos Cyan said. "Master, if a mortal can make something that can extend itself into the Fractured Time… live here, and on the Physical Plane at the same time, without being torn apart by its perceptions… this could mean trouble. Kun'nuk'kles's Sacrifice could be all for naught…"

"Kun'nuk'kles?" Omega asked. "Who is that?"

"Was. Past tense. Millennia ago, on Mobius. But that isn't important right now. You will be told, later," said the Master Spirit, exuding an air of concern.

This was the first time Omega had seen any of the Spirits in the Fractured Time show an emotion. "You… are capable of emotions? I thought that things that were never alive couldn't have that sort of thing," he ventured.

"Damn and blast! Well, the charade is over, for me, at least," the Master Spirit said, and began to change from a vaguely hominid green glow to something else altogether.

It was… an echidna; a red, male echidna, with knuckles like Knuckles's. He even had the same symbol/spot on his chest. There only seemed to be one difference between the echidna before him, and Knuckles; his eyes. This echidna's eyes were green, bright green, the same green as the Master Emerald. They had no irises, nor did they have pupils; simply 2 holes in his face, filled from edge to edge with green light. Omega blinked. This was not what he had expected, not at all. "Are you… Kun'nuk'kles?" he asked.

The echidna shook his head. "No, I am the Master Spirit. Kun'nuk'kles… is no more. But this spiritual essence I have, it used to be his. And emotions are part of the package, with living souls."

"So… what happened? What was Kun'nuk'kles's sacrifice?"

"I suppose I should tell you… we do have all the time we need, as long as you are here… and, I have his memories, so I know EXACTLY what went on preceding my creation…"

(Story to be told in separate story, The Legacy of Kun'nuk'kles. Certainty will be on hiatus until end of Kun'nuk'kles.)