Knuckles lifted the baby up in the air with one hand in shock.

"He's my baby what?!"

"He's your baby brother, Knuckles! I was pregnant the last time you saw me." Lara-Le explained.

"Wow! Congrats!!" Y/N smiled in joy.

"I guess time really flies when you're fighting a war, mom! So, what do you and Wynmacher call the little rug rat, anyways?"

"His name is Kneecapeon Mace... but we call him 'Kneecaps' for short!"

The baby who's name is Kneecaps made a face saying he hates that name.

"Kneecaps the Echidna?!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Mom, that's got to be the worst name I've ever heard for a kid!"

Everyone except for Y/N began to laugh hysterically. Knuckles turned to them with a glare and his body is on fire.

"Is something funny?!"

They immediately stopped laughing and whistled innocently. Y/N frowned at her friends and Knuckles and turned to Lara-Le.

"I like it. It actually suits him. Kneecaps sound cool."

"What?" Knuckles raised his eyebrow.

"Really?" Lara-Le asked.

"Ga?" Kneecaps questioned.

"Yeah, he can use his knees to kneed the enemies off. Like this!"

Y/N demonstrated by kneeing Sonic in the belly, causing him to squeal and kneel down holding his belly in pain.

"Sis...! W-Why?..."

Kneecaps giggled and raised his arms towards Y/N.

"Thanks, Y/N. And looks like Kneecaps likes you."

"Can I hold him?"

"Sure!"

Y/N carefully grabbed Kneecaps and he giggled up at her, pulling down one of her quills. She playfully grabbed his tiny hand and gave him a no-no gesture, booping his nose. Knuckles feels a little jealous that his stepbrother is getting attention from his crush.

"He sure is cute."

"He's quite a charm." Lara-Le agreed.

Kneecaps looked over at Knuckles and raised his hands towards him.

"Oh? You want your big brother to carry you?" Y/N asked.

"He seems to have taken a shine to you, Knuckles!" Lara-Le smiled.

"You don't really expect me to..."

Y/N place Kneecaps on Knuckles' head. He had a look of deadpan as the baby pulled his red quill up and put it in his mouth, chewing it. Lara-Le and Y/N walked away with a smile.

"Quite a shine!!"

Once the girls looked away, Kneecaps hit Knuckles on the head with his spin rattle again. Knuckles held him up to make him stop hitting him.

"He's going to give me brain damage!"

Later...

"The free echidnas pitched these tents so you and your friends would have a place to sleep for the night." Lara-Le explained.

"Way past cool!" Sonic said.

"Yeah, but did they do it out of plain old hospitality... or because they believe I'm this avatar here to fulfill some ancient echidna prophecy!"

Knuckles passed his stepbrother back to Lara-Le.

"Why should it matter, son?"

"I... dunno, mom. I need some time alone to think about all this..." he said and walked away.

"I don't get it, Julie-Su! What's up with him?"

"Knuckles is... complex, Sonic."

"Yeah, it's gotta be weird dying, coming back to life, then having everybody act differently because of it." Mighty said.

"Like how everyone felt towards me?" Y/N asked.

"I guess so. But at least, we're not acting so differently towards you. We're happy that you're alive."

"I guess... Mom and Dad had been feeling protective lately and would always ask me if I'm okay."

"Hey, they're just doing that because they care about you." Sonic assured her, patting her back.

"Yeah, you're right... I gotta go and take a walk. I'll see you guys there."

Y/N then walked away from the camp back to the Marble Garden Zone. She sat on the grass and looked up at the night sky.

"I hope Knuckles is okay. He's not the only one that felt this way after being brought back to life. Mine is different." she sighed, rubbing her hands on her face. "No... Just like Cosmo said. She wanted me to have a good life I deserve. Knuckles deserve a good life too."

Y/N stood up.

"I'm going to talk to Knuckles. Even if he wanted to be alone, he should know that we'll always be there for him."

She was about to walk off when she heard a weird popping and gurgling noise and looked down and flinched to see the same orange alien with one eye. Y/N slowly came closer to it and stare at him for a second and winked. The orange alien jumped up in fright to reveal three eyes and four legs with a yell. Y/N yelped in surprise and fright, falling onto the ground.

The alien speaks unknown language and screamed at her, spinning around. She panted for a sec to see it scared and slowly came over to the alien. He stopped screaming and looked at her.

"Hey... It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you."

He look at her, looking scared still. Y/N slowly kneel down to his level and carefully held her hands out to him. The alien move back a little until he eventually let her carry him. They stare at each other through curiosity as the connection combined between them.

"What's your name, little friend?"

"Pooteetah, pooteetah. *sputtering*"

"Kirby, huh. That's a nice name. I'm Y/N. Y/N the Hedgehog. Where are your parents?"

This made Kirby sniff and look down in sadness.

"...What happen to them?"

"Pooteetah, pooteetah, pooteetah...."

"Oh... I'm so sorry. Are you really alone? How did you end up here?"

"Pooteetah."

"Lien-Da..." she growled.

Kirby whimpered. Y/N comforted him by stroking his furry head, shushing him.

"I'll take care of you."

He looked up at her and smiled. Kirby then snuggled into her chest, squealing cutely. She chuckled and placed him down.

"Let's go back and find Knuckles. He needs some comfort."

Kirby sputtered in agreement. They then left to the place where he would might be which is the hidden palace. They sneakily went inside without letting Lien-Da and Dr. Finitevus spotting them. Y/N and Kirby found Knuckles sitting on the ground with his head low in front of the Master Emerald.

"Is this what it's come to? Returning to Angel Island... returning from the afterlife... so I can be ridiculed by my enemies? Aurora warned me-- She warned me-- there would be consequences if I chose resurrection, but I didn't listen. Because of my stupid ego. I should've taken Y/N's advise. She would always warn me about everything. Now I'm stripped of my chaos powers and even outfitted with the hammer gloves and air necklace Rotor the Walrus invented..."

Y/N and Kirby frowned to see him like this.

"...It's all I can do to hold my own. Meanwhile, in the ironic twist department, these echidnas mistakenly think I'm somehow special because of it. They... must... be..."

Y/N walks over to him and pats his shoulder, causing him to turn around to see her and the orange alien. He doesn't care what he is and had a lot of things going on in his mind. Knuckles turned away from her, much to her dismay. She said nothing and Kirby goes and crawls up to his back and turn his head back to Y/N again. Knuckles sighed and was about to ask when he was engulfed into a hug. He tears up and hugs her back tightly. Kirby went in between them and join in the hug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After everyone as well as Knuckles, Y/N, and Kirby which she introduced her friends to and they had taken a like to that alien, had a good sleep, they are called in the meeting by Lien-Da with Dr. Finitevus by her side.

"I've received word from my double agent inside General Kage's army... informing me exactly where Locke is being held prisoner. We can stage a rescue now... If you're feeling up to it, Knuckles. I'll command the Dark Legion."

Knuckles hugged Lara-Le.

"Knuckles, I-- I--"

"I'm going mom. Don't worry... I'll be fine."

Wynmacher smiled at them while Kneecaps who's sitting on his head had a grouchy look.

"Don't doubt the Avatar, Lara-Le!"

"What about me, Avatar?" Remington asked. "I can accompany you in battle!"

"No, Remington. I want you to stay here, keep an eye on the Master Emerald while we're gone."

"Not for nothing, but as far as getting to Dingo City goes, it's no problem for yours truly with my super-speed and all..." Sonic winked. "But how are the rest of you gonna get there?"

Boy, did he have to ask as everyone are in the dark space alien like ship as Sonic jump over each of them before joining his sister who's rocket roller skating.

"I had to ask!"

"Next time, don't!"

They made it to Dingo City as everyone fight off the Dingoes while Sonic and Y/N head straight towards Kage's place and opened the door with smoke behind them. Kage and the Dingo turned in shock to see them.

"We heard it was free chilidog day in Dingo City!" he joked.

"Yipe!"

"You two? Here?! Now?!" Kage exclaimed. "Then that means--!"

"Uh-huh. Y'know 'Kagey' you might not be as dumb as you look!"

"Ohh! Snap!"

Kage lit up with lightning from his hands and charged them.

"RAARGGGHHHH!"

But Sonic and Y/N easily zoom past him.

"Or... you just might be!"

Kage slammed himself against the wall, cursing.

"Works everytime."

"Yeah."

Sonic grabbed the Dingo in the air with his fist up.

"Don't try anything funny, Dog-Breath!"

"Errr, Sonic? Y/N?" Locke groggingly said who's chained upside down. "That's Harry you're about to pummel. He's our double agent."

"This dude?!"

Knuckles came inside after.

"Well, hello, son." Locke greeted.

"Dad!"

"Quick! Here's the key to the shackles!" Harry said.

"I'll keep a lookout!" Sonic said.

Y/N helped Knuckles unlock the shackles on Locke and brought him down.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

"It'll take more than a few dingo love taps to take out a guardian, Knuckles. By the way, son... you're a sight for sore eyes."

Knuckles teared up in joy. Y/N and Kirby who's hiding in her shoulder smiled at the father and son bonding. Just then, Kage came back up and stood in front of the entrance, blocking their way. He looked huge and almost powerful.

"By the time I get through with you, Echidna, your eyes won't be the only body parts that are sore!"

Sonic, Y/N, and Knuckles looked at each other with a smile. Not a second later, they brought Kage fly back into the wall, breaking his mechanic parts.

"So how are the Chaotix handling things outside this so-called stronghold, Rad Red?"

"Between them and the DL, it's a butt-kicking extravaganza, True Blue!"

"You two!" Y/N chuckled, flexing her arms.

"Don't pat yourselves on the back so soon, cretins!"

They turned to see Eggman on screen.

"You didn't think I'd be a fool to put all my eggs in one basket, did you? Didn't believe I would rely on the echidna's confession as my sole means of tracking the Master Emerald. While you've been wasting time in Dingo City, playing 'search and rescue...' I've dispatched one of my agents to find the Master Emerald for me. I'm extremely confident he'll be successful. You see... he's really quite the hunter!"

Their eyes widen in fear and realization. They've been tricked once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nice work, Knuckles!" Sonic said with a closed eye smile. "Looks like between, you, me, sis, the Chaotix and the Dark Legion, we sure kicked butt on General Kage and his Dingo Army!"

"Sonic, I would love to cheer for now, but you heard what Eggman said! There's another enemy on loose!" Y/N said, glaring at him.

"Yeah, we shouldn't go congratulating ourselves yet, Sonic!" Knuckle agreed.

"My son and Y/N are right-- especially if one of Robotnik's agents is homing in on the Master Emerald even as we speak!" Locke said.

"You've got to be kidding, Locke!" Lien-Da exclaimed. "This shouldn't have happened if we hadn't wasted time and echidna-power staging your rescue! Robotnik's agent could be walking into the hidden palace right now."

"What's the big deal, Kommisar, when you've got the two fastest thing alive on your team? We'll be there before you can say I-would-be-the-world conqueror!"

"I suggest you take my son along for the ride, Sonic and Y/N."

"Me?! Dad, without my chaos powers, what am I supposed to do? Cheer?"

"You can lend your friends a hand..."

"Don't worry, Knuckles. Like I said, have faith. I'm sure there'll be a miracle coming soon." Y/N assured him.

"Not that I really need the help, but ditch the gear all the same-- this is one hedgehog that likes to travel light!" Sonic teased.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in the hidden palace the green lightning came before them with a spear pointing out.

"What in--?!" Dr. Finitevus questioned.

"We're under attack, Wynmacher!" Remington exclaimed.

"But from whom, Dr. Finitevus?!" Lara-La exclaimed, holding Kneecaps close.

"It matters not, Lara-Le! The Master Emerald must be safeguarded."

"Agreed." Fire Ant said who's in the shrine the whole time.

"Archimedes, what are you doing here?" Remington asked.

"No time for explanataions constable Remington! Hurry into the Master Emerald shrine-- all of you!"

"I intend to stay and face whatever threat is about to walk through that door, Archimedes!"

"Who gave you the authority to be here, fire ant?" Dr. Finitevus demanded.

"Locke did when he asked me to keep an eye on the Master Emerald after he entrusted it to..."

Archimedes stopped to see a red and blue ball with the word "EGG" and a yellow star in the middle as it bounced around them.

"...you." he glared.

There stood a man with black hair and blue eyes. He wears an Eggman Empire uniform. Remington charged the man named Hunter, not noticing a green spear spin behind him.

"Don't worry! I'll handle him!"

"Constable-- No!!" Archimedes tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Remington was consumed and was flown into the spear. Hunter grinned and turned to Dr. Finitevus.

"Next?"

Dr. Finitevus grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Archimedes...? What happened to Constable Remington and Dr. Finitevus?" Lara-Le asked as they went back inside the shrine along with Safferon.

Archimedes sat there as Wynmacher held him up in his hand with tears rolling down.

"I-- I tried to warn them, Lara-Le..."

This made them teared up too as well as Kneecaps.

"Th-Then it's up to us to make sure the Master Emerald doesn't fall into the wrong hands!" Safferon declared, looking up at the Master Emerald.

"You can try, but you won't succeed." Hunter said, scaring them as he was right behind them.

"Then, I guess we'll have to keep fighting..." Sonic said, catching Hunter's attention.

"...until we get it right!" Y/N finished his sentence with a grin.

"Long time, no beat down, Hunter." Knuckles said.

Hunter threw the green energy spear towards them as they spin, causing them to move back from it.

"Whoa!"

"Yikes!"

"Hey!"

Knuckles looked down from the ground to see Archimedes in front of him.

"Archimedes? What are you doing h--? Oh, never mind!"

"Not so fast, creep. Hey! What the heck is this?" Sonic questioned.

"Some sort of ball?" Y/N guessed.

The ball bounched on its own as it followed every fast move of Sonic's and Y/N's speed as they quickly dodge it.

"A little something to keep you occupied while I complete my mission."

"I don't think-- YEARRRGH!"

Knuckles collapsed on his knees in pain.

"Knuckles!" Lara-Le gasped.

Y/N gasped and ushered Kirby to help him as he quickly move himself from her shoulder before the ball could hit him. Kirby move over to Knuckles and noticed his eyes are pink.

"Knuckles? Say something, son!"

"M-Mom...?"

"Pootetah!" Kirby said.

"Bah. You used to be something, echidna. What happened to you? Who cares?"

Hunter raised his chaos spear.

"It's time I collected my trophy!"

Y/N jumped over the ball and went in front of Knuckles.

"No!!"

"Sis!!"

Knuckles opened his eyes and his body glowed pink with pink lightning surrounding him and his eyes glowing.

"Wh-What's happening to him, Wyn?"

"I don't know, Lara, but we'd better stand back!"

"It's about time!" Knuckles grinned, floating above everyone.

"Pootetah?" Kirby asked, jumping into Y/N's arms who's just as shocked as everyone else.

"I gotta admit-- I wasn't expecting that to happen!" Sonic said.

Hunter who's shocked tried to throw a spear towards Knuckles. He easily caught it before it hit him.

"Kn-Knuckles?" Y/N asked.

"No. Super Knuckles."

Knuckles snaped the spear in half.

"No." Hunter sweatdropped in fear.

"Archimedes, you were right!" Locke said who's also there. "I can't bear to look!"

Super Knuckles flew down towards Hunter with his fist and grabbed him and flew him up through the building, catching everyone including the Dingoes attention to the sky. Big explosion is heard as he kept bringing Hunter up in the sky for a second.

"Let... go... of... me... you stinking echidna!"

"With pleasure."

Super Knuckles rapdily spin him around before throwing him down towards the water with a big splash. The ball that kept bouncing around Sonic stopped after Hunter was defeated.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

All the Dingoes, including Kage all ran into the ring portal with tails between their legs. All the echidnas bow down before Super Knuckles.

"Avatar! Avatar! Avatar! Avatar!"

Lien-Da couldn't believe it. Not only the echidnas bow down to him, but her Dark Legion bow down as well.

"No! Stop it, you fools! Have you lost your minds?! What are you doing?!"

Super Knuckles fly down as his powers faded away from his body and landed gracefully.

"My chaos powers have returned! Yes!"

His body was suddenly engulfed into a hug and looked down to see Y/N who's the one hugging him.

"You did it! I'm so happy for you!"

"Me too." he smiled, hugging her back.

Knuckles turned to Locke and Archimedes after pulling away from a hug.

"Dad! Archimedes! How is this possible?"

"Your powers never left, lad. They've lain dormant since you returned from the afterlife."

"You hadn't been in contact with the Master Emerald during that time." Locke added. "We suspect that contact with it was all that was necessary to reawaken them."

The ball that was lying on the ground turned on to reveal a hologram Eggman. He looked crazy and unhappy.

"Knuckles may be a heavy hitter once more, but it doesn't matter since I now have the Master Emerald's location and an army of my egg pawns is en route to that not-so hidden palace even as we--"

Sonic smashed the hologram with his shoe.

"Aaah Shaddap!"

"We've got to move the Master Emerald to a new hidden palace!" Locke said.

"Agreed!" Knuckles said and turned around. "Where's Constable Remington?"

Archimedes look down sadly, tilting his hat down.

"Both he and Dr. Finitevus were among the casualties of Hunter's chaos spear I'm sorry, Knuckles."

Knuckles teared up.

"Remmy..."

"There's no time to mourn friends... or family." Lien-Da said, looking a little sad to lose another echidna family that she knows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments later...

"Dad, promise me you'll keep an eye on Lien-Da and the emerald while I'm gone." Knuckles said.

"While you're--?"

Locke was cut off to see a flying plane Bunnie was in. Knuckles closed his eyes in sadness and regret.

"Yo, Knux! There's our ride!"

The Chaotix and Sonic grabbed the rope that was thrown down to them as each of them grab on as Knuckles and Y/N and Kirby are last.

"What? You're leaving? You too, Julie-Su?"

Julie-Su said nothing as the shadow covered her eyes. Y/N pats her back to assure her that everything is going to be okay.

"I made a promise to Princess Sally that I'd return to Knothole City as soon as we'd rescued you, dad."

"But what of your duties as Guardian of Angel Island?!"

"Seeing everything that's happened here while I was away has made me realize that if Robotnik takes over Mobius, the whole planet will be in trouble-- not just Angel Island! I can't let that happen."

Locke glared at him.

"So, now that your powers have finally returned and you have the power to fight, you'd rather turn your back on your home rather than reclaiming it from evil?!"

"Dad, I--"

"Suit yourself."

Locke walked away towards Lien-Da who's smirking the whole time. Y/N and Kirby couldn't believe that he would say that to his own son. So, he only cares about people than Knuckles' opinion? This can't end like this.

"I'll talk to him."

"Are you sure? I don't think he will listen."

"Oh, I think he will. I'm going to make him listen."

Y/N walked towards Locke after Lien-Da went through the ring portal. As he was about to head in, she called out to him.

"Locke!!"

He stopped and turned to her.

"What do you want?"

"I think you have taken too far on acting out on Knuckles like that. You could've at least consider it. It's his choice to make."

"But he just turn his back on his own people. His own family."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't care. He still loves you and everyone else. You can't just give him responsibility to become a guardian already when he's still young."

"Pootetah." Kirby agreed.

"So you're saying that he can't be a guardian?!" Locke asked, glaring at her. "He was supposed to take responsibility as a guardian! It's his destiny!"

Y/N couldn't take it with his attitude and shouted back.

"Well, maybe you don't understand! Being pressured to do things they don't want to do! Not considering their well-being! And for not at least, telling them how much you love them because you were so focused on the island and the echidnas to protect! This is his own choice to make! And you know what? You could've at least be a better dad and be there when Knuckles needed you! Family comes first and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten! And look at Knuckles now! He's a grown man already and you should be proud! But I guess I was wrong. No wonder Lara-Le remarried someone else because you walked away from the family..."

Locke was silent as his eyes were wide after hearing her rant. He then look down a little upset at what Y/N said and didn't say anything back. Y/N sighed, shaking her head and walked away.

"Just wanted to let you know, that Knuckles still loves you as a dad. I wish you a good luck. See you, Locke."

Kirby looked over Y/N's shoulder and frowned to see Locke cry actual tears. Y/N didn't see it, but she could tell that he's sad. She stopped to see Lara-Le and Kneecaps. Lara-Le said nothing, knowing Y/N had an argument with Locke and just smiled.

"Take care of my son, Y/N."

"I will, Lara-Le. I will."

Kneecaps giggled at Y/N. Y/N smiled and booped his nose.

"See you later, you little rascal."

"Pootetah." Kirby smiled at the baby echidna.

Y/N then left to the plane with everyone else as they head back to Knothole City. Locke looked up to where his son had gone and head back into the ring portal before it closes.