The Light In The Dark

Mystic Memory

[This chapter is a pick up point to where they are at now and how they are doing]

Two years have passed since they first landed on this mystical planet. Sonic taught Knuckles the language he seemed to be able to read. Knuckles adapted to the new environment as well. He had an almost completely new look to himself as well. This planet slowly changes ones appearance due to the toxins in the plants. Knuckles had two extra eyes, one on each outer area of the eye. His leg also slowly grew back to the healing elements of this worlds magical nature supply. He also had two connected tongues... looking like ones of a snake. His legs were now hind legs, just like Sonic's. He also had two extra arms below the ones he originally had. His attitude of course stayed the same. They even found an abandoned castle, overgrown with the plants that infested this planet. There were small critters, which they also called flickies like back in Mobius. They made the castle like their own home... of course, it was a lot bigger. Sonic even dedicated one room to Tails even without the little guy being alive. Sonic had the biggest room, specifically for running around in and getting used to his new body over the year. Same with Knuckles. The red echidna shadow boxed a lot and was a lot quicker with punches as well on his own two feet. Knuckles also has two small laid back horns on his forehead which are sensitive to vibration... making it hard to sneak up on him. His tail is also longer, with small large spikes on each curve of his tail. Sonic and him would play games and spar with each other. So far Sonic has won more, considering Knuckles has had less time to get used to his body differences. Knuckles room was a dark red room with some small plants here and there... the plants glowed and were a pastel pink color. His bed was silk and he even had a homemade punching bag in there. Sonic's room looked like his beachside house (based off of Sonic Boom) and he loved it. The nature he had and nothing too luxurious. As one day they went on a small adventure to explore more of the world that they haven't seen. When coming across something they had never expected.

[We have now picked in present time]

No POV: 

They walked through some shrubbery, looking around at the darkened forest. Every time Sonic touched something with his glowing paw pads, it was like the plant took the light from him. Sonic turned around, walking backwards as he looks at Knuckles.

Sonic: "So... how has the new arms been for ya, as well as the eyes? Still getting muscle pains and headaches?"

Knuckles groaned, just talking about it gave him body aches.

Knuckles: "I'll eventually get used to it. This planet kind of slowly morphed me. And when I noticed my leg growing back... that was just a sign of another change I need to adapt to."

Sonic: "Yeah... Oh well, if your aches get worse, just alert me... okay, bud?"

Knuckles: "Alright, I'll let ya know. Just focus on the path."

Sonic smiled and turned back around as he focused on his journey now. Knuckles just kept walking, thinking about how much time they have stayed there. Two whole years... wow. Heck, they celebrated Sonic's nineteenth and twenty-ith birthday. Knuckles was now twenty-seven. It felt so odd being here for so long. Of course, he was happy with it. Seeing Sonic so happy and alive. Of course they had a bit of rough days... but it was always an amazing time when hanging out with one another. But what bothered Knuckles, was that Sonic never forgot about Shadow. The blue hedgehog would always somehow bring him up in conversation when he was going through a deep emotion. And Knuckles couldn't blame him for that. They never got a proper goodbye, and Shadow was just roaming around the universe... if he even is still alive. Knuckles snapped back into reality when they went through some thick shrubs. Sonic got through the bushes before Knuckles. His mouth hanging open at the beautiful view. Knuckle finally got through, wiping off the leaves and sticks in his fur. That's when Knuckles looked out into the beyond. His eyes widening. There was multiple different waterfalls below them in the distance. Looking out and seeing more flickies, but they have never seen these particular ones. They were birds... but they looked more like little baby dragons. The trees were in multiple different shapes, and each leaf had its own unique coloring to it. There were floating rocks in the distance. They could even see a snowy magic wonderland further off in the distance. The snow glimmered, as the mountains had what looked like lava dripping out of them. Yet the colors weren't ones of hatred or demise. The colors were a light blue and a saturated purple. With a white glowy tinting to it. Sonic then looked back down at the waterfall. As he also saw some sand in front of it in a small opening between the mangled trees. The sand looked more white and pure than the sand back at home in Green Hills. He looked at Knuckles with one of the biggest smiles ever as he gave him a nod.

Sonic: "Ready for another adventure, pal?"

Knuckles chuckles and crossed all four of his arms. Looking at Sonic and smiling. Seeing the young hedgehog so happy about something so different was relieving.

Knuckles: "Yes, I'm ready, Sonic."

Sonic giggled as he jumped off the cliff and landed down on the ground with almost no weight or impact to the fall. He landed on the mossy ground like it was a cloud. Knuckles hopped down and would climb down trees tog et down to the flooring beneath him. Sonic waited for his buddy as they then went off towards the waterfall. Of course, Sonic didn't know how to swim... but the sound of water... the feeling sand on his feet and paws, the smell of a beach. It reminded him do much of the home he secretly missed. They finally got to the gigantic glowing waterfall. Knuckles got into the water and started to clean off his fur and relax. Sonic just sat on the white sand. Closing his eyes and breathing in the tropical environment. He felt like he was at home in Green Hills again. But yet... something about this place made him want to stay, like there was more to it than just the magic or the beauty. Like some dark secret was amongst them that they don't quite know about yet. Sonic opened his eyes to Knuckles getting out of the water and sitting next to him.

Knuckles: "You look at ease..."

Sonic: "Yeah... this spot reminds me of home."

Knuckles went quiet as he looked at the waterfall and sand underneath his disfigured body.

Knuckles: "I can see why it reminds you so much of that place. The sound of water splashing up against more water. The air smelling like a tropical sunset, the sand pushed up against us like we just finished having a beach party. Yeah... reminds me of home, too."

Just hearing Knuckles say that out loud made Sonic's eyes water a little bit. He never realized how much he missed his home until he couldn't have it anymore. Sure, he could go back... but they would be tracked down with such ease... and it still haunts Sonic to the fact he had lost Shadow yet again to something he couldn't control.

Sonic: "I wish I could have experienced this with him..."

The red echidna sighed, knowing who the blue blur was talking about.

Knuckles: "You mean, Shadow... right?"

Sonic nodded his head, letting his tears drip down his muzzle. While looking at the water crashing into the body of aqua. Wiping his tears away real quick as he mumbled.

Sonic: "Yeah, we left him behind. Who knows if he is even alive right now, Knuckles. And I kind of blame myself for not taking charge. You guys did all the fighting. I remember it like it was yesterday. Seeing how you limped towards us with blood on you and coming from your body. The way Shadow walked into the penthouse with gore dripping off his paws. It all repeats in my head like a figment of my own tampered memory. And yet, I still can't seem to figure out why I didn't fight that day."

The silence grew. Only hearing the waterfall splash and swish up the salt inside the water. Knuckles then looked out towards the body of water, processing what Sonic had said.

Knuckles: "You went through hell those few days we were on that ship. It was a nightmare in itself. Sure, I got the hell beat out of me... but you were used for things no one should ever been used for. You also got hurt, and abused while on there. I couldn't mentally handle watching you go into another battle. Every time since Tails died. When you fought, you fought with anger and anxiety. Nothing more and nothing less. You were harsh on yourself, and you pushed that onto others when fighting. That's how you coped... I watch very closely to your attitude, to what your doing. And when I saw you those few days... I knew if you fought once more, someone's life would have been taken. With that being said, if you did that specifically. You would have guilt tripped yourself, you would have felt horrible. Because you're not that time of person. Yes, you fight hand to hand... but when fighting, you talk. Each time you fought, you barely talked. Only grunts and growls. Showing... it wasn't mentally you, and you were not healing in the condition you were in two year ago. I'm glad were here, yes it sucks it can't be Green Hill. But I'm just glad we are living good and trying to make the best out of it."

Sonic went quiet, listening to every word Knuckles let out of his mouth with great detail. Knuckles was right, if I had lashed out once more... I would have lost it to the brink of taking another's life. That's always been Knux's thing anyways. if it got too ugly, he was to the one to fight with nothing but violence. But he was mentally like that, he grew into it as he got older. But Sonic was never someone to abuse someone or scrape at the end of their thread that we all called life. It wasn't right in his mind to take something like that. And when thinking about it, and all the times Knuckles has saved him from hurting someone with that much intent... it never went further. It was a scary thought nonetheless... but it was sadly true.

Sonic: "You're right, if I had fought... I probably would have taken those guards' lives. And even if it was for protection, I would have brought myself down low to accept that is who I could have become. But I'm not like that. I crave freedom and life, and so do others. Some more than others, but... I've healed, I do get scared sometimes about the future, but that's normal. I don't know what's ahead, and that's why I look at the past. The great memories. The amazing feeling I got when I ran... when Tails was around and I taught him how to fly the plane. The times I sparred with you at your house and then moved in. How I found someone I loved and wished I could have more of it. The girls always kind of left us in the dust as we got older... I mean Amy and Rouge... but they still called us friends. The way I helped Amy find her lover in someone other than me. Her and Blaze make an amazing couple. And Rouge... well, I got her to quit doing drugs and smoking. Heck, she was a supermodel before we left. And Cream was trying to be a mechanic like Tails. Huh... I wonder how things have changed since we've left Green Hills. Must be completely different now."

Knuckles nodded in agreement. Knowing how Sonic felt all about this. The feeling was mutual. And looking back on those good memories... it was hard to not want to go back. But they needed to keep others and themselves safe. That's when they heard a huge thud behind them. Both of them turning around. All four of Sonic's ears twitched in the direction of the thud. Seeing if there was more movement. They both got up, as Knuckles popped his fingers and neck. While Sonic stood up and held his paws up. Something that Sonic had figured out about this new form of himself... he could control the nature around him. As they heard the footsteps get closer, they could feel their senses going into hyperdrive. One Sonic saw a foot appear out of the darkened bushes, he used the weeping willow tree leaves. Using his mind to wrap the leaves around the ankle of their opposer. The person was then turned upside down, groaning to the sudden movement.

Knuckles: "State your business! Why are you here, and who are you?!"

As the persons body hung upside down and twirled slowly to face them. Sonic's eyes widened and his body slowly relaxed. The person... or more of like alien that they had caught... was Shadow!


To Be Continued.  .  .