Knuckles starring in...
A Nocturnal Conflict - Part 1


Angel Island - Echidna Site

*Not far from the Master Emerald chamber that holds the ever-mystical Master Emerald, Knuckles is seen doing his patrol on the island. He sees the Echidnas from the trees and just watches on, looking down sadly.*

Knuckles: "...This is left of our entire species, huh? Just... A handful of Echidna... And the Master Emerald was used to reduce them to this level..."

*He looks at his palm before clenching it tightly.*

Knuckles: "I should have never let myself be distracted like that... Because of my negligence, I let that thief steal the Emerald... I should... Sigh... I need to find another Guardian... Someone willing to help me out... I can't do this on my own if I'm that easily knocked away from it..."

*He looks up at the Echidna before sighing, deciding to glide off and away from them, leaving them in peace. As he wanders off, he finds Jani-Ca sitting along on a hill, where a makeshift memorial by the Echidna stood. Knuckles lands and walks up to Jani.*

Knuckles: "Hey! Are you... Are you okay?"

Jani: "...I'm fine, Guardian... Just sending my best wishes to my mother as she crosses to the great beyond..."

Knuckles: "Oh... I best not disturb you then..."

Jani: "Guardian..."

Knuckles: "I have a name, you know... It's Knuckles."

Jani: "...Knuckles... What are your current plans?"

Knuckles: "I can't say yet... Why?"

Jani: "...No reason... I just wonder... Am I even worthy to lead what's left of our species after... What had happened? The Albion Defense Force... My mother... All those families... They are gone, Knuckles..."

*Knuckles looks down, unsure of what to say to comfort her. He took a deep breath before approaching her.*

Knuckles: "I'm sure you'll do fine. You just have to keep your eyes on the future, you know?"

Jani: "...'Eyes'...? Knuckles... I LOST MY EYE!"

*Jani turns to Knuckles and shows an eyepatch over the eye that got shot by Nack, angrily glaring at Knuckles. The Guardian naturally held up his hands in defense, not meaning to strike a cord.*

Jani: "I lost everything! All because of some jerk with a god complex! And worse of all... That same jerk got away..."

*Jani began to break down, cying as she collapsed onto the ground. Knuckles approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her the best he could.*

Knuckles: "...I'm sorry, Jani... Truly I am..."

*Jani sits up and turns back to the memorial, but says nothing. Knuckles sees this as a sign to just leave and give the girl some space. So he does so...*

Knuckles: "...Jani isn't wrong though... Finitevus will pay for what he did..."

Angel Island - Mushroom Hill Zone

*As Knuckles heads back to the Master Emerald chamber, he sees some strange looking creatures. Almost alien in design with black armor with glowing purple highlights, including the eyes. Knuckles glares on as he growls.*

Knuckles: "...Course, he'll have to wait... Why does everyone come after my Emerald when there are seven smaller, but equally powerful rainbow Emeralds below?"

*He sneaks his way closer to the alien-like creatures, getting closer to hear what they were up to.*

Male Nocturnus Member: "Any sign of the Guardian?"

Female Nocturnus Member: "Negative. We've not detected him. Or his ilk."

Male Nocturnus Member: "Then the Master Emerald is ours for the taking. We deliver it to Master Ix and claim our birthright once again."

Female Nocturnus Member: "Shade still needs time to analyze the Master Emerald and make sure its safe for transport. After that sudden rip into the Twilight Cage, something only done by the Master Emerald*, I wouldn't be surprised if the thing was reacting violently."
(* - Finitevus' plan did more than attempt to grant him God-like abilities.)

Knuckles: "The Master Emerald isn't the only one!"

*The two creatures were suddenly ambushed, Knuckles getting the drop on them and quickly knocking the big male guy off his feet.*

Female Nocturnus Member: "Gah!? The Guardian!?"

Knuckles: "You guys came at a bad time. And after the Master Emerald was just misused too. So call off your little operation and we won't have any trouble."

Male NM: "The only one who's in trouble..."

*The male guy grabs Knuckles' leg, suddenly lifting him off the ground and slamming him hard back down.*

"IS YOU!"

*The female pulls out an energy whip - or rather conjures one from her hand, holding it by the energy stem without burning herself - and gets ready to crack it at Knuckles. But Knuckles is quick to retaliate and dodge whip. The male runs up and attempts to slam a fist on Knuckles, but the echidna punches an interception, knocking the fist aside before following up with a jumping uppercut.*

Male NM: "Urgh!"

Female NM: "Hold on, Stare! I'll cover you!"

Knuckles: "Go ahead and try!"

*Knuckles runs at the female and jumps at her, causing her to flinch, before realizing he missed. As she breathed a sigh of relief, she is suddenly hit below the chin by Knuckles coming from under the ground with a punch at the ready. The two members were knocked out.*

Knuckles: "Hah. What chumps. ...But if I heard correctly, your buddy is inside doing things that I don't like. Better go and stop 'em."

*Knuckles runs in, ready for a fight.*

Angel Island - Master Emerald Chamber

*Inside the chamber, another female Nocturnus Member was analyzing data on the Master Emerald. The process was taking longer than expected though as it seemed like the Emerald was still recovering from Finitevus' hex. But as she focused on her work, she suddenly jumps away as Knuckles comes in with a fist slam to the floor.*

Knuckles: "Just as I thought... Another one of you guys messing with my Emerald."

Female NM: "'Your Emerald'? You're as obsessed for power as the rest of your ilk, Knuckles Clansman..."

Knuckles: "Obsessed for power? I find that statement hilarious coming from someone like you."

*Knuckles charges in at the female, but she bends backwards to avoid the punch and propels him to the wall behind her. She then pulls out energy blades from her wrists before readying herself for a fight.*

Knuckles: "Alright... You're tougher than your buddies outside. But you are not misusing the Master Emerald!"

*Knuckles slams a fist onto the ground, breaking the ground apart under the female, but she jumps back before she can fall in. As Knuckles flies in to attack, she quickly blocks with her blades. The two land on the ground and began swinging at each other. The female slices her blade at Knux, but the echidna ducks and slams a fist at her side. Knuckles is hit by a spinning roundhouse kick in the face, but the follow up kick is grabbed by him. He pulls her in close before slamming a fist under her chin, causing her mask to fly off as she is sent at the stairs leading up to the Master Emerald altar.*

Knuckles: "No more games. I'm only going to warn you once... Get away from the Master Emerald, or else."

*The female reveals her face, revealing herself to be an Echidna like him. This shocks him, his eyes wide at the revelation. This moment gives the female time to strike at Knuckles with her blades and steal his vitality to restore her own.*

Knuckles: "What!?"

Female NM: "Your weakness will be your own undoing."

*The female then punched at Knuckles before kicking him at a wall, knocking him out. The girl begins to pant as she sighs, retracting her blades. Just then, her teammates run in.*

Female NM: "Stare. Miz. Are you two alright?"

Stare: "Nothing we haven't dealt with. This punk just got the drop on us. He's not quite what we expected though..."

Miz: "Did you get the data we came for, Shade?"

Shade: "Yes. Guardian proved a challenge, but we got what we came for. Let's leave before his fellow clan members rush to his rescue."

*The trio then press a button on their belts and warp away, vanishing in an instant.*

Some time passes...

Voice: "Guardian... Knuckles! Wake up!"

*Knuckles begins to wake up, blurry vision at first before it cleared up, revealing Jani standing over the guardian echidna.*

Knuckles: "Urgh... Jani? Where... Where are the intruders? Where's the Master Emerald!?"

Jani: "Relax. The Master Emerald is right there. I found you knocked out cold and thought something bad may have happened to you..."

Knuckles: "To me? Nah... Well, I guess I did find some echidna trying to steal the Master Emerald..."

*Knuckles stands up as he walks over to the mask left behind by Shade. Jani looks at it and gasps, visibly shaking at the sight of the mask.*

Jani: "No... Not them... How could they be back!?"

Knuckles: "'They'? They who? Jani! Tell me!"

Jani: "...The Nocturnus Clan... A long time ago, the echidna were plentiful on the world of Mobius... Maybe tribes and clans were built, each with their own cultures... The Nocturnus was just one clan, but one that rose to power when they discovered and built their advanced weaponry... The Knuckles Clan, the clan my people come from, fought against them in a war that led to many deaths from both sides... The war ended when Chaos rose from the altar protecting the Knuckles Clan and laid waste to both armies, most of all the Knuckles..."

Knuckles: "So Pachacamac was at war with these guys... No doubt, their reputation precedes them..."

Jani: "The most we heard about the Nocturnus was that they sealed themselves into the Twilight Cage with no way out... We thought that was the end of that... But... it appears that seal has broken and now... Four thousand years later... They likely will want to finish what they started..."

*Knuckles looks at Jani before looking back at the Master Emerald. Both had a bad feeling that their next encounter with the Nocturnus would not be an easy one...*


To be continued...