Wow, what do you know? My first Knuckles-centric chapter!
Chapter 15: Echidna Training
Knuckles had never had brothers before.
Even with his tribe, with his father, he had always been an only child. And after the death of his tribe, he had been alone for many years, forced to make a name for himself in the harsh galaxy out there.
But that all changed the day he met both Sonic and Tails.
They had met under… complicated circumstances (Knuckles pinning Sonic to a tree and nearly choking him to death before he was hit by Tails using a stolen police car), but now the three of them had formed a tight brotherhood in their oath to protect the Master Emerald.
However, just because they had defeated Robotnik and his army of machines, that didn't mean they were perfect as a team. They had proven that to themselves in their fight against Unit at the junkyard where their inexperience led to them being defeated by the former Robotnik drone, with Sonic and Tails only stopping the fight by triggering the drone's passion for poetry.
Sonic, while he was indeed incredibly fast and had good leadership qualities, lacked much skill in physical combat, often relying on his wits or using his homing attack to win a battle.
Tails, meanwhile, could fly to the heights of mountains and even carry Knuckles despite him being one million percent muscle. Despite this, he tended to overthink things and rely more on his gadgets rather than his own strength.
Which was why Knuckles decided to take it upon himself to teach his brothers the way of the echidna.
"Dude, I can already hold my own against you like I did at that temple in Hawaii. Why do I need training?"
Knuckles remained stoic as Sonic impatiently complained to him.
"While your skills were sharp enough to keep you in the fight, if I recall, I still won that battle." Knuckles told him. "The only reason I did not crush you was because you informed me of Robotnik's betrayal."
Sonic nodded reluctantly. "Okay, fair point." He admitted. "But I can already do my spin attack on anything that moves. Why do I need to learn how to punch?"
Knuckles walked over to the blue hedgehog. "While you are indeed fast, you cannot always rely on your speed in battle. There will be times where you can't run, where you will be backed into a corner. In those instances, you will need to know to punch." He then stood directly in front of Sonic. "Hit me."
Sonic stared at Knuckles for a long second. "Okay, are you sure about this?"
Knuckles nodded.
"Alright, your funeral." Sonic shrugged before throwing a half-hearted punch.
Knuckles caught Sonic's fist. "There is no intention in your strike." He then shoved Sonic back. "Again!"
Sonic rubbed his fist slightly before standing up tall. Narrowing his eyes, Sonic threw a punch at Knuckles again, this time hitting the echidna square in the face and causing him to stagger.
"Oh, geez! You okay?" Sonic exclaimed in alarm, already moving to help his older brother.
Knuckles held up his hand as he rubbed his cheek before standing up straight. "That was good. Now…" He then held out both his hands with his palms facing away from him. "... again."
"Keep lifting, fox. If you wish to truly aid this tribe in our vow to protect the Master Emerald, you must become stronger." Knuckles told Tails as the young fox was forced to lift a heavy branch as a weight.
Tails panted, sweat soaking his golden fur. "But... why do I... have to get stronger... when I can just use my gadgets?" He questioned, pausing each time he lifted the branch.
"Your weapons are indeed clever, as are you, fox. But a battle can happen at any moment. Even the smallest tinder can light into a great wildfire." Knuckles said, circling Tails as he continued to lift. "And when that moment comes, you cannot always be up here." He tapped his forehead. "When that happens, it your basic instincts, you're judgement that can determine the difference between victory and defeat."
Tails briefly paused in his lifting. "I... guess you have a point." He admitted. "Still, doesn't that seem a little... I don't know, archaic?"
"I understand your doubts, fox." Knuckles nodded. "But a warrior does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come."
Tails paused again as he blinked. "Did... did you just quote Bruce Lee?"
"Bruce Lee is a wise and honorable warrior. It is a shame he is now in the Great Battlefield in the Sky, or else I would like to spar with him." Knuckles stated before noticing Tails was staring at him awkwardly. "Continue!"
Sonic and Tails stood side by side while Knuckles stood opposite of them.
"I have been training the both of you separately as individuals, building up your strengths." Knuckles told them. "But now it is time for you to fight together."
Sonic and Tails glanced at each other before looking back at Knuckles and nodding.
"And your opponent…" Knuckles shifted into a fighting stance. "… shall be me."
Sonic and Tails both gasped, their eyes widening. "WHAT?!"
"Defend yourselves, brothers!" Knuckles then lunged at them, forcing Sonic and Tails to jump out of the way.
Sliding along the grass, Sonic curled himself into a ball and readied his spin attack.
Tails took the air as his namesakes spun rapidly, keeping him hovering in the air.
Sonic and Tails then launched at the echidna with the full intent of taking him down.
However, Knuckles jumped out of the way at the last second, causing Sonic to slam into Tails with his homing attack.
"Ow! Sonic, what the heck?!" Tails said angrily as he and Sonic tried to get him.
"Oh, so sorry, Tails!" Sonic cried in a panic. "You alright?"
Before Tails could answer, Knuckles' fist collided with Sonic's cheek, sending him crashing into the shed.
Tails gasped as Knuckles towered over him, his breath quickened as panic began to surge through him.
Swallowing down the lump in throat, Tails narrowed his eyes and sprung to his feet, refusing to give into his fears as he held out his fists in front of him.
Knuckles threw a punch at the young fox kit, but Tails quickly ducked under the echidna's punch, throwing a jab at Knuckles' rib.
The echidna actually flinched at the young fox's punch before pushing Tails down, only for Sonic to re-emerge from the shed and kick Knuckles in the back, knocking him down.
"You alright?" Sonic asked, holding out his hand to help Tails.
"Yeah, I'm okay. You?" Tails replied, grasping Sonic's hand and letting himself get pulled up.
The two then heard a groan, causing them to look and see Knuckles getting back to his feet.
"Okay, we need a plan." Sonic said.
"Yeah, neither of us are strong enough to take Knuckles down on our own." Tails said. "But together…"
Sonic and Tails smirked as they clasped hands, both getting the same idea.
"Let's do this." Sonic said as he and Tails turned back to Knuckles, readying themselves.
Sonic and Tails launched themselves at their eldest brother as Knuckles attempted to clothesline them, only for Sonic and Tails to roll under him, both of them sweeping at the echidna's feet.
As Knuckles fell to the ground, Sonic and Tails clasped hands and spun rapidly to form a blurry ball of blue and gold before launching themselves at Knuckles.
Sonic and Tails slammed into Knuckles, causing him to hit the ground in a shockwave of blue and gold lightning.
Unclasping their hands, Sonic and Tails landed on their feet as they observed their eldest brother.
Knuckles lay there in a small crater with a surprised look on his face.
Sonic and Tails looked equally shocked before they looked at each other with wide smiles on their faces.
"We did it!" Tails cheered ecstatically, jumping into Sonic's arms and wrapping his own around the hedgehog's neck.
"We did it, little bro!" Sonic laughed, spinning Tails around in a tornado of laughter before setting him down.
Knuckles picked himself up from the crater, smiling proudly at his younger brothers. It seems their training with him had paid off. Had his tribe still been around, Sonic and Tails would have been made official warriors. And he could not have been more proud at that moment.
"Well done, brothers. You have succeeded in your training." Knuckles stated, wrapping his arms around Sonic and Tails' shoulders. "I am honored to now call you warriors. And more than that, I am proud to be your brother."
Sonic and Tails beamed at their eldest brother happily.
"Come, brothers! Let us celebrate!" Knuckles smiled, picking up both Sonic and Tails and putting them on his shoulders.
"Yeah! Can we have some chili dogs?" Sonic asked.
"Ooh! And can we have some mint ice cream too?" Tails added.
Knuckles laughed. "We shall have all that and more, brothers! For tonight, we feast!"
Knuckles the Echidna had never had brothers before.
All his life he had been alone, but no longer.
And needless to say, Knuckles was proud and happy to have Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles 'Tails' Prower as his brothers.
