A/N: I know it's been only two and a half months since the last chapter, but it still felt like a long time!
Also, I'm almost done reading through the original run of the Knuckles comics, and the more I read, the more I realize it's gonna be close to impossible to rewrite it. I do have a few ideas, and some story parts may be scrapped entirely. Like, I'm not sure how to go about the dingoes, or the whole story from Issues 4-6. How should I bring Echidnaopolis back into the story if it was never torn down?
I probably won't finish that whole concept, but I do have some ideas, including making the Brotherhood of Guardians more of the bad guys, and there aren't really any true good guys except for Knuckles, and maybe Archimedes and Julie-Su. But I'm just rambling at this point.
I would like to thank Shadow-Ragna for favoriting and following since my last chapter!
Without further ado, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!
iron maker2
I feel like I could have probably made the fight with the sandworm a little longer, since it went almost the same as it did in the comic, but I like it nonetheless.
Apparently the Brotherhood is capable of monitoring things on the surface of Mobius, but they really don't care what happens. They honestly shouldn't call themselves guardians. They do absolutely nothing. I want to give them at least some activity in this story.
I haven't read that far yet (I'm around Knuckles issue 25), but I've seen two stories where the dingoes are oppressors, and then they're suddenly oppressed. And I didn't know the Grandpa Gang cared enough about Eggman to battle him XD
The Day of Ascension
Echidnaopolis was one of Mobius' central hubs. It rivaled other modern metropolitan developments such as Central City and Station Square in its infrastructure, but when it came to technology, it was by far the most advanced city on the planet. The capital city of Downunda was mostly inhabited by Mobian echidnas who were continuously endeavoring to expand the extent of their knowledge and technology. It was often said that the city was a beacon of hope for the future of the planet.
However, its future was uncertain…
Its top astronomers, Jordann and his wife Kayla-La, were alarmed to discover that a comet was headed straight for Mobius, and it would make its final impact on Echidnaopolis itself. They couldn't calculate how much damage it would do to the city, but they were sure that the extent of the damage would reach far beyond Downunda.
It didn't take long for the alarm to be raised and the news to spread, and the city quickly went into a state of panic. This was exactly what the city council was trying to avoid, and any attempts to calm the public were in vain.
However, the next day, they called an emergency meeting in the city's Hall of Learning, one of Mobius' great universities. Many members of the city's scientific elite and even several well-known citizens were gathered there.
Kayla-La took the stage in the Hall's main auditorium. There were bags under her eyes, a sign that she had not gotten any sleep last night. There was a large screen behind her, showing a still image of the approaching comet. It looked like it was still very far away, but everyone knew it was approaching them fast.
"We all know why we're gathered here," she spoke. "As we speak, a comet roughly half the size of the greater metro area is headed straight for our city. As of yesterday, we confirmed that it was pulled into Mobius' orbit. The Echidnaopolis Institute of Science and Technology estimates that it will make its final impact in exactly twenty-three days."
Most of the attendees began talking at once, either in a state of panic or asking questions.
"So are we all doomed?" one echidna asked.
"That depends on how quickly we act," Kayla-La said. "Jordann and I were up most of the night coming up with a survival plan, so if I look like I didn't get any sleep, that's why," she added with a dry chuckle. "Our plan is not going to rely on evacuation, but rather excavation. Allow me to explain."
She pressed a button on a small remote she was holding, and the slide changed to a detailed diagram that she created.
"The Master Emerald is the source of all power in this city. It's immeasurable, even by our most advanced tools. What our plan entails is that we call on the power of the Master Emerald to levitate our city above the ground, and therefore avoid the worst of the comet's impact. We may not be able to stop the comet, or even adjust its trajectory, but we can at least ensure the survival of our ethnicity."
"That won't work!" one scientist said as he raised his hand. "In order to do anything on that scale, we will also need the seven Chaos Emeralds. I don't think the Master Emerald alone is capable of doing that."
Kayla-La paused. The scientist did bring up a good point. She also happened to know who he was; he was one of the trusted protectors of the Master Emerald who made sure nothing bad ever happened to it.
"Fair enough," she answered. "If the city council consents, then we will begin our search for the Emeralds as soon as possible."
"We already have four at the shrine," the other scientist stated.
"Then that will hopefully make this even easier," Kayla-La responded, hope filling her voice.
"But– But if we do something that rash, won't it cut off communications with the rest of the world?" another echidna asked.
"That is a possibility, but it would be for the greater good," Kayla-La responded. "Besides, we are actively in the process of switching to wireless technology, so we can easily re-establish contact with the surface in no time."
Just then she got a text on her communicator. She looked at it for a moment, before looking back at the audience.
"I'm sorry, I have to call off the rest of this meeting," she said. "My husband Jordann just told me the comet is picking up speed, and I need to be back at the lab to get the other scanners back online. For the sake of our future, please gather the Chaos Emeralds together so we can levitate us out of harm's way!"
A few days later, the last Chaos Emerald was brought before the Master Emerald's altar, wrapped in velvet. The protectors had taken the utmost care that it, along with the other two Emeralds they found, was not accidentally discovered by the general public. They knew that great fights had broken out in the past over the Chaos Emeralds.
Normally outsiders weren't permitted to go anywhere near the altar, but this time, Kayla-La, along with Jordann, were granted the special privilege to attend the altar along with the protectors to witness the city being lifted into the air.
Kayla-La never thought she would be able to set foot anywhere near the Master Emerald, and her curious eyes were glancing everywhere, soaking in the sight that she would probably see for the only time in her life. She wasn't used to how steep the altar's steps were, but she had to keep a steady pace because there were four protectors clad in green robes in front of her and Jordann, and three behind them.
"So we are essentially calling on the Master Emerald to lift the whole city into the air?" Jordann asked.
"That is correct," one of the protectors in front of them said. "We value our wellbeing as much as the rest of you do, so we wouldn't hesitate to take any action necessary to ensure our survival, so long as no one gets hurt."
Jordann blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
"The servers are the seven Chaos," the protector explained. "The power of the Chaos Emeralds, and by extension the Master Emerald, depends on the hearts of those who call upon its power. Love, kindness, friendship – positive emotions draw out the positive power of the Emeralds. However, the same can be said of negative power with hatred, anger, and sadness. As official protectors of the Master Emerald, we have each taken a solemn vow to never let any of these precious gemstones fall into the wrong hands."
"And we personally don't want to see anyone getting hurt doing the right thing either," another protector added.
"I see," Jordann said as they finally reached the top.
"Now that was a climb," Kayla-La panted. "I didn't think the Master Emerald was this high up."
Jordann, however, was in awe. He was in front of the Master Emerald, which was taller than him by almost two heads. Seven pillars surrounded the Master Emerald, and six of them had Chaos Emeralds hovering a few inches above them.
The protector holding the last Emerald opened the velvet box it was inside, revealing the shiny purple gem.
"This is so exciting…!" Kayla-La breathed as she locked eyes on the gem. "Especially as a scientist."
"The Chaos Emeralds are sacred," the protector holding the box explained. "No amount of science has ever tapped into their full power. Now I will ask you both to please remain silent while we call upon the Master Emerald."
Kayla-La nodded and took a step back, rejoining her husband. They watched as the protector removed the Emerald from the box, and held it up. They were both surprised when it levitated out of his hands and floated up to the last unoccupied pillar.
Then, like clockwork, the seven protectors turned to the Master Emerald, each of them walking counterclockwise around its perimeter with their eyes closed.
"The severs are the seven Chaos," they all chanted at once. "Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The controller serves to unify the Chaos."
Once they made a complete revolution around the Master Emerald, they all turned to it and placed the palm of their hands on its surface. The elder of the protectors spoke his request.
"O Master Emerald, I entreat you… Levitate the City of Echidnaopolis off the face of the planet Mobius. Protect it from harm against the Great White Comet!"
At first, nothing seemed to happen as the protectors kept their hands on the Master Emerald. Then the ground began to shake as the Master Emerald glowed intensely. Kayla-La and Jordann had to hold onto a pillar to keep their footing. Kayla-La wanted to say something, but she was on sacred ground, so she kept silent.
In the moments that followed, something unbelievable happened. The nine echidnas in the shrine felt their chests tighten as they felt the ground under them being lifted into the air.
It's working…! Kayla-La exclaimed to herself.
Her ears started to pop, and she swallowed to clear the congestion as the shaking started to lessen. She gradually let go of the pillar.
It took nearly five minutes for the land to stop rising into the sky. When Jordann finally looked around, he could see that the clouds appeared a lot closer than they were before.
"It really worked…" he marveled.
"The powers of Chaos are capable of many things," the elder said as he and the other protectors let go of the Master Emerald, whose glow slowly died down. "So long as one's heart is in the right place."
"I will have to do more research on them," Kayla-La said in excitement, looking around at the Chaos Emeralds atop the pillars.
"I'm pretty sure it'll take longer than we're alive to begin to understand them," Jordann responded.
"It'll be worth it though!" Kayla-La said.
Nearly half an hour later, Jordann and Kayla-La were driving to the edge of the city limits, nearly ten miles outside the center of Echidnaopolis.
"Stop the car!" Kayla-La suddenly exclaimed.
Jordann slammed on the brakes, stopping just in time, because the road ahead abruptly ended and gave way to nothing but clouds and open sky.
"That was close," Jordann said, breathing hard.
"So, this is the edge," Kayla-La said as she stepped out of the hover car and carefully glanced down. A few small rocks fell from the edge of the newly-formed floating island, prompting her to take a step back.
"It really is an island," Jordann said, getting out as well and standing next to his wife.
"It feels strange, doesn't it?" Kayla-La said. "We're home in Echidnaopolis, and yet…"
"It feels like we moved away forever?" Jordann asked. Kayla-La nodded.
The two echidna scientists spent another moment admiring the view from the island's edge.
"Was it… Was it cowardly of us…? To save ourselves, our own skin… when others down there could be suffering from the comet when it makes impact?" Jordann asked.
"I thought of that," Kayla-La said. "I spent many restless nights wondering if it was even worth it to move. That's why I calculated the exact path the comet would take, and how much land should be saved. We put out so many warnings to everyone near the city… and even those who weren't near it. I wasn't going to let anyone die, especially since I was the frontrunner of this operation."
Jordann nodded. "You did an amazing job, dear," he said with a smile.
"Thank you," Kayla-La responded.
Another moment passed as the clouds passed by below them.
"There are already some early reports from the survey teams," Jordann said.
"Oh yeah?" Kayla-La said.
"The extent of the levitation is much greater than we anticipated," he continued. "Mushroom Hill, Ice Cap, Lava Reef, even Sandopolis were saved." He smiled at her. "Your calculations saved us all."
"Don't forget, you helped too!" Kayla-La said, hugging him. "You made sure to keep an eye on the comet at all times and made sure it didn't change course while I took care of the final bits and pieces over the last few days."
"Yeah… It was tough, but it's been worth it," Jordann said. "For us all to live another day, it's always worth it."
"Mmhm," Kayla-La said. "But yeah, it does feel like we're leaving home, and yet… we haven't gone anywhere at all. We were among the rest of civilization… now we're soaring through the heavens… like an angel." She hummed in thought. "Hm… Maybe that could be the name of this island."
"Angel Island?" Jordann asked.
Kayla-La nodded, a smile on her face.
"I'll propose it to the council next meeting," she said, turning back to the car. "But for now… let's get some rest. We've earned it."
A/N: That concludes chapter 3! The next chapter will continue the flashback and adapt the second and third parts of the A Sense of History arc from Archie Sonic issues 35 and 36, and if you read them, you'll have a clue about what happens next.
See you next chapter!