Knuckles had every right to be angry at their mother. Here they stood on angel island and the first words out of his mother's mouth before they could greet their friend was to demand the knowledge and power of angel island. Sonic and his siblings had been in disbelief as the argument began.
"You can't just come up here and demand things," Knuckles snarled, "you aren't my queen! Angel Island is not mobian lands!" "It is now," Aleena said, her serene smile never disappearing. "Mother," Sonia said, hoping to diffuse the situation, "maybe we could trade instead of demand. Knuckles didn't you say you needed supplies recently?" Aleena merely waved her off.
"Daughter, you are young and inexperienced as a ruler," she said, her tone gentle but had an undertone of something Manic remembered from the pimps Ferrel had sold drugs to. It was something dangerous and angry. "You must demand from savages who inhabit your lands," she continued, "how else do you expect to get anything done?" "SAVAGES," Knuckles roared his fists clenching by his sides. "Wow mom, not a cool thing to say," Manic said with all the righteous anger he could muster.
"Hm maybe you're right my dear Manic," she said her hand falling onto his head in a way that while it looked comforting certainly felt like a warning, "perhaps music will help settle our minds and we can discuss things peacefully." They all felt themselves relax. Knuckles had seen them sing and didn't fear the power of harmony. He'd seen it help so many and maybe Aleena just needed to let off steam before she could talk with him civilly.
"Yeah mom let's do it to it," Sonic said. All four medallions flowed as instruments appeared. The three of them began playing a jaunty tune. Knuckles swayed to the beat with them, a smile on his face. Sonic opened his mouth to start singing the verse that came to mind. It was one of peace and clear thinking when dear old Mom started to sing instead. Where? What was happening? They couldn't stop playing. Where was the song going? The triplets felt their heads fill with fog until the words their mother sang began to register.
The riches of this world will fade
The treasure of our people remain
Here they empty themselves out for us
Finding nothing and everything in our light
Knuckles was gripping his head, his swaying no longer to the beat. They...they needed to stop. Sonic could feel his mouth forming the chorus. A quick glance showed his siblings struggling with the same problem.
Surrender, surrender it all
Surrender it all to us
Surrender, surrender
Surrender it all to us
Knuckles, knuckles had collapsed. Sonic could feel something hot and wet on his face. What has happening? This didn't feel like the connection of harmony.
Not your will but mine be done
Not your strength but mine alone
Nothing else but us
You find everything alone in us
Surrender, surrender
Surrender it all to us
Aleena took Knuckles head in her hands and they could hear him screaming. He was hurting and they were causing it. He tried to still his hands on his guitar. Sonia tried to stop playing the keys. Manic gripped his sticks tightly hoping to break them so he could stop playing but nothing they did could stop what their mother had started.
The song faded out. Their instruments returned to being medallions. The siblings ran to their friend as their mother glided past intending to go into the island. "Knuckles, knux can you hear us," Sonic said quietly. Knuckles stared at him without recognition. "Whose knuckles," he said. Sonia let out a hysterical laugh. "You are dummy," she said, "quite playing around now."
Knuckles just continue to stare blankly. "Am I called that because of my hands," he said then stared at his hands as if he'd never seen them before. Before they could continue this line of questioning, Aleena released a scream of rage. The island was flying away without Knuckles. "No wait," Manic shouted, "hey island you forgot your guardian!" "Leave him he's useless," Aleena snarled, "that song left even the smartest warriors nothing but simpletons before the royal family. It's no matter. I can find that knowledge again with your help my children."
She glided towards the van and didn't even glance as they loaded knuckles in one of the bunks. The days went by making it obvious to the siblings Knuckles as they knew him was gone. Sonia couldn't look at the simpleton without bursting into tears. Manic grit his teeth throwing himself into small projects so he wouldn't think about the echidna. Sonic tried to help but knuckles needed to relearn so much. How to eat, how to read, how to do even the most basic tasks and would forget soon enough.
Some days he felt like crying. So he did, right into the echidna's quills. Desperately sobbing for his friend to come back. For him to be ok. To be able to tell him…no best not to think it. His siblings would have to force him to rest and get a break. Their mother was no help. Everyday she would but in on talks about a new government. She would hear nothing about a council, nothing about a senate, nothing about a parliament. She wanted her throne back. Sadly, not many wanted to give it to her.
It wasn't until she began to plan a concert for the four of them that the feelings of dread set in. She was going to do it again. "Four years," Manic said, "four years, searching, praying, hoping for a family and we get a power crazed mother that's a worse tyrant than robuttnik." Sonia let out a half laugh half sob. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Sonic glanced at the nearby sleeping Knuckles. "We can't stay," he said, "if we stay she'll use harmony to enslave everyone. We have to go into hiding, separate so she can't find us."
His siblings looked at him with grimm determination. They hatched a plan. With the help of Cyrus, they each found a hole in the wall they could blend into and transport there. Sonic gently tucked Knuckles quills into the shadow of the cloak he wore. His own covering most of his face. He was sleeping and it was best not to wake him. Knuckles didn't like trains before and he certainly wouldn't like them now.
Sonic let himself scoot closer to his red companion. Gently and slowly so not to wake him, he laid his head against his chest. It was still strong and broad. His heart still beat powerfully. Despite forgetting so much, his training regimen must have been strict on the island for him to still do it now. Like this, Sonic could almost imagine he was in the van again fighting the good fight, almost. "Hey are you ok," a tiny voice asked, making Sonic jump up from where he'd been laying his face aflame. Thankfully, Knuckles only snuffled and stayed asleep.