Chapter 1

Number 2046

It was another sunny weekend in Station Square; and a white hedgehog was waiting for someone.

/Where is he? I wonder if Sonic has got him into another race.../ The white hedgehog sighed with annoyance.

"Angel!" A male voice called, and the white hedgehog; Angel, turned to see a black hedgehog walk towards her; "I'm sorry..."

"Its all right Shadow, your here now," Angel told him with a small smile; "But where are you taking me?"

But Shadow wasn't looking at her, instead he was looking into the alley; and moved quickly, grabbing the person that was spying on them. A blood red echidna.

"Who are you?" Shadow demanded to know, his grip on the echidna's wrist tightening.

"Number 2046," The echidna had a female voice.

"An experiment?" Shadow said, in his surprise he realised the hold he had over the female.

"Yes, like you two; Shadow and Angel, the two ultimate beings," The echidna said like it was a quote.

"Do you have a name?" Angel asked, touching Shadow's shoulder.

"I was called; from time to time; Athine," The blood red echidna told them; her amber eyes quickly surveying her surroundings.

"Was doctor..." Angel began to ask, and Athine began to laugh; and her laugh was laced with bitterness and scorn.

"No, his younger partner; apprentice; Dr Morto, created me," Athine told them; "To make me rival you two. As my number states; I was the 2046th to be created,"

The two looked surprised; but Shadow was quickly on the defensive;

"So why are you here? To see if you can beat us?"

"No. I've been asleep for some time; and this world is new to me... I was wondering if you two would be able to help me understand this world," Athine asked them.; and the two hedgehog's looked at each other.

"We'll help you; but, before we do, can you tell us if you know if Dr Morto has created anymore like you?" Angel asked the amber eyed echidna.

"No, my form," She gestured to her body; "Was by pure chance. Apparently my 'kind' if you can call it that, was destroyed, but no one knows why,"

"That's true," Shadow said after a pause.

"There is one other echidna out there..." Angel began and saw how Athine looked at her; "I'm sure we could arrange for you to meet,"

Athine nodded; and Angel caught a quick glimpse of Shadow; Athine needed to see another of her kind; to let her know that she wasn't just an off chance experiment; that there was another like her.

"Come on, we'll take you," Angel held her hand out, and Athine accepted the hand, as they all walked down the street.

They managed to get to Angel Island; and as Athine looked around herself, she saw the beautiful flowers that grew, and knelt down to sniff them.

Of course she never saw a red echidna; Knuckles, the Guardian of Angel Island, and he was ready to fight, when he saw Angel and Shadow.

The Guardian walked up to the two hedgehogs;

"What's going on?"

"Well, Knuckles, this is Athine, an echidna. Athine this is Knuckles, Guardian of Angel Island," Angel introduced the two, and Athine nodded to the other echidna.

"Another echidna; is that possible?" Knuckles said, staring at the blood red echidna.

"She was an experiment, like myself and Shadow. She needs to be around one of her own kind..." Angel began, and noticed how Knuckles glanced at Athine; "She doesn't see herself as an echidna; she see's herself as an experiment, and something that is lower than other beings,"

"So, your expecting me to give her some company?" Knuckles looked at the two, thinking that it was incredible that the two would even think of placing a person with him, in his own company; "You two know what I am like,"

"Yes..." Shadow said with a nod, as they moved further anyway from Athine as she had a butterfly on her finger.

"Knuckles, she's alone; she has no one to relate to; if you just..." Angel began to try to explain.

"If Knuckles doesn't wish for me to stay; then I won't intrude," Athine told them, as she walked near them, and registered the surprise on their faces; "I'm a latent telepath,"

"A telepath," Knuckles repeated and the amber eyed echidna nodded; "All right, you can stay, for a spell. Just understand that you staying here is not life long,"

"Of course," Athine nodded at his request.

"All right; you two, you know where your staying," Knuckles looked at the two hedgehogs, who nodded. Then Knuckles looked back at Athine; "You are coming with me,"

Athine raised an eyebrow, but never questioned him; she just followed.

They walked through a dense forest; it had the sun light entering it; but it just hit the leaves, giving it a light green in places. As they approached a cave, Athine noticed a stone in front of it, and looked at Knuckles who moved towards the boulder and began to push it out the way.

"Get inside," The male echidna said, using all his strength to keep the boulder from rolling on top of him.

Once more Athine did as she was told, and ran into the cave; when the boulder moved back into place.

"Knuckles?" She whispered, and heard heavy breathing; "Knuckles?" She repeated.

"I'm-here," Came the reply; "Now, to light, this,"

Athine heard the scraping of stones together, and felt for Knuckle's hands; once she found them, she found the stick he was trying to light, and focused enough to make a small flame to light their way.

"You're not hurt?" The female echidna asked him, wiping the sweat off Knuckles forehead.

"No; come on," Knuckles stood up, and Athine looked at him, handing him the flame.

Knuckles nodded and walked on, and she followed.