Chapter Twelve: Knuckles' Decision
Meanwhile, we return to Angel Island, that was still in the ocean, due to Infinite stealing the Master Emerald, and it lost its power to remain floating in the sky. Knuckles was sitting where the alter once was, and he was sitting there meditating. He was pretending as if the Master Emerald were still there.
"Well, may as well do what I do best. Sit at the alter, all alone. It is how I have been all my life. Not that it really matters, because right at the moment, I have nothing left to lose. I have no Master Emerald, no people that live on the Island with me, nobody to be with for the rest of my life, no wife, no kids, and no next of kin to take over as guardian when I pass one day." Knuckles stated sadly.
Knuckles then looks at the sky, and sees the same patterns in the sky. Himself, with this mysterious woman, and kids running about playing. Knuckles sheds a sad tear from his eyes.
"Why do I keep receiving this message from the stars?! What is this supposed to mean?! What is it trying to tell me? Is there a purpose, if there is a purpose at all? I don't understand." Knuckles sobbed, in confusion.
Suddenly, the mysterious woman in the stars turned to face Knuckles. Knuckles gasps in surprise when he saw this woman. She looked familiar.
"Tikal!" Knuckles exclaimed.
The stars in the shape of Tikal then floated downwards towards Knuckles, and stood in front of him. Knuckles was startled for a moment.
"Do not be afraid, Knuckles. I am not here to harm you." she told him.
"Tikal, what are you doing here? Am I dreaming?" Knuckles asked in confusion.
"It is what you want to believe it is. But that is not the reason I came here. I came here to tell you, that you need to return to your duty to guard the Master Emerald." Tikal warned him.
"But how? Infinite has the Master Emerald, and I am not strong enough to stop him!" Knuckles sobbed, as scared tears fell from his eyes.
Tikal smiled, and she brought her hand towards Knuckles' face, and wiped his tears away. Knuckles looked at Tikal closely.
"You're going to have to trust me. There is more power out there than just the Chaos Emeralds. Sometimes, you just need to have others." Tikal explained.
Knuckles couldn't help, but place his hand on Tikal's. Something about her touch soothed him.
"I don't know how to. I am scared, Tikal. For the first time, I have admitted that I am scared for real." Knuckles stated.
"It is alright to be scared, Knuckles, just like it is OK to cry. Real men cry, because it shows that you are human. And I knew that you are human." Tikal comforted.
"Why can't I meet more people like you? I wish there was some way you were alive, and I could meet with you again." Knuckles stated.
Tikal then took off her necklace, and placed it in Knuckles' hand. To his surprise, the necklace magically turned from a star pattern, to a real necklace.
"You keep your mission up as the guardian of the Master Emerald, then someday, you will." Tikal smiled, and then slowly evaporated.
"No, wait! Tikal, don't leave me!" Knuckles pleaded.
"I've never left you, Knuckles. Until the day comes, I will always watch over you. Protect the Master Emerald." Tikal told him.
After that, she finally disappeared from Knuckles' view. Knuckles wipes the tears from his eyes, and looks at the necklace in his hand.
"I will do my sworn duty!" Knuckles looks at the stars in the sky.
.
(Knuckles singing)
There's nobody like the others
It's in our hands
It lays within all our hands
Mmm
Listen to our mothers
Break free from this fence
It's when we cry, it all ends
.
Then you learn like a shadow flows in this rain
Like a random flame in the dark
Showing us the way
.
Bringing us the fire
I shall love you
I may hurt you too
Mmm
All we'll need is cover
From the none lovers
And the cold others
.
Then you learn like a shadow flows in this rain
Like a random flame in the dark
Showing us the way
Then you learn
What we feel now isn't pain
Just the scent of it is enough
Blinding me with grace
.
And there's no how to do this your way
Like a shadow that flows in the rain
.
Then you learn
Then you learn
Then you learn
Then you learn
Then you learn, then you learn, then you learn,
.
Learn
.
Then you learn like a shadow flows in this rain
Like a random flame in the dark
Showing us the way
Then you learn
What we feel now isn't pain
Just the scent of it is enough
Blinding me with grace
.
And you learn like a shadow flows in this rain
Like a random flame in the dark
Showing us the way
Then you learn
.
Then suddenly, a voice called out towards Knuckles.
"Knuckles!" the voice called.
Knuckles heard the voice, then he turns around to face wherever the voice was coming from. And to his surprise, it was Shadow.
"Shadow?!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise.
Shadow made it towards Knuckles.
"Knuckles, we need to go back and help Sonic and Tails. It is..." Shadow was cut off.
"...our duty. I know. I have seen the light too. We were wrong to just walk off from them like that." Knuckles mentioned.
"Yes, and I was wrong to say Tails was weak. By anything, me and you were the weaklings, because he wanted to continue fighting, and we quit while we were ahead." Shadow added.
"Well, we better get back to them, right now!" Knuckles stated, as he raised his hand for a hand shake.
Shadow looks at his hand for the moment, and then he smiles, and shakes his hand.
"Damn right!" Shadow accepts.
"Right, we better get going, and get going now!" Knuckles stated.
"Understood!" Shadow replied.
After that, they both made their way back towards Sonic and Tails. Will they be able to reach them in time?
"By the way, Knuckles, where did you get that necklace from?" Shadow wondered.
"It's a long story." Knuckles replied.