The word was a bit shoddy because of the remaining slop in his mouth, but it was still there and the others knew he had spoken. "What…? What was that Knuckles…?" Sonic asked, looking into the watery purple eyes.
"Gone…"
Sonic jumped up with a huge smile on his face, leaving room for the happier Mighty and Vector to clean up the dribble. Sonic was in the living room in the blink of an eye. "He Talked!!" he shouted, the excitement and happiness that his friend had some kind of interaction with the rest of the world, pathetic though it was.
The three girls were up and on Sonics heels as he skidded back to the kitchen. He entered only to find his friend being held by the giant green croc and the chameleon as he shook and jerked around in violent spasms.
"IT'S GONE!!!" He wailed, pulling against the others as Mighty and Tails jumped onto him to replace Vector as he was kicked off his hold. "IT'S GONE IT'S GONE IT'S GONNNNEEEE!!!!!"
All the happiness from the other four who had just entered the room faded into the pits of their stomach to dissolve away in the sulfuric acid as they watched the wrenching echidna squirm and shout as his red fur turned to a darker color from the tears and blood from the re opened wounds.
"LET ME GO!!!!" he screamed punching Mighty off and pulling away from Tails. Turning for his escape, he sent himself crashing through the nearest window and out into the blurred and darkened jungles of the mystic ruins.
Amy just about feinted at the sight but held it together as Sonic issued orders for them to take care of the others as he and Rouge and Espio went after the tattered one by way of the front door…
Knuckles didn't need to know, nor did he care, that the others were following him. None of that mattered now… he had to find the master emerald! Surly that had survived the hedgehogs attack.
He made his way away from Tails' work shop and prepared himself for a glide to where the others couldn't reach him. But as he jumped, he realized his torn and broken body couldn't take it and he rolled down the side of the hill with a loud thud and crack instead.
But he couldn't stop… He had to find it! Angel Island must still be up there… He had to go home! Home! Oh by the gods that was such a wonderful word… he would stay there and heal, and collect the chao from hiding and-
He had stopped moving by now and was on his hands and knees on the coarse sand. Something small lay in front of him. As the blue hero slowly approached the shaking echidna he realized what it was.
The 'thing' looked like its red skin was burnt off, exposing flesh where fish had gnawed on the twisted corpse. There was no blood now. No… it had been a while since the thing had fallen and finely washed up to the beach.
"Oh my…" Espio said, spotting the poor thing lying on the beach. Rouge looked like she was going to be sickas the guardian drew the red chao near him.
"ik'thr…" Sonic whispered.
Knuckles sat back on his feet, clutching at the small dead chao, muttering its name, over and over as he began to rock back and forth. Tears were streaming down Knuckles' face and Sonic was a bit stunned.
The blue one had seen the echidna through some tough times, bad and horrible, but not once had he seen him cry. This was all new and strange to him and he felt like he had been pushed outside his comfort zone and into one laden with nasty spiked and bombs. Well... perhaps not all too unfamiliar.
Of them, none dared to draw any closer to the distressed being and they all hung back watching him shake and cry.
Knuckles knew it now… Chaos would have protected these chao within the last of his essence. He would have saved them from…anything… He would have… Everything…
"no…"
It was all…
"No…!!"
Gone.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"