Hi, so this is chapter 3 of Brothers of Chaos.
First, let me start off my saying that the reason why I put up an authors note here was because this chapter is VERY long, probably longer than my other two chapters put together, but who's counting? There was a lot that needed to be said here, and I'm not sure if any future chapters are going to be kept at this length. But who cares about that, huh? New chapter ahoy!
Brothers of Chaos
Chapter 3
A further 6 years had passed since Sonic and Knuckles made that agreement.
The echidna would be hard-pressed to admit it, but the both of them had improved dramatically since that day. He could now catch up with the hedgehog while the latter was running at a leisurely pace – not even close to reaching his top speed, but still pretty damn fast - and both his senses and his upper body strength were also enhanced. Knuckles had considered having a training partner as a blessing in disguise; a Guardian had to be in top physical condition as well as mental, after all, and Knuckles couldn't afford to be rusty.
Similar results abounded for Sonic, as well. Early on in their routine, the hedgehog had decided to take a non-conventional approach to fighting, presumably being somewhat underwhelmed by the brawler-esque style that the echidna utilized. He stopped tuning his body somewhat and started using his own speed as a weapon; at first, he simply opted for using his sound-breaking top speed to plow through any opposition; that line of thinking had stopped when he had managed to literally imprint himself into a stone wall. After that, he had taken a page from his first fight with the echidna, and started using his ball form for combat instead. It required a significant amount of finesse to perfect, but with time, the process became almost second nature.
In fact, this was what the hedgehog was utilizing right at this moment.
Deep inside the trenches of the hidden Lava Reefs, Knuckles was sweating; not just from the rampant convention due to the lava being at such a close proximity, but also from the added stress with what was literally added on his shoulders. Bruises from their match spread all over his body, but the echidna was so focused on his goal, it was as if they didn't exist. He was doing an
admirable job at preventing Sonic from inflicting any more harm on him, but he knew that he couldn't keep this up for much longer. And while he couldn't see his expression due to his intense momentum, the hedgehog was also starting to tire.
Eventually, a quick idea formed in Knuckles' mind. He may not have been able to cancel out the hedgehog's momentum by himself, but... what if he were to use it to his advantage?
He didn't need to reconsider twice. He had it all planned out. He would simply let go of his defense, get caught by the hedgehog, and jump off safely while while his surprised opponent would only realis too late that he had been tricked. The only problem was... he, once again, failed to account Sonic's speed.
As soon as he let go, he was caught in the outer shell of the hedgehog's ball, causing it to enlarge somewhat. The ball sped towards the lava ridden mountains, eventually destroying a weak section of rock that somehow led to a hidden tunnel. After a few seconds, the ball dispersed, leaving two figures splitting up and falling on the crystal floor.
Knuckles was the first to get up, dusting himself off from any dust that had gotten onto his body. "Ugh... note to self - never try anything like that again; could'a fallen into the lava for all I knew... Speaking of which, how did we get to the Hidden Palace?"
After all of his time spent on the Island, the echidna had no idea about the secret passage that led to here. Nevertheless, he assumed, a landmass so big and mysterious as this must have quite the fair share of secrets. He supposed it would be more convenient to enter here; before, the only way to come inside was to find a transporter; a large amount were littered around the Island, most of them rendered dormant due to age.
It was then that Sonic also got up, panting, with his spines frizzled all over his body. After using his fingers to comb them back to their original position, he let out a grin. "Heh... I got you, didn't I?".
Knuckles didn't answer his question. The hedgehog simply shrugged to himself. He tried another tactic.
"Hey... what is all this?"
"Hmm?" Knuckles looked up, and immediately recognized where they were exactly were.
"Oh... this, Sonic, is a shrine; or more importantly, the original shrine where the Master Emerald was placed, before the Island was formed."
Sonic continued to stare. "Oh... but wait; why'd they stop using this place anyway. Wouldn't keeping it in a secret cavern make more sense than to leave it out in the open?"
All Knuckles could do was shrug. Hell if he knew.
"And look – I see... 1, 2, 3, 4... 7 small altars around the large one. What's that all about?"
That Knuckles knew. These objects had occurred in the various books that he had spent his time here reading.
"I'm almost glad you asked. What used to be stationed here were the seven Chaos Emeralds."
Sonic looked at Knuckles in confusion. "Chaos Emeralds, huh? I've read around on those things a bit. Weren't they lost or something?"
Without missing a beat, Knuckles went on immediately after Sonic finished talking. "Yes, these Emeralds have been lost for many years; seven of them existed, houses to incredible power to those who wielded them. The Master Emerald existed to stabalise their power. However, when the landmass now known as Angel Island was formed, all seven of them were dispersed into corners of the Earth. The Master remained; it is responsible for keeping the Island afloat – without it, it would plunge into the sea."
Sonic then let out a whistle. "Shame... Wait, why didn't you guys try to look for them? Surely you'd be able to find them if
you tried.
Knuckles simply shook his head. "We couldn't... or rather, we wouldn't. We echidnas were an isolated species by nature; we often kept to ourselves and kept out of other worldly affairs. I guess they just didn't want to go through all of the extra effort. Why, I don't know..." The echidna decided to change topics.
"I have to admit, you almost had me on the ropes there, blue one. Your technique, while not perfect, is becoming more efficient rapidly with time. Keep at it."
Sonic blinked; he wasn't used to getting such blatant praise from such a freaking loner as Knuckles. Then again, he had noticed that his overall demeanor had changed over the years. He seemed more... welcoming, for some reason.
"Hey man, s'what I do", the hedgehog replied as he rubbed his spines with his hands. "You aren't so bad yourself. Dare I say you're actually giving me a challenge." The hedgehog scoffed to himself. "Unthinkable."
Normally, Knuckles would have gone on his tangents about either being treated with respect or threatening the hedgehog with bodily harm, but somehow he recognized his tone of voice as merely jest. But somehow, he could sense something... underlying about his words, but he couldn't quite put his glove on it. All he did was close his eyes and hum in response.
"Yo. You OK, man?"
Damn, he hated how this hedgehog could talk at times - and after all he had taught him, as well!
"I'm... fine. I just wish to be left alone for a few minutes; I need to think about certain matters. There's a transporter just close by here. Understand?"
Sonic took the hint, and started walking away. Good. "...Sure, man. I'll be on my way then"
Knuckles didn't even turn. "You do that."
And with that, the hedgehog walked off, leaving the echidna with no one but his thoughts. While he was proud of himself for improving both himself and Sonic for the better, something about Sonic's cocky response had started to irritate him. Normally, Knuckles would have dismissed it as mere overconfidence, and left it as nothing but a mere afterthought, but then he recalled the gradual training the two had been taking part in over time; the hedgehog was now almost an equal to himself except for upper body strength and intelligence – Knuckles lightly smiled at that tidbit.
"Hmm... I can appreciate where we stand now... but I can't let the joker surpass me. I'm a Guardian; Guardians are meant to be as impenetrable as the Emerald they guard. I need to step up my game."
Knuckles then locked his gaze at the former altar. "Still, I can't let overconfidence get the best of me. That prophecy is still gnawing at my mind; something tells me we both require each other to improve, for whatever reason."
It was then that the echidna recalled a certain phrase that he had read quite some time ago. It was... "Companionship is better than commitment? Pfft, nonsense."
By the time the hedgehog had managed to locate the teleporter and bring himself back to the grasslands, it was twilight.
Yikes, how long were they going at it? Whatever, it didn't really matter anyway. All he cared about was the fact that he almost made Knuckles wet his non-existent pants. He gave Knuckles the Impenetrable Echidna a run for his money because of his awesome moves! Sonic was ecstatic – he had never pushed the echidna so hard before. Not that he came out without a scratch himself; he had a noticeable limp on him. He didn't worry, since he could sense it was going to be healed anyway, but MAN, that guy's punches could kill!
All we really wanted to do was to find a nice spot to sleep – anything to get rid of the numbing pain after all. In his down time, the hedgehog liked to think. Like... how did he get here? Why couldn't he remember anything before he got here? Was he ever going to get off this Island? The longer he stayed, the more that last possibility seemed unlikely. But still, it would be nice to see what presented itself out there, even if only for a while.
However, his mind had somehow sensed the presence of the Master Emerald, which was normal for him. But this sensation was different, almost as if it was... urging him to go to it. At first, Sonic was wary, until he realized that Knuckles was still in the Hidden Palace. Ergo, he wasn't around to kick his ass for what he was about to do.
So, going as fast as his body could take him – which wasn't as fast as he had wanted – he had managed to find his way towards the Emerald's altar. Even after all this time, the Emerald's power still mesmerized him just as much as the first time he was subject to it. But something seemed different. He could feel a small sense of anger. But this wasn't any sort of anger. What
really confused the hedgehog was the type of hate it was. It seemed... deep rooted, long serving, like the Emerald could strike at any moment. What anger could possibly be in a simple gem?
The Emerald then seemed to shoot a shock of energy at the hedgehog, causing him to jump back with a yowl. "The hell? What's going on?", he shouted to no one in particular. He didn't even seem to care that his earlier limp had disappeared, his pain being healed by the Emerald's power.
Before he knew it, his vision started to turn white. Sonic could only look around in shock as it was gradually drowned by a sea of blankness. Just as he was about to shout to Knuckles to tell him what was happening, the world around him was completely gone, as well as the platform he was standing on. As a result, he was basically flying around in white space.
After a few seconds, his view started to quickly return to him. The first thing he could see was an endless sea of grass... but wait. Why was he airborne?
"Ah, crap...", was all he could say before he face planted hard into the ground. Ugh, he hated these moments. Ridiculous, all of them! How he wished to be free of them!
All the hedgehog could do was grumble before he got himself up, shaking any dirt that was on his body. After he was done, he then looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't at the Emerald's altar. The Master Emerald was no where to be found, and neither was Knuckles. All he could see was grass, with a large waterfall nearby and a set of mountains in the near horizon. All he wanted to do was touch the damn Emerald! How'd this happen?
Where... where am I? How did I get here? This doesn't feel... like Angel Island. Is this what the world really looks like? It looks... underwhelming. Boring, even. Just grass and soil. Though to be fair, this place looks like its perfect for running. I'm sure I can just find my way home eventually. I just need to keep searching for a way. Speaking of which...
The hedgehog then blasted off. Where, he had no clue.
After a few minutes of darting around the landscape, Sonic also realized another error he made; this place wasn't as barren as he thought it was. He had noticed that what at first looked like a giant mountain had morphed into a pyramid of sorts.
Eh, I suppose if there's another city here, I might as well stay there, at least until I can find my way back home. Hopefully whoever's there'll be pretty welcoming – otherwise...
And with that, the hedgehog stayed silent, and propelled himself to his top speed, enabling him to break the sound barrier. Sonic always loved the sensation that running at the speed of sound gave to him; it made him feel weightless, undeterred by neither the weight of gravity or the resistance of the atmosphere around him, mixing together to give the hedgehog quite an unexplainable but pleasant experience. All he could see in his vision were blurs.
There! Despite running at such a fast speed, Sonic could somehow sense when and how to stop; he simply skidded along the ground, the friction being so high that the grass was caught in fire. He saw where he was – a large, somewhat ominous gate. He quirked an eyebrow at how the gate seemed to be unguarded; this was gonna be as easy as pie!... Whatever that was.
The hedgehog then sauntered in, but as soon as he did, he regretted his action. Seriously, he had a knack for doing that.
As soon as he entered into the unknown territory, a loud battle cry was heard. Before he had the time to think, a large figure had managed to plow into Sonic, with others following. The hedgehog's pupils somewhat shrank when he saw that a giant spear had been placed near his neck. He then focused on the person wielding the object, only to look on in shock when what he saw was... an echidna. There was no mistaking it. All of the people circling him were echidnas, with one docked in exotic gold plated armor slowly approaching. Sonic assumed he was the leader. But... weren't all the echidnas gone except for Knuckles? It didn't make any sense – none of this did, for that matter!
"Hey, man! What gives?!", Sonic defiantly yelled. Having this lummux crash him down like a train was one thing, but actually trying to hurt him, that simply went too far!
"SILENCE, intruder! How dare you show yourself in the holy city of Echidnapolis!", the leader screamed.
"Echidna-wha? Listen, buddy, I have no idea what you're talking about! If you can just let me go-"
One of the echidna's comrades then decided to speak up. "Oh, you're not going anywhere! You just wait until the chief gets here! He's coming as we speak – he'll show you what for!"
Sonic grew puzzled. "A... chief? What does he do?"
The leader's snarl grew into a devious smirk and cracked his knuckles, which unnerved Sonic somewhat. "Oh... you'll soon find out. I wanna be here when that blue skin turns purple..." Sonic swallowed hard.
One of the comrades at the back then called out. "Oh, its the chief – he's here!"
All eyes were focused at the entrance, as a large shadow emerged from the gates. It wasn't long before what the shadow took the form of a short, but bulky echidna, dressed head to toe in precious artefacts and docked in a luxurious crown.
All of the echidnas, including the leader, instantly got on one knee; well, everyone except the one still holding Sonic on the ground. The large echidna then let out his hand.
"At ease men. That includes you, Nokouch."
And with that, the one known as Nokouch got up and rejoined his men, who were now in a somewhat relaxed position. They stood in rows of two, surrounding the actual leader's left and right views.
"Please, allow me to introduce myself; my name is Pachacamac, the leader of my luxurious clan. You have managed to disturb the sanctity of my precious city with your presence, so you may as well have the courtesy to answer what I have to ask. State your business here."
The hedgehog folded his arms. "So you're the leader, huh? Strange – you look a bit fatter than I thought you'd be. I mean, whatta you been eat-"
He was interrupted by the butt of a stick that had somehow found its way on Sonic's head, causing him to tumble and writhe on the ground in agony. Pachacamac then casually walked up to the young one and lightly stepped on his stomach.
"Such blasphemy would normally be rewarded with a spear to the brain. The only reason why you're still alive is that I'm not one to kill children; however, let that be a lesson for you, son - running your mouth will get you nowhere. Now, you still didn't answer me. State your business here."
Sonic unwillingly got up, a lump forming on his head as a result of that knock. This guy wouldn't appreciate a good joke even if it hit him on the head, would he?
"I... don't know how I got here. There was a loud flash of white, and... now I'm here. I don't know where I am... wait." If he was an echidna...? Maybe he could ask a few questions of his own. Of course! Do you know a guy called Knuckles?"
Pachacamac's eyebrow slightly rose up. "Knuckles?"
"Yeah, Knuckles. Red guy, looks a lot like you, only shorter and... less bulky(for lack of a better word); he lives with me on Angel Island."
"The what?"
"Yeah, Angel Island! A floating island in the sky, protects the Master Emerald, Knuckles is a Guardian there, funny thing. It's not just any other island, either; it's got its own city, its own desert, its own carniv-"
The hedgehog was rewarded for his ramblings with a slap on the cheek, making him reel from both the shocking pain and the force. After lightly running through the affected area, he looked up to see Pachacamac seething at the boy. He could tell that this guy was quite easily angered – and that was quite something, considering he spent his time with the likes of Knuckles.
"So, after you have the nerve to disturb my city's peace, you 'enlighten' me with complete and utter gibberish to anger me further? 'Angel Island', eh? 'Guardian', really? 'Carnival', is there? Gah! I don't know why I'm wasting my valuable time with this, this trash! Guards! See to it that he dies!
"With pleasure!" Without being given time to speak out, the hedgehog's arms and legs were quickly grabbed by a soldier that was right behind him, and he was lifted into the air. He started to break out in a cold sweat when he saw that the faux leader had gotten a dagger out from a mantle from his clothing, and was starting to advance on him form.
"Wait! I'm telling you the truth! What I'm saying to you is real! Why won't you listen to me?!"
Another butt of a spear landed on Sonic's head, causing him immense pain and an nevitable lump to form.
'Damnit, I'm all out of options, now! If I don't do something, I'm a goner! But what should I do? What can I do?!'
"Father, stop!"
A small, feminine voice broke out in the crowd, causing the guards and the chief to face the door again, this time in confusion. What looked to be a young, cream coloured echidna rushed out of the doors. She looked to be a few years older than Sonic himself. "What's going on?"
It didn't take Sonic long to realise that this person was female. Sonic had never seen a female in his life – well, a sentient female.
"Tikal! I told you to stay at the house! Bah, no matter. I'll deal with you yet. This intruder has had the nerve to come into this city and insulted me and our soldiers with his rambling. He is going to die."
"What?! Father, no! You can't! He's just a child; he wouldn't do it on purpose!"
"I'm not about to exchange words yet again with a child who doesn't know how the world works, Tikal! Your grandmother has made you soft, see? You need to learn that actions cause consequences, as you're about to see right now..." He then motioned his hand to let the soldiers continue. Sonic looked at the girl with a mixture of fear and panic. She had to do something! Wait... that's it!
"Father! Wait!"
The crowd loudly groaned, and Pachacamac looked at his daughter in renewed anger. "Tikal...", he started in a hauntingly low voice, "you know better than to interrupt me twice..."
"Uh, father... surely you'd want me to kill the intruder would you?"
Pachacamac, Sonic and the soldiers all looked at her in surprise for a few seconds. Pachacamac spoke up afterwards. "I... beg your pardon?"
Tikal's face then contorted to a vengeful frown and smirk, which most would find chilling for someone that looked no older than 13. "Yes, father. In fact, I've been thinking: I'm going to be queen of this tribe one day, and what better way to learn how to learn the ropes than to personally deal with the trash that lays in front of me?" She looked at Sonic with a particularly loathing expression, causing him to shrink down considerably. But she felt so guilty... he didn't deserve all of this.
Pachacamac, on the other hand, was no less than utterly delighted. "Oh, Tikal! Do you have any idea how proud you've made your father right now? It warms my heart to see you step up to your duties so quickly in such a manner! Here, take this spear. You're to report back to me in one hour so that I can see the body for myself."
Tikal continued smiling, despite cringing in her mind when she saw Sonic being thrown on the floor in a very painful matter. "Of course, father." Her face then turned emotionless, walking over to the him and grabbing him by the hand, before walking off. The poor boy was too shocked by this whole experience to even let out a shout of protest. "You, come with me."
Pachacamac then let out a happy sigh and gestured for his soldiers to follow him back inside the city gates. "Ah, that girl's going to make a fine queen if she keeps this up..."
'Thiscan'tbehappeningthiscan'tbehappeningthiscan'tbehappening', was all Sonic could process in his mind, despite being externally silent. He got transported to the middle of nowhere for no reason, both Knuckles and Angel Island were missing, and now this girl was going to kill him! And for what?! How the hell was he gonna get home now?!
"Hey. You alright?"
All right? ALL RIGHT?! This girl had just made a deal with her psycho dad to end his sweet, valuable short life, and she had the nerve to ask if he was all right?! What... was wrong with this person? Sonic was just about to turn and give her what for, only to be shocked by her now seemingly friendly expression.
"I apologize for giving you such a fright back there; My father is known for being extremely stubborn – nothing short of what I had suggested would have made him change his mind. Are you hungry?"
The hedgehog slowly shook his head, the few choice words he had for her dying on his tongue. "No... I'm not. Thank you, for helping me."
Tikal lightly smiled. "No problem. You're not from around here, are you? Nobody I know around here is around my age, after all."
"No, I'm not from here either. All I know is that I got here by touching a giant, green stone-"
"Green stone? You mean the Master Emerald?", Tikal let out, before holding her hand over her mouth, a self apology for speaking out of turn.
Sonic looked at her in a questioning matter. "Yeah... do you know about it?"
"Of course I do. My grandmother told me all about it. The Master Emerald is nearby here, along with the seven Chaos Emeralds."
Chaos Emeralds? I thought they were all lost! And those guys don't seem to know what Angel Island is... could this be... the
past? Nah, couldn't be...
"Chaos Emeralds?"
"Yes. You know of those, don't you?"
Sonic quickly nodded. "I do know, yes... but I've never seen them before..."
"Oh... I can show you, if you want."
"...Really? You think you can do that for me?"
Her smile never wavered. "Of course. Trust me when I say you won't regret it."
Sonic then let out a hard sigh. Perhaps it was that echdina attack that happened a short while ago that had uncharacteristically put him on edge, but now he didn't want to potentially run headlong into even more danger. He just wanted to go home. Then again, the Emerald might give me a way to go back. It's pretty much my only bet, now. I'd never thought I'd say this in a million years, but... "Lead the way."
"Thanks. Oh, by the way; what's your name?"
"My name? ...Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. And yours?"
"Tikal."
"Nice to meet you then, Tikal."
And with that, a friendship was born.
Sonic hated walking.
His constant running would attest to that. Sure, he could probably get by and by with walking for a short amount of time, but after a few minutes, it was simply too much. He wanted to just use his speed to get to the place in a snap, but the girl in front of him didn't know of it, and even if she did, Sonic wasn't sure if she could keep up with him like Knuckles could. So he persevered. Right now, the two were walking inside a thick jungle that was north from the Echidna city.
"So, Sonic. You say you're from a floating landmass called the Angel Island, correct?"
The blue hedgehog nodded. "Yeah, it's quite a place. Kinda shocked that you don't know where it is. You should go there some time."
Tikal turned back. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, one of these days..."
"We're almost near the altar, Sonic. What awaits you is simply such a beautiful sight to behold. You just have to see it for yourself..."
"Uh-huh. Anyway, Tikal... does anyone else know about where the Emeralds are?"
It was then that the girl's expression became forlorn. She always hated talking about this subject mostly because there was nobody she felt she could properly talk to about it except her long departed grandmother.
Sonic grew concerned. Was it something he said? "Are you OK?"
"Sonic... my father has been seeking the power of the Chaos Emeralds for many years, now. He's a very... violent man. He believes that the only way for our tribe to progress is by claiming power and destroying all opposition. It's completely against everything my grandmother has ever taught us. The only thing that is stopping him from achieving ultimate power is that he doesn't know where the Emeralds are; nobody in my tribe except for my grandmother knows where they are. She imparted her knowledge onto me before she-" A pause. "-passed on, you see."
"Wow. I'm... I'm sorry to hear that."
"I've tried to get him to stop going down this path of greed, but my pleas fall on deaf ears; many people's lives have been taken as a result. So when life hits me hard, I come down to the altar to meet a special friend."
Sonic's eyes widened slightly. "What kind of friend?"
"You'll find out."
A few minutes of silence later, Tikal's ears slightly perked up, a smile creeping around her face. "Well, he we are. The Emeralds are right in front of this blockage of vines. Do you think you're ready for this Sonic?"
Sonic's mouth curled into that trademark grin. "Ready? I was BORN ready! I got this!"
The girl lightly giggled while opening the vines and climbing off from the hole. Sonic followed suit, and the sight that awaited him caused him to open his mouth in awe.
What he saw was a large altar, with the Master Emerald at the top of the stairs, looking exactly as otherwordly as he remembered it being. But that wasn't all - he also saw what looked like 7 smaller, multicolored Emeralds that were kept in smaller altars, circling around the large gem. The hedgehog could sense a power never seen before. He also came across a more peculiar sight. He saw a bundle of creatures playing around the altar, enjoying themselves. They behaved no different to the creatures back at the Island, but these were... different, somehow.
They were small, probably around less than half of Sonic's height, and most of them were blue, with orbs of different colours appearing on their head, and wings on their backs.
"I see you've gained interest in the Chao."
Sonic looked at Tikal, his ears flatlined. "The what now?"
With a hint of impatience, Tikal continued. "The Chao, silly. My grandmother never knew how they were formed, but she did describe them as creatures who couldn't decide who they grew up as."
"Couldn't decided who they grew up as? Uh..." Sonic let out a sheepish smile. "I'm afraid you've lost me."
"Oh, don't worry, I'll explain." With a loud cough, she continued. "You see, Chao start out as the blue creatures you're seeing right now; well, after they hatch from their eggs, that is. In fact, the Chao you're seeing now are newly hatched; their orbs are a bright yellow, which signifies innocence. As they grow, they come in contact and play with a vast variety of
animals. When they become grown, the Chao either stay the way they are, or they change depending on the animals they touch. Look up."
Sonic did so, and immediately he came across what looked like a purple chao with dark stripes, with enlarged wings, soaring into the sky, laughing as it dd so.
"That, is a Flying Chao. And over there is a Running Chao. These ones are extremely fast."
This one, Sonic was both creeped out at and proud of. What he saw as a Chao that looked like it was built to his likeness, running at blinding speeds that would give even Knuckles a bad day.
"What fascinating creatures," Tikal added. "The only disadvantage they have is that they are extremely fragile. A large amount of the variations of Chao have no self-defense capabilities what so ever. However, he guards the creatures and the Emeralds from harm."
Sonic turned around sharply. "He? Who's he?"
Tikal simply turned towards the altar and bowed her head down. What was she doing. She just sat there, chanting to herself. Sonic assumed that whatever she was doing, she preferred to be left alone, so with that, he started walking towards the emeralds, only to eventually find himself at the bottom of the stairs.
He was only able to get that far before a strange feeling came across him.
It was like the feeling he got when he was near the Master Emerald, but this felt... different, somehow. Power was building not outside him, but from inside. The power was painful, begging to be released, while racking Sonic with split seconds of agonizing pain. The hedgehog grunted as the emeralds started to circle around him, filling him with electricity.
It was also at this moment that Tikal recovered her senses, sensing a disturbance. She, as well as the other Chao, witnessed with a shock what Sonic was doing.
"Sonic! What's happening to you?! SPEAK TO ME!" She yelled as she ran towards Sonic's direction; storms were starting to form.
As for the hedgehog himself, his quills appeared to spike up, and his black, void-like pupils suddenly turned a perfect green. His blue skin started to turn a bright white, before turning into a multitude of colours, finally turning yellow.
The now yellow hedgehog stood majestically, Tikal staring in shock, for a few seconds. After that, the emeralds dispersed from his body, finding their way back towards their respective altars. Sonic's skin turned from yellow to blue, and his quills drooped back down to normal, before falling on the ground, unconscious.
Tikal looked back at Sonic in a mix of confusion and concern; as far as she knew, nobody was able to absorb the Emeralds' powers at such a grand scale, much less someone that looked to be even younger than she was. But wait...
Her grandmother would always talk of beings who were able to absorb and use the Emeralds' power, for good or for bad, but... she never thought she would see one in her lifetime. Who... was he exactly? The echidna then picked up Sonic, her ears perking up a second time, as she sensed another presence. She turned around, and what she saw somewhat relieved her mind.
It was an organism that was made of what seemed to be water. It appeared to be a mute to its lack of a mouth. He turned to Tikal's direction in an expressionless matter.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here! I met this person a while ago; for whatever reason, he can utilise the power of the Emeralds somewhat. But... he's unconscious after using them! Please, help him!"
Without a word, the creature then quietly walked towards the two, and its extended its hand, only to grab Sonic's. A green glow emanated from the two's bodies, as Sonic's eyes started to open up, consciousness finally entering him once more.
"Wha... what happened? Who are you?", the hedgehog spoke out, still in a daze.
Ah, hello there, young ones. What brings you in such a peaceful environment?
Both the hedgehog and the echidna looked at the water being in shock and amazement, Tikal more in shock that after all this time, the creature could finally talk, and Sonic more in shock that the creature was a thing, period.
Do not act so surprised, children. I could always communicate, primarily with Chao; Anyone with Chaos Energy can stimulate me to talk with them, as well as and others nearby.
"So that explains it...", Tikal summarised.
"Wait, hold up. Explain what?"
Tikal's eyebrow cocked up. "You didn't know what happened with you just a moment ago?"
Sonic looked puzzled, his ears drooping down. "Uh... no?"
Ah... then it is simply not your time to know just yet. You will find out in your own time.
"Um... OK? I guess, or whatever."
Now, on to different matters, what Tikal here was trying to tell you was that I serve as the Guardian of the Master Emerald, as well as the protector of the Chao that are ever so common here.
"Guardian, eh?" So he's just like Knuckles...
Yes. Guardian. For you see, I was originally just a mere Chao myself." It seemed to chuckle to itself before continuing. "I may not look it, but let's just say that this form arised because of certain... mishaps. With this form, I am able to manipulate Chaos Energy, and keep it safe from intruders, as well as to use the Emeralds' power to keep the waters clean for all the Chao to use to their heart's content.
It was here that Tikal had made herself known. "Aww... In all our encounters together, you never quite gave me quite the sentimental impression."
The water creature simply chuckled. Yes, that's just what happens when you lack a mouth to form words, isn't it?
"I guess so..." The girl trailed off, before reminding herself of part of the reason why she came here. "Wait. This person is unable to go back home; he says he comes from a place called Angel Island - have you heard of it?"
The creature's eyes were contorted in what seemed to be a perplexed matter. Angel Island? I can't say I've ever heard of it. How exactly did he find his way here?
It was then that Sonic spoke up. "Well, I-I remember being on the Island at nightfall and somehow ending up here in a white flash. So I guess I'm stuck, heh."
The creature then started thinking for a few seconds, before ultimately coming up with a conclusion.
Ah, here's an idea. I'll bring the Master Emerald to you. If what you way is true, then being subject to its power will most likely take you home. You think you're up to it?
Sonic let out his hands in a weary gesture. "Hey, anything that'll take me out of here and place me back home where I belong, I'm game. My brain's starting to shut down from not getting any sleep, anyway, so..."
Tikal looked at the creature with a curious look in her eyes. "Are you sure this'll work? I don't want him getting hurt any more than he already has. I... hope I'm not speaking out of tone."
I say it is perfectly acceptable to be concerned; I'm not completely sure myself how this will go, but, better to try it than to not use it at all, I might add. His tone was just so friendly, that the girl couldn't help to smile. So different from her father...
"Alright then, let's do it."
I will have to bring the Master Emerald to you myself; A person that is able to inhibit Chaos Energy is able to react to the power of the Emeralds, for better or for worse, and I fear that you may not be completely experienced as of yet.
Sonic scratched his head with his quills. "Uh, if you say so..." 'I still have no idea what you're talking about...'
And with that, the creature held out its arms, the Emerald slowly becoming unhinged from the altar and slowly advancing towards the two. A few seconds passed, before the Emerald was eventually placed on the ground.
Now, touch it.
Sonic then walked towards the Emerald, once again feeling the familiar sense of power emanating from it. For a second, he seemed to halt. What if this didn't work, somehow? He had to be sure.
"Are... are you sure?"
Trust me, you'll be fine.
He didn't need to be told twice. The hedgehog then touched the surface of the Emerald with his hand, and for a few seconds more, he paused. Just as he was about to turn around and start talking to Tikal about moving accommodations, his vision, for the second time today, slowly turned white.
He looked ahead to see the creature, who's face seemed to once again be unresponsive. But its thoughts were as clear as sunshine.
It appears that you're slowly being transported to your home. I wish you safe travels, hedgehog. Hopefully your journey will be quick... and painless. Mostly.
"Wait, what?"
"Sonic." He then turned around to see Tikal, who was waving back to him with a friendly smile on her face. "I hope you come back here some day. Maybe I can visit your Angel Island, someday."
Sonic smiled back. "Maybe, Tikal. Maybe. I have to go now." His slowly disappearing vision meant that he had to sprint to get a clear picture of her at this point. "Goodbye for now."
Tikal curtly nodded. "Goodbye for now."
And with that, he went through the familiar process of his vision becoming nothing but a pure void of white. The platform he was on disappeared completely, and after a few seconds, he once again found solid ground.
His vision back to him, Sonic looked around, it was still twilight. He was still on the altar, with the Master Emerald, only now it was completely alone.
He was back home.
The hedgehog let out a jump for joy, dashing towards the ground of the main green lands, kissing the ground that laid beneath him. Screw what he said before about wanting to leave this place – There's no place like home, indeed! He was just so glad to be back!
"Sonic?"
Sonic got up in a flash, looking back at the voice of someone he'd been wanting to hear all this time. Knuckles looked up at him, a confused expression on his face. "The hell are you doing?"
"Knuckles! Oh god, Knuckles! How long have I been gone?"
His confused look only seemed to intensify as his eyebrow cocked up. "What are you talking about? We spoke to each other a few minutes ago, remember?"
Wait, what? A few minutes ago? But Sonic could had sworn he was at... wherever the hell he was, for at least an hour! What the hell was Knuckles going on about?
"No, no listen! I touched the Emerald, and then I woke up, and it was daytime, and a bunch of guys that looked like you tried to kill me, and then this girl took me to this water gu-"
His mouth was then clamped by a spiked fist belonging to yours truly. Knuckles had a somewhat stern expression on his face as he ceased the hedgehog's rambling; he'd had enough of that crap for one day as it was.
"Listen. I don't know what the hell this all about, and, know what? I don't care to know. What I do care about though was how you brought your spiny blue butt up your alter and had the NERVE to touch my Emerald without permission!"
Sonic gulped. Yeah, shouldn't have brought that up to this guy, dunno what the hell I was thinking...
"Well, you see... it was actually a pretty funny story, you should... uh... HEY LOOK! A THIEF IS TAKING THE EMERALD AS WE SPEAK!"
"WHERE?!" The echidna looked up, only to see the Emerald safe and sound. With a snarl, he turned to his blue adversary, only to see a cloud of smoke where he had once been.
"Ugh, I don't even... I'm going to bed..."
Lying down on the top of the altar, he saw that the Emerald was still glowing at an infrequnt pace.
Just what did that hedgehog get up to, anyway?
Oy, so much text in this chapter DX. Ah, well, third chapter completed! Thanks for reading, and here's hoping Chapter 4 pops up soon!
ShinyShiny9: Well, for the most part, they're going to be similar to humans; it's just that Sonic, Knuckles and, most likely Tails, are likely to be exceptions to the rule. For Knuckles, he's kind of a fast learner; the fact that, as far as he knows, he's the last echidna on the planet, has encouraged him that much more to start learning as quickly as possible. For Sonic, he's pretty much been forced to by Knuckles. And for Tails... yeah, that's pretty self explanatory. :P