5.
Everything looked so peaceful.
The flower field… The trees… Even the rotten ruins.
She was home.
Everything was exactly how she remembered it. Except one thing… Something was missing… Or better, someone.
She was alone in that paradise… Alone… Without her friend… Without her love… Without him.
That made her sad. Even in Heaven, people can be sad. Does Heaven exist at all? Or it's just a philosophical concept? Was it just a state of mind or a very special moment in someone's life?
Whatever that could be… She couldn't be happy.
It wasn't paradise… Without him.
She set on the grassy green, trying to admire the plants and the flowers, trying to talk with them, as she used to do… But to no avail. They would not respond her questions… They stood silent and… Lifeless.
Suddenly, her world started to collapse… A black nothingness was devouring her surroundings.
In just a matter of a few scary seconds, she found herself engulfed in that void…
Void…
That name tormented her… It was so familiar yet, she couldn't quite understand why. She knew it was important, somehow…
She was feeling numb and incapable to move…
Then she saw them… Herself and Tails… Talking with each other.
"Tails… You must stop Ixis Naugus at all costs!" Her reflex was saying.
"How?" Tails asked.
"You'll have to fight against his servants… You'll have to fight my son, Void!"
The real Cosmo flinched… That name again… Wait, she had a son? She didn't know about it.
"I… Don't know if I can, Cosmo." Tails sorely remarked.
"There is not another way, he is the designed Trigger that will unleash the Iblis, Naugus, into this world… He must be stopped. You must fight him, Tails!"
No…
"I see… I'll do it for you, Cosmo!"
No… Stop it.
"Thank you Tails… Once this story will be over… I shall return to you, my love."
NO! THAT'S NOT COSMO!!
The reflex slowly turned it's head to look at the frightened Seedrian in the eyes… It's features changed and it's face assumed a monstrous form…
"I shall return to you, my love… AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR!!!" The demon teased.
No… Tails has been fooled… It's a trap… It is all a trap!
"TAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLS!!!" Cried the desperate plant girl… But it was useless.
Nobody would have heard her pleads… In the crystal prison she was locked in.
She quietly sobbed… She was so sad and scared. That ominous, diabolical laugh echoed in her hurt mind… She wanted to leave, to escape from that emptiness… She wanted to be with her two-tailed hero…
She knew it was impossible… She couldn't reach Tails with her mind and, therefore, she couldn't hope to escape this place.
She hugged her knees and cuddled… Still sobbing…
Sobbing…
Waiting…
Hoping…
"I hope you have an explanation for this!"
The room was unusually dark, it was like if it's occupants feared the light… The un-mistakable light of truth and justice, someone would say.
"I do have an ezplanazion… I'm not a fuel!" Said an obnoxious French voice, once again misspelling the word "fool".
The only source of light was a modest table lamp placed in the middle of the large rotund table. It's ray was illuminating the very worried face of a rather young jackal with strange blond hair and a military outfit that didn't fit with his true personality.
"I'm waiting…" Another voice stated, it's impatience was dramatically clear.
The jackal in question was sweating profusely and not just because of the lamp…
"Ve needed informatiòn…" He tried.
"And so, you authorized the torture, uh?"
"Vell… Yez but, Mon Chaos… Vhat vere ve zuppozed to do!?"
"TO ACT LIKE CIVILIZED PEOPLE!!!" The voice scolded.
"Enough with this…" A third voice made it's presence known. "… I won't tolerate inquisitions inside the Mobian Council's War Room." He stated. "LIGHTS!" He then cried.
The darkness that engulfed the hall was now gone… The two figures were now perfectly visible in the frightened eyes of the French Mobian.
One was a squirrel, a chipmunk lady with gorgeous red hair and green eyes. Unlike other Mobian ladies, her fur was thick enough to cover her privates, therefore she only wore a blue jacket and nothing else. She was clearly not amused by the sudden interruption of her "inquisition".
The other one was an old looking male skunk. He had a thick wad of white hair and he wore a military vest, just like the jackal, with several merit badges attached on it.
"Sally Acorn…" He greeted.
"Sir Geoffrey St. John…" She replied.
They observed each other for a minute or so, then Sally broke the ice.
"I'm just doing my job here, St, John. Antoine Depardieu must respond for war crimes against the person of Snively Robotnik…" She said while looking harshly at the inquired jackal. "… He's already confessed." She added.
The skunk looked un-fazed.
"Lady Acorn… Antoine did authorized that interrogation method on Snively Robotnik… Only after I've permitted it." Sir Geoffrey solemnly stated.
The young squirrel's attention was all for him, now.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because… This is a war, Sally, and in a war there's no room for these so-called 'civil rights' and other garbage… We needed informations about Dr Eggman and that worthless little human happened to be his best man and nephew… That's why we tortured him."
Sally looked at the skunk in front of him with utter disgust.
"That sadistic course of action caused a living being to give up his own life… That's something that Eggman would do! What makes you think that you are better than him?" She asked in an angry yet, contained tone.
St. John grinned angrily.
"We didn't start this conflict! We didn't kill or robotizied millions of people! We're fighting a damn war here, not running a theme park! It's something you would never understand… 'Princess'." He venomously added.
At this remark, Sally Acorn exploded.
"Tell me, 'General'… Where were you when the Empire first attacked? Where were you when thousands of children found themselves without their families? Where were you when those same kids decided to do battle against the dictator himself and become Freedom Fighters? TELL ME WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU WHEN THEY WERE FIGHTING AND DYEING FOR THIS COUNTRY!!!?"
Sally was on the verge of tears… Tears of rage and distress. She knew what her soldiers have gone through… She knew it, first hand. For a moment, her mind fixed itself on the image of her beloved, adopted son, kneeled in front of three self-made graves… Mourning his recent losses.
Sir Geoffrey was taken aback by her outburst and it bothered him the fact that he didn't have a proper answer for those questions…
Sally answered for him.
"I tell you were you where… You were hiding your scary butt behind your political position!"
Even Antoine couldn't help but feel aggravated. Those were truthful words.
"… This conversation is over, Lady Acorn. I would appreciate if you would leave this room and Knothole as soon as possible. You don't belong here… Not anymore. You have a son, now… Take good care of him." The old skunk replied quietly.
Sally was literally fuming when she left the Council's hall, almost knocking down it's door in the process…
She reached the fancy fountain in the middle of the gate surrounded village known as Knothole. She set on it's board, cursing under her breath.
"It didn't go to well, right?"
She turned her head only to find the friendly and reassuring gaze of her father, Maximillian Acorn.
Sally sighed.
"Definitely not… You were right about them."
The former king set near his daughter.
"They kept me uninformed about their methods… They've probably thought I was too soft." He said in a consoling tone.
"What do we do, now?" She asked showing concern in her eyes. "We can't just arrest them… Mobius would remain without rulers and G.U.N. would surely use this situation as an excuse for instituting a federal government..."
At this, her father put on a suspicious smirk.
"I wouldn't worry about that… There's a way to dispose of good old Geoffrey and his lackey, Antoine, without G.U.N. intervention." He said.
"How?"
"By instantly substituting them, of course…"
Sally frowned.
"That's impossible, even if I would return to occupy my previous place in the council… We would need at least three members to form a decent institution… With St. John and Depardieu out of commission, only you and I would…"
Her father interrupted her by putting an hand on her mouth.
"… That's where you wrong, Sally. You see, I'm waiting the arrival of a very special person… From 'The Wrath of Mobius' Militia!" He muttered, not quite under his breath.
The girl's eyes widen in amazement.
So, the rumors where true… His father did secretely make an alliance with that rebellious group... But why? And why this person he was waiting for, was so important?
Outside the village.
"I'm tellin' ya, hun! I'm waited by old king Max himself!"
"And I'm telling you, Robian… That I don't believe you!"
Bunny Rabbot, despite being an half robotic full trained fighter, used to be the sweetest person in the world… Always ready to help and comfort whoever would have needed it. There was, however, something that she didn't tolerate… Impolite people. They truly made the teenage rabbit angry…
And this rather offending guard shouldn't have treated her in that way.
"I'm sorry, hun, would ya repeat that?" She sweetly asked.
"I said: TAKE A HIKE, ROBIAN FREAK!!!" The young and foolish greenish hedgehog repeated.
She simply smiled.
He simply screamed in pain.
She then entered in the city, where she was immediately greeted by a vast number of sore looking guards who surrounded her, pointing their electric spears at her neck.
"Wow guys… Ya certainly know how ta make a girl feel appreciated!" She ironically said.
"What have you done to Manic?" One of the soldiers yelled.
She innocently shrugged.
"A was just teaching him a lesson of good manners, hun… An' his quills accidentally dropped… Eh eh eh…" She giggled.
Some of the other guards couldn't help but chuckle too… No one really liked that Manic guy.
"Bring her to prison." The captain managed to order through his hardly contained laughs.
"Not… Funny." Complained the now bald hedgehog in the distance.
The hot sandy wind was definitely getting to his nerves. Now he knew that he hated deserts with every fiber of his being.
Desert storms were not an amusing experience. The merciless sand through his quills… The knowledge that opening his eyes would have meant a permanent damage in his viewing sight… And the fact that his sole proclaimed "Virgil" guide had disappeared, weren't making his day any better than before.
A few selected words crossed Knuckles's mind… And none of them could have been repeated in a civilized society without risking public lynch.
Why the hell did I start following that motherfuckin' phantom? Why didn't I call the Chaosdamned Ghostbusters, instead!? Urgh… Damn that Sonic and his jokes… They're contagious!
This was actually his most "Rated E" thought.
The utter thickness of the sand storm, united with the fact that the echidna was forced to cover his face with his arms, didn't help him notice that giant stone door right in front of him until it was too late…
Knuckles's form hit the door unceremoniously… Angry like Hell, the now redder echidna broke down the stone barrier with his huge namesakes.
He then entered.
"WHAT THE MOTHER OF ALL FUCKERS IS THIS!!!?" He yelled.
He apparently ended up in some kind of messed up labyrinth like cave with random rivers of flaming lava running around... And annoying ghosts.
Oh wait… It was just Fang.
It appeared out of nowhere, with a peculiar "Master of Life" dressing-gown on.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!!!? AND WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT SCI-FI CUSTOM!!?" Asked the irate walls' mauler.
Fang's ghostly form just smiled, then he said:
"Use the force… Knuckles."
Knuckles immediately followed the suggestion and, in a burst of rage, tried to hit the blasted specter dead on… Only to come through it's vanishing form and comically fall into a cliff, cursing like possessed by the entire infernal pantheon, in the process.
"And watch your first step!" Added Fang while grinning at his unfortunate traveler…
And so, Dante entered Hell… In order to reach Heaven.
Knothole Village. Detention Area. Visiting room.
Two figures were set on a table. They were having an animated discussion.
"You certainly have your way with men… Luckily, I ordered the captain to advice me when you would arrive."
"What can a say… I'm just a sweet lil' girl from de South."
The paternal squirrel was smiling.
"It's been a while, Bunny… How's Tikal?" Maximillian asked.
"She's doing great…" Responded the good looking rabbit with a seemingly distant tone.
The former monarch could say that she wasn't doing that great but he wisely decided to avoid the argument.
"I know you have a message for me." He casually said.
Bunny caressed her broken rabbity ear and sighed. She had, indeed, a message for him but it bothered her the fact that she had no clue of what it meant.
She dismissed her inner argument and politely fulfilled her duty.
"Tikal says… 'The substitute has arrived'. I wonda' what det means?"
And now, good old Max (or Max-hun, as Bunny loved to call him) was grinning happily like a libertine inside a bordello.
The Robian Rabbit seemed a little taken aback by the chipmunk's reaction. She pretended to feel shivers on her robotizied left arm.
"Ehm… Is everythin' ok, Max-hun?"
"Oh yes, Lady Rabbot… Everything is going to be just fine." He said to the bewildered girl while standing from his seat and… To Bunny's shock… Politely inclined before her.
She was left speechless, her mouth was agape… Even her defecting ear stood upright in amazement.
After resuming his previous position, Maximillian Acorn looked the intimidated teenager dead in the eyes.
"Do you remember anything before you joined the "Wrath of Mobius" Army?" He said.
The Rabbot shook her head… That was a very delicate argument. She hadn't often talked or thought about it… Mainly because every time she did so, those horrible images came to her mind…
Images of death and violent screams…
Images of herself when she was little, crying her parents' names…
And… That little creature… With a ridiculous pointed nose…
"Do you remember how'd you survived the Roboticizer?" He asked another question.
She was struggling with her own self-defenses in order to answer him.
"I… I was… Saved… I was saved by a lil' guy with a long nose." She seemed to remember.
Max was satisfied.
"What's de meanin' of all this?" She now asked.
The noble squirrel stood still right in front of her.
"Lady Rabbot… There is a certain person I would like you too see."
Bunny was now even more fazed.
Knuckles wasn't pleased. Not at all.
He just had to go through lethal lava rivers, spiky booby traps, sudden cliffs and un-resting, vengeful guardian spirits in order to come to this far…
"I hope it'll be worth it, you Slimer!" A seemingly roasted echidna warrior lamented.
"I can assure you, my pissed off-able friend, that your reward will be astoundingly unimaginable!" The ghostly guide answered.
"What?" Knuckles looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Fang sighed.
"I meant… It'll be worth it."
"Oooooh…"
"BEHOLD!"
A random wall opened himself… Probably fearing Knuckles's reputation… Revealing an enormous, ancient chamber behind it.
The red one looked genuinely surprised and marveled by such a sight. He turned his head over his unreliable traveler.
"What is this place?" He demanded to know.
The Sniper turned his fluorescent head too and stared at his unwilling companion with evident glee and excitement.
"This, my friend… Is where everything began… The supreme legacy of your kind… The one place in which all the universe's chaotic energies came and go from… The place where the powerful Chaos Emeralds have been created… BEHOLD 'HIDDEN PALACE'!!!"
Stupor, wasn't quite the proper word to describe her feelings in that moment… Sadness, Shock, Rage and Regret, could have been more appropriate words to define the troubled emotions that were crossing her youthful heart.
There he was, on a surgeon stretcher, the dead and visibly mauled body of her savior…
The tiny body of a man, a human, who's been a vermin for his entire existence… Except, when he rescued her from fatal demise, all those years ago.
His face was almost unrecognizable due to the scornful insomnia he suffered and, of course, the numerous beatings.
The nose, however, the long, pointed, ridiculous nose, was un-mistakable.
She recognized him because of it.
Bunny Rabbot's tearful violet eyes were staring at his form on that table. One thing was certain, he didn't die peacefully.
"His name… Was Snively Robotnik. I bet you've already heard about him. He's quite famous, after all."
The Mobian rabbit's gaze didn't left Snively's side, not even to speak back to Maximillian, who was inside the morgue with her.
Naturally, she knew who Snively was… A backstabbing traitor… A murderer and a genocidal… And Dr Eggman's best man.
Yet… She felt extremely sorry, none the less. She didn't know why she felt like that for the small Overlander… He was a stranger to her, yet, it was like she'd known him for all her life.
It was depressing and, at the same time, oddly refreshing.
"How?" She simply asked.
"Suicide… He probably couldn't take it anymore… Of his life, I mean." Answered Max-hun.
She felt even more miserable, now.
"Bunny… For some reason, he decided to entrust me with something very important… Something that was meant for you."
For the first time since their arrival in the morgue, Bunny turned her head away from the corpse, to stare into the old squirrel's eyes.
"What is it?" She asked while disposing of her tears.
"A testament…" He quietly replied.
The chamber was immense and drastically old, to say the very least. It had immense turmoil columns and dusty marble floor.
Knuckles was the first living being to ever enter this place from a very long time.
He was puzzled, confused and agape. This was the legendary "Hidden Palace" in which the 7 Chaos Emeralds were born... Built by his own people specifically for that purpose.
He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe how many legends he used to know, have turned out to be real. He couldn't believe this majestic place to be situated on this crazy floating island.
"I think it's finally time for me, to explain a few things about this place…" The now utterly appreciated phantom guide told to his amazed traveler.
The echidna was all ears… Figuratively, since he didn't have any.
Fang started his tale.
This whole universe exists thanks to a balance… Chaos is the balance…
I know, it sound like a paradox… But without the infinite streams of chaos energy that engulfed our lives… This whole plan of existence would simply cease to exist.
You have to understand that, in the caustically chaotic world we live, every single action made by anyone corresponds to a unique reaction…
You know about the theory of "Cause and Effect", right? Well… It's a little bit more complicated than that.
You see… Even the most insignificant event… Like the death of a butterfly… Can generate an incredible amount of changes and twists in those energy's streams… And it's simply impossible to predict the results… It's all Chaos, after all.
All unpredictability…
All an uncomprehensible mess that we are not bound to understand…
Things Just happen without a damn reason… They just do.
Nature, Evolution, Life and Death, are all part of this cluster.
And then… There are the classical exceptions that confirm the rule.
The so-called Chosen Ones… Special people that have been blessed by raw chaos powers… Because of Nature's doing…
Is that familiar to you? Knuckles?
A ring bell was playing inside the echidna's head.
"You mean… Me?" He stupidly asked.
"And that two-tailed fox, that flaming cat girl, that plant boy, even Sonic and Shadow… People like you, who can aspire to control Chaos itself… Ehe! 'Chaos Control' is the ultimate paradox, isn't it?"
"But… Why only the new element in the evolutionary scale are blessed with such ability?"
"Weren't you listening? There's not a scientific motive for it… Not even a theological, for that matter… Things. Just. Happen. The creation of the universe? The world and it's life forms? The meaning of Life? We aren't bound to know… Maybe, it is all the doing of a God… Maybe we all are the non-original characters of a fan made novel… Again, who knows? That's why Life is Chaos…"
Knuckles's head was about to explode. Fang sighed.
"See? That's the problem with rational people… Or religious people, as well… They all desperately try to find a sense in everything in order to achieve Control… The Truth is… Existence is meaningless... It just exists… And all you can do… Is living it, the way you want to… That's Freedom, my friend."
The echidna relaxed.
"Ok, so… What about this particular place?" He said, conveniently changing the topic.
Fang smiled and resumed his story.
As I told you before… Chaos itself is the balance of this universe… Imagine what could possibly happen if those infinite invisible energies weren't around… It would have meant the end of everything as we know it…
Unfortunately, this gruesome eventuality is NOT a chimera… At least, not in this world.
All because of the humans… Their lust for Power and Control…
The reason behind their wars… The Control over everything… The annihilation of Arbitrary Freedom and the endless possibilities… And therefore, the end of Chaos itself.
The 7 Chaos Emeralds were the ultimate and daring answer to that foolishness…
Mystical gems embraced by several chaos energy lines… The incongruent attempt to control Chaos… In order to defend it from it's enemies.
Quite the paradox, isn't it?
In order to accumulate the necessary energy for the emeralds to work… The mages that have been selected for this task needed a lot of power… Power that they didn't have… Therefore, they had to gain more of it… In the unnatural way.
You see… True Magic is the ability to control chaos energy in order to bend reality itself… Without abusing of it, of course…
The three Mobians in questions were Chosen Ones… They were the first, of their respective races, to have such ability, although clearly limited… As I told you before, their descendents naturally inherited that capacity… Just like Tikal and most of the echidnas.
However, their natural powers weren't anywhere near enough to summon enough chaos energy to fill those gems… That's why they needed a very special device in order to achieve their goal…
A legendary object they casually found here… On Angel Island… A place so messed up because of it's great amount of chaos energy…
They built this sacred structure, the Hidden Palace, around this peculiar device… They adored it like if it was a God…
As a matter of fact… It's the closer thing to a God… It's the miracle stone from which Chaos itself is spread upon this world…
The mother source of the Chaos Emeralds… The Master Emerald!!!
"The Masterfucker what!!!?"
"Perhaps… It's better if I show directly." He sighed before adding: "Follow me, Dante."
Knothole Village. Maximillian Acorn's hut.
Bunny Rabbot fixed her gaze over a television screen. The image of a small man was appearing inside of it.
"Hello Bunny Rabbot… If you're seeing this videotape… Then you're already know that I'm dead." The very tired figure of Snively Robotnik spoke through the TV. "This… Is the testament of my passage to this world… A knowledge, that will change a lot of things around here… Not only for you but for the fate of this war itself…"
The Rabbot was listening intently.
"… By now, you should be well aware of the fact that I saved you. That was probably the best thing I've ever done in my whole miserable life…" His face frowned. "I still don't know why I did it… It was not courage. I'm not that kind of man… But I did it and, quite frankly, I still believe it was worthless… You're probably dead by now… Kids in your condition usually do not reach the 10 years of age… But if you did survive and reached adolescence, then congratulations!" Suddenly, his features lighted up. "There is a thing that you must know… On that night, the night when we escaped from that Egg Prison, I just had the time to hide a certain object inside your mechanical arm… You may want to check inside of it… Consider it, a little goodbye present."
A baffled Bunny looked down at her own arm in amazement. The Snively on the screen was still speaking.
"I won't live long enough to see you again but I entrust Sir Maximillian into giving this video to you… If you're still around, of course." He chuckled a little before adding: "Bunny… I want you to know that you're the only one person in the entire world that made feel me of some use… And for that… I will be forever grateful. Goodbye and, as far as it is possible, be happy."
And the television screen turned blank.
The teenage Robian was openly crying her eyes out. Someone put an hand on her shoulder in a consoling manner.
"During his imprisonment, he used to confide me everything… He told me about you and your unknown burden…" Said Max-hun. "… I secretely helped him made this video."
She took his hand in hers.
"M-Max-hun… What's inside of me?" She sobbed.
Without responding, the old squirrel took her robotizied arm and opened a little vault on it. From this compartment, he picked a little microchip.
Then he finally answered.
"In this seemingly insignificant piece of technology, lies the key to end this war once and for all… That makes you, Lady Bunny Rabbot, the most important person on Earth." He proudly said, holding the chip tightly.
"How so?" She asked.
Max grinned like a kid before the latest console system.
"Because… This, right here, is the plant… OF ROBOTROPOLIS!!!" He finally yelled in delight.
She gulped… She had it for all this time and she never knew about it? She felt rather stupid for that.
Max looked down at her, still grinning.
"With this little treasure, we'll be able to locate all the city's defense systems… And then attack!!!" He paused for a minute to calm himself. "But first… We have a score to settle with a certain stinky skunk and his whiney lackey…" He then offered his hand at her. "What do you say, new member of the Mobian Council?"
At that… Bunny fainted.
"We're almost there…"
"I would like to know who the fuck projected this house of madness… Why there aren't some bloody stairs!?"
"Perhaps… They didn't want anybody to find it?"
"Duh…"
In order to arrive to the highest floor of the palace, Knuckles had to climb a 100 feet tall granite column… Luckily, being an echidna, his spiky hands could afford him of some rather good climbing ability.
This place has been clearly built by echidnas, for echidnas.
Once he reached the peak and so, the questioned floor, the former walls' mauler, now granite columns' thrasher (his pointed namesakes left some remarkable signs), tried to retain his breath… But to no avail.
What he saw, right in front of him, left his lungs completely empty.
An old altar, a mighty and ominous shrine partially covered by vegetation… On the top of it, lied the most beautiful and gigantic jewel in the whole world!
Knuckles first instinct was to grab that prized piece of heaven, sell it and live the rest of his natural life as a sheik in some remote middle east country… With an harem and some slaves, of course.
Then he decided otherwise… Sometimes, being perfectly logical and rational could be helpful.
The palace didn't have a roof, therefore the sun light would have give to that gem, the proper respect.
It looked like one of the Chaos Emeralds… Except for the fact that it was green and 10 times bigger.
Suddenly, Knuckles felt a funny feeling in his head quills, he put an hand in it and pulled out his purple emerald. It was glowing, probably excited to see it's "mother" again.
As if on cue, the Master Emerald glowed in response.
Fang reappeared beside the confused echidna… It was Explanation Time!
"The Master Emerald is basically the source of chaos energy… It's where old energies come, get absorbed and recreate themselves into new ones… It is thanks to it, that things like Evolution, Nature, Life and Death are allowed to exist… It's the Circle of Life itself! And the Chaos Emeralds are made with just a figment of it's power. Fascinating, eh?" He said.
The unwilling Dante scratched his head.
"Let me get this straight… We all exist, have a natural life and death, because of that oversized jewel?"
Fang smiled.
"Knuckles the Echidna, may I present you... Chaos! Or God, if you're the religious type."
Knuckles's mouth was agape.
"But… How is that… Possible?"
The ghost rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Do I have to repeat that speech about the 'we are not bound to know' and 'Life is Chaos' thing, another time? For what we know the Master Emerald could be a simple device who randomly manipulate chaos energy or a sentient entity that does things on purpose… Either worthless philosophical theory you like more. The point is that… Without that rock to keep things balanced, this whole universe would blow himself up… Let's just leave it at that." The phantom dismissed.
The baffled echidna stared at the majestic gem in amazement for a few minutes, before asking the only one question that truly tormented him.
"Tell me… How did they transferred the Master Emerald's energy into those jewels?"
"I'm not the right person to ask that topic, I'm afraid." Fang began. "… But, fortunately, I just know the one." He gestured Knuckles to follow it's ghostly lead and the echidna, obediently, did so.
When the X-Tornado landed nearby the Knothole Village, in the Great Forest, it's two dizzy passengers were very happy to descend from it.
"I… Will… Never… Do… That… Again!" Wildly muttered a messed up vulpine while dropping his own pilot's goggles.
Sonic, on the other hand…
"That… Was… Mondo… Extremo!"
Once recollected their thoughts, the two of them started walking toward the village. They've been greeted by a bald hedgehog.
"Ehi what's up bud? Stress? Or are ya a Buddhist monk?" Sonic joked.
"Ha ha ha… Freaking hilarious! You can't enter anyway!" Replied Manic, the unfortunate gate keeper of Knothole.
Sonic and Tails looked each other in the eyes… And smirked.
Manic screamed in pain.
"Do you think it was necessary?" Tails asked, a little guilty for the guy… Not.
"Yeah… Now his body fur matches his hair!"
"But he didn't have any hair."
"Precisely!"
Once the two friends and Freedom Fighters entered the village… Confusion and agitation greeted them.
A few screaming persons were the main reasons of that. They could clearly see a very irate old skunk and a tearful jackal being escorted, or better, forced, into the local prison by a group of short-tempered guards.
"Cool! A brawl… I wanna be in!" Declared the easily excitable hedgehog.
His two-tailed companion rolled his eyes.
"TAILS!!!"
They both turned to see a very agitated young squirrel run toward them like a pit bull dog on a cat.
Sally Acorn embrace her adopted vulpine son lovingly, he immediately hugged her back without saying a word.
Sonic whistled.
"Ehi! No welcome committee for this cool hedgehog, hot stuff?"
The chipmunk lady released Tails to look the audacious skin covered, robotizied Mobian in the eyes.
"Let me guess… Your Sonic, right?" She didn't have the dis-pleasure to meet him, yet.
The would be lady-killer seemed amused.
"My, my… Our reputation precedes us!" He said, adopting his legendary British accent and a regal pose.
Both Sally and Tails rolled their respective eyes, then looked at each other.
"Tails, I have some great news!"
"Sally, I have some bad news!"
They practically talked in unison.
"What's this?"
"This, is a pool…"
"I CAN FUCKING SEE THAT!!! WHAT THE HELL IS IT'S UTILITY!!!"
"It's where one of sorcerers that created the Chaos Emeralds used to magically register his memories…"
"Oh… Well, that'll be useful."
Fang seemed more annoyed than ever.
"Just… Put a finger in it… And wait." The "Virgil" guide stated.
Knuckles did so and in a matter of seconds, a humongous head came out from it!
"AAAAAAAAH!!!" Went the surprised echidna.
"Relax… It's a registration, remember?"
The giant head was all red, except for his muzzle, and it had dreadlocked quills. He was clearly an echidna, an old looking one, too.
He spoke with his ominous voice, in the ancient echidna language… Therefore only another echidna like Knuckles could have understood him.
"My name is Pachacamac… I'm one of the four mages responsible for the birth of the Chaos Emeralds…"
"Wait… Weren't they only three?" The younger viewer asked to his specter companion, who just shrugged, pretending to be oblivious about the whole situation.
The floating head above the tiny pool continued his speech.
"We've been the selected ones for this task… We needed the power of the Master Emerald in order to succeed… But we couldn't just take that energy… That's why we asked for his help… And in doing so, we almost doomed the entire planet!"
Knuckles seemed reasonably worried at this…
"If only we didn't try this madness in the first place… If only we dropped that absurd idea of creating those damned emeralds… She would still be alive!"
"She? Who's she?" Asked the very puzzled echidna to no one in particular.
"Listen to me very carefully, current Chosen One… For this shall be nothing less than the Truth… The Truth about the genesis of the emeralds… And the truth about Iblis himself, the powerful entity known as… Ixis Naugus!"
And now… Knuckles's body was shaking in great expectation.