To Restore Amends...
Sonic yawned and rolled over. He let out a surprised yelp as he fell about half a meter and ended up with a mouth full of sand. Sitting up, wide-awake now, he spit out the sand and looked around him.
“What the heck…?”
He was in the middle of a sandy plain. He could see craggy mountains off in the distance. A few tortured trees reached for the sky. It was all quite disconcerting because this was definitely not where he’d fallen asleep.
He looked over his shoulder to find Knuckles, in the lotus position, obviously in deep meditation. The echidna was wearing the dress gloves he’d been wearing the night before. Sonic, so accustomed to seeing Knuckles in mittens, briefly thought how strange it was to see him with fingers. His feet however where bare, revealing the long sharp claws. There was nothing particularly unusual about any of it, except for the fact that the echidna was sitting about a meter above the ground, apparently on thin air.
‘Oh, I get it,’ he thought, ‘this is another one of those loopy dreams. Well I can fix that.’ He pinched his forearm, hard. “Yeow!” He exclaimed. ‘Okay, so it’s not a dream.’
He looked at the still hovering echidna. “How’s he doing that?” Sonic mumbled. “Mirrors?” He waved his hand beneath his red-furred friend. There was absolutely nothing holding him up. Sonic frowned. He’d had enough of this mumbo jumbo. He scoped up some sand and flicked it at Knuckles. The echidna blinked, coming out of his trance-like state. He looked at the somewhat irate hedgehog.
“Okay, Red,” Sonic growled. “Just what the heck is going on?”
“We need to talk,” he said, “privately.”
“So where exactly are we?”
“I’m not sure,” the echidna admitted, standing up from his position in mid-air. “I just focused on a wide open space.” He looked at the sandy surroundings. “Could be Sandopolis,” he reasoned, “but we’d have been worm food by now. I think we’re still on the surface.” Knuckles handed Sonic his gloves, socks and sneakers, which had been laid out on a nearby rock.
“If you brought us here, you can take us home.” Sonic said, taking his offered apparel. “Just fire up those Chaos powers of yours, and…”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” Sonic protested, looking up from where he was buckling his sneakers. “You’re a walking Chaos Emerald!”
“Maybe so,” Knuckles admitted, “but my strength isn’t infinite. I need some time to recharge. Besides, like I said, we need to talk.”
“Okay, fine.” Sonic growled. “About what?”
“Why you can’t access your speed for a start.”
“Well, duh! I was injured in that blast.”
“Yeah, and I was killed by it.” Knuckles pointed out. “That didn’t stop me.”
“Well we don’t all have Chaos energy flowing through our veins!”
“Have you tried?”
“To run?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“What would it prove?” He demanded, pacing back and forth. “I can barely walk, I certainly can’t run.” Knuckles watched him, there was a noticeable increase in his pace. “I’d only be confirming what I already know.”
“I think it’s psychosomatic.” Knuckles said.
Sonic stopped pacing and turned on the echidna, glaring at him with his hands on his hips. “Are you calling me nuts?”
“No, I’m saying it’s all in your head. There’s nothing wrong with your legs. You’re just telling yourself there is.”
“And why would I be doing that?”
Knuckles shrugged. “Could be lots of reasons.” He said. “You liked the pampering you got when you really were hurt that you subconsciously think you still are so the pampering will continue. You probably don’t have to risk your life so much now. You might like being like everybody else…”
“Okay, okay…”
“But I’m guessing that you blame yourself for what happened to me. You weren’t fast enough to help me. You associate your speed with my death. You don’t want anybody else to die because of it. So you deny that part of you.” Sonic looked at him, stunned. “It’s just a theory.” Knuckles shrugged.
“But I can’t…”
“Stop telling yourself what you CAN’T do, and start telling yourself what you CAN do.” Sonic looked at him, uncertainty in his large green eyes. “It’s your choice,” Knuckles smiled impishly, “are you Maurice…
“Or are you Sonic?”
~~~~~
“Where could they have gone off to?” Sally asked as she scanned her surroundings with a powerful pair of binoculars. Both she and Julie-Su had been a little worried when they woke up to find both Sonic and Knuckles were nowhere to be found.
“Somehow I don’t think they went to watch the sunrise.” Julie-Su muttered.
“Sally!” Rotor called from the tracking station. The pair exchanged a glance, and headed towards the sound of the walrus’s voice.
“What is it, Rotor?” Sally asked.
“When you told me those two had gone AWOL, I turned on the long range sensors, to see if we could pick up anything.”
“And?” She prompted.
“We got something coming this way,” he indicated the screen. “And it’s coming fast.”
“How fast?”
“I’d estimate about Mach one.”
“Sonic?” She whispered. “Could he be healed?”
“It’s too big.” Rotor said, shaking his head. “It’s gotta be a mass of close to two hundred pounds.”
“It’s not too big if it’s Sonic AND Knuckles.” Julie-Su pointed out.
“But Knuckles can’t attain that kind of speed.” Rotor countered.
“You’re right,” Julie-Su agreed. “But see how the shape’s fluctuating?” She pointed at the screen. The walrus nodded. “My guess is Knuckles is riding in Sonic’s jet stream.”
~~~~~
“Yeeeehaaaa!” Sonic screamed happily at the top of his lungs as he tore into Knothole village. He didn’t notice the residents he inadvertently knocked over as he passed. He didn’t notice their belongings that he overturned.
He didn’t notice the tree he was heading for.
Luckily, Knuckles did. He grabbed the hedgehog by the shoulders. Using their momentum to give him the lift he needed, he carried them both over the tree. His dreadlocks fanning out around his head, he dropped gracefully to the ground. “You gotta check those brakes.” The echidna smiled.
“I’m just out of practice.” Sonic pouted.
“Sonic?” Sally looked at him, a stunned smile on her face.
“Sal!” He cried happily, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning them both around frantically. As he stopped, Sally had to hold her head as the world continued to spin.
“Ooohh,” she moaned. “That is something I really didn’t miss.”
“What did you do to him?” Julie-Su quietly asked Knuckles.
He shrugged. “Told him to get his act together.”
“All what lost come back soon time.” Tails said.
Knuckles looked at him quizzically. “Kid, you are in desperate need of some lessons in grammar. What the heck was that?”
“Something somebody told me in a dream.” Sonic said with a smile.
~~~~~
“It’s been fun,” Knuckles said suddenly over lunch, “but we really should think about getting home.” He glanced at Julie-Su.
“You really have to go?” Sally asked. She had missed her friend, and was a little fearful to let him out of her sight.
“I did tell them not to wait up,” Knuckles admitted, “but I think twenty-four hours is pushing it a little.”
“I guess you’re right.”
~~~~~
“It’s about time you two got home.” Locke said, a sight hint of relief amongst the irritation in his voice. “What will your mother think when she finds out you were out all night? With a girl no less.”
Knuckles gave his father a sour look. “You know where we were.” He said.
“The Brotherhood is anxious to see you.”
“I bet they are.” Knuckles almost growled. “They’ll have me jumping through hoops.”
“You did come back from the dead,” Locke began.
“Maybe I never was dead,” Knuckles suggested. “I don’t even know for sure.”
~~~~~
“Is this really necessary?” Knuckles moaned. “I feel fine.”
“Humour your old man,” Locke smiled as he circled his son, attaching sensors to various parts of his body.
“So what is all this gonna do?” He asked.
“We’re just going to do a scan of you,” Locke explained. “Then we can compare your present condition with the records we’ve got on file.”
“What kind of scan?” Knuckles asked nervously.
“Bone density, muscle mass, body fat, the works.” Locke smiled.
“Is all this really necessary?” Knuckles repeated, a slight hint of suspicion in his voice. Locke glanced towards the rest of the Brotherhood, gathered around various pieces of equipment that Knuckles didn’t recognise. He frowned as he came to a sudden realisation.
“They don’t believe that I am who I appear to be.”
“Julie-Su excepts you,” Locke said, “and that’s enough for me. But they feel we require more proof.” He looked at his son’s darkening countenance. “Please,” he whispered, “don’t make a scene. It’ll only make things worse.”
Knuckles sighed. “What do I have to do?”
“Just stand still,” Locke told him. The older echidna frowned at his son’s obvious trepidation. “And try to relax.”
~~~~~
While the computers compiled the data collected from the scans they’d taken, the Brotherhood decided to put Knuckles through the paces.
The youngest Guardian looked up at the high ceiling of Haven’s gymnasium. He wasn’t even sure gymnasium was the right word to describe the massive open space.
“It’s a totally interactive workout space,” Locke was explaining. “You can programme it for yourself, ask for whatever equipment you need. Or, we can use it to test your abilities…”
“Let me guess,” Knuckles raised a brow. “You’re testing me…”
Locke chuckled. “I didn’t raise you to be a fool.”
“Okay, Knuckles,” Spectre’s disembodied voice echoed throughout the room. “Seeing as this is your first time, and you’re unfamiliar with the equipment, we’ll start you on the lowest setting.”
“Thanks loads.” Knuckles mumbled as the room came to life around him. It was a basic obstacle course, designed with the Guardians’ extra abilities in mind. There were bars to swing from, sudden openings in the floor to avoid or jump over, padded objects to duck.
In the control booth, Spectre studied Knuckles’ vital signs. He chuckled. “Boy’s not even breaking a sweat…but then, seeing as echidnas don’t sweat…” He frowned as he noticed the unusual kink in Knuckles’ tail.
“Locke?”
Locke walked over to the eldest of the Brotherhood. “What is it?”
“Did he always have that kink in his tail?”
“No,” Locke frowned. “Looks like he’s broken it…and it hasn’t healed properly.”
“We may have to do something about it.” Spectre stroked his chin. “It may hinder his gliding…”
“Why don’t we find out?” Locke suggested, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He tapped a few commands onto the keyboard in front of him and a large series of floor plates dropped away. As expected, Knuckles went into a glide to cover the distance. Locke typed in another command and a solid wall sprang up a few meters in front of Knuckles’ nose. He twisted, using his tail like a ship’s rudder to alter his course, as he had been taught years ago.
“Doesn’t seem to bother him.” Locke shrugged.
“No.” Spectre admitted. “But I wonder how he broke it?”
~~~~~
“Data is a go,” Sojourner announced. “Building up the holographic display.”
“Do it layer by layer.” Spectre said. “I want to check something.”
Sojourner brought up a perfect three-dimensional representation of Knuckles’ skeletal structure. The black robed Guardian walked up and studied the tail. “Definite evidence of a break…” he said, pointing to the telltale marking.
“And look at the scoring on his ribs.” Thunderhawk added. He shook his head. “Looks like the Blade of Order got stuck…”
Locke winched involuntarily as he thought of what his son had suffered at the hands of Dimitri. He was almost appalled by the cold, clinic manner of his elders as they discussed the damage done to the youngest of their number.
“No internal variations…” Sojourner announced absently as he keyed up the next layer. “I’d have thought there’d be some scarring on the heart…”
“Bring up the muscle.” Spectre ordered.
Sabre glanced at his son as Locke let out an empathic gasp. There was a great deal of scar tissue, most noticeably the ragged scar on the boy’s chest.
“That’s a nasty one…” Thunderhawk whistled.
“By the Walkers,” Spectre whispered. “What the blazes happened to his back?”
“And his arms…” Sojourner added.
“Dimitri had him tortured before he put the spell on him.” Locke said softly, an obvious crack in his voice. “But I had no idea he’d suffered so much…”
Sabre frowned as he studied the readouts. “We are getting some STRANGE readings here…” he mused quietly.
“As opposed to what?” Locke asked.
“His old records.” Sabre looked at his son. “The boy has an 7.3 centimetre increase in height. A 1.6 kilogram increase in weight, and that’s almost completely muscle mass…” He brought up a second hologram, based on their previous records for an easier comparison. The differences were obvious.
“That’s hardly strange,” Locke protested. “It’s been a year, and he IS an adolescent.” He made a quick check of his son’s older records. “According to our calculations, based on his skeletal growth space, he’s pretty much obtained his adult height…”
“That wasn’t what I was referring to.” Sabre said. “It’s his Chaos Aura.” Sabre inputted some commands and brought up an extra layer on the three-dimensional holograms. A faint green aura surrounded the smaller, younger representation, radiating out quite some distance from the body. But on the current version, the aura was much brighter, clinging tightly to the body.
“What do you think it means?” Locke asked in a whisper.
“I can only guess,” Sabre admitted, “but it looks like he’s either increased in power, or he’s got better control of it. Maybe both.”
“Perhaps we should ask him?” Thunderhawk suggested.
Locke shook his head. “He says he doesn’t remember anything.”
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember.” Spectre frowned. “It may just mean he won’t talk about it.”
“I’m sure we can get him…” Sojourner began.
Spectre nodded. “You’re right of course,” he agreed. “I’m sure he’ll tell us in time. Besides, there is still much to discuss with him.”
“Like what?”
The Brotherhood turned, all a little stunned to see Knuckles quietly surveying them. He was absently towelling off his dreadlocks, having showered after his workout. They exchanged questioning glances. He hadn’t made a sound, and they were all wondering just how long he’d been there, how much he’d heard. But his relaxed tone of voice, and his wide, almost innocent eyes indicated that he hadn’t heard a thing.
“Julie-Su, mostly.” Spectre admitted.
Knuckles’ eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously. “What about her?”
“Calm yourself,” Spectre smiled. “Let’s all adjourn to the conference room so we can discuss this more comfortably.”
Knuckles watched as they filed out. He grabbed his father’s arm and pulled him aside. “What is this about?”
Locke sighed. “I don’t think you want to know.”
“Take a seat.” Spectre smiled as the two youngest Guardians entered the room. “Coffee? Tea? Soda?”
“Just get to the point.” Knuckles said as he sat at the end opposite to the eldest Guardian.
“Very well.” Spectre leaned back in his seat. “We are all aware of your…connection…to this female…”
“The Soultouch?” Knuckles raised a brow. He wasn’t entirely sure he knew where this was heading. He knew they weren’t particularly keen on the pairing of a Guardian and a Dark Legionnaire. But as he glanced quickly around at the faces of his ancestors, they didn’t seem disapproving. Nor did they appear approving.
“Yes.” Spectre confirmed. “When you…appeared to die…we found ourselves in a rather vulnerable situation. You were the last of the line, and we, and the people of Echidnaopolis, were all concerned that the Guardian line would come to an end. The people grew frightened, demanding that your father…”
Knuckles’ eyes widened as he suddenly realised just where this conversation was heading.
“Whoa!” Knuckles held up his hand, stopping the discussion cold. “I just got back and you’re trying to marry me off?”
“You are a Guardian.” Spectre said, his voice suddenly becoming very cold and official. “There are certain responsibilities…”
“Certain responsibilities?” Knuckles interjected. “The damn title’s nothing BUT responsibilities!” He got to his feet, too angry to sit still. “Jeez, you denied my a childhood, and now you want to rob me of my adolescence as well?!”
“You don’t want to marry her?” Locke asked softly.
Knuckles cooled slightly at the tone of his father’s voice. “Not right now. I’m not ready. She’s not ready. I’m only sixteen years old.”
“Seventeen.” Spectre corrected.
“You’ve been gone for a year, remember.” He pointed out. “And the changes in your physical appearance would indicate…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Knuckles flopped back heavily in his chair. “I’m still too young. The legal age is eighteen.”
“Except under special circumstances...” Thunderhawk added. Knuckles just glared at him.
“You weren’t here.” Sojourner said. “You didn’t see what they were like.”
“They were demanding an heir.” Spectre added. “And when they find out that you’re back…”
“She is NOT a brood mare!” Knuckles growled. “They don’t like her anyway.” He lowered his head, sighing deeply as he tried to calm himself.
“Look,” he said softly. “It’s not that I don’t want what you’re suggesting. I just don’t want it now. And besides,” he raised his head, “I think a child should be born out of love,” he glanced at Locke, “not obligation.
“She and I both know it’ll happen. You’ve just got to give us some time.”
~~~~~
“They didn’t really mean anything by it,” Locke said as he walked with his son down one of the corridors in the labyrinthine Haven. “I agree that it’s wrong to force you into such a commitment at your age.”
“Call me old fashioned,” Knuckles said. “But I really think we should get to know each other better before we even think about it. We’d only just started dating when I…” he paused, not really knowing how to put it.
“It’s because of that that they brought it up.” Locke sighed. “When you were gone, the whole Island got scared. The Guardian line has been unbroken for seventeen generations, to suddenly find ourselves without an heir…” he sighed again. More deeply. “You have no idea the pressure that was put on me…”
“What kind of pressure?”
Locke looked at his son with sad eyes. “To replace you.”
Knuckles looked at him, stunned. He probably knew his father better than anyone, and he knew how such a thing would have made him felt.
“The people, the Brotherhood, all demanded a continuation of the line. And they all felt, that as the youngest, it was my responsibility.”
“I’m sorry,” Knuckles said softly. “I know how that must have made you feel, considering your feelings for Mum…”
“Now I fear all of it will be transferred onto you. Even more so when you consider that you HAVE a consort.”
“A consort?” Knuckles chuckled. “I wouldn’t want her to hear anybody call her that.”
“I’d hope they’re reflexes were good.” Locke smiled in agreement. He touched a concealed panel in the wall, opening a door. “C’mon, let’s get you suited up.”
“Suited up?” Knuckles asked nervously.
“We’ve got a few…standard issue items now.” Locke pulled several pieces of equipment from shelves and draws. “Communicator, medical analyser, pager…”
“Wait a minute.” Knuckles said as he surveyed the numerous, though all quite compact devices his father was placing on the table. “I thought we were low-tech?”
“You have looked around you, haven’t you?” Locke chuckled.
“How am I going to carry all this?” He picked up one of the items. “I don’t even now what half of this stuff is.”
“That’s why we got you this.” Locke tossed him a simple, multi-pocketed vest. “The residents have complained in the past that you were a bit of an ‘exhibitionist’.”
“Hey, I wore what you provided me with.” He protested playfully. “But then, I suppose we didn’t have all these doo-hickies then.” He pulled it on, tugging on the fabric to test its strength. “Not bad,” he admitted. “At least it fits…”
Locke swallowed, a little too loudly he thought. With the vest and boots, Knuckles looked almost like he had in his prophetic dream of years ago.
Knuckles frowned at his father’s reaction. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
~~~~~
Julie-Su was watching the door impatiently.
“He’s fine.” Mighty soothed. “He’s with his family.”
“That’s what worries me.” She mumbled. “Who knows what they’re filling his head with.”
“Relax,” Espio added. “Mighty’s right, he’ll be fine.”
“Who we looking for?”
“Jeez. I wish you wouldn’t do that.” Vector clutched his chest as he turned towards his red-furred friend.
“I wanna know HOW he does that.” Espio said. “I know…” he added before Knuckles could speak. “Guardian trade secret.”
“Nah,” Knuckles smiled. “I just used the door over there.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
“That’s a new look for you, isn’t it?” Mighty said, indicating the vest and boots combination.
“Yeah,” Knuckles admitted. “My shoes are long gone, and now I’ve got to carry all the techno-gizmos that Ellie-Za made for the old folks. I’m gonna have to get her to explain them all to me. The mittens are pretty much the same, though.”
Julie-Su stood. She slipped her arms inside the vest and around his waist, smiling at the blush it brought to his cheeks. “I think you look fine.” She purred. “Mighty fine.” Then she frowned. “But it needs a little…something…” She cocked her head to one side, smiling. “Hey, Archy?” The fire ant, having arrived with Knuckles, looked up from were he’d been dinning with the Chaotix. “Road trip?”
“Sure,” he said as he jumped on her shoulder.
“Be back in a flash.” Julie-Su winked at Knuckles as she and Archimedes vanished in a customary puff of smoke.
“What is she up to?” Vector wondered.
“I think I’ll survive it, whatever it is. After all, I’ve survived worse.” Knuckles said. “So, what’s been happening while I’ve been gone?”
“Not a lot really.” Mighty shrugged.
“Yeah,” Espio agreed. “It’s been kinda dull.”
“But now that you’re back, things’ll probably go all to heck again.” Vector smirked.
“Oh, goodie.” Knuckles rolled his eyes. He turned as the familiar sound of imploding air heralded the return of Julie-Su and Archimedes. He raised a brow when he noticed what she was holding.
Julie-Su smiled as she lovingly placed Hawking’s hat on his head. “Now, that’s a cool look.” She said. “And it’ll protect those beautiful, but oh-so-sensitive, eyes of yours.”
“But Dad gave me these…” He pulled a pair of sunglasses from one of his numerous pockets. Julie-Su snatched them from his hand, studied them for a moment, unfolded the arms, and pushed them slowly into place.
“Very cool…” she smiled at him. Knuckles could feel his own smile starting as she leaned closer, focusing on his eyes through the tinted lenses.
Ray began to blush slightly at their still rather innocent antics.
“Uh-oh,” Espio smirked, taking in the pair’s somewhat dopey grins. “We’re losing him.”
“In that respect,” Mighty added, “we lost him a long time ago.”
“Okay, okay. Break it up.” Vector groaned as he rose and pushed them apart. “Some of us are trying to eat here.”
“Why don’t you join us?” Mighty suggested. “Julie-Su got you some fruit salad.”
“With lots of grapes.” She added.
Knuckles chuckled and took the only remaining seat, Julie-Su arranging herself almost delicately on his lap.
“Hey!” Vector frowned in mock indignation. “What did I just say?”
“There’s only one seat left, Vector.” Knuckles pointed out.
“Okay,” he admitted, grudgingly. “Just don’t get all smoochie. There are children present.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Knuckles smiled.
“Knock it off!” Vector yelled.
“C’mon, Vec,” Mighty smiled. “You know they’re only doing it to get a rise out of you.”
“And they’re doing a really excellent job of it.” Espio added, giving them the thumbs up as the pair began grinning like maniacs.
“I’m beginning to prefer it when you DIDN’T have a sense of humour.” Vector mumbled.
“Hey, I’m just on a high from being back with everyone I care about.” Knuckles said. “Besides, life’s too short to spend it all morose and angst ridden. Take it from someone who knows.”
~~~~~
“You know,” Spectre mused as he watched from the observation room in Haven as Julie-Su rubbed her cheek affectionately against Knuckles’. “We may not have to worry about his committing himself to the female.”
“True,” Sojourner agreed. “They were never so publicly affectionate before.”
“You don’t think they’re just doing it to annoy the crocodile?” Thunderhawk questioned.
“No,” Sabre shook his head. “There’s genuine love in their eyes.” He smiled. “It may be a strange thing to say, but I think death’s been good for him. I can’t recall him ever being so happy, so unconcerned about what others might think. You know the populace were never too happy about his choice.”
The quartet looked up, concerned as the picture suddenly changed to another view of Echidnaopolis. They turned to see Locke, brow raised, holding the monitors’ remote control.
“Yes,” he agreed. “He IS happy. And he doesn’t need us watching every move he makes. I’m on duty here, so…” He took his seat as the others filed out. When he was alone, he switched the picture back, shuddering slightly as he took in his son’s appearance. He’d pushed the hat back, and he was wearing the sunglasses, but it didn’t change much.
He still looked like he had in the dream…
