The Mystic Ruins
Knuckles arrived at the Mystic Ruins, it was an overcast day. He looked around the ruins and was surprised at the state of the ruins.
"I don't remember this place." He said. "But I think during the Great War, there was a city here. I wonder why it's this way." Then, he looked around. "Why am I getting the feeling I'm being watched and followed?" He continued to look for the shards as he was passing many pools of water that were on the city streets. He looked down on a pool of water and saw a pale echidna face in the water for a second before it vanished. "The more I'm in here, the more this place is starting to give me the creeps." He went up to the temple and he heard the sound of rushing water. "How is that possible?"
He went down into the temple and explored the area. He went down in and found an area that was partially covered in water. He looked over onto the water.
"What?!" He shouted as he saw pale echidnas's shapes moving in the water. Their eyes were wide open, completely glassy, black, empty, and staring towards him. He took a step into the water, one of the shapes swam to that foot. Knuckles took his foot out of the water and the shape wasn't able to follow. "I think I want to keep out of the water, if possible." He looked up and he spotted a master emerald shard on a higher ledge. "Now, how am I going to get up there?"
He noticed a button; after pushing it, he saw some panels on the wall slide and light up with arrows. Knuckles threw a rock onto the panel and it stuck. He ran over leaping over the water and landed on the panel. One of the shapes grabbed a dread that was touching the surface. He grabbed onto the panel and was able to pull himself out of the water. He ran up the wall and leapt onto the ledge and got the emerald shard. He leapt back down onto the sand below.
"I remember there might be another shard somewhere." He thought. "But where?" He continued to look around and sensed one beneath the sand. He dug and discovered an emerald shard in the sand. "Well, that was easy." Then, he heard some groaning coming from the other room. "What in the world?" He went into the other room. "AHH!"
He saw the shapes standing upright over top the water. Their mouths were hanging open and water poured from that spot. Some were gasping and others were hyperventilating.
"You escaped." One of them whispered.
"Escaped from what?" Knuckles replied to them in fear.
"We can't let it happen." Another stated as they began to stumble towards him.
"Join us. Join us. Join us." A third began to chant. And others began to recite that phrase as well.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He shouted. He found a brick laying on the ground and through it at them. It passed right through them. "That's it. I'm outta here."
He dashed out of the temple as fast as he could. He noticed that there were those phantoms all over the place. "Looks like I need to fight my way out. Hmm?" He noticed that some of the phantoms were focused on a particular mobian. Knuckles ran in that direction.
He spotted those phantoms shoving another mobian's head into the water. She was struggling to break free from their grip. He charged over there and pulled her out of the water as she gasped for air. The phantoms pursued him but was able to escape to another part of the ruins.
"Thank you." She stated, dazed, coughing up the water. She looked at him although her vision was a little blurry.
"Shade?" Knuckles asked.
"That voice…" She answered as her vision was clearing. "You're Knuckles. What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing." He replied. "What are these things anyway?"
"I believe these are angry spirits of echidnas that once lived here." Shade stated. "And from what I have seen, it appears they have drown in some sort of violent manner."
"But what could have caused them to manifest?" Knuckles asked.
"I believe you are holding the answer." Shade commented pointing to the master emerald shards.
"But if I'm holding the shards, why are they after you?" He asked in return.
"I just happen to have these on me." Shade answered, pulling out two chaos emeralds.
"Chaos emeralds!" He shouted. Then, a phantom got close to them. Knuckles shoved the master emerald shard at the phantom. It went poof. "I think we have our way out. Let's hold the gems in our hands and punch our way out."
"I don't think that is the most scientific way to deal with a ghost but nothing else seems viable." Percy answered. Knuckles took some rope and tied the shards to his hands and tied the chaos emeralds to Shade's hands. Together, they ran out of the ruins. As phantoms tried to attack them, the duo punched at them causing the ghosts to dissipate. As they escaped, they arrived at a large pond with large lily pads in it, somewhere in the jungle.
"I think we can rest now." Knuckles stated.
"I would prefer to keep going." Percy replied. But then, they heard both of their stomachs growling.
"Ugh… looks like we're both going to have to stop for a bite to eat." Knuckles answered.
The two sat by a small fire as they were chowing down on some cooked fish. They were silent for a moment.
"You know, I assumed there were other echidnas." Knuckles replied. "But this is the first time, I actually got to sit down and talk to one."
"Oh, really?" She asked. "Aren't you from another clan?"
"As far as I know from Athair said, I came from the Knuckles clan." The red echidna explained. "But I don't know anything about them nor what happened to them."
"Really?" Shade asked in shock. "How did you survive?"
"Survive what?" Knuckles asked.
"From what I heard the entire Knuckles clan was wiped out by a flash flood." Shade stated. "How did you manage to survive when no one else did?"
"I guess that explains why the ghosts look the way they did." Knuckles continued starting to calm down. "You know anything else about my clan?"
"Not really." She stated. "All I know is that the Knuckles clan was a warrior clan that was pescetarian for some reason."
"Is that all?" Knuckles asked.
"If there was one thing about your clan's warriors is that they are, in comparison to other echidna warriors, considered the 'holy warriors' of echidnas chosen by a shaman or guardian of the master emerald like Tikal."
"Wait, what!?" Knuckles asked. "Tikal is a guardian of the Master Emerald too!?"
"As far as I heard." Percy answered. "I've never heard much about the Knuckles clan or any other echidna clan for that matter."
"How come?" Knuckles asked.
"My clan was sealed in the Void when I and my sister were little girls." Percy said. "All we knew was about the Nocturnus Clan, but the generation that grew up in that place learned nothing about the world in the outside. When Imperator Ix wanted a band of echidnas to scout the outside world, the two of us volunteered to go, out of curiosity. She and I have learned so much in such a short time span." She smiled. "And I'm glad I actually got to meet you, Knuckles. Even if you are a rival of mine." Then, the two of them laughed, it was short-lived.
"There you are." A voice called out. The two echidnas turned around and saw a floating figure in a purple robe.
"Imperator, what are you doing here?" Percy asked him.
"I have come to pick up the emeralds." He had stated as he used his magic to pick the two up.
"What I recognize you, you are that villain that Sonic and Tails were telling me about." Knuckles stated.
"Villain?" Shade stated in confusion.
"A villain you say? No…" Ix stated back. "I am not the villain here. I am a hero among echidnas for I shall bring forth greatness to the world of the Nocturnus. And I will invite you, the mighty Knuckles to join us on our campaign."
"I have to refuse." Knuckles stated.
"What!?" The Imperator asked.
"I fell for that twice with Eggman. I'm not going to fall for it a third time." He stated.
"How can you refuse such a generous offer? I ask you to prostrate before me and you can be one of us."
"You are claiming to be a god." Knuckles stated. "That's completely idiotic."
"So, you ridicule me? I have the great power as a sorcerer, I have the obedience of the Nocturnus Clan, and I have the obedience of Chaos." Ix stated. "You will follow me or be struck down, and the whole world will follow me under supreme reign."
"You only said that you were going to free the Nocturnus Clan from the Void." Percy Shade shouted. "You didn't say anything about global conquest. I'm not going to obey a mad mobian like yourself."
"YOU DARE DEFY THE WILL OF YOUR LORD AND MASTER?!" Imperator Ix shouted. "Come Chaos." Then, Chaos appeared before them. "These are for you, my friend." Ix gave him the emeralds. Chaos transformed into a very large fish with arms and the mouth of a barracuda. "You are foolish try and stop me; you have no chance to beat me for I… AM… A… GAAAAWW!" Knuckles punched him in the face.
"Will you shut up?" He asked.
"HOW DARE YOU DESECRATE MY FACE WITH YOUR PROFANE FIST!" Ix barked. "CHAOS, DESTROY THEM!" Imperator Ix blasted the two echidnas into the lake with lily pads. Chaos leapt into the water and swam around them. It tried to speed by them, Percy was able to land a hit on him. It twirled around due to the punch. It turned around and slashed its fin releasing an energy wave. Knuckles glided over and slammed on the beast as it was above water. It roared and went back into the pond. The red echidna got back to the lily pad, Percy was on.
"You think we beat it?" He asked.
"I doubt it." Percy stated. Then, she saw some movement in the water. "KNUCKLES, MOVE!" She picked up Knuckles and threw him to another lily pad. Chaos grabbed Percy's legs with its mouth and dragged her underwater. She tried to struggle as Chaos slammed her against the ground and rocks causing her to bleed. The beast flung her up in the air and Knuckles tried gliding to catch her.
"SHADE!" He shouted. The flung echidna gazed upon him.
"Knuckles…" she answered. Then, Chaos leapt out of the water. Knuckles heard loud cracks as Shade was engulfed in Chaos' mouth, Percy was crushed by his powerful jaws. A gulp followed the crunching. The red echidna became enraged.
"YOU… FISH FACE! HOW DARE YOU BRING AN END TO SOMEONE'S LIFE! I'M TAKING YOU DOWN!" Knuckles roared. Chaos screeched back at him and sent a powerful splash knocking the nearby lily pads underwater. He leapt up into the air and glided to another lily pad dodging the gapping mouth of the monster. He slammed his fist on the creature's face as it landed.
"I WAS STARTING TO GET TO KNOW HER, AND YOU DECIDED TO KILL HER!" He yelled as Chaos sent out a laser beam from his mouth towards the echidna. He dodged out of the way and grabbed a boulder off the shore and threw it at him. The boulder struck him in the head. The monster lunged at him.
Knuckles sidestepped and grabbed Chaos's jaw and ripped it off; he speared the joint ends right into its eyes. The beast shrieked in pain; Knuckles grabbed the monster's tail, picked it up using immense strength and slammed him into the ground. Before the creature blacked out, it coughed up Percy's helmet all banged up and covered with goo.
"So, I see you are truly a mighty warrior." Ix stated. "Had the Knuckles clan survived, you might have been their greatest champion."
"ENOUGH WITH THE FLATTERY, IMPERATOR IX!" Knuckles turned around, shouting. "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWARD FOR NOT FIGHTING YOUR OWN BATTLES!" He charged towards Ix, but the echidna used magic to shield himself. He pushed the echidna away.
"You might be mighty, but I am a deity who is even mightier." Ix replied. "And as you saw, Chaos has yet to be perfected and his most powerful attack has begun to appear." He withdrew Chaos into the glass jar. "You shall see me with all the world's splendor and glory after they all kneel from submission, and ALL YOU NON-BELIEVERS WILL BE SLAIN BY CHAOS!"
Knuckles roared and thrown more punches towards the crazed echidna. But the Imperator blocked again with his magic.
"Until we meet again, Infidel." Imperator IX stated. "Farewell. For the next time we meet, you will die along with your friends." The third time that Knuckles charged towards him, Ix had teleported away.
"DAMN!" Knuckles stated. Then, he sighed turning to the banged up helmet. He cleaned up the helmet and picked up the two shards of the master emerald. "I don't know what it was about Chaos and all what I have learned today. The only way I can find out is to find Tikal once again and tell me everything."
When he arrived back in Soleanna, he came to the Memorial Tree. A tree that was planted to replace the earlier one which was destroyed. There were relics of departed mobians around on the area on small rocks. He had knelt down to the roots and gently laid Percy's helmet at the base of the tree. Knuckles turned around and headed back to the headquarters, not looking back at the sad scene.