"Our Guardian."
Darkness surrounded Knuckles everywhere he turned, preventing him from pin-pointing the voice. "Hello?" Knuckles called out, immediately getting fed back an echo.
"It is a pleasure that we finally have the opportunity to speak."
Knuckles finally realised that the voice was coming from behind him. He turned – leading him to be face-to-face with another echidna.
"My name is Supay." He introduced himself, going down on one knee. Knuckles blinked several times to make sure what he was seeing was correct. The orange furred echidna was dressed in the exact same attire as he. Could he possibly be another Guardian..?
"I-it's an honour-" Knuckles stuttered in wonder, only to be interrupted by another face emerging from the shadows.
Her complexion was pale, and her fur was a very light grey – practically white, but very frayed. She was adorned in the toga and jewellery all the same. "My name is Chasca." She said, dipping her head. "And I believe our conversation has been long overdue."
"Just look at you!" An eager voice exclaimed from right behind, so close that Knuckles could feel their breath. Knuckles stumbled forward in surprise, looking back, and seeing a widely grinning dark-furred echidna. "You stand so tall… so proud. The stance of a man bearing so much power… one could simply crack under such pressure."
"Paricia, please." Supay said sternly. "Give him space."
"Of course, of course." Paricia chuckled, stepping past and standing beside the two other supposed Guardians.
Knuckles was quick to put aside Paricia's initial weirdness - his brain racking through all possible explanations of why they were here. Were they Guardians of the past? Was he actually talking to his ancestors right now?
"Guardian, heed us well." Supay said, clasping his hands together in front of his chest – a smile creeping on his face. "We have watched – we have seen. Your efforts to repair the timeline have been commendable, and we praise you."
"It- It's what you sent me to do, is it not? To find Sonic and fix what was broken…" Knuckles didn't realise how much he was staring at them – as though he feared that in the moment he'd blink, they'd be gone.
Chasca nodded in confirmation. "My dear, you should be proud of all that you have done."
"But the battle has hardly been won." Supay added.
Knuckles' brows furrowed, realization sinking in. "Wait… Sonic!" Knuckles exclaimed in alarm. "The timeline! Did he make it back?" He asked them desperately. "Am I…? Am I dead? Is my world dead?"
Chasca simply shook her head. "Unfortunately, further complications lie ahead on your path to fixing the world." She explained. "Your mission is not yet complete – Sonic is still with you."
No… how?
Knuckles' eyes widened in shock. What had gone wrong? Was Sonic okay? "Is he alright-?!" He asked in panic.
"Your friend is fine." Supay said quickly. "But battles still lie ahead that need to be fought."
"Heed our advice well, Knuckles." Paricia's tone was airy and light – but in the same way as an uncomfortably warm breath brushing against his neck. Despite there being a distance between them, it still managed to give him shivers.
"Tikal previously protected you from accessing the emerald's power due to your… inexperience." Chasca informed. "But now that you stand before us, we ask that you do not hold back any longer. You have earned the Chaos Energy which flows through your veins."
Knuckles held out his palms, staring down at his hands and arms – imagining that feeling of pulsing energy coursing through his body. He balled up his fists, meeting their eyes with a steely gaze.
"There is no more use in fighting from the shadows." Supay glared. "It is now time for you to rise into the sun – and take the fight directly to your enemies."
"Do what you must to protect those friends of yours." Paricia placed a hand on his hip. "Make your foes fear you. Show them all what a Knuckles Clan Guardian can do..."
Abruptly, their images all faded into a bright light.
When Knuckles awoke, he was startled to find himself alone within his hut. It would seem when he fell unconscious, he had been brought here. His eyes darted around at the empty room, and soon enough he shot out of bed.
What had happened? Those echidnas had warned him that there was still more to be done – and they had told him Sonic was still with him!
Knuckles stepped out into the sun – immediately looking up beyond the tree line where the top of the altar stuck out between the leaves. It gave him a clear view of the emerald – so he could keep an eye on it whenever he was retiring to his home.
This time, Sonic was sat in front of the gem.
A surge of worry shot through the echidna. It was hard not to feel some semblance of pity – he had seemed so eager to get back to the home where he belonged, yet for whatever reason – something had prevented him from doing so. Sonic was trapped… and Knuckles knew that feeling all too well.
Knuckles then gritted his teeth as a sudden burst of rage followed his initial concerns. He raised his fists just slightly as he couldn't help but feel a little enraged at Sonic's position. Knuckles had clearly stated, plenty of times, that no one was to ever get that close to the emerald. What was Sonic doing there? Was he messing with it? Why could he possibly-?
His rage died down when Knuckles took just a few seconds to observe Sonic's body language. He was sat, muscles relaxed with his head hung low – practically ready to fall asleep. Try as he might to find it, Knuckles could see no sign of malicious intent.
Sonic was just watching over it – that was it.
He was doing it for him.
Knuckles let his muscles relax, slowly dropping his hands to his side. It was so strange how everything he'd ever read depicted surface dwellers as cruel and selfish – yet people like Sonic and Tangle were the first he found himself exposed to.
They were bright and selfless – their heroism and determination couldn't be overstated.
Without a second thought, Sonic had thrown himself in front of a Chaos Blast just to protect him. It suddenly dawned on the echidna that he didn't even care where Sonic came from – another world, another timeline – none of it mattered.
Knuckles had someone he could trust – and that meant more than anything else right now.
…
Sonic tilted his head upwards, causing his eyes to widen as Knuckles approached him up the steps. Sonic immediately sprung into a standing position – waving apologetically. "Hey hey, Knux-!" He greeted him quickly. "Sorry, I know what you said about being around the emerald and all-"
"Sonic, it's okay." Knuckles said to him. "I trust you."
While initially a little surprised, Sonic gave a soft smirk. "Well then, aren't we making progress?"
"What happened?" Knuckles asked him.
Sonic let out a small huff, his hands on his hips. "I'm not sure how conscious you were throughout all of that, but basically – you opened up a portal to this void… thing. Took Shadow and I to a place that seems set up to store 14 chaos emeralds – so I can only assume that's how we restore the timeline."
Knuckles rose a brow. "You are aware there are only 7, right?"
"Both timelines together will make 14." Sonic said.
"So… the old timeline still exists?" Knuckles questioned.
"Sort of… it's all- weird though." Sonic wasn't sure how to put it.
"And even if you find all of the ones here, how are you going to bring the other ones from the old timeline there?" Knuckles asked.
"Hopefully, with some help from my friends on the other side." Sonic said. "I can still talk with them." Sonic explained. "In my dreams."
Knuckles narrowed his eyes.
"Look, I don't know either. Weird things follow me, and I cause problems – that's how things tend to roll."
"I guess I can believe that." Knuckles admitted. "But… aren't you upset at all?"
"Obviously, I'm bummed." Sonic shrugged. "But like – getting my hands on the chaos emeralds was my original plan anyway, so it's not like this is a major setback or anything."
If Sonic was concealing how he truly he felt, he was making it impossible for Knuckles to tell. Yet again, he never really got the chance to develop his people skills…
"Well, I still intend on helping you – you know that." Knuckles said.
"Indeed, I do."
A gust of wind blew past them harshly, causing Knuckles dreads to suddenly flow in the wind. He didn't aim to seek shelter from the weather though, instead – he sat in front of his emerald where Sonic had been before.
"If you ever need to talk – I'm here. Alright? Keeping things bottled in will only wear you down – and that'll make you pretty useless out on the field." Knuckles pointed out.
"Nice to see where your concerns lie, Knux." Sonic snickered quietly. "But it means a lot. I'm sorry that I had to dump the whole… you know, 'your reality isn't real' bombshell onto you."
"Well, it's not like it's your fault. I'd rather you tell the truth than lie about what struggles we were facing…" Knuckles said.
"I guess it's not my fault, but I'm at the centre of it all. It feels like I deserve some blame for what's happened."
Knuckles narrowed his eyes. "Why do you say that?"
Sonic's ears perked up, and his gaze shifted around awkwardly – almost looking for an escape. Perhaps he was alarmed as he was suddenly asked to delve into his emotions. Knuckles was learning quickly that while Sonic was certainly lively, that didn't mean he was necessarily… open about his feelings all the time.
"It's just- it's not important, just speculating-"
"Sonic, sit with me." Knuckles suddenly told him, patting the stone beside him and inviting Sonic to take a seat on the ground beside him.
"Huh?" Sonic tilted his head. "Okay…?" His tone was slightly suspicious, but he plopped himself down all the same.
"None of this is your fault." Knuckles said. "You can't blame yourself for the actions of a mad man."
Normally, Sonic would agree – happy to brush the whole conversation topic under the rug. Yet, there was something in Knuckles' eyes – wide with vulnerability and compassion - that made Sonic feel safe. Knuckles was always sturdy – dependable and as strong as the very gem he guarded. Sonic would never want to share his burdens with someone like Tails or Amy – those guys didn't need the stress.
But maybe, just maybe – Knuckles was able to shoulder some of that burden, helping to lighten Sonic's load.
"If I'd actually taken out Eggman in my timeline… then this never would have happened." Sonic said, looking down at his shoes.
Knuckles didn't say anything, letting Sonic continue.
"Instead, I… I guess I never really stopped seeing it all as a big show tthat I always felt like I was going to win." Sonic sighed. "But now we're here – time itself is broken, all because I never did what was necessary to keep my friends safe."
"Really?" Knuckles scoffed. "You say all this as though you were supposed to predict this as an outcome. How could you ever have suspected that Eggman would ever try to rewrite time itself?"
"Maybe not that, but I should have suspected that one day he'd pull something big. Something that'd hurt everyone…"
"Sonic, you worked in that timeline to fight against Eggman – right? You never ever intended for him to get away with his crimes, you never wanted him to not face consequences – right?"
"I mean, yeah-"
"Then you were trying your best. That's all you can really do." Knuckles said firmly. "You may not have succeeded in preventing him from doing this, but all this time you've been fighting him and trying to put an end to his actions. That's what counts. That's all that matters."
Sonic thought about it.
"Besides, we're going to fix it." Knuckles said.
The hedgehog at lasted tilted up to see Knuckles gazing up with determination at the sky. "And I think I know how we're going to go about it."
Sonic gave a small smile. "What you thinking?"
"We start a war."
"Sounds good- wait, huh?" Sonic wasn't prepared for the abruptness of such a sentence.
"Think on it, Sonic. We can continue to operate as we are, a small rebel unit – but how long will it be before we are able to find the emeralds? It's going to take a long time trying to evade capture as we search through Empire territory. And even then, have you not considered the very likely chance that Eggman already has some of the emeralds?"
"I.. I get what you're saying, but-"
Knuckles stood again, closing his eyes as he spoke with fierceness. "That is why we need forces! Armies. We need to be a fighting unit if we are to have hope of both retrieving the emerald from our enemy's hands, as well as save oppressed citizens."
Sonic scratched the side of his head. "You're not wrong, and I'm a fan of the direct approach – but there's only a small amount of us, not really an army, bud." Sonic brought up with concern.
"For now, I believe we have more than enough manpower to get this started. We will train up our battle-capable camp dwellers to go out onto the field, and as per the very nature of war – when we step out and make our first move, we'll end up inspiring others to join our cause. Many people live under Eggman's rule out of fear – all they need is a push, a spark to ignite their will to fight back."
Knuckles then smirked. "Besides, you're working with the Guardian here – what have you got to worry about? And you're the fastest thing alive, hero of Mobius from another world – what else does an army need?"
Sonic snickered. "Heh, trying to butter me up – Knux? No need for it. I'm kind of pumped at the idea of taking the direct approach!" Sonic admitted, pressing his fists together.
"That's the spirit!" Knuckles grinned. It was hard to be entirely happy about the circumstances of his reality, but he kept smiling – knowing Sonic needed the encouragement.
"It was weird in the void…" Sonic suddenly mentioned, his voice softening as he reflected. "There were visions that told me to turn back, and just let things stay as they are right now. Not that I exactly plan to listen to that." Sonic added with a smile.
Knuckles eyed him questioningly. "I'll admit… I don't know why you did experience that. Because I know… that fighting to bring back your world is the path we must follow."
"Well, I suppose if the all-mighty Guardian tells me this is the right thing to do – then it must be so, eh?" Sonic asked cheekily, poking fun – not expecting the serious response he'd get in return.
"Understand, Sonic." Knuckles pressed his hand against his chest. "I am willing to start this war for you – and I shall also end it at your side." He vowed.
Sonic's brow furrowed. "If that's your overly complicated way of saying that you're going to fight alongside me – then I'm down for that." His facial features eased into a grin. "I want to fight this war beside you, it's the only way I'd have it."
Sonic had informed the group about how their existence had been prolonged – and that their mission was still to obtain all of the Chaos Emeralds. It gave them a lot to dwell on until Tangle decided to strike up a conversation.
"I feel bad." Tangle confessed as she walked next to Whisper through the jungle. The wolf noticed Tangle's paling cheeks and started to grow concerned.
"Why?" Whisper prompted her. The wolf was quiet, but that didn't mean she couldn't read other people. To her, it was evident that Tangle was desperate – searching for someone to talk to.
While she was here, Whisper may as well lend an ear.
"I dumped firewood gathering duties onto Rouge and the Chaotix." The lemur said with a grimace.
"That means they are earning their stay here."
"Yessss, technically – but – man! I feel so bad about it… I mean, we all just found out our lives aren't real. I don't wanna do the chores, and I'm sure they don't wanna do the chores. Because… jeeze… what's even the point anymore?" Tangle asked with increasing concern and frustration.
"As long as we continue to live in this world, there will always be a point."
"I guess… I guess it's just my existential crisis talking. But I've gotta know Whisper, how come you seem so calm about it all?" Tangle asked her with a genuine curiosity.
The wolf replied without hesitation. "Because the knowledge of a better world being out there is motivating to me. I know that a world exists now where the unnecessary lives lost under Eggman's regime never happened. There is a world where they got to live."
"You're… you're very right." Tangle nodded quickly. "I… I guess my reasons for being so… hesitant… are more selfish."
"It is understandable to have difficulties taking this in stride." Whisper assured her. "While I see positives in the situation, it does not mean that I am unfazed."
"Of course, I didn't think anyone could completely accept the situation. But, I guess it's a case of… I can't possibly imagine what a world for me without Eggman's takeover would look like…" Tangle admitted, her voice almost dipping into a whisper herself.
"What were you doing before his initial attack?"
"Just… school. I've lived in a small village for my entire life - Spiral Hill. It was lovely there, and the people were so sweet! But I don't know, living there… I almost felt trapped. Like I was a bird… in a cage… that didn't- want to be there…" Her gaze shifted around as she wasn't sure where she was going with that metaphor. "I guess life never felt really fulfilling there, you know? There was always something missing…"
"Then I imagine you planned to move out, perhaps go to a college in the city?" Whisper guessed.
In response, Tangle awkwardly chuckled. "Easier said than done…" She admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "My grades back in school… weren't the best." She blinked. "And by that I mean poor. Because I sucked at paying attention, and tended to do homework on the same day it was due… so college seemed uh, pretty out of reach."
"Then… what did you plan to do once leaving the school?" Whisper asked.
"That's just it!" Tangle said. "I don't know! Maybe I'd have just gotten a job in the village or something, but I know that wouldn't make me happy. I-" Her ears flattened. "It may sound weird, but being a rebel has taught me something about myself. I love to fight. I love the adventure and the thrill! But the only reason I started doing all that stuff was due to Eggman's attacks…"
Whisper just slightly tilted her head as Tangle continued.
"Our world is filled with… a lot of nasty things, and I hate the suffering everyone is enduring. I want to put an end to it. But… a life where none of this happened…" Tangle sighed. "I don't imagine I'd be much happier in a life without it either – I wouldn't have anything driving me forward…"
Tangle held her head down, shaking it and groaning. "Ugh… I'm being selfish, and stupid-"
"What you're saying is… you fear that in Sonic's world, you wouldn't have found your purpose."
Tangle blinked. "Yeah – that's a better way of putting it." Tangle said. "Using far less words, no less."
"I don't think you're selfish for feeling that way." Whisper told her. "And you've already set your sights on what's important - protecting the world. You're not letting your own wants get in the way of helping others."
"Yeah, I mean – saving the world is what I've always wanted to do, so… at least one version of me will get to do it." She gave a soft, slightly disheartened chuckle.
"Sonic said he'd find you in that world, didn't he?" Whisper pointed out. "If that is the case, you will find your call to adventure – regardless of the emperor having a presence or not. There is always evil in the world that needs to be vanquished."
"I…" The lemur found herself smiling. "Yeah… I believe you're right. I trust Sonic, I know he'll find me! And other me, who is still technically me, will be able to have awesome adventures by his side!"
Whisper hummed in agreement, assuming her deed in the conversation had been done. She had comforted Tangle, so she was happy to let the conversation fall back into silence.
Tangle had other plans. "Hey, didn't you say that you were leaving once the Shadow situation was dealt with? Is that… still the case?"
Whisper shook her head. "In most circumstances, I would leave you and the others to sort out finding the Chaos Emeralds on your own, and I would continue on my way." She explained. "But I do not trust the villains you have allowed into your camp. I see a betrayal as likely. I cannot bring myself to leave without first being certain that I don't leave this group in danger."
Tangle found her answer pretty surprising, and she quickly came to conclusions. "Not the trusting type, huh?" She remarked, although it was spoken lightly rather than an attempt to mock.
"I'm cautious." she said simply.
"Either way – I'm actually really happy you've decided to stay!" Tangle beamed. "You're an amazing fighter and your weapon is super cool! And you're quiet, but super nice! And I think we made a great team back on the ARK, don't you think?" She asked her eagerly.
"We did work together, yes." Whisper acknowledged.
"We beat up that giant lizard like it was nothing!" Tangle exclaimed, eyes sparkling as she recounted the memory. "I'm so happy that you've decided to stay with us because that means we get to do even more awesome things together! Until… well- ACK-!"
In her excitement, she forgot to watch her step. She unfortunately found herself tripping over an exposed tree root. As she toppled over, she suddenly felt a warm hand grab onto her arm tightly – preventing her from falling further.
"Are you okay?" Whisper asked as she pulled Tangle upright again. The lemur stared at Whisper with wide eyes and red cheeks – her body practically frozen into a plank.
"Yep!" Tangle rapidly nodded. "Thanks!"
Whisper nodded and slowly let go of her arm, beginning to walk ahead. Tangle, rooted to the spot, stared after her – watching her blonde ponytail flow in the wind.
Dang it, why did she always have a habit of embarrassing herself around pretty girls?
After receiving the revelation that her world isn't even real, collecting sticks seemed like a bizarre task to undertake. Surely, it was pointless. Yet, here she was – continuing to act as though life was moving ahead as normal.
"Here." Rouge's voice caught the attention of Lanolin. "Sticks. You know - to make a fire."
The sheep turned away from Jewel, being interrupted in the middle of the conversation by the bat behind her. "Oh." Lanolin kept her tone impassive. "I'll sort them out." She said, taking the pile of wood from her arms.
"Cool." Rouge said, trying to play off her demeanour as nonchalant. "Hey, Lan – I don't suppose you'd mind if I-"
"Lan? Really?" The sheep interrupted her, unimpressed. "Let's get one thing clear – we may be working together, but we certainly aren't friends."
"Ugh, I call everyone nicknames – don't make a big deal out of it." Rouge groaned in annoyance.
"Then also don't make a big deal of things when I tell you that no – before you ask, I am not letting you help with any of the leadership roles of this group." Lanolin said firmly.
Rouge was taken aback. "I was going to offer so that I could lighten your load." She explained, in disbelief at the sheep's aggression. "I've seen that every time the hero squad… for lack of a better term… disappear - they've left you in charge."
"No different than what you used to do when you disappeared all the doing goodness knows what." Lanolin pointed out, crossing her arms. "And at least they tell me where they're going beforehand, and they ask me to take care of things – and I get thanked for what I do."
Lanolin continued. "Whenever you ran off – you never gave a heads up, you never cared to do so. Tangle and I always stepped up to take care of the others having no idea what you were doing or when you were going to come back. And we never even got acknowledgement for things we did! You never cared. It shouldn't have been a surprise that you ran away…"
"I… guess I've been more of an asshole than I thought." Rouge said stiffly.
"Clearly." Lanolin remarked. "I don't know what you've said to Sonic, but you certainly haven't apologised to any of us out here."
Rouge wanted to speak, but found that opening her mouth would probably allow something unwarranted to slip out.
Jewel, who had been standing in silence, occasionally nodding to back up Lanolin – spoke up with a frown. "Not only were you a terrible leader, but you were also a terrible friend. I've lost count of the amount of times you upset Tangle and made her feel like dirt for the smallest of things."
"I already apologised to her for that." Rouge told them, starting to get exasperated. "What are you two getting at-?"
"What we're trying to say is that we don't trust you." Lanolin put it plainly. "So, if you think you can rock up and have say in how things are run, then you can think again"
"And certainly don't think that just because you came back, that we want to be friends with you all of a sudden." Jewel added. "You have to earn that trust."
Rouge frowned. "How do I earn it, then?"
"Shut up and do as we say. And actually, be nice from now on." Lanolin told her sternly.
"Is… is gathering sticks for a fire not seen as a good deed that you asked me to do?" She questioned.
"You aren't going to earn out trust back by doing one task!" Lanolin told her, in disbelief at the fact Rouge was even the slightest bit confused. "We want to know that you're committed to the team, committed to the community from now on."
"Now more than ever, we need to stick together to keep each other safe." Jewel said. "Which means we can't afford to keep around the people that are going to turn their backs on us."
"Okay, okay-" Rouge held up her hands in surrender. "Jeeze, I get it. I am sorry for what I've done, okay?"
Lanolin and Jewel shared a sceptical look between them.
Rouge sighed. "Welp, it's pretty clear you two don't want me around, so… I'm going to go somewhere else now." She announced in defeat, pointing in the general direction of the jungle and then stepping away.
Why didn't Sonic's dumb plan work? Why was this timeline still a thing? She had hoped, naively, that the new world would be brought back – and that she wouldn't have to face the consequences of the choices she had made here.
But in what world had she ever had that type of luck?
Trying to find Shadow was never an easy task, however – their surroundings being limited to Angel Island meant that it would be much easier to pin him down sooner. Sonic ran circles around the island, many times over – until he came across the dark hedgehog standing atop of a mountain's peek in Ice Cap Zone.
Shadow stood still, eyes focused on the clear skies ahead.
"Hey, Shads-" Sonic waved, walking up behind him. "I just came to make sure you were alright, after the weirdness from the void… thing."
The dark hedgehog gave no response, as was typical. Shadow didn't even turn to look, remaining in the same position with his arms folded.
"I get if you don't wanna talk about it, you've never been the type – not even in my world. But I am here if you need someone." Sonic told him with a warm smile.
"Worry less about me – and more about yourself and your mission." Shadow said at last.
Sonic bit back the urge to make a comment. "I am focusing on that." Sonic said. "Knuckles and I were talking – and we've decided now that we need to take the fight directly to Egghead so that we can get the emeralds. This means we need all the help we can get."
Sonic held onto himself in attempt to gather some warmth, immediately feeling envious of Shadow's temperature regulating body.
"I get that breaking off teams and doing your own thing is kind of your shtick… but…" It was unusual for Sonic to admit to Shadow so blatantly that he wanted him to stay, but there was a lot at stake. This group really needed Shadow as an ally to give them a proper fighting chance. "I believe we can get a whole lot more done if we work together. You want the same thing I do, right? To bring back the old-"
"I will work with you for as long as it continues to make sense." Shadow cut in sharply. "But when I don't deem it necessary – I will leave, and without warning."
Sonic nodded slowly.
"And don't expect me to just sit around and follow orders."
"I know, I already know." Sonic told him. "You were exactly the same in my world, too. Well… you softened up a little over the years. Except when it came to me, you were still happy to punch my brains out-"
"There is little use in comparing me to the Shadow you knew." Shadow said. "As I will never be him."
"I'm…" Sonic found himself exhaling slowly. "I'm not gonna argue with that." he said. "Now, I also came up here to let you know that we're all about to have a group meeting. Join us, if you want."
"I won't."
"Hm." Sonic pursed his lips, then shrugged. "If that's what you wish."
Eager to not overstay his welcome, Sonic dashed off from the scene – leaving Shadow on his own to brood and continue his process of realising everything he had been through over the past few days.
Bowls of soup were being passed around by those sat near the fire. Everyone was out sat on logs or the ground – even Rouge and the Chaotix – even though they kept their distance from each other at opposite ends of the clearing.
Vector and Espio were at least able to keep each other company, and they were engaging Charmy into their conversation. Sonic squinted, noticing a large purple bruise on Charmy's cheek that hadn't been there before. The bee's overall stance made him appear smaller and hunched – and Sonic hoped that the poor kid was okay. He'd check in on them all as soon as he could.
Sonic turned his head to the other side, seeing Rouge sat alone – doing her best to mind her own business and ignore the conversations happening around her. It was very unusual, uncomfortable even, to see her so withdrawn. Sonic had to keep telling himself that she wasn't the Rouge that he knew.
Tangle was chatting eagerly to a whole group of people, with Whisper sitting by herself at the other end of the log – listening quietly to their conversation.
True to his word, Shadow hadn't shown.
That meant they were only missing Knuckles. Sonic hummed to himself, wondering where he could be when he had been eager to address everyone during their meal. One look towards the altar revealed that the echidna wasn't there – so Sonic sprinted over to his hut, the only other place that made sense.
...
"Ayo!" Sonic called, peering his head around. In the immediate room, Sonic was surprised to see Knuckles pacing back and forth – his breathing ragged as he was visibly sweating.
Knuckles paused, startled by Sonic's sudden entrance. "What are you doing?!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Barging in here like that-?"
"Sorry! I was wondering where you were at, we were gonna talk about… you know what, never mind – are you okay, Knux? You're freaking out in here."
"Of course, I'm freaking out! I just realised I'm about to talk to everyone all at once! On the spot! All of them… looking-" Knuckles shivered.
"It's going to be alright, Knux." Sonic assured him. "You've been doing great; through all the time you've spent with me and the others – you've been getting used to people more and more. There's no doubt in my mind that you can do this. It's just a speech."
Knuckles worked to slow his breathing but shook his head at Sonic.
"You're hardly going to give this announcement alone, anyway." Sonic smiled. "I'll be right there with you. So don't worry if you find yourself tongue-tied, I can pick up the slack." Sonic assured him, giving him a slight teasing wink. Sonic still wanted to maintain their usual banter without completely dismissing Knuckles' obvious fear.
"Just… don't let me embarrass myself." Knuckles groaned.
"You do that enough already, so I guess I'll spare you this once." Sonic shrugged.
Knuckles immediately gave a frown, but it served to distract Knuckles from his nerves. Sonic beckoned Knuckles to follow him to camp, and while the echidna was still focused on being teased – he didn't attempt to resist.
…
"AYO!" Sonic's voice rose above everyone's, causing all of the camp dwellers to cease their discussions. "I hate to interrupt dinner, but I'm afraid that while you're all here – we need to talk business!"
There were no murmurs, just everyone's full attention on the echidna and hedgehog stood by the fire. Silence passed for a moment until Sonic gave Knuckles a prompting nudge with his elbow.
"Uh-!" Knuckles was suddenly snapped out of his trance, and realised it was his turn to speak. "Um, yes. We have been reviewing the path forward, and… we believe we cannot continue as we are. We uh, uhm-"
Knuckles felt his throat drying up, becoming more and more conscious of his shakiness. "We are still… looking for the em- the emeralds… that hasn't changed. But we believe that… that…"
Suddenly, Knuckles felt something grab hold of his hand.
It was Sonic – squeezing it gently. Knuckles' eyes widened as he stared at Sonic's hand holding his own, and then back at the hedgehog's face that still stared ahead at the crowd – smiling.
Knuckles was surprised by how soft Sonic's hand felt.
"We can no longer sit by as Eggman takes more lives and strips away even more freedom. If we want to claim back the emeralds to take down his Empire for good – then we need to be making a stand now." Sonic said with determination. "The only way we can do this is by hitting the Empire directly – to at last face them head on!"
The area was filled with gasps as people quickly came on to what Sonic was suggesting. "From this point forward – we're no longer just survivors, we're no longer just rebels – we are about to become something far bigger, a force that Eggman cannot ignore. We are going to be the change in the world that will tear down his regime!"
Sonic found his gaze focusing in on Tangle – the lemur's eyes were shining with pride, her smile wide.
Sonic's own eyes glistened with eagerness, using his other free hand to raise it into a fist towards the sky. "We're going to bring back nature to our planet, and freedom to our people! We're going to tear down all his machines until nothing is left!"
Sonic gave Knuckles a grin, and Knuckles found himself filled with a different kind of nerves.
"We are going to make a declaration of war." Knuckles announced to the camp. "And we're going to burn that Empire to the ground."
"Burn it to the ground!" Tangle eagerly called out, rushing up to the two boys to stand beside them. Her yell had started up a chant.
"Burn it to the ground! Burn it to the ground!"
Tangle bounced on her toes excitedly. "We're actually doing this?!" she asked them. "We're actually going to bring it down?!"
"Burn it to the ground! Burn it to the ground!"
"You betcha, we are." Sonic smirked. "Count on it."
Sonic's chest was puffed out with pride, his eyes alright with a hungry flame that lusted for the battles that lie ahead. His smile… so easy and relaxed on his face – a symbol of hope and the change they were about to bring upon the world. Change for the better.
Knuckles could stare at him for hours like this – his head held so high with confidence, no hesitation in anything he did – always ready to push through.
And through it all, Sonic still held on to Knuckles' hand. When that fact truly processed, Knuckles' cheeks swiftly flushed red – a shade almost matching his fur.
He didn't really want Sonic to let go. Knuckles always regarded himself as strong, tough, harsh even so that he may carry out his job as Guardian. Yet, whenever Sonic was around – he tore down the walls. His heart of stone could melt an instant with just a single glance with an emerald gaze. Just one look at that cheeky smirk sent butterflies to flutter in his stomach.
Why was that feeling of weakness so… addicting?
Was this… really…?
"You doing okay there, Knux?" Sonic asked with a soft laugh. Knuckles hadn't even realised that the camp of survivors had risen from their seats, excitedly chanting with a renewed fighting spirit.
"Yeah…" Knuckles said slowly. "I think I am."
Gay gay homosexual gay. How else can I describe this chapter other than personal and gay? Knuckles dreams of bad echidnas, but Knuckles is also crushing HARD, Tangle likes PRETTY GIRL, Rouge is the embodiment of the "Why do my actions have consequences?" Simpsons meme for a hot minute, Shadow is edgy, and BOOM – WE ABOUT TO OFFICIALLY GO TO WAR BABYYY
Next time… teehee, next time. Next time there is drama in the Sonic gang household, and we finally get to read the scene we have long been waiting for… stay tuned! ;)
As alwaysss – let me know what you thought of this one in a review! Next time we check in with this world's gang – we'll get to see a little bit more of the villains, we haven't seen them in a few after all. But for now though, I shall see ya'll next time! :)