Meeting the Hedgehog
Six years passed after the Angel Island echidna clan were wiped out.
In the intervening years, Knuckles the echidna grew up on Angel Island. Bereft of his family and friends, the small animals were his most constant companions during these six long years, as he explored the length and breath of the island from one point to the other. From swimming through the waters of the azure lake, to scaling the slippery peaks of the icecap zone, the young echidna tried to make the most out of his time alone, going on countless adventures on the massive natural paradise of which he was almost the sole heir. During these years, the the last echidna of the Angel Island bloodline came to appreciate the serene solitude of his island home, while missing the friendship and comradery of those his own age.
During this time, Athair spent his free hours with his grandson,sowing him through the ancient ruins of the ancient echidna cities, like Sandopolis and Marble Garden, showing him where the ancient teleporters, and the stone guardians who help protect the island. Robed, wearing spectacles and carrying a trident-like staff, the old echidna would often lecture Knuckles about his duty, or share his wisdom and advice on echidna lore. He even taught Knuckles how to read the ancient texts of the Echidna Clan, and how to be a guardian. He even taught Knuckles how to tap the somewhat tap the power of the Master emerald, to neutralize the seven chaos emeralds, as well as other small tricks and effects.
"Remember, Lad...when I am gone, it will be up to you to guard the legacy of our people." Athair warned him. "You alone will be here to protect the master emerald, and you must be careful about whom you trust."
And the old Shaman's words were prophetic, as old Athiar passed away shortly after Knuckle's fifteenth birthday. The last angel Island echidna found the old man, peacefully sitting in his chair, laying with his head down on his open books in his alchemy lab in the hidden palace zone. Knuckles teafully laid him to rest in the burial grounds of his ancestors, and sang and ancient echidna tribal hymn over his grave.
"Goodbye, grandfather." He said solemnly, at a ceremony attended by only one mourner. "Now, I am truly alone."
In later years, many would see Athair's revenant form studying away in his alchemy lab, visiting old friends on the surface, or giving Knuckles or others advice. He was even seen still eating and drinking at these times! But with his grandfather having transcended the mortal form, the last echidna guardian was truly alone.
It was only mere months later, when a large, moon-like object came crashing out of the sky, and landed on angel Island.
"By the ancestors, what is that thing?!" The echidna guardian asked himself in shock, spotting the gargantuan moon shaped object from his hut. "Have Kukulkan and the other sky lords returned from the stars?!"
Not knowing what this was, Knuckles approached the fallen satellite, and found several machine men- he would later learn they were called Egg Robos- were digging around on his island. he attacked several of the machines at first, smashing a few of them, until a portly bald man with a big mustache approached Knuckles.
"Hello, my dear echidna." The fat man greeted him, reaching out a hand to shake. "My name is DR. Ivo Robotnik, and I could use your assistance."
The human was the first person Knuckles had talked to in a long time, and the guardian's loneliness foolishly made him give the stranger the time of day. He bought the deceiver's story about being a benevolent scientist, bullied and harassed by a foul little blue hedgehog, who wanted nothing more than world domination.
"Sonic stole the chaos emeralds from me, so that he can take over the world!" Robotnik pleaded with him. "You have to help me stop him Knuckles, please!"
"Sonic the hedgehog? The apprentice of Longclaw?" He remembered Athair mentioning the hedgehog as the apprentice of the deceased owl who had wiped out his clan. "I shall help you protect the world, Robotnik, and get vengeance for my people, at the same time!"
Blinded by his rage, the guardian allowed him to build the Launch base zone, as well as several other small bases and robots all over the islands, When the hedgehog arrived on the island in super form, Knuckles used the energies of the master emerald to neturailze the chaos power inside the hero. He punched Sonic, sending the emeralds flying, and returned him to normal. Before the blue blur can even ask who the echidna is, Knuckles activated one of the traps that Athair had showed him how to build, sending the hedgehog tumbling into the abyss.
What followed was the Hedgehog and his fox friend racing all over the island, re-collecting the Chaos emeralds, while Knuckles activated trap after trap to stop them. But the two heroes fought on, battling all the way to the hidden the shadow of the master emerald, Sonic and Knuckles fought, punching, kicking, and spin dashing each other. Knuckles, using the training of his father and grandfather, while sonic used Longclaw's training to fight back. Finally, Sonic managed to land a blow that sent the guardian flying. Knuckles barely had the time to register the shock of his loss, before Robotnik moved to take the Master Emerald.
"Robotnik, you told me you were trying to protect the world!" Knuckles cursed him, leaping to save the great gemstone, even as his island crashed into the ocean.. "You have betrayed me!"
With a laugh, Robotnik brushed him aside. Then, with no choice, Knuckles reluctantly team up with the hedgehog he hated to get his emerald back. The trio worked together- Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles- took on Robotnik. And together, they got the master emerald back, destroyed the downed death egg, and restored the master emerald to it's rightful place. Sonic and tails then flew away from the island, believing they had made a new friend. But Knuckles still mistrusted the blue hedgehog, still blinded by the hatred of Longclaw's apprentice, did not forgive as easily.
"Robotnik... whom Sonic calls Eggman, betrayed me. So I cannot trust him." Knuckles reflected bitterly, putting his hand on the master emerald. "But I still will not trust that accursed hedgehog, I will not forgive him for what his mother figure did to my father... and my people."
Knuckles's stubborn pride, would not let him recognize one who was trying to extend a hand of friendship. A few months later, when Eggman approached the guardian with another story of Sonic's evil attempt to collect the emeralds. Blinded by his hate of the hedgehog, Knuckles and jerboa bounty hunter, Fang the Sniper (using the alias of Nack the Weasel) tried to stop Sonic on his quest. They, along with Eggman, formed a 'triple trouble' to stop Sonic. Knuckles thought he was making a difference, while in reality they were a distraction for Eggman to recover the chaos emeralds. Knuckles was too blind to realize that his hatred of the hedgehog was doing more harm than good.
"If you know Robotnik was evil," He asked Nack the weasel, when he and Knux were working together during the 'triple trouble' fiasco. "Then why do you serve him?"
"Because he paid me a fortune in rings!" The jerboa replied. "Money makes all of the moral worries disappear, mate!"
The event that would change Knuckle's opinion finally came, when something new would enter his life. Sleet and Dingo, two bounty hunters hired by Eggman, came to try and steal the master emerald. Knuckles easily caught the two hired thugs, and was going to feed them to one of the creatures that lived on the island, when the pair busted out the old falsehood about Sonic coming to steal the master emerald. Still blinded by his hatred of Longclaw, Knuckles released the pair, and readied himself to face the hedgehog once more.
But this time, he did not come with his fox friend.
Sonic's two siblings, whom he had only recently reunited with, begged to go along on a mission with him. The Hedgehog reluctantly brought them along, as Tails was away on his own adventure at the time, and they were ambushed by the guardian as soon as they had touched down. Knux immediately engaged Sonic in a fight, while the green hedgehog sibling slipped away to try and stop Sleet and Dingo. The battle between Sonic and the echidna kicked up, until a sucker punch almost as strong as his own blows sent the guardian reeling.
"STOP IT!" The voice of the one who threw the punch demanded. "WHY IN THE NAME OF GAIA ARE YOU ATTACKING MY BROTHER!?"
Knuckles had not seen a female Islander since before his adolescence, so the sight of this hedgehog beauty was a heavenly vision to the teenage echidna. Soft fuchsia fur, pink hair, beautiful black eyes... Knuckles could only stare at the girl who would be his first crush in awe, trying to keep his jaw from hitting the ground.
"Who... who are you...?" He asked, staring in disbelief. "Such a vision of beauty..."
"The name's Sonia, Sonic's little sister." She smirked, motioning for her blue brother to stand down. "And you must be Knuckles the echidna, it's a pleasure..."
Suddenly, Knuckles the echidna was FINALLY willing to listen to the hedgehog, and came to realize he had been tricked again. While Sonic's brother Manic had managed to stop the wolf Sleet, Dingo had managed to make it to the Master Emerald, and absorb a great deal of it's power. It turned the bounty hunter into a giant chaos monster, and he began to rampage across the island. Together, the three siblings and Knuckles were able to team up, and defeat the mutated mutt, before Athiar's revenant appeared, and siphoned off all of the excess chaos energy from Dingo, reverting him to normal. Knuckles then tied up the two bounty hunters, and Manic flew them back down to the surface to be taken by the authorities for their various other crimes. The green Sibling quickly returned, and the trio stayed on the island for a few days as the smitten Knuckle's guests.
"This island of yours is so lovely." Sonia told him, as they walked along the beach together. "I wish we had places this lovely on the surface."
"It is not as lovely as you are, Miss Sonia." Knuckles replied, trying to keep his composure. "You are always welcome on my island."
That night, Knuckles prepared Kripnik, and echidna delicacy, for them. It was at the campfire that night, that Manic asked;
"Hey dude, why do you, like, hate our big bro so much?" The mellow green hedgehog asked. "What did he ever do to you?"
"Your brother did nothing, I was blinded by a hatred for one whom he cared for, and transferred that to him." The guardian finally admitted, turning to face the blue blur. "I would desire to end our rivalry, hedgehog. And bury the hatchet for your sister's sake."
"As long as you're not burying it in my spiky head, sounds good to me."Sonic agreed, extending a hand jokingly. "Glad to be pals, Knucklehead."
The two shook hands, and Knuckles was able to enjoy the company of the three siblings- especially Sonia- for a few more days. Sadly, they day came when the trio had to return to the surface, but Sonic and he were able to part as friends. Sonia, whom he had managed to win the favor of during her stay, even holding hands with him as they walked along the beach their final night here, gave the echidna a parting gift; a brown stetson hat, with three star symbols on the brim. Knuckles would treasure this gift dearly, and would sometimes wear it on adventures in the future. He would rarely see her again in the future, but the young echidna would never forget the beauty and kindness of Sonia the Hedgehog, his first real crush.
It was at this point, that Knuckles discovered the ancient Star posts, a long forgotten way his people used to travel, and used them to warp down to the surface. Having finally gotten bored of being on the island all of the time, the echidna began warping down to the surface for brief adventures to try out his new hobby; treasure had learned the ancient echidna skill of detecting treasures, and used it to try and track down lost echidna artifacts on the surface. It was during one of these treasure hunts in a series of ancient ruins, that he stumbled across Sonic and Tails battling the mysterious metal Robotnik, while trying to save the president of South Island's kidnapped islander-human hybrid daughter, Sara. Much to his sorrow, the hat that had been a gift was burned up during this adventure. But at least the echidna was able to nobly defend Sara's honor for a moment.
"Tails, get off!" Knuckles yelled at the fox, who had accidentally groped Sara's bosom.
"I'm so sorry!" The apologetic Miles Prower exclaimed, blushing.
"I never thought you'd stoop that low!" Knuckles shook his head, ashamed of the little fox.
Fortunately, after battles with both metal Robotnik and the hyper metal Sonic variant, the trio were able to rescue Sara, and prevent Eggman from melting the glaciers to flood the earth.
Knuckles was happy to be going on adventures, though it bothered him to leave the Master Emerald unattended for too long. We wished there was someone who could stay and guard the gemstone, as well as friends who actually around more than the busy Sonic and Tails, that he could go on more frequent adventures with. Both wishes were about to be granted, as the young echidna's life, was about to get far more...
...chaotix.