Chapter 1

The morning after the storm Knuckles the echidna and appointed guardian of the Master Emerald sat on the staircase of the shrine where the Emerald sat.

He was thinking. He wasn't thinking about one particular thing, though. He was just letting his thoughts go at random. Mostly though he thought about her.

Though he hadn't met her for very long he could still remember her clearly and felt as if he'd known her for a long time. But he had no way of doing that since they weren't even related. He was thinking about a pretty little echidna girl who had been the princess of the race a long time ago in the Ancient Past.

He was thinking about Tikal.

I wish I could see her again, he thought, standing up and walking up to the Master Emerald, but I can't for she is forever trapped in here.

He absently set his hand on the green stone like he often did and began to caress the gem's smooth surface. If only I could see her again, he thought closing his eyes and resting his head on the stone, if only.

Suddenly a strange feeling came over him. He felt a presence.

The male echidna looked around but saw no one. What in the world? he thought.

The presence seemed stronger. Someone is close by, he thought his hand dropping from the stone, I wonder who it is.

But the instant he took a step down the stairs, the presence vanished as if it had never been there.

What was that? he thought. The red echidna looked around again, but still no one could be seen. Then where did that presence I felt come from?

Knuckles walked down that stairs and looked around once more. Still nothing. Still no one.

He decided to check behind it and walked around to the other side. Nobody there either.

What is going on? he thought annoyed, I could have sworn somebody-----

Someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he screamed jumping ten feet in the air. He landed on his back.

"Sorry, Knuckles, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you hurt?" said a softish male voice.

Knuckles opened his eyes. Espio the chameleon stood over him.

"So it was you," the echidna said sitting up.

Espio looked confused. "What?" he asked.

"You were the person sneaking around," Knuckles replied, not noticing how clueless the chameleon looked.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Knuckles? I just got here."

Knuckles stared at him in disbelief. "But it had to be you. No one else is around."

"Who? What? I still don't know what you're talking about."

Knuckles decided he'd better explain. He stood up. "We'll talk as we walk," he said.

"Okay," Espio agreed.

As the two friends walked around to the front of the shrine, Knuckles explained about having felt a strong presence near the Master Emerald. The whole time he talked Espio just listened, looking thoughtful.

He waited until the echidna was done before he said, "Show me where you felt this presence."

Knuckles led him to the top of the stairs where the Master Emerald rested. "Right there," the echidna said, pointing at a spot in the front, "I put my hand right there like I always do and I felt a presence."

Espio said nothing. He put his hand on the Emerald. For a moment his face was blank, held no expression, then it began to change. It became startled, then confused, then thoughtful. "I'm sensing something," he said, "a sort of presence."

"See, I told you," Knuckles said.

"Someone's feelings. Someone's heart," Espio finished, without changing the emotion in his voice.

Knuckles stared at him. "What? What do you mean?"

Espio looked up at his friend, his expression telling nothing. "There's something here, somewhere," the chameleon answered, "who ever it is or might be must be close by now. Why don't we look?"

Knuckles agreed that was a good idea but he had a feeling they wouldn't find anything. Of course he didn't tell Espio what he thought.

The two walked down the stairs again. They began to search the area. There weren't very many places to hide around the shrine, but they looked everywhere anyway.

As they searched the wind began to pick up and dark clouds began rolling in.

"Great, another storm," Knuckles said looking at the sky.

"We'd better take shelter," Espio said.

The two headed under a small clump of trees. The moment they sat down the sky opened up. It seemed to be raining even harder than it had the night before and Knuckles noticed. So did Espio but he knew, like all summer storms, the next would always seem worse than the one before.

They sat in silence, watching the rain and listening to the thunder as the storm's center got closer.

Then Espio finally broke the silence. "Well, I guess that's that."

Knuckles looked at his friend. "What?" he asked.

"I don't think we'll be able to find whoever it was we sensed now," the chameleon replied.

"Why?"

"This rain is keeping us from searching," Espio explained, "it's also probably giving whoever it was a chance to get away."

Knuckles didn't say anything to that. He knew his friend was right.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash. They looked up at the stormy dark sky, just in time to see a huge lightning bolt cut the air. It made a direct hit. Right in the center of the Master Emerald!

"Oh, no!" Knuckles exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, "The shrine! The Master Emerald!"

"Knuckles, WAIT!" Espio called after him, "get back here before you get struck too!"

The red echidna ignored his friend and kept on running. Espio sighed and ran after him, still calling for him to stop.

Knuckles continued to ignore his friend. He didn't care what happened to himself. He only cared about what might have happened to the Master Emerald. I hope the shrine wasn't destroyed. I hope the Master Emerald's all right.

He'd finally arrived at the base of the shrine. He looked up. The shrine was okay. The Master Emerald was still there but...

He gasped. The Master Emerald glowed with a eerie light for a moment then the light faded and was gone. When it did the sky suddenly cleared and the sun came out, shining directly on the stone.

Now that's odd, the echidna mused, looking up at the now clear sky, how can a storm stop so suddenly?

Espio had finally caught up with him. He saw the echidna staring up at the sky in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as he tried to catch his breath.

Knuckles shared with him his thoughts.

Espio also thought that was a little weird. He looked up at the sky. Sure enough it had stopped raining. He agreed with Knuckles that the sudden weather clearing was odd, but like always he kept it to himself.

"Maybe you should check the Master Emerald," the chameleon said, changing the subject.

"Good idea," Knuckles agreed. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to it."

He quickly ascended the stairs.

When he reached the top he sighed in relief. The Master Emerald was okay.

"At least the lightning bolt didn't do anything to it," the male echidna said.

Espio, who had followed him, nodded, "I agree. But why did it strike the Master Emerald the way it did? And why did it glow like that for a few seconds afterward?"

Knuckles shook his head. "I don't know. The only thing important is that it's all right."

"Hmm...," was all the chameleon said.

Then "Hey, what's that?"

Knuckles stared at his friend. Espio was pointing at the Master Emerald. "What?" the echidna wanted to know.

Without a word Espio began to walk up to the giant Emerald. He knelt down and began to examine something near the bottom.

"What is it?" Knuckles asked again.

Espio shook his head and beckoned his friend over. "Come look at this," he said.

Knuckles walked over to the spot and knelt down. He saw a smudge in the Emerald's surface. When he tried to wipe it away it didn't disappear.

"What is it?" he asked.

Espio shook his head. "I don't know, but it looks a little bizarre."

Knuckles stared at the smudge a moment longer. "That thing isn't on the surface, is it?"

The chameleon confirmed. "No, it's inside."