CHAPTER 9

"How strange," Knuckles said. "Amy's beaten up on Rouge before but she doesn't fear her. You beat her up once and now she's freaking out whenever your name is mentioned."

Tikal lowered her head. "I don't know why," she said, feeling ashamed for beating up on Shadow's girlfriend.

"I don't know either," he said. "Maybe she thought you turned psyco or something."

"Maybe," she said softly."

He looked at her. "Hey, don't let it bother you," he said. "By the way, Rouge always acts that way to girls around me. She deserved it."

"Why does she act that way about girls who hang around you?"

"She's a two timer," he answered. "She's Shadow's girlfriend, but she always flirts with other guys. Shadow doesn't seem to mind though. It's like he doesn't really care. Maybe he just likes her company and lets her do what she wants as long as she comes back to him every night."

"Oh."

"But we don't have time to think about that," Knuckles pointed out. "The rest of the Emerald shards are at Emerald Beach. Let's go."

They started walking. As they got closer to the beach Knuckles noticed Tikal trailed behind.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking back at her.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just thinking about something."

"Okay. If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

He looked ahead again.

She looked down. There is something I must show you. There is something you must understand... She closed her eyes. But I am unable to. You probably wouldn't care anyway...

Suddenly a fog began to roll in. Knuckles took her hand. "Stay close," he advised. "We can get seperated easily in fog this thick."

They kept walking but had no idea where they were going. "Where are we?" Tikal asked.

"Close to Emerald Beach, I think," the red echidna replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure as I'llOw!"

Knuckles had walked into a stone wall.

"Knuckles, are you all right?" the echidna princess asked genuinly concerned.

"I think so," he said rubbing his face. "But where did this wall come from? I don't remember Emerald Beach having stone walls built on it."

Tikal looked up the wall. She discovered it was part of a huge structure, not just a broken run down wall. She could see some of the red and white markings through the fog. What in the world? "This isn't a beach house," she said feeling nervous all of a sudden. "It looks like one of the buildings in my village!"

"Oh, no!" Knuckles groaned. "Don't tell me we went back in time, again!"

"II," she began.

Suddenly a gruff voice called. "Tikal!"

The two echidnas looked at each other then in the direction the voice had come from. They knew who owned that voice. Sure enough, a few feet away, between two hulking echidnas, stood Pachamac, Tikal's father.

"Father?" she said uncertainly.

"Tikal where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!" Pachamac exclaimed, sounding angry, as he stepped toward her.

"I...," her voice trailed off.

That's when the echidna leader noticed Knuckles. "Who's this?" he demanded, pointing at the Master Emerald guardian.

"My name is Knuckles...," Knuckles began.

"He's a friend," Tikal cut in.

Pachamac eyed him suspiciously. "You look funny. You aren't from our tribe are you?"

"I think I am," Knuckles said. Only four hundred years in the future, he didn't add.

Pachamac looked him over from head to toe. "Hmm... I don't know about that..."

"Uh, he is," Tikal thought fast. "You probably haven't seen him because he's shy and doesn't get out much."

"Hmm... Maybe," Pachamac agreed, still giving him a weary glance. "But I wouldn't be too sure."

Oh great! He knows! I just know it! That's why he keeps looking at me like that!

Suddenly Tikal's father exclaimed. "I think I know! (Tikal and Knuckles cringed) "He's your boyfriend!"

Tikal and Knuckles stared at the older echidna in surprise. ""Boyfriend!" the said in one voice.

Pachamac grinned and smacked Knuckles on the back. "Yes, and a sturdy one at that!" He gave Tikal a teasing look. "You were trying to hide him from me weren't you? Well I don't mind. I was the exact same way with people knowing my feelings for your mother."

"Father...," Tikal began, trying to fix things. "he's not..."

"Nonsense," Pachamac interrupted. "He'll do fine! A strong sturdy husband that's what you always needed."

A huge sweat drop appeared on Knuckles forehead. Tikal noticed he was blushing and shifting his weight from one foot to another. What's he acting like that for? she wondered. Why doesn't he tell him?

Pachamac took them by the arms. "Come. We must let the others know that you finally found a husband. They'll be so happy to see their princess wed!"

"WHAT!" Knuckles exclaimed.

Tikal glanced at him warningly and he said no more.

The echidna leader led them through the city. Knuckles noticed everyone seemed to stare at him with surprise and suspicion. They can all see I'm not part of their tribe, he thought feeling nervous, Well not from their time, anyway. I just hope no one says anything.

To his luck and surprise no one did. They must think I'm part of another echidna tribe, he concluded, feeling a little better. Or since they see me with Pachamac and his daughter they feel they can trust me if he does.

He glanced at Tikal. She seemed nervous about something.

I wonder what's wrong with her...

Tikal glanced at him. When she saw him staring she looked away.

Final they reached the front of the city. Pachamac climbed the stairs to the huge front building with Tikal and Knuckles who he led by their arms. When he reached the top he turned till he faced the city then shouted at the top of his lungs. "Everyone, please gather around. I have an something to say!"

From all over the city the echidnas gathered in front of the center building.

"What's he doing?" Knuckles asked glancing over at Tikal.

"I think he's going to make an announcemt," she whispered.

"About what?"

"We'll soon find out."

Why do I get the feeling I already know?

When all the echidnas were gathered at the base of the building Pachamac spead his arms out wide and shouted. "QUIET PLEASE!"

A silence fell over the city. All the echidnas looked at their leader expectantly.

"I don't like the looks of this..." Knuckles said in a small voice.

"Me neither," Tikal agreed.

"Attention everyone," Pachamac said in a loud voice. "You are probably wondering why I asked you here tonight. Well the reason is, your princess seems to have chosen a husband."

Knuckles eyes grew real big and a hug sweat drop appeared on his forehead. "H-husband?" he stammered.

Tikal's face turned red. "Oh, no," she moaned.

The echidna's on the ground were too far away to notice the two youths reactions. Those echinda's began to clap and cheer.

"And to celecbrate the occasion we will have a feast," Pachamac went on. "Starting from sundown tomarrow to midnight."

Everyone cheered again.

Tikal played nervously with the cloth bands on her arm.

Knuckles folded his arms. "Great!" he muttered.

Pachamac talked a few minutes longer then finished up. He let the two echidna's step down. They were both relieved that was over but they noticed the crowd didn't disperse. It was waiting for them. When they reached the ground they were flocked with happy echidna's giving out hugs and congradulations.

"Congrats Princess," one girl echinda said. "I'm so happy for you. I wish I was marrying someone as cute as him."

Tikal smiled nervously. "Uh, thank you."

A fat lady echidna swooped her up in a crushing hug. "I knew you'd choose a husband one of these days!" the lady squealed. "He looks like he'll be perfect for you."

Now the fat lady hugged Knuckles. "GOOOD LUCK!" the lady squeeked loudly, dancing around with him.

Tikal saw his face turning blue. "Uh, you're choking him," Tikal said carefully.

"What I am?" the lady echinda looked at Knuckles who looked like he was going to faint. "So you're right." the fat lady laughed nervously then set him down.

He returned to Tikal's side. "Let's get out of here!" he whispered to her.

"Okay," she whispered back. "We can try."

It was another twenty minutes before they could escape.

"What was that all about?" Knuckles asked when they were a safe distance from the congradalators.

Tikal shrugged. "I guess they were all just happy for me."

"How often do guys come to date you?"

"My father made them come everyday. I hated them all."

"Oh. But why did he think I was going to marry you?'

"Because I let you get closer to me then I did those other guys. You're the first male that's every touched me."

"I see."

The two walked around the big building. "So what are we going to do?" he asked.

Before she could answer he asked other question. "Tikal, I don't mean to sound nosy or anything but did... Did you send us back in time?"

"I'm not sure," she said shrugging again. "Maybe, but I can't think of how I could."

"The there must be a reason," he said. "Why would we be here if there wasn't?"

"I don't know."

"Or you just won't tell me."

Tikal looked at him. "Knuckles..."

"Hey, you!" a voice said.

The two turned their heads. Knuckes saw a muscular echidna about his age and covered with the tribal markings walking up to them. He looked peeved about something.

"Uh, yes?" Tikal said uncertainly.

The echidna kept walking toward them. His arms were crossed. He was definatly peeved. "I see you prefer weaklings," the echidna said, glaring at Knuckles.

"Weaklings?" Knuckles demanded clenching his fists.

Tikal took his arm. "Not now," she said. "I really advice against it."

Knuckles calmed down.

The echinda smirked. "You're so pathetic, letting a girl tell you what to do."

"Leave him alone," Tikal said carefully. "Please..."

The echidna gave her a discusted look. "You are such a whiner."

"What?" she asked.

"You heard me," he said. "You whine a lot. "Oh father we can't go to war. War isn't the way to peace"! How pathetic. You also seem to like to throw yourself at all the guys. You little whiny hoe."

Tikal looked like she was about to cry. "I-I..."

"You what? You wanne sleep with him?"

Knuckles couldn't stand it anymore. "Stop talking about her like that!" he ordered stepping between them. "Don't you have any respect for females? What is your problem? She hasn't done anything to you!"
The echidna's smirk got bigger. "And what are you going to do about it, weakling?"

Knuckles clenched his fists as he got even more angry. "You wanna know what I'm going to do?" he asked.

"Knuckles..." Tikal said not wanting him to start a fight. "Please... Don't..."

But Knuckles wasn't listening. Before she could stop him he raised his fist and planted it into the other guy's face.