PoV: Knuckles

--- 8 Months Ago ---

"Hey~ Knuckles!" Sonic rushed towards the temple on angle island, "How's it hangin?"

"Same as everyday, peaceful because I am here to guard the emerald. What do you want?" I sighed and sat up, "You're interrupting my duty."

"Really? Cause it looks like I interuped a cat nap," Sonic laughed before taking a seat. He had a small basket with him and set it down, "Amy sent you some pie. It's pretty good."

"She did?" I perked up, opening the basket to find a whole apple pie. It have a small carving of the master emerald in the crust, "This is great. I was just thinking about lunch."

"Yeah, she made me something called a minced meat pie once. I thought it would be chilli filled, but it's actually fruit," we talked for a while. I was eating my pie slice by hand.

As the sun began to set, Sonic had started shifting around.

"You know, you should come visit us again. Everyone likes having you around. You could set angle island near the beach I live by so it's always close-"

"I'm not risking that," I cut off Sonic, immediately rejecting his offer, "You live near Eggman's home base to keep an eye on him. Bringing the emerald that close is reckless."

"Yeah, I guess so. Maybe we could all come up here again. Have another picnic, play some games-"

"That would also disrupt my duties," I shot Sonic down again, "You guys are a distraction. But," Sonic's ears perked up, "It would be alright of its after you defeat Eggman. If he had to rebuild, he'll have to time to attack."

"Sounds good," Sonic smiled and stretched, "I've been still for way to long. Mind if I run a few laps?"

"I don't care what you do," I laid back down, resuming my guarding.

"Right," Sonic sighed before running off through the forest. It was quiet and peaceful again, until it wasn't.

"Eggman's on his way!" Soinc shouted as he reached the bottom of the temple, "Knuckles!"

"Why is Eggman here?" I glided down the temple and met Sonic at the base. I had hidden Angle island well, Sonic had been the only visitor is a month.

"He must have found an emerald, that's the only way to find angle island," Sonic replied, "I'll call the other for back u- argh!"

The island shook Eggman began blasting at the surface. Trees were cleared off and the battleship landed, releasing badniks across the island.

"No time, we handle this now," I ran ahead and Sonic soon raced forwards.

"Why aren't you fighting?" I finally arrived, immediately I began using powerful attacks to combat the army. Sonic was knealing and not attacking at all.

"I am fighting!" Sonic got up and tried his communicator, "Come on Tails. We need more than just the two of us right now."

  The two of us fought, but Sonic had begun to slow down. He wasn't serious about protecting the Emerald at all.

"I thought you were our leader, what is wrong with you?" I pulled Sonic out the shOt of a lazer before he was hit.

"I- ngh..." Another attack forced us to separate in order to dodge.

"Ohohohoh!" Eggman cackled as he finally appeared on the scene, "Well, Sonic, of course you showed up un invited. This was supposed to be a surprise party for Knuckles but I guess you can attend too. Now, get me the Master Emerald!"

Flying robots quickly took off in the direction of the temple.

"You lured me away from the emerald!" I growled at Sonic who was still doing nothing.

"No, I didn't. I was just trying to warn you-"

"I left my post because of you! I'm going to lose the emerald!" I pushed him away, "You can fight this battle, I'm going to protect the Master Emerald."

"Knuckles!" I ignored Sonic's call. I climbe up the nearest tree and glided back to the temple. I was alone in the battle to defend it.

"Gotcha!" Eggman came by ih his eggmobile and a claw grabbed the emerald as I fought off another robot.

"Not you don't!" I grabbed the emerald, pulling back against his machine.

"Let go you vermin! I can pu this emerald to some good use," Eggman's claw was squeezing harder, I could hear the emerald's pain.

Fine, I shattered the emerald, protecting it from his claw and then ripped the metal hand apart. I destroyed every robot and Eggman flew away in a defeated rage.

  The moon was up and Sonic hadn't returned... Still, the master emerald was in a much more fragile state now. I needed to gather and reassemble all of the peices. I started searching the island for just that. Each piece I gathered I kept near by. I was startled as I saw Sonic's figure in the low light wilderness.

"I defeated Eggman just fine without you," I grabbed the peice near him, "You weren't needed. You were a distraction. I'm better off guarding the island on my own. Don't come back unless it's urget."

  He was silent and left. Not even a run, he walked away and disappeared. I checked the entire island to be sure he was gone before I set it into hiding again. For the next few weeks, the master emerald was silent, it voice was gone after shattering. I had piece off the island that I needed to track down.

--- Present Day ---

"That's not like Sonic at all," Tails replied as Knuckles finished his story, "He would call us for back up. Eggman had to have been blocking the signal. Why did you just leave him like that? What of he got hurt?"

"He didn't look hurt to me, he was standing just fine," I responded, "If Eggman had gotten the Master Emerald then we would have bigger problems. I'm the only one who can assemble the emerald-"

"You're not. Sonic can assemble it too. But I think I've figured something out," Shadow interuped me.

"Something happened after you left him. Something that made Sonic feel like you had betrayed him. You're an idiot who doesn't notice the subtle things," Amy got up and grabbed the me by my dreadlocks, "You didn't tell us every detail. There has to be more Knuckles."

"That's what I remember, it was months ago! How was I supposed to remember every detail?" I tried to push her away but I didn't want to hurt her either.

"You remembered the pie!"

"When else am I going to get an emerald pie? Of course I'd remember that!"

"All you think about is stuffing your stupid red face! Sonic left us that day and you can't remember anything else?" Amy brought out her hammer.

"Okay okay! I remembered something!" I put my arms up to block her swing and she stopped.

"You better not be making this up," she snarled and put her hammer away.

"It was dark, I couldn't see him well when he left. As a man, I didn't want to say it but you're insisting. When he turned to leave the moonlight got brighter, and it looked like he was crying," I sighed, remembering how the moonlight glistened on Sonic's check when he turned in silence, "I'm not all to sure okay. Sonic would never want me to tell everyone of he ever cried around me, I know that. So don't go spreading this around."

"He was crying..." Amy had started tearing up, "Eggman had to have done something horrible... Sonic's never cried..."

"Eggman most likely has a recording of the battle saved at his main head quarters. We'll search there tomorrow," Sally spoke up, "at the same time we can terminate all of the other Eggman facities around mobious and set everyone free. Let's end this war before we start the next one."

  I could feel Shadow's energy shifting. I wasn't sure of he was going to attack me or not. He kept Sonic under control for 7 months.

I waited until everyone left and we were alone, "You stayed?"

"I have one more question for you," Shadow replied, looking towards me.

"I have one for you too," I sat back, "You first."

"Did Sonic frequently see you alone?" Of all the questions that was the least I expected.

"Yeah, he visited every few days to bring me things. Mostly food, then we'd sit and talk in front of the emerald. Do you think having his so close gave Chaos the idea to possess him?" I answered his request.

"I do. Now you," he waited for my question.

"How did you get Sonic to follow you with so much obedience? He both know he doesn't listen to anyone."

"You won't like this," Shadow sat down and sighed.

"I don't care, I need to know how he was. We worried for so long."

"I found him two weeks after he disappeared."

~~~

02/03/2023

Oops was that another cliffhanger? Oh well, better wrote some more.

Only 1 final left! Finally getting freedom again!

See you soon~ 😚😚😚