Hey y'all! I would like to apologize. I had a church camp that started on Monday and I got back yesterday and wasn't able to post this before I left so technically...I lied about a quick update. Sorry! I will be gone pretty much all of next week as well (church camp again. Love them!) so not sure when I'll update.

I hope you liked the first chapter… Comments on reviews!

Autumn: Yay! Sonic Generations...haven't played it, but I love some of the clip scenes.

Sonicfan23: Well since I don't know what you have read I'll just say the following. Read the last chapter of 'Miles from Home'. Uncle Chuck was very paranoid about a certain insane doctor 'finding' them, and since he didn't know if he knew their names, he had Sonia and Manic change them. I decided to do names that were similar to their original. Sofia and Sonia just have one letter difference. Matthews and Manic...well they both start with 'Ma'.

Agent BM: *blushes* Ops… I fixed it after you pointed it out. My bad. Sorry again. I think I mixed up that his birthday is on the 23rd…

Maxi-T: It was a 'way past cool' coincidence. I am so glad you enjoyed the first chapter and hope that you enjoy the rest of the story. *takes cookie* YAY! I love cookies… (;

Quantum27: *blushes again* I fixed it. Pretty sure I mixed up the date with the age. I'm glad you get giddy (welcome to when I'm reading yours (; ) Uncle Chuck is purposely portrayed a little...bad. Don't worry, Sonia gets out. And I died while typing Manic's narrating because it is something I would totally do. Don't worry, those pairings are going to be eased into (and you really don't need to count Tails and Cream. It's more of a crush than anything.)

Zosonils: *stares at review and reads five hundred times. Fangirl screams* OH MY CHAOS! I ACTUALLY WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR SO THAT IS THE BEST REVIEW EVER!

juancastri11: Hello, my friend! *looks up what 'OOC' means* Ooohhh… I am so grateful for Fandom Dictionaries. Anyway, I'm glad you think that. Sonia and Manic… I hope that you grow to like my versions as well. They will be different from the show (like, actually have different personalities).

Now we have this whole mess. Let me explain.

Originally, this scene was going to be in the preview chapter of this story in 'Miles from Home', but since that thing was getting WAY too long, we had to cut out something. This chapter is sort of background on four things: One, what in Chaos happened to Locke. Two, why Manic hates muggers. Three, why Manic doesn't use guns. Four, why Manic hates (most) cops.

So… Locke. I got a lot of questions about what in Chaos happened to him and felt a little bad that I couldn't tell you. I wasn't sure what happened to him, to be honest. I just sort of thought that he died or just left, but didn't know how or why. So I kept my mind open for an opportunity to bring the Echidna in one last time and explain what in Chaos happened with him.

And lo and behold, I figured out a way to explain it! Yay!

Unfortunately, it's not a happy ending… yay…

Here's the rundown to help explain what exactly happened before this chapter takes place: Locke left Angel Island when Knuckles was 10, on one of his regular trips. However, he planned to be gone for a little longer than usual. His plan was to be gone for about 6 months because Chaos had ordered him to try and find the Emeralds. He found one at a small archeological site near a very rich neighborhood (hint, hint) and hid it in his biplane (ta-da!). But then, when he was heading home, a sudden storm took him by surprise and he had to make a crash landing after being struck by lightning. Luckily, a kind old wolf (hello, Frank) agreed to fix his plane in two weeks. Locke planned to come back a month later so he had some more time to find another chaos emerald. He managed to find another emerald and began to make his way back to the mechanic's shop. On the way, he had to pass through a big city called Westopolis (what? It's a big city). It was there he saw a young green hedgehog almost get trampled to death. And that's where this whole story starts.

Narrator's POV:

Matthews Hedgehog ambled down the city sidewalk, his teeth chattering from the bone-chilling wind. A dead leaf blew into his face and he brushed it away, crunching it in his palm. Chaos, he was hungry.

It had been one week since he had left home. The ten dollars he had 'borrowed' from his sister was long gone, and he hadn't eaten anything decent in twenty-four hours. His stomach grumbled in protest.

"What?" said Matthews angrily to his belly. "I just fed you a stick an hour ago! Whaddaya want from me?" It only bellowed in reply.

"Fine. You win," said Matthews. "I'll try and find something decent to eat."

But how? He was too young to get a job, and he didn't even have the money to buy a piece of moldy bread (not that he would've settled for that. He still had standards). It wasn't like he could just conjure up money or food from thin air, either.

He flipped on his hood to deflect the wind and continued down the sidewalk. Leaning against a brick wall, he slid into a sitting position, staring at the horde of people passing by. He grabbed his head and tried to push back the headache. For some reason, after moving to the big city, his 'headaches' had been growing and becoming more confusing and jumbled.

The clock chimed five times, indicating it was releasing time. A large wave of people just seemed to magically appear and started trudging down the street, all in a hurry to get wherever they need to go.

Matthews watched the horde and then saw something on the ground. A twenty dollar bill! Score! He looked at the crowd and took a deep breath. He ducked and weaved over to the bill through the crowd, but when he leaned down to scoop up the life-saving bill, someone knocked him down and he fell flat on his face. Seconds later, he felt a boot stomping on his back. The wind was knocked out of him and gasped desperately for breath. But more and more shoes continued to tread on his agonized young frame. Either the city folk didn't notice or didn't care that they were stomping on a ten-year-old kid. He made yelping noises and tried to call for help, but no one noticed his pleas for help or even noticed his pained whimpers.

Just as Matthews was about to black out from the pounding and pain, someone grabbed him and swung the small hedgehog over his shoulder and ran into a nearby alley.

"You alright, sonny?"

A little dazed, he nodded at the red Echidna who had saved his life. "Th-thank you," Matthews replied. He stared down at his hands that were still shaking. "I… I n-never want to d-do that again."

The stranger smiled and sat down next to the kid. "And I don't think you will." he handed Matthews a handkerchief to wipe any marks off of him. "What are you doing out the streets without any parents? You are definitely not from around here."

Matthews tilted his head slightly and looked at the man for a few moments. "I'm a runaway."

"Well, that makes enough sense. Where you from?"

"A small town down south. Not as many people and activity."

The echidna gave another smile, "How'd you get all the way up here?"

"Took a bus as far north as I could pay for and then hopped in a moving van without anyone noticing. Ended up here."

"No one saw you?"

Matthews shook his head. "I'm pretty good at not being seen when I don't want to."

With a small chuckle, the stranger took out a granola bar and handed it to the boy. "You hungry?"

He didn't answer, but snuffed the bar down in a matter of seconds. The echidna watched, a small smile on his face.

"I'm Locke, by the way."

With food still in his mouth, "Matthews."

"Nice to meetcha kid. But you know, you really shouldn't have run away from home."

Matthews scowled. "It was no home, trust me there, mister. I argued with my Uncle like, all the time, tried to keep my sister safe from bullies, and still tried have a little fun. Didn't work out so well."

Locke frowned. "Why did you and your Uncle argue?"

"It's a long story that I don't feel like talking about."

"How old are you, kid?"

"Ten."

"That's pretty young."

"I grew up fast."

"You know, you're pretty trusting."

"I'm good at reading people. I can trust you."

The two sat in silence for a space of several minutes, each delving in their own thoughts. After a second, Matthews spoke again.

"So why are you still in town? Don't you need to get home?"

"I've been a little held up. My plane was struck by lightning and I had to make an emergency landing. It should be fixed by now." Locke smiled slightly, "I also got a little distracted by a little treasure hunting." Subconsciously he patted his pocket. "Found something that is very interesting…"

"Not that interesting."

"Well, it's only interesting to someone like me."

"Because Guardians are into pretty gems?"

"Well, a Chaos emerald is more than just a pretty gem, it's a-" Locke suddenly cut off and stared at the boy.

Matthews shifted uncomfortably. ...Why is he staring at me like that?

The echidna continued to stare with his eyes narrowed, tilting his head ever so slightly. The silence grew longer, and Matthews continued to become more and more uneasy. Is there something in my teeth? Maybe I insulted him… Well, you shouldn't get on bad side of a Guardian, so I'm really hoping that's not the case. Wait, hold up- what in Chaos is a Guardian? …Someone who guards something, obviously. Let's see… he has a gem in his pocket, a Chaos Emerald to be exact, so maybe he guards these emeralds. You definitely don't one of those in the wrong hands. They can be nasty… Wait, what?

Matthews couldn't take it anymore. Without any warning, he sprung to his feet and took off running.

Unfortunately, Locke was right behind him. "Wait! Matthews! Wait up, I didn't mean too-! Stop!"

I wish I had super speed, Matthews grumbled in his head. That would make this mess a whole lot easier.

But the echidna was faster and stronger. He grabbed the kid and tightened his hold as Matthews began to kick and wiggle out of his grasp.

"Lemme go!" Matthews tried to squirm away, but Locke's grip was too tight.

"Calm down, kid! I'm not going to hurt you. Stop struggling!" Locke pushed Matthews to the ground as gently as he could without letting go. "I just want to talk!"

"About what?" Matthews stopped trying to escape and folded his arms, scowling as fiercely as he could.

"How… how in Mobius did you do that?" Locke tilted his head. "I never… I never said anything about me visiting out of town, or being a Guardian, and I didn't even mention Chaos Emeralds. How- how did you know all that?"

Matthews starting twiddling his thumbs. "I...I…" He struggled to find the words that wouldn't make him sound like he'd escaped from the looney bin. "I-I dunno. It just sorta… popped in my head."

"Does that happen often?"

"I guess…" said Matthews, feeling unsure of himself. "I don't really pay attention half the time. And I usually just forget all about it afterwards anyway."

The echidna opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and scrunched up his face, pondering the situation. After a second he spoke, "Close your eyes."

Matthews obliged. He instinctively trusted this man, even though they had just met.

"Alright kiddo, I'm going to put something in your hands, but I want you to keep your eyes closed. Okay?" Matthews nodded, screwing his eyes shut as tightly as he could.

The hedgehog felt something cold and smooth slip into his hands; a vivid tingling sensation surged through him. He shifted slightly, not used to the feeling.

"Now Matthews, I want you to turn your thoughts to me. Tell me everything you can about me. Do you think you can do that?"

"Uh-huh." Matthews focused for a second and started to speak, slowly and a little shakily.

"Well... I know your name is Locke. You… you're a Guardian that lives… on an island off the mainland. Um… there's something... on that island that you protect… it's big and… powerful. Really powerful." Matthews started to grow a little more confident. "There's something weird about your island. It's not what grows there, but something about its condition. It's not sinking...or growing, but… flying? Okay then, flying island, why not?"

Sitting across from the boy, Locke stared in wonder. He silently sent a plea to Chaos to help him know what to do with this remarkable child.

Matthews continued. "You don't live alone. You've got a... family member with you. A male… not your father. He's young… your son. His name… something to do with a... physical trait? Okay, that works. He's like your apprentice. Training to become the next Guardian over… Angel… Angel Island. He's got some pretty intense anger issues..." Matthew's mind started to feel a little fuzzy, his body growing more and more tingling as each second passed. "But you're away a lot looking for the seven Emeralds, so you leave him by himself most of the time..." His voice died. Locke just… left his son? Matthews had seen what had happened to his life when his father had left. A surge of anger washed over him like a flood and his hands began to tremble. He just left his kid by himself on a flying island? Who did that?

Locke leaned forward and studied the boy. He was very fidgety, never holding completely still. His fingers tapped on the chaos emerald that was in his hands. Never in his whole life had he seen someone so young be able to tap into the chaotic field, not like this anyway.

It was probably that thought that saved Matthews's life.

The purple gem started to glow fiercely. With a start, Locke realized he had made a terrible mistake. "Matthews!" He grabbed the gem, wincing at the burn and yanking it away from the boy.

Matthews's eyes flew open and he gave out a strangled scream, falling over on his side and clutching his head, convulsing wildly.

Locke dropped the emerald with a gasp. His hands felt as if they had been burned. Visibly the outside of his glove seemed fine, but to Locke it felt as if someone had just sliced his hands open and poured lemon juice on the cuts. He bit back a scream of his own and picked up the emerald again. "The servers are the seven chaos; chaos is enriched by the heart," he knelt down next to Matthews and put a hand on him, "...please help him. Do not let him fall into that dark pit that can never be climbed out of again."

The purple gem's burn immediately stopped and shifted into a warm, soothing glow. Locke placed the gem back in the boy's hands.

The convulsions and shaking began to fade until they finally stopped altogether. Matthews remained on the ground for almost a half an hour before he found the strength to sit up. He looked down at the gem and shoved it away.

"N-never… never again." he managed to croak.

Locke only nodded and put the gem out of sight. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I got too curious." On the inside, he felt horrible. He had pushed the kid too hard and had almost made him paid the price pay the price for his recklessness. But Matthews was obviously very strong in Chaos energy. He had never met anyone, not that he knew of, that showed this kind of power. There was one kid who was close, but that was a different hedgehog, a blue one he had met a few years earlier that seemed to have some sort of Chaos energy in him as well. But that was in super speed. This was a new encounter of which that he had never seen before.

Matthews scooted away from the emerald, but it didn't help his head. The energy was still fading from his body and the readings were still coming. "What is that thing?"

"It's a Chaos Emerald. And you were right, I do guard them."

"Why did it make me able to read you?" Matthews asked suspiciously.

"You have Chaos Energy in your blood. It must run in your family." Locke paused and smiled at the boy. "You're a very special boy, Matthews."

The hedgehog scoffed. "Yeah, right. If I'm so special, then why am I on the streets?"

"Well, you did run away."

"I didn't have a choice!" the boy snapped back.

Locke raised an eyebrow. He knew that Matthews had a lot of talent and quite a bit of power. But his emotions seemed to control his actions completely, making it almost impossible to talk sense with him. Besides that fact, bad experiences seemed to have made the boy act a lot older than he actually was. Without really thinking about it, the echidna rubbed the emerald in his bag running his thoughts through his mind. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

"Matthews," The boy perked up at his name. "This gift you have makes you extremely unique. But you need to learn to control it, before it controls you."

"Meaning?"

"If I say, helped you with your powers, would you consider returning home to try and straighten things out with your Uncle? I'm sure your sister is worried to death about you."

Matthews didn't answer at first, but stared at his hands for a moment. With a small sigh, he pulled out a small picture of two adult hedgehogs and three younger ones. The boy traced the figures slowly, pausing on the blue hedgehog. "Fine. I'll… I'll do it."

The echidna gave a small smile. "I'm glad." Locke stood up and held out a hand to help up the green hedgehog.

While being lifted to his feet, the boy accidently dropped his photo. Locke knelt down and picked it up ignoring the pain in his fist and palms. He studied the picture closely. Blue and purple parents with a pink sister a blue bro- His thoughts cut off. Locke looked a bit closer at the blue hedgehog then asked, "Is this your family?"

Matthews nodded.

"Who's who?"

The hedgehog slowly pointed, "That's my Dad, Julian and my Mom, Aleena. The pink one is my sister Sonia- I mean Sofia." He looked a little nervous after that comment, but continued. "The last one is my brother, Maurice."

Locke's mind started to spin, "Maurice?" he asked in a small whisper.

"Yes, but he's dead." The boy said it with such bitterness it nearly broke Locke's heart.

"How long ago?"

"About four years."

Now Locke's face scrunched up in confusion. I could have sworn I saw him three years ago… Yes, it was three years. Then why did Matthews say four? "Are you… are you completely sure it was four years ago?"

"Uh, yeah, why would I not be sure about my own parent's and brother's death?" Matthews looked away, the bitter grimace etched deeply into his face.

Locke's frown deepened as he handed the picture back to the boy, "But I could have sworn-"

A soft noise interrupted the echidna. It wasn't much, just the slap of leather soles against asphalt, but it was enough to make Locke look up at the alley entrance.

Three men in dark clothing stood blocking the way out. All wore a mask of some sort and carried a weapon. Two were just simple wooden baseball bats, but the center man, most likely the leader, held a gun.

The leader was pointing the weapon directly at Locke's head.

Now, under normal circumstances, the echidna would play the frightened civilian before beating the muggers to a pulp as soon as their guard had been let down. But this wasn't normal circumstances. For one thing, Matthews was standing just behind him, practically paralyzed with fear and confusion. For another, he usually wasn't carrying a chaos emerald on his person and since all of its energy had just been used a few minutes ago, it wasn't useful and needed to be protected at all costs. And finally, Locke's hands were injured from the emerald, meaning his punches wouldn't be nearly as effective. And if he tried to keep the pain hidden, it would probably only make things worse.

Basically, Locke had to keep Matthews alive, not lose the chaos emerald, and not die while his best fighting technique was practically useless. This could not turn out well.

"Woah, gentlemen, put away the gun. We don't want any trouble." Locke took a few steps forward with his hands up.

The leader gave a soft growl, "Don't move another inch. I'll shoot!"

Locke stopped. "Listen fellas, let's be rational now. I have fifty dollars on me that I'd gladly give you, if you just asked." To be perfectly honest, Locke was a relatively peaceful person. But being a Guardian required you to know how to fight in defense of the island, but that didn't mean the echidna enjoyed it when situations resorted to violence.

The three men exchanged a look then gained a few feet. Behind the echidna, Matthews took a few steps back. He tried to read the three, but was too weak to get anything back besides the sense that they were not merciful people.

"I'll take that," the leader prodded the echidna's head with his gun. "And any other valuables you have on ya. Got it?"

Locke pulled out his wallet and handed it to the man, wincing slightly at the pain that shot through his hands. "I swear, I don't have anything else that is worth anything to you." This was true...most people have no idea what a chaos emerald is or what it is actually worth.

"Is that so?" The man nodded at one of his buddies. The stranger raised the bat and struck Locke on the right shoulder. He grunted and dropped to his knees. Locke let out a sigh.

"Well, I gave you a chance." Using his leverage, he balled up his fist and delivered an uppercut to the man who had just hit him. The guy was only able to grunt before flying back at the brick wall, falling to the ground, out cold. Locke shook his fist, grinding his teeth to deal with the pain.

"CHAOS! THAT HURT!" He ducked as the other guy with a bat tried to hit him in the back of the head; he missed, barely grazing Locke's dreadlocks.

Matthews scrambled away from the fight, trying to find a way to help that wouldn't kill him. He found his way when Locke slipped of his satchel and tossed it at the kid. "Hold on to that and stay behind that dumpster!"

Stumbling over the junk slightly, Matthews picked up the bag and peaked inside. He almost threw away the bag as soon as he saw the emerald, but decided it was probably better to keep it hidden for a few minutes than let some idiot muggers get a hold of it. Diving behind a nearby dumpster, he watched as the echidna kept the focus off him.

Locke dodged another swing of the bat. He ducked another swing and used his leg to kick out the guy's legs. Unfortunately, his fists suddenly felt another sharp twinge of pain and he clutched them close to his stomach, trying to hold in the scream lodged in his throat. What in Chaos is wrong with my hands? Locke had heard of burns, but this burn seemed to be becoming steadily worse. Perhaps it was because he hadn't treated it yet, or was irritating the skin.

The brief pause was enough for the man to retrieve his bat, attempting to strike the echidna again. Locke rolled out of the way then jumped up, punching the man square in the nose. A small crunch was heard and the man went reeling away, clutching his face as blood gushed between his fingers.

"OW!" Locke glared down at his hands. At this point, he was angrier with his injury than the men who were trying to rob him. With a growl he yanked off one of his gloves. Locke froze, his eyes staring blankly at his now bare hand.

Matthews was confused; why was the echidna just standing there while there was still one mugger left? Now was not the time to daydream!

The leader had been watching the exchange with some degree of shock. He shrugged and lunged forward, swinging the gun around and catching the distracted echidna in the head with the butt of the gun. Locke fell to the ground with a grunt, the gash in the back of his head bleeding lightly.

"Locke!" Matthews ran forward in front of the dazed echidna, his fists held up in a pathetic excuse for a fighting stance. The mugger found this rather amusing. He threw back his head and laughed.

"Scram, kid!" He swooped forward and tried to wrench the bag from Matthew's hands. "Right after I take this!"

Matthews almost let go of the bag in surprise, but tightened his grip and dug his feet in the ground for leverage. "No! Let go, you big stupid jerk!"

For a moment the two played a game of tug of war, but in the end the stranger won, grabbing the back of Matthew's hoodie and yanking him and the bag apart. The man dangled him in the air for second before throwing him roughly on the ground. Matthews skidded across the pavement next to Locke, skinning the entire left side of his face and legs.

"Now, what do we have here?" He opened the flap and his eyebrows rose. "Well, well, well, isn't this a nice surprise? How'd you boys know it was my birthday?"

Locke moaned and pushed himself up, his arms shaking with the effort. He gritted his teeth and grimaced fiercely. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Really. And what are you gonna do about it, old man? Huh?" The man pointed the gun at the echidna, smirking. With wide eyes, Matthews noticed that the gun's safety wasn't on.

And that was when it all went very, very wrong.

Locke lunged forward at the man, determined to rip the emerald from the mugger's hands. Instinctively, the man recoiled, tightening his grip ever so slightly.

To be honest, the man never intended to use the gun. He usually used it as a scare, sometimes shooting into the air or the ground to frighten people into not hiding their valuables. Never in his life had he intended to actually shoot anyone.

A large gunshot rang out; echoing through alley, but it was mostly muffled by the busy traffic. But in the young hedgehog's ears, it seemed to drown him in the sickening sound.

The echidna froze, his face frozen with shock and confusion. In a daze, he wrapped his arms around his bleeding stomach kneeling over. Without another sound he fell over on his side onto the street, the pool of dark red blood spreading at an alarming rate.

The shooter stared in horror. Without waiting another second, he threw the bag with the Chaos emerald to the ground and chucked the gun in a nearby dumpster before sprinting away.

His hands shaking, Matthews crawled over to the echidna. He flipped the man over and his face immediately paled. That was a lot of blood.

"L-L-Lo-Lo-Loc…" he couldn't manage any other sound.

Locke gave a groan and weakly answered, "You okay, kid?" The hedgehog managed a nod.

"Is the Emerald okay?"

Another nod.

"Good… make sure it stays… that way."

The hedgehog just nodded, not fully comprehending what the echidna was saying. He stood up and managed to force out, "I-I-I'll get help. Don't go anywhere and don't… just stay… promise you'll be okay… okay?" Locke nodded, cringing.

Matthews got up and ran.

He called desperately for help as he ran, weaving in and out of the crowds. At first it was so soft that few could hear it. But over time, the shock began to fade and soon almost everyone was watching the boy run around, pleading for someone, anyone, to help him. No one came. After several minutes, a police officer finally had enough.

"Kid! You're disturbing the peace!" said the officer, clearly annoyed. "Quit yelling!"

"But-but… my friend. Alley way. G-gun. Shot!" Matthews babbled to the officer.

He ignored him and pushed the kid along, "Move it, kid! No one wants to listen to a street beggar. Now scat."

Out of nowhere, a different voice replied for Matthews. "Hey now, Rogers, that's not very nice. The kid's just trying to tell us something." Over walked a spotted dog in a matching uniform to the other officer. He knelt down next to the hedgehog. "Now one more time kid, but slower."

With a few deep breaths, Matthews explained again, this time more clearly, "I was in an alley… with a friend and some muggers… one of them shot him!" That was when the tears started to come.

Rogers scoffed in the background, "Bobby, it's probably some stupid prank that his friends put him up to."

"Or maybe it's not. Someone could be seriously hurt." Bobby looked back at Matthews. "You're telling the truth, right kid?"

Matthews nodded quickly, trying to wipe the tears away.

"Can you take me to where your friend is?"

The hedgehog didn't answer this time, but grabbed the officer's arm and began to drag him to Locke.

"Woah, kid! Take it easy, I'm right behind you." Bobby picked up the pace to match Matthews running. With an annoyed sigh, Roberts followed the two.

Ten minutes later (Matthews hadn't noticed how far he had to run for help) the three of them returned to the alley. The two other muggers had disappeared, but Locke and the satchel remained. By this point, Locke had fallen unconscious and was lying in a pool of his own blood; his face and skin had paled to a frighteningly light shade of red.

Bobby took one look at the echidna and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "I need an ambulance on the corner of Franklin and Washington, stat. We've got a 10-71, possible Code Purple." He hung up and applied some pressure to the wound, mopping up the blood from Locke's chest with a handkerchief.

Off on the side, Matthews watched, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics took over the operation. No one noticed or questioned the satchel on the ground nearby, nor when Matthews picked it up and slung it over his shoulder.

The police took the boy's statement as the paramedics loaded the echidna in the ambulance. Matthews didn't tell them about the Chaos Emerald or his 'reading' abilities, but gave everything else on what he could recall about the situation. Bobby thanked the hedgehog then offered to give him a ride to the hospital. Matthews readily agreed.

*Three days later*

Matthews stood in the rain at the local cemetery. There had been no religious leader or family or even a traditional funeral. It had taken all of Matthews's energy to even convince the doctors to bury the echidna and not cremate him.

'The bullet hadn't hit anything vital, and his blood loss wasn't too substantial. He could've made a full recovery.'

Matthews traced the headstone. Since the echidna's wallet had been taken, no one knew his full name. In fact, there was no name on the stone at all. It wasn't even a real headstone, but a large rock that had been on the side of the road that Matthews had spent a better part of a day dragging there.

'He seemed to be in good physical condition, but there was something else at work. It didn't seem like he even wanted to survive. Aside from that, we can't explain it.'

Years later, Matthews would replace the rock with an actual headstone that would read: Here lies Locke: a Guardian and Selfless Hero. May your Memory Serve Those whom you Served.

The hedgehog gripped the leather satchel a little tighter. As soon as he could, the boy planned to throw the emerald in the river. He couldn't stand the sight of it, but also knew he couldn't sell it. It was just too dangerous. After standing there for a few moments, Matthews placed a small bundle of weedy dandelions at the foot of the rock. It was the only flower-like thing he could find in this town for free.

For a brief moment, the wind picked up, blowing some of the seeds off the flowers and into the air, swirling in a gentle and intricate pattern. Matthews watched the seeds disappear in the distance. It had surprised him that after he had received the news of Locke's death, he hadn't shed a tear. He wanted to cry, but couldn't bring himself to it. If anyone deserved tears, Locke did. But all he felt was guilt for not crying, and loneliness. Biting, numbing loneliness.

Without a word, the hedgehog turned around and trudged out of the cemetery.

As Halo has mentioned before: Why is it so fun to write depressing stories? I apologize to anyone who was hoping that Locke would return.

So...yeah. Please don't kill me! Honestly, I tried to find a reason for Locke to stay away that long that wasn't depressing, but nothing came. And if you remember, that in the Archie Comics, Locke does actually die saving Knuckles from Enerjak… Or Knuckles from himself? You know what, never mind. That story arc was a little confusing.

Also, if you read closely, there is some foreshadowing of what is to come. Dun, dun, dun!

I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter (or I guess didn't enjoy it…?). Review please!