Chapter 3: The Present is a Gift

(Knuckles POV)

Something isn't right. It's summer, and yet I'm shivering. Everything feels cold to the touch, and

the plants almost seem like they're wilting. I glance over my shoulder and spot the Master

Emerald standing where it always does, wrapped in mystery.

I know you're there! Now come out!

Nothing. Only hollow-looking trees stand in front of me.

"Who are you?" I yell out, but only silence answers.

"Show yourself!" I command. A rustle in the bushes catches my attention. Slowly, a dark figure

rises from the foliage. The temperature drops tenfold, and fog begins to form around me. My

arms tense, prepared. Whoever this is, they're not welcome here. Evil... that's the word to

describe this thing. Evil... and powerful.

The figure takes a step forward, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It keeps

pressing forward, walking slowly, but not slow enough for my liking.

"Who are you, and what is your business here?" I demand. The figure stops just at the border of

the forest, still hidden in the shadows.

"Don't make me ask you again," I bark. The figure lets out a low chuckle as it walks past the

shadows. And then, it looks straight at me.

I gasp.

The creature—no, the person—in front of me is none other than... Chris?

I blink, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. This can't be right. It can't possibly be him...

"Huh? Oh, hey Knuckles! Just thought I'd drop by and say hi," Chris says nonchalantly, as if

nothing's wrong. He doesn't even bother to look at me. Since when does Chris just drop by like

this?

Skeptically, I reply, "It's nice to see you... to... uh, if you don't mind me asking, why are you

here? Don't you usually spend your free time with Sonic?"

Chris tenses up instantly, and I see him make a face, though I'm sure he doesn't think I noticed.

"Well... you see..." He lets his eyes dart away from mine as he scratches the back of his head

sheepishly. "He-he, uh, went out for the day. Said he wanted to go sightseeing or something like

that. And since I was close by, I figured I'd come pay you a visit."

"How nice of you," I mutter, turning back to the Master Emerald, with a grunt.

Chris just stands there for a few seconds, then turns and starts walking off into the forest.

"Where are you going?" I ask, annoyed. He stops, turns around slowly, and gives me the most

terrifying smirk I've ever seen. Cold shivers run down my spine.

"I told you. I only stopped by to say hi," he says, his voice carrying an edge I can't quite place.

"But normally you would—" Before I can finish, Chris is already walking into the woods.

"Wait a minute! Come back here!" I dash after him, confused. What is going on? Chris always

spends time talking, or rather annoying me, for at least an hour before he takes off.

Entering the forest, I look around, but there's no trace of him.

"Chris? Are you out there?" I call out. Silence.

Well, if it was anything important, he would have told me, I think, shrugging my shoulders.

Lying down next to the Master Emerald, I let my mind drift back to what just happened.

Something's wrong with Chris. Sure, he looks fine physically, but something is off. His manner of

speaking, the way he suddenly disappeared—it's nothing like the Chris I know. The Chris I know

would always spend time talking with everyone, no matter what. And that smirk, that look in his

eyes... All I could feel was cold. It wasn't the warmth I usually feel when Chris smiles—no, this

was different. This felt like pure evil.

Bzzzzz... Bzzzzzzz

"Huh? What's that?" I glance over and spot something green glowing beside me.

"Master Emerald! What's wrong?!" I shout. The glow intensifies, growing brighter by the second.

I grunt and shield my eyes as I'm engulfed by the light.

When the light fades, I find myself standing in a scene from the past. I'm on top of the temple,

but there's no sign of any of the Echidna around. Instead, I see Chris. And Chris.

Wait a minute. Why are there two Chrises? Does he have a twin brother I don't know about?

From the top of the temple, I watch a younger version of Chris, barely ten years old, standing off

against his look-alike. This other Chris is dressed in a black ninja suit with a matching

headband, holding two unusual-looking swords. The blades are made of some black metal, but

what stands out are the green lines running through them, giving them a high-tech look. The boy

grips the swords tightly, his knuckles white. He wears a wireless radio in his ear, speaking into it

as he looks back at his opponent.

Chris's face is battered and bruised, covered in scratches. His breaths come out in heavy

gasps.

"We told you to leave peacefully. Now, we have no other choice," the young Chris declares,

raising one of his blades. He gives a death glare to the person in front of him. "I, agent Silver

Bullet, A.K.A. Christopher Thorndyke, use the power invested in me to sentence you to death.

Now Zero, do you have any last words?"

The doppelgänger laughs darkly. "And what, may I ask, have I done to deserve this?"

"You know very well what you've done. Your selfishness has cost us several precious lives and

placed our entire universe in jeopardy."

I stand there, stunned. Is this really possible? That the young boy in front of me could be the

same little Chris I met just a few months ago?

A low voice roars, "You will pay dearly for your interference, boy! Just you wait! I'll destroy

you—and then the worlds you so willingly protect!"

I look over just as the look-alike begins to transform. Before I can process what happens next,

I'm engulfed once again in a blinding light.

"AARRGGHHH!" A pained voice yells out. Seconds later, I hear something heavy hit the ground.

"CHRIS!" I scream, but before I can do anything else, I'm back in my own time.

"What—what was that? Master Emerald, what did you want to show me?"

The Master Emerald has ceased glowing, now silent.

Looks like I need to pay Chris a visit. I need some answers.

Something big is going on, and Chris is somehow a part of it.

(Knuckles POV)

After running for what felt like an eternity, I finally reach Chris's house. The odds are in my

favor—Chris should be home, but there's always a chance someone else might be there. Not

that it matters much.

When I hear a familiar voice, I figure I might as well show some courtesy.

"Ugh, all this thinking is giving me a headache!" I mutter, unable to hold back a sarcastic

comment.

Sonic bolts upright. I struggle to suppress a laugh. Sonic, the hero? Yeah, right. In this moment,

he's more like a baboon.

"... To be honest, I forgot you had a brain," I say, a grin pulling at my face.

I can tell Sonic's about to snap back, but we fall into our usual banter, which helps me relax a

little. I almost forget why I'm here—until Sonic asks.

"So, what brings you here anyway?"

And there goes the moment.

Looking out over the city, I answer, "I'm looking for Chris. Is he here?"

"Depends. Why do you ask?"

"None of your business," I mutter. It's not even mine, really. "Now, is Chris here or not?"

When Sonic doesn't answer, I decide I've wasted enough time.

"Okay, guess I'll just find out for myself."

I turn to leave, but to my surprise, Sonic stops me.

I open my mouth to snap, but one look at his face shuts me up.

"Knuckles?" he starts.

"Yeah?" I try to focus on what he's saying, but my mind is still processing what I just witnessed.

When he mentions Chris's name, I snap back into attention.

"Chris has been acting strangely since this morning. Frankly, I'm worried about him."

I feel my mind race back to Chris's cold smirk and the images from the past. Is it possible he

really came today? Even if he deserves whatever's coming to him, I can't bring myself to tell

Sonic everything—not now.

"He's a kid..." I say, trying to convince myself. "He's probably just tired, possibly stressed. After

all, he has a hard life for such a good kid."

When I say "good kid," I'm not sure if I'm trying to convince Sonic... or myself.

His eyes never leave mine, and for a moment, I see all the turmoil inside him. Who knew Sonic

could carry so many emotions at once?

"Okay, but can you keep an eye on him?"

You can count on that. I nod in response. After leaving the roof, I realize Sonic never actually

answered my question.

"So much for common courtesy," I mutter to myself.

I walk into the house, expecting it to be empty.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"Who is it?" I hear a feminine voice call out.

"Ella? It's me, Knuckles."

"Ohh! Knuckles! What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for Chris. Is he here?"

"He's up in his room."

"Okay, thanks." I walk up the stairs and down the hallway until I find Chris's room. When I enter,

I find him sitting on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. He looks lost... like some kind of child

who's been abandoned.

"Chris." I say his name, snapping him out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh, hey Knuckles." He forces a smile. A forced smile? "What brings you here?"

"We need to talk."

Chris stares at me, confusion evident on his face.

"...Okay? Do you want me to get the others?"

"No, this concerns only you and me right now." I say, my voice stern. Chris tenses, but nods,

understanding.

"Okay... so what is it?"

"Did you visit the Master Emerald at all today?"

Chris shakes his head.

"No, I only woke up an hour or two ago. Since then, I haven't left the house. You can ask

anyone. I've been home all day."

End of Chapter