Chapter 7: Guardian-Part 1

Underground

It was bad enough that an entire army was after them, but it was even worse that their only 'get out of jail free card' was missing along with two of their friends. Sonic, along with Sally and Miles, had been on the run from Swatbots for a little under an hour now. The further they went through the underground, the more this place became a shifting maze. Luckily in their travels, they were able to fit inside a small crevice that acted as a temporary hiding spot. Miles poked one eye through the seam of the crevice, watching a thunderous stampede of metal march past them. "They won't give up until they find us." Sonic raised his voice at Sally. Miles had been tuning it out for the most part, but the two of them had been arguing for a bit now. The fox twitched one ear back while keeping his head aimed outside. "All of this will be for nothing if they get the emerald."

"I can't leave them!" Sally referred to Bunnie and Antoine. "For all we know, they're just as scared and alone as we are."

"They can handle a few Swatbots. They've always made do with getting out when things got bad. It's us that the Swatbots are looking for. We should get out while we still can."

"Swatbots? Yes. But Shadow? They won't stand a chance."

"All the more reason why we shouldn't keep the emerald down here. I've gotten stronger, but I still don't know if I can beat Shadow." Sonic held the yellow emerald in the palm of his hand. The mere contact of the jewel sent a strong spark through Sonic's body. Unlike the Chaos energy he felt in the facility, this power was far more refined and potent. All the more reason why someone like Shadow can't get his hands on it. "Starline said these would turn the tide of the war. There are a lot of things I don't want to take at face value from him, but this is one I believe."

"Then take it and the kid and leave." Sonic tilted his head and lowered his eyebrows, already dismissive of the notion.

"Excuse me?"

"I can move quicker alone. I'll find Bunnie and Antoine while you make your way to Knothole." Sally recognized the dismay in Sonic's expression, but she was serious about her plan. "Trust me on this. I've been keeping a low profile before you were ever in the picture."

"Even if you knew your way around, you still don't know where Bunnie and Antoine are." Sonic sighed. "Let me look for them."

"What?"

"I won't pick a fight if given the choice." Sonic tossed the emerald to Sally, which gracefully fell into her embrace. "Even if you found them, getting them out won't be easy for you. That's something I can handle."

"May I object?" Miles spoke out, gathering their attention. "I know you don't trust him, but I know Dr. Starline considers your best interests. Remember, he was with your friends. It's more than likely that he got them out when trouble came. Going out to look for them at all would frankly be foolish." Both Sonic and Sally had nothing to say in response to that. Desperation must've clouded their reasoning to make them propose such radical plans. It was true that they didn't fully trust the doctor, but Miles was someone they could put their faith in. "We should focus on getting away while we still have the emerald." Miles poked his head out of the crevice to see if the coast was clear. He signaled Sonic and Sally to follow as they left their sanctuary.

Through more tight tunnels they went, still troubled by the possibility of leaving their friends behind. Occasionally Miles would try to make small talk, but only Sonic briefly humored him, while Sally kept fretting to herself. He only knew so much about her, but Miles couldn't stand seeing her in such a state. His forthright questions bounced off her like a stone wall. Her fortitude was commendable but stubborn. She tried almost too hard to keep her vulnerability from spilling out. If pressed any further, Miles knew of the potential of her having a mental breakdown. His ears suddenly snap to the left, where the path split into a few ways. He recognized this area and where one of these tunnels led. It gave him an idea to lift the spirits of his company.

He led the way forward with no protest from the others. It seemed like they didn't care at all where he was leading them. Soon, a blue sparkle danced across Sally's face. Her inquisitive eyes trailed a light dust that frolicked with light. Her mind became still, lifted from her agonizing worries. She felt like she had entered a dream, as the soft blue dust filled the way ahead–it was magical. The three soon entered a small, dome-shaped chamber sprinkled with blue crystal clusters that radiated the dust. Sonic and Sally stood by the entry point in awe as Miles broke off one of the crystals. "Catch!" He called out to Sonic as he hurled the crystal. It landed in the hedgehog's lap when he caught it. It was weightless. It was like holding a cloud. Sonic soon felt lighter the longer he held onto it.

"Sonic?" Sally said with concern. The blue blur almost didn't notice, but his feet had lifted off the ground.

"Woah!" He started to panic–his limbs flailed all over the place. Miles started to laugh uncontrollably as he watched Sonic rise further into the air. "What's happening?"

"It's an angel shard," Miles answered. "Hold one for long enough, and gravity loses its concept." Miles broke off another piece, keeping it in his hand as he ascended. The fox twirled and spun through the air. He kicked off the side of the wall, torpedoing from one end to another. He laughed with joy as his body was but a mere drift in the universe. Sonic soon saw the appeal, and did tricks of his own, bouncing and curling across the chamber.

"Amazing…!" Sally was struck with disbelief. "There's so much we can do with these. Rotor could probably–" Sally caught her tongue. Her hand was opened and raised, receiving a shower of blue dust that tingled her fingers. Her head was soon filled with a strange relief, cleared of all responsibility. She sorrowfully watched the soft dust dissipate in her palm. She squeezed her hand, trying to clench onto whatever was left of it.

It felt wrong to crave that drifting blissfulness that it became abundantly clear of the cluttered mess that inhabited Sally's conscience. It blocked out memories of the little girl she once was: a carefree and cheerful person. Through the muddy battles and covert lives, who that person is was suppressed. But Sally could feel her coming out again as more dust from the angel shards scattered around her. She wanted to fight it. She knew there were more pressing matters. They needed the emerald out, they needed to find their friends, they needed…

The future was Sally's home. A home boarded up to keep people from leaving it. For the first time in many years, Sally found out how to tear its walls down. Turns out she didn't have to. She just had to open the door and walk out.

"To hell with it." She whispered to herself with a smile on her face. The dust on its own was enough to give her the push she needed to soar. She leaped from the ground, zooming past Sonic and Miles as she gracefully orbits around the chamber. She closed her eyes as she allowed the flow of her body to guide her safely in a loop.

Sonic met her in the air, tapping her back in a playful manner. "Tag! You're it!" Sonic kicked off the wall to get away as Sally came back to her senses. She quickly engaged with the game as she hunted down Sonic and Miles, passing off her antic hunt to one of them. She laughed with no restraint. Minutes felt like hours with no sun to show them the time, but every second spent with each other was a second to cherish.

The effects of the crystals and dust soon wore off as they returned to the ground. It took more energy out of them than they thought it would, as they were sitting down and shepherding air back into their lungs. "How did you know about this place?" Sally forced her breath.

"Starline," Miles said. "He brings me here every time I have a bad day, and by the time I leave, I often forget what I was so upset about. I feel free here."

"It's a nice place," Sally said warmly. "How did you meet him anyway?"

Miles' face became all gloomy as memories pushed through him. "I used to work in that quarry. I might've even been born there, I don't know. We were given a promise by the one we referred to as 'The Voice of the Surface'. For our labor and our deeds to the machines, the voice would grant us freedom to the world above. He described the land as fertile–lush with all the amenities we need. Many flocked to the idea, but some knew better."

Miles' hands clenched around his legs. It was difficult for him to continue. "Those who were really aware were taken away. Roboticized, I can only guess. But me? Robotnik saw potential in what I've created. He wanted me repurposed to improve his army, but before I was sent off to Robotropolis, Starline found me. Ever since then, we've always been on the move, doing what we can to bring Robotnik down." That sorrowful look on his face grew the more he spoke. He recalled the workers at the quarry, saddened still by what he had taken from them. "Starline wants the miners to keep working so we can keep taking emeralds, but I know it's wrong. To think that if he hadn't found me when he did, I'd spend the rest of my life working for a false dream, while he willingly let it happen." Miles sunk his head into his knees, hiding his tears. "I want to save them."

Sonic stood up, placing his arm around Miles' shoulder. "Some day we will, I promise." Miles lifted his head, prompting Sonic to wipe off the tears drenching his fur. "You didn't betray them. Robotnik would never give them paradise on the surface. One day they'll understand why you did what you did. But until then, don't let it become a burden to you." Miles beamed with comfort, taking solace in Sonic's assurance. Sonic stood to his feet and proclaimed the next step. "We should move. Get out of this underground maze. Think you can get us out of here, Miles?"

"I could. But one more thing– and this is gonna sound silly– I've never been a fan of my name. It just…never rang true to me."

Sonic replied curiously, "Was there something you had in mind?"

Miles wrapped his two tails to the front of his body, holding them softly in his hand, and seeing them no longer as a hindrance, but as a gift. "You've taught me a lot since we met. You taught me to not be ashamed of who I am. I think…Tails…If you think that's not a ridiculous name."

"It's got a nice ring to it," Sonic teased. "Alright, Tails, lead the way."

The three continued their journey through the caves, gazing across the countless breathless sights it had to offer. Every cavern was something new. A new world untouched by the corruption above. Sonic, Sally, and Tails traveled at a relaxing pace, unhindered by their troubles before. They got a glimpse of what exploring the planet would feel like if it was left alone by Robotnik's tyranny. So much was robbed in their lives, but after getting a taste of what peace was, it only motivated them to fight back harder.

Eventually, their adventures took a turn to hope, as once they left a tight corridor, their eyes were blinded by natural light. But it wasn't a true way out yet, as the sunlight only rained from a large opening in the ceiling of the cavern. However, this was the least of their concerns. They soon realized that this opening was not natural, but was indeed a crater from a massive object falling through. Said object lay undisturbed in the center of the cavern: a vast array of temples and ruins slanted against the ground on which it landed. There was a chunk of rock, dirt, and grass as the foundation below the ruins. It was almost as if this was an island that crashed here. It didn't make any sense.

"You guys are seeing this, right?" Sonic asked with bewilderment. "What am I looking at? Tails, do you have any idea what this is?"

"No," He responded with the same level of confusion. "I never even knew this was here."

Sally pointed to the open to the surface above. "Do you think you can fly us up there?" she asked Tails.

"Not from here." Tails looked around the ruins, locating the highest peak, which happened to be a tall temple in the center of the crashed island. "If we can make it there, I can maybe get one person up at a time."

"Let's not wait any longer then." Sonic with certainty as they ventured to the ruins. Unbeknownst to them, someone was following. A figure stepped out, watching the three tread closer to the temple. The figure held a burlap sack in one mitt, while the other balled a fist with indignation. Whoever it was, they were not happy to have company.

Ruins

The town of broken mausoleums and palaces appeared far more ancient than anything the three had ever seen before. Palm trees still flourished where there was sunlight, but with all the towering buildings around, many places where there was vegetation shriveled and dried. "These aren't just monuments." Tails spoke up as they traveled through the mossy brick road. He pointed out a fountain, along with a run-down building that was almost reminiscent of a home. "People lived here."

"Any idea where everyone went?" Sonic spoke aloud as his head wandered along each building and structure.

"That's what I've been wondering." Sally chimed in. "But I'm more perplexed with how a place like this ended up here. Maybe there's something we can find out. Maybe there's someone still here." Sally wasn't so sure if that was even possible. "But…this place is old. Like, really old. I'm not sure what we will find."

"We'll find out soon enough." Sonic shifted his gaze to the center shrine, which appeared far more prominent than the other structures. The only thing Sonic could be certain about was that Robotnik was unaware of this place's existence. If he had been, then not an inch of nature would have survived his wake. If there was anything here that they could use against him, then Sonic was all for it.

They climbed up the long stairs leading to the shrine's grand door. It took all three of them at their full strength to push it open, and even then, all they could muster was a small crack to slip through. To their surprise, only one room was laid ahead. Considering the size of the shrine itself, they expected more to be on the other side. What was there was an altar, which seemed incomplete. There was a slot on the ground, shaped like the bottom of a diamond. It was empty the same way everything else was empty in these ruins.

The walls surrounding them painted a mural, depicting a great battle between a golden figure and a cataclysm. The lands were engulfed in raging water–life was swallowed by the devastating power of a serpent-like being that was one with the waters. The golden figure valiantly stood beside the sun. It was the world's guardian, pushing back the black waves that threatened those under its radiant beams. Sonic was enticed by this figure, inspired by the character's willingness to act as a shield and not as a weapon.

"Over here!" Tails called out to them as he spotted something residing in the corner of the room. The fox shuffled through an assortment of crates, covers, and boxes until he nabbed a small brown bag that was resting on a straw bed.

"Is it really ok to go through people's stuff like that?" Sally asked, concerned.

Sonic tried to rationalize. "Whose would it be? It's not like anyone is living here." Tails unlatched the bag and then dumped its contents onto the bed. He wasn't doing this for no reason. When he was exploring around the altar, his Chaos Scanner was going through the roof. He was sure it wasn't from their emerald, and as he gazed into the bag's belongings, his eyes were met with treasure. Four green shards, sparkling despite the absence of light, caught their attention.

"We've seen these before!" Sally commented. "These were in that facility where you fought Shadow. There's more of them?"

"Tails, what are these?" Sonic asked.

The fox chuckled to himself, still astonished by what he was seeing. "I'm not sure, other than they're related to Chaos power." Tails took one of the shards and placed it directly against his scanner. The gauge raised to about halfway. "Interesting…These hold less energy than a Chaos Emerald. Perhaps they're a crystalline that's been in close contact with the emeralds, inheriting a small portion of their power."

"Or maybe they're fragments of something else," Sally said with disbelief. Tails turned around to see her staring at the mural again. He tracked her glare to a peculiar image: a circle of all seven Chaos Emeralds, linked around one giant gemstone, colored the same as the green shards next to Tails.

"Oh…well this changes everything."

"So what we saw in the facility were fragments of that?" Sonic expressed uncertainty. "Does Robotnik know about this? Has this been what he's looking for this whole time?"

"We can't say for certain," Sally responded. "But the fact that Robotnik has some of the fragments means he's aware of their power. We should take the shards we found and leave before any Swatbots show up."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Sonic made his way to the shard, putting them back in their bag as he carried it on one shoulder. However, a subtle tremor below them stopped Sonic in his place. It was a constant shift in the ground, only growing louder and closer with each second. "Does anyone else feel that?" Suddenly, the floor below Sonic shattered, and a mitted fist came barreling into his jaw. Sonic was knocked into the air by a force much stronger than anything he had ever been hit by before. The bag was knocked clean from his shoulder, spilling the shards across the ground. Sonic's ears were ringing and his vision was dazed as he wobbled back to his feet. He saw his attacker briefly in front of him before he was pummeled with another blow, one much stronger than the last. He slammed into the wall, just below the golden figure in the mural. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins as his fighting spirit kicked in. He got a better look at his attacker, allowing him to dodge the next punch which eviscerated the wall behind him.

No longer disorientated, Sonic saw a red echidna, with seven spines hanging low from the back of his head, and a white crescent-like mark across his chest. The echidna abruptly ignored Sonic as he recollected the brown bag on the floor. He checked the shards inside, making sure that none of them were damaged before he turned back to Sonic. "Thieves! How dare you lay a finger on these?!"

"Hold on, we didn't mean to steal. We didn't think anyone was home." Sonic tried to defend himself.

"What rubbish…can't you see my obvious abode there?" The echidna pointed to the corner where the straw bed was. Sonic could barely believe anyone would call that an 'abode'.

"Yeah, I wouldn't put too much pride into it if I were you."

"First you try to steal from me, and then you insult my home?! It goes against my better judgment, but I'll give you a chance. Leave now before you get hurt."

"Wait!" Tails intervened, stepping between Sonic and the echidna. "We don't want to fight. We didn't know anyone was here, I swear."

"Then answer this, fox boy, what purpose do you have here?"

"Listen, I picked up on your shards with my scanner. It has the same wavelength and properties as this," Tails pulled out the yellow Chaos Emerald, showing it to the echidna. The echidna's eyes widened at the sight of the emerald. "If you can explain to us what those shards are, I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

"The…Chaos Emerald?" The echidna mumbled. "All this time I thought they were gone. How did you–no… that doesn't matter." He shook his head, shaking away any doubt he had. "My duty still remains. No one should hold the power of the emeralds…No one!" The echidna slammed the ground with one fist, sending forth a shockwave that targeted Tails. The fox couldn't react quick enough, as the crumbling ground reached him within the blink of an eye. Fortunately, a blue streak caught him right before disaster, as Sonic carried Tails to safety. The hedgehog set Tails down next to Sally as he glares spitefully at the echidna.

"Get Sally out of here," Sonic told Tails without looking at him.

"What about you?"

"I'll find a way out, but first I have to deal with him." At this point, Sonic was willing to take the shards away from the echidna. He didn't know why he had kept them to himself, but he knew that those fragments would be safer from Robotnik if they were in the hands of the freedom fighters.

"Are you sure, Sonic?" Sally asked sincerely.

"There's not a doubt running in my mind." It was all that she needed to hear, as she signaled to Tails to get them out. The two ran off with the emerald, heading outside where Tails was able to hold onto Sally and fly them up to the opening.

"Hold it!" The echidna exclaimed. He tried running after them, but before he could make it out the door, Sonic grabbed hold of him and moved him back to where he was originally standing. "I do not have time for games, hedgehog. Move aside." As the echidna tried to go after them again, Sonic kept moving him back again and again until he got tired of the hedgehog's antics. "I'm not in the mood."

"You sure are kidding me. Maybe if you didn't want to keep being moved around all the time, you'd stop going after my friends."

"Those who were worthy of the Master Emerald's power are long gone. That goes the same with the Chaos Emeralds."

"Master Emerald?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Just what makes you think we're not worthy of them?"

"You're stalling."

"Maybe. What 'ya gonna do about it?"

"Enough!" The echidna collided his fists against each other, emitting a loud quake that echoed through the ruins. "I am the last of my kind–the sole protector and guardian of purity. Take note, while you stand in my way, evil grows closer to what is sacred. I, Knuckles, will see my purpose prosper, and evil thwarted."

Knuckles clapped his hands, unleashing a wave of force that nearly took Sonic's head off. The hedgehog spun into the echidna, hitting him in the chest as he bounced back and went in for another attack. Sonic's was too much for Knuckles at the moment, as his spin dashes narrowly made it past the echidna's defenses. "So what am I in your purpose? Am I evil? Because let me tell you, there's a whole lot worse out there than me." Sonic dashed into Knuckles' body again. "Why don't we just simmer down and talk this out like gentlemen?" Knuckles refused as he bumped his fists, looking for a fight. "C'mon, man, you can't keep up."

As Sonic went in for another spin dash, Knuckles had already adapted to Sonic's methods. He relaxed his muscles and pushed forward with one hand to catch Sonic in mid-air while he was still curled in a ball. He uses his free hand to slam him into the floor, cracking it even further. Sonic immediately stood up and tried to throw a punch of his own, but Knuckles caught his fist with ease. "All it takes is one mistake."

Knuckles squeezed, fracturing the bone in Sonic's hand. He cried in anguish as he tried to break free, but the grip around his hand was sealed tight. If he couldn't escape him, he would just have to apply enough pressure to force a release. Sonic jumped and wrapped his legs around the echidna's neck. He shifted his mass to throw him into the ground, which broke his concentration enough for Sonic to break free.

Sonic winced in pain as he took a look at his hand. He tried to flex his fingers, but he couldn't move any of them a full centimeter due to the swelling. "You say you want to talk," Knuckles arose from the ground, patting off debris and dust that covered his body. "You say there's worse things out there, but to me, you're all the same."

"What are you talking about?"

"You all want the unbound power of the emeralds. Write off your use of them for selflessness all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you're still here to steal from me." Sonic didn't respond. He was right, unfortunately. If he couldn't talk him into an alliance, he wasn't leaving without those shards. "You could've run away by now, and I would never catch you. But here you stand, because you wish to rob me of my duty, to sully what my ancestors have fought for. You have no idea what can go wrong."

"That's not true!" Sonic clapped back. "I do know what will happen if that power is put into the wrong hands. There's a horrible person in charge of the world who's seeking it, and he already has a part of what you're looking for." Knuckles' fists slightly lowered, taking Sonic's words into consideration. "People are going to die if I can't stop him. But I don't know everything that's going on. You know more than me about what these emeralds are, so please, help us–" Suddenly, a tense force struck down on Sonic's neck. It wasn't painful, but he felt his muscles tighten and constrict, causing his vision to narrow and fade. He lost control of his legs. His body slouched over, and the side of his head hit the ground. A small tunnel grew smaller as his fleeting eyes watched the echidna run to him with an inkling of concern. He overlooked the slippery assailant who landed behind him. Sonic barely got a glimpse of her as she chopped the side of Knuckles' neck, knocking him out cold too.

Her face was masked, and her body was covered in a black, skin-tight unitard, except for two turquoise irises and blue eyeshadow, which cast an enchanting gaze upon them. She turned her back and faced the corner of the room, approaching the brown bag full of gems as Sonic's consciousness drifted away.

Much later, Sonic peacefully flickered his eyes open, staring directly into the arched ceiling. Pain soon shot into his head and hand, as a terrible headache emerged from its dormant state, and a constricting sensation held his hand in place. He took a moment to look at his broken hand but was surprised to see it wrapped neatly in a bandage. He looked around for Knuckles, thinking he was the one who did this, but he was even more surprised to see him lying unconscious beside him. Someone had laid him on his back and tended to the bruises inflicted by Sonic's dash attacks. Sonic winced as he attempted to straighten his posture.

"Please don't strain yourself." Sonic snapped his head to a hushed voice. A cloaked woman stood before him, watching him avidly. "Oh, it's so good to see you again."

"Do I…know you?"

"You probably don't remember." Sonic looked back at Knuckles, eyeing the bruises on his body. Sonic had hit him pretty hard, and he wasn't exactly glad he did.

"Is he gonna be ok?"

"He'll be fine. He's just taking a moment to rest a while longer." She ran her hand across Knuckles' chest, making sure there weren't any more injuries she missed. "You, on the other hand," She turned back to Sonic, where she tenderly grabbed his fractured hand, fidgeting her fingers between his. "He did much more to you than you did to him."

"Who are you?" The cloaked woman pulled back on her hood. Her face was almost like a mirror to Sonic. She was a hedgehog with violet quills. She also shared Sonic's green eyes. Her gentle smile nearly broke from the relieved sadness that quivered in her eyes.

"Someone who's missed you so much."

To be continued…

Next up: Guardian-Part 2