Starhog

Chapter 26

My Chao ended up tagging a long as I appeared on the island where Knuckles was staying the temple of the master emerald was ahead a ways I dashed forward I hadn't noticed Diablon flying above until I felt something hit my shoulder latching onto me I stopped seeing him there nuzzling my cheek with his seemed he really missed me seemed our bond kept him alive usually Chao that didn't live happily died but seems this one made it. " awww I missed you too." I smiled guessing I'd let him stay on my shoulder as I started to run again, he seemed to enjoy it, the breeze on his face, it didn't take long before arriving at the shrine due to my speed. I slowed to a walk, climbing the stone stairs to where the emerald was, brightly glistening in the sunlight.  The Chao let go and hovered above me as I neared the last step but then I was tackled to the ground by a red ball before getting a punch to the face, falling back but caught my balance.
" Easy, I'm not here for the emerald."
I growled, Diablon hovered to my side
" Chao Chao?" I could understand it, are you ok is what it said I gave a nod but didn't look at it, staring at the angered echidna in front of me he started to calm down a little after he realized that I was being serious.

" then why are you here, Shadow?" He asked keeping the same serious tone Diablon landed beside me safely looking up at the echidna the emotion ball above him turned into a question mark seemed he was curious.

" mainly wanted to talk to you. I figured you'd be better to go to. " Knuckles just laughed a bit " You can't be serious you're just trying to distract me so that bat can come and get the emerald."
Sighing guess I should've known he'd be like this seemed he wasn't going to be of any help.

" I came alone.... Actually it's just him and me, my Chao  was a stowaway." 

Knuckles didn't seem to be buying it. Diablon is a dark Chao but he looked similar to me,  in the past I gave him mostly green chaos drives whenever I could find them, GUN and Egg man's robots used to be powered by such things now their rare to find, hard to get material since it's become scarce due to too many being made. Chao are actually evolved from something called a Koco, which were once stone beings. Not much information could be found on them by Gerald's knowledge when he found the cave of the paintings of the hedgehog who he thought I'd become.

Diablon got defensive when Knuckles approached again, my cheek still stung from the punch I braced myself but the Chao stepped in front of me. " Chao Chao" Don't hurt him it said I wasn't sure how I was able to understand but it didn't matter, then again Cream was able to understand her own pet Chao, Cheese. 
Knuckles didn't move but his focus was still on me.
"I guess coming here was a mistake, I really didn't want anything to do with your emerald." I sighed before picking up Diablon then turning away, that was my mistake...

" Hmph yeah right...." he trailed off  noticing the scar on my back. Diablon didn't seem to be wanting to be in my arms he was fussy just as I had picked him up, similar to me i forgot he only liked it on his own terms so I let go and he hovered above me as Knuckles put a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait.. sorry I'm just used to others making a fool of me, I suppose I should trust you this time."
I looked back at him deciding whether to leave or stay at this point.
" GUN are after me... that's why I came here.... I'm tired of the experiments and I already almost died twice by their hands.... Their trying to create their own ultimate life form now to replace me... They don't know I'm here though, but not only that..."
Breathing in and out now trying to keep calm not looking at Knuckles, Diablon was watching him curiously as he looked at the mark on my back.
" I know of the cave art the echidnas made."
Knuckles then sighed " sure you do, guess we'll head to my home it's at the bottom of the shrine we can talk more there." I agreed to it following him without question maybe he wasn't sure what to say about GUN I just wanted to leave them for good I was already an ex agent at this point but still not free from them.

Diablon stayed close as I followed Knuckles down the steps of the shrine before leaving me down a dirt path away from the emerald still not fully trusting me but he still lead me to his shack he made.
It was small  built firmly from fallen trees and different materials he could find. Some areas were torn from heavy winds but it was still standing.

Knuckles had me wait in his living room area while he went to get something from somewhere else in the shack.
Diablon never left my side to wander seemed he wasn't used to being far from the Chao garden, it was his own accord to go with me though.

Knuckles came back with some pictures of the cave drawings his people made. " were these the ones? " he asked unsure on how I knew about them

I looked at the pictures and nodded.
" yeah... hmm guess this is part of a prophecy huh?"
He shook his head
" more like visions, you probably thought this was about Sonic right? "

Seemed he knew exactly what I was thinking.
" my creator came across these in a cave before he created me, after three others before me failed, he probably thought I was the one to do these things he actually made creatures similar to Chaos in the past, I had to stop them though since they were hostile due to the helmets that were used to control them weren't working properly. It was their only life support I felt bad for destroying them but I couldn't let anyone be harmed by them... "
I then realized due to them I couldn't save Maria or the others from GUN weak from the energy loss... I growled wanting to punch something but I didn't, I couldn't.... I held myself back Knuckles could tell I was stressed.