CHAPTER 6
A while later Knuckles said. "We can't daudle a moment longer, we must continue our search for the pieces of the Master Emerald."
"But how are you going to get them with your arm hurt like that?" Sonic wanted to know.
"I already thought of that," Knuckles replied, "I'll find them and, if Tikal wants to, she can get them for me."
"But what if she doesn't want to go with you?" the blue hedgehog persisted.
"I do," Tikal spoke up, standing, "It's partly my fault he has to find them so it's partly my responcibility to get them back."
The male echidna nodded, even though he believed it wasn't her fault at all. "You see? She agrees with me."
Sonic didn't think Tikal should go. Partly because he thought she'd be in danger. But he couldn't argue any farther. Tikal had made up her mind and she was going whether he wanted her to or not. He shrugged. "Okay, whatever," he said.
Knuckles stood. "Let's go, Tikal," he said.
Tikal was already standing. She followed Knuckles to the train station. "But Knuckles," she said practically jogging to keep up with the red echidna, "if there's no one here how will the trains work?"
Knuckles stopped in his tracks. He hadn't thought of that.
"I guess we'll have to walk," he said after a moment.
Tikal had to agree there was no other way. Not that she could think of at the moment anyway.
"How long do you think it will take?" she asked.
He shrugged. "An hour or two is my guess," he answered.
They entered the train station and began to walk down the tracks. The two echidnas walked in silence for about an hour.
Suddenly Tikal began to feel a vibration through her sandles. She grabbed Knuckles' arm bringing him to a stop.
He looked at her questioningly.
"Do you feel that?" she asked.
Knuckles not only felt the virbration he heard a loud rumbling too.
"What is that?" the female echidna asked fearfully.
The red echidna glanced behind them. He saw a light coming toward them then the scream of a train whistle.
"TRAIN!" he exclaimed grabbing her arm and pulling her down the tracks, "we have to run!"
They stared running.
Tikal could feel the train getting closer with every step. "Knuckles we CAN'T out run it!" she screamed above the noise.
"I know!" he yelled back, "but what else can we do?"
Tikal glanced down at her feet. They were running over a bridge above a river.
Knuckles saw it too.
The next thing Tikal felt was a jerk on her hand. In an instant she found herself plummeting down to the choppy river water below.
Her scream was drowned out by the raging waters and the train over head.
The instant Tikal's head went under she fought her way to the surface. It was hard because of the rushing current and she felt a wave of panic rush over her. Her lungs began to burn as she ran out of air.
Just when she thought she wouldn't make it her head broke through and she could breath again.
She went still tredding water and looked around herself. She didn't see Knuckles anywhere.
"Knuckles!" she screamed over the noise.
No answer.
She felt a weight on her arm. She knew what is was immediatly.
Taking a deep breath she went under.
The weight was Knuckles. He was gripping her arm in desperation.
Tikal swam down to him and thrush her fists under his arms. Kicking her feet madly she pulled him to the surface.
The instant his head broke through the surface he gasped and sucked in air rapidly.
Tikal held him up by kicking her feet rapidly. He was heavy though and she felt herself being pulled back under.
"Knuckles KICK!" she screamed.
Unconciously the male echidna obeyed.
"Help me get us to shore," she instructed.
They started for the shore working together to keep each other afloat and swimming.
They weren't making much progress though. Whenever it seemed they'd make it another wave would pull them back out into the middle. Suddenly they heard a loud rumbling.
"What's that?" Tikal asked.
Knuckles looked to their right. He saw what looked like the edge of the world looming closer and closer. The sound was even louder and he instantly knew what it was.
"WATERFALL!" he screamed.
Tikal began to kick even harder but it was no use. The waterfall was closer with every movement.
"There's no way we'll get to shore in time," Knuckles told her.
Tikal stopped kicking. She knew he was right.
The next instant she and Knuckles went over.
The female echidna screamed and put her hand out hoping to grab something. Her fingernails scraped against stones as she fell. She saw what looked like rocks below and closed her eyes expecting an impact.
Then all of a sudden she jerked to a stop. She opened her eyes and found herself and Knuckles hanging over a shallow pond below them.
She sighed in relief. If they had kept on falling they would have been dead.
"Knuckles," she said as her forehead began to bead with persperation."how will we be able to get down safely?"
Knuckles was still regaining his breath and couldn't answer. The only thing she got from him was heavy breathing.
"Come on!" she groaned as her nails began to slide. "Knuckles.."
He took a deep breath and began coughing ridgedly.
If he doesn't catch his breath soon it will be too late. I can't hold on much longer.
Tikal's nails began to un-stick themselves. She tried to hang on but since her left hand was holding tightly to Knuckles arm it was impossible.
Oh Knuckles please hurry up!
Then it happened.
Her nails came loose and they began to fall.
"KNUCKLES!" she screamed as she felt her body fall out into space!
"Tikal........"
What? Who is it?
"Tikal....."
I'm here. What do you want?
"Tikal, child. What have you been up to? Your father has been looking all over for you."
What?!? Who are you?
"Tikal, honey. Don't you remember? I'm your grandmother."
Grandmother? But you've been dead for years!
"Tikal, please come back with me. Your father is worried sick about you."
My father? Worried? About me?
"Tikal! Hey wake up!"
No, that wasn't her grandmother. That was someone else.
"Huh?" Tikal asked opening her eyes.
They focused on Knuckles who was leaning over her. "Knuckles," she said. "What happened?"
The male echidna shook his head. "I don't know. One second we were falling then there was this bright light and the next thing I knew we were laying safely on the shore."
What? How did that happen? Was that me? Did I do something to keep us from dying?
He helped her sit up. "Did you have something to do with it?" he asked her.
Tikal shook her head unsure. "I- I don't know," she replied. "Why would I?"
"Don't you have........ Oh never mind."
Tikal looked around herself. The surroundings looked fermiler. "Hey, are we in the Mystic Ruins?" she asked.
"Well, the entrance to it," Knuckles answered. "We have to take a mine care to actually get to the ruins."
He helped her up. "Come on," he said anxious to get going, "Let's go."
They climbed pout of the little pond area. Tikal saw what looked like the train from earlier sitting in the train station. She saw no one in or around the train or station.
I wonder where all the people have gone, she thought.
Knuckles, noticing her starting to get side tracked, grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Tikal," he said pulling her toward the mine car, "We don't have time to stand staring."
Tikal let him drag her toward the mine car that led to the jungle.
When they reached it the two echidnas climbed inside and the mine car sped through the mountain tunnle toward the deep jungle part of the Mystic Ruins where Eggman's old base was hidden.
During the ride Tikal began to get the strangest feeling that something just wasn't right.
By the time they reached the jungle the feeling had grown even stronger. She didn't say anything though. She didn't want Knuckles to be worried more then he already was.
Knuckles climbed out first. Once out he turned back to the mine car and offered her his hand.
She took it and he pulled her out.
Once she was out of the car she stared out over the jungle. She could see a crumbling ruin in front of them "What is that place?" she asked pointing at it.
Knuckles readily admitted that he didn't know.
"We don't have time to worry about it anyway," he said taking her hand, "We must find those shards. That's what's important right now."
He ran to the edge and jumped pulling her up with him. "Let's go!" he shouted.
Tikal pushed her arms out in front of herself. The next thing she knew she and Knuckles were gliding over the jungle to the ruin.
Within minutes they touched at the base of the crumbling building down. I remember this place now! This is the Lost World where I showed Sonic the picture of Perfect Chaos!
"Why are we here?" she wanted to know.
"I sense Emerald shards inside," Knuckles explained. "We have to go in and find them."
"In there?" she asked uneasily glancing at the entrance.
"Yes," he said pulling on her hand, "Now come on!"
Tikal had no other choice. She followed him into the ruin.
Once inside Knuckles said. "I'll search this room for Emerald shards and you can search over there." -He pointed to a dark path like area to his left- "Just remember to come back here when you find them."
The female echidna nodded. "I got it," she said.
"Good."
"What now?"
"Let's begin our search."
"Okay....."
They split up.