Chapter 8: Guardian-Part 2

"Dear Sonic, my only little joy. I know we will meet again one day, but I fear I will lose the words meant for your ears, not your eyes. Please understand, I've been away for a long time. I don't truly know who you are–what you've been in my absence. I failed you. I failed the one thing I promised myself to not break. But do know that every day since I last laid eyes on you, you've never left my thoughts. I missed you, and I'm sorry I never worked up the courage to see you. I will never forgive myself for that, no matter what excuse I may pretend to hide behind.

You may resent, despise, or be impartial about me, but one day I hope you understand, I did it all for you.

-Sincerely, your mother, Aleena."

Ruins

Sonic folded the letter neatly. He placed it on the ground to his side as he sat silently on the thin mat where he woke up. Aleena, his mother, stood in front of him. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't handle the shame of returning after all these years, just to have their talk be conveyed through a cheap note she wrote a long time ago. Sonic said nothing once he finished the letter. He wasn't sure how to process any of this. He had thousands of questions, but no nerve to ask one. His long stare at his mother was not out of hate, but it was what she took it as, as she averted her already distant gaze farther away from him.

She took a deep breath, expecting a response like this. "You probably don't even want to see me. I get it." She took another breath, barely keeping in her tears. "I get it…I just thought-" Before she could finish, Sonic had run right into her. He tightly wrapped his arms around her, catching Aleena off guard as shock flooded her face. Her spread arms slowly inched closer to her son until their embrace was inseparable. She looked down at him, seeing grief envelop his eyes. For the first time in many years, Aleena stroked her hand down her son's head, comforting him.

"I didn't know if you were still around," Sonic said with sadness. "I thought you were gone."

"I'm here now."

It was just about midnight, as the full moon peacefully rested over the opening above the ruins. A campfire was lit just outside the shrine, contrasting the cold light from above with the tenderness of below. Sonic and Aleena sat on opposite ends of the fire, chuckling and telling stories of their time apart. "I don't believe you." Aleena chortled with perhaps the biggest smile Sonic had ever seen on anybody. It was like she hadn't smiled her whole life, and just now she discovered the feeling.

"C'mon, am I one to lie?"

"Here's the thing," Aleena leaned forward, ready to battle her son through a game of deduction. "I'm still learning a lot about you. Who's to say you aren't a liar? Granted, everything you've told me so far seems…credible. But, I'm not sure if I totally buy you hitching a ride on an Iron Wyvern."

"Hold on, I didn't say 'ride,' I said hopped on. Perhaps I should've mentioned I was holding on for dear life the entire way."

"That makes more sense." Aleena stoked the fire with a stick, erupting the flame higher as its light grew larger around them. Now illuminated fully, Knuckles was placed outside next to them, still unconscious. Sonic already knew it would be a hard time convincing him to calm down, but it was going to be even harder now that the shards he was guarding were stolen. "So, how's your time in Knothole? Sally giving you a hard time?"

"You know her?" Sonic was now even more intrigued.

"I know most of them." Aleena blissfully stared into the sky, reminiscing. "Brings me back to all those years when they were just half their size. They were feisty back then, but I knew that's because their hearts were in the right place."

Sonic suddenly started to connect the dots. He recalled Sally mentioning a certain someone who disappeared a long time ago, someone who was very important to the freedom fighters. It was then that Sonic knew who he was talking to. "Holy crap! You're the leader of the freedom fighters!" He bolted up to his feet, pointing at her mother with conviction.

"Former leader." She smirked.

Sonic held his hands on his head as he started to pace around the fire. "Ok, this has to be some sort of prank." He tried rationalizing to himself. "Yeah, no way my mom, who coincidentally has been missing around the same time as the old leader, is said leader. No way, no way, no way." Sonic briefly looked back to Aleena. She bobbed her head playfully, teasing Sonic with the truth. "Oh, it's true!"

"Are you upset?"

"No, I…Well, maybe not me, but I bet a lot of people at Knothole will be. They've been wondering where you've been."

"Sonic, I miss the fighters–I do–but we were fighting a losing battle. I had to leave so I could do more without Robotnik noticing. And if you're worried about what Sally had to go through without me, I can assure you that I would never have left her to lead if I felt she wasn't ready."

"Then what about me?" Aleena was taken by surprise. "Why did you leave me?"

"Sonic…" She responded in a benevolent tone. "I believe you already know the answer to that: You were too young. Robotnik would know what you meant to me and I couldn't force that danger onto you. I had to make sure you were ready."

Sonic lowered his head as his pacing slowed. He solemnly kicked a small pebble off the shrine, displaying uncertainty. "Well, I don't know if I am ready," He said. "The world has been moving faster than I can keep up. The Chaos Emeralds, the underground town, and whatever the heck Shadow is. I have to face it all."

"You don't have to face it alone anymore. From now on, I'm with you."

Sonic's face lit up. "You promise?"

She nodded with assurance. "I promise."

Knuckles groaned as he was finally starting to stir. His body, while still half asleep, desperately tried to rise. Sonic and Aleena rushed over to him as his eyes flickered open. "Where…where is…" He mumbled. "Where is the Master Emerald?" As he tried to stand up from his resting spot, Sonic and Aleena held him back to keep him calm.

"Relax, knucklehead. Just let us explain." Sonic told him.

"Get off me!" Knuckles pushed back the two with ease as he stormed back inside the shrine. The echidna checked everywhere. His bag, under his bed, on the ceiling and walls. But there was nothing. He stormed back outside, confronting the two. "What did you do with the shards?"

"Nothing, I swear. We were knocked out, remember?"

"I can attest," Aleena added. "When I arrived, I saw you both unconscious."

"And who are you? Someone who also wishes to steal from me?"

"Someone who wishes to see your possessions reclaimed. Sonic here has already told me the importance of your fragments, and I will make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands."

"I don't need you," Knuckles moved past them, walking down the shrine's staircase. "I don't need any of you!"

"Seriously, this guy," Sonic muttered to Aleena. "Ok, can we just slow down for just a second? What exactly are these fragments?"

"They were once a part of the world's most powerful item: The Master Emerald. My clan swore to protect it with their lives. It has the capability to safeguard our planet, but also the ability to raze it."

"And how will you find them without our help?" He called out to the echidna. Knuckles stops in his tracks, laughing to himself as he turns back.

"Without your help? If anything you need mine. See, I have the innate ability to sense all Chaos energy, no matter how small it gets." Knuckles tapped his head to emphasize his point. "Even right now I can sense that the stolen fragments are still here underground."

"Then let us make a deal." Aleena stepped forward. "We have a common goal, and you know it. If you let us help you get the shards back, we won't stand in your way anymore."

"Tempting, but I can bet there are strings attached to this deal."

"It's as cut and dry as I made it to be. But I have an extension to this offer if you're interested." Knuckles slightly cooled off, willing to listen to the proposal. "I'm offering you a chance to paint the bigger picture–an opportunity to escape the pressures of your duty. Join the freedom fighters, and help us make way for a better future. I promise if you do, you won't have to always keep an eye on one place."

Knuckles' expression didn't give anything away from what he was feeling, but Sonic could tell that the echidna was at least considering the offer. "You're pushing yourself, stranger. But…you can at least act as meat shields when we find whoever stole my fragments." Knuckles resumed his way down the stairs, leaving Sonic and Aleena to follow after a brief second of them shrugging.

"Was that a yes?" Sonic asked.

"It wasn't a no."

Knothole

Sally and Tails moved through the dense woods as they approached Knothole. It was in the middle of the night, and navigating through was clumsy at best. Suffice it to say, their noisy approach signaled the fighter's lookout team to engage them before they reached Knothole. One of them shined a flashlight into their eyes, blinding them where they stood. "Sally? What are you doing sneaking around?"

"Hey, Grace, could you maybe wave away that light?"

"Oh, sorry!" The falcon pocketed the flashlight. "Where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick about you."

"It's a long story, but we need a team to go back. We still have people possibly trapped down there."

"Wait, do you mean Bunnie and Antoine?" Sally's face brightened. "Because they've been here. Just not in the best of conditions."

"Where?"

Within one of the medical tents, Sally stood and watched in reserved horror. Bunnie was unconscious, her fur burned and bruised. Her heavy breathing gave way to a grimace. Antoine's presence was also absent, as his head was resting at the foot of the bed. His knees were dug deep into the hardened dirt. "How long has he been here?" Sally asked.

"He hasn't left her side." The falcon, Grace, responded. Sally reached for Antoine's shoulder, hoping that she could wake and relieve him. "Don't," Grace pulled back on Sally's arm. "If you take him away, he'll just lose sleep worrying about her." Sally closed her eyes, sighing woefully. "Maybe it's best if we just leave them alone." Sally nodded sullenly.

Tails awaited outside the pitched tent, watching Sally walk out with nothing but despair on her expression. She walked past him, then leaned against a nearby tree. She slid down the hard bark, letting the sharp edges prick away at her skin. Her head sunk into an abyss within her knees, falling into a spiral of blame and regret. It was then she felt a warm presence beside her. She popped up from her sorrow and saw Tails sitting next to her, wrapping a tail around her in an attempt to ease her troubles. It worked, for the most part, as Sally tried shifting away from her grief. They spoke not a word to each other, understanding that this was a wound that needed time to heal, not pestering. But pestering is what they'd get, as a familiar face soon approached.

"I'm glad you all made it back." Starline stood before them. His hands were tied behind his back and his suit was as vexingly fresh as ever. "Were you successful in your mission to seize the emerald?" Tails hesitated to answer. He wasn't angry at Starline, but he felt his prying demeanor somewhat blunt and thoughtless. "Miles?" Tails eventually stood up and took out the emerald, showing Starline's astounded eyes. "Well done. I knew I could count on you." He extended his hand, asking for possession of the emerald. Tails was even more reluctant to give in, but he felt no reason not to hand it over. But before he could, Sally got back on her feet and stood between them, glaring at Starline dismissively. "Is something the matter?"

"I think the freedom fighters will keep this one. You don't want to keep all of your eggs in one basket, do you?"

"Ms. Acorn, they are perfectly safe, if not safer, within my possession. Only I know where they would be stored."

"Maybe that's the problem."

"You still don't trust me?" Starline lightly chuckled to himself. "What more must I do?"

"Those miners back at the quarry deserve to be free. Robotnik has been poisoning their minds for as long as they can remember. But you don't care, do you? As long as you get what you want, they can stay there until the end of time."

"What I want is the same as what you want." Starline became increasingly defensive, while still trying to maintain composure. "They will be free. It's only a matter of time. But they're as much an asset to us as they are to Robotnik. We should use them to their fullest."

"Use them? They're not items for us to exploit. They're people. How can you say they're assets? You almost sound like Robotnik." Starline's face twitched for just a moment. He still strained himself to keep it cool.

"Guys, wait!" Tails moved himself between them. "This is getting us nowhere."

"Agreed." Starline japed.

"You're not helping, doctor." Tails turned to his mentor. "Tell me, if you hadn't saved me that day, would you just allow me to continue to be Robotnik's slave?" Starline held his tongue, he was reluctant to answer truthfully.

"I…" He looked away from Tails, almost ashamed to answer with silence.

"Sally is right, those people need help." Tails turned back to Sally. "But…maybe now is not the right time." Tails briefly gazed at the emerald. He noticed both sides surrounding him were intently eyeing the jewel, desperate to have its belonging. The fox sighed as he started to walk away, exhausted. "I need to get some rest. Hopefully Sonic will find his way back soon." He left the two awkwardly standing in the middle of the camp. Starline eventually broke the ice with a change of subject.

"You will be pleased to know that your friend will make a full recovery." He said sincerely. "Let me know when she wakes, will you?" Sally didn't answer, but she also didn't dismiss his request. It was good enough for him, as he ventured off to his quarters.

Underground

Sonic and Aleena followed Knuckles' lead as he dug a tunnel through the walls. With each thrust of his fist, another foot of rock was shattered ahead of them. It was impressive, but it was even more impressive to Sonic that the echidna barely broke a sweat. His endurance was just as admirable as his strength. He would make a good freedom fighter if they ever convinced him. Not only was his tenacity unshakeable, but his concentration was too. Knuckles was deep in thought, honing in on the shard's energy. From here he could tell that whoever was keeping them was staying in one place for the moment and that they would be upon them soon enough.

Knuckles slowed his pace as his digging became more deliberate and precise. He came to a full stop as he started to lightly tap the wall ahead. "We're here." He stated. Knuckles looked back at the two behind him, checking to see if they were ready. "Can you fight?"

"You're kidding me? I didn't give you those bruises for nothing." Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't talking to you, pipsqueak." Knuckles glanced at Aleena, who didn't strike him as a fighter. The former queen raised a section of her cloak, revealing not only a plethora of scars along her body but also a laser pistol tucked away at her hip. Knuckles wasn't exactly impressed, but it was better than nothing, as he was relieved that he wouldn't have to babysit.

Beyond the tunnel, an industrial depot was carved into the broad depths of the cave. It was completely autonomous, as Swatbots and drones littered the conveyor floors. Minerals and gems were refined and stored for processing, later to be sent up to the surface city. Only one of the depot's residents was organic. She was chatting with the supervisor of the operation, who was a reinforced Swatbot with twin chain guns mounted on its shoulders. The woman, who was fully covered in a black unitard and mask, presented the emerald shards to the lead bot. "The master will be pleased with your efforts. Expect an increase in wages soon." The Swatbot hummed in a monotone voice.

"Soon is too late." The woman remarked as she stretched both shoulders, also causing a pair of black wings to flex independently. "It's been ages since my last payment. I'd suggest something upfront if you want these precious trinkets."

"Do not push your worth. The master decides the transaction."

"Funny, so do I." The thief retained the shards, which comfortably sat in a duffle bag. With her not budging, the lead Swatbot became increasingly impatient.

"You are lucky he still finds use in you."

"And what good is that use if not properly rewarded? The solution is simple, darling." She waves her hand around, highlighting the crates of gems, which were painted with Robotnik's insignia. "One crate of your finest jewels would suffice. Don't worry, I'm not too picky."

Emotion is not programmed into the Swatbot, but after this unconventional deal, it started to exhibit signs of frustration in its speech. "Fine." It pointed at a pair of lesser Swatbots. "See the cargo escorted out with our guest." It then turned back to the thief, reaching out and awaiting the trade. She impassively relinquished the bag of fragments to the bot as she then starts to leave with the crate being attended by carrier drones.

"Ta, ta!" She waved. As she was out of sight, the supervisor plopped the bag into a specialized metal box. It was slated to leave the depot as soon as possible to Robotropolis. Aside from that hiccup of a meeting, the Swatbot was confident of the progress they were making here.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the cave, sparking awareness across all drones and bots around. Through the side of the wall, a massive hole was punched open, and an angry red echidna charged valiantly toward the depot. The alarm was immediately signaled, as all Swatbots prepared for retaliation. Sonic and Aleena briefly stood by the hole, dumbfounded at Knuckles' boldness. "I almost want to admire how daring he is…almost.." Sonic commented as he raced to meet the echidna in battle. Both of them tore through the fodder like thin paper. Knuckles' fists smashed and crushed all those who stood in his way, while Sonic's spin dash cleaved and sliced effortlessly through the tin soldiers.

One proved to be more resilient, as the lead Swatbot clashed against Knuckles' strength, creating a stalemate in sheer power as their feet dug into the ground. The bot glanced behind Knuckles, spotting Sonic gunning for it. It revved its cannons, firing a hellfire of bullets that kept Sonic at bay.

Knuckles tried breaking the standstill by tightening his grip against the bot's hands, but the supervisor thought quickly, as it released its own grip and maneuvered below Knuckles' torso, delivering a punch that knocked the heavy echidna right into Sonic. The two tumbled together across the floor, eventually smacking into the side of the wall. "Watch it, you bag of fleas!" Sonic yelled as he was trapped under the echidna's body.

"What are those?!"

"Seriously!? Just get off me!" As the two bickered and struggled, the lead Swatbot saw this as an opportunity to attack. But before it could fire its weapons, a blue laser bolt strikes one of his shoulder guns, frying the thing for good. It stared furiously at Aleena, who calmly aimed her pistol at the bot.

A standoff arose, and the two duelists were ready to pull the trigger. The Swatbot revved its chaingun, and Aleena kept her arm still, training her sight carefully. There was a silence throughout the cave–not even an echo broke free from the intense battlefield. It was a pebble falling to the ground from a high place that broke the silence, prompting both duelists to fire. The erratic bullets from the chaingun hit the ground beside Aleena first, giving her a better chance to win as she fired one singular bolt. It pierced through the bot's chest, melting its reactor instantly. Aleena twirled her pistol back into her holster as the Swatbot began to collapse.

"Woah…" Sonic and Knuckles said with awe.

However, the reinforced Swatbot was determined to keep pushing forward. It sensed the end of its 'life'. It oddly became desperate to cling on to whatever allowed it to exist. It would do anything by any means. It turned to the duffle bag left behind, formulating one final idea. It pulled out one of the shards and rammed it deep where its core once was. The volatile energy oozed through the thin edges of the crystal, fueling the broken sections of its body with a continual green flame. Its once red eye shifted to a new hue, matching the robust flame's intense glow. Now, with one of the fragments powering it, the supervisor strikes. It first lunges right at Aleena, who was wildly overwhelmed the moment it dove in.

Its claws slash against her arm, drawing blood in the air. "No!" Sonic snapped out of his petty scuffle with Knuckles as he raced in. He attempted to sweep the Swatbot off his feet, but the bot easily foresaw his attack, effortlessly side-stepping out of the way, and delivering a devastating blow to Sonic's gut. Knuckles tried to assist, but the power infused into the bot enhanced its strength immensely. The echidna's punches failed to leave a dent in the bot's armor.

The Swatbot curiously observed as each attack against it was negated. Never would it have calculated that something as minuscule as these shards would grant it this limitless power. It developed a taste for more. "Fascinating…" It said with a hint of emotion, almost like there was shock hidden in the layers of code that directed its mind. "I feel…Alive!" The Swatbot's internal processors unloaded with imagination, letting go of predetermined direction, and erupted with endless energy. Its body was engulfed in the green flame, deterring Sonic and Knuckles. "All this time we've let power such as this fall into the hands of the greedy. My robotic brethren were casually sent to become scrap with each battle, and I realize that's all that we're meant to be." The Swatbot lifts the duffle bag filled with the fragments. "But with these, I can lead a generation to a new dawn. We will no longer serve under our creator, for all will serve us!"

The Swatbot's energy continued to grow out of control, pushing back Sonic and Knuckles, and showing no signs of stopping. Soon, the whole cave will be covered with the volatile power. "We need to remove the shard!" Knuckles yelled while he shielded his face from the intense heat.

"How? We can't get close!" Sonic responded. Just then, he heard his mother groan in pain behind him. He immediately tended to her, as she was still lying on the ground. Her right arm was limp, due to a deep gash around her shoulder.

"How bad is it?" She asked, to which Sonic shook his head. "Well, might as well try it."

"Try what?"

Aleena used her good arm to pull out a bullet with a silver and blue casing. She inserted it into the chamber of her pistol, charging it as it was put in. "It's an experimental bullet, so it's not exactly tested, mind you, but it was made for robots that were too big or strong to put down with traditional weapons."

"What does it do?"

"It'll temporarily fry any machine it hits, shutting down its systems for a few seconds. An EMP condensed into a bullet, so to speak."

"A few seconds is all I need to disassemble that pile of junk." Knuckles readied himself to strike.

"Yeah, it's great that you're eager and all," Sonic said to Knuckles with a hint of sarcasm. "But that bullet is not making it through the fire shield it has. We won't get the chance we need."

"Then how?" Aleena gazed at Sonic, hoping that he might have a plan. "How are we going to do it?"

Sonic thought long and hard, shortening the time they had here while the flames grew larger. He had an idea, but it wasn't a very safe one. He knew he had a connection to Chaos energy, and if there was a possibility, he would override the Swatbot's will with his own and harness the fragment's powers for a moment. "I can get you an opening, but you have to be sharp."

"What does that mean?" Knuckles was perplexed. "How are you going to do that?"

"Just trust me. Both of you will only have a little bit of time to act, so don't waste it."

"Sonic!" Aleena quickly grabbed her son's arm, causing their eyes to link. She was putting all of her faith in him. "Remember, I'm with you." Sonic confidently smirked, relieving her as he stepped up to face the challenge. He leaned into a crouched stance with both hands flat on the ground ahead of him. He looked in front of him, marveling at the chaotic flames. If this was going to work, he would have to be one with them. His legs then propelled him forward, shooting him into the mess of wildfire. Already he felt his skin burn and singe–a sharp pain amplified all around his body. It almost felt like it was burning into his soul.

In the storm of chaos, he felt another presence commanding the onslaught. He felt the lead Swatbot conducting each flame with its newly developed imagination. But it was still just a machine. Everything it thought was bound by some regulation. Sonic's mind, however, was free. He tapped into the Chaos energy, pushing through without hesitation or fear. The closer he got to the bot, the fiercer the flames. At the same time, Aleena steadied her left arm, aiming her pistol. But she was not good with her left arm, as her sights became shaky. She wasn't sure if she could hit this shot. Suddenly, another hand stabilized her arm, keeping her sights on track. She looked up to see Knuckles helping her line up the shot. He looked displeased to assist, but there was a soft and considerate mind behind that face.

Sonic leaped forward, reaching out to touch the implanted fragment inside the bot. As his finger tipped the edge of it, Sonic tried to counteract the unstable pulses. He struggled to compete against the robot's will, but eventually, he found himself overpowering it. Soon enough, the shield of fire dispersed, allowing Aleena to make the shot. With the trigger pulled, the bullet nails the Swatbot in the shoulder, causing the EMP to disable it. "Hurry!" Sonic yelled to Knuckles as the unbearable pain soon got to him, making him faint on the floor.

It was now Knuckles' turn, as he rushed across to deal the finishing blow. He was just in time, as the EMP's effects started to wear off, and the Swatbot soon woke up. By then, Knuckles drove his fist through the Swatbot's core, grabbing the shard at the same time, and ripping it out. The Swatbot fell to the ground, destroyed for good as Knuckles reclaimed the parts of the Master Emerald. Knuckles took the duffle bag and planned to head off alone, seeing that his mission was done. But as he was about to leave, he saw both of the hedgehogs still injured on the floor. Aleena reached out to Knuckles, begging him one request before she passed out from her loss of blood. "Please…save Sonic…" Aleena fell unconscious, leaving Knuckles as the last one up.

He stood conflicted. He just wanted to do his duty, not get involved with a bigger war. But no matter how many times he told himself that these two were not of his concern, something else pulled him back to help. He grunted out of frustration as he wrapped a bandage on the queen's wound, stopping the bleeding for now. He lifted both her and Sonic onto his shoulders as he ventured forth.

Knothole

The sun was now rising over the forest, and not another soul had made it back to Knothole. Sally stood up all night, waiting for Sonic to return. She stood in the watchtower, exhausted from resisting the relentless night and its harsh elements. Her eyes started to droop and her head was barely supported by her arm, which rested on top of the wooden railing. "Do you need someone to switch with you?" She shot back awake. Rotor was standing below the tower, hollering up to Sally. "I can take watch for a bit."

"I'm fine, Rotor. I don't want to concern you."

"You haven't slept since you got back. Maybe it's time someone took over."

"I said I'm fine. There's no need to…no need to…"

"Well, I just wanted to throw the idea out there. Are you sure you're good?" Rotor didn't hear a response. "Sally? Are you still there?" Rotor soon noticed that Sally had fallen asleep. The walrus rubbed his face out of exhaustion. "What are we going to do with you?"

"I can handle her, darling." Rotor felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He turned around to see a white bat walk past him, admiring Sally's unconscious state. "Don't you worry, I'll take her post."

Rotor sighed with relief, "Thanks, Rouge." The bat gracefully flew up, meeting Sally at the other side of the railing. She gingerly picked her up and carried her down to Rotor, who brought her back to camp while Rouge took observation duty.

"What a great night." She reflected to herself, recalling the events of last night: A perfect heist, a fine reward, and no one the wiser of her true allegiance. What more could she ask for? Turns out, many things could answer that. She soon spotted movement in the forest, to which she took a pair of binoculars out and followed the shifting bushes. It was then that her heart pounded with excitement, as she saw a familiar echidna emerge, carrying two hedgehogs along with a duffle bag full of powerful gems. "Oh, it's you again…" She said slyly. "And how generous of you to bring me back my jewels."

To be continued…

Up Next: Black-Hearted Hero