CHAPTER 11

Forgiveness

The two stood like that for a minute then Knuckles moved his face away from hers. "I think," he said. "We'd better get back to the city before your father worrys that we're doing something we shouldn't."

Tikal nodded too surprised to speak. Did he actually kiss me?

Knuckles turned away from her and took her hand. "C'mon." He let her back to the city.

When they arrived Tikal sighed in relief. Knuckles looked down at her. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied, a slight giggle in her voice. "Nothing at all."

Her face and body language told him other wise but he didn't push it. He asked an important question instead. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"I don't know," she answered thoughtfully. "I'll have to ask Pachamac."

"Oh no, I don't want you to involve your father," he cut her off. "I can see he doesn't like me. I want to stay as far away from him as possible."

"Well, that can't be helped unless we figure out a way to get us back to your time," she said wisely.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that... Are you sure you didn't send us here?" He looked at her curiously.

She nodded. "Posative." For some reason her eyes seemed to say the opposite.

He noticed but didn't ask. "Then who or what did and why?"

Tikal shook her head. "I haven't the slightrest idea." She seemed suddenly nervous about something.

What's wrong with her?

"This is so stupid!" Knuckles exclaimed in frustration. "What is going on? I wouldn't be surprised if Chaos sent us here!"

Tikal put her hand over his mouth. "Shhhh!" she hissed putting a finger to her lips. "If you keep talking so loud someone might here you!"

He pulled her hand away. "So what?" he demanded.

"Nobody in my village knows who Chaos is," she pointed out. "If you mention it they'll ask questions and I don't really want them knowing that we know about Chaos."

"You talk weird," he quipped, but he didn't mention Chaos again.

"We'll figure out away to get us back to your time tomarrow," she went on. "Right now I think we should get some sleep. You can sleep at me and my Father's house. We have a guest room."

"Just as long as I don't have to talk to him," Knuckles relunctanly agreed.

He followed the princess to her and her fathers house. When they entered the large stone building Pachamac stopped them before they could go very far. "Tikal, if you don't mind I'd like to talk to your boyfriend," the echidna Emperor said.

"Oh, great!" Knuckles mumbled. "I'll have to talk to him anyway!"

"Just do it okay?" she whispered. "It won't take long. He does this all the time."

"You should have told me," he grumbled.

"I just did."

She put her hand reasuringly on his shoulder for a moment then she let it drop as she walked away.

"Sit down," Pahamac ordered, once his daughter was gone. He gestered toward a strange backless sofa. "Over there."

Knuckles sat.

Pachamac did as well. Across from the red echidna on a weird feather covered chair (Throne?).

"Now if you're going to court my daughter I want to lay down a few rules," the fat ruler began.

"Like what?"

"For one thing I don't want you doing anything to her that you wouldn't do to your own sister."

If I had a sister... "Like?"

"I don't want you kissing her or touching her in any inappropriate way."

"Like carresing?"

"Exactly."

"You don't have to worry about that?"

"How can I trust you?"

"Do I look like someone who would do such a thing?"

Pachamac didn't reply.

He thinks I'm some kind of perve!

"I won't do anything like that to her. I promise."

"I hope I can take your word for that," Tikal's father said standing. "I would like you to sleep outside."

What? What for? "Uh, Okay."

Knuckles stood and got out of there before Pachamac could say anything more. That guy is a quack!

Once outside the Master Emerald guardian sat on the dusty ground and put his chin in his hands. How does he expect me to sleep out here? On the ground? Wait! What am I thinking? Have I gotten soft in the past few days? I sleep on the ground all the time at the Master Emerald Shrine. This shouldn't bother me.

He lay down in front of the door and put his hands behind his head. I'll just sleep right here and trip the jerk when he comes out in the morning.

Eeen though the ground was extreamly uncomfortable he fell asleep almost instantly. He was so worn out.

Knuckles was rudely awakened the next morning by someone falling over him. He sat up angrily. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

The person looked at him. Someone with huge saphire blue eyes and a cute face.

'Tikal, I'm so sorry," he said standing up.

She stared at him a moment. "What are you doing out here?" she asked.

He sat down. "Your father told me I had to sleep out here," the red echidna explained.

She sighed in frustartion then sat down beside him. "I should have figured my father would do something like that." She looked at the Master Emerald guardian. "Knuckles, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," he told her. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what your father does."

"I know," she said. "But I just sometimes feel like it is."

"Well don't," he said. "You have no reason to."

"But I do," she objected. "Whenever my father does something our people don't like they say it's my fault."

"Don't believe them if it's not true!"

"It's not."

"Then stop thinking it is."

"I'm sorry."

"And stop that to."

"I'm So- Okay."

He smiled and hugged her. He was glad she was trying. "I just wish we could think of a way to get back to my time."

"Maybe there is," she said looking up at him.

He looked down at her. "How?"

"We must talk to the Master Emerald. It can help us. That's how I was able to get you and your friends here and back to your own time before."

"If you do will we both go?"

She nodded. "Yes, you freed me in your time not mine."

"Yeah, I know that. But what if you get stuck here?"

"I won't."

He wasn't sure. "Okay. But how can you be sure?"

"I'm not."

"You see!"

She put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Knuckles," she said looking in his eyes.

"But what if it really isn't your time?" He asked her. "What if the reason the you from this time isn't here is because she went somewhere? Do you want to risk running into yourself here?"

"I..."

"Tikal, if that ever happenens you could vanish in my time as well as your own. Do you want that?"

"No."

"Then let's go before something unwanted happens."

Tikal nodded. She knew he was right. "Okay," she agreed taking his hand. "Let's go."

They headed back to the Shrine of the Master Emetrald.

"When we get back we still have to go to Emerald Beach and get the rest of the Master Emerald shards." Knuckles said as they walked.

"What if they're no longer there?" Tikal asked, looking at him.

"They will be."

"I hope so. For your sake and Chaos'."

"Don't worry about it."

By that time they'd reached the shrine. The slowly climbed the stairs hand in hand. They had to get there before anyone realized they were gone and came looking for them.

When they reached the top Tikal fell to her knees, claps her hands together, and said. "We need to return to our time. Please understand this is something we have to do. We promise to restore you as soon as we can. We will return everything to normal. We promise. Please let us return..."

Knuckles watched as the inner light of the giant Emerald began to glow brighter. He knew what that ment. The Master Emerald was using its power.

I hope it's taking us back to my time, he thought as the light got brighter. We really need to get back...

Tikal stood and stretched her arms out wide. "Take us home!" An unexpected flash of light blinded Knuckles.

Suddenly he felt nothing. It felt as if he were flying. He didn't open his eyes. Who knew where he was.

"Knuckles." There was Tikal's voice. It was close by. Maybe even in front of him.

He opened his eys. She was floating in a totally white world in front of him. He looked around. They were in some kind of void. "Where are we?" he asked looking back at her.

"All most home," she replied closing her eyes halfway. "All most back to your time."

He felt relieved at that responce. "But why are we here?"

"I requested that we go here for a moment."

"Why?"

Tiakl looked away. "I'm sorry but I have to honest with you."

"About what?"

"About why we went to my time."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him her eyes glistening. "I sent us there," she answered, looking away again.

"Why?"

"I felt I needed to show you something about it. I felt it would help you understand something about me." She looked at him again, her blue eyes showing tears and her compassion. "I was wrong to do that to you. Please forgive me. I am sorry. I didn't know that would happen."

So it was her after all. At least she's being honest now. I'd be a jerk if I didn't forgive her. He put her hands in his. "I forgive you," he said.

At those words there was another blinding flash of light.