A week had passed since Dr. Eggman attempted to steal the Master Emerald and failed. He hadn´t shown his face since, so everyone assumed he gave up on the idea and retreated into his hole to scheme whatever next idiocy he had in mind. With the incidence soon forgotten in the sea that were the man's defeats, everyone carried on with their business and life quickly returned to normal. Angel Island was no stranger to this phenomenon.
With the Master Emerald back in its rightful place, and the island floating high in the sky once more, normality was fast to revert. It was only natural for Knuckles to follow suit. He may not enjoy the same freedoms as his friends, but that's alright. He preferred the calm anyway. It reminded him of a simpler time, when his life was less chaotic and there wasn´t a constant threat in shape of a madman looming over him. Besides, he liked tending to his duties. There was something satisfying in knowing a job well done and once his tasks for the day were complete, he could rest without having to worry about anything else. As it was currently the case.
Knuckles sat on the last step of the island's shrine and allowed himself to savour the pleasant weather. Contently and with closed eyes, he listened to all the wonderful sounds nature was a master of composing. From the rustling of leaves in the wind, to the soft sounds of a creek nearby and the birds' cheerful songs… Combined they formed a soothing symphony that helped him relax and let him all but forget about the worries bothering him. Just what he needed in the few days that had passed since the human's attempt to steal from him.
At the same time, a certain black and red striped hedgehog was steadily nearing the cliff closest to the levitating landscape. Unhurriedly, he made his way through the dense forest with no aim in particular, boredom being what led him there in the first place. Shadow couldn´t quite tell how long he'd been walking but when his stomach began to grumble, he could safely assume it's been a while. It's also what made him stop and take a break for the first time since his stride started.
Red eyes scanned the surrounding area for any fruit trees. He'd been in these parts before, so he knew there were clusters scattered all throughout these woods. They were a lot rarer along the coastline from what he noticed, but as the phrase implied, it didn´t equal non-existent. Conveniently, he spotted one not too far away and swiftly let his legs carry him closer. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be an apple tree. Perfect.
Again, his stomach made itself known at the sight of countless fruits shimmering in the sun. One easy upward jump later, Shadow found himself in the middle of various beautiful shades of lush green. Though, obviously he wasn´t up there to admire the scenery. No, his focus was devoted to an especially good-looking apple that had caught his eye earlier and was hanging just at the end of the branch he was standing on. After an effortless balancing act, he grabbed it and instantly took a bite before letting gravity do its thing in taking him back to the ground.
Unfortunately, it was merely a brief distraction from the issue at hand. It may have taken care of the hedgehog's rising hunger for the time being, but sadly the same didn´t apply to the ennui haunting him. It came back to cling at him barely a couple minutes later, when Shadow proceeded to walk along the cliffside. An audible sigh went through his nose.
You see, usually Shadow wouldn´t randomly walk around places like this. However, it so happened to be a day off for him. Offered in a rather short-termed manner. At first, he declined but after some back and forth with G.U.N.'s executives, he begrudgingly took it. Which was a nice way of saying, he was given no choice. Reason for such measures? Hell, if he knew. Shadow's best guess was perhaps too many work hours, but it was neither confirmed nor denied. Either way, it left him with nothing to do and it was driving him crazy.
Of course, he could seek out Sonic and race with him until the sun goes down, but in all honesty… he really wasn´t in the mood. For one, because a certain topic was bound to be brought up again and Shadow could do without it. He wasn´t willing to discuss it a week prior and this sentiment hadn´t changed since. Sonic, on the other hand, certainly wouldn´t let it go, adamant and insufferable as he could be when his mind was set on something. It was sure to trigger a fight. As it often was the case with these two.
On his last bite, Shadow was still indecisive on how to proceed with his day. Facing his rival would give him something to do, sure, but it was not worth the following headache. His brain kept searching for alternative activities to kill time, but apparently today was cursed to be one of those days. Another sigh left the hedgehog, while his crimson eyes wandered over the endless sea. There wasn´t much of interest out there, but at least the view was pretty.
An appreciation immediately shoved aside once something else drew the Ultimate Lifeform's attention. A reflection. Shadow crooked his head and turned to gaze up at the familiar island peacefully flying amid a different kind of perpetual blue. Silently the hedgehog watched it for a bit, his expression neutral until an idea manifested and broke the façade with a smirk. Speaking of triggering a fight…
Shadow threw the remainder of the apple over his shoulder and pulled out his signature Chaos Emerald. The object in question began to glow a vibrant green and just a second after the hedgehog spoke the words 'Chaos Control', he was gone in a bright flash. Moments later he reappeared in the middle of the island's own forest. Not the location he aimed for but that didn´t matter. Quickly he put the emerald away and headed straight for the shrine, easily pinpointing it thanks to the very source keeping the enormous landmass airborne.
Meanwhile, Knuckles was entirely unaware of the intruder showing up on his home. Normally, he'd have no trouble detecting the hedgehog, his chaos energy too strong and distinctive to go over the guardian's head. As it turned out, the ongoing serenity ultimately managed to lull Knuckles to sleep, severely lowering his guard and the ability to pick up on slighter changes occurring on Angel Island. Only when the foreign power incessantly neared the shrine was the echidna shaken out of his dozing state.
Purple eyes snapped open in alarm, promptly followed by their owner standing up and ready to defend his home from whoever dared to set foot on it without permission. Truthfully, it took him a bit to recognize who exactly it was. Having literally just woken up and all. However, once he did, red quills instantly bristled. There was only one person to have this effect on him and it made the fur on Knuckles' back stand in suspense.
Suddenly, the birds' cheerful singing ceased, leaving the shrine's vicinity in growing tension. As if he could sense it, the dark hedgehog chose this very second to step out of the forest's cover and into the open. Crimson and violet eyes immediately locked and where one narrowed them warningly, the other returned the glare with a smirk. "Hello, echidna."
"What are you doing on my island?" Knuckles questioned coldly, clearly not interested in sharing meaningless courtesy and not even attempting to dampen down the hostility in his tone. After all, he was still incredibly pissed at the hedgehog and his god-awful behavior from last week. His patience regarding Shadow was already paper thin. So, given the chance, he will make him pay.
"Well, I've been around and thought, why not come for a visit?" Shadow stated unfazed by the obvious aggression directed at him. If anything, malicious glee adorned his voice and demeanor as a whole, while he continued to walk closer to the old stone structure. "Surely, you must appreciate a distraction from your boring job too, don´t you?"
"I'll say this only once, Shadow. Leave my island right now or you'll regret it," Knuckles warned, ignoring the jeers the hedgehog tried to bait him with. Simultaneously, he took the first steps to descend from the top of the alter in a display of full intend to keep his word, should the hedgehog not knock it off.
Hearing the threat actually made the dark hedgehog stop just barely after he passed the half-way point between shrine and forest. With the halt so abrupt, it was easy to presume the words left a big enough impact on Shadow to consider their weight. If the risk of potential injury was really worth it. After all, this was the Guardian of the Master Emerald he was challenging. However, the assumption couldn´t be further from the truth. Shadow may not outright show it, but he was pleased. Because he knew his derision pushed the echidna's buttons.
"Regret it, huh?" he asked in notable amusement. "I'd like to see you try."
Knuckles said nothing in return. It would have no use anyway. Instead, he let heavy silence fall over them, as irritated purple eyes narrowed at the unwanted visitor. Shadow's nonchalance hardly came as a surprise and neither did the fact that his words held no effect. Nevertheless, that didn´t mean the echidna had to stand there and take it. Especially on his own Chaos forsaken turf! Yet, despite his visibly rising anger, Knuckles somehow managed to hold himself back just enough to not jump at the other's throat right away. If only for a few short moments. An undeserved chance for the intruder to either apologize or heck off. When the hedgehog, of course, did neither, the echidna's expression darkened significantly, and a disgruntled growl paved its way out into the open. "Have it your way then."
Such a simple sentence and yet, it enticed more of a reaction out of the Ultimate Lifeform than the threat from before. The smirk on Shadow's lips widened and a low hum of satisfaction developed in his throat. This was exactly what he was aiming for. Now the fun could truly begin. So, while he readied himself for the imminent confrontation, his fur stood in anticipation.
Everything went dead quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the trees nearby. Purple and red eyes fixated onto each other once more, as attempts at intimidation were made through hard stares alone. A fruitless effort that merely added to the gradually rising tension. None of the two mobians moved as much as a single muscle during their soundless dispute. They observed, analyzed and waited. For a change. One wrong move. Anything. Resulting in an unnerving calm before the storm.
Until a sudden gust of wind set the inevitable in motion.
Knuckles jumped from the shrine with astounding speed. One of his namesakes swung back to generate a blow with maximum force. Granted, the velocity took Shadow a little of guard, underestimating how fast the guardian could be when he had a reason to. Nevertheless, he managed to barely dodge the opening strike. Naturally, this caused Knuckles to impact on the ground instead, creating a giant dent in the process. Regardless of all the dirt and dust the collision stirred up, his recovery was quick. He was right at Shadow's heel, throwing punch after rock-shattering punch in an endless wave of attacks.
Black ears folded against the hedgehog's head as he avoided and blocked every incoming fist. At first that's all he was doing too, while he studied his opponent. Playing for time, until he figured out what exactly it was, Knuckles was planning. Little did he know, it was precisely what the echidna was doing as well. Through his interminable assault, he ensured Shadow was kept in motion, forcing him to concentrate on evading rather than looking for an opportunity to counter. Relentless as the echidna was in his pursuit, it didn´t leave any room for mistakes. For one could be of fatal consequences. Shadow was lucky his own staggering speed made it easy enough to dodge. Still, he couldn´t afford to be careless and Knuckles was aware of that. Even without the earlier momentum, the guardian's punches were incredibly dangerous. One solid, well-placed hit very much held the capability to put the Ultimate Lifeform out of commission. And it was only a matter of time till Shadow miscalculated and got what he deserved.
A strategy so simple, yet effective. Turning their conflict heavily one-sided in Knuckles' favor in its early stages already. Sure, he wasn´t yet able to land a direct strike, but there were a couple close calls. Some of which were, admittedly and to Shadow's annoyance, a little too close for his liking. He had to find a way to put a stop to the onslaught of bullet punches fast. The longer he permitted Knuckles to dominate their barely begun fight, the harder it was bound to become.
Easier said than done, as Shadow was quick to figure out. Every time an opening seemed to present itself, the emerald guardian instantly destroyed it. Inwardly growling, the hedgehog had no choice but consider his other options. All while making sure to not get pummeled by those merciless fists. Brute force was out of question for obvious reasons and teleporting out of range didn´t even cross his mind. It would be too easy a solution anyway and where would be the challenge in that? Alas, it pretty much meant Knuckles got him pinned from a pure combat focused perspective. An impressive achievement… he had to give him that. However, there was one more option at his disposal. Consisting of a different approach entirely. And the hedgehog initiated it with a taunting smirk. "What's wrong, echidna? Am I too fast for you?"
"Do you really have nothing better to do with your life than getting on my nerves?!" the guardian hissed through bared teeth, his temper undoubtably flaring up at the gibe. Predictable. Though, since it hadn´t yet enticed a change in attacking rhythm out of the irritated echidna… More it is.
"It's not my fault you're making it too easy."
Knuckles let out a snarl while one of his fists began to crackle with chaos energy. Oh, the echidna did not like that. He did not like that at all. Too bad this was the exact kind of reaction Shadow was playing for. It opened an opportunity the hedgehog was not shy of using. You see, Knuckles' growing anger disrupted his focus, causing him to charge for a stronger but slower offensive out of reflex. This tiny but crucial delay was all the Ultimate Lifeform needed to finally launch his counter.
Grasping the chance, Shadow jumped out of the other's immediate vicinity, leaving Knuckles to punch nothing but air. A mistake rendering him highly vulnerable due to the momentum of his swing. It threw him off balance. Made him stumble and fall forward. A fate the echidna had sealed for himself and was unable to do a damn thing against. Meanwhile, Shadow wasted no time in using his misfortune to his advantage. In form of a jet-shoe boosted roundhouse kick right into his opponent's stomach.
Pained yelps filled the air as Knuckles skidded back, his feet leaving deep trails in the soil, until he came to a full halt. He winced, held the assaulted spot and almost dropped down on one knee. Crap, that hurt… and he got no one but himself to blame for letting the hedgehog get under his skin. So, he had it coming. There was no time to dwell on it, though. Especially, since his adversary was sure to be as merciless in his pursuit as he had been.
Biting down the pain, Knuckles forced himself to peer back at the hedgehog with a growl, only to find he was no longer where he expected him to be. A split second of perplexity made itself present on the guardian's face before his gaze swiftly rose towards the sky. And sure enough, it's where he spotted the hedgehog. Shadow had seized the chance to jump up high and out of the echidna's reach. Furthermore, one of his hands was lifted and audibly crackling with chaos energy. That's when purple eyes went wide, and all sorts of alarm bells started to ring.
A brief, smug smile surfaced on Shadow's lips at the sight and ere the guardian could do as much as fully comprehend what was about to happen, he pulled his arm down. "Chaos Spear!"
Dozens of pure energy bolts materialized all around the hedgehog and rained down on their target with lightning speed. Seeing as there was literally no time to do much of anything, it was then either out of instinct, reflex or sheer dumb luck Knuckles chose the right action to evade the hail of chaos and light. In a flash he dug into the ground, barely fast enough to make the spears strike anything but him.
Despite all the dirt and dust his attack whirled up, Shadow could tell it failed to connect. Not because he could actually see what's going on, but the lack of a vocal indicator on its own was more than enough to give him this information. A sharp exhale left the hedgehog's nose. Tsk… Looks like he vastly underestimated just how good of a reaction the echidna truly possessed. Next time he won´t be so fortunate, however. Shadow will make sure of it!
Once landed, the hedgehog immediately braced for any unwanted surprises. Obviously, he wouldn´t be so foolish to let his guard down simply because he couldn´t see the red mobian. If anything, it was even more of a reason to be in great alert. Black ears were perked, picking up every single suspicious noise he could make out, while scarlet eyes scanned the area. His attention was especially pointed towards that dense dust cloud. It had yet to settle and for all he knew, the echidna could use it as the perfect cover, while he waited for an optimal moment to strike again.
Though, when it eventually did resolve and Knuckles was nowhere to be seen, a frown appeared on the hedgehog's face. He straightened up and began to look around in a more obvious manner, a hint of confusion sneaking into his features as he did. This went on for a couple of seconds, before he decided to step closer to the assaulted terrain. Warily he searched for any traces left by the suddenly vanished mobian. To no avail. Huh… Alright. A minor inconvenience, but nothing too bad. Guess that's what he gets for not taking the destructive side-effect of his Chaos Spear into account beforehand. Oh well… Unintentional self-sabotage or not… It didn´t matter. The echidna couldn´t have gone far. To Shadow's knowledge, he was unable to teleport. Nevermind the fact that he's far too prideful to flee, regardless of circumstances. So… with that in mind only one question remained. Where was he?
As Shadow was about to find out, he didn´t have to wait long for his answer. He was barely able to finish this train of thoughts when a subtle, strange noise reached his ears and made them twitch. Instantly alarmed, the hedgehog hardly managed to pinpoint where it was even coming from, when the ground below his feet shattered open and two massive, gloved hands shot out to grab his ankles. Red eyes went wide in shock, and it was about the sole reaction he had time to display before his feet got hauled up violently, making him slam against the soil mercilessly and with full force. It had the hedgehog yelp out. Be it more in surprise than pain but still.
Meanwhile, Knuckles grinned at the sight, basking in his triumph over the hedgehog. Small as it may be. Alas, he knew he couldn´t allow his opponent as much as a fraction of a chance to recover from the ambush. Therefore, the guardian started to spin around his axis right away, rapidly picking up speed, while literally dragging the darker mobian through the dirt during the first couple rotations.
Now, obviously Shadow was not keen on his predicament and tried his hardest to get out of it before it was too late. Regrettably, his best was not enough against the guardian's iron grip and the second he was in the air, it was over. There was nothing the hedgehog could do once the g-force had him in its inescapable power. Blood ruthlessly rushed into his head, his vision quickly became impaired and so did his general senses. He couldn´t think and the sensation of impending loss of consciousness got stronger by the moment. Yet, Shadow fought it with every fiber of his being. He had to endure. Withstand. At least, until the echidna let go. No matter what it takes.
Though, when the moment finally arrived, Shadow was not prepared. Sure, he should have been, but with all that blood flooding his brain, there was only so much he could register. Being released and sent flying was not one of those things. Only when he inevitably smashed against the shrine's stoned wall did he become aware. But of course, that's when it was already too late.
Cries of pain filled the air as the hedgehog ricocheted of the now heavily dented structure. Falling onto his hands and knees, Shadow was just short of buckling further, catching and supporting himself on one elbow. Alongside the dizziness, disorientation then overcame him too. His sight continually blurred and refocused, until an odd taste filled his mouth and practically startled him out of his stupor. He shook his head and held it as if it would help the sudden throbbing ache he experienced. It made him groan, but as much as it sucked, at least his perceptions were steadily returning, now that his blood could flow normally again. So, despite the pain and hampered vision, Shadow forced himself to look up. And what he perceived would be borderline menacing to anyone else.
Knuckles was walking up to him in what seemed to be slow motion, but with the confidence of someone who knew they had you trapped with no chance of escape. Cold purple eyes, devoid of any sympathy, were fixated on him while the echidna's fists sparked dangerously with raw energy. A display of him being fully prepared to use them again and without hesitation if need be. And yet, his stride came to a surprising halt a mere few meters away from the grounded hedgehog. Confusion emerged within the dark mobian. After all, as of currently he was an easy target. So, why did- "Is this enough to persuade you to leave my island already?"
At first, there was silence where Shadow simply stared at the echidna, whose own gaze stayed unchanged as it persisted in peering down at him. That was… unexpected. An opportunity to quit? How curious. However, instead of grasping it, all the hedgehog did was chuckle hoarsely. Knuckles' eyes immediately narrowed upon hearing the sound. Yet, he did nothing as he watched the other struggle to rise.
"Leaving, huh?" Shadow repeated while he kneeled up and whipped away the blood staining his lower lip. He then placed his hand on the stone building for additional support as he stood up with surprising difficulty. Nothing he couldn´t handle though, even if his legs threatened to buckle under his own weight. Either way, once back at full height, the hedgehog took one deep breath through the mouth before directing a wicked grin at the island's guardian. "We're just getting started."
Knuckles' face darkened magnificently at the statement. It wasn´t like he believed this was going to be easy. Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform after all, even if the title meant nothing to the emerald protector. Still, some small part of him was hoping he could scare the hedgehog off, for the lack of a better phrase. He really didn´t want to deal with him longer than absolutely necessary, but if the dark hedgehog insisted on the hard way, then Knuckles won´t shy away from teaching him a lesson he won´t forget anytime soon.
Hence why, without much of a warning, the echidna went in for an attack, dominant fist swung back to create yet another blow that was sure to knock that arrogant prick out for good. Fortunately for Shadow, he anticipated the aggression this time and ducked out of the way, evading it by a hair's breadth and causing Knuckles to punch nothing but the wall instead. Something that would usually disgruntle the echidna, if he hadn´t been busy following after the other mobian. Or… it's what he would have done, if it wasn´t for one very problematic fact. His hand was stuck! And upon realization purple eyes went wide in horror.
Quickly he looked down and met the most maliciously gleeful expression he had ever seen in his entire life. Moments later, Shadow pushed himself off the ground and rammed his knee right into the guardian's stomach. It had Knuckles cry out in pain, leaving him temporarily exposed and vulnerable. Seizing the chance, Shadow began to spin dash, once more aiming for the other's middle area.
Anguished hisses made it past the incapacitated echidna's clenched jaw, his eyes shutting tightly, while he had no choice but to take the direct hit. To his luck, the rock holding his fist in place slowly became undone through the sheer force of the hedgehog's assault. Initially, he didn´t notice due to all the excruciating sensory overload and it wasn´t until he finally came free that his brain caught up, but at this point they were already approaching the opposing tree line fast. A little too fast! Somehow, becoming aware of that made something within the echidna snap.
Knuckles stomped his feet onto the ground, creating a sudden disruption to the high speeds they were moving with. It didn´t achieve a full stop right away, and he was still skidding back a rather impressive distance, but as soon as it was the case, the echidna put his hands on either side of the spinning hedgehog with bone crushing pressure in order to make him stop.
Shadow, however, caught on very quickly. How could he not when he got significantly slower in such a short amount of time? Needless to say, but he was not keen on seeing this to the end. Luckily, since the echidna didn´t have an actual grip on him, the solution to his problem was as simple as it was effective. All he had to do was create a burst of strong acceleration.
Knuckles audibly grunted as he got pushed back a couple more feet. One of his eyes shut and blood dripped out of his mouth. This wasn´t good. This wasn´t good at all! He needed to get the hedgehog off him pronto! There was only so much his torso could take before risking severe injuries. Therefore, Knuckles tried to repeat his earlier action. One more urgent attempt to make the hedgehog at least slow down. Just enough to throw him off! He didn´t require more! Shadow was having none of it though and simply added even more tempo in response, shattering Knuckles' intentions ere they could become a threat again. He almost succeeded in making him lose his footing in the process too.
It was then, that something within the echidna clicked. Just when the pain was about to border on unbearable. If Shadow was so desperate to make friends with the local ecosystem… then who was the echidna to deny it to him? Without warning, Knuckles let himself fall back into a reverse roll, generating a motion that would not only allow him to finally escape his foe's vicious trap, but also send him flying towards the trees at maximum velocity.
Shadow didn´t even register what had happened when he was already tearing through the forest like an axe out of control, effortlessly destroying every innocent plant standing in his path, until he inevitable crashed into an object too solid for him to break through. And with no Knuckles to dampen the collision, the full damage was solely his to bear. The hedgehog yelped out as he rebound and ruthlessly bounced off the bumpy woodland floor multiple times, until he eventually came to a full halt on his front. There was a brief moment of complete motionlessness, before the groaning mobian slowly moved his arms to lift himself back up.
What he unfortunately didn´t take notice of, was the heavily damaged tree he was right next to. His spin dash ripped a good junk out of the thick trunk, which obviously meant the plant was no longer steady and dangerously tilting to one side. The consequences of which could not only be seen… but also heard. Black ears perked at a sudden loud cracking noise and just when the hedgehog looked to investigate, the bole snapped under its immense weight and fell. Red eyes widened, but it was too late. Shadow's otherwise good reaction failed him and the next thing he knew, he was pinned beneath a few hundred pounds worth of fallen wood, yelling out in agony.
Meanwhile, Knuckles had used his earlier backwards maneuver to bring himself right back to a standing position in one fluently executed motion. Quickly he had turned to watch how the hedgehog's entire ordeal went down. If only so he wouldn´t be caught off guard, should the other shoot out of the dark. Deep, pant-like breaths made his chest rise and fall as he waited. For a sign or anything akin. When none occurred, Knuckles deemed it save enough to go and check what's going on. However, as soon as he did as much as take a single step, an excruciating pain appeared in his stomach. Almost as if he'd been stabbed.
The echidna flinched and stumbled, nearly going down on a knee due to the violent torment sheer paralyzing his body. He held his belly as if it would help easing the agony, eyes shut tightly while groans paved their way through gritted teeth. How he managed to stay on his feet, he had no idea. Or maybe, he didn´t. It was hard to tell through the paradoxical numbness he felt in its immediate aftermath. Nevertheless, Knuckles would not let himself crumble. Never. Especially when there was an intruder on his island. So, despite his suffering, the guardian forced himself to continue.
Practically dragging his way over, Knuckles soon reached Shadow's personal place of tragedy. He stopped at a save distance and looked down at the unmoving hedgehog. He was clearly hurting from what Knuckles could tell. Gloved fingers dug into the dirt, red eyes were shut firmly, and fangs were showing with how hard the dark one clenched his jaw. He also quivered, though it might just be his body's response to everything that happened. Not like Knuckles cared. All he wanted, was to make sure the threat is finally neutralized and from where he stood, that hedgehog was certainly in no condition to keep going. Truthfully, neither was he, but the guardian be damned before he admits it to anyone. Including himself.
This in mind, the fatigued echidna slowly turned around to gradually return to his place on the shrine. Apparently, his retreat must have been noisier than his approach, because merely a couple steps later, a forced whisper reached his ears.
"This fight… isn´t over yet… echidna!"
Knuckles stopped, but didn´t reply. At least, not right away. He stayed silent for a few seconds, using them to contemplate whatever he should give a response or proceed in walking away. In the end, the former proved superior, and Knuckles turned his head just enough to see. Shadow was still stuck in the same position he'd found him in. The difference was his face now being directed at him while one opened eye struggled to focus on him. Shortly after, the echidna's gaze shifted to the very object pinning him down.
"…that tree is inclined to disagree," Knuckles dryly informed as he let his tired eyes drop to meet Shadow's again. The statement earned him an annoyed growl, which he blatantly ignored. Instead, he simply turned away again and set his sight to the edge of the forest. "Face it… This fight is over. So, stop wasting my time," he coldly added and that's where he wanted to leave it. But just when he was about to do his first step to truly depart, something else jumped to the forefront of his mind. "Oh… and one more thing. Once you get out from under there, you better leave. Or I WILL throw you off the island."
With his final warning spoken, Knuckles resumed his self-imposed task and headed back to the shrine at last, no longer regarding the Ultimate Lifeform in any shape or form. Shadow, of course, was not thrilled by this development. How dare the echidna turn his back on him. Another growl rumbled deep in the hedgehog's throat, his ego not taking the hit lightly. Out of spite-fueled irritation, Shadow gathered all his remaining strength to plant both hands down and push himself and the tree off the ground. Did it hurt like hell? You bet it did. His back was certainly going to murder him in a couple hours. However, the sheer will to prove the guardian wrong, made him bite through anything his physicality threw at him. Consequences be damned.
Eventually, when position and timing were correct, Shadow lunged forward with enough power to slip out from under the plant, before gravity inevitably collapsed it back to the soil. Afterwards, the hedgehog instantly caved to the exertion. Heavy breaths entered and left his mouth, bringing as much oxygen into his bloodstream as possible, while he allowed himself to lie on his side for a fleeting moment. Alas, that was about the extent of the break Shadow permitted himself to have. He wasn´t even close to catching his breath, when he was already searching for the echidna again. It didn´t matter that his vision hadn´t yet actually recovered from the exhaustion. Knuckles' crimson fur stood out like a sore thumb. So, it was easy to locate him even through the blurry mess that was his current visual perception. In comparison, standing up was on an entirely different level of difficult. Shadow stumbled and almost buckled multiple times, until he ultimately achieved to gain full height. And once he did, he didn´t wait long to charge towards the echidna with the intend to finish their confrontation in his favor.
Now, Knuckles wasn´t oblivious to the noise behind him, but initially he wrote it off as Shadow's futile attempts to free himself. It wasn´t until he heard the very distinct sound of jet-shoes firing up, that he decided to look what's going on. Purple eyes had never widened faster in disbelief.
Quickly he spun around to block the incoming hedgehog from bulldozing him over. They locked hands and skidded a fair distance across the clearing ere they came to a halt. Knuckles had to hold his entire weight against the assault to accomplish it too, because the ambush frankly caught him off guard and the fact that his stomach was pretty much killing him at this point, wasn´t helping at all. Regardless, neither anticipated the situation they then found themselves facing. One where there was no back or forth. A standstill in its truest definition.
The visibly exhausted mobians looked at each other. They hissed, snarled and did everything in their might to hold up against the other, neither willing to capitulate first. All while they were bound to their position, for the slightest change could create an opening neither wanted to grand the other. So, they were stuck. In a battle of perseverance and plain stubbornness. Ignoring their respective injuries, while simultaneously slowly succumbing to them. In the end however, neither outlasted and both yielded to the enervation and pain virtually at the same time.
Knuckles' already weakened grip loosened, whereas Shadow's legs finally gave in after struggling to support himself through the effects of being thrown, crashed and crushed for so long. Despite his best efforts, there was simply nothing he could do against the protests of his own body. His knees buckled, going down on them as a result and the ground by extension. Meanwhile, Knuckles stumbled back when another stab-like pain appeared in his middle and spread all throughout his limbs at an alarming rate. He began to feel lightheaded. Dizzy. And even though he subconsciously fought against it, he too eventually surrendered to the physical trauma he had to endure and broke down much like the hedgehog before him.
Just like that, the fight had come to an end. If only it was worth more than the misery it left in its wake and stained its path.
Naturally, life around them went on as if nothing happened. However, the end of one thing merely marked the beginning of another and unbeknownst to the now unconscious mobians, they weren´t the sole witnesses to their conflict. They had a spectator, hidden away in the dense clouds surrounding the flying landscape. Dr. Eggman arrived in his infamous Egg Carrier just in time to see it all unfold and the satisfaction he felt from experiencing the conclusion could not be put into words. Originally, he wanted to oppose Knuckles and take the Master Emerald forcefully like he always did. But thanks to these idiots' decision to bash each other's skulls in, all he had to do was sit back and enjoy the show. What an unforeseen but welcomed surprise.
Especially, because of the wonderful side effect of making his plans a ton easier. You'd better believe the mad scientist was sporting the most wicked grin throughout the entire battle. Ever widening and slowly transforming into a chuckle of the same fashion. He told Orbot and Cubot to ready his Egg-O-Matic, never once averting his eyes from the now defenseless, floating paradise as one sentence set the stage for the future he was about to control.
Thank you, Shadow the Hedgehog.