D.GM: Disclaimer: GM does not own any of Sega/Sonic Team's characters, because if he did, there would be a lot more Chaos and a lot less… not Chaos
GM: This story implies Knux/Rouge towards the end and something I noticed with the Dark Chaos Chao. Because Chaos Chao are awesome.
A.GM: Testamentua my Nights Chao, in case you were wondering what type she was.
Poor Chao... It is very old for a Chao. But I am afraid that it will not reincarnate as it has before. It has been mistreated by humans – this angers me. Why does the dominant race always destroying such innocence? First the Echidnas, now Humans… This madness must end. But not by me, for now that I am sane I do not wish to cause such wanton destruction, well, not all the time; that Doctor who uses animals as power sources tends to irritate me.
I make my way to Angel Island, Testamentua, the Chao, wants to see it again before she passes away for good. I am only glad to allow her this wish. She was one of the survivors of the Echidna attack all those years ago, and remembers me. I am flattered, honestly. Someone, other than Tikal, remembering I was once peaceful is comforting.
Dropping Testamentua to the ground, allowing her to hover along. Hopefully the red-furred Echidna would be occupied with something else. Testamentua shouldn't have to witness a battle now. For all his strength, he wouldn't stand a chance against a sane me, whatever form I assume.
Alas, his presence. Fate has always been the cruelest of Deities.
"What the!" The gruff and annoyed voice of the Guardian can be heard on neighboring mountaintops. I don't see what he's trying to do, cause an avalanche?
"Chao…" Testamentua's depressed cry. Would this Echidna harm a Chao? Testamentua must have certainly been what he spotted. Flying isn't exactly the best thing to do all the time.
"What's a Chao doing on my Island?" The voice now more amused than alarmed.
"Chaaooooo…" Testamentua began to cry. The cries begin to twist my immortal soul. 'Hold me'. Of course, very few mortals can understand a chao, so I doubt that even he will take the hint.
"Why are you crying, chao?" The echidna's shadow moves away from my hiding spot and towards the last position where I had seen Testamentua. "Don't cry, little buddy." Concern? From the Echidna? That doesn't seem natural, from what I've seen of the guardian. He wears a mask. "I… have a feeling I've met you before."
"Chao?" Don't you remember me? What? Testamentua, what are you talking about? You have never had any contact with this echidna… and the only peaceful one you met was Tikal.
I cannot delay showing my presence any longer, it was now or later, and I fear Testamentua does not have much time for 'later'. Hopefully it won't turn into a fighting match – the boy has no chance, I too can harness the power of the Master Emerald, it was my creation, as well as the Chaos Emeralds. Though it is harder to access its powers as they run opposite of those of the Chaos Emeralds.
"Let the Chao be, Echidna" I hope he can receive my message, like Tikal was sometimes able to, or else Testamentua will enter her final rest watching a battle, which isn't the best way to go.
"What! Chaos?" He stopped petting Testamentua and raised his fists.
"I am not here to fight you, just allow the Chao to continue to the Master Emerald, she wishes to see it again before she dies" I do not raise my arms—there is no need, not even this stubborn fool can deny a request of an old Chao.
"Why should I trust you? You're responsible for the massive genocide of the ancient world! You destroyed Station Square and killed at least thousands of people! You're a xenophobic monster! YOU BROKE MY EMERALD!" He lunged at me; will Echidnas ever learn that violence is not always the answer?
"Ignorant fool" His fists, followed by the rest of his body, fail to hit me as I transform myself to avoid his blows. I'll allow him to exhaust himself. He comes again, and again, failing to land a blow each time, but showing no signs of fatigue. Fists flailing, legs kicking – am I truly hated so?
"Chao!" Please, both of you stop!
In an effort to keep my promise, I block his attack, and partially envelope him, to keep him steady as I try to make him understand that I am not here to harm him or take the Master Emerald. Why can't anyone ever understand my intentions? I'm not a mindless beast! Though I am the Greater God of Destruction, I am not bent on total annihilation of all things! Why couldn't they understand…?
"Ahhh! A monster!" the fat brown Echidna, surrounded by his warriors, screamed at me after murdering his own daughter, the only non-Chao and mortal that was ever able to communicate with me, to an extent. No other creature would murder their own child and some of the most innocent of beings for power.
"Monster! I'm not the monster, YOU are! You vile creature! Murderer! How can you call yourself a good leader? Or even a terrible leader! You've led your people to ruin, the people who trusted you! Your daughter wanted peace, she wanted the fighting to stop, but you couldn't do that, could you! All for my Emeralds! Cease your madness, mortal, lest you be destroyed." Only a fool would defy a Greater God.
"Hahahahahahaha…AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" Why is he laughing! Why is that brown waste of a soul laughing? "It's only an illusion set by my daughter! Leon, get rid of it."
The purple Echidna approached me, bad move, a horrible, horrible move. If my command, understood or not, must be punished, and for such an extreme situation, I deem the Echidna's Punishment is Ruin.
"Fight me, Leon, I'll show you I'm more than your match…" I taunt the soon to be splatter, my wrath will be painful.
Before he can even comprehend what he was going to attack the 'illusion' with, I roundhouse kick him into one of the pillars, his spine cracking upon impact. It has been so long since my last battle, even in my varied sense of time, both asleep and aware of everything that is happening.
"This is impossible! It's an illusion! An illusion!" The fat one cries out, but I never have taken kindly to someone who calls me 'an illusion'. "Attack it! Attack it!"
Remaining warriors charge, it's time to have some fun. The first of the remaining decided that I could be stopped with his fists. Pitiful. Blasting him with my Energy, Chaos Energy, shocking his skin off as he remains airborne from the sheer power, until falling as the purple energy disperses.
My second charger teams up with the third. Two to one? You mock me with such a weak front? Throw your armies at me, and you would still miserably fail. #2 attempted to spear me while his friend tried his martial arts. Pitiful. The spearman skewers his friend in an attempt to stab me, and I pull his arms apart, the roundhouse kick him into another pillar, tossing the limbs into the sea.
"Now for you," I break into the mind of the fat one, painfully, wanting him to suffer like no other, "You will be last to die, after watching your Empire crumble because of your greed and impudence. Then, I will stare into your eyes as you die." I make sure he understands every word as I bind him in a ray of paralysis.
I absorb the emeralds, or, rather, their negative power, to become Perfect Chaos. Finally, they will all be laid to ruin. As Shrine Island ascends into the sky, I use water, the most destructive force on this planet, and drown their great cities, their temples, and whatever else they created. Their screams are like music as they are caught in my endless storm.
Even if they manage to survive, as it turns out, they're very bad swimmers. It brings me a bittersweet joy – they have felt my loss, and the loss of all the people they conquered and enslaved. Even those who did not deserve it, they did not speak out against it, in fear or not, so they had an equal part in it.
But… this will not replace my loss, or the loss of those poor creatures enslaved. But it is all I can do. Now, to destroy their fat chief and then destroy any remains of their structures – some were built to survive water.
"I'm back; I hope you made peace with your nonexistent god." I create a nexus of power to take over the destruction as I walk toward the tortured fat one. "Your empire is destroyed, as is your race. You brought this upon them all, and will burn for it. All for power. Everything is meant to fall, now, feel the pain that you have brought upon those who trusted you and those whom you enslaved…" I gather forth the raw negative emotions that had been felt by his people just now, and the negative emotion of those who had suffered from the Echidna tyranny far into the past.
"If I had to do this again," the fat one began to speak, "I would do it the exact same, for the Empire." He isn't even willing to repent? He feels nothing? The storm rages over his world, and he doesn't care? Pride is his downfall and it cost him everything.
I finish gathering the energy, unwilling to gather more for wanting to destroy this tainted presence that stands before me now. "Retribution!" An enormous amount of power, greater than any in the universe, one that would make my nemesis Black Doom cry, even though he lacks tear ducts.
The deed is done, the fat one is dead, but I am still enraged… poor, innocent Chao… it's still possible to save them.
"Chaos? What did you do?" Tikal is alive, thank Magicitus. What—what is she doing?
"The servers are the seven Chaos.
Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart.
The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos" She was reciting to the Master Emerald… no! The Chao have yet to be saved! "Stop this, please!"
I felt the power, MY power, dragging both of us in, and the nexus disappeared, ceasing the storm. "Emerald! Create someone to protect you! Please! If you fall into the wrong hands-"
Then there was a flash of light.
I let go of the Red Echinda after my memory. I cannot lose my temper again, lest the Chao be destroyed forevermore.
"Get off my island!" Demand, demand, demand; just like the Echinda's of old. I suppose holding onto ideals is a 'good' trait, but can't they be good ideals? Being stubborn isn't one of them. He should be aware of this.
My anger and hatred has been pacified, and even if the destruction of the Echindas was a good thing, I should redeem myself, at least, in the eyes of the last survivor of the race un-mourned.
"I am going to do you the best favor one guardian can do another – I'm going to tell you your faults, and help you correct them," I look into his eyes, trying to force peace upon the wrathful creature. How ironic, Destruction encouraging Peace. "You are gullible, you are stubborn, you are lonely, and, lastly, you have no idea of your past, or the past of the Echindas.
Still under my gaze, but struggling to resist it, he reluctantly listens. "You are continually tricked by that human doctor because he was your first outside contact. And he isn't your friend. The blue hedgehog, you trust him less than the doctor because he may suddenly abuse your trust and steal the Emerald." I allow him temporary movement, so that he may respond.
"…" Why do you not speak, Echidna? Do you think I am correct?
"On the subject of being stubborn, there is nothing wrong with that, normally. Your mission is to guard the Master Emerald, and, if available, the Chaos Emeralds. You don't believe you should deal with the ideas and beliefs of others; what do they matter? All you do is sit here, hoping nothing tries to take the Master Emerald. Your stubborn is also your downfall, you cannot take anyone belittling your abilities, or you break easily, don't you?"
"Why do you torment me? Wasn't destroying my family enough!" Echinda… you are blinded, you are deaf, you are broken. Though painful now, it will help you later. You will see, you will hear, and you will be healed.
"You push anyone who cares about you away – the Blue Hedgehog, Tikal, the Chameleon and his friends…and the Bat. You can't process emotion the way others do, living with no contact. Yes, Guardian, they care about you, as a friend" And one as more…. You're aware that the Master Emerald has survived much more than lava… "You are destroying yourself. You yearn to be appreciated, you seek other's approval. The Hedgehog, he saves the world and is congratulated, famously. You save the world every day by keeping the Master Emerald Safe, and what do you receive in return? Nothing. No recognition, no approval. So you fervently wish well for your friend, and you despise him."
"Stop it… Chaos." The shell is breaking. He is realizing his faults, and can't deal with them; as well as his feelings.
"Your past…" I was sure my destruction was complete, so why is he in existence? Could his ancestors have survived on a mountaintop? But it was a festival day, Tikal had mentioned something about it; the celebration of the Coming of Summer. Why weren't they at the capital? Perhaps…perhaps Knuckles is… Oh, Emerald, you are cruel. "You are no true Echinda. You are, indirectly, my son."
"What! You're insane! I'm not a blue blob of jelly with legs! Wouldn't that kind of give you a hint that you're wrong? I should beat you back into--" Enough.
"Silence! Have you never wondered how, after thousands of years of extinction, you just happen to appear with no explanation?" Shake off the rage, Testamentua does not have much time. "All the Emeralds, they are my energy. I ordered the Master Emerald to create a guardian for itself before Tikal sent both of us into it. A guardian to appear when it was in peril of being abuse like it had by the Echidnas. Knuckles, you are the creation of the Emerald. Have you not wondered WHY the Chaos Chao have hands similar to your own?"
"…Take the Chao to the Master Emerald. I won't stop you." A look of defeat upon his face; I doubt that has occurred often.
"Go, Testamentua, and observe it for a last time. The Guardian and I need to talk," I motion the dying Chao away. Once gone, I look at the defeated Guardian, "You always wanted to know your past, did you not? It may not be the one you expected, but you don't have to feel guilty about being a survivor while the rest of your race is gone. There was nothing you could have done." No response. Well, I was not expecting him to be all cheerful. But knowing is better than ignorance, is it not? No, it isn't… "Sometimes the truth is better left forgotten."
Facing away from the depressed Guardian, I glance towards my creation, the Master Emerald. Testamentua is at the base, observing it like it was an old, old friend. I see her glance in my direction, her eyes aware that it is time. "Be at peace, little one…"
She sat down, and closed her eyes, a cocoon forming over herYou will be missed, ancient one.
Instead of turning into the black cocoon of death, her cocoon was replaced with an egg. So, simple, unconditional love lets even the most abused survive… Thank you Knuckles. When you finally accept who you are, I will ask Tikal to answer any questions of Echinda Civilization.
I grab Testamentua, or, rather, her soon to be reincarnated form. She'll enjoy life in the Garden with all her friends.
I take one last look at Knuckles. Farewell, my son.
GM: If Knuckles seems out of character, well, how would you feel if you aren't even what you think you are?
AGM: This also fits with the existence of Chaos Knuckles.
DGM: You know the drill, people. Click it, add to Favorites… you know what to do.