Years ago...

Young Y/N is sitting by the tree alone playing with her wooden guitar she made for herself.

She had went out without Longclaw's permission, wanting to explore outside more and knowing she can defend herself. She almost have a same habit as her brother, except she's not as reckless as him. She stares at her guitar, thinking of the song she could play. Longclaw had taught her a few things besides defending and fighting, like crafting, singing, drawing, etc. Her eyes lit up like an electric light bulb popped up from her head. Young Y/N begins to play her strings, letting the song come out.

As she plays, she didn't realize she caught someone's attention to the song as they hid themselves through the bushes and watched her play. The shadow figure was amazed and speechless at how good she is as she hits the strings as if summoning her magic. They leaned in a little closer to hear the song some more, memorizing the tune. Young Y/N couldn't help but feel someone's watching her, but it doesn't stop her from playing. Though she appreciate them listening to her song.

Once she was done playing, Young Y/N places her guitar against the tree bark next to her. She calmly closes her eyes and spoke, glancing at the figure behind the bushes over her shoulder.

"I've been field combat trained since before I could walk."

Young Y/N backflips herself up over to the tree branch for her to grab as they snap.

"Nobody gets the drop on me--"

She lands right in front of the bushes where they're hiding and brings out her stick in a defensive stance, glaring straight at them.

"--including you, stranger! Come out of there now!"

"Okay!" the voice exclaimed.

They got out of the bushes to reveal a younger-looking red echidna with a white paint on his dreadlocks and his face with a mask on his head and wearing beads around his neck. Young Y/N was surprised to see someone same age as her. Though in horror after taking a good look at him, she realizes that he's the echidna tribe. Plus, he's holding a spear.

He glares at Young Y/N and points his spear at her threatenly. She gulps and backs away fearfully. He advances on her.

"You're coming with me."

Young Y/N continues to back away and attempts to dodge around the echidna without turning her back on him. He blocks Young Y/N's path again and again. He tilts his head questioningly.

"What are you doing?"

Young Y/N glares angrily.

"Longclaw says to never turn your back on an echidna enemy!"

He smirks mockingly.

"You always do what Longclaw says?"

"No!"

"Betcha do! Bet you're Mommy's little girl."

He laughs, causing Young Y/N to look downcast. He keeps circling around her as they're near in the middle of the swamp.

"My father will be very proud to find out I've caught a hedgehog who weilds the power of that necklace you're wearing."

He points it at the emerald necklace around her neck, which she immediately covers it protectively.

"I won't let you!"

Young Y/N jumps off and lands on the log as she proceeds to jump onto another log when the young echidna follows her and lands behind her. The "log" turns out to be a giant lizard, which opens its eyes.

Young Y/N turns around to fight off the echidna, and her face takes on a look of fright. She starts to scream. The giant lizard opens its jaws behind the young echidna. He turns and then screams at the sight of that predator. He races away, and the giant lizard's jaws snap on empty air.

"Run!"

Young Y/N and the boy echidna climb a rock in the middle of the swamp.

"Whoa!"

A giant lizard pursues the kids, who climb higher.

"This way!" she said.

They leap off. The giant lizard climbs onto the rock, snapping its jaws on empty air. It roars angrily.

Young Y/N and the boy echidna hop across several rocks. They pause in the midst of the swamp, panting.

The boy echidna laughs.

"That was a close one."

Young Y/N giggles.

"Yeah."

The ground rises beneath two, revealing several giant lizards.

"Whoa!"

Young Y/N screams in fright.

The giant lizard beneath the boy echidna snaps its jaws. He leaps away while swiping his spear at them. Meanwhile, Young Y/N climbs a nearby tree.

"Whoa!" he yelped.

"Hey, what about me?" she asked.

The boy echidna runs across the bodies of several giant lizards.

"I'll distract them! Run! Whoa!"

A giant lizard lifts its tail, causing the boy echidna to fall into the water, losing his spear. He emerges from underwater, flailing and coughing. A giant lizard swims toward the boy echidna.

From atop the tree, Young Y/N swats at a crocodile with a stick she pulled out from the tree she was holding onto. The giant lizards turn and advance on the boy echidna.

"Look out!" Young Y/N warned.

The boy echidna clings to a nearby tree, whimpering. A giant lizard's jaws surround him.

At the last second, the giant lizard's jaws shut, with Young Y/N standing on top.

"Move it!"

The boy echidna and Young Y/N climb the tree. The giant lizard lunges after them and bites the tree. The boy echidna climbs to the top of a nearby cliff and laughs triumphantly.

The tree shakes beneath Young Y/N as the giant lizard bites it.

"Whoa!"

She leaps to safety and sighs in relief. The two kids pants in tiredness and peers over the ledge to the swamp below as the giant lizards swarm up the side of the cliff but are unable to climb it since it's high and slippery.

"I did it."

Young Y/N gets more excitedly.

"I did it!"

She blows a raspberry.

"Ha!" the boy echidna laughed.

Young Y/N races off and the boy echidna follows her. The kids enter a clearing.

"Whoa, man! Did you see the size of those teeth? They were going, "Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!"

Young Y/N rolls onto her back.

"Rawr! Rawr!"

The boy echidna sits as the girl laughs and sits up.

"He was just totally eatin' you up right there, and I jumped on his head, and I bopped him so good... We make such a good team! And you..."

The boy echidna smiles crookedly as she continued.

"You were really brave."

"Yeah? You were pretty brave, too."

She smiles bashfully.

"My name's Knuckles. Knuckles the Echidna Warrior." he said proudly, punching his chest.

She gives him a closed eye smile.

"I'm Y/N. Y/N the Hedgehog."

Young Knuckles smiles at her.

"You know, you're not as bad as my tribe says. You really are a warrior."

"And you are too. I guess we both have some things in common."

Suddenly, a stern voice called.

"Knuckles! Is that you thrashing around in the woods? Where are you?"

Young Knuckles looks alarmed.

"Uh-oh! It's my father! If he sees you, he'll take you away! You really are a good friend to make. I see it. And I don't want anything happen to you!"

Young Y/N feels happy that he's looking out for her. No one has ever defended her before not alone the echidna.

"Don't worry--I'll hide. We'll make a pact to keep our meeting a secret between us, okay? No matter what."

She brings out her hand. He looks at her for a moment, thinking things through before they shake hands.

"It's a deal."

As promised, Young Y/N quickly hides behind the bushes as Young Knuckles walks up to his father, who's waiting for him.

"Come on, boy! You've got a few more training to do!"

Young Knuckles wasn't paying attention to him as he was glancing back to where Young Y/N was hiding as she stare back at him.

"Uhhh--right! Coming, Father..."

He and his father then left. Once she was sure they're gone, Young Y/N gets out of the bushes.

"See you later, Knuckles..."

"So long for now, Y/N... I have a funny feeling that our paths will cross again some day!" Young Knuckles thought to himself.

Little did they know, their paths is beginning to cross at a different circumstances.

Meanwhile, Longclaw has been watching them interact the whole time and smile fondly. With that, she flew back home to check on Young Sonic.