A/N: Hey, everybody! I'm back! Sorry I haven't updated in the last week but I was spending time with friends that are leaving for a long time on summer trips. Thanks to anyone who sent in reviews for my last chapter ( I know I got at least two reviews). I better get started because I don't know how long this chapter may take to write. Hopefully, when I'm finished wrighting it, it will be a good length and leave enough room for the next chapter. Disclaimer: I only own Orange but I wish I owned Knuckles. Wait! Did I say that again! Well, it's true!
Chapter 4: True Power-Part I- Hidden Power
Angel Island- 10:00 a.m.
It was well after sunrise when Knuckles finally woke up. At first the sun was shining directly in his eyes and he did his best to block it out. He finally decided to just give in and face it. He slowly opened his eyes and quickly blinked a few times in an attempt to improve his vision. After a moment of this, he began to let his eyes look around a little before sitting up. He tried to remember what had happened the night before. He remembered pretty quickly and looked over at the M.E. It had gone back to its normal glow and the Chaos Emeralds, along with the Time Crystal, had stopped floating. He tried to sit up but found that he was unable to at first. He glanced over at Orange, who was still fast asleep. She had her arms hooked around his waist and her head resting in his lap. He thought to himself, a little annoyed, "Oh, great. I'm being used as a teddy bear." He attempted to sit up once again, this time with more success and he softly unhooked her arms from around him, setting her back down gently. She moved a bit in her sleep but still did not wake. He stood up and stretched out while looking out at the view from the top of the shrine. He decided that he had better wake Orange so they could both check up on Tikal. He knelt down beside Orange and shook her gently, whispering, "Orange...Orange..." She slowly opened her eyes and looked around a bit. She looked up at Knuckles and sat up slowly. "What time is it?" He replied, "It's pretty late in the morning. Do you want to go check up on Tikal?" She yawned and nodded her head, "Sure. Let's go." He stopped her quickly, "Wait." Orange looked at him and closed her eyes tight as he reached out toward her face. He picked up a leaf that was caught in her bangs and held it out in front of her. She opened one eye and smiled. "Thanks." "No problem."
They began walking down the path leading back to Knuckles' house but suddenly heard a loud explosion from behind them. They turned around quickly and saw smoke rising from where the shrine was. They quickly ran back and and found none other than Eggman sitting in his Egg Carrier only this time it had a few improvements. It had a drill in front and 12 more mechanicle arms coming out of the sides. It was also equipped with some rockets on the sides and three slots. He laughed slowly as Knuckles and Orange approached. "Heheheh...I'll bet you think this is the weapon I'll be using against you. Well, to tell you the truth, this is only if my first plan fails! I mean, why should I use a destructive machine when it would be more entertaining to watch you turn against each other while I steal all your emeralds!" "Eggman! What are you talking about!" Knuckles yelled back at him. "You'll see! I was planning on using this on Sonic first but since he's not here, I'll use it on your little girlfriend!" Knuckles and Orange stood still for a moment, staring at each other. Knuckles was the first to speak in an angry voice, "Girlfriend! What the hell is wrong with all you people! She is not my girlfriend!" Eggman just smiled and shrugged. "Oh,well. I'm still going to use this on her!" Just then a giant arm grabbed Orange's Time Crystal. She quickly jumped and grabbed it. She pulled it hard but couldn't get it free. She was lifted up in the air still hanging on to it. "Let go! My mother gave me this! You can't have it!" she yelled at him. Before anything could be done for her, another arm reached out and slapped a bracelet on her wrist. Electricity came pouring out and shocked Orange. She fell back against a tree, still holding the crystal. She was unconcious. Just then Sonic came blasting through one of the arms and landed next to Knuckles. "Are you guys okay!" Knuckles responded, "I'm fine but Orange is out cold." Tails ran up to Orange and checked her pulse. "We heard an explosion over hear so we came as quickly as we could!"
Sonic looked at Knuckles, "Want to finish this quickly?" He smiled. "Sure." They both charged at Eggman but he just smiled as he took out a remote and pushed a button. Orange's eyes snapped open and she pushed Tails aside and blocked Sonic and Knuckles. They stopped instantly. "What the hell! Orange, don't get in our way!" She just stood there staring at them with a dull look. "She can't hear you, you fools! She's under my control now! Now, my dear, attack Sonic and Knuckles!" Orange lunged forward and punched Sonic in the stomache and kicked Knuckles in the face. Sonic stood up and smiled. "So you want to play rough, do you? Fine!" Knuckles grabbed him quickly. "You can't fight her, Sonic! She's still our friend and we can't hurt her!" Sonic growled a bit, "I guess you're right! But we have to do something!" Knuckles looked over at her. "It's that bracelet! We have to get it off her somehow!" Sonic nodded. "Right! Let's split up and grab her!" Sonic ran around to try and distract her while Knuckles attempted to grab her from behind. However, she quickly called out, "TIME WARP" and disappeared before he could get to her. They stopped and looked around franticly. "Where did she go!" Sonic questioned. Knuckles looked around when suddenly she appeared behind him and gave him a kick to the back. He was sent flying forward and Orange warped herself in front of him, punching him in the stomache hard. He fell to the ground, gasping for air because he had the wind knocked out of him. Sonic turned to him and asked, "Are you al-" He was cut off when Orange appeared in front of him and kicked him in the groin. He fell down with tears beginning to form in his eyes. "That's it...no more mr. nice guy! Sorry, Knuckles, but the only chance we're going to have to get near her is by knocking her out!" He stood up and walked slowly to the Chaos Emeralds. He then was surrounded by a yellow flame and transformed into Super Sonic. He formed a ball of energy in his hand and focused it on Orange. "Sorry,Orange, but this is the only way to save you!" Orange charged at him and he let the blast of energy hurl out of his hands. He managed to get a direct hit and she was pushed back as she tried to hold her ground. At last, she slammed into a huge tree and stopped moving. "Holy crap! Did I use a little too much energy!" he said floating over to her quickly.
Tails and Knuckles ran over and checked on her. Tails examined her. She was still breathing and the only damage done to her was a large rip in the back of her clothes and a scratch where she had hit the tree. Knuckles ripped the bracelet off her wrist and she opened her eyes and whispered to Knuckles, "Knu...Knuckles...I'm sorry...I attacked you..." She began to sob and the tears began to wash over her face. Knuckles became really angry at this. "No! Don't you cry! This...this wasn't any of your fault!" She stared at him, concerned. "Knuckles..." He turned around and was engulfed in a flame also, becoming Super Knuckles. His eyes seemed to have turned from purple to a deep blood red. "Eggman...You sick bastard! You'll pay for what you did to her!" Sonic floated over to him. "Yeah! We'll never forgive you for this!" "Damn! My first plan didn't work so I'll move on the Plan B!" Just then, four mechanical arms shot out in different directions. One grabbed the Time Crystal from Orange and placed it in a slot. Another, picked up the M.E. and also placed it in a slot. The last two shot out grabbing Sonic and Knuckles. "HA! By using the powers of the M.E., I can make you return to normal and you'll be helpless to stop me from taking the Chaos Emeralds!" Sonic and Knuckles struggled to get away but a current of energy from the M.E. caused them to return to normal. They then began to gasp for air as the arms began to wrap tighter and tighter around them. "Sonic! Knuckles!" Tails yelled running over to them. Unfortunately, another arm shot out and knocked Tails over. "You can go ahead and die now, fox boy!" Eggman said pulling out a gun and aiming it at him. Tails stared at the gun and he closed his eyes tight as tears began to role down his cheeks. Orange looked at Tails with fear in her eyes but then she began to glow a bright light. Before the bullet hit Tails though, Orange flew in front of it and blocked it with her body. It pierced her side but she somehow managed to continue standing. Knuckles and Sonic looked over at her. "What's happening?" She stood there and a pair of glowing wings had appeared. They were feathery and some of the bottom feathers were bloody. Eggman yelled in confusion, "What the hell!" She began walking slowly toward him and he began shooting more at her. She just let them hit her instead of trying to dodge them. One bullet hit her left shoulder and she stopped to pull the bullet out of her skin. She was now covered in blood but she still walked forward to the slot holding her Time Crystal. " You! You can't be for real!" Eggman started. She glared at him as she punched into the slot holding her crystal. "Maybe you're right. But that doesn't matter to me." She quickly warped over to where Sonic and Knuckles were and managed to cut them free from the metal arms. They looked at her and smiled. "Thanks." She smiled at them and said happily, "You're welcome!" She then walked over to Tails and held him in her arms, hugging him as though he were her child and she would do anything to protect him. Sonic and Knuckles stood up once more, ready to fight. Knuckles, however, took one more glance at this new figure standing over with Tails and thought to himself, "She really is the most mysterious girl I have ever met."
Author: Okay! I'm going to end there for now and continue a little later! The next chapter will hold many more surprises so don't stop reading. I'll get it up as soon as I can. Please continue to review and I'll cya all later! Chapter 5: True Power-Part II- Super Tails!