Ch.4: Meet The Legion
When Sonic and the gang reappeared, thier bodies were ghost-like, and they were standing in front of the past Master Emerald alter. This one wasn't in ruins like the present one was. The stone canopy that orginally hung above the Master Emerald was there, as well as the seven pillars that held home to the seven Chaos Emeralds.
An echidna suddenly approached the alter, carrying an egg in his hands. It was all Sonic could do not to gasp in shock. The echidna almost looked exactly like Knuckles, except older, and had a beard.
He placed the egg he was carrying in front of the Master Emerald and stood back. Beams of light shot down from the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds, striking the egg.
The egg started to rattle and roll, soon a fist popped out, followed by a slimly, wet body of a scarlet echidna. By the white cresent mark on his chest, and the spurs on his knuckles, there was no doubt in Sonic's mind, that they were all witnessing the very moment of Knuckles birth.
While everyone else was staring in awe at how cute baby Knuckles was though, Shadow kept his eye on the older echidna as he walked to pick up his son. His expression may have been happy, but it was all just a mask. The older echidna's eyes reflected saddness and fear as he looked at his son.
"Why would a father ever look that way to a child?" thought Shadow.
Suddenly the scene changed, and Sonic and the crew were no longer standing in front of the Master Emerald's alter. This time, they were inside some type of research facility. A toddler Knuckles was floating in a glass tube made of water, while the bearded echidna they saw just seconds before stood monitoring the controls.
"What does he think he's doing?" said Sonic, as he witnessed several needles inside the tank, poke and prod at the younger version of his friend.
"How goes everything Locke?" said Eggman, suddenly entering the room.
"What's he doing here?" asked Tails.
The old echidna, Locke, smiled at Eggman and reported that everything was going postive. They had successfully created the Ultimate Guardian.
For some strange reason, Shadow couldn't help but experince deja vu. Who knew that Knuckles had gone through the same pain he had? He had been exposed to the Emeralds radiation as a baby, and now, as a kid, he was being pumped with chemicals in order to become the Ultimate Guardian.
"Looks like we do have something in common after all," said Shadow, a tinge of pity edging his voice.
"This is just cruel and unuasl punishment!" shouted Rouge " doing all these things to a child!"
Sonic, Tails, Vector, and Espio all nodded in agreement. The scene changed again, and this time Sonic and the gang were standing in the ruins of a burning city.
Dozens of echidnas ran through the streets as an army of black cloaks approached, firing weapons into the crowd. Some citizens tried to fight againist this dark army, but ended up getting killed in thier attempts.
"Father, No!" yelled a five-year old Knuckles, chasing after the bearded echidna.
"Knuckles, stay back!" commanded Locke.
"Well, well, well" said the leader of the black coaks, looking at Knuckles " so this is the Ultimate Guardian I had heard so much about. His powers shall be a great asset to the Dark Legion,"
"You shall never have him Dimitri!" shouted Locke, glaring at the leader of the Dark Legion.
"Oh" said Dimtri, blasting Locke with his gun. Making the old echidna fall dead to the ground. " And just who's going to stop me?"
"Father!" yelled Knuckles, crying on his father's motionless form.
"Why that jerk!" yelled Sonic, and spin-dashed towards Dimitri.
The attack proved to have little effect however as Sonic, still in ghost form, passed right through Dimitri. Sonic was shocked that his attack had no effect, and realized that he had no way of helping Knuckles as Dimitri approached the crying echidna.
"Come little one" said Dimitri " you belong to me now,"
"No!" yelled Knuckles, lifting up his palms at Dimitri.
A blinding white light erupted from the young echidna's palms and engulfed the entire Dark Legion. When the flash passed, every member of the Dark Legion army had disappeared.
Knuckles stared at his hands in shock, wondering what he just did. Sonic and the others were wondering too. How did Knuckles just do that?
"He just got rid of an entire army using Chaos Control!" said Shadow, shocked but impressed.
"But how?" said Vector.
"Maybe when he was exposed to the Emeralds radiation he absorbed some of thier power" said Tails " that would explian what the beams of light were about,"
"If he contians all that Chaos Energy" said Espio " then that would make him stronger than Sonic and Shadow combined,"
"Then why hasn't he used it?" asked Rouge.
"Maybe 'cause his father never got a chance to tell him about it," said Sonic, walking over to the others.
"Look!" said Tails, alerting the others.
Eggman had suddenly appeared out of the smoke and approached the crying Knuckles. Young Knuckles felt the hand embrace his shoulders, and turned his sorrowful, voilet eyes on the Doctor.
"Come Knuckles" said Eggman " there's nothing we can do for him now,"
"No" said Knuckles, shaking his head " I shall stay. I am the last true Guardian. My father's death will not be in vain,"
"I understand" said Eggman, turning away " but if you ever need anything, just let me know,"
"Thanks...Doctor," said Knuckles, as Eggman once again disappeared into the smoke.
"No wonder he keeps on falling for Eggman's tricks" said Sonic, his eyes sad with understanding " after the destruction of his race, Eggman was the only friend he could turn too,"
" It explians a lot, but that doesn't make him any less gullible," said Rouge, even though on the inside she was crying for Knuckles.
"The past has been written and cannot be changed,
In the present burns a hopeful flame.
In the future, the bell of turmoil tolls,
With the prize being the Guardian's soul,"
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sonic, to the unexpected voice of the Master Emerald dropping in.
Instead of an answer, a glowing green light surrounded Sonic and his crew. When the light vanished, the past was left behind, moving Sonic and the gang back to the Present.