CHAPTER 3

Is it my fault?

Tikal said nothing for the longest time. Then she finally said. "I think you need to calm down and get some rest."

"I can't SLEEP!" Knuckles protested adgitated, "I must find the Master Emerald!"

"Not right now and not tonight," Tikal said grabbing his arm before he could stand up.

The male echidna tried to wrench away. "Let me go!" he ordered trying to free his arm from her tight grip, "I must find it! It was MY responsability!"

Tikal shook her head wishing she didn't have to do what she was about to do.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry for w----? he began to ask before a fist hit him point blank in the face.

He fell over unconcious.

Sha stared down at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again, "but I had to. I couldn't let you go off blindly. I don't want you to get hurt."

Tikal knelt down and began to drag him up the stairs. As she did she noticed a flash of green in the sky and looked up.

Something like a giant green comet zipped across the sky then vanished over the horizen.

What was that? she thoguht staring at the place where it had disappeared.

She stared after it a few moments longer but nothing else happened. I wonder what that was, she thought bending down and resuming dragging Knuckles up the stairs again.

When she got to the top she gently set him down next to Chaos Zero then sat down. The last of our race, she thought, staring down at the male echinda, the very last one.

She out her head in her hands. Why, oh, why did it have to be like this? she thought, Why did that even have to happen? was it my fault?

She remembered back to that horrible night of her normal time.

Her tribe had gone to war. She had tried to stop them from taking the Chaos Emeralds from the Emerald shrine but they hadn't listened. They'd shoved her aside and did it anyway. Only to meet their doom.

Chaso Zero had destroyed them, all except her. But had that been her fault? Could she have done more to stop them? She could deny it all she wanted but she felt it was parshy her fault somehow.

Tikal lay down beside Knuckles and stared at the sky. It's still the same, she thought, as she gazed at all the twinkling stars, no matter what time you live in the sky never changes.

She glanced at Chaos Zero. "I wish friends and people could be like that. Never changing, never acting out of the ordinary," she said in a low voice, "too bad my people had to learn the hard way about change. Look at them now. Knuckles is all that's left."

She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. Nobody but Knuckles.... Knuckles and me!

Tikal rolled on her side and burried her face in her arm. "Why did it have to turn out this way?" she sobbed.

Tikal cried deep into the night. She cried about many things. She cried for her people. She cried for Knuckles. She cried for Chaos Zero. She even cried for the Chao which had lost their guardian.

Eventually she fell asleep. Too tired to cry anymore.

The next morning's bright sunlight woke the echidna princess.

Tikal sat up and looked around. She was somewhat surprised that she wasn't in the Master Emerald. Then she remembered she was free and smiled.

She looked around and spotted Knuckles lying beside her. She knew she had to wake him up so he could look for the Master Emerald shards but, she decided to wait a little longer.

Tikal stood and walked down the shrine stairs. She remembered doing the same thing many years ago. But back then she'd had her Chao friends. Now they were gone and all she had left was their guardian Chaos.

I guess their death was my fault too, she thought sitting down on the steps and closing her eyes, Why do I feel as if everything is my fault?

She remembered the fire the shrine had had during her real time. That hadn't been her fault but she still could have made an effort to stop it somehow.

She sat there awhile going over her memories. The finally she said to herself. "I'd better stop living in the past. All those things are forgotten. Forgotten by everyone but me. I should forget them too."

She stood and walked back up the stairs. She had almost reached the top when she sensed someone watching her. Slowly she turned around but saw no one. That's funny, she thought, I was sure I sensed someone watching me.

She turned back to the stairs but couldn't shrug off the feeling.

By the time she reached the top Knuckles was awake and sitting on the top step looking totally depressed. He looked up when he heard her footsteps aproaching. "What do you want now?" he growled.

"I'm sorry I had to hurt you, Knuckles," she said, sitting down beside him, "but I had to. I couldn't have you running blindly into the forest."

"I wouldn't be running blindly," he objected, "I'd know exactly where I was going."

"No, you wouldn't," she said, shaking her head, "you don't know where the shards are. So you would be running blindly."

The male echidna looked away. He knew she was right he just didn't want to admit it. "But I usually sense them, "he said slowly, "I cannot sense them anymore."

"None of it?" she asked.

When he nodded, she said. "Maybe you aren't trying hard enough. Try again. Concentrate this time."

"I'll try but, I don't know if concentrating will work."
"Please try."

"All right."

Knuckles closed his eyes and concentrated. He could just barely sense where the pieces were. "It's...........," he began, "scattered...... in many places...... Station Square........ Mystic Ruins....... the pryramid..... Night Babylon...... Emerald Beach."

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "It's everywhere."

"We have to find it."

"We?"
"Yes, I'm coming with you."
"But......... you can't!"

"Why not?" she demanded with slight irritation.

"You might get hurt."

"I'll be fine. Besides I'll have you there to protect me."

"Well.........."

Tikal clasped her hands in front of herself and pleaded. "Please."

Knuckles stared at her. She looked so cute doing that. He considered it. What harm could it do? "All right," he agreed, giving in.

"Thank you," Tikal said with a small smile.

Dr. Eggman was flying in his weird flying machine over Angel Island searching for Chaos Emeralds when he suddenly noticed a huge energy reading on his radar. What could this be? he thought.

He typed a few words. It's coming from the shrine of the Master Emerald, he thought, now why would anything be sending a signal from there?

He turned his thing toward the shrine. I'd better find out.

When he arrived at the shrine he looked around causiously but saw no one. How strange, he thought, usually that Knucklehead is hanging around here acting like a soilder. Where is he? And where is the Master Emerald for that matter? I wonder if he took it to Sonic and they're coming up with some sceam to ruin my plans again.

That's when he noticed something blue at the top of the shrine stairs. What's this?

The scientist jumped out of his flying machine and walked up the stairs. When he came to the top he stopped short.

What in the world? What is Chaos Zero doing here? How did he get free again?

Then he grinned. If Chaos Zero is free and the Master Emerald is gone then maybe..............

He didn't waste anytime. He quickly jumped back in his flying machine and sucked the Chao guardian up into it. He flew away still grinning. Maybe this time he will be of more use to me!

As the two echindas walked through the jungle Tikal once again thought about what had happened. Maybe it hadn't been her fault. Maybe it had been her fathers. He had been the one who wanted that power not her. But was it his fault? Maybe it was her fault no matter what she did to deny it. Maybe everyone was right about blaming her.

What did I do? she thought, feeling even more troubled about it, I don't even remember doing anything wrong.

Knuckles must have noticed the troubled look on her face. He asked. "Hey, are you all right?"

Tikal tried to shrug her guilt off. "I'm just thinking about something. It isn't important."
"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," she insisted in what she hoped was a careless voice.

"Oh, come one, Tik," he presisted. "you can tell me."
"No, it's really nothing to be concerned about," she protested.

Knuckles didn't push it any farther. He could sense whatever was bothering her was something she didn't want to dicuse with him. Instead of saying naything he walked up to her and gave her a comforting hug. Tikal started crying.

"It's okay," he said soothingly, "you shouldn't feel sad. Nothing's going to hurt you and you won't be trapped in the Master Emerald anymore."

"Do you promise?" she asked looking up at him.

"I promise."

Knuckles finally pulled her away. He held her at arms length. "But why are you so sad anyway?"
"I don't know," she admitted, "I-I'm just feeling bad about something."

"What is that?"
"I don't want to talk about it."

Knuckles said no more about the subject after that and she was greatful.

After awhile Knuckles exclaimed. "I feel it! I can sense a shard of the Master Emerald close by!"

"Where?' Tikal asked, looking around. Her skills at finding Emerald shards weren't as good at his.

Knuckles pointed to his left. "That way!"

The two quickly ran in the direction Knuckles had indicated. A minute later they arrived at a stream.

"Down there!" he exclaimed, pointing into the slow moving water.

The female echidna look down. She was the shard sparkling as it reflected sunlight. It was in the water beside a rock.

"Are you sure that's an Emetald?" she asked, as a sudden feeling of worry came over her.

The male echinda nodded. "Of course it is," he said, with confidence, "why wouldn't it be?'"

"I don't know. I just have a sudden feeling that............"

"Nonsense," he cut her off, "it has to be a shard. What else could it be?"
"I don't know."

Knuckles dropped the subject at that. He made his way down into the stream. When he reached it he picked it up. It was indeed a shard.

"See, I told you," he said, holding it up for her to see, "it's a shard just as I said."

Tikal said nothing. Even though he prooved her wrong she still felt uneasy. As if something was wrong. She just couldn't quite figure it out.