Part 2:
Future Shattered

They ran. Knuckles was numb. He couldn't believe what had happened. Why had the humans come for them so suddenly, why come to exact revenge against them before they'd saved their own village. Why were they after them? They hadn't done anything. Knuckles had never complained that life wasn't fair before, but as his limbs responded to take him on what he knew was destined to be a very long journey he heard a small despairing voice in his back of his head complain. He didn't want it to be like this.

Behind them they could hear the distant sounds of engines. The humans must almost have reached their house by now. Desperately Knuckles hoped they wouldn't have left enough of a trail to be followed. Shadow was pulling him along with his far greater speed, but Knuckles was dictating the direction. He knew where they were going; he'd walked this path many times, in better days. He just hoped it wasn't a fool's errand, the wrong path, which would only bring more innocent souls into danger.

All around them trees flashed past, their way lit only by the light of the fragmented moon. They could hardly see where they were running. Then the inevitable happened. Shadow tripped over something and fell with what for Knuckles was a sickeningly familiar snapping sound. Then a moment later Knuckles was falling too. He landed half on top of Shadow.
"Are you alright?" Knuckles asked breathlessly
After a moment's pause Shadow lifted himself up on his hands and responded "Yes"
"Thank goodness! I thought that snapping noise was your leg!" Knuckles lifted himself to his knees then to his feet, once he was standing he offered Shadow his hand and pulled him to his feet.
"Where are we going Knux?" Shadow asked softly, as though he feared enemies all around them
"The Echidna colony, there's some stuff we need to get hold of"
"We're not staying there then?"
"No. I won't put Sharay and the others in danger."
Shadow's eyes grew pained, he looked away.
"Lets go…" He sighed softly, and led Knuckles on

The smell of smoke welcomed them into the Echidna colony. It was a scent that made them both feel sick. They ran through the village at breakneck pace, until they almost slammed into the closed door of a hut. Knuckles banged his fist against it.
"Sharay! Jintae, let me in!"
Shadow just heard movement inside over the sound of his thumping heart. After a moment the door opened. Knuckles, who had been leaning on it for support practically fell through it.
"Knuckles!" Sharay shouted, looking over her father's shoulder. Jintae stared at them in a stupefied silence. His eyes rested on Shadow for rather longer than Knuckles would have liked.
"Help us!"
"Umm… come in?"
Jintae moved out of the way only a little before Knuckles fell through the door, Shadow entered just after him, hastily pushing the door shut and leaning upon it, panting. Shadow watched as Sharay approached Knuckles and offered him a steadying arm as he clamoured to get his breath back.
"What happened?" The old male voice asked, it took Shadow a moment to realise he was addressing him.
"The humans have forced us from our home" Shadow was still watching Knuckles and Sharay as he still gasped for breath. "My Guardian wished to come here first… to acquire something we need"
At that moment Knuckles looked up "Jintae… I need to talk to you…" he said, trying unsuccessfully to make his voice sound normal. No-one in the room was fooled into thinking anything other than this was something he didn't want Shadow to hear. At that Shadow's eyes broke away, disappointed almost. Knuckles pulled away from Sharay and began walking towards the back of the house.
"Sharay keep an eye on Shadow for me ok?"
Shadow just made a snorting noise as Knuckles and Jintae disappeared into the back room. Sharay, kept her eyes on Shadow, and backed away.

Knuckles hastily took his backpack from his back, and began going through it.
"We haven't got long, if we want to get clear away… but this is crucial" Knuckles amethyst eyes locked with Jintae's brown ones "I need you to help me keep Pandora's Box, away from Pandora… Its my insurance policy…" Knuckles pulled the metal case from his bag and held it almost protectively in his large fists "If my friend Sonic, a blue hedgehog comes here you can give this to him, he'll know what it is… But be certain it is him first! You can recognise him by the speed at which he moves, but he will most likely arrive in a blue plane, accompanied by a two tailed Kitsune." Knuckles held out the box to him, Jintae went to take it but he didn't let go "If the humans come. Destroy it. Burn it, crush it, I don't care, just make sure its in pieces. That's crucial. They-Must-Not-Be-Allowed-To-Have-It. Do you understand me?"
Jintae nodded "Elder's honour"
"Good… We have to go" Knuckles picked up his hunting crossbow again and swung his bag onto his back "Look after Sharay for me, and the colony… I hope we haven't brought danger upon you… But I couldn't be caught with this…"
Together they emerged from the back room. Shadow and Sharay were on opposite sides, Shadow looking extremely nervous, and now, Knuckles noted, his power was pushing against his blocks.
"Come on Shadow"
Together they headed for the door, followed closely by Sharay and her father. At the door she took Knuckles hand.
"Take care Knuckles" She said softly
Knuckles forced a smile, but couldn't offer any words of comfort. "You haven't seen us…" Knuckles said as he pulled away "Wish us luck"
With that Knuckles gave Shadow a mental command to run, as a rider spurs his horse, and they disappeared into the night. Sharay, her father, and a few other members of the colony simply watched them go.

Somewhere in the world, in a normal example of middle-class suburbia Phil Scobels lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling, off sick from school with what he thought was flu. On the floor, in front of a television set sat his Guardian, Charlie. In his large Echidna hands he held the controls to a games console, playing a noisy racing game.
"You'll rot your tiny brain if you play anymore of that Chucky!"
Charlie barely looked round "You just can't stand that I beat you"
"Whatever you say… whatever you say"
Charlie just chuckled in response, turning back to his computer game. Phil reached over to his CD player, tired of the noise from Charlie's game. As he did so he caught sight of his hand. He looked down on it. His skin had taken on a distinctly green colour. Charlie looked round.
"You ok?"
"Look at this…"
Phil moved across his bed and held his hand where his Guardian could see it. Charlie gazed at it for a moment, a frown spreading across his face.
"I thought you had flu!"
"So did I"
"Human hands aren't supposed to do that are they?"
"No"
Phil rolled up his sleeve. The green hint was progressing up his arm. Charlie's face had paled. He reached out and took Phil's hand
"It almost looks like scale-ahh!" he jumped back.
"What! What is it!"
"Look in the mirror!"
Phil moved fearfully across his bed until he could see his face reflected in his mirror. His features now looked distinctly lizard-like, his eyes were changing colour. Now, in places his clothes were beginning to tear as his body changed shape. Charlie was glowing. Phil screamed.