As of March 2021 All existing chapters (1-8 ) have been remastered for spelling, grammar, and some other minor issues. Hopefully this will improve the experience. - Sarilleny
Fractured Frequency | Equilibrium
At their retreat from the tunnel entrance at the Marble Garden ruins, Sonic and Knuckles were greeted by the warm kiss of sun's rays as it danced through the hanging vines and pillars. The pair had their boards in hand, ready to put the half day worth of planning into action.
Sonic was bursting with excitement for the race. He flashed Knuckles a bright grin, then ran ahead a few paces and dropped his board, waiting for it to settle into a gentle hover before hopping on. This board was a spare that he left at the island ages ago. As he sped forward, he took note of the balance, reacquainting himself with the feel and stability of its particular model. He did a few figure eights, zigzags, and a flip just for fun, before turning about and making his way back to the tunnel entrance, and to Knuckles.
Knuckles hadn't stepped on his board yet. It lay idly before him while he knelt fiddling with the laces of his right sneaker. His hand then slipped to his ankle, rubbing it gently.
That caused Sonic a slight pang of guilt. 'Maybe this is a bad idea,' he thought.
He'd suggested the extreme gear, over an actual run specifically for the sake of his friend's injury. All good intention aside, he didn't actually know how serious of an injury it was. Was he pushing too hard with his insistence about having the race? Knuckles didn't exactly seem the picture of confidence.
Knuckles stood, just as Sonic came swooshing back to his side. "Hey buddy."
Knuckles looked at him and glared, instantly suspicious. "What now Sonic?"
"Hey nothin" he started. "Look Red... if you don't want to... I mean, if your ankle is bothering you, or something, I totally understand. No judgment."
"Are you kidding me?" Knuckles said, rolling his eyes. "You just spent the entire morning trying to convince me to do this."
"Yes, I realize that. It's just supposed to be a bit of fun, but I don't want you getting hurt doing it either."
"I'm fine Sonic. Let's get on with it."
"Does it hurt still?" Sonic asked cautiously.
Knuckles raised a brow at the question "No, not really. It's just a bit sore."
"So it's not actually broken then?"
"No, Sonic. It was just sprained. Why are you suddenly so interested?"
"Just concerned. Ok, I'm gonna say this one more time. We can do something else. I don't want you to get hurt any worse."
Knuckles rolled his eyes again. "I told you it's fine. Look it's just fine" He shifted his weight to his left leg then, and lifted the bandaged one, rotating it about.
"See?" he said, his voice exasperated. "Now let's do this."
"Ok Knux. You got it."
Sonic turned to scan the area, eyes passing over the varied ruins.
"There," he said pointing far off to the left, "between those two pillars. Let's make that the start line. I'm gonna take a few quick laps to get a better feel for this board. I'll meet you there in five?"
"Alright." Knuckles replied with a short nod.
—
Knuckles watched as Sonic swooped away, then resettled his attention on his own board.
Picking it up, he slid one hand underneath reaching past the slight upwards curve on the rear. He found the ribbed switch he was looking for. A small amount of pressure locked it to the ON position. Instantly the board's weight shifted. Knuckles held it out and watched as it gracefully drifted down, settling a few inches shy of the ground.
Knuckles took a deep breath. A tingle of nerves had worked its way to his chest, despite his insistence on continuing. How long had it been since he'd done this? Three years almost, since they'd last entered a boarding competition together. Determinedly he forced the feeling away. This was just supposed to be a bit of fun. He could at least try to enjoy it.
Forgoing caution, he hopped onto the board and took off in one fluid motion. There was a slight wobble but, like a spring his knees absorbed the shock, keeping him steady from the waist up. He bent deeper at the knees, shifted his weight forward, and pressed his soles deeper into the board. The response was instant. No jerk or stutter in the movement, just a smoother glide, and an increase of the wind between his quills.
A sense of familiarity washed over him as he pushed for a bit of speed. The balance, just the right amount of pressure, it was all as he remembered. Experimentally, he let himself lean into it more, feeling his way through the acceleration.
His eyes shot forward, targeting a point about 40 paces away, between a far ruin wall and a terrace just beyond it leaning to a lower level in the ancient plaza. He had about eight seconds to decide on an action. Either slam on the brakes hard, or go for a jump. A big jump. He bent at the knees a little more, finding his center. Six seconds. He'd reached his upper tier speed zone. A full sprint. Slightly out of control. Four seconds, and the twinge of nerves sets back in.
It was a split second decision, before he reached down, grabbing the board's edge, and kicked to swing the rear horizontal in a bracing motion. The slow is instant and jerky. He digs in, tips back a bit more, and manages to halt his slide just a beat before tipping off the edge.
Knuckles stepped off the board, took in a long deep breath, and let out a calculated sigh. He shouldn't have hesitated. He knew he could make a jump three or four times that large. 'Not to mention you can fly,' supplied the cynical voice in his head.
The race wasn't going to last very long if he kept that up. Frustration was grating on his nerves, but there wouldn't be much time to dwell on it. He needed to be at the start line in a couple of minutes, so the next jump would just have to be sink or swim.
With that thought lingering Knuckles made his way back towards the designated starting point, where he could see Sonic was already waiting.
—
In the end it had been a very close thing. They were fairly matched in speed on the boards, and although Sonic had led slightly throughout much of the race, Knuckles' familiarity with the island was what sealed his victorious outcome.
"Awe man. That was exhilarating!" Sonic said, bouncing and bounding around Knuckles like a little kid. "Nice pass on that last leg by the way! I thought for sure I had it in the bag. Where did you catch that crazy air? I didn't even see you, until you jumped me, and took the lead. Seriously that was smooth. Soooo... What do ya say? Rematch on the way down?"
"Hmm." Knuckles kept on walking a few steps before answering. "Maybe. I suppose, if you really wanna get beat again," he said with a smirk.
Sonic just smiled. "See, you did have fun."
They walked casually along a path that led to a lookout ahead. "Man," Sonic continued, "how long has it been since our last competition? Like two and a half...no wait." He paused, counting back on his fingers. "It's been over 3 years! That's ridiculous. It feels like just a few months ago."
"Mmm, I guess," Knuckles replied noncommittally.
They made their way to the forward ledge of the terrace and took a seat. The view was vast, stretched for miles. They were just a few hundred feet shy of Thunder Mountain's peak, and Sonic could feel the difference. It was considerably cooler than down in the lower valleys. The air felt thinner too.
"So what? You gonna tell me you don't miss it? Racing I mean." Sonic asked.
"Nope."
"Seriously? Being stuck up here all the time? I'm not sure I believe that... I think there's a new race coming up in October. We should sign up."
"It's not that simple Sonic."
"Sure it is. You just do it. What have you got to lose?"
"Um... a lot actually. I have responsibilities here."
"But it didn't used to be a problem. We used to go adventuring all the time. What's different now?
When was the last time you've even left the isla—"
"I don't know Sonic! I'm different! OK?" Knuckles snapped, cutting Sonic off. His eyes got a little wide after that, realizing he'd revealed more than intended. "Just... nevermind," He recovered curtly. "Nobody understands anyway."
"Don't I?" Sonic challenged.
"I don't know Sonic," he replied tiredly. "You all seem to think I'm sitting around up here twiddling my thumbs everyday, bored out of my—"
He stopped there—a calculated pause before—changing pace. "You know what? Nevermind. It doesn't even matter."
"Oh, come on Knux . Don't say that. And give me some credit. We've known each other for years. I know you better than that."
Knuckles raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment.
"Look, I'm not making light of your responsibilities as Guardian of Angel Island. And I know you get mad at us when we poke fun at you about being boring. It's... I don't actually think you are boring Knux. But I do think you sometimes lose sight of the smaller picture. And yes I do mean smaller. Which is to say, yes, you're one person holding up the legacy of your kind; you're the lock and key to this castle, but you are also entitled to live for yourself a little."
Sonic collected his thoughts then continued.
"I also think there are aspects of your life that would appeal to anyone. I mean this place, your home, it's beyond incredible. And the allure of being able to tap into the Master Emerald's power; I admit it makes me a bit jealous.
There is nothing quite like the surge of chaos energy. Even I might be tempted to stay in one place if I had your abilities."
Knuckles surprised him then and cut in. "You make it sound as though I worship it. It's not like that. It's not mine to use as I please. I'm... It's..." He trailed off.
"It's what?" Sonic questioned.
—
Knuckles hesitated. He searched Sonic's face and found only a look of genuine interest. Reluctantly he continued.
"The Master Emerald, it is a part of me. I can feel it... always." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "And the island, I am a part of it too. I sense how we drift over the surface; I know when the seasons shift, when the first leaf changes its color; I can feel how the breeze whispers through the trees, and how the energy extends through every bit of gravel; I can measure every step you walk within its boundaries, if I so choose."
"And you have control over it." Sonic stated, more than asked.
"Yes... to some extent. I've... learned to control the connection" he answered. "Back when Eggma— well, when you and Tails first set foot here, it was incredibly agitating. Disorienting too. I'd really never dealt with presences of such magnitude before that. The other creatures on the island are like me, so tied in to the ecosystem, they blend with the whole itself. But when you showed up, it felt like you were trampling all over the island."
"And when Eggman started robotizing those little guys? Didn't you notice?" Sonic asked, his tone not quite accusing.
Knuckles cringed anyway. It was something he hated talking about, and Sonic knew it.
"Of course I did, but like I said, I... I didn't have a precedent to base the energy signatures I was feeling on. You, Tails, Eggman, the badniks themselves, it was overwhelming. It was like... Imagine if you had people shouting at you from all sides, constantly. And Sonic, your energy signature is massive. Honestly, you just seemed like the most likely threat."
Sonic chuckled at that, "when you put it like that, it sounds like a compliment."
"Only you would say that." Knuckles replied, shaking his head.
"So it's different now?" Sonic asked.
"Well, it took some effort, but eventually I taught myself to... prioritize, I guess you could call it. I feel what I want, or need to feel, and filter out the rest of the energies, but... I can't disconnect myself from it...The emerald and I are intrinsically linked."
—Sonic considered this. He had known more or less that his friend possessed this ability, but never before had it been explained in so many words. It all sort of made sense he thought; Knuckles' acute inward awareness surely must lend itself to his oft reclusive outward demeanor. Such control would require an incredible amount of mental strength. It wasn't surprising really. Knuckles possessed the most peculiar combination of stubborn discipline and grace of anyone Sonic knew. In several ways the intense, enigmatic guardian, seemed at odds with the simple echidna who was a friend to all.
Knuckles who must have been expecting some comment or response, mistook Sonic's silent musings. He sighed, and began to rub his temples."I'm not really making sense, am I?"
"No you are!" Sonic assured, flashing a smile for good measure. "Sorry, I was just thinking about what you said. I... don't understand completely. I mean, I know what it's like to use the Chaos Emeralds. It's not exactly the same, I'm sure, but it seems familiar, the way you described it. Like when I use Chaos Control. It gives me the sense that I could... bend the world to my will, if I really, really understood its power." He had been staring down at his knees, and looked up then.
Knuckles was watching him with a wary grin.
"Try not to give that one too much thought, ehh Blue? I'm not sure I like the idea of the world in your hands."
Sonic whacked him playfully in the shoulder. "Can't handle the idea of me as King of Mobius Knux?"
"Oh Chaos no. I pray the day never comes." As an afterthought he added, "at least not in this reality."
Sonic couldn't help but burst out in laughter at that response. Knuckles soon joined in. Their snickers and giggles echoed throughout the mountain, and down to the valleys below.
For a while they sat, simply enjoying the serenity of their surroundings, both lost in their own thoughts. It was Sonic who eventually disturbed the calm.
"Hey, I have another question."
"What is this, ask the guardian twenty questions day?" Knuckles asked sarcastically. "Yeah...ok. What is it?"
"Well," Sonic started. "This has always bothered me. Do you remember when you fought Metal Sonic for the first time? How were you able to go Super using the Chaos Emeralds then, when you haven't been able to do it since?"
He noticed, Knuckles seemed caught off guard by the question, and he worried that he might thoughtlessly have crossed a line yet again.
"Wait." Sonic countered. "Don't misunderstand. I just meant..."
"No. It's fine." Knuckles said calmly. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure myself. It was kind of a blur... a lot of what happened back then, I mean." Solemnly he added, "I...try not to think about it that much."
"Right, of course." Sonic replied hurriedly. He was surprised when Knuckles did continue.
"I do remember it felt strange. Foreign, and yet not entirely unfamiliar. And it didn't come naturally. It felt like...like I was only just holding on."
"And you've never experienced it again?" Sonic asked, curiosity, winning over.
"No, not really. I get a certain sensation of power with the Chaos Emeralds, but it's like it slips through my fingers." He looked at Sonic then. "I imagine it must be similar to what you feel around the Master Emerald."
"Oh. Well yeah. I guess that makes sense, but the Master Emerald is so... steady. When I do notice it, it's more like a feeling of warmth, than raw power."
"That is because you are just barely grazing it." Knuckles remarked. He changed his position, leaning back to lay in the grass. "I'll admit though, I am curious about the green chaos emerald. It's just... Sometimes I wonder if it was cut from the same stone as the Master Emerald."
Sonic considered the thought. "But, if that were true, the only difference between them is size. That alone can't account for their different energies can it?"
"No. You're right." Knuckles said, raising one hand to lay over his eyes, blocking the sun's rays. "I don't think so, but more than the others, I feel a sort of affinity to that one. I can't explain it really, but the two, the green Chaos Emerald, and the Master Emerald are very nearly the same."
The conversation died away then once again, and Sonic shifted to mimic Knuckles' posture in the grass. Thoughts of emeralds and duties drifted away, leaving only the warmth of the sun, and a cool mountain breeze. At his side, Knuckles appeared comfortably on the verge of dozing off, and Sonic saw fit to follow suit.
They hung around there for nearly an hour. Sonic finally sat up when he could no longer ignore the hunger pangs that began to nip at the edge of his relaxation. To his right he saw that Knuckles was awake too, staring pensively at the clouds.
Sonic figured now would be as good a time as any to ask about the chores.
"Hey, so I was serious before when I said I'd help you take care of whatever needs to be done after this. Just tell me what's on the schedule. I got it."
Knuckles sat up, and considered it for a minute before replying. "I have a thing. It's sort of a two person job."
"A two person job? I wasn't sure you believed in such things Knuckles."
Knuckles scoffed at him, frowning. "Are you going to be helpful, or are you just going to insult me?"
"Sorry!" Sonic conceded brightly, raising his hands in surrender. "Habit. My bad. I'll be helpful. I will be sooooo helpful it'll be like a three person job."
Knuckles dropped his head to his palm, shaking it in disapproval. "You. You're gonna to be the death of me Sonic."
"Aww Knuxie don't be sad," Sonic said in a teasing baby voice.
Knuckles punched him in the arm then. Gently, by all measures for someone with huge spiked fists, but Sonic burst out with an exaggerated, "oww!" nonetheless.
"That was mean," he whined.
"You are unbelievable," Knuckles said rolling his eyes. He couldn't quite hide his smirk.
"There it is," Sonic said, smiling back at him. "So, you about ready for that rematch then?" Sonic asked.
"Hmm, yeah I guess so," Knuckles said, rubbing his temples. "You getting hungry?"
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Your guardian senses tell you that?"
"Nope. Your stomach did. It's been growling since you dozed off."
"Oh," Sonic said, a little embarrassed. "Well I burn a lot of energy. I can't help it."
"Yeah yeah." Knuckles dismissed with a sigh. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiped both hands down his face, following with an even deeper sigh."
"You alright there buddy?"
"Eh, headache. It's fine. So, race back to my place?"
"Sounds like a plan, but just so we're clear, I'm not going easy on you this time."
"Psh, says the sore loser."
"Whatever man. Either way I'm coming for ya."
"Is that right?" Knuckles asked, standing, and grabbing his board with a sudden smirk. "You better start flyin then hedgehog."
And before Sonic had a chance to fully ask "What are—?" Knuckles had tossed down his board, and tipped off the edge of the terrace in a near vertical dive.
Sonic stared after him for a full three seconds before getting over his surprise. "That JERK!" he exclaimed to the empty clearing, though he was unable to hold back a wide grin.
"You better watch your back Knuckles! It's on!" Sonic shouted as he mounted his own board and dove after the echidna.
—
Their flight down the face of Thunder Mountain was swift, and slightly reckless with rocky spires and terraces jutting out along the descent. Sonic managed to close two thirds of the gap created by Knuckles' head start. He was trailing behind just about fifteen feet now. It was no secret to any of any of his friends that Sonic had a fiery competitive spirit. The greater the challenge, the harder he tried to best it.
They were nearing the foot of the mountain which led into the thick jungle that covered much of the island. Sonic figured he would need a clever advantage if he really wanted a sure chance at winning. He tried to recall the extensive map of routes through the zone, and considered where he might be able to use the terrain to his advantage in order to take the lead. A few opportunities came to mind. It would just be a matter of timing.
—
Knuckles could tell that Sonic was gaining on him, but wasn't particularly concerned. He was actually just enjoying the surge of adrenaline from whipping and weaving along the terrain. It was exhilarating. Not to mention the distraction it provided from the pain at his temples, which had been there nearly all day. It was different—flying this way—using the extreme gear, as opposed to under his own ability. Not better or worse exactly, just different. He was surprised to realize how much he'd missed the experience.
Reaching the edge of Mushroom Hill zone the environment began to change around them drastically, as if stepping into a different world. The foliage sprouted in various hues ranging from auburn to rusty brown. The trees around them were massive, blocking out much of the light at this level. Most definitive were the region's namesake gargantuan mushrooms, with their brightly colored, springy caps.
Weaving methodically in and around the bends and branches in the path, Knuckles let the stresses of the past several days fall away. It felt good to operate on instinct alone. Win or lose, he couldn't deny he was enjoying himself.
—
They were getting into the thick of Mushroom Hill now. Any attempt to fly off the well carved path here, would lead to a game of tug-o-war with the tree vines, which grew a-riot. The trails that led through the forest were incredibly complex. Or maybe complex wasn't even the right word, Sonic thought. Overgrown seemed an appropriate substitute. They stretched through all levels of the forest, split along multitiered terraces, wove in and out of hidden caverns, and took strange turns through ancient hollowed logs. The place always seemed to teem with latent sort of energy that Sonic hadn't encountered in any forest he'd explored on the Mobian surface.
He was trailing just behind Knuckles now.
"You're losing speed Knux! Hope you not tryin to do me any favors!"
Knuckles turned back briefly, just to smirk at him. "Wouldn't dream of it!" He shouted back.
Sonic ducked down, lowering his stance. His ears and spines flattened back, as he molded himself into an aerodynamically optimal position, and pushed for a burst of speed to bring himself even with Knuckles, as they neared a narrow dead split in the path ahead, along the base of a plateau.
To the left, the path descended down hill with the forest floor. To the right, it climbed the side of the plateau to a higher section of the upper terraces.
Sonic guessed he had about ten seconds to make a play to steal the lead. He figured he'd try the upper terraces where the underbrush cleared out somewhat, if only marginally. If he could bait Knuckles to follow... He swung out to the left edge of the trail, and then back in coming dangerously close to ramming his rival. Knuckles, as Sonic guessed he would, dodged easily.
"Playin dirty now Blue?" Knuckles asked, eyeing him with a friendly scowl.
"Only following your example Champ." Sonic shot back.
With the momentary boost in momentum, Sonic edged in front of Knuckles enough to force him to the edge of the path and slow him down. With the path clear Sonic accelerated toward the upper terrace with a solid lead.
Behind him he heard Knuckles laugh and holler after him, "Just as well Sonic! Don't forget to watch your back now." But when Sonic looked over his shoulder Knuckles was already out of sight, down the other path.
"Bring it on." He muttered to himself.
—
Several minutes down the trail, the pair had crossed paths three more times, and seemed to be just flip-flopping for lead all along the way. Knuckles had the valuable advantage of possessing a near photographic memory of the zone's layout. He could navigate it end to end, blindfolded and backwards if he wanted to. Sonic of course just operated on sheer determination of will. It was a trait that Knuckles both respected, and found annoying to no end. Though he did have to admit, he was a bit impressed by Sonic's memory of the less obvious footpaths through Mushroom Hill. Just a moment ago he'd seen the speedster enter one of the cloaked tunnels, on a terrace two levels below.
Most of the tunnels in the zone were hidden by a false rock face, created with chaos energy, to blend them into the surroundings. To a stranger, entering one would look like hurdling straight into a wall. Not something one would try without knowledge of the mirage.
Thinking ahead, Knuckles considered his route. Several forks along the upcoming path stood out in his mind. The next in line would climb up three levels, nearly to the highest terrace. There was a tight crawl space tunnel after that, leading down. It would be impassable by extreme gear. Further ahead though, was a relatively steep drop off that led all the way back to the true ground level floor. It would set him within feet of the opposite end of Sonic's current tunnel, and the descent might provide just enough of a velocity boost to put him back in the lead. 'That could work,' he thought with a smirk.
He shifted down bending at the knee, and leaned further into the head wind. As the path arched out into a final curve before the next split, Knuckles rode the inner edge, keeping the boards gait short.
Just as the next level of terraces came into view, it struck.
The pain in his temple sharpened suddenly, expanding like a wave over his senses. It ripped into his consciousness like a blade.
His knees collapsed beneath him. His arms flailed, first reaching for his head, and then for the board. Vaguely, beneath the flood of sensations, he felt it teeter wildly as it lost equilibrium, before the harsh slam of an impact struck him some seconds later.
Everything was pain. It radiated out sharply with electric speed from his head, down his spine, and through his limbs. There was no coherent thought, just a body reeling in shock.
—
As Sonic came through the end of the tunnel, he turned back ready to make a funny face at Knuckles. He was pretty sure he still held the lead. He scanned every path in view, but saw no sign of movement. 'Strange,' he thought. Back in the tunnel he'd managed to catch a passing glimpse of Knuckles through one of the small vents that let light, and air into the passage. Knuckles had been trailing behind only by two or three seconds. Flipping forward, he scanned the opposite horizon, but only open trail lay ahead.
"Dammit, where is he hiding?" Sonic trailed off.
They'd been neck and neck all throughout the zone. He didn't think Knuckles couldn't have overtaken him by too much, but then Knuckles might also know something he did not. Some some advantage to taking the route over the higher terraces maybe. Sonic continued along, scanning the trail for any sign of his friend. At the next branch in the trail he followed a path up to the third terrace which provided a greater range view of the area. He continued on for about another minute, before coming to a halt, with a growing sense of unease in his chest. This didn't seem right. There was no reason they should have become separated beyond visible range.
Sonic stepped off his board, picked it up, then turned back in the direction he came and started running.
At his gifted speed running back to the tunnel route he'd taken took only seconds. A brief pause at the tunnel exit revealed nothing. It was quiet there, with only the natural whisper and wave of the flora to greet him. Sonic swore under his breath, grumbling that if this was some drawn out prank, he'd be the one starting the next argument, not Knuckles.
In a dash he vacated the site, veering off to the right, along the path where he'd last seen Knuckles. His accusation of trickery was forgotten seconds later when he nearly crashed right into the subject of his search around a bend in the path. He came to a skidding standstill after swerving to avoid his friend who lay crumpled and shaking on the floor.
Sonic felt the shock of a cold sweat wash over him as he dropped the board he was holding and scrambled to Knuckles' side.
"KNUCKLES!? Crap. Knux. What happened?"
Knuckles lay huddling in something of a fetal position, gasping through labored breaths. His face was scrunched in pain, and one hand clutched at the white crest on his chest.
"Knux, come on talk to me! What's wrong?"
Sonic gave him a gentle shake, in attempt to rouse his attention. Knuckles' eyes opened at this, but seemed distant and unfocused.
"KNUCKLES!" he tried more forcefully. "KNUCKLES! LOOK AT ME!"
It took a moment, but Knuckles looked up with a measure of greater clarity then. S... Sonic." he said between unsteady breaths, sounding desperately weak.
"Knux, you... fell I think... What's wrong? What happened?"
"The...mast..." he began, but before he could finish, his hand grasped more violently at his chest as he convulsed in pain.
Sonic watched helplessly, nonplussed at the situation.
When the episode passed Knuckles looked up and tried again. "The... Master Emerald..there... somethin... wrong... Sonic," He paused, panting hard, "You hav... have to... get t... it.."
"The Emerald? What's wrong with it? What do you... Actually, never mind." Sonic said, positioning himself to lift Knuckles.
"No..." Knuckles pleaded, edging away weakly. "Sonic... PLEASE," He said between clenched teeth. "The Ma..ster... Emerald... danger, go now... please!"
"Knuckles, I can't leave you here like this. Come on," He said, reaching again for his friend.
Knuckles reached out and grasped Sonic's arm then with painful force. "SONIC. GO."
Sonic could see the desperation in his eyes.
"I... You're sure?" He hesitated.
Sonic's head was spinning. Leaving Knuckles like this was not something he felt was even marginally a sound decision. It went wildly against all of his protective instincts. But if the Master Emerald was at risk, the danger could be catastrophic.
He lingered a moment longer to lift Knuckles, sliding an arm under his shoulders, and moved him to sit up against the trunk of a gnarly tree at the path's edge.
"Knuckles, I'll come back as soon as I can. OK?" The echidna gave him a slight nod. "Sonic... go..."
Sonic returned the gesture twice, stepped back reluctantly, and disappeared from the site, leaving only the echo of his steps, and the namesake bellowing sound wave that followed.
Barreling through the zone, he would have appeared as just a cobalt flash, were anyone present to witness it. He pushed out each step faster than the last. His thoughts were plagued with a barrage of frantic concerns. What had caused Knuckles to collapse like that? Was he sick? And why had he been in such intense pain? And why now. He'd been fine only minutes ago.
'Should I turn back?' He considered it for a moment, but didn't slow his pace. If someone were to succeed in stealing or damaging the Master Emerald, it would result in the island's unceremonious plummet from the sky. And considering that it was currently positioned over land, the outcome would be disastrous.
At Sonic's top speed it took only minutes to cross the remaining bit of forest and valley, slowed only by the necessity of dodging obstacles. As he reached the edge of the clearing that held the Master Emerald Shrine, his sense of cautious alarm grew.
The Emerald, it appeared, still hung indifferently in its low hover at the top of the steps. In a way Sonic had been expecting as much, since the island had not shaken with tremors; though, that fact brought him little comfort. The implication of what it could mean grew wary on his mind with every step leading to the landing where he now stood. The poignant urge to return to where he'd left Knuckles grew stronger.
Everything within view of the brilliant stone seemed calm.
'Doesn't mean there is no danger,' he thought scanning the area for any sign of a threat. There was nothing to be seen. Forgoing caution, he made a quick dash to the bottom of the steps, testing the surroundings to see if it might spring a trap. Silently he stood there nearing on ten seconds, senses on high alert. Again, nothing happened. He raced up the steps, in hope of a better view. Atop the shrine the altered perspective of the area revealed nothing of consequence.
Trying another lead, he rushed down the short path to Knuckles' house. Once more everything was as they'd left it. Sonic closed his eyes thinking furiously in frustration.
Knuckles had said there was something wrong with the emerald itself, hadn't he? There had to be some connection. He ran back to the shrine to inspect it again. At the top of the steps he paused contemplating. He reached out reluctantly, and placed a hand firm on the face of the emerald, not certain of what to expect. The same warm, and even energy he knew from memory washed gradually up his arm. It was a familiar sensation, but somehow it didn't offer the impact of the smaller Chaos Emeralds. Finding he had nothing left but desperation, he offered the relic a desperate plea; he asked for any sign, however slight, of the peril at hand.
It was just in that moment of stillness that he heard it.
Somewhere off in the distance rang the slightest echo of a mechanical beep.
Sonic's eyes shot open, and he moved in the direction of the sound before he even fully grasped the what, and where it might be. He ran directly east towards the island's nearest edge. It was the same edge he and Knuckles had sat staring over from the shrine, to watch the sun rise some seven or eight hours earlier. It took only moments to reach the sky-lined precipice with another sliding halt.
In his crouched stance Sonic remained perfectly still, back to the drop off. There was visually no sign of the source as he scanned his surroundings. Could he have missed it? 'No,' he thought. Though if whoever or what ever had made the sound could fly, he was ill equipped to pursue it past the islands—
"PING-zrtl-tzshh-BLEAT."
There it was again! It rang from an area directly in front of him this time.
"What the hell?" Sonic let slip, as he slowly stood. It was like the sound produced itself. There was nothing there.
'Or just nothing that I can see,' he thought, already falling into the motion of a spin dash. He aimed, and shot out into the seemingly empty space. With halfhearted surprise, and equal parts expectation he collided with something.
That something, which seemed to have been floating, was knocked off course, and toppled to the ground at his impact. Sonic watched as a few sparks were generated, at the point where it crashed down and rolled. After a moment the screen of invisibility sort of fell away, leaving a now seemingly defunct object visible to inspection.
Sonic crouched down where it lay to get a good look. It was a relatively small round mechanical device, of a build he'd never seen before. About the size of a beach ball in diameter. Cautiously, he
gave it a nudge checking if its energy source was still short circuiting. When it didn't send a shock up his arm, he went ahead and picked it up, inspecting the full surface. It didn't seem to house any weapons. The hull consisted of a few seams, and little more.
Rocking back on his heels, Sonic continued to feel around the device's surface for any indication of its purpose. His first instinct was to suspect Eggman, but he was hesitant about the conclusion. He'd never seen the doctor use that sort of cloaking technology before. The lack of weapons too, seemed out of character.
Sonic clenched his teeth in frustration, suppressing a growl. This situation was becoming less clear by the minute. He stood up looking around. Everything was quiet. Just a short way inland he could see the Master Emerald patiently floating atop the shrine.
What now? Could there be more devices? 'Maybe.' A perimeter search would certainly be warranted. 'But seriously, why send an unarmed device like this? Observation maybe? Scouting?' He supposed the beeping could have been an indication for an outgoing signal. But what consequence would it have on the Master Emerald? None at all it seemed. 'Unless this is all some elaborate distra...'
"SHIT... shit, shit shit." 'KNUCKLES!'
Sonic felt a cold chill hit him. If everything was fine here ... He was already running again back towards the cottage. Had someone been trying to separate them? Did that even make sense? "Dammit! None of this makes sense!"
Sonic burst through the back door of the cottage, dropping the busted bot unceremoniously on the floor. He went to a corner in the living room that housed the comm station. Thankfully it was already on. He navigated through the first menu to recent contacts, and pulled Tails' profile from the list. He wouldn't risk any time on a missed call or a long explanation, instead he quickly typed in his personal distress code: #1-2-3-6. The code would be auto forwarded to Tail's wrist communicator at any location. Tails would receive it before long, and at least know something was up. It would be enough.
He hit the send button, and at the same moment he checked his own wrist, and cursed himself for having forgotten his own communicator at home, on the counter in his bedroom.
'No time to whine about it,' he thought, already out the door again.
The run back was an anxiety ridden chase against time. 'It was stupid,' he thought. He never should have left Knuckles's side. Knuckles had been pleading, but... 'Nope. bad idea. Should not have done that.'
He'd known the island hadn't been actively destabilized. They would have felt the earthquake grade tremors. He should have just stayed. There would have been enough time. He should have taken Knuckles with him.
'Almost there,' he thought, following the markers in his surroundings. He was almost back.
The dialogue in his head shifted to one of pleading. 'Please be there. Please, please, just be there when I get back...just hold on.'
What was really only seconds, felt like forever as Sonic closed the gap to the point in the trail where he'd parted ways with Knuckles.
'Finally!'
The tunnel entrance was back in view now. That meant just around the corner, and he would know if...
"KNUCKLES?! Oh chaos… You're here!"
Sonic was so relieved to see that familiar bunch of crimson fur and mess of quills, he thought he might throw up.
He came to a crashing halt, scraping up his knees as he slid down to Knuckles side. Knuckles was more or less where Sonic had left him against the tree. He'd scrunched his knees up to his chest, and cradled his head in his arms, where they rested atop his knees.
"Knuckles," Sonic asked gently. "Knux come on. Are you here with me?"
"Ghrruunnn," was all the echidna managed.
Sonic carefully unraveled Knuckles' arms from his quills and moved them to his sides. He shook Knuckles gently and tried to wake him a bit more.
"Knuckles, hey, wake up sleepy."
Violet eyes blinked a few times, before opening with a modicum of clarity.
Sonic filtered through a barrage of questions to ask before just settling on, "hey."
Knuckles blinked a few times more, then frowned. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a strained sound came out. At this the frown deepened.
"Just save your energy 'kay buddy?" Sonic reassured him. "I'm going to help you stand now ok? We're gonna get you back home."
Sonic slid his arms under Knuckles's arm pits and lifted him up. When they were both standing, Knuckles sort of shifted in Sonic's grasp, one hand sliding up to rest on his own temple, in a way that suddenly struck Sonic as an unsettling sign of what might have actually been a symptom. Knuckles had been doing that all day—longer even—since Sonic had arrived maybe. Sonic cautiously filed that thought away for later evaluation.
Experimentally, Sonic lessened his support, but as he feared Knuckles just sort of slumped and collapsed in his arms.
Sonic cringed slightly under the extra load. Where he was built light, for speed, Knuckles pack quite a bit of extra muscle. Supporting the extra dead weight would slow down their trek home significantly. It wouldn't be unmanageable, but Sonic wasn't completely convinced that they were free and clear of threats, and if something, or someone found them along the way, it would be difficult to fight them off, and simultaneously shield Knuckles. No, the more quickly they could make this trek the better.
When his eye caught the discarded boards laying a few feet away in the grass he was struck with an idea.
"Ok back down with you pal," he said, as he quickly and gently lowered his friend. He walked over, and picked up Knuckles' board, flipping it to check the controls. There was a small hidden panel on the bottom side that he flicked open. Inside, it held a couple of buttons and knobs. He
adjusted the one that controlled the air pressure output, and respective height of the board. He closed the panel, flicked the ON switch back and forth once to reset it, and went back to kneel at Knuckles' side.
Knuckles appeared to be passed out completely again. It worried Sonic, but as a positive note, he no longer seemed to be in extreme pain. The gentle rise and fall of his chest, made it look like he was just soundly asleep. Questions of 'what' and 'why,' were scratching away at Sonic's thoughts, but they would have to wait.
Once more he took Knuckles under the arms, but pulled him up only halfway this time. Sonic slid the board underneath Knuckles like a seat, and then stabilized him at the shoulders, as the board lifted him the rest of the way up. Sonic slid Knuckles' arms over his own shoulders, and tucked Knuckles head in at the crook of his own neck
A hysteric giggle almost burst from Sonic's lips at the collective absurdity of the situation. If only Knuckles were awake to witness it. 'There would be words,' he thought. It didn't quite make it past his lips though, as it crossed with a mix of other emotions. 'No,' he thought. He couldn't defuse yet. Not with so many unknowns. Sonic knew he wouldn't feel any better about the situation until they were safely back at the cottage without incident, at least.
He slid one hand around Knuckles' back, and grasped the back of the board with the other. Experimentally he took a few steps. The board drifted along gently before him, its cargo secure. He wouldn't be pushing any top speeds, but it would get them both back to the house, more quickly than if he carried Knuckles outright. The increased maneuverability it provided would be an asset should anyone attack. He eyed his own board discarded a ways away, and resolved it would just have to be left for the moment.
Starting along the trail at a brisk pace, Sonic kept his senses on high alert. He was unsettled by where the day's winding path had taken them. He'd been blind-sighted by this completely. He'd suspected something was amiss, but the vague straws he'd been grasping at never could have led him to suspect such a bizarre mess of events. 'Could they have?'
Sonic resounded a deep sigh, and began pouring over the details of everything that had happened since he'd arrived yesterday. There must have been something. Something seen, but unspoken? It wasn't much, but it was a place to start guessing, and he, and his companion had a long way yet to go.
TBC
Equilibrium : a state of adjustment between opposing or divergent influences or elements
NOTES
I'm back! It only took a really long time again! Sorry about that. I got stuck on certain parts with some writers block, but once those were resolved the rest just sort of flowed out! Yay! Ok. On to reading. Thank you for being here! More notes at the end of the chapter.
—
And the plot thickens.
How was that? Kind of insightful? Kind of intense? Maybe a little endearing at times? Well, I hope it's at least keeping you all interested. Poor Knuckles. He's having a really awful day. Sonic pestering him nonstop, forcing him to have fun, and the when he's finally actually having fun it really goes to shit. Opps. I know the first race scene was a total copout, but avoiding it allowed me to actually write the rest of the story. I was so stuck on that scene. I'm kind of surprised the second race scene developed as much as it did!
The conversation scene between Sonic and Knux on the mountain top is one of those that I've had written for ages, though it did gain some interesting twists and turns when revisited. I have all these head-canons about the when, where, why, and hows of Knuckles powers. It is so much fun to write about. Hope I'm doing it justice.
Next chapter - Finally some answers… Maybe? Just a few. And more questions probably. I actually have a lot of chapter 5 written. I may be a bit shorter, but it also shouldn't take 2 years…. (face palm). My life isn't quite as busy now.
Quick note! I'm working on remastering the previous chapters and will be cross posting them at AO3. Fixing mistakes and some confusing things mostly. The prologue is already up. You can find them at /works/5183708/chapters/11942597.
Anyway, Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear any thoughts and questions you all may have!
xoxo
Sarilleny