The very act of gasping into wakefulness is taxing. Knuckles' mind goes one hundred miles a minute and he can hardly see through the static ringing and tearing through his head. This feeling is familiar and somewhere Knuckles feels like he should be able to place it, but the panic wins over and he is pacing around the living room on wobbly legs, wringing his hands because there is just so much, so much, too much.
It is almost too dizzying, and in a brief moment of rational thought, Knuckles thinks he should sit down, breathe, just take one second to find his head. But there is just so much buzzing and movement and god he really needs to breathe.
He cannot tell if it hurts, or if it is just an overload in his head. Information flies at him and pokes at his brain with a hot rod and Knuckles has no idea which voice to listen to. Knuckles finds a wall and leans heavily on it, gripping his head and covering his eyes. He slides carelessly to the floor (scratching up the wall with some wayward quills) and finally lets out a tired moan of discomfort once he can no longer hold it in.
Then, warmth and yet lovely cold both pass over him at once, starting from his stomach and ending at the very end of his muzzle. It's the Emerald, muttering something kind and placating and leaving Knuckles a little bit numb. He releases a relieved and shaky breath at the relief and decides to take the risk of unraveling the knot in his mind while his heartbeat slows to a safe pace.
Taking a weary glance around his cabin, Knuckles fully realizes he is alone. Not a single one of his friends remains from last night's little breakout session. However, upon closer inspection, he can tell everyone is still on the island.
That inspection is also what alerts Knuckles as to what caused his brief little definitely-not-a-panic attack. Along with his friend's familiar wavelengths, Knuckles finds that several more have joined, during his rest. The number is significant enough that he has trouble distinguishing just how many. Four, if his senses are reliable.
They are familiar, but with the odd number of people on the island, Knuckles is having trouble telling who is who, including the newcomers. Knuckles isn't sure he has ever had this many people on his home at once. No wonder he woke up in a panic, although does feel a little sheepish about it.
Surely it is not an emergency, if the Master has gone through the trouble of extending power to purposefully calm his nerves. Tremors still wrack his hands and shoulders from the unexpected wake-up call, but there is nothing new about that. He tries a few times to create a list of who is on his island in exact, but all it does is make that static get a little louder again, as all the auras mix together in his head.
It is a lot. Knuckles can handle a lot, but he's never had to before on his own island. It is different off the island, it isn't his turf and Knuckles doesn't have a connection with the land the same way, so the wavelengths never feel so close and personal in his own self. Here, they do, like an itch he knows is there but cannot scratch. Every time something happens that requires a group this big, Knuckles is always the one to make the trek off the island, not the other way around. So, he remains a little dazed for a few minutes before he gets the courage to try and stand again. He manages, though it is a little awkward and Knuckles is thankful there is no one around to witness the display.
The sensation of just too many people lingers on, but Knuckles fights to adjust to it. The feeling is not too terrible once wakefulness truly begins to set in, but he does hope to avoid being jolted into consciousness that way again.
Hunger is not too much of a concern, his meal from last night should tide him over, but Knuckles wanders through to the kitchen anyway. Two sweet rolls sit on a small plate by the sink, and Knuckles figures they must be for him. Fondness blooms warm and thick in his chest, like sunshine on a hot day. It must be Amy's doing, she never likes when he skips breakfast, even if it has never been a true problem for him.
He eats one, if only to honor Amy's imaginary image. Fluffy and tasting of honey, perfect in the way only she can make them. Knuckles knows plenty about making his own food, but he is sure he will never possess the raw skill that Amy does when it comes to culinary. Knuckles has always worried more about sustenance than he has taste.
The curiosity over what could possibly be going on wins over before Knuckles can decide if he should take the other. He mutters a mental apology to Amy for wasting it, then turns to leave for the front door. It feels… Quiet. A different quiet that he is used to. A quiet where he knows something is just off kilter. Perhaps it is because he knows he is not alone. Silence is different when there are others to keep it.
His first suspicion is Rouge, recalling Amy's warning yesterday has him a little weary. Rouge would not do anything that might directly disrupt the island. Well, maybe she would, but whatever destruction she may cause she would make sure to fix it. Or at the very least, she would be present while he does.
Finding the front door locked only adds to the unease, Knuckles never locks his door. It's not like there is anyone around to break in, so he has never seen the point. Even when Tails insisted on putting it in. The cabin has always been here, even before Knuckles was born, just a place to rest his head and drink some tea should he want it, but truthfully his friends were the ones to inspire him to make it a little more… homely.
Unlatching the entrance with a click, Knuckles creaks it open, slow and cautious even if there is no obvious danger. The cool breeze greets him like an old friend, and he smiles despite himself. Mid-morning, goodness, he did not mean to sleep in so late. Well, it was probably his body making him pay for the restless nights as of late.
Something scratches one side of his mind, and Knuckles is turning his head before he even notices. His heart stutters at what he sees, and a bewildered joy bubbles and grows in his chest.
"Cream? Vanilla?" He utters, watching in awe at the two, sitting patient and almost sentry by the door. He does not even bother to hide the surprise taking over his features.
Cream is the first to respond, ears perking and head spinning faster than Sonic to look at him. Her typical, sweet, and all-encompassing smile takes over her entire face. "Knuckles! You're awake!" She yells, hopping up from beside her mother and running to him with surprising speed. Before Knuckles' mind truly has a chance to catch up with the realization that the pair truly are on his island, Cream tackles him with her attempt at a bear hug. Knuckles kneels out of habit, to make it more comfortable for her. She is taller than when he last saw her, but she still barely makes it to his waist, and her arms hardly reach all the way around him.
Still, she squeezes him with all she has, and that comforts something innocent and loving that still lives in his heart. "You kept me waiting forever, Knuckles," she teases, cheeks puffing into a faux pout. Cheese gives an agreeing chirp, hovering just over his head.
Knuckles chuckles, shrugging his shoulders as he returns the embrace. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have if I knew you were going to be here," he pauses, eyes narrowing in further confusion. "—wait, how did you get here? Vanilla, you don't… have a ship, or a plane, do you?" He asks, gaze traveling to Vanilla, who has stood up to meet him.
She looks nice, as always, ageless in a way that reminds Knuckles of Tikal, though her usual sundresses have been swapped for a practical t-shirt and a pretty flower-embroidered jean skirt.
"Oh, we just hitched a ride, Amy said it was urgent – and it certainly is," Vanilla explains, a kind smile pleasantly painted into every feature. Knuckles reluctantly lets go of Cream to stand at full height to meet her. Damn – he really is getting tall, isn't he? He looks down at Vanilla as she reaches him. "It is good to see you again, my dear," she says easily, leaning in to swiftly nuzzle just by his jaw. Not a typical Mobian greeting, but Knuckles has always assumed it to be a rabbit thing.
Regardless, Knuckles leans into it before she pulls away, graceful and elegant. He gives the two newcomers one more examination, and finds nothing of note besides Cream's apparent rapid growth – it is hard to acknowledge that he is not the only one getting older.
He releases a nervous laugh. "Um, Mrs. Vanilla, it's not that I'm not happy you're both here – I am – but I am having trouble figuring out why." Knuckles shrugs, gesturing to the general area around him. "—I am not very accessible, even to someone with a plane."
Cream and Vanilla share a knowing look, and Vanilla clasps her hands. "Well, miss Rouge asked us to be referees. In case anything gets out of hand," she explains, as nonchalant and carefree as ever.
That just ushers in more questions, and Knuckles is quickly becoming very, very worried about the number of people on his island. "Um… Out of hand?"
Cream nods enthusiastically, then turns to skitter to her plaid pink backpack to fish for something. After only a few moments of rifling through, she pulls out her characteristically orange communicator with excited vigor. Knuckles raises a brow in place of verbal questioning. Cream giggles.
"I'm also supposed to let everyone know you're up! You ate breakfast, right?" Knuckles, suspicious as he can be, nods. "Great!" She presses the comm link alive, then in an all too excited tone, shouts, "He's up! Go!"
And just like that, the world begins spinning again, faster and faster, and before Knuckles can think to keep up, Sonic is right beside him, grin all too mischievous to be safe. "Hey, buddy! Sorry about this in advance," he says, the picture of coolness and serenity at the same time.
Knuckles finds his mind floundering, "Wait – what?—"
Before Knuckles can even consider fully planting his feet on the ground, Sonic has taken hold of both of his wrists. Knuckles blinks a few times, a sense of familiarity dawning on him, along with abject horror. "Sonic wait, wait!" He yells, but a second too late.
His legs suddenly feel like jelly under him and Sonic rips him through space at a speed quicker than any creature besides Sonic should ever go. It is only a moment later that Sonic comes to an abrupt stop, which nearly sends Knuckles flying out of his grip, but he barely manages to dig his heels into the dirt before he trips over himself.
He fights the dizzy spell that tries to take him over, grumbling angry mutters in Sonic's direction, he seems to be suspiciously patient as he waits for Knuckles to catch his breath. Knuckles sends him a glare as he grips his head, as if that will settle it. "What the hell Sonic – you can't just toss me around like a ragdoll—"
Then, just as Knuckles is really about to let Sonic have it, Sonic tucks down into a crouch, and his leg kicks out so fast Knuckles' eyes hardly follow it. He lets out a rather embarrassing yelp, and before he takes another breath, his eyes are staring wide at the morning sky. Pink and blue and nearly green in some places. Knuckles blinks several times before his mind finally supplies some information, and when his gaze slowly trails to the blue blur, who still remains sentry – and very cocky – above him.
Knuckles notes the addition of some red-rimmed sunglasses since the last time he saw him – all but two seconds ago.
Words fail him, and all Knuckles can do is stare, utterly thunderstruck and so, so confused. His mouth flexes to speak many times, but Knuckles cannot for the life of him find something to say to his best friend who has just toppled him to the ground.
Sonic, seemingly sensing his buddy's inherent distress, only grins wider, sliding one hand into his letterman jacket, the other moving to adjust his new eyewear. "Again, sorry, but we needed you away from the house, would suck if we messed it up," he supplies, somehow answering literally none of the questions running through Knuckles' mind.
A wave of familiar, sweet anger rises and flares in his stomach, and Knuckles is scowling before he can think of anything to do. In a fit, Knuckles realizes he is still laying supine and exposed on the ground. That just makes him even more furious, why is he just lying on the ground? He scrambles to his feet – less than graceful, but he gains some dignity back just by virtue of being taller than Sonic.
"Why would you mess up my house? And what is with the stupid glasses?!" He yells, demanding some sort of explanation, any explanation. His face feels hot with the mixture of ire and the inevitable sheepishness that comes with being tossed around like nothing.
Something devious and very, very dangerous, glints in Sonic's eyes – thinly masked by the glasses, but Knuckles catches it, nonetheless. "Oh, these? These are my villain glasses," he explains, wiggling them up and down for dramatic effect.
Knuckles very nearly stutters himself into a stupor. "Villai – What?" His voice raises in complete helpless bewilderment. "What is going on?!"
Sonic only snickers, responding with a shrug. "Well, I mean, Egghead always wears those dumb little glasses, so I figured I fit the part."
His head feels very dangerously close to exploding, and he makes a rather indignant noise and throws his hands up. "Not the glasses!"
Sonic replies with another – but more emphatic – shrug. He looks so smug, Knuckles wants to throw him off his island for keeping him in the dark, even if this is completely in character, Knuckles still hates being out of the loop. Sonic sticks his tongue out playfully. "Eh, you'll figure it out," Sonic offers, sounding utterly unapologetic towards any of it.
Then, Sonic turns, already strutting away, as confident as he can get. Just as Knuckles is about to shriek some less-than-kind words, Sonic looks back for just a moment, and says, "Oh, by the way, you should duck."
Before Knuckles has a single chance to understand those words, the sound of burning fire and something piercing the blanket of wind alerts him to something moving. Fast, not Sonic fast, but fast enough. His head swivels in a panicked hurry, and his eyes go wide as he comes face to face with a small yellow and white rocket flying at a tremendous speed – in the direction of his face.
"Shit!" he yells without thinking, and only barely manages to dodge by dropping his knees to the ground and bending his back to the grass. It is an awkward position and Knuckles feels even more foolish for not just jumping out of the way or something.
The rocket somehow seems to sense that it has missed its intended target, and just… Stops. From what Knuckles understands about such contraptions, it shouldn't be possible, but still, it happens anyways.
Doing a complete one-eighty, Knuckles finds it almost staring directly at him again, and he scowls at it. Stupid rocket, stupid Sonic for leaving him with this annoying thing – not listening to gravity.
It sputters and tries to make another charge towards him, but Knuckles is more mad than surprised now, so he pulls himself to his feet in one swift motion, standing straight and unflinching as the stupid thing flies closer.
At the last moment, it tries to redirect and catch him from the back – but Knuckles has had quite enough of that, and he brings one wrapped fist to it as it attempts to pass him – Sonic may have the fast legs, but Knuckles' fists can move too.
The thing goes flying, maybe a bit too much strength in one punch, he thinks, but it does feel sickeningly worth it when the thing skids to the ground, sputtering helplessly a few times before the machine dies.
Knuckles trudges to the little contraption, scraping the dirt up with his spikes with how forcefully he picks the thing up. It is sizeable, maybe the size of his hoverboard, but not even close to anything threatening.
The color is what is most suspicious, and Knuckles recognizes this craftmanship. It only takes a few rotations around the device before he finds it. A small silver brand, depicting twin tails resting inside a power ring. Knuckles glares angry daggers at it before his head shoots up and he finally analyzes his surroundings. Sonic didn't take him far, he has just barely dropped him off at the edge of the forest cover, before the field holding the shrine lays.
Grinding his teeth, Knuckles does a few furious turns before he shouts. "Tails!" he raises the rocket and gives it a few aggressive shakes – something rattles inside. "What is this?!"
A rustle, somewhere above him. "Well, it was a prototype battle slash reconnaissance drone!" Tails answers from somewhere hidden in the trees. A laugh in his voice while still maintaining some frustration. "You weren't supposed to break it that bad!"
Knuckles scoffs and many colorful Echidna swears come to mind. "You tried to ram it into me! How is it my fault for defending myself!?"
"Well, you don't see me destroying any of your traps whenever I get stuck in them!" Tails hollers back, and Knuckles cannot discern where in the world he is.
Tails has always been better stealth-wise than Charmy, and Knuckles' normal internal compass is still struggling to recalibrate with so many foreign bodies on the island. He is sure if he really tries, he could pick out Tails' wavelength, but it does not feel like something to waste his energy on, even if he is greatly miffed with the kid.
That does remind him, where is everyone? Knuckles knows everyone is close, that much he can tell, but it feels hazy, spread out, one big group of aura soup that Knuckles can't separate. He scans the trees, but doesn't see anything – even if he knows Tails is there somewhere. His eyes turn to the short distance where the trees break into the soft, tall grass, squinting, Knuckles realizes there are several bodies, standing scattered around the field.
"What?" He mutters for the thousandth time, taking a step forward. Then, something hits the top of his head. It is nothing hard and it does not even hurt, Knuckles suspects an acorn, but the projectile disappears into the grass below before he can confirm anything. He looks up, amethyst meeting bright blue as Knuckles makes contact with a grinning Tails, who sits at least twenty feet above him in a tree.
"Hey," he greets softly, that mischievous glint in his eye briefly disappearing and something more gentle taking its place. "You're supposed to say something angry and mocking back, like, 'well Tails, I've told you where all my traps are laid like, two million times,'" he says voice going faux deep in his best Knuckles impression.
Knuckles very nearly laughs at that, but he swallows it down, settling for a soft smile – because he can never stay mad at Tails for long. "Well, not all of them," he replies slyly. Crossing his arms, Knuckles raises a brow toward the younger teen. "Mind telling me what is going on?"
At that inquiry, it seems that the "torment Knuckles" switch gets pulled back on, and Tails looks all too confident to know something Knuckles doesn't – as if Tails does not know several hundred things he doesn't. He shakes his head in something like sympathy. "Nope, sorry, defeats the purpose, but you'll get there."
Now, at this point, that answer is nowhere near as surprising as it was five minutes ago, and all he does is roll his eyes. Fine, if they want to play this game, Knuckles can play. Recalling his earlier annoyance, Knuckles marches to the trunk of the tree Tails rests on. He casts one last impish grin at Tails who suddenly looks a little worried over something.
Lifting a leg, Knuckles draws it back for a moment before bringing it down and slamming it into the trunk. The strength he puts into it is tremendous and the tremors it causes shake the ground around him. It leaves a cracking dent in the tree's bark, and Knuckles' foot almost gets stuck. He utters a small apology to the tree and the land.
The tremors shudder up the tree and Tails looks confused at Knuckles' sudden hatred for nature. The shakes reach the limb he is resting on and he barely manages to keep his balance. Making him fall wouldn't do much, not with a kid with twin flying tails. After a moment, the dust settles, and Tails looks bewildered.
"Uh, what was that?" He asks, his voice a tad higher than before.
A satisfied – and perhaps a little prideful – smile spreads across his lips, and he giggles like a little kid. "Not all of them," he repeats, ominous and a bit evil.
And, just like that, in a display of beautiful – though maybe not as masterful as anything Tails has ever built – but still impressive artistry, a sickening snap sounds from even above Tails, and Knuckles knows it to be the rope vine he set between two poles, maybe two years ago.
The thing breaks clean and down comes two hooks, swift and thank god – just as Knuckles designed it, he never did test out those hinges. The hook at held the vine drags the rope down fast enough that it acts as a whip.
Before Tails can fully clock what is going on, the rope wraps tight around his wrists. Knuckles hopes it does not hurt when Tails yelps and tries to resist. The struggling only makes it grow tighter and the hook begins to retract back into the tree's canopy. With that, the other hook – that rests patiently a few feet above the other – catches on the rising vine, and Tails makes a very panicked noise before the vine goes taut around his wrists and he is yanked upwards.
Arms basically knotted together by the vine above his head, Tails uselessly flails his legs, but the rope is too tight to allow any purchase to his hovering.
"Um – I feel like this is cheating!" Tails squawks, fighting as hard as he possibly can and grumbling when each attempt turns up fruitless. Eventually, he just sags, defeated and scowls in that barely intimidating way he always does.
Knuckles, on accord of still technically being in the dark on all of this, chooses gracefully to spare Tails too much gloating. His head tilts to the side as he gazes up at the fox. "How could it possibly be cheating, if I don't even know the rules?" Knuckles asks honestly, some mirth helping to shield how perplexed he remains.
Tails considers him for a moment, hanging helplessly in the air while still appearing like the smartest kid in the forest. "I guess I can't argue with that," he kicks a leg out in the direction of the shrine. "You may proceed."
His eyes travel to and from the field to the trap Tails is so thoroughly wrapped in. "You don't want me to let you down first?"
Shaking his head vigorously, Tails sticks his tongue out. "No, it'd be a waste of time, and I'd only attack you again."
Choosing not to question the ethics of that statement, Knuckles hums instead. Acceptance over the fact that apparently none of his friends will be of any help is setting in quickly, he does not see the point in fighting it. "Right, so I just…?" he gestures a hand in the field's general direction.
Tails snickers. "Well, you'll get there, but first," Tails licks his lips before taking in a long and deep inhale. Then, with a volume Knuckles didn't know was possible for the fox, yells with great excitement, "Don't hold back, guys!"
A leg appears seemingly out of thin air, trajectory headed straight for his stomach, but Knuckles has enough reaction time to launch himself backward as Espio comes into full view, his camouflage falling away. He does not appear a single bit surprised at Knuckles' movements, but he smiles and greets with a kind, "good job," anyways.
Knuckles is about to say something snide and unimpressed when a loud buzzing just above his head alerts him to Charmy's presence. He looks up in a panic to see the teen grinning ear-to-ear as he slams headfirst into Knuckles and wraps his arms fiercely around his head.
Suddenly blinded by the body of a teenager, Knuckles briefly flounders around before he finds his composure again. It only takes a second to grip Charmy by both sides and throw him off.
He goes flying a bit farther than intended, but it gives Knuckles ample time to catch his breath. "What was that?!" He yells when Charmy manages to steady himself in mid-air. There's a chuckle in his voice, because of course that would be Charmy's idea of a sneak attack.
Charmy huffs in an attempt to catch all his breath at once, then a knowing smile – and Knuckles is really getting tired of it – and he lets out a boisterous laugh, one that Knuckles knows is him trying to mimic Vector. "It was only the best distraction you've ever seen!"
Blinking rapidly, a quick and powerful chill runs down Knuckles's spine in that knowing and scary way – the Emerald warning him of something. Never exact, but the feeling is involuntary, and it raises his quills on end. It is only then that Knuckles notes that Espio is no longer standing by him, rather when he turns, he spots the chameleon making a rather desperate dash through the field – straight for the shrine.
Alarm bells go off loud and undeniable in Knuckles' head, and it sort of feels like the breath has been stolen from him. Rational thought tells him that Espio would never do anything to hurt the Master, none of his friends would.
But the primal, powerful innate instinct to protect it sees an enemy, danger, and chaos. Heart skipping a couple of beats, Knuckles does not even care about Charmy anymore as he turns to run. His eyes squint when he breaks through the forest cover, the sun has risen enough to blind him with its warm light.
Knuckles only makes it about thirty feet before Knuckles feels something – a warning maybe – and he turns just in time to see Vector barrel into him and push him to the ground. With a shocked cry, Knuckles falls flat on his stomach, and he wishes he had Sonic's speed because Vector pins him down before he can move fast enough to stand back up.
It is a little primitive, and Knuckles will have to apologize to him later, but Knuckles releases a low growl that rumbles in his throat. He just sees Espio getting closer and that tightness in his chest keeps growing.
Now, Knuckles has been growing a lot, and he knows he is very strong – unnaturally so, but so is Vector. Maybe not to the caliber that Knuckles is at, but it is still notable, and right now Vector has gravity on his side. Knuckles lets out a few more raucous sounds before pausing to try and settle his betraying nerves.
"Take a breath, man," Vector warns above him, an attempt at soothing him.
He does, but he turns his head enough to catch a glimpse of his friend above him. Vector has his arms pinned behind his back, so Knuckles has very little leverage. Knuckles does his best glare. "Don't try to tell me to breathe when you're holding me to the ground!"
Vector only chuckles, shrugging his shoulders – as if he isn't shaking in the struggle to keep Knuckles down. "Listen, man, it's gonna be alright, you just gotta ride it out," he says, sort of awkward yet knowing in the way Vector always is when he tries to be serious. Vector leans further in, then lets out a quick gasp and recoils a bit.
Anger suddenly forgotten; Knuckles tries to give him a concerned glance. "My quills are sharp, Vex, I don't want to hurt you for—for whatever game you guys are playing," Knuckles explains, and he means the words fully.
Laughing softly, Vector grins, all tooth and hard points. "Nah man, I can handle a few needle pokes – tough hide, remember?"
"Plus – This is what we gotta do to make you feel better!" Another voice yells, and Knuckles can't turn his head any further to figure out where, but he knows it is Charmy.
Now, those words do help to reignite his fury and he starts to struggle again. "How is attacking me and pinning me going to make me feel better!?" Vector seems to be losing some steam, and Knuckles has more and more give as he starts struggling again.
Charmy snorts from somewhere behind him. "Don't be lame, Knuckles, you've got to roll with it," he teases, sounding a little less amused.
"I'm being lame?!" Knuckles shrieks, finally gaining enough leverage to push Vector into a roll. Before Knuckles rolls with him – he doesn't want to poke him any more than he has – he pushes off his chest and rights himself on his feet. A little too quickly, as a matter of fact. Knuckles stumbles back a few steps and almost falls over again.
He opens his mouth to say a few more rude insults before the buzzing in his head directs his attention to a still-running Espio. Knuckles frantically turns his head a few times between Espio and Charmy who is helping Vector to his feet. He huffs. "If either of you tries to knock me over again," he warns, seeing no need to elaborate further.
Charmy raises his hands in mock surrender, dropping Vector in the progress and causing him to tumble back down with a surprisingly highly pitched yap.
With the assurance that Vector is thoroughly tapped out, and Charmy has the smarts not to try anything, Knuckles gives them a satisfied nod before turning to sprint toward the shrine.
It's stupid, he knows Espio would never do anything. He knows, he knows. But the instinct is intrinsic to Knuckles being, and he can't ignore it even if it is irrational.
Knuckles is fast enough, especially driven to the Emerald. Still, he has to slam to a halt when two new individuals bar his way. His stop is so abrupt that he tears up the grass underneath him, and he gasps from the exertion of having to fight against gravity. Knuckles' mind has to work extra hard to catch up with his eyes, and suddenly a few of those extra wavelengths might be.
Shadow and Blaze stand just ahead of him, neither of them looking the slightest bit amused or surprised by his arrival. Shadow looks unperturbed and Knuckles actually feels a little awkward under his scrutinizing gaze, even if he knows Shadow doesn't really mean anything by it, it is just how he is.
Blaze offers him some relief by giving him a small smile, a little uncharacteristic for her face, but Knuckles notes in his frazzled mind that it looks nice on her.
"Good to see you again, Knuckles," Blaze greets politely, Shadow nods alongside her, but makes it clear he holds no intention of saying hello.
With the thrum of energy and anxiety combatting in his head, Knuckles can only reply with a clumsy nod and a breathy noise.
Apparently satisfied with opening up the social contract, Blazes' face hardens, and something goes tight in Knuckles's chest as he sees fire begin to lick at the tips of her fingers.
On instinct, Knuckles takes a step back, though he isn't sure what good it will do since he is well aware Blaze can throw her flames very far. Shadow looks similarly prepared to move, and Knuckles can only guess what sort of attack these two might come up with together.
Blaze does not help him with a response before veering sharply to the left to try and catch him from the side. Shadow moves opposite of her, though Knuckles gathers quickly that he doesn't seem to be trying Blazes' movements beyond that.
Knuckles has half a mind to keep his trek towards the shrine, but thinks better of it with these two. Shadow is nearly as fast as Sonic, and fights twice as dirty. Blaze is an experienced combatant and though Knuckles is too, he knows it would not be wise to turn his back on them.
Predictably, Shadow moves first and Knuckles manages a quick duck as Shadow narrowly sends him flying with a kick to his stomach. There is no time to breathe since Blaze quickly follows, aiming straight for his face with a flaming fist. Stretching his leg out, Knuckles vaults himself just out of the way, leaving Blaze with nothing to take the impact, and her trajectory plummets straight into the dirt.
Seeing the small and new sparks of fire spread from her wrist, Knuckles' outrage renews, and he spits, "Hey! Watch my grass!"
Her eyes go wide as she sees what she has done, and she pulls her fist from the ground with so much force she nearly trips herself over. "I am sorry – I did not mean to do that," she amends, and Knuckles could almost cackle at how sincere she sounds.
Knuckles watches as the two of them grapple with the mental consequence of two failed attacks, and he nearly feels a bit of pride. "What are you doing here, Blaze – I thought you went home months ago," his gaze turns to Shadow, and he shakes his head at him. "And you're even more concerning."
Shadow and Blaze share a look, and Shadow moves in place of a real response. His speed wins this time – catching Knuckles by surprise. With his elbow curling around Knuckles' neck, he gets thrown off his feet with Shadow's makeshift lariat and onto his back. It isn't enough to knock the wind out of him, but his spines do cut painfully into his back, the downfall of lying flat.
Standing over him with a threat in his eyes, Shadow shakes his head. "You dictate your life by the words of dead men," he says, serious as Shadow always is. Knuckles gulps, mouth slightly agape as he struggles to pick apart his words. Resting a grounding foot on his chest, in some attempt to keep him in place, Shadow looks away, a tad more awkward than a few moments ago.
"The world will not benefit from someone with your burden wasting away the way you are," he states with a sense of authority, though his voice wavers in a way that tells Knuckles he isn't totally comfortable admitting it.
"I'm not wasting away," is all he can think to say, with a voice a little timid and far away.
"Then what are you doing?" Calls a voice, and Knuckles caulks his head to spot Blaze standing just behind Shadow, head tilted sadly. "I understand the pain you feel, my friend, I know it well… It can be… Polarizing."
Shadow doesn't acknowledge Blaze when she appears next to him, but his ear flicks in her direction, and it is strange to see him working with anyone other than the members of Team Dark.
Thick like tar, something protective and defensive hardens and solidifies in Knuckles's chest, and he grits his teeth. "You came all this way – left your dimension, all of it, just to tell me that?" He accuses, trying to sound more furious than confused, that's easier to understand, always. And it isn't like it is untrue, what a waste of time.
Her expression hardens as she considers his aggression. Then, slow and calculated, she kneels by him, Shadow still looms over, signature glare piercing him like a blade dipped in cyanide. Blaze brings a hand down to the crook between his collarbones and his neck. He feels an uncomfortable heat begin to build there.
"Knuckles, you are my friend, and I respect you as my equal, but as you are right now – you are a liability."
Something catches in his heart and stays there for a moment. Hurt and scared like the kid he never was, and his face twists and he knows the pain shows on his face. Then, that fury pushes through like trolling lava and Knuckles scoffs back at them both – he can hold fire too. "A liability?!" He snarls, moving to push himself up by his elbows. He encounters some resistance in Shadow, but Blaze releases her hold instantly.
Shadow seems to realize that Knuckles has him beat in terms of raw strength, and moves his foot as well. Knuckles pushes himself into a crouch to frown at them both, suddenly missing the levity that his little tussle with the Chaotix had.
"You come to my island, my home, uninvited and unannounced. You attack me – and hurt my flowers – and now you call me a liability?! Me?!" He stands quickly and truthfully, he doesn't even know what to say. Still, he comes closer to Blaze anyway, who despite everything, smiles at him.
"Everything I've ever done is to make sure nothing bad happens to Mobius, and now you…" Knuckles finds his anger fizzling as it sets in his bones how little Blaze and Shadow are affected by his outburst.
Silence hangs, and Knuckles is tempted to keep running after Espio, but something like social contract keeps him planted in front of the two.
Blaze releases a long sigh, and the sound in itself makes Knuckles tired. She shakes her head before she moves back into a defensive stance, Shadow does not even bother before he moves. In a blink, he's behind Knuckles, and even out of the corner of his eye, Knuckles can spot the beginnings of a spin dash.
"I am sorry, my friend, I shouldn't have said it like that… But I will say this," Blaze starts, and Knuckles is distracted by how kind her tone turns. "Whatever may hold power in our worlds has one thing in common," she steps out of the way, and it gives Knuckles a clear view of the Emerald – he can hear its whispers from here. "It could have chosen anyone else, but it chose us."
The whir of kinetic energy demands attention – and Knuckles almost thinks he should be thankful for his spar sessions with Sonic, because when Shadow moves to ram him, Knuckles drops into a spin. With one powerful leg swung out, Knuckles breaks whatever momentum Shadow has built and lands a solid kick to his stomach.
Shadow goes flying a few feet before his feet slam into the ground, he slides back on wobbling legs before he stops, and he actually looks surprised that Knuckles was able to get a hit in.
He stands, looking away as he crosses his arms – acting as if nothing has happened, though Knuckles does note the slight pout of his lip. He refuses eye contact as he utters, "you were… a decent leader."
Next to him, Blaze rolls her eyes, "she asked you to say something encouraging, Shadow," she says, suddenly sounding very exasperated.
Shadow makes an incredulous noise, "that was encouraging."
Knuckles is playing catch up as he listens to them bicker, and fails to understand how accusing him of being a liability is at all encouraging. Then he gets around to Shadow actually paying him a compliment. He feels he might fall over again – this time without being pushed in the slightest. Shadow hardly speaks, much less in kind words – if what he has said can be considered kind.
That is what makes his eyebrows fly up and his mouth briefly hangs open in disbelief before he says, "Shadow, you never listened to a word I said as commander!"
Shadow turns his head at that, and his face only shifts a little bit. Knuckles doesn't have the skills to read it – especially not Shadow's face of all things. "No one tells me what to do," he answers, then does what Knuckles imagines is his version of a shrug. "… That doesn't mean your orders weren't worth listening to."
Those words hang in the air like wind chimes, and Knuckles feels a little dumbfounded. Knuckles isn't sure if Shadow and he are even friends – Knuckles likes to think so, but it is not like they have ever been particularly close. The same could be said for Blaze, but he has sort of a kinship with her, in a lot of ways – plus it does help that Blaze is actually nice to him, if not a little blunt.
It would be a lie if Knuckles said that Shadow hasn't gotten better at it over the years. The whole friend thing, at least. He supposes that is something they can relate to, social expectations and whatnot.
Still, the awkward admission has him reeling, and he realizes that they are both already moving to charge him once more. Knuckles refuse to fall any longer, especially not in his own house, so he faces Blaze head-on as she tries to blindside him with a flaming fist. Knuckles can't decide if he should be concerned or flattered by the fact that she is willing to use her flames on him, but decides it is not worth the emotional debate.
He catches the fist with relative ease, and the fire goes out in his palm, like snuffing out candlelight. They lock eyes for a moment, and Knuckles see something sad pass over her expression, time stopped just for them. It changes… Subtly, Knuckles almost misses it, but if he were an optimist – which he decidedly is not – he might say it begins to shine with something like hope.
There is no time to truly come to a conclusion, Shadow is fast approaching - really fast – so, with his hand still clamped firm around a quickly panicking Blaze, Knuckles pulls. Blaze makes a single sound of protest before she is lifted off the ground. Once she is where he needs her, Knuckles lets go, and watches with some unfair glee as Shadow doesn't stop in time to dodge the impromptu projectile.
They clash in a rather unharmonious heap, and despite his supposed ultimate life-form body, Shadow stumbles back and fumbles to the ground, a very dazed Blaze draped over his stomach.
Despite the rollercoaster, the encounter has been, Knuckles rewards them with a lopsided and maybe a bit arrogant smile. It feels nice, and he is not sure why. Affirming.
Regardless, his mission is not to taunt them over his win, he has other things to worry about. "… Um, good to see you both," and then he is running again, and he does truly try to ignore the pulsing in his heart, as he considers Blaze and Shadow's exchange with him.
He feels a bit less of that confusion now, despite still being uninformed about why he suddenly has so many guests. The impulse shredding away at his chest is less so, too. Knuckles searches for it, and it seems like the Emerald senses no danger, but it is not always reliable in that aspect. Sometimes Chaos is Chaos, and it sees no reason to fight that, sometimes it calls for Order, and it is his job to keep that balance.
Now it should be obvious that Order is being kept – it should be. His friends are all here, and while the crowd of beings does make him a little nervous, no risk is here. Still, he runs a little quicker upon seeing Espio closing in on the shrine.
"Not real danger, not real danger, not real danger," he repeats to himself a few times, when his anxiety over the whole thing starts to get to him.
Espio has his stealth and certainly well-trained skills in terms of intricacy, but Knuckles is faster, and he has his determination. His legs carry him across the field and even while taking care not to step on too many flowers, he still is only a few paces away from the shinobi when he is faced with his next interruption. He feels the presence in the tips of his fingers and down to his toes.
This time, he is ready for it, springing his legs up into an easy bound and leaping feet above the two new faces that try to stand in his way. The wind tries to carry him as it always does… but something stops him dead and cold.
Instead of landing balanced and graceful onto the ground, successfully avoiding any more conflict, Knuckles finds himself hanging mid-air, almost frozen where he is. The feeling, while known in a way, is still as uncomfortable as everything else that has happened this morning.
His head swivels around as best it can. Eventually, when he bends his head just so, he catches sight of the culprit, and his accomplice. He takes a slow, even breath. "Silver, what are you doing?!" Several other questions run through his mind, 'like why are you here I thought you went home,' or 'how much do you value your life,' but it doesn't feel totally appropriate.
Silver, who is currently holding him at a very uncomfortable angle, smiles in that nervous sort of way that is basically a staple for him. Knuckles grew very fond of it throughout the resistance, but now he is finding it very difficult to muster up that affection.
"Uh – hi Knuckles," he greets, giving him a shy wave with the hand that is not currently holding Knuckles captive.
Knuckles narrows his eyes at him in place of a formal greeting, and his gaze travels to the second annoyance next to him. "You better wipe that grin off of your face, blue," he warns, and he makes sure his glare has some ice in it.
Sonic, who is still wearing those stupid sunglasses, only smiles wider, and Knuckles knows it is solely to spite him. "Lotta demands coming from the guy with no ground to stand on." He ends that retort with an infuriating wink. Knuckles could strangle him.
Making sure to turn his head as aggressively as possible, Knuckles returns his gaze to Silver without dignifying Sonic with a reply. It is nice to see him, truthfully. Knuckles is never sure if he'll see the hedgehog again whenever he returns to his own time, especially since his only way of contacting him is through Blaze – if she is even in their dimension. (Though Tails has been trying to get around it for many years now, with no such luck.) So, he tries to treasure whatever meetings he is gifted with.
Still, that does not deter him from seeing red, still dangling helplessly in the air as Espio continues his dash to the shrine. Despite the heat festering in his chest, he dares to smile at Silver while he says, "if you do not let me down right now – I swear, I will make your present so much worse than your future."
Now, Knuckles would never discount Silver's abilities, he is plenty strong and completely capable. The real problem is that the poor kid holds as much confidence as a child awaiting approval. While in recent years (he won't say it is because of the resistance,) his posture has gotten a bit straighter and his voice a bit louder – that anxiety still shines in his eyes under Knuckles' threat.
"Don't give in, Silv," Sonic urges next to him, though the smile still spread across his features tells that he really means nothing by it.
Silver would never truly be intimidated by Knuckles, not in a way that matters – the kid is nervous, not a coward – but it is clear that he values Knuckles' discomfort, so despite Sonic's ribbing, he slowly lowers him until his feet level on the dirt. With his newfound freedom, Knuckles flexes his namesakes a few times with a comforted sigh. Silver meets him with another timid smile. "Sorry Knuckles, Sonic told me to stop you."
"Way to throw me under the bus, buddy," Sonic deadpans, sticking a playful tongue out at him. Silver doesn't seem apologetic in the slightest, rather Knuckles is pretty sure he is completely ignoring him.
Sharp and tight tension continues to spread and grip at his chest, just under his skin like a binding. Without Silver holding him back, Knuckles has nothing to stop him from continuing in his chase. A ringing feathers in his ears as he turns to spot Espio dangerously close now, and he releases a breath despite it all.
"Not planning on running out on us, are you red?" Sonic voices, and Knuckles has gotten so distracted that the exclamation actually makes him startle. His head swivels back and he narrows his eyes at the two damn overpowered hedgehogs, trying to cover the heat blossoming in his cheeks over jumping so easily.
His tongue is hot with lava, but he cools it by simply spitting, "that depends, are either of you going to knock me over again?" He asks, and it shouldn't be a real question, but part of it is. It's sloppy, the number of times he's been barraged today, after the resistance he should never be so careless.
Silver and Sonic both look equal parts knowing and a bit guilty, which is a little surprising – Knuckles isn't sure what to make of it. Silver allows a few clipped chuckles to escape, answering with a shrug. "That's… Sort of the idea, I guess?"
Utterly unimpressed, Knuckles only raises a brow, fighting off the urge to sigh. With the amount of eye-rolling this morning, his eyes might get stuck in his head. Sonic adjusts his glasses with one hand, and directs a lazy thumb's up his way. "Well, the answer is just don't get knocked down, right? It's your island, stop letting us tromp all over it." Sonic says, jovial and careless until the end, almost encouraging in a way that Knuckles will never understand.
Knuckles gives himself a moment to consider Silver as they all sit in this little moment. Time works in strange ways, and Knuckles has no clue how long it has been since Silver has seen any of them, though he wages not very long. He doesn't look much different from the last time he saw him, if any change has happened at all.
Maybe if he squints, his squills look a little more lustrous, but it could be the mid-morning light.
The wind brushes by like an embrace behind him, and it tussles his locks kindly, enough to pacify him to close his eyes. He breathes in, deep and full to allow it purchase within his lungs. It is invigorating. His jaw sets, and he dares to smile when he opens his eyes to them again. Espio is gaining ground, but Knuckles feels the gift of power begins to circulate into every neuron.
Across him, Sonic grins back at him, and he can tell he must feel the same thing. That is something they've always had in common, that feeling. Next to him, Silver doesn't look nearly as enthralled, but Knuckles does see that ebullient determination that is utterly and purely his.
He won't dare to say he is having fun, because that itch of fear is still there – but, that light, boisterous ball won't stop bouncing around his chest. He caulks his head to the side. "Your mistake, hedgehogs," he shifts his leg back, and no, that is definitely not a laugh in his throat. "Just remember you told me to."
And for the first time this strange and chaotic morning, Knuckles moves first. He doesn't hold much hope of getting the drop on Sonic, so he decides to corner Silver first. His feet are swift, Silver has very little time to dodge, and is barely beginning to hover when Knuckles rounds on him. He cherishes the feeling of actually getting the drop on someone. His hand clamps down around a flailing arm – not too tight so as to avoid any real harm – and he vaults.
"Oh!" exclaims Silver, frantically grasping at anything as he struggles to remain airborne as he soars all too fast through the air. In the end, he loses the battle with gravity and plummets to the dirt in a grand display of pure grace, landing face first with a pathetic "oof."
Not without telekinetically ripping up a few weeds. Uhg, so much landscaping to be done later. Maybe the Chao will like some of the flowers that have been uprooted.
Fully aware that he only has a few measly seconds before Silver finds his composure, and he already knows Sonic has trotted up behind him, waiting. Something feels oddly familiar about this, perhaps a hit melancholic. "I don't remember having to do this to help you recover," Knuckles says softly.
Sonic snorts behind him. "I'm not a knucklehead who needs it hammered into his brain."
Knuckles scoffs, finally turning around to face the fastest thing alive, barring his way to the core of his being. "You and I both know that is debatable," He supplies, trying to be calm in the face of that dig.
"Maybe, but this isn't about me."
Despite everything, Knuckles snickers. "Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you?" He teases, and he hears Silver struggling to find his footing. He needs to move.
Chuffing his heel into the grass, Sonic throws his arms up into a long stretch. "Meh, I get enough attention from robot-building maniacs," says Sonic, offhandedly as he brings his arms down to his sides. Knuckles knows that stance, and is lucky enough in his swiftness that he can fall into a summersault when Sonic skips over in an attempt to rush him. There's pride in it, honestly.
Knuckles doesn't waste a moment, he needs to cover some ground, or he might lose his mind to urgency. He's running before he lets anyone catch on to what he is doing. He knows it is an uphill battle and he has no way of fooling himself into believing he could beat Sonic in a speed game, but Knuckles can certainly try.
He actually runs a favorable distance before he realizes that he should have been long beaten by now, and against his better judgment, he skids to a stop. When he catches a glance of that familiar blue and silver, Knuckles is surprised to see them both sitting a little too comfortably in the tall grass, watching him.
Beyond puzzled, Knuckles switchbacks between watching Espio scramble to the shrine, and to the two grinning idiots several feet away. It has to be a trick, certainly. He is far enough away that he needs to raise his voice, but not enough to be a true yell. "What are you doing?" He asks, and does not even bother to hide how bewildered he is.
Silver and Sonic share a look, before Sonic answers, a stupidly wide grin on his face. "Sitting."
He knows his face twists into a childish pout, and he nearly stomps his foot in frustration. Instead, he grips his hips a little too tight to keep himself from having a tantrum. "I can see that! Aren't you supposed to be tormenting me?!"
This time, Silver pipes up, and he sounds far too smug for any of this to be good. "Well, technically, we're just supposed to be a nuisance."
His groan comes out as a low grumble, too deep and raspy to be considered a civil response, but he is unapologetic when he screams back, "Well, mission accomplished!" He drawls flatly, that sweet bun did not gift him with enough patience for this. He points an accusing claw toward Silver. "Why are you of all people helping with this?! Why are you and Blaze even here?!" Maybe it is a little unfair to lump him and Blaze together, but Knuckles has always considered the trek they both have to take to even get here comparable.
Seemingly unbothered by the questioning, Silver shrugs. "Heard through the trans-spatial grapevine that one of my friends was struggling, so now I'm here." He replies honestly, and then his smile turns a tad sheepish. "I bet Blaze gave you this grand speech, huh? Ahh, I should have written something…"
Knuckles only stares for a moment, like his legs have turned to stone. He knows he should move, could move, but he only looks on at his friend in awe. He even takes a step toward them. "You mean… that's the only reason you're here?" It's a little scary, the way his voice falters.
Something kind and understanding crosses over his features, and Silver's expression softens. "Do I need a better one?"
Knuckles very nearly doubles over into a full belly laugh, because what the hell is going on? He shakes his head, disbelieving. "What do you mean, Silver?! It's time and space itself! You can't just… hop over here because I'm – I'm—" He isn't sure how to finish, but Silver seems to get the idea.
"I can't? Cause it seems like I did."
At that moment, he turns to check on Espio again, still running, still ahead, but he returns his gaze to the two, to Silver. "It can't be that simple."
Silver leans back, laying his hands flat on the dirt so he can recline just a bit. He seems so utterly sure of himself; Knuckles isn't used to such fortitude from him. "Well, I think it is."
And that just leaves Knuckles speechless, mouth dry and his mind spinning. What kind of loyalty does it take to transcend time for someone? What kind of care? Never in his entire existence, would Knuckles think he could have people who would try so hard for him, much less if he could ever deserve it.
He's faltering, he knows it, and he needs to focus on the game again. He manages to force the movement in his legs, and some breath into his lungs as he takes several steps back. It feels a lot like running away.
"We're not finished," he utters before he turns away. Sonic and Silver share another look.
"I know," answers Silver.
Espio is barreling up the shrine's steps, and Knuckles tries not to let that unbridled panic and protectiveness so intrinsic to him win. He leaves the two hedgehogs in the dust and neither of them bothers to follow, and Knuckles is perfectly fine with that.
"Espio! If you even touch the Emerald, I'm going to kill you!" He shrieks when he gets to the stairs, he skips every other three. He doesn't mean for his threat to sound so harsh, but he feels there is very little he can do about it.
When he does make it to the top – only after he trips a few times in his scurrying – he is so frantic that he does not have enough to react when he comes face to face with a surprisingly winded-looking Espio, standing arms crossed in front of the shrine. Their collision is inevitable, and Knuckles feels like an amateur for not having the reflexes to stop them both from slamming into the ground.
He barely can catch his arm on the rocks to avoid fully crushing Espio, though he gets pretty close, and Espio coughs and heaves a few times when he smacks against the floor.
"Sorry," Knuckles amends, breathless as he tries to roll off of him without causing further injury. Espio looks completely dazed and Knuckles can only imagine the way his head is spinning.
"Hm, so much for a grand entrance," taunts a voice from above, and Knuckles could give himself vertigo with how quickly his neck snaps up. He shouldn't be surprised, not a single bit, but his mouth hangs open like a confused child anyway. Sitting elegantly (and rather arrogantly) across his Emerald, is a very smug Rouge, legs crossed, and brows raised. She has since donned her mission gear since yesterday, and it feels oddly fitting. Next to her, Amy sits as well, though she only smiles sweetly at him with her hands clasped neatly in her lap, legs swaying back and forth off of the Emerald.
He should probably get up, but he remains with his legs tangled underneath him. He does allow the annoyance to show on his face, though. "Sorry my frantic dash wasn't stylish enough for you," he deadpans, Amy snickers at him while Rouge only smirks.
"So, you made it," Amy states, calking her head just so, a gleam in her eye that Knuckles doesn't know the meaning of.
Glancing down at a still very winded Espio, Knuckles rolls his shoulders. "If you can call this making it," he says, gesturing to himself with open palms. His mouth just barely turns upwards, and he chuckles. "Whatever 'it' even is."
Rouge hums, and an eerie quiet settles between them all, and Knuckles suddenly feels all of the eyes on him. He isn't sure why, but it feels like the Emerald is trying to speak through the silence, but Knuckles doesn't have the strength to fully hear it.
"Your birthday is in a few weeks," Rouge finally says, something serious yet still amused in her voice, Knuckles is not sure what to make of it.
"…Yes," he answers, doesn't even bother to try and hide the dread laced in his tone.
Amy pipes up next. "You'll be given a chance to show you are worthy of your marks."
"Of your title," Rouge adds, emphasizing the importance of it all.
Swallowing thickly, Knuckles nods. "I know." He does, he does. More than anyone will ever know.
By this point, Espio has regained some semblance of self, and sits himself up into a cross-legged sit, one hand still rubbing at his head. Knuckles half-expects him to make a dash for the Master, but thinks better of it. He seems to have given up his quest, whatever it was.
Maybe he just fulfilled it.
Knuckles visually checks him over for a matter of seconds before Rouge's voice beckons his gaze to her once more. "Tell me, Knuckles, what is your title?"
He raises an incredulous brow. "You know my title, Rouge," he prods, because this all feels too dramatic, and his chest is starting to twist. He almost misses Sonic's stupid Eggman glasses.
Amy smiles. "Really? Slipped our minds, I think." Both Rouge and Espio nod yes at that, and Knuckles feels sort of betrayed that Espio is suddenly playing along.
The words are so heavy on his tongue, they never have been before, but the weight of them has become so hard to hold. So exhausting. "I am the last of the Echidnas, and the sole guardian to the ancient Master Emerald." It is all in his head, he knows it, because it owes him no response at all, but he swears the Emerald glows just a bit brighter under his words. Like a show of pride.
What idealism, so unlike him.
Knuckles lets himself feel a little fuzzy inside when they all smile at him, as if happy to even hear him speak. Like when Tikal grins at his muttered greetings. Kindness undeserved, but given anyway.
Rouge purses her lips, tracing a delicate finger along the harsh ridges of the Emerald. Watching it makes him want to shiver. "How do you know?"
That question causes a chain reaction, and his head spins because it almost sounds like a taunt. His eyes narrow, and he knows he is doing a very poor job of hiding his shock. "What?" that word is beginning to sound like gibberish with how much he had said it today. He blinks a few times when the edges of them all start to bleed. Maybe he should have considered finishing his breakfast, and drinking some water.
Amy's normally jovial and careful features stretch just a bit to be something more playful than what he is used to, and she hums happily before replying, "well I mean, what if I'm the guardian of the Emerald?" She says it with a few pats to the Emerald's surface, and Knuckles tries not to let the clench of protectiveness that swells at the gesture.
Maybe it is something petty, he truly isn't sure, but something haughty and proud rears its head and Knuckles feels his face heat up. He hasn't scowled at Amy since he first met her, and it feels odd to now, but still, the expression appears on his face all the same. "Excuse me?" His mouth dares to ask.
Tilting her head just to the side, letting her pulled-back quills drape elegantly over her shoulders. She gives him a rather devious look, and Knuckles rethinks the capacity of Rouge's influence. "What if I'm the guardian? Or Rouge?"
"Or Vector," Espio adds, and Knuckles nearly barks with raucous laughter at the thought. He only barely blocks the action with the hot burn of scrutiny he feels pressing on him.
Slowly – and a little awkwardly – standing to his feet, Knuckles knows his reason is melting away at an alarming rate, and that at the heart of it all they are doing something for his benefit. Even if he does not understand it.
But well, well. His fury has always been a Faultline in his sense. An asset in battle, a liability everywhere else. Still, he tries to feel more anger than betrayal. Still, the consideration makes his blood run cold down to his veins. "You're not," Knuckles asserts, less so furious and more of a desperate declaration.
Amy just looks at him, almost sadly. Smile small and humble on her lips when she replies with a quiet, "why?"
He inhales, slow and open-mouthed, and is surprised when an answer finds him so quickly. Because he would never dream of forcing Amy into a destiny meant solely for him. Nor Rouge, Espio, or any of them that he holds so dear. Because though perhaps sometimes a lonely existence, the Emerald has been a friend to him since he truly had a self, and maybe before that. Been a friend before he'd come to recognize a voice in its kindly singing.
And it is funny to realize, after spending so long filled with words that make him feel sick and turned over. Made him sure that anyone could do this better than him, anyone at all. And perhaps, there is some truth to it, or maybe it is a lie in his head, like his friends want him to believe – either way, Knuckles realizes with a rush that leaves him gasping for air, that he does not want anyone else to do this. The island is his home, and the Emerald is too, so intertwined within him it is all like a lost consciousness to himself. When he breathes, so does the island, and when it does, he answers in kind.
A birthright, so much a part of him it has become painful to deny it, though he hadn't known that's what this was.
With the awakening of such a caliber – as well as the building weariness – Knuckles finds a moment too late that his knees have started to buckle. His legs feel like dough that has been stretched and pulled, and he knows he'll be too late to catch himself.
His breath catches.
"I've got you, my friend," assures Espio, just as he hooks an elbow around his shoulder, effectively slinging him just enough to avoid impact. It is seconds later before Amy comes to Espio's aid, and takes hold of his other half, though Knuckles notes she has a little more trouble holding him. A little guilty, he tries to find some balance, but his legs feel like jelly under him.
Rouge tuts from behind him, he feels a hand just on the small of his back, where his sharper quills are less dispersed. If he were to let them grow, there is a pair of crescents that rest on that very spot. He knows it's her. "Don't try to force it, gem," Rouge advises, that same confident, but nonetheless gentle inflection so shamelessly present again, same as yesterday. Same as the first time she spoke to him with such consideration, years ago.
Collectively, they make an effort to sit him down on his knees again, and Knuckles does not fight it. Though maybe a little sheepish underneath all of the shellshock. An emotion to confront later. He takes a few steadying breaths under Espio's request, more so for his sake than for his own, thankfully the oxygen comes easily enough. Always light in the company of friends.
Knowing that the question still stands, despite his lack of balance, they wait patiently for him, and Knuckles files it away to thank them at a later date. After he yells at each of them for messing with his head.
A bit timid, he turns to meet Amy's attentive and powerful gaze. He's always found it so interesting the way she can peer at him with such electrifying eyes, so similar to Sonic's but so, so different all the same. They gift him with a sense of bravery he might not have had without him, and he exhales slowly. His eyes drift to the Emerald, heart stuttering under its mysteriously loud glow.
His stomach does a few twirls when he finds his voice. "I know because it's the only thing I have ever known. The only thing that I know is real." Absently, a few stray claws brush against his chest, it feels so heavy all of a sudden. "More than the breath in my lungs." He gnaws at his lower lip, enough to barely hurt. "… But it still feels like a lie," an injustice, he doesn't say, but he is sure the slouch of his shoulders, and the quakes in his hands give him away.
She comes around him at that, kneeling to meet him eye to eye, and blocking his view of the Master. Perhaps for the better. He blinks the spots out of his eyes. Rouge is giving him a face reminiscent of contemplative, and that knowing glisten of her eyes and assurance that shows in the corner of her lips, and the very way she takes a breath in and out.
"Gem, you've got so many people who would vouch for you," says Rouge, voice just a whisper above the hum of life around them. "To any god, or ancestors, whoever is stupid enough to question you," she says that bit with a smile, and Knuckles fights between letting it infect him.
Though perhaps a little inaccurate, Knuckles appreciates the sentiment. It might sound disrespectful coming from anyone but Rouge, who he knows holds very little care for useless tradition. He's come to hold value in her contrast to him, in that maybe it is good to do things simply because you want to. If not from Sonic, he's learned it from her.
No words are shared for a short while, and Knuckles isn't sure if they are waiting for him. He isn't sure what to say if they are. What does a lonely soul say when surrounded?
Knuckles has managed to steady himself enough to hold his balance, and he thinks about trying to stand, but Espio and Amy hold him fast. Not that he couldn't break free if he wanted to, but his adrenaline has crashed so hard and quickly that he doesn't feel the need.
Espio, who has been relatively silent til' now, swallows just next to him, and Knuckles watches in his periphery as his gaze settles on something imagined in the distance. "Do you trust your friends?" He inquires, all soft edges and consideration.
He pushes down the scoff. "With everything I have," Knuckles answers, and the admittance releases something, like tipping over a glass, and he finds his mouth hanging open with an exhale.
Meeting his gaze now, there is something pained in Espio's features, and Knuckles can't help the guilt that twists at him like a knife. "So, why isn't our word sufficient?"
And those words just sting in a way Knuckles was not expecting, and his eyes go hazy as he shakes his head. He looks down, hiding behind his locks and hoping that they act as a good enough curtain, he tries not to let the crest on his chest come into focus. "I don't know," he mutters, so muted he's not sure if he is even audible. He takes in a breath, sharp and so frustrated with himself. "Nothing is enough proof to me, and I'm sorry, I wish I knew why."
That seems to settle in the air, thick and coated with a gunk that leaves it hard to inhale. Knuckles hopes it isn't as toxic for his friends as it is to him. He does make an attempt to find some of that childlike whimsy he was filled with a little while ago, but now all it raises are questions of the purpose of it all.
Someone sighs, and the shake of it with the little squeak at the end tells him it is Amy. She whispers something, but Knuckles is too busy drawing invisible circles into the shrine's brick to parse any of it.
Then, steady and careful, a hand sneaks in between his quills, resting just on the corner of his jaw. He does not see a reason to fight it, so he lets himself be coaxed. And his amethyst is meeting Rouge's aquamarine. "Breathe," she starts with, and the lilt in her voice makes it sound like a plea. He complies. It seems to please her.
"Not enough proof, gem?" Her eyes trail away from him, just over his shoulder. "I think that right there is plenty of proof."
Mildly curious, Knuckles swivels to match her gaze, and he breathes a suffered sigh out. Across the windy and flower-filled field, all of his friends and allies are, exactly where he'd left them. Shadow and Blaze stand and he can see from here they are watching him, arms crossed and shielded. Sonic and Silver are both sitting down, and Knuckles rolls his eyes as he spots Silver lose two games of rock-paper-scissors in a row.
From this distance, it is not clear, but he can see that Vector and Charmy have successfully freed Tails from his entrapment.
There is a strong buzz that warbles around his ribcage in pungent waves. So, so. That's what this is, that's what that was. So many of the most powerful people in all of Mobius (and other worlds) all in one place. Here just to knock some sense into him. He wasn't even sure some of these people even liked him, now they are here, and there has to be a catch.
He bites the inside of his mouth, and his fang catches. He feels so far away. "They held back," he reasons, because he knows the strength of those around him, and it was too easy.
"So did you," Espio replies simply.
And Knuckles isn't sure what to say. Chaos runs rampant in his spirit, and he doesn't know if it is supposed to mean something.
He is sick with denial, and he can feel it like acid in his stomach. Shaking off the comforting touch of his friends, Knuckles makes to stand, and praises the ancients when he manages to without even tripping. Shuffling to the edge of the shrine, just at the lip of the first stair, Knuckles looks on and struggles not to feel like a boulder has been placed upon his shoulders.
Wracked with it all, Knuckles is left pondering. "Do you think my people would like me?"
The crack of weary knees and click of heels on block tells him his friends have all stood to meet him, and he feels them at his side only a moment later. Amy answers first. "Knuckles, I think they would adore you." She says it with so much conviction it must be exhausting to be so sure of it, but Knuckles finds it so assuring to hear the words. As pathetic as it may be.
"Even if they didn't, I've never taken much stalk in the opinions of people who aren't around to help," Rouge adds, and it is strange to find comfort in the edge in her tone too. A contradiction, isn't it?
Espio chuckles. "Well, I'm alive, and I'm quite fond of you."
Knuckles feels the corners of his mouth pull upwards at that, and he directs a nod in his chameleon friend's way. "Thanks, Esp."
He shrugs. "Try not to let it get to your head, guardian."
Amy rolls her eyes. "Espio, we want it to go to his head. That's the whole reason we're doing this."
It's hard to hold back the humor that is trying to fill his lungs. He has missed them, all of them, so much. It nearly hurts, like a wound in his chest that will never close. Knuckles is a solitary being, he likes it that way. The quiet and the work, it's the roadmap of his soul. Too many bodies in one place make him anxious, and he doesn't mind that. He does things on his own and that is where he is content.
But god, he never laughs so easily than when they are here. And they're all here, every single one.
It all seems so silly, because Knuckles goes so long without seeing some of them, and it can take a lot for plans to line up. But Amy catches wind of one little moment where he falters, and now his island is full. Over something that shouldn't be an issue in the first place.
He realizes, and he's known this – but now it really seems to sink in – that this feeling is what it is like to be put first. It's uncomfortable and strange.
And so moving, all the same.
He is laughing before he can even stop himself, and his eyes are glassy, he barely is able to stop anything from escaping. It's not the time, he thinks. He finds it in himself to take a few placating inhales and exhales, and he regains some control. He still feels bubbly with incoherent levity when he locates his voice.
"You all… Really want this for me, don't you?"
Truly, it feels like the world is spinning too quickly for him to keep up, but he listens when Amy replies. "Knuckles, if you of all people, can't earn your marks, then no one on this entire planet can."
Knuckles swallows hard. His first instinct is to argue, because Amy of all people saying that is almost laughable, but the authority in her tone, and the lengths they've all gone through for this… It gives him pause.
"I certainly wouldn't be able to, that's for sure," Rouge jokes, a smirk evident on her face, like she would ever care about such a thing.
There's a tug at his heart, that something that's been tying him in knots loosening just a bit. Tries not to come undone, like he did yesterday, though perhaps his friends deserve it after all of this trouble. He feels the marks like brands under his fur, evident even if no one can see them. Elegant and lovely and his.
But, in a way, they aren't.
They're Amy's, brushed on him with her sweet missives. They're Rouge's, curled around his being with her constant visits that feel more now more like a vigil than an annoyance. They're Vector's, Charmy's, and Espios, printed on his back with the support they have always given him at no cost. They're Tail's, grafted in with his tenacity and curiosity for a lost world that no one but Knuckles holds any value to anymore.
They're Sonic's, seared around him head-to-toe with his steadfast courage, and unyielding faith in him. Cream, Vanilla, Blaze, Shadow, Silver, all of them, a hand laid on him when he needed so much. When himself wasn't enough.
They're a gift, earned not by himself alone, because though Knuckles is by himself plenty, he's not alone. Not anymore. A shame, how much her forgets that. Marks bestowed that he would never have without them in his life.
It would be an insult, to hide his friend's handiwork from them.
Shit, that makes him dizzy.
His next laugh is a shudder. "If I do this… Will you all be with me?" He doesn't mean to sound so afraid to ask, but he presses on.
Rouge links her arm around his elbow, leaning in on him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Gem, your precious little ancestors won't know what to do with all of us," she says, eyes glittering bright as she watches their friends in the field.
Amy slides her hand in his, he closes the hold without thinking. "She and Tails went to the library yesterday, found out all about the whole eighteen thing."
Knuckles chuckles. "Is that what you were doing over there?"
She groans, and Knuckles can just hear the annoyance in her voice. "Yes, though really, we didn't 'find out' all that much," she caulks her head, eyes meeting his. "I'm sure Tails would be thrilled if you'd help us fill in the blanks."
"A little more than thrilled, I think," Espio butts in with a grin.
He feels warm and giddy when he imagines it. Really, it could be exciting for him too. If they're going to do this, he would like to do it right.
He casts a long look out towards the grass land, making sure to give each little colored speck of a person their fair share of his attention, no matter how small they are. All so precious, even the ones he might not know as well, all still on the list of people who care. The list of people who come after one little call. The list of people who love someone like him, someone with little to no social grace, quick to anger, so untrusting and far too trusting all at once.
Undeserving of his title but given it anyway. Less than perfect and surely so flawed, but given their affection anyway. Hurt and hard to understand, but understood, nonetheless.
That knot in him unties a little more, and it is like breathing after letting himself drown for so long.
His birthday is in a few weeks. Knuckles will be surrounded by family. Surrounded by those who will be honest, who will travel hundreds of miles simply because they wish to. Family who have painted him with a story that he has been too afraid to tell.
He can't for himself, it will take so much for that, too much, for now. Maybe one day.
But for now, there are legends in his quills, and he can't hide them away any longer.
There's fear, so much of it, and the eyes of those long gone burn him like sparks of a fire, but there is also a hope. Bright and looking forward, not back. Hope that tells him that his marks will grow, and shift, and one day, the fear will be gone.
What surprises him the most, is that the voice that tells him is his. Not a mock of a friend, not Tikal whispering kindness to him. It is him, and he is shocked to find that he believes it.
Maybe he could cry. Maybe he is, he's not sure.
He's grinning, that he does know, and it could put Sonic's to shame right now.
"Okay, let's do it."
Amy and Rouge have similar reactions. They giggle and sound so happy. Like his acceptance was what was holding that relief back. They both take their side to hug him. Espio runs an arm around his neck. They share a look, Espio looks tired, but somehow it is in a good way. Like a parent finally finding a moment's rest. The hug lasts for a long time, and it is crowded. It's nice.
His eighteenth birthday is in a few weeks, and for the first time in his life, Knuckles is excited for it.