"Viracocha?" That echidna asked again, looking into his eyes intently and placing a hand on top of his own.
A million thoughts ran through Knuckles' brain all at once, none of them coherent. The shock he felt was as though several semi-trucks had rammed into him all at once. He'd woken up, surrounded by his species that were long since supposed to be dead, all of them calling him by a different name - and now one of them was holding his hand.
How was he supposed to process any of this?
"I'm…. I'm fine…?" Knuckles managed to choke out, not sounding very convincing.
The echidna with the thin dreads and smoky looking fur was unsurprisingly sceptical, raising a brow. "Are you sure you're not sick? I can take you to see Koka-" He let go of Knuckles' hand and instead raised it to his forehead to check his temperature.
Knuckles flinched away from the contact, scrambling to stand up.
"Let's get something straight-" Knuckles began in the firmest voice he could muster. He held both his hands out in front of him, as if telling the other echidna to stay back. "I'm not Viracocha, I don't know who Viracocha even is!"
The other echidna blinked up at him a few times. "My initial instinct is to dismiss this as some sort of foolery – but you're not the type for jokes…" He then smirked. "Unless I'm rubbing off on you?"
Knuckles wanted to gasp – stricken by the other echidna's expression. Perhaps only because it was paired with those green, mischievously sparkling eyes – but that grin, it was so recognisable. It was though this echidna had somehow stolen it off of Sonic's own face.
"This isn't a joke!" Knuckles tried explaining desperately. "I don't even know who you are!"
The humour left the other echidna's face, his mouth setting in a firm line. "That's it. We're going to see Koka."
Leaving him with no choice in the matter, the grey echidna also stood and grabbed Knuckles by the arm. Knuckles couldn't find the effort within himself to break away. He was just so utterly confused.
As he was being dragged, Knuckles got the first clear view of his surroundings. He was in a stone building – patterns of vines engraved along the walls and the roof. One half of the room was taken up by a large flower bed filled with soft grass and brightly coloured plants.
Echidnas believed that sleeping among the ground and the plants brought them closer to nature and the planet, but they also wished for a roof over their head – hence they built houses around large beds of flowers - so families and partners could all sleep together.
Knuckles tended to sleep at the altar – but when heavy rain fell, he'd crawl back into his hut below. He'd slept in his own small flower bed, akin to that of how his ancient people used to sleep. That was until Sonic, Tails, and Amy had made an abrupt appearance to the island one night on the Tornado – bearing a new gift, a modern bed of cotton and silk, insisting he needed it – at least for the nights that were harsher.
From that point onward, Knuckles had chosen comfort and luxury over upholding tradition. He had been stubborn at first, of course – while he had been bullied by his friends into accepting the gift, he didn't sleep in it for the first new nights. It wasn't until a bout of snow came down in the middle of December that Knuckles had given in. It was a guilty pleasure – and he still slept at the altar most of the time, so what did it matter?
Still, shame overcame him in a wave. His ancestors couldn't even fathom the idea of a warm mattress made with 'memory foam' (he still didn't know what that meant exactly, all he knew was that it was comfy). Knuckles was, in many ways, spoiled – far too soft compared to them.
"Viracocha!" The echidna called that name again, snapping Knuckles back to reality. He was surprised by the amount of concern in the grey echidna's tone. "Damn you! Are you even listening to me?"
Knuckles had been so caught up on a bed of all things he hadn't realised the other echidna had been trying to reach him – hell, he hadn't even noticed his surroundings had changed.
Once he did realise, Knuckles' mouth dropped in awe.
Having emerged from the sleeping quarters, they stepped out onto stone paved ground – tall palm trees surrounding the pathways. There were stone structures of all shapes and sizes – but most importantly, they were all whole – complete.
It was Mystic Ruins – but there were no ruins in sight. The echidna village was alive and thriving.
He had seen this before, in visions granted by Tikal – he had never expected to be here again, let alone walking among his ancestors.
This confirmed it then, this had to be the past! How had he got here though? Why was everyone else convinced he was an entirely different person?
The grey echidna let out an aggravated sigh at the fact that Knuckles continued to ignore him – albeit unintentionally. It was hard to do anything but gawk at everything he was seeing – but he tried making an effort as he saw the echidna's frustration.
"You're the one not listening!" Knuckles argued back. "I already tried telling you that I'm not Viracocha!"
"You look like Viracocha; you sound like Viracocha – you are Viracocha!" The echidna snapped in irritation, tugging at Knuckles' arm with a fiercer grip. Viracocha didn't even sound like a proper word anymore.
Knuckles was dumbfounded – how could he be telling the truth? Knuckles looked down at himself to figure out what the grey echidna was talking about – and he blinked repeatedly. Was his fur a darker shade all of a sudden? Or was he just imagining it?
He needed a mirror, or at least something reflective.
Was his voice strangely deeper too? Or was he imagining things in his confusion?
Finally, Knuckles was dragged into a small stone structure with a low roof. The door was simply a slab of rock that the grey echidna had to move aside to get in.
Once inside, the echidna let go of his arm so he could pull the stone back over, sealing the entrance. Knuckles wandered in further, eyes wide as he admired the stone shelves along the walls. It held up neatly separated bundles of herbs, berries, and spices – and as a result the whole room had a fresh and fruity aroma.
"What are you here for?"
Knuckles jumped when an old, particularly croaky voice of a lady spoke out. She was sat in the corner on a rock right beside the shelves with a glowering face – once again the vast array of colour palettes he found among the ancient echidnas stunned him – having only ever seen red and orange furs depicted in visions and cave art. This lady had dark purple fur – with uneven strands of hair sticking out from her dreads.
"Sorry if you were busy Koka, you see – Viracocha has been acting strange all morning. Woke up pale as death, and now he's trying to claim his name isn't even Viracocha, and that he doesn't know me – apparently."
Koka stood up with a grumble, picking up a thick tree branch that was leaning against the wall – and using It as a walking stick as she hobbled towards Knuckles. She was far shorter than he was, so had to crane her neck up high to look him in the eyes.
Knuckles tried again. "I promise you I'm not sick… ma'am. My name is actually Knuckles, and as strange as it is to say - I think I've found myself in the past somehow-"
Koka and the grey echidna exchanged a glance of mutual dubiety – after all, his words were absurd – there was no way someone could change their identity overnight.
The old woman hummed to herself before huffing out through her nose. "Possession." She included in an irritable tone – as though it were more of an inconvenience than something particularly worrying. "Haven't seen a case of this in 10 years." She used her stick to poke Knuckles in the chest.
"Possession?" The other echidna's worry was evident. "Well – is he going to be alright? What has possessed him?"
"A confused ghost by the sounds of things…" She grumbled before glaring at the echidna. "If you want him cured, stop asking questions!"
"O-of course, Koka." He reluctantly stood to the side, still remaining respectful of Koka's wishes and closing his mouth.
Koka stared at Knuckles for a few more seconds, looking him up and down and assessing the situation. "I'll have to try what worked last time… this will be painful Viracocha, but we cannot afford to lose you of all people!"
"Painful-?" Knuckles immediately questioned but was interrupted as Koka's stick wacked him on the top of his head.
And it hurt.
"OW-!" Knuckles exclaimed. "WHAT THE-? AGH-!"
He was hit again, even harder. She rose up her stick again for a third strike, causing Knuckles to step backwards and hold his hand up in defence. "Stop! Stop! I'm not possessed!"
Koka stopped the strike mid-air. "Do you know who you are now?"
Knuckles wanted to scream that they weren't getting it, that he wasn't crazy nor possessed – he wasn't the person they thought he was. At this rate, would they ever believe him? Was there a point to argue? If it wasn't going to result in more blows from a stick, then perhaps…
"Viracocha..." Knuckles sighed in defeat. "I'm Viracocha."
Koka frowned, then turned her head to face the grey echidna. "There you are, Kon. He's fixed."
Knuckles looked over towards Kon – and saw he was raising a brow as though he didn't quite believe the issue had been solved that easily. "And… do you know why he was possessed?" He asked Koka.
Koka shrugged. "It's rare – but it happens."
"I see…" Kon gave up trying to argue. "Are you certain you're alright, Viracocha?" He asked him in a gentler tone of voice.
"I'm fine – aside from a throbbing head." Knuckles groaned slightly, rubbing the top of his sore head. He was quickly beginning to understand why the ancient echidnas weren't renowned for their contributions to the medical field. He could gather quite easily by the shelves of leaves and other remedies that Koka was the clan healer – and he did have to wonder how many of her other treatments entailed getting beaten by a stick.
"You are awfully calm for someone that just found out they were possessed." Kon pointed out.
Knuckles forced himself to shrug, trying his best to get into character as this 'Viracocha' echidna. "Well, Koka said it just happens sometimes so – if she's not worrying about it, I guess I don't have to either."
"If that's the way you want to look at it – I suppose there's little use in arguing." As Kon shrugged, the sudden humour in his tone took Knuckles by slight surprise. As soon as Kon had become fairly confident that Knuckles was okay, he became much more relaxed. "What I'd give to have a brain as simple as yours…" Kon teased.
Knuckles rolled his eyes; he'd heard a lot of teasing along those lines before – the faces of a certain blue hedgehog and a white bat came to mind. "As if I haven't heard that one before…" Knuckles remarked, forgetting he was playing a character momentarily.
However, it seemed to be accurate – as Kon didn't notice anything weird. "Come on, you know I love you really." Kon told him playfully, wrapping an arm around Knuckles' shoulders.
"Are you two going to get out of here anytime soon?!" Koka snapped impatiently, slowly making her way back to the stone she had been sat on earlier – probably napping despite it still being the early hours of the day.
"My apologies, Koka." Kon bowed to her respectfully, and Knuckles copied the gesture – not wanting to stand out as disrespectful. "Thank you for your assistance."
Koka scoffed as the two left the healing den. Once they were outside and back out onto the paths, Kon gave Knuckles a smirk. Knuckles couldn't share in his relief or generally positive energy – he still didn't know why he was he here, and now he was having to masquerade as someone else completely until he figured out a way back.
What if he never found a way back?
No, thinking like that was stupid.
"Come on, let's go forage." Kon said. "While we're out we can bring back some herbs for Koka as a thank you. She's certainly a strange woman – for whatever reason she seems to absolutely despise her work."
"Well, if she's been doing it her whole life then – wouldn't you get tired of it?" Knuckles asked Kon, making an assumption about Koka that he hoped was correct.
Kon pondered the question. "Fair point." He spoke. "Still, it makes me wonder why she has chosen not to retire with the rest of the elders, unless it's Pachacamac keeping her in there."
"Pachacamac?" Knuckles repeated, suddenly stopping in his tracks.
He was alive? Knuckles… was living in his era?
"Yes?" Kon stared at him closely. "I mean, he is keeping everyone as warriors for longer now – surely you have noticed how those like Illapa really should have retired by now-"
"Right, yes – makes sense." Knuckles struggled to form words but was trying hard to sound normal to shake off the weird events of the morning.
"The man's desperate for fighters… he is preparing for a large battle." While Kon sounded contemplative, he was also disappointed – almost sombre as he spoke of Pachacamac's hypothetical plans. It would seem not all echidnas had been inclined to follow him blindly. "I suppose I was a fool to think this period of rest might last. Yet I forget that Pachacamac's greed knows no bounds."
That confirmed it – Kon was definitely not a Pachacamac supporter.
How far into Pachacamac's reign was Knuckles now? Was this years before the wipe-out of the echidnas, or just days away? There was no indication of when it might come – but all Knuckles knew for sure was that the echidnas were heading towards their doomsday.
"Ah well, there's nothing we can do about it." Kon shrugged dismissively. "We are not of a high rank. I know why I am not, but it's still baffling they have not promoted you to a higher status… perhaps Pachacamac is scared." He speculated,
Knuckles tilted is head. "Why would he be scared-?"
Kon narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "You are… so dense. It's your strength, idiot! Giving you a higher position means you're closer to him, and if you're close – you can pick a fight, a fight he knows he can't win against you."
Knuckles had never witnessed the old leader fight, but considering he was the one with the war-mongering reputation – he simply had to be very strong, it only made sense.
Then how strong was Viracocha?
"I don't know about that…" Knuckles rubbed the back of his head.
"You could take him, easily. At this point you are just trying to be humble. No need." He smiled. "I prefer it when you gloat."
"You do?" Knuckles questioned, still confused on what the dynamic between Viracocha and Kon was supposed to be. It would seem they were very close friends.
"There is nothing more attractive in a man than confidence." Kon said, his grin widening.
Was this… flirting? Or some sort of dating advice? Ugh, he had never been able to pick up on these things in the modern world – let alone a different time period.
"Now, it'd be very sweet of you if you could carry back our haul to the village once we're done – can we agree on that?" Kon asked him.
"Depends, am I getting something in return?" Knuckles allowed himself to ask in a joking manner. After all, Kon was supposed to be his friend – right?
"My undying love and appreciation of course!" Kon answered.
For whatever reason, he found himself warming up to Kon very quickly – in a manner that took Knuckles by surprise. His heart was lit up with a strange of amount of joy the longer he was around him. It was that same feeling of comfort he experienced when he was around the likes of Sonic and Tails. Only difference was that he had had known those two for way longer than he knew Kon.
Was this somehow the feelings of Viracocha existing within him? Maybe dwelling wasn't going to do him much good – the lack of answers threatening to drive him into insanity.
"Not good enough. I need something tangible." Knuckles retorted playfully as the two reached the edge of the village, finally stepping into the jungle.
"My love and appreciation are very tangible, thank you!" Kon argued back with a soft chuckle, a sound that was like music to Knuckles' ears.
The two had worked out a rhythm on their foraging quest -with Kon climbing up the trees like a nimble monkey, effortlessly managing to reach even the highest of the fruits. Knuckles remained at the bottom of the tree holding out a woven basket over his head – catching the fruits as Kon threw them down.
It was a task that thankfully didn't leave much room for talking, besides the occasional comment from Kon about how great they worked as a team and how their haul was going to be the biggest. These only required a nod and a grunt in response.
Knuckles, of course, continued to worry about how on Mobius he was supposed to get home to his friends – perhaps the Master Emerald, if he could make it there? If he truly was in the past, then the altar wasn't that far from the village – Tikal had gone there before, so surely he could as well?
As a result of coming to this conclusion, he eagerly awaited the end of their fruit hunt so they could get back to the village.
"Viracocha!" A voice called out, one Knuckles recognised from earlier that morning. Knuckles turned around to face the bright orange echidna. "Recovered from your nightmares, you coward?" He leered, mocking him. "Maybe next time you should get Kon to cuddle you when you get scared-"
"What an incredibly insightful suggestion, Huari." Knuckles heard Kon retort as the grey echidna slid himself down the tree and hopped back down onto the ground – meeting Huari with a nonchalant smile. "Perhaps I should ask for Rayhuana to hug you in the night the next time you're talking in your sleep about how much you want to-"
"Shut up!" Huari suddenly exclaimed, interrupting him. "That has nothing to do with this!"
"I agree." Kon shrugged, seemingly irritating Huari even more as his cheeks grew redder. "Viracocha here woke up and found himself possessed by a spirit in the night – that's all. Koka sorted him out."
Knuckles was still stunned at the fact his ancestors considered that a casual diagnosis. However, the more he thought about it – the more he realised what might be going on. Maybe the reason they thought he was Viracocha… was because he did look and sound like him. Had Knuckles… somehow possessed Viracocha?
He was desperate for a look at his own reflection, he wanted a confirmation over speculation. If he had possessed this echidna, how was he supposed to un-possess them?
"Haha!" Huari laughed. "Of course, you wouldn't have been able to fight off a spirit!" The echidna looked towards Knuckles again in a clear attempt at pushing his buttons. Knuckles' expression twisted into one of disdain, but he wasn't about to let his temper go due to the taunts of a worthless bully.
Kon was the one to talk back yet again. "Well, they'd hardly want to pick you to possess – would they? There's nothing up there for them to take control over!" Kon pointed to his head and snickered at his own joke – even Knuckles couldn't help but crack a smile.
Huari huffed through his nose. "Whatever… what are you two even doing wasting time? Get to bringing your food back already!" He commanded impatiently, wanting to put an end to Kon's tormenting.
"We're on it, we're on it-" Kon spoke dismissively. "We're looking for some herbs to take Koka as well, so we'll be a bit."
"Then just hurry it up." Huari quickly tagged on, before leaving the two echidnas in peace.
Kon sighed exhaustively. "Some of these men will be the death of me, I swear…" He tutted to himself, before turning with a smile back to Knuckles. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine." Knuckles said quickly. "Thank you for dealing with that – if you hadn't, I might have punched his teeth in…"
"As much as I would have loved to see that, unfortunately it's not worth invoking the wrath of Pachacamac for." Kon admitted with amusement.
Kon's gaze then became soft as his eyes drifted upward – and he slowly reached up into Knuckles' dreadlocks. Knuckles felt his shoulders tense at Kon's soft touch.
"Found a leaf." Kon said suddenly, pulling back his hand and revealing a decently sized leaf between his two fingers that he had picked out from Knuckles' hair.
"Oh, heh-" Knuckles let out a sigh of relief as his body relaxed, his heart rate slowing, yet at the same time – he felt a sinking feeling within his chest, as though he hadn't wanted their contact to stop. "Thanks."
Having dropped off the fruits of their labour to the clan pile, they were finally able to take some leisurely free time. As nice as Kon was to have around, especially as he could carry the conversations largely on his own – Knuckles needed to find an excuse to get away so that he could attempt to use the emerald – and finally get back home.
He found that excuse quickly.
In the distance – a peach furred echidna was walking away from the crowd. One glimpse he managed to catch of her face revealed her identity as one he recognised.
"Turns out, she actually said not to jump in the river, and I almost ended up-"
"Sorry, Kon? I need to speak with Tikal quickly." Knuckles interrupted in a hurry in hopes of catching up with her.
"Tikal? Oh, yeah sure – go on. You'll be with me to eat, won't you?" Kon asked.
"I don't know – probably?" Knuckles answered, already creating a large distance between them so that Kon had to raise his voice. Knuckles hoped that the Master Emerald would take him home, he didn't really wish to still be here at dinner.
"Probably?!" Kon questioned, but he wouldn't get a response.
Knuckles weaved around the crowds, getting an occasional wave of a polite and cheerful greeting – or unpleasant glares, with little in-between. Based on the way they all looked at him, Viracocha seemed to be somewhat of a divisive figure in the clan – with some enjoying his presence, others not so much.
He had to keep on reminding himself that the disapproving glances were being directed at Viracocha – not him, to make himself feel better. He had always wondered how he would fit in with his ancestors, how he'd fare in a clan – unfortunately acting as a different identity wasn't exactly showing him that.
"Tikal?" Knuckles spoke from behind her.
She appeared a little startled as she turned around – but it was a reassuring sight to see her face. Knuckles didn't see her face often, and the last time he had proper eyes on her out of a ghost form wasn't since the Perfect Chaos incident.
"Hello. Do you require something of me?" Tikal asked politely.
"Err, sort of. Are you going to the altar any time soon?" Knuckles asked her, rubbing the back of his head.
Tikal's gaze shifted around her uneasily. "Why… why do you ask? Did my father send you?" She accused with worry.
"Nothing like that." He tried to assure her. "It's just… it's easier to explain on the way. I need help, that's all."
"The power of the emeralds is not ours to use." She continued to insist, clearly laying out the boundaries.
"I understand, Tikal. Please – can we?"
It was entirely possible that Tikal noticed the desperation in his voice, which was why she decided to give into his demands. "Follow me."
He had returned to familiarity – the jungle surrounding it, the altar itself – it was home. It was easy to forget that Angel Island had once been part of the land on the surface before rising into the air. Knuckles found himself incredibly grateful for his surroundings.
"You have yet to enlighten me on your needs." Tikal's words cut through the air, breaking the silence.
"I… promise your first instinct won't be to take me to Koka to have her bang my head with a stick?" Knuckles asked her hesitantly.
"Oh, yes – I heard of the incident." Tikal mentioned. "They say you were possessed."
"Well, something happened – and I'm not sure what is exactly myself. I'm not Viracocha." He came out with, continuing on despite Tikal's eyes widening at the statement. "And I'm not a ghost either. I'm Knuckles the Echidna, the guardian of the Master Emerald from around 3000 years into the future."
Tikal stared at him for an uncomfortable length of time.
"You… don't believe me. Do you?" Knuckles sighed at last.
"No… I… think I do." Tikal said surprisingly, catching Knuckles off guard.
"Seriously?" Knuckles raised a brow.
"I realise there is little I understand about the world. I'm learning new things about the Emerald, the creatures, and the guardian every day. You say you were chosen to be the guardian of the Emerald?"
"Well… it's complicated." Knuckles began. "My father before me guarded the emerald, my grandmother before him – but I never really understood why."
"Have you not asked?"
"Hard to ask dead people."
Tikal's eyes became sympathetic as Knuckles only just realised how harsh his response had come out. "Sorry I…"
Tikal cut him off. "No need for your apologies. I am just trying to determine how it is you are here. If you are connected to the Emerald, then perhaps you are here because of its will."
"So, you're saying – the Master Emerald sent me back in time?" Knuckles asked for clarification. "But that doesn't make sense, I wasn't even with the Master Emerald before Eggman used the Time Eater and messed with-"
"Time… Eater?" Tikal questioned with narrowed eyes.
"That's… something else I can't explain. Whatever, it's not important-"
"If this 'Eggman' you speak of has altered the time stream – could that have not caused your being here?" Tikal suggested.
"I don't know – maybe?" Knuckles couldn't hide the build up of frustration any longer, let alone the tiredness he felt. "I just… I need to get home, Tikal. I need to find my friends and make sure they're alright."
Tikal, decided to give no more suggestions or theories – instead listening to his pleas. "I will try to communicate with the guardian and see if it possible you can be sent home… Knuckles."
"Thank you." Knuckles said finally, in a tone that couldn't be more sincere.
The peach echidna nodded her head, stepping onto the first step of the altar. She needn't climb up any further, instead turning to the side – bending down and facing towards the stream of water at the bottom of the altar.
"May we speak, Guardian?"
Tikal beckoned Knuckles forward with a hand gesture as they waited – as the echidna stood beside her, he finally managed to see his reflection in the stream – and he had to hold back a scream.
His appearance was different – his fur was most certainly a different shade, he hadn't just been imagining it on his arms – it was more akin to burgundy. He had two short dreadlocks at the front that were barely longer than his face, the rest were long and draped down his back - and all of them were covered in white, striped tattoos.
However, there were still similarities – most notably his purple eyes were unchanged, and the crescent marking on his chest was the same. That was what freaked him out the most.
Tikal noticed him staring with a gaping look of horror. "Are you alright?"
"I… I think I definitely have possessed Viracocha-" Knuckles choked out; his voice weak – but he was given little opportunity to process the revelation of his appearance.
A ripple formed in the water.
"He hears us communing here. I need you to be silent now… so that I may hear the Guardian when he speaks." Tikal said, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes.
Tikal's connection with Chaos could only be described as a miracle, she seemed to be the only one ever in history to have understood him.
Tikal then went on to share a conversation with the deity.
"Yes… Knuckles is lost and wishes to be sent home…. You won't?... I see... He must stay then… he must learn? Peculiar… are you certain?... Such is the way…. It is fate… all will be fine once he understands…. I will tell him. Thank you, Guardian – for your wisdom and guidance."
Knuckles folded his arms, annoyed that he could only hear one half of their important interaction.
"The Guardian says you must stay here and learn the truth. That you must live in the body you have been granted with patience, until the time is right – and you can return to your friends once more."
"Are you… actually being serious?" Knuckles asked.
"That is all he has told me, Vira- Knuckles." She corrected herself. "That you must live as such until you are enlightened."
"Enlightened?" Knuckles spoke through gritted teeth. "What the hell does he mean by that?! I already know what's going to happen!"
"Knuckles-?"
Knuckles clenched his fists, turning away from the water and instead looking up the staircase – although he could not see the emerald from where he stood, his words were directed at it. As his body shook with a fiery rage, he slipped back into his modern dialect. "So this is funny to you?! You're going to sit there and make me witness my clan die again?!"
"Please do not yell – you will disturb the-" Knuckles couldn't hear Tikal anymore as she was drowned out by his wave of anger.
"Or is this punishment?! Have I not suffered enough for you?! I've dedicated my whole life to this duty, I have spent my entire life in service to you – and then I dare ask for one thing, one thing, for myself – and you won't listen! Why can't I just know if my friends are okay?! Why do I have to watch this again?!"
Embarrassment mixed in with his current tidal wave of emotions as tears brimmed his eyes. He was quick to wipe them away.
"And what – you're making me possess some other echidna?! Did Viracocha get a say in any of this, huh?!" He asked aggressively. "Probably not – because you don't care what we want, you never have done!"
Knuckles had to catch up on his breath. "I don't CARE anymore! I DON'T! Whatever grand plan this is a part of, whatever enlightenment you're trying to give me – I don't want it! I'm finding a way back to my friends, whether you like i-it or- or not!"
His voice quivered during his last statement, as anxiety caused his heart to beat faster and his throat to tighten. He couldn't believe his words that come out in a rage – openly defying the will of the Master Emerald and Chaos.
Yet, he continued on.
"DID YOU HEAR ME?! I'M GOING TO FIND A WAY BACK TO MY FRIENDS, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"
There was no sign of a response, or that anyone had been listening at all. It was an insult. Knuckles hung his head low, and he felt weak at the knees, trying to calm down his ragged breathing as he clutched onto one of his arms for reassurance.
The air was suddenly filled with gentle, sombre singing. Knuckles looked around himself and saw Chao emerging from the shrubbery with saddened, disturbed expressions. He watched them all slowly drift towards Tikal, sitting near her feet for comfort.
Yet another thing to be embarrassed about.
"Are you alright, Knuckles?" Tikal asked at last.
"No." Knuckles answered honestly, returning to speaking in his ancient language. "I'm not sitting around and waiting until the emerald decides whether I can go home or not. I have to find a way back to them myself."
"If it is the emerald that brought you here, then surely you would need the power of the emerald to get back." Tikal pointed out calmly, hands behind her. "A power that it will not grant you until you have fulfilled its wishes."
Being confronted with reality destroyed his earlier claims he made against the emerald – and admittedly, he felt gutted as a result. That his moment of rebellion, defiance, had ultimately meant nothing.
He had no choice – just like with everything else in his life.
"I… I just can't be trapped here. I don't want to see it-"
"What is it that you do not wish to see?" Tikal asked, as one of the pale blue chao decided to hug her leg – gazing towards Knuckles with wide and innocent eyes.
Knuckles then had a thought – was it wise? Likely not. By possessing Viracocha and being in this era, did he have any sort of influence on what was happening in the past? If he did then… he might stand a chance.
What if he altered history? Could he prevent the doom of his clan? Would that piss off the emerald enough?
"Tikal, listen to me." Knuckles said as he bent himself down to her level, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "I'm not sure how far away it will be – but… our clan is heading towards its demise. Pachacamac is going to lead an army here to invade the altar, awakening the rage of the guardian. There won't be many of the clan left once he is done with us."
Tikal's face became as white as a sheet, her eyes impossibly wide with horror. "Please… say that you are trying to fall me!" She begged. "I… I suspected it could happen, but for you to confirm it- I-"
"Now that we know, we can stop it." He told her.
"You don't understand – my father, he is unrelenting! He will not listen to reason no matter how much it makes sense!"
"We have to find a way, Tikal. For the good of our people!" Knuckles emphasized. "If we work together, we can do this – I know we can."
Tikal looked down at her Chao friends, who all stared up at her expectedly – awaiting her response just as much as Knuckles was.
"I… yes, we most certainly have to try."
Seeing Tikal's distraught face, Knuckles' first instinct was to gently put his arms around her in a hug that he hoped was comforting. She didn't say a word, but she returned the gesture – letting him know that she was grateful for it.
Knuckles sat down next to Kon with his freshly prepared bowl of vegetable soup. Knuckles was there with more confidence now, sat among his ancestors in their eating place under the sun on their tables crafted of wood and stone.
He had a purpose now, if the Master Emerald wouldn't let him go home – he was going to save his clan from their destruction and alter history.
For now, though, he and Tikal had determined the best move was for him to continue to masquerade as Viracocha – as the echidnas were unlikely to believe any other claims. She clearly did feel regret when it came to the actual Viracocha and not having any idea of where he was, and if he was alright. Honestly, Knuckles hoped for the same thing – he didn't exactly want to take over this random guy's body in the first place.
"Hey, Vee-Vee!" Kon greeted him cheerfully. "Did you manage to sort everything out with Tikal?"
"I did, thank you." Knuckles nodded. "Have we been given any new orders by Pachacamac?" He then asked.
Kon gulped down some soup, drinking straight from the bowl. Once he swallowed, he spoke again. "He wants us gather firewood – he says we'll need it for tomorrow."
"What's happening tomorrow?"
"Not entirely sure – but I think it has something to do with that prisoner that was brought back a few nights ago."
"Prisoner?" Knuckles tilted his head.
Kon narrowed his eyes. "How bad is your memory? The Nocturnus Clan soldier – remember?"
Knuckles pretended like he did, nodding. "Oh – yes, that one." Knuckles found himself surprised at the mention of the rival clan, although he really shouldn't have considering the time period he was in.
"I feel sorry for him really – barely an adult, and I'm sure that Pachacamac and the others haven't been treating him kindly."
Knuckles was surprised to hear Kon speak of a member of the Nocturnus with sympathy – for all he knew in the scriptures, the two clans hated each other blindly. Where one was close to nature and upheld tradition, the other was focused on progress – and had made many technological advancements. They were the only clan to ever rival the Knuckles clan, and actually put up a fight.
In fact, it would be a battle so disastrous against them that would cause the downfall of the Knuckles clan – driving Pachacamac to seek out the emeralds as the only counter he believed that could defeat the enemy.
"Well then, what's gathering firewood got to do with the kid?" Knuckles asked.
"An execution ceremony, most likely." Kon said bitterly, disgusted at the thought.
Knuckles' heart dropped.
It admittedly took a lot to keep reminding himself of the true nature of his ancestors. Knuckles had a lot of pride in the influence of his lineage that he so often looked past their brutality. Kon's words were like a cold slap to the face.
His moment of reflection was interrupted as a group of echidnas walked over and sat around the same table as he and Kon.
"We are not interrupting anything important, are we?" A muscular framed woman with bright red fur and a jovial grin sat opposite to Knuckles. She wore almost the exact same attire as Tikal aside from the fact she had red rings around her wrists, and a red gem on her headband.
"Absolutely not, have a seat." Kon told them.
A similarly bright red male echidna sat next to the woman – they had the same amber eyes, so Knuckles could only assume they were related – perhaps twins. "All that training has got me starving…" He remarked.
"And you didn't invite us?" Kon pouted, obviously pretending he was offended. "And I thought we were friends, Yaxha!"
"I didn't know where you guys even were!" Yaxha pointed out, causing his sister to laugh.
"He didn't even bother looking." She told them, ratting him out. As Kon chuckled, Knuckles found the laughter to be contagious regardless of his mood – thus he snickered as well.
"You all seem to be having fun." A new voice remarked as they sat at the head of the table, Knuckles was caught off guard by his height initially – and the frown etched on his face. His dreadlocks were wide and spread out – making him have a very large and intimidating appearance overall, despite his fur practically being pink.
Kon was unphased by the new echidna's presence. "What can I say? It's always a great time without you." He said lightly, and Knuckles knew he was just teasing.
The echidna rolled his red eyes and continued eating in silence.
"Hey!" Knuckles became surprised when he realised the female echidna was addressing him. "Arm wrestle – you and me! Let's do it, I've been training." She grinned, elbow already on the table – her hand awaiting his.
"You can do it, Mirador!" Yaxha cheered on his sister.
"I bet my whole rock collection on Viracocha. If you win, Mirador – you can keep it." Kon said, smug in his decision to bet.
Mirador blinked. "The whole thing? Wooow, nice to know what little faith you have in me!" She said in jest. "What are you betting, Yaxha?"
"Me? Oh, pfft – betting is stupid, I'm not betting-"
"So you have no faith in me either!" She wacked her brother on the shoulder with her free hand, the table erupting into laughter again – even the pink echidna snorted, before going back to looking grumpy - Knuckles assumed his expression wasn't a particular indicator of his mood, but rather he just looked that way – it reminded him of Shadow in some ways.
"Whatever! Time to prove you all wrong!" She claimed.
"You ready to lose?" Knuckles asked her, smirking – his elbow now on the table as he held her hand.
"Not a chance!" She said confidently.
Yaxha provided them with a countdown. "3… 2… 1!"
She wasn't even a challenge, going down in a single second.
"Woo! What'd I tell you?!" Kon immediately stood, cheering at the victory. "That's my man!" As he sat down, he threw his arms around Knuckles and gave him a noogie. Knuckles laughed loudly as he attempted to squirm away – but didn't care to try too hard.
"Darn it!" Mirador grimaced at her aching hand, but she too cracked a smile. "I don't get it man, how are you so strong when you're half the size of most of the clan – you squirt?!"
"Looks like you just need to train harder." He told her jokingly, knowing she had no hope of actually reaching his strength level. He was the strongest around after all.
Well… he assumed he was. Knuckles didn't feel any weaker or stronger in his new body, was this the strength of Viracocha? Or had Knuckles' strength somehow carried over? He wasn't sure – but to be praised by his warrior clan, to be considered strong among some of the most powerful echidnas to ever live – he felt his heart swell with pride.
"I lifted all those boulders like you told me to!" Mirador frowned.
"Oi! Keep it down, some of us are trying to eat in peace!"
All their faces turned to unamused frowns when they heard the voice of Huari sounding needlessly aggressive.
"Dear oh dear…" Kon tutted with a false façade of sympathy. "How dreadful to hear - it's not like you could move somewhere else to eat, oh no - that solution would be far too simple."
"So you want everyone to move so you all can be loud and obnoxious?!" What was with this guy and his peculiar insistence on picking a fight?
Kon shook his head. "Not at all. Last I checked no one was having issue with us being loud, in fact - I'd say your table is quite frequently a much louder source of noise..." Kon then rose a brow. "Is having fun at mealtimes against the rules now? Did I miss that or something?"
Huari began huffing large amounts of air throughout his nose in a bizzarre display of his anger. Mirador seemed to sense that a confrontation might be brewing, as did Knuckles - but instead of trying to calm the situation down, he forgot what clan he was in.
They loved fighting - so Mirador's words shouldn't have come as a surprise.
"If you're trying to make a point - come on, fight us for it if you care so much." She challenged him with a brazen smirk. "If you win, we shut up at mealtimes from now on. It's only fair."
Yaxha seemed to agree as he nodded along, the pink echidna looked bored of it all - but he wasn't objecting. Kon's eyes drifted between Knuckles and Huari. "Well, who volunteers?"
By all means, Huari was a large man and looked very capable of snapping the average spine in half. However, Knuckles was confident in his own strength - if he had truly maintained his own powers from his own body, he knew this fight would be an easy victory. What had Kon said earlier about finding confidence attractive?
He could give him something to be impressed by.
Knuckles stood. "I challenge you." He told Huari, a smile creeping up on his face. "If you choose to accept."
Wait, why did he suddenly care about impressing Kon-?
"You have until sundown."
It was too late, Huari agreed to the dual.
"Looking forward to it?" Kon asked Knuckles, sitting beside them in their shared home.
"He's been getting on my nerves so, yeah - you could say that." Knuckles told Kon, already pounding his fists together in anticipation.
"If you don't break a single bone, it will be anti-climactic." Kon pointed out to him, poking him in the chest. He seemed quite eager to see some violence - but that was their culture, he supposed.
"Heh, noted." Knuckles told him.
"Nervous a little?"
"Not much."
Kon lifted up his hand to cup it around one of Knuckles' cheeks, looking into his eyes. It sent his stomach into a flutter of warm emotions. "There's nothing for you to be nervous about - go out there, and break his kneecaps. You could do it with your eyes closed - I know you."
Knuckles chuckled softly. "You're a little too eager to see this fight, you know that - right?"
"Whether it is in the heat of war on the battlefield, or a needless brawl over at which volume we should be consuming our meals - I just enjoy seeing you in action." Kon explained to him, gazing at him with adoration.
A longing, a desire, that feeling continued to build up within him the longer he had his eyes on the grey echidna. Knuckles was surprised by the strength of the feeling, it was only a level of love you could feel for someone after being together for a long time - surely?
Perhaps Viracocha's feelings were buried within him somewhere after all.
"Then by all means - allow me to give you a show~" Knuckles winked.
Hold on, he winked? He could only rationalise it as somehow Viracocha having an involvement. When had he ever winked? Ugh-
Kon patted him on the back, prompting Knuckles to stand as he realised it was time. "Then don't keep me waiting~"
Knuckles pinned down Huari to the ground in a fight that lasted less than a minute. He had been cheered on for not only his strength, but his efficiency dealing with his opponent.
Just like he had promised, he had broken a bone. Huari had a broken nose that was pouring blood.
Even though Knuckles had little respect for the man, he held out his hand to support Huari in getting back on his feet. He denied his help however, spitting onto Knuckles' hand grossly.
"You did it!" Mirador cheered. "Ha! We get to be as loud as we want now!"
"Take that!" Yaxha tagged on while the pink echidna gave an approving nod, but was still frowning. "Solimana thinks you're cool too, he just doesn't show it!" Yaxha said as he placed his arm around the other's shoulder.
Ah, so that was the pink echidna's name.
It was never really about the defense of yelling at the meal table, but rather an excuse to beat the shit out of a person they didn't like. Knuckles could respect that honestly, especially as no one got too hurt - the thing that recieved the most damage would definitely be Huari's pride.
"Look at you - aye? Handsome, can beat the shit out of anyone - perfect man." Kon complimented him from behind. Knuckles turned around to him with a massive grin on his face as he realised even more echidnas were cheering for him - but for whatever reason, Kon's praise meant more than anyone else's.
"You enjoyed it then?" Knuckles asked.
"Of course I did, idiot." Kon rolled his eyes fondly. "I..."
Knuckles waited for what he was about to say, but Kon decided not to finish. "Never mind. Enjoy your victory dance, I'll be back at the house." He smirked, waving dismissively as he walked away from the crowd. Before Knuckles could question why he left, he found himself suddenly scooped up in the arms of Mirador - and she held him above her head. "Three cheers for the champion of mealtimes!" She announced, and the other echidnas joined in - aside from a few sour looking ones that decided to walk away from the scene with Huari.
Knuckles found himself forgetting about Kon for the time being, getting lost in the praise. It all felt like a dream.
One that was about to become a nightmare.
As Kon had predicted, the execution began the next night. Small fires lit up the street of the village with all the echidnas lined up among the edge of the street, spears in hand. They slammed them down against the stone in a rhythm - shouting barbarically as they did so, watching the poor boy soldier get dragged by two echidna guards to the end of the path.
There, Pachacamac stood.
The Nocturnus soldier, still in armour but with his face uncovered, looked ready to pass out, with cuits and bruises all over his face. Knuckles stared on in horror, finding himself rooted to the spot.
His clan... they had been monsters, he had to tell himself.
Not all of them agreed with it - not Kon certainly, and the twins looked rather uncomfortable too - even Solimana's brow had furrowed deeper.
The soldier, who had to be just under eighteen, was forced to bend down onto his knees - with one of the soldiers keeping his hands behind his back. The cherring and smashing of their sticks finally stopped.
"You realise why you are here, don't you?" Pachacamac finally spoke to the boy, and Knuckles shuddered.
The child nodded.
"Then say it. For everyone to hear."
He gulped, looking down at the stones below him. "I snuck into your territory... because I was sent to spy."
"And you are here now... because?"
"Because I was caught." He was on the verge of tears, but was showing a remarkable amount of self control for not allowing them to flow.
"Why were you caught?"
A pause.
"Because..." The boy hesitated.
Pachacamac drummed his fingers against his spear impatiently.
"Because the Knuckles Clan are superior." He said at last. "And... and the Nocturnus Clan have no hope of victory..."
The Knuckles Clan chief nodded. "I will no longer tolerate such scum on my land. You have chosen to foolishly stand against my clan, and as such - death is the only fate you deserve."
Half of the echidnas erupted into enthusiastic cheers at their leader or jeers directed at the boy. The rest of the echidnas remained silent, trying to keep their expressions neutral - rather than disapproving.
Pachacamac handed his spear to the echidna stood beside him - and then stood closer before the young warrior. It suddenl dawned on Knuckles what Pachacamac was about to do. He was about to crush this boy's skull by hand.
The chief raised his arms.
"STOP!" Knuckles yelled, forgetting the language he was supposed to use. He ran out of formation towards the execution.
"STOP!" He corrected himself this time, skidding to a halt. "Don't harm him!"
"Viracocha..." Pachacamac's tone was icier than Holoska. "What is the meaning of this?"
"He is a young man, a child! In what world is the only solution death?!" Knuckles exclaimed. "You have a daughter, Pachacamac! A daughter! You of all people should find it possible to sympathise with someone so young! You can't be this heartless!"
Even as Knuckles shouted, letting out his anger - he felt as though his efforts were futile. This man was known for being ruthless, and ignoring his daughter - in what world was a speech going to change that?
"Vee, what are you-?" Kon loudly hissed, trying to get him to back down.
"To be this cruel... it makes you a poor leader! One that we shouldn't be following!" His fists were shaking with rage. The other echidnas looked on, waiting for the call of action - was Pachacamac going to order them to attack him?
No, he didn't need to.
"You have one chance, only one - to fall back in line, and never say anything as foolish as that again..." He growled. "Or you can continue, and the boy won't be the only one being executed tonight."
Knuckles opened his mouth, ready - prepared to fight, bring it on - he thought. Maybe winning a fight against Pachacamac would make him listen!
But Knuckles wouldn't say anything, in fact - he suddenly felt as though all his thoughts were suddenly buried deep within his own conciousness. Like they didn't matter. He wasn't the only voice he now heard in his head - there was someone else, and they were taking back control.
Viracocha dipped his head, and stepped back into line.
Pachacamac turned his head away, looking off into the distance. "Under normal circumstances, I would have killed you where you stood. But I need soldiers. Make no mistake, Viracocha - if I deem you to be useless - that execution can always be postponed for when that day comes."
"Of couse... Chief-" Viracocha breathed out, unable to believe what he had just done.
Tikal, sat at her father's side, was staring at Viracocha in a manner he did not understand. She seemed... disappointed, but not for betraying her father, rather the fact he had stopped and given in.
He couldn't bring himself to think about that for much longer. Instead, he closed his eyes, he wouldn't be able to look at that execution. That poor, poor boy...
Months passed, and one night - upon which the moon shone brightly, Kon pulled Viracocha out for a stroll under the stars.
"I've always loved the moon, I think it's quite pretty." Viracocha said in wonder, gazing up at the celestial body. It was unusual for Kon to be as silent as he was, he wasn't speaking - instead spending a lot of time fiddlng with his hands.
"It's lovely, Vee-Vee." Kon said. "It's a wonderful night."
"It is, isn't it?" Viracocha smiled up at the sky, then back at Kon. "You've yet to make a joke yet, is something wrong?" He kept his tone light rather than accusing.
"Heh, that's how you notice something is wrong with me - huh?" Kon shook his head, amused. "If you want the truth, something has plaguing my mind recently - and I hope we could perhaps talk about it, while we have some time alone."
"Oh, then - yes. Let's talk, what's troubling you?" Viracocha asked with just a touch of concern.
"Vee... what am I to you?" Kon asked, and Viracocha was surprised to his cheeks turning to a light shade of pink.
"A close friend, I believe." He answered.
"Friends... is that all we are?" Kon asked, looking a little tired as he did so.
Viracocha tilted his head. "What else would we be...?" He wasn't suggesting what he... thought he might be suggesting, right? No, no way he'd actually like someone like him.
"Well, considering all the playful flirting - I thought that... you might be open to considering something more." Viracocha noticed how Kon's voice shook with nerves. On the other hand, Viracocha's face became bright red as heat rushed to his cheeks.
"I- something more? You don't mean- no- I- Have we been playfully flirting?" He finally asked in confusion.
Kon stared at him. "You... are so fucking dense." He said quietly. "And I love it."
"... Thanks-?"
"I don't... I don't think I'm about to get very far with words, am I?" Kon said. "Perhaps it would be better if I showed you how I felt instead - how does that sound?"
"If that's... easi-"
Kon slotted his lips against his. Viracocha's heart skipped several beats as he felt how warm and soft Kon's lips were against his own. Kon reach his hand around the nape of Viracocha's neck, pulling the other echidna closer to him. Heat continued to build between them as their bodies pressed together, Viracocha now sliding his fingers down and through Kon's dreadlocks. Everything burned, it was overwhelming - but tremendously addictive. The kiss felt like a warm breeze on a summer night. They pressed their lips together tighter, neither one of them willing to relent.
Until Kon had to pull away, gasping for air. He practicaly stumbled backwards, dazed at the fact he had finally made a move on Viracocha.
Viracocha's mouth hung open, staring at him - unable to blink as not a single thought was going on upstairs.
"Well... that was- Wow-" Kon stuttered. "Made my point yet?"
The burgandy echidna gave a slow nod. "I didn't want it to stop." He admitted.
"Oh believe me, there will be plenty of time for all that... but can I be mushy first?" Kon asked him, taking hold of both of Viracocha's hands in his own. "I love you, Viracocha - I've loved you for a long, long time. Every time I look in your eyes... it feels like I'm at home - I'm safe and comfortable. You understand me better than anyone else ever has... even when we disagree, you always make sure to listen and I - I don't want that to go to waste. I trust you with my life, Viracocha. You've kept my darkest secrets, you've held onto me though my darkest moments... I don't know what I would have done without you in my life. I want you by my side, Viracocha - I want to be together for the rest of our lives. We can break away from Pachacamac's reign together, we'll take our friends, we'll find someplace new to call home - we'll do it together! One day... won't you join me on that quest? By my side, forever and always?"
"I- yes!" Viracocha exclaimed. "Yes! I couldn't imagine anything else I- Ah damnit! I can't top that, give me some time to write a speech down before you spring something like that on me!" He buried his face in his hands in embarrassment, but in truth - he was mostly squirming with delight. "Can I just kiss you again? Does that work?"
Kon chuckled. "As long as you don't keep me waiting on that speech too long..."
Viracocha pressed his lips against Kon's, and his body shuddered with euphoric pleasure. There was no doubt in their minds - they knew they were designed to be together, meant to be one. It felt like destiny - that was why it felt just so damn right.
Months passed, and war was upon them. In the months that followed, Tikal had continued to press him as to if he knew someone named Knuckles, or if he knew anything about the fate awaiting the clan - Viracocha never understood why.
A new battle raged. The Nocturnus had set fire to the forest.
Viracocha's spear was easily sliced in half by the blade of Nocturnus clan warrior, and before he could defend himself - that same blade pierced through his stomach, and he howled in pain.
He thought he was done for.
Viracocha collapsed onto the ground, and he only had one tactic he could use. He shut his eyes, trying his best to remain motionless - pretending to be dead. The warrior didn't examine him close enough, too swept up in the heat of battle - so the Nocturnus soldier accepted it as a victory - and carried on, running far from the scene.
That feeling of relief wouldn't last long. In fact, a distinct pang of dread was building within him - something awful was coming. He felt it.
Flames crackled around Viracocha as his lungs became full of smoke. He coughed and spluttered, crawling on the floor as he tried to gather the strength to stand despite his wound. "KON!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "KON! PLEASE, ANSWER ME!"
"I'M HERE, I'M HERE!" Kon called back, and Viracocha found streams of tears beginning to pour down his face in relief as the grey echidna ran towards him. Kon collapsed on his knees beside him - examining Viracocha's wounds while entirely ignoring his own.
"Oh, Vee-Vee..." Kon spoke with a shaky breath. "It's going to be okay.. it's all going to be okay-"
"Your head..." Viracocha said as he reached up to stroke the side of it, being careful to avoid the large gash that was pouring out blood.
"Don't worry about that - It's not as bad as it looks." Kon assured them, adjusting Viracocha's body so that he could rest his head on Kon's lap. "Neither is your stab wound, it's going to be okay."
"For now, but not if we stay here much longer-!"
"I know, I know! We'll..." Kon silenced him, stroking the top of his head, Even as fire roared in their surroundings, and battle cries of anguish and fury could be heard among the distant trees - they had found a sanctuary of safety for each other. "All we need to do is survive... then we'll run."
"Where will we go-?"
"I don't know!" Kon lost control of himself, tears swelling in his eyes. "Just far, far away from here - the clan, these pointless wars, Pachacamac's greed - none of it is worth losing you!"
With a heavy grunt, Viracocha pulled himself up into sitting position - before throwing his arms over Kon, tightly wrapping them around in a strong embrace - clinging to his warmth, desperate both to recieve comfort and to give comfort to Kon. "I don't... I don't want to let go."
"Then don't." Kon told him, pressing a quick kiss on his cheek that tasted of smoke as he held Viracocha tightly, then buried his face into his shoulder. "There's no need to..."
They held onto their hug with everything, refusing to move aside from the occassional swaying ryhthm to soothe themselves. They had found their light among the darkness, and they weren't about to let it go.
They both barely heard Solimana yell for them. "Pachacamac's heading for the emerald! We've been ordered to move!" He ran off towards the direction of the altar as soon as he had emerged.
"An assult on the altar?" Kon whispered in disbelief as a deep sense of dread began to drown Viracocha in worry - his head spun rapidly, and he found himself shaking - and Kon noticed this shift. "Vee-Vee...?"
"Something is about to go terribly wrong." Viracocha's voice was hoarse, barely able to find the breath to speak with. "I don't know how I know - but I do! That altar, the emerald - it shouldn't be tampered with! That power is not-!"
"Breathe, Vee. Breathe!" Kon urged him.
"Not ours to weild!" He fought for control over his breathing. "They're all going to die, Kon! Mirador, Yaxha, Solimana - they're going to die! The clan is going to destroy itself!"
As strong was their desire was to leave everything behind, their love for their friends would not allow them to abandon the echidnas to such a fate. They had all planned to run together.
Kon, despite having little reason to, placed all of his faith and belief with Viracocha in that moment.
"Then... it is our duty to stop it." Kon said, his voice steadying with resolve. One look down at Viracocha's wound made Kon come to a decision. "Don't move. Wait for me. I'll be back. I'll try to stop them. I have to-"
"Kon-" Silencing Viracocha, Kon pressed his lips firmly against his. They lingered there for a few seconds, knowing if things went wrong - it could very well be their last.
Even still, they were running out of time.
"I love you." Kon smiled, his emerald eyes shining. "Always will."
"Love you too." He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if those words were left unsaid.
Kon wasted no time in getting back up on his feet, despite grimacing at the pain it caused him. He ran towards a thick cloud of smoke that blocked the way to the distant altar - leaving Virachocha to stare after him - watching as the dreads on the back of his head drifted in the wind, and blended in with the smoke.
Only then did Viracocha's heart begin to hammer violently in his chest, on the verge of bursting - unable to shake the feeling that a grave mistake had just been made. There was a voice in his head, someone telling him that Kon wasn't going to make it out.
Viracocha wasn't the only one experiencing panic and grief - Knuckles felt it in full force, emotions he had never felt so strongly before.
"KON!" Viracocha begged for him. "KON, COME BACK! KON?!" His chest strained with the tremendous effort it took to yell, sending more aches and pains throughout his already weak body that was on the verge of passing out.
"KON, PLEASE!" But he wouldn't let go. He didn't want to, and he didn't have to. "PLEASE COME BACK! KON, DON'T LEAVE ME! DON'T LEAVE ME, KON!"
No amount of screaming or crying would bring him back now.
Suddenly, Viracocha's vision became consumed by a white light as a ringing sounded loudly in his ears.
Then darkness replaced it.
"Viracocha?"
He could smell clean air. He breathed it in, it was cold and crisp. Was someone speaking to him?
"Viracocha? Are you awake?"
It appeared someone was - their voice was soft and feminine. What were they asking him? If he was awake? It would seem so. He recognised their face - Wayra, a clan member.
Then, everything came back.
The war cries, the blood-curdling screeches of anguish, the burning flames spreading and tearing down the village, the relentless Nocturnus soldiers and their gizoids, and- and-... and-
"Kon!" Viracocha exclaimed as he sat up far too abruptly, the sudden pain in his stomach likely caused by his wound opening up again - but he gritted his teeth through it. "Kon, is he-?" He turned to the light pink echidna beside him.
"Kon is..." She hesitated, and Viracocha waited on bated breath. "We don't..."
All hope faded away.
"He's no longer with us... I'm so, so sorry-"
No. That didn't make sense.
"What happened?"
It didn't make sense.
"Pachacamac lead most of the clan into a raid upon the altar... and they incurred the wrath of the guardian. He... he killed them all, including Kon. There are very few of us left now... so very- few-" As she spoke of the tragedy, her voice cracked as she couldn't fight back her tears. She buried her face in her hands and began to sob. "Then... Tikal, she did... she did something to lock the guardian away! She's gone now too, as well as the Guardian but... after that... the land suddenly rose into the sky!" She explained, her words muffled.
It made no sense at all. Not to him, not to Knuckles. It should make sense to Knuckles, he knew this would happen - and yet, he couldn't accept it. It just didn't make sense.
"They're gone now... all gone-!"
No.
"Stop lying and tell me what''s really going on!" Viracocha yelled at her with a growl.
"It's the truth! I'm so sorry, it's the truth!" Her sobbing intensified, unable to comprehend Viracocha's sudden fury among all of the other emotions she was feeling in that moment. Noticing how she curled up small, in fear of him - Viracocha's irritation simmered down, and he watched her with eyes that steadily grew more terrified as the cold realisation came.
It was the truth.
Kon was...
"No..." He breathed out, and then stood - regardless of the pain. "No, no, no-!" He clutched his head in his hands as it throbbed. "No, he can't be- He- No!" He panted, his breathing loud enough to be heard among the silence of the forest he realised he was stood in.
"Kon wouldn't... he shouldn't have-"
"Vira...?"
A loud yell bellowed out from the bottom of his chest, as he swung his fist at the nearest thing he could hit - a tree. It toppled over and knocked into the one behind it, before an entire row had been taken down - thudding on the ground and kicking up dirt into the air.
Viracocha stared down at the palm of his trembling hand, his chest heaving with sobs. His gut dropped, on the verge of collapsing, This couldn't be how it was supposed to end, no - it couldn't be! As he desperately tried to find a way to rationalise it, his jaw clenched so tight that it caused him pain. His head swirled with no coherant thoughts - barely able to piece together the reality that he was never going to see Kon again.
The pain, the grief - he felt it twice in two hearts. Knuckles wasn't spared from it.
Never... again. He would never see him again.
Viracocha couldn't even remember what had happened for the rest of the day, or the day after that. There were barely more than ten of them left, wasn't that pathetic? They were making the floating rock their home, or at least they were trying to.
What made them any more deserving of a home than the others? Hell, what made them more deserving of life?
Perched on a single rock, he watched his clanmates pass by with glassy eyes.
Was it worth it anymore? To keep trying?
He wasn't so sure.
Despite how uncomfortable it was to sit there, he rarely moved. Somehow, there was still some drive within him to head down to the stream for water - no amount of grief able to takeover his insticts, despite feeling as though wasting away was the fate he deserved.
Eating was another story - he was starving himself as nothing could compare to the gaping hole left in his heart now that he was gone, and how much it yearned for him to return and fill that void.
As his frame became skinnier, the other echidnas stopped - attempted conversations, but the sounds of their voices faded - drowned out by his own internal thoughts - telling him that Kon should be the one here. not him.
It was true - Kon should have been here.
How many days had it been? They were blending into one.
Rain fell, and he didn't move an inch. His body shivered with the cold.
It was all pointless - meaningless. Not just Kon, the whole clan was gone. What was the point to living if so many lives could be snatched away so suddenly?
Why?
Why was she sitting next to him?
The girl that had told him all of the bad news managed to find a spot on the rock to sit beside him. "Hello." She said.
No response.
"You cannot stay here forever."
He could. If he died here, what did it matter?
"We miss you."
They missed the others too, he was sure - but they weren't coming back, were they? She said some other things, but once again her voice was drowned out by the loud ringing in his head.
"Would you like to have dinner with us?" He managed to hear.
He shook his head, and she nodded - walking away.
They repeated this for several more days, until Viracocha grew irritated.
"You." He glared. "Must you always insist on tormenting me?"
The young woman ignored the remarks, sitting next to him as she always did. "We miss you."
He growled.
"The real you. Not the husk that has replaced you."
"If you do not like what I have become, then leave me."
She remained firm. "No, I wish to help you."
"Is there a point?" He asked her.
"Every point in the world." Her conviction surprised him. "You do not deserve to rot away on this... on this rock... for the rest of your life!" She exclaimed. "You are worth so much more than that! You were lucky enough to survive that day and yet you're so insistent on throwing it away-!"
"What am I supposed to do? Move on and pretend they never existed?" Viracocha asked with disgust.
"You can hold them within your heart - and use them to fuel your desire to carry on! I've never forgotten, I couldn't forget - even I wanted to. Just think... would Kon really want you to be here? Sat alone and miserable? Giving up on everything? He is looking down upon you and he is upset, not because you survived and he didn't - but because he wants the best for you!"
Viracocha turned his head away, unable to face her - unable to face what he could be thinking. Was Kon truly watching over him? Were the dead really looking out for them? Then why did he feel so alone?
"You are a good man, Viracocha - you have always fought out of the goodness of your heart. I used to think of you as a brute before I witnessed you defend the prisoner... then I knew what you fought for. Righteousness, justice - it is not right for you to waste away here. You deserve to live!" She tried to break through to him.
Little did she know how much he needed to hear that. To finally see that his life had some point of continuing over the countless others that had been lost. Did Kon think the same? Did Kon think that he deserved to live too?
Despite himself, he found himself bringing Wayra into a hug - clinging onto her until his knuckles turned white underneath his gloves. He choked as he finally allowed his sobs to release.
Wayra made no attempt to turn away - she rubbed his back gently, allowing him to cry for as long as he needed and let his emotions go.
To cry at last... his tears helped to blossom the seed that would allow him to finally heal.
1 year later...
"This doesn't feel wise." Wayra spoke up as the pair of echidnas made their way up the steps of the altar. "In fact this feels very, very wrong."
"I agree, but I have little reason to not believe my visions." Viracocha pointed out.
"We were denied the power of the emerald before... so why has it chosen you? What has changed?" She asked him.
"All Tikal said was that if I wished to protect our home, she would grant me the power to access the emerald." He said again, something he had explained to her several times.
"Does she even have the authority to do such a thing?"
"She communes with Chaos, she has merged with the emerald itself - I would be very surprised if she didn't." Viracocha pointed out calmly.
They reached the top of the shrine at last. They stood in front of the large gem, and Viracocha found himself being drawn towards its glow - as though it was beckoning him forward. He ignored the calls for a moment as he turned back to Wayra.
"You trust me, don't you? You don't think I'm trying to gain these powers for my own greed."
"Of course I don't think that. I'm just... worried." She admitted. "The emeralds are unpredictable. They are chaos."
"Which is why they have a controller." He said. "You may leave now, Wayra. I will return once I have been granted the powers I have been promised. Thank you... for coming with me this far."
"That is not something you need to thank me for." She shook her head, then finally smiled. "I wish you well."
Viracocha watched her leave, and once she was out of his sight - he felt as though it was finally the right time. Tikal had reached Viracocha in a dream - and he had asked her how to best defend their new homeland. The clan was still small and weak, and Viracocha was the main fighter. He had stepped up as the leader of a clan that had no chieftan - finding himself a purpose, something to hold onto and live for after Kon's death.
Now, he should be able to do that job even better.
He placed his hand on the emerald, and repeated the mantra she had told him.
"The servers are the seven chaos... chaos is power... power enriched by the heart. The heart is the controller. The contoller is the one that unifies the chaos... Chaos.. grant me strength."
Birds chirped in the distance.
A tidal wave of energy surged over Viracocha, almost causing him to fall over. His veins felt like they were on fire, and his breath was caught in his throat. He wanted to scream but no sound came out - instead, he was enveloped by light. He covered his eyes, unable to handle its brightness.
The power of the emerald... it made him feel so weak and feeble. That energy... that was true strength.
And it was.
The light faded, finally allowing him to see. He lowered his hands, his body quivering after the surge that had just passed through it.
Honestly, he had been expecting something worse... painful even. Perhaps the transfer was so easy because... it was simply meant to be.
Viracocha held out his hand - and gasped as a green ball of energy had taken form in his palm.
It truly was the power of the emerald itself. He actually couldn't believe it! His eyes lit up with glee, ready to try out what else he could do - until he heard... screaming?
He tilted his head up towards the sky - and his eyes widened. Three figures were falling through the air, right down towards the altar. Two of them he had no hopes of recongising - but one was oddly familiar.
"TIKAL!" He yelled for her, reaching out his hands to catch her.
In the end, there would be no need for it - as the three bodies were suddenly surrounded by a teal aura - and they fell much more slowly towards the ground, even able to flip themselves the right way so they landed on their feet.
Who were these three? There was... a hedgehog? Of all things? Goodness knows what the shiny thing was - and yes, it absolutely was Tikal!
They panted with exhuastion, but Viracocha immediately ran up to her. "Tikal! The power transfer! It worked!" He informed her, unable to hold back his dopey grin.
"H-huh?" She questioned.
"I'm a guardian now! Just like you said!"
Tikal pointed at him, eyes wide. "You... are not Knuckles. You should be Knuckles."
Viracocha did not understand the language she was speaking, although in a strange way - he felt as though he should know it. "Uh, come again?"
"Yeah that's... definitely not him." The silver hedgehog tagged on.
The shiny thing made incomprehensible noises.
"Unless..." Tikal brought her hand up to her chin. "It could be possible... what has Chaos been trying to tell you?"
Viracocha wasn't the only one looking confused now, the silver hedgehog shared the same expression as they both stared at her. She closed her eyes, her voice carried a sadness.
"I see now, you have lost yourself to the past, Knuckles." She sighed.
Finally, she addressed him in the language he understood.
"It is lovely to see you again, Viracocha - the first of the Echidna Guardians" She told him, finally smiling despite the lingering somberness behind it. "Even if it is not really you... Viracocha, there is another spirit within your heart, and I must get him out."
He blinked at her.
"I must reach him, if that is alright with you?"
*Drops 13K word chapter, refuses to elaborate*
Sorry for the longer wait on this one! Had some irl issues, had a lot of editing for this one to handle - but we back baby! This place has also been a bit of a pain of a website and not loading half the time.
So, gay echidnas am I right? This is why I should never be a canon writer - because my idea of the orgin of the echidna guardians is to write a gay love story.
You might be confused as to how the time travel trio showed up at the end there - and don't worry, we're looking at how that managed to happen in the next update - as well as getting back to our usual squad.
Hope this was a fun ride for you! Despite being a very different type of chapter - honestly nervous about how ya'll feel about this one - let me know in a review! :)
Also as a bonus - are you on Tumblr? I have a Tumblr blog now if you feel like giving me a follow! I post random Sonic memes and thoughts and sometimes I'll drop chapter previews and talk about this fic! It's there if you want it - links are a pain in the ass to copy and paste on this website so if you search up my name on Tumblr - Caffeine Clouds - you'll find me!
As always though, it's 4 am - I need to be awake for school in 3 hours. So I shall see ya'll later :)